"In many ways our culture has lost its sense of values; I worry about a generation that's been brought up afraid to make choices for fear of offending someone.
Multiculturalism teaches us that all cultures should be valued at the same level. Society teaches us that there's no such thing as evil, it all depends on your environment. School leaders try to tell us that boys and girls are the same, when any parent knows better. We've become a culture afraid to make judgments and proscribe values to anything because of our overwhelming fear of offending.
But something inside knows that's not true. Some choices are better than others. Some decisions make sense and others don't.
Values matter."
From One Big Thing by Phil Cooke (p. 69)
***
Right is still right even if no one else is doing it; wrong is still wrong even if everyone else is doing it.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
What Home Reflects
"It comes down to this. Your home is a reflection of who you are. I don't mean this in the sense that you need a showy home to prove to the world how great you are. Your home reflects your inner life. How content you are. How fulfilled you are. How loving and loved you are. Your home is the outward expression of what you value, what you enjoy, and what is important to you." - Peter Walsh, It's All Too Much
Thinking about what my home says about me. I think it says I'm someone who likes doing things other than housework.
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Kind of Person God Uses
From Eyes Wide Open by Jud Wilhite:
"Here's a bit of reality. When we become believers, many of us think, Well, yeah, I have certain gifts and abilities. But then we begin to stall. We start thinking like this: You know, I don't have my life all together yet. I still have bad habits. I still have issues. If the people at church knew what they were, they just wouldn't believe how I keep messing up. I need a little time because right now God isn't ready to use me. Or we think, After I get my life together, once I get perfect, then God will use me. Good luck with that!
That's not the way God works. Look through the Bible - God uses imperfect, broken, hurting people everywhere. Being broken and hurting and imperfect is the human condition. It's what being human means in a fallen world. Who else is God going to use?"
This is good news because it means God can use me now instead of waiting until I become perfect, something that won't happen until my life here on earth ends. With that in mind, I need to get out of my own way and become more available for Him to use me. I need to let go of my insecurities and rest in the confidence that He created me for a specific purpose and will give me what I need, when I need it, to accomplish that purpose. I need to let go of my weaknesses and understand that in those weaknesses He is strong and will suppply what is needed for any assignment He sends my way so that He is glorified in it.
"Here's a bit of reality. When we become believers, many of us think, Well, yeah, I have certain gifts and abilities. But then we begin to stall. We start thinking like this: You know, I don't have my life all together yet. I still have bad habits. I still have issues. If the people at church knew what they were, they just wouldn't believe how I keep messing up. I need a little time because right now God isn't ready to use me. Or we think, After I get my life together, once I get perfect, then God will use me. Good luck with that!
That's not the way God works. Look through the Bible - God uses imperfect, broken, hurting people everywhere. Being broken and hurting and imperfect is the human condition. It's what being human means in a fallen world. Who else is God going to use?"
This is good news because it means God can use me now instead of waiting until I become perfect, something that won't happen until my life here on earth ends. With that in mind, I need to get out of my own way and become more available for Him to use me. I need to let go of my insecurities and rest in the confidence that He created me for a specific purpose and will give me what I need, when I need it, to accomplish that purpose. I need to let go of my weaknesses and understand that in those weaknesses He is strong and will suppply what is needed for any assignment He sends my way so that He is glorified in it.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Following With Consistency and Confidence
One of my struggles in my faith is feeling that I'm not consistent in my walk with the Lord and I think that comes from my lack of confidence in who he is at times. I've been focusing on the names of God because through them, I discover more about his character, and as I discover more of who he is, I am able to respond in faith.
I like how Renee Swope says it in her book, A Confident Heart:
"God's names are a promise of who He is. We learn to trust Him as we come to know Him in the way He is described in the Bible, based on His character. We will not know God as Jehovah Rapha, our Healer, until we experience and recognize His healing in our lives, whether spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically. We cannot know Him as Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, if we are not in need. We will not know Him as Jehovah Nissi, our Banner, unless we need Him for victory."
As I seek to follow God more consistently, my confidence to do so will come from knowing who He is. My prayer needs to be, "Lord show me who you are as I seek to know you better." I do desire to know him better because after all, he already knows me intimately and not only that, he also sees me as who I am becoming instead of who I am now. When he looks down at me, he doesn't see me as just one of millions but rather as someone he already knows, and in a good way. It's like recognizing a loved one across the way in a room full of people. Just as we seek out those we love, so does the Lord seek me out. The better I know him, the quicker I'll recognize His presence in every situation.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Submitting Self to God
Monday, October 3, 2011
No Fear
This gives me hope because it means God is taking into account every detail and working things out for the outcome that he already sees. In fact, I have nothing to fear because whatever the future holds, God is already there. His plan is for my good and for His glory whether I cooperate or not; whether I think getting from here to there is how I would like to do it or not. How much better to rest in peace knowing that he is in control and everything will work out. It takes the burden of worry off of me and that's how God wants it all along.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What Have We Become?
Excerpt from an article by Paul Proctor:
"I continue to be both saddened and disturbed by how many professional Christians there are today that are more interested in advancing their own ministries and agendas than they are the Word of God – and frankly, it shows because far too many spend their time and effort talking about we, me and mine – promoting and defending themselves, their feelings, their visions and their experiences with one another, week in and week out, rather than contending for the faith with Bible in heart and hand. (Jude 1:3)
...The Great Commission has not changed since it was given even though the so-called “church” and its hirelings have. What would the Old Testament prophets say to us today if we could hear them? What would the Apostles from the New Testament say if they were still with us?
More importantly – what is our Just and Holy God saying to us right now?
Look around – look in the mirror – and then look in your Bible for answers – that is, if you really want to know what they are. They’ve been there all along."
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:19-20
"I continue to be both saddened and disturbed by how many professional Christians there are today that are more interested in advancing their own ministries and agendas than they are the Word of God – and frankly, it shows because far too many spend their time and effort talking about we, me and mine – promoting and defending themselves, their feelings, their visions and their experiences with one another, week in and week out, rather than contending for the faith with Bible in heart and hand. (Jude 1:3)
...The Great Commission has not changed since it was given even though the so-called “church” and its hirelings have. What would the Old Testament prophets say to us today if we could hear them? What would the Apostles from the New Testament say if they were still with us?
More importantly – what is our Just and Holy God saying to us right now?
Look around – look in the mirror – and then look in your Bible for answers – that is, if you really want to know what they are. They’ve been there all along."
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:19-20
Friday, September 16, 2011
Nothing is Impossible
"The word impossible isn't part of God's vocabulary. It's a word we thought up on our own, and we think it carries lots of weight. But it does so only when we subtract God from the formula. If there's no God, the kind of God portrayed in the Bible, then we would have every right to think that there are all kinds of impossible things in the world." - from Your 100 Day Prayer by John I. Snyder
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
My Name is On God's Tatoo
"Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me." - Isaiah 49:13-16
I read this in my devotional today and was reminded that no matter what happens, no matter how uninvolved God seems in my circumstance, He is still there and is actively at work. He can't forget about me any more than I, as a mother, can forget about any of my children.
