real hope for haiti

earlier i spent about 3 hours reading blogs from Aaron Ivey (band member of Spur 58 and lover of Jesus Christ) about a rescue center (clinic) in Haiti. they are in the midst of a campaign called "Real Hope for Haiti"

over the past 8 months or so my wife has dived into the world of blogging (or stalking) as i like to call it. she came across Aaron and Jamie's blog site (two individual sites though they are married) and read that they were adopting two children from this rescue mission in Haiti. as she dove deeper she not only connected with the heart of the Ivey's but also fell in love with this center in Haiti.

this isn't one of those foundations that you hear about begging for you money to support kids and you have no idea where your dollar is going (not talking about Compassion International. our family has adopted through Compassion and we are extremely blessed...we love you Jonathan). this is a families heart following after God and found themselves in Cazale, Haiti in 1992 hoping to make a difference. in 1999 they took their first child into their home and in 2002 the rescue center come into full fruition.

read their story here. it's truly amazing.

Stacy has been talking about it non-stop for at least 8 months if not longer. she has begged that i read about it...she has now gotten through to me. it recently came to our attention through these blogs that this mission is in need of help financially. this has not come from the rescue center itself but from the people who see the fruit of this center and want to help.

you need to read Aaron's blogs this week to get the full story here. (scroll down till the beginning of this weeks blog entitled "real hope for haiti campaign) it is worth the hour of reading. i am not asking you to do this so you give money or even consider to give money but i am asking you to get connected to a story that bigger than you. a story that is changing lives. a story that needs to be known.

Steven Curtis Chapman loses youngest daugether in accident

My wife came home from work this morning and told me that she read on Yahoo! that a popular Christian artist (Steven Curtis Chapman) lost one of his adopted daughters from China in an accident that happened at their home. I did some reading his webpage and read that it was true. Maria Chapman, 5 years old, was struck by a car in their driveway and died at the hospital.

Check out this link:
http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

I have clowned Steven Curtis Chapman a lot in my life because his music is not something I listen to. It's just taste difference. Something about this man and his family that is undeniable, they seek to further the kingdom of God here on earth and God has given them a unique heart to caring for orphans all over the world. Through todays research I have found out that aside from him and his wifes three kids, they have adopted 3 girls from China. Aside from his successful singing career, he has also started the Shaohannah's Hope Ministry whose mission is mobilizing the body of Christ to care for orphans.

Check out this link:
shaohannahshope.org

This tragedy comes to an amazing family. This tragedy reminds me to cherish every moment that I get with my three little ones. It reminds me to instill the love of God so deep in their core that He is undeniable...and only through God grace that someday they will receive Christ in their lives and live for a purpose that's greater than themselves.

Chapman family, I could never imagine what you are going through. My prayer is that you will continue to place your faith and hope in Jesus Christ through this senseless time for God always makes sense. I pray you mourn and in your mourning that the hand of God comforts you. I pray that millions will be reminded of the gift they have in their children. I pray that many will be encouraged through the faith and dreams God has given you for your lives and that Christ will be evident through your hearts as you continue to look to your creator in this "Job" type moment.

All glory to God even (an most importantly) through our suffering.

Christianiese

You know what I mean! If you have been involved in the American church for any time then you have sat in a service and heard a sermon filled with words you would only hear at a church and most likely if you were asked to define them you would be stumped. I want to focus on one word right now. A word that I have sung countless times and probably never knew what I was singing...till now!

HALLELUJAH.

What does this word mean?

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by something that there were no words to describe your heart. Have you ever had so much on your mind that you sat in prayer but couldn't think of ONE word to say. Overwhelmed...with joy. Overwhelmed...with suffering or anger.

Hallelujah simply is translated from the Hebrew text in scripture meaning "let us praise."

Romans 8:26-28 states, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

Hallelujah!

When our heart is so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God that there are no words...when we are weak in the knees...when we want to praise and cant find the words...when our spirit is broken...Hallelujah.

When our heart is overwhelmed by sin, struggle, suffering, anger...let me praise. Bethany Dillon states it perfect in her song "Hallelujah" (what a ironic titled)..."whatever's in front of me, help me to sing hallelujah...I choose to sing hallelujah."

When there are no words...I choose to sing hallelujah! I am thankful for a God that is familiar with our suffering and familiar with our joy. Don't be afraid to not have the "perfect words" because the perfect word is HALLELUJAH!

Next time you sing this word during a worship setting, think about the Spirit of God interceding on your behalf and rest in His perfect language to approach the throne of grace for you and sit still with one word on your lips...Hallelujah.

Warning: Don't throw this powerful word around senselessly. We may be use to singing it as a joyful response but that has to be transformed in our minds and our heart to fit the biblical definition of this word...God's order for us to praise Him no matter the circumstance,because He deserves it, because He's God. God, in His perfect nature, deserves for us to know what we are saying. Christianiese has to go if we truly want to seek the heart of One True Almighty God!

