This is a story about some travelers that started out on a long journey.
At the start of their journey each traveler was given a physical wooden cross to carry or drag on their journey, and everyone was told that at the end of their journey they would need that cross as proof to pass into the great city.
So they set all set out on their journey dragging their crosses. These crosses were actual size, roughly 12 or 14 feet long, made of rough timbers and were quite heavy and cumbersome.
So a bit into their journey, the travelers started getting tired and weary, as the sun was beating down on them and the crosses were hard to bear. They had to rest often, and after resting awhile could start up again on their journey. A few days later into their journey a few of them were sitting and resting in the shade of a big rock one hot afternoon, grumbling a bit at their heavy burden, one traveler suggested why they couldn't cut off their cross a bit at the end to lighten their load. "A grand idea" a few others said, so when they saw the next town off to one side they turned and went to get a saw and then they happily each cut off a foot of the end of their cross. "Ahh" they said, "this is so much better now, plus what will it ever matter if a piece off the end is missing, no one will ever even notice it."
They soon caught up to their fellow travelers who were laboring under the midday sun and asked them if they wanted to borrow their saw to cut off their crosses too, thus lightening their load and making the journey easier.
Their fellow travelers declined and said "Don't you remember our instructions at the start of the journey, where we were told we would need our crosses at the end?"
"Ach, who will ever know, but if you want to burden and bondage yourself dragging that heavy thing, that's your problem. Look at your shoulders, can't you see how sore and chaffed they are by thickheadedness?" They scoffed, shook their heads and continued on.
A few days later they said to each other, "Hey, this cross is starting to feel heavy again, where's the saw?" So they each sawed off a foot more and continued on, feeling afreshed by their lightened load. This was repeated a few more times till they finally came towards the end of their journey and saw their destination.
Their mouths gaped with the beauty of the scene ahead. A beautiful city was lying ahead, gleaming and sparkling like a million precious jewels, seemingly from a source from within.
Lush green meadows with gay little creeks happily running through surrounded this awesome city. Huge shade trees with the sound of birds singing from within the graceful limbs was faintly heard.
They hurried on and suddenly came to a large crack or rift in the ground, endlessly deep and oh, about 12 or 14 feet across. Impossible to jump. They saw no way across, this path was the only passage into that whole different world.
They stared in disbelief and when reality hit they started crying and wailing "O this is cruel. We are so close and had such a long hard journey was it all for naught, how will we get across?"
Then they saw their fellow travellers coming in the distance labouring under their load, their crosses still the original length. Oh, about 12 or 14 feet long as they came to the great rift and saw the distressed travellers wailing there, they asked "what's wrong?"
"Oh," they cried "there is no way across this chasm into the promised land."
The weary travelers eyed the great rift, then looked at their unaltered crosses and then as one cried out "Hey, that looks about long enough to span that chasm! So one tried and sure enough it fit across, just barely..
He walked gingerly over the chasm on his cross and then shouted back with great happiness to the others, "It works! try for yourself," then took his cross and started running towards the city.
They all crossed the chasm while the rested travelers with the shortened, lightened crosses watched with amazement and growing horror. "Hey" they asked, "Can we cross over on your crosses, please? We cut ours off and now they won't span the chasm."
"Sorry," the others replied, "we can't do that, cause you see, we each have to show our cross to the keeper of the gate at the city, don't you remember your instructions at the start of the journey when we were told we'd need them at the end?"
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
John Deere Green.
Way out in the middle of this great big world.
Lives me and my wife, and my two little girls.
We farm for a living, and guess what we drive.
Its all John Deere; top of the line.
John Deere rules, at least around here.
And all the good farmers, you know they're driving Deere.
By far the best equipment that money can buy.
Superior engineering, the long green line.
(Chorus)
John Deere to us farmers is a way of life.
If we ever get married we want a John Deere wife.
A John Deere house that's John Deere nice.
I guess you could say we want a John Deere life.
And on our days off, when we all go to town.
My John Deere wife and her eyes of brown.
