My Dad - His Motivation and Legacy

This past week, one of the greatest men I have ever known passed over into eternity, and his life and memory is worth noting.  My Dad was one of those guys who loved so many people that is hard to even count.  He knew what he believed and lived his life with those beliefs out front.  He was an educator, a devoted family man, a great Dad, a fantastic Grandfather.  He was always talking to people, interested in their lives, showing them their importance by His conversation and time.  He always had a smile on his face, and in the photos I look back over, his embrace of life is evident.

I wanted to highlight one of the most significant events of his life, and its impact on his life from that moment on.  His marriage to Mom, and the subsequent births of his 6 children were all highly impactful, but the event I think that changed his life was the day he heard the Lord speak to him.  My Dad was a great guy to start with, he was raised well and knew what it meant to be a loving husband and father.  He was raised Catholic and had a deep faith, but one day his world was changed when He heard the Lord say, "I love you, Gene Hall!"

He said it wasn't an audible voice, but it was clear in his heart and mind.  He knew that He had heard the Lord speak and the thought that God actually loved him, and knew him was transformational. He knew from his upbringing that God loved us all, that Jesus had come to earth because of His love for us all (John 3:16), but this was something different, something very personal.  It was like the first time my mother told him she loved him, but this was God saying the same thing.  God loved him, knew him, chose him, and loved him for who he was.

My dad's last journal entry from 3 days before he entered Heaven so suddenly and unexpectedly included this same language and it was something he never forgot and was always at the forefront of his mind.  In his prayer, written out that day he said (while reflecting on the fact that God loves each and every one of us), "It's beyond my understanding as to how you know, care for, love and help each one who accepts that love - to me individually, an intimate relationship.  You love me, Gene Hall, and care for me as much as I let you - a one to one relationship, and because you are God - you are able to do that with each individual - Wow!  Thank you God for loving me - Gene Hall - here and now..."

This fact that God had personal love for him, and desired a one to one relationship with him was something that fueled the remainder of his life.  From what I can tell, Dad heard the Lord speak to him sometime in the late 60's or early 70's and thus spent the remaining 45-50 years pursuing a deeper relationship with this God, who loved him personally.  This personal relationship with God drove him into prayer, into reading of others who had experienced this revelation of personal love from God. He pursued God in every way He could think to pursue him.  His pursuit of God and personal relationship with him became something that we all understood and emulated, accepting from his example that such a relationship with God was possible, and desired by God.

This relationship with God motivated Dad to do things that would seem foolish to others.  He quit his job teaching in one of the best school districts in the state to move His family up north to a small A-frame that we had built, in part because all our faith was increased and positively impacted by the move.  He went from a tenured position at one of the best schools to teaching part time at a much smaller school and district.  He trusted that God would not lead him astray.  He put God first and always tried to follow his direction. In time all of us came to know God this way as well, each establishing and enjoying a personal one on one relationship with the Lord.

In a more normal ministry sense, He became involved in Cursillo and eventually was the National director for years, all in an effort to help others understand this personal  relationship with God.  He served the local church as a song-leader, in the choir, as a reader, a Eucharistic minister, and volunteer.  He always served with a desire to deepen his relationship, and because of His love for God.  His love for God, developed in the day to day interaction and personal prayer,  was what motivated him in all things.

As his children, we learned from Him and all of us went on to serve the church, and spread the message of God's love in one place or another.  Many of us served on N.E.T. (National Evangelization Teams) as a team member traveling around the US, sharing with young people the message of God's love.  In a very real sense, part of the legacy of my Dad's life are the thousands of young people that have heard about the Lord, through that ministry.  Many of Dad's grandchildren have continued this tradition and served on NET teams as well.  Overall there have been tens of thousands of people who have heard about the Love of God through his children and grandchildren.  Wow!  What an impact a single life can have!

Throughout his life, my Dad was unrelenting in his pursuit of God, and it is fitting that the very last thing he did on earth was take his daily prayer.  He passed away sitting in his prayer chair, reading through the scriptures that would be shared that day at Mass, his journal and bible by his side.  He pursued God to the very end of his life and was clearly successful in that pursuit.  What a way to go!  As I have written before, I believe that He closed his eyes in prayer and when he next opened his eyes he was in Heaven.  He suffered no trauma, and it appears his passing into eternity was instantaneous.

