Let me be... (me)

I believe that Truth is Truth. I also believe that Truth is a person. So, Truth may come in many different ways or from different places, but the source never changes - whether we acknowledge the source or not. I acknowledge the source as the Triune God, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.

As one believer to another it's so easy to play the "I have answers" role and so much more difficult to play the "God has given you the Spirit of Truth, His Spirit - you use it", or the "listening" role, or the "asking questions to help clarify" role. It's even harder to step back and allow one another to make our own decisions, whether we agree with the decisions we make or not. Not only that, but then we watch and see the consequences of our decisions unfold (good or bad). At what point, or is there ever a point, where one advises? Maybe part of this dilemma is discernment? Not the kind of "discernment" that approaches things as though there is only good or bad and God has imparted me with the knowledge for you of what is good and bad. But the kind of discernment that, with humility, recognizes we don't have answers. It's often not clearly black and white and so we must not be afraid to discuss, to dialog to converse with one another and trust God's timing and plan, without an understanding. It's in this place that God is clearly God and we clearly are not; it's finding humility in our limitations, letting go of control, trusting God knows what is best for us and we do not - although we want to and although we often think we do; after all, that is our nature.

Take 2

The problem I have with blogging is that I often use it like a journal and so I’m constantly shaping and changing and adjusting what I think, the same as many other bloggers. I sometimes avoid reading my past blogs because I know I’ve probably changed my point of view on some things and would now disagree with what I’ve written in the past. Then, I feel embarrassed because I shared an intimate thought with the blogging world, and now I don’t even agree with it…but no one else knows that, only I do. This is the dilemma of a people pleasing blogger. I also get excited about what I’m thinking about and just start typing. The problem is that what makes sense to me at that moment later reads like a jumbled mess of thoughts. So, here is take two of Who is my god, not God , an attempt to clarify a previously jumbled mess:

Is it ever OK to lie? Is it ever good to lie? I was asking myself this question while reading about Rahab the other day. It surprised me because I live by the standard that “honesty is the best policy”. I was confused because Rahab’s story (see Joshua 2) is about how she hid the Israelite spies and then lied about it and betrayed her country… and yet she is found faithful in Heb. 11. Not only that, she is a part of Jesus' genealogy. What is her significance? What made her faithful enough (if there is such a thing) to be listed among Abraham and Isaac and Moses?

Here is my conclusion: I believe she was found faithful not because she lied, but in spite of her lying. She decided to lie because she believed that there was only one God, and that God was the God of the Israelites. He was the Sovereign, Most High God and so her life and actions and decisions were based on that belief. Dan Allender said at a conference once that each of us live with about 5 core beliefs. He said these beliefs are often tacit, but that we often hold these beliefs truer than God. I'm beginning to think that since our beliefs are what drive our behavior, our beliefs are our god (not to be confused with God). So, part of the journey is asking ourselves what beliefs we hold truer than God. This is scary. If we ask, we might find out. If we find out, we might have to make changes, we might have to confront ourselves.

And another thought: I’m not so sure there was anything extraordinarily significant about Rahab…she was one of us…that’s the point, too.

It's the Prayer, not the Panties!!!

(Title of my future book.)

What little I know of the situation, I think Israel is a little over kill.

It's August!

I just noticed that I haven't blogged anything for August yet so here it is.