The birth of Jesus is one of the main targets for the season. We celebrate His birth. We give gifts. The churches actually fill up and we see people who usually are never there suddenly walking in to give homage to Christ. This is a season of joy for most and a time to spend with others, but it is also a season of questions. One of those questions is something that Larry King had addressed to him on his TV show one night. The questioner asked him, "If you could interview one person across history who would it be and why?" Larry looked at him and without pause said, "Jesus Christ, and if He truly was virgin born. The answer to that would answer every question in life for me."
I have had this question brought to me in an awkward moment by an acupuncturist I once saw. As I was laying on the table receiving my treatment for my MS, she looked at me and said, "Do you really believe that Jesus was born from a virgin?" How do you really dive into such an enormous subject while you are pinned down? It is not just a question asked by those who do not believe, but it is a question that every believer must wrestle with as well. It is a question that actually weaves itself within all of scripture and it is an answer that deals within all of us as we travel with our faith in how we live out our life.
Lets start with the first obvious question, "Was Jesus truly virgin born?" The question is actually, "Was Jesus God?" John 1, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
I do not have enough space to really go into everything, but lets assume that we all agree that there is an Intelligent Creator. And lets assume that we all agree that this Intelligent Creator is God and He is the one that Christ clammed to be. So if Jesus is really who He said He was, "God", then why would it be so outrageous to assume that the one who gave nature its laws and ordered the cells within to have intelligence, why is it so hard to grasp the virgin birth? Maybe it is not really the virgin birth at all, but another question all together. Maybe the true question is really all about "me". Maybe the true question is, "What does this say about who I am? And if it really is true, how would I ever be able to live up to the standards that I think the bible sets in front of me?"
Now this is where things get cool. There are some things that we do in which we really do not know why we do them. We all struggle with something that we wonder, "Why do I struggle with this when it seems my friends do not?" It seems to be in our DNA, how we are made up. Our struggles seem to be something that we are born with. Now we turn to the virgin birth. The virgin birth is a change in DNA and how it runs within its laws. If Christ was born because of the change of DNA, how much more awesome are His words, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”... “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’"
"Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came to so that the dead could live," (RZ). He came to give us a new life. A life that we could never manufacture on our own. He came so that He could change our DNA. If we learn to change our focus, He changes our hearts. He changes our desires, by changing what our DNA says we must do and what we assume we have no control over. It is all a supernatural transformation that only the Christian faith provides. All other religions say that we must pull ourselves up, all by our self. It is only in Christ that we are given a supernatural transformation and our lives are drastically changed.
“Richard Dawkins has gone the root of saying, 'there is no such thing as good or evil. It is ultimately all of us dancing to our DNA.' … Its all in our DNA. Its all in our DNA..." When we hear statements like this, we have hope. "You must be born again." Our challenge is in allowing Christ to change our DNA. If we truly turn to Him and start changing our focus, we start to love Him. And when we start to love Him, we start to obey Him. It is not about living out this life so that we no longer have any fun and we become rule keepers. It is all about learning to live free from the prison of our DNA.
“It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life...” (Oswald Chambers)
Allow Him to change your DNA, by changing your life focus. We do this by following His words, "You must be born again."
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38-42, "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I once heard Beth Moore teach a lesson on this passage. What I remember has always stood out to me so I will now try and expand. In this passage we will only be looking at Mary, we will look at Martha in another verse.
Jesus stayed with a woman named Martha, and her sister called Mary. Here one sister is named and the other sister is called. If Mary was "called" maybe her real name was something else. What does the name Mary root from and why would she be called Mary?
Mary stems from the name Miriam or Mara. These names in the bible represent rebellion, disobedience, or bitterness. Example, Ruth 1:20, “But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter,)”
What if Mary had been rebellious, disobedient, or filled with bitterness. What if she just needed to sit with Jesus because she was so broken that she could not help her sister right now. Maybe there was nothing wrong with Martha's heart and what she was doing. Maybe she was right where she needed to be because her heart was not broken. Mary may have had a broken heart and the ones with the broken hearts need to kneel at the feet of God until they find their healing with their Savior.
Another passage, John 11:17-37. In this passage Lazarus, Martha and Mary's brother, had been dead for 4 days. "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'” After a conversation with Jesus she answered Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
With these passages I see Martha as the one who is strong in faith and who has a strong heart. She is the one who is not broken, but meets Jesus in her pain of loss and says, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." She had a "but" in her meeting with Jesus, one that Mary did not have. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to Him. Mary stayed at home until she heard that He was specifically asking for her. When Martha arrived, she had a "but" in her plea of pain. "I am hurting Lord, but I know even now God will give You whatever you ask for. You are the Messiah. You are God."
