Basking in His Glory

I want you to imagine that you grew up in a culture where they believed in a god that was considered a single, solitary, figure. All that you could really know about this divine being was that it was completely set apart from you. In order to appease this god you would need to offer ritualistic sacrifices, follow through with the traditions of your people, and do everything possible to ensure that you did not give it any reason to rail down judgement upon your family or nation. This culture does not allow for much freedom. You constantly live by a list of do's and don'ts. Just to make sure that you stay in line, there is a group of people that has been given the authority to keep you in check. You constantly live in fear. Although you are grateful that your life has been preserved, and that your nation has been blessed, you never really know what could happen next.

Now I want you to imagine that someone steps into that culture that talks about God quite differently. He seems to have some real insight. You listen as He deconstructs everything you believed to be true. He offers a completely new way of life and a new understanding of God. He talks about love, forgiveness, mercy, and abundant life. Can you trust Him? Can God (whom He calls Father) be as good as He claims? Can you change the way you believe?

I want you to imagine these things because they can't even come close to describing the beauty, the wonder, and the mystery of the Gospel.

Over the last 20+ years, I have dedicated my life to studying, understanding, and communicating the Good News. I have looked into the different theories regarding atonement, salvation, reconciliation, and redemption. I have sought to understand them to the best of my ability. However, with all of my studying, I just don't get it. It just seems to me that the Father is so far removed from the caricature of Him that we painted in our understanding. We discover in the Abba of Jesus the Creator and Lover of all life. We are introduced to a truly Merciful, Compassionate, and Good God who longs to reconcile us to Himself. Does that make any sense?

Could you in your wildest dreams imagine a God who would stoop down to our level?
Could you you even consider God being this good?
Could we have conjured up a God who was willing to take our abuse, our rejection, and our absolute denial of Him and still offer us life?
Could it be that God is nothing like we have imagined?
If this is true. If God is completely different than we have imagined. Then maybe there are a lot of things that we have misunderstood.

George MacDonald put it this way (a friend of mine just shared this quote with me):
"How did it even come to be imagined? It sprang from the dread of those that can't believe in the forgiveness of the Father; can't believe that even God will do something for nothing; can't trust Him without a legal arrangement to bind Him. How many, failing to trust God, fall back on a text, as they call it! It sprang from the pride of those who try to understand what they can't, before they will obey what they see. Those who try to understand first will believe a lie; a lie that only obedience can deliver them from. To anyone who says, 'But I believe what you despise,' I would say, To believe it is your punishment for being able to believe it; you can call it your reward if you want. You ought not be able to believe it."

If the Gospel has lost its wonder, it may be time to lose our rationalization and simply bask in its glory.

"We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy we kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...
THAT HE LOVES US!" ~ John Mark McMillan

Our Confidence in the Lord

Proverbs 15:16, "Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it."
Sounds easy enough. But what is our practice in life? Have we discovered the contentment that comes with knowing Him?

Solomon had about everything that he could possibly want. He was known for the riches he possessed, the wisdom that he carried, the peace within his kingdom, and the blessings that abounded within his life. However, I believe that Solomon discovered that true contentment was not found in having everything you could want. He (the Father) is our greatest joy in life.

Obviously this was a lesson that he learned from David. It's a lesson that most fathers should pass down to their sons. It is a way of life that does not pursue great possessions over the contentment of life. If there is one thing that I have experienced, it's that knowing HIM is the greatest treasure in life. Regardless of what my come, of whatever my lot may be, God is a strong tower.

How often do we read these words without understanding the fullness contained within them? A strong tower may not mean much to those who dwell in a land of peace, but to those who have endured warfare it can mean life and death. This is a way the psalmists would often express the confidence, the security, and the comfort of knowing that God was with them. The joy the experienced in life did not come from great wealth. It was not the abundance of possessions that brought them peace. It was the respect, honor, admiration, and high esteem of the Father that made all the difference.

Someone in our family just had an experience that I believe is worth sharing. During a visit to the Bank, she backed into another vehicle with her brand new car. There wasn't a whole lot of damage. Just a few scratches to remember the moment. However, the whole episode was very upsetting. When the driver of the other car emerged from the Bank, she was met with apologies and deep regret. When our family member had finished her apologies, the driver of the other car had other concerns. "I have cancer from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Treatment has caused my hair, and my teeth, to fall out. I have only been given a few weeks. I'm not concerned about that car."

