Beautitudes

This passage meant so much to me tonight as I read it over the phone with Adam. I can't think of anything else to write. With a week like this one past...and a season like this one I have walked through...I feel lost for words and totally unable to fit every lesson and treasure into one small blog entry. Sometimes, we just have to let go and trust that God is continually in the process of making all things new. We have to believe and rest in the fact that He will never give up, even when our strength is gone.

Matthew 5:3-12

³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Prayer Update

I am not able to update my facebook from work, but I wanted to update everyone who has been praying. Adam lost his brother yesterday. He had fallen during a climb on the trail. Please lift this family up. Pray that they would sense how near God is to them. Thank you everyone. I know your fervent and effective prayers mean the world to Adam and his family right now...it is the love language of God's kingdom.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

The lesson I am learning: Actions speak louder than words. I am convicted most recently that my spoken ideals are nothing compared to the way I live my life. My life is speaking much louder about what I believe than my words ever will. I could talk for hours about what I believe but in the end it's a bunch of nonsense if I do not live it out. So, slowly but surely...I am making more effort to try to live truthfully first...and explain/analyze/discuss/define later.

James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Worthy of Love

It must have been so quiet in the room that night. So many thoughts must have raced through their minds. They must have had so many questions. He made it sound like the end. He was speaking words they did not understand.

And there He was, taking each of their feet...and washing them. There He was, choosing His words carefully, nothing wasted. He reminded them of His love. He told them what was to come. He told them to remember.

They promised not to abandon Him. But He knew...that each one of them would turn away that night. He knew He would have to go forward alone. But that didn't stop Him.

He went ahead...and continued to wash their feet. He went ahead, giving them bread and wine, so that when they looked back on that night they would remember His covenant to them. And very soon after that, He went ahead and gave up His life for them.

He knew their imperfections, their failures...and He loved them anyways. He knew what they were capable of, what they were prone to do...and He loved them anyways. He saw the future. He believed in them. He knew that they would carry His message. He knew that although they would deny Him in fear...once again they would turn and give their lives for the great love of God that had been displayed to them. He knew the genuineness their love. And He knew that His own love was stronger than the death He would soon experience.

Two thousand years later I love a man who laid His life down for me. I don't understand that kind of love. But I recognize it. I want to see Him with my own eyes, hear Him with my own ears. I want to look deep into His eyes...and see the hope He must have carried with Him on that awful day. The hope that if only He would lay down His life...my life would begin...and I would know Him. Imagine that desire of His heart. Imagine loving that deeply and that unselfishly. Imagine loving in the face of rejection.

Even then, He already knew...what I had done. Even then, He knew that I would turn my back on Him. He knew that I would ask Him questions. He knew my sin and all the things I had deemed more important than knowing God. He knew...and He went to the cross for me. He laid down His life for me. For you. Because He saw the joy of one day what would be. W e would know the truth about Him and that truth would set us free.

If that is love...then I am ruined. I long to walk worthy of such a love. He is worthy of mine.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Complete Trust

Ever have trouble thinking that God is asking too much? Listen to this message video...

Opened Hands

"You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to follow Jesus." -Andy Stanley

...so they left everything and they followed Him. Luke 5:11

We're Never the Same

I think I posted this before. But I was thinking again today...about this song...about the lyrics...

"I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way, that He loves us, Oh how He loves us."

We're never the same. Not with Christ. Nothing is impossible. Nothing. What seems hopeless and lifeless today will surprise us tomorrow, rising again with a new life that we never thought possible. The things we thought could never change...would never change...well, they change. Not because we found some magic formula, but because we have finally found the giver of life...the Creator who does ALL things well...who takes what is broken and dirty and ugly and creates some new and beautiful.

And even more than changing the circumstances....He changes us.

All we have to do is ask Him. All we have to do is trust. That He is a good God...who longs to love us, take apart what is broken and put us back together again...

The Way of Love

I've been reminded of this passage from from 1 Corinthians all weekend. I'm holding it up and looking into it's mirror image and saying "Oh yeah, I forgot that. I have a long ways to go."

But I am also reminded that love is alive. Love calls us to grow and change...not because we're undeserving unless we do so...but simply because our lives are so much better, so much more full and joyful and at peace, in the light of it. When we allow love in, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable...we accept the fact that we're going to be uncomfortable at some point...we accept the fact that others are going to be imperfect around us...we forgive our own selves for being imperfect...we forgive others and love them right where they are in their journey. Love keeps the joy alive, the communication free, and the door open to the adventures that we are all so longing for.

The Way of Love

¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.
^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

¹¹When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Kindness

I remember kindness. I remember receiving more than I deserved. I remember being thankful and wishing I could give even just a little bit in return. I remember learning that my heart was worthwhile, that I had value. I remember feeling important and taken care of.

