Hitting the Nail on the Head

When someone reaches a level of excellence there is a flow to their lives that is enjoyable to watch.  Their work is fluid, effortless, pleasurable.  But as we all know, these skills did not come easily, without hard work, sacrifice, and commitment. A young man recently asked me how he could know what career his was to pursue.  I told him not to worry about his chosen career…I told him to work hard, study, hard, play hard, and live and love life passionately; in God’s timing, it would all begin to fit together.  King David started as a shepherd boy, living out in the wild night and day, taking care of the sheep; little did he know that was the preparation for not only killing Goliath, but becoming a king.  We just never know what God is preparing us for…”show me a man diligent in his work, and he will stand before kings…”  or become one!  Enjoy the attached video.

Some will not understand

“So Jesus said to the Jews who believed on him, ‘if you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill me because my Word fins no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father…They said to him, ‘We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.’ Jesus said to them. ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my Word. You are of your father the devil, and you will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do wit the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the Words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

As I travel I have found that those who love God the most are those who are intensely trying to abide in His Word. They struggle with their sin and sometimes fall. "A just man falls down seven times seven times, but gets back up again." I once heard an old missionary say that this Book will keep you from sin and sin will keep you from this Book. The Bible is God's love letter to us...it is filled with real hurts, hopes, and genuine humility that gives us role models to follow. It truly is a lamp for our feet and a light to our path.

Love

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

        In the English Standard Version the last word in this sentence was translated "ends" rather than "fails."  The word ἐκπίπτω, ekpiptō, ek-pip'-to means to drop away; specifically be driven out of one's course; figuratively to lose, become inefficient: - fail, fall (away, off), take none effect.

Love never "ends" in the sense that it continues to work; but when I think of Love never failing, I think of something much more powerful.  When all else fails, love will never fail.  The key however is found in the essence of love---it is patient, kind, doesn't boast, isn't arrogant or rude, doesn't insist on its own way….well you can reread the list above….when I read this I find myself so lacking.  I can love for a time, but if things don't change in the response and behavior of those whom I love, I begin to demonstrate how much I really love myself. Oh how I long to love purely without insisting on my own way.

        I am reminded what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1Co 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me."

        In 2Co 2:4 he wrote: "For out of much affliction  and anguish of heart  I wrote  unto you  with  many  tears;  not  that ye should be grieved, but  that  ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you."

        And lastly in one of my favorite verses of Scripture Paul writes:  "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." 2Co 12:15 

        Now that is true love!  Nothing more needs to be said…love never fails…now it is up to us to labor more abundantly than they all…yet knowing that we must be totally dependant upon God's grace for any real change and genuine growth.  I don't know if you know the tune or not, so you will have to imagine me signing this…this is an old song I learned over twenty years ago…if you can find the music, it is a really fun song with many parts: "Love, the, Lord your God, with all your heart, and, all your soul, and all your mind, and, love all mankind, as you would love yourself—love!, the Lord your God…with all your heart, with all your soul, and mind, and all mankind…we've got Christian love….and for the life of me I can't remember the rest of it!  Good night and God bless…

l

Enduring or Sinning Deliberately

One of the most difficult passages of Scripture to understand is Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of Grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.”

That is quite the warning. Though hotly contested that these verses speak to unbelievers, the text, I believe, clearly demonstrates that believers are the focus here. They are not losing their salvation; they are placing themselves under impending judgment because of their deliberate sinning. The author of Hebrews emphasizes, “For If we go on sinning…” and “Lord will judge his people.” Again, he is talking to believers. “Therefore,” he says, “do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” First note that there is a ‘great reward’ for those who endure. We live in such an indulgent culture, where the desires of our flesh have reached epidemic proportions. Our appetites to be satisfied at all cost, have bound us as Eldridge so skillfully writes: “We are so enamored with our small stories and our false gods, we are so bound up in our addictions and our self-centeredness and take-it-for-granted unbelief that we don’t even know how to cry out for help. And the Evil One has no intention of letting his captives walk away scot-free. He seduces us, deceives us, assaults us—whatever it takes to keep us in darkness. Like a woman bound to an affair from which she cannot get free, like a man so corrupted he no longer knows his own name, the human race is captive in the worst way possible—we are captives of the heart.”

So what will it take to break free of our captivity? The author of Hebrews (which I believe to be the Apostle Paul) goes on to say that “For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Just a few verses prior he encouraged the believers to “recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings….exposed to public humiliation, …and accepted the plundering of your own property…” What happened? Why are they being warned now, not to shrink back? I can remember the former days so clearly…and thanks be to God my heart is as passionate today as it was then...why? by the grace of God I am who I am…the difference between now and then is that I now know how needy I really am. But the passion remains…endurance has been the key…it has been the key to my marriage, my change in heart as a parent, and the incredible “reward” of sharing with so many what I have been able to learn. And i must be so careful not to share too much...because sharing can be a form of self love that eases guilt. Fenelon once said, that we must learn to suffer quietly. Oh that I/we would learn to endure, quietly…the reward will far outweighs our temporary gratifications and the false comforts that our talkative nature gives.

When i think of patient suffering i think of Moses: “By faith Moses…choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid…for he endured…” Oh that we would believe that the reward far outweighs our gratifications! We must leave our Egypt’s behind…those false securities that promises fulfillment…we must endure…"recall the former days when you endured a great fight of affliction." Keep your first love with Christ fresh and passionate.

