"Father, forgive them...."

Notes from a message by Scott Himes 8/10

The fact that I am a little behind on recording these messages doesn't make time less timely or valuable. :) Here are some notes from a couple weeks ago.

Sometimes the best measure of impact is not how many words you remember, but how it caused you to change your perspective. This message was one of those that caused me to look as some (who made themselves my "enemies") from God's perspective, and reminded me that most of this is really not a battle of flesh and blood, but a spiritual battle. Scott's message about loving your enemies, started with forgiveness. I know how tough that is...and I have a way to go. He had a point though; if God is love, and he lives in our hearts, then God's love is in our hearts. Reminded me of being at the top of the Ferris wheel at the fair....things look a lot different from His perspective.

The passage that rang in my heart and then in my ears this morning; One of those scriptures you can hear coming down the tracks like a freight train miles before you see it....

"Father, forgive them...." Luke 23:34

Some are Easy to Love	Some are Harder to Love
children	Strangers
the humble	the proud
those that love us	those who have hurt us
those with the same interests	those with a different life background

VIP Prayer Card updates:

• Pray for them to experience God's love and blessing in their life
• Pray (if they don't know Christ) for their Hearts to be changed
• Pray for any wrong motives in your hear towards them to be set right
• Pray to see if there are steps of reconciliation or expression of God's love you need to make

1. Pray for them (Matt 5:44)
2. Go beyond their expectations , Even those who take advantage. Go the extra mile Matt 5:40-41, Go out of our way to serve Ex 23:4-5
3. Help meet their needs Proverbs 25:21
4. "Father forgive them" Luke 23:24 We love because it's God's heart
5. Phil 2:13 He is going to give us the power

Stephen Acts 7:60 Do not hold their sin against them

Love is brought to full expression in us 1Jn 4:12 ...

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Elom: What would it be like?

I saw a comment on Scott Himes Blog (LifeChange), and reading it, I saw a special heart. Since then I have read her blog (The Eternal Student) and been refreshed by the clarity. In my last post she offered a question: The concept of obedience, total surrender. "What would it be like?"

What a delightful way to consider the riches, and beauty and pain and LIFE and freedom and joy of a life connected so clearly to one who loves us so dearly.

Rushing water, quiet wind, running race in the woods, a special friend?

Life where the only thing that mattered was the only one who matters. No ambition, but would there be shame, loneliness, pain, sadness, fear?

Would we watch the clock, depend on lists and schedules and people. Would we be comfortable?

Would we reflect Him, bring honor to His name, heal the sick and broken hearted? Would our life matter? Would He be pleased?

Elom, Thank you for your encouragement!

Humility: Just obey

(also posted on http://lifechurchindy.blogspot.com/)

A few thoughts that carried me through the day....

He (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped....and he became obedient to death. Phil 2

I looked over the "surrender" options to check from Sunday:  time, rights, resources, reputation.  I knew almost before I read which one it was.  Sure, I could easily check them all, but one stuck out as I thought back to the phrase "false humility" and the times that I had resisted God because I didn't want anyone to think I was "________" (fill in the blank).  A subtle form of pride.  I read the night before where Jesus said those who worship will worship in Spirit and Truth (Jn 4:23).  A yielding.   I went back to find it and every page I turned said the same thing, "just obey": 

• "how can you believe if you accept praise from men yet make no effort to obtain praise from God" Jn 5:44,
• "My food is to do the will of him who sent me" Jn 4:34
• "Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things..but Mary has chosen what is better" Luke 10:38

I apologized to God for specific sin that I had "reasoned away".  I got up to go to work, realized I had lost my wallet.  My first impulse was to panic for being late, and tear up the whole house up looking for it.  No, it seemed, just go straight to the car, take your coffee because you are not coming back. I opened the car door, there was the wallet.  A small hint to just obey.  Not by fear, analysis, second guessing or pleasing man for fear my reputation will be damaged.  It was a good day.  Will those of you who know me, please remind me? 

Waking the Dead: (The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive)

 

 

 

 

I am a slow reader, but his is one of the books I have been working on since February (I know...real slow, the important thing is I finished).  

 

Here is an archive a few key notes from this book that helped me see how precious our heart is our heart is to God, and how to break through.  There is a source of freedom here that builds on the idea in John 10:10...Life to the full.  This became the basis of our men's group Band Of Brothers 99, our men's group.   

 

I typically don't recommend books, but this is one I would recommend reading over and over again.    

