A Prodigal's Path

“Scooby Doo . . . Where Are You?”

     As I stated in "The Year That Could Be" ; "Nothing seems to drive Christians crazier than trying to put a finger on the Holy Spirit." And nothing could be truer than my personal pursuit to unravel the "mystery" of this seemingly elusive member of The Trinity.

     The shroud of mystery and suspense began with references like "Holy Ghost" . . . a little spooky . . . and the "Holy Spirit" . . . less spooky, but more mysterious. So I grew up wondering if this was some celestial entity that followed me around reporting back to command central in Heaven about what I was up to? Was he perched up on my shoulder taking note of my deeds or whispering into the hollows of my ear? Was he there to guide me, punish me, convict me, tell on me . . . or worse yet . . . haunt me with "goodness"?

     Upon returning to the Church in 2003 tracking down the root of this mystery became one of my first quests. It's hard to explain, but during my 20 years of wandering in the shadows of life I always felt "protected" for lack of a better word . . . I always had a feeling that somehow, some way, some day I would find my way back . . . something better was in store for me than these moments at the trough.

     In 2006 my father, a retired minister, lay on his death bed while I desperately pressed him for any, and every, inkling of knowledge and wisdom he had about the Holy Spirit. It was amongst the last of our conversations. I buried myself in books and I relentlessly asked questions of nearly everyone. "What's the BIG Mystery of the Holy Spirit?"

     It took but Charles F. Stanley pocket-sized book "Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit" to answer nearly every question I had and to put a proper perspective on this "mystery". I believe it is our own vernacular which confuses us. It's the words we use that create the cloud that mystifies us. It's our cultural predisposition to words like "spirit" and "ghost" that send our curious minds off into a metaphysical whirlpool in which understanding about the Holy Spirit remain elusive.

     Stanley is quick to acknowledge the propensity we have to confuse ourselves with words like "ghost" and points out that the clearest frame of reference is in The Beginning. Genesis 1:2 calls Him the "Spirit of God". All of the sudden it, rather He, makes a lot more sense. It is the Spirit of God that we are given. It is the Spirit of God that guides, grows, nurtures, convicts, and motivates us. It is the Spirit of God that helps us find our way home. It, or He, is not some ghastly ghostly haunting that reside 45 degrees off our shoulder and just beyond the reaches of our eyesight. The Spirit of God resides within the impassioned membrane of our souls. He's not a spirit or ghost of the dead that our imaginations may conjure up . . . but rather the Spirit of He who lives.

     Forget Scooby Doo and ghost . . . think E.T. Remember in the movie E.T. when ET starts to glow because he feels love, life, and passion? Well, in my own goofy and contemporary way that is a lot more accurate representation of the Spirit of God than are words like "ghost". Much like ET's life-force, God's Spirit is our indwelling beacon that urges us to seek the path home.

 

 

     "Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit" is a quick and easy read. Stanley answers the fundamental questions of "Who, What, Why, Where, and When?" in a clear and concise fashion that will add a new dimension to the understanding and appreciation of your faith. Best yet is that it's less than $10.  "Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit" at Amazon.com

     And remember; He is the "Spirit of God" . . .

      

 

The Year That Could Be

     The Bible is full of stories and accounts of inspiration as God motivates the hearts, minds, intellect, and hands of men to carry out His will. If you read "The Year That Could Have Been" then you know that desperation is the result of despair and hopelessness. And what about Inspiration? And how can we make 2011 Year That Could Be . . . inspired and spiritually unlike any other we've had prior?

     I'm no expert on motivation, nor do I see myself as any type of life-coach, but here are a few things that came from my experience last year.

     Inspiration has a few vague definitions but a couple I found most relevant are these: "a special influence of divinity on the minds of human beings" and the "arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity."

     For Christ Followers, that inspiration comes from aligning our life's work as He has purposed and gifted us. And there are a few things we need to consider, discover, and pursue to bring that all together in order to live a full, meaningful, and inspired life.

