I wrote the response below to an email by a new member of the on-line Wild at Heart yahoo group.
God exists in paradox. He is all the way East and all the way West all at once. There is no sin in Him yet He created a being that fell and authored sin. He is everywhere, all the time, and yet Adam and Eve are seemingly strolling alone in the Garden when tempted by Satan. There was a time when believing the earth wasn't the center of the universe meant the church had to torture you, now its ridiculous to believe otherwise.
We do need to cling to gospel truth in the face of any opposition but what I often see people cling to is their own interpretations of things. If we simply live in relationship with God and let Him reveal Himself we will find ourselves abiding in a state of dependency and wonder, where the supernatural is natural. If we insist on keeping God in a box that we can get our minds around we will limit our understanding of God and thereby limit our ability to transform into His image.
I know it pains many Christians to hear me say this but I'm more often offended by what I hear from the pulpit than what I hear in a rated R movie. We expect the movie to be tainted by Hollywood's infantile understanding of God, and it actually stands out when they get it right. We are not on guard in church, when the word from on high is pronounced upon us. In fact its not the least bit conducive to independent thought. We sit there as preachers slander God with wrong ideas about His wrath, and what it means to fear the Lord, or just their complete faith in sin avoidance strategies. Can there be anything more hypocritical than a passive, panti-waste behind a pulpit telling me to be a nice guy with one breath and with the next telling me how much God hates gays. It's no wonder gays think anyone who disapproves of their life-style is afraid he is one himself. But that's a topic for a different email.
I actually only disagree with maybe 1 in 10 services I attend and even as I sit there fuming about something I can't stand I know that someone in that audience is being mightily blessed because they are seeing something God has for them. My focus gets distracted and I'm not open to hearing God's blessing, because I've been distracted by the parts of it that offend me. If we are in tune with God, Christ filters our world and we can see anything and not be affected by it. The degree to which we get distracted by the thorns and don't see the rose is the degree to which we are looking through our own eyes and not God's.
In other words I do agree with the extra-biblical statement, "garbage in-garbage out," but I also believe in Christ's words, "it's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Present Future
This is a concept that took me ages to come to peace with. Now I'm a major proponent of the idea. Being present future focused doesn't mean the past doesn't exist. But frankly the past is of far less benefit to us than the present.
The best thing the past can do for us, whether our own personal history or that of entire cultures, is teach us lesson about the outcomes of certain actions or attitudes. That sounds pretty good, but the problem is that so many of those lessons are wrong. We often think we've learned from the past when we are actually drawing conclusions from our experience with the event at the time it happened. It's one thing to journal your life events and then examine them awhile later, put them in perspective, and draw a lesson from it. But what most of us do is leap to a conclusion about the outcome of our actions very quickly after implementing them. Which is essentially living in yesterday's present. We end up being guided by fear of repeating actions who's outcomes were painful even if those actions were ultimately beneficial.
The worst thing about holding onto the past is our tendency to compare today with the time when things were better. It's not a fair comparison, and it won't make you feel any better about today. If you were making different choices and life was better than yes you might glean something of value, but you could access the same information by prayer. Just ask God why you are unhappy and you'll get the right answer even if you never were happy.
As long as we remember that we can only predict 30% to 50% of the outcomes for our actions we are safe to look forward to the future with anticipation of something good happening.
The present is the only thing we can even hope to control. While control is a worthy goal its not good to really strive for. We never have full control and if we got it, we'd be miserable.
Most of us are pretty comfortable with the idea that we change our future by the decisions we make today. It's a bit harder to swallow the idea that we change our past with the decisions we make today. But I believe, with all my heart that it is true. If our today is an unconscious amalgam of yesterdays decisions we are doomed to repeat our actions even if we fear the results. If I'm right the decisions we make today can undo the results of yesterdays decisions on our soul and spirit, thereby wiping away most of the record of yesterdays decision.
Now if you've been eating unhealthy for a long time, eating healthy won't make you thin by the end of today, but if you're willing to make better choices each day you can eventually reverse most of the physical effects of your bad choices as well, yes. The same goes for injuries we've dealt to other people. Better choices today may eventually repair a relationship with someone. If it doesn't you will still be able to effect new friendships in the future. I know a lot of people who don't make new friends because past friendships didn't go well. Deciding who you are today, instead of unconsciously letting your past decide for you can change who you are.
Now one caveat: counseling will take you into the past, but you should be looking to reinterpret the past from an older, safer place. If its making you live from the past its not helping you.
Also: Deciding to take chances just because you are a new person isn't always wise. There's a difference between not living from your unprocessed past and deciding to forgo boundaries or contemplating your decisions.
The best thing the past can do for us, whether our own personal history or that of entire cultures, is teach us lesson about the outcomes of certain actions or attitudes. That sounds pretty good, but the problem is that so many of those lessons are wrong. We often think we've learned from the past when we are actually drawing conclusions from our experience with the event at the time it happened. It's one thing to journal your life events and then examine them awhile later, put them in perspective, and draw a lesson from it. But what most of us do is leap to a conclusion about the outcome of our actions very quickly after implementing them. Which is essentially living in yesterday's present. We end up being guided by fear of repeating actions who's outcomes were painful even if those actions were ultimately beneficial.
The worst thing about holding onto the past is our tendency to compare today with the time when things were better. It's not a fair comparison, and it won't make you feel any better about today. If you were making different choices and life was better than yes you might glean something of value, but you could access the same information by prayer. Just ask God why you are unhappy and you'll get the right answer even if you never were happy.
As long as we remember that we can only predict 30% to 50% of the outcomes for our actions we are safe to look forward to the future with anticipation of something good happening.
The present is the only thing we can even hope to control. While control is a worthy goal its not good to really strive for. We never have full control and if we got it, we'd be miserable.
Most of us are pretty comfortable with the idea that we change our future by the decisions we make today. It's a bit harder to swallow the idea that we change our past with the decisions we make today. But I believe, with all my heart that it is true. If our today is an unconscious amalgam of yesterdays decisions we are doomed to repeat our actions even if we fear the results. If I'm right the decisions we make today can undo the results of yesterdays decisions on our soul and spirit, thereby wiping away most of the record of yesterdays decision.
Now if you've been eating unhealthy for a long time, eating healthy won't make you thin by the end of today, but if you're willing to make better choices each day you can eventually reverse most of the physical effects of your bad choices as well, yes. The same goes for injuries we've dealt to other people. Better choices today may eventually repair a relationship with someone. If it doesn't you will still be able to effect new friendships in the future. I know a lot of people who don't make new friends because past friendships didn't go well. Deciding who you are today, instead of unconsciously letting your past decide for you can change who you are.
Now one caveat: counseling will take you into the past, but you should be looking to reinterpret the past from an older, safer place. If its making you live from the past its not helping you.
Also: Deciding to take chances just because you are a new person isn't always wise. There's a difference between not living from your unprocessed past and deciding to forgo boundaries or contemplating your decisions.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Personal Space
I was ruminating this afternoon, on the topic of Personal Space. A friend and I were speaking the other day and he mentioned a verse in Psalms that directs believers to greet each other with holy kisses. He said, quite tongue in cheek, "I'm sorry but I'm not going to kiss anyone in my church but my wife and kids." I laughed because I had seen some of the people he went to church with.
At the same moment I realized that my pastor always ends his services by telling everyone, "there's an offering plate somewhere in the back if you feel like giving. Greet each other with holy kisses and hugs before you leave."
The connotation was so different I didn't recognize that it was the same verse being referenced. To be honest I didn't even know my pastor was quoting a scripture. That's got something to do with it. It's so natural when my pastor says it, but when you view it as an average evangelical American--like my friend and I were--it's a strange request.