With her John Deere looks and her John Deere smile.
She sure looks good, John Deere style.
We farmers of the land are a real strange breed.
We'd empty out our wallets just to drive green.
We really love our Deeres and that's how we stand.
And I'm telling you now, I'm a John Deere man.
When spring comes around and we hit the field.
Our shoulders square up, cause you see, we're driving green.
We're sitting extra tall, and were feeling extra proud.
And we wanna shout out, in John Deere loud.
When we're driving to the fields and see you in your cars.
Don't be a bit surprised when we wave from afar.
We know you're missing out, cause the view from up here.
Is out of this world, thanks to John Deere!
We're farmers raising food, this is what we love.
But this John Deere thing runs in the midst of our blood.
We're taking good care of these wonderful machines.
And we wanna paint the world, JOHN DEERE GREEN!
Lives me and my wife, and my two little girls.
We farm for a living, and guess what we drive.
Its all John Deere; top of the line.
John Deere rules, at least around here.
And all the good farmers, you know they're driving Deere.
By far the best equipment that money can buy.
Superior engineering, the long green line.
(Chorus)
John Deere to us farmers is a way of life.
If we ever get married we want a John Deere wife.
A John Deere house that's John Deere nice.
I guess you could say we want a John Deere life.
And on our days off, when we all go to town.
My John Deere wife and her eyes of brown.
With her John Deere looks and her John Deere smile.
She sure looks good, John Deere style.
We farmers of the land are a real strange breed.
We'd empty out our wallets just to drive green.
We really love our Deeres and that's how we stand.
And I'm telling you now, I'm a John Deere man.
When spring comes around and we hit the field.
Our shoulders square up, cause you see, we're driving green.
We're sitting extra tall, and were feeling extra proud.
And we wanna shout out, in John Deere loud.
When we're driving to the fields and see you in your cars.
Don't be a bit surprised when we wave from afar.
We know you're missing out, cause the view from up here.
Is out of this world, thanks to John Deere!
We're farmers raising food, this is what we love.
But this John Deere thing runs in the midst of our blood.
We're taking good care of these wonderful machines.
And we wanna paint the world, JOHN DEERE GREEN!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
30 below.
It seems to me that winters draggin on.
I long for the melt, I long for the sun.
I long to see the creeks beginning to flow.
And I wanna get rid of this 30 below.
But I look outside and 30 below.
The wind is creeping up, and its starting to snow.
I look at my watch it says March the first.
The weatherman says it'll only get worse.
The forecast he gives really makes me cold.
As far as he can see, more 30 below.
Al Gore's been telling us we're all gonna die.
This planets heating up and we're the reason why.
Well I welcome you sir, to my part of the world.
And try telling us its not 30 below.
The hay stacks are full of starving deer.
While Mr. Al Gore is cracking a beer.
The drifts outside have four feet of snow.
And the mercury is still at 30 below.
My teeth are chattering hard along with my knees.
And all the treehuggers are safely sipping tea.
The cows that are in calf are starting to show.
And the temperature outside is 30 below.
I guess what I'm asking of you Mr Gore.
Along with all the treehuggers sitting at your door.
Is why in the world its so flipping cold.
On March the first; still 30 below.
I long for the melt, I long for the sun.
I long to see the creeks beginning to flow.
And I wanna get rid of this 30 below.
But I look outside and 30 below.
The wind is creeping up, and its starting to snow.
I look at my watch it says March the first.
The weatherman says it'll only get worse.
The forecast he gives really makes me cold.
As far as he can see, more 30 below.
Al Gore's been telling us we're all gonna die.
This planets heating up and we're the reason why.
Well I welcome you sir, to my part of the world.
And try telling us its not 30 below.
The hay stacks are full of starving deer.
While Mr. Al Gore is cracking a beer.
The drifts outside have four feet of snow.
And the mercury is still at 30 below.
My teeth are chattering hard along with my knees.
And all the treehuggers are safely sipping tea.
The cows that are in calf are starting to show.
And the temperature outside is 30 below.
