Respect is the opposite of contempt. I have learned to give the person their God-given dignity and the respect that comes with that dignity even if they do not respect themselves. The movie The Green Mile is an example of that. There are so many in the Christian community and the world who do not respect sinners as a person. Hate and contempt consume a soul every time and destroys every relationship that they have.
Chose to speak the respect. You will not feel nor want even to simply say it, but you must! It relieves a huge burden and releases the responsibility of the response to God Almighty and He will repay with interest if the person refuses to repent.
I look for contempt when I am counseling a couple. When I see it, I know the relationship is doomed. Like finding an aggressive cancer on the liver, if there is not radical surgery and just as aggressive removal of the cancer, the cancer will consume the body. Same with contempt and the soul. If there is not radical removal of the contempt then the contempt will spread in the soul and consume the soul.
Do not trust your emotions nor even your mind in this spiritual matter. You know what your Lord expects of you. Obey Him and confess your respect of the person's dignity. It will keep you out of some dark places. May God grant you the grace of His presence as you follow Him through this valley.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Contempt
I am learning how much God despises CONTEMPT. Jesus warned His disciples that to think or speak of someone with contempt made you guilty enough to go to hell. See Matthew 5-7.
Contempt is to the soul what cancer is to the body - it spreads. I have noticed if the person has contempt for one person in their life, even if it is themselves, the contempt will spread through the whole of their life. UGLY. and they will not know it.
I heard of a seminary professor who verbally attacked two homosexual men who lived next to him. He expressed his contempt and not love toward them. He is right to have contempt for their lifestyle but not to allow the contempt to roll over onto the person.
A friend allowed some very ugly things about me to be said a while back and it is hard to not have contempt for him. I have learned how to pray for him, lifting him up before the LORD God Almighty and just being still before God without mentioning anything about him. Just like holding a child up before the LORD, quiet and listening. Most of the time the LORD does not say anything. This last time, after lifting up this person, the LORD asked me to lift up my pain and hurt to Him. I was surprised how deep the pain was. It was relieving, to some degree, to let go. While it is frustrating to be still healing from a wound that is over three years old, I recognize that deep wounds take a long time to heal. Keep out of the ditches. Make sure contempt never rolls over onto the person.
Contempt is to the soul what cancer is to the body - it spreads. I have noticed if the person has contempt for one person in their life, even if it is themselves, the contempt will spread through the whole of their life. UGLY. and they will not know it.
I heard of a seminary professor who verbally attacked two homosexual men who lived next to him. He expressed his contempt and not love toward them. He is right to have contempt for their lifestyle but not to allow the contempt to roll over onto the person.
A friend allowed some very ugly things about me to be said a while back and it is hard to not have contempt for him. I have learned how to pray for him, lifting him up before the LORD God Almighty and just being still before God without mentioning anything about him. Just like holding a child up before the LORD, quiet and listening. Most of the time the LORD does not say anything. This last time, after lifting up this person, the LORD asked me to lift up my pain and hurt to Him. I was surprised how deep the pain was. It was relieving, to some degree, to let go. While it is frustrating to be still healing from a wound that is over three years old, I recognize that deep wounds take a long time to heal. Keep out of the ditches. Make sure contempt never rolls over onto the person.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Fear
Andrew just called from Colorado. He has returned back to the place of the accident, where he lost control of a hang-glider type of kite and fell 20 feet and then was dragged 30 yards or so. He shattered his inner ankle bone into at least 7 pieces.
He mentioned the thrill of the air lifting the harness, the kite with him in it. The thrill lasted for about 8 seconds and then there was several seconds of terror as a gust of wind lifted him up and carried him away. The sense of loss of control. The danger and the power of the indiscriminate wind. A friend that became an instant enemy, seemingly desperately intent upon causing great pain and damage. Immortal becomes mortal. A teenager believing he is immortal smacks into reality at about 30 mph and shatters his ankle bone and a false sense of godness.
