Coffee With Jeremiyah (Tea-Drinkers Welcome)

Star-Crossed Lovers [deux]

2012-01-21T06:08:00.002-05:00

So what are some common things that cause our definition of love to detour from a Biblical definition? Identifying the cause is the first step toward healing. To start, we must go back to the beginning.

Sin in the Garden of Eden caused a breakdown in the first marriage. Adam failed to fulfill his mandate to safeguard the Garden by allowing the Serpent to enter. And rather than (opposed to) heeding the edict of God, he chose to follow the leading of his wife. The Serpent deceived Eve when she attempted to elevate her own status, beauty, and knowledge (Genesis 3:4).

God’s solution to the problem of sin was and is quite brilliant. Woman would now bear the Messiah (seed) who, thru His own suffering (bruise), would crush the head (authority) of the Serpent (Satan, Genesis 3:15). In the pain of childbirth, Woman would gain an insight into the Creative Nature of God, each birth a prophetic step toward the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of Mankind. It is in response to the first birth that Eve becomes the first person to call God by His personal name, Yahweh (Genesis 4:1). Eve’s desire would now be set toward her husband recognizing that her prophetic destiny could not be fulfilled without submission to his leadership (Genesis 3:16).

Man would now toil to provide for his wife and family, recognizing a mandate to rule over them both to lead and to safeguard (Genesis 3:17-19). Bound together by a God ordained inter-dependence (not to be confused with co-dependency), man and woman would now walk together in life as carriers of Destiny. What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, sin was still in the picture. Through the generations, sin would twist the order established by God and produce our first and most common causes of relational breakdowns. For Woman, God’s solution was designed both to protect her from the abuse of her own desires (will-full, emotional, & intellectual) by putting her in a place where her desires were submitted to her husband. And both thru the submission of her desires and thru maternity, Woman would learn to call of the name of Lord (trust in, rely on the Lord).

In opposition, our culture now defines a woman’s worth based on her status, beauty, and knowledge (the very sin that got Eve in trouble). Of course the people defining what status is acceptable, what is defined as beautiful, and what women are allowed to do with knowledge are men. This means that men now control a woman’s sense of acceptance and self worth. Women, from an early age, are taught that without affirmation of status, beauty, and knowledge from a man (father figure), they are not worth anything. As they come of age a desire toward their husband is replaced with destiny dependent on a man.

For man, the need to provide for his family was designed to provoke his natural desire to lead and safeguard them. As man works to rule his family, he is signing himself up for a mission that he cannot achieve without a dependence on God. God would be his role model for how to lead, how to provide, and how to love. Man would be protected from the tendency to advocate the role of leadership to his wife and would now be driven to seek and rely upon the Lord.

Our culture now defines a man’s worth based on his performance. Men are seen as only being worth their ability to perform sexually, financially, and practically. Men are taught from an early age that their sense of acceptance and self worth is based on their ability to perform. As men come of age, they transfer this need for performance-based acceptance into their relationship with God and their relationships with women. Men look to women to determine whether or not they are performing enough to be worth something.

In this ‘sin-full’ model, women are now dependent on men for their sense of value and self worth. Men are now dependent on women to affirm their performance and validate their sense of acceptance. And rather than turning to God, men and women turn to each other (co-dependency instead of interdependence). God restructured romantic relationships in the Garden so that they would foster a dependence upon Him. But now, twisted by sin, these same relationships can become a barrier to a relationship with God.

Rightly seen and rightly executed, a relationship between a man and a woman (in context as discussed last week) can produce and foster a revelation of and dependence upon God. But God never intended for women to look to men for their sense of value and self worth (worship). God never intended for men to look to women to validate their performance, provide acceptance, and affirm self worth (fatherhood). These are roles ultimately reserved for God.

Ladies, Psalm 139:14 states that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. You are wonderfully made because God created you that way. No man will ever be able to affirm your beauty, status, and fulfill your desire for knowledge because man did not create you. And knowing that you are wonderful should produce a fear or reverence recognizing that you were ultimately created not for the pleasure of a man, but for the pleasure of the God who created you. It is ultimately God who gives life and your destiny is solely and securely dependent upon him.

Fellas, Romans 5:8 says that, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” When you were unable to perform, God did what you could not. He loves you and chooses to accept you based on Christ’s performance at Calvary. There is nothing that you can do to earn it. Women will never be able to affirm your worth as a son so stop looking for them to do so. You have a Father in Heaven who loves you and accepts you without any expectation or requirement for you to perform. His love is a free gift.

If we are going to heal our relationships with each other, we need to first start by healing our relationship with God. Give him the worship (place of honor, trust, and dependence) that He alone deserves. It is only from the source of a life of worshipping God that we can draw the strength and insight we need to properly love each other.

Star-Crossed Lovers [un]

2012-01-13T19:43:00.008-05:00

One of the most famous icons of love is Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. It is hailed as a love story to end all love stories. The essence of this story is captured in the prologue, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life” and “The fearful passage of their death-marked love”. Our reverence for this story says something about how we define and think about love.

How is it possible that something so profound and wonderful as love could end in death, even self-inflicted death? Why would we celebrate this? Perhaps, it is because many of us have experienced first hand the tragic end of something that we thought was a timeless love. Many of us have our own love stories that ended in tragedy.

The truth is that real life love tragedies are often self-inflicted. This is not to demean the fact that some of us have suffered serious wrongs from those we trusted, those we loved. And when trust is broken the result is a tragic loss of life (the death of a shared life, the end of a relationship that was to us our life). Retrospectively though, we may find that our definition of love was and is quite different from God’s definition.

An honest evaluation of our motivations for pursuing love may also reveal that we were self serving in our pursuit of love, seeking to satisfy the appetites of our own emotional and physical desires outside of the governorship of God. In Philippians 3:19, the Apostle Paul warns us to be weary of those “whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.” Any time we take our definition of love outside of Christ and then (outside of Christ) seek to pursue our own self-interests (our own appetites) in a love relationship, we are setting ourselves up for destruction.

So while we may not have been the direct cause of a breakdown in past love relationships, our decision to enter into a type of ‘love’ that was ultimately not God-centered set us, from the start, on a course toward a tragedy. And in this way, our ‘star-crossed love’ was destined to fail and the wounds we suffered as a result of the ensuing love tragedy were in some way self-inflicted (self-imposed). Our best decision is not to tarry in the place of brokenness, but to move on toward a redefinition of love so that we can both avoid future tragedy and so that we can experience the full blessing that can be offered by True & God-centered love.

We need to question the cultural standard that has been raised as well as our own experiences, recognizing that the two work together to shape our view on love. What causes our definition of love to be skewed from a legitimate Biblical definition? What are some common indicators that should serve to warn us that we are outside of Christ and in route to a love tragedy? And how do we heal our definition of love? We need to address these questions, but first we need to lay two critical foundations upon which we will build a Biblical definition of love.

First, Love is God’s idea; love is God’s design. It is God who, when surveying all that He had created, said, “It is not good that man [Adam] should be alone” (Genesis 1:18). God’s solution was to put Adam to sleep, take a rib from his side, and from this He created woman. God created Eve as a “helper comparable to him”. Adam awoke astonished at what God has done.

There, under the watchful eye of God, Adam gave Eve a name, instituting the covenant of marriage. From the spark of this first romance, love has lived on. And in the context of the first marriage, Adam and Eve were naked and “were not ashamed”. Love and romance are designed by God to have a rich content. However, when we take love out of context, we invite shame into our romantic relationships (shame being the consequence of using love outside of the created design).

This is why it is important to remember that, while love has content, it also has a context. And in God’s eyes (God’s design), love’s content can never be separated from its context. The context of love in God’s design is the marriage of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24, 1 Timothy 3:2). When we are married, we set ourselves in this context by remaining emotionally and physically faithful to our spouse. When we are single, we set ourselves in this context by remaining emotionally and physically abstinent, setting ourselves apart for the person we one day hope to marry.

Within marriage (love’s context), love can have a rich and enjoyable content. God invented love as a gift to human kind. God is pro romance. And it is because God want’s us to enjoy love that He has given it a very specific context (marriage) in which it can be cherished, subject to God’s leadership, and benefit from His blessing.

Second, it is important for us to realize that there is only one lover who literally crossed the stars for us. Philippians 2:5-11 instructs us to, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus crossed the boundaries of heaven and came in the form of a man, humble and undistinguished. And while His deep love for us deserved nothing but love in return, He took on tragedy in our place. His love was so powerful that the grave could not stop Him. His love was so strong that all the powers of Heaven were subjected to Him. And now He has crossed back thru the stars, longing for the day when we will be re-united with Him.

Jesus has not left us to ourselves. We have been given His Spirit. And by the power of His Spirit we can now overcome any form of death, any type of tragedy, and every trace of shame. All this is possible because He loves us. To Romeo and Juliet, Jesus answers, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” and “Behold, I make all things new” (John 11:25, Revelation 21:5). If we are going to challenge the cultural standard, if we are going to heal our definition of love than the place to start is Jesus.

Journey Through The Mist

2009-06-27T05:59:00.006-04:00

One of the things that I love about Virginia is the weather. The weather, just like any other place, has some of its own unique qualities. One of those qualities is a deep abiding fog.

In almost every season a thick fog can settle on the ground canvassing everything in view. The fog is usually accompanied by mist. The combination of the two is so thick that it seems as though you can ‘feel’ it as you are passing through.

Riding down the highway it feels more like you are a sailor passing through ‘the mist’ than a driver in a car (‘the mist’ being used by sailors to refer to what is actually a combination of fog and mist). You can barely see what’s in front of you. And ‘the mist’ seems to have attached itself to everything.

Interestingly, this type of mist is defined as "that which dims or darkens, and obscures or intercepts vision." And life can be just like the weather. In any season of life you can wake up and find yourself lost in the mist.

Sometimes there are things that hover over our lives trying to dim or darken, trying to obscure or intercept our vision. You can’t see what’s in front of you. And your whole sense of direction seems to be lost.

Life is full of times where you must journey through the mist. Its times like these where we are really forced to grow and exercise our faith. Sailing through the veil of life’s misty moments, we learn to truly trust God.

Here are some things about traveling through the mist. You need to pray more and listen harder. When we feel disoriented, we can often make the mistake of retreating from God. But this is exactly what we shouldn’t do.

Ancient sailors would shout or sound some type of bell repeatedly as they journeyed through the fog or mist. They would listen carefully and use the echoes of sound that they heard back to help them navigate through a place where they couldn’t use sight to orient themselves.

