I don't know if you have noticed, but we seem to live on ordinary streets that can often throw us for a loop. We try not to think about our trek being strewn with tough hills and depressing valleys and treacherous curves; yet, it very much is just that way. While we prefer to travel through life on straight and flat roads with temps in the 70s, such isn't the case; it isn't reality. No. we have dips and dives and weather that includes storms....ferocious winds at times.
My goal today is to help you to think in a way so that you aren't thrown for a loss because you didn't see the ice on the curve...or whatever else might cause strain in your otherwise well-intentioned day. Really, why would we assume otherwise? Do we think all spiritual roads are level and straight-lined? I don't think so. So what's up with our constant feel of being caught off-guard as if some strange thing were happening to us?
Consider the words of a disciple who had experienced ups and downs; severely so. Peter cleared the air for each of us when he penned, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation (I Peter 4:12-13).
Peter's words stunned me when I recall how I had read them over for about the twentieth time and it began to occur to me that he meant me. Did he mean that the junk I was putting up with in the church was good for me? Was he saying that I needed to see things go badly? Could it be true that in the center of misery I was actually being benefitted? And could it be that even I was not as squeaky clean as I envisioned? Yes, yes, yes, and again, yes.
I needed all of the disappointments and the frustrations because I wasn't so hot myself. Although I perceived myself as having a grip on church (don't we all), I learned through curves packed with ice that Jesus was the only one able to negotiate the difficult terrain of the Kingdom. He knows. I am to follow.
So I say to each of you who feels you've about had it with others (whether your preacher or your elder or your youth guy or your colleague) that what you may want to do is realize that some curves are packed with ice and it will take some significant adjustment within your own heart to maneuver them. Don't give up. Don't give out. Do give in to the valuable instruction available in these constant church distractions called suffering.
Jesus didn't die of natural causes while sitting in an armchair watching M.A.S.H. He died from puncturing words and severing wounds upon a rough-hewn cross all the while extending an invitation to see if any of us would dare follow such a failured-appearing lead. We said we would. We, any member of the church, have volunteered to be mistreated; even abused for our efforts in faith. So, why would we, then, be surprised at how tough it is at times?
So to my dear readers, I remind you to not be surprised at how rough your day is when all you desire to do is to give hope and life to others. You must be mistreated in order to understand how those you are ministering to have been mistreated. It is from this very perspective that Jesus understands us. He was....you may recall....a person on earth with the intent to find out what it was like to walk in our sandals in order to be sympathetic toward us rather than critical of us. Yes, the Cross changes how we interpret the icy curves thrown us.
When you hit the icy slick spots....try to remember....that you are being blessed on those upsetting curves as well....so that you can understand your neighbor who lives on the very same road as you.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
SLOW DOWN AT THE CURVES PACKED WITH ICE
I don't know if you have noticed, but we seem to live on ordinary streets that can often throw us for a loop. We try not to think about our trek being strewn with tough hills and depressing valleys and treacherous curves; yet, it very much is just that way. While we prefer to travel through life on straight and flat roads with temps in the 70s, such isn't the case; it isn't reality. No. we have dips and dives and weather that includes storms....ferocious winds at times.
My goal today is to help you to think in a way so that you aren't thrown for a loss because you didn't see the ice on the curve...or whatever else might cause strain in your otherwise well-intentioned day. Really, why would we assume otherwise? Do we think all spiritual roads are level and straight-lined? I don't think so. So what's up with our constant feel of being caught off-guard as if some strange thing were happening to us?
Consider the words of a disciple who had experienced ups and downs; severely so. Peter cleared the air for each of us when he penned, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation (I Peter 4:12-13).
Peter's words stunned me when I recall how I had read them over for about the twentieth time and it began to occur to me that he meant me. Did he mean that the junk I was putting up with in the church was good for me? Was he saying that I needed to see things go badly? Could it be true that in the center of misery I was actually being benefitted? And could it be that even I was not as squeaky clean as I envisioned? Yes, yes, yes, and again, yes.
I needed all of the disappointments and the frustrations because I wasn't so hot myself. Although I perceived myself as having a grip on church (don't we all), I learned through curves packed with ice that Jesus was the only one able to negotiate the difficult terrain of the Kingdom. He knows. I am to follow.
So I say to each of you who feels you've about had it with others (whether your preacher or your elder or your youth guy or your colleague) that what you may want to do is realize that some curves are packed with ice and it will take some significant adjustment within your own heart to maneuver them. Don't give up. Don't give out. Do give in to the valuable instruction available in these constant church distractions called suffering.
Jesus didn't die of natural causes while sitting in an armchair watching M.A.S.H. He died from puncturing words and severing wounds upon a rough-hewn cross all the while extending an invitation to see if any of us would dare follow such a failured-appearing lead. We said we would. We, any member of the church, have volunteered to be mistreated; even abused for our efforts in faith. So, why would we, then, be surprised at how tough it is at times?
So to my dear readers, I remind you to not be surprised at how rough your day is when all you desire to do is to give hope and life to others. You must be mistreated in order to understand how those you are ministering to have been mistreated. It is from this very perspective that Jesus understands us. He was....you may recall....a person on earth with the intent to find out what it was like to walk in our sandals in order to be sympathetic toward us rather than critical of us. Yes, the Cross changes how we interpret the icy curves thrown us.
When you hit the icy slick spots....try to remember....that you are being blessed on those upsetting curves as well....so that you can understand your neighbor who lives on the very same road as you.
My goal today is to help you to think in a way so that you aren't thrown for a loss because you didn't see the ice on the curve...or whatever else might cause strain in your otherwise well-intentioned day. Really, why would we assume otherwise? Do we think all spiritual roads are level and straight-lined? I don't think so. So what's up with our constant feel of being caught off-guard as if some strange thing were happening to us?
Consider the words of a disciple who had experienced ups and downs; severely so. Peter cleared the air for each of us when he penned, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation (I Peter 4:12-13).
Peter's words stunned me when I recall how I had read them over for about the twentieth time and it began to occur to me that he meant me. Did he mean that the junk I was putting up with in the church was good for me? Was he saying that I needed to see things go badly? Could it be true that in the center of misery I was actually being benefitted? And could it be that even I was not as squeaky clean as I envisioned? Yes, yes, yes, and again, yes.
I needed all of the disappointments and the frustrations because I wasn't so hot myself. Although I perceived myself as having a grip on church (don't we all), I learned through curves packed with ice that Jesus was the only one able to negotiate the difficult terrain of the Kingdom. He knows. I am to follow.
So I say to each of you who feels you've about had it with others (whether your preacher or your elder or your youth guy or your colleague) that what you may want to do is realize that some curves are packed with ice and it will take some significant adjustment within your own heart to maneuver them. Don't give up. Don't give out. Do give in to the valuable instruction available in these constant church distractions called suffering.
Jesus didn't die of natural causes while sitting in an armchair watching M.A.S.H. He died from puncturing words and severing wounds upon a rough-hewn cross all the while extending an invitation to see if any of us would dare follow such a failured-appearing lead. We said we would. We, any member of the church, have volunteered to be mistreated; even abused for our efforts in faith. So, why would we, then, be surprised at how tough it is at times?
So to my dear readers, I remind you to not be surprised at how rough your day is when all you desire to do is to give hope and life to others. You must be mistreated in order to understand how those you are ministering to have been mistreated. It is from this very perspective that Jesus understands us. He was....you may recall....a person on earth with the intent to find out what it was like to walk in our sandals in order to be sympathetic toward us rather than critical of us. Yes, the Cross changes how we interpret the icy curves thrown us.
When you hit the icy slick spots....try to remember....that you are being blessed on those upsetting curves as well....so that you can understand your neighbor who lives on the very same road as you.
Monday, June 27, 2016
HOW ARE WE TO REMAIN INSPIRED?
Children understand inspiration. They are antsy over birthday gifts, Christmas week, and fire-flies. Short on attention span is made up with long on time with imaginary friends. A child's world is one of fascination, anticipation, and great invisible creation. Their main dread is nap time. Except for occasional boo-boos, their's is world of adventure and giggles and of course...lots of Kool-Aid.
