One your great Day O Lord
I will present her to you,
Beaming, proud,
In a better condition than when
You first gave her to me.
Smiling like the best man at a wedding,
Spiffy like a penguin in a tuxedo suit, beaming
Proud of her, of You
For all You have done for us.
Bowing before my Friend, My Lord, My King.
Indeed. Amen.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A note of encouragement for my love
Dear Love, remember that God's dealings are the most severe on those whom He will use the greatest. You are that one He is moulding in His hand. You are that one He will use greatly. Nothing, no one is able to pluck you out of His hand for he is stronger than all.
John 10:
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, [1] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
John 10:
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, [1] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The Joseph poem, a song for my love
We were younger,
I saw you - spirit eager and bright,
Your eyes danced, they were
Charming, smiling with love
For the One I worship,
Darting like flames,
Your joy was a robe,
Your spirit brought life to those whom surrounded you.
They were drawn by your laughter
And the strength of your faith,
And the width and greatness of your heart.
Generous, your hands were always reaching for the needy,
Compassionate on the poor,
I saw in your eyes you felt their pain,
They saw in you one who truely cared,
One who wanted to be their true friend,
A friend in their suffering to help them bear.
Strong with the power of conviction,
Certain of the outcome, counting on
The love of Christ,
Your faith was not to be trifled with.
Arrows to thier faces, you dispatched your enemies,
With cool efficiency.
The comming years saw the robe removed,
Your joy turned into tears and mourning,
Faith turned into multipied fears,
Doubt and sorrow.
The bow of faith broken,
Enemies have entered and destroyed all.
I believe the robe will yet be restored,
Like the prophet who predicts,
Sure of the outcome I declare it,
With double stubborn certainty.
Not in the same form but in Splendour,
In exceedingly greater measure,
Just as we see a greater robe around Joseph's shoulders,
After the 40 years are through.
Yes the archers have shot:
They have done grevious harm,
But God has a plan yet,
In His hands you will yet be the arrow that
Makes His enemies scatter.
As they have shot at you, and you were my shield,
So now I will be a wall for you and shield you in my arms,
As you healed my wounds and loved me through it all,
Let me heal your wounds,
Let me be all to you,
That you were to me and more.
A sheild impenetrable, a watchman and archer,
A defender and intercessor,
A friend and lover.
They will bow before you and confess
Trembling with fear,
That The Lord, your hope is your true blessing
The restorer of your fortunes.
The crown returned to your head,
A rod and sword in your hand to rule once again.
You are my hero love, you are my hero.
The one who rescued me.
I saw you - spirit eager and bright,
Your eyes danced, they were
Charming, smiling with love
For the One I worship,
Darting like flames,
Your joy was a robe,
Your spirit brought life to those whom surrounded you.
They were drawn by your laughter
And the strength of your faith,
And the width and greatness of your heart.
Generous, your hands were always reaching for the needy,
Compassionate on the poor,
I saw in your eyes you felt their pain,
They saw in you one who truely cared,
One who wanted to be their true friend,
A friend in their suffering to help them bear.
Strong with the power of conviction,
Certain of the outcome, counting on
The love of Christ,
Your faith was not to be trifled with.
Arrows to thier faces, you dispatched your enemies,
With cool efficiency.
The comming years saw the robe removed,
Your joy turned into tears and mourning,
Faith turned into multipied fears,
Doubt and sorrow.
The bow of faith broken,
Enemies have entered and destroyed all.
I believe the robe will yet be restored,
Like the prophet who predicts,
Sure of the outcome I declare it,
With double stubborn certainty.
Not in the same form but in Splendour,
In exceedingly greater measure,
Just as we see a greater robe around Joseph's shoulders,
After the 40 years are through.
Yes the archers have shot:
They have done grevious harm,
But God has a plan yet,
In His hands you will yet be the arrow that
Makes His enemies scatter.
As they have shot at you, and you were my shield,
So now I will be a wall for you and shield you in my arms,
As you healed my wounds and loved me through it all,
Let me heal your wounds,
Let me be all to you,
That you were to me and more.
A sheild impenetrable, a watchman and archer,
A defender and intercessor,
A friend and lover.
They will bow before you and confess
Trembling with fear,
That The Lord, your hope is your true blessing
The restorer of your fortunes.
The crown returned to your head,
A rod and sword in your hand to rule once again.
You are my hero love, you are my hero.
The one who rescued me.
For my beloved
Isaiah 61:1
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
Thats you, my love you are that Zion for whom I will continually speak up for, and declare God's plans over and I will continue to believe in you and love you no matter what.
As you have seen us through - sacrificed, endured, believed, suffered the attacks of those who did not agree. So now it is my turn, it is the time for me to see us through to the fullness of God's blessings, until His will and plans are fully fulfilled in our lives.
Isaiah 32:15
15 ] until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
I declare we will see His blessing on our lives in abundance.
There is only one direction - forward
There is only one outcome - Victory in Christ for He has overcome and we are more than conquerors through Him.
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
Thats you, my love you are that Zion for whom I will continually speak up for, and declare God's plans over and I will continue to believe in you and love you no matter what.
As you have seen us through - sacrificed, endured, believed, suffered the attacks of those who did not agree. So now it is my turn, it is the time for me to see us through to the fullness of God's blessings, until His will and plans are fully fulfilled in our lives.
Isaiah 32:15
15 ] until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
I declare we will see His blessing on our lives in abundance.
There is only one direction - forward
There is only one outcome - Victory in Christ for He has overcome and we are more than conquerors through Him.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Courage
Someone asked the question today 'when will I have the courage to do what I want?'
I like the question, I also like the answer which we see in the word and in the lives of the saints.
Help me to live courageously daily that when You see when I am ready, you are able to launch me.
Let me not waste the lessons and time in the training process.
I like the question, I also like the answer which we see in the word and in the lives of the saints.
Help me to live courageously daily that when You see when I am ready, you are able to launch me.
Let me not waste the lessons and time in the training process.
Fathers
My Father was a severe gambler and a smoker and never was one to me. But You are now my Father, you give me an overcoming strength in Your love.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Looking back on my three years here
Was recounting incidents over the past 3 years that I have been in my present workplace with various bosses. God you have brought me through all that. for what purpose I cannot perceive but God let it be all be for You.
Political risk underwriter
New vision and mission : I want to be a political risk and trade underwriter for a credit insurance company, with a vision to become a full political risk underwriter later on...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Finding heavenly treasure
Frustrated at times, I feel like what I do has no eternal value whatsoever. At least if I serve your people there is a reward in small deeds of service.
But can these things not be used for you, for your glory? Could temporal and easily forgotten deeds earn an eternal reward?
If getting a glass of water for the redeemed could earn a reward how about serving people who don't know You, who do not deserve service? Not too far to think that it could earn a reward in heaven. If done with the right spirit.
But can these things not be used for you, for your glory? Could temporal and easily forgotten deeds earn an eternal reward?
If getting a glass of water for the redeemed could earn a reward how about serving people who don't know You, who do not deserve service? Not too far to think that it could earn a reward in heaven. If done with the right spirit.
Ministry of the Unoticed.
Fill my life with a sense of significance and grace though now I serve as you did, humbled, and lowly, washing the feet of others, doing unoticed and seemingly insignificant acts of service, hidden and feeling like the last of all men, last in status in the pecking order.
Let these small insignificant deeds be acts of love and worship. Let me not find my significance in what I do, how much I earn, how much value I add in my job, but who I am to You and who You are to me.
Cause me to delight in Your ways, Your word and the preciousness of Your fellowship. Cause me to rejoice in conformity to your humility, wisdom, dilligence, endurance, strength, knowlege and love.
Let these small insignificant deeds be acts of love and worship. Let me not find my significance in what I do, how much I earn, how much value I add in my job, but who I am to You and who You are to me.
Cause me to delight in Your ways, Your word and the preciousness of Your fellowship. Cause me to rejoice in conformity to your humility, wisdom, dilligence, endurance, strength, knowlege and love.
Wielding Spiritual Authority - obstacle moving faith
Matt 11:23
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
Acts 13:11 (English Standard Version)
11And now, behold. the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Exodus 14:16
16(A) Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
Wielding spiritual authority-
Whilst walking in obedience to God and obstacles arise, if we are walking in the light in full faith and integrity to God, That faith in Jesus gives us such boldness and faith to speak to obstacles with spiritual authority. God then moves on our behalf to clear the obstacle in question.
Paul in obedience to God doing His will and obeying His call to preach the gospel to all nations, which is our commandment, when opposed by a sorcerer, was able to deal with the situation with God's power and authority. The words above are quoted from his mouth not Gods.
Similary the quote from exodus speaks about Moses, whom God gave authority to clear the obstacles in Israel's way by faith. Notice God did not say I will clear the obstacle, He commanded Moses to do it - you, Moses you stretch out your hand and divide the sea.
Let our Faith in Christ be steadfast, Let our lives be fully yielded to the working of His will, let our obedience and surrender be wholehearted, let us be bold then to preach, and to speak to our mountains and hinderances and difficulties. That is how I see Paul dealing with varous obstacles in His ministry. Steadfast faith. For our God has given authority to man to represent Him on earth and He will deal with obstacles in the way of His will if we will believe and trust Him and follow Him fully.
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
Acts 13:11 (English Standard Version)
11And now, behold. the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Exodus 14:16
16(A) Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
Wielding spiritual authority-
Whilst walking in obedience to God and obstacles arise, if we are walking in the light in full faith and integrity to God, That faith in Jesus gives us such boldness and faith to speak to obstacles with spiritual authority. God then moves on our behalf to clear the obstacle in question.
Paul in obedience to God doing His will and obeying His call to preach the gospel to all nations, which is our commandment, when opposed by a sorcerer, was able to deal with the situation with God's power and authority. The words above are quoted from his mouth not Gods.
Similary the quote from exodus speaks about Moses, whom God gave authority to clear the obstacles in Israel's way by faith. Notice God did not say I will clear the obstacle, He commanded Moses to do it - you, Moses you stretch out your hand and divide the sea.
