There is relationship and intimacy and there is also tapping into God's creativity and purposes. God wants to be intimate and have relationship with us because He wants us to know Him. As we grow in knowing Him, one of the things we'll learn about Him is that He is creative and that He is purposeful. Conversely, as we grow in understanding that God is creative and purposeful we will grow in knowing Him. This is more than just mere emotional intimacy or even just relationally connecting... it is honoring God as the King, the Creator and the Sovereign Lord of our lives.

Hello to all of you! Actually, i'm not sure that there are any of you out there, haha... My site traffic tracker is indicating low results... oh well... :)

In I Corinthians 2:2 Paul says that while he was with the Corinthians he resolved to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. What does that mean? Does it mean that the only words he ever said were, "Christ and Him crucified"? I don't think so. But what I do think it means is that everything Paul lived and breathed, everything he taught, every relation he had came out of a revelation of Christ and Him crucified. it's an amazing thing and is quite a mystery. Can our whole lives be lived out of this one truth? Does Christ dying on the Cross and my death and resurrection with Him really have effect and ramifications for my whole life? The answer: YES. 

To me it's quite basic. I died with Jesus and I am no longer the person I used to be. Who I am now is who He says I am.

I was talking with a friend recently and he asked me about when I was a teenager and if I still dealt with any of the issues that I did back then. Mainly, he was talking about when I used to be suicidal and depressed. I told him that I didn't deal with that stuff anymore and that I actually didn't know that person anymore. He kind of corrected me and said something to the effect of, "Well, that person is still a part of you". I didn't agree with him, but I didn't correct him either. Here's what I really believe though: That person isn't a part of me anymore. My old self was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). In Christ, my old self was circumcised from me (Col. 2:11). In Christ, the old has gone (2 Cor. 5:17). I remember who that person was, just like I remember old friends who have passed away. But my old self is no more alive today than my friend from high school who died in a car crash when he was 19. I remember my friend, but he's dead and I don't relate to him like he's a live. Same with my old self. I remember my old self, but he's not alive and I don't relate to him like he is. 

I am no longer the person that I used to be. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Christ became my sin. Not only did Christ take my sin, He BECAME it. He became my lying and my cursing. He became my apathy. He became all the bad things I'd ever done. Furthermore, He became all the bad things ever done to me. He became my suicidal thoughts. He became my depression. And then He died. And with Christ, all the things that were a part of who I was died too.

I am no longer the person that I used to be. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 also says that I am the righteousness of God. I Corinthians 1:2 and 6:11 say I'm sanctified. Romans 5:10 and Colossians 1:22 say I'm reconciled. Hebrews 10:10 and I Peter 2:9 say I'm holy. This is who I am now. How can this be!? It IS because of what Christ has done. In the same way that I was born into sin through Adam, I have now been born again into righteousness through Christ (Romans 5:19). I remain righteous by believing this truth. That is the work that God has called me to do - to believe (John 6:29, Gal. 3:5). Furthermore, anything outside of believing is sin (Rom. 14:23) and when I try to achieve righteousness out of my own strength, it is an insult to Christ's work on the Cross (Gal. 2:21). But I believe God and what He says about me and it is credited to me as righteousness.

This is who I am now. And out of this truth I live and breathe. 

Out of the fact that Jesus became my sin and killed my old self on the Cross, I live and breathe. 

Out of the fact that my old self was crucified I teach. 

Out of the fact that Jesus became my lying and cursing and both those things died with Him, I speak the truth and speak kindly. 

Out of the fact that I have everything I need for life and godliness because of the fullness of His act on the Cross (I Pet. 1:7), I spend money wisely and without an inkling of fear. 

Out of the fact that Jesus became my sin and the sins of others, I relate to others out of love - and it's not a sentimental mushy kind of love, it's a love empowered by truth that doesn't depend on human emotion. 

Out of the fact that in Christ both my wife and I are righteous and holy, I can love her and she can respect me - not because we have to, but because we know who we are and we see who each other are in Christ. 

I could on... but you get the picture (I hope). Am I saying I never sin? I'm not saying that. Am I saying am 100% always living out of this truth. I'm not, not yet. But the answer for when I sin, or get out of line, or simply forget is to simply BELIEVE. Furthermore, the answer is NOT to do more things. 

