I spent a week praying only for others, aside from asking forgiveness for my shortfalls. I anticipated a grand revelation, but each day, I met with a simple struggle to keep my mind off myself. People came to my mind that I would not have otherwise prayed for, and I expanded my recognition of God as creator and provider.
This all seemed pretty rudimentary, pretty average. Hey, what if that's the point? What if 'I'm average' is the point? Focusing on self was a natural bent for me. I had to fight every day to steer my mind in prayer from things I want to focus on the needs of others. I use 'me' and 'I' more in my prayers than Dr. Seuss used 'Sam I am' in Green Eggs and Ham.
Am I out of whack, self-absorbed, a narcissistic soul amidst the average benevolence of human nature? I seem to be average in every other respect. I'm average height, average weight, brown eyes, brown hair, and above-average intelligence, which is what the average person feels about ones own brain--whether verbalized or silent, most of us feel we are right in the way we think most of the time. Do you think I'm right?
I've handled grief in average ways defined by books and articles. I've experienced mid-life anxiety similar to the average middle-aged male.
I am average. So, perhaps the average human nature is to focus on self, which seems to be what I've done in this post. Depression exists and there are unhealthy expressions of self-loathing (could there be a healthy expression of self-loathing?) But, generally, we don't have to be told to love ourselves. Jesus told us to love others as we love ourselves. Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and love others as ourselves.
The world needs love--sacrificial love. We need God Who is love to indwell us to help us look outward beyond ourselves, to sacrifice our selfishness for giving time, money, thoughts--love to others.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Salty Sacrifice and Holiness
Recently, I was reading a book regarding holiness, which ironically, pointed me back to scripture by pointing out Leviticus as a book devoted to holiness. Many times we search for answers ourselves while God directs us back to His word, so I found no surprise in finding a verse I noted years ago in my Bible:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." Lev 20: 7-8
So even before Jesus came in flesh, God instructed us to set ourselves apart, following His instructions, His law; but regardless of our efforts, it is God who makes us holy. Paul poses the New Testament question of if we should just forget about trying to obey God, so that God's grace can be even greater. The answer is absolutely not, and James expanded that answer to write that faith without works is a dead faith.
Getting back to Leviticus and holiness, how does this work if God does the work, but we are supposed to play an active part. Isn't playing an active part, in essence working?
If I do not lie with a man as a man lies with a woman, will God make me Holy? What about if I avoid taking my wife's sister as a rival wife? Or not mating different kinds of animals? Or not eating blood, making sacrifices correctly, burning mildew? What do all these laws mean?
Leviticus runs through a ton of instructions to give further detail from God's greatest instructions as applied to the Israelites. Much discussion can be had on what those instructions meant to them at that time in relation to modern times on this side of the cross--but as a general look, it seems that the point of all the instructions was laying out things that would sever relationship with God, setting us apart from God instead of setting us apart for God.
How do we set ourselves apart for God?
"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Lev 2:13
We must make an offering to God. We don't make grain, or fellowship, burnt or guilt offerings today as they were prescribed back then, but this description given of the grain offering means everything compared with the offering we are asked to give today. Jesus told us to sacrifice ourselves by taking up our cross daily to follow Him. Paul describes the Levitical instruction in greater detail in Romans 12:1.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
And when we offer our bodies, we should be applying plenty of salt. Does this mean we should shower each morning in saltwater? I don't think so, but Jesus referred to us in Mw 5:13 as the salt of the earth. We don't want to lose our saltiness, so should be bathing in the light of Jesus each day to salt our living sacrifices in the Spirit.
We can't produce the salt ourselves. From where does it flow?
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Lev 17:11
This verse referenced the restrictions of eating blood given to the Israelites, but we can see God's message that becomes clearer this side of the cross. It is the blood of Jesus that makes atonement for our sins. Jesus is THE salt of the covenant. That is why we must salt our lives with Christ. He makes us holy, set apart, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." Lev 20: 7-8
So even before Jesus came in flesh, God instructed us to set ourselves apart, following His instructions, His law; but regardless of our efforts, it is God who makes us holy. Paul poses the New Testament question of if we should just forget about trying to obey God, so that God's grace can be even greater. The answer is absolutely not, and James expanded that answer to write that faith without works is a dead faith.
Getting back to Leviticus and holiness, how does this work if God does the work, but we are supposed to play an active part. Isn't playing an active part, in essence working?
If I do not lie with a man as a man lies with a woman, will God make me Holy? What about if I avoid taking my wife's sister as a rival wife? Or not mating different kinds of animals? Or not eating blood, making sacrifices correctly, burning mildew? What do all these laws mean?
Leviticus runs through a ton of instructions to give further detail from God's greatest instructions as applied to the Israelites. Much discussion can be had on what those instructions meant to them at that time in relation to modern times on this side of the cross--but as a general look, it seems that the point of all the instructions was laying out things that would sever relationship with God, setting us apart from God instead of setting us apart for God.
How do we set ourselves apart for God?
