John 8:4-11, “'Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?'
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone! Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman,'Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?'
'No, Lord,' she said.
And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”
There are so many lessons/questions that come from this short passage, but I will only focus on one. "Go and sin no more." Jesus did not condemn the woman. He did not throw any stones, nor did he prevent others from throwing any stones themselves. He diverted their attention away from her, toward themselves, but He did not say they couldn't kill her. After the crowds attention was taken off of her and it was only her with Jesus, He looked at her and said, "'Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?'
'No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”
If we have a God who is just, a God who hates sin, a God who is fair, shouldn't there be a price for sin? In every religion of the world (and yes, atheism is a religion too), in every religion there is some kind of penance. You have to do something in order to earn your pardon. In every religion of the world your pardon is based upon your works. In every religion except Christianity that is. Our pardon is based fully upon the Cross. It is through the Cross of Christ that our debt was paid. Every bit of God's judgement against humanity was felt upon the Cross. Our Lord, because He is a God of love, came down and felt the full effect of our sin on the Cross and now because of the Cross, "Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:19)
This woman did not have to pay her debt by stoning, because Jesus stood in her place and defended her. He did not condone what she had done. He finished His conversation with her by saying, "Go and sin no more." He did not say, "Go and continue on in how you are living." He said, "Go and sin no more." Why?
There are so many reasons to the, why?: (14:23), “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." This is one reason, it shows that you love your Lord. But all too often people need something in the physical. This is the physical, so much pain comes in this life because of sin. "Go and sin no more." He has already paid the price, so why not? One reason, other people judge us. When something bad happens because of our sin, too many times, people are standing there with stones in hand saying, "well they are getting what they deserve. Its karma. They dug their grave, now they can dig themselves out."
It is only the passion of the Cross of Christ where we find our freedom. It is only in seeing the full effects of our sin being nailed upon that Cross that we can "go and sin no more." It is through the Cross where we can find the strength to allow Christ to change who we are and to start living a truly different life. Sin is the breaking of His Moral Law and with that law there are consequences here in this life that we must pay for our sin. The woman felt the sting of her sin when she was dragged out in front of everyone and made to feel the lesser. When we sin, we feel the consequences, but the Cross allows us to see the end, and the end is life. This is why Jesus answered her with, "Go and sin no more." He does not want us to continually feel the sting. He wants our life to change so that we can find the freedom of living. We cannot earn our forgiveness. Consequences are just an effect. An effect He does not want us to suffer. That is why He says, "Go and sin no more." Stop causing yourself pain. I paid the price, now learn how to live free.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Cause and Effect, God's Moral Law in action
There are so many ways in which we get hurt. All to often, we are the cause of that hurt, a self inflicted hurt, a hurt within. God has placed within all of us a Moral Law. When we are young that law is often seen through the teachings of our parents. We seem to think that it is not a law of love, but someone else rules that keep us bound and restricted. So when we venture out on our own we try to prove those rules wrong. We think we can make our own rules and live free. But what we do not realize is that the Moral Law is like gravity, and we are not trying to just prove our parents wrong, but we are trying to defeat the laws of gravity. We are changing our clothes, putting on a cape and climbing to the top of a large building, looking out upon the world and believing that we can fly. We stretch out our arms and jump. What we discover is that really we proved gravity right and only broke ourselves in the process. This is the Moral Law we see before us. There are certain rules within life and when we venture outside those rules we are broken in the process. All too often we also break others during our fall. For really, we do not just hurt ourselves, but others feel our effects as well
I see this over and over. I have done this myself. Our society has been training us to believe that all truth is relative and that what happened to that person has nothing to do with us. So we venture out and try to fly, each one of us, but all that we are really doing is proving that Truth and breaking ourselves. But we do not stop there. We discover "that" pain, which inevitably has to come after a fall. We feel the pain. The problem is that we do not see the source of the pain, but only feels its effect. We continue to believe that we can still dance in the dark without a great fall.
One example in my own life was sexual sin. I was molested as a child, then date raped as a teen. Those people responsible for my hurt were themselves discovering God's Moral Law. They were breaking that law that was meant to protect the innocent. Throughout my life I kept thinking that I could stop the pain by turning to my boyfriend and letting him rescue me. I kept thinking that, "this time it will be different. This time I will not get hurt, but will fill that void within me." Every time I proved that Moral Law while I was breaking myself in the process. We do this. We turn to the one delivering the painful blows in order to find comfort.
