Tag Archives: grace

Totally Attractive 

09 Friday Dec 2016

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This is from one of my favourite authors. I believe she was inspired when she wrote this amazing insight.

“The shortness of time is urged as an incentive for us to seek righteousness and to make Christ our friend. This is not the great motive. It savors of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us to compel us through fear to right action? This ought not to be. Jesus is attractive. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion. He proposes to be our friend, to walk with us through all the rough pathways of life. He says to you, I am the Lord thy God; walk with me, and I will fill thy path with light. Jesus, the Majesty of Heaven, proposes to elevate to companionship with himself those who come to him with their burdens, their weaknesses, and their cares. He will make them his dear children, and finally give them an inheritance of more value than the empires of kings, a crown of glory richer than has ever decked the brow of the most exalted earthly monarch.” – {RH August 2, 1881 Par. 6}

Basement of My Heart

30 Friday Sep 2016

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A good friend of my shared this raw and real prayer experience so I asked permission to share it. Other than a few edits, I am sharing it as is.

“Have you ever gotten to the point where you say to God, ‘I don’t know what the f*$k I’m doing with my life.’? That’s the prayer I prayed today. Somewhere between listing off all the horrible things that the devil was pumping into me about myself. I didn’t have any religious spin on the fact that I feel like a bag of shit, so I said quite frankly, ‘F*$k it, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.’

The politically correct Christian in me wants to say ‘How dare you use that language in the presence of God?’ But it’s not like He doesn’t already know where my heart is, so what’s the point of cleaning up my language, if my heart is cussing to high heaven?

You ever get to that point where you’re praying, and you don’t even know what the hell to pray for because everything just seems like one big jumbled mess? You know God has been there for you before, but in your Israelite moment you feel like God has dropped you off in a scene from ‘Lost’ and you’re trying to navigate yourself off this island that is a literal death trap. Welcome to my world!

I watched this video on Facebook yesterday – it was of vegans protesting animal cruelty. God forgive me, but these idiots were branding their bodies with hot iron and rolling around practically naked in blood to show how animals ‘feel’ in the meat industry. I’m all for being sensitive, but there are people being shot to death because the color of their skin ignites fear, and you are protesting for animal rights? Seriously?

I’m not diminishing the value that God puts on His creation, and yes, we have been horrible stewards when it comes to managing the natural resources that God has given us. But honestly, when the lives of cows, chickens, turkeys and the like gets elevated above those of our fellow man, I shake my head in dismay that creeps into anger.

I can usually tell I’ve reached my saturation point when my will to do anything constructive disappears. I spent the day in bed today. I didn’t want to face the world, because honestly, nothing about it impresses me right now. I look around and ask God, ‘Where are You? Why are children being killed at the hands of evil men? Where is the God of Elijah? I need Him to show up right now.’ I laid in bed today, trying to fill the listless feeling with Soduko, Mahjong, Facebook…that didn’t work. I listened to Lux Radio Theatre (radio presentations of hits from the silver screen era), but not even Clark Gable nor funnyman Bob Hope could cheer me up. I know that when I get to this point I’m vulnerable, and only connecting with God will give me insight, but it doesn’t stop me from trying everything else.

I finally took out my prayer journal and decided that if I had any hope of facing the world today, I needed to hash some things out with God. This was the most interesting prayer I’ve ever prayed. I started by telling God all the horrible things I believe about myself… you know the usual – ‘I’m ugly, I’m stupid…I’m still single, because no one will ever find me lovable.’ I mean I took self-loathing to another level. Stuff came out of places, I didn’t even know I had places. It broke my heart to see how little I think of myself. But halfway through the prayer, the conversation took on a life of it’s own. I kid you not, I went from writing in the first person (‘I am this’) to writing in the third person (‘you are that’). It was like the devil was like, your self-loathing is not enough, so let me pile some more shit on… I did manage to get to the point in the prayer, where I was able to admit to God that I know all of what I wrote to be a lie, but that didn’t negate what I was feeling. And it was there in the middle of asking God to help me to focus on what I know rather than what I felt that I needed to stop all the repetitive crap. You know what I mean…?

