Wanting a Blessing or Wanting Jesus?

 

With this being the third week in a row that I'm quoting The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, I think it's safe to say I'm being impacted by the classic.

This week's quote is a challenge for everyone who has prayed for a blessing from God. Feel free to put on some steel-toed shoes.

Jesus has many lovers of his heavenly kingdom but few bearers of his cross. Many desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to undergo adversity for his sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of his bread, but few are willing to drink of the cup of his suffering. Many praise him and bless him, so long as they receive comforts from him....But those who love Jesus for Jesus' sake  -  and not for the comforts he gives to them  -  praise him in all suffering and sorrow just as they do in the greatest blessings. And if he should never give them another blessing, they would nevertheless continue to always praise him and give him thanks.

Oh, how powerful is the pure love of Jesus  -  unmixed with any material benefits or love of self! Shouldn't all those constantly seeking his blessing be called mercenaries? Don't those who are always seeking their own gain and advantage show themselves to be lovers of themselves more than lovers of Christ?

It reminds me of the Keith Green song, Asleep in the Light: "Bless me, Lord. Bless me, Lord. You know it's all I ever hear. No one aches. No one hurts, No one even sheds one tear. But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs, and you just lay back and keep soaking it in."

https://youtu.be/ik-XOVZcwow

Truth is...When Jesus, in Matthew 16:24, said "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me," he wasn't talking about being nice to little old ladies and giving to the church offering. Taking up a cross meant accepting death and saying, with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

JC Is the WTL

 

If you've spent any time at all around Christians or in church services, chances are high that you've heard several references to the words of Jesus in John 14:6:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

In The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis expands on that:

Without my way, you cannot go. Without my truth, you cannot know. And without my life, you cannot grow. I am the way which you must follow, the truth you must believe, and the life for which you must hope. I am the way never changing, the truth never failing, and the life never ending. I am the straight way, the supreme truth, and the true, blessed, and uncreated life.

Jesus Music pioneer, Keith Green, put it like this:

https://youtu.be/olOZHHgk_4M

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Truth is...I need to spend some time flat on my face, crying out for forgiveness, and repenting from all the times I have tried going my own way, expounding my opinion instead of His truth, living life on my own power instead of being keenly aware of my dependence on Yahweh.

Good Intentions

 

I am writing this on the 23rd of January, 2023. The devotional book I began reading today was purchased in late April of 2022.

That should give you an idea about why I don't make New Year's resolutions. I have wonderful intentions of doing all kinds of wonderful things, but my superpower of procrastination can overwhelm every good intention I've ever had and pave a perfectly good highway to you-know-where.

In the face of that depression-inducing truth, I have no right to be hopeful as I begin my journey through THE IMITATION OF CHRIST: Classic Devotions in Today's Language, by Thomas à Kempis (Compiled and Edited by James N. Watkins).

And yet, I feel my spirit start to stir when I read words like...

It is futile to strive for earthly things and to trust in riches that will perish. It is futile to desire honors and lift up ourselves. It is futile to desire a long life and to care little for a good life. It is futile to concentrate on the here and now and not look forward to the things which are eternal. It is futile to love temporary things and not strive toward eternal joy.

Truth is...What better resolution could I have than what is found in Ephesians 5:1-2? "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ."

Calvin & Hobbes Meet Back to the Future

 

In today's text, flock, we see Calvin reaping the misfortune of his miscalculation about how time travel affects reality...or not.

It makes me think of the movie, Back to the Future, and the disastrous consequences in the McFly household that came from a thing as simple as a sports almanac.

And THAT reminds me of a Back to the Future video game that took place in three different timeframes. In order to reach a particular desired object in 2000-whatever, you had to travel back to 1955 and plant an acorn in a particular place so in 2000-whatever there would be a tree there for you to climb.

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Truth is...I've said all this so I can ask THIS: What kind of groundwork are we laying right now in preparation for our preferred future? What seeds are we planting?

Galatians 6:7-8 (The Message)  -  Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

Why Do We Throw Up When We Get Dizzy?

 

I'm breaking away from the norm here.

Very seldom will I devote any space to passing on merely factual information. Truth Is... is devoted to lifting up Truth, not just Facts. (You can read about that by clicking here.) But I found the following quote from New Scientist's Eureka!: Mindblowing Science Every Day of the Year completely fascinating.

"Our balance system is controlled by three senses cooperating in complex harmony. The vestibular system in our inner ear informs us about the position of our head; our eyes tell us how our body is located in relation to the external world; and proprioceptors -- recep­tors in muscles and joints -- help us to figure out how our body is positioned in space, which is particularly helpful if we cannot see. These elements mature at different rates.

"The vestibular system is fully operational by the time a child has reached 6 months of age; proprioceptors need three or four years more. The development of the visual element is complete by around 16 years of age.

"The sensation of dizziness and nausea following a spinning move­ment is similar to motion sickness -- a result of the conflicting information our brain receives from the three elements mentioned above. When our body is rotating at speed our vestibular system and proprioceptors can feel it, but our eyes can't locate the horizon. Our brain is desperately trying to resolve this conflict and, because humans are primarily visual, it assumes that the other senses are hallucinating, probably because of intoxication. So the brain tries to get rid of the assumed poison by provoking vomiting."

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Truth is...When David wrote, in Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well," he didn't know the half of it.

So You Want to Be an Alpha Male

 

You're familiar with the term "alpha male," right?

Think Leader of the Pack, Ruler of the Roost, King of the Mountain, Top Dog, Head Honcho...He Who Must Be Obeyed.

Well, I learned about a different kind of alpha when I read the following quote from Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves by Frans de Waal.

"Merciless tyrants do sometimes rise to the top in a chimpanzee com­munity, but the more typical alphas that I have known were quite the opposite. Males in this position are not necessarily the biggest, strongest, meanest ones around, since they often reach the top with the assistance of others. In fact, the smallest male may become alpha if he has the right supporters. Most alpha males protect the underdog, keep the peace, and reassure those who are distressed. Analyzing all instances in which one individual hugs another who has lost a fight, we found that although females generally console others more often than do males, there is one striking exception: the alpha male. This male acts as the healer-in-chief, comforting others in agony more than anyone else in the community. As soon as a fight erupts among its members, everyone turns to him to see how he is going to handle it. He is the final arbiter, intent on restor­ing harmony. He will impressively stand between screaming parties, with his arms raised, until things calm down."

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Truth is...this sounds a lot like Jesus. This sounds a lot like the kind of person I want to ape  -  er  -  copy.

Why Pray? Part Two

 

Jesus kind of opened a can of worms when he said this during the sermon on the mount: "When you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-8)

You can't really blame anybody for hearing that and then asking...

If God already knows everything, why do we need to tell him ANYthing?

I am encouraged in the midst of this by thinking about Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Jesus was dreading the torture and isolation ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") that was just around the corner. He fervently prayed for it not to happen. And yet, he knew that it was for this very purpose that he left his home in heaven, emptied himself of his godly rights and privileges, and took on the fullness of humanity's limitations and challenges.

He poured out all his anxiety from the deepest part of his heart until he was able to say "yet not as I will, but as you will."

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Truth is...A lot of the time, prayer is more about changing us than changing God. If I go to God with a request, it's because I know I am incapable of making the request happen on my own. Prayer is a reminder that It's Not All About Me.