And, of course, it wasn't all roses. Of course, there were misunderstandings and annoyances. Of course, there were days of tears and sad goodbyes. But as I reflected today, on all the comings and the goings of my life, kindness was the word that kept running through my mind. From family and friends, from strangers, from those I walked with for awhile. I was given beautiful pictures all along the way of what it is like to love and to be loved. It remains as the desire of my heart. And although I'm not perfect at being kind, and I have to apologize more than I would like to admit, kindness is the thing I desire most...it calms the heart and brings out the best. It covers a multitude of grievances and failures. It brings about changes that once seemed so impossible.

It was a listening ear on a late night park bench in the middle of the 3rd world series game. It was a valentines dinner when "everything had to be perfect" but kept falling out of place. It was being told that I was not to feel guilty, ever, when a guy paid for dinner. It was being told that I was beautiful at random moments...at just the right moment. It was magic and dreaming. It was a scolding for not calling right away when I had returned home for the summer. It was the hug right after the first time I spoke in front of church. It was the prayers prayed for me. It was hauling furniture across the city or across the country for that matter. It was traveling 2 hours both ways every weekend just to take me out and spend time with me. It was the perfect gift. It was and still is a smile when I walk in the door. It's making dinner when I don't have the strength to even pour cereal. It's late night phone calls to help me drive home. It's word of assurance when I feel afraid. It's dancing in the middle of the room and singing in my ear. It's the twirl in the airport. It's the note I come home to after a long day. It's holding hands. It's hearing that someone believes in who I am...even after I've done everything wrong.

I don't hold onto the past or live in it, not at all. But tonight I am reminded and encouraged, that even though life has dealt a whole bunch of lemons...God's kindness has never failed. He has never failed to place people in my life to show me what life was really all about...what love really and truly feels like. It feels safe and secure, quiet and strong, jealous and unrelenting. It's a fire that will not be quenched...no matter how hard it rains.

Thank you seems so small in comparison to the way my life has been touched.

Today, as I hiked the loop around Radnor Lake I passed a woman in her 50's probably, with red hair and a kind face. She did not say hello to me, but she smiled. I imagined today that if God met me along that same path, He would probably smile at me just like she did. I passed her twice. And each time she smiled I felt the tears of relief...I was loved...I am loved...by a God who knows my name.

Life Should Be Lived

I heard this on the radio yesterday morning. It echoes my thoughts today. Please take a moment to read this....

It's Time to Party

Mike Yaconelli

May-June 1989 The Door

Recently, my wife and I were having our devotions and reading our favorite devotional guide, Cosmopolitan. In it was another one of those mindless quizzes. (You know the ones: How Responsible Are You? How Sensual Are You? Do You Have ESP? Will Your Marriage Last?) One of the questions caught my eye. It said:

Which one would you prefer?

a) A wild, turbulent life filled with joy, sorrow, passion, and adventure -- intoxicating successes and stunning setbacks, or

b) A happy, secure, predictable life surrounded by many friends and family, without such wide swings of fortune and mood?

I thought the answer was obvious. Everyone, I thought, would choose the first option. I was shocked to discover that a good majority would choose the second option. And then it occurred to me: I have been working with adolescents for the past twenty-nine years. And, when I ask them to describe adults, one word always comes up -- borrrrring.

As I began to think about it, I realized that most adults I know are boring. They don't have fun anymore. Oh sure, get a few drinks under their belts and they act alive for awhile. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about being and acting alive all the time.

The truth is that games are wasted on the young. Little kids don't know how to play games. Remember when you were seven years old and you played hide and seek? You'd hide behind a telephone pole with half your body hanging out. No, hide and seek isn't for children. It's for people like you and me. Now that I am forty-six, I know how to hide. I'm a darn good hider.

I have suggested a game of hide and seek to many adult audiences and I am always amazed at the response. I see adults all throughout the group nudging each other, quietly discussing a great hiding place they just thought of, secretly planning a game with their children. It doesn't take much to make most of us realize that we have become too serious, too tense, too stressful. The result is that we have forgotten how to live life. It seems like the older we get, the more difficult it is for us to enjoy living. It reminds me of a description given by the Rabbi Edward Cohn:

"Life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time, all your weekends, and what do you get in the end of it?. . . I think that the life cycle is all backward. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live twenty years in an old age home. You et kicked out when you're too young. You get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. Yo go to college; you party until you're ready for high school; you go to grade school; you become a little kid; you play. You have no responsibilities. You become a little baby; you go back into the womb; you spend your last months floating; and you finish up as a gleam in somebody's eye."

It's hard to imagine we were a gleam in someone's eye once. What happened to the gleam in our eye? What happened to that joyful, crazy, spontaneous, fun-loving spirit we once had? That childlikeness in all of us gets snuffed out over the years.

