Isnt a Sure-footed Slip Better than an Ill-fated Fall?

I recently took a Bible Study class that Pastor Jon taught. It was a great learning time of how to cross reference and find the definition of the words in the original language. As I began to use the tools that are out there I discovered some interesting concepts, so shall I share with you both my hermeneutic particular as well as my exegesis? I suppose it leans more to the former. As I dug into this illumination of scripture God gave me a strong word to confirm the truths he revealed, and now I feel him telling me to let you all in on it. Here goes!

I was reading in Psalm 68:19 one day and read "Praise the Lord: praise God our Saviour! For each day he carries us in his arms." I mulled over this picture that began to be painted in my minds eye. The burdens we carry daily God overlooked as he lifted us into his arms and carried us along the way. A cross reference verse that my New Living Translation connected this to was Psalm 55:22, which reads, "Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."

Immediately one concept cemented in my mind. It doesn't say here that the godly wont ever slip when the Lord takes care of you. When we do slip we wont fall. An ill-footed slip is better than an ill-fated fall. In the mind having a sure footed grounding in the Lord the familiar scripture from 1 Peter 5 then came to mind. "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for a victim do devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering as you are." The concept of needed a strong standing in the Lord is reinforced. A reminded as well that you aren't the only one who will face this issue of slipping. It says that your brothers in Christ are enduring such sufferings as well. And these people are there to lean on in the midst of a slip up. You also can see here that its not just us as we are struggling to 'balance' there is an enemy trying to push us to not only slip but to fall.

I wanted to dig deeper into this idea as the wheels in my mind continued to give me no rest and continued to crank. So I grabbed my NKJ and flipped back to Psalm 55:22. This translation served to fill in the color for the roughly sketched image in my mind. "Cast all your burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." There is the familiar language of that verse that we have all sung of in Sunday school (Cast your burdens! *clap clap clap* Unto Jesus! *clap clap clap* ok you get the idea...). God showed me the picture in my minds eye- there you stand. You are SO sick of the burdens you've been drudging along with. Whatever that might be, I know they are coming into your thoughts right now, can you see yourself standing there-sick of carrying these weighty things around with you? You then just abruptly take hold of the wretched burdens and forcefully throw them on to Jesus. Not at all in a mocking, or angry way, you just realize how strong he is and how willing he is to take these. You then stager as the heaviness leaves you. You haven't walked with out that seemingly 'stabilizing' weight thats been upon you. You stumble to find your footing, you may even perhaps slip. But then the sturdy, strength filled hands of Jesus take hold of our shoulders and we are not moved.

This release of your burdens is a complete paradigm shift. Where we once lived out of our wounds and selfishness with out burdens weighing us down we can now hardly balance under the lightness which is found as we allow Jesus to be are "paraklete" the one who comes along side us. What then does this life lived out under a new burden free atmosphere look like?

Strongs Concordance's definition for this Hebrew word 'cast' found in Ps. 55, is "salak"- to be thrown, adventured, hunt, plucked. This implies that this casting off of burdens comes with adventure- moving into new territory. This same salak/cast is used in Isaiah 38:17, "Indeed it was for my own peace that I was in great bitterness But you have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For you have cast all my sin behind your back." I believe that this use of cast speaks to the fact that as we cast our burdens onto the Lord its part of the act of letting go of out past transgressions, forgiving ourselves and he then in turns doesnt keep them at the forefront of his focus, he throws them behind him so we can set out on this adventure with him. He begins to sustain us in a new way, where we wont slip. This sustain in Strong's means "to provide, contain, feed, nourish, abide, able to abide." We are walking in this new life with God, remember this is the godly-not a picture of becoming saved for the first time. Its a deeper level when the 'godly' allow God to take them in his arms and when they let go of their burdens, he is then able to abide with us-at a deeper level. As Ps. 55 says he wont allow us to be moved-moved from this place of his protection, provision and where he abides with us. All we must do is submit to his help and cast our burdens upon him!

After I was just praying about this and asking God to help me take the steps to cast my burdens to him and let him throw them behind his back, God just began to speak to me- and I believe he wants to tell YOU this as well. Open your heart to what he whispered to mine...
"Stop holding onto these horrible burdens. Pluck them out of your life and hurl them to me. Don't fear the unnerved feelings. I am taking you on this adventure. I will hold you and sustain you. I will abide in you. With this weightiness gone, I am able to receive you. I will feed you as you look for nourishment. Take that step to embrace the romance adventure I have for you. The moment you throw your burdens to me I throw them behind my back. As I am the center of the being of the universe the burdens you once were so familiar with I cast as far as the the east is from the west. Come embark on this with me!"

