“MOving Through” Gateway Biblical Counseling Blog Series
He came for the Destroyed February 2, 2010
Luke 19:10 is one of those examples of how our English language and translation did a disservice to a particular scripture meaning. Its not inaccurate, its just not as rich as it would have been if translated in a direct way. Luke 19:10 says "For the son of man came to seek the lost and save the what was lost". However, I'm not sure we can say that God was trying to find us, I'm not sure he didn't know our location, I'm not sure this word "lost" was the best one to use.
Read more about being DECIMATED HERE
Now Entering the Kingdom of Self
I am sitting in my living room after a week of seclusion. I took time away from twitter, friends, clients, running, my family, people in general. I have had nothing left to give. I usually make contact with clients who text or email me non-emergency questions during the week just to let them know that I care for them, that they are on my radar screen, but even this was difficult. It seemed that lots of success lately has made it very difficult for me.....which is a strange thought. I have been training for a marathon in December, my practice has grown and things have been going well...so why am I so drained?
Read More Here: Kingdom of Self-Rulers of Our Own Hearts
While In Suffering WE Call Others to Life?
Jesus did so much more on the cross than die. I mean the most important thing He did for us was on the cross for sure, dying, but to not look further is to miss something important. I am not saying, more important, just something important. Look at Jesus and the rich young ruler, there is more to that story than a man who didn't follow. The story of Zacchaeus has much more to hold than where Jesus ate. The story of the adulteress woman holds more than Jesus being equitable to sinners. The story of His birth holds more than just a baby being born. In all of these stories is a store house of commentary by a God who wanted us to know Him and His heart.
READ MORE HERE: Ministry of Suffering
This week my heart has been so heavy. So many people I have meet on twitter and people who are in churches all across the nation have been duped by wolves. Of course they don't look like wolves, they are kind, politically correct, tender, grace filled people, which gives them the sheep's clothing...but they have teeth. They speak well, they write even better and they film these awesome trendy short films that make everyone say "have you seen...this or that film". I'm thinking about filming a short series named "TRUE-MA", to offset some of the lies of this growing emergent church.
READ MORE HERE EMERGENT WOLVES
We had a service on Saturday for our daughter, we named her Bella Rest Hamilton. I spent a lot of time trying to post this blog and realized that I can't do the service justice. It was just Julie and I, completely alone in a beautiful park. No one single person was there, it had been raining all day. We were glad. This was our time, just two parents mourning their daughter. We wrote letters to Bella and I wanted to post mine.
READ MORE HERE: Bella’s Letter
Asleep in the Bottom of the Boat
What do you do when the storm is still raging and your boat is falling apart? Its strange, waves crashing, wind is howling, thunder rolling, and I'm asleep in the bottom of the boat. I know that life, real life, is about encountering things that allows us to understand Jesus, to become more like Him. Think of the feeling of powerlessness and envision the cross, think of rejection and think of the crowd choosing the murderer over Jesus, think of loneliness and think of Jesus in the garden. Countless situations call us to experience what Jesus did while here for us. But asleep in the bottom of the boat?
READ MORE HERE: ASLEEP
Her Name Might Be Rest
Last week we got possible bad news from the OB. This week this news was confirmed. My wife's hormone levels didn't go up after four days, we both knew what this meant. The nurse asked us to come in for a sonogram. I met my wife at my office and we drove together. It was a strange journey down to the hospital. We chatted, we laughed, I told her a story about getting on the radio today to argue a political point, but in our hearts, a growing feeling that God was leading us from Hope into Loss. As we drove we texted, Facebooked and Tweeted for prayers, we made phone calls, but again, in our hearts was an acknowledgment that God was in full control now, prayers wouldn't change this part of our story.
READ MORE HERE: REST
He Gives Life
My wife and I are currently in waiting. We are waiting to see if God takes our unborn baby's life or gives it to him/her. I have a one year old son already and I think he has made this process so profoundly different for me. I know what it is that resides inside of my wife, a life of joy, hope, love, grace, a life, a little tiny life who can sweep us off our feet with the first glance. Each time my son giggles at me or the dog or the box or at the dust-bunny on the floor, it makes me realize what is inside of my wife. Each time I get up with him (he's teething) and he lays in my arms and touches my face, smiles, strokes my hair and nuzzles my chest, I know what is inside of my wife. Life.
READ MORE HERE: Life Giver
Serving without PASSION or PASSION without serving
I keep showing up at White Rock Lake in Dallas early on Saturday mornings. I do this to jog my long runs as I train for my marathon. In Texas its a good idea to begin a long jog before the sun comes up because of the heat. Early means 5:45 or 6:00 am. It seems I can't leave the house until 6:00. I think its my laziness, or maybe its that my wife is soft and warm and my pillows are fluffy. I tend to show up at the lake after normal people who are training for a marathon (if there is in fact a normal person training for a marathon) are finished.
READ MORE HERE: PASSIONATE-LESS
Healing Through Pain
Hosea 6:1 "He (God) has TORN US so that He may HEAL us."
