Throw Off the Old

“The person who does not avoid small faults, little by little slips into greater ones.” ~ Thomas à Kempis; The Imitation of Christ (translated by William Creasy)

One of the great hindrances in our relationship with God is not changing our behavior. We hold on to “little” vices, believing they do not do great harm to our spiritual growth, yet we get frustrated because we are not experiencing the joy, peace, and hope that should characterize a relationship with God.

While our small vices may not seem to be a big deal the truth is that they often control our lives. The reason we do not get rid of them is because they are either addictions or allows us to feel part of this world. While God has called us to be foreigners and pilgrims in this world we want to fit in with the people around us. We hold on to whatever we can so we can still maintain an identity in the world.

These small faults or vices pose a bigger threat to our relationship with God than we realize. They keep us from experiencing God at work in our lives as we begin to trust Him, and they provide a doorway for bigger and more deadly sins to enter our lives. As long as we are willing to play in the mud of sin, no matter how shallow it might seem, we will always make ourselves targets for greater sin.

But that isn’t what you were taught when you learned about Christ. Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true. ~ Ephesians 4:20-24; NLT

The Apostle Paul wanted to make sure we understand that there must be a throwing off our old way of life. We can’t follow Jesus like we should if we continue to hang on to the vices of our old life. Not only do the keep us from experiencing God the way we should and lead us to greater sins, but ultimately the keep us from being a blessing to other people. Paul writes; “You must display a new nature…” That means being a Christian is about having a life that is dramatically different than what we find in the world around us. In this world of confusion about life Christians are to SHOW the world that there is a better way to live. We are blessings when we display our new nature that is found in Jesus Christ.

As long as we are hanging on to our old vices, no matter how small they might be, we will constantly be frustrated with our relationship with God, we will constantly be tripped up with larger and larger sins, and we will fail to be a blessing to the world around us.

God knows that we cannot change everything overnight. He knows of our weakness, and that is what grace is all about, we don’t have to fear God’s judgment every time we sin. What God is interested in is seeing us take steps to remove those things in our lives which hinder our relationship with Him.

When we begin to take these steps we discover a greater intimacy with God, a strength and hope to deal with greater temptations, and the ability to be a light in the dark world. Part of having faith in Jesus Christ is throwing off our old way of life and trusting Him to provide a better way to live. Are you willing to trust Jesus to do that?

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Grown Through Obedience

Our relationship with God is grown through our experience of Him in our lives more than our knowledge about Him. A growing relationship with God is the result of our obedience to Him and through our obedience experiencing God working through our lives.

The reason so many people are frustrated in their relationship with God has little to do with their passion, their love for God, or their worship. It has everything to do with their obedience. We will always be frustrated in our relationship with God when we approach Him on our terms rather than willing to obey what He has command us to do.

The New Testament contains a story which illustrates this very principle. Matthew 19:16-30 tells the story of the rich young man and how he missed having a relationship with God through Jesus. The young man came to Jesus with a question; “What must I do to have eternal life?” The young man knew there was something missing in his life. He had wealth and at least had a desire to live a moral life, but that wasn’t enough. The young man came to Jesus for the answer, but the answer is not what the young man wanted to hear. “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” Jesus tells the young man what he is to do, but the young man wouldn’t do it. “But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions” (NLT).

The young man wanted eternal life on his terms. Yes, he realized something was missing from his life, but he had his limits to what he was willing to do. Because he was not willing to do what Jesus asked he went away sad. I have a feeling that if Jesus had asked the young man to fast for 40 days he would have done it. If Jesus had asked the young man to spend time in study I think the young man would have made his best effort. The young man had a desire for eternal life, a desire to know God better and deeper.

Many of us have a desire to know God better and deeper. We want eternal life. Not just Heaven, how wonderful and glorious that will be, but a significant life now. We want to have an eternal relationship with God. We can list off the things we have done in order to have this relationship, yet we still find something is missing. All our quiet times and prayers have not brought us closer to knowing God. The reason we have missed God is because we have failed to do what He has asked. We are sad in our relationship with God because we are not willing to come to Him on His terms.

