Tearing Off the Masks

Do you know who you really are? Do others know the REAL you? A mask is designed and worn to conceal and to cover the real. Masks are so commonly worn in our relationships that they often become our reality. We don't know what it is like to take off our false identity and sense of self. It wasn't meant to be this way. We were created with a unique sense of beauty and inherent value by God.  We are stamped with an amazing and indelible image..... the image of God. "Then God said, Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness..." No matter how broken we might become because of evil, abuse, failure or our own wayward ways, that image is never totally erased. We know we were born for love.  But part of the fallout from sin in our world is a deep sense of insecurity that plays on our sense of inherent value. We doubt we will ever find deep intimacy if people knew the 'real us'.  So we begin the confusing and tiring task of taking on multiple false identities. The strain of wearing masks to please others is both burdensome and debilitating. The more energy we take in becoming someone we're not, the less strength we have to just be who we really are. The longer we do down the road in this game of masquerade, the more in danger we are of losing our souls.  Your soul is the real you. Your personality, emotion, dreams, passion, gifting and desires are all wrapped tightly together into a physical package of unique DNA. God made you to be who you are. When you let go of that treasure and that supreme value of the unique you....well you're now as lost as you could ever be.
  No job, no relationship, no physical location will ever completely satisfy the man or woman who has lost their soul to a false identity. When you clothe yourself in another's desire and fantasy, you wake up with a deep sense of emptiness and despair. You may have the empty praise of a few 'friends' but you know deep inside they don't even know you. You might even be years into a marriage or intimate relationship scared to death knowing you've never revealed the real you. You've taken your clothes off, but you've never opened your heart up. Your deepest fear is that this house of cards built with masks might be revealed. What then?
  What has forced you to keep the masks on?  The biggest reason we don't come out and reveal who we really are is fear.... a deep sense of dread that if people really knew us, they would reject us. And it is certainly possible that we would face rejection from others when we initially 'come clean'. Not everyone knows what love is. Not everyone is fully capable of embracing truth in any form. But there is a source of unconditional love in a relationship with the God who made you..... You.  Yes, God knows everything about you.... and he likes that..... he loves you.  True beauty is founded not on an outward image but on an inward reality and truth far deeper and lasting. You were created, shaped and formed by a master creator whose nature is absolute and pure love.
  That mask you're wearing is not your friend. It's a burden that you must tear off of your face... your heart.... your mind. It's breaking your heart to not be truly loved for who you are .....right now. Life is all about relationships and you were created to love and to be loved.... for who you really are.
You're beautiful. God made you and he loves you the way you really are.  Look deep inside and listen for the voice of love, the voice of affirmation, the voice of truth. Let the masks come off today.... tear them off and come alive to the love you know you need.

Jim
 

Deception & Relationships

  Have you ever been deceived? There is a unique pain and disappointment involved in being the victim of deceit. Deception involves a break in trust. All of life's meaningful relationships demand trust and are built on the ability to have 'good faith' in what we are being told about what's real and what isn't. Deception involves a misrepresentation about what's really happening. It's a distortion of the facts for the purpose of selfish advantage. Deception is subtle. We often don't realize we are being played the fool. Once we realize we've been the victim of deception we are deeply hurt and embarrassed. How did we not detect the falsehood and lies?

  Truth and lies are the substance of spiritual reality. When we live life based upon truth we are dwelling in safety. When we live life based upon lies we are dwelling in disaster. Our ability to discern truth and error flow out of the condition of our souls. An injury to our inner person hinders our ability to discern whether we are being lied to. Our spiritual condition also plays a big role in creating healthy boundaries and a sense of what is real or false.

  The necessity of a 'second birth' is fundamental to knowing what is true and false. All of us are born in a state of imperfection spiritually. We are born broken on the inside. Jesus talked about our need to be 'born from above'. Being born again spiritually begins a process where our inner self begins to discern truth from error. The reality is that deception is really an inside job. When we don't understand how our injured soul (emotional and mental self) impacts our lives we respond to life's events out of hurt instead of health. Hurt people are easily deceived. Hurt and injured people fundamentally have no idea who they really are.

  The necessity of unconditional love and acceptance in our lives is absolute and imperative. We need to be loved. We need to be accepted for who we are.....where we are.....right now. The world often operates on principles of shame and control. When we encounter brokenness, we often respond with rejection and barriers. The depth of our brokenness and pain often creates an ongoing cycle of continuing rejection. We feel isolated and alone. We are a set up for deception. Often deception begins with a baited lie of false acceptance. The deceiver 'plays' on your brokenness....your aloneness and offers false hope and empty promises of relationship or security or whatever is lacking.

  The need for real unconditional love drives all of human behavior. When you encounter the real deal you've found something true and something forever. God is love. When you encounter religion or religious people who put up false walls and boundaries not based on truth (God's word), you must run fast and far from them. There are perhaps no more dangerous people on the planet than religious people who love conditionally. Conditional love is a fruit of insecurity and pride. If people have an 'agenda' in their relationship with you, its conditional love.

  Jesus best illustrates truth and unconditional love. In the gospel of John we read the profound and central message of good found in our world. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it."

Selfless love begins and ends for a broken world with a genuine Savior who accepts and loves us where are..... but he doesn't leave us there. Truth applied to our lives both transforms and heals us from the inside out. Are you hurting?  The worst pain imaginable is seldom healed by medicine or surgery alone. The worst pain is often a fruit of injuries to the soul. We are born into a broken world and few escape uninjured. My prayer for you today is that you will encounter the unconditional love and acceptance that grace makes available. To be free of deception and walk in truth is the gateway to healing and wholeness. Truly, it is the truth that sets us free.

Jim

Confusion

Confused? Wondering where life is taking you? What about that relationship? Just who are you anyway? Why? These are question that haunt our soul and drive us to wonder and frustration. To put it in the simplest terms, when you don't know where you're going..... you're lost!

  Confusion can be defined as being in a state of contradiction.... mixed up, disordered. A confused person is disturbed in mind or purpose.... they are 'jumbled up' on the inside...emotionally , mentally, relationally.

  Confusion at it's deepest root is a fruit of a spiritual disconnect. God is not the author of confusion....but of peace~1 Cor. 14:33. When we try to define who we are....where we are to go.....what we are to do and who we are to be with....apart from the God who made us, we get confused.

  In our search for clarity and a defined purpose we can wrap our lives around, we need to be connected to our maker. Spirituality is not a wasted effort when we realize our design is meant to define and direct us toward our destiny. You are not randomly placed on the planet with your peculiar talents, desires, dreams and personality. You are you, because you were shaped, formed and created for a specific reason. When you're missing the mark (sin) of that defined purpose and destiny, you'll feel it on the inside. You will know. You will feel that empty and burning pain in your gut (your inner person/soul) that something is 'not right'.

