Taxes.

Taxes.

Is there anything worse than filling out your tax returns? Nails screeching on a chalkboard while I was being tortured by the dentist would be less painful for me than dealing with tax returns. My main problem with doing them is that I feel like I am being accused and have to justify my innocence. I've heard so many horror stories of people making honest mistakes and then being penalized with drastic consequences. Christ actually commands us to pay our taxes, something we are accustomed to, however, He also has another requirement....

Matthew 12:13-17
¹³ Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. ¹⁴ When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵ Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”
But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” ¹⁶ So they brought it.
And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they marveled at Him.

Are we giving to God the things that are rightfully His? Our government has ways of getting our taxes. They can get them through our paychecks, wage garnishments, freezing our assets and more. God however, doesn't force us to give Him the things that He requires. He doesn't force us to spend time with Him, to pray, to give offerings, to lay down our lives, etc... He could, but He doesn't. Furthermore, would you want to worship a god that did require that? Of course not! You may like that for a while, but soon the relationship would wear off and it would dwindle down and feel like you were only paying your "God Bill". It wouldn't be a relationship, it would be a debt we were constantly trying to pay.

The truth is, we could never repay God for our sins. We couldn't buy our way into His favor. What we can do is worship Him like there is no tomorrow. We can passionately pursue Him like we do the opposite sex. We can lavish Him with praise for the good times and the bad. We can love Him for doing what we couldn't do, which is purchase our forgiveness. We've been paying our taxes, but what do we need to give to God?

Rain.

Rain rain go away, come back another day?

The weather today in North Carolina was less than favorable. It was kinda cold, it was windy and the rain never stopped falling from the sky. By most accounts, this was a dreary day.

I thought it was beautiful. You see, in order to transition from Winter to Spring and Summer, we must endure this time of rain. Its not always convenient, its not always pretty and its never comfortable. Furthermore, its important for us to not miss the blessing that the rain brings: green grass, flowers, water for the crops, lakes and rivers for us to enjoy, etc...

The problem is, we want the good things without having to pay the price for them. We want God to provide for us, but we don't want to work the extra over-time that our employer may be offering, that would help pay our bills. We want to go on vacation, but we don't have the discipline to save our money to pay for it. We want to be awesome musicians, but we never practice our instruments. We want, we want, we want, but we don't want to pay, to pay, to pay.

I embrace the rain in my life, both physically and spiritually. I embrace the things that I may not like only because the joys that come with it are so amazing. It amazes me how many people want change, but refuse to pay the price. What is your price? Is it a location price? Is it an attitude price, a time price or a monetary price? What is the price you need to pay? I'm not saying that we can earn God's favor, but I am saying that we could be ignoring the plan that has already been given to us.

Just so you know, I hate the pollen and seasonal allergies that greet me in the spring, but I can't get to summer without them, so I say "Bring it on"!

Six.

Six. This is the final post in a series on Psalms 23.

Psalms 23:6 (CEV)
Your kindness and love
will always be with me
each day of my life,
and I will live forever
in your house, Lord.

It is so great knowing that we serve a God that is with us always and that will never leave us or forsake us. This verse is a wonderful way of summing up a chapter full of His promises to provide and protect. In essence, this verse is saying the same things as the others, "God will be with us all of our days on earth and provide for all of our need and after that, we will dwell with Him forever". What more could we possibly ask for?

Even in my toughest times and trials, I knew that God was with me. I didn't necessarily see Him but I knew that I wasn't alone. It's these trying times where your faith goes from being a noun to being a verb. It's where your faith is put into action and you really have to trust Him. Once we reach that point we realize how incapable we are and how mighty He is. Once we have tried to fix it on our own, and weren't able to, then we are finally willing to accept His help, love, forgiveness and mercy.




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Five.

Five. This is part five of six in a series regarding the verses in Psalms twenty-three.