I believe with all my heart that when he saw Jesus he heard Him say, "Well done my good and faithful son!  I love you Gene!

It is my prayer, and I know it was my Dad's, that each of us would come to know the love of God, intimately in a one on one relationship, just like my Dad experienced.  He was an exceptional man, but it was His love for God and from God that made him who he was, and that love is available to us all.

Dad, I love you and will miss you every day, but I know that Your legacy continues in each of us, your children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. We are all better people and have experienced this same personal relationship with God, because of your example.

The Fruit of Repentance

This morning I am reading from the letter of James.  As is often the case I saw something that caught my attention and started doing some research and thinking about what was written.  James was speaking about the importance of our actions being aligned with our beliefs, and specifically how belief without action is actually not worthwhile to the Lord.  Here are the verses in particular - James 2:24-26 NIV:

[24] "You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."

[25] "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? [26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

I find it quite interesting that James uses Rahab as an example of righteousness, right after he was speaking about Abraham. The author of the letter to the Hebrews also lists Rahab as one of the great examples of faith in the list of those that were examples of faith in their history (See Heb 11: 31).  What I gather from this is that her "actions", which were the result of her understanding what God was apparently doing and deciding to be on His side, qualified her as someone who was considered righteous, despite her previous occupation that would seem the opposite.  Her "actions" which were based on her unqualified and uneducated faith, were key to the Israelites stepping into their inheritance in the promised land.  Her and her family were the only people spared in Jericho, and they were added to the people of Israel, and apparently very highly thought of by the people.  In fact when you read the lineage of Jesus in Matthew, chapter 1, you find that Rahab was the great-great grandmother of King David.

So I wanted to know exactly what she did and went back to the account in the Book of Joshua.  Here is the account - Joshua 2:1, 8-13 NIV:

[1] "Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho. ” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

- The king sent people looking for the spies but Rahab hid them on her roof...

[8] Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof [9] and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. [10] We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. [11] When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

[12] “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign [13] that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them---and that you will save us from death.”

So basically Her actions were to save the spies from the king's search, and her confession that the fear of the Lord had fallen on all of them, and that God was the one true God.  The spies took their report back to Joshua and said that clearly the Lord had delivered this land into their hands, because of what Rahab had said and done.  She actually is a great example of repentance.  She observed what the Lord was doing, changed her mind about what she thought of God, for prior to that she was evidently not a believing individual, and then she changed her actions to line up with her new beliefs.

God apparently wasn't worried about her previous state or sins, He honored her for her repentance which culminated in her helping the spies.  In addition, she and her family were added to the Hebrew people, and evidentially married into the tribe of Judah.  This no small point, for the Lord had specifically forbidden the Israelites from marrying foreign women (Deut 7:1-4) or adding any of the people from the people they conquer to their families.  So, God allowed her to be joined to Israel and enjoy the blessing of God upon them!  He forgave her previous sins and godlessness and welcomed her into His promises because of her faith and actions.

In summary, this is a pretty encouraging word, in spite of her previous life, God saw her heart and recognized her repentance, and acted as if her whole previous life didn't matter.  He honored her repentance, and rewarded her and her family with blessing and honor, because she trusted Him and believed. I love how her whole family was impacted by her repentance!  I think it is good to know that no small feat of belief and action will go unnoticed by the Lord, and He will reward it with His favor.  So regardless of our own pasts, our own mistakes, there is always an opportunity to repent, to change the way we think and act and receive righteousness in return, through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Believe In Yourself, In Him!

Yesterday while flying back I was reading Graham Cooke's book :"Manifesting Your Spirit" listening to Jesus Culture.  As I was reading it was like I hit a catalystic thought and just took off.  Here is what I wrote in the book, as my pad was completely out of battery.

As I was reading, I thought about Byron Easterling's charge to start thinking about how God sees you. This is what I heard - feeling like there was something God saw in each of us that was so much bigger than we ever thought:

There was an invitation -
1) Will You Dare to Believe?
2) Will You Step into His call?
3) What Does it look like?