Talk about a change in perspective!!! In this one moment, concerns over worldly possessions were trumped by the brevity of life. With what little time this other lady possessed, she knew that a car did not add one ounce of joy (or time) to her life. Unfortunately, for too many people, it takes something like disease to allow us to see things clearly.

It's quite different from Solomon's experience (or David's), but the Proverb holds true. I can have all the possessions of the world, along with the turmoil that comes with it, and never discover contentment in life. You see, with great wealth comes great concern. Winning the lottery doesn't mean that all my problems fade away. Inheriting a great sum of money doesn't mean that I will find peace. Our life finds its meaning in knowing Him. I could possess very little from this world and yet have everything I need in Him.

The Apostle Paul talked about this dynamic in life as well. What he discovered in Christ was the contentment to be full or hungry, to have everything or to be in want. Regardless of what this life threw at him, he knew that Christ would strengthen him. Within the person of the Lord, Paul discovered everything he needed for life and godliness. He knew how to work. He knew how to trust. He knew when to go after something. He knew how to wait. All of this made possible through His relationship with the Father, through the Son, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Many people have said this much better than I ever could. However, I want us to find this contentment in our own life. I want us to see that our relationship with our Heavenly Father as the greatest thing we could ever possess. It's the discovery of our life within His that allows us to find joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of chaos, and strength in the midst of weakness. It is our walking with Him that allows us the confidence to go through life with all of the ups and downs. It's His heart for us, our children, our relationships that gives us the knowledge that He can work all things for our good. It's the finished work of Christ that gives us the security of knowing that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus.

This does not mean that we cannot hope or work for a better life. It simply means that whatever we encounter, we find the best in it because He is with us. The Lord is not outside of our joys or sorrows. He is not looking on while we top the mountain or go down into the valley. He is with us every step of the way. Our success and our failures are secure in Him, for it is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being. As I type these words, I sit in my living room. I don't have to believe in the room. I don't have to trust that this room is real. I simply exist within it. When we realize that our life is IN HIM, it's the same approach. I don't have to believe it to make it true. I don't have to trust it to make it reality. I simply exist within the reality. The more persuaded I become about this reality, the greater my experience of it. This is my life based upon this reality. There is no whim of separation. I no longer see God as outside of the equation of my life. I find Him here and I discover that He is enough.

The reality of His presence with me is not up for argument. He has promised, and He will not fail. The Holy Spirit within me is the guarantee of this life. This keeps me from superstition. This keeps me from seeing material things as a sign that He is with me. This keeps me from becoming performance oriented. This allows me to rest in His goodness, and gives me the confidence that I shall see His goodness in the land of the living. This is my journey with Him, and He is faithful.

Your Transformation

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, then you have read my thoughts on Romans 12:2 about being transformed by the renewing of you mind. However, I don't know that I have ever shared it from today's perspective. I pray these words will be life changing for you.

The Earth is waiting, groaning, for the sons of God to be revealed. Unfortunately, for the Earth, this has been a LONG process. According to Scripture, the Earth's liberation is tied to ours. The reason I said "unfortunately" in regards to the Earth's waiting is because we have struggled to understand our own transformation.

If you were to do a Google image search of the word metamorphosis, you would see an image of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. This transformation has been the one image that has been associated the most to the change we read about in Romans. What we have failed to recognize is that within that caterpillar's DNA is everything that is needed to become a butterfly. It's not a change from without but a change from within. The cocoon is simply a resting place for this metamorphosis to take place.

The majority of people that I know who have taken Romans 12:2 to heart have tried to apply the principle and have waited to become someone completely different. What they have missed is that the transformation is becoming who they have always been. The revealing of the sons of God is simply the children of God coming into maturity. It's a realization of who they have always been. It's all about learning to rest in the finished work of Christ - the cocoon - so that we may become.

The separation language that has long been a part of the church's vocabulary has fostered this misunderstanding. We have failed to recognize that any separation from the Father has been held within our own thoughts. Think about how we handle Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden. Many have viewed this act of God as punishment, but the Bible teaches that it was for our preservation. He still believed His creation was good. He would continue to seek out that goodness within us. Jesus would come to recover it.

