Preparing For Battle

 In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he states: "what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want".   This might seem to be a pretty bleak outlook.  It's almost like there's a battle going on between the Spirit and the body, and that would be true.  We constantly face temptations that demand a response.   Our fallen world prevents us from escaping temptation or consistently responding appropriately.  Our bodies can either indulge in temptation or resist it, but relying solely on our strength in the moment is a recipe for failure.   We must prepare ourselves for the battle, which involves constant attention to the spiritual disciplines including Bible reading, prayer, meditation, service, and fellowship with other believers.  Not blowing up at someone who cuts me off in traffic requires me to have thought about the fact that every human is created in the image of God so much, that it is ingrained in me.  How well I have done that in the past dictates my response.  I want to spend time thinking about that today.

My thoughts today were inspired by Chapter 8 of Dallas Willard's, "The Great Omission".

Trip Of A Lifetime

 

In October of 2021, Gabe took a spur-of-the-moment trip.  It was an 18-day experience to a place that he had dreamed about for years, but he never could have imagined how wonderful it would be.  The beauty was indescribable: the colors were more vivid, the sounds were richer, and the smells were intoxicating.  And the people there all seemed free from the world's stress.  And they were.  Gabe then came face to face with Jesus.

The moment before Gabe went on his trip was not so pleasant.  While riding his electric skateboard at 30 MPH, he hit an object on the road that launched him into the air. When he came down, his head hit first.  Gabe was unconscious, and paramedics immediately placed him on a breathing machine.  In the hospital, Gabe was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and placed in a medically induced coma.  Most people do not survive this procedure, and those who do are often severely disabled.  Many people prayed for Gabe during those 18 days, but Ginger, a close family friend, was with him when Jesus released him. I'm sure a part of Gabe wanted to stay in Jesus's presence, but Jesus had more plans for him back on Earth.   Gabe has made it his life's mission to tell people about meeting Jesus, and at least 600,000 people have heard his story so far.  Praise Jesus for giving us a peek into what He has in store for those who believe in Him.  Click here to hear from Gabe directly.

The Name Above All Names

 

Elevation Worship sits at the top of my Spotify playlists.  Elevation Worship is the worship ministry associated with Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC.  Steve Furtrick is one of the pastors there, and he, along with some of his peers, wrote the song, "Jesus Be the Name."   The lyrics focus on the authority, character and exultation of Jesus, placing His name above all the other names in our world that distract us from him.    I love this stripped down performance in the warehouse featuring Jonsal Barrientes.  Take a few minutes to meditate on the power and the love that Jesus represents.

Fan For Life

Two decades ago, there were four years when I didn't care much for Tim Tebow.  I didn't know him personally, but I knew he had a nasty habit of beating my alma mater, UGA, while leading the Gators.  Many criticized Tim because he wore his faith on his sleeve (and painted on his face).   But at the same time, there are people like me who disliked how he treated us on the football field, but came to admire his performance both on and off the field.  He has been active in the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, and one of the high school students he met there was Bo Nix.  Tim encouraged him, and no one knew that the two would some day quarterback the same NFL team.  This past week, the two exchanged jerseys on the Bronco's podcast.  It is so inspiring to see two athletes who perform at the highest level speaking openly about their respect for each other and their love for Jesus. Fan for life.

