Pieces of Truth

 

Pieces of truth

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

 

The truth, we seek it, but how often do we seek our own truth rather than the whole truth. We Seek a truth that lines up with our views and then begin to judge others according to our truths.  We deny the living Truth in others or want to place all things into categories of truth, not truth, good, bad; constantly moving into camps. Jesus is Truth. The whole Truth, the eternal Truth, the Truth beyond all understanding. His love for us is an eternal truth that cannot be shaken or moved. We, God’s created beings, are carriers or repositories for that truth. But we are not the sole proprietors of it. Can i be humble enough to bow down before God and say I am not the owner of truth.  The bible say's We are to “reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling." Even in our most educated , studied and pious positions we still do not hold the entirety of truth and much of the time it falls into speculation. In Psalm 119 over and over there is a plea to understand, to be taught, to be directed in the ways and the decrees of God. It is not a final destination of knowing but an ongoing relational knowledge that the Lord directs dependent on the heart that desires to be led.

” We tend to hold our truth so closely never seeing the whole. Or we hold our truth above everyone else, denying the possibility of more truth as yet not seen by us. My heart has recently just felt the weight of trying to discern all the different voices espousing "truth', but in reality God is truth, the only real “side” to be taken or postured in. But and it’s a big but, can I also recognize that others do have a piece of truth as well. Believers have been given the spirit of truth that will reveal all things but they are not yet fully revealed. Can I start to look at the many “truths out there and fit the puzzle pieces back into the originator of Truth, admitting the possibility that I truly see in part as do all mortals.

 

Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

2 Timothy 2:23
But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling.

Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the Law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

 

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 

 I am laid low in the dust;
    preserve my life according to your word.
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
    teach me your decrees.
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word.
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;
    be gracious to me and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I have set my heart on your laws.
31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
    do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
    for you have broadened my understanding.

Spirit of Mammon,Oh mighty dollar;money

Spirit of Mammon,Oh mighty dollar;money
Beginning of theology and greed becoming chummy.
Evil disguised as provision,
Influencing all decisions.

Fighting for me and mine,
Truth and justice no longer align
Worry over land and prosperity,
Fear of scarcity,
Wealth sliding into supremacy,
Releasing a  "see me as supreme" legacy.

Division between races birthing slavery,
Policies and systems increase knavery.
Covering of sins in false narrative,
Redeeming relations now a prerogative.
Lynchings and land confiscation,
Equity for all not an obligation.
Justice tethered and tied 
to fortunes and pride.
In our selfishness we continue to hide...

Lord, help us to come along side
and battle as your war bride.
Uniting as one tribe!
Fighting the darkness that has crept in,
Lamenting the truth of our sin,
As a nation, "in money", we have believed,
watching idly as the "others" bleed.
But what IF in His abundance we released
our tight grip?
Wielding our resources for Him?
No longer enslaved by generational lies,
trusting in his divine supply?
Mammon's influence on his bride 
truly broken by our  repentant cries. 

Thank you to this panel discussion for your really thought provoking discussion

https://www.facebook.com/PastorDavidWSwanson/videos/882397075569939

Tree thoughts

Deep roots... time for fruit

Intertwining hearts and minds

In the quiet nutrients to find

Building sturdy base

Like a thickening waist

Branching wide

Shade and covering supplied

Buds and blossoms bursting

Fruit now birthing

Deepening roots and anchoring in the savior

Feeding our souls and spirit

Feasting on his truth creating a strong foundation

The reaching beyond our selves begins the budding

Fruit the byproduct of all that has come before

My Fathers house

My fathers house

4/22/20

This is my fathers house. My church is, mine, it is not a place that belongs to the world. My beloved, you are my ecclesia. Why do the people brand my church? Marking it as theirs? I will be their God and they will be my people, my promise to you. Come, I am inviting you in this time to come together and to begin the journey to becoming one tribe. Will you follow me into making it my fathers house again? As you gather in different locations and as communities will you remember each other? We are a family Your brothers and sisters in the next building all belong to my family. In Revelation my churches were named because of where they were located and what things they had or had not done. They are not XYZ church or ABC church. My heart is, that at this time of being away from your gatherings, the eyes and hearts of my chosen ones would open. Come and see my hearts cry for my bride. Come join me and be about my father’s business. The world has for too long had a hold on my beloved. Branding and marketing my church as if it were a product to be bought or sold. A thing to attract people to. OH my children the lost will know me when they see you standing as one. How can you be one when you don’t even understand whose house it is. My heart is that in this next season my bride will begin to reach beyond man made walls and see your brothers and sisters. That you would break the need to label and brand your gatherings and come back to understanding worshiping together in my father’s house.

Tuning in or tuning out

Tuning in or tuning out

In this time of uncertainty, we can all feel the charge in the air, an uneasiness or even anxiousness. And we all have ways of coping with this unease. Sometimes we push it aside or perhaps go towards numbing through busyness. Some become overwhelmed and some cling to a form of faith or still others check out from the world. None are wrong but what if we decided to tune in.  To tune into our body’s signals’ and at the same time tune out the noise of the world.  What if we asked the holy one who dwells inside, what is going on within? Are you feeling anxious? Tune in and see is your body craving some nurturing?  When you turn on the news are you holding your breath? When the thought of home schooling arises, are your fists or teeth clenching? The Seattle school of Theology and Psychology talks about Attunement and says…

“it is all too easy to tune out our bodies, to ignore how they communicate our need for nurture. What are the practices that help us listen to our bodies? What are the rhythms and rituals that connect us to those deep, vulnerable parts of our bodies and souls that are crying out for care?” ( The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology)

We are body, soul and spirit and often in the church we focus much on soul and spirit but place the body aside. Yes, this flesh will pass away but the spirit of the living God is housed in those who know him. This house needs care and attention. This temple is what we must work with, in the here and now. How can we cultivate a deeper relationship with the Lord when our bodies are filled with unacknowledged tension and fear? This gift of flesh can be a gateway to a deeper walk when we learn to tune in to it.

