Entries for the 'Grazing Spiritual Pastures' Category
The Easter Message – Do we really “GET” it?
March 31st, 2013 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Yesterday morning, on my daily walk, I experienced something quite awful and yet profound at the same time. I normally walk the same path every day – up the hill around two windy curves, down a big hill and then back home I go. It is a beautiful path and so I don’t tire of it ever. Yesterday, as I reached the top of the first hill, I saw on the right side of the road something awful – a deer that had been skinned TOTALLY … just dumped on the side of the road.
As you can imagine, I was horrified. I don’t like blood and guts and I SERIOUSLY didn’t like walking past this – especially since walking is SOOO slow when it comes to something like that. It just looked like a pile of raw meat just sitting there. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH – I didn’t want to look at it! I kept thinking, “Why would someone do that?”
Given that the day before was Good Friday and the fact that Easter was coming the next day, my mind couldn’t help thinking about the significance of what I was seeing and how the Easter message for so many is just like the skinned deer on the side of the road. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, I can’t look at it! Why would someone do that?
In our simple way of looking at things, we just don’t GET it!
1 Cor 1:18 says, Those who are doomed to perish find the story of the cross ‘sheer folly,’ but it means the power of God for those whom He saves. My simple translation: the cross just makes no sense unless we can see that there was WAY more going on than our minds can see naturally.
As for the Easter story, we mostly think of it as being the period beginning with the Last Supper, the trial and conviction of Christ, His Death, and then, ultimately His Resurrection and Ascension.
Actually, the Easter story begins in the book of Genesis. Every story of God encountering mankind from the beginning of time until now, is God working the Easter story. In order to “get it,” we must realize that.
The Easter story is a story of freedom … freedom from slavery.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6) Contrary to the natural mind, Jesus was not trying to be an exclusivist. He was trying to say, “You just aren’t going to “get it” until you listen to me.” Why? Because only the Son knows the Father’s story (Matt 11:27). Only the Son knows the “how” of leading you out of slavery.
John 8:31-34 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Enslavement. Freedom by knowing the Truth. A slave to sin. What does this all mean?
All of these are pictures found in the Passover Story which NOT coincidentally happens at Easter.
Christ told His disciples:
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:15, 16.
Why was it important to Jesus? Why did He EAGERLY DESIRE to eat the Passover with His disciples?
I can hear our Lord saying: “This is really important because THIS is a picture of Me and what I will do for you. I am the body of the Lamb. It is my blood that goes over the doorpost of your being. I am the one who causes the angel of death to pass over. I am the one leading you out of slavery into the Promised Land. I am the fulfillment of Passover. I am calling you to be a people that follow me.”
So, back to the picture of the deer on the side of the road. All I could think of was how awful it was for a person to just throw the deer out, discard it as having no value … a total REJECTION of the animal.
Rejection? To feel rejected … to be rejected … It is just such an awful thing.
And yet, that IS the story of the man and the Cross and that is also the story of Passover and Easter.
Basically, to be a slave is to be rejected. I am better than you and YOU must serve ME.
You have no value other than to serve ME.
Rejection – Very quickly it morphs into hatred. If you are rejecting me, then I will reject you. Very quickly it opens the door for all kinds of evil as the one who feels rejected reacts by spewing all kinds of ugliness onto the other person. Where death is, there the vultures are as well (Matthew 24:28). They have a great time feeding on the ugliness.
Despite the fact that God never rejected mankind, mankind interprets his feelings of guilt as rejection from God. After the Fall (e.g., man’s rejection of God), man’s mind became utterly skewed.
Adam and Eve doubted God’s goodness, choose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (e.g, that which God said was not good for them), and the fall out was that they became afraid, began to hide, and interpreted their feelings of guilt as rejection by God. Adam and Eve, in their skewed thinking, began a life filled with feelings of rejection that led them (and their descendants) into enslavement. They feel alone. They go their own way. They suffer the consequence and then feel rejected again. The devil feeds on all of this and creates an awful cycle of rejection, death, and slavery.
Unfortunately, this story plays over and over. Mankind always ends up in slavery and it is God who opens the door for release from that slavery. And yet, mankind does not “get” the fact that the it is man who is rejecting, not God.
In Exodus, we read a story about slavery and release. The descendants of Israel had gone into a foreign land and had become slaves to the Egyptians.
They learned first hand what it was like to be a rejected people. Life was terrible. God hears their cries and responds by calling Moses to lead them out.
Why did God respond? Because God is not into rejection. God is into inclusion, freedom, participation with Him. You are My People. I have called you to be a peculiar (different) people – to be a blessing to the nations around you (e.g., to co-labor with me as I reach out to all mankind).
The Passover story is what gave the Israelites the freedom to leave. God calls them out of slavery but the taskmasters would not let them go.
What you have to realize is that the slave owner really does “own” the slave. It has a right to the slave. Of course, the slave owner does not want to let the slave go.
Likewise, with our enslavement, when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (e.g., doubted God’s goodness and chose to go their own way), they opened the door to slavery and for death to “own” us. It does not want to let us go!