The Key

After 20 years of practicing as a cardiovascular surgeon in Washington state, Susan looked back on her career as one that was both accomplished and exhausting.  She had spent the heart of her life taking care of her patients, her husband and her two kids.  On her 50th birthday, her dad gave her an unusual gift: a key in a wooden box lined with felt.  Under the key was a note that said, "This key has been in our family for generations.  We hope you will take good care with it." Susan finished opening her other gifts and then put the box with the key on the shelf in their great room.  She then immediately started cleaning up the house from the day's festivities.  The next day, she was back at work healing her patients.  Twelve years later, Susan's father was diagnosed with colon cancer and died 3 months after diagnosis.  As  she was looking for mementos to share at her father's funeral, she came across the box with the key.  She opened the box to look at the key for the first time since receiving it.   Engraved on the key were the words, "Wonderland/Kautz".   She wished that she had taken time with her dad to understand more about the key, and none of her other family members knew where it had come from.  She went to her computer and Googled the two words.   She learned that Kautz Creek is one of the access points to Wonderland Trail near Mt. Rainier National Park. Despite living in the area for all that time, she had never been inside the park.  She now had a reason to go.  The following Sunday, she left for Wonderland Trail with her key in hand.  After walking for just under 2 hours, she saw a cabin in the distance.  No signs identified the cabin, and it was the first structure she had seen that looked like it could be connected to the key.  She approached slowly.  There were no signs of activity and the cabin appeared to have been closed up for years.  All of the windows were boarded shut.  She attempted to put the key into the deadbolt on the front door, but it didn't fit.  She noticed a small crack between the door and the door jamb.  She gave the door a solid push and it flung open.  The cabin furnishings were sparse and a layer of dust covered everything.  There was no electricity in the house.   With the front door open, there was enough light to move through the cabin without tripping.  There was a solid door at the rear of the cabin with a small hand-painted sign above it that read: "Explore quietly. Rest well."  Susan pulled on the door, but it was locked.  She took the key from her pocket, inserted it into the deadbolt and the key turned freely.  Upon opening the door, the majesty of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding national park were revealed. She experienced an overwhelming feeling of peace and joy that she had never felt before.

The post above is fiction and inspired by Chapter 5 of Dallas Willard's "The Great Omission".

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven".  Matthew 16:19.

Always Loving

I posted about my only personal experience with Dolly in my real estate blog this week.  She called me out at her concert that I attended 40 years ago at a company event.   I like her music ok, but I love her personality and what she stands for.   She has the rare ability as a celebrity to not take herself too seriously.  But at the same time, I get the feeling that she is very smart.  Furthermore, those who know her best say that she is one of the most caring, genuine and generous people on the planet.  Fifty years ago, she wrote one of her biggest hits, "I Will Always Love You".  Many people assume it is about the breakup of a romantic relationship,  but she actually wrote it to her partner, Porter Wagner, when she decided to leave his show and go out on her own.  She wrote the song for him instead of drawing up a separation contract.  20 years later, Whitney Houston performed the song in the movie, "The Body Guard", introducing it to a whole new generation of people.  I heard Dolly say in an interview that the first time she heard Whitney's version of the song on the radio while driving, she had to pull over because she was overcome with emotion.  It wasn't a jealous emotion.  She was amazed at what Whitney was able to do with her little song that she had written for Porter.  I am pretty sure that the resurgence of her song paid off for her financially, but I also believe that she was genuinely happy for Whitney and all the new people that got to hear it and love it.  She set an example for people in the music industry that will be hard to live up to.

Writing With A Purpose

Robert Zimmerman was born on May 4th, 1941.  His grandparents were Jewish emigrants, and his parents brought him into the world in Duluth, MN.   As a teenager, Robert loved rock and roll and was especially influenced by Little Richard and Elvis Presley.  He had a band in high school and played in a coffee shop at The University of Minnesota.  During that time, his focus shifted from rock and roll to folk music.  He acknowledged that while rock and roll has driving rhythms and great catchphrases, folk music is "filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, [and] much deeper feelings."  Robert started writing his own folk songs, dropped out of the university and moved to New York to begin performing there.  His music began catching on, and the 1960's were filled with new songs in the folk, folk rock and pop rock genres.  In the 70's, Robert's girlfriend introduced him to her church, The Vineyards, in Southern California.  The church's staff, other members of his band, and a songwriter friend all encouraged Robert to consider Jesus. In 1978, Robert accepted Him as his Lord and Savior.  Robert's attention turned towards Christian folk/rock music, and in 1979, his song "Gotta Serve Somebody" won the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.   I was never a huge Bob Dylan fan, but I wish I had been.  I think I was about a decade late to the party.  But I am so thankful that his friends pointed him to Jesus so he could use his influence to do the same for others.