God's Passion- Part 1

We are so often consumed with our own lives, our own problems, our own issues, and so many other things. Religion tells us to strive to be good enough for God, to pray enough and so many other religious activities. It seems that religion can become part of our inexhaustible to do lists. But what is God's passion, I believe Jesus gives us a powerful picture of the Kingdom of God through the story of the Father's Heart (also know as the Prodigal Son). In it Jesus gives a picture of the gospel and the Father's Heart and Passion. This verse in Luke 15:20 is amazing, "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion {for him,} and ran and embraced him and kissed him." What an amazing verse opening us up to the very heart of God towards us, religion so often paints a picture of God as being distant, not pleased with us, angry, and withholding. Yet Jesus the first begotten Son of God (the Word became flesh) reveals the heart of the Father is wide open to His children. The Prodigal is actually a picture of a sinner who is blowing his life and the Father's inheritance through selfish and sinful living. The Prodigal makes up this speech really not totally repentant but because he is hungry and his life sucks. The Father's response is not to chastise him for all his sin and selfish living but to run out to him with a wild embrace and deep love for His son who He says was dead and now is found. We are God's treasure which He has paid the ultimate price for not just to forgive our sin (this is part of the gospel) but to restore us to our original glory and even more. Through Jesus He entered into our sin, our darkness, our brokenness, all our problems, and became us to save us out of the life Adam passed on to us to place us back in the family of God (in Christ). Too long has the Gospel been portrayed as a "to do list" for God, rather than God's passion to bring His children home. God revealed amazing glimpse of His heart when we were adopting my son Joshua from Kazakhstan. It was a difficult and amazing journey with many battles. After we finally got him with us after being in Kazakhstan for about 6 1/2 weeks, we were told by the American Embassy that if we flew through London with Joshua he could be deported. The Embassy said that the United Kingdom does not recognize international adoption from Kazakhstan, so we would not be his guardians if we landed there. As we asked the Lord what to do He brought Julie and I into agreement that we would fly through London anyway and trust Him. The Father Heart of God rose up within me and I said if they deported Joshua I would do whatever took to bring my son home. I would go to the ends of the earth to get my son, because he was my son not because he earned anything. This is just a glimpse of the love of God towards us, the Father is not disappointed in you one bit. The Father longs to be with you and for you to share the joy of being in His family. Let Him overwhelm you with His passion and love for you which will transform you into being a son or daughter of God. My prayer is that we would see the gospel for the Good News it is and let Him transform us into being the Beloved of God. I believe God's passion for us is not satisfied until we take our full place of inheritance as sons and daughters of God, the Father not only runs out to embrace His son but He restores the Prodigals place in the family as a son (the robe, the ring, and the sandals) and throws a feast to boot. Our Father is so amazing, He has so much for you I pray that you come into a new place of receiving His love, His grace, His favor, and His passion for you.

In His Amazing Grace,
Bret

Father of Family

Many think about the Church, the Body of Christ, as being a group of people who believe something similiar. We don't often take by faith that the Bible calls us a family, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Ephesians 3:14-15 point to the fact that god is the Father from who every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. The Lord recently took me through a time of grieving the loss of family in my life growing up, being an only child with a single mother did not feel like the family I had always wanted. I seemed to be stuck trying to make my current family into what I didn't have growing up. This only seemed to cause more pain, disappointment, and longing. Then realizing that the Lord had given me family "in Christ" and that He was redeeming what had been lost. I seem to have a much lower view of family then the Lord does because family is to be one of the main manifestations of His glory on earth. The world has reduced it to be the people who take care of you as you grow up, they are really there just to be a launching place for independence and real life. In America extended family is not nearly valued like it is in other countries. In America we have invented so many variations on what family is: from the gay couple with a child, single parent and children, blended family, and the traditional nuclear family, that even the word family brings confusion. But family finds it's ultimate pinnacle in the family in heaven that God is assembling. I want to see more about this family in Heaven that I may see this kind of Kingdom family on earth. I have been thankful for my losses in the sense that they have led me to desire God and His ways. These losses have come with tremendous pain and sometimes the redemtion seems to come with a great deal of pain as well. I believe God's original intent in creating Adam and Eve out of love was to have a family, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could share the unending love of the Trinity. If the very roots of humanity is family, then family has an important part of God's plan. I am praying that I will see what God sees, that the eyes of my heart will be enlightened. I look forward to what the Lord will reveal, not look backward to what I lost. My mom would always joke that I needed to be born into a big family. I pray that God would begin to renew your mind to how He sees family, freeing us from the deceptions and lies of the Enemy.

In His Amazing Grace,
Bret