My Sin & My Spirit

I am perplexed by the idea that if sin in me is dead and my spirit is alive in Christ, how is that sin still remains? I am wrestling with this idea that I am in desperate need to feed my spirit and starve my flesh. But how? What can help me through all this? Do you ever find yourself at odds, desiring to do good, but finding that you still do evil? Of course. We all do... I have been reading Paul because I know he has the answers, I somehow I think he's an expert in this area...

I'm reading Romans 7 & 8...

7:9 - "I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is hold, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."

I'm trying to understand Paul in context to his upcoming verses. When we follow "law" we think we're alive, but really the sin deceives us and takes ahold of us. He then goes on to as

k if the "good" in me brings death? By no means he says..."It was the sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin..."

Ok...

7:14 - "...but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do no do what I want, but I do the very thing I Hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is not longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but no the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do know want is what I keep doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."

So it seems to me that we have the answer. It's the sin in me that is dwelling and not the real me. No, that is not where we stop. We read on because I am not convinced that is going to help me understand who I am in Christ and the sin that is in me. Paul want us to understand the whole thing, not just part of it.

I'll summarize what Paul is saying in verses 21-25: We find that evil is always close at hand, but in our deepest part of our hearts we delight in the Lord. But of course other "members" of our body seem to wage war on us, keeping the fight going. He is frustrated by the fact that the war still wages in his body, but who can deliver him from this "body of death?" (That is exactly the turning point in our thinking. If we just stop at that fact that we know that it is sin in me, we tend to justify that sin, because it's "oh just sin in me, not really me." But Paul has got us to change our thinking...)

Paul's answer: 7:25 "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

See I wonder how many us think about the fact that we are dead to sin, but alive in Christ. I know I know that, but until it comes to fruition in mind and ultimately in my actions, we are continually trapped at "it's just the sin in me." But I am learning that we DO have to "renew" our minds daily. Change our thinking, change our mindset, turn our heads around... And more exciting is what Paul says in chapter 8...

8:9 - "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you... 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."

Even a few verses later he says when we live by the Spirit we will LIVE. Our spirit is alive, it gives us Life. I have to continually wrap my mortal mind around that fact that my body - with all it's members that are trying to wage war - has to listen to the Spirit in me. Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit does dwell in me, and my body has to respond to it. My body is dead. My Spirit is alive in Christ. And it's takes the renewing of my mind every day, every moment pretty much. It's hard work. It's a battle. We are at war, but we have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling inside us. That gives me hope, that gives me courage and now gives me new life to live for today.

(please add to, suggest or comment on this topic as we are all on this path...thanks!)

Are There Not Twelve Hours of Daylight?

(this was written awhile ago, but still pertains now...)

This armor isn’t shielding
And my white banner isn’t yeilding
The blood from my fists has dried on my demons by now
My lungs – my fuel, they’ve burned in fire
And I’m the fool
I’m the liar

My shield is steady for burning arrows
But why am I charred at the shoulder
My helmet loosens with every dark blank step
Threatened I am now your solider
But kissing mothers and brothers goodbye doesn’t bring daylight
If we would drop our blades and our knees to regain sight

My twelve hours of daylight are never enough
Soon my feet will be blistered bruised so rough
Take back my sword and shield
Face the black night across the field
Joined hands bound so tight
Nothing is stronger than following at daylight
Darkness will not swallow me whole
Your lamp will light my path tonight

Finding Strength in the Ordinary Days

Lately I've been discussing with Dan the spiritual disciplines. We're both reading "The Spiritual Discipline's" by Dallas Willard (actually he already finished, i'm still reading) and the book has been rocking our world's. It's awesome. Many discussion have been brought up regarding doing the discipines yet still feeling ordinary, or not feeling much from them. I am the first to admit my need for more discipline, I need it desperately. Dan has taken enormous steps in this and I am so proud of him for his discipline; truly leading by example. But it's those days that still feel ordinary, like God isn't "doing" much in our hearts or in our sphere, that is unsettling in our hearts. If and when we partake in the disciplines that Jesus did, do we think something magical is going to happen, like a sudden holiness? As we take our time to pray, read, be in solitude, fast, let us approach it all with a pure heart...

I re-read a great devotional from my favorite, Oswald Chambers, tonight that really hit me. It's sums up this idea quite well. Though I have not gone in to great deal on this topic, let us just soak up what Dr. Chambers had to say:

"We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and bye, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God's say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways." -My Utmost For His Highest

I Need to Pray More

It's something I think we can all say, "I need to pray more often." Our Abba Father, our Redeemer, our Savior is SO eager to hear our prayers, yet we fill our thoughts and ears with talk radio, ESPN Radio, 91X, or heaven-forbid good-quality-music! :) That's pretty much sums me up, especially while driving. That's where we're alone the most, don't you think?

