Forget About Breaking the Rules, You Are Meant to Fly

We've been discussing in our LFMC Life Groups recently how we shouldn't live with a sin consciousness. I shared a couple of illustrations last night and I haven't been able to get it off my mind. If you live focused on sin, like I was taught growing up, you feel like you're always breaking a rule. Then God has to punish you. That's not how He wants us to live. I read an illustration in book a few weeks ago that really put in into perspective for me. If you step off a cliff and fall to the bottom of the canyon, are you breaking the law of gravity? Think about that. You're not breaking a law, but you are illustrating it. So God looks at you at the bottom of the canyon saying, "What are you doing down there? Here, let me help you up." He is not punishing you, you just felt the consequence of your own action. Spiritual laws work the same as natural laws. You will reap what you sow. That's why He encourages us not to sin, because He knows the effect sin has on us. In our immaturity we step off the cliff without understanding what's coming. After we've felt the effects, we learn to put boundaries up and steer away from the edge. In Galatians 3:23-25 it refers to the law as our schoolmaster, or our tutor. As we learn the cause and effect of spiritual laws, it teaches us. But it also refers to a higher way now that "faith has come." It's good to set boundaries and learn to steer away from those things that have the gravity effect on us and pull us down. But if that's where we stop in our growth, we're falling short of the higher potential. Romans 8:1-2 says, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." I remember a sermon I heard Pastor Bob Petersen preach a long time ago. He referred to the law of sin as death as the law of gravity and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus as the law of lift. We can't deny the effects of sin, but we can learn to fly. Let's use addiction for an example. As you are becoming clean and learning the effects of the drugs, alcohol, pornography, etc... you have to draw healthy boundaries so you won't end up at the bottom of the canyon. You may have to choose to not go to the bar, or stay away from certain friends, or stay off of social media. But there comes a time, through the law of lift, or the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, that you can fly right above the canyon without feeling the effects of gravity. You now have complete freedom and can go back to places and friends and reach them through your testimony. Isn't God amazing? Even though His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, we can access them through our perfect born again spirit.  Freedom is calling us! May we all find our wings!

Conspiracy Theory

I’ve always been fascinated by a good conspiracy theory. One definition of conspiracy theory, according to dictionary.com, is the idea that many important political events or economic and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public. Now, to have a good working conspiracy, you need to have a fall guy, a patsy, a scapegoat, someone to blame. The most famous that comes to my mind is Lee Harvey Oswald. So, you may ask, where are you going with this? I want you to get a picture in your head of how our enemy works. He’s the father of lies and he uses religion to enforce those lies. If he can keep us, as Christians, satisfied with what we’re told, or the easy stuff we don’t have to dig out, then he keeps us right where he wants us. And we are typically easy targets, because if we know the truth, then we’re responsible for it, and that appears to make life more complicated. If we only knew that it is the truth, and only the truth, that completely sets us free.

I’d like to suggest to you a spiritual conspiracy theory I’ve been pondering for a few years now. It started back in 2012 when I first began reading “Spirit Wars” by Kris Vallotton. I remember lying in bed and having to reread what I had just read because I thought it couldn’t be right. That’s not what I had been taught growing up in church and I didn’t get it. He described how we live in haunted houses, allowing our physical bodies to have influence over us that it shouldn’t have because it’s dead. It died with Christ. I’ve always been taught that we are at war with our own flesh and it’s this huge battle. I was introduced to a new thought pattern that night that I couldn’t get away from.

So, how does that play into a conspiracy theory? The devil, along with his cohort of religion, is fueling the lie that there is a part of us that is not redeemed and is just no good, hiding the truth of redemption that will set us free. Who’s the fall guy? The flesh. If it’s a “bad” part of me, I can blame it for all those things I do wrong… addictions, attitudes, hormonal drives, etc… Gives me an excuse, or an out.

While it may seem the easier road to blame things on my flesh and avoid accountability in my soul, that lie keeps me from the complete peace and healing that was meant for me. I can never attain that if I am guarded against my own self.

The more I understood the nature of God, that the cross paid for everything, I couldn’t imagine that God left this part of us, me, unredeemed.

When I finally came to the conclusion that I believed 100% that my flesh is redeemed and is good, I felt a new level of peace, in spirit, soul, and body, that I have never felt before. I like me. All of me. The way God created me. Take a journey with me through scripture so you can draw your own conclusion.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NASB). This is a scripture I’ve known since childhood while learning about our spiritual armor. I’ve read it numerous times and quoted it, always with the intent of understanding that our war is spiritual and not against other people, but the forces at work behind the scenes. One day during this contemplation process I looked at it from a new perspective. If I’m not wrestling against the flesh of other people, why in the world am I wrestling against my own flesh?

James 1:8 says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”. If we don’t have a firm foundation and know what we believe, it allows instability. That’s where I was for many years, thinking I had a firm foundation, but yet searching for answers.

