Self-help or God-help (Followed by a Note on Why Look to the Bible)

What is the power of humanity?

What is the result of our greatest thoughts? Atom bombs - destruction

What are the highest aspirations of our people? World power - Riches and Fame - Comfort - Pleasure

Is this the pinnacle of human thought? Is this the best we can do?

Yes, it is.

Man's ideas lead to Concentration Camps, Empty pursuits, and Selfish behavior at the expense of others.

And yet we want to look to man to save our souls. Be a better you! Think Positive!
What you need is a self-help seminar....more human wisdom and human ideas.

You need to puff yourself up in pride and in your abilities.

Yet you can't control tomorrow, you are gone with the wind, everything we so cherish is gone with the wind. What kind of trust do you place on sinking sand that washes away? Who would build on sinking sand? Who would base a life on dust in the wind?

As we step into eternity, money rots, fame is worthless, and human power is confronted with true power in our maker.

But yet, they say all you need to do is dig down deep and be a better person. This is the height of human wisdom. On what do we base this confidence in human wisdom? Because it has worked so well and because we seem to do such good things based on our human understandings?

The greatest empire on the planet today - what is so great - its guns, its bombs? Its wide-spread sexual perversion? Its do whatever it takes to get rich upon the shoulders of the poor and expendable? Idolizing of celebrities who offer us no character, no righteousness, no role models for young peole to look up to? And yet we reward them more than any other in our society?

How promising a prospect is it to look to the same wisdom of humanity on how to save himself? How hopeless a thought, that man can save himself? How ridiculous!

Even the church is chiming in on self-help. The faith becomes so watered down that God has no place in it. The faith is presented as all about us, all about what we get, all about what we do - empty of God. It becomes selfish. It becomes nothing more than self-fulfillment, how to have the best marriage, how to have joy, how to have peace in life, how to be a good person, how to live the life you've always wanted.

Thats not Biblical. Biblical faith is not focused on man - it is focused on God and what He is doing with man!

Biblical faith points to man's need for help outside himself. Man's inability to do anything that will stand. Man's wickedness cries out in the Bible and as we look around today. Even though the world will call sin good, sin is always evil and we reap what we sow.

Man needs help. A help found in God. We need God-help, not self-help. A help from God stepping down from heaven to take on flesh in Jesus Christ. To do for us on our behalf what none of us could do on our own.

We are totally dependent upon Christ. Upon the Cross. The Cross is the place our wickedness receives its due. And we receive forgiveness by Christ, not because we deserved it - by no means. It is the gift and goodness of God toward us.

And as Christ was risen by the power of God from the dead, He reigns today - forever. And He has begun to raise us to new life, as we accept the Cross of Christ, realizing what He has offered to us - salvation from our wickedness and our inability to free ourselves from our own follies - we accept His help and receive the Holy Spirit. In God's power, we walk in newness of life. We walk in a life of obedience to God, obedience to His Biblical revelation given to us, dependent on Him and no longer in rebellion against Him. It is His doing, His power, His intervention, His guiding, His new creation. A journey onward with God perfected as we enter glory prepared for life ever-lasting.

I am afraid for a people that tries to depend so much on man - and refuses to look to God. The answers to our questions, failures, brokenness is not found in ourselves, our help is only found in God.

And if you come to God for help, don't come to be a better you, don't come because you want a better life, if you come to Him, come to Him because He is worthy, come because you're desperate for the Living God, come because you know you need Him. Come because this world is empty without Him and He is everything. Come to him to die to yourself. Allow Him to rebuild you in His ways, in His plan, not looking to get His help in what your plans are - NO - looking to burn your plans and receive His in their place. A total rejection of trust in yourself, a total rejection of your wisdom, a total rejection of what you thought was good, or what you thought life was about - a death to self. Trust God as the answer, for the plan, for whats good, for what your life should be about. Because you desperately see that nothing in you can be trusted - only God is to be trusted. Its about Him and His willingness to show us!

Who are you counting on for eternity?
Yourself, what you've done.
Don't count on yourself and your goodness built on your own efforts, count on God.
What reason do you have to trust yourself? What have you done to prove yourself capable of creating your own tailored-plan of salvation?
We are hopeless in ourselves. This is the clear declaration of history. A history of human wickedness and rebellion against God and the result of sinful choices flowing from generation to generation.
Find your sole salvation in God and God alone - in His finished work on the Cross - in His promises to you found in the Bible.

