So as I re-read the pages of this page, I notice that something is not here that I previously thought had been - "the cup". Now some who know me may know what I mean, but others, well, guess will have to explain a bit.
Some time ago, I used to make a point of going to a local park in the early morning when there were few, to no, people around. It was always a nice time of just "hanging" with God as I walked, talked and listened. Many a time He has shown me things in our time together there.
One day as I walked along a trail, I saw - just on the other side of the railing - a cup on the ground, just slightly over the bank. It was a disposable one from a local coffee shop . It looked very out of place there in that place. So I reached through the railing and picked it up. There was no garbage nearby, so I carried it a little ways and dropped it in when I came to one. Then God spoke to me.
The scene that played out was this:
Some walking along, never noticing the cup. Some noticing but pretending not to. Others seeing and complaining about how people should not toss things around like that - as they walk by. Still others complaining that "someone" should do something about that - as they walk by. Others walking and complaining about this or that - again, as they walk past it laying there. Lastly, the one who sees it, reaches slightly out of their way without a complaint, picks it up and puts it where it should go.
He was not talking about litter in a park.
He was talking about NEED.
James 2: 15,16 "Suppose a brother or 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?"
How often do we see a need and just walk on past as if we see nothing. How often do we see need and complain that someone should do something, or that people should know better, or the government should step in or the church or....
Want to know something? God allows you to see a need because He wants YOU to do something about it. Not wander around complaining like so many others do - exactly what good does that do for those in need?
But you may say "I have nothing to offer, nothing major to contribute to the needs of the poor".
First, not all the needy are those living in boxes or dumpsters or in disaster zones. The woman trying to juggle 3 small children as she tries to load groceries into her car considers herself pretty needy. The well off (financially) man whose wife of twenty years just left him for his best friend is very much "in need". Not all need is with regards to material things, although there is much of that around. Sometimes the need is merely to have someone - anyone sometimes - willing to listen and not pass judgement (like Job's friends for instance - "you know what your problem is" mentality).
Maybe the need you see is a material one. I tell you the truth, the $5 you have in your pocket may mean far more to the homeless man with the cup of small change that it will to the business you are buying your coffee from. Oh, I know what you are thinking - "he is just going to take it and spend it on 'whatever' rather than food". What is that to you, exactly? Do they question where you spend your money at? Does God ask you to pass judgment on those in need or just respond? Fairly certain you know the answer to that one.
Isaiah 58:7,8 "Is it not to share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wander with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."
Does not say to give shelter or clothing to those whom have common beliefs as you, does it? Or those that are living in ways you personally approve of? The lives of the needy - just as yours - belong to God alone and He alone may judge.
Matthew 5:45 "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous"
God's job, not yours (ours).
But maybe you do not have any material means of your own. Perhaps however, you know where to find such means and can put the right people together. Perhaps, you say, you can "only" pray.
ONLY pray? How odd a statement is that? For those who are saved, when you (we) pray, we are taking "whatever" directly to the foot of the very throne of the Lord of all creation, who not only listens to us, but responds. Hardly counts as an "only" thing. So regardless of your response, definitely pray.
I could easily go on and on on this topic, but I think you get the general idea.
If you see a need - regardless of what it is or whom has it - then perhaps it is because God wants you to do something about it. After all, many do not see things right in front of them far too often - you may be the ONLY one who can see that need.
May the grace of our Lord God keep you well.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
So who's controlling whom?
He never lets go.
He promised never to let go.
That's why we have too - it's why we can.
John 3:30~"He must become greater; I must become less."
So often, when we do acknowledge the Spirit in our lives, it is more for guidance of OUR decisions and actions than anything else. But we are not our own anymore, are we? No we are not no more than we are ALONE. Never are we alone. Never will the Spirit leave us. Never will God let go. But we hang on, don't we. We acknowledge Him when we want something - even if that something is Him, it is still OUR want.
How far has your own spirit taken you? How grand and glorious a life has it led you into? How much pain and misery has come from following yourself may be a better question.
Let us be honest. We are SCARED to let go. The thought of completely letting go of that which we identify as being that which makes us us, terrifies us to our core. But why? Really why? We who have been chosen by God to be heirs - His heirs - are not alone in these frail, temporary frames. That part of us that makes us us is not the only spirit within us any longer. No! God Himself is within us. He does not desire us to merely come for advice or direction like some kind of internal GPS as we drive through this lifetime hoping to get lucky. No. He desires complete control and that cannot happen if we hold onto our own spirit - our own self. Two spirits cannot guide and control us, only one can. Only One can.
We have to let go. Die to self completely.
But is a scary thought though. We tend to want to avoid losing control. But the truth is, if we are the ones guiding ourselves, we ARE out of control. If not for God's intervention on our behalf, we would make a terrible mess of things constantly. Taking that into consideration, we must relinquish control of this frame and life - knowing that He is not only with us but PROMISES to never let go of us.
"He must become greater; I must become less."
Let go. Really let go. Let the love and mercy of our Lord conquer the fear that attempts to hold us back. Let go and let the world see Him, not us.
He promised never to let go.
That's why we have too - it's why we can.
John 3:30~"He must become greater; I must become less."
So often, when we do acknowledge the Spirit in our lives, it is more for guidance of OUR decisions and actions than anything else. But we are not our own anymore, are we? No we are not no more than we are ALONE. Never are we alone. Never will the Spirit leave us. Never will God let go. But we hang on, don't we. We acknowledge Him when we want something - even if that something is Him, it is still OUR want.
How far has your own spirit taken you? How grand and glorious a life has it led you into? How much pain and misery has come from following yourself may be a better question.
