We think of glory as something to be won. Or earned. But really, glory is given. Our God has supplied all our need according to His riches in glory. It was a gift. The gift of God. Eternal life. A life of love. Knowing love. Knowing that you ARE loved. And when you know that you are loved... you can love. When you know what's inside, it WILL come out. It has to. Because whatever you believe is inside--be it love, or hate, or bitterness, or forgiveness, or what--its too big to keep inside. That's why when we try to bottle up our emotions we end up exploding. We end up lashing out. Its not healthy. The Bible even instructs us to cast our cares on the Lord, because He cares for us. We have an outlet. And while prayer goes a long way... I've never thought prayer should just be us griping and complaining all the time. Because A. Your attitude determines your altitude, and we ought to have an attitude of gratitude. And B. Prayer is just as much about listening as it is about talking. I read somewhere that one of the biggest problems people have is that they don't listen to understand, they listen to respond. Like, we know what we know and if this other joker would stop talking we could tell him what we know. But that's not communication. That's not relationship. That's not love. I've found, in my life, that being "right" can sometimes be the worst thing in the world. Because sometimes being "right" only means you know what's going to happen. And what's going to happen doesn't seem very good. So many times, after the fact, people tell me, "You were right. You called it." Yeah, well, that didn't help me stop it. Or change it. So I've started to try to be KIND rather than being right. Because, bottom line, people are going to do what they're going to do whether you're right about it or not. Instead of always needing to be right--and worse yet, needing to prove other people wrong--just be kind. If someone's going to do what they're going to do... let them do it. Love them anyway. Sometimes from a distance, because I still believe its a bad idea to put yourself, or keep yourself, in a bad situation. But fighting with people in order to get them to do what's right--even when you ARE right--isn't going to work. Its not glorious to force people to do, well, anything really. And if you have to force it, or if you have to beg for it, then its not worth it anyway. You can't make people earn your love and affection. Glory is not something to withhold until people jump through your hoops and do what you want them to do. Glory is something that transforms us FROM glory TO glory when we SEE it. When we EXPERIENCE it. When someone gives it to us, or when we give it to someone. But, as always, you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So receive that glory you've been given. That glory that you are. And give it away. Be glorious--not in order to earn glory, but because you have the glory of God. Isaiah 60:1 says what I'm trying to say, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee." We have His glory. It is risen upon us. Because He gave it to us. When He gave Himself to us!

Here's what I'm trying to build for us: God has supplied all our need according to His riches in glory. And that glory, given to us, is what equips and empowers us to give HIM glory. We simply receive and release what He gives us. He first loved us, and we love Him back (with that same love) by loving each other (with that same love). And when we're talking about our need... there's no greater need than love. That's what God gave us, first and foremost; The Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth (that God is love and He loves you)--so that we could know the love that God has always had for us. So that we could know what glory to God in the highest is all about. There's no greater expression of love than laying your life down for your friends. God gave us His only begotten Son. Jesus literally laid His life down for us. Love is giving. There is nothing more glorious than giving what you've got. And there is nothing better to give than love. That's what people need. And when I say "love is what people need" that can look like a whole lot of things. That can look like food when someone is hungry. Or a coat when someone is cold. A shoulder to cry on. An ear to listen when someone needs to speak. And that can be venting, too, by the way. Bottling things up all day long is no good. You'll eventually explode. And that's why connection--relationship--is so important. We need people we can let it all out with. Not ON, not attacking people, but WITH. Someone who will let you say what you gotta say. Unfortunately, that's kind of rare. So if you have someone like that, cherish them. And if you are someone like that, good on you! But my point today is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." We see His glory, and we can give Him glory. We are "changed" FROM glory TO glory. I put that in quotes because its really a maturation more than a change. Starting at glory and then discovering what it means to be glorious as Jesus reveals His glory to us, and in us, and through us, and as us. Finding out what it means to be glorious... by loving people. That's how we test the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of God's love for us--we love people bigger and harder and stronger than we ever thought we could. We let His glory come first, and fill us up to overflowing. Like the temple that Solomon built for the Lord. And when the glory filled the temple is was too much! They couldn't even do anything else except experience that glory. God has already given us everything we could ever need. And He did according to His glory. Because what we needed... was His glory. Now that we have it--and know that we have it--we can let what's inside come out. We can be glorious. By loving each other. By laying our lives down for our friends. Giving everything we have and everything we are to each other. Because we're all in this together. We can't do it alone. We have everything we need... but we need to share everything we have. That's the glory of God. Like I tell my kid all the time, what's mine... is yours!