  Did you ever feel like there are two of you fighting and struggling for control of your life? When we don't know who we really are, we can be tempted to take on multiple personas. In James ch. 1 and verses 5-6 we get some wise counsel on overcoming confusion, "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticising, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man (or woman) is unstable in all his ways.

  We are confused because we stubbornly refuse to ask for help. We drive on the interstate of life with no internal GPS to guide our wavering and doubting souls. We are pilgrims without a plan. Trekkers without a map.  Wanderers with no home. Confusion is deeply spiritual. When you know who you are, you'll know where to go...and what to do....and who to be with.

  We educate our minds, train our bodies, soothe our emotions and starve our spirits. No wonder we're confused! Your 'inside' person is who you really are. Instead of being mishaped, distorted, manipulated and controlled by external and ever changing trends, we need to discover and nurture our spiritual lives on absolute truth.

  Proverbs 4:23 instructs us, "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life". When was the last time you were quiet enough to hear your heart reflect and guide your life? Your conscience is a gift from God and you ignore it at your own peril. When we ignore the truth of God's word and violate our consciense we 'go dark' and wind up in a place of deep confusion and lostness. The way home often requires a U-turn in the middle of a dark and difficult place. Humility is often found at the end of a long and painful ride in the wrong direction. Perhaps its time to admit you're lost...and begin the journey home to love, relationship and the true you. Your loving God is waiting .... it's time to come home. The journey begins with a simple and heartfelt cry, "Help!". It's a prayer that never goes unanswered.

Jim

The Call

There comes a time in all our lives when we know we need something outside of ourselves to break in and show us the way forward. Often it comes in times of deep disappointment and pain. It might come after the death of a loved one, a fracture in a critical relationship, a loss of employment, a critical illness.
Isaiah the prophet (chapter 6) responded to the death of King Uzziah with a new vision of reality. He saw things which he'd never seen....and he became someone he otherwise would have never been. Tragedy can either be an impetus to a life of meaning or lead us to a place of imprisonment. So much depends on our vision of God....and ourselves.
Isaiah saw God for who he really is. Majestic, on the throne, surrounded by Glory and HOLY. His glory covered the whole earth. In the shadow of who God is, Isaiah also discovered who he really was....a man of unclean lips ( a sinner) surrounded by people just like him. We're all equally lost and equally separated from God until the call comes to our heart and soul.
We were created for something greater than the soley material realm. Buying and selling... sensual pleasure and carnal desires never totally satisfy someone created in the image of God. All of us were created for relationship with our maker. Until we hear his voice beckoning us.....calling us to himself we're only living half a life. There is a VOICE crying out to all of us. We seldom hear that voice. Our small distractions and selfish decisions keep us far removed from hearing what really matters. We insist on our own way. We hear the screaming of the selfish hordes rushing on the broad highway of destruction.
But God comes and touches us on the inside. He shows us our broken places. We sense our weakness. We slow down our movement on the highway of destruction. We turn our ears heavenward and begin to hear the voice calling us home. Our Father touches us and heals us....and remakes us in his image. His call thrills our soul, "Who should I send? Who will go for us?" And with humility and hope, we reply, "Here am I. Send me." He's calling you right now. Slow down, listen carefully....his call is worth everything. Listen for his voice.

Transition: Coping with the Stress of Change

If one word could characterize the reality of the times in which we live, it would be 'transition'. We are all being moved from where we were, to somewhere we've never been. It makes for some unique challenges as we face the uncertainty of unfamiliar places. When the world changes rapidly around us, our emotions, our thoughts and our beliefs get shaken to the core. While we scratch our heads in bewilderment, we feel our 'gut' grow queasy and our jaw tighten. Just what in the world is going on?

The cliches of 'positive thinking' and shallow faith don't cut it in times of raw adversity and death. Just what is real when the world you know comes crashing down around you? We often don't realize just how shallow we really are. When we try to condense truth into a top ten bestseller, we realize that the world doesn't publish the best of advice for real word brokenness. It just won't sell. Uncertainty and hard questions never make it to the publisher.

While we try to figure out where we're going, we forget to look around and see "WHO" we're travelling with. The reality is that the who is more important than the where on this pilgrimage better known as life. We're all on a journey to a forever place. The passages, the transitions, the things we do are all so temporary that if they become our focus we might just miss the reason for it all. What a tragedy to live and never know the reality that life is all about relationships.

While we seek for greatness, meaning and significance we might just miss the One relationship that is meant to define all others. The invisible everlasting Father.... the God of the universe waits for us to open our hearts, our minds, our ears to the voice that makes sense in the midst of confusion.  Three words call us continually from the place just beyond the horizon. The Father speaks them in an ongoing chorus of certainty and persistence, "I love you". While we seek for a job.... a place, a title, a mate, a retirement plan, a whatever...... God offers us himself and we spurn that everlasting sustenance for a drive through mirage made of sand. How terribly sad!

So often we waste our sorrows. We expend our depression, our grief, our disappointment on a temporary high or experience that can never substitute for a forever love. The God who created us displayed his love in an unconditional abandonment that can never be equaled or surpassed. He took your broken soul and laid himself on a cross to heal you..... to forgive you.....to restore you.

While the world trembles and fears increase, God offers himself to hold onto through the turbulence.... the pain, the tears and the fears. Transition isn't meant to destroy us. It's meant to cause us to look beyond the face we see in the mirror. Yes, we're broken. But the God who loves broken people is looking out through the other side of the mirror with a face of acceptance and not condemnation. He's smiling.... and waiting for us to come home to the place that never changes.... to his house. Sit down and rest awhile. He's got time.....lots of time. He's got forever in his hands and plenty of room for you.... for me.... for all of us. Welcome home.

Jim

Direction and God's word

   In our desire to be in the 'right place' in life we can never separate direction from truth. There has to be an absolute standard regarding morality, values and wisdom. When you have multiple standards of 'right and wrong', you have confusion and uncertainty. When you cease to believe in where you're going, failure is the inevitable result. You must be sure of where you're going and confident in your purpose before you can ever expect to achieve any measure of success.

  In biblical history one of the most spectacular journeys of faith didn't begin very well for the nation of Israel. For a generation, in spite of great leadership, the people of God failed to get to where they were going. They had clear direction, desire and the Spirit was with them but they still failed to get to their 'promised land'. Just what went wrong?

