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Naked and Exposed

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #nakedandexposed on January 24, 2019| 1 Comment »

Last January, I started the new year with the goal of dealing with a lifelong struggle, failure, and self-disappointment that I had not managed to get ahold of in a real, permanent and transforming manner.

I even wrote about it in a post called Stripped Down. In that post I focused on Hebrews 12:1, which encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”

Though I didn’t indicate what my goal was, I did clearly indicate that it was not just about self improvement, but dealing with sin … my sin.

Now, fifty-five weeks later, that resolution, that sin … I failed. Not only did I fail, but I am now two pounds heavier than I was when I started!

The sin of which I speak is that of gluttony, and, yes, it is a sin.

Sometimes, as Christians, we are far too comfortable to point out the sins of others, rather than our own. We are eager to speak of murder, of divorce, of stealing, of (add your own) …

We tend to judge others more harshly,
simply because
others sin differently from us.

I refuse to try to cover up my sin … one cannot cover up something so visually obvious. I refuse to call it my weakness (though it is), or say that God is patient with me (which he is) or that I need to remember that I live a life of grace, not perfection (which I do).

‘Cause, here’s the thing (and it’s not an easy or popular thing to admit, and certainly not to say),

sin is sin

Sin is not comfortable, not easy, not popular, and not pretty. It could be equated with religion and politics … it is something best to avoid speaking of in mixed groups.

But … sin IS sin.

This sin of gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth), and with high rates of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes in the top ten causes of death in developed countries, it truly is a physically deadly sin.

The Bible is clear that gluttony is a sin.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13 reminds us:

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.” (aka, food is not to be valued beyond it’s intent, or valued beyond God).

Deuteronomy 21:20 says:

“They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” (when I was growing up, I never heard anything in church that equated overeating with over drinking).

Galatians 5:22-23 speaks of the opposite of sin:

“The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Self-control is the opposite of gluttony (and drunkenness).

Probably the most compelling verse, for me, comes from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”

Dealing with sin is a life-long process. Perhaps this is what Paul is referring to, when he speaks of his thorn in his flesh? :

“In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^{2 Corinthians 12:7-10}

I’ve gotta say, I don’t think that you will hear me bragging about this weakness, this sin, but I see where Paul was going here.

The thing is that sin separates us from God. When we choose to embrace, accept and continue committing sin, we are distancing ourselves from God.

And he created us for something more.

So I return to where I started, fifty-five weeks ago …

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Not saying that I am joining a gym, starting a fad diet (or any diet) … for the sin of gluttony is really the sin of giving in to eating more than our bodies need. What I am saying is that sin is hard to overcome, and my focus needs to be on Jesus … the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

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Stillness

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #bestill, #stillness on January 22, 2019| 1 Comment »

Today follows ‘Blue Monday’ … in the middle of the dark, the cold, winter.

Christmas is now past, summer is so far away. The bills are coming in daily, no hint of funds for vacation. The light has been replaced with dark … even the moon’s light recently eclipsed from view.

The alarm rings early, in the dark, but the body, mind and spirit cry out for more rest, more escape from the dark until the sun’s latent appearance. It is cold, wet outdoors, and we stand, feet planted in our slippers, unmotivated to move beyond the threshold.

We just want to remain … still, unmoved by circumstances or will.

“Be still …”

Two words that can be a directive, a forcing against one’s will, like the dark that forces our day to close, our bodies to tire, our minds to hibernate.

It can also be two words that are full grace, and mercy, and sanctuary.

The rhythm of our lives gives us this seasonal opportunity to naturally be still.

It doesn’t have to be just a season of bleak and barren, of down and depressed, of Netflix and novels.

“Be still
and know that I am God.”

In the still and silent, in the shadows and sadness, He no longer needs to shout for His silent whispers permeate our mind, our souls.

He is here. With us. In the stillness.

And we know it.

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Hands Lifted High

Posted in community, Faith, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #handsliftedhigh, #intercession on January 20, 2019| Leave a Comment »

So there was a day of frustration, of sorrow, of hopelessness. A day I didn’t know what to do. Prayers had been prayed, with white-knuckle faith, with peace beyond human understanding. Chin up, saying my amens expecting the (right) answers any moment.

Nothing.

No grand answer to prayer … not even a hint that anyone was listening.

Ever been there?

Ever had your chin so far up that the air seemed too thin to provide the oxygen needed to breathe in, breathe out? Ever had your hands folded in prayer ’til they were so white-knuckled that their white-washed bones were shining through your paper-thin skin?

