A Prayer of Abandonment

Father,

I abandon myself into your hands;

do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you;

I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,

and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this,

O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;

I offer it to you with all the love

of my heart,

for I love you, Lord,

and so need to give myself,

to surrender myself into your hands,

without reserve

and with boundless confidence.

For you are my Father.

- Charles de Foucald

Tough Love

Some random thoughts on tough love.

Tough love . . . 

. . . is not mean love. It is still kind and gracious.

. . . has teary eyes not clenched jaws. It is firm, but not angry.

. . . is not judgmentalism under the guise of caring.

. . . is painful and heartbreaking for the one delivering it.

. . . is forgiving, but not permissive.

. . . uses a scalpel, not a machete.

. . . seeks to set people free, not to set people straight.

Greater Works

John 14:12

 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

Perhaps you are one who have wondered, "How can anyone do greater works than Jesus?" Maybe it would help to look at it this way:

"Greater works" - not in the sense that the miracles would be more spectacular, but greater in number, greater in reach, greater in the impact on the world. Jesus' ministry was local, but with His ascension and subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, greater works (not limited to simply miracles) have been done and continue be done in His name on a global scale. That is a greater work.

A Simple Law To Live By

Love mercy

Act justly
Walk humbly

--- from  Micah 6:8

The Wilderness

The wilderness is a meeting place with God.

In the wilderness callings are confirmed and direction is received.

In the wilderness commitments are deepened and repentance sought.

In the wilderness we are molded and shaped.

In the wilderness there maybe wrestling and uncertainty, but we will find God there.

In the wilderness God is there in the quietude, hidden in plain sight.

The wilderness is God-ordained, though we often feel the source is often otherwise.

The wilderness is a sacred place, for there we find God.

Keep It Simple

The Christian life is really quite simple:
Love God,
Love people,
Walk by faith,
Live under grace,
Don't do stupid stuff.

Let's not complicate things.

Turn Our Face

Merciful stars above us,
Good earth below us,
Noontime sun and midnight moon,
Shine your light with holy praise—
And turn our face to God's embrace. --- Monte Lee Rice

Have you forgiven?

You know that person who offended/hurt you? Pray for God's blessing on them and God's best for them. Pray daily until you really mean it. Then you will know you have truly forgiven them.

Lousy Cooks

Many people have a problem with those who don't believe exactly like they do. Sure, certain doctrines are unbiblical and at times even anti-biblical, but that is no reason to reject everything they may say because of that. Often there are many wonderful ideas to be gleaned from groups, denominations, and individuals with whom we might disagree on a number of matters. With that in mind, consider the following.

Student: Teacher, I don't agree with the teacher on the other side of the river.
Teacher: Eat the meat and spit out the bones.
Student: But it is all bones.
Teacher: Boil them down and make soup.
Student: This soup tastes bad.
Teacher: Some people are just lousy cooks.

Discerning God's Voice

It is often wondered how to distinguish God's voice from one's own voice, or from an evil spirit's voice. Here's a thought:

If the voice draws you to love God more deeply, love people more sincerely, live life more humbly, it is the voice of the Spirit of God. Neither the human spirit, nor evil spirits speaks with that tone of voice.

The Presence of God

Recently somebody said on a discussion page: "We don't need the presence [of God] in material objects external to us when we have the presence internally dwelling in us 24/7."

My response was as follows:

"Wow! Just, wow!

"I speak only for myself here:

"If I couldn't see/sense God's Presence beyond myself, in external things, people, situations, etc., my life would be pretty pathetic, my Christianity would be shallow, and my spirituality empty.

"I am just an insignificant, tiny vessel with an extremely limited capacity. I may be Spirit-filled, but it takes such a micro-minuscule portion of the boundless, limitless Spirit of God to fill me. There is so much more of His Presence outside of my puny life and limited understanding: a whole universe actually. A thimble full of water would be foolish to say there is no ocean beyond itself. If I can't see God's Presence in His creation, or in other people, or in external 'things,' then I am blind and need healing in so many ways.

"You may be satisfied to limit the Presence of God to the Spirit within you, I am not. I hope I never come to that point in my life."

The Anointing

Someone asked, “What will the anointing look like when it's not clouded by man's opinion?" I answered, “It would appear as a perfect blending of grace and power, gentleness and strength. Clothed in humility, inspired by holiness and motivated by love, it would be Christlikeness personified."  This is what true anointing would look like.