Christmas Realization

With each Christmas season that approaches, I realize more and more how I still don't grasp the true significance of it. Yes, we could socially criticize our consumerist country; where the giving (& buying) of gifts is the focus of our energy. We could go there, but we are not there. We are not side-lined critics. We are active players. We are those "in the world, but not of the world" and I realize how hard that is to act out living in this country. And I'm sure God is up there almost laughing and probably lamenting us who still don’t get it. Our nativity scenes are set up in our houses along with our Christmas songs playing and we try to show our neighbors, our friends and family that we do know what this season is all about. The Christmas season seems to be such an external presentation of sorts. This season should actually be an inward realization of what it is really all about. And what do we know about this season? Why do we celebrate? We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Who is in fact living inside us every single day. "Living inside us" is what we need to pay more attention to.

Every Christmas morning for a number of years I have read to my family the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, December 25. Here is what Oswald Chambers says about the day:

"Just as Our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a 'Bethlehem' for the Son of God? I cannot enter into the realm of the Kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth…The Characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me."

How many times have we proclaimed that Jesus is the reason for the season? Countless. But it goes way beyond that. What is the explanation of that phrase? It's our lives, our testimony. It's how we respond to the facts of what God did for us.

The thought of God Incarnate being born to a teenage girl who would someday become the King of Israel and ultimately the King of our lives just floors me every time. I wish each Christmas morning – the day we celebrate – I could fall flat on my face in reverence and cry out with thanksgiving, knowing that Jesus was born to be my King and to live inside me. This Christmas could be the time to share in this realization and thanksgiving.

Our Commonsense

What got me to this idea I'm about to write about was inspired by this quote from Oswald Chambers from his book "Studies In The Sermon On The Mount":

"The conflict for the Christian is not a conflict of sin, but a conflict over the natural life being turned into the spiritual life. The natural life is not sinful, the disposition that rules the natural life is sinful; when God alters that disposition , we have to turn the natural life into the spiritual by a steady process of obedience to God, and it takes spiritual concentration on God to do it."

I have been time and time again trying to understand the difference between my natural life and my spiritual life and how I can live in the spiritual all the time. According to the dictionary, "disposition" is 'a person's inherent qualities of mind and character.' It's my mind and my character that need to be devoted to the obedience of Jesus. But at so many times, I am stopped by my sense of self, by my commonsense.

Reading the Sermon on the Mount and studying it is a tough task for sure. Diving into what Jesus is really talking about and how it relates to my relationship with him, always stirs in me a frustration with myself but also a complete LOVE for His teachings. (And I hope when you read the Scriptures, you also fall more in love with it.) I begin to understand the Why, which motivates me to the figure out the How.

And today it's my battle with my commonsense. It's thinking "Am I acting out of my own thinking, or am I thinking out of what Jesus wants?" It's not just "What Would Jesus Do?" It must be what would Jesus Say, what would he Think, how would he Act and how would he Love? He had a reversal of thinking to the world. And he asks us to think like him. It's the world versus Jesus. The world - our commonsense - says we should look after ourselves, think about how we're going to live and what we will save and that that matters.

But look at Matthew chapter 6 verse 25:
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

Do you see what he's doing? He making a stark difference from the commonsense to how we need to think. Look at those who you work with or go to school with, see what "carries" them day by day. The daily grind is all about self-preservation, especially today. Think about it. And I have to ask, are we really like that? Are we anxious about our clothes, our rent or mortgage, our money? Jesus says a few verses before that we cannot serve both God and money or mammon. But what is mammon? The Greek word mammon is a Semitic word for money or possessions.

But Chambers says it quite well: "It is the system of civilized life that organizes itself without considering God." We as believers consider God. Right? We are to organize our thoughts, actions and character WITH considering God. Although our commonsense tells us not to. And that is the battle (for me at least).

I'm struck with the image of Jesus standing on the edge of the Sea of Galilee looking up the hill to all his listeners and saying to them "If you want to follow me, you must disobey your commonsense. The way you think you ought think is not the way you should think at all. Come, let me show you how to think and live your life according to my Father in Heaven."

He teaches a doctrine of division, a doctrine of detachment. I am getting that. I am floored by it. I am now looking at the rest of today as a way to align my disposition to be altered and changed by God. To his character. I will look today to be in total concentration of God - not in my commonsense but continue my steady process of obedience. I will ask "Is this the kind of thing that Jesus Christ is after or the kind of thing Satan is after?"

The Supremacy of God

Today is a different day. Most of you probably have something tragic going on. It may be news of cancer, or the loss of a loved one. But today is different isn't it? For some reason we wake up and find that our economy is collapsing, our jobs may be on a thin wire, our family is drifting away or lost and yet we get up and do what? For some it is to "be normal," to ignore it or to fight it. We wake up and do the same 'ol thing. But does that satisfy our hearts or our souls?

