Clinging To Illusions

[In the book "Forgiveness: How to Make Peace With Your Past and Get on With Your Life" by Sidney and Suzanne Simon], the Simons say that one reason we often find it hard to forgive is because we are too attached to our illusions. They say that there are several key illusions that we cling to when we choose not to forgive.
First, we cling to the illusion that if the bad thing that happened to us hadn't happened, then our lives would be perfect. Of course, no life is perfect. But if we are angry and can't forgive something, we can live with the illusion that our life would be perfect if the bad thing hadn't happened.
Secondly, we cling to the illusion that we are all good, and the person we can't forgive is all bad. You see, if we forgive, we have to give up this black and white illusion and sometimes acknowledge that we are the ones in need of forgiveness.
The third illusion that we get to keep by choosing not to forgive is the illusion of power. We believe that we have some power over the other person by not forgiving them, that we have the power to make their lives miserable. But, in truth, oftentimes, they simply move on with their lives, oblivious to this supposed power we have over them. (Which really burns us up, doesn't it?!)
Finally, the Simons argue that not forgiving others allows us to live with the illusion that we will never be hurt again. We're still suffering from a huge hurt in our lives and so, as long as we wallow in it, we are under the illusion that it will protect us from any further hurts that might come our way.
For these illusions, and probably for many more, we often find it hard to forgive others.

- Eric Folkerth

Worship And Study Go Together

Now we must not worship without study for ignorant worship is of limited value and can be dangerous. We may develop "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2) and do great harm to ourselves and others. But worship must be added to study to complete the renewal of our mind through a willing absorption in the radiant person who is worthy of all praise.
Study without worship is also dangerous, and the people of Jesus constantly suffer from its effects, especially in academic settings. To handle the things of God without worship is always to falsify them. In worship we are ascribing greatness, goodness, and glory to God. It is typical of worship that we put every possible aspect of our being into it, all of our sensuous, conceptual, active, and creative capacity...
Worship nevertheless imprints on our whole being the reality that we study. The effect is a radical disruption of the powers of evil in us and around us.

- Dallas Willard in "The Divine Conspiracy"

Conforming To The Norm

"Do not be conformed to this world..." (Romans 12:2a NRSV)
We ought to recognize one of the great problems in our modern Christianity: Those who come to Christ probably have their minds made up that to stay sane they must remain "adjusted" to society around them. This notion has been drilled into them from their playpen, and it never occurs to them to question it. There is a "norm" out there somewhere to which they must conform, and that norm is above criticism. Their success and happiness depend upon how well they adjust to it; and Christianity, though it may add something to it, must never disagree with the main idea!
This is the popular notion in the world: "To be happy, adjust to the social norm!" The problem is that the idea will not hold up under examination. The world does not know where it is going; it has not found life's highest good. It is instead puzzled, frightened, and frustrated.
Thankfully, it was to this kind of world Jesus came. He died for its sin and now lives for the salvation of all who repudiate it!

- A. W. Tozer in "Renewed Day by Day"

Suffering Is A Response To Pain

"Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the law of his being." - As A Man Thinketh
Most people associate suffering with pain, be it physical, mental or spiritual. They assume suffering to be an automatic result of all pain. However, suffering is not a result of pain, it's a RESPONSE to pain.
Pain is an unpleasant signal that is warning you that something is wrong. Suffering, on the other hand, results from our wrong thinking about the pain. And, in fact, many people experience suffering who have no pain at all (hypochondria is an example of this).
I remember seeing Christopher Reeve (he was Superman in the movies) being interviewed by Larry King. In May 1995 the one-time "man of steel" was in a riding accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and dependent on a ventilator. It was obvious in watching him, with a drawn face and tense speech, that he has endured and continues to endure an incredible amount of pain. However, his response to this pain has been anything but suffering from it. He has instead devoted his life to helping others, especially those with paralysis. And his accomplishments have been extraordinary.
While Christopher has experienced the pain of physical paralysis, many of us have experienced the pain of divorce, layoffs, financial disaster, self-doubt, fear and a host of other ills. But like Reeve, we do not have to "suffer" from our pain --- it's our choice. And we don't have to be Superman or Superwoman to deal with it.
Deepak Chopra defines suffering as "that which threatens to make life meaningless." Life is meaningless when we don't have direction, a goal, or a vision. That's when we are inviting suffering into our life.
Christopher Reeve says, "My feeling is you have to deal with the reality as it is, but not accept it as permanent. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe there is any reason to give up. The goal is a cure. The goal is to get up and out of the wheelchair. And in the meantime, you deal with reality. But if you don't have a vision, nothing happens."

