How we should long for the Resurrected Body!

You are driving at night. You see a little rabbit crossing the road. You hope you miss it, then, clunk, you realized you ran over the little rabbit. It makes you feel so bad, and at times it makes you wonder why such useless accidents happen. It almost appears to be a random, meaningless, tradegy. But wait, The Creation is cursed because of you and me! Adam committed The Original Sin that is passed on to all of humanity, but hundreds and thousands of times, you and I have ratified Adam's decision, to act independent of God! We are the reason the little rabbit got killed! Just as we are the reason, we too will die one day! We cry for this world, and we continually look for perfection in a world that knows no such thing. We deny it, but we are looking for heaven, on earth! It doesn't work that way! People look for riches. People look for healing. Nations look for peace. If you could just win that million dollar lottery, all your troubles would be over. But there's no peace, healing is at best temporary or unattainable, and riches grow wings and fly away. Christ died to give us Divine Health, but that will NEVER happen in your current body! brian†craig

WHERE ARE THE CONTRITE HEARTS?

My pen has been silent for some time. I've found myself lately, with little or nothing to say; very uncharacteristic of my usual routine. But God let me take a seat on the back shelf. When we really connect with God, when we eat and breathe God, when we truly have those moments of visiting with The Master, the world cannot accompany us where we are. Subsequently, other Christians can't go where we are either. And, we are there but momentarily at this special level, connected to God. Our stay is brief, for If we were able to continue past these few succinct and poignant moments, I almost believe we would be translated, like Enoch. Why? Because our lowly, earthly, physical and metaphysical existence, could not tolerate it. God shows us His love, He shows us His plan, He shows us His loyalty toward us, then, He places us on the back shelf. I feel often He puts us there, just to see how we will act towards life's oncoming circumstances. He gives us our one-on-one boot-camp of love with Him, then He takes us to the warzone, dropping us off at the frontlines. Sometimes we act religiously like a fool, trying to command our will be done. Other times we just flee into the dark, to places where God would never go. Father watches us from a distance, as we trek on through the night, His hedge there to protect us from life's arbitrary assualts, curbing Satan's desires of our annihiliation, and His access to us, which is often granted in controlled doses by God. Last nights was one of those nights. God called me from the back shelf. Tears flowed, as forgiveness was corroborated and received by a soul much in need of The Divine Touch. Mercy flowed from the nail scarred hands, and pierced side, to vagabonds, drifters, and me; the least deserving of society's whole. When God puts you on the back shelf, remember the love and The Lover of your soul that set you there. He'll surely be back to tell you how much you mean to Him. God bless you. brian†craig

THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS

In the Old Testament, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. After being carried off to Egypt, and being passed over in prison, he eventually rose to be in charge of all of Potiphar's household. Finally, as his brothers and Father were nearing starvation, and had traveled to Egypt to obtain food, Joseph revealed an essential part of the providence of God. When Joseph's brothers discovered that Joseph had risen to power under Potiphar, they were afraid for their lives, for they had sold him into slavery. But Joseph told them, "You meant it for evil, BUT God meant it for good." There are three powers behind the events in our lives, and those three powers are humans, Satan, and God.
God did not create evil, but God did create the potential for evil, when He created beings with free will. Because humanity believed Lucifer's lie in the Garden of Eden, God has allowed that lie to be continually there for us to follow, if that is the way we choose to follow. Lucifer said, "You shall be as God" if you take eat of the fruit that God has forbidden you, and mankind believed Lucifer. Things are no different today. Our kids go off to college, and we call them to see if they are alive. We call to see if they have money. We call, and we call, because we think "we shall be as God". We didn't raise our kids right the first time, and we would be better off to get out of the way and let God do it right. But we call, and we butt in, and we interfere. When our married daughter calls and tells us she had a fight with her husband, we are quick to agree with her that he is a rotten creep. Sometimes we need to just get out of God's way!
God foresaw what would happen to Joseph, and He used it for His glory. Joseph was a man that glorified God mightily!
Let me take you to a strangely similar passage in Luke 22:31-32, the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
Here we see like in the Book of Job, that Satan specifically requested that God give Him access to sift Peter. Access was allowed, just as it was with Job.
Job 1:12 "And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
Job 2:1, "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down on it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fearest God, and shuns evil? And still he holdest fast his integrity, although thou movest me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."
Now I return to Luke 22:31-32, "the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Has God allowed Satan to sift you? If not I would question my salvation. God will allow such testing, but He will walk with you through the fire. Satan is God's chosen authority for those who follow sin. And, we are all under sin, even those who have been reborn.
The main difference is that the reborn will not suffer the second death. They will suffer the first death, if the Lord tarries.
I am persuaded that God chooses our afflictions, and through those afflictions, He carves His character in us. If we suffer no pain, we would never call God's name. We would disown God, thinking instead that we are God. But "pain" is one tool that God uses very affectively to get our attention. If it takes God knocking you to your knees to save you from a hell fire, God does not mind knocking you to your knees. His desire is for you to discover, that in Him, you truly live, move, and have your being, in which you will find ultimate purpose.
Psalm 119:67, 71, 75, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept Thy word. It is good that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes. I know, Oh Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou, in faithfulness, hast afflicted me." brian†craig