Why the Bible:

Because over 40 men were inspired by God to write His story for us. Because over a 1,500 year time period these men were all coordinated to produce one consistent theme throughout the Bible. The need for Jesus Christ, Man's inability to do right without God, and God's passion to reach out to a rebellious mankind.

Because there is no other book that has such a large testimony of God's inspiration. Because you don't have to take my word for it, or the word of just one man who says he had an experience with God and expects us to believe it. Because over 40 men who didn't know each other over 1500 years were led to testify to the very same God and this God's plan for His creation.

Because a dozen men witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ first hand, because over 500 saw Him risen from death. Because in any court of law, this many first-hand witnesses would be enough to make a decision. Because Christianity is founded on historical realities, concrete realities. Jesus is a historical fact and the power of the Cross stands forever. Pointing to us the only way of man's salvation found in God stepping down from heaven to take the suffering sin deserved and His promise to forgive us in accepting what He has done in our place.

Not self-help, God-help.

Begging at God's Table

I sit and wrestle with divinity
my little mind wrestles with the mysteries of God
so much you have taught me
so much you have shown me
little scraps from your table
back I come begging
searching
wondering
what a foolish endeavor
to think I might understand you God who is beyond all human comprehension
God who made all that is and stands apart from everything I know and see
God who interacts with Creation
Apart from anything I know
Apart from anything I see
Untouchable
Wisdom beyond measure
Love never-ending
Yet I come back for more
More scraps at your table to savor
I come back because you have been so generous to me
so generous to share with me, just what I needed, just as I needed it
to serve you
At times, I thought I might fully grasp you
In my arrogance, I thought too much of myself
Can I be at peace, in knowing in part but not in whole?
Can I rest in what you've done? and what you've shown?
Your Holy Spirit convicts me and moves me
Your truth burns in my soul
Love, justice, mercy, joy, peace, and patience
they point beyond and assure me of what is
That you God, you God stand behind it
You move me, you guide me, in your paths of righteousness
You move me where I desire to be, where I love to be
In your goodness, in your grace, with purpose and joy supreme

even when it doesn't make sense,
even when its hard times
this I know, you have been good to me
scraps I've savored from your table
by no merit on my own
but because you are good, and you desire to share with me

misundertood word: gospel

When you hear the word gospel, what do you think of?

It is the most important part of the Christian faith. Do we know it?

Gospel literally means, good news.

Why don't we just say good news...? Maybe then it won't sound like such a foreign concept to people who have never heard the word gospel.

Good news.

We all like good news.

Good news, even though we have all messed up and done bad things in our lives, God wanted to provide a way to cover all our bad choices and remove them from his sight. He did this by coming in the flesh as Jesus Christ, and took on the penalty, Himself, for all of our bad decisions. God chose to do this for us. God chose to sacrifice Himself on our behalf. None of us deserved it. None of us earned any favor with God. It was a free gift given by God, the same God who gave us life in our mother's womb.

Good news of a forgiven past.

It is belief in the good news that can purify a heart, after all Jesus loved you enough to die for you. It is belief in the good news that can cleanse a conscience, after all it was all of your wrong choices that required Jesus to be crucified. It is belief in the good news that can break through idle talk, after all there is a world that needs to feel the good news. The good news brings our dead souls to life. Fully alive, in God.

Good news! You have been forgiven, so forgive others. Good news! You have been helped, so stop and help others. Good news! You have been loved by the greatest lover of everything that exists, so love others.

Observations from 1 Tim 6:11-21

God alone possess immortality.
He was in the beginning, He is now, and He will be in the future.

God dwells in inapproachable light.
Just as light removes darkness,
God's presence cannot stand spiritual darkness.
Just as light pierces the dark,
God's truth pierces our consciences and illuminates the true path.
God's light is inapproachable, His goodness is beyond our highest thoughts of Good, His goodness is blinding to our eyes,
eyes that are used to and grow accustomed to darkness.

God gives life to all things.
God gives, its his nature.
He is a giver and generous with what He gives to us.
He gives the most precious of gifts, life.
Not because He had to, because He chose to.

God is the only sovereign.
There is only one King.
Every person who thinks they rule anything by a title or by force,
they are deceived.
There is only one who truly rules over this universe and this Earth.

