19 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
John 5:19-21 (ASV)

I really didn’t realize what was going on at the time, because often I failed to regard what Mom and Dad were doing as all that significant. Growing up, they were making Godly choices, though, with regard to every aspect of our lives- the way we dressed, talked, spent our money, ate, had fun and worshiped God. While there were certain overall choices that were not left up to us (where we would live, whether or not we would go to church, how we treated each other), there were many things, like toys to play with, books to read, and friends to hang out with, that they let us choose on our own, within reason. Though many areas of choice were left to us, there were always examples being lived out before us in the lives of our parents that greatly influenced our perspective and ultimate choices in all of these areas. Whenever any life choice is being made even to this day, there is an internal reference being made to what Mom or Dad would do in that situation. Though the choices are completely mine, there are very few areas that haven’t been touched in some way by what was and is being seen in my parents.

Something that has also been so precious with regard to my parents through the years is their complete support and encouragement of major choices I’ve made. Though I’m sure they’ve not been without some very strong feelings about where I’ve gone and what I’ve done, they’ve never dictated to me exactly what it was I should do. They just continued to live out an example before me. My successes and failures haven’t been due to their dictation, but theirs has always been a great example of the way to a righteous and Godly life.

In pursuit of a God who is wisdom and holds all of creation in His hand, it can seem like He should dictate to us our every move and every choice. I found it interesting, though, in these two passages about Jesus, that the choice of who he would hang out with and to whom He would give life was totally up to Him. I had always understood what Jesus said here to mean that He would somehow get His direction for every move by what He got directly from His Father for that moment. It clearly says, though, that Jesus confidently made choices according to His own will after observing how His Father made choices. I believe the Father was completely in support of every choice made by Jesus according to His own will, and in fact the final act of Jesus with regard to His death on the cross was even left up to Him. There was an overriding purpose, but the details were left up to Him, although He could do nothing without being influenced by the incredible example of His Father. Though choices were His alone, their success had everything to do with His exposure to what He saw so consistently in the One He passionately loved.

There are so many choices to be made. Every day is full of decisions that will determine our success or failure in life. Though there will be times when the overall purpose for our life in Christ may necessitate something that we wouldn’t necessarily like, most of the time there can be great confidence in knowing our choices are supported and encouraged by the One who knows our every move. Rather than dictating every move to us, He wants to be the example of wisdom that is ever before us to be observed and emulated. The sounds produced by the student musician’s movements and expression will always be his alone, but how much greater their opportunity for beauty when there has been intense instruction from and observation of the virtuoso. So our way can be in ‘like manner’ as His, bringing glory to and directly reflecting the One who has been our great and ever-present example.

How sweet and how wonderful is the place of intimacy that is our personal refuge in the presence of the Lord. Moses must have valued so highly His moments of personal exposure to the glory of God. The burning bush, the mountain encounter, and each personal communication from Almighty God surely made him to feel the need to pursue this relationship to the exclusion of all others. As precious as each of those moments was for Moses, however, there was a purpose in them that went beyond the personal one on one to how that encounter would affect the people. Moses’ relationship with God found its greatest significance when he took it to the congregation, when what He experienced alone with God was made to impact a nation and a world. His solitude with God, while necessary for personal revelation, was in need of people encounters for its continuance. He understood this so much so that when God was ready to destroy the people for their sinning, Moses spoke passionately about their preservation as if it were necessary for his own. His purpose in God had become directly connected to his purpose in the congregation.

David also seemed to have an understanding that his personal relationship was in need of those times in the congregation. Although he was able to acknowledge the involvement of God from the magnitude of creation to each personal conflict, it was those moments in the congregation that brought gladness to his heart and a joyous response. Though he lived one of the greatest examples of personal nearness to God, his fulfilled purpose was always found in the congregation, honoring, together with others, the faithfulness of His God.

