S7E11 - It Is Humbling When...
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
If humility is the key to the Door of the Kingdom (and we think it is) then a few things must be considered. Jesus is clear that He is the Door to His Father and His Kingdom. The keys to the Kingdom were given to the right person. This has nothing to with church authority and everything to do with Peter's magnificent followthrough in his imperfect faith. Peter promised never-ending allegiance to Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have...
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S7E10 - I Bow My Knees
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:7-9 Jesus spends much time explaining His Kingdom. He is the Door of the Kingdom, of course, but we enter through this Door through the reality of humility. Let's take a look at part of this woven thread!...
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S7E9 - Deep Calls To Deep
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
We thought it was a good time for a deep dive into who is really in control. Let's follow the thread. The evil one manipulates us with fear. "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15) God's perfect love casts out fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who...
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S7E8 - The Joy of Forgetting
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
As humans we cannot help but carry our own amount of weights. Disappointments. Bad memories. Unfulfilled hopes. Critical words. Jesus commented on the weight He places upon His followers: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30) The word yoke encompasses the idea of weights and balances. If you have every contemplated Proverbs you have encountered how God feels about "just"...
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S7E7 - Full of Joy
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
As you know, at Fourthstream we are all about following, knowing, and applying the woven threads of the God Story. Today we are talking about joy - which is a major thread! There is a strength which comes from God and is powerful in very practical and amazing ways. We will do our best to consider the panoramic specifics of what joy brings into the world - and into the heart and life of a Jesus follower. The Source of Joy - Nehemiah 8:10 The Jews had returned from a long and painful captivity. Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther were raised up to encourage joy among those who...
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S7E6 - Forever True
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
The concept of forever is tough to grasp. Everything about being human eventually runs into limitation. "As for the days of our lives, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years. Yet human pride is only labor and sorrow, for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your angerand Your fury, according to the reverence that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." - Moses in Psalm 90 There are a couple of important keys to unlocking a life of hope. The first is...
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S7E5 - Hand of God
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
When God's hand moves His will is done - on earth and in heaven. His authority backs up His intentions seamlessly. There is no hesitation. There is nothing that can stop it. He thinks and His hand moves and His will is done. In Mary's prayer of praise to God in Luke 1:49-52 she says: “For the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is His name. His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who revere Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down...
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S7E4 - Wickedness
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
The wickedness thread from the God Story is extensive. Here are a few of the central elements. The word itself is tied to "working at things which are not just" so there must be distinct departure from the truth to become a "worker of wickedness." This differs from the sin which is endemic to the entire human race. Sin is our condition of rebellion and separation from our Creator. Wickedness is our choice to reject God and subjugate others. When one thinks about wicked people usually some sort of injustice comes to mind. Oppression. Human trafficking. Abortion. Taking the life of another....
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S7E3 - Over Our Heads
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Humanity has been and continues to be a slippery group. Our propensity to blame and accuse others, to consider ourselves greater and others lesser, and to justify our own acts toward others is epic. "But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God; saying “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. “Since the days of our...
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S7E2 - Love Your Neighbor
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
The Hebrew word for neighbor means companion or friend. It focuses His people on our identity as sons of Adam. By caring for and about our neighbor(s) we are carried into God's world. This is a central thread in the Word of God, so it is key to our spiritual success. When Jesus quotes the Law of Moses to the man who wanted to know the greatest commandment: "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all our heart, and with all your soul, and with all...
info_outlineThere is something in the deep nature of God which makes use of contrast. Power and weakness. Sin and the Spirit. Glory and destruction. Even within the Creation story itself we note that before He created the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night He separated Light from Darkness. Contrast. One can only assume that contrast amplifies and clarifies what cannot be seen without it. God uses contrast to bring about His purposes. Does this make sense?
When we live with active awareness of the reality of contrast it helps our spiritual life animate. Viewing life through this lens helps us to be alert and able to focus on the realities of light, darkness, and the alleged grays of life. Think of how insane life would be if there were no night or day but only a steady gray sameness. Contrast brings vibrancy - life of a kind that cannot be found in only gray (and I like rainy days!).
We are given all the tools of Light that God has created. Follow part of this thread with us:
Daniel 2:22 “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him."
John 1:4 "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men."
John 11:10 “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
1 John 1:5 "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all."
1 John 2:8 "On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining."
1 John 2:10 "The one who loves his brother lives in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him."
When we live aware of this contrast we are more able to discern all of the nuances within our lives. What makes us close to our God? What are the things that honor God and that satisfy our minds and hearts? What makes us helpful, useful, and kind to our neighbors? What are the actions and principles which will allow us to hear the words "well done" in the final alignment of our existences with the purposes our God has for us?
Light and darkness are very real - and great tools through which we can discern meaning through contrast.
Walking in Light with you,
Dave and Burnadette