It really is quite basic. I died with Jesus and I am no longer the person I used to be. Who I am now is who He says I am. The way I live my life and conduct myself lines up with who God says I am now, not who I used to be. That's what it means to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Don't overcomplicate this... give up whoever you think you are and receive the truth of who God now says you are in Him. That's the only doing that needs to be done. 

I had been feeling pressure to back down from this truth. Is this too difficult to understand? Am I getting annoying as I hold so tightly to Christ and Him crucified? Isn't there something more we need to do or preach here?  I went to sleep hearing these things but then God woke me the next day and showed me this verse, Galatians 3:3 in the God's Word translation:

"Are you that stupid? Did you begin in a spiritual way only to end up doing things in a human way?"

I'm not backing down. There is no other message. This is the truth and Scripture and the Spirit confirm it. Not only that, but the fruit from it that I've seen in my life and the lives of those around me proves it. My friends who have been looking for jobs in a tanked economy have found jobs (I can name 4 people who've gotten new jobs in the past 2 or 3 weeks). A man in our church recently had tumors in his body disappear. A woman in our church was cured of Lyme Disease just last week. A man I know has received correction on how to relate to people out of maturity instead of sarcasm and now is a delight to be around. None of this occurred through works. All of this is the fruit of preaching, believing and holding on to our death and resurrection with Christ. 

I'm not backing down. 

"Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God’s approval. His wounds have healed you" - I Peter 2:24 (God's Word Translation)

I love reading different versions of the Bible. Biblegateway.com just put up this new translation, the "God's Word" translation and I'm liking it for the most part. The way things are worded are a little clearer in a lot of my favorite passages. I'm thinking I may like to pick up a hard copy of it...

Anyways, here is a verse from Peter that you might think would come from Paul. But the truth is, the Gospel is the Gospel and all the writers of the New Testament preached the same Gospel! Here Peter tells us that Christ carried our sins in His body on the Cross and freed us from those sins. God carried our sins and didn't give them back! Ha! What an awesome truth! Even better, because we are freed from our sins we live a life that has God's approval. We have God's approval! Peter emphasizes this truth by saying that Christ's wounds HAVE HEALED us (past tense)! Awesome!

Now, you might read that verse and think it's saying that because we've been freed from our sins we now need to do our parts and live a life that God would approve of. But what the verse is really saying is that because we have been freed from our sins our lives now have the approval of God.

Do you see the difference?

I Peter 2:24 isn't saying that because of what Christ did we are now obligated to live a life that God would approve of, it's saying that because of what Christ did, we now live a life that has God's approval.

If Peter is saying that I must now perform all these good acts and live a life that God would approve of, that puts a ton of pressure on me and my own strength. Reading this verse that way implies a sense of abandonment one might feel from God (consciously or subconsciously) that just isn't true. That sort of mindset might say something like, "Yes, Jesus carried my sins but now I've really got to perform and do my part to stay holy". But we are NOT abandoned and that is NOT what Peter is saying! Peter isn't trying to guilt us into living a life of holiness. He's not saying we "should" be a certain way since God did something great for us. Peter knew that guilt didn't work. He also knew the grace and mercy of Jesus first-hand (read the Gospels) and grace and mercy is what he's preaching here.

What Peter IS saying is that because we are freed from our sins we now live lives that have God's approval. Peter isn't asking us to do anything other than believe that truth. Do you believe that Christ carried our sins on the Cross and freed us from our sins? If so, then you have the approval of God on your life. Plain and simple. You don't need to do more to get God's approval. Yes, yes, of course, we must live this out. But it is this truth that will prove itself in our lives as we believe it. We don't need to prove this truth, it will prove itself and empower us to display and express the fruits of the Spirit as we believe it. As we believe that Christ carried our sins and freed us from them, the Gospel will bear its own fruit by it's own power (Col. 1:6 AMP) apart from our own efforts.

Make no mistake, it is God's act that gives us God's approval. No matter we do, our acts will not earn God's approval. If we believe what Christ did, we have God's approval.

I believe!!! Our lives have God's approval!

*** HIGH MOVER ALERT***

Sometimes I catch myself surfing the internet aimlessly or even looking purposelessly for something on TV watch. Today I was doing that and I realized that it's such a waste of time. It totally distracts me from engaging with my life, home and family. Even further, it hinders me from living a life focused on the Gospel. I'm not saying that TV or the internet are bad, I'm just saying that when it has no purpose, then it's a waste of time and there is something better to be doing. I'll leave it at that. 

