Essenes

I will be writing about my last post on "What does it mean to be a Christian" in more detail for the next few days. I will be discussing the groups that Jesus encountered in the world and why he did not become a part of their tribe. The challange will be to see how we as a Christian community actually have become one of these three ourselves - personally and corporately.


The first group is the Essenes. Essenes where a Jewish religous group that was flourishing about the time of Jesus and the Roman empire. They lead a life that was seperate from the rest of the world. They belived in a life that was not lived as a part of this world. They attempted to live seperate from the Jewish establishment at the time and the Roman Empire. They did not want to overthrow the Roman Empire, nor did they want to join with it. They kept themselves seperate waiting for the Messiah. The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, commonly believed to be their library. These documents include preserved multiple copies of the Hebrew Bible untouched from as early as 300 BC until their discovery in 1946.



What makes this important? I wanted everyone to think about we ourselves may be like Essenes. We seperate ourselves from the world. We like to hide out in the cave of church where we think it safe and keep the scriptures, the bible, the wisdom in it to ourselves. We use words that someone from the outside would never understand, and we never venture out to get to know anyone, and we are just holding on until "Jesus comes." We are not in this world to make a difference, but just hope that God will save us from this evil world and rescue us to heaven in the near future. We do not think that we will be able to make a difference. We think that no act of kindness or love will really make a difference to anyone, so we do not try. We huddle together in church, only speak to church people, and keep ourselves under the illusion that we are important.

Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.
When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?"

Luke 19: 1-7

Jesus did not isolate himself from some evil world. He actually made himself a part of the world around him. He was "getting cozy with this crook." Jesus went out and actually interacted with this sinful, evil world, and saw the beauty in it. He brought grace to those that were in desperate need of it. He brought love and acceptance to those that were desperately looking for it. He helped people become a part of God's story again! He helped people realize that they had forgotten whose they were and who had made them! The only way to do this was to interact with the world, make friends with people that needed him, and let them know by his actions that they were needed and loved.

So do we have any Essenes within ourselves? We want to live a life seperated, isolated from the world. We want to keep this amazing grace and love secret because we could not defile ourselves, it would not make a difference anyway. This world is so evil. How often do you/we want to live away from the "evils" of this world. We isolate our children from situations and ideas that are God's but they grow up thinking that those ideas and God are two totally seperate things. We think that you have to believe one and discount the other. We wonder why our young people have such a hard time when they go to college being able to integrate their faith into what they learn. We isolate ourselves. We become irrelavant to the culture around us because we refuse to understand it and interact with it. We just want to sit back and wait for the day Jesus comes and saves us.

Do not isolate yourself anymore if you have some Essene in you. Begin to get involved in the story of other people's lives and see that God is actively involved in their lives too, they just need someone to point them in the right direction. They just need someone to love them and believe in them. They just need to be shown what grace truly means. Begin to have conversations with people, they are spiritually hungry and desperately looking for God.

Namaste'

What Does it Mean to be a Christian?

For me what it means to be a Christian is simple. Yet it can be very complicated if you are stuck to using old definitions or looking at things in the same way we have for the last 100 years. Simply put being a Christian means that a person is following in the way of his Master – Jesus. I use these words on purpose. It is always how I have seen my spiritual and Christian life. I have decided that Jesus in the Master I am choosing to lead me on the path to God and find meaning in my life. There are many choices, but I have decided to choose Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus must be my Master and I his disciple, much like I would have a Master, a Sensei, or a teacher to help school me in the way of karate, playing the guitar, or my chosen career field. Jesus teaches me the way to live my life. As I live and practice the life Jesus teaches me I become more and more of an expert and I begin to teach this to others who want to walk and live their life in the way of Jesus. Today we use words like discipleship or spiritual formation, but in short I would help someone live a life in a manner that God had created them for. As they lived their life in the way of Jesus (as they become disciples in this way) they too would experience joy and peace from God their creator.

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20

Being a Christian means that I see Jesus as my Master in life. Not in the sense that I am a slave bound to a life of servitude, but I have chosen this master because I believe his ways are the ways that lead me to a life in God. I want Jesus to teach me, I do bow to his authority as a Master Teacher, and I submit myself to doing the things he calls me to, whether they make sense or not to me. A slave is brought along unwillingly and begrudgingly does his duties so that he will not be punished or hurt by his master. Willingly submitting to my chosen master is a daily, sometimes moment by moment decision that I take seriously. It effects every interaction I have with others, every thought I have, every decision that I make, and is a life that is lived on a conscious level rather than an unconscious level. I have not chosen this master only to get my “ticket” stamped “accepted” so that I no longer have to worry about how I interact, think, or decide how to live my life. That would cheapen and void the grace that I was given that allowed me to pick Jesus as my master that I did not deserve. It means that I do not concern myself with looking good on the outside and making sure that I “do” right behaviors, but that I am totally immersed in issues of my heart.

