Words on Thoughts

So, I'm sitting here trying to prepare for my Lesson on Wednesday, and It seems that every video and thing I try won't work. So, stopping for a moment to ponder this thought, "You did not send me upon the Earth To Die, There's a reason for this Pain." One of the Most Talented Musician's I have ever heard speak and sing wrote that in a Song about Ester, but also as a Metephor for his life. Like all, he was going thru a rough time and wanted to give up. His life was filled with Pain, Distress, Pressures of this world, and Attacks of Satan, our arch enemy. He was literally thinking about Suicide. Was he saved? Yes. Did he love God? Yes..
And as he was crying out for Some Salvation, God answered him and he wrote one of the Best Albums in my collection. And the thought that comes to me tonight is "There is a Reason for this pain." God didn't send us upon the earth just to die, but to fullfill his purpose and will for OUR Lives. And as we pursue this Will & Purpose, Satan will throw everything in our Path to Stop it.
He will use, Friends, Enemies, Family, and even church Members to Stop what God Wants to Do.
As another Great Artist Wrote, "You have to Walk the Rocks to see the Mountain's View." Very Few want to take the Effort to Climb, Scrap, crawl, Dangle, and Claw their way up the Side of the Mountain to See God, but once you do the View is incredible.
Where are you on this Journey? Any Struggles? Any Clawing, Climbing, Scraping going on? Satan Attacks those whom God Has Chosen. The Bible Tells us "Consider it All Joy My Brethren when you fall under Various Trials and Persucutions, knowing that the Testing of your Faith Produces endurance." James 1:2-4
It's a Long Climb. It's a Hard Road to Travel. Matthew 7:13-14 13 " Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.
14But the gate is narrow (contracted [k]by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.(A)"
It's hard, it's compressed and it's pressured. There is a Reason for the Pain, and it's not to Kill us, but to make us Stronger. As a Coach with his/her Team getting them faster, Stronger, and inshape, so God is getting us where he wants us.

FIRE!!!

I notice I like to use !! alot. Maybe because I'm loud, or just wanting to stress a point.
But I find that writing/typing has a release in it that I need. So I hope this blog finds a place in your heart and stirs you in some way.
There is so much about Fire that we have going on. The Flame, the Lighter (our Discipleship class), the Torch (our youth group), and our Thread which goes by so many different fire terms.
But what is it about? It's about FIRE! Fire Burns, Fire is hot. Fire purifies. Fire gets rid of the materials that aren't important and leaves that which is True. The Gold and Silver of Life. (A refiner's Fire the bible calls it).
Jeremiah 20:9 says " But if I say, `I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot"
So, this fire is in my Body. It's in my Being. It's in my heart. WOE to me if I do not let it out.
Being that I don't have a place to let it out, except for those that lend me an Ear, or the hour of teaching I get to do on a weekly basis at youth, which only eases the Burn.
My desire is for this fire to be apart of you. Maybe you are Cold and Lonely. Soaking Wet in the Cold Fridged air of this World. Left shivering with no one to hold you. But come to the fire and be warmed. Come to the fire and see the Refiner burn out the junk Leaving pure Gold and Silver.

Art - Is it Done?

