The Antidote for Arrogance

I find I am most arrogant when I feel worthless or insignificant.  And when I am feeling confident, affirmed and supported I feel I can risk humility.  This seems to fit the "opposite rule."  That is, the arrogant are really insecure.  The tough guy or girl fears they are weak.  The boastful believes he or she is nothing of value.

When I am arrogant, tough, or boastful, please give me grace.  Remember that what I need from you is love, affirmation and sense of worth and value.  They may be the last things I deserve and the last things you "feel" like giving.

But watch God make them work.

Can my relationship with Jesus ever end?

In reading the entire Bible I have read portions that suggest that after I know Jesus, and He knows me, that I can choose to reject Him and spend eternity without Him.  I also have read portions that suggest that if I reject Him it is proof that I did not ever know Him and He never knew me.  And, that if I ever knew Him, and He knew me, He would never leave me.

So what does it matter?  Who cares?  Is this a game of words without consequence?

When I was first found by God I thought I had to "persevere" to the end of my life with my "faith" to prove I was worthy of heaven.  I had to make it to heaven based on my performance.  Then I came across the idea that my future has been secured by Jesus.  My relationship with Jesus did not start based on my behavior and it will not end based on my behavior.  My future is based on Jesus power to save me from start to finish; not in my ability to not reject Him.

One of the things I learned while severely mentally ill, was that I am totally depraved without Jesus.  I had the illusion of being "pretty good" in my own eyes.  When my mind left me and with it all perceived respect from others; when I had no support from family and friends; when I was powerless to get what I wanted or needed; when there was no pay-off for being "good:"  I chose evil.  I sunk lower than I ever believed I would.

I do not pretend that there is anything good in me, apart from Jesus.  And, if my salvation is based in any way on my ability to keep it; I am as good as lost.  I have told Jesus I give up the choice to reject Him if, in fact, I have that ability.  I told Him that I am completely depending on Him to keep our relationship forever.

And Jesus is answering that prayer.  Now, I don't have to fear failing. And so I am free to say to Him, do whatever You want in my life, Lord, whatever You want.

And He does.

I was Wrong! (Again)

Andrew Farley has explained to me why I was wrong about tithing, wrong about the Sermon on the Mount, wrong to think I might lose my salvation even if I reject Christ, and more.  If the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed!  It is for freedom Christ has set me free!

http://subsplash.com/churchwithoutreligion/s/a8592bd/

How do I Deal with that Problem Person in My Life?

Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church, is insightful and easily understood in this video that showed me how to deal with the biggest problem person in my life when it comes to conflict... me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1udN6OShf4&app=desktop

How do I experience true love?

Jesus didn't suffer infinite pain for you, and experience infinite separation from his Father, because he wanted you to be "saved."  Or because he wanted you to "believe in him."  Or because he wanted you to escape the fires of hell and enjoy the pleasures of paradise.

God in Jesus on the cross, was making a way so that He could be your everything.  So that He could lavish his infinite love on you.  So that you and He could be intimate lovers.  So that you and He could be friends.

This relationship is not experienced by praying the right prayer or believing the right truth and then putting "God" away until next Sunday.  It is not experienced by giving the right amount, frequent church attendance or Bible reading and prayer the right number of times per week.

It is experienced when we actually do what God tells us to do.  And what God said to do was, love one another as I have loved you.  No man has greater love than he lay down his life for his friends.  And you are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command.  We are to lay down our lives for one another.  Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will find it.  Love God, love people.

What we do for others out of obedience to God reveals how much we love God.  (Disclaimer:  We do not do for others to get God to accept us, love us or forgive us.  Jesus accomplished that for us when He died on the cross.  Acceptance, love and forgiveness is a gift He freely gives us).

When the prostitute washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried his feet with her hair she showed much love.  Those who are kind to the poor honor God and He will reward them for what they have done.  He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.  Filled with joy are those who give others much mercy for they will receive much mercy.  If your enemy is hungry, feed him.  If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.  Give and it shall be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over the top.  Blessed are you, loved of my Father, for I was hungry and you fed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you visited me.

