Friday, December 3, 2010
New Place for Me | QuintinMoore.com
Hello everyone...It's been a long time coming but I have moved my blog to a new website. QuintinMoore.com...Update your bookmarks and feed readers and join me over at the new place!
HOW TO SPEAK WORDS TO THE WEARY!
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned.”
Isaiah 50:4 NKJ
Isaiah reveals to us how he received messages from the Lord. Like every other human being when he took care of his health by eating and sleeping regularly. In the morning, when he was the most rested and refreshed, when he was the most sensitive to spiritual responses, hew would get a “nudge” from the Lord. “Wake up, Isaiah, I have many things to tell you.”
Solomon wrote: “...when you awake, they (the words of God) will speak with you.” (Pr. 6:22) Jesus often challenged his disciples: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” Waking up is the first step. Hearing from the Lord is the next step. This is why a consistent plan of daily devotions is so important and vital to spiritual health.
Isaiah tells us that the result of awakening and listening to the Lord, is the ability to say the right word to the right person in the right place at the right time. Eyes open from sleep, ears open to God and then your mouth will open to speak refreshing words to the languishing, weary followers of the Lord.
Eyes open, Ears open, Mouth open -- that is a good sequence -- for us as well as for Isaiah!
Isaiah 50:4 NKJ
Isaiah reveals to us how he received messages from the Lord. Like every other human being when he took care of his health by eating and sleeping regularly. In the morning, when he was the most rested and refreshed, when he was the most sensitive to spiritual responses, hew would get a “nudge” from the Lord. “Wake up, Isaiah, I have many things to tell you.”
Solomon wrote: “...when you awake, they (the words of God) will speak with you.” (Pr. 6:22) Jesus often challenged his disciples: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” Waking up is the first step. Hearing from the Lord is the next step. This is why a consistent plan of daily devotions is so important and vital to spiritual health.
Isaiah tells us that the result of awakening and listening to the Lord, is the ability to say the right word to the right person in the right place at the right time. Eyes open from sleep, ears open to God and then your mouth will open to speak refreshing words to the languishing, weary followers of the Lord.
Eyes open, Ears open, Mouth open -- that is a good sequence -- for us as well as for Isaiah!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Power of 3!
... a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
One strand of cord can easily be severed. Two strands of cord can be stretched and pulled until they split. But a threefold cord is not easily broken.
Scripture never tells us exactly what these three strands symbolize. But here are some ideas that I have found:
1. Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Family ties. Man had a serious rupture from Adam to Noah. But with his three sons to help him, Noah survived.
2. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Covenant relationship. naming these three and claiming the blessings that were given to them through covenant is the very basis of our faith.
3. The Law, the prophets, and the scriptures. These three make up the truth as revealed to Israel.
4. Spirit, Soul, and Body. All three of these must function in harmony in order for man to live life.
5. Husband, wife, and child. The basic family unit.
6. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity. God Himself is a community of three.
7. ( your thoughts) I have left this one blank so you can send me your suggestions.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
One strand of cord can easily be severed. Two strands of cord can be stretched and pulled until they split. But a threefold cord is not easily broken.
Scripture never tells us exactly what these three strands symbolize. But here are some ideas that I have found:
1. Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Family ties. Man had a serious rupture from Adam to Noah. But with his three sons to help him, Noah survived.
2. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Covenant relationship. naming these three and claiming the blessings that were given to them through covenant is the very basis of our faith.
3. The Law, the prophets, and the scriptures. These three make up the truth as revealed to Israel.
4. Spirit, Soul, and Body. All three of these must function in harmony in order for man to live life.
5. Husband, wife, and child. The basic family unit.
6. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity. God Himself is a community of three.
7. ( your thoughts) I have left this one blank so you can send me your suggestions.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Advent... just around the corner!!!
We are about to celebrate “Advent.” Advent is the sacrament of the PRESENCE of God in His world. His purpose to unify all things together in Christ, begins and continues in the mystery of His Advent (Eph. 1:10). The Presence of Christ in the world as Savior, is the Advent that changed and continues to change the world.
We understand that there are three Advents. The first of these is the one in which Christ entered into the world, having received a Human Nature. The third is the Advent which will bring Him into the world at the end of time. In the first He comes to seek and save the lost. The third is that in which He comes to take us to Himself. The first is a promise and the third its fulfillment.
We live our lives between these two arms. Embraced by the Father’s ultimate plan for reuniting humanity to himself. Our past and our future are completely in His hands. As we mediate on the mystery of these two ‘Advents’ we are transformed, changed by the overwhelming love of this great embrace.
Meditation on the past and future Advents leads us to recognize the present Advent that is taking place at every moment of our lives as we journey through this present life. Every moment is a moment when Christ is walking by; are we aware of His Presence? Will we call out to Him, will we join Him and travel with Him?
It is in the hiddenness of the middle (second) Advent where you and I are called to live and to become like Him. It is in our “becoming like Him” that He is revealed to this world. In other words, this second Advent is one in which we are co-laborers with Christ so that others may come to know the Christ.
The very mystery of Christ at work through Jesus Christ, continues in and through the Church. The Church, the body of Christ, is the community of those we are reconciled to the Father, in Christ, because they are united with one another in the Holy Spirit, who has shed His Love abroad in our hearts.
It is this unity, that makes the Church a sign, an Advent, of God in the world. So the mystery of the Church demands that Christians love one another in a visible and concrete way -- and that they love all men.
I am convinced that, Christ will become visible to the world, only in direct proportion as Christians seek peace and unity with one another and with all men. Since conflict seems inevitable, unity will only be maintained in great difficulty, it will require a constant renewal of sacrifice, humility and a readiness to receive forgiveness and to forgive. It would appear that the Christian life is one of perpetual conversion, a life of continual repentance.
It appears to me that “Love” is the key to everything. This love will never be understood by rational investigation but only by faithful reception as the gift that it is. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
When we as Christians love one another we become what Paul calls, “God’s workmanship” (Eph. 2:10). Thus the second, middle, or hidden Advent of Christ is made know in our love and forgiveness for one another. It is this community of pardoned people, the body of Christ, the Church through which God is making Christ known during this moment between the first and third Advent of Christ.
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,...” Eph. 3:10
It is within this mystical body of Christ that we see the very power of the Father’s love unite individuals to one another by Mercy and Grace. The Church then is not so much a body of people who are so pure that they never offend, but rather people who in their weakness and frailty, frequently err and offend, but who have received from God the power to forgive one another in His name (John 20). The Holy Spirit himself moves them to do this; and acts in them, to preform this miracle of grace and oneness. In the same proportion that we love and pardon one another we open the whole Church to the action of the Holy Spirit.
In the Church this community of pardoned people, we must not refuse to accept the genuine good will of our brother, we must not reject his sincere and open offers of reconciliation, his true friendship. Even our enemy must not be judged, but his need for forgiveness must be recognized. We must not allow our evaluation of a man’s acts stand in the way of the Holy Spirit, who draws us into unity with others.
No one of us is complete, self-sufficient, perfectly holy in himself. No one can rest upon his own individual virtues. What is missing in our lives God had given to others.
This is the beauty of “Advent,” the Presence of the Christ coming among us as our Savior. In His presence we are forgiven, love and adopted into this Great Family of the Pardoned. Our redemption reunites us not only to God the Father but to one another and it is in that unity that the “fullness of Christ” is made known.
I hope these words help us to prepare for “Advent” and to recover the reality of the “Church.” Only then can we receive the “Truth of Christmas.”
Bishop Quintin
We understand that there are three Advents. The first of these is the one in which Christ entered into the world, having received a Human Nature. The third is the Advent which will bring Him into the world at the end of time. In the first He comes to seek and save the lost. The third is that in which He comes to take us to Himself. The first is a promise and the third its fulfillment.
We live our lives between these two arms. Embraced by the Father’s ultimate plan for reuniting humanity to himself. Our past and our future are completely in His hands. As we mediate on the mystery of these two ‘Advents’ we are transformed, changed by the overwhelming love of this great embrace.
Meditation on the past and future Advents leads us to recognize the present Advent that is taking place at every moment of our lives as we journey through this present life. Every moment is a moment when Christ is walking by; are we aware of His Presence? Will we call out to Him, will we join Him and travel with Him?
It is in the hiddenness of the middle (second) Advent where you and I are called to live and to become like Him. It is in our “becoming like Him” that He is revealed to this world. In other words, this second Advent is one in which we are co-laborers with Christ so that others may come to know the Christ.
The very mystery of Christ at work through Jesus Christ, continues in and through the Church. The Church, the body of Christ, is the community of those we are reconciled to the Father, in Christ, because they are united with one another in the Holy Spirit, who has shed His Love abroad in our hearts.
It is this unity, that makes the Church a sign, an Advent, of God in the world. So the mystery of the Church demands that Christians love one another in a visible and concrete way -- and that they love all men.
I am convinced that, Christ will become visible to the world, only in direct proportion as Christians seek peace and unity with one another and with all men. Since conflict seems inevitable, unity will only be maintained in great difficulty, it will require a constant renewal of sacrifice, humility and a readiness to receive forgiveness and to forgive. It would appear that the Christian life is one of perpetual conversion, a life of continual repentance.
It appears to me that “Love” is the key to everything. This love will never be understood by rational investigation but only by faithful reception as the gift that it is. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
When we as Christians love one another we become what Paul calls, “God’s workmanship” (Eph. 2:10). Thus the second, middle, or hidden Advent of Christ is made know in our love and forgiveness for one another. It is this community of pardoned people, the body of Christ, the Church through which God is making Christ known during this moment between the first and third Advent of Christ.
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,...” Eph. 3:10
It is within this mystical body of Christ that we see the very power of the Father’s love unite individuals to one another by Mercy and Grace. The Church then is not so much a body of people who are so pure that they never offend, but rather people who in their weakness and frailty, frequently err and offend, but who have received from God the power to forgive one another in His name (John 20). The Holy Spirit himself moves them to do this; and acts in them, to preform this miracle of grace and oneness. In the same proportion that we love and pardon one another we open the whole Church to the action of the Holy Spirit.
In the Church this community of pardoned people, we must not refuse to accept the genuine good will of our brother, we must not reject his sincere and open offers of reconciliation, his true friendship. Even our enemy must not be judged, but his need for forgiveness must be recognized. We must not allow our evaluation of a man’s acts stand in the way of the Holy Spirit, who draws us into unity with others.
No one of us is complete, self-sufficient, perfectly holy in himself. No one can rest upon his own individual virtues. What is missing in our lives God had given to others.
This is the beauty of “Advent,” the Presence of the Christ coming among us as our Savior. In His presence we are forgiven, love and adopted into this Great Family of the Pardoned. Our redemption reunites us not only to God the Father but to one another and it is in that unity that the “fullness of Christ” is made known.
I hope these words help us to prepare for “Advent” and to recover the reality of the “Church.” Only then can we receive the “Truth of Christmas.”
Bishop Quintin
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Word is never chained....
for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
2Tim. 2:9
Chained -- it means to “to chain, shackle, put in fetters, or imprison.”
Paul speaks of his own imprisonment and yet he reflects on his hardship and suffering as being treated like a common criminal. Mostly likely both his hands and feet were chained in some sort of irons. It was probably the worst type of confinement that you can imagine. And yet he burst forth joyfully: “I am suffering as though I were a criminal, but the Word of God is not bound.”
Inspite of circumstances that seem to restrict, bind, or limit us; His promises can never be limited. Isaiah tells us, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” His word is never chained.
The world seems to be living in “chronic crisis.” Crisis is all around us, in fact it appears to control every one I meet. We must recover Paul’s understanding of the challenges or shall I say the “crisis’s” of our lives. We are called to live in “chronic Christ” not “crisis.”
No matter what Paul faced he is able to rejoice in the fact that even though he sat in chained in a dark, dismal cell, the Word of God was still moving all over Asia Minor and many people were hearing the Gospel.
“Though I am limited in what I am able to do and where I am able to go,” Paul says. “But the promises of God know no limitations. He is still sending His Word and healing people everywhere (Ps. 107:20).
2Tim. 2:9
Chained -- it means to “to chain, shackle, put in fetters, or imprison.”
Paul speaks of his own imprisonment and yet he reflects on his hardship and suffering as being treated like a common criminal. Mostly likely both his hands and feet were chained in some sort of irons. It was probably the worst type of confinement that you can imagine. And yet he burst forth joyfully: “I am suffering as though I were a criminal, but the Word of God is not bound.”
Inspite of circumstances that seem to restrict, bind, or limit us; His promises can never be limited. Isaiah tells us, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” His word is never chained.
The world seems to be living in “chronic crisis.” Crisis is all around us, in fact it appears to control every one I meet. We must recover Paul’s understanding of the challenges or shall I say the “crisis’s” of our lives. We are called to live in “chronic Christ” not “crisis.”
No matter what Paul faced he is able to rejoice in the fact that even though he sat in chained in a dark, dismal cell, the Word of God was still moving all over Asia Minor and many people were hearing the Gospel.
“Though I am limited in what I am able to do and where I am able to go,” Paul says. “But the promises of God know no limitations. He is still sending His Word and healing people everywhere (Ps. 107:20).
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Sleeping Beauty
The church is alive, contrary to what “some say”; alive with the essence and the energy of God. However, like “sleeping beauty", she lies under a spell concocted by a culture who has not recognized her beauty.
The voices of institutionalism and individualism have conspired, perhaps unknowingly, to keep her safely hidden from those in need of her goodness, truth, and beauty. But on lonely walks through the woods of my soul, I have caught glimpses of her beauty, waiting to be kissed, waiting to be received, this bride appears to be ready to awaken.
Covered with layers of institutionalism and self centered individualism, the body of Christ, the church, the results of the resurrection of Christ, remains unseen by most of humanity.
Individualism seeks to deconstruct or discredit institutionalism, while the institution that struggles to survive fights back. People, becoming weary of the struggle over the baby, seemingly are satisfied to have the child “cut in two,” much as Solomon offered. Alas one or the other will let go and yet neither have found the truth.
Into the forest we must forge! Into the shadows of the stories told of the beauty of this bride. This is the journey that I have found myself on.... traveling over stones covered with moss, slippery with the dew of early morn. Light breaking through the trees reveals a turn in the path that is so easily unnoticed. My heart is pounding for a glimpse of this “sleeping beauty.” Moments of vision pierce through the shadows, rays of understanding, snippets of revelation, my spirit soars in anticipation....
