Knowing God takes real effort. Matt. 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom of God. While the efforts we need to make come in a variety of forms, they always are of one basic fundamental problem, removing our self from the path to His righteousness. For example, consider the following:

• Forgiveness – Why is it so difficult for us to forgive when it is a given that God forgives us?  His forgiveness allows us to move into relationship with Him. When we forgive others the door opens for us to move into relationship with them. In our selfishness we may say that we do not desire a relationship with the other person but we forget that God loves the other person as much as He loves us. Did Jesus not say that we should love others as ourselves? Can we really love God while discarding others? 
• Worry - At the root of every worry we find ourselves once again. Worry usually means that we do not have a clear trust that God is in control and that He understands what is best for us. We worry that life may not turn out as we would hope. (It seldom does.) Scripture tells us to be “anxious for nothing”. (Phil. 4:6) What happens when we get past the worries? By simply accepting God’s favor, even when the outcome is obscured, we enter into relationship with Him by means of faith.
• Fear - Remember the acronym, F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real). Fear is a lot like worry but on a much more intense level. Personally I believe that it is the enemy’s most prized weapon. Using fear he is able to melt your trust, confidence and faith. Fear paralyzes and inhibits our relationship with God. Satan is described as the master deceiver. His ability to make something seem insurmountable is unmatched on earth. It is supernatural and can only be combated by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, hence the need to seek first the Kingdom.

In each and every case we find that it is always about relationship. The real power for living life is found in the relationship we have with God through His Son. In each and every case we find that it is always our self will that impedes that relationship and a great effort is required on our part to identify the problem and surrender our will. Don’t skip past the surrender part. There is a lot more of our self in the way than we imagine and the task of identification and surrender is challenging, but well worth the effort.

          Most of us have uttered this lament from time to time. Happiness seems to be the illusive goal of just about every person I know yet rarely do I meet a truly happy person. Webster defines happiness as “a state of well being or contentment”. It is often associated with prosperity or good fortune. Quite possibly it is an expectation that most of us have regarding our life and our perception of what it should be like. Happiness is often a momentary and fleeting experience that fuels our desire to pursue it all the more. Our “Declaration of Independence” echoes this basic tenant of human rights; “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Rooted in biblical belief, our founding fathers believed that the “pursuit of happiness” was directly connected to our creation and a God given right of every individual. Therefore, if we have any shot at discovering happiness in this life is it possible that we can do so apart from the One who created us? What was God’s first desire in the order of creation, for us to be happy or holy? Can we truly be happy without being holy or does happiness exist as a by-product of being holy?

          The “pursuit of holiness” should be first and foremost in our minds. Holiness means to be “set-apart” for God. The implication is that God’s plan for us should be of the highest priority and all other desires in our life should be subordinate. One of the greatest deceptions in this life is that we can order our lives according to our own personal view and desires, then we will be ready for a deeper walk with God. We mistakenly substitute our appetites as the means to gain happiness. How many times have we acted on a want (sometimes to our financial detriment) only to find that the joy didn’t last as long as the term of the monthly payments? How often have we mistaken the true meaning of life for an identity produced by a career or the things we own – status? In Luke 12 Jesus tells the parable of the man who tore down his barns and built new ones in order to store an overabundance of crops. The man reveled in his status of security and his view that he would be happy for years to come. Jesus declared him a fool as he would die that very day and leave it all behind. In verse 23 Jesus states, “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

          What is the relationship between happiness and contentment? In Phil.4:11 Paul declares”…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am”. He applied this principle to abundance and poverty, his contentment was not affected by his circumstance. It was a “learned” responce to life, an ordering of the inner world rather than the outer experience. When we are discontent with the experiences of life we cannot be happy. “But Godliness with contentment is great gain”. (1Tim.6:8, NIV) Could that great gain include happiness?