So believer in God,
pursue righteousness (v. 11).
righteousness: being as we ought to be; the condition acceptable to God
Be full of integrity, virtue, purity of life, and seek correctness of thinking and acting.

Be who God made you to be.

Hour of Devotion

Good morning room.
Let's fix you up a bit.
Let's see.
Open the blinds just a little,
the light of the morning beams through.
The clouds and blue sky greet me with a smile.

Hello chair, may I have a seat?
Plop down and gaze out the window,
wonderful.
Pause.
Inhale, exhale,
What a peaceful morning.

What treasures does the Word of God have today?
Open Her up.
Ahhh. David, what do you have to say?

That verse, I can't move past that verse.
It sticks in my mind,
It grabs at my heart,
It stirs my soul.
How wonderful is your Word!

God, you speak of things so true,
Its as if you are calling to something deep inside me.
In this moment, I would like to sit
and hold onto you forever.
That your Word would not leave my attention,
that your voice would linger a little while longer.

But it is time to go now,
the day awaits.
Thank you for speaking with me,
and may I honor You with what you showed me
this morning.

Society 911

Alright, I have to confess. I have been watching too much world news lately.

I realize news media emphasize everything thats wrong with everything and we tend to get a skewed picture of what is happening in the world. I understand that, but nonetheless, the injustice bothers me deeply. I imagine there is much justice taking place, many people and organizations accomplishing good things, but I still end up with a bad taste in my mouth.

Are the statistics real? I don't know.

I mean, how can 25,000 children die every day from hunger? (According to UNICEF)
How can 1 billion people not read or write? (UNICEF)
How can 2.6 billion people lack basic water sanitation? (UN)
How can 400 million children not have access to safe water? (UN)

Is this real? How accurate is this information? How can this occur?

I think the hardest thing for me is that I live in such a wealthy country. I live in a country that throws away food. I live in a country where a major health issue is being overweight. Many of my countrymen wake up and take for granted all the luxuries they have that others only dream of possessing (like indoor plumbing and drinkable water). We expand our desires of what we "need" so far beyond what is "needed" that we can find no joy, no satisfaction, with the basic necessities and enjoyments of life. Not only that but we incur debt ourselves to provide things we don't need and only shackle us to years of debt payments and stress should the economy falter.

How did we get here?

I live in a country that has so much technology, so much charity, so much religion, so much opportunity to do something about these issues. Never has the Earth seen such an advanced civilization with the ability to do so much, so fast.

I wonder what would happen if we could improve the conditions of life in these "poor" areas. Would they then face the same issues we face with excess and busyness and no appreciation for what they possessed? Would they lose their souls?

If we improved life in other places, what does that even look like? Who can articulate that? Should we improve it to be like us? If thats the case, I am concerned.

More consumerism isn't healthy, more debt finance isn't healthy, more wealth for the rich and slavery for the poor isn't very noble, more stuff doesn't fill the hole.

Who has the answer, I can think of only one. We all need Christ at the center. I think Christ at the center pulls us altogether. Only then is it not about material things or power or status or false pursuits, only then is it God and loving your neighbor. What if my countryman learned to carry this out with each other then we may shine forth to the world a different way?

But I feel like we get more excited about a sports event than we do about living and sharing the gospel with those that need it.

I feel like we give up and throw our hands up from our continual let downs by our leaders.

Where do we go? What can we do? Isn't that the question?

Thats the question I'm praying about and pondering. That's the question poking my conscience. Then I look around, I look around for one. One near me, where are you. I want to at least be faithful to one when the problems of the world seem so large, there is always one to be helped..........so it begins with you and me.

Faith with Science

Why does everyone want to paint the view as Faith Versus Science? Why is it necessary to divide up into two different camps and suggest that it is either all or nothing?

Why can't we have faith WITH science?

I mean to me, science only deepens my wonder and awe of God's awesomeness! (Is that a word yet, because it should be?)

Faith in God + DNA = An Amazingly intelligent Creator that could make such a blueprint or code that we are just now beginning to understand. Blueprints aren't written on accident (Ask any architect).

Faith in God + Modern Medical understanding = An Amazingly wonderful creation of man that mankind's brain is so complex we haven't dreamed up anything to match.

Faith in God + Physics = An Amazing universe that doesn't appear to be random at all but is ordered by laws such as gravity, thermodynamics, etc. Its not random chaos, it's ordered brilliance!

