Looking back at everything we experience in life the one unavoidable fact is that moments make up all the time we have on this Earth. Moments provide us with memories that we remember for the rest of our lives, and those that we would just assume forget. These places in time foster emotion, spark relationships and build character that define all of us.
Within these moments we make time for many things that serve our own interests, however, we tend to forget the one who gives us all we have. God.........
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Being Heard
I had a thought the other day while pondering how God speaks to us. I have spoken to many people out there who have been deeply moved in some way by God's voice in their life. Some of us get an ominous feeling; others tend to have visions, dreams or intense thoughts of God speaking to them. How incredible would it be to sit in a random place and have God just appear to you and chat it up? It’s like a thousand times better than having the Schwan’s guy show up on your door step and tell you that anything on his truck is yours for free. It doesn't even compare though.....
There are those Christians out there that grade their relationship and level of commitment by the “messages” or feelings they receive from God. I know there have been several times when I have become dismayed because I did not experience some incredible moving feeling inside me. I used to think that my relationship with God was poor because I didn't get that "special feeling." It took a long time to figure out that God is here speaking to me even when I don’t get a physical or mental communique. He speaks to me through the bible, His everlasting word.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).
So do we need to wait for God to speak with us, or can we simply talk with Him whenever we feel the need? The latter of these two concepts is the correct answer. Prayer is such an under rated and underutilized tool these days. Do you wait for the doctor to come to you when you are sick, or do you go to him/her? When you needed money from your parents, did you expect them to come to you or did you go to them? And when you wanted to go to that concert, did the band come perform at your house or did you have to go see them? I know God is standing next to me because I feel the need to just get down on my knees and pray from time to time. Moral of the story: God is in each of our lives though we can’t always hear Him, touch Him, or see Him. All we need to do is speak and He will hear.
Psalm 32:1-11
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Strong Silence
Mountains stand tall on the horizon ever moving and shifting as time marches on. All kinds of weather come to bear on the surface while changes take place deep inside on a daily basis. Some mountains find themselves alone in this world. They stand alone as stone cold giants, fiery monsters, or small wonders that rise out of the land. Some mountains run seemingly together as a part of ranges that span hundreds of miles. Each mountain has it's own story, some short, some long, yet each is different than the next.
We are definitely not mountains, yet our lives share such similarities with these granite and earthen giants that sprinkle the canvas of our nation. In life we will find ourselves with or without people surrounding us depending on many uncontrollable circumstances. God offers us strength in the midst of loneliness, strength in when we feel alone in a crowd of many, and strength that will outlast anything this world can throw your way.
Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
We are definitely not mountains, yet our lives share such similarities with these granite and earthen giants that sprinkle the canvas of our nation. In life we will find ourselves with or without people surrounding us depending on many uncontrollable circumstances. God offers us strength in the midst of loneliness, strength in when we feel alone in a crowd of many, and strength that will outlast anything this world can throw your way.
Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A lesson on the River
Patience is certainly a virtue that I try to indulge in whenever I get the chance. Take today for instance, fishing on the river for pink salmon and sturgeon. Let's cover some facts first before I go any further with this story. My wife will attest to the fact that the name Mike Cifu does not strike fear into any fish. In fact, I get the feeling sometimes many of them are somehow laughing when I throw my hook in the water. How the truth hurts! Moving on, I did get myself a salmon on this occasion, however, the sturgeon were not biting. Sturgeon fishing is definitely a waiting game. It does not require multiple casts of the rod and reel, on the contrary, it calls for extreme patience and concentration. At times I felt like a polar bear waiting for hours for that one seal who might poke it's head through the ice (water in this case). I didn't end up catching any sturgeon, but I did catch a tan/sunburn. We'll run with tan for right now........
I learned from my waiting game with the fish that it pays to just be still, and secondly, it pays off to have enough trust to be patient for something or someone. In the same way God wants us to be still and patient with our lives.
Psalm 37:7-9 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Does this mean that we can't be ambitious or "hit the ground running" when it comes to certain things in life? No! This all goes back to God's desire of free will for us; each human being making their own choices in life as they perceive forks in the road. Don't be so busy that you miss God, miss His creation, and miss out on the incredible peace He wishes for all of us. Today on the river when we knew that the time for fishing had drawn to a close, we sat in the boat and felt an inner peace and amazement as we looked toward the mountains extending skyward from the river and surrounding fields. All I thought at that moment was, thank you!
Psalms 40
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.
I learned from my waiting game with the fish that it pays to just be still, and secondly, it pays off to have enough trust to be patient for something or someone. In the same way God wants us to be still and patient with our lives.
