There are certain themes that always seem to accompany God, and "Faith" is one of the biggest. It wasn't until this weekend that I really took a lot of time to make a connection between faith and living a life with God. I'm only gonna share this one lesson, but this one is gonna be a bit long so please bear with me. It's a really really deep topic that God taught me a lot about that I am only going to be able to begin to scratch the surface of, but I am going to try and make it worth your while to stick it out and read all the way through.
LESSON 5: God Will Never Stop Growing Your Faith
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. So his sisters went to Jesus and said "Lord, the one you love is sick." When He heard this he said "This sickness will not end in death. No, it's for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." They stayed where they were for two more days, then He told His disciples that they were going to go to Judea. His disciples questioned Him about going and after responding to them, He added "Oh yeah, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up." The disciples began giving Jesus medical advice: "But Lord, if he sleeps, he'll get better!" But Jesus wasn't actually talking about sleep. He tells them "Lazarus is dead..." then proceeds to say one of the most insensitive things but also something that for me that has opened my eyes to a crazy new level of understanding of God: "...and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." His disciples must have been really confused at this one. I imagine one of them (probably Peter) saying: "Wait, so you're telling me that it's so important to you that we develop a deeper, more mature faith that a man had to DIE?" then Jesus replying "Yep, lets go wake him up".
After they make it back, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days and had been buried and placed in a tomb, and by this time his body had even begun to decay. The entire village had most likely been there at his funeral, had helped with his burial, and had mourned with his sisters, Mary and Martha. I'm not going to get into all the awesome lessons that can be taken away from what happens next, but Jesus, after talking with some people goes to the tomb where Lazarus is buried. A crowd had gathered by this time and was watching what was about to transpire. Jesus, standing in front of the tomb prays this prayer: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe that you have sent me." In my own paraphrase, He said: "God, you've heard my prayers. YOU want Lazarus raised from the dead, I want Lazarus raised from the dead. In fact, the only reason I'm praying this now is so that everyone here sees that You sent me and that You're the one that's gonna make this happen. Okay, ready? Lets do this!" Then He turns to the tomb and shouts "Lazarus, come out!"
It says then that from the tomb, the dead man came out, his hands, feet, and face still wrapped up in the burial cloths. Jesus even had to remind people "Hey guys, go help him take his grave clothes off!" because they were probably standing there in such shock and awe as to what they just witnessed! Guys, there is NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING that our God can't do!!! All this, all of it was done for two purposes: to deepen and mature the faith of the disciples, and to point a big ol' glorifying spotlight on God and just how sovereign, powerful, and GOOD He is!
This story can be found and read for yourself in John 11, but I want to point out something. Jesus could have gone and healed Lazarus right when he was at the point of death and He still would have been seen as a miracle maker. Bringing a man back from the dead after all hope of a miracle had passed, however, deepened the faith of the disciples and everyone who was there like never before! If God is able to bring someone back from the DEAD, what is there He can't do?! At that point, however, God raised the bar for the disciples and this is where Lesson 2 really began for me.
Being the kind of person I am, I like to know things. I like to know what's going to happen to me, I like to know (even if generally speaking) what to expect, I like certainty. I'm sure you can probably relate, most people do. Knowing things is definitely not a bad thing either! There is nothing wrong with knowing what you're going to have for dinner tonight, knowing what's going to be on next week's test, what your boss expects of you at work... and knowing exactly what that thing is that your dog is eating. Those are usually really good things to know. When it comes to knowing what God is going to be doing in your life, however, I would recommend considering not trying too hard to figure it out. I know I am going to be getting a lot of emails about this one but before you start composing one, please just hear me out.
God wants a relationship with us. No one is going to deny that. God wants us to know Him, and that's why He will always answer the prayer "are you there?" Chances are, however, He's not going to answer with a bright light suddenly appearing in the middle of a room and a big booming voice from Heaven saying "Yes, I am here!" He's capable of it, sure, but you probably don't want Him to. See, faith is one of those things God asks of us. In John 20:29, Jesus says "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." It's so important to Him that your faith be grown, that if He reveals Himself in a way that takes away your need for faith, you can almost be certain that He's going to put you through another kind of test or allow you to go through some different circumstances that pushes your faith and makes you turn to and trust in Him.
