One time, when I was a kid, I was watching a TV show about animals, monkeys in particular. There was footage of monkeys being trapped so they could be sold on the black market for everything from pets to ingredients for some sort of soup.
One of the traps used was a small cage with not just vertical bars, but horizontal bars as well. The square openings the bars made were very small, just big enough for a child’s hand to fit through...or a monkey’s. Inside the cage, in plain sight , was a piece of fruit. The footage showed a curious monkey (no, I don’t think it’s name was George!) who came up to the cage and reached in to get the fruit. The problem was, he couldn’t pull his hand back out while holding the fruit. The monkey’s inability to understand that to let go of the fruit was his means of escape, became his undoing.
Things that allure us, that please us, that spoil us, can indeed, entrap us. When we find that we cannot let go of anything, even something good, then we are truly undone. Jesus says that our lives to do not consist of the things which we possess, He also said that we cannot serve two masters, God and Mammon. Mammon was a pagan god of material wealth...he symbolized what we Christians call “blessings”. He also said that wherever we place importance or priority, that’s where our heart can be found.
Wealth is the easiest to point out because it’s presence is obvious, but it is not bad or evil; the often misquoted Bible verse actually reads, “the LOVE of money is the root of all evil”, not money itself. As I have said many times before, money is merely a tool with which we can accomplish a task, much like a hammer. But when a hammer is misused, like as a weapon, then bad things happen for which the hammer cannot be blamed...rather the user of the hammer is to blame.
When we become followers of Jesus we are shown by His words and the words of His followers, that we are to take care of those less fortunate than ourselves. We are commanded to do so. Jesus even emphasized that we would always have the poor among us. This was His way of saying, “Hey, no matter how good things might seem, there will always be someone who needs a helping hand...no strings attached.”
Jesus spoke more about money and the effect it has, than He did about healing, hell and even heaven, so caring for the helpless, the marginalized, the (as Jesus called them) “least of these”, is a HUGE part of the Gospel message. In fact, Jesus said at the beginning of His ministry that He was here to preach the Good News to the poor. Does that mean the Gospel is not for everyone? Of course not...because we are ALL poor in some way.
Jesus said that the gate we should enter is small and the path is narrow...just wide enough to have to go through in single file - meaning that you cannot bring anyone with you or anything, there’s not enough room. When we follow Him, we can, should and MUST invite others, but our salvation is just that - ours.
So, will we continue to hold on to the fruit and fail to escape the enemy? He may not get us yet; the fruit may even rot in our hand before we find ourselves in captivity.
Or...do we wise up and let it go and escape with our very lives? To then move forward living for Jesus and others is His plan for us anyway, for we are His masterpiece created to perform acts of mercy so that the world will recognize Him in us...and come to Him and be saved.
Think about it.
9/30/10
9/27/10
ANGRY SAINTS
When I was working out on a regular basis, I would sit in the free weight area at the Y and listen to the guys who were "get a hernia" serious about lifting. To look at the these guys, you would think they could lift a car. They were huge, powerlifters...not bodybuilders. They were big all over with no sculptured physiques, just big and bulky. They were going for strength & size, not aesthetics.
They would get angry that they were at a plateau with their strength gains. They could be heard saying things like, "I should be better than this" or "I don't know what's wrong with me" or something of that nature. This mind set brings me to the spiritual application.
There are brothers & sisters in the body of Christ who are walking angry. They are angry because they do not measure up to some standard they have in their heads. Unfortunately, the anger they feel towards themselves is more often than not, redirected to others. The frustration that they cannot perform, that they "should be better than this", manifests itself as judging others. They seem to have the unrealized attitude that "If I can't measure up, by George, somebody will, even if it kills me!".
I have been in this place. I have done this with others, I have done this with family members, and for that I am sorry. Don't misunderstand, Jesus does NOT want us to stay where He found us. He does not want us to remain stagnant. We cannot, for it is impossible. The Christian life is not a steady state, no, it is kinetic; ever moving, always changing. If we find ourselves to be the same as we were even a couple of weeks ago, we are not growing, we are dying.
Growth is natural, so if we are not growing, it is un-natural. If you plant a seed, it will grow if it receives nourishment. All that the seed can be is inherent within the seed itself. God can see inside of the seed, the seed being us. He sees the potential. He sees whether we are to be a mighty oak, like Paul or Martin Luther or D.L. Moody. He sees if we are to be a small rose bush that is both beautiful and fragrant, like my mother was or like Mother Teresa. One is no greater or less than the other, because they both have their place in God's economy. We would do well to ask the Lord to give us His worldview, so we will see that all are important and that everyone has a place in the whole, vast configuration of things.
