Showing posts with label Alignment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alignment. Show all posts

Monday, July 10, 2017

More Alignments

I am still thinking a great deal about alignment... people... stars... mindsets...

"For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate." - Luke 15:24 ESV

Jesus tells a story in Luke chapter 15 involving a sheep that was lost, a coin that was lost and a family. The father thought his son was lost. None of the lost ones knew they were lost. They coin could care less where it was. The son had a destination.

The Father knew his son was lost but the son was misaligned in his thinking. I have written about this passage before in more detail but this morning (and this last weekend) I have been thinking about it in a new context.

The son had a place at his father's table. He was lost but he returned.

" 'Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'' " - Luke 15:25-32 ESV

One brother's realignment reveals another brother's misalignment.

Do we value what God values? Do we look at people like He does? The Bible was given to us so we could be realigned to God's mind. Jesus came to find us and show us that we have a place in His family.

The prodigal son 'came to himself' one day and began a journey to return to his place. God wants that for everyone. He wants a house full of joy and laughter.

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Friday, July 7, 2017

Alignments

A key fits and opens a lock because someone designed it to align with that lock and overcome the obstacles put in place to keep someone else out.

We have ways to be aligned and we have times when alignment is possible.

"... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" - Luke 18:8b ESV

Rest has to do with alignment. Faith does also. Are we aligned with God's vision for a family or a marriage? Is our body aligned?

"He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!' They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, 'Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?' He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?' " - Isaiah 44:14-20 ESV

Is our life like this? If it is then those areas are not aligned. The key won't open the lock.

Grace thinking aligns us. God thinks this way and then he gives it to us through His Son. All that we have is given to us outside of performance. We have by faith and our lives get aligned by faith in rest.

If we hold something crooked in our right hand (a picture of approval) as we feed on ashes we won't think with God. The lie blocks our perception.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." - Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV

In Jesus, we are aligned. We can't beat ourselves into the right shape. There is no need. Jesus is forever aligned and we are, right now, aligned in Him.

Cook your food and warm your family but do it with open hands of worship. Jesus Is who we look to and in God's time, other alignments will open doors for us to walk through. If we have eyes that see we will act when the moment is right.

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