My aunt told me a story once. Her Church had put on a skit about Jesus and His relationship with us. In the skit, the main character decides to have his prayer time, he hadn’t done it all day and knew he needed to knuckle down. First a friend calls and offers to take the person to a football game. ‘Jesus’ puts on a jersey and gets ready to go, but the person tells the friend that he can’t go and needs to pray, so Jesus takes off the jersey and sits down. Next a friend offers to take the person to a concert, Jesus starts to put on his shoes to go but the person refuses the friend because he needs to pray. Jesus takes His shoes off and sits down again. A third time a friend calls and this time invites the person to a party and says that the person’s crush will be there, that convinces the person to give in and go, Jesus gets up to put His shoes back on but the person turns to him and says, ‘no, you stay here.’ Before leaving.
What’s the point?
Jesus isn’t the God of the moment you choose to read your Bible, but not God of the drive to work, the marathon you choose to run for cancer, or the afternoon you spend binging Netflix with your friend. He is the God of all of it. He wants you to have fun, but He wants you take him with you when you go to have that fun. He doesn’t want to be left behind to guard the sanctuary of your prayer room, He wants to go with you so He can guard the sanctuary of your heart. Jesus wants to be with you. And if you feel like you are going someplace you can’t take Him, then should you be going there in the first place?
Don’t leave Jesus on the cross. Let Him live in your heart and follow you where you go, as you follow where He leads you.
Category: dreams do come true
IF
IF
If is such a funny word. It can change anything just by existing. I am going for a walk…if. I will finally get my dream…..if. Or switch it around, if I get my wish. If I score that goal.
If changes things.
If. Jesus didn’t die.
If. It was all made up.
If. There is no world after this one.
The ifs suddenly look like a black hole don’t they?
If the ifs were true then there would be no point and the world would just burn. No Jesus means no salvation and IF we all just stop existing anyway then what’s the point?
Change the if to a why on the second one. Why would somone go to the trouble of making it all up, AND setting in place the evidence we have found? It would be ridiculous.
If there is no Heaven or hell and we all just stop existing then why do we exist at all? Because the world needed us? That is clearly not true, we are killing the world. Then why?
The truth is is that we could argue the ifs for years. Many have. But what it all comes down to is this. In our hearts we know the story is true. We have met Jesus and know Him. Then the ifs don’t matter.
One more if for everyone out there who still doesn’t believe.
WHAT IF IT’S ALL TRUE?
Then where are you at the end?
Armor
Armor?
When we were kids in Sunday School, we would sing the armor of God song. Remember standing up and patting yourself down as you named the different parts of the armor. It sort of looked like a rendition of ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes.’ Today I was reading Stormie Omartain’s ‘prayer warrior’ and she was talking about the armor of God. She mentioned how we need to put it on every day and it gave me an idea. What if we start each day by doing the armor of God song? Bear with me. What if we got up and did the helmet of salvation, breastplate, of righteousness, belt of truth, shoes of readiness, shield of Faith and sword of the Spirit? A. we would be verbally and physically acknowledging God’s power over our day
B. We would be getting in some morning cardio.
It is just a thought. But don’t forget how mutch we need our armor if we are going to make it through the day.
Credit to owner for cover image
Suiting up
Every hero has their costume. Without it, they simply don’t look heroic.
If John Wayne didn’t wear his hat he would still look like a hero to us, but that is simply because we have seen him in action. On the other hand if you saw All Might walking down the street in civilian clothes he would look, well, a little bit like a hippy; but full dressed in his hero outfit, he looks like the symbol of peace. Right? Right.
People can’t look at us and see that we are God’s heros. We are always in civilian wear. We can’t suit up and say, “fear not, for I am here!” Because we have nothing to suit up with. Like the Duke (John Wayne) we have to let people know what we are all about by our actions. If they see us acting like Jesus then they will know, “we are here to help✌.”
So, suit up everybody. It’s time to act like heros.
Grace and truth
Grace and truth
I once heard a volleyball captain say that you can’t have a good relationship by only being nice. It is not untrue, especially of you are the leader. You always need to be able to deliver the hard truths that people need to hear but you need to be able to do it with grace.
If you are known for being a jerk and doing nothing but pointing out people’s faults then they won’t ever actually listen to you. If you are never giving them the criticism they need then they will never grow.
Hypothetical story.
You are the captain of the women’s (or men’s), college volleyball team. You have been doing this middle school and the game is all you eat, sleep, and drink. Basically you know your stuff. Last year your previous setter graduated so you are using the person who was training to take the position. Game after game, sloppy spike after sloppy spike, you realize something. It isn’t your spiker that is the problem, it’s the setter. This person is hot headed and ready to eat the ball in her hand from so many misses. More than that she has started to blame the spiker and tell them off. Your words of, “just shake it off girls!” And, “we will get the next one!” Have been silenced by you realizing that you have to tell the setter what she is doing wrong. What do you do?
