Dan-berry

Overwhelming thoughts this morning...

2011-12-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

He is Wisdom was called a fool.
He of great worth became worthless.
He who is called blessed became a curse.
He who is fully accepted by the Father became rejected.
He who is Truth was called a liar.
He who is Righteous was called a sinner.

His Perspective is Redemption

He came to take up the cause of the orphan and the widow, for those of a despised race, for those who were known for their sin.
He came to look past the things that continue to blind us.

His perspective is far greater than ours.
His perspective is redemption of a fallen and broken world with people who are scared and broken leaving the effects of their brokenness on those around them.

His pursuit is them.
His pursuit is me…

You are after me

You are after me.
It is often hard to grasp, someone of infinite worth pursuing those of limited value.
But, so it is…
Your Spirit confirms it in me.
You are after me.
The hound of Heaven,
The pursuer of my soul,
The searcher of my inmost being,
You are after me.
Overwhelming it inevitably becomes,
The greater pursueing the lesser,
The justified pursuing the inexcusably guilty,
The righteous pursuing the sinner,
You are after me.

Faithful

You call me faithful and I am dismayed.
How can one of a wayward heart be called faithful?
How can one, who is the supreme example of faithfulness, call anyone else faithful?
I can but simply acknowledge that I pursue faithfulness to You because you are faithful, first.
I am faithful because you pursued me, first.
I am faithful because you loved me, first.
I am faithful because I have been forgiven much.
I am faithful because, like Peter said, “To where shall I go? For You have the words of life.”

THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Are there any Excellent people in the church?

2011-12-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

Before we get to excellence, I think we have a prerequisite...

What if we could operate with a clear conscious?
What if we weren’t constantly mentally tempted, hindered by thoughts that terminate on us?
What if we had a clear mind to pursue God and those things which are good?
Is this possible?

What if we attempted to operate like this by faith?
What if we attempted to do these things as if God will grant us this ability?
After all isn’t that the definition of faith?
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1

Think about what could be possible from one person who operated with a clear conscious and a clear mind in pursuit of God and the people around them?
Now imagine a body of believers who could operate like this?
There impact could be paramount!

If we attempted this, if we tried to act out these things by faith, they are considered acts of righteousness!
“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3

Some other scriptures for further encouragement in your pursuit…

“Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God.” Hebrews 9:14

“For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14

Now for Excellence...

What happened to doing things for God with EXCELLENCE?
How come we have people in the world, like Apple for example, that do things to the utmost of their ability and we in the church are just amazed by what they do?
Or how about men in the Navy SEALS?

Why aren’t we inspired to do the BEST we can?
Have we ever given our very BEST?
Do we even know what it means to give our BEST?

What will it take for US to live with excellence?
What if we were so serious about GOD that people noticed just in our daily lives?
…By the way we treated people.
By the way we did our school work.
By the way we work.
By the way we love our spouse.
By the way we teach and train our kids.
By the way we provide and take care of our families.

What if we were excellent in the things of scripture?
What if we seriously pursued the life that scripture outlines for us?
I suggest that we don’t because we don’t believe!
We don’t believe that God’s way, as outlined in scripture, is the best way.
We think that our way is the best way!
How arrogant! How ignorant! That we have an unlimitedly intelligent God, who has given us direction, and we are going to do what we think is right…

We need a spirit of excellence in the church today.
We need a spirit of belief in God for who He is and what He has outlines for us to do in scripture.
Ask Him. He is faithful to provide, but also begin to act and strive as if he has already given you this ability of excellence. Believe and act in faith that you have already received. (Hebrews 11:1)

How can I sing to the Lord...?

2011-12-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

I often think to my self, “I really like the way this person/group sings for God. I wish that I could sing like they can. Then I could really glorify God.”

Has God not gifted all? What are my gifts? In other words, how can I sing to Lord in a way that glorifies Him with the gifts that he has given me?

What are your gifts? How can you “sing to the Lord?”

World View Shift #1

2010-06-24T16:35:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I think I'm going to try and take a stab at the worldview shift that the church at large needs as well as myself.

When we read scriptures like “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4) and “How foolish can you be? He is that Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say to the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid?” (Isaiah 29:16) These are just a couple examples of the overarching message in the Bible - simply, God is of chief importance and deserving of all glory. My conclusion, ultimately, God is ALWAYS right and the only time that we are as mankind is if we are on his side.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) God is first, mankind is second. God is creator, mankind is created. Very simply and very plainly God provides food, shelter, relationships, and eventually clothing to mankind. After creation and absolute provision, mankind sins against the creator God in the Garden of Eden. When man, of his own volition, sins and disobeys God he is deserving of death. God clearly told Adam, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Here we IMMEDIATELY see the grace of God! He could have, justly, killed both Adam and Eve right after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