When God seems far away from my struggle, I just have to calm down and see that He is there. It's usually my own worry that blinds me from His presence. It's kind of like when a young child loses sight of her parent in Walmart and she panics, but her mom is just on the other side of the clothes rack and never lost sight of her child. Once I am able to see past the anxiety of the situation, I discover the Lord never left and always had me within reach.
In fact, this scripture says I am engraved on the palms of His hands and am continually before Him. That's kind of like having my name permanently tatooed on His hand as a constant reminder that I am His.
That's a huge grace note for today.
"Can a woman
I read this in my devotional today and was reminded that no matter what happens, no matter how uninvolved God seems in my circumstance, He is still there and is actively at work. He can't forget about me any more than I, as a mother, can forget about any of my children.
When God seems far away from my struggle, I just have to calm down and see that He is there. It's usually my own worry that blinds me from His presence. It's kind of like when a young child loses sight of her parent in Walmart and she panics, but her mom is just on the other side of the clothes rack and never lost sight of her child. Once I am able to see past the anxiety of the situation, I discover the Lord never left and always had me within reach.
In fact, this scripture says I am engraved on the palms of His hands and am continually before Him. That's kind of like having my name permanently tatooed on His hand as a constant reminder that I am His.
That's a huge grace note for today.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Little of What You Like Does You Good...
"Little luxuries are more conducive to sustained well-being and pleasure than big ones. These days, this philosophy of happiness is gaining popularity and, while I don't believe that happiness is an absolute state to which we all have a right, I do agree that a little of what you like does you good.
I would hazard a guess that most relatively contented domestic artists subscribe to this philosophy (both knowingly and unknowingly) and treat themselves regularly in small but significant ways. The gentle arts offer such a wealth of little luxuries that it's not difficult to create a chain of small pleasures that link together to make a necklace of non-precious gems to adorn your life. Pretty buttons, trimmings, ribbons, lovely yarn, half a yard of a beautiful fabric, a good novel or a book of poetry, a few squares of chocolate, a box of French macaroons - all are strung on my personal necklace of luxuries."
- From The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Is it Just "Contemplative" Prayer?
I wish what I'm addressing here was called something else besides "contemplative" prayer because that is a good word and by true definition, very much applicable to how we pray and worship. There is definitely benefit in seeking quiet alone time with God and I think for most of us that is what "contemplative prayer" means. However in my research for what this movement was all about, I discovered that at its roots it means something different and that is what this post and the previous one are about. But don't make a decision for or against it on my say-so. Read God's word for yourselves and seek discernment from the Holy Spirit, then proceed from there as you decide what or who to follow.
I believe prayer is absolutely vital to faith and is a very important way God speaks to us and invites us to speak to Him. It is powerful and life-changing. If "contemplative prayer" was just about praying according to the definition of "contemplate", I would have no problem with it. The dictionary defines contemplate as to look at or view with continued attention; observe or study thoughtfully, to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about: to have as a purpose; intend.
Praying with purpose, thought, and attention is good. Having times of solitude and silence to focus on what God wants to speak to our hearts through His word and prayer instead of listening to the distractions around us is good. But as I've continued to research what the contemplative prayer movement really teaches, I'm finding out this is not the kind of prayer they teach, nor is this kind of prayer taught in the Bible.
So if it isn't Biblical, where does it come from? It is steeped in the ancient tradtions of other religions and the occult, introduced to the church by men and women who were influenced by those other philosophies and embraced them. And we're eating it up, hook, line, and sinker. Why? Because we yearn for intimacy with God (a good thing) but are willing to sidestep what scripture tells us about having it and will try anything that promises a different experience that will give us new insight and will get us closer to the mind of God; the very thoughts of "the Divine" himself.
All this is nothing new. Eve fell into the same trap in the garden of Eden. The seduction Satan used to get her to eat from the forbidden tree was the promise that if she did, she would be like God. It wasn't enough that she got to walk and talk with Him every evening in the garden. Why should she settle for that if she could be equal to Him, be like Him, and know His every thought? That is the whole idea behind "new age" meditation and all the practices connected with it - to connect with and become like The Divine through contemplative prayer and spiritual practices.
Interestingly, those who are sounding the warning about contemplative prayer the loudest are those who used to be deep into new age religions, the occult, and meditation before they met Jesus as savior. They clearly recognize it for what it is because it's what they used to practice.
So where do well-meaning Christians get the idea that this teaching is Biblical, other than the fact that it comes from respected sources such as Richard Foster, Thomas Keating, Beth Moore, Christianity Today magazines, mega-church-feel-good gurus, and many, many others? Here are a few references that have been presented as Biblical proof but in fact, these scriptures are taken out of context to apply to something that was never intended nor supported with other scripture:
Ps. 62:5: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him."
This verse is not an instruction on how to pray. It is about depending on God for refuge and salvation, and waiting in expectation for God only. Even if we assume the psalmist was praying, he is not suggesting we must approach God in silence.
Ps. 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."
This is also taken out of context. This psalm is actually a rebuke from God to those striving against Him. Some translations read "Cease striving and know that I am God." In other words, sit down, be patient, and acknowledge that He is God. It is not instruction in prayer.
Any scripture that speaks of meditation is often used, but never is "meditation" in the Bible used in the context of the new age type meditation supported in contemplative prayer. In the original Hebrew and Greek, "mediate" means to think about, ponder, speak, pray, consider, put forth thoughts, study, to consider something before speaking or acting, to attend to carefully, etc. Nowhere in scripture does it mean seeking an altered state of mind, speaking a phrase or word over and over, or emptying the mind so something else to fill it. The word meditate in scripture is always in reference to the study and consideration of the statutes, precepts and words of God.
Some say that the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying (Luke 4) was a time of contemplative prayer. Scripture only says that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast and pray and be tempted by Satan. There is nothing that indicates this was a mystical pilgrimage marked by silence. It was to prepare Jesus for ministry.
Some turn to the account of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when God passed by as a great wind, an earthquake and a fire but it was through God's "still, small voice" that Elijah heard Him. Contemplative prayer proponents point to that as being evidence that God wants us to be silent to hear Him as a still, small voice. However, it has to be noted that Elijah was hiding in the cave because he ran away in fear and was utterly spent physically and emotionally after taking on the prophets of Baal. He was not there because he was on a pilgrimage to find God in silence. God found him and chose to speak to him gently, knowing Elijah's emotional and physical state at the time.
Matthew 6:6 is also used to encourage contemplative prayer: "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." If we read the entire chapter, however, we see that Jesus was teaching about not doing things to show off. Verse six is one in a series of admonitions against those who were giving tithes and alms loudly so people would notice, who were praying loudly to impress others, etc. It isn't an instruction to seek something secret in prayer or to seek silence when praying, but rather to have a right attitude and motive for prayer that seeks the Lord instead of the approval of man. And if we keep reading that chapter in Matthew, we actually find Jesus' own instructions on how to pray! If anything, this chapter tells us to NOT get caught up in the repetition of words. In the Greek, the word "repetition" means to babble, to repeat the same things over and over, to use many idle words, to stammer or stutter.