“The just shall live by faith…for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Endurance and reward seem to be inseparable. Endurance is also according to Romans 5, the foundation for our character development, which without, we lose hope and become so easily tossed and discouraged. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” Heb 10:39

“Therefore, since we are surrounded with such a great cloud of witnesses (those who walked by faith in Hebrew chapter 11), let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (excellent verse to memorize!)

When I think of endurance I am reminded of Jesus’ last words to the church of Philadelphia: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

What ever it takes to endure…it will be worth it…

RE: The Ransomed Heart - Something Up His Sleeve

This morning I received another Ransomed Heart email from John Eldridge.  I really didn’t have time to read it however a friend had told me that it was specifically written for her.  As I read this, my heart was deeply moved.  Such were some of us…or rather, such were all of us.  However, those of you who became children of God at an early age, you have so much to be thankful for.  I know you sometimes hear the testimonies of those who were saved later in life with all of their stories of what God delivered them from, but oh to be clean and innocent at an early age…what a blessing.  Be thankful…guard your heart even more diligently to present your life to Christ, pure and unblemished.  For many, the letter from Eldridge below may hit a little too closely to home…it is very powerful.  I would like to write more about the text he sites…perhaps tomorrow.

Something Up His Sleeve 10/28/2007 Rescuing the human heart is the hardest mission in the world. The dilemma of the Story is this: we don’t know if we want to be rescued. We are so enamored with our small stories and our false gods, we are so bound up in our addictions and our self-centeredness and take-it-for-granted unbelief that we don’t even know how to cry out for help. And the Evil One has no intention of letting his captives walk away scot-free. He seduces us, deceives us, assaults us—whatever it takes to keep us in darkness. Like a woman bound to an affair from which she cannot get free, like a man so corrupted he no longer knows his own name, the human race is captive in the worst way possible—we are captives of the heart. Their hearts are always going astray. (Hebrews 3:10) God is filled with the jealousy of a wounded lover. He has been betrayed time and again. The challenge God faces is rescuing a people who have no idea how captive they are; no real idea how desperate they are. We know we long for Eden, but we hesitate to give ourselves back to God in abandoned trust. We are captivated by the lies of our Enemy. But God has something up his sleeve. (Epic ,62-64) From The Ransomed Heart, by John Eldredge, reading 301 Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com

To unsubscribe from this mailing, go to the My Profile section on www.ransomedheart.com and uncheck the Daily Readings List checkbox in your profile.

 

Refiners Fire

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine  them as  silver is refined,  and will try  them as gold is tried: they  shall call on my name,  and I will hear  them: I will say,  It  is my people:  and they  shall say, The LORD  is my God.

Zec 13:9 

travail in birth (revisited)

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you."

Gal 4:20

If you have given birth or experienced someone giving birth, you can understand the depth of longing the Apostle Paul had for the Christians of Galatia. Paul is not talking about being an innocent bystander, he is talking about giving birth..actually “travailing in birth.” Recently I experienced someone coming to know the Savior…I can truly understand what Paul meant by travailing in birth. But experiencing the new birth as Jesus describes in John 3 is just the beginning. Now it is time to grow. To begin feasting on the pure milk of the Word as Peter describes, and to move toward the meat of the Word once we’ve taken those first baby steps into adulthood. I have found that time is not as much of a factor in a Christians growth as it has to do with the foundation that is set in those early days, weeks, and first few months—a foundation of storing God’s Word in our heart, fellowshipping with other believers, and fleeing from old sinful influences.

The new birth is truly a miracle...it is exaclty how Jesus describes in John chapter 3. "The wind blows where it listeth and you can hear the sound thereof, but you cannot tell from where it comes or where it goes...so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." The Greek word for "listeth" is an interesting word with a wide range of meaning. It can mean, to will something, to desire for something to happen, to delight in, to wish, sometimes adverbially it can mean gladly, to have rather, or to love. The New American Standard Bible translates "listeth" as "where it wishes," and the New International Version translates it as "where it pleases." Now that is quite the range of meaning. But it only stands to reason...or should i say, it stands beyond reason that our Lord and Savior would pursue us like the wind, where He pleases, where He desires, and wishes. His pursuit has so much tender love behind it.

When i was younger in the Lord i used to think of Jesus' illustration about the wind as haphazard or random. The wind comes and goes and you can't tell from where it came or where it goes...just didn't sound like there was a purpose behind it. When i think of the wind, i don't think of it having a specific direction or purpose. The Lord Jesus is pursuing us purposely and personally; delighting as he desires to win us over with His love. I like to think that His love is like a rush of wind that relentlessly pursues us. In Revelation we see Him knocking at the door...oh the love of our Savior...but we must open the door...we must not resist the movement of the wind.

The more we learn about the true nature of God's love toward us and His passionate pursuit and protection to keep us holy, the more we will be willing to surrender our old ways, our very heart. Truly, if any man/woman be in Christ, he/she is a new creation, old things are passed away, behold all things become new!

Dialogues of Fenelon

In a few weeks we will be announcing our first devotional printing of a rare work written by Francois Fenelon of the 17^th century.  Those who have heard me speak know that I regard Fenelon as my mentor.  Though I do not agree with his theology entirely, I do believe he possessed an understanding of the cross of Christ and its significance in our lives, that is rare today.  It is for this reason that I am so passionate about reading his letters and encouraging others to do so as well.  Here is a glimpse of what you will find in our new book, titled Dialogues of Fenelon (a collection of devotional letters written to real people with real needs who were requesting his guidance)

“O God, am I called to put up with

being badly served? I will do so gladly,

if only I can thereby serve Thee well.