Today I feel convicted that all I really want to know is Christ and Him crucified. I don't say that as a cliche, I say that as something real and I mean that I want my life to change (again). What is the Gospel? It's way more than just that Jesus died for our sins and we're going to heaven. When I hear that watered-down definition of the Gospel it kind of upsets me (I admit that maybe I need a different perspective or I need to change here). The Gospel is that we died and were raised with Christ, that we're holy and whole New Creations and that Christ wants to express Himself through His union with us on the earth right now!!! Right now, we're empowered to live lives of holiness, to walk in signs, wonders and miracles. We are teachable and moldable, soft-hearted and compassionate. We can raise healthy strong families and have healthy strong marriages. And that's just the beginning!!! The Gospel transcends, precedes and encompasses all other facets of Christianity. You don't have true evangelism, worship, teaching, fellowship or anything else apart from the truth of our death and resurrection with Christ. If such is not the case, then Christ's act on the Cross wasn't really all that powerful.

I know this is true and it makes me wonder why I bother trying to know anything else. Am I saying that we shouldn't learn other things? Absolutely not. But I am saying that if you're learning something out of your own motivation (as opposed to being guided to do so by the Spirit given to us because of the finished works on the Cross) you probably are wasting your time. 

I say this with trembling. The desire to only know Christ and Him crucified strikes a certain level of fear in me because it means more letting go of control and the things that are familiar to me. It means God will go deeper and more intimate. But what else is there to know? Does anything in this world compare to knowing Christ? 

Nope. 

The Lord has been speaking to me a lot lately in regards to relating and responding according to the Gospel. What I mean by this is that God is challenging me to relate and respond to others and to the circumstances of life based on the truth of the Gospel. This means that I do not relate to others based on my old nature. This also means that I do not relate to others just like the world does. Even further, this means that I do not relate to others a certain way simply because "it just makes sense". The same goes for life circumstances. When things go wrong or even if they go right, the only response truly representative of who I am in Christ is a response that is in line with the Gospel.

When this truth invades your life, it can be quite offensive. A lot of the ways that we relate and respond to people and things are just "second nature" or "muscle memory". We don't even think about it, we just do it. It simply "feels right" or "just makes sense". Even further, how we're relating and responding to someone/something isn't exactly wrong. There may not be anything in the Bible against it and actually, the Bible may even say we should do that thing. If it "feels right" and the Bible doesn't say anything against it (or even says I should do that thing) then everything is fine and this is how we should relate and respond, right?

Wrong. This is not the way of the Cross. Our union with Christ has achieved such a deep and incredible intimacy for us that it is actually wrong for us to just do things because they "feel right" or because they "just make sense". When we just do things like we've always done them, we are actually setting aside the gift of intimacy that Jesus won for us. What a travesty! Even if the Bible says its okay, it is not okay if it ignores our relationship with Christ. Without intimacy and relationship with Christ, it's just another form of religion. Gross...

This can be tough because it really challenges how you live your daily life and can shake things up dramatically. One example of this can be found in my marriage. I have realized that I am not to relate to Erin based on the fact that I love her. What!?!? Really!?!? Yes, really. You might say that's ridiculous, but hear me out. Love is great. You don't need to reiterate I Corinthians 13 to me, I know it and am all for it. And of course I agree with Ephesians 5. Please understand that what I'm saying doesn't mean that I love Erin any less or with any sort of diminished affection. It simply means that what Jesus did on the Cross has become the basis for how I relate and respond to my wife. Love is great, but to be honest, I don't always feel love. And while loving is the right thing to do and "just makes sense", I don't always do it. This is because as humans, our love changes and has varying degrees of intensity from time to time. Because of these changes, everything we do based on our love changes. Truth be told, there is a whole lot of power in love, but it is not enough. If it were enough, we wouldn't have divorces. But unfortunately, we do - even in the Church. However, when the Cross becomes the basis of my marriage to Erin then things no longer depend on how we feel. And if we can relate to each other based on BOTH of our deaths and resurrections with Christ then our feelings come under the truth of the Gospel and the power of the Gospel holds our marriage together. And you know what? I will end up loving Erin anyway! But it won't be mushy, sentimental "love". It'll be true, pure, powerful, sustaining love that transforms and strengthens our marriage. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of love I want!!!

