Give Me Something.

Those moments come...Moments when we feel like we're holding onto hope by our fingernails...Do you pray or even cry to God out loud, "Just give me something...Give me something - ANY -THING - to assure my hope...right. now," ? Uh-huh... I know that prayer. I know that ache. I hate it. But in those moments - in that prayer - God has been so faithful. He can't not be faithful.

Our God keeps giving me some. thing. - a powerful truth - that  I could not imagine or conjure up -  in the midst of my circumstances - A truth to believe in - to secure me - to stand on.  Check this out if you have time. I hope this truth will encourage you and fortify you in your faith journey today as it has encouraged me.

Love this Jesus Life we share!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE FOURTH MAN

One of the most famous events in the entire Old Testament is recorded in Daniel, chapter 3.  It all began when three courageous Hebrew men refused to bow down and give homage to a golden idol as commanded by the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar himself.  The penalty for disobeying was serious indeed.  All not doing this would be instantly thrown into a red-hot furnace of fire!  Thus the command was to bow down, or burn up!  It was quite a persuasive altar call, to say the least.  Upon learning of their refusal, the king experienced conflicting emotions—both anger and sorrow. 

Anger, over the gross insubordination, and sorrow, for the three offenders were actually rising stars in his administrative government.  True, they worshipped that weird and invisible God known as Jehovah, but they were honest, faithful, talented, and hardworking young assistants.  What to do?  So then, before the terrible sentence could be imposed, they were summoned to a private meeting during which he offered them a second chance. The advice:  “Just obey and you’ll be okay.” The answer:  “No way, O king, no way!”

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up,’” (Dan. 3:16-18).

Enter now the fourth man: “Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire”? They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,” (Dan. 3:19-26).

Wow!  At this point can you entertain some theological math? 

• Question: How many men did the king order into the furnace? Answer: Three.
• Question: How many men did the king see in the furnace? Answer: Four.
• Question: How many men came out of the furnace? Answer: Three.
• Question: What happened to the fourth man? Answer: He’s still in the furnace waiting for you!

One of the most beloved songs always sung at Easter time is entitled, In the Garden. 

                                               Note the lyrics:

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

What a glorious scene is described for us:

• We are transported to a beautiful park-like garden, similar to the one Adam and Eve had enjoyed during their days of innocence.
• The morning sun has just risen, its golden beams dispelling the darkness.    
• The sky is blue.
• The birds are singing.
• The flowers are blooming.
• A heavenly hush seems to permeate the entire landscape.
• Not a trace of trouble, not a hint of heartache.

Question:  What’s wrong with this picture?  Answer:  Actually, nothing at all — except for the fact it is rarely the case!  The brutal truth is for every trouble-free day there seems to be three troubled-filled days.  Because of this, the fourth man spends far more of His time in the furnace than among the flowers.  Also, it’s where He does His most productive work. 

By the way, most evangelical theologians believe this mysterious man was actually a Christophany – that is, a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus Christ Himself. 

There are several of these Christophanies in the Old Testament.  Miracle of miracles, in the opening pages of the New Testament, the fourth man takes upon Himself a human, flesh and blood body.  Now He is able to fulfill the three new and final offices assigned to him by the Father. The Old Testament fourth man will now function as a (1) prophet, (2) priest, and (3) king.

So to recap the ministry of the fourth man:

• In the past He once came speaking to us.
• At the present He now is seen praying for us.
• In the future He will eventually be ruling over us.

Great, grand, and glorious works indeed!  But in my mind, it would seem the most blessed of all is the very first where the fourth man is seen fellowshipping with us in the furnace.

Furthermore, this furnace ministry transcends time, having been in play since the days of Adam and will continue in full force until the last of God’s blood-washed sons and daughters have been safely gathered in that shining city among the stars, the New Jerusalem!  Then, and only then, will the fourth man depart from the furnace to ascend His everlasting throne!

I close with a personal question:  Are you – right now – in the furnace of affliction?  If this be the case, please carefully read the following, for each word here has been written especially for you!  They came from the pens of a king, a prophet, and a song writer:

“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts,” (Prov. 17:3).

