Unveiled By Grace

The Incarnation (spoken word)

2011-12-29T05:34:00.000-08:00

Created by artist Odd Thomas for Trinity Church in Portland, Oregon.

Michael Wells - All For God's Glory

2011-10-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, my mom (Joanie) gave me a series of messages by a man named Michael Wells. Michael Wells ministry was called Abiding Life Ministries. He traveled abroad and spoke to Christians all over the globe about the truth of "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27). Reminding believers that we are complete in Christ and that the Christian life is all about abiding in Christ. Michael Wells' messages (or seminars as he called them) have had a vast impact on both my mom's and my walk with Jesus.

Yesterday, my mom called me and told me the sad news that Michael Wells had recently passed away while traveling in Costa Rica. Here is part of the message that is now on his Abiding Life Ministries website:

It is with heavy hearts we share the news that the number of Mike Wells’ days has come. The Lord has taken him home. Although we miss Mike dearly, we rejoice in knowing that the love, compassion, grace and hope in Jesus that Mike so passionately shared with us will carry us through. Mike’s consistent message to us all, “there is nothing the nearness of Jesus cannot overcome,” is especially meaningful now.

Michael certainly lived a Gospel-centered life, preaching all Jesus all the time, and bringing glory to God wherever he traveled. He often said that the purpose of our life here on earth was to steadily lose all of our glory (my pride, my kingdom, my strength, and my righteousness), prepare us to be about only His Glory (His kingdom, His strength, His righteousness), and thereby, make us safe for Heaven. I guess the Lord decided that Michael's preparation was complete. To this end, here is one of my favorite clips from his "Keeping The Focus" seminar:

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The War Inside

2011-09-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today's devotion from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost For His Highest, is the type that I could read over and over. So much truth and depth. Here it is:

The "Go" of Unconditional Identification

The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.

“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . .” (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.

“One thing you lack . . . .” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.

“. . . sell whatever you have . . . .” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “. . . come. . . and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a song by Switchfoot called "The War Inside" from their new album Vice Verses. Think this song is appropriate to today's devotion. I know first-hand that identification with Christ is ultimately a war of me against me. Identifying with Christ means the laying down of all my pride, all my wants/needs, and all of me. A slightly different message than the one our world is ceaselessly hammering into our heads.

Lyrics to this song are below.

The War Inside - Switchfoot

Put your hands up open up wide
Put your hands up side by side
Age don’t matter like
Race don’t matter like
Place don’t matter like what’s inside

Let the kick drum kick one time
Breathe out let your mind unwind
Eyes on the ceiling
Looking for the feeling
Wide open let your own eyes shine

Yeah, it’s where the fight begins
Yeah, underneath the skin
Beneath these hopes and where we’ve been
Every fight comes from the fight within

- Chorus –
I am the war inside
I am the battle line
I am the rising tide
I am the war I fight

Eyes open open wide
I can feel it like a crack in my spine
I can feel it like the back of my mind
I am the war inside

I get the feeling that we’re living in sci-fi
I get the the feeling that our weapons are lo-fi
Ain’t no killer like pride
No killer like I
No killer like what’s inside

Yeah, it’s in the air we breathe
Yeah, it’s in the blood we bleed
Beneath these dreams and what we’ve seen
We are the kids of the in-between

- Chorus –
I am the war inside
I am the battle line
I am the rising tide
I am the war I fight

Eyes open open wide
I can feel it like a crack in my spine
I can feel it like the back of my mind
I am the war inside

Put your hands up open up wide
put your hands up side by side
Age don’t matter like
Race don’t matter like
Place don’t matter like what’s inside

Yeah, every thought or deed
Yeah, every tree or seed
The big things come from the little dreams
Every world is made by make believe

John Mark McMillan - #4 / Sheet Of Night

2011-08-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

John Mark McMillan. What an amazing songwriter.

His new album, Economy, is planned for release on November 1st.

Who am I? Continued?

2011-05-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Who Am I?

Derek had a great post with the Samples "Who am I?" and it resonated with me in a few different ways. I do not think it is possible to turn 60 without contemplating life's meaning and it's fleeting nature. It seems like the earth is turning faster and more furiously yet I know that cannot be!

When cancer threatened my life it really got personal...20 more years of life sounds reasonable but 5 or less? Time suddenly seemed not to be a friend of mine.