She is here, she is alive, the church, the people of God, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit..... the continuation of the Christ, the community of pardoned humanity, the new creation!
Exhausted I fall into the leaves, under the canopy of the oaks, serenaded by the sounds of nature, sleep overtakes. There she is .... her beauty is beyond anything I have ever seen. Not only do I see, but I feel it, somewhere deep within comes this flood of fulfillment, warmth, an embrace that seems to lift me into the heavens.
A kiss that awakens every fabric of my being. There she is, in His embrace.
But wait she is “us.” We are, you and I together, united in Him and each other We are “sleeping beauty.”
We sleep under the power of separation from each other. Either by institutional dispute or individual demand, we allow ourselves to become separated from each other in the forest of this culture.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “He who looks upon his brother should know that he will be eternally united with him in Jesus Christ...in Jesus Christ we have been chosen and united for eternity.”
“United for eternity.” These words have captured my imagination and have awakened my spirit. The two most important things that the church does is “worship and witness.” Our unity is both our worship and our witness.
The world longs to see the truth, the goodness and the beauty of the body of Christ. All the while the voices of this culture continue to separate rather than unite, deconstruct rather than build.
It is too easily forgotten that the communion of the brethren is a gift of grace. Paul says, “He is our peace,” (Eph. 2:14). Without Christ there is discord between God and man and between man and man.
The beauty, the goodness, the truth that each of us seek is found in the unity, the communion of Christians. This is the church. A communion of the pardoned that gather “to remember", “to give thanks” for the One who lived and died and lives again. As we gather to lay down our individuality and be united to Him and to one another, “Sleeping Beauty” awakens and the future reality of eternity breaks into the present.
My continual prayer is that you would join me on this journey. To walk into the woods arm in arm, to agree to share this path together. This path of forgiveness, of love and grace. To awaken in His embrace with His breathe on our lips, to be together with Him that is my desire.
For I am convinced that as we gather in faith to worship He is present. And our unity, our gathering plus His Presence is our witness. And that witness is our mission.
The voices of institutionalism and individualism have conspired, perhaps unknowingly, to keep her safely hidden from those in need of her goodness, truth, and beauty. But on lonely walks through the woods of my soul, I have caught glimpses of her beauty, waiting to be kissed, waiting to be received, this bride appears to be ready to awaken.
Covered with layers of institutionalism and self centered individualism, the body of Christ, the church, the results of the resurrection of Christ, remains unseen by most of humanity.
Individualism seeks to deconstruct or discredit institutionalism, while the institution that struggles to survive fights back. People, becoming weary of the struggle over the baby, seemingly are satisfied to have the child “cut in two,” much as Solomon offered. Alas one or the other will let go and yet neither have found the truth.
Into the forest we must forge! Into the shadows of the stories told of the beauty of this bride. This is the journey that I have found myself on.... traveling over stones covered with moss, slippery with the dew of early morn. Light breaking through the trees reveals a turn in the path that is so easily unnoticed. My heart is pounding for a glimpse of this “sleeping beauty.” Moments of vision pierce through the shadows, rays of understanding, snippets of revelation, my spirit soars in anticipation....
She is here, she is alive, the church, the people of God, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit..... the continuation of the Christ, the community of pardoned humanity, the new creation!
Exhausted I fall into the leaves, under the canopy of the oaks, serenaded by the sounds of nature, sleep overtakes. There she is .... her beauty is beyond anything I have ever seen. Not only do I see, but I feel it, somewhere deep within comes this flood of fulfillment, warmth, an embrace that seems to lift me into the heavens.
A kiss that awakens every fabric of my being. There she is, in His embrace.
But wait she is “us.” We are, you and I together, united in Him and each other We are “sleeping beauty.”
We sleep under the power of separation from each other. Either by institutional dispute or individual demand, we allow ourselves to become separated from each other in the forest of this culture.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “He who looks upon his brother should know that he will be eternally united with him in Jesus Christ...in Jesus Christ we have been chosen and united for eternity.”
“United for eternity.” These words have captured my imagination and have awakened my spirit. The two most important things that the church does is “worship and witness.” Our unity is both our worship and our witness.
The world longs to see the truth, the goodness and the beauty of the body of Christ. All the while the voices of this culture continue to separate rather than unite, deconstruct rather than build.
It is too easily forgotten that the communion of the brethren is a gift of grace. Paul says, “He is our peace,” (Eph. 2:14). Without Christ there is discord between God and man and between man and man.
The beauty, the goodness, the truth that each of us seek is found in the unity, the communion of Christians. This is the church. A communion of the pardoned that gather “to remember", “to give thanks” for the One who lived and died and lives again. As we gather to lay down our individuality and be united to Him and to one another, “Sleeping Beauty” awakens and the future reality of eternity breaks into the present.
My continual prayer is that you would join me on this journey. To walk into the woods arm in arm, to agree to share this path together. This path of forgiveness, of love and grace. To awaken in His embrace with His breathe on our lips, to be together with Him that is my desire.
For I am convinced that as we gather in faith to worship He is present. And our unity, our gathering plus His Presence is our witness. And that witness is our mission.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Special Miracles
...God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. (Acts 19:11)
A miracle is always special, so what does Luke mean here when he speaks of special miracles? Other versions of the Bible translate this word as “unusual,” “extraordinary,” or “uncommon.” Since by definition a miracle is always something unusual, extraordinary, or uncommon, this verse is almost a play on words: “God wrought ‘special special’s’ ‘extraordinary extraordinaries,’ unusual unusuals’ by the hands of Paul.”
the thing that made these particular miracles so “special” was the geographic location in which Paul was ministering when they were performed. In New Testament days, the two cities most widely known for their total degeneracy and depravity were Corinth and Ephesus. Biblical scholars tell us that these two towns were open sewers of dissolution and debauchery. Yet they were the very areas God chose in which to perform the greatest miracles recorded in the book of Acts. Why?
There is a spiritual tense that says..... where sin abounded grace did much more abound (Rom. 5:20). Paul could well have been speaking of these two cities when he made that statement. The greater the presence of darkness, the greater the provision --- and power --- of God’s redemptive light.
That should encourage us today. Perhaps none of our modern-day cities compares in wickedness with Corinth and Ephesus, but God still has “special” miracles for each of them. Claim the “special” miracles of divine deliverance the Lord has for you and your hometown.
A miracle is always special, so what does Luke mean here when he speaks of special miracles? Other versions of the Bible translate this word as “unusual,” “extraordinary,” or “uncommon.” Since by definition a miracle is always something unusual, extraordinary, or uncommon, this verse is almost a play on words: “God wrought ‘special special’s’ ‘extraordinary extraordinaries,’ unusual unusuals’ by the hands of Paul.”
the thing that made these particular miracles so “special” was the geographic location in which Paul was ministering when they were performed. In New Testament days, the two cities most widely known for their total degeneracy and depravity were Corinth and Ephesus. Biblical scholars tell us that these two towns were open sewers of dissolution and debauchery. Yet they were the very areas God chose in which to perform the greatest miracles recorded in the book of Acts. Why?
There is a spiritual tense that says..... where sin abounded grace did much more abound (Rom. 5:20). Paul could well have been speaking of these two cities when he made that statement. The greater the presence of darkness, the greater the provision --- and power --- of God’s redemptive light.
That should encourage us today. Perhaps none of our modern-day cities compares in wickedness with Corinth and Ephesus, but God still has “special” miracles for each of them. Claim the “special” miracles of divine deliverance the Lord has for you and your hometown.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Centrality of Worship
Worship is central to who we are; to to who we are becoming! "A person will worship something, have no doubt about that.... That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore....what we are worshipping we are becoming." (Emerson).
The identity of the church is determined by its worship. We must worship, stand in awe, lost in wonder, love and praise, aware of the holiness of God, this is our identity as the people of God, the church. Worship is the context and the catalyst for transformation. Robert Webber said, "Worship is the key to the renewal of the church...the way to the future runs through the past."
We are commanded "to remember," to remember the self-giving life of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection is the very basis and the future of our life. Life unites with humanity in order to give itself away. "To remember" is to join this very life of Christ and to live with and for Him being joined to His Body. A Body that is united to worship the "one" who is the source of life.
The identity of the church is determined by its worship. We must worship, stand in awe, lost in wonder, love and praise, aware of the holiness of God, this is our identity as the people of God, the church. Worship is the context and the catalyst for transformation. Robert Webber said, "Worship is the key to the renewal of the church...the way to the future runs through the past."
We are commanded "to remember," to remember the self-giving life of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection is the very basis and the future of our life. Life unites with humanity in order to give itself away. "To remember" is to join this very life of Christ and to live with and for Him being joined to His Body. A Body that is united to worship the "one" who is the source of life.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Unite my Heart!
Teach me your way, O Lord;
.....unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalm 86:11NKJ
Have you ever felt like you had it all together, finally, and then forget where you put it?
The psalmist prays for wisdom to know how to take all the various areas of his life and weave them together into one single strand of unity and harmony. I have mediated upon this verse many times and it has helped me to find harmony within the Holy Spirit and with the entire body of Christ.
In Hebrew, the word translated “unite” is the word yachad. Most define it as “to join together, to become one.” A Christian is not a divided person or personality. Although we are comprised of different “parts,” we really are a “unified” being. Our tangible and intangible bodies are inextricably interwoven together with each other and with the Creator. A Christian truly is one with himself and with His God.
The Christian must also come to recognize that he or she is also one with his brothers and sisters in Christ. In such a fusion, there are no divisions, no separations, no barriers, no cross, no conflicts of interest.
When believers truly become one Body, with Christ as Head, instead of going off in hundreds of different directions, we will finally be able to give total concentration to the one thing we are all called to do: WORSHIP THE LORD AND BE WITNESSES TO HIM IN ALL THE WORLD.
I love this verse; “Unite my heart to fear Your Name!”
.....unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalm 86:11NKJ
Have you ever felt like you had it all together, finally, and then forget where you put it?
The psalmist prays for wisdom to know how to take all the various areas of his life and weave them together into one single strand of unity and harmony. I have mediated upon this verse many times and it has helped me to find harmony within the Holy Spirit and with the entire body of Christ.
In Hebrew, the word translated “unite” is the word yachad. Most define it as “to join together, to become one.” A Christian is not a divided person or personality. Although we are comprised of different “parts,” we really are a “unified” being. Our tangible and intangible bodies are inextricably interwoven together with each other and with the Creator. A Christian truly is one with himself and with His God.
The Christian must also come to recognize that he or she is also one with his brothers and sisters in Christ. In such a fusion, there are no divisions, no separations, no barriers, no cross, no conflicts of interest.
When believers truly become one Body, with Christ as Head, instead of going off in hundreds of different directions, we will finally be able to give total concentration to the one thing we are all called to do: WORSHIP THE LORD AND BE WITNESSES TO HIM IN ALL THE WORLD.
I love this verse; “Unite my heart to fear Your Name!”
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
HEAR THE BREEZE
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...
Genesis NKJ
The cool of the day was around four o'clock in the evening. It is the time when the evening breeze begins to stir. The Hebrew word translated cool in this verse is ruwach. Elsewhere in Scripture, this same word is translated breath, wind, breeze, spirit, and Holy Spirit.
God is a spirit. When the afternoon breeze began to stir in the Garden of Eden, God as a spirit came to Adam and Eve in the wind. Although it is not stated that this was a daily occurrence, most Bible scholars consulted seemed to feel that this was the case.
David Kimchi, a Jewish scholar living in Spain in the 12 century, wrote that Adam and Eve sinned around the four o’clock time. Satan’s strategy was to tempt Adam and Eve into disobedience, thereby creating a sin barrier between them and God.
Matthew-Henry, an 18th century scholar writes: “There is an evangelic not to this passage. God know they had sinned, but it did not keep Him from coming to meet them. Even though they had failed, miserably, He still came looking for them. He remained faithful to being “Good.” Our failures reveal His “Fail-fulness.” His compassion for them effected a reconciliation and the promise of the coming Messiah.
To this very day every human being still longs for the breeze, the wind, the Holy Presence of God to come to them. To those of us who believe in Christ we have received His eternal, never leaving presence into our lives and we know the comfort of His embrace.
As the breeze, wind blows around my deck this morning I am overwhelmed by the fact that He continues to come to me. In spite of human failure, His divine faithfulness covers me with His Present Grace.
Genesis NKJ
The cool of the day was around four o'clock in the evening. It is the time when the evening breeze begins to stir. The Hebrew word translated cool in this verse is ruwach. Elsewhere in Scripture, this same word is translated breath, wind, breeze, spirit, and Holy Spirit.
God is a spirit. When the afternoon breeze began to stir in the Garden of Eden, God as a spirit came to Adam and Eve in the wind. Although it is not stated that this was a daily occurrence, most Bible scholars consulted seemed to feel that this was the case.
David Kimchi, a Jewish scholar living in Spain in the 12 century, wrote that Adam and Eve sinned around the four o’clock time. Satan’s strategy was to tempt Adam and Eve into disobedience, thereby creating a sin barrier between them and God.
Matthew-Henry, an 18th century scholar writes: “There is an evangelic not to this passage. God know they had sinned, but it did not keep Him from coming to meet them. Even though they had failed, miserably, He still came looking for them. He remained faithful to being “Good.” Our failures reveal His “Fail-fulness.” His compassion for them effected a reconciliation and the promise of the coming Messiah.
To this very day every human being still longs for the breeze, the wind, the Holy Presence of God to come to them. To those of us who believe in Christ we have received His eternal, never leaving presence into our lives and we know the comfort of His embrace.
As the breeze, wind blows around my deck this morning I am overwhelmed by the fact that He continues to come to me. In spite of human failure, His divine faithfulness covers me with His Present Grace.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Update on Haiti!!
“...And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.” (Luke 10:29-30).
Located only some six hundred miles from the shores of Florida, Haiti is laying beside the road! Haiti is our neighbor!
Haiti is an entire nation who has fallen, been stripped, wounded and left half-dead. This country of nine million people, of which eighty percent are living in total poverty was devastated by an earthquake that took at least six hundred thousand lives.
Living on the edge of humanity this country was thrown into complete despair by the earthquake. There are numerous sights that took my breath away and nearly brought me to my knees, but it was the emptiness in the eyes of the children that has affected my soul.
Everyone has suffered loss! Grievous loss! Death has robbed each of them of, father, mother, children, brother.... I listened as a young mother speaking in a low monotone voice clutching her four year old daughter, spoke of the loss of her twin children and her husband. Looking blankly into the distance as if somewhere over my shoulder she would see them, tearlessly she replayed the nightmare of that day. A day that would alter not only her life but everyone around her.
