A Little Light

The picture I have placed in this installment of 'Ramblings of a Follower' is of Mayor John Cook the mayor of the city of El Paso, Texas where I live.

Yesterday I experience a moment of joy that I want to share with you all. I am on a regular schedule of chaplains and ministers, here in our city, who are asked to do the invocation for our weekly City Council meetings. I arrived at my normal time and waited along with others for the meeting to start. The meeting started late, which is not unusual but yesterday as the mayor came in to the meeting room he was carrying his guitar. The mayor is a fine man and as with all who serve as mayors in cities across our nation he has a difficult job. He is a Christian man and from what I understand his faith is not just cultural which gives me a sense of security and hope in his leadership.

When the meeting should have finally been called to order the mayor picked up his guitar and announced to all that the meeting was going to be a little delayed because....... he hoped that we would all join him in singing some Christmas carols to honor the season. At first I found myself a little embarrassed for him and wondering what would happen and how many would sing. Well the mayor began with the song Noel and sure enough only a few people were singing with him and my embarrassment for him seem to grow stronger with each chord that was played.

But then it struck me, how wonderful this effort by the mayor was. In a day when the onslaught of political corruption seems to be growing in our nation; here was a man, a civic leader, a brother in the Lord, who was willing to be counted, at this time of the year, as a follower and worshiper of Jesus Christ. My heart was warmed and I found myself feeling proud to be identified with the mayor on this occasion. With that heart warming came a boldness within me and I began to sing louder and louder with the mayor.

I have hope for our nation not because we are perfect but because we have a savior name Jesus Christ and countless men and women like my mayor who are willing to bring a little light into the midst of growing darkness. God bless my mayor and all those who serve in my city with sincere hearts and efforts.

Let us pray for those in authority over us....in this we shall find peace.

Exposure of the Heart

There is an old saying that goes like this; "Out from within the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" In recent days there has been a shocking and ongoing revelation of corruption within the office of the governor of the state of Illinois. On the one hand it shocks us as a people because we would expect a governor to have a higher standard in all areas of their life but alas we have once again had an example that reinforces our frustration and loss of respect for those in the political arena. The governor not only was caught in bribery but clearly his heart has been exposed and his words only seem to enforce the truth of the corruption of the man.

I have attached an article to this blog from the writer Judy Gruen a contributing writer to the American Thinker Blog. She has something to say that perhaps we should consider.


As news broke about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's arrest on political corruption charges, even those who have become cynical about political miscreants expressed shock at the brazenness of his attempts to sell the U.S. Senate seat formerly occupied by President-elect Barack Obama.

Less shocking, unfortunately, was his incessant use of the "f-word" during conversations in which he plotted to cash in on his political power. Our society has become mired in both an endless parade of political graft (remember the congressman who hid $50,000 in the freezer?) as well as an endless parade of profane language in the media.

Fortunately, we are not so jaded that we will sit still for political miscreants -- we want them punished and justly so. I'm sure millions will cheer along with me on the day that Blagojevich is stripped of his governorship and sent for a long time-out in an Illinois prison, where he will have lots of time to spend in the library and work on expanding his limited vocabulary.

Perhaps it's no accident that Blagojevich used the most vulgar obscenities in nearly every sentence caught on tape. Minding your language and minding your behavior both require self-discipline and a respect for an established order in society. Clearly, the out-of-control, arrogant governor had neither. Foul language is almost always used by people who are angry and hostile, as the tapes plainly reveal Blagojevich to be. He also proved another truth about habitual obscenity users: the more they swear, the more limited their vocabulary becomes, to the point where they cannot go more than one sentence without a meaningless, yet still offensive, profanity. So in addition to adding to that anger management problem, chronic swearing also makes you lazy, unimaginative, and stupid.

Not that long ago, one rarely heard rough language among civilized people. Most found non-profane ways to express anger and frustration, using self-discipline and a far richer vocabulary than is commonly used today. As our society has normalized foul language, we have degraded ourselves in the process. Now, people yakking on cell phones in a doctor's full waiting room (even with children present) don't flinch from using the first four-letter word that pops into their sullied brains.

