Shadows

"We live in an upside-down world"

There is a myriad of ways that we can see that truth every day. When our relationship with Jesus starts to set us right-side-up, we come into conflict with all the upside-down thinking we've all come from. I think what surprises me most is when Christians have thinking that is still glaringly upside-down. It is no surprise when people who are in the shadows live like they live in darkness. But it amazes me how much we can live in the shadows when we know the "Light".

"Shadows pursued the light all the way to the cross"

I love that word picture. While shadows don't capture the total sense of the evil that led Jesus to the cross (for me), I can picture the ray of light that comes through a heavy cloud. And I can sense the ominous feel of storm clouds threatening and growing denser and trying to block every ray of light. And then, all of a sudden light breaks through. The whole day looks different. The dark clouds are still there, but no longer menacing...no longer a threat.

Shadows

James nailed it pretty well in this chapter. It's funny how much of what he writes about has corrulated with my study in Ecclesiastes. On page 114, he talks about how we pursue power and money, popularity, fame and a good reputation, even though all of these things are like a vapor and can be lost so easily in an instant. That is truth, and Solomon did ALL that - he tested work (labor), pleasure, wisdom, madness and folly. And he did it all to an extent we cannot even begin to match. He lets us know that all of it is futile, it's all in vain. Oh that we would only learn the lessons Solomon has for us, we might be spared a lot of heartache!

Eccl 1:14-15 - I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Concerning light and dark, James says on page 116, that we don't have to look too far to find the darkness. I would submit that we don't have to look for it at all. Within a natural bent toward sin, it is intrinsic in us. Thankfully, as Believers we don't have to be slaves to sin and darkness. The Light lives in us, and He enables us to overcome.

Thank you, Lord God, for the message of hope You grant Your children through Your abounding grace.

Shadows

"...We're going to die someday soon, but none of us live like it." [pg.114]

Isn't that the truth? It seems like it's that way for everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike. However, the more I grow in my relationship with Christ the deeper my fellowship becomes and the more I long to go Home. I can honestly say that I live more ready to die now than I used to. I keep my accounts short. If I've wronged someone I right it as soon as is possible. When Pilot calls, or friends or family, I make sure to let them know how much I love them. You see, when I find out that I only have a day to live, or even a few minutes, I don't want to worry that I've left unfinished business.

On page 115 the author states: "We pack our lives with distractions in a desperate attempt to fill a hole in our lives we tell ourselves isn't there with things we know aren't important. We keep watching the commercials and we keep buying stuff." This reminded me of the "30 Days of Nothing" that Jules, and others, are just finishing. I think setting aside some time to really evaluate how one uses money and "things" in their life is excellent. Volunteering to help needy people is an excellent way to put into perspective exactly how much "treasure" we can live without.

Then, on the same page, the last paragraph begins with, "All that matters in the end is the state of the soul." I wholeheartedly agree. For years and years when I've been sharing the gospel with anyone I always manage to say, "You know, the most important decision a person ever makes in their life is where they are going to spend eternity. It is more important than what kind of work you will do, or who you will marry, or what you will name your children. Eternity is decided here. Before you die." Sometimes that is the jolt which is needed to cause people to think more seriously about spiritual things.

James opened up the chapter with John 3:19-20, "The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished." Why don't sinners come into the "light of life?" Because they love the darkness! They want to persist in their evil deeds, and this keeps them from coming to the light; for the closer the sinner gets to the light, the more his sins are exposed. I truly don't believe it is "intellectual problems" that keep people from trusting Christ; it is the moral and spiritual blindness that keeps them loving the darkness and hating the light.

Vagabonds

Overall, I thought this was a fairly good chapter. I'm just gonna skip around here with my thoughts.

I wholeheartedly agree with James' assessment on page 110. "Jesus approached evangelism quite differently than most churches today. Too many 21st century churches treat sharing Jesus' story like a marketing campaign. They try to make Christianity seem as appealing, plausible, relevant and easy to digest as possible by emphasizing the benefits of belief." Amen to that. It's called, 'let's appeal to the felt needs of the masses.' We need to make people 'feel good' about themselves and about God. That is, if there is even any talk about God. And certainly, we can't mention sin or the depraved condition of the heart, or conviction, or repentance. Wouldn't want to crush anyone's self-esteem.

Unfortunately, on page 108 the same old tired argument is posited once again - "Jesus is in the business of pursuing the lost but not of dragging them kicking and screaming into the kingdom. He never forced Himself on anyone. He simply invites and lets us decided if we'll hang back or follow Him." Seriously, does anyone know even one Christian who is one begrudgingly? Are they PO'd about being saved? Complaining? Kicking? Screaming? I don't know where James, and so many others, get such a ridiculous idea. It's completely unbiblical. And please, someone show me where in Scripture it even hints of Jesus simply iniviting someone and then waiting for them to "decide." Didn't happen with Abraham or Moses or Jeremiah or Paul, or any number of others. God sets His affections upon whomever He wishes, He calls them, reveals Himself - His wonder, His beauty, His glory - and people follow Him. God changes peoples' hearts and enables them to see Him. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

Now this - this is good stuff - Page 112, "...I discovered that following Jesus will cost me my pride, my ego, my rationalizations, my illusions, my demands, and my rights." He nailed that one. It was a revelation (to me, anyway) that none of this is about ME. It simply is not. When God began to show me, two years ago, who He was, it changed my core beliefs. HE changed my core beliefs. He opened my (spiritual) eyes to exactly who He was and who I was in relation to Him.

And finally, James' question, "Am I really a follower of Jesus, or am I just an admirer?" is a very valid question upon which to ponder. Paul admonishes us in 2 Cor 13:5 to "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" If I am truly a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ, then I should be constantly examining myself - my heart, my motives, my faith, my thoughts, my relationship with Him. I must view this world and the things in it in light of Scripture. I must apply godly wisdom (Jas 1:5) and discernment when filtering any teachings I encounter - which explains why I'm not overly enamored with this book. While there are insights that are rooted in Scripture, there are still a number of things that are not.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Col 2:8

Vagabonds

Perhaps God has been preparing me to read this very chapter for a few weeks now. Last week on my anniversary I posted about going to see “The Rock and the Rabbi” (which you should see if ever given the opportunity)…in any event, at the very end of the show, Peter makes some profound statements about how he always thought it was him waiting for the Rabbi to come…when in fact, the Rabbi was waiting on Peter…to follow and serve.

At the very end he reminds us that Jesus said the same thing to him that he has said or WILL say to us when we encounter Him and that is… “Follow me.”

This past weekend at a small group I attend, we were watching a video of John Bevere, from his book “The Bait of Satan”, and the content was about being a vagabond and what does that mean and look like.

Now this morning I read this chapter and again I am reminded and prompted to evaluate if I am an admirer of Christ or a follower. I want to believe I’m a follower, but I still attempt to drag all my ‘luggage’ along for the ride…obviously it’s counterproductive and absolutely contraindicative to what Jesus asks of me. Add to that…I’m not sure I’ve ever REALLY seen a follower of Christ, in that sense.

Is it enough to just ‘read the Bible and pray?’ Is it enough to KNOW Scripture and spout it out? Is it enough to have an ‘accountability buddy’? I would have to say “NO!” I picture Jesus shocking the Pharisees with his ‘seeming’ blasphemous words that went against the ‘memory verses’ and law they used in judgment every day.

Ultimately I believe Jesus comes to us each individually, exactly where He meets us and asks us to follow Him completely. For the rich man it meant giving up everything (material) and he couldn’t do it. For Peter it meant a different kind of fishing. For tax collectors it meant ‘righting’ what they had wrongly collected. For the Pharisees it meant releasing their constricting views of Scripture and Sabbath.

