Reflecting before a Happy New Year!

As the new year approaches, let's take a moment to sit back, take a deep breath and look at the year that was and will soon be in our rearview. 

As you look over the days and moments, let joy and laughter fill the air, and even let tears and sobs have their share. Smile a bit. Laugh a bit more.  Celebrate and rejoice some, mourn and grieve some. Give space to the moments that scared you and those that excited you, and to the so many different emotions in between.  

Reflect on the things that did not turn out the way you envisioned, those that did, and those that exceeded your wildest dreams.  Consider the lives and relationships that you lost and of those you still have.  Have a brief look back over the different memories—those you want to forget and those you hope you never do. 

Quietly meditate on how, despite a year of bizarre moments, waves of heaviness and anxiety, and the vast crapload of things that hit us unexpectedly, His light and love continued to touch us, warm our souls, heal us, and give us hope.

Y'all, God was there for us, is still here with us, and He will be with us all the days to come— sovereign, wise, loving, good, and present in all the moments and days ahead; whether seemingly good, bad, or in between.

So as we close out this year, may we cry out to Him for our pain and sorrows, but also take time to bless Him loudly and joyously for His great faithfulness. Praying that God will boldly seek us out to receive a harvest of His rich, uncountable and magnificent blessings all throughout the year ahead. 

Love you

—— 

"That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT)!"

A Christmas (re) invitation

Blog: A Christmas (re) invitation

In all her excitement and in all the euphoria of seeing long awaited gifts and dolls, toy cars and dress up clothes, Emma lost one of her most cherished gifts: a box of unopened LEGOs from her older (and some would argue her favorite) sister Gabbi.  

For several minutes she looked for the box, turning up couch pillows and cushions, checking under chairs and blankets, looking under the table and again under the now empty Christmas tree. After her search returned empty she asked for help, and we joined in again as she searched for the box.  We turned up cushions and blankets, checked in boxes and under the tables, looked in other rooms and under other gifts. But the gift was gone. 

Undeterred, Emma asked for help once more. This time all eyes spied the bags of trash, holding table scarps and wads of shredded Christmas wrapping paper.  No one wanted to go wading through the bags of trash and wrapping paper, but Emma insisted she find this gift, and as we emptied the second bag of discarded paper and boxes— out popped and unopened purple box of LEGOs.  Running to the box and bursting with joy, Emma exclaimed "I thought I lost it!"  

By now, for many of us, our long awaited toy trucks or dolls, power tools and power toys, technological gadgets, silver, gold, and pearls, clothes and shoes, gaming consoles and game boards, televisions and tablets have been opened. By now, for many of us, we've reaped in an amazing haul of surprises, feasted on our fair share, or probably even eaten a bit more than we should have. By now, for many of us, we have already Zoomed and FaceTimed, texted and Snapped, updated our online stories and timelines, called family and friends, and taken to our social platforms to publish our favorite pictures or videos.  

Christmas was good! 

Which is why, perhaps more than any other day, God is inviting us to know the hope of Christmas even more than we did yesterday!  Why?  Because unfortunately by now, for many of us, the day after Christmas means that we have already discarded the joy of Christmas, the true Gift of heaven, the love and compassion of family, the grace and comfort of Christ, and all too soon laid aside the hope of "peace on earth and goodwill towards mankind" by letting it be swept up in moving on with the next day's activities. 

Although God's special Gift isn't ever really lost, we do allow ourselves to get distracted by other things, so for many of us, today is a day where God is re-inviting us to Christmas.  Today, perhaps more than any other day, God is inviting us to a much needed time to stop, sit still and know the Christ in Christmas; to go through all the gift boxes and wrapping paper to make sure that we have not left the most important gift of Christmas unopened; to see where like Emma, we may have accidentally lost sight of Christ's goodness and joy and love in the melee of presents, turkey and stuffing, or socially distanced gatherings.  Yes, I learned a lot from Emma including focus and persistent searching for what's important to us.  What about you?

Maybe today, we don't rush out to return that ugly Christmas sweater, or take down the tree, or clean the whole house, or go back to work or move on with our preparations for the New Year.  Maybe today, we look through all the wrapping paper and gifts and see God— His goodness and love and His cherished gift to us in Christ— and we just hold fast to it and not let it be a casualty of moving too fast towards the next thing.

May we ever search for His cherished gift to us, embracing Him and making sure that we don't let Him go, even if Christmas Day in the (current year) has gone. 