Jesus replied, "You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there."

Matthew 15:16-20

This gets me to exactly what is the way that the master is teaching me? Jesus’ way was one that did not join any tribe, clan, or presupposed action. Jesus did not join in with the Pharisees, the Zealots, the Essenes, or anyone else that thought they knew what “Messiah” would look like. He was also not a “Christian.” There were no such terms for him when he lived, he was not even known as the Christ. There were just people who chose to follow his way of living. The way of Jesus went against every way that people thought would be the way. His was not to get along with the Romans, or to take them over by force, or to avoid the world altogether and hope they would go away. Jesus’ way was one of kindness, compassion, love, grace, creativity, and expansiveness that brought a power that no one was expecting. He was kind to people who the Pharisee thought were the very people holding up the coming of God’s king because of their sin. (John 8:2-4) He called for peace and love, not joining in with the anger of others, and attempting to overcome by force. (Matthew 5: 38-40) He was active and involved in all matters in his community, never avoiding the chance to bring others into the story of God. (Luke 19:4-10)

So to be a Christian is to be a follower of this way. It is for me to be a diligent learner, a disciple, of the way that Jesus lived and replicate it to the best that God empowers me to. To be a person that brings peace, love, light, and salt to the world around me through each interaction I have with others, the things that I think, and the decisions that I make. It is to become a “little Christ” - a Mini Me of Christ if you will. In doing this others will be attracted to Jesus, God, because Jesus is lifted up in this way. Others will want to be a part of such a great and glorious story and they do will ask Jesus to be their teacher, their master, their Lord. They will learn, have a formation in, the way of Jesus through others who have gone before them. This process continues until the world has been redeemed through the way of Jesus. Jesus’ revolution, his kingdom, comes to earth right here and right now.

Namaste'

Nourishment

Were do you get your spiritual nourishment from? Could it be from being kind to one another and drinking in the kindness of God? Could it have nothing at all to do with anger, evil, or violence of any kind? How do we really bring the kingdom of God to this earth?

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

I Peter 1:2-3

Could it be that when we are filled with thoughts of anger, wanting to hurt others, jealousy, and bitterness that we have not truly had an full expereince of salvation? Could it be that salvation includes so much more than "making it to heaven" and getting my pass through the "pearly gates" stamped accepted? Could it be that the experience is an ongoing transformative experience, not a one time one prayer fits all experience?

Sure we get to go to heaven. Sure we get to be with Christ when we pass from this life to the next, but how does that impact us right here and right now? How does our salvation truly impact the world right here and right now? If we get salvation as a one time experience and it never changes us into people who live out the kindness of God - what good is it really?

Cry out and begin to get the nourishment of God. Search for it, drink it in, and let it change the way you live everyday. Do more than just make sure you got your ticket stamped "accepted." Live, breath, and drink in the way of the master, the way of Jesus. Act it out with each person you meet in each day you have. Imagine a world where the people who call themselves Christian are not really worried about this title. Instead they are worred about being Christ-like, full of kindness as their God. They no longer have violent thoughts, jealousy, anger, worry, or evil thoughts and acts. Would not the kingdom of God become real in this life if we truly received our nourishment from the source of our creation? And that is the problem - we all think that we are separate from God and we just have to wait until that day....... Do we really or are we really connected to the living God through the gift of Christ? If we are then nourishment is available to us to turn us into the living kindness of God to others.

Namaste'

View

How do you view the world? I spend a lot of time in my sessions talking to people about their "view" of the world around them. Many times couples see the exact same behavior, but take it to mean two totally different things. The way that you view the world comes from how you think and what is inside your heart and mind. So what is there? Is it the kingdom of God that is there, that informs your view of the world around you?

"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."

Matthew 5:7-9

I hope that we all get our inside world right. I hope that we all do not worry so much about being a Christian as much as we do about being Christ-like. I hope that we all do not worry so much about being cared for, but caring for others. I hope we all do not worry so much about being served, but serving. I hope that we all do not worry so much about being right, but being kind. I hope we all do not worry so much about being right, but being kind with cooperation. This is when we will discover who we really are.

Namaste'

Spiritual Maturity

What is this? I mean spiritual maturity, that is reserved for the giants of our faith right? "It is such an awesome thing to think that I could ever reach that." "That will never happen for me." "That is reserved for people who have time for that kind of thing." These are just a few of the things we think about when the words "spiritual maturity" is thrown around. It is some impossible goal out there somewhere beyond our reach. However, the reality of being spiritually mature is right there for the taking. Do I think that any of us will ever reach perfection in this area, one day becoming completely mature - of course not! Jesus told us the way, the path, and it is a simple way to follow each and everyday.

Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."
The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!"
When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, "You're almost there, right on the border of God's kingdom."

Mark 12:29-34

There is no other commandment other than these. What would be the consequence of following just these two commandments? Would you worry about your life? Would you be tempted to look at that porn? Would you be angry with the people around you? Would you be concerned about your ego and how it was hurt? Would you be able to understand the hurt and pain of others, you family, and listen to and comfort them? What would be the consequence of knowing these and living these commandments? Would it place you right at the border of God's kingdom? I think it would and it does. If I am consumed with these two commands, all the others are followed without even having to think about them. Read this:

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

2 Peter 1:3-9

Spiritual maturity is understanding that we all have imperfections. Spiritual maturity is understand that I do not have to "fix" you. Spiritual maturity is allowing God to do that and me to just love you. Spiritual maturity is allowing God to be the one who is in control, not thinking that I am doing something for God. Spiritual maturity is knowing God so well I cannot help but live like God. Spiritual maturity is knowing God so well that nothing can flow out of me except God in love, actions, compassion, kindness, hope, faith, creativity, passion, awe, friendliness, patience, understanding, and peace. If this is done I cannot help but love my neighbor, not matter who that may be - "christian" or not. If this is done how would I fall into anger, bitterness, frustration, depression, anxiety, etc?

Today, just love God and others. Get to know God and stop worrying about if you are "sinning" or not. Get to know God and as you do begin to act like what you know about God. Watch how spiriutality mature you can become. Perfect? Never, but you can expereince the kingdom of God now.

Namaste'

Vigorous

Vigorous - Strong, energetic, and active in mind or body; robust. This is faith - vigorous. It takes energy. It takes being active with mind and body. It takes confidence to engage God. This is the way.

Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives.

Luke 13:24-25

We can't just "hang out" and think that will get us to God. Life with God is active, energetic, and mark with fullness. The way to life and to God is active with practices of daily living. It is more than a prayer and a chair on Sunday. It is an active, day to day, practical, living out of the teachings, the way, of Jesus. We cannot just hang out and watch people do this. We cannot just be a passage observer of people who actually follow the way. We ourselves must be vigorous in following the way.

So today do not just sit by and hang out, be vigorous in your life. Give your spiritual life, the way of God, total attention. How are you going to make the next decision? How are you going to treat your family and coworkers today? How are you going to be with that total stranger who is angry and pushy with you? Get in the story of life and be active and healthy.

Namaste'

Purpose Driven

What is your life purpose? What is the reason that you are here on this earth? What are you here to do and accomplish? I heard a speaker say once that he read the novel The Death of Ivan Ilyich. At the end of the novel the man is on his death bed and looks up at his wife and says to her, "Maybe I did not live as I ought to have done." I would hate to get to that place in my life and feel regret. What is your intention? My intention is to do the following with my life:

Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Colossians 3:9-14

I am done with that old life. Are you going to be done with that old life? This life is one of pleasing others, being worried about things, and being driven by worries and fears. It was a life that was driven by certain names, teams, and tribes. It was a life that was full of exclusion and fighting about what was right and wrong. I am done with that. I am going to live my life, as best as I can, with all the purpose and intention, to live with "compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave," with love being the most important garment. This is my purpose, my intention. To love all, serve all, and to allow all to find their way to God. God is calling them I will allow God to do what God does and try to not get in the way.

What is your purpose? Do not die with it still in you. Do not lie on your bed wondering if you did it all wrong. Do not ignore that still small voice in your heart and mind that calls to you, but you quiet it like a little annoying child because of your own fear. Joy and peace are calling to you. Excitement is calling to you. God is calling you there - listen.

Namaste'

Imperfections

We all have imperfections. I know we do not like to think about that, but we do. We all like to be frustrated with the imperfections of others. We tend to shy away from those individuals who we think have some kind of imperfection that we do not like, that would not make them a part of our tribe, christian. We even shun them at times.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Galatians 6:1-3

