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The Straight Stick…

Mar 12

Posted by Jim Botts in Hearing God | 2 Comments

"The best way to show that a stick is crooked is...to lay a straight stick alongside it." -D. L. Moody

What do you believe about Scripture (aka the Bible)?  Is it merely “a word from God,” or “the Word of God?”  Because I don’t to waste your time, let me cut to the chase: loyalty to Jesus means loyalty to Jesus’ view of Scripture!

Here’s a quick rundown of what Jesus said about Scripture…

1.  We err because we do not know the Scriptures.

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” ~ Matt 22:29, NIV

Many leaders in Christian circles today put the Scriptures in the back seat in the name of “the power of God.”  Words of knowledge, prophetic utterance, or internal-voice-of-God-revelations should never usurp the Scriptures.  For Jesus, the Scriptures are the straight stick by which we evaluate what is called “the power of God.”

2.  We dispel darkness with “it is written!”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone’ ” ~ Luke 4:4, NIV    Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’ ” ~ Luke 4:8, NIV.

Jesus countered the devil’s attack–not with words of knowledge, wisdom, or ecstatic utterance–but with reference to the written Word of God.  The Scriptures shed the authoritative light of God that automatically dispels darkness.  If we do not know, trust, and rely on Scripture…we’ll unwittingly face spiritual conflicts unarmed.

3.  Without the Scriptures, we worship in vain

Jesus ~ They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” ~ Mark 7:7-8, NIV

So much is done in the name of worship that finds little basis in Scripture.  Worship and Scripture are friends, not enemies.  Without the commands of God, we would worship golden calves of our own making (i.e. trendy theologies, fashionable forms, celebrity speakers et al).  Scripture informs, discloses, and exposes us to the reality of a God worthy of worship.

4.  We only understand God’s ways through God’s Word

Jesus ~ It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’ ; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment” ~ Luke 22:37, NIV

Jesus saw the scenes of His life as framed by Scripture (His ministry, His temporal suffering, and His future glory).  Jesus came to understand God’s ways through God’s Word.  As a result, He let God have His way with Him.  Without God’s Word, God’s ways are hidden from us.

Obviously, this short summary barely scratches the surface.  But I reiterate, you should not claim loyalty to Jesus unless you claim loyalty to Jesus’ view of Scripture (the written Word of God in the Old and New Testaments).

According to Jesus, Scripture is THE straight stick by which the crookedness of ALL things is revealed.  Scripture tells us what is true and real, as well exposing what is false and mistaken.

It is written / so, read it / and rely on it / forsaking all others.

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Living In Your Time Zone

Mar 6

Posted by Jim Botts in Hearing God, Relationships | 2 Comments

800px-You_are_here_-_T-shirt

A while back my family and I relocated into a different time zone.  We moved from the CST time zone (Central Standard Time) to the PST time zone (Pacific Standard Time).   “What’s the big deal?” you ask.  Well, just a two-hour time difference.  Two hours may seem like a small change, but it created huge upheaval for me.

All of my life rhythms got knocked off balance.  I felt as awkward as a dog in the back seat on a car ride.  My fitness routines were disrupted.  My spiritual disciplines became disheveled.  Every routine in my life got knocked into a state of disequilibrium.  I really could’ve used a time zone converter to help me adjust to living in my time zone.

There are times in life when all of us find it hard to live in our current time zone–not geographically, but existentially.  Past mistakes (or successes) as well as future worries (or expectations) can keep us from peace in the present.  Here are some lessons I learned about living in my current time zone.

1.  Get past the past ~ The biggest obstacle to present-tense-peace was my own desire for things to be the way they were.  I loved the consistency of routines that helped me grow physically, spiritually, and relationally.  However, those days were gone and they weren’t coming back.  Moving to a different place meant moving on to new rhythms.

2.  Build the future today ~ Everyday I preached to myself, “The road to tomorrow runs through today!”  Like a song that makes the day go faster, I kept reminding myself that I was creating tomorrow’s life-rhythms today.  Every awkward action became another stepping stone carrying my feet into the future.

3.  Live in the present ~ Living in the present moment is much harder than it sounds.  Distractions, frustrations, dead lines, and obligations confronted me like a bullies in the lunch line with their hands out.  Present-tense-peace is something I had to fight for; over and over, and moment by moment.

I’ve discovered that God is in-tense.  He is fully present “in” the present “tense.”  And if God is in-tense, I needed to learn how to live in-tense too.  In-tense living has been all about the moment-by-moment realization that I can only experience God’s Presence in my present tense.

I’m really learning how to live in my time zone.  Everyday I fight to be in-tense with God, my wife, my kids, and whoever God puts in front of me.

After all, the past is past.  The future flows through the present.  And I can only experience God in this present moment.  Just like God, I want to live in-tense!

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