Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

I'm posting the following from Milt Rodriguez as a Christmas treat. I have never read a more succinct and precious summary of the gospel and God's eternal purpose. Enjoy and enjoy Him that is in you!

The Lost Elements of the Gospel

"For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor
was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."
Gal. 1: 11, 12

Paul tells us here that the gospel (good news)
which he preached was based upon a revelation he had of Jesus Christ. So here is
my question. Is the gospel you have heard based upon a revelation of Jesus
Christ? Or is it based upon the evangelical movements of the nineteenth century
lead by such men as Dwight L. Moody, Charles Finney, and others?
This is what I call the gospel of the evangelicals and it is very lopsided. It basically
says that Jesus died on the cross for your sins so that you could be forgiven
and go to heaven. This is what most born-again evangelical Christians believe
the gospel to be. However, one cannot read the letters of Paul without seeing
that there was much more to it than that.

In fact, I believe that we have altogether missed the very heart of the message. We have missed the center and core of the New Testament proclamation!
My co-workers and I travel all overthis country (and others) to speak to groups of believers who are searching for organic church life. Most of them report to us that they have never heard this part of the message. So I would like to outline the main points of the 'gospel that Paul preached that are, for the most part, being ignored today.

I.Christ in you - an indwelling Lord

Paul said that he received his gospel through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). Then, he goes on to tell us that this revelation was of the Son in him and that this Son in him is who he preached (Gal 1: 15, 16).

In other words, Paul preached Christ. (I Cor. 1:23; I Cor. 2:2) But he preached the Christ who lived within him. This "Christ in you" revelation was obviously the core of his message (see Gal. 2:20; Gal. 4:6, 19; Eph. 1:22, 23; Eph 2:22; Eph. 3: 16-19; Col. 1:27; Col. 3:11; I Cor 3:16; I Cor. 6:19; I Cor. 12:27; I Cor. 4:7; Rom. 8: 9-11).
This part of the message is actually the essence of the New Covenant. (Jer. 31:33) In the old covenant everything was external (i.e. - the tablets of stone, an external
priesthood, tabernacle, law). In the New Covenant, everything becomes internal -
Christ in you, the law and lawgiver comes to live within you. And now you learn
to live by the life of Another.

Jesus Christ came to initiate and walk out the New Covenant right in front of his disciples. He lived by the life of his indwelling Father! This changes everything. This means no longer living by an external code of behavior but by the life of another Person. Do you see it? This is the main element in our following the Lord. This is true
discipleship. It's all about learning to follow an indwelling Lord! But how many
books are written about this? How many people are telling us how to live by an
indwelling Christ? How many people even tell us that we have an indwelling
Christ?

II. The Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ

This is one element that every believer and Christian worker would agree is essential. We must be Christ-centered. But what does that mean? To most, it means that the life (earthly life) and teachings of Jesus must be taught and held in the
highest regard. In other words, being Christ-centered means that you adhere to
the correct doctrines. It's mostly a matter of proper theology and teachings.
But Christ is not a teaching. He is a Person. He is both God and Man. This
divine Person is to be the preeminent one in all things (Col. 1:18). It is a
Person who is to be the Center, the Head, and the Life of all we are, and all we
do. Paul said that he preached Christ (I Cor. 1:23) crucified. This means that
he preached the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Have you ever noticed that in
Paul's writings he very rarely refers to the Lord's earthly life? That's because
Paul was proclaiming an eternal and glorified Christ. He preached the all
inclusive, full, ascended, and glorified Christ. He preached a Christ who is the
All in all!

III. The Eternal Purpose of God

". . . according to the kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth." Eph. 1: 9, 10

This element of the eternal gospel flows right into our last element of the centrality of Christ. The gospel that is preached today is mostly man-centered and based
upon our western culture which is based upon human need. We live in a society of
consumerism. Everything revolves around our own needs. This environment has bled into our "churches" and into our message. The gospel we preached is founded upon the need of humankind. Jesus came to save us, heal us, deliver us, teach us,
etc. Man has a need - God came to fill that need. That, in a nutshell, is what
most Christians believe is God's eternal purpose. But that is not what Paul
tells us. The letter to the Ephesians (especially chapters 1 and 3) tell us
another story. Paul tells us that God's purpose is centered in His Son, not in
human need. You could even say that God himself has a need. Oh I know, God is
all sufficient within himself and has no need within his nature. But God (in a
sense) does have a need pertaining to his purpose. Maybe we should call it a
passionate desire. He has a great passion, a will, a purpose, a goal. And that
goal has to do with his Son. He wants to make his Son the Center of everything!
But he has chosen a unique way to do this. He will make his Son the center or
sum of all things by expanding or increasing the Son until he fills all things
with himself. He increases his Son by making him the firstborn of many brethren
(Rom. 8:29) through his death and resurrection. The Son increases through the
growth of the Body, his Church (see John 3:30; Eph. 1:23). And Christ becomes
the All in all.

This is a most glorious purpose! But how often have we heard this preached in any of its many forms and expressions? In the last century there were three men who shared this message by spoken and written means. They were: T. Austin-Sparks, Watchman Nee, and Devern Fromke. But where are the men and women who will take the baton from these brothers and bring this message today?

The three missing elements of the gospel that I have shared
in this article all require two things for understanding. Revelation and the
work of the cross. These are absolutely necessary for understanding to come.
However, this is costly and therefore not very popular in our consumerism
society. The work of the cross in the life of the believer takes time. But as
consumers, we want things to be done instantly. Revelation happens slowly as one
yields and breaks before God. But as consumers, we want to read a book and have
the message.