So I wonder, How much pain, anger, frustration, sadness, and hopelessness do we cause ourselves because we are unwilling to allow people to have their imperfections. We fight to make people part of our tribe. We do not help and we actually cause ourselves more pain and confusion because we are not helping those who need us. When we are unable to let go of our need to be “right” and allow God to work in their lives as God sees fit. When we have to be right we are far from perfection ourselves. We are angry, upset, sad, frustrated. This is far from the perfection of love, beauty, hope, compassion, abundance, and kindness set for our by Jesus. In our refusal to let go and allow imperfections to be a part of ourselves and others, we are actually causing ourselves and others more pain. We are forgoing any peace and joy that is being offered to us by God.
Imagine if we could let go and allow other people to be the imperfect people they are how much better we would feel, they would feel, and the world would feel. Imagine a world where you just give away kindness, love, hope, joy, peace, and life. Imagine how your day would go if you could just give up the frustrations with others imperfections. No more worries about how someone is driving in the traffic. No more frustrations at the person who you think should be thanking you for something. No more anger at your spouse for not remembering what you thought they should remember. No more sadness that your child has not followed all directions and made a mistake. No more worry when a person in front of you in a line takes longer than you want because they cannot find something. It is all imperfection. Our imperfections bother other people around us and we are never aware. They stand behind us in line and get frustrated. They drive behind us in traffic and wish we would go faster. They wished we would have heard the directions and followed them. They wished we would have thanked them for something. We need to realize that we are all cookie thieves. I have put this here before but I need the reminder today:

A woman was waiting at the airport one night, With several long hours before her flight.

She hunted for a book in the airport shop, Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,

That the man beside her, as bold as could be, Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between, Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene

She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,

As the gustly "cookie thief" diminished her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,

Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took, he took one too.

When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.

With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, and he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, "Oh brother, This guy has some nerve, and he's also so rude, Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled,

And sighed with relief when her flight was called.

She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,

Refusing to look at the "thieving ingrate".

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, Then sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.

There were her bag of cookies in front of her eyes! "If mine are here," she moaned with despair. "Then the others were his and he tried to share!"

Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,

That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!!!!

Today remember not to be the cookie thief. We all have imperfections.

Namaste'

Urgency

"I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time." This line stuck out at me tonight as I read "Blue Like Jazz." I started thinking how true this is. We worry so much about the evil that we, or others, may do that we waste our time in ways that are really meaningless. We spend our time protesting the ills of society, the choices that people make, the things we think need to be changed, and all the time the real thing that needs to change we never look at.

We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Romans 13:11

What should we be up and about doing? We should be up and about changing our hearts. We are sleeping and involved in frivolity and indulgence when we are worried about everyone else's heart but our own. We forget that we are just as capable of sin as any other human being in the world is. We get caught up in being "religious" and we waste time in the habit of selfishness and our heart cannot engage with God.

As the Ruin Falls

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.

I never had a selfless thought since I was born.

I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:

I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,

I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:

I talk of love --a scholar's parrot may talk Greek--

But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.

I see the chasm. And everything you are was making

My heart into a bridge by which I might get back

From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls.

The pains You give me are more precious than all other gains.

C.S. Lewis

We say we love, but do we really? We say that we are involved in the urgency of God's work, but are we really? Noting changes until we become urgent about changing the person we see in the mirror every morning.

Namaste'

Rules or Kindness

We all like rules. Rules help us to know and understand exactly what to do. Rules help define where the boundaries are and help to keep us safe. Rules help us to have limits for ourselves and others. Rules help us exercise some control over what is going on around us.
We all like kindness. Kindness makes us feel good. Kindness allows us to be good to others and others to be good to us. Kindness is a way of showing love to someone who may desperately need to know they are loved. Kindness is acceptance of another.

When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place. There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, "Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?" They were baiting him.
He replied, "Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn't, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!" Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out and it was healed. The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.

Matthew 12:0-14

So which one "trumps" the other? Rules or kindness? It appears to me that kindness is our trump card, so to speak. We all have rules about what people should or should not be like. We all have expectations about what should or should not be happening in someone elses life. We all have rules, spoken or unspoken, about how we think the world and people should look and behave. We all shun those who do not fall into the "rules" we have made. We tell ourselves they are too conservative, too liberal, listen to the wrong music, drink, are gay, go to a different kind of church, divorced, etc. - on we go with our list of rules and how it should work. It keeps us safe we think. It keeps us within the limits and boundaries that God wants us in. Rules help us know the difference between right and wrong.

Kindness is legal too. It is available to all people all the time. We can still be kind to those who we think are too conservative, too liberal, listen to the wrong music, drink, are gay, go to a different kind of church, divorced, etc. They need kindness too. They need kindness even if they and who they are do not fall within our rules. Kindness brings them to a place of trusting. Kindness brings them to a place that they can be healed. Kindness brings us to a place where we can understand.

Isn't this the point, not to be so caught up in the rules that we miss out on rescueing and being kind to someone in need? How many times have we missed out on being like God to someone, showing them Jesus because we have to follow our rules? How many times have we passed by someone in need of our kindness, but because the rules say "not on the sabbath," we keep on walking. How many times have we left somone with no kindness because we have to be right and follow our rules? How many times have we as Christians missed the chance to love because we told ourselves "I am a christian and I can't allow myself to be kind to you, you (fill in the blank) and that is not a part of what the rules say you can do as a christian." So we avoid, we create walls, and we stand in our world right, as those in need stand outside in need.