Know Yourself

     What I found in my tough start to last year was that my problems and challenges were created by me pursuing what I wanted; from me following my plan as I had designed and purposed. When things didn't go as I had planned desperation and despair followed. The other was that I was trying to do too much and could never say "no". We all have our limits and there are truly things most of us can do well and other things only a few of us can do at all.

     God has given each of us specific talents and abilities. Within each of us is a super-naturally occurring gift, or gifts, that He has placed within our very beings. It's your essence. It's what you are, and are destined to be if you'll only harness it and use it towards His will.

     Last year I made a list of my top 3 abilities and after talking with a friend narrowed it down to two: Music and Writing. I'm certainly capable of tackling more than that, but those we determined were my unique purposeful talents.

     This week I encourage you to do the same. Talk to your friends at Church, your small group family, your pastors, and teachers. Let those who know you help you determine a couple things you do best and the gifts that make you unquestionably you. Find those unique God given talents that you can use to meet the needs of your church and those around you.  Be patient and pray . . . ask for guidance.

Know The Trinity

     It's not often I use the word "Trinity" and that maybe a pitfall. Each entity of the Trinity has a unique position and purpose as well. Having a clear and concise understanding of how we relate to God's self-design will help us in finding our inspiration.

     God, The Father. A friend shared this just yesterday "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." (Job 12:10).  God simply "Is" and the depths of His being, riches, knowledge, grace, purpose, and ways are unfathomable to us. God is incredibly ginormous (gigantically-enormous) beyond imagination and He calls the Earth His "footstool" in Isaiah 66. But we can know Him through His word and by living by His precepts such as "be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10) that require us to push our selfish desires aside and let Him direct our lives. It means we should seek His purpose through His word and in the use of our talents and gifts.

     "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8

     Jesus Christ, our redeemer, and our example. Often called Rabbi, or teacher, Christ not only came to redeem us from our sins, but to show us The Way. His very words, actions, and heart are revealed to us throughout the New Testament.  It is through those scriptures that we can trace His footsteps and follow His example.  And it is in our personal journeys through the scriptures that we come to know Christ. Christ gives definition to our design and purpose . . . He guides us home . . . and it is He that fulfills the works of our hearts.

     "No one comes to the Father except through me"~ Jesus,  John 14:6

     The Holy Spirit. Nothing seems to drive Christians crazier than trying to put a finger on the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2 refers to him as "The Spirit of God" and he is just that; a portion of God's Spirit sent to dwell within us. It is his resident voice that God uses to speak to us, to guide us, to protect us, and nurture our spiritual growth.

     "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." ~ Jesus, John 14:16-17

The Year That Could Be Starts Today

     What the Trinity shares in common is that we can only come to know them through their revelation in the scriptures. It is our personal responsibility to search out the knowledge that will bring us closer to Him, or them, and align our very souls with His design for our lives.

     The only resource for acquiring that knowledge is from His word, the Bible. And this year I plan to read through it myself and I'm asking you to join me. There are a multitude of plans to follow to do this and BibleGateway-Reading Plans is one online that allows you to pick a plan and a favored version of the Bible. It's the best 10 minutes a day you can invest in your faith and knowledge. Do it!

     It's when we are able to align our gifts, talents, and abilities with His purpose for our hearts, hands, and minds that we will enjoy the depths of fulfillment and inspiration.

     This is the year that could be . . . spend some time with Him and ask Him to help you make it the very best.

     Happy New Year.  Be well.

 

“It’s My Sin” (part 3)

The Purpose of My Sin.

     I really thought twice about subtitling these thoughts "The Purpose of My Sin." I don't want to convey the idea that sin is a "good" thing . . . or that it should be purposeful in that we practice it with intention . . . but it, sin, is purposeful.

     James says that we should "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4 ESV).

