Displaying the Father

"Displaying the Father" by Tom Crandall.  Reposted from Jesus Culture website:

 Fear flooded his heart as he stood before me trembling. Alex had only been coming to our youth group for about six months prior to this incident, but he sure he had done the inexcusable this time. Earlier that evening, he decided to sneak past our security guards to "borrow" the fire extinguisher and head out for a good time. His chosen target- our neighbor's house. Their house was decorated with Christmas ornament, but there was no snow on the ground- until Alex showed up.

After getting caught covering the yard with Christmas glee, Alex found himself with one of our leaders awaiting my arrival. It was at this point that fear flooded his heart over the possibility of an unknown outcome. He had seen this before but was unprepared for what punishment would look like here. To him, punishment was learned in the foster care system. He was sure he would be sent away because that is what happened all the times before. Alex's perspective was radically changed when we began our conversation.

When I approached him, I could overhear conversation about the need to clean up his mess. This scared boy saw me and immediately looked down. "Learn anything Alex?" I asked. "Yah" he replied. At this point, I continued the conversation about cleaning up the mess and then hugged him. Looking up at me confused, I continued, "I love you and am proud of your for taking responsibility to clean up your mess." At this, his countenance changed. He expected to be punished, banished even, but that is not what he received. He picked up his head and smiled. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

This is one of many encounters of this nature with Alex. Every time, the response was the same: love. Students like Alex is why I do what I do and why I love it.

Alex needed to see what the love of the Father felt like for him, over and over again. But in reality, all of us need that.  And as we receive it from God and each other in community is the way we will give it away to a generation.

The biggest need in society today is fatherhood, and the number one thing Jesus came to reveal was the Father.

Here are 5 things the Father wants us to really know.

1. He loves us unconditionally.
That means exactly what it says.  There is nothing we can do to earn his love. Condemnation, shame and fear are not from God. They are not "tools" he uses to make us more holy or like him. Punishment never made anyone more like God. Love comes from God. God is love.  We cannot exhaust God's love, ever, God cannot deny him self. It's who he is. He is always with us, for us, and cheering us on. When we do well, he loves, when we fall, he loves.  As a father I would never shame my kids into to getting their lives right. Loving conviction always calls out destiny and deals with the problem so we can fulfill our purpose and be his son or daughter. Love never fails!

2. He is a jealous Father.
As a Father my greatest passion is to see my kids grow in relationship with the Lord, flourish in life and joyfully live out their purpose. I am jealous for their hearts and minds to be immersed in grace and truth. Anything that comes against that I come against for their good. I stand against anything that would seek to pollute my kid’s innocence or steal from them. At times there is loving correction or discipline to help them learn and grow through every situation. My wife and I have said no to all other people by giving one yes to each other.  By saying yes to God, as the highest place of love in our hearts all other loves get put in their place.

3. He establishes us in our identity.
In order to understand and live out our purpose we have to understand who we are in a Kingdom. Kingdom means the Kings domain. In Christ we have been born into a Kingdom. John 1:12 says, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
God is our Father, Jesus is the first Son risen from the dead and because of him and the finished work of the cross we are now Sons and Daughters of the King. That makes you and I royalty in the Kingdom of God and we now relate to Him is as sons and daughters. This is the context on which the Father deals with us on a daily basis. We are Sons and Daughters!

4. He has massive purpose for our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 say For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 37:4"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." God has created each of us with a unique purpose in mind. There is a reason why you see the world like you do, and why you love what you love and hate what you hate. The Father is weaving our lives together like a fine tapestry and he uses everything in our lives, nothing gets wasted. It's amazing what The Lord has used in my past to fulfill purpose!

5. He empowers us!
The grace of God is best described as unmerited favor upon a believer showing it through the life. Grace empowers! Grace doesn't just take us out of the negative but puts us way into the positive. You are a child of God! Our lives are marked with favor beyond what we can work for or ever earn.
Receiving empowering grace happens through relationship. Get alone with the Father today and let him love you and empower your heart as his Son or Daughter to shine as a diamond in a dark world.

A Poverty Theology Parable by Mark Driscoll

I've had numerous thoughts rolling around about posts...then they never get done because of the vast amount of real life things that have taken precedence. So since it looks like I may skip another week before finishing up something original, here's something pretty good for you: (original post can be found here)

A loving and generous Father once bought his son a shiny new bicycle. With a broad smile, the Father surprised the son and rolled it out and handed it to him.

Strangely, rather than looking happy, the son looked anxious. Rather than riding the bike, he stepped away from it in fear.

The Father asked the child what was wrong. The son replied, “Father, I cannot ride the bike. All around the world there are missionaries who do not have a bike. I would like to give them my bike so that they can ride it to unreached peoples and preach the gospel. The Father replied, “If you simply ask me, I am glad to also give you a second bike to give to a missionary.”