A.W. Tozer once said, "This society has put out the light in men's souls." He had it right. The more pagan a society becomes, the more boring its people become. The sign that Jesus is in our hearts, the evidence of the truth of the Gospel is . . . we still have a light on in our souls. We still have a gleam in our eye. We are alive, never boring, always playful, exhibiting in our everydayness the "spunk" of the Spirit.

the light in our souls is not some pious somberness. It is the spontaneous, unpredictable love of life. Christians are not just people who live godly lives. We are people who know how to live period. Christians are not just examples of moral purity. We are also people filled with a bold mischievousness. Christians not only know how to practice piety. We also know how to party.

I believe it's time for the party to begin.

Home - Mornings with Brant

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Resource

I just added a new link to my side bar entitled "Wednesdays with Beth". Beth Moore is a phenomenal Bible teacher. If you are needing 15 minutes of encouragement or insight deeper into God's word, check out this link. Beth Moore There are several topics to choose from. Beth speaks for about 15-20 minutes every Wednesday on a television broadcast called LIFE Today. You can fast forward through the first couple of minutes and listen in to just her teaching part.

No More Fear

I didn't know that going through the fire was going to bring me freedom. I thought I was already free. I didn't know that I would be strengthened as I endured pain. I thought I was already strong. I didn't know that in the dying there would be a reawakening. I certainly didn't want to die. I didn't know, in the words of my friend Katie, that where I had placed a period, there should have been a comma.

In my own understanding...all was lost. In my own understanding...there was no hope. In my own understanding...it was someone else's fault. In my own understanding...there was nothing I could do or say to bring about any sort of change.

But there was this still, small voice all along the way. There was this presence of hope that spoke against my shattered circumstances, saying, "It was enough...it was real...I was there." I would hear it in the moments of quiet, the moments right after a good, long cry. And as I listened I began to question why then it would have gone away? Why then did everything go awry?

After awhile and after placing most of the blame on another party, I began to examine my own motives, my own heart, my own weaknesses. And I saw a girl...who was afraid. She was afraid to lose what had been given to her. She was afraid that it would all go away. She was afraid that she would run out of time. She was afraid that it would not be as beautiful as she had dreamed. And as I saw the fear...I saw the God who was trying to release her from its hold.

It wasn't the friendship that caused the fear. The fear was already there. Friendships had been lost before this. I had been left standing alone before. I had been afraid for a very long time. My experiences had built this secret stronghold inside...this propensity to hold tightly...not out of love and freedom and joy...but out of fear and insecurity and entitlement.

It took losing the thing I held so dearly....to free me from the fear of its loss.


On the outside, you might say, "Oh, poor girl, you have had your heart broken." And you might feel sorry for me...while all the while it looked as if I had good reason to be sorry. But, God, He is so much greater than the loss. He knew that I was afraid. He knew that the way things were was not how they should have been. So, He dismantled it...right before my very eyes...took every last piece and cleaned me out. He knew my sadness, my bitterness, my rage. He knew...because He had felt it all before too. He knew, and He let me walk through every bit of the experience. But not without holding my hand, not without telling me the truth, and not without planning something on the other side.

God doesn't stop writing the story. He has plans way ahead of where we would choose to stop and mourn what we have lost. He goes out and gathers new pieces. He cleans up and shines some of the old ones...He begins to put the pieces together again...one at a time...in just the right way.

This time, in small pictures and windows, He let me see what He was doing...He let me ask questions and talk to Him about it. He put me in circumstances where I found myself surrounded by clues that He was at work. It was as if He was saying, "Remember this piece? This is how it works. Remember when I gave you this? This is what I meant when I gave it to you." Before I knew it...I started getting my hopes up. Before I knew it, I started seeing the things I had been talking to Him about. Before I knew it, I was walking around....unafraid.

I was unafraid...because I had lost my own ability to hold on. The only thing holding me up was God's love. And just when I began to believe how loving God was...I began to trust...that His plans for my life were good...that He really was working in the midst of all my circumstances. I didn't have to hear it from anyone else anymore. I didn't have to question. I had heard it from Him. I didn't have to doubt that He was working...I had seen it for my very self.

And all along...I think that's what He meant to do.


I learned how to listen. I learned how to pray. I learned that I could trust Him. There were days when I wanted to rage and write and say everything I was feeling inside...and I would battle with the still, small voice saying, "Be still...and let me fight for you."....only to hear days and weeks later...that the cries of my heart were heard...and all was reconciled...and I never had to say one thing...I had only to pray and trust and wait.

There are things I only said to God...and just recently I have heard them returned by others and by circumstances around me. It leaves me speechless and in awe of the lesson that it is way better to know that God is answering...rather than to know that you have created a world for yourself...to hold and control in your own strength. I know now that when I am afraid or worried, I have this Friend I can run to...who I can tell everything to...and who I can trust to move mountains on my behalf.

I am thankful. Thankful to have been released from fear. Thankful to have learned how to pray. Thankful to know and trust God better. Thankful to have found family and friends and to appreciate them more on the other side. Thankful for love that has never stopped working in my life. Thankful for a fresh beginning...and all things new.