As I type these words, an episode of The Waltons plays in the background. This particular episode is titled, "The Sinner." In this episode the Waltons are housing a young minister. As he practices his sermon in the front yard with the children present, he begins to tell them how putrid and how sinful they are. While he goes on with this damning dissertation, John (the Dad) calls him out. He will not allow the heads of his children to be filled with this nonsense. Every time I see this episode I want to stand up and shout "AMEN!!!" These are good children. Created in the image and likeness of God. Their minds can be molded. John does not want them to see themselves in any other light. Neither do I.

What if your transformation is actually becoming who He created you to be?
What if the change is to release yourself from the false identity that has been created outside of relationship with the Father?
What if, hidden within your DNA, is everything you need?
I believe it is. I believe what you long to experience in life is the liberty of the sons of God. Free to live. Free to love. Free to enjoy life in its fullness. Free to be completely available to everyone in your life. Free to enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Father. All made possible through Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

The Earth awaits your revealing. Enjoy the journey!!!

Individualized Christianity...

Individualized Christianity...
It's in our songs. It's in our writings. It's our most basic approach to spiritual life in America. It's even celebrated in many of our church cultures. However, it is foreign to the faith we see in the New Testament. While reading through the Gospels and early church letters, you may come across an individual's experience but the majority of these writings contain words like you, yours, and ours. When the biblical writers wanted to convey the finished work of Christ, they would say that He died for OUR sins. Does this make any difference? I believe it does.

The Koinonia (what the English translated as fellowship) of the church, was/is built upon SHARED life and a SHARED experience of the Lord. Within this culture, we discover what it means to be a family in the faith. All growth happens within the incubator of relationship. Terms like Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Brother, and Sister find their meaning. We begin to see ourselves as a part of something much bigger. AND that is what makes all the difference.

Individualized Christianity makes the church all about us. It exists to meet our needs. Whatever happens there (the building), happens for me. It's a very Western, uniquely American, brand of Christianity. The focus is upon the individual rather than the whole. How does the music affect me? How does the preaching/teaching affect me? How does the schedule, ministries, and meetings fit me? While I understand American culture, and our way of life, this type of approach moves us out of a body mentality into an individual member mentality.

I actually began thinking about some of this on Sunday...during worship. I noticed that one of the songs had quite a bit of personal reflection. It often talked about "my" _______________________, and "my" ______________. Thinking of the Gospel as a message to the masses, I began to sing about "our" _____________, and "our" ______________. This slight pronoun change absolutely wrecked me. As I sang these words, I felt the Father's heart. A heart that beats for the entire world. In that moment I began to realize how often the Holy Spirit longs for us to recognize the Father's gift to US. The Bible does say, "For God so loved the world..." He desperately wants to reveal "the surpassing richness of His grace in kindness towards US..." The more I sang about what He accomplished for US rather than just me, the more I felt His heartbeat. I could feel His compassion for the world. I could see how our uniquely individual Christianity has hindered us in conveying the Father's intentions.

This should not have come as a surprise. I've known for some time now how we have missed out on the Koinonia (the shared life). I just didn't realize how many of us are climbing the spiritual ladder of success all by ourselves. "Our" faith makes a huge difference in how I grow. I can no longer be content with becoming a spiritual giant. There is a cry within me to bring others along in the journey. I can no longer be content with the church just being an entity that is present to meet my needs. NO!!! I now see that I have a part to play. I now see that whatever I experience in the Lord is meant to help others, and their experience is meant to help me. I need these people. I want to be a part of their lives.

In Koinonia, there are no spiritual ladders to climb. There are no spiritual hoops to jump through. I find myself in relationship, and in this place of relationship is where I am safe to become. It's here among the sons and daughters that I see the Lord so vividly. I experience different aspects of His nature. I grow. I share. I move freely. I hear His laughter, I sing His songs, and I discover the grace needed to be conformed into His image. This fellowship, this community, is where true leaders (true fathers) emerge. They don't stand out to be placed on a platform. They don't grow so they can create a following. Their maturity in the Lord is meant to bring others along. It's real, relational, and revolutionary. In it I see a picture of Jesus with His disciples. I see their life together. I hear their questions. I feel their anticipation as they move our of "discipleship mode" into "apostle mode." All of that time spent with Him, now coming to fruition. Then they turn to others and create the same culture. "Come and walk with me..." And the world is turned upside down.

