All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of the life of the Lamb who has been slain. Revelation 13:8


Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Job 13:15


For from him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36

He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32



















Saturday, December 31, 2011

Time

On this, the last day of the year, we are coerced into thinking about what happened in the last 365 days.  It is as if the next day holds something that we have never experienced before, and we mourn the loss of the days we have lived through.  What makes 2011 so much different than 2010, or 2012?  We don't really know, and yet we are to spend our time today, and the past few days focusing on what we are to do different or better or smarter in order to achieve better results.  We may not participate in these things at all, but it seems that the whole world is focused on this every year. 

I pause to think about something different, and something that I think is much more important.  There is a Being that is unaffected by these things.  2011 or 2012 doesn't mean anything different to Him, and its that perspective that I think people ought to dwell on.  God saw not only the creation as He created it, but saw through the annals of time, through every event, to today, and through tomorrow, and on unto the end.  He orchestrated the beginning, and He orchestrates things today.  Because of this, He doesn't see time the way we do.  We should not dwell on the difference between today and tonmorrow because He doesn't either.  If we are to truly be like Him, we shouldn't dwell on tomorrow at all, rather, we should look at our entire life, and compare to His perfect example in Jesus, and measure up.  Every day we should plan to follow Him or plan to desert Him.  To wait until the end of the year is slothful. 

Please strive to do better than you did yesterday, and know that without God's grace to do so, you will not.  Search for wisdom tomorrow, and try to grow in knowledge in the upcoming year, but know that wisdom is the LORD's, and without his granting it to you, you won't be smarter, more knowledgeable, or more wise.  Long not to be attached to money and possessions, but seek after God.  Know that all men don't seek after Him including you and I, and unless He changes you, you won't even seek after Him if you think you intend to do so.  As Satan destroyed 99% of all Job had, God may permit Satan to do the same to you.  No man can withstand this destruction without God's providence and grace.  This is what you ought to seek today.  Then on January 1st, then January 2nd.  Don't wait until December of 2012 to figure this out.

With His sovereign hand over you, what can stop you today?  Tomorrow?  Next month?  Nothing, but focus on Him, not on the days.  A thousand years is as a day to Him.  We should spend our time thinking about His kingdom and eternity for that is much longer than 2012.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

America, America, you no longer hold sway over me.

I was sitting in church a while ago, and listened to a service about America, and how our country isn't honoring God anymore by what we do in the policies of our government, schools, etc.  There was singing, reading, and other "American" functions.  Not only in this service, but all around our country- especially near Memorial Day and Independence Day, there are large celebrations to honor our country, and the country's heritage.

I have wondered how most evangelical Christians feel sitting in services like this, or in parades, or in any function of this country relating to the patriotism a soul feels.  I never questioned these things before.  These things are right!  They are what makes an American a true American!  You should take off your hat!  You should be quite and respectful!  You should hold your hand over your heart!  No country, no other land, no international or historical power EVER was or will be greater than OUR COUNTRY!

These feelings still resonate with me; however, I have come to despise them.  This is the wrong focus.

There is a giant flaw in this kind of patriotism.  There is a weakness in this kind of strength in love of country.  There is still a hole in a man's heart and soul with this kind of a pledge to a place of heritage.

I began to think of a passage in the Bible that says something like this, "If any man comes to me and does not hate his mom, dad, wife, children, siblings, and even himself, he can't be my disciple."  This is Luke 14:26. 

Growing up in church, this verse doesn't throw me for a loop at all; however, you might be thinking:

WHAT!!??  HATE MY PARENTS, MY BROTHER, MY SISTER, MY OWN LIFE??  YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!  YOU'RE CRAZY, AND I'M LEAVING!

I wouldn't blame you at first glance, but be patient.

This means that the love that you do have and should have for those people should be like hatred in comparison for your greater love for Jesus, and for glorifying God.

With that thought, I began to make a list of what things are important to me.  I'll try to do this in order of importance:
(not including God)

1- My Wife
2- My Children
3- My Parents and Siblings
4- My In-laws and friends
5- My Job and Financial Security
6- My Loyalty to my country
7- My kid's future
8- My Possessions
9- My Sports Teams that I root for
10- My Land
11- My vehicles
12- What people think about me

There are more, I'm sure, but you get the idea.  Most important at the top, and then trailing off, you have less important things, but still important.

So, according to Luke 14, I am supposed to hate my parents, siblings, self, friends,and leave them behind in order to be a disciple of Jesus.  My question based on my priorities list then is, "If I am supposed to hate #'s 1-4 compared to Jesus, then what does that mean for the rest of the numbers on my list?" 

I think it means that Jesus named the top four of everyone's list in order to make not just a point that gets you to think until someone explains the direct meaning, but to give you something to consider EVERY DAY.  Am I valuing my computer more than I should?  Am I valuing my wife more than I should?  Am I valuing my driving ability more than I should?  Cell Phone?  Pets?  Children?  Situation?  Church?  Money?  Love for Country?