There was and is no one to comfort her, because everyone is grieving. Death and destruction has touched the entire nation. They sit in the midst of rubble starring off into nothingness!
The Haitian government was and still is unprepared to assist it’s people. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Port Au Prince for the surrounding foothills. Makeshift huts, some of wood and some of tent or tarp like materials fill the base of the mountains. As the rains come the conditions only worsen. The people have watched as their huts have slowing been eroded by the water as it has overtaken home after home. Standing, and stagnant water of the rainy season has made the conditions even more ripe for typhoid, malaria and all other diseases.
This past week as I walked among these people I am convinced that we must be the neighbor that Christ spoke of in Luke’s Gospel.
I realize that we cannot do everything but we can do something.
With your help we can assist in the feeding, education and rebuilding of the lives of the children of Haiti. I have partnered with “People To People” so that we can touch the lives of the Haitian people, particularly the children.
We are working on several strategies to partner with this existing ministry to restore the lives of the people of Haiti. I know that the Lord spoke to me about being present in Haiti after the initial response. We are to make long term commitments to these people.
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (Luke 10:34-35).
The challenges for Haiti are long standing and require long term compassion. We can make a difference in their lives if we are willing to remain steady in our efforts. I want to thank each of you for your support and encourage you to make a monthly pledge to assist these children.
You can visit the website www.fathershouse.net/Haiti....and make your donation. There you will find several pictures and I will keep you posted as to the upcoming plans and projects.
Located only some six hundred miles from the shores of Florida, Haiti is laying beside the road! Haiti is our neighbor!
Haiti is an entire nation who has fallen, been stripped, wounded and left half-dead. This country of nine million people, of which eighty percent are living in total poverty was devastated by an earthquake that took at least six hundred thousand lives.
Living on the edge of humanity this country was thrown into complete despair by the earthquake. There are numerous sights that took my breath away and nearly brought me to my knees, but it was the emptiness in the eyes of the children that has affected my soul.
Everyone has suffered loss! Grievous loss! Death has robbed each of them of, father, mother, children, brother.... I listened as a young mother speaking in a low monotone voice clutching her four year old daughter, spoke of the loss of her twin children and her husband. Looking blankly into the distance as if somewhere over my shoulder she would see them, tearlessly she replayed the nightmare of that day. A day that would alter not only her life but everyone around her.
There was and is no one to comfort her, because everyone is grieving. Death and destruction has touched the entire nation. They sit in the midst of rubble starring off into nothingness!
The Haitian government was and still is unprepared to assist it’s people. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Port Au Prince for the surrounding foothills. Makeshift huts, some of wood and some of tent or tarp like materials fill the base of the mountains. As the rains come the conditions only worsen. The people have watched as their huts have slowing been eroded by the water as it has overtaken home after home. Standing, and stagnant water of the rainy season has made the conditions even more ripe for typhoid, malaria and all other diseases.
This past week as I walked among these people I am convinced that we must be the neighbor that Christ spoke of in Luke’s Gospel.
I realize that we cannot do everything but we can do something.
With your help we can assist in the feeding, education and rebuilding of the lives of the children of Haiti. I have partnered with “People To People” so that we can touch the lives of the Haitian people, particularly the children.
We are working on several strategies to partner with this existing ministry to restore the lives of the people of Haiti. I know that the Lord spoke to me about being present in Haiti after the initial response. We are to make long term commitments to these people.
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (Luke 10:34-35).
The challenges for Haiti are long standing and require long term compassion. We can make a difference in their lives if we are willing to remain steady in our efforts. I want to thank each of you for your support and encourage you to make a monthly pledge to assist these children.
You can visit the website www.fathershouse.net/Haiti....and make your donation. There you will find several pictures and I will keep you posted as to the upcoming plans and projects.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hungry For God
Hunger for God is one of the greatest signs of life a believer can have. It reveals that inner awareness of God. This desire is in itself testimony that there is more, and the fact that we possess that hunger to seek God should encourage us to pursue encounters with Him.
I crave time with my children and grandcildren. That craving, that cry would destroy me if it were not possible for that reality to exist. “He who loves Me.... I will love him and manifest Myself to him. (John 14:21). This is more than a heavenly promise. We are not only to receive the Holy Spirit but we are to see Jesus over and over again. He will be found by those who love and seek Him.
God told Samuel that He did not look at the outward but instead he looked on the heart. It was from that perspective that David was chosen. David’s heart of passion of hunger for God is what attracted God’s attention.
David’s passion for God was seen on the other side of the mountain as he cared for sheep. David worshiped without anyone else around for many years before he gave insight to Israel and their worship. David’s heart and passion for God is known through not only Christianity but nearly every faith.
This worshipping King hungered for the very presence of God, above all else. David endeared himself to God as a man of great passion -- for God and for life.
I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)
I repeat hunger, passion for God is one of the greatest signs of life a believer can have. That passion pulls the believer into worship and draws others to worship together. l
There is a sound emerging from within our culture that has affected the Kingdom. It is no more or no less than the idea that we as believers are called to merely perform social or civic duties. It would reduce us to being chaplains of society. Thus the church losses focus on here highest calling.
I serve from Him, not merely for Him. This may seem overly simple but it is the key to ministry. This was the model that Jesus gave to us. He only did what He saw His Father do and said what He heard the Father say.
The greatest example of this is the story of Mary and Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus while Martha chose to work in the kitchen. Mary sought to please Jesus by being with Him while Martha sought to please Him through service. “Mary has chosen the better part.” was His reply.
As I write this I realize that some will take this to mean that they can stop doing anything and just sit.... However, that is not the meaning of this little letter nor the story of David, Mary or Martha. The point is that without sitting in His Presence any attempt of ministry is futile. All ministry must flow out of His Presence. Presence Centered worship will lead to Presence Driven ministry.
Martha respond to a need that was not even expressed, because she did not understand her own favor. Thus out of her own insecurity she was fixing a lunch that was never ordered. And all the while “living bread” was being offered. Only after we’ve eaten from His Table can we feed others.
David’s passion, Mary’s attention we must come to realize that what the world is in real hunger for is His Presence.... In His Presence there is “fullness.”
I crave time with my children and grandcildren. That craving, that cry would destroy me if it were not possible for that reality to exist. “He who loves Me.... I will love him and manifest Myself to him. (John 14:21). This is more than a heavenly promise. We are not only to receive the Holy Spirit but we are to see Jesus over and over again. He will be found by those who love and seek Him.
God told Samuel that He did not look at the outward but instead he looked on the heart. It was from that perspective that David was chosen. David’s heart of passion of hunger for God is what attracted God’s attention.
David’s passion for God was seen on the other side of the mountain as he cared for sheep. David worshiped without anyone else around for many years before he gave insight to Israel and their worship. David’s heart and passion for God is known through not only Christianity but nearly every faith.
This worshipping King hungered for the very presence of God, above all else. David endeared himself to God as a man of great passion -- for God and for life.
I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)
I repeat hunger, passion for God is one of the greatest signs of life a believer can have. That passion pulls the believer into worship and draws others to worship together. l
There is a sound emerging from within our culture that has affected the Kingdom. It is no more or no less than the idea that we as believers are called to merely perform social or civic duties. It would reduce us to being chaplains of society. Thus the church losses focus on here highest calling.
I serve from Him, not merely for Him. This may seem overly simple but it is the key to ministry. This was the model that Jesus gave to us. He only did what He saw His Father do and said what He heard the Father say.
The greatest example of this is the story of Mary and Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus while Martha chose to work in the kitchen. Mary sought to please Jesus by being with Him while Martha sought to please Him through service. “Mary has chosen the better part.” was His reply.
As I write this I realize that some will take this to mean that they can stop doing anything and just sit.... However, that is not the meaning of this little letter nor the story of David, Mary or Martha. The point is that without sitting in His Presence any attempt of ministry is futile. All ministry must flow out of His Presence. Presence Centered worship will lead to Presence Driven ministry.
Martha respond to a need that was not even expressed, because she did not understand her own favor. Thus out of her own insecurity she was fixing a lunch that was never ordered. And all the while “living bread” was being offered. Only after we’ve eaten from His Table can we feed others.
David’s passion, Mary’s attention we must come to realize that what the world is in real hunger for is His Presence.... In His Presence there is “fullness.”
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
AGREEMENT - THE MASTER KEY OF THE KINGDOM
Agreement --- the Master Key of the Kingdom!
Jesus came proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom and the Father’s pleasure to give us the Kingdom. He went as far as to say that He would bestow upon us the “keys to the Kingdom.”
It appears that the overarching theme of the New Testament is the announcement and the availability to live in the Kingdom of God. And yet we still live as though the Kingdom is some distant hope that is only realized after death.
Again Jesus, inspires us by saying that “the kingdom is within us.” He encourages us that “out of our inner-most being will flow rivers of living water.” Today perhaps like none other we need to take time to reflect on the way that we view the King and His Kingdom.
We all read the scriptures that tell us “He lives in us.” And we mentally understand that where He is there is the Kingdom. But I don’t think we have really come to terms with what that means.
“Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand!”
This is an invitation, not a threat! We have been and are being invited to live within the domain of our Heavenly Father. To live under the protection, provision and polity of the One who Loves us and has given His life for us all.
To “abide under the shadow” of the Almighty that is our inheritance. This is our “secret place,” the very mystery of being in the world but not of the world. And to further grasp that He has given us the “keys” of this kingdom is even more exciting than ever.
Matt. 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
God lives between the two Cheribs who forever face each other above the Mercy Seat, and it is there that He promised to meet with Israel. Christ sent them out two by two. Two are better than one, one will put a thousand to flight but two ten thousand. When God desires to bless you he brings another into your life.
Ruth had one conversation with Naomi and she was introduced to Boaz. Elisha needed Elijah! David and Jonathan were friends. Andrew introduced Peter to the Lord, and Barnabas was helpful to Paul.
The power of two is scatter all the way through our Christian History. When Christ came he revealed the power of two as the “master Key” to the Kingdom. “If two of you agree.....”
Wow! Simple and yet profound. James told us where there is strife, evil and confusion prevail. Jesus through his own blood removed the condemnation, judgmental, and over all criticism of this world. In fact Jesus calls us to agree with our adversaries.
Agreement, harmony, unity is the very vehicle through which the very power of God is released in His Kingdom. To live under the shadow and in Agreement and to see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God is and should be our greatest desire.
Jonathan and his armor-bearer were able to defeat a huge army merely through agreement. (1 Samuel 14:6-15).
May we set our hearts to agree with God, and with each other.
Jesus came proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom and the Father’s pleasure to give us the Kingdom. He went as far as to say that He would bestow upon us the “keys to the Kingdom.”
It appears that the overarching theme of the New Testament is the announcement and the availability to live in the Kingdom of God. And yet we still live as though the Kingdom is some distant hope that is only realized after death.
Again Jesus, inspires us by saying that “the kingdom is within us.” He encourages us that “out of our inner-most being will flow rivers of living water.” Today perhaps like none other we need to take time to reflect on the way that we view the King and His Kingdom.
We all read the scriptures that tell us “He lives in us.” And we mentally understand that where He is there is the Kingdom. But I don’t think we have really come to terms with what that means.
“Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand!”
This is an invitation, not a threat! We have been and are being invited to live within the domain of our Heavenly Father. To live under the protection, provision and polity of the One who Loves us and has given His life for us all.
To “abide under the shadow” of the Almighty that is our inheritance. This is our “secret place,” the very mystery of being in the world but not of the world. And to further grasp that He has given us the “keys” of this kingdom is even more exciting than ever.
Matt. 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
God lives between the two Cheribs who forever face each other above the Mercy Seat, and it is there that He promised to meet with Israel. Christ sent them out two by two. Two are better than one, one will put a thousand to flight but two ten thousand. When God desires to bless you he brings another into your life.
Ruth had one conversation with Naomi and she was introduced to Boaz. Elisha needed Elijah! David and Jonathan were friends. Andrew introduced Peter to the Lord, and Barnabas was helpful to Paul.
The power of two is scatter all the way through our Christian History. When Christ came he revealed the power of two as the “master Key” to the Kingdom. “If two of you agree.....”
Wow! Simple and yet profound. James told us where there is strife, evil and confusion prevail. Jesus through his own blood removed the condemnation, judgmental, and over all criticism of this world. In fact Jesus calls us to agree with our adversaries.
Agreement, harmony, unity is the very vehicle through which the very power of God is released in His Kingdom. To live under the shadow and in Agreement and to see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God is and should be our greatest desire.
Jonathan and his armor-bearer were able to defeat a huge army merely through agreement. (1 Samuel 14:6-15).
May we set our hearts to agree with God, and with each other.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sweet Peace...
Sweet is the peace and serenity of the early morning before before anything makes a harsh sound or shakes the morning dew; two deer feed along the woodland path, and a brown leaf or two floats down from the trees. Though it is early, Autumn seems to begin and the cool quiet morning mists soothe the spirit.
Human spirits need a lift now and then. But it is not the things outside a person that turn on the light or heal the soul. Only the heart can do that. The heart is the core, a place where words, beliefs, and images are stored. Life springs from this place and rejects the darkness, no matter how many times it presents itself.
Be like the flower that opens to the light and closes when touched by darkness. The choice is yours -- the darkest night cannot touch the bloom that will not open to it.
Human spirits need a lift now and then. But it is not the things outside a person that turn on the light or heal the soul. Only the heart can do that. The heart is the core, a place where words, beliefs, and images are stored. Life springs from this place and rejects the darkness, no matter how many times it presents itself.
Be like the flower that opens to the light and closes when touched by darkness. The choice is yours -- the darkest night cannot touch the bloom that will not open to it.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
As Pure as Gold!!!
I realize that blogs, facebook, twitter is probably not meant for prophetic word stuff... However I felt this was maybe useful to more than just me....
A WORD FOR THE LORD:
I know the way that you take, and when you come forth, you shall come forth as gold, yes as pure gold, having been tried by the fire. My eye is upon you in loving watchfulness, and My ear is open to your cry.
Be not over-charged with anxiety. I am thy burden-bearer. Be not anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow I shall be your supply. Praise Me NOW, and let your confidence in Me be seen and manifest. So shall the faith of others be encouraged, for your life is a witness to many.
