Tag: Faith

Heart and Life, Thy Kingdom Come

Heart and Life, Thy Kingdom Come

In my heart and in my life, Thy Kingdom Come. As we looked at in my last post, i made the statement, “In our homes and in our family, Thy Kingdom Come.” You might think this is backward going from family to individual rather than individual to family. You might even be thinking that one must make a personal commitment before one can really contribute to the whole family. You would be right on both accounts. However, hindsight is always 20/20, and therefore we are going to take a look back before we move forward.

In Jesus’ prayer that He taught the disciples (Matthew 6:9-13) the prayer itself is plural, “‘OUR’ Father in Heaven Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Gives us this day ‘OUR’ daily bread, and forgive us ‘OUR’ sins as we forgive those who have sinned against ‘US.’ Lead ‘US’ not into temptation but deliver ‘US’ from the evil one.” There is a reason Jesus teaches to pray in plurality. We are not meant to live this life in Christ, alone but in “Family.” However, we do not get adopted into the family on the backs of the family, but through our personal relationship with Jesus.

Romans 10:9-10
9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.“

Once one has made the personal choice to invite Jesus into their heart and life, they join a family. It is in that family that God works both individually and corporately (within the family). When Jesus had gone back to Heaven, the disciples followed His instruction and went into a time of prayer and waiting. It was then as they waited and prayed “TOGETHER” that God really showed up in power! Let’s look together at Acts 2:1-6:

2 “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”

To seek “Thy Kingdom Come” in our hearts and lives we need to seek God in our prayer closets both personally or alone and corporately or as a family.

Matthew 6:33
33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 6:6
6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.“

In our hearts and in our lives, Thy Kingdom Come.

In our Home, and in our Family, Thy Kingdom Come

In our Home, and in our Family, Thy Kingdom Come

“Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done; On earth, as it is in Heaven.” This is how Jesus opens up His instruction when teaching His disciples to pray. The whole prayer itself (found here) isn’t much longer, but i want for us to meditate on this part. The direction of the prayer, to our Heavenly Father. The recognition of who God is, Hallowed. What should be the desire, “Thy Kingdom Come,” into what should be sought, “Thy will be done; On earth, as it is in Heaven.“

The first part is pretty clear. We believe in the Trinity; it is how God chose to reveal Himself to us, in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Obviously, in a family structure, we see the father as the head of the children and the Holy Spirit being God’s indwelling presence in our lives. Three very distinct roles, purposefully placed into the story of life for us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

He chose the family structure for us to understand, this infinite God, desires for us, to know Him as Dad. Dad, some of our dads aren’t the best, sadly this is true. The idea of a loving dad gets lost on some for that reason. If you are reading this with that view of a dad, i would ask you to stretch your thinking. In light of the definition of dad, as found in my Dictionary.com App:
*Dad – Father, “a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider: a father to the poor.” This understanding makes the God of the universe approachable, loveable, desirable; He is our DAD. He is to be revered, respected, obeyed for He is Hallowed, Holy, to be set apart in our hearts and minds.

Jesus chose to describe our relationship with God in terms of family, and we should remember that within the context of our family. As a dad to His children, God the Father provides. The Son to the Father was obedient. In the family structure, this is vitally important. What of the wife? Genesis, i believe fits here, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.’ For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall become ONE FLESH.” Of course, in terms of spiritual leadership or the priest of the home, that function as defined in the term “Father” falls on the shoulders of the father of the home. We can also look at the Ten Commandments, “honor your father and mother…”

Within this perspective, and given the next line of the prayer, “Thy will be done…” It should be our desire that what God intended in His Kingdom, come. We then aught to seek His will for our lives and that of the life of our family. In our home, and in our family, Thy Kingdom Come!

Stay in Your Lane

Stay in Your Lane

i had a supervisor once that gave me some of the most excellent advice i had ever received. He said, “stay in your lane.” i was working at Mervyn’s, was hired on as Christmas help, part-time, seasonal. What that meant for me was that i was to be terminated or let go, following the Christmas rush. It was announced, however, that there would be a few held over, or hired on as either, full or part-time after Christmas. i wanted to be one of those and told my supervisor such, and his advice of “stay in your lane” was just what i needed to hear.

Sometimes when we want something bad enough we attempt to do more than we are capable. Or maybe we are capable, but because we spread ourselves so thin we do a lot of things, but none of them are done great. So we look mediocre at best. While at Mervyn’s i did my best to “stay in my lane.” What were my responsibilities and how could i most efficiently get those done? For instance, i recall on one particular Saturday i was tasked with the Levi wall and cash wrap or POS (point of sale) or the cash register to be clear. i was to stock the denim section while keeping an eye on the registers in the Men’s Department. And so i did. Others had other responsibilities, and i let those people do them…if i felt like the registers needed more than myself, i called for backup. i maintained a clean cash wrap; i would bring out stock each time i went to the stockroom, or the restroom, or back from break or lunch. i knew my place, and i stayed in my lane.