Cursed Are the Ones Who Can't Abide

My brain tends to work slower than others. I will never forget when my best friend, Jay, came over to my house one morning to share a new song to me. It was Shane and Shane's new album (hot off the presses) "Pages" and the song was "Embracing Accusations." I got the song. I knew what Shane was saying through it. I have even worshiped to this song over and over. Have you ever known something but then God hits your personally with its meaning after the fact, it brings new perspective...an ah ha moment?

I will also never forget sitting in a worship service (or a concert turned worship service) of the Shanes and being brought to my feet as we were sitting there listing to them sing "Embracing Accusations" and balling like a baby as the freedom of Christ poured over me.

I guess this morning was a reconnection...a remembrance of the truth of this song. I was reading in Galatians 3, the inspiration for this song, and I was able to see right through Paul's (the author) heart. The words after Galatians 4 and 5 are heart piercing for a sinner like me. He boldly proclaims that followers should never again be burdened by the yoke of slavery. Dang...sin burdens my heart often. Never to the point of saying that "God can't...in me" but to the point of feeling like trash. It's Scripture like this one that don't help these feelings because I feel I should be "a better Christian."

It's the precursor to Galatians 4 and 5 that sets the tone for Paul's heart in these verses. It's the precursor that Shane so vividly describes in his song. It's this precursor that should define us...not the lies of Satan.

The truth lies is the fact that cursed are those who can't abide in the book of the laws...in the system set up in the first five books of the OT...the Law. If you can't follow these laws set up by God then you are cursed. Can anyone ever reach this perfectionism?

This truth is followed by a greater truth, Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming the curse for us...on the cross. The ultimate truth lies in the fact that we will never be good enough but that Christ has freed us from the curse. We have been supernaturally saved from what is rightfully ours.

If this doesn't throw you to your knees than nothing will...except for the day that every knee will bow in His presence.

Total Depravity

It's been a while since I have written a blog. A lot has happened and God has worked a ton in me since. I have leaned more on writing in my journal then writing on this blog but nonetheless God is being glorified in me. I guess it all started with a sermon I heard a few weeks back at City on a Hill here in Albuquerque. It was one of the greatest teachings on why we should worship. Check out the link below if you want to hear it or read it's contents. This is the background of where I am coming from today. It started from the truth taught in this sermon.

http://cityonahillabq.org/teachings/sunday-gathering/our-great-high-priest.

I have just completed a Living World Religions class taught by a teachers that is not a follower of Jesus Christ. The interesting part was when she got to the part of the semester when she taught Christianity. Augustine was an early church father that wrote about his depravity as a human, as a believer in Jesus Christ. This was stated in his book "Confessions." He was accused of focusing more of his writings on the his depravity with the reality being that he wasn't really that depraved. He had a good life. He was accused of trying to further an agenda rather than stating his true life.

OK, I can take this accusation from a worldly perspective but being a disciple of Jesus Christ I know where he is coming from and it is not agenda supported.

One view I see of life, from the perspective of Christ, is best stated by a band that I truly enjoy "Ever Stays Red" in their song "Blue." They state, "To spend one day with You is a thousand time better than I never knew life could be. Cause when I'm with you, All I see is good in me." I will never question their lyrics because with Christ we are able to look at our depraved state and see Christ...which is good in me. The problem is when we encounter people like Joel Olsteen and his followers who take this view and twist it into their unbiblical view of prosperity. That's what gets under my skin. This brings me to a second view, from my perspective when my eyes look upon the holiness of Jesus Christ I am able to see every sin I struggle with (no matter the level of "evilness" it may be). This means when I see Christ I can't help but fall to my knees in shame because I am not able to stand in His presence. No matter how hard I try, I can not stand. When I sing praise songs and worship this is what transforms my life, the unability to stand before a holy God but the His grace allows me to breaks my very core.

This is because when we worship God with the sacrifice of our lives we are worshiping the Great High Priest that the book of Hebrew in Scripture sets up (oh how I love how the Bible sets this truth up from the very beginning). We are able to stand in the holy of holies, in the presence of God, because we have a Great High Priest. Our worship is focused on Christ and Christ alone.

I get depravity. This is something that is renown in my heart. I can and never will be able to see good in me and I pray that is what is resounded through the course of my life.

I came to the realization last night as I was laying in bed that many times I choose right from wrong because I don't want to put myself in a position where Satan could have a foothold in my life...a foothold to lie to me about who I am...as Ephesians states. I chose right out of fear. I realized that I tend to choose right to benefit me or to keep me out of trouble.

Right choices needs to be an overflow of our worship...an overflow of I can't because I will never be good enough...an overflow of our lives lived for a Great High Priest that has been tempted in every way that we have, but yet is still sinless...an overflow of our reality of being able to stand in the holy of holies every time we come before God is prayer because of the saving grace of Christ Jesus.

I don't want to chose right anymore, Christ has chosen me so therefore right is what should comes out of me!

That's freedom from the bondage of sin and death that is offered through salvation. Though I continue to fall I pray I will never lose sight of my depravity for it reminds me of the saving work Jesus Christ has preformed in me.