We are not placing our bodies on a pedestal rather giving it honor by listening to it. Our bodies/flesh can be used as a thermometer for what is really going on in our hearts, which then gives us a place to enter into prayer. If our minds and bodies are filled with unidentified emotions, it can be difficult to “be still and know that he is God”.

This time away from familiar schedules and rhythms can make us feel out of sync. Conversely it can also be a time for setting a new rhythm. The sabbath has been something we have begun to make a practice of in our home lately. We have been setting a time to light candles and celebrate the Jewish practice of Shabbat, and as we have done this for a few months now, we can see the crazies of the week visibly leave our bodies.  Our breath deepens and our muscles begin to release the tension they held. Our voices soften and we are better able to commune.

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This week try to tune into your body, are your shoulders elevated, breath shallow, speech too fast?

As you tune in, tune out the lie that God is not in control, acknowledge what your body is saying.  Try a breath prayer. Pause. Take a few minutes to just breathe. Practice meditating on a verse. Go for a run and pray for your neighbors. Or perhaps just dig in the garden, have a tickle fight with a loved one, visually take in the beauty of spring. Take notice how your body responds to these sacred moments, can you sense the tension leaving, the breath deepening. Tune in for a few more moments and try to sense what was behind the tension. Are you feeling a sense of sadness? Disappointment? There is much to feel in these times, acknowledge the emotions. As you identify with these things turn them into more focused prayers for yourselves and others. Tune into the Lord's heartbeat and breathe, allowing yourself to have greater union with soul, spirit and body.

On Death and resurrection…

4/29/30                         

Covid-19, Easter, Passover, and Quarantine

What do they all have in common?

Death and Life.  These past weeks of isolation has given much pause to the meaning dying to self. As we watch the news and hear of the destructiveness of this disease to not only our physical bodies but also to the fabric of our society it can seem like death is having its say. But those of us who are in relationship with Jesus, know that this is only part of the story, even as Good Friday meant death on a cross, Easter means life and resurrection. So too Passover in this season has had a memorable impact as many have and are praying that this spirit of death will Passover our families, communities, country, and world.

And then there is Quarantine…

A good friend recently spoke about how this time of pandemic has brought much healing and more understanding of the concept of death and life into her heart. It spoke to my heart in the moment and has begun to stir up previous encounters with the Lord about dying to self. And then this scripture 2 Corinthians 4:6-12 came along in my daily reading. We are” always carrying in our flesh the death of Jesus”,” always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake”. The day to day struggles of not walking as closely as we ought, the moments of regret are opportunities to be given over to death. “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  The words are familiar, and truths that we know, but today as we continue to “shelter in place” can we let them strike deeper.

 The thousand deaths we die, are the way of life. The death of Jesus being understood as the ultimate gift, his life exchanged for our freedom to have fellowship with the father, but can we comprehend that this death in ourselves is also a gift. The verse says, “so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies”. That the always being given over to death is for Jesus’ sake. This helps keep perspective on the “good” days and “bad” days. The work of death is, as many have said before, like seeds buried in the ground, enclosed in darkness, so that the breaking open towards life can happen. Our “Corona world” is time for embracing the dying. Dying to self-centeredness, dying to consumerism, dying to distracted living, dying to people pleasing, dying to individualism, dying to fear. The thing is, that the death, is not something we have to achieve, we are “always” being given over to death for the sake of Jesus. Who is doing the giving? “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” He has given us knowledge to know, to be able to, in death and darkness, birth new life.  And now as we approach Pentecost and the possibility of “freedom” from our lock down, this new life is beginning to glimmer more. Pentecost being a time when Jesus ascended to heaven and the holy Spirit came down and brought a new way of being in Christ. The question that I am pondering is” what things will I, and should I resurrect?” What parts of my,” before” Covid-19, life does God want to breathe new life into and what parts should remain dead? This then is where intimate communication or prayer is so important. How can we know what the Lord wants to breath his spirit on unless we ask. As we look towards this transition back into our world, I feel it is such an important time to seek the father’s heart and truly asses where and what should stay buried as well as what is truly essential to living more fully for the Lord. Are there places that have seemed to have suddenly filled you with a sense of purpose, peace, and life?  Perhaps these are the areas that God is doing a new thing in.

^{2 Corinthians 4:6-12}  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you.

What strange lands do we venture in?

What strange lands do we venture in?

what strange times are we now commence?

Alice’s’ tipsy turvy world to our chagrin

Jesus turning all upside down

Hustle bustle suspended indefinitely

Where is that solid ground?

Where is true credibility?

Wise words and fluffy sentiment

Lest we forget fretfulness and foreboding

All trying to be relevant

Scientists, doctors, prophets all attempt decoding

Sabbath and rest

Life and death

Broken hearts displaced

Best of plans laid bare

Heights and depths chase

Momentary times without care

 Blessed are the meek

Our abilities to control now cease

What treasure do we seek?

The unexplained, A holy peace