Wow -
ok in prayer this morning we got blindsided by God. We were suddenly arrested with His heart for the poor and the broken. The Lord took me to his statement in the synagogue in Nazareth when he opened to Isaiah 61 and proclaimed his mission it is found in Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Jesus heart was always for the poor and it still is. If we are His body and carrying his mantle in the earth should this not be as central to us as it was to Him?
Father forgive us for relegating ministry to the poor to those ministries you have raised up to do it. Give us compassion in our hearts and show us what we are to do from this point forward! Give us wisdom Father!
Amen
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Joy! Part 1a Godly definition
Joy a Godly definition - the commanded fruit of the Spirit which is the direct byproduct of communion with Jesus. It is the strength that comes with agreement with the delight of the heart of God despite every surrounding circumstance. The unshakable knowledge that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That everything that happens on this earth and in this life, no matter how soul crushing, disappointing, and or confusing, is a gift given by God to lead you deeper into love with Him, and that in the END we will thank Him for every wound and say, without offense, "your judgments are righteous and true!"
Joy is our inheritance, our duty, our privilege, our strength, and our witness! Joy is Christians in the coliseum rejoicing as lions ripped them to shreds. Joy is worshiping by the bedside of your spouse as cancer eats them alive. Joy is dancing with abandon as worship rises to Heaven. Joy is the Christian lifestyle in the valley and on the mountain top. Saying Blessed be the Name of the Lord when He is doing more taking away than He is giving.
In short Joy is delighting in God and being delighted in by Him...forever.
God is full of joy! He sings over us! He rejoices with the angels when one sinner comes back to Him! He runs to the prodigal son as soon as He sees his frame on the horizon coming home. He is ravished by one look of the eye of His beloved! Jesus rejoiced when the 72 came back with the good report! Jesus rejoiced when Peter received revelation of The Christ the Son of the Living God, and for the JOY set before Him Jesus endured the cross scorning the shame.
The Bible is full of Joy!
And God's people should walk with joy! All it takes is a better perspective! Even when we are weeping we should be full of joy! Why? Because He will never leave us or forsake us. The truth is STILL true and we are found in HIM! The way, the truth, and the Life! Jesus our great reward!
John 16:16-22
NO ONE WILL TAKE YOUR JOY FROM YOU!!!!!
Joy is our inheritance, our duty, our privilege, our strength, and our witness! Joy is Christians in the coliseum rejoicing as lions ripped them to shreds. Joy is worshiping by the bedside of your spouse as cancer eats them alive. Joy is dancing with abandon as worship rises to Heaven. Joy is the Christian lifestyle in the valley and on the mountain top. Saying Blessed be the Name of the Lord when He is doing more taking away than He is giving.
In short Joy is delighting in God and being delighted in by Him...forever.
God is full of joy! He sings over us! He rejoices with the angels when one sinner comes back to Him! He runs to the prodigal son as soon as He sees his frame on the horizon coming home. He is ravished by one look of the eye of His beloved! Jesus rejoiced when the 72 came back with the good report! Jesus rejoiced when Peter received revelation of The Christ the Son of the Living God, and for the JOY set before Him Jesus endured the cross scorning the shame.
The Bible is full of Joy!
And God's people should walk with joy! All it takes is a better perspective! Even when we are weeping we should be full of joy! Why? Because He will never leave us or forsake us. The truth is STILL true and we are found in HIM! The way, the truth, and the Life! Jesus our great reward!
John 16:16-22
NO ONE WILL TAKE YOUR JOY FROM YOU!!!!!
Friday, January 19, 2007
A prequal to my blog on Joy
Ok lots to say here but before I take the time I have resources for everyone that are....preparatory to that discussion! I really feel this is something God is giving me as a mission. To spread news about the endless joy available even in the darkest of times through delighting in Christ.
So some links to prepare you from the prophet of joy John Piper:
The Quest for Joy - a series on this topic that is unparalleled!
but for the nutshell version go here:
The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern world
this was a message given at a big conference and sums this whole theme up in a marvelous way
I want to take a lot of time and prayer and thinking before I release anything incomplete about joy. So be patient but it will be coming soon.
Josh
So some links to prepare you from the prophet of joy John Piper:
The Quest for Joy - a series on this topic that is unparalleled!
but for the nutshell version go here:
The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern world
this was a message given at a big conference and sums this whole theme up in a marvelous way
I want to take a lot of time and prayer and thinking before I release anything incomplete about joy. So be patient but it will be coming soon.
