What is Truth?

John 18:38 (Pilate said to him) What is truth? Have you noticed how difficult it is to get the truth these days? The news is now filtered through world views to the extent that now even the weathermen have to include an agenda when describing why it is hot or cold, or even just right. We are constantly bombarded with information at a pace that has never been seen before, but how much of it is true? We've been trained that as long as the info fits our liking then it is a fact, because in America perception seems to trump reality. When is the last time you really stopped and asked "What is truth?". It is a great question and one that has huge implications for our lives and our souls. Pilate is asking this exact question to Jesus himself as they are discussing his kingship. Jesus tells him face to face that he is King and that His kingdom is from another world and that he is here to bear witness to the truth. That truth being that God has provided a way of salvation through the righteousness of Christ. Pilate makes a grave era in his quest for information though and stops receiving Truth from Christ and decides to go outside to see what the people's thoughts are about "the Truth of Jesus". They tell him to kill Jesus and release a criminal. He even declares that he finds no fault in Jesus multiple times. He declares him innocent of all counts. Pilate's wife even intervenes to tell Him that she has had a dream that warns about doing Jesus harm. Now Pilate has total authority over the situation (supposedly), declares Jesus innocent, is warned by his wife and has been confronted face to face by God about "the Truth" so he goes and digs deeper right? Wrong! he doesn't dig into the truth. The scriptures that prophesied about Christ were there for the reading in the temple down the road. Wouldn't it be wise to investigate the facts of someone claiming to be God, who walked around raising dead people who you knew was innocent but yet you were going to execute? A time out when have been handy. Yet Pilate caves to the pressure of the demands of the people and their threats to let someone else claiming to be King live in Caesars kingdom and orders Jesus to the Cross. Now I know that all of this had to occur to fulfill scripture, but there is a good word for us in this examination of Pilate. The same claims of Christ are in front of each of us to look into on a daily basis. The same Holy Scriptures and witness of the saints is available to profit us in either conversion of belief or sanctification of the believer. What do we do with it? Do we like Pilate turn to people for "the truth" or do we turn to Christ? The demands of the day, and the pressure of the world choked the spiritual life out of Pilate. Is it doing the same to you? Stop and realize how much senseless information we all digest that is not the Truth and grab hold of the Gospel and beauty of Jesus.

electric fence

Luke 8:22 "Repent therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. Pappaw and Gugga lived in the country, in the small cotton farming town called Tyler. Tyler,Alabama is not famous for anything, save its proximity to Selma, which was infamous for its civil rights struggles. As a young boy growing up in the suburbs, I loved spending summers with my grandparents filling the days fishing, hunting birds, playing sports and eating oreos. It was awesome having huge fields, bass ponds and horses to ride. There is something about having the freedom to roam through fields, and around ponds, that brings little boys to life, and man I loved it. My uncle Charlie had a horse pasture and a bass pond on the property behind Pappaw and Gugga's house that was surrounded by an electric fence. For those who don't know, an electric fence is a fence with steel wires that carry an electric current that brings a shocking jolt to who or whatever hits it, in order to send it back in the direction from which it came. I hated that thing! It was my primary obstical on the way to the bass pond, and it stung my back more than just a few times. The first time it got me it scared me so bad I didn't know what had happened. I soon learned to carefully squeeze through the two wires carrying the current and the boundary separating the cow pasture and my grandparents back yard was crossed, and the bass I was after were in trouble! The horses were not so lucky! I actually watched one horse new to pasture trot up to the fence looking for an escape and instead receive a jolt that rerouted its path back into the pasture. Repentance. A word used continually in the bible and talked about in Churches through the ages. But, what does it mean? It seems that many people now a days think repentance is feeling bad about something you have done, mulling in the guilt, having remorse and just trying harder. While those are some of the factors in repentance, true repentance is an inflection point of change from sin to faith, fueled by Grace. It is a trigger of a change in thought, deed and desire. Just like the electric fence changes the directional path of a horse (or little boys) who touch it, repentance shocks us into changing our lives for our satisfaction and God's glory. John the baptist testified "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance". Simply put, true faith led repentance will manifest itself in our life's actions. It is not a one time passing thought before lunch on Sunday that tugs at us a little. It is the gracious touch of Christ changing the desire of our hearts, which restores joy to the soul, peace to our minds which yields a sanctified follower eager to pass a passion for Christ on to others. So what happened to you the last time you heard a word from God that convicted you? Did you quickly run from your sin, to God? The easiest thing to do is to know it is wrong, talk about it and do nothing. I know as I have done that before! Be careful doing that! Uncle Charlie's fence is there to protect the horse from things that are beyond its comprehension. God's word and spirit are there to do the same for us. Dismissing those warnings of conviction harden our hearts to the Gospel of Christ and put us in harm's way.

Airbags

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew in me a right spirit

Sitting in the plane getting ready to taxi away from the terminal always means one thing. The speech. You know the one that no one listens to. Exits here, life rafts here, stay calm when you are in the middle of crashing. Then comes the finale, in the event of an emergency, oxygen masks will fall from above. If you are traveling with someone who needs assistance, please put your mask on before helping your child or needy travel partner. We have all heard it a million times and seen the video about half that many as we turn our eyes towards other people, books, gadgets, newspapers and just about anything else we can think of. Have you ever asked yourself, "Why should I put on my mask first?" It is an obvious answer, but pointed: if you have died of suffocation, you can't help the person relying on you for care.

Now this is a simple observation but a really good word for us all. I never cease to amaze myself at how good I am at critiquing others, but tend to leave myself unchecked. When you look at David's petition to God above, His desire was to be cleaned up and sanctified. Why is David praying this? He knew Himself well and He knew that the only way that he was going to be of any use to God was to let God have His way with him, and breathe Holy life into the recesses of his soul. David knew that once he had been polished up by the Holy Spirit's work in his heart, then he could help others enjoy God as well. Just like the airbag, David needed the breath of God to fill Him, before he could give any righteous oxygen to others.

