corporate American imitation, part I

Was browsing the blogosphere today when I came across one of the many things that make me roll my eyes about conventional Christiandom.

It is the proverbial "Purpose Statement, Vision Statement, Belief Statement, Goal Statement" menagerie that many (most?) Following groups put out about themselves.

I admittedly don't know the origins of this, but I first became largely aware of it in corporate America. My recollection of it blossoming was in the late 80's or early 90's.

Like I said, I don't remember exactly, and I don't care about fact-finding the origin.

Anyway, it seems to me that at some point a fad arose in corporate America for companies and corporations to explicitly (and boringly) define themselves to the world.

There was no big Enron scandal of that time that necessitated people to declare their company's ethics or integrity broadly in a "we're not like them" kind of way.

It seemed more to be the brainchild fad of whoever the "corporate coach" people of that era were (before they were called corporate coaches, heh heh).

There was (is), apparently, some magic fairy dust that energizes and/or catapults a company who pauses to define who they are and what they do in anal retentive form.

I remember being parts of groups who came up with these various Statements. I think I may have even been part of a committee who was to do that gunk for an entity. I wore the company hat while doing it, but in the back of my mind I was thinking "this is stupid".

And then it comes time for the subcommittee to declare its long, drawn out and overly verbose Statements to the organization. (Of course, these Statements have been approved by the wigs in the org before this unveiling.)

As the subcommittee chairperson reads these Statements aloud, there is supposed to be some kind of invisible aura transcend that makes every hair on every body in the room rise and quiver.

From what I recollect the intended effect is to fire some large group of warm-fuzzy synapses off. Everyone in the room looks at each other as the Statements are read, warm smiles should appear and if it's done right everyone will also become an affirmative-nodding bobblehead.

Oh, and anyone on the outside happens to read these statements about the organization, the outsider will instantly love and embrace the organization and want to do business with them.

I never understood this.

And I still don't.

And recently I have run across an onslaught of this same thing within Christiandom. Churches, organizations, etc who blab all these complex sentences about themselves.

I just don't see the point. I mean, things like Jim Jones and the Branch Davidians only happen every other decade or so.

But despite these religious anomalies, I've seen this more as a mimickry (sp?) of corporate America than a need for any Christian group to "define itself" to let the world know it's not a genocidal cult.

I've talked with several friends about various veins of this.

One of them is dead on, stating knowledge and information is not the key, yet it is what is largely pursued and glorified by many Followers. (That's why there is so much "X steps to Christian Y" drivel going around.)

Another friend talks about the simplicity of being a Follower, where we simply are the Body following Jesus. Following is not something we need to, must or should define. Following is simple. Not easy, but simple.

I see this as one facet of the pervading "God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in a Box" mentality rampant in the American Body, where Christianity can be fully explained, understood and digested by reading a scrolling headline across the bottom of the screen.

Want to become "spiritual"? Read this article, this book, do this study, and brother/sister you are there! Hallelujah!

God is so much bigger and deeper than this. We make Him out to be so small and so easily and quickly explainable.

But then again, maybe this partially explains why much of churchdom lives in Superficial Land.

I mean, really, how often do we stop to ponder why our Christianese one-liners and our 10-second explanations of God and Jesus don't stir any hunger or "tell me more" responses.

We think we're sowing a great seed, and they're sitting there thinking "great, another feel-good Christian giving me a smile and a shallow line. They have no idea the sh*t I'm dealing with in life."

I'll stop here before I go off into Sarcastic Debunking Land. I do that enough anyway.

Christian suppression

It's come to my attention lately that living my life transparently, working through the anguish in my soul, is unacceptable Christianity.

Apparently there is no room or allowance for Followers to be angry, doubtful, incensed, curious, uncertain, etc. in the Body.

Even if you sense, as I do, that going through these emotions drives you deep into the claims of the Way.

So, be it known that if you are (or ever come to a point) where a battle like none other takes place in your heart and your soul, you've got a few options:

• you can be fake. Put on a mask. Put on your "I'm fine, how are you" tone with a broad smile. Put on a show and experience the lifelessness of superficiality while your soul gets emptier and emptier (yet everyone thinks you're a great brother or sister in the Lord).

• should you decide to be truthful about your heart, you will be required to restrict it to religiously acceptable expressions of emotion and word. As long as you express your situation in tones and verbiage that are deemed "acceptable" by churchgoers, you will be entitled to listen to well-intended Christianese.

(This will discourage you, but it will cause others in the fellowship to beam, for the Lord gave them an opportunity to "encourage you in the Lord". Oh, and if you don't "get" what they're saying, it's something in you.)

• should you decide to live absolutely transparently, you will be in very small company. You are welcomed at the Cross 24/7, to express your heart with whatever it is feeling, regardless of how strong, raw or ugly it is.

Prepare to witness a miracle, for in that very moment where you are unloading the most rotten, hurtful emotions that can be felt or experienced by a human being, at the same time you are doing that God will sooth, salve and strengthen your spirit with a compassion that cannot be described in earthly words.

There will also be a very small group of others who dip their ladle into the same salve God does. You will be surprised both who is and who isn't in this group. You'll be surprised both ways, pleasantly and disappointedly.

As you see this take place, remember Jesus' words about where to not cast your pearls.

tradition for healing

Jesus heals. Let it sink, folks.

A couple of days ago I was on a long road trip when the Lord decided to do a little somethin'. Actually, it took He and I together to do it.

I was stopped in a very small town, at a store I like to go into on a long road trip I frequently make. Right by where I'd parked was a fallen section of fence, probably about 10 boards of wood sectioned together. There was also one board that was separated from the section laying on the ground a few feet away.

I went into the store and got a few things, headed back to the car. No big deal.

As I got to within 15 feet of the car I noted the section on the ground. It was probably about six feet from my car.

I saw the big section of fence, but had forgotten about the lone board piece off to the side. Yeah, big mistake. Huge.

As I walked toward my car, looking at the section of fence, I discovered I hadn't made a mental note of that lone piece of wood as I felt a nail entering the bottom of my left foot like a syringe.

I felt the pain of the impaling nail quite strongly. Felt it entering and going up into my foot.

My first thought was "I remembered that board beforehand, but why didn't I see it when coming back to the car?"

Then I did the obvious thing. Looked on the board and see what I had stepped on.

Sure enough, the nail was as rusty as you can get. Jutted out from the board about three-quarters of an inch to an inch.

My first thought was "Crap. Definitely rusty."

For the next couple of seconds my mind swirled. "over 700 miles from home. Rusty nail. Tetanus shot. What to do next. No hospital nearby. Should I go to one? I should. This is an unexpected thing, but I have time to do that. I should do that."

These thoughts were then smashed by an overriding thought.

Paul and the viper that bit him.

This thought roared from within my spirit into my mind.

Now, at that point a mental battle could have ensued, but it did not.

I could have sat there and played some form of mental justification game, but I did not. As soon as I thought of Paul and the viper, I latched onto it like a bulldog's jaw and did not let go.

"Lord, I said, I am looking to You in this. I have no other choice. It's as if I'm out in the middle of nowhere. I have no options, except You. You are my only option."

I continued this prayer/pondering as I drove shortly to a gas station nearby. My foot was stinging, and whatever else feet do when a dirty 3/4 inch nail goes up in your foot.

I went into the station, and the entire time I was talking to the Lord about it.

As I exited the gas station another something came to mind.

It was a line from an old hymn. A hymn I haven't even thought of in I can't even remember how long. Years. Many years.

When the words came to mind, I half-sung/half-spoke the words out loud. "Standing on the promises of Christ my King."

I was going to sing/say the rest of that chorus, but something happened.

As soon as I said those words, something happened in my foot.

Suddenly, drastically--boom--my foot felt noticeably different. Undeniably and certainly different.

So strong was the difference I instantly knew nothing else would be necessary with regard to my foot.

And herein lies one of the reasons the Lord does so little in America. We have too many options. So many man-made inventions. Man-made progress.

Let's be real honest here, we generally only go to God when it's serious stuff, life-threatening. I'm not knocking manmade things in all circumstances, I'm saying God is an afterthought for us an awful lot unless it's horrific.

And let's be dead honest, how often do we cling to the Lord for the non-crises in our lives? Really, how often?

This ties into one of my ongoing frustrations, which is very obvious throughout this blog. It frustrates me how much we underlive the jaw-dropping, inexplicable power through Jesus and the Holy Ghost. That's its own post for another time.

Anyway, to close with this. I could not help but laugh at the Lord for using the words to an old hymnal as part of this miracle. He knows how strong my aversion is toward "traditional" churching.

And He puts a traditional hymn in my spirit, and when I vocalized the words to it He moves.

Here I am now, five days after the incident. Never any swelling. Never any irritation. No infection. Just a faint pink flesh color where the nail entered in.

He heals, folks.

Christian Hemorrhoids

Just to let you know, everyone, your name being written in the Book of Life is directly correlated to your willingness to pass along annoying emails from other Followers.

Here's an email I received just a few minutes ago:

"When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!

If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for him
forward this w/ the title 7%

Would you believe 93% of people won't forward this."


Okay, so if I'm a Follower (which I am), and I receive an email saying "when Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you", what is that? Are you expecting or hoping I break out into some type of Christian jig-a-boo, or that the Holy Ghost will be knocking me prostrate from this "revelation"?