Today, just today do one thing. When presented with the choice to be right or kind pick kindness.

Namaste'

Host to God

What do you host in your life? What do you receive or entertain in you life? Is there anything that is holding you hostage? What are you manipulated by, not able to make your own decisions? We need to remember that everyday we have a choice. Everyday we have a choice to be a host or a hostage to something. How do we make that decision?

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

1 Peter 2:9-12

We have been choosen by God, choosen for a purpose. We are to be the instruments, the host, to God. We are to recieve go and entertain God by living like God, using the gifts we have given to bring out the God colors in the world. What are these tools? I think that they are love, kindness, forgiveness, creativity, compassion, joy, peace, and faith. This allows us to speak out for him, to live like him, and to attract others to God.

We also have a choice to live for our own egos. We forget that we are not in this world to be home here. We forget that we are not to make ourselves cozy and comfortable. If we do we are indulging our self at the expense of who we really are. So we can let our ego control us by being worried about these things:

1) I am what I have

2) I am what I do

3) I am what others think of me

These are all identities we have with the world. These are all the things that we attempt to have so that we are cozy and comfortable in the world. We forget that we are spiritual beings, God's children, no human beings. When we are a hostage to ego, we are attempting to have an identity that will not last. So if I try to identify myself by my job, or your opinion, or the things I have - who am I when I lose my job, you do not like me, or I lose my stuff? I am a hostage to these things. I must have these thing to feel good, to feel better, and to be happy. I am a hostage to this world.

So today I will present you with a choice. You can live live with all the instruments that God has given you when you realized and changed from human being to a spiritual being. You can live with all the joy, peace, kindness, love, forgiveness, and compassion. You can live worried, frustrated, angry, sad, and depressed that you do not have enough stuff, you do not have the right job, or that somebody does not like you. Today you have a choice to Be a host to God or a hostage to ego. Come home today.

Namaste'

Usefulness

How do you know when you are useful? How do you know when that you are being used for what your purpose is? There is a sign that lets us know we are doing what God would have us do and that we are living in the way of Jesus:

"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Matthew 5:10-13

I think that most people take this passage to mean that we need to speak out against evil in the world. That when you are speaking out against evil and people become offended by this you are doing exactly what God has asked of you and you are being the salt in the world. However, I would like to challange that notion. What if living the way of Jesus actually offends people who call themselves "christians" or "christ followers?" What happens when they attempt to discredit you?

I believe that the "God-flavors" of this earth are simple ones. The flavors that make life more full and worth living. They include - love, compassion, creativity, hope, faith, goodness, kindness, and service. These are the things that bring out the God flavors on this earth. These are the actions that bring a "full-flavor" to living for all! People feeling loved for who they are. People being treated and treating others with kindness. People being creative and using all they have been created with to glorify their Creator. People living with hope and inspiration. People serving one another out of love and compassion, rather than out of compulsion or duty.

However, to do this requires that a person begin to understand what lies deep in their heart- why they may judge others, why they only identify with a certian tribe, why they resist loving others, why they resist the idea of service, why they resist giving up ego. If a person has not looked deeply into themselves to discover these things and they confronted with a person who is living the way of Jesus - this may make "the truth too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable." If I am filled with anger, judgement, frustration, demanding that the world work in a certain way to please me, in short - ego - then I have lost my usefulness. There is no way to bring out the "God-flavors" of the earth with this kind of living, thinking, or attitude. It was not the way of Jesus. I have found that the more loving I become, the more accepting I become, the more I attempt to live the way of Jesus (I will never make it) the more people challanged their own thinking about their spiritual lives. However, I also find the more angry and frustrated others get when I do not share their views that we are here to demand that people live in a certain way. It challanges me to think. I think it may challange them, but in a way that is very uncomfortable because it requires a look at self.

You see, we all like to avoid looking at our self. We like to think we could be useful without having to do such a thing. Really, though, Jesus commanded it. Jesus words are all about looking at our inner self and changing that so that we could begin to change what is outside in the world. To bring out the God-flavors of the earth really requires for me to learn how to be salt. It requires me to learn how to make things taste flavorful, full, attractive, zestful, and lively. The way of Jesus was to be salt and to bring light. Jesus did this by service, love, compassion, creativity, kindness, hope, goodness, and faith. People were attracted to this. When we lift Jesus up like this he said that "I will draw everyone to myself." (John 12:32) It is challanging to have to really look at our heart, our self and change. It is uncomfortable.