Psalms 23:5 (New King James)
⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

At the heading of my blog home page, I have written the following statement: "Worship is my life response to God. This blog contains writings from a heart devoted to worshiping God. It contains honest contemplations from my joy's and struggles as I passionately pursue my number one". Notice I put the words "Honest" and "Struggles" in there. I meant that.

Here we go. Honestly, I am struggling with the meaning of verse five. I have ready many thoughts as to what it may mean. I've ready thoughts that stated the verse simply meant what it said . Other thoughts said that this verse had a deeper meaning tied to the Jewish traditions of receiving guests.

Frankly, I'm not sure which one it is alluding to, and it could be both. If the tradition I read about is true (LINK), then I can see how it would apply to this verse. My thoughts are this.... Throughout this entire chapter, a picture is being painted of God supplying our every need. This chapter shows that He is our provider, protector and leader and I don't see the theme changing in this verse or the next.

I know I raised more questions than I provided answers to, but I promised to be honest. Your thoughts?

Shrinking.

I am delaying my posts on Psalms 23 for one more day. I hope to continue it tomorrow.

Shrinking. Not many people know this, but I have written the following verse on the neck of my guitar, where only I can see it.... John 3:30 (Amplified version) "³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]".

These words were spoken by John the baptizer in regards to Jesus. He had the opportunity to receive glory and honor for himself. He had followers and disciples. He had the chance to make "something" out of himself. But he didn't. He didn't want to forsake His King for a small earthly kingdom that would fall. He didn't want to trade eternal life for something temporary in this life, and neither do I.

As for why I wrote that on my guitar... As worship leaders, we must keep our selves in check. It is too easy to worry about who is watching you, who likes or dislikes your music, who thinks you sing good or who thinks you suck. Its easy to lose your focus. I need the constant reminder that I am playing the music Furthermore, the same could apply at church, work, school or anywhere else. Our purpose in life is not to receive glory and honor for ourselves. It is for us to decrease so that He may increase. Our purpose is to passionately follow after Him regardless of the cost or convenience. We were not created to increase ourselves, but to decrease, in order that we can be more like Him.

Delayed

Due to a lack of resources tonight, I'm not able to continue my series on Psalms 23. The next verse, number 5, is one I want to spend some time researching and delving deep into.

Today, I had the honor of having lunch with my dear great aunt. As always, it was a treat to hear her speak and share her wisdom with us. I love to hear the passion in her voice and see the tears in her eyes as she speaks about our Lord and Savior.

My brother and I have always enjoyed this time with her and today was no exception. One thing we've learned over time is to listen during these moments. How can we expect to learn if we are doing all of the talking?

How many times do we pray and do all of the talking? Shouldn't our quiet time be a time where we not only pray, but also get still and listen to see what God might be saying? Is it possible that we aren't hearing because we refuse to listen and obey that which was already spoken to us?


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Four.

Four. This is part 4 of 6 in a series on Psalms 23. Since I am without internet access and typing on my phone, this will be shorter than normal.

Psalms 24:4

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me".

God is with us wherever we go. We cannot escape His presence. Even up to the point of death, He is with is. Through our toughest times and lowest valleys, He is there. He is even there when we don't think we're gonna make it.

Not only is He there, but He comforts us. God is with us in our time of need. Not only does He protect us, He comforts us.

I hope you see in these psalms that God is constantly amongst us and is able to meet any need we may have. There is nothing that we will ever need that He cannot provide.

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Three.

Three. This is post three of six about Psalms 23.

Psalm 23 (Contemporary English Version)

¹You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.
²You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
³ and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.

How many times have you felt completely worn out? During those times, all you want is a break. We need to rest, relax and take our minds off of the matter at hand. Doing so will refresh us and allow us to see things from a newer perspective. There really is something to the statement "Let me sleep on it and I'll let you know in the morning". Rest gives us strength, better vision and a clearer mind.

