Your Smile is Better Than Your Frown

Something new, something true
Reaches, gently, out to you
As you have fallen victim to
The broken, vile, heart untrue

Which took you in and sized you up
Manipulation - called it "love"
There is but one who understands
And more, He holds you in His hands

For as the Lord created you
Intricately woven in the womb
He saw the hurt and pain from this
But knew you're life was much worth it

Friend, what is courage without fear?
And strength, without resisting force?
It takes the darkness of this world
To show that light should be adored

So lift your chin! And eat your lunch!
And don't obsess on this too much
This can't be what will keep you down!
Your smile is better than your frown!

This is true, and I believe
That God pursues you mightily
With a love you've never known
The love you pursued all long

Greater is God's Plan for Me Than I May Ever Even See

Then with a sweet and calm embrace, I knew it was the Lord who placed
Me in this plane to understand; how marvelous, His mighty plan

From the ground, the clouds are high
Much out of reach, high in the sky
They do not seem magnificent
But less, I'd say. Unimpressive
This, I thought, while on the ground
Since I hardly notice them
Although, they're all around

But when this plane took to the sky
I found myself assessing my
Grounded perspective of the clouds
A bit disturbed by what I find
They're massive things! They block sunlight
For miles and miles all at one time
This smallest one, it's shadow shows
Is much greater than grounders know

Ascending quick, engulfed in white
My plane is swallowed by this sight
The tallest mountains ever known
Who knew that from inside, they glow!

But as I gently whisped my way
Through giant massive clouds today
I noticed this: I never knew
These clouds are grounders too!
For as I peered beyond the height
Which was, I thought, top of the sky
I saw more clouds, but these seemed small
Compared to ones within my sight
Who knew that clouds have clouds as well?

Yet, further, faster, on I went
Continuing in my ascent
And in no time I realized
The mountainous clouds had shrunk in size
Especially considering
The distant clouds’ positioning
No longer tiny specks of white
But greater size, and higher flight
And brighter than the first one's light

Then with a sweet and calm embrace
I knew it was the Lord who placed
Me in this plane to understand
How marvelous, His mighty plan
For often, on the ground, I miss
The glory and the work of His
Redeeming and restoring grace
But here, I see it face to face

And still, from here, there's more to see
For, higher than the sky can be
There's greater, monumental things
Far beyond our dreams can dream
Beyond the clouds are clouds galore
And further still, the sun, and more
There's endless planets, galaxies
Which represent His plan for me

Now I descend back to the ground
Back through the layers of the clouds
And too, I'm looking back to see
Through all these years, His plan for me

Not always clear or evident
Not always what I had wanted
But greater and more sufficient
Since I am In His Hands

I'll not forget the Truth I've found
Here floating, flying, off the ground
That Greater is God's plan for me
Than I may ever even see

Sufficient

The world can fill us in the same way that water can fill a fuel tank. In-sufficiently.

If your goal is to "fill the tank" then water will be enough. But if you want your car to function, fuel does more than simply fill the tank. The car was made to function strictly within the parameter of fuel - and this, not because the car is in any way special, but because fuel is entirely sufficient for the need. 

It is possible that things in the world will inhabit the void in your heart/life, but you may be wondering why filling the void doesn't satisfy the longing of your heart. Friend, only Christ is sufficient for your need.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Patient Grace

If someone mistreats you in their moment of weakness, invite the Lord to grant you His patient grace which will establish compassion in your heart for this person who is struggling. Although they are weak, there is no reason for you to lose your humility or your integrity in your reaction or response. Be mighty in your friendship! Remain loyal to display love in the midst of hurt and disappointment.

It is a high honor to be mistreated. In these moments, the Lord entrusts you with the "worst" of another person. Deal gently with them in the patient and humble understanding, not from your own supply, but from God's massive storehouses of holiness (Proverbs 3:5-6)! Meet them in the shadow of the cross. Be filled (controlled by) the grace of Christ!

1 Timothy 4:12 "...Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

Behold, In The Electric Chair

Behold in the electric chair

My sentence on His record

Ashamed, I'm flooded with relief

I'm free because He suffered

How can I walk away from that?

My legs give out; My knee bends

My Friend, my Savior, Jesus Christ

Has branded me "forgiven"

.........

Today's realty of the cross is the electric chair. Christ was not crucified in any sort of honorable fashion. He was killed, unjustly and unfairly, as a criminal.

...........

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His death has paid my ransom

"Beautiful Life"

A flame with shadows: dancing

Here glimmering on the wall

Its passion seems from quick a glance un-brilliant and small
“Why so?” Its question raised
Now imprisoned in a cage
For such a flame, it seems a shame to limit it at all
      A canopy so small

Too fast, the oxygen
Exhausted by this light
Was swallowed up from with-in that small canopy that night
Yet still the flame: sustained
Though it was not in sight
The canopy was famed as suddenly it took to flight
      Adrift the wind at night
      Glowing by the little light

By just the light of just one flame
By just the bow after the rain
The Earth can see True Hope again
      And claim its Light

A Man with weakness: wrestling
So visible to all
His passion viewed by ignorance un-brilliant and small
“Why so?” His question raised
Judgment traps Him in a cage
But when God’s Man is in God’s plan He worries not at all
     No fear – not great or small

Yet still the man: sustained
And little was his might
The judgments made of him defamed as God He glorified
     Unto the heart so cold
     Amidst the day of strife
     Truth articulated bold
     Death articulated Life

By just the life of just one Man
By just the dew upon the land
We all may claim “I’m in His hands”
      Beautiful life

Jesus Answered.

Matthew 4:1-4
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

"Jesus answered"

In Matthew chapter 4 is the story of satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Multiple times it says, "Jesus answered." What a powerful statement! It dawned on me that Jesus did not merely 'ignore' temptation. Jesus did not tune out satan's voice. His encounter with satan is actually similar to the way He encountered the religious rulers. He 'heard him out' and responded in bold holiness. How was He so successful in doing this? For every temptation that satan threw at Jesus, Jesus answered. We might say that we have our answers to temptation figured out in our head. We can legitimately claim to know the 'jist' of what the Bible deems righteous and wicked. For Jesus, it was not good enough to know the "jist". Jesus did not approach life with the mindset of "I know the basics of what God's Word says." Within EVERY response Jesus gave to satan He quoted relevant Scripture passages WORD for WORD. Jesus knew His answer to temptation BEFORE being tempted.

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

If you continue to face life in the strength of your opinions and knowledge of the 'jist' of Bible teaching then you will not be victorious over sin. You will not please the Lord. Romans 8:8 says, "...those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God."

We must stand strong against temptation. The strength required is greater than our capability. We must discover for ourselves what God's Word says about particular things, and we must memorize what is True.

Psalm 119:11
"I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you."

What has your answer been to your temptations? Do you think, "Maybe I will do better next time"? Do you ask God, "Give me strength to say no to temptation"? I assure you, God has given you strength - His Word. Jesus Himself relied solely upon the Scripture's teaching (so far as to quote it!) when facing temptation. If Jesus did not rely upon His own words and opinions in those moments, what makes us think that we can reason our way out? NO! Our only strength against temptation is the knowing and internalizing of God's Word (and specifically what God's Word says about the sin we are tempted with). Our only strength against temptation is in the foundation. Let us rely entirely on God's Word.

1 Corinthians 3:11
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

James 4:7-10
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."