great expectations

"Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. "
---{Hebrews 4:14-16 /The Message}


I once heard a pastor say that, " we go to a football game and expect to see a touchdown, to see the final minutes of clock to tick away and see some sort of big play. We go to baseball games to see grand slams or homeruns, and even basketball to see final second shots. We tend to go to many things with high expectations of what the final outcome may be....Why should church be any different?"

And why should it? Shouldn't we go to church with great joy and expectency knowing that lives are going to be changed, people set free, and long lost ones come home, and the list just doesn't end. Today we expect more to see people in church asleep in their pews, instead of people facedown before their maker. Church becomes nothing more than just a dull religous experience. It is seen as nothing more than a waste of time on Sunday. The church is seen as out of touch with the world today. Some men don't even make it because of their view of the Church. Everyone has a view. What is yours?

Expect more...believe that God is big. He can do abudantly more than we ever think or imagine.

You know, we should also have high expectations when it comes to our own personal relationships with God (Jesus). He is not out of touch with us, He has walked where we have walked in this life. When we go to God in earnest prayer, we should go believing that He can do something big. Something that blows our mind! I mean that one guy in the old testament in the bible, Elijah prayed that it would not rain for a period of time, and prayed again and the rain came...

"Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops."---{James 5:17-18 / NLT}

Our God is big...we should have big expectations. The bible is filled with ordinary people doing many great things. (A shepherd knocking a giant out. An old man building a large boat to prepare for the earth flood. A group of people knocking down a large city wall by just marching around it and shouting...and once again the list goes on.)

They all had this view of God. That He is big! They believed that He can do anything! He doesn't have to have all of these great materials to complete His work. All He wants is a willing and ready heart. One that has faith in God. One that has great expectations!

So as you walk with Jesus daily...think big...and when you think you are thinking big...think bigger...for our God is a big God!

community

Today my wife, Laura, reminded me of something that happened a little while back. Before this pregnancy now, we ended up having a miscarriage. We were very thankful that it was in the early stages. Though the first thought of pregnancy got us excited and then to find out that we had a miscarriage did bring a sense of grief to us both.

What amazed us both the most is that this was not as uncommon as we thought. Once we started telling those around us that we had a miscarriage, we found out that we had a lot more in common with them than we thought. After that moment, people came to us telling us that they too had experienced miscarriages, either in their first pregnancy or later down the road.

And in those moments...we connected with others in a way that is unspeakable. It helped to hear that we were not the only one to experience this tragedy. It brought a sense of togetherness, what once was broken with tragedy, was brought together, was restored with these great friends and family.

I am so thankful for everyone who helped us during that time.

This reminds me of a verse in the Bible.

James 5:16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

So many of us have gone through tragedies and we tend to isolate ourself. I heard someone say that it is in those moments that you need to surround yourself with others. Once you begin to tell others, you may find that someone may have gone through the same thing, or maybe they haven't but you find healing in getting it out and not holding it in. You may have also messed up and in those times we need to find comfort and healing in life together, don't hold it in.

There is a christian artist, Derek Webb who said, " I would rather have my sin known to the whole world then suffer with the fact of holding it in, and trying not to be found out. I would like to have it put up on a billboard all over town, on newspapers, magazines, and even the evening news...for then I could find freedom in knowing that I no longer have to hide my faults and act like I have it all together."

There comes a time, when we get tired of putting on the act of having it all together. We have to become honest with ourselves and others...and find healing and freedom.

little things...

Isn't it amazing how the littlest things can change your whole day? How your day could be going one way and then all of the sudden one little thing happens and changes it...



Today my wife suprised me. She came in and had went to the store to get groceries, so I helped her with the bags. Then she said that someone dropped off a gift for the baby. She told me to check it out on the table, and when I opened the bag to my amazement...there they were...2 cds I had been wanting, that came out today. The new Shane & Shane "Pages" album, and the new Caedmon's Call "Overdressed" album. She is so great! I am so happy!



