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Contentment

Contentment
This word…
Its posture, the emotions it represents, and its source, have appeared intermittently in my life like a rainbow in the distance.  Contentment has eluded me for way too much of my life…and it’s also the main subject matter of what I believe God wants to teach all of us today.  Think about the emotional triggers that tend to trip you up, and their relation to a lack of contentment – fear, worry, doubt, anxiety, anger, impatience, I could go on.  Many of the sins in my life spring from a lack of contentment in who God is, who I am, what He provides, His timing, can you relate?  I will say that I have experienced many episodes of contentment throughout my life.  Those memories are like jewels in my mind…special times, days, seasons of life, when all was well in my world.  For me, these happy places in time are always, without fail, connected to healthy relationship with my Heavenly Father. 
Relationship is the key word.  The kind of relationship that follows me throughout every journey, thought, action, and word of my life.  When I’m truly “walking with God” through my days – seeking to see as He sees, respond as if I were His hands, forgive offenses as if Jesus was living through me, delight in things that are pure and lovely, consume the delights of the world with prudence & thankfulness, utilize my belongings as if they were not mine to keep, give energy and care to others when I’d rather not, love my wife & kids sacrificially, do all I can to live like Jesus would if He were me – those are the times when I am totally, completely content.  Not because I’m seeking it, but because the God of my life keeps His promises; and He gives it in abundance when we surrender to Him unbridled access into every nook & cranny of our lives.  Contentment is the byproduct of walking hand in hand with the Father through life.
I want this kind of contentment…more than I want success, recognition, money, sex, food, a trim body, relevance, and all the other things we Americans seem to idolize.  We idolize stupid things, and they distract us from the life that is truly life!  I’m singling out “contentment in the Lord” as the pursuit for this year of my journey through life.  Like everyone else, I have patterns in my psyche that produce dysfunction & pain with those I love, creating chasms where I would rather see bridges.  Most of the time, I’m my own worst enemy.  As I continue to learn from scripture, and grow in living it out, I see that God is not really concerned with managing our behavior…He’s into what’s deeper; the identities He’s created in each of us, the lies and counterfeits we get ourselves ensnared in, and the rescues and rewards He plans for us to inherit from Him…and there’s only one way to get it.
Jesus, God in flesh, opened the way for us to bypass the appeasement of human religion so that we can have an actual, real, intimate relationship with our Father.  Only through Him are the obstacles of our sin wiped clean so that we have unhindered access to the Living Water we thirst for.  What makes me so sad is how we seem to easily give lip-service to this amazing truth, distancing ourselves from Him through rebellion or religion, and cutting ourselves off from the royal throne-room access that offers us more than we could ever imagine or ask for.  Thankfully, He’s an expert in route redirections, and His mercies never fail.  What a good, good Father! 
Here are some of the passages I’ve been meditating on these past several weeks of the new year.  Blessings to you in your journey. 
”I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13)
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  (Psalm 37:4)

”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”  (Philippians 4:6-9)
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Life Abundant

Today on Martin Luther King, Jr. day, I remember a very great man….and want to talk about something much greater than racial equality.  Something deeper….humility.

“I have come that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”

