Maybe they’re right. Maybe He’s not really worth it. Or.....

Maybe they’re right. Maybe He’s not really worth it.

Maybe we SHOULD keep our thoughts of Him to ourselves. Maybe our Christ-walk IS just a private thing. Maybe our Facebook and blog posts (and our other daily interactions) SHOULD be only about vacations, parties, new toys and beautiful children. Maybe we’re all powerhouse Christians with no need for reminders, encouragement, or shared testimonies. Maybe He DID JUST DIE so you and I could be saved and then go on with our lives like nothing happened. Maybe He IS just a picture on the back bedroom wall (or back corner of our hearts). Maybe all these who wish we’d just “shut up about Jesus already!” maybe they’re right. Maybe He’s NOT really worth it.

Or............ Maybe He IS The SON of the only HOLY ALMIGHTY GOD! Maybe He DID die so you and I could escape eternal burning hell and live eternally in perfect joy and abundance! Maybe He IS the answer to every problem we face, even today!

Maybe He IS our Life, our Hope, our Joy, our Peace, our Provider, our Strength, our Refuge, our Rock and Redeemer, our Salvation, our Mediator, our Intercession, our Advocate, our Bridegroom, our Shepherd, our Peace, our Righteousness, our Glory, our Maker, our Saviour, our Brother, our Portion, our Helper, our Physician, our Refiner, our Purifier, our Lord and Master, our Example, our Teacher, our Keeper, our Feeder, our Leader, our Restorer, our Resting Place, our Meat, our Drink, our Passover, our Wisdom, our Righteousness, our Sanctification, our Redeemer, our Ransom and Offering, the Chief Corner Stone, the Great High Priest, the Resurrection, the Alpha and Omega, the Highest, the Lord Jehovah, the Sacrificial Slain Lamb of God, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Door, the Vine, the Bread of Life, the Rose of Sharon, the Lilly of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the Light of the World, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Prince of Life, the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Princes, the King of Earth, the Word of God, the Word of Life, the First Born Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah, Emmanuel, the Anointed One, the Holy One of God, Yahweh, Jehovah, the One and Only Begotten of the Father, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, our ALL…. IN…. ALL!!!

Or maybe such thoughts and words should be left to the extremist street-corner preacher or televangelist. And maybe this is not for anyone else. Maybe it’s just for me. But today, He IS worth it to me!

You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!

We've likely all been around those people who we know have heard this their whole lives. And at times I've wondered how that continual message affects those people and how well they adjust to it. How do such words affect their mentality, how they feel about themselves (appropriately or not), and how they relate to those who complement them and to the rest of the world.

Then it occurs to me. My whole life and every moment of every day God has been telling me that "I" am the most beautiful thing He's ever seen. Mind boggling, I know! My next thought? How are those words affecting me, and how well am I adjusting to them? How does His continual message affect my mentality, how I feel about myself, and how I relate to Him and to the rest of the world?    

Hebrews 10:14    For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Psalms 139:14    I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Genesis 1:26, 31    Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

1 John 3:1    See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Colossians 2:10   And in Christ you have been brought to fullness.

Galatians 3:26    For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.   

(And the list could go on and on)

When traveling alone feels right

By my nature I am not a loner. I LOVE people! I'm called to! But I have seemingly been forced or fallen into a situation where I have lived and functioned very alone for many years. (Of course understanding that Christ is always there) And sometimes that "traveling alone" doesn't feel very good. Yet other times, regardless of how alone one may feel in one respect, it can still feel SO very right in another. Because....... when you KNOW you are traveling the correct path, even alone and "crazy to all observers," nothing else feels quite as right.    

Attention-getting Christians or something else?

As Christians we don't live to draw attention to ourselves or to appear unique or crazy or "special" to the world or even to parts of the "church." We live to edify Christ. That's it! That's our goal! That's our purpose! It's all about Him!

And if we do that, if He truly IS our passion, then by HIS uniqueness living through us we WILL draw attention and appear unique or crazy or even get us labeled as attention-getting people who think we are "special." Yet, in this form of living ANY kind of "special" is ALL GOD and no self! The world just can't see it. Because they don't yet know it (true intimacy with Christ).  

In spite of the critics our focus must remain - Christ alone be edified, through us!

I want to scream!

I want to scream!!!

But what I need to do is "rent my heart."

