Loyalty

Ally was a good dog. She was a Black Lab we bought as a puppy to help our son Matthew overcome his fear of dogs.........................It worked. Matthew fell in love with that puppy as we watched her grow into a 125 lb dynamo of feet, tail and drool. Now as much as she bonded with Matthew and Rebecca..... and even me- The most powerful connection into our family came with my wife Julie. Julie was the one who walked her, played with her, loved on her and yes even overfed her. I can tell you there was more than once that I envied the love my wife gave that dog- But I shouldn't have been surprised. Julie is like that- A warm, loving, kind woman who can live it out with the best of 'em. Couple that with Ally's love for Julie- Always smiling (Yes I said smiling-Ally had an awesome smile), Always happy to see Julie, Always pouring out unbridled affection for my wife. I imagine there were times Julie wondered why I couldn't have been more like Ally.

With Ally there were no divided loyalties.

She knew who loved her best.

She would choose Julie over all others.

At any sign of threat She would defend Julie for all her worth- Transforming from a sweet adorable pooch- To an incredible display of fury that led many a stranger to ask, "Is your dog safe?"

Ally was a picture of Loyalty.

Mark 12:29-31 Jesus said, " The first command is this- The Lord your God is one.....Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is like it- Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

I wish I could say my own loyalty to my Lord- Father, Son and Spirit- was as pure as Ally's to her Mistress. With Ally it was simple- She knew who loved her best- She knew where her best hope of anything good was coming from. She embraced that and attached herself to my wife in ways that expose my own devotion as paltry.

Her displays of Love for Julie were extravagant.

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit- Forgive me for my divided heart, forgive me for forgetting who Loves me best. Forgive me for not trusting You- for complicating what is simple in an effort to manipulate my own way. Father God, today- because You are in me and have given Life to my dead heart- I will love You, trust You and follow You in all I do. Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit- Rise up in me today so that this will be true of my life- Unite my heart to Your great Heart so that all that comes out of me today flows from Love for You.

Amen

A Song

The first song I can ever remember learning went like this-

Jesus Loves me this I know-

For the Bible tells me so-

Little ones to Him belong-

They are weak-

But He is Strong-

Yes Jesus Loves me-

Yes Jesus Loves me-

Yes Jesus Loves meeeee-

For the Bible tells me so.

I sang it, having no real grasp of what it meant-

Yet..........somehow.......... it felt Good-

Jesus Loves me

It made me feel Safe-

It made me feel Valued-

It made me feel Wanted

Deep in my heart-

I believed it.

Now- years later- I still don't really grasp it-

This Love of Jesus-

Oh, my theolgy is more sophisticated-

I have some apologetics down-

I can share the 4 Spiritual Laws-

I even teach Sunday School from time to time-

But in many ways I am not sure I feel it like I did back then.........

As a Child.

Now......... as I get a bit older-

As I deal with a bit more of my own cynicism-

As I endure a little more of the pain of this world-

There is even the temptation -

From time to time-

To question His Love.

You know what I mean, don't you?

Things run through my mind like-

"If God really Loves me then why............... "

You fill in the blank.

In many ways it was easier as a child.

Jesus Loves me this I know-

For the Bible tells me so.

Mark 10:14- 16 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me....for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, touched them and blessed them.

Lord Jesus, I pray that You might grant me the blessing of feeling Your arms around me today. Father take me back to those times when the reality of Your Love saturated me. Help me to live in it- to find my Life and Hope and Identity in Your deep deep Love.

Amen

I got no ettiquette.

Juxtaposition- To place unexpected combinations side by side.

Are you impressed?

I went to a luncheon recently that honored a group of people who had reached some milestones. As I sat at my table next to a young lady I had not met before, but had seen around our work place I noticed the table setting. The silver (Plasticware) was wrapped in a napkin there on the table and the dessert was sat out in temptingly ornate style. This arrangement suggested some level of expected formality. Now I have to tell you I am not altogether comfortable at formal meals- For one thing I am never sure at these kinds of functions which place setting is actually my own- Is it the napkin, spoon and fork to my right or to my left? To confuse the issue even more, I am left handed, which seems to throw me off in all sorts of ways. Anyway, I went on to introduce myself to the young lady and explain to her my confusion- I got no ettiquette training- This nice lady mercifully educated me a bit on what was what- At least she gave me enough information so that I did not use her spoon and fork. In my own explanation for my lack of knowlege of the social graces, I am not really sure where the words came from- maybe just wondering aloud- but I can hear myself saying,

"Really I guess I shouldn't worry about all this- I mean how formal do I have to be when the beautiful meal is actually being served on plastic plates."

