ON PATIENCE

Him who is patient with his consumer works dynamically within the myriad of bounds and limits of that consumer.

With Joy

In this busy time of the year, I write with the most sincerity; that my life has not been defined by outward and physical strains, but by the eternal desires implanted within me, in which we all possess. "For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened -- not to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."[2 Corinthians 5:4] I am being satisfied "not to[by] the things that are seen, but to[by] the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal"[2 Corinthians 4:18] God is moving me to rejoice because he is good, not because my situations are always good, not because my genuine feelings are always of optimism, or that my thoughts are completely positive. I am building the kingdom in reckless abandonment, chasing after the unfading crown of righteousness. I am pacing myself in this marathon, but never walking, because I cannot possibly bring myself to walk.

In this journey, I feel the Lord enduring with me in my sprint, in stillness with me in my stroll, and rejoicing with me in my frolicking. And in the boast of the gospel, I remark, that God has shown me the body of Christ in the utmost measure of godliness -- though of course, still fallen in nature. My community is one of fallibility, but one who seeks the gospel. They have become the upholding church around me through the Spirit of the Lord; inviting before I request invitation, giving before I present my need for charity, embracing before I display my need for consolation, interceding before evident destitution, with a perpetual love of Christ, not a seasonal love of Christ. What a taste of the body of Christ in it's purest form. I am reaping bountifully, and the Lord has only shown a glimpse.

To God for his glory,
Amen

LIKE A CHILD

This may be the very first time I decide to write aimlessly, but here goes.

There has got to be a reason in which Jesus loves children with such an extraordinary passion that there would be a specific mention in the gospels for them. The children represented in these gospels served for one purpose; as models. Now it seems absolutely ludicrous that a young child should be the model for the majority, if not all, of those being preached the gospel in those days. A child possesses not an iota of maturity because they are without understanding. There is no way that a full grown man, who has traversed the realms of a variety of vocations; completed the adolescent years of education; and experienced the moments of heartbreak in the multitude of relationships seen, would humble himself to learn from the actions and intent of a child. Oh, but this is the very concept that Jesus is trying to communicate.

For us, who have gone to a numerous amount of church services, attended seminars, and had conversations with Christian brothers and sisters, we've had the concept of humility repeated to us like a cassette tape on perpetual replay. The same goes with the concept of confidence. The concept of humility, in its most rudimentary definition, may be the very definition presented to us in Philippians 2:6; who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. This is where C.S. Lewis has uprooted his definition of humility as self-forgetfulness. Jesus was the originator and claims this depiction of humility. He did not forget his identity, but for the sake of his purpose in descending into the flesh, he discounted it in order to more greatly avert the possibility of the temptation to be self-exalted. He deserved it, but it was most fitting for him to discount it because of the very nature of the incarnation.

What are we to do then? It is imperative that we come and see, that we come and follow, that we imitate Christ. The righteousness of humility holds precedence before many others, and this is the grounds in which righteousness flows out. The humility of Christ is an essential aspect of our submission to Christ, a basis through which a majority of the Christian virtues exist. This is true even for the very characteristics that seem contrary to the concept of humility. I've always pondered how one could embody humility with a godly confidence in Christ. Many times, confidence in our age is birthed in the humanistic attitudes in which we tend to perform. When we are confident in our school work, it is because of our intelligence or work ethic; in our athletic performances, it is because of our skill; our Sunday school lessons taught, it is because of our knowledge and articulation; our preaching of the gospel, it is because of the training of our knowledge in scripture and our passion. How is it that our confidence can arise from a divine source that is present entirely external to ourselves? It seems not to coincide in any means! But we have to trust in that which we have no control, no sovereignty. We have to lose our qualifications, our knowledge, our lives, ourselves. Glorifying Jesus will not be possible, unless we respond in this manner.

It is like a child, who has not gone through the formative years of the adolescent stage when one's identity is drawn out. A child remains humble in innocence because they have gained no cause to boast. Even if they have gained a minuscule reason in which they can boast, it is incomparable with the reasons for boasting their elders may possess. So a child can only boast excessively with confidence, through a confidence espoused from one who is venerated. Therefore, we look to this model, what we call a childlike faith, as a concept much more profound than just a simple faith; though a simple faith in its definition is quite profound. A childlike faith is a faith that is confident in what we hope for, and certain in what we do not see yet also humble in nature because it recognizes that the cause for boasting is not of anything that they inwardly possess. A childlike faith comes in boldness at the wholehearted confidence that the truth that they know is true because it is from the one whom we entitle the Truth. A childlike faith is a belief that is tenaciously gripped and is a faith that sets one ablaze until the race is finished because the boasting happens in Christ. It happens through the infinite and the holy one.

No longer does humility and confidence have to be divided, but when we disregard that the source of confidence is from man, and establish that it is from God, it will not appear without humility. The prerequisite of a godly confidence is humility.

Let us then learn, such as Lucy from Narnia learned, that a childlike faith is a godly faith, the best faith to rest assured in, because this faith is founded in God. Let us embody humility, let us embody confidence.

To God for his glory,
Amen

BEAUTIFICATION

As I find myself catching my breath back after a 3-week session of counseling freshmen guys, I hope to flesh out peculiar thoughts that the Lord has transcended upon my mind. It has been a struggle to even find time to think so I've simply journaled an elaborated and fairly intricate thought that I would be able to reflect on when free time is laid before my plate.

