Love - Obedience -Faith

John 5:19, "Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly,  I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."

I have discovered that the recent posts on love are spiritually provocative, and a little bit controversial. On one level pure, perfect, agape love represents the unattainable. And because it is unattainable, then perhaps these discussions are pointless. Perhaps it is too difficult a task for any individual to look in the mirror and honestly say to themselves I can never achieve perfect agape love. But reality is this is the very thing that needs to happen. Until we can look in the mirror and say that very thing we will never experience it.

T Austin Sparks wrote in 1927, "...it is necessary to settle it once and for all that we, in ourselves, will never be overcomers, and that opens the way for the whole of this theme and its reality of meaning to come from the Lord to us. There is only one Overcomer in the universe, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and if there are ever any other overcomers, they will not be others at all, they will simply be the extension of His overcoming — the expansion of His victory." Until we can admit this truth to ourselves I fail to see how we can ever overcome the arrogance of our ego to truly love. (Please understand that I use self, ego, and flesh interchangeably and believe them to be the same inner man referred to in scripture.) In admitting our weakness, acknowledging Christ strength, then God's perfect love can begin to work in us. Leading to the second point.

Obedience to God is what makes the "act" of love perfect. But how can we obey when the voice is still and the vision is as in a mirror dimly? Jesus did it with a perfect connection to God. He did and said what the Father did and said. Hear the words of Christ, "the Son can do nothing of Himself." Even the love shown by Jesus was not His own, but belonged to the father. So what then of this obedience? Is obedience the barrier that prevents us from loving?

I think not. This is one of the many paradoxes of life. God loves us, so that we can love others, so that God can love us again, and so that we can love others. The relationship is critical, but the acts of love become a reflection of what we see the Father to be. The perfect acts of love are God's light shining through us in His act of first love. So the spiritual reality is that obedience is not a limiting factor because we can only reflect what we see. We can only obey what we hear, and it is God's responsibility to speak as much as we have responsibility to hear. Bringing us to the final component or point.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Because we see poorly, if at all, and because we hear poorly, if at all... we must have faith to fill the gap. The spiritual "thought" has to be seasoned with faith inorder to become an act of love. We love in faithful obedience knowing that even if not a perfect act of love, God will cause it all to work together for good.

Lets jump to the practical. If we will approach life with the attitude of being in relationship to God, then we will find the opportunities to be a refection of His love. This does not have to be done a church, on the mission field, or in any other "institution" of Christianity. This can, and is to be done, right where you are. How about the Boss who takes the file clerk to lunch and just listens to them? Or the file clerk who on the way home throws a quarter into the beggar's cup? These can be practical acts of love triggered by God's tug on the heart. To yield to that tug is the faith that makes the act love. The act can be anything, and in any direction. I am reminded of a story I heard about Abraham Lincoln. It was of an old lady making him cry with her gift of cookies. He was used to people coming to his office wanting something. This woman just wanted to bring him some cookies. The tears were obviously an acknowledgment of the love.

Last I will share this. My mom text-ed me the other day that she wanted to pay my phone bill. This was absolutely an act of God's agape love. Not because it is my mom. Not because it met a need. It was an act of God's love because she did not know the bill was not paid, and hours from being cut off. This was God saying to me... I love you and your quest to discover Me as both provision and Provider will not go unanswered. Equally, had she know those facts, I would not have received it as love, but rather her attempt to fix the situation. I'm not looking for my situation to be fixed. I am looking for God's love, so that I can love, and be loved again... continuously by God.

Who can you show the love of Christ to today?

If you need love, or prayer, please feel free to contact me.

Service - the work of God

John 1:43, "The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me."

"There are two things at least which are basically wrong and inevitably disastrous from the standpoint of true spiritual value: one is the regarding of the work of God as a set system, just as any commercial, industrial, or professional system is a vocation or calling (So much is heard about "entering the ministry," "taking up Christian work," "becoming a missionary," etc. - and this as static, organized, systematized); the other is going into service on the basis of an external appeal to the senses, the intellect, the emotions, the volition, by reason of a presentation to the ears or the eyes.... Moreover, every man and woman who has come up against spiritual realities in the service of God knows that it requires something stronger than hot air, electric atmosphere, vivid pictures, romantic conceptions, idealistic visions, mental impressions, and occasional stimulants for the will, to make them able to continue indefinitely and to be spiritually effective. No, in every way, the senses are an insufficient basis and a dangerous criterion.

The service of God, being spiritual, will always have an element of mystery about it. The mystery is this: the greater the degree of real spiritual effectiveness and value, and the more spiritually accountable a thing becomes, the less is it a thing that can be seen and handled by the senses and by the flesh - the less the elements and forms of human demonstration and natural appreciation.

