Lately I have had an ongoing problem with my reading glasses. One of the lenses keeps falling out, especially when I try to clean them and rubbing the lens. It has gotten to be a very frustrating and annoying thing.

Every time I tried to put the lens back into my glasses, the lens kept popping out for no obvious reason (to me). In my frustration, I eventually completely removed the lens and try to replace it properly. The more I struggled and tried to insert the bottom of the lens first and “pop” the top of the lens into the frame, the more flustered I became. After growling out loud and getting completely frustrated with the glasses, I finally asked, “Jesus, if this were you trying to fix these glasses, what would you do?” When I looked at the glasses again, I could finally see that the frame was bent. It’s no wonder the lens wouldn’t stay in! So, I carefully twisted the wire frame and bent it back into shape so that it was straight. Next, I put the lens against the metal part of the frame first. Then, I maneuvered the flexible part to embrace the bottom of the lens. Finally! My glasses were fixed!

Somehow, this little exercise reminds me that when my “frame” is twisted and askew, my vision is always going to have problems. But when I asked God to straighten me out, He does it immediately. Then, I only need to be flexible and embrace a new perspective-a new way of seeing things correctly: God’s way.

God is Good!

Thoughts about Cookies

Last Saturday, I put on an event for women at church. The focus was on fall being a time for change, and letting change begin with me. One of the things I prepared for this morning event was some sugar cookies. I found myself musing about them in my journal the following morning. I shared these thoughts on Saturday morning, and it was so well received that I thought I would post my thoughts here as well. I hope you enjoy them.

COOKIES

Journal October 7th, 2010

As I created the cookies yesterday, I was thinking how no 2 are alike, and each one is a unique creation, just as we are. As I made the cookies, I rolled out the dough to just the right thickness. That would have hurt, but it was necessary.

Then, I cut out the cookie, separating it and making its boundaries- creating its shape, and knowing what the colors and details would be when it was done. The baking came next- the heat that transforms the raw dough into its finished form. The heat causes the dough to soften and collapse in surrender, then the leavening causes it to rise and hold its shape as the baking progresses. If I don’t keep a close eye on them, they will burn very quickly and be ruined. If I take them out too early, they will collapse like a soufflé and have no integrity to hold their shape. But when they are done right, they have both strength and flexibility. I can take a hot cookie from the sheet and bend it and it will hold its shape when it cools.

After the baking is the decorating. I get to choose color and design and decoration to define its finished character, beauty and identity. Until it is decorated, no one else can see what I see- its identity and purpose. Some in my batch have become butterflies, representing a born-again life. Others have become daisies, representing purpose.

I was fortunate that the cookies cooperated with my plan for them. Can you imagine if they hadn’t? If they hadn’t gone through the rolling, cutting, baking, cooling and decorating? They would never have been able been able to become what I had planned for them. I’m sure some of it was uncomfortable, and some seemed unbearable, but I had my eye on them the whole time to help them become finished into the plan I had for them. Each one is a hand-made unique creation, just as You have created us, LORD, and continue to work on us throughout our lives.

I pray that I will cooperate with You as You Are building my life, to complete my character and Your Purpose for me. As I worked on those cookies, I thought about each of the women coming to the event. We are not the same, we are not mass produced. Each one of us is a unique creation in Christ that You Are building up, keeping Your eye on us as a silversmith refines the silver. Shaping each of our lives as the Potter creates each individual vessel in His Hands. 1 John 3:2 says: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He Is. In the beginning, You said, “Let us create man in our image, after our likeness…”

Lord, help us submit ourselves to You to be changed today. Teach us, write Your truth into our hearts.

In Jesus Name I Pray~

An Eternal Box Of Tissues

An Eternal Box Of Tissues

Experiencing God’s Presence is a fearful and awesome thing. One is made instantly aware of one’s own inadequacy and simultaneously made aware of the Omniscient Sovereignty and Holy Righteousness of God Himself. And the obvious chasm of inequity between the two results in a humbling self examination and realization of one’s own iniquity, inadequacy, immaturity and need for justification and sanctification. Being in the very Presence of Holiness is like walking into a consuming fire that threatens one’s very existence and gives a sense of a primal fear, and each cell desperately seeking to flee in an opposite direction to hide itself from The Presence in the farthest reaches of the universe- hoping to disappear and hide itself from that heated examination that will undoubtedly reveal its shortcomings, hidden sins, and call out for it’s own deserved judgment.