I guess what I'm asking of you Mr Gore.
Along with all the treehuggers sitting at your door.
Is why in the world its so flipping cold.
On March the first; still 30 below.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday On The Colony.
Seven AM.
Breakfast bell.
Communal kitchen.
Communal life.
Hutterite.
Plain garb and dress.
No worldliness.
Simple life.
Hutterite.
Black 10X hat.
Beard to match.
Suspender attached.
Home-sewn pants.
Long dress.
Happiness.
Head covering.
Submitting.
Nine AM.
Church service.
Hear the Word.
Honor God.
Sonntag.
Mittag.
Enten fleisch.
Dank speiss.
Mittag schlaff.
Shlaffe fest.
Das ist best.
Sunday school.
Learn the rules.
Christ set up.
Follow up.
Obey.
Day of rest.
Reflection.
God's grace.
God's love.
For us.
Breakfast bell.
Communal kitchen.
Communal life.
Hutterite.
Plain garb and dress.
No worldliness.
Simple life.
Hutterite.
Black 10X hat.
Beard to match.
Suspender attached.
Home-sewn pants.
Long dress.
Happiness.
Head covering.
Submitting.
Nine AM.
Church service.
Hear the Word.
Honor God.
Sonntag.
Mittag.
Enten fleisch.
Dank speiss.
Mittag schlaff.
Shlaffe fest.
Das ist best.
Sunday school.
Learn the rules.
Christ set up.
Follow up.
Obey.
Day of rest.
Reflection.
God's grace.
God's love.
For us.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Runaway.
What was you thinking that fateful day.
When you made up your mind to runaway.
Do you know that you broke your mama's heart.
That she prays and cries for you in the dark.
And you ran away.
She never goes to sleep without thinking of you.
And prays with all her might that her wish will come true.
That the good Lord will keep you safe and trust.
That when you come home, it won't be in a box.
Her runaway.
What's keeping him out there, she don't know.
Is it the bright lights, the city or the dough?
Cause his bloodline speaks of a simple life.
To raise what he needs, to care for his wife.
Bring up his children to what's right and good.
Not in some slimy neighborhood.
Away from the anger, the greed and crime.
Where you get killed for a nickel or even a dime.
Where its booze and drugs and shady girls.
A dog eat dog kinda crazy world
Its sleeze and slime, every kinda sin.
Where a hutterite really never can fit in.
So why can't he do what his heart longs for.
When nights comes around and he locks his door.
His mind goes back to days gone by.
And all he does is wonder why..
He ranaway.
For his sibs are growing up and his parents getting old.
When he thinks about that his blood runs cold.
If he'd listen to his heart in the dead of the night.
He knows he'd come running back with all of his might.
And the welcome would be with open arms.
Can always use another hand on the farm.
The only thing that can turn him aside.
Is that terrible thing in us called pride.
That never admits that we can do wrong.
And if pride wins out, you can say so-long.
And stay runaway.
When you made up your mind to runaway.
Do you know that you broke your mama's heart.
That she prays and cries for you in the dark.
And you ran away.
She never goes to sleep without thinking of you.
And prays with all her might that her wish will come true.
That the good Lord will keep you safe and trust.
That when you come home, it won't be in a box.
Her runaway.
What's keeping him out there, she don't know.
Is it the bright lights, the city or the dough?
Cause his bloodline speaks of a simple life.
To raise what he needs, to care for his wife.
Bring up his children to what's right and good.
Not in some slimy neighborhood.
Away from the anger, the greed and crime.
Where you get killed for a nickel or even a dime.
Where its booze and drugs and shady girls.
A dog eat dog kinda crazy world
Its sleeze and slime, every kinda sin.
Where a hutterite really never can fit in.
So why can't he do what his heart longs for.
When nights comes around and he locks his door.
His mind goes back to days gone by.
And all he does is wonder why..
He ranaway.
For his sibs are growing up and his parents getting old.
When he thinks about that his blood runs cold.
If he'd listen to his heart in the dead of the night.
