Living generously

I started this post before Father's Day, so I was thinking about how my parents taught me to be generous with time and money.

2 Corinthians 9:6‭-‬12 TPT

6 Here's my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. 7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity! 8 Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do. 9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten. 10 This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow. 11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God. 12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God's people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself.

This morning, I remembered that I had drafted this post and wanted to complete it, and then this verse was in my reading this morning!

Luke 6:38 TPT

Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.

I am so thankful for what my parents have taught me. I remember a conversation with my dad when I told him that I wanted to give more than a tithe, and he told me that God would bless me for my generous heart.  I am thankful for Jesus's promise that you can't out-give God.  And I am thankful for my dad speaking this truth over me.

Father, you are so generous!  You send rain to the righteous and the unrighteous!  You love to give good gifts to your children!  Jesus, thank you for your example of generosity, even giving your own life.  Holy Spirit, thank you for empowering me and leading me to be generous. Thank you for parents who taught me these principles from childhood. I love you!

Imitating our Father

Luke 4:40‭-‬41,43 TPT

40 At sunset, the people brought all those who were sick to Jesus to be healed. Jesus laid his hands on them one by one, and they were all healed of different ailments and sicknesses. 41 Demons also came out of many of them. The demons knew that Jesus was the Anointed One, so they shouted while coming out, "You are the Messiah, the Son of El Shaddai!" But Jesus rebuked them and commanded them to be silent. ... 43 But Jesus said, "Don't you know there are other places I must go to and offer them the hope found in God's kingdom realm? This is what I have been sent to do."

Ephesians 5:1-2 TPT

1 Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters. 2 And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.

Jesus showed us what it looks like to imitate our Father.  

I want to be bold in imitating my Father.

Father, your creativity is amazing! And I love your heart to heal.  Jesus, thank you for showing us how to live like Father.  Holy Spirit, thank you for being with us and giving us your power.  Please help me be more bold in opportunities to show your love and power.  I love you.

Living and parenting free-Spirited

Luke 1:68‭, ‬73‭-‬75‭, ‬78‭-‬79 TPT

68 "Praise be to the exalted Lord God of Israel, for he has seen us through eyes of grace, and he comes as our Hero-God to set us free! ... 73‭-‬75 He has rescued us from the power of our enemies! This fulfills the sacred oath he made with our father Abraham. Now we can boldly worship God with holy lives, living in purity as priests in his presence every day! ... 78 The splendor light of heaven's glorious sunrise is about to break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender. 79 The word from heaven will come to us with dazzling light to shine upon those who live in darkness, near death's dark shadow. And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace."

Galatians 4:7 TPT

Now we're no longer living like slaves under the law, but we enjoy being God's very own sons and daughters! And because we're his, we can access everything our Father has—for we are heirs of God through Jesus, the Messiah!

I have heard some sermons on how bad Hell will be, and I have heard a few sermons about Heaven, but generally, I think we don't talk enough about the incredible goodness of the Lord.

As John the Baptizer was raised in a Spirit-folled home, so I want to parent from a Spirit-filled framework (not a religious framework).

Father, thank you for your incredible mercy and grace! Jesus, thank you for illuminating our lives and setting us free from slavery to law, sin, and religion.  Holy Spirit, help me live as a free son.  I love you.

I am a son of Abraham

Galatians 3:6‭-‬9‭, ‬14‭, ‬29 TPT

6 Abraham, our father of faith, led the way as our pioneering example. He believed God and the substance of his faith released God's righteousness to him. 7 So those who are the true children of Abraham will have the same faith as their father! 8 God's plan all along was to bring this message of salvation to the nations through the revelation of faith. Long ago God prophesied over Abraham, as the Holy Scriptures say: "Through your example of faith all the nations will be blessed!" 9 And so the blessing of Abraham's faith is now our blessing too! ... 14 Jesus, our Messiah, was cursed in our place and in so doing, dissolved the curse from our lives, so that all the blessings of Abraham can be poured out upon even non-Jewish believers. And now God gives us the promise of the wonderful Holy Spirit who lives within us when we believe in him. ... 29 And since you've been united to Jesus the Messiah, you are now Abraham's "child" and inherit all the promises of the kingdom realm!

I am a descendent of Abraham through faith, not through biology or religious law.  Abraham believed God's promise, not the law.  The law was given to Moses 4.3 centuries later.  Abraham was blessed because of God's promise, not because of the law.  Like Abraham, I believe God's promise, and I will share in God's promised blessings for Abraham (v. 9, 14, 29). 

