Morally Necessary to Assume the Existence of God

I am fascinated by Marcello Pera, a famous Italian philosopher and political leader (see his book, Why We Should Call Ourselves Christians: The Religious Roots of Free Societies). Here's why. Look at this quote:

"The rights of human beings are to liberals as the laws of nature are to scientists: once discovered (not invented) by someone at a certain time and place, they are valid for all and forever. But just as the laws of nature refer to an order inscribed in the world, the rights of human beings refer to a God who has stamped His image upon man. And this is clearly the Christian vision of God, creator of the natural and moral world." (p. 49)

And this:

"In order not to destroy society by deteriorating into license and violence, individual freedom requires limits: a sense of sinfulness, of what is forbidden, unthinkable, nonnegotiable. This limit cannot be established only by positive law, at whatever level (constitutional, international, etc.), because such a law could always be overridden. A moral, religious limit is needed, or one that is experienced as religious. The Christian limit is not putting oneself in God’s place but respecting His will, or not arousing the “wrath of God,” about which Jefferson spoke." (pp. 48-49)

What is intriguing about this is that Marcello Pera is an atheist. What explains this?

For Pera, a European political philosopher, Europe is well on the way, figuratively, to hell. The only thing that will save it is if Europe returns to its Christian roots. Does Pera, an atheist, believe in God and Jesus? No. But he does believe, he says, in the message of Jesus. We must live "as if God exists."

He writes:

"The admirer of the Christian message is someone who believes that Christianity has changed the world, that it has brought about an unprecedented moral revolution of love, equality, and dignity, whose effects are still at work today. He believes that had this revolution never occurred, the world would be a far worse place; the life of man would be more savage, basic human rights without sufficient guarantee, and our prospects less hopeful. He also believes that the culture of Christianity is of great value to himself and to others; that it is a good unto itself." (p. 58)

One must admit that this atheist has a different view than that of the raging "Four Horsemen" (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens).

"But all that is still not enough. Those who stop at believing that must not hold back from believing in. We must go beyond the rationalism that confines us to our calculations, beyond the positivism that binds us to the testimony of our senses, beyond the scientism that accepts only experimental proof. We must not allow our yearning for the divine and the sacred, our experience of mystery and the infinite to be purged from our inner life. We cannot be whole human beings without these dimensions. And we cannot be liberals of only one dimension." (p. 59)

Following Kant et. al., Pera knows that "It is morally necessary to assume the existence of God."

Christian Commentary III: Bias and Objectivity

"I do know quite a bit about religion, but not from the biased insider's point of view... I am able to compare and contrast belief systems without having to support one desperately to appease my own cognitive dissonance."
 
This sounds as if you see yourself standing outside religion and analyzing it objectively. You mention your own bias, but do you really consider it? What about your bias as a non-believer of God or gods? I would say you are not standing outside. In the same way I am biased towards believing in the Christian God, you are biased towards believing in no god. The belief system you run the risk of supporting desperately due to your own cognitive dissonance is that of the nonexistence of God. I made my decision on religion based on this presumption, "There are many religions in the world, all of them claiming to be true. They cannot all be true, but might there be truth in there somewhere? If there is truth to be found here, I am going to plunge in as far as it takes to safely conclude the truth or lack thereof." I would hazard to say your presumption goes like this: "There are many religions in the world, and they all seem like fairy-tales or wishful thinking or supernatural explanation for what science used to not know. Since there isn't truth here, I can compare and contrast them academically, like I would compare and contrast theories or Brothers Grimm. If there is truth to be found here, it will rise to the top of my analysis, but I do not expect it to be so."
 
 
"Not to sound harsh, but to deny that the reality of a religion is purely subjective shows a lack of perspective."
 
This statement proves my point. Saying that the reality of religion is purely subjective is the same as saying there is no reality to religion. If religion - God's existence - is dependent on personal opinion/culture/feelings, and thus different for everyone, then there is no true God out there that is independent of everyone's stance. But if any of the religions are true, then there is a God or gods who exist regardless of any one person's view. Thus, as you assume all religious views are subjective, by default you assume they are all untrue.
 
I posit that if there is a God out there, He exists objectively, and it is of importance for every human to take the time to determine whether or not this is true. "I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his best reasoning tells him that the weight of the evidence is against it. That is not the point at which Faith comes in" (C. S. Lewis). But you cannot look at it objectively, with your best reasoning, until you take the stance that if it is true, it (and God) exists objectively.

Christian Commentary II: Happiness vs. Joy

(The remark in bold is a comment by an atheist friend of mine, and my response follows.)

"I'm glad that Christianity has made you happy. However, your statements about how people of other religions are innately unhappy while Christians are innately happy, fulfilled, and helpful to others is a dangerous generalization and stereotype that reflects your biases, not reality."
 
That isn't exactly what I'm saying. I never said anything about being happy. I did mention joy. Joy in the Biblical sense is more synonymous with peace and hope than pure happiness. Obviously it goes beyond those and is not entirely separated from happiness - else we wouldn't need a different word - but it doesn't just mean being happy. I can be - and often am - unhappy with my life at times, due to stress or pain or what-have-you, yet I still feel joyful. I can still praise God, for the work He is doing on me in my present tribulation and for the promised outcome once it is over. There is joy in resting in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love and care of God, and that all things - even the evils of this world - can work together for good to those who love God and follow in His purpose for their lives.
 
As to the other, once again I fear you missed my point. There is nothing about a Christian that makes him/her innately more happy, fulfilled, or helpful than somebody else. It is true that being a Christian and truly seeking God's will should produce the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) as a "by-product" if you will of having Christ working in you. But the rest can likely be attributed more to personality, and it is of course silly to think that Christianity has a unique difference in inborn personality of its members. I know many decent, loving individuals who follow Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism (I only know one Buddhist), and I would call them generally happy and helpful, and at times fulfilled. I would say this about many Christians, too.
 
What I said was that I know people of other religions who still struggle with sin and suffering despite going through their religious instructions. When I compare Christianity with anything, I think not only of the abstract knowledge of both I have, but also specific individuals that embody the religion. I follow this general rule: "But when we are comparing Christians in general with non-Christians in general, we are usually not thinking about real people whom we know at all, but only about two vague ideas which we have got from novels and newspapers. If you want to compare the bad Christian and the good Atheist, you must think about two real specimens whom you have actually met. Unless we come down to brass tacks in that way, we shall only be wasting time." - C S Lewis, Mere Christianity
 
Christianity is unique in one important area: it has the concept of grace. You won't find that in abundance anywhere else. (Please note the following descriptions do not contain a full account for brevity's sake.) 
 