Personal space, or proximics, is always a cultural thing. I'm told that the French regard the outside of your clothes as the boundary of your being, where Arabs and Asians view the outside of your body as public property and we Americans like a few feet of imaginary bubble around us.
If you haven't yet seen , "Whale Rider," its a great movie. There's a scene in it where two Maori men, a father and son, embrace and rub noses in greeting. The actors are Maori and I dare say American actors couldn't pull it off. It's too intimate without being romantic. Two big burly guys might hug and look fairly natural, but to take each others faces in their hands and pull there noses together?
Well it all got me thinking. I saw a news feature a few weeks ago about how swine flew was impacting churches. Several Portland area churches had stopped directing there members to shake hands. Some had gone to "air fives," and others to a ridiculous "fellowship elbow bump."
One must wonder if the God who restored sight to the blind and made the lame to walk, might also protect his followers from the flue if they were to embrace each other in accordance with a scriptural directive.
Just wondering. Either way, what does our proximics say about our Christian culture?
At the same moment I realized that my pastor always ends his services by telling everyone, "there's an offering plate somewhere in the back if you feel like giving. Greet each other with holy kisses and hugs before you leave."
The connotation was so different I didn't recognize that it was the same verse being referenced. To be honest I didn't even know my pastor was quoting a scripture. That's got something to do with it. It's so natural when my pastor says it, but when you view it as an average evangelical American--like my friend and I were--it's a strange request.
Personal space, or proximics, is always a cultural thing. I'm told that the French regard the outside of your clothes as the boundary of your being, where Arabs and Asians view the outside of your body as public property and we Americans like a few feet of imaginary bubble around us.
If you haven't yet seen , "Whale Rider," its a great movie. There's a scene in it where two Maori men, a father and son, embrace and rub noses in greeting. The actors are Maori and I dare say American actors couldn't pull it off. It's too intimate without being romantic. Two big burly guys might hug and look fairly natural, but to take each others faces in their hands and pull there noses together?
Well it all got me thinking. I saw a news feature a few weeks ago about how swine flew was impacting churches. Several Portland area churches had stopped directing there members to shake hands. Some had gone to "air fives," and others to a ridiculous "fellowship elbow bump."
One must wonder if the God who restored sight to the blind and made the lame to walk, might also protect his followers from the flue if they were to embrace each other in accordance with a scriptural directive.
Just wondering. Either way, what does our proximics say about our Christian culture?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Way of the Warrior
This is going to be valuable research for my Thadi CAB project. I share it in advance that anyone who follows my non-fiction can experience the process for themselves.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Beginning of Wisdom
The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
What are we to do with that? I mean really. I spent much of my life terrified of an angry God, or rebelling against Him on the grounds that exercising my free choice meant loosing salvation.
I didn't make any headway in my faith walk until I began to accept that God loved me. That He viewed my darkest sins the way a father views a toddler learning how to walk. In fact the only blessing I've been able to impart to other Christians came from sharing this radical revelation with them.
So what am I to do with this troublesome verse about fearing God? Or any of the other verses about it? It's not like the theme only comes up once.
Well, God shared this much with me. While yet in sin, we desperately hunger for the presence of God in our lives while at the same time fearing the design God had in mind for us.
When we accept Christ into our hearts we instantly feel that missing piece of ourselves rejoined. Now of course that first love stage begins to fade, mainly because we try to earn what was freely given to us, or we make it about following biblical rules.
But regardless, the problem is fixed whether we choose to live from that reality or while away our time with guilt.We do forget about the second need though. We forget about that base fear of the design of God in ourselves. What we do is stop looking at God to see who He is, and start start accepting some biblical description that is
filtered through our own understanding.
Our perspective is flawed though. We come up with this view of God that is really an idealized version of ourselves, and since we don't like ourselves is it any wonder that we can't imagine God liking us? Plus, how could anyone who doesn't have the flaws I hate about me be cool with me--when I've still got the flaws?
In short, our opinion of God is poisoned by our self loathing and we won't conquer one problem until we deal with the other. We can't treat sinful low self esteem without also addressing our image of God and vise versa.
It only makes sense when you realize that we are made in God's image. How can we believe better things about God if we can't imagine a better us?
It's that wildness of God we fear. The piece that doesn't fit in the box we have for God. But try as we might God is wild and the closer we draw to Him the more obvious it becomes. We desperately crave to know God intimatelyand be known by God but if we only embrace a view of ourselves that involves our fallen nature we will continue
tell God who He can or can't be.
So the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of our embracing the wildness He intended for us. The first part of fearing God is letting Him be something beyond our own reason and being willing to accept that the perfection He conceived us in means we reflect that wildness.
What are we to do with that? I mean really. I spent much of my life terrified of an angry God, or rebelling against Him on the grounds that exercising my free choice meant loosing salvation.
I didn't make any headway in my faith walk until I began to accept that God loved me. That He viewed my darkest sins the way a father views a toddler learning how to walk. In fact the only blessing I've been able to impart to other Christians came from sharing this radical revelation with them.
So what am I to do with this troublesome verse about fearing God? Or any of the other verses about it? It's not like the theme only comes up once.
Well, God shared this much with me. While yet in sin, we desperately hunger for the presence of God in our lives while at the same time fearing the design God had in mind for us.
When we accept Christ into our hearts we instantly feel that missing piece of ourselves rejoined. Now of course that first love stage begins to fade, mainly because we try to earn what was freely given to us, or we make it about following biblical rules.
But regardless, the problem is fixed whether we choose to live from that reality or while away our time with guilt.We do forget about the second need though. We forget about that base fear of the design of God in ourselves. What we do is stop looking at God to see who He is, and start start accepting some biblical description that is
filtered through our own understanding.
Our perspective is flawed though. We come up with this view of God that is really an idealized version of ourselves, and since we don't like ourselves is it any wonder that we can't imagine God liking us? Plus, how could anyone who doesn't have the flaws I hate about me be cool with me--when I've still got the flaws?
In short, our opinion of God is poisoned by our self loathing and we won't conquer one problem until we deal with the other. We can't treat sinful low self esteem without also addressing our image of God and vise versa.
It only makes sense when you realize that we are made in God's image. How can we believe better things about God if we can't imagine a better us?
It's that wildness of God we fear. The piece that doesn't fit in the box we have for God. But try as we might God is wild and the closer we draw to Him the more obvious it becomes. We desperately crave to know God intimatelyand be known by God but if we only embrace a view of ourselves that involves our fallen nature we will continue
tell God who He can or can't be.
So the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of our embracing the wildness He intended for us. The first part of fearing God is letting Him be something beyond our own reason and being willing to accept that the perfection He conceived us in means we reflect that wildness.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Church: A noun thing.
Repost from http://yochananpayne.wordpress.com/
Church
Person, Place, or Thing.
This past week I had two separate conversations about this thing called church. One with a coworker here in Arizona. The other with a friend who lives in the Middle East. The conversation with my coworker was about church, him possibly attending and what church is. This coworker stated “There are so many ones to choose from and they’re all different, how can you know it’s the right one? That the one you attend is teaching the right thing?”
It got me thinking about the church I partner with as well as my co-worker and so many others. We are in a Western Culture with a Western Mindset, where the church is a place we go, place we spend an hour a week, a place where you just check your God box and then go about your business. For us in the West, the church has become a building, a denomination, ours verses yours. First Baptist, Presbyterian, Phoenix First Assembly, Healing Place, LifeChurch.TV, even NewSpring Church. Is that all church is? A Place?
