It is the dirty, broken, lifeless vessel that God transforms into a fruitful example of his splendor. It's the flower most trampled most unworthy that can be used most mightily for the works of the kingdom. When our understanding of our true powerlessness is revealed it is in that moment of weakness our thoughts an hearts can be provoked by grace to become something we are not. Something that can only be attributes to the loving creator. It is his love that accounts for all that is good, and it has been said his nearness is to us our good. Any companion we spend tine with we come to know and are shaped heavily by their influence. Oh what else could be better than to be shaped by the one who formed and weaved us from the beginning. It is he who delight in his craftsmanship and would be most delighted in seeing them become whole. He perfects us through his precious sons sacrifice. Holy holy holy is the Lord!

BELIEVE. FIGHT. DREAM

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:3

You see, I have this vision for my life. I believe it to be a God instilled vision. I see myself as so many things Im not. Of course many of these things I want to be because I feel it will have a huge impact on others. So often I feel its my vision. I feel like I havent let God put bigger dreams in my heart. I feel my lack of surrender leaves this vision lacking in the beauty that he sees for a life like mine...I dont say that as if my life is more special than anyone elses. I fully believe the same is the case for the majority of the Christian world. I get a taste of his goodness yet am not willing to wait for him again. I find ways to take his vision and make it my own and settle. I dont care to be famous or for everyone to adore me(although it wouldnt hurt the ego Ive done a pretty good job of building this far) I just think I dont pray big enough prayers. I dont open myself up to God working in ways unimaginable because I dont feel I deserve unimaginable. The truth is I still feel I have to do something to earn him...I dont..To know him more I believe is a different story. I definitely dont have to perfect but Im rarely even patient. When faced with something hard I dont endure hardship well. I dont keep my eyes focused on the battle and the big picture. I want to, I long to and I cling to hope. In verse 4 of the same passage it says" no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs" WOW IT HIT ME THERE..We are in a battle and im busy living MY LIFE FOR MY GLORY. Its who Ive always been so it makes sense that even in my desire to live for him my selfish nature takes hold. We are in a war to see Gods kingdom come crashing into earth and the majority of us are to busy making friends with the world to love them. To earn status rather than humble ourselves. When I face a battle I have scripture telling me(james 1, romans 5, 1 peter 1, 2 corinthians 1) that i need to persevere bc it is will build my character and my hope. How often do I even Fight these battles? I often give in in hopes of the next battle and being somehow prepared for it. It starts now. endure hardships like a good solider of Christ Jesus. Fight people. We must fight. We must present ourselves to God as one approved. If we fight for him we already know he has and will continue to fight for us as he always has.
"BUT WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO SHRINK BACK AND ARE DESTROYED, BUT OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND ARE SAVED" HEBREWS 10:39

The Stiff Arm

I stiff arm the gospel pretty regularly. It seems like in one of my favorite Shane and Shane songs, I just like the devil have forgotten the refrain "JESUS SAVES" I avoid repentance so regularly. It sucks to admit you are wrong. Especially when its something you have to do multiple times daily. Its almost a subconscious Oh ill pull out of this slump. Ill spend time with you in a little while God. The more this happens I notice I end up doing more and more foolish things, none being overwhelmingly damaging yet none leading me to the grace and knowledge of our Lord. It usually starts small and eventually I begin to avoid or merely mask this problem around the people who inspire my heart most towards him. The very community that wants nothing more than to help connect and encourage me after Gods own heart. I just cleaned up Megs(my roomates dogs) accident in the living room. It made me begin to think of all the times God has helped clean up my mess. I thought about how God just constantly deals with us as messes, failure, and a broken people. As i was driving this morning I heard Zephaniah 3:17 and i believe it fits well.
The Lord your God is with you
He is mighty to save
He will take great delight in you
He will quiet you with his love
He will rejoice over you with singing.

I could have gotten mad at Meg and maybe it teaches her a lesson but I knew today I had to just love her. How many times has God just reached down and put his hand on my shoulder and said I love YOU. I love you...Tyler I love you.. Dont you get it kid I JUST LOVE YOU. THere is NO BUT. The anger that had begun to stir made me quickly realize I had avoided time with the Lord today. I had put up my guard against his love again. So defensive to the guilt and the shame that Satan wanted to press into me at the time I had avoided the only true solution. to live in the goodness and the joy of the Lord. You see when we attempt things on OUR strength we attempt to supercede Christs sacrifice. Being a super christian isnt something I want to be anymore. I want to be honest and I want to grow with all of YOU. We must let down our guards and allow him to "REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING!" Forgive us Lord but dont stop there. Change us. ONE heartbeat for your name.

