I wish I could say that churches are meeting this need.  The church’s existence is to continue to preach the kingdom of God, to share the love of God, and to affirm each other until Jesus returns to take His bride home.

Why are churches falling short on their job of affirmation and lending itself to be shunned for organizations that take better pride in lifting up their people?  I dare say other organizations that cater to the same need are those such as Mary Kay, Premiere Jewelry, Pampered Chef and other pyramid companies such as those. Whether churches fail on their job or not, the need for fellowship with believers is struck down when your needs are met through a church substitute.

While I feel proud of my daddy for what he has accomplished inside and outside of the lodge, I do have major concerns for him and other masons.  I heard much tonight about the Great Architect and the God of nature and the Father Almighty.  I am concerned though that the references to God are only part of the ritual. It seems as if mankind has a strong desire to live in a pyramidal world where we work to accomplish goals and are celebrated for doing so.  This desire isn’t a bad thing at all as long as we realize it is only God’s grace and mercy through Jesus that we have the ability to create goals, strive for them, and encourage others in climbing the ladder too.

Is the Great Architect a general, tolerant, universal god who is diluted and weak  or is he the God Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the Son Emmanuel, the Holy Spirit?  Rituals can easily distract from the truth and the essence.  The Pharisees battled this in the days Jesus walked on earth as a man.  They let their rituals get in the way of loving others.

Mainly though, my biggest thought throughout the whole ceremony, was the faith God requires of us, and nothing else.  There is a heirarchy, not bad in itself but that creates a level system almost.  Are you a better man because you have advanced through the rites and obtained a higher symbolic hat and pen?  Rather, I wish I could preach one thing to every mason to remember: “For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God- not by works so that no man can boast” Ephesians 2:9.

{God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the ‘beginning’.’
‘Oh, is that so? Tell me…’ replies God.
‘Well’, says the scientist, ‘we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of
you and
breathe life into it, thus creating man.’
‘Well, that’s interesting. Show Me.
So the scientist bends d own to the earth and starts to mold the soil.
‘Oh no, no, no…’, interrupts God, (I love this)
‘Get your own dirt.’}

It struck a chord with me because I have been marveling at technology and what God has allowed us to control on the earth.  However, I have never lost sight of the fact that all said and done, God is still the Creator with the beginning and end in His hands.  How ignorant it is for a finite person of a humble birth outside  of his own control to presume he can start life.  One of my girls was excited to find out recently that her mom was pregnant.  We volleyed back and forth about whether her mom or God had made the baby.  She kept trying to find a loophole in my logic until we agreed that God had made the baby through the natural process of life which He had set up in the first place.  So, great, humans can take life’s building blocks, put them in a dish and create a petri dish baby.  But where do you get the building blocks.  Where did the matter that created the petri dish come from.  The matter is not, can we create something, for God made us in His image.  What seperates us from the infinite God is creating something out of nothing.  In the beginning there was God.  I am grateful for mankind’s creative expression.  I enjoy the beauty of art, the resonance of music, the lyrical meter of poetry, and the awesome power of intelligent spoken and written word.  However, I recognize also the God who shares it all with me, the God who made the notes, who made the lyric, who defined time, who put the ability to design in the mind of man, and gave him the comprehension of language.  God is very explicit about His place in the world to  Job in chapter 38. 

 ”Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand. 

 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?

 On what were its footings set,
       or who laid its cornerstone-

  while the morning stars sang together
       and all the angels ^[a] shouted for joy?

The devotional for August 1 in Experiencing God Day by Day says “Life’s challenges sometimes seem impossible…Don’t give up! Keep your heart loyal to God, for He constantly watches over you, and He desires to demonstrate His strength in your life…The question is not whether God is looking for His people, but whether His people are seeking Him”

A loyal heart.  That is what I desire to have, but it stands in stark contradiction to the pull of the three-ring circus.  They eyes of the Lord are not alone in roaming the earth.  “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8  I often feel the oppression of our enemy or my own evil desires, but I have to remember that “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9  The fact that God desires to show Himself strong on behalf of a loyal heart gives me strenth in itself.  We are nothing on our own but when we are loyal in our devotion to Him, we can say, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Cor. 4:7  Lord, demonstrate Your strength in my life.

I have listened to this song by Toby Mac over and over the last few weeks.  He sings about not wanting to gain the whole world and lose his soul.  Several thoughts in the song seem to put my own feelings into words.  “Father God, I am clay in Your hands.  Help me to stay that way through all life’s demands cuz they chip and they nag and they pull at me, and every little thing I make up my mind to be.  Like I’m gonna be a daddy whose in the mix and I’m gonna be a husband who stays legit and I pray that I’m an artist who rises above the road that is wide and filled with self love.  Everything that I see draws me, though it is only in You that I can truely see that it’s a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose and I’m a little kid at a three-ring circus.”

Living on earth, we lack perspective.  Jesus, being the exact representation of God, taught us a different perspective.  Life is not just about us.  Eventually we will see the big picture and all these major hurts and frustrations will seem like minor difficulties that were completely worth it.  My bible study teacher said last week that God has two agendas: to save us and to make us holy.  Everything that God allows to happen to us is to draw us closer to Himself in some manner.  Last week Micah had an ear infection and we had to give him an antibiotic.  Apparently there has been ample research done on the taste of amoxicillin.  Unfortunately, the flavor accepted the best by most kids was not acceptable to Micah.  The first night we tried to give it to him he successfully fought the attempt for 30 minutes.  We finally tried just shooting it toward the back of his throat as quick as we could but he spit it right back out.  I started crying because I didn’t know what we would do if we couldn’t get him to take it.  I wonder if God ever feels that way about us.  He knows what the outcome will be and He has it all under control but we fight Him over it.   

“Lord, forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world that fight for our love and our passions.  As our eyes are open wide and on You, grant us the privaledge of Your world view, and may Your kingdom be what wakes us up and what lies us down.”

To all who recieve Him, to all who believe in His name, He gave the right to be children of God.  Recently I saw a clip of one of George Bush’s daughters on the Ellen show.  Ellen asked her if she could call up her father at anytime then asked if she would do it right then.  It was hilarious as the audience laughed while she picked up the phone and right there asked Laura Bush if she could speak to “daddy”.  Now, we may not be able to call up the President of the United States whenever we feel like it, but it is amazing that we who have recieved God’s Son may have an audience before the King of the universe, the One in whom all things were created.  How?  Why?  Because we are His children.  God is our daddy.  That makes each of us a princess.  Don’t underestimate your royal position.

Joyce: Do you realize what that says? He made us, then lived among us before He lived among us. Then He took on flesh(and all it’s limitations) for us. The fact that He did this, shows He’s not only our daddy, but a benevolent one who will in fact do anything for us, not short of the sacrifice of throwing off Holy raiments to walk as a human, then die an agonizing death on the cross! He is a “daddy” who will and does fight for us every single day….a little girl’s dream!

Melissa: What an amazing vision. I love how you described that Joyce. I am going to keep that with me always. Steph, you know i love the thought of being a princess. That is a great way of sharing with my daughter as well. I think I am going to use this analogy if you don’t mind. Thank you!

”The one who welcomes you welcomes Me,  and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me.  Anyone who  welcomes a prophet  because he is a prophet  will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous  will receive a righteous person’s reward.”                                                           Matthew 10:40-41