You tap her on the shoulder and say?
A. Listen. You keep on hesitating before your set so the timing is off and you are throwing off the spiker.
B. Hey there…is everything okay? Your sets seem a little hesitant. Don’t worry, you can do it.
Or C. I have noticed that you are a little hesitant with your sets today and it seems that is throwing off the spikes. (Place hand on shoulder) don’t worry, you can do it!
Option C. Shows the mistake gently and then encourages.
People need help. But they need you to offer that help kindly. Not sugarcoated, but not full of salt either. Find the balance and you can be a great asset to people.
The party that shakes the skies
Jesus ascended to the Father before returning to see His friends. Recall, He told the women not to hold to Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father.
Imagine the party, the shouts of joy, the resonating songs, the moment Jesus’ feet touched Heaven once again. There you see God running to His boy and thrusting His arms around Him. There you see Father and Son weeping outloud, and laughing as they hold each other. It had been so very long and now they are together again. Watch the angels hoist Jesus onto their shoulders and cary Him to the party as the hosts and the guests of Heaven cheer and shout. The hero had returned. What a party for the hero who had been gone so long. How will we party when Jesus returns physically to us again?
The end
Those fabulous last words that you place at the end of a story. After struggling, working hard and emptying the drug store of it’s caffeine content, you finally have the right amount of pages, the perfect centering, every title centered and highlighted, every art peice’s name placed on where they are to be inserted onto the page. Now you write. The End. And you take one final breath before sending it off.
The end. Jesus said it more eloquently when He stated, ‘it is finished.’ After all His struggles, all His suffering, all His hard work, now everything perfect to the writer as He closes the book and states. “It is finished.”
It is finished. There is no longer a curtain, no more need for a high priest to pray for us, no more need for sacrifices. It is finished. We have Jesus fully. We have God. We are in dwelled by the Holy Spirit. Heaven is now our prize too. It is finished.
Friends
I will follow you anywhere. Even past the realms of death to that which lies beyond.
So says a true friend.
I will go through death alone and move through what lies beyond alone for you. So says the truest friend. Jesus.
No matter where we go we are not alone; and for the places where we cannot go, Jesus goes alone without us to fight our battles for us.
Isn’t that an encouraging thought.
A day of tears
Day of tears
‘Today is my day to sorrow’, thought the tiny flower growing beside a rock. ‘Last night a great trouble came over me as a man, or something more than a man, sat by my side and wept. His tears were so great that when they splashed upon me I felt sick and my roots were weakened. I tried to reach out to the man, but I am just a flower and cannot draw attention to myself like a bird can with her song. He cried and screamed and begged and pleaded, but no peace came to this man. I hoped that He would look at me and I could make Him smile. He left and then returned, even sadder when He came back. All I could do was sit with Him. Then I sensed a resolve in His being and He went to stand once more. He stumbled and His hands landed near me. I tried to be radiant to bring Him comfort, finally He saw me, He smiled very gently, then He rose to His feet. “Thank you my radiant flower.” He said, then He left.
I feel that something great and tragic happened that night. Today I feel as though a friend is calling out for mercy. Today I feel sad. But being a flower, I know that tomorrow will bring new joy and hope.’
Blind, but still alive
Blind, but still alive.
Are we waiting on Jesus for the things we don’t yet see?
As I often quote some of my Stormie Omartan readings in these posts I am sure I have mentioned her book, ‘just enough light for the step I am on.’
Sometimes it feels like I am completely blind to what is in front of me and all I can see is where I am right now. In these moments it’s easy to give up on looking to the future and simply living in a day to day existence. I always loved being a dreamer when I was a kid. People would tell me that my goals were too big or didn’t jive and they were probably right. As I got older I somehow slipped from ‘dreamer’ to ‘realist’ and that sucks. Living in a world of reality. Boring. Because our reality isn’t God’s. He sees far into the future and has thoughts and ideas we can’t even begin to comprehend. Even when you can only see your year as dates on a calendar Jesus sees far beyond that to a glimmering dream world beyond what you can fathom.
That’s what Jesus does. He gives us dreams that are a size too big so we can grow into them- Max Lucado
It may seem pointless to keep on dreaming beyond where you are and onto where you want to be but Jesus makes it feasable. Your impossible dreams have an amazing God who makes the impossible possible. You may be blind to what is coming, but you are still alive, so live and dream without fear.
Carried in the cross 