Last Monday at Scouts, we had Jim Waldrip come and share his knowledge of the stars so that the boys could work for  their Astronomy Merit Badge (no grace, there - you have to work for it - that's why it's called a "MERIT" badge!).

I was reminded of a picture.

Above is a New Mexico Quarter (Go, Zia!).  It's almost an inch in diameter.  It's the perfect item to show you the economy of scale and our place in the Universe.
Ponder with me: if our Solar System were represented by this quarter - and our solar system is about 50 Astronomical Units or 5.58 Billions miles in diameter - what would be the size of the Milky Way Galaxy at that monetary scale?  If you said Texas, you'd be wrong - not even Alaska.  It would be the size of North America. 
Put a dot in the middle of a quarter (representing our Sun), go outside, put it on the ground, and imagine a picture from the moon so that you can clearly see all of North America.  Try to see that quarter.  Funny, huh?  Imagine trying to see earth - even funnier.  Imagine now how important your life is.

And grasp this: to God, it is indescribably important. 

Louis Giglio said, "We are known and prized by Majesty ..." and he is so right.  Not because he has a big imagination, but because the Bible states in Isaiah 40:

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
   my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

If you are losing faith.  If you are feeling abandoned.  Borrow a little faith ... and a quarter. 
Walk outside.  Imagine the earth and your address ... and imagine the AWESOME creative power of God and where you are ... The Cross demonstrates that - indeed - you are known and prized by Majesty.
Love Him for loving you. 
Praise Him because you should. 
Trust Him because you can.

Never apologize for allowing your life to take the natural consequence of that belief.  For truly, that is all that matters. 
Not to you - but to our Helper, Maker, Redeemer and Friend. 

What is a sigh?  It is more than an exhalation of air that is the runoff of emotions.  Without words, it can be a prayer, a lament, a praise ... but it cannot be manufactured.  Every sigh is truth. 

Here are some sighs I've had recently:

• The sigh of regret.  Because they ran from the Lord, they picked up bad habits, got shackled by addictions, constructed a criminal record that reared it's head regularly and at inconvenient times,  they regularly are beset by problems with their spouses, children, church family and jobs. 
  
• The sigh or remorse.  Because they ignored the Lord's direction, the spouse they married suddenly reverts back to (or never changed from) being an unpredictable and selfish person they are now obligated to keep covenant and take the high road with.
• The sigh of grief.  They have a son or daughter who rebelled against the Lord and against them.  Now, they are trying to help them because their adult children are without work, without support, laden with with financial or familial obligations they are neither practically or emotionally prepared to meet.
  

There are others - but quite frankly, that's enough. 
I have my own sighs.  If you're honest, you have them, too. 

Our Lord had these words to say, recorded by St. Matthew in 7:24-26:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The Great Moral Law of the Universe is that you go against Truth - the Word of God - at your own ruin.  If you want to be god, you will soon find out just how powerful - or impotent - you are.  And God help the innocent lives you inevitably and irreparable damage. 
But the opposite is gloriously true!  If you bow your knees in admittance to your powerlessness and cling to His mercy and accept His Grace, there is no limit to the blessing and peace that is yours in abundance and overflow. 

YOU choose. 

If you want to play god, be prepared to accept those consequences. 
Satan will try and seduce you with the following: "Oh, it won't be that bad!  You can do it!  Besides, you've always got  __________ to fall back on - they'll always help!  It's just a few 'wild oats'; you're not addicted, THEY have the problem!  Your spouse/mother/father never understood you - you'll prove them wrong!"

But the bile of regret, remorse and grief will long linger on your tongue. 

So I beg you: embrace the freedom of being a slave to the Righteous One, Jesus Christ!  For he has promised:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”  (Mark 8:34-37)

Is the cost of being a Christ Follower high?  It will cost you everything.  And paradoxically give you everything.
But the cost of trying to be god ... it will take what you have and even what you don't. 

