God Told Me!

  Once upon a time, a long time ago, and yet not so long ago, when you wanted to go on a road trip, you would have a road atlas. Maps, squiggly lines, roads they represented. You would study these maps, and you would plot your course. Then along came the GPS, it had the map integrated into it. It had your position on the map understood in it's gublins in some way that I cannot fully understand. It would plot your course for you. You would drive where it said. Then came the horror stories, people would drive through a rancher’s ranch and get headbutted by testy bulls, because the GPS said to turn left about 15 minutes ago. People would hook a right into a lake, because the  GPS said, turn right. Roads weren't where the GPS said they were, because the map was out of date, etc, and so forth. Hopefully these things didn't all happen to you, but you get the idea. Well, with the passage of time, and in the course of human events, the GPS became better, maps on the cloud ended up being more up to date, the route planner has a whiff of a clue now and then, so often times you can actually, sorta-ish, almost, maybe, kinda trust your GPS. WHOA. Anyway, it's just easier to use a GPS rather than a road atlas. A road atlas, you sit motionless, at the side of the road, gazing at squiggly lines until your eyes cross, asking deep life impacting questions, such as, where am I? To which your lovely spouse might reply, I dunno, kinda hoped you did. Finally, you set off on a course, and you pursue this doggedly, confidently, right up until you realize you're lost again, then the session repeats itself. Of course, if you try to read this atlas while driving, you might find yourself rendered motionless by the car in front of you that saw the red light you missed, then things get really complicated...anyway, where was I? Right, GPS’s are better. You drive and listen to instruction on a turn by turn, moment by moment basis. That said, of course you still study the maps, you still study the way to drive a car. There are basic laws of life on the road that should be understood and obeyed for things to flow properly. Now, imagine if someone whose GPS was a bit faulty and led them to a destination that seems to work for them would continually call you and tell you that this route is what you must take because their GPS told them so. Worse yet, what if they tell you that it is no longer necessary to drive on the left side of the road because their GPS told them so? 

 So, what if the Holy Spirit serves as a perfect GPS in a walk with, relationship with God, in this case the only flaws are in your ability to listen. The Bible serves as a story from God, wherein are all the fundamental laws of life, and even the very story of how we got here, both physically, and spiritually. The parallels are drawn, the roots of the Church are told to us. The nature of God, a nature of justice and mercy in constant tension, are told in a multitude of ways and at times graphically. So, these 2, hand in hand, should be all one needs for a wholesome life with God. Especially the Holy Spirit. For, without the Holy Spirit, the Bible can just seem like an old book that is hard to understand. 

 So why is it then, that people keep making "road atlases'' for you to live by? These road atlases come in the form of judgements, it is no longer enough to value modesty. Now you must value it by dressing in a certain precise manner. It is no longer enough to turn the other cheek, and not seek revenge, you must subscribe to a checklist of things you promise to never do, like never taking someone to court for example. It is no longer enough to value fellowship with other believers, you must go to church in a certain way, that is, a building where a preacher can speak to you. The list goes on, and I have done it to, so far be it from me to condemn anyone for building road atlases for people after what I've done. Also, these decisions aren't wrong if you feel so convicted personally, but to force others?? Suppose you want to escape the Spiritual Road Atlas crowd, be careful about how far you jump though, because in the other ditch you find the.....

 "My Spiritual GPS is better than yours!" people. These people will tell you a thing that seems wrong, and when you try to point out something like, "but the Bible says..", or, "but, that doesn't sound..." Or, "I don't quite agree..." They respond with, but no! God told me! I prayed about this, and that's it! God told me! It's one thing to hear about God telling someone something that doesn't make sense to you, but then they insist on you changing your behavior based on what "God told" them, what's a person to do? Like for example, the whole thing from a few years ago, "God told me to vote for Trump, and if you don't then you must just not care about the spiritual battle we are in." What to do when people try to rule your lives because of what God told them? I'm not sure, other than love 'em anyway. :) Is there a moral to this? Hm, probably just, let other people be on their own journey, and be available if they stop and ask for directions, but. don't try to drive their life for them. I for one hope God tells you many wonderful things that match scripture and help you make sense of it. Again, I have probably been guilty of this one too, so far be it from me to condemn...However, I do feel like it should be at least pointed out. I want to vent my frustrations with it for one, and I want to hit the eject button from both camps and stop participating in either situation. I wrote this down as a guide or a road atlas so to speak for you to know not to do it, and I did it because God told me to! Oh wait, about that.... Just live your life with God…. Blessings.:D

Our Peace or Real Peace?

