Suday, April 1, 2012

Well, this is my first time posting like this and I really don't know what I exactly want to say, so I'm going to just type and see what comes out of it. I want it to focus around what I'm learning/ what God's teaching me, prayers, experiences with God and things of that nature. We'll see. Also, my grammar stinks so please don't pay any attention to it. Also, I'm not trying to say anything profound or act like I know everything or anything like that. This is mainly for me, but I also know that we aren't suppose to keep with the Lord is doing in our lives to ourselves. It is to be shared in community. So, now that that is over with... let's begin with my day.

"You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us..." I always enjoy worshiping to this song. Sometimes I forget that I am a beautiful creation of God. And that while I am definitely not perfect, He is making me more and more into the man He has created me to be. It's definitely a beautiful song.

At church today our speaker was Michael Gaye and he always has something good to say. He talked about how seeing and recognizing were two completely different things. That fear can keep us from recognizing who God is. I think this is definitely true, it seems that fear is a cloud and it masks truth. People act funny in fear and their reasons never really make sense. Fear destroys, it makes us doubt in the power and strength of the Lord. It makes us doubt who He says He is. He also talked about how the Gospel of John isn't about seeing a man named Jesus, but recognize him for who he is and what he does. The Cross would mean nothing with the Resurrection. With out the Resurrection, Jesus would have just been another martyr who was punished by crucifixion. You recognize who Jesus is by who you're with. That those around you should spur you on towards Jesus and you should do the same to them. Recognize Jesus through his peace (Shalom). This peace is the initiating steps of putting things back together to the way it was; the Garden of Eden. That is why Jesus came down. To give us peace in him that will bring us back to the way things should be. An eternal relationship with our Father filled with praise and worship. We don't recognize God on our own, the Holy Spirit reveals and opens us to Him. The Holy Spirit shows up characteristics of God so that we can have an understanding, granted it's a limited understand, but an understanding none-the-less, of who our God is and what He is speaking into our hearts. Then the last thing in church that went through my mind was that Jesus pursues me. I forget that he is constantly by my side and constantly there. I find myself in the mindset that I have to pursue him and that if I don't he's not there. But, that isn't true at all. He is always there because he is always pursuing. All I have to do is look for him, he isn't hiding from me and is only going to reveal himself if I win at Marco Polo. He is always within a whisper's length and I find that truly amazing.

So, I'm reading this book called, "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer. It is a phenomenal book so far, but the chapter I just read is titled "The Holy Trinity" and in a nutshell it talks about how God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three in one. It talks about how people, including Christians, have trouble conceiving this because they don't understand it. They need hard proof that this can be and that removes the component of faith. "What God declares the believing heart confesses without the need of further proof." "We harness the mighty energy that rushes through our world; we subject it to fingertip control in our cars and our kitches; we make it work for us like Aladdin's jinn, but still we do not know what it is... We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we are ashamed to wonder, we are afraid to whisper 'mystery'." (A.W. Tozer) A few other quotes that I really enjoyed in this chapter are:

"I believe that Christ died for me because it is incredible; I believe that He rose from the dead because it is impossible."

"Reflection upon revealed truth naturally follows the advent (birth) of faith, but faith comes first to the hearing ear, not to the cogitating mind."

Prayer:

Father I pray that I don't fear. That you extinguish any fear that may dwell in me. That you are a powerful God and that you love me and have my best interests at heart. That I don't fear the unknown, but go forth in confidence in you. I pray that faith is enough for me. That you will increase me in strength so that I may not fear, but have confidence in you. I pray for wisdom and a listening heart so that I may hear you when you speak and a willing heart so that I may follow your commands and wishes. I pray that you fill me up and that I don't seek to be filled by anything or anyone but you. I pray for my family and friends that they may grow deeper in your love and understanding. I pray that you make me a stronger man in you. I pray not to fear man and its judgements. I pray that you reveal to me what your plan is for the things in my life and a certainty that comes with those revelations. I want to thank you for everything and everyone you have put in my life and for sheltering me through the storms that life and myself have put me through. Thank you for your undying love and your continuous pursuit of my heart. Much love Father.