Who's your daddy; knowing God as Abba Father

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Altar Moments

The popular catch phrase “Can you hear me now?” from a well known cell phone commercial grew quickly in popularity for one obvious reason: If you’ve ever owned a cell phone you’ve experienced a dropped call. We’ve all experienced that “moment” when the conversation we were a part of seem to drop in mid-air. It’s not until we start waiting for the recipient on the other end of our conversation to respond to us when we realize they’ve not been “on the line” for quite some time. Although we never fully know exactly when they stopped hearing us, we feel certain it was probably a longer time ago than we realize.

“Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” (Genesis 35:3 NIV)

God’s people have been building altars since the beginning of time. Some were meant to sacrifice a burnt offering (something of value from us to God). Others were built to demonstrate our willingness to submit ourselves to God (a “smoke” signal communicating our message to God expressing our desperate need to hear from Him). Each holds a common thread; our humble act of obedience and willingness to submit our lives to God. And each holds a promise; God’s willingness to listen and answer.

The beauty of an “altar moment” is simply this: It can happen anywhere, at any time. Our “call” will never be “dropped” and the listener (God) will always be available to receive the call.

Thought to live by: An “altar moment” with God is a life changing encounter.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Your story......

Ben Breedlove became the face of “life” for millions of people around the world when his poignant You Tube video was broadcast posthumously, following his death at 18 years of age on December 25, 2011. Ben shared his simple yet profound message, entitled “This is my story” with all of us presenting a mixture of unforgettable resolve and dignity that will not soon be forgotten. Although a heart disease claimed his life physically, it never touched his passion for him to live his life fully with dignity and grace. The legacy Ben left behind should be a reminder to each of us that we’re not just cheating death but living life to whatever level we willing choose, every single day.

Three times Ben cheated death of its power to stop him, all the while never allowing his physical condition to dampen his spiritual resolve: To live his life to the fullest. Think about that for a moment; what if you knew that your physical health condition stood the chance to take your life in an instant would you live your life any differently? Ben did. Even at the tender age of 18 years old, Ben understood the precious priceless value of his life and dared not to let it be taken without sharing his message with the world one day. Ben’s story didn’t focus on the tragic future he faced, but on his joy of embracing his life in this world for whatever time he had here. Ben’s Christian faith reassured him there was something more beyond the illness that would one day claim his life. Between embracing and believing, Ben learned one valuable lesson we should each take a hold of: We all have a “story” to write. Ben wrote and shared his so that we would each write ours.

I would venture to guess that if Ben could he would ask each of us just one question, “What’s your story?”

Thought to live by: What you do with your life today will speak volumes about you tomorrow.

Thank you God for sharing Ben with all of us…..we appreciate the lesson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=35O3E3T3GKQ

Friday, December 23, 2011

Like-mindedness

Can you only imagine getting the news from your fiancé that they’re pregnant and know that you are not the father? “So as not to disgrace her” was how Joseph (initially) decided to handle his break-up with Mary; quietly and without consequences that would have cost Mary (at the very least) to be disgraced. Back in the day, Mary’s out of wedlock pregnancy made her a prime candidate for stoning, much less gossip followed by a lifetime of shame. But Joseph was more than just her fiancé; He was her husband-to-be, chosen by God. His actions were more than just “chivalrous”; they were divine.

^“18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement^[a] quietly.²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^[b] for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,^[c]
which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

God had to take a man’s human frailties and vulnerabilities and use them to fulfill His purpose: Bring forgiveness and salvation into a lost and dying world. But in order to do that, He used a “divine moment” during Joseph’s sleep to communicate His will; to “save his people from their sins”. Had Joseph not been like minded with God, then the news of Mary’s pregnancy would not have been anything less than a nightmarish moment.

Thought to live by: God requires us to be like-minded with Him (not the world, our circumstances or our own human will….but with Him), so that when our time comes to do what He has called us to do, we will do so, without fear or doubt.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Pay-backs.....the beauty of giving

With the holidays getting ready to swing into full gear, are you thinking about what you can/will do for those in your “inner circle” of family and friends? What types of parties you’ll attend or host? Is the menu starting to swell in your mind as you take mental notes about all the details that await your special day of celebration? If you’re like most of us, you’ll spend the next several weeks planning, preparing and spending on what will amount to a few hours of pure pleasure as you soak in the moments spent with those you love. But what about those who have no one to love, spend or even share a meal with this Thanksgiving and Christmas? What about them……

“Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a dinner,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors. For they will repay you by inviting you back. Instead invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (Luke 14: 12-14)

The world around us has not been hurting as much as it is right now. Wouldn’t we make a greater impact on the lives of those whom we could touch, reach and love with the greatest example of Christ-like living by doing what Christ told us to do: Pay it forward.

