SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!

I am writing this blog with incredible joy and peace in my heart.  After years of prayer, absolute non-patience, and pain – and only after I gave up – God gave me an incredible gift – my heart’s desire.

So today:

I want to shout it from the rooftops!!

I want to declare it to every living creature!!

I want to share this joy with the world!!!

I want anyone and everyone to know this:

I HAVE FALLEN DEEPLY IN LOVE

For some of you who have known me for the past months, this will not be a surprise.  For others, it will be a complete shock.  Many will wonder if I compromised, if I am overlooking faults and red flags, if I am being impetuous in this decision.

I know her faults – she says she is not perfect, but I sure cannot see anything that isn’t perfect for me. There are no red flags (and trust me, I know a red flag now when I see one and I usually run fast!), and I was cautious in developing a relationship with this person.  I know her heart and it is a pure heart from God.

Let me share with you who she is:

She is the most wonderful woman I have ever met.  This, in no way, is meant to slight any other woman I know. But she is so wonderful to me that it literally takes my breath away and makes me speechless.  If you know me, I am never speechless so this should be telling you something is going on!

She knows, and I mean KNOWS, our Lord Jesus.  Her relationship with Jesus is beyond mine.  Her trust in Him challenges mine.  Her prayer life is one to be envied by all.  She loves God with all her heart, mind, and soul.  He will always be #1 in her life as He should be.  I have said before, there is nothing more attractive than a woman who loves Jesus with all her heart.  She is that woman.

She is an amazing mother.  Her challenges exceed mine in that she has 3 special needs children.  I only have one.  If you know me, you know that the challenge and opportunity to raise special children is my calling.  So this should not be a surprise to any that I would share that responsibility willingly.   Her children adore her and she is raising them in the fear of the Lord. 

She loves my daughter Lisa.  More importantly, she accepts her as her own.  This love can only come from God Himself.  I cannot explain in words what it means to me for her to love and accept my Lisa as her own.  I won’t even try.  If you are a parent, you have a rough idea of what I mean.

She is a giver.  From the first time we met, she has given back to me more than I have given her.  My past relationships were never like this.  In fact, I never knew a woman like her existed.  The more I give to her, the more I get back.  This is how love should be.

She does not need me – but rather she wants me in her life.  I have always been a rescuer – she does not need to be rescued, she simply needs to be loved and to love.  What an incredible peace it is in my heart to know that I am wanted – not for what I can do or give – but for who I am. 

She is beautiful.  I can honestly say that, in my eyes and heart, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen or will ever see.  Her smile shames the sunrise.  Her laughter is infectious and genuine.  Her words are always seasoned for the right situation.  In her eyes, I see a depth of love that draws me ever closer and makes me pull down the walls around my heart. 

She is passionate.  You know I love passion.  Passion about life, about love, about her children and about her Lord.  God wants us to be passionate – for that fire to burn for His glory and for His work.  Her passion is an ever-burning flame that no one can extinguish.  She loves His creation, she loves the laughter of children, she loves old people and she loves me. 

She loves me….wow, I never knew love like this existed before.  I feel 16 again.  There is a jump in my step, a thrill in my words, and an excitement for what God is going to do in the future. 

She is a gift from God.  I do not believe in chance.  I believe in God’s hand.  I will not go into how we met, the circumstances, the divine appointment we both had to be at the right place at the right time.  But just know this, we had both given up on relationships and there was probably a window of opportunity of less than 5 minutes.  This was a divine appointment.  Nothing could convince me otherwise.  I have seen God work in this manner before – it is His modus operandi – to eliminate any appearance of human effort or “chance”.  This was all Him.

So today, I announce that I am deeply (ok and somewhat madly but in a good way) in love with an incredible woman named Tina Marie.

She is my heart’s desire and I praise God for His Grace upon my life for her.

Tina – my heart’s desire – I love you. 

THE LORD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

I love the way the Israelites has different names for God such as:

Yahweh Yireh (The Lord will provide)
Yahweh Nissi (The Lord is my Banner)
Yahweh Shalom (The Lord is Peace)
El Roi (God who sees)
Yahweh Tsidkenu (The Lord is Our Righteousness)

Their names showed the character of God in His actions with them. I always thought this was so cool.

Today, a loving friend of mine texted to my phone how God had answered a prayer in her life. At the end of the text, she said, “I praise the Lord of the Impossible”.

