Blindness of the Heart

  We often take for granted the ability to see. Every movement of our body is dependent on accurately understanding our environment... one false movement and we risk injury, harm or even death. Since discovering that I had a tumor in my right eye in the last several months, I have suffered from a diminished ability to see out of my right eye. The treatment with radiation has left me with very little central (straight ahead) vision. I find myself dropping things and struggling with knowing how close or far away objects are in my 'field of vision'. I am learning how to see in a new way. I am relying on my left eye while ignoring the imperfect vision of my damaged and unhealthy eye.
  There is another kind of vision that we use to interpret the meaning and reality of the world we live in. It's the vision of the heart. Our response to our reality is often determined more by the condition of our souls than we realize. The vision of the cynic and the saint are often at odds with one another. We all are in need of a removal of the cataracts of the heart.

  In 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4 we get a little insight into what is happening to impact our view of reality. "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." There is a spiritual struggle going on to keep us 'in the dark' concerning matters of the heart and soul. There is a potential for all of us to view things from either God's perspective or a 'worldly' perspective. We are surrounded by a world controlled by self interest and 'me first' priorities. We might have perfect vision with our human eyes and yet be deeply blind on the inside of our human soul.  To be led and guided in life by the prevailing philosophy of ' let's eat and drink and be merry'.... to sell out for sensual pleasure only, is a dangerous and deeply dissatisfying way to live.

  When we cry out to God for healing and help in our lives we might be surprised how that impacts our world.  As I have prayed for healing of the melanoma tumor in my right eye, I've experienced some changes in my life beyond my physical reality.  I've been able to see, feel and experience life in a whole new dimension. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7 reveals to us the way of the believer in Christ, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  I still literally walk by putting one step in front of another.... but I interpret what is happening to me in a deeper and more profound way.  I begin to see things through the lens of God's eternal perspective. My vision is altered by first seeing God and the perspective revealed through his word and by his Spirit.

  When we yield our hearts to God and begin to connect with Him in relationship something deeply profound takes place. Jesus said it this way, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." While at present my physical vision is diminished, I am in no way hindered in my ability to see what matters most of all.  God is at work in showing me himself.... and in seeing him,  I'm healed from the inside out.

Jim

When Love Calls Your Name

A lonely place, a hidden hope, a distant thought, a broken part
From deep within, I listen hard, for one true voice to touch my heart
I'm hoping for a brand new start, I need to know there is real hope


A whisper speaks, it calls me out.  I know your name, I know your heart
The broken place begins to stir, it hears His voice, calling out in love
Come alive, I know your name, It's love I hold within your frame
I feel the pain, I shed the tears, but still I hope, I hear my name


The truth becomes a part of me, I am loved in spite of pain
I begin to stir in places deep, I feel the power of love's pure rain
I come alive, I grow within, in spite of pain I hear my name
The beauty of His deep pure love sets me free from where I've been


I'm coming out of my dark cave, I hear the voice that knows my name
He sees inside my darkest place and still calls out, I know your pain
The choice is his to love me still and call again, I know your name
The light begins to dawn within, I'm coming out to trust again


The hope we need is not for sale. We can't buy or grasp what heaven gives
The purest love is what we need, to set us free from life's dark hate
We all can be, what we desire, when heaven calls our soul alive.
The secret place, the hidden faults, the pain and brokenness of all our hearts
Is healed, when love calls our name

Keys to Relational Intimacy

 We all want satisfying and intimate relationships. We were born to love and be loved. But the achievement of satisfying relationships often seems elusive and frustrating. What are some of the essential ingredients in building a life of relational satisfaction?  If we know how we have been made.... who we are at our core, we can lay the bricks that build a lasting bridge toward relational intimacy. The first book of the Bible reveals something about our inherent nature and personhood that we must understand. In Genesis chapter 1 and verse  26, "Let us make man in our image , after our likeness."

  We are more than our physical bodies. When our heart stops beating it doesn't mean we cease to exist. Our spirit lives on.... the eternal ME, our personhood needs to be understood before we expect to build deep and lasting relationships. Our spiritual self relates to our deepest desires, search for meaning, love, purpose and worth.
  All of us have two real and profound needs which must be met before we can experience intimacy that lasts. The image of God is reflected upon us through those two needs. God is a personal being who in his essential nature is LOVE. God is also a creator of design and purpose and the author of meaning for all of us.  We too are personal beings....but we are limited, dependent and sinful. God is love..... we need love.  Whatever God produces and empowers is significant. It's in knowing God that we find deep love and significance. Let's take a closer look at our two essential needs as human beings.
1. Security: a deep understanding of being unconditionally loved without needing to change in order to obtain that love.  To be loved by a love freely given, not earned and impossible to lose.
2. Significance: This is found when we realize we are engaged in a life that is truly important, a life whose significance will not evaporate with time... but will last throughout eternity. This life will have a meaningful impact on another person and fit who I am as a person. (Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

  The foundation stone for acheiving intimacy is Truth. In a relationship with God in Christ, we can live satisfied.... knowing that we are at every moment eternally loved and genuinely significant. As Watchman Nee says so well in his commentary on the book of  Ephesians (Sit, Walk, Stand), "Christianity begins not with a big DO , but with a big DONE." In other words, cease striving..... and begin to really live by grace and the love available to you through God's finished work on the cross of Christ.
  When key relationships falter and cause me to feel insecure or less significant, I can continue to hold firmly to the fact that in Christ I am always and forever a worthwhile person. God's first call is not to a religion or system of belief. God's first call is always to himself.... to relationship, to an intimate knowledge of his love and person. That kind of love never disappoints. He's calling you to know him....really know him.  Answer the call to relationship.

Jim

Standing with those in Need

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son! Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home."  (Gospel of John chapter 19:25-27)

  When things go bad in our lives its interesting to observe who stays nearby. People who really love us are not intimidated by our failings, downturns, disasters or tragedies. Love draws ever closer in times of heartache and pain. Here the scriptures give us a window into the fraility of our faith. Most of those who had followed Jesus during his active ministry of healing, miracles and deliverance are now nowhere to be seen. A handful of those who truly loved Jesus were still with him during the time of the crucifixion.

  When we're in pain of any kind whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual its very hard to be alone. Abandonment is one of the most painful realities of a fallen world. No one sticks around for a perceived 'loser' in life. We try to pick winners and invest our time in them. The ultimate irony is that in just a few days the most significant and altering victory in history was about to transpire. But few would bear witness.... and fewer still would remain faithful through the entire spectrum of the first Easter weekend.

  Another lesson in this brief portion of scripture is that personal tragedy should not cause us to abandon our responsibilities to care for those we love. Jesus in the midst of horrific pain and suffering, remembers his mother and makes provision for her.  John's love for Jesus is not superficial or situational. John proves his love by immediately making room for what is important to Jesus... the care of Mary in the light of his transition from this world. Jesus knew the future....and he prepared for it and for those in his care.

  A life of faith is not meant to be an escape clause from responsibility. People of faith are meant to love responsibly and with their feet and heart planted firmly in two worlds.  We are citizens here.... and there. A holy faith cares for those in front of us in practical and significant ways. Are you making room in your life for the people whom God deeply cares for?

  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27)

Jim

On The Cross next to Jesus

  How we respond to suffering in our lives tells us a lot about ourselves... and a lot about what we believe about life and God. When the reality of pain, loss, grief, trials and difficulties invade our bubble of false security our response, reveals what rules our hearts.

  In Luke chapter 23 and verse 33 we see this reality played out in two eye witnesses to Jesus being crucified on the cross. I will quote directly from the scripture and then comment, "And when they came to the place called the skull there they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  Here we have some really amazing hope for our lives.... Jesus response to our selfishness and even the gross insult of having his clothes gambled for is to FORGIVE. Faith sees past the pain and trusts God for the future. Jesus mind wasn't paralyzed by pain...it was looking for the ultimate gain that would be reaped by remaining faithful through the trial.