Let us be honest. We are SCARED to let go. The thought of completely letting go of that which we identify as being that which makes us us, terrifies us to our core. But why? Really why? We who have been chosen by God to be heirs - His heirs - are not alone in these frail, temporary frames. That part of us that makes us us is not the only spirit within us any longer. No! God Himself is within us. He does not desire us to merely come for advice or direction like some kind of internal GPS as we drive through this lifetime hoping to get lucky. No. He desires complete control and that cannot happen if we hold onto our own spirit - our own self. Two spirits cannot guide and control us, only one can. Only One can.
We have to let go. Die to self completely.
But is a scary thought though. We tend to want to avoid losing control. But the truth is, if we are the ones guiding ourselves, we ARE out of control. If not for God's intervention on our behalf, we would make a terrible mess of things constantly. Taking that into consideration, we must relinquish control of this frame and life - knowing that He is not only with us but PROMISES to never let go of us.
"He must become greater; I must become less."
Let go. Really let go. Let the love and mercy of our Lord conquer the fear that attempts to hold us back. Let go and let the world see Him, not us.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Welcome...
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the race.
We read in the bible that our walk with Christ is likened to a running a race (Philippians 3) - that we are striving towards the goal.
This is NOT the race I am referring to however.
I would like to welcome you all to the "human race".
Now before you start to think I have finally snapped, allow me a few moments of your time.
So many think or feel that, because they are saved by the grace of Almighty God, that there are things they should not think or feel or whatever - that somehow, they are in no part, human any longer. So I would like to show you a few people in scripture that you may have a few things in common with.
The apostle Peter. Not only did he deny even knowing Jesus, not once but three times in a row, but he also played the role of the hypocrite (see Galatians 2). Why did he deny knowing our Lord? Fear perhaps. Pain of loss. Confusion. Probably a few other things as well.
James and John. These two, after being shunned by a Samarian village take a (for lack of a better term) temper tantrum and decide they should call down "fire from heaven" to incinerate them (Luke 9). Pretty serious tantrum if you ask me. Luckily for that village, our Lord was there to stop them from doing anything "stupid".
Paul. Who can forget the verse from Romans 7 "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing". It would make no sense for him to write that if he were doing all he thought he should be doing or not doing those things which he did not feel he should do. The "struggle" we face constantly here in this world was quite alive and well for Paul.
How about in the OT? Anyone in there of note?
How about all of Israel who, on a regular basis, turned away from who they KNEW was the one true God for all kinds of reasons - none of which in hindsight were good ones (not that there could there ever be a good reason).
The prophet Elijah who, feeling afraid and completely unworthy, prayed for God to take his life from him. Ever hit that point yourself? I will admit I have more than I care to think about.
Then we have David. The man whose heart God loved so much. Consider, if you will, this that he wrote in Psalms 13, verses 2 and 3 "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day, have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death". On a side note, he lived after writing this. But he hardly seemed to "have it altogether" now did he?
The long and short of it is, that we are indeed saved and we are a new creation, but the old is still here as well. We are, in fact, still human. As such, we feel pain, sorrow, anger, fear, failure, defeated, etc, etc etc. We are no less saved or set aside by God for the way we feel or the fact that we do not always react the way we think we should. Sin is still there after all, even if the penalty for it is not held against us. Something I heard once: "It is not committing sin that makes us a sinner, it is the fact that we are sinners that we commit sin". Handy info to remember sometimes.
Perhaps you feel this does not apply to you at. Perhaps you are one of those who feel that you are totally free from sin. Not free from the price of it, but actually sinless. You find yourself looking at others and thinking or saying things like "Ugh. Look at what a they are doing. I am so glad I am not like those people" or something similar. Well, do not fear for you too are mentioned in the pages of scripture.
Specifically, in the teachers, leaders and pharisees who led my Lord and Savior before Pilate so long ago to be tortured and killed in a most horrific manner - crucifixion.
Cannot speak for you, but personally, I would rather be in the first grouping - human.
We read in the bible that our walk with Christ is likened to a running a race (Philippians 3) - that we are striving towards the goal.
This is NOT the race I am referring to however.
I would like to welcome you all to the "human race".
Now before you start to think I have finally snapped, allow me a few moments of your time.
So many think or feel that, because they are saved by the grace of Almighty God, that there are things they should not think or feel or whatever - that somehow, they are in no part, human any longer. So I would like to show you a few people in scripture that you may have a few things in common with.
The apostle Peter. Not only did he deny even knowing Jesus, not once but three times in a row, but he also played the role of the hypocrite (see Galatians 2). Why did he deny knowing our Lord? Fear perhaps. Pain of loss. Confusion. Probably a few other things as well.
James and John. These two, after being shunned by a Samarian village take a (for lack of a better term) temper tantrum and decide they should call down "fire from heaven" to incinerate them (Luke 9). Pretty serious tantrum if you ask me. Luckily for that village, our Lord was there to stop them from doing anything "stupid".
Paul. Who can forget the verse from Romans 7 "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing". It would make no sense for him to write that if he were doing all he thought he should be doing or not doing those things which he did not feel he should do. The "struggle" we face constantly here in this world was quite alive and well for Paul.
How about in the OT? Anyone in there of note?
How about all of Israel who, on a regular basis, turned away from who they KNEW was the one true God for all kinds of reasons - none of which in hindsight were good ones (not that there could there ever be a good reason).
The prophet Elijah who, feeling afraid and completely unworthy, prayed for God to take his life from him. Ever hit that point yourself? I will admit I have more than I care to think about.
Then we have David. The man whose heart God loved so much. Consider, if you will, this that he wrote in Psalms 13, verses 2 and 3 "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day, have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death". On a side note, he lived after writing this. But he hardly seemed to "have it altogether" now did he?