Sometimes the red flag is not in the misuse of scripture but rather the warning that comes with the teaching as is the case in Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. He writes, "I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance that is not divine guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world, we do know … there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection.… 'All dark and evil spirits must now leave.'"
I have to ask, since when does God lead us into a type of praying that puts us in danger and opens our minds to demonic influence? It's also not true that the Bible doesn't give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world.
Is there benefit to silence and solitude when praying and studying God's word? Of course! But silence can be obtained without opening ourselves to things rooted in eastern religion and the occult. I like how author and speaker Marcia Montenegro says it: "Silence can be soothing and comforting; we can get deep insights when we are quiet. But simply trying to be quiet is not prayer, and there is no biblical basis for the belief that real prayer is wordless. After all, God has given us a written revelation, and God's laws and words are acclaimed throughout the Bible, such as Psalm 119, which extols God's word as a treasure and lamp. In Is. 40:8, we learn, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever," and Jesus declares to the Father in Jn. 17:17, "Your word is truth.""
The bottom line is, we draw near to God through Christ and through His word, not through new age techniques, silence, mysticism and meditation, or repetition of words. To quote Montenegro again, "Do techniques bring closeness to God, especially when such techniques are parallel to Eastern religious practices? Ephesians 2:13 tells us, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." We draw near to God through Christ (Heb. 4:16), not through techniques. When First John talks about abiding in Christ, it speaks of following Christ's commandments and showing love for each other."
I'm not a scholar. I'm a truth-seeker who happens to enjoy reading and studying. Everything I've written in these two posts have come from studying scripture first, followed by other credible sources. Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) includes the Hebrew and Greek meanings of words from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance which is a valuable tool in discerning what scripture means. An excellent book that documents with scripture what is wrong with the teachings of contemplative prayer and the emerging church is A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen.
A helpful website about how new age thought is infiltrating the church is CANA (Christian Answers for the New Age) by Marcia Montenegro, who, before receiving Jesus as Savior, was involved with various new age, occult, and Eastern beliefs and practices, including Inner Light Consciousness, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Hindu teachings and meditation, and psychic development classes. If anyone can see these things for what they are even if they are wrapped in biblical God language, she can. I got some information for this post from her article entitled Contemplative Prayer: Is it Really Prayer?
As Christ followers we need to be diligent in studying God's word so we recognize the lies when they sneak in. I want to be like Ezra who "set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances..." (Ezra 7:10) The Hebrew for "study" in this verse means "to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require, to frequent a place, to tread upon a place, to consult, to seek of God, to seek in prayer and worship, to investigate, to ask for, to demand, to practice, to follow, to seek with application, to seek with care." Whew! That's heavy stuff but we aren't dealing with fluff here so reliable armor is needed.
2 Timothy 2:14-19:
Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene....
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."
I believe prayer is absolutely vital to faith and is a very important way God speaks to us and invites us to speak to Him. It is powerful and life-changing. If "contemplative prayer" was just about praying according to the definition of "contemplate", I would have no problem with it. The dictionary defines contemplate as to look at or view with continued attention; observe or study thoughtfully, to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about: to have as a purpose; intend.
Praying with purpose, thought, and attention is good. Having times of solitude and silence to focus on what God wants to speak to our hearts through His word and prayer instead of listening to the distractions around us is good. But as I've continued to research what the contemplative prayer movement really teaches, I'm finding out this is not the kind of prayer they teach, nor is this kind of prayer taught in the Bible.
So if it isn't Biblical, where does it come from? It is steeped in the ancient tradtions of other religions and the occult, introduced to the church by men and women who were influenced by those other philosophies and embraced them. And we're eating it up, hook, line, and sinker. Why? Because we yearn for intimacy with God (a good thing) but are willing to sidestep what scripture tells us about having it and will try anything that promises a different experience that will give us new insight and will get us closer to the mind of God; the very thoughts of "the Divine" himself.
All this is nothing new. Eve fell into the same trap in the garden of Eden. The seduction Satan used to get her to eat from the forbidden tree was the promise that if she did, she would be like God. It wasn't enough that she got to walk and talk with Him every evening in the garden. Why should she settle for that if she could be equal to Him, be like Him, and know His every thought? That is the whole idea behind "new age" meditation and all the practices connected with it - to connect with and become like The Divine through contemplative prayer and spiritual practices.
Interestingly, those who are sounding the warning about contemplative prayer the loudest are those who used to be deep into new age religions, the occult, and meditation before they met Jesus as savior. They clearly recognize it for what it is because it's what they used to practice.
So where do well-meaning Christians get the idea that this teaching is Biblical, other than the fact that it comes from respected sources such as Richard Foster, Thomas Keating, Beth Moore, Christianity Today magazines, mega-church-feel-good gurus, and many, many others? Here are a few references that have been presented as Biblical proof but in fact, these scriptures are taken out of context to apply to something that was never intended nor supported with other scripture:
Ps. 62:5: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him."
This verse is not an instruction on how to pray. It is about depending on God for refuge and salvation, and waiting in expectation for God only. Even if we assume the psalmist was praying, he is not suggesting we must approach God in silence.
Ps. 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."
This is also taken out of context. This psalm is actually a rebuke from God to those striving against Him. Some translations read "Cease striving and know that I am God." In other words, sit down, be patient, and acknowledge that He is God. It is not instruction in prayer.
Any scripture that speaks of meditation is often used, but never is "meditation" in the Bible used in the context of the new age type meditation supported in contemplative prayer. In the original Hebrew and Greek, "mediate" means to think about, ponder, speak, pray, consider, put forth thoughts, study, to consider something before speaking or acting, to attend to carefully, etc. Nowhere in scripture does it mean seeking an altered state of mind, speaking a phrase or word over and over, or emptying the mind so something else to fill it. The word meditate in scripture is always in reference to the study and consideration of the statutes, precepts and words of God.
Some say that the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying (Luke 4) was a time of contemplative prayer. Scripture only says that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast and pray and be tempted by Satan. There is nothing that indicates this was a mystical pilgrimage marked by silence. It was to prepare Jesus for ministry.
Some turn to the account of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when God passed by as a great wind, an earthquake and a fire but it was through God's "still, small voice" that Elijah heard Him. Contemplative prayer proponents point to that as being evidence that God wants us to be silent to hear Him as a still, small voice. However, it has to be noted that Elijah was hiding in the cave because he ran away in fear and was utterly spent physically and emotionally after taking on the prophets of Baal. He was not there because he was on a pilgrimage to find God in silence. God found him and chose to speak to him gently, knowing Elijah's emotional and physical state at the time.
Matthew 6:6 is also used to encourage contemplative prayer: "But you, when
Sometimes the red flag is not in the misuse of scripture but rather the warning that comes with the teaching as is the case in Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. He writes, "I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance that is not divine guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world, we do know … there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection.… 'All dark and evil spirits must now leave.'"
I have to ask, since when does God lead us into a type of praying that puts us in danger and opens our minds to demonic influence? It's also not true that the Bible doesn't give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world.