And so, how does God provide a path of escape? He creates a scenario where the taskmaster willingly lets the slave go. He disables death for it was death that owned mankind.
God disables death by calling His Son to conquer death. How does He do it?
In the Old Testament, there was a sacrificial system set up: one sacrifice for the many: the exchange of a perfect lamb for the imperfect people.
Jesus follows this system and becomes the ultimate sacrifice.
He was not just any sacrifice. His exchange was the ultimate exchange: a free-man for a slave.
In the Passover story, the blood of the Lamb was a foreshadowing of Christ’s blood. His blood (His life) could not be held by death.
And so, God says to the angel of Death: “Go ahead and work your evil.”
The truth is that Satan always brings death where sin is present UNLESS Christ’s blood says “NO”.
The Passover miracle was that Death did not have access to those who BOTH listened to God’s instruction to put the blood of the Lamb on the door post and who also ate, or partook of, the Lamb. For those who did not listen to God, death was able to do its work – remove it.
The result: it disabled the enemy of God and God’s people were ENCOURAGED to leave. “You are free to leave. Leave us alone.”
It was the blood on the doorpost that kept the angel of death from entering the house.
So … what does a gory thing like blood represent?
The blood of the lamb was placed on each doorpost reflecting that the inhabitants had slayed a Lamb and eaten of it. Death could not enter.
Blood is the evidence of Life sacrificed. Life exchanged. Free man for slave. Christ – the new man – the only human – who did not reject God … who did not doubt God was holding out on him (e.g., the first sin, “Did God really say …?”) for those enslaved to go their own way. He did not choose his own way. He gave no opportunity for Satan to work death into His life. His Life was exchanged for our death. Jesus Christ became the Lamb – He entered into our enslaved state – felt our skewed way of thinking and yet chooses not to go with it. He receives our rejection into His being (He experiences the ultimate rejection: an unjust trial, a cruel death … at the hands of sinners) and yet does not choose the natural response of rejection, in kind. Christ submits Himself to the ultimate rejection … There is no question as to “Who is rejecting who?” Christ does not reject in return. He sacrifices Himself for us. He exchanges His life for our death.
God’s command to place the blood on the doorpost was a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His command to partake of His body and His blood. Identify with my son, Jesus. Listen to Him. Follow Him. His faithfulness closes the door to the Angel of Death – Satan – to work his evil schemes. Death must pass over His Life.
Because Christ was the perfect sacrifice, not only did death have to pass over, death was conquered. The Lamb slain returns to life. Death could not hold Him. He had the perfect obedience. He was not just a sacrifice. He was the Son who was opening up a new mankind – a resurrected man – where death could not work its evil.
His Body was Pierced – like an acorn – so the life of God (e.g., the Holy Spirit) was able to come forth again. The first Adam, after the Fall, was clothed with flesh – His heart and mind changed … it was hardened and he was unable to see and hear God. He was subject to a distorted skewed way of thinking … thinking that he was rejected and alone, when in reality, Adam was doing the rejecting.
On the Cross, God used the rejection of Man to accomplish His purpose – He opened a new way of living. He loved despite our rejection. He trusted the Father to work a greater purpose. He proved the Father’s Love. Death could not conquer Life and, in fact, Life conquered death. The Father’s Love never fails.
Life conquered death. Christ did not suffer decay; death’s torment could not gain access to Him, nor hold Him; The Father did not reject Him and, in fact, the GREAT purpose of God was accomplished – He won victory for us as well!!! Jesus, who was the representative second Adam, opened the door for a new type of human to come forth. He opens the door for a second birth, a re-birth. As we partake of Him and His Life, we experience the resurrection – death must pass over.
As we partake of His life – the body and the blood – as pictured in the eating of the passover meal and what we refer to as the Lord’s Supper, we are given the power and energy to go forth into the new life, a promised land, a life led by the Spirit, which was symbolized by leading of God by the column of cloud by day and the column of fire by night in the book of Exodus. Death can not conquer us because it did not conquer Christ. It must pass over.
Christ, on the night before He was betrayed, said that He EAGERLY DESIRED to eat the Passover. He was wanting them to “get it.” To get the fact that something wonderful was going on – more than they understood. “Remember this, guys!!!!”
He said, in essence, “Remember me each time you partake of the Passover meal for the Blood is my blood and the Meal is my Body. This is how you will find release from slavery and enter the kingdom of God.”
What does it mean to remember? It means, “THIS IS THE MEANING! Don’t miss it!!”
What does it mean to partake? To take or be given part or portion; to participate, share in.
And so, we partake or share in Christ’s Life as we listen to Him, take in His words as our sustenance. He leads the way to enable us to live a life that sees the Father properly, that does not doubt His goodness or go his own way. We receive of that Life by accepting the fact that God received our rejection and responded only with Love. God is GOOD! There is no need to doubt His goodness. We partake of the perfect sacrifice as we share in His obedience. It is a gift, but it must be partaken … received. Christ wills to share His obedience. It is not just a one time partaking. It is a following into the Promised Land. Only by listening to His words will we enter into that which is not subject to death: immortality.