As I have led worship these past few weeks, the Lord has challenged me to relate and respond to Him according to the Gospel. Truthfully when we relate and respond to Him according to anything other than the Gospel, He will not respond to us! That's scary to me! Because of this, we cannot afford to do things how we've always done them. We can't just simply look for what "feels good" or settle for what "just makes sense". This can be trying because we have heard things a certain way for so long and it feels good or "right" to do things the way that we know how. A great example of this is when things start to build and get louder during a part of a song. When this occurs, we're usually inclined to keep getting louder and louder and then go right into some sort of huge celebratory sound. In the past, this has been awesome and it can still be awesome today and in the future. But if we're doing it just because that's what "feels good" or "just makes sense", we're off. Do things always have to get louder? Is the culmination of a build up always a huge joyous celebratory sound where the drums are going wacko and I've got the distortion cranked to 10?

Another example of this occurred this past Sunday. We had been doing a certain chord progression for a while and things were getting quieter. I was thinking to myself, "Maybe we should end the song? Or maybe we should bring things down a little bit, get things sounding a little more 'worshipful'?" But when I looked in the spirit, all I saw was an angel dancing in celebration. I asked the Lord what it meant and He basically said to me, "This is what I'm doing". I quickly realized that what I was about to do wasn't what He was doing and decided I would do what He was doing, haha. I began to play my instrument differently and led the team accordingly and within a minute of that decision, Pastor Pete came up and began to encourage the congregation to celebrate. I was relieved that I took the time to see what the Lord was doing instead of just going with what I felt initially. The funny thing is, had we gone into a more "worshipful" mode, it probably wouldn't have been so bad. I'm sure people would've been able to enter into that. It might've felt good and right. But it wouldn't have been what the Lord was doing (and while there would've been plenty of grace for that, that's not what we're aiming for!).

I've shared this with you to encourage you to go deeper in your revelation of the Cross. I've shared this with you to challenge you to let the Gospel be the basis for how you relate and respond to others and to life. I've shared this with you so you can join me, Shelley, Pastor Pete and Pastor Lisa in relating and responding to God during worship at a whole new level. Ask the Lord to show you areas of your life where you have been responding according to your old nature or according to the world. Talk to the Holy Spirit about areas in your life or relationships where you may be doing things simply because they feel right or just make sense. As you dialogue with the Trinity, ask God to show you if there are any areas in worship where these same unhealthy dynamics are taking place. As you hear from the Lord, respond with the Gospel! Know that there is grace. Know that He has given us all we need for life and godliness (including being on the worship team!). Continue forward in the beautiful gift of intimacy He's won for us and step into what He's doing!

The song "Where I Belong" by Cory Asbury has an incredible bridge. It goes like this: 

"I am my beloveds and He is mine/ so come into Your garden and take delight in me/ take delight in me/ delight in me... delight in me"

Man, I'll tell ya, sometimes when I sing that part of that song I am just completely undone. I am floored by the idea that God would delight in me. There are so many beautiful things in the universe, so many beautiful people, yet He delights in me. It's His pleasure to know me and interact with me. Even as I type this, it may sound a little trite. My intellect says, "Well, of course He loves you and delights in you". But when it hits my spirit and my soul, when I actually experience this truth and it's no longer a concept I am blown away. 

When this truth hits me at my core, I actually want God to know me. I mean, He already does, but I want to interact with Him. I want to be intimate with Him because I know that He delights in me. It's absolutely amazing. 

Of course, God only delights in us because of what He did on the Cross. Apart from that, He wouldn't find much delight in us. But when we believe in what He did, intimacy can thrive between Him and us from both sides of the relationship. 

Praise Jesus!

 This is a continuation of my "things above" entry from May 10...

Colossians 3:3-4 

3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What does it mean that our lives are now hidden with Christ? The only way to truly understand this verse is to read it in the context of our dying and being raised with Christ. When Jesus died on the Cross over 2000 years ago, we died with Him. This is an incredible mystery and an astonishing truth! But let’s go deeper here… What does it mean to have died? 