My work is not to be well served, but to

serve Thee well, to be gentle and patient

under all that disturbs me.”

Crucified with Christ

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Galatians…but that is only because I just read it this morning.  Tomorrow 1^st Kings will be my favorite book…and on and on it goes. God’s Word is so infinitely filling…so much to learn about Him…so little time.

        My favorite verse in Galatians is found in chapter 2 verse 20…I will try by memory…you can see if I do it correctly:  “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  What a great truth to be stored in our hearts!

        To be crucified with Christ however is not a pleasant thought if you see the whole picture…there is nothing pretty about crucifixion…it is a brutal death.  Recently I read about several American women who flew to India, Pakistan, and China to visit some of the Christian women who are part of the great network of underground Christians.  When the American women met these women of Christ (it is the only way I know to describe them), they shared how they have been praying for the American Christian women because they know how shallow western Christianity has become with all of its indulgences and easy life style.  When the American women heard the heart of these women who had identified with the sufferings of Christ, they wept.  You can read about this in the book Daughter’s of Hope.  If you can’t find it, you can contact Lamplighter or read about it on our website.  When I read their account my heart was stirred.  Have I been made conformable to His death?  Paul in Philippians 3:10 writes:  “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;^”

        Our eastern sister’s in Christ had indeed been made conformable to Christ’s death, and were daily experiencing the fellowship of His sufferings.  They told of the brutal beatings, the rapes, the threats…but they also told of the miracles of protection and redemption and healing.  “Oh “Father, give us your heart to stay focused on the calling that you have called us….to lay hold on eternal life, no matter what the cost.”

        “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Rom 8:17 

Tug of War

Recently I viewed the most powerful presentation of Christ’s redemptive love on video that I have ever seen.  I also witnessed this same presentation in real life…thank you Father for your redemptive love and for relentlessly pursuing us when we so easily turn to our own ways.  Thank you Charlie for being an instrument of God’s grace and love…I look forward to spending time with you on New Earth.  Here is the link:

http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/afternoonShow/?p=86

 

Wedding Day part 2

Recently I wrote about the fragrance of the rose and my daughter’s wedding day.  I never did talk about the rose, nor the fragrance of the rose, that day.  When it is my turn to speak to the bride and groom, I stood there gazing at my beautiful Jennifer and for some reason, I knew that what I had prepared was not a fit for the occasion.  My Jennifer did not need to hear a prewritten rehearsed speech from her dad, no matter how good it might have been.  She needed to hear something that came straight from her father’s heart.  So there she stood…radiantly beautiful…I will have to post some photos when there in….and the setting only added to the incredible beauty of this amazing day…(the wedding took place at Mohonk Mountain House)…where was I?...As I began to speak, I remembered an incident that took place on that same mountain, twenty-one years earlier…and here is what I shared on her wedding day:

“Twenty-one years ago, your mother and I took you for a hike on this same mountain.  Your little brother David, then six months old was on my back, mom had your older brother Jonathan’s hand…he was taking the lead, but not really knowing where he was going…and I had your hand as we traversed the rocks on our way to the crevice, otherwise known as the famous Mohonk Lemon Squeeze. We had two friends with as well, a young man named Barry who I met in seminary and his finance. This was their first time to see Mohonk.  

Having climbed up to and through the crevice many times before you were born, we didn’t think that taking you and your brothers, really posed any real difficulty or threat.  It was a beautiful day, much like today.  The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the views were breathtaking as usual…it was a beautiful Mohonk day.  Mom and I wanted you and your brothers to experience this beautiful mountain at as early an age as possible...we just love it here…it is where we first fell in love…now it is a place that you love and are creating a memory that will last a life-time…what fairy tale! 

            As we began our ascent to the crevice, in about thirty minute into our climb, a dense fog began to close in on us.  It came, seemingly out of nowhere and within seconds we could hardly see our hand in front of our face.  The situation was one of the most dangerous I have ever experienced.  The rocks, now wet, became treacherously slippery and the fog made it almost impossible to continue.  To wait could bring disaster…fog on this mountain could last for days and it would probably only become worse, as I had seen many times before.  The decision that I had to make was the most difficult decision in my life…I had to quickly give you into the hands of another man to protect you.  I asked Barry if he would carry you while I led the way with David on my back, holding on to moms hand, who was holding on to Jonathan’s hand, who was holding on to Barry’s hand who was carrying you and holding on to his fiancée’s hand.  In order to keep you safe that day, I had to place you into the hands of another man to protect you…it was the hardest thing I ever did as a dad.

            Today, I am placing you into the hands of another man…a man whom I know will love you and protect you…I man who will lay down his life for you…

            So, today I am doing the second most difficult thing I have ever done as a dad…I am giving you into the hands of another man, to protect you, love you, cherish you, give his life for you if needed.  Jared I am giving you my daughter to love and protect and I could not think of a better man to entrust her to.  May our Lord Jesus use your beautiful relationship to bring much joy to so many…this truly is like a fairy tale…God bless you both.  I love you.

Dad.

holding on...