Again and again we have marked the grievous tragedy of ministries - personal and otherwise - which were mighty in spiritual significance, that at length took on human significance and assumed forms of natural impressiveness at the expense of that essential value to God. Yes! It has grown big, expansive, famous. Yes! He or she has a name, a reputation, a following, a fame, and a position; but so often... oh, so often... at a cost of accountability amongst "principalities and powers" (This is where spiritual values are judged) which makes it all poor gain... and makes God's heart bleed...

...All-inclusively, only what God does Himself is God's service! This is basic to the entire revelation of the purposes of God in the whole Scriptures...

Only as all service is brought within the limits of this Divine ordering by a positive witness within the sanctified and quickened spirit of the "chosen vessel" can there be "the works of God" which alone count. This, on the other hand, rules out all our works.

Motive, good intent, laboriousness, enthusiasm "in the name of Jesus," "for the Kingdom," "in the interests of mankind," etc. - these do not count in the realm of "the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus" if they are our own activities... with our own natural resources. It must be "God who works within." ... We must be content to have our fruitfulness and spiritual value registered in the unseen... and not be dominated by the scales of values as set up by men on the earth."

T Austin-Sparks 1927

Normally I would not consider such a long quote except for the fact that is so ties into Who are You in the Story? The four talented orphans of that story regarded their talents as a set system to honor God. Not only did they regard their talents that way, they also assumed the audience. That their audience would arrive with pomp and circumstance and outwardly demonstrate fleshly superiority. The fifth orphan with the good heart temporarily tried to go into service of God with what looked appealing to her by asking to be taught someone else's skill. In the end, the fifth orphan was of the greatest spiritual value with an act that on the surface seems to not be entitled to any natural appreciation.

To me, what T Austin-Sparks is saying here is -- it doesn't matter what you do, or how you do it if the motivation is wrong. Jesus said, "follow me." That means getting up day after day, without necessarily a plan or direction and go with Him. On His whims, and on His path. What we do has to be done in obedience to God. Only in Obedience does it have spiritual significance. And if done in obedience, it in fact does have spiritual significance.

Please understand that this is the opportunity for everyone to serve God in every walk of life and profession. Building mega ministries has no spiritual reward unless done in obedience. Mega ministry is not the end all be all. To love in obedience is. Likewise pausing in the business of a day to love on an individual wherever they may be can have paramount spiritual rewards. The obedience to loving the least is where the reward is. The washing of a neighbor's feet in surrender is the service God requires.

What do you have that a person you will encounter today needs? Do you have time, wisdom, money, friendship, an open ear? Perhaps someone needs a meal or a ride. Do you have a word of encouragement or affirmation? Is there someone immediate to you that needs what God wants to give them through you? Respond to that tug on your heart when you feel it. Step out in faith. Don't walk away with the "I should have..." thought. Walk away knowing you obeyed, and who cares about how it looks, or what earthly significance it has.  The obedience alone will have eternal rewards for you.

Who are you in the story?

Matthew 25:40, "The King will answer and say to them, 'truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"      

During Iwo Jima ( a men's group) the other day one of the guys read a children's book. It is called Just the Way You Are by Max Lucado. It is a tale of 5 orphan brothers and sisters who catch the attention of the king, and who are to be adopted by him. Four of the five orphans have talents. They include painting, singing, craftsmenship, and intellect. The fifth orphan has no talent other than a good heart. So the four talented orphans prepare to greet the king for the first time by emersing themselves in their talent, I assume to impress the King with a gift. The fifth orphan goes to each asking to be taught by the other so that she too can have a gift for the king. All four reject her becuase they are too busy preparing.

Finally she goes to the gate of the city. A man arrives on a donkey. She graciously cares for the man and his donkey. He then goes into town and like the ophan sister is rejected by the four brother's and sisters because they are too busy. Upon returning to the fifth orphan he reveals to her that he was the king traveling incognito. He embraces the 5th orphan because of her heart without respect for her talent.

So the story is an entertaining tale of Christ as the King set to level of understanding for children. Or is it? Who are you in the story? Are you the fifth talentless orphan just willing to help, or are you one of the other four orphans too busy exercising your talent for a King you couldn't recognize if He showed up incognito? Or worse, are you one of the faceless, nameless bystanders not even mentioned in the story?

Me, I like to believe that I'm the fifth orphan. Unfortunately, if I am honest with myself I must admit there are numerous incidents where I am one of the four distracted orphans, lost in the self-importance of my talents, too good and too smart to associate with the lowly. But now that I am conscious of where I am, perhaps it will keep me from being too busy when the King or one of His adopted children comes calling.

I will close with this. I was in Pensacola at a youth conference years ago. We were singing a song that the lyrics said, "I want to open my eyes and see Your face." As I cried that to heaven I knew God was saying to me to open my eyes. As I looked around that packed arena I asked, where are You? I want to see Your face. It was then He conveyed, that looking into the face of everyone of those young people was looking into His.

