Year: 2020

Observing

Remember those silent observers who sat in the back of classrooms observing teachers? And remember how students would listen quietly to what is being taught, either waiting until the time for questions or raising their hands (not to interrupt, but to signal something they didn’t understand and needed clarification on)?

How much more effectively can evaluation and learning both take place in such an environment — as compared to an environment that is a flood of overreaction and debate. Even when we have questions or concerns, shouldn’t we listen ALL THE WAY THROUGH to see if our questions will be answered eventually? And isn’t our life daily an opportunity to learn and grow?

It seems easier in today’s age of trolling, disrespect, and sarcasm from so many internet “keyboards warriors” to see people tuned into a model of amplifying conflict through provocation and overreaction. Just look at conversations about masks on Facebook, for example, and you might be hard pressed to find people in that conversation who are genuinely seeking to listen, understand, consider alternative perspectives, respect one another, and provide gentle responses that promote understanding.

How often do we find ourselves handing over our peace to people and situations — that are, quite frankly, unworthy of stealing our peace?

And there is an approach even better than just maintaining our own inner peace in the midst of strife and division around us.

Have you ever been on a lake when there are a lot of boats actively moving around? Have you noticed how the wake of many boats moving in a small cove will cause a lot of waves that affect each other?

What if we weren’t just a lone ship who has all portholes secured from the waves and is sitting still, safe from sinking, but the waves are still rocking us wildly about — but if we could actually be part of the calm?

I’ve noticed something about lake life over my decades skiing, jetskiing, tubing, and boating. When people from the boats are smiling and waving at each other, they are usually not being disrespectful and disrupting others with their wake, nor are they as quick to grit their teeth and plan vengeance because another boat’s path impacted their intended direction.

Community vs “my way” is how I see it playing out on the lake. When a lake community is a “we” thing, it is usually a great day. But get a few folks out on the lake only thinking about themselves, being disrespectful to other boaters, and overreacting to others — and the lake can become very dangerous, very quickly. And the solution is never to “one up” the bad behavior into submission — the risk on the lake is way too high for that. But finding a peaceful way to welcome folks into the community and demonstrate courteous boasting practices and consideration for others on the lake can make a real difference.

This is true for so many areas of our lives. And it starts with being quick to listen, being slow to speak, and being slow to anger.

This may seem like a burdensome task list to follow if we realize how often our own selfish nature has had us facing down other people because we didn’t appreciate their behaviour, or circumstances because we didn’t like how they turned out. We might say things like, “Well, I’m just not a patient person” or “Why should I back down” etc. if we want to make it all about ourselves.

But a Christian who opposes such instruction,  or who isn’t applying such things in their life daily, might want to ask themselves what is at the root of their getting caught up in things and overreacting emotionally. Could it be a lack of trust and surrender to God? Could it be that we forget that He is in control and has offered us opportunities to be the welcoming, listening, loving, supportive, gentle, kind servant to a world in need of a better way?

I find myself failing in this area quite regularly. I faced temptation even while doing this lesson and the things going on in my house around me were constantly interrupting me. But instead of letting my frustration well up and feed my normal, short response of “Daddy is doing his lesson” which means “everyone leave ne alone for a bit” — I took the time to listen to what my daughter had to share with me. It was a sweet gift idea for her mother’s upcoming birthday. No, it wasn’t an emergency, and yes, it could have waited. But what mattered to my daughter was that she was welcome, that she was heard, that she was seen, that she is loved, and that her daddy is here for her. I wonder how many times I have used various excuses to justify my not being quick to listen that were all about “me” and “my way”?

Lord, forgive me again today for my many shortcomings that lead me back to remembering the cross and your willing sacrifice for our benefit. Help my learning ands sharing to not just be mental and intellectual conjecture, but for my heart to be changed by your Word, and for my life to be more conformed to your perfect example. Thank you. Amen.

Self-Serving Hireling or Invested Servant

Another great series of questions from Brian Eshleman today from his blog https://brianesh73.blogspot.com/2020/07/jeremiah-2535-37-hirelings-habits.html

Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? John 8:46, New King James Version

Question: Where have Jesus’ doings in your life memorably lined up with His teachings to convince you to follow in a challenging area? Or, where have you found yourself waiting for or nursing some seeming disconnect between what He teaches and what He does in your life as an excuse not to follow?