He knows he'd come running back with all of his might.
And the welcome would be with open arms.
Can always use another hand on the farm.
The only thing that can turn him aside.
Is that terrible thing in us called pride.
That never admits that we can do wrong.
And if pride wins out, you can say so-long.
And stay runaway.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Hutterite Cowboy.
I'm just a hutterite cowboy
That's what I love to be
Up on that well worn saddle
Sure feels like home to me
When riding down that dusty trail
My cow-dog by my side
There's nothing better in this world
Then doing this cowboy ride
Yee-haw here we go
Feeling that wind blow by
Letting loose with a cowpoke yell
Oh, isn't this the life
Getting up before the sunrise
Sure feels good to me
Breathing in that cool fresh air
Feels like harmony
Before those city folk get up
Before they start to stir
I'm out under that morning sky
Singing with all the birds
But hey, it isn't all just fun
As you already know
We cowboys have to work so hard
To bring in a little dough
Its hey, go fix that barbwire fence
And hey, go move those cows
And then, go clean the old corral
Good thing we got knowhow
So when you city folk sit down
At your fancy eating place
And start out with a little wine
(We hope you first say grace)
But don't that menu look so good
When the feature is on steak
The cowboy was a hutterite
That raised it for your plate
Yee-haw here we go
So happy, wild and free
Away from all the smoke and noise
They call the big city
Yee-haw let's head out
Let's turn that baby loose
Let's saddle up and start to ride
This country is my home
And when I see you passing by
That four lane, fancy car
Don't wonder why I wave to you
When I see you from afar
Because I'm under Gods big sky
Under his clouds 'n sun
I'm kinda feeling sorry guys
For having all the fun
For you see I love this simple life
Out on the open range
Just me, the cow, the horse, the bull
And please don't think me strange
And do not try to wipe that smile
That's plastered on my face
This is my life: my hopes n dreams
This is my special place
That's what I love to be
Up on that well worn saddle
Sure feels like home to me
When riding down that dusty trail
My cow-dog by my side
There's nothing better in this world
Then doing this cowboy ride
Yee-haw here we go
Feeling that wind blow by
Letting loose with a cowpoke yell
Oh, isn't this the life
Getting up before the sunrise
Sure feels good to me
Breathing in that cool fresh air
Feels like harmony
Before those city folk get up
Before they start to stir
I'm out under that morning sky
Singing with all the birds
But hey, it isn't all just fun
As you already know
We cowboys have to work so hard
To bring in a little dough
Its hey, go fix that barbwire fence
And hey, go move those cows
And then, go clean the old corral
Good thing we got knowhow
So when you city folk sit down
At your fancy eating place
And start out with a little wine
(We hope you first say grace)
But don't that menu look so good
When the feature is on steak
The cowboy was a hutterite
That raised it for your plate
Yee-haw here we go
So happy, wild and free
Away from all the smoke and noise
They call the big city
Yee-haw let's head out
Let's turn that baby loose
Let's saddle up and start to ride
This country is my home
And when I see you passing by
That four lane, fancy car
Don't wonder why I wave to you
When I see you from afar
Because I'm under Gods big sky
Under his clouds 'n sun
I'm kinda feeling sorry guys
For having all the fun
For you see I love this simple life
Out on the open range
Just me, the cow, the horse, the bull
And please don't think me strange
And do not try to wipe that smile
That's plastered on my face
This is my life: my hopes n dreams
This is my special place
Monday, February 21, 2011
Jesus du allein
Jesus only ye.
Shall my leader be.
Show to me your holy pathways.
All your truth and narrow walkways.
Stay with strength by me.
That I follow thee.
While you came for those.
That you saw were lost.
To lead them back to salvation.
Losing no lambs to perdition.
As a knave I plead.
To you Lord me lead.
True and good shepherd.
When you see I've have erred.
Lost little sheep out in the wild-earth.
Take me to your fold and safe-hearth.
Lead me back please do.
That I am with you.
When time comes to die.
Please be by my side.
Lead me on through deaths dark valley.
