Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16

So I say,

“Walk  by the Spirit and

You will not gratify the desires of the flesh”

Have you ever been so into something……

Playing a sport….

Listening to music…..

Maybe a game you were playing……

You know what I mean don’t you?

Some Labor of Love.

Yeah….

Remember what it was like..…

Immersion……

So that you lost all track of time.

All the struggle around you seemed to fade away.

The work……. of your “Labor of Love”……

Well it was not work at all.

I think that’s what it must be like to truly.…..

“Walk in the Spirit”.

So in tune….

So in the flow of what God is doing……

So caught up in the joy of Life……

His Life….

Being expressed through you…..

So that all the rest……

Well.…..

It simply fades into nothing.

Hey guys,

Let’s do what we do today…..

So that the Spirit of God in us……

Flows out and lives through us.

Let’s Walk by the Spirit.

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit

Take us there.

Take us to that place of fullness

In You.

Help us to feel what it is like to live Your Life….

As we do what we do.

Amen

           

Psalm 126 Yes He has........

Psalm 126:3

The Lord has done great things for us

And we are filled with Joy.

He has, you know……..

Done great things for us that is.

Think about it…..

I was once lost and lifeless.

Now I have been saved and brought to life.

I was once an object of His Wrath.

Now I am one of His beloved children.

I was once weak and fearful.

Now I have been given the Spirit of Power.

I was once in bondage to all kinds of sin and selfishness.

Now I have been freed to Live and Love.

I was once hopeless and alone.

He has given me hope, purpose and a future.

There was a time when death was the end.

Now death itself is just a stage along the way of Life.

I once was………but He has……..

Oh my brothers and sisters,

Take a minute…… or two……. or ten……..

Or maybe even a lifetime…….

And dwell in the great things He has done for you......

And so…..

Be filled with His Joy!

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Help me today to take hold of…to grasp……

To grasp all the fullness of the Gospel.

Help me to know all that it means that I am Yours,

And so be filled with Your Joy.

Amen

Psalm 100 An Invitation

Psalm 100:1

Shout for Joy to the LORD

All the earth.

Shout for……

Joy!

Some words just ooze Life, don’t they?

Joy……..

What do you imagine-

Say it again……..

Joy!

What do you see……

With the eyes of your heart?

Might it be…….

The glory of a sunrise?

Maybe it’s……

Hitting that last big rapid.......

How about plummeting downhill fast on a …………

Or what about, maybe…...

Catching that perfect wave?

Could it be you see yourself……..

Dancing?

How about the vision of…….

Offering a smile and……….

Having it reflected back.

Joy……..

What rises up in you?

Maybe it’s the sense of……

Being a part…….

A part of Father bringing men to life.

Ah……..Yes

Participating in………

Being a part of………

The very Life of Christ.

Joy!

Matthew 25:23

……..Come share in the Joy of your Master.

Father

Thank you for the invitation to Joy.

I accept!

Amen

Today

So............Why did you get up this morning?

My son Matthew loves to sleep in- Me, I 'm a morning guy- So I really don't quite get it- This sleeping in business that is- It feels to me that if I sleep in I might be missing something.

If you think that sounds a bit neurotic- You're probably right.

Anyway-

This past Saturday after his usual semicomatose morning- I couldn't help but half jokingly ask the boy,

"Why did you bother to get up at all this morning?"

Albeit late morning- His response was interesting-

"Because I had to Dad"

I suppose he was referring to the fact that I woke him up. I mean somebody had to get his little butt on up and about the obligations of the day. Particularly, he had a Mixed Martial Arts lesson at 10:30 a.m. he needed to get ready for. Seeing as how his Mom and I pay for said lessons I feel it my obligation to make sure he goes- You know- so I can get my money's worth!

So then........ I ask again- What about you-

Why did you get up this morning?

Was it because.....................

You had to-

You were supposed to-

Someone else expected you to-

Maybe you were afraid of missing something-

Or maybe you had something to do- Some obligation-

Maybe you just got kicked out of bed-

Or maybe........ Just maybe

There was something you were really looking forward to-

Something that you anticipated-

Something Good-

Something Really, Really Good!

Wouldn't it be awesome if everyday could be like that-

I mean every morning-

As good as those nice warm covers feel-

As comfortable as that soft bed is-

As much as you know-

When you step out onto the floor......

It will be cold-

Or when you first crack open your eyelids.........

The bright light that floods in will be harsh-

All of that means nothing-

It simply fades away..........

Because there is one thing-

Something really, really good-

That consumes your thoughts as you rouse into consciousness-

Something you love so much-

Anticipate so much-

That you can hardly wait to get up!

Oh I know you have been there-

Think of Christmas morning as a child-

Think of the morning of your wedding day-

Think of the first day of vacation in some new and exotic venue-

Think of opening day of hunting season-

Think of spending the day with a friend you haven't seen in ages.......

How about thinking of getting up everyday

to spend that day with the God who created the Universe.

How about living in the reality that He-

(Yes this Incredible, Mysterious, Wondrous God)

Has something for you today.

Something He made just for you..........

Life!

1 Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

Nor has any mind conceived

What God has prepared for those who love Him."

Today

Father in Heaven, help me to see the reality of even just a small bit of what You have for me each day. Move in me to launch out into every day expecting the best day of my life.

Amen

Living from Faith

Christmas morning 1994- Or maybe 1995- Anyway- As she came down the stairs my daughter Rebecca was trembling with excitement-

I have never-

Before or since-

Seen such pure anticipation-

It was a beautiful thing...........

