Just show up! God will do the rest!

Little John getting threw his first phone book! He did it on his own. Good job champ.

Jimmy and I talking about challenges to at risk teens. Jimmy making quick work of the bricks. Way to go bro.

We had the kids try to break apart our grip. Never!

This was one of the best shows Jimmy and I have done together. The kids were awesome. We will always show up regardless of what is trying to stop us from telling the world about Gods love.

The test!

I knew it was just a matter of time after my last blog, that a trial would show itself. “Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to live out what I believe.” I know that is what I am supposed to say, but I don’t feel like it today. I just spent the weekend with my oldest son in the hospital. I found myself just turning off while I was sitting in front of seven doctors telling me things I did not want to hear. The world is full of news. I like to think of it as just news because I get to decide what news is worthy of my thoughts or what news is not worthy of my thoughts. I get to decide not the doctors.

If you know us you know this is not our first rodeo, as they say. I know I am being vague about my son’s condition. Deal with it. It is not for you to know the details. My God knows all, therefore the one person that needs to know, knows! Just keep in him in your prayers that will do more than you think.

I don’t care what the news is. I know the promises God has for us and you. I started this blog as a way to vent. I write these things down so that I can read them over and over myself. You see, I started this blog to encourage myself. I am thankful for those of you that read this but it is truly for me to see what I believe.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you say’s the Lord, plans for good and not for evil plans for a hope and a future".

So with that being said I am going to read my blog to myself for the next couple of days. I look forward to posting my thoughts about how God takes care of this one. God, glorify your name!

Braced for impact!

Braced for impact simply means to be doing it on purpose, not out of reflex. You brace for impact when something you are not expecting is coming at you. To be braced you are ready for what is coming regardless that you don’t see it yet. I believe that a spirit of being braced is in great need to people in this day and age. We all brace for what is pounding down on us, like all of the trials and tribulations that is just part of life. It is a defensive posture. If you are in a defensive mode it is harder to take new ground because you are using the majority of your strength to just maintain the ground you have. When you have a braced stance in life you are already positioned and are expecting unseen obstacles but being braced is not your focus, your focus is the direction you are purposely going in. When you have a vision of who you are and of who you want to be your focus is not on what has happened but what will happen. If we use our past as cautionary knowledge and not road blocks we will gain even more ground. I have learned threw some amazing events that have happened to me and my family that life is going to get tough and at times very messy. The majority of the times we have not taken a stance of being braced, but simply bracing waiting for the impact to mow us over. This is a state of mind that I once had, that I had no control over the outcome because the obstacle is bigger than my stance.

One must make the decision to be undeterred and relentless in the efforts to earnestly seek the kingdom of God (which is in you). When you build that relationship that I speak of in earlier posts. You will be braced for impact. You see because it is not on your own efforts but on the foundation of Gods love. Being braced for impact is a state of mind knowing that you are under the wings of the highest God in the entire universe. So nothing that hits you even a direct hit can not and will not detour your focus because your focus is in him not the impact.

The great thing about being braced for impact is it is two fold. It is not just the impact it will have on you but the impact it will have on others by them watching you get rocked, but it’s not effecting you because of your stance (Braced).

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body. And you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

James 1:2-3
“(Trials and Temptations) consider it pure joy, my brothers, when ever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

Ephesians 6:12-13
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Being braced)

Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Being braced)

Matthew 14:27
“But Jesus spoke to them at once. Don’t be afraid, he said. Take courage. I am here!” (Being braced)

2 Thessalonians 1:11
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Get Up!

“I get knocked down but I get up again, ain’t nothing going to keep me down.” And repeat!

It seems to me that falling is just a part of life. It is going to happen. I seem to spend more time picking myself up off the ground than I actually spend standing. Since I spend so much time picking my self up I started looking at what was tripping me up in the first place. To my amazement I was tripping myself most of the time. There is nothing more embarrassing than throwing your self down on the ground in front of other people. When I screw up I can’t seem to keep it contained to just me. I tend to throw my arms out and take as many people out with me as I can. I don’t do this intentionally that’s just simply how it seems to go down, in my effort to slow down the fall. I usually do this by throwing accusations or trying to blame any one else but myself because it couldn’t possibly be just me! So I thought.