The long and short of it is, that we are indeed saved and we are a new creation, but the old is still here as well. We are, in fact, still human. As such, we feel pain, sorrow, anger, fear, failure, defeated, etc, etc etc. We are no less saved or set aside by God for the way we feel or the fact that we do not always react the way we think we should. Sin is still there after all, even if the penalty for it is not held against us. Something I heard once: "It is not committing sin that makes us a sinner, it is the fact that we are sinners that we commit sin". Handy info to remember sometimes.
Perhaps you feel this does not apply to you at. Perhaps you are one of those who feel that you are totally free from sin. Not free from the price of it, but actually sinless. You find yourself looking at others and thinking or saying things like "Ugh. Look at what a they are doing. I am so glad I am not like those people" or something similar. Well, do not fear for you too are mentioned in the pages of scripture.
Specifically, in the teachers, leaders and pharisees who led my Lord and Savior before Pilate so long ago to be tortured and killed in a most horrific manner - crucifixion.
Cannot speak for you, but personally, I would rather be in the first grouping - human.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Son Shine
First off, I am (obviously) still alive on this end. Although perhaps I should add a barely to that statement. I try to not only share things I have learned in here, but also to share my life and its' struggles and victories as well. This is one of those times.
In the movie "The Perfect Storm", a number of storms converge at a single time and place with devastating effects. Recently, Japan saw a number of major events unfold in a very short amount of time, again, with devastating effects. Three weeks ago, a number of "storms" converged at a single point in time and place - or I should say person - me.
Since all events do not only involve myself, I will not go into any major details. I will say however, that any single one would be hard to deal with. But all of them together, well let's just say that things have not been pleasant. To be honest, I almost feel like Job in the bible. So much going wrong in a very short frame of time. I also feel like much around me has been saying to me "Curse God and die!", much like Job's wife did to him. But I can't. I just can't.
Through all of this, I know that my God has been with me. Among other things is the almost complete lack of any feeling of despair. Actually, for most of the time, there has been no feelings of that like at all. I do say most though due to more recent events.
A bit of old history to share:
Once upon a time, I got married and it did not last very long at all. As it ended, I went into full self destruction mode. For those unfamiliar with the term, it means I did not want to live any longer. Before anything bad happened, I found myself admitted into the local hospital for a very short time, but it was enough to clear my head a little bit. A short time later however, that changed.
We were living seperately. I found myself overwhelmed by feelings so dark and empty that I do not know the words to describe them. Now I want to note something here. While I was saved at this point in time, I knew about God. I knew about power and authority, but I did not actually "know" Him.
I was staying with a friend, but they were gone for the night. I turned on some music. Very specific music though. The songs were all about dark feelings and, for me anyways, conveyed a very dark message. I went into a room and closed the door behind me and stared at the razor blade on the table. And I lost it. I was so hurt, so mad and felt like my life was over. I sobbed and cried and screamed to, and at, God. I told Him I could not do it. I begged Him to forgive me for giving up. And I drew the razor down my wrist.
Somewhat obviously, I did not die. The reason is somewhat interesting however. See, as I shook and sobbed, I watched myself bleed. Then I watched that cut close. Not clot up. Close. No mark kind of closed, even though there was blood. If you thought I was crying before, I went to a whole new level after that.
Now for the why of the history lesson:
After three weeks of trials, I lost it. Not proud of that fact, but I did.
Again, staying with friends. I went into the room and closed the door. I cued up those very same songs I had cued up those years ago. My intentions were not good. But there is a difference, you see. While I knew "about" God before, I now "know" Him. So as I sit and listen to those darkly themed messages, the tears come. I am so hurt. So mad. Just so everything I do not want to be. I feel devastated and physically alone. And I try to be mad at those involved. To be mad at those who stick their noses in. Even to be mad at me.
Then the truth of the matter comes out. It is God I am mad at. I do not understand why these things have all come at once. Or why any of them should have come at all. I am in pain and a lot of it. But I still cannot "curse God and die". Even in all of this, I still do love Him. I love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul and I am absolutely furious at Him. So now we find another new level of crying as I lay face down on the floor, shaking and sobbing...and praising God. Seriously.
I change my dismal tunes and cue up a song called "Revelation Song" and I praise Him with all that I have to offer - tears and all. I know He is in control. I know that He has not allowed these things in my life to destroy me - that there is a purpose and it is a good one. But, like Job, I do not understand the "why". But I also know that even if He told me, I still would probably not understand the "why" - at least not from where I am right now. Perhaps I may in hindsight be able to look back and see at least a glimmer of the why. Perhaps not.
So as I sit here writing this out the day after my little break down, the storms are still raging strong and I still cannot see an end in sight. But there are no feelings of despair. I am not alone in this. Not by a long shot. While I may not like the storm, I do know that there is a reason for it. And there is something else I know as well. All storms eventually come to an end and the Son shines bright through the clouds.
Yours in Christ alone,
Troy
In the movie "The Perfect Storm", a number of storms converge at a single time and place with devastating effects. Recently, Japan saw a number of major events unfold in a very short amount of time, again, with devastating effects. Three weeks ago, a number of "storms" converged at a single point in time and place - or I should say person - me.
Since all events do not only involve myself, I will not go into any major details. I will say however, that any single one would be hard to deal with. But all of them together, well let's just say that things have not been pleasant. To be honest, I almost feel like Job in the bible. So much going wrong in a very short frame of time. I also feel like much around me has been saying to me "Curse God and die!", much like Job's wife did to him. But I can't. I just can't.
Through all of this, I know that my God has been with me. Among other things is the almost complete lack of any feeling of despair. Actually, for most of the time, there has been no feelings of that like at all. I do say most though due to more recent events.