I'm struggling with all that's happening in this world too. Struggling with how to pray. Struggling with how to cope, how to grieve, how to mourn. When life is snatched out of our hands do we feel "the sting of death is taken away but the sting of loss still hurts"? Loss is the hardest part. We hold tightly to what we have and yet when it's gone we realize we didn't have it very tight do we? We are filled with regret, filled with anguish. With all these emotions filling us, is it possible to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us as well?

Today I am being brought back to the supremacy of God. That is rolling around in my heart and in my mind. I think of John Piper's voice saying those words: "Is God supreme in your life?" I'd rather ask is God supreme today, since today seems to be so different.

I don't have the right answers for you who know that today is different. All I do know is that the teachings of Jesus are supreme and his Holy Spirit comforts those who are heavy laden. But how do we feel comforted? How do we feel loved back from Jesus? Simple. Through others. Through those closest in your circle. Christ's love is always felt through the love of others.

Maybe today you take on the heart of thankfulness. Thank your loved ones one more time today. Thank teachers or professors. Thank your Mom. Thank your Dad. Thank the Lord who IS supreme and IS also sovereign over all your life. Thank him for your breath, your vision, your sense of smell and your soul. He has bought you with a price and it's the Holy Spirit in you that is stamp of guarantee.

I don't know what I'm writing. I'm trying to figure all this. But I do know that Christ must remain on top, he must be in the forefront of our minds, our lips, our prayers. He must remain supreme in our lives.

Are We External?

I had a realization the other day while sipping my hazelnut coffee - sitting alone at Panera studying the Bible and reading Dallas Willard - that I have been too concerned with my outward acts of the disciplines. I keep thinking of what I must DO, what disciplines I must "perform" to be "where I want to be with Jesus." And in turn - my goal is - these outward disciplines would then emerge a Christ-likeness in my character. Willard has called this a focus on the "external manifestations of Christ-likeness" and they should not be the focus at all.

I need to pray more, read more, give more, praise more, fast more, etc. But for me - currently - I am too focused on the doing. On the external. I think because I'm desiring to do these disciplines for the sake of doing them without taking to heart & mind what the purpose is: TRANSFORMATION. I need to be in "progressive inner transformation." Seeing that when I discipline myself to pray to my Savior, read His word, that the outcome is not that I've "done" them, but that I am transforming my heart/mind/soul in union with Jesus.

We have this desire for Knowledge, for knowing God (speaking of...J.I. Packer's book is a must read). But isn't knowledge an "interactive relationship" like Willard says? I believe it is. That interactiveness is the disciplines. Seeking those times with Jesus, those times serving Jesus, giving to him, etc.

I have a desire to know God. To know Jesus of Nazareth. My Savior, the author of my salvation. But what keeps me from knowing him? (well, that's a loaded question) Not knowing His Word. I was reading Psalm 119 the other day and verse 11 completely floored me:

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Whoa.

Am I seeking?
Am I storing up His Word?

"This seeking is driven by the desire to be inwardly pure before God, to be wholly for Him, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Inseparable from that desire is the desire to be good as Christ himself is good: to love our relatives, friend and neighbors as he loves them and to serve them with the powers of God's Kingdom."

"This seeking is implemented though the discovery of the state of our own heart and inner world by study, reflection, prayer and counsel and then through the taking of appropriate measure to change what is not right within, as well as in the visible, social world of which we are a part. We find what God is doing in us and in the visible world and merge our actions into His. This what Jesus described as constantly seeking 'first for the kingdom of God and his kind of righteousness' (Matthew 6:33)" [Willard]

I know I quote Willard a lot, but he is what is really moving me right now. "Taking appropriate measure to change what is not right within..." That is what I need. That is what is going on inside my heart. I am need of seeking Him more and more and more. To seek and be transformed.

To seek and be transformed...that is my new motto.

Know Your Poverty

We know our bodies wage war against our spirit. We know we're "in" battle constantly, and that we conform more times than not. But how do we have total "conformation to Christ" in our bodies?

We also know that the Spirit is willing but the body is weak (Matthew 26:41). How then can we move and use our "body" to interact with God for his glorification? This something I've been reading about from all sorts of literature. I try to grasp it, yet my grip is loosened almost immediately. And that is why I write about this topic...

I was reading in Luke today about Jesus' first great big sermon to the mulititudes who follow him. He said Blessed are you who are poor. Blessed are you who are hungry, who weep and who are spit on you for the sake of Me (Jesus). Poor, hungry, weep. Those aren't exciting words. But they are words of poverty, the emptying of "self." Jesus then gives the "woes." Woe to you who are rich, who are full, who laugh now and speak well of yourself. Woe to us who think we are self-relient and who are self-glorifying. It makes so much sense that he says these right after one another. We must be poor, self-emptied before we may follow him.

Oswald Chambers wrote: "We are apt to say that because a man has natural ability therefore he will make a good Christian. It is not a question of our equipment but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a question of natural virtues of strength of character, knowledge and experience - all that is of no avail in this matter. The only thing that avails is that we are taken up into the big compelling of God and made his comrades. The comradeship of God is made up out of men who know their poverty."