As I turn on the news (which I did yesterday for the first time in months, though I follow some through my computer), as I listen to many of the political voices, as I watch even the most innocent TV programming like HGTV or RFDTV, as I listen to TV preachers and their Facebook posts, as I watch even my friends' Facebook posts, and even as I listen to my own mind at times, I just want to scream! I want to jump in front of people (including myself at times) and scream "Stop it! You are SO out of perspective!!!" And sadly, I see this even for so much of the current day "Christian" community. I must restrain myself from going around all day critically slamming the insane words that I keep hearing. It's all I can do to keep my mouth shut! And yes, I get frustrated with the voice in my own mind as well!

And this issue isn't always that what they (we) are saying is totally wrong. Some of it has a form of truth, (a form of godliness?? 2 Tim 3:5) though so often completely out of context or perspective. The problem is that it's focus is so very often wrong. So much of it is about SELF, about what WE want, about OUR needs, about OUR blessings, about OUR situation turning around. That's NOT our call! That's NOT what our focus it supposed to be! Our focus is supposed to be death to self, and brokenness to self. And a reverence for Holy God. A "what do YOU desire OF me?" Not, "What can I get FROM you?" It's a very sad fact that many of us have made our faith all about US. The wife of the leading TV ministry even says that our faith isn't about God, it's about us. And the "preacher's messages" speak essentially the same thing. Are you kidding me?!!! THAT is our problem!!!

What can we do? I believe that we must take our eyes and ears off of everything else but God. And that includes many who claim to speak His Word. And then get on our faces before Holy God and get in His Word and die to our desires and get broken to self and alive to Him. I'm not talking about getting excited. Getting excited is mostly just about getting excited. I'm talking about getting right with God. I'm talking about a whole other level of sincerity and time with Him and I'm talking about closing the door on the input from the sources that are drawing us away from our call to broken yieldedness to Him. I'm talking about truly getting intimate with Christ and making Him our singular heart-wrenching focus! We need to burn all the books about being "called to be blessed" and "called to be an example by our level of blessing" and about "called to be happy" and then we need to get on our knees and read the Book about "called to be Holy" and "called to be HIS." And as a secondary effect, we'll get happy and we'll get blessed!!! But our focus is HIM!!!!

And I am responsible for it to happen with ME!!!!

Joel 2: 12-13b
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments."
(all of Joel 2 is worth a read as it talks about the dangers of not doing so and the potential blessings of doing so. Numerous other Scriptures apply to this topic as well)

"Dress For Success"

"Dress For Success"

This is the title of one of the many success and motivation books I read in my corporate business years. If one knew my background they might even say that I was bred and trained to impress and achieve, not that anyone could tell it now a days.    :)

But things are a bit different in God's eyes. He's not impressed with how we look outwardly and to an extent He's not even impressed with our achievements. He says that the very best of our good doings (works, achievements, good deeds) are still as the most filthy of rags in His eyes. (Isa  64:6)

So what then does impress God? It's the last thing that our fleshly thinking might expect. It's our brokenness, our emptiness, our denying self and simply looking to Him. No impressing. No proving. No achieving. No "dressing for success." It's our emptiness and brokenness to self and a passionate awe and desire for greater intimacy with Him.

Ps 51:16-17
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Isa 66:2b
But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Lk 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

If Jesus Came to Visit You Today

I'm setting here doing therapy and just wondering, how would I live my life if Jesus came to visit me today?

What would be the first words out of my mouth as I awoke?
What would I do prior to breakfast?
Would I pray at breakfast and other meals?
Would I have a quiet time with Him in the morning or a devotional at breakfast? How rushed would it be?
What would my drive in to work be like?
Would I take Him along to work or would I leave home alone till later, or even until Sunday?
What would my work decisions be like?
Would I put a different focus or level of quality on my work?
What would my coffee lounge conversations be like?
How would I communicate with employees and customers?
Would I talk with and consult Him all day or would I leave Him setting alone in the lounge?
Would I make the same stops after work?
Would I say and think the same things in 5:30 traffic?
Would I get home, have an instant dinner, and drop in the recliner with the TV on for all evening or the video games or facebook gaming sites, or would I find something that Jesus might rather prefer doing with me?
Would I respond to my spouse in the usual manner?
Would I discipline the children in the same way?
Would I spent a different level of quality time with them?
Would I put them to bed in the same manner?
Would I use my private time after dinner in the usual manner?
Would I go to the same movie Friday evening or the same club on Saturday night?
Would I prepare for sleep in the same way as usual?
As I roll over in bed to go to sleep, what would be my last thoughts and words of the day?

I'm sure I left out many activities of your or my day, but I'm just sitting here wondering how much like usual our day would be, if Jesus came to visit you or me today?

You know, He did visit you (and me) today.