There is a great need for the early morning encounters, even those moments before sleep is completely over. The times alone with God in His Word are essential for a life that will represent Him in holiness and wisdom. For every personal moment of intimacy with God, however, there is a congregational purpose. The heart of the Father is in continual pursuit of all those He’s created, and any pursuit of Him will lead to the place where they gather. For anyone determined to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, there will be a mentor in David, the one whose heart was after God. To follow him would mean a frequent arrival in the congregation where His God was magnified in a way his personal encounters could not replace.

There is a transforming encounter with an incredible God for today. It’s in the secret place where we are preserved, protected, and provided for by the Most High. For every personal exposure to His face and His glory, though, there is a time in the congregation where together with others and their proclaimed victories, Jesus name will be magnified once again. The personal is so precious, but the congregation gives it a purpose of eternal proportions it will never know on its own.

Psalms 111:1 KJV Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

Psalms 149:1 KJV Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Especially since 9/11 there is a stringent security process through which you must pass in order to be a passenger on a commercial flight. Special scanning machines look through cases, clothes, and even mettle to determine the nature of the content within. Why is this so necessary? Because the criminal intent of a passenger can be subverted if what he has concealed in his luggage can be seen. My brother-in-law works for Homeland Security in the Tulsa airport, and he said that color codes represent various densities and shapes as objects pass through the scanner. He showed me a picture of one bag that had contained a loaded pistol of a woman that claimed she had just forgotten to remove it upon arrival at the airport. You could clearly see the pistol’s shape outlined in a color that set it apart from the other objects in her carry-on.

For every unrighteous activity there is an available screening process that is guaranteed to subvert its action. For those whose desire it is to be free of destructive and unholy behaviors there is an option to have all that is concealed within our luggage revealed in the sight of our Father. Although He already sees all and knows each of our hearts, when this is realized and brought to light in the wonder of His presence, there is an opportunity for His security to remove and destroy all those things that are deemed dangerous. Even those things we might have overlooked or just forgotten will be readily brought to light in His sight and made to be unacceptable not only to Him, but to us. While every flight taken without screening has great risk of evil actions, the one that has gone through the screening and removal procedure has very little potential for danger. Where the heart no longer conceals any dangerous substance, and where it has been allowed to undergo the Master’s acceptance or rejection, there will be a safe, joyful, and peaceful passage to our place of productivity in the Kingdom.

The continual place of worship, where an awareness of the Father’s screening is a passionate choice for every moment, is the way to holiness and righteousness for this day. Actions originate in the heart and where their substance is revealed in its shapes and colors, the Father’s acceptance will impact and greatly affect them. May His seeing expose all potential danger in the heart and may our passage be one without mishap to the place of righteousness where the fruit is all good.

They had come with priceless instruments badly in need of repair that could only be entrusted to the hands of the old master luthier, the one who had, throughout his long life, set himself apart from all others in his ability to create and repair the finest of musical instruments. His name alone carried a reputation of the one who could take a few pieces of rough cut wood and with unmatched skill produce the most beautiful and best sounding tool for musical production. For the damaged or broken instrument that had sadly developed cracks or buzzes he was also known for bringing it to a condition that was even better than when it was new. They came with great expectation of meeting the old man and placing their prized possessions in his loving hands or commissioning a new creation from him.

Upon arriving at the door of his little shop, however, they were met with great disappointment. Rather than the image of the old man behind the counter, there stood a young boy not yet fully grown. The master had been called away for an extended far away visit and would not be able to actually touch their instruments with his own hands. He had, however, left his grandson in his stead to carry on his business. A hand written notice hung on the wall behind the counter signed by the maestro himself indicating his full trust in the young man that stood before them. He asked that they trust their treasures in his hands just as if it were the master himself. How could they do this, though? It was impossible to believe that the experience and skill of the master that had been proven through a lifetime could begin to be emulated in such a young man.