May I speak as a father? Looking into my son's eyes and seeing that pain did not bring me the sense of joy that I thought it would. This is a rite of passage. From childish thinking to adult thinking. Yet it brought me no joy.
There is a profound sense of sadness. It is as if the earth failed my child. Perhaps the Tree of Life, the leaves, would have been used in this situation to heal. He is awakened to his mortality but so am I, again. Trusting what I can not see with my eyes but I know in my heart.
He mentioned the thrill of the air lifting the harness, the kite with him in it. The thrill lasted for about 8 seconds and then there was several seconds of terror as a gust of wind lifted him up and carried him away. The sense of loss of control. The danger and the power of the indiscriminate wind. A friend that became an instant enemy, seemingly desperately intent upon causing great pain and damage. Immortal becomes mortal. A teenager believing he is immortal smacks into reality at about 30 mph and shatters his ankle bone and a false sense of godness.
May I speak as a father? Looking into my son's eyes and seeing that pain did not bring me the sense of joy that I thought it would. This is a rite of passage. From childish thinking to adult thinking. Yet it brought me no joy.
There is a profound sense of sadness. It is as if the earth failed my child. Perhaps the Tree of Life, the leaves, would have been used in this situation to heal. He is awakened to his mortality but so am I, again. Trusting what I can not see with my eyes but I know in my heart.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Respect: The Yoke
I love doing weddings. I have never had a bride pass out at the altar but I have had at least two grooms and a best man fall like tall timber. Funniest thing you ever saw. None of them were hurt other than ego. But the YOKE of God fell on them and they fell down.
I have married about 70 or so couples. Every time and I mean every time the YOKE of God falls onto the groom right before the ceremony. They have a hard time breathing, it is like they want to run but they don't. They are becoming aware in their heart of hearts that God is placing upon them an accountablity for the bride, her children to come.
The yoke bears down on the husband, the father. It is a weight he carries every day. While the woman is always a mother to her children this yoke is different.
There are three keys words to the YOKE
1. Provision. The father, the husband is responsible for providing for his own. He is to look into the future and insure that all the needs of his family are taken care of. He is to keep his eyes to their provision no matter what it takes.
2. Protection. The yoke of God demands that the husband and father protect his family. Most of the attacks that are threatened against his children and wife are at the hands of other men. He knows men better than they and must pro-actively chose a defense which keeps the battle outside of the home.
3. Direction. Life is a series of choices. The wise father and husband does not demand the right to determine each and every one but he does take the responsibility for them all. He has to learn how to lead his spouse and each child. The father is the primary adult responsible to lead his children to God.
Every day the man awakens and longs for the respect that the Yoke of God around his neck and life demands. While no man is able to live up to the fullest expectations of the Yoke most of us try. Gracious respect granted by faith in the God that stands behind us encourages us in the right direction.
I have married about 70 or so couples. Every time and I mean every time the YOKE of God falls onto the groom right before the ceremony. They have a hard time breathing, it is like they want to run but they don't. They are becoming aware in their heart of hearts that God is placing upon them an accountablity for the bride, her children to come.
The yoke bears down on the husband, the father. It is a weight he carries every day. While the woman is always a mother to her children this yoke is different.
There are three keys words to the YOKE
1. Provision. The father, the husband is responsible for providing for his own. He is to look into the future and insure that all the needs of his family are taken care of. He is to keep his eyes to their provision no matter what it takes.
2. Protection. The yoke of God demands that the husband and father protect his family. Most of the attacks that are threatened against his children and wife are at the hands of other men. He knows men better than they and must pro-actively chose a defense which keeps the battle outside of the home.
3. Direction. Life is a series of choices. The wise father and husband does not demand the right to determine each and every one but he does take the responsibility for them all. He has to learn how to lead his spouse and each child. The father is the primary adult responsible to lead his children to God.
