Some people will always love you...and some people will not.

Some people will understand you instantly..and some people will not.

Some people have had terrible, heartwrenching tragedies...and some people have not.

Some people cling to their faith in a loving God through those tragedies...and some people do not. 

Some people rise from the ashes of their pain and make a difference in the world..and some people do not. 

Some people reject their faith... and some people do not.

Some people are easy to reason with...some people are not.

Some people will hate you for no reason...some people will not.

Some people are liars....some people are not.

Some people get away with their sinning for a season...some people do not.

Some people are good and kind and giving...some people are not.

Some people have the same opinion as you do...some people do not.

Some people cling to bitterness...some people do not.

Some people will stand before their Creator clean and sinless because of their faith in Jesus... and.. some people will not.

Some people....break God's heart.

Some people do not.

Sometimes, in my not-so-distant past I thought I had to be like a P.R. person for God.  Explaining things that people didn't understand, putting a twist on something in the Bible that maybe didn't make sense.  I mean, seriously, who did I think I was?

Now I know that God's Spirit is able to give us understanding of God and His ways - if we ask for it.   He will speak to us.  It may not be through a chapter and verse of the Bible, though He often speaks that way.  The Bible says sometimes He speaks through other people. Sometimes He speaks in dreams and visions. Sometimes it's that small "voice" in your heart that just tells you, teaches you, and settles the questions you have. IF YOU REALLY WANT GOD JUST SAY SO.  He will hear you.  He will.

He says, "You will find me when you seek for me with all your heart."  I don't know why God allows some things - ask Him.  I don't know why God doesn't allow some things - ask Him. I cannot prove to you that He is real - but He can.

I can simply tell you what I personally know about Him. 

• I know that He is fair, and willing to talk to anyone who wants to hear what He has to say- but I cannot tell you why.
•  I know that He is love.  I know that He cares about what goes in the life of one of His children, but I cannot tell you why. 
• I know that He is faithful and keeps His promises to us - but I cannot tell you why.
• I cannot tell you why He loves you - I just know that He does.
• I cannot tell you why He longs to give you a clean slate, take away the shame of your sin - I just know that He does.
• I cannot tell you why He bothers with all of us - I just know that He does.
• I cannot tell you why you should believe me - I just know that if you do and if you sincerely call out to God - He will run to you. Somehow. Some way.

He loves you. He adores you.  He wants to make you clean inside, and clean up your life on the outside.  He LONGS to be your friend.

Why?  I cannot tell you why.           But He can.

We haven't arrived yet.  We aren't there.  This "spiritual" journey we're on doesn't end till we do.  Our frustrations often come because we think we should be further along than we are.  We think we should be more joyful, or less afraid, or more "DEEP" in to God's Word.  We are constantly disappointed in where we are because we assume we should be somewhere else.

RELAX.   God is not concerned about where you ARE but where you WANT to be.  We always forget that God can see our hearts.

I guess it's kinda like if someone asked you to drive from New York City to Los Angeles. 

The most important element of the trip happens before you drive one single mile:  Making the decision to do it. 

You decide you will drive to L.A.  So you prepare for the trip - making sure you have the means to buy fuel, and food, and stay at a couple of motels along the way.  It's approximately 2,800 miles of driving.  You have NO IDEA when you set out what you will find.  There could be  highway construction that slows you down, or your car might give out on you, or violent storms, or detours you didn't expect.  

You thought you'd be in Los Angeles by now, but the reality is that you find yourself in St.Louis, MO.  

Truth is, you are still on course.  You are still someone going to Los Angeles because it isn't where you ARE that matters -  but where you WANT to be.

Getting to Los Angeles doesn't happen overnight.

In the same way, when we decide to follow Jesus, it is the decision to do so that matters most.

Sometimes, you look around you and you thought you'd be somewhere else by now in your spiritual journey.. farther down the road..... but you're only in "St. Louis." You never anticipated the detours life woud hand you, or the storms you'd be driving through.  Your journey is going slower than you thought it would.

You're disapointed that you haven't fully rested you whole self in God's promises, you haven't fully overcome some temptations, you haven't fully achieved the peace so many people talk about, you haven't really overcome fear, you don't really spend enough time praying.  