Some times when you are going through the mist you need to start repeatedly sounding the bell of prayer. Get loud. You’ll hear the sound of your faith echoing back to you. Sometimes when we are going through a rough spot, we need to rise up in prayer and remind ourselves that God is still in control.

Ancient sailors would also tell stories about spirits of phantoms that would appear in the mist and either guide you through or send you to your death. Beware of phantoms in the mist. Times of low visibility are moments where you are at risk for spiritual attack.

In moments like these, you need to make sure that the right Spirit is guiding you. Make a conscious decision to worship, get alone with God, and specifically ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Retreating from God’s presence is the worst thing you can do in the fog because there are other things in the mist looking to steer you off course.

Remember that the fog is temporary. As long as you keep sailing, you will eventually find its end. Even when our visibility is the low, the eyes of God never dim or darken. And there is no one with the power to obscure or intercept His vision. God is never lost and He has the power to guide you as you journey through the mist.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

The Razor's Edge

2009-06-20T00:16:00.005-04:00

Life is a journey. And there are essentially three types of travelers.

The first group of travelers is stationary. They are travelers in name only for they never step out and put forth the effort to make the journey. They stay locked in the past because they aren’t willing to endure the strain, work, and effort required to break away from the past and step into the future. They were put here by God to participate in Life’s journey, but they never choose to partake.

The second group of travelers is mediocre. They recognize that there is a journey. But they only put forth a limited effort to break away from the ordinary. As soon as they are challenged, they withdraw. The extra ordinary destinations that God has waiting for them in the course of the journey are never reached. They aren’t willing to pay the price for something great and so they remain mediocre.

But this is not you. This is not me. There is a third type of traveler. This final group of travelers live on what I call the razor’s edge. They live in the aggressive pursuit of destiny, their mission is to travel, and they are relentless in their passion to not only to recognize but to ‘realize the journey.’

Destiny is achieved as we reach the milestone destinations that God has laid out for us in the journey of our life. And as long as we remain in hot pursuit of those destinations; destiny is a present reality and not a future hope. This is how God operates. Because you have fully committed yourself to the journey, God fully credits you with destiny.

Romans 4:17 says that God, “gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” This is the powerful reality of the third traveler. Destiny is yours by virtue of faith and not by virtue of merit. The moment you step out in faith and fully commit to the journey, God, by virtue of your faith, gives you ownership of your destiny. Even though destiny may not yet be naturally realized, it is already yours by virtue of your faith (or more aptly by virtue of God’s grace, God being willing to reward you when you have nothing else to offer but faith).

This is the razor’s edge, the environment of the third traveler. Life is lived in a state where the space between ‘destiny granted’ and ‘destiny realized’ is thin and ever decreasing. And as we pursue the destinations that lead to destiny, we continue to keep that margin between us and destiny narrow (thin as the razor’s edge).

There is a cost for this type of lifestyle. The razor’s edge is too narrow for us to carry the baggage of our past with us. In order to balance on such a thin space, we have to discard everything that doesn’t belong on the journey.

And the razor’s edge is sharp. It trims away the unwanted flaws in our character. As we press on, believing God for something greater, we are challenged to conform our lives to the very destiny we are asking God for.

On the razor’s edge stress is high, but so is energy and enthusiasm. Pressure is mounting, but faith is growing. Sacrifice is great, but so is the reward.

And the greatest motivation for this third traveler is not reward, not the destination, or even the destiny but rather the revelation that God is the God of the journey. The journey is the place where we meet with Him. And in the journey our ultimate purpose, to live with God, is truly realized.

All thought of the cost fades from view. The tormenting voice of doubt is cast aside. And on the razor’s edge, we realize that God is for us. And if God is for us than who can be against us?

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Taking It To The Streets

2009-04-18T08:09:00.003-04:00

It’s always interesting to see how people respond when they discover that I am a Christian. With some age and experience I’ve discovered that most people have some type of interest in hearing more about the chance to get to know God. And their response to discovering that you are a Christian is one of hope. Maybe, just maybe this “Christian” guy might be able to point me in the direction of God.

Strange that modern culture has tried to misrepresent Christianity as something that people don’t want. True, there are some religious nut chases out there wearing a Christian label. And I can understand and emphasize with the world’s repulsion to “fake, plastic Christianity” (as my Pastor calls it).

But the truth is that the world is broken down. Their needs go unmet and their true inner desires go unfulfilled. The world abuses the innocent and the ignorant. And no one does anything about it.

You and I as Christians have the answer. God can meet the needs of this world and truly fulfill their inner desire to live out the purpose for which they were created. And when God comes on the scene, He doesn’t overlook anyone and has no tolerance for injustice.

Isaiah 59:14-15 describes the condition of our world pretty aptly, “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.”

What would happen if we realized that we have what the world wants and needs? Truth would rise up in the street. Righteousness would rush in. Justice and equity would be restored. And if we dare to take our faith to the streets, the world will realize that nothing can be more “in” than Christianity.

Jesus has paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. What’s more, He has overcome every enemy, even Death, by rising from the grave and ascending into Heaven. And now we have His Spirit living in us.

Why are we still lying down? Why are we still standing afar off? It’s time for us to change the way the world thinks about God. And that starts with changing the way the world thinks about God’s people.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Proof of Life

2009-04-04T09:22:00.006-04:00

We had an awesome leadership training summit at our church last weekend. I was deeply inspired and convicted by some of the challenges that were issued to us. God is awesome.

This week I felt led to tell you a true story. About 11-12 years ago I was actually getting out of jail. I had been sharing my faith with my brother while I was in jail, but the drastic and sudden change in my life was a big shock. Who is this guy on the other end of the phone and what have you done with my brother?

Add the fact that I was caught up in a serious relationship with a girlfriend at the time and it was like my brother had lost his best friend. But I didn’t know any body else other than God who could get me through the experience of being in jail (and being away from the nice pretty girlfriend). And so with no other options, I threw myself into my relationship with God.

Thankfully, one of our close friends also got saved during the time that I was locked up. My brother, our friend David, and I had actually grown up together. David had a vision of Jesus while under the influence of drugs (“shrooming”). Whether or not the vision was from God, it so frightened him that David immediately left his old lifestyle behind and started serving God. And he began to start sharing his faith with my brother.

My friend David ended up leading my brother to the Lord. And so when I got out of jail, my brother, my friend David, and I were all hungry and excited about our relationships with God. David actually came to stay with us for a time.

Imagine the picture of three former drug addicts getting together every night to pray and study the Bible in my mom’s kitchen. My girlfriend was also living with us and she was not a happy camper. Among the other changes that I had made in our relationship, I was now moving into a place with my relationship with God where she wasn’t comfortable following.

We were best friends and spent every moment we could together. But every night when we would get together for Bible study, my girlfriend would refuse to participate. She would go and sit in another room by herself.

For the most part, neither my brother, my friend David, nor I had ever experienced the Holy Spirit on our own. Suddenly, at our nightly bible studies, God began to show up. The Holy Spirit would cause uncontrollable laughter, weeping, and incredible moments in prayer as we sat around the table.

And the Holy Spirit began to flow into every area of our lives. We all began to have dreams from God. We would find ourselves prophesying to people we met in restaurants. I worked at a printing company. And sometimes I would dream for hours while I was at work (day dream).

In lue of doing other things, my girlfriend and I began to read a fictional book by a Christian author based on the life of King Hezekiah. We were both deeply affected by the book as we recognized familiar struggles and experiences. Deep inside she began to become more and more open to God.

One night at Bible study, we were finally able to coerce my girlfriend into participating. Without any warming up to it, the Holy Spirit suddenly filled the room. And in an instant I felt led to read aloud from John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” I barely got the words out of my mouth when my girlfriend began to manifest demonically.

She picked up a chair and tried to throw it at me. But the chair hit the wall instead of me. Not knowing what else to do I just began to pray. My brother and David followed suit. She fell to the ground and began to explain that she had been tormented in dreams since she was a little child (having been seriously abused for a number of years). She had committed her life to Christ but the dreams had never gone away.

You can be a Christian and still be demonically oppressed. Demons can leave your spirit but stay in your mind. And so we prayed for her and she actually felt the demonic presence leave.

Still full of the Holy Spirit, we went through my parents house and anointed every door and window with oil rejecting any demonic spirit and praying for God’s blessing over the home.

I’ve never forgotten those nightly bible studies. And ever since then God has continued to move in my life through the power of His Holy Spirit. The dreams, visions, and powerful moments in prayer have never gone away. It’s like God gave me proof of life. Proof that He was there and that I had a new life inside of me.

The Holy Spirit isn’t supposed to be someone you randomly encounter every now and again. He wants to walk with you every day of your life. He wants to fill you with dreams and manifestations of His power every day.

It’s my prayer that as you’re reading this that God will give you that ‘proof of life’ in a new and powerful way.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

A World Only Dreamed

2009-03-21T10:03:00.001-04:00

Before me is a great door.
The room where I stand is dark.
In my hand is a key.
And so with a turn I enter.

The door is open.
The light hurts my eyes.
It won’t let me look away.
Someone is there.

He burns like fire.
He shines like the sun.
He carries a message.
He declares it to me.

“Give me your hands,
I will plow forgotten fields.
Give me you eyes,
I will show a world only dreamed.”

I go back into the black.
I walk slowly.
I hear the door close behind.
I am not alone.

There is a message.
It journeys with me.
It travels on my tongue.
It guides me on a path.

“Wake up forgotten fields!
Yield your harvest once again.
Rise up remembered dreams!
Make this your coming hour.”

The dawn appears.
There is light again.
A course is set.
A course is followed.

~Jeremiyah Mullins

Davidic Meditation Part IV

2009-03-14T09:48:00.001-04:00

So this is my final blog on the subject. Make sure your have read the other three before continuing. Meditation is a very practical discipline for us a Christians and it has some very practical results.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a “chance” encounter with someone and, at the moment where I was sharing my faith, God reminded me of a scripture that I had been meditating on earlier in the day. The scripture some times will be so directly pointed toward what the other person is going through that they’ve said things like, “How did you know what’s been happening with me?” There is a prophetic edge that comes from having your mind submitted to the Spirit of God and the power of God’s Word.

I’ve also found that meditation deeply affects me in the area of dreams. On the days where I keep the discipline of meditation, I find myself dreaming deeper and more profoundly. Not just dreams, but Godly dreams.