  Due to a lack of sustained commitment to God, the majority of the first generation of God's people leaving Egypt died in the desert. Moses apprentice (Joshua) wound up with the task of finally taking the people into the place God had prepared for them. God spoke to Joshua clearly on how to get the job done and move into the promised place prepared for the people of God, "Be strong and courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this book of the law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua chapter 1, vs 7-9)

  When we commit ourselves to a life of obedience to God's revealed truth we don't ensure an easy road in life. We do ensure that we'll get to where we're supposed to go.... and we won't go alone. God's personality, desires, will and purpose are intimately connected with the written revelation we call the Bible. In 2 Timothy 3: 16 we hear the value of truth applied in every area of life, " All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong with our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right."

  If you don't know the word of God, you can't say that you know him....really. God isn't trying to hide from us. He is continually seeking us out in spite of our rebellion and hard hearts. When we begin to be open to truth, God does not hesitate to lavish us with a wisdom beyond ourselves. The Bible is meant to be an ongoing and always current love letter which continually nourishes, guides,  and brings life. Our need for direction in life is not totally resolved by education, career achievement or the counsel of family and friends. We need an eternal perspective. God wants to give us something beyond a mechanistic 'turn this way' counsel. He wants us to know him.... to love him... to walk with him. It's in the overflow of that relationship that we not only find our way.... we find ourselves....we find our purpose....we find life itself.

  Jesus had so much to say about what really satisfies in life. There are times in life when all our physical needs are met and yet on the inside there is a deep emptiness that haunts our minds and saps our strength. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus gives us some insight, "People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God."

  How familiar are you with the Bible? Do you understand it as a revelation of God' love to you? How much time are you spending seeking out a relationship with God through his word to you?  God has revealed pure love and truth through his word. Until we yield ourselves to an absolute standard, we're continually subject to the wrong directions issued by people with their own issues and agendas.

  It's time to yield to the word of God which calls us to a relationship that will always satisfy. A forever friend calls you to a forever place where you'll always be home. You'll never be lost again. Welcome home.

Jim

Searching for Forever Love in a Temporary World

On June 29th, my wife and I celebrated our 26th anniversary. 26 seems like a small number when I think of how quickly those years have gone by. On the evening before our wedding, I can remember being unable to sleep as I anticipated our wedding and the reality of the commitment I was making. During our engagement Mary had repeatedly asked me the same question, "Are you sure?" Just prior to meeting me Mary had been engaged to someone else who on Valentine's day had backed out and asked for the ring back. This would leave anyone feeling insecure and in need of affirmation before moving toward marriage. I repeatedly reassured Mary that I was sure I wanted to spend my life with her. But in fact any human being knows that in and of themselves the idea of a life time commitment is both intimidating and challenging.
In the United States we have the highest divorce rate in the Western world: as many as 60 percent of men and half of women will have sex with somebody other than their spouse during their marriage. In spite of the infidelity, Americans remain committed to searching for their 'soul mate'. We spend $72 billion a year on weddings alone! There is this push and pull between "happily ever after" images of marriage and an inability to commit to anyone in the here and now. To put it simply there has never been a bigger disconnect between what what we say we want and what we actuate in our daily lives.
The percentage of married Americans has dropped each decade since the 1950's and the number of unmarried but cohabiting partners has risen a 1,000 percent over the last 40 years. At 28 for men and 26 for women, the median age at which Americans are marrying is at the highest point ever!
Having children outside of a marriage commitment is common now. 41 percent of children born in 2008 in America were to unmarried moms.
While Hollywood and romance novels are replete with plots involving searching for the "one" who will bring ultimate fulfillment our society has left us wondering how to make choices at all. We have produced a generation that loves choice but hates choosing.
The expectations that we place on any future soul mate can seem to border on the Super Hero of Romance: best friend, business partner, hot lover, companion, soul mate etc....
Perhaps on our search for the 'perfect' husband and wife we might just be looking for something else. The first 'marriage' was arranged.... by God. Genesis 2: 18-24 recounts for us the reality of the need that God saw in his created Adam for an Eve. The God given need for an Adam or and Eve in our life does not actually substitute for our need for God himself!
And yet that is what we have done. We have compartmentalized our sexuality from our spirituality. We have substituted a pseudo spirituality of marriage ritual for the God ordained reality of covenant relationship. In the phrase "Happily Ever After" we reveal our naivety and selfishness. A relationship designed for intimacy and longevity can never be based around a goal of 'happiness' at its core. The goal of marriage must go far beyond temporal mood and the insecurity of worldly happiness alone.
For sure marriage will have moments or happiness and seasons of abject pleasure and fulfillment. But the stages of every life involve just as many seasons of trial, tragedy and temptation. There has to be something deeper and more sustaining than temporary 'good times' to sustain and fulfill an empty heart.
God 's call to intimacy in the covenant of marriage goes deeper than our society currently embraces. The traditional vows of marriage of 'in sickness and health... in poverty and wealth.....till death do us part.... seem quaint and dated to a culture that demands personal gratification above all. If we're not happy.... well why go on? We bail out and repeat the cycle hoping for different results.
Could it be that the "God" kind of marriage is more about holiness than happiness? Sacred marriage and true intimacy depend on a commitment that goes beyond transient feelings and emotions. Perhaps God's call to be Holy (whole in body,soul and spirit) is a serious one indeed. Marriage that is lived apart from God's call to intimacy with him and with one another is a failed enterprise indeed.
One of the enduring anthems of the Rock and Roll generation of the 1960's is an anthem made famous by the group, The Rolling Stones. The lyric refrain repeats over and over, "I can't get no satisfaction". That my friend is the song that the world must sing over and over when it denies the truths that marriage so definitively depends on.
Satisfaction in intimacy demands that our creator be involved at every level of our relationships. We are sinners and we cannot ultimately achieve forever love without him. 26 years of marriage with Mary have left me much more than "happy". I am full of satisfaction at every level of my life... and more importantly, I am more aware of my need for God and his love than ever before.
I have searched for love and found it...in God and with Mary.

Jim

Direction and the Local Church

 Finding direction in life is not meant to be a singular pursuit.  To quote the 16th century poet/pastor John Donne, "No man is an island, entire of itself." God's call to relationship involves spiritual family. A religion that isolates and separates is incomplete and not whole. A confession in faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord brings us into a community of believers. Matthew 16:18 show us Jesus response to Peters confession of faith, "You are blessed Simon, son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the powers of hell will not conquer it."

  The church is not a building or an institution.... though many people act and live as if it is. No, the church is a community of believers called out to live in relationship with God and one another. The immensity of God's love and grace are meant to be shared and not held to oneself.  A self centered believer is an aberration and a sign of an incomplete faith. The fallen world seeks after 'self fulfillment' and pleasure above all else. The true church (community of believers) seeks after self denial and the glory of a God who truly satisfies. When you have everything you need through grace you cease grasping, striving and manipulating in relationship.