I know all you Bible scholars are thinking about Paul and all his writings about the flesh and knowing that you still don’t feel “perfect.” In Spirit Wars, by Kris Vallotton, he does an excellent job of addressing this…

"But wait, you might think, didn’t Paul just say that the flesh was hostile toward God? Look again. He said, “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.” What does this mean? It will become clearer if you study how the New Testament uses the Greek word sarx, which is usually translated “flesh.” You will find that the word itself does not denote something negative or positive—both the old nature and the new creation are called “the flesh” (sarx) in different contexts. This tells us that our physical body is not the source of good or evil. Our flesh is governed by our spirit and our soul. In particular, our soul is the operating system of the body, the mediator between the spiritual and the physical. The “mind set on the flesh” is a description of the soul that is disconnected from the Holy Spirit and is running a “program” built on lies and false spiritual power, like lust and fear."

Some will argue that this is just semantics, or word play, and it doesn’t matter. But I found personally, it did matter to me. My physical body is good, redeemed, and made new according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

So, let’s walk this out for understanding’s sake. We are made in God’s image, spirit, soul, and body. My spirit is made perfect when born again. Has everything I ever need. My physical body is redeemed, it’s not the bad part of me.  My soul, which is my mind, will, and emotions, is where the battle is because that’s where my chooser is and my free will comes into play. For example, if I have an issue with lust, or sexual sin, I can’t blame it on my “flesh,” which I reference as my physical body. It is only working exactly how God created it to work. The issue I have to overcome is in my soul. The “why” of it all. Wrong mindset, demonic intrusion, etc… Same thing if I have an eating disorder, whether it’s I eat too much or too little. It’s not my physical body that is doing it to me. It’s in my soul. Anxiety, fear, wounds. Areas that need to be renewed according to Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Our renewing process happens from the inside out. Our spirit is our innermost being and is perfect when born again. Our soul surrounds our spirit and our physical body encases it all. Picture a one-way valve between each part of our triune being. The inside out process allows it to only flow one direction. Our spirit feeds our soul, which in turn feeds our physical body. Our body does not flow backwards into our soul. Every deed of the flesh listed in Galatians 5 is a result of our soul, our chooser, our mindset, where all the trauma, wounds, lies, etc… are stored until they are renewed by the Word.

Why does all this matter? I truly believe if a new believer is taught that their physical body is redeemed and the only thing they have to focus on is their soul being transformed, it eliminates the “blame game” and they can find peace, wholeness, and physical healing much faster. They will understand it’s all a matter of choice and renewing their thinking. There’s not this inner struggle that a part of themselves is bad.

I kicked out the “fall guy.” It completely changed my life…41 years after being saved. I finally got it. Peace like I’ve never known. I finally like me. 

Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

"Be careful little eyes what you see
Be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see..."

How many of us remember that song from our Sunday school days? As I was contemplating my frustration with the enemy this morning this song came to mind. This thing called the internet. So much good potential, yet very tricky. We all know the obvious pitfalls and awful things that we have access to. The obvious is much easier to steer clear of. What about the not so obvious? What about the things that seem so good that they must be true? That's where the tricky part comes in. John Bevere has a book out now called "Good or God?" We, as believers, must take the posture to truly know our Father's heart. For example, there's a story out there making it's rounds again about what an eagle has to do after it ages 40 years to live longer. I first saw it a year or two ago. Very captivating. Seems good. But something just didn't sit right with me. So I started digging for facts. The whole premise of the story is that the eagle basically has to torture itself to get to a place it can live longer. That process would leave it completely exposed and unable to survive. If I believe God's nature is good and perfect, would He make one of his most majestic creations have to go through that process? Now, I understand we have to choose to leave our past behind at some point in life, but we don't do that through self mutilation. Eagles, like all birds, go through a molting process. They lose and replace feathers in a balanced process, the same feather on each wing. That way it can still fly and hunt while in the process. It's talons grow stronger as it ages with new layers. It keeps it's beak in good condition by just living; eating tough prey and cleaning it. You see, those are tools that are built in naturally. If we live how God created us, we have the tools we need to just do life and keep growing. He's a good God. He's given us what we need. Self mutilation falls into the category of religion in my eyes. A trick of the enemy to keep us from our true identity. Bottom line...don't believe everything you read, no matter how good it looks. Is it really God?

Winning

Philippians 4 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. Verse 13 happens to be a verse that is very well known and quoted often, particularly by athletes. I love it when faith intertwines with every aspect of who we are, as it should. To many, this represents "winning." Victory associated with my relationship, or in some cases just knowledge, of Jesus. But what does winning really look like? To understand what Paul was really talking about, you must look at the verses that precede this one... "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."  That word "instructed" really caught my attention last year at a time that I was facing some difficulties. It comes from the Greek word myeō which means to initiate into the mysteries, to teach fully, instruct, to accustom one to a thing, to give one an intimate acquaintance with a thing. So, when he was saying that he could do all things, that meant no matter what the circumstances... how much money, what the final score was, if anyone else helped him or not, etc... he had the strength to do that because of Jesus. Quoting this scripture isn't a magic pill for victory, but trusting in the one who knows the big picture is a sure key to really winning. Which reminds me of another quote that I'm sure Paul could definitely attest to...

