What Is Your Will In Christ?

"They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD’s sight. That is why the LORD’s anger burned against his people, and he abhorred his own special possession." Psalm 106:39,40 (NLT) "Idols" in the reality of God's perspective can be anything that we give more attention or value to than the God that created us for Himself. Given that He created us for Himself, that one relationship, or the lack of it between God and each of us, will rightly overshadow any and every other in importance in that moment of final judgment - just as it rightly should have from the moment that He first gave us breath. What's revealed in that final moment of God's examination of us and our hearts toward Him will be the defining moment of our eternal future. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."  Revelation 4:11 (KJ) ...

We can go through life thinking that we're good - doing good, being good, etc., but the truth is that we were all born under a curse because of the sin of one man - Adam. Adam was the first human being created by God to inhabit His newly created earth and it was Adam who brought all of mankind under the curse of God's anger by the commission of one horrendous error. It was the same error that led to the once beautiful and powerful angel Lucifer's downfall - to his being cast out of heaven with all of his followers, and to his being known from then on as satan or the devil. Father God had created the perfect environment for mankind to share with Him. There was no corruption, no death and no disease and everything was more amazing than I'm sure we could fully imagine in the garden that God created to place man in and walk with him there. God fed Adam and cared for him fully. He personally walked in the garden and talked with Adam ... until Adam repeated Lucifer's sin ...

  “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) I had a personal epiphany some years ago that changed the way that I approach God and the way that I've prayed since. It wasn't that I didn't already know the scriptures and eternal fact that my moment of further emerging clarity brought front and center into my thoughts. It was though as if the Holy Spirit pulled all of it together for me into a transforming moment of growth that required both my further submission and my trust to override some of my more visceral human urges when walking with Him through life here. The knee bending moment of illumination involved so much of what I'd learned and experienced over many years about and with our God, but centered on those two verses in Isaiah 55 and on...

Many years ago, I was hundreds of miles away from my home working as a supervising foreman on a construction crew erecting portions of commercial buildings in northern California. We were loaded with work and always a little short handed on experienced crew, so there was always an interest in retaining skilled hands whenever possible. That usually wasn't an easy task because the work was always hard, hot and fast paced. It was the kind of work that tended to attract hard core personalities with some bad habits when hiring from the local labor pool in whatever area we happened to be working in at the time. Those of us who commuted from out of town would often stay in hotel rooms paid for by the company that we worked for and that would usually mean that the accommodations weren't always the best, but we learned to deal with it.  Being a little older than most of the crew and in a position of authority with the company meant that I would often have a room to myself while the othe...

 Deep into the book of Exodus in the bible, God begins to give Moses instructions for building His Tabernacle - His traveling Holy Place. All of the details were exact and the list of materials were things that served God's purpose and things that obviously gave Him pleasure or He would not have included them in His project. So it is with us... I've read the account of the constructing of the the Tabernacle before and found the long list of details far less exciting and less interesting than other passages of scripture. This time though, as with others when reading the Living Word, I came to a new realization that made the text come alive to me in a way that made this somewhat laborious passage come to reflect a truth far more exciting. This Holy Place made to host God's presence on earth was designed to move and to be portable from place to place on the journey to the promised land, was constructed of the finest things, and was no doubt very beautiful - though hard to full...

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14(NLT) Some will cite that verse popularly in social media as we're witnessing society's further decline into perversion and immorality. The only concern I have is that the prerequisite to the promise of forgiveness and the restoration that it contains is seemingly overlooked or taken far too lightly,... because t here can be no realization of the promise without submitting obediently to what God requires of us first.  It becomes an interesting study to not only search out God's promises, but to identify what He requires of us in order to own any and each of them. For every promise that God offers, there's a qualifying requirement or condition that has to be met - a prerequisite. For example, take the first part of that verse  "Then if my...