Yet, rather than simply riding the bike, the son continued to argue with his Father, saying, “I would much prefer an older bicycle. This one is shiny and new. It makes me look proud if I ride it.” The Father explained, “If I want you to ride the bike I gave you, and you are more concerned about what others think of you as you ride it than my joy in seeing you enjoy my gift to you, then you may look humble to them, but I know there is pride in your heart because you are living for their approval instead of my joy.”

Unrelenting, the son said, “But some people will talk about my bicycle out of judgment, envy, or jealousy because it is so nice. Some might even stumble and covet my bicycle. I do not want them to sin, and so I would rather not have a new bike so as to be considerate of them.” The Father replied, “If others respond to my grace to you in this way, the problem is not the bicycle but their hearts. I will deal with their hearts should they prove sinful—something you assume will happen but do not know. I will love and serve them by working to change their heart if they respond sinfully. But for you, my request is that you simply ride the bicycle I gave you. You are thinking about it too much and enjoying it too little.”

The Father walked away for a few hours, kindly asking the son to consider his request. Upon returning, the son had yet another line of reasoning. “Father, I will not ride the bike because I am fearful. I fear that it is so nice and I would enjoy it so much that it would become an idol to me. So, to avoid idolatry I will abstain from riding the bicycle.” The Father replied, “You could also ride your bike as an act of worship to me, enjoying the gift I gave you to your joy and my glory. Once again, the problem is not the bicycle.”

The son replied, “But Father, you are better than any bicycle. You are enough. I do not need a bicycle. I have you. You, Father, are enough.”

Grieved in his heart, the Father said, “I know I am enough. But I am a generous Father. I like to give gifts to my children. I like to see them blessed, happy, and free. I just wanted to watch you ride the bike. And I wanted to go for a ride with you. Then, we could have had fun, spend time together, make memories, and laugh.”

Tragically, the son never did ride the bicycle. Instead, he gave it away. He did not cause anyone to stumble, or treat his bike as an idol. And he did not obey his Father and worship him by simply being a kid and enjoying the gift his Father gave him because he was too busy being a theologian with a head full of fears rather than a heart full of fun.

Still Pursuing

The Word keeps amazing me and fascinating me. I see something new like I'm seeing it for the first time so very often. If you love literature, then you can appreciate how you can thumb through the pages of the Bible and find whatever theme you're looking for: romance, war, redemption, drama, suspense, action, poetry, etc. Well today I was drawn into one of the many accounts of the greatest love story ever told.

The heading over Hosea, chapter 11, in my NIV Study Bible reads, "God's Love for Israel". The chapter starts out recounting how the Lord deeply loved, nurtured, and called out to Israel since the nation was young. But the people of Israel seem determined to run from Him. Although their actions deserved much punishment, the Lord responds with mercy in verse 8: "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?...My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused." In Chapter 2, we see similar language: "Therefore I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her...In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'"

This language speaks of a father, of a lover, who can't help but follow the longings of his heart. Even though His beloved has turned their back on Him time and again, the Lord STILL pursues; He is STILL ready for his people to turn and embrace Him.

That's the love that your Creator has for you. A love so crazy that He doesn't care how long you have run from him, or how hard you've run in the other direction; He is waiting with open arms and eyes of adoration. His heart longs for you.

When you consider all that we've done to put distance between ourselves and God it is incredible that He still wants us, and is so close. Just like the people of Israel we read about in Hosea, we have prostituted ourselves and forgotten where the goodness of life comes from. We have chosen to embrace things other than the One we have been sworn to. But His love looks past our infidelity; He sees us as who He made us to be, not as who we've made ourselves out to be.

Turn and see how close He still is. See the grace in His eyes and find your identity in the name He gives you. His love never fails, and there is nothing you can do to earn it--just let His mind-blowing love envelop you and forever change the cadence of your heartbeat. Amen.

Guest Blog: Tara Smith

The heart of my friend, Tara Smith, is big. Though her talents abound, she is foremost a devoted lover of God, her husband, and her 2 boys. Her blog is called "In the Land of Princes"...here is her latest post:

My lil' princes will outgrow this land someday.....