So … we partake of this new life, remembering the old bitter life of slavery (e.g., bitter herbs), recognizing it is the life of Christ that brings the sustenance (e.g., we partake of the Lamb (following Him as He leads us to live, not in disbelief of God’s goodness, but in obedience to the purpose of God) and the Unleavened Bread (distancing ourselves from the leaven of the old life so that the leaven of the new life can begin its work) and finally, recognizing that this new life must be chosen quickly (e.g., we eat the passover in haste) for the longer we waver between belief and disbelief, the more likely we will fall into the entrapments of the old life of slavery.
So, do we “get” the Easter story? It’s a story of release from bondage.
Do we “get” that we are in bondage? If so, Christ is the one who brings release. We have been released from bondage and brought into sonship. That is the good news!
Let no one be our master except Christ for Jesus is Lord!
Next Segment – We no Longer Have to Fear Death!
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We’re All Searching for Home
October 18th, 2012 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
I read this this morning and wanted to share this.
It is from a book entitled, “Home,” by C. Baxter Kruger, PH.D. available for free download at
http://www.perichoresis.org/unlimited-access/ebooks/39-home.html
Hope you enjoy.
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Jesus Talking about the Big “D” (Divorce)
April 4th, 2012 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
My reading today is Mark 10:1-12, basically Jesus addressing the issue of divorce. This passage could have taken me a whole lot of directions but, for today, I found myself going over (once again), the purpose of the Law … the purpose of the law according to Jesus … the purpose of the law as clarified in the New Testament epistles. Here are my thoughts:
Jesus continuously cuts to the heart of the matter when it comes to the Law as He does in this passage. Jesus essentially was saying to the Pharisees: “You think just because you filed for a certificate of divorce according to the letter of the Law that it is ok to go out and do what YOU want to do (e.g., be unfaithful to your wife). Not so, you are still being unfaithful and unfaithfulness is adultery according to the letter of the law. Come on, be honest. Quit covering up what’s going on in your heart. Let’s get to the heart of the matter. What’s the real issue?”
As for the Law, it would seem that sometimes Jesus was making the Law harder (as in the case of divorce) or easier (as in the case of healing on the Sabbath). Instead, He is trying to get us to see the true meaning of the law … the difference between the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The letter of the law kills. The spirit of the law brings life.
You see, the Law is intended for good (e.g., standards of right and wrong). It helps us to see what is good for self and society (e.g., don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, etc.). It gives instruction for the teachable and consequence for the unteachable. Fear of the consequence of breaking the Law tends to keep the lawless in line. It protects us from those who are lawbreakers. Thus, the statement, The Law is for the lawless.
Essentially, any standard of right and wrong can be likened to the law. For the patriots, we must salute the flag or else. For the eco-friendly “green” types, we must recycle or else. The Democrats, the Republicans, Baptists, Catholics, etc. … they all have standards of right and wrong in place. If you do this, you are “in.” If you don’t, you are “out.” Reward and punishment. People go to extremes requiring fulfillment at all costs. What originally was a rule/law set for protection now becomes a burden even for those it was designed to protect. Fulfillment of the law becomes more important than the individual. That scenario replays over and over again in different settings.
The Law is meant to lead us to Christ. It seems that we all go through a time of having to differentiate the letter of the law from the spirit of the law. Again, it always boils down to what we think the law is for. For some, it is manipulated … to be used for self purposes (as in the case of the Pharisees who were seeking to just do what they wanted – be unfaithful to their wives – self for self – it’s all about “me!”). For others, it is looked to in order to control outcomes (again, a form of manipulation). If I do this, then I can have what I want (even if it is peace, prosperity, etc.). For Christ, it was used to see into the heart of God’s purposes … what is good for mankind, for others.
Eventually, if we are teachable, we “get” that we need Christ’s leading in order to truly understand how to live out the spirit of the law because trying to fulfill the letter of the law becomes heavy and burdensome. We cry out for help.
In order to be freed from the burden and enabled to fulfill the spirit of the law, we need Christ. We simply cannot fulfill the Law apart from Christ … apart from relationship with Christ who displayed a greater law, the Law of Love. As we receive Christ through the Holy Spirit, He writes the law (e.g., the spirit of the law, the law of Love) on our hearts. He enables us to truly distinguish the difference … translating what we comprehended as standards of righteousness (e.g., right and wrong) into real life giving actions (e.g., the law of Love). Submitting to the Holy Spirit (e.g., we have a willingness to receive Christ’s nature), the Holy Spirit’s causes us to both to will (e.g., understand the law of love) and to work (e.g., to actually do life differently – to live a life that is about more than just “self”) for His good pleasure.
