Unencumbered theistic deference, or Me?

Unencumbered theistic deference, or Me?

Perhaps paramount of our obstacles of serving in a manner likened to the calling of James 1:27 or Proverbs 30:8,9 is the reflection in our mirrors. Who do you see? Do you see your success? Do you see your failure? Perhaps you visualize your personal "limitations", or mounting obstacles.

Seeing anything other than a servant of God, be it a broken servant, a hurting servant, one who is destitute, alone, or even one rich beyond compare in all aspects of life, limits our kingdom usefulness.

It is well known "if you focus on your wealth you won't be able to focus on God", but equally as damaging to kingdom usefulness is focusing on our weakness. Deference only to the "author and perfecter of our faith" in any circumstance, and seeing every hurt and blessing as an avenue for service to Him, ensures all we can and will be, is intrinsically tied to all He was and is.

slv2all

Our Prelapsarian Propensity

Our Prelapsarian Propensity

The greatest natural tendency of humanity is to downplay our fallen-ness, conjuring an idyllic state fraught with our own delusion regarding our stance with one another. Interestingly this stance holds no hope, and no peace because in this state we only hope in ourselves.

The greater the disillusionment (the closer we place ourselves to a god like status) the greater the inclination we have to foul things up. The degree to which we foul things up plays in large part to the depth and breadth of our circle of influence. Those who "do no wrong" with a limited circle of influence will merely foul up their relationships, and perhaps those attached to them.

However, as history suggests those with a large circle of influence with this fatal flaw wreak havoc on societies. I suppose the crusaders could have been "proclaimers of the gospel" instead of wielding the sword of "righteousness" yet with the do-no-wrong demi god like status of their leaders, the results were catastrophic the hatred between word-views goes on to this day. Modern day examples such as cultic leaders who force mass suicide in the name of Jesus - or even those promoting a less contentious parlay with no moral base, have the same potential effect.

Tied up in this micro belief (for it is held within ourselves not publicly en-mass) is a macro reality, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is contingent upon placing yourself rightly "behind' the others in your life. This stance begins with a view of yourself that is fallen and in need of redemption.

When we rid ourselves of this belief and consider ourselves in our rightful place of fallen and broken we actually have a shot at true greatness - through true service to humanity.

slv2all

A Simulacrum of Christ

Simulacrum of Christ


"Christ-likeness" is to be the ultimate goal of a Christian. More than not we tend to be an insubstantial form or semblance of his character. I find myself to be this insubstantial representation more than not, even in perhaps the greatest moments I find myself being brought down by my own prideful look at my selflessness - and this is me at my best. In most of my writings, I try and separate myself, I try to enable the reader to be captured within so that one can be touched a bit deeper. This writing is different, I tried to separate myself but found I could not make this be about 'we' or 'you.' 

I was struck today with the reality I am a poor image of He who saved me. I am fraught with my own self-full wants and ambitions and even my greatest attempts or perhaps even "successes" are hauntingly close to the agony that is myself. 

And in my worst...

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Peremptory refusal to doubt.

Peremptory refusal to doubt.
Psalm 10

Precepts are quagmires of insoluble thoughts and feelings, often only vanquished by doubt. Do not be afraid to question God. Do not be afraid to stand up stiffen your back and yell into the face of your loving heavenly father. At times we must embrace the very basics of our humanity; let go of our adult-ness fully becoming a child in the sight of God. A simple faith, or a child like one, understands our authentic rant, while it will not change God's character, will alter ours. A child like interaction with God understands, ‘the loving parent I momentarily "disrespect" will still go to unspeakable lengths to save me.’

Of perhaps greater concern to God is a heart willing to show the true nature of our humanity, our fears, our doubts, our childlike anger, our weakness, and our total dependence. Once through the difficult journey of emoting with God, you will find him still there with arms open to accept love and cherish the only thing of worth you can bring Him, your presence, having been atoned for by his personal gift to you, the blood of his Son.
Our interactions with God do not change him – but they do change our perceptions of him, you will know he has heard you.

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God's Ascribed Blessing

God's Ascribed Blessing

Breath.

At what point in time do we make the transition from blessed to cursed? When pain is added to the breath we take, or when difficulty intrudes on a simple step? Being free from hardship and suffering, missing the lessons gained from the "school of Hard knocks" does not diminish the ability to minister compassionately.

We should however be cognizant of our stance when operating from our ascribed blessing, knowing it as well has hardship comes from the hand of God who, works all things out for the good of those who love him. Our blessing is not meant for us, and neither is our hardship, both are meant for God. Our blessing, is meant for those who currently find themselves in the particular void of hardship our blessing is meant to perfectly fill, as if prescribed by the very hand of God the hardship someone else is going through. It is here, in the third element, the context of genuine relationships, we find ourselves meshing blessing and hardship in perfect unison – the great winner on all three fronts is God.

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The Preclusion of majesty.

