Christ in Me

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”

Kingdom awareness, practicing the presence of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, the 2^nd half of spiritual life… all terms that define the experience Paul writes of. CHRIST LIVES IN ME.

I know many Christians that experience the “presence of God.” I hear all the time of Christians testifying that Christ is or was “with” them. I have attended hundreds, if not thousands of worship services where the masses felt God in the building. But out of the thousands of Christians I know and the tens of thousands I have met I only know 2 who truly understand and experience daily Christ living "IN" them.

Or sure there are many more than 2 who have achieved this awareness, in fact I read from their writings on a daily basis. But this is the experience; this is the level of relationship God is pulling us all to.  This awareness is the next step in spiritual growth for many.

Unfortunately it is something far beyond intellect, and will be to date the most spiritual event or process for those who have not come to it. It is not accomplished by faith, or will power, or understanding of the Bible or doctrine. It is the result of being crucified with Christ. It is the result of surrender.

The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, “…in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a day and a night I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

Do you think Paul having experienced all this was able to continue because God was “with” him? Do you think that Paul on the third of five times receiving 39 lashes was comforted knowing Jesus was there “standing beside” him… witnessing the event? Do you think Paul saw Jesus standing next to him with a smile saying, 'it's going to be ok? No.

Paul endured all these tortures and continued in his ministry because he was aware that Christ is in him. Christ took the beatings with Paul. He was not a witness to them. Can you see the difference?

Yesterday Christ was in me as I met with my chief creditor. He was not “with me.” Christ was in me. Oh the importance of this revelation and experience.

Selah

The Lion's Den

Daniel 6:22, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouth and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him…”

                                          

Yesterday for me in my financial crisis was a complete miracle. I did not win the lottery and solve the problem in its entirety but rather found myself in the lion’s den. God in His faithfulness shut the mouth of the lion, and deliverance from the problem is on the horizon.

For all those close to me and who have been praying… God heard your prayers, but please don’t stop until the deliverance is signed, sealed, and delivered. 

Spiritual Transition

Luke 17, 21: “nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is! Or, ‘There it is! For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.’ (lit. inside you)

My friend Jim Spivey posted on his blog rcdailyjournal.blogspot.com this morning a quote from Sandy B. It says, “There is always only ONE problem – a conscious disconnection from God; there is always only ONE solution to that only problem that ever is – a conscious re-connection.” I think that I might rephrase it a little. I think it should read, ‘There is always on one problem - - an unconscious disconnection from God; there is always only one solution to that only problem that ever is - - a conscious reconnection.”

This conscious reconnection is what I like to call kingdom awareness. It is the act of practicing His presence as I have so often written about. My friend Russell might call it the perpetual being filled with the Holy Spirit or Him abiding in you. However you want to define this “conscious reconnection” based on your experience is up to you. But what is exciting about this act of consciously reconnecting is that it leads to the place of “staying connected.” By consciously reconnecting over and over again after every unconscious disconnect we are transitioned to that place of His abiding presence.

And so this unconscious disconnection actually becomes critical to the reconnection and ultimately the abiding connection. Richard Rohr I think would describe the second half of life as coming to the place of abiding connection. Whereas the first half of life (spiritual not age) would be the place of constant disconnect and occasional reconnect.

Let me see if I can’t give a more practical example. Let’s look at “church.” Not the “Church” as Christ describes, but “church” as the institution, denomination, and doctrine. The church is largely man’s institution. It does serve some godly purpose, but by and large it is the opinions and taste of men gathered about some socially appealing style, or intellectually justifiable position. This is not to say that church is bad. I believe quite the contrary and attend every week. After all when two or more are gathered in His name then He is in their midst. (Matt 18:20) But in no way to I put my faith in the church. My pastor is not my savior. The doctrine is not my god.

And so Christians have this life in the church, even if only Christmas and Easter. We/they believe that we are connected to God because of the church. And invariably the “church” hurts us if we are there long enough, often enough, and involved enough. We can, and do think that the hurt is from God, or that the leader’s we have been following have misled us. But reality is the hurt is nothing more than the awareness that we are disconnected. The disconnect happened unconsciously. But God is calling for a conscious reconnection with Him.