This completely divine wisdom that the Lord has presented before my impaired vision has been sanctified - and through such, clarified. This is also a concept that I present only as insight. It is a very narrow and personal empathy that resonates with a confusing, yet hysterical passage that we find in Romans 7:14-21. While striving in this race, directing our vision at the upward call of heaven, individuals develop passion for foundational biblical truths. We intangibly find ourselves more transformed and conformed to the character of the Lord because of the dynamic ways in which he enamors us and reveals himself to us through experiential scenarios. It is quite clear to us, especially with scripture to support this piece of verity, that we are flawed. We cannot love as greatly as we desire nor can we humble ourselves as lowly as God deserves. We are debilitated to act in righteousness as that which we so yearn. Not only the general version of righteousness though, but it seems ambiguous as to the fact that there is a specific thing in which Paul himself possesses a conviction for, that he conflictingly cannot do. His heart is being torn in two; and here not because there are two good things in which he desires, but two uncontrollable acts in which there is a natural attraction to one and a divine conviction to another. "For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."(v.15b)

The Lord is continually penetrating in my heart and mind to integrate a contextual insight in which could not be humane. Throughout my journey, he's moved me to fall in love with his truth in drastic ways. And amidst this bulky transcendence, my feet have become planted on the narrow path where particular convictions have been targeted because of my constant exposure to them. This list is intricately formed, and ultimately ties together specific forms of righteousness that points to a common ultimatum. It is implanted within me a deep desire to humble myself more and more completely before the Lord, and a desire for the sensitivity to the Spirit in order that it is not i who speak, but he who speaks through me(Matt.10:20). The colossal amount of evidence makes it both apparent for myself and others that this is a divine instillation. One must be self-inquisitive of certain attributes that prove dynamic about their own person. In this self-inquisition, or in other words, reflection, the faithful Lord will prove revelatory in his dominion. Why is it the case that I have this heightened desire for both myself and others to be sanctified on this very narrow subject? Both internally and practically, we begin to identify our inadequacies that trigger our convictions. It is because we are not good at this very thing. The VERY thing that we want to do, we cannot do. It is this continuum of dry experiential learning that has transitioned us to this condition of passion. It is because we cannot perform a task well, that leads us to striving towards perfection.

If anything is verifiable that the Lord has conformed us to faithful living, it will be this very thing! It is that convictions are developed in the peculiar areas of blatant flaws. Yet again with every insight, there remains a subtle presence of a warning. Where there is conviction, there is a danger of the development of ostentation. As one develop convictions, this development is constantly transformed in a process paralleled to the sanctification process. It comes closer to a more complete knowledge because our curiosity spurs our discovery. As these truisms become solidified in our minds, we are qualified to inspired if there is such a qualification, and we are qualified to teach or inform. The reason for the danger of ostentation is that the very knowledge we know much of also hides the very inadequacy that is present within us. Our demonstration of conviction may lead to others' perception of our near conquering of certain immoralities. Of course there will be no conquering until the day of Christ. Let not this ostentation be developed, a reminder I constantly tell myself. Let us become lowly in moving our fear of our inadequacies and our potential ostentation tremble in fear before the righteousness that the Lord moves in us!

God, would you make us conquerors, we look to the day. Father would you haste that day.
In the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

DISCOVERING FLAWS

My experiences thus far in this trip has been very revelatory for me in many of my convictions that I have. It's revealed many ways of life that is need of being calibrated and others that has been reevaluated as I aim as becoming increasingly conscious of how I am practical of my convictions.

One certain thing I've noticed is that I have a very weak desire to produce conversations because I'm fairly lazy and feel like conversing requires an astronomical amount of effort. Maybe an exaggeration, but sometimes maybe not. And because I despise conversations that are unauthentic and ones that are ignited through the compulsion to talk because of our Christian stereotype, I rarely choose to talk if I do not believe the conversation is worthwhile - how foolish my fleshly discernment deceives me in situations like that. When there is no desire, as A.W. Tozer once prayed, [paraphrased] I desire so that I would desire more of you, I thirst that I might become more thirsty. I truly desire to desire, and thirst to thirst, that my acquiring of a very fallen social ability would become transformed into an authentic desire to come into further communion with God's chosen people, God's holy nation.

This brings me into my second thought. I have a strong conviction for communion and unity amongst God's people and for us individually in conformation to the trinity. As I have been living with a Christian community in a semi-isolated area of Wisconsin (to me at least because I'm from Chicago), it seems to me that I do not visually see unity as a beautiful thing. I almost condemn unity internally when I see God's people seeking after him as a quotidian need for his grace and his empowering word. That is when I stopped and soaked in the despicable and deteriorating thoughts within my head. How can I go on discovering this holy structure of communion and unity in my own life when I do not truly see the body uniting together with Christ as a beautiful thing? Can I begin to adore it? I need to want for the people of the Lord, I need to be affectionate in truth. Knowledge without transformation is idolatry. I do not want to be caught up in the act of idolatry. Only the Father can produce change, and I wait and thirst with my life desperately for it.

And then there is this thought of always wanting to be high and exalted in almost everything I do. I hope for a miraculous, yet possible cycle of transformation within me. I desire that Christ would flush out the ugliness of my flesh and move me to become coministers with his people. A humility that never ends in such an intangible cycle that I can not comprehend. That I might be humble that I'm humble that I'm humble that I'm humble...

I'm weak and I'm being sustained by the hands who have made the ancient paths and sustained his those of the ages of old. Father, would you work as I believe, and would I believe as you move me to believe, and would you move me to believe that the grace in which control permits.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

THE JOY IN SERVING

This is actually a post I had been meaning to write up for a quite a period of time.

It is hard to articulate through such a painful experience. I remembered trying to find the correct words in my speechlessness to produce a summation of this particular time of strife. The previous passage that I had shared with you all sometime in the end of April I believe was a passage that caught my eye as I was reading through the second letter to the Corinthian church. It was titled 'Paul's Joy' in the ESV translation and possibly something similar to this in other translations. I shared it with you all partly because it was a passage that God blessed me with as he demonstrated to me an admirable affection to achieve only through the humbling of myself before God and to his chosen people - my brothers and sisters. The other factor initiating my choice was because it was not as straightforward as the rest of the passages in 2 Corinthians, but rather more implicate and more of an in-depth study in my perspective. Therefore, I only half-understood the passage. I remember also that as I read this passage, after reflecting and taking some time to treasure this passage in thanksgiving because of the message conveyed to me, I said something along the lines of, 'oh how I wish that I understood this passage more fully.' Hah, God certainly heard both my spoken words and the desire upon my aligned heart and mind. Many passages, as we know, can be taught through a sermon and others through a devotional, but through this experience, I believe also that there are some that proves to be a daunting task if we were earnest to present it in a pastoral presentation. And perhaps, this may be one of them.

