My Personal Experiences in Understanding God's Purposes

Hindsight is really 20/20. Today I can look back over the years and clearly see the plan of God. Beginning from a very young age I was somehow sensitive to spiritual ideas. I attended a one room Methodist Church in the town I grew up in. Later, just prior to my teenage years, I was confronted with the claims of Christ. After the death of my older brother I abandoned any notion of a caring and involved divinity. The next few years brought a time of family and personal strife.

It was in the plan and mercy of God that I would leave the town I grew up in and move to a one bedroom cabin in the wilds of Northern Michigan. My heart and soul was hungry for substance. The freedom and choices I made as a teen and young adult failed to fill the vacuum in my life. God allowed, in His providence, me to meet a young woman who loved Jesus Christ. She was not afraid to speak of her relationship with God. My heart was fertile ground for the seeds of faith to be sowed.

The message of Christ began to have a place in my thinking. The spiritual hunger in my heart grew, I made the decision to trust in Christ and His revelation to me was real. I knew in my heart and mind that God loved me and my faith in the completed work of Christ brought me into fellowship with Christ and my relationship to God was restored. The Holy Spirit had His witness within my spirit, I knew.

I suppose my spiritual growth was the same experienced by millions. I was eager to know as much as I could about Christ and the gospel. I began to read scripture and tried to develop a devotional life, prayer and scripture reading. During this time I began to sense that God was laying the burden upon my heart to communicate the gospel. The burden grew and I acknowledged it to those leaders around me.

The young woman, Donna, became my wife and we found ways to serve God in our local fellowship. She knew of my burden and shared the same in her life. During this time a spiritual struggle was developing in my heart. I knew that I wanted to serve God. I knew that God, through Christ, had my life in His hands. The trouble was, I was not able to do all that I knew, and I was unable to cease from doing what I feared. Sin, the inward power, was at war with my desire to serve God.

My heart and spirit began a period of frustration and crying out to God for answers. The struggle could not really be the will of God. Why would He want me to feel defeated, to sense failure in my desire to serve and love Him wholly. I devoured books and articles about the inner struggle and light was given to my understanding. God was telling me that there was more to His life in me. The Bible, prayer, fellowship with other mature believers and the presence of God Himself spoke to me the truth. My life was the same as reflected by millions of others. I was in need of the Holy Spirit to invade my life and clean house.

That experience was to have its birth during a rather ordinary spiritual retreat. Our guest, a teacher from our own seminary, spoke about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the weekend my prayer was very simple, rather unemotional, yet desperate. God have your way in all of my life, consume everything that is not like you. Fill my life with your presence.

The confirmation, that He indeed had accepted my plea and gift, came that very evening. I was to speak at our fellowship that night about the weekend. The overpowering, warming, unexplainable presence of the Holy Spirit seemed to consume every cell in my body. Now, I knew this, God revealed to me that it was His desire and plan to equip me to live a life honoring to Him. That evening the evidence of His gift to me was also in evidence. Many friends confessed that God spoke to them in a very real and understandable way through my message. The Holy Spirit had gifted me with communication.

Continued...

As Real as it Gets

You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child?gal4:6/peterson-the message

Before a century would pass since the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ the known world would be turned upside down. The leaders of the new church would lead the way as multitudes of followers of Christ, spoke of and lived out, the gospel message. The spreading of the message was not always embraced with eagerness. The religious belief systems in the lands would not crumble easily. The cost to the church was the blood of thousands of faithful followers.

What was it that empowered the followers of Christ? Was it the acceptance of a new religion? Was it the acceptance of a newly martyred leader? Was it even the word of his followers who witnessed miracles and hung on his every word? I believe that Jesus himself was present, alive and indwelling his followers. His presence, poured out on the day of Pentecost, empowered believers to face the terror of torture, the collaseum, and forms of execution that were considered barbaric, even in a barbaric world.

One of the greatest treasures enjoyed by believers in Jesus Christ is the witness given to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. John Wesley spoke of a warming of his heart as he understood and knew that God, yes, even God, loved him and called him his child. Every believer in Christ can experience this truth of God. The God of all creation, the Preserver and Governor of all things impresses upon the human spirit His acceptance of sinful, yet forgiven, individuals. There can be no doubt of the communication of God to individuals. It is one of the most profound, and undeniable evidences, given by God to man.

The witness (communication) of the Spirit to our spirit is not a singular experience. Followers of Christ can and do testify to this blessing and confirmation taking place many times. It is not the mind of God that any should doubt or wonder if they are loved by God and accepted and adopted into his eternal family. The witness of the Holy Spirit brings confirmation that my confession of Christ is accepted.