Every day seems to birth a new conflict, natural disaster and continual, escalating political arguments. Chaos seems to be the revolving order of the world as it spins perpetually, suspended in the heavens. Where is hope found in all of this? Where does peace exist? Daring to probe even further, from where do purpose and the meaning of life hail and give birth to understanding when all seems without hope and chaos endlessly wearies our bones?  If my hope and security were anchored in  this world, this life would have little value to offer in encouragement to my searching heart and spirit. Thankfully, my eyes and my focus aren't on this place alone. My hope is anchored beyond the chaos, weariness and suffering. My security is found in a power far greater than any originating from this world and my eyes are set on my true home - a place far beyond the turmoil set before me...  "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creat...

 Mercy ...             ... The available sources to define that word are numerous in worldly exposition. And the meanings among them are somewhat convoluted as one might expect in today's society. I n general  though, they deal with a common theme: Forgiveness. "Mercy noun, plural mer·cies for 4, 5. 1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: 2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing. 3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty. 4.an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: 5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing." - DICTIONARY.COM There's not one soul alive on planet earth that isn't in need of mercy, but in the confluence of human emotion and activity in today's societies, the mercy to be found between us seems to ...

What I say here, I'm saying as a friend whose own past failings coupled with Christ's sacrifice make me nothing more or less than a child of God's grace - one who recognizes the wealth of what he himself has yet to understand. Still, it's my hope to touch a nerve - one that brings to life a complacent soul somewhere among my fellow sojourners following Christ...  There seems to be some misunderstandings by some who're enamored of calling themselves "Christian". They may be well meaning and even intent on following the path God's laid out, but took something worldly that was injected into their understanding and ran with it. There are a number of possible examples, but as example here let's think about the word "hate". There's much said about hate in society and there are those even among Christians who've bought into the idea that we're not to hate anything... Really? Consider the following scripture and be aware that I could ...

 Mirror mirror on the wall, where do I actually stand?... When our understanding is compromised by acquiescence to the stain and fickle vanity of human societal pressure and nature, weakness begins to breach the authority that we were given through Christ and is made more weakeningly full in us. What we were once gifted in strength through Christ Jesus is then destined to become tarnished, weak and waning if we continue to let compromise abide. Only repentance restores us to our true right in the strength of Christ's authority and gifts because God is then faithful and just to forgive the cause of our weakness and restore us. This also speaks to the plight of nations... Our nation no longer stands on the edge of a precipice, but is descending into chaos because through the compromise of so many, it's divorcing itself from honesty and truth. I think our violations are far greater than we might imagine unless we're continually checking our reflection in the mirror of God'...

In a dark and threatening hour many who know God and even some who just know of Him will look to Him remembering that He's there. Some will cry out in the agony of their spirit hoping desperately for God's intervention, others in hopeful exploration - just hoping that He may be real and able to meet some urgent need. Some may accuse God of not answering and others may discount Him entirely if they don't receive the desperately needed answer, when the responsible party - the truth of the matter, may well live within our own skin...  When we find ourselves asking God for anything it may be good to keep a few things in mind. For instance it may be one thing to ask an intimate friend for a large investment of themselves in a moment of our personal desperation and an entirely different thing to ask the same from a stranger. It may be one thing to call on a party to honor a covenant or contract that they've entered into with us and an entirely different thing to call on a par...

I didn't intend to post this, but two words came to me simultaneously as I finished writing it. I've never heard or read the first, or known them in any way together, so I looked them both up. After doing so, I understood that there was something worthy here. I sometimes write just to organize my thoughts - to build an expression or offering from my heart to the Lord without posting them. The definitions of those two words are in the closing...  I've discovered a love that far exceeds the emission of humanity and I dwell in the soothing waters of its source. To succumb to the draw of any other would be the tragedy of settling for poverty, for I dwell in the intended Living Water that brings new life continually. Lord, You draw the people to yourself by the essence of Your perfect character and person. It's by Your hand that they are rescued and by the price of Your own suffering that they are brought to redemption. No one is as selfless or as generous as You. You redeem...