I had a paradigm shift in my thinking about seven months ago. Thank you Jesus that I fell flat on my face! That fall sucked. It was the hardest and most unbearable fall yet, but none the less I found my self on the ground once again and once more I had a choice. This was the time I chose to look at what was causing me to continue this cycle. The problem was me. I was packing a ton of stuff with me where ever I went. My burdens were so heavy it was just a matter of time before it would over power me to the ground again. I had allowed myself to carry stuff that was not mine to carry.

One of the enemies, (satan’s) favorite games is to show you how many times you fall while you are on your way down to the ground. So when you land it is as hard of a hit as he could possibly muster. This is how he keeps us down as long as he does. Every time I would go down, a fear would build in me. That fear just kept growing and growing until my fear of falling was greater than my ability to walk. When you focus on a fear it is just a mater of time before that fear is manifested. So I was stuck in this viscous cycle of throwing myself down then standing back up with more fear than when I fell.

You see I thought someone was keeping score. The enemy had convinced me that God could not possibly help me back up because of how many times I frequented the floor. Gods not keeping score, some of his people might be, but not him. God is love, remember. What did the Bible say about love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no records of being wronged. Love endures all things.

A cool thing happens while you’re on the ground. You’re open to new ideas. We can get so busy with our lives that the only time we hear God is when we are at the end of ourselves. That is just the way he is. Not to keep us on the ground, but to show himself to us while we are there. When nothing else matters because we are striped of all our pride and we sit there vulnerable. We become teachable!

I am starting to understand what the bible means when it says to count it all joy when you fall into trials, and temptations. The joy is not in the fall but the getting back up. So think of it this way. The joy comes from understanding that you are loved regardless of the amount of times it takes you to come to the end of yourself. He will restore you to even a greater capacity than when you fell. The joy is that you don’t have to lift yourself back up. He will hold you up until you have enough strength in him to stand.

So keep moving forward don’t allow your trips to set you back. There are enough setbacks in life; you need not to add to them.

Keep this in mind. If you are moving forward when you fall the law of momentum is in effect. When you get up you are actually further than you where when you fell in the first place. Runners don’t fall strait down there momentum carries them a ways before they land. See, you’re still making progress even in the mist of a fall. I can see some joy in that!

Ephesians 3:17-20
May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

It is finished!

It is finished! Our place in the relationship with God has been restored to it original intent. Jesus has paid this price in full. We find our self back in the garden sort of speak. We have the same choice Adam was given in the garden. We can grow into a fulfilling relationship with God or eat of the tree this life offer’s, which is a form of truth just like the form of truth Adam, was deceived with in the first place.

This world’s form of truth is based on what you do, in order to restore the relationship. It is performance based. Organized Religion is the greatest offender of this. Righteousness does not produce relationship. Relationship with God produces righteousness. You can do right all your life working hard to build a righteous character, but be separated from God because you have no love for others. Love is the key ingredient in all relationships. If you can’t get along with others you’re going to have a tough time understanding the bases of this freedom we have in Christ (love).

The prodigal son story sums it up. The father in this story is just like God, full of love for his two sons. The one son asked for his inheritance and chose to do it on his own, alot like Adam did in the garden. After coming to the end of himself he discovered how great of a father he really had. He did not discover this until he was broken. He was willing to work with the pigs his dad owned because he knew his father was a man who loved people. He treated his servants well, well enough for this son to long to work for him. As the son returned the Bible tells us He was watching for him even though he had no idea if or when his son may return. When the father saw his son way out in the fields coming his way, he ran to him and put his best robe on him and his family ring back on his finger. He had the servants kill the best livestock and serve it at the party for his sons return. The one son that had not gone astray did not join the party because he was upset. Upset because he thought he did every thing right and deserved more than the one that went out on his own. This second brother had no love in his heart. This is where we miss it. You can fear God and do your best but your best will never be enough. Sin is going at it on your own. We know he went at it on his own because of his response.