What’s more is that I have also found the ability to control the dreaming process. Yes, you are supposed to be in some form of control over your soul even when you are asleep. When your soul is submitted to your spirit and your spirit is yielded to God, the result is a deeper control over your subconscious.

I’ve had several occasions where I have woken myself up from a bad dream. On several of these occasions I actually woke up quoting scripture. And in a handful of bad dreams I’ve actually found myself quoting scripture in the dream and commanding the dream to stop (at which point I woke myself up).

And in each of these cases I was aware of the link between the time that I was spending in meditation on God’s word and an increased ability to better manage my thought & dream life. Yes, meditation will also have an incredibly profound effect on your thought life. In the same way that I’ve found myself in better control of my dream state, I’ve also found that meditation produces a deeper level of control (good management) over my thought life.

Even prayer and spiritual encounters changed when I began meditating on a regular basis. Several years ago I had a profound experience that I believe illustrates what I am talking about. I was actually staying with my mother shortly after she married my second stepfather (15-16 years ago).

I got up in the middle of the night and left my room to use the restroom. When I came back I laid down in bed. Suddenly, I was aware of a demonic presence in the room. I couldn’t move and was totally paralyzed lying on my bed.

And suddenly I remembered a scripture that I had memorized as a part of my daily meditation. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” I was unable to speak and so I began quoting this scripture in my mind.

Eventually I began to be able to move my lips and, getting louder as I went, I began to say the scripture out loud. I gradually became released from the feeling of paralysis. And when I felt myself free, I stood up and rebuked the demonic spirit, commanding it to leave my room.

Now don’t go looking for monsters in your closet. These types of encounters shouldn’t be an every day occurrence. In fact, I learned from this experience that God had authority over the demonic and that evil had no right to my life.

But I also made a mental link between the time I was spending in meditation and the ability to handle a spiritual encounter when it comes. On instinct I had remembered a scripture that applied to my situation. And in this particular case, meditating on that scripture had actually been a tool that I used to deal with the encounter itself.

So I want to strongly encourage your to incorporate meditation into your daily walk with God. Remember, this is not about impressing God or becoming spiritually pious. Its about love motivating you to discipline yourself and act in a way that benefits your relationship with God.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

DESTINY IS MINE

2009-03-11T22:02:00.001-04:00

The wind is out, I hear it calling swiftly through the trees.
The night is dark, the moon shines low amidst a veil of deprecating clouds.

There are echoes in the night, I hear them calling:
The voice of something long ago, The sound of something yet to come.

I am not a man, not frail in my intentions.
The night is mine, I will judge her voice and meet her challenge to my claim.

Hope is mine, neither wind nor brigand cloud shall upon my soul prevail.
I am not a man, but rather fierce and righteous in burning indignation.

Let the foe come and stand in the shadow that is cast before him.
I will show the meaning of sacred vows that I have rendered.

I will tender to him neither mercy nor the sounding of his pleas.
Let him stand and face the void that he has created, violent like the clapping of the sea.

I am not a man; just but mad in holy vindication.
Destiny is mine, and neither wind nor foe will steal what I have taken.

~Jeremiyah Mullins

Davidic Meditation Part III

2009-03-07T10:49:00.011-05:00

So make sure you read part one and part two of this blog before continuing. We left off talking about our nature. We are triune beings: body, soul, and spirit. The flaw in our nature is that sin causes our body, soul, and spirit to operate independent of each other. Our body, soul, and spirit can all tug us in different directions.

We also have 7 senses (5 natural senses and 2 supernatural senses). These senses allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with the outside world. They also allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with each other. What the body senses causes a reaction in the soul. And so with any number of exchanges that can happen between the three.

Unfortunately, we can live our lives following the whims of outside stimulus and the sinful desires of our body and soul. But the body and soul can be redeemed in the same way that our spirit was redeemed the moment we accepted Christ.

This is where I believe that Davidic meditation is such a powerful tool. As we will see, this requires the body and soul to submit to the spirit. And you also are teaching your senses to focus in harmony with each other on God.

As I read through the Bible I noted scriptures that I felt were especially impactful. These scriptures spoke to major beliefs or provided insight and direction into situations that I could relate to. And I then broke these scripture out into lists.

For example, I have a list from the Torah. I also have a list from Psalms, Proverbs, a list from the gospels, ect. These I call daily scripture lists (D.S.L). I have a set order for their use, but sometimes I feel I need to use one out of order and am not overly rigid.

There are days where I just need to hear Jesus. There are days where I need to listen to the words of the Psalmists reminding me that God deserves my worship. But barring a decision to deviate I have a set order that I fall back on.

From experience, I have found that it works best to divide the daily scripture lists in half. These become a morning and afternoon/evening segment. Remember Psalm 1, ‘in His law he meditates day and night.’

My rule is that 40 minutes a day keeps the devil a way. 40 minutes mediating on scripture each day. The 40 minutes I divide into two 20 minute segments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening.

Techniques I use for meditation are very practical. I have found it best to engage as many of my natural senses as possible. I have a notebook with my scripture lists in them. The outside of notebook is textured instead of smooth. Sometimes in the morning I remember the feel of the notebook in my hand as though my body is saying, “don’t forget to meditate.” It’s also green which I find a soothing color.

I also like to use my Bible (versus something electronic) because the Bible has a special look and feel. The pages make a unique sound when you turn them because the pages are so thin. You get the picture.

When you meditate, create an environment where you are engaging your natural senses. Meditate in a serene place where your natural senses are occupied. This way you can dig in and really starting dealing with the relationship between you spirit and your soul (while your body is also focused and not distracted).

So I select a scripture that I want to memorize. I then break that scripture down into sentences. Starting with the first sentence, I say it out loud until I am able to recite it three times from memory. Then I move to the next sentence and do the same. Then I combine the two sentences, reciting them out loud until I am able to say them together three times from memory. I continue adding sentences until I am able to recite the entire verse out loud three times from memory. I also say the scripture reference before and after reciting the actual verse.

Pretty straight forward and not unlike what many people do. But there is a technique to it that may not be natural for everyone. Gradually, I memorize a whole list of scriptures. I then am able to meditate and recite them from memory.

I started this pattern of memorization when I was thirteen. Unfortunately, I subsequently went through a challenging time as a teenager. By eighteen I was a drug addict on the run from God (or so I thought). I ended up in jail faced with a serious charge for committing a violent crime.

I was so ashamed of the things I had done that I couldn’t even pray. The moment I tried I fell to my knees in my cell and began to weep before the Lord. Would God ever be willing to forgive all of the terrible things I had done.

Then the words of the scriptures I had memorized so many years before came back to me. “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3). “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).

All those years had gone by but the word of God was still imbedded in the fabric of my mind. That is the real power of meditating on God’s word. Its not the power of the person who is meditating or the meditation itself. It’s the power of Who you are meditating on.

Next, week I’ll publish my final blog on this subject. I want to share some real world experiences I’ve had where meditation proved a critical foundation preparing me for spiritual encounters, prayer, and those critical moments where I had an opportunity to share my faith.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Davidic Meditation Part II

2009-02-28T09:42:00.015-05:00

Please, read part one of Davidic Meditation as I will pick up now directly where I left off. So at age thirteen I underwent surgery with the hope that God would hold true to His promise to spare my life. It was actually two surgeries: one to remove my colon and a second three months later to wire me back up. But the first held the greatest risk because I was severely underweight (not being able to eat for three months prior and being on bed rest in the hospital). I was also anemic and literally at the point of death, a result of blood loss from the bleeding ulcers that had riddled my body like cancer.

So the Lord guided me through the first surgery miraculously. And by the time I had the second surgery, I had been able to start eating again and recover strength; the doctors having removed my colon, I was no longer bleeding to death. Needless to say, I was in better health when I faced the second surgery. But I count it all a miracle, for if God hadn’t intervened in the first, I wouldn’t even have been alive to face the second.

I knew that I literally owed my life to God. And driven by this knowledge, I set out to study the Bible more intently. I remembered clinging to the words of the Psalms when I had faced my surgery. And I understood for the first time that there was power in the word of God.

After reading through the Torah and the histories, I came to the book of Psalms. And there in the words of the first song, I found what I call Davidic meditation. Psalm 1:1-3 reads as follows,
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Those words struck me like bumping the funny bone on your elbow. If I was to make God’s word my delight, than I needed to meditate on it day and night. But what did that mean? And there in the margin was a note. The Hebrew word hagah means to meditate or contemplate something as one repeats the words aloud. This is the word translated meditates in Psalm 1.

By instinct this was how I had learned scriptures when I was in the hospital. By thinking about them and repeating them aloud, I was able to secure them in memory. And now it seemed that David, thousands of years before, had done the same.

Actually, before David, God had instructed that the kings of Israel write out their own copy of the law and read it daily (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Unfotunately, what gets lost in translation is that the Hebrew word qara, translated “read” in verse nineteen actually means to recite aloud to oneself. Reading out loud is a distinct part of eastern culture, but to most westerns like me, reading is not something I generally do aloud.

Joshua, on receiving the command of Israel, was instructed by God, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Again, the Hebrew word hagah, to meditate or contemplate something as one repeats the words aloud, is used in God’s instruction to Joshua. And it is likely that this verse may have served as an inspiration for Psalm 1.

Now as an adult I now know that hagah is a major practice of the Jewish faith. But you must understand, that as a punk thirteen-year old kid, I knew nothing about the Jewish faith and received these things by revelation. Hagah is a major theme of Psalms (sadly it is poorly translated in many cases). It is also a major theme of Proverbs and Isaiah.

Next, week I will speak more to the importance of Davidic meditation (hagah) in prayer and spiritual conflict and include some tips (in plain terms) on how to meditate effectively. But to get there, I need to deviate, and explain to you why I believe meditation is an effective tool for strengthening your relationship with God. Again I will caution you, that if you make this about ritual and not about relationship, than you will have missed the point entirely.

We know that man has three parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Ths. 5:23). We are triune beings made in the image of God who is also a triune being. God’s triune nature is infallible; God is one, no distinction or lack of union between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But our three parts (spirit, soul, and body) are fallible. They are distinct from one another. The spirit can pull us in one direction while the soul and or the body can pull us in a totally different direction.

This is the life-long battle for every Christian; the fight to get your body and your soul to operate in unity with your spirit, your spirit having been redeemed from sin and endowed with the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew the spirit is ruwach, the powerful exhalation or breath that causes your body and soul to come alive (James 2:26). The New Testament (written in large part by a Jewish scholar) mirrors this idea by using the Greek word pnuema for spirit. Think of your spirit as the pneumatic engine that keeps you alive.