Faith in God + Microbiology = An Amazingly complex system in places beyond the human eye in factories called cells.

Why does it have to be Faith VERSUS Science?
I say faith is aided and wonder of the Creator is aided by the findings of science of how ordered, intelligently designed, and complex the universe has been proven to be.

Brain and Heart

"Brains can argue, but it takes heart to comfort."

-Samuel Chadwick

Battle in the Mind

If one is seeking to reform their thought life, where does one begin? How does one do it?

If there are thought patterns that make me cringe when Im looking into the eyes of my Creator, when I look upon His holiness and His righteousness in His Word, then what can I do about it?
How can I defame God by thinking of things that are so worthless and unholy in His sight and then think about Him?

Are we destined to accept failure? Is it acceptable to chalk it up to: "its just human nature; there is nothing I can do about it?"

Or should we choose to think more about God?

What do I mean by think more about God? Like a greater quantity or a greater quality? Both.

First of all, we could work on quality. Pick up a copy of Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy. Then, think about the characteristics of Who God is (His Attributes). Or Pick up a Basic Theology book like: The Faith Once for All by Jack Cottrell. I know this ones a big book, but spend time on just reading and reflecting on God's attributes.

When you start contemplating things like eternity, like infinite love, infinite mercy, infinite holiness, unlimited power, the ability to be everywhere all the time, perfect justice, goodness, and grace, it is inevitable that the thought-life improve. Not to mention the prayer-life. After all, how we think about God matters.

After you exhaust some of God's attributes, you could study some of His primary works: Creation, Providence, and Redemption.

You could spend time studying God's providential work in every person's life all the time throughout history and forever and the wonder of it all.

Or you could spend time studying creation and how God created things out of nothing, that before anything was, God was. That God is totally immaterial and not even on the same plane as angels or other immaterial spirits.

Or you could spend time studying the God-Man Jesus Christ Himself and redemption. Equally human and equally divine. Able to sin and yet not ever choosing it. Sinless perfection choosing the Cross to infinitely cover the infinite punishment which sin calls for. Being God in the flesh only He could infinitely suffer to cover over all sin by one act of sacrifice.

Look, the better the quality one's thoughts of God are, the better the alternative of things to think about someone has. Unless our thoughts attempt to reach as far as our finite minds can reach when approaching God, we are probably not really thinking about God. Think about it, God is infinite and we are finite. By very definition of terms we are incapable of fully grasping something that is infinite by using a finite brain. But this very act gives us something truly worthy to contemplate that can help us not think about things which are truly not worthy.

If we wish to take away or change old thought patterns, you better have something better to fill it with. God is better.

Secondly, quantity matters. Regularity matters. You can't starve yourself of worthy contemplation or you will find something else to contemplate. If we aren't centered on God, we will center somewhere else.

It seems that if the quality of thoughts improves, the quantity won't be far behind. If the quality is better, watch out, you will find yourself enjoying entering into contemplation of God (Which is a form of prayer).

Fill me with your Spirit

Fill me with your Spirit
Fill me with your Spirit
Oh Lord our God
Oh Lord our God
Take away the man
I used to be
Take away my pride
that was in my heart
Take away my lust
that was in my mind
And take my old words
I used to say
And fill my mouth with song
Of your victory
And fill me with your Spirit
Fill me with your Spirit
Oh Lord our God
Oh Lord our God

Why don't we teach Wisdom anymore?

Why is it that public education emphasizes teaching information and not wisdom?

Many cultures still value wisdom, America does not seem to be one of them. Children are taught dates, events, facts, names, numbers, and words.

What happened to teaching right and wrong?

What happened to good and evil?

What happened to how to live well?

What happened to virtue? Why shouldn't a child learn about honesty, justice, chastity, wisdom, prudence, compassion, benevolence, forgiveness, goodness?

If you look up virtue here's what you find in an American Encyclopedia, virtue: extinct when it was discovered there are no exclusive truths to base good upon.

In our society, due to our inability to recognize anything as true, we have paralyzed our ability to be wise as a nation. Our children learn vices rather than virtues. They are taught sloth, lust, gluttony, jealousy, and greed. They sit and watch media that promote such vices and have no exposure to virtue with which to combat.