Part of what I was seeking this weekend was confirmation of some things I believe to the core of my being that God told me years ago. I just wanted reassurance that they were from Him, and frankly I began to doubt because it seemed as though He wasn't gonna come through for me. I just needed to know! Was I believing a lie or should I keep hoping and trusting? During my time away, however, I learned this very lesson and soon after, during some quiet time, I felt God telling me "Caleb, just trust me... wait...I got this...let go... I've got to work on something first." This was something that I felt God had been telling me for weeks at that point, but it wasn't until I got away and got still that it really clicked in my head. I shared what had happened with my old mentor and he told me "Yep, that sounds like the Big Guy."
That is the kind of thing I am talking about though. God reveals things to us, sure, but the more He does the higher the bar is set for us to be faithful, and the tests we might face could be so much more challenging. It sounds like a rotten deal doesn't it? It sounds as though the best thing to do is just not try and think too much about this stuff in the first place because, I mean, who wants to be put through bigger tests and challenges? Who wants to take the risk of more suffering and hardship? That's up to you. I'll tell you what though, if you're up for the challenge; if you're willing to trust God and go along with it and push yourself and allow God to stretch you, you'll begin to see things and you'll begin to experience things through God that you never would have thought possible! You'll develop a depth of faith never before imagined and a trust in God that will be UNSHAKABLE! You'll be able to see works of wonder and power, you'll see lives changed, and sometimes even witness actual miracles! There will be days where you collapse in bed, say to God "Wow, I never could have made it through today without your direct intervention... thank you God for such an adventure!" You reach that point with God, and your life will never be the same!
Missed the last one? Catch up in Time Out! Get Still, Get Quiet... Listen. (Part 2)
To Be Continued in: Time Out! Get Still, Get Quiet...Listen. (Part 4)
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Identifying Truth
The other day I was conversing with a friend of mine and I brought up a topic for which I had been seeking answers for a while now. She paused for a moment, considered what she would say, then shared her perspective. When she did, I kid you not, every fiber of my being began screaming out "THAT'S IT! THAT'S TRUTH!" My dear, dear Friend had presented truth to me and I instantly knew it. This wasn't the first time either... this is a friend whom, because of this and several other instances like it, I now trust implicitly in every way because I know she speaks truth. That does bring up the question: what is truth and how can we know what truth is when it is spoken? How did I know so wholly and completely that what I heard was truth?
Award winning staff writer for the New Yorker and best selling author Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book on this topic called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking in an attempt to answer that very question. I read the book and would highly recommend it due to its interesting subject matter and its readability. However, It doesn't answer the question. There is a TV show called "Lie to me" which is a thriller/drama about a team of deception experts who use their expertise in various situations ranging from prisoner interrogation to governmental appointee vetting. They can look at a person, talk to them for a couple minutes then tell whether or not they are telling the truth. However, it does not answer the question. Professors, books, Philosophies, even other religions try to present truth and give reasons as to how you can know or believe that they are speaking truth, but each of them fall short. So what is truth and how can anyone know?
I decided I am going to keep this very short and simple. In other words, no long winded narratives this time. I'm pulling this straight from the Bible because it gives us the straight answer:
In essence, all truth comes from God. God is truth and his words are truth. Anything that comes from God is truth and it is the standard by which everything is compared to truth. So, how can we know what truth is? How can we know what God is saying in every instance? How do we know what truth is for that exact circumstance you're seeking answers to? WELL... that really is a complicated question. It's one that I, unfortunately, do not have a catch-all answer for. If anyone knows, by all means share! Here's what I do know though:
Award winning staff writer for the New Yorker and best selling author Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book on this topic called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking in an attempt to answer that very question. I read the book and would highly recommend it due to its interesting subject matter and its readability. However, It doesn't answer the question. There is a TV show called "Lie to me" which is a thriller/drama about a team of deception experts who use their expertise in various situations ranging from prisoner interrogation to governmental appointee vetting. They can look at a person, talk to them for a couple minutes then tell whether or not they are telling the truth. However, it does not answer the question. Professors, books, Philosophies, even other religions try to present truth and give reasons as to how you can know or believe that they are speaking truth, but each of them fall short. So what is truth and how can anyone know?
