Serving

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7-11




Here we see Jesus entering one of the rulers of the Pharisees house and commenting on how they seat themselves. This is one of my favorite passages. There is so much wisdom in it, so much that Jesus wants to tell this world today. Lets look at this passage then contrast it with today's culture. 


 Jesus is the ultimate servant. His life served everyone around Him while He was alive and today His resurrection is still serving all who are being renewed. Jesus, may we be like You. Every human soul longs to be desired. Every human soul longs for recognition. Every human longs for identity. Some long for these so much, that they create it for themselves. Let me explain. As the book of Romans declares, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Because of this fall every human is disconnected from God. The peace, joy, and perfection we enjoyed in the Eden are lost. We no longer know ourselves. We no longer know who we are. We no longer know to whom we belong. We no longer know what our purpose is. We are tossed about. Indulging in whatever seems 'good'. Since we no longer know the things previously mentioned, we search for them. Some more than others. Humans begin to create for themselves recognition, identity, and purpose. Where can this lead but selfishness, sadness, and unrest? We were made in the image of God, of His likeness. We must find this again. We were created for glory. His glory. But, without God, we make up our own glory. We dabble in earthly lusts. Only satisfying the flesh, while the soul is dry and empty. God help your children.

In the Godhead we see Jesus Christ coming to earth to save that which was lost. To bring restoration to the entire human condition: lack of identity, lack of purpose, lack of meaning, lack of ambition, just to name a few. This is good news! We can now operate from a place of authority and not defeat. In Jesus we are sons and daughters of God. Hallelujah. Okay! Here we go. Getting back to the passage of Scripture. Jesus sees the Pharisees taking all the best seats. Note that the Pharisees thought they were better than everyone, that they deserved the best seats. They kept the entire law on the outside. But on the inside they were dead and unclean. They got their glory from themselves. They made it up! This is my point. They were SO FULL OF THEMSELVES. They didn't wait on God to give them their position. They took it with violence. With pride. We should always take the lowest place Jesus says. Always. Don't make any plans to be exalted. Let God exalt you. Let Him come to you and say, 'friend go up higher.' Yes God. We submit to your timing. The last to verses are the best. "Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” You will have glory. Because it was GIVEN. Not because you took it for yourself. God will give you His glory. But you must humble yourself to receive it.

The world would have us take whatever we can. Earn whatever we can by human means. Let it never be so for believers in Jesus Christ. Fellow Christians, it's time we started living like Jesus. Stop imitating the world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let us become God's children.

Conscience

Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God...  1 Corinthians 10:32

Give no offense my brothers and sisters. Paul says in the next verse do this not for your own profit, but for many, that they may be saved. Paul says He has become all things to all men. Talk about sacrifice! Have we done this? Are we doing this? This verse is in reference to eating food sacrificed to idols. Paul quotes Psalm 24:1, "the earth is the LORD'S, and all it's fullness." Paul says, eat whatever you find in the market, it doesn't matter where it came from. You are free! Will you again be set in chains by laws? If someone says to you however, "that was sacrificed to idols", then don't eat it for conscience sake. Not your own conscience however, why should your liberty be judged by another mans conscience. To the person who does not understand your freedom, don't eat it! Bless this person. Love this person! That he or she may be saved and rushed into the Kingdom of God. Those who call themselves Christians: stop offending other people!!!! You are arrogant. You are puffed up. You build up walls that divide the world and turn hearts away from the Lord Jesus. Shame on you. Let it never be that a Christ follower offends another. Christians are to be servants of all men. Jesus washed our feet and what does He say, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:14

Now, hear what I am saying. You and I are not to offend anyone. Jesus is already a stumbling block, and His words convict and offend. We are not to offend by putting ourselves above others. In every area of life, make yourself lower than another, that you may honor that person, and he or she may be saved.

Why are we to believe and follow this teaching of Paul?

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:33

Come Holy Spirit. Give us Your humility.

Hope

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 
Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 
He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” 
Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Luke 18:35-43

If there is one thing this passage screams it is hope. Put yourself in the position of the blind man, perhaps you already feel this way today. No hope. Blind. Looked down on. People telling you to be quiet. 

Jesus hears your cry! He wants to heal you of your burdens. Come to me and find rest, Jesus says. Begin to cry out to Him, and see if He doesn't move your circumstances. Have faith though. His ways are not our ways. Have patience for His timing. The bible says that a man without faith is a like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

We see Jesus commands the man to be brought near. Jesus asks what the man wants Him to do for him. 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' What happens next is very interesting. Jesus tells the man to receive his sight, because his faith has made him well. The man believed! Jesus says 'your faith has made you well.' (emphasis mine) Jesus takes no claim for the miracle. Wow. 

Read the last verse again. When Jesus gives us a new hope, the people praise God. Let us use our hope from Him to help others. All glory to God in every situation! All praise belongs to You Abba.

 

Keep believing for your miracle!

Amen.