Is there benefit to silence and solitude when praying and studying God's word? Of course! But silence can be obtained without opening ourselves to things rooted in eastern religion and the occult. I like how author and speaker Marcia Montenegro says it: "Silence can be soothing and comforting; we can get deep insights when we are quiet. But simply trying to be quiet is not prayer, and there is no biblical basis for the belief that real prayer is wordless. After all, God has given us a written revelation, and God's laws and words are acclaimed throughout the Bible, such as Psalm 119, which extols God's word as a treasure and lamp. In Is. 40:8, we learn, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever," and Jesus declares to the Father in Jn. 17:17, "Your word is truth.""
The bottom line is, we draw near to God through Christ and through His word, not through new age techniques, silence, mysticism and meditation, or repetition of words. To quote Montenegro again, "Do techniques bring closeness to God, especially when such techniques are parallel to Eastern religious practices? Ephesians 2:13 tells us, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." We draw near to God through Christ (Heb. 4:16), not through techniques. When First John talks about abiding in Christ, it speaks of following Christ's commandments and showing love for each other."
I'm not a scholar. I'm a truth-seeker who happens to enjoy reading and studying. Everything I've written in these two posts have come from studying scripture first, followed by other credible sources. Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) includes the Hebrew and Greek meanings of words from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance which is a valuable tool in discerning what scripture means. An excellent book that documents with scripture what is wrong with the teachings of contemplative prayer and the emerging church is A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen.
A helpful website about how new age thought is infiltrating the church is CANA (Christian Answers for the New Age) by Marcia Montenegro, who, before receiving Jesus as Savior, was involved with various new age, occult, and Eastern beliefs and practices, including Inner Light Consciousness, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Hindu teachings and meditation, and psychic development classes. If anyone can see these things for what they are even if they are wrapped in biblical God language, she can. I got some information for this post from her article entitled Contemplative Prayer: Is it Really Prayer?
As Christ followers we need to be diligent in studying God's word so we recognize the lies when they sneak in. I want to be like Ezra who "set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances..." (Ezra 7:10) The Hebrew for "study" in this verse means "to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require, to frequent a place, to tread upon a place, to consult, to seek of God, to seek in prayer and worship, to investigate, to ask for, to demand, to practice, to follow, to seek with application, to seek with care." Whew! That's heavy stuff but we aren't dealing with fluff here so reliable armor is needed.
2 Timothy 2:14-19:
Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene....
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."
Monday, March 28, 2011
What is Really "Emerging" in the Church?
As a Christ follower I find myself at a crossroads of sorts as to who I am going to listen to. There are so many voices within the church and sadly, not all are speaking truth. Recent reading has opening my eyes to what some respected voices are really saying and I find myself with a lot of questions.
For example, as a Christian, can I support the teaching of a belief system that encourages induced altered states of consciousness and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but is now wrapped in Christian terminology as "contemplative prayer"? A teaching that hints of pantheism (God is all) and panentheism (God is in all) and says that we need to empty our minds in order for "The Divine" to fill it up again?
Do I allow myself to be influenced by a teaching that says in order to truly connect with our spirituality and God, we must reconnect with ancient, mystical forms of worship that says we can only connect with God in complete silence? Or one that says if we all do this, no matter if we are Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other religion, we will be connecting with the same god and thereby all be united which is what God intended all along?
Can I support a doctrine that says we can't know absolute truth and can only experience what is "true" for the community we live in, and since we cannot know absolute truth we cannot be dogmatic about doctrine or morals?
Do I embrace a philosophy that says the Bible and the notion of heaven and hell is simply outdated for the emerging, more savvy generation of believers and everything we thought we knew needs to be reconsidered so that it is a better fit for where we are as a society? Or one that says in the end, everyone will eventually be saved and go to heaven even if they don't acknowledge Jesus as savior?
These are the root of the teachings of the popular contemplative spirituality and prayer movement and the "emerging church" which have influenced main stream denominations and many popular Christian authors and speakers.
I'm trying my best to not be reactionary but I guess it amazes me that some of the most sought after and quoted teachers, conference speakers, and authors in the Christian community support tenents of these teachings, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Some are all-out promoters of it knowing what it is and others are just dabbling in it but it's there just the same. It's even shown up in subtle ways in my own church, not as an outright teaching per se, but in referencing the works or words of some of these teachers in the sermons or Bible studies being taught.
But what amazes me more is that so few are questioning it, perhaps because they do not recognize it for what it is or are too enamoured with the messengers. My knee-jerk reaction is to use my mommy voice with one eyebrow raised and finger pointing, saying to those close to me, "Wake-up, little missy! Pay attention, little mister!" If the mommy voice doesn't work, I may have to resort to imitating the robot on Lost in Space: "Danger, Will Robinson!"
Consider the following quotes and decide, without being influenced by who said it, whether it would it be a teaching you would embrace as a Christian. (I'll let you know who said them following the quotes.)
1. "Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God."
2. "I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and to these great Asian [mystical] traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own Christian traditions."
3. "Every distraction of the body, mind, and spirit must be put into a kind of suspended animation before this deep work of God upon the soul can occur."
4."The ultimate authority in my life is not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period."
5. "I'm looking for a second reformation. The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. This one is going to be about behavior. The first one was about creeds. This one is going to be about deeds. It is not going to be about what does the church believe, but about what the church is doing."
6. "Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love...For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required."
7. "Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmondernist culture near the center....Mysticism is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology."
8. "We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible. Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices."
9. ‘... if we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There’s got to be a stillness."
10. “I am deeply distressed by what I only can call in our Christian culture the idolatry of the Scriptures. For many Christians, the Bible is not a pointer to God but God himself. In a word--bibliolatry ... I develop a nasty rash around people who speak as if mere scrutiny of its pages will reveal precisely how God thinks and precisely what God wants.”
11. “If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or, either creation or evolution, liberty or law, sacred or secular, Beethoven or Madonna. We focus on both-and, fully aware that God’s truth cannot be imprisoned in a small definition…. But the open mind realizes that reality, truth, and Jesus Christ are incredibly open-ended.”
12. “God is a great underground river, and there are many wells into that river. There’s a Taoist well, a Buddhist well, a Jewish well, a Muslim well, a Christian well, a Goddess well, the Native wells-many wells that humans have dug to get into that river, but friends, there’s only one river; the living waters of wisdom."
Who said it?
1. Henri Nouwen
2. Thomas Merton
3. Richard Foster
4. Sue Monk Kidd
5. Rick Warren
6. Henri Nouwen
7. Leonard Sweet
8. Basil Pennington
9. Beth Moore
10. Brennan Manning
11. Brennan Manning
12. Matthew Fox
Even if I don't actually study the works of these men and women, I can't ignore the fact that other contemporary authors not only study them, but endorse their teachings. Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) endorses the writings of Sue Monk Kid, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton, among others, in his books and joins alongside Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) for conferences promoting the emerging church and contemplative prayer. Rick Warren endorses Leonard Sweet. Beth Moore says of Brennan Manning in her book When Godly People Do Ungodly Things that his contribution to our generation "may be a gift without parallel" and calls his book Ragamuffin Gospel "one of the most remarkable books" and also shares the stage with Richard Foster and others at events. Brennan Manning frequently quotes mystics Matthew Fox and Thomas Merton. A few of them started out sincere in the faith but have since turned away from God as is the case of Sue Monk Kidd, formerly a devout Christian author who now worships a goddess named Sophia.