In some sense it reminds me of that completely goofy show; “My Name is Earl.” Who is going around trying to ‘right’ what he has wronged in his life. Yes the motivation is a bit skewed, but similar principle of complete 180.

I love what it says in James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” It reminds me that believing in God isn’t enough. If I don’t ACT on what I believe, then it’s just another fact among many clogging the portals of my brain.

To me being a ‘follower of Jesus’ means many things; the most important of which is to allow room in my heart and mind for God to grow outside the confines of my current Scriptural understanding (or misunderstanding), my prayer life (and limitations), my self-imposed uncertainty to be used as a vessel and servant everyday in every circumstance and to maintain a teachable spirit.

Good chapter!

Vagabonds

The opening of this chapter was a good one for me to evaluate where I am in my walk with Christ. Am I just admiring? Or, am I truly following. Periodically, I believe we should do some self checks in this area. It is too easy to become complacent in our spiritual walk.

The author mentions that "unless the Father draws people, they'll never believe in Him." I love Jesus' explanation of the process of personal salvation. John 6:37-40 are some of the most profound words. I suppose, we can't hope to plumb their depths completely. Jesus explained that salvation involves both divine sovereignty and human responsibility. He assured them that nobody who came to Him would ever be lost but would be raised at the last day. Even death cannot rob us of our salvation! Can I hear a Hallelujah?!

From our human and limited perspective, we cannot see how divine sovereignty and human responsibility can work together. But from God's perspective, there is no conflict and that is enough for me! I read one time where a church member asked Charles Spurgeon how he reconciled these two (sovereignty and responsibility), and he replied, "I never try to reconcile friends." It is the Father's will that sinners be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) and that those who trust Christ be secure in their salvation. Believers receive eternal life and Jesus can never lose them.

Jesus further explained how the sinner can come to God: it is through the truth of the Word (John 6:44-45). The Father draws the sinner by His Word. Jesus quoted Isaiah 54:13 (or perhaps Jer. 31:33-34) to prove His point: "And they shall all be taught of God." It is through the teaching of the Word that God draws people to the Savior. The sinner hears, learns, and comes as the Father draws him. A mystery? YES!!!! A blessed reality? YES!!!!

The crowds (which includes us today) always wants to see something, but our real need is to learn something. It is by the Word that we "see" God and receive the faith to come to Christ and trust Him (Romans 10:17...you just have to love Romans, don't you?).

As I read through this chapter and his thoughts on evangelism I kept reflecting back on the story of the manna in the wilderness. I don't know if it is pertinent but I'll share what I got out of my "rambling stroll with God."

You see, when Christ called Himself "the Living Bread." He wasn't claiming to be exactly like the manna. He was claiming to be even greater! Think about this. The manna only sustained life for the Jews, but Jesus gives life. The Jews ate the daily manna and eventually died; but when you receive Jesus Christ within, you live forever. When God gave the manna, He gave only a gift; but when Jesus came, He gave Himself. There was no cost to God in sending the manna each day, but He gave His Son at great cost. The Jews had to eat the manna every day, but the sinner who trusts Christ once is given eternal life.

The manna was a mysterious thing to the Jews. Jesus was a mystery to those who saw Him. The manna came at night from heaven, and Jesus came to this earth when sinners were in moral and spiritual darkness. The manna was small (can you see His humility?), round (His eternality), and white (His purity). It was sweet to the taste (Psalm 34:8) and it met the needs of the people adequately.

The manna was given to rebellious people; it was the gracious gift of God. All they had to do was stoop and pick it up, folks! If they failed to pick it up, they walked on it. Hello!

It is true. There is no fine print in Jesus' call to discipleship. He is up front what it will cost but it is worth every minute of this "vagabond" life until we reach home!

Vagabonds

"Jesus didnt want a fan club. He wanted a spiritual revolution."

This is what I feel alot of the Christian community gets hung up on... especially being involved on the youth level. It seems that too many "Christian" organizations out there are too concerned with being cool or recruiting the masses rather than digging into the Truth. We, as youth leaders, are told that the way to a better youth group is to not push them too hard, and look as much like the world as possible. I hate this message - Ive always hated this message.

Once the "church" quits trying to copycat the world, then yes, I dont doubt we are going to lose members (notice I didnt say believers).... but increasing members only waters down the church. Im not saying that we dont need to reach out - yes, that is a goal, but to just increase the quantity instead of teaching the quality - thats terrible.

Vagabonds

Here’s another one of those chapters where I would have paid the whole price of the book just to read the few pages contained in it.

"I lose myself in this unveiling until there is nothing left of me but you."

Can you imagine that day? That day in heaven when you look up and realize you are you but you’re not the old you – you’re the HIM version of you! That just blows my mind when I think about it. It’s like putting money away for retirement over the course of forty years and then looking at your bank statement one day and realizing you’re a millionaire! You know you made the sacrifices but a MILLION of them? Woweee!

"The road Jesus walks leads all the way to the cross. It’s there that old lives, old priorities, old selves have to be put to death. "Follow me," he says. It’s both an invitation and a command. And he waits for only a moment to see what we will do. Then he moves on to invite others."

As some of you may know, our church is spending a month dedicating our small groups to learning how to get better at pointing people towards Christ. One thing they’ve stressed over and over again is that we shouldn’t be thinking we’re going to be standing there while the person runs all four bases and slides into home. We really just need to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and move when He says "move," then discern what next step we can help that person take. It’s hard to imagine this is how this thing actually works because, as humans, we’re taught that "you get what you give" and "effort = rewards" and so on…but this is the one time in life when that just doesn't apply. No matter how much effort we put into helping someone come to know Jesus, it’s really up to the Holy Spirit to open that door for them to say yes. We’re like the evening gown that the Miss America contestants wear when trying to win the crown. We certainly add something to the pageantry but they aren’t going to win the prize because of a dress.

"Typically, he emphasized the cost of following him, not the rewards."

Jesus did something most people these days would never do. He was the antithesis of a used car salesman. He didn’t try to win someone over by talking about the gold streets of heaven. Instead, he talked about the sacrifices and the pain of what He was asking people to do. He came right out and said, "This will cost you everything." When was the last time someone in your life gave you that kind of ultimatum? Probably never…It’s the one and only time you have to choose something knowing you may very well lose everything in your life - including your life.

"Jesus isn’t interested in admirers. He never was. And that’s why his invitation was not ‘Admire me’ but ‘Follow me.’ That’s why he was so blunt with the crowds. Jesus didn’t want a fan club. He wanted a spiritual revolution."

I think it’s amazing that any of us ever make this choice. Who else could possibly make a human being say "Okay, yes, take whatever you need to from me even if that includes my family, my home, my things, my pets, my friends, my books, my work, my sight, my hearing, my money, my children and my spouse?"

From that moment on, we go from being an admirer of Jesus to being a follower of Jesus. Once we take that step, we know that nothing in our lives will ever mean as much to us as that one moment in time and no matter what Jesus asks of us, it will never be too much.

"break me, God, for i will not bend.
and I’m not shaped as i should
be anymore."

And so the journey of vagabonds begins…

Vagabonds

Oh to be a true vagabond!

I find this chapter so challenging! I struggle with being more than an admirer! I drag the net of my life around with me and still try to accept what Jesus has done for me and given me.

But of course, as Steven says, "you can't follow Jesus while your dragging your old life behind you.". And that is what I do on a daily basis! That for me is the bottom line of this chapter - I need to shake off the old life completely - I need to let go of the net! Oh that I would be a true follower of Jesus.

My pastor has been bringing messages from Mark these past few weeks and God is challenging us to "only believe". We need to accept all that Jesus has given us and throw off all that the world would have us take on to ourselves which only corrupts and deceives.

ps: a personal note: these past few weeks have been difficult for me, mainly because of myself. In the last few days I have found myself feeling disconnected - that's the only word I can use to describe how I feel.