In conclusion, I should hate America in comparison to Jesus.  I don't think many Christians feel this way.  We have God, Family, Country.  Sometimes, I don't think that order stays that way.  Our list should say, "God............", and after hours or reading number 2, number 3, number 4 with nothing listed, we may eventually come to wife, children, etc.  We would never even make it to the United States of America.  God established this entire globe, not just the United States.  We happen to live here, and that's wonderful, but our allegiance to God should be so strong that any allegiance to any other thing should be similar to a traitors allegiance to our country.

Oh that we would seek God in such a way to leave all concerns behind in comparison to our desire and zeal for Him!  He loved us first, and that's why we love Him.  Ask that God would grant you the desire, and ability to walk away from all the worldly concerns you have, and think of only Him all the time.  He commands and desires you to do so.  Anytime we focus on anything that isn't Him, we fail.  If we drive our cars without Him, we fail.  If we talk about allegiance to this nation, and don't think in our mind about how it really pales in comparison to our dedication and allegiance to God Almighty, then we fail Him again.

And so it is a battle every day to live in a place that we consider to be great, but are challenged to know that it isn't really great, it never was great, and it won't ever be great.  YAHWEH is God's name, and He alone is great.  Let your allegiance lie with God and God alone.

Raccoons and Sin

It has been quite some time since my last post.  I have; however, had many things to share, just haven't had the time nor the cohesiveness of thought to put together something worth your time or mine.
I would like to start with some thoughts on sin.

It all started with the cat food on our porch.  You see, we have a few cats, and we leave food for them on the porch in bowls during the day, so whenever they need to eat, they can do so.  If they don't have it all cleaned up, it remains in the evening.  There is a bin that contains the rest of the cat food.  This is also on the porch. 

Living in the country, it doesn't take long before extra animals show up and find that you have offered them free food.  Once this is discovered, it is a smorgasbord for all.  I never noticed that the cat food was disappearing until my wife kept complaining about how often she had to purchase more cat food. 

I knew something was up, and figured it was either a possum or some raccoons.  Both had done this before, and all perpetrators were eliminated in order to save us on cat food costs.

So, I set up my trap.  Inside this "live trap", I placed a bowl of cat food, and cleaned up all other sources of food, so that if something came up to eat, they would have to go into my trap, trip the lever, and eat some cat food.  Sure enough, on the first night, a raccoon walked into the trap, stepped on a lever near its foot which engaged a trap door behind it, and trapped it in the cage until the next morning. The following morning, I emerged from the front door finding the thief trapped.  I have been encouraged to let these raccoons go, but didn't do so this time. 

After using the .22 caliber, and a couple shells, I cleaned out the trap, and set everything up the next night.  The same thing happened, and for four consecutive nights, I caught a raccoon. Each time, they met the .22 rifle the next morning.  On the fifth night, I caught a possum.  After this, I kept my cat food around a bit longer, and I believe the cats enjoy their food a little more.

I thought and thought about this for a few days.  Questions emerged in my mind.  Why do raccoons eat cat food?  What causes them to come up systematically and walk into a trap?  Don't they smell other raccoons, and other dead animals near that trap?  (Foxes don't do this.  They smell any odd scent, and run away)  On any night did two or more raccoons come up and watch one get caught?  Would all raccoons do this if they had the same opportunity?  Don't they learn anything?  What is God trying to teach me?

Then I started to think about people.  I started to think about why I do the things that I do.  Namely, why do people do things that get them in trouble?  Why do they repeat poor behaviors?  Don't they see the danger in what they are doing?  Are we smarter or different than a seemingly dumb, predictable raccoon?

I began thinking about sin.  Sin is choosing anything different than what God demands from us.  It is replacing Him with something.  Anything.  It might just be a thought, or certainly can be an action.  I began to think that this role play I was in with the raccoons was similar to what Satan does with people.  He sets a trap, and puts a bait in the trap.  We come to his trap, and are snared.  We are wounded, and can't get away without help.  There is a penalty each time. 

Why does the raccoon eat cat food?  Why do certain people sin in some ways, and some people don't?  The Bible says, "We are drawn away of our own lusts, and enticed." James 1:14  That raccoon isn't drawn into my trap by something he isn't interested in, he is interested in cat food to begin with, and all I have to do is set a trap.  I know the weakness of this raccoon, and because I know it, I can exploit it.  This is what Satan does with people.  He does this to me, and he does this to you. 