A bit of old history to share:
Once upon a time, I got married and it did not last very long at all. As it ended, I went into full self destruction mode. For those unfamiliar with the term, it means I did not want to live any longer. Before anything bad happened, I found myself admitted into the local hospital for a very short time, but it was enough to clear my head a little bit. A short time later however, that changed.
We were living seperately. I found myself overwhelmed by feelings so dark and empty that I do not know the words to describe them. Now I want to note something here. While I was saved at this point in time, I knew about God. I knew about power and authority, but I did not actually "know" Him.
I was staying with a friend, but they were gone for the night. I turned on some music. Very specific music though. The songs were all about dark feelings and, for me anyways, conveyed a very dark message. I went into a room and closed the door behind me and stared at the razor blade on the table. And I lost it. I was so hurt, so mad and felt like my life was over. I sobbed and cried and screamed to, and at, God. I told Him I could not do it. I begged Him to forgive me for giving up. And I drew the razor down my wrist.
Somewhat obviously, I did not die. The reason is somewhat interesting however. See, as I shook and sobbed, I watched myself bleed. Then I watched that cut close. Not clot up. Close. No mark kind of closed, even though there was blood. If you thought I was crying before, I went to a whole new level after that.
Now for the why of the history lesson:
After three weeks of trials, I lost it. Not proud of that fact, but I did.
Again, staying with friends. I went into the room and closed the door. I cued up those very same songs I had cued up those years ago. My intentions were not good. But there is a difference, you see. While I knew "about" God before, I now "know" Him. So as I sit and listen to those darkly themed messages, the tears come. I am so hurt. So mad. Just so everything I do not want to be. I feel devastated and physically alone. And I try to be mad at those involved. To be mad at those who stick their noses in. Even to be mad at me.
Then the truth of the matter comes out. It is God I am mad at. I do not understand why these things have all come at once. Or why any of them should have come at all. I am in pain and a lot of it. But I still cannot "curse God and die". Even in all of this, I still do love Him. I love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul and I am absolutely furious at Him. So now we find another new level of crying as I lay face down on the floor, shaking and sobbing...and praising God. Seriously.
I change my dismal tunes and cue up a song called "Revelation Song" and I praise Him with all that I have to offer - tears and all. I know He is in control. I know that He has not allowed these things in my life to destroy me - that there is a purpose and it is a good one. But, like Job, I do not understand the "why". But I also know that even if He told me, I still would probably not understand the "why" - at least not from where I am right now. Perhaps I may in hindsight be able to look back and see at least a glimmer of the why. Perhaps not.
So as I sit here writing this out the day after my little break down, the storms are still raging strong and I still cannot see an end in sight. But there are no feelings of despair. I am not alone in this. Not by a long shot. While I may not like the storm, I do know that there is a reason for it. And there is something else I know as well. All storms eventually come to an end and the Son shines bright through the clouds.
Yours in Christ alone,
Troy
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ears to Hear
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” ~ Jesus Christ
Ever own a dog? Specifically, a puppy?
If you have, you know that they require training. You will also know that the big thing with training them is that they listen to you. Hard to train a puppy that will not listen to the sound of your voice.
The first obvious thing is that they listen to "you" as opposed to every other voice and noise around them. That comes with spending time with them. You spend time together and eventually, they know your voice and can pick it out pretty quickly.
Now that they know who they are supposed to be listening to, now comes the training portion.
Training is a lot of repetition. For example, you say "sit". Their response is to stare at you. Do you smack them for not sitting? By no means! No, instead you repeat yourself "sit" and maybe give their hind end a bit of a push down. Then we try again without the push "sit". They stare and drool. After a couple more times of this, they sit. Now they still may not have put you saying "sit" and "sitting" together, but they did sit, so you give them a treat and maybe tell them what a good dog they are. Eventually, as you reward their sitting and do not reward their not sitting, they figure it out - if they sit down when you say "sit", it's treat time. Yay! They are listening and obeying - good dog!
I think that we who are saved by the grace of God can relate.
We get saved. And while we did respond to His voice drawing us initially, at first, we really cannot recognize His voice out of the rest of the clutter. And there is lots of clutter. Everything from own voice, to the voice of friends or peers, to the voice of the enemy, to the voice of the world and its' lurings, and so on and so on. It is a big list so do not kick yourself too hard if you have trouble picking Him out at first (think of trying to train a puppy in a pre-school class).
So what can we do?
Well, like our puppy, we spend time with Him. Whether that be reading, praying, worshiping or just sitting or , well, anything else really. God does not want you to just spend 45 minutes with Him on Sunday morning. Nor does He want you to think you can only spend time with Him speaking all 'old school' biblical talk (thou, thee, shalt, etc). He is with you here and now, even as you read He is there, just as He is here with me. He knows how I talk, act, think, etc so me pretending shows pretty clearly. So just be honest with Him. I know a fair number of people who chat with God as they drive.
So step one is just to spend time with Him. Now remember though, conversations are "two way", so stop doing all the talking once in a while and just "listen". Eventually, you will find yourself being able to hear His responses - being able to pick His voice out of all the other noise. Is that the end of it? Nope.
Now that you are hearing His voice, now comes the training. Do not worry, it is a lot like our puppy story. If He tells you something (like, bring God into a conversation with someone), He is not going to nail you with a lightning bolt if you do not do it. Our God is not only an awesome God but He is also a God of second (and third, fourth, etc) chances. So He does not punish you for not listening but He also does not reward you either.
Now you may get another chance in the exact same situation or it may be something similar or maybe even something altogether different, but you will be hearing from Him again. Now you may just stare and drool a few times but eventually you will respond correctly to what He says. Do not expect a doggie treat but you can expect a blessing of some form and frequently, confirmation that you have done what God has asked of you (that is a pretty huge blessing right there).