If I receive the email and I'm NOT a Follower, what is this? "Jesus was thinking of me." What the hell does that mean?

I get it. You're "witnessing" to unbelievers and you're "being an encouragement" to Followers.

That's what you think.

Have you just earned warm fuzzies and brownie points with the Almighty?

I think you're a sucker for platitudes, and you are a pain in my ass.

Oh, yeah. As a Follower, I believe that 100% of people should not forward that email.

Crikey.

church marquees, stoop down

Amidst the recent church marquees (signs) I have seen, the most recent three of which have made me want to puke, I have wondered:

when is a church going to put up a marquee that says "doubters, haters and scorners welcome"?

This would do more than this current thread of PR-Jesus unrelatable bunk that most (all?) churches put on their marquees now.

••••••

I've been offered to ignore or smooth over the current anguish in my heart and join a group who has largely proven themself to be pock full of platitudes and unrelatablility. These are well-meaning people who love the Lord, yet I cringe at each Christianese cliche said, and my heart right now is not geared toward masking itself or 'playing small group'.

I've had two solid brothers pose opposing insights on this situation. One says "live what's in your heart. You are in a season of dying and rebirth. Don't concern over not being a fruit bearer right now. God has you in a different season right now."

The other says that my willingness to love, teach and serve amidst intolerable trial is fruit. I see this too.

So, I go to the Cross to unload the anger stoked from this crud, and to the Throne to get a pulse on this.

Malchus' ear, acts of God, more from the Garden

Some of the latest things I've pondered...

Among the arresters of Jesus was Malchus, a servant of the high priest. When the arresters went to seize Jesus, Peter drew a sword and cut off Malchus' right ear. (John 18)

I wonder what went through Malchus' mind in the following moment, when Jesus touched his ear and healed it. (Luke 22)

What did Jesus' eyes say to Malchus when He healed him?

What must have gone through Malchus' mind. What must have transpired nonverbally as his eyes met Jesus.

What about Malchus' heart? Was it so calloused he remained allied to the brood of vipers and continued with the throng?

Or did Jesus' touch more than heal his ear? Did the Word divide his soul and spirit in that moment?

The canned-text, popular, intellectual Christian answer would be "oh yes, this must definitely have touched him to conversion".

I'm not so sure. Jesus says about some among us that though the dead be raised before our eyes we will still not believe.

Besides, being raised from the dead is a much bigger miracle than healing a severed ear, isn't it?

I wonder what Malchus saw. I wonder what he felt. I wonder what he thought.

I wonder what he did.

••••••••


hurricanes, tornados, technology and America

In speaking with a friend recently, he said the following:

"Consider where we find ourselves in the history of humanity. We are at the height of knowledge. Knowledge has become the doorway to 'truth'. Our beloved 'scientists' and 'experts' are uncovering more and more of the 'mysteries' of our life as humans. We have an addiction to explanation, both in secular and in sacred areas of life.

HOW has taken the place of WHY.

And so we blindly walk toward the perfect state of absurdity--for what could be more absurd than to have complete knowledge of 'how', but no grasp of 'why'? Think on that.

We allow for fewer and fewer mysteries. Which also means, less wonder and imagination is required to get by.

In a word, less faith. The Spirit and our spirit are lost in the fray. Working, but forgotten.

The institutional church is no less guilty of feeding this addiction to explanation. Books, lessons, sermons, sunday school, radio preachers, devotional books, language books. How-to's, tips, ideas, conversation starters, small group material, blah, blah, blah.

Ok, I'm perilously close to committing the crime I am accusing both science and the institutional church of doing. But this is where I stop, and suggest: the less we know, the more we believe.

Here's another way to say it: the less we look at, the more we see.

I choose not to know. I choose not to choose. I choose the un-known. I run from understanding. I embrace mystery."

In thinking about his comments the other day, my mind drifted over to the recent tornados and last year's hurricanes in the U.S.

A mesh of these acts of God and his comments blended together. There has been a lot of postulating about God's judgment and satin's attacks about these things last year and this year, and I like most folks have pondered them.

Yet a new thought came to me in light of my friend's comment. Regardless of it being judgment or attack, I thought of another angle.

Maybe one of many messages might be: "I AM above your technology. You can develop and engineer til the cows come home. Above all the human wisdom, knowledge, progress, comforts, conveniences and inventions you have, I AM. I desire you. I've tried to love you into this. I've given soft reminders, patient reminders. I try to draw you unto Me, but you're too busy and knowledgeable. I don't prefer these eye-openers, but how much choice are you leaving Me? Your ears only open and the scales from your eyes only fall when it's really strong."

There is no shortage of intellectual head knowledge of Jesus in this country. Yet how much do we crowd Him out with our own attainment and wisdom?

Why ask Jesus to heal a headache when we have aspirin? Why ask for healing of serious ailments when we have surgery?

God welcomes fools and the simple who believe (the Greek word for "believe" translates "trust in, cling to and rely on").

Are we trusting in, clinging to and relying on Jesus?

This is not asking what we philosophically think.

We are known by our fruit. What's the fruit in our living? He really does crave to be more than we let Him, yet He's a gentleman and does not enter where He's not invited.

Jesus didn't say "unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" just to hear Himself talk.

And yet how often do we yawn at this, and scurry off to revel in our human solutions? (human ideas, human logic, human feeding of our soul, etc.)

I'll be a fool and an idiot, Lord.

•••••••••••

I can't help but thinking about Jesus' arrest in the Garden again (residual from yesterday's post, "before Jesus was silent").

Here's one of the things I've overlooked for years, and it's either awesome or hilarious, or both.

Okay, yesterday's post talked about the awesomeness of Jesus saying "I am He" and His arresters being blown back and falling to the ground. What a pure miracle to ponder--God speaks and man cannot stand. (And that's not really scratching the surface.)

I'm a detail nut by design, so here's where my mind goes:

Can't you just see Jesus and his handful of disciples in the Garden. He's just scathed them for falling asleep on Him several times, when He knew His hour was at hand and had asked them to pray.

I can see the mood being kind of dead-air or even a little tight because of that, not neutral or stoic, when all of a sudden this large group of hateful people shows up.

Jesus knows it is time, and does not cower. He steps out and says "Who are you looking for?"

(okay, pause for a second. Imagine the tenor of this angry crowd. These people have hated Jesus. They've mocked Him, done all they can to trick Him with religious questions, tried to trip Him up, tried to get Him to commit double speak. He'd called them a brood of vipers and whitewashed tombs. He'd called them pretenders, fakes and actors. He shamed them with questions they could not answer. They hated Jesus' guts in their blind religious fervor. Okay, back to the Garden.)

Can't you imagine then, when He asked them who they sought, that there was defiance and pride and perhaps even some growling when they said "Jesus the Nazarene".

They may have even shouted it, with spit or froth coming from their mouths. They hated Jesus, they'd despised Him for some time, and they knew it was now their time to get Him and unleash their pent up hatred.

So after they have said Who they are seeking, Jesus says "I am He" and the power of His words knocks them (literally "lurches" in the original Greek) backward to the ground.

Then Jesus asks a second time, "Who are you looking for?"

I wonder how long the pause between their falling down and Jesus asking again. I don't perceive it was right away. It seems in addition to the shock, wouldn't Jesus give it some time to sink in and for them to realize what had happened. Ten seconds? Thirty? A minute? Five minutes?

The account in John doesn't indicate anything was said between the fall-down and Jesus asking them a second time. So it was silence however long it was. And it seems good the arresters would be given a moment to absorb what happened.

Because of what happened the first time, I can see them wincing and gritting their teeth, with only one eye open and their heads cocked, bracing for what might come next when they say "Jesus the Nazarene" again.

If instead of growling or defiantly shouting His name, as they may have the first time, I wonder if they squeaked "Jesus the Nazarene" like a little field mouse or Caspar Milquetoast wimpette the second time they said His name.

They probably did not want to say it again, for fear of what might happen worse. They had already been knocked to the ground. What might happen next? No telling.

But they muster the courage and they say a second time, probably much less haughtily and thinking 'don't know if we should say this but gonna bite the bullet': "Jesus the Nazarene".

So what happens? Jesus says "I told you that I am He."

I wonder if Jesus said this tongue-in-cheek. You know, with some disbelief-amazement in His tone, as in "what's the problem? I already said 'I am He' and you fell down. What did you do fall down for?" (snicker snicker)

I wonder if Jesus turned and winked at His disciples either before or after saying "I told you I am He".

I wonder if Jesus toyed wtih the mob in this way, demonstrating both His authority and His humility.

The knock-down said "I AM Who I've said all along I AM, and I've just given you one last sign that I AM".

And then, in humility, following that last moment of showing the power of God, Jesus relents. His hands prophetically come down. He pauses (temporarily) showing the Kingdom, and He now becomes the silent Lamb of sacrifice. it is now time for Him to become our sin. Mine. Yours. All of ours.

You know, it may well have not happened like this. Maybe Jesus and the mob said what they said monotonously and on key, in simple fulfillment of Scripture. Or maybe it was as solemn as we grow up being taught, and even how we may read it today.

Maybe Jesus didn't have a twink in His eye toward the disciples when the crowd fell back to the ground.

