Gentle Harvest

James 3:13-18, If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.  Such things are earthly, nonspiritual, and demonic.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no favoritism and is always sincere and those who are peace makers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

I feel that people often react in terms of what’s wrong with others for behaving in ways we don’t like or don’t understand.  We, a lot of times, don’t ask the question, what’s wrong with ourselves for not understanding?  It’s easier to judge people around us than it is to point the flashlight into the dark closet holding our own demons.  I’m making it a personal goal to see people through God’s eyes.  I get frustrated with people who cut me off in traffic, are rude to me at work, or go out of their way to hurt my feelings or put me down.  I’ve made it a point to hault, rather than react.  I close my eyes (if I’m not driving), take a deap breath, and pray a quick prayer.  I ask the Lord, “Give me your eyes Jesus.  Allow me to see all of your children with the love you see them with.”  I open my eyes and myself up to love.  Most of the time I discover hurt in the other person attempting to effect me.  From there, I can come from compassion, understanding, and love.

Hope

Romans 15:13

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I feel as if this verse says enough…  All glory be to God!

Astoundingly Powerful

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 11:3 reads, by faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 11:6, It is impossible to please God without faith.

Faith is a powerful thing. Having faith has healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and allowed the deaf to hear. Faith in the Lord split the Red sea and also allowed Noah to survive the great flood. Faith has conquered anything that ever dared to step toe to toe with it. The power of faith is astounding.

I would not be where I am today without faith. Working in the mortgage industry, I thought I had everything I needed. I made more money than I ever had in my life.  I loved the car I drove, the house I lived in, the clothes on my back, and the friends that surrounded me. I completely did for myself, and did whatever I wanted to do. It was great, I thought. The problem was, my needs took first base in the game of ball I was playing. Drugs and alcohol watched the pitcher’s gestures for a chance to steal third. Money, and the need for more, always came sliding home. Everything else loomed in the outfield.

During a company camping weekend in which obliteration was the goal, I was fast approaching the gold metal. Victory was in the air. I could taste its sweet nectar on my lips. Reaching for its luster, I stumbled. The earth became the sky with clouds at my feet; over and over i tumbled until blackness surrounded me. My eyes later cracked open to see sparkling water flowing over my body. The temperature of the river kept my brain from swelling, as it bled, and my left thumb from throbbing, as it dangled on my watch band. Another half foot, and I would have been swept away in the current of the ocean bound waters.

When I was able, I went back to the edge of the forty foot drop that nearly claimed my life. Instead of falling head over feet, I fell to my knees. I wept as I felt the presence of the Lord. Thanking Him for sparing me, it dawned on me to ask why He did. I prayed for the light of my path. He is the light, and I am walking that path today. I’m learning to be patient as He teaches me important lessons needed for the future He has planned out for me. I am beyond grateful for the changes He has made in my life, the people He has brought into it, and for the path itself. The path ensures His love for me and my faith in it ensures my love to Him.

Everything that is in my life at this moment is in play because God is my umpire. Faith leads me to the place where I hold space for Him today. Faith has healed me when I was sick, allowed me to see with His eyes, walk in His grace, and hear His voice call my name. If faith can part the Red sea, there is no challenge in my life, no fear in my heart, nor doubt in my mind that cannot be overcome through Him.  Faith is a powerful thing and the power of faith has surely astounded me.

Just Breathe

I pray for wisdom in the things I want to do.  It is a request the Lord told us He would grant, if we asked for it.  I also pray for peace.  Peace in my heart, peace for my nerves, peace of mind, peace in my soul, peace in the lives of my family and friends, and I pray for peace in the world.

A peace treaty between nations is wonderful in that people are attempting to make a truce of differences.  Having the peace of the Lord flow within your very being is another.  I can only try to describe it by painting a picture of a man standing on a misty morning hillside.  The fog rolls East with the wind.  The reeds of long, nature kept, green grass dance like ballerinas swaying to the flow of Bock.  They strum against, and leap off, long wild flowers of pink and white.  Snow capped mountains stand witness to the orchestra.  The man on the hillside closes his eyes, as if the beauty is too much to drink in.   Stretching out his arms, he raises his hands to the Father and exhales into the wind until he mixes with it.  As he glides down the hillside, the silky strands of grass stroke his cheek and the wild flowers tickle his exposed tummy and toes.  He is the wind that flows where the breath takes him.  He does not question; he does not fear.  He is the peace of the Lord and he is within all our lungs. I pray for peace, then exhale…

