I've been enjoying meditating on Ezra 1:1,
"...in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation"
and Ezra 1:5,
"...everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord..."
I had wonderful conversations with my leadership team this week, catching up with David and Eddie also. At our leaders meeting our fellowship centered on "what worship music moves your heart close to God." In our one on ones we got to share on topics about Personal life and Spiritual health. Family, community, work, other, prayer and encouragement. I've set my heart on following where the Lord leads and I'm open that it may not be where I thought originally, and I believe this is for the best.
- Proverbs 4:23: Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
- Psalm 119:11: I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
- Proverbs 23:5: When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
My prayer continues to see the Lord before me like a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. Make my path straight so I can see clearly where I'm going. Light my path so that I don't step in the mud or fall into a ditch. Help me build a bridge so that others can follow where we're going. Give me eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands, that I might have an abundant multiplying effect for others, for your kingdom, for your glory, amen.
True worship is submitting yourself to God wholeheartedly (Jer 17:11-18:17), I was struck by this thought: God molds us and re-molds us until he see repentance (Jer 18:1-17). I've gotten lazy and sloppy in my devotion to the Lord. I've had a performance mindset instead of a worship mindset that sees beyond current result into the eternal kingdom God is calling us to. I find myself needing a daily reset, morning by morning new mercies I see. Last night we enjoyed the Northern Lights dancing above my house (pillar of fire at night). My house has a new roof, new furnace and air conditioner, new floors and will soon be painted. I'm looking forward to hosting Lane, Chloe, and Roman and helping them setup for a life of success.
Last night my friend Art (in his grief over losing a life long friend), said "I'm sorry, I don't feel the Holy Spirit, never hear from God and I'm put off by this religion being pushed on me." We had just watch Alpha: Who is the Holy Spirit? and he was distracted and got nothing from it. I affirmed him and said I was glad he felt comfortable with us to share that level of honesty.
- Honesty is a character trait from God because God is inherently truthful, and His followers are called to reflect that nature through their own actions and words. This is demonstrated by the biblical principle that "God cannot lie" and Jesus's statement, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". The tradition emphasizes that while people are not naturally honest, spiritual growth involves developing honesty as a reflection of God's character, a process that includes being truthful with oneself and others, and doing so with grace.
- I've witnessed God at work in Art's life as have others, but he's not able to see it yet. As we talked we all agreed that seeing God's work in our lives is sometimes only clear after some distance from the events.
- My goal in life is shorten that distance between experience God's grace from episodic to daily, morning by morning new mercies I see.
I had a vision of prayer, an analogy of calling someone on the phone. Worship is mechanism like picking up the phone, Gratitude is the number we dial, Listening happens when we're in a quiet place. Sometime we need go on mute and get to a quiet place, sometimes the quiet place is found through Fasting. Fasting is like repairing the control tower after a storm, it takes time and involves removing the stuff that cut down the wires. Active Listen with God includes knowing his character and his word.
Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 19:21: Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
Luke 12:14-38
Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
1 Timothy 6:17-19: Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
James 5:1-3: Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
Hebrews 10:34: You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.
1 Peter 1:4: and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
Philippians 3:20: But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Corinthians 4:18: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Matthew 6:19-20: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Ecclesiastes 5:10: He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile
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