Maybe He didn't shoot His disciples a glance and flash them a quick eyebrow raise along with a smirky grin on His face to silently say "how'd you like THAT, boys?" before He turned back and gave himself willingly to the crowd.

I don't know.

The religious would gape their mouths at me for suggesting this.

And yet the Jesus I know...it wouldn't surprise me at all. ;-)

before Jesus was silent

There's a hidden jewel in the arrest of Jesus I deeply savor.

It's one of many glimpses of Jesus often bypassed. It's easy to miss, yet every time I read it my spirit literally leaps and comes ablaze.

As I read the story again and again my spirit roars. It reveals a facet of Jesus that isn't preached or taught much.

That's unfortunate, but the good news is: where I am in my pursuit of Jesus right now, this moment in Jesus' life speaks volumes to me.

I also love the wild, creative thinking of the whirlwind which took place in just a brief moment--the tension, the assumptions, the expressions, the power, the humility, the surprise, the fear, the reactions.

Every time I read this passage my spirit soars...and I see Jesus sneaking us a peek at the last William Wallace card He played before He became a lamb to the slaughter.

"Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking? [Whom do you want?] They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus said to them, I am He. Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards (drew back, lurched backward) and fell to the ground. Then again He asked them, Whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answered, I told you that I am He. So, if you want Me [if it is only I for Whom you are looking], let these men go their way." (John 18, Amplified Bible)

I can literally think about this for hours on end...the mystery and the power in it.

There is so much paradox in Jesus. The Master who is a servant. The King who is a pauper. The Creator with no place to lay His head. When He speaks the blind see and those who claim to see are blind.

Because of all this paradox it makes me wonder: were the words Jesus spoke, which knocked His arresters down, a whisper?

All the incredible paradox ways in which Jesus moves, it would not surprise. And how awesome would it be if that were the case? A mere whisper blasting the defiers of God to the ground.

Or…did Jesus simply saying the words normally become hurricane strong as He identified Himself?

Or…in that moment was Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? Did the words roar and resound forward in the might of the Lion that Jesus is?

I love pondering this.

There is so much teaching on Jesus as the Lamb of God. So little teaching on Jesus as the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5).

So much teaching on Jesus saying "turn the other cheek". So little teaching on Jesus saying "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions" (Luke 10).

So much teaching on Jesus who calms storms. So little teaching on Jesus saying “the axe is already at the root” (Luke 3).

So much teaching on Jesus who calms fears. So little teaching on Jesus who says "I came not to bring peace, but division" (Luke 12).

So much teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. So little teaching on Jesus saying “I will come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2).

So much teaching on Jesus saying “My Peace I give you, not as the world gives” (John 14). So little teaching on Jesus saying "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12)

And this is what makes Jesus’ words and the arresters’ fall so awesome...and simultaneously so mysterious.

And it is being in a fierce, bloody battle, as like none I could ever fathom, which leads me cling to mighty, powerful, sword-wielding, snake-trampling, root-cutting, arrester-knocking Jesus.

So much teaching on Jesus as wonderful. So little teaching on Jesus as terrible.

Come, Terrible Jesus.

If You are willing, Lord, you can whisper into my life.

tetalesti

Paid In Full

a new message

I've been restless the past few days.

As I've pondered the nature of this restlessness, there have been a couple of roots to it that I've seen. If there are more, they'll come to bear.

One of the roots in my heart is a bucking toward the traditional celebration of Easter. It's the same sense I had this past Christmas season. People seem to get friendlier, more sincere around this season. And that bothers me.

I also am unsettled by the intellectual-based verbal accounts of Jesus which I see cropping up. It's as if people think if they simply verbalize the story of Jesus that that will compel people to Him.

To my spirit, these accounts are as effective (powerless) as the Christianese cliches and platitudes I see well-meaning Followers sloughing out of their mouths about dealing with life.

I am disappointed in the local body to which I have been going. I see the desire for God intertwined with an inability to separate from religious and denominational rhetoric, and wonder why this is done. Specifically, the church website announced a "Maundy Thursday" gathering. I've heard that term since a child, having grown up in a heavily denominational environment.

When I went to the website to see more, it stated there would be communion and foot washing. Why not just say that, instead of guising it behind some "Maundy" religious blah blah?

Maybe there's some neat story behind Maundy. I have no idea, and if it's a warm, bubbly feel-good Christian story behind it, great. I am really missing out.

I grew up with religion and denominationalism exalted above Jesus and above Truth, so maybe this strong aversion and opposition is that frustration and disdain resurfacing in my heart because of what I see in Christiandom.

As I think about the frustration, it stems from seeing religion in places I wouldn't expect to see it. Religion in the denominations which have always had it is one thing, but to see it in places and people where it's not expected, that frustrates.

I don't care about contemporary Christian phraseology, the Christian "latest", or 21st century acronyms, etc. that puts the Way into jargon, coin phrases or anything else.

There's another stint to my restlessness. I am weighing heavily to buck traditional "church service" this weekend, and see if some good friends of mine just want to get together to break bread and talk Jesus.

They've had some life circumstances, not insurmountable, which have led to their not "going to church" as of late. I just might check with them if they want to do church the original old-fashioned way, in the home. That might be a Christian "tradition" I could actually embrace.

So, amidst all this frustration I ponder what God wants to do. With me, with the Body, fellowship.

I don't sense these emptinesses and observations are just for me to be bum about the Body. I know God's heart aches and breaks over some (many?) of the things being done in His name today. (Heck, if He were me He'd be puking.)

So where I am is: I see this hollow Christianity all around me, and I'm disturbed and restless about it. This unsettled feeling in my gut is not just happenstance. I ponder: Where and what is Your lead because of this? To or toward...what? where?

pursuit of desires, tainted or true

Read something interesting this morning:

"The Scriptures say that the Lord wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but we so often find ourselves desiring false-wants. Instead of wanting the true desires, we find ourselves 'settling' for something less or something counterfeit."

That gives rise to the thought, how often are the desires we ask of God nothing more than a reflection of what society is telling us to pursue?

Are we truly in touch with the desires of our reborn spirit in Jesus in what we want, seek and ask? Or is our laundry list of what we wish God to do for us, for others, and in our lives a 'false echo' of requests that are not anywhere on God's radar?

Do we ask Him to check what it is we want, or do we just blindly babble requests at the Throne and walk away, having never taken the time to see if our desires are in line with Him and in line with our walking in step with the Spirit? (Galatians 5)

"walking in step with the Spirit". Signifies a synchronization of our steps with the Holy Spirit's steps. Our desires in sync with God's desires. To what extent are we on the same page with God?

The range of our desires can be so vast. Someone of age or with an infirmity or going through a valley may simply desire for the Lord to help them through to another day. Others, overblessed, may continually have their lists full and ever refreshed before the Lord of what they want.

Others may fall in between these polars somewhere.

Others, and I find myself often in this category in life right now, should express more desires to God but don't. My being like this is an utter disdain for and aversion from being Mr. Name-It-Claim-It.

God showed me several months ago how dysfunctional this is, where I don't look Him in the eye as His child to share with Him what I desire. And yet I find myself falling back into this dysfunctionality on a regular basis.

Others are like this out of false humility. Others because they hold a view of God as the unapproachable God of the Old Testament (where you weren't allowed so much as to speak His name, only His initials), instead of knowing Him as a true father.

I remember meeting someone once who it appeared had a strong belief in (or at least awe of) God. It seemed very genuine. Yet as we continued to converse, he had this interesting stance (I'd never encountered) of God being so awesome and so powerful that he was hesitant to approach Him. It was as though he revered God from a respectful distance, instead of embracing Him.

God as our Father. He longs to be. He yearns to be, yet He does not automate us to this end. Just as John said to check the spirits, we should likewise check our desires.

sincerity with God

It has been extremely refreshing of late to talk with other Followers who embrace vulnerability, transparency and honesty in their pursuit of the Way.

These conversations have been spring water, compared to the well water that is so prevalent when speaking with many Followers today.

This is not because churches or those of the well-water variety are bad. These folks mean well. They do hunger for God, most of them. And they're nice.

Truth be told, though, I can find nice people anywhere. Out of church, in church. Doesn't matter. Nice does not directly correlate to the transparency or honesty of one's heart. I can meet a whole room of nice people and not one of them willing or interested (able?) to talk about what is really going on with the heart.

Why not?

As one of my friends said recently, sincerity exposes. Sincerity brings all the ugliness out from under the covers and puts it on the table. This ugliness, this struggle of the soul, grates against the facade of "all togetherness" which society and largely Christiandom wants us to live, or more realistically said, wants us to pretend to live.

God is okay with our warts. He knows they're there, and He wants to work through the gunk of our struggles and ultimately remove them.

Yet what lengths do we go to to hide, ignore and rationalize the warts and pimples in our lives? Amazing how we run from God in life, then come to Him in a moment of honesty for salvation, then go back to hiding and covering up the things He wants to change in us.

He wants to bring fullness and maturity to our rebirth, and we instead play hide-and-seek with things we should be taking to the Cross.

It's not difficult to veil the things we struggle with from others. And yet we do this, then go to God and expect to be intimate and close with Him. Or, as some describe this, prayers don't seem to be going past the ceiling.

As one of my transparent friends said recently, if I go to God for counsel He says "first things first, it's difficult to counsel you through that mask".

How much more, when I want to hang out with God, or be intimate with Him, He says "I really don't enjoy loving you through that mask. I do love you, but our relationship, our intercourse, is not designed to be done with a mask on."

The Lord knows when we lay down and when we get up, He knows when we go out and when we come in (Psalm 139). He knows and weighs our heart. Why do so many of us then engage in pretention, denial and cover up?

God offers a much better Way than playing this game of religious Clearasil.

vulnerability

with only minute modification, here is a quote sent to me a few days ago. It says in two brief paragraphs what I would take 20 paragraphs to say. I've come across several things about vulnerability and transparency which I hope to post soon. This quote below perfectly describes one of the major plagues in American society, which sadly has also infiltrated the Body and frustrated me for months.

"Our media are saturated with images of individuals wearing the mask of 'all togetherness'. I rub shoulders daily with people quick to reassure me of the unreality 'I'm fine, thanks'. I find myself trapped in a superficial community, stuffed in my self-imposed cocoon, hesitant to share my brokenness and weakness. I can't face the possibility of rejection and loss, not making the cut, not fitting in. To break out of this prison, we are invited into the honesty of becoming vulnerable. Vulnerability dismantles our obsession with getting it right.

As I take off the mask of 'all togetherness', I discover a vast world of freedom. In my vulnerability, I become accessible to fellow companions on the journey. My vulnerability invites others in, offers understanding and empathy, but also can be a cry for help. Even though vulnerability's path is often painful, its reward of deepening intimacy is welcome. Being vulnerable opens my heart. I become free to explore beyond the exhausting self-focus of supporting my false image of 'OKness'. I find myself challenged to deeper transparency as I sing along with Leonard Cohen 'Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in'."

nonchalant murder

I don't watch the news nor read it. For a variety of reasons, but that's its own post for another day.

I somehow this last week, though, did stumble across the recent situation involving a Muslim man in Afghanistan who was to be killed for abandoning Islam. This apparently raised a big brew-ha-ha that made national press.

What was most amazing was the media's nonchalance about the Islamic practice of killing those who leave the Islamic faith. Did a little digging to see how black and white this "murder for apostacy" stance is.

The tenet upon which Afghanistani clerics were stating they were going to kill this man was based upon "Islamic Shariah Law".

Specifically:

“Muslim clerics had threatened to incite Afghans to kill Rahman if the government freed him. They said he clearly violated Islamic Shariah Law by rejecting Islam.”
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060326/ap_on_re_mi_ea/afghan_christian_convert)

So, the first thing was to look at Shariah Law.

According to al-islami.com, is:

“The Islamic Shariah is the Islamic law which applies to all aspects of the life of a Muslim. The Shariah includes all aspects of life, from daily activities, ibadah (worship), criminal law and everything else. It is obligatory on every Muslim to respect and follow the Islamic Shariah in every aspect of their life. It is also obligatory on Muslim nations to implement the Islamic Shariah, and make it the source of all law and legislation.

The Islamic Shariah represents the will of Allah (swt) and His messenger Mohammad (pbuh). As Muslims, we must go about all matters according to the will of Allah (swt). In the holy Qur'an, Allah (swt) has revealed to humanity many verdicts and solutions to many of the problems faced by us. In order to be a true beleiver in Allah (swt), and in order to worship Allah (swt) only, we must follow the guidance of Allah (swt)." (from http://www.al-islami.com/islam/shariah.php)

With that foundation of what Shariah Law is, here further is the logic/justification that the man who left the Muslim faith was rightfully to be killed for having done so:

1)
“Islamic Sharia law proposes the death sentence for Muslims who abandon the religion.” (http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17051.htm)

2)
“Prophet Muhammad did kill a number of people who deserted Islam and so the punishment is Sunnah (actions and sayings of Muhammad) and hence Shariah, Islamic Law.”

"Muslim 623 The Prophet said: 'It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim except in one of the three cases: the married adulterer, a life for a life (if the person is Muslim), and the deserter of Islam.'"

"Bukhari 9:89:271 A man embraced Islam and then reverted back to Judaism Mu'adh said: 'I will not sit down unless you kill him as it is the verdict of Allah and His Apostle.'"

"Bukhari 4:52:260 Ali burnt some people (Zanadiqa, atheists 9:84:57) although the Prophet had said, 'Don't punish anybody with Allah's punishment (Fire). If a Muslim discards his religion, kill him.'"

"Abu Dawud 38:4357 When the Apostle of Allah cut off the hands and feet of those who had stolen his camels and apostacised and had their eyes put out by fire, Allah reprimanded him and revealed: 'The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Apostle and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is execution or crucifixion. (38A359)...or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land' This was 'revealed about polytheists and if any of them repent before they are arrested it does not prevent from inflicting on him the prescribed punishment which he deserves'"
(http://www.yahoodi.com/peace/apostacy.html)

3)
“All aspects of a Muslim's life are governed by Sharia.”

Sharia is "often associated with the amputation of limbs, death by stoning, lashes and other medieval punishments”

“In the Islamic tradition Sharia is seen as something that nurtures humanity.”

“Sharia frees humanity to realise its individual potential.”
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/sharia/index.shtml)


Finally, as pertains to general Islamic beliefs about Allah:

"Allah has no shape or form.
Allah can't be seen.
Allah can't be heard.
Allah is neither male nor female.”
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/index.shtml)

Which raises the question: if Allah cannot be heard, how have Islamic prophets been able to hear "It" and know what "It" says, aside from the written text (Quran) Muslims follow? (refer to "It" since Islam says Allah is neither male nor female, otherwise I'd refer to "hearing Him", etc.)

The tenets of the Muslim faith, and the Islam Shariah Law to kill apostates, are pretty straightforward. Interesting then, but by no means surprising, the passive apologetics by the U.S. media with regard to this.

What is also not surprising is the U.S. media doesn't blink an eye about it being "obligatory for Muslim nations to implement the Islamic Shariah, and make it the source of all law and legislation".

In none of the articles I read on this was there any comment about incorporating tenets of religion into the laws of the land. (This same religion which says it's okay to kill people for leaving that faith.)

Not one hint of the foaming-at-the-mouth objectionism to 'legislating morality' as in the United States (which Followers shouldn't be rabid about either, imo).

Classic double-standard of the U.S. media.

attention Followers

a large church down the street is promoting on their marquee:

"Debt Free Service, March XXth"


Lord, does this tick You off?

buying from Jesus

"salvation is free"

Common Christian cliche.

Salvation does cost.

Monetarily?

No (Ephesians 2:8). Yes (Matthew 19:16-22).

Jesus throws in a kicker--telling some Followers in Revelation 3 to buy from Him.

The things offered for sale by Jesus are extremely valuable. They offer sight to replace blindness, cover to replace nakedness and riches to replace poverty.

Yet Jesus clearly says about these: "buy from Me"

They involve and require an exchange. They are to be bought.

They are not free.

I noticed this in the middle of a Bible Study group, and brought it up. The group quickly postulated dying to self as the price to pay to buy these things.

That didn't resonate as the 'end all' two hours ago. It doesn't resonate now as the gnawing begins.

Jesus isn't talking about salvation, it doesn't seem. The world has no interest in buying anything from Jesus. The world sees no value in what He offers. Jesus, the cross--these things are foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 1).

Are these He speaks to about this attached to the Vine, or not?

There's something more stirring here.

This gold. This white clothing. This salve.

Where?

Why at a price?

What price?

For the lukewarm only, or all?

beside the still waters...

Visiting with my close friends and their children this last weekend lifted my spirit in many ways. I was eager to see them again, but hadn't weighed how refreshing the reunion was going to be.

I enjoyed getting acquainted with all their children, each of whom had something that I cherished or admired. The simplicity and energy in their six-month old, the honesty in their four-year old and the eagerness of their nine-year old.

These were all neat, yet it was the Lord in their 13-year old son and 11-year old daughter that stirred even more. Their spirits shone brightly with the Lord and their parents' influence in them.

The 13-year old son exudes a quiet confidence in everything he does. Even when his little brother pushes the envelope (either in play, speech or in chores), he keeps a calmness about him that is noticeable and admirable. Pretty refreshing to see a young man so stable at that age.

I noticed this all weekend, but when we prepped to leave on Sunday was the coolest. His warmth when I hugged him goodbye was genuine and unreserved. Imagine that for a 13-year old American boy.

Then, as we went to the car, he followed outside in the steady rain and handed me an origami work he had done. It's not that he gave, it was that his heart wanted to give. He had taken time to make something, and it was very humbling in this "give me, give me" world to see a teenager's heart wishing to give of himself and his time. His name: Christopher. Living up to his name...and his pedigree.

Finally, the 11-year old daughter. Her spirit spoke to me all weekend. Mainly because I see so much of her mom in her. A heart so big it's uncontainable. A compassion running deeper than most think is possible. Warm, genuine, caring, graceful...

She engaged my daughter, and though seven years separated their ages they were pretty much inseparable. Instead of being self-absorbed in pre-teen girl things, she took my daughter under her wing and they did things together.

She, my daughter and I enjoyed making a cake together Saturday night. We had a ball. They took turns helping with the batter and icing. Even their taking turns in doing things seemed to be a coordination of their hearts. My daughter, though just four, likes to be in charge. She didn't fuss once when it was time to take turns.

