What Is Your Will In Christ?

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, ...

In the quiet, I solemnly lift my hands to present an offering of praise... my heart is full and it's my deepest desire to bless you. So, with tears in my eyes and in all sincerity I announce my intentions and simply say "I praise you Lord" and I stop there. In all of your majesty, descending from on high to meet my humbled spirit to receive the offering, you honor me to come. But then...  as the powerful presence of your spirit fills the room to my hearts joy ... you pause. And with a voice filled with loving tenderness, you speak softly "but my precious child, the plate is empty". Suddenly, I'm aware of my mistake and quickly move to fill the plate of my offering, to render the feast of your heart's desire and I speak again with deep conviction "Lord God Of All That Is, I praise you with these truths from my heart as I declare that you are the Lord God of all righteousness, the author of all that is truly good. You're greatness is immeasurab...

What I must say here to you may sound simple. Without giving thought, perhaps a little untoward. But for all my years I've labored and struggled to serve others. Having been born with a servants' heart. Just to see the pleasure my efforts bring to people around me, was my desired, yet uncontenting reward. But though I may try, and by endurance, to a measure succeed, it was never His plan for this to be my part. For I was not born to serve the sons of men or even myself. My life and my love were made for my Lord. When my hands and feet seek to serve but His hearts' desire, He perfects the work of them to become His art. Then, when despite my efforts, my hands and feet may fail, by His grace the end product is never untoward. For when the measure of love He gives me, is reflected back in true and faithful service to His loving heart, the need of men around me is fulfilled beyond the work of my hands, and contenting love, my Fathers' reward. By service rendered to...

When we come together to worship our God, we are inviting Him to come and dine on our praise and worship. We are inviting our most treasured love to dinner. How will we prepare ourselves for this intimate occasion? What will we serve Him? What will we offer the greatest love of our lives as an offering of our deepest affections for His pleasure? What will we offer Him in our worship? Will it be yesterdays tasteless, warmed-over mashed potatoes? Or will it be the choicest, most savory dish that our love for Him inspires us to serve Him? Will it be His favorite dish that we labor to prepare because we know that it pleases Him? Or something that we prepared with the minimum of effort on the spur of the moment just to get the job done? Spiritually, how will we dress for this occasion? Will we come to the table in our daily work grubbys to serve the King of our hearts? Or will we prepare our hearts to appeal to His desire because we know that it satisfies His desire - His desire to fi...

The Lord asked me "Did you hang the stars in the night sky to be seen by all who look upon them and do you know all of the names I have given them? Did you place the sun, the moon and the planets in perfect order and do you keep them in place?" "No Lord" I responded. "Then you're not the master of the heavens" He replied. The Lord spoke again and He asked me "Did you give your breath to create life on the earth and all that sustains it? Did you give life to the animals and the ground that feed you? Can you give life to even one thing?" "No Lord" I responded. "Then you are not the giver of life" He replied. The Lord spoke again and He asked me "Do you know the count of the leaves on the trees of the world or the number of the feathers that cover it's birds? Do you even know how many hairs are on your own head?" "No Lord" I responded." "Then you are not the accountant of the universe"...

As I stubbornly walk through this life working to succeed in earning the reward of my works, you have spoken to my heart and my weary mind the truth of my condition. In days past, most of the effort I have exerted each day was in the determination to win the sustenance to continue and the right to declare what is mine in this world. I have worked with rigid determination to succeed and to claim what I have earned in this life. My will outweighing the limits of my body and my mind focused on obtaining the goal of my desire. My efforts have at times left me broken, bleeding and exhausted beyond words. My body aching from the strain and my mind so weary as to be devoid of the ability to think further. In the end, with my resources stripped and my mind ravaged by the effort, I look to see the measure of my accomplishment and am awed by the work that remains. In my weariness, when I fall to rest, I look to the next day and realize that I cannot see the end of my tasks and I know not the da...

How sweet the moment man realizes the limitations of his mortality and surrenders his life to the design of an immortal and everlasting God How blessed is the heart that seeks to touch the heart of it’s Creator and know the love that loves without limit without end and without cause How joyous is the life that is redeemed from the righteous justice of everlasting death to be given the privilege of life eternal at the price of faith in a Savior How free is the spirit of man repentant, relieved of the burden of sin and filth to fly holy in the presence of the Father and be warmed by the Son How deep is my love for the one who would bear my shame, my sentence of death and still be anxious to give me healing and unfailing love

When the mighty trumpet sounds to mark the return of the King of Kings and the arrival of the day of judgment, what will matter at that moment? What will our thoughts be? At that moment, the test of all tests will be over and the grading of our hearts and lives will begin. The mighty and terrible day of judgment will have arrived...  to reveal even the best kept secrets of our lives and the deepest recesses of our hearts will be examined. There won't be time to change our answers to the questions He has asked. No time to go back and change who we are at that moment. The whole of our lives will be held up to be measured against the instruction and teachings that the Lord God, Holiest of Holys has given us to live by. He will look at the commissions that He has given us in this life to see if we fulfilled them in obedience as He commanded. As we stand small and puny before the great throne of the omnipotent and holy God on that day, all of heaven will be watching breathlessly hopi...

Who am I Lord to question what you have declared acceptable? Who am I to judge anything but by your word and your decree. It's by your word and your decree that I know anything. Any other is folly for your word is the only truth that exists and it was authored by your mouth. It existed before the time of men began and has stood unchanged by the interpretations of men and the efforts of the enemy to hide it or pervert it. It stands alone as the highest shining monument of all time unable to be changed by the efforts of any who would come against it. The light of it gives men the mercy and grace to see as they walk the path of this life. The spirit of it gives wisdom and understanding to those who would founder in blindness and ignorance without it and fall to their death. It gives sustenance to live and strength to walk the miles. It brings healing to the broken and comforts those who would tremble as they walk. The enemy of mens souls has made substitution to snare the feet of th...