The only thing that matters to Jesus is the intent of your heart -  that you want to follow His leading.  That you want to be His disciple. In this spriritual journey  - It isn't where you ARE that matters to Jesus, but where you WANT to be.

 You may not be "THERE" yet.. but you will be someday. Because Jesus Himself is taking you every step of the way. 

Jesus loves you in St. Louis, New York, Los Angeles, Providence, Little Rock... in other words.. Jesus loves you no matter where you "are" in your spiritual journey. Some people may be ahead of you.. some people may be behind you.  

The Bible says, that "He is faithful to complete the work HE BEGAN in you."   He is the author and finisher of your faith. HE is working on you. I won't take up the space to list the numerous verses that explain to us that HE is the ONE who empowers us to do His will.  Without Him we can do... nothing. But with Him all things are possible.  He will complete the work HE started in you.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit that does it. Not you. Or me. Just Him.

 Just relax and enjoy the ride. If you want to get to where He wants you to be.. you'll get there.. No matter where you ARE today.  And maybe St. Louis is EXACTLY where He intended for you to be... for now.

Enjoy today.  And St. Louis.  Jesus loves you. 

Some people are living in what I call "The Bliss Bubble" - they just do whatever makes them happy, and assume that nothing bad should - or ever will - happen to them.   I mean, more power to them, if they can get through life riding on that train... but... the saying that "Ignorance is Bliss" is very true. They are very ignorant of how life really IS.. if they believe that they SHOULD HAVE... and furthermore.. they DESERVE.. only good things,only good times, and nothing BAD... EVER!

The problem with living inside the The Bliss Bubble is that Life has a habit of sticking a pin in it AND THEN OUR LIVES EXPLODE AROUND US.    People who live  there have never really breathed the air call "reality".. so when their bubble explodes, they fall apart.  They have not grown their faith.  They are perpetual babies- emotionally and spiritually.

I don't know WHERE many Christians have gotten the idea that the Christian life is sitting in the Bliss Bubble until Jesus comes and takes us to Disneyworld heaven.  Nothing like that is stated ANYWHERE in all the Bible.   Rather, the opposite.  Jesus says things like, "In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer.. I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."

The Bliss Bubble is the place where you believe you are ENTITLED to only GOOD things.

In all honesty, we all would rather NOT have to endure something, or overcome something, or be strong through something.  Nobody ASKS for hardship. AND FURTHERMORE.. GOD DOES CARE FOR HIS CHILDREN AND DOES PROVIDE WHEN WE CANNOT.  The Bible does tell us that the righteous will never be forsaken or His seed out begging for bread. 

God takes care of us ....but.. we are not ENTITLED TO nothing but bliss.

Life is just a continuing series of working hard every day, doing the right thing every day, honoring God with your choices every day, and getting to KNOW HIM.  Getting to know Him means you understand how UTTERLY HOLY He is.. and once you realize that.. your only question is:  Why would you even want to bother with me?  With the human race?  

Real peace comes when you realize that ONLY God can control what goes on - in your life, in the world.  We are NOT in control.. really.. of anything.. but the One who is.. will keep you IN the flood of trial, and take you THROUGH them.  Not every day will be stormy, but when the storms come... HE WILL BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.

People who feel "entitled" very rarely feel blessed.
 

 

 

 

 

We all want to be free.  I just think we make it more difficult than it actually IS.  I'll give you an example:

"Susie" is a very angry woman.  If you knew her story you might say that she has a right to be angry.  People have been mean to her, life has been unfair, and she's had enough!!! In order for Susie to be free and to be what GOD created her to be, she has to get free of her anger.

So what do we tell Susie to do?  Focus on the anger.  Find out and talk about WHO she's angry at, WHY she's angry at them. We get involved in her internal and external debates about what's been done to her, and how it hurts her, and how they've hurt her.   And you know, for a season, it's o.k. to comfort her, to mourn with those who mourn.   We shouldn't just be drill sargeants who say, "OH, SNAP OUT OF IT !!"  She's hurt, we comfort her. 