Stepping back form the raccoon story, doesn't it seem entirely reasonable that the raccoon can get food from some other source, and probably a source that doesn't have a death penalty?  I'm sure.  This food is easy though.  It has been easy for so long without a penalty, it has to be right.  WRONG

This is a ploy the devil uses on people.  It has never happened before, so it won't happen this time.  WRONG

Isaiah 53:6 says, "  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 

We ALL are like sheep.  We ALL have turned away, and to our own thing.  Our own thing is stupid, selfish, narrow minded, meaningless, and in replacement of bringing glory to God.  It always lands us in a trap.

I would further argue that Satan every time intends to keep us in a "live trap", and take us out back and shoot us, and never let us go.  I believe that every time we do this, God takes the gun from the devil, and lays it aside, and opens the door, and says to us, "Go, and sin no more."

The next day, we are in trap again.

He says, "Go, and sin no more."

Every day this happens.  Lamentations 3:22 says, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions

When He died on the cross, he opened the trap for all of his sheep, climbed into the trap, and locked Himself in. Then He told the devil to pull the trigger.

Be encouraged, and be warned.  Lookout for the devil, because he is looking to trap you.  Seek God in everything little thing that happens for He is the one who brought it to pass.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The story of the world, and we are still waiting for the finish

There are so many things that have happened in the last 120 days let alone the last 6,000 years.  In summary of those 6,000, I hereby provide all the best information that anyone who would like to get world history down in a 10 minute read.  In addition, by the end, you will know what you should do in the future.  Enjoy.


Once upon a time, there was a King.  He was very strong, very kind, and was even approachable.  He was the Lord over a few people.  After many years, those people had children, and so this Lord was above all of those people as well.  Eventually, He became Lord over many many thousand upon thousands of people.  He loved those people. Every single person was loved by this Lord even though many of those same people didn't acknowledge this Lord or even know Him personally.  This King was also very good, and because of this the people had a standard to meet.  If they didn't meet this standard, they had to be punished or the King wouldn't have been a fair and just King. He decided to do something for the people.  He had a Son. 

Now, the King didn't live with the people.  In fact, not one of the people could find a house or address for this King, but some just knew He existed.  When the King's Son was born, the boy lived with the people.  The King even told the people that this was His Son.  Some of the people were accepting of this, and some didn't believe it.  After all, they couldn't prove anything!  This boy grew, and was a good Son.  He acted just like the King would have acted if He were there Himself.  Once, the King spoke outloud to the people while His Son was with the people so that the people would really know that this was His Son.

The King said He was proud of His Son.

By this time, there were so many people because of marriages and childbirth, that some of these children were taught things about this Son, and some were not.  The King knew this would happen.  In fact, He planned it this way.

Eventually, the Son got old enough to get a job and earn a living.  Oddly when the Son was middle aged, he didn't work much, but went around telling people that He was the King's Son.  Many people got mad.  Several times, they were going to stone Him right there in the street because they didn't like Him or what He said. 

The King did not intervene to protect His boy.

One day, the Son was with His friends.  There was a group of them that hung around the Son all the time.  Everyone was having a good time.  Not everyone from the group was there though.  Some were with Him, and others were sleeping. Either way, everything was going according to plan.

Then some people came up with a friend from the group.  This friend came up to the Son, and kissed Him.  All the other friends from the group thought that was a very nice thing to do.  Immediately after this, the other people came out from the shadows and arrested the Son of the King.

The King was watching, and still did nothing.

The people who turned out to be soldiers dragged the Son into a trial.  They blamed Him for many things.  This Son of the King was all alone.  All of his friends had left Him.  Yes, the entire group.  No one was defending Him.  These people that had been so rude to Him, and so hating towards him had ganged up and put Him on trial at night so that anyone who might side with the Son would, miss the trial.  Even some people that had been so nice to Him were now angry with Him, and lying about some things He said.  Many spit in His face, and made fun of Him.  Then, one leader of the people stood up, and asked the Son, "So, you say you are the Son of the King?"  "Yes, I am." he answered.  People screamed with anger.  They yelled out to kill the Son.  The leader said "You say you are the same as the King?"  The Son sad, "Yes. I am."  Many people tore their clothes, and cried aloud for His punishment to be slow and severe.  When all seemed lost for the Son of the King, the Son did nothing.

The King did the same.

They quickly voted against this "Son."  They treated Him like a criminal.  More and more people were siding with the people and against the Son.  He didn't see any of his friends anymore, or even His mother.  They seemed to have vanished.  The one friend that had kissed Him was also gone.  This Son of the King never even winced.

The people needed a higher approval to carry out their sentence of death over this criminal.  So, they gathered up an angry mob, and dragged the Son to the leader of the leaders.  This other leader said, "What do you wish?"  The mob said, "Kill Him!  Kill Him!  We want Him DEAD!  DEAD!"  The leader was surprised.  This Son seemed to be a nice Son.  He wasn't angry.  He wasn't yelling back.  Even though He was in much pain, he didn't even ask for mercy.  After looking up the record on the Son, and finding it clean, The leader said, "Are you sure?"  The mob screamed, "Kill Him.  Kill him now!"  The leader of the people added, "If you don't let us kill him, then we will have your job."  Not wanting this, the superior leader said, "Very well then.  Do as you wish."