For me as of late, it is going back to the first "beatitude": blessed are the poor in spirit. I have to start there. I have to wake up everyday and know that I am not capable - in my carnal flesh - to bring glorification to God. I actually "need" God and have to be God-reliant, not self-reliant. Do we have this attitude when life goes well? I tend to forget to tell you the truth. But it is imperative that the first of the beatitudes is implemented daily. We already are prone to evil... that is why we need to start at the bottom, to re-prioritize and re-plan our days.

Dallas Willard says the habit of self-indulgence can be broken if we train our thoughts by appropriate disciplines of study, meditation and service. Once we start there it will be a "place where faith meets grace to achieve conformity to Christ."

He also states: "In our fallen world this life is prepossessed by evil, so that we do not have to think to do what is wrong, but must think and plan and practice - and receive grace - if we are to succeed in doing what is right."

I have to end with this because it is so good...

"Learning Christ-likeness is not passive. It is active engagement with and in God. And we act with our bodies. Moreover this bodily engagement is what lays the foundation in our bodily members for readiness for holiness, and increasingly removes readiness to sin - so that "Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain" (Philippians 1:20-21).

I will continue in striving to know my poverty. Knowing who I am to Christ, but knowing who I am IN Christ as well. I want to be Christ-like. I want to be active, not passive. I want to have that comradeship that Chambers speaks of. I want to wake up everyday and be Christ-reliant. I have to relocate and reorient my body in this world to achieve that. I need to participate in these disciplines so that I will finally conform to Christ.

My goal, may it be yours as well...
Blessings.

Why Would He?

There comes a time in life when we ask why hasn't God shown me His answer. That time for me has been now. I have been discussing with my wife and with my covenant brother why God hasn't "shown" me what to do with my life. I mean, I know what I'm supposed to do daily, but there are specific things in my life I want answers for...for the future. I know others who are struggling with the questions: "When and how will I know this is from God?" or "What if I missed that opportunity?"


I do wonder these at times, I do. I wonder why God doesn't "speak" to me more often. Then it hit me. Why would He? Why would he if I am not actively seeking Him in his Word and in prayer? Seriously, here I am asking (in my stupid self-righteousness) the God of the universe to speak to me about my life when I'm not committing my everyday to him. How can I hear him if my ears aren't tuned to his voice? Then I remembered I need to be meditating on his Word day and night... And this is where scripture comes in:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." - Psalms 1:1-3

I don't think I walk in the counsel of the wicked or sit in the seat of mockers. BUT, blessed is you and me when we delight in the law of the Lord. Read it again. It says we will prosper. Our fruit will be IN season. Our future, God has ahold of. Being IN season is about being in his perfect timing.


The bible has all the answers. I have been asking God for insight, wisdom, knowledge which I know he gives freely. I just need to "tap into" it more often, I need to MEDITATE ON HIM DAY AND NIGHT. Oh, think of the blessings. Think of how grateful we'd be for everything we already have.

Be Blessed. Be meditating...
And that's why he would...

Excerpts from The Great Omission

As I am trying to feed my Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, I have been blessed by the words of Dallas Willard. I want to share some excerpts from the Great Omission...

I'll preface this by saying that I have been in conflict. My mind, body, soul and spirit are at odds. I want to obey the life and teachings of Christ, but right now have been stuck. These words are helping (besides the Scriptures themselves)...

"The will to obey is the engine that pulls the train of spirituality in Christ. But spirituality in many Christian circles has simply become another dimension of Christian consumerism. We have generated a body of people who consume Christian services and think that that is Christian faith. Consumption of Christian services replaces obedience to Christ. And spirituality is one more thing to consume... But we must talk about spirituality, and this naturally leads us to talk also about spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are activities in our power that we engage in to enable us to do waht we cannot do by direct effort..." (He has a whole book on this, pick it up)

Spiritual Formation...

"'Spiritual formation' refers to the process of shaping our spirit and giving it a definite character. It means the formation of our spirit in conformity with the Spirit of Christ. Of course it involves the Holy Spirit in action. But the focus of spiritual formation is the formation of our spirit. (He equates spirit, will, and heart as in the human being.) "
"'Spiritual formation in Christ is the process whereby the inmost being of the individual (the heart, will or spirit) takes on the quality or character of Jesus himself.'

That is it. It's the process whereby the inmost being of myself takes on the quality and/or character of Jesus! Whoa.

I'm wrestling. I'm fighting. But I am in process...

Alive Alone

I wrote this after a brief conversation with a friend...thinking outside myself.

Self, what is but a breath?
Self, what are steps aimless?
What are colors to my eyes?
Self, do you know your life?

What have I not seen
What have I not done
What have I not loved
What have I not hated
What have I not needed
What have I not heard
And what have I not said

Long have I lived to see pleasure
To see a perfect icon in which to measure
If all has been and all is done
Then self, you are nothing new under the sun

I know I thirst to which there is no end
I see days closing every night, they all seem to blend
Life and death soak my screen
But why aren't my thoughts ever clean?