After the sin of Adam and Eve as well as the serpent, God carries out His judgment. The serpent is told, “You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.” Notice the serpent, which initiated the sin, is told that it would crawl on its belly as long as it lives. The judgment is meant for all serpents as they all crawl on their bellies, but is addressed specifically to this serpent. In the same way when the judgments on Adam and Eve are laid out, they are for all men and all women. The judgment for Eve, and women, we are told, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” The judgment for Adam, and men, we are told, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food and eat until you return to the ground from which you were made…” In the same way the judgments of Adam and Eve were passed down to every man and women, so was the nature of sin passed down to all mankind. The sin nature is a part of human nature, we are born with it. This is obvious if you are around small children at all. (“That’s mine!” “Give me!” “No, I don’t want to!”) These children aren’t taught this type of language, or desires. They naturally want to be selfish and to be mean to anyone that comes in between them and what they want.

Remember not only is mankind effected by the sin here, but the serpent. In the same way, all of creation is negatively effected by this sin. Paul says it like this, “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.” (Romans 8:20-21) He later mentions, “for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering.” Again, here we are staying with this idea that we are in bondage to this sinful nature that has been passed down from Adam and Eve in the beginning.

To be continued...

No Quit in Me

2010-06-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is part of my effort to shift some worldview...

Have you ever been so tired and exhausted that you just wanted to quite? So frustrated with your “performance” as a Christian that you want to throw in the towel? So aware of the wickedness of your heart that you really question the ability of the Holy Spirit to help you “be holy as I AM holy?”

If you think about such things I would behoove you to dwell on the character of God. A God that “is Love” has not only decided to create you, but desires to be sincerely involved in your life. (1 John 4:16) So intimately and so closely…”O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me... And when I wake up you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:1-18) Remember this is a God that doesn’t need anything, for “all the world is mine and everything in it.” (Psalm 50:12) He doesn’t have mixed motives. He doesn’t need you to help Him or to be his friend. Yet He chooses for whatever reasons that He may, to create us and step down from a lofty heaven to us. He chooses to, He doesn’t have a responsibility to us after the miracle work of creation. This is His personal choice.

We read “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.” (Psalm 18:30) Here we have a perfect God that desires to be a part of our lives every second of every day, a God that has never quit on us and has put up with all of our imperfects. What should be our response to such a God? Our response should be to honor a God that hasn’t quit on us by not being discouraged by people or circumstances, by striving for perfection in thought and action, by continuing to press into Him even if we don’t feel that He is attentive, by having no quit in us.

True Happiness

2010-06-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Happiness for the believer and for the non-believer is very different. When someone is granted by God eyes to see and the faith to believe we are, at that point, redeemed. One thing that happens when you are redeemed, is your desires change. You shift from secular worldly desires that might have to do with money, sex, or some kind of altered state of self medication from drugs or alcohol, but I would contest that if you truly assessed these habits you would agree that they aren’t nearly as enjoyable as they may once have been. Truth is, they probably have the opposite effect.

Your happiness begins to be found in things that are lasting and selfless. Accomplishing things for others becomes attractive. You start to value people and have more of a desire to be productive with your time. There tends to be a conflict here because you have old habits and ways that you remember enjoying and people around you still enjoy, but you no longer enjoy. You’re basically trying to combat your mind telling you where to find happiness and your heart telling you where you’re really going to be happy.

The reason I write this, is because we can go back and forth on happiness between the two for our whole time on this earth! We can miss it! We can be infants in the faith for the remainder of our time here or we can GROW UP. There must be a point where, like Peter in John 21, we leave the fishing boat, where we feel comfortable, and jump in to what Jesus really has for us. There comes a time where we have to “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. To win the prize to which God called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14)

Ultimately God holds your happiness and what this world holds is just a temporary imitation. Why would you continue to seek after the imitation? Don’t you want the real thing?

Nothing

2010-05-31T18:10:00.001-07:00

So it appears its been a little while sense I posted last... Ouch, like a year and a half.

Definitely have been feeling that I need to get back into a little teaching and this is a good opportunity for that so...

FYI - this thought was originally designed to "preach" to me, but maybe someone else can relate.