"Great."  The other leader said.  Then the people screamed.  They jumped for the elation they felt to be rid of this Son.  He never did anything anyway.  He just talked.  He just kept saying things like "love your enemies"  "pray for those who take advantage of you"  "love your neighbor as yourself."  People didn't like to hear that.  Those things were too hard.  When Son told them that He was the King, they gnashed their teeth in anger.

The punishment was death.  As they took the Son to the place of death, they mocked Him.  They beat Him.  They scorned Him.  They even made Him carry His own death device.

The King still did nothing.  He didn't even speak from the sky as He did once before.
The Son never wondered why not.

As they nailed Him to the wood, the Son never cried out.  They drove metal spikes into his hands and feet. 
The people that believed that this was the Son of the King were crying.  They thought the King's plan was going to fail.  They didn't understand how the Son could be killed.  And not like this!!

As the Son hung on His cross, He asked the King not to charge the people for killing Him.  He told a friend of His to take care of His mother, and at the darkest part in the history of the world that the King created, the King had to turn His back on His only Son.  The Son knew it.  The Son had never been separated from the King before. 

At the time appointed, the Son gave up His spirit, and gave it to the King. He was dead.

The people who loved the Son were heartbroken, and very sorrowful.  Many were sad and without hope.
They helped bury His body.

The King didn't intervene.

On Sunday, the grave was empty.  The Son was missing.  For many days the Son walked around and appeared to some people to prove to them that He was still alive.  He had risen from the dead.  Some still didn't believe until they put their hands in his wounds.

One day, the Son was with his friends.  It was time to go.  As He blessed the friends of His, he began to arise from the earth and into the sky.  His friends didn't know what to do.  He kept on rising.  It was a miracle, and they worshiped Him for it.  The Son was going to be with the King, but He said, "I will come back for you.  Tell others about Me and what I have done.  Tell them about the King.  Never ever stop.  Wait for me to return."

We are still waiting.  

Ephesians Chapter 2

There are many verses that talk about what Christ has done for those He has saved.  These verses really speak to me clearly, and help put my heart and soul where it needs to be.

I would like to focus on verses 1-9. 

The more I think about what these verses really mean, the more speechless I become. I think God intends for us to be that way, and far too often, we shoot back our "intelligent" response based on logic, and earthly wisdom all laced with fact as we see it.  God is unsearchable and unfathomable (Rom 11:33-34), and therefore my response should be one of speechlessness. 

When I confront others about sports, insurance, investments, etc, I come with a logical argument all worked out, and feel as though I have no weak spots in my argument.  I counter think all my points, and seek to prove inside and out whatever it is that I seek to debate and thus, prove.  When someone thinks this way, and approaches God, he is speechless for he doesn't know what to say.  God surrounds him in splendor and majesty and blows his mind and his speech away from him.  God is that powerful and that awesome.  The day that I learn how powerful He really is, I won't be here anymore.  When I get there, I will be speechless.

In preparation for this meeting, God gave us Ephesians chapter 2.

God says in verse one "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God,"

I have to stop here.  What a horrible, disgusting sin filled creature I was.  I was dead!  When things are dead, they can't come to life right?  Can anything that is dead change into something that is better?  Can anything that is dead move?  Can anything that is dead decide anything for itself?  Don't dead things get buried and/or thrown out?  I formerly walked according to the course of this world?  According to the prince of the power of the air?  Isn't that Satan?  I walked like a worldly person just like Satan would?  Isn't that the archrival, nemesis of God?  I was on Satan's side?  It was Satan and me versus God? I pleased myself in all I did, didn't bother with anything else.  Satan was my buddy, companion, co-conspirator, and hero.  I liked it, and knew nothing else.  What a wretched condition!

Then comes verse 4.  But God......

Let me just say that no matter what is it that you are involved in, tied to, linked to, married to, filled with sin in, when God purposes to intervene, nothing in the previous paragraph matters anymore.  Even though I was his enemy in league with His most disloyal former friend-Satan- God tore me away from Satan while I clasped on to Satan as long as I could, and held on to him while God took me from my comfort.

But God.  Perhaps the best part of this passage.  Nothing else matters but God.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).  and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Stop.

God stopped Satan dead in his tracks, and pulled me away from Satan's clasp.  I was dead the entire time towards God, and had no desire to be pulled to Him.  He made me alive. 

What? 

