Category Archives: Journal Entry

Spiritfire- Proverbs 20:27 “The Lamp of the Lord”

“The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.”
 
We began talking about the ‘darkened path’.  Without God, the path of our heart and mind is dark indeed filled with many dangers, toils, and snares.  Many walk claiming they can see, but without a light, they are lost.  Psalm 119:105 helps us to see God’s revealing aid upon our path.  Not only does His light shine on our path but this proverb points out how it reveals our ‘inmost being’ to His ever-watchful eye.  We then talked about how many don’t want to know what He sees.  They would rather hide and let darkness cover them.  But His light will shine, and all will be revealed.
 
Up until now, the ‘fear’ of our inadequacies revealed in the light of a righteous and holy God, helped to keep our feet on His path.  But now a better path has been revealed, a better Way has been made known.  When we explored Proverbs 20:19, we witnessed how Jesus fulfilled ‘avoidance’- the path to Wisdom’s house.  We saw in what context His parable of ’The Good Samaritan’ was told.  Now, in this proverb, we see how Jesus, the Word made flesh, John 1:14, fulfilled the ‘lamp of the Lord’ by becoming the ‘Light of the world’, as in John 8:2.  For now, His light reveals the Righteousness of Jesus, which takes away our wickedness, as in 2 Corinthians 5:17-19.
 
A better Light has come!  Amen, thank You, Lord Jesus.

The Vindicator

Isaiah 54:17 English Standard Version (ESV)
17    “‘ no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”

“God is my vindicator!” This was echoing in my head this morning.
I know for myself, this often gets forgotten as I try to prove what I’m saying is the truth. I can’t find the verse that says we are to vindicate ourselves. God does this.

God’s arms are strong. He will carry you to safer shores. His Truth protects as it advances. His light makes plain the path you tread. Keep following after His call and He will lead you through.

How many are God’s wonders? None of us would believe; how amazing are His works? How are we to describe them? What words capture the wonder of His reality? This we have been promised, mind-blowing though it may be, more is yet to come!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Revenge

How do you get vengeance against God?

Are we really narcissistic enough to think our definitions are binding?
He is God.  We are not.
Do we really replace faith with a line drawn in the sand?
He is God.  We are not.
Have we really remade righteousness into a pile of sticks that we need to jump?
He is God.  We are not.

Unanswered prayer creates bitterness.
He is God.  We are not.
Bitterness creates madness.
He is God.  We are not.
Madness creates narcissism and a false view of reality.
He is God.  We are not.

So we target success and say it’s a lie.
He is God.  We are not.
So we drink the poison and say He’s to blame.
He is God.  We are not.
So we set ourselves for failure and say it’s true victory.
He is God.  We are not.

What do we want from God, an apology?
Jesus endured the cross.
Do we want to burn the Bible?
Jesus endured our chastisement from God.
Do we want revenge?
Jesus endured the abandonment of God.

Isn’t that what hell is?
Didn’t Jesus go even there?

Lay down your arms.
Let go of your pride.
Be made new into a Living Hope.

All of the ammunition you think you have
may confuse and disillusion His followers, even the faithful,
but they were never your real target anyway were they?

Be freed by the Name of the only One who has already been
where you think you are,
by the only One who has already conquered even your poor reflection,
by the only One who can release you from your bitterness.
Be freed by the Name of Jesus!

For vengeance does not save, only Jesus does.  

Top 20 Ways I Am Not Like Jesus, among many others…

  1. I wouldn’t have talked with Satan.  I would have fought him ‘end times’ style.
  2. I wouldn’t have chosen Judas or Peter.
  3. I wouldn’t have ended with one wedding party.  Jesus Water business!
  4. I would have rescued John the Baptist.
  5. I would’ve eaten during every Sabbath right in front of the leaders.  “Hey Caiaphas, could you pass me the lamb?”
  6.  I wouldn’t have spoken in parables.  I’d have spoken plainly.  “What are you doing?”
  7. I would’ve talked more ‘trash talk’ to the storm.  “Ooo, big scary storm!”  I’d have turned it on/off again just to scare the disciples.
  8. I would’ve pushed off the bleeding woman and rushed off to save the kid. 
  9. I would’ve fed the whole world and have given it a continual source of nourishment until the end of time.
  10. I wouldn’t have put up with the Pharisees.
  11. I wouldn’t have spoken so harshly to the Syrophonecian Woman.
  12. I would’ve done miracles with a little more style.  Call out for a crowd, door prizes, etc.
  13. I would’ve constantly kept name dropping after the transfiguration.  My bro’s!
  14. I would’ve made more of a show during exorcisms.  Maybe karate casting…
  15. I would’ve destroyed the perverse/wicked/evil people and delivered my people from Rome.
  16. I would’ve made everyone rich.
  17. More karate at the temple for a black belt cleansing.
  18. I would’ve talked more trash to anyone who would question me and then do a miracle showdown.
  19. I would’ve dubbed the teacher of the law who answered wisely as a replacement disciple.
  20. Crucifixion?  No way!

