"If you have faith in me..."

Philippians 4
⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So something that has been on my heart and mind lately is just this.  The peace of God transcends all understanding.

Give us our daily bread.  This is something that has been on display in my life.  Daily bread.  You see God has shown up and given us our daily bread, what we need to get by on that given day.  It is a peace that does in fact transcend all understanding, a faith that can move any mountain once you take hold of this peace.  Knowing that all things will work to glorify God our Father through Christ.  Take a hold and never let go.

This past week has been skimp on food for myself.  This past week I have received three free lunches.  Every morning and night this week I have prayed for daily bread, nothing more and nothing less.  I was at peace knowing that my God would provide, but I had to have the faith he would provide.  I am at peace knowing He will provide whatever I need at any given moment for any given day.  The thing is, He will give you your needs, not necessarily your wants.  i did not get three free lunches of my choosing, but I did get three free lunches.  I did not plead and beg, didn't even ask, but the Holy Spirit working through others did offer.  All I did was have faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, that when I knocked, He would answer.

2 Samuel 22
²⁶ “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
   to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

Faith is a two way street.  If you do not have faith in your provider to provide, why should he?  If you do not believe that His hand can and will move your mountain, why should he?  He shouldn't. He should give to the faithful, not the faithless. 

Gods only Son Jesus walked this out.  His miracles were performed on those who had FAITH in Jesus.  He was not going to shower the beauty and power of God to those who did not even believe in God, or His power.
Matthew 13
⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 17
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
 ²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus, spoke about faith extensively, He demonstrated for God to work, you must have faith.

Life gets hard, circumstances can suck, there is no getting around that.  Thankfully God provides tomorrows, and tomorrows after that.  The imprint you leave on this World about walking out in faith is perhaps the strongest way to build His kingdom AND improve your quality of life while here on this planet.  It is a peace that transcends all understanding.

I challenge all of us, myself included, to increase our faith in the good works that God does everyday.  I challenge us to look at the good He provides rather than the things of this fallen world provide.  Lets walk out boldly in faith knowing that if we trust in the Lord, He will provide our grace, blessing, and mercy.  If we listen to the Lord we will hear him saying, "do not worry about such things, grab my hand of salvation and I will bring you into your promised land."  "I will provide your way."  "I will be your light on this world."  "I will make all the wrongs right....if you have faith in me."

It is what it is, and this be it...

If only one, that is sufficient

You know, I didn't want to write on here today.  Actually I wanted to call it good and be done.  Ive had moments where I became worried how it was being perceived, if I was offending, if i was truly obeying the Lord, if I was building, or if I was tearing.  If I was writing good enough, clear enough, if it was worth it.

Today it was made clear that I need to push on, keep writing, stop worrying.  My writing was just what it is needed to be, as clear and deep as it should.  Nothing more, nothing less

A word came to mind just now as I had no idea on what to write.  Finish.  This is about finishing the work that Christ put in me, finishing myself.  Finishing the testimony of what Christ has done, doing, and will do.

Luke 14

The Cost of Being a Disciple

 ²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
   ²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
   ³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
   ³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
   “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

You see, I am giving testimony of Gods love and His faithfulness to complete the work he begins in all of us, BUT it takes faith.  I have faith in God that he is using me to glorify Him.  If only one, that is sufficient.  I am not being used to glorify myself, no not at all.  I am not a great writer, I am not a great pastor.  The motivations of my heart are pure, the motivations of my heart are to spread the Gospel to the best of my ability on any given day or topic.  The motivations of my heart are to push and challenge myself, having faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that He will complete in me the work He began.  I can not complete the work myself, all I can do is obey and submit.  If I will not remain obedient and open, the work will not complete, the growth will stunt, I will survive, not thrive.  I am me, I am sent to be a broadsword of truth in this lifetime.  Broadswords are not pretty, they will require close combat.

