What Is Your Will In Christ?

According to Wikipedia, a part of definition of the word Christian is: "that it is used to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a proverbial sense all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like. " This portion of their definition seems most applicable to our usage and anyone who's studied the "proverbial" book of Proverbs likely recognizes that it's a book dedicated to Gods' wisdom. So I can accept the reference because the definition seems to fit well with Gods' wisdom! But it also means that we have accepted Christ's sacrifice made on our behalf for our sins. By the majority of definition, you could substitute Christ-like or follower of Christs example for the word Christian. In my quest to fulfill the definition of Christian in my own life, I recognize that it's truth in application to myself depends on my truly becoming like Christ. In order to begin to comprehend the true meaning of the term and my ability successfully us...

If there's one gift of any of real worth that I feel that I can offer this Christmas, perhaps it's an understanding of an example the Lord has brought to bear in our own lives. Something that all of Christs' Church needs to remember in dealing with one another. It has to do with grace and the understanding that our Gods' undeserved grace is an example to us, that we who follow Christ bear the responsibility to follow by our claim. At it's core, it's the truth of what we're truly celebrating in Christmas and it may serve to remind us of our responsibility to follow the leading example of our Gods' own precious heart toward us. Let it stand to be said that in every life and in every family, even Gods' family, there are moments and occasions when we could stand in righteous judgment of another. There are then moments when we could stand by and watch someone else suffer the righteous consequences of decisions or actions that we don't agree with. Mom...

As a child, Christmas was always a magical time for me. It was always a time of eager anticipation and excitement unequaled during any other time of the year. As a grown man with a large family and many Christmas seasons behind me, I've had the joy of sharing that experience with my wife and our children many times over. But by now most of them are grown and are beginning to share that magic of Christmas with their own little ones. For me now, I am no longer a child and the current circumstances and troubling times of this life to the unknowing heart might give cause for despair. But for us, the children of God ... the magic remains undiminished regardless of age or circumstance! While the world struggles to grasp the "meaning of Christmas", we as Christians true to Christs' heart are blessed to celebrate what we hold most dear above all else despite whatever circumstances we may be in at the moment. While the worlds' Christmas joy depends on being able to get or...

Lord , when what we know about you and your ways becomes something we "know", instead of just something we hope or believe, then our lives will become a walk in solid faith that brings life. Help us to hold all that you have spoken as a matter of fact rather than belief or hope and live accordingly. Then we can be called faithful to your heart and we will then be found confident, safe, content and well provided for because you are always faithful. Give us confident knowledge of you in place of our hope, and desire to believe, that we may be successful in our walk of faith by your judgment. For when our hearts are convicted by our knowledge of you, then our feet will follow the path guided by knowing eyes discerning the way to your heart. If we walk in faith given by confident knowledge, our faith will be strong and the evil one will not be able to snatch it away to lead us to fall. When we know that the power that exists in this world has created an illusion of life, that b...

Angels tell a story of one who came from glory... to be born lowly son of man He came to show so that we would know ... of true loves' holy plan We exclaim with joy that this one little boy... is heaven's exalted King! The King of glory came to write loves' story ... salvation to men to bring At the thought of such grace we lift our face... with love our hearts do swell Our hands raised high we lift our voice to cry... His name Emanuel! For Him who chose to walk while others talk... of life in loves' sacrifice He came to save both the king and the slave ... and pay sins' terrible price So in this season we now know the reason ... for this worlds' abundant joy Sing loud your praise and spend your days ... sharing the love of this little boy Send thanks on high to Him who did buy... our freedom, our spirits to lift And honor our King who came to bring ... us heavens' greatest gift!

The night was cold and the moon was bright as the warriors gathered quietly to await the arrival of their King. He had told them that He would lead the fight to conquer the enemy once and for all. So they came and stood under the somber gaze of the Kings' father upon the precipice above the battlefield, anxious to serve their leader in the battle to come. It would be the greatest battle of all time and many were conscious that the ultimate sacrifice could be demanded of them in order to save their King as He led this fight. But all were willing, for their love for this King was great. He would not fail to lead them in victory and He alone had the power to lead them. So the armies amassed on the precipice in full armor and in great anticipation they looked down on the enemy below as they waited. Their swords were drawn, gleaming in the moonlight as a sign to the enemy of what was to come and the enemy glared back defiantly from the depths below. The sound of a thousand trumpets sud...

