Fourthstream - Finding Hope

 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...

Our world grows darker. Yet the true Light is shining even now. Jesus has called us  friends . In John 15:14 He says "you are my friends if you do what I command you." This friendship with Jesus opens the door (I Am The DOOR) to a reconnection with our Creator Father who gives His Spirit without limit (John 3). Such connectivity is the greatest gift that can be given to any man or woman. As my und...

As I began to sort out religion, christianity, and faith the message of the Kingdom emerged as of key interest in the teachings and examples of Jesus. He and John the Baptist both said the same thing right from the beginning: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Jesus mentions the church only a few times in all four Gospels but refers to the Kingdom over 100 times. As I noted this Kingd...

I began my writing part of my story with a series of essays on my life experiences leading up to and into adulthood. This included my formative experiences, and then as I was beginning to realize the depths of being  made in the image of God and what this had to do with my identity. So began a revolution that has carried me through decades, successes, and failures - both the encouraging highs as w...

We have processed several books over the last several years which take on different aspects of the battle in which we find ourselves. Each is included in the recommended reading list at the end of this. We have an extensive series of Warfare podcasts here . These are some interesting insights to ponder, for sure. YAHWEH & ELOHIM (Who was the Us?) Michael Heiser postulates that this plural name for...

Have you ever wondered why Jesus had so many encounters with spirits? Jonathan Cahn researches and presents an in-depth historical dive into the relationship between the "gods" past and present and their connection with humanity. Jonathan traces BAAL the Possessor, ISHTAR the Enchantress, and MOLECH the Destroyer, displaying once again that there is nothing new under the sun - even when it comes t...

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson was recommended to me by a valued friend. This friend is quite successful in the business world and recommends The Slight Edge to his people.  The theme is "turning simple disciplines into massive success and happiness." I am struck by how many of the author's principles are very Solomon-like in their wisdom and impact.  When placed alongside the Wisdom of God's Word,...

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."      - Luke 7:47 Anyone who knows anything revealed in the Scriptures about the Living God knows something about forgiveness. In fact, if we do not know about forgiveness deep within our minds and hearts, we certainly are, at best, quite distant from our Cr...

Occasionally you run across a book that resonates and really articulates a thought pattern you have experienced in the past.  Blessed are the Misfits by Brant Hansen is one of these reads. Because he is autistic, Brant comes to his personal life and faith conclusions uniquely. His processing of personal faith through the lens of a "misfit" applies to the many of us who feel we are spiritual misfit...

I love it when I find a book whose author resonates with me or vibrates with creativity. Style. Content. Vocabulary. And especially - creativity. But most of all I look for veracity . Does the author's theme measure up to the incomparable Words of God, and is his or her premise verified by God's words as his or her book or essay unfolds? In the relativistic soup in which we exist false advice and...

At Fourthstream.com we enjoy connectivity with a circle of a men and women who are willing to dedicate necessary effort to become fully trained as a disciple of Jesus - managing our distracted lives - devoting ourselves to accurately handling the Word of truth. Check it out, pray, and join up by reaching out at 4@fourthstream.com. This is for those who take seriously the desire to hear the words "...

We have enjoyed our time together discussing the power of God's Man/God's Woman for doing good in our world. Obviously, we have just scratched the surface on these ten topics, but this book was written to provide a home base for each of these critical conversations as you grow in your own faith and try to help others do the same.  What are the good questions of life? When we live in an inquiring m...

There is something in the deep nature of God which makes use of contrast. Power and weakness. Sin and the Spirit. Glory and destruction. Even within the Creation story itself we note that before He created the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night He separated Light from Darkness. Contrast. One can only assume that contrast  amplifies and clarifies what cannot be seen without it. God...

As we have discussed briefly before, humans are in many ways easily understood and in other ways quite complicated. When the complexities of body, mind, soul, and spirit are parsed - we are a complex network of emotion, thoughts, and heart. Somewhere in the middle of us is the core - our  soul identities which are made in the image of our infinite Creator. Every century has contained men and women...

As we discuss making our lives count we are addressing some of the key things God reveals in His Word concerning what He  values - and what is most effective for us personally. This chapter highlights the potential impact of being timid , how fear sabotages us, and why our God identities are so powerful in keeping perspective for our lives. Being made in the image of God is a privilege not even an...

Personal transparency is something we are often engaged in - and we mostly keep this to ourselves, right? When contemplating our  strengths and weaknesses we are dealing with some of the most personal attributes of who we are. Burnadette and Dave dig into this and discuss the personally helpful reality of being transparent with our Father Creator. Most of us don't want to be arrogant , or converse...

This chapter of God's Man/God's Woman gives a very personal inside look into how both Brent and Dave's families feel about home life. Even a modest numbered family has many moving parts and a complexity of relationships. Husband to wife. Wife to husband. Dad to daughter. Mom to son. Dad to son. Mom to daughter. Brother to sister. You get the idea. Add to this other immediate family and our close s...