3 INCHES OF WEAKNESS
A single viewpoint, a conjecture, a surmise, or a notion is able to turn a disciple into a drop out. Never underestimate the power of suggestibility. A solitary idea or opinion, if rehashed, reworked, and recited, will overtime come to be considered by the mind a hard fact. Your opinions are not fact but the Word of God is.
“Anyone who hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house
on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
From this day forward consider your Achilles Heel. Achilles: the mighty Greek hero. Achilles: the semi immortal. Achilles: the invulnerable who took his revenge on Hector during the siege of Troy. Achilles: handsome, brave, but with three inches of weakness.
In Greek legend Achilles’ mother wished to cover her young son with immortality by dipping him in the river Styx. By the heel she held her young son upside down while she dipped him tenderly in the magic that she believed was vested in the waters of Styx. The madness of magic obeyed according to the ritual she observed. But no madness of magic touched the boy’s heel. Her hand was in the way. On the battlefield of Troy, a lucky arrow struck Achilles in the exact spot where his mother’s hand griped him the many years before. Three inches, on the young warrior’s heel, was his only weakness. No much really, a mere three inches, but three inches was enough to be a target for the killer arrow’s tip to find.
Today is a new lesson for you. The lesson asks you to consider your Achilles Heel? Where is your weak spot? Where is your three inch target? Are you safeguarding yourself against the attack of the wrong repetitious thought?
“Take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Ephesians 6:16
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
WHERE IS YOUR SECURITY?
Everyone who travels by air goes through airport security checkpoints. It’s not quite a full body check but dropping your shoes, stripping your belt and watching a complete stranger X-ray your undies can’t but not pinch a flyer’s sense of privacy. These TSA checkpoints are there for a reason. A good reason all agree. But there is a bit of irony in the pursuit of security when it demands the one seeking that security must first oblige by surrendering over the security that the flyer feels when they can keep their privates, private.
Privacy is the ability of secluding information about yourself from others. The more “personal” the information is felt to be, then the greater the gain to keep it under control.
Before God, we have no privacy. Ironically, in the Kingdom of God, the loss of privacy actually promotes a sense of security.
It is human nature to build walls and lock locks. It is God’s nature to tear down walls and unlock locks.
Jesus Christ taught that the Christian life is entered by the new birth. Jesus referred to the nature of children when describing the new birth. "Except you be converted, and become as little children," said the Lord Jesus, "you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
Do you think that children have a developed sense of privacy? Or might they acquire their sense of it through watching their parents?
How invested are you in controlling your personal information? Do you give out your Social Security number? Do you order online? How has the wave of identity theft incidents changed the way you do business?
Your assignment this week is to scan your sense of privacy. You should prayerfully rethink the issue of privacy. Think of privacy issues along more spiritual lines rather than just using financial concerns as the only criteria.
The Apostle Paul was friendly to images of “childhood” as a meaty metaphor. The word “child and children” are guests on more than just one occasion in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul liked the particular Greek term translated as “pre-talker.” Paul likened a child’s struggle to grow up as a parallel for a Christian seeking to “grow up in Christ. “
At the conclusion of First Corinthians chapter thirteen, he depicts that struggle with artistic persuasion. A small child looks out at a world that rarely makes enough sense. It’s a big world. It’s far too big to make a whole lot of sense. “Now, we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
The thought of imperfect seeing is Paul’s first point. Paul refers to the mirrors of his day. Ancient mirrors were often just polished metal and required constant polishing. The city of Corinth was famous for its production of mirrors; considered to be some of the finest. For the upper crust, metal mirrors weren’t sufficient. They could afford mirrors made out of agate. Nero the Roman Emperor was said to own a mirror made of polished emerald.
The figure of the mirror illustrated the struggle for maturity. How does one respond to a world where the laws and principles of God seem to be so easily subverted?
The word for “poor reflection” is the word for riddle. A riddle is a puzzle in the form of a question. Life’s big questions are “who are you?” “What do you want?” “Why are you here?” “Where are you going?” The path to maturity means you must try your best to answer these enigmas within the context of the world you live. If you rely only on your physical sight, you will be confused and perplexed.
In a world of sin and chaos, the Christian seldom finds the world outside them to be very cooperative.
Paul concludes with a key that unlocks the enigma. He directs the reader’s mind to look beyond the physical world and see a spiritual truth that is unchanging. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
What is Paul saying? He is offering you a promise of ongoing security. Paul is persuading the Christian from seeking too much security from this world. How can one find a satisfactory level of security from something that is far too confusing to comprehend? But security can be found in “even as I am fully known.”
Remember the TSA scanner? They peer into your private sanctuary made by Samsonite? Remember feeling the uncomfortable pinch when you lost your sense of privacy at the terminal? Well, God has fully scanned you. He knows all. He knows you in ways that you could never know yourself. Standing in the presence of God, you lose your sense of privacy but the loss comes without being overcome with fear or embarrassment.
Paul is saying something about Christian maturity. The mature Christian finds their security in some other venue besides physical reality. In Christ, the individual stands naked – without walls or locks – before the eye of God. He knows all. He sees all. He embraces ALL of you with His embrace of grace and love. God’s loving embrace provides the security we crave in a world turned upside down.