You are an individual. Nothing can take that away from you. However, if you truly want to become all that God has created you to become, you need relationship. You need to learn how to do life together. You need to come out of the individualized version of Christianity and step into the Koinonia of the Body of Christ. It is here that you will learn of Him. You will see Him in the midst of these people. You will discover Him within you on a greater level because they will pull Him to the surface. This is where the advance of the Kingdom gets it's foothold. In you...in them. Let the journey begin!!!

ALL IN...ALL THE TIME

I've said it before, and I will say it again: TOO MUCH of our (the church's) Gospel presentation has focused on the future rather than experiencing the present reality now. Jesus is not a travel agent that ensures we reach the destination. He came to give life in all of its fullness. What this mentality has created is a Christianity that is so future driven the we miss out on life all around us.

"Where ever you are, be all there." It's a simple statement, but I wonder how many people actually live it out? How many of us are ALL IN, ALL THE TIME? Do we find ourselves holding back? Do we only invest a certain part of ourselves into every relationship or encounter? What can really happen when we are fully present?

I'm discovering in my relationships the validity of this type of living. If I'm all in, then I invite others to be all in with me. It raises relationships to a whole new level. I accept them. I see them. I hear them. It's all a part of the culture of honor that I carry within me. A culture that chooses to see people the way the Lord sees them. I acknowledge Him in them. I can do this because I have done it for myself.

Being all in means that I am confident in my own identity. While I recognize my imperfections, I also recognize that it's part of the journey. Imagine if you will that a child is trying to learn how to walk. What happens when they stumble and fall? Do you say, "Well...you are just a crawler & there is nothing you can do about it"? Or do you help them up, move out in front of them, and encourage them to step forward? Why do we ever stop doing this as it relates to identity? I may stumble. I may fall. But I hear the Lord calling out to my identity and He says "Keep Coming!"

How does this relate to my statement about a destination driven Christianity?
If it's only about the destination then I really don't have to become anything. I don't have to grow. I don't have to be all in. I can sit idly by and wait for my time to come. Not only that, but this method of sharing the Gospel actually produces death bed confession of Christ rather than people encountering the Lord at a young age and walking with Him throughout life. AND that is my issue.

"I HAVE COME that they may have LIFE and that LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY" - Jesus

Imagine the people around you fully alive and fully present. Can you even fathom the love, the security, the joy, and the peace of that existence? Maybe this is the reality of life that we are missing. Maybe this type of living is what the world is looking for from us. There are no masks. There is no need for hypocrisy. There is no need for charades. People fully alive, embracing the journey, and seeing one another for who they are in Christ. This is the community that I want to take part in. This is where I choose to live.

This weekend I encourage you to do just that. Be fully present with those around you. Don't be distracted with other things. Don't think you have to hide who you are. Embrace who you are in Him, who they are in Him, and be amazed at His presence with you.

As I close out the blog for today, I want you to know that I will not be writing for a few days. I'm taking some personal time away from the blog, but I will be back within a week. Oh...as you head into Valentine's weekend, make sure everyone around you knows how loved they are. Enjoy the journey. Talk with you soon.

In Plain Sight

In the latest movie version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter (played by Ben Stiller) sets out to find a photographer (Sean Penn) in an effort to recover a missing photograph ("The Quintessence of Life"). This decision by the main character turns into an adventurous pursuit, only to discover that what he was looking for was near him all the time. A great reminder for each of us. How easy it is to miss what is hiding in plain sight.

A.W. Tozer once said, "Every age has its own characteristics, right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us." It is my opinion that religion has taken something that should be as natural as breathing, and turned it into an exercise in futility. As more and more people leave the church, we must begin to understand what is taking place. Many of these people are NOT rejecting Christ, they simply don't agree with our version of life in Him.

I want you to consider for a moment how religion has affected our faith. This is what people tend to hear:
Have to...
Must do...
Should have...
Don't do...

This, of course, is radically different from the words of Jesus:
Come to Me...
Learn of Me...
Walk with Me...
Abide in Me...

The point that I'm trying to make is that Jesus operated on a much simpler platform than the religious leaders of His day. Could it be that He operates much different from ours today?

Grab hold of this:
Jesus said that LOVE fulfilled all the commandments.
Paul taught that love was/is a better way.
The Apostle John talked about God's love being perfected among us.
Leave it to the Father to give us something so simple that we would underestimate its value. Leave it to the Abba of Jesus to hide something in plain sight. These words (and this mandate of love) have been around for centuries, and we have yet to see the impact they could have in the world.