“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction,” (Isa. 48:10).

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply:
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!

Dr. H. L. Willmington
Founder & Dean
Willmington School of the Bible

The weight of HATE

  

Just to see the word HATE in bold like that gives me a knot in my gut. You, too? Makes me think of the faces to whom I spit that word like venom, and makes me think of my own tears because of when that word was forced upon my heart like a dagger. "I hate you!' It is the voice of pride - raising it's ugly head to strike at someone who is opposed to you, isn't it? YOU anger me. YOU defy me. YOU embarrass me. YOU belittle me. YOU ignore me. YOU hurt me. YOU are not my idea. YOU don't belong. YOU are not my choice. YOU are opposite me in every way, and because of that - HATE - is how I feel toward you.

YUK! I need a little nasty face emoji here. Insert blecky face. Or go ahead - make your own. That's always fun. Here...I'm doin' it with you. Feelin' the yuk face crunch up with my dry skin this morning...

You wanna know why you feel so gross about that? You ~ who know the Living God, you wanna know why hate bothers you so mcuh? We were not only created in the image of the God who is LOVE(I John 4:8), but now are restored to that image through Christ - and are able to reflect that image I John 4:19)...YOU cringe at the though of hating someone because HATE, as we understand it - is opposed to God. GOD is love - and what He is opposed to is sin, but even...EVEN in our sin - there was no hate...there - in the midst of what God had every right to hate in us and about us - was JESUS! the love Gift of God  - our rescue FROM sin. Romans 5:8."While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God did not hate us, but LOVED us so much that He made a way for us to be united with HIM in love - to love. WHAT LOVE!!! Oh my soul!!! our God! He is too wonderful to fully imagine!

I was grocery shopping yesterday, and I overheard a very loud talking woman spewing her anger into her phone which was not visible...she was wearing earplugs. So Star Trekish we are these days, aren't we?!?! Star Trek..I totally dated myself, I'm sure. Google it if you're not sure what I'm talking about. ANYWAY - This woman shamelessly bellowed out in the soup aisle..."I hate her! She is a liar! She lied to you! She lied to me! She makes me sick."

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.She didn't say that, I did...well - not out loud...but I should have. Maybe. Anyway... My heart hurt. I literally ached. Whatever this other woman has done, and I do mean whatever - HATE is not her cure, NOR.NOR.NOR. will it be the cure for the one who is overflowing with hate onto the Campbell soup selections.

BIBLE study in aisle 7 everybody! Can you just see me? I just wanted to offer the only thing I had brewing in my own heart - MERCY! oh please have MERCY for this lying woman, and save yourself from what you're doing to your boiling blood pressure - brow lines - and soul. I didn't say anything. Not one word. Honestly, I don't think at that moment this woman would have appreciated my interference, and quite honestly I was rather concerned what she might be capable of with a can of soup at that moment. Not a teachable moment fo' sho. And then of course ... who am I, right? I can just hear her now...loud talker style and all - "Just who the heck (possibly, could be worse) do  you think you are, lady?"

"Who me? Well...I just want to give peace a chance."  NO - that wouldn't work.
How about..."I work for Oprah, and we were interested in interviewing women who are victims of liars and how they cope peacefully with it." No. That would be a lie. She'd smell it, I'm sure.
I guess I could have started whistling, "What the world needs now, is love - sweet love." But maybe she wouldn't have known that song so prolly a better choice would have been Michael Jackson's - "I'm looking at the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways."... But, then again I would have had to sing that one - loudly over her talking - cuz, that's a hard tune to whistle even softly right?

Well, I wrestled with the dilemma of my heart and this lady - and the liar she hates - all day, and now into this morning. I can't let it go, and she is far away from me, probably on to some other issue in her life...that will require great love and great mercy...something I fell short of offering...but something Jesus did not.

