John is supposedly the best book to build up a faith and begin to understand and know Christ as God so that’s where I will begin. I’m going to go at the speed prompted – some days may be a lot other may be a verse or two. Either way – this is for my kids but i’ve been asked to post it online for accountability and so I will. Take it for what it’s worth.

John 1: 1-5

I’m going to type this out for some reason – certainly won’t be doing this every day.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Simple and yet complex, visual and yet extremely accurate and practical. I think John thought (thinks?) a lot like I do. He wants it to make sense all the way back to the beginning, he sees things that are not natural but eternally real and true. John tries to find the words to express what he knows. Jesus is THE Word. Jesus is THE Light. He was God and was with God and back in the beginning when everything we know (other than Him) came into being. Some trinity type stuff in here. In him was Life for man and the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness doesn’t comprehend it. It’s dark where we are but there is a Light that is God. He created everything (nothing slipped through the cracks some other way – it all came from Him.) The darkness doesn’t get it – a common theme in the new testament is that the truth (the light, Jesus) is not comprehended in any way by the darkness. Without the Holy Spirit giving us eyes to see the Light we can’t even see Light! How blind (dead) are we that we can’t see the light while we’re in the dark?!?

Praying that God reveals more Light to me and to you. There is nothing for us in the dark.

During this last meeting in Vancouver one thought kept going through my mind.  Shifting sand.  The business side of our meetings are generally the same.  We talk about how our industry/vendors/customers expectations are changing and what are we going to do to keep up?  It’s a constant.  Our industry changes fast.  The pace is hectic.  I can’t think of any industries that change as quickly as ours.  It’s shifting sand.  Always trying to keep our balance.  Constantly looking for where the sand will shift to next. 

A lot of life seems that way.  What a spouse or loved one is looking for shifts.  What friend and co-workers are looking for shifts.  Some of what society yesterday said was OK, normal and acceptable somehow shifts over time to not OK, not normal and unacceptable.  The way my mind works that wears me out.  I’m a giving, pleasing kind of person.  I want to make people happy.  All this shifting means I have to think even longer and harder to stay ahead.  The shifting is coming faster which makes it that much more frantic to keep up. 

It’s plain as day to me when I sit back and think about it but I get caught up in it as well.  Worry, anxiety, pressure.  What am I doing this for?  How can a person build a business on this?  It’s always changing!!!

That’s the business side.  The side that – to me – really doesn’t matter.  After two years of meeting with these great friends I see the work that God is doing.  I see marriages restored.  I see comfort and mourning when loved ones die.  I see friendships created and words that are shared that bring people’s focus back on where it belongs – Him.  Through all of this talking about what to do about the shifting sand there is a bedrock of Christ holding us up.  Our business is not to be building something on the sand.  It’s to be building on the rock. 

Jesus said this: 

Matthew 7:21-27 (NASB95)
^{21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”} 

A wise man builds upon the rock.  Christ makes Himself clearly known to everyone.  All of creation screams out His glory.  He is right here, right now.  Looking over my shoulder as I type this.  He is with my friend who just lost his wife and now may lose his kids.  He is with you as you worry about your spouse and kids and want the best for them.  He want the best for them.  He wants the best for you.  He wants the best for me. 

Paul said this: 

Acts 17:24-27 (NASB95)
^{24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;}

Through the two years I’ve known these people the only thing that really matters that has come out of our meetings is what was built on Him.  Period.  It is a priveledge and honor to work side by side with this great group of people on our businesses and our lives.  The relationships and building them on Him are all that matter – the rest will get buried and destroyed under the shifting sand.  If you’re in the group – thanks for a great two years!

What’s different in those times?  God thankfully used his staff (gentle proding instead of his rod which hurts) and showed me this morning that I have gotten away from the quality time I was spending with Him and His word in the morning.  Coming off of my trip to Dallas for SMBSummit (thanks Arlin and all involved) I had a lot to do and got a little lazy in the mornings.  Skipped my regular time reading thinking i’d “do it later.”  Big mistake.  I’m reading through the bible chronologically (great way to do it) and i’m in a bad period of Israel’s history.  It’s great reading and God is teaching me a lot about having a heart fully after Him. 

I’m a visual thinker and realize that if my life were a laptop my battery is getting less effective as I get older (actually it’s probobly the same but I’m just becoming wise enough to see the egotism of my younger days.) If I don’t plug in when I wake up I don’t have enough juice to last.    I’m finding myself looking for short periods of recharging in Him throughout the day – Arlin’s daily postings, listening to good worship music, catching a good, challenging sermon while I work out.  When my battery is low or dead so am I.

