The Ice Filled Valley

I’m not quite sure what compelled me on a day like today, 20 degrees, to go out.
But there was something about this ice filled valley that compelled me
Something about this life in apparent death
Something about how life can come out of death

That branches are willing to sway and move to a rhythm dictated by the wind
And how they really almost whisper a secret
The secret that there is a river running through this valley, this ice filled valley.

And perhaps the builders of the damn that collapsed almost 70 years ago
They should have taken note that this life, in this valley, is quite powerful.

...

You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, tearing some down to strengthen the wall;you made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to the city's Maker, nor did you consider him who built it long ago.

-ISAIAH 22:10-11

A valley is a reminder that a river has flown for thousands of years to make the very path which God wishes the water to continue in. Perhaps we recognize even more of God's power and might in the valley.

JG

.SIMPLE.

It's been a while since I actually sat down and got something I like to come out of my fingertips here. I think I finally got something tonight though. It is short.

. I write a lot. I don't really ever stop. You don't get to see most of that writing though. Especially when Life is normal. In those times I don't feel like I should frame life here. God is in the normalness of it all though and I kinda like that I don't have to write it down here.

I like the fact of the simpleness that my normallness is lived out in letting people into my life and letting God do something wonderful with each day in the normal. I like that regarding a number of core issues, the seem resolved all of a sudden. I like that I feel like I finally have made some progress and am where I feel I should be at. I like He is dumbing down my faith...to a pure simple thing , like it should be and showing me his sovereignty in charting an awesome path for my life. I like that too.That there is great responsibility but a great peace and rest too.

Nothing seems too complicated its just God me and the rest of the world. Me loving people and loving Him.

It's beautiful. It's simple.

JG

The Pheonix Spreads its wings and forms my heart

Words are fickle things. Every one takes each one a different way. To convey to an audience the full meaning proves to be an impossible task all the time in the great broken world we all live in.

So I apologize if my words offend. I pray my heart comes through them. I pray that you can make your ways around the maze of walls I unknowingly put up in this land of communication and the walls Satan puts up in his twisted meaning on my words and that they can be navigated without too much effort

I have this tendency to make it difficult for people to enter into my life. I have a concrete walled maze around me most of the time. A lot of my life has been this mega lesson of trying to knock down those walls and in turn not being so alone and independent.

God blew me away last night though. I have a friend named Kyle, he makes me explain everything clearly.When I talk with him God has this way of making those concrete walls of my life turn to glass and he's able to help me see what is actually going on with me. And somehow my words comes out cohesive and not a mess, its a miracle.

Last night in explaining things clearly and God turning concrete to glass I was able to see a lot of the wounds that I still have and certain propensities I have which are so clear now, clear enough I think I can actually begin tackling them head on.

I'm tackling things differently though as of late...

I feel like I'm just now truly learning to do that and in turn am truly beginning to spread my wings and fly : soaring one moment and dive bombing in others. But I"m flying for the first time...poorly....but I'm flying.

I don't know quite how to orientate myself as of late and that probably explains the lack of blogs like this but I think it has been a good time of rest for God to turn my gaze upward and for him to say dare to do the impossible, "John, jump..." to know God, to enter into relationship with him and learn to love others out of His love. Truly learn how to love, learn how to be in relationship with Him where every day I am constantly baring in mind I have a friend in heaven. Screaming at the top of my lungs that Christ is so incredible just simply enjoying being in love and nothing else mattering. To bear in mind the love He showed as he died and the love He still has for me.Simple,joyful doing good and not worrying about impure motives and being crippled by my self analyzing inaction. Entering in.

JG

Walk Through

Here it is...my final walkthrough for my project for the quarter. Enjoy!

JG

Most Favorite Image Thus far

So I'm doing a complete rendered walkthrough of my final architecture project this quarter. While tweaking with all the setups to prepare for the final couple days and my computer needing to chug through it for about a week perhaps and making sure I won't render inside of a wall...I rendered this image. It's beautiful. This is going to be beautiful when it is all done!

I'm doing a sample run tonight so perhaps more beautiful images in the morning...we'll see!

JG

An end to the "perfect war"

If Silence were to speak unhindered this day what would she say?
Would her knowledge reveal a new way
What you my love have found?
Could it be: this sparkle that I see in your eye?
What I Truly believe to be and see?

A Hope for a thing in ruins?
Treasures on a map once reserved for the watery deeps?
Like the butterflies
Who have become ladders to the sky

Everything that I have seen written before me
A heart overflowing in Hallelujah!
Joining in with those who have come before!

Would a fool be put to shame by such things?
A righteous man be blessed to have a heart that would skip a beat?

Perhaps words will defy this new hallelujah!
And such an unnatural grace would bring me to my knees

When I see you in Your fullness in her eyes
When you hear the subtle inflections in my voice
And the melody of this new song I sing

Know sweet stillness your time has come
Drowning out
Calling forth from watery deeps

JG

79:11

Let the groanings of the prisoner come before you; According to the greatness of Your power preserve that which is doomed to die(Psalm 79:11)....restore...and cause Your face to shine upon me and I will be saved(Psalm 80:7).

I mentioned last blog that their lie "chains around my heart that still have yet to be loosed and unlocked".

I fear after tonight and with what God led me to, my heart has in fact been made a prisoner of.

Satan has robbed me of much love and joy, that beautiful thing I desire above all else.

Men must be careful to guard their hearts.

Just as the mind is a battlefield so is the heart within men.

Satan is very crafty and may in fact imprision our hearts.

Preventing us from loving as we should. Preventing us from recieving love.

Prayer is the gateway to a mighty battlefield, a wide and terrible vast flat valley in which nothing but death looms.

And perhaps after this war is waged, to return my heart back from its capture, the sun will rise out over such death lingering no longer returning her rays of hope to a land crying out for her.

JG

Chains around my Heart

It always amazes me how simple life is when I'm up there on that mountain. How the stillness silence and serenity seem to calm every anxiety I haul up there.

Today I must have brought a caravan up that mountain with me, dragging along with it my heart and mind weighed down by so many things I was never meant to carry .But when I was up there, it was finally just me. No caravan. Just me.