  The Holy Spirit equips and empowers his 'called out' ones with unique grace gifts that guide us in life. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12:7, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge.......grace gifts are designed to mature and grow us together in love.

  The demands and pressures of life are always magnified and amplified when we walk the road alone. The wisdom of Solomon in the Old testament speaks to this, "Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor.  If one person falls , the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble." (Ecclesiastes 4: 9,10)

 As a believer in God you are truly united with other believers. You are meant to become a part of a spiritual family that can speak into your life and help you to 'grow up' spiritually. There are many forgiven and yet immature people of faith wandering around without direction and purpose. When you are joined to a spiritual family in ongoing relationship of committed faith you are in a position to hear God at a deeper level than when you live separated unto yourself.

 There are special foundational gifts given to the church that help establish and guide us through our lives. Ephesians 4: 11 reveals how Christ has blessed the church with spiritual authority and guidance, "He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets,  and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church (the body of Christ) until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ."

Direction in life goes way beyond the location where we live....where we work.....what we do. Direction in life is rooted in the ministry of the interior.... spiritual growth. When you're not connected to the family of God, you're a spiritual orphan in mortal danger of deception and moral failure. You can't become who you were born to be until you're connected to the spiritual family God has prepared to help you grow and mature.  To live and and serve with God's family is both fulfilling and vital in sharing God's love with a lost world in need of direction as well.

Are you connected vitally to spiritual family? We really do need one another. The world is a dangerous place for a loner. Don't settle for a weekly religious experience without vital relationship. Everyone needs a Pastor who really knows them... who prays for them....who has a heart for people. Pray and ask God to connect you to the right spiritual family. Don't wait. Come home to family.

Jim

Direction and The Spirit

  All of us at one time or another in life feel a sense of lostness. We want an assurance that we know where we are going in life. We are living in a time of rapid change and transition. Our inner sense of confidence is easily thwarted when our expectations in life are not met. So many times our thoughts of how things 'should be' don't line up with what they actually are. We grow disappointed in life. Disappointment leads to hopelessness and our 'lostness' worsens. We just don't know what to do with our lives anymore.

  God wants to guide our lives and bring renewed hope and direction. The prophet Isaiah offers us an amazing promise of personal insight and direction for life, "Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes, and you will hear a voice say, ""This is the way, turn around and walk here." (Isaiah 30:20,21)

  All of us have something or someone guiding and directing our lives. We all 'hear'voices. It could be the voice of our parents. It could be the voice of friends. It could be the voice of prevailing cultural expectations..... an ever present 'media' telling you what to think... what to desire...what to become. The trouble with most of the voices we hear is their unreliability. Humanities inner "GPS" is imperfect and often will guide us to places we never were meant to go. Indeed we're all lost. (Romans 3:23)

  It's in our times of brokenness that we become more open to guidance. When we experience confusion and uncertainty in the people and things we love the most, we begin to ask the hard questions in life, "Why am I on this planet?" "Who can I really trust?" Is love for real?" "How can I possibly deal with this crisis?"

  It's important to have moral principles to guide our lives... to know what is 'right and wrong' is fundamental to staying clear of danger and destruction in life. I'ts important to be in touch with your own personal passion.... your dreams and desires. Without a moral center and clear sense of who you are, you'll never get to where you're meant to go in life. Nevertheless, even people with clear moral boundaries and passion can get lost on the way to where they want to go. We're human....we're fallible. When we meet disappointment,our souls become wounded.... our inner person takes a hit and for a time we lose the coordinates that have guided us on the way.

  Life is a journey. But the journey doesn't end when you take your last breath. People are made in the image of God... that is they are spiritual. Our spirit was created for relationship.... for intimacy with God and with one another. When we live for things... for achievement....for popularity.... for anything other than love, we're taking a step off the road marked out for us. The reason Jesus came and lived a sinless life and voluntarily laid down his life for us was not just to enable us to be forgiven. Ultimately, Jesus offers a way back to God himself.  A restored relationship of intimacy that holds nothing back including an ongoing conversation of comfort, guidance and direction.

  One of Jesus followers came to him wondering aloud of how to get to God (Thomas). Thomas sense of confusion comes through loud and clear, "We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" ( Can you relate? Have you ever asked yourself, Just where am I going in life?") Jesus response was both clear and startling as well, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Ultimately, the way to God cannot be separated from personal relationship with him. It's not just about doing stuff for God. It's about being with him.... in step with his whispers of divine inspiration. God speaks to us through his word (the Bible) and by the Holy Spirit ,which Jesus promised to all who would believe and surrender life control to him.

  Jesus said, "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans--I will come to you." (John 14: 15-18)

  At the age of 21 I came to end of myself. I admitted I was lost and broken. I asked Jesus to save me from my sin (lostness). Not only did Jesus forgive me.... he gave me something so precious.... so astoundingly beautiful and wonderful that I am forever grateful. The reality of the Spirit living on the inside of me is so central to who I've become. God's spirit drawing nearer to me than my very breath. The language of God's spirit to my inner person is often transmitted by a simple whisper of profound intimacy, "This is the way, turn around and walk here."  Whispering is the voice of intimacy and profound trust. When we surrender to God we go to a place where his voice reigns supreme above all others.

  Are you lost? Do you feel a profound sense of dissatisfaction and confusion? You were born to walk with God through the Spirit. You can't just rely on people alone in life. You are a spiritual being created to live forever. Your journey will not end when you take your last breath on this planet... no, the journey will have just begun. There is another dimension of love and intimacy that you would be foolish to reject or live without. You need the Holy Spirit in your life.... right now, right where you are. Surrender today to the God who made you. Cry out to Jesus for forgiveness and let him give you the great gift of God himself... the Holy Spirit will come, and you'll never be the same.

Jim

Faith and the Future

  At present our world is experiencing  a massive economic contraction. The word recession is the most spoken word in everyday conversations worldwide. Recession simply put is a shrinking of economic demand based upon uncertainty and fear. Recessions are spiritual. When confidence in the future is limited or declining, the ordinary human response is to step backward in terms of investment and preparation for perceived demand. Fear breeds paralysis. Paralysis if prolonged leads to death. Nothing can survive inactivity, least of all the world of commerce.

  In 2008, the world lost trust in unmitigated greed. There was a sense that no one could be trusted anymore. Even the 'deal makers' on Wall Street lost their way. Century old investment banks and even sovereign nations have seen their economies on the brink of collapse. Internationally, leaders are wondering just what to do. The reality is that no one is effectively addressing the underlying issues of spiritual truth and faith.