God spoke to me through my internal struggle for the next few days which was caused by a nearly ascetic way of living. Of course I cannot possibly live fully in asceticism, but as Christians, we all strive to - hopefully. Though it was not just the relational life that was driving me onto my weak knees everyday, but in further wholeness, I was being drained mentally through my rigorous academic work and overall, my busy college life. Even so mentioning, my relationships were what mainly caused me to feel the way I had felt. I believed in those whom I befriended and served. I pursued a life of holiness, aiming for the vision of 'on earth as it is in heaven' to be made more of a reality in my life so that Christ would work through my body in which I beat (1 Cor.9:26). By this, I mean that I aimed to live influentially, preaching the words given to me through the Spirit of God, letting go of a life in which I indulged in comfort, and intentionally going to places where I met my friends at where they were at, even though they did not expect me to be there. I desired to show the love, the care, and my affection and yearning for their lives that they might be the aroma of Christ (2 Cor.2:15) as was preached. I desired for us to live in fellowship with one another and desired for each of our lives to be in repentance. And a life in repentance is recognizable when perceived through a time period because transformation is progressively seen. My joy is found in the watching of this transformation in my brothers and sisters which has been manifested to me through the enlightened eyes that Christ had given to me.

What we receive at times is that living an intentional and incarnate life is draining and hard, especially when we go at it alone. I believe that this was what I was going through. 'Surely, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.'(Mark 10:38) And my flesh did become weak, physically, mentally, spiritually - 'our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn.' In a time where there was joy for one divine manifestation and simultaneously exhaustion from my fleshly limitations, I was in need of but one thing. A God-provided consolation directly from the hands of my brothers and sisters - that after I had cared and loved those the Lord surrounded me with, I would receive even greater joy and comfort when realizing that these brothers who has become fervid in their faith for Christ, has become those who also aimed to live a life filled with affection for those who had served them. That was when I realized that Paul became embraced with the package of love from the people of the Corinthian church that Titus had brought back to him which comforted him. This zeal that his people had for him renewed both him and those journeying with him. He goes on to talk about how this zeal for the shepherd of the Corinthian church had been wrought. Godly grief in repentance. But overall, an even greater joy transcended upon Paul when he finally found that his people was yearning for him and his bold life.

My friend found me that night, tired and speechless in prayer. When I spoke to him about how weary I was, I didn't want anything but the Lord to speak to me through his lips. I asked him to put his hands on me and pray for me. I heard the Lord that night when I was in a toilsome state. I finally understood this passage. My friend showed me great affection and an even greater joy was wrought from his yearning for me in my struggles. And then I was reminded, 'And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.'(2 Cor.7:15) It was a complicated matter, but an experiential discovery that helped me to share in the joy of Paul in a much lesser extremity. In the end, what I find that I hold on to when all else had been let go, was the promise of Christ of his coming back and establishment of salvation in the day of the Lord.

Embrace is a gift that we have physically and a great gift that we should use indeed. For some do not hold this particular gift of embrace from their brothers and sisters, and for the least of these, we shall treasure this gift of embrace. What I've also found is that I need to yearn for my brothers and sisters. The moment that we begin to be able to declare wholeheartedly that we yearn for one another, will be when being sons of God as peacemakers will truly flesh out.

Father, speak to us as your word is made into flesh. But I ask that you don't always give us revelation, lest we enter into a trial with a hard heart, therefore neglecting the divine manifestation of your Spirit. Instead, would you surprise us in our times and seasons of suffering that we might reap the fruit of your harvest in its intended abundance. In all situations, let thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. I ask for our desire to embrace and our desire to yearn for your people to continually increase that we might be vessels of your truth in the gospel.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

THE AFFECTION OF A MAN OF GOD

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Paul's Joy
2 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you.

May our joy overcome that which overwhelm us in anguish and that our affection for our brethen through Christ be the source of our joy. Might we sacrifice in order that the lives of our brethen may become transformed through repentance. And might our affection for one another be defined far beyond just our proximity. Would you help us find communion even as we are physically distant; for we know that communion comes through our knowledge that we are serving the Lord with oneness of heart.

WHO IS HE WHO REGARDS?

Psalm 144

My Rock and My Fortress

1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.

3 O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

This convicts me to realize the truth of what it means for God to be our Rock, our Fortress. As much as the emphasis in this passage can zoom in to how petite we are, it cohesively emphasizes on how astronomical our God is. Blessed are those who look upon him who infinitely humbles himself to his people. And I ask, who are we not to be people who regard?

THE RIGHT IDEA ON LIVING

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The Advance of the Gospel

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

May this passage teach in the full length of its glory, in the boldness of the spirit of this passage; but only that boldness would be achieved through lowliness and gentleness in heart as Christ invites.

REJOICING

Habakkuk 3:17-19

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

Destruction is inevitable; yet Habakkuk waits quietly for the 'day of trouble' from a good and just God. Habakkuk rejoices in the Lord even so knowing and accepting of past prosperity and future suffering.

STORY OF A WATCHMAN

Ezekiel 33:1-9

The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

And definitely consider what this means for us.

TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD

I probably won't be writing anytime soon, but until then, I'll post up some of my favorite scripture passages that we can all ponder about together.

Psalm 34

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

There is a day Jesus, when all unity will be established. All nations and all tongues you say; Father I have faith in your restoration plans; the day of salvation.

