S9E03 - Finding Hope Podcasts
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
A number of years ago we were thinking through Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 13:13 "Now these three powerful things: faith, hope, and love exist among us; but the greatest of these is love." This makes sense in that God IS love and we are made in His image. It would be great if we always loved the way He does - but we do not. We are surrounded by turbulence - from the inside-out. Even evil itself. Yet love is the most robust capital available to humanity, and those who live in true love draw close to our Creator. This "greater" means the most abundant. Deep inside we are motivated to...
info_outline
S9E02 - What Is The Kingdom To You
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
The levels of turbulence around us are massive. In every corner of our American and world culture we see division and twisted wisdom. There are three great gifts from God: Faith, Hope, and Love (1 Corinthians 13). Each of these may be found by those who choose to enter through the Door of the sheep (John 10). In faith we find a different and substantive present and future. Through love we make our lives count for ourselves and others. And in hope we find the fuel to live each day for something more. Once you have found a compass for your life the ability to reset your trajectory is open to...
info_outline
S9E01 - First King - Then Kingdom - Then Church
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
There is a basic understanding Jesus tried to communicate to humanity when He came to the earth. When we get this right there is fruitfulness in our lives - when we don't varying degrees of misinformation prevail. Both John the Baptist (Jesus' cousin) and Jesus proclaimed the same thing: "Turn away and turn toward, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:7) The world had been languishing for centuries since the Garden episode. Genesis 1-11, the Law and prophets, and the Psalms are the story of the Jews - and all the nations. Not only is our condition...
info_outline
S8E13 - Jesus and Turbulence
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
I just finished Jordan Peterson's latest book "We Who Wrestle With God." I like how he reasons, and even though I am not ready to place him in the upper echelon of my spiritual teachers, he is a genuine, thoughtful soul. One premise of his book relates to the relationship between chaos and order, something many philosophers, scientists, and faith reflectors see as key for arriving at a satisfied mind. How do we align with incredible design and order while at the same time dealing with the often hurtful fruits of chaos? If you are like me this can be a quagmire of sorting through the...
info_outline
S8E12 - Jesus As Healer
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Jesus is our Savior, Healer, and Friend. He alone can restore the access of honor we need to reconnect with Creator God. Let's follow part of this thread! “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you,...
info_outline
S8E11 - Jesus As Healer
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Healing is a curious concept with many opinions on the what, how, and why. A survey of known history makes it quite clear that no one healed like Jesus did. Even within all of the other religions of antiquity there is no one like Him, and some religious healer's miracles were pretty lame. Jesus, however, did nothing in a corner. He was transparent and prolific. And those who witnessed what He did were not all His fans. In fact, the most zealous religionists of history do not measure up to the scribes and pharisees who were capable and willing to go to great lengths to discredit or stop Jesus....
info_outline
S8E10 - God's Home Base is our homebase
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Everyone operates from a home base. Our upbringing. Our experiences. Our choices. Even factors made on our behalf by others. Through all of this we build our home base. Scientifically we apply what we see and learn. Philosophical we land on what we have wrestled with in our lives - positively and negatively. And to the degree we have encountered and contemplated faith we solidify our beliefs. Or not. We have pondered this through the years, and often with each turning of a new year we have reset ourselves to sift through what has unfolded and what we hope - and the things we are committed...
info_outline
S8E09 - Shelter of Connection
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
One deep question for life seekers: "what does connection with God look like?" For years authors have pondered this, scientifically, philosophically, and through the optics of faith. For Moses it was all about shelter. Check out Psalm 90. A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. You turn man back into dust and say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes...
info_outline
S8E08 - Shelter of The Spirit
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
As mentioned before, the trinity is in many ways a mystery to us. It is not to our Creator. In Genesis 1 "the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." The Father created and the Spirit moved. From His mind to His hands. And where was the Son while this unfolded? Apparently creating right along with Him. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for...
info_outline
S8E07 - Shelter of the Father
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
God is a sheltering being. He provides shelter. But even more than this - He IS shelter. In fact, He is building the ultimate shelter family through the work of His Son. Jesus is the connector to our Creator. God wants to mentor us. We know this because He mentored Jesus. The Son’s best friend while He was on the earth was His Dad. He learned from Him. He was dedicated to His will. He gave up all things God and all things human for His friendship with His Father. You can find Mentored by God under books in the Fourthstream navbar. It investigates the ins and outs of how Jesus connected with...
info_outline
One deep question for life seekers: "what does connection with God look like?" For years authors have pondered this, scientifically, philosophically, and through the optics of faith. For Moses it was all about shelter. Check out Psalm 90.
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
You turn man back into dust and say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood and they fall asleep. In the morning they are like grass which sprouts again - in the morning it flourishes and sprouts and toward evening it fades and withers away.
For we have been consumed by Your anger and by Your wrath we have been dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You and our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury and we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride amounts only to labor and sorrow. For soon it is gone and we fly away.
Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Do return, O Lord; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and confirm for us the work of our hands. Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
A Psalm of David/Psalm 61
For the choir director on a stringed instrument.
"Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (I lift this up).
For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life; his years will be as many generations. He will abide before God forever; appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him. So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may pay my vows day by day."
David understood a number of things about his connection to His King.
√ Stability comes from a higher place.
√ True shelter is forever.
√ Living in God's tent is a choice - and a blessing for this life and the one to come.
√ For David it was a connection of heart, mind, and soul.
Connection Questions:
- When and how have you felt most connected to your Creator?
- What brings this kind of connection for you?
- Do you feel you have come to trust God for your welfare?
- In what ways does fear challenge you?
Where does Jesus fit into your God connection?
John 17 is a Son-to-Father connection conversation. Take the time to check it out. What was it that Jesus wanted for His children?
Headed where we belong!
Dave and Burnadette
Storiesofshelter.com