My Answer: A challenging area for me is when I’m within an environment which smells like what is described in this article https://www.biblicalleadership.com/blogs/how-do-you-spell-effective-leadership/ as “The stifling, ceiling-hitting environments where a tyrant calls the shots and everyone else has to live with it, powerless to do or say anything that will make a difference.” And pairing that challenge with the call to serve and not be served has me stretching and trying to grow in my letting go of things outside my control and focusing solely on what I can do — to not just endure a storm, but appreciate the process of humbling myself and trusting God.

And the “waiting for” has been for me — the result of prayers wanting strong, experienced leadership with integrity whom I can learn from and grow — not usually realizing that their “not being what I pictured in my mind” may be more of a problem with my unreasonable expectations rather than all a problem with “them” — and that I am learning and growing in the process. So prayers turn into begging for the way to be more conformed to my image instead of the reverse, and my excuse for not following becomes my “wanting” instead of my “trusting”.

He has left His lair like the lion;
For their land is desolate
Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor,
And because of His fierce anger.” Jeremiah 25:38, New King James Version

Question: What false belief or impact of false belief have you found God faithful to hunt down, even oppress, until it is exposed as unworthy compared to Him?

My Answer: I was intrigued by a question today which mentioned the devil from a young man who has at times in the past seemingly sought to provoke me into argument over religious topics. And as I tried to determine our individual understandings of this being called the devil — I found myself considering and questioning and wondering my own exact position on the topic. And I found my own unsteady footing on the topic to leave me better open to listening and learning and considering — rather than just debating to defend a position/argument.

And this position, upon a teetering position not yet firmly nailed down in my mind — yet facing someone who has regularly proven themselves as adversarial — left me wondering how I might be presenting myself in the challenge I mentioned in my answer to question 1 above. Have I genuinely been a servant willing to humble myself even to the point of suffering? Or have I been proud because I’ve been insisting that I’m right and “they” are wrong. It makes for a convicting consideration for sure.

Brian’s blog https://brianesh73.blogspot.com/2020/07/jeremiah-2535-37-hirelings-habits.html also continued to hit me square in the mouth with realization and conviction like the following (the highlight is for my own emphasis):

Lord, in my weaknesses, your grace is proven sufficient yet again, and your power is made perfect. Forgive me, heal me, lead me, and don’t discipline me in anger for my foolishness. Mold me to be more like you, and restore my peace and serenity in situations and circumstances beyond my control. You have been trustworthy and faithful all of my days. Amen.

Grieving for Glory

A high school friend and fellow Christian blogger, Brian Eshleman (http://brianesh73.blogspot.com/), proposed two verses and questions in a text message tonight:

You are of your father the devil,
and the desires of your father you
want to do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he
speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own resources, for he is a liar and
the father of it. John 8:44 , New King James Version

(1 ) When have you believed and
told a lie because you spoke from
your own resources, because you
didn’t pause to seek God’s
perspectives?

“Wail, shepherds, and cry!
Roll about in the ashes,
You leaders of the flock!
For the days of your slaughter and
your dispersions are fulfilledi
You shall fall like a precious
vessel.

(2) When has God’s declaration of
your likeness to a precious vessel
been convicting rather than
encouraging?

My answers:

1) The greatest lie may be when I seek validation for what I’ve done by my own resources — when I’m expecting honor from men and glory from my giftedness, or acknowledgement for personally overcoming my shortcomings. Instead of building an altar from rocks untouched by a man’s tooling for God to be glorified alone, I sometimes find myself eager to polish and stack beautiful stones so that men might admire my work — rather than God get all the glory. It is a horrible lie when I half-heartedly play at glorifying God while expecting to be seen, heard, recognized, and honored. Lord, help me, because I don’t even realize it too often how imperfect my “worship” can be. And when I hide behind my fig leaf, saying, “But it wasn’t intentional, it wasn’t premeditated, it wasn’t intending evil” — it proves ever more clearly that the only good in me comes from God — and that it had been my disconnect, my not abiding in Him, my not communing with Him, my not dying to myself daily that had opened me up to such a sad state of the union.

2) It convicts me about the times where my focus is “to be cherished in this world” rather than “to be of great use eternally for the glory of God”. And who would reach forward extending a finger to touch the hand of God like in the Creation of Adam, thinking of oneself to be “greatly used for the glory of God” but either the most insane of proud, shortsighted men — or the most humbly sane that view eternity clearly? But has my faith recently had me at the ragged edge of radical faith eagerly awaiting His return? Or fat and comfortable and sleeping, unaware of any thieves that might come in the night?