Every day the man awakens and longs for the respect that the Yoke of God around his neck and life demands. While no man is able to live up to the fullest expectations of the Yoke most of us try. Gracious respect granted by faith in the God that stands behind us encourages us in the right direction.
The Ache of a Man's Heart
The ache of every man's heart centers around a desire for Respect.
However, very, very, very few woman understand what the word means. Gabi and I were watching Mr. Holland's Opus and we both commented on the movie. Gabi hates the scene where the pretty high school girl moves in on the old man. I love the scene because the old man proves his metal and stays true to his heart, his wife and family. He gives up a hope to fulfill his call to write music to stay true to his primary call - to his wife and family. YEAH! And then when he comes home and kisses his wife, he says, "I love you". She replies, "I know." Wow!!! That is respect driven by faith, hopefully in God first and then in her husband.
Men long for respect from each other, from their spouses and their children. Most live without it. Yet push on any way. There are three heart ache aspects to the word respect.
1. To be respected for the YOKE.
2. To be respected for the DRIVE.
3. To be respected for the CALL.
Ladies, ask God for grace to understand HIS design He placed in your husbands and sons and father concerning respect. In the same way, we don't understand naturally what it means to cherish you, we have to learn it - you too must learn what it means to respect a man.
However, very, very, very few woman understand what the word means. Gabi and I were watching Mr. Holland's Opus and we both commented on the movie. Gabi hates the scene where the pretty high school girl moves in on the old man. I love the scene because the old man proves his metal and stays true to his heart, his wife and family. He gives up a hope to fulfill his call to write music to stay true to his primary call - to his wife and family. YEAH! And then when he comes home and kisses his wife, he says, "I love you". She replies, "I know." Wow!!! That is respect driven by faith, hopefully in God first and then in her husband.
Men long for respect from each other, from their spouses and their children. Most live without it. Yet push on any way. There are three heart ache aspects to the word respect.
1. To be respected for the YOKE.
2. To be respected for the DRIVE.
3. To be respected for the CALL.
Ladies, ask God for grace to understand HIS design He placed in your husbands and sons and father concerning respect. In the same way, we don't understand naturally what it means to cherish you, we have to learn it - you too must learn what it means to respect a man.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Flame that Burns within.
The pathos of God is caught directly from the heart of God to our hearts. Our hearts change from a deep, rich red to a wonderful dark orange- we are alive.
The flame consumes the wood, hay and stubble of our lives. The worthless stuff that we live for sometimes is consumed by the pathos of God burning in our heart. The gold and precious metals are purified and that which is built of wood, hay and stubble are destroyed.
The flame reveals. The fire burns away and the fire also brings a painful, intense light to our lives.
The flame also stirs up within us an awe. While most of us are terrified of being consumed by passion, either negative or positive, we love to see someone who is passionate about what they do even if we may not agree with what they do.
The Flame that burns within. Woe to the person who has let the world, worry and/or pleasure extinguish their flame. Blessed is the person who through perserverance has kept their flame alive, by the grace of God.
The flame consumes the wood, hay and stubble of our lives. The worthless stuff that we live for sometimes is consumed by the pathos of God burning in our heart. The gold and precious metals are purified and that which is built of wood, hay and stubble are destroyed.
The flame reveals. The fire burns away and the fire also brings a painful, intense light to our lives.
The flame also stirs up within us an awe. While most of us are terrified of being consumed by passion, either negative or positive, we love to see someone who is passionate about what they do even if we may not agree with what they do.
The Flame that burns within. Woe to the person who has let the world, worry and/or pleasure extinguish their flame. Blessed is the person who through perserverance has kept their flame alive, by the grace of God.
The Pathos of God
There are three key elements to the Pathos of God
1. The Flame that burns within.
2. The Unseeable Presence of God within the Pathos.
3. The Unthinkable Expectation of God within the Pathos.
1. The Flame that burns within.
2. The Unseeable Presence of God within the Pathos.
3. The Unthinkable Expectation of God within the Pathos.
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