Let our Faith in Christ be steadfast, Let our lives be fully yielded to the working of His will, let our obedience and surrender be wholehearted, let us be bold then to preach, and to speak to our mountains and hinderances and difficulties. That is how I see Paul dealing with varous obstacles in His ministry. Steadfast faith. For our God has given authority to man to represent Him on earth and He will deal with obstacles in the way of His will if we will believe and trust Him and follow Him fully.
Scripture meditation - God of faith, God of the Impossible
Romans 4:
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Prayer from the depths
As large as my desire, as large as my emptiness, fill me
As high as my desire for beauty, be thus unto me show me your glory and beauty
As deep as my needs are for Your love fill me.
Teach me to seek you,
Teach me to be still before you.
Be my courage, be my voice, my wisdom and strength.
Be my purity of heart, my cleansing Spirit.
Be my help and my shield.
Help me to take up the cross and take up also the suffering for the Glorification of Christ in us.
Be my source of approval and love, let me not seek to be popular or favoured by man, becoming a man pleaser. Let me grow in favour with You.
Be our exceedingly abundant portion of strength and joy.
Restore our confidence and joy in you again.
As high as my desire for beauty, be thus unto me show me your glory and beauty
As deep as my needs are for Your love fill me.
Teach me to seek you,
Teach me to be still before you.
Be my courage, be my voice, my wisdom and strength.
Be my purity of heart, my cleansing Spirit.
Be my help and my shield.
Help me to take up the cross and take up also the suffering for the Glorification of Christ in us.
Be my source of approval and love, let me not seek to be popular or favoured by man, becoming a man pleaser. Let me grow in favour with You.
Be our exceedingly abundant portion of strength and joy.
Restore our confidence and joy in you again.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Lonliness & Being yourself
An article for the withdrawn, the lonley and those without a voice.
Its a terrible thing to feel lonely,
that you are so strange no one will want to be your friend,
And that you are such a stranger to everthing and everyone around you (sometimes being a christian heightens that, and if you happen to be of an odd personality type that sees the world in an 'original' way its hard to find people with similar points of view in which you can feel like yourself, a disconnect with the world around you, hard to find people who agree with you and like you,)
Lonlines is to feel like your soul has no home on earth where it can feel celebrated and loved and welcome,
Much like a lone figure wandering on a desert plane.
Come to Him, come to the Father who opened the way through the blood of the Son. That you may know that you have a Father that loves and celebrates you. That that emptiness inside can be filled by one who accepts and loves and celebrates you fully, as queer as strange as odd, as sinful as you are. come to Him. you are truely orignal, one of a kind. God celebrates that He created you and celebrates the uniqueness of all that you are, much like a designer or artist that shows off a one off masterpiece, how unique you are is a testament of how powerful and ingenious He is. He loves how unique you are, let them stare, let them gawk, don't ever cut away pieces of who you are to fit in. for the cheap goal of just fitting in. Just be yourself knowing God loves it!'Being yourself' is worship to God thanking Him for your uniqueness.
'Being yourself' is worship to God, 'being yourself' is thanking Him for your uniqueness, when we manifest more of Christ, we will manifest more of ourselves, Let Him shine through your uniqueness. Being true to yourself, is walking in truth, don't discount yourself to live in a lie.
Its a terrible thing to feel lonely,
that you are so strange no one will want to be your friend,
And that you are such a stranger to everthing and everyone around you (sometimes being a christian heightens that, and if you happen to be of an odd personality type that sees the world in an 'original' way its hard to find people with similar points of view in which you can feel like yourself, a disconnect with the world around you, hard to find people who agree with you and like you,)
Lonlines is to feel like your soul has no home on earth where it can feel celebrated and loved and welcome,
Much like a lone figure wandering on a desert plane.
Come to Him, come to the Father who opened the way through the blood of the Son. That you may know that you have a Father that loves and celebrates you. That that emptiness inside can be filled by one who accepts and loves and celebrates you fully, as queer as strange as odd, as sinful as you are. come to Him. you are truely orignal, one of a kind. God celebrates that He created you and celebrates the uniqueness of all that you are, much like a designer or artist that shows off a one off masterpiece, how unique you are is a testament of how powerful and ingenious He is. He loves how unique you are, let them stare, let them gawk, don't ever cut away pieces of who you are to fit in. for the cheap goal of just fitting in. Just be yourself knowing God loves it!'Being yourself' is worship to God thanking Him for your uniqueness.
'Being yourself' is worship to God, 'being yourself' is thanking Him for your uniqueness, when we manifest more of Christ, we will manifest more of ourselves, Let Him shine through your uniqueness. Being true to yourself, is walking in truth, don't discount yourself to live in a lie.
Why do i want to lead a home group
Why do i want to lead a home group
1) is it because i need to feel needed?
2)is it because i feel lonely?
3)is it because i need a cause a purpose to feel fulfilled in life? Emptiness
soul solutions: to find my friendship in Christ First. O lord come and be my friend. strange as i am you love me. let me build relationships with people that matter, environments where i can truely 'be myself'. Let me grow in the identity of who i am and what i am about.
Let me find purpose in living in your spirit and your word everyday that i may be fulfilled.
To a certain extent, I feel armed and ready but have no where to go to do what I know i must... just remember this has to be an overflow of His love without which nothing can sustain.
1) is it because i need to feel needed?
2)is it because i feel lonely?
3)is it because i need a cause a purpose to feel fulfilled in life? Emptiness
soul solutions: to find my friendship in Christ First. O lord come and be my friend. strange as i am you love me. let me build relationships with people that matter, environments where i can truely 'be myself'. Let me grow in the identity of who i am and what i am about.
Let me find purpose in living in your spirit and your word everyday that i may be fulfilled.
To a certain extent, I feel armed and ready but have no where to go to do what I know i must... just remember this has to be an overflow of His love without which nothing can sustain.
Scripture Meditation James 2:10
James 2:
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Fathers
Fathers do not look to children to meet their needs they look to God. the role of a Father is primarily to give.
Possessions
The world is constantly trying to get us to buy its definition of life: to count it in an abundance of physical possessions, where God says: life is rich when a man has a rich relationship with God.
Luke 12:15, 21
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness (greed, lust), for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:15, 21
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness (greed, lust), for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
A broken, sorrowful past
1 cor 5:16-18 nasv
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ...
1 Chron 4:9-10 esv
9 Jabez (pain) was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” [1] 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm (evil)[2] so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
Joel 2:25 esv
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
Spent the night thinking about the past, in part in sorrowful rememberence. Felt a distinct challenge to my soul(not of the God-kind). The challenge goes along the lines of -'look there, these people are happy, blessed by God and fulfilled. What do you have, you came from a life of pain, a life of shame. What is God doing now in your situation? Since you have believed in Him, where is the fulfillment of His promise? What do you have? Others have suffered for Christ, the suffering you have suffered are they not altogether your own foolishness, your own doing?' In short it is a challenge to relax my hold of faith in God and succumb to envy, impatient frustration, to have sorrow with myself, and turn to unbelief and disilusionment with God.
I am encouraged by the first passage that My past is dead, gone, destroyed in Christ. My life is so interwined with the risen glorified Savior that everyday is a new beginning for me. I am a new beginning in Christ.
I am thankful for these challenges for they only make me cling to my Savior even more, to trust Him that He is able to redeem my life from the dunghill and put me on a throne, place my feet in a broad place, take me to a fair land of milk and honey and strengthen me to fight the enemies that guard and surround that land.
It is true that I do not have anything to be proud about. Many years have been wasted in sorrow. I have seen more sorrowful years than I have seen years of joy and fulfillment. But that will not kill my hope in God! 'Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.' It amazes me that God would choose me to be His child and give me entrance and bestow His kingdom on me. Indeed all I have to offer him is this poor life, which as my enemy rightly pointed out: is a life only of shame, a life that is without honour. Indeed I am last, but in God's topsy turvy kingdom I may yet emerge first!
1 Cor 1: 26-3 esv
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [2] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [3] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [4] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
O God, restore all the years that the locusts have eaten, I wait in patient, enduring, sometimes painful trust to continue to hope that You will fulfill Your own promise: that you will restore the years of waste and pain, and you will prosper us and keep us from evil and pain and do a full restoration with this broken life. No devil, I will not deny my experience in my life, indeed the past has all contributed to who I am today. But the past is broken, gone, dead and a new hope and redemption dawns for me in Christ, as i offer up this broken life to Him. I will hold on to Him until i experience fully His full redemption and restoration for my life.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ...
1 Chron 4:9-10 esv
9 Jabez (pain) was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” [1] 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm (evil)[2] so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
Joel 2:25 esv
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
Spent the night thinking about the past, in part in sorrowful rememberence. Felt a distinct challenge to my soul(not of the God-kind). The challenge goes along the lines of -'look there, these people are happy, blessed by God and fulfilled. What do you have, you came from a life of pain, a life of shame. What is God doing now in your situation? Since you have believed in Him, where is the fulfillment of His promise? What do you have? Others have suffered for Christ, the suffering you have suffered are they not altogether your own foolishness, your own doing?' In short it is a challenge to relax my hold of faith in God and succumb to envy, impatient frustration, to have sorrow with myself, and turn to unbelief and disilusionment with God.
I am encouraged by the first passage that My past is dead, gone, destroyed in Christ. My life is so interwined with the risen glorified Savior that everyday is a new beginning for me. I am a new beginning in Christ.
I am thankful for these challenges for they only make me cling to my Savior even more, to trust Him that He is able to redeem my life from the dunghill and put me on a throne, place my feet in a broad place, take me to a fair land of milk and honey and strengthen me to fight the enemies that guard and surround that land.
It is true that I do not have anything to be proud about. Many years have been wasted in sorrow. I have seen more sorrowful years than I have seen years of joy and fulfillment. But that will not kill my hope in God! 'Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.' It amazes me that God would choose me to be His child and give me entrance and bestow His kingdom on me. Indeed all I have to offer him is this poor life, which as my enemy rightly pointed out: is a life only of shame, a life that is without honour. Indeed I am last, but in God's topsy turvy kingdom I may yet emerge first!