For me, this is difficult to wrap my brain around. I mean, I’m obviously here typing this. I walk around. I eat. I sleep. I breathe. I’m “alive” right? But the truth is, I also died. It is quite the paradox! How is it that I died with Christ on the Cross, yet am still here, living and breathing today? I don’t have all the answers. But to me, to have died means that I have no life in and of myself. It means that any strength of my own ceases to have power and will not bear any real or lasting fruit. My being dead means that anything I do apart from a revelation of Christ in me is powerless; it’s all dead apart from Him! Conversely, any life that may result from anything I do only comes from Christ in me (whether I realize it or not). My life is hidden with Christ. My motivations, my actions and my activities will only bear fruit if they are rooted in a revelation of Christ in me. This is why Colossians 3:1- 2 tell us to set our hearts and minds on things above. We set our minds and hearts on things above because if we fail to do so, we will not live; we will not see life. Our life is hidden with Christ and the only way we’ll find it is in and through Him! It follows then that being alive means only one thing: Christ. And any life that is expressed through me is now an expression of my union with Jesus.  

Rabbit Trail: Our lives are hidden with Christ and as I've established, we will not experience true life outside of Christ. Some may say that Christ can be experienced outside of the Church and that is true to some extent. Christ is not limited to the four walls of any building. But Christ is in His Body, the Church. Christ loves His Body, the Church. We will only experience true life and the fullness of Him within His Body. Apart from the Body, we cannot find ourselves. Apart from the Body, we will not find life. 

Moving on...

I love Colossians 3:4. It says that when Christ - who is our life - appears, then we also will appear in glory. Nearly every commentary I’ve read says this verse is referring to Christ’s second coming. Some translations go so far as to even translate this verse using phrases like "Christ’s return” or “second coming”. Maybe it's referring to Jesus' second coming? But for me, if it is only referring to a future event, then setting my mind and heart on things above has no power for my life right now. If this verse is only referring to a future event, then Paul is only asking us to “hold on” by ourselves and operate out of our own strength until Christ’s second coming. But we know that Paul is not asking us to operate out of our own strength, so it follows that Christ appearing can’t be limited to just being a future event. It is a now event that has power and effect on our lives right now! 

Throughout Scripture, we see that God is calling us to live a life that bears fruit for Him. And since our life is hidden with Christ in God, we know that the only way for us to experience, express and produce life now is in and through Him. That’s why Paul exhorts us to set our hearts and minds on things above in Colossians 3:1-2. Paul wants us to really live! Colossians 3:4 says that when Christ – who is our life - appears, then we will also appear. As I said earlier, it is my belief that Christ’s appearing is a now event and one that occurs often. For each one of us, it can occur daily. It can even occur multiple times in a day. We see in Scripture that Paul himself had multiple encounters with Jesus (Acts 9, 2 Cor. 12) and I'm certain that he had many more encounters with Jesus than are documented in the New Testament. Remember that Paul said in Galatians 1 that he wasn't taught the Gospel by any man, but that he "received it by revelation from Jesus Christ". This is an example for for all believers. We must continually receive from Jesus Christ, just like Paul did. In doing so, we will really live!

For us to really live, we must receive. And for us to receive, Christ must appear to us. The Greek word translated “appear” in Colossians 3:4 is “phaneroo” which means, "to make manifest, visible or known that which has been hidden or unknown". Other sources define "phaneroo" as meaning, "to make actual and visible; realized". It makes sense then, that when you read some of the more literal translations of Colossians 3:4 (Darby, Young's) they use the word "manifest" instead of the word "appear". This seems to be a more accurate translation and breaks us out of the kind of thinking that limits us to merely “holding on” until Jesus returns at His second coming. Having a better understanding of the word “phaneroo” and looking at multiple translations, I see this verse as being more about Christ manifesting in our lives today than it is bout Him coming back in the future. Even further, I believe this verse is talking about Christ becoming known to us in our present day circumstances, right here, right now. We will know Christ as we set our hearts on things above. Christ will be realized in our lives as we set our minds on things above!

What a wonderful privilege it is that we can know Christ and that He will manifest in our lives daily and intimately. Even further, as we know Christ, as He is manifest and realized in our lives, then we too appear with Him in glory. Remember that Paul is always speaking in the context of our death and resurrection with Christ. As we remember our death and resurrection with Christ and He is made known to us, we will consequently see ourselves in Him and Him in us. When we see ourselves in Him and Him in us we will naturally begin to live out of this truth and express it in our daily lives. This is what it means for us to appear in glory. To appear in glory means Christ manifesting Himself in and through us as we live our daily lives. We appear in glory when Jesus is realized, demonstrated and expressed in our lives. So, as I focus on my union with Christ, He manifests Himself and is made known to me in a real way. This reveals to me who I really am and enables me to express His love and life outwardly. 

