• Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
  • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028532/
• My Dog Skip
  • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156812/

Clint, our ‘grandpa’ dog reminds me a little of Skip. He is a Jack Russell mix. He’s old.

Went to see “The Showdown” today at the Dell Diamonds with my sons. It was Jennie Fink versus Cat Osterman. Cat was injured, but we were able to see Fink hit a double in the 4th inning. I think it was the fourth inning. Had a blast.

We had a blast. Prior to that, we were in search of school supplies. Had a lot of fun today. Church was good. Good message on Ephesians 6. I like Pastor Terry. He says it like it is. My kind of pastor.

So, we end up going there. It was the lunch hour and crowded. I got our orders and he got his chocolate milk and went to get our table. I thought he’d go to the back, but instead went right in the middle of the restaurant. So, that is where we sat.

Then this lady walks up. Forgot her name, but I notice the back of her shirt has a scripture.

Jer. 29:11 (NIV), “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I told her thank you for wearing that shirt today. It really blesses me. She smiled and invited me and my sons to a kid’s musical she had been involved with that past week called “The Game Plan”. It was located in Georgetown at First Baptist Church.

We got there and the boys said the church looked like a castle. Very big place. We had fun. They liked it. I thought it was cool that my six year old spontaneously chose another place for lunch and it so happens we had an opportunity to see something really cool. The day before was my older son’s musical at the Austin Lyric Opera. He had been in a three week summer camp there. He did so awesome. I am a very proud father.

The Hebrew meaning of wilderness is “the arrangement of things to create order.¹“

1 Cor. 14:33, “For God is not [the author] of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

I am reminded of when someone breaks a bone in their body, but it is not setting correctly so the doctor must break the bone again in order to set it the right way. This must be agony for the patient, but it is for the patient’s well-being. The initial pain is almost unbearable, but is necessary for the results.

Heb. 12:7, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”

Heb. 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

So, how do we endure? Is God going to browbeat us into obedience? I say no. Chapter and verse brother please?

Rom. 1:17, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38

“The just shall live by faith.” This faith is His faith in us that we partake of by revelation. This is how we can be more than conquerors in the wilderness. Jesus went into the wilderness and came out in the power of the Holy Spirit as the Last Adam bringing obedience unto righteousness and holiness sanctifying those who would believe on Him. The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him.

The wilderness can be an awesome place to be and how we respond in this environment will take us to where we are going. Whether it be in circles to insanity or onward with vision and purpose in His will, Phil. 3:13-14.

In the wilderness, we are not led by our souls, understanding, intellect, sight, feelings, emotions, other’s opinions, hunches, but by revelation of Him in us.

Deu. 8:2, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”

Our righteousness is no longer based on law-keeping. Christ is our righteousness, 1 Cor. 1:30, Phil. 3:9.

I believe the order that is created from the wilderness is created by His grace through faith. Romans 5:1-5.

The bible says Jesus died for our salvation and that we might know God and His overflowing love for us. I believe Jesus also died for our motive. Our motive prior to salvation was contrary to us and against our best interest. Our motive was used to betray us and spiritually kill us, Rom. 7:11. We were spiritual dead in our trespasses and sins without knowledge of Him.

In the wilderness, there is potential and opportunity to grow in His motive and will in us by the renewing of our minds, Rom. 12:2. This imparts his nature and grace into us making us (mature) sons of God, Rom. 8:14. Order almost seems to be a manifestation of His will in this creation. Reminds me of redemption, Eph. 1:10.

Paul says that he desires to know “the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.” I believe what Paul is not saying in this verse is that we must suffer in fellowship with Christ, but we partake of the accomplishment of Christ’s sufferings. We are partakers of His grace. He came in the fullness of times, born of a woman, under the law, full of grace and truth. Now, we partake of His grace. His grace is exponential and has no bounds.

I believe we partake of the accomplishment of His sufferings by His faith in us through hearing and hearing the word of truth by grace.

Greek paraphrase Phm 1:6: That the fellowship (indescribable intimate union and bond) of your (His) faith may become godly life-energy by the revelatory knowledge of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus¹.

I believe there is a difference between partaking in the accomplishment of Christ’s sufferings versus being persecuted for godliness, revelation of the Word and global Church persecution².

2 Tim. 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..“

Christ is not a mirror of the Father, but the express image of his substance and person. The word express in the Greek means,

• the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect, i.e facsimile

This is in contrast to a mirror image. Jesus was born into the fullness of time to purchase back those who are His by His blood and bring them out from under the curse of the law so that they might receive the adoption as the sons of God, Gal. 4:4-5.

God, through His Son, came to this planet that He created that Adam gave over to the enemy so we could experience Him and all He has to offer. We could touch Him, see Him, hear His voice because He was and is in the flesh. Paul says “We are members of His flesh and bone”, Eph. 5:30. Paul also says we are being transformed from glory to glory by the revelation of Christ in us, Rom. 12:2, Phil. 3:11, 24. In this transformation, we are partaking of HIS nature in our spirit, soul and bodies. Now, He is still on earth through the Church. Even in the flesh. People can still feel His touch, His voice and even see Him, 1 John 1:1.

It is 93 degrees right now. No clouds. Forecast said partly cloudy. I see nothing but sun. Well, I’d say one minute or so after my eight year old prayed this we hear a clap of thunder. I wasn’t sure if I heard what I thought I heard and then Aaron said, “Daddy, I heard thunder.” Ben said, “Yep, you got the answer. Let’s play a video game.” Amazing. Thank you Lord for Your beautiful faith in these boys. Bless them Lord.

How is this possible?

I believe what she put into the treasury was the motive of her heart. Jesus saves us not good works. He IS the Motive and Willingness in us to do the good works based on grace, Eph. 2;10. He is the Last Adam or pattern for us.

Heb. 10:8, “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law;”