So what I hope to impart on people today is this.  When something feels uncomfortable, it is not necessarily a bad thing.  When you feel like you should stop, stop and think about the motivations on why you should stop.  If the motivations are because it is easier to stop, it is safer to stop...your motivations could very well be wrong.  I have had plenty of thoughts of this is too difficult, it is not safe, I am being vulnerable, but I will push on(my walk with Christ). 

Being a disciple of Christ is not easy, to spread the Gospel is not easy.  I have no faith in myself, as you should not either.  We must put our faith in Christ to complete the work He began.  I will finish my tower in due season, but I will not stop building.  I will build brick by brick.  My savior will provide the material and the mortar.

It is what it is, and this be it...

been awhile....

i like that this space is a place where my favorite guy can come and work things out, share imparted wisdom, and reveal the goodness that IS his heart.  so i've decided to step over, and to return all reigns to his hands.  i'll be posting now & then  (funny, as the writer in the family i have a much smaller fire under my rear end to blog than my benny does) on a new blog called

"but now i've seen you with my own eyes" at butnowiveseenuwmyowneyes.blogspot.com.

see you on the flip side.
kristina

Where the things of God grow

James 1:22

Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves, but do what it says

This is not me.  This is a pastor who is planting Gods love in modern day Samaria.  This is someone who embodys James 1:22.  This is my pastor.

click.  watch.  share.  spread. 

http://www.greenhouseculture.org/

thank you

nothing more, nothing less

Psalm 19

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Lord, you know our needs, you know our hearts.  Have the desires of our hearts come to fruition before our very eyes.  Provide for us our daily bread, nothing more, nothing less.  Let it only be explained by You, so it will be used in testimony to build Your Kingdom, not ours.

I pray for your abundant blessing today.  Make your will known, let it be seen and heard.  Come down and flex your muscle.  Let us have the foresight to carry your will out, not ours.

It is what it is, and this be it...

Learn from the children

Psalm 19

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Patience, joy, glorious, contentment, rebuilding, storms, people, relationships, boldness, strength, confidence, communication.  Whats it going to be whats it going to be........

I talked with my bride last night and the subject of confidence came up.  It was powerful, very powerful.  I will start there and see where this goes...
2 Corinthians 2
 ¹ So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. ² For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³ I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴ For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

 ⁵ If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ¹⁰ Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ministers of the New Covenant

 ¹² Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.
 ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷ Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

That whole chapter is great, I couldn't leave any out, it all spoke to me.  So good.  That Paul could write with the best of them couldn't he?

Why confidence?  Because of one word, Christ.  We both are growing, growing as individuals and growing as one body.  We both confessed with our lips and heart to one another as God is our witness that OUR confidence is in the Lord, not ourselves.  We are made of flesh.  I have no confidence in myself, as when I did I failed tremendously, but when I put my full confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ....Well let me just say this, Jesus will never fail.  Jesus is my provider.  Jesus is my protector.  Jesus is who my confidence is in, not myself, and my wife confessed the same.  Jesus is OUR rock

Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

 ¹ Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵ “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”^[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

I'm excited, change o direction.

My bride.  How I love thee.  When I see her worshipping the Lord, I never love her more.  Why, because of her reverence in the Lord.  My bride, how I love thee.  I am oh so grateful in her confidence in the Lord, not man.  My wife, my bride.  Words cannot explain how grateful I am that the Lord arranged our marriage.  I am humbled that God our Father chose such a wonderful daughter of His for me, it is rather humbling.  She is such a beautiful and strong creation made from the apple of His eye.  Thank you Lord, thank you.  I thank Him for giving me a wife wise enough to put her confidence in the Lord and not man, not me.  Rather her confidence is in Christ.

