Spiritual Ponderings

He that overcomes, I will... This is a repeating theme in each of the messages of Jesus to the seven churches recorded early in the book of Revelation. Yet I have come to realize that overcoming has itself become a confusing issue for many people. I know for myself what I long assumed was meant by overcoming was that I was supposed to work very hard (with God's help of course) to overcome sinning, down to the minutest detail in my life, my mind and thoughts. This led me at a very early age to become consumed by an obsession to eliminate every transient thought I might find in my mind that was not something that God could approve. Sadly the result of this was not holiness as I was trying to accomplish but rather a frenzied, increasingly desperate state of mind bordering on and tending me toward literal insanity. At the age of 16 after a number of years suffering from this obsession having taken over nearly every waking minute of my life, pushing me closer an...

Rebuke the scoffers. No, I'm not suggesting a campaign of censure aimed at those who refuse to agree with me or who won't cooperate with whatever program is being promoted by the church. Rather I am referring to the far more dangerous and sinister scoffers, you know, the internal voices always ready to challenge the nudges of the Spirit of God drawing us out to trust God more implicitly. I don't know about you, but I think most people experience a running dialog in their minds about whatever is going on, maybe worrying about what might happen or dwelling on things from the past. Some people when alone even externalize this dialog talking out loud with themselves, while others simply have ongoing conversations or arguments inside. At times this becomes more intense but generally involves our emotions, sometimes our triggers, reactions and opinions about whatever it is we are thinking about or experiencing. It is these internal voices I find to b...

He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this , that God is true . For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him . (John 3:31-36) After careful examination I concluded the following about the confusing pronouns in this passage: He [John the Baptist] received His [Jesus'] testimony and has set his [John the Baptist's] seal, thus adding his own testimony to that of Jesus, together testifying that God is true. For He [Jesus] whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He ...

What is your basic problem? Sometimes this is an exclamation of frustration with someone who irritates us. But at a far deeper level this is a question that must be answered by every person regarding how they relate to their eternal existence. Our beliefs about the real root issue in our problem of sin affect and shape our opinions about salvation and determine how we answer this question for ourselves. As I currently see it, there are two ways of answering this question – other than attempting to live in denial that God even exists. Either I will believe that God is my problem who must be placated in order for me to be saved, or my own choices, beliefs and resulting behaviors are out of alignment with the principles of cause and effect created by God to serve as the undergirding of all of creation. This is not just an exercise to discuss religion or philosophy. Rather this is a vitally important question with the potential to clarify what direction we are...

As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you--in person, not in heart--we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again--but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you ? Yes, you are our glory and joy! (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20) I am starting to sense some thing big emerging into my consciousness, something existential in nature. We sometimes ask why we are alive, what is the purpose of our existence? We offer all sorts of attempted explanations for this, many distorted by our natural selfish desires. But what I am starting to perceive is something far bigger, far more deeply satisfying, rich and meaningful. We were created to live life on this earth primarily to leverage opportunities to form bonds of joy with as many other people as possi...