free to flow

I was listening to worship music this morning, and one of the lyrics was "free to dance".  It got me to thinking about freedom.  I often pray that the Lord will use me as a vessel to dispense Himself through me.  I want to be a clean vessel so that I can be more useful.  But this morning, I was thinking about obstruction to flow.  Lord, remove from my mind and my soul, even my body, anything that prevents or limits your flow through me.

I thought of myself as an electrical circuit.  I want to be a superconductor with zero resistance.  I want the Spirit to be able to flow through me with high power, high amperage, and high voltage.  I want to live with zero impedance.

Father, you set me free.  I was trapped in the prison of sin and death, but you ransomed me with the death of your Son to set me free.  My feet were shacked in sin, and I was a slave to sin, but now I am free to run and dance.  I was held captive and forced to fear, lust, and be angry and proud.  But now I am free to love.  I am free to live your life.  I want your love and life to flow through me and propel me.  You have transferred me from darkness to light.  And you have turbo-charged me with the Holy Spirit.  I want to live unimpeded.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.

God of hope

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:5-6,13 NIV

I presented at two water conferences this past week, one at the University of Oklahoma, and the other at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (UACH).  Several students traveled with me to Chihuahua, and we had a great time together. They asked some great spiritual questions in the car, and it was a privilege to share and explain my faith in Jesus.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to be a professor and share the hope I have in you.  Thank you for redemption and restoration.  May I be a better witness today than yesterday.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus.

Transcendent

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"  "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?"  For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11:33‭-‬36 NIV

He is incomprehensible, and yet, He is knowable.  He is mysterious and hidden, yet He reveals Himself.  He is far above, and yet, closer than any other being.  He does not need me, yet He pursues me relentlessly.

He is amazing.  I want to wonder at Him.  I want to stand in awe.

Father, you are above all things, and yet, in the person of Jesus, you are embedded in humanity.  Holy Spirit, direct my thoughts to wonder at your transcendence.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus. 

I am a son of God

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

This time through, I have noticed the strong sonship theme in Romans 8.  We have full, legitimate, legal standing as sons and daughters of God.  We are following Jesus's example of a son by abiding in our Father's love and joining our Father in His work.  And that is accomplished by listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying Him.

Father, thank you for making me your son. I want to walk in greater measure of hearing and obeying today.  I want to live a good example of what it means to be your son.  I want people to have a good picture of who you are as the see me.  Jesus, thank you for your example to follow.  Holy Spirit, lead me.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus.

Practical focus

Lately, I have been struggling with work stress and waking up in the middle of the night and not going back to sleep.  Yesterday morning, I asked Father about it, and He reminded me of this passage:

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:3‭-‬4 NIV

Then I read my daily Scripture, which included some of my favorite verses, and I think they are very fundamental and practical:

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:5‭-‬6 NIV

Conceptually, it seems simple to set your mind on the Spirit.  But I get frustrated and overwhelmed. 

Jude lost his two front teeth this past week, and the dentist pulled two more yesterday.  Seeing him try to talk or eat with so many missing teeth reminded me that he is still just a kid.  Sometimes I am too hard on him, but last night after baseball practice I took him for a burger and ice cream.  In the car, I reached back to squeeze his leg and tell him that I love him, and he took my hand and held it while we drove.  It was a special moment for me.  I feel like I finally connected with him on a deeper level.

Father, thank you for being my Rock.  Thank you for being steadfast.  Teach me to focus my mind on you and rest in your goodness and love.  May my life be characterized by supernatural peace.  I love you and pray in the name of Jesus.

died instead of divorced, resurrected and remarried

Romans 7:1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. ... 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Humanity was married to the law, and we had no way of divorcing the law.  We were under covenant to the law.  But by faith in Jesus, we participate in His death, and therefore, thankfully, our marriage to the law is finished, obsolete ("until death do us part"). I am so thankful that I am no longer bound to that covenant!  But even more thankfully, by faith in Jesus, we also participate in His resurrection, so humanity is able to be the bride of Christ in a covenant of grace.  The goodness of our new covenant is greater than the badness of the old covenant.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your kindness in rescuing me from the misery of the law!  Thank you for giving me a way to die to that covenant and be resurrected for a new life in a covenant of grace!  Jesus, thank you for making the way for me.  Thank you for saving me and giving me a new life of joy and hope.  Holy Spirit, teach me to walk fully in this new covenant, not living like I am still in that old covenant.  I want to fully experience abundant life.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.

Reigning in life

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive Godʼs abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:17 NIV

Jesus's death completely and finally paid for the sin of everyone in the whole world for all time (John 3:16, Rom. 5:18).  Jesus has freed us from the tyranny of sin and death!  

Even more, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and delegated us with His authority and power to reveal His Kingdom.  This, we are empowered and commissioned to reign on His behalf.