The great thing about technology is I have access to outlets everywhere I look.  My Zune (yes I have a Zune), my laptop, even my phone has the bible on it.  I know God is always with me and prayer is always an options, however at times I need either His word or music.  Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from reading and meditating on His word.  You would think at 41 I could have this concept down pat. 

God is so cool and His word is full of truth, and adventure and awesome insight.  Elisha has been front and center in my reading lately.  Now there is a guy plugged in.  So plugged in that even after he died he had power.  A challenge for anyone looking to find life in the old testament.  Find these verses and whet your appetite.  When Elisha died and they buried him they were also burying another man.  When some thugs came along they panicked and threw the body of the second man in Elisha grave on top of Elisha.  When he hit Elisha’s bones he came back to life!  Now that’s power!  Enough power to do a resurrection after he was dead and buried.  I have a long way to go!  Looking forward to the trip though.

I see people looking for a pat on the back, a word of approval and encouragement, an affirmation that they are OK.  Those are all important things to give and God even talks about the gift and importance of edification in Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 14 and many other places. 

It seems to me though that when I dig into the bible I find that my God, the creator of the universe, my friend, my savior, my redeemer has given me the following edification (most of this comes from Neal Anderson www.ficm.org/newsite/index.php?command=textwhoamiinchrist )

Significance and approval comes from Christ.  If you are in Him you have approval and significance beyond what any man can offer.  Beyond that if you are in him and you have that approval and significance what can any man say to take away from what God has given you? 

If God has said it in His word I believe it.  Through his word I see that as I follow Him I am wonderfully well and blessed and  highly favored of Him!  It is my only boast – that God calls me those things despite who I am .  I boast in Him because I am in Him – it’s who I am.  If you are looking for approval or acceptance or forgiveness or love go to the source!  Everything else is second hand.  Don’t settle – dig into his word and find out what he thinks about you!

Job 13:15a – NASB95

     15     “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.

I don’t like the out of shape and tired part and i’m working on that.  I started reading a book by Max Lucado and he starts the book with a picture of what it might be like when Christ returns.  What it might be like when the “clouds roll back as a scroll” and He returns.  I realized this – I’ve also become old spirtually in a way that Christ warns against.

We are called to become mature christians and move past milk to the meat that is found in scripture and a maturing relationship with Christ.  In my maturation process i’m realizing that there is an byproduct in my life and thinking that I’m sure is not from God.  It’s a religous seriousness and loss of wonder that I think makes me crotchety in a way that God doesn’t intend. 

I’ve lost my sense of wonder at what this world (and specifically technology) has to offer.  When I was young I remember how some new toy or game or idea could really cause excitement and awe for quite a while in my mind.  That would last for a while and then I would get use to it or bored with it or something else would come along and i’d be in awe of that.  A sense of wonder about how awesome it was – for a while. 

I’ve realized recently that it’s been quite a while since that has happened.  I find myself having muted reactions to anything that, when I was younger, would have created an excited sense of wonder.  I thought that was a natural part of maturing – losing that sense of wonder.  I realize now that that is not right.  I realize now that that sense of wonder, that child like “I can’t believe what i’m seeing – i’m so excited i’m almost giddy” feeling  that I see as empty when it comes to things of this world needs to not be stifled when it comes to things of God.  I’ve put Him in the same mental box as the finite things of this world.  I’ve got things figured out, I know how He generally works.  Been there, done that. 

I need to become like a child again.  I’ve deceived myself into limiting what God can do and it’s an opressive, faith limiting false “maturity” that I need to root out of my thinking. It has turned my thinking about life into black and white and i’m missing a lot of the wonders of the colors and shading that God wants me to see and experience.  Its too easy for me to slip into a pious mentality of seriousness about life and what God is doing.  Its wrong – He wants me to be like a little child with simple faith and wonder at what He is doing.  What he does everyday is wonderful – I just let myself get used to what I see and think about it.  I don’t look for or expect wonderful things from Him anymore.  

God forgive me for putting you in a box and limiting my vision for the impact you have around me to what I understand.  Help me to become like a child and see the wonder in depth that goes so far beyond what I comprehend right now.  Don’t let this complacency about you take root in my thinking.  I know there is wonder in what you are doing at levels I can’t begin to comprehend.  Keep my thoughts of you and my understanding like that of a child – filled with new awe and wonder everyday at what you are doing. 