In Genesis 32 we come upon a scene where God, in the form of a man, is wrestling with Jacob—a man of many devices.  All his life he was able to get what he wanted.  He obtained a second wife whom he had to have; a dozen children, additional flock, his brother’s birthright, and by deception, his father’s blessing, that was to be his brothers.  Jacob was a man of passion; and his passions kept him from receiving God greatest and most fulfilling blessing—Himself.  As the scene unfolds, we find the Man wrestling with Jacob down by the river Jabbok.  The similarity between Jacob’s name and the name of the river is purposeful—divinely purposeful.  The word wrestle in Hebrew is the word for Jebok.  So Jacob, at the Jabbok river, is about to Jebok with a Man.  If you say those words quickly, you will find that you can become tongue tied rather quickly, and that is exactly what God desires for us to experience.  Not being tongue tied, but to experience the similarity of sounds.  You see, if God cared to make the river where Jacob was standing, sound like his name, and the act of wrestling to also sound like his name, then is it possible that God was trying to communicate something very important?  Before I tell you what that might be, I need to mention that the Jabbok river is a very twisted and winding river.  It is only seventy-five miles long but if you were to stretch it out, it would stretch out to over several hundred miles long. And to make this a little more interesting, the word Jacob means, Palm of Hand, or Grasper. The palm of one’s hand is curved; crooked so to speak.  Jacob is the crooked man who grasps after that which is not his to possess.  In line with his crooked and grasping nature, he is always planning and scheming to get what he thinks will bring him the most happiness.

        So the stage is set, the battle has begun.  After an all night wrestling match, the Man finally appears to be tiring (is this possible if it is God?);  the text reads that the man saw that he was not able to prevail against Jacob.  Now at first glance it would appear that Jacob is winning the fight.  I have to wonder why God allows us to have our way; He loves us so much he will not force us to obey.  I almost wish He would; but then it would not be true love. So after the long night of wrestling, the man touches Jacob’s hip socket and moves it out of joint.  Jacob might be winning the fight, but he sure doesn’t have a supernatural touch that can dislocate joints.  This is One powerful person!  If He is so powerful, then you would have to wonder why He says what He says next:  “Let me Go…”  Why not just touch him again?  If I had the power to dislocate someone’s hip with the touch of a finger, I wouldn’t be asking someone to let me go; I would be pointing my finger at his head and asking if he would like another touch!  If I was Jacob and just had my hip dislocated, I would have let go long ago…but not Jacob…in fact he gives the most unusual response—“I will not let you go!”  Why? Because for the first time in Jacob’s life, he realizes that he has been fighting against God Himself, all his life.  And for the first time in Jacob’s life, he is willing to do what it takes to receive God’s genuine blessing…he’s tired of doing things his way which leaves him unfulfilled and dissatisfied. That is why he says, “I will not let you go unless you BLESS ME!”

        Unless we are willing to hold on to God during our most painful struggles, we will lose out on God’s greatest blessings.  That is why Jacob says, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  God desires to bless us and along the way he gives us reminders of our self-love…the Jabbok river and the wrestling (Jebok) were specifically designed to remind him of his nature and his need.  Today, God continues to gives us the same divine reminders.  They come in the form of our relationships or lack thereof..at work or by coincidental circumstances, if there was such a thing.  If God took the time to create a stage of such fitting reminders for Jacob, don’t you think He is doing the same with us?  Without a doubt; if we would open our eyes and begin seeing the God who sees, hears, speaks, and interacts with us on a daily basis, we might not have to be touched at all.  But those who resist Him and His blessing, will need those touches…they are inevitable. 

        Are you being touched today?  Are you feeling the touch of God on your life through broken relationships, health concerns, loss of a job, conflict with a child or teen, guilt, unfulfilled desires?  If you are, then hold on and don’t let go, no matter how painful the situation might seem.  That is, hold on to God,, asking for His greatest blessing.  When we are willing to accept temporary losses, unfulfilled desires, and the absence of the reconciliation that we so desperately seek, we will receive in heavenly proportions, that which we cannot imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  There truly is nothing too difficult for the Lord…we just need to be willing to postpone our insatiable desires for immediate gratification so we can experience what is eternal.

Trust--too close...too separate

Trust is the basis for all healthy relationships. When trust is broken, we experience hurt, shame, anger, resentment, and sometimes vengeance. For me personally, when trust is broken in a relationship I experience hurt. To overcome such hurt we must first experience and interact with our Saviors love and forgiveness on a personal and authentic level. I have experienced both ends...i have been the cause of mistrust and have experienced a dear friends violation of my trust in them. To lose trust hurts deeply and is often difficult to regain. But he who has been forgiven the most, should, love the most;

For most families, there is a constant juggling act of trying to balance forgiveness with justice. This imbalance of connecting with our family or friends, when trust is broken, surrounds the basic needs of the human heart. Some of us will do anything to resolve the crisis..it drives us almost insane when there isn't a reciprocal response to our act of repentance. We long to be have restored relathionships but we face the distance set up by the offended. They in turn create such a distance, that their heart now also become empty. Their overexaggerted sense of justice distorts their ability to see God for who He really is, and therefore creates a damaging wedge for their earthly and heavenly relationships.

In all relationships, there is a struggle with being disconnected and overly-connected. They are two of our basic human needs:

1. The need to be separate (identity, contribution).
2. The need to be close (to be accepted, love and be loved).

To be separate in a positive sense is to define self. Self revelation depends upon our knowledge of God. We understand ourselves and our responsibilities as a parent, spouse, and friend, in terms of our understanding of God and His relationship to His Son. An inability to define oneself pushes one to become dictatorial, detached, enmeshed or indulgent; one’s family and friends then becomes the measurement of their self-worth and identity.

