Center and Circumference

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for Me.”

Paul stated that the key to the Christian life is very clear in that Jesus is now our center and our circumference. When I committed my life to Jesus and was immersed, I was “in Christ,” but when I appropriate His life, then it is “Christ in me.” To be fully filled with Jesus is to examine the relationship between being filled with Jesus as the center of my life OR being filled with Jesus as the circumference of my life. For example:

Imagine you are standing on a warm beach and you can hear the ocean waves crashing. If I were to take a bottle water container and fill it with ocean water. It would be centered around the ocean water and I could say that I have the ocean in my hand. This is what it is like when we make Christ the center of our lives.

What would happen … beyond pollution… if I took the bottle and threw it into the ocean? It would fill up, but it would also be complete engulfed by the by the ocean. The bottle would have the ocean at the center of it, but it would also be swept away by the currents of the ocean. The ocean is no longer the center, but is also the circumference. The bottle no longer owns the ocean, but the ocean owns the bottle. The ocean takes the bottle and guides it through it’s currents.

I want to be driven by the currents of the Holy Spirit and have Jesus as the circumference of my life as well. 

You know I love ya, Don

Peace is in the new friendships that last an eternity.

Reconciliation is a big church word that means to “make friendly again.”

In some languages, however, reconciliation is often spoken of in idiomatic terms, for example, ‘to cause to become friends again,’ ‘to cause to snap fingers again’ (a symbol of friendly interpersonal relations in many parts of Africa), ‘to cause to be one again,’ or ‘to take away the separation.’ A particularly crucial element in terms for reconciliation is the assigning of responsibility for original guilt in causing the estrangement.

John 15:13-17 states;  

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”

General McArthur said, "A truce just says you don't shoot for awhile. Peace comes when the truth is known, the issue is settled, and the parties embrace each other."
 

Peacemakers don't just try to stop conflict. They're doing something far more meaningful, something healing and restoring. They try to bring about reconciliation and relationship, even if it means going through the conflict.

The cross was the greatest act of violence and conflict possible. In fact, much of Jesus ministry involved conflict and confrontation. He wasn't afraid of it because he was committed in love to working through that if need be to bring reconciliation.

Peacemakers don't try to stop conflict, but they work for reconciliation. God knew that we are not able to bring friendship and a renewed relationship with our creator. Jesus stepped into history and made a change on our behalf.

Paul says in Romans that we are not only friends, but we can boast in our relationship with God. … “but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”We celebrate and boast in Jesus because Jesus is also in us. I know I can face tomorrow because Jesus lives and is working in every piece of my life.

We boast in that we have Jesus as a friend on our behalf. He is interceding for us everyday and supporting believers through the guidance of Holy Spirit.

God bless you... You know I love ya, Don 

Big and little of what Jesus can do.

Best of Friends…who would you label as your best friends?

Romans 5:8-11 is all about friendship:

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Paul is using a “how much more” argument. It basically works like this: If the greater thing is true, then the lesser thing is of necessity also true. If God has done the harder thing, then surely He will do the easier task. Look closely at verse 9: “Since we have now…how much more shall we be…” And verse 10: “For if when we were…how much more…” Even verse 11 employs something similar: “Not only…we also.”

Since God did the more difficult task of justifying weak, wayward and wicked sinners, then to rescue us from wrath is relatively effortless. We could say it this way: If God has already done the difficult, can we not trust Him to do the comparatively simple thing of completing the task?

If Jesus can…____________ (Fill in the blank) than he can also… _____________ (Fill in the blank).

Paul is making some stunning statements in this section of Scripture to show HOW we are to live with the tension of what we have “already” and what is “still to come.” The best is really yet to be! In each of these three verses we’ll discover that Jesus has done the hard part of making friends with God a possibility thus…we can trust Him to make the future even greater.

The believer is blessed with friendship with God by reconciliation (to make friends again) and having Jesus living within.

You know I love ya, Don 

The Lord...give you Peace!

Ancient Israel greatly treasured the shalom of the Lord. Most often, we translate this word as "peace." It encompassed more than the end of anger between warring nations or tribes. "Shalom" conveyed the idea of total well-being. This peace anchored itself in the security of complete acceptance and pardon from God.

Shalom is knowing the smile and welcoming open arms of His love. It is the total foundation of the Christ-followers life. It is our stronghold of everything we stand for in Christendom. It is the results from a crucified and resurrected Lord. It is peace!

Secure in Jesus is to enjoy all the other blessings too:
1. A Calm Mind and Confident Heart.
2. Friend and family to love and receive love.
3. A good reputation.
4. Provision from God in all we need.
5. The lack of worry.
6. Healthy Eternity.
7. Opportunities to contribute meaningfully in lives.
8. Love when we are not deserving.

Jesus Christ is our shalom! Shalom to you and you know I love ya - Don

Life Patterns - helping others

I just returned from the National Church Music Conference. Many conferees are mentors of mine and great professors that have added to my life in ways the words could never do justice to. I had the privilege of receiving degrees from Hope International University (Pacific Christian College) and Johnson Bible College. I also grew up in church and the most important and influential educational gift was growing up in a Godly home. Mom and Dad were very dedicated to the Lord and demonstrated that for us with love.

Its amazing how many people feel all alone and don't have someone to pattern their life after. They may not have had a good mother or father figure as a strong example. These people never took a moment to realize there is something to learn from everyone. It is even possible that even in church settings people get over looked and fade into the shadows.

You may be one of these people. Your life may not be what you had dreamed and probably some mistakes along the way made you feel isolated and alone. You may be thinking, "How can I help someone else when I'm so messed up and no one ever helped me."

First and foremost, I suggest that you start filling yourself up with Jesus. Take time to read His Word, listen to teachings, play worship songs, and pray. Don't wait until Sunday to have encounter with God. To many people may get in the way at church...especially if you are looking to build a mentor relationship with your Heavenly Father. Church is a great place to start, but a true relationship is everyday. With God, we never are alone and HE NEVER ALLOWS US TO FADE INTO THE SHADOWS!

Jesus knew loneliness and Jesus knows what it means to be rejected. When you allow Him to be your best friend, then He will also burst forth out of you. You will have opportunity and unique situations that will allow you to share in friendships and relationships that are God driven. He will be all that comes out of you. What a great God we serve....I am a Friend of God!

I am grateful for our friendship through this blog and you know I love ya - Don