Spiritual Disciplines

This may be my last post for a while.  I am going to begin using my web log time to write a book instead. So since it might be a while until I write again, I wanted to leave a post of more significance than petty politics or my views on some other single issue.  I chose to leave, even if only for a short season or sabbatical, with something that has transformed my life and challenge you to test its significance for your life.

I practice two daily spiritual disciplines.  These two disciplines have transformed my life.  So if your life is o.k., and you are not ready to change. Then ignore this advice. And if you all ready practice them stay with it.  But if you are weary and tired of trying your latest passing fad.  Why not give this one a try also? It may transform your life, also.

First. Daily Devotional Bible Reading

Several years ago, an elder, in my local church challenged the congregation to make bible reading a regular part of each of our lives.  Since that challenge, I have consistently and regularly read from the bible (almost daily).  That daily discipline has changed my life.  I am now a quarter of the way through my third reading of the bible (It has been 2 and a quarter years since that challenge).  The first year (2007) I read from the one year bible plan, last year (2008) I read from a plan I got from one of our pastors, this year (2009) I constructed my own reading plan.

It was not easy for me to get away from all the noise of life and to just sit and read from the bible.  So when I accepted this challenge I knew I had to exchange something.  I had to give up something I did to make room for this new discipline.  I gave up watching early morning news.  I used to start my day by turning on the television and watching the news for a few minutes to get ready for the day.  I imagine some of you probably do this out of routine.  I turned those news shows off in the morning and opened the pages of my bible and read from it.  After about three weeks, it became my new routine.

When I accepted this challenge, I had all ready been reading the bible regularly to make preparations for teaching Sunday school, but my focus was on reading the few verses related to that particular lesson and studying them carefully, and I still continue to do that.  My reading of the bible was task oriented, not relational.  But since I have added more time, devotional time, in the morning to read the bible and meditate upon the words, I have grown to see the intricate work that the Lord has done in giving us the bible and the beauty and completeness of it for everything related to the human experience.

It is not by chance.  Playing bible roulette as either a last effort or in jest will not change your life.  Cover to cover reading will.  As I read during my devotional time, my eyes are opened to insight and illumination in every area of daily living.  Trouble with work. Hard time with family relationships.  Daily reading of the bible helps.  I can not count how many times, that I come to a difficult circumstance in my life and then the Lord has illuminated the path from the lamplight of his words I read in the bible.  Example, this morning my daily devotion came from the final chapters of 1st Samuel.  All week I have been preparing a lesson on Micah chapter 3.  I was wrestling with how to describe divination to the class and from the pages of scripture comes the story of King Saul seeking out the witch in Endor to divine or call up a spiritual medium for Saul.  Illumination–my eyes were open to an example of divination, I could use.  You might be reading this and say, well that is really good for you, you are a Sunday school teacher, preparing for a class is not real world.  It is just more book learning not really helpful in the real world.  That is a nice story to tell in Sunday school to teach a point that is a what the bible is for, Sunday school.

Well try this example as it relates to personal relationships, about a month ago the relationship between my son and I was escalating into a raging wildfire.  We were having a lot of conflict, I was having a lot of trouble with my son.  My son was having a lot of trouble with me.  I did not know what what going on, then I read from Ephesians: Fathers do not provoke your children.  That message did what scripture does, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV) Solution to problem (Illumination): don’t provoke your son.  Well after a month, things are better between me and my son, I am still learning about all the ways I provoke not only him but also my other children, and am asking the Lord to help me stop (more on prayer, in a minute).  God is faithful to answer and give me the help I need. Another example came from in reading 1 Peter 3:7 “honor your wife”, a lesson I need to hear when coupled with advise from Ephesians “love your wife”, these two messages from the Lord have begun to help me maintain and strengthen my relationship with her, as she has begun ministering to others outside of our home through offering care and concern for other women who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy.

So in summary, I wanted to issue that same challenge to you; Daily Devotional (Relational–not task) Bible reading–not reading the bible to reinforce your theological positions, but reading the bible to hear the voice of the Shepherd.  To recognize His revelation, so you can guard your minds and hearts from other distractions and voices.  Be prepared for your life to change.