Our visitation from the King happens all the time, and it is not with pomp and celebration. It is incognito, through the least of them. The beauty is we don't have to go and find Him. He comes and finds us. We just need to not be too busy in self-absorption to miss it.

Now it took quite an effort to find this song. It is "I Will Search For You" by Mike Motley. I would be honored for you to listen to it.

Follow the link and click the play button.CLICK HERE... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CLICK IT.  

Obligated

1 Peter 2:20, "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."

Monday was a miserable day. Eight adults braving 103 degree heat to load a 24 foot moving van floor to ceiling, front to back. Plus an additional 3 pickup trucks full of more trappings. Seven miserable hours of back breaking, body aching work.

Have I told you how much I hate moving? I hate moving so much I would rather be staked out in a desert, drizzled with honey so the fire ants will eat my sun burned flesh as buzzards feast on my eyeballs. Even with this moving enmity, I still did it. I helped my parents out of obligation, and did it bitching and moaning the whole time. I voiced repeatedly that the only people being blessed were the ones who gave my folks the furniture in lieu of rent. Ruining any hope of eternal rewards for the act as there was zero patience or endurance in the day. Even though the end results was a couple of thousands of dollars worth of furniture given to me.

In fact the former tenant came by as we toiled. My brother in law engaged him first. He said, "you sure have a lot of heavy furniture." With a big smile the tenant said, "No you do." Me, I had to ask. Why give up all this furniture. The tenant proudly replied. "We are going with a minimalists lifestyle. We moved from 6000 sq ft to here, and from here to 1400 sq ft. apartment. We don't need it." Now this guy has it right.

I could go off on a self-righteous rant at this point, talking for the evils of stuff. Complain of the efforts to move someoneelse's crap. But that really wouldn't be truthful to myself.

Reality is I, like you, am human. I can have a bad day. And it ok... it's not the end of the world or my salvation. I could write about repentance and being sorry, and though this might make my Dad happy it would not be truthful either.

Monday happened. I complained... a lot. But at the end of the day everyone there still loves me. They will still talk to me, still help me out if I need it. And something else... if they need to move furniture again, I will unfortunately be there helping. Even if only out of obligation.

This tale should serve as a reminder to the few dozen of you that follow this blog daily. Never read this because of who the author is. Read it because it inspires spiritual growth, because it accomplishes its task of allow the reader, and the writer, to know Christ more.

Hiding is Pointless

Luke 8:17, "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to the light."

In the past couple of weeks I've heard a mother's pain as she discussed the incarceration of her son for the murder of his daughter, the shame of a brother molested as a child, and heard the confusion of a pastor burning out. I have listened to the honor of the cruelest of childhood abuses and the resulting life out of control. I have met people trying to escape a sinful past, yet somehow wanted to keep the statuesque. I met a stranger estranged by her family. I met a mother at her wits end, busy running the wheel in the rat cage. Can't forget the stranger enraged with life, fully entwined in the lie that the world is against them.  Why? Why share with me? What relief comes from exposing their secrets and shame?

Simply, secrets come to the light. It's not my ability to empathize or understand, but rather a lack of judgment that makes me a light. A lack of judging that I've learned in sharing my own secrets and shames with others. Others who responded in love and without bias of judgment.

In Jim's blog on Saturday He quoted Richard Rohr, in The Naked Now. Richard says, "Remember, Jesus never said, 'This is my commandment:  thou shalt be right about what's wrong (especially with another).'  But that is the only way that both the ego self-image and the dualistic monkey-mind know how to frame reality - something must be wrong, and it’s not me.  But it’s not really working so well, is it?  Why?  Because it is a fatally flawed paradigm and perspective.  It is an amazing arrogance that allows immature Christians to so readily believe that their limited mental understanding of things is anywhere close to the full understanding of Jesus.  Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life' (John 14:6).  I think the intended effect of that often misused line is this:  If Jesus is the Truth, and you're not filled with Him to overflowing, then you probably aren't the truth (especially if you’re arguing 'against' someone), not even a little bit."

Point is that in those moments when these people choose to share and open up with me, I am, at least momentarily, walking in the truth that is Jesus Christ. The second I start trying to fix, diagnose, point out what's wrong, condemn, quote scriptural solutions... that is the moment the other shuts down. That is the moment the light stops shinning, the love stops flowing, and the work of God begins to be my work.

Even when we are the ones that seek the advice, that vent our frustrations, and confess our frailties and failures solutions are not what we need. We want them. We beg for someone, anyone to give us a practical step, a plan of action to get us out of the mire. But what we really need is for someone to stand with us as a light so that we can see how to get out ourselves. In getting out ourselves, we can avoid falling into the trap again. In getting out ourselves that evil in us that took us there in the first place dies, and the good of Christ is resurrected in it's place. Being a light is giving a hug when someone is crying. It is asking questions when someone is confused. It is walking away when someone rejects it. It is jumping in when someone asks.

