Increased Visibility

I've been thinking of blogging with video. I'll still type out what I'm thinking, but I'll try to include a video version. So that I can be seen and heard as well. Sometimes things are best communicated this way. The only problem is that it's a lot more time consuming to record video, on top of typing, than going without. So, I may only do it a few times, and see how it goes from there. In any case, the idea is not so that I can puff myself up, but to provide a better grasp of what I'm trying to say. I was thinking the other day about that verse that reads,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
Prov 29:18

So what would the reciprocal of that verse look like? Well, without vision there's death. So, with vision there has to be life. Now what does that have to do with anything? Well, I'm convinced when people are dropping like flies, it might be because there is no strong vision in their lives. I want to use everything I have to glorify God, even something as trivial as a blog. I'm thinking that I can help restore vision by broadcasting truth in "high definition". The words on this screen can not give you the tone that a human voice can. Lately, I'm being filled to the brim with things that must be shared. This is not about me. Like Jeremiah, it's about getting rid of the fire that is trapped inside my bones.

Fire creates light. Light enters through the iris and creates vision. You can't see without light. Therefore, you cannot see without fire, or an iris. Passion creates perspective. Perspective enters through the soul and creates truth. Fire is to passion as light is to perspective, and also vision is to truth. Basically, I've just outlined the three parts of the soul. The definition of a soul I use, is from a seminar by Bill Gothard called "Basic Youth Conflict."

"The soul is one's mind, will, and emotions."

I want to break this down further, so that no one will be confused. Mind, meaning thought processes, will, meaning drive or perhaps ambition, and emotions, meaning one's response to inner and outer stimuli.

All of this was inspired from reading the Gospel of John this morning in the very first chapter. Check it out.

"The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
John 1:5 NLV

Just a quick skim through that chapter will show that John is pointing to Jesus as being the light (John 1:1-17). Now, this may not sound profound at first, but it's true. Jesus is the vision. Your heart longs to love Him. Your mind was created to think about Him. Your greatest ambition is to give your life completely over to Him. To me the best way to illustrate all this is very simple. Strike a match. Light a candle. What do you have? Something much better than a lit match, or a lifeless candle right? So, that tiny spark, now climbs on top of a candle, and that candle can now be used to make things much easier to see. Now check this out.

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5

All or nothing. That's what I see when I read this verse. Also, when I take a close look at how Jesus responds to people who approach him about becoming a disciple in the Gospels it's the same. To follow Jesus really is all or nothing. There's no half-sies. Notice the verse above does not read "You shall love the Lord your God with some of your heart, with a piece of your soul, and with what's left of your strength. No, it's with everything. Now, what does that have to do with the match and the candle? Jesus is the light, right? So, light is simple and evident, correct? For instance, a small child would be able to tell the difference between light, and darkness. So without light how can you see? Light has to pass through the lens of your iris in order to see with your eyes as mentioned earlier. Jesus is the light of the world. He's the light that goes on, and never goes out. Verses in the bible are like tiny pixels on this computer screen. They seem small all by themselves, but multiply them together and certain things that are fuzzy at first become clearer. Read enough chapters, and one starts to see the details fuse into the bigger picture. That bigger picture is Jesus. That's what this whole Christianity thing is supposed to be about. It's about Jesus. I worry about the Church here in North America. There's so much here to distract, confuse, discourage, stress, depress, cloud, dilute, and sugar coat us from a real blessing. It's about Jesus. Why should I be kind to that person, and tell him about the Lord, when they're cruel? It's about Jesus. If I stood up to others and said what I thought, they would laugh at my conviction. It's about Jesus. No, it's about Jesus. I know that I'm beating a dead horse, but I'm trying to make a point. I'm guilty of shoving away my cross too. Maybe if I say it this way, it will really hit home.

It's not about the following:
Your life
Your family
Your money, property, and stuff
Giving money to the poor
Your food
Your body
Your clothes

If I were a better scholar, I could probably list more. This list is derived from a series of things I've observed that Jesus has said in the Gospels and a book I've been reading called "Christ for Real" by Charles W. Price.

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."
Luke 14:26

This is Jesus response to the rich young ruler.

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
Mark 10:21

This is Jesus rebuking Judas Iscariot who really cared more about money than giving it away to the poor.