But, like, when a little kid falls off his bicycle and has a scraped knee, we don't sit there for YEARS crying with the kid.  Eventually, we encourage that kid to get up, walk inside, clean the wound, put medicine and a band-aid on and.. get on with your life.

So many "Susie's" come in to our churches looking for healing and for the freedom that Jesus promises, and years later, we're still sitting on the front row with her, praying the same prayer.. over.. and over.. and over.. and over.  She's never really FREE. But what about the verse that "whom the Son sets free is free indeed"?  Susie isn't sure that's the honest truth, but doesn't want to openly admit that.

We completely and utterly dismiss the power of the Holy Spirit to heal Susie from the INSIDE out.  HOW?

All I can tell you is what I have learned through trial and error in my own increasingly long life.

The process?

• Susie has to acknowledge that the anger inside her is wrong. God's  Word says that "anger rests in the bosom of fools".  It isn't anger itself, according to God, that makes her a fool.  Anger is often a natural reaction to an unfair situation. It's lettting that anger rest inside of her for weeks, months, years and a lifetime that makes Susie a fool.  After a while, maybe Susie thinks that since the REASON she is angry is legitimate - so is holding on to it.  NOPE. God wants to FREE her of the anger that is destroying her. Anger is wrong, no matter how it got there.

•  Second, Susie has to have to humble herself and acknowledge - to herself and to God -  that nothing she is doing in her own strength is working.

• Third, she needs to turn to God in a really honest (and desperate?) prayer and be more concerned about the anger she has and getting rid of it, than explaining to Him WHY she has it, WHO made her angry.. etc. 
• WHEN ALL SHE WANTS IS TO BE FREE  - SO MUCH SO THAT SHE ISN'T CONCERNED WITH WHY SHE IS ANGRY BUT SIMPLY ASKING GOD TO DO A MIRACULOUS WORK INSIDE BY HIS SPIRIT -  THAT IS WHEN SUSIE GETS FREE.    When we say,  "God... this that lives inside me is not of you. It is not  your will for me, even though it is not really something I asked for.  It is crippling me.  I cannot get rid of it on my own. I want to get rid of it. I want to be free of anger ________________(fill in ANY word - jealousy, lust, lying, etc. . It all applies).   Please God, have MERCY on me and forgive me and cleanse me from this unrighteousness." 

I can tell you that in the past, I have struggled with various emotions and habits that were not pleasing to God. 

Just because I don't have a story about drug addiction, or bank robbery, or something that would be more sensational doesn't mean that my attitudes weren't killing me just as much.

So you can believe me.. or not.  I'm really not selling anything here but being free...but..

after calling out to God, confessing that whatever the REASON EXCUSE for my sin (anger is sin, lust is sin, jealousy is sin, lack of self-control is sin, gossip is sin, unforgiveness is sin) .. 

and that I could not deliver myself... GOD DELIVERED ME.  COMPLETELY. UTTERLY. FOREVER. 

I cannot say it happened that moment... but.. every single time.. after a while I would be surprised to see that whatever had a hold on me BEFORE that prayer.. no longer did.

I'm not there yet. Whenever something comes up.. I try to handle it on my own,and then, exhausted.. I remember.. "Oh yes, only God's Spirit has the power to cleanse me inside and make me FREE"

LET'S GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT:  Am I saying wise counsel, professional help, sorting through things in your mind is wrong? Nope.  I'm just saying.. when I was desperate to be free... and told God I was... suddenly... I was FREE.  Completely FREE. Do what you need to do, but in the end, only a MERCIFUL God can change what needs to be changed and HEAL what needs to be HEALED.

The thing we should all learn from David's Psalm of repentance (Psalm 51) is that David put the blame where it belonged - on himself - and identifed the truly offended One - God.

When you call on the name of the Lord, He will answer you.

You'll be free when you want to be.

God loves me.  As a matter of fact, the Universe was going to be missing someone who was exactly like me... so.. God created me.

God loves me.  Until I got this in to the very fiber of my innermost being.. I kept trying.. Kept trying.  For what?  Can't really say.. but I just kept trying. 

But then I realized that in spite of all the good things about me - they weren't good enough to make Him love me more.