In talking with my friend in the Middle East I got a different perspective. We discussed ‘church’ and in his perspective we are heroes. He was brought up where church isn’t a place but a thing. A place where church isn’t welcomed with opened arms. It’s not that they don’t congregate in one place, it’s that people in his country view church as a thing, a movement that sprouted from the West. Where its soul purpose is to dominate and reign. A movement that attempts to infiltrate government. A movement that attempts to cause division within families by setting one family member against another. It’s a mindset of church being a movement that causes so many to reject it’s principles. Personally, when I read scripture, and I read about what church is intended to be I don’t see it as a place, its not described that way, nor as a movement, its not described that way either.
I see church as a people. In fact when you see church in scripture, the Greek word used is Ecclesia, it simply means called out ones, not called into, not called for. But simply called out. See, the scriptures say the church is a people that sometimes congregate together for fellowship, to lift each other up as a community of believers, a people that can create change in government, in family, but not by their own movement, but by the spirit of God. To live as a fully devoted follower of Christ.
I submit to you that the church wasn’t created for us, but as followers of Jesus we are the church created for the world, not as a place, not as a thing, but as a people. A people that doesn’t seek their own agenda, but instead the agenda of God. His purpose, His will, His passion, His desire. I believe the church according to scripture is depicted as the bride of Christ.
Now if the church was simply a place then admittingly it would seem as if she were riddled with bipolar multiple personality disorder schizophrenia. Is that the bride that the very son of God is looking to wed?
Now if the church is simply a movement then would Jesus be wanting a bride that shifts her option at her whim, as she sees fit, no matter others perspective, feelings or thoughts. Would He want a runaway bride? Would you?
Now if the church were a people that came together with one mind, in one accord, fully devoted to Christ in passionate Love, with nothing around them but Him. A people that not only believed, but knew that He knows them intimately, all their past, all their present, their passion, their desire, their hopes and hurts. That He knows how many times they have fallen short and how many times He has forgiven them completely. A people set apart to be His Ecclesia, to be the bride of Christ.
So for me the church…. Person? Place? Thing?
YES! A people called out, set apart that at times come together in a place whether that place be called LifeChurch East Valley, Chase Field, or Phoenix International Raceway. A people called out, for a movement, not of their own design nor desire, but one initiated and motivated by God, for God, through God. To create the radiant Bride of Christ.
Person, Place, or Thing. Share your thoughts. You have mine.
Church
Person, Place, or Thing.
This past week I had two separate conversations about this thing called church. One with a coworker here in Arizona. The other with a friend who lives in the Middle East. The conversation with my coworker was about church, him possibly attending and what church is. This coworker stated “There are so many ones to choose from and they’re all different, how can you know it’s the right one? That the one you attend is teaching the right thing?”
It got me thinking about the church I partner with as well as my co-worker and so many others. We are in a Western Culture with a Western Mindset, where the church is a place we go, place we spend an hour a week, a place where you just check your God box and then go about your business. For us in the West, the church has become a building, a denomination, ours verses yours. First Baptist, Presbyterian, Phoenix First Assembly, Healing Place, LifeChurch.TV, even NewSpring Church. Is that all church is? A Place?
In talking with my friend in the Middle East I got a different perspective. We discussed ‘church’ and in his perspective we are heroes. He was brought up where church isn’t a place but a thing. A place where church isn’t welcomed with opened arms. It’s not that they don’t congregate in one place, it’s that people in his country view church as a thing, a movement that sprouted from the West. Where its soul purpose is to dominate and reign. A movement that attempts to infiltrate government. A movement that attempts to cause division within families by setting one family member against another. It’s a mindset of church being a movement that causes so many to reject it’s principles. Personally, when I read scripture, and I read about what church is intended to be I don’t see it as a place, its not described that way, nor as a movement, its not described that way either.
I see church as a people. In fact when you see church in scripture, the Greek word used is Ecclesia, it simply means called out ones, not called into, not called for. But simply called out. See, the scriptures say the church is a people that sometimes congregate together for fellowship, to lift each other up as a community of believers, a people that can create change in government, in family, but not by their own movement, but by the spirit of God. To live as a fully devoted follower of Christ.
I submit to you that the church wasn’t created for us, but as followers of Jesus we are the church created for the world, not as a place, not as a thing, but as a people. A people that doesn’t seek their own agenda, but instead the agenda of God. His purpose, His will, His passion, His desire. I believe the church according to scripture is depicted as the bride of Christ.
Now if the church was simply a place then admittingly it would seem as if she were riddled with bipolar multiple personality disorder schizophrenia. Is that the bride that the very son of God is looking to wed?
Now if the church is simply a movement then would Jesus be wanting a bride that shifts her option at her whim, as she sees fit, no matter others perspective, feelings or thoughts. Would He want a runaway bride? Would you?
Now if the church were a people that came together with one mind, in one accord, fully devoted to Christ in passionate Love, with nothing around them but Him. A people that not only believed, but knew that He knows them intimately, all their past, all their present, their passion, their desire, their hopes and hurts. That He knows how many times they have fallen short and how many times He has forgiven them completely. A people set apart to be His Ecclesia, to be the bride of Christ.
So for me the church…. Person? Place? Thing?
YES! A people called out, set apart that at times come together in a place whether that place be called LifeChurch East Valley, Chase Field, or Phoenix International Raceway. A people called out, for a movement, not of their own design nor desire, but one initiated and motivated by God, for God, through God. To create the radiant Bride of Christ.
Person, Place, or Thing. Share your thoughts. You have mine.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Regarding Giving and Receiving
A friend asked me if the economy had impacted my giving, or if I felt there was a message from God in the current economy. This is a copy of my response.
I actually think our attitude towards giving and receiving needs a major overhaul. I'm not suggesting that we be ungrateful to God or that we don't get a blessing when we hear about the things God does for others, but I am suggesting that sometimes our surprise at God's generosity is bordering on offensive.
As Micheal Pink puts it:
When I tell my wife that I’m depositing funds into the household
account, she doesn’t hold her breath hoping against hope that I will
follow through, nor does she call all our friends with giddy excitement
when I follow through on my promise. She knows and trusts me. But with
God, we act surprised like we just won the lottery when He provides
abundantly for a pressing need, precisely because we don’t know Him
very well, nor do we fully trust Him. After all, His ways are higher
than our ways or some such excuse. Consider this…
I do agree that we must give more when things are bad. It's the old story about stone soup which I won't repeat because we've all heard it thousands of times. But the point is true enough and echoed in Christ's own words when he said, he would save his life shall loose it and he who would loose his life for my sake shall have eternal life. Christ also said that he came to give us abundant life, or life to the full. So I don't think that Christ is saying, martyr yourself and you'll gain heaven. I think He's saying the tighter you cling to the things you think you have the more it slips through your fingers, but the more you look to me and set aside worrying about the physical world around you the more abundance I'll heap on you.
We can always spare a dime no matter who we are, but some people have lots of money to give away. Others of us may have something else which God has blessed us to give away: love, understanding, companionship, trust, respect, encouragement, kindness, patience, or even humor. Whatever it is that God shines on you is yours to reflect into the world. If God has healed you of something, run out and lay hands on others. Not because you are surprised by the miracle, but because you will never run out of healing as long as you give it away. That's not how the world works, but its virtually a law with God. When he gives you money, give some away. When He is patient with you give that away too.
It's our unwillingness to give away what God blesses us with, especially concerning love and grace, which keeps the pews empty week after week. The world is dieing to get what we have and we have despised them for it.
A. R. Bunch
I actually think our attitude towards giving and receiving needs a major overhaul. I'm not suggesting that we be ungrateful to God or that we don't get a blessing when we hear about the things God does for others, but I am suggesting that sometimes our surprise at God's generosity is bordering on offensive.