Let us begin at the table of the Lord. As Jesus speaks about the blood and body of himself shed and broken for his people, he gifted us with elements that, as Paul says, would make us one body because we eat from one bread. It is not only Jesus Christ who reconciles us to God, but the same man who we've received that reconciles us to one another. This reconciliation is unique beyond what our fathers have ever imagined. This is a reconciliation that does not renew our relationships from bitter to mere acquaintances, but it is one that moves us from separation to interconnected oneness. And we do not have to wait! At least not in a way that binds us into a delusion that sanctification cannot begin now. We live in the sanctity and omnipresence of God! Jesus preaches of the plentiful harvest only short of laborers in Matthew 9:37-38. Brothers, the kingdom is in our midst. At times, I realize that I envision impossibilities like an iron wall built before us. But yet, what does it mean to have visions? Jesus envisioned of things he knew, but passed these visions on to us only as anticipations that is infinitesimal to his creation who while on earth is finite. He prayed for bold and confident prayers as if nothing can appear a barrier to it. He prayed visions. Jesus has defined visions for us since the ages of old; it was ever since he prayed, 'hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven' and since he prayed 'that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.' A vision does not point us towards any other destination than glorification, so a vision should not ask us to reach any earthly destination, but it is one that inspires us towards the sanctity of Christ in full perseverance and reverent dependence so that the Holy Spirit of the Living God would fill this impossible leap of faith in order to help us see the heavenly city. The heavenly city cannot be seen through journeying, only through the keeping of the statues and commandments of the Lord, that we can envision it written on our hearts and minds. We are leaping across a canyon that only the Spirit can bridge, fighting a flood that only God can confront, tearing down an iron wall that only God can destroy; we are taking paths that only God can make right.

This is an ultimatum that God wants us to pursue; on earth as it is in heaven. How are we to come to achieve such a vision? Well, I am no one to instruct on God's plans, but in truth and in spirit, I pray that we would be able to preach on an idea of steps we can take in order to allow the fulfillment of the Lord to be more of a reality to us. And like many of the commandments Christ entrusted us with, it is no small task to bear.

First and foremost, there is a need for preaching and not simply pedagogy. Pedagogy might be needed for efficiency, but pedagogy without preaching the gospel only leads to a puffed up mind just as efficiency without a valuable purpose leads to the act of 'hurry' and impatience. Preaching is incarnate teaching; a humble and sympathetic presentation of the convicting truths of the word of God. It is a call to responsibility, a call for action in response to God's graciousness(in general). We need to be aware of our fallen state, not just know it. This can almost be seen as the initiation of the conformation to God's will.

I believe that what truly needs to be allocated to its rightful position next is the need for discomfort as we face the exposure of this worldliness which stains us. If we are content within this world enough to discontinue the pursuit for heaven on earth, we have lost sight of the vision of Christ. The moment we remain content in not only the worldliness in the secular world, but the worldliness in the Christian environment, we have lost sight of the destination. The scriptures say that all of creation has been groaning in the pains of childbirth; it is a fleshly endeavor for perfection. In the same way, it brings us closer in intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great high priest who 'in every way has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.' For many of us, if we are not in some type of strife, we do not even bother to approach the throne of grace in prayer; and even when approached, we are only in petition. I don't want to sound harsh, but I praise God that he does not look down from the heavens and perceive us as pathetic creatures as our actions show us to be. We are in need of discomfort and a poverty of spirit in order that we may enter the yoke of Christ which he offers all of his people.

One of the very last thing that may tie all things together is intentionality. As we are a people in dependence, but also a people of arrogance, we desire in our flesh to hide our shamefulness and appear in glory. Intentionality can possibly break this complete barrier of falsity so that those who we intentionally draw near to may receive our invitation into this wonderful comfort zone. Now this comfort zone is different; it is the entrance into the yoke of Christ; one that is filled with all peace and freedom. Only when we live in an incarnate humility with complete care - one that meets others where they are at - will we be able to transfer this contagious style of living to God's chosen people. This is a lifestyle in spirit and in truth.

This is a vision of life on earth as it is in heaven, that others may partake in that I might be able to share with them in its blessings; not my own invented vision, but Jesus' vision from before the world began. It is big, it is impossible; I would invite you to venture with me, in a journey where we are not given the pressure to choose the right paths, but in a journey where we take the paths in which Christ makes right.

Father, would you never make us fear possibilities that we would shrink our visions, but that we would revere you in order that our visions may be yours alone.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

THE LEGALISM OF SACRIFICE

This has been a long-awaited topic I've been meaning to write about. There's been many thoughts and experiences on this issue; many I've been striving to retain, but some I will have to extract in the process. I received a strong enlightenment one day and truly desired to write about the justice and righteousness of sacrifice, but after much thought and much participation, I realized that the opposing side or topical issue that arises is much more relevant for certain people at this age; yet I will add a little bit of both sides in this post.

Legalism, to give a dictionary definition, is 'the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.' Now laws are good depending on the objective of it, and also depending on whether or not we look at it as an exclusive unit of progress. Children from a young age begin to learn the rules and laws that we are to adhere by in order to be counted as a representative of good; in order to reveal our obedience to blossom as the best law-abiding citizen. This has been a common experiential situation and nothing unusual to our senses. The goal is to be a pleasurable and loved child comparatively to the rest, and sometimes, to arise above the rest. In this case, the reason for laws has slowly become distorted, twisted. This objective of laws has become to us Christians diseased and indulged.