Take Buddhism. According to Buddhism, evil is in the world because of human desire (see The Four Noble Truths). A Buddhist is on the path to nirvana, i.e. the "puffing out" or "extinguishing" of desire. "Sin" in Buddhism has to do with violence and greed. If you sin in Buddhism, you contribute to the evil, and there is no teaching of forgiveness or grace for personal cleansing; you must pick-up, continue on, and should you ever achieve nirvana you will no longer care (or rather, it will no longer affect you). 
 
Take Hinduism. Karma is the primary effect of goodness and sin. If you do good things, karma will reward you in this life or the next reincarnation. If you do bad things, you are stuck with them as well and will be punished. The goal of Hinduism in many ways is to do more good than bad so karma stacks in your favor. 
 
Take Islam. Islam is very much about earning your way into heaven. You do what is right, right being defined as obedience to the teachings of their Prophet, and the closer you can control your actions to match up with the laws, as well as the more you contribute to the spreading of Islam, the better your place in heaven. Punishment is strongly enforced in Islam as well for those who fail to live up to the standards. 
 
Take Judaism. Judaism begins to attain the idea of forgiveness. Jews must follow a strict code of conduct for purity and uncleanness, and sinners must make sacrifice to God to have their sins "pushed back" or "overlooked" for a time. Sin is punished heavily, but repentance and sacrifice will earn one's place back into the favor of God. 
 
Now take Christianity. There is a code of expected conduct, which serves the purpose of showing that nobody can live up to it on their own - except Jesus, who died in sinners' place so they could be free from sin's bondage. The goal of Christianity is to have a relationship with God, not follow a to-do list of morals, and sins are forgiven in faith. Grace is God loving you when you are an unlovable, selfish being, and forgiving your sins even though you do not deserve it. This is the one I know of personally, and I can tell you that the experience of forgiveness is amazing and humbling and life-changing. But even outside of my own experience, I can intellectually discern the differences in the religions. I may be biased in which one I choose still, due to my upbringing and position on the globe, but the religions can be objectively divided as to their differences, and if any of them are true, only one of them can be (their core beliefs are not interchangeable).

Christian Commentary: Is Christianity a Controlling Doctrine?

I had a discussion on Christianity with a few friends of mine about a year back, all of whom were either atheist or agnostic. Surprisingly, I found a few of my answers to their questions saved on my computer the other night. I've decided to share them on here in hopes they might be of benefit to someone. Even if you disagree--I'd love to continue the conversation. :)

The answers are kinda long, so I may spread them out over several notes. The bold parts are the questions, and the rest is my answer.

"Christianity has the hallmark of a doctrine meant to control people, that is get them to act ethically and morally as they see correct, not as a group of people 'making up a deity.' It is making up a social construct over hundreds or even thousands of years to get people to do what you want them to do."

This is so far removed from the teachings of every great Christian that I can only imagine you get this notion from the stereotypical (and unfortunately, not altogether untrue) image of the church. I'm sadly aware that most people's view of Christianity consists something of nuns with rulebooks and rulers, church (and political) leaders shouting out what is sin and what isn't and demanding everyone follow, and thousands if not millions of church-goers giving lip-service to those rules and then bad-mouthing or snub-nosing anyone who doesn't.
 
Christianity as taught in the New Testament is not a controlling doctrine at all. Let me clarify that statement before I am completely jumped on.
 
First off, yes, the Bible does call for certain moral standards of living. It also says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," and that getting to Heaven is "not by works" but through the "gift of God's grace." The Bible is clear that no one can live up to the moral standard proposed therein. Jesus came to say that it doesn't matter how good of a person you are, how often you help the poor and needy, or how many times you go to church: we all have vices, which we may regard as insignificant next to our virtues or other vices, but which separate us from the absolute holiness of God. We all deserve death. Christians believe that God became a man, suffered as a man to death as payment for our sins (since we deserve death), and in rising from the dead made it possible for us to change. The point is that salvation then comes not through anything you do, but through faith in Christ. No amount of morality on your own part will save anyone; a Christian believes Jesus works through us to make us moral despite our selfish selves. 
 
Peter, Paul, Luke, and John expound on this following the Gospels, talking about how Christ frees them from the Law. The servitude to God which is so often expressed in the Bible is clearly written of as an offering of gratitude. It isn't necessary for salvation, but to "be saved" means to have Jesus working in your life, and that means a birthed desire to change and be more like Him. The basic idea is, "Since Jesus Christ has given me everything and enabled my freedom when I did not deserve anything but death, I will show my love by doing everything I can to follow His commands and trust to His mercy for my inevitable shortcomings." But the Bible is clear that this CANNOT be forced on others.
 
This is all personal revelation and change stuff, though. If you want to look at the actual teachings of Christ, they discourage a controlling method as well. Christ warned, "Do not judge others, lest you be judged." He instructed us to act towards others as we would like others to act towards us (not how others DO act towards us, or based on what we feel they "deserve"). When He told Peter that he would have to suffer and die for the ministry, Peter's response was to point to John and say, "Lord, what about him? What will he have to do?" Jesus's response was, "...what is that to you? You must follow Me." The point of all of these things is that Christianity is a personal religion in that all of the "control" is between you and God; no Christian is to cast judgment on anyone who doesn't "live up to" the same standards he feels obligated to follow, especially if the other isn't a fellow Christian.
 
I'd like to give a quote that sums up the true Christian perspective on controlling others: "One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons - marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning" (C. S Lewis, Mere Christianity).
 
At the end of the day, Christianity is about a personal relationship with God, not a list of moral rules to be followed to "earn" your way into heaven or out of hell. That is what heaven and hell are: one is getting to forever enjoy a relationship with your Creator, while the other is being forever separated from that relationship. It was never about punishment, but choice: if you choose God, He accepts and brings you to Him, and if you reject God, He accepts and puts you where you will never be bothered by Him again. We are halfway in-between now, dependent on God but able to choose whether to go to Him or to reject Him. Eventually God will cut the strings of dependance, and those who clung to Him will get to stay with Him while those who followed their own way will get their own way.
 