I was driving to our church offices last week and following behind me was a young woman driving alone, and it was obvious she had tears in her eyes. For the next two miles through stop lights and all, she kept wiping her tears, putting her hands over her eyes (while waiting at the stop lights) and obviously emotionally hurting. I'm watching this all from my rear-view mirrors of course, but I could see enough to see her pain, her wrenched heart, her emotional agony. It really hit me.

As I witnessed this girl, my spirit stirred, the Lord spoke and told me to pray. I turned off my Smashing Pumpkins song, took a deep breath and prayed. What do you pray for? What is going on that I could ask for God's grace in her life? I had no idea. But you know what, I still prayed. I knew that she need grace from the Lord, she needed a spiritual comfort that nothing could bring her except Jesus. So I asked God to simply 'touch' her. "Just touch her Lord, with your love and your grace."

That hasn't happened very often, I'll tell you that. But it was a huge realization. Paul had something going on when he said, "Pray without ceasing." I remember studying this with Dan back in college. We found that Paul's intention was to pray from the state of not ceasing. If that makes sense. It's a state of being, of being in touch or communication with our Father. Do we consider this daily? Do we ask the Lord, "Give me ability to tune my thoughts/senses/brain/attitude to You"? Being in a constant state of prayer with Jesus... that's it.

The incident in the car was a sudden thing for me. (God give me grace,) I was listening when He asked me to pray for the young woman. But the conviction crept in, telling me that is how I should be always. To be in the state of prayer, always.

Hmmm.

I need to pray more...

The Day of Love, right?

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) And 85% of all cards purchased are by women. Whoa...

This is interesting holiday (if we can call it that) isn't it? I mean, it's really a myth how it started. Some versions are Christian and some pagan. One legend is when Emperor Claudius II of Rome outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men were better warriors. But what was believed to have happened, was a priest named Saint Valentine or Valentinus defied the Emperor and performed marriages in secret. He was later found out and killed, making him a "martyr" according to the Catholic Church. The pagan legend of the Lupercalia festival is much more disturbing. It has to do with sacrificing a goat, having young boys cut it up dipping it in blood and slapping it around town, both on women and field crops. Gross!

Ok, why am I writing all this? Well for me, I have always wanted to know the meaning and origins of holidays. It's important to be knowledgeable in our society. As a believer, I need to know what i believe and why. There are many opinions of Valentine's Day. It has definitely become something it shouldn't have, just look at that outrageous statistic earlier. One billion cards are sent, I wonder how many flowers are bought. America loves to emphasize things in single days. We celebrate mom's and dad's only once a year, or our veterans or the working force. I'm lead to think back about celebrations in biblical times. How did they celebrate? With one great word: FESTIVALS!

The value of these great religious festivals was threefold, According to bible-history.com: "(1) Religious effects. --They preserved the religious faith of the nation and religious unity among the people. They constantly reminded the people of the divinely-wrought deliverances of the past; promoted gratitude and trust; and testified the reverence of the people for the temple and its sacred contents. Besides this was the influence of well-conducted temple services upon the synagogues through the land. (2) Political effects. --The unity of the nation would be insured by this fusion of the tribes; otherwise they would be likely to constitute separate tribal states. They would carry back to the provinces glowing accounts of the wealth, power and resources of the country. (3) Social effects. --They promoted friendly intercourse between traveling companions; distributed information through the country at a time when the transmission of news was slow and imperfect; and imported into remote provincial districts a practical knowledge of all improvements in arts and sciences."

This is all just to make us think. Valentine's Day, why do you celebrate it, if at all. My wife and I tell each other how much we love each other every day, many times a day. I've found the love of my life, my soul-mate and all that stuff. But to be honest, it is the one day she knows I'll buy her flowers! (Let's be real, I don't do it that often). So I know she likes that part of the day.

Valentine's Day can be what ever you want it. Celebrate how you will. But I suggest making more Festivals throughout the year! (That would mean more time off of work.) Nice.

(thanks to history.com & bible-history.com for the info)

Head over to Dan's blog for a very interesting take on this Day.

Focusing Too Much on "Intention of the Heart"

My best friend and covenant brother Dan wrote this awesome blog on focusing too much on the intentions of the heart. It is worth your time to head over to his blog to read it... here's the link: The Fire.

New Blogs!

I've been encouraged by many friends to blog more often. I have been praying more about it and have plans to write out more of my thoughts on what it means to be elastic living in a plastic world; what it means to live intentionally and on learning how to think, act, love and act like Jesus of Nazareth. These last few blogs are devotionals I have written in past months. Please read, comment, whatevs...thanks for checking this out.