 He was born on the island of Corsica soon after it became part of France. Yet, he looked and talked differently from a French boy. When he went to school in France, he was bullied. So, he retreated into his studies. He was a smart young man, and yet, being Corsican in France during a time when royalty was a thing, he was overlooked for positions in favor of people who were related to the right people. Then came the French Revolution. This young man who was in the French military by then made a name for himself by how he led men. The British had sailed in and attempted to interfere with the revolution, and this young man was able to equip, and train a bunch of men in time to fend them off and drive away the ships. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte, and as time went on, he further proved himself, and won favor with the French. As a result of the Revolution, the French became more democratic. This upset the rest of Europe who was still living in a time of kings. It was these wars, where Napoleon really showed genius. When he won favor with the French, he maneuvered himself into the position of emperor. However, he had the rest of Europe to contend with, in order to protect France, he had to constantly fight off European armies. In order to extend his ideas of a government, he had to subject other nations by force. Eventually, they caught on to his tactics, and figured out how to deal with him, essentially by ganging up on him, 3 countries' armies at a time would maneuver around his army and take turns advancing and retreating depending on who he was attacking, in this way they wore him down. After defeats, he had to go into exile, then he came back, and lost again, was captured and exiled some more. He had spent his life trying to rule France his way, and fighting for peace on his terms and now, there was nothing left of his power. He was lonely, brooding, bored, and sad. He had attempted to end his own life with poison, but it had lost its power and only made him sick. Throughout his life, he had brought a counterfeit notion of peace, a turbulent seething peace, a peace that fell apart whenever rivals found themselves with enough power to dispatch him. So it was, Napoleon seemed to believe that he needed to rule his life his way, or check out, or end his life, but, what if there is a 4th option?  

                                     

 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.-Matthew 5:9 So it begins, this is another deep statement by Jesus in His sermon. These beatitudes aren't just nice sounding phrases to nod and smile at. They are thought provoking, and truly life changing when fully absorbed. So now, I am using this verse about peacemakers being called God's children as a launching point to discuss peace, and the art of making peace. Peace is something that is marvelous for what it doesn't have, it is the absence of turbulence. The lake looks like a mirror because there is no wind to stir the waves and no dirt swirling beneath the surface to muddy the water. Why did I pick on Napoleon's life for this chapter? Because, I think Napoleon spent his life looking for peace, and based on history, unfortunately he may very well never have found it. 

Attempt 1. Fight for it. Napoleon could fight, oh how he could fight! There are some who believe he was the greatest general who ever lived, even on lists that include names like Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar. I am inclined to agree. So it was, when 3 powers lined up against France, He was able to divide and conquer. To fully explore his genius would require a different article, but, he was a genius! So, eventually, the enemies stopped attacking. Peace at las...! Wait, hang on, they are attacking again.....so it was, at times of "peace" that they only had it on the surface, there was a turbulence lurking underneath, cloudy water so to speak, and whenever the found the courage to try again, this superficial peace was shattered, like a meteor falling into a lake. Ultimately, if you read the story carefully, he tried this again after attempt 2 failed. 

Attempt 2. Check out. The first time he voluntarily went into exile, for he had lost the support of his country, and he became very bored, and moody. There was a brooding way about him, a sense that while he seemed to be doing ok, and at peace on the surface, and even doing a good job governing the island he lived on there was a bubbling undercurrent, and one day, it burst forth like an underwater geyser on the surface of a lake. He had to go GO GO GO!! So he went and tried attempt 1 again. 

Attempt 3. End life. After attempt 1 failed again, he was captured by the British and it all seemed lost to him. So, no peace in life then? Well, what if we stop living? That didn't work either. I cannot begin to understand all that would have happened with Napoleon in his afterlife, but it seems that whatever peace you lack in life will continue to be missing in eternity. The British put him on another island, under guard. This was where he lived, until he passed from this life. I hope that sometime in this time, he tried attempt 4, but history does not provide any evidence that he did.