This season, this life we find ourselves in(me and my bride) is glorious.  It isn't a time to mourn and question and stumble.  No time to look back at our mistakes we made as ignorant people.  Its a time to smell the fragrant flowers, a time to enjoy, a time to obey, a time to pursue, a time of childlike love of life.  A time to step in boldness and confidence, we are a new creation.  The old gone away like dust, the new sprouting like wildflowers on the mountainside of Telluride, as far as the eye can see, as vibrant as a kaleidoscope.

As I finished coaching our last football game last night i looked over at the sideline and saw the children playing, laughing, smiling, loving life.  They didn't care too much that we were losing.  At that moment it hit me.
Luke 18
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Jesus is right, if you are to receive the kingdom, you are to become childlike.  Throw your cares and worries off.  Come with a love of life that is contagious, come into the kingdom like a child, playing, not worried, not being trapped by all the mistakes that happen, taking directions when told, loving all, forgiving all.

I love life.  I love the body.  I love the heart.  I love my children.  I love my wife.  Most of all I love Christ.

It is what it is, and this be it...

i am a fan of The Bold Font

1 Peter 2:4

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him

Rejection.  It sucks, but can you imagine being the Son of God and rejected by those you came to save?  Talk about a blow.  Yet Jesus walked out boldy, knowing He was and would be rejected...even 2011 years later.  Wow.  I couldnt even imagine, but He came in grace so He was above worry, above rejection, above malice. 

Rejection.  This is something I will have to get used to, something I must accept happens more frequently within the body than out.  If you do not grow quick enough, too quick, have differing opinions, bickerments, misunderstandings.  These all lead way to letting emotions take control, letting emotions and feelings cloud the underlying love of one another.  Again, I will let Jesus tell it best...

Mark 12
 ^29-31Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

and yet again, when differences arise, those who call themselves the body should rise up, rise above the current situations and put your focus on what God and Jesus are about...relationships.  Yet again, Jesus puts it best...

Luke 6

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
 ³⁹ He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
   ⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye

Rejection.  Something I dislike.  Something that was shown to me I need to get used to, I need to work on.  Something I must get used to and accept.  I was ignorant to think that rejection did not happen in the body, as the body is comprised of people.  I thought as the body we would abide by Jesus wisdom when he said...

Matthew 5
²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
   ²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
   ²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

I truly thought that since forgiveness is the purest form of grace that we can do, those who follow Christ would abide by this.  That when there is a disagreement, or offense has happened, settle quick!! before the emotions plant the seed of bitterness, anger, hurt, etc. growing quickly.

This takes two to tango though.  If someone has offended, but not offered apologies, I have no idea how to walk that out.  If they are unaware that an offense took place, we should do the courtesy of informing them I believe.  It also would depend on the amount invested I suppose.  It is easy for me to sit here and just say give them grace, but I would be a hypocrite, as I have not given others grace in my lifetime.

I guess what this rambling says or is getting at is this.  As I was fasting, all sorts of good happened and showed itself, then some insecurities reved up.  Insecurities of relationships that I truly cared about reved up.  Mainly the insecurities if I had done something, was doing something that I shouldn't.  Then the Spirit spoke to me and said, "I know the motivations of your heart, they are pure.  You are doing your best to build My kingdom, you are doing as I direct, you are planting seeds, keep at it, have no fear, you are doing your requirement, be bold, have no fear, rejection is something to get used to, get used to it, be bold, have no fear, be bold!!!! and keep obeying, I am your protector, your provider, trust in me and I will make your paths straight.  You can eat now"  Alright!!!  I was planning on a week, I will take that. 

2 Corinthians 10

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

 ¹ By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ² I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

So here's the deal.  If this blogaroo offends any, I am sorry, really.  If it stings, that's good for the long run.  I am doing what I am told.  My motivations are pure, my goal is to push, challenge....myself.  You see I am looking to the growing that takes place in me which will be forever evident by this thing called a blog.  It is to build Christs Kingdom, not my kingdom, fans, friends, twitter, facebook, blog score, etc.  I will preach the beauty of Christ from here to the ends of the world.

It is what it is, and this be it...