Even the online version of Today's Christian Woman magazine, endorses the contemplative prayer teaching as evidenced in this article in which the author quotes some of the authors mentioned above, and this article about Margaret Feinberg, a popular author and speaker at contemplative/emerging church conferences. In fact, several of the Christianity Today publications support these things.
Apparently, it's not just the popular teachers and pastors themselves whom I need to be discerning of, it's who they study and endorse that is important as well. Although some of the quotes are isolated from the actual writings they came from, they still reveal a lot about what the person believes. I guess what was most surprising to me as I started looking into this is how connected everyone was to the other. They study each other, they quote each other, so while I also want to give a measure of slack, we have to see that we each reflect the ideas and values of those we study. That's where the discernment is important. We need to know something about who they they are influenced by and who they follow before we join in.
I also have to mention the very popular yet questionable writings of authors such as Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts), Sarah Young (Jesus Calling), Margaret Feinberg (Hungry For God) and emergent church guru Rob Bell (Love Wins). Sadly, they are aligning themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) with teaching that isn't Biblical even if they put God's name all over it and it makes them feel closer to Him. I've had to understand that the "ancient ways" and "mystical union" they are speaking of come out of man's traditions, not from scripture. It is wise for us to be wary when a woman claims to have received words from Jesus during times of meditative contemplation and puts them in a book written in the first person tense as him speaking to us through her.
I know how it feels to really like a certain author or speaker or pastor and then find out something negative about him or her. Every part of me wants to protest and let the naysayer know how wrong they are. But I also know I have to at least take what is said and find out for myself whether it is true or not. That's what I hope anyone reading this will do. Don't take it on my say-so. Test anything you read or hear, no matter how endearing and popular the source, against what God really says in His Word, and decide for yourself who or what you will follow.
I have often used the quote "eat the fish, spit out the bones" when referring to things I read that make me feel good and sound "right" even though they may have some questionable teaching mixed in with truth. I'm questioning whether that is acceptable for me anymore. It doesn't do to pick out the bones if the meat itself is tainted. The only "meat" I can know is good and bone-free is the Bible itself and that has to then be the standard by which everything else is measured.
Recommended reading: A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. And of course, the Bible.
For example, as a Christian, can I support the teaching of a belief system that encourages induced altered states of consciousness and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but is now wrapped in Christian terminology as "contemplative prayer"? A teaching that hints of pantheism (God is all) and panentheism (God is in all) and says that we need to empty our minds in order for "The Divine" to fill it up again?
Do I allow myself to be influenced by a teaching that says in order to truly connect with our spirituality and God, we must reconnect with ancient, mystical forms of worship that says we can only connect with God in complete silence? Or one that says if we all do this, no matter if we are Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other religion, we will be connecting with the same god and thereby all be united which is what God intended all along?
Can I support a doctrine that says we can't know absolute truth and can only experience what is "true" for the community we live in, and since we cannot know absolute truth we cannot be dogmatic about doctrine or morals?
Do I embrace a philosophy that says the Bible and the notion of heaven and hell is simply outdated for the emerging, more savvy generation of believers and everything we thought we knew needs to be reconsidered so that it is a better fit for where we are as a society? Or one that says in the end, everyone will eventually be saved and go to heaven even if they don't acknowledge Jesus as savior?
These are the root of the teachings of the popular contemplative spirituality and prayer movement and the "emerging church" which have influenced main stream denominations and many popular Christian authors and speakers.
I'm trying my best to not be reactionary but I guess it amazes me that some of the most sought after and quoted teachers, conference speakers, and authors in the Christian community support tenents of these teachings, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Some are all-out promoters of it knowing what it is and others are just dabbling in it but it's there just the same. It's even shown up in subtle ways in my own church, not as an outright teaching per se, but in referencing the works or words of some of these teachers in the sermons or Bible studies being taught.
But what amazes me more is that so few are questioning it, perhaps because they do not recognize it for what it is or are too enamoured with the messengers. My knee-jerk reaction is to use my mommy voice with one eyebrow raised and finger pointing, saying to those close to me, "Wake-up, little missy! Pay attention, little mister!" If the mommy voice doesn't work, I may have to resort to imitating the robot on Lost in Space: "Danger, Will Robinson!"
Consider the following quotes and decide, without being influenced by who said it, whether it would it be a teaching you would embrace as a Christian. (I'll let you know who said them following the quotes.)
1. "Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God."
2. "I believe that by openness to Buddhism, to Hinduism, and to these great Asian [mystical] traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own Christian traditions."
3. "Every distraction of the body, mind, and spirit must be put into a kind of suspended animation before this deep work of God upon the soul can occur."
4."The ultimate authority in my life is not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period."
5. "I'm looking for a second reformation. The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. This one is going to be about behavior. The first one was about creeds. This one is going to be about deeds. It is not going to be about what does the church believe, but about what the church is doing."
6. "Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love...For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required."
7. "Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmondernist culture near the center....Mysticism is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology."
8. "We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible. Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices."
9. ‘... if we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There’s got to be a stillness."
10. “I am deeply distressed by what I only can call in our Christian culture the idolatry of the Scriptures. For many Christians, the Bible is not a pointer to God but God himself. In a word--bibliolatry ... I develop a nasty rash around people who speak as if mere scrutiny of its pages will reveal precisely how God thinks and precisely what God wants.”
11. “If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or, either creation or evolution, liberty or law, sacred or secular, Beethoven or Madonna. We focus on both-and, fully aware that God’s truth cannot be imprisoned in a small definition…. But the open mind realizes that reality, truth, and Jesus Christ are incredibly open-ended.”
12. “God is a great underground river, and there are many wells into that river. There’s a Taoist well, a Buddhist well, a Jewish well, a Muslim well, a Christian well, a Goddess well, the Native wells-many wells that humans have dug to get into that river, but friends, there’s only one river; the living waters of wisdom."
Who said it?
1. Henri Nouwen
2. Thomas Merton
3. Richard Foster
4. Sue Monk Kidd
5. Rick Warren
6. Henri Nouwen
7. Leonard Sweet
8. Basil Pennington
9. Beth Moore
10. Brennan Manning
11. Brennan Manning
12. Matthew Fox
Even if I don't actually study the works of these men and women, I can't ignore the fact that other contemporary authors not only study them, but endorse their teachings. Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) endorses the writings of Sue Monk Kid, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton, among others, in his books and joins alongside Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) for conferences promoting the emerging church and contemplative prayer. Rick Warren endorses Leonard Sweet. Beth Moore says of Brennan Manning in her book When Godly People Do Ungodly Things that his contribution to our generation "may be a gift without parallel" and calls his book Ragamuffin Gospel "one of the most remarkable books" and also shares the stage with Richard Foster and others at events. Brennan Manning frequently quotes mystics Matthew Fox and Thomas Merton. A few of them started out sincere in the faith but have since turned away from God as is the case of Sue Monk Kidd, formerly a devout Christian author who now worships a goddess named Sophia.
