Freedom came at the Cross - Abundant life comes via the resurrection
A friend has been struggling and I shared this with him...
I know satan is tugging at you big right now - that is why i wrote to you. It really helps to focus on the John 10:10 verse - "The thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. I come that they may have life and have it abundantly." Lean on that verse. When you get bent around the pole over something and that seething anger flies up out of nowhere - realize that is the enemy trying to take you out. When you feel those negative tugs, when you hear that voice that says... "You are a loser, you'll never get control of yourself..." realize where that is coming from. It isn't coming from God. That is the enemy trying to destroy you. It has helped me to lean on that verse every day when I am doing battle (and we do battle every day).
When I am tempted, it helps me to say almost outloud, "that is a lie - you are lying to me - you are a liar - get away from me". Without this, we can become a slave to our sin in total bondage. Where is there freedom in bondage? There isn't any. Christ came to free you. You are free. That is the Cross. We were freed at the Cross. But there is so much more to the story. The church is at fault for stopping at the Cross. Did you know for the first 400 years of Christianity, the Cross was hardly ever mentioned and it was not a symbol of Christianity? What they were so excited about was the resurrection. Lots of folks died on crosses back then - two of them died with Jesus that day. Nothing special about the cross per se. Yes, it is very important - crucial - in the story that Jesus sacrificed for us but it is the resurrection that is truly powerful.
You were freed from sin at the cross but Jesus came to give us life and give it to us abundantly and that is the resurrection. A new you, resurrected and powerful is the benefit of the cross. You are powerful because you have been freed. You don't have to live that old life. You don't have to hang onto your quest for perfection. You don't have to hang onto the incredibly overwhelming guilt you feel. You don't have to hang onto the wound you have in your soul due to your Dad walking out. Those are all real things but you are freed of them by the power of the resurrection and the promise of it.
God wants you to have an abundant life, free of the crap. It is yours for the taking. He gives it freely. Don't get me wrong, it isn't easy to do but it is there. The first step is recognizing that you are under attack and learning how to look for the signs of the attack and rebuking the attack when it comes. Remember, Satan would love nothing more than to totally take you out. He'll turn the dial up on the anger to see if it will blow you out. He'll throw another woman in your path. He'll try to trip you up with alcohol. He'll create havoc in your home with your kids. Anything to blow you up and take you out. Realize it is war and when you hear the whispers, throw that heavy burden off your shoulder. Let go of the expectations. Free yourself. Once you do, the path to an abundant life is right at your feet.
I am here to help you find that freedom and to lift you up in this battle.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Wow !
The title of my blog is "Chasing the Adventure" and I've put a few posts up about my hunting adventure. I love nature and love being outside. The woods truly are God's sanctuary. It is amazing to sit and watch nature. My deer hunting is clearly "chasing the adventure".
I hunted a good bit over the Thanksgiving weekend. Friday morning a nice 8-point walked right up to my stand - 15 feet in front of me. I could have shot him but he was young and I decided to let him go. That was hard to do. I also saw a 4-point and 2 spikes.
Sunday - yes, I skipped church! - my area slowed down and I only saw 1 doe. I did watch a turkey and had a goose fly right over my stand through the tops of the pines. But, that said, my "rookie" instincts were telling me my days in the pines were at an end. I needed to move my stand.
I crossed over to the other side of this 1100 acres and followed a road down toward a small creek. There is a large ridge across from the creek and the bottom area is loaded with acorn producing hardwoods. It is an area I've always thought looked conducive to deer. I parked my truck and walked up to the edge of the creek (still in camo) and no sooner than I got to the banks of the creek than did a large 10-point come crashing down the ridge chasing a doe.
About 30 yards in front of me, he hung a sharp right and bugged out away from me sniffing/blowing as he chased her. A sniff sounds like loud, squawking, hoarse chirp of a really big squirrel. Man, what a rush. So I crossed over the creek and as soon as I did, a 6-point came down the ridge chasing the 10-point and the doe - running, with his tounge hanging out. He ran right up to me and stood about 10 feet away from me. We stared at each other for a minute or so and then I moved and he sniffed/blew and crashed across the creek.