Everyone who travels by air goes through airport security checkpoints. It’s not quite a full body check but dropping your shoes, stripping your belt and watching a complete stranger X-ray your undies can’t but not pinch a flyer’s sense of privacy. These TSA checkpoints are there for a reason. A good reason all agree. But there is a bit of irony in the pursuit of security when it demands the one seeking that security must first oblige by surrendering over the security that the flyer feels when they can keep their privates, private.
Privacy is the ability of secluding information about yourself from others. The more “personal” the information is felt to be, then the greater the gain to keep it under control.
Before God, we have no privacy. Ironically, in the Kingdom of God, the loss of privacy actually promotes a sense of security.
It is human nature to build walls and lock locks. It is God’s nature to tear down walls and unlock locks.
Jesus Christ taught that the Christian life is entered by the new birth. Jesus referred to the nature of children when describing the new birth. "Except you be converted, and become as little children," said the Lord Jesus, "you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
Do you think that children have a developed sense of privacy? Or might they acquire their sense of it through watching their parents?
How invested are you in controlling your personal information? Do you give out your Social Security number? Do you order online? How has the wave of identity theft incidents changed the way you do business?
Your assignment this week is to scan your sense of privacy. You should prayerfully rethink the issue of privacy. Think of privacy issues along more spiritual lines rather than just using financial concerns as the only criteria.
The Apostle Paul was friendly to images of “childhood” as a meaty metaphor. The word “child and children” are guests on more than just one occasion in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul liked the particular Greek term translated as “pre-talker.” Paul likened a child’s struggle to grow up as a parallel for a Christian seeking to “grow up in Christ. “
At the conclusion of First Corinthians chapter thirteen, he depicts that struggle with artistic persuasion. A small child looks out at a world that rarely makes enough sense. It’s a big world. It’s far too big to make a whole lot of sense. “Now, we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
The thought of imperfect seeing is Paul’s first point. Paul refers to the mirrors of his day. Ancient mirrors were often just polished metal and required constant polishing. The city of Corinth was famous for its production of mirrors; considered to be some of the finest. For the upper crust, metal mirrors weren’t sufficient. They could afford mirrors made out of agate. Nero the Roman Emperor was said to own a mirror made of polished emerald.
The figure of the mirror illustrated the struggle for maturity. How does one respond to a world where the laws and principles of God seem to be so easily subverted?
The word for “poor reflection” is the word for riddle. A riddle is a puzzle in the form of a question. Life’s big questions are “who are you?” “What do you want?” “Why are you here?” “Where are you going?” The path to maturity means you must try your best to answer these enigmas within the context of the world you live. If you rely only on your physical sight, you will be confused and perplexed.
In a world of sin and chaos, the Christian seldom finds the world outside them to be very cooperative.
Paul concludes with a key that unlocks the enigma. He directs the reader’s mind to look beyond the physical world and see a spiritual truth that is unchanging. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
What is Paul saying? He is offering you a promise of ongoing security. Paul is persuading the Christian from seeking too much security from this world. How can one find a satisfactory level of security from something that is far too confusing to comprehend? But security can be found in “even as I am fully known.”
Remember the TSA scanner? They peer into your private sanctuary made by Samsonite? Remember feeling the uncomfortable pinch when you lost your sense of privacy at the terminal? Well, God has fully scanned you. He knows all. He knows you in ways that you could never know yourself. Standing in the presence of God, you lose your sense of privacy but the loss comes without being overcome with fear or embarrassment.
Paul is saying something about Christian maturity. The mature Christian finds their security in some other venue besides physical reality. In Christ, the individual stands naked – without walls or locks – before the eye of God. He knows all. He sees all. He embraces ALL of you with His embrace of grace and love. God’s loving embrace provides the security we crave in a world turned upside down.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Can you make an idol out of God? The message of the "get rich" gospel teaches its adherents some principles whereby they can use God for thier ends. The traditional New Testament message is just the opposite. "How can God use me?" is the heartfelt prayer of the sinner who has been set free to serve others. This world and the things of this world are passing away. What you hold in your hand today will someday in the future be lost or given away. But what you hold in your heart will last forever. Today, you can surrender your day to God and ask Him to use you. That simple prayer of surrender is the shortest path to find lasting riches.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
DON’T CONFUSE YOUR MENTAL IQ WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL IQ
A recent article in a business journal listed the top 20 qualities an employer looks for in a job applicant. The top three were: follows directions, completes projects and good communication skills.
Surprisingly, mental intelligence didn’t even make the top ten. Mental IQ was listed at number thirteen in the list of twenty.
IQ is an early twentieth century concept. It measures a thing called “smartness.” Your IQ score isn’t limited to your intellect. Did you know that you also have a spiritual IQ?
Your goal this week is to consciously expand your awareness about your spiritual IQ.
Algebra can give you fits but flunking Algebra doesn’t measure your spiritual IQ. The same is true for any of your other school subjects. Intellectual smartness and spiritual smartness are separate.
How do you measure your smartness?
Where does your spiritual IQ come from? Jesus gives it to you through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read John 7:37-39 & Ephesians 1:13
What is spiritual IQ? Your spiritual IQ score is determined by the size and nearness of your spiritual inheritance. How aware you are of it and how much of it you are using.
You will expand your spiritual IQ by creating a compelling picture of your inheritance. The picture must be vivid and Biblical. The more vividly defined the picture, the easier it is to recall. And faster, too.