He turned me from something dead to something that is alive.  How did this happen?  Everything that has died on my hobby farm here in Lawton, even though many times I wanted life to come back, there was nothing I could do to impart life from my own power to the life of the being.  I am powerless regarding the life of things I own, and according to Ephesians, I am powerless over my own life.  It is God who gives life and takes it away.   

Then, after this (as if this isn't amazing enough, and overly loving and kind), he seats me with him in the heavenly places?  If He gave me life, shouldn't it be enough to have me sit in the bleacher seats?  Maybe be a servant who takes the trash out, but at least I'm alive, and can be thankful that he brought me there?  No.  Not enough for my God.  He lays out His best for me, and it is not that I did anything to deserve it according to Ephesians.  He does all this in response to my being dead, not my coming to Him first.

To continue: verse 7:  So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Why did He do this?  So that in the ages to come, He would do something.  In my words it says, so that forever and ever and ever God could display His never ending, all encompassing, rich in love grace toward me because of what Christ Jesus His Son did on the cross for me.  Because of this grace, I was saved.  It wasn't because I responded to Him first.  He snatched me from the pits of hell as I walked and skipped happily with Satan down to the firey furnace.  I was so dead to Christ that I never noticed the fire, the heat, the screaming or my hair being singed.  God did all this for me, and planned in from the beginning of the world.  Actually, before the beginning of the world (Rev 13:8). 

In summary:  God's grace towards me is never ending.  He saved me from hell and Satan when I didn't even know anything about God.  He treats me like His only Son who died for me, and lets me sit with Him in glory so that He can show me how complete His grace is.  If not for God intercepting me and taking me from Satan, I would have continued to walk with Satan happily to hell and torment forever.

Father, you amaze me with what you tell me.  I don't understand how complete your grace is.  I don't feel deserving, but I long to accept everything You have for me now and forever.  I long to be with You so I can know everything about You and worship You face to face.  I feel as Moses did so long ago.  Show me Your glory.  Let me bask in Your glory, and live a life apart from You now as if I had seen Your face and lived.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

A Poem and Statement that might help

I don't know when I started saying this poem to myself, and I haven't done this every day, but every so often these words come to me, and I say them in the morning before my days starts.

On this Easter weekend, we celebrate the victorious Christ who arose from the dead- something none of us can do on our own.  We praise and worship Him for not only predicting his triumph over the grave, but for actually completing it in recorded history.  We, as Christians will renew our vigor for Christ this weeked-or at least we should- but what happens after Easter?  Do you hold out for Christmas for other good news to get your regeneration?

Let this little poem help you set a daily standard and focus that no matter if it is Easter or the 25th Sunday of the year, you are consecrated to Him:

Lord, help me live like you today.
Help me live in such a way
That others will look, and they will see
That you, dear Lord, are alive in me.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Death and her broken stinger

People are afraid of death.  People wonder how long they will live, and what will happen to them.  I’ve heard it said that history is a conveyor belt of corpses.  That was troubling, but it is true.  How secure is your footing on this place?  Many people believe that if they do a certain thing or live a certain way they will live longer than if they do some other activity or eat some other food.  This is probably true.

After this, we all die anyway. 

Our lives on earth cease, and we can no longer play, sing, teach, work, talk, share, invest, eat or drive, and the list goes on and on.  In this way, I believe most people think.  It would be sad to not be able to talk to my children, or my wife, or my friends anymore.  They might be sad not to talk to me anymore, and this is what most people dwell on.

This is why they are afraid of death.

There is a certain trepidation people have as they contemplate dying- only because they don’t know what is next.  In a sense, it is only because they haven’t done it before.  The problem they feel is that we can’t talk to someone who has died, and ask them what it is like on “the other side.”

This seems reasonable.

There are others that fear death because it will stop their progress.  Plans are being made, and things are being built to establish a strong foundation on the earth.  People plan for things like a home, a good financial standing, or maybe a good college education for kids or grandkids.  We strive to be the next Kennedys or the Rockefellers, and in America- who should or can stand in your way?  It’s the American dream.

Death gets in the way of this planning, and many don’t like death for this reason.

I believe many people fall in these categories in some fashion, and who can blame them? Isn’t it normal to fear death?

I meet with people that are sometimes dying, and sometimes they just know that they have lived many more days already than what they have left.  Many people I have met in have died-  sometimes just a few months after I met them.  Take a look at your local newspaper.  There are a multitude of reports to read of people who are no longer here, and this is just in your area!  As a benefit to my work, and my browing of a newspaper, I ponder these things.

It would be easy to say as a 31 year old that I have many more years to live, and that I should be able to work many years, and retire, and live with my wife while my kids go off and establish themselves in their own houses and lives.  Thus, this cycle of fearing death in their thoughts will begin all over for my children.  More and more, I don’t feel this way anymore.