One of my thoughts in facing the possible shortness of life is how I have not done enough. I have not accomplished what I wanted to with counseling or helping my children, or their children, or doing things for others, or making any kind of difference in this world. I have lots of good intentions that remain undone.
From there, my thoughts go on to how I have let people down with not being kind enough, or sweet enough, or unselfish enough, or you name it!

I cannot explain the answer to all these spiraling down thoughts in a way that compares to the words of this song.

G.O.S.P.E.L.

2011-05-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Zion & Babylon

2011-05-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Josh Garrels is independent singer-songwriter out of Portland, Orgeon. I discovered his music last year and have since been blown away by his lyrics, faith, creativity. You'd be hard pressed to find another artist similar to Josh.

On warm spring days like today, I like to open up all the windows in my VW, turn Garrels' song "Zion & Babylon" up to notch 17 on the stereo, and just cruise. If you like this song, I included another Josh Garrels gem, "Freedom".

Who Am I?

2011-04-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

So often we ask ourselves "Who Am I?" The nature of who we are changes with each phase of life. Yet this life flows past us like a fallen stick down a swift river, moments so often gone before we fully appreciate them. Trying as we do to ignore this, it is a reality that haunts us and causes us to both look back to the times gone by and to our futures unknown. The world we live in continuously moves faster, evidenced well by the crumbling roads on which we all drive. It is easy to get caught up in this pace, pressing impatiently for the next phase, whatever that may be. At 38, I am starting to think more and more about the brevity of life and trying hard to slow down and 'smell the rose'. I want to enjoy and fully appreciate this gift of time God has given me.

Not too long ago, we moved into a new house in Aurora, Ohio. Last night, one of our neighbors stopped over to welcome us to the neighborhood with a plate of cookies. Her name was Esther and she looked to be in her 80's. Having lived on the street for 40+ years, She and her husband raised 3 boys in their house. Esther told us that her 3 boys had all moved out of town and that her husband had passed more than a few years ago. She was happy to see some activity across the street. Although she has been thinking about selling the house, she has not yet done so. If I took my guess, I would say that although she knows time is no longer a friend, the wonderful memories of family and friends on this road keep her staying put. Who is Esther now that the prime of life has passed her by? Hope and I want to find out by serving her as loving neighbors.

So often music stokes up our memories, and plays on our heart strings. Here is a song by The Samples that does this for me while also trying to answer the question, 'Who Am I?'. We all ask this question, and ultimately, it comes down to identity. Is your identity solely built around whatever phase of life you may be in? Or is your identity eternally planted in the permanent soil of Jesus?

The Golden Boy & the Prodigal

2011-04-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a song by Jason Gray (a new favorite of mine) which really spoke to me and the place in which I am right now. A place I am always in whether or not I realize it and further, whether or not I am willing to acknowledge it to God. It is a place of constant need of Jesus to be my complete sufficiency and life. When I deceive myself into believing that I am good enough and can provide for my needs, that I can be the husband/father my family deserves, that I can prevent Jesus from seeing into the dark corners of my heart, then I ~~remove~~ forget the gift of freedom in Christ and replace it with prison walls. Walls that inevitably move ever closer to me until I acknowledge to Jesus who I am and go running into His loving and open arms. Even though I so often long to be the Golden Boy...

I am the Prodigal.

Who are you?

Thoughts in the Night

2011-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

"I know who I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed to him until that Day." I have sweet memories of singing that tune with a friend as we climbed a mountain in North Carolina. Did I have any idea that 4 years later I would be singing it for my life? How simple it is to commit all to the Lord Jesus when no problems loom on the horizon and life is amazingly carefree. "But when trouble comes, oh my soul, oh my soul..."

But the words of that song continue to ring true when we walk by faith and not by sight and when darkness seems to prevail. Important words in this song and 2 Timothy where it comes from are 'that which I've committed unto him.' If I lie awake in the night fretting, have I really committed my problem to the Lord? Psalm 81:6 speaks of God 'removing my shoulder from the burden (even the cancer burden?) and freeing my hands from the baskets. I can understand removing my shoulder from the burden but my hands from the baskets?

I'm not sure what the writer of this Psalm meant but to me it means the grip my hands have on my life. Lord, you can have all this when you tear it out of my cold, hard grip.(your thoughts have become mine, Mike Wells!) Do we realize when things are spinning out of control, so that we grab onto control, we are actually out of control if we are not letting him have control? (from friend Chuck Solomon). Sort of a paradox.