          As the future continues to unfold in front of us revealing the perilous and uncertain times in which we live, it is vital for all of us to discover the true nature of happiness. It lies not in the shallow desires that please our senses but rather in the possession of relationship with the One who created us. Consumerism and marketing tries to convince us of our constant need to fulfill our quest for happiness by purchasing an endless array of products, pills and adventures. Consumerism thrives on the insatiable desires of the flesh, perhaps exploiting our longing for heaven on earth. As the rights suggested in the Declaration of Independence are facing the possibility of extinction in the near future, are we prepared to handle the changes coming our way? The only answer I can come up with is to be happy. Not as the world sees happiness but in the power of true happiness. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35)

When you first visit a different church it can be intimidating. It’s easy to assume that everyone around you has been there forever and they recognize you for the “newbie” that you are. Sometimes others may seem stand-off-ish and even unfriendly when actually they may be feeling a bit uncomfortable themselves. They may be what I call “unconnected people”. These are people who attend Sunday service but have not become part of the community of the church. Unfortunately they may represent the majority of the Sunday attendees. Many believe that all there is to Christianity is Sunday church attendance. Nothing could be further from the biblical truth. Christianity is community. We have a need to belong and be connected to one another. It is crucial that we bring an attitude of contribution rather than an expectation of entertainment.

When someone isn’t connected to the church family it is difficult for them to make others feel comfortable or welcome. Being distant will sooner or later foster resentment and criticism. After that it’s just a short trip out the door only to become the new person at another church and the cycle continues. The revolving door church has reached almost epidemic proportion in our culture and robs the church body of the vital spiritual life that God intended. Some of the most well intentioned people miss out on a deeper level of spiritual life because they have an independent spirit. Discontentment should be an opportunity for spiritual growth rather than relocation. Have you ever been discontent with your family? Do you make an all out effort to try an resolve issues and grow in understanding or just leave in hopes of finding another family?

          People fail to connect for a variety of reasons. First and foremost they feel that others haven’t made enough effort to bring them into the family. This is unfortunately true more often than we care to know. They feel somewhat outside the “click” and not totally welcome. Other times the reason is an elective one. “I just want to go to church (do my duty) and not get involved.”  Another reason is that some do not feel they have anything to offer. Because they haven’t been a Christian very long or they feel they don’t know enough, there is a false assumption that they have no value. If a person is truly saved and transformed by Jesus their testimony alone has great value and worth to others.

          Whether we are the new people or we have the opportunity to greet new people we need to understand some basic questions people have when they walk through the door. Do I fit here? Does anyone want to know me? Am I needed? What might be required of me if I join in? What advantage is there for me to belong? These are vital first impressions that need to be resolved before anyone feels comfortable enough to be connected. Connection is paramount to spiritual life. We are made to be in community and support each other through interaction. This is the lifeline of the church. The reason so many of our churches seem lifeless is due to the fact that so many “attendees” are not connected. Oswald Chambers wrote in his book “My Utmost for His Highest” (Oct. 27) the following: “Jesus did not say, ‘Go and save souls’ (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said ‘Go…make disciples of all the nations…’”.  (Matt.28:19) Discipleship begins with connection!

          “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior”, says Psalm 127:4 “So are the children of one’s youth.”  The analogy of comparing a child to an arrow takes a little thinking. Being instruments of direction, designed for a specific purpose they also have the image of hitting the mark or defeating opposition.  For an arrow to be true to it’s purpose depends greatly upon the warrior’s hand in which it is placed. First it is carefully made by it’s creator and then placed in the hand of the warrior who takes aim, decides in what direction it shall fly and what goal it shall try to accomplish.

          Children are a gift from the Creator and we have been given the responsibility to supply the needed direction for each child in order that they might hit the intended mark and impact the world with the best they have to offer. Parenting requires more than a casual dedication. For the warrior, training and commitment are essentials for life itself. The life supplied to all of us by the One who created it is  extremely fragile and dependent upon the multiplication of Christian souls. From the moment of birth we begin to impart values that influence the way a child thinks and grows. In 1889 Alois and Klara gave birth to this baby boy. Two previous children had died at birth and another younger brother died at the age of six. Only a sister outlived this sibling. The father, Alois died when the boy was only thirteen and his mother Klara passed away when he was just nineteen. Sometimes the window of opportunity for shaping a child’s future is severely limited by time. Who can measure the impact of life’s scars?  

          As the child grew, he was a poor student with little ambition. He had an interest in art but was denied entrance  to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He refused regular employment and lived as a homeless person dependant upon the charity of soup kitchens. It would seem that he had been given little in the way of values or even the understanding of a higher calling and as the years passed by the empty void inside grew just waiting and watching for someone or something to fill it. At this stage we might still wonder if a well placed word from an evangelical soul might have made the difference. There must have been opportunities but perhaps his heart had already hardened beyond acceptance.