I see helpless looks from people as they speak of a husband or wife who is terminally ill.  I see tears, and tears without hope stream from faces of people.  I would like to submit today that the more a person knows who God is, and the more He studies God, the more he wants to stay on earth, and tell others about this God. To share the hope God has supplied and live longer to glorify Him become daily passions.  I have begun to think that the problem with death is that I can’t glorify God any longer.  Forget about pain, unfinished business, lack of years of life, missing my family, my time here to praise, worship, and glorify Him would end.  This cannot be just.  I want to be able to worship him just as long as Billy Graham.  I want to live as long as Adam did, and be able to worship him for 900 years.  I want to be here just as long as someone else who lived a long time, and thus got a lot of opportunities to share out loud and with conviction, that He who sits high and lifted up deserves all my time and passions.  If I die, I cannot do this anymore.

The world does not and cannot think this way.

As a follower of Christ, I must.  O death, where is your sting?  If you feel any of the things in the first four paragraphs, that is the sting you feel.  Ironically, you may feel it now as you live.  With the right focus on God, even losing the ability to glorify God on earth doesn't phase you. 

In other words, if I live, I must live to glorify Him.  I must use my time to share, and shout and scream his praises, for in the next moment, I may not be able to.  But is that really so?  Does my glorying in the LORD cease?  That must be sad if it is true.  However, the greatest truth of death for a Christian is that instead of glorifying Him here, you begin to glorify Him in person, and you can see Him and His glory of which we cannot begin to describe fully.  What fear can there be?  Here, I can glorify Him in front of others, and the next step is to glorify Him in front of HIM.  What a privilege.  What an honor. 

If God truly doesn’t share all His glory with us here, and if we long to know Him, we must have a strong desire to see Him, and begin to fulfill our fascination with Him.  Death is only the beginning.  This life is a prelude.  Be fascinated with God.  The more you seek Him, the more questions you ask, and the more questions you ask, the more questions you ask.  In the process, you lose fear of job loss, losing friends, heart attack, or any unspeakable thing that might happen. 

Search for him as you would a hidden treasure.  Value Him as you would fine gold.  Give all your effort, desires, and means to secure Him. (Matt )  In Him is all treasure of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:2-4).  By this manner of seeking and holding Him, truly you can shout “O death where is your victory, O death, where is your sting?”(1 Cor ).

Friday, March 11, 2011

God is seeking. He is looking at me.

March 10, 2011

The more and more I listen to messages about God, the more and more I feel uneasy. The more messages I hear about God, the more I long to hear more about Him.  The more I learn about God, the more I am amazed at what He has done, and what He will do.  The more I am confronted by God, the more grateful I am that He has saved me from his wrath.  The more I live with knowledge of this God, the more I seek to live with acknowledgment of this God.

There is an overwhelming flood from our world to live to seek our own ends.  We all have different capabilities, different ideas, different loyalties, and it is our selfish nature that drives us to complete and compete for these things.  Let no man stand in our way, but whatever another man wants to do, let him do it for it is his desire and ambition, and that must be good in and of itself.  For we should all say, “I should be seeking to build wealth and build a successful business, build a cohesive family, build strong relationships with family and friends.  I should be a hard worker, a providing husband, a good investor, a smart teacher.  I should maintain my vehicles, I should mow my grass, I should clean up after myself.  I should help other people, I should talk to others, I should care for others.”  All of this is the world’s philosophy, and I reject it.

God didn’t create us to take up space here, and to “do good.”  He created us to proclaim His name.  He made us to make Him known, and in all of our actions, praise Him and give Him the glory.  If we don’t do the things the world desires, that doesn’t make us any better than the world.  We just have different goals.  We are just another person who says, “I am doing this because its right for me.  If you do the other thing, then that is right for you.”  If I do all of the good in paragraph two above, I am nothing.  I sound very much like Satan did in Isaiah 14:13-14.  He said he wanted ascend into Heaven.  He said he wanted to be like the most High.  Isn’t it good to be like God?  Isn’t it good to be praised by other people?  Isn’t that what we say we are seeking?  To be like Christ?  Christ is God.  We are seeking to be like God.  That’s what Satan said so many years ago.  I seek praise continually.  We all want to be praised for our hard work, our good family, our loyalty to church, our commitment to things and friends, but isn’t that what Satan wanted?  He took his angel friends with him didn’t he?  He had good relationships too.  His peers applauded him.

When God stops you from the race, and pulls you aside.  He may ask, “Why have you cared for your family?”  “Why have you saved for retirement?”  “Why have you focused on a properly cared for yard?”    What will you say?  Because it was the right thing to do?  Because everyone told me I should be doing those things?  Because I just felt that it was the way things should be done? 

