Jesus Glory Revealed

If you ever read the book of Revelation you will get blessed. I looked up a lot of definitions for blessed, and they go all over the place. But one I liked was this: a recipient of divine favor. I know throwing words around like blessed, really has no meaning to a world-ling. But, whoever we are Christian or not, anyone can have this blessing.

It’s cool in reading the first chapter, because we see Jesus described here. He has flames of fire coming out of His eyes, it’s amazing. Well don’t take my word for it, read it your self.

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;¹⁵ His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; ¹⁶ He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,^[h] “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.   Rev 1:12-18 NKJV

 If you go on a read the letters to the church, I’m sure at one point you’ll get convicted or at least I did. I could write more but I’m tired.

What's In The Sky

Circling overhead, buzzards wait for our demise, but God is for us. If God is for us who can be against us? I know I’m plagiarize God’s word, and I don’t claim those words as my original; in fact most of my original thoughts usually just get corrupted by the world anyway, so, I would rather use His. Back to my though, I was reading through Romans 8 (which I’ll post at the end) and I was basking in the fullness of living in the hope of our future redemption and knowing the deposit Christ has left in me.

That deposit of Christ’s love is His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. We live in an era that seems to over indulge in the craziness of strange expressions in worship that grieve God’s Spirit (Barking in the Spirit? Gold dust placed in air ducts to emulate a glory cloud?). Or on the other hand the other extreme denies that Christ’s gifts to the Church are in operation today or give them no place for operation. I grew up in the Pentecostal tradition of the church, so, I need not explain where I’m coming from. Lately, for the last 20 years  I have worshipped in the Calvary Chapel way. The differences between the two are minimal (but distinct) and really I’m just a believer trying to find believers who love God and keep to His word. Sometimes though, my roots call out because there is a certain freedom of expression in Pentecostal churches that I miss.

Sorry, I often go down the rabbit trails of life (in thought). So, back on my first thought in reading Romans 8. It makes me ponder life. Paul in spreading the Gospel opened the door do the work of God as few have. But it also kicked in overdrive the fight of the enemy against the work of God. God is always working, but often we just refuse to get in the ring and go for it. We avoid, rather than embrace the battle for the souls of men. Yet, whether we engage or not, the battle rages on. Our enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our life. While Jesus came to give life, for He is life. There I go plagiarizing again.

Paul at one point in his letters shared all the things he went through. He  suffered greatly for the Gospel. In middle class America, I don’t suffer much at all. I mean life here is easy compared to most of the world. Oh yeah, I hurt everyday and it overwhelms me at times. I get stuck somewhere between depression and a hard place. But, at anytime I could say uncle, and doctors would give me license to take anything needed. But, for now I choose not to. I know my redeemer lives and one day all this sorrow will be wiped away. So, I choose to suffer. I choose to take up my cross and bear it. Perhaps as our burden of weight presses down, that’s when the Holy Spirit speaks through us with sighs and groaning too deep for words. Perhaps at moments like this our light may shine the brightest and our focus on the eternal is set in stone.

We know our joy comes in the morning. So, ignore the buzzards and get on with it.

Romans 8

Be Ruled by the Spirit

 ¹ So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty.^[a] 2 Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you^[b] free from the law that brings sin and death. ³ The law was without power, because the law was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that others use for sin. By sending his Son to be an offering for sin, God used a human life to destroy sin.⁴ He did this so that we could be the kind of people the law correctly wants us to be. Now we do not live following our sinful selves, but we live following the Spirit.

 ⁵ Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do.⁶ If people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.⁷ When people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, they are against God, because they refuse to obey God's law and really are not even able to obey God's law.⁸Those people who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.

 ⁹ But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.¹⁰ Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. ¹¹ God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God's Spirit is living in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from the dead, and he will give life through^[c] his Spirit that lives in you.

 ¹² So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want.¹³ If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.

 ¹⁴ The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them.¹⁵ The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, "Father."^[d]16 And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children.¹⁷ If we are God's children, we will receive blessings from God together with Christ. But we must suffer as Christ suffered so that we will have glory as Christ has glory.

Our Future Glory

 ¹⁸ The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us.¹⁹Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children's glory completely.²⁰Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope:²¹ that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children.