The Apostle Paul tells us that the Christian’s spiritual inheritance is based strictly on their relationship with Christ. Paul says in Galatians 3, “for you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ…and if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In the Old Testament God offered His love and goodness to His people by giving them the Land of Canaan as their inheritance. In the New Testament, God gives His son to the heirs of faith.
If you’re last name were Weber, Heinz, Hilton, or Gates, you would be rich, privileged, powerful and famous from birth. How influenced would your life be by the single idea that you possessed such great wealth that it would be mathematically impossible for you to spend it in one lifetime?
The roots of your spiritual IQ will tap into the Biblical fact that you possess a world famous inheritance. The Bible says that the God of the universe adopted you. You were living in an orphanage called sin and God walked in through the front door. He personally produced and handed over the adoption papers. They were written in blood. On that day He made you His child and you were made His heir to an ever present spiritual inheritance.
Paul says that “having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” (Ephesians 1:13,14)
Ice cream is rated America’s number one dessert. Americans consume it at the rate of 15 quarts a year for every man, woman and child in the USA. I bet that you’ve got a stash of cookies and cream stowed away in the freezer section of your kitchen? I bet that at this very minute, just the mention of the word “ice cream” can be felt and seen in your mind. Taste the cool sweetness of the sugar and cream. See the waxed container, the colors of the logo, and the container’s shape. Probably you can even visualize exactly where it sitting in your freezer.
You can expand your awareness of your spiritual inheritance by finding a way to picture a container of some sorts. Is it wood or is it made out of a precious metal? Where is it? Under your bed or on top the dresser? Can you hold it in your hand or is it too large for that?
Think it. See it. Make it close. Grab it.
Your spiritual IQ is your Holy Spirit inspired ability to open your inheritance. Before you kick off a new project, go to your inheritance box. When you feel rejected, open up your inheritance. When tempted or tested, when you feel lonely and feel the need for communion with Christ and His presence, go to your box.
“But what’s inside?” you ask.
Inside your box is whatever you need or desire from God in the present moment. Before you were born, God already knew that He would adopt you. Before you were born, He filled your inheritance box with everything that His foreknowledge saw that you would someday need. Read Romans 8:28 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Spiritual IQ says, “blessed BEFORE the test.”
When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave His disciples their inheritance. The gifts of Christ’s victory over sin are to be used and enjoyed today. When God adopted you into His family, He made you His heir. Are you using your inheritance?
A recent article in a business journal listed the top 20 qualities an employer looks for in a job applicant. The top three were: follows directions, completes projects and good communication skills.
Surprisingly, mental intelligence didn’t even make the top ten. Mental IQ was listed at number thirteen in the list of twenty.
IQ is an early twentieth century concept. It measures a thing called “smartness.” Your IQ score isn’t limited to your intellect. Did you know that you also have a spiritual IQ?
Your goal this week is to consciously expand your awareness about your spiritual IQ.
Algebra can give you fits but flunking Algebra doesn’t measure your spiritual IQ. The same is true for any of your other school subjects. Intellectual smartness and spiritual smartness are separate.
How do you measure your smartness?
Where does your spiritual IQ come from? Jesus gives it to you through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read John 7:37-39 & Ephesians 1:13
What is spiritual IQ? Your spiritual IQ score is determined by the size and nearness of your spiritual inheritance. How aware you are of it and how much of it you are using.
You will expand your spiritual IQ by creating a compelling picture of your inheritance. The picture must be vivid and Biblical. The more vividly defined the picture, the easier it is to recall. And faster, too.
The Apostle Paul tells us that the Christian’s spiritual inheritance is based strictly on their relationship with Christ. Paul says in Galatians 3, “for you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ…and if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In the Old Testament God offered His love and goodness to His people by giving them the Land of Canaan as their inheritance. In the New Testament, God gives His son to the heirs of faith.
If you’re last name were Weber, Heinz, Hilton, or Gates, you would be rich, privileged, powerful and famous from birth. How influenced would your life be by the single idea that you possessed such great wealth that it would be mathematically impossible for you to spend it in one lifetime?
The roots of your spiritual IQ will tap into the Biblical fact that you possess a world famous inheritance. The Bible says that the God of the universe adopted you. You were living in an orphanage called sin and God walked in through the front door. He personally produced and handed over the adoption papers. They were written in blood. On that day He made you His child and you were made His heir to an ever present spiritual inheritance.
Paul says that “having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” (Ephesians 1:13,14)
Ice cream is rated America’s number one dessert. Americans consume it at the rate of 15 quarts a year for every man, woman and child in the USA. I bet that you’ve got a stash of cookies and cream stowed away in the freezer section of your kitchen? I bet that at this very minute, just the mention of the word “ice cream” can be felt and seen in your mind. Taste the cool sweetness of the sugar and cream. See the waxed container, the colors of the logo, and the container’s shape. Probably you can even visualize exactly where it sitting in your freezer.
You can expand your awareness of your spiritual inheritance by finding a way to picture a container of some sorts. Is it wood or is it made out of a precious metal? Where is it? Under your bed or on top the dresser? Can you hold it in your hand or is it too large for that?
Think it. See it. Make it close. Grab it.
