Blind Spots

Pondering the darkness following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, I sit in silence. Thoughts of the "Light of the world" being concealed in a dark tomb fill my mind. "God is light, in Him there is no darkness," (1 John 1:5NIV). How then did "the Light of man," reside in darkness? (John 1:4NIV).

Jesus didn't just endure physical death for our salvation. He suffered separation from God who is Light. He who is light became darkness upon the cross. How great the pain of our Lord, whose very holiness was stripped away for the sake of our souls. His pain intensified by the blindness of those around Him who could not see the gift of His willing sacrifice.

Oswald Chambers speaks of the blindness of those in Jerusalem. "Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there--the pride of the Pharisees." Their religion had become their god, and they remained murderously loyal to it. Thereby, when the only true God came riding into their city--their King riding on a donkey and thus proclaiming peace--they saw only a threat to their established rule and order. They listened to the god of the world--the father of lies and pride--and sought to extinguish the Light. For,"men loved darkness instead of light,"(John 3:19NIV).

Lest we fall into judging these men, we must acknowledge our own blindness. Christ died for us all, therefore we all have areas of blindness in our life which hide the glory of God from our sight. Chambers asks the question; "What is it that blinds you to the peace of God "in this your day"? Do you have a strange god--not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life?"

Pondering the areas of our life which fall into shadow is an important step towards purity. Rather than hide our sin or shame, we should seek to bring the Light of Christ into our darkness, that the work of the Spirit can be done to: heal, transform and bring back to life. For in this life and life beyond our grave, the consequences of our sin stand. However, Christians through the work of Jesus on the cross, will never pay the sin penalty of separation from God.

Still, Chambers warns that there is a "deep, unending sadness for what might have been!" Proclaiming; "God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin." Therefore, it is imperative that believer's embrace the Light and yield ourselves completely to God.

The Father does not desire to see His children suffering the penalties of darkness. His heart longs to see them victorious over the wage of sin and risen in Christ! When we look back over our life, certainly there are things we wish we would have done differently, if only we would have known...(Luke 19:42). Understandably, blessings have been lost and opportunities missed through disobedience and rebellion towards God in the way we live our lives. Still, there is hope for today and all our tomorrow's, when we choose to abide in the Light of our Savior. Holding our lives up to the Word of God reveals any dark areas or blind spots where the Light of Jesus is needed.

Chamber's encourages the believer to "Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future."

Miraculously, darkness from sin is abolished in our lives, when we confess our wrong doing and poor attitudes to God: claiming forgiveness under the blood of Christ. Even still, our Lord intercedes on our behalf;

"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," (Luke 24:34NIV).

Believer's behold the Light! For there is life in the Light and therefore children of God are to abide in the Light. We do not abide with Jesus in the tomb! We abide with our risen Lord on this side of the stone. Jesus, our Savior, Shepherd, King and Light, unto our path, (Psalm 119:105NIV).

Saturday following Good Friday, was a very, very dark day. Yet, the psalmist proclaims; "...my God turns my darkness into light," (Psalm 18:28NIV).

That glorious Easter morning there were two great lights that rose. One rose from the horizon, the greater from the grave. One marked the beginning of a new day...the Light of the world marked the beginning of a new life. Surely, each shone brighter in the eyes of follows that day.

The Goodness of God

Today is Good Friday. The anniversary of our Lord's death upon the cross. A day the devil and his band of followers mocked Jesus and spat upon God's greatest gift. Upon this day, heaven labored to do a good work, the eyes of man could not see.

For our Lord, this historic day was filled with great pain, suffering, and sorrow. For His Spirit was separated from the Father, his flesh was destroyed,his heart carried the burden of every sin and His chosen people were blind to their Messiah.
Those close to him were terrified, in shock and confused. His own mother's heart was pierced. Insight into Jesus' life and ressurection temporarily eluded them and they also experienced great pain.

This eternity changing day, brought suffering for many. For on this preparation day Mary experienced heartbreak through the agony of witnessing the "flesh of her flesh" and "heart of her heart" destroyed,(The Passion of the Christ). Over this twenty-four hours, the disciples and followers of Jesus wept due to fear, shame, heartache, despair and loss of hope. One man, Simon, having carried Jesus' cross, suffered the bloody and violent journey up Golgotha at our disfigured Lord's side. The streets of Jerusalem were filled with cries for death and for mercy. I dare say, there was no peace that Passover!