Even the online version of Today's Christian Woman magazine, endorses the contemplative prayer teaching as evidenced in this article in which the author quotes some of the authors mentioned above, and this article about Margaret Feinberg, a popular author and speaker at contemplative/emerging church conferences. In fact, several of the Christianity Today publications support these things.
Apparently, it's not just the popular teachers and pastors themselves whom I need to be discerning of, it's who they study and endorse that is important as well. Although some of the quotes are isolated from the actual writings they came from, they still reveal a lot about what the person believes. I guess what was most surprising to me as I started looking into this is how connected everyone was to the other. They study each other, they quote each other, so while I also want to give a measure of slack, we have to see that we each reflect the ideas and values of those we study. That's where the discernment is important. We need to know something about who they they are influenced by and who they follow before we join in.
I also have to mention the very popular yet questionable writings of authors such as Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts), Sarah Young (Jesus Calling), Margaret Feinberg (Hungry For God) and emergent church guru Rob Bell (Love Wins). Sadly, they are aligning themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) with teaching that isn't Biblical even if they put God's name all over it and it makes them feel closer to Him. I've had to understand that the "ancient ways" and "mystical union" they are speaking of come out of man's traditions, not from scripture. It is wise for us to be wary when a woman claims to have received words from Jesus during times of meditative contemplation and puts them in a book written in the first person tense as him speaking to us through her.
I know how it feels to really like a certain author or speaker or pastor and then find out something negative about him or her. Every part of me wants to protest and let the naysayer know how wrong they are. But I also know I have to at least take what is said and find out for myself whether it is true or not. That's what I hope anyone reading this will do. Don't take it on my say-so. Test anything you read or hear, no matter how endearing and popular the source, against what God really says in His Word, and decide for yourself who or what you will follow.
I have often used the quote "eat the fish, spit out the bones" when referring to things I read that make me feel good and sound "right" even though they may have some questionable teaching mixed in with truth. I'm questioning whether that is acceptable for me anymore. It doesn't do to pick out the bones if the meat itself is tainted. The only "meat" I can know is good and bone-free is the Bible itself and that has to then be the standard by which everything else is measured.
Recommended reading: A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. And of course, the Bible.
Friday, November 12, 2010
God Has Backup Copies
Today I read something in my devotions that I hadn't noticed before. It was in Jeremiah 36. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah the words He wanted delivered to Jehoiakim, king of Judah. These were words of warning of what would happen if the king and people didn't turn from their evil ways and come back to God. Jeremiah dictated God's words to a scribe who then delivered the scroll to the king.
The king's response was to burn the scroll because he didn't like what God had to say. He thought that would take care of the matter. No scroll, no warning to heed - as if God's word could be undone by simply destroying the evidence.
What he forgot is that God's word is not dependent upon anyone believing it. God will have His way and His word will always hold true no matter whether a person chooses to believe it or not and no matter what lengths people go to destroy it or discredit its message. In the case of Jehoiakim, God simply told Jeremiah to rewrite the words on another scroll and have that delivered once again to the king, only this time God added more. It would have gone better for Judah if the king had heeded the first message.
God always has backup copies of his message. If we don't hear it the first time, He will repeat it as often and in as many ways as necessary until we listen. As Aldous Huxley said, "Facts do not cease to exist simply because they are ignored." This is especially true where God's word is concerned.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Keeping Faith When It's Hard
I have no problem believing in God but I often struggle with believing that He will do all He promises in His word. It's a struggle between theology and reality, and faith is the only thing that will close that gap. I don't want to just say "I believe" I want to say "I KNOW" with an unfailing faith and conviction that stands strong even when my circumstances say otherwise.
I believe what God says about Himself and to believers in the Bible. Either these things are true because God's Word is true, or they are a lie. And if I believe that God's word is true then I have to believe all of it. If He says He is my provider, then I must not doubt His provision. If He says He hears me when I cry out to Him, then I must not live like He doesn't even if the answer doesn't come immediately. If He promises I can do all things through Jesus Christ, then I need to take it and run with it.
If I trust Him with my eternal life and salvation - and I do - then I have no choice but to also trust Him with the daily things and the hard things in life. I need to be able to trust Him with my friend Diane who recently completed months of chemo, radiation, and a mastectomy for breast cancer only to find out last week that the cancer has metastisized to her bones. We don't know what the future holds for her but God does so that's where she and her friends and family need to put their faith. (Update: Diane left this earthly life soon after this was written and is healed and whole in heaven.)
Faith is hard for me sometimes because I rely so much on feelings. If I don't "feel" God at work then I may doubt His presence, but scripture says in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." My favorite definition of faith is that it is taking God at His word regardless of what we think or feel. Faith is also important because as Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
So what do I do when my faith seems weak and I'm having a hard time believing God? I take God at His word regardless of what I think or feel. I meditate on Hebrews 4:12-16 that tells me the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, that God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of my heart so He is able to take what I believe and help me with my unbelief; that I am not hidden from His sight, that in Him I have a great high priest who can sympathize with my weaknesses, because He Himself was tempted in all things as I am (yet without sin); and that I can draw near with confidence (boldness) to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in my time of need. Those are powerful promises.
I am reminded of the centurion who came to Jesus, asking him to heal his daughter. Jesus was prepared to go with him but the man said if Jesus would just speak the word, his daughter would be healed because as someone in authority himself, he recognized the authority of Jesus' word. Jesus responded that he never found such faith in all of Israel.
Taking God at His word is where my faith needs to begin and end. Scripture says heaven and earth will pass away before one stroke of God's word will pass away. That means the world will have to end before God's word is not true. That's what my faith must be grounded in regarless of who is president, what is happening economically, in sickness or health, in good times or bad. What the Lord did for anyone in scripture He can do for anyone today. I just need to rest in the authority of His word, who He says He is, what He says He can do, and who He says I am in Him.
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Perfect Moment
The realist in me wants to say there is no such thing as a perfect moment. But, I found one filed away in a childhood memory.
First, some background. I was born in Illinois on an Air Force base and we soon moved to another base in Texas. When I was about three years old, my parents divorced and my mother, who was pregnant with her fourth child, packed up her other three children and moved us back to her hometown in Indiana. We lived in a tiny cinder-block cottage on my grandparents' property. It was my third home in three years of life.
The moment I remember must have been when I was close to four years old and was in early fall because my older brother and sister were at school and the leaves were still green with just touches of color beginning here and there. The sky was as blue as one of my crayons with cotton ball clouds. I had awakened from a nap after lunch and sat playing on the steps to the door of the cottage. On a rare day, my mother was home instead of at work so I had no apprehensions of being left with a babysitter and my baby sister was napping so there was no opportunity to coax her into a smile. I was left to the company of my constant companions, a stuffed panda and a handmade bear that had been my mother's. Both were dressed up in doll clothes and sat unmoving in my second-hand toy baby carriage. We had finished our tea party with painted metal teacups, saucers and teapot neatly stacked on a plastic plate that served as the tray.
