Category Archives: SPIRITUAL INTEREST

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#20 Openness

Openness is two way. We are willing to give and receive. We are willing to act on what we receive.

The woman’s hope was in flight. Depression squeezed her ability to function. Troubles on the home field felt that they were causing layers of upheaval. Custody battles were becoming large. Despair and hopelessness swirled around her. Thoughts from her past were opening afresh–this, and wounds still bleeding from throughout the years had passed but not completely. Thoughts of suicide ran circles in her mind. Fears for herself led her to admit herself into a facility for those who are suicidal.

That is when I got the call from her friend asking me to pray. This woman was in a group of women I was teaching. I then asked two others from the group to pray for her–but I gave no reason other than it was important.

While in her room in the facility, when she was alone, the desperate feelings had not left but were slowly dissipating. With her, she had only one book. It was the Bible. Her hunger for God’s help caused her to look at it. In time she laid it all out before him. She implored him. She gave him her hopelessness, her desperation for his help.

And then it happened. God let her know that her heard her plea. He surrounded her with his love and caused her to look to him. Comfort enveloped her. It was a rare appointment away from all other things.

Little will change in our spiritual walks until we get serious with God. However, there is a caveat. We tend to draw a conclusion that serious with God means the outward routines of going to church, not speaking in anger, and following the ten commandments, which are good things of course. But praying and devotional life plus good living and church attendance are the formula that many good, righteous, spiritual persons follow and are comfortably pleased with as enough. But is that right?

Her soul injuries. Her choices. Her hopelessness, her desperation for his help were needed big time. It gets the job done and can produce some amazing results. But there is one big, huge, missing chunk in this formula. It says you can have a good, clean lack of vitality and life. It is wrong since it falls short. There is an energy in close relationship with God. They will exhibit transformation as their life softens and deepens because of the presence of God in them. Having an open flow of communication and a fellowship within them is key to this full life.

How does this work, you may ask. There is one essential ingredient that is a necessary requirement–that is in addition to the other qualities i.e. repentance, surrender, and commitment–a person must become open with God. They share every aspect of their life. Similar to the human marital relationship, a failure to be transparent and open with a mate will lead to disunity or a weak joining with God. We will give less than our best.

You can have spirituality without a deepening relationship with God. The truth is, you can have a spiritual good, clean positive Christian experience but it will lack vitality and life. There is an energy that is released in the person who walks in close relationship with God. They exhibit transformation as their life softens and deepens because of the presence of God in them.

How does this work, you may ask. There is one essential ingredient that is a necessary requirement–that is in surrender and commitment. A person must become open with God about every aspect of their life. Similar to the human marital relationship, a failure to be transparent and open with a mate will lead to disunity or a weak joining. We will give less than our best. This causes an insincerity of purpose on our end. God works with what we give him. The more open we are with the good, the more he can demonstrate his love to us. Frankly, it takes effort, openness and honesty.

God is a good father. You do not need to be afraid or concerned that your openness will be met with condemnation or hostility. God will respect your admissions and honor your rightness. He will forgive your trespasses and sins, and he will value your weaknesses you bring willingly to his attention. God is in the healing and restoring business. He work is with what we give him and allow Him to touch and change.

. . .

My friend, what are you holding back from God? What is it that you are afraid to release? God desires to help you. It is not true that God helps those who help themselves. This is because those who seek him will find him. Then rest in Him. You have a wonderful opportunity ahead of you. All your pain and dissatisfaction with your life is not what you have to overcome, for it is part of living in a fallen world. But what can be overcome is your bent to self-destruction or self-righteousness. God has a plan for you–and it is a good plan.

Action–Ask God where you are not open or transparent with him. Listen for his answer. He will reveal it in some way. Acknowledge this to him. Seek Him for answers. He may use Godly people or his Word to direct you. Submit it to God’s loving intention. Repeat the process. Continue to periodically open your life to God. You won’t be sorry.

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The True Meaning of Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas

In the movie A Charlie Brown Christmas there is a scene where Linus Van Pelt tells Charlie Brown that he knows the true meaning of Christmas. Then Linus begins to recite this passage, which is the true meaning of Christmas.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in he field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:8-14).

In 1965 when Charles Shultz wrote the play, the production team wanted to cut this scene. But Charles Shultz refused to remove it. The network was sure the movie would flop. But they were mistaken. It was widely watched and a huge success with 45% of homes watching.

9/11

Decades later, on September 11, 2001 I was teaching on the day of the attacks on the Two Towers. That same year, while our country was still reeling from the assault on our nation and the clean-up of the site was ensuing, the 8th grade class in the public school where I was a teacher performed the play A Charlie Brown Christmas. Surprised at their audacity and pleased as Luke 2:8-14 was recited, I was reminded of the way a tragedy brings us closer to our roots and our faith. Barriers had come down whereas barriers had been erected prior to 9/11 to prohibit words of faith from being expressed in public, including the songs we performed for Holiday/Christmas school-wide performances.

Wonderful Counselor

Pastor Warren Weirsbe was a guest speaker for chapel at Western Baptist College when I was a student in the 1970s. He exuberantly expressed his joy in the Lord. I was impressed. This led me to purchase a book written by him that was in the college bookstore.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Weirsbe wrote about each name expressed in this passage of scripture: Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. I would read his book, His Name is Wonderful, at Christmastime to soak in the essence of who Christ is, what qualities He brought to earth, and the goodness of it all. In such a gracious way, here in this scriptural text we are shown the majesty of the kingdom of God on earth.

Messianic Prophecy

often listen to debates between Christians and atheists. I’ve even bought a few books related to the subject. One of the most compelling proofs of the Bible’s validity is the fulfillment of prophesies recorded by prophets in Old Testament times. This phenomenon of the foretelling of future events highlighted the hope and the promise, the way of salvation that God would provide for God’s chosen people and simultaneously for all people. The world needed a savior to save them from their sins, as we all do. Here’s one of many messianic prophecies.

“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:11-12).

The Plan’s Fulfillment

However, this salvation wasn’t only limited to the Jewish people. It was part of a God-sized plan for the salvation of Jewish and Gentile people groups. The Righteous Servant was God’s only begotten Son, the true son of God. His redemption plan was all inclusive. It was a broad message and its impact was far reaching to all peoples of the world. God so loved the world in its entirety. God’s gift to humankind was the greatest gift of all. It was a gift of love for God so loved the world.

If Christ had never been born, if Christ had never died an innocent death, if Christ had never loved a sinful world, if redemption had never come to the world, we would be forever lost without hope, without peace, and without the light of life, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

A Positive Heartwarming Story

Now for a treat. I’ve been collecting positive stories for a while. I decided to share some of them with you. So, I leave you with this simple story seen on Twitter, 2020, by Annie White.

“When I was 4 years old, my mom had to stop by the station with me in tow. Just as my mom started to turn left into a hallway, I saw him. Real. Live. In person. Mr. Rogers. DEAD AHEAD! I did not follow my mom, but bolted to my sweater-clad hero. I wrapped myself around his legs, sitting on his feet and screamed at full volume, ‘MISTER ROGERS! I LOVE YOU!’ My mother was mortified. But do you know what that saint of man did? He peeled me off his legs while sitting down on the floor next to me. And screamed, just as loud as I did, “AND I LOVE YOU, TOO!” And to this day, I believe he meant it. Because that’s who Fred Rogers was: Loving. When he found out my mom and (then) step-dad had a quiet courthouse wedding, he threw them a shower at the station because he said every marriage should be celebrated. He genuinely was every bit of what you saw on TV.