Secrets come to the light. Be a light of love to those in your world.

Fear Factor

2 Corinthians 10:5, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Ever notice how when you buy a new vehicle that upon driving it off the lot you suddenly notice on the road thousands of the same vehicle. Here you were, thinking you were unique, now you realize once again that you are one of thousands. Or ladies, how about that perfect dress, only to show up at the party and see it on someone else. This is called situational awareness, and is a common phenomenon in humanity. The links, the commonality, were there all along. It is just that our situation has made us aware to it.

That situation awareness has certainly been my experience as of late. I think the count is now up to 5 of the men and women chasing after God, but struggling with trusting God for finances. In fact, their situation are even more similar to mine. They not only share the immediate need, but as of late their income are projecting the wrong directions. Unlike the situational awareness of me now seeing every black F350 on the road since buying mine, I believe this is more of a God orchestrated event, so that we can share experiences and encourage one another.

One of those shared experiences is fear. We are all universally afraid of what tomorrow holds. The degree varies, but the fear is there none the less. In talking with one of these experience partners, I found out they were not only fearful, but also felt guilty for being afraid. They felt like it was somehow a lack of faith to have this fear. I personally do not believe that to be the case. So I encouraged them with the scripture above. It does not say, 'don't have fearful thoughts.' It does say bring those thoughts captive. In other words, don't make decisions based on them. I reminded them of Matthew 24 where Jesus asked to not go to the cross. To let the cup pass from Him. Why would he do that except for fear of it?

And perhaps the answer of how He faced and overcame the fear is found in 1 John 4:!8, "There is no fear in love; perfect love cast our fear... the one who fears is not perfected in love." So this situational awareness is really more a God orchestrated event to allow us to see the fear overcome with love for one another.

Amazing none the less. All of us in this experiment would love to be surrounded with people that have both the will and means to solve our financial need. For that matter, we would take the solution in any form, including but not limited to finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Instead God has chosen for us to dig in deeper together. God is saying, 'let me show you how to overcome that fear.' Loving Him, and each other conquers the fear. In the process increases our trust and faith in His abilities as we witness this wonderfully orchestrated concert of life.

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I have another house cleaning item. I spoke to a friend the other day who said, did you know there is a Jeff Yuna who wrote a book? That Jeff Yuna is me, and the book is available online for review and comment. http://www.authonomy.com/books/31980/god-speaks/

It is actually book 1 of what I consider a 3 part series. God Speak, God Heals (finished but not edited), and Growing in Christ (work in progress) are the 3 titles. God Speaks is edited and ready for publishing.

I asked them if they would be interested in partnering with me to publish it. They are praying about it. But I since someone has already stepped up for the hand soap, I thought I would put this out as well. It will take me about $2000.00 to self publish. That will include a professional cover and availability at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Long story, but if anyone is interested I will prayerfully consider all options.

For that matter if you just want to read a copy in PDF format, drop me an e-mail and I will send one over. jeffyuna@gmail.com

Love the Job

Matthew 11:29-30, ""Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

The blog post normally are prepared a few days in advance. However in time, this is my first post since "Need Cash?" And I must say that God cracks me up, and I love the job He is giving me. Yesterday was the humorous part.

To say there has been a paradigm shift in my life would be the understatement of the decade. But in this leap of faith, I have some very serious thoughts about burning the bridge to mortgages. It is one thing to say in my heart that I am not turning back. It is another thing to quit what I have been doing for 9 years now. Not that what I am doing has done any good in the past 2 months. My income is a fraction of what is "normal" as God forces the change as much as I try to change directions with Him. So yesterday I have a meeting with my boss. He informs me of a whole bunch of changes that are effective immediately. Basically, that I now work for someone else and have to apply again for the position, not to mention changes in comp and pay schedule. So in this application process, I  have to have a valid driver's license. Currently mine is not, and it cannot be made valid until Aug 4, 2011. (Long story - but nothing bad like DWI or something) So I have to ask myself, Is God going to burn the bridge for me? Time will tell, but it still makes me laugh.

In the meantime I stopped by a friends office after the meeting. Told him that I wanted to give him my time, that it was all I have an abundance of and in many ways feel obligated to him. I offered to clean or whatever, and he said, "I want your brain." That led to a brief conversation and me spending about 2 hours with a person working on an internet advertising campaign. I'm a self-proclaimed expert in the area and I really feel like I was able to show some love by asking the right questions, and getting them pointed in the right direction.