- I focus on my union with Christ (set my heart and mind on things above)
- He makes Himself known to me (He appears)
- Myself in Christ becomes known to me (I appear)
- Christ in me is expressed in my life. (Glory!)

Where can I see this happening in my life? You know, just yesterday I was confronted by temptation. Temptation was yelling in my face trying to get me to act out of alignment with who I really am. I could feel the pressure of it in my body and on my emotions. In the face of all this, I picked up my Bible and read Jeremiah 1. As I did so, there wasn’t any verse that stuck out to me. I only had the hope that by somehow focusing on Christ and His Gospel things would change. Well, that’s exactly what happened. I focused on Christ and His Gospel and He showed up. He spoke to me and told me who I really am. He told me that I'm not someone who would do what I was being tempted to do. Jesus Himself told me and when He spoke I heard it and it resonated in my soul and spirit. I knew who I was and acted accordingly. Temptation was no longer an issue.

This is a clean break from religion. There aren’t any rules here, just an encounter with Someone who changes me and changes the way I act. These encounters are crucial to me really living life. Truth be told, I have no life apart from these encounters with the living Christ. My life is hidden in Jesus and I can only find life by encountering Him. To live daily, I must encounter Christ daily.
 

It's early Saturday morning and Felicity is watching TV as I'm here blogging and Erin is "sleeping in".

Got a new laptop (MacBook) and it's just been wonderful to have. Having a laptop is so convenient and my productivity in life overall has skyrocketed. And I must say, I'm really enjoying Mac OS Snow Leopard. Surfing the web and interacting with my desktop and programs is not only convenient, but actually kind of fun. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say that about an operating system. Anyways, thank You Jesus! It took us a long time to decide to purchase our MacBook. We didn't want to purchase one just because we wanted one. But since Erin's current class requires her to do a lot of work on the computer, she needs to be able to have access to a cpu at night a lot. Because we share a room with Felicity, it makes it difficult to use our iMac upstairs without waking her when she sleeps. A laptop was the perfect solution! That coupled with the fact that I've taken on more responsibility at church made getting a laptop a no-brainer.

Well, now that we're back home, we've totally started reorganizing our home. I think Erin and I are both realizing that we want to have less stuff. I'd like to say we want to be minimalists, but I don't think that's true. It is true that we want to have a lot less stuff in our home though. The size of our home dictates this and I'm glad. I'll always remember when we cleaned out my parents' basement. Nearly 30 years of junk! I never want to have that much junk. I think I do a pretty good job of avoiding that though. Erin tells me I throw things away and give away things that are perfectly fine too quickly. She might be right, but it keeps the clutter and junk out and blesses other folks in the process! Anyways, we got a storage unit earlier this week and last night I moved some of our stuff in there. Man, even as I looked at the stuff we were putting in the storage unit I said to myself, "We need to get rid of some of this stuff too!". Haha. It's funny the things we decide to keep. I have a lot of books that I no longer want. I thought they'd come in handy at some point or that I'd want to read them, but the truth is, I'm VERY particular about what I like to read and most of the books I have aren't books that I'd actually read. I am willing to bet that I will eventually get rid of at least half of the books that we currently have in our home or storage.

I just bought the new Stone Temple Pilots self-titled album. It's their 6th album overall and first one in 9 years. I didn't get their 4th or 5th one, but I must say that this one is excellent! I REALLY enjoy it and find that I have multiple songs from the album stuck in my head at various times. It's weird because there seems to be this resurgence of 90's bands putting new stuff out (Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden). Pearl Jam never stopped putting albums out, but there most recent release was promoted more than any of their other more recent albums. I enjoyed Pearl Jam's latest offering, but I like STP's album better. Pearl Jam's Backspacer had some real good songs on it, but as a whole, the album was okay. STP's new album has some real good songs on it and as a whole is great. There is only one song on the album that I don't like (and I think even that song is starting to grow on me). One of my favorite aspects of STP's album is Scott Weiland's vocals. He truly delves into multiple ways of singing and delivers high-quality melodies. I remember hearing one song for the first time and wondering if it was even him singing! On top of that, there is another song I can think of where I was totally unsure if I liked it when it started, but once the vocals came in, even just the way he was singing it made me think, "I wanna hear this song". Another favorite aspect of this album for me is the guitar work. They have some great rock guitar licks and the album is laden with guitar solos. Amazingly, most of the songs are at the 3 minute mark and are packed with great melodies and instrumentation. It's impressive that they cram so much quality into 3 minutes of music. I really could go on and on here... This album has solidified STP as one of my favorite bands. They're definitely on my list of top 5 favorite bands ever (The Smiths, The Cardigans, Undercover, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam - maybe in that order).