If you're thinking this is a blog on fitness, you're right. 
If you're thinking this is a blog on physical fitness, you're wrong.
Yes, the Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:8, "physical training is of some value," - and I consider it poor stewardship not to do your best to take care of yourself physically - but there is a different kind of fitness.  I'll let the Apostle Paul finish his sentence:
"but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
Over the next few days, I want to make some observations laid down by my mentors, especially at my alma mater, Southwest Baptist University, that to be mature you must be FAT. 
Today, I witnessed a new member being presented in our church, welcomed by those in attendance by getting applause and well-wishing.  It was fun, it was festive (because it was followed by a dinner for them in their honor) ... and it gave them little guarantee that they are well-on-their-way towards maturity in Christ.  But that's not the purpose of the presentation. 

So, how does one grow on toward maturity? 
First, let's agree one thing: God intends for us to grow towards maturity.  John 15:1-8 outlines our Master's intentions.  In verse 8 he says "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  The idea is that to the degree we remain yielded to him the more mature we are and the more "fruit" we produce. What is that fruit?  Paul gives a short list in Galatians 5:22-23: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control".  When a person exhibits those virtues, are they not considered a "mature" person or Christian? 
But what does that maturity mean?  It means that every day - moment-by-moment - we are to respond to issues by the direction, yieldedness to and in the power of the Spirit.  Instead of unforgiveness and hate, we love. Instead of bitterness and negativity, we find joy.  Instead of conceit, and selfishness, we have peace.  If you're saying, "I can't do those things!  You don't know my story!"  I would say, yes, "humanly-speaking" it's hard - but we have God's help!  The Lord put it this way: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing". 

Second, work every day on being FAT.  Obviously, it's an acronym.  It stand for:

• FAITHFUL
• AVAILABLE
• TEACHABLE

They are attitudes toward maturity - attitudes to our "remaining" or abiding in Christ.  And over the course of a few days, I'll introduce the topic of being a FAT Christian! 
Now, one word of caution: By proxy, failure to place yourself in a position where there is maximum growth is sin.  That's why your attitude out of love and worship to Jesus Christ is to give your maximum best to God through this.  More later!

I'm kidding, of course, but I received this link from a friend and KNEW that I needed to do something!  We can't have bears targeting cyclists because of their prejudice against them.  While one of the Berenstain Bears was quoted as saying that they deplore the action of their brother bear, they ended their press release with this statement: " ... while we are praying for the man who was hit, he should have known that his bright, flashy clothing is irritating to us bears.  I don't want to intone that this is a warning, but I'm not saying this will be the last incident."  And with that, an all grown-up Honey Bear, turned on her Prada heels and slipped back into the woods. 

Yesterday, at Grace, we consecrated 14 students and adults to go to Venezeula to share the Word of Christ with the people there.  We did this in an orderly way, by publicly consecrating them with the laying on of hands during both worship services. 
Now, to be honest, I was surprised by the response - because if the Number One fear people have is "public speaking" probably right behind that one is "public praying" ... and the response was beautiful, energetic and with great volume.  I think that the "pray-ers" outnumbered the missionaries 3-to-1.  Which is good.  Very good.

Short term missions is a wonderful laboratory of faith.  By faith, you must raise funds, prepare yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually - spending much time alone in prayer, seeking the Lord what Words he should have you speak.  By faith, it requires the building of competency: Biblical knowledge, team unity and skills to work with your Host Church and Country. 

There's more than just the cost of raising funds - that's the easy part, really.  Raising the other "capitol" - that's something the Lord must work in you. 

And really, that's what's more important: not the work they do (or what YOU do) for God, but what we submit ourselves for Christ's sake as He works IN US. 

Recently, my good friend Pastor Lonnie Owen said quoted an author:

• “Fundamentally we are kingdom people, which means that Jesus is Lord in our hearts, homes and workplaces; our attitudes, thoughts and desires; our relationships and moral decisions; our political convictions and social conscience. In every area of our interior life, personal relationships or social involvement, we seek to know and live the mind and will of God.”   Greg Ogden “Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time.”