How is it that we have agreed as a society to promote vices, but we find ourselves unable to teach virtues because there is no standard, no truth upon which to base such a teaching about virtues? I mean, who's virtues would you use? You can't use the Christians virtues because of the Muslims. You can't use the Muslim's virtues because of the Christians. And oh don't forget the Buddhists. Then, how can we agree to promote vices through the popular media? Who made that call and I find it offensive because they have chosen a worldview and standard that idealizes vices :) Obviously, someone has determined a standard, which is no standard and no virtues, only vices are acceptable curriculum?

Why don't we teach Wisdom anymore?

We wonder at the state of America when we flip on Jerry Springer, Montel, People's Court, Cops, or Bridezilla's and why in the world there are so many people that do not seem to have any noticeable wisdom. We chalk it up to the shows paying people to act like they are idiots and putting a show on, but I hate to burst your bubble I don't think its an act.

Why don't we teach Wisdom anymore?

I think people were wiser when they didn't have television. I think people were wiser when they lived off the land, looked at the stars at night, and made a life in their community. Sure, they didn't know all the information we do today, but what good does information do if you have no truth, if you loose mankind? Mankind has a history available to draw out virtues, to draw out truth. Mankind is not mankind if he does not exercise his mind to decipher what is good. For those who deny what is good, they rob man of his soul.

The Cross in All

What's the secret to a happy marriage? The Cross
What's the secret to a deep, life-changing conversation? The Cross
What's the secret to serving others? The Cross
What's the secret to holiness? The Cross
What's the secret to deep friendships? The Cross
What's the secret to positive working relationships? The Cross
What's the secret to listening? The Cross

You might say, "You simply apply the Cross as your answer to everything, how can this be?" "You assert the Cross as some mindless blanket statement for everything."

I would answer, "It simply is."

Think about it.

For a successful marriage relationship, one must die to self and look out for the interest of the other in God.

For a successful conversation where someone is listened to, one must remove self-interest from the conversation and allow the other person to express what needs to come off their heart. Meanwhile, the listener searches for guidance by the Holy Spirit.

For deep friendships, its about them, not us.

For progress in the spiritual life, its about God, not us.

The Cross can be seen as the ever-present reality of successful living.

The Cross, everywhere I look, I see the Cross.

Tending to the physically sick

Healing takes place in the midst of intention and community.

Intention in that you purposefully withdraw your own desires and needs for a conversation and allow a person to open up and share their feelings and fears. We should recognize this tendency to be "selfish" in our conversations with others. Rather than truly listening, we are jumping ahead to what we want to share.

Those in pain are the ones who need to share and we should be intentional with "dying to self" or "withdrawing our own needs" from a conversation.

Community in that you walk through the pain with them. You need not offer answers or attempt to make false promises. When in the valley of the shadow, one needs to walk through it. Disguising the vally does not make it go disappear.

They need to know we are there, we love them, and we will walk with them through this ordeal.

(Thanks to Henri Nouwen for many insights from, The Wounded Healer)

Morals

I wonder if you could have a graph displaying the decreasing standards of television/media content over the past fifty years, if there would be a direct corelation with decreasing moral standards of Americans over the same time-frame?

Can you hear Truth?

Can you hear?
Can you see?
Can you touch and taste?
When truth is spoken, is it a sweet sound?
When truth is revealed is it a beautiful piece of art?

When intelligence is obvious,
when design is apparent,
when "I think therefore I am,"
when we find ourselves in limited control
of this planet,
do we hear?
What do we see?

How hardened is the heart?
How dead is the soul?
That truth echoes back,
but does not take root.

How blind the eyes?
How deaf the ears?
When nature explains,
when flowers cry out!

How sweet an opportunity,
how precious the time,
"Go and reproduce."
"Go and rule and subdue."
You will be like Me,
You will rule.
You will rule this pile of dirt.

So go now,
go and listen to your heart,
go and embrace love,
go and freely take and freely give,
"I will not manipulate you."
"I will not force you."
"Go now."
Enjoy.

How good You are to us,
How You make us in Your image,
To rule, to have free will,
in small ways You have made us
Like You.

But it seems many think You are gone,
or that You never were.
That this is accident,
That we are slightly more intelligent than ooze.

Some think the body,
what they see,
is all there is,
their motto, "to live for the now."

But if they would stop,
and listen.
Your voice remains,
Truth can be heard.
You came.
You spoke.
You died.
You did not mean this to be
confusion,
or mystery.
So, You spoke.

And it was true.

"In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).