If we are to remain inspired it seems to me that we will want to give focus to preserving the Child-Wonder embedded within. Aging doesn't mean the scale of grumpyism increases. Sure, aches might; but attitudes aren't bossed by aches. Rather they are recharged by fascination, anticipation, and grand imagination....just like....you know....when we were kids?
Two keys might promote our personal inspiration: (1) what is, and (2) what can be. The what is can be noted by taking inventory of the to-many-to-innumerate blessings within our possession. Mine would be God, people, eyes that see, ears that hear, cars that start, streets without barricades, and that the Cardinals won while the Cubs lost yesterday. The what can be is my favorite because it isn't yet. But the fun part is to dream about participating in bringing a need for blessing others into existence.
So the reason that I write about this today is that for too long I lived in the church more burdened than feeling blessed. But such was never really the case. It was my fault. I hadn't learned from God at that point to take certain note of the wonder all around me. He transformed my world by moving it from resentment to marvel.
Did you know that you can't hear criticism unless your ears are functioning well?
See the blessing?
Did you realize that neighbors won't give you a bad day if you are in a coma?
See the blessing?
Did you think that the way to get out of paying taxes was to eliminate your income?
Uh-huh?
To remain inspired is to love the right now of right now! Counting our many blessings isn't just a song. It is, rather, music to our ears!!
If we are to remain inspired it seems to me that we will want to give focus to preserving the Child-Wonder embedded within. Aging doesn't mean the scale of grumpyism increases. Sure, aches might; but attitudes aren't bossed by aches. Rather they are recharged by fascination, anticipation, and grand imagination....just like....you know....when we were kids?
Two keys might promote our personal inspiration: (1) what is, and (2) what can be. The what is can be noted by taking inventory of the to-many-to-innumerate blessings within our possession. Mine would be God, people, eyes that see, ears that hear, cars that start, streets without barricades, and that the Cardinals won while the Cubs lost yesterday. The what can be is my favorite because it isn't yet. But the fun part is to dream about participating in bringing a need for blessing others into existence.
So the reason that I write about this today is that for too long I lived in the church more burdened than feeling blessed. But such was never really the case. It was my fault. I hadn't learned from God at that point to take certain note of the wonder all around me. He transformed my world by moving it from resentment to marvel.
Did you know that you can't hear criticism unless your ears are functioning well?
See the blessing?
Did you realize that neighbors won't give you a bad day if you are in a coma?
See the blessing?
Did you think that the way to get out of paying taxes was to eliminate your income?
Uh-huh?
To remain inspired is to love the right now of right now! Counting our many blessings isn't just a song. It is, rather, music to our ears!!
Sunday, June 26, 2016
MOVE FROM THE PRACTICAL TO THE POSSIBLE
God's story is a fascinating one. You and I recall the impossible becoming possible throughout Holy Writ. The world is in danger of missing God while each spends a bit of time on earth because the church has made a dramatic shift from possibility to practicality. If we use our best business minds and not our best believing hearts we will produce and reproduce a stagnant sort detached from the wild array of Holy Spirit avenues.
God's ways are not our ways. This needs to be one of my constant reminders. He does the impossible through impossible people....just like me. The fascinating thing about this to me is that He never used any other kind. Moses hesitated and Esther hedged. We want the God-sized work; but we continue to believe that this needs to fit within our human-minded framework and chart-able ledgers.
God won't fit into boring routine. He is, after all, known as Creator to the Universe. The sun, moon, and stars obey Him. We will want to continually try to fit into His capacity rather than seeking Him to fit into ours. He has places to go and people to see....through us! Let's go for it!!!
God's ways are not our ways. This needs to be one of my constant reminders. He does the impossible through impossible people....just like me. The fascinating thing about this to me is that He never used any other kind. Moses hesitated and Esther hedged. We want the God-sized work; but we continue to believe that this needs to fit within our human-minded framework and chart-able ledgers.
God won't fit into boring routine. He is, after all, known as Creator to the Universe. The sun, moon, and stars obey Him. We will want to continually try to fit into His capacity rather than seeking Him to fit into ours. He has places to go and people to see....through us! Let's go for it!!!
Friday, June 24, 2016
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?
What is it going to take to reach the entire world with the powerful good news that Jesus is the resource for hope? What can be thought, said, or done to make aggressive impact on our neglected, our forgotten, our lonely, and our broken? I believe that the hope lies within one mighty seed of human behavior that will stun society and shake the world.
Humility.
It is going to take humble spirits to wreak favorable havoc in a dark and selfish state...of which each of us tends to participate. From top to bottom and side to side the range of personalities all have one thread in common; we are impaired because the cream of self-awareness perpetually rises to the top. Jesus devastated such aggression.
What is it going to take? This is such a monumental question because we already understand the question and know the answer. Yet, we struggle to attain it. Humility appears to be not so simple. It takes the grandest self-sacrifice known to the heart of any man or woman. Yet, we treat the subject as if it is a rather sweet character and a mild disposition like trying to be good. Hardly.
Humility was the commitment of Jesus. He was beaten, tortured, and died due to the truth that He could elevate each of us above himself. In humility Best regarded us as superior. It is within this framework that compassion is both allowed and then executed.
What is it going to take to inspire the church, reach the neighbor, and change the world? It will not be due to church affiliate nor will it be because we regularly sit in church buildings. It will only be because and when we can express authentic humility that there will be a hopeful surge of renewal.
For myself, I have yet to master this element of the Christian walk. Many of you could attest to this from your experience with me. Yet, it is the call and the direction of every believer. Until we each grasp the truth that we are the least in any room, we will take up a few waking hours seeking or serving, proving or disproving; but we will not make impact like Jesus.
We are encouraged (no, called) to take up our crosses and follow him....day by day. As we drag them through the streets, visible to all, may we dare hold the bravery to look bad in order to make even our enemies look good. This....it what it is going to take to awaken a society which has rocked itself to sleep by our rampant self-serving. Via the eyes of humility we are able to see the value of every man and every woman regardless of religious (or non) bent, educational level, or independent callings.
What is it going to take....practically speaking?
We must never write any person off as hopeless. Jesus was always mingling among, what the religious leaders posed as, the wrong crowd. We must get over the sense that what we each think, individually, is what God thinks. Only by a downward shift will we truly be open to the upward call. God has mighty and magnificent things in store for His children. We must be open to changing our minds, reversing some courses, and redirecting ministerial energies in order to discover more clearly what it is going to take to win the most souls in this day and time.
This might be a portion of what it is going to take....to reach more, teach more, be more.
Humility.
It is going to take humble spirits to wreak favorable havoc in a dark and selfish state...of which each of us tends to participate. From top to bottom and side to side the range of personalities all have one thread in common; we are impaired because the cream of self-awareness perpetually rises to the top. Jesus devastated such aggression.
What is it going to take? This is such a monumental question because we already understand the question and know the answer. Yet, we struggle to attain it. Humility appears to be not so simple. It takes the grandest self-sacrifice known to the heart of any man or woman. Yet, we treat the subject as if it is a rather sweet character and a mild disposition like trying to be good. Hardly.
Humility was the commitment of Jesus. He was beaten, tortured, and died due to the truth that He could elevate each of us above himself. In humility Best regarded us as superior. It is within this framework that compassion is both allowed and then executed.
What is it going to take to inspire the church, reach the neighbor, and change the world? It will not be due to church affiliate nor will it be because we regularly sit in church buildings. It will only be because and when we can express authentic humility that there will be a hopeful surge of renewal.
For myself, I have yet to master this element of the Christian walk. Many of you could attest to this from your experience with me. Yet, it is the call and the direction of every believer. Until we each grasp the truth that we are the least in any room, we will take up a few waking hours seeking or serving, proving or disproving; but we will not make impact like Jesus.
We are encouraged (no, called) to take up our crosses and follow him....day by day. As we drag them through the streets, visible to all, may we dare hold the bravery to look bad in order to make even our enemies look good. This....it what it is going to take to awaken a society which has rocked itself to sleep by our rampant self-serving. Via the eyes of humility we are able to see the value of every man and every woman regardless of religious (or non) bent, educational level, or independent callings.
What is it going to take....practically speaking?
