I Look Onto the Hills

Psalm 121, my favorite.

I returned to my mountain playground this afternoon after several weeks of straight road biking. If you read my previous post What's in your wallet you will know that the fall is fire storm season and riding in the bone dry scorched brush mountains is not so safe an activity.

It has been cool and dry for a while now (60-70 degrees) California cool so I thought I could safely ride again. Returning to my outdoor prayer closet is an indescribable joy for me. You see on the road I have no private place to pray.

My prayer time today was powerful. The combination of personal weakness, solid sermons on prayer and the holy spirit, reading about prayer and surrender, listening to bible podcasts all combined for a climatic prayer experience. I was so relieved to be back in the Lords presence, so humbled to talk to him, so sad at my own weakness.

Yet the Lord is good and his grace abounds.

These past few weeks I have found myself drifting, drifting away from the Lord's protective hand. I found myself deceived by the evil one, separated and attacked. Yet the Lord's grace abounds and his love infinite. Today I confessed my sin and weakness and asked forgiveness. I interceded on behalf of many in my life who are lost and hurting. I prayed my dangerous prayer; use me Lord, your will be done through me.

For I know there is no condemnation in Christ and the weakness in me is of the flesh. I am not my flesh I am a child of the most high God, saved and washed clean by the blood of my savior Jesus Christ. Victory.

Father

I praise your Holy name.
I thank you for your son, his sacrifice
I confess my own weakness and shortcomings
I beg your forgiveness
I praise you Father.

Amen

What is your story?

So what is your story of salvation? Do you know it? Are you saved? Is your eternal future secure?

Heady questions aren’t they. These are the things of spiritual giants; those fearless souls who, to quote Bill Hybels, will walk across the room and ask you. Imagine.

How do you gain that level of conviction in your heart? How do you overcome your fears of the flesh to live out real time the great commission? I really do not know.

However there has been a convergence in my heart of late of a number of spiritual truths that seem to be ready to reveal the answer to me. Over the next few days I would like to share with you what they are and how they have profoundly impacted my life. For today we discuss points 6 and 5. I am not one for conforming so we start at the end and work backward ;-) What are these truths?

1. It is better to be judged a fool by men than a fool by God
2. Loving God means worshiping him with abandon
3. Loving God’s people means serving them with a servants heart
4. The Holy spirit is a real being part of the triune God we serve
5. Trusting God is hard at first but obedience and discipline are paid in joy
6. We must always be on guard for the evil one, he will attack through your weakness

All of these truths can be traced back to a specific chapter and verse in the Bible. I cannot recall the exact location of each but I know them to be consistent with the word.

Through my prayer time, my service time, my worship time and my learning time each of these statements have been slowly revealed to me.

Ephesians: Point 6

I have learned to put on the full armor of God each day (Ephesians 6). This is kind of fun. On the top front edge of my sock drawer you will find the word peace, on another drawer the word righteousness stands proudly. On the inside of my belt you would find, Truth. On the back of my hair brush, salvation. I pray as I dress each morning that I be firm and steadfast in the Lord and that my armor protect me. I finish the prayer by taking up the shield of faith and the sword. That is another story…(point 4 that is)

Psalms: Point 5

Eight days ago I was offered a promotion in my work life I had not thought possible. You see I live my values. I have not walked a politically correct line at work; I have walked a Godly line. These two lines often clash. For this I will not apologize, my faith is vastly more important than my job. That said I have challenged people, stated my opinion (in love) that is not always welcomed and walked to the beat of a different drummer. At the same time, the Lord has blessed me with the gift of leadership. As Jeremiah put it, leadership is like a fire pent up in my bones. I cannot not lead when it is needed. So I move naturally into leadership spaces to ensure the success of my worksite. All the while I did not expect to be promoted.

In the past three months I have prayed a dangerous prayer. I want the Lord to reveal his will in my life. You name it, I will do it. I don’t care what it is I trust you, use me. I have prayed this consistently for three months. Well that was until last Monday when the Lord answered. Praise God!

I celebrated this promotion with the Lord in worship (psalm 37:4) high on a mountain range in the setting sun, Jeremy Camp leading the private worship band (ipod). Powerful stuff, not even a flat tire half way through the trip could rain on this worship. Nothing could spoil this time with the Lord.

So now I oversee a manufacturing plant with 162 employees. Heady responsibility, so many families to lead, to ensure our shared future is secure.

But then this is a Godly appointment. He is in control; I am the co pilot on this flight. I expect turbulence, I expect adversity, I expect changed lives and God to be glorified.

This is going to be fun!

I will wrap up here and continue on later with points 4 and 3. These 6 points are creating a revolution of transformation inside of me. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in mind for his story through me.

God bless you all

Ron

Praise Him

Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to attend a men’s barbecue hosted at our pastor’s house. There is something incredibly powerful about 200+ men gathering on a Tuesday after work to praise the Lord and study his word. I always look forward to this event and this time was no exception.

I had a rough day on Tuesday. One of those days where you feel not quite right. A queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach dominates your day. A feeling that foreshadows a coming storm of flu or something else. I discussed with my wife early that evening how I wanted to go to the Barbecue yet my body was telling me otherwise. Stay home rest, you will need it I reasoned. As I shared with my wife how I really wanted to attend yet…I realized GO, just go. If you really are sick deal with it later, what if this is a spiritual attack, a diversion to keep you away. What ever it was I reasoned it would be far better to deal with it when it happened rather than potentially robbing God of the glory of using me in a supernatural way. So off I went.

I have only attended my current church for about 18 months and frankly I still know very few men who attend. To make matters worse men are notorious for not being overly relational. A new guy could stand on the outskirts all night and not be noticed in most groups. This one was no different. So when I arrived I saw only two men I knew. I said hello to both, exchanged pleasantries and set off in search of food. I had an underlying goal to meet someone new this night. It was not a conscious goal; it was one of those goals that kind of whisper in your ear “sit beside someone new”. So I did. I introduced myself around the table and ended up chatting with a father and son duo. It was a friendly conversation that spanned travel, work life, area history and economics. After about 15 minutes an announcement came through by our pastor that each man should consider either leading or participating in our churches effort to see every attendee plugged into a small group. Isn’t it ironic that I, the new comer, had weeks back volunteered to lead a group and was in search of couples to join, while my new friend (the son of the duo) was searching for a group near his home that he and his wife could attend? Did I mention they live four blocks from my house?

How did it work out? Will they join the group? Will lives be changed? I have no idea. I only know that I must surrender myself entirely to the Lord's will, so that his purpose in my life might be fulfilled. Tuesday I listened for his voice and heard him. But this was not the only moment he spoke to me that night. No he was there with me that evening and thankfully gave me a few other wonderful stories and praises to share.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and don't lean on your own understanding. In all things acknowledge him, and he shall direct your way. Proverbs 3:5, 6

Father continue your Holy work in me

Teach me your ways, teach me your wisdom

Help me to remain open to your will in my life

More of you and less of me Father

Amen