Even the apparent enemies of our Lord, experienced trouble on this day. There was the unsettling of three hours of darkness, and upon Jesus' death a ground splitting earthquake. The tombs of saints burst open, releasing their dead just before the Sabbath. The Levite priests and others anguished over the miraculously torn Temple curtain: the veil was torn--top to bottom--which separated man from the extremely restricted mercy seat of God on the Ark of the covenant. The Roman ruler, Pilate, stressed over the threat of an uprising following Jesus mock trial and the death sentence he ordered for an innocent man. Pilate's wife suffered the affliction of a frightful dream concerning Jesus, whom her husband did not spare after her warning. The holy city of Jerusalem, bursting with people eager to make sacrifices for the Passover, was anything but peaceful, on this bloody day tainted by such violence and a gruesome death.

Why then do we call it Good Friday?

Oh, there is so much to say in response to that question. For the whole bible points to the cross of Christ: the need for and purpose of the cross explained by God. However, the primary purpose of the cross of Jesus is our reconciliation with God. Jesus suffered death and separation from God in our place: paying the sin penalty of death for all men. Only because of His sacrificial death is man able to come into a relationship with God. Jesus was the literal flawless, sacrificial lamb, offered by God, whose blood, through death atoned for the sins of man. Thereby, granting any soul who seeks forgiveness under the covering of Jesus' blood eternal life in God's presence.

Those who witnessed the horror of Jesus' arrest and the cross, were immediately touched. Mary saw the fulfillment of prophecy through her son's death. A proud Peter discovered his weakness. John, a "brother of thunder," witnessed the greatest act of love known to man. Additionally, the disciples who fled, became aware of their worldly fears.

That day, only Jesus knew Sunday was around the corner. The weary followers who huddled together behind locked doors in fear, remembered nothing of what Jesus had taught them of His death and were naive to the glory about to sustain them. But oh, that wonderful third morning: the terrors of that bloody Friday instantly turned to treasures, when Jesus rose from the grave.

On that first Easter morning, Mary's heart was made new with the Resurrection of her son. Peter was forgiven his denial and reinstated as a leader of the church. John learned the importance of love and caring for others. Thomas learned the importance of faith. And the other followers discovered they truly had nothing to fear: for Jesus had conquered death, in Him they could do all things. On a grander scale, humanity was offered a bridge back to an eternal relationship with Almighty God.

Hallelujah! The enemy of God found himself defeated.

We claim the anniversary of Jesus' death good, because without this historic dark, terrifying and horrific day ...no one could have a truly good day. For it is only in eternity that saints will experience all the good and purity God intended to share with us from the beginning. Who are the saints who will experience the glory of heaven? ONLY those who choose to hear the voice of God, see the work of His hand,accept the truth of His son, and through repentance, surrender their lives to Jesus of Nazareth.

For Jesus said, "I am the way the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me," (John 14:6NIV).

The Goodness of God, given for our good. THAT'S why we call today Good Friday!

Let us submit to the King of Kings and commit our spirit's to the Father now that we may be certain to receive the eternal goodness to come beyond the grave!

You Can't Hide Hypocrisy

The attitude of our hearts must be of grace and mercy or we fall short of our calling in Christ. What is the attitude of your conversations? How do you choose to converse with others? Do you focus on the pure and praiseworthy: speak with hope of the good God will bring into your life and the lives of others?

Breaking free from negative thinking and cynical speech is terribly difficult and yet, for the children of God it is of great importance! The believer is called to be light and salt to the world. How tragic it is if our light is dimmed by dark attitudes and our saltiness is overwhelmed with bitterness.

If Christians are not sincere about their passion for the lost and only focus on their own transformation, their hearts may become critical and cold towards others. Though we are commissioned by Christ to go into the world and share the love of God, the devil can get a foot hold when we measure ourselves against others: pointing out areas of weakness or sin in an other's life with a spirit of judgment or anger.

Oswald Chambers speaks about the need to have a discerning spirit towards others. He claims insight into a person's life is a divine gift and is meant to be a prompt for intercessory prayer. "One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5)."