Your spiritual IQ is your Holy Spirit inspired ability to open your inheritance. Before you kick off a new project, go to your inheritance box. When you feel rejected, open up your inheritance. When tempted or tested, when you feel lonely and feel the need for communion with Christ and His presence, go to your box.
“But what’s inside?” you ask.
Inside your box is whatever you need or desire from God in the present moment. Before you were born, God already knew that He would adopt you. Before you were born, He filled your inheritance box with everything that His foreknowledge saw that you would someday need. Read Romans 8:28 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Spiritual IQ says, “blessed BEFORE the test.”
When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave His disciples their inheritance. The gifts of Christ’s victory over sin are to be used and enjoyed today. When God adopted you into His family, He made you His heir. Are you using your inheritance?
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Spiritual Surrender; resting your oars.
Drifting is not always bad. You can rest while you drift. Your muscles can recharge. A friendly breeze can cool the sweat in your shirt.
Drifting results when you surrender direction. No matter how hard you row, the tide still seems against you. At the point of spiritual surrender you yield your course to the unseen current pulsing beneath the water's surface.
Drifting needn't imply that you are straying off course. Drifting can mean that you are surrendering to an unseen force.
Where are you struggling agaisnt the tide? Arms can fatigue and get cramps. Where is your soul cramping? Maybe God is trying to change your direction. Maybe He wants you to give up? Maybe you're fighting against a "teacher" sent from God with a life lesson? Sometimes, God asks you to change a situation. Sometimes, God commissions a situations to change you.
Today, rest your oars. Enjoy the breeze. Recharge. Drift a little. Pray and reflect.
"The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a watercourse whevever He pleases." Proverbs 21:1
Drifting is not always bad. You can rest while you drift. Your muscles can recharge. A friendly breeze can cool the sweat in your shirt.
Drifting results when you surrender direction. No matter how hard you row, the tide still seems against you. At the point of spiritual surrender you yield your course to the unseen current pulsing beneath the water's surface.
Drifting needn't imply that you are straying off course. Drifting can mean that you are surrendering to an unseen force.
Where are you struggling agaisnt the tide? Arms can fatigue and get cramps. Where is your soul cramping? Maybe God is trying to change your direction. Maybe He wants you to give up? Maybe you're fighting against a "teacher" sent from God with a life lesson? Sometimes, God asks you to change a situation. Sometimes, God commissions a situations to change you.
Today, rest your oars. Enjoy the breeze. Recharge. Drift a little. Pray and reflect.
"The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a watercourse whevever He pleases." Proverbs 21:1
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
MONDAY MORNING MOTIVATOR ON TUESDAY
Spiritual surrender is the high art of soul-making.
Yet the very thought of spiritual surrender is grounds for war, a spiritual war. The exact second you use your will to choose a spiritual surrender; it is an act of war. Surrender is that powerful. It aligns your will with God’s will. This alignment unleashes mighty forces to go to work in the spiritual realm. Having surrendered, God now steps forth to fight your battles for you. Satan fears it much.
Don’t be surprised should spiritual surrender feel too much like a personal defeat. That negative feeling is the language of your prideful ego. In the spiritual realm, surrender is the shortest path to victory.
How much do you know about the art of spiritual surrender?
Spiritual surrender is to give control over to the Lord Jesus. There are two types of issues that need surrendering. One is called a burden. The other is called a baby.
A burden is a matter that isn’t welcomed in your life. A baby is something that you do want, but you realize that God is asking you to sacrifice it to Him. Have you never read the story of Abraham and Isaac?
A burden can be mental, like fear or bitterness. A burden can be physical, like an illness, unemployment or a rebellious son or daughter. A baby likewise can be mental and it can be physical. The chief difference between a burden and a baby is that with one, you are more than happy to give it away. But with the other, there is no natural desire within to let go.
This week, your spiritual exercise goal is to talk with Jesus either about one of your burdens or a personal “baby” that you’re struggling with. Your private prayer sanctuary with Jesus should be seen as a first step. With prayer you surrender your heart to God for inspection. “Lord, tell me what You think. How well am I perfecting the practice of the art of spiritual surrender?’
The first chapter of John’s first epistle reads “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” The kind of darkness and light John speaks of in chapter one are descriptions of the heart. In this context, the heart John describes is God’s. To touch the heart of God is to find the source from which springs forth the purest essence of love and wisdom.
The believer seeks not the heart of God in order to be saved. In the Gospel of John the words are read, “You did not choose me. I choose you.” The Apostle Paul also reminded his church that “God sought us when we sought Him not.” The heart of God is easily found in the person of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is the heart of God clothed in flesh. And the Bible clearly shows that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the heart of God that seeks and finds the sheep that are wandering and lost.
To be found by Christ is to be touched by the heart of God. It is a moment in time that will forever change you. It is unforgettable. It is indescribable. To touch the heart of God makes you a prisoner of a single life encompassing desire. The day you were touched is the day you began your journey to return, again and again to re-experience that touch.
Burdens and “baby’s” provide you with a compelling reason to make the journey.
The journey back depicts the life of Christian sanctification. The sanctification is progressive and continual.
The journey is required. You may refuse the call for many years but finally the emptiness inside that you feel will force you to rethink what you have done. If you are a Christian, then you are a prisoner of grace. In the Biblical, humankind is viewed as either prisoners of grace or prisoners of sin. Once touched by the heart of God, the memory of God’s love and grace will solicit you to accept the Biblical meanings to your heart’s deepest longings.
