What happens when I get off course?
Do I always need to reevaluate, or does wisdom just get back on the horse I was riding when I fell off? Depends, but usually a new revelation isn't necessary.
Our mistakes are more frequent than our incidences of ignorance, so, many times, just practice;
don't reinvent the wheel.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Voice We Entertain Represents Whom We Worship
Of course, praying in tongues, worshiping, reading God's word, etc (all regularly), help us get to know the voice of our Shepherd. But they are not an end unto themselves, just the means. No one, such practice is necessarily that critical factor in the moment of self-evaluation where we choose to entertain either evil thoughts (stress) or holy ones (peace).
I find in particular that simply taking this inventory of what Lance Wallnau calls my 'self talk', really is turnkey in following after either peace or distress. We remember that our enemy can only speak to us from what fills his heart: anger, lies, frustration, impatience, fear, anxiety, depression and stress--these all come from beneath. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable (James 3), full of good fruits (cf. Gal 5 lists!)"... whereas "every good and perfect gift (thought?!) is from above, descending from the father of lights (also James, ch 1)."
See? Our heavenly father also speaks to us from what fills his heart, too. :)
And so the pause of reflection aids in our fellowship with the Holy Spirit, as Mike Bickle, Benny Hinn, and others have called it. Because THE KEY IS *YOU*!!!!! The key is ME!!! It's the HUMAN'S HEART that all of hell wars over--it's worship of the Lamb of God or else worship of the beast (in the book of Revelation)--that's what it's all about, and whomever's VOICE you and I entertain *answers* that question.
Truthfully, the heart of man IS the wellspring of life (proverbs), and flowing *from it* are your ISSUES of life.
<selah>
I've heard Brian Houston say it this way, humorously: "If you're having bad issues in life, check your heart!"
... As Misty sings, "Life takes place behind the face."
I find in particular that simply taking this inventory of what Lance Wallnau calls my 'self talk', really is turnkey in following after either peace or distress. We remember that our enemy can only speak to us from what fills his heart: anger, lies, frustration, impatience, fear, anxiety, depression and stress--these all come from beneath. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable (James 3), full of good fruits (cf. Gal 5 lists!)"... whereas "every good and perfect gift (thought?!) is from above, descending from the father of lights (also James, ch 1)."
See? Our heavenly father also speaks to us from what fills his heart, too. :)
And so the pause of reflection aids in our fellowship with the Holy Spirit, as Mike Bickle, Benny Hinn, and others have called it. Because THE KEY IS *YOU*!!!!! The key is ME!!! It's the HUMAN'S HEART that all of hell wars over--it's worship of the Lamb of God or else worship of the beast (in the book of Revelation)--that's what it's all about, and whomever's VOICE you and I entertain *answers* that question.
Truthfully, the heart of man IS the wellspring of life (proverbs), and flowing *from it* are your ISSUES of life.
<selah>
I've heard Brian Houston say it this way, humorously: "If you're having bad issues in life, check your heart!"
... As Misty sings, "Life takes place behind the face."
Monday, November 7, 2011
Make The Tree Good
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:32-34 (also Luke 6:42)
Interesting. "Make the tree good"... not, "See if the tree is good."
This tells us, first, that we have the power to make the 'tree' of our lives either good or bad, period.
Jesus goes on, impressively:
You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
Yeowch! Pretty steep. The second thing this tells us is that the thoughts of our hearts which flow out of our MOUTHS are what make the tree good or bad:
There is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man... For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts... All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man (excerpts from Mark 8:15-23; see also previous chapter).
The message?
1) Take inventory of your fruit, especially the fruit of your lips: is it praise and thanksgiving, blessing and honor? Or is it back-biting, criticism, destruction and disrespect?
2) Lobotomize yourself (Rom 12:1; 2Cor 3:18). Repent, while there is still time to repent (Heb 3:15; 4:7). Learn from Jesus' message in his last words to the disciples before facing death: "Any branch that does not bear fruit is cut off (John 15-ish)."
James says it this way:
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongues is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life (! ...for better or for worse?!), and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tames by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water: Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh. Who, among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Make the tree good.
Interesting. "Make the tree good"... not, "See if the tree is good."
This tells us, first, that we have the power to make the 'tree' of our lives either good or bad, period.