Attempt 4. What if one was to accept the Prince of Peace, which is Jesus Christ? In this case, rather than having a calm surface with a cloudy turmoil underneath, the water of life would be clear, clean, and reflective. This would then show on the surface and radiate peace. By accepting Jesus Christ, and joining God the Father and Son as his brother/sister/son/daughter, and living life on His terms, which is to say, Kingdom terms, eternal terms, one no longer needs to control life. Physical circumstances no matter how painful can just be small blips, like leaves landing on the surface of the water, or perhaps stones which break and cause a ripple when it gets bad. Yet, Christ in you, would create a deep seated "peace factory" in your soul, and this would radiate out to the world around you. People might even say, She/He is the King's daughter/son! It seems to me that this really is the only way to be a peacemaker...

 This thing of eternity seems to be what the early disciples grasped when they were beaten, and executed. Stephen looked out beyond the physical and saw Christ. Paul grasped the reality and said to die is gain for him. To me, this thing of accepting the Kingdom way is the only real way to be a peacemaker, and it simply means, I need to surrender my notion of the "good life" in exchange for His life of peace no matter what. This is not to say no fun in life, not at all, because now, I get to see and do what the King wants from me, oh, and this King is my Dad, what could be better than that? 

This has been Chapter 12 of Surrender!? To Who?

Things Aren't Always as They Appear

 Supposedly, he was to manifest the so called superiority of the Aryan race. He was a German boxer, and in a much heralded fight, he traveled to America and he did knock out the mighty Joe Louis. So, this evil racist ideology from the Nazi regime seemed to be alive and well. (Joe was a black man.) Anyway, they had a rematch, and the German lost. So, a humilating defeat for this nazi boxer, taught him a lesson right? Wrong! He never was a nazi. He refused to join the nazi party, although he was drafted into the luffwaffe, that didn't make him a nazi. Hitler had him drafted and sent on suicide missions. Hitler was not happy. Anyway, he stood firm; he and Louis even became friends! That is their picture together in 1971. In 1989 a hotel owner who just happened to be a Jew invited him to the United States again, and there he thanked him for saving his life. Then the story came out, this German boxer, Nazi-propaganda puppet and all had quietly hidden 2 jewish boys during Hitler's regime, and then after things cooled a litle, he helped them flee to the United States! So, this has been a nutshell of the complex story of Max Schmeling. Things aren't always as they appear. Sometimes a person can be made to look bad, and be pressured, yet they stand and hang on to some core moral value in spite of it all. For that, I say, thanks Max! 

It's All Ministry

 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. -Colossians 3:23-24 

 This is a teaching entry, an attempt to lay out everything I have learned about this topic at this point in my life in a written sermon or lecture. What is this topic? Well, I'm not entirely sure what to call it other than to say, it's all ministry. What do I mean? Well, are you a car mechanic? That is a ministry opportunity. You don't leave auto repair for ministry when you become a full time pastor. No, when you do that, you only switch your occupation in ministry. An occupation is simply what fills your working time. A ministry is defined as the duties of a minister. A minister is someone who serves. These definitions are very basic, but, research them, biblically speaking I think you'll find that I am at least partially correct in this. So, if you're a housewife for an occupation, and if you are a minister/servant in God's Kingdom, then presto, you're in ministry! Does this mean I am against those who do full time? No, not at all. I believe though, that the world is suffering partially because it has christians with jobs instead of disciples in ministry. So, let's say you're a used car salesman as a christian. You go to work because you believe you're earning the money for your family. As a Kingdom disciple who happens to do used car sales, you are going to work to see about, 1. Making a positive impact on the people you encounter; 2. Harvesting funds from this world to channel into Kingdom endeavors, and 3. Raising funds for future multiplication to increase the power of objective 2. What about your provision you might ask? God takes care of that. See the post about the seesaw to see how this might look. Now, if you're a business owner, none of these basic fundamentals change, again, they are 1. Investing time into people. 2. Moving money from the world to the Kingdom, and 3. Investing money in order to increase the power of the movement in 2. Or, to put it more simply, Kingdom profits. The practical living out of it as in amounts of money and risk dealt with change, and there might be more laying awake at night being tormented with worries and having to talk to God if your a business owner instead of a job holder, but, when this comes, the thing to do is to turn back to God, hold the business or any other thing before the Lord, with an open hand, and say, from the heart, Lord, this is not mine, it's yours. I own nothing. I own nothing. I own nothing! I OWN NOTHING!! It's yours Lord. I find myself having to do this type of thing quite often lately, but it's worth it. 