The Lord of the Impossible. What an awesome name for our God!!!

I have heard people refer to God as the “God of the 13th hour”, or “an On-time God”. Surely these names also fit our Loving Father.

But, the “Lord of the Impossible” stirs my soul deeply. This is whom the lost needs, this is whom the broken need, and this is whom we all need.

“No one could love me, it is impossible”
“I can’t overcome this problem, it is impossible/”
“I can’t go on, it’s too hard and it’s just impossible”
“I can’t do it, its just impossible”

Enter the Lord of the Impossible. It is God-time when we finally give up.

I love God. He never ceases to amaze me with His love, His grace and His mercy.

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice,
In the morning, I will order my prayers to You and eagerly watch.
(Psalm 5:3 NASB)

Eagerly watch. David expected God to act. You do not eagerly watch unless you expect an action to occur. Many times the action David needed was “impossible”, yet David still prayed, still put it in God’s hands and still watched for God to act. No not just watch – eagerly watched!

David had seen God act on his behalf many times. He knew the character of God as witnessed in this psalm:

Return, O Lord, Rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
For there is no mention of You in death,
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
(Psalm 6:4-5 NASB)

I love the way that David leverages the attributes of God. David knew God so well that he could challenge God to rescue him. He knew God loved it when David praised Him – he knew he was made by God to offer that praise, so David stood on the attributes of God and on God’s promises.

David always expected God to act on his behalf. And so did my friend today.

And God always does. God is in the business of doing the impossible. And He does it because of His great Love for us.

The Lord of the impossible?
Yeah, I like it.

I think it makes God smile too.

Join us in praising the Lord of the impossible!!!

RiderforJC and HD – followers of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

MY HEART’S DESIRE

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 NASB)

God knows me so very well. Before there is a word on my lips, He knows them. He knows my thoughts, my actions and my motives.
He loved me at my worst condition and loves me exactly the same at my best.

And He knows my heart.
And the desires of my heart.

My heart’s desire is to, first and foremost, be pleasing to Him.
And my heart’s desire is to love and be loved by the one He created just for me.
Like Eve was created just for Adam, He created my heart’s desire just for me.

She is mine to walk with through this life. To be faithful for Him in telling –and more importantly – in showing the lost the love of God found in Jesus Christ. She is there to love and be loved; to explore the wondrous creation of our incredible God with; to delve into the mysteries of God and come to a deeper and radical trust in God.

I once said that no one could ever love as deeply as I do given how God has enlarged my heart in my life.
But I was wrong.
She will.

She will love her children with an undying love; and love her family and friends with a fierce loyalty; and she will love me with passion that only matches mine for her.

In the tender arms of my heart’s desire, my heart will finally find what it has searched years for…

Its home.

RiderforJC - A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

LOVE THAT PURSUES

God works with me in strange ways. Maybe that’s why I am so strange. I see times in my life where everything pointed to learning grace. These days are spent learning about love. So here is another post on love…..

Love is a verb.
It lives, it breathes, it moves. There is no such thing as stagnant love. Stagnant love is known as apathy. And that is no kind of love at all.

Sometimes, love is one-sided. You are loved and you accept that love without returning it. Or you love and your love is not returned back. Yeah this hurts. I have felt this kind of “rejection” much lately. Some people just cannot accept love or return it. But I still love. Sometimes love just plain hurts. Sometimes love cries. Sometimes love is so painful that you just can’t take it. Yet God showed me how to love, it is in this:

God loved me before I knew how to love Him back.

We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NASB)

So even before I accepted the Love of God, He still loved me. He loved me knowing full well that I would reject His love for me.
But God did not stop loving me.
Rather, He pursued me.
He never gave up on me.
We sing about amazing Grace, but this pursuing Love is so amazingly incredible.

From the parable of the prodigal son, we see this amazing love in action:

When he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him (Luke 15:20 NASB)

The verb called love: it sees, it feels, it runs, it touches and it kisses.
And in all this, it also forgives.

God pursued me. He saw me in my worst condition. He felt love and compassion for me. Knowing I was weak and weary of the load I was carrying. God ran to me. Took me in His loving arms and held me. Kissed my head and told me He loved me. And God forgave me.

You see, Love pursues. Love never gives up.

Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8 NASB)

You cannot buy love. You cannot even earn it. Love, is like the wind. You cannot contain it, sometimes you do not even know from which direction it comes. It cannot be harnessed. It cannot be quenched. Love is the strongest human emotion we have been given.

Put me as a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as severe as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.
(Song of Solomon 8:6-7 NASB)

What is so incredible about God’s love for me is that the more I accept His love, the more He gives me. God never runs out of love. And when I am faithless in returning that love, He is faithful to continue to give it to me.

And once in a great while, you find someone who emulates that love from God. Someone who is so full of God’s love that they give back as much and more than you give to them. And you know, without a doubt, that this person loves God with all their heart. Because only a person who is filled with God’s love can love that way. Only a person filled with God’s love can have that much love in them.

I know where my capacity to love comes from. God expanded my heart through my daughter Lisa. She is so full of His love that it just overflows from her in spontaneous joy.
And that love from her fills me up. Beyond measure. Beyond reason. Beyond comprehension.

God cleaned out my life recently as I wrote about earlier. I believe I now know the reason. Only time will tell if I am right. Like Abraham offering up his beloved Isaac, I laid everything dear to me at the foot of the cross recently.

And then, after I have given up all, God laid out a path for me, lit by His Word, illuminated by His love, and with a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow.

He knows me way too well. God knows I cannot resist pursuing love.
Got to go.
It is my time to see,
It is my time to feel,
It is my time to run,
It is my time to touch,
And it is my time to kiss.

Sound the trumpet, the pursuit is on……

RiderforJC- a follower of Jesus Christ by the Amazingly Incredible Love of God

IN GOD ALONE I TRUST

I know my life has not been easy. Heck, I do not wish my life on anyone. The tears I have shed must fill kegs up in heaven – God gave up on bottles with me. The pain I have suffered would kill most men. Throw on the struggles, disappointments and broken hearts and you got this man. Warts, scars and all. (to borrow a term from a friend)

But one thing I do know. Like Job I can honestly say with full conviction and with all my heart:

“Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him”. (Job 13:15 KJV)

My trust in God even freaks me out sometimes. With so many friends leaving my life this year, with the career changes, with the challenges of being a single dad, with the sleepless nights up with my handicapped daughter – all I can cling to is Jesus and my ruthless trust in God.

Lord – I do not know what you have in store for me. You have taken so much from me this year already, but I TRUST YOU. I trust that YOU know what is best for me.

Those I have loved are gone; those that I cared about deeply are gone.
Yet I will trust in You for Love.

What else do you require of me this year? Do I have anything else to give?
Yet I will trust in You for strength.

My children still grieve the loss of their mother,
Yet I will trust in You to heal their hearts.

Sometimes I feel that I cannot go on one more day,
Yet I will trust in You for perseverance.

My heart has been ripped apart this year,
Yet I will trust in You to put it back together once again.

My first-born son is on a dangerous path of self-destruction,
Yet I will trust in You to rescue him.

My baby boy is on his own for the first time in a strange town,
Yet I will trust in You to protect him

The new “tent making” business is starting slow,
Yet I will trust in You to provide for us.

Some “friends” have left this year,
Yet I will trust in You for fellowship.

I thank You for the friends that have remained to encourage, listen and be that brother/sister who does not judge my faults.

And I thank You for those that have left – keep Your Hand upon them and use them to Your Glory.

This verse in Job is my verse for this year – and most likely, for the rest of my time here on earth. I accept that. I have peace with that – because like Peter I can say:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69 NASB)

Where else can I go? Whom else can I truly trust? For 30 years, You have put your hand upon my life, your Words upon my lips and Your Spirit in my soul. Where else would I go Jesus?

You are stuck with me.

I lay down all my Isaac’s as a sacrifice. Everything and everyone I hold dear to me. You have taken so very much this year already. Now you can have the rest.

Yet I will trust in You……

RiderforJC - A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

LET IT GO!

A wonderful friend of mine sent this to me this week. It spoke volumes to my life - my past, my hurts, my scars, my tears. I want to share it with you.

LET IT GO
By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you:
Let them walk.
I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk.

Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay.
LET THEM GO.
And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead.