As Micheal Pink puts it:
When I tell my wife that I’m depositing funds into the household
account, she doesn’t hold her breath hoping against hope that I will
follow through, nor does she call all our friends with giddy excitement
when I follow through on my promise. She knows and trusts me. But with
God, we act surprised like we just won the lottery when He provides
abundantly for a pressing need, precisely because we don’t know Him
very well, nor do we fully trust Him. After all, His ways are higher
than our ways or some such excuse. Consider this…
I do agree that we must give more when things are bad. It's the old story about stone soup which I won't repeat because we've all heard it thousands of times. But the point is true enough and echoed in Christ's own words when he said, he would save his life shall loose it and he who would loose his life for my sake shall have eternal life. Christ also said that he came to give us abundant life, or life to the full. So I don't think that Christ is saying, martyr yourself and you'll gain heaven. I think He's saying the tighter you cling to the things you think you have the more it slips through your fingers, but the more you look to me and set aside worrying about the physical world around you the more abundance I'll heap on you.
We can always spare a dime no matter who we are, but some people have lots of money to give away. Others of us may have something else which God has blessed us to give away: love, understanding, companionship, trust, respect, encouragement, kindness, patience, or even humor. Whatever it is that God shines on you is yours to reflect into the world. If God has healed you of something, run out and lay hands on others. Not because you are surprised by the miracle, but because you will never run out of healing as long as you give it away. That's not how the world works, but its virtually a law with God. When he gives you money, give some away. When He is patient with you give that away too.
It's our unwillingness to give away what God blesses us with, especially concerning love and grace, which keeps the pews empty week after week. The world is dieing to get what we have and we have despised them for it.
A. R. Bunch
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Socialism vs Church
The rise of socialism in America today is a direct result of the churches failure to remain relevant, not its failure to express its disapproval. Anyone who is a part of a grace-based community will be repulsed by an institutionalized response to human need.
There is little difference between the modern religious charity and the government program in that neither one require relationship or change of heart for either the giver or receiver.
For too long morally upright Christians with a passion for leadership have shunned politics, and now the reverse over-response is a movement to impose Christian values on the populous. Instead of relationship, counseling, miraculous healing, and deliverance the church offers program, service, obligation and theological debate.
There is little difference between the modern religious charity and the government program in that neither one require relationship or change of heart for either the giver or receiver.
For too long morally upright Christians with a passion for leadership have shunned politics, and now the reverse over-response is a movement to impose Christian values on the populous. Instead of relationship, counseling, miraculous healing, and deliverance the church offers program, service, obligation and theological debate.
Friday, September 11, 2009
True Restoration:
Janice asked me a long time ago to translate one of her books, "Reality Exercises to Develop the Inner Man," into language more engaging to the masculine heart. I have been eager lately to get back into the project, and its been going great.
So far I've uncovered a number of verses that support what we've often talked about as a Reality for us Christ followers. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. For a few weeks now, God has been saying to me, "I'm responsible for sanctification." I didn't know if this was a message to me, or for me to publish among people I know, or both. So now I'm reading Janice's verses, which are pretty common encouragement verses, and looking them up in context and in several translations, (so that I can state them from a man's heart.) Several of these verses, which are commonly truncated to mean God is on your side, are actually very out of context. Not that they aren't saying what people use them to mean, but that in context they rock even more.
I guess I'm trying to say that, if you are speaking to a "newb" Christian you might use them as they are commonly used but in context they are so much meatier. And its that meat which supports everything God has been laying on my heart. Here's one example:
Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
Romans 8:31 says "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
1 Thessalonians 5:24 says "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
However, Romans 8:28-39 says "28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[c] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[d] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Emphasis added by me)
Now Combine it with 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24 really says, (NASB) 23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
Maybe this is obvious and you guys have always read it this way, but to me this clearly says that God is taking responsibility for both our salvation and our sanctification. He is also promising to complete us (here and now) and preserve us unto the second coming of Christ. In other words 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is saying God will sanctify us so that we may be blameless when Christ returns, not one day we'll be blameless after Christ returns.
Now what is calling in reference to in verse 24? At the least it refers to God calling us out of sin, but isn't that also calling us into light. The writer here is blessing this church by saying may the God who called you bring it about. That means finish it, right? If He already called them but He's going to bring it to pass that means finish it, right? So John, at least, is presuming that God has saved us and he is faithful to complete it. I know other verses say just that, but this clearly says he is preserving our salvation and is sanctifying us.
Back to Romans 8, if we eliminate the "who can condemn you" theme, for which we know the answer, we are left with Paul's assumption that God is going to sanctify us. Romans 8:28, again the word calling. But what if we also eliminate the whole "predestination" theme for a second, because what they are predestined to is conformity to the likeness of His Son. In other words we were made in God's image, right? I think Paul is saying, before God made the world He designed us to be like Christ and that's what he's called us back to when He gave us Christ as our savior.
I know we've talked about this being true, and I knew there were verses somewhere to support the notion, but I didn't expect to find them as the context around verses we've turned into evangelical platitudes. Roman's 8:30 "Those He Justified, He also glorified." BOOM! You can't beat that. No can defend.
But it picks up the theme again in verse 32, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also...graciously give us all things? ...(35) Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." This clearly states (to me) that If God gave his only son for our salvation, then he wouldn't deny us the sanctification in his resurrection, or the authority of His ascension to the thrown. Bang! Its all right here.
It's all right there in one neat little package. I don't care how legalistic you are. Paul and John agree that Christianity isn't just guilt and graveling for forgiveness. It's the full inheritance of Christ--restoration to the glory God intended for each of us when he dreamed of us before He spoke the world into existence.
That's why men hate church. The act of contrition feels like a place we might need to go, but not a place we want to live in. Until Christians are willing to let Christianity be about more than just feeling bad for sin, it will never be appealing to men. It's not a man's fault that a message of guilt doesn't excite his heart. What men crave, what Christ REALLY offers is an answer to the question his heart has been asking him his whole life, "who am I really, and do I have what it takes."
When Christian's let sanctification be a gift too, men will join the church. Until then you are powerless to reach the stronger sex.
So far I've uncovered a number of verses that support what we've often talked about as a Reality for us Christ followers. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. For a few weeks now, God has been saying to me, "I'm responsible for sanctification." I didn't know if this was a message to me, or for me to publish among people I know, or both. So now I'm reading Janice's verses, which are pretty common encouragement verses, and looking them up in context and in several translations, (so that I can state them from a man's heart.) Several of these verses, which are commonly truncated to mean God is on your side, are actually very out of context. Not that they aren't saying what people use them to mean, but that in context they rock even more.
I guess I'm trying to say that, if you are speaking to a "newb" Christian you might use them as they are commonly used but in context they are so much meatier. And its that meat which supports everything God has been laying on my heart. Here's one example:
Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
Romans 8:31 says "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
1 Thessalonians 5:24 says "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
However, Romans 8:28-39 says "28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[c] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[d] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Emphasis added by me)
Now Combine it with 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24 really says, (NASB) 23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
Maybe this is obvious and you guys have always read it this way, but to me this clearly says that God is taking responsibility for both our salvation and our sanctification. He is also promising to complete us (here and now) and preserve us unto the second coming of Christ. In other words 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is saying God will sanctify us so that we may be blameless when Christ returns, not one day we'll be blameless after Christ returns.
Now what is calling in reference to in verse 24? At the least it refers to God calling us out of sin, but isn't that also calling us into light. The writer here is blessing this church by saying may the God who called you bring it about. That means finish it, right? If He already called them but He's going to bring it to pass that means finish it, right? So John, at least, is presuming that God has saved us and he is faithful to complete it. I know other verses say just that, but this clearly says he is preserving our salvation and is sanctifying us.