 So, how does this look practically? Well, I don't know what it means for you, but, I will let you look inside my heart a little in case it helps. From age 22 up until just last summer. (I am 31.) I wanted to be a full time christian counselor. I studied it, I did some of it, but I could never figure out how to position myself correctly, to end up in a spot where I could focus on counseling without having to do my own fundraising. Now, the type of counseling I wanted to do is excellent, it involves praying with a hurting person, and helping them hear from God, it involves moving a religious christian with a life of religious rituals into a real authentic relationship with the Lord. It involves being humble enough to know that as a counselor, you are only making introductions so to speak, all healing comes from the Lord. I am still ultra passionate about this, and somewhere in all my private writings is a ministry idea that would specialize in this very thing. (I still want it done, but I no longer need to be the one doing it, that is the difference. In fact, I really don't have time to do it full time, because that is not my position, and today, I am glad.) However, last summer, the chip was taken off my shoulder, and I realized for the first time that my calling is to show the Lord's redemption to the world around me, and that this was supposed to happen, period. Regardless of position, this was the calling, the position was a separate issue altogether. See the difference here. So, I threw myself into the work, the position God had me in at that time, and now I stand here before you, or rather sit in my dilapidated desk chair before a second hand computer sorta kinda-ish virtually before you, at the start of a new chapter, where I can actually help enable the very need I see in this world to be filled; and it's all becoming possible because, I stopped needing a position and started living in ministry. Here is another story along the same lines as my personal story. In that case, they used a position of blacksmithing to share the story of Christ dying for our sins. 

 Now, I am cautious about how I write about my personal stories and triumphs, because I am keenly aware that I don't always live what I write, I am sadly still very human, and at times still very selfish, fearful, and at times, downright angry, yet I know because of Christ that is the old man that can be repented of and discarded. Freedom is always possible again. Pray for me as I look down the barrel of 2022. It's high time for the Lord's redemption to be shown to a hurting world, and I got work to do. No matter what it is, no matter how you put words to your ministry, may I remind us, that it starts at home? How is our spouse? Thriving, or hanging on for dear life? What about our children? Are they being cultivated as precious investments from the Lord which cannot be bought? Or are they lean, and starving for nourishment in soul, spirit, and/or body? One of the people who is manifesting redemption in the world is a very good friend of mine, and I am wanting him and his beautiful family to be fully funded so that his family continues to do well. I am not asking you to help fund him. I am asking you to research and pray, then help fund him if you feel so led. Here is his patreon page. If you have questions about what he is up to, feel free to reach out, I can share a few more details with you and also get you in touch with him. Regardless, the Lord will take care of him, but maybe He wants to use you to do it as well as me? I don't know. However, I am thankful for people like him, who are willing to spend all their working hours restoring relationships with Christ in a world that has gone completely off the skids ever since the fruit got eaten in the garden of Eden. 

 I have learned a lot from Bobby Eaton in these matters, and would suggest if you wish to learn how your specific business or job could be a ministry to contact him for advice. He has lived this business is ministry truth for a long time, and I feel like I am just starting this race. However, I would love to hear from you as well. 

 For how you might find the ministry in your personal finances, I would suggest reading Craig Hill's 5 Wealth Secrets. Again, I would love to hear from you as well. 

  Earlier in this entry I said, "This is a teaching entry, an attempt to lay out everything I have learned about this topic at this point in my life in a written sermon or lecture." In that attempt, I have failed. There is so much more to say, but, I think this entry is long enough.....I will have to take another swing at it later.

To be Pure Hearted or Not; That is the Question.

 It's time to check in our fictional friends, Billson and Fredrick, from Surrendering Our Margins and Surrendering Rightness for Righteousness again. We catch them in a friendly local breakfast diner one crisp cold Saturday morning, the coffee is good, it smells amazing, perhaps they are using my friend Leo's coffee? Bill has just ordered some eggs and pancakes, now that he is in his early 70's and not as energetic as he used to be, he has to watch his cholestrol, so he no longer eats so much bacon now, but Fred, who is still in his 50's orders the works, bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, and a glass of milk. So, let's move closer and listen in on the conversation of these 2 long time friends, I'm sure they won't mind...