He Pressed me further with question 3:

3) Can you think of a particular instance when you have been convicted of either of the fallacies above, or, even better, when you realize that by the grace of God you are making progress?

My response:

3) I recorded an especially heartfelt and personally moving worship that I shared on Smule App for others to join for their part of worship. It got such an large turnout of different people joining me etc., that I later thought to myself — I ought to sing/record that particular song more often. Making the horribly self centered assumption that people enjoyed my singing of the song and wanted to join me — rather than the genuine worship being what drew others to join in worshipping God, and I tried to sing it again later and share again for others to join — not realizing the double insult, of my second “Amos 6 level counterfeit worship”, and my almost tainting the original genuine worship by how I perceived it might be leveraged for my own glory.

Even so, years ago, I wouldn’t have been giving God any glory at all.

“Bingo”, he replied, and I continued:

If it was all up to me to get better at all of this under my own power, I would be utterly doomed. Now, I not only see the foolishness in my old ways, but even the foolishness in so much of my current ways — even though I can see measurable improvement in some areas. But making it from step 1 to step 4 on a scale of infinity isn’t the time to gloat.

My brother, Brian, replied in text — both of us on other sides of technology during this pandemic, confessing our sins together, and encouraging one another, and genuinely glorifying God in the process:

“Can totally relate. When the blogs don’t generate the looks, likes, or questions I would like, my reaction is not grief that his glory isn’t extended and that people aren’t fed. Too often, it’s for my vastly underappreciated talent. :-)”

That quote “my reaction is not grief that his glory isn’t extended and that people aren’t fed. Too often, it’s for my vastly underappreciated talent. 🙂” will preach.

Lord, I’m so grateful that this molding and making all things new is in your hands, and not just mine. I’m so grateful that You who are in me is so much greater and wiser and more purposeful and perfect in your plan and timing. However you might use me, and even in my foolish wanderings, and even in my numerous weaknesses, and even in my own selfish yearnings that you are sifting and filtering and refining, may you be glorified. Please don’t let us speak, act, or work from our own resources, but from the Holy Spirit as our source, guide, comforter, protector, and teacher. We rejoice that the Lamb of God is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals, hallelujah! Amen.

Please check out Brian Eshleman’s blog: http://brianesh73.blogspot.com/?m=1 And if you would be interested in receiving similar questions via text message regularly, let us know. Brian is one of my wisest advisors and mentors, and is far beyond me in his knowledge, wisdom, and deep insight into the Word of God. Where I am a novice blogger “keeping a journal” along my Christian journey, he is a writer and a poet preacher whose thoughts and musings are meat that will truly have you chewing and considering the awe and wonder of God.

Summer Reading Plans

Amazon just delivered some new reading materials for my upcoming vacay! When I think about the insane number of books that I’ve read up to this point, I think about four things:

1) The authors sharing valuable wisdom with me
2) The mentors who have made good recommendations to help me learn and grow
3) The books that I have been able to pass on through mentoring and my recommendations to others
4) The stark difference between aged books on a specific technical topic that all make their way to Goodwill eventually, vs so many strategic/theoretical books that remain collected treasures on my bookshelf

It seems that in IT, there is always a mix of learning technical information that with be good for 5-10 years max — vs learning skills, tactics, theories, and approaches that will continue building upon a solid foundation for decades. And you can’t beat OJT and real world experience for teaching us about both humbling victories and encouraging defeats.

And reading the Bible for wisdom is something that I was able to do when I was a child, and that I still enjoy in my forties. In fact, I have a dedicated bookcase these days just for Bibles send Bible study related books.

I’m not sharing this to brag or for “virtue signaling”. I’m sharing this because reading and authoring and mentoring is much more “profitable” to us as a society than arguing on Facebook, watching trending videos on the Internet, vegging out in front of the TV, or even being politically active. And “learning and sharing” (mentoring) is different than “preaching”.

I think that I became frustrated with my own circumstances recently because I was “preaching” — making myself heard and trying to prove myself right — instead of learning and sharing. It’s hard to get anyone but a captive audience to listen to such things, and it is easy to let one’s heart harden when one is blindly and loudly “preaching” — throwing seed around wildly with no thought as to what seed would be best, and with no attempts at plowing, mowing, weeding or maintaining.

I seem to go through seasons of my life where the circumstances and demands of the day, along with my responsibilities to family, friends, employer, etc. have me falling short time after time. I commit to a great idea of how I will do such and such each day, how I will stick to a certain schedule, how I will be consistent and unwavering. And I laugh at myself each time when I eventually fall short again of my “well intentioned plans”.

