How Dare You?

Are you an investor? I think it must take a lot of nerve to put large sums of money into stuff and then hope that someday it'll pay off! I suppose it's kind of like the lottery, they say you can't win if you don't play but there are others who believe that you can't lose what you don't bet...I've been told that relationships are work, as if they're a task or a job that has to be done and that may be true...it would explain why so many don't work! I think it's also true that you first must venture something before it's possible to see a return of it, let alone to see a return on it! We sow seeds hoping for a crop and although there's a reasonable expectation of a result it's still not a for sure thing. I'm drawing comparisons here to various things that involve risk so that I can talk about what most people perceive to be the greatest one of all,

loving people!

Allow me to clarify, I feel as though I need to because there are so many concepts people have about what that means. I'm talking about the type of love that can and most likely will cost you everything. The type that never stops to count the cost before acting or that leaves no room for compromise or half measures. It's an all consuming obsession that's primarily characterized by selflessness and a concern for what's in the best interest of it's "object" which of course is so much more than a thing to them...

it's their everything!

Many people practice a much more conditional definition of love as in,

"I love you as long as times are good or until you do something I disapprove of."

Another common example is the idea that I love you until it becomes inconvenient for me or until my feelings for you result in a "heartache" on my part at which point we're through. Some people do see love as an investment, and as such they have some very definite ideas about what they expect in return and while I do believe that love always comes back to us I don't think that anyone truly gives love only because of what they expect to receive in return.

Having said that I'd also like to say that even though expecting a return on our love investment is not in character, that when we do give, sow, invest, or commit ourselves to truly loving someone the return is guaranteed! Perhaps not in the way we might expect or from the person whom we've loved but just as the rising sea levels of a harbor lifts all ships we benefit from bringing more love into the world! Like am electrical wire with current flowing through it, we're warmed by it's passage!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM-gZintWDc&w=640&h=390]

I'd like to be able to say that I've loved that way, but what Robin Williams said about loving something more than yourself kind of left me hollow, I find it's quite a struggle for me to love something more than I fear being rejected by it...

I'm also floored to know that this is how God loves each of us, except it's actually so much more than I can even comprehend. He sent His only Son Jesus to be our redeemer even though I'm sure He knew that many would reject this supreme act of love!

Thank You Father for Your infinite love, please change my heart to allow Your love to shine through me more, and for me to see the fear in my life for the liar that it is!

Do I dare?

How dare you?

Against The Wall

All of us enjoy a good story, but what is it that makes a story good? I suppose that's an entirely subjective question, one that if I knew the answer to I'd be writing screenplays or books instead of this blog! But I don't think I'd be too far off the mark if I were to say that most people are drawn to a couple of specific things. Most people love hero's. They inspire us with their courage and their "never say die" attitude. It's their charisma, confidence, leadership and direction that compels us to follow them. I was ready to fight in the Roman Colosseum myself after listening to Russell Crowe lay out the simple facts of life and death to a band of hopeless slaves as Maximus in the movie

"Gladiator"

"Whatever comes out of these gates...

we've got a better chance of survival if we work together! Lock your shields! Stay as one!

Stories about brotherhood, love and honor that through their medium remind us that there are no dress rehearsals in life...that it's all real and it all counts

"Good Will Hunting"

Let me tell you what I do know. Everyday I come by to pick you up, and we go out drinkin' or whatever and we have a few laughs. But you know what the best part of my day is? The ten seconds before I knock on the door 'cause I let myself think I might get there, and you'd be gone. I'd knock on the door and you wouldn't be there. You just left.

This next scene always gets to me, some people take love and friendship very,very, seriously

What problems does he have, Sean? that he is better off as a janitor or in jail or hanging around with--

And why does he hang out with his friends? Because any one of those kids would come in here and take a bat to your head if he asked them to. It's called loyalty!

Most great stories are about overcoming adversity of some kind, we love to pull for the underdog! We seem to identify with people who find themselves fighting the good fight for the sake of all against evil and insurmountable odds. Typically they've got nothing going for them other than their heart and the fact that they have nothing left to lose and everything to gain.