Frankly, we need restoration. Not only in our physical bodies, but also spiritually. God has plans to restore us physically, emotionally and spiritually. He refreshes us and gives us rest. 1st Samuel 30:6 says that "David strengthened himself in the Lord". This clearly shows us that God is a source of strength and renewal. Through the work of the cross and resurrection, God is restoring us spiritually as well. Remember, Jesus said to the woman at the well, that He was the giver of living water, which we all know...water, restores our body. Jesus, restores us spiritually.

Furthermore, it is impossible for God to lie. He is true to His name and will always lead us along the right paths. If it is impossible for God to lie, then it is impossible for Him to lead us down the wrong path. We may not recognize the path or even think that it is the correct path, but we must trust God to lead us to the rest, provision and protection that He has for us.

Here is the latest update to Jonathan's translation of Psalms 23.

1.)"I am God, I always have been, and always will be. I'm here to lead you, protect you, guide you and provide for you. Because of that, you will never lack anything that you need. I'm God, and I've got you covered".

2.) "I will safely lead you to where you need to be. If you will follow me, I will take you to a place of rest, safety and nourishment. If you follow me, you'll be right where you need to be".

3.) "I am renewing you physically and spiritually. You're gonna be brand new, inside and out. I will lead you to exactly where you need to be. You will arrive and depart at the precise moment that is necessary. All you have to do is trust and follow".

GO! GO! GO!

Double Sure. The decision to leave Alabama, our families, our jobs and a wonderful church last year was very difficult for us. I can't tell you how hard it has been for us to leave family, nieces and nephews, Sarah's horse, our house and countless friends behind. It was a decision that Sarah and I knew was the Lords leading, however it was a huge leap of faith for us. We haven't doubted the decision, but today, without getting into any details, we received another confirmation that we made the right choice.

Moral of the story, if you feel the Lord leading you, GO! It might not be easy or even what you had planned, but GO! Six months later, we are very confident that all of this was Gods precise timing and leading.

I really feel like the Lord is saying to someone that they need to GO! This blog post is your sign. The light is green. GO! It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, GO!

Two.

Two. Part 2 of 6 in a blog series on Psalms 23.

Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible)

A Psalm of David.

¹THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. ²He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

Before I get started, check out this neat nugget I found from www.Sheep101.info "Even from birth, lambs are conditioned to follow the older members of the flock. This instinct is "hard-wired" into sheep. It's not something they "think" about".

Sheep are known for their ability to flock together. I also learned that sheep can see up to distances of 1200-1500 yards away and have a very keen sense of smell. Also, sheep require anywhere between a half gallon and four gallons of water per day.

In verse two of Psalm 23, God promises to be our leader and provider. He will lead the sheep to fresh pastures where the sheep can rest, eat and also see any danger that may be coming their way. Furthermore, He leads us beside the still waters, where we can get the daily requirements that we need.

So, to expand Jonathan's version of Psalms 23....

1.)"I am God, I always have been, and always will be. I'm here to lead you, protect you, guide you and provide for you. Because of that, you will never lack anything that you need. I'm God, and I've got you covered".

2.) "I will safely lead you to where you need to be. If you will follow me, I will take you to a place of rest, safety and nourishment. If you follow me, you'll be right where you need to be".

One.

One. Today, as I was thinking and praying about what to blog about today, I really felt like I was supposed to blog about one verse per day about the twenty-third Psalm. So, this is what you've got for the next six days.

Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible)
A Psalm of David.
¹THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

When I see "The Lord" at the beginning of this verse, the "The" sticks out to me. It is "The" Lord, not "A" lord, "Some" lord or even "Slum lord". It is "The" Lord. The one and only true Lord. It is the same God that told Moses "I Am, Who I Am" (Exodus 3:14) The beginning of this verse is saying that "I'm Him, I haven't changed and I will always be".

My Shepherd, is the next part, which makes all of this personal. He is our Shepherd. He is the one to feed, guide, lead and protect us. He is ours. He isn't a fantasy or a comic book hero, He is our Shepherd.