We must never write any person off as hopeless. Jesus was always mingling among, what the religious leaders posed as, the wrong crowd. We must get over the sense that what we each think, individually, is what God thinks. Only by a downward shift will we truly be open to the upward call. God has mighty and magnificent things in store for His children. We must be open to changing our minds, reversing some courses, and redirecting ministerial energies in order to discover more clearly what it is going to take to win the most souls in this day and time.
This might be a portion of what it is going to take....to reach more, teach more, be more.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
IF "BEYOND IMAGINATION" WOULD BE EXERCISED
You know that one of my all-time favorite verses is from Ephesians 3:20; Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask of think, according to the power that works within us... God is able to do the big three--exceedingly, abundantly, beyond--according to the power of the Holy Spirit who works within (see the text, Eph. 3:14-21). I'm proposing that each of us has light-years of advancement to make regarding this electrifying fact.
Fear shouldn't be a factor. Faith should be.
The very nature of faith is to walk where there is no path. Human nature wants routine, management, and eventual control. This is why the WORD ONLY rule was spun in years past as it effectively skirted the Holy Spirit involvement which will not be controlled by human judgment. One of the phrases often quoted to me when arriving as a young preacher at Memorial was the warning: We don't want any surprises. And guess what? We had none. All went according to the controlled thermostat of manly correctives with no room for the what if, what could be twins of Holy Spirit possibility.
What would it be like if we could continue to mature in the beyond imagination exercises of the faith walk? What is it about our stances that we would discover it difficult to fulfill the doctrine of this Ephesians text? Why would leaders hedge on this most impacting Word that would let the church productively soar?
The probe begins with me (of course, yours begins with you). For 40 years beginning in the auditorium in Quincy, Illinois I would spend time with God asking that He help me/use me/guide me to reach the whole world. I want to impact the have-nots, the has-beens, and the could-bes. I hunger to reach even the strongest churches/leaders who are strong on regulation of church pattern and weak on relationship with Jesus. I need all of this.
Would any of you need a nudge to move off of what you might regard as live-center when its rote movement coupled with repetitive phrases has left you quite stuck on dead-center? I think so. Due to the immeasurable size of God and the lavish work of the Spirit, I believe this need to be of constant wonder and hope.
What system have you developed that works well for controlling people; yet, it simultaneously blocks the adventuresome Spirit. I believe many of our congregations are in serious trouble. Our blindness to doing-things-the-way-we-have-always-done-them doctrine is drooping; not just in the smaller congregations, but the larger ones as well. If the Spirit of God isn't leading, then we must be. And if we are, our energy will eventually begin fade with age. The good news is that if our ministry is of the Spirit, we are newer and more energized for it day by day (II Cor. 4:16).
So, Terry, what is it exactly that you think we should consider? Wouldn't we make progress if we moved from preserving the church to engaging with Father? Wouldn't it be something if we could dare let go of those controls which we believe provides us security and then actually step out into the swollen waters of the Red Sea to experience what God could do? Are our congregations supplying energy to the lower grades, interest to the high-schoolers, but finding that the college group begins to wither on the vine right before our very eyes? This is one challenge to see if we are providing form or are we offering life.
What I'm suggesting is not that we focus upon an age group; but upon our system of weakening safety...our adamant insistence that we set the organization in motion, keep it under our control, and hope that new families move in. The Spirit of God is all about three stretches to the human heart; excessive, abundant, beyond. Contrarily, self wants regulation in the name of prudence, management, and non-disturbance.
We do not want to be caught off-guard. This is major to our humanistic effort to walk with God. We don't want to appear different from our conservative critics so we walk in safety of reservation. When this goes on we find that we have not died to self; although that doctrine is one of our favorite discussions in Bible classes. Rather, we have died to kingdom expansion.
IF "BEYOND IMAGINATION" WOULD BE EXERCISED, we would find wowing and wonderful supplies and surprises of God. I experience this at times and so do many of you. May we cheer the church on to letting go and letting God....even when we thought that in itself was nothing but a mere slogan. It is more than a slogan. It is the call of the Spirit to the flesh; Move over!
Fear shouldn't be a factor. Faith should be.
The very nature of faith is to walk where there is no path. Human nature wants routine, management, and eventual control. This is why the WORD ONLY rule was spun in years past as it effectively skirted the Holy Spirit involvement which will not be controlled by human judgment. One of the phrases often quoted to me when arriving as a young preacher at Memorial was the warning: We don't want any surprises. And guess what? We had none. All went according to the controlled thermostat of manly correctives with no room for the what if, what could be twins of Holy Spirit possibility.
What would it be like if we could continue to mature in the beyond imagination exercises of the faith walk? What is it about our stances that we would discover it difficult to fulfill the doctrine of this Ephesians text? Why would leaders hedge on this most impacting Word that would let the church productively soar?
The probe begins with me (of course, yours begins with you). For 40 years beginning in the auditorium in Quincy, Illinois I would spend time with God asking that He help me/use me/guide me to reach the whole world. I want to impact the have-nots, the has-beens, and the could-bes. I hunger to reach even the strongest churches/leaders who are strong on regulation of church pattern and weak on relationship with Jesus. I need all of this.
Would any of you need a nudge to move off of what you might regard as live-center when its rote movement coupled with repetitive phrases has left you quite stuck on dead-center? I think so. Due to the immeasurable size of God and the lavish work of the Spirit, I believe this need to be of constant wonder and hope.
What system have you developed that works well for controlling people; yet, it simultaneously blocks the adventuresome Spirit. I believe many of our congregations are in serious trouble. Our blindness to doing-things-the-way-we-have-always-done-them doctrine is drooping; not just in the smaller congregations, but the larger ones as well. If the Spirit of God isn't leading, then we must be. And if we are, our energy will eventually begin fade with age. The good news is that if our ministry is of the Spirit, we are newer and more energized for it day by day (II Cor. 4:16).
So, Terry, what is it exactly that you think we should consider? Wouldn't we make progress if we moved from preserving the church to engaging with Father? Wouldn't it be something if we could dare let go of those controls which we believe provides us security and then actually step out into the swollen waters of the Red Sea to experience what God could do? Are our congregations supplying energy to the lower grades, interest to the high-schoolers, but finding that the college group begins to wither on the vine right before our very eyes? This is one challenge to see if we are providing form or are we offering life.
What I'm suggesting is not that we focus upon an age group; but upon our system of weakening safety...our adamant insistence that we set the organization in motion, keep it under our control, and hope that new families move in. The Spirit of God is all about three stretches to the human heart; excessive, abundant, beyond. Contrarily, self wants regulation in the name of prudence, management, and non-disturbance.
We do not want to be caught off-guard. This is major to our humanistic effort to walk with God. We don't want to appear different from our conservative critics so we walk in safety of reservation. When this goes on we find that we have not died to self; although that doctrine is one of our favorite discussions in Bible classes. Rather, we have died to kingdom expansion.
IF "BEYOND IMAGINATION" WOULD BE EXERCISED, we would find wowing and wonderful supplies and surprises of God. I experience this at times and so do many of you. May we cheer the church on to letting go and letting God....even when we thought that in itself was nothing but a mere slogan. It is more than a slogan. It is the call of the Spirit to the flesh; Move over!
Saturday, June 18, 2016
GOD: FACT OR FICTION?
Is there really a God? Is the idea that Christians put forth as to His reality some sort of inherited fabrication merely perpetuated by family lineage? Does God exist? Or, is this idea a hoax of silliest dimension by the thoughtless or weak-minded? I understand the questions. They are usually honest.
Probing minds which search are willing to give fair evaluation as to whether there is anything substantive to believing in the invisible God. So let's talk about some things we already believe by faith because we see results. Too, we regard them as most common which, I believe, makes the idea of faith feasible as well as most practical.
While the probe could take us into various zones of useful assistance, let's consider one idea for now. Is it really possible that there is life after death? Is the concept of Heaven legitimate? Or, is this mere folklore in order to keep the church attendance thriving? I believe the life-after-death issue is both defining as well as clarifying as well as convincing.
Is there a "back again" dynamic among us? Or is this, once again, the grandest of wishful thinking? We are free to probe as well as imagine. Therefore, I would point us to a couple of things we can clearly grasp with hope that a seeker might give the spiritual evaluation credibility.
How many times, as a child, did you ponder on a quiet summer day the activity of what we called the woolly worm? Yes, we believed. We believed that in some wild and unexplainable process this fuzzy crawler would one day take off in flight. Our faith thought that transformation would one day occur.
