What An Encouragement!

So, I am a guy (and for those of you who didn't know, now ya know) and I will admit that I have trouble being single. I long for that companionship of another woman (I think it really started after losing my mom to cancer a few years ago) and want to give love to another woman. In times that I have not been dating someone, I have tried to satisfy that need to a female companion in many different ways, which I will not go into, and for a time (very short) it satisfied me. 

Well, the other night, I was at my best friends apartment and she and I were cooking dinner for my other best friend to celebrate her birthday. Well...some onions needed to be sautéed so I poured some oil in the skillet (which I assumed was cool because I had not yet turned the burner on) for the onions to cook in. To my surprise, the skillet burst into flames because the wrong burner had been turned on earlier so the pan was red hot! I quickly grabbed the skillet and rushed out the door with it (so the smoke detectors would not go off). When I did, I tripped and some of the flaming oil sloshed out of the pan and onto my foot! Amazingly, my foot was not burned! Praise be to God! 

Anyway, I tell that short story because I was reminded of that incident tonight when singing "Whole World in His Hands" by Matt Redman. The second verse and the chorus really rang out to me today. 

Verse 2:
When I walk through fire
I will not be burned
When the waves come crashing round me
Still I know with all my heart

Chorus:
D G A
He’s got the whole world in His hands
D G A
He’s got the whole world in His hands
Bm
I’ll fear no evil
G
For You are with me
F#
Strong to deliver
G
Mighty to save
F#m A
He’s got the whole world in His hands

So, for me, singing that song made me remember that there will be times in my life that are full of trial and tribulation, but God will deliver me, just as he kept me from getting burned from the fire raining down on my foot!

Now, you are probably wondering, "What does this all have to do with you struggling with being single?" Well, being single is a struggle for me, but I know that God will deliver me from it! The question is...how? Psalm 37:4 says this

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart!"

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, the things we want and desire are those things of the Lord. If God's plan for me is to get married, than He will not bless me with the gift of singleness (if you are wondering how singleness can be a gift, read I Corinthians 7). I do not believe that He has singleness as my blessing, therefore, how do I find a Christ centered mate? Well...for starters, STOP LOOKING! That was not verbally screamed at me, but in my heart, it reverberated loudly. I first have to trust that God has a plan for my life, and if I am not to be single (like I stated earlier), then God must have someone out there for me. One BIG question I have to ask myself though is "Does God satisfy my soul?" Right now, if I am honest, the answer is no. I trust Him, but I am still looking and putting more effort into seeking a mate than I am seeking the One who has the master plan! Duh Jeff! I shouldn't be stretching my arms out, looking for a relationship (horizontal relationship) but rather, I should be lifting them up to the heavens, reaching for the One True God who can satisfy my soul! This is discussed in Colossions 3. By pursuing a relationship with God, I am trusting Him and delighting myself in Him and in so doing, He will give me the desires of my heart, which will, in turn, but of Him. 

Now that we understand how to find a mate (oh, and dont just seek the Lord in order to find the person you want to marry, seek God because you long for Him and want a intimate relationship with Him above all other things), how do you determine if she is "the one?" For this, there are 4 things to look at. 

1. Is she a follower of Christ? (II Corinthians 6:14)
2. Is she a morally submitted follower of Christ? (by this I mean does she profess one thing, but live another)
3. Is she a follower of Christ who is running at the same pace you are spiritually? (she should be around the same area you are spiritually so that you are on a journey together, not one ahead of the other)
4. Is she a follower of Christ who has similar passions? (really, if you are both in your own little worlds of ministry, it can get crazy. However, if you have the same passions and desires, you can work side by side in the same ministry of different ones and be an encouragement to each other.)

Now, you have sought after God and He has given you the desires of your heart. Then you find someone and are dating them and they meet the 4 qualifications listed above. How long do you date them before you know they are the one God has for you? Well, there is no right or wrong answer for this. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you need to be dating someone for so long before you get engaged and married. However, it is wise to consult your friends and family and your mentor(s) before you pop the big question. As a general rule, and something my mentor has told me, one should probably date someone for at least a year before getting engaged. In that time, you should be able to see how the two of you react to the good and the bad and also see spiritual growth in each other or lack thereof. If you are not growing spiritually, than the relationship is probably not going to work out (at least that has been my experience in the past).

So this blog is titled "What An Encouragement!" This is because singleness is something I struggle with and today I was given a peace about it. "I will live to love You!" That is my desire, my goal, my prayer!