Merry Christmas!

—— 

The Sword is mighty— use it

Pull out the Word of the LORD, the sword of truth (Eph 6:17), and mercilessly and without pity— slay your fears with Psalm 23, 56:3, and Psalm 94:19. Slash, chop, hew and cut down anxious thoughts with Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7, and John 14:27. And don't let doubt, guilt, shame, rejection, despair or the fear of loneliness escape— beat them down with Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:35-39, Psalm 148:8, and Joshua 1:9. 

 May every promise of His strength, hope, joy, peace, patience, life, victory, provision, shield and shelter, defense and refuge, grace and mercy, forgiveness and sure salvation spoken from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 be with us. The LORD GOD of heavenly forces is with us. Have a sensational Saturday! Love you—Cassius

He is peace—

Peace is not the absence of problems or pain, but the deep, abiding, abundant presence of God with you in them and it is the unspeakable and unshakable confidence in His salvation, righteousness, promises, and faithfulness.

He is Peace—so let us "stop allowing [ourselves] to be agitated and disturbed; and ... not permit [ourselves] to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled (John‬ ‭14:27‬b AMPC‬‬)."

He is Peace— so let us invite His perfect peace to calm us in every circumstance and give us courage and strength for every challenge (John‬ ‭14:27‬ ‭AMP‬‬).

He is Peace— so rejoice, have joy and "do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John‬ ‭14:27‬ ‭AMP‬‬)."

Shalom to you and may the "deep, genuine, God-given peace," "that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭AMPC‬‬)."

Remember the butterfly 🦋

Today, remember the butterfly 🦋!
Before we get to see the beauty of spotted wings and brilliant colors effortlessly gliding across the skies— it has crawled and trudged through muck and mire, escaped dangers and threats from above and below, and dealt with hurt and pain.

Before it takes flight with ornate wings and seemingly carefree abandon— it has spent a season in a cramped, dark space that likely felt like a tomb, and then had to fight like you know what to break its way out and back into the light.

But if it were not for the darkness, it could never grow wings, and if not for the struggle its wings would have no strength. So, remember the butterfly whenever you feel like you are only able to crawl, when hardship come, when you feel fearful and under attack, when darkness surrounds you or your tears flow like rivers, and you feel like everyday you are having to fight like you know what to make it to the other side of day and the right side of victory.

Remember the butterfly and believe with joy that all things are going to work out for your "wings" (for your good), and put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ your Savior— He knows a thing or two about resurrection and abundant life.

Be hopeful and hope filled— knowing that God's sovereignty applies to any and everything we are facing and His power to transform it will be even more amazing than the metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly 

Today, remember the butterfly 🦋 and have a great day!

Grace and peace to you—Cassius 

He is love and His love is in us!

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Lynn Cowell has a great post on Proverbs 31 Ministries titled  What Happens When I Forget Christ Lives in Me.  She writes: "Christ lives in us. We now live by faith, confidence and trust in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us." From her post and the scripture I found three things that I want to pass on in encouragement:

When He died on the cross He proved His love. 

“When we are tempted to look for love in the way others respond, notice us or affirm us, we can choose to hold tight to the Truth that God has already affirmed us." Fully loved we can readily choose to die to ourselves daily so that His Spirit can live in and through us and give us real life.

His Spirit is big enough, is "good enough”, and is perfect in every situation.  

“Every day, settle it in your soul that you are deeply loved and forever cherished. Remember that the Spirit of Christ lives in you and He is bigger than your desire for proof that you are loved and His Spirit is good enough in every situation."

We have a lot of wonderful works to do and opportunities to be blessed and a blessing.  

"Don't waste your energy and time searching for love, just remember that the Spirit of Christ lives in you and be a conduit for His love, His purpose and His life to others."

He is love. His death and resurrection for our sins has proven His love. He is big enough, good enough, and the perfect answer for every question and perfect solution for every problem. And because He is proven love, and the perfect answer we don’t have to wast another second of our precious timing search for someone’s approval— we already have His. May we do amazing things and be wonderful people because His love is in us. 

He is love and His love is in us!

—— 

Reflecting on compassion



Today I joined a men's worship and devotional call and the Bible study discussion centered on compassion and the ways in which we have demonstrated compassion in our daily lives. As the conversation continued the question was  asked, "What prevents you from showing God's love when you carry out your daily responsibilities?"