If we are honest, most of us are so busy trying to strangle people jamming their oxygen mask on their head, that we don't even realize we are suffocating and need of air, a communion with God. We need a deep Holy breath of God that fills us up and empowers us to spread His Glory and be deeply satisfied along the way. We are always thinking to ourselves, “well if he would just do this, or if she would just pray more, then everything would be just fine”. And all the while they watch us franticly squirm under the pressures of the day, struggling and gasping for a peaceful breath while you ask them to be more like you. And we wonder why our ministry and efforts aren't more fruitful. So, put on your mask before you try and help others. Remember, if you don’t have any air in your lungs you can’t help others receive any either. Only clean hearts can help dirty ones change.

Suffer for Christ?

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit.

Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up some books to take to the beach. My wife,Evie, and I are retroactively celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary with a four night stay in Blue Mountain Beach Florida and we are going to chill, exercise, read, pray and eat! By ourselves, I might add. Anyhow, as I browsed the Christianity section, I was struck by the titles and core messages of many of the books in the section. The books promised the Christian that every day they would feel good, get promotions, ride high on the hog, look good and feel great. About the only thing I didn't see was Abraham's 8 minute abs or Samuel's stock plan. Okay, maybe I am stretching it just a bit, but maybe not. The bible itself actually offers us one thing: To pick up our cross (an instrument of Death) and follow Christ. It offers us a love with commitment, and that commitment is to walk in the world as Christ did, with an anticipation of a Spiritual resurrection that brings us back to the Father's arms forever. If you look at the verse above it points us back to the truth that as Christ lived, he suffered for us, he didn't come to get rich, have every day feel like a Friday, or fuss over "spiritual gifts". He came to suffer as a sacrifice for the sins of men. Guess what? He calls us to do the same. "Bear others burdens" the bible says. Paul says it best in Philippians 3:10 "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death". What is Paul saying? He is saying that this world has nothing for Him, except an opportunity to build the Kingdom of Christ. He lives to die and suffer, just like Christ did, so that sinners can see the beauty of the sacrifice of the Cross. Suffering for the name of Christ is the primary avenue to know Christ. That is a stark contrast with the contemporary promises of God being more interested in your bank account and comfort than His name, or the lost. Now even as I type this, I am convicted of how easy it is to drift into a life in 2012 complacency. My flesh doesn't want to suffer and sacrifice, it wants to be made much of. That is the point, Christianity promises to put the flesh and the desires of this World to death, not inflate them, so that the spirit can blossom. That is the model of Christ and the driving purpose of Christianity- make much of Christ at all costs. Is that happening in your life, or are you trying to use Christianity to help you build your kingdom here on Earth? That is a razor thin line that only you and God can answer. Be careful thinking the sacrifice of the Son of God is solely for your advancement. It's primary purpose is that the whole world will give praise to the Son! This will not come with casual Church participation or focus on ourselves. It will come if we walk as Jesus did, willing to give our lives for the Father's love and will! The best way to see your righteousness may be to look inside your heart and see if there is a desire to suffer for the unrighteous, or unredeemed sinners. I am convinced the fuel for that will be our constant acknowledgement of our flesh's sinfulness, the Spirit's power in regenerating our Hearts to build the Kingdom and our delight in worshipping an unbelievable god.

Chicken and Obedience

Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, oh Earth; behold. I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it. Who would have ever thought that the battle over gay marriage would have apexed over fried chicken sandwiches? Shouldn't that be a topic for Oprah or something? Much has been made about profits and support for, or opposition against, Dan Cathy's position. What has been overlooked is his worldview as stated in his words in the interview that sparked the debate. Listen to them, "We are openly inviting judgment against our country when we shake our fist at God and say, "We know better than you what constitutes a marriage". If people could hit the pause button for a second and examine his words, they would find that he has a fear of God driving what he perceives (and I as well) as obedience to God and His word. It is not about profit or hatred or even much to do with man primarily, it has to do with God's will and obedience. In Cathy's worldview, God sets the rules and we simply either obey or disobey, it appears that simple. Throughout the bible, God pursues His created beings with provision and opportunity to overcome their rebellious nature and turn back to their Creator. In Jeremiah 6 written above, God's own words are pronouncing a coming judgment on His beloved nation of Israel and Mr. Cathy's are in-line with concerning why God is disciplining His people. They have not paid attention to what God has said and they have rejected God's law and have ignored His will. In other words, they have made their own rules and as a result they get to choose between death or deportation to Babylon to serve as slaves. Disobedience to God must will always be met with correction and discipline aimed at turning hearts bask towards the cosmic truth: God writes the rules of life, we either obey or ignore them. Reaction and commentary over the Chik Fil A issue has tried to make this about conservative vs. liberal and I even read a column suggesting a North vs. South war of arrogance. Its none of those things. The root cause that has triggered all the commotion is the spiritual war that started in the Garden when the serpent whispered, "Is that really what God said?" If our flesh can have its way with our mind and soul it will convince us that we get to weigh in with our own opinion about Holiness and what is or isn't sin. Our sin nature wants to blind people to the Glory of God and His majestic love seen so clearly in Christ. So where are you in the discussion of the topic of the day? Have you realized that truly there are only two sides, a holy God and a sinful man? Perhaps the greatest cause of grief that I feel in my soul is those who would consider themselves people who have submitted to Christ as King and Lord trying to rewrite his will in pulpits and newspapers across the country. A little time in Jeremiah 6 or basically any where else in the bible might save them much in the way of coming judgment and discipline. May God have mercy on us as our country drifts from Him and may he bring us more leaders like Mr. Cathy who will honor God before men.