In frustration, in exasperation, as hope and faith fade and we cry out:

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
Psalm 13:1-2

Then, from my pit, I reached out to others, sharing my story, my struggle.

In just a few days, change dawned one morning. Complete, beautiful, better-than-I-could-have-hoped-for answer to prayer.

So, why? Why did the many months of prayers in faith result only in silence? Why did answers only come when I shared what was weighing on my mind and soul with others?

For an answer, lets look to Moses (Exodus 17:8-16).

While the Israelites were still wandering, they were attacked by Amalekites. So Moses told Joshua to choose some men to fight, and that he would stand at the top of the hill, with the staff of God raised above his head.

This all sounds a bit weird, except that this staff is the staff that could be thrown down and transform into a snake. It is the staff that tapped a rock and water came from it. It is the staff that was used to bring on the plagues of Egypt. It is the staff that parted the Red Sea. It is the staff of God.

So, as the story goes, as the staff was raised, the Israelites were winning, but whenever the staff lowered they began to take losses. Battles do not end in minutes, but hours and days, and Moses could only hold his arms up for so long. So, along came Aaron and Hur and they sat Moses on a large rock, and they stayed at each of his sides, helping to keep his arms held high.

“As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.”

Now when Moses raised the staff in the air it provided at least two purposes. One was that of a visual encouragement to those in battle. The other was that of intersession to God.

That staff had been the symbol of the presence of God for these wandering Jews. Moses lifting it up was not a power that Moses had in his own strength, but with the help of Aaron and Hur. Together they were holding the symbol of God’s power acknowledging that they did not have any power without God.¹

Matthew Henry’s Commentary speaks of this intersession, and of the help Moses received from Aaron and Hur:

“We should not be shy either of asking help from others or giving help to others, for we are members one of another.”

We have, at our very hands and sides, people who can and will hold us up when we get tired, when we are weak. Others who are willing to intercede on our behalf. That is the encouragement, the help that we need when in the thick of life’s battles.

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Peace of Mind

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #lifeanywherewithgod, #morethananinsurancepolicy, #peace, #peaceofmind, #peaceofmindandheart, #thegiveristhegift on January 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

A catch phrase that insurance companies often use is peace of mind. The idea being that if we have our life and stuff of life insured, we would, in turn, have peace of mind.

Insurance is also something that some use to describe why people should accept God’s gift of grace. The idea being that if we have been born again, or have accepted Christ as our saviour, is sometimes viewed as an insurance policy, or guarantee for our eternity.

It is as though,
if we buy the plan of salvation
our eternity is insured against hell.

Though I think that the Bible does speak to our eternity with Christ, it also speaks to our relationship with Christ being about more than just a means of protection for after this life.

It speaks to a life with him … right now.

A few weeks ago, I came across the following words of Beth Moore. The setting is in the midst of the desert. Moses is there with the Israelites, and has opportunity to speak with God in the tent of meeting. God wants Moses to lead his people toward the promised land, but Moses is not terribly confident in his own abilities and expresses desire to not be apart from God.

This is where Beth Moore does a little paraphrasing (lets call it an unauthoritative, but very applicable, translation 😉 ):

“I’d rather stay right here in this howling hellhole of a desert and have You. Either we both go or we both stay. What I want is You” … then she goes on to say, “He’d tasted and seen. He knew. The Giver IS the gift.”
(Beth Moore)

Moses had experienced the freedom and ability to go to speak with God whenever he desired. All he had to do was to enter into the Tent of Meeting, and a cloud would descend on the outside of the tent, indicating that God was present. Moses knew the sweetness, the completeness of having access to the Creator, Father, Redeemer. He knew what it was to have the words of God spoken into his ears and onto his heart.

And he could not fathom life without him.

For Moses, he would rather live anywhere, even in the dusty desert with God … without him … presumably even the Promised Land.

His desire wasn’t for eternal insurance, for someday off in the future, he desired assurance of the presence of the one who wrote the policy and paid it in full.

It is true that we were created for a different world, but we were never created to live apart from our Creator …

and why would we choose to live without the assurance of his presence with us each and every day?

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Come Hell or High Water

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #comehellorhighwater, #forgettingwhatispast, #foriamabouttodosomethingnew, #momentum, #newbeginnings, #newyear, #pressontowardthegoal, #whatisahead on January 6, 2019| Leave a Comment »

“Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead”
Philippians 3:13

When one considers a new year, the verse (above) is a good place to start.