Years ago I heard a story about a football team in a championship game. Things weren't going well at all and they had taken a pretty bad beating over the course of the afternoon. With only minutes left in the game, and what would be their last possession, they had the ball deep in their own territory. They needed only one touchdown to win but as they walked towards the huddle that goal seemed impossible, they all felt as though they were already beaten. As they leaned in together to hear the Quarterback's final direction, this is what he told them.

"Good job guys, I think we've got 'em just where we want them...They've counted us out, they think we're whipped, and my guess is that most of them are already thinking about what their going to do after the game is over, but I'll tell you what we're going to do right now! After that ball is snapped we're going to completely take them by surprise, we're going to play like it's the first play of the game instead of the last, like a team that knows it's going to win! I look around at all of your faces and I know you want to win, well I'm telling you how we will, and that's together! Men, no victory is as sweet as one that is pulled from the fearsome jaws of defeat, seize this moment, it's yours for the taking!

Perhaps you're wondering if there's some point I'm trying to make with all of this or if maybe I've decided to turn this into a film review blog. If so, hold on...

Do you hear that grinding noise? Don't be alarmed, that's just me changing gears.

There's a story that's playing out all around each and every one of us everyday. It's about us individually and the church as a whole.Our combined stories are all part of a much bigger story that we also have a role in. It's a grand drama, a classic tale of good and evil with hero's and villains, winners and losers, it's a full cast! Some of you probably know what I'm talking about, the rest of you think I'm nuts, that's okay.

Anyway...

As I see it this little story is kind of coming down to a scenario that reminds me a great deal of the examples I mentioned. We are indeed behind, and we appear to be losing ground on just about every front. We've taken some hard hits and been thrown to the ground. Through clever tactics, our enemy has succeeded in dividing us and causing us to fight among ourselves in order that his plans might go undisturbed. Even now, he's infiltrated our ranks and seeks to maintain this subversion by sowing complacency and preaching comfort. We've been led to believe there is no battle, that instead this boat we're on a is a luxury cruise liner instead of a battleship. And yet, right before our eye's he's savagely attacked each of our families. The deeds he's committed are so reprehensible that our minds recoil in disgust and we must turn away!

Now is not the time to wring our hands in hopeless despair, or to mourn what's been lost.

Instead NOW is the time that we must attack!

In order for us to be successful it's going to require that we all put aside our differences and come to a new agreement as to what is our common goal. We need a plan that involves putting our strengths against his weakness's. One that he can have no defense against because each of us is more than willing to die if necessary to accomplish it.

"We represent the kingdom of heaven and the living God, and to reveal them to mankind is what we live for and stand for and are ready to die for."

Bless God

John G. Lake

Sound extreme? I've no doubt that some people who read this will mistakenly equate or compare what I'm talking about with the kind of violent acts committed by terrorists but nothing could be further from the truth. It's only love that can conquer hate, and so it's only through love that any real victory can be won!

It's easy for actors like Russell Crowe who are playing a role to be brave when they know what's going to happen in the end. Well guess what, I've read how our story ends and we should be SO much bolder!

As members of the body of Christ and of Gods one true church we should have the kind of love for each other that puts a bond between us that nothing can break, we should be loyal servants of each other! If we're more concerned with our possessions or if we can't see beyond the temporal nature of this present world then we'll always be vulnerable to being infected with the disease of "self " and will be of little use to Gods Kingdom in this battle.

Where do you see yourself in this unfolding drama? You might be among those who don't believe or who won't understand it until the very last days when the fight is on your doorstep. You're much braver than me if your counting on having an opportunity to make the right choice then when you finally realize that it's your back that's...against the wall

The "Real" Jesus

When asked about his taste in music, Ray Charles was once quoted as saying,

"There's only two kinds of music, those kinds being good and bad"

and that's a statement to which I wholeheartedly agree!

I'm not a big fan of most Christian music, sadly, like so many endeavors which are labeled as "Christian" it seems as though the quality of the products produced are lower than those of their secular counterparts. When people talk about books, music, movies or whatever which are produced by Christians inevitably you'll hear their work patronized with statement's such as

"It was pretty good, for a Christian writer,musician,comedian,etc..."

