Man in the Middle

But he knows not that the shades of the dead are there [specters haunting the scene of past transgressions], and that her invited guests are [already sunk] in the depths of Sheol (the lower world, Hades, the place of the dead).  - (Proverbs 9:18)

This scripture sounds like a scene from an old horror flick. I see it as a warning; there is an evil that is subtle as a ghost. The definition of ghost in this particular scripture is: a returning or haunting memory or image.

Our Christian life can be a living dichotomy. We have this lingering ghost that follows us and his name is “the past”. On the other end of the spectrum we have a future named “freedom”. And there is a campaign we vaguely understand raging between the two. It’s a battle not fought with swords or guns. It’s a tug of war… in your mind. A reckless jerking of faith and fear like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind until we are at the verge of abandoning all hope for our God given future.

Picture yourself with your arms fully stretched out. In one hand you are holding the end of a rope that is pulling you toward an extraordinary future. A wondrous life specifically designed for you and offers everything you need to live a full life. In the other hand you are holding a chain that’s pulling you toward a fiery furnace that consumes any sign of joy, peace and hope. You lean toward the “freedom” but keep holding on to “the past”.

Revelation 3:16 (The Message) “You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit.”

Adam Clarke writes in his commentary about this scripture: “It’s a state of confusion and being unsure of how to act or proceed; undecided where you are with God.”

Unsure of where you are with God positions you to be the man in the middle.  Holding on to “the past” makes you stale and stagnant and makes the Lord sick to His stomach. I believe the Lord is sick to His stomach because He knows we cannot effectively live the full life He has for us while holding on to “the past”.

[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].  James 1:8 (AMP)

This scripture describes much of my past as a Christian. I was the man in the middle. I could see my future, but the past kept luring me back to the ashes of condemnation. This lead to an irresolute, undecided and careless thought process. I wanted more for my life but never made a solid plan to move forward.

Do you feel like the man in the middle, stale and stagnant? Are holding on to condemnation and guilt (the past)? If so, here are some suggestions to help you move forward.

+ Recognize you are stuck.

   If you are not moving forward, you’re stuck.

+ Fight condemnation.

   Holding on to your past is like being mentally abused and not doing  

   anything about it.

   Spend time in prayer and meditation and speak against           

   condemnation using the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

+ Resolute that you will move forward.

   Colossians 3:2 (Amp) says: “And set your minds and keep them set on 

    what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” 

   In other words, don’t let your mind hang out with “the past”. 

   “The past” is dead and in the depths of hell, attempting to drag you 

   down with it.

I encourage you to take a good look at your walk with the Lord. Ask yourself, “Am I a description of what James wrote? Am I a person of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]?”

If this describes you, be courageous and fight the battle that wars in your mind. Use your faith and believe you have been given “freedom”. Do the work it takes to let go of “the past”, set your mind on giving God your all and no longer be being the man in the middle.

Please share this if it helped you.

Andy

If you want help to find and develop their purpose, contact me at andythelifecoach@yahoo.com. 

Take Control of the Keyboard

Once we become "born again" we threw away the old script of our lives that were written from our experiences of pain, sorrow and heartache. But being “born again” gives us the opportunity to write a new story for our lives. 

But there is an opposing factor that will still try to dictate the writings of your future. It’s your old nature or thought process. It will want to continue to write the negative history of your life and not the promised future. It is like opening up a blank word document and letting someone else type in the script of your future life.
In this new life of ours we need to do what any good writer needs to do. Write daily and write often. Just as writers need to learn to write. We need to seriously take a good look at what the bible says about us and rewrite the script for our lives. We need to take hold of the keyboard and write the epic story of our lives.

The story has already been given to us. It’s in our heart. It’s in our desires.  It’s in the restlessness of our soul. Yes, we all know our story but here is the problem. It’s like the big bible in the living room that never gets read. All it does is collect dust. We’ve got to take action and dust off the inner script. We need to sweep away the dust of negativity, oppression and pain.

Think about this for a moment. Take time to remember a book you read or a movie you watched. One that has a victorious ending. It could be a love won or a battle well fought. Were there times in the scenes you thought of something deep down inside yourself that was lost? A dream, a vision or a desire that once gallantly danced in your heart and soul. But as life slowly, or even abruptly, buried your hope the music faded. The dance ended, and now it seems that the dance hall is closed for good. Life since has been a dry dusty desert with only trickles of water to keep you barely alive. Even zombies need water.

