New site at Wordpress!

Okay, so I am trying this out. The new site is at http://spontaneousinsighticles.wordpress.com/

It's always the Leap.

The leap of faith. I remember many times it was used. It is somewhat allegoric, but just might be a bit cliche. But still. It is well allegorized.

But maybe it isn't always a leap. (Don't just go screaming Sacrilege. I have a point.) Maybe it is more like a creepy bridge without handles. You can see the other side and the path. You can do it. That is, unless you're made of Uranium: The bridge snaps under your weight, and as you hit the ground you detonate in an epic reaction that eliminates all other sides of your journey! Translation: It fails meagerly and life continues undramatized.

Yeah, the leap makes sense, but that involves plunging headfirst into the unknown. The shaky bridge and the epic fall make a little more sense. Especially since all you would be falling into is water. But to you that water is full of radioactive piranhas. Which actually fuse together to become the loch ness monster. Even though you could see the bottom and have been drinking that same water.

Maybe there is a better allegory. One with less hypothetical danger. Like a mountain trail. But you need to have your Mission Trip Machete, because, you know, a Mountain Lion might try to maul you or something.

Reversing the sentence

There are a great number of sentences that are said backwards of what they should be. Make that a great number of thoughts. The general form is 'Thou art for thou do' (Translation: One is [  ] because one does [ ].) Something is wrong. The sentence shows definition by result. Is that who you actually are?

The thing is, sentences are written thoughts. Hacking, inverting, and sugar-coating are all ways that these thoughts are corrupted. The particularly dangerous one is inverting. If one does because of what one is, he is not what he does. But reverse that a bit. You are your actions and their results. What you do determines what you believe, what you love.

I would challenge that what one loves should determine what they do. It actually does. One who loves their image would do something good or shrewd to make themselves look better. (Let's face it. We all do it.) One who loves their friends will try to make sure their needs are met. One who loves to serve will. What one loves is what one does.

Courage is a condition of the heart. A possession. One is not courageous because he did something slightly crazy and necessary. One did something crazy and necessary because of his courage. Everything has a reason at the heart, what is created to be as it is, lest it become corrupt. A repentant heart will change back to how it was created. It will repair the mind by the actions, by the power of a healing Spirit.

Mosh Pit Christianity

At any given Metal Concert, there are three general groups: Supervisors, Fans, and Participants. The Supervisors stand or sit in back, giving either approval or disapproval to the show and crowd. Fans stand near the front,  and cheer as well as watch. You may even get a clap out of them. Then there are the Participants. These crazy people don't just stand around. They begin a thing of chaos up front, pulling as many people into their madness as possible. These are the ones who have the most fulfillment out of tho concert. They have the most fun.

There is a mirror, also. Christians have three basic modes: Supervisors, Fans, and Participants.

Of course, a supervisor doesn't just have to watch. They can draw attention to themselves, distracting others from their fun. They can gossip, slander, or do any number of other perverse things way back there in the back. But only the band can see them. Only the LORD sees them in their true light.

The Fans, yeah, they are among us. Sure. They are enjoying seeing the artist up close, kinda tapping their foot to the beat, kinda singing. But it is just their try. Some are participants, some are not. Some are actually only there because they had nothing else to do. Well, how exciting.

The Participants are the ones with the fun. They have the energy. Crank it up, they are lovin' it. Their energy and violent intercourse are shaking to the walls around them. They bash and are bashed alike. They are enjoying every minute of it. And everyone around them, and all who see them in the light are empowered by that energy. The blood is flowing. They're ready.

If I were to ask a question, which would you consider yourself? Do you want to watch? Will you be there? Or will you BE THERE, a part of the action. Potato, goat, or sheep? I like to call myself a sheep, though I often act like the other two.

Life is in the Blood. And Blood is Red.

A couple days ago, my freight train of thought ended with the phrase 'The red letters are the blood of the Bible'.  I have no clue how I got there.

