Thursday, April 9, 2009
I went in to work this morning and into our second batch, the computer systems crapped out. And so our RF guns didn't work and we couldn't do anything. So they had us stay and wait until 12:00pm to see if they would come back on. 9 hours of doing nothing but cleaning the isles and standing around. 12pm came and we were sent home only to come back tomorrow (Friday). We are not suppose to work Fridays. I was so frustrated and irritated. Today was suppose to be a short day as we had a low volume. Only 16,000 units. Thats about a 5-6 hour work day. We probably would have gotten off at around 10am. Then we were suppose to go home until monday. Now we stayed there 9 hours, and we gotta go back at 3am tomorrow. I just want to moan and groan about it right now. I hate this world's system and I hate it's money. I don't want this world's cares to affect me. I'm angry because I feel like the world is snatching my attention away from Jesus.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Lately I have been listening to the harder music I used to listen to. Not all of it, as a lot of it is very negative and depressing and I sincerely just don't wanna hear it. But for awhile I was a little uncomfortable listening to the harder stuff. It just reminded me of my old life before I was united with God. That was the most dead, dull and pointless existence. Each day was a rummaging through life in the garbage can, trying to find something to ease the gnawing hunger for fulfillment and contentment. It wasn't even fulfillment or contentment I was hungry for. I was hungry for God and fulfillment and contentment come from God.
Anyway, that being said, I just enjoy some of the stuff I used to listen to. I can relate some of it to my relationship with God. But there is still a slight worry in me that thinks maybe I'm losing it. But trying to listen to a certain style of music never made progress for anyone spiritually. Nor will it help me. I don't make progress spiritually, physically. I make progress physically, spiritually. From the inside, out. If the root is good, so is the fruit.
Anyway, that being said, I just enjoy some of the stuff I used to listen to. I can relate some of it to my relationship with God. But there is still a slight worry in me that thinks maybe I'm losing it. But trying to listen to a certain style of music never made progress for anyone spiritually. Nor will it help me. I don't make progress spiritually, physically. I make progress physically, spiritually. From the inside, out. If the root is good, so is the fruit.
God is Our Salvation!
Steve McVey spoke on something at the conference, that to me, is still hard to grasp. So I want to write it out and think about it.
He made the point that salvation is not that I accept Jesus Christ, but that he accepts me. Read the story of the prodigal son. It wasn't that the son accepted the father into his life. It was the son daring to enter back into his fathers life. Jesus Christ reconciled us to himself, not the other way around. Salvation is that God accepts me. And at the first glimpse of me, he comes running unashamedly and just starts hugging and kissing me. He's a lot like Jacob, running towards Rachel when she's out watering her dad's sheep. She's dressed in rags, shes filthy and smells like a barn, but Jacob runs towards her, kisses her and just starts crying. So from what the Scriptures say, apparently God is infatuated with me. I don't need to understand how or why, I just need to receive his shameless love. Also, the Scriptures seem to say he is willing to make a fool of himself for me. But how is this possible? The Most High is willing to pull up his robe over his knees, exposing himself and then runs towards this filthy, stinking, selfish jerk and give him a bear hug, puts a robe of righteousness on him, sandals on his feet, and then gives him his ring of authority? I know why legalists think we're crazy now. That sounds absolutely ridiculous. It takes helpless, vulnerable faith to believe it. We don't like feeling vulnerable. It isn't safe!
Steve also made the point that sin does NOT change God's attitude towards me, but it changes mine towards him. Want proof?? Read Genesis! Read the prodigal son again! God was looking for Adam and Eve, calling out to Adam, knowing full well what they had done. The father was looking for his son, anticipating his sons return home. Sin never changed the Fathers attitude towards us. To the contrary. Jesus ATE with sinners! Which of course you know that in the middle east, eating with someone means much more than it does to us in the western world. Sin never changed God's view of us, but our view of him. Consider what Paul says of the Gentiles who don't know God in Epehesians 4:17-20:
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, aliented from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."
If you think this is wrong, all I am doing is repeating in detail what Paul said in Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
No, sin does not change God's view of us.
He made the point that salvation is not that I accept Jesus Christ, but that he accepts me. Read the story of the prodigal son. It wasn't that the son accepted the father into his life. It was the son daring to enter back into his fathers life. Jesus Christ reconciled us to himself, not the other way around. Salvation is that God accepts me. And at the first glimpse of me, he comes running unashamedly and just starts hugging and kissing me. He's a lot like Jacob, running towards Rachel when she's out watering her dad's sheep. She's dressed in rags, shes filthy and smells like a barn, but Jacob runs towards her, kisses her and just starts crying. So from what the Scriptures say, apparently God is infatuated with me. I don't need to understand how or why, I just need to receive his shameless love. Also, the Scriptures seem to say he is willing to make a fool of himself for me. But how is this possible? The Most High is willing to pull up his robe over his knees, exposing himself and then runs towards this filthy, stinking, selfish jerk and give him a bear hug, puts a robe of righteousness on him, sandals on his feet, and then gives him his ring of authority? I know why legalists think we're crazy now. That sounds absolutely ridiculous. It takes helpless, vulnerable faith to believe it. We don't like feeling vulnerable. It isn't safe!