I feel so plastic
but my heart bends as if elastic

Strumming my own strings without a tune
Because I am in need of feeling solitary doom
I am alive alone, but screaming at many
I will never find the meaning of plenty...

(I pray for those that feel alone and don't realize the gift of life awaiting at the feet of Jesus of Nazareth. He is plenty, we are in need of Him, even if you don't know him yet)

Our Purpose Today

I've been reading some of Paul's letters in the Bible as of late and I have found the first chapter of Ephesians to probably be the most intense chapter he's ever written. I could not get over this chapter; I've read it over and over and over again. I'm trying to figure it out, trying to figure out what Paul is saying. I've come to one conclusion: it's about PURPOSE.

There are many definitions of "purpose." Most people try to find their "purpose" in life. Ask your co-workers what their purpose is in life...you'll be surprised I'm sure. But we, are not most people. We are not the same. We have a true purpose.

Here's the dictionary definition: "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists."

I believe - using that definition - that Paul answers that in the first chapter of Ephesians. We could dig and dig into everything he is saying, but that's not my intent. I want to discover or rediscover our daily purpose. And that is our goal is it not, to be daily renewed, daily engaged "in Christ"? It is for me - I suck at it - but I strive for it...

There are a few things I want to pull out of this chapter and share. First is to see what God's purpose is, or will or plan is... Verse 5 & 6 "he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." Paul used the words purpose and will together, but what are they: "to be the praise of his glorious grace." And this is what has caught my attention the most while reading this chapter...

Look down in verse 12 & 14: "so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory... the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Do we realize that we are to be that? We are to be the PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. I'm quite humbled thinking about that. I severely convicted at that thought of that. But with that conviction comes one thing: HOPE. We have to hold onto hope, which is Christ Jesus.

Today, in my devotional Oswald Chambers wrote about chapter 1 verse 18, that "you may know what is the hope to which he has called you..." I love how he starts this devotional:

"Remember what you are saved for - that the Son of God might be manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion every time."

Later he writes and ends with this: "We have to exercise ourselves in order that the Son of God may be manifested in our mortal flesh. God never has museums. (I love that!) The only aim of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested... we are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what he wants. When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine to feed and nourish others."

What is our purpose today? Time today to refresh our memories. Let us be one thing: to be the PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. But how, you ask. By knowing your hope. By remembering your purpose, by allowing God to manifest himself in your life. Spending all your energy, all your capable power in bring Christ to life in your "mortal flesh." And as I'm writing these words, I am thinking of my own day, it's not easy; never is. Our hope, our Purpose, our Life is all because of Jesus Christ...

It's time to manifest him today.

What We Put In

This verse keeps coming to my mind lately:

Philippians 4:8 - "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." [ESV] (emphasis mine)

Other translations use the phrase "dwell on these things," "fix your thoughts," and even "meditate on these things."

Paul just got finished telling us to rejoice always, to not be anxious but pray to God, and that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. We have to do our part however, and that is what Paul tells us next. He says, "Finally, brothers..." As if it's the 'how-to' part that sums it all up. I love that about Paul.

I'm just so guilty of not thinking about such things. I'm plagued with this world. I shared the song lyrics of a Delirious song Kingdom of Comfort last time. It's true, I need saving from this kingdom of comfort where I am king. I think about myself so much, not enough about things that are honorable or praiseworthy. And why? Why do most of us think it's so tough? I have a conclusion...

We live in a Kingdom of DISTRACTION. American Christianity is so difficult because we don't teach to be UNdistracted. We don't preach enough of Philippians 4:8. We preach about making the gospel nice for those who don't have ears to hear. For the lost. But don't you remember Jesus saying "For those who have ears to hear...." Jesus was tough. "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword... Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34, 39).

My point is that we have to get back to the BIBLE, and DO what it instructs. If you've ever traveled to a third-world country and you meet heart-felt, bible-doing Believers, you'll be inspired. You'll see a faith so strong. I'm sure you'll be almost jealous. When I've traveled to Benin and Liberia in West Africa I saw faith there that I will never see here in America. Despite their hardships, their faith was so strong and solid. But our western culture influences our faith. But why not their faith? One word: Distraction. We are distracted. Come on, America has everything the flesh could want. It's at our disposal. We are susceptible to everything Satan could have ever dreamed of to distract us from Jesus and His Truth. This means we have to be even more aware of what we're putting into our minds. It's our minds that control our actions. And the Spirit helps us control our minds. And thus the Spirit will help our actions when we... "think about these things..."

Our money, our jobs, our tv's, our iPod's and computers, our movies, they all distract us. (I am super guilty of this). But I have to come back to Philippians 4:8 in order to get a grip on what I'm putting in my mind. The more I think about purity, excellence and truth, the more my faith will grow and my love for Jesus will blossom and I will be "walking" with my Lord. And that's the goal isn't it? To walk with Jesus moment by moment...breath by breath...

Think about such things...it's the place to start.