Our lives are tantamount to one big movement away from pain. Don't believe me? Look at the endless offices dedicated to addiction, AA, NA, CA, drug programs, alcohol program, sexual addiction programs. We have a group here in Dallas called 4th Dimension. 4th Dimension allows anyone addicted to anything to show up and work the 12 steps. I have been told that people show up who are addicted to Carmex. I'm serious. Our movement away from pain however doesn't have to be so outlandish as drug use.
READ MORE HERE: PAINFUL HEALING
Peter, angry sheep feeding disciple
Don't you love Peter in the Bible? A passionate man who ran after Jesus every chance he could, angry, messy, argumentative, Peter was a spiritual disaster, but there is something beautiful about it isn't there? Something in Peter made Jesus move towards him time and time again, arguments and all. The same man Jesus said "Get behind me Satan" (gulp) is the same man Jesus asked to feed His sheep.
READ MORE HERE: PETER THE SHEEP FEEDER
Surgery at the Ice Cream Store
I was out at lunch today with my son. A woman sitting in Braum's (an ice cream/burger joint in Texas) said something that I think everyone uses to never change. I remember their conversation fading into mine (mine was a conversation about lights, Nate is quite enamored with them) as I fed ice cream to my son. I remember about the time I was thinking "is this ice-cream too hard for him, is he going to choke?" (I'm a new dad okay...) READ MORE HERE: Ice Cream
Brokenness
Isaiah 6:5 tells of Isaiah's commission as a prophet. "Woe is me for I am undone..." The literal translation? Destroyed unto ceasing. Sit with that one for a minute. The thought behind this statement is "obliterated" or taken "molecule from molecule". Isaiah experiences absolute brokenness BEFORE God calls him to be a prophet. I once heard a comment that "God can't use a man until He has hurt that man deeply." READ MORE HERE: Brokenness
Power over Jesus?
This is one of the most difficult things that we are all invited to live out. Powerlessness in the face of those who would harm us. As we become more like Christ we are invited to experience things in our lives that would allow us to understand Him more. The loneliness of the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal of Judas, the angst of His impending crucifixion, the rejection when the crowd chose a murderer, all invitations for us to understand Him more.
READ MORE HERE: Power
Earning Trust???
Many couples come to my office with one or both spouses demanding that the other earn back lost trust. And on the outside this seems like an okay request. "Trust" was broken, anyone would want to be reassured that "it" will never happen again right? After-all, if we were to "trust" too soon we would look like a fool right? READ MORE HERE: Trust
Enjoy the Birds
The same God we try to make so predictable is the same God who chose to do very strange things in the OT. If you read the story of Elijah, God chooses to provide food for him through the use of ravens. Ravens. Birds who eat dead things, birds who scavenge for food, you know, the same birds that would have been FORBIDDEN by the law to touch or a Jewish person would become unclean. That bird...a raven. This was God's choice in taking care of His prophet in the wilderness. Can you imagine. . . . . . . . . . . Read More Here: Enjoy the birds
False Destinations
God has called all of us to a story, written out over the years from our birth to our present. He has invited us to allow this story to be true, without edit on our own, without our power of revision, it is simply to be true. Our birth place, parents, friends and influences all play a role in who we become, damage that is done and how well we love others. All of our story is true whether we want. . . . . . . . . READ MORE HERE: False Destinations
Spinning Wildly
In the Old Testament book of Zephaniah our Father is painted in a very strange brush stroke. In Chapter 3 verse 17 God is said to be “rejoicing over you with singing.” If you look at the Hebrew word Giyl our translation has left much to be desired. The literal translation of Giyl is “to spin around violently with emotion (usually joy)” Our view of God is always justified when thinking of him in Majesty, in Awe and Holiness. We see Him as Rock, Fortress, Father, Redeemer and many other things. But Spinning Wildly? The picture I get in my head is. . . . . . . . . . . READ MORE HERE: Spinning Wildly
To Invite Others To Life We Must . . .
In 1st Peter 3:18-20 I stumbled upon something that struck me as odd. One reason is that I do not recall ever reading this particular story about Jesus dying and preaching to imprisoned spirits. The second is that as I walk through the life that the Father has given me, I know that I am called to become more and more like Christ, which makes. . . . . READ MORE HERE: To Invite
Christ, Shame and the Woman at the Well
What she was actually saying is “You are a Jew and I’m unclean, if you drink from my jar you will become dirty.” As you follow the story, each time she responds it is somewhat combative giving Christ the invitation to back off. Jesus however continues to move towards her heart to invite her closer, this dirty woman, invited closer. . . . READ MORE HERE: Woman at Well
Slave of Another Profession
In counseling there is a pull in the therapist to give an answer, to make something okay or to give tools to help ease the suffering of others. But tools are nothing more than giving a slave another profession. In the OT, the Jewish workers of Pharaoh would normally have one job. . . . . . . READ MORE HERE: Slave of Another Profession
He Waits on the Trash Heap
“When Jesus found me on the trash heap, I quickly cleaned myself up and left Him waiting for me to come back and let Him do it.” - - - Elder Son
“When Jesus found me on the trash heap, I told Him, get your grimy paws off of me, I will sit here and you can figure out how to accept me dirty, or not at all” - - - - Prodigal Son
READ MORE HERE: TRASH HEAP