Stalin, he was a man known for his torture and murder of millions of people. What is little known about him is this story: One day someone asked him, "How do you expect your people to follow you if you are hurting them all of the time."
Stalin looked at the man and said, "Bring me a chicken." He took the chicken and proceeded to pull out each feather until the chicken was completely nude. The agony inflicted was horrific, but after the chicken had no more feathers to pluck, he put it on the ground walked away and grabbed some food in his hands. He bent down and called for the chicken. The chicken, shivering and stumbling, went over to him and began eating. After it finished the little grain Stalin had in his hands, the chicken cold and hurting snuggled up next to Stalin for warmth and comfort. Stalin looked up at his questioner and said, "People are like this chicken. You inflict them with enough pain they will follow you for the rest of their life."
We are like that chicken. We set out to disprove God's Moral Law, we get stripped and tortured, but instead of running to God and away from that which is causing the pain, we keep turning to the source of that pain for comfort. The alcoholic keeps turning to alcohol. They know that they should not have been drunk, but they do not realize that it was the alcohol that brought them the pain. They think they can control it. The woman who feels the sting and emptiness of sex before marriage, she does not stop having sex. She somehow thinks that she should have just done it a little different and this time she can defeat the laws of nature. The man who is fired from his job because of time spent looking at pornography on his computer, still turns to porn today. Over and over, we all do it. We feel the effects of the pain, but we do not dive down deep enough to really see the cause. We still see Jesus as a rule maker who is only trying to keep us bound and controlled.
Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Oh how He wants to protect us, not to control us. May we pray this prayer, “Our Mother Hen, who art brooding over us, hallowed be thy sheltering wings … Forgive our unwillingness to come into your embrace.”
Jesus-- Leaning near, listening, watching, thinking about me; covering, protecting, providing for and guiding me, even when I am reluctant to accept these forms of love, unable to believe a Love like this is wrapped all around me, all the time. May we stop running to our assailant and turn instead to the One who wants us to learn to fly under His sheltering wing. He wants us to learn to sing and dance. He wants us to learn the true joy in living free with Him...
I see this over and over. I have done this myself. Our society has been training us to believe that all truth is relative and that what happened to that person has nothing to do with us. So we venture out and try to fly, each one of us, but all that we are really doing is proving that Truth and breaking ourselves. But we do not stop there. We discover "that" pain, which inevitably has to come after a fall. We feel the pain. The problem is that we do not see the source of the pain, but only feels its effect. We continue to believe that we can still dance in the dark without a great fall.
One example in my own life was sexual sin. I was molested as a child, then date raped as a teen. Those people responsible for my hurt were themselves discovering God's Moral Law. They were breaking that law that was meant to protect the innocent. Throughout my life I kept thinking that I could stop the pain by turning to my boyfriend and letting him rescue me. I kept thinking that, "this time it will be different. This time I will not get hurt, but will fill that void within me." Every time I proved that Moral Law while I was breaking myself in the process. We do this. We turn to the one delivering the painful blows in order to find comfort.
Stalin, he was a man known for his torture and murder of millions of people. What is little known about him is this story: One day someone asked him, "How do you expect your people to follow you if you are hurting them all of the time."
Stalin looked at the man and said, "Bring me a chicken." He took the chicken and proceeded to pull out each feather until the chicken was completely nude. The agony inflicted was horrific, but after the chicken had no more feathers to pluck, he put it on the ground walked away and grabbed some food in his hands. He bent down and called for the chicken. The chicken, shivering and stumbling, went over to him and began eating. After it finished the little grain Stalin had in his hands, the chicken cold and hurting snuggled up next to Stalin for warmth and comfort. Stalin looked up at his questioner and said, "People are like this chicken. You inflict them with enough pain they will follow you for the rest of their life."