In other words, when we discern an area of weakness in an other's life, rather than ridicule or criticise, believer's should pray for the individual. Remarkably, when we set our minds to the task of intercession, suddenly transgressions against us become opportunity to release the power of God in some one's life. Though the work of the Spirit may take years to bring about change in others, the transformation for the praying saint will be immediate. Heeding the Spirit's prompts will build intimacy with the Lord and discernment will increase. Compassion will replace a critical spirit.

Chambers explains; "It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede."

Having the mind of God towards others is key to praying the will of God in an other's life. Love being the foundation of it all.

This is indeed radical and higher thinking and does not come easily. We are prone to cry out when burned and lick our wounds...perhaps incessantly. Additionally, the enemy of every man's soul wars against our compassion for others: the devil tempts and trips believer's hoping to taint their testimony. He knows the harm of careless words spoken by Christians and behavior contrary to the word of God. Hypocrisy is the devil's joy for it destroys the believer's credibility. It also diminishes the power of God to transform people in the eyes of non-believers.

Though the devil toils we are told by God not to fear, for we possess a greater power through Christ Jesus. If we look to our lives and find that we have missed the mark in this area, let us not be dismayed. Instead, let us take hold of the insight and purpose to renew our minds. Pray for positive attitudes in all things. Rebuke negative thoughts and spirits. Remove ourselves from negative conversations and keep our distance from negative people. All the while, taking every opportunity with each encounter to pray first for ourselves and then others.

We must not be discouraged in our battle to break free of negativity. We must be resolved and patient. Repent quickly after stumbling and keep our eyes focused on the Lord. We can indeed overcome the world's negative, cynical and critical spirit.

Father, open our eyes to areas in our lives where we are negative and critical. Move us to repentance and renew our minds. Make your thoughts our thoughts. Help us learn to make every opposition an opportunity for intercessory prayer. We pray Lord, you are glorified in our lives.

Pondering Prayer

When I ponder the power of prayer I am speechless. The reality that I have instant and unlimited access to the throne of Almighty God places a sense of awe and fear in my spirit. For on one hand I am thrilled to be granted the freedom to "approach the throne of grace with confidence," (Hebrews 4:16 NIV). However, I am also mindful of the holiness of God and the necessity to consider His all consuming purity, when drawing Him into conversation. This is what I think about when I ponder prayer, yet, I most certainly am not aware of this every time I pray.

The days unfold with their series of experiences which set our minds racing to the Lord. With prayerful hands full of petitions we sit with the Father and present each desire carefully. With countless requests and multiple needs to express we can forget to offer praise in our communion. Though our intentions are good when we seek the Father's care, we can easily fall into a pattern of hardened prayer.

Oswald Chambers states; "When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do." The fear of God escapes us and we temporarily lose sight of who it is we stand before. Likewise, we conduct ourselves as if there were no propitiation for our privilege: we forget it is only by the blood of Jesus that we are able to come into the presence of God. For without the covering of Christ we would perish before the Lord.

"Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored," (Leviticus 10: 3NIV).

God delights in our coming to Him in prayer. However, He must be revered. Taking time to consider whom we are about to address--before we speak--may help us focus our minds on the holiness of God. In doing so, it seems natural our communion would start with praise. For as we set our minds first on the glory of our Father, will we not recall His goodness, faithfulness and love? How might our prayers be changed if our first moments before the throne were spent in adoration? Might we pray differently? Absolutely.

Chambers asks believer's; "Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray?"

When we truly see the Lord, we will be drawn into worship. Our time in worship will produce a deeper intimacy with God and as this intimacy continues to grow, we will find our minds transforming to that of Christ. Therefore, our prayers for others will take on dramatically new perspectives. Chambers encourages the saints to stick to the "work" of standing before God on behalf of others, claiming there are no "pitfalls" in intercessory prayer.

The privilege of prayer is a treasure to behold. When we realize the value of this gift, our prayer life will not only be enriched, it will likely grow. All the while, we are the blessed recipients of the intercessory prayer of Christ. And that is something else worth pondering!

Character Counts

In life it is often those who lack character who reach the "top". Whether it be greed or thirst for power, the world view of what it takes to achieve success is in complete opposition to the Spirit of God. Concepts like; "survival of the fittest" and "every man for himself" destroy loyalty and create discord in the work place. Additionally, the wake of such individuals is usually filled with brokenness: promises, marriages, families and lives left in pieces.