You see, faith is not something you have, like a movie ticket, holding it until you die and then exchanging it for entrance into heaven.  Faith is something you use everyday, to discern what God is specifically telling you to do right now and doing it.

That is when you know you are saved, that is when you know you believe in him, because that is when you experience the Love of your Friend.

What would you want Jesus to do?

Jesus got to shore and was met by a man who had been acting "crazy" most of his life.  The man lived naked among the graves and no one could control him. The man pulled to pieces any chains he was in and he often cried out; cutting himself with stones.  Jesus had compassion on the man.  But he couldn't help him.  You see, this man was of another religion and it was against the law to convert him to following Jesus, which Jesus knew would happen if Jesus healed him.  Also, the media had been misreporting that when Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God" that Jesus was really rebelling against the government and advocating that people not pay lawful taxes.  What would they report if he removed evil spirits from a man not considered competent to give informed consent?  And what about the people who said mental illness was a myth?  What if they said Jesus should value the man's differences, not judge his lifestyle, and coexist with him?  And what about the mental health community?  They don't believe in demons. They would be offended if Jesus cast out demons into pigs, and the pigs immediately committed suicide, proving that demons do exist.  They might lobby to have Jesus' license to practice counseling revoked.  And what about the owners of the pigs?  Did Jesus ask permission to send demons into them?  Was Jesus going to pay restitution?

What if you were the man or woman standing there in front of Jesus, with your future and your sanity hanging in the balance.  What would you want Jesus to do?

Mark 5 in the Bible.

Jesus is NOT on my side in politics

WWJD in this political turmoil?  Guns, immigration, health care, taxes, redistribution of wealth...  I invite you to learn with me as I learn from Andy Stanley as he learns from Jesus.  I found out Jesus is NOT on my side... http://yourmove.is/episode/avoiding-election-infection/

Changes

Stop being open to being changed by instruction, and you will slowly walk away from the right path. (my imperfect paraphrase of Proverbs 19:27)

I read somewhere (I'm sorry I don't know to whom to give credit) that this is like the Apollo moon missions in the 1960's.  On the way to the moon they would set the correct trajectory but would also repeatedly check it to see if they were still on course.  About 90% of the time they weren't and needed to correct their course.

I think when God has broken through my arrogance and pride and I have listened to Him and made a major change in my life that I am done.  I'm glad I won't have to deal with that flaw in my character again.  But like one who is making a sculpture, God has only chipped away a piece of the stone He is transforming.  I must make future major changes in my character as God puts pressure on my life and I respond by being open to His instruction.

Love is always the answer

The following is a poem my mother read to me when I was young.  I apologize, I don't know the author.  (Perhaps if you do you could tell me so I could give proper credit to them).  The message of this poem is closely related to the last post.

He drew a circle that shut me out,

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout,

But love and I had wit to win,

We drew a circle that took him in.

I am still learning this over 40 years after hearing it.

Hurting people hurt people.

Hurting people hurt people.

(This was one of the first "wow" thoughts I learned from my pastor).

Judge not and you will not be judged.

For the measure you give will be the measure you get.

And how can you say to your brother or sister, "Here, let me take that speck out of your eye" while all the time there is a log in your own eye.  You hypocrite!  First take the log out of your own eye so that you will SEE CLEARLY to take the speck out of your brother or sister's eye.

If someone is hurting you, you can respond naturally and believe they are the problem and they need to fix it so they stop hurting you.  That is having a log in your own eye.  If you want to respond super-naturally, you look past your own pain (remove the log) and focus on them and you realize they HAVE a problem, THEY AREN'T the problem.  (Now you see clearly so that you can take out the speck in their eye).  They are in pain, scare, hurt, threatened, frustrated, their goals are being blocked, etc.  Let them know that you are not going to abandon them now when they need you most.  Let them know that their problem is our problem.  Let them know that nobody gets left behind.  We either make it together or WE DON'T MAKE IT AT ALL.  Then we get under their load WITH them (not in place of them).

It is in reaching down to lift up the weak that the greatest strength flows through us to them and builds us and them.