What is a disciple?  A disciple is one who loves Jesus and happily allows Him to rearrange their priorities and schedules so that it is completely driven by him.  Those fourteen that are going have taken another step toward doing that. 

I think that I'll try and do the same.

If you're reading this, please pray for our Missionaries to Venezuela - May the Lord grant a great Harvest of souls and fruit!

The Gospel of Jesus is a paradox.  If you are good, moral, without fault, righteous and competent, then Jesus is not for you.  But if, as 1 John 1:9 tells us, you are willing to confess your brokenness, wickedness, weakness and full culpability, the Great Exchange occurs by the only one in the Universe that has the right and power to do so: Our Great God and King - the Righteous One - Jesus Christ! 

As I was going through Psalm 107, I noticed that it's a song of thanksgiving.  Why?  Because God is good and His love endures forever!  To demonstrate this, the Psalmist by inspiration of the Holy Spirit relayed FOUR kinds of people that God loves.  See if you fit in a category:

1.  the Hapless (107:4-9) - you've been dealt bad deals all your life.  At times you're the victim.  At times your the victimizer.  "Give thanks ... for he satisfies the thirsty"
2. the Prisoner (107:10-17) - you've put your own chains on; we call them addictions, co-dependencies; you've been ensnared and prostituted yourself to an apparition promising hope.  You're bitterly deceived.  "Give thanks .. for he breaks down the gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron."
3. the Rebel (107:17-22) - you've refused to be pegged by anyone, much less God, and now you've made your own rack of torture.  You don't know what's good anymore; death seems more desirable.  "He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.  Let them give thanks ... let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy." 
4. the Wanderer (107:23-32) - Maybe its a little of the rebel; maybe you're just trying to get by - but the Lord's not the center. You're not a bad person - you're just not ready to accept your part.  You respect the dangers of this world, but not ready to submit to his Lordship.  Now you know.  "Let them give thanks ... Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people (I think this is for those who say they can worship God away from his Community of Believers)."

And overall, we see this instruction:
Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the Lord.

It doesn't matter what you've done or not done.  What matters is our alignment with the God of this Universe as revealed through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  From one misfit to another, I urge you: be reconciled! 

Very recently, I had the privileged of sharing with a new friend some of the very first steps of what they needed to do as a disciple of Jesus. 
And I was delighted to see honest humility. 
I've become so accustomed to people come to Grace because they want something or need to focus their lives more.  Those are both legitimate needs - and God desires all of us to be fruitful.  But in my opinion, there is a subtle shift that happens that we need to cautious of: are we using God to just make ourselves better?  Sometimes it's obvious: I want to go to church to look good in the community.  Sometimes not so obvious: my life lacks something - maybe a little God in my life will help?  Both are selfish in their focus.
But with my new friend, he demonstrated a key trait of a disciple: humility - the desire to learn of God; he comes to the table assuming he brings nothing of value.  I in fact, had to instruct him of his new-found status in the Kingdom: no longer a pauper, but a prince (1 Peter 2:9); not an illegitimate child, but adopted into the Family of God (Romans 8:23); no longer an enemy, but a friend (John 15:15) ... even still, he was cautious.  Not craven - but a healthy reverence. 
How does a Disciple mature?
I heard a statement the other day that made me remember what's most important as a Disciple of Jesus: God is not interested in what we can do for him, but what we become. Of course, our main objective is to be like his Son (Romans 8:29).  But how we get there is not by attending x-number of classes or serving x-number of years in x-number of ministries.  Those are used by God.  But becoming more like Christ is a daily desire to be remade one step at a time as he directs. 
So, how are you being remade today?  Do you find yourself being challenged in areas that are uncomfortable?  May the Lord give you the grace to be still and be led. 
May you approach him with a teachable, reverent attitude. 
May you discover the paradox that as you give more of your will to Him, you find more and more freedom!