Muscle or Cognizant Memory

When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Suddenly? Really? It may seem to some of us that the 'whole new thing' isn't all that 'new' - some of that 'old stuff' hangs around for a while, or crops up from time to time, making it kind of hard to say everything became 'new' when we said 'yes' to Jesus. It isn't uncommon that the hurts and hangups of yesterday can creep up from time to time, all because we have both muscle memory and cognizant memory. Muscle memory is when we do something without even giving it much conscious thought. Cognizant memory is when we actually think upon it, then act upon it, oftentimes making a very 'determined' decision to pursue something we might know to be entirely wrong for us. Either way, we struggle with those things that creep up on occasion, making us wonder if this 'new us' really 'took hold' when we invited Christ into our lives! Truth be told, we might believe the 'bridge' to our past is broken so well that we could not pass that way again, but if we are honest, some of us actually hold onto some 'building materials' just in case we decide to 'go back' that way again!

Rather than doubt that all things have become new, we have to reassure ourselves over and over again that when Christ declared us 'new' he also provided us with the means to let go of those building materials. We may have stockpiled a few loads of that stuff that ties us to the past, but as long as we are willing to put forth the effort to obtain some new 'building materials', our present doesn't have to be tied to our past any longer. As our new year continues, we may have committed to getting into God's word - actually dusting off that bible, cracking the barely opened pages, and setting forth into a 'reading plan' of sorts. Reading is good, but we may lack the 'building material' of actually taking the time to record just a few words or thoughts about what that scripture we're reading is saying about our lives, how to let go of some of that 'old stuff', and what to do when things like 'muscle memory' find us acting as we acted before we said yes to Christ. It is one thing to be given the new building materials, it is another to learn how to use them. It may not be journaling we are missing, but it could be we don't have a strong support system of other believers. 

Either way, we need to ask Jesus what we are lacking, then listen closely to what he says will help us to break the bonds to our muscle or cognizant memory that keeps us focused on what we 'were' and stops us from seeing what we 'are' and 'are becoming'. Just sayin!

True Riches

B.C. Forbes reminds us, "Real riches are the riches possessed inside." I am going to say some of us have riches galore, while others may only be beginning to see those riches building bit by bit in their lives. According to God's Word, true riches come as we give Christ his rightful place in our lives - when he is at the center of our lives, all the riches of heaven are poured into us. We become 'enriched' individuals at the foot of the cross.

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. (Proverbs 22:1-4)

We have been looking on what is on the 'inside' of a man - for that is what really matters. If the 'fool inside' is the thing we feed the most, heeding its every whim and fancy, then the reputation one will possess is likely less than 'stellar'. Deal with the 'fool inside' and what begins to happen is a transformation of reputation. Some think there is no way 'back' from a bad reputation, but I believe Christ paves the way for us.

Having Christ in the 'right place' in our lives means we give him the reins. I know how hard that can truly be because I am a 'rein taker'. I don't like to give up 'control', but if you can learn anything from this 'rein taker' today, let it be this: God isn't going to settle for being our 'co-pilot' - he is meant to be our PILOT. For those of you who think this means we no longer think for ourselves, that is not the case. It just means we run our thinking through the filters of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the still small voice of our heavenly Father. 

A good reputation can be like gold, but how does gold really gain value? Through the refining process. How does a good reputation come? Through the refining process! We may want it to be instantaneous, but it is 'worked out' daily in our times with Jesus. The fires burn hotter some days than others - probably because there is something 'within' that needs to 'come out' in order for the greatest of riches to be left behind. We may not like the refining process, but true riches aren't just 'produced' without it. Just sayin!

You are beautiful - inside and out

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God.... (I Peter 3:3-5)

I might just burst your bubble today - that new hairstyle is nice, but your real beauty comes from within. The more 'beauty' your heart develops, the greater the true beauty within your life will begin to shine forth. This type of 'beauty' is only possible for those who have said a resounding 'yes' to Jesus' authority in their lives - not a casual acquaintance with him, but a deeply committed relationship with him. Some have used this passage to say we should not wear make-up, dye our hair, or adorn ourselves with jewelry, but this was not the meaning. The goal of these verses is summed up in the beginning of verse 5: They put their trust in Jesus. This is the only thing that will produce lasting beauty when all the other forms of 'adornment' begin to fade. A gentle and quiet spirit is not the byproduct of anything this world has to offer us. It is the byproduct of spending time with Jesus. The beauty produced in just a few dedicated moments with him in the quiet of your day can surpass all the masking of any beauty product, tuck, or peel you can find on this earth. We search for beauty in various places, but it is found at the foot of the cross. The moments we spend with him each day begin to soften our hearts - clarify our minds - and settle our emotions. Nothing produces such a beautiful 'adornment' as these three!

Was does it mean to put our trust in God? It means we stop trusting in the things 'we' can do for ourselves, and we begin to trust in the things God has already done for us. I had to see how the dictionary actually defined beauty and this was the first definition I found: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest). That part about a 'meaningful design' caught my attention. Why? I think God has given each of us a 'meaningful design' that only he can create and complete within us. That 'design' doesn't come together by casual encounter, but by consistent contact and submission to the one who loves us so much. Our 'design' is realized at the cross - it is completed with each contact we have with the one who makes all of life 'meaningful' - Jesus. So, get your true beauty on today by taking the best of your day and spending it with him. Your heart, mind, and will will be transformed so that the highest spiritual, mental, and physical qualities are manifest. Just sayin!

