Reflections of Grace
It's been one of those months. A life long friend's daughter lost a classmate in a playground accident. Moving from a moment of carefree joy and bliss, a 9 year old child stepped into eternity with Christ feeling a joy and bliss never known by anyone. I was at a loss and didn't know what to say but try to show my dear friend the glory this little one now has.
I felt a need to visit my brother down in Mississippi so I went. Even though I felt discouraged when my plans to improve their church website wasn't going to happen. To top it off everything else we wanted to do wasn't going to happen either. I was wondering then, why did God want me to visit my brother when nothing happened as I hoped. I didn't drive from Kansas to Mississippi as a planned vacation but to get things done.
I was staying up late Friday at my brothers and was on facebook when a new found friend posted about the death of a close cousin under difficult circumstances. I was at a loss and didn't really know what to say. I told my friend, be strong for all we have is grace and I shared the story of my brother's ex-wife's death. As I prayed for my friend I couldn't help but relate and think about what my brother went through. Grace is all we have.
Just moments ago we left my brother's church and started headed back home. What many of you might not realize (unless you have read my post Grace) is after all my brother has been through, he adores God with all his heart. Things that would drive most men to hate and make them cower away, my brother has been pulled through, by the perfect Grace of God. More alive now than the day before and it all because of a choice he made to follow Christ, no matter what came up against him.
Regardless of the pain and the problems that we face we make that choice every day. You can get up and accept the Grace that God offers you or you can lay in that bed and rot away into the earth. Breath in the life that you have been offered and make a mark on the world in the name of our Creator God and Jesus Christ who takes our sins away.
Not knowing what God brought me to Mississippi to see, my brother sang this song while playing his guitar.
Sometimes God just ask you drive 700 miles to hear and see His Grace in action.
Definition of………you.
Defining moments. Everyone has one. A point in your life where you said enough is enough and this is who I am.
A few months back I went to the NCO Academy and the class of, 13 of my AF peers whom I have never met, was talking about diversity among people. Extremist, gays, racist, and groups like that started coming up. Topics like how one group was always pushing for freedoms they already have. Then the discussions started focusing on Christians. Not extremist, nope but people like you, me, my mom and dad. That button I have, well it got pushed pretty hard and I interjected as one of 13.
I then told the story of my trip to Al Udeid Air Base. In my shop I had several guys who loved playing death metal and hard rock music with lots of cussing and all that nonsense. It was blaring loud as could be over the stereo system echoing down the halls into every room. After a few days of this I brought my MP3 player in and started playing Christian music over that same big stereo system. A few guys commented on the music but not hating on it. We started trading fair time on the stereo and everyone remained happy. But then something happened, people started coming out of the wood work and started telling me that they was Christian. We would talk about books and church and had a good time just knowing someone else was there to lean on. One afternoon, a few weeks into my deployment, my Commander called me into his office. I had no idea why but it's generally not a good thing when this happens. I Stood there in front of the Commander's big heavy fake oak desk with sweaty palms as he began commenting on the music that was playing. It was my music. (UGGG!!) Then to my surprise he thanked me for bringing Christian music into the work center because it eased the tensions of the people and made his day considerably better. He was very sincere and dismissed me with a handshake. All I could do was thank God for that moment, a moment that I will never forget.
Everyone in my class got quite as I told them- I am a Christian. One of those Christians they was talking down on and I then explained away a few of their misconceptions. My peers knew who I was and respected that the rest of the time we was together. It was a Hell or high water moment because I didn't know how anyone would react. I could be shunned and the NCO course would be near impossible for me or I would be accepted and bring Christians out into the open once again. God gave me the push and guided me through both those times with me giving glory to Father God.
If you haven't had that moment yet you need to step out when God gives you that nudge. Shining the light God has given you is wonderful thing because for me it felt if I was given a warm embrace and calming peace from Him. It didn't matter to me because God was assuring me that I was going to be taken care of. You may have had a defining moment and I would love to hear about it so please just take a moment to comment here or on facebook.
Zero
What if I told you there was nothing to gain and no reward in following Christ?
What if I told you that you have to give up everything you own and leave everyone you know behind?