I absolutely love the twists and turns that the bible can take. So often we hear of the story of Martha as a woman with her priorities out of line with what was really important, but maybe she was a woman strong with her faith. Maybe she was a woman who knew who Jesus was and had a wonderful relationship with Him. Maybe it is like when your good friend comes over and you are always with them, you often do not stop everything and sit and visit. You still wash the dishes while you visit. But if someone comes over who you do not see often, you stop what you are doing and sit and give them your undivided attention. What if Mary was rebellion, disobedience, and bitterness. What if she was a woman who had a sordid past. Maybe that is why Jesus did not make her get up. Maybe that is why He said that He would not take this time away from her. For when you are hurt, you cannot get up and work. Sometimes you just need to sit and soak. You need to be able to sit at your Saviors feet and just allow Him to speak into your broken heart. Maybe where Martha went wrong is that she was not looking at where Mary had come from. Maybe she was only seeing where her relationship with Jesus was. For later we see that she was the one who was strong in faith and knew the strength of her Lord.
Whenever I now hear the story of Mary and Martha, I immediately go back to my own time of being the woman called Mara, the woman of rebellion, disobedience, and bitterness. I hear this and see a woman broken and needing to sit at her Savior's feet and just soak. But I do not want to remain that woman. I want to be in a strong relationship with my Lord so that now I can be the one to go and do as He has done for me. John 13:14, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others feet.” I am loving my time as Martha. But when my time of being called Mary comes again, as often it does in this world, I pray I can give myself enough grace to be able to sit again at His feet and soak. Our needs will differ on our journey. Our time of pain and suffering comes. Can we see when it is time to sit? Can we allow others their time? When it is time to get up, because now we are strong, can we wash others as Christ has washed us? Who are you? What is your name? Is it your name, or are you called mara? Can you find peace in the place where God has you right now? When pain comes again for me am I going to be able to greet Him in my pain with an all important "but".
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I once heard Beth Moore teach a lesson on this passage. What I remember has always stood out to me so I will now try and expand. In this passage we will only be looking at Mary, we will look at Martha in another verse.
Jesus stayed with a woman named Martha, and her sister called Mary. Here one sister is named and the other sister is called. If Mary was "called" maybe her real name was something else. What does the name Mary root from and why would she be called Mary?
Mary stems from the name Miriam or Mara. These names in the bible represent rebellion, disobedience, or bitterness. Example, Ruth 1:20, “But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter,)”
What if Mary had been rebellious, disobedient, or filled with bitterness. What if she just needed to sit with Jesus because she was so broken that she could not help her sister right now. Maybe there was nothing wrong with Martha's heart and what she was doing. Maybe she was right where she needed to be because her heart was not broken. Mary may have had a broken heart and the ones with the broken hearts need to kneel at the feet of God until they find their healing with their Savior.
Another passage, John 11:17-37. In this passage Lazarus, Martha and Mary's brother, had been dead for 4 days. "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'” After a conversation with Jesus she answered Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
With these passages I see Martha as the one who is strong in faith and who has a strong heart. She is the one who is not broken, but meets Jesus in her pain of loss and says, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." She had a "but" in her meeting with Jesus, one that Mary did not have. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to Him. Mary stayed at home until she heard that He was specifically asking for her. When Martha arrived, she had a "but" in her plea of pain. "I am hurting Lord, but I know even now God will give You whatever you ask for. You are the Messiah. You are God."
I absolutely love the twists and turns that the bible can take. So often we hear of the story of Martha as a woman with her priorities out of line with what was really important, but maybe she was a woman strong with her faith. Maybe she was a woman who knew who Jesus was and had a wonderful relationship with Him. Maybe it is like when your good friend comes over and you are always with them, you often do not stop everything and sit and visit. You still wash the dishes while you visit. But if someone comes over who you do not see often, you stop what you are doing and sit and give them your undivided attention. What if Mary was rebellion, disobedience, and bitterness. What if she was a woman who had a sordid past. Maybe that is why Jesus did not make her get up. Maybe that is why He said that He would not take this time away from her. For when you are hurt, you cannot get up and work. Sometimes you just need to sit and soak. You need to be able to sit at your Saviors feet and just allow Him to speak into your broken heart. Maybe where Martha went wrong is that she was not looking at where Mary had come from. Maybe she was only seeing where her relationship with Jesus was. For later we see that she was the one who was strong in faith and knew the strength of her Lord.
Whenever I now hear the story of Mary and Martha, I immediately go back to my own time of being the woman called Mara, the woman of rebellion, disobedience, and bitterness. I hear this and see a woman broken and needing to sit at her Savior's feet and just soak. But I do not want to remain that woman. I want to be in a strong relationship with my Lord so that now I can be the one to go and do as He has done for me. John 13:14, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others feet.” I am loving my time as Martha. But when my time of being called Mary comes again, as often it does in this world, I pray I can give myself enough grace to be able to sit again at His feet and soak. Our needs will differ on our journey. Our time of pain and suffering comes. Can we see when it is time to sit? Can we allow others their time? When it is time to get up, because now we are strong, can we wash others as Christ has washed us? Who are you? What is your name? Is it your name, or are you called mara? Can you find peace in the place where God has you right now? When pain comes again for me am I going to be able to greet Him in my pain with an all important "but".
Monday, November 21, 2011
Go and Sin No More
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.
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.
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)
(Click on the title.)
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