     Although he doesn't explicitly say "sin", struggles and trials are the result of a fallen world . . . they emanate from sinful man. The struggles that Christians face are a product of our recognizing our errant ways and the process of our repentance and reconciling ourselves with our Father.

     The purpose of my sin then may be two fold.

     First, to keep me tethered to God.  My sin makes me reliant and appreciative of His grace, glory, incomprehensible love, and salvation.  It's to help me remember that I am man and He is God.  Without sin I might need no God. Indeed this is an odd thought, but that which keeps me bound, or reliant upon God, is that which He sets me free from . . . my sin.  My soul is stained so He cleanses me.  He cleanses me so He can love me eternally.  And for that I will be eternally grateful.

     Second, because God is all about God. If you read my recent post "God Is All About . . ." then you may recognize that what God chooses to do will always come full circle back to Him.  Sin exist in the world because man blew it shortly after week one.  God steps into a corrupt world and offers man a remedy, a way out, and a path home.  But He does so in a way that makes worshippers out of us all and in the completion of that "full circle" God brings glory to Himself as He brings salvation to man's doorstep. 

     In his book "Spectacular Sins" John Piper reinforces the belief that "History's greatest sins do not thwart God's purposes to save his people and glorify his Son; they fulfill them."  I've only previewd the book but if you've read it I'd love to know what your thoughts are.

     It's like this;  We are born, we fall down, God reaches out and lifts us up.  He saves us from drowning in our own sea of consequences.  We thank Him and offer our gratification through worship, praise, and seeking Him.  We fall down again and He forgives us.  And again we are re-focused upon Him, His love, His grace, and His salvation.  And in that process we praise, worship, and pursue Him to complete the circle that brings glory to His name.

     I'll never understand all the things that God does, why He does them or what the big picture of my life really is . . . but I understand that He loves me . . . He loves you . . . and that He waits patiently sometimes, with more patience than we possess, for us to "get it."  Sometimes he lets us tread water for a while until we turn and face Him, heads down and on our knees, in recognition and admission that He is God and indeed our loving Father.

     One has to read but Romans 5 & 6 to gain a lot of great insight in regard to God's great love, His fathomless salvation, and as how we, His children, relate to Him through His rescue. I would encourage you to take a few minutes today to read those two short, but graciously deep chapters.

     ". . . but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:8-11 ESV)

 

Clarity Through Contrast

In my last post "Encouraging The Discouraged" I mentioned that God, throughout the Bible and even today, uses contrast to draw us to Him. So today I started making a list of the contrast He has used throughout the Bible.

Creation: He uses light to contrast and break the darkness.

The Garden of Eden: God warns against the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. From there Man faces the contrasting view between "inside the Garden" and harmony with God and "outside the Garden" and separation.

Israel wanders through a parched desert for 40 years while a generation is trampled into the sand against the backdrop of God's promise of a lush and fertile promised land.

Abraham and Sarah meet contrast dead on when God fulfills His promise of bringing new life to them when Sarah gives birth to a son, Isaac, at the age of 90.

Sodom & Gomorrah discover judgment raining from the sky as God contrast their life of debaucherous pleasure against the pain of His righteous fury.

Noah's life and the Ark again brings God's judicious nature into play as He contrast man's ability to walk this earth unrepentant against man's ability to tread water before he drowns in the depths of his own indignity.

Job. If there ever was a God-Man relationship that defined contrast it would be Job. Never has anyone seem so abandoned, so tested, but yet so loved.

Christ. God reconciles His use of contrast through Christ. In Jesus, He brings about the fulfillment of His desire to offer salvation to man, His prized creation, by placing the punishable burden of that which is corrupt and detestable, man's sin, on that which is pure and holy, Christ. The greatest love suffers as He is sacrificed in the most horrific and most loathsome of deaths known in the Roman Empire. Love in the form of Christ, man's greatest and only hope, was crucified by God's hate for sin.