Upon further review: Believe

Jude 1:5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. The once crazy crowd now waits silently and nervously. The referee’s head is buried under the hood of the review camera. The game stands still waiting for a decision. Did the quarterback’s arm start to go forward before the ball came out? If so, it isn’t a game changing fumble, but a harmless incompletion. Everyone waits for the words that trail the phrase: Upon further review… Every true fan has a memory of a call that didn’t go their way and a disdain for the referee who made the bad call. Video review was introduced in sports for one reason: to correct human error in judgment of a perceived event. In some cases it validates the call on the field or court, but in others a deeper, slower look uncovers a truth that was missed at full speed in the heat of battle. Jude 1:5 is a verse that makes me slow down and do a deep thorough examination of a critical word in Christianity: Believe. Consider what Jude is saying in terms of the Jews who he led out of Egypt but did not believe. To make it through the Exodus these non-believers: >Saw God visibly as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night >Tasted the miracle of God’s provision in manna >Felt his power as he divided the red sea and crushed the Egyptian army >Sensed his atoning mercy as a Passover lamb covered their sins >Knew the depth his wrathful judgment as they witnessed the plagues >Relished in Christ’s mercy as he provided water in the desert >Smelled the rot of death as the plagues swept through Egypt This list could go on for some time, but the point of fact is that these Jews that Jude refers to as non-believers unquestionably knew that there was a God-sized force at work in their midst, as miracles where on display literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They knew that something outside themselves, and this world had, a will and a purpose and the strength and power to accomplish its goals. They knew that this majestic and divine being wanted to have a relationship with them and purge them of sin and rebellion and bring them peace and blessings. Seriously, stop for a second and put yourself in their shoes as they walked around for forty years outside the promise land. Yahweh would have been impossible to miss as a God. So how could Jude refer to them as “those who did not believe” if they walked around in the factual reality of God’s miracles daily for decades? That demands some slow motion replay for each of us as we put our souls under scrutiny like a photo finish at the Kentucky derby. The presence of God was a complete reality to all of these non-believers, but what was missing was a belief in His promises and a doubt of their own strength and the result was no faith. God had promised delivery of the land of Canaan by His strength and they looked at their own lack of strength faithlessly (Numbers 13). The beginning of Faith exists where human ability ends. Even though the Israelites witnessed Yahweh first hand, they didn’t believe he would hold to His promises of deliverance, blessing and protection that he made to the Israelites starting in Genesis 12 with Abraham. They did not trust God as the God who sets the rules, rules the Earth and makes things unravel in such a way that only he can get glory. The barrier to their unbelief was their belief in themselves and things of this world in place of God’s promises. There are many who walk around with casual acknowledgement of God and count that as assurance of salvation. Some people are of the opinion that the Mercy of Christ comes without repentance, change, obedience and that they can rewrite the rules as long as they kind of include some parts and pieces of God in them somewhere. We should all freeze frame and review our faith at this point. If Jesus saved some out of Egypt who lived in a reality of God’s miracles, later destroyed those who didn’t fully live on His promises and Word, then we need to be careful not to do the same. In whose strength are you truly walking? The devil loves to confuse us at this point and there are many false teachers that are leading people astray on this very point: what it means to believe. If we don’t get that right, then we are dead wrong and there will not be any do-overs. The definition of belief that saves isn’t up for us to decide. God has already defined it for us.

Secrets

Romans 2:16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares (NIV) The Mueller's were a family that we grew up with in the 70's. Peter, the father, was one of the funniest men you have ever bumped into. I can still vividly remember his husky laugh and the way he would make his wife, Lucy, smile. Their three kids were always fun to play with and my first crush was on Mindy, their youngest at the ripe old age of six. My dad and Phillip knew each other from work and they instantly had enjoyed each other's company launching a friendship that lasted for over two decades. The Mueller's seemed like the average white collar family who was doing well and had all the things the American dream had to offer. Until one of Peter's secrets was exposed. Through a course of events, Lucy uncovered the fact that Peter had a second family. In fact, he had been living a double life for decades and hiding that dirty little secret from everyone. This shocking secret hurt many not the least of which was his family whom God had entrusted him to lead. Secrets. Since the first sin was committed in the Garden, the desire to sin and then run and hide from God when he comes looking for us is strong. In the depths of our souls, it is usually our first reaction when an authority figure is present to enforce their laws upon us. It is why we slam on the brakes and look innocent when we see the cop in the median with the radar detector. It is why my kids run and jump back in their beds late at night when I walk up the stairs to make sure that they are asleep when and where they are supposed to be. It is why we are all so good at self-denial and rationalization when we get caught. It is part of the nasty web of deceit of sin. We are tempted, we fall, and then we are tempted to hide the sin so we aren't exposed. This cycle is deadly and our natural course of action. The ramifications are huge. Not only are we separated form God by our sin, but our refusal to admit guilt and confess our wickedness keeps us from experiencing divine atonement and buries us in guilt. If the adversary can keep us hiding from God in secret sin he has us in the palms of his hands. The reality is clear in Paul's word to the Roman church: there are no secrets that are kept from God and our attempts to bury sin away in a distant field will be thwarted and openly exposed for proper judgment. Now our secrets may not be as glaring as Mr. Mueller's, but we are all tempted to have them and then try and hide them from God so we can appear righteous. What thoughts do you have that you know aren't Godly? What desires do you have that you know are wrong? What are the secret temptations tugging at your soul that are strong and have power? Confess them before they destroy you. The devil will use every trick in the book to get you to focus on your own self-image and the damage it will do if you confess your weaknesses. Christ offers us an opportunity to focus on His image and admit what we all really know anyhow: we are all messed up sinners in our flesh. When we do this at the feet of Jesus in an appeal to His righteous rule over our life, he spiritually biopsies not only the effects of sin, but he will replace the temptation with the sweet satisfaction of His own Glory. What are you fruitlessly trying to hide from God today? We must see those efforts as fruitless if we ever want to see the fruitfulness of Christ in our lives. Thanks be to God who sent Jesus to unveil and cover the sins of those who love and enjoy Him as Lord, Savior and Treasure!