My point in this Rant series (I think) is that we give God glory... because He's glorious. We don't PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). We don't try to get God to move. He already moved. On the cross. And, really, from the foundation of the world. And, as I'm about to try to show you, when Jesus was born. Look at Luke 2:12-14, "And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Did you catch that? A baby is born. God in the flesh. Love in a body. And then all of the angels show us what the proper response to that is. Glory to God. And not just glory, but glory in the highest! Jesus said there's no greater love a man can have than to lay his life down for his friends, right? Well there's no greater glory than God so loving the world that He gave us His only begotten Son so that we might have something to believe in. And, in believing, not perish but have everlasting life. Because the thing--the person--we believe in is Jesus. Is love. And to live is to love. To love is to live. How else could we live forever other than through a love that never ends or fails? What more glory, or praise, could we give than for that love coming into our lives? In the beginning it was dark, and void, and without form. Then God said, "Let there be light." So that we could see. So that we could see HIM. So that we could see LOVE. And our response to that love? Glory to God in the highest. AND on earth... peace, good will toward men. Because peace and good will is what love produces. When you love someone--and this could probably be a whole Rant series--its really hard to not like them. Its really hard to hold a grudge against someone you love. Think about it. There's probably at least one person in your life who you will literally let them get away with anything. People on the outside don't understand that kind of thing. And when its me, all I can do is shrug my shoulders and say, "They're my favorite." People you would do anything for. My kid. My sister. One of the kids at work. Its a select few. But here's the point: You don't praise someone in order to get them to do something. You praise them because they've done something. And I understand edifying people. Building them up so that they know they can do something. That's valid. That's important. But its not the same as giving them praise. Its not the same as giving them glory. Remember... God has supplied all our need according to His riches and glory, and because of that glory that He gave to us, all glory be to Him! It comes from Him, and then it feeds on itself (HIMSELF) and grows and grows. Like a Holy Ghost wildfire that rages out of control and consumes everything except itself. The glory comes first, then we respond to it. The Way of Grace and the Walk of Faith. We don't need to try get God to move. He already moved. He gave us Jesus. Jesus died and was buried and rose again. What we need is not a move of God, but a revelation of Jesus! A revelation of love!

I ended the last Rant series with the idea from Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." And the next verse says, "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Which got me to thinking. God has supplied all our need according to His riches in glory... and now unto God BE glory forever and ever. That's a lot of glory. And I think when we think about glory--at least in my circles--its more about winning than anything. "No guts no glory," right? So I thought we might take a few days and see what the Bible has to say about it. So let's start with the definition from Philippians 4:19 and 20. It is number 1391 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "glory (as very apparent), dignity, honour, praise, worship." Which kind of does line up with the victory metaphor. Honor, praise, worship. These are things we tend to heap onto our heroes. Especially when they do something praise worthy. And that's where I think we miss the mark so often when it comes to God: We try to praise Him in order to get something from Him. That acronym PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). I think that's totally and completely misguided. I don't think we should be down here wringing our hands trying to get God to move. Because, let's face it, He already moved. That's what the cross was. Jesus did everything He would ever need to do in order to give us everything we would ever need to have. We don't need a move of God. We need a revelation of Jesus. We need to know what that move was, and what it means to us today. And what it was, was Jesus dying and rising again. And what it means to us today is that we can live (experience) His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life by letting Him live it in us, and through us, and as us. We can experience the gift that we've been given--the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth... the truth that God is love and He loves you--by sharing it. We can experience God's love by giving it away. And when we look back to our key passage for this Rant series we see that God first provided... then He was given the glory He so richly deserved. It's not about getting something from God. Its about being thankful for what He's already given you. That attitude of gratitude we always talk about. His glory produces our ability to honor and praise Him. He IS praise worthy. Already. Not because of what He might do, but because of what He HAS done. So when we stop focusing on what we (think we) don't have... we can see what we DO have. And we can share what we do have. And this is the point of the whole deal of what I want to say: WHEN we share what we do have... we give Him glory. We make HIS glory very apparent. The hidden man of the heart is no longer hidden when we let what's inside come out. When we let the LOVE that's inside come out. Winning's nice... but have you ever loved someone while expecting NOTHING from them? That, friends, is glorious!