Steve also made the point that sin does NOT change God's attitude towards me, but it changes mine towards him. Want proof?? Read Genesis! Read the prodigal son again! God was looking for Adam and Eve, calling out to Adam, knowing full well what they had done. The father was looking for his son, anticipating his sons return home. Sin never changed the Fathers attitude towards us. To the contrary. Jesus ATE with sinners! Which of course you know that in the middle east, eating with someone means much more than it does to us in the western world. Sin never changed God's view of us, but our view of him. Consider what Paul says of the Gentiles who don't know God in Epehesians 4:17-20:
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, aliented from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."
If you think this is wrong, all I am doing is repeating in detail what Paul said in Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
No, sin does not change God's view of us.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Performance Driven Life
"Sun Doesn't Rise"
Some kind of evidence
Some kind of reason
Why I can't find a way
To begin my life
Somewhere in this dying day
If I can only find a way for my escape
I find it hard to concentrate with all my past mistakes
To begin my life
I can't feel my faith can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Distant headlights desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
With eyes wide open
I can't recall my crime I think I sealed my fate
I can watch my world evolve
Alone in our own way, I think I sealed my fate
Nothing left to die for
I can't recall my crime I think I sealed my fate
Thoughts inside can make me crawl
Think I sealed my fate
Make me drop down on my knees
Break me down until I question me
Darkness can't destroy my drive
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Welcome my downfall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Somewhere in this dying day as I plan my great escape
I find it hard to concentrate while you maintain to control
I fold and falter, empty alter, all I gave I pray it makes me whole
I think the brink's around the corner
There's an error in my soul
I can't feel my faith can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Distant headlights desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
Damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Desolate highway
Some kind of evidence
Some kind of reason
Why I can't find a way
To begin my life
Somewhere in this dying day
If I can only find a way for my escape
I find it hard to concentrate with all my past mistakes
To begin my life
I can't feel my faith can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Distant headlights desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
With eyes wide open
I can't recall my crime I think I sealed my fate
I can watch my world evolve
Alone in our own way, I think I sealed my fate
Nothing left to die for
I can't recall my crime I think I sealed my fate
Thoughts inside can make me crawl
Think I sealed my fate
Make me drop down on my knees
Break me down until I question me
Darkness can't destroy my drive
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Welcome my downfall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Somewhere in this dying day as I plan my great escape
I find it hard to concentrate while you maintain to control
I fold and falter, empty alter, all I gave I pray it makes me whole
I think the brink's around the corner
There's an error in my soul
I can't feel my faith can't recall my crime
I think I sealed my fate along the way I may have lost my mind
I guess we're all damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Distant headlights desolate highway
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
Sun doesn't rise at all
Who knows how far I'll fall
I can't feel my faith
Can't recall my crime
Damaged in our own way
Alone in our own way
Desolate highway
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Dare to Believe
I wanna be like Abraham, you know. I don't want people to see me, but I want them to see my Father actively involved in my life. I want them to see his favor and love for me. And I want them to see that it isn't by my behavior that he loves me. I want always to point them to Jesus.
Not that I don't want to have good behavior. As a Christian, of course I don't want to sin. Duh. But I don't want people to think I am a Christian because of my behavior, nor do I want them to think God loves me because of how good I am. I want them to see God in my messiness and in my humanity. I want them to see this treasure in a jar of clay.
When you look at the life of Abraham, you don't see a God who loves and favors Abraham for his behavior, but you see a God who loves and favors Abraham because of he believes God. Notice I didn't say because he believed in God, but he believed God. God wants those who are willing to believe he loves them. To be like Ruth and dare to believe that he will love me no matter what. Charles Spurgeon once said something like, "Even if you are thrown into the pits of hell, do not stop believing." Just believe. Make the choice to make the jump into the free-fall of his grace. He swears by an oath that he will catch you.
I want to be one of the Christians who helps the world to see that equating the word Christian with good behavior, whether bad or good is absolutely wrong. Christianity isn't about good behavior or bad behavior. It isn't about behavior! It's about the grace of our Lord Jesus being offered to all who DARE to believe. To those are are crazy enough to trust it.
Not that I don't want to have good behavior. As a Christian, of course I don't want to sin. Duh. But I don't want people to think I am a Christian because of my behavior, nor do I want them to think God loves me because of how good I am. I want them to see God in my messiness and in my humanity. I want them to see this treasure in a jar of clay.