Darkness fell over the earth. And Life, the light of the world, was buried in the darkness of our sin and the darkness of a borrowed tomb. True to His nature in dealing with man, God again plays the use of contrast as He defeats death with Life. Christ walks out of the cold of a dark tomb and the promise of Life beyond death, man's eternal reconciliation with God, comes to light.

And just as in The Beginning, when God spoke the creation of light into existence, God's radiance again cuts through the darkness and God seemingly says "Let there be Life." And there is life.

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~ Jesus (John 8:12 ESV)

 I'm sure I've overlooked numerous "contrasts" that God uses throughout the Bible to draw man to Himself. I'd be interested to know which ones come to mind for you.

 

 

Encouraging the Discouraged – A Letter To My Wife.

   As much as we would like to keep our heads down and plow through our days uninterrupted by the events of the world it just seems at some point we all get tapped on the shoulder and come face to face with life's curve balls. My wife, Loriann, got a full dose of disappointment followed by a shot of discouragement this last week.

   Now that our two children are able to dress, feed, and somewhat successfully fend for themselves for an hour or so after school she's been pursuing a full-time career of her choosing and not just settling for something that fits the time constraints of raising constantly needy kids. She's persistent. She knows exactly what she wants to do now that she's somewhat freed up time-wise. But in today's economic environment great opportunities seem elusive. I'm sure like so many others she got excited about a great interview and exciting opportunity last week only to meet and feel the heart break of discouragement. She got excited about a great interview and what seemed to be a dream job. She found out she was the #1 pick until . . . well, it all went away.

   She called me broken up and choking back her disappointment. You would think that someone who can write so fluently would be able to say just as much and speak expressively from the heart. Well, I can't.  As horrible as I too felt the most I could well up was a sympathetic "I'm sorry." The call ended and I loitered around the garage a bit picking up wrenches, cleaning tools, and putting the motorcycle away for the winter ahead. I collected my thoughts and sent her this note:

Lori,

   Here is what I know about life . . . and God . . .  that He loves you a lot . .  . that He does have something better waiting for you and the disappointment you feel right now, today, will only make His waiting gift for you even that much more precious and meaningful.  You have to know and believe in the depths of your heart that He does have something for you.  He never said anything would ever be easy.  And I don't think He chooses to work that way . . . I don't honestly believe He wants to spoil us by handing us free reign to His riches. I believe he expects to work hard, to put everything in our being into our pursuits and into pursuing Him.  Why?  Why would a loving Father not just hand us the "good and perfect gifts" that James talks about?  I believe it's because God loves appreciation and gratification.  God loves heartfelt praise and glorification.  God loves to see us over-joyed and happy . . . and God knows we get there through dedication and persistent meaningful pursuits.

   Here is what I know about you . . . that I love you . . . and that I love you a lot.  I know I believe in you and I know you'll keep working hard and pursuing your perfect pursuit.  I also know that in the end, when that perfect opportunity does show up, in God's perfect timing, that you'll be extremely excited, enthusiastic, and ever grateful.  

  Be encouraged that people are calling and talking to you in a world and time where people are about to exhaust 2 years of unemployment benefits.  Be ever grateful that your practice and presentation has made you a first or second choice on someone's list . . . it means you're just that much closer . . . just another day away . . . He knows it . . . He is there, right there next to you . . . sharing in your disappointment and asking you to trust Him.  It's true.    

  What else is true is that I love you now more than ever . . . and what is mind and heart altering to me is that He is able to love you more . . . it doesn't seem possible.  

  Lori . . . He knows . . . but tell Him anyway.  Tell Him you're disappointed, hurting, and discouraged.  Tell Him you don't understand why . . . and tell Him you trust Him.  He already knows . . . but He wants to hear it from you.  He's just that way . . . I know.   

  Patience, Persistence, and Prayer.