Overwhelming me even now as I draw it up from my recollections.

She rounded the corner that opened into our Great Room- The room where Santa had left her Christmas Gifts- Funny thing is, I don't even remember what the gifts were- Maybe some Barbie stuff- But it doesn't really matter- What matters- What I remember- Is Rebecca's wide eyed expression of Joy- Her unabashed proclamation-

"Santa must have thought I was a very good little girl"

A child's belief in Santa is an incredible thing to behold-

Matthew 11:25-26 At that time Jesus said,

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned,

and revealed them to little children.

Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

It amazes me sometimes how much time I spend trying to figure God out-

Trying to make Him fit into this system or that system of theology.

I have wasted so much time in Academic Pursuit of God-

And the worst of it is-

I have missed it-

I have been jaded-

I have missed what my Daughter at 4 or 5 years old had such grip on.

When will I come 'round that corner again-

All cynicism gone-

All skepticism gone-

When will I ever see the wonders of God again-

Forget about trying to explain it all-

And simply say-

Wow!

Maybe today

Hopefully in even the next moments.

Father in Heaven-

Open the eyes of my heart -

Move in me to live by Faith-

To stand in awe at the wonder of who You are-

The One and Only True God-

Beyond....... Totally beyond........

my capacity.

All Praise, Honor and Glory be to You.

Amen

Mosh Pits and Christianity

My son Matthew loves hard core dancing-
If you are not familiar with that style-
I think it essentially involves something called a mosh pit-
A mass of humanity strewn together-
Arms and legs flailing about wildly-
Some rythmically and some not so rythmically-
In such close proximity to one another-
There can not help but be some contact.....errr...collisions.
Matt came home from a hard core show (concert) recently and said to me,

"Dad,

I got kicked in the leg,

hit in the face,

a busted lip and

almost knocked out"

"It was great!"

Alrighty then........
More and more I am agreeing with the statement, "Youth is wasted on the young" :)
At any rate-
When Matt said this-
There was such a smile on his face-
Such a brightness about his eyes-
I couldn't help but think-

My son just gave the perfect description of the Christian Life-

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy,

my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds

Pure Joy-

Now that's bold in the face of trials.
Yet.........

What is it about a mosh pit that can inspire pure joy-
In the face of a busted lip and almost being knocked out?

I might be wrong-
But somehow I think in the case of the mosh pit-

(I have never experienced one)

There must be a sort of joy.......
In being lost in the moment.

There must be some sense........
That the pain fades into nothingness-
As the dancer is lost in his freedom of expression.

I wonder............

Can we get there in the Christian Life?

Can we get to a point where the trials fade into nothingness?

Can we get to a point where we are so consumed with Christ-

So lost in the expressions of the Glory of God in our lives-

So confident in His Grace towards us-

His Love for us...........

That we can live the life of freedom-

The life He has won for us-

The Life of abandon and boldness in Love?

No one would ever venture into a mosh pit out of a sense of duty-

No-
They go to dance-

They go for the freedom-

They go for the Life!

Father God,

Bring me into the Joy of Life today-

Your Life in me.

In the midst of the trials-

Rise up in us to be the expression of Your Glory-

To be the expression of Your Love.

Fill us Holy Spirit

to all these good ends.

Praise, Honor and Glory be to You.

Amen

On Jet Skis and Strange Joy (Part 2)

As we eased around the last bend in the cove- Bill called out over the sound of the boat motor- "Charles, it's getting too shallow to go much farther". Just then, a sudden loud grinding sound caught my attention followed by immediate silence. "We just broke the prop on a tree stump" Bill said with more than a hint of concern in his voice.

"Reeebecccccaaaa" I called out over and over again.

It had been more than 15 minutes now since I had last seen my baby zoom off on the Jet-Ski into the long deep cove and dissappear. Now, at last I could see the end of the narrowing, tree stump infested cove- Still no Rebecca. The last words I had called to her now played over and over in my mind-

"Faster, Faster"

I yelled as she had sped away from the dock-

"If you slow down the Jet-Ski will fall over and you'll be stuck."

What had I done?

There were houses on one side of the steep bank of the cove-

On the opposite side only woods-

Thick woods on a bank that was not quite so steep.

Daaaaaaaad-

Over here!

My baby girl- I heard her-

I know I heard her.

But where was she?

Was it really her?

Could it have just been some haunting, hopeful echo in my mind?

No, It had to be her-

But where was she?

Daaaaaaad-

I heard her again!

But it made no sense-

The sound was coming from............

Well as hard as it was to grasp-

It was coming from the Woods.

She had been on a Jet- Ski-

In the Lake-

How could she be in the woods?

Just then I saw some movement on the bank-

Could it be-

Yesssssssssss!

She was there-

Making her way down through the trees and brush toward the shore line.

Thank You Jesus!

Joy shows up in the strangest places-

A little girl walking down out of the woods-

A little girl I expected to find on a Jet-Ski in the lake.

Matthew 4:18-19 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "And I will make you fishers of men"

Joy shows up in the strangest places-

A man walking along beside a lake-

A man who calls out, "Come, Follow Me"-

Follow Me into the Life you were meant to Live.

Where will our invitation to Joy come from today?

Lord Jesus-

Open the eyes of our hearts today so that we do not miss Your invitations to Joy. Invitations that come from strange, unexpected places.

Kisses blown to us from heaven-

The smile of a friend-

The feel of a breeze on my face.

Lord Jesus in this hard, hard world-

Lead us into Joy-

Lead us into You!

Amen

Part 3 coming soon- I think- maybe.