Of course, the governor's insufferable actions are worse than the language he used. But as Jim O'Conner, author of Cuss Control, the Complete Book on How to Curb Your Cursing, observes, "Profanity is part of the English language, but people have to be more discreet about when and where they use it. The governor was quoted in private conversations. Still, as a public figure, he should have known that even what he said in private is likely to be reported." Yes, especially considering that he knew he was under investigation.

The fact is, a little self-censorship is good for the soul, while also building that elusive kinder, gentler society. In addition to the joy of seeing an arrogant creep like this get his comeuppance, we'll all benefit if we let bad boy Blagojevich become a poster child for what mindless profanity can do to us. As he has shown, it isn't pretty.

Judy Gruen is the author of The Women's Daily Irony Supplement.

Relationships

How fragile are relationships....my mother and fathers marriage lasted over 50 years, that makes them real gems of perseverance and hope. Their marriage was not without its difficulties, on a couple of different occasions they almost got a divorce, I remember the confusion of those times and the pain I felt as a young boy trying to figure what I had done to cause the problem that my parents were having. This perspective is so typical of young children when they see their parents struggle within their marriage.

Well my parents never did divorce and continued on through the years to make the choices for commitment that led them to the fifty year mark, truly an amazing mile stone in marriage.

Why do I bring up this topic today?

Tonight I found out about a couple that my wife and I knew many years ago with whom we have recently been in touch with again that are now in the process of possibly getting a divorce. When I found this out I was speechless, for those that know me, being speechless is not a common thing for me, I was grieved, overwhelmed and just wanting to reach out and help.

How does this happen, what do we do that leads to broken relationships?

Although the circumstances vary and are complicated that lead to broken relationship what is at the core of the issues and complications that lead to broken relationships is simple.

Back to my conversation with my friend;

In the midst of the conversation with my friend I found myself being stirred regarding a friendship I and my wife have with a couple here in our city. We have wanted to see them for a while but circumstances being what they have, has not allowed that to happen. Over the process of time I recently found myself being offended by what appeared to be a lack of mutual concern for the relationship by this couple, this lead me down to the twisting maze of the victim/poor me mentality. By the time I was done going through this maze I was ready to "give them a piece of my mind" regarding their lack of effort to at least maintain the relationship.....ah the victim always seems to be so right, at least to themselves.

Well as things would have it I happened to be able to have lunch with the husband and found out about all the challenges that they are having as a family and as he spoke I felt extremely selfish and stupid, to say the least, for my self-righteous victim mentality, and that I a pastor, a man of God, a.......fool, had made a terrible and yet simple mistake that could of led to a broken relationship with some precious people whom I admire and love.

So where does this episode of my life lead to? To the simple beginning of all relationship breakdowns; self, and the deifying of self in any relationship. Thats where it all simply comes down to, it all begins with some one in the relationship deifying there need or want as supremely important above everything and everyone else. I use the word 'deifying' because of the way we all fawn over and seem to place above and before everything else OURSELF. All to often when this happens we don't even realize it because it seems that we are just so right in our understanding and knowledge of the assumed relationship difficulty.

Jesus is the master of relationship building and he proved it by allowing himself to be crucified so that we might have a restored relationship with our heavenly Father, that pretty much demonstrates to us what we must do with our deified selfs and how we can at least begin to see good relationship start in our lives and or be restored in our lives.

Just a thought or two for us as we journey together.

God's Glory

"Are we jealous for God's glory?
To me that is what revival is all about."
- Leonard Ravenhill

In a time when narcissism seems to be reigning within the church is it possible that what we are looking for is just another narcissistic moment? Should we not call out with great faith to the Lord for a man or group of men whose whole passion in life is the glory of God. Surely they are there but perhaps not seen yet and those that need to hear from them are being prepared to hear. Oh that the time would come soon Lord Jesus!!!!

"Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

And dare we say that Christianity, true faith must include; Christ and discipleship and anything less is not Christianity at all. In our submission to Christ there are no options....it is his way or the highway.

Matthew 4:19, 10:38, 16:24 Mark 8:34, 10:21 Luke 5:27-28, 9:57-62 John 10:27, 12:26

These are just a few scriptures that speak of our call to discipleship and our call to Christ. Mr. Bonhoeffer had it right, do we? do you? do I?

