Spiritual Control

On my laptop computer, there are 2 keys abbreviated “CTRL” which stand for control. I have used these keys multiple times but never seem to be in total control of my computer???

I used to be afraid to fly! You probably would never see me parachute out of a perfectly good plane or tie rubber bands to my feet and jump off a bridge. When I went long distances in a car, I needed to drive. You probably can see where I am going with this, control issues!!! All of these fears have to do with control and not being in it.

My inside job for this week, is “Letting Go and Letting God” have the controls.

Now, I’m not the best at analogies… so bear with me. When I first got saved, many moons ago, I spiritually was riding a Big Wheel. I know I’m showing my age with that reference but stick with me on this. The Big Wheel has one big wheel up front with pedals and two little wheels in back. If you get going fast enough, you can do all kinds of tricks with it. Now these wheels are made of plastic. After doing a lot of spinning, sliding and braking, they have a tendency of wearing out.

Spiritually, as a babe in Christ, this described me to a ‘T’! The plastic wheels resembling how frail I was in my faith. My excitement for God spun me and slid me through my stand, sometimes uncontrollable. This slowly wore down my trust in God because my wheels were made of plastic. Eventually, my big wheel became unusable. I either needed to buy another big wheel or grow into another vehicle.

My faith did take the next step, well, I took a giant step. I spiritually purchased a 100 speed bicycle with all the gadgets and gizmos that came along with it. It was definitely a leap of faith; I wasn’t really ready for the bicycle… at least without some training wheels.

What I didn’t realize is that this bike I bought was a tandem bike. I was steering and pedaling and in back Jesus was just pedaling. I attempted to take the shortest distance between 2 points on my bicycle built for two. I was in control and Jesus provided the power and inspiration. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Nope.

Once again though, I was destined for disappointment. I was steering were I wanted to. Not observing the traffic signs (Not listening to wisdom); Not planning my route (Not praying everyday); Not doing required maintenance on the bike (Not reading the bible); Of course, this resulted in a couple flat tires and the chain kept falling off.

I was out of control!!! Until I let go and let God, that is. Now, Jesus is at the front of my tandem bike steering and pedaling… I get the easy job for once. I just pedal!!!
So, now as I go through life, I keep my eye on Jesus and following him wherever he goes. When I get a little down, tired or self satisfying???

Jesus turns to me and says, “Paul!… keep pedaling!!!”

Spiritual Control

I ran in search of ungodly things;I thought I was in control.
I had no need for what God brings;I wasn’t in touch with my soul.

“I’m always to busy” to myself I said,I was lacking something so deep inside.The mind is confused, my heart dead,Till I turned to God and letting love abide.

God revealed his plan for me and you:Saying Give your life to Me, just let go.
Pray always, study, read the Bible through,His blessings are more than we may know.

So simple, and it will bring me his peace,Living life for God the way I should.Direction, purpose, fullness and releaseLife with God will always be good.

A Inside Job: God's Love

A Inside Job: God's Love

God's Love

Okay, so I haven’t written in a couple weeks but there is a reason for this. Last weekend was a pivotal weekend for me in that I saw how really extreme God’s Love for me was. That’s putting it mildly though!

My inside job for this week is bigger than any other week so far. It’s simply labeled:

God’s Love

What is God’s Love? Why does he even take the time to love me? How do I know he loves me?

The story starts out with a Christian man sitting at an airport terminal, waiting to board a plane. He was sitting there with several other people who were also waiting, whom he did not know.As he waited, he pulled out his Bible and started reading. All of a sudden he felt as if the people sitting there around him were looking at him. He looked up, but realized that they were looking just over his head, in the direction right behind him.He turned around to see what everyone was looking at, and when he did, he saw a flight attendant pushing a wheelchair, with the old man sitting in it, that he had never seen before. He had this long white hair that was all tangled and such a mess. His face was really, really wrinkled, and he didn't look friendly at all. He didn't know why, but he felt drawn to the man, and thought at first that God wanted him to witness to the old man.

In his mind, he was thinking, "Oh, God, please, not now, not here."

No matter what he did, he couldn't get the man off of his mind, and all of a sudden he knew what God wanted him to do. He was supposed to brush this old man's hair. He went in front of the old man, and said "Sir, can I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?"

The older man replied "What?"If you are going to talk to me, you are going to have to speak up, I am practically deaf."

Yelling, "Sir may I please have the honor of brushing your hair for you?"

Everyone was watching to see what his response would be. The old man just looked at him confused, and said "Well, I guess if you really want to."

He said, "I don't even have a brush, but I thought I would ask anyway."

The older man said, "Look in the bag hanging on the back of my chair, there is a brush in there."

So he got the brush out and started brushing his hair. Somehow he knew how to be gentle with him. He worked for a long time, until every last tangle was out. Just as he was finishing up, he heard the old man crying, and he went and put his hands on the older man, looked directly into his eyes, and said "Sir, do you know Jesus?"

He answered, "Yes, of course I know Jesus. You see, my bride told me she couldn't marry me unless I knew Jesus, so I learned all about Jesus, and asked Him to come into my heart many years ago, before I married my bride."

He continued, "You know, I am on my way home to go and see my wife. I have been in the hospital for a long time, and had to have a special surgery in this town far from my home. My wife couldn't come with me, because she is so frail herself."

"I was so worried about how terrible my hair looked, and I didn't want her to see me looking so awful, but I couldn't brush my hair, all by myself."

Tears were rolling down his cheeks, as he thanked him for brushing his hair. All around people witnessing this were crying, and as they were all boarding the plane, the Flight Attendant who was also crying, stopped him, and asked, "Why did you do that?"

God’s extreme love is why I did this and why I then spoke of salvation to that Flight Attendant. All because of love.

The Apostle Paul stated this in Ephesians 3:14-19;
14 This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father 15 from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. 16 I'm asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. 18 This way, with all of God's people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. 19 You will know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God.

I love this passage; it speaks to me as a man. I like to build things with my hands. When I do and how I start reflects on the rest of the project. The foundation; the base; the groundwork must be strong or else the rest of the project will fail. This passage is the “Home Depot” of my heart. You know the advertisement, “You can build it, and we can help!”Well, we CAN have strength and power, with God’s help!!!

(Insert Tim Allen’s ‘Tool Time’ grunt here)

In 1John 3:13 is says:
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the son of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

We are the sons of God, once again indicating his immense love towards us! In this passage his love is expanded on, but wait!!! There’s more; it also says when he appears we shall be like him, and we shall see him as he is. That’s some wonderful hope there!

This whole chapter of 1John 3 is filled with this hope, promises and maybe a few warnings. I recommend that you read this chapter to discover God’s wonderful and extreme love for us!

I asked a few questions when I started writing this. Some have been answered and some require you to read, trust, and love and research God’s love. Here are a few scriptures to start with:

John 3:16, 15:9&13

Psalms 36:5, 36:7, 48:9, 52:8, 86:15, 136:26

Jeremiah 29:11, 31:3

Romans 8:35-39

Ephesians 2:4-5, 5:2

Titus 3:4-5

1John 4:9-10

I also wrote a prayer that you can connect with God concerning his extreme love:

Father, out of your glorious riches you strengthen me with power through your Spirit so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I pray, being rooted and established in love, and have power, together with all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, to realize how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ; knowing this love that surpasses knowledge--that I am filled to overflowing in the fullness of God.
God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me, in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever! Amen.

God Bless!!!