Short Blog: POWERED by Cheese

If every one of us decided to live as Jesus lived… there would be far less issues between us. For in the life of Christ is the map by which we all are called to live.

I know I like cheese in an aerosol can, but Jesus tells us that life is far more than Cheese Whiz. For in the suffering of the Christ most of us miss that it was not about the nails and the spire in the side. But it was about “NOT MY WILL BUT THINE”.

When was the last time you felt and lived that way? Seriously?

Call Me a Sock Puppet

Just recently I was thinking about my greatest need in life. It’s not what you might think. You can create your own list of things you think I might need in life, but let me tell you what that need is.

Since it’s possible to go through life without the leading of the Lord, or at least possible to ignore or reject the leading of the Lord, my greatest need is to be led by God. Let me explain.

In John 5:19, Jesus tells us that He always and only does what He sees the Father doing. As a matter of fact He says that He can do nothing nor will He do anything that He first has not seen the Father doing. In other words Jesus is like a Sock Puppet on the hand of the Father.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be irreverent toward Jesus or the Father. But simply put, God in me and animating me IS the only way I truly desire to live (although I fail many times).

Later in John 10:37, Jesus even tells us we are NOT to believe Him whatsoever, unless He is doing exactly what the Father is doing (how might our lives changed if we told the same to those around us). If the Father is acting, Jesus acted. If the Father spoke, Jesus spoke. If the Father rested, Jesus rested.

Now you may think this is kind of robotic, but it’s not. It’s the only way flesh can do the will of God. Flesh left to itself is mindless and lifeless. Oh it may not look that way from the outside, but without God being the hand inside the Sock Puppet; it’s still just a sock.

No matter what analogy you choose, God has planned it in such a way that we and He become one. As a matter of fact Jesus spoke about how the Father was in Him and He will be in us and we can all be one. Check out Jesus’ teaching on the Sock Puppet concept; John 14.

Please understand that albeit we think we’re living, since we get up and go to work, eat and sleep, and spend and use, we are NOT alive unless the Divine Hand of the Father is slipped neatly into the center of our lives. For the greatest deception we can live with is that we are alive when we are not.

The only way that we CAN LIVE is by allowing God to fully and always dwell so deeply within us, that all we ever do is what He is animating from the inside. When we move, it had better be His guiding hand. When we speak, it had better be His voice we are repeating. If not, we are on a collision course with destruction, only to be veiled in bios life, and NOT empowered by zoe life.

The next time you think you want a life of your own, look at your pile of dirty socks. That’s basically what our lives look like without God IN us.

Call Me a Sock Puppet if you want, I’m okay with that.
1 John 5:11-12

The Rule of Law or the Rule of Love?

Over and over in this day and age we hear the cry for judicial leaders to follow the rule of law. And rightly so, we are living in a time when laws are interpreted and misinterpreted according to personal whim and preference, instead of based upon historic precedence and godly wisdom, balance and justice.

I’m no lawyer nor am I a politician, but what I am is a man who loves the law if and when it is based upon the Rule of Love.

Now granted, law cannot always be interpreted in and through the organ of love, but if genuine love is absent, all law will be interpreted on a subjective basis and that’s where we get into trouble.

Since coming to Christ, I am free from the Old Law. I am under a New Covenant that He established in and through Himself by the shed blood and death of His very own Son, Jesus Christ. And that covenant was ratified by the resurrection of the One cut and separated for the sake of the covenant.

Since coming to Christ, I am now bound by a New Covenant. I am under a new rule; the Rule of Love.

The Bible tells us in Psalms 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Again, the author was originally speaking of the Torah, but in this New Covenant, this new Rule of Love that we are under, this promise of great peace is predicated upon the New Law that Jesus left us.

This New Law amended the old. This New Law has power over the old. As a matter of fact this last and final Law not only supersedes the old, but completely fulfills the old.

Jesus said; “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV) The newness of this command has yet to wear off. For in this very single command all of the other Rules of Law are fulfilled.

My question this hour to each of you is this: Which law do you champion? The Rule of Law or the Rule of Love? Your answer will reveal the depth of peace you possess. And the depth of peace that you possess reveals the depth this New Law is planted within.

It’s one thing to give lip service to law; but it’s a whole other thing to obey it. Love as the basis of law in this New Covenant changes everything.