However I have made a decision this morning about my job situation and I will be posting on my blog about it this weekend. I covet your prayers for my wellbeing and I hope that I can continue to contribute here on a regular basis. Thank you for patience with me.

So Sorry...

Folks, I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to give y'all up.

Right now there are so many things going on that I barely have time to breathe, much less read and blog about it. I'm sorry. I can't keep up. Being the stubborn person I am I kept trying, but now is the time to stop.

I wish you all the best as you continue to learn more and more about God in this great book. I'll be reading it and this blog when I can...between breaths. :0)

Blessings to you all,

Chris

Signs

I read Claire and Jules' posts before I started this one, which I don't ususally do. Normally, I like to post my own thoughts before reading anyone else's, just so I won't be influenced, but today I didn't. So I'll just say I agree with Claire. :-)

I must confess, I'm having a difficult time with the book. There's quite a lot I find wrong/unsettling/disconcerting in the author's thinking. And I hate to come in here and be so negative. Plus, I think some of it is me. I really, truly don't care for fiction so much. If you were to take a looksy at my bookshelf, you'd find nothing but non-fiction and biographies.

In conjunction with this chapter, I'll simply quote St Augustine:


"Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand."

Signs

You know me...let's jump right to the Scripture. :) I want to touch on Mark 6:5-6 which states, "And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief."

"And what was it that cased this man who could control the weather and raise the dead to become powerless? The people's lack of faith. Their unbelief was like kryptonite to Jesus." [pg.104]

I believe it's important to clear up a misconception, or what I take as a misconception/misperception. Their unbelief was not like kryptonite to Jesus. There was absolutely no limitation on Jesus' power. His purpose was to perform miracles in the presence of faith. Only a few here had faith to come to Him for healing. Those people who did come were healed. Now, it is true that Jesus was amazed (ethaumasen, "astonished") at their unbelief, their unwillingness to believe that His wisdom and power were from God. So far as history has shown, He never returned to Nazareth. I find the people of Nazareth a perfect representation of Israel's blindness. The people's refusal to believe in Jesus was a picture which the disciples would soon be experiencing (see Mark 6:7-13) and what Mark's readers, then and even today, would experience in the advancement of the gospel.

At the bottom of pg. 104 the author says, "The more we demand that God prove himself and make sense to us, the less he will." Back in April of 1993 I wrote in the front of my Bible, "We say show me and I'll believe. God says, No, believe and I will show you." God truly doesn't work the way man thinks He ought.

As for the people who desired to see the signs before they believed they truly didn't understand. First Corinthians 1:22 says, "For the Jews require a sign..." My understanding is the rabbis taught that, when Messiah came, He would duplicate the miracle of the manna. It is important to remember that faith which is based on signs alone, and not on the truth of the Word, can lead us astray; for even our enemy is able to perform "lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10). In response, if you read on through the next few verses in John 6, the Lord sought to deepen the peoples understanding of the truth. It was God, not Moses, who gave the manna; so they must take their eyes off Moses and focus them on God. How often do we do the same thing? We redirect our focus to anything other than God! Also, God gave the manna in the past, but the Father is now giving the true bread in the Person of Jesus Christ. The past event is finished, but the present spiritual experience goes on!!

James goes on and talks about how people are either drawn to Jesus or repelled by Him. That makes me think of the verse in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." The example I've used many times is of a person who walks into a room in which a woman with a beautiful scent of perfume has already entered. The person sniffs the air is attracted to her scent. It smells wonderful! However, there are others who would smell that same perfume which lingers in the air and say, "Ewww! What stinks?" My prayer is that I always emit that sweet aroma of Christ!

Signs

"The more we demand that God prove himself and make sense to us, the less he will. The door to the miraculous swings on faith"

I've often wondered about those times God hardened Pharoah's heart after every miraculous disaster he witnessed. I would think I'd be believing Moses big time. But maybe God didn't have to work too hard at hardening his heart. We think miracles seem to be the perfect proof and so we think we need them but ironically they have a way of failing to root our faith.

Just like James Stevens starts the chapter, there are so many 'commonplace, everyday' miracles. And yet we have lost the wonder. Maybe that's one of the blessings of children - they help us to remember what once fascinated all of us. These are the signs that point to a Creator God or at the very least Intelligent Design. No wonder the Bible says we need the faith of a child.

Signs

"The more we demand that God prove himself and make sense to us, the less he will. The door to the miraculous swings on faith."

We really are the most audacious, self-centered, skeptical species ever created. Every time I think back on my years separated from a real relationship with God I can’t help but laugh at all the times I said those three magic words…

"Just prove it."

I wanted proof. Is that too much to ask? Why can’t He just come on down and say hello in person or maybe make me the winner of the latest mega jackpot lottery? How about I wake up tomorrow morning and Mr. Perfect is standing right outside to drive me into a life of eternal bliss? C’mon God…just show me that You’re real. That should be easy for a God like You.

Of course NOW this totally cracks me up. It cracks me up every time a seeker friend of mine says to me, "If He’d just give me some proof, then I’d believe!"

No they wouldn’t.

He shows Himself to them every day and they haven’t started believing in Him yet. Of course, they refuse to believe that that’s God stirring up the colors of the sunset or blowing the clouds into formation. They refuse to believe that the butterfly that landed on their hand the other day was a special message from God or that little Suzy would have been killed when she fell off the jungle gym at school except somehow she managed to land right-side-up instead of upside-down. They don’t know that it was Him who kept their brother from committing suicide last week or who kept their father alive long enough for them to get to the hospital to say a final goodbye.

And, furthermore, who the heck are WE to tell GOD anything? Oh we really do think we’re all that and a bag of chips, don’t we?

Like the author, I’ve often wondered if Jesus wasn’t just the best magician ever to live. I even had my doubts when a science program I watched on PBS once explained a logical reason for every miracle ever documented in the Bible. Oh sure, there are a million reasons not to believe in God. Any one of them will do. Any one of them can keep you sleeping through life as you call out to God to show Himself and then stand there looking at the latest picture of your newborn niece while you wonder if He’s ever going to show up.

The truly ironic thing is you never realize you have no right to ask God to prove anything until you finally believe in Him. Jokes on us, everybody! Then, once the veil of knowledge is lifted from your eyes, you can’t help but laugh. He was right there in front of you the whole darn time. It was YOU who kept hitting the snooze alarm. It was YOU begging for another hour of sleep. It was YOU who knew that once that alarm went off there’d be work to do and it would be hard work and it was going to last the rest of your natural life.

"The doorway to the miraculous swings open to all who dare to enter the mystery of faith."

For some of us, curiosity to swing open that door gets the best of us. We hear God call and we answer. The rest of humanity hears Him call, too, but they hit that snooze alarm one more time and never know that God showed up while they were napping…

New Wine

this is exactly what I needed to read in the middle of a busy day.... its almost like one of those cheesy romance novels....

I have often wondered what the couple at the wedding thought about the new wine or if they even ever found out... like a couple of years down the road when Jesus was becoming more renowned did the lightbulb go off on where He started his ministry (I love those moments in my own life)

I dont think though, that Ive ever thought about Jesus dancing and being a part of the party... I always just kind of imagined him sitting by the wall, laughing and talking and enjoying the party - more of a spectator than an active guest.... how beautiful a picture though to see our God manifested in the flesh and enjoying a party.... I think too many people have a quiet picture of Jesus in their heads, but the Bible teaches He was really anything but....