There's a song by one of Logan's favorite bands that has this line in it: "When you can't hold on... hold on." Which makes no sense. But I understand the concept. Don't give up, no matter how bleak it looks. As my pastor always says, "When you get to the end of your rope... tie a knot in it." What I'm trying to say is... when you know your heavenly Father has your back, its possible to endure anything. When Jesus--when LOVE--is holding you up... nothing can bring you down. When you know you're provided for... you don't have to worry about it. Or anything else. You can cast your cares on Him, knowing that He cares for you. You can look onto the affairs of others--not being a busybody, of course--and you can bear one another's burdens. Many hands make light work, right? We're all in this together. Its not good that man should be alone. When I know that my God has supplied all MY need, I can help you with YOUR need. The whole idea behind living out of our abundance. If you have two coats, and your neighbor had none... hook a brother up! Give what you've got. And, on the flip side, don't be too proud to accept "charity." Because charity is simply love in action. When the rubber meets the road. Putting your money where your mouth is. Remember when I was Ranting about kindness? Well, when someone reaches out to you its important that you don't slap their hand away. Because if you do, they'll be a lot less likely to reach out again. And sometimes its just as important for the giver to give as it is for the receiver to receive. I can tell you, from experience, that the times in life that I've felt the best about something is when I've been on the giving side. Because that's what love is; love is giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are. So if someone is giving you something... just receive it. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone refuse help... and then turn around and complain about how nobody will help them. You talk about something that makes no sense! So, to end this Rant series I want to say, "When you can't hold on... hold on." Trust in the One who is holding you. Don't worry about what you haven't got. Give what you have got. Don't try to be someone you're not in order to get something. Be who you are. Be still and know that HE is God. Know that God is love. Let the love inside you come out. My God SHALL supply all YOUR need. And I know this because He HAS supplied all MY need. I've been hungry, but I've never GONE hungry. I've been broke, but I'm not broken. A setback is just a setup for a comeback. It came to pass, not to stay. So go through it, but don't let it go through you. Let the people in your life help you. That's what they're there for. People are either a blessing or a lesson, right? And either way you're going to get what you need. Because God has already given you what you need. He is a good Daddy. A good provider. Use your pro vision to see the provision. See the love in every sitation and let what's inside come out!

My God SHALL supply all YOUR need. I know this because He HAS provided all MY need. I saw it. I saw the provision with my pro vision. With the light of the world shining, and making things clear. I'm a witness. I experience it, and now I can tell you about it. In order to edify you. Build you up. Carry you through. Because while we WILL go through things, that DOESN'T mean things have to go through us. We don't have to let things wreck us. A setback is simply a setup for a comeback. And who doesn't love a good comeback story? Especially when, according to Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. History is HIS story. Especially when, according to Isaiah 46:10, God declares the end from the beginning. He wrote the story. Not with the end in mind, but with the end already established. Already finished. Jesus is the beginning AND the end. The Alpha and the Omega. And He's everything in between. LOVE is everything in between! An eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life of love! Being loved and loving others. Being loved by God and loving Him back by loving others with the love that He first loved us with! He provided us with His love... so that we could use it. Experience it by giving it away. By sharing it. And, listen, when Logan suggested the idea for this Rant series... He was talking about natural resources. All of the land, and air, and everything else that God created. We were talking about things like, "Where did God come from?" Well... He always has been and always will be. "And He created everything?" He made everything that was made, yessir. "All of the grass?" Yup. Etc. So while God DID provide us with everything we need to live a natural life... He did even more than that. He always does more than we could ask or even think. Love always goes the extra mile. Because He gave us everything we need to live a Spiritual life. HIS life. He didn't just give His life FOR us on the cross... He gave His life TO us on the cross. So that we could have it. So that we could live it (or experience it) by letting HIM live it in us, and as us, and through us! Letting the love that's inside come out by knowing and believing that its in there. And when you're focused on love--seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness--you won't worry about all those natural resources. You'll be able to give what you've got, be it love... or whatever else (money... a coat... whatever) without worrying about not having enough. You can be generous because you know you're provided for. You can live out of your abundance when you know that you HAVE abundance. And, as always, love is what makes the abundant life abundant. Love is what God has provided for us. First and foremost. And most importantly. So don't worry about lack. You have no lack because my God has no lack. And I can tell you that with total and complete confidence because I have no lack. Because MY God has no lack. I've witnessed it, and I can share it with you!