The presence of Holy Spirit today for those who believe is the richest part of the blessings (v. 14).  How incredible!  God doesn't wait until after we die to share His Presence with us!  He gives Himself generously, and Holy Spirit guides us to step into the fullness of the promised blessings.

Father, thank you for sending Holy Spirit! Thank you for sharing your presence!  You are so generous!  You are a good Father, and you love to give good gifts to your children! What gift could possibly be better than your very Presence: Holy Spirit residing in our spirits?  Jesus, thank you for becoming a curse to remove the curse from us so that we could live to walk in the Father's promises and blessings! Holy Spirit, please help me keep in step with you. I love you.

Give thanks to the Lord

Psalms 118:1 NIV

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I saw my wife crying because she was discouraged by the current housing market in two ways: first, that it seemed like there were already half a dozen offers on any house she inquired, and second, the offers were all way over asking price.  

So, I asked the Lord to bless us with a house for a good deal, in spire of the current market frenzy.

The next day, Brandi got a call from a lady saying that she would allow us to purchase her house significantly below her original asking price.

We went to look at the house that Saturday, and on Sunday, as we were praying for some visiting missionaries, I felt the Lord ask me if I believed it was an answer to prayer.  I felt awkward because the house is much nicer than what we were looking for.  

I think the Lord is trying to teach me that He is a good Father, and He loves to give good gifts to His children.

Many times when I see the sunset, I think of it as God's fingerprints, His craftsmanship. But what if, with an open heart, I can actually peer at a sunset and see His face?

Father, thank you for your extravagant generosity.  You are good and your love endures forever, regardless of whether or not you bless us with an amazing house. But I sure am glad to see several of my wife's childhood dreams fulfilled in this house. I love you.

Sanctification

I had a good conversation with Andres yesterday about entering God's rest and the connection to three aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification), based on Hebrew 3-4.

This morning, I read this verse, and it reminded me of the importance of us devoting ourselves to the Lord in His process of sanctification:

2 Corinthians 7:1 TPT

Beloved ones, with promises like these, and because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us.

Father, I want to turn my affection toward you.  I want to be like you, as Jesus modeled for us.  Holy Spirit, lead me on further, higher, and deeper.  I love you.

in honor of my Grandmother

My Grandmother went to be with the Lord about two weeks ago.  She was my last living grandparent, now with my other three Living grandparents.

I thank the Lord for the heritage that I have received through Grandmother (and my other grandparents).  She was an honorable, sincere, and vigorous woman who loved the Lord. 

The first time I brought Brandi to meet Grandmother and Granddaddy, as we were driving up the lane to their house, we saw Grandmother standing on top of the old Scout, chainsaw in hand, trimming branches from a mesquite tree.  She was a petite lady, but she was wiry and tenacious.

Grandmother was always a hostess, regularly offering (almost insisisting) something to eat or drink.  I think she is pleased to see that gift of hospitality in Rhett.

I remember as a child, being impressed with the style of her plates, silverware, and glasses.  And she dressed up for any outing, even hauling the trash to the dump.

When I was in highschool or college, Grandmother gave each of my brothers and me a bookmark for Christmas, and the one that she gave me said, "RELAX".  I'm still working on implementing that simple instruction, but I think she is pleased to know that I've made a bit of headway these past two years.

I feel compelled to respond with a few points of clarification to the pastor's remarks at Grandmother's funeral service. First, I do agree that the Lord knows the number of our days (Psalm 90:12), and that it is important for us to live intentionally and wisely with the finite number of days that we have.  I also agree that He lovingly and sovereignly allows trials to grow our faith and maturity.  However, I do not agree that God "balances out" good days and bad days, and I don't agree that Alzheimer's/dimensia is from Him.  God is a good father, and He loves to give good gifts to His children.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 10:22 ESV

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7‭-‬11 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

The second is a very minor detail: while I do agree that at the end of time there will be a separation of the righteous and unrighteous (wheat and tares, sheep and goats) to Heaven and Hell, respectively, according to the teaching of Jesus, it will be the angels, not the demons, who serve as bailiffs. 

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."' ...  The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Matthew 13:30‭, ‬39 ESV

Father, thank you for the good gifts that you have given me through my Grandmother.  Thank you for the hope of seeing her again in person with you.  I love you.