1 Cor 1: 26-3 esv
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [2] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [3] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [4] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
O God, restore all the years that the locusts have eaten, I wait in patient, enduring, sometimes painful trust to continue to hope that You will fulfill Your own promise: that you will restore the years of waste and pain, and you will prosper us and keep us from evil and pain and do a full restoration with this broken life. No devil, I will not deny my experience in my life, indeed the past has all contributed to who I am today. But the past is broken, gone, dead and a new hope and redemption dawns for me in Christ, as i offer up this broken life to Him. I will hold on to Him until i experience fully His full redemption and restoration for my life.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The world and Jesus
The world is constantly telling us to reach out, grab and possess it. What it does not tell us is that the price is small and large chunks of our soul in exchange.
Jesus also is asking the same. For the soul sold and paid fully to Him He gives a life worth living, wholeness in our soul and freedom from the control of the world in exchange.
What seems so much like bondage to the natural mind results in freedom, that which seems so much like freedom results in profound bondage.
Jesus also is asking the same. For the soul sold and paid fully to Him He gives a life worth living, wholeness in our soul and freedom from the control of the world in exchange.
What seems so much like bondage to the natural mind results in freedom, that which seems so much like freedom results in profound bondage.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Unfinished Businesss
will our lives be unfinished buisness or will we finish the work that God has for us to do?
Jesus, revolution and unjust authorities
Jesus could easily have used his influence to create a revolution, a change of social structures. the apostles did create a revolution, but it was through bringing individuals face to face with Christ and His power, building and bringing them into the church.
Jesus himself never did raise his hand to abolish the established authorities, wicked as they were. He honoured the authority though being God Himself. Paul also honored the high priest when hit and interrogated unjustly. quoting' you shall not speak against the leader of your people, he walked and fulfilled God's law.'
The Kingdom comes, an invisible Kingdom, totally imperceptible to the natural mind, like whitish-yellow yeast in yellow tinged flour, it blends in totally. Like a seed secretly growing underground, with constant feeding it grows very very slowly and unoticed to the natural eye and mind.
Jesus himself never did raise his hand to abolish the established authorities, wicked as they were. He honoured the authority though being God Himself. Paul also honored the high priest when hit and interrogated unjustly. quoting' you shall not speak against the leader of your people, he walked and fulfilled God's law.'
The Kingdom comes, an invisible Kingdom, totally imperceptible to the natural mind, like whitish-yellow yeast in yellow tinged flour, it blends in totally. Like a seed secretly growing underground, with constant feeding it grows very very slowly and unoticed to the natural eye and mind.
Building and Fighting - thoughts on Luke 14:25-31
Luke 14:25-31 ESV
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
what will it cost for our lives and families to be built on the rock of Christ? For us to glorify His name in everything? facebook time for prayer time? our convenience our entertainment, our flesh. I want to finish the work that God has for me to do and steward all the grace He has provided, not to waste it, and have it considered unfinished, the work He has for me, when I die and receive only shame.
Let us remember the size and power of our enemy, with our own strength we can never overcome him. the flesh will rear its ugly head and cave in to the enemy at a most desperate moment if we fail to discipline and control it with the help of the Spirit. The world and its influence attempts to crush the life out of us, saying to us, bow before our gods or die in a furnace constructed for dissidents. false teachings create only confusion and are unable to cause us to stand against wickness in ourselves and the world. The devil is a cunning and powerful foe.
What will it take for us to defeat the world, the flesh and the devil, with the resources and weapons that God has given us to fight? The Holy Spirit, our human nature which can be disciplined and trained to aid in our battles, our wits, brains, wisdom, plans and war strategies -little as they may be, they can grow, with practice and use. The opponents are strong and powerful, but so are the weapons that God has given us, so are the mighty heavenly hosts -invisible as they may be, they are more than the visible enemy. God's word that He is for us, not against us is strong confidence, His courage and Spirit offers to fill our lives. How can we use all these things to devaste the Kingdoms of this world, to bring in, to usher in the Kingdom of heaven to its maximum effect? God still invades the earth with fire - upon the prayers of righteous and holy men as in days of old!
Do i find the world and its attractions too beautiful? Let me remember lot's wife who turned back to the world only to receive divine judgement. I am passing through the kingdom of this world. I am a soujourner en-route to another, heavenly kingdom, where i belong, where the land is more beautiful, where injustice does not rule but one who is holy, just and good! What is the price to get out of this world and die spiritually alive? death to all this world has to offer us, let us press on to a heavenly Kingdom.
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
what will it cost for our lives and families to be built on the rock of Christ? For us to glorify His name in everything? facebook time for prayer time? our convenience our entertainment, our flesh. I want to finish the work that God has for me to do and steward all the grace He has provided, not to waste it, and have it considered unfinished, the work He has for me, when I die and receive only shame.
Let us remember the size and power of our enemy, with our own strength we can never overcome him. the flesh will rear its ugly head and cave in to the enemy at a most desperate moment if we fail to discipline and control it with the help of the Spirit. The world and its influence attempts to crush the life out of us, saying to us, bow before our gods or die in a furnace constructed for dissidents. false teachings create only confusion and are unable to cause us to stand against wickness in ourselves and the world. The devil is a cunning and powerful foe.
What will it take for us to defeat the world, the flesh and the devil, with the resources and weapons that God has given us to fight? The Holy Spirit, our human nature which can be disciplined and trained to aid in our battles, our wits, brains, wisdom, plans and war strategies -little as they may be, they can grow, with practice and use. The opponents are strong and powerful, but so are the weapons that God has given us, so are the mighty heavenly hosts -invisible as they may be, they are more than the visible enemy. God's word that He is for us, not against us is strong confidence, His courage and Spirit offers to fill our lives. How can we use all these things to devaste the Kingdoms of this world, to bring in, to usher in the Kingdom of heaven to its maximum effect? God still invades the earth with fire - upon the prayers of righteous and holy men as in days of old!
Do i find the world and its attractions too beautiful? Let me remember lot's wife who turned back to the world only to receive divine judgement. I am passing through the kingdom of this world. I am a soujourner en-route to another, heavenly kingdom, where i belong, where the land is more beautiful, where injustice does not rule but one who is holy, just and good! What is the price to get out of this world and die spiritually alive? death to all this world has to offer us, let us press on to a heavenly Kingdom.
Friday, February 18, 2011
half truths and wisdom
In a world that publishes half truths as the whole truth and hides pertinent information, publishing only the good sides which sales people want you to see, Lord i want to be holy, integrous and wise as you are. Tech me what it means to be wise and holy.
Anti-Atheistic readings
Arguments that atheists' rational arguments against christianity are not actually rational
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/january/35.48.html
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/january/35.48.html
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thoughts on the Life of Josepth
After we pray 'thy will be done,' should it surprise us when God acts and chooses for us? It then seems a strange thing to us, because the thing He chooses to do seems to be contrary to our natural desire. But is that not our original and intended purpose in prayer in the first place? We prayed ‘Thy will be done’ in order to be more obedient to Him, and for our desires and our self will to die, did we not?
So our natural will and desire dies a slow painful death so that obedience to God might be raised up in us. Our desires pass into the fires of trial, so that we might have a strengthened desire to please him, the we might possess a greater surrender to His will, the process of which we began by our sincere prayers.
In a contradictory way, while in the midst of the trial and we find that we are asking God ‘why?’ the reason is because you are pursuing Him and want to be conformed into the image of Christ. We find ourselves struggling with the decision that He made on our behalf and struggling if need be in the midst of difficult circumstances. In the middle of all this, a strange thing is happening we are actually becoming more obedient to Him and letting more of Him rule in us, the very thing that we prayed is being accomplished.
The suffering that we endure changes us in this strange twist of circumstances. And in the background God is working -even using evil things that happen to us, for our good. The most hidden, secret thing of all in all this is that He is actually working for our utmost joy in the end result. The hard thing is to have the eyes to see His heart and believe that He is actually working for our utmost joy and that our utmost joy might be in Him.
So our natural will and desire dies a slow painful death so that obedience to God might be raised up in us. Our desires pass into the fires of trial, so that we might have a strengthened desire to please him, the we might possess a greater surrender to His will, the process of which we began by our sincere prayers.
In a contradictory way, while in the midst of the trial and we find that we are asking God ‘why?’ the reason is because you are pursuing Him and want to be conformed into the image of Christ. We find ourselves struggling with the decision that He made on our behalf and struggling if need be in the midst of difficult circumstances. In the middle of all this, a strange thing is happening we are actually becoming more obedient to Him and letting more of Him rule in us, the very thing that we prayed is being accomplished.
The suffering that we endure changes us in this strange twist of circumstances. And in the background God is working -even using evil things that happen to us, for our good. The most hidden, secret thing of all in all this is that He is actually working for our utmost joy in the end result. The hard thing is to have the eyes to see His heart and believe that He is actually working for our utmost joy and that our utmost joy might be in Him.
Pompous show and sick religion
Strip from me the pompous religious show. Strip from me false humility - pride manifesting as 'for-show humility'- My sick religion, a show religion, a scam, that has no strength of the Holy Spirit, no sincerity in prayer or sincere love.
Strip me of this lest people around me mistake this for true faith and Christianity and I be guilty of stumbling others.
Make me full of your Holy Spirit, godly power and controlled, humble strength in Christ. Cause me to serve humbly, silently, joyfully as Christ served. Be my overflowing portion and strength to serve. Make me humble, strong, faithful and true.
Fill me with wisdom which i do not know, being foolish in my heart.
Help my heart to truely fear you.
Strip me of this lest people around me mistake this for true faith and Christianity and I be guilty of stumbling others.
Make me full of your Holy Spirit, godly power and controlled, humble strength in Christ. Cause me to serve humbly, silently, joyfully as Christ served. Be my overflowing portion and strength to serve. Make me humble, strong, faithful and true.