Get up and move on

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Ephesians 4:2)

Devotion to God doesn't happen by accident - we have to actually 'get up' and 'move forward'. Two very specific actions that require more than just mental investment. They require movement on our part. To 'get up' one has to actually stop sitting right where they are at - there must be a change in position. Too many times we think we will manifest change in our lives all while we are taking little to no action to see change occur. To 'move forward' means we have to put one foot in front of the other. There can be no good growth where there is stagnancy. Yes, there may be growth, but it is muck and mire, not good growth!

A few weeks ago, they drained the canals around us and we noticed many things at the bottom of the canal that had no business being in the canal. Street signs, grocery carts, pylons, furniture pieces, and lots of dirt or debris of some sort. While the canal was full, the murkiness of the water made it impossible to know those things were down there. The catfish and carp probably loved all those things they could hide in, but those things actually created obstructions in the canals. It was apparent to us that a 'clean out' was necessary. In one small section of the canal, many small fish were busy growing, but due to the lack of water flow through that area, they all died in the murkiness of the stagnant waters.

That is the problem with stagnancy - it leads to us getting filled up with things that actually bring death, not life. We need the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives - the Word of God getting into places within us that would otherwise be untouched and unnoticed. We need 'movement' in order to see growth! The things that 'don't belong' are only exposed when there is a full 'clean out' of those areas - that may mean we stop totally, allow the clean-up to occur, then allow ourselves to be filled again. 'Sitting around' is the worst thing we can do. We only see life flourish when we are moving without all those 'obstacles' in our path - those obstacles are removed in times of purposeful 'clean-up'.

We may not be moving very well on the path God has called us to be on right now. Perhaps it is time we need to ask God to 'drain us' of the murkiness that has surrounded our lives and remove those obstacles that impede the flow of the Holy Spirit within us. Maybe we just need to get up from where we are and take the first step on the path we know God is asking us to travel. In humility, we need to ask for God's 'clean-up' and in discipline we need to act upon the truth we know God has shown us. Just sayin!

Verified by Grace

Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There’s no end to what has happened in you—it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. (I Corinthians 1:4-5)

Free and open access - wouldn't it be nice to have that type of access to everything we need in life? We could just walk into the bank and the manager would be right there to welcome us in, taking care of each of our needs. We could call the city buildings and there would be no phone trees to navigate through, or automated systems to push our buttons! I am so grateful for the free and open access I have to God - through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus! No 'phone trees' or 'buttons to push' - no sense that anyone else matters more than me. How about you? Do you sense this free and open access you have with him? If you have said a grateful 'yes' to Jesus - you have it!

I would like us to focus on the next part of this passage - the 'no end to what has happened to you' part. Think on that one for just a bit and you will likely begin to succumb to the sense of God's grace extended not once, but time and time again until your life began to finally be set right in him. Grace has a way of overwhelming us when we begin to ponder the magnitude of it within our lives. Grace extended to not only forgive our past sins, but to deal with the lingering desires. Grace opened up to us so we could experience the settling peace of his presence within us. Grace that ushers us along, step by step, until we come out of what has had us bound and into what now lets us live free.

Beyond speech - beyond knowledge - this pretty much describes the work of Christ in our lives through grace. Our past is grace. Our present is grace. Our future is grace. Let that sink in a bit - there is no end to this work within us. There is no end to what has and is happening within our lives as Christ's love envelops us and his Spirit creates newness where only death existed. This is why Christianity is not a 'stagnant' or 'one-time' experience. It is a living and breathing existence with and in him. Evidence of his grace-filled work is there - we may not see it at first, but it is! Free in him. Alive in him. Verified by his grace. Let that be your thought today - "I am verified by grace". Just thinkin....

Time for a replacement

Romans 12:1-2 - it is time to train our minds (Craig Groeschel) - the greatest power to overcome the lies within our minds is the truth.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

The more we think a thought, the easier it is to think it again. The more we think a thought, the more we make it the dominate thought pattern, it will freely emerge without us having to think upon it with very much effort. We develop a casual relationship with that thought and it just comes naturally to us. This is good if the thought pattern is a good one, but it isn't so exciting if the thought pattern we are following isn't good or virtuous. We have to train our minds - to focus on whatever it is we should be thinking upon rather than allowing our minds to cross the same pathways that are not taking us good places. A stronghold is a place in our minds where a thought pathway has been crossed time and time again. We need to focus on the right stuff!

Our mind rarely drifts into areas of truth, but rather it drifts into areas of thought that say we aren't enough, we don't have enough, or that we are not 'bad' in thinking a certain thought. We have to focus on truth if we want to regain strongholds in our minds. We have to form new pathways of thought. We have to know what is holding us back in our minds. When we identify the thought pathway where we are being held back as a result of thinking as we have been thinking, we take the first step to be free of the thought stronghold. We make progress toward a new pathway when we can identify any pathway of untruth and begin to focus on the opposite spiritual truth that can demolish that stronghold.

Truth sets us free - this is more than a nice statement. It is something that we need to embrace - there is the potential of renewal. Write it down - think it over and over again - confess it over and over again - and eventually that new pathway will be formed. We don't have to dwell upon wrong thoughts - we can take control of them, but it takes work. We have to identify the wrong pathway and we have to make specific effort to 'rethink' that thought pathway. Then we have to remind ourselves of the truth each and every time the wrong thought pathway tries to get us to follow it down that negative rabbit hole!