Ah, the beauty of juxtaposition. Yes there was this sense of formality- But there was also the reality of the common man- The two folded together in an incredible way. Me the common man invited to the table of the ornate. The ornate itself descending to a level that gave me access- Wait- beyond even just access- Actually inviting me to come and to participate- Just as I am- No ettiquette and all. Amazing!

Colossians 1:15-20 (Excerpts) Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation- by Him all things were made- things in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible....... He is before all things and in Him all things hold together...... God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself.

Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus, being in very nature God Himself, did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself .

John 1:1 - 2 and 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us

The Ornate opening the way for the common by taking on the form of the common-

Raising the common from ordinary to sacred-

From death to Life.

Thank You Lord Jesus for opening the way to the ornate- Thank You for bringing God Himself into this world to be juxtaposed against all that is broken here in this place. Holy Spirit move in me today and tomorrow and every day after that to live out this same juxtaposition-Move in me to live out the reality of Your Life in this world- Move in me to invite all You bring my way into the Life You have won for us.

Amen

What are you afraid of? (Part2)

The fears that isolate. The fears that cripple. The fears that steal Life. I thought maybe that little excerpt from the last blog could use some elaboration. I am afraid of rejection. I am afraid of embarassment. I am afraid of being exposed as a weakling. I am afraid of being exposed as inadequate. I am afraid of failure and disgrace. I am afraid of letting God down. Now these are the biggies- These are the ones the enemy uses to cut to the heart. I thought maybe just taking a minute to list some words God has given might be helpful to us all as we deal with some of these and other fears and lies the enemy uses against us.

Psalm 87:6-7 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples; This one was born in Zion (born again). And as I make music I will sing, All my fountains (Life) are in You my God.

Psalm 89:33 God has said, "I will not take my Love from you, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness"

Psalm 91:14 "Because you love Me says the Lord, I will rescue you; I will protect you , for you acknowleges My Name."

John 15:9 Jesus said,"As the Father has Loved Me, so have I Loved you. Now abide in My Love."

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither present nor future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all Creation will be able to seperate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Hebrews 13:5b-6 God has said,"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So that I may boldly say," The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid."

In the end I think overcoming these kinds of fears comes down to trusting God's Love for us and His Goodness towards us.

More and more- little by little-

I am finding my identity and worth in realizing the Truth-

I am His-

His child-

A child of the Great King.

Still......... it is a slow process.

Father God seal to my heart the truth-I am Yours.

Holy Spirit help me feel it every day-

from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

Lord Jesus, Thank You for making all this Life possible.

Amen

What are you afraid of?

I am afraid of monsters. When I was a kid- I guess about 5 or 6 years old- We lived in a house that sat up on brick pillars- I suppose you would call that a crawl space- The thing was though that this crawl space was open all around the house. Somehow- I don't know how- I got the idea that monsters lived under our house. They were there- I was sure of it- In the dark recesses of this horrible underworld. Maybe it was my trickster brother who planted the idea- I'm not sure- but I was certain of one thing- There were monsters there- They were waiting to get me if I ventured too close. Well I guess I have gotten over the fear of monsters in the dark- Although there are still times when I might be alone at home- Late at night- The house dark and quiet- Except for those sounds a house seems to make- When you are alone- Late at night- The house dark and....... In those times it is so easy for a mind to run wild- Dancing to the tune of a real monster- The devil himself- He is a fear merchant- A master of subtle deception. He raises many of those old fears- The fears that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck- The fears that isolate- The fears that cripple- The fears that steal life.

John 10:10 Jesus said, "The thief has come to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have Life and have it to the full."

There is no shame in being afraid-

In many ways I think it is those very fears that drive me to my Hero-

The One who has bested all my fears-

The One who says-

Be strong and courageous, for I am with you.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

I have given you a Spirit of Power and Love

Behold I am coming soon.

