Sin Sin Sin

To know how good you are you must first know how no good you are! If you are feeling miserable, worthless, if you are wrestling with negative thoughts, unforgiveness and lust; I have good news for you. If you are happy being you, find a joy in defending your actions and know that the troubles of your life are because some else, not you, is causing that trouble.... well you may not want to read any more.

How often are we convicted of our sins? I hope each of us daily is convicted of our sin and need to find the Lord so that we can live. I know that it sounds "sick", by today's enlightened ones, to deal with sinning every day, but it is one of life's biggest blessings. God doesn't mind telling me how much of a sinner I am because He has a big stick (cross) that He uses to share His love with me.

The love of God is the greatest gift that man can know. But we will know little of it unless we also know and except that we are sinners. This issue of sin is not a total worthless mindset, but it is a total worthless mindset without God's intervention and help. Only when I need and value redemption do I understand my worth and God's love.

My pride and independence war against my need to be forgiven and thus my encounter with the cross and love of God. Don't we all know people who want to live a "godly life" with out being a sinner? Don't we all know people who are good people and love God, they just don't need to be labeled and judged. Yet this same group of people fill their lives with so many other things in a search to be loved, because they do not truly encounter or experience the love of God. To go deep in the love of God you must also deal deeply with the depths of your own sin, selfishness, greed, lust and evil.

Increasing your rejection potential

I am about to step out into a whole new area in my life. It is a area that I have shared with Shirley for years, but now that I am almost grow up we think I am able to move to a whole new level. So I am going to increase my rejection potential.

In a few years I need to talk to Reed about his love for baseball, pitching in particular. I want Reed to love the sport but I need him to know that only the fans of the teems he is on will cheer for him. All the other people are going to cheer against him. The farther he goes in baseball the more he will be increasing his rejection potential.

Now someone reading this article may think that I am negative, but that is not true. A negative person would tell you that people are going to reject you. I am only telling you that your potential for rejection is increasing. But it might be best to lie to people and tell them that everyone will love them and desire for them to win. Do you think people watch the last out in the world series and hope the pitcher throws his best pitches to strike out their teams batter? Or do you think they hope the pitcher blows it?

I think Jesus was a nice fellow. I have not meet him personally but everything I read about Him leads me to believe He should be liked. I mean he healed sick people, helper the poor, help the wise get wiser. Yet all along He increased His rejection potential. I bet people all around Jerusalem who heard that Jesus had rose from the dead and was now holding a little prayer gathering in the upper room were secretly locked in their homes by the Herod Home Security Force. Even after He defeated death Jesus was not excepted by others. He only had a 120 in the upper room. Shirley's family down home have more than that show up for a good fish fry.

So the next time to feel lead to step out and do something for God, family or job, just settle it that some will cheer for you and some against you. Once that is settled, go for it. If the Son of God wasn't slowed down by all the naysayers, neither should we be.

Get out there and get rejected!

Amazing Grace and Head Shots

Yesterday I went to the movie "Amazing Grace" with my family. I really enjoyed the movie, but felt a little uncomfortable with the resolve of the people. What kind of people live for a cause so long and with so much passion. I'm more of a head shot person.

Whitney sent me her head shots. She is beautiful, such a smile, such eyes. I took the time to look at each one, noticing the subtle differences of each picture. O, then to my surprise a second page, how nice. I checked out the second page, but not so intently. Then on to the third, and now a forth, a fifth, a tenth...!

I must admit now that I started to panic. How many of these pages of pictures are there? My loving and beautiful daughter was now becoming a "in your face" burden. Mom's probably don't feel like this. But I thought, "will these things never end".

Like in the movie, it takes special people to say with a thing till the end. If the battles we are fighting require years of service, keep the faith. I don't think I could have made it through the 329 head-shots of my daughter if I didn't love the cause. Yet I do think I know why they call them head-shots instead of close portraits. It comes from the early days of photography, out west when they still wore side irons (guns). By the time you got half way through the picture taking event the hunter/photographer/shooter was more aiming and looking. With a sweet smile in front of the camera and a steady aim of death behind the lens, each snap with accompanied with a silent "I got you"!

The Bible says the Lord is ever mindful of us. I wonder if He gets tired of looking at me? I bet if He wasn't God, he would sure want a day off. Before the beginning of time He knew me, and you. Endlessly He has dealt with us, looking at us, being aware of us. I think God's love and kindness is much more than I can comprehend. I mean I love my daughter but 40-50 pictures are quite fine. 329 are a bit testing of my love.

Tonight in the prayer room I may ask the Lord to take me off His mind, you know give Him a little break. I am sure I stress His Goodness by my head-shots. I know He loves me. I know He delights in me. I just don't know how He does it.

Maybe it is like Amazing Grace, God has the nature to see a thing through. Maybe God is going to see me through too. Do you think that there is every a whisper in heaven that sounds like..ready...aim...fire.

Justice

I wonder what my life would be like if God dealt with me justly? I know the truth is that I am “no good”, “unworthy”, and “full of sin”. Yet that is not the truth God Himself has asked me to live under. But what if God desires to be more just in my life than I want?

I have a lot of people give me money, food, clothing. Sure I do acts of love and kindness for others, I care for my neighbors. I preach, teach and serve so that I am worthy of the calling that I have received. But what is my worth in the Kingdom of God? Am I worth the Lord keeping me alive?

The last few days I have been dreaming about some pretty big things, things that in the natural cost millions of dollars. I was even dreaming and praying about taking one year of my life, and through a planned effort record on video my quest for the Lord. It would be a year of fasting, seeking, fervent living the life for Christ in the midst of this everyday world and then recording that for others to see. The “why” is because I believe in my heart there is lurking just outside our vision a reality of God that is greater than “Survivor Man” and numerous other reality shows. Don’t we need a “real” how to survive this life with God documentary to balance all the “try harder” messages and the “one day God will bless you so much you will never need to work at it again” dreams. Should I ask people to keep me alive while I try such a thing? Should I ask them to carry my burden and support my family? I bet my older kids are glad they are out of the house!

If I was like Jesus I would have not trouble living off the Lord. But I am not much like God. But what if I became like Him?