by Vic Johnson

An Alternative Power

Christian forgiveness should not be a refusal of strength, but rather ought to manifest an alternative power; Christian love, whether of neighbours or of enemies, should be a sign not of repressed anger and hatred but of anger and hatred confronted and, eventually, overcome and transcended; it should not be an internalized guilt that further diminishes and destroys but a truthful engagement with the causes and motivations underlying the situation of brokenness.

by L. Gregory Jones in "Embodying Forgiveness"

Listen Slowly

I vividly remember some time back being caught in the undertow of too many commitments in too few days. It wasn't long before I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day. Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.
I distinctly recall after supper one evening the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me about something important that had happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, "Daddy-I-wanna-tell-you-somethin'-and-I'll-tell-you-really-fast."
Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, "Honey, you can tell me ... and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly."
I'll never forget her answer: "Then listen slowly."

by Charles Swindoll in "Stress Fractures"

Seen In The Light Of God

Here is the great truth that, only when we see things in the light of God, do we see things as they are. It is only when we see things in the light of God that we see what things are really important, and what things are not. These things that seem vastly important, things like ambition, and prestige, and money and gain, lose all their value and importance when they are seen in the light of God. Pleasures and habits and social customs which seem permissible enough, are seen for the dangerous things they are when they are seen in the light of God. Things which seem evil, hardship, toil, discipline, unpopularity, even persecution, are seen in their glory when they are seen in the light of God.

- William Barclay in "The Revelation of John" (Vol. II)

God Is...

The space between belief and unbelief can be very small but what a difference it makes. A teenager hung a sign over her bed which read: "GOD IS NOWHERE." Because a friend cared enough to take her to church youth group, the girl's heart opened to God and she invited Christ into her life. That night she tore the sign in two,... and then taped it back on the wall: "GOD IS NOW HERE."

– Source Unknown

The Continuous Presence Of An Absence

Grief remains one of the few things that has the power to silence us. It is a whisper in the world and a clamour within. More than sex, more than faith, even more than its usher death, grief is unspoken, publicly ignored except for those moments at the funeral that are over too quickly, or the conversations among the cognoscenti, those of us who recognize in one another a kindred chasm deep in the centre of who we are.
Maybe we do not speak of it because death will mark all of us, sooner or later. Or maybe it is unspoken because grief is only the first part of it. After a time it becomes something less sharp but larger, too, a more enduring thing called loss.
Perhaps that is why this is the least explored passage: because it has no end. The world loves closure, loves a thing that can, as they say, be gotten through. This is why it comes as a great surprise to find that loss is forever, that two decades after the event there are those occasions when something in you cries out at the continuous presence of an absence. "An awful leisure," Emily Dickinson once called what the living have after death…
The landscapes of all our lives become as full of craters as the surface of the moon. My brother is a young widower with young children, as his father was before him. And I write my obituaries carefully and think about how little the facts suffice, not only to describe the dead but to tell what they will mean to the living all the rest of our lives. We are defined by whom we have lost.

- Anna Quindlen in "Life After Death"

Forgetting Christ

Can you still remember? Are you still in love with Him?… Remember Jesus. Before you remember anything, remember Him. If you forget anything, don't forget Him.
Oh, but how quickly we forget. So much happens through the years. So many changes within. So many alterations without. And, somewhere, back there, we leave Him. We don't turn away from Him… we just don't take Him with us. Assignments come. Promotions come. Budgets are made. Kids are born, and the Christ… the Christ is forgotten.
Has it been a while since you stared at the heavens in speechless amazement? Has it been a while since you realized God's divinity and your carnality?
If it has, then you need to know something. He is still there. He hasn't left. Under all those papers and books and reports and years. In the midst of all those voices and faces and memories and pictures, He is still there.

- Max Lucado in "Six Hours One Friday"

Purple

In first grade, Mr. Lohr said my purple tepee wasn't realistic enough, that purple was no colour for a tent, that purple was a colour for people who died, that my drawing wasn't good enough to hang with the others. I walked back to my seat counting the swish-swish-swishes of my baggy corduroy trousers. With a black crayon, nightfall came to my purple tent in the middle of the afternoon.
In second grade, Mr. Barta said, "Draw anything." He didn't care what. I left my paper blank, and when he came around to my desk, my heart beat like a tom-tom. He touched my head with his big hand and in a soft voice said, "The snowfall. How clean and white and beautiful."