I see so many who are hurt by the church, and know there is something more. They know God’s plan is not the man’s plan they are witnessing, and yet they carry man’s doctrine away with them. They don’t see God calling them to a deeper relationship, but continue the Gnostic tradition of learning more, of looking for the formula, of identifying what is wrong when God is calling them to a higher connection with Him.

Those that remain in the institution of the church do so for a multitude of reason. One is that they experience the presence of God in that place. But God is saying here is just a foretaste of what we can have together 24/7. We think that this presence of Him in our midst because of worship, prayer, or ministry together is the ONLY presence.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a presence of God INSIDE you. If right here, right now you cannot stop and immediately be aware of God’s presence in you then you are not to the place I am describing.

And this is spiritual transition. Awaking from an unconscious disconnect caused by those shouting 'here it is' into a conscious reconnect with God in our midst. 

Wouldn’t it be nice…

Matthew 17:27, “However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if every time a financial need came up we could just hear from Jesus where to go and get the money? Some might argue that there is a “promise” of prosperity or a “promise” of having no lack. For me, I have not found a promise from God to give me prosperity in the midst of my bad financial decisions. But that in no way is too suggest that God is not both capable and willing of financial miracles, particularly of the kind in the passage above.

My friend’s Jim and Russell are great living examples of God’s financial miracles. They live 100% by God’s provision, but like us all encounter extraordinary financial needs in their lives from time to time.  I know Jim has recently had to replace an air conditioner, and that his wife currently has a torn cornea. And so they are not immune from “unexpected” expensive items. Invariably God has miraculously provided for them. For me, my issues are neither unexpected nor accidental.

And yet, can I ask for a financial miracle in the midst of having had insufficient income to meet obligations? Am I crazy to ask God for a financial miracle to make up for six months of unemployment?

I think not. In fact, I believe He expects me to ask. Yes... as Jim says, this annoying problem is God elegantly saving me from myself. It is certainly the very end of myself and my abilities.

But let’s think about this. Would we not pray for a person to be healed of cancer simply because they smoked all their life? Would we withhold prayer because someone was a drug addict, an adulterer, or bad parent? I know that Jesus wouldn’t, and I have witnessed Him healing people just like that of some of the most difficult diseases and situations.

So wouldn’t it be nice if a year’s worth of income could find its way to your bank account sometime in the next 10 days? I know for me it would.

Can God heal cancer, but not provide a $50,000 or $100,000 or $250,000 miracle? I know He can, but if I am truthful I have little or no faith for Him to do it for me.

One thing is for sure. He is “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think…” (Eph 3:20) For me... I am completely out of ideas, but I have not stopped asking. 

To My Rescue

Matthew 8:24-26, “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith…”

I have written about this scripture before. The last time I wrote that I was like the disciples, shaken with fear by the storm. The only difference was that I knew not to wake Jesus up. This time I am in a far different place.

With certain sinking impending for me on May 1st the storm is not only great, but overwhelming. And yet I am not the frantic, fearful disciple. Today, I am fully aware of Christ asleep within me. He is unconcerned, and as a result so am I. He is at rest, and consequently so am I.

My sleep is not only peaceful, it is full of wonderful dreams. Once again last night I had a dream of flying and of trying to teach others to fly. Not with mechanical devise mind you. Simply jumping up and floating on a different layer of time and space. And as I was trying to teach my technique I told my students that other important part is that you have to not believe in gravity.

And so today as I write this, sleeping when Christ sleeps, I know that He is my rescue. That He has a plan even with only days left. And today I don’t believe in gravity. I don’t believe there is anything that can hold me down. I don’t believe there is anything, storm or otherwise, that can stop my Master. All I need to do is simply obey.

And even if the storm swamps my boat, I know that Christ will raise a ship, or Him and I will walk the rest of the way on the water to dry land. Either way, He is not only for me, but with me.

Debt

Colossians 2:14, “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

For those of you who read yesterday’s post called Staring into Eyes, I will clue you into one of the metaphors. For me, the path of the green valley is debt. Nothing in my life has brought more misery, stress, worry, discomfort, pain than debt. Particularly debts that look like at the start can be paid, but in time become a choking jungle. Oh it looks good going in, but any change in income and those debts spring closed like a bear trap.

