<![CDATA[Finding Unspeakable Joy - Blog]]>Tue, 14 May 2024 08:51:43 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Set A Fire]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/set-a-fire"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you our of My mouth."  Revelation 3:15-16

Have you ever found yourself lukewarm for God?  Complacent in your relationship with Him?  That's exactly where I've been for quite a while.  And honestly, I didn't even know it until recently.  Not only have I not had the desire to write down my thoughts, which hasn't happened on this page in 2 years (sorry about that), but, in hindsight, it has effected everything in my life.  My relationships, my family, my parenting, and my desire to be close to God.

The Bible warns a few times of complacency, but it's hard to even heed those warnings when you're so stuck that you aren't engaging in the Word like you should.  That's where I've been.  And there is a reason God warns us of complacency.  In fact, it helps to know what the word actually means in order to understand why God warns us of it.  The word complacent is defined as "showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements."  When we become "lukewarm," our focus, even though we might not realize it, begins to shift toward ourselves and away from God.  "I can handle it God, I don't really need You right now."  Complacency, by its very nature, breaks God's first commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3).

This is why Jesus tells the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3 that He wishes they were either cold or hot, rather than lukewarm.  When we're cold, often we are broken, and easily reached by the Holy Spirit when God moves.  It's often easy to feel God's presence, in the form of comfort and peace, when we are completely surrounded by darkness.  That's why many of us have to hit rock bottom before we find God.  But the same could be said when we're hot.  When we're fully on fire for God, moving in His will and seeking after Him with everything, the more we will find Him.  But when we are complacent, we tend to coast through life on our own, knowing God is near, but never actually turning to look for Him.  We begin to only need Him when a storm develops in our life, and after the storm, we go right back to our quaint lifeless existence.  And, honestly, there are usually very few storms during these times, because the enemy has no reason to attack someone if he/she isn't a threat.

I find myself, now, moving into a new season.  A new season of work, relationships, family, and, like many others in the midst of this pandemic, life in general.  I can no longer be complacent.  Complacency has led to a time of low hanging fruit, and while this fruit has been full of blessing and provided for my needs, it is no longer enough.  I am blessed beyond what I can even comprehend, with a wonderful wife, 2 spectacular children, a plethora of great and wise friends.  But now I need more of Him.  For God's Spirit to simply hover around my spaces, just like he did over the deep at Creation.  For His presence to be so overwhelming that I can't experience any part of life around me without it's filter.  That is my prayer, lately.  So that I can climb the tree for better fruit.  And whether the fruit at the top is better or not, it will be more because of the Almighty's higher perspective.  

I hope you join me as the Church.  No longer can we be lukewarm.  The Father has more for us!  Times, they are a changin, but God is not!  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Father, surround us!  Set a fire in our souls that we cannot contain.  Align us with You, and surround us with Your presence for Shalom, completeness for Your glory.  We love you, God!  In Jesus' precious and powerful name, Amen and Amen!]]><![CDATA[Love and Destiny]]>Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:49:25 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/love-and-destinyHey everyone!  It's been a while!  Sometimes, life can get in the way of some things, but here I am.  I wish I was writing under better circumstances, but a friend of mine lost his wife last night to cancer.  Prayers for him and his two teenage boys are appreciated, but his love and faithfulness during this time has reminded me of the best love story I've ever heard.  I know this is a little different than my normal post, but I would like to tell that story.  Hopefully it will bring some joy and hope along with it.

Once upon a time (because all good stories should begin with "once upon a time"), there was a man.  For all intents and purposes, there wasn't necessarily anything extraordinary about him, at least not that those around him could see.  He lived with a lowly and poor family, skilled trade workers to be exact, and for most of his early life, he lived a fairly normal existence.  He had friends, brothers and sisters, learned, worked, slept, ate; you know, not so different than you and I.  But he was remarkably humble.  The kind of humility you and I only dream to achieve.

As he grew older, this humility led to a life of philanthropy.  He knew that serving others really was his calling.  It certainly didn't go unnoticed.  As people gathered, many began to think like him and work toward the same goals.  After a while, he noticed he had fallen in love.  This woman, she was his destiny.  She would follow him anywhere, and although she didn't always understand, she began to love him enough that she simply trusted him.  She chose him, and they began to develop the kind of love that you and I dream of.  The perfect intimate romance, of chivalry, compassion, and contentment.  She wasn't perfect, but he loved her unconditionally.

Eventually, that intimate relationship led to an engagement.  She was, after all, his destiny.  He told her he was actually a king.  She laughed a little.  What a fun metaphor.  He was the king of her heart, and she really enjoyed the thought, but to look at him, although it spoke a lot of things, never said king.  He was lowly and poor, even more so than where he was from.  A life of service to others barely fed him and his friends, let alone provide the riches of a kingdom.  But despite her lack of belief, he loved her unconditionally.

Now the traditions of the time were difficult on a relationship.  After the engagement, he left her for a season.  The custom was for the groom to go back home and prepare a place for his bride to come home to after the wedding.  When the place was ready, often by his father's standards, he would go back and get her, they would get married in a huge seven day celebration, and they would live happily ever after, well, at least as happily as possible.  For a lowly and poor man, this place was most commonly a room or addition to the family home, and even with skilled trade work experience, would take months or even years to complete.  That might not seem too difficult to you, but unlike today, there were no cell phones, or even phones at all, and without cars, back and forth travel was hard and strenuous, so the best communication for such a situation was letter writing.

He wrote her many letters.  He told of his love and devotion, his unwavering faithfulness, and of all his busy work preparing their kingdom for her arrival.  He provided husbandly instruction to make her life as painless as possible while he was away.  He even sent someone to help her, to provide counsel and direction and always remind her of his love.  All the while, he couldn't wait until he could go back and get her and they could finally become one.  She was, after all, his destiny.

The waiting was difficult and she was not perfect.  Her faithfulness, well, let's just say it was a bit less unwavering.  She would experiment from time to time, and often chose more fun things in life than focusing on the relationship with her love.  She would ignore the helper, and sometimes, for short periods, she would even forget about her betrothed.  She faced hardships and discomforts, but in the midst, it was always his letters and his love that pulled her through.  Despite all her mischief and debauchery, he loved her unconditionally.  She was, after all, his destiny.

Finally, after what seemed like a few millennia, his father decided that the place was finally ready for her, and his son went back to get his bride.  Even though she knew what to look forward to because of his letters, she didn't know when he was coming.  When he arrived, she gazed upon his face, a bit surprised, and stood in amazement.  He really was a king, and he brought a host of servants blowing trumpets to fetch the love of his life.  Everyone around looked on in disbelief, unable to even speak, as he grabbed her up, and swept her away.  Once home, they celebrated in glorious fashion.  An epic wedding for the ages, as the king had finally brought home his bride.  Her past was in her past, and he loved her unconditionally.  She was, after all, his destiny.

Jesus is that man, and we, the Church, are his bride.  It's not too late to realize that His love in unconditional.  We all have been unfaithful and wavered in this life, but we are His destiny.  He came for us despite our shortcomings.  By choosing Him, we become a part of the bride he will one day come back for.  No questions, no condemnation, just the way we are.  He loves us now, not when we are better suited.  He died to pay for all we've done and will do.  Now He prepares a place for us in His Father's house.  Choose Jesus, because he has already chosen us, and become a part of the greatest love story ever told.]]><![CDATA[Still Seeking Unspeakable Joy]]>Wed, 10 Aug 2016 21:54:18 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/still-seeking-unspeakable-joy"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is the fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Psalm 16:11

I realize that this is actually a day late, but as I celebrated turning another year older yesterday, with all the festivities, I couldn't help but think about the wonderful blessings in my life.  Obviously my beautiful wife, rambunctious son, wonderful family and spectacular friends top that list, but I am also grateful for so many other things that I couldn't even begin to list them all.

It was at my 30th birthday last year that I began a Daniel Fast to find some direction for the rest of my life.  Throughout the journey, I felt that God was telling me to write.  To write about Him and about my experiences and my life with Him.  So I started praying, planning and developing outlines, and in October of last year, I started this blog with His direction.  The support has grown more than I could have ever expected in that short time.  I am thankful for everyone of you that read my ramblings.  

The very first post I wrote is still the main focus of this project, despite my occasional ranting (yes, I know it happens, and I'm sorry, sometimes I just can't help it).  So for those who are new here and haven't seen it, or those who might want to read it again, I've decided to re-post it on this anniversary of God's working in my life.  Thank you again for reading, and I hope that God can continue to use me to further His Kingdom!  Here's to seeking out the joy that can only be found in the Father.
How would you define true joy?  Is it simply that feeling of internal warmness?  Or the sensation that prevents us from showing any expression other than a gigantic smile?  Is it as simple as feeling happy or could it possibly be more?  If you'll allow me to nerd-out for a moment, Dictionary.com defines joy as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying."  But Biblically, joy is not just emotional.  It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in which we are called to live (Gal. 5:22-26), and the fullness of that joy is found in the presence of God.  He is our only real "exceptional good."

One of the most difficult revelations for me was that, although joy often involves good feelings, it is not always equated with my happiness.  Happiness is a product of a happening, my circumstances.  The root word is a Middle English word "hap," which means "chance" or "good luck."  It is the same root as the words "perhaps" or "happenstance."  Happiness is a direct effect of my worldly environment.  Joy, on the other hand, is a direct effect of the Heavenly environment.  Because my joy comes from Heaven, it becomes a cause in this world rather than an effect.  When I choose to be in God's Holy presence, I then learn something new about His nature, about His love, about His grace, about His mercy, and even about His conviction.  That is where I find true joy.  This may seem obvious, but in order for us to find joy that comes from a Holy place, we must enter into a Holy place.  

That's not to say God cannot provide His gift of joy to someone who doesn't seek His presence.  Let's not box up the most powerful Being inside or outside this universe.  But with a glimpse of something so wonderful, why wouldn't I want more?  Entering into the presence of God regularly doesn't just provide a little of this wonderful joy.  It allows me to experience it enough to fill up my "joy tank" and live in that gift as long as my tank is full.  But just like the gas tank on a car, the joy tank has to be refilled.  The more often I experience a full tank of joy, the more often my heart desires that experience.  And the more this becomes my desire, the more I want to spill that joy out over everyone around me.  This is living in the fullness of God's joy.  Living in the fullness of God.

But if joy doesn't always present in the form of happiness, then how can it cause great delight?  Joy can be observed in many forms, not all of which seem wonderful in the moment.  Sometimes it manifests as the feeling of a weight lifted as I release a burden to the Father, and sometimes it causes a smile (or even tears) so big that it's impossible to speak.  But sometimes God's gracious joy brings conviction and the need for change.  Although this doesn't seem delightful in the moment, it is God preparing my life for something joyous that He has for me.  Goodness is in the Father's nature, so whether the encounter with Him brings healing and breakthrough or revelation of sin and the need for grace, I have to know that the joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh. 8:10).

Father, I pray that You will draw everyone of us to You, to spend time in Your presence to experience the fullness of a Holy joy that can only be found with You.  Whether it is in worship, the Word or just a silent moment listening for Your whisper, please meet us where we are today so we can fill ourselves with Your joy, and spread it to the worldly environment around us.  Amen.
]]><![CDATA[This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine]]>Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:52:39 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/this-little-light-of-mine"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5: 16

Do you remember the first time you heard the children's song "This Little Light of Mine"?  I grew up in a very small Missionary Baptist Church, so I was pretty young when I first heard the words "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."  There was an average weekly attendance of less than a hundred people at the church, and the younger children were even more scarce, so you couldn't fake it either.  Everyone knew when you were singing and when you weren't, so I learned very early that it was easier to just learn the words and sing them right.

There are several verses to that song, so it's pretty amazing that children can learn and retain the lyrics (if you don't know the lyrics, you should google them, they're good).  But what's more amazing to me, and quite unfortunate, is how quickly we forget those lyrics when we become adults.  Especially since, at least for those of us that eventually chose to follow Jesus, we now know what the lyrics actually mean for us and the darkness of the world.  

1 John 1: 5 says that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  Since I know all things come from Him, if He is light, then He is also the light in me.  So when Jesus says to "let [my] light so shine before men, that they may see [my] good works and glorify [my] Father in heaven" (Matt. 5: 16), He is telling me to let God's radiance in me spill out over everything that I do.  This way, everything I do can bring glory to the Father.  "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

The way I act or react in a situation or circumstance tells more about who I really am than the things I say.  Actions really do speak louder than words.  We live in really dark world, and it is getting progressively darker every day.  Our culture is moving to push God and Biblical principle out everything it can, in some cases, even the church building.  Morality is becoming increasingly more fluid, and the concept of "tolerance" is quickly transitioning to "forced acceptance" all over the country.  But battling the system with angry words, bigotry and violence is not the solution.  This type of action is failing all over the country, and is doing more damage than correction.