I loved the whole little part at the end of the chapter.... it reminds me of the hope of what we have to look forward to and brings back little memories of the butterflies and smiles of a new love - just waiting at the window for your guy to get there to take you out on your first date - wondering if you look ok and how things will go, and once he is there, it doesnt even matter - not if hes the right one, that is.... all those little things just fade away and you find yourself just enjoying the company.... good stuff

"Jesus didnt arrive on earth to debate theology but to propose marriage. In a very real spiritual sense, God is courting us. Christianity is wild. It's intimate. It's heartbreaking and soul-mending. It's the wings to rise above the everyday and the hope of a honeymoon with the God who has loved you forever. The party has just begun, and the best is yet to come."

New Wine

As the author states, Jesus didn’t come to earth to start a whole new religion – He came to give us a fresh spiritual connection with God. He came to teach us how to learn "the unforced rhythms of grace."

You know what? If I had to sum up this last year and a half of my life, that would be exactly the phrase I would use. I have changed into a new person as do many when they finally have their eyes opened to Christ but it’s not just me as a person that has changed but me and the way I live my life.

I’m not as hurried.

I’m not as stressed.

I’m not so much into being perfect any more.

I don’t get frustrated as easily.

I don’t collapse in tears as often as I used to.

I pray. I let it go. I move on.

I have found the unforced rhythm of grace and I have applied it to my daily life. I sit on the deck more. I play with the dogs more. I laugh and sing out loud more. I dance in the house more. I sit in quiet and listen for His voice and I hear Him tell me to let it go…that it doesn’t matter…that all that matters is bringing His kingdom to earth so He can come and dance with His bride.

I no longer run through life; I dance with it. And that has made the price of admission totally worth it.

New Wine

I’m glad James wrote this chapter because frankly this parable has always been a source of mystery to me. I think each time I read it and study it and just allow the words to ‘soak me’ I gain one more seed of wisdom about Jesus.

My favorite part of the chapter (speaking as a wife and a romantic) is when Jesus takes Alon aside and whispers: “Treat her like a queen, my friend. Love her as Yahweh loves Israel. Love her as Yahweh (YHWH) loves you.” I love that he used that name for God, which holds so much meaning.

I have always struggled with why the wine was so important. I mean, I think I understand, culturally, the importance of this celebratory wine, but to include it as a Biblical miracle? I don’t get it.

To make matters worse, being raise in a Baptist church we never discussed this miracle…because of course, Baptists’ don’t drink alcohol. LOL. When I think wine at weddings, I think ‘fraternity drinking’ and drunkenness. Surprisingly I did have a bar at my wedding, and some drank too much. Somehow, my mind cannot compute Jesus drinking wine just to celebrate.

Is the importance that he valued this celebration and these people enough (and his own mother) that he would perform this miracle, or is it that it was not just wine, but really GOOD wine? Help me understand, oh sages of Chapter Chat. I’m looking forward to reading others’ input.

New Wine

I loved this chapter. I love the romance of a God courting his bride. I love the fact that people who respond to this love are the bride...and that I'm a part of it. I love the picture of a Jesus who is filled with life, passion and enthusiasm.

"Christianity is wild. It's intimate. It's heartbreaking and soul-mending.
It's the wings to rise above the everyday and the hope of a honeymoon with the
God who has loved you forever. The pary has just begun, and the best is
yet to come."

Now that's something that lifts my spirits and reminds me that this world is not my home.

Mystery

Steven James has taken on the impossible - trying to describe the mystery of Jesus...trying to capture it in words that can't help but fall far short.

I used to think I knew Jesus because I knew about him.

In a smaller sense, we are each a mystery. No one knows any of us completely...except for the One who created us and knows us so much better than we know ourselves. We find it so easy to analyze people....and think we've got them figured out...but it's impossible. How much more impossible to understand Jesus!

Mystery

I have to say this chapter was very well stated by James. My time is very limited today so I am not going to add anything to what he has stated. :) I'll be back posting on Friday, Lord willing!

Mystery

"Jesus, the real Jesus, is earthshaking. He will both calm your soul and send a tidal wave of truth crashing through your spirit. As soon as you try to figure him out or wrap your mind around Him, you'll get lost in the mystery of this man."

When I was on vacation this past summer I took a book with me called, "Jesus, the Man I Hardly Knew" by Phillip Yancey. That book opened my mind to the man we call Jesus. I learned about the kind of person he was and grew to better understand his mission and his ministry. It tugged at my heart many times and I began to realize just how much I didn't know about this man we call our Lord and Savior. Sometimes it surprises me that we know anything at all. I mean, look around...there's only a handful of information about people that lived in that time compared to what we know about people now days.

But even after all that, I still saw him as only a two-dimensional person. He's still only as well known to me as someone like Oprah or David Letterman. Yes, I know OF them but do I really KNOW them? Really?

I continue to strive towards this goal of knowing deep in my heart who this man was. There are little things that make a person become something more to us than just another face and these are the things that I want to discover about him. I'll continue my search for the man, Jesus, that was here on earth for the rest of my life but I do realize that he'll remain a mystery to me until I am actually with him one day when he calls me home. Then, and only then, will all my questions will all be answered.

Story

"Tell me a story, Momma."

How many times have I heard that? Children LOVE to hear stories. Children of God are no different. We long to hear the stories of times past, as well as times to come.

And God knew that.

He knew that we actually listen when stories are told. He knew that if we would listen, we could learn. His own Son taught with stories, not to entertain us, but because we were too blind to see the truth He tried to present to us.

So tell me a story. Help me to see Your truth. Make me understand.

Story

Tiny rant

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood" Excuse me? Since when did Jesus become our homeboy? I'm sorry, but I do not like The Message. Man, that just burns me.

/tiny rant

I dont know, this chapter was a little too touchy, feely for me. Once again, a bit too euphemistic for my taste. "That's one reason divorce is so painful - because it rips a single, deeply threaded story apart into two." I don't know, seems to me that divorce is so painful because it is a sin against God, it's selfish, it devastates the lives of everyone involved, especially children, and it leaves scars that aren't easily healed.

"He (Jesus) told stories because he knew humans are rarely interested in the truth unless it's wrapped up in a story." Really? Not interested? I'm not really seeing that God's self-revelation, i.e. The Bible, was written with the tastes and preferences of humans in mind. The Word tells us exactly why Jesus spoke in parables:

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, `YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' (Matthew 13:10-15)

And to follow up Matthew 13:34, which the author cited:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. (Matthew 13:35)

I guess I just have a hard time with making things up, or augmenting Scripture, when we have the entire beauty of the truth set right before us.

Or maybe I'm just in a bad mood this morning. :)

Story

"And I'm amazed that the story of my choices, mistakes, regrets---the story of my life---actually matters to God." [pg. 80]

I identify with the above statement so much. It is almost too much for me to comprehend why God would want to care about me! What purpose does He see? What shape is He forming me in to? Out of all the people in the world, why did He call me to be one of His own? My mind cannot fathom it.

Yet, I know without a doubt He does care. There isn't anything about me which doesn't matter to God. From the little girl who was so insecure, to the teenager who rebelled in a myriad of different ways, to the young woman who ran from authority, to the young woman who finally bowed her head in submission to the greatest authority there is, He reached down and touched her stoney cold heart and made it into a soft, pliable, warm and beating heart which He protects by His very own blood.

He alone has given me security when there was none. He alone harnessed my wild ways and molded me into a woman who sees the need for authority. He opened my eyes to what love really is. And caused my heart of stone to finally crumble and feel the aches and pains of others.

I will never ever understand but I am so very, very grateful that He did reach down and touch me. It comforts me now to know that I matter to Him. Every single item of my life matters to Him and there is absolutely no way to repay Him except through my heart felt obedience. Oh how I pray that I will be supple and pliable in His strong hands as He molds me and shapes me into the woman He desires me to be.

Story

"Day by day our lives are woven into a giant narrative, and every moment we become more and more the story of who we are. We are our stories. And we only connect with other people when we know their stories. The more intimate we are, the more our stories intertwine."