As I remained silent one intriguing and relatable answer was shared by one of the pastors on the call. He spoke about agenda and by extension, priority.  Reverend Otis reflected upon the fact that, despite the weight of His purpose and even when He was in the midst of getting away to grieve, Jesus always had time in His day to be compassionate because people were an important part of His agenda, purpose and priorities. 

Simply put, people were important to Him and He made meeting with them, time with them, and compassion for them a part of His daily agenda.  This is evident in the fact that:

• Jesus had time for the crowds, even after He tried to get away to grieve. 
• He had time for the woman with an issue of blood, even while heading to Jarius' home to heal a daughter who was dying.  
• He had time for the crowds who followed Him to distance places, even while once again wanting solitude. 
• He had time to stop for a diminutive tax collector and invite Himself for dinner 
•  He had time for mothers wanting blessings for their children, widows burying children, and people caught up in situations and circumstances they desperately wanted out of  
• He had compassion for leper's and tax collectors, a thief's dying wish and disciples needing encouragement and correction. 
• He had time for and compassion for the hungry and lost. 

Jesus made time to grieve with friends, dine with sinners, and He even had time to forgive the people who were wrongly accusing Him. 

He had time for compassion for people because people were a priority and a key part of His purpose and agenda.  He said, I came to seek and save the lost. I came so they may have life. I am the Good Shepherd, I "need to" lay down My life for the sheep. We were a priority for Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son.” We were on His agenda. This is why He came, why He died and why He rose. But, what about me?

Do I let people, their needs, even their greatest need for the love and the knowledge of Christ be a key part of my daily agenda?  Do I take time to let people in my crowds, in my contacts, in my home, or who look up to me know that Christ cares and that He is compassionate?  What do I do when someone is in need, like a stranger down and out, a child anxious at the DMV a state away, a daughter dealing with anxiety, younger children needing affection or discipline, or a spouse overwhelmed and overworked needing just 15 minutes of my agenda?  Am I too busy serving my own needs and wants to care about showing them the compassion of Christ?  If the crowds came to me, am I sending them away or giving them compassion?  

Far too often, and for no reason other than my own selfishness and self-centered thinking I keep no room on my agenda for them. Far too often, I know His compassion and know His love and know His heart for others and I choose not to have His heart. Lord help!  

God, help me fill up in the knowledge and understanding of Your great compassion for me so that I may consistently and continually share and show Your great compassion to those around me. Help me live my life according to Your agenda, plans, purposes and priorities so that the needs of others will not be seen by me as an interruption or an intrusion, but as a welcome part of and priority within Your plans for me. 

—— 

"That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT)!"

Storm tips

When we are in a storm— a season of difficulties, a day of trouble, a week of worry, a night of fearfulness, caught up in the snare of dread, or seemingly stuck in a time of anxiousness and apprehensiveness— do these things:

(1) stay on your knees
(2) devour Scripture
(3) weep if you need to
(4) worship as you wait for the season or moments to pass
(5) pray and give thanks to God.

Above all else, "don't stop seeking Him. What is more important than us feeling [that] God is [near is] knowing [and trusting] that He loves us. He is holding us. He is present with us. And He is faithful to get us through the storm, no matter what happens (Ruth Schwenk)."

Even when you are not sure you can hold on to Him, He is holding on to you.

Love you—Cassius

Hot Stock pick

Don't be amused or put stock in the vainglorious boasting, reckless bragging, arrogant pretentiousness, and blustering talk of pundits and pontificators. Their speech is most often gas and noise, the blistering nonsense of overused cliches used to erect elaborate and overhyped promises that the makers of which have little desire and even less ability to give birth to! Instead of giving weight to their grand notions and political ramblings, throw yourself full tilt onto the cross of Christ, the fulfilled and coming promises of His Word, and the certainty of the never failing, Eternal God.

Put your stock in the Word that never fails, the hope that never dies, and the timeless God who reigns from everlasting to everlasting!

With our heads neither buried in the sands nor stuck in the heavens to come, let us with genuine humility strive to firmly, courageously, and faithfully move ourselves and our world forward with the unquenchable grace, manifest justice, unrelenting mercy, effective accountability and the unalterable truth of the Sovereign and Almighty.

I’ll take my odds

Who said that you are the underdog?  Who said that your odds aren’t good?  Who said you are outgunned, outmanned, and outmatched?  

Gideon’s odds: 

A countless hoard, an army numerous as the sands of the shore versus Gideon and 300.  

