The Dirty Feet of a Savior

Guest post by Facebook friend Pamela Donnan

Comment by Archie:  This is a long post.  If you skip any or not finish the read, you will have done yourself a very big disservice.   Be blessed.

Recently I re-titled a familiar story. I then re-told it. I didn’t change it up or add any new twists. I just told it through the eyes of one amazed by Grace.

Religious translators errantly refer to it as the story of The Prodigal Son.

The truths discovered in the re-telling of that story have brought so much comfort to me in recent days. They have proven to be ‘living water’ on a scalding hot day, pungent with the merciless finality of death hanging in the air like a thick, humid cloud.

I am walking through a tragedy with my two daughters…. A tragedy that began many years ago, just recently delivering the death blow, July 6, 2010.

There are others on this road. They loved him too.

It appears to be a tragic end to a journey charted long ago….. a journey we were taken captive by and forced to take. No doubt it will prove to be a detour in our lives with profound effects.

Two days before this tragic end, I purchased a card with no recipient in mind. The recipient turned out to be me. It read,

‘Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.’

Thanks to a ‘hallmark moment’ authored by God Himself, I am reminded that ‘it’s not the end’, because right now, ‘every things not okay’.

He had a name. He will always have a name. It was Dad. He was their father.

For the moment, in the darkest hours of the night, blackness seems to swallow any hope of ‘what the enemy sent for evil….’ ever being anything else.

Five days after his death, my pastor husband taught on another familiar story, The Good Samaritan, also errantly named by religious scholars. “The Original Jesus”, TheWellatCL.com

Once again, I found myself behind the ‘religious curtain’ and face to face with a Truth drawing me deeper into His embrace….. Overwhelmed in that moment by His comfort, I also felt sorrow….. and anger.

It is a sorrow and an anger that belong in part to all of us who bear His name…. minus a few… minus a very few……

The ‘few’ don’t rank in title or position… or any form of value as we have come to rank value. In fact, to some, they don’t rank at all.

Today finds me kneeling with Mary weeping at His feet, more aware and more grateful of His Grace than ever before.

“Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.” Luke 7:44

My tears mingle with the dirt the ‘religious’ left unattended to.

The feet of the ‘few’ have become to us the ‘dirty feet’ of a Savior, bearing the Good News.

We want to pay tribute to the ‘few’. They are the hero’s in our story. I will identify them specifically later on.

Grace, a long cool drink to some. A bitter pill to others. A Love so incomprehensible, so unfathomable, so un-containable, that it flies in the face of all of our man made boxes – traditions, doctrines, and hype – in every sector, political, social and religious. To the frustration of the ‘many’, the ‘upper class’ of our religious societies, those who have achieved a righteousness by works, He became the champion of outcasts. See previous post, Dear Church, Who are You?

He was and remains the Friend and Savior of the poor, the marginalized… the drunk with the dirty feet.…. the populous of ‘skid row’……. He became our ‘Guiding Light’ on a very dark night.

Religion has created an ‘us and them’ mentality in churches today.

I am now one of ‘them’. I live life on the outside now, and my feet are dirty.

I love the church. I am a pastor and a pastor’s wife. I just don’t like the direction the church has taken and I am trying to change that.

Jesus was one of ‘them’ too. He lived life on the outside. He didn’t like the direction it was going either. They kicked Him out of synagogues…. Ask Mary. His feet were dirty.

Ok…. here is where it gets personal. Here is my heart. Please handle it carefully. I am only putting it out there so that His story can be told.

We met when I was 15. Moved in together at 17. Married at 18. Two beautiful daughters. 17 years.

Divorced. (Did I hear you gasp?) That’s a whole story in itself. Another day. Another blog.

He was an alcoholic, but that was what he did, not who he was. Please remember that.

The position was modeled for him as a young boy. He was the beer runner at family parties from as early as he could remember. He was raised in a family that considered it an honor to be thought of as the one who could ‘drink anyone under the table’. And he could. I think they called it ‘character’.

It wasn’t his fault.