I decided I am going to keep this very short and simple. In other words, no long winded narratives this time. I'm pulling this straight from the Bible because it gives us the straight answer:
- Jesus said that God's word is truth.
- "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is TRUTH." John 17:7
- Jesus said that HIS word is truth.
- "Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.Then you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free.” John 8:31-32
- John the Apostle taught that Jesus HIMSELF is truth.
- "For the law was given through Moses; grace and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17
In essence, all truth comes from God. God is truth and his words are truth. Anything that comes from God is truth and it is the standard by which everything is compared to truth. So, how can we know what truth is? How can we know what God is saying in every instance? How do we know what truth is for that exact circumstance you're seeking answers to? WELL... that really is a complicated question. It's one that I, unfortunately, do not have a catch-all answer for. If anyone knows, by all means share! Here's what I do know though:
- God gave us His word in the form of Scripture.
- "...you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:15-16
- God gave us a Community of believers.
- "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
But see, in the Bible, God doesn't speak directly to every single situation we might face, nor do other people always know what truth is for your life. So,
- God gave us the Holy Spirit
- "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit (within me)—" Romans 9:1 (My words added in parentheses)
Listen, I don't claim to have it all figured out. I don't even believe that it's possible to know the truth in every situation. Knowing the truth has brought me freedom, yes, but it has also brought me misery, heartache, betrayal, and pain. Sometimes we just have to move forward in life just trusting that God has it all under control. It is not very satisfying, I admit. For someone like me, it's more than not satisfying... it's downright maddening. But I do know that the closer you are to God, the closer you are to Truth. The closer you are to Truth, the more clearly you can hear the Holy Spirit guiding you. THAT is the point where incredible things start happening in your life.
OH and I know that my dear Friend is the GREATEST for being willing to speak truth to me the way she does. It's not always pretty, nor does she tell me what I want to hear all the time... but it's the straight Truth, it's from God, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Dear Friend, thank you so very much for being a voice of Truth in my life and I truly hope you know how grateful I am for you.
-The Sailing Preacher
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Double Life
So, it's been several months since my last post, and I do apologize. I have been on a journey of self-discovery and have learned quite a few interesting things. It's a funny thing, comming to terms with oneself. In my opinion, too few people take time enough to look within themselves and come to grips with who they really are. Among those who do, even fewer actually have enough courage to share any of that with anyone else.
It is my observation that every person lives two lives... the one they share with people and the one they live in private. Rarely does the life they live in private surpass the one they live in public in terms of respectability and reputability. It was Plato who first suggested a dualistic (double) nature to the universe. His philosophy was that there was a physical world and an immateral world and both were identical in some ways yet different in others. He theorized that the immateral world was perfect/ideal and the physical world was nothing but shadows of the ideal world. This is illustrated by his famous Allegory of the Cave. You can look it up on your own if you're curious about the full and complete details of that stuff on your own, but if you don't want to wade through all the deep thinking and analysis that is necessary to understand it, I'll cover the basics in a short paragraph, then explain why I am bringing up the works of a long dead Greek philosopher.
Plato living today would explain his theory as thus: Suppose you're looking at a chair. That chair is only an imperfect illusion. In reality, the perfect chair exists in the ideal world, the immaterial world, the perfect world, and all we're seeing is a physical copy of that perfect chair. But, because it's physical, it can never be as perfect or as real as the chair in the ideal world, and since we exist in the physical world, we can never fully comprehend nor see that ideal chair.
Having explained it not much clearer than Plato did, I will now explain why I brought that up. We all live a dualistic nature. We have an ideal life (the private one that no one sees) and a physical life (the one that everyone sees). The difference between Plato's philosophy and what I'm talking about is that because we're human and can choose to reveal ourselves as we see fit. However, not enough of us understand our double lives enough to bring the hidden one to the surface.
When we go to church on sundays, why is it that no matter how our week was, no matter what crap we tread through,when asked how we are doing, we always put on that smile and reply with the usual "I'm good thanks," and move on? Why is it that we let our friends in to deeper parts of our lives, and our families into others. No one, and I mean no one knows every deep dark secret that we have to hide. Why is that? Is it because we're ashamed of who we are?