HE CAME DOWN!

He came down, for me, for you! Can you, for a minute, fathom what this means? Of course you can't, so let me help you with this awesome analogous truism. Just imagine, if you, a creature, ascended all the way down the ladder of creature-hood, from a human to become a worm. This would be a colossal descent of unimaginable proportions if you became a worm. Yet, this is no where close, to the degradation Jesus Christ took upon Himself, during His Earthly sojourn. You see, if you transformed all the way from human to worm, you would still be transforming from one created species, to another created species. Jesus superseded this when He, as Creator, lowered Himself to become a Creature. Rather than going from one creature to another, Christ went from Creator to Creature. This could never be measured from a human stand-point. This is a gap of unparalleled humility, far beyond the greatest degradation any human could ever know. If people could truly understand what Christ has done for them, the whole world would repent in ashes. The sad thing is, some people are not interested in what Christ has done on their behalf. One Lay's Potato Chip can never satisfy. One cigarette, one woman, one car, one hundred dollars, one drink to a thirty soul, can never, ever, satisfy. But one drink of the water that comes from Christ can appease the vilest heart. One drink satisfies, one drink gives the assurance of a salvation that all of us long for so deeply. He came down, for me and you, as a servant, but He is A King! He orders the planets, and the galaxies, yet He cares to know your name. He has a deeper more radiant life for you, than you could ever imagine. But it will take living, dying, and being resurrected, to fully imagine this culmination that God planned when He planned that you be born. You weren't asked to be born in this world of hate, greed, nuclear weapons, war, and frivolity. But He hasn't left you here, to fend for yourself. You are going to meet the Man that descended lower than a worm. That is what you are without Him, less than a worm! But descending to this lowest level didn't worry a Man who knew who He was. And all the things that happen to you should not destroy who you really are either. You are His, and don't fail in studying what that means. The stakes could never be higher my fellow Christian! Selah' brian†craig

To My God Who delights in unholy vessels

If I tell you controversial things, things which seem dark, or a failure to someone who claims to be a Christian, it is only because I am trying to get you to see something much deeper. You see, I know my depravity, though at times, we do under estimate the potential of our depravity, nevertheless, I know my depravity goes beyond what I can imagine. I have done things in my life that I cannot believe I would stoop to. However, as bad as that is, I know the human potential for egregious sin, is bigger than even my worst deeds. At the very same time, I am certain that God foresees our most evil atrocities, allows them to happen with repercussions, then, in most cases brings us through it, ultimately forgiving us. I open my life to you, to give you hope, and a reason why we should be candid, when possible. The human being, is terribly dangerous. A cat knows it's a cat, and a bird knows it's supposed to sing, yet mankind, who is God's smartest creature on Earth, will pay a psychiatrist thousands of dollars to sit down and tell him who he is, and why he is here. You see, a cat is programmed. The instinct of a bird, and the program God placed in a bird, keeps the bird in a life of bird boundaries. But God did not program a human! He gave you the freewill to write your own program! Some people seek drugs and alcohol. Some seek riches and fame. Humanity is driven to fill the void that only can be filled with God. Humans are free, made without a program, and therefore the most dangerous animals on the planet. It is a human proclivity to think that you are everything, you are even God, and life revolves all around you. But the Bible, as well as society, tell us that servant hood is greater than being served (Mk. 10:44-45). As much as I could desire to be freed from these shackles of sin, I cannot. It is not because I am far from God that I am sinful, it is because I am so close to His purity, to His holiness, to His immutable absoluteness, that in contrast, I can see my need for a Savior, for I am a wretched, and sinful human being. Yet, God is so good, and His Grace will always surprise you, by its magnitude. When I was younger, I was the terror of my neighborhood, many times. By the time I reached my 30's, I had accumulated over $30,000 that my mother had paid in my behalf, either in fines, other police matters, or in failure to pay a house note, or a car note, and stuff. Many years had went by, and I had even been saved in Christ, but then my mom died. She had always kept books in her desk as to what I owed her. The day came that we were to go to her house and get the final few things that were in the house. I scurried to that desk, looking for the list of what I owed my mom, in hopes that no one would see it. IT WAS GONE! Then in a moment, God reminded me of how He saved me in Leavenworth, and I know a miracle had taken place. I leave you today with a hope that you will always be self-culpable for your prolific sin nature. I think it is very dangerous for anyone to claim they only sin a little. I don't buy that at all! My sin put Jesus on the cross! That is no trivial or cavalier matter! Be culpable, and be obedient when God grants you that power. In the end, the price He paid, will be sufficient for all your wrong turns in life. God bless you! brian†craig

