Francis Chan: Suffering and the Mission of God from Verge Network on Vimeo.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV)
I pray that God will speak to you as you encounter God at your crossroads.
This picture brings a flood of memories to me when I look at it both good and bad. It was taken at a very stormy time in my life. To look at that picture you would never imagine that I was going through a divorce, trying to gain control of a serious illness and trying to find a sense of my own identity as a person. To be honest…I was a mess.
At the same time though, it was a peaceful time. God was doing some serious work in my heart and helping me to pull up some weeds that grown into my life and helping me to rediscover those narrow stony old paths I had forgotten about. As I grow older, I find that those stony paths are not as boring as I used to think that they were…in fact the more I travel those paths the more I realize I do not know.
I learned from my dad that when you have a stone path in a yard you have to take extra time to make sure that the stones are not covered up by weeds and that they can be clean and seen. Sometimes in our spiritual journeys we miss the paths that God has set before us because of the weeds that have taken hold in our lives.
Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16 ESV)
In the storms that occur in the sea of life it is really easy to lose your focus and think it would be easier to quit the journey…when you are dealing with a lot of stuff all at once it is really easy to lose track of the path. God may be calling us to go through what may seem to us a briar patch but in reality if we slow down and clear away the weeds we begin to see the stones that were always there laid before us long before we were even born.
One of the greatest privileges I have had is to have been a Daddy to Annelyse, Josh and Michael. While I was not there for the birth of the boys I count it a privilege to walk with them through their growing up years. On the other hand Annelyse’s mom and I are divorced the one thing that I have valued is the many adventures and memories that Annie have created together over the years. It is in those memories that I have a great deal of confidence that she knows that her Daddy loves her very much. Even in spite of the statistics, which say that very few kids make it through a divorce, her mother and I, despite our differences, have been able to equip Annelyse to be a strong person who has a heart for the Lord.
While I have wistful moments and long for those days when I could carry her and hold her in my arms, now, I am excited for Annelyse as she begins a new journey. In this journey, for her, I don’t worry about her forgetting about me, instead I have become burdened that she will forget about God and begin to fall into the trap that she can handle everything.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
(Proverbs 14:12 ESV)
This is late getting out…God is dealing with me about some things…this video deals a little with what is on my heart.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)
I pray that you are “chain-ged” as you encounter God at the cross-roads of life.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
(Psalms 13:5-6 ESV)
Praying that you find real joy as you prepare to encounter Christ at the crossroads of life.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
(Galatians 2:17-21 ESV)And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
(Luke 9:23-25 ESV)
I knew some-how, some way, this morning was going to be different. At first I thought maybe I was just dealing with a little stomach irritation from something I ate.
No….that wasn’t it.
What was I feeling? God had something in store for me today and it was going to be good. So I started my morning routine…got my coffee (a very important beverage in the mornings for me)…glanced at my e-mail and my Facebook feed…all the time I was doing this the prayer on my heart was “I am here Lord…what do you have to say to me today?”
And then a friend, Mike, who is a student at Liberty University, posted a video of the convocation message that was preached on January 20, 2012.
“Cool!”, I thought. I made a mental note to go back and watch the video later this week.
“Watch it now!” , that still small voice that I knew was God, spoke softly to me. “I have something to say to you in it.”
Who am I to argue with God? It was early…so I did…
I believe that if you live life long enough you will come to a place that you recognize that you are at a cross road. It is a very different place to live in; often times it is not a very pleasant place to be. It is awkwardly uncomfortable and at times can be quite painful.
This is the place I find myself, today. It feels painfully weird…but I know that God has me here for a purpose. (Romans 8:28)
When my wife, Mary Joy, and I were married in April of 2010 we made a life long commitment to be there for each other come what may. I can honestly say that for the first time in my life I can honestly say that I understand now what commitment means and how God blesses you when you pursue his path in everything that you do. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Those that are obstinate in the face of open rebuke will be destroyed if they do not eventually yield to that rebuke and gain forgiveness through confession. If this happens, then the destruction cannot be counteracted or cured. Eventually, there will no longer remain a penalty payment to counteract their obstinance. Under these circumstances the blood would not provide a cure. The constant compacting of resistance to the Spirit will harden one’s neck to the point that they cannot turn from their wicked ways. (Andrew Wikel from Daily Med Today)
From my experience instead of crying and screaming for pity, as many do, when we have consequences for our actions we should just realize that we sow what we reap. Listen to what the Bible says:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
(Galatians 6:7-9 ESV)
In the end we have to remember to walk wisely as we make choices for in the end it will extract a price not just physically…but spiritually also.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?
(Mark 8:36-37 ESV)
May I share something…I have found that in Christ my hard-headedness is softened as I trust Christ to guide me in all the decisions I make. In the end though I find that His sacrifice for me frees me from the need to be stubborn…
Here is a song to help you think some more about this….
Before you get to that crossroad…I pray you find God’s Grace…
As I am getting back into the swing of things I am learning one great lesson….
The Greatest lessons we learn will often not be in the classroom.
Have a blessed day as you meet God at the crossroads….
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)