“If you ask for anything in my Name, I will do it.”
These are amazing promises of MLK’s God, printed in the pages of the Bible.  This year, I have set my heart to pursuing them.  But they’re tricky…they don’t mean what we tend to think they do.  
These promises are meant to lure us into the pursuit of Jesus-centered thoughts, activities, and daily living with Him at the helm.  Unfortunately, we often get discouraged & apathetic, don’t we?  Have you ever wondered why being close to Jesus doesn’t always lead to the blessings we seek?  Have you ever prayed for someone to be released from addiction or illness and it didn’t work?  
Have you wondered what Jesus’ definition is for…
…abundance? 
…they?
…anything?
Was Jesus prone to wishful thinking and the stretching of truth, or is it possible that we misunderstand His values?  As the Gospel of Jesus and His people multiplies rapidly in various places of today’s world, the modern American church continues to collapse into distraction, disillusionment, and disintegration.
Disintegration: dis·in·te·gra·tion (disˌin(t)əˈɡrāSH(ə)n/)
noun
  1. the process of losing cohesion or strength. i.e. “the twin problems of economic failure and social disintegration”
  2. the process of coming to pieces. i.e. “the disintegration of infected cells”
Jesus calls us to FOLLOW HIM, yet we often seem to spend time & energy & resources trying desperately to get HIM TO FOLLOW US!  The wonder & beauty of being “In Christ” does not come from faithful church attendance or saying “In Jesus Name” after our prayers; but by living our days, and conducting each area of our lives as if our daily conduct was an act of intimate worship and the world were His sanctuary.  Humility is the understanding and determination that my life is about God’s Kingdom rather than mine.  When we live by this, things like equality are the natural by-product.  But it’s a total 180 from the values of our world.
It is not God’s desire or purpose for us to be happy.  This is one of the great lies of the ancient serpent who continues to deceive us in the most basic & primal places of our souls.  All of us go through life with the tendency to chase after the things we believe will make us happy.  Our entire society is based upon this pursuit. The problem is that it doesn’t work…in fact, it only prolongs our slavery to desire and erects roadblocks in front of the only source of true satisfaction.  
So what is Jesus’ desire & purpose for us, especially as it is connected to the abundant and miraculous life He promises?  Humility, not advantage.  Joy, not happiness.  Peace, not fulfillment.
“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:25-26)
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it…Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:12-14, 23-27)
He says to us…
…“Do you trust me?”  
…“What are you willing to sacrifice for me?”
God’s promises are true!  He is indelibly faithful, and does not change like the shifting shadows of this world! Let us dispense with the rancorous, cancerous mythologies that surround us and deliver empty promises.  Let us love God thankfully, serve others joyfully, give generously, party soberly, and pursue His Kingdom in our lives passionately.  
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

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Competitivism

Competitivism

There are two kinds of competitors: Those who are content with their best, and those who cannot be content unless they win; those who can celebrate the victories of others, and those who are obsessed with being celebrated by others; those who view others as friends and allies, and those who see everyone else as an obstacle or opponent.

I’m calling this blog entry COMPETITIVISM, because I see this as the root of another “ISM” that I need to address today…RACISM.

I feel compelled to address this because of the traumas that we’ve been seeing in the news about Charlottesville in the past several days, which are really just eruptions from festering wounds that have never healed from deeply troubling pathogens in American history.  I’m not going to jump into the polarizing fray of political ideals, how I feel about our President, which sides are at fault for what, etc.  I’m simply going to focus on addressing racism as an expression, and want to spend most of my time with the root issue. Yes, I know that “Competitivism” is not a word, but it does get the point across.

Racism is defined as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against those of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior” (dictionary.com).  I sincerely doubt that the vast majority of racists ACUALLY BELIEVE that they’re own race is intrinsically superior and that others are inferior. Of course there are crazy fanatics, but there is simply no reasonable explanation for the belief that racial ancestry dictates superiority or worth…indeed all the facts say the opposite, that all humanity is varied and equal. The ignorance (both sincere and willful) associated with the racial bigotry of otherwise intelligent people, I believe, belies something deeper.

I see racism as a smokescreen-belief – a sham – to protect deeper, more sinister motivations: greed, selfishness, jealousy, disillusionment, covetousness, hatred. It plays itself out in many different ways in our society, including the type of terrifying behavior we are seeing rear its ugly head right now by groups like the KKK, Neo-Nazis, and other racist groups. It hasn’t been seen like this in America in several decades, but apparently it’s been simmering for a long time.