Lastly, I just want to mention how wonderful it is that it looks as if my sister and bro-in-law will get approval for adopting Lily Joy in the near future! I can't wait to meet her and for her and Felicity to meet! Lord, we pray for outright approval and for the rest of the process to go quickly and smoothly. You're in control here.

Peezout

I will eventually continue my meditations on Colossians 3:1-4, but I left my notes for it at home and I'm not at home right now, so I can't really finish it. :)

This week we are at Teddy and Suzy's house while our house is getting some work done. You may recall that we had a serious leak in our ceiling about a month ago and they fixing it now. It's cool because they're repainting the whole place and we chose some slightly different colors. Not too different, but different enough. I'm excited to get back home and get things in order again. It'll be nice for our family to just be able to move forward and get home back to "normal". We're very thankful for Teddy and Suzy though. They're like family to us. Teddy and I have known each other pretty much all our lives so it's great to have people that we know we can count on. Yet another reason to stay in Michigan!

There has been a pretty significant shift in my life lately. Those of you I talk to regularly pretty much already know what I'm talking about, but it's not exactly public knowledge, so I can't go into details here. God is doing something though and it is a good thing. It involves a lot more responsibility on my part which means I must continue in integrity, love, compassion and authority - all according to the grace and faith God has given me. I'm honored by what God's doing in my life and don't take it lightly. He is good and He's just so brilliant. He does things so different and so much better than how we'd do them. I am in awe of our God!

Well, I don't really have much else to say today. Just wanted to post because I want to keep this thing current. Here are some other really random thoughts before I go:

- I hopefully have a meeting with Random Toys & Games later this week to present a few more of my games to them. I'm pretty excited about that. I've been waiting several months for this opportunity! Hopefully they like Rhema, Trinity and LetterWebber!

- I am totally a Tigers fan. I watch baseball a lot these days. I think baseball is a game that you like the older you get... Maybe?

- I have wondered myself from time to time whether I am a bigger Lions fan or a bigger Pistons fan. This past season has proven to me that I am a bigger Lions fan. How do I know? Well, the Pistons totally sucked this year and as a result, I didn't care so much about them. The Lions have sucked for a long time and I have always cared. Funny...

- If I could miraculously have any part of my body changed, it would be my feet. Finding the right shoes for my lack-of-arch-feet gets wearisome at times.

- Felicity continues to grow and grow and grow! It's a good thing. I love my baby-girl like there's no tomorrow. I pray that we will be close all our lives.

Out.

I've been pondering a lot of things in Scripture lately, but one thing that has stuck out a lot is Colossians 3:1-4 where Paul tells us to set our hearts and our minds on things above.

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What are these "things above" that Paul is telling us to set our hearts and minds on? For me, the first few things that come to mind are angels, clouds, pearly gates, golden streets and blue skies. Some loved ones who've passed away even come to mind. Is that what Paul wants us to set our hearts and minds on? Probably not. As I think further on this, the thought of heaven comes to mind and I start thinking of the book of Revelation. I see elders and saints bowed before Jesus, angels and creatures worshipping the Lamb. I see a glassy sea; I hear thunder and singing. Maybe this is what Paul wants us to set our hearts and minds on? Maybe. That's not too much of a stretch. However, if I take another look at these verses, I see that Paul is speaking in the context of our death and resurrection with Christ. In verse 1 Paul talks about how we were raised with Christ and in verse 3 he reminds us that we died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ. Even just a few verses earlier in chapter 2 verse 20 Paul again references our death with Christ. It’s obvious then, that our death and resurrection with Christ is the context that Paul is speaking out of. Truth be told, our death and resurrection with Christ is ALWAYS the context Paul is speaking out of. Even further, our death and resurrection with Christ is ALWAYS the context that we are to be living out of!