What does God think about you? Nothing negative!  God is always positive even when He is calling us to better behavior, and better understanding. God does not have a negative thought about you, neither should you!  When the Father sees us, He sees us hidden in Christ - how can He have a negaitve thought about Christ Jesus?

What would your life be like if you never listened to a negative thought about yourself?  What could You do?

In God there is no negative balance, nothing to pay back - He has cancelled the complete debt of sin!  It does not exist in our life!  This is why Paul encourages us to forget what is behind us (Phil 3:13).

Negative thoughts or beliefs about God or ourselves are like blockages in our arteries and veins, they keep the life blood of the Holy Spirit from breathing life, bringing life, giving life to us.  Repentance is like Angioplasty, it allows us to get rid of those things (thoughts and beliefs) that are limiting our life in God!

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God can inhabit our weakness with His strength.  Do you feel broken?  You are ripe for God's power to be released in you in the very place you feel broken, beaten, destroyed.  With man it is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible (Matt 19:26).

Listen to those words above, do you believe them?  Do you think God can turn your greatest weakness, your most broken situation into something that brings Him glory?  Now think about what He accomplished through the cross and resurrection.  He completely turned the tables on the enemy who thought he had won complete victory!  He (Jesus) was dead, but He is now alive!  He is stronger than death, is stronger than sin, is now seated on the Throne, is there anything He can't do?  It is never too late!

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You are all capable, empowered, inhabited by the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus in His earthly ministry, the same Holy Spirit that was poured out on Pentecost and powered the birth of the church.  This is the same Holy Spirit!  There is no lack in Him!  No lack of gifting, no lack of Power!

What limits us - unbelief. It is like a governor in an automobile, it only allows one to go only so fast, or so far.  It limits us in what we can do and how far we can go.  What is unbelief? It is essentially negative thinking about God, our situation, and our own capabilities, and God's plans for us.  It is critical that we recognize unbelief in our life and stand up to it, cast it out of our life, for it is limiting who we are and what we become in Him.

There is an invitation from God to you - to dare to think about your life in His terms.  He does not think negative things about you.  He thinks you are brilliant, perfectly fashioned, uniquely gifted and designed for a specific purpose.  He has no negative thoughts about You!  He knows what you are capable of, what you have been called to do!  Can you believe this?  Can you see what He sees?  Can you take one step in that direction today?

Our Posture Before the Lord

This morning I am reading from Mark's Gospel, and am focused on a single verse - Mark 9:7 NIV: "Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

As I read this verse, I felt that this charge to listen to Jesus was really important.  I felt like the Lord wanted to address our posture before Him.  So often, my posture is one of telling Him all my issues and what I need Him to do about them.  I am not listening, I am complaining, passionately pleading my cause, telling Him about people who need His help.  I am doing pretty much everything but listening!  Do you have friends who talk so much, you never can get a word in edge-wise?  At times, I find myself as that individual with the Lord, I barely shut my mouth long enough for Him to say something.

Listening to Christ, should be our primary focus, our primary goal.  In prayer, we should spend more time listening then talking.  He is the one who knows us best, everything about us, every thought we have ever had, every thing we have ever done, all things we are concerned with, all that we love.  He knows everything already, so we really don't need to spend lots of time going back over everything to make sure He has understood our concerns fully.  I think He wants to speak, and wants to be heard.  That means we need to listen, and develop our ability to listen.

Yesterday at church, one of our little friends came running alerting us to a situation that was unfolding with one of her siblings.  She is three and she came running repeating the same thing over and over, even though we answered her the first time.  She was so intent on making sure we heard her report, that she never even stopped to hear our response.  Sometimes, I think we are like that with the Lord.  We just keep bringing the same thing to Him over and over, and we never stop and listen.

This morning, I am aware of my need to listen, and hear.  It is not enough to listen, but the Lord is actually expecting us to be hearing and then doing, He calls that obedience.  :-)

He has the best perspective in the world.  He sees and knows everything about everyone, and every situation.  He is never surprised nor caught unprepared.  He has unlimited resources, all authority on Heaven and earth.  Why wouldn't we want to stop and take His advice and guidance to heart?  He loves us, has given His life for us, and is the author of all things good. He is the right guy to listen too.  So let us embrace the Father's direction and posture ourselves to listen to Jesus.