I have lived on both sides of this story. I have been the prodigal son and I have also been the one that did all I could do to live right then get ticked off when some one did not live the way I thought they should.

The problem with going at it on your own is when you have achieved what you have set out to do; you did it on your own. When you do it on your own the only righteousness you achieve is self righteousness. There is no relationship there. We become a judge based on the knowledge that we did it, why can’t they do it!

What Jesus did at the cross was a personal invite into a relationship with him. He died for our sin so you could live a life free of sin. Sin has no power any more God redeemed it! The only power sin has is the power we give it. You do still reap what you sow, don’t make that mistake. Trust me!

God has restored the relationship he originally created for us. It is your choice to remain in it or go at it on your own. You, just like Adam can walk with God or eat of the fruit of this world.

Galatians 2:19
For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God’s approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God.

Galatians 3:5
I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the Law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. (the message of love)

Galatians 5:3, 4
I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised (religious), you must obey all of the regulations in the whole Law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law. You have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen from Gods Grace.
The law represents our independence from God. We are under a new contract; one with a relationship with God through Jesus. Build this relationship and watch the sin in your life be pushed out. That is how Jesus does it. He loves it out of you. You then desire to live with him with out any self seeking desires. That is what sin is; making yourself lord of your life. Give up your desire to be lord and watch God heal your land!

Living Loved

Understanding God has become a contact sport it seems with all of the different religious and moral beliefs out there today. The injured list is growing and growing every day. In the resent years I have been discovering a God of love, not a God of rules and laws. God has clearly shown himself to us in the manifestation of love (Jesus). God can not act outside the intent of love for God is love.

We were originally created for this very purpose. Our purpose was too lived loved inside of a relationship with the creator of all things. This relationship was meant to be the most powerful force on this planet and in the universe. God desires a relationship with us. When He first created man, his intent was to build a world full of relationships.

Relationships take time they often evolve after many years. Since we were created into a relationship that relationship had to already exist. The relationship I am speaking of is the relationship God already had within himself. The Bible shows us that God being fully God is also made up of three natures, God the father, Jesus His son, and the Holy Spirit, the three being different in nature, but yet being fully one in the relationship with one another. This was the blue print he used, His own blue print that already existed with in himself.

God’s intent for us was to live side by side with him right in the middle of his relationship with himself. But as you know this is not what happened. Adam was created to enjoy this relationship God had already established. In order for this relationship to have the power God intended it to have, Adam was given free will to choose if he wanted to be in relationship with God or not. Adam being fully human in a relationship with God had his own choice to make. Adam was doing just fine until Satan deceived him with the truth. Satan enticed him with the idea that he could be just like God without the relationship with God. He would know the knowledge of good and evil. We know what Adams choice was. The thing is when Adam did eat from the tree he did receive the knowledge of good and evil. At that moment Adam received knowledge outside of the relationship with God. This knowledge was truth but not a fully disclosed version of it that he would have received from God if he had chosen to stay in the middle of his relationship with God.

Adams choice to go at it on his own has been in the center of mans fall ever since. It is all about us. Our own independence is the roadblock to relationships.

Adam was deceived by the truth, or at least a form of the truth. We are still being deceived by the truth people. We have a form of godliness but denying the power there of (love).

1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind, Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no records of being wronged. Love endures all things.

Since God is love. God is patient and kind. God is not jealous or proud or rude. God will and has endured all things. For God is love.

I invite you, to share in this amazing relationship with the creator of all things. He loves you more than you can ever imaging or hopes to imagine. This relationship was made available to you threw the life of Jesus. Jesus is the door to this relationship with God.