1.5 Billion

      Something interesting happened at work today. The office was alive with chatter – there seemed to be a static buzz in the air. Finding myself determined to ascertain what was going on, I listened. I took a step back to figure out was going on. It did not take long; everyone was talking about the same thing – the Powerball.
     
      As I kept listening, it became apparent why my coworkers were talking about it. It had reached an all time high! 1.5 Billion dollars. WHOA... that is a lot of money. 
     
       What was most interesting, however, was not the talk about immense fortune; it was the fact that everyone was talking about it, as though they had already won. Everybody in the office (and I do mean EVERYBODY) was talking about the 1.5 billion dollars as if it was already theirs'. They were talking about how they had bought their ticket, how they were going to spend the money when their numbers were called, and how their lives would be changed forever. 
     
      What struck me was this: these people seemed to have spent their money on a fleeting chance (if one can call it a "chance") to have their lives changed by an incredible amount of money. They talked as if they had already won a fortune of a lifetime. This provoked me to thought. I began to reflect upon the reality of what could be, and what was. I was challenged by the buzz. If we could be so eager to talk about something that would never be ours, why do we hesitate to discuss the riches God has lavished upon His children. If we have truly received the fortune of a lifetime, why are our lives not alive with chatter – where is the buzz about the Good News of our winnings!? 
     
      While we may not have received 1.5 billion dollars, our lives have been completely changed by the limitless riches of God's grace. (we didn’t even have to pay for a ticket – it was given freely to those who ask). And if that is not enough to keep us talking, we received more than what the Powerball could provide – peace, hope, purpose, and love. A fortune worth more than gold! 
     
      Be encouraged. May our lives buzz with the talk about what is... we HAVE BEEN given the Treasure of a lifetime. 

Proven Guilty

{John 8:3-11}

3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 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.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 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. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (ESV).

     Judgment… hypocrisy… condemnation… All of these topics can find their way into a sermon on this Passage of Scripture. And while these themes can be drawn out of this portion of Sacred Text, understanding its truth goes way beyond the actions of the scribes and Pharisees – who were acting according to the Law.
     While these themes are applicable, perhaps it was more about the woman and Jesus. It was less about “throwing stones,” and more about her sin. The fact of the matter is, she was guilty. She was guilty sin – found, proven, and convicted. All that was left was for her was to suffer the consequences. In fact, she should have paid for her sin. It would have been just. As it stood, she broke the commands of the Scripture and drove the wedge of separation between herself and the Almighty. Her sin was the voice of insult calling out against a holy God, and the Pharisees where right in proclaiming judgment upon her.
     Despite what she deserved, however, Jesus stood between her and her accusers. Jesus knew what she did; Jesus knew the severity of her crimes. He knew
that she stood condemned before Him, and yet He plead her cause. For a moment… just a moment… as she stood before the Pharisees, she may have thought it was God’s people that were her accusers. In that instance, Jesus showed her it was not the religious figures that were her accusers, it was her sin.
     Sin, like a crown of thorns, mars the image of the King. And yet Jesus, still, offered the woman grace. He stood and acknowledged that sin had pronounced judgment upon her, and, in the same breath, He released her from the consequences of that judgment. Jesus, true to His title – Savior – saved her from the accusations of sin. He delivered her from condemnation. This was a true instance of God’s amazing grace.
     While the presence of sin demands justice, the presence of Jesus pronounces forgiveness. Sin decrees pain and punishment; Jesus offers healing and restoration. Like the woman in the story, we are all guilty of some-sort of sin. Also, we deserve to pay the consequences of our actions. However, it is Jesus who can pardon. Jesus has the power to justify the guilty, and it is we who need Jesus!

Hear the Whispers

One night, while my wife and I were mid-conversation, the sound of my son's cries caught our attention. Of course, due to the affect a child's tears have upon the heart of a father, I immediately stopped what I was doing and went to my son.

Picking him up, I wrapped him in my arms - intending to comfort him. I already knew the reason for which he was crying out for my attention, but he continued to cry inconsolably. As he continued wail and scream, I began to whisper, "Asher... Asher. I am right here; I have you. It is alright, Asher. I am here... Asher." Despite my gentle whispers, and my best efforts to comfort my son with my presence, he persisted to yell and howl - unable to hear my whispers over the sound of his own voice. I desperately wanted my beloved child to hear my voice, and know that I was there!

As I continued to whisper my child's name, I heard God whisper to my soul, "How often have you done the same?" This made me realize that I have done the same thing - over and over again. I began to wonder how often I, in crying out for the Father's attention, failed to hear the Most High whisper my name. Perhaps, we do the same thing; we drown out the sound of God’s voice with the vociferous dissonance of our cries and one-sided prayers. How often does our Heavenly Father whisper our names – and attempt to comfort us with His presence – and yet we fail to notice?

Often, we rest comfortably in arms of our Heavenly Father, yet we are content to keep our eyes closed to His presence and ignore the whispers of His voice. Let us hear the whispers; let us attune our hearts to the gentle voice of our Father. No matter what we are going through, God remains near His children! Though we feel like fussing and complaining, let us take comfort and find peace in the Presence of God – for He is always there and He calls us by name.