This is the picture of what the Pharisees showed us; the well-keeping of Mosaic laws with added laws that were proved harsh and not beneficial to the Jewish people. Externally, if they were judged by all that they did, how much they prayed, how much they showed that they prayed, how much they fasted, how much they showed that they fasted, how much works they did and so on, they would have looked magnificently fanatical. When someone is considered Pharisaical, they are either defined generally as legalistic, or in specific; self righteously prideful, or self-deceivingly legalistic. Or to give an analogy, the obtaining of knowledge is a good thing depending on the heart of reason for such an objective. Knowledge without transformation is idolatry; knowledge without an outward change of the heart is nothing but a displeasure in the eyes of the Lord; nothing better than the gods made out of metal in Old Covenant times. And remember, this was the very reason for God's wrath, the flooding of the world, the curses to Israel, the dividing of the kingdom, the destroying of the temples, and the eventual gap that occurred in Jewish history. The modern Pharisaical image is either a purposely initiated self-righteousness because it is a constant obsessive sin that is consistently practiced or when someone is not taught the wholeheartedness of Christianity and has been emphatically shown the rules and regulations; one that aims at higher individualistic spirituality who constantly practices harder and harder disciplines. Either way, both is considered legalism and legalism is the wrong doctrine of the New Covenant, and if studied correctly, also the wrong doctrine of the Old Covenant. This is the word of the Lord:

"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."
Proverbs 21:3

There are many verses that gives us a knowledge of God's heart in his view of sacrifices besides this such at 1 Samuel 15:22 and Hosea 6:6 which shows that the Lord desires an inward obedience and a steadfast love rather than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 16:7 says that 'man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart' and Matthew 15:11 says that 'it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.' The reason for the wording in such a specific way in where one action eliminates the other is because of the context. People of this time were placing too concentrated a highlight on lawfulness and too opaque a highlight on the fruitfulness of the heart that caused Jesus' rebuke that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath; that if we concentrate on the act of rest for the sake of obedience alone then we are not visioning our salvation by grace alone. Through the pruning in this log in my eye have Jesus shown me the fault in my flesh and graciously overflowed into me a burning conviction for the discernment of laws and sacrifice in order for the purging of such sin that deteriorates us. God says that in the end, he 'will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts' in Hebrews 8:10. That ultimately and in God's sovereignty, He alone will intervene for our helpless souls, and he alone will print on our hearts and minds, that spirituality will be lived out from first the inward self, that which potentially names one who is defiled and one who is cleansed.

Let's, for a moment, break down some barriers on our thought of discipline. Where there is discipline, there is sacrifice; for if discipline is not sacrificial, it is not discipline at all, it is but a leisure activity. Discipline only comes when we substitute something that is good for something that is bad, or where we substitute something that is better for something that is good. Either way, discipline is a struggling process to do what is just and right. When the object of discipline becomes a joy, that is when a God-pleasing passion is created; this is when this action should no longer be referred to as a discipline, but a passion. Now this is only the desired direction that discipline leads to, whereas discipline can disastrously corrupt the soul for it is the active catalyst of legalism. When discipline becomes so focused on the action itself, but not the fruitful result that is aimed for, it slowly brings us to a state of unconscious perdition. When the discipline is not flexible in favor of the production of growth, then this becomes an issue we face. When 2 hours of prayer needs to be 2 hours of prayer without fluctuation, this can possibly be a problem. When reading the word or fasting is not the better discerned activity we are to be doing at a certain time or season in order that the Lord may be exalted, then this is a problem. We need to be a generation who astutely realizes that our spiritual act of worship is not limited in the actions of prayer and singing songs, not limited in reading the word and fasting, but our spiritual act of worship is truly the living out of our lives as sacrifices holy and pleasing to our God. This means that reading a secular book and enjoying time with friends at a museum can equally be worshipful to the Lord just as prayer and reading the word can be equally meaningless. This brings me to another point.

I've spent some time addressing issues of the depravity of sacrifice, but remember that just as one perspective is presented, there is on another side the rational fruit of sacrifice. Jesus preaches both as He calls Simon and Andrew and 'immediately they left their nets and followed him' in Matthew 4:20 and when he says 'whoever should come after me will deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me' in Matthew 16:24. Often times we have to know that sacrifice is what is just and right; to release ourselves from the external worries and influences to rest in the voice of the Lord does reveal steadfast love and obedience. Jesus Christ sacrificed for our sins on the cross and there should be no arguing amongst Christians and many nonChristians alike that this debt-erasing sacrifice was the ultimate justice and righteousness for generations and generations. The Lord does not desire sacrifice less than he desires mercy or steadfast love, for are they not placed in the same category many times? We must be exposed to the truth that there is not a moment in which we are not sacrificing one thing to do another; that we are always engaging in the act of sacrifice. The more specific dilemma that takes place then is which sacrifice is good and which sacrifice is better. We have to approach sacrifice with a carefully discerning mind, constantly asking for the wisdom of the Lord.

Jesus, would you continue to renew our minds so that we might approve what is excellent, and through testing, discern what is the will of God, your good, pleasing, and perfect will.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

PRAYER

Father, would your Spirit rush on this generation of believers, more capable would you make us, more of a glimpse we yearn for. Would you rush like a waterfall, rush like the wisdom transcended to Solomon, rush like your calling to Samuel, rush like your blinding and leading and restoring of Paul, rush like the foundation of history until now in blessedness from the King of kings, rush like horses and chariots that swept the man of God off his feet, rush of Jesus, oh incomprehensible, inconceivable Spirit, oh infinite and gracious God of peace. Grace and peace. Thank you oh Jesus.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

PARENTING

"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live?"
Hebrews 12:5-9

Such imagery is given in this passage, such sensations trickling down to the more specific emotions being felt; of course, we can never know exactly, but the analogy is enough to give us an image, a reflection. Aside from many convictions and desires in which I've already put into words, this passage simply reveals a great yearning of mine for the sake of the greatest yearning. Being a father. This does not dumb down the many other desires I possess, but just raises up to a higher level this very specific one. Let us establish something very simple in the exploration of this scripture.

The position we are placed at is the helpless, belittled, and humbled stature of an adolescent; our might minimized to the lowest degree yet amidst the weakness, there are the joys we discover in being highly absorbent, and truly genuine whether we like it or not. When we are referred as sons in this passage, we are in one light described with such a state, but yet in a different situation. For one, discipline is not spoken of when we learn in an absorbent way, whereas discipline is spoken of more when learning becomes a part of the chipping away of an imperfect sculpture; there's nothing absorbent about picking and chipping. Through the enduring and persevering process of such pain, we become refined. Let's refer to such discipline as the alternative contrasted to the less effective technique in certain specific situations or maybe the former is the alternative; that is only realized when experienced, but yet is not explicitly spoken of in the passage. Sometimes, we are a sponge, other times, a sculpture, and many more as we discover, but whether this or that, it is a form of learning.

