The Highlander

  I am always amazed at how often God reminds me where my focus should be. It is easy to get off track and get my eyes on the wrong things. If circumstances are bad or difficult, I become anxious, and often find myself falling into the, “what did I do wrong God?” and then going on the search for some sin or flaw that has caused me to fall into the difficulties.

Or, if things are going well, I “feel” good about my walk with Him, and assume that all of the good things that are happening are the result of my “faithful obedience” to Him. My focus is then on what “I” am or am not doing that has lead to these “good times”.

In the theological realm, it is easy to get on the treadmill of doctrinal defense and controversy and run myself ragged if I want to. There are plenty of theological footballs that are being kicked around out there today. And of course, I can go straight to the “Scriptures” to present my sound apologetic , prove my point, and send my theological opponents running for the hills with their hair on fire.  I then look good and capable in the eyes of others, and the satisfying feeling of “winning” and “being right” boosts my ego to new heavenly heights. But alas, even in this, my focus is on “me”,”being right”, and “winning”, not Him.

Yet, I was soundly reminded by Father the other day, that if what I do, say, preach or live, does not lead to Him, it is all a waste. While walking on the road to Emmaus, Jesus did something awesome. While talking with those guys, the Scripture says that, “beginning at Moses and the prophets, He expounded to them the things concerning HIMSELF in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). He used the Word to bring them to HIMSELF. Why? Because it is all about Him! What was the result? Their hearts BURNED within them. Why? Because they were led to Him!

Later on that day, He appeared to the disciples and did what? Opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures. About what? HIM!  Where is our focus to be? On Him! When we read the word, it is to find Him and be led into fellowship
with Him. When troubles come, or the good times roll, where is our focus to be? On Him. Theological truth
is given and revealed to us, not for debate and argument, but to lead us to Him!

When it is all said and done, and every knee bows and every tongue confesses, where is all the attention
going to be? On HIM! That is what Father desires, and knowing His Son is the only thing that can bring
fire to the soul and contentment to life. It (life), really is all about Him!

The Highlander

 As I began my rookie training with the local Fire Department, I was reminded in a round about way of how much our lives impact the lives of others.  One of the things I was blessed with as I began my training was our wonderful textbook Essentials Of Firefighting And Department Operations.  This wonderful gift literally weighs about 20 pounds, give or take a few ounces!  It is loaded with all kinds of vital information that every firefighter NEEDS to know.  As we were going through our class on Firefighter Safety and Health, I came across a quote that struck a deep chord within me.  It was this, “Train as if your life depended on it–it does.”  No statement could be any truer, especially when it comes to firefighting, and all of the rigorous and repetitive traing that you go through.  This statement has affected the way I approach all of it; from working out and doing all of the physical training, to all of the mental and psychological aspects as well.

Yet, the more I pondered that statement and principle, I thought about another statement that is just as true, “Live as if the lives of others depended on it–they do.”  We have been placed in this world by Father to love Him and to love others.  It does not get any simpler than that.  Every single day, people are brought across our paths that He has placed there for us to love in some way.  It may simply be a kind word that they need or maybe some encouragement.  It could be that we have the chance to invest some time in their life or give them something that they may physically need.  It may just be that they need a listening ear.  It doesn’t matter that you don’t have all of the answers, just that you have the time to care enough to listen.

The deepest need of all of our hearts is to be loved.  Having that need met gives us all of the significance, meaning, and direction that we need to live a fulfilled and richly blessed life in this world.  The way that we live, the words that we speak, whether we like it or not, touches the lives of others.  That impact can be positive or negative and it could be one that lasts for a short time or for a lifetime.  People watch us and listen to us, especially if they know that we profess to walk with Christ.  I don’t say that in order to “guilt you” into living right.  That is just a fact.  We don’t need more rules and regulations or principles and steps, in order to live lives that make a difference.  We just need to live loved by Father.  As we receive His love for us, and it fills us up, it HAS to spill over into the lives of others.  We just cannot contain it.  We learn to live life as Eugene Peterson states in The Message, according to the “unforced rhythms of grace.”

If we will give ourselves over to the pursuit of being loved by God and loving Him, the impact of our lives on others will be for the eternal good.  So remember, live as if the lives of others depended on it–they do!