Second. Daily Personal Prayer

God speaks to me daily when I am reading from the Bible.  I am still learning what the voice of the Shepherd sounds like.  But communication is two way.  I speak to the Lord through prayer.  There are many different types of prayer.  But morning prayer, the giving of our first words and thoughts to the Lord set our hearts for the day.  In the past I have had a difficult time with what words to use when I pray.  But recently I have been taught a new method of prayer that works really well for me.  It is a beginning place and it is related to my deep hunger for reading the scriptures.  It is to begin my prayer time with praying scripture.  I begin in my private prayer closet from what I had just finished reading in scripture, I start with what stands out from the page like a flashing or blinking red light, a single word, a phrase, or an entire verse, and then move outward from that starting point.

This has helped me in transitioning from reading and listening to God talk to me through scripture, to me interacting with Him using the scriptures as the beginning point.  I understand and see why and how this works.  God is the author of all scripture, it is His voice or message to me.  It joins my two daily disciplines into really just one.  Communication from God to me, and then communication back from me to God.

So I want to increase the challenge I offered to any one that reads this: Not only do I challenge you to read the bible daily, but I also challenge you to prayer.  Now if you are the opposite of me and have an easier time praying and harder time reading the bible, then just reverse it.  Start with prayer and then open your bible to read from it second.  Do it both ways. and see which way works best for you.  I say do and not try.  Because I recently had my eyes open to an exercise I want you to all do.  Place a pen on table and try to pick it up. (Just try, don’t pick it up, but try to pick it up).  What happens to the pen if you only try? It is unchanged and still on the table.  One of my favorite movie quotes from all time comes from a little green Jedi master, “Do, or Do not; There is no try”

So from the words of a shoe company, “Just do it!”

So, If you see another web log entry soon, then you will know that my effort to write a real book died a tortured death, and I returned to web log writing which anyone can do, because it has no rules or standards.

On National Politics

For my few readers, I will make this brief. I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Since 2006, I have become most interested in preserving the Republic of America. I no longer see either of the major political parties interested in that. For both parties it has become more about protecting the greedy and ignoring the needy. I want to promote a culture of Liberty and Life, rather than captivity under government control and legalized killing. Most of my political views align with the Constitution Party. But I want to offer some advice to the Republican and Democratic Parties. But before I do, listen to my thoughts about my driving force in politics.

My politics are driven by a politician’s public position on Abortion.
You may have noticed that much of my concern for both major political parties is related to the continued support by some and passive acceptance by others of abundant legalized abortion in the world. I am not a gifted speaker or writer so to hear my view on this listen to the words of another, Pastor John Piper. I am not even as gracious as he was, I did not rejoice at his inauguration.

No-Mr. President speech

To the Republicans.
Do not respond point to point to the Democratic controlled congress or President. Do not let them set the agenda on what you are speaking on. Speak out on different issues like energy independence, securing our national borders, defending freedom both at home and abroad. Do not offer compromise with watered down versions of Democratic plans. Instead day after day. Point out government failure with specific examples of real people and remind the people that we as a collective group are the solution to our own problems and that government is not. Stand for Liberty and Justice for all. Stand up for the Right to Life of the unborn, Stand up for the protection of marriage, and Stand Against government control of business, Stand Against special treatment of the few. Do not give an inch to the progressive wing of the Democrats because they will take a mile. To rebuild your party move away from Democratic positions not toward them.

To the Democrats.
Stop being rebels. You are in control act like. Does attacking Rush Limbaugh really promote leadership? Is it honorable to hope for the death of a fellow America? It looks really childish and not very Presidential. Your continued rebellion will turn into cannibalism. You can not be all things to all people. and Finally, you can not borrow your way to prosperity, the piper always has to be paid. Continue in your honesty about your positions against traditional American family values and in promoting the culture of death and the abortion industry.

Saving America?