- Source Unknown

Child-Rearing

"Bring up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
There is just one way to "bring up a child in the way he should go" and that is to travel that way yourself - Abraham Lincoln

Life

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning

- Morrie Schwartz in "Tuesdays with Morrie"

The Jesus Creed

This creed was originally shared at the Emergent Convention, Nashville, May 2004 by Brian McLaren
We have confidence in Jesus
Who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed.
And even raised the dead.
He cast out evil powers and
Confronted corrupt leaders.
He cleansed the temple.
He favoured the poor.
He turned water into wine,
Walked on water, calmed storms.
He died for the sins of the world,
Rose from the dead,
and ascended to the Father, Sent the Holy Spirit.
We have confidence in Jesus
Who taught in word and example,
Sign and wonder.
He preached parables of the kingdom of God
On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes,
At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns,
By day and by night.
He taught the way of love for God and neighbor,
For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien.
We have confidence in Jesus,
Who called disciples, led them,
Gave them new names and new purpose
And sent them out to preach good news.
He washed their feet as a servant.
He walked with them, ate with them,
Called them friends,
Rebuked them, encouraged them,
Promised to leave and then return,
And promised to be with them always.
He taught them to pray.
He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places,
Fasted and faced agonizing temptations,
Wept in a garden,
And prayed, “Not my will but your will be done.”
He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept.
We have confidence in Jesus,
So we follow him, learn his ways,
Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example.
We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him,
As a branch in a vine.
We have not seen him, but we love him.
His words are to us words of life eternal,
And to know him is to know the true and living God.
We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus.
Amen.

Things You Might Not Know About Iraq

1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization.
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq.
6. Isaac's wife, Rebekah, is from Nahor, which is in Iraq.
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
10. Amos cried out in Iraq!
11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq.
13. The 3 Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon, saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
17. The wise men were from Iraq. (Where are the "wise" men today?)
18. Peter preached in Iraq.
19. The "Empire of Man," described in Revelation, is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq!
20. And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word "Mesopotamia" means "between the two rivers," more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name, Iraq, means "country with deep roots." Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. Here's evidence...
* Eden was in Iraq - Genesis 2:10-14
* Adam & Eve were created in Iraq - Genesis 2:7-8
* Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq - Genesis 3:1-6
* Nimrod established Babylon & Tower of Babel was built in Iraq - Genesis 10:8-97 & 11:1-4
* The confusion of the languages took place in Iraq - Genesis 11:5-11
* Abraham came from a city in Iraq - Genesis 11:31 & Acts 7:2-4
* Isaac's bride came from Iraq - Genesis 24:3-4 & 10
* Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq - Genesis 27:42-45 & 31:38
* The first world Empire was in Iraq - Daniel 1:1-2 &2:36-38
* The greatest revival in history was in a city in Iraq - Jonah 3
* The events of the book of Esther! took place in Iraq - Esther
* The book of Nahum was a prophecy against a city in Iraq - Nahum
* The book of Revelation has prophecies against Babylon, which was the old name for the nation of Iraq - Revelation 17 & 18
No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq.

In Your Shape

You are a child of God. You bring God pleasure. You are so important to Him that He made a way to pay for your sins so you could be welcomed into His heaven and live with Him for eternity. God put a lot of thought into you. He made you just like you are for a reason. Since there is no one like you, your job is not to try and be like someone else, but to be fully you, in love with Him.
It was Blaise Pascal, the great seventeenth century French mathematician and passionate believer, who, in discovering the vacuum, discovered, also, a way to describe the spiritual hunger in all human beings. People have since come to refer to his depiction as “the God-shaped vacuum in ever human heart.” That is: We all have a big hole at the core of our being that is in the exact shape of God. The hole is a picture of a deep-seated emptiness and meaninglessness that seems to permeate everything we do. We constantly cast into this emptiness whatever we can find that promises to fill it like money, sex, drugs, glory or power, but nothing fills the void since it can only be filled up with God himself. Once you know God, this emptiness is satisfied and all the things we formerly tried to substitute for God, now find their rightful place around Him.
But I believe it is also possible to learn something about our relationship with God by looking at this illustration the other way around. If God created us with a deep-seated need for Him, then could we not also say He has, in Himself, a need for us? Not that He is needy, but He has created a place in His heart for you and me. Could it be that God is pursuing you? That He has purposely created a hole in Him that only you can fill? This is not a generic place for everyone, but a specific place for you; it’s in the shape of you. For me, there is a John-shaped hole in the heart of God and for you…well you can put your name there in place of mine and it will be true. So to love and worship God is to fill that place in God that He made just for you. Imagine bringing a gift to God by simply being who you are, and being in love with Him.

by John Fischer

Does Evil Exist?