Take Heart, I have Overcome.

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit- Rise up in me today and every day to be courageous. Help me to minute by minute live in the reality of Your Love that casts out fear. Help me to take to heart Your Love for me and live out of that Love as your Child- One who need not fear anything of this world or my enemy. Help me to say truely along with Your servant David that,"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death- I will not live in fear, because you are with me."

Amen

Come to think of it- there's no reason to be afraid of monsters any more.

Personal Space

I have this friend- Oh you know where I'm going already don't you- You read the title- Yep! Anyway- No matter how much I back up he just keeps coming- Eventually I will back into a wall and he's got me- Two inches from my face- Me squirming under the force of his hot breath. Thank you Lord that this guy brushes and doesn't eat onions!

So what about this business of Personal Space?

It's funny how we don't mind some folks all up in our personal space but others................

Well we might rather kiss a Rattlesnake than kiss Aunt Susie

So what makes the difference?

Why do I invite my wife into my Personal Space-

Even pursue times for us to be in each other's Personal Space (I think you get my drift here right?).

Yet......... other folks- No Way Baby- Give me my space!

I think it must be all about the relationship- You know- Trust- Intimacy and all that.

So then- What about God and my Personal Space? Where am I with that?

I think there is a sense in which God will not violate our personal space uninvited.

Revelation 3:20 (Jesus speaking) Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and dine with him and he with Me.

James 4:8 Come near to God and He will come near to you.

So what do you think? Do you invite God into your personal space?

Are you comfortable with Him there?

Maybe it's easier to invite Jesus into my personal space-

After all He seems alot more understanding-

Not nearly as scary.

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit- Triune God, Come into my personal space today- I invite You to continually search my heart and reveal any thing in me that remains broken- expose my sin and mercifully lead me into healing. Lead me into the Life You have for me. Comfort me Almighty God- The God of All Comfort- Come deep into my heart and soul- into my personal space and do what You do- Bring Wholeness and Life.

Amen

Is there any Hope?

How many times have you heard those words? I have a friend who is dying- Is there any hope? Someone I love is caught in what seems to be an inescapable trap- Is there any hope? My own mind runs after unspeakable ugliness- Is there any hope? I have reverted back to nail biting- Is there any hope? I have a friend whose marriage has come apart at the seams- Is there any hope?

Is there any hope that any of these things can be fixed?

Any hope they can be resolved in a way that suits me?

Ah, now that last question- that's the sticky one.

Isaiah 40:31 Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

Notice it did not say those who hope in the Lord will have their way.

It's time for a change-

It's time for me to stop hoping for God to do what I want-

It's time for me to start placing my hope in God Himself-

That is my part- It is an act of my own will.

To place my hope in His Goodness, Love and Power.

He is Good- He does Love me- He is Able.

It is for me to decide to live in that- minute by minute.

Psalm 147:11 The Lord delights in those who take Him seriously, those who put their Hope in His Unfailing Love.

Holy Spirit of the Living God- Fill me with Hope- Move in my own Spirit to take hold of the the Reality of Hope in You. Move in my own spirit to Trust You. Move in my own spirit to grow in Love for You. Thank You Lord Jesus for the Hope You have given us all in Your Resurrection. Because of the Hope I have in You, Today I will be Hopeful- Strength renewed- Full of the Life You have won for me. All praise honor and glory be to You Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

Alright then........ So what adventures do you have in mind for today Lord?

Let's go see!

Moving On

An early morning conversation with my son;

Me- "Matt, it's time to get up"

Him- "Not yet, in a second"

Me- "In a second? why not now?"

Him- "Because I am comfortable. I have heard it said that sometimes it seems like God is in the business of comforting the afflicted, but other times it seems His cheif purpose is to Afflict the Comfortable.

I have also heard it said that we will not change until it becomes too painful to stay the same.

As I think any of you who read this on a regular basis can tell from my posts the last couple of weeks- life has been hard. There has been waiting and dissappointment and regret- Plenty of discomfort.

The central question in all of it has been,

"Where is God in all this?"

or maybe,

"Why hasn't He given me what I wanted?"

