Re: Whereyat?

I am where I have been. I have not left. I am still here but I don't think you want to see or hear me.

I did hope and pray that you would do the "right" thing. And continue to do so because you still haven't. Your body may be in the "right" place but your heart is not. I am not the guy who said your "daughters would be promiscuous if [you] divorced their mom" but there is some truth to what he said (Ex20:5-6; 34:6-8). I have not "prayed misery on" you but know that believers cannot find satisfaction apart from a right relationship with the Father through the Son (James 4). When we look everywhere for something, except the place where it is, and cannot find it, it's miserably frustrating. I never told you I was "too disappointed in [you] to talk to" you. I confess; that thought did cross my mind a few times, but I banished it. I wanted to be there when you were willing.

I hope that nothing I did seemed like a patronizing pat on the back. And you're right, you don't deserve those pats. You do deserve the mean things that were said, the dirty looks that were given, the whisperings behind your back. In all honesty, those are incomparable to the punishment you deserve; the punishments I deserve for the sins that I have committed. I am just as guilty of falling "short of the glory of God" as you are. The wages for my sin is the same. But, the same gift of grace is available to both of us as well (Romans 3:23-24, 6:23).

You were right in expecting support but you didn't accept it where it was offered. You question those who were negative and then seemed to abandon you. You are confused by their absence but you will not stop to look and appreciate the support you do have. You are not willing to accept the lifetime of love and support and devotion that agonize in waiting and praying for you to truly come home.

You, by your actions and attitude, seem willing to cast off a wife who has shown great loyalty to you, daughters who adore you, parents who gave all they could for you, brothers who have consistently made themselves available to you, and friends who trusted you. What are you willing to give all that up for, an emotional or physical attraction that temporarily alleviates your God-given desires? It's not love that would lead you there! Love is not so destructive (1Corinthians 13). No matter what you convince yourself of (Jeremiah 17:5-10) you can never justify what you have done or what you are contemplating doing. You can only find grace and peace at the cross and empty tomb.

You may not want to hear from me because, to you, I'm just one of "those guys". But not really.

I am the guy who looked to you as a friend. I wanted your advice because I thought I could trust you. I wanted your friendship because I thought you cared about me.

I will continue to be where we have been. I will not leave. I will be here when you are ready.

Selfishness, the source of sin

James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Sin begins with selfishness. It results from asking "what do I want?" regardless of any one or any thing else. This attitude is the polar opposite of the mind of Christ (Phil 2:1-8) which was made obvious through His life and death. Emmanuel, "who for the joy set before Him, [a relationship with me] endured the cross" (Heb 12:2) to die and redeem me "from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for" me (Gal 3:13).

Jude 1:25
To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

More on True Worship

I watched a video of a John MacArthur sermon titled "The Critical Elements of True Worship" while I was exercising this afternoon. I've found that preaching is an important part of my exercise routine for a number of reasons. For one, it seems a good idea to exercise the heart and stretch the mind while doing the same to my muscles.

From the text of Romans 12:1-2 he presents 3 key ideas surrounding the concept of Biblical worship.

1. The motivation for true worship
2. The mandate of true worship
   
3. The manner of true worship

You can watch the video here.
Or read the transcripts here.

UPS is thinking outside the box

I recently read a post entitled "'Right' turns only" on Dan Miller's 48daysblog. He is the author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and No More Mondays. In it he explains that UPS expects 90% of the turns their drivers make to be right turns. "By turning right whenever possible they saved over 28 million miles of driving and three million gallons of fuel."

He goes on to ask "What if you could find the “right” turns in your own life, avoiding the ones that wasted time, money and energy?" Is that possible? Is there any chance of me avoiding the left/wrong turns? If only I could be convinced that planning ahead and making decisions with a definite purpose would lead to greater success, spiritually and occupationally.

Colossians 1:9-12
[I do] not cease to pray . . . and to ask that [I] may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that [I] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [me] to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.