As I prayed for this lady and liar woman this morning (I'm sorry - I don't know what else to call her, but she needs prayer, right?) ... I listened to God whisper to me through His Word over and over again Once it's in my head, I can't let it go. "You can't love God and hate your brother," AGAIN - "You can't love God and hate your brother". Again...and again. What do I do with this God? It's just me, and I know this one. Silence. 

God is MY teacher. I am the one who hears His Word in my head right now, and as much as I would like to press this lesson into this other woman's heart - and through her phone to the friend that was being fed the venom to hate liar woman as well... - THIS lesson in the grocery aisle was actually for me. Really God? Me. I love. Don't I? I curdle inside at the sound of hate... toward anyone...Silence.

I decided to search for the passage that kept repeating in my head...

I John 4:7-21. Wow. Can I even just encourage you to go there with me? Oh my soul. Pour some tea. And sit with Jesus. And slowly think through every word and repeated word that John penned through the inspiration from the Spirit. Just underline the word love every time you see it. LOVE! Then ask Him... ask our Teacher:

Show me how I love well, please. What does that look like in my life.
And, Lord, show me how I fall short of love...not just in my words out loud, but in the quiet of my own headset that is just between me and you...

Wow. Everyone may not hear the sludge we're spewing about somebody, but uh-huh, God sure enough does. AND that sludge we're steppin' over and ignoring does not go unnoticed by the God who calls us His temple. I have to clean house, girlfriend. OH WOW! OH WOW! 

I can't help but wonder... What is just between me, myself and I? HA! That's a joke! nuthin'! nuthin! nuthin!!! Because first of all, God know everything about us - Psalm 139, and secondly - everyone knows it, too... "Out of the overflow of the heart...the mouth speaks" Luke 6:45. 

Somehow, some way, that little hate pool is going to spew. Mop it up and wring it out. 

Hate. Do I really hate... Think about it. Hate: aversion. hostility. Ask God to show you that IN YOU... and ask Him to show you to whom you have directed it - and not just outwardly, but in your own head...God WILL ANSWER YOU. He will. And when he does - cover that person that you feel this AVERSION/HATE for with prayers for blessing and grace - and ask for any way you can demonstrate grace and love. 

Yes, my friend, I'm with you! Of course I am - or I wouldn't be blogging my face off right now! I'm with you!!! I'm not alone, am I? If so - pray for me! I need LOVE goin' on in my heart so that it speaks for my thoughts. I need "what the world needs now - is love sweet love" and "I'm lookin' at the man in the mirror - I'm asking him to change his ways..." in my own personal head set right now. 

When I feel aversion toward someone, I'm praying for love and for God to show me what that love is supposed to look like EXACTLY as He would love - to paint it clearly for me on the inside of my eyeballs so I can see it - and do it...Cuz, wow - sometimes, I know I don't have a clue. 

No, I'm not happy about this lesson. It bugs me. This too, God? Then He reminds me of Colossians 3 - and putting to death my earthly nature, and  I think, great! I get to take out my frustration on something then! One day - there will be no more struggle with who I am without Christ. One day - we will be like Him - effortlessly! "When Christ, who is our life appears, THEN you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:4 
WHAT A DAY! Oh my exhaling soul! What a day!

 We are as AMBASSADORS of God. Can you imagine that? Crazy! Let's Love that lady in our life who is a liar. I have a feeling she doesn't have many friends right now. Love that neighbor who has mouthy kids that break your stuff. She probably could use a cup of coffee. Ya know? (If my neighbor is reading this, no Jackie - your kids are wonderful when they're here, and they don't break my stuff...I'm being broad here - not local. Glad you're my neighbor!) Love that woman at work who gossips about everybody. Tell her what you're learning from God at lunch. Let her talk about that! Love that person who you know is talking about you behind your back.Give her a card and write in it - "Just had to tell you, YOU ARE LOVED!" ..oh and wait - Love your brother. Love your sister. Love your husband. Love your son. Love your daughter. Love your mom. Love your dad. I could go on and on with family...right? Love those people - SPECIFICALLY- who are most difficult to love when they stand so close and are so capable of being opposed to you from one moment to the next - because!!! because!!! this...oh my heart! THIS is the image of God to the world. Can you hear me preachin' sista? I'm a' prechin' it!! Tears in my eyes and coffee drippin' down my chin cuz I'm typing and sipping and spilling as I rock the desk!