You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay.
LET THEM GO.
If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to……
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains……
LET IT GO!!!
If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your
worth…..
LET IT GO!!!
If someone has angered you.
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge……
LET IT GO!!!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction…..
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or
talents….
LET IT GO!!!
If you have a bad attitude……
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better……
LET IT GO!!!
If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new
level in Him…….
LET IT GO!!!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship…
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help
themselves…..
LET IT GO!!!
If you’re feeling depressed and stressed ……..
LET IT GO!!!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling
yourself and God is saying “take your hands off of it,” then you need to…..
LET IT GO!!!
Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing…
LET IT GO!!!
Get Right or Get Left- think about it, and then
LET IT GO!!!

“The Battle is the Lord’s!”

May God grant us the gift of good-bye. And may we be open to the new things He wants to do in our lives. Today is a new day. The future is bright -lit by the light from the eyes of Jesus. Stop looking back. Stop thinking “what if” or “if only I had…”.
To all those who have walked out of my life this year - Go with God. Our story is over. I will always treasure the time we spent together walking along the same path. You will always be in my prayers. For a time, God allowed our “stories” to overlap each other and that was a blessing for me. I ask forgiveness for those I have hurt and I forgive those that have hurt me. God is greater then each of us, and greater than the pain we caused each other.

I will see you in Heaven. And all this will be forgotten. We will again be best friends praising God together.

RiderforJC - A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

CHECK YES OR NO

I love songwriters. And singers who can bring those words to life. George Strait is one of my favorites – talented yet appearing so humble.
Sometimes life is a box that you have to enter a check mark in. Certainly, love is like that expressed in this chorus:

“Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do, well then dont be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to.
I think this is how love goes, check yes or no.”
(Chorus from the song “Check yes or no” by George Strait)

If you don’t know the song, it’s written from the viewpoint of a 3rd grader. The little girl passed a note with the above words on it to the boy she liked in class. I like the “I THINK this is how love goes…..” part.

The more I think I know about love, the more I find out I am just delusional and stupid. I truly know nothing. How exactly does love “go”?

I have different views of love.
Certainly, the most appealing to me is God’s Agape love. That unconditional love that He has for us. When I try to grasp the concept of it, I always fall short. But then God gave me someone who shows me this love every day – my daughter Lisa. You see, Lisa is profoundly mentally handicapped. But her heart is not. God compensated for her mental deficiency by expanding her heart. In her eyes, I can do no wrong. Now here is the most amazing thing – in her eyes, YOU can do no wrong either. And no you cannot have her – get your own gift from God!!!

Then I see another kind of love – that brotherly love. I know my brothers and sisters in the Lord have my back – or they should have it. Truly that is their responsibility as part of the family. I know brothers who will be there for me in my most dire times of need. They will protect, comfort and provide. And I will do the same if I can.

Now the most difficult kind of love – the elusive “being in Love” with another person. I have felt this love before – but it was never perfect. What I mean by that is that it was never returned 100%. It seems in my relationships, I gave 100% and got back, maybe 70% - most of the time 30%. Eventually, I had nothing more to give – I was empty.
I don’t think this is how love is suppose to go. But heck, I could be wrong.
I do not want a “perfect” love – I already have that with God and with my daughter. But I want the kind of love that is mutual, the kind of love that excites, that thrills, that NO MATTER WHAT – never lets go.
I am not a perfect man. Hell, I am still rough around the edges, still stupid sometimes, still talk without thinking, still selfish at times. But I know one thing about me – I know without a doubt that I can love someone with all my heart and show them that love each and every day.
And protect them, encourage them and be their biggest cheerleader. Wipe away all the past tears and never put another one on their face again.
No one could ever love them more – except for God.

I would rather be alone then settle for less than that. Check the box…….

RiderforJC – A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HAT ON

Recently, a good friend of mine told me a story about taking her son, Zach, to church. Zac is your typical young adult, early 20’s with his own fashion sense. (Sounds like me, except add 25 years).
I have said before, that “church” today would hold very little for me if I weren’t a follower of Jesus. Heck, some churches still hold little for me given they serve babies milk and do not teach from the power of the Word of God. But that’s another story.

Upon entering the church, an elder asked Zac to remove his baseball hat. Heck, wearing a baseball hat for any man means only one thing – we didn’t do our hair today (like I have that problem!). How traumatic is it to remove your hat when you know you got bedhead or now worse - bedhathead (Yes, my own created word!!).

