Faith

What is faith? Repeatedly the Bible says the "the just shall live by faith." What does that mean? I am increasingly aware at how difficultly simple a faith motivated and dependant life is. It is not simply believing that God is able. If we believe in God, by definition of His existence, we believe He is able. This really is nothing more than a declaration that we are not atheists. Belief that God is able is like believing that water is wet. If God is not able, He is not God.

So what is this faith that we live by? I believe it rests not simply in believing in what God can do but in being familiar enough with the heart and personality of God to understand what He is willing to do. Here is where we begin to live. Believing in God's ability does not require a relationship with Him personally. But when we begin to know God, we begin to understand where His heart is and what He is passionate about. We begin to look at His promises in scripture as more than words on a page but bonds of a covenant between the Creator and His creation. This is the birth of hope; that this God who has the ability knows me and therefore has the desire to use His ability on my behalf.

At this point we are brought to the threshold of living faith. Just because we believe God can act on our behalf and is willing to do so, does not mean we are living by faith. Living is a present condition and requires present actions. For me to live by faith I must believe that the God who is able and willing to act IS presently acting in my life. God is able and willing to forgive my sins. For me to experience and receive this forgiveness I must believe that He has and is forgiving me. While God is able and willing to give me strength, grace and resolve, the victory comes when I realize that He is at this moment giving me these things. The power to overcome temptations and trials is not something I will have, it is something I DO have through Christ. This life of faith is lived in the present reality based on the resources that are PRESENTLY our is Christ Jesus. This is the live of victory and this is how God's people are to live.

Prayer for Protection (Praying Psalm 91)

Father, You are the Most High God and I praise You. Hide me in Your presence and let me live under Your almighty shadow.

You are my refuge and my fortress. You are my God and I will trust in You.

Father, deliver me from all the snares and schemes of the enemy. Protect me from danger and trouble.

Cover me and let me find refuge in the shelter of Your arms. Let Your truth shield me and surround me.

I trust in You Lord, day and night, and I will not be afraid of any attack of the enemy. I will not fear things I can’t see and I will not be intimidated by the things I can see. You are my God.

Others may be defeated, but I trust in You and I know You will give me the victory. The trouble and pain that comes to the wicked because of their evil choices will not effect me.

I have made You my refuge, my Lord. Oh Most High God, You are my home and the place I find rest. Because of that, I know that no evil will overtake me and I will dwell in health and peace.

Surround me with Your holy angels and let them guard, protect and lift me up above and away from all that would hurt me.

Through You, Lord I will trample, crush, and defeat every enemy regardless of the way they attack.

I set my love on You, Lord. Deliver me. Lift me up and teach me to know You more.

You are the one I call on and I know You will answer me. Even though I may face trouble, I know You are with me and will deliver me. Continue to honor me with Your presence.

As long as I live, let me be fulfilled and find my purpose in You. Make me fully aware of what Your salvation has done in my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray these things. Amen.

Eva Cassidy

The first time I heard Eva Cassidy was in 2002 on an episode of Smallville, (one of my favorite shows by the way.) She was singing a remake of Time After Time and her voice and spirit was so captivating that my wife and I had to find out who she was. We looked her up on line, heard some more and instantly were captivated by her music. We wondered why we had never heard of her before. Then we discovered that she passed away in the late 90's from cancer at the age of 33, and that it was after her death that her music had really begun to be promoted. She is by far, my favorite singer. In my opinion, the songs that she sings she makes uniquely hers and in many cases raises the bar to a level few singers will ever touch. You may not agree with me and that is okay. I will defend your right to be wrong.

Home Sweet Home

It was around 4:30 in the morning and I had just finished feeding my son (Nathan was two months old at the time). I was trying to rock him back to sleep, when out of the blue, he stretched, gave a big sigh, snuggled into my chest and drifted off to sleep. As I sat there, holding him in my arms, It occurred to me that Nathan had no concept of the town or state he lived in. He wasn’t even aware that there was a roof over his head. All he knew was that he was safe in my arms. For all intents and purposes, I was his home.
In Psalm 90:1 David wrote: “Thou oh Lord, hast been our dwelling place for all generations.” The Contemporary English Version says, “Our Lord, in all generations you have been our home.” In looking at my son, I realized I was seeing a living illustration of this verse.
Home is a place of security. Each year Americans spend millions of dollars on home security systems to ensure their safety and the safety of their possessions. Why? Because one of the things that makes a place home is the feeling of safety it provides. My son was sleeping soundly because he felt secure in my arms. Likewise, God desires to be our security.
The fulfillment of this desire is seen in the countless times throughout scripture that God promises He will be with us. The Psalms repeatedly speak of the presence of the Lord as our strength and refuge. This was His promise to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Daniel and every other Old Testament hero of faith.
In the New Testament, not only did Jesus utter this promise as He ascended into heaven, but in John 17:11 he prayed, “...Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name – the name You gave me....” Matthew 1:23 tells us, “...they will call Him ‘Immanuel!’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” His presence is not simply the foundation of our security and peace, it is the identifying mark of His people. It is what sets us apart from all others.

Priorities

Ah the Blog...
Well I'm finally caving in and writing one. I figure that if I'm going to try my hand at being an author, I need to get in the habit of writing on a regular basis. So...here it goes.

As I'm beginning to write however, my 6 year old son is asking me to read him a book. So my first post is going to be a short one. One of the reasons I want to write is to pass on to my boy Nathan the thoughts and truths that I have learned. But more important than a written legacy of words and ideas is my presence in Nathan's life and our time and memories together. So having said that, I am cutting my first posting short of what I had planned because something way more vital and lasting is patiently playing on the floor waiting for me to read to him.