There's a big difference between needs and wants. Believe it or not. What we want, in fact, is very rarely what we need. Keep this in mind when I show you my memory verse for today: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). And there's a couple of important things here. The first thing is, Paul wasn't even talking about HIS need. He was talking about YOUR need. He wasn't boasting about what God had done for him... well, in a way he was. Because he was able to tell the church in Philipi that God would supply their need BECAUSE God had supplied his need. A witness tells people what they've witnessed. And its powerful because they've actually witnessed it. When you have a PHD--personally have done it--you KNOW what you're talking about. A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. So that's the first thing. Paul was talking from experience in order to edify others. And the second thing is that all important word: NEED. It is number 5532 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "employment, that is, an affair; also (by implication) occasion, demand, requirement or destitution." Get it? The requirements of life. Like food, water, air... or the means (employment) to get by. People always WANT a handout, when what they NEED is to work. Paul wrote in another place, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Paul wrote all the time about how he didn't want to be a burden to the church. He was a tent maker, right? He wanted to pay his own way. And working is HOW God provided his need. I'm very thankful to have my job. Its hard. Its exhausting. But it allows me to take care of my kid in the best way that I can right now. Its a blessing. Its provision. I NEED to take care of Logan and be on his schedule for days off and whatnot. God provided my need. But there seems to be this attitude of INgratitude. This attitude of entitlement. Where we think everything should be handed to us. Where we think we don't need to do anything, and should just get everything. Now, listen, that IS the way it works in the Spirit. You can't make perfect in the flesh what was started in the Spirit. Its not about Spiritual jumping jacks and jumping through hoops and trying to be someone you're not in order to get something you think you haven't got. Its about being who you are by knowing who you are. Rest is not inactivity, it is Holy Spirit directed activity. And the Holy Spirit only ever directs us to love. So look at it like this: If God WANTS us to love... and He always provides us with whatever He expects from us... He must first love us. Oh, which is what 1 John 4:19 says, "We love him, because he first loved us." He HAS supplied all our need by loving us. By giving us everything we need. By giving us the means to live. Because to live is to love and to love is live. He loved us, so we could live a life of love by loving Him back... by loving each other!

The internet was wonky last night. Or something. So it took a longer than usual time to upload my Rant. I say that to say this: When I was sitting here staring at it, waiting (with fingers crossed) for it to upload... I couldn't help but notice that if you break the title into two words "provision" becomes PRO vision. Which makes perfect sense, considering that seeing is believing. Considering that Jesus came to reveal the Divine Order of things to us. To reveal the Father to us. By shining the light of the world. The light of love. The light that He is. The light that WE are. Because when it comes to provision... we already have (we already ARE) everything we need. We have been blessed with all Spiritual blessings in the heavenly Chirst. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have what we need. We just don't always see it that way. Hebrews 2:8 says it like this, "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him." See, the problem isn't the problem. Your attitude about the problem is the problem. All things ARE under His (our) feet. But we don't see things that way. Jesus--both for us and as us--overcame the world 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. But we're still trying to figure out how to be overcomers. We can't wrap our minds around the truth that there is nothing left to overcome. Jesus fought (and won) the war to end all wars. Which means there are no more wars left. Only the good fight of faith--laying hold of eternal life. Recieving the gift we've been given instead of robbing ourselves of that gift by trying to earn it. You can't earn a gift. You can only earn wages. And when the Bible speaks of wages it speaks of the wages of sin (unbelief) which is death. Before the cross we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Trying to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. But now our vision has been cleared. Pro vision. We know what we have been provided with because we can see it. The first four words of Hebrews 2:9 give us the answer to the "problem." And this is why we say things like, "Jesus is the answer." Ready? All things ARE under His (our) feet. But we don't see it that way. "But we see Jesus..." As long as our faith gets us to the One who has faith... anything is possible for Him that believes. If we can see that God is our provider, and our provision, then we don't have to see the money in our bank account. For example. Because we can rest assured that we will have what we need. Because (one more time) He has already given us what we need. Remember yesterday we talked briefly about seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness? Well, when we see what our heavenly Father is working with... we won't worry about whether its enough or not. We'll know that we have no lack because our God has no lack. We'll know that we're covered. Because we'll be able to see our provision with our pro vision!

