Fourthstream - Finding Hope

Healing is a curious concept with many opinions on the what, how, and why. A survey of known history makes it quite clear that no one healed like Jesus did. Even within all of the other religions of antiquity there is no one like Him, and some religious healer's miracles were pretty lame. Jesus, however, did nothing in a corner. He was transparent and prolific. And those who witnessed what He did...

Everyone operates from a  home base . Our upbringing. Our experiences. Our choices. Even factors made on our behalf by others. Through all of this we build our home base. Scientifically we apply what we see and learn. Philosophical we land on what we have wrestled with in our lives - positively and negatively. And to the degree we have encountered and contemplated faith we solidify our beliefs. Or...

One deep question for life seekers: "what does connection with God look like?" For years authors have pondered this, scientifically, philosophically, and through the optics of faith. For Moses it was all about shelter. Check out Psalm 90. A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born o r You gave birth to the earth and...

As mentioned before, the trinity is in many ways a mystery to us. It is not to our Creator. In Genesis 1 "the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." The Father created and the Spirit moved. From His mind to His hands. And where was the Son while this unfolded? Apparently creating right along with Him.  "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by...

God is a sheltering being. He provides shelter. But even more than this - He IS shelter. In fact, He is building the ultimate shelter family through the work of His Son. Jesus is the connector to our Creator. God wants to mentor us. We know this because He mentored Jesus. The Son's best friend while He was on the earth was His Dad. He learned from Him. He was dedicated to His will. He gave up all...

Most humans look at God things as a choice. I get this, but I have been thinking it is incomplete. If there is a Creator and He  made all things - it seems to me that He is the one who is making the choice, right? Weighing this has become a key premise for me about spirituality. Does it begin with me - or with Him? I realize this is kind of out there, but most other options are limiting. If it all...

Often we must understand bad news in order to perceive and appreciate good news. It is the same with finding shelter. Until we are uncovered it is difficult to appreciate being covered . This is the nature of all life. Impermanence. Limited control. The necessity to learn to hope. Turbulence and imperfection. A good question: Who has given you shelter? A parent? A teacher? A sibling? A neighbor? W...

There is a spirituality which finds roots in God's Son Jesus Himself. While there are many religions, there is only one proven to be the Son of God, and He is the King over His Kingdom. This is the Story of the God Story. What this means is massive, and today we will cover several of the core amazing things about experiencing Kingdom spirituality . It is authentic, connective, and filled with prom...

Storiesofshelter.com We read stories. We tell stories. We live stories. Here is a deep dive story of the ROOT WORDS FOR SHELTER. There are several Hebrew words which reflect and define shelter which are found in the Law of Moses and the prophets of Israel. A Roof of Beams (as in a home) Genesis 19:8 quarah A Refuge (as a hiding place) Job 24:8 chasah A Screen that overshadows (like a filter) Psalm...

To find  shelter we must find Jesus . He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We can choose to believe this or not, but there is pretty compelling evidence it is true. His story through the Jews and the Church is so expansive. I read a quote once: "the Bible is not a book one would write if he could or could write if he would." It is a supernatural story about a 100% lost human race who need to fi...

When I think about the people who have provided shelter for me through the years there are multiple faces that come to mind. A parent. A teacher. A neighbor. A mentor. A sibling. It is good for me to review my story periodically and think about those who have provided guidance or impacted or even changed my trajectory (whether intentionally or incidentally). So we  invite you into this question: "...

How can something be one and three at the same time? The trinity is much more than a teaching or doctrine of the historical church. It describes the eternal nature of God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed in fullness, completeness, and oneness. They have enjoyed perfect relationship throughout eternity, even before time was set in motion. When our great God decided to create ot...

It is difficult to conceive of what is pure and what is impure in our current world culture. And to be fair - throughout the history of mankind. When you live in a grey world the contrasts of Light and darkness seem to evaporate. So it is up to the Christ-follower to be busy about Kingdom things such as caring for the  widow and the fatherless . Basically true religion involves caring for the unpr...

Because Jesus is Savior of nations and He has taken upon Himself the sins of the world He makes some pretty incredible claims - and beautiful invitations! While religion often makes Jesus faith complicated - He never does. He is very strait-forward. Direct. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble...

God IS shelter. He intervenes over and over into our lives to help us to find the way of truth and freedom of soul - and the Door to eternity. This is to be the goal and work of every parent. We live in an imperfect world and yet we are tasked with  "Train up a child in the way he should go, and e ven when he is old he will not depart from it."   (Proverbs 22:6) There is nothing automatic about th...

The story of brother anger is as old as Cain and Abel. It is a direct result of our fall in the garden of Eden and impacts us each day. Anger with our "brother" is a cancer that consumes the heart - and also displaces the freedom of soul God wishes for all His children. Jesus comments on this again and again: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."   Matthew 5...

Talking with God has many nuances. √   It can be joyfully relational. √   It can be hard to make happen because of busyness. √   It can make me feel unsure of myself. √   It can be a process of excessive honor. √   Too often it only happens when my "me" trigger is active. Solomon teaches us some interesting things about drawing near to God.            "Guard your steps as you go to the house of Go...

Do you think about heaven very often? Do you believe it is a real place? What do you imagine when you construct your image? How do you respond to the idea of living forever? King David had a unique clarity concerning forever. He believed he was going to experience forever life after this life. He understood his earthly life in conjunction with his heavenly life. They were connected. One followed t...

I am one of those nervous travelers. In fact, I would choose not to travel rather than embrace a self-imposed hassle with either highway or airport. I am sure there is some neurosis here, but I chiefly travel with people like Burnadette. She knows where we are going, how to get there, and steps right up when anything goes amiss. As a spiritual being I am grateful to have a known start-point and de...

Perhaps the most central thread of the God Story is the one concerning God's  Lamb . In Genesis 1-11 we find out about our human roots. In Genesis 12 God creates a new nation through Abraham . Through this new nation He would testify of His great Name and bring deliverance to all nations. When He called His people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, the first identity requirement He gave was the...

If humility is the key to the Door of the Kingdom (and we think it is) then a few things must be considered. Jesus is clear that He is the Door to His Father and His Kingdom. The keys to the Kingdom were given to the right person. This has nothing to with church authority and everything to do with Peter's magnificent followthrough in his imperfect faith. Peter promised never-ending allegiance to J...

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."  John 10:7-9 Jesus sp...

We thought it was a good time for a deep dive into who is really in control. Let's follow the thread.  The evil one manipulates us with fear. "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subjec...

As humans we cannot help but carry our own amount of weights.  Disappointments. Bad memories. Unfulfilled hopes. Critical words. Jesus commented on the weight He places upon His followers: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy...

As you know, at  Fourthstream we are all about following, knowing, and applying the woven threads of the God Story. Today we are talking about joy - which is a major thread! There is a strength which comes from God and is powerful in very practical and amazing ways. We will do our best to consider the panoramic specifics of what joy brings into the world - and into the heart and life of a Jesus fo...