What a wonder it is that you and I have the very Impress of God upon our lives. His Spirit witnesses to my spirit that I am loved and adopted. Having direct knowledge of adoption, our Ana, I marvel at this truth. Adoption is the willing choice to love one outside of the family. Then, to bring them into the family with all rights and joys. The joy of being included, included in love, fellowship, communication and eternal care.

The presence of God's Spirit is the presence of the Spirit of Jesus. He told us that he would never leave us nor forsake us. It is Jesus Christ, the second person in the Triune Godhead, who lives within us, who speaks his truth to us, who guides us, will continue to transform us as we listen to his voice. His voice, at times quiet as a whisper, at times confirmed in scripture, at times from a believing friend, always speaking truth. His truth enabled multitudes to stand firm in the face of opposition and death. May it be so with us.

Discerning the Will of God-Part 1

I am sure that this topic is one that has confused many honest and sincere followers of Christ. Just the sound of it, Discerning the will of God, seems somewhat like a mystery. I don't believe that it is God's intention for us to be confused in regards to accomplishing His purpose through our lives. Our Church language can add to the mystery. When we speak of spiritual realities, like, being the Body of Christ, that in itself can add to a sense confusion or misunderstanding.

What follows is my understanding of scripture, in explicit terms, and in looking at events and characters that shed light on the topic. The conclusion of this will be based on personal experience, based on many years and a very slow and gradual understanding of God working in my life. In all of this, it is imperative to remember that what follows is my understanding and my experience.

First, understanding the will of God needs to be looked at in general terms and a wide scope. When that is completed and understood the focus can be upon individuals. The desire and plan of God covers all of creation and time and must be examined by reading His revelation, illuminated by His Presence, and confirmed in humanity by His seal and witness.

The message of scripture is Gods' great desire to have fellowship with the people He created. That desire has been communicated in many ways and methods. In the Old Testament God used very explicit and easy to understand methods. Visions, angels, direct voices, theophanies, burning bushes and many other methods directed individuals to understand the desire and will of God. The experiences left little or no doubt in the life of the person on the receiving side.

In the beginning of the New Testament the desire and will of God was also explicit, yet at times not easy to understand. Jesus spoke the eternal mind and heart of the Father. The character of the Triune God was made visible through Christ. But, even in the presence and words of Christ, the early followers did not understand everything.

On the Day of Pentecost the followers of Christ experienced the imparting presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Great Illuminator would come and teach all things and bring the important to remembrance. It is apparent to me that the methods of communication between God and man have slowly changed. The changes seem to coincide with the passing of the early followers of Christ. That point is purely speculative on my part, as scripture ends with one of the greatest revelations imagined.

I must add that later church history will detail many miraculous manifestations of God and His presence. The period that we know as the, Dark Ages, seems to show us a general change in the direct explicit communication between God and men.

In a sense of overview of this portion we can understand that God desires communication and fellowship with all of humanity. Peter's second epistle is quite clear, God is not willing that any should perish, but all come to repentance. The communication and invitation to fellowship is open to all. Paul leads us to another understanding of the desire and purpose of God, This is the will of God, even your sanctification. It is the will of God and desire that we have a relationship based on communication and love.

Prince of Peace-Please

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.



Arizona- another in a long line of tragedies. A man with his life filled with delusion and evil, who has lost all sense of moral righteous purpose, kills. It makes no difference to him that people are innocent. In his mind all are guilty, as his insanity increases the spewing of his violence and bullets increase. The fruition of his diseased growth is death.

While shock covers the land and truth is still to be discovered, self-righteous mouth-pieces of society begin. Fingers are pointed and tongues wag nonstop. It seems as though everybody is blaming everybody. Politicians load up with verbal barbs and accusations. Social organizations line up on sides of the battle line. The social scientist inform us that what takes place is a symptom of our society. That would seem to be quite obvious as almost all destructive behavior is within a given society. We do not live in a vacuum, no man is an island.

There is no room to minimize the trauma and complete and utter dread of what happened in Arizona. Innocent people died and the wounded will need healing far beyond flesh and bone. The question that keeps coming back to me is, "Do we really understand what happened?"  The actual events are obvious, we have been informed, re-informed, and updated by the 24hour media. And that is their job, they are doing what people want them to do.

Back to the question. There are some people who can see deeper than events, experiences, visible realities and even history. The truth of the matter is not pleasant, but it is filled with hope and certainty. We live in a world that is broken and a country that has embraced the disposability of everything. What is sacred? What boundaries does our society embrace? Our boundaries are as strong and stable as Jello. We do and want to do whatever is right in our own eyes.