John 14:27,  I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Believe

Acts 2:21, But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 10: 9-10, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

I think these verses are very clear, very exciting, and very true. There is more proof that Jesus walked the earth and was crucified, than there is proof that President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. It’s easy for people to put faith in a President, so why not put faith in the son of God? He tells us that if we simply believe in Him, we will have eternal life. What an amazing gift! You’re telling me that God gave His son to be ridiculed, persecuted, and crucified so that I may have eternal life? Seems like there is an “Easy Button” I should be able to push right now. All I have to do is provide a little faith; believe it in my heart and pray to God that I believe Jesus is His son, and my soul is written in the Book of Life? I can do that.

Testify

I long too truly shine,
In the light of the divine.
To sing and dance,
For He gave me the chance:

To sacrifice for Him,
Where to begin?
I love Him back.
Because He first loved me.

My soul is full,
Content with grace,
Just to be in it,
I must hold space.

And rejoice in His ways,
To the end of my days,
Even when the fear would grip me.
I can be,
Nobel in sharing His news.

For, we’re never alone,
When we testify.
Amazing grace,
Will justify!

And oh,
How sweet the sound,
As now I’m found;
Grateful He first loved me.

Chad Phillippi

Biblical Comparisons to the 12 Steps

The Twelve Steps and their Biblical Comparisons

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives had become unmanageable. (Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.)
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.)
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. (Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.)
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.)
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. (James 5:16a Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.)
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.)
7. Humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.)
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. (Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.)
9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. (Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.)
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. (1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!)
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out. (Colossians 3:16a Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.)
12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs. (Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.)

Light of My Path

The Holy Spirit fills my soul,
Makes me tingle;
Causes my eyes to glow.

And sparkle.
Just like the water,
That Jesus used,
To wash away my sin.

I’m whole again!

Eternally clean,
In the sheen of His ways,
That encompass my days,
Until my heart is overflowed with hope,

With Joy,
No decoy,
Or false word on my tongue.
Now free from doubt, regret, and remorse.

And through His discourse,
To me,
I am able me see,

The light that guides my path.

Chad Phillippi

Trust

Bottom line, the book of Proverbs tells us how to live. If you grew up without guidance in your home, you could find a parent figure in Solomon, through his words in Proverbs. It has been said that Solomon is the wisest man who ever lived. Not a bad choice for a mentor, if you ask me.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you what path to take.

I love this because Christ speaks through Solomon saying that when left to our own devices, our hearts and minds, get us in to trouble. Rely on the the Lord for guidance, and He will let us know what to do. I believe that if you bring honor into any situation and ask yourself before deciding, will this please God, He will bless your decision and your path will become clearer and clearer as you grow closer to Him.

When I gave my life back to Christ, while praying on the side of a cliff that almost claimed my life, I was lead to recovery. My life is completely different from what it was when I was drinking. Oddly enough, I make less money, but I have an amazing wife now, a job I love, a family that loves me, and friends that respect and support me. My life is now manageable. I quit listening to the little voice in my head that thought it knew the way. I decided to ask the big voice, that spoke to my heart, because He holds the map.

Faith Like a Child

I love reading the Gospels in order. I get lost in the teachings of Jesus on earth and always start smiling as I begin the next one. By the middle of the story, my face gets more serious as I focus on the words and ways of the Messiah. I highlight and circle the verses that call to my heart the most. Toward the end of the chronicle I am torn between feelings of sadness for the pain of Jesus and overwhelming joy for the sacrifice he made as the ultimate act of love.

I wanted to outline today a verse from Matthew and a verse from Mark that I once highlighted. This is so simple, yet something I meditated on for a long time to fully grasp. I still like to hold space with these two today:

Matthew 18:4 Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mark 10:15 Anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a child will never enter it.

What God is speaking to my heart in these verses is that when we complicate things and spend our time trying to get to the why, instead of letting go and allowing God to do for us, we do not honor Him. Very simply, close your eyes and remember what it was like to be a child that trusted your parents. They washed you, clothed you, fed you, read to you, and loved you unconditionally. You trusted them. Closing your eyes again, feel that trust in God as you let go and give Him your faith, as a child would.