I don’t believe He will accept that.  When you face yourself directly with God, you will be crushed and humble.  You will be abased.  You will no longer do anything without thinking about how your actions reflect God’s glory or how they spurn his majesty.  There is nothing in between.  You must mow the grass for God’s glory.  You must care for your family with God’s glory in mind.  EVERYTHING must be done this way.
Satan did not.  He did what he did for his own praise and glory.  Those who left with him left for Satan’s glory and for their own glory.  The world does what it does for its own glory.  All the hospitals that get built by an unbeliever are built for another purpose than for God, and this does not glorify Him.  All the fruit trees that are trimmed in order to produce more fruit are not trimmed for His glory if that trimmer isn’t doing His job with God’s glory in his mind.  When we stop and think about all the things we do in just one day, we must not be glorifying Him enough.  With all our heart, soul, mind, we must worship Him.  ALL THE DAY.  None of us do this, and we fall short.  When you get a glimpse of the wrath He has prepared for those do not accept Him and recognize that you are just the same as they, your God is the only thing that stands between you and that wrath.

Grow from this point.  Throw yourself completely at his mercy and grace.  We need His grace every day.  We need Him to work through us to do what he commands of us.  We need Him to grant that we would do things with His glory in mind.  We must ask Him to do this for us.  We CANNOT do anything righteous by ourselves.  Saved or Unsaved.  No one can.

When I think about how God flung the universe from his finger, and created galaxy upon galaxy in a moment, I am confronted by His unceasing magnitude of power, His ever watchful eye over His creation, and His grace that maintains it all.  I know that He directs the hearts of men every day in every place in every nation, and has done so since the beginning of time.  How could I feel helpless?  In spite of what an unjust peasant I am, HE reached out from the foundation of the world, and plucked me out of the darkness, and out of his wrath. 

When you think about God and study Him, He changes you.  Ask Him to change you.  Throw your life into his hands.  Study the book he left for you.  I AM WHO I AM is still the God of universe.  His name is Jealous.  He is the Lofty One whose name is Holy.  His name is Almighty.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Regret from childhood

After writing the last post, I recalled another instance from childhood that haunts me.  I am going to remove names in this writing, but the story is true.

I don't know how old I was.  Perhaps 7 or 8.  Being raised in church, we were always told about God and the Bible.  It followed then, to be taught to tell others about what you have been told, and what you know about God.  I remember thinking just that.

One day, I was with my family and friends, and we were around relatives that weren't saved.  There was a moment when I met one of them who was much older than I was, and I decided to ask them if they knew about Jesus, and if they were saved.  You see, I cared very much for this person.  After I asked the question, they responded with a "What was that?"  I guess they didn't hear me.  Well, at the moment I had asked the question, someone had come around the corner, and had heard me ask, and then hearing the response and seeing perhaps that the other didn't really hear me, this "someone" shushed me along, and moved me away-instructing me not to ask at the time.

I never asked that question again.

I apologize for the vagueness; however, I have never spoken of this before.  I want to convey this truth that I feel:   God prompts you to tell others about Him.

As a youth group leader, parent, coworker, general church attender, I will NEVER instruct another to wait, or to ask another time.  That moment is the time!  My children will never hear their father tell them to hold that thought because I might feel awkward if they asked a co-worker of mine.  Might I be put on the spot?  Yes.  Might I not say the exact right thing?  Yes.  But I believe God is supreme, all powerful, all sovereign, and has ordained that at that moment, my child might ask someone about Jesus.  By shushing my child, I would be teaching them NOT to tell another, to be ashamed of what they believe, or acknowledge that others might feel a different way. 

Well, they might feel a different way, unless the Father calls them!  Who cares if they feel a different way!  Who cares if you lose your job!  Who cares what the world can do you!  They can't do anything that lasts.

For the person I asked, I don't know if they were saved or not.  I will always look back and feel regret that I couldn't finish, or that I didn't speak more loudly at first. 

For my children, and my friends:  If you are struck at a moment to speak the truth about your knowledge of God, just do it.  Who do you think put the thought in your mind?

Matthew 21:16, Matthew 16:25, John 6:44, Acts 18:10

Saturday, February 26, 2011

A Lesson from childhood

Carl and Agnes Wennerberg are my grandparents who lived in Wisconsin.  They were born and raised in northwest Wisconsin.  My middle name was chosen to reflect and honor my Grandpa Wennerberg.  He lived to be 83.  Grandma Wennerberg's name means "purity."  We named our youngest daughter Madalyn Kaya.  Kaya means "purity"- this for my Grandma.  She lived to be 86.  Both my grandparents were very interesting people.  My grandma one day had planned on rewarding Julie, Jessica, and myself as we were walking into the IGA in Spooner, to do some grocery shopping.  For this reward, she stopped, turned to us, and pulled out a $1 bill.  This was a big deal for her.  I don't remember thinking it was very much money.  I might have been 14 or 15, Julie 11-12, and Jessica would have been 7 or 8.
On another instance, and I don't remember the day clearly, but I think it was earlier than this.  I was younger, and we were again shopping in Spooner or Rice Lake.  Grandma, my mom and I walked into a store- it may have been Ben Franklins.   I recall seeing a Where's Waldo book on the shelf, and began looking at the pages to find Waldo.  Grandma saw what I was looking at and asked me what it was.  Now, she was in her 70's, and not "in tune" with what us young Michigan kids were experiencing.  I took very little time to explain what the Where's Waldo book was about, and without hesitating, she said something like this, "Well, what are you going to do after you find them all?", and promptly walked away.