Thought to live by: Nothing pays-us-back more than following Christ’s example: Selfless love.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

A healthy heartache

It's hard to imagine that "heartache" could actually be good for our heart. Nothing seems quite so unimaginable. If you've ever suffered from disappointment, disarming news, brokenness, or any form of loss the physical, emotional and spiritual pain you feel can do one of two things: Make you better or keep you bitter. It's not just a personal choice but a personal decision as to which one you will allow it to do.

The "Forgiveness Project" tells story after story of how devastation in a person's life can turn from bitterness to betterment simply through their decision about what they do with what they've experienced. Almost every single story has the same experience at the center of it: Heartache. Regardless of race, ethnicity or religion, no one is free from the experience of heartache. For most of us, heartache can be a very physical pain that seemingly never ends. A scent, a sound, or a place can call up our "heartache" without notice, sending our emotional wheel spinning out of control. For those who "live with the pain" of heartache, the danger becomes even more physically real as they attempt to navigate through each day.

"Health may fail, my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever." (Psalm 73: 26)

Finding the strength to move past heartache is nothing short of a miracle for many. Allowing the remnant of your past to take root in your spirit does nothing less than wreak havoc upon your future. Finding the "strength" to move forward doesn't require super human strength but trust in the One who gives us strength through His Spirit in us. Many of the victims of the Forgiveness Project turned their years of sorrow and heartache into their greatest strength by not just forgiving another person's trespasses against them but by allowing God to be what filled their heart in the place of their heartache.

Thought to live by: A healthy heart is filled with God.

To learn more about The Forgiveness Project, visit their website at http://theforgivenessproject.com/

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Jail-house conversion

"They got religion" is an often coined phrase when someone turns to God out of desperation. It's a good thing but is it sustainable? What we do with what happens past our darkest hour determines the depth of our long term relationship with God. Once we realize we've become incarcerated to our sin (unable to break free on our own) we reach a turning point where we turn to God out of shear desperation. For some, it literally happens in jail/prison through mandatory incarceration, limiting their freedom to continue in their self-destruction. The question most of us ask when we witness a "jail-house" conversion is simple: Is the person turning to God because they have no other choice or because it's an authentic decision?

"Set me free from my prison, so that I may praise your name." (Psalm 142:7, NIV)

The better question to ask is this: If I could see the bars, chains and locks that sin has put upon my life, incarcerating me to it (whatever "it" is) wouldn't I choose God, as well? To some degree, each of us has experienced a "jail-house" conversion with God (we all sin and fall short of God's standard, every single day). However, there's hope. God isn't requiring us to be perfect (flawless, sinless) but to be humble (placing our lives in His hands and living each day with God's purpose/plan and desire for our lives, first). There's nothing more powerful than what God can do through our lives when we realize we hold the key that unlocks the door to change in our lives. And nothing is better than walking with Him every day as we see our lives change.

Thought to live by: God isn't concerned how you came but that you came to Him.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Hand-to-mouth faith

When Elijah was called by God to face down God’s enemies and walk in his ministry, the first lesson he had to learn was more about faith than about provision. Living only on water from a stream and food from a bird’s mouth, God’s provision was all Elijah could rely upon and that had to be enough.

“And it shall be that you shall drink of the brook and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” (1 Kings 17:3, Open Bible)

In an odd sort of way, that sounds like heaven on earth: God will take care of me and I don’t have to worry. But try feasting on what comes out of a bird’s mouth (ridiculously small portions) and sipping on what trickles through a drought fatigued stream (maybe a handful of water at best) and you’ll see “faith” from a whole new perspective. It’s not that God is trying to “test” your faith, but that He’s trying to strengthen it. When you walk with Him you will have to learn that what you’re about to do looks nothing like what you see on TV, read about in the media or dream about in your heart. Those are merely the “things of this world”. Hand-to-mouth faith teaches one priceless lesson to all who obey their calling: Obedience to God. What comes out of it will always bless others more than it blesses you. Learning to never give up on what God is doing is the first lesson of faith.