So, once again, in the middle of the night, I open my hands and allow him to free my hands from the baskets full of worries, doubts, and fear and find sweet rest for my soul. We head to NY for a scan on April 7th and an injection. Thank you for your faithful friendship and constant prayers.

Who IS Jesus?

2011-01-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Great Rejoicing (song of the day)

2010-10-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Do certain songs ever resonate with you deep in your soul and touch you in a way that can only be ascribed to God? Here is one of those songs for me. In a life filled with continuous ups and downs, it is good to remember and know that in Jesus we have a hope, a future hope that will bring 'great rejoicing' and a 'grand reunion'.

Great Rejoicing - Thad Cockrell by Du2you "

Great Rejoicing
Words and Music by Thad Cockrell

There’s gonna be a great rejoicing
There’s gonna be a great rejoicing
The troubles of this world
Will wither up and die
That river of tears made by the lonely
Someday will be dry
There’s gonna be a great rejoicing
There’s gonna be a great joy river
There’s gonna be a great joy river
Questions of this world
Someday will be known
Who’s robbing you a peace
And who’s the giver
There’s gonna be a great joy river
Someday you will find me guarded in His fortress
Open heart and wings that never touch the ground
Someday we will gather in a grand reunion
The debts of this old world are nowhere to be found
Are nowhere to be found
There’s gonna be a great rejoicing

Jars of Clay --->Brokenness--->Treasure

2010-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 ESV)

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul describes the believer as jars of clay. The analogy points us back in time when people used to have jars or earthen vessels made of valuable things like gold, silver, and bronze. They also had very low-value clay vessels which were used in the bathroom and for other ordinary uses. When thieves came, they would search for a person's fortunes, often stored in these gold or silver vessels. The jars of clay were not appreciated and therefore ignored by the thief.

Now that we understand that our earthly bodies are like jars of clay, why does Paul say 'we have this treasure in jars of clay'? To see why, let's look back in history one more time. Some rich people wised up to the way the thieves worked and started storing their very valuable items in their jars of clay. When the thieves came, they would pass over the jars of clay, thereby missing the treasures inside. When the people wanted to again access their riches, they would have to break the jars of clay.

So here is the point: God breaks us in order to access the treasure within. By doing so, we realize (and others do to) that it is God's strength alone that powers and sustains us. Hence, God receives all the glory. Furthermore, and following our brokenness, here is the treasure that is released in us: 'The life of Jesus manifested in our bodies'. So as we 'are afflicted in every way' as Paul describes beginning in verse 8, we don't despair and give up hope. Instead we learn to surrender all of ourselves to Christ in and through all of our brokenness. Every thing we are then points to Jesus and his abounding love. His life now flows in and through us, through our weak and frail bodies, our jars of clay.

For the believer in Christ, brokenness is a certainty: It is one of the ways God accomplishes in us this continual transformation into the likeness of Christ as described by Paul here:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

Certainly these times of brokenness often come with great difficulty and pain, sometimes even to the point of a deep perplexity about what God is trying to accomplish in our lives. In these times, the Lord will be near and comfort us. This truth is found throughout the Bible and here are just a few examples:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17 ESV)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:18 ESV)

For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Corinthians 1:5 ESV)

The Comfort (of) Job

2010-09-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, I started a one-year chronological reading of the Bible. It is a bit odd though to end up in the book of Job after reading the first 8 chapters of Genesis. Most of us are aware of the story of Job, and upon starting this journey, I was a little less than thrilled to be heading to Job so soon. Yet, as is always the case when digging into the Word, God revealed so much through a book that in some ways is so cliche to the Christian faith.