Jesus asks us to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We walk away frustrated because that is a “work” and a relationship with God is built on “faith”.

Jesus asks us to invest time in the elderly couple next door. We cry out to God for His presence because we are too busy to go next door, there are more important things to do.

The reason men like Abraham, Moses, and David had amazing relationships with God is not because of their quiet times and fasting. It is because through the actions of their faith they experienced God’s presence in their lives. “Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did—by his actions” (James 2:21-22; NLT). Abraham was willing to follow God even if it meant giving up his son Isaac. Are you willing to go so far?

A relationship with God is not just found in the study of His Word and in prayer. A relationship with God is developed through our obedience, as we step out in faith and experience God at work in our lives. We need to stop coming to God on our terms and begin to surrender ourselves to who He is.

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The Parable of the Quest: Part 2

Read Part One Here

The Power:
Justus picked up the flute and began to examine it. It appeared to a simple silver tube with holes at various spots along its length. Justus had never demonstrated any musical ability and he wondered why the Prince would give him such a gift.

Tentatively Justus put the flute to his lips and slowly began to blow. The result was a soft melodious note that grew in volume the harder Justus blew. Then Justus experimented with playing different notes, and though he had no training it seemed everything that he did was right. The notes didn’t clash, but instead produced a wonderful song.

As Justus played a curious thing began to happen. Small animals began appearing in the area around the big old oak tree. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and small birds came out of their hiding places and stopped their scurrying as if to listen to the beautiful song of the flute. Justus, with his eyes closed, did not notice the small animals. All he glimpsed were the tails of scurrying animals as they raced back into the tall grass and the forest.

“Perhaps I could get the hang of this with a little practice ,” Justus thought.

Justus wished he had something to put the flute in so it wouldn’t get damaged. Then he remembered the empty candy tin that was still in his traveling bag. He opened the bag and took out the tin. Justus then carefully wrapped the flute in the fabric it was lying on in the box and placed the wrapped flute in the candy tin. It almost fit perfectly. Closing the lid Justus slipped the tin back into his traveling bag.

The compass was next to be examined. It sure looked like a compass, but the needle didn’t point north, instead it pointed towards the southeast and no matter how Justus turned the device the needle always swung back over to the same position. Would the Prince have given him a broken compass? No, Justus knew the Prince too well for that to be the case. The reality, Justus realized, was that he didn’t know what the device was. Not wanting to waste anymore time on it Justus wrapped it in the clothe it was sitting on in the box and then slipped it into his bag.

The cloak was the last remaining item. It was folded neatly and Justus was amazed how light the fabric seemed as he unfolded it and held it out to look at it. The sun glistened off the green fabric, which was the most unusual Justus had ever seen. The neck was connected with a simple oval silver pendant with a green gem in the center. The cloak was by far the nicest piece of clothing he had ever held, let alone worn. He hung the cloak on a branch of the oak tree and unfastened his old cloak. Justus folded the well-worn cloak and placed it in the carved box. He then unfastened the silver pendant and swung the cloak over his shoulders and fastened the pendant.

Not sure what to do with the carved wooden box at his feet, Just picked it up and carefully slid it back into the hole in the tree. Now he could begin his journey to Mount Alabaster and Grand Eastern Ocean, or did he a have few minutes to spare. It had been months since he last saw his parents, and now they were so close by. Perhaps he should pop over for a visit, after all that is what a good son would do.

But there was a nagging feeling in his heart that told Justus that if he delayed his journey now he would never begin. With great reluctance and a heavy heart Justus began to move eastward along the main east-west road of the country and away from his parents.

The first two days of his journey were of no account. Villages were constantly on the horizon, other travelers were going alongside of him, and civilization made the way relatively safe. It wasn’t until that third day when he realized that he had traveled further east than he had ever been and began to reflect upon the events that led him to the journey that Justus realized the danger he was in.