The prisoner of grace is sanctified in the journey but not saved. The prisoner of God’s heart is already saved.
John’s epistle goes on with these words, “if we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth, but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
John’s words describe the progress of your journey. He uses the term “walk.” It is a metaphor that describes your fellowship with God. From John’s word you discover that fellowship is found only in the light and while standing in the light, your soul is continually sanctified by the light.
Sanctification is a heart-word. It is a Biblical Word that depicts the union and reunion of your heart with God’s.
When you surrender your burden to God, you are standing in the light. When you sacrifice your baby to God, you experience the fellowship of God. The experience of surrender is a teacher of wisdom. It teaches you different ways to identify with the heart of God. Didn’t God sacrifice His one of a kind son? Wasn’t God’s sacrifice His way of sending His love out into a fallen world?
The art of soul-making is the ancient path to Christ-likeness. The art of soul-making shifts your attention away from “how you look” and sets your focus on your heart, your soul, your spirit, or whichever word you choose to use that describes the inner you that is only seen by you and God.
The more you give yourself away to God, the more your life will begin to make sense to you. The less there is of you, the less of you there is to get in God’s way.
How much of your life have you surrendered to God? How self-willed are you yet?
The art of spiritual surrender does not come naturally. Human pride is so inflated with an air of self-importance that the idea of surrender is viewed with disgust. Surrender is seen by pride as a type of defeat. Pride is too embarrassed by the idea because the concept of surrender is clear evidence that contradicts the vaunted boastings of the ego pride.
This week may hold a huge new breakthrough for you. Speaking with Jesus about your struggle to make a spiritual surrender may bring a huge spiritual insight.
Spiritual surrender is a high art of soul-making.
Surrender is powerful. It aligns your will with God’s will. This alignment unleashes mighty forces to go to work in the spiritual realm. Having surrendered, God now steps forth to fight your battles for you.
Spiritual surrender is the high art of soul-making.
Yet the very thought of spiritual surrender is grounds for war, a spiritual war. The exact second you use your will to choose a spiritual surrender; it is an act of war. Surrender is that powerful. It aligns your will with God’s will. This alignment unleashes mighty forces to go to work in the spiritual realm. Having surrendered, God now steps forth to fight your battles for you. Satan fears it much.
Don’t be surprised should spiritual surrender feel too much like a personal defeat. That negative feeling is the language of your prideful ego. In the spiritual realm, surrender is the shortest path to victory.
How much do you know about the art of spiritual surrender?
Spiritual surrender is to give control over to the Lord Jesus. There are two types of issues that need surrendering. One is called a burden. The other is called a baby.
A burden is a matter that isn’t welcomed in your life. A baby is something that you do want, but you realize that God is asking you to sacrifice it to Him. Have you never read the story of Abraham and Isaac?
A burden can be mental, like fear or bitterness. A burden can be physical, like an illness, unemployment or a rebellious son or daughter. A baby likewise can be mental and it can be physical. The chief difference between a burden and a baby is that with one, you are more than happy to give it away. But with the other, there is no natural desire within to let go.
This week, your spiritual exercise goal is to talk with Jesus either about one of your burdens or a personal “baby” that you’re struggling with. Your private prayer sanctuary with Jesus should be seen as a first step. With prayer you surrender your heart to God for inspection. “Lord, tell me what You think. How well am I perfecting the practice of the art of spiritual surrender?’
The first chapter of John’s first epistle reads “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” The kind of darkness and light John speaks of in chapter one are descriptions of the heart. In this context, the heart John describes is God’s. To touch the heart of God is to find the source from which springs forth the purest essence of love and wisdom.
The believer seeks not the heart of God in order to be saved. In the Gospel of John the words are read, “You did not choose me. I choose you.” The Apostle Paul also reminded his church that “God sought us when we sought Him not.” The heart of God is easily found in the person of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is the heart of God clothed in flesh. And the Bible clearly shows that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the heart of God that seeks and finds the sheep that are wandering and lost.
To be found by Christ is to be touched by the heart of God. It is a moment in time that will forever change you. It is unforgettable. It is indescribable. To touch the heart of God makes you a prisoner of a single life encompassing desire. The day you were touched is the day you began your journey to return, again and again to re-experience that touch.
Burdens and “baby’s” provide you with a compelling reason to make the journey.
The journey back depicts the life of Christian sanctification. The sanctification is progressive and continual.
The journey is required. You may refuse the call for many years but finally the emptiness inside that you feel will force you to rethink what you have done. If you are a Christian, then you are a prisoner of grace. In the Biblical, humankind is viewed as either prisoners of grace or prisoners of sin. Once touched by the heart of God, the memory of God’s love and grace will solicit you to accept the Biblical meanings to your heart’s deepest longings.
The prisoner of grace is sanctified in the journey but not saved. The prisoner of God’s heart is already saved.
John’s epistle goes on with these words, “if we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth, but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
John’s words describe the progress of your journey. He uses the term “walk.” It is a metaphor that describes your fellowship with God. From John’s word you discover that fellowship is found only in the light and while standing in the light, your soul is continually sanctified by the light.