And prepare me for great glory.
That I see me stand.
Near at your right hand.
Shall my leader be.
Show to me your holy pathways.
All your truth and narrow walkways.
Stay with strength by me.
That I follow thee.
While you came for those.
That you saw were lost.
To lead them back to salvation.
Losing no lambs to perdition.
As a knave I plead.
To you Lord me lead.
True and good shepherd.
When you see I've have erred.
Lost little sheep out in the wild-earth.
Take me to your fold and safe-hearth.
Lead me back please do.
That I am with you.
When time comes to die.
Please be by my side.
Lead me on through deaths dark valley.
And prepare me for great glory.
That I see me stand.
Near at your right hand.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Ye Größer Kreutz, Ye Näher Himmel.
Ye greater cross, Ye better Christians.
God puts on on the proving grounds.
Just like a garden becomes wasted.
When from heaven no rains comes down.
As gold is purified by fire.
So a Christian in time of trial.
Ye greater Cross, Stronger believers.
Palm-trees thrive near the oasis.
The grapes surrenders all their sweetness.
After they have been all pressed out.
In troubled times, our faith builds up.
Like pearls after a salty flood.
Ye greater Cross, Ye stronger Godlove.
A wind just makes the fire burn.
And even if the skies are cloudy.
The sun is shining up above.
The Cross it multiplies our love.
As pouring oil on fire does.
Ye greater Cross, Greater believers.
Crushed leaves of herbs,smell all the more.
If on the sea, the winds were quiet.
No one would ask which way the pole.
And where did Davids Psalms come from?. Had he not trials overcome.
Ye greater Cross, Ye more the longing.
From the valley we climb the hill.
And when the desert has been travelled.
The longing is for Canaan.
The dove is finding here no rest.
Back to the Ark it flees to then.
Ye greater Cross, Ye sweeter dying.
Man is at terms with coming death.
Soon no more troubles, no more crying.
And all his troubles come to an end.
The Cross that maketh death so sweet.
It proves that man has triumphed here.
Ye greater Cross, Ye greater crown-jewels.
A treasure that God laid on us.
That crown we'll bring and lay before him.
It'll prove that we have conquered all.
Oh how this precious crown-jewel makes.
That we our greatest Cross forsake.
O Crucified, O let your Cross be.
So lovelier and sweeter be.
Help that no impatience may sway me.
And plant a such good heart in me.
That loves and hopes, believes in you.
Till my Cross takes its crown to you.
God puts on on the proving grounds.
Just like a garden becomes wasted.
When from heaven no rains comes down.
As gold is purified by fire.
So a Christian in time of trial.
Ye greater Cross, Stronger believers.
Palm-trees thrive near the oasis.
The grapes surrenders all their sweetness.
After they have been all pressed out.
In troubled times, our faith builds up.
Like pearls after a salty flood.
Ye greater Cross, Ye stronger Godlove.
A wind just makes the fire burn.
And even if the skies are cloudy.
The sun is shining up above.
The Cross it multiplies our love.
As pouring oil on fire does.
Ye greater Cross, Greater believers.
Crushed leaves of herbs,smell all the more.
If on the sea, the winds were quiet.
No one would ask which way the pole.
And where did Davids Psalms come from?. Had he not trials overcome.
Ye greater Cross, Ye more the longing.
From the valley we climb the hill.
And when the desert has been travelled.
The longing is for Canaan.
The dove is finding here no rest.
Back to the Ark it flees to then.
Ye greater Cross, Ye sweeter dying.
Man is at terms with coming death.
Soon no more troubles, no more crying.
And all his troubles come to an end.
The Cross that maketh death so sweet.
It proves that man has triumphed here.
Ye greater Cross, Ye greater crown-jewels.
A treasure that God laid on us.
That crown we'll bring and lay before him.
It'll prove that we have conquered all.
Oh how this precious crown-jewel makes.
That we our greatest Cross forsake.
O Crucified, O let your Cross be.
So lovelier and sweeter be.
Help that no impatience may sway me.