At first Justus thought it was just one wolf, but then he noticed another. Before long there were wolves, jackals, and coyotes already him, eying him for supper. Fear had crept into his heart and Justus had to fight the urge to run with every bit of strength that he had. As the deadly predators closed around him he whispered, “Help me.”

Through his fear-clouded mind Justus began to remember a time when he was traveling with the Prince and the other disciples. A mob from a nearby village came out and surrounded the travelers. They did not want the traveling Teacher coming to their village and teaching them they were wrong in how they lived their lives. The mob meant to rid the countryside of this troublemaking Teacher, and armed with clubs and swords they moved in for the kill. While the disciples wanted to run the Prince held his ground and began to sing. This caught the disciples off guard for they had never heard him sing before and it was the most beautiful song they had ever heard. Their fear left them and they stood with courage behind their Master.

The song not only affected the disciples, but it also had an effect on the mob. They laid down their weapons, sat down, and began to fall asleep. Soon there were 50 strong men sleeping like babies on the ground around the road.

“Remember,” the Prince said, “music always has an effect on the heart. It can make the strong man cry, give courage to the coward, and make love appear where only hate existed before.”

Reaching into his bag Justus pulled out the tiny containing the flute. As quickly, yet carefully, as he could he took out the flute, unwrapped it, and began to play. At first it was difficult because he was still uncertain, but as he heard the sound of music a rhythm began to develop in his heart and he let it carry him as played. With his eyes closed Justus played and played until he was out of breath.

His eyes opened to a stunning sight. No more was he surrounded by vicious predators but by boys and young teens who were seated on the ground in front of him.

“Thank you,” said one of the teenagers as he stood up, he appeared to be the oldest and most likely the leader of the group.

“Where did all the animals go?” Justus asked.

“Don’t you understand?” The teen responded. “We were the animals stalking you. Long ago a witch roamed the countryside. She was a bitter old woman and hated to see anyone having fun. One day she caught us playing tag in the forest and she put a curse on us to wander the wild and frightening people. Somehow with your song you have saved us.”

Justus began to realize that there was a great power behind the gift the Prince had given him. “No my friends, it was not I who saved you. You were saved by The King, the Majestic, who reigns across the Eastern Ocean through the power of His Son the Great Prince. They are the ones who deserve your praise, not I.”

“What are we to do now? Our families and friends are long gone?” asked one of the younger looking boys. The others murmured in agreement.

“Return to you village and tell them your story. Tell everyone you meet about the compassion of the Majestic King so everyone might worship Him.”

Slowly the boys got up and began a journey northward. “Thank you,” They called back.

“Remember,” Justus shouted, “Tell your story.”

What is the Heart?

"Faithfulness expresses itself in words and actions, but its beginning point is always in the heart.” ~ Gary Carpenter; What the Bible Says About the Heart

“For if he can disable or deaden your heart, then he has effectively foiled the plan of God, which was to create a world where love reigns. By taking out your heart, the Enemy takes out you, and you are essential to the Story.” ~ John Eldredge; Waking the Dead

I am curious about the heart. Not the physical one we all have beating inside of us, but the metaphorical heart we talk about. One Friday night, during the time I was the Youth Minister at the Stronghurst Christian Church)while watching the Southern Rebels get killed in football I overheard a conversation next to me: “He is the smallest guy on the field, but he plays with heart.” What do we mean when say things like this? What exactly is our heart?

A phrase I use a lot with in student ministry is: a burning heart moment. I coined this phrase from the account of Jesus appearing to the two disciples traveling to Emmaus. In response to recognizing Jesus it it recorded in Luke 24:32; They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (NIV). Burning heart moments are those moments when we know God has spoken to us. But what does it mean for our hearts to burn? Is it the same as heartburn?

There are two books that have gotten my interest in the heart moving: What the Bible Says About the Heart and Waking the Dead. The heart is an issue that I would like to study and write about. It is a concept that we use a lot, but perhaps we fail to grasp the significance of it.