Back to Romans 8, if we eliminate the "who can condemn you" theme, for which we know the answer, we are left with Paul's assumption that God is going to sanctify us. Romans 8:28, again the word calling. But what if we also eliminate the whole "predestination" theme for a second, because what they are predestined to is conformity to the likeness of His Son. In other words we were made in God's image, right? I think Paul is saying, before God made the world He designed us to be like Christ and that's what he's called us back to when He gave us Christ as our savior.
I know we've talked about this being true, and I knew there were verses somewhere to support the notion, but I didn't expect to find them as the context around verses we've turned into evangelical platitudes. Roman's 8:30 "Those He Justified, He also glorified." BOOM! You can't beat that. No can defend.
But it picks up the theme again in verse 32, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also...graciously give us all things? ...(35) Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." This clearly states (to me) that If God gave his only son for our salvation, then he wouldn't deny us the sanctification in his resurrection, or the authority of His ascension to the thrown. Bang! Its all right here.
It's all right there in one neat little package. I don't care how legalistic you are. Paul and John agree that Christianity isn't just guilt and graveling for forgiveness. It's the full inheritance of Christ--restoration to the glory God intended for each of us when he dreamed of us before He spoke the world into existence.
That's why men hate church. The act of contrition feels like a place we might need to go, but not a place we want to live in. Until Christians are willing to let Christianity be about more than just feeling bad for sin, it will never be appealing to men. It's not a man's fault that a message of guilt doesn't excite his heart. What men crave, what Christ REALLY offers is an answer to the question his heart has been asking him his whole life, "who am I really, and do I have what it takes."
When Christian's let sanctification be a gift too, men will join the church. Until then you are powerless to reach the stronger sex.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
We should get on with it.
Here's a good shot in the arm from my friend Mike Pink.
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Phil 1:6)
I thank God that we are no surprise to Him today. He knew what He was getting when He formed us, called us, and ordained us for good works prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10) He knew we would not walk perfectly before Him despite our promises to the contrary. He knew exactly what He was getting when He chose us. We need to get on with it.
We tend to live such a performance oriented acceptance paradigm that makes us feel we have to earn His blessings and favor. That somehow if we kicked the dog, argued with our spouse or otherwise fell short of the mark, we would not receive His blessings. What tends to happen when we blow it is that our heart condemns us (1 John 3:20-21) and we deny ourselves the privileges God has provided. It’s not that God is holding back on us. We hold back on ourselves because we count ourselves unworthy.
To which of the people Jesus healed did He first require some proof of performance? Some proof of worthiness? Do you think the thousands of people He healed in those three and a half years were all spiritually mature and walking out their lives in an unblemished way? Of course not.
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Phil 1:6)
I thank God that we are no surprise to Him today. He knew what He was getting when He formed us, called us, and ordained us for good works prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10) He knew we would not walk perfectly before Him despite our promises to the contrary. He knew exactly what He was getting when He chose us. We need to get on with it.
We tend to live such a performance oriented acceptance paradigm that makes us feel we have to earn His blessings and favor. That somehow if we kicked the dog, argued with our spouse or otherwise fell short of the mark, we would not receive His blessings. What tends to happen when we blow it is that our heart condemns us (1 John 3:20-21) and we deny ourselves the privileges God has provided. It’s not that God is holding back on us. We hold back on ourselves because we count ourselves unworthy.
To which of the people Jesus healed did He first require some proof of performance? Some proof of worthiness? Do you think the thousands of people He healed in those three and a half years were all spiritually mature and walking out their lives in an unblemished way? Of course not.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Psalm 118
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever."
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you. [a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up [b] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever."
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you. [a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up [b] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Time and Chance: Part B
Well here is where I think I was going with part A.
When Ami and I got together, I planned on taking my time. I knew she was fresh out of a marriage, and we even talked about her taking a year at least before she dated anyone. But I followed my heart and over-ruled conventional wisdom. I knew from God that I was authorized to pursue her and that I was ready. I didn't know at the time that it wasn't a guarantee of success, but live and learn.
About three quarters of my friends went out of their way to tell me I was a fool. When it didn't work out they all lined up to say I told you so. The fact is it doesn't matter. What people don't understand is time and chance.
Sure I spent some time moping over my broken heart. I was angry at God for leading me up another dead end. But after spending a month in prayer and fasting (mostly prayer) the conclusion I've come to is that I would do it all over again. This is a crazy world of uncertainty. We shouldn't make a practice of setting aside our wisdom, but given a choice between following the desire God put in my heart and conforming to conventional wisdom I'll have to pick my heart every time.
Especially when the potential reward is so great. Ami is amazing. I got to fall in love with a beautiful woman and her three daughters. I refuse to regret that. I won't walk away from this with an agreement to be timid. I'm days away from 38 and I'm still single--I need to leap more, not less. I seized a time: I took a chance. I won't shortcut this journey to shorten my pain.
I want to heal from this, but I want it to leave a scar. I don't abhor my scars, I'm proud of them. They are monuments to my adventure in Christ. I know that God did something for Ami through our relationship I believe he will bless me in it as well, but even if He doesn't, I'm ok with that. I'm his to use and I will not back down from these types of tough decisions. I will not run from a course of action I feel called to just because it's risky. The race is not always to the swift.
Here's what I think the Lord is Blessing me with. Now I know I can survive a failed relationship. One man may loose his fortune and when he gains it back, he'll vow never to put it at risk again. Another man may loose his fortune, and upon gaining it back, he'll risk it whenever he chooses because he knows he can do it all again if he needs to.
I treasure my heart, but I have lost the fear of heart break. I'm now free to love without reservation, because in Christ I'm bigger than even a shattered heart.
When Ami and I got together, I planned on taking my time. I knew she was fresh out of a marriage, and we even talked about her taking a year at least before she dated anyone. But I followed my heart and over-ruled conventional wisdom. I knew from God that I was authorized to pursue her and that I was ready. I didn't know at the time that it wasn't a guarantee of success, but live and learn.
About three quarters of my friends went out of their way to tell me I was a fool. When it didn't work out they all lined up to say I told you so. The fact is it doesn't matter. What people don't understand is time and chance.
Sure I spent some time moping over my broken heart. I was angry at God for leading me up another dead end. But after spending a month in prayer and fasting (mostly prayer) the conclusion I've come to is that I would do it all over again. This is a crazy world of uncertainty. We shouldn't make a practice of setting aside our wisdom, but given a choice between following the desire God put in my heart and conforming to conventional wisdom I'll have to pick my heart every time.
Especially when the potential reward is so great. Ami is amazing. I got to fall in love with a beautiful woman and her three daughters. I refuse to regret that. I won't walk away from this with an agreement to be timid. I'm days away from 38 and I'm still single--I need to leap more, not less. I seized a time: I took a chance. I won't shortcut this journey to shorten my pain.
I want to heal from this, but I want it to leave a scar. I don't abhor my scars, I'm proud of them. They are monuments to my adventure in Christ. I know that God did something for Ami through our relationship I believe he will bless me in it as well, but even if He doesn't, I'm ok with that. I'm his to use and I will not back down from these types of tough decisions. I will not run from a course of action I feel called to just because it's risky. The race is not always to the swift.
Here's what I think the Lord is Blessing me with. Now I know I can survive a failed relationship. One man may loose his fortune and when he gains it back, he'll vow never to put it at risk again. Another man may loose his fortune, and upon gaining it back, he'll risk it whenever he chooses because he knows he can do it all again if he needs to.
I treasure my heart, but I have lost the fear of heart break. I'm now free to love without reservation, because in Christ I'm bigger than even a shattered heart.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Time and Chance
The Lord seems to be speaking to me about time and chance. Mike Pink has been doing a serious of blogs about it, which I've enjoyed, but I've also been running into it as a theme everywhere.
