010313

Journal 001

Oh Lord, what more do I need to learn before You deliver me from these shadows?
I know that You discipline Yur chidren out of love.
I know that we are those through who you manifest Your glory.
But Lord, it's is so hard when we don't see the why and how of either.

You teach us to trust You by our being in need of trusting You.
Sometimes that means hard and cold places.
But they are indeed hard and cold and frightening.

We are so prone to seek ways to placate You.
But that is our error, our flesh.
You are not a God like othere gods.
Who can be bought or bribed.

You are not a God like other gods who demand their pound of flesh.

Indeed, You have cancelled our debt.
Your Son has aid the price for our redemption.
We owe You nothing but love, thanks and duty.

Yet we are week and the flesh cries out to be heard.
The flesh, so steeped in the world, so intwined with covetousness,
cries out, "Lie, a lie, you have been a fool."

But Lord, our hearts know better though our flesh denies.
What help Oh Lord can You send as we stand in the shadows?
What is the Comforters comfort.
Is there no loner provision - Oh but there is.

Lord, we cry out to You for deliverance
from our troubes.
And yet we desire gretly to wait uon You
wonderous works.

When there is no comfort here,
we so long to be with You.
and yet even in that You command.
But our hearts weaken and we cry out.

We ask Your deliverance from our troubles,
provision to just be reieved of our anxiousness.
We beg Your mercy and blessing
yet we fear our duplicity in them.

Oh Lord - help us to see and feel
the comfort we know You have given
the comfort You are giving.

We have grow blind and insensitive.
We have grown weiry and weak.
Oh Lord, though our travail
may indeed be trivial
Yet is is travail and it is ours
and it hurts.

Comfort us
lead us out of these shadows
let us sit and labor in peace and strength.

This and That 090512 Ignorance?

There is a five-fold ignorance from which our fear arises.

First, we are ignorant of God.

Second, we are ignorant of others.

Third, we are ignorant of ourselves.

Fourth, we are ignorant of our circumstances.

Fifth, we are ignorant of the covenant of grace.

Flavel, John (2011-12-27). Triumphing Over Sinful Fear (Puritan Treasures for Today) Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition.

This is just an excerpt from Flavel’s book.  This five-fold ignorance is seen by him as the cause of our sinful fear.

This ignorance is not the same as stupid.  He’s not castigating his readers.  Rather he wants you and me to understand that we can and need to relieve this ignorance.

In 1 Peter 1:14 we find the word “ignorance.”  It is the Greek word: ἄγνοια  agnoia.  There is nothing demeaning about the term.  It simply refers to: 

1) lack of knowledge, ignorance

1a) especially of divine things

1b) of moral blindness

Though we have had our “sight” restored that doesn’t mean we “know,” what we need to know.  It does mean that we can know what we need to know.

Read John 9.  This is my favorite story and, if we really think about it, we can see some mighty parallels to our gaining our sight.

Here are some of my thoughts:

·         He was born blind so how distracted was he after he gained his sight?  Sensory overload?  Oh yeah!

·         He didn’t know blue or red or purple.

·         He didn’t know what he looked like.

·         He didn’t know what his parents looked like.

·         He didn’t know how to coordinate his clothes (ok – maybe that’s not really one).

·         He didn’t know what light was.

·         He didn’t know what beauty or ugly was.

·         He didn’t know didn’t what anything looked like.

Get the picture?

He was – well – ignorant.  He didn’t know what can only be known by sight.

That’s us when we come into the Kingdom, when we gain our sight.  We’re ignorant.  Everything is the same but our ability to correctly perceive it and identify it is radically altered.  So, ignorant fits.

But we need not and should not remain ignorant.  Did you know that in the early church it was not uncommon for a new believer to undergo years of catechetical training before they were admitted to a functional place in the body?  No one doubted they were saved but the early church leaders understood that ignorance was a grave danger to the new believer – as well as the body.

They understood and appreciated (that is both the leadership and the new believers) that there was much to learn (as well as unlearn) in order that the new believer would not be a danger to themselves or others.  They took seriously (the leadership) their obligation to teach – from milk to meat – the new believer.  The new believer understood that they were blessedly ignorant and submitted themselves to sometime arduous and lengthy instruction.

How about you?  I know, even though I’m a seminary graduate and an ordained minister, that I have places where I am ignorant.  There are places where I missed the milk truck and places where I still need someone to cut my meat for me.  Ignorance is a condition not a sin ----

Unless ------

Unless that ignorance is intentional, arrogant or prideful.  Intentional ignorance is quite honestly, a sin.  It is a refusal to submit to the instruction of the Word and the ministry of the Spirit.  It is also a refusal to accept the commission to demonstrate God’s glory.

I knew a woman whose faith was, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  It was clear that she really did believe this and that Christ was her savior.  But she refused to grow any further than that.  Because, I believe, of her refusal to grow in knowledge and wisdom she had a very fearful life. 

I remember her confessing to me with tears streaming down her face and her body shaking that she had slept with her second husband before they were married.  I asked her if she believed that Christ paid for that sin.  She acknowledged she did.  I then asked her if she believed he died for ALL her sin.  She was shocked.  She had never learned about the breadth of His atonement.   Her ignorance had made her hold that sin to and against her heart for years being tormented by fear.

It’s the same with trials, suffering, blessings, opportunities, ad infinitum ----- Unless we relieve our ignorance, unless we set ourselves to know, understand, appreciate and apply the truth He has revealed we will always suffer and fear more than we need to.

Jesus made it clear:

 Mat 11:28-30  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."