All done now? Not hardly. You know as well as I do that just because you got it right once does not mean it will happen right of the get go the next time - or at least you should know that anyways. For me, I would like to think that I get it within the first three times He says something. Now that is hearing Him. I cannot say I always respond how He wants me to even if I do hear Him clearly. But I am getting better. The more time I get with Him, the more I listen, the more willing I am to actually listen and the more I respond. And I have to be honest here, I can be pretty deaf by times - pretty sure God has had to use a megaphone to get through to me more than once.
So if you find yourself not hearing God's voice much as of late, make a point of spending some good old fashioned quality time with Him and just listen. There is a lot of noise to filter through and He knows it too. So do not think that He is going to "smite" you after you miss it 5 times, or 50 times, or even 50,000 times. The same goes for responding to that voice. He is patient, even if we are not - thank God for that!
Psalm 37:7~"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him"
Ever own a dog? Specifically, a puppy?
If you have, you know that they require training. You will also know that the big thing with training them is that they listen to you. Hard to train a puppy that will not listen to the sound of your voice.
The first obvious thing is that they listen to "you" as opposed to every other voice and noise around them. That comes with spending time with them. You spend time together and eventually, they know your voice and can pick it out pretty quickly.
Now that they know who they are supposed to be listening to, now comes the training portion.
Training is a lot of repetition. For example, you say "sit". Their response is to stare at you. Do you smack them for not sitting? By no means! No, instead you repeat yourself "sit" and maybe give their hind end a bit of a push down. Then we try again without the push "sit". They stare and drool. After a couple more times of this, they sit. Now they still may not have put you saying "sit" and "sitting" together, but they did sit, so you give them a treat and maybe tell them what a good dog they are. Eventually, as you reward their sitting and do not reward their not sitting, they figure it out - if they sit down when you say "sit", it's treat time. Yay! They are listening and obeying - good dog!
I think that we who are saved by the grace of God can relate.
We get saved. And while we did respond to His voice drawing us initially, at first, we really cannot recognize His voice out of the rest of the clutter. And there is lots of clutter. Everything from own voice, to the voice of friends or peers, to the voice of the enemy, to the voice of the world and its' lurings, and so on and so on. It is a big list so do not kick yourself too hard if you have trouble picking Him out at first (think of trying to train a puppy in a pre-school class).
So what can we do?
Well, like our puppy, we spend time with Him. Whether that be reading, praying, worshiping or just sitting or , well, anything else really. God does not want you to just spend 45 minutes with Him on Sunday morning. Nor does He want you to think you can only spend time with Him speaking all 'old school' biblical talk (thou, thee, shalt, etc). He is with you here and now, even as you read He is there, just as He is here with me. He knows how I talk, act, think, etc so me pretending shows pretty clearly. So just be honest with Him. I know a fair number of people who chat with God as they drive.
So step one is just to spend time with Him. Now remember though, conversations are "two way", so stop doing all the talking once in a while and just "listen". Eventually, you will find yourself being able to hear His responses - being able to pick His voice out of all the other noise. Is that the end of it? Nope.
Now that you are hearing His voice, now comes the training. Do not worry, it is a lot like our puppy story. If He tells you something (like, bring God into a conversation with someone), He is not going to nail you with a lightning bolt if you do not do it. Our God is not only an awesome God but He is also a God of second (and third, fourth, etc) chances. So He does not punish you for not listening but He also does not reward you either.
Now you may get another chance in the exact same situation or it may be something similar or maybe even something altogether different, but you will be hearing from Him again. Now you may just stare and drool a few times but eventually you will respond correctly to what He says. Do not expect a doggie treat but you can expect a blessing of some form and frequently, confirmation that you have done what God has asked of you (that is a pretty huge blessing right there).
All done now? Not hardly. You know as well as I do that just because you got it right once does not mean it will happen right of the get go the next time - or at least you should know that anyways. For me, I would like to think that I get it within the first three times He says something. Now that is hearing Him. I cannot say I always respond how He wants me to even if I do hear Him clearly. But I am getting better. The more time I get with Him, the more I listen, the more willing I am to actually listen and the more I respond. And I have to be honest here, I can be pretty deaf by times - pretty sure God has had to use a megaphone to get through to me more than once.
So if you find yourself not hearing God's voice much as of late, make a point of spending some good old fashioned quality time with Him and just listen. There is a lot of noise to filter through and He knows it too. So do not think that He is going to "smite" you after you miss it 5 times, or 50 times, or even 50,000 times. The same goes for responding to that voice. He is patient, even if we are not - thank God for that!
Psalm 37:7~"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him"
Friday, February 11, 2011
Nothing More Than Feelings
From time to time, many Christians - self included here - seem to get a bit confused. While there are oodles of things to get confused about, the thing that comes to mind at the moment revolves around feelings.
Let me get to something right off the get go here - feelings are not sin. Now that tidbit may either make you nod and agree or stare at the screen like I am some kind of nut. But it is true, regardless of your reaction to that statement.
Now I know (and have known) people who think that, because you are saved, you have to walk around feeling happy all the time. While that does sound lovely, it is hardly realistic. For instance, what if a close family member has passed away suddenly? Are you to feel happy and bubbly during that time of great sorrow? Not bloody likely. And what if you were to go on a missions trip to some place that is in ruins (Haiti currently, for example)? Would you be feeling oh so happy with a big ol' grin on your face when you are surrounded by despair most devastating? Let me ask you this - do you think God smiles when He sees it?
Feelings have little, if anything to do with who we are spiritually speaking. And as I said before, they are not, of themselves, sin or sinful. Now they may be able to add a bit extra to temptation and lead you into sin, but they themselves are not.