Where are the brothers and sisters who are willing and passionate about allowing God to break their soul lives so that his life can flow out of them? Where, oh where, are the brothers and sisters who are willing to get to know an indwelling Lord, the centrality of Christ, and God's eternal purpose, and then preach the whole counsel of God? My prayer is that God will raise up some of these men and women in our generation and the generations to come so that he may have his house, his bride, and his body. And that his Son may be increased and expanded to fill all things with himself.

Written by Milt Rodriguez

Thanksgiving Food

This Thanksgiving, I ate and ate and ate some more! More specifically, hallelujah, I was fed! It's true that I did eat some turkey and traditional Thanksgiving fare, but my spirit received sustenance and nourishment as well. It was more than sustenance. It was a full meal.

I attended a Thanksgiving conference this week that was truly life-giving. I'm so thankful to the speakers, staff and conference attendees that made sure my family and I ate well. The spiritual meal came right out of the bible. The written Word of God that testifies and points to the Living Word of God, the altogether lovely One, the Lord Jesus Christ! It is God's truth concerning Himself from cover to cover. What God says in His Word is not something for us to consider, weigh, and determine whether or not we like it. It is the record, and the revelation of Jesus Christ...nothing less.

My spirit had been starving and today I am full. Thank you Lord! It has come time for me to put down all of my books for awhile and open up His book. I was reminded this week of how rich and full of life the scriptures are. How wonderful and marvelous. How utterly necessary to press on and press into Jesus. New Testament or Old Testament just doesn't matter. It's all one book and the whole thing speaks of the sufficiency and outright preeminence of Jesus. He is all we need for the Christian life and oh, what an "all" He is! I'm so thrilled to be a part of Him and I long to meet Him again and again in His Word. Thanks in advance for those of you who will keep me accountable.

Walking with God

This post is named for a book that I've recently begun reading by John Eldridge. Actually, I've only read part of the prologue, but was so blown away by this quote that I just had to post it. Can anyone relate?

I've spent too many years trying to figure out life on my own. Reading books, attending classes, always keeping an eye out for folks who seemed to be getting the hang of things. I'd notice that the neighbors' kids seemed to be doing well, and I'd think to myself, What do they do that I'm not doing? Their kids are in sports. Maybe I should get mine in sports. I'd walk away from a conversation with someone who seemed to be on top of th world, and afterward I'd think, She seems so well-read. I'm not reading enough. I should read more. I'd hear that a colleague was doing well financially, and quickly I'd jump to, He spends time managing his money. I ought to do that. We do this all the time, all of us, this monitoring and assessing and observing and adjusting, trying to find the keys to make life work.

We end up with quite a list. But the only lasting fruit it seems to bear is that it ties us up in knots. Am I supposed to be reading now, or exercising, or monitoring my fat intake, or creating a teachable moment with my son?

The good news is you can't figure out life like that. You can't possibly master enough principles and disciplines to ensure that your life works out. You weren't meant to, and God won't let you. For He knows that if we succeed without Him, we will be infinitely further from Him. We will come to believe terrible things about the universe--things like I can make it on my own and if only I try harder, I can succeed.That whole approach to life--trying to figure it out, beat the odds, get on top of your game--it is utterly godless. Meaning entirely without God. He is nowhere in those considerations. That sort of scrambling smacks more of the infamous folks who raised the tower of Babel than it does of those who walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day. In the end, I'd much rather have God.

Does any of this sound familiar?

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once said this:

The chief danger of the twentieth century will be religion without the Holy Spirit. Christianity, the chief danger, but Christianity without Christ.

In 1787, Gibbon the noted historian completed his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Here’s the way he accounted for the fall of the Roman empire.

The rapid increase of divorce

The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home

The mad craze for pleasure and sports

Sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal

The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within…in the decadence of the people.

The decay of religion. Faith fading into mere form. Ritual instead of reality. Language instead of life. Losing touch with life…becoming impotent to warn or guide the people.

2 Timothy 3

1BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

2For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

5For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

In other words, these folks may be in church on Sunday enjoying an empty religion with all the pious language intended to make it valid, but empty of substance. A hollow mockery of the real thing. Noise, lots of it, but little knowledge of God.

The Saving Life of Christ

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." The One who calls you to a life of righteousness is the One who by your consent lives that life of righteousness through you! The One who calls you to minister to the needs of humanity is the One who by your consent ministers to the needs of humanity through you! The One who calls you to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, is the One who by your consent, goes into all the world and preaches the Gospel to every creature through you!

This is the divine genius that saves a man from the futility of self-effort. It relieves the Christian of the burden of trying to pull himself up by his own bootstraps! If it were not for this divine provision, the call to Christ would be a source of utter frustration, presenting the sorry spectacle of a sincere idealist, constantly thwarted by his own inadequacy. If you will but trust Christ, not only for the death He died in order to redeeem you, but also for the life that He lives and waits to live through you, the very next step you take will be a step taken in the very energy and power of God Himself!

Major Ian Thomas
The Saving Life of Christ

It Meant So Much To Us

A Song for My Annie

I was really blessed by a song yesterday and I thought the lyrics below really suited my Annie, so I sang it to her. I think she was blessed by it too.

All You Are, by Michael Card

Where did you get those eyes so blue?
They're from the sky that you passed through
Where did you get that little tear?
Did you find that it was waiting for you here?