Love today. If someone does not like it be glad for Jesus does. You are bringing out the God-flavors of the world and you are lifting Jesus up. You are living in the way of Jesus. You are living like Jesus making the world a flavorful, full, attractive, zestful, and lively place to be!

Namaste'

Smoke Screens

Ever thought that we all use smoke screens to cover up things that we do not want to think about or know about ourselves. We all use them so that we will not have to look at our own behavior, but rather be able to judge others behaviors. We like to prove how right we are so that way we can avoid looking at what we are doing wrong. We "stand on our soap box" and tell people what things they should or should not be doing, all the while we are doing something that is not acceptable. In psychology we call this a projection. We projection onto others the things that make us mad about ourselves. Psychology also calls it a judgement. The cognitive process of reaching a decision. We most often come to judgements that are favorable to us. The bible calls it "smoke screens."

Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done.
You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

Romans 2:3-4

I often say to myself (because I need to remind myself a lot) and others, "when I or other people make a judgement about you that are saying nothing about you, but everything about themselves." When we make a judgement we are saying a lot about ourselves - what we are willing to tolerate, what makes us angry, what makes us sad, what makes us happy, what we allow to push our "buttons," and even what things we may not have dealt with yet in our lives. However, none of us "get off the hook" for these things, try as we might.

I am so glad that God is kind. God's kindness takes us by the hand and leads us to "radical life-change." I love this phrase. This radical life change begins with us accepting God's kindness. Accepting God kindness means that I have to be open minded to the reality that I am also a sinner loved by a kind God. If it were not for the grace of God, I could be the one someone is judging. As a matter of fact, the only difference between me and someone else that I think is "sinning," is that I recognize God loves me and is kind towards me. Since I can recognize this I am called, not to judge others, but to show them the kindness that God has shown me. This reminds me that I am constantly in need of love and kindness. To judge them, to constantly be worried about having to show others how they are "sinning," keeps me from seeing my own sin - it is a smoke screen.

So today practice compassion for others by being kind and loving as God is to you. Practice kindness and love for yourself by not judging others creating a smoke screen so that you do not have to think about yourself and what is happening with you. When we can clearly see ourselves radical life-change has to come.

Namaste'

God Identity

How do we identify ourselves? At times I know that I like to identify myself through what I do for a living, how much money I may make, what other people's opinions are of me, or some standard that allows me to feel better about myself. When I think of myself in this way my ego is the thing in control of me. It is the way that I am identifying myself. This is a source of anger, fear, frustration, worry, anxiety, and negative thinking for me. It is not really me. It is not my identity.

"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

Luke 6:35-36

To really live a God identity I have to let go of my ego, my ideas of what I think would make me feel good and measure up somehow. I have to be like Christ, who was God, but gave that up to become a servant to all. This is so hard for us to do. We live in a culture that is all about identifying ourselves through status, success, making others think we are ok, and that we are successfully part of some group that accepts us. We do not want to let this go. We hold onto to it for dear life, even though we think we don't, we do. I do it everyday that I worry about what people think about what I write. I do it everyday that I wonder if I have done enough to take care of my family and wonder if my wife loves me for it. I do it everyday that I wonder how successful my business is and how could I make if more successful.

All these things are about me, they are about my ego, they are about me attempting to identify myself outside of my real identity in God. My real identity is to be like Christ to let go of my ego and become a servant to others. I know that when I can do this scripture becomes alive in my life and I do not regret it. It is so scary for us to do this. We think we are in control of our lives, that we actually can do something powerful through our own ability. We think we have to be right and we forget how to be kind. We think we have to always be advancing ourselves doing something and we forget to stop and serve. It is counter to our way of thinking that service and generousity to others will bring us peace and joy, but it seems to be the way of Jesus.

Today you have a choice to be a hostage to your ego and live in fear, anger, and frustration - or be a host to God and live a life that you will not regret with peace and joy. It is a daily and most of the time a moment by moment choice to let go of ego. Practice today and let someone in line in front of you. Pick something up for someone. Do something for someone rather than asking them to do it. Pay for the person's meal in front of you in line. Give a thank you card. Live your real created identity today.

Namaste'

Deep Consciousness

Many of us live our lives unconscious. We are in such a hurry. We are either thinking about something in the future or something in the past. We spend our day in worry and something that we think will happen. We live unaware of what prompts us to make decisions, the reasons we react the way we do, and always striving so hard. To be unconscious is to be unable to notice or respond to things which one would normally be aware of and to not aware of one's actions or behaviour.
However to have deep consciousness is to be alert and awake and to be aware of one's surroundings and of oneself. How often I find that we are not aware or awke to ourself or our surroundings. We live life in such a hurry, never slowing down, never taking the time to be conscious of what is really important and how real change can come to our lives.

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.