 

Heart's Cry

     Something remarkable happens when one becomes a father. This experience brings with it a unique revelation of the connection that is shared between a father and his child. It seems impossible to describe, but it is a connection that reaches past the natural and touches the very heart. Perhaps the best way to express this connection and relationship, is to explain what takes place when a father hears his child cry.
     To a loving father, to hear the sound of his child's cry is much more than hearing - it is feeling. It is to hear the wails and have one's heart moved. It is to assimilate tears of the child. A father's heart is moved to respond to the sounds of his child - to respond to the needs behind the cry!
It is as though the father's heart cries with the child. As his child calls out for the attention of his father, the father's heart wells with tears to meet the need of his beloved. The cries seem to tear the vail of indifference and allow direct access to the father's soul.
     Upon experiencing this connection first hand, I cannot help but consider how God feels when He hears the cries of His children. As indescribable the anguish and heartbreak of a father who hears the desperate calling of his child, so
also is the Heart of the Father for His children. I can only, now, image how our cries touch the heart of our Heavenly Father. When we call out in need, The Father's heart is moved - moved to meet the needs of His child.
      This tells me that EVERY tear and EVERY cry is not only heard by our Father, it is felt. We can be sure that our God will torridly desire to meet the needs of His children, EVERY time we call out to Him. With this new found insight into fatherhood, let us be encouraged to call out to our Heavenly Father and know (without a doubt) that He will be moved by our prayers; and He will answer our prayers according to what is best for us!

-Dusty

Proud!

My wife and I are going through one of the most incredible experiences. We are on the journey of pregnancy. Miraculous! It is truly miraculous.

Currently, my wife is in her third trimester - a point in the baby's development where he begins to hear and recognize voices. This being the case, we feel it is appropriate to read portions of the Bible to him and talk to him. We do so that he may begin to familiarize himself with his parents.

 

One night, After finishing our passage about Moses, I began to speak to my child. As I was speaking, I found myself saying, "I am proud of you!" This brought about an interesting gaze from my wife, and an interesting conversation. As we talked about how someone could be proud of their unborn child, we discovered something. We are proud of our soon-born baby, not because of something he did, because of the fact that he is our child.

We discussed how this is a picture of God's heart! How often has God said, "I am proud of you," not because of anything you did, said, or accomplished. While, I am sure those things matter (mostly to ourselves), God is proud of you BECAUSE YOU ARE HIS CHILD. Yes, we should use our freedom to walk in a manner worthy of the call God has placed on our lives; we should stand firm in the power of God and desire to change the world! Nevertheless, we should also rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is proud of us. He is proud of us simply because we are His children. With this thought, go forth and enjoy the peace that comes from the favor of God!

- Dusty

"Knocking on the Door of Prayer"

Lately I have been knocking on a lot of doors. It's part of my new job and my new season of my life. And while I was at work the other day, approaching a door, I realized something!
     Knocking on a door doesn't happen by accident. It is intentional! You walk right up to the door you want opened, and make yourself heard!
     The situation determines how you knock. If the circumstances of life are noisy and chaotic, you have to knock loudly - to be heard above the noise of life's events. If the stirrings of our emotions are the only sounds that we hear, we need to be intentional about letting our prayers drown out the sounds of our heartbreak.
     On the other hand, if we find ourselves in the silence of tranquility or solitude, we knock gently upon heaven's gates. If we find ourselves sitting in silence, we can know that our gentle knocking will resound through the halls heaven and reach the Heart of God. When we feel like God is silent, and we yearn to hear His voice, we knock as loudly or gently as we need - and know that God hears us.
     Through prayer, we knock upon the golden gates of Glory, tap upon the heart of our Lord, and walk through the door of His Presence. In whatever season of life we find ourselves (chaotic or peaceful), we can knock and know that God will open the door and present Himself to us! Not only are we promised that the door will be opened when we knock, we are promised that the Almighty stands at the door waiting for us to come to Him!

Dusty D.

A Wall-less Church

The Church, as established by Jesus - after Pentecost, was mission-minded movement. It was intended (we were intended) that it would not be of the world, but sent into the world. It was not to sit stagnate. We are not created to hide our acts of worship behind walls. Our Lord commissioned us to go forth, into the world, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and glorify Our Savior by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ!
      the church is a place for the broken to find healing, yes. But it is not to be limited to Sunday morning worship services. Of course, we need to go to be fed, and leave to feed! However, we are called to more than simple acts of praise; we are called to more than hiding behind the walls of our "churches."
     If this persists - if we continue hiding behind the walls of comfort and inactivity - God will send a prophet with a horn. Our "church" walls will come crashing down like the walls of Jericho! Perhaps it will take the sound of heavens armies encircling us. Or maybe it will take marching in circles, before we will see victory! It may be that we need our walls to fall, in order to see God's Kingdom Purposes accomplished!
        let us be a wall-less church. Let us not separate ourselves from the mission field. Let us not isolate ourselves from our sacred calling!