Competitivism is different from racism in that it has nothing to do with intrinsic superiority.  In fact, it often arises from places of insignificance and low self-esteem; giving hope to those who need something to salve their wounds…something to stand on top of and place their hope in.  But the belief that “life’s highest value is the fulfillment of one’s own desires at the expense of others” is a terribly false hope!  This kind of hope only brings pain and destruction and ultimately death.  In spite of the misguided religious rantings you may hear from god-less people, the way of Jesus…of authentic Christianity…is always one of humility.

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus’ “yoke” is a metaphor for adopting his ways, values, hopes; and trusting Him with life’s results.  The worldview of a competitivistic person is that the fulfillment of his/her desires is dependent upon gaining and maintaining power over others in order to be honored, served, and resourced by them. I suppose this could also be called social selfishism or me-first-ism or me-and-my-people-are-the-only-important-ones-ism.  These two worldviews are mutually exclusive.  People who wield twisted scripture as an instrument of hate are liars and imposters.

Competitivism breeds in quagmires of scarcity, and believes that there is simply not enough to go around.  That there are too many people vying for the same resources, therefore I must somehow get in front of the others by any means possible in order to fully satisfy the desires of myself and those I care about; regardless of how it affects others. Of course, anyone with a brain and access to reliable information knows that there is plenty of food, water, and resources in this amazing world of ours to accommodate all of us; but the systems of mankind seem to be inexorably governed by tendrils of chronic greed rather than good.

I challenge myself and you to a lifestyle of giving rather than grasping.  There will always be many people in this world who will worship and pursue beliefs and actions that spit in God’s face, this will not change until that final hour.  But as for me and my house, I have thrown-in my whole lot, placed my whole bet, set all my hopes on Christ.  I’m going to focus all of my attention and intention upon knowing & following Him in ways that will foster love and service and grace to all the people I come into contact with….regardless of how that affects me…because Jesus can be trusted when He says,

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

When we believe this, everyone around us becomes a brother and a sister, a fellow beloved creature of the Creator.

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Defense Mechanism

Earlier this week I went into the hospital for my wrist injections.  Unfortunately, all the hard work I’ve done with my hands all these years has caught-up with me and caused debilitating arthritis at an early age…so I need occasional steroids injected deep into my wrist joints with a small needle that is guided by x-ray fluoroscopy.  Yeah, it totally sucks.  I HATE needles (aka I’m scared of them).  So I’m in there getting prepped with the doc. and the radiology tech., feeling my anxiety-level begin to rise as they describe the procedure.  By the time they’re prepping the first injection site, my heart rate is up and I’m feeling a bit dizzy.  Then he says those sly, menacing words “here comes a little poke, little burning.”  Within 10-seconds the room starts to spin, my breathing gets erratic, and the sweat machine turns-on.  30-seconds later, I’m literally on the floor with my feet on a chair and these two guys draping cold wash-cloths on my forehead.  Honestly, the shot really didn’t hurt that bad…but my mind had decided it had to jump in and hijack my body to save it from terrible danger. Fortunately they had the patience to wait for me to calm down, and we finished the procedure with me laying on my back with the table at a reverse incline.  Everything went fine after that…I just had to push through the internal, imagined trauma and ignore my instinctive beliefs in order to get to where I’m at now, only 36-hours later…virtually pain-free!
This little story illustrates a dynamic of the mind that we all sometimes deal with. In psychoanalytic theory, defense mechanisms are psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality in order to defend against feelings of anxiety and unacceptable impulses and to maintain one’s stable set of memories that summarize a person’s beliefs, experiences and generalizations about the self.  In layman’s terms, defense mechanisms are the self-protective lenses we use to minimize the effects of the scary world around us so that we can deal with it on our own terms.
I’ve been thinking about the correlation between our beliefs and our fears. 
In many ways, our beliefs are often secondary…forged by the fire of fear and the raw materials of our life experiences.  What I mean is that each of us, instinctively, runs from whatever we’re afraid of into the embrace of promises that appeal to our personalities, pre-conceived points of view, and explanations we have embraced…whether they’re objectively true or not.
Our fears are very powerful, we all have them.  Fears are not a bad thing, they’re natural and neutral…it’s what we DO with our fears that assigns goodness or badness.  Fears push us from within to be and do things that will rewrite our stories and redefine our identities.  The one who fears pain tends to pursue safety in the belief that minimizing risk brings security.  The one who fears insignificance tends to pursue achievement in the belief that accomplishing goals will breed importance.  The one who fears confrontation tends to pursue appeasement in the belief that being agreeable with everyone will result in harmony.  And so on….
Sometimes the things we believe are not true.  When we believe lies – and fabricate attitudes & behaviors & lifestyles around those lies – we eventually suffer the deep disillusionment that is part of the broken human condition.  From these places of broken-dreams, we wind-up asking the most important questions.  “What’s the meaning of life?”  “Is there a God, really?”  “If so, then why ______?”  This is where God longs to meet us, in these deep questions and the pathways out of them.  These are forks in the road when our paths either turn toward Him or away from Him.
The pursuit of every human on the planet is really toward the same hopes; each of us craves to love and be loved, to be part of a larger storyline that’s gives us meaning and purpose, and to have a good time on the journey.  There are as many opinions and courses toward these universal goals as there are grains of sand on the seashore.  They all originate from a similar source, but only one returns us to its Author and Savior.  The interpretive-lens that we all really need – that we were all created for – is relationship with our Heavenly Father Himself!  This is what the scripture means when it says “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Many people who shy away from God do so not out of disbelief in His presence or the truths surrounding Him, but because they cannot stomach the idea of surrendering control of their life to an invisible being who will expose their fears and spiritual defensive mechanisms. Many others, who are proclaimed believers, live as if they are not for the same reason… and alienate themselves from the consolation they need from Him.

