I'm Out of the Way - Hear His Voice!

Psalm 29:1-2 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

"What would Jesus Do?" This has been used as reminder by the devout to do right, or to stop and think before doing ... so the right decision might be easier to see and do. This W.W.J.D. idea surged in the 1990’s and had been popular enough to become fashion statements, bumper stickers, tattoos, music themes and a pattern mimicked by antagonists ... W.W.Z.D. (What would Zappa do?).

Never the less it actually started with deep devotion and had far reaching and lasting results in the lives of many believers seeking to know Him on a daily basis. Charles Sheldon’s 1896 book In His Steps, was subtitled "What would Jesus Do?" This book actually challenged my life as a young Christian though the book was almost a century old at that time. So when the W.W.J.D. logo hit the trinket and "merch" racks in Christian bookstores in the 90's I was a little irritated. Something the inside of me twists uncomfortably when I see Faith fading into fad. (Pride puffs me up!)

BUT USUALLY THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A CONFLICT DISTRACTION ... While I'm trying to correct all of Christendom of its shallowness ... a shabbily clothed, new to the faith, believer is standing for the first time in a "Christian" Bookstore (Never knew a store like this existed prior to His new found faith in Christ) and is so excited about all the cool bracelets, T-Shirts and breath mints that can be used to announce the effect his new "Friend’s" love in his life. (I’m humbled by the faith and love of a child!)

My self-achieved knowledge and pride kills my joy and deafens my ear to the real "Mover and Shaker" in this whole thing. My attitude of judging those who appear to profit off of the naïve vulnerable babes in Christ actually dampens my zeal to love all for Christ’s sake. Why do I trouble myself by thinking that any person, movement, law, country, organization, or event can derail God’s Love Plan for Mankind? Who can stop God’s plan? Who can silence the Voice of God? (I am Starting to bow down!)

OK - OK so what if I do know some awesome things that create strength in my soul that carries me daily into situations with great effect for the Kingdom. Do I give this Strength to my selfish irritations and set up a “Separatist” battle station, or do I give it to the Lord in a glorious life of worship in the beauty of holiness? WELL – NO, definitely "NO" to the first thought ... It is already being done and it is definitely an obnoxious stink in the Kingdom. (I realize I am part of the stink!)

OK - OK ... I will give my life to worship Jesus in the Beauty of Holiness. One problem ... Can’t give something that I haven’t a clue as to what it really is. (By the way ... read the verses at the top ... open Psalm 29 and see what happens when our decisions{glory} and choices{strength} bow before Him ... "The VOICE" will be heard and handle all the flow, force, favor, resistance, pride, energy, emptiness, secrets, changes, and people in our lives ... Within this we will find His Strength and Peace) ... Here is a final thought: Oh you Mighty Ones, handicap your desire to control His world, bow your gifts before Him, open your eyes at this level to "the least of these" and let His Voice flow over you and to His world ... and you will be filled with the "Adornment of His Sacred Love of You." Want it? Bow down!

(I am bowing ... Hear the Voice!)

HLFA,

Jeff

Brass or Iron?

The Heaven and Earth as Brass or Iron?

The blitz is on ... with the dimensions being greater than the actual, I need someone larger than life to lead me through this spiritually hazardous wasteland.

It isn't enough to just to sit there and complain when we are bombarded by a media that constantly reminds us of the debauch nature of the world we live in. Even when we step out of the “viewing” room, we are jostled back n' forth in a world that believes that plunging necklines and skimpy revealing clothing is the normal presentation of the body, and filthy “potty” mouth communication is the way to assert and elevate your opinions into the sea of endless deception. Don't just melt into silence and apathy.

The voices of the last generation will become louder, and more obnoxiously belligerent to the idea that there is any other way than theirs. “Stake your claim and claim you stake if you don't someone else will.” “Release the power of the goddess within you.” “Assert your authority or you will lose yourself.” To not bow to the philosophies of the day means you just haven't “evolved” yet, or that you are an uneducated bigot that lacks enlightenment. We are challenged to question and even mock all that is right and good, but at the same time dare not create a “faux pas” by challenging the obviously overt sinful presentations of a Godless worldview.

Turn down the vibe, and look at the immediate world we interact in ... even within our families,we are plagued by heartbreak, anger, disappointment and confusion because we are offered choices of unfaithfulness, dishonesty, immorality, divorce and suicide. And if these choices aren't jockeying for position, they are sitting on our doorsteps just waiting for our lives to fracture into vulnerability. AND just to say, “I know what's right, I do what's right, and this doesn't have anything to do with me” is the quickest way to disenfranchise, disengage, and voluntarily line up for Satan's firing squad.

It was pointed out to me by a scoffer, that even God can't make up His mind, so why follow a God who is confused (he pointed out the TWO verses below): Leviticus 26:19 - "And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass" & Deuteronomy 28:23 - "And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron." "Now, which one is what?" What the unbelieving scoffer failed to see in his haste to belittle a God that He could not see or control, was that these verses referred to the “curses” that would plague a man who would choose any other god over the One True God. He failed to see that these statements were just one of the “curses” spoken over a generation who would chose to disobey God (who was offering such great opportunities of blessing as a reward for simple faith and obedience to His opinion). God was letting them know that without Him they wouldn't know which end was up.