Kingdom of Comfort

Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king.
From my unhealthy lust of material things.
I built myself a happy home in my palace
On my own castle, falling in the sand
Pull me out, please grab my hand, I just forgot where I came from.

Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king.
From my unhealthy lust of material things.
I rob myself of innocence with the poison of indifference
I buy my stuff at any cost
C couple clicks and I pay the price
Cuz what I gain is someone else's loss.

Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king.
From my unhealthy lust of material things.

Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king.
To the kingdom of heaven, where you are king.
-Martin Smith

Our Truth, Our Hope

"Sometimes our lives depend on that which we place Faith in. And sometimes Faith relies on whom we are depending." -Jeff La Villa

I was thinking about what it is like when we know the Truth (Jesus) and yet find our lives unfolding in such a way that has caused us to lose hope in the future. I know I talk a lot about being in the present - living for now - but sometimes when all you see is now, it can be discouraging to see what lies ahead. At times we may feel "stuck" where we're at and not see hope to a "brighter future."

The quote above has always stuck with me, ever since I heard it when I was about 15. We rely on Faith so much as Christ-followers, but sometimes are Faith can depend on what we're placing it in. Sometimes we do depend on our jobs to "provide," or our spouses or - of course - ourselves. We put faith in tangible things - like our bank account - to bring us "hope" for tomorrow. I'm a victim of thinking that, for sure. (And it can be discouraging to most.) But to be honest, that's the most foolish thing ever to think.

Let's look at "whom we are depending..."

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (ESV)

and probably one of the coolest verses ever:

1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (ESV) [How can that not get you pumped!?]

1 Peter 1:13
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (ESV)

When we know the Truth, yet have no hope, how are we living? Literally. How? I have to believe that knowing the Truth and having Hope go hand-in-hand. Don't you? Do you believe that? Is that manifesting in our minds and in speech and actions? We know that Jesus is the Truth, we know him and now we are confident in His Hope, the one we all celebrated a couple weeks ago at Easter; hope in the conquering of sin, the resurrection of our Lord and our redemption.

When we set our minds on it, we know the Truth and we will know Hope. And we can fight through our days with confidence.

I pray that for all of you today...

Here I Am, Send Me

I've heard this phrase a lot lately. Actually in a couple songs. Great songs at that. We sing these words, think or pray them even...but can we grasp what they mean? I surely struggle with that fact that if I do pray them or admit that I am 'ready' to be sent, I actually don't feel ready at all.

Isaiah heard from the Lord "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" After having his sin purged he proclaimed those famous words. As soon as he did the Lord told him to go speak to the people. (chapter 6:6-9)

If we ask the Lord to send us, are we ready to speak to the people?

And being sent, do you imagine it being a far off place? Is it over-seas or across country? Sometimes I wish it were. Sometimes I wish I would hear God say "Are you ready Jeff, I'm sending you to West Africa. The place you want to go." But honestly, that's not how God works. I think when we ask God to send us, it very well could be where we already are. "Send me to the lost, or the sick or frail," we pray to God. Well for most of us, let's look inside our workplace. For me that is as far as I have to go, work.

At this point let me share some lyrics from Dustin Kensrue, lead singer of my favorite band Thrice. The song is called: The Messenger.

Mark me with fear and trembling, send someone else instead.
I know my world is ending; I can't repay my debt.
How can I carry such a heavy burden?
How can I move when I am paralyzed?
I see a fire behind a heavy curtain.
I lean in closer & I close my eyes & kiss the coals, breathe in smoke & I say

"Here I am, send me."

Lifts my soul, free & so unafraid.
Mark me with fire and send me among the living dead.
They cannot comprehend me, I watch the sickness spread.

How can they hear me when their hearts are hardened?
How can they see me when they close their eyes?
So then can tell me I'm an easy target.
A wooden saw is quite a way to die.

Kiss the coals; breathe in smoke. And I say:
"Here I Am, Send Me."

Sometimes I think this: how can they hear me, when the world has hardened their hearts? I work everyday with college students who are lost, they see no direction in life. Literally. They go to school with no means to an end. They're underage and yet they love to binge drink because everyone else does it. Or they surf everyday because they don't like school and hate their classes. Well I could go on, but for me when I ask to "Send me Lord" I am convicted that I have to look at where I am. But of course God can grant the desires of our hearts, and Leanna and I would love to serve in Africa someday. But He has us here now. This is where we are "sent."

I think the crux of this is what happened to Isaiah before he uttered those words. We should focus on this: his sins were purged. They were removed, atoned for, wiped out. He was clean before being sent. Think about that. Whoa.

Before we sing "Here I am Lord, Send Me," let us take a knee (or two) and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to purge your sin. Then as we model Isaiah, let as ask God to send us where He will...

I pray our hearts respond...

My Sin & My Spirit

I am perplexed by the idea that if sin in me is dead and my spirit is alive in Christ, how is that sin still remains? I am wrestling with this idea that I am in desperate need to feed my spirit and starve my flesh. But how? What can help me through all this? Do you ever find yourself at odds, desiring to do good, but finding that you still do evil? Of course. We all do... I have been reading Paul because I know he has the answers, I somehow I think he's an expert in this area...