As we begin a new year, “forgetting what is behind” can be so helpful. We need to forget the frustrations, the failures, the events that caused us hurt, anger or sorrow.

It is a good time to forgive those who “trespassed against us” … leave those offences in the past, so that they do not follow us into the new year. If the trespasses are ours, it might be beneficial to make apologies, restitutions. Do something that can close the door on the indiscretions of the past year. If it is to forgive, then forgive. If it is to apologize, then do that … and move on from the past.

To “strain toward what is ahead” is all about momentum.

Momentum is “the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes” (Merriam Dictionary) and that is exactly what we need as we move, forward, into a new year, new week, new day.

To grow stronger, to move faster means face forward, feet forward, moving forward … straining toward what is ahead. Straining like a runner in a race, not looking back, not checking to see where we are in the pack, but moving forward, determined to make it to the finish …

As we move forward, there will be times when we are in unfamiliar territory, when the demons of the past whisper discouragements into our souls, when it is simply a struggle to keep pursuing our path. It is then that we need the reminder of the next verse in Philippians 3:

“I press on toward the goal
to win the prize
of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus”
Philippians 3:14

The reminder of this verse is that our pursuit is for a goal which has been seeded by God himself, and if he places the seed within us, well, it will grow … come hell or high water.

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The Hand of God

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #fearoftheunknown, #godknows, #newyear, #putyourhandintogods, #thegateoftheyear, #thehandofgod on January 3, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Walking into the new year is kind of like standing at the mouth of a cave. You cannot see how deep it is, for the darkness hides it’s path.Though your voice comes back to you in echoes, it is never discernible as to how far or through how many twists and turns into the cave it has travelled.

There is only one way to move through the cave … take a first step.

When we are faced with a long trek, with little knowledge of where we might end up, or what we might encounter on our way, we can be temporarily paralyzed by our fear of the unknown.

I was introduced to a poem, recently, that touched my experience of fear of the unknown, fear of making a mistake.

Written by Minnie Louise Haskins, it was read by King George VI in his Christmas Day message in 1939, as the world feared the beginning of another war. Though Ms. Haskins titled it, “God Knows” it has become more commonly known as “The Gate of the Year.”

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied,
“Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!”

I know that, for me, I can be so cautious that I do not move forward at all. Yet, I live with the certainty that I never take a step alone, that I always have the support, the protection and the companionship of God himself.

As we move into the uncertainties of a new year, may be put our hands into the hand of God.

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Golden Opportunities

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #anewyear, #dountoothers, #goldenopportunities, #happynewyear, #newyear, #newyearday, #newyearsresolutions, #resolutions, #thegoldenrule on January 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »

There’s barely yet time to have made any mistakes.

The new year has arrived in the midst of festive partiers, snoring grampas, stormy seas, soft fallen snow …

It has arrived. With it comes the temptation to make plans and promises, vows and verdicts, restorations and resolutions.

We make lists, and choose a word, and make dedications and say prayers … all in the act of making promises for this new year.

What if we just start with today,
followed by tomorrow,
each day vowing to
live the opportunities
that we are given?

What if we get to know the name of our daily barista, cashier, janitor or garbage man, our neighbour? and say it when we speak to them.

What if, rather than rant on social network about how the government treats refugees, veterans, women, homeless … we roll up our sleeves and do what we want the government to do?

What if, rather than complain about our jobs, we look our co-workers, our boss in the eye and say I am so thankful for you, for this place to earn my living?

What if, rather than complain about how little is done around the house by our kids, our spouse, we look them in the eyes and say thanks when we catch them doing something?

What if, rather than complain about men, women, millennial, seniors or children, we just treat all people as we would like to be treated?

What if we just live this year with one goal, a one-item list, and re-live it each day of the year, as each day provides us opportunities to fulfill it?

“In everything,
treat others as you would want them to treat you”
Matthew 7:12

There can be no greater goal, no better rule, than that which is gold.

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Cheesecake with God’s Own

Posted in life, Walking with God, tagged #biblememory, #cheesecakewithgodsown, #doit, #homelessness, #john316, #lowereastside, #smallthingswithgreatlove, #teachthemtoyourchildren #john3:16, #youareasoul on December 27, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Though cheesecake is heavenly, and creamy mochas divine, I had no idea that I would be dining with God yesterday.

After purchasing a promised Christmas gift, my daughter and I wandered the streets, enjoying the sights of the downtown of the city. At eleven o’clock on Boxing Day, the streets were quiet, yet still festive.