     “Father, please bless me with Your Holy Spirit
     Fill me with Your neverending joy and may Your
     grace shine on my face…”
Don’t get me wrong. There are times when I pray that exact prayer and mean it from the bottom of my heart, but not today. Today they were just words that did not mean a damn thing.
Why?
Because at the bottom of my heart, all I had to say was ‘I don’t know what the f*$k to pray for.’ So I prayed just that. Some might think me irreligious, quite frankly my first thought was the same thing – ‘can I cuss at God in my prayer?’ But like I said, He already knows what’s in my heart, so why bother hiding it. That didn’t stop me from feeling the need to listen to some religious programming to try to ‘hear a word from God.’ I mean if you’re swearing at God, something bad must be up. Turns out, even if  you turn to God with a potty mouth, He will speak to you if that’s what you need.
I listened to a program on Focus on the Family as I got ready to go to work, and the guest Lisa Harper, spoke on many things that made me think hard. What spoke to me the loudest was when she spoke concerning a hard time in her life. She said she had to be willing to meet God in the basement of her heart, and He was able to bring her to the surface. As soon as she said those words I instantly recognized where I was – I was in the basement of my heart. It’s not a very nice place to be, but today my foul-mouthed self invited God there with me.
In the basement of my heart I realize that I am an Israelite through and through. I would probably have been one of the first ones taking off my jewelry to contribute to the stash to make the golden calf for ‘worship’ because Moses was taking too long on the mountain. God does amazing things in my life all the time to let me know that He is a good, good Father. But life is hard right now, so here I am asking God ‘where are You?’
You know what I love most about God’s relationship with the Israelites?  Time and time again they turned away from Him and though it was heartbreaking, He approached them with this…
“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
So yes, I am in the basement of my heart where everything feels empty. This is the place where the devil drags you and tries to beat you to a pulp. I’ve invited God into the basement of my heart. I’ve invited Him into the place where the enemy tries to snuff out life and love and every thing good. No, I don’t have all the answers all of a sudden, but I know that God meets me here, and here in the basement, I don’t have to pretend I have it all together. Here in the basement, I get real with God, so he can put me together.

Today I prayed a prayer I have never prayed before, and God replied, ‘It’s about time, now let’s get to work!'”

Raising the Bar – Beauty Beyond Bones

26 Friday Aug 2016

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Another out the park post from Beauty Beyond Bones.

If there’s on Olympic event that is simultaneously the most mesmerizing, and yet the most head-scrating thing ever, it’s…pole vaulting. No, not rhythmic gymnastics. Although, that’s a close second. Pole vaulting. I mean, I’d like to meet the guy who invented that event! Like, Okay, I’m going to willing catapult my body through the air, over a ridiculously high […]

via Raising the Bar — BeautyBeyondBones

Accept

07 Tuesday Jun 2016

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Many times, I have conversations on the topic of salvation. My focus is always on God’s incredible love and grace that he demonstrated definitively at the cross.

At some point, someone will say, “God’s grace provided salvation but in order to be saved, we need to accept it.”A variation on this is when someone says, “You have to trust in Jesus to be saved.” Or “We are saved by faith and not works.”

To me, what I see the bible saying over and over, is that there is an infinitely important distinction between salvation by grace and any other statement made about having faith, trust, or belief.

To illustrate what I mean, please  consider the following two sentences and ask yourself which one brings you the greatest level of peace:

I have salvation because I have accepted God’s love and grace.

God has saved me because of his love and grace and I accept that.

Your Advocate Part 2

12 Tuesday May 2015

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I’ve been sharing a short series on God’s sanctuary, his beautifully complex theatre of grace. Last week, I wanted to get you thinking about our need for an advocate. How does our need for an advocate connect to the sanctuary?

In the sanctuary, there is an aspect of judgment that becomes most evident during the time of Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. I don’t have time to do into detail right now but the Bible is clear we are currently in the time of judgment on the eve of Jesus Second Coming; it’s even at the door!  The Bible says his return is certain and when he returns he will have his reward with him. These promises indicated that a judgment will take place on who will be coming home with Jesus and who will not. 

The problem is when we talk about God’s judgment I’ve heard a couple scenarios. Some of these pictures of God that we pick up are dangerous. As CS Lewis once wrote: “Not that I am in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ‘So there’s no God after all,’ but ‘So this is what God’s really like.” A Grief Observed

Most of the time, judgment is talked about in courtroom language. Let me attempt to diagram with words the judgment scenarios I have heard people talk about:

Scenario #1

Heavenly beings (Jury)

You (guilty party)  –>   Jesus (your advocate) —>   Father (judge)

Like a good advocate, Jesus is pleading with your Father for you. His role is to convince God and the heavenly beings to accept you.  The problem with this scenario is it puts the son against your Father when they are both in the saving business. God (all three members of the trinity) delights in you; he wants you to be in his home. Jesus did not die to change your Father’s mind about you.