The awe and wonder inspires such an overwhelming joy, and tears cannot be suppressed or denied, the very gratitude for the privilege of being in The Presence evokes worship, repentance, profound humility and unconditional and willing surrender. The sadness of one’s heart for one’s recognition of sin and iniquity are heartbreaking, and those tears also join the flood. Tears of healing come from the mercy and forgiveness received in The Presence, and tears of overflowing joy from the grace which abounds there. Tears of thankfulness for the Lamb Who Was Slain will forever overflow from the eyes of the redeemed.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…”

He will need an eternal box of tissues.

An Encounter With God's Presence

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He'll draw near to you….

Sonar-a system used by submarines, bats, dolphins to learn about their environment by actively interacting with it and interpreting the feedback to form an impression of the shape and direction of other objects in their range and to possibly identify something they cannot see with their eyes.

In some strange way this morning, I find my mind associating the concept of sonar with prayer. As I pray, I'm sending out personal information to God from the parts of myself that I can see- i.e. my heart, mind, emotions and character. What I send up to God is who I am, and He does not reflect it back to me unless there is unconfessed sin. Did you ever hear the saying "prayers went no higher than the ceiling"?

What does come back from God is not who "I" am, but "Who I AM". The Holy Spirit brings the Holy Character of God back as His communication back to me-His Presence. It is then that I can get a glimpse inside of Who He Is-His Omnipotent Perfect Eternal Character as He transcends the vast chasm of distance between who I am and WHO HE IS. And I enter into His Presence as His Presence envelopes me. It is at this point that I can begin to appreciate His Holiness, Sovereignty and the Infinite Quality of His Changeless and Matchless Character. As soon as this happens (His "ping" to me) I respond with the confession again of who I am-small, powerless, needy, sinful, immature, dependent upon His grace and mercy. But in addition, thanks to Christ in me, I also have hope, direction, purpose, trust in Him, faith in His Faithfulness and Power, His Righteousness and Justice, in His Ability, to exceed every need I have, to Tower Over any problem I face, to Understand my deepest fears, hurts, hopes, desires, and to transform me from the inside out to begin to reflect His values in my life.

I once taught a lesson in Breakout on ‘quiet time’. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. It's sometimes hard to convey the value of developing spiritual discipline since it is something that is part of the invisible human realm. So, in an effort to explain this concept in a visual way, I used the example of glow-in-the-dark stars. These stars had no light of their own to shine (no power) but when the star was brought close to the light for a time it glowed and gave a soft light in the darkness until the effect faded. So, I sought to explain our need for daily "recharging" by spending time in God's Presence. That way, His Power can work through our lives and draw others to Him. The interesting factor in this equation is: The closer to the light you hold the star, the longer and more intensely it shines in the darkness. Also, the more frequently it is "recharged," the more effective it can be to give light to others. When I think of monks and others who "retreat" from society to live out their lives in God's Presence, it makes me sad, because they have no effect bringing light into the darkness through their lives. They are like a light under a bowl. (Matthew 5:14-16) John, who knew Jesus better than Matthew, saw the deeper Truth: Jesus is the light (John 8:12)

Personally, next to the exquisite joy of just being in the Presence of Perfect Holy Love, I am finding great value of His Light in my life as I seek to develop my understanding of my relationships with others. If I could explain in a tangible illustration how I see this working in my life, it might look like my vision being increased by God's Power/Light to see things that were previously invisible to me. "Insight" would be a good play on words. In a dimly lit room, things seem dark, solid and shadowy. But the more the light increases, the less shadowy and ultimately, the less solid than they appear. Seeing beneath the surface-like an x-ray. Seeing past the surface (anger, disobedience, apathy) to the heart (hurt, sin, abandonment). The benefit of this insight is dependent upon how much of God's Character I have "breathed in" to my heart during my time with Him. If I have a good understanding of God's Righteousness, and if I can see a person's brokenness, I can reach out to them in true compassion and let God's power work through me (like a Hand (God) in a glove (me)) to offer comfort to them. Then, they can experience His love in a practical way, so that at least for a moment, the "Invisible" can be visible and tangible to them.

