... flourishes when it most loves others,
but withers when it most loves self.
... flourishes when it has hope & trust,
but withers when it is hopeless & suspicious.
... flourishes when it is content & grateful,
but withers when it is discontented & resentful.
... flourishes when it is lifted up in praise,
but withers when it finds nothing worthwhile.
... flourishes in a daily walk with God,
but withers when it ignores God.
"The rhythm is daily, the pace is a walk." ----- Gary Runn
How do angelic beings as described in the Bible navigate in and out of our universe? Is there a multiverse with certain beings able to move from one universe to another? Or, are there multiple additional dimensions of which the reality of our three physical dimensions (four, incl. time) are only a subset? Is Zuckerberg's virtual reality a model that can help us understand God's role as Creator? Are our physical bodies like avatars for our souls to use in navigating this particular universe? While doing that navigation can we occasionally encounter creatures with additional dimensionality that seemingly arrive and disappear at will? When the Bible describes our future heavenly bodies, will they acquire additional dimensionality and thus be able to be in God's presence, whereas right now we cannot be?
Culture differs around the world and changes over time. The truth of God, as revealed in Jesus the Son of God, does not change. As culture shifts (whether left or right, collectivist or individualistic, totalitarian or decentralized), the more that it moves away from the truth of God, the greater is its hostility toward the truth of God. The more it moves away, the more it despises those who hold to the truth of God. The truth of God is always counter-cultural, it is always subversive to popular sentiment, because it points out where culture is in error. And so culture always hates God, because God stands outside culture and denies its power.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20
Jesus-followers need to be prepared to be thought of as subversive to pop culture. But when culture moves back into alignment with the truth of God, culture's adherents are less at odds with those who hold to God's truth, and there is more peace. The culture that aligns with the truth of God also sits under God's hand of blessing.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 13:34
Intro:
Each parable:
John 14:6 raises questions for people when they see Jesus saying "no one comes to the Father but by me". They ask, well what about those who lived prior to Jesus or who never heard about Him? John 5:16-30 makes it clear that Jesus will judge all people at the end of history, including the dead who did well and those who did not. And He declares that He will judge rightly, so in that way all who do come to Heaven will come there through Him - through His right judgment of their heart and deeds.
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (I Sam. 16:7)
When Jimmy & Allegra came to visit us and Julie in Austin last winter, we went to the Continental Club on South Congress to hear the Hot Club of Cowtown play. On the way out, Allegra told a story of how when her and brother Austin were little, they would make up songs as they walked around and she wondered if Jimmy ever did that. He said no, but I said that I did that all the time, still, and proceeded to make up a song about traffic in Austin, and the plusses and minuses of our staying south of town in Kyle next winter. Here are the lyrics. You'll have to trust me on the melody, but it's workable.
Psalm 1:1-3
Psalm 15:1-5
Psalm 24:3-4
Psalm 37:11-15
Micah 6:8
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 22:37-40
John 15:9-17
Many see ambition as the fuel that leads to success and accomplishment, to "going places" in life. But unchecked, it can also be a cancer, devouring you from the inside, eating you alive, driving you to be constantly dissatisfied with whatever degree of success you have in the relentless pursuit of more. At its core, ambition is essentially self-focused, a drive toward self-fulfillment, self-actualization.
Now, zeal for the Kingdom of God is worthy and admirable; but it can easily disguise a prideful motive to chase accomplishment and recognition, generating resentment if others, God included, receive the glory. The notion of "dreaming big dreams for God" can fall into this category. Be wary of anything that brings you recognition.
To truly find one's fulfillment in God, allowing yourself to be led by God, realizing your potential through focus on God's ability to transform you into your best self, leads to contentment. Contentment is the antidote to the poison of ambition.
I Timothy 6:6, Php. 4:11-13
We may have more senses than the 5 we usually credit.
Our physical senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste & touch) allow us to apprehend, comprehend and navigate the physical world around us.
But I think we also have 2 "metaphysical senses" - soul and spirit.
Spiritual sense is that part of us that allow us to apprehend, comprehend and navigate the unseen metaphysical world around us, as well as allow us to interact with God personally.
Soul sense allows us to use emotion, reason and intuition to process input from the other senses, both physical and spiritual. It allows us to make moral judgments, to draw conclusions about wisdom vs foolishness, good vs evil, integrity vs corruption, justice vs oppression, worldview, conscience, purpose, morality, etc.
Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth thou hast for me
Place in my hands that wonderful key
That will unclasp and set me free
Silently now I wait for thee
Ready, my Lord, Thy will to see
Open my eyes, illumine me
Spirit Divine
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your word;
Open my ears that I may hear your voice within your word;
Open my mind that I may understand the message to me in your word;
Open my heart that I may believe the truth contained in your word;
Open my will that I may desire, and do, what is written in your word.
Amen, Lord, amen.
The first quarter of my life was spent in learning, growing, coming to faith, finding a mate and and establishing a household.
The 2nd & 3rd quarters (half my expected life) was spent working, earning credentials, raising children, serving in church, giving generously and doing music.
Now in the last quarter of my life, I want to spend it deepening my walk with God, becoming more like Christ as I follow Him, serving others, living prudently and staying healthy.
When Paul tells the Philippians to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling", what does that mean? Suppose you have a dread disease known to be debilitating and incurable, leading to a miserable existence and certain death. Then a cure, 100% effective, is discovered. It's only drawback is that it is a gradual cure, certain to work, but slowly improving your condition over months and years with repeated treatment. If you take this treatment, you are saved!
But you will spend much time recovering, getting healthy, regaining function, until eventually you experience full, complete & enduring good health. You are saved, yes, but are "working out" that salvation over time - amazed at the progress, grateful for it, but still careful to focus on improvement via the treatment that will save you.
I know that God carries no illusions about us, He knows full well who we are so He is never disillusioned with us. He is never discouraged by us, but is always loving and forgiving toward us. But can God be disappointed in us when we make suboptimal choices, when we fail to call on Him for wisdom or deliverance? I know how it feels as a father when I see my children make choices that aren't good. How does God feel when I do the same? Is it like when Jesus grieved of Jerusalem's failure to embrace Him? (Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44)
The church is a community of sinners, of flawed and broken people who cling to Jesus for hope. As we commonly cling to Jesus, we wind up also clinging to each other, in all our individual messiness.
In this way, the church is like the homeless community, who are flawed and broken, estranged from family. In all their individual and collective messiness, they cling to each other, and to helping agencies, for hope.
In this life, we are all dealing with isolation. separated from our true home, stuggling with this life of pain and suffering. We long for the eternal Home which is being prepared for us.