And what about your little nose?
He knew you need it for the rose.
And as for your soft curly ear
He knew there would be songs for you to hear

For all you are and all you'll be
For everything you mean to me
Though I don't understand
I know you're from the Father's hand

How can it be that you are you?
He thought you up and so you grew
Because your mine, it must be true
He was also thinking of me, too

For all you are and all you'll be
For everything you mean to me
Though I don't understand
I know you're from the Father's hand

For all you are and all you'll be
For everything you mean to me
Though I don't understand
I know you're from the Father's hand
The Father's hand...

A Poem for Moms and Dads

Let me guide a little child, dear Lord
I do not ask that Thou should give me some high work of Thine
Some noble calling or some wondrous task
Give me a little hand to hold in mine

Give me a little child to point the way
Over the strange, sweet path that leads to Thee
Give me a little voice to teach to pray
Give me two shining eyes Thy face to see

The only crown I ask dear Lord to wear is this
That I may teach a little child
I do not ask that I may ever stand among the wise, the worthy, or the great
I only ask that softly, hand in hand, the child and I may enter the gate

Author unknown

Discovering Daily Who Christ Really Is

a poem by Bonnie Hain

Discovering daily who God really is,
Thanking Him daily He’s mine and I’m His,
Discovering daily God’s great love for me;
Such mercy, forgiveness, amazingly free.

Discovering daily that God really cares,
Discovering daily He does answer prayers,
Discovering daily what grace really means:
Unmerited favor beyond all my dreams.

Discovering daily God speaking to me;
He speaks through the Bible. Once blind, now I see.
Discovering, discovering each day that I live
That all that I need, He freely will give.

Discovering daily Christ working through me,
Accomplishing daily what never could be.
Discovering daily: I can’t, but He can;
Thanking Him daily for my place in His plan.

Discovering daily how real life can be
When I’m living in Christ and He’s living in me.
Discovering daily a song in my heart
With anticipation for each day to start.

Delighting and basking in love so divine,
Secure in the knowledge I’m His and He’s mine.
Besides mere contentment, excitement I see!
A daily adventure: Christ (alive) living in me!

Copyright © 2006 Bonnie Hain.

A little background about this poem that Major Ian Thomas quotes in his book - "The Indwelling Life of Christ."

Three months before she wrote this poem Bonnie attempted to take her life. When Bonnie and her husband returned from the hospital after this episode of their life, her husband placed a phone call to a local pastor (Bob Hobson) requesting help. Neither Bonnie nor her husband was a Christian.

Major Thomas tells the rest of the story.

Now, in response to this plea from a couple he did not know, Bob went to see them. He led them both to Christ, and he fully understood what that means. He did not just invite them to join his church or even simply to make a decision for Jesus so they could head toward heaven instead of hell. He led them to Christ. He invited them to receive Somebody, so that Somebody could live in them, Somebody living in somebody.

Such truth was revolutionary for this couple. From the moment of their genuine conversion, they fully grasped the implication of being born from above and becoming the recipients of the resurrection Life of the One who was crucified and then rose from the dead to share His Life with them on earth on their way to heaven. Life has held this same excitement for them ever since.

I Want to Be True, Part Four and Final

I believe it is here that George MacDonald gets into the "how" of it. How can a man/woman be true? See what he has to say.

When an individual is, with his whole nature, loving and willing the truth, he or she is then a live truth. This he has not originated in himself. He has seen it and striven for it, but not originated it.

The truth of every man, I say, is the perfected Christ in him. As Christ is the blossom of humanity, so the blossom of every man is the Christ perfected in him. The vital force of humanity working in him is Christ; He is his root--the generator and perfector of his individuality. The stronger the pure will of the man to be true, the freer and more active his choice, the more definite his individuality, even the more is the man and all that is his, Christ's. Without Him, he could not have truth, he could never have loved it, loving and desiring it, he could not have attained to it.

God gives us the willl wherewith to will, and the power to use it. But we, ourselves must will the truth, and for that the Lord is waiting. The work is his, but we must take our willing share. When the blossom breaks forth in us, the more it is ours, the more it is His. For the highest creation of the Father is the being that can like the Father and Son, of his own self will what is right. The groaning and travailing, the blossom and the joy, are the Father's and the Son's and ours. The will, the power of willing, may be created, but the willing is begotten. Because God wills first, man wills also.

When my being is consciously and willigly in the hands of him who called it to live and think and suffer and be glad--given back to him by a perfect obedience--I thenceforward breathe the breath, share the life of God himself. Then I am free, and in that I am true--which means one with the Father. And freedom knows itself to be freedom.

When a man is true, if he were in hell, he could not be miserable. He is right with himself, because right with Him from whom he came. To be right with God is to be right with the universe, one with the power, the love, the will of the mighty Father, the cherisher of joy, the Lord of laughter, whose are all glories, all hopes, who loves everything and hates nothing but selfishness, which he will not have in his kingdom.

Christ then is the Lord of life. His life is the light of men. The light mirrored in them changes them into the image of him, the Truth.

And thus the Truth, who is the Son, makes them free.

Fantastic, I say! What say you?

I Want to Be True, Part Three

Jesus, the Live Truth

The one originating, living, visible truth, embracing all truths in all relations, is Jesus Christ.

He is true. He is the live truth. His truth, chosen and willed by him, the ripeness of his being, the flower of his sonship, which is his nature, the crown of his one topmost perfect relation acknowledged and gloried in, is his absolute obedience to his Father.