  The scene shifts and we see two contrasting responses from the criminals who were being sentenced to death at the same time as Jesus. Their words and attitudes reveal two directions in which our minds can go when we to face adversity. From verse 39 we see the first negative response, "And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at him saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 

  When bad things happen we are quick to judge, analyze and make conclusions based on what we believe is right or wrong. The problem is we are not God and our judgment is clouded by false perceptions, limited knowledge and selfish attitudes. We are often wrong. Humility is an attitude that tells ourselves quickly and often, " I could be wrong, so I choose to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger."

   Humilities chief reward is that instead of being stuck with our own false conclusions, we become quiet enough to hear God's response to our trials and suffering. Jesus response to the humble but guilty criminal on the cross cries out as an example of our own need for humility and prayer in times of duress and pain. The humble criminals last words reveal an astounding self awareness of his deepest need, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!"

  Jesus response reveals the depths and richness of God's grace, " Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise.

  How are you responding to suffering and difficulty in your life? Are you standing in judgment against God and railing against what is happening? Or are you pausing long enough to let God respond to your deepest needs of forgiveness, hope and restoration? Which will it be..... pride or humility?  The choice you make in your hour of suffering are decisions of destiny you dare not get wrong. Choose wisely.

Jim

Searching for Forever Love in a Temporary World

This June, my wife and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary. 27 seems like a small number when I think of how quickly those years have gone by. On the evening before our wedding, I can remember being unable to sleep as I anticipated our wedding and the reality of the commitment I was making. During our engagement Mary had repeatedly asked me the same question, "Are you sure?" Just prior to meeting me Mary had been engaged to someone else who on Valentine's day had backed out and asked for the ring back. This would leave anyone feeling insecure and in need of affirmation before moving toward marriage. I repeatedly reassured Mary that I was sure I wanted to spend my life with her. But in fact any human being knows that in and of themselves the idea of a life time commitment is both intimidating and challenging.

In the United States we have the highest divorce rate in the Western world: as many as 60 percent of men and half of women will have sex with somebody other than their spouse during their marriage. In spite of the infidelity, Americans remain committed to searching for their 'soul mate'. We spend $72 billion a year on weddings alone! There is this push and pull between "happily ever after" images of marriage and an inability to commit to anyone in the here and now. To put it simply there has never been a bigger disconnect between what what we say we want and what we actuate in our daily lives.

The percentage of married Americans has dropped each decade since the 1950's and the number of unmarried but cohabiting partners has risen a 1,000 percent over the last 40 years. At 28 for men and 26 for women, the median age at which Americans are marrying is at the highest point ever!Having children outside of a marriage commitment is common now. 41 percent of children born in 2008 in America were to unmarried moms.

While Hollywood and romance novels are replete with plots involving searching for the "one" who will bring ultimate fulfillment our society has left us wondering how to make choices at all. We have produced a generation that loves choice but hates choosing.

The expectations that we place on any future soul mate can seem to border on the Super Hero of Romance: best friend, business partner, hot lover, companion, soul mate etc....

Perhaps on our search for the 'perfect' husband and wife we might just be looking for something else. The first 'marriage' was arranged.... by God. Genesis 2: 18-24 recounts for us the reality of the need that God saw in his created Adam for an Eve. The God given need for an Adam or and Eve in our life does not actually substitute for our need for God himself!

And yet that is what we have done. We have compartmentalized our sexuality from our spirituality. We have substituted a pseudo spirituality of marriage ritual for the God ordained reality of covenant relationship. In the phrase "Happily Ever After" we reveal our naivety and selfishness. A relationship designed for intimacy and longevity can never be based around a goal of 'happiness' at its core. The goal of marriage must go far beyond temporal mood and the insecurity of worldly happiness alone.
For sure marriage will have moments or happiness and seasons of abject pleasure and fulfillment. But the stages of every life involve just as many seasons of trial, tragedy and temptation. There has to be something deeper and more sustaining than temporary 'good times' to sustain and fulfill an empty heart.