 ²² We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth.²³ Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God's promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children, which means our bodies will be made free.²⁴ We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have.²⁵ But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.

 ²⁶ Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.²⁷ God can see what is in people's hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants.

 ²⁸ We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.^[e] They are the people he called, because that was his plan. ²⁹ God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn^[f] of many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

God's Love in Christ Jesus

 ³¹ So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can defeat us. ³² He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.³³ Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who makes them right. ³⁴ Who can say God's people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God's right side, appealing to God for us. ³⁵ Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death? ³⁶ As it is written in the Scriptures:
    "For you we are in danger of death all the time.
       People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed." — Psalm 44:22

 ³⁷ But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. ³⁸Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers,³⁹ nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8 NCV

The Church

Just a while and we'll meet the Son up ahead.

Our friends and family are there waiting for the banquet to begin.

Just a little while longer and the bride will come home.

In great procession, decked to hilt, the Son accepts His pure and spotless bride.

We’ll be in this company, will you?

Christ gave all for his beloved bride, "the church". I pray to have the strength to do the same for mine.

Our Father, help the Christian dads to lay down their lives, instead of picking up the toys.

Help us not to exasperate and frustrate our children.

Help us to love their moms, and stay together until “death do us part.”

Continue oh Father, to reveal and help me kill my flesh.

And always do the work in us: salvation, healing, forgiveness

Keys To An Impotent Church

Conform to the world at every turn

Know the world’s filth to be relevant

Listen to the lies of Satan

Deny or water down the truth

Forget God rules creation

Most of all never share you faith

Life's Echo

To who those who listen — a turbulent life echoes out

O how I spurned the words of my Teacher. Had my Teacher been a man, perhaps I could fault him in this way or that. Since my Teacher is my maker: any fault is mine and of that I sing.

I sing of His eye for creation.

I sing of His sweet loving mercy.

I sing because the divine of divinity, met me by a stream.

Like Agur of the Proverbs so long ago, I am a brute and a beast. My knowledge of the Holy One is limited and incomplete: but I know my Savior loves me and dwells in my heart. I know that the preeminent one over Creation, died for Creation. I know that the beloved Son of God, laid life down at the cross, and took it up again. I know that He ascended into heaven and soon will return and till then I'll hunger for His hand. Now, as I wait, I am comforted by the Comforter—His Spirit. Knowing the God over creation is our comfort, knowing Him well is our goal. Communing with Him our purpose. Along the way, somewhere, we become like Him.

What would be too much to give Him who gave it all? One moment of action is never enough. I respond when you call Lord.

Help me to hear.

Help me to see.

Help me to move. 

Help me to act.

                          As You do Lord!

                          As You do.

Just Do It

As with most things I've done in life, I do “just do it.” I know it's the Nike ad campaign, but it's how I approach life. When a new hobby or interest comes a long I, jump in with both feet. Since I can't move as well a I would like, most of my hobbies I do at home. Most are musical (other than this) and most require practice. I suppose that is really how our Christian life is, we are to jump in with both feet and be immersed in God and practice. And since He wants all of our heart, soul, mind and spirit, I suppose He wants my hobbies too—to use as it pleases Him.

We can use or miss use just about everything in life. And I think I've done plenty of both. I have a tendency to do everything I do with all my heart. I don't think that's a bad thing, yet, it means I overlook one goal to pursue another. I would rather spend most of my time with Jesus in listing to Him while exploring His creation than say doing dishes or painting the house. I would rather read my bible than watch another mindless TV show. I would rather use the rest of my life serving Him in His purpose of spreading the Gospel around the earth (so we can get outta here), than working on my car as it breaks down again. Yet, while I can and do those things, I suppose the best thing I can do is to live out my faith in front of my family now. For there will still be time for more adventures in life and serving Christ means serving Him in the place He has placed us. So for now I'll keep doing the dishes. And, yes I'll keep painting the house and working on old broken cars. Even if it hurts too much, I'll keep doing what I do till I can't. And then, I know my Lord will provide help in ways I can't fathom. For our God is like that. He does the impossible.

Oh yeah and remember this, serving others is the best way to take care of yourself.

“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said,“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.””

