The Journey – Day 35

The Journey – Day 35

Changing habits is an arduous process. I remember a poster I saw on the bulletin board in the School of Music at Samford University my freshman year (1977). It said:

Sow a thought; reap an act.

Sow an act; reap a habit.

Sow a habit; reap a character.

Sow a character; reap a destiny.

I have returned to these words many times since then. They speak volumes to me, and also challenge me to work at becoming someone with a destiny worth reaching. It is a constant process. At any given moment, you are moving toward the destiny formed by your current habits. Every day you are either reinforcing habits you already have, forming new ones, or trying to overcome some which are either detrimental or at the very least, non-productive.

The first step is identifying habits, then determining if they are beneficial or not. Some things you do not even realize are habitual behaviors. These are sometimes the most harmful.

I’m still in the process of taking a personal inventory to determine exactly where I am, then I can start moving toward the person I want to be. I feel I’m making progress. Each day brings new challenges, and each day choices have to be made, but I’m beginning to get accustomed to the change.

The Journey – Day 28

The Journey – Day 28

I’ve been at the campgrounds for four weeks. It’s very hard to believe that much time has passed. Many habits are changing. The new gym is working out well (no pun intended). The surprising thing to me is that I have not run into anyone I know in any of the stores or restaurants I’ve visited. I realize it’s been 25 years since I lived here, but with all of the relatives and acquaintances I have who still live in the area, I fully expected to run into someone by now.

That has proven to be the most difficult thing thus far. I miss familiar faces. I love people. Learning to be OK with just me is stretching me. But it’s a good stretch. Eating out has always been a backup plan for being with people. Even though I didn’t know the people at the restaurant, I still felt some consolation because they were there. I have only eaten out four times in the past two weeks. That is a major change for me.

I’ve also been working remote most days. I have worked in the office three days in the past four weeks. This has also been a stretch. However, we have frequent Zoom meetings which require interaction with my coworkers, so this has also helped.

I did laundry at the campground laundromat. It was interesting. It’s a very small room with 7 machines (three washers and four dryers). There’s no place to hang anything and no table to fold. However, it got the job done.

Cleaning has never been my forte. I have cleaned all of my life, but only a short time where I was the only one in the space. I like having a clean place to live, so I have stepped up my cleaning routine. The place still looks like it did when I moved in four weeks ago.

I realize none of this is “heavy” revelations, but it is part of the process of change. I sense some deeper things stirring which I hope I can effectively communicate once I have them in view. Until then, it’s on with the journey.

The Names of God - The Sword of Thy Excellency

The Names of God - The Sword of Thy Excellency

The Sword of Thy Excellency

Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, The shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places. 

Deuteronomy 33:29 (KJV)

Because of disobedience, Moses was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land with Israel. In Deuteronomy 33, the Final Blessing which Moses gave Israel is recorded. In the words which Moses spoke over Asher, we have two name for God given in verse 29: The Shield of Thy Help and The Sword of Thy Excellency.

The name Asher means “to be happy.” Moses declared the reason for their happiness. The Lord will be to them like a shield of help. I couldn’t help but see the Holy Spirit in that name. First of all, Jesus said of the Holy Spirit of Promise, that He would be a Help to the Christian (follower of Christ). Then Moses declares this name: The Sword of Thy Excellency. There are many places where a sword is used as a type, or picture, of the Word of God, which we learn from the Gospel of John, is Jesus; He is the Word made flesh and dwelled among us.

So, here we have Moses speaking a blessing over the last tribe of Israel, prophesying the other two parts of the Godhead coming into play, for the purpose of bring “happiness” to the people. Israel had just spent the last 40 years getting reacquainted with God the Father, learning again how to hear His voice and fellowship with Him through sacrificial worship implemented in the Tabernacle of Moses. Now, Moses tells them of the Lord, who will be their Shield of Help, and the Lord, who will be their Sword of Excellency, or as the ESV calls it, the Sword of Triumph. When the full expression of the Godhead in the life of human on earth is experienced, the result will be happiness.

The Hebrew word for “excellency” can also be stated as “majesty”. This speaks of the King and His Kingdom. Royalty is often referred to as “His/Her Excellency”. The pomp and circumstance practice in the presence of the King is call majestic. While the King is on the throne the Kingdom is in a state of triumph. They are at peace because the King reigns.

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (KJV)

Like Israel in the Promised Land, Christians now reign in their life through Jesus Christ, the Sword of Thy Excellency (or majesty). We need to learn the fullness to live as citizens of The Kingdom, serving The King. We do this in the power of Holy Spirit, The Shield of Help. With our Father seeing to our happiness, we have the Son, The Sword of His Excellency, interceding for us night and day, and the power of the Holy Spirit, The Shield of Help, guiding our every step. The Word and the Spirit in concert with the Father; how can we not be happy?