Here is a summary of Job with a focus on one of the primary themes - comfort:

Job is a 'blameless and upright' man who has an abundant life. Safe to say he was comfortable. (1: 1-5)
God allows Satan to test Job and he loses almost everything but his own life. (1:6-2:10)
Jobs 3 friends decide to show Job sympathy and comfort him. (2:11)
Job begins to question his life: "Let the day perish on which I was born." (3:1)
Jobs friends try to explain and attribute (in error) Job's suffering to a punishment from God for wrongdoing.
Job takes comfort in that he has 'not denied the words of the Holy One.' (6:10)
Job claims that God will not even allow his own bed to comfort him. (7:13)
Job's friend Eliphaz thinks he is offering the 'comforts of God' to Job (15:11)
Job calls his friends 'miserable comforters' (16:2)
Job extends this by saying in 21:34: 'How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.'
Elihu rebukes both Job and Job's friends yet does not really offer any insight into the reasons for Job's suffering. (ch. 32-37)
Ultimately, Elihu begins to turn the focus away from Job (and morality) and back to God
God challenges Job about the foundations and function of the universe: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (38:4); “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place," (38:12)
Job answers God's challenge with silence (40:3-5)
God challenges Job on his understanding of God's Justice and Power. Ultimately, Job tried to use his suffering as a means for answers about how God rules the world. (40:6-41)
Job realizes that all of God's purposes, while not always revealed, are unstoppable and that God is trustworthy. "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." (42:2-3)
Job ultimately find his comfort in the God of the universe. "Therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (42:6)
God did not hold Job accountable for his perplexity and questioning of God (42:7)
God rebukes Jobs friends (42:7)
God shows His kindness through mercy and forgiveness of Job's friends (42: 8-9)
At the point of Job's brokenness, God restores his fortunes by doubling all that he had before (42:10)

After studying and digging into this book, I pray that the Lord would keep these truths on my heart:

God is sovereign over ALL of His creation
God is trustworthy and has a divine purpose for his entire creation
Suffering is a part of life and to expect otherwise is foolish
The purpose of suffering is not always explainable nor does God promise to reveal the purpose of our suffering
Believers who suffer will find perfect comfort only comes from the Lord
Believers in Christ have the unique ability to comfort those who suffer
We should avoid at all costs trying to explain the reasons for the suffering of both us and others
I stand in awe at the magnificence and infinite intricacies of God's creation
God's character is abundant in kindness, mercy, and forgiveness
It is at the point of our brokenness where we will fully realize our complete unworthiness before God
It is also at the point of our brokenness where God restores us
As does most of the Old Testament, the story of Job alludes to our need for a savior and to God's ultimate plan for salvation through Jesus Christ.
God redeems us through Christ and then restores us as heirs: "and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." - Romans 8:17

"Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." (James 5:11 ESV)

Death In His Grave

2010-09-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Another song by John Mark McMillan. This one gave me the chills...in a good kind of way!

Lyrics are below.

Death In His Grave (Performance Video) from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

Though the Earth Cried out for blood
Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls of men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with the keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with the keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

No Condemnation In Christ!

2010-08-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

I grew up in rural suburban town, in an old colonial house that had 3 acres plus (a vast woods to explore beyond our own yard). At that time, our house also had a 3 stall horse barn with an attic. In the winter, we used to jump out of the attic into the deep snow below. One winter when I was 12, a friend of mine and I grew tired of jumping 10 feet into the snow drifts. So my friend decided to use his snowglove-covered fist to punch out one of the small 6"x6" windows in our barn. Well I thought this looked like loads of fun and was yet another chance to display a toughness and acquire even more acceptance from my friend. In that yearning for approval, I completely ignored any potential consequences of my actions. Within an hour, every single window in that old barn was left without any panes of glass.

Winter became Spring and upon my parent's first visit back to the barn, they were shocked to see shards of glass everywhere but in the window frames. Being the oldest boy in our family, they came to me first. I remember pretty clearly trying to lie my way out of it when they questioned me. But the truth did finally come out and I was grounded for two weeks (probably should have been two months). In spite of my actions (ultimately against them), my mom and dad unfailingly and unconditionally loved me. I have no doubt that their love of me has served to further my understanding of how God so deeply and perfectly loves us.

As believers in Christ we all will have moments where we stumble and fail. Our natural inclination in these moments is to run away, hide and cover up our actions. Who wants to be exposed right? Yet these are the moments which ultimately reveal the maturity of our walk with Christ. I was listening to Matt Chandler last night and he said it very well:

"A mature believer stumbles and yet runs back to God which results in more worship. A immature believer stumbles, runs away from God and tries to clean up his/her actions. Hoping to earn what has already been freely given to them in Christ."