My grandparents' property was part of a nature preserve so I was surrounded by the woodland sounds of wind in trees, birds and chattering squirrels. The field between our cottage and my grandparents' home had been left to grow tall with grass and wildflowers and on this warm autumn day dozens of butterflies came out to play among the blossoms. The whirring sound of cicadas, or locusts as some call them, ebbed and flowed.
Sitting in a combination of the shade of a sycamore tree with its huge leaves and sun as the branches parted in rhythm with the breeze, I remember looking at the sparkles of light between the leaves and releasing a sigh. I was warm, fed, rested and safe and remember feeling totally at peace. No one required conversation of me, no siblings were there to tease. The stitched on smiles of my teddy bear friends seemed to concur the bliss of the moment.
I still have those teddy bears. Now and then I take them out and recall that perfect afternoon.
First, some background. I was born in Illinois on an Air Force base and we soon moved to another base in Texas. When I was about three years old, my parents divorced and my mother, who was pregnant with her fourth child, packed up her other three children and moved us back to her hometown in Indiana. We lived in a tiny cinder-block cottage on my grandparents' property. It was my third home in three years of life.
The moment I remember must have been when I was close to four years old and was in early fall because my older brother and sister were at school and the leaves were still green with just touches of color beginning here and there. The sky was as blue as one of my crayons with cotton ball clouds. I had awakened from a nap after lunch and sat playing on the steps to the door of the cottage. On a rare day, my mother was home instead of at work so I had no apprehensions of being left with a babysitter and my baby sister was napping so there was no opportunity to coax her into a smile. I was left to the company of my constant companions, a stuffed panda and a handmade bear that had been my mother's. Both were dressed up in doll clothes and sat unmoving in my second-hand toy baby carriage. We had finished our tea party with painted metal teacups, saucers and teapot neatly stacked on a plastic plate that served as the tray.
My grandparents' property was part of a nature preserve so I was surrounded by the woodland sounds of wind in trees, birds and chattering squirrels. The field between our cottage and my grandparents' home had been left to grow tall with grass and wildflowers and on this warm autumn day dozens of butterflies came out to play among the blossoms. The whirring sound of cicadas, or locusts as some call them, ebbed and flowed.
Sitting in a combination of the shade of a sycamore tree with its huge leaves and sun as the branches parted in rhythm with the breeze, I remember looking at the sparkles of light between the leaves and releasing a sigh. I was warm, fed, rested and safe and remember feeling totally at peace. No one required conversation of me, no siblings were there to tease. The stitched on smiles of my teddy bear friends seemed to concur the bliss of the moment.
I still have those teddy bears. Now and then I take them out and recall that perfect afternoon.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Strength For the Moment, Trust For What's Ahead
"God does not give us overcoming life - He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment."
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
This is probably the hardest lesson for me in my faith walk. I forget that God works best in my trials, giving what I need for the moment. Often all I can see is how impossible the situation is and wonder why He isn't doing anything or why I’m not making progress. I want to fast-forward to the end even if means I learn nothing along the way. I end up exhausted because I try to work it all out in my own power, lacking the patience to let Him lead me through it one step at a time so I emerge from the valley spiritually stronger and wiser. Often my short-cuts end up being the most difficult route to the destination.
A scripture I often meditate on to help keep God in my moments is Psalm 119:105: "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." The lesson in that verse is that God lights each step for me, one step at a time, no matter what the situation. It's like walking along a dark path with a flashlight. It doesn't do any good to shine the light too far ahead because I might miss something right in front of me that may cause me to stumble. Or, by looking too far ahead I may see things I don’t understand or fear and be tempted to turn the other way, going right back to where I started. Instead, I keep the flashlight shining closer to my feet and the next few steps so I can see what is there.
That's what God wants to do in my walk with Him. He wants to light my path one step at a time, one strain or trial at a time, and trust Him for what I can't see further down the road. I can have confidence that He is a trustworthy guide because He has already been there.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Homesick
"Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground." - Judith Thurman
Sometimes it is hard to draw the balance of living between the anticipation of heaven and the reality of life on earth when one has a strong faith in God. I do find myself homesick for heaven even though I have not been there and don't know what it really is like other than what scripture tells me. All I know for certain is that being in heaven means being with the Lord and that is enough of a reason for longing for it.
Until that time, I need to live fully engaged here on earth even though my real home is elsewhere. That means living in a way that glorifies God and reflects His love to those I encounter whether it be my own family or random strangers. It means living with anticipation of the joy to come while dealing with the things on earth that maybe aren't so pleasant, knowing that it is through pain, hardship and disappointment that I am refined and my faith is made stronger. But I also know that amidst the negatives of life there is a lot of joy to be found. God is glorified when I seek those tokens of love from Him from the awesome wonders to the smallest things that almost go unnoticed but are no less awesome.
The Bible has much to say about the question "how should we then live?" but the verses that speak to where I am today are:
Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
Micah 6:8 - "And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"
I Thessalonians 4:11 - "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands."
Colossians 3:23-24 - "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men."
Ephesians 4:29 - "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Perspective
I thought about where my mindset was last fall. I was dealing a lot with anxiety with all the media drama, predictions of economic collapse, the Presidential election, things slowing down at my husband's job, and so many lay-offs in the area. I have spent the good part of a year in worry and looking back, the worst case scenarios did not happen. In fact, it hasn't even been that inconvenient for us personally other than my anxiety issue as I dwell in "what-if-land".
It is a lesson to me on how futile worry and anxiety is and how little faith I have. As I think about all the things I worry about, I see that the worst I can imagine never happens. In this past year God sustained us, my husband still has his job, our country hasn't fallen off the face of the earth because of Obama, we didn't go into the next Great Depression. It encoruages me to renew my effort to take my thoughts captive and put my faith in the Lord into practice more, to believe he is who he says he is and will do all he promises he will do.
I also found this devotional entry from last year and I feel the same way today:
I bring you my worship and praise...
because Your Word says you inhabit the praise of your people and when I worship You, I feel your presence. Today I praise your name, Jehovah Jireh, because you are the Lord who provides.
You spoke to me...
"I have loved you with an everlasting love."
Jeremiah 31:3
"The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
Deuteronomy 33:27
It is a lesson to me on how futile worry and anxiety is and how little faith I have. As I think about all the things I worry about, I see that the worst I can imagine never happens. In this past year God sustained us, my husband still has his job, our country hasn't fallen off the face of the earth because of Obama, we didn't go into the next Great Depression. It encoruages me to renew my effort to take my thoughts captive and put my faith in the Lord into practice more, to believe he is who he says he is and will do all he promises he will do.
I also found this devotional entry from last year and I feel the same way today:
Dear Lord,
I bring you my shortcomings...because Your Word says that in my weakness you are strong and I feel like such a wimp in these trying times. I have so many shortcomings but when I look closer, I see that they are by your design and behind each one is a strength waiting to develop as I surrender them to you.