The obedient Jesus is Jesus, the Truth.

He is true and the root of all truth and development of truth in men. Their very being, however far from the true human, is the undeveloped Christ in them, and his likeness to Christ is the truth of a man, even as the perfect meaning of a flower is the truth of a flower.

I Want to Be True, Part Two

You should not read ahead unless you are willing to have your manhood or womanhood challenged a bit. Seriously...I was and am extremely convicted by the following, but I thank God for it...its life to me really. The language isn't easy to read, but just keep going and you will be rewarded, I promise. Keep going.

Moral Facts--The Doing of Truth

The moment that whatever goes by the name of truth comes into connection with man, the moment that, instead of merely mirroring itself in his intellect as a thing outside of him, it comes into contact with him as a being of action, the moment the knowledge of it affects or ought to affect his sense of duty, it becomes a thing of far nobler import.

The question of truth then enters upon a higher plane, looks out of a loftier window.

A fact, which in itself is of no value, becomes at once a matter of moral life and death when a man has the imperative choice of being true or false concerning it. When the truth, the heart, the summit, the crown of a thing is perceived by a man, he approaches the fountain of truth whence the thing came, and perceiving God by understanding what it is, becomes more of a man, more of the being he was meant to be. In virtue of this perceived truth, he has relations with the universe until then undeveloped in him. But far higher will the doing of the least, the most insignificant duty raise him.

There, in the obedience of his actions, he begins to be a true man. A man may delight in the vision and glory of a truth, and not himself be true. The man whose vision is weak, but who--as far as he sees, and wanting to see farther--does the thing he sees, is a true man. The man who recognized the turth of any human relation and neglects the duty involved is not a true man. The man who knows the laws of nature and does not heed them, the more he teaches them to others, the less he is a true man. The man who takes good care of himself and none of his brother and sister is false. A man may be a poet or preacher, student or teacher, aware of the highest truths of many things, aware of that beauty which is the final cause of existence; he may be a man who would not tell a lie, or steal, or slander; and yet he may not be a true man, inasmuch as the essentials of manhood are not his aim, he has not come into the flower of his own being.

There are relations closer than those of the facts around him that he is failing to see, or seeing, fails to acknowledge, or acknowledging, fails to fulfill. Man is man only in the doing of truth, perfect man, only in the doing of the highest truth, which is the fulfilling of his relations to his origin. Fulfilling them, he is himself a truth, a living truth. The man is a true man who chooses duty; he is a perfect man who at length never thinks of duty. Relations, truths, duties are shown to the man away beyond him, that he may choose them and be a child of God, choosing righteousness like him. The man who regards duties only as facts, or even the man who regards them as essential truths, but goes no farther, is a man of untruth. He is a man indeed, but not a true man. He is a man in possibility, but not yet in reality. The recognition of these things is the imperative obligation to fulfill them. Not fulfilling these relations, these duties, a man is undoing the right of his own existence, destroying his raison d'etre.

When the soul or heart, or spirit, or whatever you please to call that which is the man himself and not his body, sooner or later becomes aware that he needs someone above him, whom to obey, in whom to rest, from whom to seek deliverance from what in himself is despicable, disappointing, and unworthy, then indeed is that man in the region of truth, and beginning to come true in himself. When a man bows down before a power that can account for him, a power that knows whence he came and whither he is going, who knows everything about him and can set him right, longs indeed to set him right, making of him a creature confident as a child whom his father is leading by the hand to the heights of happy-making truth-- then is that man bursting into his flower. Then the truth of his being, his real nature--born in God at first, and responsive to the truth, the being of God his origin--begins to show itself. Then is his nature coming into harmony with itself.

In obeying the will that is the cause of his being, he begins to stand on the apex of his being. He begins to feel himself free. The truth--not as known to his intellect, but as revealed in his own sense of being true--has made him free. No abstract truth held by purest insight can make a man free. But the truth done, the truth loved, the truth lived by the man, the truth of and not merely in the man himself--that is the truth that makes him free.

As I've said, I want to be true...and I want to be free. Stay tuned for part 3.

I Want to Be True, Part One

Probably, the biggest spiritual influence in my life is Major Ian Thomas. However, for some reason, lately I keep coming back to George MacDonald and keep getting blessed. In this post and the posts that immediately follow, I intend to share some of his thoughts that have deeply impacted me in the past week. Take it in and enjoy! I want all of you to know right now that I want to be true.

Truth, the Blossom

To love the truth is a far greater thing than to know it, for it is itself truth in the inward parts--act truth, as distinguished from fact-truth. IN the highest truth the knowledge and love of it are one, or, if not identical, then coincident. The very sight of the truth is the loving of it.

What is the truth of water?
Is it that it is formed of hydrogen and oxygen? Is it for the sake of the fact that hydrogen and oxygen combined form water that the precious thing exists? Or has God put the two together only that man might separate and find them out? He allows his child to pull his toys to pieces, but wast hat the purpose for which they were made? A schoolteacher might see therein the best use of a toy, but not a father!Find what in the constitution of the two gases makes them fit and capable to be thus honored in forming the lovely thing and you will give us a revelation about more than water, namely about the God who made oxygen and hydrogen. There is no water in oxygen, no water in hydrogen. It comes bubbling fresh from the imagination of the living God, rushing from under the great white throne of the glacier.