The difference about someone who really, truly believes (aka trusts) in the Living God is that he or she surrenders all other explanations and pathways, and has thrown-in all of his or her entire being – past, present, and future – into embracing the narrative, presence, power, and promises of Jesus Christ, God’s “one mediator between God and man”; learning each day to take-on His perspective, character, and direction with ever increasing intimacy.  This is what it means to follow Jesus the Christ into the way of love.  Any version of Christianity less than this is merely a manmade ineffective defense mechanism known as “religion.”

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16-18)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

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Individualism

July 4, 2017

Today we celebrate Independence Day.

Independence from coercion, the right to control our own destinies, freedom of self-expression. These things we Americans hold dear, and it is indeed worth celebrating!
In many ways, I am very proud to be an American.  I absolutely love the foundational ideologies that created such a special country, which honors the individual.  Today I honor our public servants who attend to the day-to-day operations of keeping the wheels turning, as well as the veteran & active duty men & women of the armed forces who protect our way of life.  THANK YOU! 
That being said (and I really mean it!), I also see from the perspective of my other country, of which I willingly give-up whatever personal rights I have.  I have dual-citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, under the rule and leadership of Jesus the Christ.  Although I am thankful for the freedom to “pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” I have inherited as an American, nothing could ever compare to the hope, joy, and peace I experience as a dependent child of God!  It transcends socio-economic circumstances, and keeps my soul safe in spite of the greatest calamities.  It gives my soul rest and meaning beyond what I could ever gain through individual hard work & competition. This Kingdom will never be shaken, and I can lean the full weight of all my hopes & dreams & longings on its inexhaustible promises.  Because The King is God Himself, who made me, loves me, and carries me each day with songs of deliverance and purpose and consolation.  I have given-over control of my life and destiny to this King, and am now open to what only He can give me each day.  This Kingdom rises as high above the promises of my country as the purple mountains’ majesty soars above the fruited plains!
As a child of the King, I always operate according my allegiance to two realms.  In both, I must do my best to honor the legacy in order to receive the blessings.  One is an earthly kingdom based upon independence and individualism; and I will be the best citizen and neighbor and friend that I can, but I hold no illusion that self-determination is enough for me. The other is the eternal Kingdom, of which I am gleefully dependent upon the King; and as I give everything I am and everything I have to this Kingdom, it empowers me to be, do, and to love in this world more than I could ever imagine without it.  There is simply no comparison!
In the end, individualism is a dead-end.  Dependence upon God does not make me weak, it makes me strong!  The lie that many fall prey to is the illusion that living independently from our Creator is a viable option.  It really is true that “belief in God is a crutch for the weak,” the great lie that many believe is that they are strong enough not to need Him.  
Today, as I celebrate my freedom as an American, I actually celebrate 2 freedoms.  Let freedom, and FREEDOM, ring!