I get such a sense of comfort from this analogy. The author is alluding hat our lives are all part of this interwoven story that God is telling across an infinite span of time. When man tells a story, he does so in a 300-page book or a two hour movie. When it’s God telling the story, there is no sense of time and no limit to it's level of intricacy and detail so it goes on and on and on - across years and decades and eras and eons. This "theory" that we’re all part of God’s ultimate story line seems right to me because it answers two questions of mine:

1. Why did it take Jesus so long to come to earth the first time?
   
   
2. Why is it taking Him so long to return this time?
   

As men, (or women, if you will) we grow impatient with a story that drags on for too long. Take me for instance…I believe Claire has already "outted" me on the fact that I read the end of every new book first. I do this for two reasons:

1. It challenges me to put the beginning of the book with the end of the book – helping me flex my storytelling skills by trying to figure out the plot before it is revealed, and
   
   
2. It keeps me from rushing through the book in a wild attempt to learn how the book will end.
   

If I know how the story ends I can read it slowly, savoring all of it. If I have no idea what lies ahead, I tend to rush through it, desperately wanting to know where things are going to end.
I used to be this way with the story told in the Bible until I realized one day I already know how this story ends! I might not know the date or time Jesus will return and take His creation to the next and final step but I do know what the outcome will be and for me, that is enough. Enough to trust the storyteller to take me down the road one step at a time. Enough to let God guide me from place to place and person to person. Enough to let Jesus come to rest inside my heart because I know He’ll never leave or forsake me.

As an author / blogger we all try to tell our personal stories in a way that others can relate to. We strive to connect with others who share our experiences or who live within the same parameters. We use our words to make the details of our heart known to others.
And so did Jesus.

"Like the harmony and the melody living together in the same song, Jesus was divinity and humanity living together in the same heart. He was the Word of God, God’s story, in the flesh."

Light

Jesus answered them, "I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the Light that leads to life...I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the darkness" (John 8:12; 12:46) and "Believe in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light" (John 12:36).

I wonder if Jesus was comparing Himself to the rising sun. There is no way of knowing, at least this side of heaven. But, if He was, this would of meant He was once again claiming to be God, for to the Jew, the sun was a symbol of Jehovah God (Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2). As we all know, there is for our universe, only one sun; and it is the center and the source of life. Likewise, there is but one God who is the center of all and the source of all life (John 1:4). "God is light" (1 John 1:5); and wherever the light shines, it reveals man's wickedness (Ephesians 5:8-14).

To "follow" the Lord Jesus means to believe on Him, to trust Him; and the results are life and light for the believer. The unsaved are walking in darkness because they love darkness. One of the major messages in John's Gospel is that the spiritual light is now shining, but people cannot comprehend it...and, they try to put it out (John 1:4-5).

The Jewish leaders were upset at Jesus. They accused Him of bearing witness to Himself by claiming to the Light of the world. It is my understanding the Jewish courts would not permit a person to bear witness to himself. But, think about it everyone. Light has to bear witness to itself! The only people who cannot see the light are blind people!

The Light was shining directly on the people while Jesus was here on earth. It is still shining since He has not returned. There is still time to take advantage of the opportunity to be saved. By a simple step of faith, people can pass out of spiritual darkness and into the light of salvation.

When a person starts to resist the Light, something begins to change within them; and they come to a place where they cannot believe. There is a "judicial blindness" that God permits to come over the eyes of people who do not take the truth seriously. (See Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:25-27; Romans 11:8.) It is a serious thing to treat God's truth lightly.

Jesus is the Light of the world; His words are the very words of God; faith in Him brings salvation; to reject Him is to face eternal judgement. In fact, the very Word that He spoke will judge those who have rejected it and Him! It is an awesome thought that the unbeliever will face at the judgement every bit of Scripture he has ever read or heard. The very Word that he rejects becomes his judge! Why? Because the written Word points to the Living Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:4). Jesus did not come to judge; He came to save (John 3:18; 8:15). But if the sinner will not trust the Saviour, the Saviour must become the Judge. The sinner is actually passing judgment on himself, not on the Lord!

"While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light" (John 12:36).

Light

God is all about light, isn't He? I mean the first thing He did after creating the universe was shed light on it. From all eternity, His plan was to shed Light in the hearts of humanity.

And don't we always tell people, "things will look better in the morning?" Obviously God knew the truth of that long before we came up with the cliche.' ...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5) Light gives us a better outlook and perspective. We see more clearly in the light, figuratively as well as actually.

Of course, spiritually speaking, darkness is associated with evil and wickedness. Light is truth and goodness - Light is Christ. We are healed and cleansed when our sin is brought out of the darkness, the secret place, into the Light. (Luke 8:17) There is hope in the Light. There is life in the Light.

You are the Light - Bethlehem's Son
Hope of the world, glorious One
The Savior of all is with us tonight
You are the Light

Now the whole world will not be the same
Love has come down, grace has a name
The name of the child is Jesus Christ
You are the Light You are the Light!

Light

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine!

How many times did you sing that song when you were little? If you grew up in the type of church I did, you knew it before you memorized John 3:16.

But did you really know what the "light" was?

I didn't. I always thought of it as a candle someone was carrying to light their way. After all, what good would a candle be if it was "under a bushel" or if Satan blew it out? But I never could see what that song had to do with Jesus. I was in the dark.

Later in my life I found the love of God through Christ. There was no more darkness. A "light" went on inside my head, as well as inside my heart. How could I have missed it?

I am the LIGHT of the world.

Yup. YOU ARE.

Silence

This chapter reminded me of an incident in my own life. I was in high school and struggling. One day I went to sit by the river by myself and I started to beg God to show Himself to me in some way....something....anything.... But nothing.

I don't know how long I sat there staring at the river longing for God to show himself to me. The mystery was that after awhile I got up and went home more certain than ever that God was real even though there had been only silence.

"Maybe God knows that without his silences in our lives, we will never hear the
melody of faith."

I can testify to that...my own faith was strengthened that day in some unexplainable way.

Light

"And then the child grew and the word spread. He was different. So much like us, yet so different from us. We have both light and darkness threaded into our hearts. We can see both dawn and dusk in our souls, but He was light with no shadow, illumination with no night. "

The story of the birth of Jesus is, in and of itself, a miracle but the symbolism that is locked inside the story is also really cool to me. I was raised hearing the story of Jesus’ birth but, until I actually became ‘saved’, I never saw all the threads that God wove into the life of Jesus.

There’s the fact that He would end His life slaughtered for our sins – the sacrificial lamb, if you will. Once you understand that, the fact that He was born in a manger surrounded by other barnyard animals seems apropos somehow. People who do not understand the concept of Jesus spilling out His blood four our sins would probably hear this story of His birth and think it implausible or ridiculous that God would come to earth and spend His first hours of life in a barn but, in reality, his entire life was played out among a field of wolves just like in real life.

But His life also reminds me of the saying “A wolf in sheep’s clothing” because He spent the years of His ministry exposing the Pharisees and Sadducees for who they really were. There was Jesus, standing like a sheep amidst a field of wolves…all of them salivating to get a piece of the young lamb and to be the one to bring Him down.

It also seems amazing to me that He would be born and placed inside a wooden manger, grow up to work as a carpenter, then die hanging from a wooden cross. As a child, He was helpless in his surroundings. As a young man working with His father, Joseph, he learned to take control of the wood by forming it into useful things. (He “mastered” the wood, so to speak.) Then, at the end of His life, there He is again – helpless as they nail Him to the wooden cross.

Our author, Steven James, uses the analogy of Jesus being the “light of the world” and I have to admit, that is one of my favorites. We, as humans, are both light and dark in this world. We do some good and we do some evil. We leave the world both a brighter and darker place for our having been here. Not so with Jesus. He was born with a pinpoint of light – the Northern Star – guiding the wise men to his birthplace. He died with the light of day closing down around everyone as they hurried off to get home before Passover began. But then, there it is…the dawn of Easter morning and as the sun unleashes it’s full bath of brilliance on the world, Jesus steps out and stands below it, emanating a light all His own.