Don't get me wrong, there is a time for tossing tables, as Jesus did to those intentionally corrupting the temple (Matt. 21: 12-13), but it's reserved for the extreme circumstances.  God will judge those who deserve His judgment.  It's time, as Christians, that we begin shining our light before all men.  Let's make them WANT the peace, joy, comfort, mercy and grace that we have in Jesus, not push them away from becoming their own light to glorify the Father.

Father, shine Your light through me.  Whether I'm at home or out in the darkness of the world, move my spirit to align with You and spread Your light in everything I do.  Let everything I do bring glory to the One who created all things, the One who hung the stars and knows them all by name, You, Almighty God.  Praise You, In Jesus' name, Amen.
]]><![CDATA[Jesus Breaks Racial Barriers]]>Wed, 13 Jul 2016 02:25:13 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/jesus-breaks-racial-barriers"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile), for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved'."  Romans 10: 12-13

There is obviously a huge racial divide that is occurring once again in our country, with groups like Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and the war on Police standing on the forefront of our media and in our cities.  Violence and protests are happening weekly, even daily in some places.  I've attempted to avoid this topic, because it is distinctly controversial due to the emotional reactions on both sides of the argument.  Nevertheless, with something so prominent in the world, it's hard to avoid it for long.

Regardless of our personal feelings on the racism spectrum, as I personally feel that true racism is confined to a smaller portion of our people than the media would have us believe, I want to take this strictly from a Biblical perspective.  Let's see what God has to say on the subject.  All throughout the Bible, despite the distinctions between the tribes and people from particular cities, God only cites two discriminant races:  Jews and Gentiles (anyone not a Jew).  The Jews were the chosen people of God, and the the bloodline chosen for the Messiah that would eventually redeem the world from the fall into sin, and the Gentiles were everyone else.  

Even Jesus maintained these distinctions in many of His early teachings, like when He encountered the SyroPhoenician woman in Tyre and Sidon and told her that He was there to fill the "children" first (presumably the Jews) (Mark 7: 24-30).  But because of her faith, He freed her daughter anyway.  Jesus came for the Jew first, then for the Gentile (all over Paul's epistles).  But the most of the Jews, especially the religious leaders, rejected Him, so as He wept over Jerusalem at the Triumphal Entry (Luke 19: 41-44), He declared a blindness over them and began the times of the Gentiles.  But even before that event, He began to tear down those distinctions with many of His interactions and parables involving the Samaritans, when He made even the "dogs" appear better than the religious elite because of compassion and mercy for others (Luke 10: 25-37).  This is where He defines the word neighbor in "love your neighbor."

Because of Jesus, God's gracious sacrifice on our behalf, there is no more distinction.  "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile), for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved'" (Romans 10: 12-13).  The only barrier that exists now is those who choose to receive that gracious gift and those who do not.  We are all God's children now, because of God's grace.  I've always like the definition of grace:  God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  Jesus died the same for all of us so we could all be brothers and sisters in Him and heirs to the throne of God.  It's time that we begin to see each other as God sees us, as His creation in His image, and stop defining each other by our own human barriers.  Imagine the change that could be made if we focused on showing the world Jesus rather than the differences in our skin.

Father God, dissolve the divisions in Your people and help us come together as the unified body of Christ to make a stand for You.  Satan's biggest accomplishment in this world is the division of the Church, and race is simply another barrier that he has placed to keep us from being full strength for the Kingdom.  Help us bring our focus back to You, and put Satan back under our heels where he belongs.  In Jesus' name, Amen!
]]><![CDATA[I Surrender All]]>Wed, 29 Jun 2016 03:44:28 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/i-surrender-all"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  Proverbs 3: 5-6

I don't know about you, but I can really be a prideful person.  Whenever I look at the struggles in my life (especially the ones that really persist), I can usually trace the root back to pride in some form or another.  It's often that same pride that causes me to hold onto the wrong things, which is how a struggle becomes persistent in the first place.  A stronghold forms, and then it reaches the point where freedom seems unattainable, so I choose to live in that place rather than surrender it to God.

But aren't we called to surrender everything to Him?  Jesus tells us to come to Him with our heavy burdens, and He will give us rest (Matt. 11: 28).  That He will trade our load for His, and His burden is light (v. 30).  So why do we still choose to carry the heaviest burdens alone?  The answer is pride, plain and simple.

