Proud Father

Josiah (11) just came in from school. His teacher asked the class why when ice is placed in a glass of water, why the water rises. Josiah answered that some of the water is displaced. His teacher was impressed and asked if he learned that at his previous school (we just moved). He said no, my dad told me. (i was melting by then). She asked what his dad does. He said takes care of technology at FedEx.

I asked him when I said that, and he reminded me of a convo we had Saturday. I used the example of a cup with a little bit of drink in it. If you ran water in it long enough, the drink would be gone leaving only water. I told him that to show how filling our spirits with bad displaces the good. He listened. (I'm almost in tears lol)

Imagine how God feels when we exhibit what we learned from Him.

Hope that blesses you!

Signed Proud Father.

Restoration - Come Home

The enemy wasn't concerned about an apple that day in Eden. He saw this really sweet deal, where God's people were literally in the constant presence of God. He's not tryna make you eat a piece of fruit. He's after breaking intimate fellowship. Think about it, what do you do when you are mad or hurt....you want to be alone.

Along comes God asking questions....the Dude that knows all...askin questions. He asks us at times, just like he asked Adam...."where are you?" He knows. So why ask? He wants you to see yourself.

Along comes Christ. He restores the path to that fellowship Adam and Eve had...constantly in God's presence. Again, He's asking...."wher­e are you". He said "I am the way", but He wants you to start taking those steps on the path He restored.

Come home...not back into a religious ritual...back into intimate...hangin with God all day kinda fellowship.

Come home.

Why am I stuck here?

"To get there, he had to pass through Samaria." http://bible.us/John4.4.MSG

As I was meditating on a recent transition in my life, God spoke to me so clearly...."THAT's why you are here...why you had to go thru all that." I instantly began think about all the challenges I had faced, and how they were now coming together like a well planned masterpiece.

Its human to wonder sometimes..."God, why am I here?" Your 'here' could be a job that seems to be stripping your joy...a relationship that seems to take more than it gives...a family situation...a volunteer opportunity. Whatever your 'there's, when things don't look as we planned, we often start asking the questions.

In our community life group, we recently talked about the paralyzed man who's friends interrupted Jesus preaching to lower their friend in need into the place where Jesus was. Jesus stopped His sermon to heal this 'unexpected ' guest. As a sidenote, I wonder how churches of today would handle that lol...Anyway...

There are countless times in the Word where Jesus is interrupted to deliver someone. I'm so glad, Jesus was not so busy doing what He 'planned' to see the opportunities God "sprung" on Him, not for Jesus, but for the ones in His path.

This Scripture finds Jesus on a path that ultimately leads to the cross. At this particular time, he was heading to Galilee but Samaria was physically on His way. Restating, it would seem the only reason Jesus went this way was to get to Galilee. But, we know God always has a plan.

I see/hear you asking...God why am I here? Why is this taking so long? Why do I have to go this way? Why are things so hard?

But, I hear God clearly saying....its for My glory. You are being faithful over a few things, so God can make you ruler over many. As Lashun Pace sang....after the loss of her young daughter..."trust Me in this place.

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It's Me, Oh Lord!!!

Today I want to deal with a couple related subjects I have raised in other blogs. In my "Let's Get Naked for Christ" blogs, I talked about transparency...how since Adam and Eve sinned, we try to cover up. How crazy it was that Adam and Eve, after literally spending time in God's presence, could think they could hide from him. "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Gen 3:10. It's also important to note they covered themselves with fig leaves...as if to see parts of them God made, were not to be seen by others. Wow.

Then in "Is the church a safehaven?" I talked about how the church SHOULD be a safe-haven, but it often is not because people can never truly be "naked". Past hurts, judgemental "christians", and other stuff has left us trying to hide...just like Adam and Eve after sin in the garden. Since then, God has been "workin" a plan to get us back to that intimacy.

My focus today is how we hide from OURSELVES. Its crazy enough for Adam and Eve to have hid from God, but what makes us think we can hide from ourselves? I imagine David was dealing with some sin when he penned Ps 139, where he appears to have tried to hide from his sin, but he knew God could still see. David, a man after God's own heart, was CONSTANTLY messin up. But, eventually he realized he could not hide from the One who created him.

As God called to Adam as he hid in the garden, I hear God calling to you "Where are you?" It's always amusing to me when God asks questions...I mean He knows all. So, when He asks questions...I believe He's trying to make us think. So, where are you. Have you gotten so good at hiding your hurts, your pains, your vulnerabilities...the unmentionables of your body, that you are hiding them from yourself and God.

I challenge you to do as David did and cry out to God for a heart transplant. Create in ME a clean heart God. It's Me, Oh Lord...I'm the one that needs it this time. I've been so busy trying to hide, I have not healed. Heal my heart God. You made me. I can't hide from you. Heal me God. Heal this hurt. Make me new. Take me back to fellowship with you.

"“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.b’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate." Luke 15

Welcome Home.

Find Your Swing

Watched the movie 'Legend of Bagger Vance' and it's hands down on the short list of great movies. It was all about a man who started as a great golfer and went through some drama. His challenges caused him to loose sight of his gift, until someone came along to remind him of his gift. This movie was almost like a well crafted sermon. The moral: we all have our own 'swing'. The movie was about a golf swing...but the deeper meaning could be whatever God has gifted you to do. I am blessed to cross paths with some great people with mighty gifts. If you have not already, find your purpose. My pastor covered this well in his book. True contentment is when you find your swing. We all have a different gift to contribute?. Mine is in 'the mix'. What is your's?------------B in The Mix, His Mix

Control

Control. Like many other things, it is only good in moderation. The right amount helps us to manage our lives and keeps us from chaos. Too much can cause a multitude of problems. Ironically, the time when you are the most in control, from your view, could be when you have gotten out of control. We face many challenges in life. The trick is managing our control. The bible talks about if you want to have life, you must first lose it. The same applies to control. Too often our efforts to control the saga of our lives, we fail to let go of things that we should. I believe God desires us to have control. After, all he gave us free will. But, He also set in motion a divine plan that we cannot control. It is that boundary that keeps us in check.

I remember a dog we used to have. We had kept her in a dog lot, but did not walk her with a leash. She was used to just running free, within the lot. I tried for the first time to walk her with a leash. As soon as I tried to pull her she sat down. The more I pulled, the more she planted herself. After much frustration, I relaxed the leash. Suddenly, she got up and began to wonder in the direction I had been trying to take her. The point - there are somethings that we can cause to happen. Somethings we have to just allow. It is hard for some to do, but must happen.

What are you trying to control? Search yourself and pray for God's guidance. One day you will look up and there very thing you were laboring for, will have happened on its own. Trust God. He will make it happen. "...Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths."

You don't have to touch something....to reach something

You don't always have to touch something, to reach something. I have learned the hard way, that sometimes trying to touch everything in my life, I can make a mess of things. I am learning that there are times we have to just tell God about situations, and allow his angels to respond to our/His word. Don't try to fix it - don't worry about - just know that God's got it.

If you get a chance, check me out at www.myspace.com/bencolemanjr. There is info about me and my family, and some inspirational blogs. Let me know what you think.

Ben

"Our beginning will not dictate our end" - Kenneth Gay, Jr.


Matthew 8 (NIV)
The Faith of the Centurion
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.