What Is Your Will In Christ?

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2 (NLT) I've been nagged with certain thoughts for a long time now that press on my mind regularly and breed a deep abiding concern in my heart. I'm simply sharing them in the hope that they may find a profitable home with someone. You've probably heard the fairy tale about a frog who was transformed into a prince when kissed by the right girl... Well, I'm sure you know that our transformation - becoming more like Christ doesn't happen quite like that. And I'm concerned here about the possibility of some princes living like frogs and some actual frogs who may be purporting themselves to be princes just trying to lure a sweet kiss... We're called not only to examine the letters contained in the word of God, but to observe and l

“Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last. It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order.” Isaiah 48:12-13 (NLT) In a world that seems to be more than capable of finding itself in increasing trouble, we as true followers of Christ could find a cause among the countless made available to be taken with worry or fear - but we'd be forgetting, if even for a moment, who we are if do. It's so easy these days to get caught up in the promoted fear mongering and the challenging things of this world ... and let our grasp on our true identity slip in the process.  But to lose our confidence, even in this world's darkest hours, might mean that we've lost our focus on the unshakeable anchor of our hope and confidence. And if that's true, it's time to reexamine where we've placed our faith in that moment of fear

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NLT) Words have meaning. We use them, misuse them and abuse them commonly, ... but however we use them, we confer a certain power upon them and use them to transfer, or express, that meaning to another or others. Among other uses, words carry emotional message, verbal contract, information. They frequently carry the intended expression of our hearts and the revelation of our character. We  sometimes use them most powerfully in the songful expression and revelation of our hearts.   Other times, and unfortunately in some instances the meaning carried by words is lost in the transference or found altogether lacking. Sometimes they become nothing more than a shell for familiar recital, lacking any power of meaning because of their worn commonality to us or when uttered merely in obligatory repetition...  ... but to

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT) It would be so easy to just fade into the background and blend into the tapestry of this world, just riding the current... ... but that's not who we are, what we do, or how we serve and obey the God who created us and called us out of the world - selected us as His own holy people.  "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) We were part of the world once and were heirs to its destiny. We were dispersed into the mass o

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." Titus 2:11-14 (NLT) All hail to the King of Kings who arrived in perfect time!!!  Christ the Lord humbled Himself to arrive in a form held among the least - far lower than any citizen of Heaven. He cast aside His heavenly robes of divine glory and stepped down from ultimate majesty to arrive in the weakest of human states and wrapped in the humiliating rags of mankind. Pity for those who will not recognize that the ultimate power in heaven walks among them, for He came to seize the

This year has led us through paths wrought with the pestilence of a virus, manifold occasions for fear, the devastation of loss, seething frustration and unrestrained violence... And all of these things have at least one thing in common - corrosion. It's been a year filled with corrosive opportunity - opportunities for the corrosion of body, mind and spirit, the corrosion of faith, hope, love and contentment... ... but the God who is love, the anchor of our hope and the champion of our faith in Him is absolutely not changed. "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation." Exodus 19:5-6 (NLT) "Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he d

We've entered a season of what should normally be true thankfulness and celebration ... in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. As followers (disciples) of Christ, we may be facing some uncommon struggles due to this, along with a host of other potential troubles, this time around. Things may appear darker and harder, but if this is what you're seeing and experiencing, ...as you might have guessed if you know me at all, I have a message for you... Jesus is still on the throne.  I'll let you in on a little personal secret - I think the calendar - holiday date organizers, messed up. I've thought for a long time that Thanksgiving should actually follow Christmas. Why? Simple - because when Jesus came down He made everything possible for us. Prior to His arrival, we really had no hope - no real reason for joy because our destiny then was a horrific death and eternal separation from Father God. And if that thought doesn't get you right in the giblets, take a minute and thi

I often try to put myself in the shoes of someone I might be speaking to. I don't always do it perfectly, but it's something I'm working on. It's not an inherent talent, but rather a learned habit from previous moments of self inflicted embarrassment, division and ill aimed points. It's also been learned from being on the receiving end of the comments and misguided judgments of others. In other words, I've had the experience of being on both sides of conversations that didn't go well and I learned from them... ...But there are times when I read comments or commentaries from Christian brothers and sisters and still at times even my own - written in haste and begging to be revised, that seem to lack an element necessary in my own mind at all times if we're to continually replicate Christ's spirit ... ... Humility. "humility  noun Definition of humility: freedom from pride or arrogance : the quality or state of being humble." - Merriam Webster

As a father and grandfather many times over, I find myself these days increasingly concerned about something that I think some might understand... "Direct your children onto the right path,  and when they are older, they will not leave it." Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) What we do or fail to do as parents may one day have the opportunity to either bless us or grieve our hearts deeply, based on our thoughtful planning and true, constant efforts ... in what little time that they allow us. "Now I lay me down to sleep" - the opening  of a child's prayer taught to so many innocents in their youth. I'm not going to cast shade on the innocence of a simple prayer for safety here. Instead, my aim is only to encourage the teaching of a different acknowledgment and deeper conversation... "Now I lay me down to sleep.  I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." In the heart and mind of some loving parents this may seem a c