The difference in the degree of definition of the sonar between the submarine, the bat, and the dolphin is like the picture of the Trinity of God's nature, and shows a progressive dimension of one to the other until the fullness is achieved.

A submarine's capability is to gather truth-knowledge. It is limited, and it does not give it power to function, only to avoid obstacles. It can't feel or connect to the environment, it can only gather facts.

A bat's capability is one dimension more. It can know the truth/knowledge about its surroundings, but it is also equipped with wisdom/the "way" which allows and enables it to use that information to find food, which empowers it to continue living. But, it cannot see where it is going-it runs on faith.

The dolphin adds even more dimension. It can sense obstacles in murky water, find fish hiding under sand on the ocean floor for food, but--it can also see! And it can sense through nerve endings vibrations which enrich its understanding and enjoyment of his surroundings instead of depending only on hearing. Also, it can use its sonar/sounds to communicate and build relationships with those around him.

So, in the end, the Truth is an all-important foundation to build on. When we add in faith, it adds a second dimension, the Way. But the fullness of relationship that God has planned for us only comes through communion with Him through the Holy Spirit, Who Is The Life.

Validity of Jesus’ Testimony

Devotional Thought John 8:12-20

The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony

After Jesus proclaimed “I Am the light of the world,” the Pharisees confronted him about the testimony he gave being valid without witnesses. They said that he could not be his own witness- he needed corroboration.

But Jesus answered them in an interesting way. He told them that his testimony was valid because “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Like Alpha and Omega, Jesus knew Who He Was and what He was doing in the world. How many of us know that much about ourselves? None of us. God may in time reveal parts of His plan for us, but we will never know the entirety on earth.

Jesus accused the Pharisees of judging others by human standards. Their standards were of their own making, not based on God’s Truth or Perspective. Man looks at the outward appearance (and, draws his own conclusions), but God looks at the heart. The Pharisees went the extra mile, trying to judge the motives of the heart based on the outward appearance and actions. They judged a person based on how the outward words and actions reflected their imagination of their motives. No one could measure up to their standards, unless they practiced such unattainable discipline in ritual behavior that they would pass the scrutiny of these buzzards. The Sadducees, on the other hand, measured everything on outward behavior and works, denying any spirituality at all. All works- all religion. Either way, both groups judged everyone according to their own standards, condemning all who fell short.

Not a good representation of God’s character for those who are supposed to represent Him to the people, is it??? Jesus’ point- exactly!!! Jesus lived out and modeled perfectly God’s morality and values and perspectives. Jesus’ first line of delineation between them was that while they judged by human standards, He Himself did not judge others. But he also added that if he did judge, his judgments are right because of his partner in his decisions- God the Father. He Is never wrong.

Jesus went on to say that in the Law, the testimony of two men is valid. Jesus said, “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” And He did- 3 times.

Jesus’ life—His words, His actions, His attitudes and values all combined spoke of the totality of the Truth in His life. Nothing he ever did or said was against Scripture, but was supported by it and his life was a living demonstration of Scripture. All that He did perfectly represented the Father to man, and Jesus claimed His Father as a witness to that position.

That was quite an audacious claim for someone to call God as a witness to their purity and righteousness. I wonder if the Pharisees feared fire from heaven when they heard him say that! Yet, again, Jesus spoke the Truth. At His baptism, the Father said, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” That sounds like confirmation to me.