The very thought of it makes one gasp with an elemental joy no meta physicist can analyze. The water itself, that dances, and sings, and slakes the wonderful thirst--symbol and picture of that draught for which the woman of Samaria made her prayer to Jesus--this lovely thing itself, whose very wetness is a delight to every inch of the human body in its embrace, this live thing, which, if I could, I would have babbling through my room, this water is its own self, its own truth and is therein a truth of God. Let him who would know the love of the Maker become sorely athirst and drink of the brook beside his path--then lift up his heart to the inventor and mediator of thirst and water, that man might foresee a little of what his soul may find in God. If he become not then as a hart panting for the water brooks, let him go back to his science and its husks, for they will in the end make him thirsty.

Let a man go to the hillside and let the brook sing to him until he loves it, and he will find himself far nearer the fountain of truth than any triumphal chemist at the moment of a great discovery. He will draw from the brook the water of joyous tears, "and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountain of waters."

The truth of a thing, then, is the blossom of it, the thing it is made for, the topmost stone set on with rejoicing. Truth in a man's imagination is the power to recognize this truth of a thing. And wherever, in anything that God has made, in the glory of it, be it sky or flower or human face, we see the glory of God, there a true imagination is beholding a truth of God.

Okay, more to come concerning truth. Any thoughts about this? I'm particularly persuaded that the truth of a thing, indeed, is the blossom of it....its uttermost purpose, what God made it for, etc.

There's Just Something About a Wedding

On Saturday, I officiated my sister's wedding...what an awesome blessing! It's not often that weekends like this one come along, so I tried to soak it in as much as possible. There was so much to soak in! As I look back on the gathering of dear and genuinely missed family (near and distant) and the long-lasting celebration of love, the palpable touch of God's goodness makes me smile. At this point, there are two things that stick out in my mind as "favorite moments."

First, when my son (the ring bearer) made his way down the aisle and approached his spot next to me, I stuck out my hand and we spontaneously exchanged a subtle low-five...very fun. Of course, I also enjoyed watching my beautiful little girl willfully perform her duties as the flower girl (again, I know these moments are so rare).

Second, and perhaps the most memorable was the eye contact. While speaking during my sister's wedding, the only mode of discernible communication with me was eye contact. I so much enjoyed the facial expressions of the bride and groom as they encouraged, anticipated, delighted and rejoiced during different parts of the ceremony....all with their eyes. At one point or another, I was engaged by different wedding guests and even spurred on by one bridesmaid (Laura Lees) as I stumbled briefly over a sentence.

Through it all, God was faithful. I wasn't nervous at all....just excited at the opportunity to share what He wanted me to share. On Saturday I learned that I have a long way to go in learning to speak by His speaking, and not just reciting His words. Still, I believe that the Lord Jesus was there and it meant a lot that my dear friend and brother, Rishi, prayed for me just before the guests arrived. Finally, it meant so much to me to be so warmly received by my local brothers and sisters in Christ at the reception. To Ryan and Jennifer, may God richly bless your marriage and thanks so much for the overwhelming joy of being a part of its beginning.

What if?

Consider this:

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. (John 17)

and this:

10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13Is Christ divided? (I Corinthians 1)

and this (from Hudson Taylor as he gathered the first team of missionaries that ventured into inland China)

“To those who have never been called to prove the faithfulness of the covenant-keeping God, it might seem a hazardous experiment to send twenty-four European evangelists to a distant heathen land “with only God to look to”.....

The work they were undertaking was far too great to be limited to any one denomination. The fact that the Mission offered no salaries was in itself enough to deter all but those whose experience made them sure of God, and such souls possess a union in more than name.

We had to consider (Mr. Taylor continued) whether it would not be possible for members of various denominations to work together on simple, evangelistic lines, without friction as to conscientious differences of opinion. Prayerfully concluding that it would, we decided to invite the co-operation of fellow believers, irrespective of denominational views, who fully held the inspiration of God’s Word and were willing to prove their faith by going to inland China with only the guarantees they carried in their Bibles.”

I ask you;

What He might do on and for this planet, if only the children of God would look to Him, realize our oneness and come together?

Love is Strength

Love alone is great in might,
Makes the heavy burden light,
Smoothes rough ways to weary feet,
Makes the bitter morsel sweet;
Love alone is strength!

Might that is not born of Love
Is not Might born from above,
Has its birthplace down below
Where they neither reap nor sow;
Love alone is strength!

Love is stronger than all force,
Is its own eternal source;
Might is always in decay,
Love grows fresher every day;
Love alone is strength!

Little ones, no ill can chance;
Fear ye not, but sing and dance,
Though the high-heaved heaven should fall
God is plenty for us all;
God is Love and Strength!

George MacDonald

Old School

It is rare for me to drive our mini-van to work, but I did so on Friday. Our mini-van was built in 1996 and offers musical enjoyment only through the means of an audio-casette player. I soon found myself listening to dc Talk's JesusFreak.

I truly believe that JesusFreak is one of the best Christian compilations of all time (Truly, I don't know whether to call it an album, tape, or cd....for brevity's sake, let's call it a cd). It is definitely in my top five cd's of all time. It really is a very deep, yet incredibly fun collection of songs. Where else can you find such a potpourri of lyrical topics....drug addiction vs. God addiction, race relations, advocacy of fearless and unapologetic Christianity, daily fellowship with God, legitimate and genuine fear of losing the band's Christian identity, rea; forgiveness, and walking in the light as He is in the light. Not to mention that they just had a great sound. I know it's 2008, but I still say that JesusFreak is worth acknowledging as a great piece of music. Agree of disagree?