Renewal isn't instant - it is us traveling the new pathway over and over again until it gets worked into our minds. A pathway that is in an opposite direction of the stronghold pathway we have been following that has led us into sin, compromise, and negative impact. We need to give thought to truth - that means we have to take time to figure out what it is that we have been thinking that holds us bound to any untruth in our lives. We are not always going to be....  Jesus says clearly we are a new creation - that means we are not always going to be whatever it is we have pursued because of negative thought patterns in our minds. We can change our focus - write it down, think it over and over again, go back to those truths and confess it until you begin to believe it.

Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts (Craig Groeschel). Think on that one for a while today and then begin to identify that pathway you have been crossing that isn't the right thought pathway to be crossing. Identify that stronghold - call it what it is and then ask God to show you truth that points you in the opposite direction of that dominant pathway. It is time to replace truth where we have been believing lies within our lives! Just sayin!

Long forgotten?

He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." (Matthew 13:52)

I enjoy watching the older movies where life just seemed to be a little easier and less complicated. The simpler times have an intrigue all their own. The struggles to remain true to the convictions when times are quickly changing around us is a reminder to all of us of the speed of change that demands our attention today. What touches me the most is those older movies is what I would call simple trust - in their neighbors, in their family, and in their God. God has much in store for us, but we have to remember there is something very important about 'simple trust' when it comes to seeking his direction or intervention within our lives. The student well-trained in God's Word is the like the owner of a small general store - able to put their hands on anything needed - exactly when it is needed! I never really thought of what study of the Word does for us quite this way, but it is true. It is this idea of "access" that Jesus is reminding us about today.

We often have "access" to many things. I have access to a copy machine at work. In fact, I have access to a laser printer, copier, and fax machine without having to walk more than 20 feet. Yet, none of these office machines are mine. I can "use" them in the day-to-day operation of my work, but I don't get to take them home at the end of the day. They are not owned by me. Access is the ability to "use" these items only. I have been granted "permission" to utilize them, and I can grant permission to others to utilize them as they have need, as well. They appear as a option in my printer dropdown menu, but I still don't own any of those items listed in that menu. As Jesus is speaking with his disciples, he refers to being "students" - well-trained in God's kingdom - equating them to being like store "owners". The one who owns the store is able to access anything within the store whenever the need arises. The one who merely "purchases" from the store is one who must seek permission to purchase what is needed - they need 'special access'. Being a disciple of the Word is like being the keeper of a vast storeroom of "good stuff" you may "access" at any time.

New or old - exactly when you need it - the storeroom is packed full. Here's the joy of becoming a student of the Word - the vastness of the resources available to you! Some truths will be like the pillars of a building - holding us strong through thick and thin. Other truths will be used less frequently, but like the fine china that comes out on special occasions, they grace our lives with beauty. Then there is the cumulative effect of one portion of the Word adding to another - providing wisdom for our journey and sustenance to our soul. It is often in the "de-cluttering" of our lives we find out just how blessed we are - what accumulated 'wealth' we really have been given access to freely! Sometimes we "clutter up" our storeroom of faith with all kinds of things which only serve to push the good stuff to the back, making "access" a little more difficult. Maybe we need to "de-clutter" our spiritual storerooms a little, too. In so doing, we may find treasures we'd long forgotten! Just sayin!

The possibility of today

Did you ever stop to think just how practical the Bible really is? It lays out sound advice on how to make financial decisions such as the borrower becoming slave to the lender, so don't be frivolous in your spending (Proverbs 22:7). We find instruction on how to have a solid family life such as how much it takes to build a household and the depth of understanding required to set them all on a firm foundation (Proverbs 24:3). We also find warnings of things we should avoid because they will be our "undoing" - things like not interfering with a good person's lives as it may end up with us falling flat on our face (Proverbs 24:15-16). Yet, there are many questions we just don't seem to find the easy or "straight" answers for in those pages. Jesus spent about three years teaching his disciples as he made his way to the cross. In that period of time, he laid out all kinds of truth for them. Some of it stumped the crowds, but the disciples usually got what he was teaching. Other times, the disciples were just as bewildered as the crowds! Peter finds the courage to ask a question which had probably been "niggling" at him for a while. I think Jesus likes it when we are honest with him about the things we question or don't understand fully.

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?" Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)

You know Peter was probably pretty proud of himself with suggesting that he go beyond forgiving his brother or sister just ONE time and extending this forgiveness to the seventh offense. I can just see him now (probably because I can see a little of myself in Peter) - kind of looking around at his peers, all delighted with his "spiritual insight" into how much God "values" forgiveness. Then, as quickly as he asks the question and suggests this answer, Jesus bursts his bubble! Imagine his surprise when Jesus announces, "Nope, how about 490 times, Peter?" Now, don't read more into this than what Jesus intended. He was not suggesting a literal number, so as for us to keep a little tally book indicating how many times we had forgiven an individual - then when they reach the "point of no return" they are cut off from our forgiveness forever. Jesus was showing Peter (and us) the infinite side of God's forgiveness. He was suggesting the principle of being long-suffering. Some of us might want to translate this as "suffering long". Jesus was suggesting the idea of enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long AND patiently. When we are faced with injury - we have a tendency to not want to experience that too often or for very long! When involved in trouble at the hand of another - we want to give a little of it back to them! When provoked - it takes everything inside of us to not respond with some type of anger! True? I don't think I am in this alone - I have a whole lot of companions who struggle with this whole idea of forgiving much and often.