Many who know the bible to any extent are familiar with David and they also know that God loved his heart, in spite of his actions. He was totally, openly dependent upon God's grace and mercy. That said, was he happy go lucky all the time? Not a chance! A quick example from Psalm 55 that I can personally relate to - verses 12-14: "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God." Now, I do not know about you, but that really does not sound like David is feeling overly 'chipper' at the moment. Since he is feeling hurt, betrayed, and yes, most likely mad, is he sinning? Short answer - no.
While there are numerous examples in the New Testament (lots with the pharisees), how about this one from Matthew 16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah". Again in Luke 11:29 "..Jesus said, this is a wicked generation...". Now then, I do not think Jesus had a big happy grin on His face when He was saying those things. I also do not think He was feeling overly happy at that moment in time either. Matter of fact, He sounds like He might have been at least a bit ticked off. In Mark 11, we read where Jesus cleared out the temple. I strongly suspect He was not feeling blissful when He used the words "you have made it a den of robbers". John 11: 35 "Jesus wept." Pretty much self explanatory there.
Now then, Jesus was without sin, was He not.
Jesus obviously had a full range of feelings and emotions while on earth - happy, sad, hurt, mad, etc.
That said, how can anyone think that 1) Feelings are sinful and 2) that we are supposed to wander around this life happy and glowing all the time? Jesus didn't. How the heck do we think we can?
The example above from Psalm 55 is from David and is regarding Saul, who was pursuing him for no real reason as David had done nothing but good to and for him. Now David was not only a great king, but he was also a warrior. At one point, Saul is alone in a cave that David is in. David sneaks up and cuts off a part of his robe. Now then, all considered, do you think that it may have crossed his mind that he could end it all right now by driving his blade straight through Saul? Do you think that he felt happy as he sneaked up on him, or would it make more sense that he felt all the hurt, betrayal and anger seething through him with each step? Probably. The thing is though, did he act upon those feelings and slay Saul? No, he did not give in to them (reading beforehand, the initial idea was to kill Saul not just cut off a chunk of his robe)
More than once we read about God's anger with the rebellious nature of humanity. More than once we see where Jesus was less than pleased. Did He give in and wipe out the human race? Let's be honest, we deserve it after all. No. Obviously He did not act on those feelings.
There is our goal. To not act upon those feelings.
If you have had a horrid day and someone cuts you off in rush hour traffic, is it sinful for you to be ticked off about it? No. Is it sinful for you to try and ram them for doing it? Yes.
If you feel someone has betrayed you, is feeling hurt and betrayed sinful or unchristian? Nope. Is seeking to hurt them because they hurt you sinful? Yes it is.
Feelings by themselves, are not sinful. Feelings, by themselves, are not unchristian.
Far too many people set themselves up for a big fall because they, for some reason or another, believe that "feeling" is not Christian. They tell themselves that they should not feel hurt when someone betrays them. That they should not feel mad about something that is done to them. That they should not feel ... well, you can fill that in on your own, no doubt.
Feelings are normal. They are not sin. Having them does not make you less of a Christian or, somehow, substandard in the kingdom of God.
Someone does something less than nice to you and you feel hurt and mad about it. Congratulations, you're human!
It is our responses to those feelings that can get us in trouble and cause us to sin.
How does Jesus say we are to respond when someone tries to take something from us that they have no right to take? Let them. What about when we feel used by someone - are we to seek revenge or try and give them what they deserve? No, no we are not. We can feel hurt, mad, sad, betrayed, etc etc etc. What we are not supposed to do is act upon those feelings - to give in to the temptation to seek our own retribution.
If we try and lie to ourselves (and to God) and say we do not feel certain emotions - ever - then really, we are setting ourselves up for a pretty big fall when we get overwhelmed by them at some point. God knows you have feelings. He does too after all and He made us. Do not try and lie to yourself about having them. And definitely do not try and lie to God about them. Be honest with Him, and yourself.
Surely, we could go on and on about feelings and how they relate to truth, sin, and life in general as well as in the Christian walk, but for the moment, this bit will suffice. I would like to add, however, that we are talking about feelings as in emotional responses (mad, sad, happy, hurt, etc) as opposed to "urges" (like lust, for example).
Let me get to something right off the get go here - feelings are not sin. Now that tidbit may either make you nod and agree or stare at the screen like I am some kind of nut. But it is true, regardless of your reaction to that statement.
Now I know (and have known) people who think that, because you are saved, you have to walk around feeling happy all the time. While that does sound lovely, it is hardly realistic. For instance, what if a close family member has passed away suddenly? Are you to feel happy and bubbly during that time of great sorrow? Not bloody likely. And what if you were to go on a missions trip to some place that is in ruins (Haiti currently, for example)? Would you be feeling oh so happy with a big ol' grin on your face when you are surrounded by despair most devastating? Let me ask you this - do you think God smiles when He sees it?
Feelings have little, if anything to do with who we are spiritually speaking. And as I said before, they are not, of themselves, sin or sinful. Now they may be able to add a bit extra to temptation and lead you into sin, but they themselves are not.
Many who know the bible to any extent are familiar with David and they also know that God loved his heart, in spite of his actions. He was totally, openly dependent upon God's grace and mercy. That said, was he happy go lucky all the time? Not a chance! A quick example from Psalm 55 that I can personally relate to - verses 12-14: "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God." Now, I do not know about you, but that really does not sound like David is feeling overly 'chipper' at the moment. Since he is feeling hurt, betrayed, and yes, most likely mad, is he sinning? Short answer - no.