Sanctification is a heart-word. It is a Biblical Word that depicts the union and reunion of your heart with God’s.
When you surrender your burden to God, you are standing in the light. When you sacrifice your baby to God, you experience the fellowship of God. The experience of surrender is a teacher of wisdom. It teaches you different ways to identify with the heart of God. Didn’t God sacrifice His one of a kind son? Wasn’t God’s sacrifice His way of sending His love out into a fallen world?
The art of soul-making is the ancient path to Christ-likeness. The art of soul-making shifts your attention away from “how you look” and sets your focus on your heart, your soul, your spirit, or whichever word you choose to use that describes the inner you that is only seen by you and God.
The more you give yourself away to God, the more your life will begin to make sense to you. The less there is of you, the less of you there is to get in God’s way.
How much of your life have you surrendered to God? How self-willed are you yet?
The art of spiritual surrender does not come naturally. Human pride is so inflated with an air of self-importance that the idea of surrender is viewed with disgust. Surrender is seen by pride as a type of defeat. Pride is too embarrassed by the idea because the concept of surrender is clear evidence that contradicts the vaunted boastings of the ego pride.
This week may hold a huge new breakthrough for you. Speaking with Jesus about your struggle to make a spiritual surrender may bring a huge spiritual insight.
Spiritual surrender is a high art of soul-making.
Surrender is powerful. It aligns your will with God’s will. This alignment unleashes mighty forces to go to work in the spiritual realm. Having surrendered, God now steps forth to fight your battles for you.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Do your fresh starts wilt?
Do you begin with a bang but fizzle before you finish?
You naturally long to be more productive. You, more than anyone else, intuitively know just how gifted you are. In your mind’s eye, you can envision yourself living a more abundant life. But how do you bridge the gap between the “present you” and the self you can see in your vision?
You must learn the Biblical art of war.
A first step in bridging the gap can be assessing the level of spiritual warfare in your life. Understanding spiritual warfare can turn frustration into finishing power. The art of war is a subject that may strike you as something new but I assure you my friend Satan has been using the art form all your life to keep your inner resources under his thumb.
Is Satan behind your frustration and fear? Why do you seem to voluntarily choose to settle for less so often on a daily basis?
You are uniquely gifted by God. You are redeemed, restored, ready and redirected. The victory of Christ is yours. He has already given you “the abundant life.” (John 10:9-10) Actually, you are so gifted with His abundance that it would take several lifetimes before you could fully develop all of your Christ-abundance. The fact is, you don’t lack gifts and talents but you do lack the wisdom to protect your good ideas from Satan’s saboteurs.
Crude flintlocks were used by early American frontiersmen to hunt game for food. Near the rifle stock, a tiny pan held a small measure of black gun powder. When the trigger was pulled, a flint rock hammered against the steel pan and ignited a spark. This set off a small explosion. The force propelled forward out the barrel a ball shot. Under conditions when a frontiersman’s powder wasn’t kept dry, the flint would hammer against the steel pan as usual but the wet powder could produce only a weak flash, not the explosion necessary. No shot was fired but a cloud of smoke was produced. Hence the origin behind the modern saying, a “flash in the pan.”
Spiritual growth creates a change in mental patterns. Are you more sin-conscious than Christ-conscious? Satan trembles at the idea that you might take ownership this week of your abundance by thinking differently about yourself. On Easter, Christ rolled away an enormous stone from the tomb where His body had laid. Today, Christ rolls away an enormous stone from your heart. He has risen to live a new life. Have you?
A first step in this new week is for you to prayerfully assess the level of spiritual warfare present in your “flash in the pan” episodes. This first step is taken prayerfully, using Scripture as your counselor and exploring the question with a trusted friend. These three simple steps will surprise you. Each step will raise your level of spiritual awareness.
Get Satan out of your ideas and get God in.
Being tempted to give up on your vision is a natural stage to spiritual development. You should expect it. Finishing what you start represents a level of victory. There are no such things as small victories. But there are small minds who don’t understand the role small victories play in your destiny.
The teachings of the amazing Christ are a beehive of wisdom. In Proverbs 16:3, He says, “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
The way to finishing what you begin, the way to take your good ideas from the thinking stage to the sharing stage is revealed by Christ in His Word. The Word tells you to “commit” your plans to the Lord. An effective way to avoid another flash in the pan episode is to get God involved in your project.
You don’t want to go to the gym, get God involved.
You don’t feel like doing your homework, get God involved.
You’re afraid of failure, get God involved.
The Hebrew word for “commit” means to “officially deliver to God for safekeeping.” You find here the power to stop repeating the past. When you consciously get God involved in your plans, you are not alone. Success isn’t dependent on you. Your courage and enthusiasm swell because your confidence shifts from being focused on yourself to being focused on your fellowship with God.
You can have fellowship with God when you create that new deck, when you practice a musical instrument, take a college class, adopt a diet plan, sew new curtains, bake a cake, write a book or take up dance lessons with your wife.
When you purpose to do something for God, even little mundane acts that don’t seem to have any spiritual connection to your soul, you are raising the level of your spiritual awareness. Keeping your awareness focused on God’s fellowship in your ideas means winning at the art of war. Success begins with focus and fellowship.
