Live It Out Blog

Who R U?

I remember Alice peering over the large mushroom as she looked at the caterpillar smoking his hookah. Upon introduction, he asked the simple question, “who are you?” Now for most, that would solicit a simple response even in the world of “make-believe”. But since Alice had entered Wonderland, she was not sure how to answer. In light of her new experience in this twisted new adventure, she was not sure who she was. The commotion of the journey made her question her own identity. She became unable to answer the simple question, “who R U?”

As followers of Christ, we too can find ourselves in our own spiritual identity crisis.  God has clearly transformed our life and infused our existence with His Holy Spirit. He has given us His scripture to guide us and continually pours out His love and forgiveness. He has gifted us with redemption and eternal life. And yet, many still think that our identity in Christ is based upon our works, our accomplishments, our efforts, and the opinions of others or your worldly status. We tend to wrestle with how to answer the question “who are you?”  Even in the faith community, we often long more for approval than identity in the suffering of Christ.

Paul was less concerned with how his life measured up to the status quo and more concerned about how His life reflected the character of Christ.

Henri Nouwen experienced a taste of this joy as written in Parting Words when he wrote, “Prayer, then, is listening to that voice—to the One who calls you beloved. It is to constantly go back to the truth of who you are and claim it for ourselves. I’m not what I do. I’m not what people say about me. I’m not what I have. Although there is noting wrong with success, there is nothing wrong with popularity, there is nothing wrong with being powerful, finally my spiritual identity is not rooted in the world, the things the world gives me. My life is rooted in my spiritual identity. Whatever we do, we have to go back regularly to that place of core identity.”

Like Alice in Wonderland, the commotion of our journey can cause us to question our own identity. But today, rest in the reminder that not matter what twists and turns your life may be taking, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you can rest in the grace and redemption that He has given you. Understanding who we are in Christ will change the way we Live-out the Gospel. The more we agree with God about our identity in Christ, the more our behavior will reflect your God given identity.

So, be reminded who you are today and live it out!

Sometimes it is good to look at the big picture!

In the book Don't Waist Your Life, John Piper says, "You can steal to have. Or you can work to have. Or you can work to have to give. When the third option comes from joy in God's goodness, it makes Him look great in the world"

This thought made me view the following video differently... 

In this 4 minute BBC special feature, Dr. Hans Rosling uses computer graphics alng with his research to illustrate the economic growth of 200 countries over the past 200 years and gives a quick snapshot of our global economy.

 

This may simply be for your "gee-whiz file", but I think it helps us get a better perspective of the world we live in and a deeper understanding of why we are compelled to help others with so little when we have so much.

If you want another reality check as you march into 2011, drop by www.globalrichlist.com and see how your lifestyle matches up to the rest of the world. Don't forget to add your medical benefits and expense accounts into your total. :) Then, when we hear the words, "those who are given much are expected much", it takes on a whole new global perspective.

Sometimes it is good to look at the big picture!

 

 

Been a little busy! :)

I have not posted a blog in over a month. The holidays in combination with added preparation for our upcoming Live It out Tour to East Africa and the UK have been swallowing-up every extra moment. And yes, I still have all my Christmas music playing on my iPhone. I know... sickening!  But... I'M BACK! I have come to discover that many people depend on the Live It Out Blog to help stimulate spiritual thought and when I don't post... I hear it!

In 2010 we had about 2000 unique hits to the site. That number is not record-breaking in comparison to similar sites in the blogosphere, but it was enough to remind me that people are tuning in and care about Living-out the character of Christ. So, we continue into 2011!

Thanks for sticking with me on this radical journey!

Bono, Bush, Obama and the American People - World Aids Day

Regardless of your political posture or musical taste, you can't help but respect the work done by these men and the citizens of America to help the helpless over the past decade in Africa. Millions of lives have been saved and Bret Baier from Fox News does a great job highlighting the bipartisan battle to fight the Aids Crisis during this 16 minute special.

Watch and be inspired! But never grow complacent or contempt... much is yet to be done!

"When someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required."  - Jesus Christ (Luke 12:48)

 

Why so Radical?

Several months ago I read a book called Radical: Taking back you Faith from the American Dream   by David Platt. Since that time I have given many copies to friends and encouraged them to read and be challenged by his words. Not because it’s the most groundbreaking book of the decade or "the best book I've ever read". In an ocean of literature, I am not sure how I would even quantify such a thought. But its message is timely and hits hard at one of the core problems of modern (and yes, post-modern) American Christianity. That is, we don't see "Christianity" as a "radical way" at all. In many Christian circles, we have exchanged the power of a surrendered life with the airbrushed reality that implores us to leverage everything for wealth, power and notoriety (in the name of Christ of course). 

