Living In the Dark

There are some people being called to walk into the dark evil of this world, to kneel down and face all the pain, suffering, sickness and demons there, while they wait for others to follow. If no one else comes they will live their life alone, but not in vain. If others come the darkness will be pushed back, not by them, but by the light.
Each Christian is given a light, like a candle, to live with. This candle is the light of mankind that lives in us when we come to follow the Lord. This candle can grown in brilliance, yet we seldom know ourselves how bright our light is. This is the wisdom of God for us.
At some point in each of our lives we come upon a great wilderness of darkness. This darkness is so dark that we cannot see into it. If you start to enter this abyss, you will find that each step brings greater fears, greater insecurity and greater worthlessness. If you go very far it is as if evil comes to live in you, your hope fails, your since of life itself, diminishes, at times it is all you can do to stay alive.
So why go into the dark, why take the light into the darkness? The answer to that has no human answer. While many seek to do things for the betterment of mankind, that alone is not reason enough to loose your life in the darkness. It is a good reason, just not good enough. Christ-likeness is the only reason to die in life. It is not a thing we do for the betterment of mankind, it is not an issue of making the world a better place, it all depends on Christ-likeness.
A part of Christ-likeness is that it does not depend upon human reason or effort. It is not a matter of someone saying, "I think I will push back the darkness in this area for the Lord." While this may seem noble, it is foolish. Instead each person has their heart marked with the will of God for them. It is only at the point of this branding that we can enter and live in the darkness in such a way that it draws others and in the end, expands the light.
Presently there are many eager believers who have tried to follow the Lord out of self will. They entered the darkness without the calling and the grace to do so, and now find themselves deceived. While in their minds they think and fell like they are living in the dark places of evil and shining for the Lord, the reality is that they, in their presumption, have set up a tent of darkness in the realm of light. They sit in this tent that blocks out the Light and think they are living in the dark, doing some great good. You can tell these tent dwellers by their constant complaining about the dark, their nay-saying about how few others follow, how costly the life of service is for them and how greatly God is pleased with them, yet others fail to see their Godliness. Such is life in the tent, in the dark, in the Light.
The one who has followed the Lord and not themselves into the dark, hardly knows they are in the dark once they find their place of rest or stopping. While each step they take requires them to face all the hordes of hell, once they stop, face the light of God within them, they are at peace. Life is good to these dark dwellers, they have needs but don't complain or fret. The life they live is a great life, they behold the light and not the dark.
Where do you live?
What branding is on your heart? Do not fret to see it. If you are to dwell in the dark, it will pain our heart to live in the Light. Only keep a tender heart and fear not. Even the life of faith requires we trust God with our heart, our calling, our success and our purpose.

Stumbling Blocks

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 1:22,23

Are you a stumbling block to others? You are if you proclaim something other than what they want! People have an agenda for us and they get upset when that agenda is not meet.

If you want to upset the apple cart at work, don't meet the demands of the office, or fail to have the wisdom needed to go to the next level. It won't take long and someone will be stumbling through.

But Christ is the answer to both, to all, unmet expectations. Jesus can take the little provision of the work place, the few people on the call list, the shortage of leads; and multiply them. Jesus is the wisdom of the ages and by His insight we can navigate troubled waters.

When we truly learn to be neither Jew nor gentile we become one new man. A person who finds in the Lord all that we need and all that causes the world to stumble. Lord help us not to be unsettled because we are unable to meet all the needs, to solve all the problems. Lord help us to keep on trusting in you and be aware of how Satan seeks to make us live for others more than we live for us. Let us all keep seeking you first and trusting you, that that will be enough. Help those who are tripping over us.

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?

Bride of Christ is looking good!

There was this one time in Dallas Texas, in a meeting when I saw in the Spirit and with my own eyes that victory over the earth is a reality for the Bride of Christ. I remember in that meeting crying over the beauty and power in the Bride. I had for years trusted in the Lord, but on that day I saw so much of the glory, wonder, power of God in the Bride, that I knew the world could not stand before her. I saw this wonder on the earth as the people there entered into that place of one heart, one mind and one voice to the Lord. It was not that everyone there was saying or doing all the same thing, it was that everyone (or so it seemed) was in Christ.
I am writing this from the International House of Prayer, prayer room in Kansas City MO. Last night in the Encounter God meeting I saw, once again, the beauty of the Lord in the Bride that makes her beyond the control of this world. Even as our Lord has taught us, we can live holy, loving, free lives.
Last night, as the evening progressed, there were invitations to pray for the needs of others. Times of prayer were given to pray for those with cancer, in need of healing or a number of other issues. People climbed over chairs to lovingly and fearlessly pray for others. As I watched my heart was stirred as in this community there seem to be no fear. It seemed as if they lived in the reality that nothing was to difficult for God. Beyond that inner resolve of faith they also seemed to delight in the asking, seeking and crying out.
It was like entering a room filled with people so in love with God, so real in living and loving Him authentically, that they were just an extension of the nature and love of God on the earth. Hundreds and hundreds of happy, loving and smiling faces seeking to be fully living in the embrace of God. It is happening here – hopefully too in Peoria IL, Homestead FL, or Rapid City SD. May that holy splendor of Christ fill the Bride and fill our earth.
Like Simeon in the Gospel of Luke who was able to see the Lord’s Christ as a Baby, I too trust that we will see the maturity of our Lord’s Bride in infancy.