Christ & Welfare

Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. Welfare. One in six Americans are on it. No matter your political affiliation, you probably have a viewpoint on this divisive subject. In it’s Genesis, welfare was an act of mercy designed to help those who could not help themselves. I think that most caring individuals are all for the thought of helping others that are helpless. Looking back, if the Church would have fulfilled God’s design to help and restore the oppressed, there would have been little need for the government to fill that role. Looking forward, nothing causes more stir than welfare recipients who think they are owed Welfare, are without thankfulness for the aid, and have no plans to move forward and overcome their situation. Stories of welfare fraud by millions of its presumptuous recipients are at the center of the Conservative movement to slash it. Success stories when welfare has acted as a bridge for a better tomorrow for some Americans, or simply sustained the most needy are the fuel for liberal calls to increase its breadth. Could it be that both the left and the right are sincere and correct in the core of their Welfare theology? I think so. There is a need for grace and mercy, but in the cases where the recipients are able to work, that grace is supposed to trigger a change in activity. The moment that grace is thanklessly consumed and presumed upon, it will become the help that hurts and seals your fate. I believe this is exactly what Paul is saying in terms of Christ’s Grace in Romans 2 as he writes to the church in Rome. The Grace and Mercy of God through faith in Jesus are a necessity. We need them to overcome our sins, approach God and live in peace as our actions have earned us nothing but hurt and anxiety. Our praise for a savior is accelerated when we contemplate His work and our futile attempts at pleasing God. Conversely, if we presume upon the riches of Christ, we can think that are owed His love. We aren’t owed anything but death. His love is designed to change us, as his grace stimulates repentance and we turn from our desires and begin to delight in Jesus alone. So His grace has an effect that is much more than head knowledge. The knowledge leads to fear of God, which leads to praise of Christ, which leads to living your life joyfully obedient to Him as king. So what is happens when you contemplate the Grace of Christ? Casual acknowledgement or a burning desire to praise Him, beg for forgiveness and celebrate His righteousness. It’s a good question with a lot hanging in the balance based on our answer. Let’s think it through!

Overflow

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Eli and Luke are five and three respectively, and they are sweet kids even though their sin nature is clearly evident. One of their favorite things to do is to take a bubble bath in their mom’s garden tub in our bathroom. It’s bigger than their tub is so more bubbles, power rangers, and now avengers can fit into their agenda of supposed cleaning. It’s amazing how easy it is to get them to bathe when the tub is the option, as fun looms large. It usually doesn’t end up so well for them though. Despite warnings and discipline, water tends to overflow onto our floor on a consistent basis. A five alarm clean-up of a soaked floor before the hardwoods nearby get drenched and ruined, is not exactly what we as parents are looking for at the end of a long day, but the boys are definitely worth it (every once in a while). I love Paul’s description of the work of Christ in our hearts above in Romans 15:13. He uses the word overflow to describe how Christians will affect the Church and the World. Just as the volume of our bathtub must reach a capacity before it overflows and spills onto the floor, so it is in the Christian life. Paul desires that the Church in Rome experience Christ is such a way that they will be filled with Hope, Joy and Peace to the extent that they simply overflow with these God given gifts that change Christians and non-Christians alike. Now we have got to back up for a moment and realize this statement is at the end of an ultra challenging letter unless we think we can just say “oh yeah, I got this precept” and move on. The hope, joy and love are a product of a deep walk in Christ for the Church, which includes trials and persecution. Paul has made it clear through deep doctrinal clarity that we are saved and sanctified through faith alone through Christ alone and our works of the flesh desire to derail God’s work. He dives deep into the paradox of faith where in back to back verses he describes believers as “sheep to be slaughtered” and then turns around and says “we are more than conquerors”) 8:36-37. Romans 7 is a detailed look at the post salvation fight for sanctification against the lingering remnant of sin in the life of a believer and it is a raging war. Romans 9 can frustrate your mind and flesh like few chapters in the bible until you give into the fact that God is God and he does what he wants. And just about when you are about to be paralyzed with immobility by the deep doctrine of election in chapter 9, Romans 10 paints a picture of beautiful feet that go and preach the Gospel and people are saved by hearing the Gospel from other people. Romans 11 keeps the Church humble and thankful as Paul reminds them that they are grafted into God’s work of the remnant of Israel. Then the faith hurdles seem to get even harder to jump over as Paul tells us to submit to all authorities (as long as they don’t directly violate your faith) and even pay taxes to Governments like Rome who used their authority to execute Christ and later Paul himself. Paul forges on and reminds the Church that though they have freedom they shouldn’t use that freedom to eat, drink and do things if it hurts someone else’s faith. Anyone’s brain hurting yet? The hope, joy and peace are only a mirage in the desert of your mind unless you truly have a deep, abiding life in Christ that has been engrained into your soul as you faithfully endure the trials of this world. Without Christ recreating himself in us, none of the things Paul lays out will make any sense. So while understanding the analogy of an overflow may be easy and clean the actuality of it happening requires war, sacrifice and the blood of Christ. So imagine yourself as the tub. Are you truly saturated in Christ? Are you overflowing with living water and the fruit of the spirit? Do people meet the God of the universe as they bump into you in life? When you overflow into the world, and you will, what actually comes out? Christ or flesh? When someone around you is hurting what do you offer him or her? An invitation to church? A good book on the subject? Or does the fountain of living water simply and supernaturally flow from God’s throne through you and overflow onto others? In this world peace, hope and joy of the divine and lasting variety only descend form on high. Let us pray that God will grow us by whatever means necessary so that the fount of many blessings flows in and through us!