  Governments have little or no ability to create jobs or wealth. Economies rise and fall on essentials of spiritual truth. It takes faith, hope and love to create wealth and stability in societies. When people believe in something outside themselves..... when they have hope for the future and are invested in relationships based on love, then prosperity has a chance to develop and grow.

  Faith gives substance and reality to what people hope and long for in life. It enables them to take risks and make commitments beyond the immediate circumstances. A world without faith, hope and love is in fact..... HELL. Not a permanent Hell, but a foretaste of a place that no one wants to live.... isolated, selfish and devoid of caring relationships. When societies lose the desire to live for something beyond immediate consumption and selfish pleasure, we ensure the beginning of a hellish existence that invites anarchy and uncertainty. Fear is the mother of recession. Faith is the mother of blessing and growth in every dimension of communal life. When we believe, hope and love we bring heaven's reality to earth.

  For the last few generations modern society pundits have told us either 'God is dead' or at least he is irrelevant. Living in a modern society where wealth is 'god' ironically results in the collapse of its own temples of false worship. People were not made to worship idols of buying and selling. Consumption never satisfies as an act of worship. We were never meant to measure our sense of worth by what we own or consume. We are spiritual beings born for relationship with God and one another. While the world's leaders fret and worry over the way out of economic malaise they might want to reflect on the power of faith, hope and love in life. 

  Perhaps our future is not really for sale. The things that last forever and ultimately bring satisfaction cannot be controlled by either governments or political parties... No, they reside in the hearts of the most simple men or women who choose to live lives based upon three eternal realities: faith, hope and love.... and the greatest of these is love.

Jim

Direction & Desire

 We are all born with innate gifts, abilities and desires. In our search for direction in life we do well to pay attention that which gives us both pleasure and a sense of fulfillment. There should not be a massive disconnect between what we do and what we believe. Psalm 37 and verse 4 reveals a profound truth about how to connect our worship and our work in a seamless pattern of satisfaction. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire."

 A stale and ritualistic religion will create a wall between who you are at work and who you are in worship. This wall is an enemy of a fulfilling and whole life. When we learn what it means to delight in God we will be transformed in our worship and in every dimension of our lives. To delight means to take great pleasure in and from the relationship we have with God. When God becomes so real to you and your heart is laid bare before him, your worship becomes vibrant and alive. You simply can't wait to be with the greatest lover you could ever imagine. You allow him total access to your life. There are no hidden places in a life of delight and extravagant worship.

  The danger in separating our giftedness from our worship is the temptation to wrap our identity around what we are good at. Our pleasures and talents can easily become a source of idolatry and self worship that might just destroy us. Our desires need to be laid at Jesus feet as an act of surrendered worship.

  A worship that doesn't cost you anything is a false substitute for the real thing. Worship involves the surrender and control of self to another deemed greater and more worthy. If you get your worship right, your life will be right. False and inadequate worship is at the root of every failure in life.

  In the gospel of Mark chapter 14 and verse 3 we read, "Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded. her harshly."

  Extravagant and whole hearted worship will often be viewed as wasteful and dangerous. In fact it is the only form of worship acceptable to God. Half hearted (lukewarm) worship is rejected by God and ultimately never satisfies.  A full surrender completes us more than it restricts us. We are never more fully free than when we yield what brings us greatest pleasure to the God who creates desire.

  Eric Liddell, whose life of extravagant worship was portrayed in the award winning movie Chariots of Fire,  illustrated this principle so well. He said, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast.  When I run, I feel his pleasure." Eric after winning Olympic glory went to China as a missionary and died in a labor camp surrendered to someone greater than himself. His gifts and his very life were offered unconditionally to the God who so loved him that he took his sins away on the cross.

  What are you doing right now that allows you to 'feel his pleasure'?  Are you in touch with your desires? Have you surrendered them in worship to the God who is worthy? Direction in life is meant to flow out of who God made you to be. If you're lost in life right now, you might need to surrender afresh to the one who put you on the planet. Direction and desire are linked inextricably. You cannot become who you were meant to be.... you cannot go where you are meant to go.... until you learn what you need to learn, right here, right now.... in worship.

Jim

Jim

The Talent Trap

  One of the biggest struggles in life is to define and understand our own identity. "Who am I really" is a question that if left unresolved ensures a life of emotional and mental turmoil. We need to understand who we are and why we're on the planet. In our childhood and early adulthood we begin to discover what we're good at.....and what we're not. It's an exciting and challenging time. Culture rewards success and abilities and for many of us we become defined and sometimes boxed in by our talents and abilities. We can become trapped by our own talents.

  For those who are extremely talented in athletics, academics or the arts there is a tendency for others to define us by what we're good at as opposed to who we are as people. We can become imbalanced and dangerously incomplete. Picture the body builder who only develops his biceps while neglecting the rest of his torso. He becomes a freakish person to look at in comparison to other body builders who develop all aspects of their physical selves.

  For the talented individual with tremendous physical or intellectual prowess there can be a promotion or placement beyond their level of emotional or relational maturity. We are often promoted to places through sheer inherent talent. But our spiritual and moral fiber is often left undeveloped. We are given a pass on being 'good people' because' of our talent or 'potential for success'. The potential for a root of pride to develop is huge. We're placed in a mine field of moral danger. The talented man or woman is often 'given a pass' for personal failings in relationships.  Boundaries prescribed for the less gifted are never developed by the talented.  So called average people have to play by the rules and learn the meaning of right and wrong. For the extremely gifted, morality becomes an optional world where someone always hands them the pass key. As long as they perform and deliver on their gift the world continually applauds while their souls go dark. The trap has been set.

  When we allow ourselves to be defined by our talents we ensure our life's house is made of glass. For talent is often transient. Humanity is far more complex than the abilities we possess. When our moral/spiritual side is underdeveloped we ensure that the 'rocks' of life will eventually be thrown in the direction of our glass houses. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it often ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12) Our inner self (soul & spirit) needs to connect to something greater than the performance mode demanded by the world. We were not born to be 'talent prostitutes' serving at the whim of the curious and the bored. Our talents, gifting and desires were placed in us by a loving creator. We were meant to offer them back for his glory and for our own good as an act of worship and gratitude. 

  Too often we sell out our souls and bodies for the transient praise of men and women. The applause and praise of this world has been reduced to a fragment of fame barely lasting 15 minutes. We become 'used goods' in a world that constantly searches for the new thing. Our greatest strength can become our greatest weakness in a moment of time. We slay ourselves with our gifts. We should never deny our talents or abilities. They are God given. However, we should not be defined by them. You are never just an athlete..... or just a poet......or just an artist..... or just a businessmen....you are a human being created by God to love him and others...... forever.  You have defined strengths and defined weaknesses. We are all incomplete and in need of both God and one another. When we cease ignoring all of who we are, we begin the journey to wholeness and healing. You are more than a one dimensional person. You are a person born by God's intricate design. Born to be loved unconditionally and forever for all of who you are. Our imperfections, Our failings, Our weaknesses are often what opens our eyes to the unseen realm of faith, hope and love. When our talents, beauty and wealth fade, life isn't over.... it's only just begun.