On the contrary,those seeking higher planes of intimacy with the Lord, must pay close attention to their character. According to Oswald Chambers; "A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character."

Keeping our focus on Christ indeed will help us stay on the center of the path marked out for us. Likewise, tending to any frayed edges in our character will certainly aid in our ascension to higher thinking and behavior. Revelation of what Christians are to aspire to--what character traits they are to possess--are found in the scriptures. God makes the path to Himself clear for any who choose to take it.

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy," (1 Peter 1:15-16NIV).

Holy living does not come natural to man, therefore, believer's are dependant on the work of the Holy Spirit to instruct and guide them along the way. However, the Spirit will not do all the work. Christians seeking higher ground must labor on their end of the relationship as well. Spending time in prayer, reading God's word and obeying the Lord's teachings are important practices to experience accurate hearing of the Spirit. How will a believer recognize the Lord's voice if they do not spend time listening...getting familiar with it? One comes to know the character of God through His Word and therefore, can identify what is of God in life.

For instance, when the flesh wants to respond to an injustice, the believer's spirit seeks counsel from the bank of knowledge they have in Christ. Scripture is brought to mind by the Holy Spirit: like, "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also," (Matthew 5:39NIV) or "forgive everyone who sins against us," (Luke 11:4NIV), and "A gentle answer turns away wrath," (Proverbs 15:1 NIV). These prompts help the believer and caution them as they encounter life day by day.

Journeying with the Spirit and heeding the Lord's instructions, over time builds holy character in the believer. Thereby, the Father, "invites" focused seekers to higher paths, where grander visions and deeper intimacy with God is found,(Chambers). Oswald Chambers encourages the Church with this insight; "if you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, "Friend, come up even higher."

Higher planes of intimacy with the Lord are indeed attainable. However, invitations from our heavenly Father are extended according to the heart of His child. While the world clambers about, trying to climb a rickety ladder, Christians will gain spiritual success with their knees firmly planted on the ground. In the humble state of submission, the Lord will reveal more of himself and expand our view. The elation which comes from beholding something more of God, is beyond any satisfaction the world has to offer. Likewise, eyes that are granted spiritual sight, are of greater worth than all the treasure on earth.

In the Batter's Box

Christians are called to purity: to be set apart from worldly thoughts, motives and actions. Oswald Chambers states; "God makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace, but we still have something that we must carefully watch. It is through our bodily life coming in contact with other people and other points of view that we tend to become tarnished.

This reality is lived out day by day in our lives: work, school, politics, even sports, all place challenges on the seeking soul to remain set apart. For the follower of Christ there is no rest in witnessing; no time-out for moments of carnality. Once you claim to be a Christian, people watch you and listen to what you say. If believers are not careful, they may adopt the bad attitudes or behaviors of a peer group and taint their witness.

Sitting in the bleachers at a game it can be difficult to tell believers from non-believers. The crowd is always passionate and hungry for a win. However, in the pursuit of victory, lines can be blurred of who are sealed with the Holy Spirit and who is not. One error on the field or a "perceived" bad call by the umpire and insight to character is instantly revealed. While, competitive Christians may feel liberty to engage in the chirping from the stands, or complaining about a "bad call," the price paid can be high. For though a game is won, often a soul is lost.

Chambers addresses the Christian's need to conduct themselves properly in all situations; "If we want to maintain personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or even think certain things. And some things that are acceptable for others will become unacceptable for us."

For if we do not keep ourselves in step with Christ, we may be the recipient of ridicule. "I thought you were a Christian!" These cutting words slay a saint and are sometimes used by non-believers looking to reinforce their stand against God or the church. Their misguided belief that Christian's are somehow perfect beings, fuels their judgment. Still, their perspective of what is appropriate for a Christian is often accurate and the rebuke warranted. Though the words may bring satisfaction to the critic it weighs heavy on the heart of the believer: for no follower of Christ desires to have their testimony tainted. Fortunately, followers of Jesus can not foul out. Still, our at bat is being recorded, strike one...strike two...

When children of God stumble, it is imperative they confess their sin to the Lord and ask the Spirit to guide them in making amends. Is there an apology to be made, a confession of wrong doing to be shared? Perhaps, a gentle reminder of the call to witness is appropriate to share with a fellow brother or sister in Christ who is veering off the path. While these steps may not erase poor conduct, an apology which is divinely inspired, can witness in a profound way.