And plant a such good heart in me.
That loves and hopes, believes in you.
Till my Cross takes its crown to you.
Friday, February 18, 2011
"Pride"
What is Pride?
Well, in it's lowest form, it's probably satisfaction on a job well done, in it's average form it's most often a high sense of one's personal status or ego, and in it's highest form it is self-idolatry, in which one rejects God for one's self image and therefore thinks of himself as God, as we can see with the example of Lucifer.
Ezekiel 28:12 says Lucifer was "The seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." He was one of the most powerful archangels. Verse 17 says it was Pride that did him in: "Your heart was Proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor, I cast you to the ground." And believe it or not he took a third of all the angels with him.
We've all had Pride of some sort, but it seems Pride does not want to stay at it's lowest form. It's a very competitive and greedy emotion that's never satisfied and needs to be fed and wants to grow. You also cannot start at the top. You have to start at the bottom with Pride and work your way up. Pride does not like when its growth or progress is hindered.
Pride is a haughty emotion. It does not like to see pride in other people because it sees that pride as competition. Pride is the opposite of humility and hates humility with a passion. It will often get in the way when you know in your heart you should do this or you should do that. For example if you wrong someone and want to undo that wrong, pride will stand in the way.
CS Lewis writes that pride is the one vice of which there is no man in the world is free; and the more we have it ourselves, the more we loathe when we see it in someone else.
Also Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.
Lewis also states that "Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."
Still, Pride in it's lowest form such as seeing a job well done, receiving well deserved praise, or seeing one's children meet or exceed expectations, is probably a useful and healthy emotion.
But the question is: Can we keep Pride to it's lowest form? Can we handle Pride when it decides to grow and expand like a tare?
For we all know Pride is not content in it's lowest form. Pride wants to grow and include self-importance, arrogance, self-conceit, haughtiness, self-love, boasting and bragging, etc.
For you see Pride has no room for God or even a fellow man. Pride is all about one's self. Even the word Pride itself has centered in it's middle the letter "i".
"When you're running on empty spiritually, Pride will keep you going." - louie.
Well, in it's lowest form, it's probably satisfaction on a job well done, in it's average form it's most often a high sense of one's personal status or ego, and in it's highest form it is self-idolatry, in which one rejects God for one's self image and therefore thinks of himself as God, as we can see with the example of Lucifer.
Ezekiel 28:12 says Lucifer was "The seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." He was one of the most powerful archangels. Verse 17 says it was Pride that did him in: "Your heart was Proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor, I cast you to the ground." And believe it or not he took a third of all the angels with him.
We've all had Pride of some sort, but it seems Pride does not want to stay at it's lowest form. It's a very competitive and greedy emotion that's never satisfied and needs to be fed and wants to grow. You also cannot start at the top. You have to start at the bottom with Pride and work your way up. Pride does not like when its growth or progress is hindered.
Pride is a haughty emotion. It does not like to see pride in other people because it sees that pride as competition. Pride is the opposite of humility and hates humility with a passion. It will often get in the way when you know in your heart you should do this or you should do that. For example if you wrong someone and want to undo that wrong, pride will stand in the way.
CS Lewis writes that pride is the one vice of which there is no man in the world is free; and the more we have it ourselves, the more we loathe when we see it in someone else.
Also Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.
Lewis also states that "Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."
Still, Pride in it's lowest form such as seeing a job well done, receiving well deserved praise, or seeing one's children meet or exceed expectations, is probably a useful and healthy emotion.
But the question is: Can we keep Pride to it's lowest form? Can we handle Pride when it decides to grow and expand like a tare?
For we all know Pride is not content in it's lowest form. Pride wants to grow and include self-importance, arrogance, self-conceit, haughtiness, self-love, boasting and bragging, etc.
For you see Pride has no room for God or even a fellow man. Pride is all about one's self. Even the word Pride itself has centered in it's middle the letter "i".
"When you're running on empty spiritually, Pride will keep you going." - louie.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Fake It 'Til You Make It.