 

So much of American Christendom is focused on making me feel good, making me rich, making me happy and well... ME! Part of the problem may be that we have taken the Jesus of the New Testament and unintentionally formed Him into a nice, middle class "American Jesus" that we are a lot more comfortable with. A Jesus, who doesn't care about materialism, is happy with nominal devotion, is not concerned if we hate others (as long as they are not like us), a Jesus who died on a cross and rose from the grave so I could have comfort and prosperity and not have any problems. Is that really Jesus Christ of Nazareth?

 

I am not saying you have to read the book. As a matter of fact, it would probably be more beneficial to read through the four Gospel's and the entire Bible. But as we read, pray and live... we must responsibly make sure we (individually and as a church) are conforming to the image of Christ and not forming Him into an image that makes us feel better about the way we choose to live.

 

Radical thinking? Well, maybe. But so is most of the New Testament! Remember the radical words of the Apostle Paul, "...in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12: 1-2).

 

Honestly, do I want to know God’s good pleasing and perfect will? When I allow the Holy Spirit to do spiritual inventory in my life, I find myself replying with rationalizations and justification about my attitudes, choices and actions instead of adjusting my mindset and lifestyle to fit His plan. Could it be that God is calling us to embrace the Christ of the Bible in a more “radical” way? If we do, it will certainly cause us to abandon elements of our “American Dream” as He uncovers blind spots of our faith and calls us to live-out our faith more authentically and serve Him more passionately.

 

Just something to think about as we learn to Live it out!

 

 

 

Video- Peace In the Middle of the Storm!

Click it, watch it and live it out!... From Oregon City | 5 minute video.

Need some peace in the midst of the storms of life? You came to the right place!

CS Lewis, Oxford University and A New Way of Thinking!

Click it, watch it and live it out!... From Oxford University | 6 minute video.

 

Video... Living Beyond Belief!

Click it, watch it and live it out!... This 10 minute video will recap the last two weeks in Uganda as John Garrick shares with you personal insights from his spiritual journey and hopefully inspire all of us to radically ask God what it means to live-out our faith beyond belief, with action and in truth!  

Dolly Parton, Cow Manure and a Cup of Yummy!

I am writing from my hotel room in Kampala with my companion Leonardo the Lizard. He is a “Gecko-like” wall climber whom I considered throwing out of my temporary dwelling, but then realized he might be eating some of the mosquitoes that are committed to tormenting me in my sleep. Besides, I decided naming him was more fun than exiling him.  As I stare through my open window at the thick red clouds being painted by the rising sun the aromatic scent of cow manure from a stray longhorn is wafting into my room. The sounds of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers are beginning to play from the restaurant below and hints of charcoal are beginning to push away the cow dung odor as they fire-up the cooking area to prepare breakfast for the guests and boil the water for a fresh cup of freeze-dried instant coffee.  If your pallet is used to Starbuck’s House Blend, you will find this blend of instant coffee resembles coffee flavored pond water. Unfortunately my bag of Good African Coffee has run out and my French Press sits lonely and empty on the nightstand.  But after returning from a 6-day road trip, I am honestly grateful to have a bed, a bathroom, and instant java.

My current surroundings may not resemble the comforts and familiarities of home and I confess; if I hear “Islands in the Stream” one more time I may have to jump off the balcony. :)  But even lukewarm baths, rough roads and country music from the early 80’s cannot dampen my spirit as I reflect on the significant ministry I have been able to be a part of the past two weeks.  Too many exciting things have happened and the response to our efforts has been so encouraging. I have taught in and around Kampala, in Mbarara, Rugungiri, and Gulu. We have done site visits to children home’s for orphans in Kampala, Mubendi, and Musindi. I will tell you more about these projects in days ahead, but the care given to these precious little ones is remarkable. In a country with over two million orphans, it is wonderful to see ordinary people coming together with very limited resources to love, serve and equip these little ones. It is a privilege to help them if even in a small way!

The Leadership Summit’s have been fantastic and the messages on Living out the Character of Christ; Servant Leadership; The Treasure of Integrity; and Beyond Belief… the Art of Following have been received very well and I am trusting that God will use them as a catalyst of social and spiritual change among the participants.