So … back to the Pharisees and divorce. Jesus was trying to get them to see that they were living a self for self existence. It’s as if He was saying:
“Come on … What is really going on in your marriage? You are missing the point! God designed marriage … knowing that it was not good for man (or woman) to be alone. He gave a wonderful gift of togetherness … two people being helpmates to each other. In order to be a helpmate, though, you have to be help(full) toward the other. If it’s simply all about self … one self … marriage decays into a legal contract.” *
Unfortunately, there are also even to this day just as many people who are still married according to the ‘letter of the law’ and yet they are divorced in reality … living separated lives.
God’s purpose in marriage is fulfilled by togetherness … oneness … when BOTH parties desire the best for the other … desire to be full enough to give give to the other … desire to make it MORE than just about their ‘self.’ When that happens, God blesses that union and ‘the two become better than one’ … having one heart, one mind, and a purpose that accomplishes God’s best. When two parties truly WANT to be together, WANT the best for the other … God’s purpose in marriage is fulfilled.
Jesus says to us all: ”I’m always interested in getting to the heart of the issue. So, what’s REALLY going on in your marriage? Are you willing to go there with Me?”
*I just can’t see Moses rewarding a man who just wanted to go out and cheat on his wife. “Here let me help you out. I’ll write you out a certificate of divorce so you can do what YOU want!” Perhaps, the certificate of divorce was Moses simply allowing for a legal declaration of what was: “You are living a divorced existence. You have a hard heart towards your spouse. It is what it is so I declare it so under the Law!” Just a thought.
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Spiritual Thoughts: Are the Trees Obscuring Your View of the Forest?
March 27th, 2012 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Mark 8:11-21 (MESSAGE): When they arrived, the Pharisees came out and started in on him, badgering him to prove himself, pushing him up against the wall. Provoked, he said, “Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you’ll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee.”
He then left them, got back in the boat, and headed for the other side. But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn’t a crumb in the boat. Jesus warned, “Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod.”
Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t you see the point of all this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
They said, “Twelve.”
“And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many bags full of leftovers did you get?”
“Seven.”
He said, “Do you still not get it?”
“How have we learned Christ?” I recently read that quote in a book. The challenge of the book is: Are we coming to know the REAL Jesus? Is He a sweet, compassionate (albeit soft) guy or a harsh, demanding Lord? Over and over again, I realize that I must ask Him for the wisdom to know Him in Truth … in reality.
After reading Mark 8:11-21, you understand why we need that wisdom. The truth is that Jesus responds differently to people depending on what’s going on in their heart. Obviously, He loves all people the same, but His responses are different.
In this reading, both the Pharisees and the Disciples are falling short in their faith walk. There is a big difference, though, in how Jesus responds to each of them.
The Pharisees were asking for miraculous guarantees. Jesus responds with a big “No.” He shuts them down and warns the disciples NOT to follow them … calls their way “contaminating yeast.” Wow! Pretty strong.
The disciples, on the other hand, were “minutia focusing” … fixating on the here and now stuff … what’s not right … what’s not working. Jesus’ response was to continue interaction with them, encouraging them to change, instructing them how to see differently.
We can’t get around the fact that both the Disciples and the Pharisees were missing the mark (e.g., the “real” definition of sin). What was the difference, though, between the Pharisees and the Disciples? Jesus continues to respond and teach the disciples but He shuts down interaction with the Pharisees. What did the Disciples have that the Pharisees did not?
What I see is as the difference is A DESIRE TO BELIEVE. The disciples had it. The Pharisees did not. In fact, the “true” desire of the Pharisees could be better called manipulation (e.g., they were badgering Him, pressing Him to perform a miracle). I don’t know about you, but manipulation shuts down relationship every time for me.
The Disciples, on the other hand, exemplified a falling short of a different kind. They were very human … definitely not “getting it” at times. The important thing, though, is that they wanted to get it! Remember, a disciple, by definition, is one who is being taught.
Thankfully, Jesus does not shut us down when we fall short so long as we remain open, teachable. He continues to disciples us. He understands our limits and failings. He continues to respond … to encourage us … even when we fall short. The key question is: Do we WANT to get it?
My answer is Yes, indeed! I think if you are reading this, yours is as well.
For the disciples, they were falling short due to what I call Minutia Focusing.
It’s just so easy to get sidetracked, waylaid into fixating on the here and now stuff … what’s not right … what’s not working. Unfortunately, as was the case with the disciples, minutia focusing causes us to buy into the blame game (e.g., finding fault with each other) which, of course, causes conflict. Obviously, that is not the fruit He (or we) are looking for in life!
As for the disciples, Jesus, seeing their desire to “get it,” continues to respond to them … … reminding them of the need to be proactive in their trust:
“Come on guys … You can do it. This is the ‘how’ of trust. Remember, I am not limited by what is wrong … what is not working. Remember, I turned two fish and a few pieces of bread into MORE than enough. You saw this! You experienced it! That was not just a one time event. Trust me that I won’t let you down … leave you stranded. Trust me to do something new in the current predicament. Every predicament is an opportunity for Me to teach you, to train you, for us to grow in relationship. Ask me for MY unique Gift, my unique provision for the current situation.”