Then Jesus went a step farther and told them they had no basis in truth for anything they value or hold to. Basically, he told them they didn't know what they were talking about. Ouch! That must have been quite a slap in the face! They asked him where his father is, intending to embarrass and discredit him. But Jesus turned on them and pointed out that they not only didn't know his Father- their God- whom they had never seen, but they also were blind to see the Truth of the Father being shown to them in his own life. If they really knew anything at all about God, they would be drawn to Jesus, who embodied all of God’s Truth and grace. But their own actions revealed their ignorance, and their arrogance became their own embarrassment. Jesus only pointed out the facts. Judge not, or you will be judged. By the same measure you judge others, it will be used to judge you in return. So, their faultiness in judgment came back to bite them in the end.

So, Jesus’ life expressed the validity of his testimony. His life was his testimony. And God was his witness, both speaking His affirmation twice (at Jesus’ baptism and on the mount of transfiguration) and in raising him from the dead and restoring him to glory.

Final score: Jesus- 1 Pharisees- 0

So much to say… one word to save, one to condemn… the same word: “Come.”

John 12:44-50

So much to say...One word to save, one to condemn... the same word: "Come."

44Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.

~~When someone trusts in Jesus, they also trust in the unseen God.


45When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.

~~(The Trinity seen) When someone looks at Jesus, at His words (Truth), attitudes (Life) and works (Way), they see the wholeness of the Power behind the Person.


46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

~~Jesus came in the flesh as a permanent and eternal example to us that we can follow and learn to walk in the Light of Truth- that we might know (experience) the Presence and Guidance of God in our personal lives.


47 "as for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

~~Jesus came with words of life, the most important being, "COME!" He did not come to condemn, but to invite and call men to be saved.


48There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him on the last day.

~~"That very word which I spoke will condemn him on the last day." His invitation is to "COME!" Free will to choose is the final judge in the end.


49For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.

~~(The Trinity again seen) Jesus reveals His humility and submission to the Father (Truth) and the Holy Spirit's Influence (How to say it).


50I know that this command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

~~Jesus' faith and trust in His Father's command (Come,...and) leads to eternal life- a life that is connected and in an intimate personal relationship with the Father through His loving obedience and respect for Him.

Abiding and Being the Glove of God- John 15

The Hand is the power, the glove is the tool. The Hand supports, shapes, fulfills, empowers and gives life to the glove. The Hand is in the glove, and the glove (when in willing submission becomes usable) is in the control of and under the power of the Hand.

Jesus' illustration of the vine and the branches would be a good comparison of this principle. (John 15:4-5) It might say~"Remain in me and I will remain in you. No glove can do work by itself, it must remain with (in the control of) the Hand. Neither can you bear fruit (good work) unless you remain in me. I am the hand, you are the glove. If a man remains in me (willing to be used) and I in him, he will produce much work. (Abundant, miraculous, God sized works); apart from me, you (glove) can do nothing."

The glove can only become usable by laying aside its own strength, agenda, and pursuit of its own will. It is a voluntary action and decision involving an attitude of willingly trusting in God without having any clue what He will ask of you or how He will accomplish what He wants done. It means laying aside all attempts to figure out, understand, employ logic, common sense, or to add my own 2 cents worth to God's work. All I need to do is to be obedient out of the overflow of love I have for God-not from fear, guilt, coercion, duty or any other reason- just submit myself to His Hand knowing He will accomplish all that He wills.

Jesus also used an illustration in John 10:28-30. He gives eternal life-abundant, overflowing, super-natural life- like a hand in a glove gives it the ability to experience what is impossible on its own. Then he goes on with the illustration to say that no one can snatch them from His Hand or His Father's Hand. Jesus says, " I and the Father are one." Later He said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Just like the hand in the glove, the Living Truth of the Father- His values, judgments, attributes, and Character indwelt Jesus. You can't see these things, but as Jesus submitted to the Father by abiding in His will, His own life exhibited the works that testified to this truth. This principle continues in the life of the Christian. Though we are imperfect where Jesus was perfect and sinless, God can still use us after we make the commitment to be His (salvation) and then choose daily to seek Him out and grow (sanctification) in the vertical love relationship and the horizontal "Love one another" relationships that He desires to develop in us and through us.