Thought to live by: Obedience is greater than sacrifice because it increases our faith.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The jailer of unforgiveness

In 2002, a drunk driver forever changed my life and taught me a lesson about unforgiveness. Hit from behind at 65 miles an hour, I became a “victor” of this woman’s disease (notice I didn’t say “victim”). At the time, I didn’t know how profoundly this one moment in my life would change me, in a positive way, forever. The year following the accident I was asked to give a victim’s witness testimony for the prosecuting attorney. The morning of her hearing, I sat at my computer and began to write. The anguish I felt spilled over the page, allowing me to unload much more than just my unforgiveness toward this woman. Cathartically, it felt good. Spiritually, it felt out of place. I remember the torn emotional struggle I felt between the two extremes; should I be honest about the damage she caused or forgiving and let it go? The latter didn’t even seem like a choice, but it was. As I sat there in front of my keyboard, the Holy Spirit spoke very clearly into my heart, “Why don’t you let me write the letter”, He said. Through the blinding stream of tears I began to write as if I was taking dictation. What poured out on the page was not from me but from Him so that we both could be set free. Simply put: He loved her and wanted her to love Him and trust Him with her life.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14 NIV)

It took many, many years for me to understand fully that “teachable moment”: When we fail to forgive someone we become their “jailer”. Not only do we spiritually join in on the stronghold that keeps them jailed in their past, we feed the spiritual stronghold trying to stop our future. Our lives become consumed with our unforgiveness each time we pay any attention to our perpetrators affliction upon our lives. Instead of (truly) giving God the keys to their cell through our decision and willingness to forgive, we become the jailer who has to maintain a vigil outside their prison gate (continuously recalling our past encounter with them by holding onto our pain) mistakenly thinking we’re the ones who are “free”. Unforgiveness keeps an eye on the past offense, refusing to let it go when we think we can somehow gain control of our emotional pain by holding onto the keys of their prison cell (their sin against us). The moment I read what God wrote to this woman was the moment I (too) was set free.

Thought to live by: Unforgiveness locks us in our own prison. Give God the keys and let Him be the “jailer” who sets you free.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Blindfolded faith

The most vulnerable anyone can ever feel is when they are completely subjected to the care, guidance and dependency upon another person. Add a “blindfold” to that equation and you have complete faith. In reality, no one ever (really) wants to trust anyone that much; it just seems ridiculous and unnecessary. However…..faith requires it.

“Because He loved me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high. Because he has known My name.” Psalm 91:14 (NAS)

While it is important to know why we believe what we believe, the dissecting of it can become our “faith”. How sad to think that the only reason I trust someone is because I’ve fully examined them to my satisfaction. My personal faith has never been based upon my ability to fully understand/comprehend God but to trust Him with what I know and accept what I cannot comprehend. Maybe that’s why my personal relationship with Him has never wavered.

Thought to live by: Do you know God because you can comprehend Him or because you trust Him?

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Shield-proof; the power of protection

When our son Bradley was two years old, he ran away from home. Not very far, just down the street. I’ll never forget the helpless feeling that came over me as I ran up and down the street looking for him, along with a steady stream of neighbors, shouting his name and praying aloud. My first thought was to ask God for His protection over Bradley and for his safe return. The scene of the latter is one I’ll never forget; a neighbor carrying Bradley in her arms with our Labrador Retriever, Suzy, walking by her side. The woman shared how she discovered Bradley in her back yard, just a few houses down from our home, only after noticing the black dog watching over him, not allowing him out of her sight.

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91: 11-12

Because of God’s great love for us, He will use anything He chooses to protect us; even a black lab. However, we must have a personal relationship with God to benefit from that protection. I shudder to think of what the possibilities might have been had I not been a praying mom. Even though bad things happen to Godly people, I thank God for the provision He makes through His “shield of protection” and I accept His ways above my own.

Thought to live by: God provides the shield; we provide the response.

Monday, October 3, 2011

GIANT promises

When put to the test, what you believe will rise to the surface. Take for example David, who was a mere shepherd boy in the eyes of his brother Eliab, had the boldness of faith to believe that he could actually do something out of everyone else’s reach. With boldness, David had the nerve to ask what the “promises” were should the Israelites slay Goliath. Eliab’s response to David was not only condescending, it attempted to besmirch David’s character. However, David knew that God was with him and instead of being defeated by his brother’s mere words, David had the boldness to trust God’s anointing on his life as he prepared for the battle.

