Tuesday Thrombosis | 3 June 2014 – Cursing

The use of foul language is commonly referred to as cursing, or as my mom used to say, cussin. Even though the use of such language is not appropriate, and in my personal opinion totally useless, it is not the topic for today.

The opposite of blessing is cursing. The Bible tells us that it is a choice that one makes.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV) says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”. That makes things pretty clear. The writer equates life with blessing, death with cursing. Again, I’m not talking about the “4-letter-words.” Let me clarify.

When you were a child which made you feel better: 1) “All you know how to do is mess up. You can’t do anything right. I wish you were like _______ because they never acted this way.” or 2) “I love you! Thanks for cleaning your room. You didn’t win the game but you played well.”?

The root word for “curse” in scripture means to “make light”, while “blessing” means “to bow, or kneel.” The motivation behind the curse is pride. When we curse someone it is to bring the person down, or make light of any accomplishments. The motivation behind the blessing is humility, or building up another, exalting them above you.

Scripture teaches us that it is out of the abundance of the heart that our mouths speak. If we have cursing on the inside it will come out. If we have blessing on the inside it will come out. Cursing usually originates from hurt in our life. When someone or something reminds us of the hurt we lash out with venom to bring it down, whether it be friend or foe, spouse, son or daughter, or even God. The only way to remove the curse on the inside is to allow the Lord to heal it. When the root of bitterness is removed the fruit of cursing will no longer be part of your vocabulary.

In other words, the thrombosis of not forgiving, not repenting, not yielding to the Holy Spirit, can cause a blockage in the flow of blessing both from and to your life. Be honest with yourself. Look deep into your heart and find the source of the anger and cursing that comes out of your mouth. You may need a counselor or a praying friend to help you through the process of forgiving or repenting. But just as the surgeon’s scalpel can remove the thrombosis in our bodies, the Holy Spirit can help you remove these areas that block the blessings.

Take the challenge of Deuteronomy 30:19. Make a choice today. Choose life! Choose to bless!

Monday Moorings | 2 Jun 2014 – Christian vs. Disciple

Culture is constantly evolving, and language evolves with it. There was a time that gay meant happy and carefree. The word cool used to refer to temperature and not ones state of being. This is not good or bad, for the most part. It’s just the way language develops. The English word, love, has many different meanings. You can love your spouse, love ice cream, love to fish, etc. The Greeks had a much better approach when it came to stating affection. They had four different words that expressed a unique type of feeling for various objects of their affection.

I believe we have reached the point in our American culture that the word Christian no longer means what it once did. We now have Christian radio, Christian dating sites, Christian clothing, and even Christian churches. The United States is called a Christian nation. There is nothing Christian about radio, websites, clothing, or nations.

The first use of the term Christian was used by some folks in Antioch to describe those who were imitating Christ; living the life that Jesus taught while on earth. The original intent of the word was not complementary. It was intended as mockery. However, the name seemed to stick and has been perpetuated through time. But like many words they reach a place where it is no longer prudent to use them. How many times have your heard athwart, erelong, inly, puissant, thole, or whilom in the past 10 years? Some words run their course and a more clearly understood word or phrase takes its place.

For me, “Christian” has reached that place. To tell another person in America that you are a Christian is understood to mean that you attend church at some level, you probably don’t drink much, cheat on your spouse, or steal from your neighbor – probably. That does not describe the life of someone committed to following Jesus and desiring to be more like Him each day.

I have started using the term “disciple” when speaking of a relationship with Christ. That is what Jesus recruited while He was on earth. He invited people to follow Him, He then promised to “make” them disciples. Being a disciple involves commitment to a person, not joining a cause. Being a disciple is personal to the individual, not something accomplished by a group. Discipleship becomes a way of life, not a list of things one has to do during their day or week.

I am not claiming to have arrived at being a disciple, but changing ones understanding of the goal puts you on a path that will change your destiny. By changing your speech it keeps your mind moving in a particular direction. When it’s all said and done do you want to be regarded as Super Christian or one that spent his/her life for Christ? I chose the later.

P.S You will not hear me correct another for their use of “Christian”. This is a personal conviction that I chose to share with you.

Communion 1 Jun 2014 | The Rock – Jesus Christ

After leaving Egypt for the trip to the Promised Land, Canaan, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During this time of wandering they came to a place of needing water many times, two of which I want to mention here. They were thirsty, their animals were thirsty, and there was no water available. When they called on Moses to give them water, he turned to the Lord.

During the first episode the Lord gave Moses instruction to “strike the rock” to get water. He obeyed. Water came forth so that all of the people (estimates have them at 3-5 million people) AND their livestock received all the water they needed. All of this water came from a rock. The people rejoiced and went on with wilderness life.

During the second episode the Lord gave Moses instruction to “speak to the rock” to get water. Moses was upset with the people because of their constant complaining. Out of this anger he struck the rock a second time. Water still came forth, enough to water all of the people and their animals. The people rejoiced and went on with wilderness life.

Moses, however, received correction from the Lord. Because of the one, seemingly simple, act of disobedience the Lord did not allow Moses to enter into the promised land that he dreamed of for 40 years.

Moses learned some things from this encounter. Near the end of his life, Moses sang a song recorded in Deuteronomy 32 where he declares “He is the Rock, His work is perfect”. In another place he said, “… of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you.” And again said “How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock has caused them to surrender? For their rock (little ‘r’) is not like our Rock (capital ‘R’).”