So Zac removed his hat out of respect, looked at his mom and said “Now you know why I hate coming to church”.

And in Heaven, Jesus wept. (John 11:35 NASB)

How sad it is when we judge people based on the clothes they wear. Or worse yet, make them conform to our comfortable churchology (yeah, another created word).

Does God care about hats? Heck, I can make an Old Testament argument that Zach was following the law in regards to head-coverings. But I do not want to debate such a stupid issue.

Zac, I respect you for removing your hat out of respect for that man, for “church” and for your mom. But please do not think for a minute that that directive was coming from a biblical base. It was not. That, my brother, is doctrine – not to be confused in any way with the Word of God.

Why do we judge people for what they wear? For how their hair is arranged (Shaved, long, tie-died, whatever); …even for what church doctrines they believe.

Listen up and hear this well……
God does not care about your church doctrine.
God does not care about you wearing a hat in church.
God does not care about what clothes you wear.
God does not care about what your hair looks like.
Or if you have tattoos.
Or if you have piercings.
Or if you pray to Mary.
Or if you even go to church.

For time and time again, I will point you to the following scripture:

“For God sees not as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. “ (1Samuel 16:7 NASB)

God sees through all the superficial things we do or are. He sees through the masks we wear. The games we play. The people we try to impress with who we are, who we say we are, or with what we have.

The only thing that matters is where is your heart in relation to Jesus Christ.

…”God looks at the heart”……

For some, that fact is scary. To others, it is relief.
I want God to see my heart – not always my words, certainly many times not my actions, not even my motives. I want Him to see my heart. For I love Him more than I can say, more than I can express, more than I can ever put into actions.

And Zac, if I ever get the privilege of worshiping with you, let’s both leave our hats on and simply show God our hearts. That, my brother, is all that matters to Him.

RIderforJC and Zac – followers of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

THE VALLEY OF THE REBELS

This blog is dedicated to all those warrior rebels for Jesus who have endured the valleys of their spiritual life so as to better enjoy the mountaintop experience with God.

When I review my spiritual life, I see myself in valleys mostly. It is here that God has humbled me, taught me, and nurtured me. It is in the valley that I have endured much, suffered much and felt God’s love deeply.

The mountain top experiences have been refreshing – but like Peter found out, we cannot reside there. They are for a moment. My mountaintop experiences with God have given me the reassurance of His Presence. They are the dessert of the event – but not the nutrition my soul needs.

Some churches only focus on the mountaintop – like Peter they attempt to build houses on the mountaintop. They focus on the feeling good part of Jesus, the ”wow” factor. Certainly, Jesus is WOW. But Jesus is so much more.

Yet, we have been called to be lights to a dying world. Trust me on this, there are no sinners on the mountaintop. That is why we cannot stay there. We can experience it, but we cannot dwell on the mountain. Even Moses came off the mountain.

So here we are in the valley of life. Look around you. Take in what God is showing you. Stop looking at the mountaintop. Jesus is here in the valley too. Among His creation, among the sinners and the sick. Among the losers of life, the down and out, the lost.

Here in the valley is the work we are called to do.

Sometimes in my life, the valley seems endless. I yearn for the mountaintop. I desire to set up camp up there – the valley seems endless and barren. The burden is great. My body is broken and bleeding, my spirit is weak, my mind is doubting.

Then I remember my Lord and His strength. I remember the words of encouragement that He gave throughout the scriptures. And all He asks me is to trust Him to make it through this day.

One day.
I can endure for one day.

In my 30 years of following Jesus, I have never known the meaning of “manna” more than I know the past few years. Manna is simply trusting God to provide ALL things - spiritual, physical and emotional.

And manna is only found in the valleys.

So here in the valleys, we see two things that are not on the mountaintop. Sinners and Manna. This is why we are in the valleys. To trust Him and to save others..

Come down from the mountaintops. God will supply your manna. And God will supply those divine appointments with the sinners and the lost that need to hear about Jesus.

This is the valley of the warrior – the valley of the rebels for Jesus.

riderforJC –A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

This blog was inspired and is co-written by a good friend of mine whom I simply adore as a person, as a woman, and as a fellow rebel for Jesus.
There are two distinct views here – how the bride sees herself (she wrote this) and how her future groom sees her (my input).