Obviously, we all need the Lord to “do” things for us. There’s a difference, though, between trusting God to do something … asking Him for His unique gift, His unique provision for the situation vs. requiring that He prove Himself … demanding that He do what WE think He should do. One assumes His ability and desire and gives Him freedom to do what He chooses. The other has no clue about His desire, doubts His ability and requires that He do only what WE think He should do.
It is important to note that the Pharisees and the Disciples both had experienced many of the same miracles. The difference was that the Disciples sought to understand Jesus, to follow Him while the Pharisees sought to prove Him wrong because they did NOT WANT to follow Him.
The experiences we have are meant to change us … to build faith so that when we are in different situations, we know that we know that God is able to see us through. We believe that we WILL get to the other side with Him. He’s done it before and He’ll do it again!
Like the disciples, we need to be proactive about embracing our experiences with Christ in life, owning them … holding onto them as rock solid truths … truths that we will remember in the future. Doing that builds capacity in us … capacity for faith … capacity to trust.
Jesus’ response to the disciples was “Don’t you remember?” When we remember our history with God, Jesus becomes present to us in the here and now. It strengthens us! Our eyes and ears replay the event and we are empowered by the truths of the event again. So, Lord, what do I need to remember right now?
Remembering … It is renewing your mind to His Ability and His Desire. How has He proven His Ability to you? How has He shown what His true Desire is for you? Remember it and ask for His unique gift in the current situation!
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Spiritual Thoughts – Scolded or Instructed?
February 6th, 2012 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
I am always amazed at the fact that the disciples truly did NOT “get” Jesus even though they walked with Him (in person) every day. The same can be true of us as well … especially if we fall into the trap of always thinking we have been “bad” and/or that Jesus needs to be scolding us all the time.
The disciples had that very response to Jesus when he warned them in Matthew 16: “Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees.” Their response: “Oh dear. He said that because we forgot the bread. It’s our fault. What are we going to do?”
Interesting assessment from Jesus as he responds with: “You men of little faith. Why are you talking about bread?” Essentially, He translates their “I’m bad worthy of being scolded” response into “little faith.” Makes sense if you realize that the opposite of faith is fear.
Obviously, Jesus had an expectation that his disciples would be translating their experiences with Him (e.g., the feeding of the multitudes) into faith: “Have I not already shown you that I care about your needs? Have I not already proven myself to you that I am willing and able to provide for you? Why would I be scolding you?”
Having a “sin” mentality is not the response Jesus is looking for. John 3:17 says, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Remember, He wants relationship first and foremost!
Yes … He came to offer an alternative way of living (meaning that most of the time we are not living congruent with His way) … but … change comes as we draw near to Him … as we know His love for us … as we see the goodness of His way over ours. He woos us into change … never forcing … never coercing. Usually, He is more focused on opening our eyes to seeing a different way .. helping us to see where the pitfalls are (e.g., Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees) rather than pointing out what we are doing wrong.
Keep in mind: What we fear, we can not draw near to.
I remember learning early on the following truth statement: “God can not NOT be loving!”
I always return to that statement when I am somehow seeing the Lord as NOT loving!
I remind myself that somehow I am seeing Him wrongly! I pray, “Help me to see you as loving here!”
Sometimes, it takes a while to “undo” my wrong thinking … but I can truly testify that God is always faithful to reveal Himself when we have a willing heart!
So … how has the Lord responded to your prayers in times past? When did He bring someone along to encourage you when you were at your “wits end”? When did He bring provision in just the “nick of time”?
It is so SO SO important to “own” these experiences as His revelation of His personal love for you.
Like the disciples, Jesus is asking us: “If I did THAT for you then, why would you think I would be doing this bad thing for you now? Haven’t I proven myself to you already?”
Let us increase our faith by believing in His love for us!
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Spiritual Thoughts: Do you avoid feelings of “guilt”?
January 7th, 2012 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Too many people are so frightened of guilt that they do anything they can to avoid it. They slavishly follow a law, hoping that if they an obey all the commandments, always doing the “right” thing they will avoid guilt. John A. Sanford, The Kingdom Within – The Inner Meaning of Jesus’ Sayings (San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers,1987), 115.
DO YOU HATE FEELING “GUILTY”?
So many of us don’t know how to handle feelings of guilt. We fear it because we fear the punishment associated with guilt.
1 John 5:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
Here is an excerpt from my Bible Study: “Lord My Life Isnt’ Working!,” that speaks to that issue.
The Connection between Fear, Guilt & Punishment
What is the difference between punishment and consequence?
Both deal with the results of our “falling short” on a matter. No one is exempt from “falling short” in life. Punishment seeks to administer a penalty for the failing … a painful one. Discipline seeks to “teach” a different path … by connecting the natural negative result with the failing so that the same path will not be taken again. When the only method for dealing with our “failings” is punishment, we become fearful people. We fear our failings, we fear guilt, we fear shame, we fear being “bad.” In our confusion, we create rules for ourselves and others for avoiding punishment and, so, we fear “breaking rules.” The presence of fear is unsettling to our nervous system. Fear breeds more Fear.
