Faith to Witness 99

Paul’s dissenters thought he suffered too much to be Spirit-filled, that he was weak and tossed about in his person (his trials, imprisonments, etc.), that his life did not represent the authority of God.  But what this letter does is open the  unseen  of Paul’s life. I landed on this threshold of suffering because I am a jar made of clay. And God has molding to do.  God molded, and molded, and mo...

When we confess, it is like saying “here” at roll call. It is our time to tell God when we did not choose Him, when we did not choose His Will, His way, when we tried to get out ahead of Him, when we tried to rule alongside Him, when we treated His people poorly, or when we gave our minds and hearts to something, anything, other than Him.  When we name our sins of separation,  God shows us mercy ....

We have longings that we choose to pursue like the prodigal son, through earthly means. What I call  the human gain of things . We are all distracted, selfish, consumed, confused, restless, lost, prideful, arrogant, idol worshipers,  and what else ? Whatever keeps us spiritually compromised, depleted, paralyzed. Until we are found.  What brings us to repentance? Knowing that we are separated from...

A hush comes over the room, you hear a rushing sound, and see a cloud come over the desk and He begins to tell you, a beneficiary, what you will receive in His Kingdom.  Because you have died to sin and will live with Him forever. You believe that. You have professed that. You count on that. Although the room is filled with people, you fall deeply into His voice, only hearing what He says to you:...

A beautiful and enduring prophetic assurance comes from the God of Moses, the same God of the apostle John.  Deuteronomy 30:14 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. John 1:1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This summons me to yield to the power of a sovereign God. He is the origin of my beginning...

I just finished reading the Old Testament. 872 pages. With one question:  What happened, God? For those who are jumpin’ on BUOY for the first time, I made this commitment to immerse myself in God’s journey with His people. Not as a student, not as part of a Bible study with a group, not as a daily devotional over the course of a year. Not as a follow-along podcast experience. I did it because I wa...

Deuteronomy 11:7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.   In Verse 7 Moses calls out each Israelite on this journey as a first-person witness. I see this as saying... take responsibility for what you know about the power of God in your life.  You are a first-person witness. When we make that divine decision to love, obey and hold fast to God, it is the commitme...

Episode 65. I bookmarked God. It was my personalized assurance that He was important, and it did short-term wonders for sending my guilt into hibernation. By bookmarking, I was acknowledging His importance, and my commitment to return to Him. Just give me a little more time on my own... out there, Lord. Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collec...

For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son... (John 3:16) Begotten as a little boy who weighed 7 lbs. by the estimate of scholars.  Begotten as the Son who God knew in heaven before He was born on earth. Begotten as a boy who God placed in Mary’s womb, to grow up and save the world at age 33.    Jesus left His heavenly home with all its eternal comforts to be with us. If we accept H...

So, I am seeking to understand the power of unity, the power of completeness—how all the attributes of God’s character represent His love.  That loving Him is about the power of His Nature.  I seek in this giving season to love others in the fullness of Christ’s character, to “give” the fruit of His Spirit to others as we celebrate the birth of Jesus... how I bring the fruit of the Spirit in my li...

Episode 62 initiates a three-episode journey leading up to and celebrating the birth of a baby boy in Bethlehem.  A journey driven by this question:  how do  I give to others  in this season? How does my witness motivate me, and motivate you,  to love your way through this season , with a spiritual robustness that we have not experienced before.  Every season of giving comes with instructions, a s...

Episode 61. I Will Continue to Live Alongside You, Human (the power of bringing devotion to my witness) 1 Corinthians 7:35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord. In this context “devotion” means:  to sit near, to attend assiduously, to be in attendance upon, not to quit one's side, si...

I am thinking about mashed potatoes. And Martha’s sister, Mary. Luke 10: 41-42 English Standard Version 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Jesus refers to Mary as having chosen the “good portion”... and that this is the portion that do...

My own conscience is fallible, but God is incapable of falling. The  devil fell  from heaven. Humanity fell  from a position of purity. I fall short  of the “fullness of my faith” God’s omniscience  provides divine footing  for my soul. It serves as solid ground for my continued assurance that the God that holds my salvation—our salvation—continually redeems our mind, our intent, our human migrati...

Sometimes I like to just rest in the simplicity of a letter from one early Christian to another.  Yes, the amazing apostle Paul and the steadfast Titus, but  still ... a correspondence in those early days when Jesus had not been long resurrected and the disciples + the 70 + so many others began to build the early body of believers. This letter is part of God’s Word, God’s breath, God’s power in ou...

I woke up thinking, I need to pay attention to comfort. I need to pay attention to the Great Comforter in my life. God. Jesus. And the Holy Spirit. And I need to name it because I do not seek comfort naturally. I seek independence.  The Greek word for Comforter means "one called alongside." The reason for one being called alongside is to give aid and help. Paul tells us in his letter to th...

Matthew 5:3 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   Jesus speaks, no, fills the impoverished spirit created within each of us when we face this,  the human condition: We must confess our sinfulness. We cannot buy worthiness with good works. We have nothing of spiritual worth to offer God. Yet, we have a spiritual debt to pay.  And, we have no spiritual credit...

Revering God is about turning away from the fears created by man and seeking God’s sovereignty for our lives. We have the power through our free will to turn away from self-made fears. It is ours to do. Because God has not given us the spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If fear of man, of this world and all...

It’s My Birthday Week (with a gift for you to share with someone you love)   This is my birthday week, and I have a gift for you. A short BIRTHDAY BUOY that you can “gift” to someone in your life (and keep gifting) along your way. Psalm 139. Because God knew each of us before we were conceived. Thank you Lord for making me who I am, in your image. Enjoy Psalm 139, share it. Happy birthday to whoev...

The waiting, and watching for Jesus, is not a distraction, it is a divine anticipation that prioritizes our earthly service to others. The emotional, mental and physical battles we face every day, when our human nature is never quite redeemed, never quite claims the victory in our daily earth-grind. All that will be left behind.  Think earth-grind conquered. This is why I love what the apostle Pau...

Jesus speaks of His heavenly home, His Father’s mansion of many rooms.  John 14:2-4 2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." I know t...

Anxiety, fear, worry, depression, weakness, sadness, grief, despair. These are real human battles. But we have God’s voice in our ear when we return to His Word, and let it connect us to our joy. Here’s my testimony: I would lay my earthly life down for this spiritual truth—there is no anxiety, no defeated mindset in the presence of Jesus. Because it is by grace that Jesus shares His joy with us....

Helping people grow is about a simple spiritual perspective.  It is about being the external affirmation, the spiritual prompt that Jesus calls us to be. When someone is wanting to, trying to, so close to, changing something (this is called growing) there isn’t anything more important for me to do than to demonstrate the assurance of God throu how  I love that person in that moment. According to “...

So much of life happens on aisle seven. When we take on the God things in our lives, Jesus gives us all the conveniences of spiritual growth to serve others. Through one action of the heart:  Our commitment to Christ’s grace, which  is  divine convenience paid in full: we do nothing and receive everything through Him. His grace. My gratitude. See ya on the BUOY.  Episode 49. I can see the halfway...

Like who? I want my witness to dwell in the power of chapter six, to appeal to God to strengthen me—and chapter 13, to appeal to God to preserve my efforts in His name for His glory. When I have answered to my calling and diversions try to slow my momentum, or I find myself starting again... like Nehemiah. Building that wall, rallying God’s chosen, putting them on a path back toward God, was compl...