I was thinking this morning about what the Word says God is.  It says, He is “Love!”  This lover of the universe who was God became man to bring the truth to undo sin's impact upon our lives.  Listen to His loving words, 1Thes. 4:13-14 Message, "And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will bring those who have died in Jesus, back home."

 I love the Story!  The Bible says we were named before time.  We existed as a created spirit being oriented and in total understanding of the image we bore, that of Love.  Satan was cast out of Heaven and the War began between 2 Kingdoms in a garden.  The Kingdom of God with the Kingdom of Satan.  It was not about Adam and Eve, they were used in the War to  birth sin.

Sin’s assignment was to separate man from God and dehabilitate Love.  And then in time, we were called into a physical body where our state of being, ground in love was lost because of sin.  At conception, death and sin weaved it’s way through our thinking, instincts, actions and reactions losing who we were intended to be.  Understanding and the ability to live in the power of this love was lost. 

Being totally deceived, independence became the over riding trait of mankind.  We truly believed we could fix anything and make it all by ourselves.  But the day finally came when we collided with our Creator, a Loving Father who sent His Son to pay the debt of our sin, to dehabilitate sin and death’s grip upon us.  At that time we were called us into a spiritual body, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Out of the riches of His grace, love and mercy, this Loving Father made us alive in Christ.  Old things pasted away and we were made new in Jesus, and began to discover Who We Are!!

We have been captured by the Relentless Lover of the Universe to become the Lover that touches and impacts all the lives He brings into our lives.

 

This process of being rehabilitated may seem slow, but do not despair, this Loving Father will restore, transform and establish you to live life fully alive, driven by a love that reflects the relentless tenderness of the image we bare.

This Loving Father says, Isa. 41:10, “fear not, for I am with you; Do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you in your difficult times, yes I will help you.   I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand.”

Love Never Fails!

Carol and I have been reading 1 Cor. 13 giving us a fresh picture of God’s love for us which says, Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.

The teachings we grew up with depicted the Holy Spirit as being easily hurt and offended and that God was mostly angry where He gave us an offer we could not refuse: “Turn or burn!”  He has to be short tempered, or we might just go out and sin.  We’ve wonder many times if Christians found out hell was officially closed, how many would really choose a relationship with God.  But we read 1 Cor. 13 and discover a loving God that always gives a second chance to the end!

We were also taught to use the name of Jesus and Scripture in an effort to “legally” force God to follow through with what He said He would do for me.  Sermons many times seemed to be “How To” teachings regarding provoking God to answer and bless us.

Have you ever been in a church service where the speaker said, “The Spirit of God is in this room?”  Many times we felt the audience didn’t know whether to be sensitive, careful to not hurt the Spirit or be careful to not make God angry.  Biggest problem was so many went home disappointed.

Have you ever been made to feel that if you don’t pay your tithe you can’t ever expect God to hear you let alone answer your prayers?  God would never take something as beautiful as giving and force it into something mechanical.  Your Father doesn’t need to be provoked into helping you; He finds personal pleasure continually blessing the ones He loves.

Be encouraged today.  God will never turn His face from you!  His eyes are constantly on you in loving affirmation.  To even say that God would turn from you is an anti-Christ mentality.  It denies the work of Christ on the cross.  It will simply never happen.  Don’t ever worry that God is not watching over you.  You are everything to Him!  Nothing you ever do will cause Him to be provoked and turn away from you.

The Holy Spirit is focused on your heart.  He is sensitive because He is sensitive to you.  Don’t ever worry about hurting His feelings.  He is secure, and He loves you, and love is not easily provoked.

When we speak Vangela, Brock or Sasha’s name, it erupts with power the moment it leaves my lips.  Even though they are not here, we can hear their voices the moment their namea are spoken.  We can feel their hair in our hands and smell their breath as if they were standing right before us.  Their names has the power within it because of our relationship.  Before we had them, their names meant nothing.  It was just another name among millions.  But once we knew them personally, it exploded with meaning and power.

The name of Jesus is much the same way.  It was never meant to be used as a bobby pin to pick a lock in the spiritual realm, or as a clove of garlic to ward off vampires.  Its power is contingent upon relationship.  Only in relationship can the essence of Jesus hit the air when the name is spoken from your lips.

The same is true with faith.  As we exercise faith, it becomes aroma of our relationship, not keys to get what we want.  Believe it or not, when your name is spoken by God, it explodes with power in the same way.  God does not use things like your job, your children, and your marriage as tools to manipulate you to greater performance.  The power comes from relationship.  Faith viewed through the lens of love and relationship will come to be more than you ever dreamed, something beautiful and life-changing.  Never again will you worry about God’s being easily provoked because that’s 1 Cor. 13.