 "Well Fred, that's quite a spread you ordered, why are you so hungry?" Fred replied with a chuckle, "Well, I'm not actually hungry, at the ranch, I normally just drink some coffee and a glass of milk in the mornings, but, the boys want to go on an all day hike, to fast and pray, and I figure, if I get enough protein in me now, I might just about keep up without having to be craned off the mountain tonight!" Bill replied, "That sounds wonderful! I love what you have done with the ranch, the boys really take to you in a way they don't so much to me. The boys seems to see me as a sugar daddy, but not so much as a mentor...not sure what to make of it." Fred thought on this, and absently swigged some coffee, it was scalding hot, he spluttered, spewed, and lunged for the bathroom, there he was able to squeege the coffee from his mustache and wipe the tears from his eyes, and then returned to the table where Bill sat with a smirk on his face. He sat down; they made eye contact, then both men shared a big belly laugh, the other patrons looked around nervously before returning to their food. Bill, on catching his breath wheezes out, "After all these years, I keep thinking, that maybe some day you'll be able to have a deep conversation and drink coffee at the same time!" Fred grined wryly, and replied, "I'm working on it! By the way, what were you saying?" Bill responded, "I said, I love what you have done with the ranch, the boys really take to you in a way they don't so much to me. The boys seems to see me as a sugar daddy, but not so much as a mentor...not sure what to make of it" "Oh that." Fred said, and thought a bit, taking a careful sip from his coffee this time, "I guess it's because, these boys are up against it when they come, and I was there once. So, I don't know quite how to explain it, but, somehow, I know. Have you ever been up against it Bill?" "No, no I haven't." Bill mused, "I had thought that was a blessing, but..." "Oh, it is!" Fred said quickly, "You were in the perfect place to help me when I was down, and this ranch was your vision, God just gave me to you as a gift to do the hands on and up close part for you. I think your the big picture part, and I'm the small picture part of this equation. You were able to stay above the fray and pull me out of the rut when I hit my dead end, and you also are able to see the horizon in a way I can't, but, in the same way, I am intimately familiar with the rut, and with what happens when you come to a dead end, and don't know what to do, in a way that you aren't." Bill thought on this for a while, and he knew Fred was right, he also heard in his friend an authenticity, a genuine ability to speak the truth, with clarity about what he was or was not good at, in a way that reflected genuine humility, no, there was no pride in Fredrick anymore, and hadn't been for years, there was none of that hidden pride, fake humility stuff either, just genuine authenticity. Breathing a prayer, Bill realized it was time to get to the point, the coffee incident was forgotten, with a voice dripping with emotion he said, "Fred, I'd like to give you the ranch, I want you to steward it on your own, with God now, I'm hearing God ask me to do some traveling, to speak in churches about how we treat the "least of these" in our towns, about how our business is a ministry, and I don't know what else, but, there is an anointing on you, so between you and God, I know the ranch is in good hands."  Fred sat up with a start, "Bill! Don't you remember what shape I was in when you found me? I wasted everything, and so far as I can tell, you never taught me anything about managing a huge non-profit like the ranch has become, all I ever learned from you was, talk to God about absolutely everything, even money, and at times, especially money. Of course, you did tell me about the 5 different money categories, charity, giving, saving, investing, and spending, and you told me that each one should be prayed over, so far as what is put in each, because no size fits all. I have been doing that, with great results, but, in all my life, I never met someone who was so visionary, so successful at pulling off big ventures as you, and none of my books or college education helped me. So, I'll take the ranch, and I thank you, but, you have to tell me what the secret is, where does this success actually come from?" Bill thought long and hard about his answer, "Well....to tell you the truth, you have more education than I have, Fred, I only took high school, it's not a secret, it's something you already have, it's called a pure heart, see, the heart has your feelings, intellect, and will in it. Neither of us know what we are doing most of the time, that's why this whole thing worked. Or, I should say, it worked because we listened to God and through various circumstances, we each got our hearts cleaned up. Our ways, ideas, determination, and emotional drivers were removed. It happened because we gave God permission. We don't do, we just are." Fred thought long and hard before replying, and when he did, their were tears in his eyes again, but from something much deeper this time, with a voice husky and full of emotion, he said, "Thanks Bill, I understand, we are who we are and we follow orders from Christ, on some level we are both much smaller picture thinkers than Christ, and our being ok with that and following His desires day to day, and adopting those desires as our own is why we are where we are. Of course, neither of us are billionaires, and there are those who are completely given over to their own thinking, emotions, and will, that are, but they don't have real joy in life. Then there are those who appear to have nothing, sleeping on dirt in poor places in this world who have overflowing joy, because they are also truly succesful, pure in heart, full of Christ. So, I accept this charge, and when God gives me the nudge, I will pass it on to the next person who is pure in heart. Will we stay in touch Bill?" Bill replied, "I thought you'd get it, Amen! Yes, we will still be neighbors, and we can talk regularly, I'm just going to be in and out more, that's all." With that, the food arrived, and the men dug in, especially Fred. 

