To See Him

Ever so often I get a glimps of Him.

Today was one of those days.

Today I saw Him in his beauty and tasted of a piece of his glory. Every time I see him, it makes me crazy. He is so attractive, so overwhelming and so everything I need. To behold him is all I want to do. When I get a glimps of him like this, I am filled with great desire to die because I know when I leave this mortal shell then and only then will I see in the fullness.

Honestly, when the curtain is pulled back ever so slightly during these times of ultimate ecstacy, all I want is leave this broken and sin-ridden life simply to look upon him. This is what the Psalm talks about when it says, "better is one day than a thousand elsewhere..." I would sell everything I have and move into a mud hut if I could just spend one day with him in his fullness and to think we'll have all eternity.

Seeing God in his beauty is impossible to accurately describe. It is better than the excitement of traveling or riding a roller coaster. It is more gorgeous than the setting sun over the mountaintops of Colorado. It is a greater feeling than the joining of my wife and I in sex. He is without words. He is indescribable.

Even as I write these words, my heart aches and pants for his touch - for just another glimpse of his glory. Oh taste and see that the Lord, he is good!

Rest

Everything is discovered in Him.

It's in that place of prayer - the place of secrecy and intamcy that all the answers my heart is seeking for are found. As I pour my heart out to Him, He responds with revelation and grace upon my soul.

I find myself searching for answers in other places but never finding satisfaction or true rest for my soul. I weary myself with attempts of discovery and then finally fall to my knees in a place of desperation before the One who holds the keys to my heart.

It's crazy, but all things are found in Him. Even if I don't understand, if I don't "get it", I leave His presence filled with peace, hope and the ability to forge on. His touch, His words and His comfort is so beyond me. It has a way of taking me to places I never thought exsisted. He is magical. He is glorious. His is Love and in Him I learn to live in Him, through Him and for Him.

The questions.

The searching.

The drive.

It's all found in Him. In His knowledge, in His grace.

Prayer and Conception

Prayer is like conception.

I'm fascinated with the whole idea of creating life. It's mind boggling that small, alien-like cells flow from me to my wife, find an egg in waiting, fight to enter and finally in one split second a human child is conceived! How does this happen? It's a mystery - no matter how modern science and technology become - this will always remain a mystery.

Prayer can be likened to conception. In those moments of intimacy with him he sends forth the seed of his word to find fertile soil in waiting. When the seed finds the fertile ground, it takes root and brings forth life.

Just like with conception, there is typically a long incubating period where the egg must mature, grow and develop into the baby it's intended to be. If the growing baby was removed from the womb premature, the chances of the baby not surviving or having severe complications is pretty high. The fetus needs to stay hidden, protected and in the secret place of the womb to properly grow.

This is how it is with prayer. God speaks and in that moment our human heart jumps to the end of the process... we want to see a baby, but it going to take nine months of growth, waiting and quietness before the fully mature baby is able to come forth.

Prayer is a glorious grace that requires faithfulness, patience and protection in the secret place of God's heart. We need not grow weary or impatient because the longer we wait, the more accurately and developed his word with become until there's no other option but to push!

Prodigal Moments

Every now and again I have a prodigal moment.

The daily grind of life, personal issues and the drama of life can take my attention away from the one I have always loved. Before you know it, I'm caught in a mechanical cycle of doing my tasks, making sure all my bases are covered and going to sleep to wake for the next day of the same.

Then I wake one morning with a loud knocking on my heart's door, "Joey, where are you?," "What are you doing?" It's him. The one I've given my life to and he's looking for me, the real me. The me only he knows and calls out to in the night.

In that moment, my heart breaks, my eyes see the rip in my commitment and how unfaithful I've been.

He is so kind in his discipline. He doesn't make you feel shameful or even guilty, just a deep pit of sorrow coupled with an intense desire to change - to repent.

He's calling out to me to come, to let go and to simply take each breath with him in mind.