HOW SHE SEES HERSELF:
I am working and doing my chores here at home and was just thinking about all I need to get done today and began to think about the Bride of Christ and what that means. Normally when you think of a bride, you think of a beautiful, well-manicured, sweetly scented, perfectly adorned woman who is at her loveliest. As I’ve been working today, I was thinking about we as the Bride and got a totally different picture. I saw a woman tending the home until her groom comes for her. This woman did not look so perfectly manicured, but quite the opposite. I see a tired, worn-down face from late nights of praying and waiting for her groom. I see hurt and humility in her eyes as others look at her pitifully, thinking she will always be alone and without help from a husband. I see fingernails that are ragged and calluses on her hands from the hard work she has to do. I see hair that needs washing and combing. I see someone so spent, in every human way, that each day’s hope and strength come only from His letters. Letters that He is coming. Letters that there will come that day, when others will see that The King Himself has come for her. That her labor is done. This Bride of Christ is a lady that is one tough cookie. She is not on the couch eating chocolate. She carries a sword-His sword. She is no stranger to blood, sweat, or tears. This bride is a warrior – with strength and teachings by her future husband on ways to hold off the enemies until He comes home. This bride is gritty and grimy. This bride is a true ‘helper’.

HOW HE SEES HER:
The groom sees her differently than she sees herself or others see her. He sees the most incredibly beautiful woman - a woman who He has sacrificed all for. A woman who – in His eyes – is perfect.

As Solomon says in his song “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you” (SoS 4:7 NASB).

To Him, she is adorned with His robes, with His jewels, with the light of His face.
He knows her labor, her perseverance, her trials. He knows her tears for He has stored each last tear in a bottle. He knows her weakness because she has run to Him countless times when she needed strength.
But most of all, He knows her Love - For she loves Him because He first loved Her, and gave all for her. Her love for Him is not perfected yet- but this does not change His love for her. She perseveres and He loves her so unconditionally knowing her weaknesses and her lack of faith.

Yes, she is a tough cookie….but she melts at His word and His touch…….and she never gives up hope that He will come for her….irregardless of what others say or even when her faith grows dim.

We see ourselves totally different than how Jesus sees us. His love for us is perfect, ruthless, uncompromising, forgiving. He sees us as His bride - beautiful, loving, and worthy. Yes, worthy. Do we ever feel worthy of that kind of Love? I sure do not. Yet I know His love for me and you is beyond measure, beyond our human understanding.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:7-

Our prayer today is that the Lord will strengthen you to maintain such a noble task as His Bride and that you would know how deeply you are loved by Him.

Two Rebels for Jesus by the Grace of God

GIVE GOD YOUR BEST

“But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?” Malachi 1:8 NASB

In this book, the priests were giving God the scraps, the rejects and keeping the best, the first fruits, for themselves.

Don’t we do that today? We make time for fellowship, work, eating, checking our email, watching some TV and listening to music. Then we throw God the last 5 minutes of our day and call it worship!! SHAME ON US!! (Yes I said US as I am guilty of that too).

We “worship” our Lord God by giving Him the very scraps of our lives – of course, except on Sundays when we become incredibly spiritual!

This is not a relationship – it’s a joke.
This is not worship – it’s playing a game.

We need to get back to the greatest commandment that Jesus spoke of – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind”.

No more half-hearted devotion

No more sharing our soul with our desires

No more clouding our mind with inconsequential things

Love the Lord.
With all that is in you.
With every breath
With every heartbeat
With every bit of strength

Today, let’s resolve to give Jesus our best
The best part of our day!
The most energy!!
The most thought!!

The special time alone with Him

He truly wants to spend time with us. Nothing we do could be more important.

RiderforJC - A follower of Jesus Christ by the Grace of God

THE REBEL’S CREED

Rebels come from all walks of life. Some are bikers, some are bankers, teachers, single moms, artists, ex-addicts and even ex-nice guys.
Rebels believe that things need to change. Change that begins with one person saying there has to be a better way. And then pressing forward to blaze that new path. Rebels for Jesus choose to put Jesus first and foremost in their lives. Disregarding the doctrinal issues in the church or what the world thinks. The rebel for Jesus desires to live a life worthy of being a follower of Jesus yet with the knowledge that they have nothing to boast about because even the ability to follow Jesus is a gift from God.
Rebels may attend church for worship and fellowship. But their relationship with Jesus is a 24/7 thing. They eat, breathe, love, laugh and cry with their Lord.
If you are tired of the way things are going in your “christian” walk, we invite you to join us in the following creed. Its time to shed your “christianity” and become a follower of Jesus Christ- a true rebel for Him.