Marriage

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and also likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:3-4

My heart is heavy over the state of marriage in today's society. There is so much independence desired from both sexes. Both male and female are refusing to lay down their lives. Let me begin by saying that this laying down of ones life cannot be comprehended outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is to be the foundation of every building, the lifelong institution of marriage cannot be lived out in joy unless this truth is realized. Jesus literally laid down His life in order to bring all who are called by God back into relationship with Himself. In this same way marriage reflects this action of two people laying down their lives for each other. But again, this can't happen unless the individuals in marriage are laying down their lives to Jesus. Then, and only then, will the love of Jesus be able to fill the marriage and cause both individuals to joyfully lay down their lives in order to serve one another, just as Christ comes and serves us.

Becoming one. 

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:28-32 


Paul is reaffirming Genesis 2:24 in these verses. This is a mystery indeed, but Paul says that he speaks concerning Christ and the church. Jesus gave his life for the church, therefore we can say 'we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.' In this same sense, in marriage as a whole, two people become one flesh. This is clearly seen in the gift of children. One person coming from two separate people. Quite a mystery indeed. But quite wonderful as well. From this revelation, we can move on to 'no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it'. If we hated our own flesh, how strange would that be? Such a person would be labelled a lunatic. Is this not what marriage is ultimately confined to outside of understanding of Jesus and His love for the church? Sadly, yes. 


God who is Love- captivate us and let us see Your love. Change our understanding of marriage. Let us see the fields of joy you prepare for us to run through with the one we love.

Greed

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” - Luke 12:15


Lord come. Break the hearts of all peoples who place greed as their idol. 


We always want to be better than God. We all try to stand on our own without the Father. Greed is just one of those ways. Why do so much work? Why trust in our own ways; in means that literally disappear in a second? Man constantly tries to build a name for himself, and show how great he is. What a trivial pursuit. Shame on man. Shame on man for trusting in paper, plastic, and debt. When will man stop trying to fulfill his own heart? When will we give our heart back to our Lover? When will we stop trusting in covetousness? When will we stop trying to seat ourselves as God? "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding but acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6


Lord cast down our idols. Confuse all our plans with your majesty, your mystery. We submit to you. We submit to Your plan. Your authority. 


C.S. Lewis says that unhealthy and inordinate desires create "an ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure." Are you tired of accumulating everything but possessing nothing? This is every human life without Jesus. Jesus comes to set us free from these desires to make a name for ourselves. Jesus sets us free to experience not our own love, but the love of the Father. We no longer have to secure our own future, but we are already secure in Him. Thank you Jesus for bringing us back to nothing, or as Job put it, "Naked I came from the womb, naked shall I return." I hold onto nothing in this life, for it is gone in the very next moment. I hold onto my identity as the Fathers' son. I need not worry about a thing. What a glorious freedom. 


Paul speaking of money says this to Timothy:


"But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 

Needy

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. -Matthew 9:36

Lord, you love us. May the Holy Spirit fill these words and bring life. Amen

Today has been very good. Rolled out of bed, opened up to Jeremiah 32. The people of Israel have done only evil before the Lord from their youth ( Verse 30 ). The Lord ends up promising to restore His people and bring good to them.

Today I went to Faith Academy in Loganville along with Matt to do a lunch/bible session with some of the students. This is voluntary, I love seeing the students come on their own. It may be just for the pizza and drinks at first but they also get a little Jesus! I spoke last week, so Matt spoke this week. He spoke on Mark 1:40-42. Jesus is in the synagogues preaching, and behold a leper comes to Him. Begging Him to cleanse him. Pause. Can you imagine this man's anguish. He has leprosy! No one wants to touch him. He was an outcast with lumpy and discolored skin. Jesus, moved with compassion stretched out His hand and touched him saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' (emphasis mine) Jesus loves the unlovable. In the Gospel of John we see in chapter five that Jesus says He can only do what He sees the father doing. God loves the unlovable! The dirty people, messed up, confused, lost, dried out. Jesus sees these, and comes to them with great compassion. He asks us to abide in Him and He will abide in us. What a beautiful promise. You don't have life all figured out? 'Come to Me' Jesus says. Always come to Him. The Lord always restores. After the talk, students starting asking so many questions. They were hungry. They wanted answers. What about homosexuality, sex, suicide, drinking, the students kept asking all kind of questions...How do we abstain from these kind of things?

As the students asked these questions, my heart broke. They are scattered and weary. Can you imagine this? You are a shepherd of many, many sheep. Some are so scattered they see no way back to the fold. Your heart breaks because these are your sheep. You have possession of them. You care about their well-being. So what would you do? Go out and find them! God there is not enough of us who are going out and finding Your lost sheep! And oh how it burdens my soul! Lord, send us out.

Therefore, the Word says: "The harvest truly is plentiful,  but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." -Matthew 9:37-38

Father, send us out in Your name to comfort, to find the lost. To give rest to the weary ones, to reassure. Let us do Your work, and carry Your burdens.

Amen.