THIS love, that reaches out to those who are opposed to us with grace - is the image of God to the World. 

This passage in I John - refers to those who share our faith - but settle into every context that God speaks to for love. John was writing to the family of God in I John 4, but God - in the entirety of His book - teaches us that our love must extend beyond family as well...JUST AS HE DID - to the world. From Israel - to the Gentiles - to the ends of the earth...LOVE.

Wish I could hug you right now! It's so, so good! - And we are so, so able. THIS is what we were created for...LOVE - not hate. Lovin' with you today. Oh yeah, I know it's hard! Get down dirty on my knees hard. Some people just don't want to be loved, right? Jesus gets that, too. He died trying anyway.

"We love, because He first loved us." I John 4:19

LOVE!

Advice to a Bride

We're going to a wedding this weekend. I can't wait. I love weddings. I love the romance, the attention to detail that has been invested, the joy, the friends we get to spend time with, the music, the laughter, the dancing that makes me feel old and yet so young in love, the couple that I cannot stop taking my eyes off of. I see them, I see their hope, I see the challenges and adventures they have yet to share. I see the Gospel. Yeah - I do. We - the church - get to be the bride of Christ! And I can't wait to celebrate my face off because then - THEN - OH YES! YES! THEN! I'm drinking a full cup of whatever Jesus is pouring! Was I a little to enthusiastic there? Sorry. I am ALWAYS and forever a party girl, just a redeemed one. Long story - another day. WEDDINGS! Best date night for a thousand reminiscent reasons.

SO - here's my advice, beautiful bride!!! All that Victoria Secret, sexy, swanky, gorgeous stuff that you get to wear for your prince...Girlfriend - that is for YOU! Yes! That stuff - so for us. We need to feel...desirable. But I have great news for you...YOU ARE DESIRED! He can't wait to get his arms around you, and that gorgeous silky, lacy, wrapping around the glory that is ALL of you - heart, soul, and mind - THAT is going to wind up on the floor. HE already desires you...Hear me out on this because I need this reminder, so I wanna share it with you...We can't let that "feeling" of being desirable - stymie us in our marriage. You may not know what I am saying right now - but you so will. You won't feel desirable so you won't want to be desired. You may push him away because of your big - fat - lie of a feeling that is grippin' your heart. You don't have to put on - dress up - perfume - light candles - all that jazzy jazz we do - to be desired by your husband. YOU SO SO SO ARE! Test me on this one. Baseball hat - t-shirt - lounge pants - and no makeup. Ask him - when you're married of course - if he wants you - right there and right then. Watch his response! Do it! So fun!

We - our ideas about what makes us wanted and desired - can stifle that HOT love that our husbands have brewing ALL. THE. TIME. I pray DAILY! God - let me stir his desires and not stifle them. Broken perspectives harmed my heart - but God has poured wisdom over all of it...And so, I just had to share it with you...

You know I have to go back to Jesus on this thought - cuz I don't ever want to share anything with you that is not grounded in our God. Did you do anything - ANY ONE LITTLE THING - to deserve the love, mercy, salvation, and grace of our God? LOUD RESOUNDING - NO! WE did nothing to be swept up in the arms of our God. His love was poured out for us - while we were YET sinners - rejecting, rebelling, mocking and spitting in His face. Romans 5:8.Can you even believe it? Yeah - I'm with you! Tears! How great is our God?!?!? We didn't clean up and then come to Christ, right? We might have tried...What a joke! But then we realized - only HE can fix our heart. Only He can change us. Only He can make us clean. AND in that realization - we loved Him...for the first time, we loved Him. GOSPEL!!! oh the GOSPEL!!!

Back to you and your hubby...Remember you are HOT, little mama. YOU are desired by the man God has blessed you to do this life with... WALK daily in that "comin' at him down the aisle - can't get the grin off his face or the tear out of his eye" - DESIRE!!!! Walk in it, bride. YOU are spectacular! You truly are.