I followed him down back across the creek and as soon as I was back across the other side, I heard something else coming down the ridge behind me. A nice 8-point ran right up to the edge of the creek. He stopped and stared at me for another minute and at one point, he stomped his feet in an aggressive move to tell me he was the boss. For a minute there, I thought I was about to be on the next episode of "When animals attack". Finally, he bolted off in the same direction as the big 10-point.
Wow! What a thrill. 3 nice buck in one 2 minute spell. I was totally captivated. Needless to say, I went back and took down my stand and moved it down into this creek bottom!
If I never kill a deer, I have had the time of my life "chasing this adventure".
Soar!
The title of my blog is "Chasing the Adventure" and I've put a few posts up about my hunting adventure. I love nature and love being outside. The woods truly are God's sanctuary. It is amazing to sit and watch nature. My deer hunting is clearly "chasing the adventure".
I hunted a good bit over the Thanksgiving weekend. Friday morning a nice 8-point walked right up to my stand - 15 feet in front of me. I could have shot him but he was young and I decided to let him go. That was hard to do. I also saw a 4-point and 2 spikes.
Sunday - yes, I skipped church! - my area slowed down and I only saw 1 doe. I did watch a turkey and had a goose fly right over my stand through the tops of the pines. But, that said, my "rookie" instincts were telling me my days in the pines were at an end. I needed to move my stand.
I crossed over to the other side of this 1100 acres and followed a road down toward a small creek. There is a large ridge across from the creek and the bottom area is loaded with acorn producing hardwoods. It is an area I've always thought looked conducive to deer. I parked my truck and walked up to the edge of the creek (still in camo) and no sooner than I got to the banks of the creek than did a large 10-point come crashing down the ridge chasing a doe.
About 30 yards in front of me, he hung a sharp right and bugged out away from me sniffing/blowing as he chased her. A sniff sounds like loud, squawking, hoarse chirp of a really big squirrel. Man, what a rush. So I crossed over the creek and as soon as I did, a 6-point came down the ridge chasing the 10-point and the doe - running, with his tounge hanging out. He ran right up to me and stood about 10 feet away from me. We stared at each other for a minute or so and then I moved and he sniffed/blew and crashed across the creek.
I followed him down back across the creek and as soon as I was back across the other side, I heard something else coming down the ridge behind me. A nice 8-point ran right up to the edge of the creek. He stopped and stared at me for another minute and at one point, he stomped his feet in an aggressive move to tell me he was the boss. For a minute there, I thought I was about to be on the next episode of "When animals attack". Finally, he bolted off in the same direction as the big 10-point.
Wow! What a thrill. 3 nice buck in one 2 minute spell. I was totally captivated. Needless to say, I went back and took down my stand and moved it down into this creek bottom!
If I never kill a deer, I have had the time of my life "chasing this adventure".
Soar!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tempted?
Andy Stanley has a good sermon on his website www.northpoint.org on sexual temptation. It primarily deals with sex before marriage. It is a very good summary of why sex before marriage (and outside of marriage) is wrong. The culture doesn't want us to believe it but that is a lie.
He said a divorced woman approached him one time after he gave a similar talk to high school students and she basically said, "That was great and all but you are really just talking to the kids right? I've already been married. That doesn't apply to me ... does it?" He was at a loss for words and knew he had to come up with a one sentence reply that would stick with her. He responded, "Let me ask you this. Whenever you've had sex outside of marriage...has it ever made your life easier? Or does it just make things a bunch more complicated?" He said she teared up immediately and said, "It just complicates things." Of course it does because it is wrong. It isn't God's design and our world seems to have forgotten that.
Anyway, Andy has a great daily prayer he says and I want to share it with you. He ties it to the verse - "You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
"God, I surrender my hands, surrender my eyes, surrender my ears, surrender my feet to You today.
I want You to use this dying, decaying body to honor you somehow today.
I want to go where You want me to go.
I don't want to say what You don't want me to say.
I don't want to hear what You don't want me to hear.
I don't want to see what You don't want me to see.
I want to honor You in all I do.