The Deed of Trust on my property, the reports of lates and/or collections have become hostile to me. And let me be VERY clear. They were my choice. The Bible says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave of the lender.” And I have become a slave.

I have comforted myself spiritually with the thought that I have forgiven hundreds of thousands owed to me, why shouldn’t I be entitled to the same forgiveness? I have asked that if Jesus can cancel the certificate of debt relating to sin, then can’t he cancel the certificate of debt related to my mortgage or past credit indiscretion. For years this has been my prayer. Either bless my work again, or allow this debt to pass. I have tried the “prosperity” message. I have cried to have all that I have lost restored. I have even played the lottery. All the while Christ was saying, “You pay it.” I reply back in frustration, “I can’t.”

There was some comfort in ignoring the problem. There were some perceived blessing in seeing the problems be delayed. But the problem can no longer be ignored. The debts, though much less today than even a year ago, are choking the life out of me. There is no more path to struggle down. There is only the devil’s grotto. There is only the Red Sea to my front, and Egypt’s army to my rear. And so once again I cry out.

And it is EXACTLY this spot that Christ has been waiting for me to get to. The place where there is no path left, no weapon to pick up and fight with. It has finally come to just me v. the debt… or is it. Me conquering the challenge is a joke in the face of an overwhelming opponent. In his court, playing by his rules. And yet I feel the warm moist breath on my neck.

That is where I am today. Not through the situation, not fully aware that Christ is in control, but the fear is gone, He is coming to my rescue. And He is not coming to cancel a certificate of debt. As I cry I can’t pay it, He whispers, now for the first time, I am going to pay it.  ALL OF IT.

Why you might ask?

Because I love Him, and He knows it. Absolutely no other reason. For God causes all things to work together for those who love Him. (Rom 8:28) I can’t say that I know Him. I can’t say that I am perfect, that I pray enough, that I know the Bible well enough. I can't say I give enough. I can’t say that I deserve it, because I don’t. But I can say that I love Him. 

Staring Into Eyes

Revelation 1:14, “His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.”

On the path of life I came to a crossroad. To the right was a rocky path leading up a mountain. The ground was loose, the path was steep, and to choose it would require not only effort but sacrifice. To the left was a path gently sloping downhill through a grassy meadow. Standing at the decision point was a man, unassuming in appearance and humble in stature. Perhaps even a bit frail in appearance.

As I approached the man asked if I would help him take the path to the right. Alone the path would be difficult, but assisting this frail individual seemed too much a burden to bear. And so I declined taking the easy path through the meadow.

And what an easy path it was. The fragrance of the wild flowers filled the air. The gentle downward slope made walking effortless. At the end of the meadow was a forest. What a nice change of scenery I thought as I continued on. Deeper and deeper into the forest I went as I continued this chosen life path. A path that appeared to get smaller and smaller.

As I reached the depths of the forest the landscape changed yet again to what would be better considered a jungle. A jungle full of vines, vine that grew at an incredible pace.  As if under instruction the vines grew in behind me closing off the path in which I had just come. I tried to slow and figure out an alternative, but the vine grew so fast and so close that when I slowed they would almost reach out as to grab an arm or a leg. Deeper and deeper into the jungle I went, quickening my pace all the while. And with each step the damage of the vines became apparent. The life of the jungle had been choked out, and everything was dead except for these wicked animated vines.

In fear I ran. And as I ran I saw a glimmer of hope. In the distance was the glow of fire. Was someone ahead that could help? As I got closer the smell was more noticeable. It was that rotten egg smell often associated with sulfur. But to go further was the only choice and the path behind remained cut off by the vines.

Finally reaching the source of the orange glow the path opened into a grotto. The orange glow was not a fire, but lava running from the cliffs of the grotto and disappearing into the ground. There basking in the smell and the heat was a hideous creature. He had not seen me yet, but I could see him well. Twelve feet tall with skin the color and texture of rust he was lying against a rock it what could be described a bliss. Burned from his body were the remnants of wings. Other protrusion and appendages of the past were burned as well. His eyes were black and his teeth five or six inch long daggers. On his boney hands were talons as sharp as needles. What do I do?