I am asking for your help on this journey I would like to take. I would like to hear from you on your definition of what the heart is or the answer to this question: What does it mean to have a “heart to heart” talk? I would also appreciate the names of any books dealing with the heart or stories that you think illustrate what the heart is all about. Leave a comment or e-mail me because I would love to read your thoughts.

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Ignoring God

“When God speaks, neutrality is not an option. A response is unavoidable, and the condition of peoples’ hearts is revealed in that response.” ~ Henry and Richard Blackaby; Hearing God’s Voice

Many times I have heard God’s voice and in response I did nothing. Overtly I may not have committed an evil act, but my actions were still wicked. Not only that I missed out on what God wanted to do through my life. Have you ever ignored God’s call?

I think it happens almost every day. We see a person sitting all alone and we get this thought that we should go and strike of a conversation with them, but instead we stay were we are. We find the new TV that we wanted on sale, but it is still a tad out of our price range. We decide to make the purchase even though God has revealed to us that our money should go to the missionaries who visited our church last week. It is painful to think about how much we have missed out because we have ignored God.

Do I need to mention that this is deadly to our relationship with God? Ignoring God’s will causes us to miss experiencing God’s power at work in our lives. I believe the number one reason so many people feel stagnate in their relationship with God is because they haven’t experienced Him in their lives. They maybe faithful in their Bible Study, prayer, and church attendance, but they haven’t stepped out and really done what God has asked them to do.

When we ignore God’s will we declare that we are the ultimate rulers of our lives. It is a passive act of rebellion. This isn’t just about living moral lives. Many try their best to live a moral life based on the commands found in the Bible. The reason they do this is because they mentally agree with God. They understand God’s way is the best way. Let’s face it the best way to live is to remain faithful to your spouse. The best way to live is not to murder anyone. The best way to live is to be honest. In some aspects following Jesus makes life easier because we can avoid a lot of unnecessary baggage that we otherwise would pick up. Lives that are lived in obedience when we agree with God doesn’t mean we have made Him Lord of our lives. The true test of God’s lordship is when we obey even when we don’t agree with what God has asked us to do.

“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever…So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.” ~ 1 John 2:15-17; 24-25 (NLT).

It is our obedience to God’s commands that demonstrate our loyalty and love for God. Obedience isn’t just about sin management, but it is also about serving others in love. True obedience is found in following God even though we don’t understand where He is leading.

If we have truly surrendered to God then the word no is no longer in our vocabulary when it comes to what He wants us to do. Jesus cannot be Lord of our lives and we respond with a “no” when He reveals His will to us. "No" and "Lord" cannot be used the same sentence if you are a Christian. Our one responsibility once we know God’s will is to obey. It can be no other way.

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Being Made Whole

Erwin McManus in his book Uprising wrote; "He (God) invites us to find our purpose and our healing in serving others" (pg. 144). I want to take a moment and consider the implication of this truth.

For the most part we understand that our purpose is found in serving others. Our lives are too small to devote our time to and find any real purpose. The times of our greatest sense of significance have always come when we have reached out and touched the life of another person for good. It doesn't matter if you are a Christ-Follower or not this simple truth is true: significance is found in helping others.

What does seem contradictory to us is that we can find healing and wholeness in giving our lives away. Conventional wisdom would seem to tell us that we need to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of someone else. Aren't we told that we need to love ourselves before we can truly love others? Once again we see the paradoxical nature of the Gospel. Wholeness is found in giving ourselves away. Healing is found in serving others.

We are broken, not because of sin, but because damaged relationships. We have a damaged relationship with God which leads to a damaged relationship with other people. Since we were created to live in relationships to have those relationships damaged means we cannot be the people God created us to be. A lack of healthy relationships leads to broken and sick people.