Psalm 37:7-9 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Does this mean that we can't be ambitious or "hit the ground running" when it comes to certain things in life? No! This all goes back to God's desire of free will for us; each human being making their own choices in life as they perceive forks in the road. Don't be so busy that you miss God, miss His creation, and miss out on the incredible peace He wishes for all of us. Today on the river when we knew that the time for fishing had drawn to a close, we sat in the boat and felt an inner peace and amazement as we looked toward the mountains extending skyward from the river and surrounding fields. All I thought at that moment was, thank you!
Psalms 40
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Uncertainty
I took a good look at the articles covering mainstream news websites over this past week. Wow, negativity city! If you didn't need medication for depression or anxiety before, you will after that experience. Let's face the fact that bad news is not all over the media channels anymore just because it sells. It's in your face because "bad" is everywhere you turn now a days. Never fear though because there is a God up above who is here to save us from all of the issues that we get into. God doesn't promise that everything will be sunshine and daisies everyday. This life will always be hard in one way or another.
There are no magic words to sugar coat this topic. A lot of people out there are ready to throw out the anti-Christian slogans and reasoning because fear and doubt are two words that grip their lives. God has never let me down even though I turned my back on Him more times than I can think of. Then there is the "What about this guy" game that a lot of individuals love to play. It usually goes something like this, "Well I saw so and so doing this or that, and I thought he was supposed to be a Christian?! That's why I'll never buy into that stuff." Everyone makes mistakes, and there will always be those out there that make more than others. I guess you could throw my name in with that bunch sometimes. It's what you do with that realization of wrong doing afterward that separates you from the rest of the pack. Benny Hinn is a really good example of a Christian that started out with incredible intentions, but somewhere in the midst of his televangelism the straight and narrow road got blurry. That's the incredible thing about God's grace; no matter how confused you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how convoluted life gets sometimes, He is always there to accept us as we are. I was asked by a former pastor if I understood God's grace and had I accepted it? I was pretty lost in the sauce! I know now that God's grace to me is a gift of eternal life and salvation that I don't deserve. People will always let you down 100% of the time, with percentages like that it's a good thing God cares for us just the same and more.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
There are no magic words to sugar coat this topic. A lot of people out there are ready to throw out the anti-Christian slogans and reasoning because fear and doubt are two words that grip their lives. God has never let me down even though I turned my back on Him more times than I can think of. Then there is the "What about this guy" game that a lot of individuals love to play. It usually goes something like this, "Well I saw so and so doing this or that, and I thought he was supposed to be a Christian?! That's why I'll never buy into that stuff." Everyone makes mistakes, and there will always be those out there that make more than others. I guess you could throw my name in with that bunch sometimes. It's what you do with that realization of wrong doing afterward that separates you from the rest of the pack. Benny Hinn is a really good example of a Christian that started out with incredible intentions, but somewhere in the midst of his televangelism the straight and narrow road got blurry. That's the incredible thing about God's grace; no matter how confused you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how convoluted life gets sometimes, He is always there to accept us as we are. I was asked by a former pastor if I understood God's grace and had I accepted it? I was pretty lost in the sauce! I know now that God's grace to me is a gift of eternal life and salvation that I don't deserve. People will always let you down 100% of the time, with percentages like that it's a good thing God cares for us just the same and more.
Righteousness Through Faith
Romans 321 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Emotions Running Wild
Some years ago I was attending a training course in Chesapeake, Virginia. The humidity was bad enough to make you sweat just walking from the shower to your room. Despite the uncomfortable climate, things were pretty good back then. I am half Italian and half Scotch-Irish by decent, so take a moment to imagine the emotions and attitude wrapped up into that package. As a wee Cifu I gave my parents a run for their money! Things didn't change even after I got out of high school, it was just some different that now had the opportunity to fully embrace my attitude and emotions. A few months after arriving in Virginia I called my Mom one day and had a game changing conversation. She told me that she was at the tail end of receiving treatment for breast cancer. My mind was free falling when I heard the words. My emotions were running wild as I began my self serving reply, "Why did you keep this from me? When did all of this happen?" Compassion for the incredible woman who raised and loved me was no where to be found. I proceeded to neglect her feelings so I could find out information which was irrelevant at that very moment. It's a crazy trip that our emotions can take us on from time to time. Often we allow feelings to dictate our actions. What we think are intelligent choices are often immature actions conjured up from our own self fulfilling notions.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
Involving God in daily decisions and actions is the control mechanism for our emotions.
Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
Involving God in daily decisions and actions is the control mechanism for our emotions.
Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Humility Forgotten
There are some lessons in life that we as human beings find difficult to learn, and even more challenging to hold onto. If there were a list of them floating around humility would be somewhere near the top. Doesn't it appear as if society has been afflicted with a sense of self entitlement and self righteousness? The population as a whole has engaged in this attitude that they should get everything they want just because they want it; they should be able to say whatever they want just because they can. As Americans we are the worst when it comes to such a self fulfilling mentality. Why can't we just work hard and be happy with what we get? Whether we get a little, or a lot, we should accept everything with a grateful and respectful attitude. Teenagers and those coming out of High School are the worst individuals who have a lack of humility. They were often not disciplined by their parents because the parents would rather keep the peace by acting as a "best friend." As a result the younger generations are receiving everything by just asking or acting out if they don't get their way, which also provides the same result. Whatever happened to corporal punishment and basic parenting skills?
Humility was a lesson I had to learn the hard way, and yet I am eternally grateful for God using the Marine Corps to show me that lesson. Does the military always have the same affect on everybody, NO! I have observed my fair share of men and women coming out of the military and feeling as if the world owed them everything just because they served. That road is for another discussion topic though. My experience started in Marine Corps boot camp at MCRD San Diego. Through all the weeks of relentless yelling, physical punishment, and training, one event really showed me the meaning of humility. Just after our initial drill competition against the other platoons in our company, we found out the platoon as a whole had scored second place. Getting this score out of six other platoons was pretty respectable, especially if you saw how horrible we were when we first marched together. Our drill instructors (DI's) came into our squad bay late in the morning after we had learned of our ranking and unleashed hell, well, what we thought hell would have been like. If you weren't up in the front getting thrashed (a workout that only ends when the DI's are tired), you were probably in the back getting your footlocker dumped and seeing how many recruits can fit into a bathroom stall at one time. At one point the DI's let our rival platoon run in our squad bay while we were at attention. They flung our belongings all over, locked all of our combination locks together, and emptied out our supply closet by spilling every cleaning solution known to man all over us. Our DI's were even sending us to other squad bays so we could be thrashed by their DI's! The chaos and confusion ended at 9pm or so that night. What did I learn from this moment in time? We had done very well that day at drill (we found out later), but it wasn't about how well we did. They wanted us to learn two things from that day's events:
1. Be humble, regardless of what you experience in life. Just because you worked hard does not mean there is some pay out at the end.
2. Respect those that preside over you.
So.........nice story, but what does all of it mean? If you don't respect those that preside over you, you cannot truly respect anyone or anything around you. This is the same with God. 1 Peter talks about humility saying:
1 Peter 5
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Remember, the most important lessons in life are sometimes the hardest to swallow when they arrive on your front door step. Work hard, expect nothing in return, and be grateful in life no matter what path God takes you down! One last set of verses before I end this.
Luke 18
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Humility was a lesson I had to learn the hard way, and yet I am eternally grateful for God using the Marine Corps to show me that lesson. Does the military always have the same affect on everybody, NO! I have observed my fair share of men and women coming out of the military and feeling as if the world owed them everything just because they served. That road is for another discussion topic though. My experience started in Marine Corps boot camp at MCRD San Diego. Through all the weeks of relentless yelling, physical punishment, and training, one event really showed me the meaning of humility. Just after our initial drill competition against the other platoons in our company, we found out the platoon as a whole had scored second place. Getting this score out of six other platoons was pretty respectable, especially if you saw how horrible we were when we first marched together. Our drill instructors (DI's) came into our squad bay late in the morning after we had learned of our ranking and unleashed hell, well, what we thought hell would have been like. If you weren't up in the front getting thrashed (a workout that only ends when the DI's are tired), you were probably in the back getting your footlocker dumped and seeing how many recruits can fit into a bathroom stall at one time. At one point the DI's let our rival platoon run in our squad bay while we were at attention. They flung our belongings all over, locked all of our combination locks together, and emptied out our supply closet by spilling every cleaning solution known to man all over us. Our DI's were even sending us to other squad bays so we could be thrashed by their DI's! The chaos and confusion ended at 9pm or so that night. What did I learn from this moment in time? We had done very well that day at drill (we found out later), but it wasn't about how well we did. They wanted us to learn two things from that day's events:
1. Be humble, regardless of what you experience in life. Just because you worked hard does not mean there is some pay out at the end.
2. Respect those that preside over you.
So.........nice story, but what does all of it mean? If you don't respect those that preside over you, you cannot truly respect anyone or anything around you. This is the same with God. 1 Peter talks about humility saying:
1 Peter 5
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Remember, the most important lessons in life are sometimes the hardest to swallow when they arrive on your front door step. Work hard, expect nothing in return, and be grateful in life no matter what path God takes you down! One last set of verses before I end this.
Luke 18
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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