To be close in a positive sense is to understand that we have been commissioned by God to provide a service for those he has entrusted into our care. In a negative sense, we tend to cling through manipulation in order to hold on to what we believe fills a longing or void in our heart…our very soul. And because this void is God-shaped, it cannot ever be filled completely with another person or an entire family, or all the friends in the world.

*To be too separate or too close produces anxiety. The more intense our anxiety becomes, the more extreme our positions will be. Either we become too remote or too entangled. If we are too anxious about being close, we disengage. We exaggerate separateness. “I can only count on myself.” “I’m absolutely right.” In the same manner, if we are overanxious about being separate, we enmesh. We are stuck together in an exaggerated way. “I can’t live without you.” “I’ll give you what you want for my own peace of mind, at the expense of my own soul. When enmeshed in this way, we cannot see life objectively and we resist any work that the Holy Spirit may be trying to accomplish through those lonely periods. I think of Jeremiah in Lamentations chapter 3 (which I highly recommend everyone read), when he said that “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the deliverance of the Lord.” Oh if we could just learn to wait and trust the Lord during those times of intense longing for relationships to bring us happiness and fulfillment. Joy really does return in the morning…if we will wait…on Him. He is our Father, who delights to give us the desires of our hearts..it just takes waiitng...waiting for God to show Himself strong on our behalf...we have been so conditioned to want it now.

When we become anxious, we suspend or sacrifice our own beliefs (if we have beliefs), values, or goals in order to keep life smooth and equal. We exchange integrity for harmony. We believe we can only be close if we are the same or tucked tightly together. Differences must be denied or neglected.

Extreme separateness and closeness are anxiety driven. It comes from a sense of hopelessness rather than helpfulness. The bottom line is that this polarity is an expression of our own low toleration of pain which reveals our lack of relationship with our Father in Heaven. I love what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.” Literally, we are made well, when we learn to trust and be trusted…and only then can we enjoy the balance of closeness and separateness…as we begin to understand and know God in our relationship with His Son.

*How Your Church Family Works. Peter Steinke

Better to have not known

The Scripture that scares me the most is found in 2^nd Peter 2: 20, 21

        “For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  What the true Proverbs says has happened to them: ‘The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to the mire.’”

        Peter is describing a person who has received the wonders of the Word and experienced the initial powers of freedom and joy but have not surrendered their entire lives to Christ…their whole heart, their bodies, their soul…Matthew 13 describes a similar person when talking about the seed that was sown on stony ground or the seed that was sown along the wayside.  There is an initial joy after receiving the Word, but once difficulty comes, they easily fall away; there is no root.  The true believers are in Christ for life; they are deeply rooted, His blood has given them new life; just as a blood transfusion can give life to a dying patient, Christ has shed His for us. Those who have been given new life in contrast to those who have received temporary freedom, can be distinguished usually by three characteristics: a insatiable love for God’s Word, a heightened awareness (enlightened conscience) of sin in their lives and in those around them, and a desire to fellowship with God’s people; There is not a set list of characteristics for true believers…but I have found that these three generally accompany them.  In my personal experience, I found that my love for the Word and my battle with fleshly desires along with my awakened conscience were the real evidences…I now had the freedom not to sin…I was no longer a slave to sin as Paul teaches us in Romans.

        I have seen the power of the Word temporarily set many free as they become incredibly joyful for the moment, but afterwards, when trial and temptations come, they easily fall back into the patterns of their old life.  In 2^nd Peter, prior to the passage above, he uses Lot as an illustration, not as one who wasn’t a believer, but a believer who was shackled by the lust and passions of this world.  Lot was the nephew of Abraham who chose the land of Sodom for his inheritance.  While living in the land of Sodom, God had to rescue Lot from the impending destruction of that city..even though he didn’t want to leave..Peter writes that Lot was “greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked, for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul..by the things he saw and heard….the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.  Bold and willful, they do not tremble…”  Our great God can deliver us, but when we choose to live as close to the city of Sodom as we can, we are going to experience the tormenting of our righteous soul.  Notice the difference between who Peter describes as the one who goes back to his old life and is not a believer and the one who is a believer who is imprisoned by the lusts of the old life: the temporary believer goes back to his old life without conscience or regret…they are willful, bold, and do not fear God.  The believer, while living in Sodom, is under the constant and relentless conviction of God…his righteous soul is being tormented..and the only way to safety is to flee, to sever all ties and relationships with those who, according to Peter, “count in pleasure to revel in the daytime…they revel in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed.”

        From such we must turn away…once and for all…then we can enjoy what Peter writes about at the end of his letter:  “But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness.  Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace…You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose you own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Fat and Kicking

I do not like to suffer…I do not like to fast and pray…yet fasting and praying are spiritual disciplines that lead to great joy. Just as an Olympic athlete may not enjoy the rigors of day in and day out exercise…over and over again…months, and years of training, he/she has their eye on the goal…that triumphant goal of the reward…and in some cases, just to be in the arena competing.  I like what Theodore Roosevelt said about being in the arena:

“The Man in the Arena”

        “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course;   who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

