It's all about Grace
It's been a while... Well, things are good. Just got a few minutes to myself and a laptop :) and have been watching Tissot Touch Watches on eBay. They have an altimeter - very cool.
We are in Halifax visiting Paul and Shelley. A long way from Alberta but not from oil. Paul is an engineer with Imperial Oil out here.
It has been a whirlwind of planes, cities, cars, and different beds every night. But the kids don't seem to mind a bit. We'll drive the 2.5 hours back to Moncton later tonight.
Had a great time last night praying with and for the guys in The Contact - deep God stuff. Reminded me of the other night in downtown Moncton where I was with Dar's nephew speaking to him outside a pub about Jesus and the Spirit when he all of a sudden layed his life down on the sidewalk (literally, the Spirit of God met him right there facedown palms up on the concrete).
Later today we'll see Dar's brother Jeff who started two radio stations in Atlantic Canada.
This weekend Dar and I will be doing a wedding for a friend on a little island off the coast of New Brunswick.
Then our energetic tribe fly back to only God knows who, what and where in Canmore, Alberta.
Last week, while visiting Dar's sister and family in Simcoe, Ontario I was reading Dallas Willard's series of essays The Great Omission. Willard said over and over that grace is opposed to earning, not effort. He spoke about holy Christians consuming grace like a 747 consumes fuel on takeoff. We consume much more grace the more we live full out as Christ intended. Grace isn't just about God dealing with sin. God wants to fill us with His whole life - the Spirit of His personal dynamic life - who was first fully revealed to humanity within and through Jesus Christ.
Jesus showed us the way of consuming this grace. At all times, He lived in full submission to His Father and never once broke fellowship with His Spirit. Jesus invited us to approach His Father, through His own body and blood, into the life of His Spirit... into His resurrection, coming and going, ebbing and flowing, breathing in and sighing out - His Kingdom come onto the whole earth as it is in heaven.
I'll never forget Gordon Fee during many of his New Testament lectures at Regent, crying out, "It's all about grace! It's all about grace!"
2013, Kirk Bartha
6 comments
6 Comments:
What about our time of prayer and connection? It must have been the first for all of us in my 31 years. It was great to reconnect in more ways than one. Hope you's have a safe trip and keep in contact eh...we need each other.
Luv,
Your Sis
it's like that u2 song about grace...grace makes beauty out of ugly things we need it to become all we're destined to become...which is to be alive and real.
i'm back...and i miss asia so much it hurts. but i'm learning what it means to be fully here! hopefully we can catch up when you come for change conference :)
praying and trusting that God has prepared a place for the bartha family :)
Hey Beck, it was awesome to pray with you and Andy that night. Three siblings in full agreement - the peace that filled the car at that time was deep and personal. When I get our family settled we'll be able to set a rythmn of regular communication between the three of us.
Kat, I think of those words "...who for the joy set before..." You have a joy set before you. That moment you can enter fully into all that God has for you in the Pacific Rim. Yesterday I was praying with a friend in Halifax from India. He can't wait to get back to India... but he knows there is much to do here in Canada first. He told me he wants to steal some jewels from here and take them back to India. It has something to do with intercession and revival and young kingdom leaders. Kat, there are many jewels you will take with you to Asia... plunder this nation first! I'll do what I can to help you up and into all of that... starting with Change in T.O. :)
Always good to hear that your time out east was fruitful for the Kingdom...I trust you also had long walks with Dar & enjoyed at least one venti dark roast while reading on a lazy afternoon...but then again you also have children, so maybe reading was out but wavepools were in...we'll see you in a few...peace
hey kirk
I wanted to say that reading your blogs makes me feel like I am back at stanely park and listening to you preach and feeling God's presence. Keep in touch
love Bernadette
G od's
R iches
A t
C hrist's
E xpense.
Lord please help me to never forget the awesome price that "YOU", paid so that I might be "truly" free.
Not free to do as I please, but free to do what "YOU" what. With in the parameters that YOU have set.
Help me to never get the two confused.
Thankyou that "YOUR" Grace always brings balance to the wandering spirit........controling both heart and mind.
Thankyou that "YOUR" Grace gives strength to face all challenges, in the face of being misunderstood, accused,rejected and dispised.............Lord I ask "YOU", to give open ears for the "TRUTH", to those who do the above.
In the gracious, all powerful name of Jesus,
our redeemer and friend.
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