I'll insert a blog post at the end, and I want to link to a couple TED talks that are awesome and speak to the topic, but I'll try to get some of my own thoughts out first.
I think this is one area that Christians really struggle with. We have the bible and we can read most of it for ourselves pretty effectively, but we tend to get a lot of help with reading it--both on the parts that we wouldn't understand without an expert and perhaps on the parts that we could have gotten for ourselves. We can call the collection of assisted interpretations incidental dogma. It's the kind of predisposition with which we read the bible that prevents a truly fresh reading. BUT there is remarkably little accurate dogma, whether incidental or deliberate, on the topic of Time and Chance.
Consider the children of Israel charging across the desert, having to wonder around for decades and finally entering the promised land where they are to kill EVERYTHING. And here is this Rehab lady who saves the spies, gets spared, and is in the bloodline of Christ. Think about that for a second. I mean there has got to be someone out there who's meshed this story with Ester saying "for such a time as this," and Jesus saying even the wicked serve the Lord. Someone has to have formulated an official statement, perhaps a crazy one, regarding how Time and Chance relate to an all knowing, all powerful, and eternal God.
I mean sure it might be one of the great mysteries we'll never understand, but that's never stopped us before. I've never really encountered a good opinion on this. I don't know what yet, but I know there is something there to be revealed.
From Mike Pink's Blog:
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding…; but time and chance happens to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
“Now therefore let Pharaoh seek out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt… And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Since God has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are… And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Gen 41
Here is Solomon telling us that men of understanding don’t necessarily end up with riches. He wants you and I to know there is a game changer that dramatically alter the outcomes in life: Time and chance.
Consider Joseph. The first time in the bible the word “biyn” (translated as “understanding” in Ecclesiastes 9:11) is used is in Gen 41 where it is translated as “discreet” when describing the wisdom Joseph had. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s understanding of his dreams and wisdom to know what to do, that he promoted Joseph and put him over all the land of Egypt.
But it wasn’t his understanding or wisdom that got him the job. While he wouldn’t have gotten the promotion without having great wisdom and understanding, it was “time and chance” that put him in position to be brought before Pharaoh. Time and chance were the big game changers here. And by the way, not all the “chance” occurrences leading up to that moment were particularly delightful.
Joseph was sold to a band of Ishmaelites who happened to be passing by when he was but a teenager. Chance. He was sold to Potipher. Chance. Potipher’s wife got him alone when her husband was gone. Bad timing. He resisted and ended up in jail. Bad break. Coincidently, his cell mates were some guy who was a butler for the king and the other was the king’s butler. Chance. The butler and baker both have dreams that Joseph rightly interprets and what they portended came to pass. What are the chances?
Finally after the butler is restored to his position with the king and promises to remember Joseph, he forgets. Ingrate! Finally, Pharaoh has a disturbing dream which no one can interpret. That chance event triggers the butler’s memory and Joseph is sent for to interpret the dream. He does. Great timing!
So get this, while Joseph was definitely a man of understanding who came into power and great wealth, was it his understanding or time and chance that made that happen? And before you answer that, consider what Joseph said several years later when reunited with his traitorous brothers who originally sold him to those slave traders who happened by that fateful day many years earlier. He said, “But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
TED talks:
(A word about TED talks, I would like to point out that I don't agree with every sentiment uttered by TED presenters or even everything these particular videos convey, BUT I have found pieces of inspirations within these and others. In particular, I enjoy them when filtered through my understanding of God.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhjUJTw2i1M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLmzxmRcUTo
I'll insert a blog post at the end, and I want to link to a couple TED talks that are awesome and speak to the topic, but I'll try to get some of my own thoughts out first.
I think this is one area that Christians really struggle with. We have the bible and we can read most of it for ourselves pretty effectively, but we tend to get a lot of help with reading it--both on the parts that we wouldn't understand without an expert and perhaps on the parts that we could have gotten for ourselves. We can call the collection of assisted interpretations incidental dogma. It's the kind of predisposition with which we read the bible that prevents a truly fresh reading. BUT there is remarkably little accurate dogma, whether incidental or deliberate, on the topic of Time and Chance.
Consider the children of Israel charging across the desert, having to wonder around for decades and finally entering the promised land where they are to kill EVERYTHING. And here is this Rehab lady who saves the spies, gets spared, and is in the bloodline of Christ. Think about that for a second. I mean there has got to be someone out there who's meshed this story with Ester saying "for such a time as this," and Jesus saying even the wicked serve the Lord. Someone has to have formulated an official statement, perhaps a crazy one, regarding how Time and Chance relate to an all knowing, all powerful, and eternal God.
I mean sure it might be one of the great mysteries we'll never understand, but that's never stopped us before. I've never really encountered a good opinion on this. I don't know what yet, but I know there is something there to be revealed.
From Mike Pink's Blog:
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding…; but time and chance happens to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
“Now therefore let Pharaoh seek out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt… And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Since God has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are… And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Gen 41
Here is Solomon telling us that men of understanding don’t necessarily end up with riches. He wants you and I to know there is a game changer that dramatically alter the outcomes in life: Time and chance.
Consider Joseph. The first time in the bible the word “biyn” (translated as “understanding” in Ecclesiastes 9:11) is used is in Gen 41 where it is translated as “discreet” when describing the wisdom Joseph had. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s understanding of his dreams and wisdom to know what to do, that he promoted Joseph and put him over all the land of Egypt.
But it wasn’t his understanding or wisdom that got him the job. While he wouldn’t have gotten the promotion without having great wisdom and understanding, it was “time and chance” that put him in position to be brought before Pharaoh. Time and chance were the big game changers here. And by the way, not all the “chance” occurrences leading up to that moment were particularly delightful.
Joseph was sold to a band of Ishmaelites who happened to be passing by when he was but a teenager. Chance. He was sold to Potipher. Chance. Potipher’s wife got him alone when her husband was gone. Bad timing. He resisted and ended up in jail. Bad break. Coincidently, his cell mates were some guy who was a butler for the king and the other was the king’s butler. Chance. The butler and baker both have dreams that Joseph rightly interprets and what they portended came to pass. What are the chances?
Finally after the butler is restored to his position with the king and promises to remember Joseph, he forgets. Ingrate! Finally, Pharaoh has a disturbing dream which no one can interpret. That chance event triggers the butler’s memory and Joseph is sent for to interpret the dream. He does. Great timing!
So get this, while Joseph was definitely a man of understanding who came into power and great wealth, was it his understanding or time and chance that made that happen? And before you answer that, consider what Joseph said several years later when reunited with his traitorous brothers who originally sold him to those slave traders who happened by that fateful day many years earlier. He said, “But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
TED talks:
(A word about TED talks, I would like to point out that I don't agree with every sentiment uttered by TED presenters or even everything these particular videos convey, BUT I have found pieces of inspirations within these and others. In particular, I enjoy them when filtered through my understanding of God.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhjUJTw2i1M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLmzxmRcUTo
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
I Recent Revelation Revisited
Recently God gave me this lessen and when Rick sent me this quote it came rushing back.
"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
William James, philosopher
That's a good one. Kinda goes along with the red sea revelation God gave me. That the way out is through the flesh. When trapped between the armies of Egypt (or hell) and you pray for them to leave but they don't, the answer lies in asking God if the physical barrier you are trapped against is really a barrier at all. If our prayer to end the oppression is not answered the only appropriate question is, "what new heights in Christ am I being pushed into?" There are several things God could be up to, but they revolve around learning who we are and what God is for us. Moses needed to stretch out his arm holding the staff of his authority and command the physical reality to get out of his way. God's stated motive was to gain glory over pharaoh (a false god), but the work in Moses was to stop seeing with physical eyes, start seeing with prophetic eyes, and practice acting in the full authority of his position (relationship) in God (God called him "my servant.")