          He later joined the military  and served during the first world war with distinction and was decorated for bravery. After serving for a brief period in a prisoner of war camp the young man turned to politics in 1919. Eventually he became a member of the Nazi party and was charged with treason for which he served a brief prison sentence. The 1929 economic collapse in the United States contributed to a global recession. The Nazi party gained in popularity as a result of the hard times and the rest is history as we know it. Somebody’s baby grew up and the empty void inside got filled. Filled with power, hatred and evil ambition. Somebody’s baby became one of the world’s most notorious monsters. Alois, an Austrian customs worker and his wife Klara didn’t live to see how their arrow impacted the world.

 Scripture quoted from the NASB version.

          In an eight year old case fronted by the ACLU a local judge decided that the “Mojave Cross” must be covered until a final decision can be reached by the Supreme Court as to whether the cross can remain or be removed.  The cross was erected during the 1930′s to honor fallen soldiers and now the complainant who lives 900 miles away claims that he may be offended by the cross should he travel in that part of the country and happen upon the cross located on Federal property. The old false representation of the “separation of church and state” lives on.

            Make no doubt about it, the cross is meant to offend your self nature. Obviously, it’s not the cross but what it represents that offends some people. The founding documents of our nation were not only written for freedom of religous expression but to promote the ideals of Christianity. We were in fact a Christian nation yet now Christianity is under attack in America by those who think they have it all figured out.  They have decided that Christianity is politically incorrect. What are they so afraid of? Why does the sight of the cross make them so uncomfortable? Perhaps the mere idea of the cross and what it stands for strikes at the very root of their human nature making them uncomfortable with the idea that there is something or someone bigger than their own understanding. Something that says your self nature must die.

          As Christians, we should have a holy fear of God, not because He’s a tyrant but rather because we should fear any breach in our relationship with Him. To be in the presence of God is far more precious than anything we could experience through self-realization. Only through the Holy Spirit can we experience this relationship and life changing transformation that is available to everyone because of the “Cross of Christ” and what it represents, that is, God’s free gift to mankind. The cross serves to remind us that we are born in a fallen state and our own nature is tainted by sin. The cross is meant to offend! It offends our sense of self-sufficiency whether you are a believer or not. Everyone has the freedom to decide whether to yield to the power of the cross or to decide to fight against it. Read closely, THE CROSS WINS! ——- ”AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” Rom.14:11

         One of my favorite contemporary worship songs based upon Psalm 42 goes as follows:

 ”As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth for thee, You alone are my hearts desire, and I long to worship thee”

         The song goes on offering more, but for a great vision and expectation for Christian living we need only to absorb the first stanza. Everyone of us need to ask this fundamental question of ourselves, “Do we long for God?” Do we long for Him in a way that is as natural as the deer desiring a cool drink of water from the flowing stream? I would venture a guess that some would say “not really” while others would say “not often enough”.

         If either answer sums up your status quo fear not, God is near and He can be found. Matthew 6 instructs us to seek first the Kingdom and God will take care of the rest (paraphrase). Our first giant step toward spiritual life is to place God first above all things. I say giant step because this requires a surrender of our own will and make no mistake this is the hardest thing we will ever try to do. We are not asked to change our will or to overcome it, merely to let it go in deference to God’s will. This echoes God’s instruction throughout scripture that we are to love Him with all our strength, soul and mind. This is an act of might but our might is directed toward the setting aside of our self.