The promise of resurrection/transfiguration remains one of the greatest artistries of the Creator to this day!
Okay, so we have the caterpillar/butterfly concept. Are you convinced that life after death is of possibility? Or is this just another matter of wishful believing which has no actual bearing on the reality of life? Do you think there is life and then death and then nothing? Nada? It's done?
I don't blame any who question. We need to/want to know. Is faith legitimate or hoaky? I propose that this is serious stuff. We would like some sort of signal that there is actuality beyond the grave. So I encourage you that there really is reallyness; even once we die.
One of my personal convincers for my questioning mind is that of a seed. It is never planted to become what it already is. Wouldn't that be weird if planting three kernels of corn in a garden hill would produce three kernels of corn? So first, seed it is sown just hoping (on the part of the sower) that it will die. And if it will die it will become...more...more than it could have ever imagined.
Every cornfield is God's chemistry lab doing all it can to persuade seekers that there really is life after death. Seed is planted. It must die in order to give birth to a newer, larger, more detailed order.
God: fact or fiction? I believe He gives us ample reason to believe for He shows us in beautiful simplicity season by season.
Probing minds which search are willing to give fair evaluation as to whether there is anything substantive to believing in the invisible God. So let's talk about some things we already believe by faith because we see results. Too, we regard them as most common which, I believe, makes the idea of faith feasible as well as most practical.
While the probe could take us into various zones of useful assistance, let's consider one idea for now. Is it really possible that there is life after death? Is the concept of Heaven legitimate? Or, is this mere folklore in order to keep the church attendance thriving? I believe the life-after-death issue is both defining as well as clarifying as well as convincing.
Is there a "back again" dynamic among us? Or is this, once again, the grandest of wishful thinking? We are free to probe as well as imagine. Therefore, I would point us to a couple of things we can clearly grasp with hope that a seeker might give the spiritual evaluation credibility.
How many times, as a child, did you ponder on a quiet summer day the activity of what we called the woolly worm? Yes, we believed. We believed that in some wild and unexplainable process this fuzzy crawler would one day take off in flight. Our faith thought that transformation would one day occur.
The promise of resurrection/transfiguration remains one of the greatest artistries of the Creator to this day!
Okay, so we have the caterpillar/butterfly concept. Are you convinced that life after death is of possibility? Or is this just another matter of wishful believing which has no actual bearing on the reality of life? Do you think there is life and then death and then nothing? Nada? It's done?
I don't blame any who question. We need to/want to know. Is faith legitimate or hoaky? I propose that this is serious stuff. We would like some sort of signal that there is actuality beyond the grave. So I encourage you that there really is reallyness; even once we die.
One of my personal convincers for my questioning mind is that of a seed. It is never planted to become what it already is. Wouldn't that be weird if planting three kernels of corn in a garden hill would produce three kernels of corn? So first, seed it is sown just hoping (on the part of the sower) that it will die. And if it will die it will become...more...more than it could have ever imagined.
Every cornfield is God's chemistry lab doing all it can to persuade seekers that there really is life after death. Seed is planted. It must die in order to give birth to a newer, larger, more detailed order.
God: fact or fiction? I believe He gives us ample reason to believe for He shows us in beautiful simplicity season by season.
Friday, June 17, 2016
WHAT IN THE HEAVEN IS GOING ON HERE?
How many times we find ourselves living in that negative (but real world) of, It seems to be just one thing after another!
This pattern seems to create one big question. Can there be hope when there are no signs of any on the horizon? Are there simply not pockets of loneliness or defeat that would seem to officially cancel any reasonable expectation of hope?
One of the aspects of faith that I find so extremely legitimate is that what society needs most God offers most. The ancient one's, Abraham, trademark was that of hope. Hope when there was none to be calculated according to the human mind. This is where faith knocks at the doors of our hearts. Would you please open the door that I might show you an alternative way to living?, the gentle voice pleads.
By unexplainable (and really, unreasonable) perspective known as faith, the Bible says that Abraham went out not knowing where he was going. Really? Headed out to succeed...while directionless? Wouldn't this image be more of goof-ball than faith? And then later he and Sarah had their firstborn when they were the age of the baby's great-grandparents. Oh, that waiting period surely would have given them time to doubt God's promises of having a child. But, no, they would not quit hoping.
And then there's that other time when this newborn grew up to be a hunk of a young man and God asked Abraham to sacrifice this boy upon a woodpile. In his heart against hearts, Abraham prepared to do what God wanted with definite and incomplete unawareness as to what in the Heaven was going on here. Abraham did it; no assurance that this wasn't just his wild imagination, no manual, no counselor, no hint of reason why. And God intervened.
At one juncture Abraham and aged wife were childless with nothing but a promise from God that they would eventually become very key parents. Decades passed. No baby. In their what would have been their great-grandparent years, they were pregnant! And we want faith to fit our reasonable style? To ice the faith cake, this most treasured one God gave them was later required of God to be offered as a sacrifice...by his most aged dad.
What? They had waited oh so long. Just how dear, dear, extremely dear must this lad have been in mother's eyes? Say it ain't so God. Oh, please say it ain't so. Say we aren't hearing you correctly? But...okay...you gave him to us and we trust you...by faith...so....okay. We believe that even if he die, you know how to bring him back to life. Okay, God. We're okay with this.
We call this living with nothing more than a promise and a prayer. And, yes, we call this living! Don't be afraid to believe God at what may seem to be the most obviously wrong times.
This pattern seems to create one big question. Can there be hope when there are no signs of any on the horizon? Are there simply not pockets of loneliness or defeat that would seem to officially cancel any reasonable expectation of hope?
One of the aspects of faith that I find so extremely legitimate is that what society needs most God offers most. The ancient one's, Abraham, trademark was that of hope. Hope when there was none to be calculated according to the human mind. This is where faith knocks at the doors of our hearts. Would you please open the door that I might show you an alternative way to living?, the gentle voice pleads.
By unexplainable (and really, unreasonable) perspective known as faith, the Bible says that Abraham went out not knowing where he was going. Really? Headed out to succeed...while directionless? Wouldn't this image be more of goof-ball than faith? And then later he and Sarah had their firstborn when they were the age of the baby's great-grandparents. Oh, that waiting period surely would have given them time to doubt God's promises of having a child. But, no, they would not quit hoping.
And then there's that other time when this newborn grew up to be a hunk of a young man and God asked Abraham to sacrifice this boy upon a woodpile. In his heart against hearts, Abraham prepared to do what God wanted with definite and incomplete unawareness as to what in the Heaven was going on here. Abraham did it; no assurance that this wasn't just his wild imagination, no manual, no counselor, no hint of reason why. And God intervened.
At one juncture Abraham and aged wife were childless with nothing but a promise from God that they would eventually become very key parents. Decades passed. No baby. In their what would have been their great-grandparent years, they were pregnant! And we want faith to fit our reasonable style? To ice the faith cake, this most treasured one God gave them was later required of God to be offered as a sacrifice...by his most aged dad.
What? They had waited oh so long. Just how dear, dear, extremely dear must this lad have been in mother's eyes? Say it ain't so God. Oh, please say it ain't so. Say we aren't hearing you correctly? But...okay...you gave him to us and we trust you...by faith...so....okay. We believe that even if he die, you know how to bring him back to life. Okay, God. We're okay with this.
We call this living with nothing more than a promise and a prayer. And, yes, we call this living! Don't be afraid to believe God at what may seem to be the most obviously wrong times.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
HE AGONIZED OVER US
And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. Luke 22:44
The above is extracted from a scene in the Garden as Jesus faced execution. He agonized during deep and penetrating prayer as he approached his assignment to die that the world would have hope. He wasn't reluctant. He was driven to offer legitimate reason for the rest of us to hope.
You do get it, don't you, that we are called to follow his steps? You do get it, don't you, that church life isn't about whether you like the preacher or the music? You do get it, don't you, that the world around us cannot get well until followers of Jesus die for the enemy? Right?
We are living in heavy, serious, times. Complexity confuses. Discouragement distracts. Yet, real honest hope is to be found in this One who faced the cross head on. Many of our hang-nail ailments might dissipate when we persistently grow into the true nature of being believers by living/dying that the wounded might be healed from their intensely discouraging days, months, and years.