I call it a sense of mandate. It's what Jonah didn't have until he'd spent 3 days in the belly of the whale. When God says, go here and do this, we don't ask how big the scary monsters are, we should be like Joshua and say, "let me at them."
We must crucify the hesitance. We must realize that what is holding us back isn't the obstacle our flesh perceives before us, but our false perception of it as an obstacle. We don't see the way out because we believe we are who we are, not who we are in relationship with Christ (or we don't trust God to come through for us.) Remember the kid in the Matrix, in the oracles living room bending spoons. he said the hard part was remembering that the none of it was real. The answer is remembering who we really are and who God is. Be they the physical laws of this planet or the metaphysical laws of the spirit realm, God sets them aside when He chooses. When we dare to go to the end of our humanity we learn the super humanity of Christ in us.
To update you on life:
Yesterday, I got a call from Jodi at Dare to Live. Mike is going to start reshooting, "Stop the Nightmare." I met with him today and we talked over what needs to happen and by when. It's the kind of aggressive schedule I like, and new helpers to make it happen (Misty is committed to editing for three hours a day.) So we should have a rewrite on the book by June 7, and a new script for the video by June 25. We start tomorrow. When I got home I had an email from iUniverse--my final proof is ready to review. I just finished the review and when I've posted this I'll go to the iUniverse site and approve the manuscript for production. That means before my 38th birthday I'll have a book out, and another one written. Even if these milestones don't come about I'm still a writer, nothing will change that. However, I'm still looking forward to being a writer that God has blessed.
"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
William James, philosopher
That's a good one. Kinda goes along with the red sea revelation God gave me. That the way out is through the flesh. When trapped between the armies of Egypt (or hell) and you pray for them to leave but they don't, the answer lies in asking God if the physical barrier you are trapped against is really a barrier at all. If our prayer to end the oppression is not answered the only appropriate question is, "what new heights in Christ am I being pushed into?" There are several things God could be up to, but they revolve around learning who we are and what God is for us. Moses needed to stretch out his arm holding the staff of his authority and command the physical reality to get out of his way. God's stated motive was to gain glory over pharaoh (a false god), but the work in Moses was to stop seeing with physical eyes, start seeing with prophetic eyes, and practice acting in the full authority of his position (relationship) in God (God called him "my servant.")
I call it a sense of mandate. It's what Jonah didn't have until he'd spent 3 days in the belly of the whale. When God says, go here and do this, we don't ask how big the scary monsters are, we should be like Joshua and say, "let me at them."
We must crucify the hesitance. We must realize that what is holding us back isn't the obstacle our flesh perceives before us, but our false perception of it as an obstacle. We don't see the way out because we believe we are who we are, not who we are in relationship with Christ (or we don't trust God to come through for us.) Remember the kid in the Matrix, in the oracles living room bending spoons. he said the hard part was remembering that the none of it was real. The answer is remembering who we really are and who God is. Be they the physical laws of this planet or the metaphysical laws of the spirit realm, God sets them aside when He chooses. When we dare to go to the end of our humanity we learn the super humanity of Christ in us.
To update you on life:
Yesterday, I got a call from Jodi at Dare to Live. Mike is going to start reshooting, "Stop the Nightmare." I met with him today and we talked over what needs to happen and by when. It's the kind of aggressive schedule I like, and new helpers to make it happen (Misty is committed to editing for three hours a day.) So we should have a rewrite on the book by June 7, and a new script for the video by June 25. We start tomorrow. When I got home I had an email from iUniverse--my final proof is ready to review. I just finished the review and when I've posted this I'll go to the iUniverse site and approve the manuscript for production. That means before my 38th birthday I'll have a book out, and another one written. Even if these milestones don't come about I'm still a writer, nothing will change that. However, I'm still looking forward to being a writer that God has blessed.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Goals are over-rated!
It may take a couple installments to get my point out but bare with me.
What do I mean when I say goals are over-rated? Well, I'm not saying that they are detrimental. Some people have given the word "goal" a definition that included some value and then made huge progress by setting goals. I won't deny that. But I'm going to argue that I can rephrase the definition of the word "goal," to exclude those positive aspects. I think we can get those benefits elsewhere without the the negatives inherent to goal setting.
I've found most of the times I've set goals it turned into a list of things to fail at. I would write things like lose five pounds. Well why would I write that? I'm probably a good 50 pounds overweight. What I really want is to be healthy. So why not make that a goal? Well a goal needs to be quantifiable, and something I deem achievable. If the net effect of my life so far has been to teach me that I can't achieve things, or that I'm unworthy of getting the things I want, then it doesn't matter if I set a goal I won't get anywhere. The goal only works to track my next failed attempt. It can reinforce my feeling of being trapped.
Goal setting is limited to what I think I want. I know anorexics who achieve my five pound weight loss goal on a regular basis. And we are always swimming against the current because the nature of a goal is to take you from where (who) you are to where (who) you aren't.
Vision on the other hand, is far more sophisticated at helping us make positive change. Starting with an assessment of where we are, the good and the bad, you can begin to search inside for what you really want. As the picture of who you really are becomes more clear you can go about the work of ditching the things that aren't you.
If I can envision myself healthy, in vivid detail, I will continue to do the healthy things that will cause me to loose first the five pounds and later the rest of the weight. Clear vision also enables me to excite other people who care about me to help.
More late...
What do I mean when I say goals are over-rated? Well, I'm not saying that they are detrimental. Some people have given the word "goal" a definition that included some value and then made huge progress by setting goals. I won't deny that. But I'm going to argue that I can rephrase the definition of the word "goal," to exclude those positive aspects. I think we can get those benefits elsewhere without the the negatives inherent to goal setting.
I've found most of the times I've set goals it turned into a list of things to fail at. I would write things like lose five pounds. Well why would I write that? I'm probably a good 50 pounds overweight. What I really want is to be healthy. So why not make that a goal? Well a goal needs to be quantifiable, and something I deem achievable. If the net effect of my life so far has been to teach me that I can't achieve things, or that I'm unworthy of getting the things I want, then it doesn't matter if I set a goal I won't get anywhere. The goal only works to track my next failed attempt. It can reinforce my feeling of being trapped.
Goal setting is limited to what I think I want. I know anorexics who achieve my five pound weight loss goal on a regular basis. And we are always swimming against the current because the nature of a goal is to take you from where (who) you are to where (who) you aren't.
Vision on the other hand, is far more sophisticated at helping us make positive change. Starting with an assessment of where we are, the good and the bad, you can begin to search inside for what you really want. As the picture of who you really are becomes more clear you can go about the work of ditching the things that aren't you.
If I can envision myself healthy, in vivid detail, I will continue to do the healthy things that will cause me to loose first the five pounds and later the rest of the weight. Clear vision also enables me to excite other people who care about me to help.
More late...
Friday, May 22, 2009
A Nice Reword of a Famous Quote
I cut these excerpts from Mike Pinks newsletter because they speak to me.
One way quite frankly is to get mad. I know that doesn’t seem very spiritual, but it can be. Have you had enough yet? At the end of Isaac’s life he blessed Esau by saying… “By your sword you shall live and serve your brother, but the time will come when you will grow restive and break loose and take dominion, and tear his yoke off from your neck.” Have you grown restive yet? Are you mad yet? Have you had enough of barely making it?
Aye, fight and you may lose. Run, and you’ll survive… at least a while longer. But dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to come back here and confront your fears and step into the battle and actually live out what you say you believe and put it all on the line?
You might lose your money, but you will never lose your reward. You might lose a battle here and there, but you will never again lose heart and more importantly, you will have found courage and honor and valor and love. Fear may have taken your past, but it will never again rob you of your future! It’s time to move into your destiny. Just don’t expect it to come without a battle and a few scars to show for it.