Elijah’s odds: 

At least 850 false prophets and fake priests versus one (count it 1) man of God.   

Abraham’s odds: 

Three kings and their band of raiding armies versus one nomad and the troops/servants of his house. 

David’s odds: 

One highly decorated, war trained, and savage champion fighter of mammoth and gigantic size versus a shepherd boy delivering snacks to soldiers and carrying a sling. 

Moses’ odds:

The savage mercenary army of Pharaoh that held captive an entire nation for over 300 years versus a ragtag shepherd and his recently released, but now trapped at the edge of the sea, former slaves.  

And there is more:

Don’t forget to look at Joshua and Jericho,  Jesus with five loaves and 5000 mouths to feed, plus women and children.  Or Jesus and the seven loaves and the 4000 men, plus women and children.  Or Paul and the angry mobs. Pretty poor odds if you think about it from the world’s perspective.  Right?   These were tough odds, to rely on in most books, by most standards, and in most people’s eyes.  But look again. I’ll take their odds. 

Look at their odds and then call this to mind—  no matter the size of the army, foe, fear, enemy or problem that comes against you, if you have the power, army, and will of the eternal God on your side then the odds are stacked in your favor!

Who said that you are the underdog?  Who said that your odds aren’t good?  Who said you are outgunned, outmanned, and outmatched?  Certainly not the God of Angel armies or the commander of the forces of heaven and earth. 

May the inexplicable power of Heaven be your strength and bring you victory— no matter who, what, or how many are with the army or problem that comes against you!  

Open your hands

May we stop holding on to the hurt caused by whoever said that we are not enough or not good enough, and instead brazenly cling, clench, and grasp on to the word that declares us fearfully and wonderfully made, children of the Most High God, and loved with an everlasting love.

In lieu of keeping a stranglehold on any hurt caused by broken dreams or brokenness— be it in our bodies, careers, families, faith circles, childhood, or any other segment of our life journey— let us embrace, clutch tightly, and reach out with desperate determination to touch Him, to grasp the healing hand of God and the eternal Word that can save.

May we do all that we can to rebuke and release every anxious worry and unhealthy thought that wants to hold us captive, so that we can be healed, made whole and well, be made vessels spilling over with triumphant hope, everlasting joy, and unshakable peace, and abound in His presence, promises, and comforting compassion.

Let us open our hands and release all the things we’ve held on to that have poisoned our souls with bitterness and our minds with thoughts of defeat.  Let us open our hands and receive all the goodness and joy that the loving and righteous God has in store for us. 

Defender or Defended

Manhood in a broken world demands that we prove that we are a man— that we are strong, powerful and we take no mess from no one. We demand respect and if wronged our fallen world says, take up your sword, pay him/her back, get even or get ahead.

In Matthew 27 the friends, crowds, leaders, even the passers by demand that Jesus retaliate (against betrayal), defend Himself (against false accusations), protect Himself (from the mob shouting crucify), and rescue Himself (from the suffering, abuse, shame, and pain of the cross). They demand that He do say something and/or do something in order to prove Himself the Son of God.

Yet, it was His humility, honesty, peacefulness, faithfulness, obedience, and dogged refusal to retaliate coupled with His otherworldly show of grace, compassion, and mercy from that very cross (the pinnacle of injustice, abuse, and wrong) that proved, even in His death, that “Truly this was the Son of God! (Matthew‬ ‭27:54‬ ‭ESV‬‬)."

Our fallen world says, take up your sword.  Countless times we are told and taught, don’t let anyone disrespect you; if you hurt me I'm gonna hurt you right back, harder. Our fallen world demands that we return insult for insult, injury for injury and abuse for abuse.  Our fallen world demands a man (or woman) avenge, pay him/her back, get even, or better yet— get ahead. But then, Jesus! The GOD of the Universe declares— trust and obey the Father and leave the rest up to me (vengeance, repayment, etc.).

It might seem foolish to you. It  might seem hard or almost impossible now.  It may even feel like you are forsaken by God, as you wait on Him. But, in your obedience and faithfulness He will defend you, justify you, make your rightness revealed, and grow your righteousness.  And, because you elected to be defended by The Just and True God instead of being your own defender, many will not only know that you aren't just a man (or woman), but that you are a Kingdom man (or woman) and even more, a lost or fearful brother or sister may declare His name because you obeyed His Word.