        Preparing oneself to serve God takes discipline and rigor.  David, Ezra, and Joshua understood that it was the studying, meditating, and storing up of God’s Word in their heart that would lead to true success and prosperity (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1, Ezra 7).  Obtaining the wisdom and the knowledge of God enables us to negotiate life skillfully.  Paul teaches us that we are to “Study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  Preparing for to serve our God and others requires the spirit of a workman…western Christianity has become so fat…so given to mediocrity.  God cries out in Deuteronomy chapter 32: 15, “Jeshurun (poetic name for Israel) waxed fat and kicked, because he forsook the God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.”  The picture here is that of a cast sheep.  Because she has stopped lambing, she continue to gorge herself becoming fatter and fatter, until she is good for nothing.  When sheep become this fat they live in danger because once they lie down, they often cannot upright themselves.  If you notice sheep lying down, you will notice that they tuck their feet under themselves.  A fat sheep though, sometimes will stretch their legs to the side and when they do, they cannot get back up.  When this occurs, a poison drains from their stomach into their brain, eventually resulting in death.  I have personally witnessed this traumatic event.  The sheep will violently kick its legs trying to right itself—“waxed fat and kicked…” shepherds have to be extremely cautious because the sheep can easily break your leg if you aren’t careful…they are kicking violently, but it is often too late, though I did see one such sheep be rescued by an 80 year old shepherd who really loved his sheep.  I imagine that our Father would do the same.

        Overcoming complacency requires an act of the will, and the help of our God.  Recently I have begun running after learning that I am a borderline diabetic. I hate to run! I enjoy hiking and walking but I know that unless I really begin to aggressively work my way into shape, I will fall back into complacency.  It has been about eight weeks since I started.  I don’t know how or when it happened, but today I love running…I can’t wait to get out their and run…I am up to about four miles, though half of that is walking...it is a start and already I am feeling the increased stamina and return of my health.  Spiritual disciplines are not easy, but they lead to great joy.

humility and the protection of ourselves and our children

In the book of Ezra chapter 8 verse 21 we read:

 “Then I proclaimed a fast…that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and our goods.”

 Humility is the starting point…always is and always will be.  Humility is what brought us into relationship with Jesus Christ and humility will be what keeps us safe on our journey to him. Humility is also what keeps our children safe along the way.  Only when we humble ourselves can God lift us up. (I Peter 5: 5-11) Oh how I hate to be blocked from getting to the destinations that I have set in life.  But it is in those times of being blocked, God gives us opportunities to humble ourselves, so that we can demonstrate that He is truly the sovereign ruler of our lives…we are not in control of our destinies…He is… “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Therefore, do all things without grumbling or questioning (or murmuring or complaining), that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the Word of Life…” Philippians 2: 12-16

Fenelon and the Cross

One of my favorite quotes is from Francois Fenelon of the 17^th century:

        “The Great Physician who sees in you what you cannot see, knows exactly where to place the knife.  He cuts swift and deep into your innermost being, exposing you for who you really are; but pain is only felt where there is life, and where there is life, is just the place where death is needed most.  Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.”

full effect

No one enjoys trials…yet God tells us to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds. I don’t know about you, but I have been facing more than usual these days. I always wonder what the writer himself was going through when he penned these words.  James our Lord’s step brother must have experienced some pretty severe trials.  I can’t imagine growing up with a step brother, who was the Son of God…can you imagine…and to make matters worse (maybe it was very beautiful to grow up with someone who was so kind, thoughtful, and sinless!...i don’t think I would have enjoyed that very much…I would have always been getting into trouble, I’m sure)  and then there were the rumors…you know the rumors that his step brother was born illegitimately;  that his mother Mary had been sleeping around and that his how Jesus was born.   I can’t imagine growing up in this home…it couldn’t have been easy.  Many have never realized that Jesus had brother’s and sisters, having the same mother, but a different father. In Mark 6:3 we have four of his brothers listed, and an accounting of his sisters, though not named.  I often have wondered if they liked Jesus? Being around someone who was perfect could get irritating…But I don’t think that is how it was…I think his brother’s and sisters observed his every action and witnessed perfect holiness, patience, perseverance, and a love that could melt ones heart.  I think that is how James was able to write his first letter to us.  He understood first hand what it meant when one falls into various trials.  And he also understood what it meant for someone to count it all joy.  I wish I could have had an older brother like Jesus…can you imagine the example he would have set for us? Especially as he was teased and taunted and looked upon as an illegitimate child by the gossipers of his day…kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk                                                                                                                                                                                                             kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk                                                                               kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkksd                                                   ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                                                                                                                                                                                    sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                                                                            ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                                                                                                         ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                    sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssadaaaad ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd sorry, fell asleep pressing a few buttons.

        Where was i?  yes, counting it all joy…here is what James had to say:  “My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

It is the phrase “have its full effect” that we often miss.  We get so anxious and impatient when facing a trial, some pressure, some longing, that we give in and succumb to the temptation and miss the “full effect” of what God is miraculously producing in us.  Oh that we could learn to trust God during the trial and even count it all joy…knowing that God is actually working a miracle behind the scenes in our lives…our character.  I like what James goes on to say: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

        Oh, how I love my Lord…and oh how I have missed the “full effect” so many times. I am not so interested in crowns…but I do so desire to stand the test so I can please him…and be more like him…maybe if we begin to count it all joy when the trial starts, we will be able to hang in there and not miss out on this miraculous “full effect”.

Romance of the Heart

John Eldredge's daily readings continue to bring a wealth of encouragement
and beauty to my life. Enjoy this morning's reading. (you may want to read
Luke 7:36-50 and John 11:1-4 and John 12: 1-8...this scene may be the most
beautiful scene in the Scriptures)
Now for one of the most beautiful mysteries of the feminine heart.