Love you lots,

Harlan

 

   It's all true. God does have a plan . . . for all of us. What is also true is that God has always used, and continues to use, the power of contrast to bring us to Himself. God uses our disappointment and discouragement to bring us great happiness when we finally come around to leaning on Him and fully trusting in His care. Christ never said "come to the cross and I will solve all your problems" . . . instead He implores us to find faith, trust, belief, and life in Himself and the plans He has made for us. It's our impatience that bankrupts us all. We often sell ourselves short when we choose to exhaust and give up not only on ourselves, but on Him.

   John Lennon said "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I'm not sure Lennon ever considered 'Whose plans?' Ours? Or His?

   Jesus, in Matthew 6:25-33 confronts our worry and anxiety. Again, he uses contrast to draw us nearer to Him by showing us how God provides for even the birds and flowers of the earth and expresses how much more valuable we are to Him. He asks us to "seek first the kingdom of God", His plan, and that He knows and will meet our needs if we first pursue and trust Him. Then he adds:

   "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." ~ Jesus, (Matthew 6:34 ESV)

 

 

 

 

God Is All About . . .

A few years ago I embarked upon my first "Read Through The Bible In A Year" journey.

Prior to that I had errantly always viewed the Bible as sort of a history book about creation, man, and how God, through Christ, intervened to save us from ourselves by creating Christianity. It's a full and fascinating documentary of where we came from, where we wandered to, great physical and spiritual battles, and some fairly strange fish stories too. It's the stuff movies are made from.

Interesting take on it all I suppose . . . and a typically wrong "man-centered" view at that.

What I've discovered is the Bible isn't about man . . . It's all about God. And God . . . well, read carefully and you'll discover that He, God, is all about Himself, God. It's His book. And it's His story in which man doesn't even make a stage entry until Chapter 2 which he, ummmm I mean she, completely screws it up by Chapter 3. From there starts man's destined date with the struggle of sin and separation. And it's the contrast between our guilt ridden depravity and God's love for and graciousness towards mankind that radiates God's greatness and glory from the pages of the scriptures. God's book, the Bible, is all about God.

Nothing occurs in the Bible without Him knowing, being present, reaching down, speaking, rescuing, or worse yet, flooding, raining down fire and brimstone, bringing about plagues, and a host of other interventions meant to bring attention and focus onto Himself . . . the one and only, the great "I Am", God.

Moses doesn't lead Israel out of captivity until someone makes it known who's in charge. God. Noah suffers mockery and a staggering task so that someone can flood all of creation with 40 days of rain. God. Battles are won and lost, man suffers His wrath and His rescue, kingdoms and kings come and go, and all throughout God steps in and seemingly says "Stand back and watch this!"  That thought isn't so farfetched. We get just 25 verses into Genesis 1 and God looks at His creation and sees "that is was good." Well . . . did He expect anything less from Himself?

God is all about God. Sometimes I wonder how small our intellect and emotions are on occasion to somehow forget that. Our finite vision barely affords us a view down the street to the next stop sign, never mind a peak in to a vast eternity dominated by the eternal being, God. Our often faulty view leads us to fall into the errant belief that God is an actor in our story, our history, and our personal on call cure for our woes. We mold and shape our belief and dispositions about God around our careers, hobbies, family time, and vacations. He's there when we need Him for that extra boost of confidence, reassurance, and some "extra help" in getting that promotion and avoiding the flu . . . all "Lord willing" of course.

The more appropriate view, and one I often have to constantly remind myself of, is that we are all players in God's story. Sinners and Saints alike . . . we are all supporting cast members in the great play for our souls.

Christ himself put a proper perspective on earthly existence in John 17:1-5 "he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." ~ Jesus (John 17:1-5 ESV)

Jesus makes these five points in that statement to God the Father:

• "The time in my life has come to glorify you, God."
• "Life eternal is all about knowing you, the one and only, God."
• "My life's work on earth has all been about you, God."
• "I've done what you have purposed me to do, God."
• "Rescue you me from this earth as only you can, God."