You see I must admit, one of my passions is music (it is a little dark secret of mine...something that I do not like to broadcast to the world). I pretty much like everything involved with it. I worked at a christian bookstore and helped manage the music section for a good while. I liked to see what new albums came out every tuesday...every new realease day was like my christmas! Also answering the frequent customer questions like , "There is this song...it has the words 'love' and 'God' in it...can you help me find it?" My other favorites was when they sung it to me (that was fun to hear).But I loved it...I like trying to figure out a sung someone heard on the radio and telling them where to find it.



If you love adventure and a job that never gets old...try working in retail.



So needless to say I am on cloud nine right now.



Thanks God for the little blessings!

3-D Sonogram

Well there she is ladies and gentlemen! Making her apperance in 3-d. Normal sonograms are done in black in white and are in 2-d. This sonogram shows a little bit more of the baby's features.

It is hard to believe that there is only 2 more months till I get to hold her.

This once again gives me such an awesome view of God's love. I mean here she is. She is not even born yet...and yet I can tell she will probaly have me wrapped around her finger. Even now there is nothing I would not do for her.

This is so amazing! As I talked about in earlier post, about how God formed us in our Mother's womb, how He knit us together...

Just take a second and reflect on how much God loves you! He formed you and created you for a purpose and a reason! You are not an accident!

You are loved...you have to do nothing to earn it...nothing to try to keep it...you can't lose His love for you...no strings attached...there is no small print at the bottom telling you when it is valid and when it is not...no it is just love.

So rest in it.

Once and for all...

"Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."
--{Hebrews 7:26-28}

I remember a while back when I read these verses. It was great reminder that Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross was enough for us. There was no need for Him to do it again.

In the old testament (before Jesus came and died on the cross), the Israelites had just left Egypt and Pharoah. Moses (with God's help) had led the children of Israel out of slavery. The Israelites then began to travel through wilderness and desert to reach the promise land that God had in store for them.

During their journey, God asked that a place be made where His spirit could reside.

When the Israelites traveled the Lord led them by a piller of cloud in the day, and a piller of fire at night. Though when they stopped to set up tent, God asked for a tent like tabernacle to be set up in His honor.

The place was set up with various stages for those who came in, to worship God. The priests of that time though where the only ones who could go into the most sacred place in the tabernacle. The Holy of Holies. This is where God's spirit dwelled in full force. Only the best of the priests could enter.

The priest would enter once a year (could be wrong on how many times) and offer up sacrifices for the attonment of their sins. They would take lamb without blemish and use it as a burnt offering and take care of the camp's sins. The priest would also have a rope with a bell tied to their ankle, as he entered the closed in tent of the Holy of Holies. They would watch the preist enter and then listen for that sound of the bell. And if it came to a point where there was no more ring, they would end up pulling the string...

It was such an awesome, yet scary thing. For like I said this was where God's glory resided during rest stops on the way to the promised land. There was no room for mess up, when it came to being in His prescence. Even Moses was not able to see His glory when he asked to see it, Moses was only allowed to see "where God was" after He passed by...before that God covered Moses' eyes so He would not die.

Then we come to the new testament. Jesus comes down to earth and takes on human skin. He walks among us. He comes and like I said before turns everything upside down. He loves the unloved, touches the untouched. Jesus travels around for three years healing and preaching the good news to all those that would listen.

He then does the unthinkable...Jesus becomes the High Priest. He goes and makes attonment for the sins of man. He becomes the lamb without blemish to take away the sins of the world. He sacrifices himself and dies on the cross. His blood washes away the sins of the world. Those looking for for forgiveness...looking for a fresh new start...now have new hope. Then He sealed the deal by being raised from the dead.

Jesus did it once. For He was blameless and perfect. No more with getting on the cross and dying again and again.The priests in the old testament had to offer a sacrifice again and again...because they were weak, frail, with sin.

If you've come to Christ and have a relationship with Him...know that the power that raised Him from the dead is the same power that now dwells in you.