The Rebel’s Creed
We believe in One God revealed to us as God our Heavenly Father,
God the Son-Jesus Christ, and God the Spirit. We do not believe we will become “gods”.

We believe that God showed us His incredible Love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place as payment for our sins so that we can be made holy to Him.

Therefore, we believe in the forgiveness of sins being a free gift from God, accepted by faith alone. We can never earn this gift nor pay it back.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside everyone who believes and trusts in Jesus.

We believe in heaven and hell and that God alone has the last word on who goes where.

We believe in the Bible as the infallible Word of God. Nothing can be added to and nothing can be taken away from it. There are no more “revelation” books that follow the Bible.

We believe God loves and accepts everyone as they are. If He wants to change them, that is up to Him and not us. God cleans the fish He catches – we do not.

Because we have these beliefs, we desire to show the world what it means to follow Jesus by:

• LIVING A LIFE OF NO COMPROMISE
• NEVER GIVING GROUND NOR GIVING UP
• FIGHTING TO SAVE EVERY LAST SOUL
• TAKING THE BATTLE TO WITHIN A YARD OF HELL IF NECESSARY
• LOVING EVERYONE DEEPLY AS JESUS DOES
• ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER DAILY
• CHALLENGING EACH OTHER INTO A DEEPER FAITH AND TRUST OF
GOD
• BEING UNASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL BECAUSE IT IS THE POWER OF
GOD AND OUR ONLY HOPE
• LIVING WITH HIS JOY AND PEACE DESPITE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Rebels for Jesus - July 2007

ADVENTURES WITH JESUS

Yeah, what a strange title. But I cannot think of anything more descriptive of the life with Jesus.

The Jesus of the Bible is so different than the Jesus being preached today on the pulpits. In fact, some preachers have forgotten who Jesus is. Their words are all about you feeling good about yourself.

Huh?

I will be the first to tell you that Jesus loves you more than you will EVER comprehend. I will be the first to tell you that Jesus adores you, that you are the apple of His eyes.

Max Lucado said in one of his books that if God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. I like that. You are in His wallet, on His refrigerator and your name is tattooed on Him right next to His Heart. (See, tattoos are not bad!)

Following Jesus is an adventure!! It is an incredible life!! Each day is a day of new discovery, seeing things through His eyes. Seeing the best in people and having His Heart for them.

In motorcycle ministry, we pray for “divine appointments” as we ride. That God would bring us into contact with people that need love, encouragement, and that need Jesus. The examples are endless on how God honored these prayers. Our prayer simply means for God to open our eyes.

The church shows us a kind, gentle, nice-guy Jesus.

I do not agree at all. Now don’t get me wrong, Jesus is certainly kind and gentle. But a nice guy? Not the way the church shows it.

The church today discounts the humanness of Jesus. And that is a huge mistake! The reason that Jesus became a man was for us to relate to Him.

We need to see the adventurous Jesus.

The Jesus who told stories AND jokes.
The Jesus who thumped Peter’s head whenever Peter said something stupid. Or simply told Peter he was a dork!

The Jesus who would say “open wide” and then tossed bits of bread into John’s mouth missing on purpose just to see John dive headfirst for it.

The Jesus who took the fish head and made it talk by moving its mouth.

The Jesus who gave the best bear hugs ever!

Jesus loved His creation. He saw the beauty He created in the flowers, the birds chirping, the sunrise and the moon light. He loved to hear the laughter of children – so full of life and unrestrained. Jesus enjoyed living among His creation.

See Jesus lived here as a human man. Yet He was also 100% God at the time.

We need to get back to seeing Jesus as the disciples saw Him and related to Him.

Jesus is cool. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. And following Him is an adventure worth living!

NOTHING BUT JESUS

Jesus said “ I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 NASB

Isn’t that what we all want? We are searching for the way – the way out, the way in, the way that brings happiness, success, family, peace, freedom from the past, a way to a bright future. We try so many different things to accomplish this. The proverbial “sex, drugs and rock and roll” brought temporary pleasure – until we woke up wondering who that person was laying beside us, with a headache or the low of coming down off the drugs.