         When we truly surrender our will to God we will begin to sense His presence. His presence is unlike anything else we can ever experience. Our desire for His presence comes naturally to us through the Holy Spirit and causes us to long for Him. He alone becomes our hearts desire. If you have had this experience you know what I am saying. You also know that soon after there may be something quite different. You realize that you have had this experience but now you no longer sense the presence of God. Why? Why can’t we seem to maintain that sense of peace? Paul describes in Romans 7 the battle that goes on between the flesh and the spirit. Having the peace of God in our lives requires constant effort. We must not only surrender once but again and again. Surrender of our will must become a daily exercise for the true believer to experience the spiritual life. It is only by means of this process that we will ever discover the plans God has for us. Without surrender of our self will one is doomed to live this life and miss the exciting things God wants for us. He will not force His will upon us. As it so plainly states in Matthew 6, we are to seek Him, not the other way around.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a hard time understanding the liberal mindset. I do recognize how a person who doesn’t know God or believe in God comes to the opinionated, self-interested mindset of the liberal but what staggers the imagination is how anyone can ignore the results of such thinking. Are we better off as a society than we were before the free-thinking revolution of the sixties? Back then kids didn’t carry guns to school and shoot other kids. As far as I know, back then it was a crime to not pay your taxes, if convicted you would probably go to jail. (Today I’m beginning to wonder how many of our elected leaders actually pay their taxes? When caught, none of them seem to do any time.) Back then TV shows were predominately about families, Mom, Dad and the kids. Rights belonged to the honest bill paying citizens not the criminals. Everyone knew what was meant by the term “bad girl” and abortions were considered back alley wicthcraft.

          I understand that everyone has a belief system. Even athiests make a religion out of believing in nothing. It’s important to understand that everyone thinks their belief system is the right one. Muslims believe they have a holy cause, Mormons believe in wearing the holy underwear, Shintos believe their possessions have spirits and liberals believe in their agenda as well. The problem is simply this; any thought or belief based upon anything other than the Word of God is just an opinion.Only the God of the Bible, the Judeo-Christian Father can be proven reliable, true and absolute. Try and find any other belief system that can offer evidence to sustain it’s existence. Without evidence to back them up coupled with the fact that no other religous belief offers the peace of dwelling forever with a God that loves you, makes you wonder what anyone sees or desires in any of these systems.

          The sad fact is that many liberals also claim to be Christian. It makes me think they fail to truly understand Christianity. If you oppose the public display of the commandments does that mean you think they shouldn’t be followed? I guess a good day in the life of a liberal thinker would be one in which their children would dishonor them, one of the kids might commit murder, their spouse would be found cheating on them, their neighbor would steal their car while lying to cover it up and someone at work would lust after their job. What an opportunity to defend the rights of so many in just one day! My point is simply put. If even a liberal person would not wish to experience such a day why do they so many of them find the Ten Commandments so offensive? Why be so afraid to post them on the walls of the schools? Maybe our children would be influenced by them and refrain from commiting  the violations of numbers 5 through 10 as described above or eventually being the victims of someone else’s transgression.

          I didn’t forget about commandments 1 through 4. They all deal with honoring God. Perhaps if we could get some of our liberal friends to value others as themselves maybe they would eventually value God.  Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments into just two. Love God and love each other as yourself. It’s really not that difficult unless your God is other than the God of the Bible!

          In a few days my youngest child and only daughter is getting married so I have decided to dedicate this week’s blog to some reflective thought regarding this major milestone in my life. She is one of three children by which we were blessed with about a ten year span between the first two and her arrival. I started thinking about this upcoming event the day she was born and in my mind’s eye I pictured myself much older than I now find myself. It’s amazing how fast she has grown but yet I have aged at a much slower pace.  (OK, I still welcome your comments but tread lightly.) During those many years, I gave little thought to who the groom might be. I was pretty sure that no acceptable candidate would be found. Once again time has crushed my delusions as she managed to find someone who I actually like and respect.

          As I pondered how life keeps changing, considering how God fits in all of this I came to recognize something that I believe I knew all along. The true blessings in life can only be enjoyed by allowing them to be free. If we hold too tightly the things in life that mean the most to us they will smother and wilt. True joy is found in the simplicity of freedom. Freedom to be who God designed each of us to be, freedom to let loose the stranglehold with which we manage to grip life and allow God to flow freely through us at His will. With this thought in mind I dedicate this poetic attempt to my lovely daughter, Becky!

          To all Dads who may be reading this blog I challenge you to think in “3D”. Too often we are guilty of flat line thinking. 3D thinking includes not only ourselves and others but also takes into consideration God’s part and His plan. For those of you who have daughters yet to be married I offer this simple advice. Enjoy the fleeting moments of parenthood as best you can. When the time comes and the wedding plans begin find a good book, get out of the way and let nature (and other forces beyond your control) take its course. You’ll always be Dad, you have accomplished much. Let your blessing go forth and watch in amazement as God reveals His wonderful plan.