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. (1 Peter 2:11-17)

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:17-21)

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:25)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

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The “Isms” – Counterfeit Belief Systems

Ok, I’m going to start writing a new series about the “isms.”  You know, the various belief systems that seem to define & explain the world…. and our place in it.  Beliefs are the most important things about us, they literally control us.  They’re like the operating system of your smartphone or computer; they determine the stewardship of your body, guide your passions, control your calendar, and counsel every decision you make.  We tend to think that WE choose our beliefs, but I think in reality they most often choose US.

“Belief” is a highly misunderstood concept.  In our pluralistic society, the concept of belief has been watered-down by post-modernity to the extent that its definition has morphed into something else.  Belief in today’s world might be seen as synonymous with Preference…religious, moral, cultural, or political values that we prefer over other equally-true options….like Coke vs. Pepsi, post-modern belief is a matter of opinion.  The problem is that when you try to take something essential and huge out of the human psyche, and replace it with something optional and minor, it wrecks the created intent of the system and leaves one shallow & wispy.  What we see in post-modern America today is a belief-vacuum; where people have jettisoned the idea of objectively-true values in favor of more tolerant & politically-correct alternatives, only to end up actually believing in practically nothing to the extent that their instinctive saddles get filled with whatever gets their attention.  Think about it.

  • Why does the wealthy business owner go on lavish shopping binges when she already has everything she wants or needs?
  • Why does the young man continue to drink, even after suffering damaged relationships with his colleagues, friends & family?
  • Why does the teenage girl send dozens of selfies a day to social-media contacts she’ll never meet for compliments?
  • Why does the husband & father steal nights & weekends from his family so he can go on high-risk adventures with the guys?

…Because of beliefs.  Behavior ALWAYS Follows Belief.

  • The binge-shopper may believe that a never-ending stream of new possessions bring happiness, that indulging in “retail therapy” will settle a desire that yearns for something deeper.
  • The drinking-man may believe that he’s powerless to stop drinking, that his life is on a downward spiral, and that drunken escape is the only salve.
  • The selfie-snapper may fear that she is ugly, and believes that the positive opinions of others will make her desirable.
  • The adventure-seeker may believe that amazing experiences define his masculinity and meaning far more than relationships do.
Just theoretical examples.  But in all these cases, and countless others, beliefs are the bedrock “truths” upon which we ACTUALLY, REALLY LIVE…and they will either undergird or dismantle your wholeness as a being created by God.  Your primary beliefs are whatever pursuits or people you give the reigns to for directing your life, and we all have them.  Some of them are part of God’s created order – like love, holiness, forgiveness, servanthood.  Others are counterfeits peddled by another jockey – like narcissism, humanism, hedonism, competitivism.  Whether you believe in God or not, what are the guiding principles that you believe?  Are they working?
Did you know that, in the original Biblical language of the New Testament, the words “belief,” “faith,” and “trust” are all the same word?  It literally means “to be fully persuaded.”  But sociologically speaking, most Christians must not “truly believe” in the God of the Bible; because they don’t act much different than their non-believing counterparts.  Perhaps we’re like the salt that has lost it’s saltiness, or the light that has a bowl on top of it! (Matthew 5:13-16).  What use is it to have correct theological doctrines if the actual attitudes & behaviors of our lives don’t reflect them?  None!