There is no fear in love.
But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

Happiness

Happiness
The Fray

Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?

Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can't make it come or go
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks

Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, that's enough for now
Happiness has a violent roar

Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you'll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she'll be home

Home, home, home

Hope Fulfilled

Snow is currently covering the ground outside my window. There will be new layers throughout the day. I am so happy about my career...it gives me the freedom to enjoy such a blessed weather event. I got to sleep in this morning, play my guitar, read, talk to God, write to my family and friends. I am still acclimating to this peace...to the realization of answered prayers...to the sight and sound of all things new.

Just recently, someone said to me, "Do not doubt in the darkness what you have seen in the light". And now that I have walked through such darkness, trying desperately to cling to hope, it seems that the light is breaking through everywhere. Proverbs 13:12 ~Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Don't give up hope today...whoever you are...God is still writing your story.

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.

Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.

But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.

"Lord of the Rings"

More or Less

I search for meaning in the midst of notes and lyrics. Personal meaning...some kind of connection, some kind of knowing, some kind of message that someone understands and that it's all going to be okay. In the midst of a great song...I know myself better, maybe I know God better, maybe I know someone else a little bit more. I know I'm not alone in this. So, as a writer, this leaves me feeling a great responsibility to also write my own material from a place of truth and depth. What can be better than to create a connection that will carry far beyond myself? What can be better than helping others to know something they didn't know before, or at least place their finger on something they couldn't quite find the words to.

But, if there is anything I have learned from living in Nashville for the past year, in relation to following "the dream", it is this: I don't want to perform in order to make a name for myself. I have no desire to allow the songs to dictate to me where I should show up on any given night in order to play so that I can be known...so that I can share more songs...so that I can gain some kind of meaning and significance of a life that looks way more spectacular than being a real live, down-to-earth person. I just want to play. I want it to be real. I want it to be an overflow of a heart that is truly alive and truly in relationship with the master Creator and songwriter.

I don't think I'm there yet. And the songs have grown quiet. Not because I want them to, but because I am not sure if they mean something. Are there new songs to sing? Is there a reason I have been given this gift, other than the reasons I have already seen? Where is the line between building my own kingdom and building for the God that I love so much? I don't want to live for myself...it seems so empty.

I am so thankful for the gift of song. I love the journey of words and the way it begins to blend with the melody. I love hearing a completed effort and feeling the joy of knowing that something beautiful came across the strings of my guitar...feeling that it had very little to do with me and very much to do with Him.

I love sharing this gift. I love singing a song for someone at just the right moment. I love sitting with a group of people and pouring out a lesson I have learned, guitar in hand, heart wide open. Some of the most beautiful moments have come in the quietest of places, with the most unlikely audiences, and with words and notes written long before the present, but just exactly for the moment that I find myself in.

When I began to play, way back in the day (haha), it was in times of complete wonder, complete acceptance, complete humility, complete reliance. I learned how to play by worshiping God. He is the reason I sing. He is the reason I pour out my heart in song. I don't ever want to forget this. I don't ever want to take it for granted. If I only played behind closed doors in my room for the rest of my life, it would be ok...as long as I knew that it was authentic and real. As long as I knew I wasn't selling out...wasn't trying to meet the expectations of people and places and myself for wanting to be known.

Just a lot of thoughts tonight. I'm on a journey...of song...and I have no idea what that means. Sometimes I am chasing it...sometimes I feel that it chases me. I am 30...I have written more than 20 songs at this point both finished and not...and I don't know what to do with them. I don't know where to take them. I have them, in my hands...along with papers that need to be graded, and relationships that need to be mended, and places I would very much like to go. And I am wondering...how it will all work out. Because I don't want to waste what I've been given...I don't want to come to the end and see that I could have done more or that I should have done less.

I will end with this quote that I read tonight in Beth Moore's study on the book of Daniel:

"The need for identity and a sense of significance is as human as our DNA. We begin this search in pursuit of ourselves only to arrive sorely disappointed. Cavernously empty. The honest sojourner cannot stop there no matter how high he's climbed or what position he's attained. If he does, he will forfeit his soul. In search of truth, he is driven beyond himself until all he finds is God. And in bowing down, he is lifted up...

Only in the reflecting pool of a poured-out life can a man finally see who he is."

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? ~Luke 9:25

Subtle Lies

It all started this morning on the way to work...well, no, maybe it was on facebook last night...but the real fuel came as I drove to work listening to three morning dj's arguing about Pat Robertson's comments. And I had to say something...hence, the 7:15 am blog below. And 30 minutes later the kids came into my classroom and I still felt agitated. This is the first time all week, I had felt fired up and heated...so it was noticeable to me. And I realized...I needed to calm down. But all I wanted to do was join in the argument, tell what I saw, tell people to stop arguing and come down off their high horses...and that's when I realized...

that I too had fallen prey to the enemy.

My peace was gone, I wanted to fight, wanted to prove my point...and I had gone from feeling compassion for the Haitian people to feeling the need to convince people to stop fighting and slandering.

