Volume 3 Post/Email 9 – Proverbs 18:24
by brian
This past week my brother Robert (Bob) has stayed with me while in Nashville for extra training for his job. He is with me this week also. It has been extremely fun to spend time together. Now Landon is back in Nashville for school and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. They were both over at the house tonight and we watched the comedy "Death At A Funeral" and laughed our heads off. Monday night Bob and I are going to the Titans game and Thursday Landon is meeting us at Buffalo Wild Wings. So we're trying to make the most of it.
Anyway, we have always had that bond as brothers, though we have been more distant geographically the last 10 years. Spending time with Bob and Landon makes me reflect on the proverb, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
It is difficult to imagine having a non-family member willing to accept and love me more than a brother, a parent, or spouse, but the Bible states the possibility.
My question for you and me: Are we a friend who sticks closer than a brother?
Are we a fair-weather friend? Or are we there for others whenever there is stormy-weather?
Are we only a friend when it's convenient, or even when it's not?
Let's be grateful for close family and close friends. Let's be a family member and friend who sticks close by.
-Brian
Volume 2 Post/Email 11 – 1 Peter 2:5
by brian
The final 2 posts on the concept of spiritual formation will be from First Peter Chapter 2.
1 Peter 2:5 reads, "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
In post 3 we reflected on the first three verses of this chapter and growing as spiritually newborn babies.
Likewise, verse 5 implies gradual spiritual growth.
Our spiritual life is indeed, a journey. We "are being built" into a spiritual house.
I believe the tense of the verb is a present participle, indicating a continual reality.
The Christian life is always to be a "present tense" matter.
We have the daily privilege of being holy priests, and living before a loving and holy God.
We have the daily honor and opportunity to express love to God in worship.
How much of our lives involves any sense of God?
If we model Jesus, we will not compartmentalize our lives into the secular and spiritual.
Therefore, we should not think this verse applies only to spiritual acts like prayer. Intentionally befriending and doing good to others during the day, because of a heart oriented towards God and his will, is also spiritual.
Hebrews 13:16 reads, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
We should not reduce spiritual living, worship, and honoring God to a minimum amount of occasions. We should not think God is only interested in when we pray, study, etc.
He is pleased when we go to work, and how we work. He can be pleased by a conversation we initiate with a co-worker. Perhaps God smiles as we initiate a friendly conversation with a child?
Maybe God is just as honored when we adults play and interact with the kids before a Wednesday night class as he is when we are singing in the auditorium?
Is God not glorified when we share a meal with our family? Is it not spiritual (of God, God-like) to devote some energy to helping a kid with their homework, or to coaching a team, or teaching music, or being involved in a camping trip?
When a wife or husband cooks the meal for the evening [usually when we guys step up it's with the grill 
], can that not be with a godly, grateful, generous heart?
Are these matters supposed to be in a spiritual (God) context or not?
Jesus honored the Father with a heart oriented to worshipping His Father and doing His will through the nitty gritty of daily life! When Jesus spent time with children, or enjoyed a meal with some adults, or spent time in a boat with the disciples, these were also spiritual moments!
When the routine of our day is not spiritual is if we choose to not allow the heart, will and Spirit of God to impact certain moments of our schedule.
As we experience spiritual transformation into the likeness of Jesus, our eyes become more aware and astute to the spiritual realities and opportunities of the present moment.
It may be a moment to relax, to read, to sing, to pray, to visit, to eat, to play, etc. - but all in God's presence joyfully living our life with Him.
Am I missing something?
-Brian
Volume 2 Post/Email 9 – 1 John 4:13-16
by brian
As we continue on the primary theme of spiritual formation, another great text to ponder concerning union with God is 1 John 4:13-16.
"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
These words make the profound mystery of God practical and understandable!
These words convey what it means to have a relationship with God, and how this relates to and impacts daily living.
Does God live in me? Do I live in God?
John states that faith (specifically in Jesus) is the avenue to such a union/relationship. "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."
Furthermore, John makes this otherwise abstract concept more concrete and tangible. "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
Do I bask in God's love for and affirmation of me each day?
You cannot truly love yourself more than He does! He is wild about you! He delights in you! There are NUMEROUS Scriptures that say so!
Do I reciprocate God's love? Do I show Jesus I love him? Do I tell my Father I love him? Do I tell Jesus I love him? Do I thank Jesus and the Spirit? Do I worship the Father? > An affirmative answer to these type of questions is vital to truly experiencing God (and union with a tri-personal God), and not just having dry knowledge of God, or having what we might describe as an intellectual or academic spirituality.
The other type of questions I need to reflect upon for spiritual inventory and application pertain to my relationships and interaction with people.
Do I love and help others, including those with whom I am different? Do I love, forgive and serve people who have not always treated me with love?
Am I relying on God's love for me and my sinfulness, or disregarding this need and reality? Am I trusting in the transforming power of God's Spirit and Jesus' presence to change inwardly and overcome my unloving attitudes and tendencies toward people?