Listen ... with your heart to the two verses intertwined: When I refuse to give the rule of my life to God as Supreme, God will break the pride of this choice; and that which is above and below will capture me in unbridled shameful desires (brass); and that which is above and below will become an unbreakable fetter and an impenetrable prison cell with walls (iron) that will crush me with unmerciful, unforgiving, unrelenting containment.

Sin (missing the mark of loving, honoring, and obeying God) is idolatry. Sin refuses to hear God as Authority. Sin does not lead to freedom and security, it leads to not knowing which end is up in a world chained in rebellion against Real Love. God's Real Love in Jesus is the only Hope for this hopeless generation; and if we are His we need to actively live in humble proclamation of His love. The world is truly dying to see us living for Him.

HLFA,

Jeff

God Got my Attention

God Got my Attention (Psalm 17)

1. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

I think we might have all been,watching each other. We all stuck out like sore thumbs. He with his awkward hesitant walk and cane; and us with our momentarily out of place skin color. He had 2 giggly women with a fishing pole; and I had one silent woman with a camera. It was safe enough watching from a distance ...but as life would have it ... the shortest distance between two points would land him near our proximity with all of our issues in a collision course.

2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

It was a moment of humor that broke the ice between us. It was obvious he was there to fish with a pole and relax; and we were there to fish with a camera and relax. The humor came when he baited his hook and went to swing his rod. That rod and hook created a “move away” gigglier situation for the two women with him. As he would begin to create his wild crazy swing of the pole, they would laugh and move out of the suspected path of its hooked movement. I broke the verbal distance with a quandary, “How many children have you hooked and cast them in with your swing?” We all laughed with this thought. By the second wild whip of the rod, the two women had removed themselves from the area and away from the conversations that would ensue.

3. Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4.Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

“May I ask, how are you doing?” was all I needed to say to unleash an onslaught of facts that would tell me how GOD GOT HIS ATTENTION. As a younger man, he strayed away from the Lord ... between a car accident, a piece of metal breaking off at a job site and stabbing him in the neck; both causing near death experiences ... God got his attention and now he lives to praise and pray for others. Amazing his desire to convince me that he loved Jesus ... to the point where he shared, “God wakes me up in the middle of the night to pray and I pray even though I am not sure who or what to pray for, so I's pray fo every one in da world whoms I never even met yet”. It was obvious that He really desired a continuous connection, but as I stared into his eyes I could sense the reality of the daily battle he was living.

5. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
6. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7. Shew thy marvelous loving kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
8. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9. From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
10. They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
11. They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

“They bring sick babies to me now to pray, and I pray and God hears. A little one, just a month ago, couldn't walk, I prayed –God, let him walk but not like me, And now he is running around with all the others” “God uses me to pray, tho it wasn't always this way!” I could see the ravages of sin that had taken its toll on him, but I could also sense his strong momentary desire to Praise God Loudly and openly (perhaps the two escapees knew this would happen).

12. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13. Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
14. From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

Had I found the time to tell my “wanderings” story, we would have both found that GOD HAD GOTTEN OUR ATTENTION at different times in our lives when straying was the choice. The awesome thing we all found together was that God makes the lasting “good” difference in our lives ... creating a desire to Praise him and a desire for more of Him. Oh, if only we could judge righteous judgment, and see with our hearts instead of our eyes, how much different our effectual Heavenly living would be. “Christlike” ... to be like Jesus ... is not what we think we see. “Christlike” ... to be like Jesus is a daily awakening to His likeness, and a daily longing for His likeness where ever He may meet us.

15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

I saw Harold Holly in my mirror today ... His sin stained eyes, his quivering lips under-girded with staggered broken missing teeth, his unsteady caned walk, his wild fishing rod swing, his unkempt clothing, and beautiful broken smile ... but most of all ... I saw his heart as he desired to make God's praise believable from his life. Harold Holly, we are not so different are we?

HLFA,

Jeff

Darkness Closing In?

Horrors in My Heart

The sorrows of Hell have compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. I cried!

Very few have dared to look at the horrors of another heart, let alone their own. Are we willing to look into the nightmares left in the heart of one that has faced war, whether soldier or civilian? Will we look until tears roll down our cheeks at the horrendous memories of one scarred by gang related incidents or abusive family environments? Do we want to even begin to sense the horrors of the chemically imbalanced or those controlled by chemically induced mental torture? The fears brought on by potential impending doom or national unrest have ravaged a fearful generation so that they barely can maintain their own sanity. Where is God's promises in the midst of the moments of peril? Where is our heart to go when our lives are truly torn to pieces, and our faith disemboweled?

I watched her months ago as she just wanted to dance ... now all she wants to do is go home even though she is home. Safety is a confusing memory. All she wants is to be held, but she can't even figure out who is holding her and tears begin to flow. She can't put any of the pieces together, because there are so many missing. Why does life have to funnel down to this in the lives of some? It seems to be almost random, and “faith” does not appear to be a guaranty for those looking on.