We are like that chicken. We set out to disprove God's Moral Law, we get stripped and tortured, but instead of running to God and away from that which is causing the pain, we keep turning to the source of that pain for comfort. The alcoholic keeps turning to alcohol. They know that they should not have been drunk, but they do not realize that it was the alcohol that brought them the pain. They think they can control it. The woman who feels the sting and emptiness of sex before marriage, she does not stop having sex. She somehow thinks that she should have just done it a little different and this time she can defeat the laws of nature. The man who is fired from his job because of time spent looking at pornography on his computer, still turns to porn today. Over and over, we all do it. We feel the effects of the pain, but we do not dive down deep enough to really see the cause. We still see Jesus as a rule maker who is only trying to keep us bound and controlled.
Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Oh how He wants to protect us, not to control us. May we pray this prayer, “Our Mother Hen, who art brooding over us, hallowed be thy sheltering wings … Forgive our unwillingness to come into your embrace.”
Jesus-- Leaning near, listening, watching, thinking about me; covering, protecting, providing for and guiding me, even when I am reluctant to accept these forms of love, unable to believe a Love like this is wrapped all around me, all the time. May we stop running to our assailant and turn instead to the One who wants us to learn to fly under His sheltering wing. He wants us to learn to sing and dance. He wants us to learn the true joy in living free with Him...
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Can Man Live Without God
The other day I was walking out of Barnes and Noble book store with excitement in my heart while my hands were holding my new book. My sweet friend, whom I admire very much and I look to her for guidance often, asked me, "What did you get?" I took my precious new book out of the little white bag they had just placed my new treasure in and she read the title out loud, "Can Man Live Without God". With love in her eyes she proceeded to tell me a story and it goes something like this:
There were these two friends that were on the US diving team competing against one another, but practicing together. During their training time, they become very close friends with very different beliefs. One was an atheist and the other a Christian. Their time of training was drawing to a close for the trials were going to start soon. The Christian was not feeling very well one day and decided that it was time to take a break from practice, just this once. As his friend was headed out of the door he stopped him and said, "You know you should just give praying a chance. You never know how this can change your life." As the atheist was entering the training facility, he noticed that the lights were off. Very unusual, but he thought it may be nice for the facility had sky lights that would show nicely on the pool. As he began his climb to the top of the highest diving board, his friend's words were resounding in his mind, "pray". He stopped at the end of the board and decided that instead of immediately turning around, he would for once bend over and try out this praying thing. As he did, he noticed that the pool did not look right. It was empty!
She drew her story to a close with these words, "Had he not stopped to pray he would have dived into an empty pool." With that my friend nodded her head, turned and started to walk toward her car. The conversation was over, but my questions remained unanswered. And with that, I held on tighter to my new book, for I knew I would find some answers here.
In the very first chapter Ravi Zacharias addresses this kind of answer we as Christians give to very deep and complex questions. Have you ever been asked a very deep question like, "Can man live with out God?" I have. What do I say? Do I give them a swimming pool answer that is, in Ravi's words, "quite frankly, superficial and simple." I need real answers to real questions, and this is where my new found book has given me more strength.
There are three levels of philosophy- logic, the arts, and table talk. We need to be able to "Argue at level one, illustrate at level two, and apply at level three. The reasoning process provides the foundation, the arts the infrastructure and illustration, and the kitchen table the superstructure and application."
Learning how to communicate within our culture is a must. There is no way I can give you the information that you need within this very short blog, but if you want to be able to give real answers instead of swimming pool solutions, please get it. I will end with one paragraph within the book. Within this one statement are many deep questions, but within the book you find the answers:
"The issue, then, is not whether the belief system you espouse-- monotheistic, atheistic, pantheistic, or otherwise-- is exclusive. The issue is whether the answers to the four basic questions of life pertaining to origin, meaning, morality, and destiny within the context of each of these worldviews meet the tests of truth. Are they logically consistent, are they empirically adequate, and are they experientially relevant? Do they meet the test of unaffirmability and undeniability? The answers to life's four questions must in each instance correspond to reality, and the sum of the answers must cohere as a system."
I want to have meaningful conversations with others around me. 1 Peter 3:15-17, "And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!" I do not want to suffer because I was not able to give a defense for the hope I have in Christ. I highly recommend this book!