Early on he became a successful sales manager for a large pharmaceutical company. They nurtured the development of the disease as drinking was not only financed but encouraged. Most deals were landed over ‘scotch on the rocks’ somewhere. Success in his profession included endless happy hours, cocktail parties, traveling, lonely hotels and expense accounts with plenty of room for it all. They provided the transportation.

I even remember a live mermaid (well you know what I mean) laying on a buffet table at one of the cocktail parties. No spouses were invited.

Who’s fault is that?

Life for us was a big house on the hill, pool in the backyard, ponies, private Christian schools, Disneyland vacations and exotic company trips.

He was a highly functional alcoholic.

But one day, returning from a sales meeting over drinks, he crashed the company car.

He sobered up.

I entered the darkest night of my life via debilitating depression (another blog, another day)

We divorced. I know…. it doesn’t make sense.

He coped by drinking.

Depression, Divorce and Drinking. Topics the church couldn’t touch. Cliche’s just don’t work in the real world.

Another DUI…….

After placing the finishing touches on him, grooming an up and coming alcoholic, the company fired him.

Now in a spiral, out of control, the evil taskmaster demanded more.

‘It truly IS a disease but more insidious than the likes of cancer or heart disease. It systematically picks off the diseased persons support system one by one and at a speed so barely noticeable. It is probably the most patient disease in the world and is so misunderstood. I’ve attended many AA meetings with a friend who needed help and those horrible stories I heard were heartbreaking. So many people die from it but it never gets mentioned in an obituary or eulogy. So much shame attached which is so so sad.’ A very apt note from my friend Cheyne.

13 years later he came to Michigan to see his daughters. Within 5 hours he was in the hospital as the withdrawal from the poison threatened his life.

As if ingesting the poison wasn’t enough, now abstaining from it was demanding his life.

Against his wishes, but too weak to fight, the girls refused to let him go home, but with no medical insurance there were no options for treatment. (I will elaborate in my book)

The daughters did what they should have done. The only thing they knew to do. They called the church…… several of them….

You know the ones….. the big ones with edifices so large and impressive you pull over to marvel at them….. The ones they faithfully attended and supported.

But….. to no avail. Not only couldn’t they help, but they couldn’t even provide them with resources for help. They offered nothing, not even prayer.

Now beaten up by life with nothing left and laying on the side of the road,two daughters are bent over their dieing dad, panic stricken, begging passersby for help.

Back to the Good Samaritan story.

Luke 10:30-37 (MSG)
30 “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. The robbers were the ‘thief’. The ‘thief’ that comes to rob, kill and destroy. The traveler was some one’s Dad, some one’s son, some one’s brother.

31 Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. The priest (pastor) represents the church.

32 Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. He represents those who call themselves Christians. They attend the churches.

33 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. This is where the story becomes errant in it’s translation. Most religion scholars refer to this as the story of The Good Samaritan. Calling a Samaritan ‘good’ in that culture would have been like saying the ‘good, bad guy’. It’s an oxymoron.

So who would this ‘good bad guy’ represent? Societies outcast. That’s what a Samaritan was, an outcast. But listen to this….

vs33′….When he, ‘the good bad guy’ saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him.

Who does that sound like?

Mark 1:41 But Jesus, moved with compassion…..

Do you think the poor traveler saw Jesus in the eyes of this ‘good bad guy’ or in the faces of the religion scholars? I think the ‘religion scholars’ should be renamed…… the ‘bad, good guys’….

Do you see the difference between ‘religion’ and ‘Grace’ here?

Religion says, ‘don’t inconvenience me’…

or, ‘you did this to yourself, your problem’……

It is rigid and sticks to the course, even when it leads to hell.

Look at what Grace does.

Grace takes the detour.

Grace meets the need, whatever it is and without considering the “whys”.

Grace pays the price, no matter the personal cost.

35 In the morning he took out two silver coins(silver represents redemption)and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill (Christ paid it ALL) —I’ll pay you on my way back.’

Who is our ‘good bad guy’. And what is our Inn?

Well, really there are several in this story. But our ‘good bad guy’ is Ernie. He is the intake coordinator at the Guiding Light Mission in Grand Rapids, MI.

They are the only ones who ‘had room in the Inn’…..