I AM your portion: I will keep you in perfect peace. Because you have made the Most High your dwelling place, I shall deliver you from all trouble. I shall bless you and reward you, and reveal to you the greatness of My Salvation.
A WORD FOR THE LORD:
I know the way that you take, and when you come forth, you shall come forth as gold, yes as pure gold, having been tried by the fire. My eye is upon you in loving watchfulness, and My ear is open to your cry.
Be not over-charged with anxiety. I am thy burden-bearer. Be not anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow I shall be your supply. Praise Me NOW, and let your confidence in Me be seen and manifest. So shall the faith of others be encouraged, for your life is a witness to many.
I AM your portion: I will keep you in perfect peace. Because you have made the Most High your dwelling place, I shall deliver you from all trouble. I shall bless you and reward you, and reveal to you the greatness of My Salvation.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Gratitude!!!
"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything." (Thomas Merton)
I have noticed that those who are not grateful soon become complainers and critical of everyone and everything. True gratitude and hypocrisy cannot exist together. They are totally incompatible. Gratitude of itself makes us sincere -- or if it does not, then it is not true gratitude. Gratitude is more than a mental exercise, or a formula. We cannot merely make mental notes of things which God has done for us and then perfunctorily thank Him for favors received.
Every breath we draw is a gift of His Love, every moment of existence is a grace. Gratitude takes nothing for granted, it is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to a new wonder and to praise the goodness of God. A grateful man knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that makes all the difference in living.
Gratitude is the basis of all "celebration." And ungratefulness is the basis of all "criticism." What we are thankful for we will celebrate, thus the center of all Christian worship is the "Great Thanksgiving" -- the "Lord's Supper" -- "The Eucharist!"
As we gather at the "table of the Lord" we are grateful for the very provision of life that God has provided and continues to give us every moment of every day and night. Gratitude becomes our doorway into the very Life of God.
More latter......
I have noticed that those who are not grateful soon become complainers and critical of everyone and everything. True gratitude and hypocrisy cannot exist together. They are totally incompatible. Gratitude of itself makes us sincere -- or if it does not, then it is not true gratitude. Gratitude is more than a mental exercise, or a formula. We cannot merely make mental notes of things which God has done for us and then perfunctorily thank Him for favors received.
Every breath we draw is a gift of His Love, every moment of existence is a grace. Gratitude takes nothing for granted, it is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to a new wonder and to praise the goodness of God. A grateful man knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that makes all the difference in living.
Gratitude is the basis of all "celebration." And ungratefulness is the basis of all "criticism." What we are thankful for we will celebrate, thus the center of all Christian worship is the "Great Thanksgiving" -- the "Lord's Supper" -- "The Eucharist!"
As we gather at the "table of the Lord" we are grateful for the very provision of life that God has provided and continues to give us every moment of every day and night. Gratitude becomes our doorway into the very Life of God.
More latter......
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Decide and Declare....
We all handle hundreds of decisions every day -- dress or pants, ceral or pancakes, coffee or tea, this project or that, shopping or banking, park here or there, and so on. If we really knew how many decisions and details we attend to each day, we'd be overwhelmed. Sometimes we're overwhelmed even without knowing the exact number! But few decisions are more important than this one: what words we use with those around us. Even on our busiest day, we can find time to say, "Great jobb!" , "What a lovely dress", "Thank you!" , and most important of all "I love you!" Remember to keep live and love at the top of the list of decisions you have to make each day. You'll be happier, and others will too.
Job 22:28 You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.
We forget all to easily that our words are the very vehicle of life, death, power, etc.... The Creator created with words, heals with words, He Himself is "the Word." Once we decide to follow the "Word" and to "decree or speak" the Word our lives will be established and favor shall shine.... Most of our lives are spent vacillating between our decision of His Word or another.
We are surrounded by a culture who has the idea that everyone has the rights to "interpret" or "think" on their own .... perhaps we should merely "follow" the Word! Even Jesus submitted to what He "heard and saw the Father doing." You might be wondering yeah but how do I "hear and see" or "who do I watch and listen."
Well for me "God is Love".... Love always recognizable.... Let us Follow the Words of Love!!!! Lets declare the words of love.
Job 22:28 You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.
We forget all to easily that our words are the very vehicle of life, death, power, etc.... The Creator created with words, heals with words, He Himself is "the Word." Once we decide to follow the "Word" and to "decree or speak" the Word our lives will be established and favor shall shine.... Most of our lives are spent vacillating between our decision of His Word or another.
We are surrounded by a culture who has the idea that everyone has the rights to "interpret" or "think" on their own .... perhaps we should merely "follow" the Word! Even Jesus submitted to what He "heard and saw the Father doing." You might be wondering yeah but how do I "hear and see" or "who do I watch and listen."
Well for me "God is Love".... Love always recognizable.... Let us Follow the Words of Love!!!! Lets declare the words of love.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Living or Dancing in the Rain!
Last night the rain came. It probably wasn't as much as we needed, but it was much appreciated. The flowers will bloom and stand tall -- showing their gratitude for the much needed moisture. That was a gift. Another gift came when I watched this young doe walk out of the woods and across the yard; investigating the change in temperature. We have seen many deer, but this one ventured very close to the house and stood and watched us as we her, together we enjoyed the rain.
Sometimes when we don't get what we things we think need (like our thinking we needed a lot of rain), we receive gifts we don't expect; the grace of a little rain, a reprieve from the heat, the beauty of a blooming flower, and the visit of a lovely deer. Perhaps those were the gifts we really needed and the Holy Spirit, who is much wiser than we, generously gave them to us. May we have the wisdom to receive those unexpected gifts with thanks and deep appreciation.
Rain has always been a sign of God's refreshing Presence! Nature reveals so much to us about the Creator. And yet it is so difficult for us to "slow down" and to see what He may be giving us in every moment of our lives.
Rom. 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
To "wake up" every morning in a world created by God for us. To stop momentarily and see what it is that He is showing us, perhaps that is worship on some level ... it is a least gratitude. And one thing I am growing in my own journey is that if I am grateful and celebrating what He has provided for me --- I am not as tempted to judge or criticize others.
I desire to celebrate and not criticize... may God reveal to you all that is worthing of celebrating in every creature ....!!!!
Remember: You are one in whom Christ lives and you live in the strong, unshakable Kingdom of God .... NOW!
I think I'll go out and dance in the rain.....
Sometimes when we don't get what we things we think need (like our thinking we needed a lot of rain), we receive gifts we don't expect; the grace of a little rain, a reprieve from the heat, the beauty of a blooming flower, and the visit of a lovely deer. Perhaps those were the gifts we really needed and the Holy Spirit, who is much wiser than we, generously gave them to us. May we have the wisdom to receive those unexpected gifts with thanks and deep appreciation.
Rain has always been a sign of God's refreshing Presence! Nature reveals so much to us about the Creator. And yet it is so difficult for us to "slow down" and to see what He may be giving us in every moment of our lives.
Rom. 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
To "wake up" every morning in a world created by God for us. To stop momentarily and see what it is that He is showing us, perhaps that is worship on some level ... it is a least gratitude. And one thing I am growing in my own journey is that if I am grateful and celebrating what He has provided for me --- I am not as tempted to judge or criticize others.
I desire to celebrate and not criticize... may God reveal to you all that is worthing of celebrating in every creature ....!!!!
Remember: You are one in whom Christ lives and you live in the strong, unshakable Kingdom of God .... NOW!
I think I'll go out and dance in the rain.....
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ordinary is OK!
Most of us fear that someone will challenge our right to be a certain way, to be able to do a certain thing. What will people think if they find out we are "ordinary" human beings? What others think does not count for much. It is what we think about ourselves and God; and what we tell ourselves that make all the difference.
Of course we are ordinary--why shouldn't we be? What is wrong with being just an ordinarily good person? Who can dare suggest there is something wrong with having respect for ourselves? So, think well of yourself, live your life well -- and let others think what they want!
Of course we are ordinary--why shouldn't we be? What is wrong with being just an ordinarily good person? Who can dare suggest there is something wrong with having respect for ourselves? So, think well of yourself, live your life well -- and let others think what they want!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
COURAGE
We have to believe that it is possible to have the courage needed to do the impossible. It is easy to be overwhelmed by all there is to do in our lives--and even more overwhelmed by what needs to be done in the world. Courage will help us do what the Holy Spirit calls us to do.
Courage doesn't mean not to have fear or not to feel overwhelmed; courage means to act from the heart. If the Holy Spirit lives in our heart, we can move ahead with confidence. There may be no signs that promise better times, but remember they are possible. Depend on that glimmer of inner light and know that those who do the impossible are those who kept going when everyone said it couldn't be done.
Courage doesn't mean not to have fear or not to feel overwhelmed; courage means to act from the heart. If the Holy Spirit lives in our heart, we can move ahead with confidence. There may be no signs that promise better times, but remember they are possible. Depend on that glimmer of inner light and know that those who do the impossible are those who kept going when everyone said it couldn't be done.
Broken or Refined?
All our experiences refine us -- and sometimes they try us to the bone. But when we've made it through a trying experience, we know that the next time we face this thing we will know what to do.
The old way of breaking and training a horse was to get on it and ride until it quit trying to throw the rider. Thank goodness, there are new ways no to gentle a horse, but many of us act like a horse being broken the old way. We buck and snort until we throw the rider, and even then we're still wild and poorly adjusted. Most of us don't like being refined. We want to do it our way -- and we pay the consequences for that. It's important, though, to remember how strong we are when we learn -- and how weak when we react. Our challenge is to be open to learning throughout our lives, knowing that what we learn will help us with whatever we encounter in the future.
The old way of breaking and training a horse was to get on it and ride until it quit trying to throw the rider. Thank goodness, there are new ways no to gentle a horse, but many of us act like a horse being broken the old way. We buck and snort until we throw the rider, and even then we're still wild and poorly adjusted. Most of us don't like being refined. We want to do it our way -- and we pay the consequences for that. It's important, though, to remember how strong we are when we learn -- and how weak when we react. Our challenge is to be open to learning throughout our lives, knowing that what we learn will help us with whatever we encounter in the future.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Looking over the Edge!!!
We can stand where we are or stand on tip-toe and look over the edge. What is the edge? It is that place where fear lurks and no one dares to get to close. Many dreams have taken us up to the edge. With quaking knees, we have looked over the immense distance between what is and what could be. Most people turn away from the edge -- it's just to scary. But we don't have to turn away. We can go to the edge and leap, if we can believe in something greater than what can be explained. The most important thing is to let go of the fear and take hold of life whose Light never goes out.
When we seek the Prophetic Presence of God we seem to always be standing on the edge. Like Eagles who leap off the ledge we are called to live facing the storm, the rush of the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit who will empower us to soar to heights of which we have never dreamed.
In stead of leaping off the edge to fall, we leap off the edge to soar. The Spirit of God empowers us to break the forces of gravity and lifts us upward into the realms of His Presence. It is our eyes that trick us and hold us to the ledge. Why? Because I find myself looking over the edge rather than looking above the ledge. It is who is "over" not what is "beneath" that we should be focused on. Today we must look up... Up to He who has calling us to the edge, to soar, to discover that within our design is the capacity to be with the One who is Higher!
So stop looking over up above the edge..... Leap ... Go ahead !!!! Fly!
When we seek the Prophetic Presence of God we seem to always be standing on the edge. Like Eagles who leap off the ledge we are called to live facing the storm, the rush of the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit who will empower us to soar to heights of which we have never dreamed.
In stead of leaping off the edge to fall, we leap off the edge to soar. The Spirit of God empowers us to break the forces of gravity and lifts us upward into the realms of His Presence. It is our eyes that trick us and hold us to the ledge. Why? Because I find myself looking over the edge rather than looking above the ledge. It is who is "over" not what is "beneath" that we should be focused on. Today we must look up... Up to He who has calling us to the edge, to soar, to discover that within our design is the capacity to be with the One who is Higher!
So stop looking over up above the edge..... Leap ... Go ahead !!!! Fly!
Friday, August 13, 2010
DON'T LOOK BACK!!!
Time and time again we feel the harshness of failing---even, or especially, when we bravely make another attempt to do something.
Most of the time we don't think about failure as an enemy, but it is. We simply have to plan a strategy that will carry us past that place where we once failed and help us to overcome all the things that dog our tracks--even ourselves. There are two necessary parts to this new strategy: first, strive to do better every day; and second, don't look back.
"I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet!" (Phil 3:14-15 MSG)
Most of the time we don't think about failure as an enemy, but it is. We simply have to plan a strategy that will carry us past that place where we once failed and help us to overcome all the things that dog our tracks--even ourselves. There are two necessary parts to this new strategy: first, strive to do better every day; and second, don't look back.
"I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet!" (Phil 3:14-15 MSG)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Alone is not always bad!
If we are to ever hear from God in the midst of a world that is full of noise we must learn how to be alone without being alone. To make room for God to speak, to listen to Him!
I saw this and thought of you....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Renewal of Eustace
In his third book, in the series of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, C. S. Lewis tells the story of the transformation the difficult little boy Eustace. Eustace is this nasty little complainer who is generally obnoxious and awakens to find out that he has become a green scaly dragon himself.
Eustace sobs when he realizes the meaning of this reality, his outside now reveals his inward being. He comes to understand that he does not have the ability to remove this outward skin. Aslan - the lion and the Christ figure in the story - explains to Eustace that he must allow Aslan to undress him before he can be renewed in the wonderful waters of renewal.
The very first tear was so deep that I thought he had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything i’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling that stuff peel off. After he peeled off all the skin, i was as smooth and soft as a peeled switch. He caught hold of me and through me in the water. At first it smarted, but then it became perfectly delicious. I’d returned into a boy again.... And after a bit the Lion took me out of the water and dressed me. New clothes and all.
God intends to make us into new persons who reflect his image. To do so he must remove the old skin that represents our old way of life and clothe us with new skin made in the likeness of him. In order to become like him we must become boys again.
The Christian life is a lifelong process of taking off the soiled, tattered garments of our sinful nature and being dressed with a fresh set of clothes that will transform us into beings reflecting God’s holiness and righteousness.
God’s intent for you to reflect his image: “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:24).
The Holy Spirit is God’s tailor: he is ready to give us a new set of clothes and discard the old threadbare wardrobe. But the old way of life dies a slow, bitter, bloody death. It does not want to give up its grip. Yet the new set of clothes are so much more becoming.