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Please note that I am not denying that "Christianity" can be and has been used by people to gain or keep power and control. The church throughout history has been rather good at this. But you can say the same thing about capitalism, democracy, socialism, communism, education, welfare, and any other program designed for good but ran by people. There are always bad apples, and they will inevitably spoil the affair through greed, selfishness, and other vices. That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended - civilizations are built up - excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. God has designed the human machine to run on Himself. This applies to Christianity as well, in the sense that at any point the church (or churchgoers) attempt to run the show without directly relying on God, the machine begins to conk. Since every Christian is an imperfect person, the machine has little hope of running perfectly.
 
And now we come to morality. Morality, especially Christian morality, raises in a good many people's minds: something that interferes, something that stops you having a good time. In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or a strain, or a friction, in the running of that machine. That is why these rules at first seem to be constantly interfering with our natural inclinations. When you are being taught how to use any machine, the instructor keeps on saying, "No, don't do it like that," because, of course, there are all sorts of things that look all right and seem to you the natural way of treating the machine, but do not really work.

Jesus Often Withdrew

Sometimes what seems like just another ordinary event becomes extraordinary and life-changing. Such was the case for me when, in 2009, I stumbled across a blog entry on prayer that led me to begin studying Thomas Merton's writings on prayer. God used it to revolutionize my life. Through that preacher's blog, God gave me a prayer life that has grown and enriched me and includes 100+ pages of journal entries that record the voice of God, spoken to me.

I began to see that life's most important thing was to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My raison d'etre was: to spend much time with God, one-on-one. And that out of this alone-time with God my life in community with others, to my family, my friends, my coworker, my future wife and family, would be strengthened and transformed. I chose to cultivate the abiding-in-Jesus life, it continues to this day, and my heart is to deepen it.

To every Jesus-follower who now asks, "What am I supposed to do?" I give you the answer: go to a "lonely place apart" and meet with your God. Do not do anything until this meeting takes place! And one meeting is not enough. Mc-meetings don't count either. Abide. Rest in Him. Dwell. "Practice," as Brother Lawrence wrote, "the presence of God."

Time-travel back 2000 years to an upper room in Jerusalem. Sit at that table. Slow down. Turn off your iPhone. Open your Bible to John 14. Listen to Jesus' instructions. John 15. John 16. Open the Text and get Texted. Slow-cook in the teriyaki sauce of these verses. Get covered and coated with these "one thing" words of Jesus.

One of my literary mentors, Thomas Merton, wrote: "The one thing necessary is a true interior and spiritual life, true growth, on my own, in depth, in a new direction. Whatever new direction God opens up for me. My job is to press forward, to grow interiorly, to pray, to break away from attachments and to defy fears, to grow in faith, which has its own solitude, to seek an entirely new perspective and new dimension in my life. To open up new horizons at any cost. To desire this and let the Holy Spirit take care of the rest." (A Year with Thomas Merton).

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

Who am I, who are you, not to do this?

Spiritual Formation

In Galatians 4:19, Paul expresses his hope that Christ is "formed" in the hearts of the Galatian Jesus-followers. In the famous Romans 12:1-2, Paul wants the Roman Jesus-followers to be de-morphed out of their conformation to the pattern of this world and be trans-morphed into Jesus-ness.

Spiritual formation and transformation: how does this happen? Here are the four stages, from my point of view.

Stage 1: the recognition of how needy we are. I need to be changed. I need to be different. There are things in me that need to be burned away. I am not all that I need to be in Christ.

I do not think this can be forced on a person, or that sermons and lectures and unasked for advice will work. It comes, mostly I think, as a revelation, as an epiphany, from God. When this happens, the recipient of the revelation is in a good place to be changed.

Stage 2: recognition of the gap between myself and Christ. This is recognition of the magnitude of the transformation, which is: that Christ be formed in us. (Gal. 4:19) This is no small thing.

I like the scene in Isaiah 6 where Isaiah, arguably the most righteous person in Israel, enters the temple and gets a glimpse of a holy God. Isaiah’s response is a prophetic one; he pronounces doom upon his own being. “Woe is me! I am undone! I am dis-integrated! I thought I was a man of integrity. Now I see I am a man with a dirty mouth.”

Isaiah sees the holiness of God. “Holiness” is not another attribute of God. To call God “holy” is to express the “otherness” of God. God, as Supreme Being, is “set apart” from all other beings. There is no one like God.

God is different. God’s difference is expressed in his all-knowingness, all-powerfulness, and all-loving nature. This is, understatedly, different from you and I. To see this is necessarily to be “undone.”

I'm going to use my friend Jordan here in an example. Jordan loves to play basketball. There were a few years, he tells me, when he lived and breathed basketball. And, in his own little circle of basketball-playing friends, I bet he was pretty good and there were times when he and others thought he was pretty dang good.

Now imagine this. Jordan is young and in his basketball-playing prime. A few people think he's really good. He's in the gym. He is scoring points. In walks Michael Jordan, in his prime. We all stop. We’re stunned. He asks, “May I play?” We let him. He decides to guard Jordan. At this point, Jordan says, “Woe is me! I am a man of unclean basketball-playing!” Michael Jordan’s playing is “holy.” Different. Set apart. Not just a “cut above,” but “beyond.” His skills are transcendent. I am on earth, thou art in heaven.

The difference between Michael Jordan’s basketball skills and my friend Jordan's is minor compared to the difference between us and Christ. This difference must be recognized, and should not be minimized. It is jaw-droppingly real. Jesus is different.

This often comes as an epiphany, a revelation, an illumination. The Great Realization. The ultimate “O My God!” happening. This is needed, and it is good. As this happens the prospect of spiritual metamorphosis is positive. But without it, we’re left with the variety of human will power and self-transformation strategies. It is instructive to note that one cannot self-morph into Christlikeness. To think so is to trivialize Christ.

Stage 3: the realization that I cannot change myself. So, no striving allowed, because it won't do any good anyway. "Will power" won't work anyway. To think it will is to diminish Christ, reducing Him to just another fallible subhuman like all of us.

No amount of human striving and effort can serve to morph my spirit into Jesus-likeness, just as no amount of training and practicing could shape me into Michael Jordan-esqueness. Were that to actually happen, God would get the credit.