 We went to church last Sunday (December 23rd) and heard that a good friend of ours that is battling cancer was in the hospital.  I called her husband and learned that she had to have emergency surgery as a tumor had grown into an organ and it was causing bleeding.  This friend has been battling cancer for two years.  They have seven kids.  One of their own, two adopted and three foster kids.  Many of the kids are what society calls special needs. 

When they first began to battle the cancer the husband retired from his job to be home with his family and take care of his wife.  They are about our age – maybe 40.  They are not wealthy by any means and live a very modest existance.  They live day to day raising their kids and praying their way through her cancer. 

We had a big snowstorm that Sunday but God had blessed us with a Ford Explorer that will go through just about anything.  We offered to take some of their kids if it would help.  They gladly asked that we take their two boys and one of the girls.  I went and picked up the kids, stopped at the hospital so they could see their mom and brought the to our house.  They had fun playing with our kids and sleeping overnight. 

The next day (Christmas Eve) we took them sledding, bought a bunch of food that they could make for Christmas and brought them home.  The mom was released from the hospital Christmas Eve afternoon – amazing considering she had surgery Sunday morning.   We had one of their boys to our house again on Thursday.

Yesterday (Saturday) we had the privelege of having two boys from another family at our house for a few hours.  These are two boys of another friend of ours that has a brain tumor.  This is his second go around with a brain tumor – 12 years ago he had one in the same place in his brain.  He discoverd a few weeks ago it had grown back and he is having surgery Wednesday to have this one removed.  He and his wife were with their three other kids at curling tournaments (yes curling – i’m sure you will see a member or two of this family in the olympics in 2-6 years – they are that good.)  

Today at Church I was talking with Willy.  Willy is about as caring and loving a guy as you will meet.  He is in a wheelchair and physically had a difficult time getting around.  He talked to me about what his church family means to him as he doesn’t really have any family.  We’ve had him over to the house and we’re working to get him involved at church.  He felt he didn’t have much to offer.  We told him he was wrong and got him plugged into the childrens ministry where the kids love him.  He makes cards and bead jewelry to give to them every time he is at church. 

So where does the prideful and selfish part come in?  I headed into the time off thinking I could clear my head so I could come up with my great plan to make Compudyne that much better of a company and try and build on our successful year.  God reminded me that it is ministering to people that is success.  I started a new note file on my bible software that I call “Credit to whom?” and i’m starting to store the references that remind me that God is the one that gives and takes away.  When I look at them I am more and more convinced that it is obedience and faithfulness that God blesses in my life.  When I work and press harder and harder to figure things out it is my flesh doing the work - taking the yolk he has given me and plowing outside of the row he has called me to walk beside Him to plow.

God, forgive me for getting tired working to maintain the blessings that you have given me and neglecting the more important things – the work that you have ready in the field.  There are hurting people all over and I choose to put 99% of my mental and physical time and energy into “getting ahead.”  I know you are the one that gives and takes away and I know that your ways our not our ways.  Yet I daily work to store up treasure where moths come and eat and achieve what the world calls gain.  Forgive me for wasting time.  Teach me to see the need and fill it as you call me. Give me ears to hear your voice, understanding to do what you will and focus to remain obedient until the job is done. 

1. If there is a God as people were telling me and
2. He somehow wrote a book about Himself and his influence on history and
3. I was living in the middle of this book and
4. He included a chapter that describes the culmination of the world as we know it

I would be stupid not to at least read that chapter to see how things ended for us… right? 

 So one night I asked my wife for her bible and read Revelation.  I didn’t understand much of it but the Holy Spirit gave me enough insight to realize it was at least plausible that it could happen.   

This turned into a much larger study of end times and led me on a very rewarding journey back to Genesis, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and many other old and new testament books.  That led to learning about Isaac and Ishmael and the age old struggle between two people groups. 

During this study I learned that the power in God’s word is multidimensional.  Among other things there is the power that it has in transforming lives.  There is also the power it has in creating reality that man can do nothing to alter.  Once God says something it will absolutely happen.  To even think that it won’t is like trying to convince yourself that 2+2=3 or 5.  It’s just wrong because God says it will happen.  2+2=4. 

One of the things that really clicked with me was that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the concept that there will be no real peace until He returns.  There is no peace in a heart until He is allowed to enter it and there will be no real peace on earth until He comes back – especially in the middle east – especially for Israel.  People will try to make peace.  We are commanded to pray for peace for Israel.  There will be a peace treaty signed (orchestrated by the antichrist) that will make it seem like he is bringing peace but it won’t be real peace and it only will last for 3 1/2 years. 