Women minister something to the heart of God that men do not. Look at the
record. It was a woman who rushed into the Pharisee's house uninvited and
washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair and kissed them
in an act of intimate repentant worship. It was a woman who broke the
alabaster vase over Jesus' head, anointing him with oil and the fragrance of
her sacrificial worship filled the room. It was women who followed Jesus
from Galilee to care for his needs. It was women who stayed at the foot of
the cross offering him the comfort of their presence until Jesus breathed
his last. It was to women that Jesus first revealed himself after he rose
from the dead and it was women who first "clasped his feet and worshiped
him" as the Risen, Victorious Lord.

Women hold a special place in the heart of God. A woman's worship brings
Jesus immense pleasure and a deep ministry. You can minister to the heart of
God. You impact Him. You matter. Jesus desires you to pour out your love on
him in extravagant worship that ministers to his heart. This is not just for
women who have the time; women who are really spiritual. You are made for
romance and the only one who can offer it to you consistently and deeply is
Jesus.

Offer your heart to him.

(Captivating
<https://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=43> ,
124-125)

From The Ransomed Heart
<http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=74> , by
John Eldredge, reading 291
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com

For my daughter Jennifer, on the day of her wedding

I love growing roses; I have planted a specific variety entirely for their fragrance, particularly those with the sweetest fragrance.  With the right timing when pruning, you can schedule your roses to bloom on almost the exact day you desire.  So I began the pruning and timing process four weeks ago…with a little help from the weather I have had roses right up to mid November…but this year, as we’ve had the warmest fall on record, I was able to time my roses to bloom for this weekend…for all our guests to enjoy. 

        Each morning I would check them, water them and then set back and just watch them grow…it is a satisfaction I cannot describe.  Then two weeks ago as I walked out early one morning to enjoy my roses, I found that every one of them had been eaten by deer.  My first response was one of utter disappointment.  My second response was to find my rifle!

        Sometimes, or most often, no matter how hard you try or how well you plan, the unexpected seems to just happen. Jennifer and Jared, you will not be able to live off the coat tails of love for long…you will need a reservoir of relentless, passionate, perseverance.  But what will make your union strong, romantic, and inviting, will be the fragrance—that sweet smelling savor that right now emanates from each of your separate lives—together, you have the potential to draw many—perhaps more than you can possibly imagine, to the sweet fragrant life that is found in your Lord and Savior Jesus.

        Just as honey bees are attracted to roses, so many will be attracted to the fragrance of your lives—a fragrance that you both will enjoy and a fragrance that can help satisfy the longings of many lonely and empty hearts…

        In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he writes, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling fragrance.”

What a beautiful verse!  Fragrance and love are inseparable—but notice what is behind the production of the fragrance:

        Jesus gave Himself for us—

        As a sacrifice to His Father—

        A sweetsmelling Fragrance!

Every summer I have enjoyed my roses, but this summer after coming home from six weeks of travel, I found not one rose in bloom  Roses, especially the fragrant kind, do not grow well without pruning, water, and care—

        Jen, last week while helping you deliver one of your paintings to a gallery, an older woman to whom the painting was for, said to you, “You know honey, if you are going to make your marriage work, you’re going to have to give up your life for your man…this is just the way it is…” she said with a smile.  Often God speaks to us during those casual encounters.  I had no doubt that this was one of them.  Jared and Jennifer, your life has already begun to produce a sweet fragrance—for it to continue, you will both need to give up your lives to each other—then you will attract many with your sweet fragrance, and many will be able attracted to your God.

The Romance of our Heart

John Eldredge continues to penetrate my heart with his insights on a sacred
romance. I feel compelled to share his thoughts with you and I continue to
urge you to subscribe to his daily thoughts below. They have been a deep
well of encouragement to me these last few weeks. This mornings thoughts
will help you to understand the needs of the heart. Enjoy...

It is possible to recover the lost life of our heart and with it the
intimacy, beauty, and adventure of life with God. To do so we must leave
what is familiar and comfortable-perhaps even parts of the religion in which
we have come to trust-and take a journey. This journey first takes us on a
search for the lost life of our heart, and for the voice that once called us
in those secret places; those places and times when our heart was still with
us. The pilgrimage of the heart leads us to remember together what it was
that first engaged us in deep ways as children: ". . . anyone who will not
receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it," said
Jesus (Mark 10:15).

Our journey will take us to explore the hidden questions of our heart, born
out of the stories of our lives. It is only by leaving home and taking a
pilgrimage that we will begin to see how our own stories are interwoven with
the great Romance God has been telling since before the dawn of time. It is
on this pilgrimage that we begin to see that each of us has a part in the
cosmic love affair that was created specifically with us in mind. Last, this
pilgrimage brings us to the destination, set within all of our hearts, which
in some way we have known, longed for, and been haunted by since we were
children.

...Our journey begins by asking questions, putting words to the movements of
the heart. "What is this restlessness and emptiness I feel, sometimes long
years into my Christian journey? What does the spiritual life have to do
with the rest of my life? What is it that is set so deeply in my heart,
experienced as a longing for adventure and romance, that simply will not
leave me alone? Does it have anything to do with God? What is it that he
wants from me? Has he been speaking to me through my heart all along? When
did I stop listening? When did his voice first call to me?"