Are You A Bridge Builder ?

I had a great Thanksgiving yesterday, ate to much food(what else is new)enjoyed a lot of laughter, listened to people be encouraged and built up, saw a bunch of kids just hanging out and enjoying each others company, it was for all intent purposes a church meeting.....absolutely wonderful.

I spoke with my two boys today, just to see how they are doing on their journey's....both are doing well and so much better then I was at their age. You know so many of us "older" ones look back over our lives and wonder how well we did, I guess that comes from wanting to be reassured that in spite of our mistakes and weakness we have left something good behind us. My children bless me so much and make we want to be sure that I am faithful with the time I have left so that perhaps I can see grandchildren and experience the blessing of seeing the favor of God extend to another generation.

I have added a writing from "The Book of Virtues" by William Bennett that I think speaks to the gift of an older generation's responsibility to be faithful for the coming generation.

The Bridge Builder

Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide--
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

Will Allen Dromgoole

Are We Captive Lions

As I am walking through this journey, that the Lord has been gracious to place me on, I have found my heart is straining to recapture the "joy of my salvation" that has been lost to the business, methods and means that I embraced over the years thinking that it was ministry. This embracing not only curtailed my 'joy' but in fact robbed me of the great gift of freedom that there is in Christ.

This was sent to me by a friend and follower of Jesus who has been on the journey longer then I and has some great insights. I feel like a lion that has been set free, the adventure begins and oh how I look forward to the hunt.

Lions Set Free

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with the yoke of slavery again." Galatians 5:1

A friend of mine recently told me about a conservation group in Zimbabwe that is taking captive lions and rehabilitating them back into the wild.

This is a difficult, four phase process, but they are having success with it. The rehabilitation process has many snags involved because of the effects of captivity on an African lion. When lions are bred and raised out of their natural habitat, some very abnormal patterns begin to develop. In short, they become domesticated. Yet lions were born to be wild.

In captivity, the lions basically forget that they are lions. The forget how to hunt. They forget how to live in the wild. And they forget how to live in a pride. The "pride" is the name for a community of lions. Lions are by and large social creatures and do not do well as loners.

The Effects of Captivity

You and I were born (again) to be spiritual lions. That's who we are, but we have forgotten our true nature because of our captivity in the religious system. Captivity has conditioned us to believe things that are just not true. We have become something less than our true calling and destiny because of this conditioning. We have become domesticated.

We have become isolated pew warmers; a mutated race that sits and listens instead of participating and functioning. The clergy/laity system has made us passive and spiritually lazy. In other words, we have sold out our birthrights. Just like Esau we have sold out for the comfort of a bowl of lentil stew, that is, our warm and comfy pews. We no longer wanted to bother with functioning as members of the Body of Christ, so we sold out and instituted the clergy/laity system.

We Have Forgotten How to Hunt

This is definitely one of the most important aspects of a lion's life. Without the act of hunting, how will you eat?

How will the pride eat?

We have forgotten how to hunt for our own food. Part of our conditioning has been that everyday (or every Sunday!) someone opens our cage and throws us a piece of meat. This bypasses the whole hunting process.

Who is this person that throws in that piece of meat? Where did he get it? Apparently, he went and hunted for it himself. But that is not my prey! And I never had to hunt for it myself.

Hunting is much more than just killing an animal and then eating it. There is the encounter of the hunt itself: finding the right place and time; having the right equipment; getting very quiet; smelling the prey; stalking the prey; taking aim, etc. Sometimes you come up empty handed, but the actual engagement is the thrilling part.

As believers, our food is Jesus Christ Himself! Not just teaching and doctrine about Christ, but the very Person and experience of Christ. You need to hunt for this "food" yourself. Sharing someone else's food is alright at times. But there is nothing like you going out on your own "hunt" and capturing some new revelation or insight into your Lord. This is exciting. This is discovery. This is how you were born to live!

But then what? What do lions do after they have captured the prey?

They bring it home and share it with the pride.

As I said before, lions are very social creatures and they live in a pride. But in captivity there is no hunt and there is no pride. Lions are thrown their food everyday and they do not live as a pride. They are just individual lions living a mutant life of individualism.