I'm reading Romans 7 & 8...

7:9 - "I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is hold, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."

I'm trying to understand Paul in context to his upcoming verses. When we follow "law" we think we're alive, but really the sin deceives us and takes ahold of us. He then goes on to as

k if the "good" in me brings death? By no means he says..."It was the sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin..."

Ok...

7:14 - "...but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do no do what I want, but I do the very thing I Hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is not longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but no the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do know want is what I keep doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."

So it seems to me that we have the answer. It's the sin in me that is dwelling and not the real me. No, that is not where we stop. We read on because I am not convinced that is going to help me understand who I am in Christ and the sin that is in me. Paul want us to understand the whole thing, not just part of it.

I'll summarize what Paul is saying in verses 21-25: We find that evil is always close at hand, but in our deepest part of our hearts we delight in the Lord. But of course other "members" of our body seem to wage war on us, keeping the fight going. He is frustrated by the fact that the war still wages in his body, but who can deliver him from this "body of death?" (That is exactly the turning point in our thinking. If we just stop at that fact that we know that it is sin in me, we tend to justify that sin, because it's "oh just sin in me, not really me." But Paul has got us to change our thinking...)

Paul's answer: 7:25 "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

See I wonder how many us think about the fact that we are dead to sin, but alive in Christ. I know I know that, but until it comes to fruition in mind and ultimately in my actions, we are continually trapped at "it's just the sin in me." But I am learning that we DO have to "renew" our minds daily. Change our thinking, change our mindset, turn our heads around... And more exciting is what Paul says in chapter 8...

8:9 - "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you... 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."

Even a few verses later he says when we live by the Spirit we will LIVE. Our spirit is alive, it gives us Life. I have to continually wrap my mortal mind around that fact that my body - with all it's members that are trying to wage war - has to listen to the Spirit in me. Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit does dwell in me, and my body has to respond to it. My body is dead. My Spirit is alive in Christ. And it's takes the renewing of my mind every day, every moment pretty much. It's hard work. It's a battle. We are at war, but we have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling inside us. That gives me hope, that gives me courage and now gives me new life to live for today.

(please add to, suggest or comment on this topic as we are all on this path...thanks!)

Are There Not Twelve Hours of Daylight?

(this was written awhile ago, but still pertains now...)

This armor isn’t shielding
And my white banner isn’t yeilding
The blood from my fists has dried on my demons by now
My lungs – my fuel, they’ve burned in fire
And I’m the fool
I’m the liar

My shield is steady for burning arrows
But why am I charred at the shoulder
My helmet loosens with every dark blank step
Threatened I am now your solider
But kissing mothers and brothers goodbye doesn’t bring daylight
If we would drop our blades and our knees to regain sight

My twelve hours of daylight are never enough
Soon my feet will be blistered bruised so rough
Take back my sword and shield
Face the black night across the field
Joined hands bound so tight
Nothing is stronger than following at daylight
Darkness will not swallow me whole
Your lamp will light my path tonight

Finding Strength in the Ordinary Days

Lately I've been discussing with Dan the spiritual disciplines. We're both reading "The Spiritual Discipline's" by Dallas Willard (actually he already finished, i'm still reading) and the book has been rocking our world's. It's awesome. Many discussion have been brought up regarding doing the discipines yet still feeling ordinary, or not feeling much from them. I am the first to admit my need for more discipline, I need it desperately. Dan has taken enormous steps in this and I am so proud of him for his discipline; truly leading by example. But it's those days that still feel ordinary, like God isn't "doing" much in our hearts or in our sphere, that is unsettling in our hearts. If and when we partake in the disciplines that Jesus did, do we think something magical is going to happen, like a sudden holiness? As we take our time to pray, read, be in solitude, fast, let us approach it all with a pure heart...

I re-read a great devotional from my favorite, Oswald Chambers, tonight that really hit me. It's sums up this idea quite well. Though I have not gone in to great deal on this topic, let us just soak up what Dr. Chambers had to say:

"We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and bye, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God's say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways." -My Utmost For His Highest

I Need to Pray More

It's something I think we can all say, "I need to pray more often." Our Abba Father, our Redeemer, our Savior is SO eager to hear our prayers, yet we fill our thoughts and ears with talk radio, ESPN Radio, 91X, or heaven-forbid good-quality-music! :) That's pretty much sums me up, especially while driving. That's where we're alone the most, don't you think?

I was driving to our church offices last week and following behind me was a young woman driving alone, and it was obvious she had tears in her eyes. For the next two miles through stop lights and all, she kept wiping her tears, putting her hands over her eyes (while waiting at the stop lights) and obviously emotionally hurting. I'm watching this all from my rear-view mirrors of course, but I could see enough to see her pain, her wrenched heart, her emotional agony. It really hit me.

