The Heresy of Schism

Many Christians think of heresy as wrong belief or doctrine.  In the early church, heresy of the worst sorts was that which divided or separated the catholicity and unity of God's people (the church).  There are not only outward divisions between one brother and sister in Christ from another but there is also inward divisions of the heart.  God hates a double minded person or one whose loyalties and heart is divided.

Our problem today is it seems we don't to not notice the inward heresies of the heart.  The places we are separated from within that also leads to separating from others from without.  The hidden secret idols, the many places we are distracted that keeps us from being centered on God with an undivided heart.  Let us not forget the truth of God's Word that applies not only to the church but also to our interior lives, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

As I reflect about our time during this cruise as a family, I am reminded that life is like a game of chess.  Our family spent some good togetherness on this cruise to the Caribbean.  On this cruise ship there was this giant chess game where you moved these giant chess pieces on this large chess board.
Life is a priceless gift from God and the way we combat heresy of separateness is by the gift of humility.  Humility is like the Queen which is the only way to checkmate the Divine King.

The Wisdom of Simplicity and Humility

"There is no peace until we enter the river of forgetfulness of self"

Wisdom is clothed in simplicity and humility.  Simplicity makes us forget about ourselves and humility tells us that everyone else is to be remembered more than yourself.  Simplicity and humility focus is on our own faults and not the faults of others.  Do not listen to complaints or murmurings against others.  Self love exaggerates our distresses and magnifies them.  Do not listen but suffer in the simplicity of God's love.

Do not be disturbed by any distraction but keep your gaze fixed on Christ.  When crosses, sufferings, and humiliation come, they are not attacks of the enemy but sent by God to destroy self love at its root.  As long as we keep focusing on the symptoms, self-love will remain hidden deep within and will only appeared to have left when in reality it just went into hiding.

God's wounds are medicine to the soul for those who can accept it.  Weakness is better than strength and love is better than knowledge.  Distrust the vanity of your own reasoning that wants to be in charge of your life.  People can get so puffed up with knowledge that they do not see that love has been driven away.  God reveals the hearts to those who are like babes and hides His ways from the proud and those who think they are clever.

Simplicity and humility gives us courage in two ways.  First we must have the courage to weep over our old ways and let it die.  Secondly, we must have the courage to be prepared by God to enter into a whole new way of being, praying, and doing.  May God remover the darkness from my eyes and give my eyes childlike radiance.  May God clear the weeds from the field of my soul so that seeds of God's goodness can begin to grow.

"Tame my pride O God for I can not!"

Sinless Perfection Revisited

"Meditation becomes contemplation and contemplation becomes humiliation, which leads to annihilation of sin" -  Father M. Raymond

We live most of our life very comfortably with sin.  Either we see ourselves as simply sinners or we rationalize that since everyone is a sinner, sin is just a part of our every day experiences.  But every sin is a betrayal of love and our Beloved.  God desires we live our lives straight with Him and without sin.  We tend to think that everyone is bent by sin so we expect to sin and see others sin.  God is holy and perfect and we are to be holy and perfect as God's children.  The only way we can do this is by the power of God's Spirit within us. 

I was taught that Christian perfection is either impossible or simply high idealism.  We were told to strive for some kind of perfection but we could never live perfectly in this scorched world of sin.  But if I can live five minutes without sinning, then how about five hours?  If I can make it by God's grace, love, and power for five hours, how about five week or even five years or how about fifty years? Surely this can only be accomplished by the indwelling Spirit of God that leads us to abandon our self will and flesh and where we breathe and walk every day by the Spirit of the Living God. 

This does not mean one does not stay in a place of humility or repentance because God's grace is fresh every day.  And if someone thinks more highly of oneself than they should, then surely this is just another deception from the enemy.  But God does not expect less from us than he did from His own Son.  We may be on a slower growth pattern but the pattern is still perfection for God.  So again, I say rejoice, be content no matter what the circumstances are.  Surrender yourself and everything to God and leave all in His good hands.  Walk in the grace and peace of Christ and be free to follow God wherever He leads You.  Whatever life throws at you good or bad, take then all as the hand of God and let God's Spirit give you immeasurable joy for the whole day.

God in a Box?

"GOD WILL OFFEND YOUR MIND TO
REVEAL YOUR HEART" - Mike Bickle

Do you ever find yourself at odds with what Scripture teaches? Do you find yourself at times questioning why God did something in the Bible or how can God do this to me today? Has God ever asked you to do something that did not make any sense? So much of Christianity today has God in a rational box. God must fit into our understanding if God is to be God. But when we put God in a box, God is not limited, we have only limited ourselves. We have put ourselves in a box when we think somehow we have captured or tamed the untamable God of the Bible.

God does things that goes beyond our imagination and can not be captured by our logical deductions. Most of my young adult life I battled with low self-esteem and fighting off negative thoughts that wanted to rob me of any effective use for God. One time I remember I was doing something really stupid and I heard God get my attention by calling me "stupid." I thought later that God does not call people stupid. It's been strange that I have heard several people tell me similar stories. Even though my whole life God has been calling me "His Beloved," there was at least one time I sensed God calling me stupid because I was acting very stupid at that time.

Another time God put on my heart to do something that I thought was embarassing. I felt kind of stupid or sheepishly humiliated for doing it. I could not wrap my brain around what God was trying to teach me and again I heard the Lord speak to my heart and say, "I am teaching you humility an obedience."

What is it that God has been showing you lately?

What are ways we try to put God in a box?

You See Bones, I See An Army

"God takes us through the valley of dry
bones to teach us we don't have what
it takes to serve in God's Army"
- Floyd McClung


Huddled in small groups all over the country is an army of prayer warrriors on this National Day of Prayer. And here is what God desires from his people:

We are called to die! Not just once to sin, but as a way of life. By dying to our rights, we find life. That means dying to our opinions, dying to the right to be understood, the right to be represented, the right to be loved, the right to be treated justly, and all of our other rights . . . we humble ourselves before God and people (Excerpts from Floyd McClung YOU SEE BONES, I SEE AN ARMY).



The vision?
The vision is an army of God's people,
You see bones, I see an army
This is an army that will lay down its life for a cause.

Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
'For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.'

And this is the generation to pray
like a dying man or woman
with groans beyond talking
Waiting. Watching!

Their words make demons scream
Here comes the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
It will come to pass
It will come soon
The groaning of the Spirit
the very dream of God.

(taken from RED MOON RISING, pp.119-121)