Finishing His Work in Me - Help Needed

I am really struggling this morning to stay awake.  Sorry Lord, I quiet myself and the next thing I know I am snoozing.  I was kind of drifting this morning and heard the phrase "finishing my work".  I happened to be open to James' letter and saw the following verses:

James 1:2-5 NIV:

[2] "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

I am pretty sure that I would rather suffer through immaturity and incompleteness than face trials of many kinds. It's probably just me, but there are times that I struggle to have good thoughts, let alone good actions.  Testing and trials produce perseverance but my flesh would rather just give up, or give in.  I usually have good intentions, but somewhere along the way, the intentionality gets lost in laziness and distraction.

I am so grateful that the Lord knows my heart, and everything about me,  because then He knows my heart and intentions and does not just observe my outward expressions of belief and obedience.  I know that my actions are often not in line with my heart, but I am getting better.  Because He walked among us as a human, He understands our limitations and struggles.  I believe that is one of the reasons He has provided us the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and helps, strengthens and guides us.

I know I need His help and His perspective (Wisdom) and I am grateful that God gives that to me without finding fault.  I know I just asked for it yesterday and I need a fresh dose today.  I do need Your help, Your wisdom, Your power, and Your guidance.  I desire to persevere, to run the race, to follow-through, and I know on my own I am not capable.

Thank You Lord, that You know that about me and still love me.  I pray that You will complete Your work in me, that I might be mature and complete, not lacking anything!

Amen!

10 Questions to Think On

This morning I was thinking about people in my life that I love, people who I desire to engage in deep conversation about the Lord.  I was thinking about how best to engage in deep meaningful conversation in a non-threatening manner, and I thought about putting together a list of questions that one could ask and answer honestly.  

There are no right or wrong answers, only soul-searching required.  Hopefully these questions provide the opportunity to think about one's life at a deeper level.  Here are the 10 questions I wrote down:

1. Do you have a relationship with God?  If yes, why?  If no, why not?

2. If yes, how would you describe this relationship?

3. If you feel you have a relationship, do you desire to deepen this relationship?  If no, why?

4. If yes, how are you deepening it, or how are you planning to deepen it?

5. Who do you think God sees you as?  Why?

6. What does God think about you? Why?

7. Have you had an experience where you know there is a God? What happened?

8. What was your most alive or intimate interaction with God?  

9. What does God want to say to you right now?

10. What do you want to say to God right now?

Love God = Love One Another

This morning I have been thinking about how significant each of us is to the Lord.  I was reading a biography of Brother Lawrence and in it the author said that Brother Lawrence saw loving those around Him as an extension of loving God.  Each of us is precious to God, and when we love others, we are effectively loving God.  I was reminded of a couple of different verses that explain this theme.

Mark 12:29-31 NIV:
[29] “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.”

- and -

Matthew 25:34-40 NIV:

[34] “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, [36] I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

[37] “Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

[40] “The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

I find it so interesting that the greatest commandments are to love God and love others, and that Jesus says they are effectively the exact same thing!  In our Western mindset of selfish focus, everything having to be "my way" or all about me, we lose sight of this fundamental truth.  We are called to love God and to Love others - and in doing so to not worry about ourselves.  As Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?... For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:25, 32-33) NIV.

Lord, I pray that You would help me to live un-selfishly, seeing the opportunity to love You and love others, and embracing this greatest call.  I know that You love me and love all those around me equally as much as You love me.  Help me to reflect that in my life, and by my actions.

Pursuing That Which Matters

This morning I have been looking at and thinking about the following passages from Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:16-23 NIV:

[16] "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. [19] They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow."

[20] "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: [21] “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? [22] These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. [23] Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."

These verses are such an interesting study, especially when we have been looking at the paradigms we have been raised in within the Church.  A few months ago the Lord took me through an examination of that which is required and that which is optional or man-made in our worship of Him, as defined by many churches.  Paul is commenting on something very similar here, for many of the expressions of Christianity were being combined with Jewish observances, and he was trying to help the people in Colossae identify those things that were not necessary, and in some cases even harmful.