The specificity of this particular imagery shows that what seems to be painful at the time, a time that can be seen as a testing in the fire possibly, is intended for the good. What is this good? Can this be considered the same goodness we treat our mother or father with as if it is pleasurable to serve them for all they've done for us no matter the cost; possibly we can consider a sacrificial goodness out of a fruitful love, but I would say not exactly at all. Can it be a deed displayed through action for our daycare children by simply teaching them the simplicity of the dynamics of reciprocity; this can display portions, but nothing close to the exact. This goodness is the very treatment to your own vessels, which I personally can describe only through observation as a nurturing and painful love, but at the same time can deliver potentially the greatest joy. But yet, I can not perfectly fit myself into these shoes. None such goodness seems to fit into the covering of this specific type of goodness; where there is full participation, there is also full legitimacy, whereas seems to be the qualification to our sonship.

Now, this is not even close to half the maximal representation of this scripture, for God not only seeks to show us our place, but he seeks to show us his place. There is a drenching amount of intimacy within not only our name as sons, but his referring to "my" sons. I want to give us a picture of parenting here. Children love their parents, or so they believe they do in the highest spirited moments, yet like faith, love is shown in the greatest depth at the highest level of perseverance. Children do not understand the meaning of justice and righteousness, nor would they understand how it is visualized in practice or how it should be to their appealing to search for it, but parents do. And when it can be found through training, and when training leads to developing, parents will do that which, to their discernment, appears just and right. Children, at the point of a sponge, can present themselves in the greatest joy for the parent, and yet at the point of training through discipline, can become the deepest level of brokenness in the heart of the parent. When we utterly rebel against the significant hierarchy and the parent who cares for us for the sake of our good, not only are we in a state of disillusion of the distinctness of good and bad, but we exclaim to our caretakers that they need to listen to our wrong unknowing justice. Children reprove our reproves in the most selfish and, at that point, unconditional manner. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" scripture says; and it is through a good intended pain that at the moment pains the feelings of the children only because the parent does not abide to their selfishness. Yet it destroys the caretaker when the child does not abide to their justice and righteousness; not only so, but when the child neglects all the blessings graced upon them from everlasting to everlasting since the moment they gained their first breath.

At that moment, we will discover a more intimate unity with the Lord, the moment of care-taking, the moment of Fatherhood, the moment when rather we become pained in the lack of the other abiding to our flesh, that we would become sabotaged because of the lack of abiding to the justice and righteousness of the spirit. Apart from that lack of abiding, that our child would throw at us every form of grace we've ever given or shown them and hold tightly to their selfishness. Fatherhood. Lord, help us to come, and help us to go.

BRUSH OF EQUALITY

The Lord kept me awake tonight, so I guess I shall write.

Where there is equality, there first requires justice. Many of us bring up questions of fairness; how one individual's life might be much more blessed than another individual's life, how one person may be suffering in poverty and another dwelling within the richness of Western lifestyles. Or how about equality within the church? One person is seen as the pastor - the spiritual shepherd of the church given much more authority and highly respected, while another is seen as the young teenager who is less seen as a spiritual role model, but more assumed as a stereotypical immature child who has barely a voice in the church. Let us examine equality amongst the body of Christ, the body of believers. This is the word of the Lord:

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 ESV

There is definitely much familiarity with this passage, but let's angle it in a unique perspective. How does the body work? Only that each take their own part. There is no single emphasis on the eye being much more important than the ear, or the ear being much more important that the nose, neither is there that unbalanced importance with the arms or the legs or the butt; none at all. The elders are the eyes, they provide us the vision, the youth are the legs, they walk in growth through the vision given, the young adults may be the arms, serving and offering to us freely, and so on. Let me not make this sound absolute, for it is only an interpretation.

Much of the Word preaches on the topic of equality in this way and I have no doubt that the Lord's symbolism of equality is illustrated in the Bible through the characters of the Bible; to be more specific, not just many of the characters of the Bible for many does not make a whole, but all of the characters, for the schema of equality can only be spoken of when the community as a whole is referred to. To edge out some of the major characters, let's take Elijah and Elisha(1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13) as a sense for our depiction; for a specific purpose: that it seems to be the most radical of them all, although we can only radicalize in our perspectives because radical is exclusively a human term(this can be explained in further discussions possibly if time permits). Simply, Elijah was a man of God, referred to sometimes as "the man of God" without his name included; it could be implied that all knew who these words referred to for there were not many of them; Elisha is comparatively referred to in the same sense when succeeding Elijah. What Elijah had done in vivid humility and full desire to exalt the Lord was humanely radical! He represented the Lord in the destruction of idolatry within the nation of Israel for a time and was the Lord's healing hands as he was in desperation before the Lord. The Lord saw his heart. Elijah is spoken of often because the Lord ascended him to the heavens with heavenly horses and chariots, giving me almost the imagery of a light-speed tornado. And he was the only.