Years ago I saw them fighting to stay together. Then their lives went behind closed doors only to reappear as a relationship in peril. Love has been replaced with suspicion and fearful apprehension of “its over”. Trust has been vanquished to the land of no return and the fury of love is growing dark and cold giving over to the insidious imps of Hell's hopelessness.

Those closest to heart breaking situations so desperately need of vision of God's unseen rescue, they need to “know” He cares. They need to know that to cry is to hear Him say “Here I am!”

Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him ... 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

God's promises transcend generations, time, incidents, interruptions, catastrophes, plans of men, fears of men, disappointments, intentions, temporal solutions, and anything that would appear to hinder God coming to you or you coming to Him. Read Genesis 15 and see that when God gives proof of his promise to Abraham, Abraham tries to “put the the pieces together”. No sooner does the sun go down and darkness sets in with all of its shadows ... faith flees, horror sets in. NOTE: This does not discourage the proof of God's promise ... the furnace of his faithfulness and the lamp of His truth burns brightly as it passes through the pieces that Abraham tried to put together. There are so many “Theological” ramifications of this passage, but to look no further than the event may help our vision ... hang on to this: God will bring proof of His promises in our darkest hours of fear and trembling ... He will burn in the midst of our best laid failures ... and He will see us through as we see Him in the darkness. Tremble, He is near.

Don't close your eyes ... stare into the darkness of disappointment ... look for His answer, He longs to meet you there. Joshua 1:9 (you gotta look it up if you don't have it memorized).

HLFA,

Jeff

Better Life?

Better Life (always a bit incoherent) or Best Life (always available)?

“A better life”, “the better life”, “better life” ... all of these phrases if searched for in Google or mentioned in the passing, will paint an enormous canvas of thoughts.  For instance: “A better life” may  be something that is an alternative to the life I live now; “the better life” may be a lifestyle that can remove us from the typical life of servitude, and “better life” may suggest there is a way to add quality to my currently failing life. Regardless, if we are not careful, we will miss the opportunity to see the “holy” in the present. We will not even begin to recognize eternity tapping into the “now” to bring us life.

Ten minutes of driving and ten minutes waiting: Two Big Breakfasts with Hot Cakes, two breakfast burritos, two fruit and granola parfaits, one medium coffee with 3 creams and 4 sugars, oh yeah and one fruit and walnut salad... “Is your order correct on the screen?” - “I’m not sure; your screen is not on?” - “sorry, it must still be asleep! Your order comes to $21.15, please pull up to the booth!” - “Here is your $.85 change, please pull ahead to get your order” - The waiting at an empty window is followed by the voice of a frustrated young man... “Sorry it took so long, the parfaits were all the way in the front and someone had stacked them wrong and they went flying everywhere ... I hope it gets better from here” - (Coffee and 3 bags, the order must be correct?) ... I reply ... “That’s OK, maybe the day will get better from here?”

Ten minutes of driving and laying out the breakfast for my aging in-laws (one unexpectedly sick and the other always very dependent) leaves me a little disappointed because ... there is no fruit and walnut salad (aaaaaugh!!) So, I drive back to talk to the sign, (“please pull ahead, do you have your receipt?”), then the booth person decides I am legit because she remembers me (even though I don’t have my receipt), then at the window the perplexed young man says “Here is your fruit and walnut salad; It has to be this weird weather!” ... go figure.  Now it is 7:37 AM. And the recipients are not feeling well enough to partake of the food conquest ... so I encourage them to relax; “the food will be waiting and can be brought to an acceptable temperature when you are ready”.

Now ... life slows down and I get to write this HLFA. It has been a very rough week emotionally, but I refuse to let it rot in the hands of stress and disappointment. I refuse to let “stupid suggestions” and “impatient feelings” rob me of God’s love opportunities. I will be still for this moment. (Sorry, I just leaned away from the computer, sighed and cried ... this is not easy and my God knows it ... intensely!)

Just a few minutes prior to sitting here with you ...
I sat on the brick steps outside of my wife’s parents’ house. With my One cup of coffee (with 3 creams and 4 sugars) -
I begin to think in my normal incoherent way ...
June = 6 and the 2nd day,
 ok Lord begin speaking to me from Psalm 62 ---

“Truly my soul … waiteth upon God, from Him cometh my salvation ...
He only is my Rock, and my Salvation, He is my defense ...
I shall not be greatly moved” ...
“My soul, wait thou upon God, for my expectation is from Him!”

I will not look for the elusive “better” life ... for from His Word ... my soul is found tied to Him. The cord to the “best life” is fastened firm by Him, and between Him and me. He will draw me close when my incoherent vision tries to gain control and my desires only reach for temporal relief. He wants this moment to count for eternity in my life and others. Oh my Soul, long for His Desire to love, and Wait (silent and ready to be astonished and amazed) on Him.

Although my thoughts may not connect and my tears may distort …My Hope is Jesus. “Jesus, go ahead and amaze me!”

HLFA,

Jeff