More to come… but for now I think I will go downstairs and grab a charcoal/coffee flavored cup of instant yummy!

Some Pix of the Journey!

   



 

When It Rains, It Pours... in Uganda!

This is a little video clip from the rain last Sunday. I had to stop speaking for about 30 minutes until the power came back on because the rain was so loud as it hit the metal roof that even my voice (ya, I know... that must have been loud!) could not be heard over the rain until the sound system came back on.

Rough Roads, Screaming Lady and a Terrorist Mosquito

I am currently bouncing down the rough roads between Kampala and Mbarara where I will be speaking to the student leaders of Mbarara School of Medicine and Technology this afternoon.  I just downed some dry break and runny peanut butter with a mango juice chaser. We left this morning at 6:30am so we just grabbed what we could at a small market in route. It’s pouring down rain, which makes the journey a bit slower, but adds an element of excitement to our ride in this 1997 4-wheel drive Toyota mini van.  YAHOO!

Sleeping last night was more like and adventure than a time of rest. About an hour after my head crashed into the pillow, a car crashed into the building I was sleeping in. I heard a lady scream and then a crashing sound at the same time I felt the room shake. She got out of the way in time and fortunately no one was seriously hurt. It seems like one of the guys in the restaurant below had a few too many beers and got confused with “drive” and “reverse” on his gearshift. He gunned it to head out of the parking lot and slammed into the building. Then for the next 2 hours they began hammering, chopping and scraping on either the car or the building to make needed repairs. That probably would have been enough for the evening, but then I got in to a fight with a violent mosquito that somehow snuck into my room, penetrated the bug net determined to suck all of my blood before sunrise.  After an hour of fighting him off while half asleep, I finally landed a fatal blow to my own face! I could feel the remains of my adversary both on my hand and my right cheek. A quick wipe with the sheet cleared the battle field and then fell into a deep slumber for about 30 minutes before the clock struck five o-clock and reminded me that it was time to get ready for today’s journey.

I suppose I should probably be sleeping right now instead of typing, but the only thing harder to do than type while riding on these roads is to sleep.

Interruption for “funky sighting”… Oh, that was cool! I just saw a guy transporting a 20 foot ladder as a passenger on the back of a small 100 CC motorcycle (called a boda, boda here). I wish I could have got a picture of that!

OK, the vehicle is so bouncy that I think the screen to my laptop might snap off.  Maybe I should try to get a nap after all!

______________

I am now in Rukungiri where I am trying to post this blog, but the internet is very slow. I will try and find a place to upload pictures tomorrow.

Is it really worth it?

Apollo Kaggwa is my logistics coordinator and is on staff at African Renewal. I asked him to express in two minutes if he thought it was important for us to invest in Uganda by coming and serving instead of simply sending resources.

 

'Yes', 'No' and Eye Crusties

I landed in Entebbe, Uganda on Wednesday morning and quickly got through customs and joined Apollo who was there to greet me at the airport. We enjoyed getting caught-up on each other’s life journey over a quick cup of java at Good African Coffee Shop where he also chose to spring on me that I would be speaking in two hours to the staff at African Renewal Ministries. So, before we could get settled at the hotel, he whisked me off to Gabba and I enjoyed a great time with the staff at their headquarters. 

You will hear more about Africa Renewal in days ahead… they have been key partners with us since 2003 and I am so energized when I see the work they have done all throughout Uganda over the past decade. I am privileged to play a small part.

 It is Saturday morning and I am scraping the “crusties” out of my eye from a short nights sleep. I arrived home last night just before midnight from a leadership retreat for university students… it was a great event at a camp a little over an hour from here on the shores of Lake Victoria. The electricity went out right before dinner, so we ate posha (flour boiled in water until made into a firm “cake-like” substance), beans and cabbage together under a single candle in the center of the room. By the time I spoke, they had the generator fixed and two 40 watt bulbs “’illuminated” the large tent where they gathered. As I closed the session with a time of reflection and spiritual inventory, I was deeply moved to see the authenticity and potential of these young leaders who by God’s grace will soon be leading there nations with integrity and Christ-like character. And that type of leadership is so desperately needed in this nation and the surrounding region of East Africa.