I will tell you He has been present.

He has shown Himself in Clouds and Streetsigns-

In conversations with friends-

In His Word-

In other books I am reading-

In time with my wife-

In time alone-

In bike rides and I am sure a million other ways that I have not even recognized.

In all of it the choice has been clear-

He has driven me to a place of discomfort-

A place where I must take hold of the reality of His Love and Care for me-

Really- Deeply- In my heart of hearts -

Or I must deny Him-

Lose faith and go my own way.

My own struggles have been real, but He has been so merciful to strengthen my faith through what really are trivial struggles compared to things I know others are going through.

It really is a shame that my transformations have to come through discomfort-

Maybe it is the only way my heart will take hold of what is in my head and own it.

It is time for me to move on from old dreams.

I have done all that I could to make them come to pass.

God has shut them down.

It is time to move on- to move on into what He has for me.

Romans 8:32 God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also with the gift of His Son- Graciously give us all things.

Lord God Almighty I will trust You- That what You have in mind for me is Good and the Life I long for will be right there in it. Give me clarity day by day to see and walk the path You have laid out for me.

Amen

Now come on Matt- It's time to get up!

Do- Overs

The mistakes I've made- The things I have said that I wish I could have back- The times I have dissappointed people close to me and not so close to me- The pain I have caused myself and others. What do I do with those things? There are few opportunities for Do- Overs in life. In fact I am not sure there are any. Things done can not be erased.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him- even those called according to His purpose.

Is it true?

Is God at work even in the depths of my mistakes- my failures-

Even my sin and selfish acts?

Does God's sovereignty extend even to cover my free choices that are wrong?

Is He able to take my inadequacy and use it to accomplish His Good Purposes?

I believe it is true- I hope it is true- In many ways, because of the vastness of my brokeness- my sinfulness and my screw-ups- God's Loving Sovereignty is my only Hope. Have mercy on us Lord Jesus- Have Mercy,

So what am I to do with all this- this reality of my own inability to make things right?

Two scriptures come to mind.

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 light.

I hear God say in all this to let go of all these things-

let them go and break their hold-

Trust Me Charles -

Trust Me to swallow even these things up and use them for My Good Purposes.

Phillipians 3:12-14 (Excerpts) Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead- I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me- I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Press On Charles- Press On.

Lord God Almighty, by Your Great Power and Infinite Love and Mercy move in me- in all of us who read this and struggle with our mistakes of the past- with our weakness and sin and inadequacy- with those things that haunt us-

those things that could have been-

Move in us to rest in You and to Press on in Your Grace.

Amen

Just Some Clouds

I was driving down the road yesterday evening- taking my son Matthew to his Mixed Martial Arts class-when I could not help but notice the horizon off to my right. As we came to a stop light I was captured by the beauty of the picture God had painted-

The sky- The clouds- The sun's reflection.

I wish I had words to describe what I saw.

I will try.

The clouds were majestic as they seemed to rise from out of the ground. Those closer to the horizon were an ominous but shimmering steel gray. They looked to be impregnated with Anger- Anger and Power- The power of some impending thunder god A god that might send forth hail and bolts of lightening in an unbridled expression of wrath. But as I lifted my gaze just a bit higher, these very same clouds changed- They subtly shifted in color from that ominous steel gray to the whitest of whites- Bright beyond anything I can ever remember seeing before. The power was still there- the majesty was still there- But in this higher place, instead of being filled with wrath- These very same clouds seemed to be bursting forth with Joy and Hope and Goodness- Power, but a different display. Now all of this was worthy in and of itself to spend a moment taking in- But there was one other piece to this picture God had painted for me- A clear message that captured me there at that stop light at that moment in time.......

Rising up out of the ground and positioned so that it's top was set directly against the backdrop of these magnificent clouds was a red and white triangular street sign with the word YIELD spelled out directly in it's center.

Oh, the messages of God- they come in the most unexpected places as I go about this business of life.

Yield- Yield to My Power Charles- Yield to My Joy and Goodness and Hope and yes even to My Wrath. Be as amazed with Me as you are with this cloud I have sent you today.