Stable occupant…to wolf hunter…to sacrificial lamb.

Wooden manger…to woodworker…to wooden cross.

Light…to dark…and back to light again.

"Daddy, will you smile at me?" the children of Israel asked.
"Yeah," said God, climbing into a manger.

Beautiful...

Silence.

It came to me as I read the first two pages [67 & 68] of this chapter - this is what has happened and is happening now!

Man has gone his own way - "They forgot to call on His name as they became distracted by making a name for themselves.". Bring it into the present - We are distracted by making a name for ourselves. We don't need God! Is it any wonder that Man does not hear God - we are too busy doing our own thing!

It is all about choice and that is the bottom line. My pastor makes the point about choice over and over again; it is the fundamental aspect of our faith. We can choose to go our own way or we can choose to go God's way - it's as simple as that.

I pray that I will continue to choose faith over sight and that I will never give up on God!

Silence

Maybe God knows that without His silences in our lives, we will never hear the melody of faith.

That was what rang true with me in this chapter. There have been so many times when I have been in a spiritual desert, waiting and yearning for a drop of God's voice, yet hearing nothing.

Silence can be very loud sometimes.

It takes you to the brink of "Does He REALLY care?" long enough for God to step in once again and affirm His love. Only this time, because of the drought you've been experiencing, when He speaks YOU HEAR HIM. His love pelts you with the deluge of rain. You feel Him again! You hear His voice! HE LOVES YOU!

I think of people who live in the mountains amongst some of God's greatest handiwork. The majesty of those peaks is all around them, day after day. Rather than drink in the beauty, people in the region end up taking the mountains for granted. They become complacent, thinking the mountains will always be there. The heights lose their wonder for those who live among them on a daily basis.

I wonder what would happen if the mountains suddenly disappeared? How complacent would the mountain-dwellers be then? Would they long for what they had lost? Would they lament over their own ignorance in taking the gift of beauty for granted?

I see God's periods of silence this way. It reminds us not to take Him for granted. Not to become complacent in our belief that He will always be there.

To wonder at Him all over again.

silence

...pragmatic people who abandoned faith for sight and traded worship for religion. That's us, too, our culture, our society.

Certainly there are individuals who are steadfast in their faith, but from the outsider's point of view, God's silence is the only proof they need to say "I told you so."

So it all falls down to choice. We can make a choice for faith over practicality. The capacity to do it is in our DNA... God created us to be able to choose. His silence forces the choice... one way or the other.

Silence

When I hear of someone/people who say God is being silent I always want to ask them a question. The question being, "Who has moved? You or God?" I can guarantee it isn't God who has moved. So when I encounter times of what I perceive as silence from God then I get busy and evaluate where I am spiritually. Because, usually, I find that I've sinned.

There are times when we get lazy and we want God to speak to us and just give us an assignment to do. And we keep on waiting....and I think the reason is we are not always really interested in making any major adjustments in our lives. Biblically, that's impossible. Every time God spoke to the people in Scripture about something He wanted to do through them, major adjustments were necessary. They had to adjust their lives to God. Once the adjustments were made, God accomplished His purposes through those He called.

When I look at Judges and chapter after chapter says, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord..." I shake my head. Even though they ignored and rebelled against their covenant promise with God, He didn't leave them, He never forsake them. He might have been silent but He never left them. All they needed to do was to turn to God and repent. And each time, God delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.

God created us in such a way that He alone is purposely fitted for our deepest needs. Anything we try to put in a place where God belongs is an idol. Remember the Holy Spirit does not convict us of sin to condemn us but, rather, He convicts us of sin so we will become aware, seek forgiveness, and be set free! So when I find God being silent I begin to look deep in the dirty recesses of my heart and mind to see what might be filling me up rather than God.

Yes, God speaks through "incidents" which take place in our lives, but trust me, those are far less often than God speaking through His Word to us. That is where God will not be silent because it is His self-revelation of Him to us.

So when I don't find God's presence I need to remind myself He will not go back on His promise to not abandon me. But where sin is rampant He is certainly capable of shrinking the presence of the Holy Spirit and leaving virtually no signs of His presence.

There are many conditions which can keep us from truly enjoying God's presence in our personal lives. An example would be not spending adequate time with Him which would significantly affect our pure enjoyment of His presence. Having an underdeveloped prayer life could also be one. Let God's Word become a mirror of what you want reflected in your life. If you ask Him to make Himself so real to you through His Word, you will enjoy God even when you find yourself being confronted by His Holy Spirit! God does get very personal!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
On side note...if you think about it would you pray this morning for a meeting we are having with the care team/PT's/us/mom this morning. We will hear how far she has come and how far she has to go, we can share and ask questions of things we need more information on etc. Thanks ever so much.

Silence

I remember when Josh McDowell’s book, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” came out; a catchphrase that became very popular and still holds true is: ‘Lord, Liar, Lunatic’, when referring to Jesus and in defending Christianity. I thought of that as I read this chapter.

The scariest truth is that in my own observation (even in the Bible belt) we have once again sought out our own RELIGION and PURSUITS as God remains silent. We seek to hear Him in times of trouble and national and personal crises, but would prefer the ‘hands-off’ approach the remainder of the time. I’m speaking WE in the corporate sense here and again, from my own observation and perspective.

It’s as though we have forgotten the definition of faith. More than that we have forgotten the price paid. We have forgotten our history. It always seems so sad that what draws us together in community is typically extreme opposition and war and when we occasionally remember our past. I think we fail to realize and accept we are at war every single day and it seems; though Christ won the ultimate victory, we are losing battles right and left.

I know there are times when I hear the audible voice of God. There are times when I hear inaudibly, the voice of God. It is clearly Him. Yet, I see even in my own life I wander away. I lose track and lose hope when those times of silence come. I could totally identify with the passages on “drinking dreams” and the words on the wall of the concentration camp.

“I believe in the sun, even though it doesn’t shine,
I believe in love, even when it isn’t shown,
I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.”

Piercing truth in these words!

Silence

prophets yell because
their hearts are on
fire.

they scream at the world
trying to wake us up.
they can’t help
it.

after all,
God is in their throats.

This chapter hit me at just the right time as I’m about halfway through the Old Testament and the underlying theme of the Israelites turning their back on God over and over and over again is simply making me crazy! Then I realize that it’s my story, too. I’ve walked away from God over and over and over again – I just like to think of it as being something OTHERS do and not me because I can’t live with myself each and every time it happens.

For a good solid year I’ve had God bouncing around in my head on a daily basis. Every thought, every action, every desire was something that seemed to come straight from Him. We’ve gotten to know each other quite a bit better over the past year during our long talks and midnight prayer sessions. Recently, though, things have quieted down and I have found myself wondering, "Where did God go?" It hasn’t really bothered me but it has been a noticeable absence since the past 12-15 months were so filled with Him every where I went.

What’s been really odd, though, is that it hasn’t really worried me. I know He’s still around and that He loves me and is watching over me so I haven’t abandoned my faith and run screaming into the night hollering, "God where ARE you?" He might be quiet – but He’s still here.

Then, Sunday, as I was sitting in church, everything that’s been on my mind over the past couple of weeks all came together while I sat and listened to pastor give his weekly message. It got to the end of the service and God revealed to me why certain things and people have been on my mind and I started to smile. My heart lit up like He had lit it on fire again and I sat in my chair, tears rolling down my face.

"God’s silence offers us the choice – faith or sight. We can either
abandon our faith or learn to trust in the dark. God leaves that choice up to us…You can either give up on the silence of God or choose to trust Him in the dark as Jesus did while He was dying on the cross."

