Healing at the Cross Posts

In the Olympic games we watch competition. We see determination, thrill of triumph, misery of trounce. We weep for joy with the insignificant participant who rises from obscurity to win a bronze, silver or even gold. We identify with winner and loser, and also those just happy to be invited to play — Or do we? This time around the games meant less to me and I figured out why. I don’t compete, I don’t race, I don’t swim or run or jump for prizes. The projected “life parallel” that is associated with sports is not present with me in its many aspects as before. I have, like Paul, learned, to some degree, that I must be content, to handle living on this earth through a non-competitive attitude. Released from the inner “strive;” life begins at another’s conquest. For the Olympics, contending is expedient – nothing wrong here. For jobs,…

The blazing fire was across the canyon, too big to be controlled. Suddenly, with a turn of wind, inferno raced over canyon and river – straight toward the smoke jumpers. Thirteen lost their life that true day, three survived. Two found cover in a rock crevice. They lived, but one created his own cover by stopping, igniting the grass around him, and then lying down in the center of his own smoldering insulator. Blaze went around his pre-burned area; he made it safe. The true story is not a new one. I’m sure you have heard of it. I read it again in a book by Jonah Lehrer titled, “How we decide.” Lehrer is unfortunately an evolutionist, but uses the story to illustrate the power of the rational mind to create, when emotion is “beat back.” Interestingly, the creative fire survivor had never used the survival principle till that day.…

What is lawlessness but a conscience-seared? — a moral staple of psychological human-hood denied and burnt to a crisp. The part of us which approves or disapproves us, accuses or excuses us, or simply gives an account of oneself; conscience; has been rendered caput by artificial casting off restraints? It’s fatal to sanity. Chaos floods the banks. To do a simple self-inquiry requires this above-mentioned conscience. Seems like, this faculty’s loss would make void reflection, introspection, self-contemplation and similar activities. Guilt originates with God; no God-no guilt. Lawlessness removes the closest thing in our soul’s repertoire to a Supreme Ruler. In doing that, Lawlessness subtly attempts to counterfeit a God-given, bloody cross purchased, guilt removing redemption; creating false liberty and leaving out the vital element, Christ. How does it? Its utensil is a hot iron. With this devise one burns off a fingerprint, brands a steer, or cauterizes a wound. It…

The American Civil War tipped the scales for sad stories, many of which wrench the heart, even today. It reveals an era stacked with gloomy playing cards, cheerless scarecrows, heartsick yarns, and war-torn dilapidation. These are flora and fauna, these essentiality. The distinctive dream-escapee tasted life till it died; the bursting of bubbles, the swipe of found-less islands. Enheartenment looks not like a gratuity, windfall, or sweepstakes hit. It is not about happiness, joy, bliss or blessedness. Inflated words solicit us to their lip-service. Instead, a tidbit inspirits, a morsel of food enraptures, and a mere scent sends goose bumps up and down the neck. True love breathes not much in these parts, only in diminished silhouettes; all numbed down, reductionism dulls the culture, drives the humdrum, heats the monotonous day. War has come, Gung-ho! — but we are not ready, we have no guns; for soldiering, no skill-set. Go, the politician’s incite…

Our lives are made for balance Christian life must have balance. We are not hanging on a few verses or a pet doctrine or a one-dimensional approach. Our lives are made for balance and the other side is fanaticism. Friends, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Why the need for equilibrium? Why the necessity for a set of scales? Longevity, baby, longevity. We’re not in a sprint, folks, this is a marathon. Twenty six/odd mile runners gotta pace themselves, even the very well trained. Well, we think, “I’m going full steam ahead; I wanna burn out for Jesus.” You will. Impacting impingement happens to all“The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11. Time and chance? Yes…

“Superstition always breeds such sorrows, when men make themselves religious duties which God never made them, and then come short in the performance of them” Richard Baxter This excerpt from Baxter’s “The cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow, by Faith,” is based on 2 Corinthians 2:7. “…lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up by overmuch sorrow?” The author goes on to say, “Many souls are assaulted by the erroneous, and told they are in a wrong way; and they must take up some error as a necessary truth, and so are cast into perplexing difficulties, and perhaps repent of the truth which they before owned.” What’s the problem? Why do we backtrack so easily? — Deeper than we might think. It’s an over-safeguarded soul, a provision for the flesh; just in case God’s ways and means don’t come through in the pinch. It’s hanging on to the railings…

These things I learned this week: That, in the culture, individualism can be good, as long as I don’t make an idol of me. Again, culturally speaking, community is desired, but don’t make an idol of them. Who-a-person-is, subjectively, is discovered by them in receiving an objective identity, not by gazing within. The culture seeks to produce many identities from without the self. Next, diversity of attributes is to be celebrated; but to be realized only in the service of others, not to build a private reputation. Finally, an identity will reproduce itself. Webster’s from the year 1828 defines “culture” this way: The act of tilling and preparing the earth for crops; cultivation; the application of labor or other means of improvement. 2. … to improve good qualities in, or growth; as the culture of the mind; the culture of virtue. 3. … producing 4. Any labor or means employed…

In the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel speaks; to the bones and to the wind. His speaking-truth-in-love results in ligaments, muscle, skin and breath. Yes, bone-connecting sinews regather the strewn appendages into a unified whole where muscle mass enables action; skin tightens up hanging pieces for smooth movement. Finally, the Breath of Lives resuscitates the life-force. A living being has returned to us. Paul told the Christians at Ephesus to, “speak the truth in love,” and “grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ,” In Ephesians 4. The whole body, organized compactly, is united by every joint’s contribution, energy from every part, then, in poetic sequence, grows architecturally. Love does this; it’s all done in love. Not mental futility, obscured thought processing, alienated from God through agnostic tendencies, callousness, apathy, and surrender to boundless excesses; we put these off and find renewal in the spirit…

“Knowledge is flour, but wisdom is bread.” Austin O’Malley. “Like water in the desert is wisdom to the soul. Wisdom is a treasure, the key whereof is never lost.” Edward Counsel. “Necessity teaches wisdom, while prosperity makes fools.” Wellins Calcott. “Ever learning, yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth”; “knowledge puffs up but love builds up.” Knowledge is a subtle friend and foe; as a means to an end, friend — as an end in itself, foe. Knowledge is money for the purchase of wisdom; the principle thing. Wisdom builds a house, wins souls. It is collecting, earning, gaining, and securing. It gathers by attraction; it draws, inspires, encourages, and breathes life into others. It is efficacious; more than alive, it is life giving. Now, which do we want? Wisdom delights in the sons of men, Proverbs 8. It rejoices where people live, it accompanies God Himself as…

“And when this life is through; even then, your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold me.” “No more night, no more pain, no more tears, never crying again.” “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” “Wonderful, merciful Savior; Precious Redeemer and Friend … you give the healing and grace, our hearts always hunger for. You rescue the souls of men.” We hunger for it. “Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea, a great High Priest whose name is Love, who ever lives to plead for me. My name is graven on His hands, my name is written on His heart, I know that while in heaven He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart.” “Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied for me, there my burdened soul found liberty, at…