The gap between myself and Christ is far greater than the gap between my basketball and ability and that of a Michael Jordan. When I realize this, it could cause me to despair, but only if the only option for personal transformation is my own will power and effort. Yet there is another option. God could do it. God, who made the heavens and the earth, could transform my heart into a heart like Christ's. God could "form Christ in me." God could change the shape of my heart from this-worldliness to a heart and mind renewed in Christ. (Romans 12:1-2)

So we have hope! While we are unable to effect the needed transformation, God surely is able. It is this hope, based on the revelation of our deep need and the gap between us and the holiness ('differentness") of Christ that brings us to the inexorable, logical conclusion that is our fourth stage of spiritual transformation.

Stage 4: God can change me!

Stage 5: Therefore, get into the presence of God. A person cannot consistently dwell in God's presence and remain unchanged.

Jesus gives us this secret of spiritual life and transformation in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. We are to dwell in Him, abide in Him. Be like a branch, connected to Jesus the Vine. Attach yourself to Jesus, every day!

We used to have an old pear tree in our back yard. Sometimes I'd see a branch that had fallen off the tree. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that this detached branch will never produce pears. But if that branch could be reattached to the tree it will bear pears. Inexorably. Necessarily. No striving needed or allowed. It will produce fruit simply because it is part of the tree. The Jesus-life is not about "trying hard" but about "abiding." Analogically, Jesus tells us that if we are attached to Him our lives will produce "much fruit." Plus, He gives us His peace and His joy and His knowledge and we're told we will do what he has been doing and even greater things.

All because we are "in Him" and He is "in us."

Therefore abide in Christ. Dwell deeply in Him. Let the morphing begin.

The Absurdity of Life Without God

If there is no God, life is absurd. If there is no God, life is ultimately meaningless. That is, there is no point to life.

I'm not an atheist, but there are some atheists I admire for their logical consistency. Take Richard Dawkins:

"Nature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous--indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose."

Dawkins is correct, if there is no God. But if this universe is a "creation" then it has, by definition, a purpose. Only if there is a Creator God does our life have ultimate purpose. Other atheists have recognized this - such as Sartre, Camus, and Nietzsche.

Thus someone who refers to themselves as an atheist and tries to find ultimate meaning and purpose in life without a Creator God is fundamentally misguided. Only if there is a Creator God does one's life make sense in the greater scheme of things.

The Presence Motif

The great New Testament scholar Gordon Fee writes:

"The Holy Spirit is none other than the fulfillment of the promise that God Himself would once again be present with His people... The Spirit is God's own personal presence in our lives and in our midst; He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name's sake; He 'is working all things in all people;' He is grieved when His people do not reflect His character and thus reveal His glory; and He is present in our worship, as we sing 'praise and honor and glory and power' to God and to the Lamb."

Fee calls this "the Presence Motif." This motif is, for example, the structural key to the book of Exodus. In Exodus the people are seeking for the experiential presence of God, and follow God's tangible presence through the wilderness.

When God is experientially present in a worship gathering, people stay. What people need is the real presence of God. I believe that, for the most part, it is experience, and not theory, that breeds conviction. The love and grace and mercy of God are experiential realities of the God who is there and not just theoretical postulates.

The Sacrifice of Fools

In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; but I have come so that you might have life, and life to the fullest.”

As I see it, the “thief” wants three things from us:
1. Our experience of the loving presence of God
2. Our response of loving God back
3. Our act of giving this love away to others

How does the thief do this? By fulfilling his “job description,” which is “accuser.” Fault-finder. Finger-pointer. Judger. This has been Satan’s strategy from Genesis 3:12 through Revelation 12:10. The “fault-finder” works in two ways. First, he works internally, inside us. He whispers words like “You are nobody,” “No one likes you,” “You will never succeed,” “You are a failure in God’s eyes,” and so on and on.

Secondly, he works through other people to communicate to us these things. I believe that Satan’s greatest pleasures are when he succeeds in tempting Christian brothers and sisters to whisper and murmur such accusations through the ungodly vehicles of gossip and slander. In Romans 1:28-31 gossip and slander are marks of evil, wickedness, and a depraved mind. As this mentally depraved activity happens, “life to the fullest” gets stolen, destroyed, and killed. That’s horrible, isn’t it? What can we do? Here are some things the Bible tells us so we can have victory in this area and thus release more people into the loving presence of God.

1. Refuse to offer the “sacrifice of fools.” This “sacrifice” is described in Ecclesiastes 5:1-2. The “sacrifice of fools” is to “be quick with your mouth and hasty in your heart.” The remedy is to “let your words be few.”

2. Meditate in your heart on whatever things are good, true, and beautiful (Phil. 4:8). That which is meditated on in the heart comes out of the mouth. Meditate on the faults of other people and guess what comes out of the mouth? Note the intimate link between what goes on in the heart and what comes out of the mouth in Psalm 19:14 – “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

3. Resolve that your mouth will not sin. Psalm 17:3 states, “Though You probe my heart and examine me at night, though You test me, You will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.” Decide not to sin with your mouth. Can you do it? One of the enemy’s lies is the whisper “You’ll never succeed at this.” But that is another of Satan’s deceiving strategies. Remember – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And, you’ll sleep better at night (Proverbs 3:24).

The thief’s strategy is to get the followers of Jesus so much in disunity that a powerful corporate voice cannot unite in its focus and praise of our Savior. This angers me. I want to see every one of you experience the Christ and His promised “life to the fullest.” Therefore let us make our heart-meditations the good, true, and beautiful things of God and our mouths will follow in united praise to our King, who visited our world and remains by His Spirit to offer life like we’ve never known it before.

O Violent Night

Christmas. The birth of our Savior. C.S. Lewis referred to it as "The Great Invasion." In chapter 7 of Mere Christianity Lewis writes:

One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe--a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin.... Christianity agrees... that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.

Enemy-occupied territory--that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going. He does it by playing on our conceit and laziness and intellectual snobbery. I know someone will ask me, 'Do you really mean, at this time of day, to re-introduce our old friend the devil-hoofs and horns and all?' Well, what the time of day has to do with it I do not know. And I am not particular about the hoofs and horns. But in other respects my answer is 'Yes, I do.' I do not claim to know anything about his personal appearance. If anybody really wants to know him better I would say to that person, 'Don't worry. If you really want to, you will. Whether you'll like it when you do is another question.'