"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Lev 2:13
We must make an offering to God. We don't make grain, or fellowship, burnt or guilt offerings today as they were prescribed back then, but this description given of the grain offering means everything compared with the offering we are asked to give today. Jesus told us to sacrifice ourselves by taking up our cross daily to follow Him. Paul describes the Levitical instruction in greater detail in Romans 12:1.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
And when we offer our bodies, we should be applying plenty of salt. Does this mean we should shower each morning in saltwater? I don't think so, but Jesus referred to us in Mw 5:13 as the salt of the earth. We don't want to lose our saltiness, so should be bathing in the light of Jesus each day to salt our living sacrifices in the Spirit.
We can't produce the salt ourselves. From where does it flow?
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Lev 17:11
This verse referenced the restrictions of eating blood given to the Israelites, but we can see God's message that becomes clearer this side of the cross. It is the blood of Jesus that makes atonement for our sins. Jesus is THE salt of the covenant. That is why we must salt our lives with Christ. He makes us holy, set apart, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Running
Running invites the thrust of youth.
Age pushes back with pain and pounding ferocity.
Yet heels will pound ferociously against the wind.
The breath of age, the breath of discouragement, the very breath of the Enemy--
damn that breath, that wind, those lies!
Run free in the power of the Spirit!
Though knee gives pain, gut upheaval, carry on to defy opposition.
Cannot catch the fleet feet,
but the goal is not to catch feet.
Catch the breath of God, His Spirit driving, pulling, pushing, encouraging, disciplining!
Drive for Him, in Him and with Him.
Run, run, run,
run free!
Age pushes back with pain and pounding ferocity.
Yet heels will pound ferociously against the wind.
The breath of age, the breath of discouragement, the very breath of the Enemy--
damn that breath, that wind, those lies!
Run free in the power of the Spirit!
Though knee gives pain, gut upheaval, carry on to defy opposition.
Cannot catch the fleet feet,
but the goal is not to catch feet.
Catch the breath of God, His Spirit driving, pulling, pushing, encouraging, disciplining!
Drive for Him, in Him and with Him.
Run, run, run,
run free!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dealing with Pain and Struggles
We are studying Luke 17:3-4 and the need to forgive those who have sinned against us--those who have caused us pain and struggle.
Luke reads: "So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
This is a powerful section about Jesus' instructions for approaching sin in others and the power of forgiveness and repentance in our Christian relationships. We all fall short of the glory of God, so we will find ourselves both on the repentance and forgiveness sides of our relationships; and Jesus is calling for us to set ourselves apart from they way the world handles pain and retribution. "Don't get mad, get even," is a common ideology from the world. Jesus is commanding us: "Don't get mad, forgive; Don't get even, repent."
Jesus calls us to be holy--set apart from the world. In studying this week's subject, I read through 1 Peter 1:15-16 as well:
"But as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
When I read "...for it is written..." I searched for the references from where 'it' was written. I found the command in an Old Testament book that loves commands: Leviticus. God commands this multiple times in chapters 11 and 20, but chapter 20, verses 7-8 resonated most with my study and the scripture from 1 Peter. The Holy Spirit directed my attention:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy."
In this brief scripture, God says much on the combination of faith, works, grace and forgiveness.
First, He commands us to be holy--set apart for Him. If we are to be in communion with His Spirit, our spirits need to be set apart from the pursuits and logic of this world.
Secondly, He explains why. He is the Lord our God, but He isn't our God if we are setting up idols and alternative thrones here on this earth. The world preaches to place ourselves on the throne and seek to be served. God commands that we serve and worship Him on His throne, recognizing Him as the giver of life and creator of all matter, anti-matter; seen and unseen.
Third, He explains the definition of a holy life. A holy life is keeping God's decrees and following His ways. We can try with all our might, but no man has proven to be able to follow all of God's commandments wholeheartedly with perfection.
So how can we follow His decrees? How can we forgive those indebted to us? How can we seek true repentance?
In verse 8, God states that He is the Lord, "who makes you holy." God does the work! Way back in Leviticus, God alludes to the power of the Gospel and His everlasting grace! How cool is that? Through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sin debt is paid. Through His resurrection, He conquered death, which was our debt to sin. Through our trust placed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we repent and are baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit then indwells our spirit, resurrecting to life our formerly dead spirit! God in us then goes to work, setting us apart, guiding us to forgiveness, to repentance and growing us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, now and forever! AMEN!
Luke reads: "So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
This is a powerful section about Jesus' instructions for approaching sin in others and the power of forgiveness and repentance in our Christian relationships. We all fall short of the glory of God, so we will find ourselves both on the repentance and forgiveness sides of our relationships; and Jesus is calling for us to set ourselves apart from they way the world handles pain and retribution. "Don't get mad, get even," is a common ideology from the world. Jesus is commanding us: "Don't get mad, forgive; Don't get even, repent."