The reality is there will be no real peace until Christ comes back.  It’s what I think about when I turn on the news (tonight) hear about peace talks in the middle east.  I pray that they work as God wills but everytime I hear about peace talks in the middle east I think of 2 Thessolonians 2:8.  Why?  Because biblical prophecy says that the lawless one will be the one that brokers “peace” in the middle east by means of a 7 year treaty.  What happens to the lawless one? 

^{And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.2 Thessalonians 2:8 – NKJV}

God is AWESOME!  The great deceiver, the leader of the world when Christ returns is going to be consumed by Christs breath and destroyed by his brightness.  Jesus doesn’t need to lift a finger.  Just his brightness is enough to destroy the lawless one.  Think of what He could do if he put some effort into it! 

This must be the same brightness that when Moses asked to see God he was told to stand in the cleft of a rock and God would cover his face with his hand until He turned His Back.  The brightness of His glory (from the back) was so overwhelming that when Moses came off of the mountain (with the 10 commandments) people were afraid to look at his face and he had to wear a veil until the glory wore off.   Now that’s bright!

God, thank you for your awesome glory!  I can’t fathom a brightness that would destory evil but you posess that.  Thank you that in your lovingkindness you don’t destory me with your glory.  I fearfully ask that you reveal yourself to me like you did to Moses.  I ask that you show your glory through me that when others see me they see the reflected image of glory that comes from you.  Teach me to come to your moutain everyday and spend time with you.  I know you are working to transform me into the image of your Son and I want to willingly be changed.  Thank you that you do the changing in a way that is refining and purifying.  Thank you that you are working on the secret parts of my heart that will not survive your glory.  It is a fearful and wonderous thing to be in your hands!   

 Song that comes to mind:  Open the Eyes of My Heart

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin’ in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

I know that vision for my life must be related to what got Satan started down the road to trouble.  Aren’t I asking to be God?  Aren’t I really saying I want God’s sovereignty and will for my life to take a back seat to my pleasure and enjoyment?  Shouldn’t I be more like Paul – concerned with what God wants from my life? 

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.   Philippians 1:12-14

 I have more wealth and freedom than 99.9% of the world and I grumble that it isn’t enough and I want it easier.  Paul is in prison, has few possesions working as an itinerant tentmaker and he is rejoicing.  The situation Paul finds himself in (prison) has become an occasion for people to be moved to boldness in their proclaiming Christ.  If you keep reading you’ll see that some were doing it out of pure motives (in the Spirit) and some were doing it from envy and strife.  Either way Paul rejoiced that Christ was being proclaimed. 

God, help me to will to do and to do what you would have for me.  Not what I want for myself.  I don’t trust my desires – I choose to trust you.  I ask for a quiet clarity and understanding of what your will is for my life so that my fleshly desires decrease and your desires for me increase.  Help me to remember to choose wisely and follow you as I go about my day.   Use my life as you used Paul’s – as an occasion for Christ to be proclaimed. 

Song on my mind:  Bring the Rain by Mercy Me – great song by a great group.

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there’ll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

 I think Solomon struggled with the same thing after being abundantly blessed by God and given or achieving anything he put his mind to.   Read Ecclesiates.  All is vanity.  Mirriam Webster defines vanity as something that is vain, empty, valueless.  As I focus on work i’m focusing on process and planning and KPI and ROI and budgets.  These things are great in running a business in the worlds eyes but isn’t it all vanity?  What difference is there really when I’m gone if I made $10 or $10 million?  Isn’t money just a tool that we are to manage and use for His kingdom?  Trying to build wealth is tiring and what is it for?  So I can eat better or dress better or watch a bigger TV?  Solomon concluded that seeking wisdom was vanity in chapter one.  In chapter two he reaches the conclusion that the pursuit of pleasure, posessions and labor is vanity. In chapter five he concludes the pursuit of riches is vanity.

Let me cut to the chase.  Solomon – the wisest man that ever walked the earth (besides Jesus) says this: 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – NASB95

     13     The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

     14     For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

I’m at a point in my life right now where I can relate to what I think Solomon was feeling when he wrote Ecclesiates.  All is vanity – except fearing God and keeping his commandments.  Jesus gave us a new commandment:

John 13:34 – NASB95

     34     “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

What in life is not vanity?  Love God, love people.  Period.  The limit of doing this for a lifetime has infinite eternal value.  The rest is a waste of time.