Furious Love

‎"I have come to know a God who has a soft spot for rebels, who recruits people like the adulterer David, the whiner Jeremiah, the traitor Peter, and the human-rights abuser Saul of Tarsus. I have come to know a God whose Son made prodigals the heroes of his stories and the trophies of his ministry." 
— Philip Yancey


God is so in love with you. At this very moment. I have come to realize just as Brennan Manning did that many of today's burning theological issues are neither burning nor theological. What is burning however is His furious love. What love is this that a King should come and wash His servants feet? What love is this that never gets old? What love is this that no matter how many times I fail, it never fails? What love is this?! This is the love of the Father. His love is not our love. Our love is based on performance, our acceptance of others is based on conditions we pile high. His love is neither. Never based on performance, never based on conditions. It is free. Unattainable through merit or effort of any kind. His love comes down in the valley with me, sets me free, sets me on a wide path where I can walk safely with Him. I have not to worry about anything. What love is this that transforms my heart? I am made beautiful in my weakness, in my sadness, in my distress, in my loneliness, in my regret, in my fear, when I have nothing- His love comes down through Jesus Christ and sweeps me away and holds me. Brokenness transforms my life completely. So much so, that I am literally a new creation. I am a witness to this. I don't understand this, there is no formula. But I trust it. When I lay down my life, He can pick me up, and start something new. Something fresh. It's just like when a close friend says 'trust me' when taking you on a journey. You are laying down your walls, your security, your commonsense. Jesus no longer calls us servants, but friends. For servants don't know what their master is doing, but friends know. He has revealed the Fathers furious longing for us. He longs for us to come and dine at His great banquet feast all the time. He longs to show you the beauty of the world, the fullness of His courts. I don't know if you've ever been in the midst of His courts, but let me tell you, you want to be there as much as possible. "This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 
1 John 4:10 


Come love of God. Break every wall down. Every chain. Set your children free. Run to us and hold us in Your arms. 

Living In Grace

Ten years ago I was introduced to Brennan Manning's, The Ragamuffin Gospel. I still remember what my youth minister at the time said to me as he handed me the book: "This book will change your life." As a ninth grader at the time, I didn't believe a book could change my life. But I read the book and I never knew Jesus or the Father the same again. Since that book I have read almost all of Brennan's books and I am so very grateful for his life; his brutal honesty about his addiction to alcohol and all the degradation that lead from this disease. But the entire time he preached a love from the Father that heals all wounds, no matter how deep. He loves you and I no matter how many times we have gone off to a far country and wasted away the mercies He has bestowed upon us. In fact, when we realize our brokenness and begin to make our trek back to Him, He sees us while we are still a far way off. He runs from His throne to throw His wide arms around us, put a ring on our finger, and bring us back to a celebration feast. What love is this? Who are You that You love sinners? That you use sinners to accomplish your plans? You are a beautiful mystery. You are grace. All is grace.

Yesterday I finished Brennan's proclaimed last book. I cried. A lot. His entire life has been marked by grace. All Is Grace, is the title. His entire life is grace. Grace to even be alive. Grace to breathe the next breath. Grace. So beautiful. Brennan lived his entire life trying to pursuit God. He would say he failed miserably. Sometimes he did, sometimes we all do. Furious love this God has, to never give up on us ragamuffins. This love leads us to finally come to the end of ourselves. We finally realize that we are worthless. We are foolish. We are dirty. We have done and can do nothing to deserve this kind of affection and fidelity. We must accept it as a gift, and live in this gift. Find out who we are in His eyes. In His acceptance. This is the true self. All else is fog. Brennan once said, "Define yourself as one radically loved by God, this is the true self, everything else is an impostor." Truer words have never been spoken. Brennan's life has been so full of grace and forgiveness it pours out of every word he writes and speaks. I hope to live this life. I hope to draw others to fountains of grace every day I'm alive. All is grace.

Bless You Father.

For the Father.

Hello world. I've decided to start blogging all my experiences for two reasons mainly: I loathe writing, and I have been so encouraged my entire life through others words and live's I want to open up for God to use me in this same way. I left Starbucks August 1, 2011 because of the Lord gripping my life to new adventures. I have been a believer for as long as I can remember and every time I read the stories in the bible about dropping everything and leaving all my own desires behind to find God I get so excited. I want to do this forever and ever. I want to die everyday to my self and know God. I want to know the Father. His love has satisfied the deepest pit of my soul. I find my identity in His love. His acceptance of me. Who I am. For He made me. How could I go any other route in life but to know Him? Nothing else makes sense. I have found more joy in one second of His presence and reality, than in all my pursuits without Him. My pursuits lead to wandering, wastelands, pain, doubt, and endless indulgence of lusts of the flesh. I need nothing in His presence. I need to search for nothing. I have everything. I have His attention. He spends time with me. What more could a child want than to be the object of his Creator's affection? Nothing. I am on a journey. I hope to write this journey here, and I hope to take many people on this journey with me, that they may behold the glory of the Lord. His splendor. His affection. His promises and His faithfulness.

Forever Lord I am Yours.