Then today was equally awesome and fulfilling. Jim invited me to the Tomball Love Machine group. Unlike Iwo Jima, our men's group, this group is co-ed so a completely different feel. But the people are equally struggling to embrace death of self so that Christ can be resurrected in them. Really a complete honor to be included in with people of such openness, which in my book is integrity. After all, isn't that what life is about. Being who we are, and not pretending? I would share some of the ills, but that is unnecessary for this discussion. As I was driving home I couldn't help but think that about 95% of what is wrong with people has been caused by someone... usually family. I don't want to be a dysfunctional family, or detached, unavailable father. And if it's not family, then it's someone else close inflicting the damage.

I say this not to enable people in their coping mechanisms, but just to acknowledge reality. And just like someone else caused the damage, it is as if God requires the wounded to heal themselves. To turn aside from the hurts, walls, pains, coping mechanisms, and choose to be different. Reality is no one can cure the pain, but we can point the way to the cure, namely Jesus. We can encourage the path to the cure, by acknowledging the pain.

Something else that hit me was that people often say, "I am..." I am an abuse victim. I am an addict. I am... whatever. I really don't agree with that. One woman today said, "I am a dancer." No she not. She danced for a living at some point in the past, but she is not a dancer. No more a dancer than I am a victim of child sex abuse. Yes, I was abused. But I am not a victim. When we hang on to those identities how can we receive or give forgiveness? What I am is a child of God, and that's what she is too. We are not what we do, we are what we are. So it's important to identify with who you really are, who God intended you to be. And never identify with past acts - - good or bad. For example... a CEO is not a CEO. That's a job, not an identity. Some people get their identity by being a "christian." It's a false identity that has them pretending to be righteous. I practice Christianity because I am a child of God, but my identity is not Christian.

Get it? It is a hard thing to grasp, I am a child of God. But when even a piece of this concept is grasped, then the false identities we wrap ourselves in begin to fall. As a child of God I know that He will teach me and train me. As a Christian I will fail trying to adhere to doctrines. As a child, my failure is simply part of the learning process. That's a huge difference and worth repeating. Identifying as a child of God sees failure as part of the learning process and forgiveness is readily accepted. Identifying as a Christian sees failure as an inadequacy and creates a separation from the object of our affection.

After posting this I read something by Charles Spurgeon. In reference to Ecclesiastes 11:1 which said, "Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days." Charles explained it this way. "We must not expect to see an immediate reward for all the good we do; nor must we always confine our efforts to places and persons which seem likely to yield us a recompense for our labors."

Need Cash?

Psalms 37:25, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendant begging bread."

Do you need cash? I know that I do. But I am going to take a rather unconventional path to it. For a few months now I have been in the middle of this exercise to discover God as both Provider and Provision. In it I have learned so much. I've discovered it gets worse before it gets better. Or at least that is the hope because I have not seen the better yet. Oh I have seen it in closeness to God, but not in terms of dollars and cents. I have discovered the insanity of sanity, though I am waiting to see the sanity of insanity. And as always, I have thought, I have prayed, I have sought counsel. I have done all that I know to do in preparation for what is about to come.

You see, I don't believe in testing God. Yet at the same time I do believe His word. And I do believe that if I stand on it, then I will see it fulfilled. That is how I saw Him cure blindness through me for the first time. It was believing His word that I saw the lame walk. Faith in His word, and I have seen my prayers answered to see cancer go, hearts healed, and the symptoms of stroke disappear. Why? Because I set out to prove His word in my life. I figured if God said He heals through prayer, then I was going to see it. I went to the hospitals and anywhere else I could to find the sick and see them healed. The healing is real and I have seen a ton of my prayers answered in this area. But the question remains, how can I expand this faith to operate in the area of finances as well.

I know that the Bible contains as many or more promises about finances for us than healing. Like Philippians 4:19, "and my God will supply all you needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus." Proverbs is full of them. Proverbs 3:16, 8:18, 10:4,15. How about Proverbs 10:22, "It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it." Psalms 37:19, "The will not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they will have abundance." On and on the Bible promises supply, abundance, needs met, etc. And yet, here on the first of the month so many of my obligations have fallen further behind. Guess the question is why?

Some have suggested to me that I should be tithing (giving). And to be truthful I give what I can . Before the demise of my business I had tithed religiously and given even more. Over the first 15-17 years of my adult lifetime I gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars. So those seeds are out there. Additionally, when $3.5MM in net worth evaporated and cash bleed out like Niagara Falls, I didn't see any money coming back my way. So with all my heart I don't believe my issue is an issue of giving.

My own thought have been, why won't God bless the work of my hand? I work, and work hard. Being in the mortgage business I manage to find loans. Closing them in a timely fashion and creating a regular stream of cash flow is another issue. 3 times I have been in the top producers for some of the largest mortgage banks in America. 5 times the company I worked for failed. It is not about work ethic. It is about mission. I've discovered I have been on the wrong mission. This is my mission... Shameless surrender that some might know Christ more is the "work" that God wants to bless.

