After eight years, the sobriety of this anniversary has not really diminished for me. The images I saw on live television that morning are still very clear and very real in my mind. I do not watch replayed footage of the events even this many years afterward. It's too disturbing. (I now sort of understand why my Granddaddy wouldn't watch even mildly violent scenes on television programs 40 years after his service in WWII.) Many thoughts come to mind about the events and aftermath of this day in 2001 – the heroism, the horror, the reprehensibility – but I haven’t the ability to put those thoughts into words. And even if I did, the expression of them would bring little to no comfort or closure for me. However, what I can do, and what I believe is really better is to remember not the events, but the people who died and their families & friends left behind.
Fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins – these were taken away. The love of someone’s life, the closest friend – they too were stolen. A co-worker, acquaintance, neighbor – lost. For them, there was an end. For those left behind, it was a beginning of loss, pain, and remembrance.
So today, I will remember the ones left behind as they remember the ones they lost. And as I remember, I pray. I pray that as this anniversary comes and goes again, they would be comforted; that though the pain and loss is great, the feeling of it would not be; that there is fond remembrance of those lost; that they are surrounded with love and support from those that are near and they would gather strength from it.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Think Rightly About God!
Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God's faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. (Jeremiah 15:19 - Amplified Bible)
Every relationship is built on trust, or degraded by the lack of it. The more trust you have in a relationship, the more sound the relationship is. Decrease the trust and the relationship becomes shaky. What kind of trust do you have in your relationship with God? Not sure? I'll ask a different way: How solid is your relationship with God? Your answer will depend on your level of trust in God as being your All in All.
No matter how much trust we have, it will be put to the test. Our challenge is how we function day to day when our trust is tested such that we don't allow our trust in God to wane. It is when we experience suffering - and we will experience suffering - that our trust is most important in our relationship to God. If we have little trust, then when trials come we are likely to assume God is unhappy with our "performance" or is punishing us. If we have a moderate amount of trust, we may not necessarily think God is punishing us but we may become suspicious as to whether or not God really has our best interests at heart. If we have full trust, then we are like Paul - to live is Christ but to die is gain. Or, even better, we are like Jesus in the garden - regardless of what I might want, I want what the Father wants. Full trust allows us to take whatever comes and continue to say, "It is all for His glory! He is God and I am not!"
Lord I pray we all would have full trust in you. If we have not, we repent and put our trust in You. If anyone needs help trusting You, I ask that You would help them - guide them in Your word and speak to them by Your Holy Spirit.
Every relationship is built on trust, or degraded by the lack of it. The more trust you have in a relationship, the more sound the relationship is. Decrease the trust and the relationship becomes shaky. What kind of trust do you have in your relationship with God? Not sure? I'll ask a different way: How solid is your relationship with God? Your answer will depend on your level of trust in God as being your All in All.
No matter how much trust we have, it will be put to the test. Our challenge is how we function day to day when our trust is tested such that we don't allow our trust in God to wane. It is when we experience suffering - and we will experience suffering - that our trust is most important in our relationship to God. If we have little trust, then when trials come we are likely to assume God is unhappy with our "performance" or is punishing us. If we have a moderate amount of trust, we may not necessarily think God is punishing us but we may become suspicious as to whether or not God really has our best interests at heart. If we have full trust, then we are like Paul - to live is Christ but to die is gain. Or, even better, we are like Jesus in the garden - regardless of what I might want, I want what the Father wants. Full trust allows us to take whatever comes and continue to say, "It is all for His glory! He is God and I am not!"
Lord I pray we all would have full trust in you. If we have not, we repent and put our trust in You. If anyone needs help trusting You, I ask that You would help them - guide them in Your word and speak to them by Your Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A Simple Reminder for All Who Pass By
Jeremiah 3:12-15 says this: "Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say, Return, faithless Israel, says the Lord, and I will not cause My countenance to fall and look in anger upon you, for I am merciful, says the Lord; I will not keep My anger forever. Only know, understand, and acknowledge your iniquity and guilt--that you have rebelled and transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, says the Lord. Return, O faithless children [of the whole twelve tribes], says the Lord, for I am Lord and Master and Husband to you, and I will take you [not as a nation, but individually]--one from a city and two from a tribal family--and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart [in the final time], who will feed you with knowledge and understanding and judgment."