May God strengthen you in your trial and openly and abundantly bless and reward your faithfulness.

Steadfast Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-23, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." (RSV)

"Seasons come and go, but God's faithfulness remains the same.  Life will twist and turn, but God is" steadfast, forever faithful and always true.  "Our doubts [and difficulties] don't change His great faithfulness"— nor erase His promises and their everlasting fulfillment in Christ.

In the midst of the most uncomfortable, unfamiliar, most unsteady, and dare I say most undesirable season we have ever experienced—  this 2020 pandemic—  "let's be expectant and hopeful", trusting, believing, and hoping in the One who does not lie, "cannot lie, never changes His mind, never forgets His Word, and has never failed" us yet!  He is faithful and steadfast, and His steadfast love never ceases, never come to an end.   By His great faithfulness and compassion, He will be faithful to see us through it all.

Grace and peace to you— especially in this and every season "that feels uncomfortable, unfamiliar and ever-changing."

—— 

Quotes from Nicki Koziarz. 

Decision Time

Headline after headline opened back up deep and hurtful wounds.  Phrases like:

"Entirely sinister." "Eerily dark." "Despicably evil." "Demonstratively hateful.” "Blatantly racist." “Unthinkably criminal." "Unjustly  Privileged." 

Just looking at their juxtaposition evokes old deep hurts, repressed anxieties, and relentlessly forced my mind forward into visceral heartrending gut wrenching reactions. Not just emotionally, but from my soul, already saturated by decades of first hand experiences, and centuries of historical and generation altering stories of loss and victimization.

After another video, another news story, another post, another outlandish and insensitive (make that ignorant) response from someone living in blinded comfort, blissful ignorance and perhaps just hateful disdain for the sufferings of "others", I asked myself, "Now what?”  Now, what is my response to all this hate, to all this malice, racism, bitterness, privilege, injustice, misery, and demonic behavior from seemingly the heights of leadership all the way down going to be?"  My response came from the words attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

Yes, the actions streamed on screens, forwarded to me in email, witnessed and lived through daily first hand, are entirely sinful, sinister, dark, despicable, hateful, blatant, unjust, unthinkable, and reek of privilege at the expense of the poor, marginalized, disenfranchised, and people (humans) of color.  I am not ignoring them, not denying the demand for justice or failing to also cry out with those who mourn and groan for humanity to be truly human.  But, I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too heavy for me. Hate is too great a burden for me to bear! Actually, for all of us. Hate, as much as in the moment, seems most justified and natural it can never win. Hate can never undo hate, only love can do that. So, as best I can... as best as I can lean into Him who is love and first loved us and commanded that we love one another, as best I can I have decided on love.  It is decision time. What will you choose?

May the unjustified and undeserved love of God so permanently and completely infuse and fill my heart, even all our hearts, that light will overtake this darkness, and that love will conquer the hate around us and within us. May perfect love transform me, and all of us, on the inside so that it might bring forth radical lifesaving, life honoring transformation to the heights of leadership and beyond. May the right decision have a wonderful new beginning in my own heart— and perhaps yours too if your reading this!

Grace and peace to you, with love unending—Cassius

——

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Whenever, wherever and forever

Whenever, wherever and forever—

May His faithfulness and loyal love reach us, especially in those moments when we feel alone, anxious, afraid or desperately longing to be held. May His love, without limit or end, give us careful attention, tender affection, and a beautiful warming of our hearts, minds and souls, wherever we are whenever we need it most.  May God’s nearness be tangible, effusive, ebullient, and gushing with grace, mercy and love towards us, so that we experience timely reminders of how precious we are in His sight forever!

Whenever, wherever and forever— the LORD is near!

Once upon a time... no fairy tale

Once upon a time...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2 ESV)."

Once upon a time... the Creator of the heavens and the earth desired to show His sons and daughters the "breadth and length and height and depth" of His everlasting and relentless love, "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge". So the King of took of His robes of majesty and donned (in comparison) the rags of flesh and dwelt among His children.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth ‭‭(John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬)."

And in a land far, far away the righteous and valiant Prince of Peace came and He was anointed with Spirit of God, to "proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬)." He gave to the needy without price, to the widows and orphans without limit to show His lavish love and radical generosity. He blessed the sick, raised the dead to life, and turned away none who came to Him. He forgave freely, all who needed to be made right with the Kingdom, teaching of a forgiveness so rich and complete that it was like taking the offense as far as East is from the West.