As we grow in spiritual maturity, we learn to recognize God's work and how to join Him. And when He wants to use us in a new way, we learn to recognize His call and follow Him in faith, based on the foundation of trust and the strong relationship of love and respect that has grown and developed as a result of a consistent and devoted walk with Him. A walk characterized by worship, study of the word, prayer, confession of sin, fellowship with other believers, service, and reaching out with God's love to the lost.

Jesus' illustration of the vine and the branches would be a good example of this principle. (John 15:4-5) It might say: "remain in me and I will remain in you. No glove can do work by itself, it must remain with (in the control of) the Hand. Neither can you bear fruit (good work) unless you remain in me. I am the hand, you are the glove. If a man remains in me (willing to be used) and I in him, he will produce much work. (Abundant, miraculous, God-sized works); apart from me you (glove) can do nothing."

The glove can only become usable by laying aside its own strength, agenda, and pursuit of its own will. It is a voluntary action and decision involving an attitude of willingly trusting in God without having any clue what He will ask of you or how He will accomplish what He wants done. It means laying aside all attempts to figure out, understand, employ logic or common sense, or to add my own two cents worth to God's work. All I need to do is to be obedient out of the overflow of love I have for God- not from fear, guilt, coercion, duty or any other reason- just submit myself to His Hand knowing He will accomplish all that He wills.

Jesus also used an illustration in John 10:28-30. He gives eternal life- abundant, overflowing, supernatural life- like a hand in a glove gives it the ability to experience what is impossible on its own. He then continues with another illustration that no one can snatch them from either His Hand or His Father's Hand. Jesus says, " I and the Father are one." Just like a hand in a glove, the Living Truth of The Father- His values, judgments, attributes, and Character indwelt Jesus. You can't see these things, but as Jesus submitted to the Father by abiding in His will, His life exhibited the works that testified to this truth. This principle continues in the life of the Christian. Though we are imperfect where Jesus was sinless and perfect, God can still use us after we make the commitment to be His (salvation) and then choose daily to seek Him out and grow (sanctification) in the vertical love relationship and the horizontal "love one another" relationships that He desires to develop in us and through us.

What Kind of Glove Are You?

TYPES OF GLOVES

Unusable Glove- a glove with no room in their life for God (unsaved and unrepentant)

Unwilling glove- a glove with a sealed up opening to keep God from transforming their life (one who accepts God's grace, but makes no commitment to grow in character. Needs to let go of the past and focus on the future)

Unsuitable glove- one whose life has not been changed and transformed enough to be usable. This can be because of immaturity or lack of surrender (unusable in its current condition, but in the case of new believers is under renovation for future use. Not 'suited' for service... yet.)

Dirty glove- one whose sin goes unrepented of and tries to serve, serving only as a bad example- may be serving with improper motivation or ulterior motives i.e. manipulation. (A stumbling block instead of a stepping stone)

Ill-fitting glove- one who makes some room for God, but has compartments and unsurrendered parts in their life. It's very uncomfortable, like some of the fingers are stuffed with something keeping the Hand out. (Immature faith, or hardened and unforgiving heart)

Stiff glove- one who is used to doing things one way and has difficulty trying new things. One who is inflexible, disobedient and unwilling to 'bend.' Can be caused by stubbornness, pride, ignorance, unwillingness to change, and hardness of heart. Often does more harm than good, brings discomfort instead of comfort. ("I'll do it my way." *Remember what God did to the disobedient Levites who mixed their own incense for the Tabernacle?)

Hungry glove- one who waits for the filling of the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and empower him to serve God's purpose. ("I'm waiting upon You, LORD...")

Ready glove- one who is empty of his own agenda, choosing to allow God to lead the way, being flexible and willing with the right attitude. ("Send me!")

Flexible glove- one who makes himself available to God and lays aside his own agenda in response to God's call. Willing to try new things in faith to meet a need. ("Whatever it takes!")

Armored glove- one who is covered by the protection of the 'armor of God' (ready to fight the good fight)