A Radical Perspective

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” – 1 John 4:7 (ESV)

Jesus came to us with a completely radical perspective; He told us to love one another.  In this bold statement from his first Epistle, John reminds us that when we allow love for others to flow from our hearts, we connect with our Heavenly Father in a very powerful way.

Be Still…

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

We live in a very noisy world.  Between TV, radio, cell phones and computers, we’re constantly being deluged by a seemingly never-ending stream of information.  In that din that surrounds our lives, sometimes our conversations with God can become muffled, leading us to feel disconnected and stressed.  Finding time each day to simply “be still” and refresh the link to our Heavenly Father is an important part of our spiritual journey, and can make all the difference when dealing with uncertainties in our topsy-turvy lives.

Such Is My Prayer

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

I love those moments Lord,

When in the course of my daily routine,

You reveal Yourself to me;

In a whisper,

Or a child’s smile,

Or while watching the rising sun cut through the morning fog.

Such miracles Father,

Such wonders You’ve given us,

And yet,

Every So often,

I forget,

I doubt,

And my broken flesh denies You;

The world’s lies creep in,

And fill my head.

Guard my heart Lord,

Overwhelm me with Your Spirit,

Until in that union,

It’s not apparent,

Where I end,

And You begin.

Such is my prayer,

Today,

And Everyday.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Dead Unto Sin

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” – Romans 6:1-2 (ESV)

When we are reborn in Christ Jesus, we are in effect “dead unto sin” through His sacrifice on the cross.  This certainly doesn’t mean that we’ll be freed from the temptations that sin attempts to tyrannize our lives with, but it does give us the ability to gain victory over our broken natures and become the people that God desires us to be.

Architected By God

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

We live in a constantly changing world; architected by God to fill our days with wonder, and to temper our spirits as we journey to His side.  We need to embrace all our seasons of life, and give thanks that God has woven us such a diverse and detailed fabric.