We Love You, Paul and Carol

Born to Join the Dance!

Every once in a while something crosses my mind and leaves me breathless.  One of those breath taking ideas is definitely the Trinity; the belief that God is One and Three, Three and One all at the same time.  Trying to grasp this concept stretches me beyond myself into the supernatural or into the mystical.  Thinking about the Trinity, have you ever wondered what they did together before time began, before the sun, moon and stars were created?

Many Theologians have asked that question, “What was God doing before creation?”  After much study, they have landed upon a word that describes what God was doing, “perichoresis.”  It describes the interpenetrating and mutual indwelling of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in One Another.  So what are they doing?  The Father and the Son and the Spirit were in an endless dance of endless love and surging joy and delightful play as they enjoyed the depth of their love for One Another.  They were dreaming of human beings and their personal relationships with each other, relationships that go to the guts of eternity, discovering this dance of Life for themselves. 

God created the first movement, a revolution of love generating the very core of life, in God’s own life where there is this throbbing joy of mutual indwelling.  It’s called love.  Love is God’s gift to us to enjoy this love in and through one another.  When we love, we enter in and participate in this mutual indwelling of one another.  Entering this dance of eternity is stepping into the adventure and plans for eternity.

This deep mystery of life reveals that Life itself is personal.  To believe in God through Jesus is to enter this mystery.  God came to earth in Jesus and became human.  Through Him this dance becomes possible.  The deepest dimension of the Kingdom dream and of life itself that we are persons who dwell with other persons, and only in loving others do we tap into the core of that mystery.  When we experience this, we unlock our future!

Scott McKnight says, “If you want your job to matter, then keep in mind that life itself is about perichoreting with others – with your spouse or with your family or with your friends or with your community of faith or with your city or with your country or with the world and with those with who you work.  What we do matters when what we do is seen as something designed for persons.”

I grew up with the idea that I could find “God’s Will” for my life.  Frederick Buechner said God’s will is this, “The place where God calls you is where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.”

If you seek the Kingdom of God and pursue the place where your deepest gladness and the world’s deepest needs meet, in that place your life will speak!  This intersection of what God is doing, and what you are asked to do creates the dance of love.

Andy Crouch, a well known Christian thinker said, “We shouldn’t try to 'save the world' but play our part in the redemptive work of this world with a small group of friends.”

Keep your eyes on the Kingdom.  Make it personal and do what you are called to do well, and do it with others.  Dance with your Creator!

Five Distinct Behaviors that Undermine Self-Confidence and Block Trust in Marriage

  
As ministers, we take a huge hit everyday by thrusting ourselves out into the population of people who desperately need wisdom, care and a listening ear.  Because the needs are so huge, many times we neglect our marriages.  We can't take them for granted, because our marriage is the launching pad for our ministry.  When marriage goes down, it all goes down.  Here are a few barriers and builders to provoke your thinking.  Each barrier is replaced by a builder causing us to enjoy much greater improvement in our relationships as a couple.

Barrier 1: Assuming:

• An unwillingness to consider the validity of your mate’s point of view.
• Have you ever said, “I didn’t tell you because I knew you would get upset?” 
• When we assume, we ignore the most beautiful characteristic of human beings…which is the ability to learn and change from day to day. 
• Perhaps a good question to ask yourself before we assume is:  “What will happen if I don’t assume?” 
• The answer is simple:  “I’ll find out!”

Builder 1: Checking:

• An openness to understand your mate’s point of view.  “What was your understanding of what I expected?”
• Checking is a way to learn how much understanding we have and how capable they are.
• When we take time to check, we are saying that we respect the fact that the person is capable to make decisions, and that we are trying to make room for his or her growth.
• Rule of thumb is to substitute dialogue and patience for assuming: “How can I use this situation to check out what this person knows, sees, is ready to learn, or can do?” 
• Ask questions, don't make statements!

Barrier 2:  Rescuing or Explaining:

• Disrespect of your mate’s ability to make wise decisions.  “Be sure you don’t forget your lunch!”
• Too often we rescue or fix instead of allowing our mate to experience the consequences of their behavior. 
• When we step in too quickly we are called rescuers or enablers.

Builder 2:  Exploring:

• Listening with purpose to understand your mate’s point of view.
• Explore the What? Why?  And How? Of an experience.
• Ask questions:  “What is your understanding of what was happening?  What might have caused this to happen?  Having had that experience, what could you learn from it that might help you next time?”
• Our patience in exploring experiences conveys this message:  “I see within you the capabilities to master situations and gain understanding.”

