Fourthstream - Finding Hope

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...

 The concept of forever is tough to grasp. Everything about being human eventually runs into limitation. "As for the days of our lives, they contain seventy years, o r if due to strength, eighty years. Yet human pride is only labor and sorrow, for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger a nd Your fury, according to the reverence that is due You? So teach us to numb...

When God's hand moves His will is done - on earth and in heaven. His authority backs up His intentions seamlessly. There is no hesitation. There is nothing that can stop it. He thinks and His hand moves and His will is done. In Mary's prayer of praise to God in Luke 1:49-52 she says:           "For the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is His name. His mercy is upon generation after...

The wickedness thread from the God Story is extensive. Here are a few of the central elements. The word itself is tied to "working at things which are not just" so there must be distinct departure from the truth to become a "worker of wickedness." This differs from the sin which is endemic to the entire human race. Sin is our condition of rebellion and separation from our Creator. Wickedness is ou...

Humanity has been and continues to be a slippery group. Our propensity to blame and accuse others, to consider ourselves greater and others lesser, and to justify our own acts toward others is epic.           "But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God; saying "O my God, I am ashamed...

The Hebrew word for neighbor means companion or friend . It focuses His people on our identity as sons of Adam. By caring for and about our neighbor(s) we are carried into God's world. This is a central thread in the Word of God, so it is key to our spiritual success.  When Jesus quotes the Law of Moses to the man who wanted to know the greatest commandment: "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a que...

Through the years God has led us deeper into the door of forgiveness. Today we want to challenge you to your own clarity for your forgiveness home-base. It is a chance for you to give attention to meditation on what has and is and will occur in your own heart regarding a topic Jesus revisited time and time again. Consider it a systematic forgiveness A-Z course you can use to help others overcome i...

Several months ago we encountered some podcasts by teacher and author Jamie Winship. Before we knew it tons of others from our community of friends were tuning in as well. We continued to listen and investigate and weigh his teaching (which we do with all things) and recently ended up ordering a copy of this book. It is entitled Living Fearless. We are encouraged by Jamie's view of the Kingdom, wh...

When God completed His creation of all things He said it was good. But He then added - and we quote - "it is not good for the man to be alone." And so began the male/female saga in the Word of God and in the human world. Then there was trouble. What happened in the Garden was a cosmic disaster. Now adversity would permeate every part of the human experience, and there would need to be a pathway to...

Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the reason for such widespread oppression? Where does evil originate - and what is the source of good? We are born into a world filled with turbulence, and really, to a world at war. In The Turbulence of Imperfection we discuss what God explains to us about "every day having enough trouble of its own" and the revealed context for what we all too cle...