The vines continued to grow in behind me pushing ever closer to Beelzebub himself. My heart beat in fear. My breath gone from my body. Help I screamed, but nothing came from my mouth. Help… help… help… finally the sound came from my body. And with that sound the demon now noticed my invasion, or should I say that his trap has snared him another prey.

Standing to his feet he let out a roar of delight. He approached me on all fours, saliva dripping from his mouth as he prepared to devour me as his next meal.

Help I cried. Help…

No help came, and there was no exit. Filled with adrenaline I looked for a weapon… anything to put of a fight as I will not go easily. Finding nothing of use I postured myself for the attack. Raising my fist the demon hissed at me. With a screech he showed his teeth, but it was not an offense posture. Something had frightened him. And so I screamed, and again the demon hissed, this time taking a step back.

Emboldened with Satan’s defensive posture I was filled with arrogance. “That’s right” I told the devil. “You are messing with the wrong person. I am a child of God.” With that statement he leaped at me, only to stop a foot short followed by a quick 3 step retreat. He continued to stare at me in fear, or at least  in my direction. It was only when I noticed that he appeared to be looking over me that I felt the warm, moist sensation on my neck. It was not a wind… “oh crap” I thought realizing it was breath. Frozen in time and space I turned my eyes are far right as they would go. With another inch to the right from my head I saw him. A lion nine feet tall.

Not just a lion, but a white lion with fur that was as a pearl. Turning to the lion I fell to the ground as if dead. Peeking up to see if he would eat me I saw the lion’s eyes. They were ablaze with fire. Could it be? Could this be the Lion Judah? Bending His head over me the lion gave me a nudge with His nose. I turned and both demon and grotto were gone. Instead I saw the sands of a beach. Turning back around the Lion was gone. In His place was a expanse of ocean. Nothing but water as far as the eye could see.

At the water’s edge was a small rowboat, barely built for two and of questionable sea worthiness. In the boat was the man from the mountain. Humble in stature. With that soft, gentle voice I heard him ask, “Will you help me row, I have somewhere to go?”

Solution or Relationship

John 6:26 & 27, “Jesus answered then and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

This passage comes at a point where Jesus, after feeding the multitudes the fishes and loaves, crosses the sea to another town, and the crowds follow Him there. In essence they were there looking for another free meal. They wanted a solution to their hunger, or better yet a solution to their laziness. But Christ was saying it is not about the solution. It is about the relationship to Him.

He later says to their wanting bread, “I am the bread of Life.” (v. 35) And yet we… I keep looking for and wanting the solution. I want to skip the discovery of Jesus in some new light and jump to the money I need for the problem. I want to skip the time seeking to jump to the healing.

For those of us deep enough into this thing called Christianity we want the power for our prayers to be answered. But don’t want to spend the time getting to know The Answer. Why, why, why are we so selfish? We want authority over the situation so that life can be easier or more comfortable but we do not want the obedience.

Henri Nouwen says, “Authority and obedience can never be divided, with some people having all the authority while others only have to obey.  This separation causes authoritarian behaviour on the one side and doormat behaviour on the other.”

We have a delicate balance to learn. We have to somehow focus on the exalted Christ. To look with spiritual eyes on our Master and obey, and in the obedience experience the victory of His authority. To not look on Him and just take life as some uncontrollable happenstance is to be a slave. Yet to walk constantly trying to be the master of our own universe is to promote ourselves to God. It’s the mix where God’s will is found.

“I am the bread of Life” Christ says. If we will only realize that then in that revelation, in that realization our physical hunger will be satisfied. That satisfaction comes from seeking the spiritual Bread of Life, so that the physical bread is added.

I am desperate for the metaphorical physical bread. But to get it… to get to the best solution I must focus on The Bread of Life. In that focus (prayer), in that relationship, then and only then will I hear the command, that will lead to the obedience, that will solution which is Christ.

HELP ME FATHER! Help me to stop calling for the solution to come, and to call to Jesus who in the solution is already complete. 