Exodus 34:5 -6 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses and proclaimed His name-The Lord. He passed in front of Moses proclaiming, The Lord, The Lord- The Compassionate and Gracious God- Slow to Anger and abounding in Love and Faithfulness.

Lord God Almighty- show me where I need to yield to You today. By Your Holy Spirit move in me to be still and know that You are God. Empower me and let me feel Your Power and Courage and Love and Faithfulness so that I may take hold of who You are and yield.

Amen

Pain in this World

Christianity does not innoculate me against pain in this world- Christianity does not insulate me from dissappointment. I wish I could say that giving my life to Christ meant that my suffering was over-That everything from that moment forward would go my way- that there would be nothing but bliss all day every day, but........................

We are not in Heaven yet- The Kingdom of God is still dealing with opposition in this world and tragically even opposition in me- a Christian.

As long as that opposition exist, there will be pain and dissappointment. God will not spare me, but instead will heal me in the midst of it.

John 16:33 Jesus said," In this world you will have trouble. But take Heart, I have overcome the world."

Right about now I am- I suspect we all are- experiencing some trouble- some pain- some dissapointment. Mine is of my own doing- in that there are things I clearly want that are not in God's plan or timing for me at this point- maybe never. The words resound-

Take Heart- Take Heart- Be strong and Courageous, for I am with you- I will never leave or forsake you. I know the plans I have for you- plans for good- I have come to give you life.

I know in all this God is inviting us (me) to trust Him in a more real way- to let go of lesser things and take hold of Him for Life.

Holy Spirit rise up in me to do this- to take Heart and really trust You for my Life. Help me to say along with Your servant David, " The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." and again, "Create a pure heart in me and renew a right spirit in me...........Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation." All Praise be to You Lord for all You are doing to unite my Heart to Your own Great Heart.

Amen

What do you want? (Part 2)

I heard the story of a man-

He was a good man-

A hard working man-

A man who had dreams and aspirations of greatness.

He had a vision for his life- for success and acclaim and power and wealth.

And so this man set about the business of climbing the ladder of success.

He was indeed a clever and industrious man who after much toil and skill and manipulation was able to reach the top of the ladder.

He had arrived- He had achieved all he set out to do-

He was at the pinnacle of his life- The master of his domain.

As he surveyed all he had accomplished- all he had given life and energy for-

He was surprised at his own sense of discontentment and began to wonder........

Did I have my ladder against the wrong wall? This is not what I thought it would be. I have done all that I set out to do- Now What?

Oswald Chambers- My Utmost for His Highest- July 13- Paraphrase

Over and over again God has to remove our lesser desires to bring Himself into their place.

Is there some other thing I desire more than God Himself?

Is there some lesser desire I am focused on that I think will bring me the life I long for?

Do I really believe God is all of Who He says He is?

John 10:10 Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance"

Father in Heaven, Give me a desire for You that is the defining desire of my life. Purify all the other lesser things- Even removing them where they need to be removed so that my life may be completely hidden within Your own. Lord, You know there are things I want- things that I believe will make me happy- Grant me those things only as they lead me deeper into Your Heart of Love and Goodness.

Matthew 6 (Excerpt) Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven......for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Lord Jesus, let my heart be consumed with You.

Holy Spirit, lead me and comfort me in all these things.

Amen

What do you want?

It usually starts with an innocent enough statement- "Hey lets go out to eat!" my wife might say. To which I reply," Sure, what do you want?" To which Julie will reply, "I don't care- you pick". Now is where the fun begins- You all know- You have been there. "What about Chinese?" "No, I had that yesterday." "Well what about Mexican?" "You know My stomach can't handle that right now." "Okay then well what do you want?" "I don't know- I guess what I was really thinking was........"

I am not sure we will ever really be able to hear God or unite to His heart and purposes as long as we have our own ends in mind.

Isn't this how we are with God so often. He comes and invite us into His enterprises and even give us some options about how we might fit into what He has going.

It' s like He is saying, Hey Charles, let's get together and do this (Whatever this is) and I come back and say Great, Lord I would love to spend some time with You, but I was thinking we might do this (Something else) instead.

Lord, why don't You join me in what I want to do?