Whatever the price for what I will miss seeing, hearing or feeling, I will pay to honor You. I will pay because I won't fall for the lie."
Short, sweet and to the point. It is warfare men. Put on the armor every single day and be aware.
Soar!
Andy Stanley has a good sermon on his website www.northpoint.org on sexual temptation. It primarily deals with sex before marriage. It is a very good summary of why sex before marriage (and outside of marriage) is wrong. The culture doesn't want us to believe it but that is a lie.
He said a divorced woman approached him one time after he gave a similar talk to high school students and she basically said, "That was great and all but you are really just talking to the kids right? I've already been married. That doesn't apply to me ... does it?" He was at a loss for words and knew he had to come up with a one sentence reply that would stick with her. He responded, "Let me ask you this. Whenever you've had sex outside of marriage...has it ever made your life easier? Or does it just make things a bunch more complicated?" He said she teared up immediately and said, "It just complicates things." Of course it does because it is wrong. It isn't God's design and our world seems to have forgotten that.
Anyway, Andy has a great daily prayer he says and I want to share it with you. He ties it to the verse - "You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
"God, I surrender my hands, surrender my eyes, surrender my ears, surrender my feet to You today.
I want You to use this dying, decaying body to honor you somehow today.
I want to go where You want me to go.
I don't want to say what You don't want me to say.
I don't want to hear what You don't want me to hear.
I don't want to see what You don't want me to see.
I want to honor You in all I do.
Whatever the price for what I will miss seeing, hearing or feeling, I will pay to honor You. I will pay because I won't fall for the lie."
Short, sweet and to the point. It is warfare men. Put on the armor every single day and be aware.
Soar!
Monday, November 20, 2006
The Rut
As I have posted, I decided to take up deer hunting this year. I've bird hunted a lot but never deer hunted so this is a new adventure. It is also filling a part of my life I've longed to enjoy. I'm drawn to the woods - always have been. Saturday after I hunted, I took my youngest daughter and her friend on a hike in the woods behind our house. We discovered a huge hard wood with the most glorious yellow foliage I've ever seen. We found deer prints, coyote prints and a few other critter prints down near Heiferhorn creek. We spooked a deer in the woods. We pole-vaulted over the small rain creeks (the girls loved that!) and pretended to be on a treasure hunt. We came back and took my black lab back to the creek to let him swim (his reward for being such a good dog). It was a blast. Yesterday, I went back down to the creek to take pictures of the tree and as I walking back through the fall leaves I commented out loud, "How can anyone not love being in a place like this?" The glory of God is man fully alive. I am fully alive in the woods.
Back to the hunt. I have been in my stand each of the last 6 Saturdays and I have seen a deer every time. But I've never seen anything like what I saw this Saturday. The "Rut" is in - the female deer are "coming in" and their scent is everywhere. White-tail deer are one of the most cautious animals on earth. They have extraordinary hearing and scent detection and they can run, when spooked, like the wind. Yet, as cautious as they are, when the rut comes in, they throw caution to the wind.
When I got to the land Saturday morning at 6am, 3 of my buddies were there. They are all very experienced hunters so I am learning a lot just by listening. When I got there, Rich came up to me and said, "You're gonna be amazed this morning. I was in here yesterday and there are big tracks all up and down the road where your stand is. You're going to see a lot of movement today...be patient. You might get a shot at a decent 8-point but wait and be patient because there are some monsters crossing back and forth in here chasing these doe." He was right.
About 8:30 a doe came into my view grazing over to my left. I immediately knew to start looking for the buck. Sure enough, he came in right behind her. A small 8-point - big enough to legally shoot but not big enough for our group's rules so I sat back and watched. He followed all across the pine forest right in front of me. At one point, he got tired and lay down to watch her. I had him in my scope, clear as a bell, lying there watching this doe. He was captivated by her and all his other senses were turned off. He had no idea his death was but a slight pull of a trigger away.