So what about this “River of Life” the bible talks about? We could certainly use this “River of Life”. That would wash the dust completely away. The trickle of water we have only makes the dust muddy. So how do we experience the “River of Life” or “life to the full” Jesus referred too? How do we dance again? How do we dust off the book that holds our dreams, visions and desires? How do we awaken the deep aspirations of childhood?

I have a few ideas. This is most certainly not an exhaustive list but it is a start.

1.        

        Read highly inspirational books, magazines and blogs.

When the bible tells me I’m more than a conqueror, it inspires me. John Eldredge and Andy Andrews have books that get my heart fluttering. If you don’t read or listen to books, you will have a hard time dusting off the book that reveals your future.

2.        Spend time analyzing your heart.

Proverbs 4:23 (Amp version) says: “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” I believe this is Christ Himself and all He encompasses. Your heart holds the intimate details that God downloaded into your personality. Your heart leads you to the good works and good life He has planned for you.

Watch an inspirational movie with paper and pen in hand. Write down the different emotions and thoughts that come to you. Don’t be afraid to cry (I’m talking to you guys) for it helps release the pain of the lost dreams. It also helps to sweep the dust off of those dreams so you can feel the depth of your love for those desires. This is good. The desire is not God himself but an expression of Him and how He wants to express Himself to the world through you.

Write.

You might ask why should I write? I’ll tell you in a moment. But first, you must know we all have a book inside of us to write. Though I do not believe everyone’s book is to be published. However, writing is a strong way for us to see who we are as individuals. Writing helps us express what is held in our heart. It helps express what we can’t yet say. Writing helps us envision our future and helps erase the pains of the past that hold us back in life. The very act of writing is a gift from God to help us to express what He has put in our hearts.

When you write make it personal. Write one word or a paragraph but write something as often as you can. It will help lead you into the “River of Life”.

I strongly encourage you to take control of the keyboard and write the story of your life. Don’t let anyone else write it. God has already planted the story in your heart. But it is up to you to search it out. Proverbs 3:32 (Amp) says: For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him).

Spend some time with God and He will counsel you in secret and lead you to the good works and good life he has predestined for you.

Now go and write your story.

Andy

It Doesn't Matter

2 Corinthians 10:5 AMP
…and we lead every thought and purpose away captive…

Next level thinking will cause you to check your every thought and take it captive until you clear it with a very high set of standards. This can be exhausting at times but very rewarding.

Some things that change as you learn to take every thought through your set of standards.

1. You notice change in yourself
2. You see the world differently
3. You notice more negative and unproductive language in yourself and society.

The bible is clear that the Lords thoughts and ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8) For us to reach higher levels of thinking, we must realize that we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16(b)

says, but we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. Though our old life is gone (2 Corinthians 5:17), we still need to do all we can to prevent the negative and unproductive thoughts to settle in our minds. We need to renew our minds daily (Romans 12:2) or we will daily face the consequences of an unfulfilled calling.

Jesus wants you to have a full life. (John 10:10) Start today by taking every thought captive. Sift it through the Word of God. If it’s scripture, keep it. If not, cast it down.

Mud Man

He must have seen the glory beaming out of the one named Adam. He had to see the sunrise and sunset, creativity and passion, strength and love in the muddy mixture. He must have seen the majesty of untold greatness and the beauty of wholeness in this unfamiliar work of creation. Lucifer, in all his anger, resentment and bitterness must have seen Adam as a reflection of Almighty God. He must have shook in fear as he watched the Creator from a distance form, mold and shape the mud into man. Questions and worry must have invaded his mind as God etched away all imperfections to create His self-portrait. The fallen angels must have been uneasy as they observed the great Artist do His finest work. They must have anxiously paced and murmured amongst themselves. They had to wonder with great apprehension: “What is God up to now?” The scene, I’m sure, was like an audience in a theater entrenched in a movie leading up to the climax of the film. Nothing is more important than knowing what is next.

Then it happens. God, the Father, draws near to the hand crafted form of dirt. He looks deep into the eyes of the lifeless creation. As the fallen one’s silence them-selves in utter anticipation, God breathes deep, as do the fallen also. He releases His breath into His art form. Life giving breath. Not just any life, everlasting Life from the Father of all that is.