Jim

Learning to embrace Weakness

 While the world teaches us to boast about our strengths and hide our weakness, the kingdom of God teaches us to be humble about our strengths and transparent about our weaknesses. Following Jesus Christ involves such an intimate relationship of honesty and dependence that we can rest and relax in openness. It takes a lot of energy to be 'always on' in terms of creating and maintaining masks and images. We want to be seen in the best light but often create our own false idolatry of image.

  We are more than the sum of our talents and gifts. The fact is that we all suffer from some measure of weakness and brokenness. Scripture teaches us that we are all guilty of imperfection and failure to some degree. We need a Savior..... and we need one another. When we aren't honest about our failings, weaknesses and needs, no one gets healed.... and we continue to suffer lack in key areas in our lives. Healing and growth flow out of relationship.... with God and with one another.   When we don't reveal who we really are, we all suffer.

 An early leader in the church (Paul) had a series of amazing miracles and visions take place in his life. Despite these experiences, others who knew him rejected him and challenged his leadership and authority. Instead of bragging and boasting about his qualifications, Paul learned some foundational truths about where real strength lies. In 2 Corinthians 12, he makes some amazing statements about the power of surrendered weakness. Paul has an ongoing weakness in his life that he seeks God to deliver him from. Three times he begs God for deliverance. God's responds with a profound revelation of truth, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness."

  Pride is the great grace killer.   When we gaze too long in the mirror of our gifts and abilities we lose perspective on what life is all about. The world does not revolve around us!  Self worship and self centered lifestyles ultimately end in dissatisfaction. We need a vital and real relationship with God. Pride and arrogance burn the bridge of dependence we need in relating to him.

  Real lasting strength for life flows out of relating to Jesus Christ and his power. Paul boldly states,"So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me......for when I am weak, then I am strong."

  Traveling the road of humility is not an easy path. The world will mock, persecute and ridicule the humble pilgrim. The road that leads heavenward is narrow and often misunderstood. The surrender of self glory and a focus on God's glory is the mark of a true follower of Jesus. The power of weakness is a transfer of your own limited and futile strength for the resources of the creator of the universe..... and the Savior of a broken world. His power is perfected in weakness...it's time to get real..... to be open.....and to live a transformed and powerful life, for his glory.

Let the weak say, I am strong....in him.

Jim

Building a House of Love

Many of you who are reading my blogs have known me and my family for many years. Perhaps some of you don't know me personally. You have just logged onto the internet and 'accidentally' begun to read some of my thoughts and reflections. Today, I am writing something deeply personal. I am going to let you into my world.... our world....the world of our family. For our entire life together first as husband and wife and now for 24 years as parents, we've had one ongoing life pursuit. If I could put it into a simple phrase or sentence I would say, we are "building a house of love".  When I first began getting to know Mary in 1984 I asked her questions about what she saw herself doing with her life. If we were ever to have a 'serious' relationship we would have to be compatible with our life vision and calling.  Mary told me that she was considering going to South Asia to work with orphaned children using her training as a Physical Therapist. Mary was a young woman with a call to serve.... to heal.... and to love.  I was challenged by her obvious commitment to serve others.  Clearly, Mary was someone I could spend my life loving.  Since our marriage on June 29th, 1985 we have been pursuing God's call to to build a house of love.  Many people own homes.  All of live of us live 'somewhere'.  We have at times lived in very nice homes and at times in very modest locations. But building a house of love has nothing to do with our physical home or location.
  It was while living in Pakistan that God began to shape the vision we are currently walking out in the life of our family. One cold day in December, 1996 I was praying at my desk about our future. We had been in Pakistan since March of 1993. I was talking to God about my dreams and desires. I voiced this prayer, "God,  I don't know if it's possible..... but if it is.... I would like to reach the whole world with your love." It seemed bold even perhaps arrogant to pray like that.  I hoped I wasn't being selfish. Already, God had blessed me with the unique opportunity to do meaningful work for him in the mountains of N. Pakistan. By grace we had established an eye hospital where people were receiving their physical sight and spiritual hope. What more could I really want? Somehow, I felt God birthing in me a love for the world beyond my own understanding and comprehension. I didn't know what it meant and I did not know how he might answer my prayer.
  Over time I began to sense him speak the words 'international students' into my mind and heart. I began to research what that might mean and all my seeking, prayer and searching led me to the University of South Alabama in July of 1998.  At that time Mary and I along with our children moved into a home next to the USA campus to begin directing "Friends of Internationals" a ministry to the many international students attending the university. Over the years we have ministered to thousands of students from nearly every nation on earth. God is answering prayer in an amazing and frankly humbling way. I had no idea how to minister to international students! But God by his grace had taught us something deep and profound during our time in Pakistan... the value of hospitality and deeply engaging others in relationship.  Our home was overwhelmed by visitors and truly has become a 'house of love'.  There is a special peace and presence of God in our home. We are blessed to watch God welcome the world to 5659 William and Mary Street. Somehow God has provided the food and resources to greet the beautiful precious people he has sent to us. God's love for the world is so real and palpable.

  In 2009, after many years of prayer and waiting on God we began All Nations Community Church as a way to minister to the many internationals who needed a 'spiritual home' here.  We didn't assume that we were to lead this church. But a young woman from Germany and a couple from Japan strongly urged us to consider leading just such a church.  Now in September of 2011 we are meeting regularly as a house of prayer for all the nations (Isaiah 56:7) and reaching out to refugees, students and families with God's precious redeeming love. All of our staff (our family included) live by faith. We do not receive a salary from the church. We depend on God's people who also love the nations to pray and give as he directs. Perhaps you are just such a person! We are deeply grateful to you. Perhaps reading this you might consider giving to help us continue in building our 'house of love'?
  There is a blessedness in giving. When we allow God to release his love on behalf of others we are not diminished in any way. We are deeply enriched beyond what money could ever give us. If you would like to receive our newsletter do let us know! I write a monthly letter to all our prayer and financial partners. Our mailing address for the ministry is :  P.O. Box 8617  Mobile, Al 36689  If you are able to give just leave a memo for Mather family support.
  May you know that God is indeed building a house of love..... a community of hope and healing in a very dark and difficult time. Thanks for letting us give our lives to love others. If we can serve you in any way let us know!