Being a mother means warming up your same cup of coffee at least 4 times before you actually get to drink it because the kids need you. However ,I have decided that I want Noble to stay 12 weeks and Valor to stay 2 1/2 forever. I really love these ages! Valor remains my comic relief most of the day and Noble's smile, cuddling, and chuckles make my heart come alive. Both boys have absolutely stolen my heart. Valor has had a fun day. He told me Bob the Builder was here and I looked out the window and sure enough there was a man who looked like Bob the Builder working on a tree in our backyard. Valor has watched him most of the day. :-) Noble is starting to sleep 9 -10 hours a night and that is heavenly. He is such a joy....such a good, easy, sweet, loving, wonderful baby. Valor is such a good, loving, toddler and I adore him. I thank Jesus for Nobe and Valor. I'm just now truly getting the hang of two children. I'm finally taking risks by attending more than one activity a day. Not everyday. We actually rarely go anywhere except to Church and mammys. :-) I'v taken them to Walmart once and quickly realized by the time you get both kids in a cart...there is no more room for groceries! I had to rethink my trip and only get about 10 little things when in fact I needed about 100 things! :-) Everyday is a challenge to have patience, energy, get priorities straight, be a good mother and good wife, do my chores, play with children, spend time with God, be creative and raise my little disciples that God has given me. I am just now learning to take better care of myself and its not selfish for doing so! I have also started a new Mary Kay business....so life is hetic but fun right now (most days). Its a challenge but having a family is my dream come true. Staying home with my kiddos is huge dream God fullfilled for me. There is no place Id rather be than here with my kids and here in His love. Valor wakes up every morning and asks for his Daw (this is what he calls TJ) and then will say Daw is at work, working hard. He says he works hard for toys. :-) I love Valor and Noble and Tj. I love this land where my princes live. I get sad to think that someday my lil' boys will outgrow this land of princes. I cant imagine my life with out bubbles on the front porch, sidewalk chalk everywhere,a living room in which I dont trip over toys, a dining room that has exploded into a toy room, no more mickey mouse cartoons, cribs, little feet running down the hall to jump in bed with me, and no more "mama i need this or mama i need that". They will outgrow the silly songs I make up and the sword and water gun fights will eventually end. They will not always light up when i walk in the room,and they wont always run with all their guts to come give me a hug and kiss.The gobbling of thier cheeks will surely take its toll on them and they will ask me to stop doing that. I look in the back yard and see a swing, a little pool, and dump trucks, sticks, balls and slide. I cant stand the thought of my lil' boys outgrowing those things. They have brought me joy beyond my wildest imagination. However I'm reminded of all the things they will do for God and humanity and I almost cant wait to see that either! I watch our pastors enjoy their sons being used in their calling and giftings and it makes me long for the day when TJ and I can sit on the front row and smile,laugh, and praise God because our lil' princes are now doing big things for God. They may outgrow this land of princes but they will never exhaust or outgrow all the wonderful dreams and plans that God has for them. But until then....I'm going to enjoy my little boys that God has given me. Some days I want to cry because I'm tired and lack energy. Some days I want to pull out my hair. Some days my attitudde just stinks and the whole family pays for it. I regret those days. Some days I want to run away just to have some quiet time to think..to actually finish a thought without any interruptions. But most days, I'm living my dreams. I'm happy to be just where I am. In the middle of beautiful noise, snotty noses, sweet little giggles, precious toddler conversations and baby coos, wild chaos, peace, joy, tears, love, frustration, tiredness, zeal, repetition, security, happiness..all of which are a part of my sometimes fabulous and sometimes mundane life. My family and I are the hands of God and there is no better place to be!!!! Thank you God for my family that you have given to me. It is my dream come true. Give me the joy, energy, peace, sanity, creativity, strength and love to raise my little disciples into great men of God and to love my husband well. Thank you for my princes....may I take excellent care of them while they are in this land of mine.

Embracing Mystery

Two weeks ago I wrote about taking God at His word. Today I’m gonna tell ya about the 2^nd big thing I’ve been doing recently: embracing mystery.

I have a tendency to want to know exactly how things are going to play out in my life. No matter the area, I want to have a plan and a good idea of how things are gonna look once I get there, and how things are gonna look along the way. Before I even start moving from Point A, I not only want to know about Point B, but I also gotta know what the path in between holds—does it have some cool restaurants, a sweet place to hang out and relax for a while, a few rough patches that I need to brace for??

That desire to know how everything is going to work has kept me from experiencing the biggest and best things of God. Yes, God has still blessed me tremendously; even when I’m operating with little faith...trying to do things pretty much by my own power. But He wants to bless me more.

To get that real good stuff, I believe it’s gonna take more faith—faith that says, “I don’t need to know how you are going to do everything; I just know you will.” I have to believe what I can’t completely comprehend. Though my mind may initially say it’s impossible, my entire being has to get on board and embrace the Kingdom reality.

God’s ways and methods are higher than ours. Does it not make sense that He can work things in ways that are beyond our comprehension? Does He not constantly do things that are beyond rational explanation? You don’t have to see everything with your naked eyes to know that it is happening! 2^nd Corinthians 5:7 says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” We’ve gotta embrace the things that we can’t see naturally. We’ve gotta be ok with not having control.

When you start to take God at His word and believe what He says to you, your faith starts to rise up. Even when things seem bad, you trust and believe that what the Lord has told you is going to come to pass. This is the kind of attitude that flows into embracing mystery. Even though you have no clue how things are going to work out, you just believe that it will.

Pretty soon you notice yourself actually enjoying the mystery of it all. Watching God work becomes like a game of peek-a-boo when you were a little kid. Ha. You just end up falling all over the place in laughter and joy as you bask in the blessings He is pouring out on you.

Ya know, little kids don’t wonder how their parents are always there, always putting food in front of them, or clothes on them, or taking them places and showing them things they’ve never seen before—they just know it happens. They don’t question it. They laugh and have fun and enjoy the ride. Let us become more like children with our Heavenly Father. He’s a good Dad.