On my way up I found these modern day cisterns. I imagine they were used for some Cal Poly infrastructure project at one point but they were no longer used by anyone only the remanants remained: steel tension chains, tarp, and wood. It was fitting though for me to see today of any day to see the reality of myself echoed in those empty cisterns.

I learned a lot today, positioning myself in a place where God was able to invade my heart in the most intimate of ways. He whispered things that almost sounded like secrets but they were simply just words of love whispered in my ears. Letting me see things as they are and responses birthed out of such knowledge.

There are chains around my heart that still have yet to be loosed and unlocked. My heart is ready to overflow it needs merely be unlocked and unchained...the enemies that have invaded the lands around me heart need to be located and killed.

Looks like its time to go to war and rescue my heart.
JG

Looking into Light

I feel Like I should be writing about how this project I am working on in my design class is the culmination of many ideas God has developed within me over the years but I don't really know where to begin other than I find a culmination of many painful things God has led me through to produce something quite beautiful.



I may approach God with a feeling of duty and forget to delight but I am reminded a culmination of God's work within in me produces something I can delight in. I can delight in what my hands are creating because it is merely a reflection of His work within me.



Light is beautiful...

JG

Worth a Thousand Words

Elise sent me an email tonight. She does that. I like them. She reminded me about what happened last year at the time. We have a pretty accurate electronic database known as the blog to consult for such inquiries. It's always interesting to look back on.

But before Elise gave me the perfect opener to this blog I was thinking about how pictures film and other forms of capturing a moment do so so effectively. They define an infinite wonderful thing and are a great reminder to us looking back.

I found myself walking back from my midterm tonight and thought about this idea of capturing the beauty of God in our abilities and talents and was led to the thought of how God might use my gifts and abilities being an artistic creative person. I can only capture in a sense what I see around me and make it into a beautiful tangible thing. I only capture the shadow never the full light.

So I was thinking tonight...it would be a great idea to photograph the bible just like we photograph life. Take a bible verse that is so intimate to us and make it into a photograph.

Just a thought.

I like that thought. I think I've in a sense already been doing it...

To His glory alone,
JG

Beyond excellence

I have had a lot of time on my hands as of late. And I'm not one to waste time. So In the few things I have been doing I have been going above and beyond because I have the time and energy too. Its nice I have had some time to actually be fully fully engaged in my architectural studio and have been immersing myself in the few things I have been doing below. Enjoy.

The picture above is an idea for a main gathering hall in a convent. The use of light is supposed to evoke the same emotions as churches use to( height and light) but with a new added development weightlessness.

Below is a wall section of the concrete precast panels that would allow light to function in the above fashion.


To His greater glory,
JG

I hate introductions. Let’s just get to the point.

I have a Christian brother who can’t control himself in regards to a certain addiction…it is consuming him. He can’t stop. He sent me an email today and my heart just broke.

If there is no desire to run away from sin and a desire to stop it…what do I do with that especially with a Christian brother. Do I sit by idly til he hits rock bottom and God restores him fully regarding this certain issue or do I try like many in our culture do and try to cover his heart condition with elaborate pageantry and lies which avoid the true issues.Do I not associate with him as 1 Corinthians 5:11 says.

But now I am writing to you to stop associating with any so-called brother if he is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a robber. You must even stop eating with someone like that.

Cause if I followed that model I don't think there would be much christian community because many "so called" christians have one or more of these issues going on. We'd all be forced to deal with some deep sin issues alone, which perhaps is what many of us need to do. The beauty is He meets us in the aloneness and is willing to help us along the path toward a deeper holiness we just need to place ourselves there.

My heart grieves and is pained to see that one has to hit utter disparity alone in order to understand grace a little more fully and truly have a heart’s desire change to turn to God in obedience and love. It’s so painful to see. Yet I know it is worth it.

So My prayers and the cries of my heart go out tonight to such brother. May God alone change your heart in response to Love. The one love that is worth every bit of self-sacrifice.

To His Glory alone,
JG

I miss Sammy

I decided...I miss sammy. She's the only dog I truly loved.


JG

Matthew 17:8

I get frustrated when people say God told me this that or the other. 

Its just one of those things you probably should not try and refute in other people it will just end up in a huge argument. Yet the fact remains that life has told me that not everything God "said" to these people seems to pan out. 

Yet even in those moments when their "will of God" doesn't pan out they still say "God must have other plans." 

It bugs me so much.

So forgive me in my ranting and frustration; I am a little skeptical and frustrated at something I can't bring up because "God told them". 

By no means do I have this whole communication with God thing down. I wonder sometimes if it is even possible but I think if God speaks we should probably know it or at least be able to discern a little better than most of us do in those moments. 

I know this though we get so caught up looking for specifics of what we are supposed to do , what God  told us etc. that we will occasionaly miss the line that connects all those things together. God.

He is what all our focus should be on, but perhaps we should not focus so much on him and in turn miss the world around us and him speaking around us through it.

I asked a friend a couple nights ago:

How have you seen the soverignity of God manifested in your life as of late?

As of late I think that is a far better question to be asking than " what did God tell you" and a far greater way of looking at the will of God because it forces us to look around us not inside of us. We look at who God shows himself to be and what He is doing rather than what we are doing or supposed to be doing.

I love theology for that reason, it shows me who God is. I love observing for the same purpose. When all the facts in my brain filter out, revelation comes from my heart and it has helped me understand who God is and respond to that. And that is far more valuable than anything I have "learned" or "heard". 

To His Glory,

JG

Words that Define Me

CC: wordle.net

Peter and Pride

I have a lot of time on my hands as of late mainly due to the fact I am used to having structural engineering added to my coursework as long as twice as much lab-work for architecture, likewise am used to working around 8 or so hours a week. None of those things are added to my schedule this quarter. I don't know what to do with myself. 

I feel like I suander most of the time away and am crippled by the entire days to sit in God's presence and reflect and pray. I have been doing a lot of reading though...I have been visiting ccel.org and reading some extra cannonical texts that is those books that were not originally included in what we read in the present day bible but were considered by the Council of Nicea. 

I was reading an interesting one the other day I think it was called the revelation of Peter. It pointed out something that  I am coming to realize more and more each day. I think watchman Nee puts it well:

"God deals with our lives... in order to help us understand ourselves. We realize the hardest lessons to learn is that of knowing oneself- to appreciate how corrupt, empty, sinful, and void of good one is. This lesson has to be absorbed throughout life."