Paul identifies several things as harmful - strict rules for living, strict rules for gatherings, false humility, worship of angels, (I think we could add here super-spirituality), the "don't" lists, self-imposed worship, harsh treatment of the body (ascetics such as severe fasting), and the like.  As I look at all these, they seem to me to be self-focused, rather than Christ-focused.  The people are either trying to please others (not Christ) or compare themselves to others in the quest to appear holy.  Paul correctly ascribes no real value to these things, for they gain us nothing in a relationship and faith based pursuit of God. Intimacy with Christ Jesus is our goal, not attendance, not observances, not programs, not fasting, not visions and knowings.  There are some who are always trying to understand the secret things that God is speaking to a few select individuals, as if He favors them, and by understanding these things becoming a member of a select group that are "in the know".

Paul, calls the church back to the reality that is found in Christ.  Again, it is intimacy with Him, real relationship that is the goal.  We are called to experience and understand connectedness to the head (Christ) and each other as members of the Body of Christ.  Intimacy with Him and unity with each other.  I am reminded of the following verses from Matthew 22:37-39 NIV:

[37] "Jesus replied: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Let us not make this complicated, nor allow ourselves to buy into the comparative mindset of many.  Christ desires us to be in relationship with Him, first and foremost.  Secondly, He desires us to be in relationship with each other, learning to love and encourage, embrace, empathize, and celebrate each other's uniqueness and significance.  We are not in a race, nor in a competition, we are in relationships.  We think that our external actions can cover over or make up for our internal lack, and in personal relationships this can work for a while, but in the end activity is not a lasting foundation for relationship.

So this morning, I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider what I am doing, and how I think about my relationship with Christ, and with others.  Am I pursuing actual relationship or am I just going through activities and acting a certain way to maintain my status in other's eyes?

Dealing With Frustration

This morning I was reading from Graham Cooke's book, "Manifesting Your Spirit" and came across something on that he wrote concerning frustration that was very helpful and thought provoking.  It is definitely worth sharing and thinking about in depth and getting this into our personal perspective of life.

Frustration does not exist
in the Kingdom.
It is a device of the world,
a negative construct contrary
to the nature of the Bright One.

Frustration is an admission that we
are baffled, checked, blocked,
neutralized in faith -
by people, circumstances, and opposition.
Frustration legitimizes negative emotions,
giving them a place in our experience.

Frustration is discontent
opening our heart to  lethargy.
We become irked, resentful, disappointed,
gullible to defeat -
owned by pessimism.

We must learn  how to use frustration
and not be used by it.
To be frustrated is to admit
that I do not possess at this moment
the required amount of patience, peace,
and joy for the circumstances of my life.

If I focus on frustration,
the core of my attention
is the opposite of who God is for me.

Frustration is an emotional sign
that I need an upgrade.
It points to an available increase,
raising my awareness of God's provision.
Therefore, frustration must turn to
celebration of God's intent.

In the hands of the enemy
it robs me of enthusiasm.
It blinds me to all the possibilities
of the one true Spirit.

I become disheartened, looking for
pity, sympathy -
seeking fellow victims of discouragement
I give permission to be afflicted.
Frustration causes negative fellowship
as I move in the opposite spirit
to Christ within.

In the hands of the Shining One
it points towards fullness,
the reality of something more -
greater success unfolding.
Frustration is turned into confession
in one stroke of happy thinking.

"Thank you, Father, that frustration
reveals my lack of Your fullness.
It points me to the upgrade available.
It releases Your permission to become more.

Patience, peace, and joy abound
constantly in Your presence.
Grace follows the upgrade;
love flows more powerfully.

I am renewed, restored, made bigger,
enabled to see from a greater height
of Your affection.
Everything must bow
to patience, peace, and joy.
They are Heaven's true reality."

Frustration is earthly, one dimensional,
and destructive.
It reduces everything it touches.
It makes us start everything
from a place of deficit.
We struggle to catch up
with God's reality.
Frustration is reality
from a wrong dimension.