As if there's an unspoken but well understood lower standard involved.

And that's messed up...

I consider myself to be a fairly typical person, but then again perhaps I'm just caught up in my own "delusions of adequacy." I think perhaps a case could be made either way regarding me, but I digress. When I meet people I hope they notice something different about me, I would hope that they would perhaps feel loved in some way! I don't wear a crucifix outside of my shirt for people to see or have a WWJD wrist bracelet on. If I've never met you before, I probably won't ask you where you attend church within the first ten minutes of a conversation. Some people stress about sharing the gospel or "witnessing" as it's called, but sometimes the most "Christ-like" thing we can do is just to listen to people.

When people meet me I don't want them to see a stereotype, I want them to meet the real me.

I am a Christian, but I'm not "Ned Flanders"...(nothing against Ned)

I think that Jesus was a very real person!

Not only in a physical sense but also in terms of how He related to people out of a genuine love for them.

Throughout the bible Jesus' personality is displayed in many ways. Some of my favorite examples are from His various confrontation's with the scribes and pharisee's. This one in particular speaks to me of His sense of humor in dealing with them.

Matthew 9:5

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Jesus perceives their thoughts accusing Him of blasphemy after His forgiveness of sins. I can imagine Him being somewhat confounded by their attitudes, but His reaction is to love and teach them. He begins by turning the question back on them by asking "whether is easier" which is actually rhetorical in that He knows they can't truthfully say or do either. Jesus seems to be seeking counsel from these great scholars of the law while simultaneously proving Himself to be God and them to be fools!

Jesus, you crack me up!

Another of the more prevalent stereotypes of Christian people has to do with the idea that all of them are pacifists. The perception is of them being people who would never raise their voice in anger or resort to violence under any circumstances. It doesn't say in John's gospel what if anything might of happened to Jesus that day as He traveled to Jerusalem to observe the passover but apparently,

"He was in no mood"

to discover what was going on in the temple that day...

John 2:14-15

¹⁴And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

¹⁵And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

During his lifetime here on earth Jesus was a real man with real feelings just like each of us! He had a sense of humor, He could feel pain and sorrow, He could even become angry! It's a comfort to me to know that being a Christian doesn't mean we should be always happy or always be serious and sad like the stereotypes portray. I just want to be the person God intended me to be, no more and certainly no less! Helping people do just that is something Jesus was very good at, He brought comfort to the afflicted, and affliction to the comforted!

I think that it's so important for Christian people to be "real", and to not be perceived as being out of touch with the very real struggles that people they might meet are going through. Jesus had great compassion for people who were stuck in the "miry clay" of sin. He understood the temptation's of this world and the depravity of mans soul that drives him to do something, even if it's wrong, to fill that void in his heart. He didn't judge people for having the need which I feel is a critical first step that's necessary for people to be comfortable enough with us and to trust us enough to actually confide in us about the sin and spiritual needs in their lives so that we might have a "real" opportunity to share the real Jesus with them!

In All Things (give thanks)

To me, one of the great things about reaching the stage of life I'm at now is my ability to look back at my life with a much kinder perspective than I had before. Which also allows me to see my present circumstances in a more positive way. I've heard the term "experience" described as "the ability to recognize your mistakes when you repeat them"... Of course that's not the ideal, but it is true enough to be humorous so I thought I'd throw it in,well... it seemed funny when I read it on a sugar packet.

I was browsing through some profiles on Facebook the other day and I got off into my High School graduating class. I found so many people that I used to know, people that I haven't seen in over 30 years! One thing that I noticed was that a large part of them are still friends (at least on facebook) with a lot of the same people. This sort of hit me hard,wondering why I'm the "Lone Ranger is not a new issue with me but I tried to see it with "fresh eyes" and I was surprised by what I saw. It's true that I have some pretty substantial intimacy issues with specific people who are close to me and I understand why. Ironically, I'm also a very open,vulnerable, person who's greatest love in life is talking to people who are struggling with the same issues I've dealt with and that I still grapple with today, although to a much lesser extent than I did at one time, which is where the "giving thanks" part begins...