While there are numerous examples in the New Testament (lots with the pharisees), how about this one from Matthew 16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah". Again in Luke 11:29 "..Jesus said, this is a wicked generation...". Now then, I do not think Jesus had a big happy grin on His face when He was saying those things. I also do not think He was feeling overly happy at that moment in time either. Matter of fact, He sounds like He might have been at least a bit ticked off. In Mark 11, we read where Jesus cleared out the temple. I strongly suspect He was not feeling blissful when He used the words "you have made it a den of robbers". John 11: 35 "Jesus wept." Pretty much self explanatory there.
Now then, Jesus was without sin, was He not.
Jesus obviously had a full range of feelings and emotions while on earth - happy, sad, hurt, mad, etc.
That said, how can anyone think that 1) Feelings are sinful and 2) that we are supposed to wander around this life happy and glowing all the time? Jesus didn't. How the heck do we think we can?
The example above from Psalm 55 is from David and is regarding Saul, who was pursuing him for no real reason as David had done nothing but good to and for him. Now David was not only a great king, but he was also a warrior. At one point, Saul is alone in a cave that David is in. David sneaks up and cuts off a part of his robe. Now then, all considered, do you think that it may have crossed his mind that he could end it all right now by driving his blade straight through Saul? Do you think that he felt happy as he sneaked up on him, or would it make more sense that he felt all the hurt, betrayal and anger seething through him with each step? Probably. The thing is though, did he act upon those feelings and slay Saul? No, he did not give in to them (reading beforehand, the initial idea was to kill Saul not just cut off a chunk of his robe)
More than once we read about God's anger with the rebellious nature of humanity. More than once we see where Jesus was less than pleased. Did He give in and wipe out the human race? Let's be honest, we deserve it after all. No. Obviously He did not act on those feelings.
There is our goal. To not act upon those feelings.
If you have had a horrid day and someone cuts you off in rush hour traffic, is it sinful for you to be ticked off about it? No. Is it sinful for you to try and ram them for doing it? Yes.
If you feel someone has betrayed you, is feeling hurt and betrayed sinful or unchristian? Nope. Is seeking to hurt them because they hurt you sinful? Yes it is.
Feelings by themselves, are not sinful. Feelings, by themselves, are not unchristian.
Far too many people set themselves up for a big fall because they, for some reason or another, believe that "feeling" is not Christian. They tell themselves that they should not feel hurt when someone betrays them. That they should not feel mad about something that is done to them. That they should not feel ... well, you can fill that in on your own, no doubt.
Feelings are normal. They are not sin. Having them does not make you less of a Christian or, somehow, substandard in the kingdom of God.
Someone does something less than nice to you and you feel hurt and mad about it. Congratulations, you're human!
It is our responses to those feelings that can get us in trouble and cause us to sin.
How does Jesus say we are to respond when someone tries to take something from us that they have no right to take? Let them. What about when we feel used by someone - are we to seek revenge or try and give them what they deserve? No, no we are not. We can feel hurt, mad, sad, betrayed, etc etc etc. What we are not supposed to do is act upon those feelings - to give in to the temptation to seek our own retribution.
If we try and lie to ourselves (and to God) and say we do not feel certain emotions - ever - then really, we are setting ourselves up for a pretty big fall when we get overwhelmed by them at some point. God knows you have feelings. He does too after all and He made us. Do not try and lie to yourself about having them. And definitely do not try and lie to God about them. Be honest with Him, and yourself.
Surely, we could go on and on about feelings and how they relate to truth, sin, and life in general as well as in the Christian walk, but for the moment, this bit will suffice. I would like to add, however, that we are talking about feelings as in emotional responses (mad, sad, happy, hurt, etc) as opposed to "urges" (like lust, for example).
Monday, February 7, 2011
Free Will
I know that some have an issue with something. That is, sovereign will of God vs. free will. Now to explain those terms for anyone who is not overly familiar with them.
The sovereign will of God refers to the fact that God has everything planned out. That everything has been preset as it were. He has plan A, period. There is no plan B. There is no subsection 172-F to handle what you did or did not do last week (and really, isn't it pretty arrogant to think that we, as mere human beings, can change God's plans?). Now there is a great freedom in that knowledge for those who choose to follow Him. Since He already has things preplanned and knows what is going to happen in our lives before we even do, there is no failing Him. Failing Him would mean that He had false expectations of what we could or could not do. Like in school for instance: if you had a physics exam and your teacher expected you to be capable of getting at least 60% and you instead, got 20%. In that instance, you have failed because more was expected of you than you were capable of giving. But in matters of one's walk with God, that false expectation does not exist. He knows when He asks you do something whether or not you will do it or not so you cannot fail. It is we, as people, who see things as failings.
Okay, so God has it all laid out for us. What about free will? That is, the fact that I can choose to go left or right, go or stay, start or stop, etc. If God has everything planned out, with no alternative plan of action required, how does free will factor into that? Almost seems contradictory, but it isn't.
There are two things to take into account:
1)God knows our hearts far better than we do. Things that we do not even realize are there, whether good or bad, He already knows all about all of it. He knows, what we will do in any given situation on any given day far more so than we do. If it were not the case, then whether believer or not, no one would ever have a regret about something they felt they should have done or not done.
2) Time. Time is for us. Frankly, we cannot, with our own limited understanding, understand things without it. For example, try to actually fathom eternal. Think as far in the future as you can, then think further ahead, and again, again. Now at the same time, think back as far as you can, and again, and again, etc. Do not forget to think about right here right now in this moment in time at the same exact time. Eternal is hard to fathom. So we have time. God is eternal. He does not need time, we do. (Although God's plan does appear to be event driven - when this happens then this will occur, etc).
Now something with time. We live time going forward. We cannot go backwards, only forwards. But is that how God has written out history? Did He start out writing it "In the beginning" and just playing it by ear from there? No. God is beyond time remember. We may live history forward, but He has written it in reverse. Writing the end result first then working back to the beginning He wanted.