The more I mature in my faith, the more I realize that love is the greatest agent of change in the Earth. Love is the greatest form of discipleship, the greatest means of evangelism, and the truest form of holiness. The Bible tells us that God is LOVE. Therefore, LOVE is the likeness that we carry. It's this likeness that we should be growing into. This likeness that will ultimately conform us into the image of the Son. This likeness that carries with it the abundant life that Jesus promised. It may sound crazy, but growing in the love of God produces the greatest results in our lives.

I have discovered that the more I'm aware of God's love for me, the more aware I become of God's love for others. The more I can see myself as someone who is loved outrageously, the more aware I sense this love the Father has for the rest of His creation. If the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus point to anything, it's this: Humanity is completely loved by God.

Let the naysayers begin:
Love is to simplistic to be that effective.
Love is just an emotion.
If we just love everybody then nobody will change.
Really? Do we honestly believe that love is that weak? Do we really believe that love is impotent? What changed your life if it wasn't the love of God?

You see...that's where we miss it. We forget that it was the love of God for us that got our attention. The goodness of God that leads to repentance has been replaced by the judgement of God that leads to a fear filled Christianity. We speak so much on the "things of God" that we assume, rather than focus on the nature of God that we know. The Father believed that it was His love for humanity that would make a difference. Jesus embodied that belief. The Father demonstrated His love so perfectly that even when we failed to believe Christ died for us. Even when the masses rejected Him, the Father did not reject us.

Love - hiding in plain sight - hidden within earthen vessels - can truly make a difference. May it be said of the Church, that the world has experienced the love of God because they experienced us.

Living Epistles

As I read the Bible, I notice that the Apostles handled things so much differently than we do today. While that statement may not be a shocker, the emphasis that we place upon the world to live as we do is not found anywhere in the epistles of the New Testament. Instead, what you do find, is the constant reminder that the church lives and looks different than the rest of the world.

Does the phrase "living epistles" mean anything to you? It was a statement that Paul used to describe the way in which we live. Living, breathing, letters written by the Holy Spirit for the world to read. Letters filled with the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit. Letters that are meant to point people to true and abiding life. Rather than trying to legislate morality to the world, our focus should be to exemplify a better way.

When Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus, he reminded them not to walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. Their understanding was darkened due to their hardness of heart. It's a simple reminder that people who do not know the Lord live accordingly. However, we on the other hand should live quite differently. Our understanding is not darkened but enlightened. Our hearts are not hardened but are wide open to the Lord to reveal Himself. If we constantly focus upon the world living as we do, then we need to ensure that we are providing a lifestyle worth emulating.

The idea of legislating morality to the rest of the world is very Pharisaical in nature. It provides a platform for works righteousness. It also creates a community of Law givers & Law keepers. The flip side of that means that there is also a group of Law breakers. And Law breakers must be dealt with accordingly.

What if there is a better way? What if Jesus didn't provide a new standard of holiness but simply a better way of life? A life that is not invested in rule keeping but a life empowered by His Spirit. A life that is not ruled by our emotions (or our flesh) but a life that is governed by the awareness of Him. That's the beauty of our inclusion. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. We don't point people to the letter of the Law but to the indwelling reality of Him in us. His love, His peace, His joy, and His holiness is already a part of our lives. As we live in this reality, we are inviting people to know the Lord in their own lives as well. We change our focus from trying to get the world to live as we do and place our focus upon Him in us. This means that our way of discipleship changes as well. Rather than trying to place an outward standard on people's lives, we help them to see the reality of Christ within them.

The emphasis of the Bible is on how the people of faith live their lives. In the days of the Old Testament, the Hebrew people realized that other nations did not have their understanding of God. When they entered these nations, they were reminded to carry their standards. In the New Testament we see this same application. We don't walk as the rest of the world but we invite them to walk with us. As their minds are enlightened to this new and living way, and as their hearts are opened to the Lord, then we can expect to see a dramatic change. This is the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. Our lives becomes the parchment where the living God writes His story. We are a testimony of His love, His goodness, and His uniqueness (which is another way of describing holiness).