We also have a soul, which in the Hebrew is nephesh, the inhalation or breath that is taken in. The nephesh thinks, feels, and interprets your interactions with the worlds around you. This nepesh or soul is your mind, will, and emotions. And so in the Greek, psyche is used for soul. Think of the soul as your psychological makeup interpreting your interactions with the worlds around you into thought, habit, feeling, and knowledge.

Now we know that the body has five senses that it uses for the purpose of interaction: hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling. All five are powerful tools. But the memories (records) that are stored in our soul are recorded in images and sounds (often recalled by touching, tasting, and smelling). So the medium for recording is hearing and seeing. And touching, tasting, and smelling act as triggers for recalling the records.

In this sense (no pun intended), I like to call hearing and seeing your dominant senses. Touching, tasting, and smelling I call your passive senses. This is not to discount the importance of your passive senses, but rather to stress that the passive senses are designed to support and stimulate the dominant senses. Stay with me.

Hearing and seeing then are your dominant senses. And hearing is what I call your master sense. Imagine, you are in a quiet room. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise. What do you do? You look in the direction of the sound. You can close your eyes but it is very difficult to close your ears.

Long before you saw the world, you heard it in your mother’s womb. And the first thing you likely did when you were born was to make a sound. To this day, blind people are able to adapt and live fairly normal lives. But the deaf struggle to interact with the outside world, often retreating into their own communities.

But most importantly, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the word of God.” And this is why I believe hearing is our master sense. I can force you to see something with a few choice words. But if I don’t want to see something, I can simply close my eyes. So I refer to hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling as your five natural senses.

We’ll come back to this in future discussions but your soul and your spirit also have their own ability to sense or interact with the world around you. The bible will often refer to the soul and the spirit as having the ability hear or see. This is not to say that that you physically saw something or that you heard an audible voice, but rather that your soul and your spirit have their own ability to sense.

So then, you and I are triune beings with 5 natural senses and 2 supernatural senses (two senses that operate above or beyond the world of the natural). In all we have 7 senses. And these senses allow our body, soul, and spirit to interact with the world around us.

Next week, we’ll start talking about how meditation works as a tool to align our body and soul with our spirit. I’ll also start discussing practical applications as well as spiritual experiences that can be provoked or enhanced through meditation. Remember, relationship, relationship, relationship.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Davidic Meditation Part I

2009-02-21T11:42:00.009-05:00

Davidic Meditation. Don’t worry, I’m not the Maharishi, and this is not a seance. But meditation, like so many other elements of our spirituality, has become something that we wrongly associate with every religion except Christianity. And nothing could be farther from the truth. Meditation understood from a Biblical perspective can play a central role in your spiritual health as a Christian.

The central difference in the Christian use of meditation is motive. For us the motive should be love. I want to preface everything that I am about to say. This is all about your relationship with God and getting to know Him better. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.”

You are not going to impress God by becoming spiritually pious. Nothing you do makes Him love you more or less. But if you love Him, than love will motivate you to uphold certain disciplines. A parent disciplines him or herself to work in order to provide for their child. A good husband disciplines himself to communicate well with his wife. And so on. Meditation is simply one of the disciplines flowing out of a love relationship with Christ.

When I was ten, I committed my life to Christ and began reading the Bible for the first time on my own. But it wasn’t until I was thirteen that it took over as a lifelong passion. And to this day Biblical study remains a most cherished part of my life.

I had been battling a disease called ulcerative colitis for nearly seven years. The disease would go in and out of remission like cancer. And in its throws, I would begin to bleed to death as my body attacked itself producing bleeding ulcers all over my colon.

Then at thirteen, after being hospitalized for several months, the disease literally had me at the point of death. The doctors had even tried an experimental chemotherapy to try to get the disease to go back into remission. But nothing worked. I was severely anemic and was bleeding so badly that even a massive blood transfusion did little in the way of rehabilitating my health.

The only thing the doctors could do to attempt to save my live was to perform a surgery where they would remove my colon and, if all went well, rewire me so that I could function somewhat normally without it. But my frail condition made the surgery extremely risky. If they didn’t operate than the disease, which was still progressing, would likely take my life. If they operated, I might not survive the operation.

But at least the operation gave me a chance at life. And I had received a promise from God in a vision that He would intervene and spare my life. And so I elected to have the surgery.

My neighbor, who had inspired me to commit my life to Christ, called me in the last hours before my surgery. She said that she had two scriptures for me and she wanted me to memorize them. The scriptures were Psalm 18:1-3 and Psalm 139:7-10. This was the first time I had ever heard anything about memorizing scripture (other than my dad tediously making my brothers and I memorize the 10 commandments as children). And as I was going into the surgery she wanted me to repeat those scriptures to myself.

Well this was wonderful. As soon as I hung up the phone, I scrambled for my Bible to find out what the scriptures said. First was Psalm 18:1-3, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies." Next was Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me.”

And so these were the first words from scripture that I memorized of my own accord. And as I lay on the operating table, I recited those scriptures over and over again until I went to sleep. I remembered the promise of God that He would spare my life. And the words of those two Psalms seemed like the very voice of God calling to me and beckoning me back to life as I awoke from the surgery which was a complete success.

Meditation had become an imbedded part of my relationship with God without me even knowing what meditation was. Stayed tuned for next weeks blog where I will continue to talk about my journey. I will discuss what meditation is from the Bible and will also highlight some techniques which I have found to be particularly effective.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Is suicide an unpardonable sin?

2009-02-09T17:26:00.027-05:00

This past Sunday we had a question and answer session at our evening Church service called Elevation. People were able to go in and submit questions online and a panel from our church’s leadership team gave a noble effort to answer the questions. There was one question which I thought merited a more detailed answer than time and the pace of the session allowed for. And so I decided to insert an unscheduled blog.

The basic nature of the question was, “Does God send people to hell for committing suicide?” This is an important question for all of us but especially for those who have tragically lost someone they know and love. And the Bible does have an answer.

First, and foremost the Bible does command us not to murder (Exodus 20:13). I do believe that suicide qualifies as murder. It is not God’s will for us to end our own life in the same way that it is not God’s will for us to end the life of another. From the opening chapter’s of Genesis, God repeatedly asserts the value of man’s life and warns against acts of murder. So suicide is an act of sin. But is it a sin that God will never forgive?

To treat suicide as an unforgivable sin, for which God will automatically condemn someone to hell, is not a Biblical teaching. In fact it contradicts what the Bible teaches. And for my part I thought it was important to expound upon the answer I gave last night in writing.

First and foremost, the way out of hell is faith. In John 5:24 Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." The Apostle Paul would go on to say that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Even more important than knowing what gets you into hell, is knowing what gets you out, namely, faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).

The assertion that suicide is an unpardonable sin is a doctrine of institutionalized religion and is not a teaching that can be supported from the teachings of the Bible. There are two major issues with the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. The first issue is how to define suicide. You have to either to teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide or you have to setup systems to arbitrate cases where someone has ended their life in a way that shouldn’t be defined as suicide.

The example I used last night was a solider that chooses to fall on a grenade, ending his own life, in order to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Did this soldier commit suicide or was the act of ending his own life a heroic act of service? I say it is a heroic act of service.

To those who teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide, I would refer you to the example of Christ. In John 10:17-18, Jesus says, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Jesus actually set about a course of action that He knew would end His life.

Jesus’ disciples warn Him not to go to Jerusalem because they knew that Jesus would be killed. The apostle Peter even attempted to restrain Jesus. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that going there would result in His death.

The Roman soldiers who were stationed at Jerusalem acted as a military police force. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that the Romans would crucify Him. In our modern day, we might have accused Jesus of committing “death by cop.” And Jesus says that He had actually been commanded to lay down (end) His life. He even says, “I lay it down of Myself.” You can see how easy it would be for someone to misunderstand Jesus and His intentions.

Was Jesus’ act of laying down His own life an act of suicide? Certainly not. It was a heroic act of sacrifice. And this is the error in teaching that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide (and subsequently will be sent to hell). This flawed logic might leave you condemning Jesus to hell! Clearly, there are cases where someone chooses to end their life and it is not suicide.

The alternative is to setup systems of arbitration by which men in elected positions can determine whether or not a specific act should be considered suicide, and ultimately whether or not someone should be sent to hell. To this I also refer you to the example of Christ. Even Jesus’ closest friends and family misjudged His intent in giving up His life.

But the most atrocious element of this alternative, is that it places the power to eternally damn someone to hell in the hands of men. The right of judgment belongs exclusively to Christ. It is a dangerous and false teaching that takes eternal judgment out of the hands of a loving God and places it in the hands of sinful men.

“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:12). The world misjudged Christ and condemned Him to death, but God overruled the world’s prosecution of Jesus and granted Him eternal clemency (1 Peter 2:23). We are charged to judge the things that pertain to this life, but it is God’s exclusive right to judge the things pertaining to eternal life, the eternal future of men (Matthew 7:1-2). Praise God that He is a just judge. Praise God that His judgment is untainted by sin. Praise God that He is merciful, compassionate, and forgiving.

The second error in teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin is that such a teaching directly contradicts the teachings of the Bible. Jesus clearly states in Matthew 12:31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus identifies only one unpardonable sin and it is not suicide.

The context of Matthew 12:31 is Matthew 12:22-30. Jesus had just miraculously healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of delivering the demon- possessed man by the power of Beelzebub (a demon). Jesus rebukes them and asserts that it was by the power of God’s Spirit that He had healed the man. Then Jesus issues a warning not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, clearly states, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus asserts that there is only one sin that God is not willing to forgive which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. All others God is willing to forgive including suicide.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (the only unpardonable sin) as defined in the context of Matthew 12:22-30 has nothing to do with suicide. What you have in Matthew 12:22-30 are religious leaders who recognize the Holy Spirit at work and then knowingly choose to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by calling His work the work of the devil. Jesus in essence says that they have committed the only unpardonable sin. They didn’t commit this sin by accident and they knew what they were doing. I won’t elaborate on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit other than to say that, if you were blaspheming the Holy Spirit, it wouldn’t be by accident and you would know what you were doing.

In the larger picture of things we now have a clear and contextually definable statement from Jesus Himself that directly contradicts the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. And nowhere in the teachings of the apostles do they add a contingency clause that God will not forgive someone who commits suicide. Suicide is not an unpardonable sin.