Jesus did not say, Take up your songbook and follow me. Nor did He call out, Be sure to find the church that both comforts you and notices you. Not quite. He agonized over us...and then handed us the like-painful baton. And. We. Will. Not. Flinch.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
HEY. YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU UNDER YOUR HAT.
There's a slick talker roaming within each of our own minds pushing a propaganda of sorts. It's a snow job on how bad others are doing, looking, or being while we rationalize within our biased heads that we are above all of the them and they failings. If they would only... If they could just see themselves... Why, if they were as quick... or as smart...or as... Oh how we do carry on within ourselves about our obvious (but subtle) superiority.
And...because of this selfie-attitude, our communities are in a world of hurt? Why? Because we are a dishonest mess. We profess that our failings are only slight and if they should be desperately visible we admit we have them; but we tend to blame someone else for our lack hoping to get ourselves off of the hook. Really, we are no better than any neighbor. No better.
Society is on the prowl for something; something meaningful, something rich, something far beyond the stagnating routine of normal. Fortunately, many have the drive within to still want to find that treasure; to get there. Be encouraged. There is a grand secret embedded within the rolling hills of life's pursuit. Brennan Manning (I just love this man's heart) mentioned that when G. K. Chesterton's detective priest, Father Brown, is asked how he could be so astute as to get into a criminal's mind, he answers that it came from the discovery that he is a criminal himself.
Before I quote his next paragraph, hear well what is said. To get into a criminal's mind one must discover that he is a criminal himself. At that point, one will know how a criminal thinks. God's genius already knew this. If Father was to get into man's mind, he absolutely would need to become a man himself. And that He did. We know him as Jesus. No Divine one ever understood us better than the one who became as we.
No man's really any good, Chesterton continued, till he knows how bad he is, or might be; till he's realized how much right he has to all this talk of "criminals," as if they were apes in a forest ten thousand miles away; till he's got rid of all the dirty self-deception of talking about low types and deficient skills; till he's squeezed out the last drop of the oil of the Pharisees; till his only hope is somehow or other to have captured one criminal, and kept him safe under his own hat.
Should you be inclined to have a yearning to tell another how low and sinful someone else is, we will all do well to keep it under our own hat. It is at this point in one's life that genuine good begins to come forth. Hurrah for Jesus showing us how. No man is any good until he knows how bad he is. This fact would transform the church into a mighty influence of both substantial relief and authentic hope...and it would let the neighborhood in.
And...because of this selfie-attitude, our communities are in a world of hurt? Why? Because we are a dishonest mess. We profess that our failings are only slight and if they should be desperately visible we admit we have them; but we tend to blame someone else for our lack hoping to get ourselves off of the hook. Really, we are no better than any neighbor. No better.
Society is on the prowl for something; something meaningful, something rich, something far beyond the stagnating routine of normal. Fortunately, many have the drive within to still want to find that treasure; to get there. Be encouraged. There is a grand secret embedded within the rolling hills of life's pursuit. Brennan Manning (I just love this man's heart) mentioned that when G. K. Chesterton's detective priest, Father Brown, is asked how he could be so astute as to get into a criminal's mind, he answers that it came from the discovery that he is a criminal himself.
Before I quote his next paragraph, hear well what is said. To get into a criminal's mind one must discover that he is a criminal himself. At that point, one will know how a criminal thinks. God's genius already knew this. If Father was to get into man's mind, he absolutely would need to become a man himself. And that He did. We know him as Jesus. No Divine one ever understood us better than the one who became as we.
No man's really any good, Chesterton continued, till he knows how bad he is, or might be; till he's realized how much right he has to all this talk of "criminals," as if they were apes in a forest ten thousand miles away; till he's got rid of all the dirty self-deception of talking about low types and deficient skills; till he's squeezed out the last drop of the oil of the Pharisees; till his only hope is somehow or other to have captured one criminal, and kept him safe under his own hat.
Should you be inclined to have a yearning to tell another how low and sinful someone else is, we will all do well to keep it under our own hat. It is at this point in one's life that genuine good begins to come forth. Hurrah for Jesus showing us how. No man is any good until he knows how bad he is. This fact would transform the church into a mighty influence of both substantial relief and authentic hope...and it would let the neighborhood in.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
JUST WHEN YOU THINK THAT IT CAN'T GET WORSE
I think about you, dear reader. I wouldn't know personally the many who have signed on to reading these posts. But be assured, I write with you in mind...every day. My calling is to cheer you on when other voices may have gone temporarily hoarse...or even silent. You are worthy of encouragement for you are created in His image.
Life is very broken. This is one of the strongest verifications that the Bible is true. Its story begins in the Garden and not one person has broken the code for recovery other than Jesus. That gives us motivation to learn of him because Jesus broke brokenness.
Be not discouraged...even when it is deemed intensely so. See through it. Such is a fake trying to mislead you; trying to convince you that life only gets worse. It doesn't. Just when you think that it can't get worse....it can get better. That's a good, new, even adventurous twist.
God isn't around to ruin our Sunday schedules; making us go to church when we'd rather golf, fish, or read. No, God is around to pump hope, and joy, and life into our hearts. He lived--and died--and arose--to affirm that the bad days are significantly ugly; but are no match for profound resurrection power. You and I get to live in resurrection power; not just someday beyond the cemetery, but right now.
So just when you think that it can't worse is the very time to remember that the best is already here...right now! Do what you can to drop the worry from around and lean into the promises from above.
Life is very broken. This is one of the strongest verifications that the Bible is true. Its story begins in the Garden and not one person has broken the code for recovery other than Jesus. That gives us motivation to learn of him because Jesus broke brokenness.
Be not discouraged...even when it is deemed intensely so. See through it. Such is a fake trying to mislead you; trying to convince you that life only gets worse. It doesn't. Just when you think that it can't get worse....it can get better. That's a good, new, even adventurous twist.
God isn't around to ruin our Sunday schedules; making us go to church when we'd rather golf, fish, or read. No, God is around to pump hope, and joy, and life into our hearts. He lived--and died--and arose--to affirm that the bad days are significantly ugly; but are no match for profound resurrection power. You and I get to live in resurrection power; not just someday beyond the cemetery, but right now.
So just when you think that it can't worse is the very time to remember that the best is already here...right now! Do what you can to drop the worry from around and lean into the promises from above.
Friday, June 10, 2016
WHEN YOU'VE ABOUT HAD IT WITH YOURSELF.
Jim Cymbala makes an astute statement when wording, Just as our culture in general is taken up with a victim mentality, where everything is somebody else's fault, to be relieved by psychotherapy, government handouts, or litigation, so in the church people are saying, "It's the devil's fault.
Don't blame me." No wonder there is little brokenness of spirit among us.
Broken. Oh how I don't like that word. I can't imagine ever liking that feeling of sheer yuckness that leaves us empty; oh so lonely and empty. Yet, it's where I live, where we live, as well we should.
To avoid occasional inner shattering, we build defense by blaming...some thing or some one. But life won't flow from such a hideout. Each of us is in desperate need of a stabilizing thread; admission combined with confession. We gain momentum when I can admit that it is me that is off-center, it is me that doesn't have my act together, and it is me who is the greater sinner of any other person I would know.
Yet, that's just one-half of the stability force. The other portion is the confession that while we can't, God can. Life, productive and meaningful life, is executed from His muscle; not mine. That Positive Thinking Rally slogan of the 70s, If it is to be, it is up to me, is quite the misnomer. If anything is to be it is up to Him. I (we) haven't the strength nor the mental prowess to orchestrate the big and needed moves for uplifting a broken world.
This is why we believe...in the One who can. This is why we pray. This is why we read the Word to absorb one more time the can do of God. It is from this framework that we set out to reach the whole world...or maybe overcome a moment of discouragement.
Try not to fold up wishing to evaporate when you don't get life done well. If you can, tell God thank you that you can't; but you know that He can. When you've about had it up to here with yourself, you can be assured....God has great work going on in you.
Don't blame me." No wonder there is little brokenness of spirit among us.
Broken. Oh how I don't like that word. I can't imagine ever liking that feeling of sheer yuckness that leaves us empty; oh so lonely and empty. Yet, it's where I live, where we live, as well we should.