Compare that with the most a-cultural telling of Christmas, as found in Revelation 12:1-7. We read:

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.


And there was war in heaven."

Robert Mounce says that: 1) the "woman" here is not Mary, but the messianic community, the "ideal Israel"; 2) out of the messianic community is born a "child," a Messiah; 3) the seven-headed red dragon is Satan (Rev. 12:9; 20:2); 4) Satan is looking to devour this child; AKA Jesus the Christ.

Mary has already been prophetically warned about such things. In Luke 2 we read that...

...the old man "Simeon took him [baby Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Violent night
Holy night
All's not calm
All's not bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Begins the Heavenly War
Oh win us our Heavenly War

Christmas Eve - that violent night when the Light of the World descended into darkness...

The Obedience of Desperation

(2 Kings 5, Elisha and Naaman)
The Power of Desperation, Michael Catt

• "The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. The two are opposite sides of the same coin." - A. W. Tozer
  
  
• ... no one gets to God on their own. While we do come to Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone, we are, in reality, in need of others to show us the way.
  
  
• God's chain to Naaman:
  * The Little Jewish Maid
  * Naaman's Master
  * The King of Syria
  * The King of Israel
  * Elisha
  * Elisha's Messenger
  * Naaman's Servants
  
  Never underestimate the important role you might play in the life of another person... When people are desperate and dying, it is no time for believers to be fearful of what others might think.
  
  
• We struggle with trust and resist the call to obey. We stand outside the door of deliverance and demand that God come out and meet us on our terms. We expect Him to recognize us even when we fail to recognize Him as sovereign and sufficient.
  
  
• The purpose and timing of God constitute the fuel of victory in the Christian life. And the spark that ignites it, releasing it as a practical and powerful force in the life, is OBEDIENCE. God's power flows in the stream of obedience.
  
  
• You believe only as much of the Bible as you are obeying! What you don't obey, you don't believe.
  
  
• If we are reluctant to give unquestioning obedience to God, it is because we don't really trust Him. If obedience comes from trust, where does trust come from? The answer is--knowledge. You won't obey someone you don't trust. You can't trust someone you don't know. So here is the spiritual equation for obedience: knowledge of God equals faith in God equals obedience to God.
  
  
• This, you see, is evil questioning [referring to Naaman's response to Elisha]. What business of Naaman's was it whether there was any medicinal powers in the water or not? Whether Abanah and Pharpar were better or worse than Jordan? He need have nothing to do but with the simple command: "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and you will be clean." 'Twas his to obey, not to question. 'Twas his to fulfill the command, not to enquire into its philosophy.
  
  
• Common sense can kill faith. Reasoning and questioning the Word and will of God will destroy faith and justify disobedience. There's a difference between common sense and coming to your senses. You begin to understand God's ways are not your ways. He doesn't have to explain Himself.
  
  
• When Godly people speak into your life: listen; confirm their words with the Word of God; don't try to bargain with God; don't delay!
  

~

Fill My Cup, Lord

(1 Kings 4:1-7, Elisha and the widow)
The Power of Desperation, Michael Catt

• "We will never crave to be filled until we are convinced we are empty." - John Blanchard
  
  
• Hindrances to being filled with the Holy Spirit:
  
  
  * Too much confidence in your own ability to function without help, coupled with a lack of appreciation for what the Spirit can and will do.
  * Being resistant to repentance.
  * When you cannot or will not take God at His Word.
  
  
  
  
• PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens
  
  
• Take God at His Word. Don't negotiate or try to figure it out. Have the attitude of the mother of Jesus who said to those at the wedding feast, "Do whatever He tells you." (John 2:5) End of discussion and the beginning of blessings.
  
  
• Desperate people obey willingly!
  

Additional scriptures to read: Ephesians 3:17-19, 5:15-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Romans 10:17; James 2:26.

Also, see this post for more on the story of Elisha and the desperate widow.

The Sufficiency and Supply of God in the Wilderness

(Deuteronomy 8, Moses and the Children of Israel)
The Power of Desperation, Michael Catt.

• "The grace, the groans and the glory are all part of the eternal purpose. Where there is no groaning, there is no growing now, nor glory to come." - Vance Havner
  
  
• The thought of God taking forty years to work something in us - and out of us - is frightening. Especially in our American Christianity mindset of immediate success and power.
  
  
• What might the books of the real heroes of the Bible be entitled?
  Job - "Serving God when there's nothing left."
  Moses - "How to go from the palace to the desert in one fateful decision."
  Noah - "Don't build a boat where there's no water, unless you are willing to be the brunt of the world's jokes."
  
  
• "The Wilderness is an experience of contrasts. It is an unsettled, barren, perilous area, but it is also a place where God is! It is a difficult, lonely, unnerving site, but it is also a place where God dwells! It is a draining, exhausting, discouraging situation, but it is also a place where God heals and strengthens! It is a removed, desolate, debilitating condition, but it is also a place where God moves and loves!" - Rob Bailey
  
  
• God puts us in the wilderness until we want the Promised Land enough to fight for it.
  
  
• The wilderness is NEVER wasted time.
  
  
• The wilderness is a time when you can make a choice: I'm going to live through this and thrive in the wilderness, or I'm going to curl up in the fetal position and just wait to die.
  
  
• Moses got a B.N. degree (Be Nothing) in the seminary of suffering and sheepherding. Faith works best when there is no natural hope. God speaks best when all other voices are silenced.
  
  
• "Remember is is the very time for faith to work when sight ceases. The greater the difficulty, the easier for faith; as long as there remains certain natural prospects, faith does not get on as easily." - George Mueller
  
  
• Our strengths are no help to God, and our weaknesses are no hindrance to Him.
  
  
• God is not looking for a rededication of your life. God is looking for admission, confession, surrender, and obedience. What He wants is not rededication of our flesh to be better. He wants repentance from the sin that so easily besets us. We should ask God to put a thorn in every pleasure and a worm in every desire that would prevent us from being wholly committed to the Lordship of Christ.
  