I noticed this all weekend. Usually when my daughter is interacting with other kids I end up having to put out small fires or check in regularly to make sure all is going smooth. During this entire weekend there were long periods of uninterruption. Their hearts blended so well together, there was no need to do the regular checking.

When we got ready to leave on Sunday, here comes the giving again. She gave my daughter an old outfit that was still a couple of sizes too big. We all laughed when my daughter tried the outfit on. What did she do? She went and sewed it to make it fit!

She also gave my daughter a small decorative pillow and a couple of bracelets. Again, it wasn't that she gave, it was the joy in her heart to give. It was humbling to see her so willing and giving.

My daughter had been under the weather pretty much all weekend. She had an earache that we fought with much prayer through the night Friday. Sunday, while we were having home church, I asked the 11-year old if she would anoint my daughter with oil and pray for her. She gladly obliged.

Her prayer touched my heart deeply. There was just something about it that moved my spirit. Her love for the Lord, her RELATIONSHIP with Him, showed its strength and depth as she prayed. The 11-year old daughter's name: Grace. Also living up to her name...and her pedigree.

salve for the wounds

"there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" Proverbs 18:24

True friends include some you haven't spoken to in years. When you speak with them you pick up right up where you left off, and it's as if you never skipped a beat (as if there was no lull in communication).

So it is with my lifelong friend, Steve, his wife Jill and their children.

Steve and I were best friends in 1st through 3rd grade back in the 70's. We caught back up again at the beginning of college, then at the end of college for a few years (including the time he met, courted and married Jill and through their first two children).

Just finished spending a weekend with them and their now five children. Steve and I have been emailing for six months or so, but aside from Christmas postcards this was my first time to see them in years.

The only thing I could think to title this blog is what this weekend was to me: salve for the wounds. Without going into grand detail, life has been largely a valley for over a year, and getting to spend time with Steve, Jill and the kids was like sitting by a mountain lake still as glass and smelling pure, clean mountain air for a couple of days. It truly refreshed my spirit.

Steve is not only a lifelong friend, but a brother in Jesus who has been gifted with the Lord's wisdom. There are a lot of rough edges when I blog my thoughts/ponderings in the Lord. If Steve were to have the same thought I might have, Steve says it better and in a way that is much easier to digest.

Jill is the sister I never had. Not in the sense of a sister you scuffle with and both get called down by your parents, rather in the sense of a compassion and love for each others like close siblings share. I'd throw myself in front of a truck for her without thinking about it and smile while doing so. She is that awesome, and I know God sees us as siblings.

I have so many great memories of Steve and Jill from our 4-5 years of friendship in the early to mid 90's. The one that sticks out the most. One time we were at a 24-hour fast food hamburger place, late on a Saturday night, about to get a bite.

Of course, yes, that time of night on the weekend when...these three big, rough guys come in and stand behind us as we're about to place our order.

The guys behind us are loud and talking, smell of drink, and start dropping some f-, s- and other bombs. I'm sitting there thinking "yeah, it's that time of night on the weekend. Oh well, what do you expect late on Saturday night." I didn't think much of it.

Steve, however, turns around and firmly says "Would you not talk like that with a lady present?" Even on this first request his tone was "I'm telling you, not asking you". There were no qualms in how he addressed these guys.

Steve had all kinds of letters in high school sports, was an Eagle Scout, etc, yet his neck was not as big around as the smallest of these three guys' biceps.

It got stone quiet for about five seconds. Then...the guys started talking among themselves, in a lower tone and...without cussing.

That's my buddy, Steve. Stands up regardless of the circumstances or odds, stands up for his woman, and Jill worth every ounce in pure gold to stand for. To me this memory epitomizes them, who they are, and why I have always loved them as a brother and sister who stick closer than a friend, just like Proverbs says.

More on their kids in a separate blog.

Christian cliches (aka, platitudes)

plat•i•tude
n. A remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
n. A trite remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant
n. Lack of originality; triteness

cliche
n. a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought
n. a very predictable or unoriginal thing or person

Okay, time to laugh at what is funny but isn't funny. Christian cliches. Bueller?

• "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life"

• "God bless you" (heard a senior pastor say "don't underestimate this as a witnessing tool for Jesus Christ!") Huh?

• "all things work together for good!"

• "Did you know Jesus Christ died for your sins?" (there's a time and place for this, but how many use it EVERY time?)

• "I just know God's going to bless you!" (said with a smirky little 'I can just imagine what is under your Christmas tree' smile)

• "God bless America" (why should He, as pagan as American culture has become? Like we have a birthright to blessing when we are silent to godlessness or something. Do we not read our Bibles, what happens when even God's own people turn from Him and compromise?)

• "Brother, I just think about Jeremiah 29:11 when I think about you. 'I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you'".

Had a former pastor regurgitate this one to me time and again while going through a drawn-out trial. Like I'm going to be thinking about future blessings when my heart is ripped to shreds. He conveniently also did not put the verse in context, but that's another blog.

This is an open post. Plenty of room for more, and the war stories that go with them. Bueller?

religion at its worst

went to a corporate church service today. Sat two rows behind a couple and their son. I'd guess the son is around 10-11 years old. I met them during the "greeting" time. Seemed like a regular kid.

The service starts, and people are standing during the singing. Out of the corner of my eye I notice the mom turn to the son and mouth "stand up". He had sat down at some point during the singing. Who knows, maybe it was cause there were two elderly ladies directly in front of him, sitting.

So a couple of songs later I notice the son, standing. He's shifting around a bit where he's standing, but not touching or impacting the two elderly ladies in front of him, who are still sitting.

Now, mom turns to him and says "Be still". The boy stills for two seconds. Then he just sits down.

Pissed me off.

He's sitting and you tell him to stand. Then he's standing and you tell him something else when he's not bothering or interfering anyone.

Can I peek at your "Acceptable Behavior for 10 Year Olds in Church" manual, please ma'am?

He wasn't being loud, wasn't being disruptive. He was just being a kid. You know, even at that age the kind who sits there and fidgets in the dirt while the P.E. teacher is giving instructions about a game they're going to play?

You know, in a few years she's going to wonder why he's rebelling against her/God/church and she's going to be clueless.

Wake up.

for everything there is a season: flesh, scandal, season

Though it is Old Testament, over the last month I have repeatedly savored Ecclesiastes 3, and realized how well (precisely?) it ties in to the New Testament, God's wisdom and being led by the Holy Spirit:

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,
A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."
(Ecclesiaste 3: 1-8, Amplified)

(Note: the aim of this is to prick the thinking of followers of Jesus. This is not a how-to, nor is it an I've-got-the-answer work. Nor is it meant to be "I've got a revelation" stuff. Lord forbid. It is just some thinking out loud, based on my experiences and mistakes as a follower, measuring this with some verses, and hoping there's a nugget somewhere among the chaff.)


• Witnessing - it's not just for Christian Fleshers anymore

Let's think back to the times we've witnessed fo the Lord and despite our intentions on the Lord's behalf and our Scripture quoting, there was an awkwardness during and at the completion of our conversation with someone. We sensed this fly-in-the-ointment feeling as we witnessed, but we continued. The conversation did not result in their salvation, and ended essentially in a standstill with an indiscernably weird flavor hanging in the background. We were doing the Lord's work, but what is that twang I sense?

We walked away, let's be honest, torn: partially with a "silver lining" attitude (some kind of warm fuzzy that we'd witnessed for the Lord), and part of us wondering why the conversation didn't end more fruitfully.

It's clear how we commonly look at these situations, but can we take our blinders off for a minute and look at the fruit? After all, Jesus said we will be known by our fruit (Matthew 7).

The common cliches following a Follower's experience in a situation like this may include:

"their heart just wasn't ready"
"Satan is blinding them to the Truth"
"I sowed some seeds, and I pray the Lord will water them!"
(insert any other cliche you've ever heard or expressed here)

Honestly, frankly, haven't these phrases or their close cousins flowed from our mouths before? My devil's advocate questions to this are:

• why wasn't there more fruitful fruit from our interaction with them?

• how loosely do we sling around the term "sowing seeds"? (bear with me meat-eaters, just keep reading)

• was it really and truly 100% them and 0% us in that resulting awkwardness?


Jesus and witnessing:

Jesus talks about witnessing. Check it out in Luke 10. He talks about going into a town and seeking "a man of peace". He goes on to say that if a man of peace is there the Followers' peace will rest on the man. If not, the Followers' peace will return to the Followers.

Jesus then says that IF we are welcomed (caps mine) in that town we are to eat what is set before us, to heal the sick in the town and tell those in the town the Kingdom of God is at hand.

If we are NOT welcomed in the town, Jesus says to go into the streets and say, "'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near."

Do we note Jesus' points about peace and welcome (or lack thereof) when witnessing? Are we to bullrush everyone we come across, turn some (most?) off to the Lord by our headstrong insistence despite their unwelcome demeanor and "sow seeds" come hell or high water, all in the name of Jesus?


Philip's witnessing:

Acts 8 gives a beautiful illustration of Philip witnessing and leading someone to Jesus. I don't think it a coincidence that God made sure in this illustration of witnessing that Phillip's encounter with this man was unequivocally led by the Holy Spirit.