To say that the power of cross is sufficient to forgive every sin except suicide is to cheapen and debase the sacrifice that Jesus made. At the moment that someone takes their own life, their eternal salvation is still based on faith. And only God can judge them righteously.

Often people who commit suicide are not fully aware of the consequences of what they are doing. They hurt and they just want the hurt to end. They are broken, confused, and in pain.

Psalm 34:18 says that “The Lord is near to the broken hearted, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Rather than condemning those who have ended their own life, we need to teach people that God is near to them when they are broken hearted and that God still has the power to save them. It is also tragic that in the time of a family’s loss many religious organizations add to their pain with a false and misguided teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin.

In the moments of individual weakness and suffering, in times of loss and pain, and in times of doubt and confusion the Church should be a beacon of light and a source of hope and strength.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Memories Are Forever?

2009-02-07T08:00:00.005-05:00

Well, let’s settle the issue. Memories aren’t forever. The words of Revelation 21:3-7 come to mind, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”"

The motivation for us to overcome is that a new day is coming. One day God will wipe away our tears. And every painful memory will be wiped away. God will make all things new.

God created you. He is your Alpha, your beginning. Whether or not you realize it, you’ve got a good beginning. God is Alpha and He is also Omega. One day your story will have a wonderful and glorious end. And all of the painful things in between will be wiped away!

So what do you do while you are stuck here on earth with bad memories? Easy. Get over it. I’m not saying to forget because only God can wipe the slate clean. What I’m saying is that there is a difference between being under something and being over something. And you need to get over your bad memories.

Often I remember places I’ve been or things I’ve done. And they aren’t all good. It seems like a bad movie that I am being forced to re-watch in my head. But I’ve gotten over those things. They are under me now. Sometimes you need to remind your bad memories that their clock is ticking.

And the wonderful thing is that you can change the channel. There is nothing stopping you from piling up good memories of good places and good experiences. And there is a force more powerful than memory operating in our lives. That force is love.

Love overrides memory. It trumps fear and regret. It humbles doubt and releases faith and hope into our lives. God is love.

Love motivates us to stand when we have fallen. It reminds us to have courage when our hearts grow faint. Love rises in the mist of sorrow to nurture the seeds of faith. And love never fails even when we do. God is love!

You can’t take it with you. The good, the bad, and the ugly will one day be wiped away. There will be no sad people in heaven but there won’t be anyone who is proud either. Just a band of people emboldened by God’s love. Left standing will be a people who dared to overcome, believing that God would keep His word. The slate will be wiped clean. And God will make everything new.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Don't Let Anyone Steal Your Dreams

2009-01-31T08:17:00.007-05:00

Dreams. They are one of the key elements that separate us from the rest of creation. God created us will the ability to dream; to imagine something and then creatively pursue that dream until it becomes a reality. Our dreams are the central threads binding together the fabric of who we are.

This is what makes dreams so important. Dreams guide and dreams inspire. But God will also use dreams to make and re-make our character. He’ll use dreams to refine the rough edges of our personalities and to cultivate abilities and strengths that we never knew we had.

Along the way to any good dream, there will be obstacles. Those obstacles take on many forms. Some are found in the labyrinth of our own soul. Others appear from the outside in both strange and familiar faces. Some obstacles are as old as time itself and have been encountered by many dreamers who came before us.

Several years ago my Pastor preached a message called “Dream Stealers” about how man made religions become a tool that bitter people use to manipulate and to steal the dreams of others. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The context of John 10 is the religious order of Jesus’ day excommunicating a man that Jesus had healed of blindness all because he refused to deny that he had been healed. So the thief in John 10 is man made religious orders. Man made religion likes to tell people what they can't do instead of reminding them of what God can do. And religion is not the only thief that is out there.

The night after my Pastor preached the message on dream stealers, I encountered him in the parking lot. He stopped me for a moment by looking me in the eye and calling my name. He paused and then said, “Don’t ever let anyone steal your dreams.” He got in his car and drove away. I got in my car and sat there for a moment thinking about what he had said.

This was about nine years ago. God had miraculously delivered me from drug and alcohol addiction. God had literally ransomed me from a life in prison, a consequence I deserved for a crime I had committed. But the transition into a new life had left me broken. And in spite of everything that God had done, I wasn’t sure that I could imagine anything good for my life. I was afraid to raise my sails and dare to dream again.

I made a decision that night. Sure there were a lot of people telling me that I couldn’t make it. Yes, I had reached a point in life where I had failed and compromised everything I had believed in. But God had still chosen to redeem me. And if God was willing to imagine, to dream something good for my life than I was going with Him.

Many times over the years I have encountered some of those obstacles on the way to my dreams. Some ancient, some new. Some coming out of the mouths of strangers, some coming out of the mouths of family & friends. And looking on those barriers to hope, listening to the wall of accusations and misdirection that try to separate me from my dreams, I remember what my Pastor said to me. “Don’t let anyone steal your dreams.”

And now I want you to look into the eyes of a dreamer. I’m standing in front of you with my soul laid bare just like my Pastor was that night. And from the depths of who I am, I am challenging you. “Don’t let anyone steal your dreams.”

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

The Power of Prayer (Part II)

2009-01-24T10:25:00.009-05:00

So because you are physical (body), psychological (mind, will, emotions), and spiritual so also are your prayers. Unfortunately, this is not the way most people treat prayer. Most people suffer from what I call the “three stooges of prayer.” That is to say that some people have a western view of prayer, some a country western view of prayer, and some an eastern view. And all of these are skewed or out of alignment in some way.

To the western view (coming from a western mind) prayer is centered around the psychological. This type of prayer is centered around what you feel, what you think, and what you want. Now all of these things should be a part of your prayer but they should never be the center. God is interested in what you feel, in what you think, even what you want.

But western prayers make prayer more about you than about a relationship. God is Spirit and the most intimate connection you can have with Him is spiritual. But when you become centered on yourself you cut the spiritual element out of your prayers. Prayer is supposed to be a relationship. And the peak of this relational exchange is not psychological but spiritual.

Other people suffer from what I call an “eastern view” of prayer. They recognize that prayer is supposed to climax in spiritual exchange. But they try to reach that spiritual exchange on their own terms. Prayer is not about burning incense and sacred chants.

But even Christians will fall prey to this eastern view. They come up with “magic buzz words,” rituals, and even demonstrative behaviors that are presumed to induce a spiritual experience in prayer. But God has nothing to do with it. The buzz words, the rituals, and even some of the contrived behaviors are all defined by men (either in their own private experience or as a part of a closed social circle).

Let me enlighten you. God will never relate to you on your terms. God is not interested in how many Christian buzz words you use when you pray. You can’t forcibly induce God into an exchange. Interestingly, eastern prayers have the same end effect as western prayers. Prayer becomes about you.

The more buzz words you know, the more rituals you can perform, the more demonstrative behaviors you exhibit, the more “spiritual” you presume to be. And out of this, closed social groups will form. “Eastern prayer cults” where social pecking orders are based on who appears to be more spiritual.

This is a sick and perverted view of prayer. You can’t become any more spiritual than you already are. God made you spirit and that makes you spiritual. If you want to relate to God than it will have to be on His terms.

Now comes the third type of prayer that I call country western prayer. In this view the psychological and the spiritual are one and the same. The delineation between emotion and spirit is lost. And the psychosocial actually begins to be worshiped as a form of spirituality.

How in the world can Christians justify barking like dogs, drinking turpentine, and handling venomous snakes? Easy. These are just country western prayer rituals at their ultimate extreme. If you believe that the psychological and the spiritual are one and the same, than you will end up chasing heightened psychological experiences.

Behind this view like the others is a twisted view of scripture. Hebrews 4:12 says that, “the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” A right understanding of God's word will correct all three of these wrong views about prayer.

To the western mind, the word of God is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. To the eastern mind the word of God severs the joints and marrow, breaks down the man made stanchions of prayer, and puts us in a place where we are genuinely humbled before God (relating to God on His terms). And to the country western mind the word of God comes and divides the soul (psychological) and the spiritual.

Real prayer involves the physical and the psychological but is centered around the spiritual. Real prayers accepts the fact that in order for there to be an exchange with God, it must be on His terms. Real prayer is able to recognize the difference between what you feel or what you want and the true inner spiritual longing to connect with God. And real prayer is guided and guarded by the word of God.

So pray real prayers.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

The Power of Prayer (Part I)

2009-01-17T10:55:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 18:21 says that, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Now I’ve heard a number of people talk about the “death and life” part. We all probably know from experience that the things that we say (our tongues) can produce life or death in ourselves and others. We’ve all said things we didn’t mean or neglected to say something we should have. And we’ve all had someone lift us out of a bad day with a few kind words.

But I want to talk for a moment about the power of the tongue. The apostle Paul says in 1Thessalonians 5:23, “may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I believe and strongly teach that we are triune beings; namely that we have a spirit, a soul, and a body.

The spirit (pneuma in the Greek) is the ‘pneumatic engine’ that keeps you alive (James 2:26). The spirit is also the part of us that is able to communicate with God (Romans 8:16) and is designed to govern our life (1Cor. 2:11). The soul (psyche in the Greek) is our psychological makeup (the mind, the will, and the emotions).

And this triune nature is what makes our words (our tongues) so powerful. We actually have the power to produce words that are natural, deeply psychological (invoking thought or feeling), and even words that are effectually spiritual. We even have the ability to speak in a language that is natural, a language that is psychological, and a language that is spiritual.

This gets into what I want to talk to you about next week. This coming week I want you to recognize that your prayers are powerful because there is power in the tongue. When you pray, you actually have the power to affect a natural, psychological, and even a spiritual change.

Next week we remember the sacrifices made by many to see life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness become a reality for people of color. We remember one of the great leaders of the American civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We also celebrate the inauguration of a new American President who promises to change our country for the better.

But next week, I want you to remember that one of the most powerful forces in the universe is not in a movement or in a man, but in the power of your prayers.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins

P.S. Look for a follow on blog next week to include the 3 types of prayer: western prayer, country western prayer, and eastern prayer

Springs In The Desert?

2009-01-10T10:31:00.003-05:00

Last week I had to expedite a sermon. So I had to sacrifice the blog in order to be ready to speak. All is well though. And I am anxious to renew my discussions with you all. So here we go.

