Dust Ridden Reward

Savior, Redeemer, Friend,

but most of all and to this end

came the son of God

and lay lowly in a manger:

Dust ridden, broken, smitten

lays the field, the world.

Precious, faithful, hidden

the treasure is within.

As his joy before his eyes is set

No length, height, nor depth

Though heaven or earth be without rest

power to withstand none can possess

This love is endless.

Suffering, Freeing, Giving

Life to all who believe.

His treasure found in a field riddled with sin

His bride, His treasure, is spotless now,

now that Blood has flowed from him.

Alive, he remains,

And by his death has life been obtained,

Herein is he the firstborn.

His reward, His body, His bride,

Together while yet being apart;

not complete though beyond the start.

Missing is his full reward,

Those for whom he died.

Smitten, dust ridden no more

but part of the kingdom of heaven.

This gift to him bring

All you bought by the king.

Living or Dying

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sins as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:12-13)

Dying as a Christian is an easy thing. In fact, every Christian that has ever existed has an appointment for the end of their earthly life. If someone were to walk up to me with a gun and tell me to renounce Jesus as my Lord and Savior there would be no consideration of such an action. Perhaps even the temptation to plead for him to send me to my heavenly home would be present. However, dying to myself daily is a much greater and more painful task. Denying those desires our bodies for the sake of proclaiming the gospel is simple, but not easy. When i'm walking by restaurant knowing there is money enough in my pocket to grab something to eat: Do i satisfy that desire immediately or do i hold to a budget that will allow me to by more tracts, or Bibles, or food for the hungry.

Further on in Romans 12 Paul encourages us to present our whole bodies as a living sacrifice, but here his encouragement is concerning the individual members of our body.

What parts of your body are you needing to reckon unto righteousness?

Your eyes? - What are you looking at?

Your ears? - What are you listening to allowing it to affect your mind?

Your tongue? - Are your words gloomy, hurtful, uncaring, or encouraging and full grace?

Your feet? - Where are you going and spending your time?

Your tummy? - Are you controlled by the desire to say "yummy in my tummy"?

These are each necessary and interesting issues to pay attention to. In my life the Lord has dealt a great deal with the issue of eating. Deciding to eat rather than to minister. Really there is a selfishness that we are all getting over each day. That is what we call 'dying to self'. The separation of our desires from our flesh and directed toward the heart of God.

So the challenge comes with piercing strength in these words:

So he died for his faith

That's fine, most of us do

But say, can you add to that line

That he lived for it too?

Hearing his Voice

Luke 10:38 begins the portion where Martha and Mary are visited by Jesus. Mary is found at the feet of Jesus and Martha is found preparing a meal. So often we discredit what Martha was doing. However what she was doing was a good thing, but the issue was when she was doing it. It would have been much better if she would have first sat at the feet of Jesus to see what he wants to eat and then get to work. Much more important that she hear from her Lord.

Lately, since school has begun this semester, i have felt like i've been 'spinning my wheels'. The picture there is a high-powered car using an incredible amount of fuel, creating lots of smoke, but going nowhere. Through awesome friends and pastors the Lord has been helping me to take a step back and evaluate what i'm doing. Is it effective? Is it hindering me from being faithful to what I know he has called me to do? Have I been spending time at the feet of my Lord waiting to hear exactly what he wants me to do rather than just doing good things on my own. No doubt those things were godly, but they were not what God wanted specifically for me to be doing any longer.

Thankfully, He has arranged the circumstances to allow these things to slowly untie. Cutting a rope hurts, and i don't want to hurt people. However if i keep going this way i will never be able to be faithful to anything; thus it must be carefully untied. Herein our gracious Lord which we all serve has led me to fade out of the teaching on Wednesday nights as well as the attendance of that church. He has been ever gracious in helping me learn to be faithful as such an end has been my prayer.

The meeting with the new pastor at the church where the Lord has allowed me to teach went amazingly smooth-- a certain divine appointment. Neither was there much disheartening at the announcement to the group the Lord has allowed me to teach. Praise to him for working sovereignly in their hearts.

Where do i go now? Well, when God told Abraham to go he didn't say where, and neither has he yet told me. Nonetheless, i know this: i have heard from God and he said, "Go," so i will go.

In life and in ministry we must simply (though not necessarily easy) listen for the voice of God. For "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". When we hear from God let us align it with the Word of God. Then when we know we have heard from him we do not delay, but when we have not heard it is better that we rest in him and wait until he says, "Go".

Walk with Him

Walking. Just passing through. This is life. Life is not sitting and remaining. Life is moving.

A destination awaits.

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)

The path. The Walking. The passing through: Becoming like him in his death-- How?

Jesus said, "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:12-14)

Walking is never done alone. The question is are you giving recognition to what is around you? Some things are easier to ignore than others (like trees and plants). There is a reason for that. People are not meant to be ignored! Jesus said, "You are my friends!" He laid down his life for us.

