Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Simple




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We serve a Savior Who chose a stable for His birthplace,

A God Who preferred the company of Fisherman to that of Pharisees,

A Lord Who advised the rich young ruler,
not to follow hundreds of laws,
but instead, said simply, "Follow Me."

When offered a thousand rams, ten thousand rivers of oil, even His followers' first born in some twisted attempt to procure His favor,
He gently redirected their well-meaning but misguided efforts with the simple dictum,

Just Do Justly,
And Love Mercy,
And Walk Humbly With Your God.

There is no song and dance necessary to secure your salvation,
No hoops to jump through
that will make Him love you more

Jesus died an agonizing death
to forever join your heart to Heaven's,

He did the hard part

So you could keep it Simple.

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"My yoke is easy, My burden is light."
-Jesus

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Stable




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God has a thing for stables

The frills seem lost on Him
The fancy-schmancy doesn't seem to float His boat

We have a God
Who digs
Raw and Real

Who would rather be up to His elbows
in the nitty-gritty of our lives,
than to have the wrapped-up-pretty version
we so often offer,
the one that obscures the Gift inside,
the complicated-messy-conundrum He's so crazy about.

He wants your Voice,
not your script

He wants your Heart
not an Excel spread sheet

He wants to confide
without having to cushion and clean it up
He wants to sit in silence
with one who hears anyway

When given the choice
between homogenized and humble
between white-washed and weathered
between the insulation of the inn
and the blood and sweat of the stable,
We have a God Who chooses the Stable,

Every time.

Who makes Himself at home there,
So we can make ourselves at home in Heaven.

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"For now I have chosen and set apart this house, that my name may be there forever; 
My attention and my concern will be there always."
-2 Chronicles 7:16

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Yet


"...Although my house is not so with God, 
Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in ALL things and Secure."
-2 Samuel 23:5

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Yet

The Game Changing Word

The Difference between
serving The Living God
and any other god

This tiny word
contains the entire gospel,
contains All the Amazing Grace
we will ever need

Our Soundness,
Our Salvation,
Our Second and Forty-Second Chances

are Sealed and Secure,
 we are Covered and Kept,
Not because we so perfectly keep our promises,

But because He Always 
Always,
Always

Keeps His.

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"...This is All my Salvation,
and all my desire."
-2 Samuel 23:5