Moses was introduced to The Rock when he asked to see God’s glory. In Exodus 33 it tells us that God placed Moses on a Rock. Then when He passed by, He placed Moses in a cleft in the Rock and covered him with His hand. Then God removed His hand so Moses could see His back. Moses knew the Rock. He found safety, protection, and provision in the Rock.

When assuming leadership after Moses it was apparent Joshua knew The Rock. We can see this in Joshua 24:26-27. “Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.’” The Stone had heard all the words spoken, and would be a witness.

Gideon encountered the Rock. The Angel of the Lord asked Gideon to place meat and bread on a rock, and then pour broth over it. The Angel touched the Rock with the end of His staff and fire came out of it, and consumed the meat and bread. Gideon built an altar and named it Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is Peace.

Hannah made a declaration when she took Samuel to the temple to dedicate him to the Lord. “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

In David’s song, just before his death, said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.” The last words David spoke were, “The Spirit of the Lord spake to me, and his word was in my tongue. The God in Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me.”

In Psalm 18 David declares, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.”

Isaiah said, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.”

Matthew, Paul, and Peter all referred to Jesus as the “Chief Cornerstone.”

Here is the best part. That Stone, Jesus, is still with us today. He is the very foundation of our faith. He was from the beginning, and will always be. One question came to mind as I looked at the story of Moses and the people of Israel as they journeyed. How was it that there was always a Rock around when they needed one?

The answer is found in 1 Corinthians: Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Imagine the sight. God’s people were led by a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. The cloud kept them moving in the right direction, provided shade from the intense heat. Then at night the pillar of fire gave them assurance of God’s presence and provided warmth through the cold nights. That sounds just like the Holy Spirit; The Comforter, The Guide.

Then, behind them, The Rock was following them, being their rear guard, giving them support and strength.

This is modeled for us in the Old Testament, but we have a better covenant. These things are no longer pictures or examples of what God can do. Now it is reality! Now we have the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, to lead us and give comfort. Now we have The Rock, that is Christ, upon which we can build our lives and know we are anchored on a sure foundation that cannot be shaken or eroded in any way.

So, we choose this day to remember The Stone that has heard everything God has said, and now stands to bear witness to us of the Truth of God. That Stone the world rejected at the cross, buried in a hole in the ground, now lives as the Son of God, our Elder Brother, that sits at the right hand of God, praying for you and me. Eat the bread, drink the cup, and remember The Rock.

Friday Fritz | 30 May 2014 – Faith or Fear?

Being analytical, I tend to look at things at their extremes. If things still make sense at the end points usually everything is O.K. in the middle. When I look at “faith” it is difficult to put it into discrete terms. Several have tried to explain these difficult words like faith and love by coming up with cute postulates like: Love is the feeling you feel when you feel a feeling like you’ve never felt before. That could describe a number of things, but not love.

I’ve heard faith described as this: Going to the edge of all darkness and taking one more step. The implication is that faith is blind. You have to trust even though you cannot see.

The challenge with this type of simplistic approach to explaining such important topics is they misrepresent the truth that is fundamental to understanding our Creator. The Bible tells us that God is love. If you insert the definition given above it falls apart rather quickly: God is a feeling you feel when you feel a feeling that you’ve never felt before. Ridiculous.

Then we look at faith. Again, the Bible tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for …” If you hope for something, you can see it, describe it, anticipate it, etc. How can something hoped for be in utter darkness? No, faith is knowing. If you have faith it is because you have the assurance through God’s word that it will come to pass.

Now, let us look at our topic for the day. What is the opposite of faith? Most would say unbelief. However, unbelief is the opposite of belief. Belief and faith are not the same thing. Therefore, unbelief is not the opposite of faith. Some would say doubt is the opposite of faith. Certainty is the opposite of doubt, not faith. Certainty is something like 2 + 2 = 4. That does not require faith.

I believe the opposite of faith is fear. Fear is believing something bad is going to happen. It is not possible to have fear and faith about the same issue. They cannot coexist. One displaces the other. The way you remove fear is to develop faith in that area.

I know. That also sounds simplistic. It is that simple, but far from simplistic. Here is an example. Job lived in fear. Read the story. He was afraid for his children, for his possessions, for his very life. It was not until after he heard and believed the truth about God that his situation was turned around.

If you find yourself in fear in a particular area of your life, relationships, health, finances, etc., open the Bible and begin reading related verses that speak the God’s truth about your circumstances. Believe His perspective. Faith will rise as you allow this truth to overtake the fear.

Take time this weekend to think on these things. Faith is the substance … that displaced fear.

Thor’s Day Thunderings | 29 May 2014 – More On The Hidden God

Hebrews 11:3 (KJV)

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Have you ever wondered what was inside of the wall in your house? You see paint, bit it is covering sheetrock, and sheetrock is covering wooden studs. So technically walls are “made of things that do not appear.”

Take it a step further. Wood is made up of molecules, molecules are made up of atoms, atoms are made up of hadrons (protons, neurons), and hadrons and electrons are made up of quarks. So, what are quarks made of? Eventually science may discover another layer or two of the building blocks of our earth. However, just like the quark, they will never “see” it. Our world is made of things that do not appear. It’s called the Word of God.

Science is still not certain whether a quark is matter or sound. Interesting! What if the quark is simply the resonating vibrations of God’s voice from the creation? That explains them in a way science cannot. On either extreme, the expanse of the universe or the tiny quark, our God is still beyond finding out. Isn’t is great to think that He chooses to take time for you and me.