Exalted Christ

Philippians 2:8-11, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

I am sitting here in complete amazement that the Holy Spirit has orchestrated this spiritual lesson from me, and of all times on Easter Weekend.

On Good Friday I had a post about Spiritual Warfare. I in all honesty gave no consideration to the war that Christ won when He was crucified and descended to hell. To be truthful the post was born out of a impending crisis, and an attempt to decipher what just exactly the Holy Spirit is telling me concerning it. It was in the confusion and questions that someone finally articulated for me what it is that God is trying to do.

It was a phone conversation following a couple of e-mails that Russell said to me, you have it right. God is trying to show you the “exalted Christ.” Oh my… the truth hits me now as it did then like a ton of bricks. The person of Jesus Christ is always the answer. But the Jesus Christ that I know and have relationship with to date is not the “complete” Christ. The Jesus I worship and love is the humble, obedient Christ. But Christ is highly exalted. He is not going to be exalted. He is exalted and His name is today above every name. He today has every knee bow to Him. The victory is done.

This gives new meaning to If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) Spiritual warfare is to see and be aware of the Exalted Christ. Awareness of the presence of the Exalted Christ is the weapon of our warfare. It is the sword. Victory is being in that presence. He is the Key and if we are with Him, exalted, high and lifted up… we have no need of keys.

It is this Christ that lives inside of us. It is this exalted Christ that I need desperately to be aware of.

Charles Spurgeon in 1856 preached a sermon where he said, “Christ Jesus is; for he is a man, even as we are: and he is no less and no more man than we are, save only sin. Surely, when we feel we are related to Christ, his exaltation is the source of the greatest joy to our spirits; we take a delight in it, seeing it is one of our family that is exalted. It is the Elder Brother of the great one family of God in heaven and earth; it is the Brother to whom all of us are related. (This was me)

There is also in the Christian not only the feeling of relationship merely, but there is a feeling of unity in the cause. He feels that when Christ is exalted, it is himself exalted in some degree, seeing he has sympathy with his desire of promoting the great cause and honour of God in the world…Happy art thou if thou knowest this, not only in doctrine, but in sweet experience too…

There is yet another feeling, which I think is extremely necessary to any very great enjoyment of this truth, that Christ is exalted. It is a feeling of entire surrender of one's whole being to the great work of seeking to honour him…It seems to me to be the highest stage of man—to have no wish, no thought, no desire but Christ—to feel that to die were bliss, if it were for Christ—that to live in penury and woe, and scorn, and contempt, and misery, were sweet for Christ—to feel that it did not matter what became of one's self, so that one's Master was but exalted…Or rather to feel that though like the diamond you must be cut, that you care not how sharply you may be cut, so that you may be made fit to be a brilliant in his crown; that you care little what may be done to you, if you may but honour him. If any of you have attained to that sweet feeling of self-annihilation, you will look up to Christ as if he were the sun, and you will say of yourself, "O Lord, I see thy beams; I feel myself to be not a beam from thee—but darkness, swallowed up in thy light. The most I ask is, that thou wouldst live in me, that the life I live in the flesh may not be my life, but thy life in me…

"There, like a man, the Saviour sits;
The God, how bright he shines;
And scatters infinite delight
On all the happy minds."

Do you see him?

"The head that once was crowned with thorns,
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
That mighty Victor's brow.

No more the bloody crown,
The cross and nails no more:
For hell itself shakes at his frown,
And all the heavens adore."

Look at him! Can your imagination picture him? Behold his transcendent glory! The majesty of kings is swallowed up; the pomp of empires dissolves like the white mist of the morning before the sun; the brightness of assembled armies is eclipsed. He in himself is brighter than the sun, more terrible than armies with banners. See him! See him!”

This is spiritual warfare… to see Him high and lifted up. 

Spiritual Warfare

2 Corinthians 10:3-7, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ… You are looking a things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident… that he is Christ’s, let him consider again within himself…”

The above passage speaks volumes to me today, but not as much in the context in which it was written. Paul was speaking here of his unwillingness to engage in internal church conflict. He is saying that his fight is not against other Christians, but instead against thoughts contrary to the knowledge of God. He was saying in a few words… don’t pick on me; I’m on your side. And yet out of context of Christian interaction with one another it is applicable in the context of life.