"For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always."
Mark 14:7

Here Jesus is talking about worrying about material things.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"
Matthew 6:25

Now, I can't just leave it all like that. I need to do some explaining. If you haven't noticed, not all things listed there are bad, or evil. For instance, I hope that no one who's reading this thinks they need to join the nudist colony. Heavens no! No, that would be an incorrect interpretation and application of that verse. Same as deciding not to eat anything, or letting go of your body to where things are getting quite unhealthy. See, it's not so much about what to do, or not do. It's about priorities. I mean, that list pretty much covers everything doesn't it? So, what's the main priority? It seems to be about Jesus. Even a good thing, is not necessarily a God thing. What do I mean? Helping the poor is great. I highly recommend it. You would have to accuse me of taking stupid pills if I said otherwise. God has an awesome heart towards the poor. Once again, however, it's about priorities. Jesus has to be first even above your own life, and family. Talk about a challenge. That's huge. That's why the world doesn't understand Jesus, or people who are following Him. The world asks "Why would you throw a perfectly good life away?"
A Christian would respond, "I'm not throwing it away, I've already given it away. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Without Christ, you have everything to lose, and nothing to gain. Why would you hold onto a crummy short lived life, with no hope or future?" It's about Jesus. That's what life is about. Do you want to know the meaning of life? Get in touch with the Author and Finisher of our faith. His name is Jesus.

Ugly truth

Picture it.
The sand carried by the arid heat at your back.
Your eyes look around, until you see the object right in front of you.
They start from below scanning until you reach the top.
In a matter of seconds, you put hands over your eyes and look away.
The smell of urine, and sweat fills the air around you.
Slowly, your eyes open with all the courage that you can muster,
and then you clasp your hands over your mouth in shock.
You’ve always known that blood would be a part of this scene,
but that’s not what really gets to you.
It’s his face.
He doesn’t have one.
It’s been violently ripped and now hangs in the breeze.
His own mother would have a hard time placing him.
A mass of hair and skin is all that remains.
Blood drips down what’s left of his nose.
His body hangs there on that cross like a rag doll.
His olive skin is cracked, broken…and bludgeoned.
This man is in such pain, that you’re knees give way beneath you.
He’s so weak.
The rhythm of his breathing is getting shorter and shorter,
as if he’s drowning in his own blood.
You can hear his raspy voice.
He struggles to say a few words.
Your eyes start to well with tears.
His body has been sliced to ribbons.
Pressure, pain, and agony are all His to bear.
Through crooked teeth, he speaks in Hebrew.
The audible language is unfamiliar to your ears,
but the language in action is clear.
It’s love.
Tears stream down your face,
as you shake your head.
This is no stain glass window.
This isn’t a marble statue.
It’s not a painting in oil, and pastels.
This is something horrible and violent.
This is something soul stirring, and shocking.
It is the ugly truth.
Can you see it?

Nuclear Fusion

I think God gave me an idea, but maybe it was to inspire others to be creative and lead a small group bible study. I don't know. In any case, let me know what you think of it. If you were to talk about something, it would probably go like this
-jes

I have a deep desire for God’s Word, and to see myself and others grow in the Word, worship, prayer, and fellowship. I have a few ideas for things we might consider doing.

1. Select a name for the group.
I like the name “nuclear fusion” because of John 17:20-23 and Phil 2:1-11.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."-John 17:20-23

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."-Phil 2:1-11

The connection that Jesus has with the Father God is absolutely perfect. In fact, it almost sounds like perfection squared. This is a major factor of Grace. To me, the very first bomb that was dropped was not Ivy Mike, it was Jesus Christ. When He came back to life after being dead three days in a tomb, everything changed. In Scripture, we read of dead holy people coming back to life after His resurrection (Matt 27:52). The magnitude of that spiritual tremor sent shockwaves throughout the world. In the book of Acts, His disciples could not stop speaking about the Gospel despite being beaten and jailed (Acts 1-3) In the Gospel of John, we find our place in the story as the fallout from that point of explosion. Why else would time have changed forever, since Jesus came to earth, died, and came back to life. Philipians 2 also brings that strong unity in Jesus to light, and gives us a clear example to follow.

“a nuclear fusion in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy.” Another definition I like that I found from one of my textbooks on oceanography regarding the make up of the stars as “…a process that liberates energy.”

We are free. Jesus has bought us freedom. We are free. This applies everywhere to everyone. Jesus is the truth. The truth is eternal. Therefore, the truth of Jesus is everlasting.


2. Choose the method of research
a. Perhaps a dvd that leads us into deeper study of God’s Word.
For example, “Following in the Dust of the Rabbi.”
b. An inductive study of the Word that is an open forum discussion using pens and pencils to mark things down during the study.
c. The Acts 2uesday method. Break bread, fellowship, pray, break into groups (2-4 people) with one scribe, and one spokesman. The scribe writes down questions,and comments from each small group. The Spokesman reads these comments publicly before all the groups.
d. Serving the homeless and poor through an established ministry like "Volunteer Way", or __________ and/or reading God’s Word to see what’s written about the rich and the poor. The book of Proverbs, and James are both good places to start.