What if I showed you the life of a Christian was hard and painful with little rest? Is this true?
Come to Christ as if it is.
The glory of God is not in the gold or the beauty of a rainbow. His majesty is not in the mountains nor is his power in the storm. His grace is not in the coolness of the gentle breeze. These things can only give you a glimpse of the strength of God.
1 Kings 19:11-12
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
There is coming a day when all things will pass away. Our children will be placed in the ground and our cities will fall into dust. The blindness of those who do not believe and those who did not listen will be stripped away and the light of Christ will flood our souls with truth. Everything you thought you hid and everything you ever did will be opened to him. Is your motivation to be a Christian to see the miracles? Is your drive to Church fueled by the entertainment or the social interaction? There are going to be millions upon millions who have let themselves be fooled into thinking they was doing right and when they stand in judgment they will not see joy.
Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
You have to come to Christ humbled and surrendered seeking only the Love of God. When you find that love this all will make perfect sense to you. Your motivation will change and your only desire will be to follow Him. Prayer will change from asking for money to asking for guidance and opportunity. You will do everything you can to get closer to Him and His presence will be the reward. Jesus Christ says it here very clearly:
Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
You need to understand that being a Christian isn't about peace but it's about fighting to be everything God wants you to be.
Don't stay in that comfort zone but step out and face the waves because Jesus didn't walk across a still pond but a raging sea!
God will guard and protect you. He alone will make your way. He will give you healing and cure sickness when you are least expecting.
Come seeking nothing but expecting everything!
760 degrees
Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Pay careful attention to that last line....
But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods...
Christianity has become a world of beg beg beg and give God nothing because nothing has He given us. That's the mind set many many people have in Church today. Now I talked about this a bit in my post We are Healed... but here I want to shine a different light on this subject.
People tend to come to Christ only to be the lame man by the pool. You've heard the Bible story (John 5:1-18) about the cripple man who laid by the pool who couldn't get in the water when it was stirred. I often wonder if this man really really wanted to be healed. I mean, he laid by this pool for some 38 years and hundreds of times the pool had been stirred and yet the man couldn't ever make it into the pool. We often lay on that cripple man's mat and never ever make the effort to get into the pool. A little secret, Jesus didn't heal that man for his own sake. He did it so others might believe in Him.
So what am I talking about? Point Blank- When a Pastor makes the call for the sick and needy to come to the alter to ask for prayer... I think, what are these people doing for God? A lady isn't walking and is pushed to the front in a wheel chair. Many people limping or sniffling towards the alter. People crying out to God for help for many thing. But when the pastor ends the service how many will leave and go home to sit in front of the TV till next Sunday's alter call? I never had much luck winning the lottery so why should God heal these people? Is God thinking- I'm going to bless Mrs Heartbroken because she prayed and cried a lot more than everyone else down front this Sunday. Honestly, think about that, but don't get all hot under the collar just yet. Look up top to that very first Bible verse I quoted from Daniel.
Who or what is your Nebuchadnezzar?
You serve God no matter what with all you are through that pain and strive to be more than you are. If you are stuck in a wheel chair push yourself through that fire and honor Christ by being a witness that even though you are in that chair you love God with all your heart. No matter if it is the flames of a furnace or a sore knee that clicks when you bend down you push forward and get into that pool. If you do this with an honest and true heart, that no matter if God saves you from this pain or not, you're still in his hands. He will take care of you.
One famous quote that people often say that is from the Bible but isn't, is well fitting here.
God helps those who help themselves. -Benjamin Franklin
I honestly believe those who are not afraid and are willing to walk into the furnace will see the Power of God.
Show me where to step Father so I can firmly place my feet.
Swimming
It's been a while since I've posted because I've been really busy with life. The military isn't a 9 to 5 job because it's filled with deployments, TDY's and week long exercises. Coworkers and family added in can drain a person physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's like trying to swim to a shoreline you can't see. On top of all this we recently changed churches. Even though I loved that church it wasn't able to provide everything we needed as a family.
It's easy to loose focus on where I want to be and where I need to be. So I pray for strength and guidance looking for opportunity to bang me right on my forehead. Hoping that I soon can reach those celestial shores.