Finally, He says that because He is God, He is our personal provision of everything we need. This is a precursor to Philippians 4:19, where He says: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus". This verse goes way beyond just money or physical needs, because my God is rich in Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, Healing, Money, Rest, Peace, Strength, Protection, etc...... How do I know this is true? Because it says He will supply all of my need and all of the above are things that I need.

To sum it up, verse one could easily be translated as this: "I am God, I always have been, and always will be. I'm here to lead you, protect you, guide you and provide for you. Because of that, you will never lack anything that you need. I'm God, and I've got you covered".

Vow.

Vow. Just in case you are wondering, it is difficult to find a subject to blog about or to write a devotional about each day. So, if any of you have questions or would like to see something written on a certain topic, please let me know. I'll be glad to help as best as I can.

As for today, I'm keeping it short and sweet. Blogging throughout lent has been good for me. It has forced me to sit down each day and reflect and pursue. Although there are few comments left at the end of the blog, I have received some amazing emails and have talked to some people that have been impacted by it.

A lesson learned is this: Be careful what you vow to the Lord. Sometimes, our mouths & minds write checks that are difficult for us to cash. Ecclesiastes 5: 4 is below. It says to be careful what we vow to God. It even goes on to say that it is better not to vow than to vow and not pay. So, be careful the vows you make, to others and to God.

Ecc 5:4-5

4When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay

Nike.

(Disclaimer: I fail way more than I succeed. I wish my ears were more sensitive to hear more and my heart had more courage in it to obey.)

Nike, "Just do it". Today I had the opportunity to visit with a sweet lady who may be nearing the end of her battle with cancer. As always, there is a chance she can overcome, but there is also the chance that she will not. This lady is a Christian and her love for the Lord is very evident. Even in this uncertain time, her faith remains steady.

As Sarah and I were about to leave, I really felt like I was supposed to pray for her. I didn't know what I was supposed to pray and didn't have my prayer rehearsed in my head. As I started praying, I literally did not know what I was going to say. I simply asked God to lead me as I led the prayer.

Strangely enough, my prayer wasn't about healing, but rather it was about peace. It was a prayer of comfort and peace. It was a prayer to settle her mind and help her realize that Christ said that He would never leave us or forsake us and that He was with us always. It was a prayer to remind her that God is our comfort in time of need.

This post isn't about the prayer, but rather it is about the decision to do it. Perhaps we should do like Nike says (and the Bible) and "Just do it". I could have left her house without praying, but I didn't. I took the time that I know she would have taken for me had our situations been reversed. To live a life devoted to Christ means that we are to be doers of the Word and not just hearers. What would the world be like if we all obeyed God? Perhaps if we put our love of Christ into action, people would see that God really does love them after all. Who knows what the impact will be of our simple act of of obedience, or disobedience.

God, help us to be doers of the word and not just hearers.

James 1:22-25

22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Additional reading: Matthew 16:24-28

Gold.

Gold. When you hear the word "Gold" do you think of the element or the color? As I was watching tv this evening, it was obvious that the gold miners thought of money as they pursued the prized element.

I don't have a huge revelation to share tonight but watching this show reminds me of how awesome Heaven will be. The scriptures don't give many details about Heaven but do mention that it's streets are made of gold.

Gold is one of earths most prized possessions yet it is probably just a common item in Heaven. Which makes me wonder, if the streets are made of gold, then what other amazing and beautiful things await?

Heaven, wouldn't trade it for the world.


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Pickers

Pickers. Recently I've become semi-addicted to the t.v. show "American Pickers". No doubt, these guys are out to make money selling antiques and hard to find items, but they also love finding a nice piece with a great story attached to it. They travel the U.S. looking through houses, barns, attics, basements and more all in pursuit of the perfect piece at the perfect price.

One of the things that has attracted me to this show is my love for vintage items. I love older stuff. For example, there is a certain knife and rifle that I want right now that I could buy new, but would rather have them with some age and character on them. Another thing I like about this show is the fact that there is a certain amount of history attached to these items. Many times, people are able to recant the exact history of the item.