The Highlander

  I don’t know why I find it so difficult to trust God (or very many people for that matter).  I know I should (yikes!  There’s that profane performance word), and I also know that the surest way to please Him is to simply trust Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Heck!  When in my life can I go back and find a time when He ever failed me or did not ever keep a promise?  None.  Now, that is not saying that I cannot go back and find times (many I am afraid), when He did not do what I “thought” He should, or what I felt like He “said” (through some inner impression or outer “word” from some well meaning saint) He would do.  There are more of those than I can remember.  And with each failed experience came a letdown and just a wee bit of confusion.  Why?  Why God?  Why didn’t You___?  I just KNEW You were leading or speaking!  Why!?  Silence.

If I am honest, my life has not turned out anywhere like I thought, dreamed, or planned that it would!  How about yours?  It seems like God has frustrated all of my “plans/dreams” at every turn.  I am not where I thought I would be at this point in my life in any area…period.  I do not have it all together, and I find that I now have more questions than I do answers.  I am less sure about more, and more sure about less.  Looking back, I realize that I have spent more time in “speculations, controversies, and questions” ( 1 Timothy 1:4; 6:4-5; 2 Timothy2:23), than learning how to simply love and live loved by Father.  (more…)

 ”For You have tried us O God; You have refined us as silver is refined, You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.  You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, YET You brought us out into a place of abundance” (Psalm 66:10-12)

Have you  ever noticed how important the “little” words are in Scripture?  Words like “but”, “and”, “the”, and this word “yet”?  Heck.  These folks had been through a living hell.  Tried, tired, captured, oppressed, conquered, and put through fire and water.  None of which are fun experiences in and of themselves.  But, throw them all together and you have a recipe for night of the living dead, and you are one of the living dead!  They were beaten down, ready to throw in the towel, take a handful of pills and just end it all.  What’s even worse, is that God was the One Who led or  allowed all of these things to happen to them!  Talk about wondering if God loves you!  I am sure they questioned that one a great deal.

Then comes the “YET”!  After having taken them through all of these horrible places, He brought them OUT into an abundant place!  Way to go God!  Yep, weeping may endure for a night, but joy really does come in the morning. There was a light at the end of the tunnel and it was not a train.  It was the glory and blessing of Father!

For all who know and walk with God, there is always a “yet”.  Things may seem bad, chaotic, dark, and hopeless at times, but for us, but there is always a “yet”!  He will never leave us in the pit or in the net.  We always pass “through” the fire and the water.  Though we are tested and tried, as well as seemingly put through the ringer, we must not forget that HE is in control!  His desire is never to leave us in any of these places, but take us through them and bring us out into an abundant and blessed place!  He always has and He always will, even if it does not seem like it at the moment.

Do you feel like He has forsaken you?  Do you question His love for you because of the hard or dark place that you find yourself right now?  Are you ready to quit?  Don’t!  He has a “yet” for you too!  Just throw yourself into His arms of love and trust His heart for you.  Your “yet” is coming.  In fact, it may just be right around the next bend in the road!  Don’t forget…”yet”, “yet”, “yet”!!!

The Highlander

Hola Mafe!  Que tal?  Y Brady?

 I started a series of messages last Sunday on the Kingdom of God.  It is a theme that has captured my heart for years now, and one that I see more and more that so many believers have little understanding of.  The fact that our God reigns is undeniable, yet we have forgotten the fact that He created man to rule and reign with Him!  Our rule was only meant to be exercised in union with God, as He would act with us.  He always intended to be our constant companion and co-worker in the creative enterprise of life on earth.

One of things that I was reminded of again as I was preparing to share, was that He intended for all of us to have a unique realm over which we would be responsible.  In fact, He prepared that realm for us, before the world was ever made (Matthew 25:34).  Now that just blows me away!

The whole of His relationship with us was not about religion, rituals, rules and regulations, it was all about love.  It was about Him being our Father, our Life, our Love.  He wanted to walk with us in loving and harmonious union and oneness.  It was not about going to a PLACE to meet Him, but living life IN HIM everywhere we went and in everything we did.  He was to be our all in all.

In the context of that wonderful relationship, man would be what He desired and He could turn Him loose to rule over His creation as he desired.   Of course we all know that sin entered the picture, and disrupted the whole process.

But that was no surprise to God!  He had a plan all along to redeem us and restore us and all that Adam lost.  He did that in the greatest demonstration of love ever exhibited on earth…through the death of His only Son on a Roman cross.  He gave us His best, when we were at our worst.  If that does not show us how much and how truly He loves us, nothing does!