In fact, we want to have some "finite" point when we just say, "You just hit my last nerve and no more 'Mr. Nice Guy'. From now on, you better watch your back!" How do we get to the point of being 'enduring' in our forgiveness? I am not sure I know all the answers here, but if we look at this scripture in context, you will see it comes just after Jesus has answered another question for the disciples. The question posed, "Who gets the highest position in your kingdom, Jesus?" His answer was an object lesson. He takes a small child from the crowd, holds him close and then begins to teach the disciples about the importance of seeing things in God's kingdom through the eyes of a child. He starts with the concept of "starting over". Not just any arbitrary point of starting over, but he tells them to return to square one and start over like small children (vs. 2-5). He points them back to the elementary things in life - the simple, or rudimentary stuff. What is a small child like? Aren't they curious, willing to explore new things, seeing things for the first time through eyes of wonder? I think Jesus may have just been referring to this way of viewing things as God views them - with a willingness to explore them the way we have never explored them before - through the eyes of wonder! He is probably saying it is important for us to get the basic stuff before we try to move onto the harder stuff! There is an "order" to learning - both physically and spiritually.

They are trusting. It is a simple trust - uncomplicated with all the stuff we tend to "build trust" upon as adults. They don't keep an "account" - to them, the "history" doesn't matter as much because each day brings a new chance to start over. Think back to being a small child - didn't you start fresh each day? You awoke, did your few chores, then charged out into the yard to find your friends. Before long, you'd be in a game of tag, or running cars through dirt roads you'd created with your hand in some imaginary "town". If you had a falling out over some particular toy, or who'd be the leader in some imaginary game of war, tomorrow would bring a new day. Jesus adds to his teaching about the child, telling the disciples (and us) to not expect hard times will never come - in fact, when they come, he warns us to not make them worse by holding onto the things we'd like to be angry and bitter about. Maybe this is how we are expected to model forgiveness. Perhaps Jesus was suggesting more about how we don't allow the stuff from yesterday to muddle up our today than he was us keeping an account of offenses. To Peter's question (and to ours) he simply points to the child. In learning to face the new day with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, maybe we will see less of the offense of yesterday and more of the possibility of today. Each new day is a day of wonder when it is squarely placed in God's hands! Just sayin!

A whole new wardrobe

My first week in the military was kind of interesting. Arriving at Fort Jackson on a chartered bus that had picked up a whole bunch of us in the wee hours of the morning on that October day in 1976, the 'unknown' caused all of us more than a little trepidation. As we unloaded our suitcases and gathered around it became clear this would be a life-changing venture! In rather short order, the orders were being barked out to divide each of us into groups and then serving to usher us off to our temporary housing. The dawn came way too early and those jeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirts were all exchanged for olive drab shirts, socks, caps, and pants, white undershirts, and black boots. All the same, no one standing out any longer as unique. Those clothes we brought along for the journey were all taken from us, locked away until our final day at boot camp, never to be worn again until we were officially finished 'becoming soldiers'. Why did they insist on clothing us with the same uniform? Why was it we couldn't just wear our jeans and t-shirts? I think it was because they were showing us we 'belonged' to them now!

You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28 ERV)

In much the same way, our 'baptism' into Christ results in an exchange of 'clothing' of sorts. We have all our dirty and torn garments of sin removed and we receive the robes of righteousness in their place. We are marked out as no longer belonging to sin, but to righteousness - to God himself. We might forget this exchange of 'attire' because it isn't like we actually go to the closet and pull out those garments everyday, but maybe we need to begin to think of it that way. Every day dawns with a chance to 'put on' again the righteousness of Christ. It isn't that we are getting 'saved' all over everyday, but that we are reminded of whose we are by the garments we are adorned with for that day's battles. What are our garments? What do they resemble? If you begin to examine them, you might just get a little insight into how much God wants us to see ourselves no longer as we were, but what we have become!

Grace is a garment, effectively covering over our sin and removing it in much the same way an undergarment would cover over the less 'sightly' parts of our body. Truth is like that green cap we were issued in the military - covering over our minds and surrounding them in such a way we are surrounded with what will counteract all untruth. Peace is like the socks and boots we wear everyday, feet protected, steps ordered, the chaos of sin no longer causing us to stumble and fall. Chest protected by God's infusion of fresh faith - heart renewed, spirit uplifted, and emotions brought into perfect adjustment. Freedom is marked by the pants we put on - for they allow us to move unhindered and with agility. There are probably a lot of 'righteousness characteristics' we could use to describe our 'new garments', but these are just a few to get you to thinking about what God gives in the way of 'righteousness garments'.

We don't put on new garments over old. Maybe this is why the military took away all the old and gave us only that which was new - to remind us we were being made into something new. God does something similar in giving us his garments of righteousness - reminding us we are being made into something new. Our part is to give up the old and to adorn ourselves with the new. We might want to return to the old if they weren't removed from us. The old isn't going to 'leave us' unless we let it go. We have to be willing to forsake the old to take on the new. Getting anything new is only of benefit to us if we actually put it to use! Put on the garments of righteousness God has given today. Mind twirling, all manner of noise pestering your thoughts all day - put on truth and observe how well your thoughts begin to order themselves. Heart churning, emotions jumping here and there - adorn yourself with the peace of God and see how settled you become. Put on - but don't forget to allow the old to be 'locked away' so you don't return to that closet any longer! Just sayin!

