The Eternal Unchanging God

You never change. You never fail. Oh God of my heart; so faithful and true. You've taken my storm, turned my night to day. Oh God of my heart; so faithful and true.

I was on my way home from work tonight and was listening to a song by Spur58 containing these lyrics. This caused me to begin thinking of the amazing God that we serve. God never changes and never fails. He is infinite, eternal and immortal. In the midst of an ever changing world, He is constant.

Too often I feel as though we either try to limit God and sometimes even change God. The truth is that God cannot be changed, neither can He be limited. Over the centuries more and more of what is believed to be true of God has been tainted by mere opinion and not solid biblical theology. Who God is has been revealed to us by His Word and that alone is the solid foundation on which all that is true about God stands. This is where God has proven Himself faithful and true.

Throughout Scripture God reveals Himself in different ways and in some respect shows different sides of Himself, but this in no way suggests that God has changed. Sometimes I find myself so caught up in life that I have to just stop and meditate on who God is. Maybe we should all take a moment and dwell on each of these truths about God:

God is infinite
God is eternal
God is immortal

Wow! This is the amazing God that desires to have a a deep, personal, intimate, loving relationship with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there through everything. He will calm the storms of our lives and turn our night to day. I love my God!!!

From Guilt to Grace

Earlier today as I was outside enjoying the day I began to think about all the things that I do and have done that may not be the most God-honoring. When I was much younger I had this idea in my head that I would never do a lot of things because they were wrong. But, add a few years of changing circumstances, peer pressure and a dash of rebellion and before long I had done all of those things I thought I would never do. Looking back, I would still tell you that those things were wrong because they were dishonoring to God and nonetheless sin and yet strangely enough my attitude toward those things has greatly evolved over the years.

Growing up with a very conservative Christian background I often found myself torn apart over every little sin I committed. When I did something wrong I felt as though there was some severe punishment waiting for me and if I did any of the "big" sins (drinking, smoking, swearing, drugs, sex, etc.) then I was probably really in for it. Yes, I was guilty of all of these things shortly after I was out of high school and honestly by that time I really didn't care. Eventually God got a hold of me and showed me His grace and forgiveness, but my background tainted my view of true grace.

After I had realized and accepted God's grace I began to live my life much differently. Unfortunately, instead of living in grace and sharing it with others I began a life of legalism. My thoughts were based on everything I shouldn't or couldn't do and that was my focus. I was so focused on keeping everything that was not honoring to God out of my life that I forgot to honor God with whatever was left. If we simply strive do not dishonor God are we really honoring Him at all?

I'm not saying that we should not be aware of the "junk" in our lives that is not honoring to God. We are not perfect and there will always be something. Instead, I feel that our awareness should not come from some deep rooted legalistic guilt, but instead from true sense of conviction that we are not honoring God in all areas of our lives. Conviction is not based on guilt, but rather on a desire to honor God and live in the freedom of His grace. In the midst of God's grace is where we find true freedom.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. (Phil. 2:12b-13)

Going Somewhere

At times I often feel as though my life is going somewhere without my knowing where and I'm just along for the ride. It's as if I've become so caught up in "the way things are" that I forget pursue a better future for myself and my family. My wife and I were recently discussing some plans for the next few years and I realized just how much I had given in to accepting the here and now without any ambition for what lies ahead. It was never that I don't want a better future for us, but I suppose that I've become somewhat tired of pursuing it. Maybe that sounds harsh and heartless, but it's also honest.

Pursuing what you want most in life is never going to be easy. Easy is giving up on those ambitious dreams you once dared to have. Granted, dreams and ambitions often change over time given where you are in life, but maybe there is more to it than just a dream. I believe that God allows us to have dreams and ambitions to lead us to a sense of fulfillment. God wants us to be happy with our lives and dream BIG!!! Maybe our dreams even play a role in His purpose for our lives and that of all humanity.

If we were to simplify God's purpose for our lives it would simply be this: To know Him and to make Him known. If that is our purpose in life as believers, would it not be possible that God allows us to have dreams and ambitions as a part of fulfilling that purpose? Scripture tells us that, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do [think, say, dream], do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). God wants us to be ambitious and to use our ambitions for His glory. So what are my ambitions for the next few years?

Over the next few years I want to fall more in love with my God, my wife, my family and my life. I want to do my best in everything as a husband, father and employee. I want to see to it that my family lives according to our means so that we can have a better future. I want to earnestly seek God's direction and calling on my life so that I can serve Him completely. I want to use all that God has given me to glorify His name; to know Him more and to make Him known.

Shalom

The Gift of Disciplines

As I was spending some time reading this morning, I came across many profound statements concerning spiritual disciplines. The first is that spiritual disciplines are matters of the heart, not of outward actions. In Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline, he states that "The Spiritual Disciplines are an inward and spiritual reality, and the inner attitude of the heart is far more crucial than the mechanics for coming into the reality of the spiritual life." Foster goes on to say, "The life that is pleasing to God is not a series of religious duties. We have only one thing to do, namely, to experience a life of relationship and intimacy with God." Therefore, spiritual disciplines in their pure form are an inward reality. The flip side of this is that often times our sinful nature is expressed through outward actions. This moves us to a second reality.