The point is simple: Admit that we are guilty of wrong-doing and return (or "turn" or "re-turn") to God. Don't be afraid to do it, because God is a Father and is merciful. He won't look down in anger upon us when we do this.
As I read this yesterday the Lord reminded me of the teaching I was trying to communicate to my 8 year old daughter a few days ago. I was explaining to her the importance of admitting your wrong before someone else can "tell on you" and how that shows integrity, honesty, and builds trust. I wanted her to understand that an accuser won't always tell the whole story, thus her forthrightness in advance of her accuser (usually her brother) makes her story more credible. It takes courage and honesty with oneself to come forward in this manner. In the end she will be shown mercy. God reminded me of how I react to my own children in these situations with mercy, and how much more will He do that for me (Matthew 7:11).
When we admit our wrong, usually we have punished ourselves enough in our minds and have worked through the guilt by the time we arrive to the admission. The Holy Spirit shows us when we are wrong, if we are listening. From a simplistic point of view, this is one reason God shows us mercy and does not unleash His wrath. The withholding of His wrath is because of grace. To be clear however, His justice in operation, not overridden by grace and mercy, means there are still consequences that we may have to endure. A murderer may prostrate himself before God in repentance and he will be received with mercy and compassion, and God, by His grace, may not strike him dead on the spot. However, the man may still endure the consequence of incarceration imposed by the laws of the land. Nevertheless, God is and will be merciful and compassionate toward him while he endures the consequences. Most importantly, the man is in right standing with God, which is where we must be.
The point again: Admit that we are guilty of wrong-doing and return (or "turn" or "re-turn") to God. Don't be afraid to do it, because God is a Father and is merciful. He won't look down in anger upon us when we do this.
The point is simple: Admit that we are guilty of wrong-doing and return (or "turn" or "re-turn") to God. Don't be afraid to do it, because God is a Father and is merciful. He won't look down in anger upon us when we do this.
As I read this yesterday the Lord reminded me of the teaching I was trying to communicate to my 8 year old daughter a few days ago. I was explaining to her the importance of admitting your wrong before someone else can "tell on you" and how that shows integrity, honesty, and builds trust. I wanted her to understand that an accuser won't always tell the whole story, thus her forthrightness in advance of her accuser (usually her brother) makes her story more credible. It takes courage and honesty with oneself to come forward in this manner. In the end she will be shown mercy. God reminded me of how I react to my own children in these situations with mercy, and how much more will He do that for me (Matthew 7:11).
When we admit our wrong, usually we have punished ourselves enough in our minds and have worked through the guilt by the time we arrive to the admission. The Holy Spirit shows us when we are wrong, if we are listening. From a simplistic point of view, this is one reason God shows us mercy and does not unleash His wrath. The withholding of His wrath is because of grace. To be clear however, His justice in operation, not overridden by grace and mercy, means there are still consequences that we may have to endure. A murderer may prostrate himself before God in repentance and he will be received with mercy and compassion, and God, by His grace, may not strike him dead on the spot. However, the man may still endure the consequence of incarceration imposed by the laws of the land. Nevertheless, God is and will be merciful and compassionate toward him while he endures the consequences. Most importantly, the man is in right standing with God, which is where we must be.
The point again: Admit that we are guilty of wrong-doing and return (or "turn" or "re-turn") to God. Don't be afraid to do it, because God is a Father and is merciful. He won't look down in anger upon us when we do this.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
From the Secret Place: The Holiness of God
Well, I can't say I can exactly describe what Moses would have felt when God hid him in the cleft of the rock and allowed him to see only His backside, but I imagine it was similar to what I felt the other day when God revealed to me what I would call a significant glimpse of His holiness. It happened as I was reading the chapter about the holiness of God in A.W. Tozer's book "The Knowledge of the Holy". I had asked God a few days earlier to let me become more acquainted with some other attributes of His nature - righteousness being one of them. On this particular day, I used Tozer's book as a sort of reference guide to the attributes of God. Tozer has identified righteousness to be a result of several of God's attributes he describes in the different chapters, rather than a stand-alone attribute. As I read the chapter about the holiness of God, I began to get a new revelation of His holiness by the Spirit of God. Here is a quote from the book that really jumped out at me:
"We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. ...Only the Spirit of the Holy One can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy. ...Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is."