When we, by grace through faith, enter into a relationship with God, we are restored, reborn, and released!  We become these wonderful new creations and God begins the process of making us into the kind of persons that can rule and reign with Him!  Life is not about WHAT we do FOR God, but the KIND of person that we are BECOMING in and by His gracious work IN us!  He is preparing us to rule over that unique realm that He has had prepared for us since the foundation of the world!

Obviously, good works flow from our lives as we walk with Him.  But they flow out of who we are, as He wills and does His good pleasure through us.  We do them because we love Him and others, not in order to gain brownie points with God.  We do righteous works because we are righteous people in Christ!

I needed to be reminded once again that God is not so much interested in how much I do FOR Him in my life, as He is in the person I am BECOMING.  Why?  Because the person I am becoming has eternal impact on the realm over which I will rule in the coming age.  If I focus on the person I am becoming, and give myself to those things that shape that, the works will flow as naturally as rivers do to an ocean.
Enoch’s life sums the whole matter up beautifully; he walked WITH God.  Now that is a life I am totally up for!

Peace,

The Highlander

 O sleep, where art thou?  It is 5:30 am and I have been awake since 2:45, and finally gave up the battle of trying to return to the bliss of rest at 3:50 when I finally got up.  Between two daughters who got home at the ungodly hour of 3 am (after watching a midnight showing of Transformers, go figure), and being afraid that every time I turned over I would hear the squeal of Max being transformed from poodle to pancake, I felt “led” to get up.

As I sit here in the pre-dawn moments of a new day, I am thinking about life.  I am enjoying Cathleen Falsani’s book Sin Boldy- A Field Guide for Grace.  I have never read anything by her before, but this book is refreshing.  It is a simple collection of stories from her life that illustrate God’s grace in different ways.

As I was reading a chapter about her experiences in a very poor area in Kenya, she made a remark about the women there that slapped me in the face.  As she talked about the women’s energy and ingenuity in their work, even in the most difficult of living situations, she said this, “They had no time for despair.  They are far too busy living.”  SMACK!

“Far too busy LIVING.”  Now that grabbed my attention.  I thought about the reality in my own life that whenever I found myself depressed, doubting, and despairing, I have stopped living.  In those times I have chosen to throw the car of life into “park”, and refuse to journey on and enjoy the ride.  I cannot enjoy the sights, sounds and people around me, because I am too busy navel gazing while sitting in the drivers seat.

The fact is, I have cut myself off from the source of real life and that is Jesus.  After all, He Himself said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE.  Despair says that God has turned His back on me, and that there is just no reason to go on.  Despair says that there is no purpose in life, no rhyme or reason to any of it.  It tells me that I am sinking in a pit too deep for me (or God for that matter), to get me out of, so why go on.  Just sit and sulk, and cry, “Woe is me.”  Ever been there?

I remember Jesus telling a guy one time what the definition of real living was.  As always, He made it real simple.  So simple that even “I” can get it!  He basically said that if you love God with your whole being, and other people as yourself, you would live (Luke 10:27-28).  Real life is found in loving God and loving others.  We love in order to live and we live in order to love.

Because He lives in us, His love has filled our hearts (Romans 5:5), and that love has to go somewhere!  It has to be expressed both upward (towards Father), and outward (towards others).  Whenever we are doing this, even in the simplest of ways, we are living.  When we are not, we cease living in the truest since of the word, and start trying to find life in things that can only bring death.  Then you know what happens?  Yep, despair shows up at the door with a great big smile on his face.  He is ready to move in and set up house keeping.

The women Cathleen spoke of were far too busy loving God and others in what they were doing, that they had no time or place for despair.

I want to live!  I want to sieze the day and live it to the hilt.  Yet, I realize that when I look back at my life, far too many of my days have been spent just “existing” and “getting” by, and not really living.  Despair and I have spent more time together than I care to remember.  So, today Papa, as I sit here listening to the birds waking up and singing a song of welcome to the rising sun, I want to live.  Let Your life in me, a life that is love itself, find expression upward and outward today.  In word, thought and deed, let Your love flow out of me, so that when I do put my head down on a pillow later on (and I am looking forward to that!), I will know that by Your grace, I lived!

I hope that today you will have no time for despair, because you too, are far too busy living!

The Highlander

  Well, I passed another birthday this weekend.  Funny, I feel the same as I did a week ago, but the calendar says I am one year older.  Of course, calendars don’t dictate how you feel on a certain day, they just inform you of what day it is.  How you feel, live, and experience life on that day, has a lot to do with you.  You can “live!”, or you can just “exist”.