So, consider yourself as God sees you; as the potential oak or rose bush that God has planned for you to be. We are not, at present, what we will be, but we are not as were either...by His Grace.
Think about it.
They would get angry that they were at a plateau with their strength gains. They could be heard saying things like, "I should be better than this" or "I don't know what's wrong with me" or something of that nature. This mind set brings me to the spiritual application.
There are brothers & sisters in the body of Christ who are walking angry. They are angry because they do not measure up to some standard they have in their heads. Unfortunately, the anger they feel towards themselves is more often than not, redirected to others. The frustration that they cannot perform, that they "should be better than this", manifests itself as judging others. They seem to have the unrealized attitude that "If I can't measure up, by George, somebody will, even if it kills me!".
I have been in this place. I have done this with others, I have done this with family members, and for that I am sorry. Don't misunderstand, Jesus does NOT want us to stay where He found us. He does not want us to remain stagnant. We cannot, for it is impossible. The Christian life is not a steady state, no, it is kinetic; ever moving, always changing. If we find ourselves to be the same as we were even a couple of weeks ago, we are not growing, we are dying.
Growth is natural, so if we are not growing, it is un-natural. If you plant a seed, it will grow if it receives nourishment. All that the seed can be is inherent within the seed itself. God can see inside of the seed, the seed being us. He sees the potential. He sees whether we are to be a mighty oak, like Paul or Martin Luther or D.L. Moody. He sees if we are to be a small rose bush that is both beautiful and fragrant, like my mother was or like Mother Teresa. One is no greater or less than the other, because they both have their place in God's economy. We would do well to ask the Lord to give us His worldview, so we will see that all are important and that everyone has a place in the whole, vast configuration of things.
So, consider yourself as God sees you; as the potential oak or rose bush that God has planned for you to be. We are not, at present, what we will be, but we are not as were either...by His Grace.
Think about it.
9/26/10
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
In the world of quantum physics there are tiny particles that have been discovered that appear to be able to occupy two spaces at the same time. To be able to be in two places at once could be an incredible gift; by cloning yourself you could accomplish twice as much. You could earn twice the salary, or have one of your selves play while the other worked, or double your chances to win the lottery.
The fact of the matter is, we cannot occupy two spaces at once. It is a physical impossibility...it is also a spiritual one as well.
Thinking about myself about 20 years ago, I thought I could have one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom of God...straddling two realities. I found myself running myself ragged; attending church and even teaching classes from time to time, while later that day having selfish and sinful thoughts about what I could do next to fulfill the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
The discomfort I experienced was horrible, to say the least. There have been times when who I am (outside of Christ) has cried out from the grave to try and lure me back to that life. There have been times when I again briefly tried to make it “work”...to have one foot in the world and one in the Kingdom of God but then I started to feel that anxiousness, that uneasiness again.
The reason for it is this: Trying to occupy both realities, you find that you fit into neither. There is enough of one in you to disturb the part that has experienced the other. Anger ensues as does resentment and frustration and then comes the running. The running is the worst part - to try and keep yourself so busy that you think you can get away from deciding where you need to be. You immerse yourself in getting more stuff or doing more activities or burying yourself in relationships, events or even religion.
The reality is, that anything other than complete, full-tilt boogie surrender to Jesus you will soon find yourself exhausted and very unhappy. Nothing will ease the gnawing; nothing will erase the feeling that your missing something, like when you forget to get something at the grocery that you really needed, but can’t remember what...only much more intense and definitely more important. I experienced the anger, resentment and frustration...but thank God, when I ran, I ran to Him.
Please know that if you have this discomfort, this gnawing uneasiness, there is a cure. Get that one foot out of the quicksand that is the world and on the solid ground that is the Kingdom of God.
The fact of the matter is, we cannot occupy two spaces at once. It is a physical impossibility...it is also a spiritual one as well.
Thinking about myself about 20 years ago, I thought I could have one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom of God...straddling two realities. I found myself running myself ragged; attending church and even teaching classes from time to time, while later that day having selfish and sinful thoughts about what I could do next to fulfill the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
The discomfort I experienced was horrible, to say the least. There have been times when who I am (outside of Christ) has cried out from the grave to try and lure me back to that life. There have been times when I again briefly tried to make it “work”...to have one foot in the world and one in the Kingdom of God but then I started to feel that anxiousness, that uneasiness again.
