I’ve yet to see God turn His face …
From those who love and trust Him.
Category: Simple Joy
When we fully confess and wholly give our greatest mistakes and related burdens to God …
He turns them into stepping stones for good.
Until we fully surrender the “what if?” disappointments of our past to God …
We will never fully embrace the “why not?” joys He has for our future.
It is liberating to learn that God did not create us to be like someone else …
But instead gives us different personalities and motivations that match our diverse spiritual gifts.
We experience His pleasure as we learn to uniquely use and enjoy those gifts as He intended …
In our lives, families, fellowships and surrounding communities.
Those who reduce grace to what they subjectively perceive God is telling them, filtered through their own sensibilities …
Often reject external Biblical morality, precepts and commands which stand independently true in Scripture.
For them, it all comes down to what they individually feel and like …
As they elevate their own perceptions as the final standard over what God authentically says.
The New Testament doesn’t say we go to “church” to be ushered into God’s presence through “worship”.
There’s not a single verse in the entire New Testament to that effect.
Nope, not, nadda …
Just ain’t there.
Rather, we are simply told that when we gather as the church we should express God’s presence already in us through ministry one to another …
Which includes singing together for the purpose of encouraging each other.
Big difference.
Let’s start being the church as God instructs in His word …
Not as our own carnality wants.
God created us to be fully human:
Embodied, rational, spiritual and relational.
All great heresies deny, isolate, over emphasize or otherwise distort one or more of those qualities.
Unfortunately, we see the seeds of this today in those who want us to be all one quality, while dismissing one or more of the others.
They distort God’s desire to redeem our full humanity …
Complete and whole.
Don’t confuse God’s grace with His delight.
You can experience the former, which is unmerited …
But then miss the latter, which comes from doing His will and obeying His commands.
If you doubt this, just do a quick online word search for “delight” in any good Bible translation.
Christian bloggers, authors and pundits who deny this distinction …
Know not God or His authentic joy.
Many mornings I wake up grateful.
I get my coffee, watch the sun rise, and think of the blessings God has restored in my life.
Too often we look at what we’ve lost …
And forget to appreciate the wonder of new opportunities, new relationships, and even new purpose and meanings in Christ.
He makes all things new.
Life got a lot simpler when the Lord taught me that not every problem has my name on it.
God blesses those who are good stewards of His blessings.
Don’t confuse God’s grace with His joy.
Although God’s grace is unmerited, we find His joy through simple obedience.
Jesus gives us permission to take time out to chill out …
So our emotional and spiritual batteries don’t run out.
Daily, I see how God delights in creating beauty from wrecked lives.
Our role is to decide it’s not all up to us, and let Him do it.
Only fools sacrifice the lifelong joy of authentic …
For the short term thrill of illicit.
Joy seldom comes without risking failure …
In love, business, faith and life itself.
God delights in all He created …
But even more in the wonderful things we create and do with it.
Victim or victor?
The past happened. We can’t change that.
We can change, however, it’s power over us by squarely acknowledging and giving the ashes of our past – the burdens and regrets – to Christ.
He then gives us beauty and wholeness in return.
It’s always our choice.
An attitude of gratitude is a mile marker on the road to emotional health and spiritual wholeness.
When we give thanks …
We become more than ourselves and our circumstances.
Joy and gratitude are barometers of healthy relationships …
With God, our spouse and others.
Jesus smiles when Satan worries more about your plans for the day …
Than you do his.
Don’t be trapped by the successes of your past.
“Religion” has become a pejorative term by existential “believers” to dismiss Biblical imperatives they don’t like.
Apparently the idea of any duty owed to God offends their post-modern sensibilities.
Lacking the joy of obedience, they then become trapped in self doubt and angst.
Maybe they need to lighten up and enjoy a little more true religion!
Coffee is proof that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.
