Intense

Now that finding an image is such a reinforcing part of my blog posts, sometimes the images hit me just as hard as the commentary. This pic - this guys eyes are about as intense as I've ever seen.

Define intense - what other concepts come to mind? Serious, passionate, captivated, energized....
It seems to be a word where you rely on the idea that people know what it means better than your ability to explain it.

Remember the first time you learned that there was a hell and what it’s like was described to you?
Remember the first time you learned that Jesus would return to retrieve His saints? Some would be taken and others wouldn’t.
Remember the first time you heard that not everyone GETS to go to Heaven?
I most certainly do. Those were some serious things that at the time, changed everything.

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've heard quite a few concepts, quite a few Scripture verses, and likely, quite a few sermons...more than a few times.
Now it’s not my intention to lean toward any idea of dullness. Actually, there are many sermons that I never tire of. My main concern is, I want to have us be aware of dulling….becoming too complacent or too comfortable. More to the point, having our intensity diminished.

I remember as a child, first hearing a wide variety of “Bible” things. Initially, these things found me awestruck! They were ‘almost’ unbelievable things about the dead rising from their graves, people being caught up in the rapture and Christ Himself, demolishing an entire army with a word from his mouth. Now, it seems that something unfortunate has happened. What used to be “awestruck” has now grown familiar, and now finds me comfortable. What initially provoked and inspired, now momentarily excites, but then fades. It's not that those things aren't still very true. It's not that they're less real. I guess they're just less of an intensity about it.

All I can take from that is, there’s probably be a ‘dulling’ side to having to continue in this fallen world. I know I trust Him, I know His Word is true, and I know it will be fulfilled in time. But how do I act? Does my devotion look like it did when these things were new? In my mind, I know I don’t have the energy to stay as excited as I initially was. But if that’s true, then I’m sure God knows it too and in that, I don’t imagine that He expects the wow factor to continue….but what does He expect in regards to the impact His word should have on us?

Here’s The Word:

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Notice this word, fervently. It signifies and conveys "intensity". So in light of that – knowing I don’t have to (and really can’t) stay wondrously excited – Here’s what I must purpose to do. First, take a real and rational look at where “dulling” comes from. I believe it comes from the world. The Bible says that God’s mercies are NEW each morning, which means that He has something new, every new day. God already displays the kind of tenacious, dedicated and compassionate intensity that He expects from us. I believe we get things mixed up when we start seeing the spiritual with natural eyes while we’re supposed to be making sense of the natural with spiritual eyes.

The first thing to do when we see this drift, is to acknowledge it. The next thing is to prayerfully consider how we get to these places so subtly, and then to do a course correction. To repent. So in my adult mind, I look to revisit those firsts in an effort to reevaluate, reexamine and re-gather a right intensity as a correct posture in light of the truth. When I think about it, I don’t think it’s hard to be fervent when you continue to let the Holy Spirit fill you while staying humble and close to a desire for righteousness. I think the hard thing is to try and stay “spiritual” according to the world, but still showing a cool calmness that allows too close of an involvement in what they do. What we used to do. What we're familiar and comfortable doing. After that, we just tack our religion on: We start seeing Christianity more as something we do, rather than a supernatural transformation that God is doing IN us....and His intention is not to show the world better people, but NEW people. Remember, they’re not new creations, but We are.


In Him,
Cros

Seeing

One of the most wonderful things about this existence is the complex beauty displayed in such a wide variety of things: flowers, oceans, rainstorms, rainbows, horses, babies, bunnies, mountains, seahorses, snowflakes, sunrises…etc. You can spend all day just happily thinking of the things you’ve seen that captured your attention and touched your heart as “beautiful”. Yet, if I also had to consider what I believe to be one of the most handicapping, misleading things about this existence is also related to what we see and how we perceive what we see.

If you’re like me, this will be familiar - Ever worn a shirt (or blouse) that you only “kinda” liked, and to your surprise, you got rave reviews and because of that, you started wearing it more? It was the same shirt you kinda like the day before, but now it’s one of your favorites. It actually does seem to look better. Your perception has been influenced…persuaded even. As Christians, we often say this “Try to see them how God sees them.” How is this done? When it comes to others, we simply try to turn off whatever rubs us about their personality or situation, and even though it's a good thing to show grace, is that all that goes into really seeing them how God sees them? When it comes to ourselves and we operate under the perception of “How God sees us” If we’re not careful, we use the ‘High and lifted up’ view as a son or daughter of the Most High, especially regarded, above pettiness and to be respected above all. I believe that those things will be realized in Glory, but is that a right perception, appropriate for now...as servants? Worth a discussion, I’m sure.

Here’s The Word:

Proverbs 23:7 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

The way we see and perceive is very important because it’s a foundational thing. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. This verse is speaking directly to the concept of how our fundamental perception is a basis for our actions. It therefore stands to reason that if our perception is wrong, our actions will reflect it. I believe this is why the Bible tells us Guard diligently your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life. It’s like saying that your heart is the CPU and you have to be very careful and intentional about how it gets programmed. If programmed by the wrong influences, it may get a right answer occasionally, but you can never fully trust the results.