 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.-Jesus Christ. So, I checked the Greek word for heart in this verse, and while it can mean a physical heart, in this context, Billson's definition is correct I believe. Intellect, Will, Emotion, all 3 sitting in the center of a person, and informing what the person does. That is, unless those selfish drives are cleaned out, in this way, the heart becomes pure, and then, guess what's inside the heart of a Christian? Right in the center of a Christian lies the Holy Spirit, and He will start pulling the levers that make our body do things, in fact, He is already pulling those levers, it's just that our own desires are so loud that we don't always listen, and so it is, that we are not so pure hearted after all. A man, or a woman does, because it's what they either, think, feel, or decide to do, and so you see, the "big 3" control us, Intellect, Will, Emotion. For the sake of clarity, I will add, in many circles, this is called the "Soul" and that is a good name for it too. So, a pure hearted person would theoretically wake up in the morning and get downloads from the Spirit that inform his Will, Intellect, Emotion for the day's agenda. A pure hearted person would pause and seek a divine revelation when she is confronted by anything out of her authority. A pure hearted person understands what her authority is, the weeds in the flowerbed, should be pulled, not prayed about for example. (Although praying wouldn't hurt.) A pure hearted person would see God, in the oak tree that gives shade on a hot summer day, in the finely tuned little squirrel that zig zags on the road, in the difficult person they meet, in the kind person who helps them, and in the poor soul who needs help in some form. I hope by now, your seeing the surrender that comes from all this, to be pure, involves being cleaned, possibly to be purified by fire even, like gold. Ultimately, there isn't much for us to do in all this other than carrying the attitude of the prodigal son on the return trip instead of the attitude of the son on the way out. Note, I said attitude of, not the fear, or shame, those were self inflicted. So, that should be the main thrust of this, to have a surrendered, coming to Christ posture that allows for His cleansing, and that's a big reason why I selected the picture I did. See, God is a gentleman, if we want to do it our own, hard, stupid, bullheaded, pig-poopy way, we may. If we ask to be cleaned up in the Heart, or, the inside, we will be. If being pure hearted does not appeal to you, then this is the end of the chapter for you. If it does though, read the prayers below, as helpful samples, but the pray from the heart, in your own words. 

 If born again: I want to be pure hearted, but, I cannot do it, I can only come as I am, and that's what I did, smelling like a pig actually, but I met a Father who runs to me and hugged me as a son/daughter before I smelled like one. I also know a Father who made me a son/daughter, with His ring, and didn't leave me in my current state, so, I am staying at Home, and letting Him continue His work. 

 If not born again: I want to be pure hearted, but, I cannot do it, Lord Jesus, I need you, I am coming to you as I am, and I will let you tell me what's next. You're in charge now. 

 This has been Chapter 11 of Surrender!? To Who?

Just One More Lord

 Last time, we looked at rightness vs righteousness, and in that fictional story of righteousness, we saw mercy being displayed. Now, we will switch gears and look at a very true story with details filled in that had mercy in it. After this, we will make a few comments about the nature of true mercy. 