I was called to ministry at 15. Avoiding it has been a whole lot of pain. Embracing it has been a whole lot of pain too. But it's a good pain. Its the pain of death of old and the beauty of the resurrection of the knew. It is Romans 11:29 coming to life in me when it says, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

Others have suggested a curse. And yet Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." So its not a curse, Certainly could be the economy and a big fat dose of life. But doesn't faith in God transcend life? Doesn't faith defy the laws of physics, finance, economics, and all other earthly laws?

Up to this point I have survived by borrowing from friends and family on the promise of tomorrow. Always behind, always owing someone something. But today, on June 1, 2011 that ends. I have borrowed my last dime. It is not up to my friends and family to do this. I will not be a prodigal requesting an inheritance before its time. It is up to God to provide both His presence and my daily bread. Just like going to the hospitals to pray for the sick, I am going to put myself out in a place of no return... a place where God has to act. And I am not doing this to test Him. I am doing this because He is compelling me to do this. I am at the place that if the phones get turned off, then God wants them off. If the lights go off, then God wants them off. If absolutely nothing comes in and I can't pay the first priority of child support... then go ahead and jail me because its what God wants. Take my house? You can have it, because I am trusting God to provide.

And this concept is really not unique. I have a friend Russell who years ago was in the exact same position. He told his dad about it and his Dad bailed him out with $11K. He told me that taking the money was one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. That it only delayed the inevitable which was a complete and total trust for God. Short version of a long story, a while later he was $28K in the hole, the bank was going to take his house. On the very day of foreclosure God provided a miracle. Another inspiration is Jim, my faith coach. He left a $500K/year job to simply love on people. He does not advertise, he does not have an office, he does NOT CHARGE. And yet today God provides him with "exactly what he needs." So they were my confirmation that this desire inside of me is a godly one.

This is not to say that I will not continue to work, because I am. I am not going to sit on my porch drinking Dr Pepper and eating chips waiting on a check to arrive like I am on God's welfare system. And even though so much of how God provides to His ministers is through touching the hearts of people, this minister is not going around begging bread.

All around me this message is being confirmed like what I read from Oswald Chambers today. He said, "A man's obedience is to what he sees to be a need; Our Lord's obedience was to do the will of the Father. The cry today is - 'We must get some work to do...' We have to see first of all that God's needs in us personally are met... The purpose of this (lesson) is to get us rightly related to the needs of God. When God's needs in us have been met, then He will open the way for us to realize His needs elsewhere." And as I believe open the way for our needs to be met as well.

So what changes today?  For me,  it is my heart. In Jesus name I am going to be as steadfast to this commitment as I was to break my nicotine addiction. Mathew 11:12 says, "... the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." My hearts commitment to this is militant. My heart is to take this on and take it by force if I must.

Beyond this militant heart to capture what God is compelling me to do, I am also going to be open and honest about all that happens. Good, bad, or indifferent. The readers of this blog will see the lessons and miracles that come. If fact, I will start with this.

Since this is in essence about faith for finances I think that it's safe to have a measurement. I don't want to be too specific so I am have chosen an arbitrary numerical system to evaluate God's provision of daily bread. (money). Today, the running total is -25. So in the terms of provision I am in the hole, but God is going to show me the way out. So look for what I will call June 1 Updates at the end of subsequent posts.

Now let's see together what He does. In the mean time I am going to be militant in standing for this. "No" is not an answer. Discouragement is not an option. Advice is pointless. This is my Jacob moment where he wrestled with God in Genesis 32. So encouragement is always accepted because I am not letting go until He blesses me. Even if it leaves me crippled or dead.

I am not a pretender. I am not like the others. And that's why today's selection is the Foo Fighters. (Thanks for the inspiration Jim)The officers in their riot gear are the world, the discouragers, the unfaithful. They are those that rely on themselves, their intellect, and perceived skills. They are at work for Satan and don't even know it, but think they are doing good. First one comes and the intimidation doesn't work. Then more... still I can not be intimidated because I am not like the others. Finally the attack, only to be utterly destroyed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  What side of the line are you going to be on? The real side, or the side of the pretender?

The Greatest

Proverbs 31:10-21, "An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet."

It is funny that King Lemuel wrote these words thousands of years ago. Funny because they describe my wife Jamie to a tee. Today's is her birthday, and I want her, and the world, to know that I think she is the greatest... second only to Christ Himself. I am so thankful she was born and so thankful that she found me.

Jamie is beautiful, that goes without saying, but her real beauty is what I get to experience everyday. She has such a beautiful heart, and I fully trust in her. Anything other than Jamie in my life would be mere imitation of a wife.