So… in light of my death and resurrection with Christ, I must set my heart and mind on “things above”. As I read verse 1 again, in the context of my death and resurrection with Jesus, I think to myself, “The truth is that I was raised with Christ, so it follows then that if I set my heart on where Christ is, then I would consequently see myself there too, because I was raised with Him.” Paul reiterates this reality in Ephesians 2:6 where he tells us that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. With this in mind, I’ve concluded that what Paul is really saying in Colossians 3:1-2 is this: “See yourselves as in Christ. Let your heart and mind be guided by the truth that you’re in Christ. ”.

The surrounding verses, before and after, all talk about conduct and how to behave, but the right conduct and right behavior that Paul is talking about here is merely an expression of who we are in Christ. Paul isn’t giving us more rules to follow. What he’s really doing is showing us that right conduct and right behavior are actually manifestations of Christ in us. When Paul tells us to set our minds on things above and not on earthly things, I believe he’s getting at something much deeper and more powerful than simply saying, “Think about Jesus and the good things of heaven instead of thinking about money, pleasure and material possessions.” Paul actually takes it to a whole other level and urges us to see ourselves as having died with Christ and also resurrected with Him. When we do so, right conduct and right behavior will follow and who we really are at our core will be revealed.

The word “things” is funny to me (if you say a word enough times, it will inevitably start sounding funny). Anyways, it’s easy for us to hear the word “things” and think of items and possessions. But “things” are also events and activities (like “things to do”). I believe that the “things above” that Paul is telling us to set our hearts and minds on are the things of heaven, which all point to Christ and Him crucified. This is obvious when you look at Revelation 5, where we can see that every item and every activity in heaven worships the Lamb freshly slain. Consequently, if we remember that we were raised with Christ and are seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6) we can know that as we set our hearts and minds on the things above, as we see the Lamb seated on the throne and freshly slain, we will also see ourselves with Him and in Him!

This is important because the only way that we can truly understand ourselves as Christians is if we see ourselves in Christ. And if we understand and know who we really are (righteous and holy in Christ) then we can be (act like, express) who we really are. Paul is saying that we must believe that we’re in Christ and he urges us to set our hearts and our minds on the fact that we’re in Christ so that we can express the life and love of Jesus here on earth. If we fail to see ourselves in Christ, we slip back into religion and regulations. The “things above” that Paul is calling us to set our hearts and minds on lead us into the actions of Christ, where we accordingly see ourselves in Him and He in us. Conversely, if we focus on “earthly things”, they will only mire us in the actions of men which “have an appearance of wisdom… but lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Col. 2:23). Paul wants us to focus on what Jesus did and is doing as opposed to whatever is going on around us here on earth.

Setting our hearts and minds on Christ and our placement in Him will change our lives in a real, tangible way that will affect our relationships and empower us in our daily living. As we set our hearts and minds on Christ and our placement in Him, Christ in us will appear in our lives. Right conduct and right behavior will manifest as we live our daily lives!

After meditating on this passage and looking at my life, the Lord has revealed to me that the times when I struggle with sin the most all have one common theme: my heart and mind are not set on the things above. I can think of two specific (yet broad) instances where this occurs. Instance One is when I get really obsessed with something. To be honest, there are times when I just get so focused on something that I forget about everything else; even to the point where I get a little negligent as a father and husband. Not good. Instance Two is when I get really bored or lazy. These times are pretty much times of self-focus where my mind and heart are set on my old self (who I was before I died with Christ) and the desires of my old self. Some days I just start off on the wrong foot and end up believing lies. As a result, I usually begin complaining and moping around the house which unfortunately leads to me chasing a false sense of fulfillment by eating, acquiring or doing some thing. In both of these instances, it’s clear that my mind and heart are set on earthly things and I am obviously not operating out of the place where I see and know that Christ is in me and I am in Him. I am grateful that the Lord is showing me these patterns in my life. In addition, I am also encouraged, because the Lord has shown me that as I have let Christ and Him crucified be the focus of my life, both Instances One and Two occur a lot less than they used to. Praise Jesus!

To set our hearts and minds on things above is to recognize our death and resurrection with Him and to see ourselves seated with Him in heaven. When we do so, Christ will appear in our lives and love, joy, peace and righteousness will be expressed in our conduct and behavior!

To be continued…