-Watchman Nee

We are still in part flesh and humbleness needs to be in our hearts as Christians...see man is so full of pride and Peter knew this probably more than any one else in the Apostles. God reveals himself in the intimate ways as he oftentimes does and The revelation of peter captures this truth very well. But if you are against extra-cannonical texts look at John 21 and how Jesus rebukes "captain foot in the mouth."

We are so full of pride and we come to better terms with that each and every day we live the sanctified life.

JG

Eternally Yours

Is it a severe turning point in the life of a christian when he realizes that all of lifes lessons cannot be documented and there is knowledge and wisdom that cannot be contained in letters strung into words?

God's romancing and my heightened emotions and volition to offer a scrap of the love He offers me will say nothing other than I love You tonight. 

...and that is all I need to say.

To Your great and awesome Glory,

Eternally Yours,

 JG

Documentation finalization for summerization vacation

Sorry this is so late in getting up on this blog but I finally got done editing it tonight. The reason for the tardiness is two fold one It seems like three weeks ago when I left Colorado I was so rushed and occupied with finishing up the drywall and electrical on the basement that I didn't have time to show you the progress as of about a month ago on the basement. Two I got a new computer and getting everything up and running on my new macbook pro has been a longer process than I initially thought ie. I don't know how to work half the programs yet( you think I would be able to b now!...so here you go...enjoy.

JG

...I will trust in Your name

Like the Grains of Sand put through the flame, 

Purpose seldom seen of known

Strained to reflect, polished to shine

Soon to be shattered 

Puzzle pieces Images and mirrors

 Yet they are pieces that comprise the whole

…shards there on the ground

And I’m going to need you to Fuse what is broken back together with a fire I do not know

I have not the will or discipline to build Engetti with this sand

…I am finding it difficult to see the city to be, your purposes from dust in this dry dessert sea… but my belief in You has not faded

… it will remain

My well tested heart and will cannot see the life growing from these seeds, 

Oh To feel The rain that washes these thoughts to Ink 

The silents ripples that allow me to bleed 

The ill placed joys rippling and drowning in the puddles growing before me

To believe now …in the first drop of rain…watering what will soon become

 all of them…composing…there on the ground

They are Bleeding out, they are crying out
…I will trust in Your name

...I will believe

To His Glory alone,

JG

In faith

It's funny how you grow up and things begin to change. Those things you once thought were so important now seem so incredibly pointless. And its not at all that it lost its point, its just lost a point to you. 

It seems so much is changing as of late. 

I know past my ignorance and pretend bliss though that change is a great necessity. 

Life has a way of growing us up and in it we learn what a great hope Christ is. How truly he  loves us and how futile we are to even try to keep it all together when approaching His feet. 

That perhaps is what I am coming to...finding a great immensity of grace. 

...and an endless pursuit I can't see an end to. 

And I can only really speculate as to what God is doing and where these jumbled thoughts will fuse together in the light of His face. And perhaps that is where I should stop in faith that all great confusion transition and change all come together and in every moment his wonderful hands work so unendlessly, without ceasing  to show me its alright by the Soverignty of His mighty hands. 

To His glory alone,

JG

School is back in full swing. 

God's got my back.

Coffee is once again entering my veins. 

-JG

An afflicted Spirit

...when the cross is working deeply a believer comes to know himself. He realizes how undependable are his ideas,feelings, and desires. Hence he dare not trust himself but trembles in all matters, acknowledging that except he be sustained by the power of God he shall unquestionably fail. We must never be independent of God. The moment our spirit ceases to tremble before Him at that precise moment it declares its independence from Him. Except we sense our helplessness we shall never trust God. A spirit which trembles before Him shields one from defeat and helps him to truly apprehend God. 

-Watchmen Nee

Some more honest thoughts

 I got back into San luis Obispo Monday night. Been spending the past couple getting my life back in order resting etc. 

As of yesterday I had nothing left on my list besides:

1. pray

2.find a job

3.get print cartridges

The reason I write though is although everthing is in order for this upcoming school year and I should feel on top of things, I really don't feel on top of things at all. The bible calls men of God, me, to an impossible life. One in which if I am not leaning on the spirit for strength and renewed purpose each day I fail.  

There is grace this I know oh so well, but when I ask questions like does what I am doing inspire awe in others like back in that first century church or is my life impossible to live out? I honestly can't answer those with yes. 

Just some honest thoughts. 

God's ways are not my ways. 

I must never lose sight of that. 

To His glory alone, 

by His grace alone,

JG

Communication

It has been forever quite honestly. And in many senses I don't know where to begin.

I ran out of drywall to put up today. 

I felt like a character in one of those civilization building games where I ran out of material and didn't know what to do. This was the first time i feel like I found myself a little ahead of where I wanted to be in regards to the basement. In many ways it just feels so overwhelming at times but it is beautiful with the prospect of me leaving this upcoming Sunday that the rest will no longer be in my care. As it slowly takes shape I found myself with much to be proud of. 

I wanted to blog though because 1. I have time but 2. cause I wanted to mention some thoughts I have had lately

See, I was talking to my mom the other day as we went out shopping and running errands. We were talking about the holy spirit and how he doesn't seem to shine as bright these days as he did in that 1st century church era. That question of why still bugs me. A great deal in fact.  God has healed a lot of my thoughts toward the church and given me a peace in His sovereignty regarding it but I find that the only real question that seems to still nag at my soul and I can currently discern in not trusting in is in regards to this one thought. That is a run on I know. So are my thoughts about such a question. 

Perhaps this is the new question I am to search out and God wishes to lead me into.

I could speculate on why but honestly I really don't have that answer. If I had an answer it wouldn't bug me. 

But one thought that i can rest in is that God is God. He doesn't communicate like us. He hardly ever speaks in audible words in the way we think of communication and so it is with the Spirit. He communicates without them oftentimes. Perhaps a lack of "display of power" or such lack of words is a testament to his character in an constant attempt for communication on the ways that we don't.  

So I ask what would it look like to truly listen to the Spirit?

Anyways some thoughts to ponder on. 

Signing off with body sore as usual, but Spirit shining bright within

To His Glory alone

JG

Billion

I haven't really blogged in a while. I really haven't had time nor the energy too. Construction in the basement seems to be life these days.

It seems as of late there are so many things running through my head, yet they consistently run and never stop or slow down enough for me to catch their name or hear their story.

Elise was telling me the other day this is a good thing because it forces me to hear God apart from my intellectual mindset and study and find God in the moment in the new ways He is calling me to.

I haven't been very good at it, but, you know, that's Okay. I want my old ways of meeting God back when he clearly desires for me to meet him in the new but I will obey though it may be difficult and a little overwhleming and quite exhausting...

One thing though that my mind has been dwelling on and I think I can actually somewhat grasp in the not grasping is how little we really get of what God says or does.

I am only human and in that, I get so little of what is truly going on. I mean if you stop and think about all of this life the universe etc how big it is and how many molucules or atoms are contained within it and then this idea that God holds it all together. He frickin knows all 6 billion people on this planets story and knows them intimately.He holds every single molocule together.How crazy!

We are so little and He is so great.

I got together with one of my good christian buddies last night, a good godly friend from highschool, along with a few friends of his. He introduced me to his friends as the "most solid christian guy from our highschool." I love this guy to death for who he is and who he has become in Christ but I hate complements like that. Its not about me. I am so arrogant and selfish and realize probably more than anyone how what might impress people with what I do, what I write, books I recommend, how wise I am,what God has done in my life etc. is completely worthless from my end. God alone redeems every moment and does with it what He wills. He alone, makes it absolutely incredible.

Anyways I think that is all I can muster. May God use it.

FQOTW:(favorite quote of the week)

The church is like maneur, too much of it in one place and it stinks up the place, spread it out it enriches the world.
-Aaron Stern

To HIs glory alone,
JG

A little snapshot into my summer

Here it is...



JG

Unwritten

It's funny how you wish you could write of the story that you see unfold before you eyes. The very words you forget to mention that capture the best memories life has given us so far.

But a lot of those memories will remain unwritten. But instead of calling it a shame why not rejoice in the simple fact that something that great could never be contained to click clacks pen ink or a song. 

I could write tonight that God holds in his wonderful hands this fragile messy blue-green planet and that He has everything perfectly under his Sovereignty, but what good do words do to express such a concept. Such a wonderful concept. He has held together all the unwritten stories of the individuals who have walked this planet. Weaved them together to express His love. That's just mind blowing.

 How great our PaPa in heaven's love is for us. All of us. 

When we see God's great and awesome character and believe Him to be who He is and has always proven Himself to be. There is something so freeing in that thought. I rest in that thought.

To His great love ,

JG

WOW

View from the Hilton Morumbi in Sao Paulo, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

This has to be one of the most incredible bridges I have ever seen. Wow! Make's you want to move to Brazil or something!

It is called the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge. Check it out its pretty awesome.

JG

Present Mentions

This summer has been a blessing in so many respects. There are these moments they hit me every now and then and in them I can't help stop & realise how there is a simplicity in this season that is so good!

I wanted to mention here as of late though that there has been an absense in my mind, a nice still to the mind and in it I find other facilities of John Garrett Grinstead rising . I believe it is because of this things growing within me and taking control that things are getting extremely clear. But one thing of note is I believe because of thi my eyes feel almost like they were opened anew in regards to how God answers prayer and how he speaks through his word etc. This is a short shout of praise from my end!

And its really weird because I would say there are these other moments where I stop & lie speechless in sheer udder shock that all of a sudden God is so apparent "are you kidding me You love me and You are speaking in tangible ways in and around my life?! ."

But I think the most worthy thing of note is that God is teaching me to love His church inspite of many things that I have held against her. At a service I attend Friday nights God gave me this word his viewpoint on a subject I wrestle with very greatly.

"The church is My bride"
- Jesus

This may not be some new grand thing to you but to me that viewpoint reshapes alot and was Jesus' personal word to me tonight.

Anyways The framing in the basement may be done within a week and a half. I am gonna post a video of it soon.

Did you know my second choice for a major was cinemetography I haven't touched a video camera since highschool but I may be making some short movie magic. Stay tuned.

To Love alone,
JG

Illumination 2.0

It took Night to empty this soul
Dessert times and lone roads
To pour out thought emotion and will

To join in with the voice of the pines and cool air
Somewhere slightly before the dark meets the dawn

Lord I cannot contain my heart
the daybreak within this forgotten place
Illumination in misty light

Illumination (Ephesians 4:14-24)

This season of confusion was 14.So that I may no longer be a child, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. even if it comes from God's church but to trully know how to15 speak the truth in love, growing up and maturing up in every way in him who is the head, Christ, and learning16 from whom and how the whole body body grows so that it builds itself up in love.

And17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that I must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way I learned Christ!, it was in my heart— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

This is how I must now live.In this illumination...

JG

A Lamentation

I was writing in my journal the other night at Starbucks that “ I have no identity left besides the one I find in You, I no longer know who I am”

I found myself tearing up for the first time in a long time in a public place.

My pride has been ripped and torn from me.

I feel and felt so disjointed without it.

But was shown perhaps in that moment a sober picture of what life looks like when we have no other choice but to cling.

I have been praying for a long while that God would “humble me” but without the pain that often is inflicted on others because of a need to.

I believe and hold fast to the idea that He is dealing in such a way with me in this season.

It is quite extraordinary where God takes us. The journey he leads us on. How he fits all these random pieces together to create something to work with.

God has been there in every moment…he has used every weakness struggle friendship(good or bad) my whole life EVERYTHING to bring me to where I am.

I am sobered and humbled by my mistakes and my conscience has lost all confidence in the steps I take now.

I am left vulnerable and where God I believe would like me to be even in its great difficulty.

I feel for the first time in a LONG while grieved over my sin and have nothing but Him. I can boast in nothing than Christ himself and what He did on the cross for me.

I see now more than ever how I was more focused on other’s walk than my own. How I was always so quick to use we rather than I.

And even in this blog I see how I am trying to cling to something other than Him as a source of worth. But it is all I know how to do. I am sin and He alone is righteousness.

I write upon my knees…in desperate hope that God will speak through the spewing of thought emotion and my will at his feet in this way. Declaring what he is doing and not merely numbing myself to what He has been trying to bring me to for so long.

I wrote these words the other day.

“But there is more, a depth worth seeking, and a love worth everything. When my mind and my reason fail and all I have is You I will rest in Your words that Hope is not lost. My lifeline may grow faint but You remain in me. More than reason, deeper than hope, and a love worth everything.

He is worth every death I must die in order to find His life.

To Love alone,
JG

Infatuation

Elise would say it best that my love language is always changing and keeps her on her toes in our relationship. But as I am finding more and more it is not that I speak a love language of rigid formulaic identity but rather a love language all my own. I have yet to find a person though willing to love me in that language and actually able to meet me in it. God gave me this language because he never wants me to forget that He alone is the only one who could fill the vast crater of love in my soul. Without him I am left with a vast hole.

This is why we must be captivated, infatuated with the Father because once it begins our hearts start glistening along with our eyes and we begin to pour out the love that was first shown to us and then accepted by us blessing other people in the way that only God could do touching live through Him alone. Meeting people where they are at not in rigid formulaic identity.

In this true love points to God alone. As it should always. It is not a manner of speech or way of beginning a sentence but it is a glisten. I have been blessed to see this in a few people over the years. There words were not pre thought out they were flowing like a fountain. They are people that find a love so captivating that the world becomes a thousand times more colorful. This is the love I know none can fully live as were meant to without and experience true love without.

I am not defined by mere psychology to limit love to five or six ways, love speaks in all ways as God does with us all.

..patience
...Kindness
....contentment
.....humbleness
.......a man's response
........the very character of a human is my love language not tangible things not conversations but actions not the touch of a human but the touch of God through a human

And this is why I say
To Love alone,
JG

Fusion (old to new)

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.
-Haggai 2:1-9

I have been making my way through the minor prophets since shortly before summer began. They are absolutely incredible books. I don't know why we are so quick to look to the new testament. I have found There is a wealth of wisdom to take from them.

I have been reading them as if they were truth/prophecies written to me and about the church in my age the one here in America.

They fit really well it's like God is speaking through scripture to me or something.

I have been writing one passage in my journal from each one and was hoping to use it to show God's heart for his "temple"( ie people or church) through them but I think this one as do many of the the other passages does just fine by itself.

I have long been troubled with God's work in His church knowing what it should be yet not understanding why it has taken so few great leaps on a whole towards what I see scripture calling it to be. This has bothered me for many years. I am encouraged though to know that I am to bear in patience and know He is sovereign still in regards to it that His scriptures and fully fulfilling words say He will make his temple greater still it may take time but He is working and beautiful. That is a great hope to dwell on.

To Love alone,
JG

Intuition

If you haven't noticed I haven't been blogging much as of late.

In fact, I really haven't been blogging, not really anyways.

So you ask

Q:what have I been doing?

and I ask you

Q:Why do we have to be doing?

but if you desire an answer it goes something like this:

A:I've been taking the time to really if need be let God redefine everything about who I am... a bit of self discovery...

...and in so doing I have honestly come to a frustation about everything I do etc. There is no end to how I have found myself as of late in review over the course of my life so far, so far off from God's intent for so many situations etc. The fact He has redeemed it all amazes me so and how in perfect faithfullness makes the deformed puzzle pieces fit together moves my heart to an honest reverence and praise.

A lot of who I am, the way I operate etc is in a state of disgust right now. There is something drastically that needs to happen within my spirit, heart and intuition that I have only thus begun on . The disgust and end of my mind's ability to process any more information/ defense for christiandom sermons or knowledge etc. has led me to the simple fact without love all of this is nothing.

I know not one christian,myself included who when I compare them to the standards that they are supposed to exemplify in the bible regarding love etc. do.

I would give everything I possess away to experience that kind of love that I am supposed to have outlined in the scriptures anything to have a communion with the father that is unshaken.

I remember this morning just being distraught in starbucks over what I was reading all of who I am in gross violation of God's will. Yet a perfect beautiful God who is using it all to His great and awesome Glory. Making all things new.Shouldn't I be so lost in love with God?I see perfect faithfulness and the great difference between God and man and the necessity for a bridge. I desire that bridge I see the bridge in scripture but can't see it lived out for some reason. I don't know how to do it and I don't think anyone can teach me except God himself.

That's what I want to hear a sermon on is How to let The Spirit reign and teach in our lives. I want an older christian to actually be so spirit driven that they can teach others. I want an older christian to be so driven by his intuition that he knows how to meet people where they are at. I want someone to be led every day to see God do great and glorious things in the lives of others because he is a blessing because he is led to where he is most needed. I want to see God shine through in man as He is supposed to be.

Show me that...

To Love alone,

JG

Manipulation

I believe there is a point in life where a man realizes how he has manipulated situations. It is a deep and troubling time when the weight of God's great and awesome Glory and the weight of man's sin are a heavy burden. He knows deeper than he has ever known anything before how he has let selfish motives and unpure thoughts lead the life he lives.

When faced with the picture of who God is and a captivating deep relationship developing he sees redemption and because of this love desires a far greater response of love of purity in facets of his life that such unselfishness could never reach into before.

This realization of manipulation and a proper view of the Spirit leads him to find nothing pure within himself. There the Spirit finds this man and no longer has to work but finds a place to settle and rest His holy wings. It is in that moment that what was always meant to be comes into fullness. Where all his burdens are laid down.

His new heart leads him to the bridge that is, to converse. And there he finds his beginning and his end where manipulation cannot be. Standing on the bridge letting love simply be.

To Love alone,
JG

Hibernation

Elise had a dream a few weeks ago. In it I disappeared for a while told no one where I was going. Everyone was confused why I would not tell anyone where I was going and why on earth I would disappear for a while.

She told me to take some time and pray about what it means.

I do not believe we should follow dreams we should rather listen to them and pray and act rather on the prayer rather than the dream and try to self fulfill prophecies or the spirit's heeding in that.

So I imagine by now you are like what's your point John. The point is I am stripping my life from minimalist to as close to bare nothing as I can and am hoping to be fully in the season that way.

I deactivated my facebook account today.

I imagine I will be selling my laptop as I no longer need it for the work I am doing here and am looking to purchace a new one come next fall.

I know the necessity of needing to disappear for a time.

Disappearing is by no means easy, in fact in it oftentimes we realize truths we are wholly unprepared to take in but benefit us greatly. But unless the line is fully drawn we miss the lessons fully to be learned in the season .

I believe there is a need for me to be fully here this summer. This is what I must learn fully.

To His Glory alone,

JG

Guess Who?

N.ormal he was and yet extraordianry is he
E.ver continuing for ever and eternity
H.e did what he was called to do faithful each day
E.ver countinuing in great ordinary work faithful each day
M.any he ignored to plant the greatest of seeds
.I.n it he would incubate what was coming to be
A. heart came from this diligence and God's very heart came to be
H.e concieved a nation which gave birth to a king, which birthed a savior, all glory be


To HIs glory alone,
JG

Perpetual Sift

It is my belief that a lot of what blogging is for me is sifting through thoughts and ideas. I always have wondered why I spend so much time here sifting and to what purpose it profits me or others. I believe it is of benefit though.

I've been sifting again more attempting to sift as of late. Failing completely at finding anything in it. But, Luckily for you the reader if I don't find something buried in the sand, it doesn't get published here it remains a draft in bloggers database.

I was reminded at church this morning that droughts and spiritual valleys we enter in certain seasons of our faith are for our benefit and there is great maturity built in us if we seek or sift in them; even though we find ourself in a desert where we don't think the sand will give way to something ever it does in time. I know this well yet forget it often. It always give way to something absolutely breathtaking.

In Sifting I seek and seeking I will eventually find.

My un-prayerfully informed self thought a lot of what this summer was going to be was one big long quiet time between God and I where he would speak in this great stillness and quiet and I would listen soak it up and be built up for what is to come come fall. Perhaps that was my wishful thinking. It hasn't been like that at all. In fact He's said three things since I have been back.

1.When in the fierce battle say my Name, proclaim Jesus.
2.Be Still and pray my word.
3.Keep Sifting

I know these things.

I wanted him to explain all the things he has begun to teach me these past three quarters because they frustrate me and honestly bother me a great deal, I don't know what to do with them. They need an explanation that God himself alone will have to give.

In such a course of hopefully thinking though I deny all He has taught me about who He is I ignore all the He has begun. He cares more about who I am becoming than what I do and He wants me to lean on Him and out of desperation choose a course of action. He wants to develop my heart till it is in tune with the Will of the Father and can make a symphony with my actions that flow from that very heart. That doesn't come from a relationship of constant conversation it come from a relationship which includes a great deal of silence and saying love in more than words.

So here's to the perpetual shift of golden grains of sand this summer that will most likely yield nothing yet yield everything in God's due time!

To His Glory alone,
JG

A Shameless Promotion

So my mom finally got done publishing her inductive bible study through the book of Isaiah that she has been working on for ten or so years. It is now searchable on Amazon.com . You should all check it out and maybe order a copy (wink wink.)

JG

Our Understanding of Scripture

I’ve heard it said that to fully and truly understand a bit of scripture you have to understand or experience what it actually took to pen that piece of it.

I was standing in church this morning trying to worship in song and I couldn’t. Aside from the side I don’t believe the way we do worship is biblical…I couldn’t get this idea of how we understand scripture and who we make God out to be apart from scripture away from my mind.

Such concepts have a way of truly destroying my focus if they need to be focused upon.

I have been drawn into a position of prayer about this issue.

In all my understanding of scripture in researching reading commentaries finding bits and pieces I believe were translated improperly. I am brought to one conclusion: none of us has any idea what the heck to do with the bible or let alone comprehend the fullness of what dwells inside of it. I guess this is what many mean by a reverence for God’s word.

A lot of things frustrate me about what we as Christians do with the word but frustration does nothing so I will not dwell on it, I have done that a majority of my life.

The way I understand God’s word can destroy a true concept of God and how and who I am in response to that if I do not read it properly.

I have always been a big fan of Tozer mainly due to the fact he looks at each word ,understanding the meaning and the history of every single word, that he would teach on. Because of it he had one of the most profound understandings of who God will forever be because he saw the real God in scripture defined by the words scripture uses not the words in scripture with our personal connotation added.

I we cannot understand the words and the meaning behind the words we will never understand the intent and will not even come close to understanding what that incredible Holy-writ Work says .

Remember to cross reference back to Jesus and the rest of scripture!

To His glory alone,
JG

I love Summer+Coldplay's new album is so bomb you have no idea unless you bought it and then you are like yup you are right John

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't posted in some while. Life has been a little distracting( note distracting is used here with a tone of blessedness): new house, new pup, basement design plans, trying to not make my room look like a giant storage closet etc. But I feel since I haven't blogged in a while I probably should. So here is my summer so far in four easy Points( Piper said to do on his website so I am).

1. The summer has been a blessing so far my parents house is on the edge of the middle of nowhere and literally there is nothing here but endless roads to run on, mountains to stare at for hours on end, sweet stillness, and a vast sea of grass trees and brush to adventure into.
2. The pup is distracting to say the least and makes sure I get nothing done. We have a healthy play time everyday where she, because she is a sheep dog, bites my ankles and tries to herd( hurt) me. I try to distract her but little is done with her constant vie for my attention.How can little dogs have so much energy? I wonder if we could solve the energy crisis with the energy found inside them?Who knows?
3. About my room. Well that'll be a work in progress. Let's just say quilts are not my style.
4. About the other 2000 sf of the house. Well that'll be my work for the summer. Good ol basements! About that I have finally settled on a floor plan I am happy with. Providing the client's stamp of approval My dad and I may get to framing come this weekend . Who knows maybe!
   

To His Glory alone,
JG

The Winds Sleeps Today...

The wind sleeps today
In infinite still,It brings the rest long waited for
Bringing dreams like golden rays of light
Paths edged in foil stalks and leaves

Oh this sweetest time of stillness to bring my heart to you

To swim in the Great Poet’s dream
Phrases coined in ages past ,they are for me
Where some grand things lie in wait
Like chests of treasures to be pulled out of the Sea

Perfect love, you make it to be

Oh this sweetest time of stillness to bring my heart to you

To His Glory alone,
JG

Simple yet profound

Jesus died on "a" cross, not "the" cross

The Path edged in Golden Grass

I went hiking today.

