Josh and Puddle Sometimes folks can’t focus in life, lured away toward a seductive universe, one featuring a soothing state of mental relaxation, centering problems removed. Let’s explain. People with attention deficit disorder are known to have remarkable powers of concentration without distraction, but only in the world of their chosen fantasy. Amazing. The more a person succumbs to the alluring facade, the less able they are to concentrate on other things? Interesting and telling. A person watches porn on the internet or immerses themselves in a video game, or plays excessive bingo, or whatever they give their heart to, and the real world becomes a loathsome chore. Not too hard to understand. How can the natural course of life compete with such intense and provocative views that challenge, stimulate and require some perceived risk? Likewise, some believers are distracted from fervent preaching and teaching of the Word, because they…
Tag: <span>grace</span>
Arizona Lake 1989 Folks in general don’t want to talk about anything too negative. Why is that? Darkness and light are both alike to God, but not to us. Psalm139:12. See, the highway of holiness admits and allows the wayfaring man, and the fool does not err therein. Isaiah 35:8. This gives all of us entry there, but few find it. For this reason men struggle still with the hills and valleys of life and mostly ride the ups and downs. We have a tendency to see God as a mere moral One and prosperity means God’s favor, where adversity means God is mad at us. To most He is a God of circumstances. Let me open a thought. Do we have an expectation for our life, or are we contented to handle anything that life dishes up? Careful. Well no, we are not contented to take anything, we have…
Frustrating things humble a man or woman’s soul. They do things in two categories: (1) take away something that was there prior, narrow resources, block or limit the number, etc. (2) open up, redirect, or painfully bring into view what is left, in its raw and pure form, heightening the need for creativity of a distinctly unique breed of living result. What do I mean? I’m squeezed by events, illness, wrong decisions, people and their decisions, money matters, or even jail. Why? Wrong question! If you can figure out “why,” you have rationally charted your future in the image of your carefully derived and wise findings. In other words you may have allowed the frustrating limits to also inhibit your ability in going forward. I would like to ask you a question: are you sure about “why”? Why do I ask? Because it is better, maybe, if we don’t know…
When I was starting out in the religious way as a mere sprig, I had a few harrowing moments. New beliefs and practices tutored us (my sister and I). We never doubted their veracity. In the Catholic Church you ‘go’ to confession, every second or third Friday evening. Church was usually empty, with the exception of the few confessors, and dim looking, especially when dark outside. It had the feel of a museum, with echoes resounding at a door closing, or, drop of a missal. (Yes, I meant “missal”; the Catholics called a prayer book a “missal”). So; high cathedral ceilings dropped huge chandeliers from long long cable wires, but tonight only a little light shone on the many pictures in the auditorium-sized building, Michelangelo’s brush-strokes emanating. Life-sized statues of saints and Mary and Jesus with a golden heart were also visible without spot-lights, from secondary illuminations, and the…
Dying defines resurrection for us. Thank God, otherwise we don’t discern it. In what way define it? It removes everything that is not resurrection, leaving only the “big one”—ww-33/resurrection. What things does it remove? First, it destroys anything that places me outside of God’s immediate presence, since resurrection implies being alive unto God, (Romans 6:11). Yah, all the feel-alone and can’t-find-Him stuff, are found prior to my death and resurrection, because, right now, in the big scheme, I am forever in His presence. “Well, I don’t feel Him,” it is said. Old feelings feel only pre-death experiences, is why. We don’t need these aged emotions to be with God. They died. We get new ones that respond to post-cross experiences and happen automatically. Job knew God by the hearing of the ear, and now his eyes see Him. Are you struggling to hear something? Does hearing make…
Christmas came, Christmas; a son is born, a child is given and He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. As children, Christmas epitomized the ultimate, best, most fun and wonderment evoking time, no competitors. We counted the days; yielded our senses to it way before, and lived it weeks after. Toy and candy visions, visiting cousins, school vacation, and cookies galore etc. filled and thrilled our greedy little subjective hearts and minds. Christ came to Earth; what did it mean? How did it redeem and how did it figure in God’s healing scheme? Unfortunately, we never understood or enjoyed this part as children. Lets think about it now. Firstly, the miracle of God Himself becoming a man, honors mankind as never before. It takes the breath out of you when digested. Centuries of…
God came to my house and asked for charity. And I fell on my knees and cried, “Beloved, what may I give?” “Just love,” He said. “Just love.” St. Francis of Assisi Mere knowledge deceives big time. A mom passes into eternity and a sincere friend says,” your mom went to heaven”. Information-wise, a nice thought and probably true, however, only a partial comfort happens. Why? Because as human beings, our hurts go deeper. Vulnerable, and beginning to miss mom with overwhelming grief, the son or daughter need what mere knowledge lacks, a penetration of love or comfort perhaps. Let us not be fooled for convenience sake, simply because we lack the words for a proper responce. Another person walks up in the same situation and gives a big hug and says “I will pray for you”. This is better, but still falls short. Frankly, what the grieving person might…