Can Man Live Without God by Ravi Zacharias
There were these two friends that were on the US diving team competing against one another, but practicing together. During their training time, they become very close friends with very different beliefs. One was an atheist and the other a Christian. Their time of training was drawing to a close for the trials were going to start soon. The Christian was not feeling very well one day and decided that it was time to take a break from practice, just this once. As his friend was headed out of the door he stopped him and said, "You know you should just give praying a chance. You never know how this can change your life." As the atheist was entering the training facility, he noticed that the lights were off. Very unusual, but he thought it may be nice for the facility had sky lights that would show nicely on the pool. As he began his climb to the top of the highest diving board, his friend's words were resounding in his mind, "pray". He stopped at the end of the board and decided that instead of immediately turning around, he would for once bend over and try out this praying thing. As he did, he noticed that the pool did not look right. It was empty!
She drew her story to a close with these words, "Had he not stopped to pray he would have dived into an empty pool." With that my friend nodded her head, turned and started to walk toward her car. The conversation was over, but my questions remained unanswered. And with that, I held on tighter to my new book, for I knew I would find some answers here.
In the very first chapter Ravi Zacharias addresses this kind of answer we as Christians give to very deep and complex questions. Have you ever been asked a very deep question like, "Can man live with out God?" I have. What do I say? Do I give them a swimming pool answer that is, in Ravi's words, "quite frankly, superficial and simple." I need real answers to real questions, and this is where my new found book has given me more strength.
There are three levels of philosophy- logic, the arts, and table talk. We need to be able to "Argue at level one, illustrate at level two, and apply at level three. The reasoning process provides the foundation, the arts the infrastructure and illustration, and the kitchen table the superstructure and application."
Learning how to communicate within our culture is a must. There is no way I can give you the information that you need within this very short blog, but if you want to be able to give real answers instead of swimming pool solutions, please get it. I will end with one paragraph within the book. Within this one statement are many deep questions, but within the book you find the answers:
"The issue, then, is not whether the belief system you espouse-- monotheistic, atheistic, pantheistic, or otherwise-- is exclusive. The issue is whether the answers to the four basic questions of life pertaining to origin, meaning, morality, and destiny within the context of each of these worldviews meet the tests of truth. Are they logically consistent, are they empirically adequate, and are they experientially relevant? Do they meet the test of unaffirmability and undeniability? The answers to life's four questions must in each instance correspond to reality, and the sum of the answers must cohere as a system."
I want to have meaningful conversations with others around me. 1 Peter 3:15-17, "And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!" I do not want to suffer because I was not able to give a defense for the hope I have in Christ. I highly recommend this book!
Can Man Live Without God by Ravi Zacharias
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A Moment in Time
Have you ever wondered how your attitude affects how others see you? We have a tendency to "play off" who we really are. We make excuses for how we act. We think, "That is not who I am. Yes, I did that, but I was under a lot of stress that day." The problem is not that we have one bad day, a moment in time where we lost it. The truth of the problem surfaces when we can take a good look at our life and see that "it" occurs everyday and "it" really is not a moment type situation, but a life of having the wrong attitude. A moment in time, every day, when we follow the pounding of our heart. A moment in time, every day, where if we could see what others are seeing, we would be appalled.
I looked up attitude in the index of my bible and I was kind of surprised to read what it referenced. I was expecting to see things like complaining, happy... you know those emotional type descriptions. While those were there, those descriptions were few. What it referenced most were topics dealing with how we act. What do we do? What are our hearts desires? Do we practice what we preach? Do your actions reflect the things of the world or of Christ?
This got me thinking. How do others really see me? Most importantly, how does my family see me? I may be able to put on an act in public, but no one can put on an act all of the time. This is how I must evaluate my attitude, my hearts desires. I must look at my action through my families eyes. How do I talk to my husband? How do I talk/treat my children? I think this is where many "pastors" loose their children. They speak one thing, but in their homes, they forget to practice what they preach.
1 Corinthians 10:33, "I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved." This is not talking about being a "people pleaser". This is about holding to your beliefs, what you say you believe, so that when others see you they can see you walking with Christ and living a truly changed life. We do not go on vacation and forget what is truly important. You've heard the saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I've got news for you. It does not. You cannot just leave your life, change your surroundings for a moment, and change who you are. If you can do that, maybe who you really are is that person you become when you think no one can see you. That is the hardest part of me that I have ever had to deal with. Who is the real me? And can I change the real me and still be real?
Matthew 15:8-9, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." The real me is a follower of Christ. I worship Him in my daily living. I worship Him when I am on vacation. I cannot just put aside my true beliefs in a moment of passion. I must evaluate who I am on a daily basis. I am not perfect, but I strive to be like Christ. In order to live a changed life, am I following through with what I know is right?