To fight frustration we must turn
our back on it,
look into the heart of the One
committed to our development,
trade our sorrows for His joy.
Frustration must turn to celebration.

Patience is the fast track to greater heights.
Joy is the welcoming party to Presence.
Wisdom releases the focus of Heaven.
Peace releases the angst,
causing us to smile, be carefree.
Contentment with godliness -
.... a sure winner.

By Graham Cooke

As I read through this, I see so much for me to stop on and meditate.  I am convinced of the truth of these statements, and they provide me a perspective that provides leverage for my mind and heart.  At times I can be overwhelmed, stuck in circumstances and situations with no sense of how to extract myself.  This shows me the way, to view things from God's perspective, from a heavenly perspective.  If it doesn't exist in Heaven, then it is not part of God's provision, nor His perspective.  If I can gain His perspective, not only can I see the way out, but I can get a sense of His real provision and purpose.  I love the line, " In the hands of the Shining One it points towards fullness, the reality of something more - greater success unfolding.  That is the way of God, the one who loves us and has made a way for us.  I have found that the places of my greatest frustration seem to be the places where God has the most planned for me.  It is almost like I know in my spirit that there must be more.  There is a hunger for something I can't even put words to at times.

I know there is more.
I know there must be more.
I know this can't be the fullness of all God has for me, so there must be more!

Amen Lord, help me to turn frustration into expectation of more!  Help me to turn my back on frustration and instead look at You as the one who loves me and desires me to experience all You have planned for me, in the depths of Your goodness and Love.

Proclaim the Kingdom!

This morning I was reading through Luke's Gospel and was once again struck by fact that Jesus spoke constantly about the Kingdom of God.  Here are a few verses:

Luke 8:1 NIV: "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,..."

Luke 9:1-2, 6 NIV:
[1] "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

[6] "So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news  (of the Kingdom of God) and healing people everywhere."

Luke 9:11 NIV: "...but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing."

The Kingdom of God present on earth was one of the primary messages of Jesus.  He was always speaking about it; He told the Apostles to speak about it; He demonstrated the reality of it by healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons.  This was the "Good News" and He delivered it with demonstration.  Here is how Matthew describes Jesus' ministry - Matthew 4:23-24 NIV:

[23] "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them."

When I think about the Kingdom of God, I am reminded that if this was true then, it is still true now, the Kingdom of God is the good news.  This means that Jesus established a "New" kingdom on earth, which means there is a "New" king.  This "New" King demonstrated His authority and power over the old by proclaiming and demonstrating His ability to destroy the works of the old king - which include sickness and disease, death, and demonic influence. He showed His authority by influencing nature, the winds, water and even cultivated goods were all subject to His authority and His command.

His Kingdom is a Kingdom of love, and selfless service as well as power.  He calls us to love one another the way He loved us (John 13:34). He calls us to lay down our lives and take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24). He calls us to be concerned about others, to love them and put their concerns before our own (John 15:12-13).  He calls us to God first and then to love our neighbors (Matt 22:37-40).

He called the disciples to proclaim this Kingdom and then demonstrate the Kingdom.  Here is the charge He gave the initial 12 He sent out, "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matt 10:7-8)  In the same way, we are called to proclaim and demonstrate His Kingdom.  It may not be fun, at time it might even be difficult.  As Jesus said in John 16:33 NIV: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (tribulation and pressing in). But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Lord, I am encouraged this morning in my pursuit of You, and the ability to faithfully proclaim and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom.  You established it and it continues to this day!  Help me to follow You!

Amen!

The Joy of Revelation

This morning I am reading from Luke's Gospel, the tenth chapter.  There are some significant sections of scripture in this chapter - the story of the good Samaritan, the sending of the 72, the questioning of the most important commandments, but that which caught my heart this morning were the following verses - Luke 10:21-24 NIV:

[21] "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

[22] “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

[23] Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The common theme here is one of revelation - The Father revealing things hidden to the children; The Son revealing the Father; those to whom all of this was revealed, namely those that see and hear these things in the present tense being blessed!