What would we put our stock in if we could only have one choice, but not both - either the meager satisfaction and pleasuring of our decaying flesh, or the divine completeness of walking safely with God in a blissful, unending Father and child relationship filled with unlimited creativity and wonder?... With so much going on in the world it's too easy for us to get distracted and sidetracked sometimes a nd if our focus isn't anchored on Christ, our minds are left open to so many things competing for our attention. Our thoughts can be easily overtaken at times by the cares of our humanity - basic physical needs, emotional issues and stress. Or perhaps just an unexpected diversion from what we might consider to be our daily norm. Situations may come up with urgency to change our expected life trajectory without warning, but while we consider and strategize about our response to all of those compelling needs and the tempting urges of our vanities, our God watches to find those who...

To truthfully "know" Jesus, His heart, His person, His character is to be drawn to love Him dearly - this I know with good confidence. That being said, it would seem likely to me that if that true connection is never made, then it's more likely true that one has never honestly known Him.  Scripture tells us that one day every person who has ever lived will acknowledge Jesus as Lord - even His most ardent deniers,... but how many will truly know Him? How many will know the height and honor of His place in the heavenly realm and will have embraced the opportunity to know Him as friend? "Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor  and gave him the name above all other names,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 29-11 (NLT) Everyone - even the dead will be raised to recognize Him at jud...

What follows is my opinion. You can take it, or leave it right here. My hope is that it stirs something in you...  Many of us were raised in homes that were intended to be centered on biblical values or were at least aware and had some knowledge of virtue based living. If you're old enough, like me, you lived under laws and guiding concepts in calmer times that were primarily in agreement with the Ten Commandments and bore the essence of a bent toward righteousness. Were there troubles in those days? Of course. Wherever human beings are present, trouble may not be far away. But even so, it was a different time.  It was a time when respect for the separation between right and wrong seemed to be more clear and prevalent and when respect in general was a more common attribute ... along with a desire for respectability. None of this is intended to say that there were not serious issues that remained to be dealt with in society then, but the demeanor and countenance were very diffe...

 If you're a true, active and committed follower of Christ Jesus, then the reasons for the observance of Christmas Eve and the celebration of Christmas should be well known to you. The Prophet Isaiah predicted it hundreds of years before it happened as the Lord gave him knowledge of its impending... "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT) And an angel of the Lord declared His actual arrival... " For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, E...

 One of the more common features of American Christian churches is the time set aside for the musical worship of our God. And I wouldn't dare to attempt to take anything away from that worthy practice, but while we might sing ... would we be focusing on the music ... or the words? Does music and singing automatically worship the God of the universe just by following along with the words and lifting our voice in chorus ... or does real worship require a little something more? Is it a mere musical performance or the attempt to convey our deepest convictions to the Omnipotent King Of The Universe? Do we think about the meaning of words - both before and as they pass from our lips? Do they have personal meaning and the intent to relate something from deep within our own hearts? Where is the wellspring that would truly honor God found? It's found in the wonder of true courting relationship. When Jesus Christ returns for His bride, everyone - all people everywhere, both believers and...

There exist as many stories as there are people that have ever lived, which are then multiplied by an endless number of experiences over the varied expanse of years in which they occurred, but only a few of them are truly worthy of the retelling in the end. Only a few will truly matter - the rest will disappear in an instant, like smoke before a gale, never to be told or heard again, worthless at their conclusion. Of all that we could tell of the story of our lives - the innumerable experiences, the encounters, the hardships, glories, victories and defeats, only a very few life stories will be deemed worthy to survive the final cut to be published by the ultimate author and editor of creation. From that time to the end of eternity, those will be the only stories fit to be retold and celebrated among the host of heaven's angels - to be told and retold countless times with undiminished enthusiasm, wonder and praise. Those few surviving stories will be those naming the God of creation...