To avoid occasional inner shattering, we build defense by blaming...some thing or some one. But life won't flow from such a hideout. Each of us is in desperate need of a stabilizing thread; admission combined with confession. We gain momentum when I can admit that it is me that is off-center, it is me that doesn't have my act together, and it is me who is the greater sinner of any other person I would know.
Yet, that's just one-half of the stability force. The other portion is the confession that while we can't, God can. Life, productive and meaningful life, is executed from His muscle; not mine. That Positive Thinking Rally slogan of the 70s, If it is to be, it is up to me, is quite the misnomer. If anything is to be it is up to Him. I (we) haven't the strength nor the mental prowess to orchestrate the big and needed moves for uplifting a broken world.
This is why we believe...in the One who can. This is why we pray. This is why we read the Word to absorb one more time the can do of God. It is from this framework that we set out to reach the whole world...or maybe overcome a moment of discouragement.
Try not to fold up wishing to evaporate when you don't get life done well. If you can, tell God thank you that you can't; but you know that He can. When you've about had it up to here with yourself, you can be assured....God has great work going on in you.
Thursday, June 09, 2016
HOW TO WIN THE BATTLE OVER DISCOURAGEMENT
Discouragement? That's it? That's the topic? Couldn't I write, possibly, on the exponential thesis of exploratory fabricationalistic momentum? Hasn't the chatter of overcoming discouragement sorta become similar to a beating a dead horse theme? Evidently not, because I (and I'm pretty convinced you) face it head on every day. I recently read that every person despairs one hundred times a day. That's why I wish to cheer on the whole world every day. No one is exempt from being targeted by repetitive bummeristic moments.
Circumstances tend to extract the wind from our sails day by day. So do some people. Uggh! Staying on top of our day with strong emotional health is seriously challenging. And we can do it. Too many cave. I want to do what I can to build rather than dismantle. There is constant hope regardless of the size of a problem or the clamoring of an opposing person.
Recently a comment was said to me that flattened me. It was regarding my work and how I just don't see how ineffective it is. Such was spoken with firm conviction. It hurt my one feeling that I had left. But, I needed this because it shoved me back into that treacherous space where we all live...a hundred times a day. I can't be of much help to the frail and injured if I only know insult and suffering by reading a book of how another(s) experienced it. No, if I'm going to meaningfully grasp the swirling challenges facing you and your turbulent world, I have to experience repeated moments of angst.
And so do you....if you are going to truly live as encouragement to those around you. Hard times hit so that we can understand others when their hard times hit. Nothing frustrating or aggravating is ever a waste.
So one more time I was faced with soaking/bathing in the insult. Every time I have to determine to let such arrows (and many do come our way) bless me rather than slay me. In such moments I am once again challenged to think on the things going right. I know...I preach this all of the time...because hurt continues to spread like thistles. Yet, we are allowed to transform these times to serve us rather than destroy us. Opposing winds simply call for resetting of the sails in order to successfully continue toward our destination.
The next time you would like to get down on a person I would ask you to wonder if possibly such a one has taken a significant series of hits themselves over time. I'm saying they have. Even our critics have had a seriously rough go of it. This calls for our sympathy; not our resentment and surely not our rebellion. We live among a wounded humanity. Regardless of social status, all individuals at every level encounter the darts and arrows of devastating comments. It is a routine way of a fundamentally thoughtless life.
What we want to do is twofold; (1) we want to live in sympathy for the ones doing the injuring for these have been dreadfully hurt, and (2) we must be determined to shift from personal resentment to loving understanding. Jesus came to earth to be intentionally hurt so that he could have a true feel for what it was like to be something that he and Father and Spirit had never known; what it was like to be a created (but fallen) timid, injured human being. Jesus became flesh to walk through the flesh highs and the flesh lows. He. Gets. Us.
How do we win over discouragement? We realize that even our bad days are designed to help us have favorable and positive impact on the next person around us who is having a similarly gnarly-bad-ugly-awful day. Even our enemies will win if we can remember why we are called to really live; to offer them an entirely new and heaven-oriented perspective as to how to walk on this earth.
It is here--in our determined hearts--that the battle is victorious over discouragement. We are to care more about the welfare of another than we are about how we are feeling.
Circumstances tend to extract the wind from our sails day by day. So do some people. Uggh! Staying on top of our day with strong emotional health is seriously challenging. And we can do it. Too many cave. I want to do what I can to build rather than dismantle. There is constant hope regardless of the size of a problem or the clamoring of an opposing person.
Recently a comment was said to me that flattened me. It was regarding my work and how I just don't see how ineffective it is. Such was spoken with firm conviction. It hurt my one feeling that I had left. But, I needed this because it shoved me back into that treacherous space where we all live...a hundred times a day. I can't be of much help to the frail and injured if I only know insult and suffering by reading a book of how another(s) experienced it. No, if I'm going to meaningfully grasp the swirling challenges facing you and your turbulent world, I have to experience repeated moments of angst.
And so do you....if you are going to truly live as encouragement to those around you. Hard times hit so that we can understand others when their hard times hit. Nothing frustrating or aggravating is ever a waste.
So one more time I was faced with soaking/bathing in the insult. Every time I have to determine to let such arrows (and many do come our way) bless me rather than slay me. In such moments I am once again challenged to think on the things going right. I know...I preach this all of the time...because hurt continues to spread like thistles. Yet, we are allowed to transform these times to serve us rather than destroy us. Opposing winds simply call for resetting of the sails in order to successfully continue toward our destination.
The next time you would like to get down on a person I would ask you to wonder if possibly such a one has taken a significant series of hits themselves over time. I'm saying they have. Even our critics have had a seriously rough go of it. This calls for our sympathy; not our resentment and surely not our rebellion. We live among a wounded humanity. Regardless of social status, all individuals at every level encounter the darts and arrows of devastating comments. It is a routine way of a fundamentally thoughtless life.
What we want to do is twofold; (1) we want to live in sympathy for the ones doing the injuring for these have been dreadfully hurt, and (2) we must be determined to shift from personal resentment to loving understanding. Jesus came to earth to be intentionally hurt so that he could have a true feel for what it was like to be something that he and Father and Spirit had never known; what it was like to be a created (but fallen) timid, injured human being. Jesus became flesh to walk through the flesh highs and the flesh lows. He. Gets. Us.
How do we win over discouragement? We realize that even our bad days are designed to help us have favorable and positive impact on the next person around us who is having a similarly gnarly-bad-ugly-awful day. Even our enemies will win if we can remember why we are called to really live; to offer them an entirely new and heaven-oriented perspective as to how to walk on this earth.
It is here--in our determined hearts--that the battle is victorious over discouragement. We are to care more about the welfare of another than we are about how we are feeling.
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
THE JESUS PERSPECTIVE
Hope is to reign. If it doesn't, one can be assured that it is antsy to become the heartbeat of our daily walk. When there is hope....well....then there really is hope. Romans 5:1-5 is masterfully pointed that in our good days (and our bad ones) there is ample reason to hope. It is declared to be so strong that no one will be disappointed in its reality for any moment.
Our perspective of Jesus verifies this truth. Once battered and beaten, he eventually succumbed to the pressure of dark and devastating death. The scene was both horrendous as well as notorious. Darkness hovered over the earth as he hung from the Cross as if to say to the Roman guard, I have an announcement from Heaven. You have just killed the Light.
This scene was intentional. It was public. Its account is recorded for all to know. Why? Because awe came about three days later. Jesus arose! He was back. Death didn't, after all, have the last say. From the Jesus perspective, death and all of its cousins went into hiding.
Our hope is never in an earthly person nor a group of people. The church will let you down. Ministers will disappoint. Neighbors will betray and spouses will cause pain. Why is this? Do we not all know better? Of course we do. Yet, everyone of us is caught in a swirl of the dark vs. light argument. These two not only don't get along; they very much oppose each other. Mankind is in an awful fix.
Take a look at the political scene in America. Not only are the parties deeply divided, each party is divided against itself. Division is the trait of a fallen world. We have it within us to get along with others; yet fundamentally we prefer (strongly prefer) that if harmony is to exist one must lean toward our way of thinking.
Churches follow suit. Division within the divisions are too numerous to calculate. To top it off, divisions exist within congregations who fly under the same-name banner. What's this about?