When we come into close contact with God we are graced with His presence and His character thus allowing us the opportunity to change from the inside out. Spiritual disciplines are not meant to be a checklist by which we claim some sort of status in a mythical spiritual hierarchy. They are the means by which we can grow closer to God and experience more of who He is. Foster states that, "God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving His grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us." As we do our part to seek God through spiritual disciplines, we see them more as a privilege given to us by His grace. He then changes our heart as we grow closer to Him and this in turn begins to show in our actions. Our actions which were once predominantly an expression of our sinful nature become more and more and expression of our God-filled nature.

In my own life I am finding myself desiring more and more of what I would rather call the spiritual privileges. I don't care about a checklist or being able to tell about all the things I am or am not doing to pursue God. All of the methods of communing with God have their purpose and uses. I believe that it is more important that we are desiring and seeking Him in some way on a daily basis. One method may spur growth more than another in a particular season of life. I do believe that God desires to spend time with us, to pursue us and be pursued by us, and that He has given us numerous means by which to do that. Pursue Him in a way that you best connect with Him, allow Him to change your heart and watch Him change who you are in your actions.

I'm A Sheep

Too often we fail to recognize the full scope and depth of the love that Christ has for us. At times we find ourselves struggling with the sense that we are "out of sync" with God or we have somehow become numb to anything to do with Him. It is at this point in our callous consciousness that He begins a different kind of work.

God gives us a promise in Deuteronomy 31:8: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." This promise alone may give us a sense of God as a leader, protector, counselor, etc. However, when we find ourselves straying from or callous to God it is also equally important to recognize God's shepherd nature. In Luke 15:3-7 is a parable about how a shepherd who has a hundred sheep and lost one of them would leave the ninety-nine to find the one. Many years ago I heard a sermon on this passage that gave new light to the implications given here.

In biblical times, when a shepherd had an AWOL sheep he would leave the rest of the flock to find it. Once he found the sheep, he would often times break it's legs so it could not run off. He would then carry it on his shoulders and take it back to the flock where he would tend to it until it was healed. Then the sheep would be back with the rest of the flock. So what is the real implication here?

I believe that there is an underlying lesson here that is often missed to our own misconceptions and lack of exegetical research. First and foremost, sheep are DUMB animals and we are the sheep in the parable so you can take from that what you will. Secondly, I believe that this additional information reveals that God loves us so much that He will not let us get far before going after us. He may have to "break our legs" in order for us to be broken over our sins and fully realize where we are in relation to Him. We will then be carried by His arms of grace to a place of concentrated healing until we find ourselves falling in love with, trusting and needing Him all over again. It is then we are welcomed by the continued encouragement of our fellow believers and given a renewed passion to serve Him.

So why do I find this so important? Because I am finding myself right in the middle of this myself. I have strayed, been broken, and now going through recovery as God is putting a new desire in my heart. There is still healing left and still much room to grow, but the passion that I have for Christ is growing daily. I want more than anything to grown deeper in love with Christ than I have ever been, to desire Him more anything else in this world, to know Him, serve Him, reflect Him, and share Him with a passion that I have never known nor have I ever seen. I want to be sold out to Him and pray that my life will, in every way, reflect who Christ is in me. My desire is to love God and to love my family and others because of the love that He has given me.

When Jesus Comes Back

While at work the other night I had a man come into our store who I had seen before. He was probably in his early sixties or so. His hair was balding, but what he had was long and greasy with a grayish beard. He appeared to be in no hurry; just lumbering around gathering an assortment of junk food to buy for the night. I watched as he went about the store and then finally came to pay for what he had gathered. After I had finished ringing the man up and wishing him a good night I began to think of the song "What if Jesus Comes Back Like That."

I don't know what it was, but I thought to myself: "would I recognize Jesus when He comes back?" The lyrics to the song speak of a hobo, white trash, an orphan, and a crack baby. These are among the type of people most of us choose not to associate with. To add to the list are those we might say are disfigured, cripple, obese, sickly, ugly, poor or whatever. The point is not that Jesus would come back as any of these but rather the principle of the matter. We are all God's creation and were created in His perfect image. But do we see others this way?

Are we so blinded by the storybook image of Jesus that we fail to remember what the prophet Isaiah said:

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:2b-3)

This all caused me to begin examining the way that I look at others. I, like so many others, look at people with certain prejudices and stereotypes and for what? So that I might have a sense that I am somewhat better than them? No, I believe that it is moreso my lack of seeing the beauty of God's creation in everything and everyone. When we fail to see God, we fail to recognize who He is. Will I recognize Jesus when He returns? I truly hope that I will as I begin to see Him in others.

This Is the Year I...

For many people the new year is a feeling of a fresh start, a new beginning and an opportunity to tell themselves "this is the year!" But despite all of the hype, most people keep with their resolutions for a a few days, weeks or maybe a month or two and then they are back to the way they were. I cannot resolve that this year will bring any particular commitment, but I believe that it will be a good year.

The past year has been somewhat rough at times and seemed like a never ending roller coaster, but toward the end was hope for the year to come. My wife an I have made some personal and financial goals and I believe all of them are attainable. As for myself, I believe this will be a defining year for me. All of the things which I once dreamed of will come to pass and I will be standing in the middle of God's will for me.

This is the year that I listen to and follow God first in everything. This is the year I stop listening to my own doubts and fears and the criticism of others and trust God's word. This is the year that I put my relationship with God before all others so that I may understand the true blessing of my relationship with others. This is the year that I pursue God's calling on my life no matter what obstacles may arise. This is the year that I stop and listen to God before I make a move. This is the year that I say: "Here I am God; use me."

O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord—in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. -Psalm 116:16-19