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

IMHO this is the main reason why the Church in America is so incredibly anemic, and why so many of us struggle so much with life even though we may “believe in God and go to church!”  We have so much trouble because we have so little faith….and we have so little faith because we have believed lies, more than we have believed the truth. The overriding principle of belief is CONTROL… we are hardwired to desire and exert control, yet we are inexorably beckoned by our Creator to hand the reins over to Him in order to live as He intended. Every belief system in the history of the world has been part of mankind’s attempt to exert control apart from God…except for one.
So I’ll be writing some blogs over the next several weeks that will detail some “isms”: Counterfeit realities that we have created, how to recognize and exile them, and how to align our actual beliefs with the God who is actually there.
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Growing Up

I remember believing that adults were grown-up.  The feeling of looking up (way up, in my case) at adults as completed beings…finished with the processes of development, independent of the opinions of others, and very intimidating.  Childhood was tough for me, and I strived hard as a youngster to get to that place.  When I turned 18, I was finally old enough to be considered a legal adult; able to vote and smoke cigars, but still feeling like a kid.  20 was a bit different, leaving the teenage years behind and having a couple of post-high-school years behind me; but I still had a lot of growing-up to do.  Then the biggie, 21, I could legally drink…which I quickly found didn’t make a bit of difference in my maturity level.  A lot happened in my 20’s – I graduated college, got married, started a career – until suddenly I was 30.  Officially over-the-hill right? But I still felt (and often acted) like an insecure novice, and was surrounded by other adults who I came to realize were in the same boat as I was.  Then I had kids…you learn a lot about yourself, your true beliefs and identity, when you raise kids.  Fast-forward through countless scenes to the new season I find myself in.  I’ve reached a new mile-marker at 50 – with a wife of 23+ years, a 20-year old daughter, and (nearly) 18-year old son.  I’ve come to believe that the maturity I had always associated with adulthood as a child was merely a mirage; either of my own making, or of the adults around me who wanted desperately for me to believe that they had it all together. Now as an official old guy, I feel uniquely suited to understand the dynamics of the mirage I once sought.  Actually there’s nothing unique about it, I’ve just joined the club of fellow-journeyers.   
Adults are most-often just as confused, unsure, and afraid as kids…we just have more words, tools, and practice.  I see things more clearly than I ever have, and would say that I am truly coming to understand myself, the world, and my place in it.  For me, the path forward to understanding and peace often goes backward into lessons from my childhood, and always goes upward into the arms of the Heavenly Father who has beckoned and consoled me all along the way.  I’m learning some really powerful lessons right now, and thought I would share.
Recently I woke-up worrying about some things I couldn’t control.  After spending time waking up, I realized I was feeling more & more anxious & exasperated. I turned my attention to the Lord, asking Him to help me, and His Words in Psalm 42 came to me. “Why so downcast my soul, why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God.”  I went to the Biblical source of the words, Psalm 42, which begins….”As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God.”  As I continued to read, I realized that I had been looking past the blessings of the present and was placing my hopes on desired futures.  This is an elementary lesson in its simplicity, yet taking a lifetime to learn!  If I come into each day filled to overflowing with all I need, without compulsion to gain anything more to be happy, then my purposes and rewards for living are open to God’s designs and pleasure…which always leads to His favor and joy.  This is not a lesson we learn once, it’s daily…sometimes momentary.   Here are some pearls of wisdom that came to me through various people over the next 24-hours…
  • Rick Warren (through Dan): “When God is at the center of my life, I worship.  When He’s not, I worry.”
  • Pastor Jess:
    • “If you’re focused on what you will do, or what you want to see, you will always need to do more and better things. GOD DOESN’T BUILD WHATS, HE BUILDS WHOS. Whoever controls your identity controls who you will become and what you will do.
    • “God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious.  The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    • Every day we wake up to a new reality, new opportunities full of potential in Christ; rather than being ruled by the injustices of yesterday.
    • Who Are You?
      • I’m invaluably significant. 1 Cor.6:19-20
      • I’m outrageously love. 1 John 3:1
      • I’m immeasurably valuable. 1 Pet.2:9
      • I’m incredibly empowered. Col. 2:9-10
      • My voice commands the heavens. Mark 11:23
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Sensing The Spirit

Music speaks to me.  It sings the language of the soul, appealing to places in me that are hidden in inner labyrinths that get locked-up & stymied by exposure to the world. Scripture says that the Spirit of God inhabits the praises of His people, and He also rides on the musical currents of melodies & meanings into those deep places to draw us into what the ancient Christian writer Ignatius calls the “consolation” of God.