I choose to trust Him - even in the moments/days/months of silence. Now that I look back on this time, I see how the silence pulled me down even deeper into my pursuit of Him and taught me how to be more quiet on the inside as I waited for God to speak to me again.

And speak He did.

"Maybe God knows that without his silences in our
lives, we will never hear the melody of faith."

Perhaps…

Longing

Gayla's shortest post ever. :)

I couldn't agree with the author more. He retold Ecclesiastes to a T (or is it tee or tea?). Solomon did it all, bigger and better than we could possibly ever top. And Solomon gives us the only remedy. As I commented to Jules yesterday - as Believers, we have the opportunity to live above the sun and enjoy, appreciate and praise God for His good gifts.

Longing

"I think those who've never heard of Eden long for it...And yet in this world we find disappointment after disappointment. We bite into the chocolate bunny over and over again and find it's hollow each and every time." [pg. 65]

We do see people in this day and age hopping from one "experience" to another "experience" as fast as they can. First it may drugs, then it may be affairs, or it could be the corporate power play, the seeking after money to have all the right things...the list goes on. There is that vacuum in every person has which can only be filled by God. They are desperately searching for peace of mind, relief from guilt, meaning and purpose to their lives, and loving acceptance. You and I know that these things can only be found in God. So often, I believe we fall into a misperception. We think because these people are seeking these things they must be seeking after God.

However, I've discovered they aren't really seeking after God. They are seeking after the benefits that only God can provide. They want the benefits all the while they are running from God as fast as they can get away.

Okay, that's their excuse. What is our excuse as believing Christians? Because I really believe, with my whole heart that seeking is the result of faith, not the cause of it. Jules is a prime example. In fact, she just wrote a great post over at Maced With Grace about thirsting called "To Drink". Go over and read it.

When we "find" Christ our experience isn't over. Oh no! It is just beginning. We don't stay at that "beginner" stage. We begin to grow, our faith begins to develop and it deepens, like the layers on an onion. We grow from grace to grace, from life to life. This growth movement is a result of a continual seeking after God. As a new believer I don't know if we truly recognize what we have. Oh yes, we understand we have eternal life. That we are secure in Christ. But as each layer of the onion is added over the years we finally begin to realize, to catch a glimpse, that the most valuable possession a person can ever have is Christ. To have Him is to have everything. We lack nothing!

As that understanding develops then the longing begins to set in. For me, it is the longing to go home. Yes, I get frustrated that I sin. It aggravates me all the time...just like Paul when he spoke about doing the things he hated and not doing the things he should. But I know that sin will be done away with. There will come a point when I will no longer have that powerful struggle. And THAT is where my longing focus' on...my going home.

Longing

"If the world of chalupas and dandruff shampoo and Viagra is all there is, how come I have hungers that none of those things ever seem to satisfy?"

What an appropriate chapter for me to be reading while I’m in the middle of the "Thirty Days of Nothing" challenge. This chapter is exactly why I’m participating in it. Although I think being more conscious of world hunger and poverty are both very honorable things and we all need to start being part of the solution instead of part of the problem, I also know that until I fix the hunger in my own soul I’ll never be able to truly help others fix theirs. It’s impossible to be part of the problem AND part of the solution at the same time.

So when Tonia issued the "Thirty Days of Nothing" challenge, I jumped all over it. I’ve been raised in the original era of mass media and I’ve been feeding on a steady diet of it ever since. I get it from television, radio, magazines, billboards, shopping malls, flyers, newspapers and mail. I have spent my entire life thinking that "if only I made more money" or "if only I drove that car" or "if only I could get him to cut my hair" or "if only I could stick to this diet"…

Well, I gave it my best shot. It took me 45 years to figure out those things weren’t what I was missing in my life and they aren’t the reason I wasn’t happy.

"We tell ourselves that this meal, this promotion, this drug, this one-night stand will finally make us happy. But they don’t because they can’t. It’s the wrong food. We’re feeling our way around a dark
room, groping for a happiness that’s always out of reach. If only we would take the time to turn on the light, we’d see how empty the room really is. We’re looking in the wrong place."

I often wonder why this life on earth comes before our life in heaven. Why not just create us in heaven and let us live amongst the angels, worshipping God for all eternity? Why must we go through all this other stuff first? I think it has something to do with the dichotomy of life. You don’t understand joy unless you’ve known sorrow. You don’t appreciate food unless you’ve gone hungry. You can’t understand that fullness is only found in Jesus Christ unless you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.

And so we spend our lives here on earth swimming upstream, fighting against the current and against the ways of the world. We try endlessly to fill our souls up with the perfect this and the perfect that and, in the end, we realize that nothing in this world is perfect…

Except for the perfect love we come to find in Him.

Longing

“Can something be both as solid as stone and as hollow as an echo? Only one thing.

What’s that? A human heart.”

That hit me immediately as I read this chapter the first time. As simplistic as it all seemed initially, I thought about the anatomy of the heart both literally and figuratively. Many hearts are hard as stone (Lord knows mine was) and yet it’s a hollow with chambers for entry and exit and to serve a purpose. It’s a vital organ. That means without a heart we would perish…literally and figuratively.

The story shared on page 63 rang true for me as well…in my own personal quest.

“… ‘So you live an illusion?’

I paused. ‘I guess so, although I’ve never really thought of it like that.’

‘Has it worked?’

I shook my head. ‘No. But we don’t dare admit it. Instead, we tell ourselves that it’ll most certainly work next time…if only we try harder.’”

The thing that troubles me most about this story is I actually visited churches that live this deceitful truth. What James says is also true…it’s the fastest way to the morgue at our own hand…just try to live up to the quest of perfection (without Christ) and it always comes up short, ALWAYS!

“If we knew that ‘happily ever after’ were only true in fairy tales, we’d give up hope. But instead we tell ourselves there must be more to life.”

How sad for those who think this…but never see the truth of this statement. I’ve said before and I’ll say again…to those who don’t believe in God or eternity or any ‘life’ after death, it must seem so futile. The whole sum of their being is just to succeed on earth (by human standards of success) and then die and end up worm food. That is simply not enough for me. If I truly believed God did not exist…I could never face another morning. There would be no point at all.

I pray that I would always having LONGING both for myself and for those who have never seen truth.

I like that this book is simple enough to share a story and still be poetic enough to stretch my mind.

Longing

This whole chapter asks the question: Why do we try to satisfy our longing for 'the mysterious, the spiritual, the eternal, transcendence, a real relationship with the almighty" with things that can never satisfy...that can never fill that hunger? The author almosts asks this as a rhetorical question...he doesn't seem to answer his own question. Or does he?

Maybe his poem at the end has the answer to that question.

"I need new eyes...eyes that can see in the dark. And through the dark to you"

Spiritual darkness. Blindness.
Why would we rather believe a lie and live an illusion...is the Word of God so hard to swallow? The darkness of our hearts becomes clearer as we see how hard it is to grasp the truth and how it is even harder to live it out....to really live like our greatest need can be met only in Jesus. After healing a blind man, Jesus said, "I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind" John 9:39 (NLT) It's so easy to think we see when in reality we are blind. And we need to know we are blind before we begin to seek the Healer.

It is interesting that two verses later, Jesus says that the blindness doesn't make us guilty. We're guilty when we claim to see when we're blind. (vs.41) And meanwhile chains bind us as we try to fill our lives with ...something. It's no wonder that we are 'addicted' to such a wide variety of passions...trapped.

Not only do we need to fill our 'starving souls' in Christ but we need Him to pierce our blind darkness so we can 'see' where the dining table is.

Meeting the new girl!!

WELCOME JULEE !!!

Meet the New Girl!