As in Eustace’s story, it is the Lord who must be giving permission to dress us anew. We can’t remove the scales ourselves. Our prayer should be, “Lord, do what it takes, reach as deep as you need, go after the wrong thinking, wrong feelings, wrong behaviors. Go straight to the heart of the matter, because our desire is to be made over, renewed, in the likeness of God.
Eustace sobs when he realizes the meaning of this reality, his outside now reveals his inward being. He comes to understand that he does not have the ability to remove this outward skin. Aslan - the lion and the Christ figure in the story - explains to Eustace that he must allow Aslan to undress him before he can be renewed in the wonderful waters of renewal.
The very first tear was so deep that I thought he had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything i’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling that stuff peel off. After he peeled off all the skin, i was as smooth and soft as a peeled switch. He caught hold of me and through me in the water. At first it smarted, but then it became perfectly delicious. I’d returned into a boy again.... And after a bit the Lion took me out of the water and dressed me. New clothes and all.
God intends to make us into new persons who reflect his image. To do so he must remove the old skin that represents our old way of life and clothe us with new skin made in the likeness of him. In order to become like him we must become boys again.
The Christian life is a lifelong process of taking off the soiled, tattered garments of our sinful nature and being dressed with a fresh set of clothes that will transform us into beings reflecting God’s holiness and righteousness.
God’s intent for you to reflect his image: “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:24).
The Holy Spirit is God’s tailor: he is ready to give us a new set of clothes and discard the old threadbare wardrobe. But the old way of life dies a slow, bitter, bloody death. It does not want to give up its grip. Yet the new set of clothes are so much more becoming.
As in Eustace’s story, it is the Lord who must be giving permission to dress us anew. We can’t remove the scales ourselves. Our prayer should be, “Lord, do what it takes, reach as deep as you need, go after the wrong thinking, wrong feelings, wrong behaviors. Go straight to the heart of the matter, because our desire is to be made over, renewed, in the likeness of God.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Renew!!!
One of the last things that the Lord speaks to the church is one of the most comforting; "Behold, (look and see) I make all things new.... He who overcomes shall inherit all things, I will be his God and he shall be my Son." (Rev. 21:5,7)
All of creation has suffered from the Abuse of a fallen Angel. Lucifer/Satan has deceived and abused every human being; beginning with the first couple. To abuse, literally means to misuse, to use wrongly or improperly, thus leaving the victim traumatized. The whole of creation has been misused. The enemy of God truly desires to destroy all of our Fathers creation. The very environment that He created to the Image of Himself, His Children.
I have come to realize that as children of God we are at risk of "child abuse." Nothing alters the thinking and the development of a human being like abuse. Many begin to believe that what has happened or is happening is their fault. They even begin to accept the LIE that this is God's will for their lives.
The original abuser begins every attack by questioning the love of the Father, "did God say?" The enemy always raises suspicion about the intent and love of the Father's love. Methodically he prepares his next victim for his own plans and renders the young victim helplessly dependent upon him.
Over the last 30 years I have seen believers who begin to doubt the Love of the Father, when this occurs they become open to lies and misconceptions about God and about themselves. Once Adam believed the "lie" he was trapped. In fact he thought that there was something wrong with him. After all he ate the apple and it didn't work. He did not seem to become "like God" in fact he felt worse than before. Since he believed Satan, (satan would never lie to him, he was truly his friend, it was God he couldn't trust) ... something must be wrong with him. It was his fault that the apple didn't work it's magic. He was a failure! He deserved to hid, to fear, to live this life of abuse.
We are living in a society that has perfected "abuse." We allow the culture around us to tell us that "if only you did this or that; had this or that" then you would be all you were meant to be. If only you would go ahead and experience the forbidden fruit you would know what God knows. That is spiraling completely out of control in our society.
I have seen the horrors of abuse! Abuse doesn't just happen to "one" but to the whole family unit. When Adam and Eve were deceived and abused by the father of lies it left the entire human family abused and confused and lost. There are very few people who does not know someone who has been abused. It affects us all. It is the disease of our generation.
The wrong or improper use of God's creation! It destroys the original purpose of that life.
I am truly believe that Jesus Christ came to "REDEEM, RESTORE AND RENEW"!
That renewal is the results of the ministry of Jesus that is made available to us through the Holy Spirit.
"The Spirit of the Lord us upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and the recovery of sight to the blind
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To Proclaim the year of the Lord's Favor." (Luke 4:18,19)
There is a tremendous anointing that is available for "renewal." An Anointing that is very powerful to destroy the very limitations that have been placed on those who have been victimized by the enemy. That anointing is the results of a former victory. Satan abused the very Son of God to the uttermost. But Jesus triumphed over every aspect of that attack. Anointing, specific anointings, are given to those who have overcome in their own lives that which others are now needing deliverance from. Jesus overcame and destroyed the power of the abuser.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God....For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life, Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us."(2 Cor. 1:4,5,8-10).
I have had to recognized that God is desiring to work through my life to see the powers and the effects of abuse destroyed. There is an overcoming anointing that has been released upon our lives for the benefit of others. I am confident that if you have been the victim of abuse there is GREAT GRACE FOR RENEWAL.
GOD DESIRES TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. TO RESTORE TO ORIGINAL CONDITION.
Father, I pray for the person that has taken the time to read this and I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ that you release your anointing upon him or her right now and "make all things new." Break the lies that have held them hostage. Open their eyes to your love and mercy. Show them those who are around them that will minister truth and life to them. Protect them from condemnation and scorn. Holy Spirit fill and flood their lives with you Love. Father embrace them, hold them, protect them and set them free from those who would do them harm. In Jesus name I pray .... Amen!
All of creation has suffered from the Abuse of a fallen Angel. Lucifer/Satan has deceived and abused every human being; beginning with the first couple. To abuse, literally means to misuse, to use wrongly or improperly, thus leaving the victim traumatized. The whole of creation has been misused. The enemy of God truly desires to destroy all of our Fathers creation. The very environment that He created to the Image of Himself, His Children.
I have come to realize that as children of God we are at risk of "child abuse." Nothing alters the thinking and the development of a human being like abuse. Many begin to believe that what has happened or is happening is their fault. They even begin to accept the LIE that this is God's will for their lives.
The original abuser begins every attack by questioning the love of the Father, "did God say?" The enemy always raises suspicion about the intent and love of the Father's love. Methodically he prepares his next victim for his own plans and renders the young victim helplessly dependent upon him.
Over the last 30 years I have seen believers who begin to doubt the Love of the Father, when this occurs they become open to lies and misconceptions about God and about themselves. Once Adam believed the "lie" he was trapped. In fact he thought that there was something wrong with him. After all he ate the apple and it didn't work. He did not seem to become "like God" in fact he felt worse than before. Since he believed Satan, (satan would never lie to him, he was truly his friend, it was God he couldn't trust) ... something must be wrong with him. It was his fault that the apple didn't work it's magic. He was a failure! He deserved to hid, to fear, to live this life of abuse.
We are living in a society that has perfected "abuse." We allow the culture around us to tell us that "if only you did this or that; had this or that" then you would be all you were meant to be. If only you would go ahead and experience the forbidden fruit you would know what God knows. That is spiraling completely out of control in our society.
I have seen the horrors of abuse! Abuse doesn't just happen to "one" but to the whole family unit. When Adam and Eve were deceived and abused by the father of lies it left the entire human family abused and confused and lost. There are very few people who does not know someone who has been abused. It affects us all. It is the disease of our generation.
The wrong or improper use of God's creation! It destroys the original purpose of that life.
I am truly believe that Jesus Christ came to "REDEEM, RESTORE AND RENEW"!
That renewal is the results of the ministry of Jesus that is made available to us through the Holy Spirit.
"The Spirit of the Lord us upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and the recovery of sight to the blind
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To Proclaim the year of the Lord's Favor." (Luke 4:18,19)
There is a tremendous anointing that is available for "renewal." An Anointing that is very powerful to destroy the very limitations that have been placed on those who have been victimized by the enemy. That anointing is the results of a former victory. Satan abused the very Son of God to the uttermost. But Jesus triumphed over every aspect of that attack. Anointing, specific anointings, are given to those who have overcome in their own lives that which others are now needing deliverance from. Jesus overcame and destroyed the power of the abuser.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God....For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life, Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us."(2 Cor. 1:4,5,8-10).
I have had to recognized that God is desiring to work through my life to see the powers and the effects of abuse destroyed. There is an overcoming anointing that has been released upon our lives for the benefit of others. I am confident that if you have been the victim of abuse there is GREAT GRACE FOR RENEWAL.
GOD DESIRES TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. TO RESTORE TO ORIGINAL CONDITION.
Father, I pray for the person that has taken the time to read this and I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ that you release your anointing upon him or her right now and "make all things new." Break the lies that have held them hostage. Open their eyes to your love and mercy. Show them those who are around them that will minister truth and life to them. Protect them from condemnation and scorn. Holy Spirit fill and flood their lives with you Love. Father embrace them, hold them, protect them and set them free from those who would do them harm. In Jesus name I pray .... Amen!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Art of Making Moments!
Moment that burst with life are the gift of the Holy Spirit. Life's treasures are buried right under our noses. Discoveries are to be made in our every day life. Our problem is that we are less open to the unexpectedness of the everyday in our quest for the extraordinary and extreme. Life isn't somewhere else. Life is here--all around you and inside you, a succession of astonishments. True artists find meaning in the small wonders of life.
The art of Godly living is making every event a real do, making every moment count. Mark every moment good or bad. Landmark!
I know when I've had my best day and I know when I had my worst day.... landmark both of them. I know when I preached my best sermon and my worst.... believe me I have mark both of them. These are the memories of my life. I love making memories, "to mark" my life with those moments that give life purpose and meaning.
To make a memory moment is to "re-member". The word remember means both "to mark" and "to put together," as in putting together the members, or parts, of a body. In terms of our life, our soul, what do we mark and put together? Memories and stories. I we are not constantly recalling back to life meaningful memories and stories, our soul is being starved to death.
When I'm lonely or depressed a memory can turn my emotions around! When I am low on faith and hope, I make withdrawals from my memory bank that keep me going until my faith and hope crisis has ended.
Without "remembering" there can be no "renewal."
The "art of moment making" is the making of deposits in the first place, so that you can make withdrawals later.
So ... go make some deposits today!!!!
The art of Godly living is making every event a real do, making every moment count. Mark every moment good or bad. Landmark!
I know when I've had my best day and I know when I had my worst day.... landmark both of them. I know when I preached my best sermon and my worst.... believe me I have mark both of them. These are the memories of my life. I love making memories, "to mark" my life with those moments that give life purpose and meaning.
To make a memory moment is to "re-member". The word remember means both "to mark" and "to put together," as in putting together the members, or parts, of a body. In terms of our life, our soul, what do we mark and put together? Memories and stories. I we are not constantly recalling back to life meaningful memories and stories, our soul is being starved to death.
When I'm lonely or depressed a memory can turn my emotions around! When I am low on faith and hope, I make withdrawals from my memory bank that keep me going until my faith and hope crisis has ended.
Without "remembering" there can be no "renewal."
The "art of moment making" is the making of deposits in the first place, so that you can make withdrawals later.
So ... go make some deposits today!!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
This Moment
You have been given 525,600 minutes a year. Are those minutes a never-ending chain of meaningless moments or is each minute you live intensely and rapturously alive?
Some live lurching from moment to moment! Others live hanging on the spur of the moment. Some one day at a time. But some live "in the moment."
To live in the moment is to recognize a moment is such a way that you become aware of the gift of God that you are experiencing.
In fact to live in the moment is to live "in the Spirit." When a moment is energized by the Spirit it becomes whole, holy and eternal.
To live in the moment is to capture and frame those moments in such a way that for eternity the caption reads "God was here."
Living in the moment is an "art." I long to be a great artist who lives great moments for others to enjoy! And through that beauty be inspired to create their own art of "living in the moment."
This has become for me the essence of being "Spirit filled."
Some live lurching from moment to moment! Others live hanging on the spur of the moment. Some one day at a time. But some live "in the moment."
To live in the moment is to recognize a moment is such a way that you become aware of the gift of God that you are experiencing.
In fact to live in the moment is to live "in the Spirit." When a moment is energized by the Spirit it becomes whole, holy and eternal.
To live in the moment is to capture and frame those moments in such a way that for eternity the caption reads "God was here."
Living in the moment is an "art." I long to be a great artist who lives great moments for others to enjoy! And through that beauty be inspired to create their own art of "living in the moment."
This has become for me the essence of being "Spirit filled."
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
CHILDHOOD COOKIE
I remember being about four years old when my grandmother would make these wonderful cookies that had a chocolate kiss right in the center (it was and still is my favorite cookie). She would make me one special one... larger than all the rest! I would go out into the front yard and take my time eating this special cookie. It could last up to an hour. I would take a small bite and look up at the Oklahoma sky. I would run my bare feet through the freshly cut grass and watch the big white clouds drift by and I would nibble a little more. I just enjoyed being there, the sky, the grass, the flowers all around and my cookie.
I was able to do that because I did not have much to worry about. I did not think of the future, I did not regret the past. I was entirely in the present moment, my cookie, my yard, my flowers and well everything was right.
It is possible to eat our meals as slowly and as joyfully as I ate that cookie of my childhood. Maybe you have the impression that you have lost the cookie of your childhood, but I am sure it is still there, somewhere in your heart. Everything is still there, and if you really want it, you can find it. Eating mindfully one of the most valuable practices of Christian living. We can eat in a way that we restore the cookie of our childhood. The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it again.
Now I am hungry, I've got to go get a cookie!
I was able to do that because I did not have much to worry about. I did not think of the future, I did not regret the past. I was entirely in the present moment, my cookie, my yard, my flowers and well everything was right.
It is possible to eat our meals as slowly and as joyfully as I ate that cookie of my childhood. Maybe you have the impression that you have lost the cookie of your childhood, but I am sure it is still there, somewhere in your heart. Everything is still there, and if you really want it, you can find it. Eating mindfully one of the most valuable practices of Christian living. We can eat in a way that we restore the cookie of our childhood. The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it again.
Now I am hungry, I've got to go get a cookie!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Prayer is LIFE!
"The man who prays will accomplish more in a year than another in a lifetime." (Louis Lallemant)
If i have any effectiveness in my personal presence or in ministry it is anchored in prayer and Eucharist. Over the past two decades I have come to realize I am able to comfort and connect others only when I am comforted and connected to my inner self. This demands a certain disengagement from this world and giving of myself to the Lord. I am empowered to listen more attentively, love more selflessly, speak more passionately, play more enthusiastically, and laugh more sincerely.