I’m going to tell you — read, grow, learn, preach, mentor, and live a purposeful life of worshipping God and spreading this Good News to the whole world. And when you look up and realize that things have drifted, that things have changed, that you need to refocus again — do it!

We all fall short. Don’t let the lies of the enemy tell you that because you fell short of your “perfect plan” that you ought to just give up and stop. No, God has a better plan than your best plan — and He has brought you to where you are for a time such as this. Don’t let the number of books on the shelf tell you anything about yourself — or the work you’ve done in the past be a measure of your success or failure. If God is for you, and He is in you, and He is with you, what can stand against you?

And if He isn’t, or if you aren’t sure that He is — then how about you talk with Him about that right now?

Just Thinking Aloud on 7/15/2020

I have disappointed you at some point.

But why in the world would expect anything other than that from me?

I’m very flawed.
I’m broken.
I’m imperfect.

Don’t you already know this about me?

Isn’t that freeing — to accept that we are all this easy?

Doesn’t that make it easier for us to forgive that idiotic thing someone else posted or commented online — if we realize we too are good at being an idiot quite often.

Doesn’t that make out easier for us to forgive those grudges that we’ve been holding?

Doesn’t that make it easier for us to find contentment in our present life circumstances — instead of either loathing ourselves for missing our paper dreams — or inflating our egos about “success” that was a good part luck?

Disappointment transforms to contentment when we set our bar of expectations rightly and reasonably and fairly.

If I find myself disappointed in others around me regularly — is it more likely that THEY are the problem — or that my expectations are the problem?

Even if I tell myself that it “is a little of both” — isn’t it the shortcomings of everyone that is to be expected? Or do I really think that their shortcomings need to be CORRECTED to what I EXPECTED — when I can’t even live up to the hypocrisy myself.

What good would it do me to lower my expectations and be surprised and overjoyed when people regularly surpassed my lowered expectations?

Or do I foolishly think that my false expectations have any impact on what they ate actually going to do or “live up to”?

Lower your expectations. Be happy. Be content. Be grateful for now. Don’t fret about tomorrow. Give your best every day, and enjoy the success of a peaceful mind.

Doing Battle

I’m learning from Deuteronomy chapter 20 this morning about “doing battle”.

Do Not Fear What Lies Ahead

“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. When you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people, and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: you are advancing today to battle against your enemies. Do not lack courage. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble [in terror] before them, for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
Deuteronomy 20:1‭-‬4 AMP

Address Selfish Distractions

The officers shall also speak to the soldiers, saying, ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not yet dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. What man has planted a vineyard and has not put it to use [harvesting its fruit]? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. And who is the man who is engaged (legally promised) to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’
Deuteronomy 20:5‭-‬7 AMP

Battle Alongside Others Committed to Victory

Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers’ courage to fail like his own.’
Deuteronomy 20:8 AMP

Commanders are Warriors Beside Us Not Aristocracy Far From the Action

And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them.
Deuteronomy 20:9 AMP

Allow Enemies A Peaceful Surrender

“When you advance to a city to fight against it, you shall [first] offer it terms of peace. If that city accepts your terms of peace and opens its gates to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall lay siege to it.
Deuteronomy 20:10‭-‬12 AMP

Strike Down Everything that Stands Against Victory, or That Will Rise Back Up Against You, But Limit Collateral Damage

When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike down all the men in it with the edge of the sword. Only the women and the children and the animals and everything that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you. That is what you shall do to all the cities that are very far away from you, which are not among the cities of these nations nearby [which you are to dispossess]. Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they will not teach you to act in accordance with all the detestable practices which they have done [in worship and service] for their gods, and in this way cause you to sin against the Lord your God. “When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its [fruit-bearing] trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged (destroyed) by you? Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees shall you destroy and cut down, so that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.
Deuteronomy 20:13‭-‬20 AMP

So we end up with a repeatable pattern that is to be used consistently for battle:

• Do Not Fear What Lies Ahead
• Address Selfish Distractions
• Battle Alongside Others Committed to Victory
• Commanders are Warriors Beside Us Not Aristocracy Far From the Action
• Allow Enemies A Peaceful Surrender
• Strike Down Everything that Stands Against Victory, or That Will Rise Back Up Against You, But Limit Collateral Damage

All of this is to be discussed, considered, and set firmly in our minds BEFORE BATTLE.