So, I have this Art theme that keeps coming up. I wonder if any of this will ever make sense to anyone, besides me.
You ever see an Awesome Car, Work of Art, Play, Movie, House, or what ever you're into, and Just say "WOW!! That's IT!" It's Perfect. It's Beautiful. I wouldn't Change a Thing. And then you talk to the owner, or builder/Maker and they will always point out where the Flaws are.
A Car, "Well it has this scratch right here" and you have to have it pointed out because you can't see it from all the beauty. Or a Mansion, they point out how the Door Hinges don't match or how the water drips in some unknown Room, but you are Lost in the Magnitude of the place to notice it. Or a Movie/Play that is so Moving as to cause Laughter or Tears and you Feel a great Sense of Wonder in what was done, but you ask the Producer, Play write or Director and they do the same thing. "It was good, BUT.."
So it is with us. We are God's Master Piece. Ephesians "2:10 "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good Works, which God has prepared before hand." So we are his Master Piece. A Creation like no Other. BUT!!! We have Flaws. Some are bigger than others. Sometimes instead of Pointing out the Beauty of the Artist, Pointing to the GREAT ARTIST/PRODUCER, we point out our Flaws. We see the Minor Scratches and squeeky hinges, when we should be pointing to the Master who is in the Process up Building, or Painting His Master Piece.
He isn't done yet. Don't stop the Artist while he is working. Don't put down the work before it is finished.
If you judge the Art, you offend the Artist. If you put down the Master Piece you are saying God isn't good enough. 1 Thes 5:24 "Faithful is HE who Calls you, He WILL bring it To Pass."
Philipians 1:6 "Being Confident in this Very Thing, that HE who Began the Good Work in you Will Complete it/Perfect it"
You're not Done. We aren't Finished. He isn't Done! This Master Piece takes a life time. Some are harder projects and more detailed but in the End. It's the Master that Gets the Credit for his Creation.
So, Behold one another. Help the Work of God. Be the Creation he needs you to be and allow him to Form, Shape and Move you in the position he needs.

MOM!!!

I don't know why, but when I was in High School I had so much fun with my mom. She seemed to always be there for me. Even though she worked 2 jobs, she was at Everyone of my Basketball games, taking me to every Doctor's appointment, and there for all my late night Kidney Stones. So how do you thank someone like this? Here's how.. At bed time I would holler, "MOM!!" and she would come to my room not knowing or questioning anything and I would say, "Just wanted to see if you would come." Each time she would Respond, "You know I would."
So the next time I would holler, "Mom!" and she would come back and I would ask, "Can I have a glass of water?" And she would go get it..
So why do I bring this up? I think God is alot like this. We call out to Him and he is there. Sometimes in the middle of the night, when all is dark, silent, and maybe bleak, we cry out "God!" and he is there. We may be just be checking to see if He will come, and our Father in Heaven says,"I will never leave you nor forsake you." "And Lo I am with you Always."
Or Maybe we need more than just assurance God is there. Maybe there is a Real need, like those late night Kidney Stones, were we cry out in Pain and feel like we are going to die. And God is there, holding our hands thru it all. Sometimes it's thru Healing, sometimes it's thru endurance. But our pain is not the Absent of God, but the Presence of Life and Sin. Knowing that our old body will be done away with and we will receive a New Body. (Which I already have the Design for mine.) There will be no more Pain, No more Suffering, and no more Crying.
But for now, while we are here in our Beds, we can cry out, "God!!" and when he says "Yes, what do you need?" Mabye we just need that Glass of water before bed.

Art. The Expression of Self

So, if you have ever been in Art Class you have heard the Teacher tell you that Art is An Expression of Self, and Art is the interpretation of Self. So you look at an Artist's painting and you are to interpret what he or she is saying, or conveying. But then the teacher counts off on your grade if your interpretation is different than theirs. (Been there, done that.) Then if you try to argue your point then you're in trouble and disrespectful.
Then you get older and then they want you to Get Crazy with your interpretation. They want you to see how far you can stretch your imagination and it doesn't matter far off base you are from the artists original view.
What does this have to do with Christ or God, and me? Well, you are God's Creation. You are his work. You are the art and He is the Artist. What is he making with you? Ephesian 2:10 " We are His workmanship, Created for Good Works in Christ." What colors is He using? What is he trying to Convey to the onlookers? God is painting a master piece with you for the world to see.
It doesn't matter if you're a Chalk Drawing, Pencil Sketching, or a Picaso. What matters is the Message people are getting from the Artist.

Again, "Let your light shine in such a way men may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven".