Mark 9:33-35 NIV

the Comforter

Our Father dwells in unapproachable light

Who could know Him? Save, He knew us first

He sent His Son and gave His best

He sought me and even thee

What more could He give? "the Comforter"

With the undeserved love, He gave

With unreserved emotion and all my soul

With nothing of will or worth

I come

Picking From the Tree

Perhaps as we seek knowledge, just for its sake, we are still pulling fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. True wisdom applies the knowledge we have of the Holy One and that wisdom only starts with the fear of the Lord. Today, it seems knowledge of the world systems and their operations drives us further into rebellion against our Creator. The knowledge of our world is exploding at an exponential rate, yet the souls of men stagger along and forget that ignorance was once bliss. It seems most people are too busy and preoccupied to think of a life that seems unimaginable to us now. While others, it seems, just want to be entertained. Most would rather eat, drink, and be merry or work till they drop, rather than think on eternal issues of the soul.

Blissful ignorance kept our first parents from even being aware they were naked. In fact, who told them they were naked? Who urged them to break God's command and then condemned them for doing so? We know who. In the beginning, humanity lived in harmony with it's Creator . It was called the Garden of Eden. Humanities parents, Adam and Eve, walked with God and all was well. Our Father's rules were simple, there was just one. Well, we broke that rule (or, rather they did and we would have) and we've been trying to be our own god every since. Yet, fortunately God, our Creator knew all of this ahead of time and made provision for even that (the rebellion).

He made provision in Christ, for our Father knew we would sin—even before the world began. Our Father knew we were rebellious and stiff necked. He even knew after we found our provision in Christ, that some of us, rather most of us, would still need to be reminded quite often that God is God, His ways are pure, and ours are being purified as we look at Jesus.

In Christ alone, we are pure.

In Jesus we find the Tree of Life.

A New Creation

When my lips and tongue collide, I trip over the words and they seem to fight.

When my pain and thought collide, I stare off in the sky, hold the words in, or even cry.

When my past and present collide, I've made excuses and sometimes I've even lied.

As my flesh and spirit collide, I tear down the self alter, and let Jesus reside.
Re-birthed in spirit, I'm growing forth as His child.

In Christ I am a new creation and to that I hold.

In Christ, though I am timid I am bold.

In Christ, I put off all my human weakness and go boldly to our Father's throne.

Jesus our priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. Then he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, he waits for his enemies to be put under his control. By that one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
The Holy Spirit also gives witness to us about this. First he says,

"This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts.
I will write my laws on their minds." —(Jeremiah 31:33)
Then he adds,
"I will not remember their sins anymore.
I will not remember the evil things they have done." —(Jeremiah 31:34)
Where those have been forgiven, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Brothers and sisters, we are not afraid to enter the Most Holy Room. We enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus. His way is new because he lives. It has been opened for us through the curtain. I'm talking about his body.
We also have a great priest over the house of God. So let us come near to God with an honest and true heart. Let us come near with a faith that is sure and strong. Our hearts have been sprinkled. Our minds have been cleansed from a sense of guilt. Our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The One who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:12-23 NIRV

Dove of the Spirit

If you look around, you can't help but see God. As someone once said, “His finger prints are everywhere.” Walking down my little Rusty down the road at dusk, the quiet of night was settling over Loma Rica. We passed by the smiles and waves of neighborly faces and the sun setting behind the trees and mountains. Walking worship time! This is all normal stuff. What reminded me of God tonight, was a cooing dove coming in for a landing on a power line. It brought me back to another event at church months before. About three months before our pastor went home, one Sunday morning I had finished the sound checks and chores to be ready for service. I went in the kitchen and was stretching and praying, all the while looking out the window. A white dove came and flew up to the property line and fluttered in mid air for at least 30 seconds. A known behavior I'm sure, but it reminded me of John the baptist as he saw the Spirit settle on Jesus. Latter after the resurrection Jesus baptized the believers with this same Holy Spirit. Being Spirit filled readies one for effective service (but don't think it makes one sinless and fully sanctified, that takes a life time). So, if you are not filled for service, you can be, Just ask Jesus, he wouldn't give you a snake if you asked for bread? So, trust Him to give something good in the Holy Spirit.