    But it makes a little bit of sense. The basis of the Christian faith is the fact that Jesus [that being, The Son (of God), who is God] died for an eternity in three days. The red letters are his [directly] quoted words. They are about where the heart would be, if Genesis was the foot and Revelation the hair of the head. 

    And if it weren't for them, nobody would know about the death. They started a wildfire in the people, showed them who he is, so that they would be confident of who he is. They would be confident that Jesus WAS God. That He is. His words finished the understanding of the law, that all men were known to the Father by their hearts, as well as their deeds. 

    They are the words, that by simply being heard, change a man, washing the inside, so that the outside might become clean. The ultimate version of 'Clear Eyes'. (You've seen the commercial. You see how clean those eyes become.) They are the blood of that book. The muttled understanding of the old testament, the confusion and offensive nature of the epistles, and all the "Wait, What?" moments in the Bible, they can be seen clearly. The Truth becomes alive. 

    Now, if we are talking blood, I can't take a platelet and say 'This is blood!', that would be a synecdoche. I would be calling a part a whole. Like cheating me on pie. Bad idea. 

    However, I can grab a microscope, and look at the red blood cell, the platelet, the white blood cell, I can look at all of them, and say, 'This is blood. These are the parts. Together, they bring and maintain life. And I can see the plasma. The plasma alone is naught, but it allows the rest to live well. (I don't know where that last bit was going.)

    I know Matthew Chapter Five, with the beatitudes, is absolutely a cakewalk. But what comes after, along with the rest of his words, make the blood hard to take. It involves condemnation, torture, and difficulty. But the result of that... is life. 

     For the blood is the life of the body, without it the body is dead. Likewise with the red letters. Without them, my heart is laws, rebellion, and vanity. Without them, I am dead of heart. But with the words of a Savior feeding my soul, my life becomes abundant in beauty, despite the pain of my healing.

Rain

I don't get why people think of rain as a grim thing. I like it. It is solemn, and comforting. 


If this is a new perspective to you consider the following verse.


Matt 5:45  " He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" 


If you consider that the sun burns, removes life, causes drought, and is even capable of killing some people, Rain could be preferable. But the rain makes the roads slicker, cools the world, and in some cases can make one shiver with such severity they could die. The world looks rather grim now. Hence, it rains on the wicked.


Opposing that worldview is that which the righteous likely have. Rain? Helps the crops grow. Sun? Beach time. Raining and sunny at the same time? Ride a bike in a poncho at the beach. Or maybe tan and take a (clothed) shower at the same time. It all is fun. See how the world looks now? 


This verse does not necessarily apply to him blessing both. It does not necessarily apply to him cursing both. It applies to both the former and the latter, pronouncing blessings and curses upon all. How do you view the rain? How the snow? How the sun? How the Son? His gospel will bless those who love him, curse those who hate him. Those who live by the deed will be cursed, those who live by THE Grace blessed beyond their wildest dreams. So which one are you?

Shining your Armor

In Ephesians chapter Five, Paul presents us with a list of attributes that God has given to Christians so that we may get through our days, regardless of the stress of the days. I may be a little ADD in this, but I am certain this armor is supposed to be shiny.

Shininess is an attribute that allows for light to be shown without looking directly at it. If we truly want to show God's Glory throughout our lives, we need to shine our armor. Sure, if it is a little grimy it can still protect us, but our enemies will not have nearly as good of a view of the LORD if our armor is frosted over.

So, how do we shine our armor? First, take the time to do it. If we bog ourselves down, we will become tired and forget to do it. Save a day to maintain what the Lord has given you, a relationship. Also, continue to rest in Him, so that he might clean it through his glory. (aside: The temple was cleaned initially through God's Glory. He made everything shiny.)

I will also say this: The sword is a different animal altogether. It becomes shiny while it is being sharpened.  It isn't sharpened by resting, rest brings blades to rust. It is sharpened by being tested on flint, by being tested properly on the coarse stone. It is cleaned as it is used, shined in it's sheath. Never let it down, not for a day. Be ready, so that when battle calls, it will be with you, and able to be guided by it's spirit. Never let it go. Never.