A NOBLE THEME

Psalm 45:1   …stirred by  a noble theme.  When was the last time that happened to you?  The verse goes on to say ‘my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer’, no doubt as a result of these noble  themes running thru his heart.

A way with words, and then away with words, for the deeper themes of our hearts…inexpressable but profoundly felt.

I consider myself (and often say it publicly) a hopeful romantic…hopeless sounds too despairing of ever reaching it (romance), and that is certainly not the case for a lover of God, whatever our state on this earth. I like the way Ps. 45 is written because it relates to the way I think and feel. My heart is full of longing, most of the time. I don’t despair (at least hardly ever) and I don’t despise my longings, because God put them there. (Ecc. 3:11..he has placed eternity in our hearts). I have decided to embrace them and call them my friends because they will help get me home where they will be fully satisfied, and so much more.

Here we just glimpse the glory, taste of eternity, have hints of heaven, and  glimpses are everywhere I’m sure, we just need to look for them. Christ must be our first love and in the middle and forefront of all other relationships, the first and foremost of our hearts’ affections…then everything else in it’s place, giving meaning and beauty to all these others. I will not settle for less than God has offered me in Christ…so I long on…I hunger on.  What I long for?…beauty, wonder, adventure, romance,  intimacy…they can call me what they like, I believe in a happily ever after, beyond what any fairytale has conveyed, yet all that and much more. I will believe, I will sing, and I will proclaim the good news of Jesus…and a ‘happy ever after’  ending to all those who are the friends of Christ.

So be imaginative and never lose  your imagination. Imagine your happy ending, and revel in the joy, and be prepared for the battles you’ll face in getting there. There’s plenty of story yet to be written, complete with adventure, romance, danger, wonder,  and mystery. Are you up for it? What we imagine is much more closely alligned to the real story than the everyday and outward things we deal in (news/hassles/duties, programs etc.). What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).

Now that’s a noble theme…

LONGINGS

My  life has always been filled with longing, never far beneath the surface.  I suppose as a younger man, I thought that perhaps these longings could be met in this life, if one tried hard enough. But it is now becoming increasingly clear to me that they can’t and  won’t,  because these longings are eternal in nature.   Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has set  eternity in the hearts of mankind.

These longings are deep and often beyond words, but if words have any place here, I think a general explanation would be longings  for love, intimacy, beauty, adventure, wonder, and mystery.  I think I feel these most deeply when I’m near the ocean, and tho undeniably drawn, it is an ache inside that I feel when I am there before the vast expanse of sea.

Now I believe after all this time, that it is a glimpse of the eternal that I am experiencing there, and that God is and has always been, speaking to me in these moments…’there is more’.

I think we tend to consider these longings as a bit of a bother, and try to suppress them, medicate them, and quiet them somehow. I now realize they are my friends, and that they are good.  It is God telling us in our deepest parts, that there is more , much more,  and this is our basis for hope in this world. This longing points me to God and this longing is what is going to get me home. I now embrace it.

Proverbs 16:26 says that the laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.

These deep longings await a future and total fulfillment for those who are lovers and followers of Christ, but now as we travel this narrow road that leads to life, we only glimpse and taste of their fulfillment in the more beautiful and joyful moments of our lives. Embrace them, name them good, and let them drive you on toward your true home.

Seduction

      We’ve all been seduced, and it’s likely many of us, as believers in Christ,  are being seduced even now. Know this, at least the attempt to seduce goes on constantly, and we are either staying sharp and resisting, or yielding to it, and falling under this spell, the spirit of this world. 

     1 John 5:19 says that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.    

     Personally, I think it would only take about a day for me, without some close connection to my God, before I would start succumbing to this seduction. It’s a subtle blindness, an insidious mist that begins to fall over us, numbing us to the real issues of our hearts, and the story of our lives. It’s the matrix.

    But Christ sets us free (Gal.5:1), and in Him we  see, because in Him we walk in the light (Eph. 5:14, Isa. 60:1-3).

   Wake up, and leave the shadows and the haze,  and enter the story, the story you were born for.  Much time has been lost. Yes, it’s dangerous, and will demand courage and perseverance. But this is the road that leads to life. Here the view is so much better, the air so much fresher. Come alive…alive, awake, alert to the beauty, the wonder, the mystery, the romance, and the danger, all around you. Come alive  in Christ!