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (King James Version)

³Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

⁴Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

I'm really thankful, for all of the years I spent wondering what was wrong with me, and wondering why I didn't seem to have whatever it was that other people around me did. I understand what it means to be alone and why people make some of the most irrational choices that they do to "fix this" because I made a bunch of them myself...I don't have to ask or wonder,

"What were you thinking?" I know...

I'm at least a country mile ahead of people who don't know when it comes to helping people to feel as though it's not pointless telling me about their feelings. I once heard a therapist in a group session tell someone that it wasn't necessary for him to throw battery acid in his eye's to know it hurt's...the person he was talking to got up and walked out of the room!

I just don't think the therapist knew how much it hurt, or he would've never said that.

(can I still bill him for the whole hour?)

I'm not entirely sure why I wrote this, I woke up the other morning with the title and first sentence stuck in my head. When that happens, I start writing... I was hoping that I'd be able to uncover some semi-profound meaning in all of this, tie a bow on it and hand it to you to ponder over for a few introspective minutes.

Here's my best attempt at that...

In life, we're told over and over that "poop happens" and boy does it! That you just have to feel like poop about it for a while, and then if you're capable of it you bury it in the backyard of your subconscious so that you can enjoy some erstwhile happiness and prepare yourself for the next event. Which has the effect of making you anxious about the future while you long for the past before the poop started happening...meanwhile, today is a bust!

That doesn't sound too good, it reminds me of the song "Born in the USA" by "the Boss" Bruce Springsteen, who's lament is that you,

"End up like a dog that's been beat too much till you spend half your life just a coverin' up now"

I remember hearing that song when it first came out, When he sang this line I used to look around to see if anyone was looking at me! It's okay, you can laugh...I am, now.

As the years grinded by a singular thought perpetually presented itself to my consciousness.

"When does the poop STOP happening!?"

I mean, I'm just exhausted with all of this covering up! There are also a myriad of complications involved with it such as having it to come uncovered at a later and inconvenient time. Or even reaching the point that I no longer even cared if I covered it up and how embarrassing that can be....(and the odor, who can bear that?)

I needed an answer, a solution, a one size fits all excuse perhaps? Sure, that's what "poop happens" was supposed to be, but it was merely a quip, a touch of brevity to make me laugh, and to sometimes keep me from crying out loud.

I dabbled in psychology, I thought surely the real answer would be easily found there and it was, at least part of it was anyway. I learned that our feelings are a product of our thoughts, (which we choose by the way) and that our thoughts are a direct result of our perceptions of the events and circumstances of our lives!

EUREKA! Change your perceptions and you'll change how you feel.

Sweet mystery of life at last I've found you!

Only just a few glitches here...

Firstly: It's a long process to retrain your mind to think differently, it's hard work at times especially without help. I've been working at it for 15yrs so far!

Secondly: The key to long term motivation is love. Why would I do all of this work? for me? wouldn't it just be easier to just go back to "poop happens"? You've got to have a real unconditional love for yourself to see this through! It's the essence of true self esteem.

Thirdly: Here's a doozy for you, you need the unconditional love, but in the mindset of this world you can't really love yourself unconditionally until you've become what you'll become after you get the love! Talk about a "Circle Jerk"!

Modern psychology says, "Fake it till you make it" but you never do "make it"...you just get better at faking it!

Gods word says "Believe it till you see it" the difference is in who/what you believe in, and in the truth about who/what "they/it" are/is.

I know it may seem complicated and confusing, you may even think I'm an idiot...

That's okay, because as a reward for reading all of this I'm going to tell you what I believe is the simple answer to this conundrum!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (King James Version)

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Romans 12:2 (King James Version)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 8:28 (King James Version)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2 Timothy 1:9 (King James Version)

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

My belief in Gods word means a lot of wonderful things to me, not the least of which is that there is no more "poop" that happens! Okay, so that problem is solved...

So, When does poop stop happening? When the grace of God happens!

Thats a change of perception I can get right with!