When the holidays were over, i was hired on because i was able to do my job efficiently. i looked good. It wasn’t long after being hired on that i was promoted to Coordinator and then Team Lead. Each time understanding my place in the organization. My place in the mission of the store. God has gifted each of us for specific areas within His Church. He wants us to be efficient and effective in using our gifts. In order for that to happen, we need to “stay in our lane.” We need each other to be successful in life; God doesn’t need us, He wants us, we don’t need to do everything just “stay in our lane.”

Ephesians 4:11-13The Message (MSG)

7-13 But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is,

He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.
Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:15-26The Message (MSG)

19-24 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

Find your part. Stay in your lane. Crossover when needed. But find ways to be effective and efficient in your lane. The mission of the Church, God has so graciously gifted you for, and do your very best at it.

You are Loved,

cj

13 Years and Counting

13 Years and Counting

i have been writing a book for 13 years, that’s right you heard me, 13 years. i guess you can say that i am persistent or lazy. i would say, i am self-conscience of ability. However, one day that book will be completed, and it will be read by at least two people, my mom, and my dad. Now imagine this, the Bible which many refer to as the “Good Book” is actually a collection of works, both books, and letters. There are 66 of them written by 40 different authors over a period of…well…thousands of years.

The influence that the Bible has had over the years is unfathomable. It has had both good and bad impacts on the world depending on who was doing the interpreting. It is an adventure story, love story, comedy, history, and wisdom. It is if read correctly, the answer to all of life’s questions…and by life’s questions i mean any and every question you might have ever in your life.

In 2 Timothy 3 we read in verses 16 and 17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And again in 2 Peter 1:20-21 we read, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” There are a few other places that talk about this idea of the impactfulness and importance of Scripture, google it some time.

The book that i have been writing will not take thousands of years…at best i only have about 50ish years left to live. It will not even come close to impacting the world as the Bible has either. There have been countless books written, but none have claimed so much, promised so much, explained so much and been right so much ever! There is no book that has outsold or been stolen more than the Bible either…how’s that for distribution?

We have only our integrity…

We have only our integrity…

Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the Master’s joy. In the end, all we have is our integrity. We will not have silver, or gold, not even sacks of copper coins. We will not have family, friends, property, nor will we have good works, we will have only our integrity.

Integrity:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship’s hull.

That definition is from my Dictionary.com app on my phone. Integrity is a difficult thing to maintain. Actually, it is pretty near impossible in our own life unless we adhere to a stricter teaching. It is arguably universally recognized that Jesus was a man of integrity. i indeed believe it, of course, i also believe Him to be the manifested presence of God in human form…there’s a blog idea! Anyway, the reason now that i want to look at Jesus, there are so many reasons too, is His integrity.

When faced with temptation He met it not on His own merit or ability but by a strict teaching. Let us look together at His recorded early temptations found in Matthew 4. i encourage you to read the account found in the first 11 verses of Matthew 4. However, i will summarize it here.

Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. The devil tempted Him with the idea of food because Jesus had been fasting, Jesus’ response, “It’s written, people won’t live only by bread but by every word spoken by God.” Was it a sin to eat? No, absolutely not, could Jesus do what the devil asked of Him? Absolutely Yes! What about the second? Satan said to Jesus, throw yourself off this high place and angels will catch you. Jesus responded, “Again it’s written, don’t test the Lord Your God.”

Finally, the devil took Jesus to a point and told Him all would be His if He bowed and worshiped him. Jesus replied, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, you will worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” With the exception of the third temptation, these are not deal breakers…one could even argue the last one isn’t either. Many of us worship more than God daily, whether it is money, relationships, carriers, etc.

The point here is simply that in order to maintain integrity we must filter all things, good or bad, down to the intent of the heart, through Scripture in order to keep a disciplined life, built on integrity. The first, food, Jesus knew He would be taken care of, what mattered at that moment was His integrity not whether He ate. The second, Jesus knew angels would catch Him, but what mattered was His integrity not whether He proved a point. The third, Jesus knew the redemption road was going to be long and painful. The struggle was real and later revealed itself in the garden when Jesus prayed, “Let this cup pass from me…”

Yet, He (Jesus) knew what mattered at that moment wasn’t the quickest route to success but His integrity to God’s Word, His Law, His relationship with the Father. It is our integrity that lasts, and in a day and age where integrity is a lost art, my prayer for us is that we will return to a patterned life of integrity.