After the waters of the Jordan River were rolled back, allowing the children of Israel to cross on dry ground, Joshua built a memorial to remind the people of God's faithfulness. Not only was it for them, but it was for their children and grandchildren and so on. God had provided such a huge miracle for them and they didn't need to forget it.

What memorials do we need to build to remind us of God's faithfulness in our lives? Every time that God has provided for us (protection, food, money, etc...) it builds faith and trust. The next time we encounter an impossible situation, we have the faith and trust that God will provide for us again.

I challenge you to think back on your tough times and remember the times when God has provided for you. Furthermore, pass those experiences on to your family and loved ones. Let your children and friends know of God's faithfulness. By doing so, you will be building an amazing spiritual legacy that will impact people for generations to come.

Joshua 4:1-24

Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

1When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” 4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

8And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down^a there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. 10For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. 11And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. 12The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. 13About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

15And the Lord said to Joshua, 16“Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”^b

Stuffed.

Stuffed. Today at work we were treated to a huge meal for lunch. We had steak, chicken, smoked sausage as well as all the side items and dessert. After I stuffed myself, I proceeded to eat a large slice of strawberry cake. I had to stop and rest multiple times while trying to finish my piece of cake.

I've heard since I was a kid that gluttony is a sin. I admit, I've never put much research into it, but do know that any over-indulgence is wrong, so I'm sure eating too much is wrong as well. Believe it or not, this blog post isn't about gluttony or over-indulgence. Its actually about how much more impressed I am that Christ lived a sinless life on this earth.

In order to live a sinless life, Jesus never lied, stole, cheated, lusted, or did any other sin, including gluttony. This small revelation regarding over-indulgence impresses me all the more. I'm in awe.

As for the gluttony debate, here is a resource that I found. I'm not familiar with this site, so as with anything, be careful what you accept as fact. Read the scriptures and pray about it for yourself. http://www.gotquestions.org/gluttony-sin.html

Dog.

Dog. This evening while I was eating dinner, a girl came into the restaurant with her seeing eye dog. I was amazed at the obedience, attention and care that the dog showed to its owner. Much more behaved than my English Bulldog, this black Labrador Retriever stayed right at its owners feet the entire time. Not once did the dog try to get up, beg for scraps or do anything. It simply waited for its masters command and then obeyed. Also, the owner, showed love and gratitude to her helper and frequently praised the dog for its help.

I wonder if I have the same faith in my God as that owner did in her dog. The owner has to completely trust this animal to safely lead, guide and direct her wherever she needs to go. Do I have the blind faith, no pun intended, to trust God to safely lead, guide and direct me? Do I trust him to meet my needs (Phil 4:19)? Do I really believe that He will never leave me or forsake me (Deut 31:6)? I do, but most times, my vision gets in the way.

John 16:33

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Never.

Never. The following words or phrases are synonyms for the word "Never": "At no time, don't hold your breath, forget it, nevermore, no way, not at all, not ever, not in any condition, etc..," (From Thesaurus.com)

Those words and phrases state that the subject at hand is an impossible task. The word "Never" has a finality to it. "Never" is definitely not "Maybe", "Sometime" or even "One day". It's never. Not gonna happen, ain't possible, nope, no way.

Regardless of what is going on in your life. No matter how high you are on the mountaintop or how low you are in the valley, the scriptures say that God will never forsake you. It doesn't matter how rough and tough you've had it. God didn't forsake you when you lost your loved one. God didn't forsake you when you were sick and hurting. God didn't forsake you when you were unemployed. God didn't forsake you. Why? Because, He said He wouldn't, and He is incapable of lying (Hebrews 6:18). Do we understand the tough times that come our way? Of course not, but all I know is that God cannot lie and that He said He would never forsake me. Hang in there.

<sup>Psalms 37:23-28

23</sup> The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.^b]">[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

11,490

11, 490. 11, 491 if you count today. That is the number of days that I have been alive. I have virtually no recollection of the early years, ages 0-5. I have a few faint memories, but it is mostly non-existent in my memory. Ages 6-10 brought a few more memories and I can recall many memories from that time. Ages 11-31 are easily recalled.