So, I've provided one of my top five cd's (and yes, the rest of them are actually from the 21st century)...anybody else care to share your top five list or one of your top five?

A Fresh Beginning

On Monday at work, I typed on my computer these words:

Lord Jesus, what do you want me to do?

My inquiry related to work so the reply was a little unexpected, but I typed it anyhow.

"Get up at 6:00 am and spend time with me."

"What would we do?" was my typed reply. I sensed "Read Taylor, MadDonald and Brand."

For three days straight, I've been getting up a little earlier to spend time with Jesus. Nothing earthshaking...I've followed the plan and the time really has meant something to me (and I suspect to Him as well). I confess that I really need encouragement to continue in this way. It's not easy going to bed early (I really should be in bed now) and its not easy getting up so early, but it has been soooo worth it. I know its not essential but more and more, I reallly would like to become a man of prayer...intentional prayer. Even now, its easy to read in the morning but not so easy to pray. In fact, reading Hudson Taylor's life story has stoked my prayer fire even more. Oh, how I want to be a man of prayer as he was! I feel like I'm at a place where the Lord wants to take the next step in regard to prayer in my life. I love that! I love that He is never satisfied and is always calling us to more encounters with Him!

Lately, I'm constantly feeling this sense of urgency that life is short and there is so much of Him to take in and so much of Him to share with others. I think the "how" of the longings of my heart somehow begins with prayer. How I need to keep going in the mornings with Him! I encourage any of you to encourage me in this. I don't want to be legalistic about it, but as I said before, these times have meant something to me (and I suspect to Him as well).

More from Uncle Hudson

As I'm reading along in this book, I'm finding that this brother's faith is just so encouraging. His words and life make me want to go on with Jesus all the more. Here's an example.

For God is no man's debtor, and here in his solitude, Hudson Taylor was learning something of what God can be to the one who follows hard after Him. In these days of easy-going Christianity, is it not well to remind ourselves that it really does cost to be a man or woman whom God can use? One cannot obtain a Christlike character for nothing, and one cannot do a Christlike work save at great price.

I pulled this statement from a subsequent chapter that seems to shed more light on the above::

"I never made a sacrifice," said Hudson Taylor in later years, looking back over a life in which that element was certainly not lacking. But what he said was true, for the compensations were so real and lasting that he came to see that giving up is inevitably receiving, when one is dealing heart to heart with God.

Chapter 4 of this book is magnificent! This chapter's essential message is that when we are faithfully obedient and take steps that God calls us to take, He always comes through and will never leave us holding an empty bag. His testimony to this fact as told in Chapter four really is inspiring. One of the best book chapters I've ever read, and that's no exaggeration.

She's Perfect for Me

I'm so grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for the precious gift of my beautiful wife Maria. She is a precious expression of His goodness and faithfulness to me. The above is one of my favorite pictures. You can find her blog at www.centeredonjesus.blogspot.com. The link is forever posted as "My Favorite Blog" and identified by the tremendously appropriate title of "Expressions of a Child of God." It really does give you a sense of who she is and who she loves. She loves Jesus and loves me, and I love her.

Fun at Floyd Casey

Thanks to Rishi for taking this great picture of our sons playing on the turf at Floyd Casey Stadium. Just prior to the picture being taken, Ben and Ellis had tackled me to the ground and the photo shows them taunting me and keeping me from getting up off the turf. Thanks also to my dad for going with us and siding with me in who should start for Baylor at QB next year. His name is Robert Griffin and even though he is a freshman, he looked fantastic and should be the starter for the next four years. We don't care what Rishi says, do we dad? We all agreed that the Bears looked better than years past; not great, just better. By far the best part was being with our boys and watching them have a terrific time. Ben and Ellis are so different, but so much fun in their own way. Lots of laughs and lots of joy! Thanks boys!

Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor lived from 1832 to 1905 and is considered by most to be largely responsible for opening China to the ministry of Jesus Christ. He was a remarkable man who founded the China Inland Mission. Hudson Taylor's son wrote a book called Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret and Dr. Howard Taylor described the secret to his father's amazing life as follows:

What was the secret, we may well ask, of such a life? Hudson Taylor had many secrets, for he was always going on with God, yet they were but one--the simple, prfound secret of drawing for every need, temporal or spiritual, upon the fathomless wealth of Christ. To find out how he did this, and to make our own his simple, practical attitude toward spiritual things, would solve our problems and ease our burdens, so that we too might become all that God would make us.. We want, we need, we may have, Hudson Taylor's secret and his success, for we have Hudson Taylor's bible and his God.

Preceeding these words was written this simple poem, which I presume is from the perspective of our precious Lord:

Bear not a single care thyself, One is too much for thee;
The work is mine, and mine alone;
Thy work---to rest in Me.

I'd like to claim this man as a blood relative (same last name) but I, naturally, have no proof. Of course, if I ever get proof, many of you will be the first to know! Does anyone see a family resemblance?

My wondeful boy!

My son is six and I really love him. Today is opening day for major league baseball and Ben and I played catch for the first time. We've attempted it in the past, but today we really played. It was so much fun.



As indicated above, we have tried to play in the past, but it was more like a game of "throw and run after the baseball." Today I threw the ball and he caught it. He threw the ball and I caught it. We talked and enjoyed each other as we threw and caught. It was an emotional experience as I realized that this is yet another indication that he is growing up. I find myself in a paradox of wanting to preserve the present, yet being delighted with each new experience. God is good.