Past the clergy, past the congregation….. past the friends and even relatives….. and there he was, societies outcast ready with the bandages.

Ernie has a story of his own.
He is a former crack addict. Sometimes the
demon overpowers him, but he clings to Grace…..
and he extends it to others. He lives to help others
out of hell. Some would consider him ‘societies outcast’……

But to us, Ernie is our hero!

Consider this….

The free gift of Grace with which God perfects our efforts may come in many ways, but I am convinced that it is the common experience of Christians that it does come. There may be some souls whose brace and bitter lot it is to conquer comfortless.

Perhaps some terrible inheritance of some strong sin from the father is visited upon the son, and, only able to keep his purpose pure, he falls as fast as he struggles up, and still struggling falls again. Soft moments of peace with God and man may never come to him. He may feel himself viler than a thousand trumpery souls who could not have borne his trials for a day.

For you and me is reserved no such cross and no such crown as theirs who falling still fight, and fighting fall, with their faces Zionwards, into the arms of the everlasting Father. ‘As one whom his mother comforteth shall be the healing of their wounds.’” Juliana Horatia Ewing

He was the calm voice on the other end of the phone when my daughter,
desperate to find help, found him.

He told her that Jesus would handle it. Her father would be fine. He would see to it.

He was the cool cup of water in a dry and dreary land, quenching the thirst of a parched young woman trying desperately to save her dad’s life.

They took him in, placing him in their alcohol and drug rehab. They fed him, made him comfortable, gave him medical treatment and became his friend.

34 He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable.

Ernie led him to the Lord.

Here is where the story of the prodigal brought me such comfort. A son, with the stench of pigs still on his clothes, is embraced, fully forgiven and wholly loved by his Father. He now rests in that embrace. His Father weeping on his neck…… What a Father………

Six months later, he graduated from the program. We celebrated.

He was released into the care of his daughters.

He made plans to return home. A place he had no support for his new lifestyle.

They begged him to stay. They cried when he left.

They knew they would never see him again…….

And they didn’t.

The demon returned, worse than before…..

Thirteen months later he died.

The last year of his life was torturous for my girls….. for him….. and for me.

From a distance, they fought for his life. Some days the depression would drive them down. I would find them in a dark room….. in bed….. weeping.

At times, the sadness overwhelmed me.

We knew ‘it’ would be coming. We waited….. and we prayed. I tryed to prepare the girls. How do you do that?

I got the call on a Chicago tollway. I was desperate to find my girls. I would have to wait. You don’t just exit a Chicago tollway.

I was grateful she called me first.

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was to tell my girls their dad was gone.

My husband told my youngest in a dad sort of way. He wanted to have that moment with her. I wasn’t sure….. I thought maybe I should do it……

She wept in his arms. She later told me that’s the way she would’ve wanted it. It was a moment for her too.

The next morning we drove the four hours to tell my oldest. She didn’t shed a tear. It took awhile to sink in before the tears came…. and then they wouldn’t stop.

A few days later she confessed to my husband….. ‘I am afraid to go through life without a Dad. I don’t want to go through life without a Dad. Would you…. could you…. do that for me?’ They had a moment too.

Last Sunday we had a memorial for him.

We had it at the mission. Ernie and my husband performed it.

Ernie spoke to my girls. He told them they were all their father ever talked about. He assured them of his love for them. He told them he was one of their favorites there…..

My husband bandaged the wounds of the broken, friend’s of the dad, now grieving.

He gave hope to the others that were there. The homeless, the drunk, the addict, the broken. He told them about the Person of Grace. He told them about a Father that loved them, even in their brokenness.

The girls thanked Ernie and The Guiding Light. They talked about their ‘dad’.

Thanks to the ‘good bad guy’ we celebrated a life now eternal, rather than bury our dead.

They treated us to a meal. ‘Us’…. and ‘them’….. together. It was awesome.

I hope they saw Jesus in us.

We did in them.

Who is the ‘church’ and who is Christ’s body in this story?

Is it an institution or is it meal, a bed and some companionship?

I despise the fact that the mission is underfunded in light of the buildings we have erected.