How do others see me? When others see you, do they see you continually fighting? Do you think you are just having a bad day, or is it really who you are because everyday seems to find you in the same mood? If we are living continually in chaos, maybe it really is not our surroundings, or someone else. Maybe it is us. For wherever we go, there we are. It is not about who I used to be. I cannot buy that lie. It is Who He is. It is about changing who I used to be, to who I am in Him. Being born again, being saved, is a moment in time. Becoming like Christ is a life long process.
I looked up attitude in the index of my bible and I was kind of surprised to read what it referenced. I was expecting to see things like complaining, happy... you know those emotional type descriptions. While those were there, those descriptions were few. What it referenced most were topics dealing with how we act. What do we do? What are our hearts desires? Do we practice what we preach? Do your actions reflect the things of the world or of Christ?
This got me thinking. How do others really see me? Most importantly, how does my family see me? I may be able to put on an act in public, but no one can put on an act all of the time. This is how I must evaluate my attitude, my hearts desires. I must look at my action through my families eyes. How do I talk to my husband? How do I talk/treat my children? I think this is where many "pastors" loose their children. They speak one thing, but in their homes, they forget to practice what they preach.
1 Corinthians 10:33, "I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved." This is not talking about being a "people pleaser". This is about holding to your beliefs, what you say you believe, so that when others see you they can see you walking with Christ and living a truly changed life. We do not go on vacation and forget what is truly important. You've heard the saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I've got news for you. It does not. You cannot just leave your life, change your surroundings for a moment, and change who you are. If you can do that, maybe who you really are is that person you become when you think no one can see you. That is the hardest part of me that I have ever had to deal with. Who is the real me? And can I change the real me and still be real?
Matthew 15:8-9, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." The real me is a follower of Christ. I worship Him in my daily living. I worship Him when I am on vacation. I cannot just put aside my true beliefs in a moment of passion. I must evaluate who I am on a daily basis. I am not perfect, but I strive to be like Christ. In order to live a changed life, am I following through with what I know is right?
How do others see me? When others see you, do they see you continually fighting? Do you think you are just having a bad day, or is it really who you are because everyday seems to find you in the same mood? If we are living continually in chaos, maybe it really is not our surroundings, or someone else. Maybe it is us. For wherever we go, there we are. It is not about who I used to be. I cannot buy that lie. It is Who He is. It is about changing who I used to be, to who I am in Him. Being born again, being saved, is a moment in time. Becoming like Christ is a life long process.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Shame No More
How do you make those things that are hidden in your heart no longer places of shame. Some of those places were not your fault at all. Someone else did something to you and for some reason, shame took over. Sometimes we are the cause of those dark corners that we turn to, because we believe that if we ever revealed that place, everyone would know who we really are. It is that place in our own heart that scares us the most and it is that place that keeps us bound to the shame that holds us back.
For those who live in shames dark shadow it is often a place of sorrow. A place hidden within us because of something someone else did to us! But, somehow we take what should be their shame and place that upon our own hearts. From that time on, we live in fear and cower to the shame that we place on our own hearts. It is a tool the enemy uses well, for he knows that it was not our fault and yet we take the burden of that guilt and let it create a place within us that keeps us trapped in the darkness of a house without windows. A dark place that we somehow believe will protect us. A dark place where nothing green will ever grow. This is my prayer for you, as it was for me. For I did not know how to walk into any room with my head held high. My darkness of shame was overwhelming. This is for you who have been defiled by someone else...
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
Then for those dark places within our own hearts that hold us captive, these places were brought on our-self. These places we hope no one ever knows, because these places were our choice. I cannot even begin to grasp the destructiveness of my own choices and what those choices did to myself and to others that I came in contact with. Many of these choices were things that I did because of the wounds that someone else gave me, but at some point I have to step up and take responsibility for my own life. I cannot live in the dark shadow that being a victim brings. At some point I have to look at what I choose to do. This part of the prayer covers those dark places...
"Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins..." (Psalm 25)
God gives us a time of healing. A time to just sit with Him, so that we can see those dark places through His eyes. If we never allow others to see into our heart, those dark places can become a home with boarded up windows. A home that will eventually become our grave. If we are continually placing boards over the windows of our home, eventually no light shines and we cannot navigate freely. We become blind in our own home. Eventually there will be no life there at all. But, if we will truly allow God to shine His light on those places we want to keep hidden, eventually we will learn to live in a glass house. A house where there are not even any curtains on the windows. A house that allows ourselves, and others, to see in freely. A house that is surrounded by greenery. This is the house that I now choose to live in. It is a wonderful house where all are safe. A house where the light lives.
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
(Click on the title.)
For those who live in shames dark shadow it is often a place of sorrow. A place hidden within us because of something someone else did to us! But, somehow we take what should be their shame and place that upon our own hearts. From that time on, we live in fear and cower to the shame that we place on our own hearts. It is a tool the enemy uses well, for he knows that it was not our fault and yet we take the burden of that guilt and let it create a place within us that keeps us trapped in the darkness of a house without windows. A dark place that we somehow believe will protect us. A dark place where nothing green will ever grow. This is my prayer for you, as it was for me. For I did not know how to walk into any room with my head held high. My darkness of shame was overwhelming. This is for you who have been defiled by someone else...
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
Then for those dark places within our own hearts that hold us captive, these places were brought on our-self. These places we hope no one ever knows, because these places were our choice. I cannot even begin to grasp the destructiveness of my own choices and what those choices did to myself and to others that I came in contact with. Many of these choices were things that I did because of the wounds that someone else gave me, but at some point I have to step up and take responsibility for my own life. I cannot live in the dark shadow that being a victim brings. At some point I have to look at what I choose to do. This part of the prayer covers those dark places...
"Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins..." (Psalm 25)
God gives us a time of healing. A time to just sit with Him, so that we can see those dark places through His eyes. If we never allow others to see into our heart, those dark places can become a home with boarded up windows. A home that will eventually become our grave. If we are continually placing boards over the windows of our home, eventually no light shines and we cannot navigate freely. We become blind in our own home. Eventually there will be no life there at all. But, if we will truly allow God to shine His light on those places we want to keep hidden, eventually we will learn to live in a glass house. A house where there are not even any curtains on the windows. A house that allows ourselves, and others, to see in freely. A house that is surrounded by greenery. This is the house that I now choose to live in. It is a wonderful house where all are safe. A house where the light lives.
"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you." (Psalm 25)
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Thursday, September 15, 2011
Worth
Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “On the material level, both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements. Mostly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements in minute amounts. You could buy these elements in a hardware store for a couple of dollars. The real difference between the two of you is between the energy and the information. Your body is not separated from the body of the universe. Because of the quantum mechanical levels, there are no well defined edges. You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance in the larger quantum field.”
So many people follow the Hindu, Buddhist, and New Age religions. In these religions, where is your worth? Where is your value? Chopra states very openly, "both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements... You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance..." Basically, you are nothing trying to reach nothingness. So this means that a no body made this statement. Everyone and everything is worthless.
In the teachings of the Christian religions the value and worth put upon you is priceless. You are more valuable than anything else. You, your body is worth more than anything else. 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself..” The emphasis is not put on your redemptive acts. Your goal is not to become a god. Your goal is not to die and have a thousand virgins at your disposal. You are the place that God chooses to make His temple. The creator of the universe chooses to make your body His dwelling place. And this is why it is such a tragedy when you choose to desecrate your body. Your body, YOU are the Temple.
So many people, I, have a tendency to see "sin". When we go into a church building, we hear about sin and how we are not living "up to" God's standards. But really this is not it. Everything in the Christian faith points to how valuable you are and when you "sin" you are using His temple as a market place instead of a place of worship. That is what it is all about.
What are you worth? How do you treat others? Do you treat them as the temple? Do you allow others to mistreat and abuse your temple?
I did not understand any of this until I started searching. I started reading the bible, begging God to reveal Himself to me. I read Psalms, then Proverbs, then the New Testament, then started the Old Testament. Everyday I begged God to allow me to hear Him. Everyday I just read words on a page with no meaning, no understanding... Nothing for a whole year. Then I read 1 Kings 6. Everything was so precise. This wall 7 1/2 feet long. That room 10 feet wide, with this in it, with that in it. Meticulous! Over and over... boring, boring. Until, it hit me! Why was this so important to know? Why was this still needed? So we can see how meticulously we are made. So we can see how valuable we are as the Living Temple.