One of the things I've been thinking about recently is Christian culture and other things that go along with it. Why is it that every human being has made a judgement of someone else. You think you're better than someone and I promise you that every person feels the same way. I know that in church, there are a TON of suit wearin', bible-thumpin', scripture quotin', blue hairs (old people) walking around and just as many church goin', worship music listenin', small group attendin', bible readin' young folks who are all the same: Self Righteous. I know this because when a young woman comes in off the street with her little baby and no daddy in sight... some people will pass judgement and ignore her while giving her "the eye", and others will think "She needs my help, I'm going to reach out to her and show her through my life that she too can be freed of her life of sin if only she accepts Christ."
Right away, the instinct is to say "that's a good thing", but lets take a look at the mind set of the person saying that. The "considerate" person really has several things going on inside of them and some of them might be as follows:
1) "Every one of us has sinned, but I have accepted Christ and now try to live a holy life, one that can be used as an example for how Christians should live."
2) "Wow, I'm sure glad my sins aren't as big as hers." or for some "Wow, I'm sure glad I don't sin like that anymore"
3) "She needs my (or at least someone's) help"
Each and every one of these things might, on the surface, seem innocuous or even good! However, this is too a dualistic reality. See, with these thoughts and ideas, the "considerate person" has elevated himself or herself above the young mother in righteous stature. There is, in fact, a term for this... Self-Righteousness. The supposedly considerate person has obviously spent a long time working to purify their lives and this holds himself or herself to be more holy than another. What this person has forgotten was that at one time or another, they too were a lowly sinner destined for Hell. Christ came into the picture and completely forgave them of their sins. Now, they live their lives completely without the need for Jesus. They're not sinners anymore by their own standard. They have all the answers and holy life. They've forgotten that they still sin on a daily basis. They've forgotten that we still need Christ, and that we are no better than the young mother.
The person who attempts to live a Holy life soon forgets that they need Christ and not long after, take the place of Christ in their own lives. They become obsessed with living Holy lives and soon become disconnected with the people still not knowing Christ. Enough years go by and they become the folks who ignore the young mother but give her the "eye". The self righteousness becomes a way of life and they become like the Pharasees of the New Testament and forget what Grace really is. The funny thing about this whole scenario is that most likely, the person has some deep sinful secrets... a hidden life, a private, secret sin that they refuse to admit to, deal with, or even ask Jesus for forgiveness for. I mean, they have already taken the place of Christ in their own lives, so they don't need Christ to forgive them! In their minds, their goodness outweighs their one little sin, and BAM! They've fallen into the same trap that people have been getting caught in for centuries... They're trying to earn Heaven by their own good works. To reference Led Zepplin, they're "Buying a stairway to Heaven". Shoot, if they keep their sins a secret for long enough, they might begin to believe that they don't even commit that sin.
I, for one, do not wish to become like the Pharasees. I would recommend that you come to grips with your own sins, stop denying that they exist, lest you too begin to believe that you're better than everybody else. Stop living a double life. Find someone to spill all your deepest secrets to. It will make certain that you never live a double life again. You'll finally be able to live the life like Christ would really want you to: completely dependent on Him!
A Disclaimer: This is not written to give license to sin, but instead to help you feel comfortable with who you are and not feel guilty while trying to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. Ultimately the goal of everyone should be to become like Christ, but I know human nature and I know that people aren't that good.
-The Sailing Preacher
PS. If there are any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
It is my observation that every person lives two lives... the one they share with people and the one they live in private. Rarely does the life they live in private surpass the one they live in public in terms of respectability and reputability. It was Plato who first suggested a dualistic (double) nature to the universe. His philosophy was that there was a physical world and an immateral world and both were identical in some ways yet different in others. He theorized that the immateral world was perfect/ideal and the physical world was nothing but shadows of the ideal world. This is illustrated by his famous Allegory of the Cave. You can look it up on your own if you're curious about the full and complete details of that stuff on your own, but if you don't want to wade through all the deep thinking and analysis that is necessary to understand it, I'll cover the basics in a short paragraph, then explain why I am bringing up the works of a long dead Greek philosopher.
Plato living today would explain his theory as thus: Suppose you're looking at a chair. That chair is only an imperfect illusion. In reality, the perfect chair exists in the ideal world, the immaterial world, the perfect world, and all we're seeing is a physical copy of that perfect chair. But, because it's physical, it can never be as perfect or as real as the chair in the ideal world, and since we exist in the physical world, we can never fully comprehend nor see that ideal chair.
