This morning I lead worship at church. I love leading people in worshipping the Creator of the Universe. As we finished our worship set I went and sat down by my wife. Sitting there God spoke to me. I have to say that God doesn’t always speak so clearly to me as He did this morning.
I led four very powerful songs that talked about who God is. One song about being Beautiful another about Him being mighty to save, and another about Him being a Healer. As I was sitting there in my comfy little church seat God said to me, “all of those songs are great, but you’re not living like I am all of those things”. I have to admit that I was completely cut to the quick. He is so right. After I thought about it for a few minutes it became strikingly clear to me that God was completely right. I have not been living like God is a healer, mighty to save, or beautiful. I have been living as though God is Beautiful, Mighty to Save, and a Healer on Sunday and then come Monday I go back to living my own way.
This is not to say that I live an awful life away from church, I just don’t think about God or talk to Him as much as I know He wants me to. My relationship with God has been for the most part silent over the last few weeks. Until today that is when He broke in and gave me this revelation.
It is so easy to get comfortable living own little world in my own little life that I start thinking that I can do it on my own. When the reality is that I am nothing more than dead without Christ. When I gave my life to Christ I was saying that I want this relationship with You. I am Your child and I want You to be my Father and my Friend.
This is just one more time in my life that God spoke softly into my life and woke me up to continue my relationship with Him. I was reminded today that my relationship with God is allot of work and that I need to continue to work harder than ever to keep from becoming complacent.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
How Can One Love So Much
I just read my wife's last post and I have to say that I have never seen anyone with so much love. She doesn't have to say she loves the child that is growing inside of her, I can see it in her eyes. every time she feels the baby move or kick she gets this sparkle in her eyes that says "I love this little one".
I cannot help but compare the joy of pregnancy to our relationship with God. We might get a glimpse of God through an ultrasound of Him through His word. We may never see God in His whole glorious form (until heaven at least, but we can feel Him move and kick us when we need it.
I think God wants us to love Him as if we will see Him one day soon. Just like Renee lives with the expectation that she will see the little one that is inside of her we too need to live with the expectation that we will see Jesus. We should have that same kind of love for Him as a new mother has for her child.
I cannot help but compare the joy of pregnancy to our relationship with God. We might get a glimpse of God through an ultrasound of Him through His word. We may never see God in His whole glorious form (until heaven at least, but we can feel Him move and kick us when we need it.
I think God wants us to love Him as if we will see Him one day soon. Just like Renee lives with the expectation that she will see the little one that is inside of her we too need to live with the expectation that we will see Jesus. We should have that same kind of love for Him as a new mother has for her child.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
From Renee
It feels like it’s finally hitting me. There is a life growing inside of me.
How blessed am I? That God would choose me to parent and love one of his Creations? I can’t stop looking at the little black and white picture of this sweet little baby. Every little poke and kick resonates within my heart, and love overflows.
How blessed am I? That God would choose me to parent and love one of his Creations? I can’t stop looking at the little black and white picture of this sweet little baby. Every little poke and kick resonates within my heart, and love overflows.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Stand By Me
My wife and I just finished watching the classic movie Stand By Me. I have never seen the movie all the way through until today. I think it actually quickly became one of my favorite movies of all time. It is a great story of four friends that go on the hunt for a dead kid in a few towns over.
However, while the storyline was pretty good it was more the relationship between the boys that caught me in the movie. There just seemed to be an inseparable bond between the four of them.
This was a great movie for me to watch today. I just got back from spending some time with a few men from church at what we call "MAN CAMP". We spent time shooting skeet, doing a relay race, and eating five pound steaks the size of a mans head. I was not able to take part in all of the fun, I had knee surgery almost two weeks ago now and have been in an immobilizer. I was able to shoot skeet (which was awesome), but that again is not what I took away from today.
I found today that there are some amazing men in my church community. They may not look like it when their women are around, but these men love deeply and care for each other in a very deep way. They would give their life for one another. While we all talk a hard game we love each other. Kind of like the boys in "Stand By Me".
The boys talk a hard game, but their bond goes deep. This is why I love spending time with men out in the wilderness of life. It is in this time of life when boys become men and men become warriors. There are so many things that come up against men on a daily basis. For me Satan comes against me with the sin of lust. I am sure I am not the only man that falls into this trap. In fact I think if the men in our lives were honest most of them would say they struggle with some form of lust.
However, even though men fall into this trap that Satan sets up on a daily basis I can tell you that if the men in our faith communities around the world would come together and stand together and stand firm Satan would take a huge hit to his offensive. My gender needs to stand up to the sin of lust, stand firm, link arms, and fight we would see men starting to come alive in their faith. They would have a renewed hope, and they would be able to love with a relentless love.
There is something about spending time with men that makes something come alive in my soul. Something ruff and strong wells up in my bowels that gives me a strength that in seem to forget God has given me.
So to all the men reading this today, step out of your comfort zone, let go of your overwhelming urge to run away, and spend some quality time with the men in your life. Get out and go camping, just the guys, or shoot some guns together. Just do something together, that way you get to know the guy in the trenches next to you. In this way you can have his back and he can have your's. Get out there and live life together.
However, while the storyline was pretty good it was more the relationship between the boys that caught me in the movie. There just seemed to be an inseparable bond between the four of them.
This was a great movie for me to watch today. I just got back from spending some time with a few men from church at what we call "MAN CAMP". We spent time shooting skeet, doing a relay race, and eating five pound steaks the size of a mans head. I was not able to take part in all of the fun, I had knee surgery almost two weeks ago now and have been in an immobilizer. I was able to shoot skeet (which was awesome), but that again is not what I took away from today.
I found today that there are some amazing men in my church community. They may not look like it when their women are around, but these men love deeply and care for each other in a very deep way. They would give their life for one another. While we all talk a hard game we love each other. Kind of like the boys in "Stand By Me".
The boys talk a hard game, but their bond goes deep. This is why I love spending time with men out in the wilderness of life. It is in this time of life when boys become men and men become warriors. There are so many things that come up against men on a daily basis. For me Satan comes against me with the sin of lust. I am sure I am not the only man that falls into this trap. In fact I think if the men in our lives were honest most of them would say they struggle with some form of lust.
However, even though men fall into this trap that Satan sets up on a daily basis I can tell you that if the men in our faith communities around the world would come together and stand together and stand firm Satan would take a huge hit to his offensive. My gender needs to stand up to the sin of lust, stand firm, link arms, and fight we would see men starting to come alive in their faith. They would have a renewed hope, and they would be able to love with a relentless love.
There is something about spending time with men that makes something come alive in my soul. Something ruff and strong wells up in my bowels that gives me a strength that in seem to forget God has given me.
So to all the men reading this today, step out of your comfort zone, let go of your overwhelming urge to run away, and spend some quality time with the men in your life. Get out and go camping, just the guys, or shoot some guns together. Just do something together, that way you get to know the guy in the trenches next to you. In this way you can have his back and he can have your's. Get out there and live life together.
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