Sometimes, we "go out of our way not to take unnecessary risks," and yet chaos seems to find us, shake us, and interrupt what we had planned. People call this, "life's difficulties!" I call it aggravating, annoying, frustrating, and sometimes I call it other colorful words in my mind. But rarely, maybe even never, have I called it an opportunity.
Opportunity? Yes, these moments (when the car won't start, the little one wets the bed, the dryer didn't work, the washer stopped, the kids didn't listen and the kitchen is a mess) are opportunities to remember that I am not in control, but I know the One who is. These moments (a nail in the tire, a sick child, a spill on my pants before the big interview, a friend's betrayal, a sudden illness, a loved ones death) give me an opportunity as Adam Holz says to "rest in the knowledge that, though God doesn't promise us protection from all of life's difficulties, He always knows where I am. He knows where I'm going and what I'll encounter. And He's the Lord of it all"—even these moments.
May God, who is the Sovereign and Mighty God, "help us to remember who He is—the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Creator and Ruler of the heavens and the Earth. May the Lord God help us to trust Him in "every potential problem or sudden setback we face today."
Love you—Cassius
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Thursday, August 1, 2019
We are living temples
We need to understand, accept, and respond in our lives and with our lives to this “transformational truth: Our bodies are the living, breathing, and walking-around temple of God’s Spirit.”
It bears repeating! We need to understand, accept, and respond to this “transformational truth: Our bodies are the living, breathing, and walking-around temple of God’s Spirit.” This spiritual reality begs us, beckons us, and needs to move all of us to shift the way we live, move, work, serve, do church, worship, eat, exercise, and socialize so that we “get back to the fullness of life God had in store for us.” And, even more, so that once we get back to the fullness of life in the presence and plans of God— we stay there. But how, how do we make this move to understand and accept and respond so that we get back home and stay in Him? How we do this returning and abiding is simple, but not easy— we repent and surrender.
We repent of living after and in the pattern and ways of the culture of our world and we turn back to God. We believe that He knows best, loves best, and leads us to true life and fullness.
We surrender to His lordship, love, grace, and power at work in us, and we surrender “to the fullness of [our] transformed identity in Him.” We stop working on us and trying to work for His love and instead we surrender to His love and let Him work in us, and with us!
So family, may the goal for the rest of my life and yours be to live in fellowship and partnership with God and to help others do the same, so that we are the best living temples for our God! May God so bless us to live as new creations and to abide in Him.
It bears repeating! We need to understand, accept, and respond to this “transformational truth: Our bodies are the living, breathing, and walking-around temple of God’s Spirit.” This spiritual reality begs us, beckons us, and needs to move all of us to shift the way we live, move, work, serve, do church, worship, eat, exercise, and socialize so that we “get back to the fullness of life God had in store for us.” And, even more, so that once we get back to the fullness of life in the presence and plans of God— we stay there. But how, how do we make this move to understand and accept and respond so that we get back home and stay in Him? How we do this returning and abiding is simple, but not easy— we repent and surrender.
We repent of living after and in the pattern and ways of the culture of our world and we turn back to God. We believe that He knows best, loves best, and leads us to true life and fullness.
We surrender to His lordship, love, grace, and power at work in us, and we surrender “to the fullness of [our] transformed identity in Him.” We stop working on us and trying to work for His love and instead we surrender to His love and let Him work in us, and with us!
So family, may the goal for the rest of my life and yours be to live in fellowship and partnership with God and to help others do the same, so that we are the best living temples for our God! May God so bless us to live as new creations and to abide in Him.
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