Having explained it not much clearer than Plato did, I will now explain why I brought that up. We all live a dualistic nature. We have an ideal life (the private one that no one sees) and a physical life (the one that everyone sees). The difference between Plato's philosophy and what I'm talking about is that because we're human and can choose to reveal ourselves as we see fit. However, not enough of us understand our double lives enough to bring the hidden one to the surface.
When we go to church on sundays, why is it that no matter how our week was, no matter what crap we tread through,when asked how we are doing, we always put on that smile and reply with the usual "I'm good thanks," and move on? Why is it that we let our friends in to deeper parts of our lives, and our families into others. No one, and I mean no one knows every deep dark secret that we have to hide. Why is that? Is it because we're ashamed of who we are?
One of the things I've been thinking about recently is Christian culture and other things that go along with it. Why is it that every human being has made a judgement of someone else. You think you're better than someone and I promise you that every person feels the same way. I know that in church, there are a TON of suit wearin', bible-thumpin', scripture quotin', blue hairs (old people) walking around and just as many church goin', worship music listenin', small group attendin', bible readin' young folks who are all the same: Self Righteous. I know this because when a young woman comes in off the street with her little baby and no daddy in sight... some people will pass judgement and ignore her while giving her "the eye", and others will think "She needs my help, I'm going to reach out to her and show her through my life that she too can be freed of her life of sin if only she accepts Christ."
Right away, the instinct is to say "that's a good thing", but lets take a look at the mind set of the person saying that. The "considerate" person really has several things going on inside of them and some of them might be as follows:
1) "Every one of us has sinned, but I have accepted Christ and now try to live a holy life, one that can be used as an example for how Christians should live."
2) "Wow, I'm sure glad my sins aren't as big as hers." or for some "Wow, I'm sure glad I don't sin like that anymore"
3) "She needs my (or at least someone's) help"
Each and every one of these things might, on the surface, seem innocuous or even good! However, this is too a dualistic reality. See, with these thoughts and ideas, the "considerate person" has elevated himself or herself above the young mother in righteous stature. There is, in fact, a term for this... Self-Righteousness. The supposedly considerate person has obviously spent a long time working to purify their lives and this holds himself or herself to be more holy than another. What this person has forgotten was that at one time or another, they too were a lowly sinner destined for Hell. Christ came into the picture and completely forgave them of their sins. Now, they live their lives completely without the need for Jesus. They're not sinners anymore by their own standard. They have all the answers and holy life. They've forgotten that they still sin on a daily basis. They've forgotten that we still need Christ, and that we are no better than the young mother.
The person who attempts to live a Holy life soon forgets that they need Christ and not long after, take the place of Christ in their own lives. They become obsessed with living Holy lives and soon become disconnected with the people still not knowing Christ. Enough years go by and they become the folks who ignore the young mother but give her the "eye". The self righteousness becomes a way of life and they become like the Pharasees of the New Testament and forget what Grace really is. The funny thing about this whole scenario is that most likely, the person has some deep sinful secrets... a hidden life, a private, secret sin that they refuse to admit to, deal with, or even ask Jesus for forgiveness for. I mean, they have already taken the place of Christ in their own lives, so they don't need Christ to forgive them! In their minds, their goodness outweighs their one little sin, and BAM! They've fallen into the same trap that people have been getting caught in for centuries... They're trying to earn Heaven by their own good works. To reference Led Zepplin, they're "Buying a stairway to Heaven". Shoot, if they keep their sins a secret for long enough, they might begin to believe that they don't even commit that sin.
I, for one, do not wish to become like the Pharasees. I would recommend that you come to grips with your own sins, stop denying that they exist, lest you too begin to believe that you're better than everybody else. Stop living a double life. Find someone to spill all your deepest secrets to. It will make certain that you never live a double life again. You'll finally be able to live the life like Christ would really want you to: completely dependent on Him!
A Disclaimer: This is not written to give license to sin, but instead to help you feel comfortable with who you are and not feel guilty while trying to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. Ultimately the goal of everyone should be to become like Christ, but I know human nature and I know that people aren't that good.
-The Sailing Preacher
PS. If there are any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
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