The first time I heard this catchphrase was a few years ago from a recovering alcoholic. It was something he had learned from Alcoholics Anonymous, and he firmly believed it. My reaction to him was something like 'Why would you want to fake anything, don't you know that you're only fooling yourself?'
But for some reason that phrase, as foolish as it sounded at the time, has always stayed in the back of my mind, and one day as I was reading C.S Lewis when it finally made sense.
CS Lewis wrote "When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality is to start behaving as if you had it already."
Jesus said the exact same thing in Luke 6:27-31. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Now we all know actions like turning the other cheek, doing good to those that hate you, blessing those who curse you and even praying for those that mistreat you are not actions that come naturally to us humans, for we would far rather retaliate and seek revenge. For more than anything it's our "PRIDE" that needs to be satisfied (but that's a topic for a whole new discussion).
So in a way we have to go against our nature and feelings and "fake it" to a certain degree.
There is even an ancient Buddha saying from around 500BC that goes "What you think, you become."
Hence the phrase "Fake it 'til you make it."
But for some reason that phrase, as foolish as it sounded at the time, has always stayed in the back of my mind, and one day as I was reading C.S Lewis when it finally made sense.
CS Lewis wrote "When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality is to start behaving as if you had it already."
Jesus said the exact same thing in Luke 6:27-31. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Now we all know actions like turning the other cheek, doing good to those that hate you, blessing those who curse you and even praying for those that mistreat you are not actions that come naturally to us humans, for we would far rather retaliate and seek revenge. For more than anything it's our "PRIDE" that needs to be satisfied (but that's a topic for a whole new discussion).
So in a way we have to go against our nature and feelings and "fake it" to a certain degree.
There is even an ancient Buddha saying from around 500BC that goes "What you think, you become."
Hence the phrase "Fake it 'til you make it."
Salvation and Born again - Ivan and louie at the coffee shop
Ivan you once asked me my views on being born again, so as we haven't been able to meet for coffee, these are my thoughts: After thinking about being saved or born again, about salvation and our relationship with God this is what I came up with.
Our relationship with God is amazingly similar with the relationship we have with our spouse, and I think God designed it so that we have an everyday reminder on how we should live and behave. Like when you read the Old Testament, there are so many parts that though they where written literally, we can take them spiritually, and take examples and guidance from them.
So here we go: Once we reach a certain age, we are drawn to the opposite sex, and we start looking for a mate. After we get a little older we start looking a little more seriously and earnestly for that one soul-mate. And once we spy that certain special someone, we try to woo him/her
and if it's the right one, things click, if not- keep on looking. And after a certain period of time and courtship , if we fall in love with our future spouse, then we marry. Marriage is like a contract, vows-where we promise to be faithful and love each other when the going gets rough and never forsake till death do us part. And once we are married then the work begins, it's never all roses (as we all know) there are ups and downs, but we have to work them out, we can't just quit and leave. And it seems it's those tough and hard times that strenghtens our love.
So how are we drawn to God? It seems that when all is well we do not yearn for a God. It is when we go through our darkest hour and toughest trials and tribulations, when we see that we are nothing and powerless is that we look skyward. When unexplained tragedies hit, or death of loved ones. And hence the aphorism: "There are no atheists in foxholes".
So what has all that got to do with being born again? Let me explain. Being born again is like the falling in love part. There are many ways to fall in love; There is the love at first sight that hits you like a ton of bricks that you can physically feel (that is the born again moment that some people can name a certain day and hour), or there is the high school sweetheart love where you've known each other for a number of years and have fallen in love in stages, or the girl next door love where you've known each other all your life and all of a sudden realize you've been in love all along, you just can't define one moment. Thats what I think most Hutterites can relate to as they've known Jesus from kindergarten on and are exposed to His teachings almost daily for all of their life. Or there is the arranged marriage love where the marriage is arranged and you work on the love later (for example in the Old Testament Isaac and Rebekah).
Then comes the marriage part which would be baptism, where you vow and promise yourself to God.