Sometimes I see this idea in movies or whatnot. Something happens that stretches the limit of credibility, and the character shrugs and says, "Providence." Always kind of struck me (a writer) as lazy writing. But the thing of it is... well, let me quote my memory verse for this Rant series. And let me say that Logan specifically asked if I would Rant about Father God providing for us. That's what was on HIS heart, so that's where I'm at. Right there with ya, buddy. Ok. John 1:3, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." And I think that makes sense, even on the surface of it. If He made everything, how could anything that was made NOT be made by Him? And just so we're clear on what we're talking about, "made" is number 1096 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "to cause to be." God caused everything to be that... be. LOVE caused everything to be. Let me try to say it another way, "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When we couldn't offer Him anything... He gave us everything. He gave His only begotten Son. He gave His very life for us, and to us. Because He wanted us to have it. Because, while causing everything that be to be is pretty amazing... He caused everything to be, so that we could experience it and enjoy it. That's what God had for Adam after He finished the work of creating the garden of Eden. "And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15). He didn't make Adam just through hoops or earn anything. He gave Adam a gift. He provided for His creation. Because He loved (loves) His creation. Let me use one more passage of Scripture to set this Rant series up, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What sheall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31-33). Its like the Wizard of Oz, really. The very things we're wearing ourselves out trying to get are the very things that we've had all along. We just weren't looking in the right spot. We were looking without, acting as if we WERE without. When, in reality, I have no lack because my God has no lack. I've "been" hungry (I'm always hungry), but I've never GONE hungry. And if you say that's because I have people in my life who help me when I'm down I'll say you're exactly right. And then I'll add the truth that God works in mysterious ways because He works through people. It doesn't have to be some supernatural providence, or provision, like in the movies (although that can, and has, and will happen too). It can be as simple as someone with two coats giving one to someone with none. Provision from the Father comes in many forms. But He provides everything we need. Has already provided it. Why? Because He's a good Daddy. Because He loves His children. Its that simple.

Here's what I'm talking about when I try to communicate the idea of receiving and releasing... receiving BY releasing; I'm talking about experiencing the thing you're giving away. And that way truly experiencing it. Because when you're wrapped up, preoccupied, in getting something... you miss out on what you already have. I've been using my current kidney stones/losing my voice debacle as an example. Now, I DID have my family wrap their arms around me and take good care of me. The outpouring of kindness--even from an unexpected source--was amazing. But let's say none of that happened. Let's say I had to do it myself. Figure it out myself. Because, guess what, I've been there too. I've had situations where I asked for help and didn't get any. When you go through this life you have tribulation. That's part and parcel to living. But here's what I'm trying to say to end this Rant series: In either situation, you can let what's going on dictate to you--you can let what's going on get into you--or you can dictate to what's going on. You can let what's really in you get out. You can either be a thermomether, or a thermostat. You can take the temperature, and let any and every thing else get you hot under the collar... or you can set the temperature. You can let getting no help turn you bitter, or you can turn it around and make sure you're there to give someone help when THEY need it. Because you know what it feels like to be on the other side. Be the person you needed when you were younger, right? Probably why its so important to me to help people. Probably why one of my catchphrases is, "I've got your back." But you can't just say that. You have to put your money where your mouth is. You have to actually BE there for people. And here (again) is what I'm trying to say. It doesn't matter if people were there for you or not. You don't release what you've received FROM PEOPLE. You release what you've received from your heavenly Father. You let what's inside come out. If nobody helped you... you know what that feels like and you can make sure someone else doesn't. OR. If someone HAS helped you out... you know how great that is and you can pay it forward. So it doesn't matter what happened. It matters what you learn from what happened. All things work together for good. Even when, in the moment, it doesn't seem so good. Doesn't feel so good. You can still, as Daniel Tiger says, "Turn it around, and find something good." Whether you've experienced unkindness, or kindness, or both, or neither... you can still be kind. Because God showed us His grace through His kindness. There's nothing more holy than loving people. And there's nothing more kind than showing someone grace, and mercy, and forgiveness. Being who YOU are no matter what's going on around you. And you can only BE who you are when you KNOW who you are. When you let Jesus--God in the flesh, love in a body... God in YOUR flesh, love in YOUR body--reveal Himself to you, and in you, and through you, and as you. And it starts with (not so) random acts of kindness...