So often we focus our attention on our behavior rather than Christ. Ultimately we either fail again or manage to suppress (often temporarily) our behavior in our own strength. For those times where I am able to manage my behavior, I just serve to glory in me and convince myself that I don't need Christ. However, when I fail and run straight back to Christ, I prove that I understand the following:

1. I am completely unworthy in every regard.
2. I have a desperate and dire need of a Savior every second of my life.
3. I require Jesus to be my strength and my life constantly.
4. I am accepted and stand in grace with God because of Jesus alone.
5. I never lose God's approval of, or love for, me, even when I stumble or fail.

Five verses cement all of this:

    We have all become like one who is unclean,
       and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
   We all fade like a leaf,
       and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
(Isaiah 64:6 ESV)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
(Ephesians 2:13 ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
(Galatians 2:20-21 ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2 ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5:1-2 ESV)

So as believers, remember your identity in Christ and no matter what, run to Him. His arms are always open and ready to embrace you with His perfect love.

How He Loves (The Story)

2010-08-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

You may have heard the song "How He Loves" on David Crowder Band's 2009 LP, Church Music. It happens to be one of Hope's and my favorite songs. Little did I know that this was a cover on David Crowder Band's CD. The song was actually written by John Mark McMillan after one of his best friend's died in a car accident.

I have added two videos related to the John Mark McMillan song "How He Loves". The first is the story behind the song and the second is the song itself. ***One suggestion for both videos***: Click play, once the video starts click pause, and then let the video load (you'll see the time bar filling up in red as it loads). Once loaded, you can again click play. This will allow the video to play without interruption.

How He Loves (The Story)

How He Loves - John Mark McMillan

Dress Us Up (Song of the Day)

2010-08-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Time for another song of the day. Just discovered this artist named John Mark McMillan. Here is his song "Dress Us Up" from his album The Medicine. Guessing you all will like this song...let me know!

05 Dress Us Up by Du2you

Dress us up in your righteousness
Bring us in with a ring and a kiss
When you walk into the room you know I can't resist
Every bottle of perfume always ends up on the floor in a mess

You make us sparkle and you make us shine
Like the stars who sing on your chorus line
Through space and time we'll harmonize
Where deep meets deep like the ocean meets the sky

The sun and the moon
They come out of their grave just for you
The dead man and the cynical too
They're coming out of their grave
And it's just for you

Cause the love of God is stronger
The love of God is stronger
The love of God is stronger
Than the power of death

Dress us up in the blood of a son
Who opened up his veins so that we could overcome
Hell and the grave in the power of his love
After three dark days he showed us how it's done
And he still does

You make us sparkle and you make us shine
Like the stars who sing on your chorus line
Through space and time we'll harmonize
Where deep meets deep like the ocean meets the sky
Yeah

The sun and the moon
They come out of their grave just for you
The dead man and the cynical too
They're coming out of their grave
And it's just for you
Cause the love of God is stronger
The love of God is stronger
The love of God is stronger
Than the power of death

His love is stronger, his love is stronger, his love is stronger, his love is stronger
His love is stronger, his love is stronger, his love is stronger, his love is stronger

A New Era.

2010-08-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today is a bittersweet day as a parent. Our oldest daughter Selah started Kindergarten this morning. Although Selah is so ready for this new phase in her life, Hope and I are left wondering where the last 5 1/2 years have gone. Our youngest daughter Mercy is 11 months old, looks just like Selah at that same age, and is now wearing all of Selah's hand-me-downs. It seem like just yesterday that Selah was that little, and we can't help but feel a tinge of sadness knowing that try as we might, time cannot be paused. Hope said it well: There were lots of tears this morning, none of which were Selah's.

I guess as we enter this new era, I see why God has really been revealing to me more about fatherhood. Now is the time when being a dad really gets tough and yet holds such significant importance. Selah will now be spending over half of her time outside of our influence as parents. Although she will be receiving a Christ-centered education at school, it is absolutely imperative that she gets a Christ-centered foundation at home. And guess who is responsible and ultimately accountable for that: Dads! A huge, often times tough, and awesome privilege it is for sure.