A grassy outfield of a baseball field near our home was converted each September into a football field. The team members pilfered their kitchens sneaking out paper sacks of white flour from home. We’d slice the corner of the sack and pour white chalk lines. With the stuff mom’s made biscuits out of we made a football grid on the green grass. On the grid we’d practice our list of dirt drawn plays after school till it was too dark to see the ball. My brother was on the team. He played high school sports. Some days he couldn’t make our neighborhood practices. The days my brother had to miss practice were the days a neighborhood thug made it his project to pick on me. He was older than me. He was bigger and he could hit me so hard the force knocked the air out of my lungs. I would have probably given up and quit had it not been for those practices where my big brother showed up. When my brother attended practice, the thug wilted. No one bullied me because my brother was involved.
I came to realize the spiritual wisdom of that football episode many years later. God was using my experience with that bully. The thug was Satan, my brother symbolized the presence of Christ. With my brother’s presence, I entrusted my physical well being to him. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder. I wasn’t afraid. I could enjoy playing the game. Without my brother’s protection, my football aspirations would have probably been a “flash in the pan.”
I didn’t always get to play the position that I wanted most. Our football team never had an undefeated season. We lost a lot of games. But I had a successful football career because through my experience I gained spiritual wisdom. That was my success. God chose it. He had it in mind to give to me all along. I can’t define exactly how God will bless me with success but I can make the conscious choice to get God involved in my projects by committing my way unto the Lord.
Getting God involved in your ideas is the way to receive finishing power. Committing your ideas unto the Lord is the first step in making war on “flash in the pan” episodes. This week, consciously get God involved in your ideas
Do you begin with a bang but fizzle before you finish?
You naturally long to be more productive. You, more than anyone else, intuitively know just how gifted you are. In your mind’s eye, you can envision yourself living a more abundant life. But how do you bridge the gap between the “present you” and the self you can see in your vision?
You must learn the Biblical art of war.
A first step in bridging the gap can be assessing the level of spiritual warfare in your life. Understanding spiritual warfare can turn frustration into finishing power. The art of war is a subject that may strike you as something new but I assure you my friend Satan has been using the art form all your life to keep your inner resources under his thumb.
Is Satan behind your frustration and fear? Why do you seem to voluntarily choose to settle for less so often on a daily basis?
You are uniquely gifted by God. You are redeemed, restored, ready and redirected. The victory of Christ is yours. He has already given you “the abundant life.” (John 10:9-10) Actually, you are so gifted with His abundance that it would take several lifetimes before you could fully develop all of your Christ-abundance. The fact is, you don’t lack gifts and talents but you do lack the wisdom to protect your good ideas from Satan’s saboteurs.
Crude flintlocks were used by early American frontiersmen to hunt game for food. Near the rifle stock, a tiny pan held a small measure of black gun powder. When the trigger was pulled, a flint rock hammered against the steel pan and ignited a spark. This set off a small explosion. The force propelled forward out the barrel a ball shot. Under conditions when a frontiersman’s powder wasn’t kept dry, the flint would hammer against the steel pan as usual but the wet powder could produce only a weak flash, not the explosion necessary. No shot was fired but a cloud of smoke was produced. Hence the origin behind the modern saying, a “flash in the pan.”
Spiritual growth creates a change in mental patterns. Are you more sin-conscious than Christ-conscious? Satan trembles at the idea that you might take ownership this week of your abundance by thinking differently about yourself. On Easter, Christ rolled away an enormous stone from the tomb where His body had laid. Today, Christ rolls away an enormous stone from your heart. He has risen to live a new life. Have you?
A first step in this new week is for you to prayerfully assess the level of spiritual warfare present in your “flash in the pan” episodes. This first step is taken prayerfully, using Scripture as your counselor and exploring the question with a trusted friend. These three simple steps will surprise you. Each step will raise your level of spiritual awareness.
Get Satan out of your ideas and get God in.
Being tempted to give up on your vision is a natural stage to spiritual development. You should expect it. Finishing what you start represents a level of victory. There are no such things as small victories. But there are small minds who don’t understand the role small victories play in your destiny.
The teachings of the amazing Christ are a beehive of wisdom. In Proverbs 16:3, He says, “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
The way to finishing what you begin, the way to take your good ideas from the thinking stage to the sharing stage is revealed by Christ in His Word. The Word tells you to “commit” your plans to the Lord. An effective way to avoid another flash in the pan episode is to get God involved in your project.
You don’t want to go to the gym, get God involved.
You don’t feel like doing your homework, get God involved.
You’re afraid of failure, get God involved.
The Hebrew word for “commit” means to “officially deliver to God for safekeeping.” You find here the power to stop repeating the past. When you consciously get God involved in your plans, you are not alone. Success isn’t dependent on you. Your courage and enthusiasm swell because your confidence shifts from being focused on yourself to being focused on your fellowship with God.
You can have fellowship with God when you create that new deck, when you practice a musical instrument, take a college class, adopt a diet plan, sew new curtains, bake a cake, write a book or take up dance lessons with your wife.
When you purpose to do something for God, even little mundane acts that don’t seem to have any spiritual connection to your soul, you are raising the level of your spiritual awareness. Keeping your awareness focused on God’s fellowship in your ideas means winning at the art of war. Success begins with focus and fellowship.
