SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

“A quiet conscience makes one strong!” 
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

ISAIAH 19-21

 4My heart falters,

fear makes me tremble;

the twilight I longed for

has become a horror to me. (21:4)

EPHESIANS 2

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^a and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

JOURNAL 

To truly quiet the mind...especially in moments of stress is an amazing gift of God. Quieting the mind and hearing from God is not just for times of high stress and anxiety but also during the good moments as well. For it is in these that I can fully embrace the wondrous gifts of life. It is crazy to me how my mind often fights against these moments of solitude and quiet. I can see how I am addicted to being entertained and having my thoughts occupied. Yet it is clear from scripture that to truly hear from God...to truly tune myself with his spirit, requires that I shut down the the external and allow his spirit to take over my thoughts.  It is in doing this that I become in tune with all that he has for me today, this week, this month and this life.

7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;do not fret when people succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.

PSALM 37:7

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

“Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there.” 
― Meister Eckhart

ISAIAH 10-12

 “I will praise you, Lord.

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away

and you have comforted me.

2Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense^a ;

he has become my salvation.”

3With joy you will draw water

from the wells of salvation.(12:1-3)

GALATIANS 5

 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love...22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

JOURNAL 

My mind, my emotions and my habits are such a product of my past and my environment. They are a product of what I continually feed them with. The amazing thing about the spirit is that it actually allows me to separate myself from my thoughts, emotions and habits. It allows me to pause and consider God. It allows me to see that many times my initial thoughts and emotions do not reflect truth or reality. To be able to pause...seek God and actually choose a different way is essentially what makes me human.

These are the truths that fill the whole of scripture. God's spirit gives us the power to step outside of all of the power of habits and hurts and fears and emotions. It allows me to realize that beyond the storm clouds and wind and rain is a blue peaceful sky. It is this constant that is most symbolic of God and his spirit. The storms are never constant but the blue sky peace of God is...so regardless of the circumstances I can have peace, I can have joy, I can act in love and I can live out the fruits of God's spirit.

 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..” 
― John Milton, Paradise Lost

ISAIAH 7-9

 6For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this. (9:6-7)

GALATIANS 4

6Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^c Father.” 7So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

JOURNAL 

I have one life to live and chances are at best I've lived half of it. I have today, how do I want to live it? What do I want to make most important? Do I live as a slave or as a free child of God? How is it that I so often live life enslaved to old ways of thinking? To me in this day and this time this is the slavery I fall under. It is not to a government or person or people it is to a mindset that is bound in anxiety and fear. It comes from a community and a nation that offers counterfeit gods as the answer to peace and joy. Those counterfeit Gods are material possessions, positions of honor, approval of the masses. This is not to say that material possessions, awards and the applause of others is wrong. It only becomes so when it takes the place of God. When it promises to be more than what it is.

There is such a fine line...it is easy to go too far in rejecting the counterfeit as gods, which can lead to judgement, bitterness, isolation and hatred... just as it is easy to buy in and hope in their false promises. I think back to the old Budweiser commercials that say "this is as good as it gets". No it's not...it is good to connect with friends around a fire and enjoy a good beer. That is an awesome blessing. But it isn't the beer or the fire or the friends. It ultimately is God that makes it all possible. It is his spirit of love that unites us that makes the beer and the fire and the friends into something that is more than the those things individually.

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-14

SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

“Because here’s something that’s weird but true: we don’t actually know what a positive or negative experience is. Some of the most difficult and stressful moments of our lives also end up being the most formative and motivating. Some of the best and most gratifying experiences of our lives are also the most distracting and demotivating. Don’t trust your conception of positive/negative experiences. All that we know for certain is what hurts in the moment and what doesn’t. And that’s not worth much.” 
― Mark Manson

ISAIAH 4-6

11Woe to those who rise early in the morning

to run after their drinks,

who stay up late at night

till they are inflamed with wine.

12They have harps and lyres at their banquets,

pipes and timbrels and wine,

but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,

no respect for the work of his hands. (5:11-12)

GALATIANS 3

26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

JOURNAL 

There is a humility that is often overlooked. I see it everyday in sports and stories are filled with the tale of the underdog who overcomes the favorite. I love these stories and yet I often forget the wisdom they impart. Any one of us at anytime are subject to being humbled by another human being. It is for our own good that this possibility exists. For it keeps us living in surrender to God and in a mindset that honors all God's creations. Yes even our enemies.

All stories become good stories because they impart eternal truths. Life is a gift, it is fragile and is not a dragon to be slayed or a mountain to be summited. It is a journey to be experienced, filled with triumphs and heartaches and good times and bad, sickness and health, life and death. If we live long enough we get to experience it all and in doing so we get the beauty of the gift itself. Yes there are things to conquer and there are times when we are conquered and if we really live life well then we embrace it all.

17“Blessed is the one whom God corrects;

so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.^a

18For he wounds, but he also binds up;

he injures, but his hands also heal.

JOB 5:17-18

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

“Decision-making based on emotional intuition, without the aid of reason to keep it in line, pretty much always sucks. You know who bases their entire lives on their emotions? Three-year-old kids. And dogs. You know what else three-year-olds and dogs do? Shit on the carpet.” 
― Mark Manson

ISAIAH 1-3

17Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.^a

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow. (1:17)

GALATIANS 2

 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”^e

JOURNAL 

What do I care most about? What are the true allegiances of my heart? Do I daily surrender to seeking God and glorifying him in all that I do?