Yet when we as Dads are living In Christ, being the spiritual leader to our family flows out of us naturally. If we are not living In Christ and instead find ourselves more focused on ourselves (read: my wants and my desires), our families will ultimately starve spiritually. Matt Chandler (a pastor in Texas) said it quite well: "You cannot feed your family if you are not getting fed yourself. You can't feed them because you are already starving yourself." God is teaching me that in order to feed my family spiritually, I will need to be in His word and on my knees every morning before the chaos of another day begins. Psalm 78: 3-4 shows us the significance and ultimately the result of being a father who teaches his children about the Lord:

things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children
but tell them to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

The Lord gifted Selah with such a big, compassionate, and loving heart. As a dad, I want to nourish and cherish that wonderful quality in her. Yet even more, my desire is to nuture in all of our kids a heart that intimately knows, loves, and seeks Jesus with a never-ending hunger. Selah, Judah, and Mercy will learn this truth by seeing the exact same desire in their dad. My prayer is that by watching my walk with the Lord, they will continually see and know that Christ alone is their All in All.

I love you Selah and am sooooo proud of you! - Love, Daddy

I Will Give You Rest.

2010-08-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hope and I read this the other night from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. It is the August 20th devotion titled "Christ-Awareness".

There is so much truth here and my prayer is that I would continually be more Christ-aware and less Derek-aware. By nature I want to fulfill my desires and focus on my wants. Yet I realize that by constantly looking at me, it only serves to increase my longing. So I continue to try to fill a void in my life with that which deep down I know will never fill that void. It is a constant cycle that will only leave me empty and exhausted. In contrast, when I focus on Christ, I realize that it is not about me but about getting to know the Lord of the universe in a deep and intimate way. When I am getting to truly know Him, only then do I find true rest and that longing in my life is satisfied with knowing Him.

Well, Oswald explains this much better than I can. I hope this brings you some encouragement today:

"...and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute.

A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.

If we try to overcome our self-awareness through any of our own commonsense methods, we will only serve to strengthen our self-awareness tremendously. Jesus says, “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest,” that is, Christ-awareness will take the place of self-awareness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest— the rest of the completion of activity in our lives that is never aware of itself.

We Used To Wait (Song of the Day)

2010-08-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

In case you were not aware, music is a passion of mine. I love examining the lyrics for truth and life lessons. With that being said, I am going to periodically post a 'song of the day'. I will try to always include the lyrics for your listening benefit. Or, I may just post the song because it is outstanding, period (read: no deep meaning).

Here is our first song of the day: Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait

This song has been in constant rotation and can be considered an addendum to my last post.

Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait

I used to write,
I used to write letters, I used to sign my name
I used to sleep at night
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain

But by the time we met
By the time we met the times had already changed

So I never wrote a letter
I never took my true heart I never wrote it down
So when the lights cut out
I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown

Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last

It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what’s stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive

We used to wait
We used to waste hours just walking around
We used to wait
All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown

We used to wait (X3)
Sometimes it never came
Sometimes it never came
Still moving through the pain

I’m gonna write a letter to my true love
I’m gonna sign my name
Like a patient on a table
I wanna walk again gonna move through the pain

Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last

We used to wait (X3)
Sometimes it never came
Sometimes it never came
Still moving through the pain

We used to wait for it
We used to wait for it
Now we’re screaming sing the chorus again

I used to wait for it
I used to wait for it
Hear my voice screaming sing the chorus again (X2)

Wait for it (x3)

I am a Modern Man.

2010-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

2010. What a fast world we live in. I heard someone say that the age we live in has all but rid us of the ability to wait. Whatever it is we may be seeking: information, resources, better health, wisdom, etc., we expect it instantaneously. I am as guilty of that as the next person. I don't want to spend 3 months working out and eating all plants just to lose 20 lbs. I want to wake up tomorrow morning and suddenly see that trim (and good-looking) guy whom I often imagine yet rarely visits. When I examine myself, I realize that many facets of my life encompass this attitude. I hate to admit it, but I am a modern man.

Frustratingly though, when I allow myself to fall into this modern mindset, I often miss what the Lord has designed for my life: A life that experiences true joy by waiting for Him to provide. But further, and here is the real key, a life that experiences true joy by waiting for Him to provide according to His timing. This is where the rubber meets the runway. I can talk all day about how God is my provider, but when it comes to truly waiting, I often lose patience and faith. But if I could take a step (or 500) back from my life, I would realize that God's timing is always perfect and is yet another act of His gracious love for me. By looking behind me, down the road of my life, I often discover that God had denied me one thing in order to provide another thing so much better. In my life, the best illustration is Hope, the wonderful girl I married...my partner for life. True joy was waited for and ultimately provided by God in the form of a women designed by Him specifically for me.