Perhaps what makes Jamie so great is what she has been through. Having faced death, and the loss of 3 of her children has given her an incredible perspective on life. Rushed to the hospital Jamie was having difficulties breathing, her lungs were filling with fluid and the doctors were a miff with the cause. Could it be the twins she was carrying? No one was going to wait any longer to find out, and Jamie was shipped to the medical center for expert care. It was there they discovered the twins were really triplets. Jordan, Taylor and Gracin were their names. It was time for them to come, even at a pound a piece because any longer Jamie was going to loose her life.

For three days Jamie clung to life. Closing her eyes she would feel herself floating up to heaven. Opening them she would see Jesus standing beside her, even stroking her hair as if to comfort. But not just Him, He brought an aroma. Jamie says it smells like anointing oil found in Christian bookstores. And the nurses smelled it too. A nurse would smell the fragrance of Jesus, and run down the hall to tell the other nurses, "He's here!" And they would gather in His presence. But only Jamie could see Him.Over the next 6 months Jamie would spend countless hours in the NICU. And over that same period of time bury those babies one at a time.

This is probably the core of why Jamie is so awesome. Because God loves her so much He sent His Son to personally make sure she didn't come to heaven too soon. She asked me last night why Jesus was by her side. Why He didn't say anything?

The speaking is easy. God has few words because every time He speaks something happens. Take light for example.

But the reason Jesus was beside her is that He wanted to her to be forever reminded that He is always by her side, even in the toughest of times.

I love you Jamie. Happy Birthday! You are the greatest!

The painting of Jesus is called the Prince of Peace by Akiane Kramarik, and was done when she was 8 years old. It happens to be what Colton in the book Heaven is for Real said Jesus looked like in his encounter. (the book is featured to the right) It is also what Jamie says He looked like standing next to her bed.

"When heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss, my heart turns violently inside of my chest."

Misguided?

Mark 8:33, "But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, 'Get Behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interest, but man's'"

Invariably the misguided (bad) advise we get comes from someone close to us like a friend of family member. It will come with a pure heart and in a genuine best interest.  However, because it comes from someone so close it makes it hard to ignore. For Adam it came from his wife Eve. Jesus received some misguided advise from Peter yet being Christ remained uninfluenced by it. Daily we are going to face decisions of following God's advice, or following the advice of someone or something else.

My mom sent me this, and I have altered it to my understanding. But she basically said, if we depend on organizations, then the best we can expect is what organizations can do. If we depend on education, then we get what education can do. If we depend on men, then we will get only what a man can do. But if we depend on prayer (God), we get what God can do.

Everyday the Morpheus' of our life give us the opportunity to take the red or blue pill. The red pill is the blood of Jesus Christ and it let's us perceive the truth of what the world really is. The blue pill allows the taker to linger in the ignorance and deception of organization, education, and all that encompasses man's ability. The blue pill, following the advice that is contrary to your mission mandate from God, that is the path to remain enslaved. Enslaved and not even know it.

Let's face it. God's voice is still and soft. It is often accompanied with the sense that "this is good, but it is crazy." And the crazy aspect, the part that requires faith sends us looking for confirmation. Who do we turn to? Friends, family, pastors, teachers... anyone that will listen and has our respect. Invariably, with good intentions, they will give advice that alters the command from heaven in some way. Sometimes there experience will down right discourage the path to begin with. But their opinion is not what matters. What encouragement you get in prayer, that's what matters. Confirmation will come, but it usually comes on its own without asking.So feel free to skip the bouncing of godly ideas off those closest to you, and let God bring the confirmation on His own. Trust me, He's a big God and very capable of the task.

The other side of this equation is how do we not become part of the blind leading the blind with our own misguided advice? The simplest practical technique that I can think of is this. Begin your advice with, have your considered...? There is a cost to following Christ, and the Bible says for us to consider it. (Luke 14:28) So a negative comment in the context of a consideration question really is probably a good thing v. being presented in the context of discouragement. Turning advice into a question allows the person to think deeper, go deeper with God, and find out for himself what is God and what is not. The answers they give will cause us to do the same - - go deeper with God.

Mrs. Unlovable

Matthew 25: 35-36, "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me."  (I needed a ride and you gave Me a lift)

God has such the sense of humor.

Pam, a friend for 20 years calls me excited about the blog, excited what God is doing in my life, excited about God, just plain excited. And in this excitement she gives me some very loving advice. She says, to not use people's names, or at least put a disclaimer that they have been changed. And that kind of makes sense in the context of the post called "Utopia." There is an implied clergy relationship, and an expectation of confidentiality when you meet someone for that purpose. Accept for the fact that I only use first names, and only the parties involved would truly know who I am talking about. But I was laughing... I told her I would have put Greg's picture up had I taken one.

So after a lengthy conversation, I got off the phone, did some stuff and "Utopia" came to me. I wrote it, and went about my business.