What was your fear level growing up? What is it Now? Do you see any connections?
How do guilt, shame and hiding relate to fear and punishment?
When we fail at a standard of right and wrong (e.g., what we are “supposed” to be or do), we feel “guilty.” Guilt is a natural result of feeling as though we have “fallen short.”
Dependent upon how you were raised, processing guilt can be either a “cleansing experience” or a an experience that shuts you down, distorts your thinking and/or “slimes” you. It depends on (1) whether the standards that were set for you were healthy ones and (2) whether you had modeled a healthy way of dealing with guilt.
For those who were not modeled correctly, the usual response is one or more of the following:
- Anger is a natural response to an unfair standard being placed on you;
- Blaming is a natural response to try to redirect and place the standard on someone else;
- Hiding occurs when we cover what we are feeling “bad” about and pretend it is ok by taking on a role that does not make us feel “bad”;
- Shame enters when we take what we feel guilty about and allow it to enter into our identity. We feel “flawed” at the deepest level, we reject ourselves and begin to despise ourselves as self punishment. When we despise ourselves, it, not only shuts down our spirit, it “slimes” our spirit with distortion.
Most people will end up in shame to some degree. Think about how shame and self hatred are connected. Understandably, if we were not taught the proper way of dealing with guilt, guilt becomes something to be avoided at all costs.
How would you rate your fear level of guilt? Do you/Did you try to meet standards so you don’t have to/wouldn’t have to feel guilty? Think about a time when you desired to “go against” what you knew others might disapprove of. How hard was it? Is it still hard even to this day?
The reason we fear guilt is because we fear the punishment associated with feeling the guilt. Punishment is painful both internally and externally.
What is the difference between true guilt and false guilt?
You have to look at the standard. Is it a standard that someone else has projected on you? Is it from society, your family, religious teachings? Or is it an internal sense of contradicting what we know that we know in our spirits (e.g., a lack of congruence)?
Give some examples of standards that are from society, family, religious teachings.
How about examples of things that we know that we know are from God (e.g., true guilt)? Some things are wrong, not because society says so, but because they contradict our deepest and truest nature … Moral commandments have validity, not because they are absolutely right in themselves, but because they are generalizations of what the voice of God within tells us about our own life.
It is important to distinguish between things that others say are wrong or “bad” and what the Holy Spirit is bearing witness to your spirit regarding what is wrong for your life. What are you sensing?
Sometimes, we need to confront the fact that we are not confident in our own sensing. How would you rate your ability to stand on your own when it comes to determining right/wrong for yourself?
It might be helpful to clearly state: “____ says THIS is right/wrong. Should I believe them, Lord?”
Read through the contrasting Scriptures:
Matthew 23:4-5 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do deeds to be noticed by men.
John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and y burden is light.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.
John 6:45 And they shall all be taught by God.
On the one hand, standards from others will feel like burdens. On the other hand, Jesus’ burdens are light and give us rest. What Jesus says may not be exactly what we want to hear every time … but there will be a rest associated with what He says. Our goal is to begin to “stand” in who God has made us to be … to be our True Self … in order for our spirits to be awakened … so that we can listen to the Spirit speak to us.
Rom 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of fear leading to slavery again but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out “Abba, Father!”
What is the nature of a slave? What are his expectations? What is his sense of self?
A slave has a weak sense of self and expects to be “told” what to do. He is fearful and is easily “pushed” around. He is not able to express his desires.
God desires that we have both a strong sense of self (e.g., we are children of God), and a strong sense of God (e.g., We can cry out “Abba, Father!”). When we receive His Holy Spirit (by faith), we are restored with the capacity to connect with God Spirit to spirit. We work through things together, and, where we need change, He helps us change from the inside out … colaboratively.
It is important to be honest with your feelings, to tell the Lord what you are thinking and feeling, what you feel is wrong, who else agrees with you or doesn’t, what it is you want and desire, and to listen for what HE says about what is good for your life … what He desires. Often, the guilt that we feel is NOT from the Lord. We need to be sure and check in and see what He thinks on the subject.
Homework
Take note of and journal daily standards that you place on yourself and that others place on you as well. They might be societal, family or religious standards. Write down the standard in the following format: The standard of right and wrong says that “If I do this … then I am right/accepted/good/able to avoid punishment.” Consider how guilt is stirred when you fail at the standard even when you KNOW that the standard is not from God.
Take note also of scenarios that occur that cause you to know/feel “in your gut” that something is wrong, not because society says so, but because it contradicts your deepest and truest nature. How does that “feel” different?
(If you would like more information on the How-To’s of processing guilt, or just help doing the same, drop me an email. Otherwise, stay tuned to other excerpts to come.).
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FEELING WEAK? IT IS LIKELY THAT YOU NEED A LITTLE JOY BOOST!
July 16th, 2009 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
The Bible says that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh.8:10) and “laughter is good medicine for the soul” (Prov 17:22). Recent brain science research^1 seems to indicate that the right hemisphere of our brains has the capacity to receive and transmit joy (e.g., the key to regaining strength)?