Yet for me, and I would guess most of us, I am a slow learner. I fail to see that what He may be holding back from me in the present is surely for my best interest going forward. Why would I want something other than what God has prepared? Do I remember and trust that truth every moment? No. But the Lord is surely roping off this section of my life and I intend to let Him have His way with me.

So have a listen to this new song by Arcade Fire, aptly title "Modern Man." It succinctly describes our modern mentality, which ultimately leaves us empty.

Arcade Fire - Modern Man

"Hail To The Lord's Anointed"

2009-08-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a great version of the old hymn (1821), "Hail To The Lord's Anointed", which was an adaptation of the 72nd Psalm. The song is by a band called The Welcome Wagon who are actually a pastor and wife from New York.

Click on the play icon below to listen to the song.

I hope the truth in this song encourages you and reminds you that Jesus alone is our Strong Tower and Defender.

Here are the lyrics:

Hail to the Lord's Anointed,
great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free;
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.

He comes with succor speedy
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
are precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains,
shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains,
from hill to valley flow.

To him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever;
His name alone is love.

The Welcome Wagon - Hail To The Lord's Annointed

The Grace of Uncertainty

2009-07-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

When I look at a waterfall, I love to put my eye on one little section of water at the top and follow it with my eyes as it makes the plunge to the bottom. Someone once said that is a true picture of surrender. Sometimes I will see the water almost laughing as it comes down and sprays out over the precipice -the abandonment seems to bring joy!

One of my favorite authors said that 'certainty is the mark of the commonsense life.' We love certainty, precise planning, knowing, and most of all we love control. Do I realize that is all part of the 'commonsense life' and it just seems that our life in Christ is pretty much the opposite of that. It is a life of abandonment, surrender, and trust; it is a life of gracious uncertainty.

But the key is the grace of uncertainty. Suddenly, without an iota of warning, we can find ourselves in that place of not knowing, the place where the rubber hits the road -'ok, Joanie, just what do you believe? It is a place where black ink on paper jumps to life and becomes real. 'Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war rise against me, in this I will be confident...for in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in the secret place of His shelter.'

When my emotions are on a run-away train, still, do I know Whom I believe? I am in a place where this has gotten intensely personal...so, now, Lord -as you give me Your grace in this uncertainty -do I believe You when circumstances seems to push even You to Your limits? Maybe it is only then I realize that You are the limitless One and I am at rest.

Inseparable

2009-07-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all kinds of trouble we face throughout this life, there is only one place to turn for true lasting peace: Jesus. He is our sustainer and our comfort and His love for us is perfect in every way. As we find ourselves consumed by worry, it will do us good to remember that God does not, cannot, and will not forget. That is to say, God has each and every detail of our lives securely held in His mighty hands.

As you go through the inevitable storms of life, know that you are inseparable from His love and His firm grasp. Jesus will NEVER let you go!!!

Here is an entry from one of my favorite devotionals, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:35

God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says - "I will be with him in trouble." It does not matter what actual troubles in the most extreme form get hold of a man's life, not one of them can separate him from his relationship to God. We are "more than conquerors in all these things." Paul is not talking of imaginary things, but of things that are desperately actual; and he says we are super-victors in the midst of them, not by our ingenuity, or by our courage, or by anything other than the fact that not one of them affects our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. Rightly or wrongly, we are where we are, exactly in the condition we are in. I am sorry for the Christian who has not something in his circumstances he wishes was not there.

"Shall tribulation . . . ?" Tribulation is never a noble thing; but let tribulation be what it may - exhausting, galling, fatiguing, it is not able to separate us from the love of God. Never let cares or tribulations separate you from the fact that God loves you.

"Shall anguish . . . ?" - can God's love hold when everything says that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?

"Shall famine . . . ?" - can we not only believe in the love of God but be more than conquerors, even while we are being starved?

Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver and Paul is deluded, or some extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God's character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things. Only one thing can account for it - the love of God in Christ Jesus. "Out of the wreck I rise" every time.

A Game of Blokus Anyone?