Did you know that pride was the first sin to ever exist?  Before the creation of man, Lucifer was a great leader of the angels (a covering cherub) but his "heart was lifted up because of [his] beauty and [he] corrupted [his] wisdom for the sake of [his] splendor" (Ezekiel 28: 17). He said "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will ascend above the heights of clouds, I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14: 13-14).  Lucifer was cast out of the Kingdom of God, all because he began to find pride in himself rather than in his Creator.

We are not designed to carry the things of this world.  When God created man, He even attempted to shelter us from the evil that was formed when iniquity was found in Lucifer, by allowing us to not carry the burden of it's knowledge (Genesis 3).  But even in his deception of Adam and Eve, Lucifer used pride to cause the fall of man, when he told Eve that by eating the fruit she would "be like God, knowing good and evil" (v. 5).  Adam and Eve chose to lean on their own understanding, rather than trusting what God had said, which they knew to be true.  They chose pride, and took away the choice of every person after them until Jesus died.

But when I chose Jesus, I was justified through Him.  I am free of the full-time burden that Lucifer, Adam and Eve placed on all mankind.  Like them in the garden, I now have the choice to rest on myself and my pride, or to trust in the Lord with all my heart.  When I choose to not lay down the burdens in my life, and to carry them alone, I am essentially telling God, just as Lucifer did, that I am as strong, mighty and powerful as He is and I don't need Him.  And I, just as Lucifer did, know those words to be untrue.  I need Him in all of my life.  

It's time that we learn to lay down everything before our Creator.  It's not that He won't give us anything that we can't bear, because He does that all the time.  He can't give us anything that He can't bear, and He will direct our path if we only acknowledge Him in everything.  It's time to surrender all.

God, I surrender everything to You.  Help me to remember that You are stronger, You are mighty and You will guide my path if I just trust You with all of me.  I know that I am going to fail, but when I do, remind me of Your mercy that renews daily.  Help me to find all pride in You and not in my own understanding.  In Jesus' precious name, Amen!]]><![CDATA[Above All, I am a Monarchist]]>Wed, 15 Jun 2016 03:31:19 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/above-all-i-am-a-monarchist"And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  Revelation 19:16

One of the most relevant events in our culture right now is obviously the presidential election that will take place in November.  If you're anything like me, you're pretty sick of hearing about it or reading about it.  But I have been asked a few times about my vote, to which I've responded with the proper Christian answer:  I am going to pray about the election and the candidates, listen to what God has to say, and choose the candidate God has for this country.  Then comes the question most would rather not hear:  Well, are you a Democrat or Republican?

That's a very difficult question to answer these days.  We live a world that has turned to violence and ridicule as it's response no matter the side someone chooses (inappropriately and unacceptably, I must add; I mean, whatever happened to freedom of speech and peaceful protest). Unfortunately, most don't care where I stand on the topic, but just want to know whether I agree with them or not.  And in most cases I do not.  I find myself being at odds with many of the ideals from both sides of the argument.  But it wasn't until recently, listening to a Bible commentary by Chuck Missler on the Origin of Evil*, that something hit me:  Above all, I am a monarchist!

Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of good leadership, and that it is our responsibility to elect Godly leaders that will make decisions by looking at Biblical principle and prayerfully considering all aspects, but I don't serve the leadership of this country.  They are supposed to serve me (although that is becoming less their focus).  I serve a King, and not just any King, but the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.  He is the King of the Jews and the King of Israel.  He is the King of all the ages, the King of Heaven and the King of glory.  I serve He who is, who was and who will always be.  The first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the Aleph and the Tau.  

He is the I AM that I AM, the enduringly strong, entirely sincere, eternally steadfast, immortally graceful, imperially powerful and impartially merciful.  He is the very God of very God, yet He is also my Kinsman-Redeemer.  He is my place of refuge and my source of life.  And we are the beneficiaries of the love letter that He wrote in blood on a cross over 2000 years ago in Judea. "He was crucified on a cross of wood; yet He made the hill on which it stood."  

Every decision that I make is to serve His purposes and His will, and even though I often fail at that, His mercies are new each day.  I am not a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, a socialist or a patriot.  I am a bondservant to the King of the Most High.  And He reigns eternal.