 It started at Guam. The Japanese held it. The Americans wanted it. The Japanese had dug in, quite literally, caves, tunnels, pill boxes, filled with Japanese soldiers with machine guns. So this was where the 77th infantry found themselves. The road there had been interesting for them, for there was a medic in their group who was absolutely despised. He had voluntarily joined the army as a medic, and yet, when he prayed, his fellow recruits threw boots at him. That wasn't all, there was a lot of mocking, and worst of all, some officers tried to humiliate him publicly, and attempted to get him discharged. Yet, he perservered. Why all the hate? Because, he refused to carry a gun. "Thou shalt not kill" was an Old Testament command he took literally. His name was Desmond Doss. Now here they were, getting shot at, killed, wounded, and here was Desmond, unarmed, carrying a medical bag, scurrying to and fro in the face of machine gun fire, tending to the wounded. He earned their respect then, and he kept it. However, more was to come, especially at Okinawa. With a cargo net secured on a cliff, they climbed it and found themselves on a  ridge, only to be met by an overwhelming number of Japanese soldiers. They fought hard, attempted to dig in, but to no avail. The survivors ran back to the cargo net on the cliff in a panic and tumbled back down. So, Desmond was alone, on a ridge with a bunch of wounded soldiers, many of which were probably his bullies. Perhaps a few of the shoe throwers. So, now what? To stay or go? He was totally in his rights to go. Yet, he stayed. He made a bowline knot in a rope, and used it to lower a man. Then, with a prayer, "One more Lord." He went back for another, as the bullets whistled by. "Please Lord, just one more." He went for another, "Oh God, one more please." Another soldier was lowered to safety. The bullets were still whistling by, machine guns were ratatating away, but Desmond scurried for another, "Lord Jesus, please! Just one more." So it went, on and on. Eventually 75 men were lowered in a bowline knot in a rope by one unarmed and bullied young man who wouldn't quit. During this time, a Japanese soldier got a clear shot at Desmond, he settled his crosshairs on him and slowly sqeezed the trigger....click...a misfire! The soldier cleared the round, and waited, another clear shot, and again, he settled the crosshairs on him, and slowly squeezed the trigger....click! "The gun had been fine! what was wrong with it now?" he wondered.

 So here we are, thinking about a young pacifist who wouldn't carry a gun, and yet was not a coward. They made a movie about him, maybe you heard of it? Hacksaw Ridge they call it. There is a certain quality in the story that I want to highlight. It is a thing called mercy. This thing, is the opposite of revenge, this thing is meekness in it's most refined form. For it is in that time of crisis, when you have been mistreated so sorely by a friend, a fellow citizen of the same kingdom as you belong too. (In Desmond's case, America. In your case as a Christian, a fellow citizen of God's kingdom.) In this crisis, where you have your fellow citizen in a situation where he needs you to show him pure, undefiled biblical meekness or compassion in order to save him, that is when we all find out, if your soul, your emotions, have been so surrendered to the Lord, that mercy springs forth from deep inside you. It's at this moment, when it is easier to run, but yet you have the strength to stay, that if mercy is there, it will shine. This mercy is not to be a mechanical act. This mercy is to be a deep-seated character trait that comes from surrendering anything to the Lord that would keep it from showing forth, and then surrendering that empty space to the Lord to be filled as He sees fit. Matthew 5:7 says, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. I believe that mercy has been given by Christ, and those who accept Christ and manifest his mercy are those who receive it. However, again, true mercy, is not a mechanical act, it is a work in the heart that Christ does, as we receive his nature. I am aware that non-christians have shown mercy at times, but, it is only Christ who always shows mercy to those who want it as a "full time aspect" of His nature and not as an occasional good fruit. 

 As we wrap up this chapter, I hope you are catching the idea that none of the things in the Beatitudes are things you do. If you just do it, you create a counterfeit, known as legalism. It looks good, it might even look like mercy, but it all falls apart when the chips are down. By doing it, I am speaking of an act that is not anchored in a Christlikeness inside you. No, this book is all about surrender as the only way to truly become Christlike. Please keep this in mind, we will share more on this when we talk about surrendering the soul in the next chapter. 

This has been chapter 10 of Surrender!? To Who?

Defining Church

 "This is the church of God! Attend here every Sunday, listen to our music and teaching, and be on time! The world is a place full of heretics, and the very salvation of your souls, yes even that ability to be saved from the depths of hell are hinged on you being here in church! Furthermore, this is where you are used in the great kingdom of God, this is where you tithe. You have a job, and that job has a meaning, it's so you tithe! In this tithe, you enable the church of God to continue to be this great life raft in the sea of debauched worldliness around you!" Thus bellowed Styrning Kraft that morning in the Great Church of "Rightness" in the corner of Random St. and Somewhere Ave. He was a pastor of this church, and he had spent years in seminary and worked countless hours building up this great empire to save souls from that awful place he read about. He would get them in with whatever means needed, shame, fear, manipulation, whatever. Never mind that the more tithes he got, the more millions he had. This was the "Lord's work." Now, there was a dangerous smooth talking heretic running around spreading the idea that going to a building for church wasn't a great idea, and so he had to lay it out for the people this morning....