It is really cool how it all comes back around again. God dwelled in the tent and priests had to offer sacrifices again and again to please Him, and to get rid of the priest's and the camp's sin. Then Jesus comes and sacrifices himself once and only once and this pleases God, and takes away our sin. Then when we accept Christ as our Saviour, His spirit comes and dwells inside us (inside our tents). He is forever pleased with us!

Praise the God who saves!!!

cop around the corner

I recently just started reading this book called, "The deity formerly known as God"by Jarrett Stevens. It talks about different views people have of God. How even different things that we experience in life, shape how we view Him.

The first chapter talks about seeing Him as cop who sits around the corner, waiting for us to break the rules. Gives the illustration of how when you are driving along on the highway and you see a cop, how nervous you feel. You could be doing nothing remotely wrong...but because you see him with a radar gun...fear sets in.

You see God as nothing more than a rule ridden, law enforcer. His job is for nothing more than making sure that we obey his commandments.

He longs to be so much more than that...to all of us.

We already have enough against us. Enough to put us away for good.

"Though He offers us grace, offers us forgiveness, stands between us and the full weight and consequences of our destructive habits and choices." ---{Jarrett Stevens author}

"We don't have to freak out and make excuses or make a case for why we're normally really good people. He already knows who we are. He has a rap sheet on us that could codemn us for life, he has every right to do so...but He offers another way. A way for us to come him instead of waiting and wondering when he will lower his final sentencing. It is the way of grace. A way that could take a lifetime to explain but only a moment to receive." ---{Jarrett Stevens author}

"There is no room in love for fear, well formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life --- fear of death, fear of judgment ---is one not yet fully formed in love."

--{1 John 4:18 MSG}

not safe...but worth it!

"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."

---Luke 12:49-53 (the message bible)

For any of you, who have seen the movie "The Chronicles of Narnia" (or read the book), there is this pivotal scene in where the kids first come in contact with Aslan the Lion. Before getting close to Aslan, they asked those around them "Is He safe?"

A question any one might ask before getting close to a beast like a Lion.

And their reply..."No He's not safe...but He's worth it!"

There are some that preach the message, come to Christ and everything works itself out. Everything is great from then on out. That could not be further from the truth. Don't get me wrong the christian relationship is great, it is good, it is beautiful. But those words seem to take on new meanings.

When Jesus came to earth, He did seek to bring unity and peace to that which was broken. But He also did something else...He turned everything upside down.

Those who are last will be first, the weak are strong...He uses the foolish things to confuse the wise...Jesus, the long awaited king was born in a stable, not a kingdom palace...rode a donkey for a parade not a horse and chariot...instead of coming to rule, He came to serve... a king sacrificed his position in heaven to die on a cross for humanity...

He even went and overthrew the tables in the temple to bring it back to His Father's house of prayer.

During that time, people were so deep into traditions and legalism ( maybe today too). Jeus came and shook that all up.

He questioned those in authority (pharisees). He did something never done before. He accused them of being "white washed tombs". Basically saying that they appeared all nice and neat on the outside, but dead on the inside. They were all about living by the Law, and Jesus all about living by grace.

Once you come to Christ, things will become different. Things that you once held so dear, now you are asked to sacrifice. To get rid of. Put the old self to death. You may be ridiculed and people who loved you may turn their backs on you.

And this is the very thing that people have died for over the years. Put their own life on the line for, over seas and even here in our own country.

Just look at Paul. Shipwrecked, imprisioned (too many times to count), health sticken, almost everything imagineable all for the cause of Christ. Stephen stoned in the open square, the list goes on...

But why then do we keep on living this way? Because we know their is something greater at stake. There is a hope and a joy found in Christ.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. "---{ Romans 8:18 nkjv}

If you are looking for a safe religion...keep looking...this is a relationship...and

No He is not safe...but He is worth it, so worth it!

For there is no joy as to that which is found in Him!