A Firm Foundation

This afternoon I was reading about a Christian artist who a few years ago went through a painful year including the death of her parents, a daughter’s suicide and the breakup of her marriage. When discussing the marriage breakup she said “the marriage fell out from under me because the spiritual foundation of the home fell short.”

After spending over 40 years in the construction industry in one capacity or another I for one know how critical the foundation is to the long term life of any project. I am firmly convinced that God, once we become His child begins to work on and in us to turn us into the child that He wants us to be, as any father would. This begins the solid foundation. Once we become that child, He then can begin to mold and build us into becoming the man or woman that He wants us to be. Once we are the man or woman He wants us to be then we can further the project and become the husband or wife and then the parents and so forth.

There are a couple of keys to this whole process. First and foremost we have to yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to do that then our foundation will never be firm. Secondly, we need to obey His word. Step by step God will refine us, build us and make us all He wants us to be if we are totally yielded to Him. Look at Acts 11:5-8 the story of Peter’s dream as he was praying. Peter says “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.” The phrase Peter uttered, “NOT SO LORD” is an impossible statement to make. You can’t say no to the Lord if He truly is the Lord. So being totally yielded to Jesus Christ means never telling Him no to anything He tells us to do. If we truly want a solid foundation whether in marriage, business, ministry or life the key is being totally sold out to Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace

It's in the Bag

I’m on my way home on the train thinking about my day and thinking what I might write here tonight. One of my daughters had a disappointment today and I was thinking about disappointments and how our life is full of them. But the blessings we receive from our heavenly Father far out way the disappointments. I also remember hearing the old adage that without a test there is no testimony. Sometimes when we are faced with disappointments God is using it to sand off some rough edges, so it is important that we search our hearts and see if there is something we need to change. But then the Lord changed my mind. As I sat on the train and began looking in my briefcase for my headphones, I was thinking about how this particular briefcase is marketed. You can check it out at http://store.saddlebackleather.com/. It is marketed as the toughest bag you can buy, it is hand made, guaranteed for life, and able to withstand an attack of an enemy. On their website they show it being attacked by an alligator, coming back for more and being used all over the world. I’ve used it for a while now and the more I use it the more functional and attractive it becomes. It is with me no matter where I go. The company’s motto is “they’ll fight over it when you’re dead.” Then it dawned on me, I want my faith to be like my bag. To be tough enough to withstand anything the enemy comes against me with; to last a lifetime and the more I use it to be more and more attractive to others. Now I don’t want my family or friends fighting over anything when I’m dead, but like my bag, I want my faith to live on, to be an example to the succeeding generations should the Lord tarry. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Hebrew 11:1.

Grace and Peace

The End of One of Those Days

It’s funny, how certain days seem to be more stressful than others, even when there is not a particular issue or something that you can point to that is causing the stress. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe I didn’t get enough sleep last night, whatever, and for me today has been one of those days. In the past when I’ve had days like this I would just let it linger. Left alone, the stress turns into anxiety, the anxiety into a physical ache, and the ache into an illness. It happens every day to people all over the world. I think it is important to recognize that as humans, God created us to exist in three areas of consciousness; physical, emotional and spiritual. What I described above is caused by an unchecked interaction between our physical consciousness and our emotional consciousness. It becomes like the unraveling of a sweater, once it starts its hard to stop. God did not only design us to be physical and emotional beings but gave us spirituality as the matrix that holds everything together. Whenever I start feeling like I did today I start to recognize how important the spiritual consciousness is. Once we make a decision to walk and live in the spirit and not in the flesh, the cares of the world seem to fade. 1 Peter 5:6-8 tells us: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." These verses prompt us to focus on humility, patience, trust, sobriety, vigilance and faith. These are certainly all desirable attributes. It also reminds me that as we walk through this world, things happen that sometimes we just don’t understand. Understanding the why, how, when and where seems so important to so many people. When we don’t or can’t understand the circumstances it causes stress. The Lord tells us in Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." Because I was reminded of this today, I wanted to remind anyone who reads this.
Grace and Peace

J-O-Y

It’s interesting the responses that you get when you ask someone the difference between joy and happiness. We are all looking for happiness; the problem is that happiness is dependent on your circumstances. If the Yankees win, some people are happy, some are unhappy. If you get a raise, you are happy; if you get a bill you are unhappy. If you pay that bill someone else is happy. If someone compliments you, you tend to be happy. If you hear criticism, you’re not so happy.

Joy on the other hand is deep rooted and based on the belief that no matter what the circumstances, someone bigger than us will see us through. We often see joy in children because they know that their parents are there for them no matter what. (Unfortunately we see this less and less due to the demise of the family and family values.) As we get older and are thrust into the reality and responsibility of everyday life, the joy is gone and we look for that quick fix feeling of happiness. We look for happiness in things, places, position or relationships. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long and we are looking for the next thing that will make us happy. Joy on the other hand is a gift from God. It is not dependent on things, places, or position. It is however, dependent on a relationship, a relationship with God. A relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. The Word tells us: The joy of the Lord is your strength."—Nehemiah 8:10. When we have the joy that is given to us from God, then He gives us the strength through Him to face anything that the world throws at us. I remember when I was a kid we learned that putting Jesus first, Others second and Yourself third was the formula for JOY. I think it is still true today. Oh! and by the way there is another benefit of Joy, real happiness.

Grace and Peace (Joy too)

Entertaining Angels

Have you ever run into an Angel? You may have and never realized it. This past weekend we had some friends over for a BBQ. One family was returning from vacation in New Hampshire and while they were there, they took some pictures of clouds that resembled angels. It got me to thinking about angels. The Bible is very clear, when it tells us in Hebrews Chapter 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” We run into strangers every day, and I will be the first to admit, some are stranger than others; after all, I work in Manhattan! I often wonder when I see someone looking at me intently, if they are an angel and know me very well. I think the admonition in Hebrews is a good reminder for us. It reminds us that we should treat every stranger we encounter as if they were an angel and entertain them accordingly. It sounds intimidating, but if we weren’t supposed to do it, God wouldn’t have put the reminder in His Word. In Psalm 91:11 it says: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” So tomorrow as you run into a stranger, take a second look; maybe, just maybe it is an angel, maybe your angel. Better entertain them accordingly! Grace and Peace