So...how about it? Are you willing to throw off the burdens, realize that when you slip the Lord is sustaining you and embark on this adventure he is waiting to walk in with you? You are sure to slip at some time, under a heavy load-the struggle to stand back up with be harder. If you fall under a heavy load, you will get hurt. Let's cast off these burdens. I know I am trying..its a daily choice..but isn't it a choice worth making?

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

There is a cause that I have decided to get behind, its called Mocha Club. You give seven dollars a month to an organization that supports Africa. Seven dollars can send two kids through a semester of school. Seven dollars can give seven Africans clean water for a year. What do we do with the seven dollars? We spend it on two coffees and it goes no further. Mocha Club has asked its members to write a blog to raise awareness. You dont have to have thousands of dollars to make a difference.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me. How you ask? In my previous blogs I’ve told you about the concept that God hasn’t let me stop thinking about. I hold a unique expression of God that no one else has. If I’m going to truly live with that conviction God whispered something into my heart- you must then search out the unique expressions I have placed in others. Every single person holds an expression of God in them that we would other wise miss out on. Now think of that in the relation to the beautiful people of Africa. They hold expressions of God like no one else. When we let these people who are in such devastation slip out of our memories, a facet of God is being forgotten.
I know I need Africa, I need to learn from them. I need to see the pieces of God that He breathed into their lives. I need to believe that God is a provider who can take a person who needs a miracle and turn their lives into more then they ever could've imagined. I believe God can use us in amazing ways to reach out... I believe that I need the child in Africa who smiles amidst a 20 year war. I need the widow who continues to worship in the midst of her grief. I need the young man in Africa who walks barefoot to a well miles away from home to get one gallon of water for his sickly siblings. I think its time to consider if perhaps we need Africa more then Africa needs us.


So what do you think? Is it possible we need Africa more then it needs us? Tell me what you think-make your own blog about it. Myself and others teamed with Mocha Club are trying to change the pity over Africa to genuine compassion in action with partnership- come check out my blog and Mochaclub.org on Decmember 1st and we can learn together how to help that change happen. Tell me, do we need Africa?

Vision Statement and Governing Values

So in my class at RSM we had to take two weeks and sit down and come up with the vision statement we have for our lives and then the governing values. It was an incredible challenge. I freak out a little bit every time I have to think seriously about my future just cause I have to daily say "God I'm going to TRUST YOU!!!"

The other day I listened to "Caged" a mesage by Sammy A. (an awesome speaker-check him out)! Sammy's message hit the spot, God totally used it to both encourage me and to open my eyes to my self worth, and that of others....He said something in there that I have latched onto. "Each person holds a unique expression of God in them." I, myself hold an expression of God that the world wont see if I dont determine to let that expression shine through. The same goes for every single person on the face of the earth-thats another blog. But as I thought about that, I have decided that that is my vision statement right now. My purpose-to live out that expression God has breathed into me.

So if you want to read my vision statement, governing values, supporting verses and my mini-explanations, read on. More blogs to come on the "God breathed expression" dealio. :)

Vision Statement:

“To actively live out the unique God-breathed expression of the Lord Almighty that has been placed within me in order to bring glory to the Father God.”

‘And the Lord God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.’ -Genesis 2:7

‘For in Him we live and move and exist…’ - Acts 17:28

- I am choosing to live with the conviction that I hold within me an expression of God that no other human holds. God in his divine mystery is so unfathomably limitless that each person holds a unique expression of him. I haven’t yet heard him whisper the ‘big thing’ he wants me to do but I will daily set about trying to live out the expression of God within me to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I know I am meant to live a life full of exploits that God has written down in his book as part of a grand scheme adventure, until I know the main plot of my story, I am living each day in faith that I am carrying out the steps to get to where God wants me to be. I’m living out the expression of God that has been breathed into me by the same one who created the stars and knows them by name.

Governing Values:

1) Relationship with God-my getting to know him.

‘Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege, where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.’ -Romans 5:2

-My first priority is to get to know God, my life has no meaning without that intimate relationship with him. I see my life as a small piece of the puzzle known as God’s master plan. The only way I could ever fulfill the works he has planned for me long ago is if I KNOW my God.

2) Relationship with family and friends.

‘Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds.’ -1 Peter 3:8

- I have learned that we need each other more then we could ever fully know. It is alright to let others see my weaknesses and faults, I can lean on the people in my life. I need to not ‘go it alone’ and need to life selflessly, making my family and friends a priority.

3) My place on the wall (my sphere of influence)

‘O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on you walls; they will pray to the Lord day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray.’ -Isaiah 62:6

- I have realized that God has placed me in the areas that I have influence in on purpose. I have been posted at a certain place on the wall, to influence those around me for Christ. I need to live life on purpose on the wall and recognize the work in front of me. Some of these places I see now is school, work and my family, and even my church.

