Meek and Lowly in Heart

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." What is true meekness? Once agin it cannot be something that is a natural character trait, or passed on. It is opposite of every way of natural logic. It is not simply a part of someone's nature to be meek and lowly in heart. Meekness is not simply being an agreeable person, that is easy going and non confrontational. Meekness is the most painful beatitude yet. In being poor in spirit we realize our need for His strength to be made perfect in our weakness. That we do not have what it takes to be successful in this life. That my own strength is not sufficient to walk out and live out the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Moving us into a place of being pained over our sin. This place of longing to be made whole, to no longer be bound by our sin. Which ushers us into the place of choosing meekness. Up until this point we have been ok with brokenness and weakness being displayed before ourself and God, but how will we respond when someone unjustly accuses us and points out that weakness for us? To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending. The man that knows meekness is not always watching himself and his own interests. The meek man is not proud of himself, he does not in any sense glory in himself. He feels that there is nothing in himself of which he can boast. A man can never be meek unless he has seen himself as a vile sinner. The man who is truly meek is the one who is amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do. Meekness means knowing the wretchedness of your own heart, and knowing that in ourselves we are worth a whole lot less than what this human race demands of us. But the good news is, He will be strong for us in our weakest state! It is His promise to us. "My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

Strength & Honor,

Grace & Peace.

Isaac

The blessing of Mourning

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." To mourn, what is it to truly mourn? Once again we have to look through the spiritual lens to get a proper perspective and understanding of the message Jesus is trying to convey in these words. For this 'mourning' is more than the natural sadness over the loss of something. But to mourn over the sin in our heart and life. That battle that is raging on the inside. "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep doing." Romans 7:18-19 The wrestle in my heart against the things I know I do not want to do because they are evil, when i do them it brings me to a place of mourning over my sin.. The place of mourning is the correct response to our sin. It is the mourning that will lead us to repentance, which will lead to a superior comfort, our hearts will be put to rest. The world is searching for peace, rest, and joy, and there is only one that can offer that full satisfaction. Jesus alone can bring comfort and trade our ashes for beauty. So why not surrender everything to Him? Why not enter into that eternal perspective of realizing we are weak and broken at the end of everyday, and the fact of mourning over our sin is taking us to the place of repentance, which leads to feeling the enjoyment of the Lord over our lives! I want to forever be pained over my sin, I want to look to the hope of the age to come, and in that place know there will be fullness of joy and comfort. That in that day, there will be no more sickness or death, no more pain. He will make all things new, and we will be perfectly one with Him!

Strength & Honor,

Grace & Peace.

Isaac

Poor in Spirit

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." What is Jesus really saying here? We know He is not addressing finance, "poor in spirit" I think He is speaking directly to that mentality in all of us that screams independence and self reliance. I have to come to a place where I recognize my lack, my spiritual barrenness to produce anything on my own. That it is all Him all the time! It's never by my strength that I will be able to accomplish anything, or get anywhere spiritually. It will always be about this truth of realizing that it will always be His strength giving me the endurance to sustain my heart. I am weak, I am broken, I have nothing apart from Him. I have to believe He is my good shepherd and He knows my weaknesses and will lead me on the path perfect for giving me strength to keep saying "Yes" to Him.I have nothing apart from Him. I am nothing without Him. I exist for Him, He doesn't exist for me. I have to learn to lean into the way He leads even when it feels opposite of normal, I must proclaim that His ways are far above my own. I think David was able to proclaim "You Gentleness has made me great" because He was connected to this truth of in our weakest and darkest moment, His strength is sufficient for me.My strength and my riches are found in CHrist alone! How encouraging that Jesus teaches this to us and desires to meet us in that place of weak reliant love on Him! Jesus knows we need Him, He lets us know we need Him, and then relentlessly calls our hearts to that place of learning to trust Him fully with our weakness. Let me never think I can do it on my own. Let me never find strength in myself. I proclaim that my strength is from a far superior strength. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

Strength & Honor,

Grace & Peace.

Isaac

Photography these days.

So I'm doing quite a bit of picture taking these days. Here's one from a recent wedding I assistant shot. LOVE THIS ONE!

A Walk that's Worthy

Lately I've been doing quite a lot of thinking. That pretty much goes without saying I guess. But even more so there has been questions on my heart and mind. The burning Worth of Jesus has been a topic on my mind. The heart of worship, the very center of what worship is. Why do I sing songs and pray things back to God that He already knows? Why is it important that we sing songs of praise to Jesus? I don't want to sing just empty meaningless songs. I want to sing straight to the heart of Jesus. Why, do we do all of these things? Because He is WORTH IT ALL! Everything we have to give, He's worth it all. What an interesting thought. The angels have been singing songs about the glory of who God is for all of eternity past since they were created. Angels were created. Since the time they were they've been singing about the majesty of God, the mystery of the greatness of who He is! The angels have been singing songs about how great He is, yet they have known what it is for God to look on their current situation and provide supernaturally for them. They've never felt the emotion of knowing that God is looking at their life specifically and caring about them. They are merely angels, and they still cry Holy. All they can do at the response of seeing this great and marvelous God is cry out Holy! God, in and of Himself is worth our every ounce of adoration and praise we can give. Why am I involved in a 24/7 prayer and worship movement? Because God is so worth every bit of 24/7 worship! Anything less would be less than what He deserves! He is worth 24/7 worship just in the character of who He is. How much more every time He has proved His faithfulness in our personal lives. He is worth a endless song that sings of His power and majesty. He is worth an unending song that sings of His beauty in His kindness and mercy that knows no end. He is so worth our songs, our hearts, our lives! Not that this is a real number or percentage, but lets say about 95% of the songs that we sing here on the earth wouldn't even qualify as worship in heaven! Our songs are filled with selfish motives and external motives. Not that God is sitting in heaven looking at how bad our songwriting is, because He loves the song. But He is worthy of the best that we can give! My heart has been singing of songs that would declare the beauty of who He is to the nations. But not just in music or song, because that is not the end of worship. A life that explodes with thought, emotion, expression, passion for the Glory of what God is deserving! He's worth our every breath, our every movement, our every thought, that Jesus may be exalted in that place. This God/Man is so worth our every moment of time. He is so worth wasting your life on. If there is one ambition of mine lately it has been to waste my life on the journey of knowing Him and giving Him the Glory He is due. It's no wonder when Jesus was born that the angels couldn't help but cry out to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the Highest!" The angels could absolutely not help themselves when the God that created them, created the earth, created man, became what He created. They thought they had songs to sing about the Glory and Majesty of God before, then He steps into the form of His own creation as God in the flesh of a new born baby, and the angels go CRAZY!!! I want to stare at Jesus with that kind of revelation and give Him all the glory He is due! But not only that, when God became a man, it was a testimony in itself that He desires to know us individually. So not only in my songs do I want to testify about my love for this God that became a man for me. My heart response, when everything is cursing and bringing shame to His name, from a lovesick I have to scream out and defend His name. My heart has grown to love Him, I can't just let people trample all over His name. If there is anyone worth defending, or dying for, it's Jesus. Let my heart be connected to that, so that I may live a walk that is worthy of who He is.

Grace & Peace,

Strength & Honor.

Isaac