When in Rome/Dessert is Served

Great Quote and story from the Movie, When in Rome. "You're so Pretty I don't know if to look at you or Myself." or He takes off his shirt in the restraunt and says, "You're Welcome." Later flexing his arm "Dessert is Served." We laugh at his arrogance and over zealousness to impress the star of the movie, and at everyone else who is under the spell of her. We will do extreme things for something we are Passionate about, wither it be a Car, a Girl, a Guy, or sport, ect...
We see Sport Fans dressing up in their outfits, painted faces, and colored wigs to show their devotion and team spirit. Buy Season Tickets, Spend Gas Money going. Parking passes, and even Snacks at the game. $$$$
What about that special someone or someones? We take our showers and put on our make up, (thanks for the shower part and I need the nails done) and get all prettied up to meet that special someone.. But what happens when it comes to God, Church, and Jesus Christ? What do we do? What if we showed up at Church waiving our favorite Scripture, or painting our faces? What if we bought Shirts that support our Church or Youth Group? We bring our Noise makers and horns??? Shoot, if you go to church more than once a Week you're labeled a fanatic. If you read your bible you're a REBEL. If you even confess your beliefs you are Judgemental.
So, what is God wanting us to do in this time? This Place? What does it mean to be a Christian? "You shall love the LORD thy GOD with all your Heart, Mind and Strength." Mark 12:30
Romans 12:1 says, "Present your bodies a LIVING Sacrifice, holy and Acceptable to God."
God wants us to be Passionate about Him. God want us to present our Bodies, our Minds and Our Strength. He wants us to take Risks with Him. Christ has put His spell on you, an called you to come after him. He delights when we Stand up for him, even if its infront of everyone.
When you follow Christ you are standing out saying, "Dessert is Served."

Nothing is full until it's Really Full

I'm reminded of a time when I was in My dad's JR High Science Class. My dad, was my teacher, and he allowed us to do experiments for extra credit towards our Grade. One girl took a jar of water to the front of the room that was for all intense was full. She began dropping pebbles in to the jar of until it eventually spilled over the jar.
She then Explained it Scientifically that "Nothing is Full until it's really Full".
My dad was in Tears, laughing so hard. No one knew what to do.
I'm finding out that this is how we get in our lives. We are Full of things. We have schedules for sports, tv shows, movies, church, not counting games we play, books we read, activities we are involved in, and Friends we hang with. My Life is full. If I shift to quick one way or the other I spill over. But what is it that's inside my Jar? And what are these pebbles being dropped in to my life,"the Jar"?
My Jar should be full of the Spirit of God, but I'm finding it's full of alot of other things, especially when the pebbles of life start being dropped in. I have all these concerns of Life being poured in to me mixed with the Hardness of Life causing my jar to loose that which it was meant to hold.
I'm leaking. Sometimes I'm just flat knocked over running out of water, "Life".
Where do I get my cup refilled? How do I replace that which is lost? Will these stones ever be removed?
Jesus Calls, "Come to me all who are weary and Heavy Laiden, and I will give you rest." "He who drinks of the water I give shall never thirst again." "Out of his belly will flow rivers of Living Water."
The simplicity of the Good News is he completes us. He fills us. He is our Life. He is the Living Water. He is Good News. By Faith we Believe that he is Love, not has Love. He is Life, not has life. He IS.
Are you Full? Full of what? Cares of this life? Activities? Things? Jesus?
We are to be Full of the Holy Spirit. Pouring out Jesus. Splashing his Love on everyone.

Eph 5:18 "But Be Filled with the Spirit."
No Matter what, "Nothing is full until it's Really Full"