The darkness understands:
more hate
more war
more money
more fighting
more anger
more killing
more oppressing
more tearing people down
more wealth
more technology
more houses
more cell phones
more televisions
more books
more self-help
more loneliness
more brokenness
more entertainment
more delusion
more fantasy
more drugs
more denial.

The light understands:
purpose
glory
faith
hope
and Love.
More sharing
more giving
more holiness
more building people up
more serving
more joy
more fulfillment
more family
more strangers
more justice
more healing
more acknowledgement of God.

The Negatives - Easier to See than Positives

It is so easy to focus on the negatives of the Christian faith and miss the positives. We prohibit actions, and we create a list of don'ts. We tend to focus on what is illegal or outlawed or against God's Law. Don't cheat, don't lie, don't commit adultery, don't be an addict to whatever, don't say that, or don't think this.

These are the easy things to identify. Our conscience testifies about these heinous acts.

What about all the positive actions of things we should be doing. Things that we missed. We were too busy there and self-absorbed here. We should have loved and offered kind words to that young kid. We should have been focused on showering attention on a loved one instead of attending to our list of do's for the day. We should have enjoyed a laugh with a friend instead of holding to our agenda of what we would rather be doing. We should have reached out instead of avoiding someone who offended us. We should have loved others instead of loving ourselves. We should have smiled and appreciated instead of being annoyed with our children.

You see. We focus on the negatives more than we realize all the positive aspects of Christianity that pass us by moment-by-moment.

Christianity is not a bunch of negatives. Why should anyone want to be a Christian if all they see are people holding to some moral code, some "list of don'ts?" Love is not a "list of don'ts." We have things messed up in our minds if negatives, the don'ts, are all that we see in Christ.

Having walked with the Lord for five years now, I am finding the negatives much easier to identify. What I fear are the positives which I have missed. I should have been present in more situations. Physical presence does not always necessitate spiritual presence. I should have been present "in the spirit" in more situations. I should have been focused on the Kingdom in more situations. I should have been more focused on loving, encouraging, being the hands and feet of Jesus wherever I went physically. I need to be consistently abiding in Christ as I walk around.

How many are the opportunities to love, that I have missed? How many touching moments from God in friendship, mentorship, or family-building have I not experienced? How many times have I walked past a situation God wanted me to experience something deep and enriching but because of my lack of spiritual awareness I walked past? Love is not so clearly defined as a list of rules to follow. Love comes moment-by-moment and it presents itself quietly and peacefully. Love opens its arms and invites us to come and experience it. Will we see it? Will we be aware? The postitives of Christianity of which love is one are not as clear as the negatives that trample the conscience. We need to be finely tuned to the movings of the Holy Spirit, this is the only way to enter into Love.

May God enligthen us to opportunities to love without them passing us by. May this happen in our families, at work, and in all our waking hours. May we be awakened to opportunities to be enouraging, uplifting, supportive, caring, showering words of kindness, taking the time to listen, letting another get what they want even if its not what we want simply because we love them.

Know Him

He is infinite . . .
His love is never-ending,
His presence is all surrounding,
His mercy is limitless,
His blessings continual,
His grace extends forever,
His power cannot be measured,
His wisdom is matchless.

He is always watching,
Always around.
Always hoping,
Always willing,
Always listening.

He enjoys creating and giving.
He enjoys giving life,
to you and I

He is worthy:

He is Everything.
Oh, how I wish to give Him something!
I wish I had something to give Him,
But I have nothing,
I am poor.
I have nothing.
Nothing, but what He himself gave me,
My life, my being, my person.
This I gladfully wish to give back to Him.
That I might in some way give Him the praise
He so rightfully deserves.

But it seems He won't let me do this.
As I attempt to turn myself over,
As I attempt to lay down my life,
He keeps giving
and giving.
I keep receiving,
deeper,
better,
peace,
blessing,
love,
joy.

But I thought I was dying to self?
I thought I was embracing a cross?
I thought duty meant boring.
I thought discipline meant mean.
I thought repentance meant no more fun.
Apparently, I didn't know whats going on here.
Apparently, God is not one to be out-given.
Apparently, God has something better in mind
than what my human reasoning would lead me
to believe about life with God;
He confirms that life with Him is life-giving,
easy,
and wonderful.