A lion in captivity never has to hunt for his own food. He becomes lazy and complacent. He actually believes that this is normal. He believes that someone else is responsible.

We Have Forgotten How to Live in the Wild

"Because we do not regard the things which are seen but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." II Cor. 4:18

There are two kinds of realms that exist. There is the unseen realm (or the eternals) and there is the seen realm (or the physicals). Both of these realms exist together at the same time.

One realm is spiritual and unseen. That is, it has no physical substance or what we would call matter. It has no size or dimension, and it exists without time or space. You could say that this spiritual realm is totally "other than" the seen, physical realm.

Of course, we know that the seen physical realm does have matter, energy, space, time, and dimension. Science tells us all about electrons, protons, neutrons, atoms, and molecules. We seem to know a lot about the seen realm. But the scriptures tell us that this realm is only temporary.

It is the unseen realm which is eternal, and yet, we really don't know much about that realm at all. How do we live in that realm? How do we live in spirit?

The Creature of Two Realms

As lions, we are called to live in two realms at the same time. But we should live mostly in the unseen realm. This is the "wild" for us. And it is mostly unexplored. It really is the "wild." It is our natural habitat. And we can never be fulfilled with anything less. And yet, because we have forgotten who we are, we have become comfortable in captivity. We have become comfortable in the seen realm. We actually start believing that the physical realm is everything and then we start investing our lives into it.

Yet we have a Lord who is both Lion and Lamb. He is definitely gentle. But make no mistake about it, He is not tame! He is as wild as they come and the wild realm that is our home is inside of Him (Eph. 1:3).

But our natural habitat is not lived alone. This is a place of community. This is the place of the pride.

We Have Forgotten How to Live as a Pride

The "pride" is the social unit for the wild lion. They do not live alone. They interact in small groups know as prides.

Dear believer, a very important part of your natural habitat is the spiritual "pride." This has been lost to us as well. Lions in captivity don't live in prides. That is a special feature only found in the wild. When you discover that you are already free and begin living in the other realm, you will see the need of community life. This wild life is a shared life. Shared with your Lord and shared with His people.

But we are not used to sharing our lives with others. We have been isolated (held captive) for so long that we have forgotten that this is just the normal life for wild lions. In a true pride, you all share your food, share your joys, share your sorrows, and share everything in life with one another.

The big question is: how do we get to this place of freedom? How do we remember how to hunt? How do we remember how to live in the wild? How do we remember how to live in a pride?

Our great God has already provided a solution to this situation. And this solution was in force as early as the first century.

God's Solution: Walking with Lions

As I told you in the beginning of this article, there is a conservationist group in Zimbabwe that is successfully rehabilitating lions back into the wild. But how do they do it?

They take the young cubs for walks everyday in the wild. An experienced lion "handler" (not trainer) will take a cub on long walks everyday to introduce the young lion to life in the wild. Eventually, the lion's natural instincts will begin to kick in. They will begin to respond to their natural prey and eventually begin to stalk them. Then, one day, they will learn to hunt for themselves. The lion handlers will also introduce them to a pride in the wild so they can be socially integrated.

God does the same thing with His people. He re-introduces His "lions" back into the wild by the use of "handlers." These are men and women who are called, prepared, and sent by Him for this difficult task. They do not become caretakers of the believers, but their job is to be re-introducers. Then the believers re-discover their spiritual instincts and habitat that has been long forgotten in captivity.

We can see these people at work in the first century. They were sent out by God as itinerant apostolic workers (or church planters) to lay a foundation of Christ for the assemblies of believers. Their job was to work themselves out of a job. Peter, John, Paul, Barnabas, Titus, Silas, Timothy, and others did this work or re-introducing God's people to the wild. Then they would leave them on their own to live as wild lions! Every one of these workers had already experienced true "pride life" for themselves and knew about the hunt, the wild, and the pride by personal experience.

In the Zimbabwe program, the handlers have less and less contact with the lions. The goal is to completely release them to the wild, not to control them and keep them domesticated.

Christians are leaving the religious institutions in droves. They are seeking more reality, a deeper spirituality, and freedom. They are being set free from the captivity of the religious system and it is a beautiful thing to see. But that creates an altogether different problem.