Try this on someone you want to lift up today: Engage with them off and on throughout the day by smiling at them particularly in the left eye (which connects with the right hemisphere of the brain). The truth is that when someone smiles at you and conveys that they really like you (e.g., they are glad to be with you), you can’t help but smile back. Joy is received and then transmitted back. It’s a win/win for all. You’d be surprised by the results.
It’s our goal to be life givers both to individuals that we interact with each day and those we work with in our business. We hope this “mooving thought” encourages you in YOUR life.
^1 The right hemisphere of each brain holds an emotional regulation structure called the control center … The capacity of the brain’s control center is built through experiences of joy in our significant relationships … (through) right-hemisphere-to-right-hemisphere communication from a trained control center in one person to an untrained control center in another person. For more information on the subject, See LifeModel.org.
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GIVING AWAY OUR HEART – OUR LIFE PURPOSE
March 10th, 2009 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
Here are some thoughts on Proverbs 12:11 (NAS):
He who pursues worthless things lacks sense (Literally, heart).
- All we really have in life (both to give to the Lord and others) is our hearts.
- We fall short of our purpose in God because our hearts are shut down, wounded, divided, and even deceived. In this condition, worthless things are pursued … not necessarily always due to rebellion … but because that is what a shut down, wounded, divided and deceived heart does.
- Worthless things keep us from truly “owning” our hearts. They perpetuate the dead end process … because it is a process filled with lies, darkness and hiding.
- We cannot fully find Jesus until we find our hearts, until we come out of hiding and become honest with the condition of our hearts, the good, the bad and the ugly.
- God does NOT condemn sinners. Rather, He condemns hearts that want to go their own way, that are unteachable, hardened. He does not condemn an honest heart. Rather, it is the open door to His Salvation.
- God’s Salvation to us is that He gives us a new heart by giving us His Holy Spirit.
The promise of Ezekiel 36:25-27 was that God would create in us a new heart. He says, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.”
How I read this is … At Salvation, God places within each of us His Seed … which is a deposit of His Nature in us. Through the workings of His Spirit within us, He works (in time) to “trump” anything in our heart that is not in line with His.
At the same time, His Spirit enables us to pray in the spirit, worship in the Spirit, receive gifts of the Spirit, etc. …. all as a Gift … a Gift that is not a function of the condition of our heart … Yet, it is all for the purpose of transforming our hearts to be like His … which, technically, is the “new heart” we are given … His heart joined with ours.
- If we respond to His Spirit honestly and humbly (e.g., if we are teachable), we find our true hearts … the true person of the heart … His heart joined with ours.
- Once found, we have the opportunity to give it away … to fulfill the destiny that God has for us. It’s all we really have in this life to give away … our hearts.
To access the full Study on this subject, click Here.
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The Essence of Prayer – Living in the Divine Plus
February 13th, 2009 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
For the last several months, my focus has been on reading, studying and writing a Bible Study (that my friends and I have been going through) on Prayer. It is a conglomeration of things I have learned from several of my favorite teachers plus what the Lord has taught me individually. Here is the Conclusion of my study:
The end result of the prayer process is to manifest Christ …. to bear Fruit … to be about our Father’s business “in union” with Him.
For a believer in Christ, deep with in us, we desire this because He has placed within us His Seed, which is Him, His nature, His desire, His Limitless Love, His Power that is always at work, which desires to manifest, to bear fruit, to be about our Father’s business. Our spirit IS willing (even though our flesh may also feel very weak at times).
In order to get there, we must deal with the “Old Man.” Another term for the Old Man is the “False Self.” The false self is everything/anything which is false about us, not consistent with who Christ made us to be. It’s me living independent of Him, but it’s me not being true to who I am either. Living independent of Him doesn’t work because it creates a falseness within me. As we grow in life, we discover this. Deep within I know that there is falseness in me and I don’t feel good about it. God’s objective is to get us to become honest about who we are and how we feel – the good, the bad and the ugly, learn to live from the True Self. He works through the true, the real us, not the someone we think we’re supposed to be.
It’s a process, of course. But He wants to reveal to us that He likes us! He loves us! We have value just as we are! He wants to live a “joined” life with us, the true us! So much so that He died to make it happen! When we stand in who we truly are, which is the truth (the Truth), His Light can then shine forth in us and through us. As the False Self decreases, the New Creation (Christ in me) comes forth, a self that is both emotionally mature and filled with His nature.
This process is not about denying “Me,” the True Me. It’s not a denial of self through striving either – I’m not going to do that because it’s wrong. It’s a denial of the False Self – I don’t want to do that because it wouldn’t be true to the Real Me – Christ in Me. We can do this because honestly living in the True Me (Light) dispels falseness (darkness) naturally. Christ in me is more powerful! Christ in me IS me!