When the girls pleaded with family and friends for help, some sent money….. just not enough. One sent a thousand. That was awesome. But most sent less than they would spend on a night out…. it was sad. We asked if we could donate it to the mission….. most said ‘no’.

He is free of his addiction now. It did not win as the disease is not capable of following him….

Though ‘weeping may last for a night’, it cleans the feet…. and ‘joy comes in the morning’….. dawn’s light is breaking on our night.

My Dad, written by Alisa

He’s in a better place right now
Than he’s ever been before;
All pain is gone; he’s now at rest;
Nothing troubles him anymore.

We know we’ll reconnect with him
At the end of this life’s road;
We’ll see his cherished face again
When we release our earthly load.

A silent tear, a constant wish
that he was here.
Others were taken, yes we know,
but he was ours
and we loved him so.

He bid no one a last farewell,
nor even said good-bye.
He was gone before we knew it
and only God knows why.

He is free of his addiction now.
It did not win – the disease.
He is whole and happy now.
And will live on through memories.

In memory of our dad, he is greatly missed.

If you would like to give in memory of Brooke & Alisa’s dad, please send to
Guiding Light Mission
255 Division Avenue
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
or on-line at http://http//www.lifeonthestreet.org/
Please mention their names and they will be told you sent it.

The message is simple: “God is love. Salvation is free.”~priest

I woke up this morning thinking of God’s love.  I am encouraged to know my mind in it’s physical sleep, rests in a never ending awareness of God’s love.  As I woke up, I was endeavored to adequately  share a picture of God’s love.  It was a story to tell.

There was time eternal when God existed and the world did not.  The thought of God without the world is an amazing thought in it’s own right.  This God eternal had a component called love.  He was bursting at the seams with love and desired ever so much to share it.  The angels likely appreciated it, but couldn’t quite grasp it.

God pondered how best to share this incredibly magnificent thing called love.  After a time, he developed a plan including the creation of a world inhabited by a creature made in His image.  It was an awesome plan, with an incredible price to be paid.  It was the cost of the plan, that created a great struggle in the heart of God.  In the end love won.

God created the world and man in His image.  God’s plan began to unfold.  It was a beautiful plan, even as the corruption of sin took place.  There would never be a plan as beautiful as this.  It required the sacrifice of God’s only Son as the redemption of man’s soul.  There was no better or more beautiful way for God to express His love than His Son give His life that others might live.

Man now chooses to accept or reject God’s love.  There is still no more beautiful story to be told than the story of God’s love.  It is message ringing true eternal.  It is a message I desire you to receive.

For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.  There is but one way, through Jesus to accept God’s love.  The message is simple.  God is love and salvation is free.  Embrace it today…

For more GodSpots – 37stories Enjoy!

When is the last time you looked into the eyes of a dead soul and said, “God loves you. I will pray.”

I have a friend Darrel who is passionate to care for those less fortunate.  God has positioned him in one of the poorest areas of Fort Worth, Texas.  He is pastor to those who have no pastor.  I find it interesting that most men of the cloth feel called to the affluent areas, not so much to the dirt and filth of the inner cities of America.  I think when God finds a man willing to get dirty, He smiles in a really big way.  

I'm not saying the rich don't need Jesus or that a clergy's call to preach in affluent America is not legitimate.  I am saying, I find it interesting that it is as tough as hell to get a rich person to heaven.  Maybe that is why the clergy spend so much time trying to save the rich (sarcasm intended).  The poor and hurt are ready and willing to listen to the beautiful message of Jesus dieing on the cross, but I think  few clergy are talking their direction.

Darrel is different by every stretch of the imagination.  This week, I spent a couple days with him.   I wish I could describe the love that passed between Darrel and God's people.  It is a love that feeds life to the heart of a broken people.  The seed of hope is planted.  Time and love will produce wonderful fruit pleasing and acceptable to God.  That is time and love will produce hope for some…. the rest are dieing…

Who in their right mind would listen to God as He called you to minister to people who have nothing to give materially.  It totally blows the business plan..  Who would listen to a call that put you and your family in harm's way?  Would you listen to a God that had you invest time, energy, love and resources into someone that would ultimately die?  None of this ministry calling makes any sense and yet it makes all the sense in the world of God's love.