No matter how much I desire to give to You,
I stand at your mercy while You give as you please.
I stand with tears of joy bursting from my eyes
for the wonders of which you pour upon me.
I stand naked as you clothe me with treasures of
infinite worth.

I am left to cry out in my utter poverty:

"You are God Almighty,
and I have felt your love.
It is beyond the power of
my words to express what it
means to me."

Christian Meditation

The goal of Christian meditation is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Here are some words of depth from a Christian of the past on meditation, Madame Guyon:

"I believe the best manner of meditating is as follows: when, by an act of lively faith, you are placed in the Presence of God, recollect some truth wherein there is substance and food; pause gently and sweetly thereon, not to employ the reason, but merely to calm and fix the mind: for you must observe, that your principal exercise should ever be the Presence of God; your subject, therefore, should rather serve to stay the mind, than exercise the understanding."


I would add, when you are reading the Bible and a particular verse grabs your attention, don't hurry on past on the verse. Stop, pause, and reflect on it. Let it penetrate and provoke your wonder and awe.

When you see something wonderful in your family, when you see some moving act of love or patience, stop, pause, and reflect on it. Let your appreciation to God fill your heart.

When you are out doing your daily business or chores and you see something wonderfully created (tree, flower, clouds, etc), take a moment, pause, reflect on it. Let it penetrate and provoke your wonder and awe of God.

Think about Psalm 46:10, Be still and know that He is God.

At times, it is good for our soul to stop, be still, and know God is around us, active, and involved. It is good to acknowledge the wonder of God.

Be still.

Have you been still before God lately?

Holy or Whole, does it make a difference?

You know the history of the word "holy" is very close to the word "whole". "Holy" was taken from the same root word from which "whole" came. Oftentimes, the word "holy" is used to denote something set aside in a special service for God, or that it draws significance from being a thing dedicated to God. More and more, I am reflecting on the importance of the word "whole." I think the word holy in its traditional meaning has taken on additional connotations through time. Holy is a word that is unattainable, far off, and something I know I am not and could never be. Holy would then apply when discussing God. But, when we flip the table and talk about holy people, we have a problem. The phrase "holier than thou" comes to mind that it becomes some offensive arrogant and judgmental way of being, which was never meant to be the case.

On the other hand, when we talk about being a "whole" human being I think our minds go in a different direction. Going further, I believe my mind goes in the correct direction when thinking of "whole" people. God created human beings, and He created them in his image. God has a whole idea of what we as human beings can and should be. If we allow him, He enjoys showing us what his idea is/was when creating us humans. When I think of holy people, I think of the whole idea God has in mind for humanity. This is an exciting way of thinking and can lead in multiple directions.

Holy people are not "holier than thou" people, they are "whole" people.

They are people who are not afraid to love, not afraid to fight for justice, not afraid to stand up for the truth, not afraid of death, not afraid of giving of themselves to help others, and not afraid of trusting other people who may have given no good reason to trust in them. They are loving, kind, gentle, good, self-controlled, not given to anger, joyful, and trustworthy (See Gal. 5:22).

Deep down in our souls, we know this to be true. We have an innate sense of what is right and wrong. We have the sense at a very young age of what is fair and not fair. I always hear little children say, "but that's not fair!" We are created with this sense. Having such an innate sense embedded deep in our souls should give us a clue that we were indeed created with a hunger for what is right. We know God's idea of whole human beings in the deepest part of our being, but we lack the capability to get their on our own. So, God steps in to assist as it must be because it was always his idea of us and not our own. Therefore, only with his help can we fully realize what He has in mind for us as a human being.

The Way

This phrase jumps out at me in Proverbs:

The way of life - Prov. 5:6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
The way to life - Prov. 6:23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.
The way to life - Prov. 10:17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life . . .
The way of the Lord - Prov. 10:29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
The path of understanding - Prov. 21:16 A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead.

Now, notice that this way or path was often a singular form noun. Compare to the following:

Ways of wicked men - Prov. 2:12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.
Paths of the wicked - Prov. 22:5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

It is interesting to note the often (not in every case) singular form of one particular way or path in which to live, walk, and have our being. In contrasting to the ways of the wicked, these paths are often thought of as plural and multiple.

Isaiah also spoke of such a way (Again notice the singular noun form):
Isa. 35:8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.