Before I sign-off, let me remind you of a simple principle that is found in the Bible: integrity.  It is on my mind a lot as I prepare to speak on the subject matter to leaders later this afternoon. It is a value that is missing so much in humanity today, but its scarcity is amplified in the corrupt nature of Ugandan politics, marketplace, society and dare I say… the Christian Church.  Just as we depend on the integrity of our buildings, our bridges and most of the physical infrastructure for our societies, we must also depend on the moral underpinnings of our character and the character of those who lead us.

Jesus speaks to this issue on multiple occasions, but one of the most poignant is when he is delivering the “Sermon on the Mount”. In Matthew 5:37, Christ directs His followers to “let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and let your ‘No’ be ‘No’.  He challenges us to be trustworthy, to follow-through with our promises and to sacrifice personally toward our commitments.  He also encourages us not to over commit (this is certainly my vice!)… it is ok to say “no” in order to keep your character in tack. If we say yes to everything, then we set ourselves up for failure and cause pain for those we lead and influence. This value is at the core of the Live it out message because it is at the core of the Gospel.

The more I teach a principle, the more I become a student of that value and I realize my own areas of weakness. Today, maybe we could all take inventory and ask how this value is being lived-out through us.

I join David when He prays to God in Psalm 25:20-12:

“Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.”

OK, time to go!  As soon as I finish this blog post I will put the finishing touches on a message I am delivering at a Youth Leaders Summit today in Kampala. Something tells me I will be speaking about integrity. :)

 

Luggage, Menopause, Hemorrhoids and Uganda!

My bags are checked and my boarding pass is in hand. Jennifer and I enjoyed lunch together at the airport and then she sent me over to the TSA folks to make sure I did not have any tweezers or nitroglycerin in my toothpaste. And now, here I sit waiting for a delayed flight with an annoying talk show about hemorrhoids and products for menopausal woman being blasted through the television in the terminal. I am not sure what is worse; the talk show or the political ads that are played at ever commercial break. Not even my cool orange earplugs can silence the madness. EEEKK! Someone scratch their nails on the chalk board to ease the pain! :)

At least the WIFI is free and my spirit is filled with anticipation when I think of serving over the next few weeks in Uganda and the UK. Thanks for joining me on the journey. Make sure to spread the word to friends that I will be blogging and posting pix and vids as the internet connectivity allows. I think you will be inspired by the people, the ministry and way God is working in the lives of people as they learn to live-out the Gospel. Who knows, I might even have something good to say that would help you in your own journey to "live it out!"

Next stop... Seattle, Heathrow and 31 hours later... Uganda!

 

 

 

Flood Light or Faith?

    Would you like to know what you will be doing in 24 months? Uh, me too! However, as servants of Jesus Christ, we don’t get to lay out the road map for our future. Instead, we are called to consistently take spiritual inventory and adjust our lives to fit God’s plan.

    I am often reminded of the scripture in Psalm 119:105 that says,  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  Sometimes I wish He would have said “a flood light to my future and a beacon to my plans”. God desires to show me how to walk and where to put my feet day by day, but I want a spiritual GPS system or crystal ball. You are probably more spiritual than I am and don’t struggle with this, but I find myself often praying in frustration that God is not being clear enough about the details of His plan...  as if I could operate better with more details and less faith. Gulp! Did I just say that? Uh, I meant, to say I have a good “friend” that struggles with that! 

    Throughout history we see God clearly imparting vision into His servants with a focused mission and purpose, but leaving the details for them to discover (i.e. Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, Peter, Paul, etc.). A quick read of Hebrews chapter 11 clearly reminds us that in order to please God, we must have faith (verse 6) and that all of the great men and women mentioned in this section of scripture were commended for their faith. Not for there foresight, power, skill, business acumen, gifting, hipness or success. They certainly demonstrated many of these leadership traits, but infused by the Holy Spirit these people served God by faith and were “commended” for it even though many did not get to see God’s vision fulfilled in their lifetime (verse 39).  Their stories inspire me to trust the Lord for direction and to obey one step at a time.

    No matter what you may be facing today, you can bank on the fact that God is calling you and me to put our trust in "the author and perfector of our faith" (Hebres 12:1). I may still struggle with a desire for the "flood light" from time to time, but the more I step toward Christ in faith, them more He manifests His provision, peace and presence. Let's live it out together... by faith!

Portions of this blog were published originally in the Fall 2010 Impact Report for Eternal Impact.

I Love to Break Bread!