Holy Spirit, speak to every voter in this nation, whether believer or not, as we choose the new leaders that will make the decisions on our behalf.  Provide us Your Holy wisdom, so that we might once again become a real monarchy the way You intended; a nation serving the eternal King, Jesus Christ.  Help Your people remember where their loyalty lies, and remember whose will shall be done.  Praise you Holy God, in Jesus' precious name, Amen!

*Many of the listed attributes and titles of Christ taken from Chuck Missler's Origin of Evil, mostly because I like the way they were worded, and why fix what isn't broken?  To watch click here: Session 1 & Session 2
]]><![CDATA[God is Love]]>Wed, 01 Jun 2016 02:44:33 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/god-is-loveJesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 22: 37-40

Have you noticed lately where much of the church has shifted it's focus?  With reference to this concept of tolerance and acceptance, especially within our culture, I hear so often that "Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself."  Even nonbelievers know this scripture and consistently use it against believers to push acceptance of what we call "sin."  Very often they add "He even told you to love your enemies" (Matt. 5: 44) in order to drive the point.  

And I don't disagree with them.  This is absolutely true.  Jesus said all of those things.  Jesus not only emphasized the commandments that people knew all too well, but even made them more difficult (for example, not only should I not commit adultery, but I shouldn't even look at other women lustfully or I've already committed adultery in my heart - Matt. 5: 28).  But as we focus on loving our neighbors and our enemies, we can often look past the first and greatest commandment, to love God with everything that we are.  

There is a reason God made this the first commandment to the Israelites (Exodus 20) and Jesus listed it first to the Pharisees here.  Without God, there is nothing.  He is meant to be first in everything that we do.  And out of Him everything else will flow.  Jesus told us to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all [provisions] shall be added to you" (Matt 6: 33).  He is our source for everything that we need, so if we don't put Him at the top, we begin to miss out on the most important aspects of who we are and what we can do.

This also applies in regards to love.  We are called to "love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4: 7-8).  God IS love.  Not only does He love me, shown through His sacrifice of His Son for my stinking sinful soul, but He is the source of love.  There is no love without Him.  If I don't first love God with everything, then I can't love the people I like, let alone the people I don't.  When I love Him and seek Him, He fills me with His love (Himself) so that I can then spill it out on others.

Unfortunately, love sometimes comes in the form of conviction and correction.  I never understood this aspect of love until I had a son of my own.  When he is committing an act that will inevitably bring harm to himself or others around him, it becomes necessary for me to intercede to prevent damaging behavior.  God's love does the same thing for us and our sin to prevent us from living a life of pain and sorrow.  A life away from Him.  

Love accepts and tolerates everyone, but it cannot, in it's holy nature, accept and tolerate sins that exist to destroy us.  If I am able to accept your life in sin and allow you to die away from a loving God, then I do not love you.  Someone once said to me that if I loved him like a Christian was supposed to love, then I would stop talking about sin and God around him.  That he was offended by all that Christian stuff.  But if I truly believe what I know to be true, that Jesus saves us from our sin and makes us new to live the life God designed us to live, then he should be offended if I didn't tell him about it.  If I kept it all to myself and didn't try to help him change to be the best form of himself, then I didn't love him at all.  My God is love.

Father, I pray that in our culture of acceptance and tolerance, we would seek You first in everything that we do.  As we draw into You, overflow us with Your love so that it spills out of us onto everyone around us, and then use that love for Your Holy Spirit to gain access to anyone that doesn't know you and change them into who You designed them to be.  Thank you, Father, for showing and teaching us to love through Your Word.  In Jesus' name, Amen!
]]><![CDATA[A Faithful Steward]]>Wed, 18 May 2016 01:57:54 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/a-faithful-steward"And the Lord said, 'Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.' "  Luke 12: 42-44

I've heard this parable at least a hundred times in my life, and most of the time it is tied to the responsibility of some monetary item, such as tithing or doing good with physical blessings God has placed in my life.  Being a faithful steward with the things God has given me.  But so many of the things of God cannot be qualified with a monetary value.  Isn't God asking me to be a faithful steward with those things as well?