A grassy outfield of a baseball field near our home was converted each September into a football field. The team members pilfered their kitchens sneaking out paper sacks of white flour from home. We’d slice the corner of the sack and pour white chalk lines. With the stuff mom’s made biscuits out of we made a football grid on the green grass. On the grid we’d practice our list of dirt drawn plays after school till it was too dark to see the ball. My brother was on the team. He played high school sports. Some days he couldn’t make our neighborhood practices. The days my brother had to miss practice were the days a neighborhood thug made it his project to pick on me. He was older than me. He was bigger and he could hit me so hard the force knocked the air out of my lungs. I would have probably given up and quit had it not been for those practices where my big brother showed up. When my brother attended practice, the thug wilted. No one bullied me because my brother was involved.
I came to realize the spiritual wisdom of that football episode many years later. God was using my experience with that bully. The thug was Satan, my brother symbolized the presence of Christ. With my brother’s presence, I entrusted my physical well being to him. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder. I wasn’t afraid. I could enjoy playing the game. Without my brother’s protection, my football aspirations would have probably been a “flash in the pan.”
I didn’t always get to play the position that I wanted most. Our football team never had an undefeated season. We lost a lot of games. But I had a successful football career because through my experience I gained spiritual wisdom. That was my success. God chose it. He had it in mind to give to me all along. I can’t define exactly how God will bless me with success but I can make the conscious choice to get God involved in my projects by committing my way unto the Lord.
Getting God involved in your ideas is the way to receive finishing power. Committing your ideas unto the Lord is the first step in making war on “flash in the pan” episodes. This week, consciously get God involved in your ideas
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"I-don't-know-what-to-pray-for" Prayer!
Prayer is both a craving and a conversation.
You feel your prayers as much as say them.
Conversations with Jesus are expressions of faith, adoration and hope. Our sense of need to feel His presence and receive His care act like a set of hydraulics. The need to connect presses the mind to make contact using the words that will satisfy our desire to talk with our Savior. The pressure to communicate ransacks and scans the conscious mind until an exact fit is matched with the exact words. It is a vital element in praying to be able to handoff one's desires to Jesus employing words that aptly show the shape of one's yearnings.
Yes, it is true, words, in and of themselves, never completely determine our prayers. What is more important is the presence of Christian faith in the heart.
But, let us not forget that there is another experience to prayer. Though wordless, it is no less real. An episode often precedes the craft of creating the conversation using words. It begins with an insemination. An impulse appears. A yearning. An intuition. Little more than just a naked desire. Something triggers the impulse to reach up by reaching out.
A single line from a sermon may hail the strange visitor. A song, a memory or even a dream. No precise answer will guarantee an explanation.
St Paul describe the visitor as a "groaning."
Have you ever ached for the simple touch of Jesus' healing love? Or does the idea of spiritual groaning fall on your ear as an idea that is strangely new?
You should expect your pastor to know a thing or two about the kind of prayer that is called, "I-don't-know-what-to-pray-for" kind of prayer.
Believers have a common share in a common commotion. They can sense that their spiritual groanings are groaning for the hope to somehow locate the exact match that will fit the right words with the right converstation.
The spoken words on our lips can express the deepest groanings of the heart.
You needn't linger or feel stuck. The fellowship of Christ is found between two fellow believers. Share your search with your pastor. He will offer counsel from the Words of Jesus Christ. His prayers, united with yours, can bring down the Light that you seek.
Never hesitate because you feel a bit foolish. It is a common expereince with believers. They often feel the need to pray but they don't always feel as if they know the exact words that best craft the conversation.
You feel your prayers as much as say them.
Conversations with Jesus are expressions of faith, adoration and hope. Our sense of need to feel His presence and receive His care act like a set of hydraulics. The need to connect presses the mind to make contact using the words that will satisfy our desire to talk with our Savior. The pressure to communicate ransacks and scans the conscious mind until an exact fit is matched with the exact words. It is a vital element in praying to be able to handoff one's desires to Jesus employing words that aptly show the shape of one's yearnings.
Yes, it is true, words, in and of themselves, never completely determine our prayers. What is more important is the presence of Christian faith in the heart.
But, let us not forget that there is another experience to prayer. Though wordless, it is no less real. An episode often precedes the craft of creating the conversation using words. It begins with an insemination. An impulse appears. A yearning. An intuition. Little more than just a naked desire. Something triggers the impulse to reach up by reaching out.
A single line from a sermon may hail the strange visitor. A song, a memory or even a dream. No precise answer will guarantee an explanation.
St Paul describe the visitor as a "groaning."
Have you ever ached for the simple touch of Jesus' healing love? Or does the idea of spiritual groaning fall on your ear as an idea that is strangely new?
You should expect your pastor to know a thing or two about the kind of prayer that is called, "I-don't-know-what-to-pray-for" kind of prayer.
Believers have a common share in a common commotion. They can sense that their spiritual groanings are groaning for the hope to somehow locate the exact match that will fit the right words with the right converstation.
The spoken words on our lips can express the deepest groanings of the heart.
You needn't linger or feel stuck. The fellowship of Christ is found between two fellow believers. Share your search with your pastor. He will offer counsel from the Words of Jesus Christ. His prayers, united with yours, can bring down the Light that you seek.
Never hesitate because you feel a bit foolish. It is a common expereince with believers. They often feel the need to pray but they don't always feel as if they know the exact words that best craft the conversation.
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