I bring you my worship and praise...
because Your Word says you inhabit the praise of your people and when I worship You, I feel your presence. Today I praise your name, Jehovah Jireh, because you are the Lord who provides.
I bring you my prayer...
because Your Word says to tell you what I need so that I'm not anxious about anything. Help me take my anxious thoughts captive and leave them with You, knowing that nothing is happening that isn't passing through Your hands first. You are in control. Thank you for your provision and protection.
because Your Word says to tell you what I need so that I'm not anxious about anything. Help me take my anxious thoughts captive and leave them with You, knowing that nothing is happening that isn't passing through Your hands first. You are in control. Thank you for your provision and protection.
You spoke to me...
"I have loved you with an everlasting love."
Jeremiah 31:3
"The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
Deuteronomy 33:27
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Finding Hope Through Prayer
There's no doubt we are experiencing trying times on many levels in our country. I don't know if what is happening is God's judgment or if it is a wake-up call to change our ways. I tend to think it is the later. Either way, something is happening that we can't ignore. Thursday, May 7 is the National Day of Prayer and in it believers can find hope for our nation as we seek God's guidance.
God promises in scripture that He will heal our nation but it requires action on our part: "(if) My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
1. We must humble ourselves before God and acknowledge that He is in control. Our way hasn't worked. The Lord never commands us to do anything because he wants to spoil our fun. It is always for our protection. When we go our own way, pridefully thinking we know better or can somehow avoid the consequences, we end up in a pit that we have to be rescued from.
2. We must pray. Pray for help, pray for forgiveness (both for personal sin and our nation's sins), pray for the courage to make the tough choices that others may ridicule us for, pray in acknowledgment of who God is. Pray in a way that doesn't seek our will but His. On Thursday, we have an opportunity to join with other believers in doing this.
3. God says to seek his face but what does that mean? We are told to do that many times in scripture. The obvious meaning would be to simply turn from ourselves to him, but to take it further it would mean to seek his will instead of our own; to seek what is important to Him, where He is leading, to face the same direction He is facing instead of looking back at our own plan. It is to seek his wisdom, his guidance, instead of our own or that of our leaders.
4. The final instruction is probably the hardest: "turn from their wicked ways." This is where it really gets uncomfortable. Outside of the obvious things that we know God has clearly said "thou shall not", we each need to seek his face to know what else we are harboring in our lives that separate us from his blessing and healing. Maybe things like:
What we watch on t.v. or at the movies.
Where we go on the Internet.
How we spend our time and money.
How we treat others.
How we gossip.
Times when we should speak up against what our leaders allow but don't.
Things that we let pass as acceptable that God calls sin because we don't want to offend anyone and instead justify it as being politically correct.
Doing these things aren't easy. Obedience never is. But, look what God promises if we do:
"I will hear from heaven."
"I will forgive their sins."
"I will heal their land."
If we will, He will.
God promises in scripture that He will heal our nation but it requires action on our part: "(if) My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
1. We must humble ourselves before God and acknowledge that He is in control. Our way hasn't worked. The Lord never commands us to do anything because he wants to spoil our fun. It is always for our protection. When we go our own way, pridefully thinking we know better or can somehow avoid the consequences, we end up in a pit that we have to be rescued from.
2. We must pray. Pray for help, pray for forgiveness (both for personal sin and our nation's sins), pray for the courage to make the tough choices that others may ridicule us for, pray in acknowledgment of who God is. Pray in a way that doesn't seek our will but His. On Thursday, we have an opportunity to join with other believers in doing this.
3. God says to seek his face but what does that mean? We are told to do that many times in scripture. The obvious meaning would be to simply turn from ourselves to him, but to take it further it would mean to seek his will instead of our own; to seek what is important to Him, where He is leading, to face the same direction He is facing instead of looking back at our own plan. It is to seek his wisdom, his guidance, instead of our own or that of our leaders.
4. The final instruction is probably the hardest: "turn from their wicked ways." This is where it really gets uncomfortable. Outside of the obvious things that we know God has clearly said "thou shall not", we each need to seek his face to know what else we are harboring in our lives that separate us from his blessing and healing. Maybe things like:
What we watch on t.v. or at the movies.
Where we go on the Internet.
How we spend our time and money.
How we treat others.
How we gossip.
Times when we should speak up against what our leaders allow but don't.
Things that we let pass as acceptable that God calls sin because we don't want to offend anyone and instead justify it as being politically correct.
Doing these things aren't easy. Obedience never is. But, look what God promises if we do:
"I will hear from heaven."
"I will forgive their sins."
"I will heal their land."
If we will, He will.
I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." I Timothy 2:1-4
"Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. ... (The Lord) is the one who keeps every promise forever." - Psalm 146:3,6
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34
"The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." - Proverbs 21:1
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Becoming Grace and Glory
One of my favorite books is "Hind's Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard. It is an allegorical tale of Much-Afraid, the little cripple who is afraid of everything but overcomes her fears and follows the Shepherd to the mountains where she is transformed to Grace and Glory. I think I like the story so much because I can relate to Much-Afraid - always hesitant, second guessing myself and God, fearful of that which I am not in control of - but ever hopeful that as I step out on faith that the Lord who started a good work in me will complete it. Someday I will be like Grace and Glory as I learn to trust that God knows best and will never lead me in harm's way even though it may look pretty scary at the time. It leads me back to that faith issue of believing that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do.
At one point in her journey with the Shepherd, Much-Afraid is given the choice of having Sorrow and Suffering as her travelling companions or return to the valley to her Fearing relatives. It is one of my favorite passages from the book:
"Much-Afraid shuddered. The choice seemed terrible. Fear she knew all too well, but Sorrow and Suffering had always seemed to her the two most terrifying things which she could encounter....Then she looked at the Shepherd and suddenly knew she could not doubt him, could not possibly turn back from following him; that if she were unfit and unable to love anyone else in the world, yet in her trembling, miserable little heart, she did love him. Even if he asked the impossible, she could not refuse. She looked at him piteously, then said, 'Do I wish to turn back? O Shepherd, to whom should I go? In all the world I have no one but you. Help me to follow you, even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust you as much as I long to love you.'"
That's my prayer..."Lord, help me to follow you even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust you as much as I long to love you."
At one point in her journey with the Shepherd, Much-Afraid is given the choice of having Sorrow and Suffering as her travelling companions or return to the valley to her Fearing relatives. It is one of my favorite passages from the book:
"Much-Afraid shuddered. The choice seemed terrible. Fear she knew all too well, but Sorrow and Suffering had always seemed to her the two most terrifying things which she could encounter....Then she looked at the Shepherd and suddenly knew she could not doubt him, could not possibly turn back from following him; that if she were unfit and unable to love anyone else in the world, yet in her trembling, miserable little heart, she did love him. Even if he asked the impossible, she could not refuse. She looked at him piteously, then said, 'Do I wish to turn back? O Shepherd, to whom should I go? In all the world I have no one but you. Help me to follow you, even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust you as much as I long to love you.'"
That's my prayer..."Lord, help me to follow you even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust you as much as I long to love you."
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