The climax has reached its summit. The fallen have reached a point of clamor and riotousness within its camp. Who knows what’s next with God’s making? They sense the atmosphere altering. And in God’s perfect timing, as if He was waiting for the cells, blood, nerve endings and all the infinite details that keep man physically alive, the eyes of His image abruptly open. The body violently gasps its first breath and moments later, softly says, “Abba”.

With a hostile piercing roar, the fallen cry out, “God has released His most glorious composition! More glorious than all that He has created. The music, songs and worship from this mud man will be superior to our Lucifer.”

Psalm 139:13-16(AMP)

¹³For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].

If we could grasp, take hold and capture our depth of significance in our God, dramatic shifts in our thought, words and actions would take place. The creation of man and you is not to be looked at moderately, with restraint or with minor importance. You and I were created with the upmost thought and care. We were created with hands of a loving Father, the passion of Jesus and the strength of the Spirit.

Take this seriously.

You are supremely significant to God.

Today, start to read all the good the bible has to say about you and ask the Spirit to ingrain it into you so you can express it in your daily life.

Andy

The Blame Stops Here!

I’ve heard it for years. The “Blame Game”. Family, friends and co-workers blame, blame, blame. I did it for many years.  But what good does it do? Does it somehow solve problems? Does it strengthen relationships? Does it insure a strong future for you or others? Of course not.

So why do we blame?

v Blame can give us a false sense of self-confidence.                                

      

   +  If we fail at a project or relationship, blaming someone else 

       could make us feel as if we gave it our best shot.

v It can shift negative attention off us and cast else where.                                            

   +  We might say, I can’t lose weight because of the way my 

       parents treated me.

v It can give us a sense of self-righteousness.                                                                

   +  We may hear from someone, I’m divorced because she is 

       immature.

Blaming others is never justified. Read the story of Adam and Eve. After they ate of the forbidden fruit, God called out to Adam and asked, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Adam responded saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me--she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.” Adam blamed Eve. Then God asked Eve, “What have you done?” She replied, “The serpent seduced me, and I ate." It all sounds like blame to me. Think about this a moment. What did they really think they would accomplish by blaming others?

I think the act of disobedience changed their level of faith in God’s love for them. For them to blame others for their disobedience, they must have lost the belief that God fully loved them and would redeem them. The blame they put on others was a spiritual fig leaf, to try to cover their sin. They were trying to tell God that they were still good people. When we blame others for our sin, mistakes or shortcomings, we are simply saying we don’t truly believe God can forgive us, restore us and change us. When Christians blame, it is denying the redeeming power of Jesus the Christ. Blaming is trying to justify ourselves. It is an act of trying to show others our righteousness. Instead of admitting our lack of character or integrity, we blame.

So what is the answer to this hypocrisy. We must fully submit to living under the grace of God. When we do, He then can shape us and mold us into His image.

Next level thinking requires us to take full responsibility for our mistakes. Then and only then can we fully rely on our Redeemer to make us who we ought to be.

Here is a question to ponder.

Day to day, how do you blame others for the part of your life you do not like?

Andy

He Upped the Ante Part 1

Sometimes I think the way Jesus presented His messages was a little unusual, . He would say these wonderful truths, then seemingly change the subject in a moments notice. For instance, the famous sermon on the mount in Matthew 5. Jesus starts out with the “Blessed are they” speech. It’s basically an “everything is beautiful” feel good message. (v3-v11) Then He says, (paraphrased) “Now that you know you are blessed because of God, don’t hide it. Let your light shine.” (v13-v16) After that it turns a little rigid. Jesus makes a very strong statement concerning the law of the prophets. He says: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)

What the heck happened? Jesus went from everything is beautiful to unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The scribes and Pharisees were the religious elite. They had studied scripture for years. If anyone knew the law, it was them. Read the book of Leviticus. You will find it very detailed in describing how to do everything according to the law. There was no way these people listening to Jesus could practice the law better than the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus just upped the ante.

It gets worse! Jesus first clarifies what righteousness physically looks like in the eyes of God. Now He digs deeper into our spiritual pockets and makes it clear on what He expects of us concerning our heart and mind. Verses 21-22 make the point if we harbor anger against someone it’s the same as killing someone. Verses 27-28 add to the problem. Having evil desire for a woman is as committing adultery in our heart. Again, Jesus just upped the ante.