This may or may not be a true story but it is a nice bit of logic
A university professor challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, He did!"
"God created everything?" the professor asked. "Yes, sir," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists. And according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil." The student became quiet before such an answer.
The professor was quite pleased with himself, and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the faith in God is a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question, professor?" "Of course," replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact, sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is, in reality, the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong, sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. We can study light, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wave lengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally, the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold -- a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down. The young student's name . . . Albert Einstein

Prayer

To you, O God,
every heart stands open and every will speaks;
no secret is hidden from you.
I implore you so
to purify the intention of my heart
with the gift of your grace
That I may love you perfectly
and praise you worthily
Amen

from The Cloud of Unknowing

Criticism Avoiders Anonymous

"Hello. My name is Clark." (The people gathered in the room respond, "Hi, Clark.")
"I am a…" (Group says, "You can say it. It's okay.")
"I'm a…criticism avoider." (Applause all around.)
"It started when I was a kid…" ("Come on now. Tell it.")
"…and my mom would praise me for everything. She'd say, 'Can you say Momma?' I'd say it, and she would gush about what a smart kid I was." ("We know, man. We know.")
"Then I would take the trash out when she asked me to, and she'd make a big deal over that too." ("We feel your pain, man.")
"And those good grades in school…" ("Oh, tell me about it. You're not alone.")
"So with me thinking I had to be the perfect kid and all that…" ("Yes, you can do it. C'mon. Pour it out, man.")
"…I learned not to say anything that would result in…" ("Just say the word. It's not that hard.")
"…that would result in…criticism." (More applause.)
"Then, when I expressed my opinion in class, and a couple of the older kids taunted me…" ("Let it out, man.")
"…I decided I would just go along to get along, even if it meant not telling the truth about what I believe or how I feel." (Lots of applause and cheers.)
The group leader rises, pats the CAA rookie on the back, and says to the group, "And now, let's all repeat the CAA Six Steps." (They rise to their feet, taking off their caps.)
"Step one, I will admit that I'm not perfect."
"Step two, I will accept the fact that conflict will always exist."
"Step three, I will not avoid conflict, but rather will speak truth, even when others disagree."
"Step four, I will blend truth with tact and timing, so as not to blow others away."
"Step five, I will seek courage from other truth tellers."
"Step six, when I slip and fall back into criticism avoidance, I will attend another CAA meeting and admit my mistake, take responsibility for my own actions, and gain strength to go out there and tell the truth, boldly and with compassion."
The group leader places his hand over his heart and says, "And now the CAA prayer."
"God, grant me the courage to speak the truth, the love to speak it compassionately, and the wisdom to know when to keep my mouth shut and when to open it."
A CAA veteran walks over to the rookie and says, "Hey, you wanna head back to my place, where my wife can show you photo albums from our last 36 summer vacations?"
"Uh," the rookie stammers, "you know, I really appreciate it, but I'll take a rain check. The last time I looked at someone else's photo albums I fell asleep on their couch and didn't get home until 4 a.m. Boy, was my wife ticked!"
The rest of the group bursts into applause. "That was a test. The photo album thing? That was the initiation question. You passed with flying colors. Welcome aboard."

Jesus Goes To Church II

Jesus came to church, dressed in rags today
It was a year ago, that he had passed this way
A year ago they shunned him, sat him in the back
And sitting there, he'd wept, at Satan's cruel attack!
The millionaire had danced, as he sang a song
But in his broken heart, he knew something was wrong
From the corner of his eye, hidden in the rear
He saw a poor, poor man, letting out a tear!
The millionaire was wounded, and soon made a decision
Within his heart he felt the pull, of a Godly vision
He looked again, to the rear, the poor, poor man had vanished
But in his heart, he now knew, the poor shall not be banished!
As Jesus came into the church, dressed in rags today
No one said within their heart, "You must go away"
By his hand they took him, and led him up the aisle
The millionaire jumped up, glowing with a smile!
I thought that I had lost you, for you have changed my life
Here, please meet my daughter, and this, this is my wife
Do you have a place to sleep, have you food to eat?
Won't you sit here with us, may we wash your feet?
This church now had a vision, reaching one and all
And yes, even the poorest, would surely hear the call
And as they entered service, and praise and worship grew
They looked into each others eyes, and both of them, they knew!
And suddenly the joy and love brought them to their feet
Hand in hand they danced, the vision now complete
And as they turned toward the back, weeping with a smile
They saw the poor, and those whom loved them, dancing in the aisles!

© Jay L. Zumbrum