In the parable, Jesus' example of delegated responsibility is portion of food.  That seems like a simple task for the steward, but if you think about it, food might be the most important item in the master's house.  It is what sustains the entire house.  If the steward gives too little food, the servants will be weak and not finish their work.  Too much food, and the storehouse could run out and everyone starve before the master's return.  The food ration is also a great source of authority, which could be mismanaged and cause the steward to fail.  If the steward begins to idolize the power, he will begin to mistreat the other servants and take advantage of his situation (verse 45).  So it would seem the master has a greater expectation of the steward than simply a relegation of edibles.

Everything I have can be counted as belonging to my Master, God Almighty.  Not just my house, my money, my car, my monetary things; but also my family, my friends, my job, my skills/talents, my marriage, my son and even my relationship with Him.  I am to be a faithful steward of everything in my life, making sure that every decision I make regarding those things is in alignment with the delegation given to me by my Master, so that I am fulfilling His will when He returns.

Furthermore, I am to be a faithful steward of His Word.  Before I give an interpretation of scripture, especially to an unbeliever, even if I feel like I received it from the Holy Spirit, it is my responsibility to make sure that it aligns with the rest of God's Holy Word.  God does not contradict Himself, and even the enemy knows the Word of God (he tempted Jesus with scripture in the wilderness - Luke 4), but he uses God's Word to manipulate and twist the truth.  To become a more faithful steward, I need to make time to study the Word in order to discern God's truth from the lies to build a solid foundation for myself and those around me.

Perhaps most importantly, I am to be a faithful steward of my title in Christ.  "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20: 7) is a commandment often attributed to language and the things we say.  Not that it doesn't offer some relevance to our vocabulary, but I would argue that it's more about ambassadorship.  When I call myself a Christian, or claim to believe in God, I am immediately a representative of the Most Holy.  If I am arrogant, selfish or in any other way not representing God as He is, then I am taking God's name in vain.  Now don't get me wrong, I know it is impossible for me, a sinful human, to perfectly represent a perfect God, but I am predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8: 29).  So I can use the tools He has provided me to grow in grace in order to be a more faithful steward of the title I have been given through Jesus and His sacrifice.

Father, thank You for everything I have in my life, including Your road map to life, Your Word.  Help me to continue to become a more faithful steward of it all, making everything in my life come together for Your purposes.  Help me to wear the name of Jesus proudly and represent Him as He is, not as I am.  In Jesus' glorious name, Amen!]]><![CDATA[Once Saved, Continuously Sanctified]]>Wed, 11 May 2016 00:44:26 GMThttp://findingunspeakablejoy.com/blog/once-saved-continuously-sanctified"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."  Romans 8: 28-29

We've probably all heard the first part of this passage.  Romans 8:28 is often quoted when something difficult or seemingly impossible comes to fruition that seems good or fit to God's righteous plan.  And in a way, I think that is a viable interpretation, as long as the definition of "good" matches with God (see the previous post).  But I personally think that it actually means something deeper if you look at the context.  

Romans, at least the first 8 chapters, is perhaps the most complete look at Christian doctrine as a bigger picture.  Chapters 1 through 3 are a comprehensive diagnosis of our chronic condition, sin.  Chapters 4 and 5 describe the only way we can be freed from the death caused by that chronic condition, salvation by grace through faith, not by works, thanks only to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  And chapters 6 through 8 breakdown how we continuously grow in that grace, being sanctified (or permanently changed) as we cling to Him.

When we choose to receive our salvation by grace through faith, it is finished.  We are free of the penalty of sin, which is death, but we're not magically changed into perfection.  Salvation is simply the moment when our trust in Christ the King affords us the forgiveness He paid for on the cross.  Our spirit is invigorated, awakened from a worldly slumber as it joins forces with the Holy Spirit of God.  It's a one time event that lasts for eternity.

But the process of growth in the grace of God is continuous for as long as we live.  As we grow and develop a more intimate relationship with the Spirit, all of the goodness of God works together for our good, conforming us to the image of Christ (making us more like Him).  My soul (my mind, will and emotions) begins to reflect the image of God already formed in my spirit through salvation.  As my soul changes, it begins to project outwardly through my body, making Christ visible through me.  All things working together for my good, so that I may reflect His good, which, as I pointed out in the previous post, is the only true good.

Father, thank You for saving me, freeing me from the death my flesh had afforded me at birth.  I am truly grateful for Your gift.  Now continue to mold and shape me into the image of Christ, so that I can complete Your will in my life, fulfilling the only good that exists in this world, Your good.  Praise You for Your grace.  In Jesus' name, Amen.]]>