May we let the Rule of Love stand as our daily precedent to follow.

the FALL-OUT shelter

I can’t remember when I first herd the song “Riding the Storm Out” by REO Speedwagon, but it stuck with me. The siren guitar lick that opens the song and the lyrics “riding the storm out” just hooked me.

If you’ve ever been in a situation where the external pressure upon your life was so great that you had to hunker down behind the walls of a bunker… you just might know what they were singing about. Oh it may not be a bunker of steel and reinforced concrete, but nonetheless it’s a place where you’re looking out into the unknown reverberations of a catastrophic event, wondering if and when the fall-out will ever end.

I remember when I was a kid coming across a can of C-rations or something very similar. It was an olive green metal can of crackers. Maybe something soldiers might have eaten while in a fox hole somewhere or the rations that would have been stockpiled in a bomb or fall-out shelter during the fearful days of the cold-war, but I remember thinking it was kind of weird; crackers in a can.

Anyway, what I really want to write about is the idea of a fall-out shelter. That’s right, a fall-out shelter. A place where one is protected from the residual effects of a nuclear blast so devastating that without it, one could not survive.

Some generation will be on this planet when nuclear war breaks out. Some generation will be on this planet when Jesus Christ the Son of God returns. But the question is; who really knows what generation that will be? I actually believe they’re alive right now.

As it appears, my generation and the ones that follow tend to be more enamored with their newest iphone or their next tattoo then they are with the future. It seems that few today think little beyond Friday (forgive me all you iphone users and friends with tattoos).

The Bible clearly tells us in Hebrews 12:25-29 about a time that is unfolding before our very eyes. It is a time when everything on the earth and in heaven will be shifted and shaken off their once thought firm foundations. It is a time when no manmade fall-out shelter or bomb-shelter will provide protection or security. It is a time when C-rations will seem like gourmet food for those behind the blast shield.

Don’t miss what I’m saying. I’m not simply talking about limited nuclear war (albeit that could be in the mix), but what I’m talking about is all the moorings you once thought were secure will soon be insecure. They will soon be worthless to tie up to during the impending fall-out storm that IS COMING.

In the book of Romans, chapters 1-3, we find God’s wrath being unleashed upon mankind. Paul’s not talking about the judgments of the Revelation, but something far worse, but often unnoticed and benign to the ones caught in the crossfire. He’s referring to times and seasons when mankind refuses to live IN TRUTH and BY TRUTH and thereby forfeits God’s grace and in turn receives God’s wrath upon themselves. In this case the wrath of God is man left to his own designs, believing lies to be true and seeking to live without God’s grace and truth.

My friends that day is upon us. The Old Testament and the New Testament both tell of incidents where people rejected God’s grace and truth, resulting in their own unnecessary demise.

Let me state unequivocally that any manmade fall-out shelter designed to give you aide and comfort following a catastrophic event will fail in its design and intention. Understand I’m not talking about steel and reinforced concrete; I’m talking about fall-out shelters for the soul. I’m talking about manmade coping mechanisms and steps that once hitherto got humanity by, but very soon will be worthless to those seeking solace.

For not only will the physical world be in upheaval, but worse, the emotional and spiritual realms will be rent asunder. And why? Because God IS right. We cannot make it without Him.

But, because He loves us so much He gave us the free will to choose His way or ours. Unfortunately the masses have historically chosen their way. Ergo the wrath we’re beginning to experience; life without grace and truth.

All too often in our modern convoluted Christian age, we’ve been plied with a cheap and easy grace as the most popular pitch point of the sale. All the while ignoring or omitting the other corresponding side of God and Kingdom Life – namely TRUTH.

If you believe you can make it by simply “Riding the Storm Out”… you have another thing coming. No comfort or solace will be found from the storm that is on the horizon, except the shelter of truth from the Most High God.

Get ready… I think I hear the sirens.

Unassuming Opportunities

Recently I had the opportunity to experience several very powerful and possibly even life changing historic landmarks. Both landmarks are worthy of at least one visit in a persons lifetime.

I’m sure some of you would argue other locations as life changing and powerful. Locations such as Ground Zero in New York, or Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. And you’d be right, but the locations that I’m referring to are coupled with displays of broader appeal and significance. So these companion landmarks can be easily overlooked because of their unassuming nature.