After having picked on the clergy of the world with no denomination in mind, it is only fair to ask the question of you…. "When is the last time you looked into the eyes of a dead soul and said,'God loves you.  I will pray.' "

If you'd like to help Darrel from a distance or up close and dirty, Facebook message me.  Archie Rhines…

For more GodSpots – 37stories Enjoy!

Migraines are the beast…

Guest post by ProverbsThirtyone Sista

As far as fruits and veggies go, you have to find what triggers you. Not everything on the list may trigger your migraines, or it could be a combination of items which triggers them. Just be very attentive to what you are eating, and God will surely tell you what the problem is.

Many migraines are triggered by ALLERGIES. You need to find out what you are potentially allergic to and try to avoid foods which cause them. I had to learn this the hard way, but when I have allergic reactions to something, my inner ear throat and sinuses are affected, and that is where the migraines come in for me… as a result of an allergic reaction. I have had bouts with vertigo and dizziness all as a result of an allergic reaction.

Here are some things on that list you should DEFINTELY AVOID.

MSG (Monosodium Glutemate) this one is TRICKY because it is in MANY FOOD ITEMS you would never think it is in, seasonings, potato chips, ramen noodle seasoning (poison) sauces, can goods etc. You MUST check labels to see what is in your food. MSG is a chemical which messes with your brain and tricks you into thinking that food tastes good. Your body produces this naturally after you have had a good meal. It makes you feel good and satisfied… HOWEVER MSG is over 100 times stronger than what your body produces, and it will cause nerve damage over time if used. It is the marketing ploy of the century to trick consumers into eating more of a product.

Sulfates and Nitrates can be found in some wines (they are added) processed meats, etc. You should avoid this stuff like the plague. World Cancer Research Fund UK, states that one of the reasons that processed meat increases the risk of colon cancer is its content of nitrate. A small amount of the nitrate added to meat as a preservative breaks down into nitrite, in addition to any nitrate that may also be added. The nitrite then reacts with protein-rich foods (such as meat) to produce N-nitroso compounds (NOCs). Some types of NOCs are known to cause cancer. NOCs can be formed either when meat is cured or in the body as meat is digested.

Most additives should be avoided.

So many people have wheat (gluten) allergies, and they may not even know it. It is important to check for allergies in this area. You may be allergic to a type of wheat (I am allergic to buck wheat) so definitely check.

Dairy products are definitely a problem at times. They are highly acidic and can affect alkalinity in the body. If you must eat them, do so sparingly.

Last but not least… CORN SYRUP… or more specifically HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is IMHO the #1 Cause of obesity in America. It is the #1 used sweetener in most processed foods. It’s in sodas, cereals, ketchup, toothpaste etc. It is very hard to avoid.

Read this article by a doc for more info. He says it better than I can.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html

“…almost 100% of the people they prayed for instantly healed.”~Jim@Joburg

Hi everyone .. we are in Johannesburg South Africa for a few days.  As you know, we have been working with Immigration in Moz for the last 3 months trying to get our paperwork approved so we can begin the process of getting permanent residence.  Just this last week our paperwork finally came back approved.  What we must do now is go to the embassy here in South Africa and submit the paperwork along with payment.  Then we are supposed to get our passports stamped so that we can stay in Moz until everything is finalized.

Nothing happens quickly here .. but that is OK.  Papa has it in control.

I think we have a little more freedom to talk about things via email though I am not completely sure of that…so we are not quoting any dates or names or places .. but awhile back we had an interesting time in the bush.  We were in a village quite some distance from the base .. a long ways in fact … and saw the Lord do many miracles there.  Twyla’s team that went out in the early part of the day saw almost 100% of the people they prayed for instantly healed.

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Late that afternoon I received a phone call .. which was miraculous because our cell phones were not working well .. we were a long ways from the roads where the cell towers are … but anyhow we received a   phone call that evil was intended and we must pack up the camp and move immediately.  (The call came from our founder)  I gathered the teams together … the mozambican pastors and workers with us gathered the camp and in about 15 minutes we had loaded 35+ people ..tents … gear .. food etc. and were on our way to another village.