I am by no means a Historian or Theologian, but I struggle with the deepening sorrow, I have for the continuing erosion and decay of the American Nation, part of my sorrow wanders through Germany of the late 1930s and early 1940s, centered around one man and his struggle against one of the great evils of human history. No doubt I will not make any new friends writing this entry, but here it is.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Theologian during the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s. He was a voice warning of the danger of the Nazi party infiltrating the church. He was part of the confessional church movement. He spoke for the Christian’s devotion for the church, over the state. The church being defined as the invisible community of saints beginning from the birth of the church at Pentecost to the modern age, and encompassing the entire world. Not of the state run protestant religions now infiltrated by the Nazis. Churches that now tied themselves to the Nazis and the pride of German Nationalism more than to Christ. He left Germany before the war began, but sensed God’s call to return to Germany. He returned and continued to be a voice against the terror of Nazism. Ultimately he would be executed for participating in the assassination attempts against Adolf Hitler just before the war ended. So all those theoretical questions you heard as a child, of What would have happened if Adolf Hitler had been killed, became reality for Dietrich.

As a Christian, submission to Human authority is one of the struggles we all face. When do I have a moral duty to stop my obedience to the earthly powers and be obedient to God, alone. Most of us play academic games in our heads and debate these subjects with friends, but for Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the question was not theoretical, it was real. In the face of the evil of Nazi Fascists what should the Christian do? Do I continue to turn the other check unto death, or do I have a duty to defend the weak and innocent against the evil that engulfs the world. Did Dietrich go to far in participating in the planning of Adolf’s assassination?

From the Gospels and the Book of Acts, there are two ways to look at this question. First the Apostle Paul completely submitted to the government authority of the Roman Empire which ultimately lead to his execution in Rome; Yet all the while in prison He continued to spread the gospel in writing letters to the churches and converting jailers and fellow inmates to the gospel of peace. This is an act of calm submission like Jesus. As Isaiah prophesied, like a lamb going to the slaughter innocent and pure. But what of the other side. When Jesus is arrested in the Garden, the bold apostle Peter cut off the ear of one of the men coming to arrest Jesus to defend Him–the Innocent. Jesus commanded him to stop and healed his captor. Was Peter’s heart wrong in wanting to defend Jesus? Or was it only a matter of timing, Jesus had to be crucified, but do other innocents need the same fate? This is the same question that I think Dietrich struggled with. Do I allow this evil to march on, or should I act to stop it?

I don’t know the answer to the question, perhaps Dietrich should have divorced himself from the assassination plot, but continue to boldly speak against the horrors of Nazi National Pride and the terror and death it brought to others. But what of the urgency to stop the murdering of millions of Jews, Eastern Europeans, and others defined as undesirables in the new world order of the Third Reich. Who would stand up and defend them? If the house is on fire do you call the fire department and wait, listening to the screams from inside the burning building, or do you act, and rush in? Again I do not know the answer.

How does this compare to American society? Is there any connection to rescuing the innocent slave from his oppression in our past? and what of the stopping of the wholesale killing of innocent pre-born babies through abortion in the present?

Of the assassination plot against Hitler, God is sovereign perhaps its failure was the only way to heal Germany through its complete humiliation and defeat; not in partial surrender. Is that what America needs for an awakening, to be humbled by the Almighty completely, not partially?

One lesson I took from reading about Bonhoeffer and watching the documentary about him, was the real danger is not separation of church and state. The real danger is when the state becomes the religion. Human secularism is religion. It is a religion of humans as their own gods were blind devotion is pledged to human empire, not enlightened trust to the Kingdom of God. A religion without a Creator, but only an slowly evolving process of random actions. One question to consider is personal pride in America greater than love for Kingdom. No man can serve two masters. The salvation of America will not come in upholding its corrupt political institutions; It is in lifting up the gospel of peace to the people, one person at a time.

How far as the infiltration of the American church by Human Secularists gone? What dangers await us, as the nation and the church, if we do not awaken to this engulfing enemy, with its human theories about the nature of God and man–which are contrary to the Bible–and purge ourselves of its decaying philosophies? God will defend and protect his Kingdom here on earth, the gates of Hell will not prevail against it, but how high will be the cost in human suffering, If we do not commit ourselves to defending our Faith.