In 1492, Columbus sailed the oceans blue....

I can remember studying the discovery of the Americas by one very bold 'pioneer' of sorts - his name was Christopher Columbus. He was an Italian explorer of his day who made four trips across the Atlantic, with the most notable being the one where he sailed the oceans blue in 1492. His attempt to sail a direct route from Europe to Asia never really materialized as he expected, coming across the Americas instead. It was his 'discovery' of these Americas, already populated with various native inhabitants that gave him notoriety in his 'explorer' circles. He was credited for having found a 'new world' - complete with all the vast treasures it would hold for those willing to strike out to colonize these distant lands. Did you realize the purpose of exploration in those days was really to 'discover' and to 'colonize'? Did you ever stop to consider that the reason we 'discover' truths from the Word of God is so they can 'colonize' us with the power and presence of Christ?

When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ERV)

A whole new world - don't miss that, my friends. We aren't living in the past 'world' of our sins and sorrows any longer. We are living in a whole new world - one empowered by Christ, populated by his presence everywhere, and rich in his blessings of love and grace. We are not called to travel back and forth between this 'new world' and the 'old'. We are called to live, discover, and enjoy the 'new world' we are brought into in Christ Jesus. Those early colonists who traversed the great Atlantic expanse did so knowing they were likely to not go back to their European continent anytime soon, if ever. They made a commitment to live in the 'new' and to leave behind the 'old', much in the same way God asks us to do as we come into Christ.

We sometimes think this 'passage' from the old into the new is marked with a two-way bridge. We can enjoy the new and still return to the old anytime we feel like it. The old isn't meant for our return, but for our forsaking! We don't maintain bridges to the old anymore than Columbus' travelers could have built a bridge between Europe and America! That bridge building would have consumed them - the maintenance of such a structure almost impossible. If you know anything about the Atlantic Ocean, you will understand it is marked by strong currents, rough seas, and often hurricanes. Those currents make the travel harder than expected. The rough seas lend to a very uncomfortable rocking motion that makes the body react violently. The hurricane winds have accounted for many a vessel's collapse over the years. 

The old isn't meant for our return. It is meant to be left alone - to fade into the past as we focus on the new. Yes, it still exists, as does the Atlantic all these years later. The old exists - but the new calls us into newness of discovery and purpose. We don't need the old if we focus on the new. We find the new begins to excite us more and more, as discovery after discovery is made. We might never forget our rocky passage from the old into the new, but we don't want to build bridges over those rocky waters, my friends. We are called to live and grow where we find our newness of life. The old served a purpose - it drove us toward the new. We are now finished with the old and are free to move about freely in the new. Just sayin!

I am feeling rather 'dry' right now

If you have ever felt like your life is 'dry ground', you are not alone. There are seasons we all go through that feel a little 'dryer' than we'd like. It seems as though there is nothing getting through to God and he is not getting through to us. Dryness could have a few causes, but in general it is just part of life. Yes, compromise and sin can create a dryness, but if you think of the variation in the seasons of nature, you observe there are times when it is just going to be 'dry' - a season where growth appears to be stunted and a little less likely to occur. If we are truthful in our observations of these dry seasons in our lives, we'd likely admit there is much happening just beneath the surface, getting us ready for the next 'growth spurt' we are likely to experience.

The Lord is making roads through the sea. He is making a path for his people, even through rough waters. The Lord says, So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land. (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 ERV)

One of the typical things we humans do is 'recount memories'. We have a way of trapping inside our minds what we observed, thought, felt, and experienced in some way, don't we? We form 'memory slots' for these things, much like on a hard drive in the computer we use daily. These 'memory slots' can be useful to protect us from things that can harm us - such as when we touch something hot and then determine never to do that again. They can also be kind of limiting if we trust them more than we trust God when he asks us to move beyond whatever 'memory' we have allowed to hold us tightly in place for a while.

As we see from our passage today, God is in the business of making paths for his people - even through the rough places we don't want to travel through. The way through the rough places isn't to curl up in a ball and hope they pass soon. The 'way through' is to let go of what 'happened in earlier times'. In other words, let go of the memories we have stored away in those 'memory slots' that just hold us back - making us feel all dried up and ineffective in this life. Don't remember what happened in earlier times - it isn't a warning or a suggestion - it is a commandment to trust there is something new coming forth in you!

God is doing something new - maybe building upon what we have formed as memories of past times, but not necessarily. Desert places don't have to be dry places - they can be places of purging. As winds blow across the desert, picking up bits and pieces of discarded leaves, exposing seeds hidden just beneath the surface of the dry earth, opening up the desert floor to new growth, so God's Spirit sweeps across our lives in these dry times. Seasons of dryness are not seasons of dead-ness. They are seasons of promised new growth. Never let go of this promise and be cognizant of God's movement in your life. He isn't going to leave you there forever - there are new rivers about to burst forth. Just sayin!

What are you banking on?