I have a group of young leaders who meet at our home every Sunday night called The Gathering. This past week, after scarfing down several pounds of nachos and watermelon, we worshiped and prayed together while studying the writings of Luke in Acts 2:42. We wanted to dig a little deeper into the attributes of this powerful movement of Christ Followers called the “New Testament Church”. What an amazing group of people with so much to teach us about what it means to live-out the Gospel of Christ in our everyday lives!

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.“  (NIV)

They…

DEVOTED THEMSELVES: I love what one dictionary said about devotion: “Giving up something for a particular pursuit.” So often, this attribute of following Christ is overshadowed by the “it’s all about me theology” so often found in contemporary church life. Our style and hipness often overshadows the idea of self-surrender for the sake of the Gospel. Maybe that is why so many of our resources in modern day Christiandom are poured out into programs and productions that woo the masses with trendy campaigns that promise comfortable and safe worship experiences. I understand the need for good and relevant marketing in a secular culture like America and I certainly have no problem enjoying fantastic worship or teaching experiences with the masses. But when Jesus looked into the eyes of His culture, he said in Luke chapter 9, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”  That does not ring of clever marketing or safety, but of Christ-like surrender.  It is evidenced in history that all great movements of God (including those in Acts) involved people with genuine devotion.

APOSTLES TEACHING:  Like today, the early church was filled with a culture of “competing gods” and they were called to express this newfound faith in Christ within a society of opposition and false teaching. They knew that in a melting pot of religious thought and tradition, they would need to focus on the centrality of Christ taught by the apostles. In the words of Lee Iacocca, they knew “the main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing!”.  As evidenced by the way they expressed their faith, the main thing was to love God and others by transformation through Jesus Christ and submission to the promised Holy Spirit!

FELLOWSHIP: This was beyond “friendship”. This was a gathering of “friends” for sure, but their affinity was not centered on hobbies, occupation, geography or social status. It was grounded squarely on their common transformation through Christ. We are reminded in I John 1:7 that if “we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

You and I live in a world where you can be “friends” because you clicked yes to an invite or because you like the same video game, work in the same company or enjoy the same music. There is nothing wrong with those friendships and I have a ton of friends whom I deeply love and appreciate on many levels.  We have many affinities and we enjoy each others company. But as Christians, we should never confuse those amazing friendships we have in this world with the call of God on His church to engage intentionally in the “fellowship” of the Believers. 

BREAKING OF BREAD: Whether celebrating “the Lord’s supper” (communion) or sharing a large pizza together, there is something ultimately spiritual about joining together around food that breaks down barriers and cultivates an atmosphere of community. Although this is an attribute of the New Testament Church that has lasted through the ages, even this practice can be hijacked by busyness and “attractional philosophy” (see previous blog post).  We can become more concerned about the menu, the venue, and the culinary art form than the actual meal itself. In an effort to impress the guests and produce the feast, we can get lost in the whole reason we break bread together… community and togetherness.  Eating together is a part of most every culture and one of my favorite Biblical mandates… someone pass the hummus and crackers!

PRAYER:  It might help us as contemporary followers of Christ to take inventory of our commitment to prayer and to evaluate how we define our intercourse with God. Prayer is certainly more than reading words or reciting our thoughts and needs to the Creator. Prayer is a divine conversation with a living God through music, artistic expression, spoken words, meditation, literature and even thoughts and dreams. I learn more about communication with God every day and I don’t plan to quit learning this side of heaven.  However, when we look at the Early Church, we see a group of people devoted to prayer both independently and collectively as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to live out the Gospel of Christ!

It would be unwise to found an entire ecclesiology upon one verse in the book of Acts. But it serves the church well to be reminded what was important to the early followers of Jesus Christ and to learn from how they “lived it out!”

Seriously, where is the hummus and crackers? :)

 

Simple Church... Attractional versus Missional!

Many churches in America have been captured by the "if you build it, they will come" form of Christian evangelism and church development. In my opinion, this "field of dreams" church structure has bred more "church growth" than "church health" over the past 40 years. The church of Jesus Christ is a beautiful organism and I don't pretend to be an expert on ecclesiology nor do I propose to grasp all that the Lord would have for His "Bride" in the years ahead. But as I read through the Book of Acts and the Epistles, study history and evaluate my own spiritual journey; I long for a church that looks more like a movement than an institution. And the more I engage an emerging generation with the Good News of Christ, I discover their passion for the same thing.