THE REAL DEAL!

I have no qualms in telling you, I have been being carried away in emotion, in lethargy, in frivolty, and in sin. Sin is the one common denominator that connects us all. I am very aware of my proclivity to pursue my sin nature, though I know many aren't quite getting what I am saying here. Yet, it is the Christmas season, and through all of this melee, I have spoken with My Heavenly Father each and every day, as I am not foolish enough to try and weather life's storms without Him near. The future is uncertain, and filled with challenges. Growing old is not for the faint of heart. We grow old, we debilitate, and we die. Though we look forward to all of God's promises, it is by no means difficult to know you are leaving loved ones, and the only milieu that you have ever experienced at a personal level. Death is an unusual rending of the body and the soul, one of which only can be explained and overcome by God. I am writing this today, because I believe it is ok when we falter, in fact, it is a guarantee that you will falter. Yet, God knows we are but dust, and He chose to redeem us because He knew we had no intrinsic worth in which to redeem ourselves. Lift up the Lord, when you are able, and God will lift you when you are unable. I have lived a wild life of emotion and deed, yet God has fairly judged, chastised, and even rewarded me. As I look into my future, I see heart-stopping challenges creeping nearer and nearer. Yet I will continue to look beyond this world for answers, as I did in all the cruxes of my life. God has never failed me. I am confident that He has no plans to change His ways! Selah' brian†craig

Are you REALLY available to God?

God doesn't need men and women with an articulate vocabulary and poignant writing or speaking skills. In fact, God doesn't need our abilities at all. God is more interested in our availability. One can have all the lingusitic skills, and informational libraries available, but if the heart is cold, where will the fire come from? The heart, the human heart, needs to be the place where we actively seek after the God of this Universe. Moreover, the God of this Universe delights when we pursue Him. He has directed the stars, the planets, the galaxies, yet He takes time to commune with us tiny little creatures, on this tiny little planet called Earth. I encourage you to follow me deeper in your walk with God. This includes many things that are conducive to building a strong relationship with The Master. We need to read the Bible continuiously. The Bible is a very long book made up of 66 smaller books, and the only way to have a mind that is tethered to scripture, is to synergistically understand how the 66 books fit together, and tell one story of God redeeming mankind to Himself. Memorizing scripture is a very good way to internalize the Bible and is very rewarding. Many know the famous, John 3:16, "For God so loved the World". I find when I run through my memorized scriptures on the job, waiting at the doctor's office, etc., my mind and attitude quickly stand up and I become sharper and more alert. We need to pray, yet if we do not read and internalize scripture, how can one honestly go to God and pray with any level of confidence, knowing that we are not really seeking God, but instead we just want what is on God's table. And finally, having read the Bible, having memorized the Bible, having repetiously and fervently sought God in prayer, we need to take God into our world. On the job, at church, in society, we ought to be able to see God in everything, and alert those who come in contact with us, that God is faithfully and continuously moving and working in every moment affairs. So remember, God doesn't need our ability, God just needs our availability. Are you available?