About 30 minutes later, another doe trotted into my left and ran all the way across in front on me - slowly trotting. Two minutes later, in came a small 4-point following her scent with his nose to the ground like a beagle tracking a fox. I wasn't going to shoot him so I decided to see if I could spook him...I barked, grunted, whistled and hooted to try to get him to look up as he ran past me. But he kept his nose to the ground all the way across the pine forest like a dog on the scent. As he got to my far right, he lost her scent and began to back track his way. He worked his way back 1/2 way across my line of site (directly in front on me) and proceeded to walk directly to me. At 15-20 feet in front of me, he stopped and looked at me and then decided to bug out and leave.
Where was the legendary caution? Where was the training of nature? His ears and nose for caution were turned off and all he was thinking about was that doe. There is a lesson in that for us. We can learn a lot from watching the rut. Trophy deer get taken out during the rut. They abandon their years of training and their natural skittishness and throw caution to the wind for the chance to mate with the prime doe. Very often, it gets them killed.
How many a man has abandoned all caution to grab the prize only to be taken down? There is a lesson in here for us.
To end on a good note, I saw another doe about 9:30 and then departed my stand at 10:15 and headed home. Rich called me later that day and we traded stories about what we had seen. He said he came out about 10:30 and as he was walking down the road coming up past my stand, he saw a monster 8-point chasing a doe heading right toward my stand. He said he kept saying "Shoot Richard, shoot!" He couldn't figure out why I didn't shoot until he got to the trucks and realized I was gone.
The good note is that 1) Rich was right - had I stayed patient and waited, I would have had my shot at a trophy and 2) There is a monster right there in my zone. Hopefully over the Thanksgiving holiday, I will get another chance at him.
Soar!
As I have posted, I decided to take up deer hunting this year. I've bird hunted a lot but never deer hunted so this is a new adventure. It is also filling a part of my life I've longed to enjoy. I'm drawn to the woods - always have been. Saturday after I hunted, I took my youngest daughter and her friend on a hike in the woods behind our house. We discovered a huge hard wood with the most glorious yellow foliage I've ever seen. We found deer prints, coyote prints and a few other critter prints down near Heiferhorn creek. We spooked a deer in the woods. We pole-vaulted over the small rain creeks (the girls loved that!) and pretended to be on a treasure hunt. We came back and took my black lab back to the creek to let him swim (his reward for being such a good dog). It was a blast. Yesterday, I went back down to the creek to take pictures of the tree and as I walking back through the fall leaves I commented out loud, "How can anyone not love being in a place like this?" The glory of God is man fully alive. I am fully alive in the woods.
Back to the hunt. I have been in my stand each of the last 6 Saturdays and I have seen a deer every time. But I've never seen anything like what I saw this Saturday. The "Rut" is in - the female deer are "coming in" and their scent is everywhere. White-tail deer are one of the most cautious animals on earth. They have extraordinary hearing and scent detection and they can run, when spooked, like the wind. Yet, as cautious as they are, when the rut comes in, they throw caution to the wind.
When I got to the land Saturday morning at 6am, 3 of my buddies were there. They are all very experienced hunters so I am learning a lot just by listening. When I got there, Rich came up to me and said, "You're gonna be amazed this morning. I was in here yesterday and there are big tracks all up and down the road where your stand is. You're going to see a lot of movement today...be patient. You might get a shot at a decent 8-point but wait and be patient because there are some monsters crossing back and forth in here chasing these doe." He was right.
About 8:30 a doe came into my view grazing over to my left. I immediately knew to start looking for the buck. Sure enough, he came in right behind her. A small 8-point - big enough to legally shoot but not big enough for our group's rules so I sat back and watched. He followed all across the pine forest right in front of me. At one point, he got tired and lay down to watch her. I had him in my scope, clear as a bell, lying there watching this doe. He was captivated by her and all his other senses were turned off. He had no idea his death was but a slight pull of a trigger away.
About 30 minutes later, another doe trotted into my left and ran all the way across in front on me - slowly trotting. Two minutes later, in came a small 4-point following her scent with his nose to the ground like a beagle tracking a fox. I wasn't going to shoot him so I decided to see if I could spook him...I barked, grunted, whistled and hooted to try to get him to look up as he ran past me. But he kept his nose to the ground all the way across the pine forest like a dog on the scent. As he got to my far right, he lost her scent and began to back track his way. He worked his way back 1/2 way across my line of site (directly in front on me) and proceeded to walk directly to me. At 15-20 feet in front of me, he stopped and looked at me and then decided to bug out and leave.