2009-06-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we learned this addicting new board game called Blokus. The gist of this 4-player game revolves around the strategic placement of various shapes in an effort to both consume your own and block the placement of your opponent's. The game is played on a square board divided into 20 rows and 20 columns, for a total of 400 squares. Each player has 21 various shapes made up of one to five squares. When play begins, each player must place their first shape in one of the board's four corners. On subsequent turns, each shape must be placed so that it touches at least one piece of the same color, with only corner-to-corner contact allowed—edges cannot touch. The game ends when either a person uses all their shapes or no more moves can be made by any player. If no player has used all of their shapes, then each players counts their remaining squares. The person with the least amount of squares is the winner. It is one of those games that from the surface looks quite simple yet is chock full of strategy.

There is one aspect of Blokus that I find particularly interesting. During the game players carefully plan out each move, paying close attention to how each of their shapes will fit on the board as they proceed forward. Many times this planning goes for naught as other players block your path across the board. These blocks make the game particularly challenging (and frustrating) because you had thoughtfully mapped out the perfect plan to utilize all of your shapes and win the game. But here is the fascinating part. Sometimes the block of other players will be to your benefit several moves later. All of a sudden, you will recognize a whole new path that was not initially apparent. What was once frustrating and challenging now rewards in a way not thought possible. Ironically, your opponent was the one who opened this new pathway.

Blokus can be a nifty parallel to our own lives. We plan, and we plan, and we plan some more. We convince ourselves (and we are pretty persuasive too) that we are in control and have mapped out the perfect plans for our lives. Hey, we know our heart's desires and identify that which is most favorable for us. For that reason, we deem ourselves as most qualified to arrange our own lives accordingly. It is a trap in to which we all fall. To the contrary, when we are identified with Christ, we learn to allow the Lord to live His life through us. To that end, we lay all of our hopes, dreams, and desires before Christ's feet and travel down a road that He has cleared. Much easier said than done, I will be the very first to admit. Yet, as we begin to surrender our plans to Jesus, He will sometimes block the paths we are heading down. It is during these times that we are most prone to argue with God. We want to know why, especially when our plans seemed so appropriate to us and maybe even to those around us. Still, God may not immediately reveal to us the why of our interrupted but seemingly good intentions. Similar to the game of Blokus, the paths God blocks will many times channel us into something more rewarding and profitable to us. We then look back on our life and see God's hand orchestrating each and every detail and realize He is the One truly in control.

In my own life this is so evident. I would not have my wonderful wife and amazing kids nor a career that fits me to a tee had God not intervened in a way only He could devise. As I reminisce about these things I thank the Lord that He is control and not me. Knowing that the Lord will certainly block numerous plans in my future, I hope that I will remember that He is faithful and therefore fully surrender all my desires to His perfect plan. I should say that the Lord will still block certain paths even when we are not surrendered. But when we consciously lay every detail of our life before the Lord, it is all the more evident Who is doing the blocking-The One and only Who is qualified to be our All in All.

In essence: God blocks, we trust, God leads.

Here are three verses that sufficiently drive this point home:

He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness.
- Job 19:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
-Proverbs 3:6

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
-Isaiah 42:16

2009-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

Unveiled by Grace...hmmm - catchy title, Derek. What IS this thing called grace, anyway?
Can I get to the bottom of it ever or really understand it?

Paul talked about abounding grace; Peter mentioned the God of all grace. I wonder if I have a working definition of grace or it is just another word from my 'evangelical' vocabulary? I love the idea of a blog so that we can think outloud-or just think. Since Derek asked me to do this blog with him, the rusty wheels are trying to move!!

Audrey sent me a graceful gift of grace...You are speaking, Lord! Guess I will join you, Derek, in a journey of being further unveiled by grace! Good thing we will have lots of posts coming and maybe guest 'posters' to explore this grace, grace, God's grace!

to be continued...

Unveiled By Grace

2009-06-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Are you surrounded by walls of your own construction?
Is your identity ever changing?
Are you solely living to meet the approval of those around you?
Does the world daily make its orbit around you?
Are you ready for a new migration?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then you, like me, are learning an important truth to life:

"It Ain't About Me and My Life".

The more we focus on ourselves the more miserable we become. At some point in our journey, we must realize that it will require something apart from ourselves to set us free. Once this happens, and the attention on our own universe wanes, it is imperative that we learn the essential truth in life:

"It Is All About Jesus and His Life In and Through Me."

"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Col. 1:27

Surrender to Jesus every facet of you.
Allow Jesus to raze every wall that surrounds you.
Watch as your life is unveiled by Grace.