I too am a prodigal - unfaithful Israel -

My Father doesn't care about where I've been or even about my lack of faithfulness.

He's just glad I'm home.

"Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then siad to Peter very sternly, "Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing merely from a human point of view, not from God's."

Mark 8:33

So if Jesus lived with me in my daily life, he would probably use this rebuke on me very often.

Read his rebuke again - very slowly.

You are seeing merely from a human point of view - not from God's.

That is heavy. Everyting we seem to do in our day needs to be rebuked until we understand the will of God. Paul made it very clear that no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God. This is why we must daily pray in the Spirit until we receive revelation on what his will is for us today.

How often do I make decisions based on how much it will work towards my advantage, if it fits into my future plans or financial stability? How does, go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor sound for your 401k? Hmmm. This is the radical lifestyle Jesus calls his disciples to. One of total surrender that he could tell any one of us at any moment to empty our savings account, or better yet our checking account and give it to the homeless.

Of course, we don't just go and do these things because we think we should, but when God speaks we must be ready to move quickly.

Jesus rebukes Peter because he's not seeing with a heavenly perspective. He's using his logical mind, his reasoning to try to accomplish the work of God's kingdom. It didn't work then and it will not work today. It's time we throw out the human efforts to save people and get them to come to our Christian clubs and we begin to cry out to God to reveal his will, his way of doing things. Besides, this is his church.

I guess the question for today is are you looking at things merely from a human point of view or God's?

Contemplate

"Oh God, we meditate on your unfailing love..." Psalm 48:9

Meditation is one aspect of our faith that is talked about so much in the Bible but isn't practiced. I believe that our current way of worshiping was an evolution from active meditation or corporate prayers and chants. In essence when we gather with the people of God and sing the songs we do, we are praying together, declaring together and actively meditating together.

Obviously, meditation is now mostly recognized with the New Age and Far East religions. Many Christians have such a negative association with the word that they've dismissed it from their daily life in God. Yet, I believe meditation is crucial in remembering him and growing in faith.

I know I am so familiar with the Bible that many times I can read an entire chapter and remember one sentence and even at that it's a vague memory. Yet, when I take the time to meditate on one verse, great understanding, revelation and life springs forth. For example, if I take one verse from the Bible like, "flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit," and I begin to say it over and over again, or sing it over and over again, eventually each word comes alive and deeper meaning springs up. The Holy Spirit comes and breathes life on the words I'm saying and before you know it, I could write an entire book on that one verse.

David knew this well. That's why there are so many references in the Psalms to meditating on God's promise, his word. Give it a try today. Instead of reading a whole bunch of verses or chapters and not remembering much, take one or two lines and begin to chew on it. Repeat it, sing it, write it, pray it. You'll see how quickly the words will take on life and slowly work their way into your very make up. The words will become permanently written on your heart, not just memory in your mind.

Get away today for some time and purposely meditate on his unfailing love.

His Beauty

Worshiping God is natural. It should never be conjured up, never pushed out or performed. The same way the our hearts leap when we see the breathtaking landscape of New Zealand or when we watch the mind-boggling opening ceremony of the Olympics - we're simply amazed, in awe.

Worshiping God can be likened unto being intimate with your spouse. Her beauty overtakes you, you tell her, you're drawn to her. Eventually, she becomes so desirable there's no other appropriate response of the heart but to give your self fully to her.

Worshiping God is allowing his Spirit to open our eyes to see Him and then we just can't help ourselves but respond. As we gaze on his beauty, we become overwhelmed with joy, excitement, mystery. We don't know what else to do, or how else to express ourselves so we become undignified. Like when you're in love and do stupid things you wouldn't ever do otherwise. This is the organic, human responds of the soul to our Creator.

Like when you haven't seen a loved one in a few days and then you're reunited - you freak out. You jump all over them, you cry and won't let go of them. This is worship, this is Love. It doesn't take much to worship God. Just look at him - he is so gorgeous, so beautiful, so appealing.