4) Serving my spiritual leaders

‘Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” -Philippians 6:6-7

- I recognize that everything I do is unto the Lord. I also recognize that God has placed my parents, pastors and leaders in my life as part of his will for my life. My serving them to the best of my ability as unto the Lord both blesses them in their ministry and brings a smile to my Father God’s face. In sowing my time into being a blessing to my leaders, I know God will bless me with a harvest that is woven in with that of the leaders I am under.

Following Your Vision out of the Prison

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my vision for my life. What is it. What is my passion, whats one of the BIG things God is asking me to do? What is my HARD THING that he has called me to live out the expression of him that he place in my that no one else possesses...well I have an answer for you. Ready??

I have no idea.

Its hard at times to keep trusting and clinging to God with no vision. I have recently been meditating on Hebrews 10:35-36 (yes I've been on a Hebrews 10 kick in my blogs..), in the NLT it says "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remeber the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all he has promised. " Think about what God has whispered to your heart. The dreams, the hopes, the hard things that you couldn't possibly do by yourself. Remember that sweet moment when he first brought that preposterous idea to your mind? How he loved the reality that you CANT do it on your own. The broad smile that enveloped his face as he whispered to you "You see beloved, we get to do this together! You are right in thinking you can't do it alone, no my child, together we will be more than conquerers!"

Now think of that vision for your life you have, where are you now? Are you in a place where it is dry. Do you see any sign of that dream coming to pass? What does Hebrews say? Dont you dare throw away that trust in God, and have patient endurance. With this thought in mind God laid Acts 12:9 on my heart tonight.

"So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didnt realize it was really happening." -Acts 12:9

Now track with me. I read this in context and God brought up some things. Imagine it, Peter is in the prison. This is the famous scripture where he is rejoicing while in this desolate place. Sining praise and worship while chained to the wall. Do you think he had a firm grasp on the vision God gave him of being building the foundation the church? It wasn't in plain site, I think its safe to say. There were some three things I saw God point out in this situation.
1) Peter was asleep and the angel told him to "Quick! Get Up!"
We to often are asleep to what God is trying to do. We need to ask God to put an urgency in us that keeps us alert and in active pursuit of what God has for us. Even when we dont know the big picture, pursuing a deeper relationship with God is a step in the right direction. Here, Peter was asleep, and you can't blame him, but whose not to say God wanted him awake to what was about to happen?
2) "Get dressed and put on your sandals"
While we need to be awake, we need to be prepared. You say- what!? If we don't know where God is taking us, we dont know the vision for our lives (me either, remember). I've been reading Bill Johnson's 'Strengthen Yourself in the Lord' and he said something that blew me away to grip in your mind. God never puts you through something you aren't prepared to handle. Think of the scriptures, time and time and time again you see it played out. Even now if you look back over the past year of your life, picture some of the hard things, you obviously came out the other end alive. Now think back months, weeks before those events, do you remember those verses that popped out to you that were so very applicable? God was preparing you. You must take the garments you acquired from those events and dress yourself for what is around the corner on the path to your vision, you hopes, the big thing God wants to walk through with you.
3) Follow your vision out of the prison
The verse that God brought me to says how Peter followed the angel out of the cell but the entire time he thought it was a vision. We need to be kingdom minded, have a focus on the vision. The promise for the dream that God deposited in your heart, however far down the line that dream applies, we need to see that dream and hear God's promise and movie forward. Set our faces like flint and dont fear when we stumble and trip. God is working with us on this one remember? He will pull you back up and set you on your feet as you step forward once more focused on that vision, on that promise.

In this cell place, this prison where you feel chained, helpless, lost without seeing leaps of advancement in your hopes and dreams-dont throw away the confident trust in the Lord-NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. One minute Peter was chained, asleep and seemingly ill-equipped. Next thing he was awakened, prepared and following his vision right out of this prison he was sleeping in. God is saying wake up to the things I have for you. Stop thinking you arent going to make it, I created you, I breathed into you-you are my crowning glory and I made you to carry out that part of my plan that no one else could!

Lastly, at the end of the verse, a little tag on to Acts 12:9 you see "He didn't realize it was really happening" Peter was so focused on the vision God had for him, as he was dressed and awake he followed his vision right of of the prison. He wasn't focused on the chains God broke off of him. He just walked out focused on the vision. Follow your vision out of the dry place your in. Cling to the promise God has whispered in your ear, dont throw away the confident trust in the Lord. You can walk out of this place focused on your vision.

For those of you like me, who arent yet sure of that big life vision-we need to be singing and praying and worshiping and waiting on God in our every day life as we get closer to him till we can hear that whisper of what he is inviting us to do with him. Until then, set your face toward the goal of living out the unique expression of God that was breathed into you at the time God was knitting you together. Hold to the Confident Trust and Patient Endurance we have in Christ.