That is when it hit me and I realized who He is and who I am. I thought, "God's holiness does not even allow him to be in the position to choose whether or not He will do something unrighteous or unholy." It was this one concept that I grasped that gave me a glimpse of His incomprehensible holiness. I'm not certain I can adequately express the fear and dread I felt at that moment, but I literally hid my face behind the book as I looked down and cried "OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!" over and over again. It was as though he passed by me and I saw his backside. The feeling of the simultaneous realization of His holiness and my unholiness is mind-blowing and overwhelming, to say the very least. I literally begged God for my very life as I thought I would die at this realization. My eyes welled up with yet another realization of how my sin must appear to Him and how He cannot fellowship with unrighteousness.
But then He spoke to me gently by His Spirit and reminded me that when I appropriate the righteousness of Christ that it is then that we can be in fellowship. I asked Jesus to cover me in His righteousness and I began to feel peace and security as though I were being welcomed into His arms. I thank Jesus that he became the sacrifice for my sin so that I can be in fellowship with Him. This is the restoration of the joy of my salvation!
After all of this, I turned on my car to leave my "secret place". As I backed out of the space, I just shook my head in amazement of what God had shown me and said to God "wow!". His response (as I heard it in my heart) was simply, "you asked Me to reveal my holiness". I was glad He had answered my request, but at the same time I almost wished He had not. It was a terrible and frightening thing to experience. However, it has caused me to think more about my thoughts and actions and whether or not they are pleasing to God. When you understand how your sin really appears to God, or at least as much as your mind comprehends and He reveals it to you, you scrutinize your thoughts and deeds a bit more. Keeping in mind that our position in God is not based on how many good deeds we do, but rather our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit, which ultimately will lead us to good deeds. So perhaps I should say, this revelation I have received makes me want to be more attentive and obedient to the leading of the Spirit out of respect, fear, and honor of God and His holiness.
Allow me if you will to urge you to think more rightly about God and His holiness. I would even urge you to ask Him to give you a glimpse (or a fresh glimpse) of His holiness in the way that I did. I am concerned that too many Christians are a bit flippant and frivolous about how they think of God, how they approach Him, even how they pray and petition Him. Sure we can come boldly before the throne of Grace as the Bible says, but that boldness must be accompanied by honor, respect, and pure reverence. I believe if more Christians had more close encounters with God and His terrible presence similar to what I have experienced, the Church would look a whole lot differently and be a whole lot more effective. I will say nothing further to this point as I do not wish to be perceived as being negative toward the Church. I will only say God is holy. God is pure. God is righteous. He is alone is God. There is none like Him.
"We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. ...Only the Spirit of the Holy One can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy. ...Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is."
That is when it hit me and I realized who He is and who I am. I thought, "God's holiness does not even allow him to be in the position to choose whether or not He will do something unrighteous or unholy." It was this one concept that I grasped that gave me a glimpse of His incomprehensible holiness. I'm not certain I can adequately express the fear and dread I felt at that moment, but I literally hid my face behind the book as I looked down and cried "OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!" over and over again. It was as though he passed by me and I saw his backside. The feeling of the simultaneous realization of His holiness and my unholiness is mind-blowing and overwhelming, to say the very least. I literally begged God for my very life as I thought I would die at this realization. My eyes welled up with yet another realization of how my sin must appear to Him and how He cannot fellowship with unrighteousness.
But then He spoke to me gently by His Spirit and reminded me that when I appropriate the righteousness of Christ that it is then that we can be in fellowship. I asked Jesus to cover me in His righteousness and I began to feel peace and security as though I were being welcomed into His arms. I thank Jesus that he became the sacrifice for my sin so that I can be in fellowship with Him. This is the restoration of the joy of my salvation!
After all of this, I turned on my car to leave my "secret place". As I backed out of the space, I just shook my head in amazement of what God had shown me and said to God "wow!". His response (as I heard it in my heart) was simply, "you asked Me to reveal my holiness". I was glad He had answered my request, but at the same time I almost wished He had not. It was a terrible and frightening thing to experience. However, it has caused me to think more about my thoughts and actions and whether or not they are pleasing to God. When you understand how your sin really appears to God, or at least as much as your mind comprehends and He reveals it to you, you scrutinize your thoughts and deeds a bit more. Keeping in mind that our position in God is not based on how many good deeds we do, but rather our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit, which ultimately will lead us to good deeds. So perhaps I should say, this revelation I have received makes me want to be more attentive and obedient to the leading of the Spirit out of respect, fear, and honor of God and His holiness.
