Day 27

I am behind. The guilt wants to grab me. Time has slipped away into the abyss of busyness. But I take captive every thought and know that even if I got behind on this study, finishing on time is not the goal. The goal is spending time with God each and every day, and throughout the day.

The mouth is such an interesting thing. James spends time describing how much it can control our lives. Maybe we need to spend less time talking, and more time listening. I know that is true in our relationship with God. It should help in our truth-telling, fulfilling promises, and relationships.

An aside: It has been an interesting several days (almost a week). It has been one of those periods of time where I felt I met people needs, supported another ministry, did good ministry to some in the church going through tough times and to some in the community (food give away and food pantry).

I am back in the office today and all I see is issues: administrative and building issues (cleaning nd details), at least one person I missed ministering to because I was gone and a host of other kinds of things. I am feeling that no matter how much I do, it is never enough. What do I do with these thoughts? They cannot be from God. I guess my battle today is to "take captive every thought."

Day 26

Take captive every thought. Every thought. Every thought.

How is the study going for you? Gie a comment so that I know you are checking out the blog.

Day 25

This is good and simple. What makes reconciliation difficult is three things:

1. Ego - A selfish unwillingness to admit mistakes.
2. False expectations on how we feel someone might respond.
3. Unwillingness to see things from another's point of view.

And maybe a fourth thing - we are very slow to forgive others and so we feel they will not forgive us.

It doesn't make any sense to allow things to fester so that anger grows when a simple conversation can end the contention and begin healing. It is amazing how healthy following God's way is to our lives!

Day 24

Just catching up the blog - I didn't have my book and computer in the same place for several days.

Our love for God did not come first. We all know this is evident. I also think we need to understand that believing in God isn't the same as loving God. I do meet many people who say believe in God. They recognize that He exists. They see evidence of His work. But they really don't have a "stake" it that belief. They know about God.

Compare that to a spouse. I might say to my wife, "I know you are my wife. I have a marriage certificate that says you are my wife." But that doesn't have the power of really loving my wife. Because love always is followed by active response. Knowledge does not. That is the difference in many people I meet whose lives don't reflect what they say they believe.

How can we help people to love God?

Day 23

God doesn't have the same kind of grace we have and dispense. There are times when I forgive when I almost have to talk myself into forgiving a person who hurt me - "I forgive you because I have to - if God didn't forgive me because Jesus died on the cross for me then there is no way I would forgive you." Its that reluctant forgiveness that I must get away from. I think forgiveness should just flow from me like streams of living water (John 7:38). That's something to shout for!

Day 22

The question in my head is, "How much am I like the Pharisees, knowing all the stuff but not living it out?" I like what Nasser writes, "Being a doer of the Word means we notice these people (hurting, lonely, lost people) and reach out to help them." One of my problems is that I help people when they come to me, but I don't seek hurting people out very well. I wonder why not?

Day 21

It is too bad that we misunderstand worship.

During a "service" of worship there needs to be a focus on God, and then an awareness of what we are singing/speaking or praying. The "service" is there to help us as a community express devotion, adoration, submission and love toward God. But that almost seems irrelevant if there is no connection between the expression of submision to God is not carried outside the worshipping community.

How can we declare God's great goodness, power and mercy on Sunday morning but then not even acknowledge God's power over our lives on Monday?

Is it ingratitude?

Is it a great disconnect between faith and the rest of life?

Is it a selfish faith that wants something for me on Sunday instead of realizing this is about God?

Sometimes it is just a puzzlement!

Day 20

Halfway Done!

This is one of the concerns I have about Christians is general: So many Christians come to Christ and very quickly get to a "Comfort Zone" and end up living there for a long, long time. I could very easily blame the church for that. But ultimately, each individual must come to grips with the scriptures and their faith.

2 Peter 1:5-9 gives one way of heloing individuals to progress. Each attitude/characteristic builds on the other. I placed these characteristics on my desk today. My plan is to spend time with them and see how they build on one another.

Day 19

There is a selfishness in the Christian life that focuses mainly on ourselves and our own relationship with God. That why we can say, "God AND do whatever...." It's like we think God is holding out on us somehow and we know what is best for our lives. So we will add things that we KNOW God doesn't want in our lives because God doesn't know everything, and we know what is best for our lives.

Usually, though, we add these things subtly (like the serpent in the garden) and are unaware of what happened until we are hiding from God in the garden. Then we come to the key place: when confronted by God about things in our lives we have added, do we shrug our shoulders and say, "Oh well, it isn't that bad." or do we brutally kill that sin in our lives?

Day 18

Maybe the cross, after bringing us into that relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is the lens by which we view everything. It keeps us aware of who we are (belonging to God), the value we have (Jesus felt our lives were worth dying for), the price that was paid (forgiveness cost Jesus a lot!) and the value others have (Jesus died for them too!).

Honestly today is one of those days I woke up feeling somewhat dead inside. Today will be a battle that i know can be won. This day is God's day and I want to rejoice in it. Keep me in mind as you pray.

Day 17

The Crucible of Choice - I like that phrase. It basically has to do with the idea of where our faith meets the practical decisions we need to make everyday. There are just some places where those choices are ones we struggle over. They may not be life and death, but they are essential for living life God's way or our way; choosing to serve God or seek to have God serve us?

I know God is moving me away from my "Comfort Zone" and to be the risk-taker I have imagined myself to be, but in order to do so I must make the correct choices when I am in the crucible of choice. Lead me, Oh Great God!

Day 16

I like how James puts it: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH developes persevernce..."