Have you ever thought of your heart as a vault of sorts? It is more like a vault than anything else, because we oftentimes hide things away there forever and ever - our special treasures and sometimes our 'special non-treasures' that we might not really want to let go of! Look at what God's Word does when it enters our hearts. I think we often don't give credit to God for the work he does in the "changing" of our hearts - through his Word and times with him. We sometimes just think he is "mending" our hearts, but as you soon come to realize, simple mending by anyone other than a skilled surgeon leaves us leaking! He replaces those hard hearts with pliable ones, diseased with healthy, and empties those that need a little 'cleaning out' in order to be whole.

I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt.  (Psalm 119:11)

Today I might focus on the importance of allowing the Word to affect our heart (mind, will and emotions), as a guide for our steps, an owner's manual of sorts. I could on how our hearts are like a piggy-bank, since we are to "deposit" the Word in our hearts in much the same manner as we would our pennies into a bank. If I used that image of our hearts, you'd get the impression that the Word is something that we need to "put into" our hearts - allowing it to multiply until we see the "yield" on the investment. If we see our hearts as an image of an empty vault it gives us the impression that a heart without God's Word tucked inside is simply a vault without content - a place to hold something of great value, but not filled!

All are suggestive of exactly what God expects for his Word to do within each of us. Yet, those illustrations did not catch my eye as much as one of a heart mended that had once been torn, worn, and left rejected. Getting the Word "into" our hearts is easy - allowing it to "heal" or "affect" our hearts is another. It is much the same as with the foods we take into our bodies - we can stuff ourselves full of food, but some of it has more nutritional value than others. Why is that? Simply because it is something our body needs at that moment in time. Our bodies have a unique way of using what they need and then laying up stores of resources for later use, discarding what they cannot use at all.

The Word of God is that way - it can be taken into our minds (hearts) in huge quantities, and then one little thing will begin to work on our hearts. That "little thing" is more powerful than a double-edged sword. It begins to do the work of the skilled surgeon! The result is health in our mind and emotions. What makes the difference is the "skill" of the one who is "working the Word" into our hearts. Try as we might, we are unable to be our own "surgeons" when it comes to healing our emotions. We need the skill of our Lord to accomplish that feat! The "stores" of God's Word accomplish a great deal in our lives. God starts with the preparation of the heart - so it will be able to contain what is taken in, using it to accomplish the work the Word is intended to do, and then holding it up in reserve for those times when we will need it again and again. God is the one that mends (heals) the heart - mind, will, and emotions. His skillful touches don't leave our hearts "leaking". Instead, they leave us feeling like we have "new" hearts!

God is skillful in his timing - he brings to light his Word in just the right time! He is like the surgeon calling for each instrument in the operating room in just the right order. One instrument accomplishes the task that will lead to the next, until the finished product is a healed heart. His work is consistent - he doesn't stop short of healing! All we could possibly do in our own efforts to mend the disappointments of our past is just that - a mending job. Some of our hearts look like patchwork quilts! Here a mend, there a mend, everywhere a mend, mend, mend. God is not in the work of mending - he is in the work of making new! I've seen this in so many ways in my own life. I went through divorce - laying up years of resentment and bitterness over the many disappointments of my marriage. He did the work of taking his Word into the recesses of my mind, will and emotions (my heart). In turn, those resentments were cut away, that bitterness was cauterized so it could bleed no more. In the end, the work of the Word in his hand brought newness - no more "leaking" heart here! I faced medical diagnoses that almost crippled me with fear. His Word challenged my heart to beat harder for him than ever before. Peace invaded my mind, overcame my shaky emotions, and let me pass through those times with grace and peace.

His Word - hid in our hearts - is a very precious gift. His Word - skillfully applied by the guidance of his hand - is a healing touch. His Word - laid up by regular intake - is a reserve for times when leanness would threaten to wreak havoc in our emotions. His Word - powerful provision! His Word - purposeful protection! Don't "bankrupt" yourself! Get it in; allow it to be used by him to bring about healing! Just sayin!

Man, it is dry!

There are lots of places of dryness in our lives, aren't there? As I age, my skin just seems to go from moist to dry in no time flat. Before long, I look down and see those lines and grooves that suggest all the hand washing of my day has left behind a look similar to that of a lizard's skin! The day can get past me in pretty short order and I wonder why I need to drink a gallon of water when I get home, then realize it is because I forgot to stop to get anything else to drink after my coffee first thing that morning. My body is just demanding to catch up! Arizona is a kind of 'dry' climate, but when you need the heat on in winter AND you live in a dry climate, even breathing can be 'dry'! I have come across animals and even fallen cacti - all leaving behind tell-tale signs of life at a former time - now dry and scattered, making it hard to really tell for sure what that animal may have been, or how majestic that cactus may have stood. Imagine if God were to take you to a very barren place, littered with all manner of 'dry bones' - carcasses that suggested there had been life at one time, but now scattered and without any sign of life. What would you see as you gazed out over that space? Would you see the dryness and barrenness - or would you see hope and renewal? Likely, if you are like me, you'd see the 'lack of potential' within that place. I wonder how many times we look at the 'dry and barren bones' of our lives and see the 'lack of potential' instead of the potential for renewal that God sees?