But what is a tale of a hero without the plot of a villain.  So, like every hero’ story, enemies arose.  Villains took flight, betrayal and rejection and abandonment—

“He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray [Jesus] to them.  While [Jesus] was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of [His] twelve [disciples], was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss Him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss (Luke 22:4, 47-48 ESV)?”

And so, in that land far, far away, once upon a time— the rightful King was slain.

“Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭22:63‬ , 23:33 ESV‬‬).”

The King, robed in flesh, stretched on an executioner’s cross, giving His life to save His beloved children, so that His beloved children would never have to live without Him, never have to live in fear or dread or anxiety, and never ever, never have to doubt His loyal, steadfast, and unconditional love.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners [rebels against God], Christ died for us (Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬)."

Once upon a time, the beginning. The Eternal becomes flesh, the hook. The Sinless one dies, plot twist! The One crucified takes up His life again and is resurrected, climax. He promises that His Spirit will lives in us, falling action. All that's left is Happily ever after, right?

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [And God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation‬ ‭21:1, 4‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Happily ever after is already here. Happily ever begins the moment we realize that the Good Shepherd, Christ our Lord is no fairy tale. His love is as real as the nose on the end of your face, better than we imagined, dreamed, or deserve. Happily ever after begins when we remember that He is with us always, even to the end of the age; that He will never leave us or forsake us; and His steadfast love is for us and with us!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (‭‭John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Once upon a time... twice upon a time... from the beginning of time, even before there was time—  our Good Shepherd knew us and loved us and called us His own. May the knowledge of the depths of His love become the undisputed and unrivaled "lens for how we look at the great big world," and for how we see ourselves in it. And may the story of His infinite love be impossible for us to resist, and too good not to share.

Have a sensational day.  And enjoy the real love of Christ Jesus!

For every night, a morning of joy!

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬)!”

What a perfect verse for the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday!  The weeping that began with the arrest of Christ— the gut wrenching wails from the fearful and panic stricken disciples, weeping over their shattered dreams, and the dread of being persecuted next—  was erased by joy in the morning!

The weeping, agonizing wailing and grief of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the heartbreaking sobs of a mother grief and heartache of a son being tormented, tortured, hung to die like a common criminal and then laid lifeless in a tomb— was replaced by joy in the morning!

The grief stricken weeping and crying of all the other women who had followed Him, received their lives back from demons, children back from the dead, value and purpose and health back from their time walking in His love and presence and compassion— was erased by joy in the morning.

Maybe, most likely, even the weeping of those whose hope of Hosanna had been sucked up into the vacuum of mob mentality crying “Crucify,” followed by a sundry of sordid and inconceivable events, including betrayal, arrest, denial, unjust conviction, flogging, crucifixion, and death, all their weeping—  was reversed in the morning!

Weeping may endure for a night, a watch, a season, a dark moment of hope waning, but joy comes in the morning— once we realize that the tomb was found empty!  Once we remember the tomb is still empty!  Once we let the hope of Promise and the power of Presence grip our hands and hearts. As one pastor noted, “weeping has an expiration date!”

May the dawning of every new day bring you the joy of the light of Christ, and the unspeakable, unshakable, death defeating, fear destroying joy of the resurrection— the victorious appearance of Promise and Presence.  May the joy born in the manger, the very same joy born on Easter morning—  the joy of the LORD— be ours today, and His favor be with us for our lifetime!

Love you—Cassius

Mom’s question, my incomplete answer

“How do best like to think of God?” And  “What is He to you?”  My mom placed this question in our family text group.  I tried to answer it right away.  I tried for nearly two or three days, and as I got going I realized that in my life this was a very complicated and long answer.  In fact, it is a long and incomplete answer, but here goes:

Mostly when I'm down and hurt, feeling alone or lonely— I experience God as my Comforter and Friend, my Counselor, my Avenger (the one who will avenge my hurt or betrayal), and my Hope (someone to cry out to and lean on).

When I'm confused, need guidance and help, or I feel lost— I experience God as my Shepherd (seeking me and leading me) and my Guide (directing me and giving me wisdom). 

When I am fearful, worried, anxious, and afraid— I experience the Characteristics of God such as Protector, Guard, Savior, Fortress/Shelter, Defender, and Peace (He reminds me to rest, relax, and be still).  I like to think of God as my shelter from the storm, my tower where I can run to, and as my giant slaying, demon destroying, death defeating super her Big Brother who will fight my enemies, vanquish my foes, and crush/conquer everything else that has me afraid and in fear.  [Side note: My brother Vincent, on a humanly speaking level, has been this type of big brother for me when I was a child and in college.]