If I had to guess, I would say that roughly 80-90% of my memories are good or neutral with 10-20% being bad or not so good. All in all, I would say that those numbers are pretty good. The good definitely outweighs the bad.

The Bible says that one day, ONE day in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Therefore, of my 11, 490 days alive, one day with Him is better than all eleven thousand of my previous days. If every day for the rest of my life was exactly perfect, it would still be nothing in comparison to just one single day with Him.

Check out these numbers, if you lived to the below ages, this is how many days old you would be, and it pales in comparison to just one single day with God. That blows my mind.

18 years= 6, 570 days
21 years= 7, 665 days
30 years= 10,950 days
40 years= 14,600 days
50 years= 18,250 days
65 years= 23,725 days
90 years= 32, 850 days

^{Psalms 84:10-11
10} Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

Unending

Unending. I can't remember the specific date, but I can remember the moment that I realized that Sarah's love for me was real and would last a lifetime. I also remember the day that I made up my mind that I would love her for the rest of my life regardless of any circumstance that would come our way. Those two experiences were life changing for me. I didn't have to worry about her finding another boyfriend and I knew that she loved me for who I am.

Likewise, Christ loves us with an everlasting love. It is an unconditional love that at times is completely unexplicable and undeserving. My relationship with Christ completely changed the day that, just like my relationship with Sarah, I realized there wasn't anything that I could do to make Him love me less or to make Him love me more. All of the guilt and condemnation that I carried with me, as well as the pressure to please Him, in order to make Him love me more, was suddenly all washed away.

Think of it in terms of a marriage. I've made Sarah mad and have hurt her feelings, but just because I did that, that didn't make us any less married. Did we have to work out our differences? Of course we did. Did I have to apologize and ask forgiveness? Yes, but because of her committment to loving me, she was able to see past the wrong that was committed and see me for who I really am. Out of my commitment for loving her, I had to swallow my pride and ask her to forgive me and look past my "Exception-to-the-rule" behavior and see me for who I am. Out of her love for me, she forgave me. See what I'm saying?

Just to clarify, I'm not advocating a "Once-saved, always-saved" theology, where we can do whatever we want without any regard for our relationship with God, nor am I saying that there isn't punishment or consequences for our behavior. My point is that we cannot view our relationship with God as something that we have to continue earning day in and day out. Salvation is a free gift, and just like marriage, it's a beautiful thing.

Sore

Sore. So, I had an ingrown toenail that had been bothering me for some time now. As I've been waiting for it to heal, it has caused me to walk different as well as take some ibuprofen from time to time. You see, in order to function properly, the rest of my body is dependent upon the health of the other parts of my body. So, if my toe is hurting, then the rest of my body suffers.

The church is the same way. In the kingdom of God, if one part of us suffers then we all hurt because we are not at full strength. This happens in our local church and even in our families as well.

If someone in our church body is hurting then we should surround them with love and help them where we can. If a coworker isn't performing up to par, then the whole crew or facility suffers, so we should offer any assistance possible in order to get things back to way it needs to be.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test

Test.

Peace

Peace. I have it. Maybe, sometimes, it is misinterpreted as passivity. Maybe you define it as doubt. Regardless, somehow in life I've found a way to find peace when things aren't very stable.
I'm not sure when it happened, but since my early twenties, I've just been able to handle hurt, disappointment, sickness and tragedy very well. Today for example, my dad was in Hawaii when the tsunami was coming towards the island. I was concerned for him, but had a peace that regardless of the outcome, good or bad, that it was all o.k. When my wife Sarah was in the hospital in Alabama having major surgery, circumstances dictated that I needed to be in North Carolina. That was by far the hardest decision either of us has ever made, and trust me, I wanted to be in Alabama with her, but in the midst of the unknown, I had peace.