What follows are somber thoughts, but they may serve as a wake up call or at least a watchful alert to some. Our Pastor is a gifted teacher and a man very sensitive to Gods' own heart, and though it wasn't the primary subject of his teaching today, he made a reference to something that struck me as significant to another message that the Lord has been speaking to me over the last few days. He made a reference to the presence of demons around us and mentioned that their presence among us in this country is more subtle than in other parts of the world, but that they exist among us none the less (paraphrasing). Prior to this, I'd been struck with the thought that our enemy is necessarily very subtle in his work among the body of Christ, but that he's very present even among the church. If we know the enemy at all, we know that he's no dummy. In fact, I would venture to guess that he knows the word of God far better than most Christians. He's lived throughout ...

My spiritual mentors have cautioned me about dwelling on my past, given that I am far removed from who I once was. But, the depth of my current conviction was birthed through the experiences of the past and are not something I lament. Also, I find that the lessons we share in vulnerable openness tend to make us all stronger and are real. They also allow us to know one another in truth, without hiding behind some other persona or mask. They enable us to share "life". So in humility I submit yet another learned lesson from my own life for your consideration. This is not an exercise in lamentation, but in rejoicing in growth and deliverance. In fact, I've come to have the perspective of our brother James in James 1:2-4. I'm deeply humbled by seeing the man I was, knowing that the molding of our Lords' hand has given me greater life than I could have imagined then. Once again though, I must caution that the focus not be on me in this, but on the truth. I have lived, ...

Yes... Liver! It always blesses and amazes me to think about how clearly and succinctly our Lord communicates with us what He wants to say. As for myself, I realize that I have the unfortunate propensity to over emphasize or repeatedly attempt to articulate the same thing in different ways. Those who've read my previous dialogue are probably not unaware. But the message is always so passionately gripping in my heart that I sometimes get a little overwhelmed in the attempt of expression. But not so, with the Master! As in everything else, He is also clearly the Master of communication. Communication is what I want people to focus on in this article, not me. I'm just using something in my life as a means of example to illustrate something more important. Before we go any further though, please let me say this in all sincerity, I do not claim to be anything but grateful for our God's mercy. My example in this life has been marred by my own imperfection and I remain humbled by...

The world around us is full of contention. Arguments abound and lines are drawn daily in an effort to create boundaries between mine, yours, ours and theirs. Legal arguments regarding these things along with rights, liability and ownership are primary occupations of our society. But this morning, I'm struck by a thought, a saddening thought on one hand, but one that also gives reason for great joy on the other. From the beginning of time our God has been teaching us how to live. He's known from before our creation what men needed to know to live in harmony and peace. The preponderance of His word is His wisdom in dealing with these very things. The life cry of men obsessed by the thinking of this world is to be first, have the most and to be the best. My sadness due this thought is the recognition of the fact that if all men were given to live by the wisdom of our creator, we'd have little reason if any, for the voracious contention that consumes the society we live in. T...

I've written a lot of things, and indeed they come from my heart and from His inspiration. But this one is very hard for me and because of His urging to share it, also necessary. Most of it was actually written some time ago before I knew that there was purpose in its' writing. It speaks of my own posture before my Lord and my own past struggles with my flesh. But it also speaks of perspective and the difference that can exist between how we see things and the reality we ultimately live in before our God. It gives evidence of the beginning of my own adjustment to, and quest for, His perspective. So in humility, I submit this very personal glimpse of my life and hope that you'll understand that I'm just as human as any, and in the hope that you'll see that there are multiple lessons to be learned in this one snapshot of my past life. I am nothing, but grateful for His mercy. This is but a fragment of where my understanding of the existence of His perspective comes f...