I am not bashing on "mega churches" or advocating that when a church gets to a certain size they become dysfunctional or ineffective. I personally go to a "big church" filled with amazing people who have a desire to worship God with their life. But like many churches, we too are wrestling with a growing passion and desire to be missional while trying to address our attractional building, budget and structure. This is no easy journey and I know that the leadership of many churches are seeking God and asking Him to reveal the specifics of His plan as they advance with faith and purpose.

Could it be that we need to take inventory while asking the Lord what we exist for in the first place? Could it be that we need to recalibrate our church "corporations" to better reflect our purpose for existence? God gave us a pretty clear mission and promised to empower us by the presence of His Holy Spirit if we would walk humbly, repent and follow His leadership. The question is not what our mission is... the question is will we live it out?

I recently ran across this fun video that helps articulate the transition that they church finds herself during this season in history. And let me know what your thinking as you ponder a more "simple church".

How Great the Father's Love for us!

A few minutes ago my son ran up to me in his Spiderman pajamas with the crusty signs of a good night sleep still evident in his eyes. He crawled up on my lap; snuggled into my embracing arms and said in his morning voice, “I love you daddy, Happy Fathers Day!” I actually forgot about the holiday, but I thanked him for the reminder and kissed his head—pressing my cheek against him and snuggled him in my arms. Oh, how good that feels! As a parent of two teenage daughters, I know how quickly time passes by and I try to treasure every opportunity I can before this “season of snuggle time” is gone forever.

On days like today, I become reflective of this journey called “fatherhood” and I am reminded how often the Bible talks about our relationship to God like that of a  “father and child.”  We are reminded in 1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” His fatherly love is also expressed through the Holy Spirit. In Luke 11:13, Jesus says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

For many of us, this can be a challenging concept to grasp in light of our own experiences with our earthly fathers. Although I have many wonderful childhood memories, much of my relationship with my own father was infused with more anger than affection, more “whoopins” than hugs and more belittling than affirmation. For many years this tainted my perception of a loving Heavenly Father and clouded my reading of the Bible. I usually saw God as an authoritative figure that was constantly disappointed with me—looking for me to fail so He could wield His justice and deliver a well-deserved consequence for my transgression.  I could only perceive a Heavenly Father that was angry, vengeful, mean and impatient. At times I would pray for forgiveness and manufacture God speaking back to me in a demeaning voice that berated me for my pour decisions and called me names for being so foolish. What a skewed understanding of the Creator!

Don’t misread my view of the Heavenly Father (or of parenting)… I know that a parental love should be expressed in discipline as well as hugs and a Father’s love can be as firm as it is gentle (Hebrews 12 & Proverbs 12,13, and 28).  But at the center of God’s discipline (and hopefully mine) is the passionate and undying love He has for His children.

You are loved deeply by the Creator and He longs to manifest His unfiltered, unstoppable, sustaining fatherly love to you through Jesus Christ. As you reflect with me on the love of the Heavenly Father, remember these words about Jesus Christ found in John 1:12-13: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”

Maybe this video entitled “the Fathers love Letter” will help remind you of the most vital relationship of all and I pray every day this year will be a happy Fathers Day for you!

Asking and Imagining!

Everyone knows we need to pray! Even my 7-year-old boy will chastise us if we do not pray for him and his friends on the way to school. The question is not whether we should pray or not, but how we should pray. The Live it Out Blog is not a place for me to write a treatise on prayer (nor do I feel qualified). But for several decades I have been talking with God in more formats than I can count. Even today as I was doing some chores on the property, I was having a conversation with God. We talked about some exciting stuff and I ask Him for a ton of help in several areas of my life. I shared with Him the needs of many of my friends and asked for His intervention in their lives and in specific circumstances that are totally out of my control. Holy Spirit was very real and I could sense in my spirit that regardless of my confusion and burden, that He would continue to manifest His faithfulness in very tangible ways as He always does.

But in my conversation with God, I was reflecting on a section of the Bible that I recently read in Ephesians 3:20-21 when the Apostle Paul declares, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Italics added). Paul seemed to understand that if you are going to live in the supernatural and experience the moving of God in your everyday life, then (like a child), you should allow yourself to imagine what God can do and then ask Him for what only He can accomplish!

Take some time today with me and imagine what could happen in our lives if we would take time before God to imagine His greatness and consider the faithfulness of His interaction with us. Let’s ask and imagine for those things that would otherwise be impossible while trusting Him to lead, provide and speak to us through His Holy Spirit.

Drop me a line some time and let me know what the Lord is say to you and what He reveals to you through your asking and imagining!