In fact, here are my plans, would You just please bless them-

You know they are good-

You know lots of people will be helped-

Lord, why don't You just join me in what I want-

You could be a big help.

I believe what God wants for us more than anything else is that we unite to His Heart in such a way that our greatest desire become simply.............Him.

When will I reach a point in my life where all of who I am revolves around Him- Where He is my great desire?

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord

Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Oh, I know these verses have second parts- Promises even- but can we just forget those for a while and say along with our Lord Jesus to the Father, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done"?

Father in Heaven, work out Your ways in my life today and tomorrow and every day. Holy Spirit, cultivate in me a desire for being united to the Great Heart of God- For being united to my Lord Jesus in all His Love and Grace and Mercy and Goodness. All Praise be to You Father in Heaven for how You are working all these things out.

Amen

What's the hurry?

Slow Down.

These are the words that God gave me this morning as I awoke from some dream or other.

I wish I could remember it.

Driveness has plagued me as long as I can remember. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Vince Lombardi- The iconic coach of the Green Bay Packer dynasty of the 60's. Lombardi said,

"The Quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his pursuit of excellence"

I love the quote- I think it is spot on............... Except for my own over emphasis of one word-

Pursuit

Is there ever a time to set aside the pursuit and rest? In my mind I say yes-

My heart and actions tell a different story-

I am driven- Relentlessly in pursuit of.................... Something-

Sometimes I get so busy I am not even sure what.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus loved Jesus- Jesus really seemed to enjoy spending time with them as well. On one occasion when Jesus was over for a visit it seems the family decided to have some folks over. Martha was a worker. Give the woman a task and get out of the way as she became a whirling dervish of motion and effeciency. A woman after my own heart- On a mission- Driven for everything to come together- just so. It was a good thing. It is a good thing for all of us to be able to rise to the occasion and "Get 'er Done". Maybe sometimes though it is not the best thing.

Mary on the other hand seemed a little more laid back- maybe even a little flighty- not so practical as her sister. It seems on this particular occasion as Martha was busy preparing for the guests and Jesus- Mary had decided to simply take some time and sit with Jesus- Visiting- Listening- Enjoying the time with Him.

Now as you can imagine as Martha was working her hind end off to make the preparations for a nice little party while her sister was just sort of chilling out with Jesus- Martha began to get a little resentful- a little angry even- not only at her sister, but at Jesus as well for not telling Mary to get up and get busy.

It's really odd that as I write these very words I am trying to hurry up and get ready to go out of town to relax a bit- Yet my very driveness will not allow me to stop until I'm done. What did I say about my actions a minute ago? Lord help me!

Anyway as Martha Complains to Jesus- His reply is recorded in Luke 10:41 as He said,

"Martha, Martha-You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better- and it will not be taken away from her."

Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. 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.

Lord Jesus help me- help me to slow down and come to You- Today, this weekend and all the time to come. Help me to live the better way.

Amen

Changing my heart (Part 3)

I can not change my heart alone. I do not want anyone to get the wrong idea from parts 1 and 2. No amount of disciplined living- Directing my eyes and feeding on what is good- will ultimately be successful when it comes to finding the Life God made me for-

If I try to do it in isolation.

God works out my heart changes in the context of Community- Through relationships- Honest real relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ as I discipline my eyes and my appetites.

I need help. Yes- I need help from the Holy Spirit to become what God made me to be, and I find His help most often in the context of Authentic Relationships with others who have committed their lives to Jesus.

A friend recently said to me-

"Charles, I don't believe I have to go to church to be a good person."

At the time I nodded in agreement- and in some sense I still agree.

Going into a church does not make you good any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.

I get that- I think I understand where my friend is coming from, yet..........................

I am not sure when people say this kind of thing- if what they really mean is........

I don't need a community of believers to be good- I can do it myself.

What a lie- from the father of lies.

If I am ever going to find the Life God has made me for- The Life He sent Jesus to win back for me- I am convinced it will only be found as I pursue vital living relationships with others in His Body.

These others are not my salvation, but they can be an incredible expression of God's Love for me- To lead me to Life.

John 17:21 Jesus prayed, "that they all may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe"

Father in Heaven- Lead me to others who love you today. Bring us together in You for the Life You have for us all- Together.

Amen