Fill me with wisdom which i do not know, being foolish in my heart.
Help my heart to truely fear you.
Straight paths
Let me walk in straight paths that lead to you that those who follow can follow easily and not be stumbled by my example.
Hebrews 12:13
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Hebrews 12:13
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Love
Lord help me love my wife perfectly, as you love me perfectly.
Let Your perfect love be my wisdom, strength and inspiration.
A love that loves all that is good and hates all that is evil.
Let Your perfect love be my wisdom, strength and inspiration.
A love that loves all that is good and hates all that is evil.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
identity
I am god's child
The past, my sins are past and over, my past is totally eradicated in christ. old things have passed away, all things are new.
I not only have a new beginning, I am a new beginning in Christ, I am born again
I am His Son and Righteous through His death, shed blood and resurrection.
I am in Him, He is in me
I have power to please Him and walk in Him as He give me His Spirit.
He has broken the power of Sin in my life, He has delivered me to love HIm and walk to please Him I can please Him now i am born again and His grace gives me power to change.
I am holy, blameless and above reproach to Christ.
The past, my sins are past and over, my past is totally eradicated in christ. old things have passed away, all things are new.
I not only have a new beginning, I am a new beginning in Christ, I am born again
I am His Son and Righteous through His death, shed blood and resurrection.
I am in Him, He is in me
I have power to please Him and walk in Him as He give me His Spirit.
He has broken the power of Sin in my life, He has delivered me to love HIm and walk to please Him I can please Him now i am born again and His grace gives me power to change.
I am holy, blameless and above reproach to Christ.
Our need for the cross
Our need for the cross does not decrease after we get saved. It should in fact increase.
Jabez
Got busted by the wife for firing my nerf longstrike at 12am last night.
Restless. Restlessness.
Inside I'm just a big kid that just wants to be loved by God, to have fun with Him and chill out with the Father. To know that I am His son and to be bold and confident in that. so I come to Him as a child to be loved.
Its a pleasure to be Fathered by You O God your gentleness and mercy will make me great.
Lord restore all the years of sorrow and pain restore joy and strength 'show us your goodness according to the years we have seen evil.' From the Psalm of moses, psalm 90
Make me a complete man, not ashamed to laugh and play, strong and wise in all that I do.
'Take my pain from me, bless me, let me be a blessing to cause Joy and not pain' - Jebez
Restless. Restlessness.
Inside I'm just a big kid that just wants to be loved by God, to have fun with Him and chill out with the Father. To know that I am His son and to be bold and confident in that. so I come to Him as a child to be loved.
Its a pleasure to be Fathered by You O God your gentleness and mercy will make me great.
Lord restore all the years of sorrow and pain restore joy and strength 'show us your goodness according to the years we have seen evil.' From the Psalm of moses, psalm 90
Make me a complete man, not ashamed to laugh and play, strong and wise in all that I do.
'Take my pain from me, bless me, let me be a blessing to cause Joy and not pain' - Jebez
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Christian Virtue and character
Christian character does not come about by focusing on virtue and trying to develop it, it comes from looking at Christ, and letting Him impact the heart.
Bible literacy slipping article associated press
Bible literacy slipping, experts say
originally by Clayton Hardiman, Religion News Service
For comedians, there are subjects that are almost too easy -- sure things that guarantee a laugh. For Jay Leno one late night, it was the Bible. During the taping of one of his television shows, Leno moved through his audience asking people what they knew about the Bible. "Name one of the Ten Commandments," he said.
"God helps those who help themselves?" someone ventured.
"Name one of the apostles," Leno told them. No one could.
Finally, he asked them to name the Beatles. Without hesitation, the answer came ringing from throughout the crowd: George, Paul, John and Ringo.
Leno wasn't spoofing the Bible that evening. He was spoofing our society, which claims a grounding in Judeo-Christian principles and yet -- according to a number of surveys -- is increasingly losing touch with the Scriptures of those faiths.
Only two of 10 people participating in a recent Gallup survey correctly identified who delivered the Sermon on the Mount, said David Eikenberry, youth pastor at Orchard View Congregational Church in Muskegon, Michigan. "Typically, people could name only three or four of the Ten Commandments," Eikenberry said. Even that, however, did place Gallup's respondents ahead of Leno's "Tonight Show" audience.
Rev. Willie Burrel, pastor of Christ Temple Church in Muskegon Heights and a teacher with Western Michigan Bible Institute, also noted a decline in biblical literacy. "In order to be a Bible reader, you have to be a practicing Christian," he said. "There are a lot of un-practicing Christians."
The trend can be attributed in part at least to "the busyness of people's schedules," Burrel said. "Because of their work load and play load, people are spending less time in the Word of God."
Eikenberry said he recently gave a simple quiz on Bible facts to people at his own church, Orchard View Congregational Church. The average score was just 40 percent -- and that, said Eikenberry, is no knock against his congregation. The truth, he said, is that many Christians are struggling. Eikenberry, who wrote a 100-page thesis on Bible literacy while working on a degree at Cornerstone College (Grand Rapids, Michigan), said people generally have some pieces of the puzzle but lack the framework in which those pieces fit in a meaningful way.
Eikenberry asked churches and youth pastors in West Michigan to administer a simple biblical literacy survey to parishioners. "The scores were just atrocious," he said. "I don't expect those outside Christianity to know the Christian book, but shouldn't people of the Book be familiar with it?"
In China, people have the time and interest to read Bibles but, because of government restrictions, no access to them. On the other hand, Eikenberry said, "We live in an America where we have Bibles everywhere, and yet we're too busy to read them."
The Bible's impact on American culture is immense. It goes beyond values or faith. Without biblical references, lots of phrases would never have made it into our language. Every day people season their conversations with phrases like "eye for an eye" and Good Samaritans. They talk about the lure of "forbidden fruit." They refer to burdensome circumstances as their "cross to bear." They balance competing priorities by "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Mismatched opponents are compared to David and Goliath. Often, people use such phrases without a clue as to their biblical origin. [ read more ]
Educators tell horror stories about intellectually advanced students who fail to recognize literary references to Jonah or the prodigal son.
Generally, people know the Bible's major figures -- Adam, Abraham, David, Solomon and Jesus. Ask them to put those names in chronological order, however, and they are stumped. The question is: Why?
In part, Eikenberry sees growing biblical illiteracy as a kind of reaction against educational methods of the past. "For a time," he said, "there was a kind of overstated catechism in the mainline churches. Now generations of people are saying, `I didn't learn anything -- I'm not sending my kid.' The pendulum has swung the other way."
A kind of educational inertia has also set in, causing parents to pass more and more responsibility for their children's education to professional educators.
Eikenberry believes that Sunday school is not enough to make people biblically literate. "Would you send your kid to learn math or science for just an hour a week with no homework?" he asked. "Yet we think that by osmosis kids are going to learn the Bible."
Biblical illiteracy may also be part of a general malaise in education. "It's a dumbed-down society," Eikenberry said. "Literacy in general has suffered."
Whatever the reason, people are reading the Bible less. Occasional Bible readers have declined from 79 percent of Americans in the 1980s to 59 percent, according to a recent Gallup Poll. Only 16 percent of Christians polled said they read the Bible daily.1
Some Christian leaders are trying to fight back. Eikenberry has established a couple of biblical literacy classes at Muskegon Community College. Burrel, who says Bible study is a priority in his own church, has challenged members of his church to read daily 10 chapters to "get deeper in the Word."
"Some of them were so happy I put that out there," Burrel said. "Some of our young people are doing it -- some of our very young children."
distributed by The Associated Press (AP). Edited and used by permission.
"Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us" -- 2 Kings 22:13 (King Josiah's words upon discovering the lost Book of the Law)
1Gallup, Alec and Wendy W. Simmons, "Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally," The Gallup Organization, http://www.gallup.com, October 20, 2000.
originally by Clayton Hardiman, Religion News Service
For comedians, there are subjects that are almost too easy -- sure things that guarantee a laugh. For Jay Leno one late night, it was the Bible. During the taping of one of his television shows, Leno moved through his audience asking people what they knew about the Bible. "Name one of the Ten Commandments," he said.
"God helps those who help themselves?" someone ventured.
"Name one of the apostles," Leno told them. No one could.
Finally, he asked them to name the Beatles. Without hesitation, the answer came ringing from throughout the crowd: George, Paul, John and Ringo.
Leno wasn't spoofing the Bible that evening. He was spoofing our society, which claims a grounding in Judeo-Christian principles and yet -- according to a number of surveys -- is increasingly losing touch with the Scriptures of those faiths.
Only two of 10 people participating in a recent Gallup survey correctly identified who delivered the Sermon on the Mount, said David Eikenberry, youth pastor at Orchard View Congregational Church in Muskegon, Michigan. "Typically, people could name only three or four of the Ten Commandments," Eikenberry said. Even that, however, did place Gallup's respondents ahead of Leno's "Tonight Show" audience.
Rev. Willie Burrel, pastor of Christ Temple Church in Muskegon Heights and a teacher with Western Michigan Bible Institute, also noted a decline in biblical literacy. "In order to be a Bible reader, you have to be a practicing Christian," he said. "There are a lot of un-practicing Christians."
The trend can be attributed in part at least to "the busyness of people's schedules," Burrel said. "Because of their work load and play load, people are spending less time in the Word of God."
Eikenberry said he recently gave a simple quiz on Bible facts to people at his own church, Orchard View Congregational Church. The average score was just 40 percent -- and that, said Eikenberry, is no knock against his congregation. The truth, he said, is that many Christians are struggling. Eikenberry, who wrote a 100-page thesis on Bible literacy while working on a degree at Cornerstone College (Grand Rapids, Michigan), said people generally have some pieces of the puzzle but lack the framework in which those pieces fit in a meaningful way.
Eikenberry asked churches and youth pastors in West Michigan to administer a simple biblical literacy survey to parishioners. "The scores were just atrocious," he said. "I don't expect those outside Christianity to know the Christian book, but shouldn't people of the Book be familiar with it?"