Now - if you want his attention... Walk around the house with a hammer and nails...That's what I do! I was going to hang a picture right now...and all I could hear was the sound of my husband's voice..."Hey, where you going?" I love when he says that!

LOVE!!!

Devotions

Have you had your "devotions" today? How do you like that question? It either puts a twist in your gut or it gets you all excited for a great conversation. Right?

Devotions. We, as believers define our time with God in His Word as our "Devotions". But - as you may or may not know - our religion is not the only religion honking the Devo horn. Other religions have their devotional time to align their hearts with what they believe and want to live by. Uh huh. What does that do in your gut?

What are they reading? What are they thinking? But even more than that - how is their study time affecting them, and the world around them...not just today - for every day...for eternity.

I WOULD LOVE to sit down and chat with these people about their devotions. I would. Not in a heated discussion. YUK! I hate confrontation. What I do love is to hear someone's heart. What makes you tick? What makes you ok in the midst of heartache, in the midst of uncertainty? What gives you joy?

Here's the thing though...devotionally - you ready for this? Devotionally - regardless of what they are reading - they are being inspired, re-wired, and charged for the day. Sure they are! These people are not being left without a surge of "feel good" from their devotions. They read and study and focus on something that will empower them. We can ALL find a source of "feel good" when we want it, right? I see these religious power statements on facebook often. Don't you? We may even quote them ourselves...

So what then is the difference between our devotions and the devotions of another religion? Is it in fact our source of study? Is that what you were thinking? The Bible? - sure. Ok - I'll give us that. We have the Bible. We go to The Word of God for the way, the truth and the life. And we believe - unwaveringly - that it is The BREATHED Word of God that He has protected and dispersed over time and distances  -.... But can I tell you what has my gears turning this morning?  The BOOK of all books - that is our focus and foundation for devotions - is not  meant to be a "feel good" book. Please don't get me wrong...I know it brings us deep soul gratification. I'm with you. I feel good in having spent time with God and being fed by Him, but consider this with me...Our devotions - time we spend with our Almighty God - if this time is always about reading until we feel good...we are missing the depth and power of our SOURCE of truth - that no other religion has.

Any religion offers a feel good source to their followers. Do you and I know - realize - study - equip our minds and hearts with the ROCK SOLID foundational truths that is the BIBLE - that defines our faith - that is the reason we pick it up at all? DO WE KNOW - why that verse we read actually...ACTUALLY...makes us feel good - or makes us rewire - reboot our lives??? Cause there is SO MUCH DEPTH to it - more than just our own soul stirring depth. It is the Word of The LIVING one true GOD.

AND in 2012 He has not left us without resources to study - and know it - to dig deep into it - and be grounded in why THE WORD of GOD is worth living by - and dying by.

Do you know why that verse you read changed your life? It is different than any other feel good saying you can repeat, or post, or tattoo, tweet, talk about, sing about - think about - and 180 your life to.  We NEED to know. We do - we sooooo so do. For those we love, for the God who has given us grace to live this undeserved love life with Him - for those we have yet to love in this life - and in our eternity...we need to know why we believe - WHAT - we believe. THAT - will set apart your mind and heart in your devotional time - from every religion in the world. AND God willing, He will give us the opportunity to share that difference - with love - with boldness - and with great certainty.

I Peter 2:15 " But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear...."

One study resource I have benefited from as a learner, and one that I keep on my shelf close by as a reference is Know Why You Believe by Paul E. Little. It's a small book - easy to devour, but it must be devoured slowly. Lots of meat. Lots of rock.

The other book - that change my LIFE! - oh my soul changed my life! -  How to Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur

I love this Jesus lovin -' followin' - studyin' - life with you. I so do. You spur me on. So, THANK YOU! I hope I do the same for you.
LOVE!

So why do you think that way?

Did you grow up being told this is what you should believe, and so that's why you hold the beliefs you do? Or, did you grow up being told this is what you should believe and so NOW you are going to determine the beliefs you hold apart from your upbringing?