“Beyond surface emotion, consolation is the interior movement of the heart that gives us a deep sense of life-giving connection with God, others and our most authentic self in God.  It is the sense that in some deep way all is right with the world, that I am free to be given over to God and to love even in moments of pain and crisis.  Desolation is the loss of a sense of God’s presence.  We feel out of touch with God, with others and with our most authentic self.  In desolation we are off center, full of turmoil, confusion and maybe even rebellion.” (Ruth Haley Barton, “Sacred Rhythms” p. 112)

There are many alternatives to deal with the desolation we all experience…dulling its effect and running to evade it through diversion, substances, fantasies.  But we are spiritual beings having a temporary physical experience; and as such, only our spiritual source can speak to those places in us that were designed for constant exposure to Him.

Spiritual music is extremely powerful, and a certain song has been ringing in repeat mode over the past couple of days.  I won’t bore you with the lyrics in their entirety, but these phrases are what the Spirit has been whispering into my ears…opening me up from the inside-out like a rose in Spring:

”Spirit of the Living God
come fall afresh on me
come wake me from my sleep.
Blow through the caverns of my soul
pour in me to overflow.”

Yesterday, I went for a run in the trails on top of Cooper Mountain near the nature center.  It’s a beautiful place, you should check it out sometime.  As I ran, meditating on God’s character and presence, thinking about those words and laying my burdens before Him, I thought about the power of breathing….and the correlation between wind/air and the receptivity of olfactory organs (noses) to sense what is there.  This thought started as I was thinking about the descriptions of the Spirit in scripture as a “wind.”

In terms of smelling, we are aware of scents because of their tiny microscopic particles that enter our noses and pass along the receptors that “read” them.  There are about 5-million of these little receptors inside the human nose.  Although this sounds like a lot, it’s nothing compared to the 300-million that give some dogs their amazing ability of smell.  The vast surface-area inside a dog’s nose are contained in intricate folds & crevices that the air passes through.  A dog relies on her sense of smell to interpret her world, in much the same way as people depend on their sight. Although this contrasting world view may be hard to imagine, know that your dog interprets as much information as you do. However, she does much of this by smelling an object or animal, not by staring at it.  It’s similar with the Spirit.

The Biblical word for “spirit” in scripture is the Greek word “Pneuma,” which also means “wind” and from which we get our word for pneumatic.  This gives deeper meaning to Jesus’ play on words with Nicodemus:

“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8)

So what would it be like if we had a greater ability to sense the intricate, subtle movements of God’s Spirit?  What if our spiritual receptors were more like a dog’s sense of smell than a human’s?  Perhaps a better question: “Is it possible to increase my receptivity to the Spirit?”  The answer is YES!  This is what pursuing God is all about…becoming so in-tune with Him and so devoted to Him, that we become an extension of Him in the world around us.  And the joy & peace & love that we receive and give to others is icing on the cake!  What a beautiful God!