In China, people have the time and interest to read Bibles but, because of government restrictions, no access to them. On the other hand, Eikenberry said, "We live in an America where we have Bibles everywhere, and yet we're too busy to read them."
The Bible's impact on American culture is immense. It goes beyond values or faith. Without biblical references, lots of phrases would never have made it into our language. Every day people season their conversations with phrases like "eye for an eye" and Good Samaritans. They talk about the lure of "forbidden fruit." They refer to burdensome circumstances as their "cross to bear." They balance competing priorities by "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Mismatched opponents are compared to David and Goliath. Often, people use such phrases without a clue as to their biblical origin. [ read more ]
Educators tell horror stories about intellectually advanced students who fail to recognize literary references to Jonah or the prodigal son.
Generally, people know the Bible's major figures -- Adam, Abraham, David, Solomon and Jesus. Ask them to put those names in chronological order, however, and they are stumped. The question is: Why?
In part, Eikenberry sees growing biblical illiteracy as a kind of reaction against educational methods of the past. "For a time," he said, "there was a kind of overstated catechism in the mainline churches. Now generations of people are saying, `I didn't learn anything -- I'm not sending my kid.' The pendulum has swung the other way."
A kind of educational inertia has also set in, causing parents to pass more and more responsibility for their children's education to professional educators.
Eikenberry believes that Sunday school is not enough to make people biblically literate. "Would you send your kid to learn math or science for just an hour a week with no homework?" he asked. "Yet we think that by osmosis kids are going to learn the Bible."
Biblical illiteracy may also be part of a general malaise in education. "It's a dumbed-down society," Eikenberry said. "Literacy in general has suffered."
Whatever the reason, people are reading the Bible less. Occasional Bible readers have declined from 79 percent of Americans in the 1980s to 59 percent, according to a recent Gallup Poll. Only 16 percent of Christians polled said they read the Bible daily.1
Some Christian leaders are trying to fight back. Eikenberry has established a couple of biblical literacy classes at Muskegon Community College. Burrel, who says Bible study is a priority in his own church, has challenged members of his church to read daily 10 chapters to "get deeper in the Word."
"Some of them were so happy I put that out there," Burrel said. "Some of our young people are doing it -- some of our very young children."
distributed by The Associated Press (AP). Edited and used by permission.
"Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us" -- 2 Kings 22:13 (King Josiah's words upon discovering the lost Book of the Law)
1Gallup, Alec and Wendy W. Simmons, "Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally," The Gallup Organization, http://www.gallup.com, October 20, 2000.
Insights from my private struggles with fear
1) Fear empowers the object that you fear to have control over you.
2) The fear of God allows His rule and reign in your life, allowing Him to be a controlling factor in lifeand decision making.
3) Fear is a choice that grows on you. it applies to demonic fears or the fear of God. Choose to fear God! Consider Him mightier, wiser, in control, faithful and just and good, more than powerless powers, authorities & gods (demons and men whom they use).
4) To break a big longstanding fears, requires big grace (a revelation of God's love), big choices (unrelenting will), big courage (faith to face your fears) and big resilience (endurance to see it through to freedom), all of which would be useless but for the fact that God in heaven responds to faith inspired action on earth, and spends His mighty Spirit to set us free from all fear giving us supernatural peace, faith and assurance, it is nothing less than the actioin and movement of God himself that breaks demonic bondages.
5) God is a God that loves and prizes freedom,evidences are that 1) He set Israel free from egypt, 2) wrote in Galatians: it was for freedom that Christ has set us free, do not succumb any longer to a yoke of bondage! and 3) in Romans that we have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear but a spirit of Sonship and freedom to be God's children. Therefore its is God's own character and word that promises freedom from fear. Stand and believe and experience the freedom that comes from God which He sends in the Holy Spirit! Trust God and refuse to fear.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal (those who are faith-ful who have a fatih based relationship) to Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)(my own rendering in italics)
6)consider the God factor in Christ: He will back up his promise by personally coming into your being and personally, mightily break your chains of fear which Jesus came to break (isaiah 61)He will reside in you and bring you to freedom.
7) it is no small work to trust and believe in God - this Jesus says is the way we work the works of God (John 6) Believing is the whole crux of the Christian faith - Simply to believe that He who He says He is and does what He says He does despite all opposition. When we believe He is the Son of God, we overcome the evil one and the world .
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1 John 5: 5)
2) The fear of God allows His rule and reign in your life, allowing Him to be a controlling factor in lifeand decision making.
3) Fear is a choice that grows on you. it applies to demonic fears or the fear of God. Choose to fear God! Consider Him mightier, wiser, in control, faithful and just and good, more than powerless powers, authorities & gods (demons and men whom they use).
4) To break a big longstanding fears, requires big grace (a revelation of God's love), big choices (unrelenting will), big courage (faith to face your fears) and big resilience (endurance to see it through to freedom), all of which would be useless but for the fact that God in heaven responds to faith inspired action on earth, and spends His mighty Spirit to set us free from all fear giving us supernatural peace, faith and assurance, it is nothing less than the actioin and movement of God himself that breaks demonic bondages.
5) God is a God that loves and prizes freedom,evidences are that 1) He set Israel free from egypt, 2) wrote in Galatians: it was for freedom that Christ has set us free, do not succumb any longer to a yoke of bondage! and 3) in Romans that we have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear but a spirit of Sonship and freedom to be God's children. Therefore its is God's own character and word that promises freedom from fear. Stand and believe and experience the freedom that comes from God which He sends in the Holy Spirit! Trust God and refuse to fear.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal (those who are faith-ful who have a fatih based relationship) to Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)(my own rendering in italics)
6)consider the God factor in Christ: He will back up his promise by personally coming into your being and personally, mightily break your chains of fear which Jesus came to break (isaiah 61)He will reside in you and bring you to freedom.
7) it is no small work to trust and believe in God - this Jesus says is the way we work the works of God (John 6) Believing is the whole crux of the Christian faith - Simply to believe that He who He says He is and does what He says He does despite all opposition. When we believe He is the Son of God, we overcome the evil one and the world .
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1 John 5: 5)
Monday, February 14, 2011
The crying elephant
The crying baby elephant
Large liquid salt tears filling her eyes and streaming down her smooth, gentle face. "Why are you crying dear e?' her large ears seemed all the more droopy and her trunk languid, sad and limp. Her whole countenance altogether seemed long dark and dreary. she made a soft stammered sobbing sound, surpising since elephants are such great and loud creatures, she must not have wanted anyone to know, which altoghether made her seem more noble.
When an elephant cries loudly, things must be drastically out of control, the danger too eminent, the injustice too stinging, in a loud cry. there were only gentle sobs. Its an awful thing to see an elephant cry, especially since they are usually such cheery hearted, warm and happy creatures on normal days. An elephant would gladly give you the shirt off its back if you were cold. That, and also you have to remember that an elephant would never hurt anyone, it would be a terrible, heartless thing or person who would make an elephant cry, futhermore, it was an adorable female baby elephant that was crying.
'dont cry dear e, its valentines day', i said as i reached over the bed, stroked her face and gave her a hug...
Large liquid salt tears filling her eyes and streaming down her smooth, gentle face. "Why are you crying dear e?' her large ears seemed all the more droopy and her trunk languid, sad and limp. Her whole countenance altogether seemed long dark and dreary. she made a soft stammered sobbing sound, surpising since elephants are such great and loud creatures, she must not have wanted anyone to know, which altoghether made her seem more noble.
When an elephant cries loudly, things must be drastically out of control, the danger too eminent, the injustice too stinging, in a loud cry. there were only gentle sobs. Its an awful thing to see an elephant cry, especially since they are usually such cheery hearted, warm and happy creatures on normal days. An elephant would gladly give you the shirt off its back if you were cold. That, and also you have to remember that an elephant would never hurt anyone, it would be a terrible, heartless thing or person who would make an elephant cry, futhermore, it was an adorable female baby elephant that was crying.
'dont cry dear e, its valentines day', i said as i reached over the bed, stroked her face and gave her a hug...
Christian web resource
http://www.canonglenn.com
Tremdendous web resource on quotes from sources as varied as Martyn LLoyd Jones, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, JC Ryle to Jack Hayford and Jack Deere
Tremdendous web resource on quotes from sources as varied as Martyn LLoyd Jones, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, JC Ryle to Jack Hayford and Jack Deere
Quotes on Sanctification
Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost, when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood, but He also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart, and makes him practically godly in life.
J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (Chicago: Moody, 2010), 19.
Sanctification is the moment by moment subordination of the mind, the affections, and the will, to the rule of the Holy Spirit. Not in the energy of the flesh are these things done, but in the power of the indwelling Spirit himself. To watch unto prayer, to hide God’s word in your heart, to resist the devil, to make no provision for the lusts of the flesh, to follow holiness-to do these things is to ‘walk after the Spirit. ‘So shall the righteousness of the law . . . be fulfilled in us.’
Ernest F. Kevan, “The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit,” Daily Thoughts from Keswick: A Year’s Daily Readings, ed. Herbert F. Stevenson (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980), 192.
J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (Chicago: Moody, 2010), 19.
Sanctification is the moment by moment subordination of the mind, the affections, and the will, to the rule of the Holy Spirit. Not in the energy of the flesh are these things done, but in the power of the indwelling Spirit himself. To watch unto prayer, to hide God’s word in your heart, to resist the devil, to make no provision for the lusts of the flesh, to follow holiness-to do these things is to ‘walk after the Spirit. ‘So shall the righteousness of the law . . . be fulfilled in us.’
Ernest F. Kevan, “The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit,” Daily Thoughts from Keswick: A Year’s Daily Readings, ed. Herbert F. Stevenson (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980), 192.
Faith
Help me to remember that faith is of primary importance, let me fight the good fight of faith, help me do all i can to nourish faith, let me exercise faith until it becomes a natural part of my personality and character to believe in You and Your promise.
Let me not be afraid of anything or anyone.
