Honor God

     In the garden, Jesus wrestled in prayer with feelings of the coming torture, persecution and crucifixion.  He knew the Father's will, but He also knew the coming physical pain and spiritual pain of bearing the weight of our sins.
     Ultimately, Jesus chose to honor God through obedience.  He did not go to the cross, though, kicking and screaming.  He did not go as a child being dragged from an arcade.  He went with an attitude of worship, with a love for God and for us.  He went with His eyes set on  the glory before Him--us reconciled to God through Him!
     When God commands, do I obey?  More importantly, do I obey with an attitude of love for God and others, or do I comply reluctantly as if doing what He asks is a grind?
     "I'm doing what God wants.  Woe is me!  Eyore, eyore!"
     Does that attract the world to Jesus?  What if my attitude in obedience is one of love for others, for God?  What about a heart that loves sacrificing for those in need?
     What means more to one in a hospital bed--the child visiting because a parent has dragged them in to see a relative or the child who has dragged the parent to give a personally-made card to the sick relative?  What means more to this world:  a Christian dragged by God to those in need or a Christian dragging a Father to show those in need a home-made display of affection, care, of love?
     Honor God through obedience because obeying God impacts the world through our actions and attitudes.
          To God be the glory...to God be all the glory!
          Praise Jesus!
     Amen!

Greatness

What Is Greatness?

Matthew 20:20-28

     James and John's mother sought greatness in the kingdom for her sons from Jesus.  Did Jesus chastise them for such grandiose aspirations?  No.  He did let them know they were off target as to what greatness is, but he did not chastise them.  Rather, He went on to explain greatness in His kingdom.
     So what is this greatness?  Ironically, the way to greatness in the kingdom is the way of humility.  Jesus does not preach of false humility--the kind that after doing something awesome, one says, "Aw shucks, anyone could've done that really.  It was nothing special."  If God was in it, it WAS something special!
     The humility to which Jesus refers is one of putting others first.  To be great is to treat others greater.  To be a "master" is to be a slave to THE Master.  Jesus is calling us to greatness, but not to push ourselves to the top, but to lift up others.  Jesus gave His life as a ransom for us.  In other words, He gave His life to free us from the bondage and condemnation of our sin.  In the same manner, we are to give our lives to free others from the bondage of sin, revealing to them through our service the freedom in Christ!
     Who can you lift up this week?  What can you do to serve them?  How is God calling you to act as a slave of Christ?  How can you give your life to another this week to reveal the freedom found in Christ?

     Do something great!

Some Character Traits of God

Limitless
Kind
Forgiving
Slow to anger
Giver of freewill
Giver of things to think about
He knows me personally
Father
Power
Creative

Grand

     I urge to something grand
grand papa funk skittle de bop
     Oder grand hole in the ground
or grand odor of heart
     Grand dreams
          Ahhhh
      the grand illusion of memory
foretelling of thought
     grand future beyond grand designs
THE GRAND DESIGN
     Grand despair of hope
          in the grand canyon of soul
Spirit-filled grand glory of hallelujah
     Grand glory of God
          within, around, surround
     Grand stereo of angels, of demons
          Grand self and desire
Grand mash of conviction beneath
     the finger upon the weight of the stars
           upon the sun, the planets, the world
               upon the grand hole in heart
seeking the grand fill
     the void, grand beneath the skull
Filled by Him Who lifts the soul, the spirit, the body
     the world, the stars, the atoms, the quarks
nothing more grand than the Grand
     of all, in all, be all, over all, all in all
Gloria grand gloria, glory of divine
     The Divine
          Grandest glory of human heart spirit mind

Dandelion Fountain

     Kids at play
Memory fades to misty spritz
     dozens of spickets pollinating summer
with water spray, laughter, smiles
     Frisbees passing through
     A dog lapping puddles of pollen
The dandelion fountain
     Magnet of youth
     Old, young, middle-aged
No matter the years
     Always a child in the dandelion rain

Connecting: Unity

Today, I write in regards to John 17 and Jesus' prayer for unity of those who believe in Him today.   When Jesus is praying just prior to His trial and crucifixion, He prayed not just for His disciples, but also for us today.

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."

I had a conversation this week with a brother in Christ in relation to the many denominations that comprise Christianity.  How could so many different factions splinter the Christian body by insisting each way is the only right way to pursue Christ?  Something hit me after some prayer and thought and discussion about the subject this week, the many denominations and Paul's description of the body of the Church.  Of course, being September, football also entered my cranial discourse.

Paul's description of the body is in the context of utilizing spiritual gifts and talents--each of us is given different talents and spiritual gifts to be used uniquely for the building up of the body.  Perhaps denominations are a corporate example of this individual imagery.

In football, the team has different groups of players, but all with one goal--victory.  Linemen can be classified in a group within the team.  Each lineman has a unique talent for each position--defensive tackle, offensive tackle, nose tackle, guards, center; but grouped together, they are a unique team within the football team.  Lineman concentrate on weights, strength, power and WHAM!  Wide receivers work on sprinting and catching, running routes, patterns.  The defense works on thwarting the offense and the offense works on overcoming the defensive team.  

Now, should the offensive linemen preach to the quarterback that he should spend more time in the weight room and less time working on his passing accuracy?  Should a quarterback tell his line to practice throwing the ball because everyone in football should be able to throw a good pass?

These are perhaps exaggerated examples, but we often see this kind of preaching from different church pulpits when in truth, we need "different" churches unified in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The football team brings all the different groups of players together for the goal of victory--scoring more points than the opponent.  The goal of Christianity is summed up best by Jesus Himself when quoting the Shema--to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and with all your strength; and likewise...to love your neighbor as yourself.

Perhaps some feel convicted to partake of the Lord's Supper every weekend because of its importance; others feel convicted to partake only once a month to preserve the honor and "specialness" of the occasion.  Perhaps a congregation would rather not have distractions from dancing and music while another could not imagine worshipping without it.  Are these churches all splintered or can they all love God and neighbor within their own convictions of the Holy Spirit without judging the others?

Does this mean the Church should have no limits to what it allows?  Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding the fallacy of this thought.  While quarterbacks don't block as a normal duty and linemen don't throw the football, quarterbacks do need to throw and linemen do need to block.  If either are not doing so, the coach pulls them from the game.

Perhaps think this week regarding groups, teams, or organizations more meaningful to you.  What is the goal of that group?  Are all members doing the same things toward that goal or are there several groups within that group, all unified by a common denominator, but achieving different numerators?

Something to think about...why would Jesus want you specifically to be unified with other Christians?  How has He made you unique to contribute to the body?  To a group within the body?  Have you thought about the One who holds all things together praying for you to be one with Him--with the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit?  Read back through John 17:21 and spend some time with Him right now.

Alternations vs. Simultaneity

Alternations vs. Simultaneity

Can the Spirit live together with my body?
Must one die to satisfy the other?
Is the soul divided?

My mind claims that I pant for Jesus
as a deer pants for water, yet a moment later
my mind pants after the world!

     What a struggle, I cannot win!
     I cannot.
     But He can!
     I believe with my lips,
     with my head and heart,
     But desire betrays, and my hands
     and feet reveal true hypocrisy!

     So how does this work?
     I must believe, but I cannot even make my body believe!
          Jesus within; the power of the Holy Spirit!
     Help me in my unbelief!  Refresh my soul
     with your living water.  Refresh my appetite
     with the bread of life!

     Pour forth from me simultaneously
with the filling of my cup, filling others and others.
     Not me, but Christ in me, through me and all of me
Reach the world while dipped in heaven.