And in spite of all the bad things about me - they weren't bad enough to make Him love me less.

God loves me.  Because I love His Son.

This truth is all I need to know.

When this takes hold of you in your heart, the fact that someone loves you, or doesn't love you, or wants you, or doesn't want you... doesn't matter that much anymore.

When you can say, "God loves me".. and KNOW it in your heart... that's the only thing you really ever need to say.

A week ago, on a HOT, HUMID, sunny day (OK.. every day in Tennessee is a hot, humid, sunny day)

my daughter-in-law invited me to go swimming with her and the grandkids.  When I arrived, they had already been swimming for a while, and so when I arrived I was a fresh audience. 

"Mema.. watch me dive!" my granddaughter said, and then my grandson, "Mema, watch me swim across the pool under water" while my other granddaughter chimed in,  "Mema, watch me do a handstand under water."  It was GREAT!  I watched, and watched and watched and watched and watched and watched and watched.  I splashed around with them, grabbing some kisses when I tossed one across the pool and when I was the thing they were swimming to.  

When it was time to make dinner, I kissed all four of them goodbye, and drove the block and a half to my home.  All evening long I was just happy.  Why?  Just watching my grandkids.  Just physically using my eyes to SEE them brought me pleasure.  

I thought about that and that they were not self conscious about saying, "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!".  They are being brought up by my son and his wife with such a sense of love and security that it is OBVIOUS to them that their parents and grandparents delight in them.

God reminded me that night that He feels the same way about me and I need to believe that He does. Unless I become like a little child.. I cannot enter in to His presence the way I am entitled to.  My grandkids NEVER EVER considered that I would NOT be THRILLED to watch them do ANYTHING. 

I need to be able to go to Him - at any time, for any reason - and say, "Father, Look at me! Do you see what I'm doing?  Do you see what I need?" I should NEVER think He's too busy, or I'm too nothing for God to turn His face to look at me. 

He gets delight in looking at me. Looking at you.  If you need His attention.. just ask for it.  He's already got you in the center of His sight.  Go ahead.  Dance for Him. 

The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.....The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
Psalm 33:18 and Psalm 34:14-16

Though I'm not a devoted country music fan - I like some and don't like some - there is a song that George Jones sings called  "Choices" that I appreciate.     He sings,

"I've had choices, since the day that I was born, there were voices that told me right from wrong, if I had listened, no I wouldn't be here today, living and dying with the choices I've made.* 

There is something bittersweetly refreshing about someone who doesn't blame everyone else for the place they are in, and who isn't a constant victim, and who owns up and says,  "I made poor and/or selfish decisions and it affected my life in a sad and negative way." He continues,

"I guess I'm paying for the things that I have done: if I could go back, oh Lord knows I'd run, but I'm still losing this game of Life I've played, living and dying with the choices I've made." *

Seriously,this man is singing good theology.  If God is about anything, He's about letting us make our own choices.  The Bible tells of a leader telling the people, "Choose, THIS DAY, who you will serve.  As for ME and MY HOUSE, we will serve the Lord."  

I wonder what makes some of us make the choices we've made?

The good thing about God is that even when we make poor choices, HIS MERCY.. HIS AMAZING MERCY.... is exactly the opposite of George's song.

We don't have to live a life of living and dying with the choices WE'VE made...because.. long before we were even alive... Jesus made the CHOICE to pay the price for every single STUPID choice you and I ever make.. and for the CHOICE humanity made to sin against God.

We can go to God and ADMIT we've messed up - and ask for His help.  His help comes when we acknowledge that if HE DOESN'T forgive us.. we are doomed.  So His forgiveness cleanses us from the sin.  And then... His mercy begins a life long repair process of trying to

be sure we don't have to live and die with the choices we've made.  He can make the crooked path straight.  He can undo what our stupidness has done.  He can GIVE YOU BACK the things that sin has stolen.  He can.  He will.  

All we have to do is admit that we need Him.  ASK HIM FOR HELP.  OR NOT. 

THE CHOICE IS YOURS. AND MINE.  

* (Words and music by Michael E. Curtis and Billy Wayne Yates - publishing information at www.ascap.com)