Let me not be afraid of anything or anyone.
Earth and Water
You are earth I am water,
You always do the responsible thing
I always went wherever i wished,
I flow I adapt I bend to the circumstance
You stand like a rock stubborn and strong
Sometimes i carry you away and melt you into tears
Sometimes you avalance into me, stopping my dreams.
You are the land, a river bank, I am the river
You channel me in a good direction,
You make me strighter and stronger,
Through the years I cut into you, shaping you hopefully for the better.
Always giving, you show me what i have to really give,
Like a river i want my love to flow over you to nourish you.
Like the earth you make me steady and wise
Like a river I want to take your hand into the path of the shining light.
We laugh together, basking in the dawn of day.
May the coming days reveal a place of happiness for
Earth and river ,
A place of rest, a place of laughter.
You always do the responsible thing
I always went wherever i wished,
I flow I adapt I bend to the circumstance
You stand like a rock stubborn and strong
Sometimes i carry you away and melt you into tears
Sometimes you avalance into me, stopping my dreams.
You are the land, a river bank, I am the river
You channel me in a good direction,
You make me strighter and stronger,
Through the years I cut into you, shaping you hopefully for the better.
Always giving, you show me what i have to really give,
Like a river i want my love to flow over you to nourish you.
Like the earth you make me steady and wise
Like a river I want to take your hand into the path of the shining light.
We laugh together, basking in the dawn of day.
May the coming days reveal a place of happiness for
Earth and river ,
A place of rest, a place of laughter.
a crying broken heart in the middle of the night
Today i was awakened by the sound of soft sobbing by my wife, who couldn't sleep. I put my hand on her face to stroke her, She turned to me and said 'sometimes i long for my mum's love, but i realise that the love that i want cannot be found in her' - broke my heart. silently prayed that Jesus would show His own great love to her and heal her fully of her broken heart as He has healed mine.
Goals
1) To see His redemtion power fully unfold in our lives through the agency of the cross His ultimate sacrifice.
2) To fully realize His all sufficient grace in present circumstances.
3) To increase in faith, Lord increase my faith!
4) To prioritize personal prayer (whilst not neglecting other duties) to understand the depths of His spirit and Heart.
5) To 'put on' appropriate the person of Christ daily to be changed into His image.
6) To be cleansed in body and Spirit, to live to please Him.
7) To obtain by faith in His promises a full healing for my wife and see His plans unfold for our lives,
8) To see His joy fill our lives, as He is working for His own joy over us.
2) To fully realize His all sufficient grace in present circumstances.
3) To increase in faith, Lord increase my faith!
4) To prioritize personal prayer (whilst not neglecting other duties) to understand the depths of His spirit and Heart.
5) To 'put on' appropriate the person of Christ daily to be changed into His image.
6) To be cleansed in body and Spirit, to live to please Him.
7) To obtain by faith in His promises a full healing for my wife and see His plans unfold for our lives,
8) To see His joy fill our lives, as He is working for His own joy over us.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Personal Lessons in Leadership / Group dynamics
#1 No need to dominate discussions, leave space and time for all to shine, direct attention to those who have less time and airspace
#2 Timing of key contributions are more essential for discussion enhancement and clarification on errors
#3 Be concious of key goals of letting everyone shine, role of a catalyst as a discussion enhancer and spirit of service
#2 Timing of key contributions are more essential for discussion enhancement and clarification on errors
#3 Be concious of key goals of letting everyone shine, role of a catalyst as a discussion enhancer and spirit of service
Insecurity
Suffering from drastic insecurities - dont have a sense of myself, i lack the belief that that i am fundementally alright, think i still see my flaws and faults far too easily. my strengths seem small, as though looking from a far distance. And there's this sense of 'there is something wrong with me' (a pattern of internallized harsh self criticism).
I am not comfortable with myself and feel this tremendous push to prove myself. (to whom and for what? to those around me and for a sense of worth). I know i will not be happy even if i did 'prove myself' to be better, stronger and smarter than those around me because that falls short of humility and attitude of service which i want as an a personal ethic.
Doesn't help that everyone around seems so accomplished. Confidence is slowly approaching crisis. Must remember not to judge by outward appearances.
I am not comfortable with myself - my flaws and my strengths with my sins and my gifts i am not comfortable being me and knowing that i am loved but i want to be.
I am not comfortable with myself and feel this tremendous push to prove myself. (to whom and for what? to those around me and for a sense of worth). I know i will not be happy even if i did 'prove myself' to be better, stronger and smarter than those around me because that falls short of humility and attitude of service which i want as an a personal ethic.
Doesn't help that everyone around seems so accomplished. Confidence is slowly approaching crisis. Must remember not to judge by outward appearances.
I am not comfortable with myself - my flaws and my strengths with my sins and my gifts i am not comfortable being me and knowing that i am loved but i want to be.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Dante's Inferno
Classic text on hell and heaven: Dante's inferno
http://www.fullbooks.com/Dante-s-Inferno.html
http://www.fullbooks.com/Dante-s-Inferno.html
Managment skills - non verbal communications
http://www.bizmove.com/skills.htm -
Good website on business/management related non-verbal communications skills
http://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8n3.htm
Interview job search skills
Good website on business/management related non-verbal communications skills
http://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8n3.htm
Interview job search skills
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Justice, Law, Sin and Righteousness
Singapore was once a wasteland, without law - one man's vision turned the wasteland and created the saftey we enjoy today. Lee Kwan Yew went to London, saw a stack of newspapers unattended, lying next to an open streetside, he was astounded that people did not take them for themselves but actually paid money before taking them. He envisioned a Singapore where this was to be so, and worked to create that reality. Singapore was a place where violence and triads ruled at the time. the saftey of our homeland is in no small part owning to the severe laws that our land has against murder, theft, violence, drug trafficking etc. The rule of law in a society makes life bearable and defends and protects all that is good in life.
The original spirit and intent of the law in society is for the defence of the poor, children and the uneducated, the weak, all minorities that have no strength and no voice. It acts as a shield against violations, to protect life and make it grow. God's law in Exodus states many written laws (statutes) that protect the weak against violations - laws protecting the rights of the stranger (foreigner, minority) the orphan, the widow. The Law protects weaker individuals from violations from stronger individuals. The law teaches that to murder is sin because man is created in the image of God. this gives society the foundations to live with dignity.
Without the rule of law, the individual has no rights and consequently no recourse against injustice. when you are stolen from, how can you say 'stealing is wrong and you will be brought to justice', apart from pointing to a plain and objective written code that states clearly that stealing is wrong and will be punished. The severity of the punishment met out then creates order, a pattern in which people learn to fear, if they do not love doing what is right, they will fear the punishment which comes from doing that which is wrong. that creates predictable behaviors that allows society to function. without law, there can be no Justice, logically it flows that there can be no life.
The whole basis of the law is founded on the teaching of what is right and wrong in human nature. The law is clear and by no means fuzzy and provides lazer sharp definitions of that which is good behavior (graces and virtues) and that which is sin (evil and hateful)in mankind. there must be an absolute standard of what is right (righteousness) and that which is sin for mankind to be educated to love the good and hate evil. that is the original intent and spirit of the law which the Apostle Paul says is 'holy, just and good' (romans 7) which ultimately reflects God's holy just and absolute character. God is good (white) sin is hateful and wrong (black) these things are clear in God's word. Sin takes after the character of Satan and (righteousness (which includes right doing) takes after the character of God. Sin ultimately is the rebellion against the character of God's goodness, rejecting Him and rebelling against him to go our own way. The flesh is ultimately corrupt and rejects God's law, the flesh argues that what I feel is right, there is no absolute truth or absolute standard that can hold me accountable. The flesh recoils at the thought of admitting itself evil and wrong. The flesh is ultimately prideful and doees not want to submit unto God's ways and His absolute truth.
The law utimately brings us guilty (Romans 1-3) to Christ for forgiveness that no one can say anything before the perfect law as all are found guilty and all must be forgiven.
Judgement is a brother to the Law, and like the Law proceeds from God, it is an expression of His holiness. God does not tolerate Sin. Sin, unrepented sin in the presence of the Holy God produces only death and judgement that proceeds from His throne. God is absolutely just and Holy. however the word also teaches that He is also great in lovingkindness and grace.grace also proceeds from God's throne. it is no less Holy than the Law and leads us to change, to repent and admit that we are wrong. without grace, man can never have a leagal basis to have a relationship with God. and without that relationsihip man can never do right. 1) because he has no power to do so 2) because the law only activates flesh in a man and reveals the sinfulness of sin (taken from romans again. Only in knowing the preciousness and power of grace can a man become Godly, holy and please God.
The original spirit and intent of the law in society is for the defence of the poor, children and the uneducated, the weak, all minorities that have no strength and no voice. It acts as a shield against violations, to protect life and make it grow. God's law in Exodus states many written laws (statutes) that protect the weak against violations - laws protecting the rights of the stranger (foreigner, minority) the orphan, the widow. The Law protects weaker individuals from violations from stronger individuals. The law teaches that to murder is sin because man is created in the image of God. this gives society the foundations to live with dignity.
Without the rule of law, the individual has no rights and consequently no recourse against injustice. when you are stolen from, how can you say 'stealing is wrong and you will be brought to justice', apart from pointing to a plain and objective written code that states clearly that stealing is wrong and will be punished. The severity of the punishment met out then creates order, a pattern in which people learn to fear, if they do not love doing what is right, they will fear the punishment which comes from doing that which is wrong. that creates predictable behaviors that allows society to function. without law, there can be no Justice, logically it flows that there can be no life.