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We drove for some time to another place and pitched camp in the yard of one of the local pastors..We found out later that things got ugly that night where we had been and that 2 people were killed.We do not talk about or write about these things much … but please know .. YOUR PRAYERS ARE HELPING!  Because of you all praying and working together with us in the Holy Spirit .. we have been supplied with what we need when the need arose.

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We do not send “fund raisers” or “appeal” letters.  We look to our Father .. Papa God … Who said He would take care of us if we trust Him.  All we ask is your continued and sustained prayers. Because of your prayers we have avoided traps set by the enemy .. whether literal or spiritual.  It is easy to get discouraged or worried here because of economics and poverty and ignorance … but because of the Spirit of God and your praying with us and for us we have been spared depression, discouragement and worry.  And we know we shall continue to be spared as long as we continue to seek Him.

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I would ask that if you ask about or comment on ‘troubles’ here in return emails, please use guarded language.  It is best not to speak too directly of such things.

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Thank you so much for standing with us.

Much love from

Africa

“Clouds in the East, yet rain in the West. Who am I to ask “Why?”~Mr. Davis

Today is one of those days when God showed up with a Word. He shared it with me through a gentleman named Mr. Davis at Starbucks.

I was working on a website and Mr. Davis sat down across from me. We were listening to some jazz from yesteryear. I commented on the music and we instantly connected. I asked about the “dog tags” he wore around his neck. They were medical dog tags from the army. He had served 21 years and now had diabetes. To live, he shoots insulin and uses breathing machines at home. He says he lives with a variety of time bombs in his body. He is quite ok with the medical disabilities and uncertainty of the future.

He changed subjects on me and began telling me what was on his heart. It had nothing to do with the small talk I had started. I knew it was time to listen. He said it clouds up in the west and yet it rains in the east. God does that. Who are we to ask, “Why?” or understand how it happens? We are not God. Somethings are not meant to be understood. We are to believe in God and live life the best way we can.

Mr. Davis said he had 12 brothers and 3 sisters. He did not grow up with a dad. His momma did the best she could. He didn’t fault his dad. It is just the way it was. He said his heavenly Father was enough. He always had his needs met. He had no wants. He didn’t need to ask for stuff. If it was a need, it always showed up.

I think his Word was pointed at my questions, about healing and my headaches. Why does one get healed and another not? It is like the clouds in the east and rain in the west. Some things are not meant to be understood. It just happens…

I started to type in a note about the clouds and he immediately got up and left. It was as if he had delivered his message. Isn’t God good!

“He Lives” and is that all there is?

I write this blog with a specific targeted audience.  I write this blog specifically for those of you who have lived a life in church with the concept being “saved” defining your life.  I pray God’s mind upon yours as you read this…

I grew up singing this song, “He Lives”.  I loved it as  a boy.

I have heard many styles of worship songs over the span of 50 years.  Some I liked and others I didn’t.  This one I continue to like even as an adult today.

I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today;
I know that he is living whatever men may say;
I see his hand of mercy; I hear his voice of cheer,
And just the time I need him, he’s always near.

Over the years of singing “He Lives”, I have found myself in many different churches.  Some small and some megaBIG.  Through the church experience, I  have at times asked myself the question, “Is this all there is?” It is likely you have asked yourself the same question, if you are willing to be honest and have been “churched”.

Looking back over my 56 years of church, I can see many similarities and discovered many truths.  The most basic of all truths is that people are no different today, then they were 2,000 years, ago.  We all have fears.  We all want a better life.  We all want others to think the best of us.  We all have a need to control.  We all have an inquisitive mind and we all have a need for God.

Considering the complexity of mankind and yet the incredible similarity of need between each person, it is no surprise that our religious experience tends to mimic our predecessors.  Each of us upon having a spiritual awakening may choose to tirelessly put all our energies into developing a deeper relationship with the God of our choice.  Somewhere in the journey, if we faithfully pursue the God<->Man spirit connection, we will inevitably ask the question, “Is that all there is?”