Nothing

True Gospel…

We are finally starting to hear the real gospel, that we can do nothing of ourselves to be saved, that it is by God’s grace alone. Interestingly, we still seem to have a problem understanding that we don’t continue in our salvation on our own. We approach Christianity as though we are saved by grace, but then after the point of redemption it’s about us being good people. We still don’t understand the whole gospel. Nothing we ever do is deserving of salvation, or the Father’s approval but he chooses to love us anyway. (“After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Gal 3:3)

Even Worse…

We expect God to “bless us” with our desires. “Bless us?” What are we really looking for there anyway? We’re looking for our own selfish desires. We are looking for the pay raise, the spouse, the great job, the amazing church, those godly friends so that we can have the life we think a Christian or “blessed” person should have. Christianity isn’t designed by God to have nice cars and houses, perfect families, the best job, and no problems in any relationships. Christianity is designed by God to be like Jesus. Who didn’t have a nice big house and sports car, a perfect family situation, the dream job, or relationships that didn’t need work. Jesus lived a hard life! At the end of His hard life, he then told us that we were going to have a hard life! (“Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. John 15:20)

Peace…

In the midst of telling us about this hard life, God is sure to let us know that peace is freely given. He even clarifies that this peace is superior to the peace that the world gives. (“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27)

Nothing owed…

Know that in the middle of grace for salvation and peace for your life on this earth, God owes you nothing. Nothing! Your salvation and peace of mind is a gift from Him. You don’t stock-up good works and then expect your prayers, with personal desires, to be answered. You don’t get an amazing spouse because you think the scripture “he who finds a wife finds a good thing” entitles you to one. You don’t receive money, cars, and houses so that following God looks attractive. He owes you none of these things, so for you to expect them is absolutely absurd and probably on the verge of blasphemy. What he truthfully owes you… (“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23)

The only reason you survived sense your first sin is because He sustains life. (Colossians 1:17) The reason you weren’t born into a third world country is by His orchestration. The reason you have food on the table, shelter, and clothes is because he is the provider. Get outside of the American sense of entitlement to two and a half kids and a great job with the perfect spouse. People around the world don’t have the basics and we are continually whining that we don’t have the cool accessories to life that we want. Nothing is of your own, the little parts of your life that you think you control and do yourself can be rightfully taken from you at any second with just a word from Him because He outright owns everything! (If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.” Psalm 50:12) Please don’t think you earned anything that is good in this world because of you. All talents and gifts are given by God. Did you build those gifts or talents? Did he not give you the resource to cultivate them?

In the end its all Him, and we could all profit from making all of our lives more about Him and less about us. (“For from him and through him and to him are all things.” Romans 11:36)

-This is a little attempt to shift some worldview, so... some more on this later.

Freedom by the Spirit

2008-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! So much to share. When you have your eyes open and try to listen to the Spirit, it is truly amazing what He wants to share with you. Remember, "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 12:26) He will not only teach me all things, but he will remind me of the word. (But I have to read/study the Word for Him to remind me of it...)

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (1 Cor. 3:17) When I read and meditate on this scripture I think of all the freedom that needs to occur in my life and in the lives of those around me. There is so much, that it can be over whelming... Things that you or your friends have literally dealt with for years! In the midst of these things that can suffocate at times, we have a beacon of truth that says, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." What do we do with this scripture?

Well first off, we assume that it's true. No matter if you have to go against human nature, past experiences, or what other people think; scripture is absolute truth. And this scripture is reality.

Now from my personal experiences in life I can attest to this scripture. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! My question to you is - Is the Spirit of the Lord there? We are bombarded w/ entertainment, literally 24/7. I went to Italy this summer and I was reminded that the US is the media capital of the world, by FAR! The mass majority of entertainment, probably 80% - 90% is from the US. Outside of work and school Americans are involved in nothing but entertainment. Is the Spirit of the Lord in this entertainment? Is He in your school life? Your work?

The question might arise, "How do we get the Spirit in our lives on a consistent basis so that there can be freedom?" You have to make sure that you are in communication & fellowship with Him. And as far as your entertainment... He should be involved! You should be involved with other believers, reading the Word, studying other literature - "to show yourself approved," worship, service projects, or outreach.

I know what your thinking, life doesn't have to look like this all the time but it should look like it often. This is inviting the Holy Spirit into what you're doing. In reality what will begin to happen is that you will begin to stop inviting Him into what you're doing and He will invite you into what He's doing. Which is greater by far! When you are invited into what He is doing it means making a difference in other people's lives, this is something to live for. I'm reminded of the old commercial for the Marines, "If your life were a book, would anyone want to read it?" When you are involved in what He's doing, your life is interesting enough to read about.

I also want to touch on another scripture that is relevant to this one. "God inhabits the praises of His people." Young people who come into the church after "living life" often make comments like, "If I could just stay in worship, I could stop _______," "When I'm in worship I forget all my issues," and "When I'm in worship, I know what I should do with my life." Why is it, that when we are truly in worship we feel this way? Because "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" and "God inhabits the praises of His people." When we are in worship we are free because God is coming down as we praise Him!

Challenge: Next time you are getting frustrated w/ life, feeling like you're tempted beyond what you can bear, or feeling down & out - praise Him. (In spirit and truth - and watch your circumstance change...)

Jehovah-jireh (The Lord will provide)

2008-10-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

"Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it," Job 38:25 & 26

This passage of scripture can seem so simple and none important at first glance. I would challenge you to see the depth of the character of God. This scripture shouts to me the integrity and faithfulness of the LORD!