 "What you have been told about the church, about that need for tithing, and to go to church, is all wrong. You see, the early church met in homes. This kept the groups small, and easier to control. Also, the money given is not wasted on some elaborate building. Furthermore, I am not a paid pastor, so you don't pay me. Finally, there are more of us, 1 out of every 5-10 men is ordained to church leadership, this means better priesthood of all believers." Thus spoke the "smooth talking heretic" (so called) at some house south of "Rightness".  Gorm Stampa was passionate in his cause, and he didn't have any desire to be a heretic, or even divisive, but, it was high time for a better priesthood of all believers to be practiced. Also, it was high time that the church was less wasteful with their generosity instead of shaming people into a tithe, why not have the church actually be efficent with what they got? Gorm mused on these things and other things, and wondered how he was gonna address the new heresy in town. A wild-eyed kid out there had some dangerous ideas that threatened everything Gorm had built, for the Lord of course....

 "I am still young and have a lot to learn I know, but, it seems to me, that when you see a big church like Styrning's, or a house church like Gorm's, they both have 1 thing in common. That 1 thing is, the stifling of the Holy Spirit. It's kind of like this, they carefully plan a church schedule, known as a liturgy to conduct the meeting with. So, they hope the Holy Spirit shows up, but they have the liturgy so they don't "need" Him to show up. To my way of thinking, this is a big problem. Gorm did a good thing by activating more people, but, his services are still so dead, that's why I left." So spoke the "wide-eyed kid" so called, to his living room full of friends. Gratis Anda was sincere in all this, in fact he spoke in defense of Styrning now, "If Styrning would just shred his liturgy and let the Holy Spirit run, I'd go there. See, the group size isn't the issue, the building vs house question isn't the issue either. It's about the Spirit." Gratis was sincere, and he lived it, his church experience looked like a sequence of free flowing Spirit led conversations and occasional attendance of concerts, he never started anything, but he siphoned a lot of Gorm's people away from organized house churching and into free flowing church life with the ideas he spread, and with the way he detested all things having to do with liturgy....

 So, here we are back in the real world again. Who was right? Why? Who was wrong? Why? You want my opinon? Ok, keep reading. You don't? Ok stop here. :P First, let's define the word "church." 

 Church according to this world as of 2021: 1. a building used for public Christian worship 2. a particular Christian organization, typically one with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines. 3. the hierarchy of clergy of a Christian organization, especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England. 4. institutionalized religion as a political or social force. 

 Church according to the New Testament: The greek word, Ekklesia, which in the Christian context means: A Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both. 

 So, based on these definitions, my opinion is this, all 3 men were partially right, and yet so so wrong. I used to agree with all 3 in various phases of my journey by the way. Where they were right was this, they saw the fellow christians who they were gathered with as the church. Where they were wrong, was, they saw their church as The church, or the correct way to Do church. Church is not something you Do. It's something you have, when people gather in the name of Christ. I am no longer interested in conversations that have to do with the right way to do church. I am more interested in the nature and wonder of Christ, and the church life we have as we explore that together. If you have a favorite way to experience church, that's fine, so do I. However, please don't think your way is The way. That's not supported by scripture. If it is, please show me. The idea that church is a tangible thing, a building, an organization, or a not for profit charity, is a world creation. The church is not a thing to be pinned down, labeled, and categorized, it is a flowing life, a bride of Christ that forms around and through people who meet in His name. It is "Christian Community." It is only tangible in the way that the people in it are tangible. It is not a tangible thing on it's own without the people. It's ok to give your specific Christian community a name, the one I like to go to is called, Living Hope Fellowship. However, Living Hope is not a business, it meets in a building, but the building isn't Living Hope either. I alone am not Living Hope, but when I meet with others in the community, Living Hope forms. So, I am striving to live by church as defined by Ekklesia. So far as the world's definitions of church? The world can go fly a kite...