Prayer of course is essential to living victoriously in this life. Believer's need to seek the Lord's will, and pray for His wisdom and strength. Likewise, their minds need to renewed, so in times of challenge and trial, their thoughts remain pure and Christ focused: competitors do not become enemies, umpires are not devils and players are not devalued based on performance.

In closing, Oswald Chambers instruction on keeping pure minded is note worthy; "A practical help in keeping your personal purity unblemished in your relations with other people is to begin to see them as God does. Say to yourself, "That man or that woman is perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend or that relative is perfect in Christ Jesus!"

When Christians purpose to have the attitude of Christ: whether in the office, class, or on the field, regardless of the score, they will be champions.

Standing Behind the Groom

The need for Christ to be supreme in our lives and in our message to others is important for Christians to remember. For if we are not careful, as Oswald Chambers warns; “A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself,” our eternal bridegroom.

There is a fine line between praising the Lord in our conversation and setting ourselves up as grand recipients of God’s grace. When we focus on our relationship to the Savior we highlight our position rather than His. The result of boasting in the Father’s goodness in our lives may become a mental block for others. They may feel less valued if there story is different, or worse they might believe the devil’s lie that there is something special or unique about you: God would not do for them what He has done for you.

Yet, as believers we find our strongest weapon against the enemy of souls is our testimony. Telling our story of salvation—how we were rescued from a life of sin and eternal death—is sure to emphasize points of our past contrasted with our new self in the risen Christ. I truly enjoy sharing the work of God in my life with others. For my heart wants to shout to the world of His tenderness, intimacy and jaw dropping affection!

So what are smitten followers to do? How do we testify to the love and power of Almighty God and remain humbly in the shadow of the cross? Pondering this is important, because I believe the steps necessary, though common in purpose, will be different for each follower. For we consciously and subconsciously spotlight our role based on our personal desires and insecurities. For instance, are we eager to share because we like the idea of being an evangelist? Is there a desire to be revered as set apart or righteous? If we are not careful our desire to make a catch may cause us to jerk the pole back premature, spooking the fish. Patience is critical in fishing, whether fishing in the water or sea of humanity. Carefully following a few steps can help us be successful in both.

The first step when presented with the opportunity to share the gospel with another is to pray. When we take a second to ask the Spirit to guide our sharing, we immediately place our focus on Jesus and take it off ourselves. The Spirit will absolutely answer this prayer…expect a response.

The second step should be to listen for the Spirit’s response? Does a scripture come to mind, a vision, do you have a physiological reaction to the opportunity to speak of Jesus? Are you being told to hold back? Heeding the Spirit’s nudges, are so important to keeping Jesus as the focus.

A third step is to ask questions. Show interest in the person, not a goal. In this self-centered culture, someone taking time to listen to what you have to say is unique and will naturally move the conversation. Listen to what they say. Do they mention they are stressed from work, struggling with a loss or illness? Is there spirit broken or depressed? If it is a divine appointment chances are something they say will trigger a connection or prompt what you share about Jesus.

For example; if stress and worry are part of their circumstances, sharing about the promise of Jesus to carry the load—take it off our shoulders--would be applicable and speak to where they are.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:30NIV). The power in the scripture acts like a balm and though you may not in that moment harvest a crop of salvation, the seed of hope is planted in their field of trouble.

Once we have prayed to Jesus, been the ears of Jesus, have shared the Word (which is Jesus), sharing part of our story would be appropriate. The key is keeping Jesus before us. This way we do not upstage the bridegroom. Rather, like true friends, we stand behind him as he proclaims his love.

Chambers cautions; “Christian work can actually be a means of diverting a person’s focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends “of the bridegroom,” we may become amateur providences of God to someone else, working against him while we use His weapons.” (John 3:29).

Boasting about Jesus is indeed a privilege of the saints. Jesus is indeed worthy of endless praise. Yet, there is much more to God than the work he does in our lives. Pondering the Great I AM, we find more than we can possible grasp or comprehend still, the WORD tells us God has revealed himself to all men.

“…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse,” Romans 1:19-20NIV).

When we seek to share Christ with others, remember they have a God placed knowledge of his existence. Holding up or pointing to what they know of a Creator God naturally places us in Christ’s shadow: a wonderful place to rest.