Integrity:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship’s hull.

Read, Pray, Meditate

Read, Pray, Meditate

i often hear how hard it is to stay strong when being tempted. How difficult it is to make the “right” choice when facing temptation. Since we had talked some about it here already a few weeks ago, i thought i would follow up with another thought that recently came to me as i read Psalm 119.  When being tempted, we often forget who it is that holds us. You know the One with all the answers and is able to do far more than we could ever think or imagine? Instead, we hold on for dear life as if we have to “go it alone” saying, “i have to remain strong” when Jesus tells us to rely on Him.

The comparison was made to a rollercoaster. You are entirely buckled in yet for many we hold on tight as if by not doing so we would fall out. We “white knuckle it” through life even though the creator of all things say, “I got you!” Then i read Psalm 119.

Psalm 119:9,10 “How can young people keep their paths pure? By guarding them according to what You’ve said. I have sought You with all my heart. Don’t let me stray from any of Your commandments!”

The Psalmist gives the answer to life’s question of how by “guard yourselves according to what God has said by seeking Him with your whole heart.” For many they trust God in some things but not all things, God says, to trust Him for all things! Yet, you want to fight temptation head on. Instead, soak yourself in God’s Word; read, pray, meditate. Knowledge really is power!

You are Loved,

cj

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, a time in which we gather to be thankful. For most of us, we can raddle off a half dozen things in no time at all; God, family, friends, pets, work, home, health. See, not so hard at all, i didn’t even mention my wife and kids by name; which i very well could, for each one is such an amazing blessing that i am incredibly thankful. For many, however, it isn’t so easy to make such a list; Broken homes, broken hearts, brokenness.

Is there a holiday for lamenting? In the TV series Seinfeld, there is an episode where they celebrate “Festivus” and “the airing of grievances.” As ridiculous as “Festivus” is, that holiday is actually not that bad an idea. In the book, we call the Bible there is a section called, “Lamentations.” It is a book of lamenting. Here is how it begins:

“Oh no! She sits alone, the city that was once full of people. Once great among nations, she has become like a widow. Once a queen over provinces, she has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears on her cheek. None of her lovers comfort her. All her friends lied to her; they have become her enemies.                                                               (Lamentations 1:1-2 CEB)

There is something to be said for lamenting, letting things out, there is a season for it. A time and a purpose. It is actually good for the soul to let things out and not to hold things in. Can one lament too much, too often? Yes! The book of Lamentations is only five chapters long. What does that mean? There comes appoint when we stop lamenting. Here is how Lamentations ends:

“Return us, LORD, to Yourself. Please let us return! Give us new days, like those long ago– unless You have completely rejected us, or have become too angry with us.”    (Lamentations 5:21-22 CEB)

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read one of my favorite passages of Scripture and the influence of the hit song by “The Byrds” “Turn, Turn, Turn” from 1965 although the song was adapted by Pete Seeger a few years earlier the “Byrds” really took off with it…(laughy crying face emoji). Anyway, this passage is such wisdom:

A season for everything

3 There’s a season for everything
    and a time for every matter under the heavens:
2     a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
    a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
3     a time for killing and a time for healing,
    a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
4     a time for crying and a time for laughing,
    a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
5     a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
    a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
6     a time for searching and a time for losing,
    a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
7     a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
    a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
8     a time for loving and a time for hating,
    a time for war and a time for peace.                                                                         (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3)

May it be, as it is my prayer for all of us if you find yourself in a season of lament, to pause for a moment and laugh or dance, to love and make peace, to heal or to build up, to gather and embrace. Happy Thanksgiving!

You are loved,

cj

Distractions

Distractions

Distractions are all around us, always. They come in many forms, phones, games, apps, twitter, facebook, people, etc these distractions can be both good and bad. Either way, they must be taken care of in the moment or they will continue to distract you.  Why? Because what distracts you may be exactly what you need to be doing or paying attention to. Let me explain. i often sit to write or pray or study and find my mind wandering. That’s my cue to stop and figure out why or what is distracting me. If it is thoughts i begin writing them down, if its a game or an app i shut them off. If i am on Twitter or Facebook i check my notifications and then exit the app. i set things aside, move, turn off music, turn on music…i do what i can to remove the distraction and sometimes that means engaging it for a moment to be able to set it aside.