Your beliefs - or World View - influences everything about you. Everything. From where you live, to how you treat others,  your decision making, your friends, your enemies, your loves, the things you hate, the places you go, what determines right and wrong for you, if there even is right and wrong at all for you or others,  the things you invest in, the things you teach your children, or the things you won't teach your children, your identity, the way you view your worth, others' worth, your eternity...the very manner by which you determine what is true and what is not - is influenced by your World View.

So, with so much WEIGHT, on the filter of your life - have you ever considered WHY you believe what you believe? I mean, most people will tell you quite passionately what they believe, myself included. Passion about our beliefs is easy - but the reasoning behind that passion...well, truthfully - many will fumble for articulate words that define exactly why they hold to the beliefs that shape life as they live it. Try it. Ask someone - anyone - about something like...."How do you determine what is right and what is wrong for you - for your family?" Then ask - "Why do you believe that?" or ask it another way - ask.. "Why do you think that is right?" I bet they will pause and have to pull their thoughts together very carefully. We don't press one another for reasons behind who we are - and what we believe...it's too uncomfortable, isn't it?  - or it's just not fun, right? Can't we just talk about the Bills game (yeah, I'm not good at that topic), the weather, work, the kids, our husband's, a sale at the grocery store, our personal junk, or someone else's personal junk? It's too hard to get specific - for a lot of reasons. But I'm goin' there with you... I mean - it's just you and I, right? And you don't even have to answer me...You can even just shut down this ranting I'm in the midst of right now... I hope you don't, though. I hope you'll stay with me. Stay with me for a minute - even if it's just to see if I'm more wacked then you originally thought. You look great today, by the way. Love your hair! Please, stay with me for this...

I just want to go somewhere deep with you today, ok? I want you and I to take a moment to think...Do we know why we believe what we believe? I get we're passionate about our beliefs. Ask a vegetarian about the whole meat processing deal...woooweee - passion! Ask a homosexual about why she is the way she is....yup. Passion. Ask a mom about how she disciplines her babes...PASSION! Passion is a huge window into who we are - our ticking mechanism, but passion for our "issues" does not get to the core of why we believe the things we do.

SO I gotta ask you - just for a second - will you think with me about...why do you believe what you believe? Did some religious fanatic convince you that religion is weird? Did a family member tell you that if you reject what you have been told, you will in turn be rejected? Did you have some moment of "enlightenment", or did you read some text recommended by Oprah's Book Club that made you feel better about your circumstances? Maybe you did what I did at the age of 20, and out of some devastating moment determined - "I will believe what works for me..."

WHATEVER your reasons for embracing the beliefs you hold...can I just challenge you to consider your source of truth very critically. Because if it is TRUTH, it will indeed stand the test of fire. If your belief system cannot handle scrutiny - then you have just learned something very important about the source by which you base your life and your eternity.

Ask yourself these questions...come on! It will be interesting for you! Just think about these things...Certainty is nothing to be afraid of...right? If you're certain you're source of truth is right - ASK some hard questions.

1. What actually is your source of truth? You? A book? Is this book or your ideas based on one person's "enlightenment", or experience? Your own perhaps? How do you know this enlightenment is true? Why do you believe the book/ idea you have chosen to believe as true? What do you know about it's author(s) - it's validity? Here's a hard one...how do you actually define TRUE? what works? what is it that "works" about your belief? Will it always work? How can you be sure?

2. Is your belief system limited to only those who "get it"? Can anyone "get it" - or is your belief system only for those who are "enlightened". How do you treat those who don't believe what you believe? For example, is there just a community for "believers" that you get along with - or do your beliefs welcome everyone? Would I - a Christian - be welcome among you?

3.How is justice determined? How is right or wrong determined according to your belief system? What protects you - society - from evil? Do you even acknowledge evil, and if not - why not? Is it not prevalent? How do you explain the "bad things" that happen in this world? If you do acknowledge evil, how according to your belief system should it be dealt with? If you don't acknowledge evil, what do you do with the bad things that threaten you - your family - society - the world...including disease?