Now that all of these believers are being set free from captivity, what will happen next? How will they now be re-introduced to the wild? How will they remember how to hunt? How will they be introduced to the "pride" life?

God's own rehabilitation program must be the answer. We need to pray that God will raise up many "handlers" who have been called, prepared, and sent to walk with the lions.

You are a lion and you have a divine right to be free in the wild with His pride!

by Milt Rodriguez

Are We Listening

Friends,

I fear that the pride of our hearts has deceived us into believing that all is going to be OK with us as a nation....it is not. I am sorrowful that my perspective is so negative but in order for us to heal the sickness that is now the United States America we are going to need to listen and listen with more then just our ears.

Praying for our nation.

A Word For All Of US

David Wilkerson is a man of profound faith and relationship with Jesus, on my Journey he has been a source of encouragment and correction. Long before it became popular to be prophetic David was speaking prophetically. He would not call himself a prophet and I respect that, at the minimum I find him to be a watchman on the wall. Listen to this man who loves Jesus more then anything else.

DANIEL—A MAN OF ANOTHER SORT!

Daniel was a “man of another sort” who speaks of being broken: “I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession” (Daniel 9:3–4). In turn, Daniel was able to discern the times, because he knew God’s heart. “I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah” (Daniel 9:2).

How did Daniel come to this path of brokenness, knowledge and discernment? It began with his study of God’s Word. Daniel allowed the Scriptures to lay hold of him fully. And he quoted them often and at length, because he’d hidden them away in his heart: “As it is written in the law…” (Daniel 9:13).

In chapter 10, this godly prophet was given a vision of Christ, “I lifted up mine eyes…and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz…and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire…and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude” (10:5–6).

I urge you, set your heart today to seek God with all diligence and determination. Then go to his Word with ever-increasing love and desire. Pray with fasting for brokenness, to receive his burden. Finally, confess and forsake everything that hinders the Holy Spirit from opening heaven’s blessings to you. The path of “men of another sort” is open to everyone. Will you walk in it?

Such a walk brings the touch of God. Daniel testified, “Behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands” (Daniel 10:10). The word for touched here means “to violently seize upon.” Daniel was saying, “When God placed his hand upon me, it put me on my face. His touch gave me an urgency to seek him with all that’s in me.”

This happens anytime God touches someone’s life. That person falls to his knees and becomes a man or woman of prayer, driven to seek the Lord.

I’ve often wondered why God touches only certain people with this urgency. Why do some servants become hungry seekers after him, while other faithful people go their way? God-touched servants have an intimate relationship with the Lord. They receive revelations from heaven. And they enjoy a walk with Christ that few others do.

Why did God lay his hand on Daniel and touch him as he did? Why was this one man able to see and hear things no one else could? He declares, “I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision” (Daniel 10:7).

God needed a voice to speak his message. He wanted a praying servant, someone who would respond faithfully to his calling. Daniel was that man. He’d been praying devoutly three times a day. And now, as he walked along the river, Christ revealed himself to him (see Daniel 10:7–9).

God made Daniel his oracle because:

1. Daniel never let up in prayer (see Daniel 10:2–3).
2. Daniel grieved over the spiritual decline in society and the church (see Daniel chapter 9).
3. Daniel refused to harbor or hide sin (Daniel 9:4–5).

Observations of our time

The newly elected president of our nation has more expectations placed on him then any other present that I can remember in recent history. The number of adoring idolatrous like fans of our president elect concerns me, have they as a result of unfulfilled expectations in the past become the rats of the pied piper who they will follow blindly because it sounds good? Remember he is just a man.

I fear that as a nation we have become to much like ancient Rome, consumed with its self worth while at the same time trying to fill its empty soul with the adoration of men to the point of calling, viewing or treating those men as divine. We are no longer able or secure enough tell ourselves the truth we prefer instead the lies of Madison Ave. when what is needed is a strong dose of reality. If we are not careful, my friends, we will end up like ancient Rome, only a memory with some old buildings that speak of a glory long lost.

We have more information, truth and history to draw from to help guide us as a people and as a nation but the cancerous worm of pride has so infected us that we now believe that because we have all this information we are not vulnerable to this cancerous worm that destroyed Rome from the inside out. Knowing truth and living truth are two different things.