God 's call to intimacy in the covenant of marriage goes deeper than our society currently embraces. The traditional vows of marriage of 'in sickness and health... in poverty and wealth.....till death do us part.... seem quaint and dated to a culture that demands personal gratification above all. If we're not happy.... well why go on? We bail out and repeat the cycle hoping for different results.
Could it be that the "God" kind of marriage is more about holiness than happiness? Sacred marriage and true intimacy depend on a commitment that goes beyond transient feelings and emotions. Perhaps God's call to be Holy (whole in body,soul and spirit) is a serious one indeed. Marriage that is lived apart from God's call to intimacy with him and with one another is a failed enterprise indeed.

One of the enduring anthems of the Rock and Roll generation of the 1960's is an anthem made famous by the group, The Rolling Stones. The lyric refrain repeats over and over, "I can't get no satisfaction". That my friend is the song that the world must sing over and over when it denies the truths that marriage so definitively depends on.

Satisfaction in intimacy demands that our Creator be involved at every level of our relationships. We are sinners and we cannot ultimately achieve forever love without him. 27 years of marriage with Mary have left me much more than "happy". I am full of satisfaction at every level of my life... and more importantly, I am more aware of my need for God and his love than ever before.
I have searched for love and found it...in God and with Mary.

Jim

Healing for Damaged Emotions

   We don't truly value our health until we lose it. Remaining healthy is a complex equation. We are triune beings.... God has created us as body, soul and spirit. These intertwined components of our humanity are humanly impossible to separate and yet they interact deeply and effect our wholeness..... our health. We tend to pay most of our attention to our physical health (our bodies). We attempt to watch what we eat and exercise etc.... well, most of the time! 

  Our soul is complicated. We are a bundle of emotion, will, thoughts and individual personality. We are deeply impacted by our families and the words said to us in our childhood. We were born for love. We were meant to be raised in an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance. As children, our souls are vulnerable to rejection and abuse. We can't protect ourselves. When our soul is injured it affects every aspect of our life. Soul wounds don't show up on X-rays or Cat Scans. But soul wounds deeply impact our health.

  We need an encounter with truth to get well on the inside. When we believe lies about ourselves, they can torment and hurt us for a lifetime, until those deceptions are identified and removed. We desperately need healing....from the inside out. In the New Testament book of Hebrews we encounter the reality of Jesus as the healer of our soul. "For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account." (Heb. 4:12,13)

  God can see things undetectable by human eyes and sophisticated technology. He sees it all. And yet his eyes are motivated by an amazing love that seeks to heal and not condemn. He waits for us to come to him with all our brokenness to bring healing and hope when wholeness eludes us.

  The beauty of Christ is that he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus by coming as the Son of man allowed himself to be tested in every way as we are --- yet without sin. He calls us today to come to him... to the throne of GRACE, with boldness. We often need to keep coming... healing of the soul is a process. The throne of grace fortunately has an unlimited supply of mercy and grace... and it delivers healing on time. It takes time to process our soul injuries and to be healed from the inside out. While forgiveness flows immediately, our ability to process that healing takes time.

  God's not in a hurry pushing you toward healing. He is perfect love.... and love is patient. Today, start the journey. Allow his perfect vision to identify the bruised and broken places in your soul. You can't be truly whole when you ignore your emotions and disappointments and the abuse of others. We need healing for our damaged emotions.

Healing is a process of replacing lies with truth. Truth is not disembodied principles applied to problems. Truth is personal. Jesus said it this way, " I am the way, the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through me." Healing always leads back to relationship.... we are healed by the TRUTH, who is Jesus himself.

  Through the counsel and application of that truth to our lives.... over time, we are healed. God by his Spirit applies the truth balm to the hurting and damaged parts of our soul and then life and health begin to spring forth. In a community of acceptance and love we can slowly and steadily walk out of the darkness of rejection, depression, perfectionism, anger and low self esteem. Healing is a journey that requires family. No one should have to walk alone. Are you tired of being  beaten down in life by lies and distortion? Are you struggling with issues of identity and purpose? You're not alone. I challenge you to call out to God and allow the truth of his word to renew and transform your mind and heart. It's in knowing the God of love that healing begins and ends. It's all about love. (Romans 12:1,2)

  If I can help you in any way, let me know. I too have been wounded in life, but by God's grace, I am choosing to be a wounded healer. Together, let's walk out of darkness, into God's marvelous light and love.

Jim