Outwardly, in the “flesh,” in the reality of human life there are plenty of struggles. And yet those same struggles have an often ignored spiritual side. I might even suggest that sometimes the spiritual struggle, war if you will, is more important to the outcome of both outward and inward war than any outward actions. And so the question comes up of how to we wage “spiritual warfare?” How do we “consider again within” ourselves?

The part of spiritual warfare that takes thoughts captive seems self explanatory for me. The biggest part of the battle is often overcoming our own emotions, impulses, and thoughts that a situation might present. We learn to replace fear with faith.

But what of the weapons? If it’s war, how do we wield the weapons? For that matter what are the weapons? Is the only weapon that we have for spiritual battles prayer? Is the word of God repeated over and over again some kind of magic formula to winning the battle? And how do we win? Hasn't Christ already won?

Is victory in spiritual warfare a positive physical outcome? Is victory needs being met, healings being accomplished, even walking on water? Or is the victory of destroying anything raised up against the knowledge of God? Even better, how is a victory that I feel I so desperately need even qualify as something raised up against the knowledge of God?

Is there even something for us to do? I could argue that scripture says all we have to do in the act of spiritual warfare is to “stand” which doesn’t sound like a whole lot of doing to me. (Eph 6:11) And yet in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus told the disciples to take with them a sword. (Luke 22:36)

Depending on your religious background there is a multitude of ways to spiritually attack a problem. Some pray, some fast, some cite scripture, some do penance, some do all or even none of the above. But I feel the Holy Spirit pulling me into a new form or battle. Somehow, here with Easter Sunday upon us Christ is trying to show me something new about Himself. He is trying to make real, to undo the thinking that He came to bring peace. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt 10:34) What is that sword? What is inside me that is the sword and this is Christ?

In the end I know that the answer is always Christ. In this case it is not going to be what would Christ do? It is going to be who Christ is. It is not going to be an action on my part, but rather an allowing of, and awareness of Christ has high and on the throne, with all authority, and all power to crush any enemy of God. I can declare victory, but God is saying become aware of the Victor. I can have the keys to heaven for binding up and setting free, but I hear God saying meet the Key. (Matt 16:19)

Today I have no idea what spiritual warfare is all about so, I consider again within… 

Salmon Swimming Upstream to His Death

Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

My last name is Yuna and as a result from nearly birth people have called me, and my children for that matter, Tuna. But I am not a Tuna. Tuna’s are at the top of the food chain swimming in freedom, devouring whatever gets in their way with very few enemies or dangers outside of man. Me… I am a Salmon, always swimming upstream to my death.

I mean this facetiously of course, but sometimes that is sure what it feels like. Why is it that I can never take the easy way out? Why is it that I am compelled by some instinct to swim upstream to any or all of man’s systems? Why must I have these convictions to argue for what some moral compass (if that’s it at all) tells me is superior to a rule or other’s decision? Can it be that I just enjoy a fight?

That perhaps might have been the case in years gone by, but honestly I am tired of fighting. Even more I am tired of being drug into a fight in what on the surface looks willful, but spiritually is way beyond any will of my own.

Respect for my loved ones precludes me from sharing any deeper or more specific, but let me say that at present I am faced with a challenge. A challenge with a new defined timeline. With this challenge I have several options. Option one being roll over and play dead. Let the other party have their way and allow them to create upheaval in my life.

Option two would be to negotiate for more time and try to exit on more favorable terms.

Option three might be to seek protection from someone bigger than the current challenger.

Option four is to fight.

For me I have to seek God. What does He want me to do? It is in these prayer time on this subject that God continues and continues to reaffirm my direction. That direction is that Option 1, 2 & 3 are unnecessary and outside His will. That only leaves option four… and I have been there done that with some horrific results. But that Salmon in me is saying swim upstream again. Will the next jump land me in the mouth of the Grizzly? Sure is a possibility.