John 2, "Then, going over to the people who sold doves, He (Jesus) told them, 'Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!' Then His disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume Me.'”
Why is it so important to take care of your body? Why is it so important to take care of others? We are God's house and His passion for us consumes Him! We are worth that much. We are that valuable. Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came so that the dead would live. Are we walking around treating ourselves with worth? Or are we walking around filling our house with death? We are not a wiggle, a wave, or a localized disturbance. We are the Temple of the Most High God. The questions are: Do we treat ourselves as being worth that much? Do we treat others the same?
So many people follow the Hindu, Buddhist, and New Age religions. In these religions, where is your worth? Where is your value? Chopra states very openly, "both you and a tree are made up of the same recycled elements... You are like a wiggle, a wave, a fluctuation, a convolution, a whirlpool, a localized disturbance..." Basically, you are nothing trying to reach nothingness. So this means that a no body made this statement. Everyone and everything is worthless.
In the teachings of the Christian religions the value and worth put upon you is priceless. You are more valuable than anything else. You, your body is worth more than anything else. 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself..” The emphasis is not put on your redemptive acts. Your goal is not to become a god. Your goal is not to die and have a thousand virgins at your disposal. You are the place that God chooses to make His temple. The creator of the universe chooses to make your body His dwelling place. And this is why it is such a tragedy when you choose to desecrate your body. Your body, YOU are the Temple.
So many people, I, have a tendency to see "sin". When we go into a church building, we hear about sin and how we are not living "up to" God's standards. But really this is not it. Everything in the Christian faith points to how valuable you are and when you "sin" you are using His temple as a market place instead of a place of worship. That is what it is all about.
What are you worth? How do you treat others? Do you treat them as the temple? Do you allow others to mistreat and abuse your temple?
I did not understand any of this until I started searching. I started reading the bible, begging God to reveal Himself to me. I read Psalms, then Proverbs, then the New Testament, then started the Old Testament. Everyday I begged God to allow me to hear Him. Everyday I just read words on a page with no meaning, no understanding... Nothing for a whole year. Then I read 1 Kings 6. Everything was so precise. This wall 7 1/2 feet long. That room 10 feet wide, with this in it, with that in it. Meticulous! Over and over... boring, boring. Until, it hit me! Why was this so important to know? Why was this still needed? So we can see how meticulously we are made. So we can see how valuable we are as the Living Temple.
John 2, "Then, going over to the people who sold doves, He (Jesus) told them, 'Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!' Then His disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume Me.'”
Why is it so important to take care of your body? Why is it so important to take care of others? We are God's house and His passion for us consumes Him! We are worth that much. We are that valuable. Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came so that the dead would live. Are we walking around treating ourselves with worth? Or are we walking around filling our house with death? We are not a wiggle, a wave, or a localized disturbance. We are the Temple of the Most High God. The questions are: Do we treat ourselves as being worth that much? Do we treat others the same?
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Disappearing Self-Awareness
Oswald Chambers, "Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all... If we try to overcome our self-awareness through any of our own commonsense methods, we will only serve to strengthen our self-awareness tremendously. Jesus says, “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest,” that is, Christ-awareness will take the place of self-awareness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest— the rest of the completion of activity in our lives that is never aware of itself."
I am part of a group of people who are starting a college outreach program. We will start in just a couple of days and I am one of the speakers. I want to do this. I like to speak about the changing power of Christ. I do not want to tell my story.... again. We had a practice time the other night and I had something prepared. Well actually, it was plagiarized from one of the talks given on Ravi Zacharias' web site. In this "run through" with my friends, what I had planned was shot down. My attempt was vetoed and my instructions were clear. "You are not authentic with this," they said. "You need to tell your story. They need to hear about your life."
I don't want to tell my story any more. Do you hear, I hate to look like a fool. I hate to admit my stupidity. I want to speak of the joy. The joy that I have is in my new life. The joy that I possess is in the now. But here I go again, telling of my sin. Anyway, I consented and accepted their advise. I had been feeling okay about all of it, until yesterday.