When we can find the grace within ourselves to lay down our will and pray as Christ did in the garden of Gethsemane.

Matthew 26:42 (King James Version)

⁴²He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Lets deal with the love/self esteem issue while we're at it,

John 3:16 (King James Version)

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Of course "whosoever" includes you, and since there's no asterisk next to it or any fine print attached where the conditions are explained it's unconditional! And brother, If knowing that the omnipotent God who created the universe and the fullness thereof loves you isn't something you can hang your hat on everyday then in my opinion you really don't believe it! If you did, you'd know just how precious you are to God...self esteem? brother puuullleeezzzee! you're rootin around here in the world trying to find some bogus reason to feel good about yourself when you've got the only real reason to staring you in the face?

That's freewill for you, and what happens to it when it's clouded by the deceptions which are brought to us to accept as truth by our enemy Satan.

This is one of the longest blogs I've ever written, so if you're still reading then perhaps I must of done something right. It's also gratifying to me that it's the longest because it's basically everything I know, that I've learned, or been taught, that in my estimation is of any value at all.

In His Hands

I didn't grow up going to church, I have very few memories of the times I did go. I was sent off on the bus by my aunt when I stayed with her so that she and her boyfriend could be alone on Sunday morning. I remember I had to wear those blue plaid pants with the puckered out pockets that I hated and how much I loved my bible study teacher and how he taught us the story of Joseph. I remember the day I came forward and accepted Christ after the Holy Spirit had gotten ahold of me one morning, I was about nine. I always enjoyed singing, there was one song in particular that I remember...

"He's got the whole world, in His hands,in His hands

He's got you and me and brother,in His hands"

You know the one, everybody's heard it. It's fun to clap along with and it's the children's equivalent to a negro spiritual. I think there's a lesson in those words that we as adults would do well to mind. We carry some pretty heavy loads at times, wouldn't it be great if we could just put them in His hands? Truly let them go, trust in Him enough to simply thank Him before we see it, and maybe even spend a little more time with Him?

What would you put in His hands?

Your finances? Your children? your marriage? Your health?

It seems ironic to me that Christian people can profess a faith in God and trust Him with their eternal soul's, and yet not trust Him in this present moment with the simple (to Him) problems of our lives...all I know is that I want Him to be Lord over everything!

In His hands,in His hands"

"He's got the whole world in His hands"

It's nothing more than a children 's song unless we do more than talk about it. Nothing more than a wonderful story until we walk down to the waters edge, stick our foot in, and watch the waters part! That's a place few of us really want to find ourselves, being totally dependent on Him, but that's the blessing I've experienced in a very real way over the past couple of years...But Alton, haven't you just lost your home, your car, and just about everything else you own? Oh, and didn't you spend ten days in jail last year?

YES!

But in the process I've been made keenly aware of my dependence on Him, I've seen the waters part! I was given a car, provided with food, a job, a place to live without charge, and in spite of everything I have PEACE! He's given me a ministry that continues to bring meaning and fulfillment to my life, and an opportunity for me to boast about the unmerited favor of God and all of the great things the Lord has done for ME!

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Romans 1:5

Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

2 Timothy 4:5

⁵ But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Life can turn on a dime, this morning at four AM I was awakened by my brother in law who informed me that there was an unknown person in our bath tub. A 19 year old young man who had a four wheeler accident down the road from our house had walked into our house and sat down in our bathtub and proceeded to draw himself a bath...very strange indeed! We called an ambulance and they came out and got him. I'm quite sure that when he took off on that ride he never anticipated ending up in some strange peoples' bathtub!

The complexities of my situation, my choices,and a few bad breaks have led me to where I'm at now (my own variety of hot water) which is as I said a point in which I have no other good alternatives that I'm aware of other than to do what I'm doing which is to take each day as it comes, thank God for His grace on me, and be so glad that I'm in His hands!

Life does throw us curve balls...

In this crazy world it's a great

feeling to know that I'm in

Gods hands!

Are YOU in Gods hands?

"I love my life" (Thank You God!)