And for the rest of the day I have had to find my way back to hearing the Lord. And so, somehow, I am going to try to convey what I feel is on my heart tonight, and I hope you will hear it and it will somehow make sense.

The way of the enemy is to take a little bit of the truth and turn it into a lie. It's how all rumors begin. It's how small misunderstandings grow into large separations. It happened in the Garden of Eden when the serpent tricked Eve and it is happening through the present day. Imagine a lie...wrapped beautifully in a truth that might seem so good and easy to swallow...and then opened by an unsuspecting person caught off guard...when the fallout happens, who gets blamed?

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why are there wars? Why are there natural disasters? Why are innocent people hurt at the hands of murderers and rapists? Why doesn't God stop them? Why doesn't He protect them from ever getting into that situation?

I submit to you this: we all have a choice.

We have a choice because there is a God who wants our love...not our blind and forced submission. Hence 2 trees in the Garden of Eden...a choice of life or death. Hence, a God who longs for a relationship with people, but who will not force it upon them. And this freedom, of choice, has given men and women everywhere free reign to do whatever they please, whenever the please. This Earth is quite a mess isn't it? But in the midst of it all, there is a God who is working to save and redeem as many people as He can. There is a God who is working to rescue the hearts of those who will choose to believe Him.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ~2 Peter 3:9

I admit to the fact that I and so many Christians, who have not known how to answer, who have lacked any kind of tact, who have bought into some kind of lie, and/or who have not known the true love of God and are walking in legalism and fear...have given answers that are less than perfect. But I also know this:

We have an enemy. There is a real Satan. There is a real hell. Did you know he used to live in Heaven? Did you know that he would love nothing more than to keep you and I from getting there? And so what will he do to keep us from getting there? Anything...and that includes causing us to doubt that God is loving, and kind, and good. That includes dividing friends, family, and strangers in accusation and misunderstanding as we try desperately to define God to each other.

And....

God is not waiting around to punish people. He is not waiting to use His hammer on people who don't follow Him. He created the world...He created us...He LOVES us. Why in the world would He want to curse us...destroy us...tear our lives apart because we didn't choose Him?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~John 3:16

Let me reiterate:

• Because God is good and perfect, He cannot allow sin in His presence.
• Sin can be defined as anything that brings death to our lives, to our hearts, to the lives of others...anything that destroys love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-25
  
• If God allowed sin, it would be like saying that all the bad things that happen are no big deal. And is that true? NO WAY! Of course they're a big deal...why do we cry out from the depths of our hearts and say, "Why, God, why?!" Why are we so dissatisfied with the things that are broken? Because it wasn't meant to be this way.
• God hates sins because it destroys us...and God wants us to LIVE! So He sent us a way out of death. He gave us a way not to die. He gave us a ticket out of hell. The ticket's name is Jesus. And Jesus, through His death and resurrection, destroyed the power of sin.

So, here comes Pat Robertson, telling us that in the recorded history of Haiti they made a pact with Satan in order to win a battle, and that since then, they have lived under a curse which has caused great poverty for the nation.

I have talked to people who have visited Haiti...voodoo and witchcraft are rampant in this nation. You can feel the darkness as you walk the streets...literally hear the voodoo chants in the middle of the night. Poverty has been highly visible for years and years. I listened to an interview with one of Haiti's ambassadors today...he said, "well, any pact that has been made between Haiti and the devil also affects America..because America received land out of this as well." He did not deny it.

And so here is what people think Pat Robertson is saying....that GOD has put a curse on Haiti because of their sin. But that IS NOT what he said. See the lie? Do you see it? Do you see how subtle? Everyone is going around saying, "Oh, he's saying God has cursed them? How awful! How indignant! How self-righteous!" And he did not say that at all.

He said, and please forgive me for the paraphrase here, but he said that they agreed to put themselves into the hands of the devil in order to win a battle with the French. Whoah...who in their right minds would do such a thing, right? How could this even be true? But, what if it is true? Because WHO is our enemy? Who wants to take us out? Who wants to destroy our lives? Who causes poverty and ruin? The very being and power that the historical reports are claiming they handed their lives over to. Was it these exact people who have felt the devastation of the earthquake? No, probably not. But hear me out. There is a very real spiritual world at work that we do not see with our eyes. There are dark, spiritual strongholds over nations that need to be broken. There are people still in bondage, messing with voodoo and witchcraft, playing with the dark forces. They are paying the price, and these people need to be freed. They need our prayers! They need us to stop parading around in our so-called "love" clothing...recognize that the enemy is destroying lives, get down in the dirt on our knees and pray prayers that bring healing and restoration! We need to pray from a perspective of truth.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:12

And yes, we need to clothe the naked. Yes, we need to feed the hungry. We need to rebuild the broken walls. ( Isaiah 58 ) And at the same time, we need to pray...with fervor, in spirit and in truth, with the knowledge that our war is NOT against flesh and blood, but against dark spiritual forces who are working to take us out.