I got an email over the weekend and it was from a very nice woman who wants to be part of the group so please help me welcome Julee! You can check out her journal here . (Now we've got two Claire's AND two Julie/Julee's!)

Julee, we welcome you to the group! Feel free to write an introductory post about yourself and just tell us a little bit about who you are (wife?/mom?/work?/where you live?) and a bit about your walk with Christ so far and then jump right on in when your book arrives!

Chains

This whole chapter was captivating, right from the very first story about the man who could not break free and walk out a doorway...imprisoned by his own self.

I think one of the things that James does very well is take what is written in Scripture and put it in language that resonates with all of us. His list of addictions include 'Cheetos' and we know exactly what he means (unlike the people of another time and place). In fact that list is one I skipped through at first because I really didn't want to examine my own heart too closely. But I came back to it and read it through more carefully. Which of these things (or others) have me in chains? I don't want want to be like the king's brother...dying in chains of my own making; unwilling even to acknowledge that they are there.

My favorite line: "The crack of dawn at Easter was really the sound of chains falling away."

What a beautiful word picture of what Jesus did.

Chains

So far this has been my favorite chapter.... I relate to it on such a personal level. And oftentimes Ive had all the same thoughts that James offers here.

Why are we such slaves to sin, and even moreso the world? Why is it so appetizing to us to try to please ourselves and others when we KNOW that it never works. It almost doesnt make sense, does it? We know that God is the only one that can fill the void, and yet, we dont do the things we know He would enjoy most. We dont spend time with Him or give Him the things He deserves from us. We overeat, overspend, overindulge, etc..... why?

God has taken the chains off and yet.... we keep going back to the garbage, fishing them out, putting them back on, and walking around with them like some kind of new fashion accessory. And then after awhile, we get tired of them, and ask God to take them off again.... such a crazy, vicious cycle.

You know, I talk to people about what the afterlife and the 2nd coming is going to be like and how we think its going to be. And its really scary that what scares alot of people the most is typically the same thing. Specifically, I recall a conversation with a friend of mine. We were talking about Revelation and the final judgment, and how we would be accountable for all the sins in our lifetime. And what was her biggest fear about the whole thing? It was that everyone else would see all her sins and she would be so ashamed.... and when I wanted to talk about how it would affect her to have Jesus/God see all her sins - no, that didnt matter - it was everyone else seeing them that would have her so embarrassed.... makes me so sad to think that it would matter more even in the afterlife of what people were thinking of you then to be compared to a most Holy God and to not even give it a second thought....

This is why I most look forward to Lent and this 30 Days to Nothing experiment. It forces me to be accountable and really think about my actions and why I do the things I dont want to do (as even Paul admits to). Hopefully, it can help me change and grow closer to the image of Christ, so that I will be less ashamed to stand next to Him when that day comes.

Chains

I must say, the author really knows how to weave a story. I wish I could write more vividly. :)

As I see it, though, a detriment that can (sometimes) arise from such picturesque writing is that it leans toward being euphemistic. Example: "Compromise, unbelief and idolatry swayed their hearts. They left the land of slavery, but they took their chains along. A shadow had ensnared their souls." (and there are more examples) Descriptive language, to be sure. But, I think we need to remember that these chosen people of God were downright disobedient. Disobedient because they possessed a sin nature from birth. Ergo, they had a natural bent toward sin. As do we.

Genesis 6:5 - Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And again in Genesis 8:21 - The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth

Yeah, people, the Israelites were evil. We're evil. I'M evil. Makes me shudder, actually, because that's a REAL harsh word and a real hard truth. Thank God for His Holy Sprit who lives within me, so that at least I'm able to be inclined to holiness. The Bible says (Romans 8) we're not able to choose Him, or be inclined toward God unless He regenerates our hearts. So the good news is, as Believers, we don't have to be slaves to sin.

No doubt there are some very difficult truths in Scripture, and they must be taught. Sin is sin, and not only does it separate us from the Holy God, it is an offense to Him. As God grants us His grace, we (I) must be willing to come before Him with a contrite heart, broken over my sin. (Psalm 51:17)

Living in chains of grace...

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Addendum: I was going to write this as a comment, but then thought I'd better go ahead and put it in my own post. I am very concerned about pointing our readers to Jesus, who is THE Way, the Truth and the Life - His is the world's only Savior. The truth lies within the Scriptures, nowhere else. That certainly applies to Christians, and it also applies to non-Christians, whether they believe it or not. One day, EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil 2:9-11).

That said, here is my concern: It bothered me the other day when I read about all this 'mystery' to God. I didn't comment on that entry, but it's been brought up again so I think I will address it.
Everything about God is NOT wrapped up in mystery, and I think we must be very careful when we say that it is. I'm not saying there is no mystery, because He is supernatural and there most definitely IS mystery to Him. There are many things we cannot understand. (Deut 29:29 - The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.)

BUT...

In assigning too much to the mysterious, the 'unknowable,' is to then absolve ourselves of any responsibility. (It can also lead to mysticism, contemplative prayer, Eastern religious practices - all not scriptural.) It is abundantly clear in the Scriptures exactly who God is. That's what the Bible is - God's self-revelation to us.

It is also very clear in the Word, that it's not at all about 'our choice' to 'choose' God. We don't make an intellectual decision to 'choose' Him based on the very unscriptural practice known as 'the sinner's prayer.' HE calls us to Him. (please, please read and study Romans 8 and Ephesians 1)

I cannot, in good faith, let go some of the things said without pointing to the Truth of God's word. We are admonished to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3) and be unashamed of the gospel of Christ. (Romans 1:16)

Chains

The image which first came to mind was Hebrews 12:1 where I am running in the race. Think of the Olympic athletes who run which are stripped down, practically to the bare nothing. The less on, the better. So here I am in life racing...racing...racing...then I notice something which I believe I "must" have. It's a small circular thing, like a link. Wow! If I get just a few more I'll be able to make a connected circle which I could then wear, rather than carry, and just think how much easier that would be! Slowly and ever so carefully, the chain becomes longer and much heavier. But I'm still running....it's just now I'm not running quite so fast. But, I'm feeling great! There really isn't a problem here at all. (So I think.) Eventually, I become bowed down from the weight of the chains and I am barely walking, much less running.

The chain, or link, is anything I hold onto that ends up holding me. I firmly believe that we, as Christians just swat at our chains, kind of like the way we might swat at a gnat and therefore, remain enslaved in our chains. Let's face it, our chains are created by us for our protection and comfort. But instead the chains become our prison and we no longer control them, they control us.

Discipline and determination are important factors when it comes to opening our life to the supernatural power of God. He provides the divine dynamite to blow open every single link in all of our chains! I firmly believe that every link in our chain is related to the "thing" in our life which takes up a higher position than God. Every link is something we feel we must have. And let's not fool ourselves in that every link in the chain, which a believer wears, is a tremendous source of pride for the enemy. Why? Because the enemy cannot enter a believer! We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 1:13-14). Those chains are his attempt at leading us.

My heart overflows with thankfulness and gratitude to God for forgiveness of sin!! I am constantly reminded that virtually anything which cheats me of what God has for me could be considered sin. I have learned (always, it seems, the hard way) that if I don't listen to God and obey in the early stages...the longer I wait...tiptoeing around...the less discernment and strength I have. I also know for a fact that God will not release me from anything that has enslaved me until I've come to the mind of Christ in the matter. I have to adopt the mind of Christ in the matter of whatever has enslaved me. The process of applying God's Truth to the matter is what brings the Cross between me and my "chains." You see, once the mind of Christ has taken over, the power of the chains is broken and the premises begin to be evacuated.

I do believe that this chapter so far has been my favorite. Probably because I love the feel of those chains falling off me! My unsaved friends cannot understand and comprehend how burdened down they are. How they are so....not free. "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

I'll leave you with this verse: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13).