MIND OF TRUTH

A very long time ago before all things were created, before the foundations of the world were laid, my God thought of me.  He knew I would need a helper, a companion, and a friend to whom I would give myself to wholly and completely.  He knew how much I would need my beautiful wife so many, many years later He created her and gave me this precious gift.  Today I thank Him for her Birthday!  Today I praise Him for His abundant blessings and the richness of His grace to me.  Today I thank Him for being the eternal center to my marriage.  Today I thank Him that I can love more and give more and cherish my wife more.  Today I thank Him for the mercy and forgiveness He has extended to a man who is unworthy of such a wonderful gift.  Today I give my God honor because He has been a huband to my wife through me just as He promised He would.  Today I ask my Lord to bless my wife and bestow His glory and His love once again upon her life. Happy Birthday Sweetheart

One of the most foundational yet elusive elements of the human existance is freedom.  We were created to be free, but we live in bondage to so many things.  I walked around my neighborhood this morning and thought about how much stuff people accumulate in their life that just adds more complexity and ties them further into the worlds system.  Even people who have discovered that Jesus is our only freedom still struggle to obtain a sense of being truly free.  The bottom line is that freedom requires us to let go of everything else.  Real freedom is falling into the ground like a seed to die so that we can live.  We like to get around that little detail if we can.  We like to setup a life on the back side of the cross and say its just as good as living on the other side of the tomb. Jesus never compromised anything and He never shyed away from His calling.  He went through the cross to get to the resurection so He could make a way for all of us to follow. I will follow Him because I know

I love the Word of God.  Not out of expectation or obligation, but because it speak to me and opens my life to truth.  I like to write verses on post-it notes and put them on the wall in front of my study desk.  I was looking at all of them tonight and I thought about how they would mean nothing to me personally if it were not for God's great mercy.  He shares His Word with me and He makes a way for me to live and experience His truth.  I have no right to even speak His name or hope for salvation, but through Jesus Christ, God has drawn near to me and I can draw near to Him.  His Word is alive and I can live in it because God is merciful.  I can know His promises of hope and salvation and grace and kindness and goodness and love are for me.

Seth and I were talking about David and Goliath tonight and he said he thought maybe David had a lot of "What If" questions before he fought Goliath like, "What if I miss, what if he kills me, what if they attack the army of Israel?"  I thought that was a great observation because I'm sure David did have the "What if" question.  What made David victorious though was that he put those questions aside and chose to have faith in His God.  This morning Pastor Steven Sebyala  said "Whatever you fear will capture your mind".  David did not let the fear take control, instread he rested in the peace of His God. What situation does God have you in now?  What has He spoken deep in your heart?  Hold on to that voice and that assurance.  Don't let the "What if" questions of fear come in and dictate your choices.  Our God is able to deliver us and keep us and bring us through to everything He has promised.

John 6:8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" I love the story of the feeding of the 5000 especially the boy who gave up his lunch.  This is a powerful story and there is a lot here, but I'll get right to whats been on my mind lately.  So many times we hold tightly to what is in our hands, what we have been given, and what we possess.  So often we don't want to let it go and so many times we don't let go and then the miricle never comes.  We live with the provision and blessing of the Lord, He meets our needs and provides the bread and the fish, but what if?  What if we let go?  What could God do with your life if you surrendered it to the Master.  We all face that "What about me?" question.  How can we let go of everything in our hand and trust?  Any believer would readily say they trust in the Lord, but when He

Here is an insightful article from Dallas Willard. Please take a minute to read this. As you read, think "OK, so what am I going to do about this. How can I truly be discipled and help to disciple others" http://www.outofur.com/archives/2010/05/dallas_williard.html