“The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37 NIV)

David’s faith was founded in his relationship with God, who always kept his promises. Can you only imagine the first time David experienced “fear” when he faced his first bear? How about the first time a lion approached him, don’t you think he had ample reason to be concerned? But God…..who kept His faithful hand upon David’s youthful shoulder…..kept him safe. When our faith is GIANT so are God’s promises to us.

Thought to live by: The greater the test the greater the testimony.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Windshields

I’ve always wanted to say “thanks” to the person who invented the “windshield”. Can we only imagine what driving down the highway would feel like, less the windshield? Before the windshield was introduced as a must have in 1904, goggles were used to protect the driver from the oncoming elements. Think about that for a minute…..goggles are your only defense against whatever may be coming at you?

“His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark”. (Psalm 91:4 NIV)

When we stand against our “foes” in life, God doesn’t hand us a pair of goggles and wish us luck; He covers our lives like a “shield and a bulwark”. A “bulwark” is a solid exterior wall built as fortification, placed around us for our defense. Not only does God shield us, deflecting what comes directly at us, but He puts a protective wall around us, deflecting the enemy from every angle in our lives. Who would want to drive down the street with just a windshield (no car body, just a shield)? No one. Who would want to walk through this life without the protection of God, found through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, shielding their lives from every angle? I can’t imagine that anyone would, but some do, facing the storms in their lives wondering why they feel so vulnerable and under attack. If you have found yourself needing a “shield and a bulwark” turn to Christ, in whom you will find both peace and protection in your life, today.

Thought to live by: A personal relationship with Christ places God’s protection around my life.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Favor

When my three sons were very young they often fought for my attention. Without realizing what they were doing, they would easily tease one another in an effort to show themselves to be superior in my eyes. Little did they know that what they were doing could never change or influence my undeniable love for each of them, regardless of how “superior” they made themselves feel against the other.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-5

God’s love for mankind is much the same; immeasurable. But access to God’s throne is a two way decision, which requires us to not only receive His love but demonstrate our love for Him, as well. When we accept Christ as God’s pathway to his throne, we not only live in the grace of God, we do what is “right” in God’s eyes.

Thought to live by: If I want to live in God’s “favor”, I must live according to God’s standard.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Right on!

Growing up throughout the late 70’s, I remember when the expression, “Right, on” came about in my generation. Not only did this idiom get used for ending almost every statement spoken, it seemed to be universally understood to mean, “You are exactly right” (but with a “groovier” sound)! Even though my generation thought we’d invented this phrase, we probably just revived it (the slang’s origin dates back to 1925 when first recorded in an Odum and Johnson song, “The Negro and his songs”).

“And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, “He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!”. But wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it.” Matthew 11:19 NLT

Jesus was accused of many things (like hanging out with the wrong crowd) and often misunderstood (his entourage of followers included fishermen, a questionable women and even a tax collector). Jesus was ridiculed for befriending those who needed him, for not being pious and judgmental, and for not following a religious standard (i.e. Pharisees). But look at what Jesus’ example did for mankind: Saved them. When a religious standard condemns more than it saves it’s just that; a religious standard. Because Jesus (a man, yet fully God) knew the heart and mind of God, He understood what it would take to reach those of us who were lost. Instead of turning his back on the “un-churched” folks around Him, He stood in the gap for them and reached them where they were.

Thought to live by: Does what you believe lead you to those who need your message the most or does it separate you from them?

Right on!

Growing up throughout the late 70’s, I remember when the expression, “Right, on” came about in my generation. Not only did this idiom get used for ending of almost every statement spoken, it seemed to be universally understood to mean, “You are exactly right” (but with a “groovier” sound)! Even though my generation thought we’d invented this phrase, we probably just revived it (the slang’s origin dates back to 1925 when first recorded in an Odum and Johnson song, “The Negro and his songs”).

Jesus was accused of many things (like hanging out with the wrong crowd) and often misunderstood (his entourage of followers included fishermen, a questionable women and even a tax collector). Jesus was ridiculed for befriending those who needed him, for not being pious and judgmental, for not following a religious standard (i.e. Pharisees). But look at what Jesus’ example did for mankind: Saved them. When a religious standard condemns more than it saves it’s just that; a religious standard. Because Jesus (a man, yet fully God) knew the heart and mind of God, He understood what it would take to reach those of us who were lost. Instead of turning his back on the “un-churched” folks around Him, He stood in the gap for them and reached them where they were.

Thought to live by: Does what you believe lead you to those who need your message the most or does it separate you from them?