Allow me if you will to urge you to think more rightly about God and His holiness. I would even urge you to ask Him to give you a glimpse (or a fresh glimpse) of His holiness in the way that I did. I am concerned that too many Christians are a bit flippant and frivolous about how they think of God, how they approach Him, even how they pray and petition Him. Sure we can come boldly before the throne of Grace as the Bible says, but that boldness must be accompanied by honor, respect, and pure reverence. I believe if more Christians had more close encounters with God and His terrible presence similar to what I have experienced, the Church would look a whole lot differently and be a whole lot more effective. I will say nothing further to this point as I do not wish to be perceived as being negative toward the Church. I will only say God is holy. God is pure. God is righteous. He is alone is God. There is none like Him.
Friday, January 09, 2009
From the Secret Place: The Light Has Dawned!
"The people who sat enveloped in darkness have seen a great Light, and for those who sat in the land and shadow of death Light has dawned."
As I read this in Matthew's gospel this afternoon, a great sense of awe and delight came over me. The only way I know to describe it is that it was similar to the feeling I get when I see my daughter dance in her recital. That was the feeling I got, but in my mind the picture I saw was Jesus looking at me with a smile on His face as if to say "I've come for you." If you read the entire passage in chapter 4, this verse is referring to the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2, and you'll see that this is right after Jesus returns from the desert and goes to dwell in Capernaum. So in my mind I envisioned me and Jesus on the beach walking towards each other -- Him smiling at me and me recognizing Him as Messiah. I believe the Holy Spirit allowed me to experience the joy of seeing Isaiah's prophecy come to pass as someone would have experienced in that day. It was such a warm, delightful feeling that brought tears to my eyes as though I were a child being reunited with my father whom I had not seen in many years.
In reflecting on the Christmas season that has just passed, this is really what occurred 2,009 years ago. Jesus came to the earth so that we could be reunited to the Father through the sacrifice of the Son. And He called us sons -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Thank you God so much for allowing me to experience again the joy of my salvation! This is the best Christmas I've ever had -- fifteen days after Christmas! As I mentioned in my previous post about "the secret place", this is just another experience I've had and wanted to share with you. I hope this inspires you to take time in a secret place, away from any distraction, to just be with God, read His word, and allow Him to speak to you and show you new things. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) What I have experienced these last few days in my secret place with Him I would consider great things I did not know. Thanks God! I love You!
As I read this in Matthew's gospel this afternoon, a great sense of awe and delight came over me. The only way I know to describe it is that it was similar to the feeling I get when I see my daughter dance in her recital. That was the feeling I got, but in my mind the picture I saw was Jesus looking at me with a smile on His face as if to say "I've come for you." If you read the entire passage in chapter 4, this verse is referring to the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2, and you'll see that this is right after Jesus returns from the desert and goes to dwell in Capernaum. So in my mind I envisioned me and Jesus on the beach walking towards each other -- Him smiling at me and me recognizing Him as Messiah. I believe the Holy Spirit allowed me to experience the joy of seeing Isaiah's prophecy come to pass as someone would have experienced in that day. It was such a warm, delightful feeling that brought tears to my eyes as though I were a child being reunited with my father whom I had not seen in many years.
In reflecting on the Christmas season that has just passed, this is really what occurred 2,009 years ago. Jesus came to the earth so that we could be reunited to the Father through the sacrifice of the Son. And He called us sons -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Thank you God so much for allowing me to experience again the joy of my salvation! This is the best Christmas I've ever had -- fifteen days after Christmas! As I mentioned in my previous post about "the secret place", this is just another experience I've had and wanted to share with you. I hope this inspires you to take time in a secret place, away from any distraction, to just be with God, read His word, and allow Him to speak to you and show you new things. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) What I have experienced these last few days in my secret place with Him I would consider great things I did not know. Thanks God! I love You!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
From the Secret Place: "Smacked In The Face & Doubled Over!"
I read the following yesterday from Ezra chapter 1, verses 1-3. Bear in mind that Cyrus was not a believer. Pay attention to his decree.
"1 NOW IN the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [almost seventy years after the first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon], that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might begin to be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing:
2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.
3 Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem; He is God."