I noticed something interesting in my readings this week. By chance I happened to read Isaiah 49 in both my New King James translation of the Bible and in my Amplified paraphrase. And I noted a difference in the way that Isaiah 49:10 was translated:

NKJ
“They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.”
AMP
“They will not hunger or thirst, neither will mirage [mislead] or scorching wind or sun smite them; For He Who has mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will He guide them.”

The Hebrew word sharab translated “heat” in the NKJ refers to the glare off of parched ground that produces a mirage. So “mirage” is actually a fair translation. And the use of sharab in Isaiah 49:10 is consistent with it’s use in Isaiah 35:7. In Isaiah 35, Isaiah is using opposites to illustrate the power of God to restore/heal the nation of Israel. The weak hands become firm, the fearful become strong, the closed eyes of the blind become opened, the lame become those who leap, ect. And in Isaiah 35:7 the mirage (sharab often translated parched ground) becomes a pool of water.

Now a mirage is “an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density” (Webster’s). So in Isaiah 35:7, the mirage (false illusion of a pool water) becomes a real pool of water. God replaces the mirage with it’s true opposite.

Now I’ve noticed the difference in the translations before. But it is always interesting to revisit things over time. In Isaiah 49:10 God is promising to keep us from the mirages (false illusion of pools of water) and to guide us on a path to legitimate springs of water. This is a wonderful thought.

When you are thirsty and hot, the mirages of life seem a lot more appealing. But if you grow weary and abandon the true vision that God has given you than you’ll end up eating sand. This was true for Israel and it is certainly true for us.

In my own life, I know that there are areas were I have clearly heard from God and had that ‘vision’ confirmed to me by more witnesses than I can count. And so I started on the journey. But it has taken longer to get there than I expected. And the journey has grown hot.

This is the moment when mirages begin to appear. Life will offer you many appealing detours. And all that you have to do in order to pursue them is to abandon the vision and the direction that you have received from God. But the false offerings of this life are illusions. They are mirages. If you abandon that which God has instructed you to do, you will follow those illusions to the parched ground that produced them. There is no pool, no spring of water in compromise; only thirst.

This is why it is so important to trust God and to obey Him. The heat does not affect God. No form of weakness taints the vision and direction of God. If we obey Him than He will lead us to the true place of fulfillment. The pools and springs of God never run dry. And besides that water tastes a lot better than sand (if childhood memories serve me correctly).

I am reminded of the words of Christ, “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). Interestingly, we know that Jesus was well studied in Isaiah’s prophecies.

So if God has given you vision, if God has promised something, if God has directed you to do something than don’t be fooled by mirages. Even if the journey is taking longer than you expected, God is still fully capable of guiding you and satisfying your thirst. Don’t trade living water for desert sand!

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Sunrise

2008-12-27T00:04:00.012-05:00

Well, I had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve, a delightful young couple from church got engaged during a romantic rendezvous in New York City. My dad and my little brother (who I haven't seen in over a year) were able at the last minute to fly out for Christmas. And today one of my cousins is getting married. This is all very refreshing compared to the experiences of previous holidays.

The holiday season can actually feel very lonely even for people who aren't alone. Some people feel alone because they are physically alone. But others feel that they are standing alone against the memories of bad experiences from their past that either occurred during the holidays or are coming to mind as a result of holiday reflections.

Romantic engagements, unexpected visits from loved ones, and even a winter wedding can all help to soothe the emotional tension of the holidays. But the most powerful thing that can jar us out of the "holiday blues" is the revelation that we are not alone. While they are all wonderful, neither romance, family, or big accomplishments should define our ultimate sense of self worth. God is with us. And the reason that God is with us is because He values us (He believes that we're worth a lot).

Reflecting on all of this, I wrote a poem which I thought I would share this week instead of writing a standard blog...

~

“Black,” says my soul, “the celestial lights have failed!
Their lights have forever dimmed like ages passing away.
Like the winter snow they have melted down and ailed!

What hope is there with shadows falling darkly?

Will night not drink and jeer and revel in their end?
If their rays have failed will they ever light my eyes again?"

“Courage,” answers my heart, “their ship is yet to sail.
Dusk cloaks the earth and sky in gloomy shades of gray.
But at the break of Day their radiant beams we’ll hail.

Shadows prove their Maker is the Sun!

How night will quickly turn and flight and flee
When Sovereign Light again reflects His glory on the sea!

Two heavenly lamps reflect the glory of the One!

Now rise and wait and watch horizon ‘s peak!
For in eastern heights comes the Savior that you seek!"

~Jeremiyah Mullins

The Greatest Gift Isn't Under Your Tree

2008-12-20T09:17:00.004-05:00

Well, I went to a Christmas party last night instead of writing my blog (I know where’s my commitment). But I had a good time and was inspired as to this morning’s subject. I watched a movie at the party and the theme was to “keep an open mind when looking at the world.” By an open mind the filmmakers meant to encourage the viewers to use their imagination.
It’s very subtle but the “open mind” philosophy about imagination is actually very dangerous for two fundamental reasons. First, this philosophy suggests that everything that requires the use of your imagination is imaginary. But this is not true and is very far from the way God created us. There are lots of very real things in life that require the use of your imagination.
For example, love requires imagination. To believe that you can trust someone and that they care for you as much as you do for them requires imagination. But love is real; it’s not imaginary. In fact, love can be more real than some of the tangible things of life.
Faith, while very real, requires imagination. And you can place your faith in things that aren’t imaginary. Everything that requires the use of imagination is not imaginary. Our imagination is a gift that God has given us to deal with the very real (and often not so whimsical) issues of life. If you believe that anything that requires the use of imagination is imaginary than faith, hope, and love would all be imaginary (a sad way to look at life). There are things that are very real but require the use of your imagination.
The second error with the “open mind” philosophy is that there are some things that we don’t want to open our minds to. With an open mind, our imagination can be used to create terrible things. Murder and violent crime are both the product of imaginations that were open to the wrong things. There are things in our world that we don’t want to let into our minds.
But the solution is not to become close-minded either. If you can only accept the things that you see or the things that you can logically understand than you’ll doom yourself to a very small life. God gave us our imaginations because He wants us to use them. So a closed mind isn’t any better than an open one.
The solution is not to be open or closed but rather to be singular. A singular vision, one that is focused on Christ, will open your life to an amazing world unlike anything that you have ever experienced. The great thing about a singular vision is that it does have boundaries and constraints. A person of singular vision has things that they will not do and things that they are driven to do all because of what they are looking at.
Singular vision is maintained by principles. We have to make sure that the principles by which we maintain vision line up with God’s Word. But a healthy singular vision is a platform for greatness. There is no limit to the things you can achieve if you are able to focus your life singularly on Christ.
Christmas isn’t about becoming open-minded. It’s also not about close-minded “Scrooges.” Christmas, rightly understood, is about refocusing your vision. With Christ on your side and in your sight, your hopes and dreams can become a reality.
I can imagine that there was at least one close-minded shepherd at the first Christmas. He probably stayed behind with the sheep trying to figure out what he ate that caused him to hallucinate and see the angels. Because his mind was closed he missed out on the amazing experience that his fellow shepherds would enjoy (seeing Christ).
There were probably some open-minded shepherds there too. But God had done the ‘unimaginable’ (something very real that requires the use of imagination): a child born by Divine providence to a virgin in a barn. The wonder of the manger wasn’t the location! The brightest light wasn’t the unusual star in the sky, but the baby born inside. And that baby would inspire the faith and the imagination of millions of people.
So sketches of angels are fine. Studies of the astronomical events that could have caused the appearance of what seemed to be an extra star on the first Christmas are fine. Presents and Christmas trees are all fine. But what is really important this Christmas is for you and I to get our eyes fixed singularly on Jesus. After all the greatest imagination in the universe is not in the mind of any man but in the limitless mind of God.

Merry Christmas,
Jeremiyah

KEEP IT TOGETHER

2008-12-13T08:47:00.002-05:00

Well, it was a long week. I actually fell asleep around 8 PM before getting a chance to write my blog. But not to be remise, I still wanted to leave you with an inspirational thought. I believe it was Henry Ford who said that, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." Interesting that "keeping it together" is in the middle. I would say that the key to keeping it together is to do the things on either side of it. Don't forget to come together with the friends and family that God has put in your life. And when you come together, work together. Its amazing how feeling that you are not alone in the things that you are working for will help you 'keep it together' even when times get rough.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

Cast Away

2008-12-06T01:08:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite movies is Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Tom Hank’s character ends up stranded on a tropical island. The only friend he has is a volleyball name ‘Wilson.’ I still cry every time Wilson floats away from the raft.

But what about guys like that? What about the person who lives on an island or a place that is secluded by him or herself? If no one ever reaches those people to tell them about Jesus, does God still hold them responsible for knowing Him? How can God judge someone if they lived their life in a place where they never heard about Him?

I want to say that these are great questions to ask. I actually get concerned about Christians who never ask this. The Bible does have an answer. In order to talk about the Bible’s answer, I’ll need you to think: who, what, when, where, why, and how. We’ll start by talking about the big one, the ‘who.’

First and foremost, I believe that we are designed with an inward longing to know God. Ecclesiastes 3:10 says that God "has also set eternity in the hearts of men." There is a part of us deep inside that doesn't belong to this world. Deposited in our hearts is a piece of heaven. And that longing produces a desire to find out where we belong.

It’s like having a puzzle piece and wanting to find out where that piece fits and what the puzzle looks like when it’s complete. I believe that by design each and every one of us asks in some way, "Is God out there?" We are made in His image, we reflect His existence. Now not everyone knows about Jesus or all the details of the Gospel, but I believe that every man, woman, and child on this planet is created with eternity inside of them.

This is what I call the Genesis 4:26 principle, "then men began to call on the name of the Lord (Yahweh)." Even with murder and violence being introduced in to the world by Cain and his descendants in the first part of Genesis 4, people still ended up calling on God. That inward longing drove them to call on God and God answered. And as you read the stories of the patriarchs in the Torah, you will even find a number of "pagan" people who knew exactly who God was.

Psalm 145:18 says "the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." I believe that if anyone calls to God, truly wanting to know whether or not He exists that God answers. God’s name is on the tip of our tongues. But we have to choose to respond to that imbedded inner longing. We have to choose to call to Him.

But God didn’t stop there. God actually designed the world and even the universe around us to re-enforce our inner longing for eternity with Him. Psalm 19:1-6 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”

The heavens (skies) actually declare God’s existence. There isn’t a place in this world where the voice of the skies isn’t heard. And their witness translates into every language. Every day when you get up and see the sunrise, see the clouds moving overhead, watch it lightning during a storm, view the moon and the stars beaming in the night sky, or watch the horizon at sunset; the heavens are declaring God’s existence. The skies are re-enforcing that inward longing for God.