God DID NOT curse Haiti. And neither did Pat Robertson. He may not have all the tact in the world, but he certainly is acting out of compassion by sending millions of dollars worth of relief aid and probably praying more than you or I have even begun to. That being said, God wants to redeem the people of this country out of love for them. He wants to rescue them from the hands of the enemy that they have put themselves into. There is a war going on for them. (And by the way this can be said for every person in the world.) And just walking around saying that we Christians have enough "love" in and of ourselves by sending a $25 donation and a few water bottles is lopsided and unbalanced. We must be aware of what is really going on. We must also speak the truth in love (Colossians 1:6); the truth being that God loves them and wants to heal them and set them free so that they can really live. And of course, with tact, and of course with gentleness, and of course with the leading of the Spirit. We must fight for them both with our prayers and with our hands.

Satan wants us to blame God for the curses and the bad things that happen...he wants us to question each other's motives with pointing fingers and misguided accusations. He wants to takes our eyes off of what is really going on...he wants to destroy us.

God, help us to know your love, help us to walk in your truth...so that we can live...and lead others to find life as well.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
~Ephesians 3:14-19

Pat Robertson's Comments on Haiti

Alright, I've heard about enough. It disappoints me greatly when Christians are basing their personal opinions on the media...the same media that chooses to slander the Christian religion as much as possible. Instead of slandering each other, let's get a little understanding. All people are going to do is say, "See, they're at it again...hating each other, causing misunderstandings, etc."

Haiti is in crisis. Let's remember that today and do something about it.

There is a very real spiritual world at work around us.

There is a devil who seeks to control and devastate our lives. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy every good thing that God longs for us to have.

There is a God who LOVES His creation and wants to redeem it.

Let's be people of redemption and stop allowing the media to control which way we are pointing our fingers. You know that's satan's strategy right? Divide and conquer? If he can get us to keep fighting with each other, then we won't turn to look and see that satan himself is the REAL enemy.

Get some understanding this morning, before getting angry. Click on the link below to read what's really going on.
Statement Regarding Pat Robertson's Comments on Haiti

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:12

The 'I Am' Over Your 'Was'

My good friend, who happens to work right next door to me, has given me a resource this week that has brought me so much encouragement. When the battle in our minds is raging, when life seems so overwhelming, when our whole being seems to be crying out for answers and peace, it is time to surround ourselves with God's words of truth and life. I pulled out my sketchbook tonight (I have had a picture in my mind for the past two days; begging to be placed on paper) and watched a four-part series called: The 'I Am' Over Your 'Was' by Beth Moore. You can find many of her series at the link I posted...but the thing that moved me to tears tonight was Part 4. I pray that you will be as encouraged as I was. God is working...always.

This is only about a 10-15 minute clip. Fast forward about a centimeter and Beth Moore will begin speaking.

The 'I Am' Over Your 'Was'

To Love or Not to Love

So Journey, the church I have been attending, just began a new course called "The Story Arc". For the next 10 weeks we will engage in a dialogue on Sunday nights about the Bible as it unfolds. The great part about this is that anyone, at any time, is asked to speak out a question or an observation about the text. We're not allowed to veer outside of the story and debate other theological issues or how they would relate. We can only comment on what the story tells us. So tonight, a room full of about 150 people joined with Pastor Jamie and talked about Adam and Eve and the story of creation and what this story tells us about who God is, and who we are.

And although I have heard this story since childhood, there were many things that stuck out to me...a lot of questions I had never thought of before. And we weren't allowed to take notes! It was only for talking and listening tonight. haha So, that is a very freeing thing, but I wanted to come home and write down a few things that I heard that were important to me...leading to maybe one very important thing.

God is good, and perfect, and right. Everything He does is good and perfect and right. He has created the world and everything in it...and He has called it "very good".

God created the angels, before creating the world. One of the angels rebelled (Satan) which lead to the rebellion of many of the angels. And because God is good and perfect, and He cannot allow sin in his presence (rebellion is sin), those angels who rebelled were cast into darkness.

Then, God created the earth and he made man, "Adam", in his image...he breathed life into Adam, and gave him the job of caring for the Garden and naming the animals. And in the midst of this, God knew that it was not good for Adam to be alone, but all through the garden, there was no creature compatible with Adam. So He created Eve to be Adam's helper. God knew what loneliness was. Hmm. He created relationship so that loneliness would not occur. Eve was created to be a helper suitable to Adam...God brought her to him. Then, God told them to be fruitful and multiply (ahem..we know what that means.)

And then, God walked with Adam and Eve...in the cool of the day...and talked with them. We speculated tonight about how casual that seemed...how very much like a relationship it was. God enjoyed talking with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve enjoyed their time with Him.