An occurrence of this sort forces people to think, why Elijah? What made him different? And this leads me to think, can we judge this? The unhesitating approach is first 'maybe', but to be straightforward, it is 'NO!'; at least not in a very specific sense. Elisha asked Elijah for "a double portion of Elijah's spirit"(2 Kings 2) for him if Elijah so leaves him. And as illustrated, this was magnificently evident for us readers. Elisha worked miracles and was a vessel to the word of the Lord. Yet he died in sickness as he grew older, nothing as supernatural as Elijah; he never got taken up early. Then we say, what is the difference with his life and Elijah's? Wasn't it more fruitful, by two-folds if I may? See, and not only Elisha's closely compared life, how about David's? The man after God's own heart? He died in old age watching the fighting between two sons for the throne, although they did settle peacefully to some extent. And Paul? He basically set out half the New Testament; why was it not Peter, the man considered the leader of the disciples? Why a man referred to as the "13th" apostle who persecuted Jews before being, again, radically, saved? God's equality cannot merely be judged in our humane eyes and humane perspectives. Did the Lord judge on how righteous Elijah was to pick him? Clearly not for scripture shows many who were righteous, possibly even more righteous. The Lord does not play favoritism. We do not know the way the Lord judges; for his word says in Isaiah 40:28, 'his understanding is unsearchable.' You can see that it is merely the plans of the Lord that determines our path, the sovereignty of the Lord that determines our prosperity, our blessings. God's perfect justification that ultimately determines our role.

We need to be a people who desire to play our role, for when we do not endure the work God has set out for us, we are the ones that cause the divisions, not the church. If we are legs, but desire to be the visions, that is surely more or less impossible; we will stumble the body and there will be no walking and further growth - we become the reason for the ineffectiveness of the vision, whereas the arms is of no use as well. And if the eyes decide to sleep on us, denying their responsibilities, we have no guide and will likely stumble. Now let's view this in a global perspective; this is what we call the church with the capital C, the global church. Worldwide disciples in Christ Jesus are to be in unity as a body of Christ representing Christ as redeeming hands in our respected places. Whether in poverty or in wealth, we are given a part to play. This is why the Lord said:

"For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."
Matthew 26: 11 ESV

The poor is part of the body just as the rich is! What is equality then? Because a God of perfection, a God who cannot sin, certainly will not play favoritism, for the Bible preaches against it. Then certainly, the presence of both rich and poor, third world and first world countries, is not what defines equality! Equality comes that each of us are playing our role as part of the whole; that there is the eye, and that there is the feet, and that there is the nose, and so on. God arranged each member of the body, each as he chose; this done undeniably in perfect equality. We as those within the wealthy nations are called truly to give freely out of our wealth that we could live as incarnate Christians. Just as mentioned before, a call to distribution; that when we function, that is when we become unified, and when we become unified is when we live in equality, and in equality is how God desires for us to be justified. We have to realize that we, whether seen as a church or seen as a nation or seen globally or seen in a household family have dwelt in our pride for too long. The moment there is humility, there will be realization of what our roles are; this will be the day when equality will be catalyzed in the fullest extent. So then I shall start with myself.

I am the reason for the inequality Jesus. I am the reason for the body's stumbling because I am not being the desired steward for the role I've been given to play. Would you pour upon me your Spirit of healing, your Spirit of realization, your Spirit of perfect humility, that I may recognize and serve, and be called and qualified as a vessel of unity. Teach me to be watchful and thankful in devoted prayer. And help me to first see the log in my own eye clearly before I see the speck in my brother's eye. Jesus, let your fulfillment take place; I will hope, I will believe, I will see.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen

RESONANCE

From the depths of my heart oh Jesus, hear my prayer; for I will not stop. As you are relentlessly restoring us Lord, as you relentlessly pursue us, as you relentlessly bear all which weighs on our shoulders, we will relentlessly surrender before you, we will relentlessly pursue you; as you do not relent Jesus, we will never relent.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen

SHAKEABLE BUT UNSHAKEABLE

Father, would you buffet us so that nothing else can. Would you tremble us with your words so that all fears would be stilled. From the depths of my heart, would you quake us in reverent fear, that your perfect love would cast out all fear. Father, would only you shake us, that it would make it impossible for anything else in this world to do so.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen

A SHARING IN GROANING

I will try to weave through my thoughts as I share of consistent experiences in my prayers of the groaning within my flesh, but when it became the most evident and burdensome this past week I decided to write. As I sat within a prayer chapel, in silence, meeting the Lord's presence, the spirit in my flesh began to groan quite evidently; to the point where I said to myself, my spirit is groaning, Lord Jesus I desire you desperately to fill and to heal, for us as your creation. This is the word of the Lord:

"For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:22-28

As followers of Jesus Christ and ambassadors of reconciliation, there is a need for recognition of the forgiveness of Jesus that leads to reconciliation; that which is not only with the human race, but for the human race with each other, with God, and with creation mutually. At the sight of this, an embodying character that we need to inherit is a love growing to fullness as Jesus calls, one which is of all the heart, all the mind, all the soul, and all the strength. Love can not be weighed on a scale, but love can be seen in maturity; love can be seen in greatness when we see others struggling to love yet continuing to love at the most maximal point. Now I am speaking of my experience, so bear with me. In response to such a deep love, there needs to be a discernment of whether such a love is true love or one such tool for a holy reputation. Satan is a sly and wise evil power in moving at pleasing virtue to the most filthy sin. When such a love is confirmed by the Spirit and seen through our bearing of fruit, both will present itself biblically in our lives.

Through my prayers, a constant request is that the Lord will speak through my mouth from my heart in spirit and in truth; out of purity who manifests the only truth. Time and time again, I experience a desperation in the bearing of burdens therefore partially sharing in the burdens of my brothers and sisters, and not only so, but even sharing in the suffering of other parts of creation itself. It is at this time, but not exclusively at this time, in closer communion of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it means when we say break our heart for what breaks yours Jesus. A much heavier weight than most people usually expect when they actually sing or speak the prayer in sincerity. As our heart empathize with the Lord as he wept for Lazarus or as he saw the Pharisees imposing burdens but not bearing burdens, as Jesus asks the Father to be one with us as they were one, as Jesus asks the Father to forgive for we do not know what we were doing as we crucified him; this is the very feeling we partially receive. We do not feel it wholly just as we do not see more than a glimpse of glory, just as we only share in suffering and not receive Jesus' suffering, but we do gain a sense of such a taste. Times through praying through the many broken people who write down their prayer request in this prayer chapel, praying for certain struggling people, praying through that which pierces my heart in Haiti and every other third world country, praying for divisions in churches, and the separation between us and the rest of creation leads me to crying out in much want.