And so in the madness I call my dear friend and confidant Russell. In a lengthy conversation he says, ‘I’m not telling you to not fight, I am telling you that you need to fight in the spirit as well.’ He went on to say, ‘This is not a fight for you or your way of life, it is a fight that Christ might be glorified.’

And so the lesson begins… learning this thing evangelicals call “spiritual warfare.”

Stay tuned… J

Mega Millions

Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,"

At the risk of moving dramatically backwards in my spiritual walk by seeking God’s hand instead of His face, I have been deep in thought and prayer about windfall. The Mega Millions lottery last week was no help. After all a $600 million dollar plus prize would certainly constitute a windfall.

It seemed that every news program was talking about the Lottery. All the DJ’s on the radio were talking about it. More tickets were sold than there are men, women, and children in the US. Here at the office we had a lottery pool going and people talked about what they would do with their winnings if we won. For me I reflected on the possibilities as well, and came to the spiritual determination that for me to win anything beyond my current debts would be detrimental. Yes it would be great to be debt free, but if I am truthful with myself and God then anything more really could thrust me back into reliance on self and not God. And help me if I won a half of billion dollars. I would be worthless in terms of soft hearted.

And these thoughts led to more. I wondered aloud in prayer how many people were making promises to God if they would win. In my book God Speaks I talked asked who would give it all to God. And I am quite sure that there was at least one person who bought a ticket that would have genuinely given it all to God, or at least more than everyone else, who did not win. And so prayers turn to does God even care who wins the lottery?

Was there a lottery equivalent windfall in the Bible outside of the booty collected in the victory of war?

I can think of numerous examples of just enough. The widow, the Israelites, even Jesus and His disciples had most of time filled with “enough.” I can think of plenty of times when there was a miracle of deliverance when famine or need came calling to the destitute. Jesus needed money for taxes for Him and His disciples and the supply was found in the form of a gold coin in a fish’s mouth.

There were times of abundance, like with Joseph in Egypt, but that was not as much windfall and extra from coming lean times.

And so I continue to scratch my head about this idea of windfall. It does not appear to be a godly principle except perhaps in the form of inheritance. Restoration of things lost certainly is a godly principle as Job and many other Bible characters teach us. But does that restoration come in a wave, or in the slow methodical build up as the original wealth came?

Who knows… and really if the focus is on God, who cares? He is able to supply far more abundantly than we ask, but there truly is no more promise than He will give us what we “need.” Being able, and doing are two very different subjects. I for one and thankful that He always gives us what is best for us. 

Gravity

Joel 2:28, “… Your old men will dream dreams…”

This post has little or no spiritual significance, at least none that I can see; but I feel compelled to share.

I don’t know about most people, but for me I dream constantly in my sleep. It seems like they last all night. In fact, I can never remember being awakened from anything but a dream. Additionally my dreams are in full color and vivid, and I often remember them if only for a few hours after waking up. (I hope this is not a symptom of some mental illness. LOL) One other thing that is very strange about my dreams is that in them I can fly.

And so the other night I had a flying dream. In it I was trying to teach others to fly. Here is where it gets interesting. I was explaining to my students that flying is not about overcoming gravity, but instead working with it. That gravity is not a force pulling us to earth but rather a fabric of “time & space” (To use Einstein’s words) pushing down on us. That it has multiple layers so  to fly all you have to do is get between the layers. I told them to think of a ball under the covers. The ball is the earth and the covers are the fabrics of time and space. Get between the sheet and the blanket and you are flying. 

Sounds crazy, but I wish I knew a physicists that I could talk about this with. All I know about gravity is that Newton’s theory is not correct, and most everyone in the physics community knows that.

Another interesting dream I had on a similar subject was concerning creation. In this dream I was talking with the Father and I asked Him, “so what’s up with this whole big bang theory?” It was then He started laughing and said, “They have it all wrong. I did not split matter.” It was there He showed me His land moving over water. It goes up and with a karate chop comes down and splits the water. “There is your big bang.” He says. Reading Genesis carefully and in Chapter 1 v. 6 you see, “let it separate the waters from the waters.” Never really noticed that until the dream. 

And so I will close with the only thing I know that is significant about these dreams. That is according to the scripture above, I am now considered an old man. J