Though what they saw appeared to be just a immature and inexperienced young man, what could not been seen was all the old man had put into him. From the time he could just begin playing with toys, there was a hammer in his hand as he helped Poppy in his shop. Every trick, every method, every application of the tools to the wood had been seen thousands of times and he himself had done all of them himself on instruments that had already been ‘touched’ by the master. Many left right away, not willing to leave their treasures in the hands of the young man, but for those who trusted the words of the master there was a discovery that, while in a different body, the master, with all of his skill and ability, indeed was in his grandson. All of the work that would come from the young man’s hands would directly represent and validate the work and the word of the master himself. The name placed on the work would remain the same and would in fact grow in fame as it became magnified through the grandson.

For those who have spent time in the shop with the Master, for those who have seen Him work, listened to His voice, and applied their own hands to what they’ve seen, there is a residence of the Master within. His works will come out and it will be His name and His reputation that is magnified and propagated. Though outward appearances may indicate otherwise, He has hand-written a note stating very clearly the investment that’s been made in his offspring and the confidence He has in their ability to do His works and even greater. As those works are produced, belief will be the result in the Master Himself as His life and His ability are transmitted through the hands of those who have lived in His presence and learned to emulate His love and work of creation and restoration.

John 5:19-20 KJV  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  (20)  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

When our oldest son was young he had a form of epilepsy that caused him to have nocturnal seizures. I can remember the first time he had a grand mall seizure we were completely shaken not really knowing what was going on and not understanding the extent of his condition. We took him immediately to the emergency room where they took way too long to treat what we thought should have been a first priority. They pretty much just referred us to a specialist the next day where we discovered there was very little to be concerned about as the experience would only be at night and he would outgrow the condition by his teens. They determined this by a scan they did of his brain waves they were able to read from a wide sheet of paper on which they were recorded. There were apparently several different layers of brain activity represented by different waves that crossed the paper. We learned that throughout the brain there is a continuous flow of wave activity that is directly affected by outside influence and in turn directly affects every aspect of the experience of life.

There is something very powerful about this passage from Joshua in which the words from the heart of God are made to occupy the mouth, the mind and the heart. More than just a religious incantation, there is a direct effect upon the activity of the brain, where the sounds of heaven are made to directly affect the frequency of the brain’s waves, causing it to become ‘glory-effected’. As this transformation takes place– the sound waves of the mouth affecting and realigning the brain waves– the mind can begin to agree and cooperate with the wisdom and understanding of God. These ‘waves of glory’ will bring peace, rest, health, security, hope, etc. to a life where the sounds of defeat and despair once dominated. The way to a faith-filled life is as near as the mouth and all that’s required is to fill it with glory sounds– God’s will expressed in His Word.

Romans 10:8 KJV  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Psalms 89:15 KJV  Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

I don’t personally endorse the practice of makeovers, but it’s apparent that God is definitely in the makeover business. He likes taking an image that is very much in need of improvement, and applying exactly what is necessary to not only restore, but bring a whole new realm of beauty and productivity.
Maybe you’ve seen the show where they take someone who is very unattractive and by cutting here, tucking there, removing this and replacing that, they totally reform the person’s image, enabling him/her to explore new realms of social respect, admiration, and acceptance. Where once they had been avoided and ignored, they are now not only noticed, but also sought out. Straightened and replaced teeth, flattened stomachs, and adjusted facial features contribute to someone who is almost completely unrecognizable for who they had once been. So frustrated with what they had been given or the person they had become, they are willing to submit completely to the regimen, diet, and knife of someone who gives them a promise of improved life they will enjoy and be proud of.

While it really is amazing what can be done to someone’s physical appearance, every change that can be made to the human body is but a temporal improvement. On the other hand, for all those who are willing to give up who they’ve seen themselves to be for the promise of life in Christ, there is an opportunity to experience a transformation that will be effective way beyond our time here on this earth. This makeover, though, will require complete acceptance and participation on the part of the recipient. Things will have to be removed, adjusted and reformed according to the design of the Master, and the tools He uses have already been provided in His Word. By looking at those unseen promises He’s given us instead of the debilitating and restrictive temporal elements that are so apparent to the natural eye, we get to step beyond the limitations of this world and into the realm of eternal acceptance provided by our heavenly makeover in Christ.

