Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Being honest with God

Honestly Ya'll i tried to take a break from the Batcave Blog but God keeps getting my attention with things that I feel need to be shared.  Someone needs this stuff.  Before Christmas I picked up this book I had seen advertised on Facebook a lot by Christian singer, author and former 700 club host Shelia Walsh.  We were recently wandering around Mardel and I asked the customer service lady if they had it.  It's a small book called Five minutes with Jesus:  Making today Matter.  While Marion was at her Allergy Doctor i sat down and read a chapter that i believe we all need a reminder of from time to time about prayer and talking to God.  It's very short but hits with the impact of a European uppercut train from WWE star Cesaro.  So without further ado i give you Being Honest with God

"I am angry!" she said to me.
  It was a strange way to start a conversation, but her emotions seemed to overwhelm her.  
  I had just finished teaching, and I was signing a book for someone when this woman stepped between us.  Asking her to wait just a second.  I finished signing the book and handed it back to the now very concerned recipient.  
  "Let's walk for a bit,"  I suggested to my unhappy new friend.  When we were finally alone, I quietly asked her.  "What happened to you?"  
  For half a second I thought she might slap me, but as I watched, the ice in her eyes melted from anger into intense pain.  She fell into my arms, and rivers of tears streamed down her face.  
  "I've buried two sons."  she said when she could speak.  "Every time I hear you talk about your boy it's like a knife in my heart."  
  We talked for a long time that night.  At one point I asked her if she had let God see her rage, and she seemed horrified by the suggestion.  
  "I can't talk to God like that!"  she said.
  "Don't you think He already knows?"  I asked, holding her tight.  
  "He knows--and He loves you.  He knows-- and He wants you to trust Him enough to tell Him the whole truth about what you're feeling."  
  Have you ever done that?  Have you ever simply gotten alone with God and let him have it all, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly-- whatever it is you're thinking and feeling?  Doing so will change your life.  Trust me; I speak from experience!  But it took me years to open up to God.  I'd lived much of my life filled with shame, with the profound sense that no matter what I did, I would never be good enough for God or for anyone else.  Clinging to that falsehood I kept a wall around my heart so that no one could hurt me.  The wall kept me safe, but it also kept me lonely.  One night when I was alone in a hospital, alone in the dark, I spoke out loud to God everything I felt.  It wasn't pretty...but I wan't struck by lightning.  Instead I actually felt closer to Him than ever before.  Truth does that.  Truth destroys walls.  
  Are you willing to take that risk today?  Will you fall at the feet of Jesus, tell Him the whole truth about what you're thinking and feeling, and then let Him love you back to life?  

God knows your whole story and He loves you.  

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.  Psalms 145:18

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  John 8:3

Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me.  Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.  Psalms 43:3

Unfailing love and truth have met together.  Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth. and righteousness smiles down from heaven.   Psalms 85:10-11

"The time is coming-- indeed it's here now-- when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.  The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way."  John 4:23




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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Butterflies, Brevity, and Kryptonians

Life is fragile and short.  I don't get to watch a whole lot of tv but I caught up on Heroes Reborn recently and there's a concept about time travel and what makes it so dangerous.  Hiro Nakamura had a scene and he kept saying "Too many butterflies don't touch the butterflies."  See if you touch them you effect the outcome of things.  we need to mess with the butterflies in our lives.  if you don't understand what i mean by messing with the butterflies i will get to more of that in a minute.  Look at Psalms 39:4-5 "Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered-- how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you at best, each of us is but a breath."  On the day after Christmas this year my Grandma passed away at the age of 95.  It's a very short life.  i keep coming back to Job 1:21 He said "I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave.  The Lord gave me what i had, and the Lord has taken it away.  Praise the name of the Lord."  In the matter of a week my family talked to her and then she got sick and was gone.  not sure if any of you have seen the new Supergirl series but she is often told by people not to do stuff.  Sometimes it really is a job only she can do.  My dad was recently explaining his idea of God calling us to good works and sometimes its in the simple mundane day to day life where we encounter someone and God gives us an opportunity to point them to God or help them in some way.  As Christians we need to see these chances and mess with these butterflies as they happen in our time stream because life is short and He has called each of us to good works.  With my Grandma's passing i more now than ever feel a sense of urgency.  I urge you to be willing to do the good God gives you opportunity to do.  At Real Life Pastor Micah often says we as a church are on a mission to save lives.  Proverbs 24:11 "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter."  Point people to Christ.  Help those you come in contact with.  Even if it's something as simple as making your waiter or waitress smile.  Galatians 6:9-10 should be our battle cry and call to arms.  "So let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially those in the family of faith."       

I want to close this with a simple song by Point of Grace that I believe will slam the point home 

This day is fragile
Soon it will end
And once it has vanished
It will not come again
So let us love
With a love pure and strong
Before this day is gone

This day is fleeting
When it slips away
Not all our money
Can buy back this day
So let us pray
That we might be a friend
Before this day is spent

This day we're given is golden
Let us show love
This day is ours for one moment
Let us sow love

This day is frail
It will pass by
So before it's too late
To recapture the time
Let us share love
Let us share God
Before this day is gone

Before this day is gone
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Saturday, December 19, 2015

Enjoy your Christmas

Hi All, I'm officially taking 2 weeks off of the blog.  starting the 22nd i will be with family for Christmas Holidays I want you all to have a safe and Merry Christmas spend time with your families.  From Zac, Marion and Mara.  This Christmas please let the Greatest gift ever Salvation through Jesus be first and foremost in your thoughts and hearts. 






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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The Lord of Heaven's Armies

I've been reading my Bible in 2 Samuel and Psalms to be exact.  Some things David can teach us got my attention.  As we approach Christmas i tend to think often about the proclamation of Jesus name with him being also called Emmanuel meaning God with us.  At times as Christians we don't think too much about that or somehow overlook it.  @ Samuel 5:10 "And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven's Armies was with him."  God was with David.  I want you to see some things about God that maybe you've missed or overlooked.  I had a friend once tell me "sometimes hope can be a four letter word."  If your hope is in God that hope is not in vain.  You as a Christian need to see some blessings of where your hope lies.  Psalms 25:8-15 "The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.  He leads the humble in doing right teaching them his way.  The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.  For the honor of your name, O, Lord, forgive my many sins.  Who are those who fear the Lord?  He will show them the path they should choose.  They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land.  The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.  He teaches them his covenant.  My eyes are always on the Lord,m for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies."  This reminded me of a song by Hillsong called Like Incense.  David wants his heart to always be on the Lord as we should.  
"May my prayer like incense rise before You
The lifting of my hands as sacrifice
Oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
For I know there is mercy in Your sight

Your statutes are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let Love keep my will upon its knees Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You

To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your Word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun

All Your ways are loving and are faithful
The road is narrow but Your burden light
Because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride

God is with is as Christians and he has said "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  
We serve a God who loves us and forgives us of sins and rescues us from traps.  Let us remember this season that God is with us and share that hope and Joy.  To you the reader i would ask that at some point you stop and thank God for being with us because if we stop and look at our lives and David's he does make us prosper.  I'm going to leave you with a few songs to remind you God has not left you and me alone.  











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