Far too often the answer to that question are things other than God and his word. Too often my heart is tilted to the things that give me immediate benefit. Too often I am compelled to act in ways that benefit me in surface temporal ways. When I come before God through scripture I can easily discern my waywardness. I can easily see how I have followed roads that are not of God's design. This is the reason that coming to God each morning and throughout the day are absolutely necessary. It activates my God given ability to reason and see my emotions and fears for what they are. For to not leaves me solely to my emotions, fears and habits.

Thank you Father for your word, your spirit and another day to live and glorify you in building your Kingdom.

13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

MATTHEW 7:13-14

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

ECCLESIASTES 10-12

4If a ruler’s anger rises against you,

do not leave your post;

calmness can lay great offenses to rest. (10:4)

2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-33

 I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

JOURNAL 

Here Solomon confirms that staying calm and enduring anger is the path to resolution. Also Paul tells of all his sufferings in order to make the point that it is in the suffering that dependence on God is developed. It is in the conflict that strength is born. It is in the conflict that love is proven.

It is tempting to believe that the goal of life is security and pleasure. Yet everything in scripture confirms the opposite. Is this not the reason that we love athletics...they let us see the dilemma of life play out in front of our very eyes. Conflict and opposition are what create passion, excitement, teamwork and a sense of purpose. Working through the inevitable difficulties is the really good stuff. There is no hiding from missed field goals, interceptions, penalties, strikeouts, mistakes, injuries etc. The conflict is there and we watch as the participants deal with it. To engage and play is the only way to get better, it is the only way to really learn.

It is the same in life. Stepping into the fire, into the opportunities for failure and the inevitable difficulties of life is the key to living. It forces me to solve problems, use my talents and deepens my dependence on God and his wisdom.  It will also serve as a way to teach my boys and be a source of encouragement for those who go after me. My life is to be lived as a living sacrifice for the benefit of others and to the glory of God.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” 
― Maya Angelou

ECCLESIASTES 7-9

7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (9:7-10)

2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-15

12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

JOURNAL 

To read these verses in Ecclesiastes is sobering. To think that I may not have tomorrow and my time on earth is ticking away somehow hits me like cold water in the face. Why do I think that I am guaranteed anything other than this moment. I am not, it can all end in a flash and have I really made the most of this moment? Have I really lived it fully, or have I spent it in regret over yesterday and in worry over tomorrow? Have I spent it comforting myself or protecting myself from the realities of life? If the answer is any of these then my moment was wasted.

Love is an action, love is doing something, not sitting around pondering. Love risks, love bleeds...love does not waste time protecting itself. Love gives and nurtures and is willing to risk rejection and heartache and embarrassment just to connect and give to someone else.

There also is a point in living in the moment that I am not to berate myself for failures. Failures are necessary for learning. I will fail every day...therefore I will learn everyday. Really also failures are relative. Give myself permission to enjoy the day...to have fun, to turn this day and work into something memorable, good, light and loving. That is trusting God...that where I am, the life I'm living is not a mistake but rather God's sovereign will.

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

JAMES 2:14-17

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
― 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

ECCLESIASTES 4-6

10Whoever loves money never has enough;

whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.

This too is meaningless.

11As goods increase,

so do those who consume them.

And what benefit are they to the owners

except to feast their eyes on them? (5:10-11)

2 CORINTHIANS 10

17But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^b18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

JOURNAL 

All of life is about learning to become content with who we are, who God is and coming to terms with what we offer the world. The one thing that we can always give regardless of talent or ability is love. To care for others and give them the love that we receive from God is the greatest blessing in life.

Yet what usually trips me up is when I start doubting God's love, and begin to look to man for validation and affirmation. It is such a losing game. For people can never love the way we want them to love. When I start venturing down this path...everything becomes tainted and grey. Yet when I am in the middle of God's love for me...everything is bright and alive and I feel a power and joy that really cannot be replaced.

I think this is why 1 Corinthians 13 and the description of love is so important. Not only can I look to it and see how miserably I fail to love in this way. But I also can look at it and realize that this kind of love is beyond the human race. It is truly Godly and only in God can we receive and give anything close to this capacity.  I can therefore let other humans off the hook to provide this for me. The tastes we get with each other are only because God is part of it.  It is only because he is working in and through us.

When I think about Jesus and the fact that he was the most loving, perfect human being to ever live and yet he was betrayed, questioned, spit on and abandoned. How can I ever expect to look to mankind to receive affirmation and validation when mankind failed so miserably in even giving it to Jesus. What I can do though is to seek God and his love and once accepted I can love and can give that love away. In doing so I can then recognize when another person is filled with this love. I can then connect in ways that brings us into the presence and fellowship of God. This is the church and it has nothing to do with a building or an alter or a choir...yet in this the miracle and holiness of God is experienced. It can be found anywhere that two human beings experience and connect in the love and grace of Christ.

20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

MATTHEW 18:20

SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging does not require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.
― BRENE' BROWN

PROVERBS 25-27

19As water reflects the face,

so one’s life reflects the heart. (27:19)

2 CORINTHIANS 6

3We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

JOURNAL 

I have been reading Brene' Brown's new book. The whole idea that you belong nowhere but everywhere is radical but also is ingrained in biblical truth. We are here because we belong but our identity can never be derived from belonging to a particular group or sect of society. Identity is uniquely personal and can only come from our own uniqueness. It must be possessed yet derived from God. The verse in Corinthians presents multiple paradoxes and I love that this is the essence in being in the world but not of it. It is the paradox that to get your life you must give it up.

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

LUKE 14:25-35