TILL I SEE YOU
 
A B C#m7
The greatest love that anyone could ever know
A B C#m7
That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul
A B
And 'til I see You face to face
C#m7
And grace amazing takes me home
A
I'll trust in You
 
A B C#m7
With all I am I live to see Your Kingdom come
A B C#m7
And in my heart I pray you'd let Your will be done
A B
And 'til I see You face to face
C#m7
And grace amazing takes me home
A
I'll trust in You
 
E B/D#
I will live to love You
C#m7 E/G#
I will live to bring You praise
A B C#m7 B
I will live a child in awe of You
 
A B C#m7
You are the voice that called the universe to be
A B C#m7
You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me
A B
And 'til I see You face to face
C#m7
And grace amazing takes me home
A
I'll trust in You

E B/D#
I will live to love You
C#m7 E/G#
I will live to bring You praise
A B C#m7 B
I will live a child in awe of You
 
A E B C#m7
You alone are God of all
A E B C#m7
You alone are worthy Lord
A E B C#m7
And with all I am my soul will bless
A
Your Name
 

* Whole World in His Hands by Matt Redman
* Til I See You by Hillsong United

Set Apart

A few days ago (actually i think it was Wednesday), I went to pick up my friend and she discovered that there was a hole in my window (plastic was covering the lack of a window that someone had shattered with a rock three weeks prior). She asked me if anything was taken and I said no. Well...later that night (actually, I think it was morning), I realized that my guitar was no where to be found and that in fact, something had been taken from my truck. My star burst red and orange Ibenez AE acoustic/electric guitar, which I have had since December 2008, was gone. Well, needless to say, I was distraught, however, I was at peace about it for some odd strange reason. 

So today I went to the local guitar store to see if I could find a cheap guitar to substitute for the one that was stolen. I picked up a nice lookin Fender and was playing it and tuning it and low and behold I see a bright red headstock sitting among a plethora of brown and black guitars. It was set apart from everything else, shining in all of it's brilliance!

Isn't funny how we always look for something that will "just suffice?" and somewhat fulfill our needs, wants and desires? But like that guitar, Christ is standing right in front of us, shining in all of His brilliance, with His arms open wide saying "Come." He is always there, all we have to do is look. I have no doubt in my mind that God led me to Morrell's today. I could have gone to a pawn show, Kates music or Music Alley (where I bought the guitar), but He led me there. I know that playing and leading others in worship is the plan God has for me and He ALWAYS equips those He calls and will always provide. 

Anyway, I talked to the store owner and he told me to go through the police and I would get it back. The good thing is that the guitar shop has the persons drivers license who sold them the guitar. So the process begins of filing a police report and getting my guitar back, fighting for it, just like Christ fights for us every day. 

The Haircut

Ya know, I never knew how much a haircut related to our salvation. For quite some time now I have had a huge head or hair and a beard. Well...just a few minutes ago, I shaved that beard off. And ya wanna know what? I felt so liberated! The funny thing is that I didn't feel suppressed or burdened by it. In so many ways, before our salvation through Christ Jesus, we feel the same way. We don't really know anything is wrong until we feel convicted and it's fixed. It is only in hindsight that we see how bad off were truly were. It is only after the chains of sin have been lifted do we know how brought down by the enemy we really were. 

The sad thing about hair is that it grows back, and if we are not careful, it will get out of control. In the same way, if we are not in relationship with our Savior, our sins, our struggles will come back and we will once again be overcome by them. However, there is HOPE!

Em
Our God is greater
C
Our God is stronger
G                                                  D
God you are higher than any other
Em
Our God is Healer
C
Awesome in power
G                       D
Our God, Our God
Em
and if our God is for us
C
then who could ever stop us
G
and if our God is with us
D
then what could stand against

This is the chorus to "Our God" by Chris Tomlin off of the Awakening cd by Passion released earlier this year. For some, because they cannot see God, they do not believe, or say that God is dead. Well to them I say, "My God's not dead, He's surely alive and He's living on the inside, roaring like a LION!" (1) 

God is perfect, mighty to save, a rock and holy. Francis Chan puts it this way:

"We don't get to decide who God is. 'God said to Moses, "I am who I am' (Ex. 3:14). We don't get to change that. To say that God is holy is to say that He is set apart, distinct from us. And because of His set apart-ness, there is no way we can ever fathom all of who He is. To the Jews, saying something three times demonstrated its perfection, so to cal God 'Holy, Holy, Holy' is to say that He is perfectly set apart, with nothing and no one to compare Him to. That is what it means to be 'Holy.' His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can't contain Him. Isn't is a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?" (2)

There is nothing too big for God, so when we fall, when we let our hair grow more than it probably should, we run to God (the barber) who shapes us and molds us into the person He has for us. We are people with a purpose. God has a plan for me and for you and He is using us to share His love to all people that He may be glorified. 

(1) Like A Lion by David Crowder* Band off of Awakening by Passion
(2) Francis Chan. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Denver: David C. Cook, 2008, pg. 31