Here we have God... Who is more than sufficient to water this desert where "no man lives, a desert with no one in it." But does he really have to water it? Can't he just cause whatever is in the desert to grow? (1 Cor. 3:7) But here in a desert, which we so commonly understand to be a place that possesses nothing, He chooses to water the land. No one is here to see it, there is no accountability, we might not even notice if he does it or not (at least for awhile). Yet he chooses to because His very being is faithfulness. His very being has integrity. Also, if he provides for these things that we tend to forget about in the desert, how much more will he provide for us? He will do what he says He is going to do. He will do this regardless if anyone else notices, even if it means nothing to anyone else, even if we crucify Him for it.

Don't discount the promise He gave you. Don't forget or forfeit a vision that he imparted to you. It is real, it was Him, and it will happen - if you let Him bring it to completion. (Philippians 1:6) Don't disqualify these things in your head because you received these things when you were "radical" or "zealous" for the Lord. He still wants to bring these things to completion.

God Perspective

2008-09-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

I just moved back from Texas about a month ago. Since I have been home the Lord has really been purifying my perspectives. The way that I perceive the world around me, the people around me, and the God around me. This has taken place through a number of teachers - Jesus, My Pastor - Russ Miller (I-tunes James Island Christian Church - A picture of the True Gospel), Matt Chandler (Pod-cast from village church), Francis Chan (book - Crazy Love).

First and foremost my perspective of God has been re-focused. The re-focus has occurred in the revelation that Jesus... God... The triune God. He owes me NOTHING. Now when I say nothing I mean that the fact that I have been given life for 23 years so far without begging for food, always having a roof over my head, never in need... but simply in want. He owes me nothing because He created a world with laws and guidelines that we are to follow. It doesn't matter why He created it the way He did honestly, the point is that He did. And the simple fact that I have already been given all these things is only by His amazing grace.

Now I have heard arguments such as, "Why would God manipulate me into having a relationship with him? If he threatens me with Hell to have a relationship with him." The perspective of this person is apparent. They are looking at life through their eyes instead of God's, because if we could see all that He is capable of then we would not ask this question. A good way to keep things into perspective is to read Job 38 - 41 which has verses like - "Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?"; "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place..."; and "Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this." We should rejoice in the fact that the God who creates something from nothing with words alone... would even let me in on his plan. That he has a plan and he would tell me how to avoid eternal torment and have the esteemed privilege of then spending it with Him! The one that is from everlasting to everlasting. The one that knows all mysteries whether of the human body and how it sustains life or the creatures that inhabit the depths of the sea that we can't even get to yet.

Another inquiry, more popular than the previous, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Again, wrong perspective. You see once again whether we are happy with the conditions that He set on His creation doesn't so much matter. (You don't have to like the law of gravity but regardless of if you believe in it, or agree with it - it is still going to perform the way it was created to perform.) So with the understanding that He is deeply offended when we don't follow His laws and precepts and with the fact again that he created us... He honestly has all right throughout the universe to wipe us off the face of the earth for any one sin that we have ever committed. BUT... in his mercy, that is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22 & 23) he continues to let us live in hope that we might find Him. Yes, so that we can be re-united with the one that knew us before anyone else did... in the womb, (Psalm 139:13-16) but also so that we can meet & know the one who created us with such depth. Depth that is unknown to any other part of his creation. Depth that distinctly sets us apart from animals and all other forms of life. So that he can then fulfill that depth as he is sufficient in every way for every need.

I originally planned on talking about the three topics in my opening paragraph (the world around me, the people around me, and the God around me), but I decided that would be rather lengthy so I'll break it up a bit.

Nothing Else Matters

2008-09-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

"I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last..." Rev. 1:12-17 (emphasis added)

John sees the LORD and is immediately overwhelmed! From the time he sees the fullness of the LORD he collapses as though he were a dead man. Like the first round in a Mike Tyson fight, except he falls face first toward the only other person in the ring and then has no movement outside of his lungs expanding and retracting. And the only reason this simple necessity of life is happening is because the one who's presence demands this reaction sustains his every breath.

If you are in the place where John is...
...there's no showing off here
...there's no pride here
...it doesn't matter if you're married here
...it doesn't matter what kind of car you have
...it doesn't matter where you live
...it doesn't matter how many friends you have
...it doesn't matter what sickness or disease, what race or royalty, what frailty or power - NO MAN is moving without His permission in HIS presence.

You see, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3 (emphasis added) The only way I can perform a normal day is by the release of His grace. "'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring,'" Acts 17:28 (emphasis added) "For by him all thins were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible or invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers of authorities; all things were created by him for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Col. 1:16 & 17 (emphasis added)