God grabbed me. God's Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun. He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master God, only you know that." He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'" (Ezekial 37:1-4)

Within scripture, some of what is shared is figurative, not literal, bringing a little confusion to how we interpret the things that are shared. So, we shy away from them because their 'interpretation' is kind of hard. This is an entire valley of dry bones - a gruesome picture of some type of battle or famine having left hundreds or thousands of bodies to be picked at by the wild animals, leaving nothing but dry, barren bones in the end. The characteristics of these bones are interesting when we consider them individually. They were dry - no sign of life in them. When I think of something being "dry", I think of staleness, a lack of freshness, nothing within that object that gives it flexibility or usefulness any longer. There were a whole lot of bones! That means that this "dry" condition was shared by a whole bunch of bones, not just one. There was no sign of flesh on these bones. It is the flesh that played a part in keeping these bones together - it is now totally gone. We don't know why it is gone - we can imagine it was picked clean by predators or that it was simply rotted away by time. Dry bones, absent of flesh, have not a lot of use - do they? They just gather, sitting there as a reminder of 'what has been', but 'no longer is'.

God takes Ezekial to the Valley of Dry Bones and tells him to look out over it. He asks Ezekial what he sees - then he tells Ezekial what it is that he sees when he looks out at those dry bones. Man often only sees the bones - the 'what once was' but 'no longer is' kind of bones - dead, without form, and kind of useless. Go figure, but God sees the "dry bones" as having the potential of life once again - yes, he sees their dryness and barrenness, but he is limited in his view of their potential. The changing point for the "dry bones" is in the speaking forth of God's Word - in the Words Ezekial will prophesy over these dry bones. It is the Word of God that brings a stirring. Can I be "corny" a little here? It is the Word of God that often sets our bones to rattling - gets us up when we are down and sets in motion things that haven't been 'stirred up' in quite a long time! He is in the business of bringing life to what seems absolutely lifeless and without hope in us! God is not simply in the business of reviving "corpses" - he wants to give us total and complete newness of life. He has a "framework" that he works within (the dry bones of our lives apart from him) - but he is the one who does the "creative" work of bringing those dry bones together, placing them in right order, and covering them with all things beautiful!

It was something in the breath of life that came into those dry bones that made it possible for them to rise up once again! It was in the "wind" of God's breath that those bones began to rattle - they were awakened. That same "wind" stirred them, causing a change in their position, a change in their attitude. The "wind" drew them together, set them upright, and moved them forward. It is the "wind" of God's breath (his Spirit) that we are moved from the dryness of our "valleys of dead bones" into the freshness of life that only he can produce. The purpose of bringing Ezekial here was to show that when God is at work, what appears dry and barren, without any signs of life, there can be transformation. That transformation takes barren, dry lives and turns them into a powerful, vast, and responsive army! When God is at work in our lives, dead bones can live again - dry places can be made new again! We may not see the same potential God sees, but when we allow his Word to breathe life into us once more, we might just be surprised to see what starts out as just a little 'rattling' becomes a brand new creation in his hands. Just sayin!

Wrapped, settled, and at ease

Times of transition can be both upsetting and thrilling at the exact same time. We get scared because of what we are seeing an end to something we have held dear or worked with for quite some time, but we are awesomely excited about what may be forthcoming as we take on the new venture. The moment we commit to take those steps forward, we are lambasted with all manner of doubt, anxiety, and maybe even a little bit too much adrenaline! The emotions evoked in transition can be undeniably hard to maneuver through, but when we move from one thing to another, there will always be a little bit of emotional 'build up' experienced in making that transition. Transition is a time of unrest for all of us. We like the familiarity of what we have come to know as "constant" and "secure" in our lives. When transition is called for, we often feel like our "legs are being pulled out from under us". This might be why we are as apprehensive in transition as we appear to be. We allow fear to guide our thoughts and influence our actions instead of taking the things we fear to God for his guidance in those times of transition.

Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. (Psalm 4:4-5)

Transition by definition is simply a period or season of change - changing from one position to another, a state of what some have come to call "stability" into a state of the "unknown". We also see that it is characterized by times of transformation. Transition brings with it transformation opportunities. We only enjoy the butterfly because the caterpillar underwent the transition - it prepared for and submitted to the transformation! There is a process in transition whereby a metamorphosis from one state or stage into another is underway. The end result is to make us more beautiful, stronger, and different from what we were when we entered into that transition.

Complaint is inherent in transition. It is human nature to complain 'about' or 'against' whatever it is that is seeking transition. Why? We may not even like the present process or way things are, but to change means there will be this encounter with the unknown, so we resist it. We don't seem to understand the process, or even want to participate in the process change, so we lash out against it. We can approach transition with a degree of maturity that will assist us in making it through the transition in a positive manner, but we don't come by this 'maturity' all on our own - we need God's help. The first thing he expects of us is that we will limit the complaining. It is the easiest thing to enter into the "whining" stage of complaint when we don't understand something, we don't feel it is fair, or we don't interpret the transition as something we can endure. Complaint is often an expression of our uneasiness over the situation at hand. It is quite easy for complaint to go the other direction into becoming an expression of our resentment toward the transition that is occurring. How we face the transition is directly impacted by both our "self-talk" and our "outward talk" about that transition. 