We also have within the Old Man, a lot of STANDARDS of right/wrong, things we define as bad or good, things we were taught by our parents, school, the Church, and just our experiences in life. They are our standards of right and wrong. They tend to be black and white and often, while they may have some legitimacy in their reasonings, they often are not standards that the Lord would agree with, especially in EVERY given situation. The problem is that we filter just about everything through OUR standards. The bottom line is they often prevent us from hearing the Lord accurately when we are praying for direction. Our job is to challenge these standards … and to determine what the Lord really thinks on the subject.
In conclusion, here is an excerpt from a devotional written by E. Stanley Jones that synopsizes what we are trying to achieve in prayer:
“If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:19). The word “agree” is a word that expresses the harmony of two perfectly attuned musical instruments – the word “orchestrate” would express it. If two of you shall orchestrate – be attuned in perfect harmony – anything is possible. When the Holy Spirit and we orchestrate – think, feel, and act together – then identified in purpose we are also identified in power. … What He transfuses, He transforms. His Resources become our reserves. We can call on them for everything we need to do. We then find ourselves literally doing things we can’t do. We are a surprise to ourselves and others. Everything we do and think and say has a Plus – a Divine Plus added to it … You can’t tell where your energy ends and His begins, and where His energy ends and yours begins. You are a very ordinary person linked with Extraordinary Power and you leave results all out of proportion to your powers.[1]
For more information or if you would like me to forward to you the study material, you can either call or email me.
[1] Christian Maturity, “An Impossible Standard?” by E. Stanley Jones, p. 301
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SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD – A Simple Invitation
November 18th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
We all know that Jesus is supposed to be the focal point of our Christian walk. It is interesting how often we can lose that focus though. There is much to learn in life and about life but if Jesus isn’t the focal point, whatever we are doing will fall short of God’s best for us. It’s not that the other things are bad, just not the best. I don’t know about you but I want the best. Knowing Jesus, that’s the best!
How do we know Jesus? The Gospels, of course, are a great place to start. Every time I start reading and seeking to know Jesus through the Gospels, it always amazes me how much of a non-conformist Jesus actually was (and is). I so admire that! He wasn’t hooked into the demands of others. If something or someone placed another demand on Him that didn’t conform to His father’s wishes, He just refused. He was fixed on listening to the Father and then doing only that! Independent but submitted. Strong but meek.
And, it’s not that He refused to do what others wanted because He didn’t care. He just did not fall into the trap of doing only the obvious. He was always working the bigger plan … a plan that was inspired with the Father’s heart, a heart of compassion.
“Seeing the people, He (Jesus) felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a Shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 NKJ
It is interesting to think about what all that actually means. He was actually quoting from Ezekiel 34 (which to a Jew was not just one verse but the whole context of the one verse). That particular chapter actually was a very strong denouncement of the then Shepherds of Israel. The gist: they were feeding themselves and not the sheep, they were using the sheep for their own purposes, they were NOT doing what they were supposed to be doing: bringing back the lost, healing the wounded, binding up the broken. And the result: The sheep were scattered and becoming prey to the wild animals. Not a pretty picture concerning the condition of either the shepherds or the sheep.
What comes to my mind in all of this is a phrase that I have mentioned before. The phrase is “Wayfaring Strangers.” I woke up one morning last year with that phrase rumbling in my mind (I always know that the Lord is speaking to me when a very unusual thought comes to my mind as soon as I wake up). Obviously, I have pondered the thought often and have to date felt like it very much describes the people that we are drawn to and those that are drawn to us.
So, add to that, this Scripture and I wonder some more …
What I have NOT focused on before was the idea that those wandering actually become prey to the wild animals. One could make a very strong case that some or much of what afflicts many believers is due to the fact that they are scattered and not being fed properly. Bottom Line, the point is: We need each other! We need to be together and we need to be fed and we don’t need to be FED UPON!
The good news is at the end of Ezekiel 34. God makes a promise to search for them HIMSELF and to seek them out HIMSELF, to bring them to a place of safety and to feed them, to lead them to rest.
All of that was what was stirring in the mind of Jesus when it was said that “Seeing the people, He had compassion on them … (He saw them as being) … sheep without a Shepherd.” He was the Shepherd that God has sent!
What good news! Compassion (according to dictionary.com) is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. The Hebrew word for compassion also brings in the idea of loving deeply … having tender affection for another.
The question(s) then …
- DO YOU TRULY KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT JESUS HAS COMPASSION ON YOU IN THIS WAY?
- ARE YOU WILLING TO ALLOW JESUS TO LEAD YOU ACCORDING TO THE FATHER’S PLAN FOR YOU (E.G., NOT YOUR WAY BUT HIS?)
- DO YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF AS A “WAYFARING STRANGER”? AND, IF SO, ARE YOU LOOKING TO COME TOGETHER WITH OTHERS SUCH AS YOURSELF?
If so, we’re here … What that looks like, I’m not sure … We’re here in a lot of different ways, I suppose. You can call either Buddy (210-508-1606) or me (210-535-9463) or email us and we’ll try to discern that with you.
Truly, this is not an advertisement, it’s just a simple invitation … an invitation inspired with the heart of Jesus Himself!
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