The whole basis of the law is founded on the teaching of what is right and wrong in human nature. The law is clear and by no means fuzzy and provides lazer sharp definitions of that which is good behavior (graces and virtues) and that which is sin (evil and hateful)in mankind. there must be an absolute standard of what is right (righteousness) and that which is sin for mankind to be educated to love the good and hate evil. that is the original intent and spirit of the law which the Apostle Paul says is 'holy, just and good' (romans 7) which ultimately reflects God's holy just and absolute character. God is good (white) sin is hateful and wrong (black) these things are clear in God's word. Sin takes after the character of Satan and (righteousness (which includes right doing) takes after the character of God. Sin ultimately is the rebellion against the character of God's goodness, rejecting Him and rebelling against him to go our own way. The flesh is ultimately corrupt and rejects God's law, the flesh argues that what I feel is right, there is no absolute truth or absolute standard that can hold me accountable. The flesh recoils at the thought of admitting itself evil and wrong. The flesh is ultimately prideful and doees not want to submit unto God's ways and His absolute truth.
The law utimately brings us guilty (Romans 1-3) to Christ for forgiveness that no one can say anything before the perfect law as all are found guilty and all must be forgiven.
Judgement is a brother to the Law, and like the Law proceeds from God, it is an expression of His holiness. God does not tolerate Sin. Sin, unrepented sin in the presence of the Holy God produces only death and judgement that proceeds from His throne. God is absolutely just and Holy. however the word also teaches that He is also great in lovingkindness and grace.grace also proceeds from God's throne. it is no less Holy than the Law and leads us to change, to repent and admit that we are wrong. without grace, man can never have a leagal basis to have a relationship with God. and without that relationsihip man can never do right. 1) because he has no power to do so 2) because the law only activates flesh in a man and reveals the sinfulness of sin (taken from romans again. Only in knowing the preciousness and power of grace can a man become Godly, holy and please God.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Priorities
"Dispatch the most important tasks first" - because time has that aweful way of slipping through our fingers.
often find myself in that position where time is not on my side because i failed to get it on my side when i still could. be prepared and carpe diem!
often find myself in that position where time is not on my side because i failed to get it on my side when i still could. be prepared and carpe diem!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
the fight
God i want to fight your battles, bring my character in line and give me strength and the weapons of your warfare to win your victories in my life.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The power to do right
'The power to do (right) I do not find' -Paul in Romans 7:
There is no power to do good, to be right to be Holy apart from Christ Himself, which is found in communion with Him and in the Holy Spirit which He provides in this communion.
The flesh is such a heavy powerful, pervading default way of living, nothing can free us of its influence except Christ and the good habits of character formed by God's grace, habits formed in communion, in habitual reliance on Christ and the holy spirit.
There is no power to do good, to be right to be Holy apart from Christ Himself, which is found in communion with Him and in the Holy Spirit which He provides in this communion.
The flesh is such a heavy powerful, pervading default way of living, nothing can free us of its influence except Christ and the good habits of character formed by God's grace, habits formed in communion, in habitual reliance on Christ and the holy spirit.
burdens
sometimes feel like the call and duty to love my wife is far greater a burden than i can humanly bear and i will shatter under the weight of this.
Vulnerability
I need to make a concious effort not to appear to be something or someone that Im'm not. to be stronger, more appealing, more intelligent, more ______.
In a world that cares very much about superficial appearances,
I need to dedicate myself to
1) aggressively renounce the value system of valuing appearances and go underneath the surface of appearances to dig out the reality,
2) not care about people's opinions be the honest and true to the person and truth God has created me to be.
In a world that cares very much about superficial appearances,
I need to dedicate myself to
1) aggressively renounce the value system of valuing appearances and go underneath the surface of appearances to dig out the reality,
2) not care about people's opinions be the honest and true to the person and truth God has created me to be.
Hopes and needs that I have but sometimes have to go without
Desires that I feel I need to live and not just exist
1) desire to connect with people
2) desire to help people
3) desire to use and develop my strengths and gifts
1) desire to connect with people
2) desire to help people
3) desire to use and develop my strengths and gifts
Present struggles
I have to resist the temptation:
1) of being angry at God for creating me with these strengths and weaknesses and placing me in my job.
2) to feel sorry for myself.
3) to doubt God's plans for my life.
4) to doubt and belittle myself and the abilities God has given me.
5) to feel alone and not build up relationships around me.
6) to neglect my growth of my person and strengths because of the above.
7) to grow so dissapointed with life that i cease to move forward.
1) of being angry at God for creating me with these strengths and weaknesses and placing me in my job.
2) to feel sorry for myself.
3) to doubt God's plans for my life.
4) to doubt and belittle myself and the abilities God has given me.
5) to feel alone and not build up relationships around me.
6) to neglect my growth of my person and strengths because of the above.
7) to grow so dissapointed with life that i cease to move forward.
The Danger of Pedestals
Chapter 3: The Danger of Pedestals
MARK BROUWER
I know from experience that pedestals are dangerous. People come into the church with a powerful mixture of expectations and illusions about what an uber-spiritual person should be, and assume the pastor will embody that. This is a problem when we let them down—when they see how we fall short of the ideal that they created in their minds.
But maybe an even bigger problem is when they don’t see our flaws because they don’t want to see our flaws, and we get too good at hiding them. Most of the people in our churches want to see us in a good light, because this affirms their faith…the leader of their spiritual community can serve to validate the power of that faith.
In spite of whatever we might say about honesty and authenticity in relationships, this idealization creates an opportunity—and a motive—to appear holy. And because we are human, the only way to appear holy is by hiding parts of ourselves and becoming ever more isolated. It might seem to be a good thing…they get to have their faith encouraged by this example of a person who’s pretty “together,” and we receive higher esteem from others than we really deserve.
But this all comes at a price. When people who’ve idealized their spiritual leaders are forced to face their less-than-savory humanity, they are often disillusioned and angry. Somehow they expected us to “be better than that.” So reactions to perceived slights, and evidences of imperfections can often be magnified, because people cling to their hope that their leader will not be struggling with the things that other people are struggling with.
But even more dangerous is what the pedestal does to the soul of the leader. The leader who is dehumanized in this way is trapped by the expectations of other people. The leader must keep his or her personal struggles and foibles hidden. This creates unbearable tension and fear for many leaders. “What would happen if people in my church found out that I was struggling with ______________?”
So pastors don’t get help. They may try to live in denial, and minimize how serious their problems are. They live in isolation, and the shame and fear escalates.
The reverse side of the problem of pedestals is that for some pastors it tends to reinforce the tendencies of narcissism, pride, and judgementalism. The less in touch I am with my own faults, the more spiritually superior I feel. No one is really in a position to challenge most pastors about their behavior or attitudes, because they don’t let people close enough to them. They hide behind the cloak of spiritual authority, and thus stay stuck in blindness to their true condition. When you add the fact that hundreds or thousands of people are listening to the pastor speak God’s truth to them each week, you have a dangerous mix. As someone said, this is like “pouring Miracle Grow on one’s character flaws.”
What is the answer?
Humanity. Let the leader be human.
A meditation from the recovery book Today has this to say about pedestals:
Sometimes we expect far too much of the people around us, and because no one can ever live up to those expectations, we are almost always disappointed. But wouldn’t it be better if we just let go, and let people be who they are? Then we’d be able to see them as they are – with all their beauty and goodness in which we take joy, and with all their faults, which we can also see in ourselves.
When we have put someone up on a pedestal, sculpturing them to fit our needs and desires by smoothing out the rough edges and creating new curves here and there, we cannot see the real person underneath our work. All we see is the illusion we have created. That is denying the person’s real identity and is disrespectful. It’s much better for our friends and for ourselves if we drop our expectations and illusions, and accept them all just the way they are.1
I may not choose to tell the congregation everything about my struggles—especially my sexual struggles—but I must have some people with whom I am fully honest. I must guard against the pedestal syndrome. It only serves to isolate us further.
Getting off the pedestal
I served as a pastor for 15 years, working as a church planter and senior pastor of two churches. I tried to establish these churches as safe communities—places where people could be honest about their struggles. The sad irony is that all the time I was working to create a safe place for others, I was unable to be honest about my own struggles with pornography. When I initially sought help for my struggles, I was absolutely paranoid that someone from my church might find out about it.
I made a secret bargain with God. I promised God that I would work on my “lust problem,” and asked for His help to heal me…as long as we could just keep it between us. I wanted God to fix me, but I didn’t want the struggle—or the process of being fixed—to impact my ministry.
Over the years, the disconnect between the message I was preaching and the way I was living got harder to deal with. I remember it coming to a head when a young woman asked for prayer after a church service, because she had just discovered her husband’s stash of pornography. Later that week, the three of us met to talk about this. Here I was, trying to help them deal with his pornography problem, when I was struggling to deal with it myself. I wanted to talk about my own experience, and share the things I was learning and struggling with. Instead, I kept a safe pastoral distance and gave them the usual lines about accountability and praying for victory. When they left I hated myself for being such a hypocrite.
Around that same time, things came to a head in my marriage, as my wife got more in touch with her anger and unwillingness to put up with a husband who was not staying sexually “sober.” I wound up taking a leave of absence after telling people in the church that I was struggling with pornography. Because things were going so well in the church, and we were moving into a big building project, it was the absolute worst time to take a leave of absence. I felt I needed to give some explanation for why I needed the leave. If I didn’t, there would be wild speculation. And I didn’t want to lie about it and cover up the treatment I was seeking for addiction.
It was a huge step to take, and it fundamentally altered the course of my life and ministry. When I came back from my leave of absence, it was clear that it would not work for me to continue as the senior pastor in the church. I left my role, and eventually found my way into a ministry that works with sexual addiction. Now I am teaching, writing, and coaching people in this area as my full-time ministry.
If I had to make the decision all over again, I would do the very same thing. I would go public, take the leave of absence, and deal with whatever fallout there would be. At the same time, I also firmly believe that most pastors who want to recover from sexual struggles do not need to go public like I did, and in fact probably should not go public. Going public creates challenges that make recovery harder.
The exception to this principle is the pastor who tries to recover without people in his church knowing, but keeps on struggling. If you are genuinely and diligently working a plan of recovery while in the ministry, and you can’t stay sober, you may need to do something more drastic. Your ministry role might be part of the problem.