God blessed me with the opportunity to know Him intimately at the age of 6.  At the time, the church referred to my experience as being saved.  Over my life time as a Christian, I have experienced God in many ways and in diverse circumstances.  Even so, there have been times I have asked myself, “Is this all there is?”

This question has always come to mind when I imagine and appreciate the incredible BIGNESS of God.  We are only able to understand or comprehend a small part of the entity known as God who is the creator of the universe.  It seemed to me with a God of infinite proportions playing a role in my life, my very existence should not at all be predictable.  Think about this for a moment….

“With an infinite God, my very existence should not at all be predictable.”~priest

So on one hand I was believing I was living a life in fellowship with God and on the other hand, I knew the reality of my existence was so very predictable.  How can my life be predictably simple and yet be walking with a God that has no limitations?  There was a disconnect or conflict in my mind.  I wanted more of God.  If what I was experiencing was all there was, I questioned whether there was a God at all.

This questioning of God was not in an antagonistic or rebellious fashion.  It was in honest pursuit of the deeper things of the faith.  The frustration was because I believed God was my Savior and I worked hard to please Him, yet it felt like I had hit a dead end.  There was a long list of things I would not do, so as to not jeopardize my relationship with Him.  I worked at almost every job a guy could do in the church.  God even allowed me to lead one or two people to Christ during that time, but it was not enough because I believed my God so much BIGGER.

I lived for 50 plus years in this mode of trying to please God with all I did and not knowing if I was drawing closer to Him or not.  It certainly did not feel like I was any closer.

Then, it happened.  God allowed me to crash and burn in body, soul and spirit.  I totally died, with the exception my heart was still beating and I had vital signs.  I refer to it as my “dark times”.  I think David speaks of these times in the Word.  It was in this darkness, I fell back in love with God as the Trinity and His Word.  I am not speaking of losing my salvation.  I am speaking of  losing myself.  The old Archie died and God began a new work in me.  I believe He began creating in me the person He desires to spend eternity with.

Over the last two years of my life and having lost count of how many times I have read His Word, I am becoming a new person.  I have discovered the “much more” of my faith, that I have desired for a life time.

God has a word for you in this. I don’t know what it is for you personally.  Only you and God can know that.  But I do know that God loves you and He wants you to experience the so much more of your faith.  For me, it required a total breakdown of body, soul and spirit.  I pray it will not be as dramatic for you.  But if it is just as catastrophic for you, I guarantee experiencing God’s love on the other side is unimaginably worth the pain and suffering that brought you to becoming a new creation in Christ.

I pray God’s Spirit will speak truth to you and you will have ears to hear…

I’ll lift high the cup of salvation–a toast to God!

What can I give back to God
for the blessings he’s poured out on me?

I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!
I’ll pray in the name of God;
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
and I’ll do it together with his people.

When they arrive at the gates of death,
God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
and pray in the name of God.

I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
and I’ll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in God’s house,
in Jerusalem, God’s city.

Hallelujah!

Faith without works is dead…

Greg Coplen July 13 at 3:38pm

This past week I was in Sedona, AZ enjoying some vacation time with my family and also experiencing one awesome ministry trip.

I’m in the midst of training for a September marathon and needed to get a twenty mile run in while I was in Sedona. While we were driving around checking out the town we came across a road that looked perfect to take my long run on. It headed out of town, was dirt and gravel, and looked like it went right past some beautiful canyons. I didn’t know much about it other than it was plenty long enough for me to get my twenty miler done.

So, I set out this past Saturday morning at 5am headed towards “Schnebly Rd.” in Sedona, AZ. At about mile four I hit the road and it immediately started climbing. I didn’t think much of it as the area around Sedona is very hilly and I just figured it was going to have a lot of ups and downs. But, the further I went the more I realized that there was no down to the ups. It was all uphill. Mile five came along and I realized I had climbed about 300 ft. over the past mile. Then came miles six, seven and eight and it was the same exact thing. I was climbing about 300-400 ft. per mile. Between miles four and ten (where thankfully I finally got to turn around!) I climbed a total of 2050 ft. That’s just about 350 ft. of climbing per mile.