When I'm stressed and overwhelmed, falling beneath the weight of life's responsibilities, or the pressures of work, or just under the weight of expectations (others and my own as a husband, father, dad, sibling, uncle, son, nephews, pastor wanna be, dreamer, etc)— I experience Him as my Burden bearer, Friend, Companion, and Helper (don't know why, but the image of an otherworldly beast of burden (ox) comes to mind).

When I'm sick or someone else is sick—  I experience Him more as my Healer, Deliver, Maker and Creator, my Hope and my Strength. I experience God as my family’s Healer and the One who restores their health and their souls.  

Right or wrong, there are times when I do wrong and realize that it was a blatant sin (the kind where you outright ignore God telling you "no", "stop", "don't ") in these moments I experience Him first as my Judge (as a fair and just Judge, but sometimes an angry and disappointed Judge), but thankfully even after I see Him as my Judge I also see Him as my Justifier and as my Salvation.   [It might take me a while to get from seeing the Judge and then accepting Him as Justifier, even lover of my soul.]

As I keep thinking about it, I must admit that the longer I reflected on the question of "how I like to see Him" and as I work to type out my thoughts, I realize two things: 

(1) Sadly there are far too many times in my life when things are going super well, that I don't think about God, look for Him, or see Him at all. I look right past Him, forget all His goodness, and take Him completely and totally for granted. Sadly, the good times that should make me thankful and joyful, full of praise and worship for God, makes me blind to the truth that “all things come from God” and that His hand gave me these things to enjoy and to be grateful

(2) Even sadder is the truth that in far too many things and in far too many ways I have never seen God for who He is and who He wants to be in my life and in my world.  As I reflected on this question, I definitely see how good God has been to me.  I have liked to see Him in many ways.  He has been many great and wonderful things to me and for me, and I my life.  But, as I type I realize God has always wanted to be my I AM.  He has wanted to be my First Love.  He has wanted to be my God and my LORD.  He has wanted to be GOD over every need, every circumstance, every situation, and — well every single thing.  I may never know and experience all of God’s character on this side of heaven, but GOD wants me to start with Him as “I AM”

Momma, deeply indebted to you for asking the question and reminding me to seek Him first and let Him be my “I AM!” 

When you are naked before God, you are in the safest palace you could be

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." 

‭‭John‬ ‭8:3-5, 7, 9-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is a beauty in this passage, more precious than gold and silver, rubies and diamonds.

She was found naked (buck naked, booty out, clothes off naked). She was taken from the bedroom, or brothel, and thrown at the feet of Christ by her accusers and His enemies. 

[Side note: When you are naked or desperate, facing a life or death uncertainty, being persecuted or attacked, or being embarrassed by accusations and enemies— the best place to be is at the feet of Jesus].  

They said, the law says to stone her. They said she deserved death. They said!  Funny how “they” will always say something about your dirt, but not theirs. Funny how “they” will throw you in the dirt for doing the same dirt!  They said, “Jesus— so what’cha gonna do playboy!”  

In that moment, they probably expected Christ to grab the jagged stone near His hands and unleash a fury of stones on her. In that moment, they probably expected Jesus to be like the guy in Mulan and say, “You know the law!” 

In that moment, they probably expected Jesus to be like Scar when he spoke to the hyenas, “Kill him!”

But as they waited with hateful breath and murderous condemnation, He waited. When the moment got intense... Christ flipped the table like a game of spades gone wrong. 

He “turned things upside down with unexpected, undeserved grace.”  Christ flipped things on their heads with a divine and unnerving, yet “incredible ability to demonstrate grace without undermining our call to live lives that please God.”  

In that moment , He offered the gift of forgiveness and grace, not just to the woman, but to all her accusers and even His. In that moment, He put love and forgiveness right up against the call to walk in purity, and holiness— the call to let sin rule us no more. In that moment , when she (like us) was most fearful of death and that painfully, Christ demonstrated the love that God has for us even in our lowest moments— when we stand before Him completely naked, not even a fig leaf! 

[Side note: Isn’t it amazing that we find forgiveness in the moment when all of our sins, our everything is laid bare before God and we have nothing to hide. Isn’t it amazing that in this passage she is naked and unashamed in front of the One who walked in the Garden when Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. Unconfessed sin robs us of the freedom to be fully known and fully loved].