LIGHT

As i was driving to work this morning I was just looking down the road and the Sun was just incredibly bright. It got me thinking about Light and Darkness. The only thing that could take away the brightness of the sun would be clouds. The truth is that doesnt take away the brightness of the sun it only takes away how evident the suns brightness is to us. The suns brightness doesn't change only the way we see it.
In him was life and that life was the light of men. the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1;4-5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:God is light: in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
When thinking about how bright and incredibly visible the Sun was I couldn't help but think about the times when God is so overwhelmingly evident in everything we do. If i turn and face the opposite way of the Sun I still see it lighting up the world around me.I can close my eyes but even then if I'm staring at it I still am aware that something bright is just beyond my eyelids. The only way the light becomes unknown is if clouds are covering it up or the earth is turned away from it and has been given to darkness and the moon.
So often we cloud our lives with unnecessary wants and worries and cover up and quench the light by putting other things before the Lord. We then cry out asking God where are you? I cant see or feel you...God never left maybe we turned away and were given over to darkness for a time? Hebrews 12: says let us Throw off EVERYTHING that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith...The sun is always the sun and shining brightly...God is Light;in him there is no darkness...I urge you to see if you've placed anything in front of God in your life clouding his presence from your life, or quite possibly youve turned away completely and been given over to darkness and the death that comes from earthly desires. His light shines brightly for the world to see! matthew 5:14 says WE are the light of the world and a city on a hill cannot be hidden...Letyour light shine before men... If our lives our clouded and we arent seeing the fullness of His light how could others ever see it in us? Let everytime you see sunlight be a reminder of the great burning Light the Lord is.

Let him light you with a passion for the whole world to see!

Those who honor Him, He will Honor

In chapter 2 of Samuel this was said to ELI: Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares:(A) 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,'(B) but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
THOSE WHO HONOR ME I WILL HONOR
THOSE WHO DESPISE ME SHALL BE LIGHTLY ESTEEMED...another version says disdained
The Websters definition of disdain says, " To regard or treat with haughty contempt; despise"
Eli was a man who had seen the goodness of the Lord in his family line but due to his sons wicked ways and his inability to discipline them God said he would cut short his family line and that noone would die an old man...
I often think of the promises we receive and how we take them for granted without remembering the possible wrath of God. To honor the Lord is to give him the glory deserved and we as fallen creatures constantly fall short. Even more we often dont care. We have been given the promise of salvation, and neglected the call to discipleship. People dont like to see this wrathful side of God, but would it really make sense for a God who is LOVE to rejoice in evil? Good and Evil don't seem to coincide. Evil is a LACkING of good. My prayer is that you will honor him with your words, your deeds, your thoughts, and YOUR WHOLE LIVES. That is when this LOVE we speak of so constantly becomes real and we actually experience it rather than merely rejoice at the idea.

At the cross

you tore the veil. you made a way. when you said that it is done.

Whatever it is holding you back, whether it be shame guilt or fear lay it down. His sacrifice was enough. Just run the race marked out! IN Freedom.

Be Sure that noone takes you captive

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that NO ONE TAKES YOU CAPTIVE through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:6-8
This passage has been something Ive been chewing on for a little while and trying to understand. It seems pretty clear the problem is how often am i taken captive through the teaching and tradition of the world. I have weeks of incredible zeal for the Lord and nothing can keep me from shouting his name followed by weeks of incredible laziness and following of the trends so as to not be an outcast. Im tired of caring what people may say. What will my Father say to me when he welcomes me home? Well done, or away from me I never knew you.. I'm serious when I say i think these words are far truer than we would ever care to admit. If I dont forsake myself for HIS kingdom I will drown in my own. Praying with some buddies today really got me thinking about this concept and how often the world around me quiets me down and gets me to play along in the silly "christian" game. If satan can just keep us quiet he has won. If he can just get us to keep our concern at a base level he has won, but today I stand and say just like Jimmy Needham that Jesus won, Jesus won, JESUS WON AND FILLED THE DIVIDE. It seems quite trivial to me that we bicker and ridicule and do everything but stand for his name. Romans 12:9 says, "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." LEts cling to his goodness and only boast in him. Stop standing up against things and stand up for the ONLY THING that will ever satisfy. Real PEACE LOVE AND JOY