Just as I Am, Without One Plea

"If you lost everything, would he be enough?"

A man who spoke this from experience, covenant, relationship....not theology.

A key to access and communion is not believing we are ready, but that HE IS WILLING.  Thanks Tony, Scott and TJ for the constant reminders of the Truth.  He came to save the prisoner, the lost, the blind, the lame, the sick...just as we are.  I write this today as one with doubts about many things, but not about this.

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Rom 8:38-39


Just as I Am, Without One Plea
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thy love unknown
hath broken every barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871
Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868

You wont relent: Wilson "Snowflake" Bently

I died a little today. Preparing for the future, it was a good day to die. It snowed.

"The Wild Goose Chase" from my friend Bill told the story of Wilson Bently...."I want to die the way that Wilson Bently died" writes the author. Bently was a snowflake photographer. Bently wrote this:"Under the microscope I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty could not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design, and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted that design was forever lost."

Wilson "Snowflake" Bently died walking through a severe snowstorm in 1931. He died doing what he loved. Pursuing his "God-ordained passions...life is too short for anything less". It was great to read this to my 8 year old son Sean, and for my wife to be there.

Thats how God pursues us. That's how we were meant to live, relentlessly, passionately.



My new favorite song...

You won't relent
Chris Quilala (Written by Misty Edwards)

I won't relent until you have it all
You have a seal upon my heart

Many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me.....
come be the flame inside my heart
Come be the fire inside of me.....
until you and i are i one

come be our passion.......come be our passion.......
God come dwell inside of us
our heart is .....yours
Lord we desire you
we hunger for you God

there is nothing we want more Lord
there is nothing we want more Lord
there is nothing we want more Lord
there is nothing we want more than you Jesus

“You are not nearly as happy as I mean you to be…”

A direct response to an attack....an act of faith, a gift.  Today was about a road trip to the Creation Science museum in Kentucky, listening to CS Lewis "the Last Battle" with the family. 

The book was about an ape who tried to coerce the other animals through pretending to speak for Aslan (a symbol of Jesus)....and how through faith those who were able to look at Aslan with love after a long and hard battle were brought into a new land to live with Him.  


 At the museum, we saw all sorts of dinosaurs, the flood, the planetarium, explanations for sorrow and suffering.  It ended with a wonderful movie about how the answers come from the one who died for us; not just to cover us with His blood as a sacrificial lamb, but also to redeem us. At every turn I saw the same verse that we read yesterday with the boys about heaven:

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:3-4

The last line that ended the “The last battle”, and the summarized the museum trip is this: “You are not nearly as happy as I mean you to be…” Aslan said to a broken one.

Thanks to my brothers who bring me this hope, over and over again.   Scott, Mark, Tony, Bill, Thunder Joe, Ryan, Ed, Garry and others...

Complete Unity: How do we get out of the boat?

Complete Unity?

The Kingdom of Heaven=Joy and Peace in the Holy Spirit... It cannot come when I am not one with the Holy Spirit.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:22-2

Tonight I went to the Metropolis location of Life church. A small snow blizzard and a Colts game led to a pretty small turnout. But Tony and Scott spoke with the same energy they would bring to an audience of several hundred.

Scott told the story about Peter, the water, getting out of the boat. At first Peter trusted, responded, but then lost his focus as he began to look at the waves around him. Fear is believing the worst possible outcome, instead of God's plan. Jesus caught Peter as he was going down: When we are drowning we are much more willing to submit to God. Here are a few questions Scott suggested that might get us out of the boat:

1) Where am I going? (Am I operating in my Gifts?)
2) What should I be doing (not WWJD, but responding to that personal dialogue with our Papa) . Are you doing the one thing that only YOU can do
3) Who are you relative to who you were a year ago?

He will not let us drown, but he wants us to trust (not imagine what could go wrong). btw, I went to Church instead of the Colts game, the first game I missed in two seasons. Tonight, their 23 game winning streak came to an end as they put in the 3rd string Quarterback. I didn't miss watching a contest, I played in one.

They will all be taught of God. Whoever....

Do you believe that God our father teaches you?....not just through people, sermons and books, but that he speaks to YOU.....and countless others, directly? I actually like the idea that he is not parochial, tribal, limited to a culture or a race or a small group, and his vision is so much more.

Have you cried with Him, laughed with Him, seen with Him in the process? I think He likes that too. :) He wants that and offers that to us all, lavishly.

God uses John Piper again (4 minutes....WOW)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—" John 6:44-45

* “Whoever believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:15).
* “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
* “Whoever believes in him is not condemned” (John 3:18).
* “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).
* “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life” (John 5:24).
* “Whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
* “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).
* “Whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47).
* “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58).
* “Whoever believes in me, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38).
* “Whoever believes in me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).

the LORD make his face shine upon you (and RESTORE you)

The Light of your face (Misty Edwards)
http://www.divshare.com/download/9559225-49c

The LORD said to Moses,  "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
 ²⁴ " ' "The LORD bless you
       and keep you;
 ²⁵ the LORD make his face shine upon you
       and be gracious to you;
 ²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you
       and give you peace." '
 ²⁷ "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

I woke up this morning with the song from Numbers 6:23-27  on my mind....along with this is the idea that we were made to gaze upon Him.....Tonight I found myself unable to ask Him for anything, because all I could do was THANK him for being there, for holding out his hand, for smiling back at me, for being my friend, for giving so much......My children probably thought I had lost it.  I played this song while we ate dinner.....but this time it didn't even matter.  I wanted to thank Him.

At work today, I had to present something with absolutely no time to prepare.  I babbled, spoke about something I knew nothing about, even misread the slide on the screen in front of 40 people....nobody noticed.  Several people came up afterward and said GREAT JOB!  I knew it was nothing, absolutely nothing but GODs FAVOR. 

May his Face SHINE upon you too....and RESTORE you.  :)

 Restore us, O God;
       make your face shine upon us,
       that we may be saved.       ^{Psalm 80:3}

 Restore us, O God Almighty;
       make your face shine upon us,
       that we may be saved.    ^{Psalm 80:7}

 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;
       make your face shine upon us,
       that we may be saved. <sup>Psalm 80:19

Selah</sup>