Scenario #2 – slight variation of Scenario #1

Heavenly beings (Jury)

You (guilty party)  –>   Jesus (your advocate) —>   Father (judge)

                           Satan (prosecuting attorney)

This is a slight variation on Scenario #1.  Satan is in the mix and he is arguing the case against you. Jesus is still pleading for you as your advocate. Unfortunately, the goal is still to get your heavenly farther to accept you.  

Scenario #3

Heavenly beings (Jury)

You (guilty party)  <—  God  —>    <—— Satan (accuser)

This is the scenario I see in scripture. You are saved by grace. God has done for you what you could not and cannot do for yourself. God desires you in his home; he even has a celebration banquet planned for your arrival. Satan is furious that God would let you into heaven so he goes on the attack. Satan accuses you, points out all your sins and wrongdoings; he says you shouldn’t go to heaven, don’t deserve to go, wouldn’t be safe if you were there. What does God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – do?

Jesus your Advocate, Your Father in heaven, your comforter the Holy Spirit stand up for you; they stand between you and Satan, rebuke him, and claim you as their child!

Can you have faith in a God like that?

The Best Location

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

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In my last post, I was thinking about how location matters. In business, it’s been said that the three most important factors to consider are location, location, location. Spiritually speaking, it would have been way better if you had been born on one of the planets that didn’t fall under the influence of the Great Deceiver. Imagine being born into a world without sin?  How would your relationships be different? How would your view of God be different? 

The Bible has two exciting things to tell us. First, as far as God is concerned, sin has been taken care of. Yes, sin still happens and it still affects us but because of Jesus, no one is born lost in sin. Romans 5 announces the Good News this way:

Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Romans 5:18 NRSV

The second exciting thing the Bible tells us is that this sin soaked planet will be redeemed, too. Eden, when everything was good, will be restored, made new again.  Revelation 21 begins by announcing:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Revelation 21:1 NRSV

What this tells me is that the best location we can be in is the one that puts our lives into the hands of God; into the stream of his love and grace.

Location, Location, Location

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

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There’s a saying that the three most important things in business are location, location, location. Could the same be said about life in general? 

Consider that where (and often when) a person is born opens up or closes opportunities to all sorts of things and those opportunities usually impact the choices and life outcomes of a life. Certainly, there are people who have “overcome all odds” but most of us are deeply affected by many factors that were out of our control. 

How does this work in the area of heavenly things? What if you had been born on any of the other created worlds that had not fallen under the enemy of life’s sway? Let’s say that you’ve never been affected by the lies about God’s love, character, acceptance. How would your life be right now? What choices would have been different?

The Great Barrier

23 Monday Dec 2013

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Here’s a break from the series I’m doing on The Three. Today, I came across two insightful statements that came collided together in my brain. This was the first one:

“When the gospel is received in its purity and power, it is a cure for the maladies that originated in sin. The Sun of Righteousness arises, “with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2. Not all this world bestows can heal a broken heart, or impart peace of mind, or remove care, or banish disease. Fame, genius, talent–all are powerless to gladden the sorrowful heart or to restore the wasted life. The life of God in the soul is man’s only hope.
The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part–the brain, the heart, the nerves–it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy,–joy in the Holy Spirit,–health-giving, life-giving joy.” — Ellen White, Ministry of Healing

And here is the second:

“The acceptance of oneself is the essence of the whole moral problem and the epitome of a whole outlook on life. That I feed the hungry, that I forgive an insult, that I love my enemy in the name of Christ — all these are undoubtedly great virtues. What I do unto the least of my brethren, that I do unto Christ. But what if I should discover that the least among them all, the poorest of all the beggars, the most impudent of all the offenders, the very enemy himself — that these are within me, and that I myself stand in need of the alms of my own kindness — that I myself am the enemy who must be loved — what then? As a rule, the Christian’s attitude is then reversed; there is no longer any question of love or long-suffering; we say to the brother within us “Raca,” and condemn and rage against ourselves. We hide it from the world; we refuse to admit ever having met this least among the lowly in ourselves.” — C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Can we say that the great barrier to real life is our resistance to accept God’s acceptance? If we cannot believe that we are God’s beloved how can we love and accept ourselves?

The Three – Worship

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

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I’ve been sharing some thoughts concerning the last message of warning given to a dying planet – Revelation 14:6-12. Although this message is for “those who dwell on the earth,” people who are not in a relationship with God and don’t give God glory, it raises questions for all people.