“People tend to lean to one extreme when it comes to our wrongs— and that is judgment,” including myself, but Christ Jesus offers us a different way— the way of forgiveness and compassion, grace and mercy, identity and real love, wholeness and holiness, the way empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life free from the fear, pull, and condemnation of sin. 

If you are struggling to receive God’s forgiveness and grace for past sin, if you have been harboring thoughts about your past failures keeping you from the fierce nearness and love of Christ, surrender to God in prayer today and hear Him say to you, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

‭‭John‬ ‭8:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.8.11.esv

Jesus gives conviction and forgiveness, not condemnation!

On losing a legend...

The world lost Kobe Bryant, another legend and champion, in a tragic accident on January 26, 2020. And distant as I may be from his life and family, I can't help but think about it— about him and his daughter, his wife and other children, and their family, and about the others who also perished in this tragedy. I think about the tears that will be shed, hearts that will hurt and grieve, minds that will wonder and race with "why" and "what if" and "what now” and “what next.”  I think of all the memories and moments (of greatness and not so great) that will flood screens, fill radio, and replay in minds and hearts of family, friends, and fans.

And as I think, think about all this my mind asked— "What do I say to the hurting, the grieving, the wounded and the lost?" Not some pithy saying or trite cliche, I dare not. Not some rote phrase without heart or meaning, or empathy.  Not some promise to pray— without the follow through on knees blended and hearts bowed.  Not some tried and true, but lacking in compassion, phrase about heaven and angels, or better places.

Could I even declare any words for help and strength, for our lost dreams and theirs, for this crippling hurt and pain, for their grief and sorrow and dare I say ours and/or others?  Honestly, is there any word for hope? Are there any words for when we need comfort and for when we need encouragement? Is there a word to defend against anger to protect against rage, to let our hearts be free to be human— any word to just let us be broken?

For hours, I find no words. For hours, only silence and more silence, and still silence.  For hours my heart swirls in the silence of grief, shock, and then two words from, of all places, the book of Job. Two words for the loss of a legend, a father, a husband, a friend, a familiar face, a pioneer, a coach, a man chasing greatness and— two words for all the countless many who grieve him or grieve others well known and not — "God understands!"

God understands— how we feel (our hurt and pain, sorrow and guilt, fear and longing, questioning and doubt, loneliness and despair, our grief and sadness, faithfulness and faithlessness, even our anger and disappointment).  God understands!  I sit still in these words.  Take a moment. Sit still in that too— breathe it in, hold it, let is soak up your tears, soothe your aching soul, and comfort your heart. He understands our need to vent, our need to question, our proclivity to doubt, our fear and the fullness of our sorrow. Let the full weight of an understanding love settle upon you... God understands! Two words to those who grieve, who long for hope, who ask the questions through tear stained eyes and breaking hearts— two words for the family and fans of Kobe, and for the family and fans of every  great person gone too soon from someone’s life.

Now, may the One God, who always understands, be with us and provide for us in this moment and all the moments of this life and life's journey— the understanding we need, the love and understanding we want, and the promise that someone bigger than us and bigger than this moment knows and cares!  May the compassion and love, comfort and grace that flow from the abundance of His heart of understanding be with you.

Deepest sympathies on your loss (of whomever or whatever, whenever it occurred).  My prayers and thoughts are with you.  Grace and peace to you—Cassius

Milestones

Sometimes life feels exactly like the quote from Family Life writer Ashley Mercier who said "life is full of waiting—for a friend to be healed, on children, for agreement in marriage, for a job, for finances to straighten out." I’d add to that the waiting list—  our healing.

It can be hard waiting, but as we wait, remember— God works. As we pray, God hears and moves in mysterious ways. Sometimes His answers are immediate or obvious, but other times they are cloaked in delay or a seeming denial. But, as we "trust our way to each next milestone," taking even the smallest steps forward in faith and belief, we see and come to know that God proves Himself wise, proves Himself rich in mercy, proves Himself kind and near and attentive, and demonstrates His surpassing love and great faithfulness.

He is always faithful, always loving, always good, always near, and always working things out for His glory and our good!

So here's our Homework: Take a look back and recall the great faithfulness and extravagant love of God in the “milestones” of your life, and then take time just to worship Him!

Love you—Cassius