{Sanctuary}
When I describe it, I say “run”.
It’s not a run though. It’s a jog.
But I prefer to say ‘I try and run 3 miles a day,’ as opposed to ‘I struggle to jog 3 miles a day.’
Truth is, lately I have been slacking on my daily jogs.
I have excuses….reasons….justifications.
Justification: ‘Well, I ride a total of 10 miles on my bike every day to work and back.”
The problem is, that is my justification for saying, “Pour more cheese on that,” or “Well, I already had a big breakfast; but, what the heck, free lunch is free lunch.”
We do that as humans though, don’t we?
When I describe it, I say “run”.
It’s not a run though. It’s a jog.
But I prefer to say ‘I try and run 3 miles a day,’ as opposed to ‘I struggle to jog 3 miles a day.’
Truth is, lately I have been slacking on my daily jogs.
I have excuses….reasons….justifications.
Justification: ‘Well, I ride a total of 10 miles on my bike every day to work and back.”
The problem is, that is my justification for saying, “Pour more cheese on that,” or “Well, I already had a big breakfast; but, what the heck, free lunch is free lunch.”
We do that as humans though, don’t we?
Justify ourselves? Make excuses.
There is truly a reason why Jesus wants us to trust in only him to be our justification for anything.
It’s because we like to use justification to justify ridiculous things.
Failing to remember that we were probably the most ridiculous thing ever justified… EVER!
In business, what God did would be perceived as a bad investment.
Gathering a people prone to fail.
But God likes glory.
And this route calls for all of the glory.
{Mosquitoes}
So I have been slacking.
Not just the jog.
More deadly…. I have been slacking on my relationship with Him.
It seems like after such a huge battle that required daily sword slinging I would be closer than ever to the master.
Nah.
I am a sheep too.
"Lead me to the slaughter, Heart so prone to wander"
I got into a discussion the other evening about healing.
Anyone who knows me knows I believe that God is a healer.
Anyone who knows me knows that I believe this is a faith issue.
Anyone who knows me knows I can prove this..... or can I.....
I used to be able to.
But saying 'I used to be able to' is pathetic.
It's like someone asking me, "Are you a male?"
I would say, "Of course!"
So they'd say, "Can you prove it?"
"I used to be able to."
{Soldiers Pay}
In life we deal with different people.
My brother in law likes to consider himself an atheist.
So when I talk God he laughs.
"Prove it!," he says.
How do you prove the existence of God to a science major without using the bible?
You use experience.
It's like a scientific test.
You show proof that something happened.
I have seen this, so it proves this/I have felt this, so it proves this, and so on and so forth.
In this recent situation though, I was caught off guard.
The issue wasn't a matter of proof through experience.
The recipient wasn't looking for a testimony of man, rather a word of God.
Back up what you believe using the word of God.
I suddenly went blank. I conjured up 1 scripture and couldn't remember where I usually go from there.
Sweating internally I began saying, "Okay Lord, help me out!"
He said, "Shhh. Just listen."
Oh dear....
Ask yourself this.
In anything that you believe that pertains to your faith in Jesus Christ, can you back it up using the word of God?
Can you prove it in every aspect of life?
Does it line up 100% with the Word of God without being taken out of context or eventually contradicting itself?
You start thinking about a lot of things you do.
You start to consider where you have used a scripture to justify one thing and then suddenly you realize that you have become so lenient with your justification that you have completely compromised your faith.
This leads to my next blog, so I will leave that there for the time being.
{As I Lay Dying}
So I am on my 'run' the next morning and I am chatting with God.
And I am asking Him, "What was that about? Why didn't you let me say something?"
I feel Him chuckle, "David, you know what I have shown you and you know what I have revealed to you. Do you doubt me now? Do you remember when the council told John and Peter not to perform miracles anymore? What did they say?"
THAT, I always remember. Whether it is right in the sight of God to obey what you say rather than what HE says, you be the judge; but I we cannot stop speaking about what we I've seen and heard.
God said, "This is not a matter of persecution, but a challenge to you. Again, you have taken what I have shown you to the masses before I was done showing you. Wisdom is proved right by her actions. I am calling you to present yourself to Me as one approved. A man of faith who doesn't need to be ashamed of what he believes and who correctly handles MY words of truth. My desire is not that you will fight your brothers over 'words', but that you can rightly discern MY word. What I have given you, and also what I have given your brothers and sisters. The devil prowls on your heart looking for any doubt and he destroys your faith when you expose your doubt. My work in you is never finished and my word in you is never fully revealed."
In silliness (maybe it was mile #2 taking it's toll), I asked, "So you do heal those who have faith?"
::I swear his laughter was audible:: "David, what does my word say?"
{The Sound and The Fury}
I like to jog.
I have always enjoyed it.
I don't enjoy waking up early to do it.
It is a struggle.
But I learned a long time ago that it mentally helps me put my flesh in check.
I am not running because my flesh likes it.
I am running because I know what's best for my flesh.
And so God does not want me to study His word because my flesh will like it.
He just knows what is best for my flesh.
He needs to put it in check.
The reality is. I know that I will never see eye to eye with everyone.