There is a solution; an answer. The response begins with believers believing in Jesus and not in our name-brand system or organization. Unity is anticipated by our Living God. This will bear powerful fruit.
How do we get there? Each of us is to realize that our ideas are not god. Our theories have holes in them. Can we not know truth? Oh, the Bible says we can. And one of the truths I have learned about myself is that I don't know as much as I once believed. Jesus was not my perspective. My doctrinal persuasion was.
So here's what I wish to cheer you on about today. The perspective of Jesus will fortunately cause each of us to dismount from our religious/political high horses. In addition, we will find that care for one another becomes central rather than winning an argument or defending a position. Jesus is to be our perspective and, when he is, life begins to arise from days of darkness and frustration.
Tuesday, June 07, 2016
ENGULFED IN THE WONDER OF THE CHURCH
One must make asserted effort to refrain from living a small life. Our God craves for bigger for us. Yet, our minds are self-convincing that our walk on earth is mainly about us. If not careful, we will shoot ourselves in our own feet and limp through life due to self-infliction of little thinking. With this it seems that each of us clamors for the center stage. From this perspective, life tends to revolve.
We might acknowledge that we know this is a grave mistake to think such. However, there is persistent temptation to make this day (and the next) (and the next) about self. Each of us has inherited a flaw from Adam and Eve. This couple was obsessed with life revolving around themselves and we repeatedly imitate the trend. While we battle for recognition, our faith suffers because, in reality, meaningful life isn't about self. Productive life is higher, wider, deeper, and farther. But, oh how we battle this reality.
In The Broken Church Paul Dawson reflects , The focus is upon the eternal purpose of God, not on my particular (and minuscule) piece of the pie. Yet how often do we judge the validity of the church and of our own faith by the tiny part that we play, what we get, what we understand, and what we perceive is fair? Do we not validate our faith based upon our myopic self-o-scope? Is my life unfolding according to my plan? Is faith working for me? We have missed the entire point. What if life and faith are not even about us?
Engulfed in the life of wonder is to follow Jesus. Real life is the call to live anticipationally; yet, sacrificially. He insisted that if we are to keep our lives we must lose them. Additionally, he is clear that if we lose our lives we will find them. This is risky faith. This is the secret to wonder. Be encouraged to die to self; to your wish, your will, your want. In so doing, a level of life will arise of which each of us dreams.
Watch for the wonder. Place yourself in its realm by being attentive to God and to others. Get ready....to be really blessed!
We might acknowledge that we know this is a grave mistake to think such. However, there is persistent temptation to make this day (and the next) (and the next) about self. Each of us has inherited a flaw from Adam and Eve. This couple was obsessed with life revolving around themselves and we repeatedly imitate the trend. While we battle for recognition, our faith suffers because, in reality, meaningful life isn't about self. Productive life is higher, wider, deeper, and farther. But, oh how we battle this reality.
In The Broken Church Paul Dawson reflects , The focus is upon the eternal purpose of God, not on my particular (and minuscule) piece of the pie. Yet how often do we judge the validity of the church and of our own faith by the tiny part that we play, what we get, what we understand, and what we perceive is fair? Do we not validate our faith based upon our myopic self-o-scope? Is my life unfolding according to my plan? Is faith working for me? We have missed the entire point. What if life and faith are not even about us?
Engulfed in the life of wonder is to follow Jesus. Real life is the call to live anticipationally; yet, sacrificially. He insisted that if we are to keep our lives we must lose them. Additionally, he is clear that if we lose our lives we will find them. This is risky faith. This is the secret to wonder. Be encouraged to die to self; to your wish, your will, your want. In so doing, a level of life will arise of which each of us dreams.
Watch for the wonder. Place yourself in its realm by being attentive to God and to others. Get ready....to be really blessed!
Saturday, June 04, 2016
WHEN YOUR HOP CAN'T HOP ANOTHER MINUTE
Each person, it seems, has increasingly more activities on our plates. In one way this is good as it means we are functioning. The negative side might mean that we have allowed (or taken on) so much that we find ourselves buried before we ever get to the cemetery. This is a crucial fact about where we live.
For those interferences that come our way, we do learn to make adjustment; even to the point we might find ourselves advantaged. Yet, the lack of personal discipline which finds us likely in over our heads in daily struggle is where I wish to encourage. You likely care about your world and all who are tied in with it.
So I say to you that you might be making life way too difficult by spinning in too many directions. Do you recall the little PacMan yellow face that eats away in puzzle form? We blink and dodge and dart about as if we are little PacMen and PacWomen turning, swiveling, and bouncing; gobbling our own time.
Guilt is placed at our feet if we say No to multiple incoming requests. Frustration weighs on our hearts when we say Yes when what we needed to say (wanted to say) was No. I speak not to the lazy. The lazy don't read this blog. I speak to the productive, the ambitious, the driven. Try not to make simple life way too hard.
So how, might you ask? Practice praying (Oh, you were looking for something new?). Our minds will calm when our spirits are connected to Father. Our walk is not about our image of pleasing people. Jesus didn't and we are to be disciplined, as was he, at drawing the lines. Martha was pretty miffed when Jesus didn't hop to it at the announcement of Lazarus' death.
It is here that we could/should/would find relief. If we are called (as we tend to think) to keep everyone happy, then welcome to the world of eventual failure. This was a very hard lesson for me to learn. If others like you because you always hop to it the day is coming when you have no more hop and they, then, simultaneously have no more support of you.
Each of us must reach a point where we relinquish our desire to serve impressively; pleasing some and keeping others off of our backs. We must know deeply and inwardly by faith that God runs the effectivity of His Show. Serve? Oh, we are in. Everywhere in multiple places all at once...um, that would be where the Spirit of God does the work. Let Him!
For those interferences that come our way, we do learn to make adjustment; even to the point we might find ourselves advantaged. Yet, the lack of personal discipline which finds us likely in over our heads in daily struggle is where I wish to encourage. You likely care about your world and all who are tied in with it.
So I say to you that you might be making life way too difficult by spinning in too many directions. Do you recall the little PacMan yellow face that eats away in puzzle form? We blink and dodge and dart about as if we are little PacMen and PacWomen turning, swiveling, and bouncing; gobbling our own time.
Guilt is placed at our feet if we say No to multiple incoming requests. Frustration weighs on our hearts when we say Yes when what we needed to say (wanted to say) was No. I speak not to the lazy. The lazy don't read this blog. I speak to the productive, the ambitious, the driven. Try not to make simple life way too hard.
So how, might you ask? Practice praying (Oh, you were looking for something new?). Our minds will calm when our spirits are connected to Father. Our walk is not about our image of pleasing people. Jesus didn't and we are to be disciplined, as was he, at drawing the lines. Martha was pretty miffed when Jesus didn't hop to it at the announcement of Lazarus' death.
It is here that we could/should/would find relief. If we are called (as we tend to think) to keep everyone happy, then welcome to the world of eventual failure. This was a very hard lesson for me to learn. If others like you because you always hop to it the day is coming when you have no more hop and they, then, simultaneously have no more support of you.
Each of us must reach a point where we relinquish our desire to serve impressively; pleasing some and keeping others off of our backs. We must know deeply and inwardly by faith that God runs the effectivity of His Show. Serve? Oh, we are in. Everywhere in multiple places all at once...um, that would be where the Spirit of God does the work. Let Him!
Friday, June 03, 2016
IS LIFE AFTER DEATH MERELY WISHFUL THINKING?
Is Christianity simply a nice element to an already cluttered world or is there a legitimacy which needs to be seriously considered. I believe the latter is the case; yet, I am sympathetic toward any who are not certain. I get it. Would you mind if I share my take on what is a significant question to so many?
I believe that life after death is more than wishful thinking. My conclusion has been reached on the basis of intentional research; not inherited tradition that might include ritualistic habit or whatever indifference. You surely might reach a different conclusion than I; but please....please don't go into eternity with little more than criticism of we religious people who haven't represented God as well as even we had wished.
The reason that a next life is to be believed can come in various formidable facts:
I believe that life after death is more than wishful thinking. My conclusion has been reached on the basis of intentional research; not inherited tradition that might include ritualistic habit or whatever indifference. You surely might reach a different conclusion than I; but please....please don't go into eternity with little more than criticism of we religious people who haven't represented God as well as even we had wished.