Truth, Plain and Simple

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:25

I have heard it recently said that the gospel is simply amazing yet amazingly simple. In its simplest terms I believe the gospel can be summed up by saying that Jesus gave His life for us in order that He might give His life to us in order that He might live His life through us. As indicated by the above scripture, God has no interest in muddying the waters, but we do have an enemy who is interested in just exactly that.

As I said in the previous post, I do love George MacDonald and I do realize that I quoted him in my last post. I will impose upon myself a two quote limit per month, but I just can't help but share his thoughts on the subject. Besides, its my blog so I can do as I please. :) Again, this is from Discovering the Character of God, as edited and compiled by Michael Phillips.

"Theological Explainers Hide the Gospel

There is a wonderful thing in the parables, not readily grasped, but indicated by the Lord Himself--their unintelligiblity to the mere intellect. They are addressed to the conscience and not to the intellect, to the will and not to the imagination. The parables are strong and direct, but not definite. They are not meant to explain anything, but to rouse a man to the feeling, "I am not what I ought to be."

Many maundering interpretations may be given by the wise, with plentiful loss of labor, while the child who uses them for the necessity of walking in the one path will constantly receive light from them. The greatest obscuration of the words of the Lord comes from those who give themselves to interpret rather than do them. Theologians have done more to hide the Gospel of Christ than any of its adversaries. It was not for our understanding, but our will, that Christ came. He who does that which he sees, shall understand. He who is set upon understanding rather than doing, shall go on stumbling and mistaking and speaking foolishness. The Gospel itself, and in it the parables of the truth, are to be understood only by those who walk by what they find. It is not intended by the speaker of the parables that any other should know intellectually what, known but intellectually, would be for his injury. When the pilgrim of the truth comes on his journey to the region of the parable, he finds its interpretation. It is not a fruit or a jewel to be stored, but a well springing by the wayside.

Does the Light Blind or Illuminate?

The parables are plainly for the teaching of the truth, and yet the Lord speaks of them as for the concealing of it. This difficulty may be removed by realizing that they are for the understanding of the man only who is practical--who does the thing he knows, who seeks to understand it practically. They reveal to the live conscience, otherwise not to the keenest intellect--thought at the same time they may help to rouse the conscience with glimpses, of the truth, where the man is on the borders of waking.

Ignorance may be at once a punishment and a kindness. "Because you will not do, you shall not see; but it would be worse for you if you did see, not being of the disposition to do." Such are punished in having the way closed before them. They punish themselves, their own actions (their non-doing of what they ought to see and ought to do) results--as it cannot but result on them--in the keeping of their eyes closed. To say to them certain things so that they could understand them would but harden them more, because they would still not do them. They should have only parables--lanterns of the truth, clear to those who will walk in their light, dark to those who will not. The former are content to have the light cast upon their way; the latter will have it in their eyes, and thus are unable to use the light properly. For them to have the light would only blind them. For them to know would be their worse condemnation. They are not fit to know more. Thus more shall not be given them yet.

They choose the dark. And they shall stay in the dark until they choose to come out of it. God is visible all around us, but only to the man or woman who would see Him. Either there is a God and that God is perfect truth and loveliness, or else all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones. The light is there, but not all use it to see with. "

I would just like to declare that the content of the gospel is a living person and His name is Jesus Christ. We run to Him as we come to the daily conclusion that "we are not as we ought to be" and find out that He wants to live His life in us and be what we cannot be. We trade the pending heartache and futility of our own self effort for a child like faith that just lets Him do it. That's the good news and that's the truth....plain and simple.

Spring is Springing Forth!

Lately, I have been inspired by the season of spring. Plants, trees, and grass that were dead (okay, dormant) a month ago are now bursting forth with life. Life is all over the place right now and it is beautiful. I think God gives us spring to remind us of resurrection life....life that only comes from Him. If you care to visit this blog from time to time, you will see many quotes from my dear brother, George MacDonald. The majority of these quotes will come from a book called Discovering the Character of God which is a compilation of MacDonald's prose and poetry pieced together by Michael Phillips. This book is one of my very few prized possessions. Take this in:

"There exists a mystery in the world, and in all the looks of it--a mystery because of a meaning. There is a jubilance in every sunset. There is a whispering of strange secrets in the wind of the twilight and an unknown bliss in the song of the lark. We cannot help but be aware of a something beyond it all, now and then filling our minds and hearts with wonder, and compelling us to ask, "What can it all mean?"

The flowers live.

They come from the same heart as man himself, and are sent to be his companions and ministers. There is something divinely magical because profoundly human, in them. Our feeling for many of them doubtless comes from certain associations from childhood. But how did they get hold of us even in childhood? Why do they enter our souls at all? It is because the flowers are joyous, inarticulate children, come with vague messages from the Father of all. If I confess that what they say to me sometimes makes me weep, how can I call my feeling for them anything but love?

And the flowers are only one example. All nature, from the mountains to the sea to the fog that hangs so low on the hills, the heather in August, the hot, the cold, the rain--everything speaks, like the flower, messsages from God, the Father of the universe. The eternal may have a thousand forms of which we know nothing yet!

The beautiful things around us are the expressions of God's face, or, as in Faust, the garment whereby we see the deity. Is God's sun more beautiful than God himself? Has he not left it to us as a symbol of his own life-giving light?"