I Peter 1:18

We must be travel life at a slower pace to be alert, awake, and aware of ourselves, our surroundings, our God. Too many times we never give thoughts to God, we are never aware that God is right here right now. We sit in a place and become angry because we are not being served the way we think we should. We demand our rights be taken seriously and first. We rush and hurry to be in first place. We become sad and scared because things are not working as we planned and we hurry to make sure they will tomorrow. We are deeply unconscious. We are on a journey with no map, no rudder, no steering wheel, with no awareness. We have no awareness that God is present and we act like we have forgotten who we are and what we have been called to.

Today live your life in deep consciousness of God. Be aware of every moment you are in. Live like Jesus. Treat people like Jesus. Be aware. Be awake. Use every moment to be conscious of what you are thinking, how it effects the moment you are in, and what it is like to slow your life down to a conscious speed. God is here. God is always present. Be concsious of that fact. Be aware of that and live it, be it.

Namaste'

Tribe

What happens at a Georgia and Georgia Tech game? There are two tribes of people rooting for their team. Let me set the stage. For some strange reason there are two Georgia fans sitting, with two seats between them, next to two Georgia Tech fans. The games starts and they both give their own cheers for their team, their tribe. The Georgia fans say "goooooo dawgs sick em' woof, woof, woof at the kickoff. The Georgia Tech fans sing their song when the team scores - "I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer." Back and forth they go cheering for their team and being a part of their "tribe." The two seats in between these warring tribes are people who just came to watch the game and have no alliance with either team, it is just exciting to be there. These two people are eating hot dogs. One of them begins to choke on the hot dog and his friend stands up and yells "my friend is choking on his hotdog!" What do the Georgia and Georgia Tech fans do? Of course, before they help they ask "are you a bulldog fan?" "Are you a yellow jacket fan?"

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Philippians 3:2-9

Beware of those that want to identify themselves with the "tribe" before they can help you. They hinder good in the world; they do not help advance good in the world. Paul is saying that he once identified with the tribe of jewish leaders and he thought others had to do the same to be a part of the establishment and before he could help or acknowledge them.

So, if the fans have to make sure that the hurting person identifies with his or her "tribe" before they can help, they are not advancing good in the world. Of course, they would help without thought if the person is a jacket or a dog fan. Paul is reminding us to beware of the "dogs" - those who who think they are advancing good in the world, but actually hold it back with their rules and expectations about what you are to do to belong to the tribe.

The Georgia and the Georgia Tech fan can be helpful to this person and remain a fan of their team. They still are a member of their "tribe" even though they help someone who is not. Even though the bulldog fan may jump in and help the struggling and choking person, they are still a Georgia fan. They can transcend their identity to help and advance good. This is the advancing of good in the world.

We can be Christian and help those who are not in our "tribe" and we are still Christian. We can trancend our identity as a "Christian" and advance good in the world, we advance the love of Christ. When we want to say that we cannot help.......... (fill in the blank) because they are not Christian we are not advancing good, we are holding back good and evil advances. This is how Paul describes himself as someone who once did this before he met the power of Christ's love. His identity with his tribe was worthless if it did not help and bring others to the transforming love of God. So, how are we doing as a tribe of Christians? Are you able to transcend your identity with the tribe and help those who need it even though they do not act or believe as you do? Advance love and good in the world and transcend your identity as a Christian. You are still Christian even if you help those who would never cheer for your team. Maybe they will actually decide to if you just helped without question. Anyone remember the story of the good samaritan?

Namaste'

Christian

Today I sit and wonder something - "Am I a Christian?" I have had to hear many things through the last year of my life that make me wonder if I could be a Christian. I consider myself a Christ follower, a follower of the way of Jesus, but maybe not Christian. I have been told, not directly but very indirectly, these things: That if you are Christian you have to be a republican. If you are a Christian you have to do certian things to be able to serve in a church. If you are a Christian there are certain things that you have to dislike, hate almost. If you are Christian you have to believe that God is on someone's side, that God actually takes sides in people's lives. If you are Chrisitian you will pray for our country and pray that "righteousness will prevail." If you are Christian you are concerned about only a few issues - abortion, homosexuality, prayer in schools, and moral decline. If you are Christian you must believe that we have to tell people how to live and define righteousness for them. If you are a Christian you would never think of being a part of words like liberal, democrat, or even moderate. If you are a Christian it means a very narrowly defined set of standards and beliefs that you must hold to and not deviate from. If you are Christian you worry much about the state of people's souls for eternity and worry little about how they may be living right now. If you are Christian you must be evangelical and there are certain hills that you must protect and die on if necessary.