Worms and Hammers

Isaiah 41:14-15 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,and you shall make the hills like chaff; I laced up my new Asics for an early morning jog and headed outside to the tune of early morning sprinklers and songbirds. Walking along the sidewalk, something glistened and caught my eye. I glanced down and saw two of the biggest Night crawlers I have ever seen in my life. These 6-inch worms were as black as the Alabama soil they lived in and were trying to head back underground before they fell victim to the rising sun or the birds singing above. I stood over them for a minute, watching them kind of wiggle around aimlessly on the concrete sidewalk. They didn’t look like they had a plan and were as exposed as a three legged wilderbeast in a lion’s den. I don’t know why, but I decided to help them back in the ground. Not with my hands of course! Way too much slime and grime involved in that. Using my new kicks, I gently guided them back to the wet ground and they quickly disappeared into the dark, wet dirt. As I started to run, I remembered the verses above from Isaiah 41. God actually calls Jacob, the men of Israel, worms. He is trying to get them to see that they are helpless and exposed without His sovereign hand and strength. Just like the night crawlers on my street, slowly dehydrating and aimlessly squiggling around, the Israelites had wandered from God and were outside of His purpose and love. They thought they had strength and they thought they had wisdom and righteousness, but they didn’t. Through the mouth of Isaiah he is calling them back with love. God makes it clear that He is the power source of Holy Glory that shapes and changes humans so that they can change the world. Can God transform men and women from worm to a threshing sledge that can destroy mountains? That is exactly what He says. Quite a change I’d say. From vulnerable slimy worm to a sharp-tooth threshing sledge that is crushing mountains. That is the power of God’s transforming Spirit working in people. Could God be saying the same thing to us? Would he look at us in our well educated sophistication and think of us as Worms as we wander off from Him? It is not fun to consider ourselves worms is it? Lets stop and do it for just a minute though. Stop and look at your impact on the World. Is God changing it as He works through you, or do you scurry off in safety-seeking flight when times get tough? Ready to climb back in the worm hole yet? Aren’t we supposed to be refined, brilliant and equipped? Simple answer- only in Jesus. The boldness of a threshing hammer, or a world changer, is only given as a gift from God. We can’t foolishly think we can muster up this type of strength on our own. It is a divine gift. This side of the Cross, it is clearer to us than even to Isaiah that gift is wrapped in the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ. Have the fingers of your soul unwrapped the beauty of Christ? Has your soul been so deeply satisfied in Him that you are able to face the World in His bold strength? If so then look out mountains!

Hammerhead

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. His eye was about the size of an orange. A big one. His dorsal fin proudly shot straight up in the water, like a rooster shooting out his chest, as he was letting everything that had breath and eyes know that this was his territory. He swam straight through our bait spread without even glancing at the display of fresh fish to eat. He wasn't hungry. He was just checking out what we were doing in his area above the reef off the shore of Islamorada, Fl. The huge Hammerhead swam about 15 feet off the stern of our boat with that one cold, black eye seemingly staring into the bottom of my soul. The most conservative and educated guess was that he was about 14.5 feet long. It didn't take any guess work to figure out who was the King of that patch of water, and none of us would have dared to jump in that water with him. Fear is often a life preserving thing. Fear that keeps us from death is a helpful fear indeed. And fear was screaming from within side me, "backup from leaning over the stern" as he swam past us. A healthy fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that will save you from death says Solomon in proverbs 14:27. What does that mean? I didn't think we were supposed to fear you might be thinking. So which is it: to fear or not to fear? Both. Just as none of us would have dared approach that shark out of God given natural fear, none of us in our flesh would ever dare to approach a Holy God. Certain, sudden death would absolutely positively occur as the Holiness of God purifies and sanctifies the stains of sin by a refining fire. Our sinful self, in frightening fear of our due judgement before the Lord, is what Solomon is saying is a fountain of life. Fear of the Lord keeps us humble and gives us a right disposition of ourselves which keeps us dependent on His mercy and grace. When we truly see ourselves as a "dead man walking before God", we are able to call on Christ as savior. It amazes me how many people claimed to have been saved, but can't tell you from what they were saved or why they need to be saved. They have no fear of the Lord, just a desire to fit into a Christian culture. We are saved from ourselves. A right, reverent fear of God instills in us a deep understanding of our deserved judgement of death. This in turn yields a need to be made right before God by a mode that He has deemed appropriate. When he finally gets us past our false sense that we can "be right" in our own strength, Christ becomes the only answer. The deeper fear we have of our sinful self and our due judgement before God, the more fuel we will have to praise Christ and experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that is not afraid of anything as it has total dominion over all things created. This is what Paul is alluding to in 2 Timothy 1:8 when He says "God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self control." Even after we are saved, a reverent fear of God enables our obedience which portrays His glory and righteousness to the world. If you have no true fear of the God who spoke creation into existence and sacrifices His son so that rebels could be loved, you will miss the comfort He provides from that fear in the form of His Holy Spirit. The fountain of life is simply enjoying Him as we joyfully and obediently walk through this life in anticipation of being with him forever. Have you any true fear if Him? If no, that would explain why you might lack comfort from Him as well. They go hand in hand.

Eyetraps

Proverbs 6:24 to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. 27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? I was in the checkout line at Publix the other day and was caught off guard. The rows of magazines that were staring me in the face were rather risque. The pictures and the words on the cover whispered "come inside and take a deeper whiff of sex". I honestly came to buy some Powerade, and found myself locked in spiritual battle praying for God to guard my heart as sinful desire was tugging deep at my soul. I walked away thanking my God for His strength in not being captured by lust and moving on. My thoughts then raced towards the moral and spiritual state of our culture. I wasn't in a strip club or bar battling for sexual purity. I was in the local grocery store and what was laid out in plain view where eyetraps designed to capture my money and soul. Proverbs six above is talking about being captured by the lust of an adulteress woman. A real woman. Our tendency will always be to dismiss our own battle with lust as "its just a men's health magazine, not a real woman". As we downplay the possible effects of our soul being captivated by scantily clad, near perfect thanks to plastic surgery images, as we walk into the trap Solomon is warning us about. He asks, "can you carry fire next to your chest and not burn your clothes?" Well, neither can you carry the fire of lust inside your soul and not be scorched by the danger of its flames. We would all do well to listen to Solomon's warning : "Do not let her capture you with her eyelashes". He is obviously not talking about being caught physically by her eyelashes, but something much deeper. Burning lust captures the souls of men and women that is a much deeper hold. Lustful desire snuffs out our worship and love for Christ and our spouses. Its trap is to leave us wanting more than what we have, and in turn feeling unsatisfied with the blessings God has given us. If we continue down that path being unsatisfied with God and our marriages our even God's designed singleness, we are firmly caught in a trap with sin scorching our souls from the inside out. The sad reality is our culture is sunk deeply into the trap as a whole and our only hope is for Christ to heal our souls and guard our eyes and hearts. Think I am wrong? Maybe just a little to serious? In the US, the Pornography market is about $10 billion per year and prostitution is estimated at about $11 billion. The plastic surgery market is estimated at almost $2 billion, most of which is vanity induced. That's $23 billion for those counting at home and that doesn't count much of what our lust drives us to that just happens not to be rated x. It doesn't count what is spent on non- taxed prostitution, cost of affairs, divorce attorney's as a result of affairs. It also doesn't include the cost for psychiatrists, pills and treatment for all of the mental and spiritual collateral damage that occur in the wake of lust's power. I'm afraid to add all of that up, but it is very safe to say that the "Lust Market" easily crests the $30-%40 billion dollar market in the US. All because we are captured by the flesh, not our God. In a country that claims to be predominately Christian, it leaves plenty of room for speculation as to who or what truly has us captivated, and in turn is our God. Just as a baseline for comparison, the IMB (international mission board) budget is $324 million this year and they are by far the largest sending agency in the US. This fact begs the question: "What mission are you personally on?". God's Glory is shining brightly through Christ's Cross, are you captivated by that? Or are you caught in an eyetrap?