Jesus said he was the Way (Again notice the singular noun form):
John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Now the question I pose is this: Do you suppose Jesus was referring to "the way" described by both Proverbs and Isaiah? Or is Jesus referring to something different when He says He is the way? If you think about it, if you follow Jesus wouldn't you be following him in his style of life that exhibited holiness/righteousness and which of course Proverbs said this way leads to life? Proverbs focuses on wisdom which translates knowledge to application in how you live. Isaiah spoke of a restored Jerusalem in which a highway (Again a singular path or way) of holiness would have holy people walking on it which indicates the style of life of these people or how they live.

To take this interesting phrase further, Christianity in her early days was known as the Way. Followers of Christ in Acts 9:2 are referred by Saul as those who belong to the Way (Jesus).

All this to say, Christianity is not meant to be a once and done action. It seems that the Western world has boiled this all down to a simple formula which provides all the benefits of eternal salvation and heaven, but has no depth. It has become some mechanical process of rational apprehension but requires no life change. Most Christians claim to be followers, but in actuality when you look at their lives they are no different than the rest of the lost world. Time after time, studies are done that show there is no statistical difference between Christians and non-Christians (thanks George Barna). Anyone with a little Bible study will realize this is not the overall theme expressed in Scripture. Jesus is a way of life, a style of life. His way of life leads directly to the Father/God. He sent his Spirit to guide and direct us on this way of life.

This is not a one time event, that "oh yeah I claimed Christ back when I was 6, I am a Christian." Or, my parents are Christians, so I am a Christian. These are not necessarily valid reasons to claim Christ (although they could be). What truly matters is whether you are following Jesus. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24). Then, we should be found with a cross in our hand putting the flesh/the sinful nature on the cross. This is the Way marked out for us. This is a style of life, something you are daily and not once a week.

We shouldn't be found in the paths of wicked men, we should be found on the Way of Holiness! Oh, that we all might aspire to be whole human beings, the way God created us to be before the Fall! The Way of Holiness bears fruit in life, fruit of the Holy Spirit which are:
-love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22)-
We should be growing in virtue as our sinful flesh is embracing the cross! As we do, we become complete/whole human beings exhibiting the characteristics in which God delights.
Peter said we should be a "royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Pet. 2:9). Being a holy nation is a way of life. It is a lifestyle not a one-time commitment. In modern day culture, we want all the benefits of being saved from hell, but yet we still want to live our lives how we want to on our own terms. These two things do not go together and were not taught by Jesus or anywhere in the Bible.

In Acts 2:42-47, we find the baby church gathered together after Pentecost and the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the followers of Christ. You will quickly notice while reading this passage that the followers lived, ate, worshiped, prayed, and talked about Jesus together daily. They genuinely cared about each other and loved those in need in their community. They did not make a one-time decision for Christ during Peter's sermon and then go back to their old ways of life. They made a lifestyle commitment lead by the Holy Spirit. They began a new way of life together as a family, the Way of Christ.

We should be found to be a sweet, sweet sight to God! Jesus guides us in a close relationship upon the way of life by his Holy Spirit. This is the life that leads to God, the life that pleases God. The highway of Holiness paved by Christ. The fruits of the spirit grow along this highway and are what God desires to allow to flourish in our lives and by which trees are identified as good to keep or bad to cut down and throw into the fire.

If you allow the Holy Spirit to perform her function, she will make you holy. A holy person is a whole human being not a fractured one.

And remember, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov. 14:12). There is a wide road which leads to destruction. Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (Matt. 7:13). Or you could say there are many paths or ways (Plural) that lead to death, and narrow is the gate (Singular). There is one way of life to God. Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life. Only God himself in the flesh could fully display the way. Solomon poked around it and gave insights about this way, Isaiah foresaw the way opening up, but Jesus laid the way brick by brick for us to follow. In Jesus' time, the Way described by Solomon and foretold by Isaiah became a reality.

Take the way of Christ. You will find much more than you can dream of there. There is pure joy and pure fun as opposed to drunken hangovers and parties that end. There is honesty and truthfulness as opposed to cheats and abusers. There is love, deep and transforming as opposed to one-night stands and short-term relationships that never fill the hole of the heart or truly satisfy. There is a peace that reaches deep and stills the soul as opposed to stress and worry about money and the world.

Maybe we should begin using the old title, "Followers of the Way." I think this is a profound phrase that calls attention to our modern day dilemma. This is a way of life not a one-time decision. It is an on-going relationship not a one-night stand.