I sit and I think to myself, "if this is really true I guess I must not be a Christian." You see I believe that we are all children of God, whether we recognize it or not. I believe that God loves us all and that grace does really mean that "there is nothing I can do to make God love me more and there is nothing I can do to make God love me less." God loves as much as God can. I believe that Christ came to show us how this grace should change our lives individually - the way we think about ourselves and our relationship to a God that loves us and serves us. I believe that this grace, applied to our lives, changes how we love those around us and treat them. I believe that Jesus did not become a part of the politcal process for a reason. I believe that Jesus never joined a "cause" but came and demonstrated that change comes to all by service to each other. I believe that we all have "sin" to remind us that we are not in control of life, but something greater than ourselves is and we work together to support each other through all the struggles we have in life. I believe that my job is not to judge, lest I be judged, but to look into my own life and make sure I am careful about what I am vomiting up from my heart. I believe that Jesus just cared about people and this changed them. I believe Jesus came to show us how to live like God and not how to live for God. God does not need anyone living for him, being his cheerleader. God does need people who live like him and love despite whomever is directly in front of you. I believe Jesus specifically had compassion for people meaning he understood what the world looked like as if he was looking through their eyes. He knew this and it deeply moved him to action. It moved him so much to action that he gave his life away to the ultimate painful death to bring people back to God, to teach people how to treat each other. This to me is Christian. The way of Jesus is very simple. The way means that I have the faith of a child and just trust that God has got this, freeing myself to love and demonstrate my compassion. These are the verses that move me in my spirituality:

Matthew 25:36-38
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

Matthew 19:13-15
One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left.

Matthew 22:38-40

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Matthew 5:43-45
"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

Philippians 2
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Christian? I guess it is according to how you define it.

Namaste'

Equal

Equal is having the same quantity, measure, or value as another. I wonder if we really believe that if we call ourself a follower of the way of Jesus? Everyone is equal in the eyes of God. We all are children of God, even if we do not count ourselves as a follower of the way of Christ, we are a child of God. Even more should we recognize that we are the same if we count ourselves as followers of Christ.

In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

Galatians 3:28-29

How can this help me in my daily walk as a follower of Jesus? I hope that it will allow us to treat all people we meet as an equal. I hope that we could recognize that everyone we meet will be seen as a part of us. We will be effected by this and treat everyone with kindness, compassion, and love. There is no difference between me and the person on the other side of the world. We are children of God. We have been loved by the same God, and made for a purpose by the same God. It is a call to reach out to whomever is in front of me and love. In each moment that I have I need to remember that my only calling in this world is to love and to find the joy of God. There is no joy in hate. There is no joy in attempting to make others different than us and pointing out those differences. There is immense joy in finding out how we are equal, how we are the same, and how God is working everywhere for everyone. Stop looking for the differences and begin to look for what makes us the same - equal - we all have the same value. It is the whole meaning of

Namaste'

Wholly Mature

Mature means to bring to full development, to ripen, to work out fully in the mind. Wholly means exclusively; solely. To be wholly mature to be exclusive and soley fully developed to one specific thing.

"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

John 15:9-15

Jesus tells us here that that specific thing that we should be wholly mature in is the joy of God. Imagine begin wholly mature with the joy of God! How do we do this? How to we become exclusively, solely, fully developed in the joy of God? I love the definition of mature that says to "work it out fully in the mind." Do we understand how to love as Jesus loved? Do we understand the purpose we are here for - to be joyful, cheerful. We find this kind of joy through loving of others the way we have been loved by our God. This is the way of Jesus. To be wholly mature we are no longer servants of God, but friends of God. We understand the "secret" to living. We understand that the secret to life is to love and when we love this way we find joy.

However to "make ourselves at home in his love," we need to practice thinking and serving like Jesus. We must fully work out in our mind what it means to truly love. We must fully work out in our mind all the things that would hold us back from loving. We must understand our anger, our frustrations, our worries, our fears, and be able to trust completely the loving, caring God. We must understand that commands are not about doing right and wrong, they are about uderstanding the mind of God and how to love as God loves.

Be wholly mature today. Be completely and totally developed in loving like Jesus. Be God's friend and not just a servant. Be like Jesus in your thinking, have the mind of God. Understand the commands and you understand the mind of God. This takes more than a reading of them to gain understanding. It takes a full working out of them in practice and in the mind. It takes practice to fully develop them into habits that impact your life and lead to the love of all those around you. It takes practice to become a fully "ripe" or "seasoned" at anything you do. the same is true of your spiritual life. It takes practice. It takes silence. It takes acting out what you have learned. It takes feedback from people who care. It takes openness of your heart. There is no way to be ripe in God's love, to be at home in God's love, unless you fully develop yourself through practice and thought. Start practicing so that you will be wholly mature in the joy of God!

Namaste'