Heavenly Father, thank you for justification and anointing.  Jesus, thank you for the power of your resurrection life.  Holy Spirit, I want to walk with you today.  Break through the things in my heart and mind that are limiting your love flowing through me into the lives of people around me.  I want to walk as a king, appropriating the resources of the Kingdom to bless people and show the goodness of the Father. I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.

courtroom analogy

One of my friends recently served on a federal drug trial, and as I read Romans 3 and 4 yesterday and today, I saw a courtroom analogy of faith and justification.  

God the Father is the Judge, Jesus is the defense attorney, the Holy Spirit is defense counsel, Satan is the accuser, I am the defendant, and the angels are the crowd. 

The accuser claims that I am guilty and submits evidence of every sin that I have ever committed.  At this point, it seems like the case is closed, and the sobering reality is that the punishment for any single sin charge is the death sentence.  

But then the defense counsel explains to me that my only hope of avoiding death is that there is another piece of evidence that could be submitted to the court: the perfect life, death, and resurrection of the defense attorney. However, in order for that evidence to be submitted to the court, I have to plead guilty to all charges and trust that the defense attorney will be able to save me. 

So, I plead guilty to all charges and put all of my faith in the defense attorney.  Faithful to His word, the defense attorney submits as evidence to the court, His perfect life, death, and resurrection.  And then several amazing things happen.  First, the Judge accepts the defense's evidence as complete fulfillment of the death penalty for every single charge.  Second, the Judge announces that I am NOT GUILTY, the case is closed, and I am a FREE MAN.  Third, the Judge destroys the evidence of every single one of my sins.  

As the crowd celebrates the announcement, the defense attorney hires me to be part of His team, helping other people hear about how this defense attorney can save your life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing mercy.  Jesus, thank you for your perfect life, death, and resurrection, and thank you for standing in my defense.  Holy Spirit, thank you for guiding me to put my faith in Jesus.  I love you, and I want to help others experience your mercy and grace.  I pray in the name of Jesus.

Disciples of Jesus

I had the privilege of writing a blog post for a new blog for the Crosby County Faith community: http://crosbycounty.faith/disciples-of-jesus/.

As I was thinking about what I should share, I realized that I had two parts, so the first part was about how loving each other is the proof of being a disciple of Jesus, and the second part is forthcoming.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to communicate what I am learning in my walk with you.  Please use me to encourage others in their walk with you.

Prosperity and the Gospel

My parents taught me to tithe when I was a kid.  They taught me the principles of financial giving, and they taught me the discipline (practice) of how to prioritize spiritual giving (i.e., you set aside that money first before you budget ANYTHING else).  They taught me that it is a matter of both the heart and the mind.  We give because He gave, but sometimes you give even when you don't feel like it, because you know that it is the right thing to do.  (Of course, it would be nice to feel it every time, but I think that is why it is called "discipline" and not "chocolate cake".). Fundamentally, God does not need our money, so it is our willingness and faith to give that is essential.  I think this is what Paul was pointing out here:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. ...  For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

2 Corinthians 8:9‭, ‬12 NIV

I think there is an aspect of giving that is independent of your financial situation, as evidenced by Jesus' commentary on the woman who gave her last few cents.  It is a matter of trusting the Lord instead of trusting money.  But I am thinking there is also an aspect of God increasing our capacity to give as an opportunity to sow more into the Kingdom.

Of course, we have to be careful to not slip off into the ditch on either side, neither the prosperity gospel nor the poverty gospel.  Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could have all of the material possessions that we ever want, nor are you more righteous by living ascetically.  But perhaps God actually desires to increase our capacity to give:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6‭-‬11 NIV

When you have a small salary, most of your monthly income goes to shelter, food, and other basic living expenses.  But what if, as we desire to give a greater fraction, and as we are faithful to give a greater fraction, God desires to increase our capacity to sow more in faith because He is pleased by faith and returns a crop of righteousness?

I have struggled with feeling guilty about having a nice salary as a professor, but by the grace of God, nearly every year, Brandi and I have increased our financial giving.  And we have seen God continue to increase our capacity to give.  I need to check my heart to make sure that I don't associate the size of my paycheck with my value or God's approval of me, but maybe there is still room in there to consider financial resources a type of blessing and an opportunity to sow more into the Kingdom.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your rich love for us and how you spent the treasure of your Son to purchase our redemption and freedom.  Jesus, thank you for your example of becoming poor so that I could become rich.  Holy Spirit, lead me to give away what I can't keep to gain what I could never buy.  I want to store up treasures in Heaven where we can celebrate for eternity.  And I want my children to grow up with that culture of living generously and watching you produce a great harvest from what we join you in planting.  Increase my desire to give.  Increase my faith as I sow.  And increase my capacity to give even more.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus.