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