As we crossed a street to walk through an artfully painted alley, a woman met us, telling her tale of woe … a poor sleep due to fear of a lady neighbour … and imploring us to buy her a coffee …

As my eyes looked behind the woman, dressed in dirty clothes, long sleeves under an aqua-colored men’s polo top, hair pulled back into a not-so trendy-looking ponytail, I noticed the more upscale cheesecake restaurant … one for date night, for trendy people looking for organic fare.

Immediately I said that of course we could buy her a coffee.

What followed was two of the sweetest hours, that rushed by in what seemed like seconds.

We encouraged her to choose whatever she wanted.

It would seem our new friend has a sweet tooth, so not just a coffee, but a mocha, topped with decadent whipping cream. Not just a savoury scone (what we shared), but a slice of mocha cheesecake.

She was careful to remember her manners (she mentioned this a couple of time).

Our conversation had to do with how it is what is on the inside of a person that matters. We laughed. We just chatted … like three old friends.

She told us about how she got from her small hometown of Sault Ste. Marie to Vancouver, with a boyfriend (now long gone). Of how she had never been beat up … until she got out of jail. How she had been clean for two days straight.

She told us about how she used to do competitions at her childhood church. That someone had stolen her Bible. Then she recited verses, long ago imprinted on her mind, her soul.

“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:19

I started to say, “I bet I know one that you know …”

before I finished the sentence she was reciting John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We continued our chatting, went to pick up some toiletries for her (my daughter jumped in to pay this time), then walked her back to her place.

How do I describe her ‘home’? There was table of clean needles in the entry, the dirt, the clientele with heads hanging (life wiped from their memory) … but it was warm, the manager at the desk seemed sincere, the lady across the hall who had crawled into her bed the night before when fear overtook her mind.

We exchanged hugs, and thanks for the chance to get to know each other.

As we walked the sidewalk to our vehicle, we wondered how she, any of them, might ever get clean in such a place, such a life. The problems are so much more complex than we like to think when we sit in our warm, and safe and color-co-ordinated homes.

I shared with my daughter something that I had once heard.

I am only responsible for the opportunities that God gives me to share in His care for his people. If I am asked for money, or food and if I give it, my gift might be wasted … but it also might not, and that is not my worry. My concern is simply will I respond? Will I give as the hands and feet of God?

As Mother Teresa was known to say, “we cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.”

I may never know if our friend makes it to three days clean, or if she slept safely that night, or if she will ever remember us … but we will never forget her, she has changed us, for we sat across a table from a beautiful soul, and we saw God in her eyes.

Gotta go … I have to mail a Bible to a friend.

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Forgiveness … it’s all Greek (and Hebrew) to Me

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #bitterness, #forgiveness, #forgivenessitsallgreektome, #grudges, #inthepowerofgod, #letgoofhurt, forgivenessisdivine on November 26, 2018| 2 Comments »

“As you let go of grudges, you’ll no longer define your life by how you’ve been hurt.” The Mayo Clinic

Medicine and psychology would both encourage the benefits of the practise of forgiving. To do so can effect blood pressure, the immune system, as well as improve mental health, anxiety, stress and depression.

But, what does the Bible say?

When I began my study into Biblical forgiveness (a-lesson-in-forgiveness), I discovered that, on the surface, it was not as clear as I had always thought, particularly when I looked at the life story of Joseph, our man with the coat of many colours.

I decided I needed to understand the origins of forgiveness in Greek or Hebrew, in the various locations in the Bible where forgiveness is spoken of.

In Hebrew, there are three main words forgiveness is translated from. Kaphar, which means shelter or to atone. Naga’ is the most frequently translated word for forgiveness in the Bible, and it means to to lift up, as in the taking away of a burden.

Then there is salach, and it is special, for it is never used (biblically) for instances of human forgiveness. This is the forgiveness that only God can give … not only is forgiveness given, but it is as though the offence never happened (though the debt of it still had to be paid, but we do not pay this, for we cannot, only Jesus’ blood could pay that debt).

You and I cannot do this type of forgiveness.

In the Greek, the words used for forgiveness are aphesis means pardon, cancellation of a debt, apolyo which means set free, and charizomai meaning God’s freely given grace.

Then there is aphiemi which means to set free … it not only forgives, but erases or covers, as in Jeremiah 31:34:

“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more”.