I tend to think of the occasion as my quarterly extra special date/walk alongside the Lord and God of Hosts the one "who threads the heights of the Earth"-Amos 4:13. A journey if you will to commune with God in the hills.

Each season(quarter) brings with it a new path that He puts before me. I never know quite what to expect but a path edged by golden grass i have personally never been disappointed with.

I would say I have been up to these particular hills i hike in about 12 or so times now. There are things still left to discover.

There are things that have long laid unknown and forgotten in those hills.

Today I found a treehouse tucked away and a path to it only revealed by the summer's golden grass. A legit treehouse!

I found myself reading the journal that is up there amazed at the history of a place that laid hidden where students would brave the poision oak and ticks to be still and get away.

I was out to coffee with a wise older brother on Thursday night He said He had no place to just be by himself and be quiet in SLO. It is hard to find in a college town for sure.We found ourselves agreeing with each other that we need more stillness and quiet to truly hear God in this day and age and in our own lives.

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him
-1 Kings 19:11-13.

I found quiet today: beautiful stillness.

This is the path God is leading me into as I step in the summer season. The treehouse represents this time of stillness I have during the summer. As a wise man of God told me Thursday night I should be fully setting my eyes to the top of the hill where I will reside and be still not deterred by what has not been spoken . Where God is and God will speak.

To His immeasurable Glory alone,
JG

Ironic/Funny Book Authors

So I was in Borders and these books gave me a little chuckle on the inside. Hope it does the same for you.

JG

reminder for the owls

next time you are out at 2am or so make sure and look up into the night sky...

A small piece of joy during dead week

For those of you who don't follow this blog this is the first you tube video I have posted pretty much ever that has nothing to do with anything but pure amusement. As Landon said as we were having lunch the other day I think I am so tired exhausted drained and wiped out from this year culture is affecting me. Oh no! I am looking to Youtube videos for small pieces of Joy.

9 more days!

JG

Revelation Apart from God's word?

I want to pose a question. It's been one I have been wrestling with for quite a while :is their revelation apart from God's word? When people say they hear from God do they really? Is there any measure by which to discern whether these are true or not?

Piper has these words to say:

The great need of our time is for people to experience the living reality of God by hearing his word personally and transformingly in Scripture. Something is incredibly wrong when the words we hear outside Scripture are more powerful and more affecting to us than the inspired word of God. Let us cry with the psalmist, “Incline my heart to your word” (Psalm 119:36). “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Grant that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know our hope and our inheritance and the love of Christ that passes knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:18; 3:19). O God, don’t let us be so deaf to your word and so unaffected with its ineffable, evidential excellency that we celebrate lesser things as more thrilling, and even consider this misplacement of amazement worthy of printing in a national magazine.

I think his words are very wise we should never elevate the extraordinary over the ordinary because God does far surpassing things with ordinary vessels, it gives God more glory that way. May we all be the greatest contradictions to what we should be by the world's standards.

You can check out the rest of the Piper article here

To His Glory alone,
JG

Proverbial Thoughts

So it's been a while since I have actually sat down to write something.

The latest writings have been a little sloppy... my sincerest apologizes for those who have tried to piece together the shattered concepts presented in them. I do appreciate the effort. I really do.

But even I must admit. They were awful as of late.

I want to redefine what I do here a little though and present almost like a proverbial-esk blog entry of some recent revelations in my life. Here they are:

The writings that I do here will never amount to anything because they will never take the place of God's words in the bible written to you. The words He has said through that Book will do more for you than I will ever do through preaching here. The only thing that really matters would be the relationship and friendship I have with you the reader. That is where anything truly worth noting will be found.

So some would ask why blog? I simply put enjoy writing in this form and fashion. I think it helps give glory to God when I review all that God has done in my life and see the transformation of the heart behind the words over the years. But I must remember I should never write if it does not come out of my heart because it profits nothing.

I have realized a lot as of late that real friendship is the active engagement of one another. Without an active seeking out of one another's company friendships fall by the waist-side and do not develop into anything beyond "acquaintance." Most people do not have friendships like this due to schedule. Yet it is because of their unwillingness to sacrifice to satisfy a deeper longing that such things never develop into true meaningful relationships. This is a shame not many have this.

I have also realized that when we say we understand God's word we fool ourselves. We have no idea what it says. We should be humble skeptics always asking "what does this say?" True faith asks questions and let God do the revealing not the intellect.I think it is this revelation that teaches us that God usually speaks only when we quiet ourselves enough to listen. This often happens when we are humbled. But instead of circumstance pushing us to this point why not be an ever present state of prayer to quiet ourselves and hear.

I think that will do...for now.

To His Glory alone,
JG

How Great a Salvation

My community group leader asked a very thought provoking question the other night that I have been wrestling with in my mind “ how great was your salvation?”

We were talking about Colossians 3 and how it calls us to have the flesh crucified and become truly dead.

I am led to ask was mine so great a salvation if there was not death to the flesh completely and absolutely?

I am led to believe as I thumb through the pages of the bible that the Christianity in our day and age is not at all what the apostles experienced in that first century church.

All of them had character and they obeyed and it was a joy to do so.

They were Spirit led in every facet and reached a world because of it.

I read the things Christ calls us all to be in the pages of scripture and I find we are not and all if not all are fully not what Christ intended them to be. Me as well.

This week I have been reading Martin Luther’s writings He likes to ask the question what does this mean?

I like his approach to questioning things.

But I feel much like Luther where I feel the church, in this case the American church has gone a crooked way. We need to get back to the narrow path less tread.

Sam Walter Foss in the following Poem paints that picture very clearly

One day, through the primeval wood,

A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,

A crooked trail as all calves do.

Since then two hundred years have fled,

And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,

And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day

By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bell-wether sheep

Pursued the trail o'er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,

As good bell-wethers always do.
And from that day, o'er hill and glade,

Through those old woods a path was made.