Where was the legendary caution? Where was the training of nature? His ears and nose for caution were turned off and all he was thinking about was that doe. There is a lesson in that for us. We can learn a lot from watching the rut. Trophy deer get taken out during the rut. They abandon their years of training and their natural skittishness and throw caution to the wind for the chance to mate with the prime doe. Very often, it gets them killed.
How many a man has abandoned all caution to grab the prize only to be taken down? There is a lesson in here for us.
To end on a good note, I saw another doe about 9:30 and then departed my stand at 10:15 and headed home. Rich called me later that day and we traded stories about what we had seen. He said he came out about 10:30 and as he was walking down the road coming up past my stand, he saw a monster 8-point chasing a doe heading right toward my stand. He said he kept saying "Shoot Richard, shoot!" He couldn't figure out why I didn't shoot until he got to the trucks and realized I was gone.
The good note is that 1) Rich was right - had I stayed patient and waited, I would have had my shot at a trophy and 2) There is a monster right there in my zone. Hopefully over the Thanksgiving holiday, I will get another chance at him.
Soar!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Ransomed
Les Miserables is a great story and the introduction is a fabulous picture of the Gospel. Jean Val Jean is a criminal. He spent 19 years in jail for stealing food. He finds himself out of prison, alone, with no place to sleep except a park bench. By chance (now really, are there any "chances" in the Kingdom?), a lady approaches him and says to him, "You haven't knocked on that door...knock there".
Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
So Jean knocks on the door and the Bishop opens it. Jean says, "I am a criminal" and the Bishop says, "I know who you are, you are welcome in my home."
The Bishop takes Jean in, feeds him and gives him a bed for the night to which Jean says "A meal and a bed to sleep in - in the morning, I will be new man." Yet Jean is pulled by his old ways and he wakes up in the middle of the night and steals the Bishop's silverwear. When the Bishop stumbles across him in the darkness, Jean knocks him out and flees.
God offers and at times we knock Him to the floor, reject his offer of unconditional love and flee.
Jean is captured the next day and returned to the Bishop. The Bishop backs Jean's story and tells the police to let him go that he gave Jean the silver and wondered why he didn't also take the candlesticks he had offered him.
God's love outpours more than we can imagine...
Jean Val Jean is freed. The Bishop stares at him and says, "Don't forget, don't ever forget, you've promised to become a new man." (Born again?) Jean is speechless..."why are you doing this".
And then the key line, "Jean Val Jean my brother, you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred. Now I give you back to God."
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28
It is a remarkable piece of art that captures so clearly the Gospel. Jean did not deserve the Bishop's grace. He spit on the Bishop and stole from him. Yet, he was forgiven. He was given the Bishop's most valuable possession so he could begin his life as a "new man" - free of the bondage he was facing. Even after rejecting him, knocking him down and taking his most valued possession - even after all that, the Bishop "ransomed" his life and "bought" him out of his slavery to sin.
Soar!
Les Miserables is a great story and the introduction is a fabulous picture of the Gospel. Jean Val Jean is a criminal. He spent 19 years in jail for stealing food. He finds himself out of prison, alone, with no place to sleep except a park bench. By chance (now really, are there any "chances" in the Kingdom?), a lady approaches him and says to him, "You haven't knocked on that door...knock there".
Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
So Jean knocks on the door and the Bishop opens it. Jean says, "I am a criminal" and the Bishop says, "I know who you are, you are welcome in my home."
The Bishop takes Jean in, feeds him and gives him a bed for the night to which Jean says "A meal and a bed to sleep in - in the morning, I will be new man." Yet Jean is pulled by his old ways and he wakes up in the middle of the night and steals the Bishop's silverwear. When the Bishop stumbles across him in the darkness, Jean knocks him out and flees.
God offers and at times we knock Him to the floor, reject his offer of unconditional love and flee.
Jean is captured the next day and returned to the Bishop. The Bishop backs Jean's story and tells the police to let him go that he gave Jean the silver and wondered why he didn't also take the candlesticks he had offered him.