I tried to see a builder about some mortgage referrals. I went to the feed store for some rabbit food and supplies. Stopped in a convenient store for something to drink, and walking out a woman asks me if I'm going the direction she was pointing. I had to ask why? She said that she needed a ride? I asked, where to? - - I was trying to ask enough questions to get out of it. But the fact was, I was going that direction. Dog gone it, I thought... Here goes God again.

As she got in my truck the only thing I could think was, I hope that she does not stink or have lice. Thank God she didn't, but what is my deal with odors? As she got in I thought, why did I pray to occasionally eat something new? Couldn't God have answered the other items on the list before getting to that one? Regardless, I was going to make the best of it.

Her name is Kimberly and I'm sorry Pam, but that's important. It's important because this is a woman that even a mother could not love... literally. She freely told me her story on our 20 min drive. She is 49 years old, mother of 3, and homeless. Her parents kicked her our of their house, and she survives on SSI for disability. Her disability is supposedly an intestinal disorder, but it doesn't take too long to figure out what it really is... if you know what I mean. Her journey that day was prompted because she could not reach her parents by phone, and even though they kicked her out of the house she was concerned for their well being. She has a college age daughter at Sam Houston on scholarship. Kimberly had tried to call her as well, but couldn't reach her. It was pretty much a non-stop spilling of her life.

I couldn't help but wonder when the last time someone really listened to her. It only took one word to get her going again at every pause. That word was, why? And yet in it all there was an expressed faith in God. That was the amazing part. No real animosity except for her mother.

She wanted to stop at Chicken Express. I asked why? And she said to get out of the heat and use their WiFi while she waited to reach her parents. I told her I would take her all the way to her parents, and if they weren't there bring her back to Chicken Express or any other place she wanted to go.  Marvelous idea that even the challenged could understand. I don't know what a homeless person needs WiFi for. Guess I should have asked that too.

Arriving at her parents she surprisingly said, my daughter is here! You can leave me here, I will get a ride for sure. I asked to take her picture and she gladly posed.

Now I'm here, telling the world. Kimberly matters. She matters so much to God that He sent me to give her a ride. Even when her own family ignores her calls, He hears her prayers. I am thankful that He used me for such a humbling task. And why shouldn't I share her name and photo. The world is trying its best to forget her. But now, at least for a moment, they can't.

As she left she said if someone won't give her a ride from there that she would walk. I said, "Don't do that. Just ask God to send you another ride. He sent me, and He will send you someone else if you need it because He loves you." She smiled... I smiled.

BTW... the Pam in this story is Pam Smith (Name changed to protect the innocent)

Seriously though... if I were meeting with anyone in a coaching/advisory capacity, they can be assured that they personally would not be fodder for this blog. I only use names when I know that it's ok.  :-)

Provider v. Provision

Genesis 22:14, "Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.'"


I have recently embarked on a journey to discover God as Jehovah-jireh, My Provider. And leave it to God to take a good, godly, spiritual desire and turn it into a lesson of a lifetime. Yes, as Christian we should be completely dependent upon Him for provision and everything else life entails. But I dare say few fully achieve the fullness of faith this concept entails.


My expectation going is was that needs would be met in a timely, predictable manner to the degree I could truly believe, or otherwise convince myself that God is my provider. And yet the experience in reality on the surface appears to be the exact opposite. After all, if I am believing and praying and trying to understand and have faith that God is my Provider, then how on earth could my income in April be $0?


Yep... $0.00 Doesn't God My Provider know I have a mortgage payment, lights, food, etc. How can a $0 month in anyway demonstrate God as a Provider. (ENTER MY FAITH COACH) His name is Jim. :-)


In a moment of being complete real I expressed my concern of this lesson. I expressed the frustration and the fear. And my faith coach (at least that what he is to me) said something to the effect, there is a distinction between Provider and Provision. God is your Provision. Wow! It can be said a thousand ways, but until you live it, a complete understanding is impossible. Some might say this as: look to the face of God not His hand. Or look at the Bless-er, not the bless-ing. Christ said it this way in Matthew 4:4. "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by ever word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Here was Jesus, starving and yet He found God's word to be more than enough PROVISION even at the point of death by physical starvation.


At the end of the day my lights are on, there is food in the refrigerator, sure the mortgage is late, but they have not come to take my house. It is teaching, and I am learning that God is my provision. He is enough.  And even more so, He confirms that this is a good lesson, and that I am on the right path. Unfortunately for her, my wife Jamie has to walk it with me, even though we did not purposefully set out to do this together. She too is frustrated and expresses it. Yet God in His way reminded her too that He is our provision in a miraculously independent way.


I can summarize the entire experience with this. The Provider is our Provision and the Provision is our Provider. Let the stress of life's bills go and relax in the provision of God's presence.