The reason that a next life is to be believed can come in various formidable facts:
- Farmers plant seed in the ground hoping it to die...in order that abundantly more seed arise. The new life is much more seed than was planted. Life comes indeed and even due to death.
- Every time one reflects upon today's date a confession is made that Jesus was born. Earth's timetable is an admission that B.C. took a turn into a new calculating system of A.D. Jesus is the reason for the new season.
- The Bible can't be eradicated from existence. People have tried. Nations have tried to gather Bibles and burn them in public square. It continues to survive the most organized attacks.
- Everyone clearly sees that each of us is composed of flesh and spirit. We are both inner and outer people; two worlds living in stunning combination. The inner includes our attitudes, thoughts, imaginations, etc. The outer is obvious as well. Our dual existence verifies there is a spiritual side to life.
The above items are merely ideas to ponder. Of course, my point is that to believe in life after death is not being superficially gullible as some choose to view the topic. I'm not sure, but I think this issue is basically ignored; not from researched disbelief but from simply not wanting to think about it. Death is what happens to others...so far.
The Word of God calls each on of us to start life over in mid-stream. Born once we are asked that we consider being born again. We are to be born in the flesh and then in the spirit for we are both. The problem arises when we decide that the first birth is the completion of being a person. It isn't.
John 3:3-8 is to be treasured; not debated. Jesus sent his disciples into all of the world hoping the news would spread regarding this very factor, Mt. 28:18-20, equipping them with a message of full, total, and complete personhood. All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Life after death isn't merely wishful thinking. It is substantial and responsible thinking. If one wants to offer thoughtless coffee-shop mocking toward any who believe that God is actual, such a one is surely free to engage in such conversation. I reference this as I might have been in on such conversations in my earlier days.
Every person receives repeated significant messages day by day verifying that this present earthly existence is short-lived. Funerals are a way of life. Even that statement is weird, isn't it? Jesus died on the cross as the absorbent of our sins. Jesus is our exemption. He is the only one who died (and arose) so that we could live. Life after death isn't merely wishful thinking. It is a sobering matter that deserves important evaluation.
Should you conclude that such an exercise is not true, do so please upon serious research and not because a friend gave no thought to it either. You cannot afford to roll with a doubting crowd. Eventually, I believe that you will one day call a friend and tell them that you want to study the Bible with them. This will, it seems, lead you to weigh whether you believe that Jesus calls you to be baptized. For me? I believe He deeply desires to wash our sins away at baptism that the Holy Spirit of God might take up residence within.
Might you begin to lean that direction as well...Acts 8:34-38?
Thursday, June 02, 2016
HOW TO HOPE WHEN IT SEEMS THERE ISN'T ANY
So one more time I found myself sitting in ER with a family yesterday. The scene is embedded in any who were present forevermore. The body of a loved one is the gathering place. The sobs, the physical collapse of one, the stark and stunning now absence of a beloved....the room was filled with silent screaming. Begging spirits folded as a man full of life was now pronounced dead.
My mind never gets over these repeated scenes that pop up occasionally. The devastation is permanent. And....it is useful. By the latter, I mean that it is a profound moment when the heart vacates the frivolous distractions that routine deems as necessary and takes note of what really matters; love of people while they are with us.
Arguments seem to leave the room rather red-faced in such settings. They (these debates) never did really belong, did they? Frustration within relationships evaporates. It happens at death. So why can't it happen in life? Such has always been the intent of the Spirit which is to have taken up residence within.
...we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us...Romans 5:2-5.
How one hopes when there is no sign of hope to be found is to rely upon the Holy Spirit of God within us for He knows the full story of authentic and lasting life. Our hearts may be stunned; taking our turns to rightfully grieve deeply. Yet, due to the conquering Spirit of God, there is ample reason to live convinced that even at death's door....there is personal hope.
My mind never gets over these repeated scenes that pop up occasionally. The devastation is permanent. And....it is useful. By the latter, I mean that it is a profound moment when the heart vacates the frivolous distractions that routine deems as necessary and takes note of what really matters; love of people while they are with us.
Arguments seem to leave the room rather red-faced in such settings. They (these debates) never did really belong, did they? Frustration within relationships evaporates. It happens at death. So why can't it happen in life? Such has always been the intent of the Spirit which is to have taken up residence within.
...we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us...Romans 5:2-5.
How one hopes when there is no sign of hope to be found is to rely upon the Holy Spirit of God within us for He knows the full story of authentic and lasting life. Our hearts may be stunned; taking our turns to rightfully grieve deeply. Yet, due to the conquering Spirit of God, there is ample reason to live convinced that even at death's door....there is personal hope.
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
BE AWARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS THE HURRYS AND THE SCURRYS
There was a catastrophe x-amount of years ago. Its power shook the earth. Reverberation continues. Mankind has been severely wounded. Community has been essentially handicapped since Eden.
In that Garden Adam and Eve rebelled and the result was an eternal obsession with the self. What did this brief moment cause? An undeniable hiding from that day forth continues to the be dilemma known around the world. Men and women hide in plain sight hoping to go unnoticed. Seen, yet unseen, this has been the quest. We want to be honored; but seldom do we wish to honor.
Granted, most everyone that we know has their hands full with schedules, with concerns, and with goals. Our lives reflect the idea that we don't seem to have enough day in our hours. The Hurry family lives next door to the Scurrys. When the alarm goes off in early morn, the race is on. And there is, indeed, a serious problem.
Everyone is seen in the crowd; but few are noticed.
It is at this juncture that we might study the crisis in order to develop a plan for community improvement. One of the things that I dearly appreciate about Jesus is that even in a crowd he was sensitive; even to an unknown person whose touch stopped the parade. Personal sensitivity to those around us is desperately needed in our day....each...and every...day.
Let us promote Other Awareness Day every day. From Monday through Saturday, this would change the world. On Sundays? Oh if even the church people would loosen from fear of being seen and speak to the strangers, the guests, even the other members whom we dismiss as surely somebody in here knows them, we would change the world for the better. Impact would be enormous!
Here's what I think I know. Regardless of location on the social ladder, those on the top, those at the bottom, and all in the middle suffer from the Garden Collapse of early creation. Personal uncertainty and fearful doubt reside in even the most outgoing and popular. We can make a difference because (1) we know this about every person on our floor or street, and (2) we can change the world for the better by noticing these masses who are all around us in plain sight are deeply valuable and highly important.
May we go make a difference for someone who needs and encouraging word or a smiling greeting. This will change someone's world....today.
In that Garden Adam and Eve rebelled and the result was an eternal obsession with the self. What did this brief moment cause? An undeniable hiding from that day forth continues to the be dilemma known around the world. Men and women hide in plain sight hoping to go unnoticed. Seen, yet unseen, this has been the quest. We want to be honored; but seldom do we wish to honor.
Granted, most everyone that we know has their hands full with schedules, with concerns, and with goals. Our lives reflect the idea that we don't seem to have enough day in our hours. The Hurry family lives next door to the Scurrys. When the alarm goes off in early morn, the race is on. And there is, indeed, a serious problem.
Everyone is seen in the crowd; but few are noticed.
It is at this juncture that we might study the crisis in order to develop a plan for community improvement. One of the things that I dearly appreciate about Jesus is that even in a crowd he was sensitive; even to an unknown person whose touch stopped the parade. Personal sensitivity to those around us is desperately needed in our day....each...and every...day.
Let us promote Other Awareness Day every day. From Monday through Saturday, this would change the world. On Sundays? Oh if even the church people would loosen from fear of being seen and speak to the strangers, the guests, even the other members whom we dismiss as surely somebody in here knows them, we would change the world for the better. Impact would be enormous!
Here's what I think I know. Regardless of location on the social ladder, those on the top, those at the bottom, and all in the middle suffer from the Garden Collapse of early creation. Personal uncertainty and fearful doubt reside in even the most outgoing and popular. We can make a difference because (1) we know this about every person on our floor or street, and (2) we can change the world for the better by noticing these masses who are all around us in plain sight are deeply valuable and highly important.
May we go make a difference for someone who needs and encouraging word or a smiling greeting. This will change someone's world....today.
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