Pray, which begins and ends with listening, silence is very precious in my life. It is silence that makes speech personal. I have come to recognize the value of mere being with God, as the Beloved, without doing anything. As Augustine said, "I am restless until I rest in thee."
My life is a love story. I know today that Christianity is an "affair" of the heart." The real treasures of my faith are those precious souvenirs of silence, those moments of loving encounters with the Bridegroom to whom I belong.
If i have any effectiveness in my personal presence or in ministry it is anchored in prayer and Eucharist. Over the past two decades I have come to realize I am able to comfort and connect others only when I am comforted and connected to my inner self. This demands a certain disengagement from this world and giving of myself to the Lord. I am empowered to listen more attentively, love more selflessly, speak more passionately, play more enthusiastically, and laugh more sincerely.
Pray, which begins and ends with listening, silence is very precious in my life. It is silence that makes speech personal. I have come to recognize the value of mere being with God, as the Beloved, without doing anything. As Augustine said, "I am restless until I rest in thee."
My life is a love story. I know today that Christianity is an "affair" of the heart." The real treasures of my faith are those precious souvenirs of silence, those moments of loving encounters with the Bridegroom to whom I belong.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Fully Alive
Man is fully alive only when he has dedicated himself entirely to the real purpose of his own personal existence. Man is not alive just because he acts or feels or responds to the stimulus of the world in which he lives. The purpose of life in the fullest sense of the word--not mere individual, self-centered, egotistical life which is doomed, but a life that transcends the limitations and the needs of the individual self into the very Christ that is in us.
The Christ, the fullness of life is only realized in our communion not only with "Him" but in communion with each other. I've met very few Christians who would break communion with "HIM." However, there are very few Christians who understand that their communion with each other is "necessary" for the fullness of their life to be realized.
I heard someone say that they, "wanted to experience God outside of the community of faith." I wonder if my kidney can know life apart from the body?
Full life is actualized within the unity and the cohesive nature of the whole working as one. Thus, the real purpose of life is not merely an individual but rather a community purpose.
God united to man! Creator and creation united as one! The Incarnation, Jesus, the "body of Christ, the church" this family or community that is my purpose... ! This is life!
The Christ, the fullness of life is only realized in our communion not only with "Him" but in communion with each other. I've met very few Christians who would break communion with "HIM." However, there are very few Christians who understand that their communion with each other is "necessary" for the fullness of their life to be realized.
I heard someone say that they, "wanted to experience God outside of the community of faith." I wonder if my kidney can know life apart from the body?
Full life is actualized within the unity and the cohesive nature of the whole working as one. Thus, the real purpose of life is not merely an individual but rather a community purpose.
God united to man! Creator and creation united as one! The Incarnation, Jesus, the "body of Christ, the church" this family or community that is my purpose... ! This is life!
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Word
The Word….by whom all things were made, in the fullness of time, to recapitulate and contain all things became man in order to destroy death, to manifest life, and to restore the union between God and man. ( Irenaeus )
Col. 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col. 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col. 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
Christ , The Word, existed before Adam, before creation, before the foundation of the world. Creation is then not a pre-established reality into which Christ did His best to fit into. He came to reveal to the world that all things were created by Him and are sustained by Him. He has and always will be the very center of life and the meaning of all things.
In his natural life every man is created in the image of God , thus every man is made by and sustained by the Word. In every human being there is the potentiality of the very “image of God.” In some way every human being is united too God by his very created order.
However, there exists the possibility for a supernatural union with God. Through the very work of the Grace and Love of Christ man is able to respond to His Love and become aware of the Presence of the One from whom he has come and to Whom he is being transformed to reveal.
All of the gifts and graces of this supernatural life are the ways and means by which the “new creation” is connected and “re-membered” to this resurrected “body of Christ.” Just as every natural human being is a part of the human race. Every “new creation,” those who are born from above are to be united with this new “race” of human beings who are filled with the fullness of Christ.
Having therefore received redemption, the divine Image not only dwells in us as our Creator, but He sends forth His Holy Spirit into our own spirit which becomes “one spirit” with Him. This supernatural and spiritual organism of men who are one in the love and faith of Jesus Christ is the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. (Merton – new man, p146.)
The whole life of the Kingdom of God consists then in the gradual extension of the spiritual effects of the death and resurrection of Jesus to one soul after another until Christ lives perfectly in all whom He has called to Himself.
This is the great work of uniting souls of the elect with their Head in one Mystical Body is the true task of the New Adam. (p 96).
We are in the world as those who are “Christ-bearers.” We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are being built into the house-hold of God.
And yet today the church remains divided by the rational, emotional, judgmental nuances of the first Adam. Unable to die, to self, the first Adam struggles against the Second Adam and resists the transformation of his soul. This individual struggle continues to be the greatest resistance to the revelation of the Christ.
Christians, those who know of the love and grace of God and yet resist “union,” actually become barriers to the fulfillment of the Father’s will.
Each one of us has his or her part in this plan for humanity. We cannot allow ourselves to forget this active and dynamic view of the Kingdom of Christ. For if we are all “one man in Him,” that does not mean that we float into heaven on the tide of His merits alone. On the contrary, we are called to join Him in His “agony” (struggle) to unite His members in one Body so that the New Adam, New Creation, might be realized. If Christ is the Head then there must be members of that body for it to be complete.
We are united to God in our natural life because we are created in His image. We are supernaturally united to God through the grace, mercy and love of the Christ who came into our humanity to redeem us and to re-orientated us Himself. And finally we are united mystically to God, to one another in and through the “Body of Christ, the Church.”
My heart longs for the very revealing of My Lord and My Christ!!!! I so long to see the first Adam give way to the Second. To see the manifestation of the Christ through His “body.”
To see every Christian not merely receive the love and grace of the Father in vain and wait for their individual entrance into heaven; but to join with one another in love. To use their gifts and graces to unite all those who are called into the Family. This is the work of Christ. It is the work of every Christian. It is your work, your meaning, your very life!
Col. 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col. 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col. 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
Christ , The Word, existed before Adam, before creation, before the foundation of the world. Creation is then not a pre-established reality into which Christ did His best to fit into. He came to reveal to the world that all things were created by Him and are sustained by Him. He has and always will be the very center of life and the meaning of all things.
In his natural life every man is created in the image of God , thus every man is made by and sustained by the Word. In every human being there is the potentiality of the very “image of God.” In some way every human being is united too God by his very created order.
However, there exists the possibility for a supernatural union with God. Through the very work of the Grace and Love of Christ man is able to respond to His Love and become aware of the Presence of the One from whom he has come and to Whom he is being transformed to reveal.
All of the gifts and graces of this supernatural life are the ways and means by which the “new creation” is connected and “re-membered” to this resurrected “body of Christ.” Just as every natural human being is a part of the human race. Every “new creation,” those who are born from above are to be united with this new “race” of human beings who are filled with the fullness of Christ.
Having therefore received redemption, the divine Image not only dwells in us as our Creator, but He sends forth His Holy Spirit into our own spirit which becomes “one spirit” with Him. This supernatural and spiritual organism of men who are one in the love and faith of Jesus Christ is the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. (Merton – new man, p146.)
The whole life of the Kingdom of God consists then in the gradual extension of the spiritual effects of the death and resurrection of Jesus to one soul after another until Christ lives perfectly in all whom He has called to Himself.
This is the great work of uniting souls of the elect with their Head in one Mystical Body is the true task of the New Adam. (p 96).
We are in the world as those who are “Christ-bearers.” We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are being built into the house-hold of God.
And yet today the church remains divided by the rational, emotional, judgmental nuances of the first Adam. Unable to die, to self, the first Adam struggles against the Second Adam and resists the transformation of his soul. This individual struggle continues to be the greatest resistance to the revelation of the Christ.
Christians, those who know of the love and grace of God and yet resist “union,” actually become barriers to the fulfillment of the Father’s will.
Each one of us has his or her part in this plan for humanity. We cannot allow ourselves to forget this active and dynamic view of the Kingdom of Christ. For if we are all “one man in Him,” that does not mean that we float into heaven on the tide of His merits alone. On the contrary, we are called to join Him in His “agony” (struggle) to unite His members in one Body so that the New Adam, New Creation, might be realized. If Christ is the Head then there must be members of that body for it to be complete.
We are united to God in our natural life because we are created in His image. We are supernaturally united to God through the grace, mercy and love of the Christ who came into our humanity to redeem us and to re-orientated us Himself. And finally we are united mystically to God, to one another in and through the “Body of Christ, the Church.”
My heart longs for the very revealing of My Lord and My Christ!!!! I so long to see the first Adam give way to the Second. To see the manifestation of the Christ through His “body.”
To see every Christian not merely receive the love and grace of the Father in vain and wait for their individual entrance into heaven; but to join with one another in love. To use their gifts and graces to unite all those who are called into the Family. This is the work of Christ. It is the work of every Christian. It is your work, your meaning, your very life!
Monday, March 22, 2010
LOVE THAT MOVES THE SUN AND STARS
Dante said that man has lost a vision of that "love which moves the sun and stars." He continues to say that due to that man as also lost the power to find meaning for his life. Man has found the ability to do nearly or almost anything and yet the very meaning of his existence continues to elude him. Humanity has plunged into a collective delusion which promises happiness in the future, if he can somehow learn to manipulate the world around him to give him the success (desires) that he has subjectively determined he needs. In short the world exists for his pleasure! Thus the meaning of life is the fulfillment of his own desires.
When the truth is that man's greatest meaning is found in his capacity to love. This ability that is unique to the human soul is the essence of God's image that is stamped into the very DNA of every human being. We were created and called to be the very sons of God. Therefore our vocations as sons of God means that our greatest meaning and highest fulfillment it to love as God Himself loves. He is Love, and it is as loving as He loves that we enter into the the ecstasy of our own existence and find the true meaning of our lives.
To understand and grasp the reality of our being will reorientate us towards our original calling to govern and to cultivate the world that God created and gave to us. Through loving, not using creation for our own means, we will discover that love is not merely our salvation, but also the very key to our existence. The truth is that our entire life is a part of the cosmic, divine process of "the love which moves the sun and stars."
When the truth is that man's greatest meaning is found in his capacity to love. This ability that is unique to the human soul is the essence of God's image that is stamped into the very DNA of every human being. We were created and called to be the very sons of God. Therefore our vocations as sons of God means that our greatest meaning and highest fulfillment it to love as God Himself loves. He is Love, and it is as loving as He loves that we enter into the the ecstasy of our own existence and find the true meaning of our lives.
To understand and grasp the reality of our being will reorientate us towards our original calling to govern and to cultivate the world that God created and gave to us. Through loving, not using creation for our own means, we will discover that love is not merely our salvation, but also the very key to our existence. The truth is that our entire life is a part of the cosmic, divine process of "the love which moves the sun and stars."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Intoxicated by His Life!
The most paradoxical and most unique characteristic of Christianity is that of the resurrection of Christ. In fact, Christianity without this claim is only a moral system without too much spiritual consistency. Unless ALL of Christianity is centered in the victorious, life, and ever present reality of Jesus Christ, the Man-God who conqueror of death, it loses it's distinction.
Thus, Christianity proclaims to us that in order to find life we must die to life as we know it. To discover the meaning of human existence we must find not the meaning that we expect but the meaning that is revealed to us by the Father through Christ. Meaning is not something that we can find within ourselves, for we are so insufficient. True life and it's meaning must be revealed or in other words received as a "gift." The very fact that life is a gift makes is valuable; for life itself is, in the end only valuable in so far as it is given.
Christian life, the God-kind of life, in the fullest sense of the word -- is not mere individual, self-centered, egotistical life which ends in death, but real life transcending individual limitations and needs, because it comes from beyond "the self," and exists due to the existence of "another."
In the resurrection we see that life was given through the death of self. That life is received into our lives. This life revealed in death brings about both our death and our birth into a life that is eternal, abundant and thus beyond our own individuality. A life that is because it is no longer concerned with self.
Real life, is not merely a subsistence in one's own self, nor self-assertion or self-gratification. Real life is freedom that transcends the self and exists in "the other" by love. A love that is the result of having receive "the gift" of life. This is "freedom," a freedom that comes only from "losing its life in order to find it." The perfection of this life is love. A Christian believes that this love has the power to overcome death.
As we move towards "Easter," my spirit is drawn once again into the vastness of this love. This love brings about a darkness that covers and hides all else but the "One" who loves me. In some ways I am intoxicated with the essence of His Presence. The world loses it's hold and the Holy Spirit lifts me out of the grip of this world into the embrace of the "other."
Lent, then is more about "receiving" that giving up. Rather than focus on what one might surrender I sense with every breath that I am receiving far more than I have ever given.
Thus, Christianity proclaims to us that in order to find life we must die to life as we know it. To discover the meaning of human existence we must find not the meaning that we expect but the meaning that is revealed to us by the Father through Christ. Meaning is not something that we can find within ourselves, for we are so insufficient. True life and it's meaning must be revealed or in other words received as a "gift." The very fact that life is a gift makes is valuable; for life itself is, in the end only valuable in so far as it is given.
Christian life, the God-kind of life, in the fullest sense of the word -- is not mere individual, self-centered, egotistical life which ends in death, but real life transcending individual limitations and needs, because it comes from beyond "the self," and exists due to the existence of "another."
In the resurrection we see that life was given through the death of self. That life is received into our lives. This life revealed in death brings about both our death and our birth into a life that is eternal, abundant and thus beyond our own individuality. A life that is because it is no longer concerned with self.
Real life, is not merely a subsistence in one's own self, nor self-assertion or self-gratification. Real life is freedom that transcends the self and exists in "the other" by love. A love that is the result of having receive "the gift" of life. This is "freedom," a freedom that comes only from "losing its life in order to find it." The perfection of this life is love. A Christian believes that this love has the power to overcome death.
As we move towards "Easter," my spirit is drawn once again into the vastness of this love. This love brings about a darkness that covers and hides all else but the "One" who loves me. In some ways I am intoxicated with the essence of His Presence. The world loses it's hold and the Holy Spirit lifts me out of the grip of this world into the embrace of the "other."
Lent, then is more about "receiving" that giving up. Rather than focus on what one might surrender I sense with every breath that I am receiving far more than I have ever given.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
God's Acceptance
One day I realized that I had been trying for a very long time to be the kind of person that I thought God wanted me to be, but I had failed, over and over, to be that person. I was sure that God was ashamed of me, of my faults and of my weaknesses. I knew that I was ashamed of myself.