Jim, Mary, Dan, Josh and Gabby Mather
 www.allnationsmobile.org

A Poisoned Well

  While living in Pakistan I once traveled to a remote village known as Nagar just after a horrific tragedy. The village water supply had become contaminated and in a brief 72 hour period 1/3 of the local villages population of  350 people had died sudden and painful deaths due to cholera. When my friend and I arrived to the village the grief was still palpable. Everyone had lost someone close to them and many of those who died were the most vulnerable.... children and the aged. We were there because we wanted to help find the cause of the cholera outbreak and see if we could help provide the proper sanitation and water supply that would prevent future outbreaks of water borne disease and death. We found out that the cause of the outbreak of cholera was the death of an animal whose carcass had fallen into a well high up on the hills above the village. Out of sight to the villagers, a seeping poison of death was slowly creeping down through the water the villagers used to survive.

  Living in America, we don't often think of having our water supply poisoned by bacteria or viruses. Our water is generally safe. We don't think that perhaps today what we drink will kill us and our neighbors. We have an expectation that we can drink from our water taps and not die of cholera. Water is essential to life. It must be clean to survive. Our quality and length of life depends on having a clean water supply. Poison our supply.... our 'well' so to speak.... and many hearts will be broken.

  The need for protection from poison applies to our hearts and souls as well as our bodies. What we receive into our hearts and minds can poison and contaminate our lives just as seriously as any bacteria or virus. Our heart is vulnerable to lies, deception and evil. The book of Proverbs warns us to"Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life."  Your heart is a well.... it's a source of life. When our hearts are pure our lives are full of healing, blessing and sustenance. When our hearts are contaminated by the poison of deception, our lives are full of disease, death, cursing and famine.

  When we are connected to the source of eternal life through a relationship with Jesus Christ we are connected to a pure river of life. The scriptures tell us that one of the gifts poured out upon as we believe in God's love for us is an immersion into the life of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises us in the gospel of John a spiritual river that will "take away thirst altogether, It becomes a perpetual spring within".

  All of us are thirsty. All of us are looking desperately to satisfy the thirst within..... the thirst for meaning, direction, purpose and love.  The danger in a broken and lost world is to drink from contaminated wells and and die twice. The first death is slow and agonizing.... a life lived based upon lies is never satisfying and always tragic. The second death is the forever separation from the well spring that God freely wants everyone to experience. When we reject the water of life found in faith in Jesus Christ we suffer the kind of death that never ends..... a separation and aloneness that none should endure. What our souls thirst for sets the course of our lives far beyond our imagination could ever take us.

  Today, Jesus pleads with us from the gospel of John chapter 7 and verses 37,39, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within." The condition of our hearts and minds is a reflection of what we are putting into our souls.... if our 'well' is poisoned, our life is in danger of a premature and painful death.  When we feed upon the truth of God's great love for us, we drink from a deep and pure water source that will refresh, heal and deliver. It's time we test the water and examine our hearts. Life is too precious to drink from a contaminated well. Choose the water of life freely offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Back to Eden

Drawn by the beauty
Caught by his grace
I'm going back to Eden
To rest in his place

The truth of your promise
is calling me home
I'm at rest here knowing
That your embrace is that place

Favor not earned, wrapped tightly around
My heart and mind now at peace in your arms
Your love drenches me and cleanses the dark places
I'm coming home again

I'm running away from the dark place
Where my soul was sinking in sand on the edge
Your voice never stopped calling me back to you
Your place of rest is healing and hope for the nations
I'm coming home

I love the aroma of life in your garden
The embrace of your place
My soul so much lighter inside of your hope
Calling me home at rest in your Son
Father's place is now and forever my home

Lost Souls

Lost Souls

 It's a horrible feeling to be lost. I remember the first time I was consciously lost. I must have been around 3 years old and my parents have filled in the blanks for me about what was a harrowing experience for them as well. We were at a mall in Cherry Hill, N.J. when I wandered away from my parents while we were in a shoe store. I can vaguely remember losing my bearings in the tall stacks of shoes and then suddenly realizing my family was no longer in my line of sight. When my parents realized I had wandered off they went into 'panic' mode and notified mall security and they had my name called over the intercom speakers. I am not sure how long I was 'lost' before I reconnected with my parents. I remember a vague sense of pain in my stomach.....I knew I needed to reconnect to my parents as soon as possible....but how? It's an awful feeling to be disconnected from safety and protection.

 Later when I was reconnected to my family by a stranger who saw me wandering the aisles of the shoe store, my parents asked me repeatedly, "Didn't you hear your name being called over the speakers"? I had no idea what they were talking about but now upon reflection I can see why a stranger calling my name had no impact on me. Jesus tells us in  (John 10:27). "My sheep recognize my voice, I know them, and they follow me." When we know we're lost (physically,emotionally, relationally or otherwise) our soul desperately needs to respond to a reliable and loving voice. Not every voice calling us to 'walk this way' is a safe guide in a dangerous world. There are many false shepherds (guides) who would lead us astray for their own greed and selfish interest.  How do we stay clear of deceptive and selfish leaders/guides?

  The first step in ensuring we don't get lost in life is dealing with our own self centered pride issues. Proverbs 14:12 tells us, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." Due to our own sin and pride we often make decisions about direction and guidance that stray off the path of absolute truth. A lost soul is someone who becomes convinced that they 'know better' than anyone else.

  The voice of temptation comes in and says, "Let others work hard and spend their lives building toward success gradually....take a few short cuts.... I can get you there so much quicker." Jesus encountered this moment of temptation at the point when he was just beginning his powerful ministry of healing and teaching. In Matthew chapter 4 we see Jesus coming out of a time of prayer and fasting and facing the temptation to achieve quick success and avoid suffering, "The Devil came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread." But Jesus told him, "No, the scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.'"

  The temptation to 'get lost' is often empowered by serious and legitimate needs. We are sick, hungry, lonely or depressed and a voice begins to speak, 'follow me' and all your needs will be met'. Evil preys on the vulnerable and hurting, like the proverbial 'wolf' dressed in sheeps clothing. We desperately need to examine the heart and motives of anyone we allow to take a leadership position in our lives.

  One of the most profound lessons in staying clear of becoming a lost soul is the revelation that direction and purpose in life flow more out of relationship than we realize. In John chapter 14, Jesus begins to prepare his followers for the transition that his death, resurrection and ascension would force upon them. He didn't want them to be lost....or deceived when things seemed to go astray. He knew that the gravest danger of trial and transition would be to become a 'lost soul' and forget who they were and why they were on the planet. So Jesus tells them in advance in verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." When we break relationship with God, we're lost. That broken relationship leads us down all sorts of painful 'rabbit trails' that cause our souls to go dark with pain and injuries. We need someone to call our name that we recognize.... we need to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. A strangers voice over the intercom (religion) will not suffice. Grace knows your name and is calling out to you not with condemnation but with love, acceptance and joy. Grace wants all who are lost to come home to safety, provision, love and healing. Getting lost is painful. While we're lost we are often lied to about how we got there. We might even begin to blame the 'parents' we wandered away from. We might even blame God for abandoning us when we made a 'wrong turn' in life.