Oh to become like Christ in his death! Jesus died once for all, physically, but he also died daily giving each hour to the service of others. He commanded us to do the same

(Luke 9:23-24).

For the Love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

(2 Corinthians 5:14)

The fact that Jesus was raised proved that we too would obtain life through our death. That is why he is called the firstborn of the dead (Rev. 1:5), because he was the first to obtain life by a means of death.

Finally, back in Philippians 3, Paul shows his motivation.

Not that I have already obtain this (speaking of verse 10-11) or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Why press on? Jesus has made us his own!

What is the goal? The call of God in Christ Jesus! Bringing glory to him. All honor received by Jesus is thus received by the entirety of God since Jesus is God. When people acknowledge their need of him, he is glorified. Now, as Believers we come alongside and give up our lives to encourage other people to glorify him, by coming to him.

He is our goal!

Walking. Just passing through. Being drawn to Christ and bringing people with us.

This is life with nothing missing.

Shine

Our Lord is faithful. What else can be said? Constantly he proves to us he has not left us.

Recently, the Lord has been showing me how exactly to be dependent on him through 'normal' life. Missions trips and difficulties are places where it is easy to depend on the Lord because it has been made obvious that you do not have the strength to overcome the situation you are in. When sickness comes we know we can't heal ourselves, and we must rely on him. When we can't speak to someone in their language we suddenly realize we need him to communicate through His Spirit and so we rely on him. However, during 'normal' life we tend to look to ourselves because we have done a certain amount of work which is rewarded with a certain pay which we in turn use to make ourselves happy. Thus often we do not look outside of ourselves for strength during these times. Let us look to Him during the good times-- because he is worthy! We are the reward of his suffering! Psalm 16:2 says, "I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." Every human being on the planet needs to realize this. No one has any good thing within them apart from the Lord. Even during the good times we must realize that the Lord has allowed it.

During the difficult times we also must see the good hand of the Lord upon us that is allowing us to stand as a light in the darkness. How is it possible for people around us to see the light unless his fire is burning within us? How will anyone be able to believe that the Gospel can change lives unless they see in our lives the evidence of change. This evidence is put on display in our response to all that the Lord allows in our life. In good times giving our blessings back to him because they were his to begin with, and during difficult times by responding in love toward him. Trust in the Lord. The Lord's fire is simply burning away all that would hinder the Gospel from flowing forth from our lives. In a time of difficulty David prayed, "As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness," (Psalm 17:15). As the likeness of the Father shines on us and we see ourselves in his light everything of us is burnt away leaving only the reflection of him. Isaiah 2:5 says, "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." The exhortation here when applied to the Believer is that we would be continually sanctified as we walk in the light of the Lord.

The sun shines on the morning sky.

Oh, how the sun shines on the morning sky.

No more darkness it just can’t be

When the sun shines.

Arms shiverin’, cold.

So walk out, let me take you out;

To where the sun shines

The Son shines on your life.

Oh, how the Son shines on your life.

No more darkness--

There cannot be an enemy, he can only flee;

When the Son shines.

Hard Hearts slitherin’, cold.

So walk in, let me take you in;

To where the Son shines

Meeting You

Where are you? Life brings us trough many situation that make us feel lost and confused, but don't let anyone derail you from making your way straight to the Lord. Even if you have no idea where you're at or what's going on in your life receive the exhortation of Jeremiah which says, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart," (Jeremiah 29:13).

After Jesus had been crucified Mary went to the tomb and saw that he was not there and so quickly left to tell the Peter and John. Returning with Peter and John, Mary remained after they saw, believed, and apparently left without saying a word. Mary was at loss. Her savior, her messiah had been gruesomely taken from her, killed and placed in a tomb. Now she couldn't even see the dead body of the one she had trusted and loved so much. Her entire world was shattered. She was nowhere. Then who she supposed to be the gardener asked, "Why are you weeping?" After her response which was certainly muffled by a choked throat and tears, one word changed her life forever-- it was her name. "Mary", Jesus said, and her eyes were opened, her heart restored, nothing could shake her now. However Jesus made sure that the emotion of such a moment would not be what dictated her life's response.

The Instruction Jesus then gave was, "Do not cling (or 'touch' in KJV) to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father." Now to some this may sound completely rude as it once did to me. The key phrase here is not the "do not cling", but the fact that he had not yet ascended. The original word here for "cling" refers that holding on which takes place with one's heart. Why would Jesus not want Mary to cling to him with her heart? Well because he had not ascended to the Father. If Mary could only respond to the physical presence of Jesus she would never be able to endure any trial. She would never be able to remain faithful. She must not be dependent on the physical presence of Jesus. He was teaching her that he will always be with her.

Now Thomas was in a similar position when he missed Jesus' upper room visit and said to the disciples, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." Thomas too felt utter despair at the loss of his Savior and Lord in whom he had place all of his trust and all of his life. However, Thomas and Mary were two totally different people.