We like the pedestal too much
For most pastors, what makes ministry such an obstacle to recovery is this issue of being on the pedestal. Many of us like it too much. Many of us get so attached to having people look up to us that we have a hard time facing ourselves honestly. And if there’s one thing we need to do in recovery, it is to face ourselves honestly. We have to get honest about our resentments. We have to get honest about what we are looking for, and what we are actually doing with our sexual behaviors. We have to get honest about how deceitful we have been. We have to get honest about how unsatisfied we are in our marriage. And we have to get honest about how lonely we are.
If that’s not enough, we also have to be vulnerable. We have to get off the pedestal. Being on a pedestal creates a mindset where we are reaching down to help all those poor, needy people around us. But sometimes we are one of those needy people that need help from other people. As pastors we are good at helping others, and we are awful at letting others help us.
After my problem with pornography became public in our church, a number of people did things to reach out to my wife and me. They wrote letters, made calls, and some even brought meals to my wife when I was away at a workshop. I had conversations with guys in the church who would earnestly ask me, “How are you doing?” I was the one who was supposed to be asking them that question! On one hand it was great to get this kind of support, but on the other, it was really uncomfortable. I didn’t know how to be on the receiving end of people’s care.
Support groups have been an important part of my recovery. I have struggled with the same dynamic in these groups: it’s easy for me to take the lead and help other people, but sometimes I am the messed up one who needs help. For a long time I would censor myself when I would speak up in our group meetings. I wouldn’t say what I was really feeling if I thought it was too disjointed, or might seem selfish or petty. I had to face the fact that I was censoring myself because I was still trying to be on that pedestal. I wanted the guys in my group to like me and respect me, and I was afraid they wouldn’t if they knew how messed up and small-hearted I am.
Now I see things differently. I realize that both things can be true of me: I can be helpful and I can also be needy. I can be funny and happy, but I can also be pathetic and self-absorbed. I can be all those things and still be loved. Instead of having people look up to me, I can have them walk beside me. Instead of people I reach out to—from the vantage point of how “together” I am—I now have fellow-strugglers with whom I share the journey.
Amazing.
____________
1Emotions Anonymous, Today (Hazelden Publishing, 1989).
good honest article from:
http://www.covenanteyes.com/pastorhelp/chapter-3-the-danger-of-pedestals/
MARK BROUWER
I know from experience that pedestals are dangerous. People come into the church with a powerful mixture of expectations and illusions about what an uber-spiritual person should be, and assume the pastor will embody that. This is a problem when we let them down—when they see how we fall short of the ideal that they created in their minds.
But maybe an even bigger problem is when they don’t see our flaws because they don’t want to see our flaws, and we get too good at hiding them. Most of the people in our churches want to see us in a good light, because this affirms their faith…the leader of their spiritual community can serve to validate the power of that faith.
In spite of whatever we might say about honesty and authenticity in relationships, this idealization creates an opportunity—and a motive—to appear holy. And because we are human, the only way to appear holy is by hiding parts of ourselves and becoming ever more isolated. It might seem to be a good thing…they get to have their faith encouraged by this example of a person who’s pretty “together,” and we receive higher esteem from others than we really deserve.
But this all comes at a price. When people who’ve idealized their spiritual leaders are forced to face their less-than-savory humanity, they are often disillusioned and angry. Somehow they expected us to “be better than that.” So reactions to perceived slights, and evidences of imperfections can often be magnified, because people cling to their hope that their leader will not be struggling with the things that other people are struggling with.
But even more dangerous is what the pedestal does to the soul of the leader. The leader who is dehumanized in this way is trapped by the expectations of other people. The leader must keep his or her personal struggles and foibles hidden. This creates unbearable tension and fear for many leaders. “What would happen if people in my church found out that I was struggling with ______________?”
So pastors don’t get help. They may try to live in denial, and minimize how serious their problems are. They live in isolation, and the shame and fear escalates.
The reverse side of the problem of pedestals is that for some pastors it tends to reinforce the tendencies of narcissism, pride, and judgementalism. The less in touch I am with my own faults, the more spiritually superior I feel. No one is really in a position to challenge most pastors about their behavior or attitudes, because they don’t let people close enough to them. They hide behind the cloak of spiritual authority, and thus stay stuck in blindness to their true condition. When you add the fact that hundreds or thousands of people are listening to the pastor speak God’s truth to them each week, you have a dangerous mix. As someone said, this is like “pouring Miracle Grow on one’s character flaws.”
What is the answer?
Humanity. Let the leader be human.
A meditation from the recovery book Today has this to say about pedestals:
Sometimes we expect far too much of the people around us, and because no one can ever live up to those expectations, we are almost always disappointed. But wouldn’t it be better if we just let go, and let people be who they are? Then we’d be able to see them as they are – with all their beauty and goodness in which we take joy, and with all their faults, which we can also see in ourselves.
When we have put someone up on a pedestal, sculpturing them to fit our needs and desires by smoothing out the rough edges and creating new curves here and there, we cannot see the real person underneath our work. All we see is the illusion we have created. That is denying the person’s real identity and is disrespectful. It’s much better for our friends and for ourselves if we drop our expectations and illusions, and accept them all just the way they are.1
I may not choose to tell the congregation everything about my struggles—especially my sexual struggles—but I must have some people with whom I am fully honest. I must guard against the pedestal syndrome. It only serves to isolate us further.
Getting off the pedestal
I served as a pastor for 15 years, working as a church planter and senior pastor of two churches. I tried to establish these churches as safe communities—places where people could be honest about their struggles. The sad irony is that all the time I was working to create a safe place for others, I was unable to be honest about my own struggles with pornography. When I initially sought help for my struggles, I was absolutely paranoid that someone from my church might find out about it.
I made a secret bargain with God. I promised God that I would work on my “lust problem,” and asked for His help to heal me…as long as we could just keep it between us. I wanted God to fix me, but I didn’t want the struggle—or the process of being fixed—to impact my ministry.
Over the years, the disconnect between the message I was preaching and the way I was living got harder to deal with. I remember it coming to a head when a young woman asked for prayer after a church service, because she had just discovered her husband’s stash of pornography. Later that week, the three of us met to talk about this. Here I was, trying to help them deal with his pornography problem, when I was struggling to deal with it myself. I wanted to talk about my own experience, and share the things I was learning and struggling with. Instead, I kept a safe pastoral distance and gave them the usual lines about accountability and praying for victory. When they left I hated myself for being such a hypocrite.
Around that same time, things came to a head in my marriage, as my wife got more in touch with her anger and unwillingness to put up with a husband who was not staying sexually “sober.” I wound up taking a leave of absence after telling people in the church that I was struggling with pornography. Because things were going so well in the church, and we were moving into a big building project, it was the absolute worst time to take a leave of absence. I felt I needed to give some explanation for why I needed the leave. If I didn’t, there would be wild speculation. And I didn’t want to lie about it and cover up the treatment I was seeking for addiction.
It was a huge step to take, and it fundamentally altered the course of my life and ministry. When I came back from my leave of absence, it was clear that it would not work for me to continue as the senior pastor in the church. I left my role, and eventually found my way into a ministry that works with sexual addiction. Now I am teaching, writing, and coaching people in this area as my full-time ministry.
If I had to make the decision all over again, I would do the very same thing. I would go public, take the leave of absence, and deal with whatever fallout there would be. At the same time, I also firmly believe that most pastors who want to recover from sexual struggles do not need to go public like I did, and in fact probably should not go public. Going public creates challenges that make recovery harder.
The exception to this principle is the pastor who tries to recover without people in his church knowing, but keeps on struggling. If you are genuinely and diligently working a plan of recovery while in the ministry, and you can’t stay sober, you may need to do something more drastic. Your ministry role might be part of the problem.
We like the pedestal too much
For most pastors, what makes ministry such an obstacle to recovery is this issue of being on the pedestal. Many of us like it too much. Many of us get so attached to having people look up to us that we have a hard time facing ourselves honestly. And if there’s one thing we need to do in recovery, it is to face ourselves honestly. We have to get honest about our resentments. We have to get honest about what we are looking for, and what we are actually doing with our sexual behaviors. We have to get honest about how deceitful we have been. We have to get honest about how unsatisfied we are in our marriage. And we have to get honest about how lonely we are.
If that’s not enough, we also have to be vulnerable. We have to get off the pedestal. Being on a pedestal creates a mindset where we are reaching down to help all those poor, needy people around us. But sometimes we are one of those needy people that need help from other people. As pastors we are good at helping others, and we are awful at letting others help us.
After my problem with pornography became public in our church, a number of people did things to reach out to my wife and me. They wrote letters, made calls, and some even brought meals to my wife when I was away at a workshop. I had conversations with guys in the church who would earnestly ask me, “How are you doing?” I was the one who was supposed to be asking them that question! On one hand it was great to get this kind of support, but on the other, it was really uncomfortable. I didn’t know how to be on the receiving end of people’s care.
Support groups have been an important part of my recovery. I have struggled with the same dynamic in these groups: it’s easy for me to take the lead and help other people, but sometimes I am the messed up one who needs help. For a long time I would censor myself when I would speak up in our group meetings. I wouldn’t say what I was really feeling if I thought it was too disjointed, or might seem selfish or petty. I had to face the fact that I was censoring myself because I was still trying to be on that pedestal. I wanted the guys in my group to like me and respect me, and I was afraid they wouldn’t if they knew how messed up and small-hearted I am.
Now I see things differently. I realize that both things can be true of me: I can be helpful and I can also be needy. I can be funny and happy, but I can also be pathetic and self-absorbed. I can be all those things and still be loved. Instead of having people look up to me, I can have them walk beside me. Instead of people I reach out to—from the vantage point of how “together” I am—I now have fellow-strugglers with whom I share the journey.
Amazing.
____________
1Emotions Anonymous, Today (Hazelden Publishing, 1989).
good honest article from:
http://www.covenanteyes.com/pastorhelp/chapter-3-the-danger-of-pedestals/
W. A.
Im wasting away. I need to forcefully arrest my condition before it gets any worse than it already is.
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