As I witnessed this girl, my spirit stirred, the Lord spoke and told me to pray. I turned off my Smashing Pumpkins song, took a deep breath and prayed. What do you pray for? What is going on that I could ask for God's grace in her life? I had no idea. But you know what, I still prayed. I knew that she need grace from the Lord, she needed a spiritual comfort that nothing could bring her except Jesus. So I asked God to simply 'touch' her. "Just touch her Lord, with your love and your grace."

That hasn't happened very often, I'll tell you that. But it was a huge realization. Paul had something going on when he said, "Pray without ceasing." I remember studying this with Dan back in college. We found that Paul's intention was to pray from the state of not ceasing. If that makes sense. It's a state of being, of being in touch or communication with our Father. Do we consider this daily? Do we ask the Lord, "Give me ability to tune my thoughts/senses/brain/attitude to You"? Being in a constant state of prayer with Jesus... that's it.

The incident in the car was a sudden thing for me. (God give me grace,) I was listening when He asked me to pray for the young woman. But the conviction crept in, telling me that is how I should be always. To be in the state of prayer, always.

Hmmm.

I need to pray more...

The Day of Love, right?

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) And 85% of all cards purchased are by women. Whoa...

This is interesting holiday (if we can call it that) isn't it? I mean, it's really a myth how it started. Some versions are Christian and some pagan. One legend is when Emperor Claudius II of Rome outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men were better warriors. But what was believed to have happened, was a priest named Saint Valentine or Valentinus defied the Emperor and performed marriages in secret. He was later found out and killed, making him a "martyr" according to the Catholic Church. The pagan legend of the Lupercalia festival is much more disturbing. It has to do with sacrificing a goat, having young boys cut it up dipping it in blood and slapping it around town, both on women and field crops. Gross!

Ok, why am I writing all this? Well for me, I have always wanted to know the meaning and origins of holidays. It's important to be knowledgeable in our society. As a believer, I need to know what i believe and why. There are many opinions of Valentine's Day. It has definitely become something it shouldn't have, just look at that outrageous statistic earlier. One billion cards are sent, I wonder how many flowers are bought. America loves to emphasize things in single days. We celebrate mom's and dad's only once a year, or our veterans or the working force. I'm lead to think back about celebrations in biblical times. How did they celebrate? With one great word: FESTIVALS!

The value of these great religious festivals was threefold, According to bible-history.com: "(1) Religious effects. --They preserved the religious faith of the nation and religious unity among the people. They constantly reminded the people of the divinely-wrought deliverances of the past; promoted gratitude and trust; and testified the reverence of the people for the temple and its sacred contents. Besides this was the influence of well-conducted temple services upon the synagogues through the land. (2) Political effects. --The unity of the nation would be insured by this fusion of the tribes; otherwise they would be likely to constitute separate tribal states. They would carry back to the provinces glowing accounts of the wealth, power and resources of the country. (3) Social effects. --They promoted friendly intercourse between traveling companions; distributed information through the country at a time when the transmission of news was slow and imperfect; and imported into remote provincial districts a practical knowledge of all improvements in arts and sciences."

This is all just to make us think. Valentine's Day, why do you celebrate it, if at all. My wife and I tell each other how much we love each other every day, many times a day. I've found the love of my life, my soul-mate and all that stuff. But to be honest, it is the one day she knows I'll buy her flowers! (Let's be real, I don't do it that often). So I know she likes that part of the day.

Valentine's Day can be what ever you want it. Celebrate how you will. But I suggest making more Festivals throughout the year! (That would mean more time off of work.) Nice.

(thanks to history.com & bible-history.com for the info)

Head over to Dan's blog for a very interesting take on this Day.

Focusing Too Much on "Intention of the Heart"

My best friend and covenant brother Dan wrote this awesome blog on focusing too much on the intentions of the heart. It is worth your time to head over to his blog to read it... here's the link: The Fire.

New Blogs!

I've been encouraged by many friends to blog more often. I have been praying more about it and have plans to write out more of my thoughts on what it means to be elastic living in a plastic world; what it means to live intentionally and on learning how to think, act, love and act like Jesus of Nazareth. These last few blogs are devotionals I have written in past months. Please read, comment, whatevs...thanks for checking this out.

Tow Trucks and Pure Religion

The other day I was driving on a very busy street near my work and I happened to see a car on the side of the road. Most of us do everyday; we see cars broken down all the time. This time as I drove past this car and then the tow truck, I saw something different. This idea of a tow truck struck me. I asked myself what is its purpose? I thought and would suggest it is to help those broken down, stranded, or in need from the happenstance of their vehicle. As I thought of this passing them by I instantly remembered James 1:27, for whatever reason. It’s states: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”(NIV) Now we could of course take this literally and I do think we should; our “religion” should be to take care of orphans and widows in need. But let’s think about what it means to take care of those in need from an everyday mindset.