Additional scriptures to read: Psalms 119; Jeremiah 17; Romans 7; Psalms 63 (1 Samuel 15-19); Psalms 84; Psalms 143; Matthew 5.

~~~~~~~~~~

Even if God were to intervene this very minute and deliver me, fulfill my desire... it would not be the end. Other troubles just as pressing, likely more pressing, will come. I desire to grow in Christ, and growth comes through trial, groaning, and necessity of faith. If I am to forever chase God, then I am to forever be tried. I must learn to bring joy with me to the wilderness and be sustained - to thrive in the desert - by God's presence alone.

The Way Up is Down

Tonight I am beginning the book: The Power of Desperation by Michael Catt. Why? One, because I was sitting at my desk when my spirit suddenly said, "Hey Craig, go read that book you've had on your shelf for over a year," and two, because my heart yearns for love and my spirit cries out for more of God and His power. I want [to learn] to be desperate and broken, completely weak and surrendered, while still holding unwaveringly to faith in God's deliverance. I don't know how to do that, but God will not ignore a cry for wisdom. The Joy of the Lord is my strength.

I'm making notes in my prayer journal as I read a chapter each day. I will post some of the more meaningful ones here, most likely without personal comment. They speak for themselves.

Chapter One - The Way Up is Down (Genesis 32-35, Jacob)

• "God cannot bless us until He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There's no bargaining with Him." - C. S. Lewis
  
  
• You are wallowing in defeat because you keep trying harder instead of trusting completely.
  
  
• "I want to be the person he can turn to and know he is loved unconditionally. I don't approve of what he's done. I don't applaud it. But someone has to love him, and it might as well be me."
  
  
• We will never be desperate for God if we blame our environment, our education or lack thereof, our surroundings, our parents, or our circumstances. We will never be desperate until we face our own depravity. Sin deceives us into thinking we can negotiate with God. It deludes us into thinking we can get better in our flesh. It destroys us by telling us we can get to heaven but avoid a face-to-face encounter with the Christ who demands our whole life surrendered to Him.
  
  
• The blessing can't come without the wrestling. If there is no willingness to yield, there will never be willingness for God to rule.
  
  
• Jacob, like many of us, knew the promise of the blessing, but he couldn't see how God was going to do it. He was impatient with God's timetable. He must have been convinced the promise was conditional based on something he could do, rather than unconditional based on the wisdom, grace, and love of God.
  
  
• Jacob's actions reveal his inability to trust God with his life. He fell back into his old thought patterns.
  
  
• God wrestles with us for two reasons: to get us to admit our deception, and to reveal what we can be when we are desperate for Him as our source of sufficiency.
  

A Bored vs. Meaningful Life

I have a family member who loves to work in his large vegetable and flower garden. He talks about needing "garden time." I would say that is his "therapy." Working, laboring, for a purpose can bring great inner satisfaction. To work on a job worth doing is to achieve a job well done. Just the sheer physicality of hard work produces job satisfaction. From my Jesus-theistic standpoint, to work at a task God calls me to brings great emotional and spiritual fulfillment.

For me this applies to even small, seemingly insignificant tasks. For example, whenever I arrive at a friend's home and see dishes that need to be done, or trash that needs to be taken out, I'm finding that I'm beginning to love doing the dishes or carrying a trash across a parking lot. The purpose for me is: this will bless my friends. It is one thing they will not have to do. It is a way to show them that I love them. To work with a purpose is to co-labor with God and His purposes. That is not only good, but therapy for the soul. I want to come to the end of my life knowing God has worked through me to accomplish His desires.

This doesn't have to apply only to "good deeds." Colossians 3 tell us, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him... Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

To labor with no sense of purpose is a kind of hell. It is boredom. "Boredom" is not having nothing to do; boredom is finding no meaning in what you are doing. Purposeless work produces inner agitation. It is "a useless and ill-directed action of the body." Yuck! I continue to meet many people who live purposeless lives and thus experience a constant back-and-forth movement in their disquieted spirit. What should one do?

What Thomas Merton writes is helpful here. Merton says:

“Work occupies the body and the mind and is necessary for the health of the spirit. Work can help us to pray and be recollected, if we work properly. Agitation, however, destroys the spiritual usefulness of work and even tends to frustrate its physical and social purpose. Agitation is the useless and ill-directed action of the body. It expresses the inner confusion of a soul without peace.

Work brings peace to the soul that has a semblance of order and spiritual understanding. Agitation -- a condition of spirit that is quite normal in the world of business -- is the fruit of tension in a spirit that is turning dizzily from one stimulus to another and trying to react to fifteen different appeals at the same time. Under the surface of agitation, and furnishing it with its monstrous and inexhaustible drive, is the force of fear or elemental greed for money, or pleasure, or power. The more complex a man’s passion, the more complex his agitation.

All this is the death of the interior life. Occasional church-going and the recitation of hasty prayers have no power to cleanse this purulent wound.” (No Man Is an Island, 114-115)

Merton says that to work for the goals of money, pleasure, or power is to cultivate the agitated heart. It brings "the death of the interior life." The antidote to this is: dwell, now, in Christ. (See John 14-16) Abide in Jesus. Let Him shepherd your soul. A little bit of churchgoing won't help. Constant abiding will. Out of this Christ-dwelling comes not only His peace and joy but our life purpose.

The Needy

I have been drawing today. I enjoy drawing, especially when it is for other's enjoyment. Naturally, I am my own worst critic. I have been doing art-related activities for as long as I can remember. I've painted pictures of mountain landscapes, sketched epic battles between dragons and knights, and colored portraits of friends and famous folk. I've hand-crafted pottery filled with snakes or the blood of Jesus and woven tapestries that now hang on my wall. I've practiced thousands of hours and generally feel pretty good with what I can accomplish visually when I set my mind to it. But I cannot create pieces of art like my parents. Their sculptures and drawings put me in awe. As I look at their work, I cannot help but think, "I am a man of unclean artistic ability." I am in need.

So are you. We’re all a bunch of very needy people. My fellow artist and poet David once wrote, “Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.” We all need guidance. We all need direction. We all need help in this life. It is a good thing to recognize one’s neediness, for this realization puts one in position to be guided, directed, and helped. Only the needy know they need a shepherd. Only those who realize their need for guidance can be guided.

In a moment of God-inspired musical genius David wrote the first line to arguably the greatest worship song ever written. Out of his neediness David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd.” All of David’s own talents were not enough. As brilliant as King David was, his own intelligence did not suffice. As courageous as he was, he still struggled with fear. David, the greatest King and leader Israel ever had, knew that he needed himself to be led. He needed a shepherd. And for that, David chose well.