BAM! That's what hit me: "He is God". I'm not sure how you take that when you read it, and I can't adequately explain the tremendous awe and terror I experienced when I read that. I was initially excited as I agreed He is God! But that excitement was immediately followed by sadness, penitence, and deep sorrow as I realized: Here is an ungodly king who recognizes and fears God, and I, a presumed man of God and a worshiper, am grasping how long it's been since I have felt such fear and awe of God as I had just then. All I could do was to shut my eyes as tightly as possible, bow my head, and appeal to God for His mercy and forgiveness. I felt so small and insignificant at that moment. All I could think of was that I had neglected Him and that He was hurt by it. I believe God opened my spiritual eyes at that moment to realize this. I wanted forgiveness. I wanted mercy. I wanted restoration. I could not move on with my reading of Ezra 1 without knowing I had received these. I began to think of Psalm 51, so I turned to it and read it aloud as my very own prayer. As I read it, I began to feel God's mercy, forgiveness, and restoration being apportioned to me through the Holy Spirit. I thank God for His continued mercy and grace toward me. These two attributes of God are ones I am quite familiar with, but I believe God desires me to become equally aquainted with His other attributes - I am not certain which attributes at this time, but I intend to find out as quickly as possible.
I have been extremely transparent here, hopefully for the benefit of another. These several thoughts come to mind in conclusion of what I have shared. First, all of this I experienced in "the secret place". I do not wish to become a catch-phrase consumer, but it is what it is - a secret place. It is a place and time devoted only to communion and fellowship between God and me. (Read Matthew 6:6) I have accepted the challenge of being a secret place addict, and I will become one. I encourage you to do the same. Second, I must experience the presence, the fear, and the awe of God as often as possible. He is God! I renew my humility with Him and exalt Him above all. I encourage you to do the same. Finally, I keep in mind that his mercy, grace, and loving-kindness endure forever and that my righteousness is in and through Christ and what He did on the cross, not in my deeds. I pray you remember this when condemnation tries to have power over you. (Do not confuse godly sorrow and condemnation.)
I will share at a later time something I found interesting about the secret place and answered prayers. I believe I have found a formula that will get prayers answered 100% of the time. Stay tuned!
"1 NOW IN the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [almost seventy years after the first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon], that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might begin to be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing:
2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.
3 Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem; He is God."
BAM! That's what hit me: "He is God". I'm not sure how you take that when you read it, and I can't adequately explain the tremendous awe and terror I experienced when I read that. I was initially excited as I agreed He is God! But that excitement was immediately followed by sadness, penitence, and deep sorrow as I realized: Here is an ungodly king who recognizes and fears God, and I, a presumed man of God and a worshiper, am grasping how long it's been since I have felt such fear and awe of God as I had just then. All I could do was to shut my eyes as tightly as possible, bow my head, and appeal to God for His mercy and forgiveness. I felt so small and insignificant at that moment. All I could think of was that I had neglected Him and that He was hurt by it. I believe God opened my spiritual eyes at that moment to realize this. I wanted forgiveness. I wanted mercy. I wanted restoration. I could not move on with my reading of Ezra 1 without knowing I had received these. I began to think of Psalm 51, so I turned to it and read it aloud as my very own prayer. As I read it, I began to feel God's mercy, forgiveness, and restoration being apportioned to me through the Holy Spirit. I thank God for His continued mercy and grace toward me. These two attributes of God are ones I am quite familiar with, but I believe God desires me to become equally aquainted with His other attributes - I am not certain which attributes at this time, but I intend to find out as quickly as possible.
I have been extremely transparent here, hopefully for the benefit of another. These several thoughts come to mind in conclusion of what I have shared. First, all of this I experienced in "the secret place". I do not wish to become a catch-phrase consumer, but it is what it is - a secret place. It is a place and time devoted only to communion and fellowship between God and me. (Read Matthew 6:6) I have accepted the challenge of being a secret place addict, and I will become one. I encourage you to do the same. Second, I must experience the presence, the fear, and the awe of God as often as possible. He is God! I renew my humility with Him and exalt Him above all. I encourage you to do the same. Finally, I keep in mind that his mercy, grace, and loving-kindness endure forever and that my righteousness is in and through Christ and what He did on the cross, not in my deeds. I pray you remember this when condemnation tries to have power over you. (Do not confuse godly sorrow and condemnation.)
I will share at a later time something I found interesting about the secret place and answered prayers. I believe I have found a formula that will get prayers answered 100% of the time. Stay tuned!
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