What can be done, if what I say is true? History shows that Nineveh was much as we are today in attitude and action, but God loved the people of Nineveh, just as any modern day Father loves a child that has gone terribly astray. Who did God use to get the people of Ninevehs' attention? Jonah, someone who supposedly knew God and His great love. Jonah had his own issues as well, hatred of the people of Nineveh to start with, but God loves and we His people must bring his call of repentance to our nation, not because we as a nation deserve this merciful call but because He is worthy of the love of all people, even the Ninevehites of the United States of America.

Charisma or Character

I have just been sent some photos from a friend of the response around the world to the election of Barack Obama's election. It concerns me in that people have come to see a personality and are persuaded by a personality, their response reminds me of the days when the Beatles first came to the United States; unreasoned emotional excitement which historically has led to mountains of unfulfilled expectations, frustrations and grief.

We now have a MAN who will take office in January of 2009 whose positions on many social and economic policies are in my opinion so far to the left that they could only make sense in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Block nations.

We must pray, ideas have consequences and we have a very popular and charismatic leader who is being "worshiped". No man should be worshiped but alas I fear this man is.

Mad at God

Around 25 years ago I found myself walking down a simple road in the Virginia country side. It was raining and I was getting soaking wet but I didn’t care. My lack of care about getting soaking wet was birthed out of my strong sense of anger and frustration I felt, and regardless of the weather I was going to have it out with God.

There is more I will say regarding this story later, but for the moment I want to ask you how you responded to my statement, “I was going to have it out with God.” Whenever I tell this story, people have a number of different responses: shock, wonder, it is not possible, how could you, to mention just a few. I know that many religious people find that the possibility of being angry with God is some kind of mortal sin, but the fact remains that on that day I was angry with God. Many of us do get angry with God and struggle with how He works in our lives.

So, what do you do? You are confused, scared, angry, and you have nowhere to go and no one to blame; you are too ashamed to express your anger to someone because you’re not sure if they will understand. In your desperateness you turn to some memory of what a religious person once said about God being perfect and that you should never question Him. So partly out of fear, partly out of frustration you give up and stuff your emotions in some sort of personally foreign religious exercise and try to move on.

Now more from my own experience in a Virginia rain storm. As I walked down this road, I found myself struggling with how I wanted to express myself. I did not want to offend God, but I could not deny how I felt. It did not take long before I just finally said, “Well God, here it comes and if it comes out rough I hope you understand.” At that point I let loose with all of the frustration, anger and hurt I was feeling, I did not try to hide the fact that I thought He had not been fair and that I deserved better, (I think you get the drift of my conversation). As I continued to walk down the road, I came to the place where I had nothing else I wanted to say, nothing else to complain about, and nothing else to justify.

At this point I found myself standing by a stream that was beginning to overflow as a result of the rain, and I could not go any further. As I stood looking at the stream I realized that my heart was overwhelmed by the sense of God’s presence. I felt that if I would look over my shoulder, He would be standing there, and if I would just keep my mouth shut He might have something to say to me.

As I stood there, a gentle but firm thought entered my mind, “Are you done?” My response was a little sheepish, but it was flavored with a sense of confidence as I said, “Yes”. Then, more silence; I thought to myself “oh man, I am in trouble.” After a moment or two my heart and mind were flooded with the sweet understanding that I was deeply loved, accepted and appreciated because for the first time in my life as a Christian I had been really honest with God.

There was more I felt that God was speaking to me that day, but the big lesson for me was about being honest with God. So often I hear people say that they don’t like Christians because they are all a bunch of hypocrites. There is, unfortunately, some truth to that criticism. We Christians often try to present ourselves and our relationship with God in the best possible light, but in that process we sacrifice simple honesty and maybe that is what our critics are more offended by.

If our critics are accurate, perhaps we need to see those tense moments with God as an effort by God to get us to be honest with Him. How does God feel about that? I believe that we can get a glimpse of how He feels in one of the most powerful stories in the bible regarding this issue of honesty. It is found in John 8:1-12. Let me give you a quick overview of the story; (I recommend that you find a bible and read the whole of the story so that you can get the full impact).