What happens if the distraction is a person? Just the other day i was sitting and trying to write when a student sat in the window. i was completely distracted. i desperately wanted to get some work done until it came to me, maybe, just maybe, this student was the “work” the Lord really wanted me to focus on in that moment. No one was going to die if i didn’t get my other work done in that moment, but the impact i could end up having on that “distraction” might change the world or at least a life.

Let me encourage you the next time you get frustrated because of a distraction that you stop and ask yourself, “is this a distraction or an opportunity?” If its a distraction, do what you need to set it aside if it’s an opportunity then set your work aside and make a difference.

1 Corinthians 7:35 “I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”

Hebrews 12:2  “fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Proverbs 4:25 “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you”

Temptation

Temptation

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Have you ever faced temptation? i know stupid question right?! Of course, we all face temptations on a daily bases. This verse in 1 Corinthians gives us a hope that whatever the temptation is, there is a way out. That the temptations that you face are not new to the world but there are others who face the same temptations as you. Not that we all face the same temptations but that certainly there are no new ones roaming about.

So what does the passage mean when it says, “He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.”? We need to look at the whole passage to truly get the meaning here. We often stop right there and rely on that then blame God when we stumble or fall, “God, You gave me more than i could handle on my own!” Here is the rest of that verse, “When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

There is the key. Not that we won’t be given more than we can handle because that absolutely happens, but that God will give us a way out when we rely on Him. When we are tempted we need to look to Him, find the way out that He provides. It may come in forms that you aren’t expecting. When you are being tempted, the way out may come as an unexpected text message, phone call, knock on the door, etc. It may be something that comes to mind to distract you and you have a choice, take the way out or press on into the temptation.

Other ways out of temptation that God has already provided, are songs of praise and worship, His Word, prayer. Sing, Read, Pray your way through. Call a friend, text a friend, change the activity that you are doing…walk away. There are plenty of outs when it comes to temptation. It will take training, it will take support, it will take some effort to get out of a tempting spot. Its worth it, there is a way, He has provided and will continue to provide ways out when we rely on His strength and not our own.

Here is one big key to avoiding temptation in the future. When God tells you to get rid of something in your life, change a habit, change…do it. The temptation will be to hesitate but then whose strength are you relying on? Trust in God and rely on Him, look at these words of wisdom from Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

You are Loved,

cj

More than mere words…part two

More than mere words…part two

There is a point within the greaving process where one earns the right to speak life into a situation. However, even with that permission, there are a few do’s and don’ts to the process you should know about. Now before we enter the list of do’s and don’ts let me also say that there are exceptions, here are a few of them; 1, You are a trained professional and they have come to you seeking help. 2, You are a trusted close friend whom they have confided in and they have specifically asked you for your thoughts. 3, They have asked you for your thoughts. 4, They have come to you asking you for advice. 5, They sought you out and asked you for your input. 6, Are you catching the theme? Rule number 1, do not cross the greaving line if you haven’t been asked or given an opening through conversation.

Now for our do’s when speaking life into a greaving heart. First, be absolutely certain they are ready to receive whatever you are about to say if you aren’t absolutely certain, hold your tongue. If all the lights are green proceed with caution, be gentle, remain sympathetic and empathetic. Listen more than you speak. It is ok to use some Scripture, here is a good one, Deuteronomy 31:8; “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Use real life, personal stories, they do not have to be yours just besure you have permission to share or change the names and places. Be optimistic but do not make promises or guarantees, with the exception of Jesus not abandoning them. Pray with and for them, at the moment.

Here are the don’ts. This list can really be a long one but i am going to try to keep it simple. Don’t overuse Scripture, i know you are going to want too and you are going to justify it in your mind…don’t do it.  Some is good, but too much is a bad thing. Encourage them to read the Word, and pray about it but just don’t quote Scripture. If they wanted a preacher they’d go to the pastor, (you could encourage them to talk to a pastor).  Don’t say, “I will pray for you.” (As written up in the do’s, pray for them on the spot, let them hear you!) DO NOT be like these guys, Jobs friends, because in the end, God said this to them, “I am angry with you [Eliphaz] and your two friends because you have not spoken the truth about me.” Job 42:7. Do not speak in cliche’s because most of them although said to be biblical are NOT!

When i have gone through difficult times i have needed empathy first, encouragement second and advice last. Besides, advice, given without request only sounds degrading. You may not use the words but i guarantee it sounds like this, “YOU SHOULD HAVE…” Capped with, “YOU IDIOT!” There may come a time for those words but i assure you, it won’t be early on and it better be coming from my best friend. Being there for someone going through tragedy is hard but it can be a blessing as well, as you show empathy, and encouragement, you will gain wisdom, and i can promise you that!

You are Loved,

cj