Joy

During our corporate prayer service last night we prayed to release joy. We've done that multiple times. I think it's great. We have to understand that joy and happiness are not the same thing and that we can have joy in any circumstance. My thoughts went to a revelation I got several years ago concerning joy. Everyone quotes that portion of Nehemiah 8:10 where it says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Then they think that if I can manage to stir up some joy in myself it will make me strong. My thought was to look at it differently. It's the Lord's joy. Not mine. What brings God joy? It's that connection with us. What He's wanted from the very beginning. You see, earlier in that chapter the people had found the written law as they were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra stood up where they could all see him and read it. They wept. They knew they had been missing something that was being restored. God told them not to be sorry, but go and have a party. That's what brought Him joy. The connection. It was the same with Jesus. In Hebrews 12:2 it said He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. That's us. Our connection. Next time you're looking for strength, don't think that if you can stir up this feeling inside you that you might find it. Look to your creator. It's in the connection.

"Not Responding"

A large majority of my life revolves around computers. As I was sitting in front of my laptop a few days ago, just trying to perform the simplest of tasks, in a quick fashion, I saw the words I see far too often, "not responding." Seriously? This isn't even hard. I'm just trying to save a document. If the program is already open, what's so difficult about saving it? So, I sit there and watch the little blue circle spin around and around, and think. Think about the seconds just ticking away and all the time I'm wasting that I could be using for something much more productive. I then realized that this is what my life feels like right now. I'm tired of seeing the little blue circle. Here's another one...this page is unresponsive...and you have the option to "kill page" or "wait." Of course, at that moment in time, all is want to do is kill the page! Screw it! I've got better things to do! I'm sure someone can relate. 

These thoughts have been rolling around in my head for a few days. Today, while visiting with a friend, God reminded me of a story in my life that represents this very thing. Hits me way too close to home right now. During my 3rd pregnancy I had a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. I got really tired of them. They weren't accomplishing anything except to remind me that the real thing wasn't happening yet and I was tired of waiting. After being sent home from the hospital on my due date because I wasn't in labor yet, I decided that I was just going to sleep the rest of my pregnancy. I was going to completely ignore anything going on because I was tired of being teased. Tired of waiting. Tired of trying to figure it out. Real labor will wake me up. It wasn't my first time. I wasn't in the nesting mood anymore. Just let me sleep. Thinking back on it now, I wonder if my attitude had anything to do with how the rest of the story played out. Four days later I was back in the hospital. Signs of labor. But it still wasn't progressing very quickly. Then I made a mistake. I let them talk me into inducing labor. It's your 3rd baby...your body will know what to do...let's get it moving along. So, that's what we did. Drugs in the IV, and here came the most painful 40 minutes of my life. Yep...that's all it took. Casey was born 40 minutes later. 2 hours later I was passed out on the bathroom floor because I lost too much blood too fast. I was blessed to not have to have a transfusion, but I was anemic for several months. 

I feel like for several months now I've been staring at that little blue circle. Waiting. I know change is coming. I know seasons are shifting. I'm the positive, optimistic, find the good in everything person. But, seriously? I'm tired of being teased. Can't I just sleep til the real thing happens? As I type these words, it's all coming together in my mind. Do I really want to risk that? Do I really want complications? I know all the scriptures to quote. All the promises to stand on. In the end I have to be content in knowing that joy comes in the morning and I need to just enjoy the honor of being a part of this birthing process. I'm carrying something special. I need to remember the love that planted this seed inside of me. I wanted God to use me to make a difference in this world. And I believe He will. 

Up From the Ashes

"Up from the ashes, your love has brought us..." Lyrics to a song that we sang during our prayer service last night. I've sang them before. Nice lyrics. I know God. All true. But, it wasn't just any day that I was singing them this time. It was the day that Glen and I had been married 25 years. I was in that sentimental state. We had been discussing for a few days all the different places we've lived and things we've gone through. Last night I clearly saw how amazing God really is. According to all the circumstances and the way the world views things, we should have never made it. Our ash pile included a family with a wife who almost died twice in one year and was full of fear, a husband who was a meth addict and who's sense of reality was totally screwed, and 3 boys for whom we couldn't even provide a home for during a season of time. What could be built out of that? If you didn't know us then, but you know us now, you may have a hard time believing our story. Life couldn't be better. What was built? A legacy. A heritage for our children that we can be proud of. All glory to God. As we chose, one step at a time, to give our lives to Him, he did what we could never do. Our boys didn't see perfection, but they saw change, they saw love, they saw truth, they saw that nothing is impossible. Tears are still flowing as I contemplate God's goodness. I'm so amazed and full of gratitude. Let our life be a seed of hope for you...take a step...make a choice...give God access to your ashes... you'll never believe what He can do with them.