Thanksgiving... ... President George Washington first proclaimed it as a national holiday in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God". Some might think that the idea of a Thanksgiving feast only began with the Pilgrims who came to America in the 1600s, but if they did, they might consider looking a little deeper. For example ... "The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day he offers it; none of it may be left until morning." Leviticus 7:15 (NLT) As with all holidays these days, if there's some religious attachment to it, there seems to be a bent toward drowning it in rich secular secular gravy. That's to be expected in this world given the spiritual forces warring against us, but as followers of Christ and deep believers of God's word, we're not dissuaded from taking thos

 A man of some obvious experience in life sits in the back of a large auditorium filled with people and chairs. His hair is neatly combed and he's well, yet comfortably dressed. He sits almost statue-like with his hands resting quietly in his lap. In the moment that he seems to be enduring with experienced patience, the room is filled with the sound of music and a chorus of voices singing in unison. He's surrounded by the impassioned praises of saints giving glory and praise to the very God that gave him life, but his stoic expression and stare belie nothing more than a passive interest in what's occurring around him. It's obvious that he's waiting patiently for it all to end, but why?. I see him clearly and for a moment, I'm consumed with wonder ... what's wrong with him? My heart and mind don't condemn him - no, more than anything I'm filled with a compassionate sadness for him ... he appears to have no life in him. That same man's here at the

I've lived long enough to have spent time around a number of disenfranchised, disheartened, broken people ... some of them Christians. So many people have felt let down by parents, a spouse, friends, an employer, a human establishment, opportunity, or in the case of some Christians even ... ... God? In the case of those living a life solely focused on the world, their disappointment is understandable. Living in the world we have a tendency to find ourselves at least somewhat reliant on people and establishments that are themselves less than perfect and subject to potential failures and it's a given than none of us are perfect. So the flaws of b roken people have a tendency show themselves at times to contribute to the dark cloud of occasional disappointments.   Disappointed Christians on the other hand, who believe in and place their trust in the God of the bible are doing so in the belief of a perfect, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent being ... so where does their disapp

“Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.” Luke 17:37 (NLT) If you're around other people who have some familiarity with the bible, you may hear them talk about "last days", "prophecy" or "end times". And if you're not as familiar with the bible or biblical prophesy, you might be wondering what they're talking about and what it means. In short it might mean that they're talking about the signs that mark the end of life here as we've known it. But on the path that we walk through this life toward that end, there are also other signs that may not seem as intriguing, but they have critical value. They're signs we can't afford to miss. For some, the subject of the end of the world brings with it an anxiousness and a desire to change the subject with an unsettling dread to consider. For some kno

Who are God's people?  Friends, if we're confessed followers of Christ, I think we should all be able to find ourselves fitting into many passages of the bible as though God were speaking to us directly at some point in our past, in our present and into our future ... because He has, He is and He will continue to do so until our time finally runs out. His passion for us and His desire to spare us from our own choices that we've made against Him hasn't changed. The bible is many things. Among other things, it's history, law and instruction, but ultimately it's Father God's passionate love letter to us, refining us and guiding us to where He is. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you

  It'd be so easy to get caught up in it, to let our guard down and let 'em have it! We could parlay our own talents and intellect into a formidable weapon and strike back like they so desperately deserve ... but we know things.  We know that hate makes room for division, pride belongs to fools destined to fall, unrighteous anger makes a pathway for evil, lies used to promote anything are themselves an injustice, profane speech exemplifies a true lack of wisdom and the quest for justice by unjust methods are themselves a paradox of utter unjust foolishness ... yet these things are all in the air around us. They're employed heavily in the air around us while the prince of  the power of the air takes full advantage of both what and who's available to him. "... in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourse

 The potential distractions and available devotions in this life are seemingly too numerous to count and every one of them requires the freedom of choice to pursue. For example, career and life paths are available on varying degrees to almost everyone, but what drives the choices to be made in these things? Could it be money, fame, or maybe just personal pleasure in general? ... I think an individual's personal set of values strongly guides all of those possible choices for most people, but how many people do you suppose ever take the time to really examine their own standard of values and their order of priority? To do so requires some honest, thoughtful soul searching, but since those values tend to be the baseline we use to sift our opportunistic choices through in decision making, their order and priority tend to be critical toward not only the legacy we'll create, but our possible determinate future. Setting them based on the world we now inhabit, we may not know the true

 In a moment of terror, my earthly fear produces no good thing. In the physical aspect of my life, it might overwhelm my good judgment, my ability to devise an approach to a successful resolution to it's cause and brings destructing harm to my body.  In the spiritual aspect of my life, fear may reveal a hidden distrust of my Father - my divine benefactor, teacher, loving provider and fierce, omnipotent protector.  There are moments in life, that my mind may come to question   if left to wander . But if I belong as a child to the God who reigns over universes and every thing in them - the Ultimate Father, who's professed His boundless love for me, then my only recourse is to force my mind to cling to the truth of His promises and trust all that I am to His care with submission and resolve. There are those who use their free will to do evil in this world with the freedom we are given. There are those who use their freedom to make life and health choices that bring about th