The judicial system does not separate a person from his past but sees the person’s identity as a consistent whole throughout a lifetime. Thankfully this is so, otherwise it could be argued that the person, five years removed from the deed, has become a new person and so sheds responsibility for past years, ie. Tom at age 18 was a different person from Tom at 27. In a true story, Tom robbed the grocery store when he was young. What do we reckon now that Tom has been found out 10 years later? In most places our legal system says he still pays for the crime, but many folks are of the opinion to release him. What do you say? Well, lets ponder; if an individual could receive a token status of “new identity” in a measure of time lapsed, there most certainly would be criminals running free in our…
Tag: <span>grace</span>
In thoughtful reflection, I set aside some time, and contemplated how a friend may have been feeling. I suddenly wondered, does God ever do what I am now doing? Do our thoughts and feelings matter to God? Growing up as a child and then a young man, I don’t remember many times anybody asking me, “Tom, what do you think about this?” “What are your feelings? I remember only a few occasions of someone sincerely saying to me, “how are you doing?” In the Bible, when Jesus met a rich young ruler, it says that He loved him. Yes, though the man did not grasp Jesus’ message, Jesus loved him. When Peter didn’t understand Jesus’ feet washing ministry, Jesus, nevertheless, took time to identify with Peter’s bafflement. Then The Lord explained things. Jesus took the side of and defended an adulterer one day, causing quite a stir. I mused about…
“The love of God does not find that which is worthy of His love, but rather creates it for Himself; but the love of man comes into being through the lovableness which it finds.” Luther Paul found a hard reality when he reported “the more I abundantly love you, the less I am loved,” in 2 Corinthians 12:15. Why no reward for his love? At deeper thought, why the opposite kind of reward did he receive than what was expected? “Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, “It doesn’t really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to be poverty-stricken, not just for your sakes, but also that I may be able to get you to God.”” This is a quote from Oswald Chambers. Jesus, one day girded Himself with a towel and began to…
Life has jagged edges, abrasive surfaces, serrated openings, and corrugated backs. These help us to grip something, but how hard? They dull a sharp knife and make it a saw, they wipe out a pattern, and make things hard to follow. These crinkled grooves wear away at a habit and move us toward change. O happy day, we might say, but not to dismay. If we are annoyed about the rough and tumble, could it be that we matriculate toward the smooth side? Whatta you mean? I mean; are you partial, comfort-bent toward the safe living zone ? We all admit this, because we all grossly underestimate how drastic a metamorphosis beckons its operation within us. We find ourselves thinking in tiny adjustments’ terms, while God determines shifting paradigms, and entire value-systems’ revamps. See, we must be born again, then our “born again” must emerge from its safe cocoon. We…
Christmas is a time for goodies, cookies, candies, pies and cakes. Have you ever eaten humble pie? This happens when, at a moment of self-pampering, we painfully become cognizant of our animal-like-behavior. We were moving along entertained, painting the town with our free wheeling, till —oh my goodness! Suddenly, we are stunningly shamed! Humble pie exposes one’s pride. These two, pride and humility, taunt each other; they ebb and flow, tide high and low in soul’s ocean. They exist the in and out, introvert and extrovert, subjective and objective, above and below. One serves while the other reigns a god; one thrives self-consciously, the other one not so much. Pride thinks of itself more highly than it ought, or, more lowly than obliged. Humility considers never so much of it self. God giveth grace to the humble, but he resists the proud. Satan giveth favor to the proud, but resists…
I knew a man in Christ, a father, a friend, a counselor, mentor and inspiration. I knew a man in Christ, he taught me how to think, how to live, how to die. He taught me the Bible, removing all gray areas; preciseness was his forte, accuracy his norm. He taught dogmatically, leaving no room for doubt; exposing the foolishness of inferior systems. Yes, I knew this man in Christ. When my pastor spoke, there was an anointing, clear, distinct, heavenly, penetrating. Sometimes came tears, sometimes a display of authority. Often the message pin-pointed the exact issue of my current experience. I sensed the ministry tuned into me, to me personally — adjusting my thinking, feeling, and conscience. I was a part of it, my listening perpetuated it, my heart embraced it, my soul bathed in it. Many times, I wept. I sensed something very deep happening — A healing, deliverance,…
“,,, one of the functions of oxytocin is to separate the experience and the excitement from the intensity of the shame.” According to neuropsychologist Dr. Jes Montgomery, “,,, the function of oxytocin is to tell the brain, ‘Wait a minute. You don’t want to remember that. You want to hold on to this excitement and this amazing magic that you just experienced.’” The Advancements in modern science related to the brain are remarkable, to say the least. Oxytocin is a substance released in women, which creates a bonding effect. Men have a similar release and both men and women gain this release during sexual intercourse. The chemical releases (including dopamine) enable the two to move beyond any pain, fear or guilt inhibiting, into ecstasy. Memories of the past and even negative experiences are all forgotten in the state of euphoria created. The whole experience is designed by God to…
I have heard it said, often even, take ownership, Tom, take ownership. We can take ownership, we must; though we may not ever realize the necessity. We may gravitate in and out of a kind of ownership, all our lives, yet there’s more about it to be learned. First, what does it mean to take ownership? Well, it means to possess what is possessed. To take hold of a principal and make it my own, partitions it, but at the core remains owning up to my personal and intimate responsibility to the call and destiny of the individual life. It is the opposite of blaming others, it is the opposite of blaming self, it is the anti-thesis to all blame and disowning. Can you see the problem developing? It is an unconscious defense mechanism to deny personal responsibility through blame. Why can’t we just accept what happened? Why can’t we…
The quality of mercy is not strain’d. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. What all includes the results of mercy? It, for certain, escapes the earthy. Divine favor, yes Divine, I say, it multiplies, a gathering of honey, dripping comb wide. Rain, like that which soothes the hard day’s scorch, And more; topsoil and clay both absorb, Blood is our sprinkle, water the shower, But what’s the filth for wash this hour? A hideous substance, a lingering debris, It identifies me, and will not let me free. It drags me to turn, hangs over the shoulder, It lurks in corners, and makes me feel older. It opposes spontaneous, it inhibits free, It clings so sooty, it covers the knee, Moistening tear ducts, and standing neck hair, It hardens like Brillcream,…
Josh and Matt My inward me exists truly a kingdom. The ultimate happens when the total of what I know about God’s nature and His redemption becomes self- governing in there. A “perspective of the highest” saturates all of my faculties; perception, understanding, wisdom, feelings and senses. It can overcome the worldly kingdoms Explain more? See, the eternal building blocks of my little realm under God, supersede anything the temporal realm can throw at it. In a sense, when I invest heaven into my heart of hearts, I become a heaven’s kingdom representative on earth. When God Himself saturates our mind (with unconscious, subconscious and conscious parts), and our will, emotions, conscience and self consciousness; our whole programmed computer gains a ministry of simply sharing its wealth Effectiveness What does this person/kingdom look like? This person has discovered effectiveness. In other words they realize they have the ability to have…