One way quite frankly is to get mad. I know that doesn’t seem very spiritual, but it can be. Have you had enough yet? At the end of Isaac’s life he blessed Esau by saying… “By your sword you shall live and serve your brother, but the time will come when you will grow restive and break loose and take dominion, and tear his yoke off from your neck.” Have you grown restive yet? Are you mad yet? Have you had enough of barely making it?
Aye, fight and you may lose. Run, and you’ll survive… at least a while longer. But dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to come back here and confront your fears and step into the battle and actually live out what you say you believe and put it all on the line?
You might lose your money, but you will never lose your reward. You might lose a battle here and there, but you will never again lose heart and more importantly, you will have found courage and honor and valor and love. Fear may have taken your past, but it will never again rob you of your future! It’s time to move into your destiny. Just don’t expect it to come without a battle and a few scars to show for it.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A Good Word
So at worship last Saturday a recent acquaintance and strong prophetic voice pulled me aside to say that she felt Isaiah 61: was important for me, that it was a now word. I love Isaiah 61 as it's Christ's mission statement and the real heart of the great commission. I think many Christians get lost when they say the great commission is to spread the gospel, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's more like a virus than a good word. It helps to think of the gospel in action as described by Christ in Luke 4 when Jesus reads Isaiah 61 in the synagogue. Anyway, this friend said verses 6-9 were especially important for me in starting here and now.
Isaiah 61:
6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
So I'm definitely choosing to align myself with that one.
God Bless,
Andy
Isaiah 61:
6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
So I'm definitely choosing to align myself with that one.
God Bless,
Andy
Monday, May 18, 2009
A tough weekend
Well, when the rubber hits the road as they say...I can't claim to have followed through on all my plans. This was a tough weekend--lots of falling short of my goals--but I'm still happier than I have been in a long time. I'm succeeding at more things than I would be if I hadn't tried.
Often when I have a particularly challenging time it means something big is coming about. I thought I might bother writing about the challenges, but I'm glad I didn't get time to because today I want to write about the developments.
God has been consistent in pronouncing two things over me since I got my heart back. 1) I'm a writer. 2) I'm an Archer. I have traditionally focused on the writing, and instantly ignored the Archery. I have been willing to entertain the notion that I was a good instructor and could be again as part of volunteering at youth camps and things. I never let myself dream about it though. I've become such a fan of dreaming and God has shown me so many things about dreaming that it's hypocritical of me not to dream about archery. Still I never did.
My parents never invested in my archery passion. They bought me a bow and set up hay bails for me, but there were no lessons, or clubs, or tournaments. Much like my writing it was discouraged as impractical.
Well in realizing that I want to be a life coach I've realized that I have bigger dreams for archery as well. I want to make a reputation for shooting and teaching archery, then vault from that into life coaching.
Often when I have a particularly challenging time it means something big is coming about. I thought I might bother writing about the challenges, but I'm glad I didn't get time to because today I want to write about the developments.
God has been consistent in pronouncing two things over me since I got my heart back. 1) I'm a writer. 2) I'm an Archer. I have traditionally focused on the writing, and instantly ignored the Archery. I have been willing to entertain the notion that I was a good instructor and could be again as part of volunteering at youth camps and things. I never let myself dream about it though. I've become such a fan of dreaming and God has shown me so many things about dreaming that it's hypocritical of me not to dream about archery. Still I never did.
My parents never invested in my archery passion. They bought me a bow and set up hay bails for me, but there were no lessons, or clubs, or tournaments. Much like my writing it was discouraged as impractical.
Well in realizing that I want to be a life coach I've realized that I have bigger dreams for archery as well. I want to make a reputation for shooting and teaching archery, then vault from that into life coaching.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Break Through
So, today, as I'm praying over the options before me (options of what to dream of not options that are physically presenting themselves) I listened to a webinar by Micheal Q. Pink about becoming a Rain Forest strategy Consultant and he pointed out the light starts it all off. We have to have a clear vision of what we want or we won't be able to go after the other things we need. I was reviewing the ideas of taking my book on the road to sign/sell, going to Phoenix U to finish a bachelors in business, and going to Panama to learn to be a business consultant in the Rain Forest Strategy. I felt as though these are disparate dreams, sort of all-good-but-in-each-others-way type of dream. Like when you ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up and he answers, a fireman or a doctor. I felt as though I couldn't be passionate and have a clear vision about me doing all of the above--though they all feel equally appealing. God reminded me that He had promessed me clear vision. The Lord began to point to a place of intersection. Life Coaching.
I've always thought of life coaches as Russel Durritz (The Kid) kind of people. They can't possibly really have it all together so they must make the most of the part they do and fake the rest. But the obstacles in my life began to line up and make sense. I need to overcome in Christ, a weight problem, disorganization, lack of follow through issues, romantic relationship issues, and poverty. On the two book shelves closest to me are 72 books about success in these areas plus a tape series. I'm pertty sure I have more all over the house, actually I know I have two in the bathroom right now. I'm clearly passionate on this idea. Last time I tried to come up with a vision statement I got as far as "helping people make a small but significant improvement in their lives for a buck." And think of the Chrysalis project (all about managing change).
God calls me "Friend," that's my access point. That's the special nature between us that has immerged in the last couple years of asking, "who do I say God is for me in this season, and who does God say that I am?" I knew that I could be a friend and work as a plumber, so I didn't think it was very descriptive, but now I'm thinking friend/coach makes sense. Where does my great passion meet the need of the world? I've known I was annointed to be a counselor but again I didn't feel called to be a shrink exactly. My pioneer nature and my annointing to read the signs of the times also fit in to this vision.
I want to pioneer a new methods in life coaching and write a book about it. On the way there I want to learn and employ the methods of others, and make a living at it. Toward that end I do want to finish my business degree, become certified through the Rain Forest Institute among others, and tour behind my current book. I also intend to overcome the obsticles that are in my way that I may learn about them, and learn ways to defeat them.
Now that's some good clarity for my time of prayer and fasting. Now I need to go outside and enjoy the perfect afternoon that's out there.
I've always thought of life coaches as Russel Durritz (The Kid) kind of people. They can't possibly really have it all together so they must make the most of the part they do and fake the rest. But the obstacles in my life began to line up and make sense. I need to overcome in Christ, a weight problem, disorganization, lack of follow through issues, romantic relationship issues, and poverty. On the two book shelves closest to me are 72 books about success in these areas plus a tape series. I'm pertty sure I have more all over the house, actually I know I have two in the bathroom right now. I'm clearly passionate on this idea. Last time I tried to come up with a vision statement I got as far as "helping people make a small but significant improvement in their lives for a buck." And think of the Chrysalis project (all about managing change).
God calls me "Friend," that's my access point. That's the special nature between us that has immerged in the last couple years of asking, "who do I say God is for me in this season, and who does God say that I am?" I knew that I could be a friend and work as a plumber, so I didn't think it was very descriptive, but now I'm thinking friend/coach makes sense. Where does my great passion meet the need of the world? I've known I was annointed to be a counselor but again I didn't feel called to be a shrink exactly. My pioneer nature and my annointing to read the signs of the times also fit in to this vision.
I want to pioneer a new methods in life coaching and write a book about it. On the way there I want to learn and employ the methods of others, and make a living at it. Toward that end I do want to finish my business degree, become certified through the Rain Forest Institute among others, and tour behind my current book. I also intend to overcome the obsticles that are in my way that I may learn about them, and learn ways to defeat them.
Now that's some good clarity for my time of prayer and fasting. Now I need to go outside and enjoy the perfect afternoon that's out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