God's love outpours more than we can imagine...
Jean Val Jean is freed. The Bishop stares at him and says, "Don't forget, don't ever forget, you've promised to become a new man." (Born again?) Jean is speechless..."why are you doing this".
And then the key line, "Jean Val Jean my brother, you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred. Now I give you back to God."
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28
It is a remarkable piece of art that captures so clearly the Gospel. Jean did not deserve the Bishop's grace. He spit on the Bishop and stole from him. Yet, he was forgiven. He was given the Bishop's most valuable possession so he could begin his life as a "new man" - free of the bondage he was facing. Even after rejecting him, knocking him down and taking his most valued possession - even after all that, the Bishop "ransomed" his life and "bought" him out of his slavery to sin.
Soar!
Monday, November 13, 2006
War
If it is the heart, then it is also war. We are at war. The battle is over the heart.
"There was a war in heaven. Satan, who deceives the whole earth, was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him... he was overcome by the blood of the Lamb...Woe to the Earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath because his time is short...and the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." Revelation 12:7-17
There was war in heaven...
Satan was thrown down to earth as were his angels (demons)...
Woe to the earth because the devil has great wrath...
He was enraged with the woman...
And went off to make war with her offspring.
Satan is here. He is about making war with us and he is enraged. Pretty scary stuff. What does he rejoice in? Ted Haggard's fall. A man secretly trapped by pornography. An affair between a family man and a woman in his office. Greed taking over a man's decision making compromising his beliefs for the extra buck. A CEO seeking his own glory and riches ahead of the best interests of his employees and shareholders. All of these make the demons shout with glee.
I heard an interesting commentary about leadership - especially spiritual leadership. The speaker said, "You know the exceptionally bright, driven 25-year old employee who wants to be the CEO. He wants it bad. Yet, he is incredibly unprepared for that role. He is bright - no doubt - but he is immature. He isn't battle-tested. He hasn't seen the cycles to know when to expand and when to store dry powder. Those that crave power and responsibilty and leadership have no idea what they wish for."
Those that sit around and dream of becoming "the next Billy Graham", or the next spiritual leader of a church or community, have no idea what they are asking for. Satan prowls around looking for someone to devour. Who better than our spiritual leaders?
Satan came here to wage war. He is looking for men he can take out. Many a great leader has stumbled never to stand again - exactly the intent of the war. Take you out once and for all. Men, beware. Stand on guard. Watch your back. Watch the back's of your closest friends. Don't compromise. Don't let yourself get into situations where you can't escape. Be on guard.
The good news? "He was overcome by the blood of the Lamb."
Soar!
If it is the heart, then it is also war. We are at war. The battle is over the heart.
"There was a war in heaven. Satan, who deceives the whole earth, was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him... he was overcome by the blood of the Lamb...Woe to the Earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath because his time is short...and the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." Revelation 12:7-17
There was war in heaven...
Satan was thrown down to earth as were his angels (demons)...
Woe to the earth because the devil has great wrath...
He was enraged with the woman...
And went off to make war with her offspring.
Satan is here. He is about making war with us and he is enraged. Pretty scary stuff. What does he rejoice in? Ted Haggard's fall. A man secretly trapped by pornography. An affair between a family man and a woman in his office. Greed taking over a man's decision making compromising his beliefs for the extra buck. A CEO seeking his own glory and riches ahead of the best interests of his employees and shareholders. All of these make the demons shout with glee.
I heard an interesting commentary about leadership - especially spiritual leadership. The speaker said, "You know the exceptionally bright, driven 25-year old employee who wants to be the CEO. He wants it bad. Yet, he is incredibly unprepared for that role. He is bright - no doubt - but he is immature. He isn't battle-tested. He hasn't seen the cycles to know when to expand and when to store dry powder. Those that crave power and responsibilty and leadership have no idea what they wish for."
Those that sit around and dream of becoming "the next Billy Graham", or the next spiritual leader of a church or community, have no idea what they are asking for. Satan prowls around looking for someone to devour. Who better than our spiritual leaders?