Not everyone will know what I know or see what I see.
I will never know what everyone else knows or what they have seen.
So humans, we choose to quarrel.
We choose to quarrel about things that don't matter.
I used to like doing that...
I am getting tired of it.
So I will listen to God.
I remember asking him 2 years ago exactly.
"Lord, what does it mean, 'Seek Ye first the Kingdom of Heaven?'"
And so I have sought after what happens when it comes near.
But I never sought the Kingdom itself.
So God has brought me here.... stripped me clean in so many ways.
And I am seeking it. And I am finding it.
I hope I don't stop running anytime soon.
There is truly a reason why Jesus wants us to trust in only him to be our justification for anything.
It’s because we like to use justification to justify ridiculous things.
Failing to remember that we were probably the most ridiculous thing ever justified… EVER!
In business, what God did would be perceived as a bad investment.
Gathering a people prone to fail.
But God likes glory.
And this route calls for all of the glory.
{Mosquitoes}
So I have been slacking.
Not just the jog.
More deadly…. I have been slacking on my relationship with Him.
It seems like after such a huge battle that required daily sword slinging I would be closer than ever to the master.
Nah.
I am a sheep too.
"Lead me to the slaughter, Heart so prone to wander"
I got into a discussion the other evening about healing.
Anyone who knows me knows I believe that God is a healer.
Anyone who knows me knows that I believe this is a faith issue.
Anyone who knows me knows I can prove this..... or can I.....
I used to be able to.
But saying 'I used to be able to' is pathetic.
It's like someone asking me, "Are you a male?"
I would say, "Of course!"
So they'd say, "Can you prove it?"
"I used to be able to."
{Soldiers Pay}
In life we deal with different people.
My brother in law likes to consider himself an atheist.
So when I talk God he laughs.
"Prove it!," he says.
How do you prove the existence of God to a science major without using the bible?
You use experience.
It's like a scientific test.
You show proof that something happened.
I have seen this, so it proves this/I have felt this, so it proves this, and so on and so forth.
In this recent situation though, I was caught off guard.
The issue wasn't a matter of proof through experience.
The recipient wasn't looking for a testimony of man, rather a word of God.
Back up what you believe using the word of God.
I suddenly went blank. I conjured up 1 scripture and couldn't remember where I usually go from there.
Sweating internally I began saying, "Okay Lord, help me out!"
He said, "Shhh. Just listen."
Oh dear....
Ask yourself this.
In anything that you believe that pertains to your faith in Jesus Christ, can you back it up using the word of God?
Can you prove it in every aspect of life?
Does it line up 100% with the Word of God without being taken out of context or eventually contradicting itself?
You start thinking about a lot of things you do.
You start to consider where you have used a scripture to justify one thing and then suddenly you realize that you have become so lenient with your justification that you have completely compromised your faith.
This leads to my next blog, so I will leave that there for the time being.
{As I Lay Dying}
So I am on my 'run' the next morning and I am chatting with God.
And I am asking Him, "What was that about? Why didn't you let me say something?"
I feel Him chuckle, "David, you know what I have shown you and you know what I have revealed to you. Do you doubt me now? Do you remember when the council told John and Peter not to perform miracles anymore? What did they say?"
THAT, I always remember. Whether it is right in the sight of God to obey what you say rather than what HE says, you be the judge; but I we cannot stop speaking about what we I've seen and heard.
God said, "This is not a matter of persecution, but a challenge to you. Again, you have taken what I have shown you to the masses before I was done showing you. Wisdom is proved right by her actions. I am calling you to present yourself to Me as one approved. A man of faith who doesn't need to be ashamed of what he believes and who correctly handles MY words of truth. My desire is not that you will fight your brothers over 'words', but that you can rightly discern MY word. What I have given you, and also what I have given your brothers and sisters. The devil prowls on your heart looking for any doubt and he destroys your faith when you expose your doubt. My work in you is never finished and my word in you is never fully revealed."
In silliness (maybe it was mile #2 taking it's toll), I asked, "So you do heal those who have faith?"
::I swear his laughter was audible:: "David, what does my word say?"
{The Sound and The Fury}
I like to jog.
I have always enjoyed it.
I don't enjoy waking up early to do it.
It is a struggle.
But I learned a long time ago that it mentally helps me put my flesh in check.
I am not running because my flesh likes it.
I am running because I know what's best for my flesh.
And so God does not want me to study His word because my flesh will like it.
He just knows what is best for my flesh.
He needs to put it in check.
The reality is. I know that I will never see eye to eye with everyone.
Not everyone will know what I know or see what I see.
I will never know what everyone else knows or what they have seen.
So humans, we choose to quarrel.
We choose to quarrel about things that don't matter.
I used to like doing that...
I am getting tired of it.
So I will listen to God.
I remember asking him 2 years ago exactly.
"Lord, what does it mean, 'Seek Ye first the Kingdom of Heaven?'"
And so I have sought after what happens when it comes near.
But I never sought the Kingdom itself.
So God has brought me here.... stripped me clean in so many ways.
And I am seeking it. And I am finding it.
I hope I don't stop running anytime soon.
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