Until men and women embrace the Lordship of Christ and experience the quickening and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, nothing much will change. The religions of the world offer little to no hope, for they can not change the character of mankind. It is Christ, and only Christ, that can transform us into new and different creations. PRINCE OF PEACE- PLEASE,PLEASE PROVIDE

Gabriel Brings a Message

Gabriel is before the presence of Jehovah, this time it is different, the Creator of the universe has been within the womb of a chosen virgin and His absence is obvious. Gabriel understands his message to the world. He is to announce to the world the birth of God's Christ, Jesus. An announcement that will herald the coming change the world has been waiting for. It has been four hundred years on earth since the last prophet spoke as he was moved by the breath of God.

Gabriel is directed to have the message announced on a Judean hillside in the presence of humble and hard working men who tend sheep. The message is not to be given to the leaders of the social and religious life. It is not to be given to the foreign leaders that rule almost the known world with the spear and gladius.

Within a second Gabriel and his assigned heralders leave the presence of Jehovah. The light that filled the hillside was of a brilliance and color that man had never witnessed. The men that were guarding the sheepfold were blinded by the flash that was like yellow gold. Thrown to the ground by the sheer shock of Gabriel's presence it takes a moment for the men to regain themselves.

As if the appearance wasn't powerful enough now the men were listening to a voice that would shake the foundation of any building. The words from Gabriel, " Behold, I bring you great news, that will bring joy to all peoples. This night, in the city of David, a Savior has been born." The messengers vanish in a flash of light.

A group of men, used to hard work and harsh elements, head to Bethlehem at the command of brilliant lights and thundering words, sent from God.

The Unseen of Christmas

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. What pleasure he took in planning this! He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Eph.1:4-5

Absolute stillness, Silence, for nothing is, nothing that can disturb, no forms, no matter, no microscopic particles, no atoms, nothing can disturb because nothing is, except the Triune Creative God.

Before Light Years began their recording of creation God already was. He brought forth, through the voice of His Son, the Christ, everything that is, and can be. Yes, even before the birth of the galaxies holding their planets and stars, the Father and His Eternal Son, knew the fate of all who were not yet, but still to come. And, in that knowing decided on a plan that would offer Eternal Transformation to their creation.

Now, eons after their plan was made the time is drawing near. The soul of mankind is empty, a vacuum that sucks in anything that would feign to give purpose and meaning. Man has searched for hundreds of years for answers to the questions that arise in his heart. He is lost and blind, unable to perceive and grasp the truth of God set before him.

HUSH, the only word to describe what is taking place in the realms of Glory. The voices given to created servants, to announce and sing of, the Holiness of God, fall silent. From one end of the Heavenlies to the other, the only sound is the movement of wings. Like the fanning of hot embers, the rhythm of angelic wings seem to brighten the stars, in perfect matching time, a twinkling of sorts.

More to come.

Slam of the gavel

On Saturday a friend of ours will be conducting an auction at our farm in the Hubbard Lake area. People from far and wide will come to look over, poke through, examine, and probe, through all kinds of stuff. An old antique cream separator, antique apple picking bags, old bouncy horses, a powered wheelchair, 100 gallon tree sprayer and lots of other stuff will go before the gavel of the auctioneer.

I agreed that there would not be any "reserves", that means that what it sells for is it. What I think is worth ten dollars may only be worth a buck. The highest bidder gets the prize, or junk, just a matter of opinion. Now, for the most part it is not such a big deal. Unless, unless something that we value, what determines value, is sold for a pittance. Once it is put into the hands of the auctioneer that is it. Now, a very positive point is this, I have complete, 100% trust, in the auctioneer. She has conducted hundreds of auctions all over the state. And, she is a good friend.

So, this Saturday a lot of stuff will leave the property, never to return. For the most part I will not miss any of it. Donna and I are beginning a new phase in our life and I am enjoying every minute of it. She is pastoring a wonderful congregation and I get to write and work on a mammoth carving and other wood projects. There will however be a bit of sadness as a few of the real treasures leave Genesis Farm.

I am so glad that the value of humanity in general, and me in particular is beyond measure and price. Even mankind in his ugliest hours has the same value as in his most noble and glorious hours. You were not bought back with corruptible things as with silver or gold from your sinful and former ways. But you were bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The highest price ever determined was the price that had to be paid. The lifeblood of the incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of all that was, is, and to be, was the price.