The person that I saw in the reflection was flawed, imperfect, and had fallen short of God's expectation as well as my own. So I stayed away from prayer, silence and solitude, instead I kept myself busy, hoping to overcome my feelings of failure through doing good works.
How, did I get to this place? Well, it was the result of being exposed to messages of condemnation and guilt. It was that underlying sense that one had to become something in order to maintain God's relationship. No one had really ever fully explained the message, the story really of God's love for us, how He longs and searches after us and longs for us to be united with Him in His Love. I had heard little pieces but it was never enough to flood my heart.
Like many of you I lived within the belief that God really didn't like me! Somehow, he tolerated me, hoping that I would improve somehow. I developed this unhealthy idea of God. This idea that God was disappointed with me, even angry.
But that day, somewhere from deep within, something shattered.... I had come helplessly, and hopelessly to the end of all my attempts to please. I will never forget I was looking in the mirror that morning.... and He smiled. That's right, God smiled... at me! He was not frowning, but smiling!
Num. 6:25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
His face, is the face of Love! Unconditional, absolute, never ending, first love... I can live, I do live, in the face of that Love.
I still fall short of being all that I want to be for "Abba," but when I look in His face He is still my "Abba, Father." He still loves, accepts, forgives and cares for me, His child.
That day, changed and continues to change my life..... Look to Him!
The person that I saw in the reflection was flawed, imperfect, and had fallen short of God's expectation as well as my own. So I stayed away from prayer, silence and solitude, instead I kept myself busy, hoping to overcome my feelings of failure through doing good works.
How, did I get to this place? Well, it was the result of being exposed to messages of condemnation and guilt. It was that underlying sense that one had to become something in order to maintain God's relationship. No one had really ever fully explained the message, the story really of God's love for us, how He longs and searches after us and longs for us to be united with Him in His Love. I had heard little pieces but it was never enough to flood my heart.
Like many of you I lived within the belief that God really didn't like me! Somehow, he tolerated me, hoping that I would improve somehow. I developed this unhealthy idea of God. This idea that God was disappointed with me, even angry.
But that day, somewhere from deep within, something shattered.... I had come helplessly, and hopelessly to the end of all my attempts to please. I will never forget I was looking in the mirror that morning.... and He smiled. That's right, God smiled... at me! He was not frowning, but smiling!
Num. 6:25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
His face, is the face of Love! Unconditional, absolute, never ending, first love... I can live, I do live, in the face of that Love.
I still fall short of being all that I want to be for "Abba," but when I look in His face He is still my "Abba, Father." He still loves, accepts, forgives and cares for me, His child.
That day, changed and continues to change my life..... Look to Him!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
De-stress in a Stressed out world!
STRESS:
1 : constraining force or influence: as a : a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part; especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch b : the deformation caused in a body by such a force c : a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation d : a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium e : strain, pressure
2 : emphasis, weight
3 archaic : intense effort or exertion
4 : intensity of utterance given to a speech sound, syllable, or word producing relative loudness
5 a : relative force or prominence of sound in verse b : a syllable having relative force or prominence
6 : accent 6a
Stress is what happens to you when the demands of daily challenges of the outside world are greater than our ability to cope with them.
However stress can also be related to internal factors as well – factors that include how healthy we are, our emotional well-being, what we eat, and how much sleep we are getting.
It’s also strongly dependent on how we interpret what comes our way – that is how we perceive what is happening to us.
People are becoming more and more frenzied! Symptoms of stress are being seen at younger and younger ages. Doctors are describing stress-induced illnesses more and more frequently.
I hear this more and more; “I’m not sleeping, I’m exhausted, I have no energy….” People are plagued with “anxiety, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and withdrawal from life.”
“I’m Stress Out.”
There seems to be a cultural condition that is emerging within our society.
It resembles “post traumatic stress disorder” or PTSD. This disorder usually stems from a catastrophic event – combat, rape, a deadly accident, or a major illness – that leaves its victim in a persistently highly anxious state that leads to disengagement from life, sleep disorders, and substance abuse habits.
Occasionally, PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events.
I have come to realize that many people around me; “are living with extreme stress for so long that they do not realize they are stressed.” Layers and layers of stress have weighted on them in increments so small that they don’t eve feel them separately. Stress has become the new “normal.”
This is more than “chronic stress” this “over the top, maxed out, extreme-stress.” Just like “extreme sports” this stressed-out living has become a way of life for many people.
The difficulty is that we were not made to live under this type of stress. It will have devastating effects upon our health and our society.
In the last half of the 20th-century a large majority of our health issues were related to cigarette smoking. In the early years of the 21st-century a large number of our health issues are being connected to fat and obesity. In both cases we see and all-out blitz to get people to change their habits.
Both smoking and obesity can be easily diagnosed, when you see it you know it. However, stress has no face, and yet it is just as deadly as the other two.
Any doctor –will tell you the same thing, if you are continually stressed and you don’t deal with it: it can kill you.
Cell phones, hand-held computers, twittering… we are on call and open to intrusion 24/7. 40% of teens said they could not live without their cell phones, and yet the same study reported that after 3 days of being without the cell phone these teens were less stressed, had lower heart rates and blood pressure.
Today “noise pollution” is everywhere. The blasting music in the car next to you, trying to have a quiet lunch while the person next to you is arguing with her boyfriend on her cell phone, the whole world has become a “phone booth.”
We are being blitzed with sensory stimulation every where we turn, our nervous systems are continually aroused to sight and sound. Stepped-up commercial volume, MTV videos, are ever reaching for our attention.
TV’s are everywhere, the coffee shop, airport, taxicabs, dentist’s office waiting room, it goes on and on.
Then there are computers, facebook, twitter, etc….
Our food sources have changed.
Our sleep habits are being eroded.
Our job satisfaction is being erased.
I went to get a sandwich the other day the young lady took my order, made my sandwhich, put it in the bag, took my money, handed me the bag, gave me change and never looked up.
We are deluding ourselves; we can not indefinitely endure the MACRO STRESSES that accompany; impersonal encounters, less sleep, more work, less leisure, bad marriages’ less exercise, junk food, hyper-caffeinated sugar-saturated drinks, screen-junkies, traffic jams, flight delays and so much more and come away healthy…..
We as a species can handle short-term stress and to some degree some fairly long term stress, but all stress, all the time was not the way we were designed.
Stress has become the new “pandemic.” It is a deadly health crisis.
“Extreme – Macro – Stress”
Anything that triggers stress is called a “stressor.” There are several easily recognized stressors:
1) Environmental
a. Such as noise pollution, or living in a crime-ridden neighborhood where you never feel safe.
2) Occupational
a. Dissatifaction, overwork, disagreements, low pay, nasty co-workers.
3) Relational
a. Fight with a friend, problems with partners, children, loss of spouse
4) Social
a. Trying to keep up with joneses
5) Spiritual
a. Lost of purpose in life, loss of community, loss of control, loss of meaning…
However, FEAR, is one of the all time greatest stressors; fear of failure, not having enough, not being enough, losing what you have, fear of success. These fears are very real to those who are experiencing them.
There is a huge difference between “acute” and “chronic” stress.
Acute is what moves you out of the way of a moving car. When you climb a set of stairs the extra effort for your heart and legs produces stress what is called a “allostasis” release.
However, the journey from “allostasis” to “allostatic load” often destabilizes our lives.
1) When multiple stressors lead to elevated stress hormones that continue over a long period of time.
2) When you can’t seem to adapt to a stressor even though it repeats itself again and again. (public speaking)
3) When your body turns on the stress hormones and doesn’t turn them off after the stressor has gone. (keep replaying the event in your own mind over and over)
Our society has increased chronic stressors to assault proportions and we are left dealing with the fall out.
Rather than a gnat that is flying around our heads we have a bull horn going off in our ears.
This accumulated chronic stress is what I am referring to as: EXTREME-MACRO-STRESS!
Anxiety is the new normal!
Now what?
1) Choose to Change
a. You can change in an ACTIVE way by finding tools that work for you.
b. You can also change the way you PERCEIVE the challenges you are faced with.
2) Commit to doing what it takes to change.
a. Just as you became “EXTREMELY STRESSED” through a series of small hits, you can reverse the process by taking a series of small steps toward wellness.
b. Change one little thing—and in a week, you’ll notice a difference in the way you feel. You’ll have the courage then to take the next, bigger step.
3) Admit that you may encounter some unpleasant things along the way.
a. Not every decision we have made, (choices) were conscious rational ones. Sometimes there are underlying subconscious reasons that cause us to chose or make decisions.
b. Sometimes revisiting the choices we’ve made can be painful, but necessary.
4) Trust that you will get to a better place.
a. Faith!
HOW DOES CHANGE OCCUR?
First of all lots of people want to change, they have tried, and tried and tried. The issue is not whether or not we want to change or if we have tried or not. But the real issue is “training.”
TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS THROUGH TRAINING OF THE SOUL.
First of all there is a false narrative that change happens due to “willpower.”
Truthfully, change does not happen because we muster up the “willpower” but it happens by “changing our mind.”
I believe there is a reliable method to changing our hearts:
1) changing the stories we tell ourselves in our mind
2) engaging in new practices (disciplines)
3) by reflecting and dialoguing with other who are on the same journey (community)
4) all under the leadership under the Holy Spirit
TRANSFORMATION: THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Gal. 5:22 ¶ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal. 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We will never become patient because we grit our teeth … Like the fruit on a tree it comes from the inside out…
When the Holy Spirit has changed or corrected our stories we will begin to think differently….
“What we think about God is the most important thing in our lives”
As a result we begin to believe in and trust a good and loving God who has adopted us.
The Journey to Joy!
This is the first secret to overcoming “extreme-stress”!
Neh. 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
JOY 1 a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
DELIGHT 1 : a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction 2 : something that gives great pleasure
Psa. 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Science of the West has lead us to believe in this split between mind and body. It is commonly known as the Cartesian split.
Joy is the very source of our strength and it must come into our Spirit.
Gal. 5:22 ¶ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal. 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Joy…. Is not based on “happenstance” but the knowing of ones “connectedness” to The Father.
John 15:9 ¶ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:11 ¶ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED…. PRODUCES JOY!
THIS IS A SPIRITUAL – INNER REALITY THAT HAS A PHYSCIAL EFFECT ON YOU….
“placebo effect” during WWII Dr. Beecher ran out of narcotics to give to his patients so he substituted, sugar and water, 35% got better.
The power of suggestion.
The Mind…. What you think has an effect on your body.
Change the state of your mind… your thinking and you will have different feelings!
Prov. 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
3John 2 ¶ Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
YOUR SOUL WILL PROSPER WHEN IT KNOWS IT IS LOVED.
However our ability to know and comprehend is diminished with the lost of sleep.The number one enemy of Christian spiritual formation or transformation is exhaustion. We are living beyond our own ability… or means!
More people are killed every year by drowsy drivers than drunk drivers.
We are “sleepy.”
We need more ‘REST’!
What does this have to do with Christian Spirituality? Or Extreme Stress?
The human person is not merely a soul who is housed in a body. Our bodies and our souls are unified. If our bodies suffer, so do our souls. We cannot neglect the body in pursuit of spiritual growth. In fact, neglecting our bodies will impede our spiritual health and growth. If our bodies are not sufficiently rested, our energies, will be diminished and our ability to pray, read, enter into solitude will be minimized.
Rom. 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom. 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
SLEEP IS AN ACT OF SURRENDER! IT IS A DECLARATION OF TRUST. IT IS ADMITTING THAT WE ARE NOT GOD WHO NEVER SLEEPS NOR SLUMBERS.
THE DISCIPLINE OF SLEEP!!!!
1) Go to sleep at a consistent time every night
2) Don’t engage in activities that increase stress right before bedtime. (TV, or Computer)
3) Be careful with stimulants (caffeine, spicy foods) in the evening.
4) Do not force yourself to sleep… read, mediate, music, etc
5) If you awaken in the middle of the night, you do not have to get up immediately …. Give your body a chance to go back to sleep.
STRESS – RELAX:
Psa. 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
(read the entire psalm)
RELAXATION:
RELAX:
1 : to make less tense or rigid : slacken
2 : to make less severe or stringent : modify
3 : to deprive of energy, zeal, or strength of purpose
4 : to relieve from nervous tension
5 : to treat (hair) chemically in order to relax curls
intransitive verb
1 : to become lax, weak, or loose : rest 2 : to become less intense or severe
3 of a muscle or muscle fiber : to become inactive and lengthen
4 : to cast off social restraint, nervous tension, or anxiety
5 : to seek rest or recreation
Dr. Benson of Harvard; through the simple act of changing thought patterns heart and blood pressure rates dropped. “Relaxation Response”
Extreme-Macro-Stressed People ; state they never believe they’re good enough, always trying to reach a destination…. Thus they are exhausted.
USE SOME TOOLS….
Through the day… stress will arise! It will increase! So determine in advance how you might be able to manage stress.
1) Do you know how it feels to Relax? To Rest?
a. Your subconscious mind will remember
b. It will be triggered
2) 12 minutes of mediation a day for 8 weeks has proven to have great results.
Psa. 1:1 ¶ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
Psa. 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa. 1:3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Phil. 4:8 ¶ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
1Tim. 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
intransitive verb
1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection 2 : to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness
transitive verb
1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over 2 : to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose
TO CHOSE ONE’S THOUGHTS…. INTENTIONALLY FOCUS ON WHAT ONE THINKS….
THIS IS “SOUL TRAINING” = “MEDITATION”
Col. 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
1) It probably won’t be very deep the first few times
2) Don’t get hung up on having enough time
3) Don’t worry about getting it wrong
GET SOME GOOD AFFIRMATION TO SAY TO YOURSELF
FOCUS ON BREATHING
SOME HINTS:
1) A quiet place and sit comfortably.
2) Progressively relax your muscles
3) Think about one of God’s virtues, love, joy, etc.
4) Breathe
5) Let His Peace fill you on the inside
FINALLY:
PLAY…. Get outside your daily routine and see things from a different perspective.
a. go for a walk
b. give a friend a call
c. write a quick note
1 : constraining force or influence: as a : a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part; especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch b : the deformation caused in a body by such a force c : a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation d : a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium
Stress is what happens to you when the demands of daily challenges of the outside world are greater than our ability to cope with them.