And many men wound in and out,

And dodged, and turned, and bent about;
And uttered words of righteous wrath,

Because 'twas such a crooked path.
But still they followed - do not laugh -

The first migration of that calf.
And through this winding wood-way stalked,

Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,

That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,

Where many a poor horse with his load,
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,

And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half,

They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet,

The road became a village street;
And this, before men were aware,

A city's crowded thoroughfare;
And soon the central street was this,

Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half,

Trod the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout,

Followed the zigzag calf about;
And o'er his crooked journey went,

The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led,

By one calf near three centuries dead.
They followed still his crooked way,

And lost one hundred years a day;
For thus such reverence is lent,

To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach,

Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind,

Along the calf-paths of the mind;

And work away from sun to sun,

To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,

And out and in, and forth and back,

And still their devious course pursue,

To keep the path that others do.
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,

Who saw the first primeval calf !
Ah ! many things this tale might teach - 

But I am not ordained to preach.

I was at a bonfire a few weeks ago and I asked someone who had recently graduated what was the greatest thing he had learned over the course of college. He said it was to not compare himself to others. He learned a truly great lesson. We shouldn't let standards be merely because they are.

We have to go the path God calls us to, not the one bent all askew.

To His Glory alone,
JG

Our problem in Two Questions

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit have you now been perfected by the flesh?(GAL. 3:3)

I have been dwelling on this verse, it is like a dagger to me. All the good, bad, methodology, practical application etc. I don't listen enough and heed the spirit enough. I have ignored him. I have become what I truly hated. I dream too small for a great and glorious God.

Jesus my Lord
May the Spirit reign ,
to the Father's Glory alone

JG

Dang!

This sermon is well worth your time if you have fifty minutes to listen.



To His Glory Alone,
JG

Who said a Candle Blowing Out is a Bad Thing

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

-psalm 139

Fifty

Candlelight why do you cease?

here we are brought to our knees on the eve of fifty 

Where 2000 years of an oracles voice has grown close to cease

Candle light what words will your last be?

Take me back to the day when your light was like the sun? 

radiating ever place where shadow ceased.

But here we are brought to out knees

on the eve of fifty here where the candlelight refuses to be

Although Dim my eyes grow I can see the Spirit brood

May He find a resting in those who see a fainting light to renew

Bring us back to life.

To His Glory Alone,

JG

To love

I have been meditating on the greatest commandment( Luke 10:27) for a week or so. The meditation has led me to many questions. It says to love the Lord your God with all your 1. heart 2. soul 3. strength and 4. mind.

Upon meditation I think we forget to love God with more than our #4(minds) quite often. We base almost everything on intellect.

I want to pose a question with these thoughts in mind is this way of doing things crippling the church from loving God as she ought?

I personally find this meditation to be disturbing in countless ways.

It says in romans 10:10 that when we first believed it was with our hearts. Intellect had no place in that most awesome of occurance.

I have wondered so often what is so truly incredible about the new believer. I think it is this: that they love God with their heart...they are seeking him with their mind...they are willing to be strong....and their soul pants for God.

They have this beautiful balance within them.

I have been wondering what can restore that balance within the older believer? I prose the question because I see that I don't have a proper balance in my own life.

Regarding this I think Jude 19 points out a great truth "these are the men who divide you , who follow more natural instincts and do not live by the Spirit." The truth is I think that living by the spirit is the only way what was divided can be put back together.

I have been struck with what Ezekial 37 says, this idea that God can breathe once again on the dead and seperated bones joining what was torn apart. There is life after so great a death! What a great truth!

As to How to live by the spirit and truly love my only advice is

" the realm of the spirit is closed to the intellect."
-A.W. Tozer

Once we stop staring at this wall that bars us from putting all of these puzzle pieces together and say God " you are the only one who can lead me into this and do this" that is when I have seen great things happen and true Christianity begin .

Remember "they will know we are Christians by our love"

To His Glory alone,
JG

Colony of heaven

Bring me out in the Spirit
Sit me down
Tell me this age old mystery

Lead me to behold
What lies in this place
Can we truly live after such a death?

Breath of God in this age
let them Know You are!
May the earth quake and tare! Awaken what lies trapped behind such death.

You say “where faith believes and questions arise Command the whisper!
Speak to Me, command the four winds.
Let colonies of heaven arise on Earth.
Live and stand!"

To His Glory alone,
JG

Mishandling the word

Every Monday I go out with my best friend to coffee. Him and I take about a three hour break at the beginning of our weeks to talk about God's work in our lives and speak truth into each other. Over the course of this tradition which has now lasted almost two quarters I have grown to see what God does with such a thing and what happens as a result of true "community" between believers.

But even more recently i have realized spending a lot of time in God's word i find myself disagreeing with a large majority of christianity and what we have made it to be especially with the sermons that people preach. Take for instance the focus we have put on certain verses and ignoring the whole of scripture around it or that it sits in. I was struck tonight by what John writes in his gospel(v.8:31-32 ) that abiding in God's word is the mark of a true disciple. We don't teach discipleship that way and thinking about it in context with the great commission and how it is preached by itself: not weighed in meaning by the rest of scripture I honestly urg I can't belief those who bare the name of Jesus are mishandling this very powerful sword( the words Jesus spoke before he ascended)His last words! So much of what we do is unbiblical and most don't even know it.

Another thought I have been dwelling on is I have been thinking about this strict fundamentalism developing in America and sticking to the bible alone(sola scriptura). Thinking that this movement may cause a huge reformation/upset/disruption in the whole of Christianity It is going to be quite something much like in Ezekial 37 when God breaths life into a valley full of dead bones and very disturbing rattling sound begins.

I thank God I have a whopping amount of work to do and to occupy this brain from all this. That God can teach me in this time and not allow impulsive judgments to take place of well heart felt discernment about things.

To His Glory alone,
JG

A riddle of sorts

When all of this unfolds and these puzzles find their peace:the wars fought with the undercurrent of the divine light shed its shadow and defines itself .

I have refused to see the breaking light of the incredible things.

And when these sleeping giants awake what will the world have to say?

Will tides swell and waters part? Questioning so deep I no longer have the question.

Deepest oceans fold over themselves to show a depth deeper than even the deep that calls out and reveals the deep.

Endless hours in silence to reveal it will no longer be the same.never again.

Every thing singing the same tune. Yet not knowing quite how to join in the song.

This Teddy bear i cling to. embrace of prayer, these arms of love. Passion defines this heartbeat of a battle against formula.

You are speaking the things that level me and leave me toung tied .

Smaller crumbs leading to the source. What will the world say when such a thing is found.

What will it say?

To His glory alone,
JG