This is so that DURING BATTLE we are to FOCUS ON PRESSING FORWARD AND NOT LOOKING BACK.

One Hero

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 3:23 NLT

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Romans 5:10 NLT

There is only one hero in the Bible.

I may say “Bible Heroes” and many names might come to your mind, but there is only one hero in this story. Every other name in the whole book, and in all of creation, and in all of time — has not only fallen short of being a hero — but they have all played their part as an enemy of the one true hero.

So why are we tempted to lift them up as heroes? Why are we tempted to see them as either who we strive to be like or those on a hero level we could never reach? Aren’t those perspectives horribly flawed? Who wants to be wise like Solomon with his wives and chasing after other gods? Who wants to be outwardly bold like Peter yet denying the Lord three times and demonstrating his racism and hypocrisy to be called out by Paul publicly? We could go through the whole list and see that there is truly only one hero.

Add to that the fact that anything good in the saints is the gift of God, of what He put in them by His Spirit to accomplish ther God works He set before them — and the “honour amongst men” evaporates quite quickly.

So why do we judge each other?

Why do we lift up human teachers and human leaders for ourselves instead of being led by the spirit and taught by The Teacher?

LORD, you are worthy of ALL the glory, ALL the honor. You are the hero of the gospel. Not us. Not others in Bible stories that have become familiar and rote and easily repeated like a practiced nursery rhyme. LORD, help us to always see you at work mightily in the midst of so many of your enemies — of which we ourselves have even stood foolishly in opposition to your sovereign will. LORD, forgive us for measuring and comparing ourselves instead of humbly submitting in awe and wonder at the hero who inspires and changes and uses his enemies and calls the beloved and friend. Thank you for your grace and mercy and love. Amen.

Can Anybody Hear Me

Original lyrics: Harold “Hop” Ballinger aka SparklecityHop

It feels like life’s waves

Are gonna wash me away

Don’t know which way to go

Don’t even know if I can stay

[Can you even hear me?]

They pull me back and forth

Like I have no control

This struggle inside of me

Is it fire or is it cold

[Can anybody hear me?]

Don’t even do the things I want

Couldn’t even tell you any dreams

I’m only hanging by a thread

Or that’s sure the way it seems

[I’m drowning in the silence!]

Is there anybody out there

Does anybody really care

Oh, they tell me you’re a Savior

But are you really even there

[Are you really even out there?]

If I call out your name

If I turn and go your way

Are you faithful to your promise?

Do you do, and not just say?

[Tell me, Jesus]

Will you bring me hope and joy?

Will you walk here by my side?

Will you take this old dead man?

And bring him back to life?

[Please help me, Jesus]

Voisey Beat : Ocean – Loop 1 by stargate music

What is a Wannabe?

“Wannabe” is a secular/slang term, but we can still discuss the term within the scope of Christianity. If “wannabe” is about “not meeting the qualifications” even though “someone wishes to be a part of” — several verses come to mind immediately on the subject.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’
Matthew 7:21‭-‬23 AMP

These spoken about want to… they even sought to enter… but they weren’t prepared… they weren’t qualified.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish [thoughtless, silly, and careless], and five were wise [far-sighted, practical, and sensible]. For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him .’ Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order [trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them]. But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’ But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked . Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’ But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].’ Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].
Matthew 25:1‭-‬13 AMP

So we can see there are wannabes when it comes to the Good News as well. In fact, our enemy is a wannabe. We know that he wants to destroy us:

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8 AMP

This enemy has schemes and strategies and uses deceit:

Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 AMP

But our God has won the victory:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37‭-‬39 AMP

So how do we know whether we are a wannabe or are the genuine article?

Jesus had this to say:

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 AMP

When Nicodemus asked further on this topic in John chapter 3, he is given this Word:

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”
John 3:3‭, ‬16‭-‬21 AMP

We see the contrast. Wrongdoers hate the light, and they love the darkness. They do not believe or trust God. They may know about Him, but they do not know Him. They never turn away from their sin to repent and to follow The Way of Christ.