So how do we build relationships? It begins with reach out to people in love. God has already taken the initiative to have a relationship with us, so our response is that we must trust Him. Our trusting God and our reaching out to others in love are really the same thing. Jesus told us that when we loved other people, when we served the needy, we are loving and serving Him. This experience of reaching out to people builds and strengths our relationships, especially our relationship with God. Wholeness and healing are the products our positive loving relationships in our lives.

Now I don't what to make it seems that there is not a need for professional help: counseling, medicine, etc. There are certain issues and hearts which need the added care of professional experience. Yet that will never be the sole answer. The path to healing always includes reaching out to others in love.

Personally the times I have experienced the greatest healing is when I removed the focus from my pain and started to care for others. Sometimes it has been as simple as praying for others and other times it has involved becoming an intimate part of another person's life. Whenever we show concern for others we stop being so concerned about ourselves allow our heart time to heal as we experience God's love in our lives. God's love is made most real to us when we are showing love to others.

Here is the thought I would like you to remember: Wholeness is found in giving ourselves away.

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The Wickedness of a Life Unlived

“It is rarely counted as evil when we live in neutral. At worst a passive life is only pitied, yet God counts it as a tragedy when we choose to simply watch life rather than live it. Jesus described as wicked the person who leaves his talent unused.” ~ Erwin McManus, Seizing Your Divine Moment

The word wickedness brings to mind images of terrible sin: murder, rape, sexual perversion, drugs, and child abuse. We have no problem calling these sins wicked. Wicked is a word we reserve for the worst type of behavior. We surely wouldn’t describe the sin which plagues our lives as wicked. Things like gossip, lying, stealing, lust, and jealousy are nothing more than mistakes and vices for us.

May I suggest (and since it is Paul's Ponderings I will) that God sees thing differently. God does not reserve the term wicked only for those sins we find the most appalling, but He sees all sins as wicked. This includes misusing the talents and blessings He has given to us.

We might call the mass murderer wicked, but we wouldn’t call the Christian of twenty-five years wicked for not using his/her abilities to advance God’s kingdom. We are happy just to have them live a “moral” life (whatever that might be). God is never content with simple moral living! God expects us to use what He has given us to expand His Kingdom.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last–dividing it in proportion to their abilities–and then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping. “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, `Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master was full of praise. `Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, `Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master said, `Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, `Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.’ “But the master replied, `You wicked and lazy servant! You think I’m a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn’t plant and gathering crops I didn’t cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 25:14-30; NLT)

Why was the last servant called wicked? The Master found him wicked because he did not use what the Master entrusted to him. His unwillingness to use his gift was evidence that the servant did not care about the Master's Kingdom. The last servant's lack of action showed the Master that the servant loved his safety more than increasing the holdings of the Master. The moral of the parable is it is just as wicked not to use our gifts, physical or spiritual, to expand God’s Kingdom as it is to sin against the God who loves us so much.

God created us, not only to live moral lives which are pleasing to Him, but to expand His Kingdom. How do we expand God’s Kingdom? By helping other people enter into a relationship with God. When we do not use the gifts (the talents, resources, time) God has given to us to expand His Kingdom we are just like the wicked servant who buried his gift in the ground.

Everything we have God has given to us to bring Him glory. God is not wrong in expecting this from us for He is the Creator and He knows only a life spent loving Him will bring us fulfillment. As we use our blessings to bring people into a love relationship with God we put ourselves in the position to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

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Forgiveness is Difficult

Ask Questions for God
at the Blue Pyramid.

It is hard to forgive. When we have been wronged the last thing we want to do is to forgive the person who has hurt us. In a way it feels like we are saying, "It is okay that you hurt me. Let's forget about it and be friends." There is no way we want to do that, and so instead we choose not to forgive.