The Preclusion of Majesty

Ours is not an existence of blandness, it is an existence of immaculate infinite greatness. It matters not whether one plunges to the very depths of the microscopic, or to the vastness of the reaches of modern technology, our existence eludes our determination and our ability to grasp the fullness of our un-natural existence. Here, be it in the wonder of the neutrino or intricate cellular structure or be it in the furthest known galaxy or stars huge beyond compare some 13 billion light years away, is a majesty of such enormity we are precluded to see in it God’s majestic hand.

The rarity of this reality? God still concerns himself with us. This further exemplifies his majesty and greatness due to the intricate nature of His involvement in our lives. His will, viewed retrospectively offers an individual, unique, glimpse at His orchestrative work in our lives. Of particular interest is when ones life weaves together with another, and it to another, and another. At this juncture speculate the majesty of God, then understand this, in the light of his great commission to us. He has you, where he has you, for a reason – who is it?

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"The Great Tragedy"

Perhaps the greatest tragedy in our human existence is the inability or lack of desire, to recognize, reflect upon, or search for the purpose of our existence. Seen from the small eyes of a child our existence is very different, and yet it is in these eyes the adult compilation of "existence" is initially formed. Seeing how they see love, understanding how they trust, and feeling the warmth they have to all humanity is a fresh break from the coldness we have become accustom. In these eyes we are able to see and understand the virginity of human consciousness on a level that escapes us once past the confines of its fragile shell.

Our purpose must be circumscribed by our God's view of us, All has been created for us, yet when we take this attitude on for ourselves, "it's all about me" and project it instead of reflecting it back to each other, "it's all about you" we disrupt and misplace the intended blessing. At that instance when all becomes "about me" our worldview is misaligned with God's and peace evades us.

sllv2all

ineffable joy

Ineffable Joy

Have you seen it? Felt it? Been witness to it? Do you understand it? Or, does it confuse you?

Joy - in the midst of heartache.

Joy - in the midst of suffering.

It has happened before, and sometimes the chasm between the joy experienced, and the present situation is indescribable perhaps even unspeakable. James had words for this situation he said, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. What must be noted is that this is actually a command, it is not something that happens naturally. It is as if it is a state you must at times force your way into. 

Counting, or considering - in other translations - is a means of action, a determined will goes here, that is to say it is a lot of work, more so than the average circumstance. It is also more work for some than others, in the depicting times of our lives, times, that is, which show forth our true character. And here we have the commingling of current character and future character. For certain these times of "various" trials do show forth our current character, the way we interact with our circumstance, they way we talk, act, what we do, but in a very real sense these times are also the formation of a new yet-to-be-character, an emerging self. Here (in the midst of trial) I believe we are faced with only two distinct reactions, considering it joy - or not. These two reactions complete a crystalizing effect on our character. The "not-considering-it-joy" reaction also completes a work in us, one which James would rather NOT talk about here, it is best described as the hardening of the heart - it is spoken about elsewhere.

Instead we are told the proper focus in the midst of trial brings about the production of something, beyond ourselves. Steadfastness is the product of this viewpoint of trial and this we are told when it has reached its pinnacle, when we are literally unshakable this produces one who is perfect and complete lacking in nothing - one who would willingly for instance, to bow before the torturers unchained in honour of He who first planted the seed of faith in our hearts.

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Beautiful Painful Painting

In addition to multiple other talents, my brother Peter Hubert has an ability to paint. I probably would not even begin to explain the painting style to you - he could do that better. What I do know, this tends to be one of his responses to the world he finds himself in, as it collides with ourselves we long for a expression of how we are feeling. A lot of us talk, some of us write, read, internalize, sing, dance, paint - or do other combinations a literal myriad of other things as unique as ourselves. One of his expressions is painting. He took this photograph I took of Lynn and Keziah Grace, the day my wife gave birth to her, and turned it into this wonderful depiction of longing and pain. Keziah was born still on November 29th  I believe you can see a mothers anguish written across my wife's face as she holds this otherwise perfect child for the first time.

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Lost and never cherished

It is hard to describe how you feel when you loose something you never had. Something gone, which was never cherished. A response to such a loss is difficult, and here I will open up another chapter of my life to you. I'm a woodworker, some would call me a skilled craftsman. I love to take unassuming materials and make great things, I've done this recently for a project that at times literally had me in tears. It is brutal to lose a loved one, it is also brutal to loose one you never got to love.



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Hard nights, Impossible days, good books

On a Sunday, this book: Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ by John Piper (Crossway)  did not make sense to me - well not entirely, then four short days later, it all clearly came into focus. There perhaps are few things that see us through difficult times. Crack Cocaine is one way, so is consuming copious amounts of alcohol. These ways perhaps are well proven in our society as means of escape - there are others which do not have near the detrimental effect.

This book along with another I read (the Bible) doesn't make any sense, while at the same time holding all things together. It is hard to understand isn't it? Why, one will have a stillborn child they desperately wanted, while another will give birth to a healthy child they will go on to murder 6 short months later - THAT does not make sense! And yet here I have mentioned two books which bring these odd matters together in perfect unison, under an authority higher than any one of us.

In the midst of  this desperate circumstance my wife asked me 'the reason'. My response? (Which admittedly was inspired by these two books)

"Honey, the reason does not lie in the past, it lies in the future."

slv2all - (specifically my hurting wife at this point)

Justin