It is the build up which the Lord places a brokenness in my heart, a supernatural intercession in my prayers, a groaning of the spirit who I cannot seem to misunderstand is what the Lord feels; how much more, in a whole is the taste when one is omnipresent and omniscient. The Spirit truly gives me groanings to deep for words because half of that which come out of me does not come out of this body of mine. Let's pretend for a moment to be orphans waiting for adoption as sons; yes there is a sense of internal torment as we are nurtured in an orphanage hoping for a parent one day, yet in our case, knowing that there is a day. God is the parent who sees his child as an orphan waiting also for the day that is right, when we're ready to be adopted, but he knows we are his, and he watches us in our torment, he desires the restored relationship with us far more.

Such groaning does not end in brokenness as I've written in one previous post, it ends in healing. For all who love God, all things work out for the good and purposefully; the Lord fills with a peace and yet again renews my spirit in comfort. It is this part of love that the Lord leads us to experience; and it is at that moment of my prayers, the very end of it, that the Lord helps me to come to know that this constant discovery of what love in truth and in spirit is is becoming a fuller and fuller picture. Lord Jesus, let us become more capable of experiencing you, and at that moment, let us see more than a glimpse of your glory and your love.

AGAINST THE UNBELIEF

You look around
It's staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder

What if I'm overtaken
What if I never make it
What if no one's there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes in you
You can walk on the water too

So get out
and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don't wait
Don't you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

DESTINATION IN POVERTY

"And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Luke 10:2 ESV

Abundance has not been more present than it had been yesterday or it will be tomorrow. Recognition is what we lack, motivation is what we lack, conviction is what we lack, desire is what we are missing; there is a need for our acknowledgment to lead us onto our knees in an utterly destitute brokenness. So many times we desire brokenness as if it is the end goal. What we need is not brokenness to be our destination point, but for this type of brokenness to lead us to eventual healing. Jesus, let your Spirit fall as we are earnest. Jesus let your Spirit fall.

CLARITY FOR THE SAKE OF FULFILLMENT

When pondering of clarity, it is less of a climax and more of a progression. There surrounds this aspect is an ignition and a decision. So quickly is this system of ignition and decision made, though that clarity becomes excluded out of this portrait.

Ignition comes from a feeling with a blurred affirmation of choice that we are diving into. Have you ever thought of what a diver thinks before they dive? And not just a professional diver, for not only professional divers are present in human existence. Maybe they are confident without thought, maybe they are confident with reasonable logic, maybe they are afraid yet have no choice but to dive, maybe they don't care and will take a chance, and there are many others. In analogy to the Christian ignition of response to God's calling or what we think is His calling, we dive in the same way. After ignition comes an internal warfare called excitement; an excitement that causes impatience when we don't see instant result. We ask for sight, we ask for clarity, yet we ask incongruously; because we ask for an answer, but we don't ask for fulfillment. There is confidence of the ignition, but that is as far as we go because the light has dimmed the moment we walked into the cave. When darkness falls, we are put through a time of frustration, maybe even a time of fear, a time of struggle. This portion is called pruning as God shapes us in our patience not only in the present, but for the future. As we begin to endure the darkness, God will begin to bring light; a lamp unto our feet. This is the word of the Lord:

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 ESV

This light will bring sight, yet only a dim sight. This sight will lead you to encouragement in the provision of God's reward. Clarity comes through the aligning of the heart with God's heart for us; that heart in accordance to our plans which the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:11. Tag-teamed along with patience might either be a hardened heart, or clarity. We need to know that we will not know unless we ask, that we will not find unless we seek, and that we will not enter into the door offered if we do not knock. This is a small presentation that prayer is crucial for any clarity that we desire; prayer is the all encompassing aspect in this process where there is ignition and decision. We need to pray for patience and perseverance, we need to pray for answers, we need to pray for the Spirit's manifestation of plans.

As we move along, God will bless us with his extended hand of grace by giving us visions, feelings, a supernatural event out of no coincidence. It is at this moment that we feel almost as if we've heard God's spoken voice. A variety of instruments are used to display clarity in this procedure where progression of clarity is the effect of the previous step of equipping. This clarity can potentially be different than what we had expected; such clarity is a reflection of God's direction, God's intervention, God's grace, God's magnificence, God's glory. In clarity, we begin to notice God's confirmation only as God manifests in us in our boldness to dive; out of this is when the finally awaited decision is made through confidence of God's will. Unless there is clarity, there have been no transformation as we watch ourselves staying in the position of impatience, staying in the position of neglecting to meet with God, staying in the position of spontaneity when we can have confirmation. Decision should always be a step of truth, faith, and love. Yet another aspect shall bring my conclusions; this is the word of the Lord:

"For we know in part and we prophesy part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
1 Corinthians 13:9-12

What I have spoken of is only of a portion in our life. There will be a teaching along this road less travelled from the God Almighty who will move us from a child to a man. A revelation given to us is that we will give up these childish ways, but it happens through trials. As clear as our sight might become in just a speck in our time line, our reflection, our purpose, our vision of God's righteousness and his kingdom, will yet be dim. Yet there is hope in our continual training process through transformation processes such as decision making in both our stewardship of God's grace and for the fullness of his glory to be revealed. We will see his glory for what it is, we will know fully; for as we walk in the fulfillment of God's plans for us, we will walk into the fulfillment of God's plans for eternity. This is the establishment of our salvation (1 Peter 5:10) with our Lord forever. We will see Him face to face; this is a clear vision and will be a clear reality.

INSTRUCTION

"Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statues, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'"
1 Kings 2:2b-4

We fail when we do not follow, when we do not listen, when we do not know, when we do not understand, we fall because we walk without coordination; the Lord instructs and promises, fullness is the prevention of lacking, is the prevention of our wandering and going adrift.