I'm no theologian by any means, but if you see it as I see it, even Christ, God in the flesh as Jesus, is all about God eternal. It's a mind bender, but God glorifies Himself through Himself.

God is all about God.

 

Do “Accidents” Happen?

     Earlier today I wrote this thought down for a friend: "God intervenes, or does He? Trick question on God's Sovereignty - can He really intervene if He is autonomously and singularly in control? . . . . . it may not be so much divine "intervention" per se . . .  perhaps more likely Him choosing to explicitly and openly express His will . . . as in the case of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus."

     That started my thinking about "accidents".  If God is indeed sovereign, in control of all things in the universe, then can an "accident" really occur?  Can something happen that is not supposed to happen?

     An "accident" due to human miscalculation, negligence, oversight, thoughtlessness, or just plain human stupidity isn't an accident . . . it happened because it was set into motion by a moment of "forgetfulness".  God doesn't go around checking and re-checking torque specs on carriage bolts because some engineer may have forgotten to.  Human error is just that: Human error, and there are often unintentional consequences for the things we forget to tighten, lock, turn off, or maintain.

     A natural disaster, such as a flood, tornado, tidal wave, blizzard, ice storm, volcano, etc . . . not an accident either.  Those occurrences are simply nature in motion as God set it in motion.  They can result in natural disasters, but they're not accidents.

    There is, however, "cause" and "effect".  People can cause "accidents", or rather horrific occurrences, due to lack of attentiveness.  They can be found at fault for triggering an event that ended with dire consequences to someone's life. Or found at blame for some catastrophic mechanical failure.

     Interestingly enough the Bible never mentions an "accident".  There is no biblical record of something happening that wasn't supposed to happen.  Granted there were some shocked individuals when word got out about occurrences like Sodom and Gomorrah . . . that wasn't supposed to happen, but it did, and not without reason or "cause and effect".

     So what about "accidents"?  What about natural disasters?  What about the bad things that God allows to happen that take their toll on mankind?  Does everything really happen for a reason? 

     I never thought so, but I'm quickly changing my mind.  "Accidents", or rather unintended occurrences, caused by human error may singularly be the greatest stepping stone for the open practice of forgiveness and thankfulness.  Disasters, both natural and man-made, may be the single largest catalyst for kindling the human spirit and motivating us towards Godly acts of sacrifice, kindness, giving, and selflessness.  Disease and human suffering resulting in our demise may be just what is intended for one to proclaim that life is found through Christ, not modern medicine and exploratory science.  And when NASA blows billions of dollars on a space mission that plunges "accidently" into some nameless and forgotten orbital crater it should remind us all that it barely registers in the infinite vastness of a God who calls the Earth His "footstool" (Isaiah 66:1).

     Today I found a shop light broken and half-hanging from the ceiling of my garage.  I didn't see it fall.  I didn't hear it fall.  I examined the light, decided it wasn't salvageable, and quietly cleaned up the mess. I'm clueless how the light found the floor.  That doesn't make it an "accident."  It means I'm not a great detective.  So was there purpose in the light falling?  Perhaps it was so I could think, wonder, and conclude that "There are no accidents."  And I could recognize that there is however "cause and effect". And that somewhere, in all those "occurrences", it is possible to find and recognize God's hand at work in the universe.

     So . . . . . Just because we achieve an unintended outcome doesn't mean we've created and "accident". There are no "accidents". There is only, and simply, "cause and effect" . . . intended, or not.

     Paul says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:26-28 ESV) Notice he says "all things" . . . even those "accidental" and "uh-oh!" moments in our lives.

 

You’ll Need 55 Minutes, 20 Seconds, and a Quiet Spot

After reading my recent blog post "Truth Is . . . I'm Dying . . ." a good friend sent me the link below. While Rachael's circumstance is not all that incredible, it is her Christ centered reaction that is incredibly awe inspiring. Suffering isn't all that extraordinary. Suffering, in all of forms, is human and the plight that burdens mankind. What I find extraordinary are the individuals that can reach deep into their souls, find themselves, find a comfortable relationship with God, and walk out into the light with a sense of purpose that seems extremely counter-intuitive to the world around them. Most amazing though is their ability and intent purpose to glorify God through their selfless surrender.