Man vs. God

Psalms 8:4 What is man that you are mindful of Him? Emerson Hall, home of Harvard's philosophy department, proudly displays the quote from Psalms 8 above. Ironically, some of the most brilliant and dogmatic atheist is the US have spewed corrupting philosophy into the minds of thousands in that very building. The department itself requested that "Man is the measure of all things" be put on the building which more accurately reflects their world- view, back when it was constructed. It is unclear whether the brick mason or the school president over-ruled that request, but Psalm 8:4 is what is displayed as a facade to a building where the question is often reversed by the lecturers inside. "Who is God that you are mindful of Him"? they ask. The irony is as thick as overcooked oatmeal. At the heart of David's psalm to God is a fragile, humble and thankful praise to a Cosmic King expressing sincere thanks for real grace. David finds it unreal that a God so good and pure would even be willing to care so much for a man like himself. It is a statement of puzzled, yet precious, faith by a man who knew his place before God and was baffled that his creator was so intimately merciful and loving. Modern man, much like the faculty teaching in Emerson Hall, seems bent on having a one hundred and eighty degree world view from King David. A view that sees us as the center of the universe and believes that God's character is up for evaluation and His words are subject to our cross examination. The irony of Harvard's Emerson Hall is truly a microcosm of our country and sin's pull at our own souls. "Be your own God" satan whispers into Eve's ear and mine and yours. The adversary knows that if he can keep us questioning God's character, position and clear revelation of Himself in His Word then all we have to look at is ourselves and other people for answers. That is exactly where He wants each of us. Trapped in our own struggle to be our own God building our identity. Christ came to remove us from this trap and to show a vibrant display of what David felt in His Heart: God's goodness and our evil insignifigance apart from Him. In Christ, God again amazes us being willing to be murdered for those who have all fallen short of the glory of God without Christ. That would be you and me. So where are you today before your maker, judge, king and savior? Questioning His authority over your finances, schedule and will? Do you really know His Word and in turn Himself? Or does your schedule of modern entertainment and stuff leave know time? I fear there are many people who are a mirror image of Emerson hall confessing with their mouths "Jesus is my Savior", but their heart's disposition on the inside is not bent to Him as King. We all need His grace daily! Repent and turn to Christ!

How 'bout a hug?

Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place that is called the skull, they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left. 34 And Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do". And they cast lots for His garments.

Eli and Luke are now in the habit of taking showers with me in the morning as they are early risers along with their old man. I love it! The only bad part is that I have to share my coffee with them now that they have joined the tradition of java in the shower with daddio. Part of our routine is me holding them and praying for them and blessing their day. It is powerful. Yesterday morning Eli turned to Luke and said with arms wide open, "Luke hug me, I want to hold you". Luke, being a bit of a stinker these days, rejected the offer of a loving embrace, walking away from a disheartened Eli. What a picture of man's natural reaction to the Gospel of Christ! Jesus with arms wide open on the Cross being murdered by evil men so that he could save them, and them being preoccupied by their gambling for His clothes.

It takes two to hug. Salvation and following Christ is much the same way. The triune God has fixed in eternity their part of the "hugging embrace" if you will. the question is: Have you embraced His forgiveness, rule over your life and control over your life's purpose?" All of this is led by the spirit, but simply knowing what Christ did is no marker of Salvation. Many people have misinterpreted the passage above to mean that "Everyone is simply forgiven- no matter what". That theology doesn't require anything from man except a slight nod of acknowledgement of the Cross. That theology doesn't even put you on even footing with the devil and demons themselves as they have a terrifying fear of Christ. That theology is also contrary to the redemptive history of mankind found in the bible where the faithful are always a fractional remnant. Jesus himself says "Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those that enter it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those that find it are few.(Matthew 7:13-14) That should give us all pause and force us to take a step back to evaluate our souls disposition to Jesus offer of salvation from the Cross with open arms.

Have you turned from your sin and leaped into His arms not only as Savior, but as God over your life? Can you see the pain that your sin has dealt Him on an intimately personal level? Do you see the goodness in His reign and control over your life? Do you praise the Glory of Him recreating Christ in you?

Do not glance this over. The story of man proves most people are just like the guards at the foot of the Cross, too busy with life's details to turn and embrace His offer of Savior King. We need God's grace to even see what Christ is truly offering us as our sin nature aims to deceive us to see what the offer of Embracing Christ truly means. Go embrace the Savior King on His terms, for His Glory and Your Satisfaction.

Self Esteem

Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

Be the best you can be! You need to feel and look good! Billions of dollars are spent each year on self esteem books, enhancement surgeries, gym memberships, feel good pills, diet plans and food, and many other things to build self esteem of individuals. It almost seems that the number one agenda in our country is trying to make everyone feel confident in who they are, regardless of what they are. Is that a good thing? A God thing?