There is this great expectation and assurance of safety and peace in the presence of the Lord. There is, however, something most precious about the ominous threatening of an enemy or distressing life predicament. The greater the crises and the louder the threatening shouts, the more intense can be the passionate cry for help. Relationships are established and reestablished with those seen as the source of help in ways that would never otherwise take place as soon as the barrel is empty and defenses are penetrated. Many of the songs from the Psalms and prophecies from the prophets (intense advances in God-awareness) are inspired and motivated by a time of great difficulty. How great and oftentimes essential is the onset of a trial in turning the head and the heart back towards the Source of help and protection?

At the time when Kim and I were first married and living in Broken Arrow, OK, I was working various jobs that required the use of a Datsun diesel pickup. This was a most dependable vehicle in which I logged many, many miles, but owning any vehicle means that at some point there will be some maintenance and repair required if it is to continue getting you down the road. As long as all the meters are at normal and no scary noises or shakes are taking place, everything’s good to go and you just make the frequent stop at the gas station. But, at some point parts wear out and there is just a need for some care. This was indeed the case for me and my Datsun, and while I was able to perform certain levels of auto maintenance and repair, there were many breakdowns that required more expertise and equipment than I had.

This was how I came to know, cry out to, and greatly appreciate John, someone I met at the paper drop for a paper route I had early in the mornings. He had his own garage set up with all the air tools necessary for any job my truck was in need of and a simple inquiry about how to perform some repair more often than not ended up over at John’s with him demonstrating how it was done. A relationship developed because of this dependence that for me was most rewarding for my business, but especially for a friendship with someone who became one of my closest friends during that time. His willingness to help me out whenever I came to him with a need provided many bonding times that otherwise would never have occurred. Not only was he gifted with fixing things, but he also had strong opinions along with an ability to express them and our times together were always informative and stimulating. Although vehicle failure was certainly not something I would look forward to or anxiously anticipate, there was a friendship treasure that came directly from this time that made me incredibly grateful for whatever it took to bring us together.

While there is a knowing of the Father that can take place through every moment, there is something about the times when peril is imminent and something is beyond our means of fixing it that brings us to His side with greatly intensified passion. Rather than somehow feeling separated from Him or compromised in faith towards Him, there is an opportunity in the greatest of attacks to discover a depth of relationship that would have never been developed without the difficulty. If He is but sought out over other acquaintances for the help that only He can provide, there will not only be a resolution to the problem, but an incredible bonding that takes place as a result of the time spent with a focus on Him alone. No matter the period of life we’re going through, it is an opportunity for increasing a relationship with the One who is looking forward to any cry for help with a great desire to not only meet the need, but to also just be there with us through it all. He can be the One who meets us at every awakening with an anticipation of repair and relationship.

Psalms 17:15 CEV

(15) I am innocent, LORD, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.

So it really comes down to what you’re looking for. If you’re looking to get a bunch of junk, then you’re going to end up not only losing all of it, but also your very life. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to lose all of it, including your life, then you’ll end up with a life that eternally lacks for nothing. Looking to lose ends up with discover, while looking to get ends up with the loss of all. Huh?

I don’t know about you, but for me this is most challenging to the natural mind. We’re programmed to think that you have to pursue your goals, and the higher levels of achievement are directly connected to how much stuff you have. All this stuff, in turn, is a direct indicator of just how well you did at seeking those things that now define your success. To not be driven to the stuff-search is to be slothful and without expectation of anything profitable, and there can be no hope of an enjoyable life without seeking it.