Theres something about the month of May, it's kind of the not summer yet but not used to it being spring month...normally here we go from winter to summer but this year WOW! we've probably had 30'' of rain! It's like Spring on steroids...I took these pictures today, I did a small logging job on this rather large farm (over 4000 acres) where there are HUGE tree's. We were mainly just cleaning up some trees that had fallen over a fence and some that had been washed out by the flood.

whattaya think of this bridge? well, luckily we did'nt have to cross it loaded!

most of these are white oak's, which are sometimes used to make "staves" or slats for barrels that they age whiskey in. If you smell white oak when it's being cut it reminds you of where the "flavor" comes from!

This photo did'nt come out very well, the horse was camers shy! but LOOK at that hay field back behind him, A sea of grass, waist high, a windy day... mesmerizing to watch its undulations and flow. This is the part where I get all philosophical and talk about how life is like that too, and how we can't really "see" the wind, but we see the effects of it...which is also an answer I give to people who say "I've never seen God, so how do I know that he exists"? (slick huh?) LOL...

And lastly, this photo of a cow trying to do the "limbo" under the electric fence...

well, good luck with that one! and to you as well, God Loves You!

People...

People who need, People...are the luckiest people...in, the world!

Why is that? I thought that as people our happiness was somehow tied to our sense of independence and self sufficentcy. The truth is that YES we must all take responsibility for ourselves and our family's, but as they say "the devil's in the details." At what point do we (because of fear) throw up a wall between us and the world full of "people" who are our brethern? At what point do we say (sub-consiously), I'm just afraid to let anyone know how much I need them, afraid that they won't need me back, afraid that they'll take advantage of my feelings, afraid that somehow it will make me "less of a man" afraid that I'll look like a fool, afraid of what other people might say about me and my inability to explain why I "need" people...Thats a whole lot of fear! who could be behind that? who profit's from it? maybe it's the "other" people in the world... They're quite smug and self assured as they look upon the rest of us who in an attempt to get a need met (love) will sometimes crawl down a few dead end streets. Is there anything worse than pity? being "pitiful"...perhaps believing that you're pitiful is! I believe that it takes a whole lot more courage to crawl down a dead end street because the truth is you NEED something you believe is at the end than it does to sit on the sidelines and pity the people who are or perhaps could be wrong about it. I don't mean pity them for being mistaken about whats at the end of that street,I mean pity them for trying...for having the courage to overcome the fear and crawl if they have to instead of living your life pretending that you've "got it covered" when you definitly don't...Our enemy the devil is a liar, he's also a fear monger, he would do the unspeakable things he does to achieve his goal of preventing you from knowing love, which we know as God. Who came to this world as Jesus, who showed his love for us by carrying his cross down a street of people who jeered at him and taunted him, spat on him and cursed him, eventually dying on a tree of shame.

So, why are we the "luckiest people?"... we have needs that can only be met thru seeking the need, and thru accepting the gift of our Fathers Love...and luckily, Jesus is waiting at the end of our road, also we're lucky because he sent the Holy Spirit here to counsel and comfort us as we walk or crawl whichever the case may be.

I need people, because I love people, because my Father loves people, because I love the Father,because he first loved me...I think that makes us all pretty "lucky"...or at least it should, have you accepted "the love"?

Wilt Thou be made whole?

You mean, will you heal me? No, I mean will you "accept" the healing work that has already been done for you... In John's Gospel ( 5:6 ) Jesus has an encounter with a man at the healing waters of Bethesda. I suppose that on the surface it might seem to be an odd question to ask of a man who had been "seeking" healing for 38 years, I believe that Jesus was wondering if the man really wanted to be healed or if he was content with the wages that pity paid him.

I personally believe that our acceptance of Jesus' death on the cross is our redemption in the eyes of God,and that it was done in order to restore our right relationship with God, Who, after He created the world and man saw that it was "good," not sick,not crippled, or not anything short of perfect, Who so loved the world,that he gave His only Son that none should perish but have everlasting life! He said "everlasting" life, because he conquered death,and sin, and sickness. (which is itenerent death) How strange then that people would beg and plead for God to heal them, and not receive it...It just makes no sense! Unless we see it as our own satan sponsored fear and negativity that we've given control of our thought life,telling us the lies that prevent us from receiving Gods love and healing...essentially, we're standing in our own way, God is willing but are we "able" to get over ourselves? Thats why so much emphasis is placed on our thoughts...it's "the battleground" of the soul!