Throughout redemptive history, God is intent on bringing an end to our sinful self esteem, and gracefully replacing it with an esteem for Himself that in turn brings a lasting recreation of Himself that is unshakable. Paul calls enhancing ourselves "the works of the flesh" and we all know what that means. The weird thing about it all is this: until we come to the end of our selves and bow the knee to God in a submissive plea for His mercy, we will always have a fragile self esteem no matter how confident it appears to the world. Why? There is a God who is in heaven who will judge evil men who spend their lives trying to convince themselves they are good, and he will do that very thing.

When you dive into Nehemiah 6 above, you see that very thing happening. Earlier in Nehemiah, his enemies were confident and condescending to Nehemiah and the Jews. They looked at Jerusalem and the rag tag band of "rebuilders", compared the Jews collective resources to their own and felt really, really good about themselves and their chances to control Nehemiah's efforts. They had one major miscalculation though, they left God out of the picture.

When God shows up, all of the self esteem books and tips in the world fade into a transparent facade and our weakness is made clear. Nehemiah fueled by an esteem for God, anchored in the strength of God, was unflappable because His God was and still is. I love what the word says of His enemies, "they were afraid and fell in their own esteem". What a picture this is of us all trying to be our own god as we elevate our selves and then the reality of God striking that down.

Is your esteem based on Christ in you? If so you will see yourself as helpless and in need of Him desperately. If you are confidently strutting through this life based on your works and self esteem, you can be assured that will change. The deadliest place to be is in a religious routine that applies Holy precepts to strengthen our own self esteem as we feel better about ourselves. I know, I was there, and when you are it is almost impossible to see and beg for the mercy you need, because you can't see that you need it.

Their is a Savior worthy of all esteem and he wants to recreate Himself in His creation. That would be you and me.

Grace in vain

2 Corinthians 6:1 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

As a parent, few things give my blood pressure a lift like one of my kids receiving a gift in vain. That is, without appreciation of the work, thought, love and sacrifice that the gift required and represents. If you are a parent you know exactly what I mean. There is nothing worse than a spoiled rotten kid who thinks he is more worthy than even the gifts he or she receives, so there is no genuine appreciation for the gift. This is exactly what Paul is urging the Corinthian Church to be aware in themselves, in terms of the Gospel.

Paul is aware that the flesh is constantly battling God's desire for us to truly appraise and appreciate the Glory of Christ and His gift of grace. Think I am lying? Right now where you are, how awed are you of God? Did you wake up this morning with an anticipation to worship Him with the same anticipation you feel before a big sporting event, Christmas, or special vacation to an exotic spot?

Its hard, but I must admit that it is far too easy to undervalue the Gift of Christ. We are far to content to memorize the Sunday School material and go and pour our passions into work, sports, recreation and Hobbies. Paul says look out. He writes this one verse after one of the most awe inspiring verses in the bible 2 Corinthians 5:21 - He who knew no sin, became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Did you hear that? A Holy God not only paid sin debts, but Christ momentarily volunteered to become the thing he hated most, sin. On the cross he became the object of wrath of Father and suffered immensely, even far beyond the physical brutality. Paul is encouraging us to never lose our awe of this fact. Its divine. Its a mystery. Its Holy.

As we approach Easter we need to examine our motives, thoughts and actions. What exactly dominates your thoughts this week? Grocery lists for family meals? Dying Eater eggs? Getting baskets prepared? Travel plans and work schedules?

All of this when Christ is at the Father's right hand desiring your full and deserving awe?

Let's not receive God's grace in vain....

The Pledge of allegiance

Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved,all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Untied States of America,
and to the Republic for which its stands,
one nation, under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

I remember the intercom cranking up all the way back in 1976 in my first grade class as we would all stand to recite the pledge of allegiance. I can still feel the weight of what I was doing in pledging allegiance as I knew that both God and America were much bigger than myself. When you scan back through these words, it is clear that God anchors the justice and liberty that is allowed all of us, and that the US was designed to be an agent for Him. I know that the words," under God" were added in 1954, but I believe they were unquestionably assumed before that so the addition was to clarify the initial intent, not change it. What puzzles me now is that my generation in particular fights for the conservative "right" for the kids to say this pledge in public, yet fights against the pledge in action. What do I mean? We are way more concerned with getting to say it right, than walking it out. If we break the speed limits consistently,cheat on taxes, bad mouth the US and assassinate the character of every president elected, even though he was elected by due process within the republic's law, then our life speaks AGAINST the very "pledge" we hold so dear. The weird thing is that every body is so busy, we can't even see our own hypocrisy in the matter because we are to busy discussing how hypocritical politicians are. News flash: the politicians are simply a reflection and a product of our society. They have just learned to play the game a little better.

I do agree that the fight to keep "under God" in the pledge has extreme merit as it is the backbone of the pledge and a surgical removal of it leaves nothing but a bag of bones. I think that it is perhaps more critical for us all to access how we stand in allegiance to God, before we can apply that to our nation. We place way to much value on our words, but what does your heart, soul and actions testify when God says to us "You will bow before me".as He does in Isaiah 45 above? Pride immediately sends us to seek a "more educated" translation that will read "acknowledge". Why? Pride seeks to elevate us as we serve ourselves. We don't want to be controlled, whether it is a government telling you to drive 55 mph, or if it is a true God clarifying what is sin and what is holy. Christ came to invite us into a holy, joyful submission unto the Father. Unlike the politicians who have altered the US, God remains an unchanging anchor of all things good, including my ability to right this and not get thrown in jail as I live in the US, not in a gospel-adverse country.

So examine your life. Do you rant and rave about others actions while ignoring your own need for Christ to lead you into joyful submission? Have you sworn allegiance to God and America, and then acted against that pledge?

God is not asleep on the throne. He knows the root of our hearts. He clearly understands if we truly have trusted Christ to the point of placing our entire life in His hands by faith alone, or if we simply just talk bout it.

It is only when our lives are in His hands that we experience the justice and glory that is found in Christ alone (verse 25). Submission to Him is healthy, joyful and a delight. So let us pledge allegiance, Yes. But let us, by Faith, live it to testify to the world how great our God is!