Satan came here to wage war. He is looking for men he can take out. Many a great leader has stumbled never to stand again - exactly the intent of the war. Take you out once and for all. Men, beware. Stand on guard. Watch your back. Watch the back's of your closest friends. Don't compromise. Don't let yourself get into situations where you can't escape. Be on guard.
The good news? "He was overcome by the blood of the Lamb."
Soar!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
It is the heart...
It is the heart. The heart is what matters. We spend so much time and money on the body, the external, the view others see. We can polish up the outside and have everything looking perfect when the inside is rotting and decaying. The heart is dying. The world/Satan pitches in to help attacking us from all sides with the message of "conform or be castout". Sellout. "Just swear your oath to the king and we'll end the pain". When a man sells out - his heart dies. When a man accepts mediocrity and slumps into his lay-z-boy with a beer to dull the pain - his heart dies. When we dream great dreams and then say..."one day..." - a part of our heart dies.
But this isn't really what I want to talk about.
I have seen three incidents lately that speak to the heart.
I see a church of a friend at war with itself. Sides are being taken. Horrible things are being said. People are willing to "draw blood". Over what? "Things aren't the way they used to be, too much is changing." Nevermind that great things are happening for the kingdom - people are being saved, families are being healed, and even the budget is balanced. But oh no, folks are willing to totally rip the church apart due to egos, turf and control. The outside looks great but the heart is rotting and the damage could be catastrophic.
I see a school that is pretty on the outside. Beautiful new buildings are being built. Great things are being trumpeted about. The message is captivating. But parent after parent is beginning to say the same thing - "I wonder if anyone over there really cares about my child?" It is the heart. The outside is pretty but the heart is hurting. I sat with a mom this morning and she described the battle her 9th grade son is facing. He is an exceptional - I mean truly exceptional - student and athlete. As she described his struggles in the classroom and on the playing field, she burst into tears and she said "I just get the feeling none of them care - truly care - about my son." There are some sub-par teachers, counselors and administrators going through the motions working 8-to-4 with absolutely no passion for making a lifelong impact on children. But to the public, the message is "this is a truly outstanding place". It isn't the facade, it isn't what you say...it is the heart.
I see a business where the manager has done everything possible to pretty the place up. New carpet, new paint, new furniture, new sidewalks, new signs, bottled water and starbucks coffee. The "bling" is all there. The package looks about as pretty as it can. Yet, the heart is hurting. The people working there feel like "no one cares about me". The manager spends no time one-on-one with his people. He has made no effort to understand them or their business (the businesses that produce his paycheck). He cares about the external appearance but the business he is there to run is rotting beneath him and he doesn't even know it.
If you want to set the world on fire, if you want to change people's lives forever you go to heart. You can have the most outstanding school on earth in simple butler buildings if you get the heart right. A church can move mountains if it has the heart right and it doesn't need a $40 million campus to do it. A business can prosper and flourish as never before if it gets the heart right. It is the heart. Get the heart right and prepare to soar.
Soar!
It is the heart. The heart is what matters. We spend so much time and money on the body, the external, the view others see. We can polish up the outside and have everything looking perfect when the inside is rotting and decaying. The heart is dying. The world/Satan pitches in to help attacking us from all sides with the message of "conform or be castout". Sellout. "Just swear your oath to the king and we'll end the pain". When a man sells out - his heart dies. When a man accepts mediocrity and slumps into his lay-z-boy with a beer to dull the pain - his heart dies. When we dream great dreams and then say..."one day..." - a part of our heart dies.
But this isn't really what I want to talk about.
I have seen three incidents lately that speak to the heart.
I see a church of a friend at war with itself. Sides are being taken. Horrible things are being said. People are willing to "draw blood". Over what? "Things aren't the way they used to be, too much is changing." Nevermind that great things are happening for the kingdom - people are being saved, families are being healed, and even the budget is balanced. But oh no, folks are willing to totally rip the church apart due to egos, turf and control. The outside looks great but the heart is rotting and the damage could be catastrophic.