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" (v.26). Philip's taking this path was instructed by a messenger of the Lord. Philip had no intention of leaving Jerusalem to go toward Gaza. Yet he was prompted to do so. It wasn't something he just decided of his own doing.

Leading, part II. As Philip heads toward Gaza, he sees a man in a chariot. The Holy Spirit tells Philip "Go to that chariot and stay near it" (v.29). Again, God makes sure to note in this story, Philip is instructed by the Lord (in this case the Holy Spirit) to do something.

Isn't it interesting how the Lord shows the man's heart was ready? He had been to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was reading from Isaiah. After being led by an angel and the Holy Spirit on faith, Philip recognized he was in the right spot and there was a fertile heart, a man of peace, who welcomed Philip to share with him (v. 31, 34).

The illustration finishes with the man's conversion, baptism and a miracle (Phillip being beam-me-up-Scotty'd 20 miles away to another town (v. 34-40) as they came up out of the water at the man's baptism).

Let me share about my witnessing briefly if I could. When I'm about to go into a public place, I turn on what I refer to as the Holy Spirit radar. Before I go in I pray "Lord, if there is someone you wish me to talk to, make it clear. Make them stand out, Lord". I then go through the store, doing my business, but keeping the HS radar up: looking at the others in the store, seeing if the Spirit witnesses anything to my spirit about anyone or anything. Yes, even when I go to WalMart. :-)

Now, there's never a shortage of people at WalMart, and there's no way we can walk the aisles of that place and think everyone in there is a Follower (especially at Christmas when fights break out over toys, etc). This being true, and with my HS radar up and operable, the Lord has only had me talk to someone one time in a WalMart, and that was upon their approaching me. Nonetheless, I let the Lord know I'm ready to do his bidding if He so chooses.

I don't give this illustration to say I am a perfect witnesser, cause I'm not. I miss opportunities regularly, wrangling sometimes with the Lord's prompting for an extra confirmation, letting my own flesh (mind) think to the contrary, being preoccupied with some situation, etc. I simply mention it to affirm that even when open/eager to speak for the Lord He does not lead to an interaction always.

I don't doubt Him nor myself when nothing comes on the HS radar. It means the Lord didn't have anything to happen at that time.

The Lord knows every person's heart and their readiness about Him. We don't. It is not our charge nor our calling to impose our guesses about people's hearts, based on appearance or any other sense outside of the Holy Spirit, in a poke-it-with-a-stick or throw-enough-mud-up-against-the-wall kind of way.

That's not what Jesus teaches. It's also not the benchmark exampled to us in the Word.


Stephen's witness:

Let's look at another example of testifying about Jesus in Stephen. Begins at Acts 6:8 and goes through the end of Acts 7.

First, let's note, and God does it purposely so there will be no mistake. Five times in a very short timeframe, in Acts 6, the Lord makes sure we know Stephen had God's Spirit and Hand upon him.

"Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom." (v. 3)

"They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip..." (v. 5)

"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. " (v. 8)

"These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke." (v. 9-10)

"All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." (v. 15)

Pretty clear that Stephen is in tune with the Spirit.

What happens next? Stephen lights up the Sanhedrin. He calls their hearts out on the spot. Akins them to their forefathers who rejected Moses and refused to obey his message from the Lord (7:39). They turned their hearts to idols, and God turned away and gave them over to their idolatry (7:42).

But wait, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, witnesses even further:

"You stubborn and stiff-necked people, still heathen and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit! As your forefathers [were], so you [are and so you do]! Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? And they slew those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you now have betrayed and murdered--You who received the Law as it was ordained and set in order and delivered by angels, and [yet] you did not obey it!" (7:51-53, Amplified Bible)

Is this a warm, positive, peach-fuzz-Jesus testimony by Stephen, a man full of faith, grace and controlled by God's Holy Spirit (7:55)? No. It is not.

How on earth, some ask, could words like this come out of a Christian's mouth?

Ecclesiastes. There's a time to love and a time to hate. Jesus scathed the falsely religious, calling them pretenders, whitewashed tombs full of empty bones, and a brood of vipers. My opinion is Jesus hated this look-down-the-nose posture because "You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." (Matt 23)

It is abundantly clear that Stephen is full of and led by the Spirit. Yet his testimony is not friendly, positive, loving and sweet Savior Jesus testimony. Why not? Ecclesiastes 3. In this instance, the Holy Spirit led Stephen that this was a time to tear, not a time to mend. It was a time to scatter, not a time to gather. A time to rend, not a time to sew.

Are we, then, to be a Dirty Harry type witness for Jesus in all circumstances? By no means, but honestly isn't the brunt (all?) of testifying for Jesus today extremely lopsided on the lovey, dovey, nice, cream-puff side of things?

We treat Christianity like it's a PR campaign for Jesus.

Let me not offend. Let me walk on eggshells. Let me be a nice person. In order to win someone to Jesus I must be a positive, warm person who attracts people to me. Then I'll be a "living witness" and can share Jesus with them when I've won their trust. (I heard a pastor recently say that being a living witness is "the only way to win souls to Jesus".) The Body is LARGELY lopsided that our testimony is to only and always be "God is love".

Explain then Stephen, full of and led by the Holy Spirit.

The admonition here is that we go before the Lord and be led by Him in life. Not doing our own thing. Not saying what we think is appropriate. Not saying what we think God wants us to say. Not saying what we think God is saying. Not blindly regurgitating Christian catch-phrases we've heard. Not going into a situation deadset toward one approach (love) or the other (rebuke).

The New Testament lines up beautifully with Ecclesiastes. Let's note Jude 22-23:

"be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear" (NIV)

This is awesome. Here's a paraphrase: With the doubters be merciful. Others need a strong word to be saved from the jaws of hell. With others, they need a mixture of mercy and fear.

God's ultimate goal is for mankind to come to Him. Some come by love and some come by fear. Just like Ecclesiastes says. There's an appropriate time to speak one way, and an appropriate time to speak another. People are different. God knows this, but how often do we as the Body use the SAME approach to everyone we speak with, whether it be witnessing, counseling or sharing?

Ecclesiastes says there is a Way for each situation. We shouldn't gather when it's time to scatter. We shouldn't scatter when it's time to gather.

How, then, can we know what the Way is for any given situation? Seek Him, and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Some situations allow time to ponder and seek the Lord. Some situations only allow a quick breath to think "Guide me, Lord." Whatever the case may be, seeking the Spirit's lead is the Way. It's what Philip did. It's what Stephen did.

Stephen's outcome was vastly different from Philip's...in an earthly sense. Yet it is clear that God's hand, His leading and His power permeated both situations. One led to a baptism and a miracle. The other led to a stoning and the death of a Spirit-anointed follower.

What a clear example that following the leading of the Spirit is NOT always going to result in positive, prosperous earthly results. Clearly, in both instances, the Lord did lead what transpired, and through both God was glorified mightily.


Distinguishing Stephen's witness from today's unreceptive unbelievers:

Some might compare Stephen's witness before the cunning Sanhedrin with the unwelcome scorn of an unbeliever whom we might engage today in the 21st century.

Let's look at Stephen's situation, versus Jesus saying "shake the dust off your feet if they don't welcome you". Is this a contradiction? Absolutely not.

In Stephen's situation, these people sought to hear him. They gave Stephen an audience. They inquired of him what was the nature of these charges brought against him. (Let's not confuse the fact they killed him with the fact that they welcomed him to speak.)

This is quite different from us in our own flesh randomly selecting someone to witness to, soon discovering they are unwelcome to discussing Jesus, then engaging in verbal banter with them anyway that goes nowhere and at best irritates them toward hearing the gospel.

There was never a welcoming by them for us to be heard. We invited ourselves, and perhaps forced our way further after getting an unwelcome vibe during the conversation.

How merciful God is and how conceited we are: Stephen was invited to testify and got killed. We are uninvited to testify and don't get killed. Anyway...

So, is calling this self-induced witnessing "sowing seeds" a cheap veil to excuse our not following the Lord's leading?

"Of course it's sowing seeds!" some would say, "there's that verse that says 'My Word will not return void'".

Glad you brought that up. Can we look at that verse?

"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11, NIV)

Wow. If the Lord sends out His Word it will not return void. If HE sends it.

If I go shove His Word in the wrong place at the wrong time (not at the Lord's bidding), that's not the Lord sending out His Word, is it? No, it's not. That's me in my own Christian Flesh doing it.

If I go out and attempt to get in depth about Jesus with someone who isn't receptive, or to someone who the Spirit did not light up the radar to talk with, guess what? The Word can return void.

Thus the awkwardness and lack of fruit from witnessing conversations when I've done this. Red flag of the Lord going up in our spirit about what we're doing. And we keep talkin'?

I am really convicted right now. I think back to a girl I used to engage years ago in discussions about the Lord. We shared a class together, and I used to proactively engage her regularly. It was always civil, and those around us couldn't help but listen too. There was no chest beating back then, that I was doing any purposed work of the Lord in engaging her, but as I reflect back on that now in light of this study, I can see where I was missing the mark...yet thinking I was being a soldier of the Lord.


Aligned with God?

What it boils down to is this. Are we on the same page as God is? Is our witness and movement in sync with what He is doing? Or are we instead going out in the name of Jesus, doing our own witnessing, our own ministering, our own praying with others, etc.? I call this the Christian Flesh. Doing Christian things and Christian activities in the name of the Lord, but the truth is it is either: just Christian activity or busy-ness; unfruitful; lacks the impact, power or God's distinctive imprint on it, etc.