I have two points to make. Here’s the first. Jesus was setting up the death and resurrection prophecy. He was reminding the people of their need for a savior. He was making it very clear that it is impossible to be righteous enough, on our own, to be accepted into the kingdom of God. (Isaiah 64:6) The sermon on the mount was like an opening statement in a courthouse for the accused. In this case we are the accused. And we have been found guilty because of one man. (Romans 5:18) Jesus reminds us, in the sermon on the mount, that we completely fall short of being able to meet the requirements of the law. (Romans 3:23) He is refreshing our memory of why He came to earth. He came to fulfill the law because we can’t. He came so we could enter the kingdom of God with one simple decision. The decision to follow Him. The law required a sacrifice. He came to fulfill it and He did with His death and resurrection. He did it so we could enter the kingdom of heaven to live with Him forever. He did it to pay the price that we cannot pay to be in right standing with the Father.

“Next Level Thinking” fully accepts the price that Jesus paid for our sin. It fully accepts that we can live under His grace. It fully accepts that we don’t have to try to fulfill the law. (Romans 8:2)

Are you still trying to fulfill the law?

Are you still trying to earn your salvation?

If so, ask the Lord to reveal to you the power of His grace and the depth of His love for you.

Next week I will share with you part 2.

I appreciate your comments.

To hear the audio version of this article, visit http://audioboo.fm/boos/756155-he-upped-the-ante-part-1

Pass The Salt

Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you]. (Colossians 4:6 Amp)

My friend once told me a trick he used to help him avoid eating all the food on his plate lest he over eat. He would open the salt shaker and pour salt over the remaining food. I’m not so sure it was a good plan. It may have solved the issue at the moment but what about the discipline it takes to live a healthy lifestyle.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, in part, the importance of following the teachings of Jesus. They were being lured into thinking that Jesus was not Lord and that He was insufficient. Paul had an interesting way of urging the Colossians to continue to believe in the lordship and sufficiency of Jesus. He writes,

“That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, “(Colossians 1:10-11)

There is a load of teaching in these scriptures but I will focus on one thought. Paul is talking about our conduct. Though we cannot, in any way, earn our salvation, we still must work out our salvation. (Philippians 2:12) We do this as a response to love, not as a requirement.

Now back to the opening text. “Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt…” For many of us, this can be very difficult. It will take discipline and not some trick to fulfill this request. But it is not impossible. Here are a few steps that will help you to be disciplined in your speech.

1.     Think before you speak.

a.     Ask yourself if the words you are about to speak are going to add flavor to the conversation or will you be dumping the whole salt shaker of salt on it. If you are dumping the all the salt, you will leave a bitter taste with someone.

2.     Ask the Spirit to help you daily with your speech.

a.     The Spirit is our Counselor. He will help you in your time of need and will show you your thought process. Your thought process precedes the words that you choose. When this is revealed, you then can work on changing your words.

3.     Ask the Spirit to help you walk in love.

a.     God is love. The more you are like Him the easier it is to respond in love.

Paul was trying to teach us that our words make a difference in how our testimony is perceived by others. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, therefore we must decide, before we speak, how much salt to put in our every day conversation. “Next Level Thinking” disciplines us to think before we speak. Then we can make a choice of words before we open our mouth. Think of your mind as a salt shaker. Your mouth is the lid. Choosing the wrong words to speak is like opening the lid to the salt shaker and pouring out all the salt.

Ask the Spirit of God to show you the choice of words that you need to change in your thoughts and in your conversation.


To listen to the audio version visit: http://bit.ly/Hxda1s

Fill In The Blank

As a man thinks,
So is he.
Thinking Negative = Death
Thinking Positive = ( You fill in the blank.)

Unproductive Thoughts

Next level thinking will cause you to check

your every thought and take it captive until

you clear it with a very high set of standards.

This can be exhausting at times but very rewarding.

Some things change as you learn to take every

thought through your set of standards.

• 1.     You notice change in yourself
• 2.     You see the world differently 
• 3.     You notice more negative and unproductive
        language in our society.

For us to reach higher levels of thinking, we must

do all we can to prevent the negative and unproductive

thoughts to settle in our minds or we will daily face

the consequences of an unfulfilled calling.