The religious of Jesus day have a woman brought before them charged with the crime of adultery; in their religious arrogance they use this woman to try and trap this radical Rabbi called Jesus. As the story goes, they bring this woman before Him and state the charge of adultery and that the Law of Moses says that she should be stoned. Let’s stop there for a moment; Where was the man who committed adultery with this woman? Shouldn’t he also be brought up on the charges of adultery? A question for another time, perhaps.

Going back to our story, Jesus does not respond to them immediately but stoops to the ground and writes something with his finger. It is here that many have speculated as to what Jesus wrote. I have personally wondered about that, but I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to make a far more important point. This story is not about what Jesus wrote on the ground but about a person; this woman who, by her choices in life, now faces the reality of those consequences in her life. Death is a sure reality; she knew what the Law had to say about adultery, and those standing before her were confirming the truth by calling for her to die as the Law according to Moses said she should.

After the humiliation of the procession of accusers, she now stands before this radical Rabbi and thinks, That’s it, I am going to die. My whole life has been one sad story after another; there is nothing more to hide, excuse or to ignore. In the midst of her tears, fears and racing thoughts she hears this Rabbi ask a question of the group standing and accusing her; the noise of the accusations dies down to an almost haunting silence. What was that he asked? “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” She wanted to look up to see the response of the accusers, but the shame of her sin was too much of a weight on her head. A moment later she hears the sound of stones being drop and the shuffle of feet moving away from her. In her panic stricken thinking she wonders what is happening and why are they leaving.

In the midst of the fog of the events, she hears another question, “Where are your accusers? Is there no one to condemn you?” She looks at Jesus and says there is none, and then she hears words that will resound in her life forever. “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Jesus walks away and she stands there in bewilderment and very much alive.

The point of the story is, the woman had to face her life honestly because the consequences of her past were upon her. Jesus’ question to the crowd used the memories of all in attendance that day to show that none is righteous, no not one.

Honesty can have a penetrating effect on our lives if we will let it. The problem is we won’t let it. Our pride keeps us in a comfortable delusion where reality is kept at a distance or so we think. Here is where we begin to see the intimate work of God our Father allowing circumstances to so move upon on us that we are forced to consider the true reality of our lives and this gets us MAD, d_ _ _ MAD. Why would a loving God want me to move out of my comfortable delusion? The answer is simple, you were created for relationship with God and your fellowman. Bad things do happen to good people. Religious people try to put every problem into a box labeled 5 Steps to conquering your problem, but it is just filled with legalisms and vacant spiritual platitudes that leave the partaker more empty than when they first reached into the box.

Honesty in our lives releases the possibility of costly grace; costly in that Jesus did die so that you and I could have true peace and real relationship with God our Father. It is costly in that we will have to give up on our comfortable delusions to experience the fruit of honesty, but then again isn’t the fruit honesty in our lives worth it?

What shall we do?

All of us who call ourselves Christian have a huge responsibility tomorrow November 5th. the responsibility is that of praying for those in authority over us. Paul is very clear in Romans

Romans 13:1-7

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. [2] Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: [4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. [5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. [6] For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. [7] Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Our responsibility is clear, our personal choice may or may not of become the president of the United States and I am sure that there will be many discussions and arguments as to why the results happen as they did, no matter what we must pray or we will be in a place of disobedience before our Father in heaven.

Shall we pray brethren or shall we complain, you make the choice

People Along The Way

What direction? Where will I go? Who shall I meet? Does anyone care? All of the questions have deep significance for someone, maybe someone you will meet or pass along the way on your Journey.

The key question is will you recognize the opportunity or miss the it, most of us are so busy that we miss opportunity after opportunity to have our lives enriched by countless numbers of people. Why?

I want to submit for your consideration that we have become so busy and narcissistic that we have lost in the confusion of our personal lives the ability and some time the capacity to "unconditionally ascribe worth to another at a cost to oneself" You see, that is what true love is, and interestingly enough when you and I sacrifice our idol of narcissism for the sake of seeing and considering others, before ourselves we will in fact be loving our neighbor as our self.

Some times the Journey is tough and to be entirely frank, more days then I want to admit are filled with my own little idols of narcissism but I don't give up, how about you, feel like giving up some times? Don't the Journey is worth it.