The last part of the first angel’s message is: “Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

A central theme in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is worship. In Revelation 13, we see a counterfeit trinity – the dragon and the two beasts – and it seeks to be worshipped. To get what it wants this satanic triple threat resorts to deception and manipulation, even to the point of murder. Look at Revelation 13:11-12, 15: Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed… He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

God’s solution to this attack against humanity is to call people to worship him who made. Not to worship things. Not to worship people. Certainly not to worship the dragon who never made anything except trouble.

Now if we didn’t take in any context, it might seem like God is demanding worship. Those who believe the devil’s lies about God say he just a needy dictator who goes around saying, “Worship me, worship me.” Let’s be clear: God doesn’t need to be worshipped by us or anybody else. No, we need to worship him for our own good. The call to worship God is an act of love because everything else we worship is about to collapse; it’s about to a powerful vortex of destruction and God doesn’t want anyone to get sucked into it.

There’s actually a process in the passage that reveals God’s love. It begins with the everlasting Good News – God’s acceptance of us – God always takes the initiative because we are disabled, broken and lost. What happens when we accept God’s acceptance of us; when we trust in him and his desire to save us and bring us home? We begin a close, intimate, repentant relationship with our Lord and Saviour. We begin to know God and be known by God; often referred to as ‘fearing God.’ With faith in the Good News, really the truth about who God is, living in an ever-deepening relationship, we will begin to give God glory: loving God, others and even ourselves just like God loves us. When our lives are moving to the rhythm of God’s grace, we can’t help but have a life of gratitude – worshipping him who made.

The amazing thing is, if we don’t resist God’s love, this will happen automatically, moment by moment, day by day.

The Three – No Judgment

05 Thursday Dec 2013

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I want to apologize in advance for the long post. I tried to condense as much as possible.

I’ve been sharing some thoughts concerning the last message of warning given to a dying planet – Revelation 14:6-12. Although this message is for “those who dwell on the earth,” people who are not in a relationship with God and don’t give God glory, it raises questions for all people. One of those questions is how does God’s judgment apply to those who know God and are known by God. Last time, I wanted to make it clear that we have been set free, rescued, delivered, saved, by God’s grace and there is not one thing we can add to that. And yet, many who look to God as friend and Saviour, are afraid of judgment or at least concerned they won’t measure up.

If we’re going to talk about God’s judgment and we’ll start with a familiar and bedrock foundational text: John 3:16-18 (NLT).

The statement I want you to see today is, verse 18: “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.” How much judgment is no judgment? Zero.

Have you ever felt judged? Maybe from your boss at work, a teacher at school, another church member, or even a parent? What’s it feel like? Words that come to my mind are anxiety, crushing weight, feeling small or insignificant, wounded. If you know what it’s like to feel judged then read that promise again. Does it bring peace to your restless heart? If you need additional assurance, also read John 5:24.

Both John 3:18 and 5:24 talk about believing. What does that mean?

When we believe, trust or have faith in Jesus Christ, it’s much more than simply knowing about God or having an understanding of God’s characteristics. You can get a really good grasp that God is Creator, Rescuer and Restorer and still perish. You can know that Jesus is wholly God as well as wholly man – God among us – and still die forever. Believing in Jesus and the one who sent him means that we believe or trust in God characteristics AND his character; what he is AND who he is.

Let’s say, there is something in your life you want to see healed – could be mental, spiritual, or physical. You say, “I believe you are Creator God and I ask in Jesus name for you to heal me.” Wait for it… wait for it…. Nothing seems to happen.

You start to figure you must be doing something wrong:
You need to get your life in order, 
You’re not being spiritual enough,
You just aren’t being obedient enough.

Then in creeps in this thought that maybe God doesn’t hear your prayers or he does but he doesn’t care enough to answer them. Maybe he just doesn’t care about you. Disappointment, bitterness and cynicism start to find a place in your heart… Sure,you still believe there’s a God but now you starting to believe the worst about him. Without even realizing it, you make the first judgment – the one made by Adam and Eve: God is not really who he says he is and he can’t be trusted.

Believing in Jesus means that when you are caught between a rock and a hard place you hang on to your trust in his character, in his ability to fulfill his promises; to be the God you have read about. Believing in Christ Jesus means to keep abiding in him even when he says, “I heard your many requests but my grace is sufficient for you.”

Would you like to have that kind of belief today?