GOD LOVES YOU 10,000 X

I think most of us have heard something to this effect about that many times.  That God loves you, or that God is love, will mean little or nothing to you until it reaches your heart, and then it will mean everything…absolutely everything.

back again

Hi all from the most beautiful New Zealand.   I’m loving it here,  and  will be visiting 5 other countries in the next  7 months.  So I’ve been a little silent of late,  sorry, but hope to be posting some more encouraging and challenging thots…bless ya’s heaps, rob

The Sacred Romance

   A friend of mine, who recently heard me on this theme, questioned:  ”Why does God want to romance me, He’s already got me?”   Maybe another way of saying it would be “hey, I already signed up, so what’s with the sales pitch?” 

   Well, it’s not a pitch. It’s not a gimick.  He doesn’t romance us to get us hooked, to get us to serve Him, or so that He can get something out of us. God’s not selling something. God is love. The Sacred Romance is what’s it’s all about, now and forever. He loves us because that’s who He is, not to manipulate us into servanthood. He just loves us, and like no one else ever has or could.

  He wants us. We were stolen from Him just after the beginning of time, and He’s moved heaven and earth to win us back. He is a jealous  lover. His name is Jealous (Ex. 34:14).  He’s not jealous of us, He’s jealous for us.  

  The sacred romance is what we will be enjoying (if we are His) and discovering for all eternity, and it starts now. It is not the means to an end, it is the end. Better said, it is the beginning of our ‘happily  ever  after’  story. It is the point, the all in all.

  I used to have a little hesitation with the term ’sacred  romance’. It seemed a little strange when thinking of God this way, especially for a guy. That’s okay, take your time,   but I encourage you to consider it and get used to it. And remember we are made in God’s image, not Him in ours. God is neither  male nor female, and in fact, He created both sexes, meaning both have their unique  and wonderful traits originating in the heart of God.

  God is a lover and a fighter. In many ways, we get our perception of God from our human experience. This is natural in most ways,  as when we witness the magnificence  of His creation and realize He is an awesome and glorious God. But I think we also need to view/understand our human experience thru God, to make Him the starting point.  Then life begins to make sense.  For example, we don’t view the sacred romance only thru the eyes of human relationships, but rather the human experience of love in the light of the sacred romance. To see this as the ultimate ‘love story’ that it is, the benchmark of love and romance.

  Put another way, because of God, I know there is a sacred mystery to the love between a man and a woman, versus seeing God as a fickle lover, because of the many broken relationships all around me.

  God is the ultimate lover. Thru Him we know love, not vice versa. We need to make Him  the fixed point of reference.  He is the author of this sacred romance. It is not dull and domesticated, but a wild romance, full of passion and risk and  adventure. Have you noticed?  He’s still romancing us, if we let Him.

Why?

  The reason I have given my heart to Christ, and that He still has it today, is primarily this:  He cherishes it.

The Life You Prize

    The life  you prize/long for is only found in Christ.  The impact of this statement is more than just that there is only one way, which there is, but that there is a way.  

    For example, if a cure for cancer was discovered and announced, would we say “ah, come on, you’re saying there’s just one cure? That seems a little narrow minded, don’t   you think”?   Don’t think so. The great news would be that there is a cure. 

    Here’s some good news:  for the life you prize…there is a way, thank God.  One way…Christ!

God Wants You

Jesus is concerned about more than your survival. You know, that you get by (food, clothing, shelter, nice things) and are comfortable. I fear that many of us modern day, western world christians have sunk to the notion, even subconsciously, that God is just there to make our lives a little easier.

He’s primarily  concerned  about your greatness, your glory (as bestowed by Him), you being all you were born to be, the best you can be, living with purpose,  living from your heart.  This kind of life only happens within a close, intimate relationship with Christ. A sacred  romance.

It’s not that He  wants something from you…God wants YOU!!

Don´t be a fool

The only true and lasting treasure to be found in this world, is that which has it’s meaning in and thru Jesus Christ. Cling to Him. Hold on to Him for dear life. Hold everything else loosely.