What we forget is how much we have already been forgiven. Jesus told this parable concerning forgiveness:

41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" (Luke 7:41-42; NLT)

I believe what Jesus wants us to understand is that if we do not see ourselves as having been forgiven a huge debt, if we are not grateful for what God has done, then we will not consider forgiveness to be a big deal. Jesus told this parable during a party at Simon the Pharisee's house. Simon did not offer Jesus the hospitality a host was to provide for his guests, but a sinful woman crashed the party and showed Jesus unusual affection. Simon and the Sinful Woman stand as contrasts between the one who believes he deserves forgiveness and the one who sees her huge debt erased. Her gratefulness moves her to love and hope. It is hard to forgive because we are not grateful for the forgiveness God has shown to us.

Jesus told another story concerning forgiveness:

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."


23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. " (Matthew 18:21-35; NLT)

This servant had a distorted perspective. He somehow did not think the forgiveness of what he owed to be a big deal, but the tiny sum that was owed to him was a huge deal. The same is true for us. Somehow we don't think the lying, cheating, lusting, murdering, hating, and other evil that we do is a big deal, after all it is our sin. So when we do a few "religious things" we think we have made up the difference. We forget that our debt is huge, and there is nothing we can do to undo what has be done. God, through His grace, has forgiven us of our wicked deeds.

Yet we want to hold against the person the small offenses a person has committed against us. Granted when they happen to us they are not small, but in comparison to what God has forgiven they are small. We demand justice to be done, and offer no forgiveness.

We find it hard to forgive because we have a distorted perspective.

What's the solution? The Apostle Paul wrote: 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost (1 Timothy 1:15; NLT).

Was Paul the worst of sinners? No, I think we can list people who did worse things than he did. Yet Paul had a deep understanding that he had sinned in terrible ways and that there was no reason why forgiveness should be extended to him, but it was. It will always be hard for us to forgive, and when we don't understand how much we have been forgiven it will be next to impossible.

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Shattered Dreams: Part 4

"‘The Scriptures remind us that God has graciously invited us to come to Him on a personal level. He reaches out to every man, woman, and child and says, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).”~ Ravi Zacharias; Cries of the Heart

What are God’s dreams for us? If God’s dream from our lives is where we will discover true joy, then isn’t important for us to identify that dream? How do we discover God’s dream for our lives?

We do not relate to God by formula, and God does not reveal Truth to us through a formula. Through history God has used different methods to call and reveal Truth to people. These methods are unique and fit a person’s character and personality. Though all this is true it does not mean that God has not revealed general knowledge through the Bible. We can understand what God’s dream for our lives looks like through the pages of Scripture.

I believe in John 13-17 we can discover five characteristics of the dream we will discover when our dreams for our lives shatter.

1. God’s dreams will call us to be servants: ‘And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done’ (John 13:14, 15; NLT).

Jesus has just humbly taken on the role of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet. The command Jesus gives is not a call for us to be foot washers, but for us to be servants. Jesus expects from our lives, not acts of service, but a lifestyle of service. While we will dream of a life of being served; God’s dream for us is to be servants.

2. God’s dreams will call us to love each other: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my friends” (John 13:34; 35; NLT).

Jesus loved people no matter who they were or what they had done. But Jesus showed His love most to His disciples, to the people who were with Him all the time. This call to love is first and foremost a call to love other Christians. It is through how we treat each other that we separate who we are from the rest of the world. Through loving each other we learn to love the rest of the world. While we will dream of a life of being loved, God’s dream for us is to love other people.

3. God’s dreams will call us to abide in Jesus: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5; NLT).

Jesus knew the weakness that is inherit in people. We are victims of our flesh, not having enough strength to do what is right. Sure we will have moments of unselfish behavior and right living, but we are not strong enough to live the life God has for us on our own. This requires remaining in Jesus. We have this by being committed to Bible Study, prayer, worship, fellowship, and communion. These things help take the focus off ourselves and put it on Jesus. We will dream of a life of doing our own thing, but God’s dream for us to be surrendered to Jesus.

4. God’s dreams will call us to be led by the Holy Spirit: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard” (John 16:13; NLT).