Jesus calls us to be holy--set apart from the world. In studying this week's subject, I read through 1 Peter 1:15-16 as well:
"But as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
When I read "...for it is written..." I searched for the references from where 'it' was written. I found the command in an Old Testament book that loves commands: Leviticus. God commands this multiple times in chapters 11 and 20, but chapter 20, verses 7-8 resonated most with my study and the scripture from 1 Peter. The Holy Spirit directed my attention:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy."
In this brief scripture, God says much on the combination of faith, works, grace and forgiveness.
First, He commands us to be holy--set apart for Him. If we are to be in communion with His Spirit, our spirits need to be set apart from the pursuits and logic of this world.
Secondly, He explains why. He is the Lord our God, but He isn't our God if we are setting up idols and alternative thrones here on this earth. The world preaches to place ourselves on the throne and seek to be served. God commands that we serve and worship Him on His throne, recognizing Him as the giver of life and creator of all matter, anti-matter; seen and unseen.
Third, He explains the definition of a holy life. A holy life is keeping God's decrees and following His ways. We can try with all our might, but no man has proven to be able to follow all of God's commandments wholeheartedly with perfection.
So how can we follow His decrees? How can we forgive those indebted to us? How can we seek true repentance?
In verse 8, God states that He is the Lord, "who makes you holy." God does the work! Way back in Leviticus, God alludes to the power of the Gospel and His everlasting grace! How cool is that? Through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sin debt is paid. Through His resurrection, He conquered death, which was our debt to sin. Through our trust placed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we repent and are baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit then indwells our spirit, resurrecting to life our formerly dead spirit! God in us then goes to work, setting us apart, guiding us to forgiveness, to repentance and growing us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, now and forever! AMEN!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Nabeel Qureshi
www.acts17.net
I shared a youtube video of Nabeel's testimony with our high school youth group...I also heard him speak at church. He's got a powerful story and is eloquent with apologetics and the Gospel.
I shared a youtube video of Nabeel's testimony with our high school youth group...I also heard him speak at church. He's got a powerful story and is eloquent with apologetics and the Gospel.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Creation
Create what is uncreative
set out for ordinary
navigate normalcy
Stand out to be whacked
Back to the safety of mediocrity
Passive language
Describing being rather than action
Raze the foundation of safe
uncreated creation
Raze perception of the uncreated
Demolish ordinary, annihilate passivity
The uncreated created all
Breathed life into something from nothing
Seek the uncreated for meaning, truth
beyond human mediocrity, exceeding language
into space, time, passing through
safety of parameters
into holes of everything but nothing
through dimensions emitting nothing
Nothing but curiosity
Is being active
producing an active being
or being, abiding
action to behold
Behold the uncreated
Creation holds You as nothing
Nothing from which came everything!
set out for ordinary
navigate normalcy
Stand out to be whacked
Back to the safety of mediocrity
Passive language
Describing being rather than action
Raze the foundation of safe
uncreated creation
Raze perception of the uncreated
Demolish ordinary, annihilate passivity
The uncreated created all
Breathed life into something from nothing
Seek the uncreated for meaning, truth
beyond human mediocrity, exceeding language
into space, time, passing through
safety of parameters
into holes of everything but nothing
through dimensions emitting nothing
Nothing but curiosity
Is being active
producing an active being
or being, abiding
action to behold
Behold the uncreated
Creation holds You as nothing
Nothing from which came everything!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Yada -- Knowing God More
After some encouragement from others desiring to see my journal on this experience, I am sharing my journal notes from an exercise in prayer, listening for God rather than talking. I encourage you to spend an extended period of praying to God to know Him more and then listen for Him, patiently, and with not only your mind or your ears open, but all of your senses to how He may want to communicate with you. Here's Day 1:
Praying to know God—to see His face, to know Him more…
Day one:
In prayer today my mind wandered a bit and staying focused on God rather than self was difficult, but as I struggled, a rain-soaked chunk of soil entered my thoughts. Dark black dirt bleeding water beside a stream poured through my heart. Though plain and dirty, grass grew lush green on the banks, and the mud and muck screamed life. God creates. He uses muck to produce life and beauty. The darkest, dirtiest soul, once saturated to bleeding out living water glorifies the Creator with the beauty of fresh life.
He breathed life into all—into me. My breath is the breath of God our Creator—Who created everything. What then shall I breathe but God and His word, that I may inhale Christ and exhale life to a suffocating world? Sola Deo Gloria!
Praying to know God—to see His face, to know Him more…
Day one:
In prayer today my mind wandered a bit and staying focused on God rather than self was difficult, but as I struggled, a rain-soaked chunk of soil entered my thoughts. Dark black dirt bleeding water beside a stream poured through my heart. Though plain and dirty, grass grew lush green on the banks, and the mud and muck screamed life. God creates. He uses muck to produce life and beauty. The darkest, dirtiest soul, once saturated to bleeding out living water glorifies the Creator with the beauty of fresh life.
He breathed life into all—into me. My breath is the breath of God our Creator—Who created everything. What then shall I breathe but God and His word, that I may inhale Christ and exhale life to a suffocating world? Sola Deo Gloria!
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