Barrier 3:  Directing:

• Disconnecting or judging of your mate’s point of view.  “Pick up your shoes!  Put that away!”
• It’s much easier to step in and direct than to invite their participation and accept that they might do things differently. 
• When we are too quick to step in and direct, we produce hostility, aggression and resistance.
• Directing is probably the most widespread barrier in families.  It is always “easier to do it myself.” 

Builder 3:  Encouraging/Inviting:

• Empathy, which results from careful Listening.
• Your mate feels encouraged when they see themselves as assets rather than objects,
• See mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as failures,
• And invited participation and contributions rather than directing and demanding compliance.
• When we encourage and invite, we motivate positive attitudes toward learning from experience.  “I would appreciate any help you could give me in straightening up the living room.”

Barrier 4: Expecting:

• Blaming your mate for one’s own personal feelings.  “I was expecting more consideration.”
• Expecting is setting high standards and then pointing out failure to reach these standards.
• This is always discouraging and destructive experience.
• Expecting is rooted in a disbelief in current capabilities and entails criticism of failures.

Builder 4:  Celebrating:

• A genuineness conveyed through warmth and interest.
• Too often we are preoccupied with what is not happening in a relationship and overlook what is.  “I appreciate the effort you put forth in our relationship!”
• Need to celebrate any little movement in the right direction.  
• That is a reason for great joy.”

Barrier 5:  Adultisms:

• Lack of genuineness indicated by a tone of voice which contradicts the spoken message.
• Unrealistic expectations that produce impotence, frustration, hostility, and aggression. 
• The language of adultisms is, “Why can’t you ever?  How come you never? Surely you realize!  How many times do I have to tell you?  Why are you so childish? When will you ever grow up? Did You? Can you? Will you? Won’t you? Are you? Aren’t you?”

Builder 5: Respect:

• Respect for differing points of view.
• The language of respect is, “What was your understanding of what is appropriate?  Let me be sure I understand.”
• When we have shown respect for the uniqueness of each individual’s most beautiful characteristic of the human race: we value our diversity.

Look at the Luke 2:46-47 and find the four reasons the intellectuals of the day were so impressed with Jesus' approach to them.  This secret can change your relationship for ever!

Captured by the Call

Our church was in horrible financial trouble.  Do we lay off staff, cut back the budget, minimize the vision, fast and pray for one day?  When pushed by loud voices that you must do something quick, the tendency is to lean on our own logic and reason.  Proverbs 3:4-6, “So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  As a staff, we felt an overwhelming call to not cut back but "increase the vision!"  How do you increase the vision with a lack of money? 

The following Sunday, a single man came up beside me as I was sitting in the second row listening to the first speaker of the tag team, asking me if he could do something after feeling God speak.  I didn’t ask what he heard, because I felt the Spirit all over him.  When the speaker finished, he walked up, pulled out his wallet, and said, “I’m only doing what God told me to do.”  He took every bill out of his wallet and placed them on the stag floor, walked off, out the back door and left.  The silence in the room was deafening, when all of a sudden different ones started coming up placing all of their money on the stag.  It continued until money covered the complete stage.  I saw poor people giving all the change they had.  I observed rich people unfolding the secret compartments in their wallets and purses and empting all their money onto the floor.  So much money I thought, wow, we can pay off every bill and increase the vision, but God had different plans.  “Give it all away,” the inner voice of the Spirit said, “ask anyone who needs money to come up and take what they need.”  I couldn't help but stick with that voice.  The following week, I heard from so many people how God met their need.  The result of that miraculous Sunday was, the giving went up every week for the next two years. 

One of the miracles that day was the story of a single lady.  She told me how God told her to break up with her boyfriend and stop having sex.  She thought, this will not work out good for me because he won't buy me the tires he promised.  She looked into my eyes and said, “sure enough, that is exactly what happened."  As she sat in church that morning depressed, doubting her decision, the gentleman walked up and laid all of his money on the stage.  Her feeling went crazy, get up and get the money for your tires, but she froze.  She said, “as I hesitated, all the money was taken.”  As she sat in her seat following the service kicking herself for not getting up, two homeless men came up and give the money they had picked up because they felt God say, "give her your money."  She counted the money after they walked away, and it was exactly the amount needed for the tires.