 Rachel tells her story best and I will be watching and listening to her story again, and again, over the next few days. She shares a wealth of insight, wisdom, and sacrifice and all to this point:

"Cancer does not define me. Neither does being a wife or a mother. All these things are part of who I am but they do not define me. What defines me is my relationship with Jesus." ~ Rachel Barkey

I urge you to purposely set aside a quiet hour, grab your Bible, something warm to hold, and prepare to make contact with your soul and your Savior.

Click the link below to watch and hear Rachael's story, in her own words, in her own way .  .  .

Death Is Not Dying

 

 

 

45 Seconds and a Funeral.

On July 30^th of this year I met Tim. It was a 45 second 'across the room' encounter consisting of some friendly banter about real estate and the weather. I was surprised how much he knew about me and I continued to fill my plate and wandered back out to the pool never to see him again, ever. In my mind I had just added Tim to my "friend" list. In that brief moment he was kind, funny, generous, and interesting.

On August 30^th I attended Tim's funeral. Of the 4 funerals I've attended in my life I never imagined one would bring so much laughter, so much fondness, and so much heartfelt gratitude and appreciation from everyone who spoke about Tim's life and friendship. I had encountered his "big as life" persona and absorbed every passionate expression of his life amongst the 536 people that filled Saint Ambrose Church.

It was "all good" so to speak, almost too good, and that nagged at me a bit . . . well, because we're all inherently flawed in some way . . . but I was happy and content knowing the Tim that I did. And hearing his stories from his lifelong friends I chose to accept all the "goodness" and to believe that Tim was amongst the best of my friends.

From my corner of the Church I began to realize that this too is how our God chooses to see those who accept Christ as His son and as their salvation . . . as "all good". That like Tim's gathering of friends God's Holy Spirit and Son intercede for us, they plea on our behalf, they assist in relaying only the best of our lives, and we are washed pure; cleansed clean; and adopted as faultless through a Christ that calls us His own.

The Intercession of Christ.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace ~ Hebrews 4:14-16

The Intercession of God's Holy Spirit.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ~ Romans 8:26-27

The Result.

 In Christ you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. ~ Ephesians 1:13-14

 

 

 

 

A Baptism Moment To Share

It’s no mystery that our most valued memories are the biggest days of our lives.  Those locked away particles of time that move us emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically.  We label them, mark them on our calendars, and store them away like the treasures they are: weddings, anniversaries holidays, graduations, vacations, new life introductions, and life end celebrations.  Few have been more moving and memorable than the birth and re-birth of my daughter Alexis.

On August 1^st Northridge Church met at the shoreline of Lake Ontario to celebrate life, grace, and renewal.  It was an indescribable moment to be able to baptize my daughter.

 
"I Believe." 

Words will never be able fill the depths of gratitude for the grace that captures our hearts.

 
A Heavenly Father Calls . . .

 
A Child of God Obeys

 
In Him “I’m Alive!”

 
Through Him We Love.

 

Two quick thoughts;

First, someone later asked me what I said to Alexis just before Mark & I baptized her.  It went something like this “Alexis, I love you and I’m very proud of you.  You’re one of the best gifts God has given me in my life.  I just want to let you know that you have the most magnificent Father in the universe . . . and as your Dad I am here to help you learn more about him and help you find your way home . . . and now we baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Second, while we sat on the shore line and listened to amazing and inspiring stories of God’s grace and pre-emptive hand in people’s lives this descriptive thought, I later penned, came to mind:

“There is nothing more moving than the emotion and expression of one's spirit set free and redeemed by a loving Father and life giving Christ. Our Father is awesome!”

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” ~ Paul,  Romans 12:1-2