God wants us to learn, and be ever learning, how to live in union with him.
Through our love for others and from others we experience the loving presence of God - heaven on earth.
Fellowship (loving union) with God is what creates transformation in our lives. Faith in Jesus expressed through prayer to God (in love) and through love for others are tangible acts that help us consciously be aware of this all-important, imperative union.
Think of what your life would be without an authentic relationship with God!
Think of what your relationships would be without the giving and receiving of Christ's love!
First John 4:13 states that God's Spirit is in you, filling you with love and empowering you to love!
We cannot love very long on our own resources. We need the presence of God's Spirit permeating and saturating our lives with His goodness!
Brothers and Sisters - Keep living in God!!! Keep living in love!!!
Continue experiencing formation into the likeness of Jesus!!!
ELGUY!!!
Continue loving your family, including that family member who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Continue loving your congregation, including that brother or sister who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Continue being Christ-like at work, including toward that co-worker or boss who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Resist the temptation to not love! Refuse to be a container of even a smidget of hatred! Resolve to be empty of any ill-will, or even indifference!
To summarize and clarify:
Continue investing your life in people - even people who seem to not appreciate you, value you, your friendship or help, and people for whom it appears that your love and investment is not making any difference.
God's unending love for you and investment in you has made all the difference for you, and your unwavering love for someone with whom you could easily give up on is what could make all the difference in their life and future.
Be a vessel full of God, overflowing with love for God, for yourself, and for others!!!
-Brian
Volume 2 Post/Email 7 – John 15:4 (Part 2)
by brian
(Picking up from the end of yesterday’s post…)
Lastly, Brodie explains:
"Oneness with the ultimate reality is not an abstract idea; it is a spiritual experience of knowing that the timeless God is at the door inviting you to full union. It is an attentiveness to the present, a readiness, at every moment, to receive reality, to enjoy deeply even the simplest things." (1)
-Didn’t Jesus enjoy deeply even the simplest things?
A list of some simple pleasures he enjoyed:
sharing a meal (There are more than a dozen “table” references in Luke's narrative.)
hosting/providing a meal
celebrating a wedding
greeting strangers (Nathaniel, woman at well, Zachaeus, 2 traveling to Emmaeus, etc.)
walking in/observing nature (birds, lilies, soil, seeds, trees, etc.)
visiting in homes
fishing/boating with friends (disciples)
talking with His Father
attending banquets
playing with children
retreating to a mountain
Who would Jesus not share a meal with? In fact, this is why he told the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son – the Pharisees questioned his social life. *Jesus treated everyone as a treasure!
Jesus enjoyed deeply the simple blessings of life!
-Could we be searching for joy, when we could actually be experiencing it in the moment?
-Shouldn't we be enjoying (and not rushing) the meals we share with others?
-Are we embracing the invitation to full union?
-How is prayer essential to daily union, communion, and joy?
-Brian
1 Thomas L. Brodie, The Gospel According To John (New York: Oxford University Press), 60-61
Volume 1 Post/Email 2 – Philippians 2:4
by brian
This week we will continue our focus and thoughts on some spiritual food found in the book of Philippians.
Chapter 2 verse 4 reads, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This verse definitely presents the tension we all feel of how we live and how we budget our time. For starters, we are definitely to be a people who care about others and invest our lives in others. However, this verse also implies that we take care of our own needs.
We all have self-interests. We have physical, financial, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs. Some days and weeks we might neglect some of our personal needs because of investing extra in helping others. Most weeks are a combination of mutual investments. Occasional days or even weeks we may need to invest mostly in ourselves. Even those times can result in blessing others because we find renewal and are re-energized to exert energy, focus and time on other people. Yes, even Jesus would get away from the multitudes, and even his closest disciples, to be alone with the Father.
You may be someone who goes so much and serves so many that you are neglecting your own spiritual, and even physical needs, such as rest. This is not what God wants or expects.
This week you may have plans to be involved in the lives of others by spending most of your discretionary time with them. Just remember it’s o.k. to also spend time praying and worshipping God privately and relaxing with your family in his presence. This week God may use you primarily within your own family. You may not think of this as something big, but your spouse and/or children might really benefit from some additional time and love, and you could benefit too. What might you do this week to give more attention and support to your family? What might you do this week to also invest in yourself?
Everyday this week, let God bless you with thoughts of his loving presence and peace. As you allow God to fill you and strengthen you, you will be most able to reach out to those around you.
You may be someone who has health issues that keep you from getting out much. You can still be used by God through actions like praying for people you know and calling family and friends. No matter our circumstances, we can all do something of service.
I heard an associate minister of a local church talk in one of our High School chapels a few years ago about a man he went to visit in the hospital, who, when he got there, asked if he could pray for the associate minister. It was a moment where the “associate minister” was actually “ministered to” by the Christian in the hospital bed. How incredible! The man was dying of cancer.
-Brian
(This, and previous ones, can also be accessed at www.elguy.org.)