The older I get, the more I want to live, really live, each day.  I want to enjoy every moment that Papa gives me.  I am realizing that every second is a gift and while each gift is given, I want to receive it and milk it for all it is worth.  Sure, I want to accomplish things that make a difference in somebody’s world while I am here, but I am also learning how relish the little things that nobody else sees.  Sometimes, God shows Himself to me in those “hidden moments” more than in the wide open ones.

One thing that He has driven home for me in the last few years, is that the only thing that REALLY matters, is love.  Nothing more, nothing less.  My life will be judged by how well I loved.  Because how well I lived, will be determined by how well I loved.  Everything the Bible speaks of is summed up (as Jesus said), by how well I loved Father, and how well I loved others.  So, every opportunity I get each day to express love for Him and to others, I need to seize it.  I want my life to be invested, not spent.  The only way that will happen is by living a life of love.

In five minutes, I get a chance to love in word and deed.  My wife will come out here, and I will hug her, and tell her how special she is and how very much I love her.  In an hour, I will be out among people and will be looking for the opportunities that Papa will give me to show love to someone else.  It may be in a kind or encouraging word.  It could be in an act of service that is needed, or just to sit still and listen to someones  heart.  Father has more “love adventures” planned for me each day than I can shake a stick at.  I just need to be looking for them as I am going along.

So, my prayer this day is not, “Father use me to do great things”, or “make me a great man”.  Neither is it, “Bless me, bless me, bless me”.  Nope.  It is, “Father fill me with Your life and let me walk in love towards You and all that You bring my way.”  I am sure that He will answer that prayer, and I am also sure that I will have lived life to its fullest if I do those things.  Heck, love sort of makes life worth livin’!

The Highlander

Two weeks ago, my girls and I braved the elements and went to the first showing of Prince Caspian which took place at 12:01 am. Now, I must say that I have been looking forward to this for a long time, and I was not disappointed.There in the midst of a host of college kids and a few adults who were allowed to (or were able to), stay up past their bed time, I was blessed with another fresh encounter with the living Aslan. There were several points during the movie, when I just had to keep from breaking down and crying uncontrollably. I know that may seem weird to some, but to others, it makes perfectly good sense. (more…)

Greetings to you all!Finally, after a little over a month’s long hiatus, I am writing again! It feels great!

Anam Cara is a Gaelic word which means “soul friend”. In the early days of missionary work in Ireland, when Patrick was planting churches throughout that nation, if someone came to a community of believers as a seeker, or as a new Christian, they were assigned an Anam Cara, a soul friend. This person was responsible for answering their questions and encouraging them along in their own personal journey to faith or in the faith. They were there to encourage and instruct them in the ways of God and how to get to know Him as intimately as possible.

That is exactly what I desire to do through these devotionals/writings. I want to encourage and help each of you get to know Papa as intimately as you can. I desire to stir you to live out a kingdom centered life that manifests the Person and power of Jesus Christ, everywhere you go. I would like to, in some way, be a soul friend to each of you.

Just the other night, I was meeting with a group of believers form a fellowship nearby. They were telling me of their own personal journey over the last several years as a group, and about their experiences with their last several Pastors. The one word that was used by one dear lady describing their experience was “beaten down”. She was describing how the folks left their gatherings feeling that way after the Pastor has blistered them with his message. In fact, they all said that it seemed that he did not feel like he had “preached”, unless he had screamed, yelled, and scolded them until they felt so horrible and burdened down with guilt, that they had to come to the altar and “get right with God”. How sick and how sad. (more…)

“…mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13b NIV)

You know, as we read through the Bible, we come across some pretty powerful scenes of God bringing down judgment on nations and people.  In fact, these events are sometimes so cataclysmic and drastic in scope, that many people call into question the love and mercy of God.  “How could a loving God do…?” Or, “How could a loving God permit…?”

Yet, if one reads the Scripture from the proper perspective of the heart of God, we can see these judgments in a whole different light.  Yes, Scripture must  be interpreted in its context and according to proper grammatical rules, etc.,  but, it must ALWAYS be viewed through the heart, nature and character of God.  Every event, every action, every experience must be seen from His heart.  It is so with judgment.

We must ask ourselves, “What is God’s ultimate goal in his acts of judgment/discipline?  What is He after?  What does He desire?”  And, the answers to these questions must be in harmony with His heart. (more…)