If I was Jesus, mankind wouldn’t be saved, and we’d still be under the law.  I’d still be alive healing and helping the world.  It would probably be a mix between the king the Jews wanted and a Marvel superhero.

My wife didn’t want me to think this way and would rather me consider ways I am like Jesus.  But I told her I’d rather see the mysteries of His plan.  His plan IS a source of nourishment until the end of time, the bread of life/living water.  He is the fulfillment of the Wisdom of God, worthy to be praised.  I wouldn’t have bothered with prophecies.  Only He held the keys to God’s plan, I wouldn’t know what to do with them, nor do what was necessary to pave the way for our salvation.

I know it’s a backward way to get there, but even wrapping my mind around what He did and why brings me to worship.  Amen.

He Considers You

Do you know He considers you?

He sees you in the perfect Light of His Son.  
You are not hidden from Him.  You are not hidden.  
He has plans for whom He has made.
He has not forgotten you.  You are not forgotten.
His life changing love is for you.
The Maker of all considers you.
He knows all and He loves you.

Now in His love there is freedom.
With this freedom you can run beyond all that entangles.
You can run faster than the speed of light, light is too slow.
You can escape the grip of regret in His pace.
He equips you in love.
Only by His grace can you be untouched by the gravity of the past.
With Him, time holds no authority.

Now in His love there is peace.
It is more refreshing than any waterfall.
Underneath this torrent a soul is renewed.
Every drop washes, every drop creates.

The powers of this world seek to hold, they seek to stain, they seek to scar.
But they don’t want you to know His stains of blood shed for You.  
They don’t want you to know His scars that paid the price of salvation.
For God holds us ever closer than our mistakes.

Our mistakes want to see themselves.
They want us to see their reflection.  

But He makes us beautiful.
They will not like the view.
 
Oh He considers you.

The Halo

A couple of weeks ago, I was outside watching the sunset.  I know a lot of what we are able to witness outside involves timing, and that evening was no different.  As I watched the sunset I noticed little rainbows in the clouds on either side of the sun.  I found out that since the 1600’s people have called a similar phenomena ‘sundogs’.  As I watched the rainbow clouds fade in and out of sight, I commented to the person standing next to me that I wondered if they ever connected to form a halo around the sun.  Then as I watched, I saw a thin layer of cloud provide the canvas and a faint halo appeared.  I excitedly asked the person next to me if he saw it.  At first, he said no, and I felt sad for him.  I told him it was there and I encouraged him to look harder.  Then as we watched, it became brighter till finally, he said, “Yes, I can see it.”

When I thought on that later, it occurred to me how similar at times seeing that halo was to seeing God’s activity in our lives.  We know God is good, trustworthy, and faithful.  Even when we may not see Him, and our hopes mislead us, we know He is there.  

Like the halo, it started with wonder.  Then as I watched, my wonder manifested into reality, and I saw what I had hoped for.  Then I wanted to share my excitement that I could see my wonder, my conviction, and through my insistence, another saw it too.  This was not by manipulation, but by joy.  No, not everyone will see it.  Only those who look and seek for God, like the halo, will find Him, Psalm 63.

Oh, what a wonder He is indeed.

Deep Under

Thank You, Lord Jesus 
for showing us the path 
on top of these waves.

My eyes need to be fixed on Jesus.
My faith in the sureness of His steps.
My comfort from His outstretched hand even when I sink.
I welcome His rebuke like living Water to a thirsty land.

May I not seek to hide and justify my weaknesses,
but may I relinquish such faulty pride to Him
that I may receive His never ending joy.
It is far greater, and is able to bless me
no matter how deep under I am.