Your Song

Isaiah 12:1 You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O lord, for you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.2 "behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and I will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously; let this be known in all of the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion. For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Certain songs make my heart smile. Elton John's "your song" is one of those that does because it is a humble and passionate expression of tender love. My favorite lines are:

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live
If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

Its then followed up with the chorus:

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, That I put down in words
How wonderful life is, while your in the World"

Now to all you borderline legalists in the house, I am not condoning His lifestyle, I am pointing out the Joy of His heart pouring out in His song sung to another, that in turn brings joy in the heart of others. Or at least mine. The reason? It is the picture described in Isaiah above of How we should live "unto the Lord" as we follow Christ. Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus coming 700 years before he comes (that is pretty cool in itself that, huh?). The text above is Isaiah prophesying reactions of the redeemed to the ONE who is righteous and faithful, Jesus.

Singing praises to Christ of His greatness, fueled by the strength of the Joy of the Lord, multiplies grace in our Hearts and allows the unredeemed to perhaps hear and sense the divine true Love of God. God wants to drench us in Love, Spirit and Truth in a way that our souls sing and praise our way through thick and thin, victory and failure, all because we know we can trust the permanancy of the Eternal One's work and Reign. It not only gives God the Glory he deserves, it satisfies our desires and leaves those outside of relation to God to wonder "How is this person able to handle all of these challenges and still be at peace and have joy?" That is real evidence of our faith, not as fabrication, but simply an overflow of the power Christ through us that will change the World.

So when was the last time you sang to Jesus in spontaneous, unscripted Joy? Have you ever told, or sung, to Him out loud how Glorious you think He is or how madly in Love with Him you are?

Where is Your Song for Him?

We need an ax man

Isaiah 10:15 Shall the ax boast over Him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

I have been reviewing some resumes lately as we are looking for some additional creative support at blu. It is interesting when you read resumes, as everyone does their best to bring forth what they have accomplished in a way that strikes a perfect balance between more-than-capable and not-so-cocky. Its basically a polished way of saying, "look what I have done and what I can do for you". It's kind of the way we all think if we are honest. We all see the good we've done and the great asset we can be for our present or future employer, and the better asset we can prove ourselves the more dinero comes our way.

In Isaiah 10 above, God is talking directly to the king of Assyria. God has allowed him and propelled him to victory over many nations including Syria, Israel and Judah. (actually at this point he is prophesying through Isaiah that this will happen and of course it does later.) The victories that occurred under the King of Assyrias's headship, ultimately occurred under God's. The King of Assyria was only able to see his own power and greatness at work, and not God's. That would prove to be a deadly mistake as God would wipe Him and His kingdom out in righteous judgement of this prideful nation.

It is so easy for us reading this to say to ourselves," What an idiot that guy was, can't he see that God was there". We would be misleading ourselves if we are unable to translate this thread of learning into our own lives. Sin is hard at work trying to tempt us to take credit for what God has done in our lives. Sin wants us to be elevated as a great businessperson, parent, athlete, looker, friend, child, professional, church member, volunteer or anything else we throw our hat in the ring to do. We, just like the King, can convince ourselves that our success is ours and not God's. We can become deceived that the credit for our accomplishments is entirely ours, and not God's. God says to you and me, "that's like the ax saying 'look at the tree I cut down' to the axman who actually wielded the ax".

Think through God's sovereign orchestration and design in your life. The people we meet, the opportunities we get, the environment we were born in, simply being an American are God's doing, not ours. It is so tempting and status quote for us to assume wrongly that we are a great accomplisher of things and take the credit for God's hand at work. At the end of the day, taking credit for the work of God is a path of rebellion that we have all strolled down and we need to turn and walk back down the path of elevating Him and giving Him his due credit.

So consider this a call to all of the axes out there. Without a divine ax man wielding you, you are only capable of sitting in a tool closet collecting dust while talking about how sharp you are.

I want to talk about Me

2 Corinthians 5:15 "and he (Jesus) died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

If you know my oldest son, Cal, you will notice three things about him: 1) he is loud, 2) he is high energy 3) his memory is excellent. At the age of two he could sing entire songs, while most of his peers sucked their pacifiers and looked at him like "What is up with this kid?". Cal also demanded a lot of attention back in those days, and his choice of songs to sing were ironic. His favorite was Toby Keith's, "I want to talk about me." I can vividly remember driving down the road with Cal all of 22 months singing the chorus:

"I want to talk about me, want to talk about I, want to talk about number one, oh my me my, what I think what I want what I see" and then bringing it home with some cranked up "I want to talk bout me!". It still puts a smile on my face as I think back on how much He, and life, has changed in the Stubbs' house. Cal is growing into a jewel of a young man.

When you dig into what could of been called the theme song of Cal's toddler years, it presents a truth for us all to wrestle with. From deep on the inside, there is something in me that wants to talk about and elevate me! We might not say it out loud, but we all think we are worthy to be treated better and known more broadly. Most people think that is just a healthy part of life. But is it? Paul, in 2 corinthians 5:15 above, clearly defines those who live (i.e. - Christ followers) don't live for themselves any more, but rather they live for Christ. I think it safe to say that living for yourself is a pretty good definition of sin and that living to honor and elevate Jesus is what God is after in us. This issue is the multi-millenia battle that has taken place in the souls of men and women of all skin colors and pay grades. Living for yourself is the path of least resistance and comes quite natural as our sin nature and culture can quickly teach us how to manipulate others and God (at least we think) to get what we want. Our sin nature craves for others to serve us. Jesus offers us a chance to see the selfish evil in that and serve Him and others. The walk with Christ includes a repurposed life indeed as we don't need to "talk about me" as we have some one much better to talk about - Jesus!

So look at your calendar and actions form yesterday and today- who did you talk about? Who will you? Whom will you work to elevate? It truly is either Christ or us.

The encouraging thing is that when we elevate Him, his love and grace saturate us and satisfy us like a rain in the desert and it replaces the wrong desires we have with a satisfaction in God!