(The Sacred Romance
<https://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=12> ,
10,11)

From The Ransomed Heart
<http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=74> , by
John Eldredge, reading 286
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com

Obscenity

The Greeks restricted violence and intimacy on stage, not because of their high moral standards, but because of their understanding of aesthetics and obscenity. The word obscene means “off stage.” Violence and intimacy were considered “off stage” behaviors. Intimacy is ordained of God for marriage, not for public eyes. Public intimacy is obscene, not because it is evil but because it is sacred. Moreover, when an audience is captivated by the dramatic involvement of the characters, violence and sexual content break the aesthetic mood. The memorable vicarious experience is now overshadowed and disrupted by shocking violence or sensual provocation.  Capturing the interest of an audience aesthetically requires the pen of a skilled word-crafter; shocking the audience with a violent scene or stimulating them sexually requires no talent. We are losing our taste for aesthetic beauty, becoming immune to inhumane and violent treatment of others, and dulling our sense of compassion, imagination, and conscience. The warning here is not that these things are hurting our children, they are ruining the lives of adults.

Profanity and the Profane

The word profane is Latin for “outside the temple.” All that was unclean or impure was considered profane, or “outside the temple.” Today we have brought the profane into our homes and our hearts.  According to G.E. Veith, “profanity uses religious language in a way that desecrates or trivializes its sacred meaning.” Though this will be surprising to many, profane language includes some of the most widely used phrases in our Christian cultures, such as “Oh my God!; Oh my Goodness; For Goodness Sake; Good Heavens, Oh Heavens, Oh my Word etc;” Webster’s 1828 dictionary gives a list of profane language. The most powerful statement against profane language is found in Exodus 20:7, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” In Shakespeare’s day the word “God” was not used in the scripts of drama plays for fear that it might be used in vain. Today you cannot watch a G rated movie or read a book without hearing or reading expression of “My God.” Words are what brought the universe into existence. God places a high value upon words.

Desire

Here is another one of John Eldredge's excellent insights on what I see is a
very missing drive in our western culture. It appears that we no longer are
willing to take risks to fan the flames of our passions into reality. Why? I
believe it is about the reward...we have lost sight of the reward. More
about the reward later...for now, enjoy Eldredge.

In Defense of Discontent
10/10/2007

In the quiet moments of the day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment,
a hunger for something else. But because we have not solved the riddle of
our existence, we assume that something is wrong - not with life, but with
us. Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What's wrong with me?
We feel guilty about our chronic disappointment. Why can't I just learn to
be happier in my job, in my marriage, in my church, in my group of friends?
You see, even while we are doing other things, "getting on with life," we
still have an eye out for the life we secretly want. When someone seems to
have gotten it together we wonder how did they do it? Maybe if we read the
same book, spent time with them, went to their church, things would come
together for us as well. You see, we can never entirely give up our quest.
As May reminds us,

When the desire is too much to bear, we often bury it beneath frenzied
thoughts and activities or escape it by dulling our immediate consciousness
of living. It is possible to run away from the desire for years, even
decades, at a time, but we cannot eradicate it entirely. It keeps touching
us in little glimpses and hints in our dreams, our hopes, our unguarded
moments.

He says that even though we sleep, our desire does not. "It is who we are."
We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our
existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished
without it. Not a symphony has been written, a mountain climbed, an
injustice fought or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our
search for the life we prize. Our desire, if we will listen to it, will save
us from committing soul-suicide, the sacrifice of our hearts on the alter of
"getting by." The same old thing is not enough. It never will be.

(The Journey of Desire
<https://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=6> ,
10,11)

From The Ransomed Heart
<http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=74> , by
John Eldredge, reading 283
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com

Finding Love...in the wrong places

Finding love in all the wrong places is a byproduct of loneliness, pain, and the self centered demand to be loved and accepted regardless of the consequences, and a loss of vital relationship with God.  “But!  While we were still sinning, Jesus died for us…and though the wages of sin is death (not just physical death…removes life—robs joy), the gift of  God is eternal life!” 

Identity

Recently I stumbled upon From The Ransomed Heart, by John Eldredge,
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com;  I would recommend receiving his daily insights. Below is one I received today.

Identity is not something that falls on us out of the sky. For better or for worse, identity is bestowed. We are who we are in relation to others. But far more important, we draw our identity from our impact on those others—if and how we affect them. We long to know that we make a difference in the lives of others, to know that we matter, that our presence cannot be replaced by a pet, a possession, or even another person. The awful burden of the false self is that it must be constantly maintained.

We think we have to keep doing something in order to be desirable. Once we find something that will bring us some attention, we have to keep it going or risk the loss of the attention.

And so we live with the fear of not being chosen and the burden of maintaining whatever it is about us that might get us noticed and the commitment never to be seen for who we really are. We develop a functional self-image, even if it is a negative one. The little boy paints his red wagon a speckled gray with whatever Father left in the can after putting a new coat on the backyard fence. “Look what I did!” he says, hoping for affirmation of the wonderful impact his presence has on the world. The angry father shames him: “What do you think you’re doing? You’ve ruined it.” The boy forms an identity: My impact is awful; I foul good things up. I am a fouler. And he forms a commitment never to be in a place where he can foul things up again. Years later, his colleagues wonder why he turned down an attractive promotion. The answer lies in his identity, an identity he received from the impact he had on the most important person in his world and his fear of ever being in such a place again.

(The Sacred Romance , 84,85 )

Canal or Reservoir?

If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. A canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus without loss to itself it shares its superabundant water. (Bernard of Clairvuex)