God placed two trees in the center of the Garden. One was the tree of life. The other, a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told them they could eat of anything in the Garden...except for the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". Eating of it, would lead to death. God gave them a choice. Hmmm. He let them decide.

And as we all know, the serpent came and talked Eve into trying the fruit. He mixed truth with his cunning speech...saying, "surely, you will not die...God knows that if you eat of this you will be like Him...knowing about good and evil". So...she ate it. She chose the words of the serpent...over the words of God. She had let the serpent convince her that God was holding out on her, that He was keeping something from her, that she should find a way to know what only God knew. And that caused me to ask the question...how many times have I ignored what God asked me to do...in order to do something I thought would be a "wise" choice...in order to find my own way? Hmm.

And then, the best part is this...God, knowing full well what they had done, came to find them. Instantly, after eating the apple, both Adam and Eve had been filled with shame at being naked and fear of being found by God...they were hiding when God came near. But instead of accusation, God asked, "Where are you?" And as they emerged from hiding, they told him that they were ashamed. When he asked them what had happened, they blamed each other...they blamed the serpent. So God, being good and perfect and right, God the keeper of His promises...had to stand on His word. Sin, "rebellion", could not stay in His presence. They had chosen not to believe Him. They had chosen their own way...so, their consequence was death. Death to life as they knew it...death to all they had known about their relationship with God...and eventually, physical death.

But God did not stop there. He made them clothes out of animal skins. And that means...that there was a sacrifice that was made...the sacrifice of an innocent animal. Blood was shed. Hmmm. And God covered their shame. Literally, He gave Adam and Eve clothes to cover their nakedness. He still loved them. He still cared for them. Yes, He had to be true to His word, the consequences were evident and real, but He still loved them...and still desired to have a relationship with them. God was still writing the story.

We all know that later, Jesus entered the world, to redeem all that was lost...we didn't talk about that tonight. We talked about the beginning. We talked about the fall. And here is the thing. God didn't spoon feed Adam and Eve. He didn't tell them what they had done wrong...he asked, "Where are you?" and "What did you do?" They had to come to their own realization.

God didn't want to dictate to Adam and Eve about how to love Him. He loved them fully and wholeheartedly, and I think very much wanted their love in return. But He gave them a choice. Life or death. Belief: that God was enough, or unbelief: that somehow God was holding out on them. God gave them a choice.

Because without choice, love is not love at all. And that, is the essence of the gospel, isn't it?

On a very personal level, I feel this lesson tonight.
If there is anything I can cling to, it is that God understands my longing.
God understands my desire.
He knows how it feels to leave the choice of love in someone else's hands.
Because as much as Adam and Eve had enjoyed walking with God in the cool of the day,
their ultimate love and devotion would be shown through choosing Him.
Their lack of choice, separated them from the love and protection of their loving Creator.
As my eyes are opening...I am understanding how His heart must have felt on that day.
And because the story has continued,
I am beginning to understand
how deep His longing must still be for me and for those around me...
to believe Him, to believe that He is enough, to walk with Him in the cool of the day,
to know Him for who He really is,
and to love Him without walking away.
I am beginning to understand,
the importance of the choices that I make.
the importance of choosing love over knowledge.
I am beginning to understand
that He is still redeeming my story...
because I am written into His.

Choose Your Words

Have you ever been on the receiving end of careless words? You know, the words that just can't be true, the words that had never crossed your own mind, the words that cut straight to your heart, making you want to plead with their giver to see things another way? Maybe they were words about you. Words that stripped away your worth. Words that held you captive. Words that confined you to hurtful secrets and painful memories. Words that were strong. Words that came from someone you trusted, someone you loved. And maybe they were strong enough to make you think about them twice. Maybe they were convincing enough to hold in your heart and you began to ask questions like "why?" and "how?" and "now what?".

Have you ever held onto those words long enough that you actually began to believe them? Maybe not, maybe you're one of the smart ones, one of the strong few who is able to follow the age old saying of rubber and glue and never let a negative word affect who you are. Maybe you are able to see the lie straight away and never worry about what others think. But maybe, you are the opposite. Maybe everything anyone has ever suggested or thrown your way has somehow marred you, shaped you, tossed you in a different direction, caused you to wear your heart on your sleeve. Maybe words have been a very powerful part of your life. Maybe you are still hurting and you are still unsure of who you truly are.

I think there are still some of us, who have picked up undetected words. Sure, we have been wise enough to recognize blatant slander and throw it out with the morning trash. We have been careful to stay away from those who would hurt us outright. We have been seasoned and changed enough to forgive a wrong committed against us. And while we are honest about how we feel and love and dream, we certainly do not wear our hearts on our sleeves. But what about the surprises? What about the disappointments? What about the interruptions, when we find ourselves pouring out our hearts in mid-sentence, and the someone we trusted, suddenly walks away, telling us we are not worthwhile, or lovely enough, or fill in the blank? What about the times when we asked for forgiveness and received judgment? What about the times we have asked for a second chance and told that we were undeserving? What about the times when we have loved and have received empty words and promises in return? What about the flippant statements our friends and loved ones jokingly use...about our hair, our clothing, our choices, our stature, our lot in life? Oh, it's just a joke right? We can laugh about it can't we? But do you? When you are looking yourself straight in the mirror, straight in the heart, straight in the way you are looking at your life...are those words shaping you, are they telling you who you are?