She blew my mind.

This was a fun book with lots of characters on each two page "map" of people and things.  Waldo was extremely hard to find, and there were probably 10-15 sets of "maps" in this book.
My grandmother knew that after I found Waldo, there would be no other purpose to this book.  In addition, I think she considered it a waste of time to begin with, although she never said that to me.
I have thought of this one statement off and on since then.  Some implications of this statement to me were:
1) The world will produce an endless stream of things to keep you busy.  Sometimes this is intentional.  Either intentional or not, many things that look charming, worthwhile, and useful are in the end, a waste of your time.  The world doesn't think about you and your time, many times, they just want your money, or for you to encourage others to give them their money, or both.
2) The world's solution to many things is temporary.  The book had an end.  In addition, once I had found Waldo on each page, the entire purpose of the book was void.  In a similar manner, the world finds a solution to our "book" needs, and gives us something that will end quickly or be void in spite of its claims.  We may not figure it out soon enough.
3) Those who are older than us have a special ability to see through these flaws.  It did me well to listen to her advice even though she left it up to me to decide on the purchase.
4) Grandma valued a dollar.  She knew how hard things were through the Great Depression, and lived a hard working life as a farmer's wife.  Mother of five, she knew what things would cost.  Because of this, she knew that Where's Waldo would have been a complete flop for me.
5) In following the thought in #1 above, if things generally produced by the world are a waste of your time, than there must be something more valuable to do with your time.  In essence, my grandmother said to me a couple things- "David, you and your time are more valuable than that book.  You are better than that."  -"Seek a higher goal for yourself.  Pursue a better purpose."  These two statements are inestimable in value to me. 
Proverbs 1:8, Proverbs 9:9, Ecclesiates 1:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:19

The foundation of this "foundation"

There are many reasons why I would like to begin posting thoughts, feelings, and other statements on a forum such as this.

1)  In the age of communication and constant contact, information seems available, but is easily lost and buried with new information coming out later, and "more important" or "more up to date."
This cycle has continued for quite some time.  New technology destroys old technology, and information created and/or stored in the old technology can be long forgotten.  I intend to use a newer platform to set in stone the "old ways." 

2) In addition, I have found especially in reading about the founders of our United States of America, that those men wrote things down, and did so with regularity.  If they had not, we wouldn't know very much about our founding, or about those men.  Some recorded items are more valuable than others, but those who reap the rewards of written work can apply any piece of those notes at any time.  This value has only survived because those men took time to write things down, and keep those writings.  I want to record my information/my thoughts in a similar fashion.

3) I am a father of four children who change every day.  In a lot of ways, I am unable to share things I have learned with them.  They aren't old enough for many subjects, and aren't experienced enough in others.  My other option is to wait for the right moment to teach or transfer knowledge.  He who hesitates is lost right?  If you don't act on instinct sometimes, you miss the opportunity.  I don't want to miss an opportunity to teach my children.  I intend to post things for my children's admonition so if I am not here to share this with them, or if I forget to, they have an avenue to research what I might have said.  This is more important than the first two.

4) Sharing things in another forum is not very beneficial.  Facebook "notes" and daily writing are a passing fancy.  Referring to #1 above, this follows in line.  Several postings on facebook might attrack a few reads from a few friends, leaving less important "commenting" a priority.  Ironic isn't it?  Social networking time is not "serious time."  This should be a serious time.

5) Many people don't really say what they mean.  I want mainly my children to know exactly what their father's thoughts were at the time he had them.  How can I at 53 share my thoughts from my 31st year with my daughter accurately when she is 31?  In addition, people who know each other "well" don't really know what their friends think about a lot of things.  More communication can benefit others with a common feeling, and could be encouraging and helpful.

6) I am moved often by things I hear, especially while reading the Bible or listening to a sermon while driving.  I don't feel that I have an outlet or the time to say what needs to be said.  This item and reason for this blog is paramount.  Of all the things to talk about and share with a friend, acquaintance, or child, what God has said in His Word overshadows and trumps every other subject God has given man.

7) Hard work and making money isn't the only thing to teach another.

It is for these reasons that I post.  This first post is at least for me, a mission of what I need to stay focused on. 

I Corinthians 14:40, Proverbs 4:1