On the day when David went out to the battlefield to bring food for his brothers, he didn’t show up wanting to be a fierce warrior and victor in front of everyone. In fact, it seems that he was amazed that none of the men dressed like fierce warriors (who should be trusting in the LORD to supply victory) were actually living up to what they looked like outwardly. He did not say to himself, I want to be a great fierce warrior, so I will prove myself here. NO! He said:

David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:37 AMP

David’s own brothers accused him of being overconfident in asking about such things, but to David, he had asked a simple question. We see clearly that the wannabes will accuse a man of being prideful if they are cowering in fear when the man of God is equipped and fully trusting in the LORD. The man of God isn’t hoping that one day he will be strong enough to stand against the enemy — He is accepting that God fights for Him and has prepared him already for today’s amazing opportunities that look like impossible obstacles to mere men. The man of God does not faithlessly “try”, He does. The man of God does not shrink back from the light fearing that his sin or faithlessness will be revealed — He practiced truth plainly and openly even while humbly knowing that the victory is being delivered by the hand of the LORD. There is room left for doubt and second guessing if a man is trusting in himself, but what is impossible for the LORD God Almighty?

One might ask, but how do I get there?

I can tell you that it isn’t something you are going to build up on your own by “wanting harder” or “striving harder” or “acting more religious” or “gaining Bible knowledge”. Jesus was talking with Nicodemus in John chapter 3, and:

Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]?
John 3:10 AMP

And we can see from the parable of the ten virgins that trying to get your oil through someone else just isn’t going to do the trick. You need to walk and talk with The Teacher, you need to be prepared, you need to already be walking in the light now, not “wannabe walking in the light someday”.

There is not time nor room for wannabes.

Have you decided?

The Joyful Fool?

I’ve recently started responding to insults with what I call “foolish joy”. For example, when someone recently insulted me saying that a song that I wrote and performed “sounded like something a five year old would put together” — I said “I know, isn’t it great to just truly let go and enjoy the experience joyfully like a child who is just happy to be creative and have fun!”

I’m sure they either A) thought that I was such an idiot that I didnt understand, or B) realized that their being a troll couldn’t touch my joy — either way, their goal of feeding me their poison was hopefully clearly evident as unsuccessful.

And I don’t value their opinion, so who cares whether they think of me as a no-talent idiot or as a joyful fool. The point is that if more trolls encountered more “joyful fools” who do not just “react” to what the trolls are doing/saying, and if we “joyful fools” stayed our joyful course (maybe even feeling sorry for the bitter fool wasting their time being offended by others and spewing their poison), but refused to drink it ourselves — maybe they might seek a different way.

Yeah, I’ve found myself on both sides — being the grumble, complainer, accuser — and being the joyful fool. I think the world view is that the joyful fool is an idiot, because he gets stepped on and abused by the bitter folks. But the joyful fool might be the wisest of us all, maintaining his own joy — and willing to allow those wicked people who enjoy bitterness and grumbling and complaining and judging and oppressing to know the poor substitute for joy they have found in being evil towards others.

I’ve found this especially helpful when I interact with other believers where there is a disagreement and the discussion departs from discussing evidence and facts and truths to getting personal with accusations, etc. I’ve found that joyfully overlooking the personal attacks and praising the name of Jesus and His grace and mercy defeats the goal of the enemy to offend and spread their poison. In many cases, not responding to these personal accusations will enrage the religious because their goal is to get you to “react” in the normal way a man naturally would, instead of being wise spiritually. And by praising the name of Jesus and glorifying God at the same time, the attack is not only thwarted between you and the person of flesh and blood in front of you, the true enemy hiding in the shadows and pulling the strings will be reminded again that he is defeated and that his time here is short.

I’m not going to tell you that this approach doesn’t come with consequences. If you want other people to honor you and think that you are knowledgeable and successful and powerful and important — them the joyful fool bit isn’t for you. You would probably be better off insulting and abusing and complaining and oppressing and demonstrating your dominance, spreading your selfish ambition like a poisonous troll. That approach will help you climb the ladder on the backs of others and prove your “defeat over all your competition”.

But all of that seems such a poor, poor substitute for joy.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control], But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].
Proverbs 14:29 AMP

“Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].
Matthew 10:16 AMP

Lord, help us to be willing to humble ourselves, to be willing to face opposition and not just “react” in our nature, but to continue walking with undistracted purpose and focus through your spirit. Help us to stay the course of the narrow path, truly as travelers simply passing through this land, because we are headed home to your loving arms. Do not let us be distracted to the right or the left, but lead us steady and firm wherever we should go. Forgive us for our many wanderings, and discipline us in your grace and mercy. You are a patient, loving, God who is slow to anger and faithful to forgive. You are wise and your ways are higher than the ways of the world. Help us to be the same with one another. Amen.