Throughout most of our lives we've been conditioned to accept attention in place of love. By our repeated exposure to our own shortcomings we come to realize our "flawedness." One of two things typically happens to us, we over compensate by becoming "ego-maniacs" and spend our whole lives terrified that someone will see us for who we really are,or we decide that our best advantage is to be "the victim" and collect the dividends of sympathy and pity other people will hand out to us. Both options are bad,and whats worse is that they both lead to DEATH! spiritual,physical,eternal, death. This surely is'nt Gods plan for any of us, "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?" or will you believe the deceiver who comes to kill steal and destroy? will you be satisfied with the crumbs from the table of life? or would you prefer the blessings of the Father which are health and life and joy, not just for today but into eternity? Is there some way,that for just one moment you might comprehend just how much satan has already STOLEN from you? If that does'nt cause something to well up inside you then I'm not sure what will! I pray that it might em-bolden you to walk with clenched fists right up to the door marked FEAR and with one thunderous kick come thru it into what is your real life, joy, love,and relationship,with the one and only true God!

As I have loved you...

Lately I've been trying to figure out weather we're supposed to love ourselves. I mean, on the one hand it says in Gods word that we should "love others as ourselves"...but then it comes back and talks about how men (in the last days) would be "lovers of themselves" like it's a bad thing! How is it that we're this "wretch" that only the grace of God could save,but we should still love ourselves? It seems to me that if I could "love myself" I'd have a really hard time seeing my need of a savior or understanding my own "brokenness."

Our current school of psychology is all about telling us to "love ourselves" and other variations on that idea as it relates to our "self esteem." From my perspective, I can't see what it is we have to be so "self esteemed" about, can you? "Well, I'm a pretty good person" or maybe "I can do this or that better than most people", perhaps "I'm so beautiful to look at" are some of the things we base our self esteem on. In the Bible it say's that mans righteousness is "as filthy rags" and that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"

So then, what is the meaning of it all? How do we "love ourselves" without becoming conceited? How can we love ourselves when our sins have left a scarlet stain on our lives leaving us broken and "un-lovable?" What is it that we as Christians can say to a questioning world when asked if we "love ourselves?" I think the answer goes something like this...We can apply the idea of "love the sinner, hate the sin" in our lives, learning to see ourselves as God see's us, (with compassion). Of beginning to recognize and love what there is IN us that is Christ! It's in the reality that our only real basis for self esteem lies in the love that our heavenly Father has for each of us! I mean, talk about your "redeeming quality's" ..."well, I may be a this or a that but HEY, GOD LOVES ME! and I think that you might had oughta too! (lol) He loved me so much in fact that he sent his only begotten son to die in my place so that we could be redeemed and restored to a full relationship with Him!

I guess my biggest problem is the idea of there being any real love which does'nt originate with God...after all, GOD IS LOVE, he's the source of all love, the idea that man can "make love" is a lie thats designed to encourage us to see ourselves as our own gods...it also leads people on a prideful goose chase forever trying to nail down just what it is we're supposed to be so proud of...(pssst, the emperor has no clothes on!)

