Walking with Jesus

. Belief is more about what you do than what you say. It is less about what you see in life, adn more about how you respond to what you see. Your actions give the best portrait of what you really value. When you look at the activity of your life, what does it tell you that you believe? I believe in the God of the Bible, the 66 inspired books contained in the Old and New Testaments. These Scriptures are the heart and foundation of God’s special revelation to the world, and are trustworthy and true. I believe God has revealed himself in the Bible primarily as Creator/Father, Savior/Son, and Counselor/Holy Spirit. I believe we were created in the image of God, that we have all fallen short of his design for our lives, and that God loves us in spite of our rebellion. The greatest evidence of his love for us is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, which is the only means of salvation given to humanity. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgi

. At some point in the past I've read this book before. So, why did it all seem so new to me this time? Olivia and I (and Gracey) finished listening to the audio version of this title from Christian Audio last night. We listened to most of it on our drive to and from Albuquerque, but weren't quite done. It is perhaps the best Christian testimony I have heard resulting from the Holocaust. (If you live in Iran: Yes, the Holocaust was real.) If you've never read it, or even if it has a prominent place on your shelf, the days we find ourselves in are exactly the sort of days when we need to be reminded of: 1) the destructive power of the socialist/humanistic (Obama) world view, 2) the even greater power of the Gospel, 3) the call God has placed on all of His children to live a countercultural life, and 4) the reality of Jesus as Mighty Fortress, our Hiding Place. .

. I read John Eldridge's book Wild at Heart years ago, but the ideas have been fresh in my mind since last night. I've been wrestling. The question of a man's life, Eldridge says, is " Do I have what it takes?" He says every man's deepest fear is " to be exposed, to be found out, to be discovered as an impostor, and not really a man ." If my experience is any measure, then John is right. Upon the recommendation of some friends, Olivia and I watched Cinderella Man last night. It is the story of a depression era boxer and his comeback after a career-ending series of injuries. It is based upon a true story. Of course, as a boxing movie it is violent. I am sure I was supposed to come away from the experience encouraged, excited, and confident. I didn't. When the movie ended I went and sat outside, overcome with my own sense of inadequacy. " I don't have what it takes ." The thought is sickening. It literally depresses me. It c

These past several days, we were afforded the opportunity to get out of town and spend some time with some friends in another part of the country. It was a special treat, a chance to rest and be loved on, and a wonderful glimpse into their lives. These friends truly love us more than I ever realized. God has given us a special place in their hearts, and we hid there for over a week. I am extremely thankful. Their love and graciousness toward us was a daily reminder that God has not turned his face away from us. Our suffering has been real (and still is), but we have not suffered without His presence. I am convinced that our Lord weeps with us each time we weep, that He holds us each time we need to be held, and that He never tires of our weakness or requires us to "just move on". He forgives our humanity. He understands our frailty. He loves our son,... Josiah. Josiah. "God Heals". Josiah, our fifth (at least) little God-worshipper. Josiah, who was prophesied fo

. Passover is coming up soon, I still see my son's face every time I close my eyes, and I feel like fighting something. I won't trouble you with trying to figure out why we celebrate the holidays we do instead of the holidays in the Bible, or what ancient Israel was like, or even why it is important for Israel to exist today as a sign of God's faithfulness. What I will do is recommend Defiance , a hard movie based of hard realities. As I said, I'm not going to try to explain ancient Israel in this post, but if you'd like a glimmer of understanding regarding the modern State of Israel, then this movie might be helpful. Caution: This in not a family friendly film. But, it does tell a powerful story. .

. It's been two weeks since Josiah was born. Someone suggested that while we no longer feel Josiah in our arms, we will always feel him in our hearts. I like this idea. It's sweet, and the image is good. But, it isn't what I feel. What I feel is the hot-cold sting of acid forming a hole in my chest where my son's face should be. That sounds rather dramatic, but that's what I feel. However, what I know is much better than what I feel . What I know is that Josiah is with Jesus, along with his (at least) 4 brothers and sisters. What I know is that he is worshiping at the feet of the Father. What I know is that he knows who I am, and waits for me as only a loving son can. What I know is that God is good, and somehow, he is going to use this satanic attack on our family to reveal his love to us and advance his Kingdom. What I know is that satan hates us, because we believe in God. What I know is that I will continue to believe what I know over what I feel .