Then comes the being married part which is then the hardest part and is the rest of our life. We all know that we just can't fall in love, get married and live happily ever after, that only works in fairy tales, not in real life. It is through the rough patches in marriage that we have to work through that increases our love and respect for our spouse. It's about keeping our promise to love, honor, and obey. Through good times and bad, never to forsake...We all know how it is when we withhold secrets and wrongdoings from our spouse, there is tension in the air till we come clean, and if (forbid) we have an argument how uneasy both partners are till that gets reconciled and forgiven. And we won't even talk about breaking our marriage vows and being unfaithful.....
So in thinking about our salvation this way, the whole concept about faith and works and grace gets a lot clearer. Grace being our spouses love, faith being the belief in our love and marriage, and works being whatever we have to do to initially earn and then keep our spouses love and respect.
And lets be clear here, we can never earn true love. But we have do our part or we will never find that true love. And once we have that true love, we have to work to keep and grow that love.......
Over to you Ivan, 'wow' I've talked so long my coffees gone cold, better get me a fresh one...
Our relationship with God is amazingly similar with the relationship we have with our spouse, and I think God designed it so that we have an everyday reminder on how we should live and behave. Like when you read the Old Testament, there are so many parts that though they where written literally, we can take them spiritually, and take examples and guidance from them.
So here we go: Once we reach a certain age, we are drawn to the opposite sex, and we start looking for a mate. After we get a little older we start looking a little more seriously and earnestly for that one soul-mate. And once we spy that certain special someone, we try to woo him/her
and if it's the right one, things click, if not- keep on looking. And after a certain period of time and courtship , if we fall in love with our future spouse, then we marry. Marriage is like a contract, vows-where we promise to be faithful and love each other when the going gets rough and never forsake till death do us part. And once we are married then the work begins, it's never all roses (as we all know) there are ups and downs, but we have to work them out, we can't just quit and leave. And it seems it's those tough and hard times that strenghtens our love.
So how are we drawn to God? It seems that when all is well we do not yearn for a God. It is when we go through our darkest hour and toughest trials and tribulations, when we see that we are nothing and powerless is that we look skyward. When unexplained tragedies hit, or death of loved ones. And hence the aphorism: "There are no atheists in foxholes".
So what has all that got to do with being born again? Let me explain. Being born again is like the falling in love part. There are many ways to fall in love; There is the love at first sight that hits you like a ton of bricks that you can physically feel (that is the born again moment that some people can name a certain day and hour), or there is the high school sweetheart love where you've known each other for a number of years and have fallen in love in stages, or the girl next door love where you've known each other all your life and all of a sudden realize you've been in love all along, you just can't define one moment. Thats what I think most Hutterites can relate to as they've known Jesus from kindergarten on and are exposed to His teachings almost daily for all of their life. Or there is the arranged marriage love where the marriage is arranged and you work on the love later (for example in the Old Testament Isaac and Rebekah).
Then comes the marriage part which would be baptism, where you vow and promise yourself to God.
Then comes the being married part which is then the hardest part and is the rest of our life. We all know that we just can't fall in love, get married and live happily ever after, that only works in fairy tales, not in real life. It is through the rough patches in marriage that we have to work through that increases our love and respect for our spouse. It's about keeping our promise to love, honor, and obey. Through good times and bad, never to forsake...We all know how it is when we withhold secrets and wrongdoings from our spouse, there is tension in the air till we come clean, and if (forbid) we have an argument how uneasy both partners are till that gets reconciled and forgiven. And we won't even talk about breaking our marriage vows and being unfaithful.....
So in thinking about our salvation this way, the whole concept about faith and works and grace gets a lot clearer. Grace being our spouses love, faith being the belief in our love and marriage, and works being whatever we have to do to initially earn and then keep our spouses love and respect.
And lets be clear here, we can never earn true love. But we have do our part or we will never find that true love. And once we have that true love, we have to work to keep and grow that love.......
Over to you Ivan, 'wow' I've talked so long my coffees gone cold, better get me a fresh one...
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