  The good news is that love can take the false accusations and continue to embrace the lost souls on the way back home. It's often a long journey home and no one gets there alone. Perhaps on our journey toward love we need to become a part of a community of pilgrims walking together toward the light of God's love and truth. We're all wounded in some way in life. The choice is ever before us to come home..... let's walk together toward that forever place, where love calls our name.

Jim

Preparing for the Tests of Life

  Have you ever had the feeling that something very difficult was coming your way? There is this unusual sense of anxiety and uncertainty that is pressing in on your soul. You don't know what it is.... you can't say for sure what is happening but you just know you are about to be tested in a very deep and profound way.
  Is there a way we can be prepared for the trials, tragedies and temptations of real life?  I live next door to the University of South Alabama. The students who excel live disciplined lives of study and activity based on their desire to succeed. They find the balance between work, relationships and academics. Put simply, they are prepared.  However, the tests of the 'real world' are often less obvious and don't always come with warning signs like "Warning! Major Test ahead, GET READY!" Most of our warning systems are internal and too easy for the faithless soul to ignore or downplay as insignificant.
  In the gospel of Luke chapter 22 we have amazing insight from Jesus of how to prepare for life's greatest trials and difficulties. Jesus had developed the discipline of prayer. He took time to open up to the Father about what was going on in his mind and heart. Let's take a look at the 'heart preparation' that takes place in communion with God.  (Luke 22:39.....) "And he came out and went, as was his custom to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.  And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless,  not my will, but yours, be done."  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
  Jesus was about to face the gravest test of his earthly life. Within minutes he would face the test of betrayal of one of his closest friends. Shortly thereafter he would face the test of rejection and abandonment of another of his closest friends. Inside of his soul everything was screaming to quit.... to abandon his life's purpose. Any resemblance of inner strength was literally draining out of his body. He had no recourse other than to connect with his Father in heaven in prayer.  God was near and answered in a miraculous way.... sending an angel to deliver special strength to endure the trial of body, soul and spirit.  His example is our guide to how we too must endure life's battles.
  Sadly, those closest to Jesus ( us included) often miss the call to prayerful dependence on our Father. As Jesus ended his prayer, we see the disciples failure, "And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping?  Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
  I don't know about you, but I've been there......overcome by worry, fear, sadness and depression. I just want to sleep.... turn out the lights and pretend that what I'm facing will just go away.  Trials don't disappear because we want them to. Trials often linger and haunt us....unless and until we get down on our knees and into the place of surrendered prayer to a God who loves us enough to hear our sincere and honest conversation.... "the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results."
  You are either in a trial, headed towards one, or just coming out of one. The wise person prepares for the tests of life.... and draws near in prayer to a God whose presence is more than enough to take us through and bring us to a place of deep love, hope and trust in him.  Are you prepared?

Jim
  

Overcoming Abuse

 We were born for love. We are on this planet to love and be loved. When we are torn from our original purpose and become victims of hatred, fear and violence, we become deeply damaged. Our sense of who and what we are born for is lost in pain and agony. Abuse is defined as 'to be used in an improper or wrong way...so as to injure or damage.... to attack in words."  Obviously that is an incomplete definition for there are so many forms of abuse in this dangerous world.

 I heard a wise counselor tell me one time, "Hurt people, hurt other people." When we don't get healed on the inside, our circle of intimacy can quickly become a war zone. It's those closest to the injured and damaged souls that bear the brunt of their pain and suffering. There is a generational aspect to the ongoing cycle of abuse and dysfunction. We tend to cover our wounds because they often happen to us when we are children or in a postion of powerlessness. We just don't know what to do with our pain.

 Dysfunction often breeds coverup and shame bottles up our deepest injury. The tyranny of brokenness is we don't have access to the healing we so desperately need. Emotional, verbal, sexual and even some types of physical abuse don't leave obvious wounds. The great tragedy is that when we break a leg, the world comes running to heal. When we break our hearts and souls, the world runs in the opposite direction.

  I am writing this not claiming to know all the answers to being healed of abuse. I do know it can't be done in isolation. Wounds of the soul don't just ever really go away on their own. I believe that it's the unconditional love of God and his people that are the pathway to eventual healing. But how do we access that love in a dark and dangerous world?  In our American culture of fast foods and convenience, hurting people offer real challenges. It's never convenient to give oneself to a suffering soul. People don't get healed from the inside in a drive through relationship.

  I am being challenged to pray and to open up my own life to hurting people. To listen, to learn, to pray and  to share my life and the life of my family and friends with the hurting. Sounds challenging. Sounds difficult. It sounds like a call from God.

Jim

The Reward of Relationship

When we serve and sacrifice in life, there is an expectation of reward. Peter, one of Jesus most ardent followers was not shy about his expectations. Peter's bold desires were laid bare for all to see in the gospel of Matthew. (See chapter 19: 27-30) Peter speaking, "We've given up everything to follow you, What will we get out of it?"
  Within all of us are not so hidden expectations of reward and payback for doing good. If I do the right thing, shouldn't I be recognized and rewarded?  Is it wrong to expect reward?  Jesus answers Peter concerns very clearly in the next few verses.   And Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who have given up houses or brothers of sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life. But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then."
  Jesus is describing what I call "the divine reversal".  There will come a day when all things will be made right in the universe. There is very real sacrifice involved in doing the right thing now. Often the cost involved in following God in the way of love will involve being rejected by the power brokers of this world. Jesus was killed for doing the right thing..... and being the righteous One. Can we expect any less as we follow him in the way of love?
  The divine irony is when we lose, we still win....ultimately. But here I want to probe a little deeper. The ultimate reward for following God in the way of sacrificial love is Him. The last book of the Bible is known as the book of Revelation. In it we see the unveiling of the future for those who have ears to ear what God is trying to reveal. The dominant message of this unveiling is the presence of God at the center of everything. In the future that God has prepared, there is a removal of the striving for things, positions or power to prove our significance. God's first call is always to himself.... to relationship.  While we strive even in our religion to 'do something', God' first word to us is always, 'Come to Me'.
  What do you want from God? What are you asking for in prayer? Do you want something or do you want Him?
  Ultimately, the real reward and everything God has for you is meant to flow out of relationship. Until and unless you understand that divine reality,  you'll be worshiping an idol and not the real God. God is love... and love desires relationship.

Jim