The Japanese character for "crisis" is a combination of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity" (or promise); crisis is therefore not an end of opportunity but in reality only its beginning; the point where danger and opportunity meet; where the future is in the balance and where events can go either way.  Be encouraged, the Holy Spirit desires to lead you by the power of the name of Jesus. Know that you are loved, chosen and empowered to lead.  What kind of help do you need to break free, stop, get away and increase your vision?

Another translation of Prov. 3 is, “Put God first in everything you do and He will direct your ways, and crown your efforts with success.”

Captured by the Call

Our church was in horrible financial trouble.  Do we lay off staff, cut back the budget, minimize the vision, fast and pray for one day?  When pushed by loud voices that you must do something quick, the tendency is to lean upon our own logic and reason.  Proverbs 3:4-6 NAS, “So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  As a staff, we felt an overwhelming call to not cut back but increase the vision.  How do you increase the vision with a lack of money? 

The following Sunday, a single man came up beside me as I was sitting in the second row listening to the first speaker of the tag team, he asked me if he could do something he felt God told him to do.  I didn’t ask what, because I felt the Spirit all over him.  When the speaker finished, he walked up, pulled out his wallet, and said, “I’m only doing what God told me to do.”  He took every bill out of his wallet and placed them on the stag floor, and walked off, out the back door and left.  The silence in the room was deafening, when all of a sudden different ones started coming up placing all of their money on the stage.  It continued until money covered the complete stage.  I saw poor people giving all the change they had.  I observed rich people unfolding the secret compartments in their wallets and purses and empting all their money onto the floor.  So much money I thought, wow, we can pay off every bill and keep going.  But God had different plans.  “Give it all away,” the inner voice of the Spirit said, “ask anyone who needs money to come up and take what they need.”  I chose to stick with that voice.  The following week, I heard from the deacons and elders, and without exception, they all said, “that was God, great job!”  The result of that miraculous Sunday was, the giving went up every week for the next two years. 

That afternoon we had a dedication of our new gym.  A single lady came to me afterwards asking if she could share her story.  She told me how God told her to break up with her boyfriend and stop having sex.  She thought, “that will not work out good for me because he promised to buy me the tires I needed so bad, and this would cause him to decide against buying the tires.”  She looked into my eyes and said, “sure enough, that is exactly what happened, and as I sat in church this morning depressed doubting her decision, that gentleman walked up and put his money on the stage.”  She went on telling me of her feeling as all the money was being placed upon the stage, she thought, “Wow, there’s my tires.”  But she said, “I hesitated, and by the time I got up, all the money was gone.”  As she sat in her seat following the service kicking herself for not getting up, two homeless men came up and shared that they felt God told them separately to give their money to the lady sitting in the fourth row.  She counted the money after they walked away, and it was exactly the amount needed for the tires.

Another translation of Prov. 3 is, “Put God first in everything you do and He will direct your ways, and crown your efforts with success.” 

The Japanese character for "crisis" is a combination of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity" (or promise); crisis is therefore not an end of opportunity but in reality only its beginning; the point where danger and opportunity meet; where the future is in the balance and where events can go either way.  Be encouraged, the Holy Spirit is leading you by the power of the name of Jesus. You are loved, chosen and empowered to lead.  What kind of help do you need to break free and increase your vision?

NAÏVE GRACE

Dear God, I don’t feel alone

since I found out about You.

Nora

The heart of Jesus loves us as we are

and not as we should be, beyond worthiness,

 beyond fidelity and infidelity;

He who loves us in the morning sun

 and the evening rain without caution,

 regret, boundary, limit, or breaking point.

Brennan Manning

WIDE – EYED LISTENING

A four year-old girl was over heard whispering

 into her newborn baby brother’s ear,

 “Baby,” she whispered,

 “tell me what God sounds like.

  I am starting to forget.”

Robert Bensen

True Discipleship

The Greeks thought that by classroom teaching, "right thinking would produce right acting." Nothing changed....Jesus' way was out of the classroom, "right acting produces right thinking." Learning as you do things together, living in relationship with each other. That's discipleship! Our culture has lost this.....let's get it back!

Believe!

Remember, we are all agents of the King in every arena of society and culture. Push out and discover the power within you! Nothing more fulfilling than to feel the presence of God in and through you to change people's lives and create a movement where crowds come together only to go out and tell the story of Jesus. Believe!!

Life Today

May your eyes be opened wide to the adventure, light and beauty of life today. And be filled with the creative power to dream and live big, along with the confidence to walk it out. Remember, the loving arms of Jesus are wrapped around you, so pass the hugs, kisses and words of life on to others.