Nestled on the south side of the National Mall in downtown Washington DC is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Google it for pictures). A powerful and life changing display of the horror inflicted by the Nazi regime and the untold losses Jews and others suffered.

After three plus hours of a self-guided tour you come to the lower level of the museum (ground level). By this time your heart and soul are bruised and bleeding with compassion and rage. The designers of this particular museum experience intentionally bring you to this point, and that’s good. We must never forget and we must do all we can to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again (unfortunately they are still occurring).

But here’s the part that troubled me and set me thinking. At the end of the tour is the Hall of Remembrance (I think that’s what it’s called – no photographs were allowed). It was a large round room with a domed glass ceiling. All around the perimeter were rows of votive candles that visitors could light. As the candles burned down and out, new ones were put in their place.

There was a gas-lit flame at the front of the room, with an interment of soil from the concentration camps and mass graves where so many died at the hands of their captors. There were several scripture verses from the Old Testament engraved on the walls surrounding the upper perimeter of the room. Several steps allowed you to move down to the center of the room.

The room center was vast and almost intimidating to go out into. Few people did. As a matter of fact that is my point. Few people did.

In this most sacred spot at this beautiful and horrifying museum, few lingered. And worse yet, about one third of the candles were unlit. And visitors were encouraged to light a candle, so it wasn’t like they didn’t want you messing around with the candles. On the contrary, they wanted you to take a moment of reflection and remember and NEVER FORGET. Maybe even say a prayer. I did. As a matter of fact, I was overwhelmed with emotion and had to fight back the tears.

This room was almost empty of visitors. Candles were unlit and little care seemed to be taken by the patrons to even stop for a moment. Most of them seemed ready to leave or head to the gift shop.

I was overwhelmed with grief and frustration. Grief because of the struggle and loss the Jews and others experienced, and all these years later, few still grieve. I was frustrated because we are a culture that does not know how to open our hearts and experience the richer and more important things in life.

Oh we talk about life and death, but more often we talk about the stuff we want within the context of life and rarely if ever embrace the full featured relationship each of us has with death. We treat death like an unwanted step child.

Here’s my complaint. Most people walked right past the Hall of Remembrance. Why? Maybe it’s because they don’t believe it happened. Maybe it’s because most people are freaked out about death, I mean the real thing, not just some CSI TV version of death, but the real deal. You know the kind of death that smells and is cold and is final; not just something that happens on a Thursday night TV show.

So I was troubled by the lack of reverence and grief that was expressed at the end of the tour. God forgive us for our calloused hearts.

The second landmark that went without notice was over on the southwest side of the DC downtown. Tucked safely on the lower west side of Arlington National Cemetery is the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Now granted, there are dozens of smaller memorials, monuments and even trees planted for the brave and honored fallen, but this particular memorial was huge.

Most people go to the cemetery to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, President Kennedy’s burial sight, General Lee’s House and the Iwo Jima memorial. But few seemed to stop at the beautiful and well kept (air-conditioned) memorial for service women.

Again I was saddened and even grieved that this awesome and powerful tribute to women who have served in our armed forces was clearly overlooked by most of the visiting public. Maybe it wasn’t marked well enough, I don’t know. But what I know is that the women who have served and many have died while serving in our military tend to be at the bottom of the “must see” list.

I don’t think it’s intentional, but it’s a travesty nonetheless. Thousands of brave women are currently serving and have served their country, so that I might sit here and blog without the fear of governmental reprisal or death.

My POINT: women and Jews still get little honor or remembrance for the tyranny they’ve experienced at the hands of mankind.

We would do ourselves a great favor if we actually honored and remembered those who’ve suffered and died for their convictions; especially women and Jews (Galatians 3:28).

Well I’d better sign off for now before I get started on another soap-box.

Veneratio

The Perfect Gift

Just this morning I was reading Oswald Chambers, his text was James 1:4. In this passage James entreats us to a goal. That goal, perfect completion lacking nothing, is a major life destination.

When you begin to think about a life that is lacking nothing, that is perfect and complete, it makes you wonder “who left me out of the loop”. I mean really, could there be a better place to live than that?

James writes; “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (New King James Version)

Some of the translators use words like endurance and perseverance when helping us to understand what the Holy Spirit via James was really trying to tell us.

But no matter how you slice and dice it, or translate it, the Holy Spirit of God has called and is calling each of us to a place of PATIENCE.