There is, indeed, a necessity for diligence and hard work, but until the purpose and the drive that motivates it is given validity and true purpose in kingdom value, any stuff gained will be just like dried grass on a campfire– it may blaze bright for a few moments, but it will quickly die out with no real or lasting contribution to the fire’s purpose. It’s not that we’re supposed to be void of any drive for achievement, but with Jesus there is a motivation found for excellence in all things as each one of those things becomess a means of glorifying God instead of self. There is an endless supply of fuel for our drive’s purpose, the ultimate fire log, just waiting for discovery in the pursuit of the kingdom over any flash of self. Looking to lose one’s self in the quest for this greater treasure will result in so much more than anything self alone could ever attain. Looking to lose, then, must be the drive of the day, as worship of the King brings validity and value to every moment with unlimited expectation and hope, while the search for any other promises the loss of all.

Just going for a walk?. Well there’s not really anything ‘just’ about going for a walk. When you go for a walk, and especially on a regular basis, you are about to experience a long list of health benefits that will transform and possibly save your life. Circulation and blood flow are given what they need in the action of walking, while breathing, state of mind, sugar levels, and weight are conditioned and maintained at healthy levels. To take a walk provides a great opportunity for adventure and the nurturing of relationships. Apart from the reclining life of one who is never bound for anywhere, the one who is taking the walk is experiencing so much more of what life has to offer. On a walk is where more than just thoughts and words are manifest, but the actual  motion towards a destination and hope.

While there is detailed mention of how long men lived and who they begat in the Old Testament, it’s interesting that uniquely in the description of Enoch is a reference to walking with God. There was something in walking that completely set him apart from all the other honorable mentions of Bible genealogy. He didn’t just know something about God, accumulated through written and spoken understanding. He didn’t just extend praise and worship in the sanctuary along with a full sanctuary of others. His relationship with God wasn’t confined to the discovery of what good could be personally gained from this association. There was a humility in Enoch and his relationship with God that enabled him to, with regularity, ‘just’ go for a walk with Him. Rather than moving through his life with a sense of independence and self-indulgence, by including God in every step through life there was the loss of his own life in a progression to where he would be completely ‘taken’ by God. By agreeing with, moving with, talking with and working with God on every stride of his life-walk he was lifted from the constraints and restrictions of this life to the endless health benefits and wonders of a heaven–life.

There is for each of us this day an opportunity for an adventure, a health, enhancer, an inspiration, and a victory in taking God with us on our life-walk. Though maybe never to be translated like Enoch, there will be in Christ an opportunity to leave the demands of earth life for the liberation and freedom of heaven– by ’just’ taking our walk with the Almighty God.

This past Christmas season it seemed like there was an increase of opposition to the celebration of Christ as the reason for the holiday. There were anti-God displays positioned next to Christmas displays in an effort to come directly against any belief in or need for Jesus. There was one particular effort on their part, however, that, from my perspective, did much more to affirm the need for God than dissemble it. I believe it was a statement on a tee-shirt or small poster that read, “Be good for goodness sake”, with the implication that goodness was reason alone– no need for God. For the one who has a true understanding of the origin of any goodness, though, this is but an affirmation of faith and a further motivation for the commitment of one’s life to the only One who is truly good. For all the efforts of the independent that see themselves as existing apart from the necessity of God in their life, there can really be no ‘goodness’ without the inclusion of God and the embrace of His most perfect gift of ‘goodness’ in His Son, Jesus.

As we are drawn to a place of nearness to our good, good Father, there is an ever-increasing desire to do just that, though– be good. Where there may be a tendency to be otherwise, the holiness and righteousness of God, along with the severity for choosing otherwise will align steps along the path that is right. Romans 2:4 states that it is actually the goodness of God that brings us to a place where goodness in our own life is even possible. Until this is our story, that repentance, motivated by His goodness, has displaced the badness in our way of life, there can be no enjoyment of goodness. There is no ’being good’ until the One from whom the ’goodness’ comes is embraced in an atmosphere of holy repentance. This is our place today, though, and this is our opportunity– for the gift of His goodness to take hold in our hearts and lives and for there to be evidence in the way we live. We can really be ‘good for goodness sake’ with a heart of worship that knows the Good One.