We are not teaching a New Old Covenant. Our standard is not performance based. The greatest work we can do is to renew our minds in the truth of who He is, who He is in us, and who we are in Him; enjoying the transformation that comes from His indwelling life. We are not Law keepers or Law makers. We are the manifest Sons of God in the Earth. We are what the creation longs to see. As we grow in this reality, not only are we continually being set free from all things that are not Him, we are releasing the rest of creation to do the same. We don't need to legalism to keep us in check, and we don't need liberalism to expand our definitions. Instead, we allow the Holy Spirit to dictate into our lives so that we continually become all that we were created to be.

With all of that being said, the church still has plenty to do. All of the social issues that the church quickly tries to legislate are just as prevalent within our walls. New laws will not fix the problem. A people walking in their identity will.

Think about this: If the life and ministry of Jesus could create such a longing in the lives of the broken, the destitute, and the outcasts; what can our lives do? As we learn to live in our mirror image (we behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord), people see His reflection in us. Then He becomes the agent of change within their lives and within our communities. As we learn to deepen the Koinonia of the church, people are invited into a shared life of everything that is in Him. We are His masterpiece - His symphony within the Earth. As living epistles we give the rest of the world a glimpse into the goodness of our Father. They read of Him, see Him, and experience Him through us. They know His love because we love. They encounter His joy because the joy of the Lord is our strength. They feel His peace because His peace is so real in us. What if the church became a Tsunami of His glory throughout the Earth and people simply get caught in the wave? That, to me, sounds like the Acts church. Sweeping transformation. Revival within nations. People being changed from glory to glory.

This is not a political movement but it will change politics.
This is not social justice but it will enact changes within our society.
This is not about creating new laws but it will raise a standard within all of our lives.
This is a move of living epistles allowing His story to unfold in their lives. People will be touched. Lives will be changed. And the knowledge of the Lord will increase in the land. On Earth as it is in Heaven.

He is Jealous for Me

The thought occurred to me today that God is not in competition. How could He be? While it may be true that we can be distracted from time to time, I honestly believe the Lord understands. Over the last few years, I have come to realize that God is not jealous of my family, my relationships, my work, or my play. He may be jealous for me, but He's not jealous of me. Instead, He patiently waits for me to discover Him in the midst of all these things.

God's jealousy is so different from ours. Our jealousy tends to be rooted in selfishness, insecurity, and fear. When the Bible says that "God is a jealous God", we need to realize that He is not operating out of these things. His jealousy is rooted in all consuming love. He desperately wants for us to know Him, to feel Him, and to walk in everything He has provided. For us to live in anything less provokes this jealousy. And this jealousy turns into a relentless pursuit of us.

I wonder how many people have ever considered God's jealousy in this way? If your view of God is wrapped up in many of the Old Testament descriptions, then you have probably never seen the Father in this light. Much of the imagery of God in those days is one of anger, hostility, and even destruction. While I believe that these men were inspired, I don't believe every depiction of God is accurate considering that Jesus changed so much of it. Instead, the God we see revealed in the life of Jesus is One of outrageous love, incredible mercy, and amazing grace. A loving Father who would cross all worlds to come to us. A Father who would stop at nothing to ensure that we know who we were always designed to be. A Father who is so jealous for us that He would endure humiliation, shame, and even death to reach us in the midst of our darkness. We are not dealing with the god of our vain imaginations anymore. We are seeing the Abba of Jesus. The One in whom we live, and move, and have our being.

This God is not separated from us. He is not on the outside waiting for an invitation. He's on the inside waiting to be acknowledged. All the while He is drawing us, pursuing us, and awakening us to this reality. Discovering Him in the midst of life is one of our greatest joys. Seeing Him in family, in relationships, in work, and in play brings everything to a whole new level. The more I affirm this reality in my own life, the greater my awareness of Him. He is not far from anyone of us. It's His grace that makes this life possible. It's His steadfast love that allows Him to trust us for the discovery.

The Father pursues us - not out of anger but out of love.
He reaches out to us - not out of displeasure but out of compassion.
He speaks to us - not out of condemnation but out of assurance.
The jealousy of God is pure. There is no self-seeking in it whatsoever. He's just madly in love with His creation. He wants us to experience the best of life and He knows it is all wrapped up in Him.

This is eternal life according to Jesus. That we may know Him - the One true God. And that we may know Jesus Christ whom He sent. Enjoy the journey!!!