Here’s The Word:

Jeremiah 10:23 - O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Most of us, when we come to Christ, we’re taught a brief history about this heart-perception thing. We learn about how, before Christ, our sinful desires and selfish wants were the main programmers for our hearts. Then, it seems that we learn at conversion, God wipes our programming and starts re-programming us. At least that’s the perception I got in my early years, and when I think of it, I’m not sure we actually present a good description of what really does happen at conversion in regards to heart perception. Fact is, even though we love that the light of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts, and we look forward to this new programming, I’m not sure that enough consideration is given to identifying the old perceptions, understanding how they can still affect our vision, and how to bring them into submission to be healed by Christ.
Because of this, what then tends to happen is that we spend a life time being double-minded; wrestling with a multi-headed, multi-heart monstrosity that’s easier to cover up and hide, rather than expose it and draw stares at the possibility that our conversion may be questionable.

Here's The Word:

John 20:29(b)blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

God knows how susceptible we are to the influence and impact of what and how we see. And even with the precautions we should exercise, sight is still a wonderfully, glorious gift. We just need to be wise about our perceptions and how subtly they can be motivations to regrettable actions.

In prayerful self-introspection, consider what has influenced your perceptions thus far.
Investigate them and see if they’ve been laid bare and brought before God to be healed and transformed. I wouldn’t imagine this to an easy thing in any way whatsoever. We’re not likely to begin questioning things that we believe worked in our favor for so long. We may even consider many of those old perceptions to be blessings. Why not validate those perceptions against God’s Word, His character and His clarity? It’s a good work, and obviously, not for the faint of heart.
Don’t just read your Bible, seek to perceive the truth of Who God is within His Word. Seek to have Him become the foundation of your perception.


In Him,
Cros

Taken

My life isn’t perfect and I still find myself challenged by what I call “the world’s logic”. It can be a little difficult because of course, we know that we’re trying to show the Love of Christ expressed in God’s plan of reconciliation to …the world.
But this can’t be on the world’s terms….right? Or can it?
The Bible tells us what type of people we ought to be, and its simplicity is unmistakable: Spiritual as opposed to carnal.

Here's The Word:

John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

How much should we try to be like the world in order to win them? I hear more from religious people that we should be balanced, but I don’t see this definition represented as much when I look at the Christians who changed the world during the beginnings of the church as directed by Christ.

I think we all have an image in our mind of what the wrong kind of Christian looks like. Let’s see if we can flesh them out:
     • Everything out of their mouths is “Jesus” and “Amen” – not that      there’s anything wrong with a tongue grateful to God and ready to      praise. But there’s something that just seems “overly” about it. Not      genuine.

     • Something about their talk makes you feel “judged.” – not that      rightfully, godly sorry leads to repentance and worldly sorrow leads to      death (2 Corinthians 7:10) – but then there are those who are self-     promoting while trying to bring others low…in the name of Jesus.

     • They simply can’t relate. Every TV show, movie, and music other      than worship is of the devil. – not that we don’t understand that there      should be a real separation between what we give ourselves to once       we've tasted and seen how GOOD the LORD really is. – but where       exactly is the line that divides too much religion and too much world?

Maybe you noticed what I just did. I didn’t really clarify anything at all. Hopefully, I nudged you into deep consideration as to how YOU go about not being the kind of Christian that causes people to run, versus the kind of Christians that’s so concerned with being “likeable” that then the Christ you present isn’t as powerful enough to expose the truth of their need. I do believe that there is a such thing as the wrong kind of Christian, but be very careful how you define it.

I think about Enoch (the picture), whose story is presented in Genesis 5. Along with Elijah, he’s the only other person that didn’t die, but was taken by God. What kind of believer was Enoch, taken about 700 years before the flood? Out of all the people alive then, why Enoch? Do you think Enoch’s desires were to be balanced in light of the culture he lived? Do you think he tried to not seem too overly?

I’m honestly not trying to make this a confusing or difficult thing. At the end of the day, we should be taking inventory as to what our Christianity looks like and why. I think it’s easy for today’s Christians to find a niche of stagnation and comfort, yet excuse it as a desire to not be too churchy. I believe that a reconciliation of the two are possible; to obviously hunger and thirst after righteousness and to also be amazingly approachable with people, like Christ. I believe that the answer lies in being sincerely and intently compassionate about the truth. This will stir boldness when boldness is needed, and it will stir humility and tenderness as well.

I'll close with this story: Last week, my Son, Chip received his Driver's License. It'd been over a year or so of practicing behind the wheel, and trying to find a date that wasn't previously scheduled with other things.
While driving to work one day, he said how different it feels to now be a "licensed" driver. My mind immediately went to the spiritual implications of that. Just like Chip now has the right to share the road with other licensed drivers. That right comes with an expectation. There's an expectation that he will drive in a manner that represents well, the understanding he displayed on the test to receive the license.
We've been given a liberty. A license to LIFE eternal paid for by Christ Himself. And although He accepted us as we were, there's now an expectation that we will represent Him well. Now that He's replaced that old stony heart with one of flesh, why would we want to do anything else? Why would we not seek to be as fervent as He calls us to be in putting away the old in order to make way for the new?

2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2 Peter 3:13 - 15(a) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;

It's up to each of us to "make our election sure" and be honest about where are affections lie. Those old things that used to chain us, still try and tempt us. They're tricky and relentless and if we're not careful, they can influence our desires for life away from the struggle. Fundamentally, I think it falls to who you believe your audience is - Them or Him. Be honest about what you show - are you more concerned with being balanced or being taken.


In Him,
Cros