The Blessed Atonement

No Christian should deny that through the Holy Spirit we are empowered to live holy lives or that we are given the victory over sin and death based on the atoning blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If healing was not meant to be practiced today just as it was in the early church why doesn't it say so in Gods word? In the book of Isaiah chapter 53:5 it says "That by his stripes we are healed" That seems present tense to me. We claim that Jesus is our redeemer and yet place different conditions upon His willingness or to heal our sicknesses and diseases. We profess our faith in Him and place our eternal souls in His care, shouldn't it also make sense to trust him right now? We have a tendency to place our own limitations on God for various reasons. We ask Gods forgiveness and receive it through our faith and acceptance of Christ's sacrificial work on our behalf. We must also come before Him in the same faith seeking providence for any need in our lives especially our healing. God is just as willing to heal us as he is to forgive us. We have no question or reluctance to praise God for His gift of "divine health" which is freely given to us. When we see our "divine healing" as being unavailable or somehow dependent on a new or distinct choice by God we disqualify ourselves from it. Our acceptance of the gift of healing is just as much based in our faith as is our salvation. There is no salvation without repentance and no true repentance without "re-birth" or change in our hearts. Accepting Christ as our savior means we acknowledge our need of redemption and that we have forsaken any other means than Christ to accomplish it. Do we trust too much when we say "You Jesus Christ are my only savior and I will have no other than you" Why should trusting in God for our healing be any different? Proverbs 3:5-8 says "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes;fear the Lord,and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel,and marrow to thy bones." I think it's critical to understand from this verse what it means by "directing our paths." We have no basis for limiting how God see's fit to provide our needs, sometimes that can mean hearing Him tell us to go see a doctor.
I earnestly desire that the world would catch sight of the greatness of our Lord! In order for that to be accomplished we must first sink so that He might rise, sit down before he can stand up! We are utterly dependent on His grace which enables us to be justified to cry out to Him"Abba Father" and know that he hears. Knowing also that He is the perfect father who is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. That in seeking first the kingdom of heaven we will find that all good things are added unto us. Not only does He provide for our daily needs, he provides us with divine healing,health and life! With the faith of a little child and a simple promise "I will never leave you,nor forsake you" all of our walls fall down. We are the bottleneck preventing God from blessing our lives through His Spirit. If we find ourselves in the position of attempting to explain why our ministries aren't accompanied by "signs and wonders" Let us not be so insolent toward God as to attribute it to His will...but to our shortcomings

What are these "shortcomings" that prevent us from experiencing the blessings of God?

Pride: It's very difficult for God to bless us if we think we "are" God, or if we try to put ourselves in his place in our lives. Believing that we are in control or that we can handle "the world" doesn't work. Pride is often a cover up for our insecurities which are based in our awareness of the "poor effect" of our worldly remedies. We have great difficulty defending our continued reliance on them or in putting them aside in favor of Gods ways. We should never let our "spiritual pride" limit the way's that God can "love on us." Money isn't evil,but the love of it is! Medicine's aren't evil either,but the love of them is just as evil. There's a balance to be struck and a legalistic attitude to be avoided. God truly can use any circumstances to bless us, it's amazing to me that God would provide our redemption through Christ and include in that atonement our healing. But also love us so much that He would be willing to use medicine's and give doctors wisdom to heal us as well. It's difficult to understand the love that is represented by Jesus' coming to earth from glory to lay down His life for us. Even more difficult for me is to hold onto my pride knowing it.

Unforgiveness: In Matthews gospel it gives us the example of how our unforgiveness compels God to anger. "And his master was angry,and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him." Who or what are our torturers? Sickness and disease? Anxiety and worry? Depression and condemnation? addictions? These are but a few of our "demons." Holding unforgiveness in our hearts prevents Gods spirit from moving when we ask. We need to be motivated by our desire to know God, asking God to change us and being compelled to forgive everyone in our lives who has wronged us. Mark 6:12-13 says "So they went out and preached that people should repent, and they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them."

Fear: The primary tool our enemy uses to keep us in bondage. It's closely related to mis-trust often rising out of our relationship with our earthly father. Each of us will face thousands of decisions in our lives, it's the choice of where we invest our trust that will determine who is the "sponsor" of our thought's. Our hearts and minds are a battlefield, Christ understood this perfectly. Thats why He made such a point of stressing that we should sanctify our hearts and gaurd our thought's, and most importantly...Fear not!

unbelief: Jesus encountered unbelief when He came to Nazereth. There was an atmosphere of unbelief based in the familiarity they had with who they thought Jesus was, we have the same problem today. We believe in our power and control, we see ourselves as our own gods in many ways. In our hearts we know the definite limits of our facade and in our mis-understanding of God we project those limits onto Him.