One of the saddest things about this is: folks are often blind to the fact their Christian acts are not of God. Blindness to this is rampant, and unfortunate. I'm nice in using the word unfortunate. Jesus warns very soberly and strongly about this (Matthew 7:21-23).

Let me give an example. Last spring I was in the beginning stages of an extremely difficult trial in my life. I was driving a several hour drive back home one day. I had the radio off and was just engaged in a combination of praying/thinking about the situation before the Lord. Doing some serious pondering. The situation was extremely difficult, but intercoursing with the Lord about it ministered to me. There was no quick fix to the situation. What was the Lord doing? Just listening, with compassion. He offered no Christian cliches, no Christian one-liners, no platitudes. The sense of His compassion was strong, though He just was listening.

Then my phone rang. It was the senior pastor of the fellowship I attended at the time. He said I'd been on his mind and wanted to call. Told him I was heading back from out of town, he invited me to come by and visit. So, upon getting back into town I did. Stopped by, went in, shared with him what was going on, and he offered his counsel.

His counsel grated against my spirit. I'm sure when I left he got a smile on his face and a "man, I'm glad I got to share with him and encourage him" thought going through his head.

What about me, the counselee? I left feeling worse about the situation than when I'd gone in to speak with him. It made me wish I had not stopped by. The Lord's ministering to me didn't stop the pain of the situation I was facing, but His ministering was putting salve on my wounds. The pastor's ministering agitated. It missed the mark of where I was about the situation.

Had the pastor been on the same page with the Holy Spirit, then his counsel would have been in line with the Spirit, and it thus would have ministered to me. I was getting ministry from the Spirit for three hours before I went in his office. That salve from the Lord screeched to a stop during my conversation with the pastor.

The Lord put me on his mind that afternoon. Yet per the outcome of our talking together, I believe he was to have lifted me up in prayer, not called me to swing by so he could offer his (not the Lord's) counsel. This is an extremely frequent occurrence, the Body acting in the Christian Flesh.

I was speaking with another Believer this week about a situation, and they blabbed out a verse of Scripture. (Hey, it's Scripture! Won't return void, right?)

The Scripture they stated grated against my spirit regarding the situation being faced. The good thing is, I have an open relationship with this believer, and took the liberty to say "So-n-so, that is NOT where I am with this." Again, a well-meaning, Jesus loving follower. But what they said, though scriptural, missed the mark.

Very important point here. The awareness of Followers living in the Christian Flesh is not something that has led to ill-will, judgment, etc. toward any brother or sister I've experienced it with, and it never should. The frequency of Christian Flesh is so pervasive, at least in my experience, if time was spent telling other believers that they are missing the mark, that would take up a surprising portion of conversation with other Followers.

Because of this, it is worth considering, even among the Body, we should use discretion in who we share what with. Jesus says "don't give what is sacred to the dogs". Though Followers' hearts mean well, and they love the Lord, if we get a consistent pattern that their advice to us is wrought with Christian Flesh, God grant us wisdom how much we share and counsel with these folks.

Thinking of the Christian Flesh, in the context of Matthew 7:21-23, gives me a new sense of conviction about Jesus saying "men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36). I have always associated the Matthew 12 verse only with "bad" words (?) or making fun of people. Might it go deeper than that? Is Christianese babble and self-composed counsel/advice/ministry/words NOT given by the Lord careless?

• The Great Scandal of Christianity - verse locking, scriptural cookie cutting

We've already touched on some of this above, in the "my Word won't return void" discussion. One of the extremely common vices within the Body (at least in America) is verse locking, or scriptural cookie cutting.

This happens when a Follower develops their view of something based on one Scripture or a group of Scriptures. On a small scale, this verse locking could show itself in how they react or minister to one particular circumstance in life. On a large scale, verse locking is so widespread it impacts a Follower's (or group of Followers') entire paradigm and view of Christianity. Impacts it by narrowing it down, to the point the Believer recluses into a small subset of verses and there sets up their Christian belief shop. And buddy, this often grows into a fortress instead than a shop.

Case in point: the Prosperity Gospel paradigm, the Love paradigm, the Dominion paradigm, the Name It Claim It paradigm, the Peace/Harmony paradigm, the Positive/PMA paradigm, the Turn The Other Cheek paradigm, the Blessing paradigm, the Family paradigm, etc... Can you think of others?

Followers who have established (limited?) their entire perspective of God and their faith around a restricted set of verses are verse locking at its highest level. This is a very powerful stronghold, because it is Scripture based.

Additionally, when you share openly (in the freedom of the Holy Spirit) about this not being the only way to look at God or Christianity, commonly their feet are concreted into the paradigm they embrace. They have found a comfort and security with looking at God and/or life this way, and that's the way it is because Scripture backs them up.

This is scriptual cookie cutting, folks. Taking a smorgasborg of the Word, then picking and choosing select verses to justify or defend a particular stance or position on life, on circumstances, on family, etc.

To not engage any of these paradigms doesn't translate to an unstable or varying walk with the Lord. Quite the opposite, it leads to a free, full relationship with the Lord.

If we're not locked into a paradigm or movement, we understand that sometimes God is/does A and sometimes He is/does B. We are open to Him working however He wants. We don't restrict Him nor limit Him to work in a certain acceptable way. If we stay open to all that God is, we are free.

"You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men." (1 Corinthians 7:23) Jesus paid a brutal and horrifying price for our freedom. Staying out of cliques/movements/paradigms, either within a local fellowship or within the Body, perpetuates our freedom in Jesus.

God has demonstrated flexibility through the ages. The first instance of this was resorting to Plan B regarding mankind when Adam & Eve messed up Plan A. The Lord is maleable in many ways, as should we be. Verse locking and scriptural cookie cutting have no place in the Body. Those who leave these enslaving traps behind become free--giving God the freedom to move as He wills. Our notions no longer limit Him.


• For Everything There IS a Season

God's variance is evident in His sharing with us the verses in Ecclesiastes. In these verses, God clearly shows He is not stagnant or repetitive. On the contrary, He is unpredictable.

This reminds me of an awesome story a brother shared with me some months ago. He faced a strong situation with another brother, one which had left gaps of sizable differences betwen them.

They had agreed to meet to discuss things. My friend told me he had pondered the situation over and over, and had a sense of his approach toward their meeting. He did his homework and was armed with a wealth of verses to show this other brother his stance. God based, Scripture based. The works.

So he goes before the Lord and lays out his Scripture-based blueprint for the meeting. What was the Lord's response to him?

"Yeah, I know you've prepared all that, but scrap it. Here's what I want you to do instead..." and surprises my brother with a totally different Way. He did follow the Way he was instead told, even though his blueprint was wrought with Scriptures and ready to go.

This is an awesome illustration of not putting God in a box. Of not walking a predetermined (yet scriptural) path. He could have rattled off the laundry list of verses with the other Follower. But what'd he do? He sought the Lord, and the Lord said "That's scriptural and all, but I instead want you to do this..."

When we codify God, through culture, through denomination, through man-made religion, through verse locking, and yes, through Scripture, we miss out on the unparalleled depth of God. His power, His heart, His Way. We're missing out on Who God is, and missing His Way in situations. It raises the frequency with which we operate in the Christian Flesh. Doing, saying, bequeathing our own notions of God to others.

We are made in His image. Are we soul-less, robot, monotonous beings? No. Nor is our Creator, but something interesting about Him: God since the New Testament is often a Gentleman. He commonly reveals Himself to the level of belief that people have in or about Him.

Does belief exist about Him and His power? He shows Himself in signs and miracles. Jesus epitomizes this in reminding us the kingdom belongs to those who are as children (Matthew 19), or in some translations those who "become like children".

Does unbelief exist regarding Him? He does not show Himself, or will show Himself much less (Matthew 13). Or, even yet, if belief be absent He will bring about what He wishes to bring about through His own choosing (Matthew 3). He truly is the Supreme Being. Nothing, no one compares to the Lord.

There is no mystery in Ecclesiastes, through which God makes two things clear: (1) life is going to vary, and (2) the Way to deal with these situations and circumstances may vary. God has a Way. Sometimes it's this, sometimes it's that. There is a time to hate and a time to love, etc.

• Ecclesiastes 3 and the leading of the Holy Spirit

So, we know from Ecclesiastes there is a Way. How do we know when to do which?

When do we love? When do we hate?
When do we rend? When do we sew?
When do we gather? When do we disperse?

In answering this question, one important thing to do is not to rely on our own wisdom, our own sense of things, our own knowledge--of life, of Scripture, of God. God wasn't kidding when He said "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55).

One temptation (laziness?) as Followers is the danger of putting our responses/actions into Christian automatic pilot mode. Even knowing the Lord we should not be in a mental rut, Scripture based or otherwise, in our actions or reactions.

We should also be aware of religion, denominationalism, verse locking, paradigms, culture, our flesh, lies from satan, or any other thing squelching or warping the Way. These can be very resistant strongholds, but all are breakable through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

It would also be good to be willing to abandon self. If we are followers of Jesus, we have accepted the fact that He calls us to die to ourselves, or more literally, our soul. This is an ongoing process (otherwise He would not have said we are to die daily).