A minister I firmly respect runs a seminary. In his class on spiritual formation he sends his students out for times of prayer, using Psalm 23 as their meditative focus. He instructs them: “When God speaks to you, write it down.” According to him, his experience is that God doesn’t let 40% of them get past verse 1. God asks them the question: “Am I really your shepherd?” That is the foundational question for all spiritual formation, transformation, renewal, and restoration. The answer to that question determines whether a person’s life and ministry will be authentic or inauthentic, relevant or irrelevant. This is because unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain; unless we are shepherded by God, we’re shepherded by some other god (like self; others; money; sex; power). The key question of the spiritual life is, as Henri Nouwen said: Who do you belong to?

The necessary precondition for authentic, relevant God-leadership is: being-led. To lead is to be led. To be led one must heart-recognize one’s great neediness. This is, spiritually, a very good place to be. How do we come to understand this?

I don’t think you can force this idea on people. I believe that the heart-recognition of personal neediness is given to people as a revelation. You cannot command this for other people. You cannot even teach or explain it effectively. It’s a revelation, a wakeup call, that God desires us all to have, but which all do not see. If one consistently abides in God’s presence, God Himself will show you this. It will be like me, admiring my latest sketch, thinking I’ve got my artistic creativity in a powerful place, watching my dad pick up a pen and begin to work, and then comes the revelation of personal artistic-neediness. If I was thinking that I didn’t need more ability and practice to draw like that, that I didn’t need help and shepherding to draw like that, such a thought has been, like a bubble, burst.

In the spiritual life neediness is cool, self-reliance sucks. If I really wanted to draw like my parents I’d need my parents to shepherd me individually. If I really want to be used by God I need to be constantly shepherded by God on a personal levl. Pray for a revelation of personal neediness. God wants to reveal this to you. He will, as you spend time with him.

Your spiritual life and effectiveness for the sake of God and His Kingdom is at stake.

Heartfelt Interlude Between Real Posts

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the depths that I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement.
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You're telling me that there's no hope;
I'm telling you, you're wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus.
When the world around you crumbles,
He will be strong. He will be strong.

I throw up my hands: "Oh, the impossibilities!"
Frustrated and tired, where do I go from here?
Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly.
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fears.

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You're telling me that there's no hope;
I'm telling you, you're wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus.
When the world around you crumbles,
He will be strong. He will be strong.

I think I can't! I think I can't!
But I think You can, I think You can....

Gather my insufficiencies and place them in Your hands.
Place them in Your hands. Place them in Your hands....

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You're telling me that there's no hope;
I'm telling you: you're wrong!

Never underestimate my Jesus.
When the world around you crumbles,
He will be strong. He will be strong.

Praises in the Storm?

If you've been a Christian any time at all, you've no doubt heard or even personally been told at some point that we are to praise God in periods of blessing, and praise God in periods of tribulation. It goes back to loving God regardless of the situation, and believing in Him.

When you go through the rough patches, though, do you know what to praise God for? I've asked myself that before. It wasn't doubt in God's power that made me ask - it was just simple logistics. When nothing in the world around me is giving me reason to be thankful, and it feels like God is off away somewhere preparing things for "some day" when He's going to answer, what do you have to praise Him for right then? You could "count your blessings," and name what God's done for you in the past. I've done that, but it's never made me feel all that appreciative at the time. I was just doing it because I knew I was supposed to. You could thank Him for the answer you know He's going to give eventually, but if you have no idea in what form that answer's going to come, it still feels hollow, at least to me. I mean, we should thank Him for future deliverance, but I really want something I can be thankful for in the here and now, when I'm in a valley. What does God have for me that's so great then?

I'm writing tonight about something you can tangibly see (in a way) during the rough times, something you can hold onto (surprisingly) and say, "Thank you, Lord, for THIS."

Let me back up a second. Right now, I'm in one of the worst places I've ever been. I think I say that each time I go through a trial, and I think each time, it's true. By walking through one valley of the shadow of death, God grants you new strengths to walk through the next, harder one - one you would not have been able to get through had you not first gone through the other. Some of you readers may know a portion of the tribulation around me, some of you may know nothing of any of it. Essentially, though, I'm being attacked on all sides. It honestly feels like everywhere I look, I see frustration, failure, and heartbreak. In my living arrangements, in my school, in my work, in my finances, in my friendships, in my relationships (or lack thereof), in my car, in my physical health, everywhere - literally NOTHING is going my way right now. It makes me want to throw my head up and just scream, "Do you even have anything left to throw at me, Satan? Do you think You might want to step in here sometime, God?!"

I feel battered. And exhausted. And utterly lost and alone. I'm almost afraid to attempt anything right now because the way things have been going, it will either fall away into nothing or worse, blow up in my face.

But this is not a pity party. This is a praise report.

The bigger the giants in your life, the fiercer the winds and waves, the higher the stone walls, the darker your night is... the better the opportunity for God to shine. Remember, our lives are about bringing glory to God. When everything else is stripped away, that is the purpose of our lives. The fires that we go through do exactly that - they strip everything else away, so that we realize only a miracle - only God - can save us; and when He does, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Him who delivered us, not our own workings or the workings of the world.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. I Peter 1:6-7

Earlier I told you that during those tribulations, you actually have something you can hold to and say thank you for, remember? I was referring to the tribulations themselves. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but we need to look at tribulations in the right way. The more tribulations that come against us, the deeper into crap that we fall... how much more will God deliver us out of those? If you're sitting high and easy on a mountain of blessings, praise God! But where do you have to go from there? Why do we go through hell in this life? To give us the opportunity to rely on God, and to give God the opportunity to wow the world with His deliverance. When you're lying beaten at the bottom of a valley, staring up at the cold, dark walls all around you, praise God! Where do you have to go from there? Up! The farther down you go, the stronger and more magnificent the day of deliverance will be!

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

When we as Christians encounter periods of drought and have to walk through hell, we should count each one a blessing from God because each one of those are ways in which God is going to shine in our lives! We can be thankful FOR THE TRIALS because they are EVIDENCE that God is bringing abundance and relief! That is when He is strongest in our lives! The devil wants to throw evil at us to break us down, but we can turn it around on him! We can give thanks for that evil that comes against us because we see it as opportunity for our Savior to prove Himself to us and to the world that watches us!

Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

So the next time you are broken by the conditions of the world in your life, choose to stand up and say, "Thank you for this, Jesus! Thank you for trusting me with this trial, with this opportunity to shine with Your light and to bring glory to Your Name! Thank you for delivering me in a mighty way, in such a way that all those around me will marvel and bring praise to You!"

God will deliver you. You know that. He promises to do so - see Romans 8:18, 28, 16:20; Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 34:4, 10, 17; Malachi 3:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Lamentations 3:31-32; Micah 7:8; Luke 12:6-7; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 5:7-10; 1 John 5:4-5; the list goes on and on!

When you need something, anything, to praise God for, you now know where to look - in the last place the devil expects you or wants you to. Because when you get to the place where you can honestly praise God in the storm, that's when your faith flourishes and that is when the giants fall, the waves die down, the walls crumble, the darkness flees, and when God is glorified! When you are disheartened and think the enemy is winning in your life, remember these sage words of C. S. Lewis and follow them - your victory is just around the next bend!

‎[The enemy's] cause is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do [the Father's] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken... and still obeys. - C. S. Lewis, the Screwtape Letters

He Promises to Deliver His People

So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up form that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (Exodus 3:8)

The children of Israel had been delivered from Egypt and wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering the land God had promised them.

But as soon as year number 41 came, the wandering was over for good. They entered into the land of milk and honey! Maybe it seems that you are in a desert period of your life. Maybe you feel like you've been stumbling around for 40 years. Don't worry, number 41 is on its way!

Look at these examples: Noah and his family were on the ark while it rained for 40 days and 40 nights—41 came, and the rain stopped. For 40 days Goliath showed up every morning and taunted Israel—41 came, and David slew him!

God has promised to bring you out of your Egypt as well—if you will hold on to your faith in Him. Whatever situation you are going through right now, don't give up. God is on your side! So if it seems like trouble has been raining down on you, don't worry because 41 is on the way. The rain is going to stop. Whatever giant is in your life, 41 is coming and that giant's coming down! You are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:37). He will deliver you out of Egypt.

See for yourself: Genesis 7, 8; Samuel 17; Psalm 34:17, 19.

You of Little Faith

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it is you," Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "Why did you doubt?"

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

(Matthew 14:25-32)

One thing that I love about the Bible is that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, scriptures that you have read a thousand times can take on new meaning to speak directly into your life for the situation you are currently in. So it was with this passage.

In the story as told in Mark, it says that Jesus saw the disciples struggling with their boat because "the wind was against them." Their journey was not going well for them, but they were trying hard to do as Jesus commanded and "go on across the lake ahead of Him." Jesus walked out to them and gave them direction, but they were afraid.

A week ago today, Jesus walked out on the water in front of me. He had commanded me to walk down a certain path, assuring me He'd meet me on the other side, and I was struggling to obey. I knew the command, and I knew I'd get through it somehow, so I was certainly not expecting Jesus to show up and change my plans. When He did arrive, I was scared. My response to His direction was, "No! That can't be Jesus! If I do that, it will ruin everything!" I didn't recognize Jesus - I saw a ghost.

But Jesus answered and said, "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid, Craig." I was still doubtful, but I wanted to do God's will, so I cried out, "If that is you, Lord, confirm it for me. Tell me to come to you directly." And much to my displeasure, Jesus said, "Come." He called me out. If I was going to be obedient, I had to get out of the boat, leave my comfort zone, step out where it seemed like I would immediately sink. It was a suicide mission, if God didn't save the day.

I got out of the boat. I acted in a very bold manner. I gave my first kiss. I walked toward Jesus and, amazingly, didn't sink. At least not right away. Pretty soon after (within 24 hours), the winds came against me, and I started looking at them rather than at Jesus. The winds came from an unexpected source, accusing me of not hearing from God, of being unable to hear from God and needing to "seriously revaluate my relationship with Him" because I was wrong. I faltered. I started doubting myself, my ability to hear God, and I sank quick. Jesus was still speaking to me while those words were being said, but the waves were too loud for me to hear.

I went home following that conversation, not knowing what to do or where I was at, and all I could say was, "Lord, save me! I know You have Your hand in my life, in both of our lives. I thank You for loving me. I need direction now; please, save me." Then I went to sleep.

The next day, God gave me the above scriptures, and I realized where I was. I really had followed Jesus and stepped out of the boat. I was on top of the water, not drowning in it. Jesus immediately reached down and grabbed my hand, pulling me back up the moment my faith began to die. The storm was (is) still raging all around me, with no sign of letting up, but I have peace in the storm, safe in His arms.

Now I have to walk back to the boat. That was the final step for Peter - even though he had faltered, and Jesus had saved him, he still had to get back to the boat for the storm to die down. He had to hold Jesus's hand and go a little bit further across the surface of the tossing waves. I have to do the same. Jesus's words to me where two-fold: "You of little faith. Why do you doubt Me, Craig? You knew it was going to get worse before it got better. I told you that, even if you didn't want to hear it. But you obeyed, and that is all I ask of you. Now come here, rest in My arms, give Me your burdened heart, and let Me take it from here. You keep believing, and this storm will pass. That means you have to back off - you have to respect her wishes. It is between her and I now. I changed your heart in this; do you doubt I can do it again?"

Peace that passes all understanding. Even though the storms of love and life rage all around me, I am safe in His hands. Now my prayers need to take a different direction - it isn't my heart that is about to be tossed to and fro. Thank you, Lord, for providing for me; now please turn Your attention - and my attention - outward. We'll walk this together, and end up with a beautiful day out of sea soon enough.

I don't think anybody really reads this blog, but if you do, I want to encourage you to spend time in prayer, letting God know precisely how you feel and what you want. As you unburden yourself, you'll find peace, and in that peace, you'll be quieted enough to hear God's still, small voice of direction. When you do, no matter how crazy the direction seems, follow it. It may not make the storm go away immediately, but Jesus will be there save you, even if you falter once you start. All He asks for is obedience, that first step. And once the two of you get back to the boat, your answer will come. But none of it happens if you don't step out of the boat and onto the crashing waves in the first place.