So God’s existence is something that is imbedded into us by creative design. And it's also imbedded in the world around us. Psalm 33:5 describes how our world reflects a creative design by simply stating, “the earth is full of the goodness of God.” Every plant or tree that grows, the mountains reaching up into the sky, all of the many types of animals, the depths of the oceans, every child taking his or her first steps; all reflecting the goodness and the greatness of God.

So each and every one of us is responsible for the ‘who.’ No one passing from this earth and entering heaven has the right to say, “God? Who?” God’s simple answer will be, “I put a little piece of me inside you and I gave you the universe to remind you that I was there!”

But there are also a number of other questions in addition to the ‘who.’ If God exists, what do I need to do about it? When do I need to respond to God? Where do I go to get in touch with God? Why did God create me? How do I get to know God? Just like the earth and the skies, as Christians we are responsible for re-enforcing the ‘who.’ But perhaps our greater responsibility is to answer what, when, where, why, and how.

Reading through the New Testament, the Apostles didn’t get into a whole lot of trouble talking about ‘who.’ Most people already recognized their inner longing for God and could see God’s glory reflected in the universe around them. Where the Apostles ran into opposition is when they started talking about what, when, where, why, and how.

This is still true for us as Christians today. There are a lot of false voices in our world looking to pervert people’s inner longing for God. And behind all of these false voices is some type of sinful motive. And their method of choice for ensnaring people is to provide false answers about what, when, where, why, and how. Whether they ensnare people or repulse their desire to pursue God at all; those false voices have done their job.

God can take care of the cast away on a desert island. He isn’t so limited or unconcerned about us that He can’t reach the people we can’t. And God has already imbedded a longing for Him inside of us. He has put a reflection of His glory in the universe around us. But it’s our responsibility to ensure that when people desire to call on God that they know how to “call upon Him in truth.”

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

The God of Time

2008-11-29T03:39:00.012-05:00

My grandma has a number of antique clocks in her house that actually “tick” as time passes. I had dinner with her recently and found the ‘sound of time’ strangely pleasant to listen to as I sat in her home. All the clocks in my own home are electronic and don’t make a sound. Time just quietly passes without any warning at all.

In a way, the electronic clock is really reflective of the modern world. We’ve done everything that we can to mute the sound of time passing. Everyone wants to look younger, to feel younger, to be younger. But in spite of all our best efforts, time keeps marching on and we keep getting older.

It’s easy to feel like you’re the monkey in the middle. Behind you are your past memories and experiences. In front of you are the unknown and the hope of one day realizing all of your dreams and ambitions for the future. And you’re the monkey stuck in the middle, trying to build on the experiences of the past (maybe escape a few). All the while, you’re working to reach forward in an attempt to attain some tangible piece of those elusive future dreams.

Time is one of the areas where we desperately need Gods help. We need His help managing time. But we also need God’s help in order to deal with the impact of time passing (physically, emotionally, & even spiritually). The good news is that God has got us covered.

One of the ways that God is referred to in the Old Testament is by taking the Hebrew word El (God) and combining it with some type of order. For example, in Genesis 14:18 God is referred to as El Elyon or God of the High (high referring to those in an exalted position above everyone else or the ‘highest’ position). He is the Head of the Order of the Exalted (nice to remember in an American election year), the “Most High God.” In Genesis 17:1, God is referred to as El Shaddai or God of the Mighty. God is the Head of the Order of the Mighty, the “Almighty God.”

But one of my favorites first appears in Genesis 21:33 where God is referred to as El Olam or God of Time. God is the Head of the order of Time, the “Everlasting God.” This is an amazing thought. God is the God of time.

One of the Old Testament words translated “time” is olam. It can be used to refer to ancient times, to the future, or even to the continuous passing of time. Olam is eternal time and therefore can be used to refer to any place in time (yesterday, today, or forever). This is why the phrase El Olam is translated “Everlasting God” or “Eternal God.”

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says “I have seen the burden that God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done.” God has actually placed olam (eternity) in the hearts of men. We are built with an intricate awareness of time that makes us unique. And as we work to manage time, time should be a reminder of how great God is.

Time reaches back before our past and extends beyond our future. Time is so big that we can’t fathom it. And God is the God of Time. God controls and is in charge of the unfathomable.

This is an encouraging thought. It’s nice to remember that God is already ahead of you working to bring about your future. And when you pass from this life, God will be waiting for you in eternity. Time is designed to remind us of God’s greatness. And we were made for something greater than just what is here in this life. We were made with eternity inside of us.

I’m getting ready to turn thirty in a few days. And it’s encouraging to think that getting older is actually a good thing. The passing of time reminds me of how great God is. God is in the passing of my time working to make my life everything that it can be. And beyond that I am destined for eternity with Him.

So this week, when everything gets hectic and you feel like the ‘monkey in the middle,’ remember that God is the God of time. He sees your beginning and your end. God has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you in the future. And if you listen close enough you’ll here the tick of eternity inside of you, drawing you along a path that leads you straight into His arms.

You can trust God with your time.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah

God Of This City

2008-11-22T05:05:00.005-05:00

At my Church we sing a song called God Of This City by Andrew McCann, Boyd Aaron, Ian Jordan, Peter Comfort, Peter Kernaghan & Richard Bleakley. This song has a very moving chorus, “For greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this City. ” We’ve played this song a number of times but recently I began to think differently about the words. Do I really care about my City? Do I really care about what happens here? Am I really believing God for this City to see greater things?
I live in Manassas, Virginia. During the American Civil War, the fate of the United States was literally decided in two different battles that occurred here in Manassas. Take in to consideration the influence that the US wields around the world, and it is fair to say that the state of our world was in some way decided right here in my City. So there was a time when my City was very important to the people who lived here. And my City has some historical significance.
But the small Civil War town of Manassas has long since been replaced by a growing City of commuters. A feeling of community has been replaced with a sense of restlessness as people scurry to get to work or complete errands. And I wonder how many people really care about our City at all.
I think there are two major reasons why people stop caring. The first is that a place means too much to them and the second is that a place means too little (getting deep, I know). I grew up here in my City and so I can identify with both sentiments.
Some people have too many memories, too many experiences, or simply too much time in the place where they live. They feel trapped by their memories, by their experiences, or even by the sense that their City is all they know. Some people have a family reputation and feel that they have too much to live up too or too much to escape. In either case, they stop caring because their City means too much to them.
I have many memories and experiences associated with the place where I live. Everywhere I go there is some type of memory. And for many years these memories were not very pleasant. I remember driving a different way home hoping to avoid thinking about something unpleasant only to find that there was nowhere I could go to escape my memories. By the grace of God I have built up a healthy store of good memories and have learned to let go of my past. But I can still identify with the people who feel that their City means too much.
I can also identify with the people who feel that their City means too little. My City is a melting pot of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Many people commute out of the City for work. And economic pressures have many people spending more time on the go trying scratch out a living than at home with their families. We clock into the City and clock out without any regard for the City itself. The City is not a place but a resource. And we give little regard to anything outside our own world.
I’m guilty of this myself. I get up at 4 A.M. to go to work. I get home at 5 P.M. I file in to my apartment and only leave if I have an errand that can’t wait until the weekend. I have Saturday to complete chores and errands. I spend Sunday at Church. And then Monday starts my routine all over again. I have little time or energy to think about my City or to give any regard to what is happening outside of my own comings and goings.
Then I remember that Jesus had a City. His City was Jerusalem. While it is not the place where He grew up, Jerusalem still occupies a major place in Jesus’ teachings. Jesus also expressed a deep emotional sentiment for this place. Jesus literally lived and died in Jerusalem. And in His own life, Jesus had to confront Jerusalem meaning too much and Jerusalem meaning too little.
Jerusalem was a melting pot of cultures and for its time a busy ‘commuter’ City. And for a season Jesus’ ministry was actually enhanced by the large crowds He encountered there. Jesus was not opposed to the idea of a big community.
But Jesus was opposed to the ‘commuter spirit’ entering the Church. The Jewish Temple (think Church) there had begun to treat the City like a resource. They had stopped caring about the needs of the City. And eventually all they saw was the dollar value of the people passing through their doors.
Jesus was so angry with the state of the Temple at Jerusalem that He violently drove out the moneychangers who were trying to cash in on the crowds coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (Matt. 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22). In his account, John actually says that Jesus “made a whip of cords” to drive out the moneychangers. Mark says that Jesus stood there (whip in hand) and “would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.” Jesus stood there and refused to let anyone who was selling even walk through the temple.
If we refused to let anyone ‘carrying wares’ into the Church today than most of the Churches in America would have to close down. Jesus’ point was very simple. The Church should never treat its City like a resource. As believers we don’t have the right to simply clock in and clock out. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can find refuge from the demands that the world has put on them. The Church is meant to be a resource for the City not the other way around.
And once Jesus had driven that ‘commuter spirit’ out of the temple, something wonderful happened. Matthew says that “then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.” Jesus made Himself available as a resource in the Church. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can come to find healing. But this will only happen if we step out of ourselves and make ourselves available.
Don’t make Jesus chase you with a whip. You’re not here simply to consume. You’re here to be a light in your City. Drive out the notion that the City is here to provide for you. You are here to provide for your City.
But this doesn’t stop on Sunday. Make yourself available at work, while you’re doing errands, ect. It’s amazing how many needy people you’ll find in your day to day routines. As soon as you let go of a self-centered mentality, you’ll find people flocking to you who need healing.
But what about the people who’s City means too much? Does Jesus have anything to say to them? Absolutely. Jesus had the worst experiences imaginable in Jerusalem. He was literally tortured to death and eventually crucified at Jerusalem.
I don’t know about you, but if there were one place I would never want to go back to, it would be the place where I was tortured to death and murdered. But after His resurrection Jesus went right back to Jerusalem and His disciples. Now this isn’t scriptural, but I like to picture Jesus walking around a bit before He “appeared” to His disciples. And I imagine that there was no place He could go in that City where He didn’t have some type of painful memory. But He went back anyways.
Jesus’ instruction to His disciples gives us a glimpse into how He felt. He told them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49).
Jesus was able to put His experiences into the perspective of God’s ultimate purpose for His life. He understood that by submitting His experiences to that purpose, He was able to expand His influence. And so “beginning at Jerusalem,” the place of Jesus’ pain, Christianity would spread through out the world.
God didn’t author your pain. He didn’t want you to hurt. The start of your story may be full of bad memories, but God has some new chapters that He wants to write. And He has a wonderful ending that He wants to add to your story. By submitting your experiences to God, you too can wield a greater influence. Every test becomes a testimony and every mess a message (as my Pastor always says).
But beyond this, God wants to meet you in the place of your pain. It’s not an accident that you are where you are. In your City, in the place that means too much, God wants to ‘endue you with power from on High.’ God wants to use you. And if you’re willing, God will fill your life with new and wonderful experiences. So perhaps instead of running, you need to “tarry” (stay) right where you are.
Whether you’re the person who feels that their City means too little or the person that feels their City means too much, God does not have you here by accident. God didn’t take a day off and lose track of you. God has a purpose for you. And God has a purpose for your City. Those two purposes are interconnected. Your purpose starts right where God has you, in your City. We need to get passionate about seeing our Cities won for God. “God Of This City” needs to become both a battle cry and a lifestyle. Before your City can belong to God, your City needs to belong to you.

Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins

Finish What You Start

2008-11-15T03:29:00.023-05:00

A few years ago I was working with a friend on a project for our church’s youth ministry. She had her two-year-old son with her and we were making posters. To keep him distracted, she set out some cookies and juice on the table where we were working. The little boy looked up from his toys and saw the cookies and juice. He ran over, took one bite of cookie and a sip of juice, and then went back to his toys. I heard my friend murmur under her breath at her two-year-old son, “Stereo typical man, he never finishes what he starts.”
Now my friend was joking and the poor kid was only two years old. But the thought hit me like lightning on a lightning rod. Do I finish what I start? I was so moved by the thought that I went home and fasted and prayed for the next three days. “God make me a man that finishes what I start.” I believe that this is what Jesus meant when, in Matthew 5:37, He said, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Jesus was not only instructing us to refrain from rash oaths but he was also saying ‘don’t start something you can’t or don’t intend to finish’ (my paraphrase).
It is true that we are especially guilty as men of starting projects and never finishing them. But time and a little experience have taught me that women also struggle with the same issue. The difference is that women generally don’t let their unfinished tasks accrue as much age as the unfinished tasks of men. If you are a woman who doesn’t struggle with this issue than don’t fear. One day you will likely marry a man who has plenty of unfinished tasks that you can help him with!
So why do we struggle to finish what we start and how do we change? Some of the answers to ‘why’ are easy but some could take a lifetime to figure out. The important thing is that Jesus has put them in their place, “whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Whatever the issues are that cause us not to finish what we start, they are not from God. And this isn’t one of those issues where you want to wait to figure out the ‘why’ before you start working on the ‘how.’ There are ways that we can better manage our responsibilities.
Here are some solid principles that can help us become ‘finishers’ of the things we start:
1) Don’t miss the moment-
There some things that you simply must do when you have the first opportunity to do them or are first asked to do them. In some cases you may never get another chance. The impact of not responding immediately to some situations can be severe and unforgiving. Fail to respond to certain requests and you may never be able to heal the breach that is caused in a relationship as a result of an unfinished task. There are times when you’ve got to ‘just do it.’
I believe that our ‘gut’ tells us when we’re in one of these moments. But there are two things that can cheat us out of the moment. The first is a lack of sensitivity. Those ‘gut’ feelings can be a combination of our own good instincts and God speaking to us. In both cases, we become more sensitive the more we listen to and follow our ‘gut.’ The reverse is also true. The more we ignore the promptings of God and/or our own good instincts, the less sensitive we become to them in the future. Ignoring a ‘moment’ results in the volume level of our instincts being turned down (not good).
You have to be careful with your ‘gut.’ What you feed your life will determine whether or not your ‘gut’ is working properly. Our lives should be guided by good relationships and good principles (by good principles I mean the B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me). But in the context of good relationships and good principles, you’ve got to be sensitive to those ‘gut’ instincts. Don’t breed a lack of sensitivity in your life by repeatedly ignoring the moments where you know that you need to respond immediately. You don’t want to wake up one day and discover that the voice of God and/or your own good instincts have been totally muted because you repeatedly failed to listen. Be sensitive to your ‘gut’ instincts.
The second thing that can rob us of the moment is fear. What if I make a mistake? What if I fail? What if I don’t respond the right way? Timeout. God honors your motivation (check out Proverbs 10:24). Do your best and trust God with the rest. If you respond to a ‘moment’ out of a motivation to honor God than God will honor you. God is not small. He is not powerless to intervene in your situation or help you out if you make a mistake.
Now if you’ve got a bad motive (generally revealed by a bad attitude) than ask somebody you trust how he or she thinks you should respond. That’s what speed dials and instant messenger are for. Don’t let fear cause you to miss the moment. God is the God of your moments. And God wants you to succeed. So don’t let those ‘just do it’ moments pass you by.
2) Hit the big things first-
Sometimes we don’t finish what we start because there are so many things that must be done. What do you do when you have a ton of things to do and they are all critical? Easy. Hit the big things first.
Now I am not condoning violence here. But if you get in a fistfight where the other side out numbers your side than hit the biggest guy first. Take out the biggest guy and you’ve got a good chance that the smaller guys might tuck tale and run. If not at least you’ve got the big guy out of the equation. Run with the principle and ignore the bit about fistfights.
If you find yourself faced with a number of critical tasks that all share the same priority level than hit the biggest one first. What task has the biggest dollar value associated with it? What task will have the most impact on my grade or other people’s evaluation of my performance? What task will have the biggest effect on my relationships? Try to narrow your list down to one or two ‘biggest things’ and take care of them first.
Sometimes you will discover that in the process of tackling the biggest tasks you either solve some of the smaller issues or they solve themselves. Hitting the big things first makes the total value of your action items go down. And if someone questions you about not completing some of the smaller things than you have a valid reason why you worked on the big things first. So hit the big things first.
3) Somebody’s got to bleed-
Some times when people and relationships are intricately connected to the tasks that you are working on, you can’t use the ‘hit the big things first’ principle (unless you want to get in a real fistfight). And sometimes the value of all of the things you are working on is so high or so critical that the ‘hit the big things first’ principle can’t be used. That’s when you’ve got to learn to do something I call “bleeding tasks.”
Bleeding tasks is a methodology that allows you to create your own pecking order for tasks that all have a high value and a high priority level. Everybody wants everything now. But you don’t have the ability to do everything for everyone right now. So someone is not going to get what he or she wants right now. Someone is going to have to “bleed” (experience an undesired delay).
The pecking order you have to create when “bleeding tasks” is somewhat random but there are several principles that you must adhere to in order to be successful:
a) Know who’s anemic.
Some people are emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and/or logistically anemic. This may be due to a personal situation, to stress at work, or due to the stage of your relationship with them. The same way that a blood bank won’t take blood from someone who is anemic, you’ve got to be careful not to bleed a task involving someone who is emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or logistically anemic. Someone who is going through a personal crisis at home may not be able to handle not getting what he or she wants right now. If you are just starting to build a relationship with someone or are rehabilitating a relationship than that relationship may be too anemic for you to ask to draw anything out of it. Any tasks associated with anemic people have to be high on the pecking order because anemic people aren’t in any condition to “bleed.”
b) Keep track of when people give blood-
Don’t repeatedly delay tasks associated with the same person or group of people. You have to let people take turns ‘giving blood.’ If you had to ask a specific person to wait yesterday than ask someone different today. If you struggle remembering things than keep a log of the people and tasks that you had to “bleed.” You don’t want to keep drawing blood from the same person. By keeping track and rotating ‘donors,’ you can minimize the impact people feel when you ask to delay a task they’ve given you.
c) Don’t be afraid of a little crying-
There is a big difference between someone who is anemic and someone who is just immature. There are some people who are perfectly healthy and who haven’t ‘given blood’ before who are still going to cry and whine when you pull out that needle. Some people are not used to not getting what they want right now. But under the right conditions and with a good attitude you have to be the one to give them a reality check. Console them and assure them that they can trust you. But don’t be afraid of a little crying.
d) Make it worth their while-
The point of “bleeding tasks” is to create a pecking order that allows you to get to work and eventually finish all of the tasks that have been assigned to you. This is not to be confused with being lazy or insensitive. When you’ve asked someone to wait, you better make sure that you deliver a good product in the end. If someone has given blood than they are going to expect a good quality of work from you. Make it worth their while. Otherwise you are going to have a bunch of angry people wearing Band-Aids chasing after you looking for retribution.
e) Be willing to bleed-
You can’t ask other people to bleed if you aren’t willing to do the same. In order to be able to ask others to wait, you have to be willing to oblige them when they ask you to wait. Bleeding tasks is a mutual relationship. You have to understand that there are times when other people will be over-tasked and will need for you to ‘donate blood.’ So when they come to you and say, “I’m really swamped today. Can I complete the task you gave me tomorrow morning instead of today?” be ready and willing to bleed.
Successful people are good at bleeding tasks and aren’t afraid to handle the moments when someone has to bleed. As always, good communication with your donors is key.
4) Don’t get under something that weighs more than you do.
As a general rule, a healthy or athletic person can lift his or her own body weight directly overhead. This is an important principle to remember when taking on new projects. One of the reasons we don’t finish what we start is because we take on too much. You have to know how strong your life is and what you can handle.
When you are taking on something new, remember to add the total ‘weight’ of all of the things you have to do. Sometimes we look at a project and say, “Hey, I can lift that.” But we forget that we already have a lot of other heavy tasks hanging over us. It’s not just the weight of the new task that’s important but the total weight of all of the tasks you’re working on that is key.
Don’t lift more than what you can handle. Once you start exceeding your own ‘body weight,’ you can get in serious trouble. You don’t want to ‘pull a muscle’ and fatigue yourself to the point that you burn out. You do need to exercise and grow. But don’t take on more than you can handle.
All four of these things are critical if we want to be people who finish what we start. As Christians, we have signed up to imitate Christ. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith.” Jesus always finishes what He starts. We need to learn to be “finishers.”

Cheers,

Jeremiyah Mullins
Mark 10:27

Welcome!

2008-11-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

Sign up for my blog so that you can read my first post this Saturday. Take a minute Saturday morning to have virtual coffee (or tea) with me by reading my blog and sharing an inspirational thought for the week.

Cheers,

Jeremiyah Mullins

Mark 10:27