Jesus goes on, impressively:
You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
Yeowch! Pretty steep. The second thing this tells us is that the thoughts of our hearts which flow out of our MOUTHS are what make the tree good or bad:
There is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man... For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts... All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man (excerpts from Mark 8:15-23; see also previous chapter).
The message?
1) Take inventory of your fruit, especially the fruit of your lips: is it praise and thanksgiving, blessing and honor? Or is it back-biting, criticism, destruction and disrespect?
2) Lobotomize yourself (Rom 12:1; 2Cor 3:18). Repent, while there is still time to repent (Heb 3:15; 4:7). Learn from Jesus' message in his last words to the disciples before facing death: "Any branch that does not bear fruit is cut off (John 15-ish)."
James says it this way:
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongues is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life (! ...for better or for worse?!), and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tames by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water: Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh. Who, among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Make the tree good.
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Voice of Another You Simply Will Not Follow
It isn't praying in tongues; it isn't reading the word; it isn't worshiping or meditating or confessing that brings your breakthrough from some of life's toughest moments: it's knowing his voice.
He said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But 'knowing' means more than 'ascertaining,' or even 'concluding'. To know means... well, to know!
You know! When you know that you know that you KNOW something. That kind of 'know'.
You don't work to get free; you get free, and then you freely work.
And discerning the voice of the shepherd (John 10) / bridegroom (Mt 25) / Father (John 6) -- is the thing to focus on.
So, when you're down and out, and trying to figure out how to get up and in...
just "think about what you're thinking about," as my friend Greg Boyd says,
and when you smell rotten egg, it's rotten egg...
and when you smell peace, it is peace.
Save yourself some time... "Let peace be your umpire."
He said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But 'knowing' means more than 'ascertaining,' or even 'concluding'. To know means... well, to know!
You know! When you know that you know that you KNOW something. That kind of 'know'.
You don't work to get free; you get free, and then you freely work.
And discerning the voice of the shepherd (John 10) / bridegroom (Mt 25) / Father (John 6) -- is the thing to focus on.
So, when you're down and out, and trying to figure out how to get up and in...
just "think about what you're thinking about," as my friend Greg Boyd says,
and when you smell rotten egg, it's rotten egg...
and when you smell peace, it is peace.
Save yourself some time... "Let peace be your umpire."
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Quit Returning To Your Dead Husband: leave law behind as lord
Today, after I fell in sin, I heard reasoning in my mind like, "No wonder I fell, I haven't been in worship," and I assented to agree with this! Rather...it is starting to seem more like the truth is that the harder I try (even "in the spirit"), the worse I will fail (1), and that the answer more is to relax a bit, entrust the issue to him (and others, through confession), and just go on ignoring its presence until, like dried out branches do, it just falls off, the life from focussing on it cut off from flowing to it. (2)
Maybe rather than presuming to cut out our own sin, we are to merely focus on receiving from God--HIS love, HIS ways, HIS spirit--and the LIFE to that thing ultimately will be cut off!!? (3) Whereas, if I focus on it, even to try and KILL it, then I give it fresh life (my attention) and empower it negatively...because the brain does not interpret the negative qualifier withinin the command: "Stop sinning" translates only as, "Sinning" ! (1)
And so, even a negative focus IS a focus which dooms you by drawing you in magnetically. You become what you think about. (Proverbs) That's why we reap our judgments of others, in our own lives--because we've sown so much focus into this thing we supposedly despise (4)(5) ...but ask any neglected child: Negative attention is better than no attention!
The devil is happy to have you STRIVE against sin...because you're still wrapped up in paying attention to yourself! "I do not even judge myself," Paul said, "but by this I am not acquitted." I.e., there IS one who judges the minds, hearts, and intents of man. He IS the word, sharper than any double-edged sword. (3)
Why don't we leave it to him?
Leave that old husband of law behind. Instead of focussing on self, and how we don't measure up, let's enjoy our bridegroom of love and give him the reward of his suffering! (6)
..............................
Footnotes for Study:
(1) Romans 6-8, esp ch 7
(2) 1 John: "No one born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him"...which seed will overtake the old, obsolete branches, i.e.,
(3) Hebrews 3-4 (regarding the believer's rest, in trusting rather than striving and ceasing from WORKS AS hope)
(4) See Romans 2 "Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things." This is not a 'case' study, it's a prophetic law of justice, dooming you and I to fall into the exact sins we judge others for.
(5) Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted."
(6) Isaiah 53:11
See also entire book of Galatians.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)