The reason for it is this: Trying to occupy both realities, you find that you fit into neither. There is enough of one in you to disturb the part that has experienced the other. Anger ensues as does resentment and frustration and then comes the running. The running is the worst part - to try and keep yourself so busy that you think you can get away from deciding where you need to be. You immerse yourself in getting more stuff or doing more activities or burying yourself in relationships, events or even religion.
The reality is, that anything other than complete, full-tilt boogie surrender to Jesus you will soon find yourself exhausted and very unhappy. Nothing will ease the gnawing; nothing will erase the feeling that your missing something, like when you forget to get something at the grocery that you really needed, but can’t remember what...only much more intense and definitely more important. I experienced the anger, resentment and frustration...but thank God, when I ran, I ran to Him.
Please know that if you have this discomfort, this gnawing uneasiness, there is a cure. Get that one foot out of the quicksand that is the world and on the solid ground that is the Kingdom of God.
9/14/10
A Letter from a Friend
Dear Friend,
It’s been a while since we last spoke and I just thought I’d drop you a line or two to let you know I’ve been thinking about you.
I know that you’ve been having a hard time lately...with pretty much everything. From the job loss of last year and the horrible time you had with the job you found that you absolutely hated - which could have been much worse in that you could’ve not found a job at all.
I also know of the spiritual struggles you’ve been dealing with; not sure where God is in all of the wrestling and agonizing over finances, your oldest child rebelling and letting go of the spiritual values you’ve tried so hard to instill within her and also you just wanting to serve God in a very real way. I understand...as the saying goes, been there - done that.
I just want you to know that I love you and am here for you. I may not come through in the ways you think you need me to come through, but I am here to listen to your heart; to give you long distance hugs to sustain you. One of the last times we spoke you even said that you could feel my arms around you, which made me feel good!
Through these times it’s easy for people to give pat answers and platitudes...some people even quote me to try and bring comfort, but many times they have misused my words and end up making me look careless, even cold-hearted. I assure you, they don’t know me like they think they do or else they would never say to you (or anyone else) the things they have said...mostly out of context.
You know, I long for the day when all of the troubles you’ve experienced will be even less than a distant memory. You’ll be rich beyond your wildest imagination, live in a home that requires no maintenance, spend time with loved ones and never have to say goodbye. You’ll make friends with people that you’ve only heard of, and get to spend time with me in a way that we never could before.
But for now, we’ll have to be content with our conversations and our mutual acquaintances. I enjoy hearing from our friends about you, and from you about them. I really feel very close to you all. My heart breaks when you tell me of something that breaks your heart...it really does. Because of how much I love you, I can hardly wait for my dad to say, “Go get him!” I know it will be soon...it has to be.
Your friend forever,
Jesus
It’s been a while since we last spoke and I just thought I’d drop you a line or two to let you know I’ve been thinking about you.
I know that you’ve been having a hard time lately...with pretty much everything. From the job loss of last year and the horrible time you had with the job you found that you absolutely hated - which could have been much worse in that you could’ve not found a job at all.
I also know of the spiritual struggles you’ve been dealing with; not sure where God is in all of the wrestling and agonizing over finances, your oldest child rebelling and letting go of the spiritual values you’ve tried so hard to instill within her and also you just wanting to serve God in a very real way. I understand...as the saying goes, been there - done that.
I just want you to know that I love you and am here for you. I may not come through in the ways you think you need me to come through, but I am here to listen to your heart; to give you long distance hugs to sustain you. One of the last times we spoke you even said that you could feel my arms around you, which made me feel good!
Through these times it’s easy for people to give pat answers and platitudes...some people even quote me to try and bring comfort, but many times they have misused my words and end up making me look careless, even cold-hearted. I assure you, they don’t know me like they think they do or else they would never say to you (or anyone else) the things they have said...mostly out of context.
You know, I long for the day when all of the troubles you’ve experienced will be even less than a distant memory. You’ll be rich beyond your wildest imagination, live in a home that requires no maintenance, spend time with loved ones and never have to say goodbye. You’ll make friends with people that you’ve only heard of, and get to spend time with me in a way that we never could before.
But for now, we’ll have to be content with our conversations and our mutual acquaintances. I enjoy hearing from our friends about you, and from you about them. I really feel very close to you all. My heart breaks when you tell me of something that breaks your heart...it really does. Because of how much I love you, I can hardly wait for my dad to say, “Go get him!” I know it will be soon...it has to be.
Your friend forever,
Jesus
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