It is the testing of our faith that produces the positive things for our faith life: maturity, perseverance, completion, etc. But when do have "faith trials?" Sometimes is comes from outside ourselves (persecution and the like) and sometimes from ourselves - how we react and view the things in life. I do not have any of the former but I have quite a bit of the latter.

Time to ask for the wisdom.

Day 15

The only thing I would like to say about this is that I beleive when the scriptures talk about suffering it is usually about suffering as a result of our faith or living out our faith. Yes, we can grow through other kinds of suffering as well, but how often do we really suffer for our faith. We are sometimes inconvenienced or looked at funny. But suffering? I think it is rare for us.

Read this story - At the urging of local Muslim leaders, police in western Bangladesh have tortured a pastor and two other Christians for legally proclaiming Christ. Habibur Rahman, pastor of Boalia Spiritual Church, was about to start a meeting when police stormed the building. "We will teach you in the police camp how to forget your Christ!" they said as they dragged him to a vehicle. The three were blindfolded and placed in separate rooms, from which Habibur heard screams. Upon entering his room, they kicked him multiple times demanding to know how many converts he had won, promising there 'would be no Christians in this area'. They beat him with a club and burned him with cigarettes until he went unconcious. The police were reluctant to release the men, even when dozens of villagers showed up at the station and said, "We also believe in Christ like these men, so arrest us also if you refuse to release them!". Finally they were released that night. The next day, thousands of Muslim villagers demonstrated in front of the station chanting for a "Christian-free society". Local officials tried to mediate the situation, encouraging everyone to practice their religion freely without interference but local people refused saying, "You will come in the church alive but return home dead." Police denied the torture, though the physical signs were evident. Jotish Biswas, director of Way of Life Trust, said that he had learned that a local official and some Muslim claricshad prompted police to torture the Christians because of their evangelistic activity. Freedom of religion is clearly written into the Bangladeshi constitution. Local Muslim villagers have since refused to give work to area Christians, most of whom are day laborers dependent upon obtaining daily work to survive

"When I am afraid I will trust in You; in god whose word I praise, in God I will not be afraid. WHAT CAN MORTAL MAN DO TO ME." Psalm 56:3-4

Day 14

Here si that eating theme again: What do we feast on? Growing up I heard "Garbage in - Garbage out." I think this is the same principle. If we feast on garbage (which is simply gross) the output in our life is garbage. Now we all feast on something. If you are like me, I rationalize about some of what I feast on. "I can handle it." "It doesn't effect me." But then I get sick and vomit out the same stuff that I put in.

I also know that nibbling leads to feasting. I cannot just have 5 Jelly Belly jelly beans. Once I start I have a feast of flavors! And so I turn my back on some things that I enjoy nibbling on and feast on the word of God. I know that sounds like a cliche'.

But remember Isaiah 26:8, "Walking in the ways of your laws we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our heart."

What are you craving today?

Day 13

Several intersting statements:

1. "Too many of us are satisfied, not thirsty" - I agree that many are feeling just fine in their faith. They have reached a level of comfortableness (a new word!) and don't want to explore anything more.
2. "Many of us are willing to be disciples, but on our terms." I guess this is how we create God in OUR own image.
3. "We cling to Him and let Him change our lives." Bingo. Yes there is hard work, but ultimately if we cling to Jesus, spend time with Jesus, we become more like Him. It is easy to get discouraged and think that we have so much more work to do. We haven't done well in the past and we won't do well today. When those times come, just cling to Jesus.
4. Mercy - "Not getting what we deserve" and "getting what we don't deserve,"

Day 12

Brutally Killed - that describes not only removing things from our lives, but the method. No compassion. Lots of energy. Violently remove. I'm not sure I have that in me. But I must be that ruthless in dealing with those areas of my life that are not turned over completely to God. I cannot be a slave if i still hold onto my past "owners." I cannot have a new life unless I kill the old life dead (I know its redundent). Brutally.

But that is not the whole story. We somehow stop at this point and never leave that battlefield. Even in our "successes" we tend to walk that battlefield and bask in the glory of winning a battle. But there is more. We have to become someone completely new. Once the battle in over and the sin has been killed, walk off the field and grab onto something God will place in your life. Then the battle will be done.

And we can have rest in that area.

Because it is dead.

Day 11

Honestly I have a hard time with the idea I am a slave. Even to God. But the reality is that so many things enslave me, run my life, my thoughts, my attitudes, my physical expressions.... I think that although we are slaves to Jesus Christ, it takes us a while to have our attitudes and behaviors catch up to that reality so that our living becomes more "automatic" in living out our desired slavery. Until then, there is a battle that we CAN win; a fight that WILL be fought.

How is your fight going today?

Mine is going ok. I am in the fourth day of five straight days off at home, just working around the house. That is quite a bit different from the regular schedule and so I view this time as preparation for the battles ahead in my spiritual walk, which almost always come when I am distracted by busyness.

Day 10

I guess two important thoughts:

1. What has value and what doesn't. Our relationship with God changes what we value. I wonder: if what we value does not change when we seek to follow Jesus, are we really following Jesus?
2. Jesus main reason for coming was not to gives us comfort, prestige and power. It was to give us life, and life more abundant: but not as defined by our culture!

Day 9

"We love what Jesus does for us mre than we love him." I think that is how so many view Christianity today. What can I get out of it. The same for worship: "I didn't like the songs" or "It as boring" or "......." WE are the creation. God is the Creator. Our focus is adoration, worship, serving the King and Creator...as HE desires.

Now, there are blessing associated with honoring the Creator/King. But those are simply the results of relatonship, not the goal. I wonder how I love what Jesus does for me more than love Jesus?

Is anyone out there?