	I. Seeing our way clearly
8	Alert and oriented times Zero:  his understanding of the world is reduced to the fact that he exists, nothing more (perfect Storm, the Guardian).
10	The Glory of God is man fully alive (St. Irenaeus). 2 Cor 3
17	Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life.  We will misinterpret 90% of what is happening around us and to us.  It will be very hard to believe that God's intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it.
19	A way of looking at life, created by fairy tales, now ratified by mere facts, and hidden by a veil of familiarity. GK Chesterton.
25	The best stories tell here is where meaning /destiny lie
36	Above all else guard the heart...it is the wellspring of life
46	Courage...the 1st of human qualities...because it guarantees all the others (Isaiah 61:1)
	II. The Ransomed Heart
61	Death from the lie: Forgiven and on the way (Not Transformed). A shadow.
66	It has always been God's plan not just to FORGIVE you, but to RESTORE you
68	So what is the Holy of Holies?  Your Heart.
87	There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us... (Nelson Mandela)
	III. The Four Streams
100	Wisdom: We don't seek wisdom because its a good idea; we seek wisdom because we're dead if we don't.  We seek wisdom because the trail is narrow and hard to find...AND FEW find it together
124	Counseling: ...doesn't just flow to us directly from Christ...It flow through His people as well.
134	Restoration:..and I would HEAL them (Matt 13:15), that's different from forgive them, give them a place in heaven.
140	Forgiving others, and receiving forgiveness in His presence brings an undivided heart Ps 86:11-12
145	The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known. (LOR)
163	Spiritual Warfare: IF it doesn't bring freedom and it doesn't bring life, it's not Christianity
181	"Open warfare is upon you " says Aragon, "whether you would risk it or not."
	IV. The Way of the Heart:
187	Evil will hunt you.  And so a fellowship must protect you.
187	Together they train for battle, together they plan their path.
192	A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.   (the path is narrow, and FEW find it --together)
196	It was only through the eyes of our friends that we recovered our hearts, our true place, reality..."you remember my story for me"
199	Be kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle. (Philo of Alexandria)
200	Community is no substitute for got..we go first to God, alone, so that we have something to bring back to the community.
218	The enemy satan wears us out to render us helpless to to others, so "Above all else guard your heart" Prov. 4:23

LifeChurch Notes (Tony Portel 8/2)

Jesus came not just to enhance, but to transform. Whatever God will occupy, he will rule.  Make us a vessel of honor  1 Cor 6:19-20

"....You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 

He sees you not through Christ, but next to Christ, as his Child, Holy. 

1)Jesus Rage:  Matt 21:12   Jesus makes a whip.  Purify this house.

2) House of Prayer Matt 21:13, Jer 7:10-11  Religious people had no regard for people of all nations. 

All nations....Everyone is invited, we pray beyond ourselves.  As we pray for others God pours out His heart through us.  We are standing in the gap between them and the enemy.

3) House of Power Matt 21:14

  "....he healed them."

How do we get there?  "Holy hunches", Crumpling the Laundry list and letting him set the agenda. Following where he is leading us to pray, then we pray in His will .   It is only out of His words, His compassion and overflow that people's lives are changed...  We can empathize, God can transform.  

4) House of Praise  Ps. 8:2  "Out of the mouths of babes you have prepared praise."

Transformation Children --> Fathers -->Young men (Paraphrased from 1Jn 2)  Hmmmm ...a lot to chew on here.

• I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name, and because you have known the Father.
• I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.
• I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Good news, God is giving you the power to please him, desire to obey.  It's not us trying to struggle to please Him. Philipians 2:13

A Rough Day...a good day

Do you ever have rough days? I know the answer.



What do you do? Hide, sleep, graze, medicate? There may be a time for any of these...and I have done them all. You have too. Today I did something else. I called out for help. It isn't my intention to boast, but rather boast in the Lord.



1) In one situation I offered someone love, and they returned scorn. I felt rejected and hurt, God said.."put your hope in me". Somehow...I needed more. I let a couple of close friends know, and they immediately e-mailed back the most encouraging words and helped me look at the situation from God's perspective...It was like letting air out of a balloon.



2) In another situation that seemed like a huge knot of events that could not be untangled, I offered an apology for being angry. The man's response was tepid at first, but later he came back as a partner and a friend.



3) Sunday morning Tony suggested we ask that God give us a desire for Him. Today it seemed right to skip the sugar in my coffee, and all the other sugar, to remember he is my delight. We had doughnuts at the staff meeting...and someone asked why I wasn't having any, I told the whole staff. Later, someone told me their dream at a checkout line about forgetting their baby when they were buying shirts for their dog, then I told them that I was trying to skip something today to remember what was really important.



4) Best of all, a friend called me, crying out for help. I was reminded that there is no burden, but the Love of Christ in helping others. Those situations can provide everyone involved with deeper insight into why we were born and the high privilege to which we are called (Romans 12).

In all it was one of those days when God was showing me just how much he would fill my day...with meaning, if I would let him.