4. How do you view eternity? Is God distant or personal?  Does your God have any concern for where you are - who you are - and where you will be one day? What makes you think so? WhoWhat shaped this view of God for you? A book? Who wrote it? An experience? How is it that  your experience/idea is correct about God?

5. Let's talk eternity...According to your beliefs, is there hope for your peace? For the world's peace? Is there a circular reasoning that keeps people coming and going in a loop of pass/fail until we get it right? Or is there a final destination for all souls? What is that destination and how does one get there? Is it seemingly possible, or is it a never ending effort of trying to achieve it?

6. What is the purpose for "good deeds" in your belief system? What defines a selfless act toward humanity verses a selfish deed that determines your "good standing"? If your belief system is all about earning favor, or good standing with God and humanity - or even possibly earning heaven - how does your belief system determine what is actually an unselfish deed? Wouldn't all deeds be selfish? What is your motivation apart from self?

7. What does your belief system do with Jesus - the Biblical God, the self proclaimed Savior of the World - the self proclaimed "way, truth, and life? He is a pivotal point in ALL belief systems. Either your belief system acknowledges Him  -as a prophet, or a teacher - who provides sign posts toward "good living", or you believe He is who He claimed to be and you follow Him, or you believe He is who He claimed to be, but you don't think He knows you, or maybe - you think He was a lunatic, or you are just not sure what to make of Him.What does your belief system say of Jesus and who- WHAT PERSON- determined this opinion of the God of the Bible that you now hold? What do you know about the person who has influenced your thinking, their credibility?  Who is telling you who God is?

Have you thought about these things? Maybe not at all...Too much work when you have too much else to think about...Or maybe you think only about the things you are passionate about that fall under the umbrella of your world view, because that's all that really matters???... Things like:

1. Homosexuality. -  God is a God of love. It can't be wrong to love whomever you choose.
2. Abortion - It is a woman's choice to do what she wants with her body.
3. Creation - However the world was created - the source of the universe was not a personal God.
4. Humanity - People are messed up, and religion has never fixed the issues of the world.
5. Eternity - No one can determine where a soul ends up or even if there is a soul.

All of these statements are rooted in passion, not in Truth. Follow any of your beliefs on any of these issues and you will only wander around a hoola-hoop of reasoning - a hoola-hoop that is around you. I'm not being mean - I'm just stating something you probably already know, right? What you believe, quite possibly, is for you - your benefit.

I just want you to know one thing before I let you go...Thank you for enduring my questions. I love deep stuff with you!!!

Man cannot disprove the God of The Bible. We can postulate, argue, and disagree on thousands upon thousands of issues....we can brainstorm and calculate as to what we believe is the cause of this life,what we believe is the source of life, and the hope for humanity, what we believe is right for us today, where we go, what we do, whom we love or don't, but  while we draw these defining lines with passion, we cannot escape one FACT...man has never been able to disprove the God of the Bible.

Any statement we make apart from God is rooted in one thing...SELF.

If you consider why you believe these things, at the very core of each issue you will find the pride of life that each of us are guilty of. "I believe it for me." This is not truth. This is passion.

Every belief that is rooted in The God of The Bible - HIS BOOK - is not rooted in self. NOT ONE.Think about it - Go ahead. Spend some time rummaging through what you know about the Bible, and then go and read it...I promise! Because it is true! not even our personal salvation, according to the Bible, is for "self" - but for the love of God - and the love of others. ANY situation of self that is told of in the Bible - is an example of self-destruction.

Every world view - but Christianity - is works based and geared toward self. ONLY the God of  The Bible - gave His Son so that we wouldn't have to work our way to Him for ourselves - ONLY THE GOD OF THE BIBLE - gave His Son - so that we could be in relationship to Him and so that we could but could live life through Him - not for our sakes - but for the world He loves....wow.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." I John 4:9-11

I'm fired up today. Fired up with passion based on TRUTH...truth that does not depend on my passion - but rather TRUTH  that can hold the weight of reality.