Along the way (despite the pain) I was getting to see some pretty unbelievable sights. The higher I climbed the better view of the Red Rocks and canyons around Sedona I had. It was an unbelievable sight to behold, but the best was saved for last. Right at the turn-around at the ten mile mark there was a ridge that jutted out from the road. I took a break at the top and walked out on the ridge. It was the most incredible sight I have ever seen. Colorado may be my favorite place to go, but I have never seen a sight so beautiful as what I saw from this ridge. I took about five minutes and just gave God thanks for what He had created. It was like the early morning sun was painting a picture on the cliffs and valleys. Different colors of light filtering through different parts of the canyons. It was just beyond words.

I left to head out on my run that morning not knowing where this road led, but only with the faith that it was going to provide me with the distance I needed. I had no idea just what a life-changing experience it was going to provide.

It really made me think about my faith in Christ. Do I believe in Christ and in what the Scriptures tell me about him? Yes, I do. Do I believe that the Bible is speaking the truth when it tells me that if I abide in Christ I will experience an abundant life that I could never imagine? Yes, I do.

Do I put my faith to practice and reach out to the broken, poor, weak, widowed, homeless, drunk, drugged, addicted, forgotten, beaten, abused, diseased, dirty, etc…..world? Hmmm, I guess I sometimes do, but I don’t much of the time if I don’t feel like it. I reach out when it benefits me, or benefits my ministry. I do when it’s easy and convenient or when it gives me a story to tell and then I come home and sleep in my own bed in an air-conditioned house that has a pantry and a refrigerator with plenty of food and drink.

How am I supposed to experience the benefits, the grace, mercy and the goodness of God if I don’t have works that go along with my faith? How am I supposed to experience the beauty of the view from the mountain top if I don’t put in the work to run up there in the first place?

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. I get the opportunity to share God’s story of grace in my life almost every day. I get to do so through speaking, leading worship and sharing my music with churches, recovery groups and anyone else who will give me the opportunity. I raise my own financial support for this and I love the freedom that it provides myself and my family to do what we feel God has called us to do.

And don’t get me wrong again, I know that I can’t “earn” God’s love through doing what I do, or by doing more. God’s love for this world is constant and unconditional. He won’t love me more if I sing and speak well and He won’t love me less if I screw up and completely destroy a song or message.

I don’t get more forgiveness for my sin because I’m a “pastor.” My (and all of ours if we choose to accept it) forgiveness was bought and paid for by Jesus Christ when He willingly went to the Cross to die in my place. I have exchanged my life for His and I know that He loves me and leads me.

I just know that I can do a much better job of living the life that God has called me to. I want to experience the dirt, the rocks, the lung-burning climbs of following Christ whole-heartedly knowing that when I reach the top I’m going to look back at the road I’ve climbed and hear my Father and my Savior tell me that it was all worth it.

4 Guys and Starbucks

I just spent a couple hours talking with 3 other guys about how God is working in our lives.  I have been there before.  You know… you get together with your accountability group or some friends at church and talk about how good God is.  The pastor is impressed.   It is encouraging and you feel good about yourself for having done it, but does it really matter?   Does it really make any difference? Will you be closer to God because of it?  Maybe.

But this time was different.  The four of us shared about the reality of Christ in our lives.  It wasn’t spiritual sparing, trying to out do each other with our spiritual prowess.  It was simply, a sincere uninhibited sharing of the love we experienced while living life with Christ driving the day.  Does that make sense? Let me try again….

Let me take it to the extreme just for the sake of communication.  Do you appreciate Jesus?  Do you appreciate what He did for you on the cross?  You might, but tell me this.  Have you ever asked God to allow you to experience the pain Christ suffered on the cross in even a small tangible way?

The difference from appreciating Christ on the cross from a distant and experiencing even a very small part of the pain He felt is huge!  It is the same huge difference in experiencing God from a distance while doing all the right things and experiencing God up close and real, while allowing Him to work out His good will and pleasure in your life.

Today, God revealed Himself at Starbucks… where were you?