Walking By Faith

"We Walk by Faith, not By Sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7
Walking by faith is not an option, but the way of the Christian life. We believe in Jesus whom we have not Seen, a Heaven we have not been to, and a Hell we don't want.
We believe in a Love that surrounds us and embrasses us like a Warm blanket on a cold night. Things we can feel and Know, but can't be seen or touched. So "we walk by Faith" and "Faith is the Substance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
We don't see the wind, but we feel the effects of the wind. We don't see oxygen, but breathe it in anyway, reaping the rewards of it. So how do we walk this out?
There are so many scriptures about Faith and what it is, and so Many teachers teaching us that Faith makes all our problems go away. "All we need is faith." But the Truth is, Faith doesn't solve the problems, it gives us hope thru the problems. It's like going somewhere you have never been and you have to use GPS or Maps.
GPS doesn't get you to where you are going, it tells you how to get their and where "There" is. So Faith is believing in the Direction of the GPS, "God's Positioning System" or what I call the Bible, also know as God's Map for our lives.
If you ever had to follow a Map or GPS to get somewhere, you were driving by faith. You hadn't been there before. You didn't know where "There" was, but believed what you saw and what you were told would get you there. So, Jesus came and showed us the way. He gave us the Map and said "Come follow me, for where I am there you will be also." But like so many, we believe we don't need a map, or that we can find it with out Directions. So we trust in our Minds, our Schooling, our Parents, Teachers, and worst sometimes, Friends, to show us the way.
Jesus stands at our Door knocking, beckoning us, "I am the way. I am the Truth, and I am the life, no one comes to the Father with out ME."
Where is your Trust? What map or GPS are you using? How often do you look at the Map (Bible), or God's Positioning System?

A Stained Glass Window

You ever been in an old historic Church? The ones with the wooden floors? The Ancient Smell of Wood. The Old Stained glass windows of the Saints? John, Peter, Paul, and Our Lord? The old wooden benches Line the isles, The floor creeks as you walk down the isle and when you get down to the front and center you look out the old stain glass windows wondering what Saint you are looking at, and what story is being told. It's not until the sun shines thru them, that they radiate the story of biblical time, and the story of the Saint is displayed. At first the Story is Alseep, dull, blurred in the colors of blues, reds, white and gold, but as the Sun shines through them they come a live in Colors as radiant as the story they represent.

What is it that makes the difference from the Dull to the Shining is the Sun, and so it is with us.

We too are asleep in darkness. Our colors are Faded. The hues are blended together and we can't make out the Saint we are meant to be until the "Son" comes in.

Then we are a New Creation, a Story for those around us to see and Glorify not the colors or the Windows, but the Artist and Son.

"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to Share in the inheritance of the Saints in Light" Colossians 1:12

Coffee.. The Eye Opener

Sometimes its hard to wake up in the Mornings. We Yawn, Stretch, and hit the snooze and go right back to sleep. So are we with the View of Church. We don't want to Jump right in to it.
We don't want to Exert the Energy to push on.
So lets' take a look as some Writers and what they have to say about Getting the Picture.

Trip Lee
" Say what? The King was slain as the lamb When He came to the land that He made with His hands .. Say what? Just try to make your brain understand, He's so big, man's like a grain in the sand, That picture's too big for a frame, but my plan is to grow I pray my picture of the King will expand.. I could study forever and read all day But still wouldn't understand the King all the way .. I got a long way to go, but I'm pleased to say I get to live my whole life just to seek His face"

Paul said " Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind"
Phil 3:13-15

Why do we need to continue to grow in Christ? Why do we need to press on? Why can't we just go to Church on Sunday Mornings and Be Done? Ever hear anyone say stuff like this or thought it yourself?
Ever wonder why we have several services through out the week? Because our Picture of God is to Weak. We can't Grasp what He is, What he has done, and what he is doing.. The only way to catch a glimps is to spend time with him. First on a Personal Level, then in a Group Setting, and then following it up with Corporate Worship. We need the one on one time because God is Personal. We need the Small Group time because Jesus chose 12 to impart His Life to. Then we need the Full Church Setting because Jesus Ministered and Did Miracles with the Feeding of the 5 thousand.
No one person has the Answers. At Best we are one Begger showing the other beggers where we got our Bread. Paul the Apostle said "I haven't grasped it yet, but I press on." We in our society can't continue on. We like quick results, and instant coffee. Not the Slow Roasted that takes time to Steep.

The Experiement

I have started this blog as an Experiment to post my passion and desire for the knowledge of God thru the revelation of his Son Jesus Christ. It's my prayer and hope that through this we will learn the heart of our Heavenly Father. It's my wish that you will Join me in our Journey together to know him and the power of his resurrection.