This is not forgiveness on our own strength, but through Christ, and it is ONLY through Christ that we can forgive others. It is a miraculous thing, not a mental one for there is nothing within us that can forgive. This supernatural action is what Philippians 2:13 declares:

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

And this is the crux of forgiveness from a biblical perspective … it is only in in the power of God, that our human need to forgive is covered and a working of the divine makes our effort successful, setting not just our offender, but also ourselves free indeed.

We must forgive, because it is in our weakness that Christ’s strength transforms our forgiveness, our naga (taking away a burden) and makes it aphiemi (erased).

I love what John Steakhouse has said:

“To forgive does not mean to forget (in human terms). It does not mean to pretend that there is no debt, or that the debt is less than it actually is, or that the debt is somehow other than what it is. To forgive is to refuse to claim one’s just deserts. It is to surrender one’s rights, to move on without vengeance, retribution, or even simple justice. It is to generously draw a line under the debt and say, “That’s over. Let’s move on.”” And this is not something that can be done in our own strength, but only with and under the cover of Christ.

This story creates a beautiful illustration of the beauty of choosing forgiveness:

One day when Stan Mooneyham was walking along a trail in East Africa with some friends, he became aware of a delightful odor that filled the air. He looked up in the trees and around at the bushes in an effort to discover where it was coming from. Then his friends told him to look down at the small blue flower growing along the path. Each time they crushed the tiny blossoms under their feet, more of its sweet perfume was released into the air. Then his friends said, “We call it the forgiveness flower.” This forgiveness flower does not wait until we ask forgiveness for crushing it. It does not release its fragrance in measured doses or hold us to a reciprocal arrangement. It does not ask for an apology; it merely lives up to its name and forgives-freely, fully, richly. (from PreceptAustin.com)

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A Lesson in Forgiveness

Posted in GOD, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #alessoninforgiveness, #fatherforgivethem, #forgiveandforget, #forgiveforyou, #godforgives, #whatisforgiveness, #whyforgive, Forgiveness on October 30, 2018| 4 Comments »

IMG_4461 (1) When one is convicted by God, it is clear … unless you feel really uncomfortable with the lesson God has for you, then the instinct to flee and forget is greatest.

Such was the case when God was stalking me, prodding me to immerse myself into understanding forgiveness.

The first biblical reference that came to mind was from Luke 23:40, when Jesus was hanging on the cross and he cried out:

“Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing”

But what if they do know what they are doing/have done?

This is the verse that is reminded to people when the their injury is still bleeding. Can forgiveness happen before the full weight of the trauma is felt? Can one forgive before the one who did the injury feels the weight of their actions?

Then there is the story of Joseph in the Old Testament (Genesis 37, 39-48). Our favoured boy in the coat of many colours, attacked, then sold by his brothers into slavery. After years of slavery, he became favoured by Pharaoh, a man with a position and power. Then, during a famine ‘chance’ gave them opportunity to reunite (unbeknownst to the brothers). And Joseph forgave them … NOT! Joseph played head games with them, putting them in prison, asking if they had any brothers at home, then having them leave Simon as a prisoner until their return with Benjamin. Placing their payment for grain, a silver cup in their sacks, to test their honesty. It wasn’t until he heard them speaking in Hebrew, saying, “now we must give an accounting for his (Joseph’s) blood” (42:22), that he knew they were repentant … then he forgave.

What? I have always been taught that we forgive regardless of the repentance of the one who wronged us!

Within the story of Joseph is a fascinating tidbit about how Joseph dealt with the sins committed against him by his brothers:

“Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household” (Genesis 41: 51). What?! God made him forget what was done to him? But he never forgave them. I have always been told that forgiveness is for the victim, the one who is wronged … that we forgive so that we might have peace. It would seem that Joseph had peace simply by God granting him amnesia over the events that had been done.

Within the Lord’s prayer we hear the words, “And forgive us our debts/transgressions/sins, as we also have forgiven our debtors/transgressors/sinners” (Matthew 6:12). But, does that only qualify if what someone else did to us was an actual sin? What if they said something thoughtless or mean-spirited? Is that forgivable? Does God only forgive us inasmuch as we have forgiven others?

So many questions!

Since I started immersing myself into the topic of forgiveness I have found myself with far more questions than answers. I find that much more of my understanding of the topic of forgiveness has to do with psychology, song lyrics and cliches than that of biblical instruction and application. I know there must be more to this topic and I am determined to unearth it.

So, for the next few weeks I am planning on spending my blog-writing time (basically every spare, waking moment) immersing myself in what it is to forgive. There will still be posts rolling out on this site … reposts of blogs posts of the past seven years.

Forgive my absence 😉

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