For Thomas Jesus' instruction was, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." To Mary, Jesus said, "Don't touch", to Thomas he says, "Touch". See and believe. He knew Thomas and what he needed to have a faith which could not be shaken.

Now why did Jesus tell Thomas "Put your finger here, and see my hands; put your hand and place it in my side"? How did Jesus now those were the conditions of Thomas' belief which he had spoken? He wasn't in the room when Thomas had said that to the other disciples. Or was he? :) He was teaching him that he will always be with him.

Look at Thomas' response, "My Lord, and My God." He was now unshakable. This too will be our response as we seek the Lord with our whole hearts. Notice where both Mary and Thomas were as Jesus met them. Mary was at the tomb and Thomas was with those who had seen him. They were seeking him. Seek the Lord and he will meet you wherever you are, he is the Good Shepherd. He is worthy, let us serve him.

Be Used

Here are some thoughts i wrote down the other night. . .

Currently i am laying here on my side upon a bed given to me by the Lord, in a home provided by the Lord, from which I will leave in the morning in a truck given to me by the Lord. Blessed, but why? So many others live their lives without any of these -- so why am I privileged to have them. Why am I in a country where I preach the Word without any threat, much less of death? Well I know that nothing is given to me for my sake, but because of Him. It is all to be used for the advancement of his kingdom. To bless the lives of others. This life is not about me, it's all about him, so I guess it's time to figure exactly who it is that needs the things I have been given.

When Ruth left her homeland and came with her mother in law to the land of Israel she showed up near the fields of Boaz. I wonder if Boaz ever thought, "Lord why have you given me so many blessings?" Surely Ruth was not the only person who was blessed, but certainly without Boaz having been blessed the Book of Ruth would not exist in the Bible as we know it. A beautiful story of the kinsmen redeemer would have been lost. However when Ruth came Boaz rather than thinking that he was the reason for his great wealth, was a man who welcomed the gleaners of the society and because of this the Lord blessed him. The more available or open we become the more the Lord will use us. We are simply a conduit through which the Lord's love and grace and blessings flow. Just keep the conduit clean and there will be nothing to prevent the flow of the Holy Spirit. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, declares the Lord."

Think of others first. Thinking of others is not something which comes natural. So easily we become intoxicated with ourselves and think of nothing else. But the Lord says to be sober-minded and filled with Spirit.

Our Lord does not need anything spectacular to do his work, he just needs someone who is willing. When Balaam was going astray the Lord spoke through a donkey and it seems that the Lord continues to do so. You are not the end of all means, nor are you insignificant. The Lord simply wants to speak through you. His truth and love needs to be declared to the world. Will you speak?

About time

Well it's about time for me to move into the 21st century. I'm now 'blogging'.

I hope you all are able to see what great things the Lord is doing. The goal for me is to update weekly with what the Lord has done, so that you can join in glorifying him. My hope on your end is for prayer. More and more as the Lord is using me, the enemy seeks to end each part of ministry so your prayer are not only appreciated. But I desperately plea: Pray, please, pray.

Be Rescued You Who Are Perishing

All around me movement can be felt.

Vision is impared to see just why.

Calling my name, hearing from the ear of my heart,

Looking, turning, a book being read, title - Truth.

Can anyone else hear this?

Wait, now eyes open I see with clarity.

Astonishment now arising within,

Truth having broken through the cacaphony

This world offers as a distraction.

As desperation seizes and in relentless abandon,

Guided by what Truth has revealed as

The 'mine' field of life.

People roaming blind seeking anything called 'mine'.

Suddenly one found his 'mine'.

Hearing the sound of release he jumped for joy.

Horror filled these eyes as his life was shred to pieces.

People you must stop! You will destroy your lives!

This is the cry escaping from deep within.

Though many will protest in complete refusal,

Those who will open their hearts

Allowing Truth to soften the surface deep within

Will be snatched from a flame burning without end.

No matter the disdain with which you may be treated

Take heart for the LORD says, "I have overcome."

Describing Love

How great, how marvelous is your love for me.

It's not about me, only your glory.

Father, 'love', how could it ever be explained?

Are words great enough to display or bring to any sensible light

what is the substance of such an entity.

Surely not, but where shall description be found.

Far above earth, or possibly beyond the deep?

Let inquiry tread upon pages of scripture and see, what do such pages speak?

It is ever so near, in our mouth even in our hearts.

Thus no description could be adequate which is given by mere logos, or words.

Only that which is engraved on the tablets of our hearts,

reveals the prior mystery of this one's mind to know, what is the love of God.

Thus when eyes peering through the windows of a heart are confronted with convincing evidence, whether on the pages of God's Word or the streets of this world,

perception is triggered and proclaims, "This is love."

Certainly love is a many splendid thing, yet chiefly,

what Love is finds its definition when one examines who God is.