It is interesting that revelation, revealing things that were hidden, things that are new is something that please the Father and brings joy to the Holy Spirit.  It is also interesting that God doesn't just come out and blaze His glory to everyone, but rather uses people like us to bring it forth.  There is something about this hidden nature, this seeking out and revealing that is part of God.  He always has new and more revelation and delights in inviting us into the experience of that revelation  in our lives.

As Jesus says in verse 22, it is always through relationship that the Father is revealed to us, relationship with the Son.  We can have experiences without relationship, but true revelation comes through relationship.  The word translated "reveal" is the Greek word Apokalupto.  It means to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; disclose, make bare; to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown.  Jesus says that is what He does concerning the Father, shows us things that have been veiled, previously unknown.                    

This is the nature of all deep relationships, for we are always growing, understanding more, seeing new things, and experiencing each other at deepening levels.  I have been married 29+ years and I continue to experience new revelation in my relationship with my honey.  Our relationship is always evolving and changing; growing deeper and more thorough.

This is our opportunity in Christ Jesus.  All things have been committed to Him by the Father, including the knowing of the Father. Another way to say this is that apart from Jesus we only know the Father partially.  It is impossible to have a full revelation of the Father except through Jesus.

Finally we are blessed if we are invited into this revelation, and begin to experience this relationship and its accompanying miracles, signs, wonders, healings and empowering.  Many a prophet of old, many a king desired to experience the fullness of what's available to us.  It is our hope and prayer that we will experience the same and more.  It brings the Holy Spirit joy to reveal these things to such as us!

Amen Lord, we want to see more, and know You more!

Our Significance & Purpose

This morning the Lord led me back to the day and scripture that He used to speak about my calling, my commission is what He called it.  I am reminded this morning of how important it is to understand our significance to God.  He loves us all deeply and has a purpose and calling for us all.  I was thinking about the fact that there are some individuals in scripture who were dedicated to the Lord by their parents at a young age.  The story of Samuel is of one individual who was dedicated to the even before He was conceived (See 1 Sam 1:1-28).

As I was thinking about Samuel's early life, I felt like the Lord said that He has dedicated each and every one of us, whether our parents did or not.  He is intimately aware of us, knows everything about us, and has a specific plan and call for each of us.  There are many people who are searching for their place, for significance, for lives of consequence, and the Lord wold say to us all, our deepest call, our deepest understanding of our purpose and significance can only be found in Him.

There are many men who desire to have their names on buildings and companies, who essentially build their own monuments to their own significance.  I believe the Lord desires us to have our true significance in Him first and then in the lives of people that we touch, in the lives of the people around us, our families and friends.  The Lord's command is to love Him first, and to love one another, as He loved us.  He desires those that lead by service, through humility and through relationship with others (see Phil. 2).

Paul talked about His purpose and significance this way - Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:

[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

When I think about my life, I believe the Lord has been there for me every day.  He is aware of who I am, where I live, what I do, who I relate with, who I meet, and all of that matters to Him.  In Acts 17:26, Paul was speaking to the Athenians about every person in creation and he said the following, "...and he (God) determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."  None of our experience is by chance, but is pat of God's plan for us.  If our times and places are set by God, then with those circumstances, we also find Him at work, for we are part of families and have relationships within those places.  No one and nothing is inconsequential.

When I was a child we used to play hide-and-seek quite regularly.  In the game we played you could move during the game, as long as you weren't seen.  I found that the best place to hide, was where someone already looked, for they were always convinced that you were hiding somewhere else, and thus they never looked at where they already were.  In the same way, many of us are so convinced that our significance lies out there somewhere, that we never look at the place we already have been our whole life.  We seek after significance and the first and most vital connections for truly understanding who we are and what we are called to do has been in front of our eyes the whole time.

So, I guess in summary, I am encouraged today to see and understand that I am significant to the Lord, and to those around me. I need to rest in those relationships and invest in those relationships first, before I set my sites on other grand adventures and schemes.  God has purpose for me, and it involves where I live, when I live, and who I live with, in addition to being in relationship with Him!  The great adventure of our lives, the great treasure is found in our relationships with God and with those people we have been connected to through His plan and purpose.