Through our business, I am part of three, who are the landlords of several rentals around town. Yesterday, I went around to several of my houses talking to our tenants. When I went to a house that had college students, I handed them one of our flyers and invited them to come to LIVE@WEBSTERHALL. After doing this, I felt sick. I literally felt like I was going to throw up. My focus was on myself and all that I could see was "fool". Self-awareness really set in and every bit of my focus was distorted. Through my insecurities and fear, all I could see was me. When this happens, which is often, I want to hide so that I do not have to look anyone in the eyes. All day yesterday, I was living in self-awareness. Last night I went to bed with me on my mind.
Bless God, Everyday is new. Today is a new day. Before I started reading this morning, I prayed to God that He would help me see. I prayed that He would give me the strength so that I could do this thing, for all I could see was me and I was beginning to drown. I opened my bible to the pages marked for today and my spirit was strengthened.
2 Samuel 6, "...But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him... David retorted to Michal, 'I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!'"
Oh, how I love the story of David. He made so many mistakes, but his heart was for his Lord. He was willing to look like a fool, for in his life he was dancing before his Lord. This morning I am strengthened. I can take my focus off of myself and dance before my God, through the story of His amazing grace that is told though my life experiences. Others may see me and have contempt for me, but that is okay. I know my call. I have been called to speak of His mercy, grace and redeeming power. How can others grasp this if I don't speak openly about my failures? I don't have to live in fear, for He is my guide. My story is once again going to be told to a new crowed. Others who are there, who have already heard my story, may look at me with contempt, but His story must be heard. I do not have the publishing rights on this story, He does. He can do with it what He wants. Through my story, His story is revealed. His love. His grace. His redemption. My story is the story of the Cross of Christ. All of our stories ultimately tell of His story, if we can take our focus and turn it to Him. Let the story begin.
I am part of a group of people who are starting a college outreach program. We will start in just a couple of days and I am one of the speakers. I want to do this. I like to speak about the changing power of Christ. I do not want to tell my story.... again. We had a practice time the other night and I had something prepared. Well actually, it was plagiarized from one of the talks given on Ravi Zacharias' web site. In this "run through" with my friends, what I had planned was shot down. My attempt was vetoed and my instructions were clear. "You are not authentic with this," they said. "You need to tell your story. They need to hear about your life."
I don't want to tell my story any more. Do you hear, I hate to look like a fool. I hate to admit my stupidity. I want to speak of the joy. The joy that I have is in my new life. The joy that I possess is in the now. But here I go again, telling of my sin. Anyway, I consented and accepted their advise. I had been feeling okay about all of it, until yesterday.
Through our business, I am part of three, who are the landlords of several rentals around town. Yesterday, I went around to several of my houses talking to our tenants. When I went to a house that had college students, I handed them one of our flyers and invited them to come to LIVE@WEBSTERHALL. After doing this, I felt sick. I literally felt like I was going to throw up. My focus was on myself and all that I could see was "fool". Self-awareness really set in and every bit of my focus was distorted. Through my insecurities and fear, all I could see was me. When this happens, which is often, I want to hide so that I do not have to look anyone in the eyes. All day yesterday, I was living in self-awareness. Last night I went to bed with me on my mind.
Bless God, Everyday is new. Today is a new day. Before I started reading this morning, I prayed to God that He would help me see. I prayed that He would give me the strength so that I could do this thing, for all I could see was me and I was beginning to drown. I opened my bible to the pages marked for today and my spirit was strengthened.
2 Samuel 6, "...But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him... David retorted to Michal, 'I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!'"
Oh, how I love the story of David. He made so many mistakes, but his heart was for his Lord. He was willing to look like a fool, for in his life he was dancing before his Lord. This morning I am strengthened. I can take my focus off of myself and dance before my God, through the story of His amazing grace that is told though my life experiences. Others may see me and have contempt for me, but that is okay. I know my call. I have been called to speak of His mercy, grace and redeeming power. How can others grasp this if I don't speak openly about my failures? I don't have to live in fear, for He is my guide. My story is once again going to be told to a new crowed. Others who are there, who have already heard my story, may look at me with contempt, but His story must be heard. I do not have the publishing rights on this story, He does. He can do with it what He wants. Through my story, His story is revealed. His love. His grace. His redemption. My story is the story of the Cross of Christ. All of our stories ultimately tell of His story, if we can take our focus and turn it to Him. Let the story begin.
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