Important vs. Urgent

 Important vs. Urgent

I benefit from yesterday’s efforts. I also fall victim to yesterday’s procrastinations. The key is knowing which things need to be done versus which ones can wait. This requires understanding the difference between urgent and important.

Urgent demands our time, even if it has no importance whatsoever. Important rarely demands time, but requires it in order to not suffer consequence by neglecting it. The problem arises when we choose unimportant urgent things over non-urgent important things. This is most difficult to discern in the moment. Learning to mind the gap between stimulus and response to evaluate urgency and importance can make all the difference in the outcome … tomorrow.

Many times, choosing the important doesn’t yield immediate results. These are things that, if neglected over time, cause significant problems. Responding to the urgent usually yields immediate results, but often they have a very short-term effect. May you choose well today, for tomorrow’s sake.

The Names of God - Sanctuary

Sanctuary 

And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  Isaiah 8:14 (ESV)

Until this writing, I had come to despise the word sanctuary when used in conjunction with God or the Church. So many have come to believe that the room in which congregations assemble, referred to as The Sanctuary, is where God actually abides. This could not be further from the truth. But yet, we do not allow children to be boisterous or condone slouchy dress because it is “God’s House.”

I love this passage in Isaiah where God says, “I will become a sanctuary,” not live in one. I heard Grady Nutt speak when I was a freshman at Samford University. He made the statement, referring to Jesus in the tomb, “People have been trying to put God in a box, but the problem is He won’t stay there.” It’s convenient to “know” where God is, in reference to The Sanctuary. We can go see Him when WE want to. We also are not bothered by Him when WE want to do our thing. The truth is, He IS the sanctuary. He allows us to abide IN Him, where we have fellowship as friend with friend. We are always in Him and He is always with us.

When The Church decided it needed a building, they took the model of temples built to worship Greek gods, like Apollo and Athena. These places of worship to pagan gods were referred to as “sanctuaries.” The reason for this is the “god” was a statue. It actually did “live” inside the building used to worship it. I’ve been to the model of the Parthenon in Nashville, TN. In it is a replica of the statue of Athena. Why would we want to copy ways of worship given to pagan idol? We have a living God, worthy of our fervent worship; a God not bound by walls; One who desires a life-giving relationship.

It's time for The Church to return to its roots. Focus on being the Body of Christ in the earth, taking Jesus to our community, our world, by sharing the love given to us by our Creator. We cannot do this by locking God up in a “sanctuary,” but instead allow Him to live through us, His “lively stones.”

That brings us to the other part of Isaiah 8:14. In addition to being our Sanctuary, He also declared He would be a “stone of offense and a rock of stumbling.” Look at how Peter described this as it relates to The Church:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4 – 5 (ESV)

As we, the Body of Christ, present the Gospel in living, breathing fashion, we become the “spiritual house” (a type or picture of the temple) where God’s word causes people to see their need for a savior. They become “offended” to the point of repentance; they “stumble” at the sight of their own futile attempts to reach God by their effort. The Church is not the “sanctuary” of God. God is the ”sanctuary” for The Church. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 ESV) In Him we “are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ…” (Ephesians 4:15 ESV)

We do not “visit” God at church on Sundays and other special occasions. Instead, we are to abide “in Him” every moment of every day; totally consumed by the awareness of His presence and the reality of His will being formed in us. Let’s work on getting our mind adjusted to exactly who is in the sanctuary. We are the ones in The Sanctuary, not God living in our building.

The Journey – Day 19

 The Journey – Day 19

I’m settling into camper life. It’s strange to be aware of how much water you use on a regular basis. If I was not in a campgrounds connected to a water source, I would have depleted my water supply the first day. I never knew I took long showers. The grey tank is filling up in about 3 days. Even though I’m constantly connected to the water source, the disposal still has to be done manually – and frequently. If you don’t drain the tanks they will back up into the camper. Not a great idea.

This is a kind of picture of God’s love. He is constantly giving to us. If we try to consume all of the love He gives we cannot contain it. We cannot keep it in reserve. We have to process what we can in the moment and pass on the rest to others. We were created to be a conduit, not a holding tank.

Find ways to share God’s love with others. There are folks all around us every day who need grace, mercy, kindness, a listening ear, or a word spoken in due season. Be their resource for what they need from God today. You will be blessed in the process of being a blessing.

Sunday Morning Blessing

 Sunday Morning Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you;

May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand. (an Irish Blessing)

May you always know the love of God,

The warmth of family,

The fellowship of friends,

And the kiss of your love.

For with the love of God comes forgiveness for error, 

Grace for the journey,

And peace continually.

With the warmth of family comes love without limits,

Acceptance without merit,

And care for a lifetime.

With the fellowship of friends comes joy in good times,

Shared tears in sad times,

And someone to lean on in hard times.

With the kiss of your love comes feelings of belonging,

Connectedness to someone who loves you without reserve,

And a hand to hold as you pursue life.