I see a school that is pretty on the outside. Beautiful new buildings are being built. Great things are being trumpeted about. The message is captivating. But parent after parent is beginning to say the same thing - "I wonder if anyone over there really cares about my child?" It is the heart. The outside is pretty but the heart is hurting. I sat with a mom this morning and she described the battle her 9th grade son is facing. He is an exceptional - I mean truly exceptional - student and athlete. As she described his struggles in the classroom and on the playing field, she burst into tears and she said "I just get the feeling none of them care - truly care - about my son." There are some sub-par teachers, counselors and administrators going through the motions working 8-to-4 with absolutely no passion for making a lifelong impact on children. But to the public, the message is "this is a truly outstanding place". It isn't the facade, it isn't what you say...it is the heart.
I see a business where the manager has done everything possible to pretty the place up. New carpet, new paint, new furniture, new sidewalks, new signs, bottled water and starbucks coffee. The "bling" is all there. The package looks about as pretty as it can. Yet, the heart is hurting. The people working there feel like "no one cares about me". The manager spends no time one-on-one with his people. He has made no effort to understand them or their business (the businesses that produce his paycheck). He cares about the external appearance but the business he is there to run is rotting beneath him and he doesn't even know it.
If you want to set the world on fire, if you want to change people's lives forever you go to heart. You can have the most outstanding school on earth in simple butler buildings if you get the heart right. A church can move mountains if it has the heart right and it doesn't need a $40 million campus to do it. A business can prosper and flourish as never before if it gets the heart right. It is the heart. Get the heart right and prepare to soar.
Soar!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
He came to bring us Life...
This is taken from John Eldredge's Daily email for today - ties in with what I wrote yesterday...
"The glory of God is man fully alive." (Saint Irenaeus)
When I first stumbled across this quote my initial reaction was . . . You’re kidding me. Really? I mean, is that what you’ve been told? That the purpose of God—the very thing he’s staked his reputation on—is your coming fully alive? Huh. Well, that’s a different take on things. It made me wonder, What are God’s intentions toward me? What is it I’ve come to believe about that? Yes, we’ve been told any number of times that God does care, and there are some pretty glowing promises given to us in Scripture along those lines. But on the other hand, we have the days of our lives, and they have a way of casting a rather long shadow over our hearts when it comes to God’s intentions toward us in particular. I read the quote again, “The glory of God is man fully alive,” and something began to stir in me. Could it be?
I turned to the New Testament to have another look, read for myself what Jesus said he offers. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Wow.
That’s different from saying, “I have come to forgive you. Period.” Forgiveness is awesome, but Jesus says here he came to give us life. Hmmm. Sounds like ol’ Irenaeus might be on to something.
“I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38).
The more I looked, the more this whole theme of life jumped off the pages. I mean, it’s everywhere.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).
“You have made known to me the path of life” (Ps. 16:11).
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
“Come to me to have life” (John 5:40).
“Tell the people the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20).
This is taken from John Eldredge's Daily email for today - ties in with what I wrote yesterday...
"The glory of God is man fully alive." (Saint Irenaeus)
When I first stumbled across this quote my initial reaction was . . . You’re kidding me. Really? I mean, is that what you’ve been told? That the purpose of God—the very thing he’s staked his reputation on—is your coming fully alive? Huh. Well, that’s a different take on things. It made me wonder, What are God’s intentions toward me? What is it I’ve come to believe about that? Yes, we’ve been told any number of times that God does care, and there are some pretty glowing promises given to us in Scripture along those lines. But on the other hand, we have the days of our lives, and they have a way of casting a rather long shadow over our hearts when it comes to God’s intentions toward us in particular. I read the quote again, “The glory of God is man fully alive,” and something began to stir in me. Could it be?
I turned to the New Testament to have another look, read for myself what Jesus said he offers. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Wow.
That’s different from saying, “I have come to forgive you. Period.” Forgiveness is awesome, but Jesus says here he came to give us life. Hmmm. Sounds like ol’ Irenaeus might be on to something.
“I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38).
The more I looked, the more this whole theme of life jumped off the pages. I mean, it’s everywhere.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).
“You have made known to me the path of life” (Ps. 16:11).
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
“Come to me to have life” (John 5:40).
“Tell the people the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20).
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