I guess it all boils down to the fact that God says that His plan for us is good. Yes, tragedy will happen. Yes, we will hurt and maybe even suffer. It's not going to be easy, but there is a peace, that regardless of the outcome, there is opportunity for us to come out of it stronger. I can't count the opportunities that I've had to completely break down or to even give up. It's been tough, but somehow, there was a peace that literally went beyond all understanding. If we can tap into that, there is nothing that we can't handle. Perhaps, it was this same peace that Jesus had when He prayed right before the betrayal and arrest: "Father, if it be your will, take this cup from Me, if not, not My will be done, but Yours be done.

Matthew 26: 36-45

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Obey

Obey. Perhaps the most difficult to harness of all four-letter words. "Love" is another difficult one, but that could be filed under "Obey" since "Love" is a commandment from God.

To obey goes against human nature. Since the beginning of time, humans have been disobedient. We've disobeyed other humans and God. One particular area in my life that I have chosen to obey is God's plan for adoption.

Since childhood, Sarah has known that God called her to adopt. I on the other hand, have never had a desire to adopt. It honestly never crossed my mind. After three plus years of marriage, I've embraced the plan that God has for us. Tonight, while reading a couple of different blogs by some people I know, I fully realized the plan. The peace overwhelmed me and brought me to tears as I truly realized the hand of God in this. We are unsure of the timing of this, but know that we will obey when the time comes.

The point of this blog entry is not adoption. It's obedience. What are you obediently doing? Who and what have you disobeyed? What passion lies in your heart? What have you ignored or thrown away? What are you going to do about it?

James 1: 19-27 : Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

It's not about us

I am amazed at how much we have made the church and Christianity about us. I don't think we intended it to be like that but in certain areas, that is what it has become.

Serving God could be compared to having a good job with awesome benefits. There are things that benefit you however those benefits are only a benefit of your relationship with your employer. The employer doesn't have to give you those benefits but they do. Catch my drift?

The troubling thing is that many times in our relationship with God is that we want to be intimate (benefits) without being married (committed). Our services begin with a pump-you-up speech about the awesome things God is going to do for us in that service. I guess I missed the verse that said going to church is about what God can do for us rather than us gathering together to worship and praise Him. Yes He does stuff for us but that's not the point. It's not about us.

What would happen if we modeled our lives and even our services to focus on passionately pursuing God without any thought of how it could benefit us? What if we stopped using Him and started adoring Him?

Will you lay it down?

Acts 4:32-37

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

When was the last time you saw this in action? When was the last time we laid down our lives for another? When was the last time that we denied our selves so another could live? This type of thinking is counter culture. Perhaps, that is why Jesus commanded us to live like this? Are you willing to lay your life down, your bank account, your time, your possessions, your career? Are you willing to give something away? How will you use the contents of your alabaster jar? (Matthew 26:6-16).

It's official...

It's official, I will be blogging during the 40 days of Lent. I've never done anything for Lent, but felt like I should this year. I'm not looking to make this into a diary, but rather just some contemplative or reflective thoughts that come to mind. Some of it may be opinion, revelation, teaching, reflection, etc...

Most people that I see observing Lent typically are giving something up (food, media, TV, sports, etc...), rather than doing something, so I questioned myself about doing this blog for 40 days straight. However, in order to do this, it will take sacrifice. It will take time away from my day and force me to seek, reflect, write and post. I will have to get up early or stay up late. I may have to skip lunch or seek out an internet signal somewhere, who knows what obstacles may come my way.

Typically, these things sound like good ideas and normally just fizzle out, but I'm hoping to find the strength and courage to fight past that. Please pray for me, comment, discuss, etc... to help keep me encouraged.

Sometime tomorrow, I'll have day #1 posted

-Jonathan

I can't believe its been so long

I can't believe it has been so long since I have blogged on here. Wow, its been almost a year. I've got a lot I want to put on here, I'm just trying to put all my thoughts together in hopes of them making sense to someone besides me.

I'll be back soon.