However stress can also be related to internal factors as well – factors that include how healthy we are, our emotional well-being, what we eat, and how much sleep we are getting.
It’s also strongly dependent on how we interpret what comes our way – that is how we perceive what is happening to us.
People are becoming more and more frenzied! Symptoms of stress are being seen at younger and younger ages. Doctors are describing stress-induced illnesses more and more frequently.
I hear this more and more; “I’m not sleeping, I’m exhausted, I have no energy….” People are plagued with “anxiety, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and withdrawal from life.”
“I’m Stress Out.”
There seems to be a cultural condition that is emerging within our society.
It resembles “post traumatic stress disorder” or PTSD. This disorder usually stems from a catastrophic event – combat, rape, a deadly accident, or a major illness – that leaves its victim in a persistently highly anxious state that leads to disengagement from life, sleep disorders, and substance abuse habits.
Occasionally, PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events.
I have come to realize that many people around me; “are living with extreme stress for so long that they do not realize they are stressed.” Layers and layers of stress have weighted on them in increments so small that they don’t eve feel them separately. Stress has become the new “normal.”
This is more than “chronic stress” this “over the top, maxed out, extreme-stress.” Just like “extreme sports” this stressed-out living has become a way of life for many people.
The difficulty is that we were not made to live under this type of stress. It will have devastating effects upon our health and our society.
In the last half of the 20th-century a large majority of our health issues were related to cigarette smoking. In the early years of the 21st-century a large number of our health issues are being connected to fat and obesity. In both cases we see and all-out blitz to get people to change their habits.
Both smoking and obesity can be easily diagnosed, when you see it you know it. However, stress has no face, and yet it is just as deadly as the other two.
Any doctor –will tell you the same thing, if you are continually stressed and you don’t deal with it: it can kill you.
Cell phones, hand-held computers, twittering… we are on call and open to intrusion 24/7. 40% of teens said they could not live without their cell phones, and yet the same study reported that after 3 days of being without the cell phone these teens were less stressed, had lower heart rates and blood pressure.
Today “noise pollution” is everywhere. The blasting music in the car next to you, trying to have a quiet lunch while the person next to you is arguing with her boyfriend on her cell phone, the whole world has become a “phone booth.”
We are being blitzed with sensory stimulation every where we turn, our nervous systems are continually aroused to sight and sound. Stepped-up commercial volume, MTV videos, are ever reaching for our attention.
TV’s are everywhere, the coffee shop, airport, taxicabs, dentist’s office waiting room, it goes on and on.
Then there are computers, facebook, twitter, etc….
Our food sources have changed.
Our sleep habits are being eroded.
Our job satisfaction is being erased.
I went to get a sandwich the other day the young lady took my order, made my sandwhich, put it in the bag, took my money, handed me the bag, gave me change and never looked up.
We are deluding ourselves; we can not indefinitely endure the MACRO STRESSES that accompany; impersonal encounters, less sleep, more work, less leisure, bad marriages’ less exercise, junk food, hyper-caffeinated sugar-saturated drinks, screen-junkies, traffic jams, flight delays and so much more and come away healthy…..
We as a species can handle short-term stress and to some degree some fairly long term stress, but all stress, all the time was not the way we were designed.
Stress has become the new “pandemic.” It is a deadly health crisis.
“Extreme – Macro – Stress”
Anything that triggers stress is called a “stressor.” There are several easily recognized stressors:
1) Environmental
a. Such as noise pollution, or living in a crime-ridden neighborhood where you never feel safe.
2) Occupational
a. Dissatifaction, overwork, disagreements, low pay, nasty co-workers.
3) Relational
a. Fight with a friend, problems with partners, children, loss of spouse
4) Social
a. Trying to keep up with joneses
5) Spiritual
a. Lost of purpose in life, loss of community, loss of control, loss of meaning…
However, FEAR, is one of the all time greatest stressors; fear of failure, not having enough, not being enough, losing what you have, fear of success. These fears are very real to those who are experiencing them.
There is a huge difference between “acute” and “chronic” stress.
Acute is what moves you out of the way of a moving car. When you climb a set of stairs the extra effort for your heart and legs produces stress what is called a “allostasis” release.
However, the journey from “allostasis” to “allostatic load” often destabilizes our lives.
1) When multiple stressors lead to elevated stress hormones that continue over a long period of time.
2) When you can’t seem to adapt to a stressor even though it repeats itself again and again. (public speaking)
3) When your body turns on the stress hormones and doesn’t turn them off after the stressor has gone. (keep replaying the event in your own mind over and over)
Our society has increased chronic stressors to assault proportions and we are left dealing with the fall out.
Rather than a gnat that is flying around our heads we have a bull horn going off in our ears.
This accumulated chronic stress is what I am referring to as: EXTREME-MACRO-STRESS!
Anxiety is the new normal!
Now what?
1) Choose to Change
a. You can change in an ACTIVE way by finding tools that work for you.
b. You can also change the way you PERCEIVE the challenges you are faced with.
2) Commit to doing what it takes to change.
a. Just as you became “EXTREMELY STRESSED” through a series of small hits, you can reverse the process by taking a series of small steps toward wellness.
b. Change one little thing—and in a week, you’ll notice a difference in the way you feel. You’ll have the courage then to take the next, bigger step.
3) Admit that you may encounter some unpleasant things along the way.
a. Not every decision we have made, (choices) were conscious rational ones. Sometimes there are underlying subconscious reasons that cause us to chose or make decisions.
b. Sometimes revisiting the choices we’ve made can be painful, but necessary.
4) Trust that you will get to a better place.
a. Faith!
HOW DOES CHANGE OCCUR?
First of all lots of people want to change, they have tried, and tried and tried. The issue is not whether or not we want to change or if we have tried or not. But the real issue is “training.”
TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS THROUGH TRAINING OF THE SOUL.
First of all there is a false narrative that change happens due to “willpower.”
Truthfully, change does not happen because we muster up the “willpower” but it happens by “changing our mind.”
I believe there is a reliable method to changing our hearts:
1) changing the stories we tell ourselves in our mind
2) engaging in new practices (disciplines)
3) by reflecting and dialoguing with other who are on the same journey (community)
4) all under the leadership under the Holy Spirit
TRANSFORMATION: THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Gal. 5:22 ¶ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal. 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We will never become patient because we grit our teeth … Like the fruit on a tree it comes from the inside out…
When the Holy Spirit has changed or corrected our stories we will begin to think differently….
“What we think about God is the most important thing in our lives”
As a result we begin to believe in and trust a good and loving God who has adopted us.
The Journey to Joy!
This is the first secret to overcoming “extreme-stress”!
Neh. 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
JOY 1 a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
DELIGHT 1 : a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction 2 : something that gives great pleasure
Psa. 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Science of the West has lead us to believe in this split between mind and body. It is commonly known as the Cartesian split.
Joy is the very source of our strength and it must come into our Spirit.
Gal. 5:22 ¶ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal. 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Joy…. Is not based on “happenstance” but the knowing of ones “connectedness” to The Father.
John 15:9 ¶ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:11 ¶ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED…. PRODUCES JOY!
THIS IS A SPIRITUAL – INNER REALITY THAT HAS A PHYSCIAL EFFECT ON YOU….
“placebo effect” during WWII Dr. Beecher ran out of narcotics to give to his patients so he substituted, sugar and water, 35% got better.
The power of suggestion.
The Mind…. What you think has an effect on your body.
Change the state of your mind… your thinking and you will have different feelings!
Prov. 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
3John 2 ¶ Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
YOUR SOUL WILL PROSPER WHEN IT KNOWS IT IS LOVED.
However our ability to know and comprehend is diminished with the lost of sleep.The number one enemy of Christian spiritual formation or transformation is exhaustion. We are living beyond our own ability… or means!
More people are killed every year by drowsy drivers than drunk drivers.
We are “sleepy.”
We need more ‘REST’!
What does this have to do with Christian Spirituality? Or Extreme Stress?
The human person is not merely a soul who is housed in a body. Our bodies and our souls are unified. If our bodies suffer, so do our souls. We cannot neglect the body in pursuit of spiritual growth. In fact, neglecting our bodies will impede our spiritual health and growth. If our bodies are not sufficiently rested, our energies, will be diminished and our ability to pray, read, enter into solitude will be minimized.
Rom. 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom. 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
SLEEP IS AN ACT OF SURRENDER! IT IS A DECLARATION OF TRUST. IT IS ADMITTING THAT WE ARE NOT GOD WHO NEVER SLEEPS NOR SLUMBERS.
THE DISCIPLINE OF SLEEP!!!!
1) Go to sleep at a consistent time every night
2) Don’t engage in activities that increase stress right before bedtime. (TV, or Computer)
3) Be careful with stimulants (caffeine, spicy foods) in the evening.
4) Do not force yourself to sleep… read, mediate, music, etc
5) If you awaken in the middle of the night, you do not have to get up immediately …. Give your body a chance to go back to sleep.
STRESS – RELAX:
Psa. 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
(read the entire psalm)
RELAXATION:
RELAX:
1 : to make less tense or rigid : slacken
intransitive verb
1 : to become lax, weak, or loose : rest 2 : to become less intense or severe
Dr. Benson of Harvard; through the simple act of changing thought patterns heart and blood pressure rates dropped. “Relaxation Response”
Extreme-Macro-Stressed People ; state they never believe they’re good enough, always trying to reach a destination…. Thus they are exhausted.
USE SOME TOOLS….
Through the day… stress will arise! It will increase! So determine in advance how you might be able to manage stress.
1) Do you know how it feels to Relax? To Rest?
a. Your subconscious mind will remember
b. It will be triggered
2) 12 minutes of mediation a day for 8 weeks has proven to have great results.
Psa. 1:1 ¶ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
Psa. 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa. 1:3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Phil. 4:8 ¶ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
1Tim. 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
intransitive verb
1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection 2 : to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness
transitive verb
1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over 2 : to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose
TO CHOSE ONE’S THOUGHTS…. INTENTIONALLY FOCUS ON WHAT ONE THINKS….
THIS IS “SOUL TRAINING” = “MEDITATION”
Col. 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
1) It probably won’t be very deep the first few times
2) Don’t get hung up on having enough time
3) Don’t worry about getting it wrong
GET SOME GOOD AFFIRMATION TO SAY TO YOURSELF
FOCUS ON BREATHING
SOME HINTS:
1) A quiet place and sit comfortably.
2) Progressively relax your muscles
3) Think about one of God’s virtues, love, joy, etc.
4) Breathe
5) Let His Peace fill you on the inside
FINALLY:
PLAY…. Get outside your daily routine and see things from a different perspective.
a. go for a walk
b. give a friend a call
c. write a quick note
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Prayer and Fasting
We as a community of faith have started our 21 day journey of fasting and prayer. I thought I would try to write something every day that would help us on our journey….
First of all let me say again, there is no real formula.... don't make this journey legalistic.... but rather relational. How might you restructure your life to make more room for God's Presence?
Today’s reading was awesome:
“While he live on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because He honored God, God answered him.” Hebrews 5:7 MSG.
Jesus prayed…. So today …. Let us pray with Him. ….
Prayer is a lifestyle of emptying ourselves of all false beliefs, and becoming free to belong only to God.
That is why along with the desire to pray comes an intense resistance as well. We each want to draw closer to God, but we also realize that the closer we get to God the more we will have to relinquish control.
Prayer is a radical action of laying down our old selves and accepting our new self in Christ.
“I live now not with my own life, but with the life of Christ who lives in me…” Galatians 2:20
E. Stanley Jones said:
Prayer is fundamentally and essentially self-surrender… it is getting self out of the way.
Prayer is the wire surrendering to the dynamo…
The flower surrendering to the sun…
The child surrendering to education…
The patient surrendering to the surgeon…
The part surrendering to the whole…
--Prayer is life surrendering to the LIFE….
Prayer is so much more than pleading with God to do something for us. Prayer is the way and means by which we communion with absolute light, love and life.
Prayer brings us into union with God. Our union with Him results in less of us and more of Him.
To pray is to open your heart and life to God. To undress and become wholly transparent before your heavenly parent, who alone can give us life.
Prayer is not just an appointment in your daily schedule. It is not a source of support when you are in need. Prayer is to possess every aspect of our lives.
JESUS TRAINED HIS DISCIPLES IN ONE THING:
RECEPTIVITY….
Acts 1:14 they waited and prayed for the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4 God Answered
The entire book of Acts tells the stories, of how these men who lived under guidance and power of the Spirit. We are to be people who have been united with the Holy Spirit and now live under His influence. The issue at hand is our own receptivity of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
Prayer and fasting helps position our soul and spirits to be receptive to His Presence.
First of all let me say again, there is no real formula.... don't make this journey legalistic.... but rather relational. How might you restructure your life to make more room for God's Presence?
Today’s reading was awesome:
“While he live on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because He honored God, God answered him.” Hebrews 5:7 MSG.
Jesus prayed…. So today …. Let us pray with Him. ….
Prayer is a lifestyle of emptying ourselves of all false beliefs, and becoming free to belong only to God.
That is why along with the desire to pray comes an intense resistance as well. We each want to draw closer to God, but we also realize that the closer we get to God the more we will have to relinquish control.
Prayer is a radical action of laying down our old selves and accepting our new self in Christ.
“I live now not with my own life, but with the life of Christ who lives in me…” Galatians 2:20
E. Stanley Jones said:
Prayer is fundamentally and essentially self-surrender… it is getting self out of the way.
Prayer is the wire surrendering to the dynamo…
The flower surrendering to the sun…
The child surrendering to education…
The patient surrendering to the surgeon…
The part surrendering to the whole…
--Prayer is life surrendering to the LIFE….
Prayer is so much more than pleading with God to do something for us. Prayer is the way and means by which we communion with absolute light, love and life.
Prayer brings us into union with God. Our union with Him results in less of us and more of Him.
To pray is to open your heart and life to God. To undress and become wholly transparent before your heavenly parent, who alone can give us life.
Prayer is not just an appointment in your daily schedule. It is not a source of support when you are in need. Prayer is to possess every aspect of our lives.
JESUS TRAINED HIS DISCIPLES IN ONE THING:
RECEPTIVITY….
Acts 1:14 they waited and prayed for the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4 God Answered
The entire book of Acts tells the stories, of how these men who lived under guidance and power of the Spirit. We are to be people who have been united with the Holy Spirit and now live under His influence. The issue at hand is our own receptivity of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
Prayer and fasting helps position our soul and spirits to be receptive to His Presence.
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