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I am not a scientist. In my life, I have not really even appreciated science all that much. However, I must confess that I have fallen in love with a book that at least has a scientific flavor. I am currently reading a book called "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" by Dr. Paul Brand and Phillip Yancy. The book is delightful! It really is. I am learning so much. I highly recommend it. The premise of the book is to draw comparisons between the exquisite creation of our own physical bodies and the constant, fluid and beautiful creation of the Body of Christ. I have found the book incredibly educational (I know I've already said that), inspiring, heart-felt, deeply meaningful, and (most suprising) funny. I have found myself laughing out loud at times and just really enjoying the writing. Here's a sample:

"I have closed my eyes. My shoes are kicked off, and I am wiggling the small bones in my right foot. Exposed, they are half the width of a pencil, and yet they support my weight in walking. I cup my hand over my ear and hear the familiar seashell phenomenon, actuallly the sound of blood cells rushing through the capillaries in my head. I stretch out my left arm and try to imagine the millions of muscle cells eagerly expanding and contracting in concert. I rub my finger across my arm and feel the stimulation of touch cells, 450 of them in each on-inch square patch of skin.

Inside my stomach, spleen, liver, pancreas, and kidneys, each packed with millions of loyal cells, are working so efficiently I have no way of perceiving their presence. Fine hairs in my inner ear are monitoring a swishing fluid, ready to alert me if I suddenly tilt off balance.

When my cells work well. I'm hardly conscious of their individual presences. What I feel is the composite of their activity known as Paul Brand. My body, composed of many parts, is one. And that is the root of the analogy we shall explore."

What I like best about the book is although it describes an incredibly complex topic, the book somehow comes across as an easy read AND Christ centered. Jesus Christ, and not the author's intellect, takes center stage.

Music, Music, Music!

I love music, I truly do. I believe that God gave us music as a mechanism to somehow touch Him. In fact, often I find myself touched by music in a way that's difficult to describe. I love all sorts of musical styles and genres, but usually those with strictly a Christian flair. Lately, I've been listening to classical, instrumental music in the form of the sound track to the movie Finding Neverland. The great thing about movie soundtracks (especially for novices like me) is that they usually have a constant running melody that pervades the entire cd. I like that. My spirit feels rewarded and somehow reassured whenever this melody is revealed from time to time.

There are two things that the Lord has revealed to me about this type of music. First, ALL of the music has significance. I find myself especially moved emotionally when the orchestra reaches that break out moment when the music is unmistakably noticeable and breathtaking...those wow moments when you think, "Wow, that was gorgeous." However, we can't miss the music in between those "wow moments." The music is always at work in soundtracks like this....it may seem like background music that is more subtle and subdued, but it is just as important and lovely. In fact, the loveliness of the subtle music enhances the beauty and often leads up to and builds up to those "wow moments."

This is the Christian life. God is always working in our lives and much of the time, it may seem like His work is not all that significant...like He's working in the background. However, His daily working in and through us is what makes our life beautiful and occasionally leads to moments where His presence and impact is undeniable and we just say "Wow, look at what God did! And then we realize that He was there the whole time working and bringing us to this present moment that we know has no possible explanation but God, Himself. He's the music of our lives and ALL of the music has significance.

Second, there is something significant to the playing of the music. Each piece of the orchestra is wonderfully unique and has its own part to play in the musical piece. Further, the music that each instrument plays is typically unique. Flutes play different notes and in different tempo than the french horns or the trumpets, but they are all playing TOGETHER simultaneously. The differences of the instruments and the music that they play, but as they are played at the same time often results in those big, wonderful "wow moments." Get this, the trumpet and its music is special and unique, the violin and its music is special and unique, but the orchestra is meant to be played TOGETHER. The beauty and magnificence of the French horn is maximized and at its peak when it takes its place in harmony with the greater whole. I don't find French horn solos all that compelling, but a French horn can hit a poignant note in the midst of a powerful orchestra movement that can bring tears to my eyes. I think we possess the capacity to appreciate music in this way, because it is reflected in our own lives and within the Church.

Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, along with Ephesians 2 (no doubt other passages) beautifully describe the body of Christ as a unit made up of many special and unique parts. In like manner, the beauty of the individual Christian is glorified (or shown off) as he/she takes his/her place with the other members. As we are fit together (1 Peter 2), God's music is played and its beauty is compelling and indescribably good (b/c He is)....much more so than the solo Christianity that has become so prevalent and is no more compelling than a French horn solo. Fittingly, it took a lunch with another Brother for the Lord to reveal this truth fully to me. Oh, how we need each other! I have linked to the soundtrack for your enjoyment!

This Present Life

Let's start out with the premise that Jesus Christ is alive! You see, the good news is not that He was alive, but that He IS alive!

My name is Christopher Taylor and Jesus Christ is my life. This is NOT a doctrinal statement; it is fact. I am a lawyer whose heart has been captivated and stolen away by my precious redeemer and creator. I have not one iota of righteousness that He does not produce within me. In fact, Jesus (Himself) lives within me and is constantly at work to transform me into His likeness. For Christians, eternal life is experienced presently. Not pie in the sky when you die, but really knowing and experiencing Him in the now. This, friends, is what the bible calls the gospel!

I intend to use this blog to express and record His life as it (He) plays out over the coming months and years. You see, He is alive and I fully expect Him to show up and populate these pages through life experiences, answered prayer, pictures, scripture, brokenness, and unexplainable (and undeserved) love and goodness. How do I know that Jesus Christ is alive? Just watch as He reveals Himself in future posts. I have no doubt that He will.