Ok, well rock and roll is still cool.

Truth seems to change depending on what benefits it has to someone. Politicians change the truth all the time with their double speak. Why can’t someone say something and mean it and not back down when confronted?
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” Maybe that’s the reason. We truly cannot handle it.

Others try ways to find truth in man’s wisdom. Some groups are now claiming a new set of scriptures handed down by angelic beings through channeling. Man continues to complicate that which Jesus presented as so clear and simple.

“but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise….”
1 COR 1:27 NASB

The life. Yes, sounds like a commercial “this is the life”. You are on a cruise ship, basking in the sun with a refreshing drink in one hand and a good book in the other – yes this is the life – until the ship docks and reality of work, kids, bills, laundry, cleaning and the boss slap you in the face back to reality. What a short-lived “life”.

What part of “I am the way and the truth and the life…” is so confusing?

The longer I know Jesus, the more simpler His words appear to me. Kids can understand this so well. “Cool- I have found the way, and the truth and the life and that is in Jesus. I accept that and I will follow Him.”
No wonder Jesus exhorted us to have child-like faith.

Truly, Jesus is all we need. He is the beginning and the end and He is the way, the truth and the life. Follow Jesus and He will never lead you astray.

In the darkness, Jesus says I am the Way – Follow Me.

When you don’t know what is true and what is false, Jesus says I am the Truth – listen to My Words.

When your life seems empty and you don’t want to go on – Jesus says I am the Life – in Me you will find your Life.

And if you are searching for God – Jesus says No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Forget the church doctrines, forget the companion books to the Bible, forget the TV preachers….Just look to Jesus.

Don’t let anyone fool you – there is no other way. Stop complicating your life. Jesus says “Follow Me”. What are you waiting for?

NOT YET JESUS

Maranatha – The Lord Cometh.

Every so often I hear Christians pray for Jesus to come back now. This always grieves my spirit. How selfish can one be to ask the Lord to come back this soon with so many who do not know Him?

Now I have never been a farmer, but I cannot imagine a farmer ceasing harvesting after only a small portion of his crop has been harvested.

In the same way, Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38 NASB).

But to clearly see what Jesus saw, we need to read the verse before these two:

“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36 NASB)

The answer to the prayer by the disciples for more workers has been answered by God in the persons of you and me. WE are the workers that got requested!!

But our prayers have become “The work is too hard, Lord, just come back and get us. We are ready for your return.” Yeah, while millions perish in their sins. What good workers we are.

Jesus felt compassion for the people….

You see, compassion has to be FELT….it cannot be discussed, defined or debated.

And as Jesus felt that compassion for the lost, His solution was to direct his disciples to pray to HIM for more workers. Why didn’t Jesus just appoint more disciples? He could have made more disciples from the dirt on the ground and His breath. But His solution was to give it to the disciples. And to watch their faith grow as those prayers were answered. This is the “ask and you shall receive” promise. Notice it was not for a new Cadillac or sports car or even a Harley (although I could argue that a prayer for a Harley should take priority with God!). The prayer was for doing the Lord’s work. Saving souls. Mending the broken hearted. Giving people a future and a Hope.

Where is our compassion for the lost? For followers of Jesus Christ, we are shamed by the labor put forth by the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses. While I admit that they are driven by works rather than Grace, I admire their work ethic –however misdirected it is.

Oh that we would have the eyes of Jesus to “SEE the people and FEEL compassion for them”. And then to ACT in Love toward them with the foreknowledge that they are lost and hurting. Compassion will always See, Feel and then ACT. It becomes compassion when acted upon.

So the next time you hear someone say they wished that Jesus would come back soon, just remember this verse:

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9 NASB)

Interesting word in this scripture, the word “YOU” seems out of place doesn’t it? If you are indeed saved, then why would the Lord need to be patient toward you? Could it be that His patience toward you is BECAUSE He doesn’t wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance? Sort of implies that it is YOUR responsibility to be sure that “all come to repentance” doesn’t it?

WE NEED TO STOP PRAYING FOR JESUS TO RETURN AS LONG AS THERE IS ONE SOUL ON THIS PLANET WHO DOES NOT KNOW HIM!

Father, forgive us for our selfishness.

Jesus please tarry.