Remember that fourth fruit of the Spirit?

I think the reason patient endurance of all sorts is so critical to our walk of faith is because therein lays the proving ground of a) who we are in Christ and b) a tested level of growth in Him.

Please don’t ever assume your Christian maturity if you find yourself impatient and curt with others. And please don’t ever bemoan your need for something in life when the simple act of waiting just drives you nuts. Because waiting, being patient, enduring time when your wants or needs are held at bay IS the proving ground for genuine Christian faith.

Faith is not proven by going to church, reading your Bible, taking communion or any number of other patterns found in typical Christian life and practice. On the contrary, mature faith is found when we are pressed to WAIT for something.

Waiting becomes a vice that squeezes you until the juice of your real self begins to leak out. And what leaks out determines the readiness of your faith. Is the juice sour and acrid or is it sweet and satisfying? And keep in mind that judgment of ones patience lays at the feet of those who surround us. We are not the ones who judge if our patience is right enough, but it is those who are functioning in God’s hand as the vice.

So the next time you feel imperfect, incomplete, and lacking all sorts of things in life, check your patience level. You just might need a tune up (you’re probably getting one and you don’t even realize it). And that tune up will come under the duress of waiting.

Let me give you the Perfect Gift: The gift of WAITING. If you’re patient, that gift may arrive today, or tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, or the next.

Don’t worry, it will arrive eventually. Galatians 6:9

A Slow Reader (corrected version)

Ever since I can remember reading has been an arduous task for me. Not because I don’t like literature or acquisition of information; on the contrary I do. But reading has been difficult because somewhere around second or third grade I had some really bad reading teachers. And at the same time I believe they dropped phonics training for whatever reason and that surely didn’t help me.

The earliest recollection I have of my reading challenges were sitting around a table with other kids. We were asked to read our assigned portion and then move to the next person in the circle, and so on and so forth. You’ve got the picture, kids reading Dick and Jane around the circle. Harmless... right?

Well, I was very slow and struggled with pronunciation. When it was my turn to read, my struggle was so evident and my nerves overwhelmed me that several other kids in the circle would begin to guffaw and groan as if to say… “Come on, hurry up, you’re so slow” with rolled eyes. That was painful to say the least.

As a result I would flair up and tell them to shut up. Then they would argue back with me and then the teacher would get fed up with the situation and blame me and move me from the circle. She would tell me to go read on my own. I would be assigned a desk by the window in the back of the room where I wouldn’t be such a distraction to the better impatient readers.

That was horrendous because not only was it embarrassing, but it retarded my reading development to a great degree.

So here I sit, almost 50 and I love to read but I’m extremely slow. As a result, if and when I want to read something it takes me what seems like a very long time to labor through a book. I think I clocked myself at around 20 pages per hour. I know it depends on the depth of the material, but somehow the deeper the work the more retention I experience (maybe because depth requires slowness and contemplation), but nonetheless reading is a labor of love for me.

So let me ask you; are the good things in life hard for you? For instance, is reading a challenge or a bore to you? Is study of important information hard for you? Do you struggle with impatience when things don’t make sense to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone.

The problem is the best information and experiences in life are sometimes difficult to attain. Often the best things in life are NOT on the low shelf. Therefore one must scale heights of access to reach the best fruit. And unfortunately many simply give up.

As for me, I’m not giving up. I’m not going to stop reading, but on the contrary, I will press on. For somewhere in the mass amounts of literature and information out there, TRUTH exists. Oh it may be mixed in with all sorts of other things, but if one consumes enough material that is seeded with truth, a very powerful composite picture and understanding of truth begins to emerge.

And TRUTH, not just facts, but TRUTH sets us free. Beware though; we live in a world of facts. Most people can easily discern facts, but our ability to string strategic facts together into a necklace of TRUTH that makes sense can take time and contemplation, but fear not, the process is worth it.

On that note, I’ll go ahead and read a few pages and let the facts pour in and pray for God’s Spirit to show me the TRUTH and cull out error. Read on my friends… read on.

DISCLAIMER: I have many friends and even a few relatives who read very widely and deeply. If that’s you, don’t condemn me if you think my reading is shallow. I try to plumb the deeps when I can, but then again I don’t swim very well, so sometimes I stay in the shallow waters.

Ex Libris