Now think about that for a moment. If you were to write a novel and there was a place where you knew you wanted it to end at, would it not be easier to write backwards? You could have your characters make and choose decisions that would result in completely unexpected directions but that would all tie in together to reach the pre-written end of the book.
Writing forward would mean you would have to try and desperately meld things together in some sensible way to hopefully reach your goal without losing direction in the mix.
This brings us to free will within the sovereign plan of God Almighty.
Let us say that you go for a walk one day, and happen across the scene of a house fire. And let us also say that there is, within this house, a person trapped within. What do you do?
Most of us would like to say we would throw caution to the wind, run inside, and rescue the person or die trying. But the truth is, many would not run inside, would they.
Now let us say that in God's plan, He needs you to run in and rescue that person. But it is your choice right? But, as mentioned previously, He knows you better than you do. So what does He do?
God knows what circumstances and events would have to take place in your daily life to lead you to a place where you would, in fact, forget all fear and rescue that trapped person. And since He did not write your place in history front to back, but rather, back to front, He can easily put those things in place where you would use your own free will to choose to lead you in the direction needed for you to be in that selfless place He needs you to be in. Keep in mind, He knows what you will do with 100% accuracy in any, and all, situations in your life. While most of us would like to think we know with that same accuracy, in truth, at best we are probably around 50 or 60% for the most part.
So take a few minutes and digest all that. It may take a minute or two but when you get your mind around it, it is pretty easy to see how God uses our free will as part of His sovereign will. We do choose, but He knows what our choices will be every single time, without fail, so it easy for Him to place events in such a way as have us be where, and who, He wants us to be perfectly within His own perfect plan.
There you go, we do have free will but God is (thankfully) completely and totally in control - always.
Jeremiah 10:23 "..I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
The sovereign will of God refers to the fact that God has everything planned out. That everything has been preset as it were. He has plan A, period. There is no plan B. There is no subsection 172-F to handle what you did or did not do last week (and really, isn't it pretty arrogant to think that we, as mere human beings, can change God's plans?). Now there is a great freedom in that knowledge for those who choose to follow Him. Since He already has things preplanned and knows what is going to happen in our lives before we even do, there is no failing Him. Failing Him would mean that He had false expectations of what we could or could not do. Like in school for instance: if you had a physics exam and your teacher expected you to be capable of getting at least 60% and you instead, got 20%. In that instance, you have failed because more was expected of you than you were capable of giving. But in matters of one's walk with God, that false expectation does not exist. He knows when He asks you do something whether or not you will do it or not so you cannot fail. It is we, as people, who see things as failings.
Okay, so God has it all laid out for us. What about free will? That is, the fact that I can choose to go left or right, go or stay, start or stop, etc. If God has everything planned out, with no alternative plan of action required, how does free will factor into that? Almost seems contradictory, but it isn't.
There are two things to take into account:
1)God knows our hearts far better than we do. Things that we do not even realize are there, whether good or bad, He already knows all about all of it. He knows, what we will do in any given situation on any given day far more so than we do. If it were not the case, then whether believer or not, no one would ever have a regret about something they felt they should have done or not done.
2) Time. Time is for us. Frankly, we cannot, with our own limited understanding, understand things without it. For example, try to actually fathom eternal. Think as far in the future as you can, then think further ahead, and again, again. Now at the same time, think back as far as you can, and again, and again, etc. Do not forget to think about right here right now in this moment in time at the same exact time. Eternal is hard to fathom. So we have time. God is eternal. He does not need time, we do. (Although God's plan does appear to be event driven - when this happens then this will occur, etc).
Now something with time. We live time going forward. We cannot go backwards, only forwards. But is that how God has written out history? Did He start out writing it "In the beginning" and just playing it by ear from there? No. God is beyond time remember. We may live history forward, but He has written it in reverse. Writing the end result first then working back to the beginning He wanted.
Now think about that for a moment. If you were to write a novel and there was a place where you knew you wanted it to end at, would it not be easier to write backwards? You could have your characters make and choose decisions that would result in completely unexpected directions but that would all tie in together to reach the pre-written end of the book.
Writing forward would mean you would have to try and desperately meld things together in some sensible way to hopefully reach your goal without losing direction in the mix.
This brings us to free will within the sovereign plan of God Almighty.
Let us say that you go for a walk one day, and happen across the scene of a house fire. And let us also say that there is, within this house, a person trapped within. What do you do?
Most of us would like to say we would throw caution to the wind, run inside, and rescue the person or die trying. But the truth is, many would not run inside, would they.
Now let us say that in God's plan, He needs you to run in and rescue that person. But it is your choice right? But, as mentioned previously, He knows you better than you do. So what does He do?
God knows what circumstances and events would have to take place in your daily life to lead you to a place where you would, in fact, forget all fear and rescue that trapped person. And since He did not write your place in history front to back, but rather, back to front, He can easily put those things in place where you would use your own free will to choose to lead you in the direction needed for you to be in that selfless place He needs you to be in. Keep in mind, He knows what you will do with 100% accuracy in any, and all, situations in your life. While most of us would like to think we know with that same accuracy, in truth, at best we are probably around 50 or 60% for the most part.
So take a few minutes and digest all that. It may take a minute or two but when you get your mind around it, it is pretty easy to see how God uses our free will as part of His sovereign will. We do choose, but He knows what our choices will be every single time, without fail, so it easy for Him to place events in such a way as have us be where, and who, He wants us to be perfectly within His own perfect plan.
There you go, we do have free will but God is (thankfully) completely and totally in control - always.
Jeremiah 10:23 "..I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
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