Jesus experienced the numerous different voices telling Him what to do. He has Satan offering Him all the Kingdoms of the Earth if Jesus would but bow and worship Satan. Jesus had the masses of people who called Him to be a King and deliver them from Rome. We are faced with all these voices, and often we are torn, not knowing what to do. Often we do what seems logical or reasonable rather than seeking the Counsel of God. Our dreams for our lives will be living a life of reason, but God’s dream for our lives have us following the Holy Spirit.

5. God’s dreams will call us to be united: “My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me, and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me” (John 17:21; NLT).

Jesus accomplished His mission only because of the relationship He had with His Father. Jesus’ mission was not just about Jesus, but it was about the love of the Trinity for His creation. Jesus wants His followers to work with each other and depend on one another. We will dream of a life of being the “Lone Ranger,” but God’s dreams for us have us being united in love and purpose.

Shattered dreams are painful. Most of the time that pain is needed to wake us up to the temporary dreams we have lived for and see the eternal dream God has for us. When we decide to live for God’s dream our lives will discover the joy and purpose we have longed to have in our lives.

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Moral Law

"There is none of our impulses which the Moral Law won't sometimes tell us to suppress, and not which it won't sometimes tell us to encourage. It is a mistake to think that some impulses--say, mother love or patriotism--are good, and others, like sex or the fightint instinct, are bad. All we mean is that the occasions on which the fighting instinct or the sexual desire need to be restrained are rather more frequent than those for restraining mother love or patriotism. But there are situations in which it is the duty of a married man to encourage his sexual impulse and of a soldier to encourage the fighting instinct. There are also occasions on which a mother's love for her own children or a man's love for his own country have to be suppressed or they'll lead to unfairness towards other people's children or countries. Strictly speaking, there aren't such things as good and bad impulses." ~ C.S. Lewis; The Case for Christianity (pg. 9)

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Destiny and God

Ask Questions for God
at the Blue Pyramid.


In order to answer this question we first must have a working defination of destiny. WorldReference.com defines destiny as: an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future. I think the key word is inevitably.

I believe that there are some things which will inevitably happen. Number 1 on that list is that Jesus will return and life as we know it will end. There is nothing we can do to stop this from happening.

When it comes to our personal lives I am skepitcal about destiny. Aside from our deaths and judgment I don't think there is anything that will inevitably happen to us, no matter what we do. I believe much of it depends on the choices we make.

It is true that God has a plan for our lives.

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10, NLT; emphasis mine).

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT; emphasis mine).

God created us for a reason. There is a certain way He wants us to live our lives and certain tasks that He wants us to accomplish. He designed us to do them.

While there is a Divine plan behind our lives, God has given us the choice to do what we want to do. This means we can choice to ignore God's plan and not do what He asks us to do. The result is that what God planned for us to do will remain undone. There is only one Paul Steele and if fail to do what God has called me to do no one else will do it. I alone have the experience, the talents, and the influence needed to accomplish it. The same is true for you. God's plan for our lives is not inevitable, it depends very much on the choices we make.

The cool thing about this is that we can spend our lives running away from God and doing our own thing, but when turn to God in repentance there are still tasks He wants us to accomplish. God can use the evil and negative experiences in our lives for good. God can do more in one year with a life that is totally surrendered to Him than in 20 years of uncommitted service.

I would say there is no destiny, but when we move with God we have all the power of God moving behind us to do what needs to be done. God is at work in the world and when we join Him in that work it will often feel like we are living out our destiny.

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The Purpose of Doctrine

Our lives are ultimately a reflection of what we believe. Regardless of what we say the way we live shouts out what we truly believe about God, the world, and ourselves.

What this means is that one of the first steps we must take in changing our lives is to change what we believe. This requires education.  Education doesn't just happen at school, but it happens whenever we dedicate ourselves to discovering new knowledge and uncovering the truth.  For change to happen we have to apply that knowledge to the way we live.

Doctrine is the foundation of what we believe. According to WorldReference.com doctrine is:

a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school.