“Discernment in its fullness takes a practiced heart, fine-tuned to hear the word of God and the single-mindedness to follow that word in love It is truly a gift from God, but not one dropped from the skies fully formed.  It is a gift cultivated by a prayerful life and the search for self-knowledge.” (Ernest Larkin) 

“The capacity to recognize and respond to the presence of God in all of life is a spiritual habit and practice that keeps us connected with God’s larger purposes for us and for our world rather than being consumed by self-interest. As we become practiced at recognizing the presence and the activity of God, we are able to align ourselves more completely with what God is doing in any given moment, which is when life begins to get really exciting!” (Ruth Haley Barton)  

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  (John 14: 23-26) 

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children; and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

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Paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer

In the ebb & flow of daily life, the Spirit constantly beckons us to engage with Him in prayer.  Prayer is not simply telling God what He already knows; but communing with Him, coming back to Him, exchanging fears & dreams with Him.  As I prayed through The Lord’s Prayer this morning, I found myself rewriting it in my own words…

My Father

You exist and exert Your presence all around me and in the air that I breathe.
You are wonderful and majestic and worthy. In You is everything good, and I revere and fear and honor Your Name.
The reality that You created, the one that interacts with and undergirds all of human history & culture, is the Real Reality.  Every effort that bends Your truth to create an alternative is a temporary, deceitful fantasy that will someday be remembered no more. 
May Your reality, Your Kingdom, come crashing into my life and the lives of those around me.  May Your desires and plans be as plain as daylight in the midst of my daily life and the world around me, conforming all that I perceive into Your glorious & good vision.
Please provide for my daily needs; physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual.
Thank You for Your amazing, stubborn love of me in spite of all my shortcomings; which grants me victory over sin and inspires me to truly love and forgive others in similar manner.  Help me to continue releasing every lump of judgment toward others that lives in me; so that although I perceive the distinction between righteousness and rebellion, my care & goodwill toward others is unimpeded by any form of indignation in me that would set itself against them. 
I invite You to inject Your leadership into every facet of my being – every known surface and hidden crevice within me – so completely that every thought that comes to mind and every move that I make possesses Your character and desire and power.  Thus will I remain free from every form of evil that originates from within me, as well as that which attacks me. 

YOU are absolutely, unequivocally, uniquely, completely, rightfully Sovereign and Almighty and Glorious; and I gratefully submit all that I am and everything I have to Your wonderfulness for this day, the rest of my earthly life, and for all eternity.  Amen

THE LORD’S PRAYER
MATTHEW 6:9-13 

“This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.”

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First Love – A Personal Psalm of Praise

I got up early this morning.
After drinking my morning coffee, checking the weather & news & stuff on my phone, I settled-in for some prayer-journal time.  This is what came out.

Good morning, my Love,

That’s how I feel about You, my God…although it seems strange to write a name for You which seems romantic in nature.  But truly You are my First Love!  And I rejoice in You this morning.

Because of You, I can face today and tomorrow. Because of You my hope and joy are not destroyed when I read the news, or consider the circumstances I must navigate, or deal with the people I must interact with.  Because of You I possess an identity and power that transcend the opinions or approvals of others.  Because of You I am free to be what I am designed and commissioned to be.  Because of You I do not need to compare myself to anyone else to determine my worth, effectiveness, or destiny.  Because of You the investment of my passion, time, and resources are not bound-up in the temporary treasures of this world.  Because of You I have access to the same supernatural, miraculous power that has healed the sick, given sight to the blind, and raised the dead.  Because of You I am empowered to give and receive love with everyone in my life with ever-increasing vitality.  Because of You I am regarded as faithful by those who are loved by me. Because of You I have insight behind the scenes of the world’s dramas, and wisdom underneath its foundations.  Because of You I am independent of every man & woman’s condemnation.  Because of You I have peace in the midst of the wild hurricanes that surround me.  Because of You I have opportunity to walk above the depravities and miseries of the world’s inheritance.  Because of You I have everything I need.  Because of You I have faith, hope, joy, and love that protect my soul from the painful trials I must endure.  Because of You, the people I come into contact with are imprinted with Your attributes by association with me.  Because of You I have purpose, power, pleasure, perspective, promise, and prize that eclipse the sunniest day.  Because of you there is no sacrifice I must make that is not rewarded with 100-times the blessing.  Because of You I live, serve, and sing with joy!

My Love, You are truly and unreservedly amazing!