|
the_grindstone
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Gizzard
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Metro: Greenville
Birthday: 7/6/1975
Gender: Male
Interests: Putting God first always.
Expertise: I claim no expertise, but I have been fortunate to have experienced many wonderful things in my lifetime so far.
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/2/2005
|
|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
jdcu22
|
|
| I march on in the direction I'm certain God is leading as I myself lead the one I love into new territory for us both. My faith has been tested along the way, and continues to be shaped with each confident step. These feet haven't always walked as surely on this path as they do now, but daily I'm reminded that God's word is a lamp illuminating the next step and casting a faint glow in the distance on things to come. Beyond the faint glow is darkness. Not the overpowering kind, but rather the kind of darkness soon to be overcome by light.
Judges 5:31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength."
The bigger the decision, the more the cost. . . Does God let us fail? Does God hide his will from those who seek him? Yes to the first, and an emphatic No to the latter. Consider the child tempted by the lure of a burning candle. The child may be told repeatedly not to touch the flame as they will be burned, but what do we know of heat except that which we experience ourselves. Does that mean we have to always feel the pain to understand the truth in the warning? Only a fool would continue to touch fire after once being burned by it. Once warned, the child tests to see for himself only to learn that the parent was correct. Hopefully the kid learns not only that fire is hot, but also that their parent knew what he or she was saying when they warned them about the pain of being burned. This too is the relationship we have with God. God will warn, we will get burned by not obeying, and then we should learn to listen and obey. That once we learn to listen and obey and to realize that it is for our own good God directs us away from harmful things, only then do we begin to live life with true freedom.
As for God's will, I'm certain He wants us to know what it is, and that it's up to us to choose to do it. Some speak of God's will as a mystical collection of chance and coincidence--that's not it at all. Could you ever imagine that as a parent you would hide from your children the secrets of a successful life? Would you let them wander aimlessly developing their own ideas, teaching themselves to read, write, color and crawl? Or, do you do everything in your power to equip them with the tools they need to live a healthy successful life? My guess is that you teach them, encourage them, and empower them to thrive as an adult.
So what now? I'm certain I'm following God's plan for my life and I choose to follow Him alone. There may be some who don't understand what that means, how that happens, or even how one can follow God through life. For those of you who may be there, I would love to explain further. For those of you who do, you know exactly what I'm talking about and I want to encourage each of you to continue on in confidence in the direction you know you should go. Listen to the Spirit. Walk in confidence knowing that your Father has been there before you and that he wants you to succeed.
| | |
| James 4:7-8 says, "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. . ." and then v10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
The bible on my desk at work has been sitting there, open to this very passage for a couple of days now, but it wasn't until just now that the Holy Spirit spoke truth to me about where I am in life. My submission to God is often tainted by my own pride and confidence in myself. It is during these times of submission to myself that I tend to screw things up. In any given situation, I would naturally choose what seems easiest, but God's way is always the way that may not always be easy, but always works to grow me in some way. I think some people get confused by James 1:13 that says, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone" this verse does not say that God does not test us. God does test our faith in order that we may grow in faith in Him (Genesis 22:1, Exodus 15:25). God wants our total allegiance--our everything. And in order to refine us, He provides us opportunities to choose what's right or what's wrong (see Genesis 2:9). I think people overlook the fact that Adam and Eve were given above and beyond what they needed for survival, and they also had a choice when it came to the trees in the middle of the garden--2 trees, not just one. We often overlook the tree of life and focus on the mistake that they made in their disobedience.
God provided options. Adam and Eve made choices. When they listened to God they chose what was good; when they listened to the serpent, they chose death.
I have options too. I can choose what is right, or I can choose death. James 1:14-15 "14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Words I speak to myself often, and now to you--whoever you may be--Master your sin, do not be a slave to it. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
| | |
| You may think I don't write much judging solely on the lack of volume here on the_grindstone, but you would, in fact, be wrong. There is a lovely lady in my life that has travelled into the future (10 hours and 6,300 miles east to be more precise) to whom most of my writing has been directed for the past 6 months. It's a good thing that one of her love languages is words of affirmation, because I have been able to love her with words even from such a great physical distance. And, despite my fears of entering a "long distance" relationship, we have continued to grow closer and even continued to spur each other on toward good deeds.
There is no distance that Christ's love cannot bridge.
Mark 10:9 "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
I'm officially counting the days until her return now as I continue to pray through the specifics of what is to come. . .
. . .and, yes, as everyone is prone to ask, I am EXTREMELY EXCITED to see her again! | | |
| You need more silence in your life.
That's all. | | |
| Tonight during the first song into worship, one of the drum mics began firing of static charged, high pitched rockets of ear-splitting madness into our in ear monitors. It was enough to side track me and the drummer for a bit, but not from playing, maybe just from staring Jesus in the face for a small moment. Needless to say, it was VERY distracting and could have potentially wrecked the worship experience, not only for us as lead worshippers, but also for the crowd who looks to us for leadership.
So, what did I do? i reached back and turned my mix down and kept on going. I realized right away that there was nothing in that moment that I could do, and nothing that I was called to do except to lead people in staring Jesus right in the face and singing His praise. Mic issues? not my deal. Drum issues? not my deal either. Jon's guitar tone? not my deal. Lee's vocals or song choices? not my deal either. I have been chosen to participate in leading worship along with these people as a part of the body leading more parts of the body in pure and holy worship of the King.
Distractions will always be a part of following God, but distractions are only distracting when I take my eyes off from where I am called and focus on the mundane, the trivial, the inconsequential details of life that keep me from doing what I know I need to do.
Tonight I chose to continue to focus on worship, and not on petty issues that have nothing to do with the heart of the matter. I'm certain that as worship leaders, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can lead people in worship without lights, without smoke, without drums or guitars or bass--simply with the overwhelming power of God. I'm thankful that I do get to use an instrument, but the most important part of my music/worship arsenal is a heart crying out in praise to my Father in Heaven. | | |
|