Josh
Monday, January 15, 2007
The hero of my heart! (swoon)
Wow....wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Jesus is the most thoughtful, gentle and loving shepherd/groom I could ever imagine. Last week I had some very deeply troubling things happen later in the week (I am not at liberty to say much as to their nature, sorry about that). I was hurt and confused, angry and broken about all of it. My heart was broken. My wife didn't know what to do. I saw no end to my misery. I tried over and over to buck up and smile and recover my composure to no avail. I was crushed. I didn't know how to feel or react. My only joys were knowing that I was loved by the Lord and He knew what He was doing and that my family and friends deeply love me. I felt that support under me like solid ground. Thank you guys for that and thank you Jesus for that.
I didn't know what I was going to do.
Then Sunday came. The whole day was seemingly tailor made for my renewal of heart. My God rescued me from the depths of depression and pain and became the hero of my heart again! He spoke through the worship time, he had my Daddy and elders in the church gather round me one by one and pray for me. He spoke through the sermon in ways I never dreamed he would!
Today I stand once again an amazed recipient of His abounding love!
Who can tell of the great love of the Lord! How He watches over His little ones! How he knows the heart of every man! Even the suffering of the Lord is shot through with Joy because there is no despair in the heart of the Lord!!!! I will give my life for this treasure! To be loved by the lover of the ages! He is my portion! He is my rock! My sure foundation! My ever flowing fountain! There is no one like Him!
Isn't it amazing! He walks us through the valley of the shadow of death because He knows how we will rejoice when we realize that even there we are in the palm of His HAND!!!
I could never have learned this of Him if I hadn't had the weekend that I had.
Jesus I don't mind the depths of depression if it means I get to see you on your white horse riding down into those depths to save me!
You truly are the Hero of my heart!
I love you
Joshy
I didn't know what I was going to do.
Then Sunday came. The whole day was seemingly tailor made for my renewal of heart. My God rescued me from the depths of depression and pain and became the hero of my heart again! He spoke through the worship time, he had my Daddy and elders in the church gather round me one by one and pray for me. He spoke through the sermon in ways I never dreamed he would!
Today I stand once again an amazed recipient of His abounding love!
Who can tell of the great love of the Lord! How He watches over His little ones! How he knows the heart of every man! Even the suffering of the Lord is shot through with Joy because there is no despair in the heart of the Lord!!!! I will give my life for this treasure! To be loved by the lover of the ages! He is my portion! He is my rock! My sure foundation! My ever flowing fountain! There is no one like Him!
Isn't it amazing! He walks us through the valley of the shadow of death because He knows how we will rejoice when we realize that even there we are in the palm of His HAND!!!
I could never have learned this of Him if I hadn't had the weekend that I had.
Jesus I don't mind the depths of depression if it means I get to see you on your white horse riding down into those depths to save me!
You truly are the Hero of my heart!
I love you
Joshy
Thursday, January 4, 2007
The Fight for Consistancy
Oh inconstant man that I am! God is good but he really likes to keep me aware of how "not good" I am! (Incidentally it is really good of Him to do that!) Every once in a while He lets me go my way. Not falling into deep sin or failing miserably, but just walking my own carnal way pursuing all the things I would pursue if He didn't call me back every day to the beauty of His Glory. Every time without fail I come up unsatisfied, frustrated, angry, insecure, disgusted, empty and frightened! It leaves me apologetic and repentant, and wondering why I have failed yet again.
Will there be a day when I won't need this anymore? When my own pride does not lead me to a fall? Do I even have a hope of it when even Apostle Paul would write such things as, "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Jesus I want to be yours. I so deeply desire to belong to you completely. Show me the pathway to the good level ground you want me to walk on. Keep me humble God I beg of you, but help me to hear your correcting voice before so devastating a demonstration as this is necessary! Still as always you are my shepherd and I shall not want. You take this stupid sheep where he needs to go, even when I am so blinded that I don't know where I am. Thank you.
Someday I will learn to follow His whisper and will have no need for His shout!
Father Hasten that day!
Amen
Will there be a day when I won't need this anymore? When my own pride does not lead me to a fall? Do I even have a hope of it when even Apostle Paul would write such things as, "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Jesus I want to be yours. I so deeply desire to belong to you completely. Show me the pathway to the good level ground you want me to walk on. Keep me humble God I beg of you, but help me to hear your correcting voice before so devastating a demonstration as this is necessary! Still as always you are my shepherd and I shall not want. You take this stupid sheep where he needs to go, even when I am so blinded that I don't know where I am. Thank you.
Someday I will learn to follow His whisper and will have no need for His shout!
Father Hasten that day!
Amen
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