        Norman Vincent Peale said “Change your thoughts and you change the world.” The truth is that most people change very little therefore according to the philosophy of Peale neither does their world. I believe true change only comes when are hearts and minds are given to God and only He can change our thoughts and desires when we surrender our self-will to Him.

       There is actually a physiological component of our brain that has a direct impact on what we perceive as truth. It is called the reticular activating system (RAS), located at the core of the brain stem. This grouping of nerves actually functions as a selective mechanism allowing only those items through to our consciousness that we deem valuable. For example, if you are focusing on an intense conversation in a crowded place this mechanism will screen out other conversations and noises. People who live near the airport will not be as aware of the overhead airplane noise as someone who is visiting. If you purchase a Toyota, you will notice the other cars like yours while driving down the road but will be oblivious to the other makes and models. As we place value on thoughts and ideas our mind will call our attention to those things while screening out tons of other items that might otherwise get our attention. What a living torture it would be if everything that came our way penetrated our conscious thoughts. We truly are fearfully and wonderfully made.

          Peale was certainly on to something when he realized the power of changing one’s thoughts. The brain is really the world’s first personal computer and the old computer programming adage “garbage in, garbage out” still rings true. Early in my career I studied a great deal of the positive thinking material. They all stressed the power behind a positive mental attitude. As a Christian I have discovered that the real secret to life lies in having a positive spiritual attitude. Spiritual things are supernatural. Mental assent in and of itself relies only on the natural realm and will never lead anyone to true satisfaction. However, if we place value on the things of God, such as His word, and we turn our hearts and minds toward Him He will bless us with His presence and provide for us all that we need to be contented followers. As we feed our value system with what God values we will be aware of the truth that surrounds us everywhere we go. His word will prove itself to be true.

          Truly what the world needs is change. It’s not a change based upon political views or opinions of mankind but the transforming knowledge  that can only come by knowing the Creator of the universe. It’s a supernatural change that results in loving God with all our heart, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves. What a wonderful change it is! Change your thoughts toward God and change the world.

          I believe it was Oswald Chambers who said, the greatest crisis we will ever face is to overcome our self will (paraphrase). After giving much thought to what constitutes self will I’ve come to respect what an enormous problem it is for all of us. In this problem we can discover the immense importance of spiritual growth. Romans 6:6 states “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;”

          Questions:If our old self was crucified, then why do we still struggle? If the body of sin might be done away with, then why do we still feel oppressed by sin? Why does fear occasionally grip us? Where is the peace that passes all understanding?

          I would like to take a stab at helping us all to better understand these things but first we need to realize that much effort is required of us.  It’s not an effort to overcome these obstacles to faith by some strength of our own but an effort to pursue God, regularly and constantly. An essential clue is given to us in the first two words of the scripture verse, “knowing this”.  Spiritual health tip number one; do we know that our old self was crucified? How can we know? Well first we know because God’s word says so and we need to believe it. Secondly, we need to remember those points of God’s grace in our lives when He has evidenced the fact of overcoming sin to us. When we aren’t spiritually present before Him these things become distant and we cannot see clearly. (More proof of our need to remain or return quickly to His presence). 

          As I stated before this  is an on-going task of pursuing God to remain in His presence. Matt.6:33 tells us to “…seek first His kingdom”. This advice comes in the midst of reminding us not to have anxiety over issues of life. Romans 6:13 encourages us “…present yourselves as those alive from the dead”. All of these verses connected together add up to training or discipline for each of us. We must have God’s formula for facing life so ingrained in our minds that we instantly recognize sin for what it is and the fact that it has no power over us other than what  we give it. Sometimes it is sin while other times it is temptation or attack that when handled incorrectly will lead to sin.

          If we “…consider ourselves dead to sin…” (Romans 6:11), because we know we were crucified (vs.6) and we present ourselves to Him (vs.13), then we have the escape route or detour from sin that God has given us and no longer do we need to be anxious over anything (Matt.6:34). We must implore self examination as every circumstance arises. Maybe it is the little irritants that make you think it’s just because you’re having a bad hair day when in actuality you just might be under the attack of the flesh or the enemy. It’s our self will that keeps us plowing straight ahead when we should be taking note of the spiritual detour sign just ahead. If the storm is approaching and our windshield is fogged up we can barely see how to navigate.

Scripture passages taken from the NASB version.        Oswald Chambers source: “My Utmost for His Highest”