Read something today about dying completely to self:

"Jesus says, ' . . . I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. . . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours'." (C.S. Lewis)

When we surrender to Jesus, He calls us to die to the innocent parts of ourselves as well as to the more glaring and sinful ones. Dying, fully and completely, opens the Way for the Lord to lead us--in anything, whether His leading of us be conventional or unconventional.

• learning to distinguish the voice of the Lord. One of the most intense hungers among Followers seems to be to learn the distinction of the Holy Spirit speaking. This post is long enough, and I have a bad habit of drifting among topics, but in this moment there's clarity to not go into a long deal on learning the voice of the Lord. I feel led to only hit the highlights, in one paragraph.

Luke 11:13. Continue to ask. Lock onto this request with tenacity and pursue the Spirit. John 14:26. The Spirit will teach and guide. Ask that His voice become raised, bold-lettered, neon-distinguishable above the thoughts of the flesh and the cunning suggestions from the devil. It's trial and error. Bear in mind there may be periods of tarrying, where the Lord is silent, or is not in as big a rush as us (Matthew 15). Tarry, and keep listening for Him.

The awesome thing is, as we are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) we will be in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), and our walk with the Lord will transform from a faith of words into a living demonstration of His power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

To God, friend.

© 2006, johnthree30

the subtle "innocence" of Prosperity/Dominion

in an online Christian forum recently, I saw this quote as a signature under a Follower's name:

"Petitionary prayer is the absolute, undying refusal to accept this world as it is. To believe that not only should it be changed, but it can be."

Honorable and godly, isn't it?

Pig's vomit.

Not only vomit, but God's rebuke on this Prosperity/Dominion bull-kimshi.

What this quote says:

• we know better what is to transpire than God does

• spit on Jesus' teaching "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"

• outright defiance and 180 degree opposite of Jesus' prayer before His arrest: "Father, if it be possible, take this bitter cup from me; yet, not my will but Your will be done."

• our will supercedes God's will

• our knowledge of how everything works together (circumstances, events, positions, roles, locations, order) trumps God's

• "My ways are not your ways, nor My thoughts your thoughts", says the Lord, "for My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts". This verse is void, and scrapped from the Bible.

• what entitlement do we have to dethrone the Father? what/where is the source of this entitlement? Really.

• this is pride and defiance direclty akin to satan's rebellion, but oh how much more subtle

• Jesus said if anyone would follow Him, the first requirement is denial of self: "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9)

• following Jesus means following, not leading

• Romans 8:14, "Those who tell the Holy Spirit what to do are God's sons". Is that what God says? No. "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God."


Man, a flood of other verses floods the mind now:

• I have been crucified with Jesus and I no longer live but Jesus lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2). Hmmm. Doesn't say "the life I now live I live by faith in myself, who knows better than God what should happen".

• "I have called you out of the world" (John 15). Hmmm. This Dominion crap sounds like we're to tell God what we want to go on in the world.

• ""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Jesus says very plainly that those who do the Father's will are those who will enter heaven. He also very clearly says that those who live their own will in His name (what I call the "Christian Flesh") are going to be in for an extremely unpleasnt shock.

We must NOT be deceived, friends.

Don't claim to be a disciple (of Jesus) if what you're really doing is trying to be a dictator (to God).

ouch

I'm learning more and more, with much pain, what Jesus means by saying I must die in order to follow Him.

The last few days one part of one verse keeps coming back to mind. There is a verse somewhere (I'll look it up momentarily), which says "why not rather be wronged?"

Okay, it's in 1 Corinthians 6.

The context is instruction to the folks in Corinth because of disputes arising among Followers. They are scolded because they are filing lawsuits against each other, which leads to their having matters decided by judges who are not Followers.

They are slammed for what they're doing, and told that even the "men of little account in the church" are qualified to judge their matters. "Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and this to your brothers" is how this passage ends. They get totally railed for what they're doing.

Anyway...

That verse has been coming to me for the last few days, and it is amazing to ponder.

It doesn't say "Why not be wronged?" It says "Why not rather be wronged?"

To me, there is a huge difference with the distinction of that one word: rather.

These Followers are told "Why not PREFER to be wronged?" It's not being emphasized that they are being done wrong, but that they should prefer to be wronged.

Looked up synonyms for the word "rather" when used as an adverb. "by preference, by choice, willingly"

This stuns me, thinking about it.

Prefer to be wronged.

How much is this taught in the American Body in the 21st century? Would we hear this in even one pulpit in the U.S.?

I think back to several situations I've caught wind of among Followers in the past few months. I've heard many been told "hold your ground" and "stand up for the Truth". I've yet to hear anyone say "Prefer to be wronged."

My mind is racing a mile a minute now.

What would propel the Lord to instruct us to turn the other cheek when wronged?

Why?

• what is the reason for this?

• why this radical change from the Old Testament way (when the people of God went proactively and aggressively after the ungodly)?

• is this somehow tied to the "My power is made perfect in weakness" verse?

Let's look at that section:

""My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12)

Man, there it is again. I DELIGHT in insults. I DELIGHT in hardships. I DELIGHT in persecutions. I DELIGHT in difficulties.

There are parallels here to things worth pondering:

• Jesus' beating and death

• "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55)

• "there's a time to speak and a time to be silent" (Ecclesiastes 3)

• Jesus' silence at the end (Isaiah 53, John 19)

There are more, but that's all I've thought of here shortly.

Remember the Phillippians 3 blog from a couple of weeks ago. If we pray or commit to dying to self, be prepared for what's going to happen (hint: it ain't the kind of life being preached on tv or in a lot of pulpits these days).

on a roll

got another nugget from a blog:

"Jesus taught us to pray, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' Would He really expect me to pray that way and not expect me to live that way?"

hiding and finding

I was at a birthday party this evening with my four year old daughter. There were several other girls at the party within a few years of her age, and they were enjoying playing with each other.

At one point in the evening, I started counting to ten and the whole clan would giggle and go hide. Of course they can't hide very well at that age, but it doesn't really matter. The girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and I enjoyed being able to rustle a few giggles for awhile.

Something during in the course of hide-n-go-seek really stuck with me.

During one of the times I was 'seeking', my daughter and one of the other girls were hiding behind a blanket in a closet. (Of course I heard them giggling and talking before opening the closet door.) I opened the door and said "Nope, no one in here!" and walked away.

I went and hid in another room myself, thinking they would come out of their hiding place eventually and try and find me. After a couple of minutes they hadn't come looking, so I went back to the closet where they were. I opened the door, peeked in and again said "Nope, no one in the closet!"

I wanted to let them think they had really hid well, so well that they had fooled me twice.

I smirked as I started to walk out of the room, thinking about this, when I heard a sound that caught my attention.

I turned around, and my daughter had come out of the closet, crying and upset.

I went over to her, bent down and just waited for her to speak. I knew she would tell me what was on her mind, I didn't have to say or ask anything.

What she said once she composed herself enough to talk floored me. Through her tears she said "I wanted you to find me, Daddy."

I couldn't help but parallel this to us and God.

I think to the times in my life when I've thought I am hiding from God in sin. I have this 'free will' to sin (hide) and I didn't seem to get found or caught. Wow, did God not see me hiding from Him? I fooled and snuck by Him in my sin.

So I keep on, enjoying the world and its pleasures, and here comes God, again. He misses me again, I think.

The what happens? Does the bliss of sin perpetuate?

For awhile I may think so, but over time it brings an unfulfilling emptiness. It never completes. Superficially it's enjoyed at the time, sure, but it does not last.

So just as my daughter hid from me, and initially was thrilled at sneaking me, in the end she wanted me to find her and be with her.


No matter how much surface satisfaction and enjoyment in this world we derive from sin (and we may actually sense this, for a period of time), eventually it fades. And if we walk in sin, Follower or not, we end up craving for something beyond the rotten lie of the world we've lived and believed.

And then we cry.

We may or may not understand our crying. Whether we come to our senses about our sin or not, our souls are saying "I want You to find me, Daddy." What a ripe time to come to Jesus, yet we don't always. I think back to the many, many times in my life when this opportunity for reckoning presented itself.

There are reasons why we wouldn't come to terms with God at this ripe time to come to Him. Two that come to mind are: we don't understand ourselves or what's going on. This happens before the Holy Spirit brings the knowledge of sin into our lives. Or, in cases like my life where the Spirit has clearly given knowledge of sin, we simply won't come to the Cross. It's either fall back into the same sin or find another one to hide in.

This brings to mind a flow of other thoughts for their other:

• the notion (lie) we can hide from God

• the bondage in our freedom

Holy Spirit, fall on us. Hard. Pierce through the scales over our eyes. Let us see our sin for what it is. Let us see the opportunity for reckoning with Father that is before us. Only through You, Holy Spirit, can be found the power to overcome our habits and our bondages. Come, Holy Spirit, break through, so that we can be broken. In Jesus' name, amen.

Control

A close friend of mine pricked my thinking in one of his recent blogs. In it he said:

"If I control my world, if I take charge, I don’t really leave room for heaven to fill in the space I left empty."

That led my mind to a very sobering thought:

Whatever in my life I am controlling, God is not.

Brings to mind a flood of verses, but that's later. I'm just gonna read it again and soak in the conviction (and the encouragement from the conviction).