And suppose your answer yes. What have they done to you? What have those words told you about your life? Have they told you that you are not enough? Have they told you not to expect very much? Have they told you that even if you did deserve anything you might as well give it away to show that you don't need anything, don't want anything...at least you won't get hurt...at least you'll look better...and then maybe, better words will come your way. People will start saying, "Hey, that person is pretty cool". They will start liking you, inviting you places, being your friend. Pretty soon, you find yourself working to be surrounded by good words, going out of your way to look good, look humble, look nice, say all the right things, do all the right things, perform, perform, perform some more...so that...people won't see the other words. They won't see your fear of not measuring up, your fear of not being the best looking guy or girl, with the best hair and the best clothes, having the most accomplishments and best experiences. They won't see that all this time you have been running to save them and help them and care for them, you have only been after one thing...words...words to tell you that you are worth something.

But suppose you had a friend, who gave you honest words? Of course, friends can still fail you...but this friend knows that and is very up front on this matter as well as does their best to apologize right away. But suppose you had a friend who saw past all the walls you had placed around you. Suppose your friend saw your fears and said, "I love you," anyways. What would you do then? Because your fear is still there. The words are still there. The words would tell you that you didn't need such a friend. The words would tell you that you are doomed to be the worthless person you've always felt yourself to be...at least...always, since the words were given to you so long, or not so long, ago. The words would tell you that you couldn't be that kind of friend back...not really. You wouldn't ever be enough for them would you? They might as well not expect very much of you, might as well never hope that you could love with the same freedom that this friend has been offering to you. They should probably look for a different friend. You would probably be better off on your own...or maybe with someone who didn't expect you to stop believing in your words. So, given the chance, what would you do? Who would you choose? The friend or the words? And let's call those words "fear". Because by now, you are afraid, that all of those words said about you, that you began to say about yourself, that something kept whispering in your ear....are the fears you are now fighting...the fears that keep you up at night...keep you running...keep you from who you know, that you know, that you know, that you know, you want to be deep down inside.

And deep down inside, that person, is so worthwhile. You are worthwhile. If you never picked up another tool to do your work, if you never said another word, if you rolled out bed and didn't do you hair or shave another day in your life. YOU ARE loved. You are worth loving. That's all you need to know. You were created by a God who calls himself "Love". An early mystic once wrote that we were born out of the laughter of the trinity. If you knew your worth, you wouldn't be going around looking for it anymore, trying to fit in somewhere, trying to make your way. You would only believe and rest...kind of like a child who never thinks twice about jumping into his grandparents arms and asking what gifts they have brought from their trip, like a little girl who comfortably sits in her daddy's arms and listens to a story. You would begin to forget the careless words, so carelessly thrown into your hands. You would begin to believe that you belong to a God who makes all things new, who sacrificed His own life just to be with you, who longs to be gracious to you, show you His kindness and provide for you.

I hope that you choose a friend who speaks in an honest language. I hope that you do not try fighting your fear, "the words", alone. A friend will pick up the phone thousands of miles away and cry with you when you don't have the strength to drive home. A friend will hug you every day just to make sure that you are okay. A friend will tell you that you are not too much bear, that you are worth every moment, every effort, and every penny of fighting for. A friend will pick back up where you left off, redeeming any time that was lost. A friend will be honest and tell you the truth, even when it hurts. A friend will fight for you and not give up until the battle is won. A friend will speak life when everything around you seems hopeless and confused. A friend will sit with you quietly when there are no words left to say. A friend rejoices when you have good news. A friend will stand alongside of you to see your dreams come true. A friend will still love you when you choose to walk away. A friend, who is born out God's love, will give you new words to believe in. And even if they do not know all the answers, hopefully they know "The Answer"...and His words make all the difference.

So choose your words. Choose whom you will believe. The fear or the friend? Because even the wounds of a friend are faithful, they are born of love, and hope, and faith. But the wounds of fear will separate and destroy what you have loved...keeping you in disillusion, and telling you that what you loved, that who you are, was never worth anything anyways. And if you are a child of God, deep down inside, you know....that you were meant for more than this captivity to your fear.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Pursuing Justice

"When the broken ask you to dance, you dance."
~Rob Morris, Love146

I am becoming more and more aware of human trafficking as I think we all are these days...if we are paying any sort of attention to the world around us. And tonight, I discovered this organization: Love146. The more I know, the more I want to take part in pursuing justice. If you want to learn more, read this: Modern Day Slavery.

Stories From the Field from LOVE146 on Vimeo.