When I passed that broken-down car, my mind took a shift. I realized that I, having the Holy Spirit dwell in me, need to be different than the world. I need to be like that tow truck. We need to be tow trucks, aiding those in need. Those we know and those we don’t know. Those on the sides of roads, waiting for help. I think many people would pass on by casually never thinking twice about helping. Now I don’t suggest that every broken-down car you pass you should stop; we do have obligations that I know God wants us to honor and timing would not allow. But what I do want to suggest is our desire to see “pure religion” in our thoughts transcribing them into actions. If we look further in that verse in James he continues: “ …to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” I actually love the New King James Version of this verse: “to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Dwell on that for a second. We who takes care of or oversees the cares of those in need do so to be unspotted, unpolluted by the world. Think of that. Really think. Tow trucks. We can do this. We can act as a tow truck would. To be unpolluted, to shift our mindset from this world. We can act out what is a “pure religion” to God just by helping others.

Helping others can be a huge task, but take it to your circle of friends. I remember having amazing roommates at one point after college who when I was in need or ran out of money, they would “spot” me. This happened a lot when we would go out to eat. The brothers I lived with lived out this idea. Now you might think that is elementary or irrelevant, but let me ask, who can you help, within your circle of friends? How can you help? Maybe sharing, maybe giving, maybe honoring your word, maybe praying for them. It first starts with your mindset. Let it be changed.

As your mindset begins to see how to help others in need, let us not forgot why we’re helping. Our motives need to be pure, just like our “religion” as James calls it. Like James says, we do this to be unspotted from the world, changed from what how the world thinks. But now read the parable of Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25 31-46. Do these words not resound in your head: “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.”? Who do you see hungry, or thirsty? What strangers do you invite in or clothe? Do you visit those who are in trouble? This parable has a difficult calling. It’s a difficult calling because of how we must continually reshape our thinking for those who want to inherit eternal life; those who are Christ-followers.

I know as Christians we don’t like to use the term “religion.” And in fact, the only time it's used in the Bible is in James. But think of this, the world thinks in terms of “religions.” They classify beliefs, make associations and distinctions, box ideas in and I ask and challenge us to prove our “religion” worthy by helping those in need. Take care of orphans and widows in times of distress. Or maybe stop by a broken down car, ask if they need a tow.

Who Is Jesus To You?

Read this first...
Luke 9:18-20: “And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him and He asked them saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

So they answered and said “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Think of this, Jesus just did one the biggest miracles you’ve ever witnessed. He only had five loaves of bread and two fishes and yet he thanked God for them and they became a feast for five thousand. After such a miracle, it’s no wonder he needed some time with his Father in prayer. And it is then while praying his disciples came to him and he asked an important question. I love Peter’s response. He doesn’t even have to think about it. It comes naturally. And the greatest thing is, it’s simple. It’s without additions or subtractions. It’s simply the truest fact every spoken. Who is Jesus to you? How would you define him? What would you add, what would you leave out? Do we in this day and age really have a clear view of his Lordship?

There is a very small village I visited once in the northern part Benin, Africa. This village was full of hate, disease, crime, you name it. It was chaos. They called themselves the “Village of Darkness.” Then three young men who were followers of Jesus came to them and starting loving them and helping them. Along the way they taught and educated them on the values, principles and precepts of Jesus. Through the course of time the village changed their ways and the impact of these men was so great that they changed their name to the “Village of the Light” or “Akpali.” Now the greatest story I ever heard from this village was, one day men from Akpali were walking into the village carrying a girl that had just died. These three young men who had been with them, met them on the road and asked what happened. One of the young men said (and I paraphrase), “No this can’t be. Jesus is here in this village, and he is of the light, he is life. Death is of the darkness.” So they prayed and they prayed her back to life. Who was Jesus to these young men? He was life for them. In a small African village where death or darkness had reigned, they saw Jesus’ light of life come in and save this young girl. I’m amazed at their view of who Jesus was to them?

Notice however in these two stories, of Peter and the men of Akpali, their view of Jesus was tested or exemplified after or before a great miracle. Peter after the feeding of five thousand and the young men before the bringing back to life of the young girl. But I wonder how we view Jesus and who he says he is when we’re at home watching television or movies. What about while on the job? While in traffic? If we say we have Jesus inside us, that I’m a “Christian,” then does our Jesus change with the moments of life? Is he only in clear view after a miracle?


I think those young men in Akpali must have known John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Jesus also said, “I am the bread of life (John 6:35).” Or “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Do we see Jesus as such? What does he mean when he says he’s the “bread of life?” These questions should be answered in all of us, for they give us a clear view of who Jesus is. If he is in us and we are to live him out, we need to see Jesus the right way, the way of the Scriptures.

I am the first to admit how hard it is to have my view of Jesus show forth in my actions and in my mind. But I know it is imperative to let the Holy Spirit move in such a way that we are constantly renewing our view of Jesus, keeping it fresh with His words. I need reminders that He is the vine and I am the branch, apart from him I have and am nothing. My daily need for food should be secondary to my need for more of Jesus in my life. When he says he is the “bread of life,” am I able to activate that statement in mind and body? Do I see Jesus as such? Am I viewing him moment by moment as what He says he is? I hope we all do. And so I ask, who is Jesus to you today? May it change your life.