 
Some find they let their heart do all the talking, but when our heart does all the talking, we might just find that what is expressed is really so much of the grief we are experiencing with the transition at hand. As we let go of something we have developed a certain comfort level with (even when we don't really 'like' the present way things are), we often experience a deep sense of grief over the loss (because our comfort is impacted). We want to hold onto what "feels secure" to us, while God may have a different plan for our "security". Grief is often best understood in the midst of transition - we are parting with the old and embracing the new - bringing to light just how much we have been holding onto something within the old that we needed to let go of in the first place.

When compliant is done well, we actually build our case before God, finding there is no other resource as readily available, or as totally reliable to assist with the fear associated with change, the grief associated with letting go of the old, and the sense of unease created when transformation must occur. We often gravitate toward building our case before man - but it is time for us to truly consider that God is in control, so we need to build our case before him, not others. It can be hard to wait for his verdict - once we have laid it all out before God (our fear, disappointment, grief, unease, etc.), we are told to wait. Not the easiest instruction to follow, huh? I know for a fact that I am not the best at "waiting" to see what will unfold. It is in the "wait" that we often receive the greatest revelation of what the future holds - and how to let go of what has been an ineffective process in our lives. 

Think about that caterpillar for a moment again - in the moments of transition, he is going about his daily life until one day he is somehow moved to create a new form of existence. He goes into the safety of a cocoon - a place for his transformation to occur. That is kind of like us building our case before God - we take time to envelop ourselves in his watchful care, and then we wait for the rest to occur according to his plan. In the end, the cocoon produces the beauty of the butterfly - sometimes it is a Monarch, other times a simply little butterfly with golden wings. So, whatever transition we face today, perhaps we'd do well to consider the instruction of our psalmist. God can deal very well with our complaints - but we need to take them to him, not others who have no control over the transition. God is about to work in the midst of the transition - to produce what he believes will produce the greatest beauty in us. We need to find what we need for the transition in the safety of the "enveloping" covering of his care. Just sayin!

Passport stamped?

A few years after my dad passed, I was feeling a little nostalgic and I decided to go looking for our first home in Arizona. Mind you, the home was built probably somewhere in the 1940-1950 range, and we all know how things change over time. Trees get bigger, neighborhoods morph from one look and feel into another, and what may have been a 'majestic mansion' when we were little kiddos is not always the same when we return to it some 30-40 years later! I eventually found the street I was seeking, now almost unrecognizable because of the transformation of the surrounding neighborhoods. I recall knowing quite clearly the house was the second on the right, so down the lane I went and there it was, but...what a different scene than the one I remembered or imagined! The gnarled mulberry tree was there, but the branches were all cut off and it no longer spread out over the corner of the yard. The once whitewashed fence still stood, but the faded appearance told me keeping it whitewashed each year was no longer a concern of the owners. What once stood as a palatial mansion now appeared as a small, once quite quaint home. Weathered and worn, it no longer 'shown out' as the once beautiful home it was at one time. A friend once told me we can never really return home, but I didn't quite understand that advice until I stood there gazing upon my one-time family home. The thing I'd have was the memories because the present state offered no such comfort!

So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! (Romans 6:1-3 MSG)

We might think we can 'go back' to a former way of living, for just a moment in time, just for a quick little jaunt into the past. The truth is that the past is never the same as it was when we were living it! The past changes, if not in size, importance, and appearance, then in what it is we see when we come face-to-face with it again. It is an 'old country' to us - one we left behind in pursuit of another when we said "yes" to Jesus. We actually forsook that country and embraced another - not as immigrants, but as citizens who enjoy new rights, privileges, and passages. We might believe the past still has good stuff for us, but in that 'former life' are none of these 'good things' God has prepared for us to enjoy in this new one!

When I was just starting elementary school, we packed up and left that home in North Phoenix, making our way out to the very furthest point of the East Valley. The places were miles and miles apart - especially in the eyes of a child. The journey seemed long and a little bit frightening, but in truth, the new became the 'new norm' for me. Something similar happens when we come to Christ, welcoming him into our lives as more than a religious pursuit, but as one we desire close, personal relationship with. We begin to experience a 'new norm' - what once held fascination and great appeal is likely to fade more and more into the 'background' of our lives (the past). The past is indeed 'background' for our lives - no experience ever being totally without some meaning to us. Yet, we are not called to live in the 'background' of life - we are called to live in the present!

I could no more go back to living in that old family dwelling as I could go back to living a life without Christ. That boat has sailed! Those doors are closed! That old life is not my present one! The new life in a new land was prepared specifically for us - we don't need that one in the old land! There is something liberating about being able to break those ties with the past, my friends. But...there is equally something quite liberating about learning to look forward and turn our backs on what we imagine the past could offer us. The more we yearn for the past, the more we are discontent with the present, but the problem is that the present offers way different things for us than the past ever could. Way different things that make the old way of living look run-down, no longer showing signs of being tended and cared for. 

We don't 'go back' - we look and move forward. The life with Christ isn't lived one moment in the present and another in the past. Once we take that step into the new country of grace, we don't even want to look back at the old country of sin. There is nothing there that will ever satisfy us quite the same as what we find when we turn our eyes fully toward Jesus. Yes, the past still stands in our memories, but little by little, the past becomes less and less appealing to us. Maybe we need a little look into our past once in a while to see it is no longer all that appealing, but it doesn't mean we return to it - pursuing the stuff of the past! It just means we allow Jesus to make real to us where it is he has delivered us from - the past is a country no longer marked on our passport as 'home' - we are citizens of the country of grace, not sin! Just sayin!