When you look at the life of Abraham, you don't see a God who loves and favors Abraham for his behavior, but you see a God who loves and favors Abraham because of he believes God. Notice I didn't say because he believed in God, but he believed God. God wants those who are willing to believe he loves them. To be like Ruth and dare to believe that he will love me no matter what. Charles Spurgeon once said something like, "Even if you are thrown into the pits of hell, do not stop believing." Just believe. Make the choice to make the jump into the free-fall of his grace. He swears by an oath that he will catch you.
I want to be one of the Christians who helps the world to see that equating the word Christian with good behavior, whether bad or good is absolutely wrong. Christianity isn't about good behavior or bad behavior. It isn't about behavior! It's about the grace of our Lord Jesus being offered to all who DARE to believe. To those are are crazy enough to trust it.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Jesus Works at West Marine
Today was a short day at work as our volume was only 16,000 units. Tomorrow it is likely to be lower. I will not complain. I need a break. The pain in my leg started to come back today and for a while it slowed me down, but then God gave me a little surprise by letting the battery in my computer go dead. When it went dead, I had to walk all the way to the front entrance, (which is a long way away) but then I realized I left my Aspirin in my locker at the entrance and so I was able during work to leave my part of the building and go to the front. Simple things like this just remind me of how absolutely caring my Father is and that he cares for me in my pain and in my circumstances. He seems to be very concerned for me. I think he is quite fond of me.
Also, while I was working, I returned to the non-con desk where I work to get more documents to put in my headset, and when I had gotten there, not everyone had finished the batch I had finished. And so the rule is to help those who haven't gotten their last batch finished before you start a new one. And so the guy who hadn't finished his batch had one document from his batch left. The document had 59 units (a lot) on it and I hesitated to put it into my headset, fearing it would be a bunch of large items which would take a long time to pick. And so I just sort of laid it down and waited for someone else to pick it up (very selfless, huh?). Anyway, a coworker of mine, Earl came by to pick it up and I didn't want to stand there and let him have it since he had done a large document already. So I grudgingly asked him about it, if I could do such a large document and to my dismay he said "yes." Great. Thanks. And so I put it in my headset and went to pick it. Then right before I finished the document, (which wasn't that bad) Earl came walking by me and told me not to worry about my 6th batch, that he had picked it for me. I felt very grateful and like a jerk for almost letting someone else do what I should have done. But I was again reminded of how God causes ALL things to work together for good for those who love him.
You see, the point of what I'm saying isn't that I hesitated to do the document with 59 units. It isn't even that I chose to do it after a second thought. It isn't about ME. It's about how God never leaves me. He is always looking out for me so that I don't need to look out for myself. I'm like Abraham...He has set special favor on me and all his beloved children. God loves everyone to be sure, but there is something about those who count his Son as worthy of their trust that really gets to him. To those who believe He loves them, He is able to show a lot of love to. Because they are willing to receive it.
Also, while I was working, I returned to the non-con desk where I work to get more documents to put in my headset, and when I had gotten there, not everyone had finished the batch I had finished. And so the rule is to help those who haven't gotten their last batch finished before you start a new one. And so the guy who hadn't finished his batch had one document from his batch left. The document had 59 units (a lot) on it and I hesitated to put it into my headset, fearing it would be a bunch of large items which would take a long time to pick. And so I just sort of laid it down and waited for someone else to pick it up (very selfless, huh?). Anyway, a coworker of mine, Earl came by to pick it up and I didn't want to stand there and let him have it since he had done a large document already. So I grudgingly asked him about it, if I could do such a large document and to my dismay he said "yes." Great. Thanks. And so I put it in my headset and went to pick it. Then right before I finished the document, (which wasn't that bad) Earl came walking by me and told me not to worry about my 6th batch, that he had picked it for me. I felt very grateful and like a jerk for almost letting someone else do what I should have done. But I was again reminded of how God causes ALL things to work together for good for those who love him.
You see, the point of what I'm saying isn't that I hesitated to do the document with 59 units. It isn't even that I chose to do it after a second thought. It isn't about ME. It's about how God never leaves me. He is always looking out for me so that I don't need to look out for myself. I'm like Abraham...He has set special favor on me and all his beloved children. God loves everyone to be sure, but there is something about those who count his Son as worthy of their trust that really gets to him. To those who believe He loves them, He is able to show a lot of love to. Because they are willing to receive it.
Updating the Blogroll
Hey guys,
Just wanted to let you know that if you haven't yet been to it, to check out Sherry's blog. Sherry is the wife of Gary Kirkham who we had the AWESOME pleasure of meeting at the conference! I hope it's just the first of more meetings!!! I miss them now and was so thankful to meet not just one of my brothers who blogs, who have helped me in my life as a Christian, but two brothers.
Check it out!
Just wanted to let you know that if you haven't yet been to it, to check out Sherry's blog. Sherry is the wife of Gary Kirkham who we had the AWESOME pleasure of meeting at the conference! I hope it's just the first of more meetings!!! I miss them now and was so thankful to meet not just one of my brothers who blogs, who have helped me in my life as a Christian, but two brothers.
Check it out!
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