Posted by: jakinnan | August 27, 2013

Jesus Has a Body

Day-5-The-Sea-of-Galilee-Ancient-Waters1

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” . . . When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread . . . Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” (John 21:4-12)

Now think about this for a minute. You’re the Son of God. You’ve just accomplished the greatest work of your life, the stunning rescue of mankind. You rose from the dead. What would you do next? Have a cookout with a few friends? It seems so unspiritual, soordinary. Do you see that eternal life does not become something totally “other,” but rather that life goes on—only as it should be?

Jesus did not vanish into a mystical spirituality, becoming one with the cosmic vibration. Jesus has a body, and it’s his body. His wounds have been healed, but the scars remain—not gruesome, but lovely, a remembrance of all he did for us. His friends recognize him. They share a bite to eat. This is our future as well—our lives will be healed and we shall go on, never to taste death again.

– John Eldredge, Desire

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 27, 2013

08/27/2013 Scripture

Grand Canyon

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.  So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

-2 Corinthians 3:7-11 NLT

Photo: Erin Whittaker

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 26, 2013

08/26/2013 Scripture

Zion

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

-2 Corinthians 4:1-6 NLT

Photo: Kim Hang Dessoliers

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 26, 2013

08/25/2013 Scripture

mhw

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.  We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.  For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

-2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 24, 2013

In This World You Will Have Trouble

Alaska

In this world you will have trouble.” No kidding. Jesus, the master of understatement, captures in one sentence the story of our lives. He adds, “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Why aren’t we more encouraged? (Sometimes we’ll try to feel encouraged when we hear a “religious” passage like this, but it never really lasts.) The reason is that we are still committed to arranging for life now. Be honest. Isn’t there a disappointment when you realize that I’m not going to offer you the seven secrets of a really great life today? If I wanted to make millions, that’s the book I would write. The only thing is, I would have to lie. It can’t be done. Not yet. And that yet makes all the difference in the world, because desire cannot live without hope. But hope in what? For what?

Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter1:13, emphasis added)

I read passages like this, and I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Fully? We don’t even set our hope partially on the life to come. Not really, not in the desires of our hearts. Heaven may be coming. Great. But it’s a long way off and who really knows, so I’m getting what I can now. For most Christians, heaven is a backup plan. Our primary work is finding a life we can at least get a little pleasure from here. Heaven is an investment we’ve made, like Treasury bonds or a retirement account, which we’re hoping will take care of us in the future sometime, but which we do not give much thought to at present.

– John Eldredge, Desire

Photo: Craig Tanner, BLM

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 24, 2013

08/24/2013 Scripture

Cape Romain

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

-2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NLT

Photo: Ben Sumrell

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 23, 2013

What Is Really Going on Here?

El Morro

Either (a) we’re blowing it, or (b) God is holding out on us. Or some combination of both, which is where most people land. Think about it. Isn’t this where you land, with all the things that haven’t gone the way you’d hoped and wanted? Isn’t it some version of “I’m blowing it,” in that it’s your fault, you could have done better, you could have been braver or wiser or more beautiful or something? Or “God is holding out on me,” in that you know he could come through, but he hasn’t come through—and what are you to make of that?

This is The Big Question, by the way, the one every philosophy and religion and denominational take on Christianity has been trying to nail down since the dawn of time.What is really going on here? Good grief—life is brutal. Day after day it hammers us, till we lose sight of what God intends toward us, and we haven’t the foggiest idea why the things that are happening to us are happening to us. Then you watch lives going down with the Twin Towers, read about children starving in Ethiopia, and wham! If a good God is really in charge . . . and all that.

We need clarity and we need it badly. A simple prayer rises from my heart: Jesus, take away the fog and the clouds and the veil, and help me to see . . . give me eyes to really see.

– John Eldredge, Waking the Dead

Photo: Matt Height

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 23, 2013

08/23/2013 Scripture

Albion basin

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

-2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT

Photo: Ray Boren

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 22, 2013

Hope

Mountain Pilgrimage, Fiordland, New Zealand, 2007-L

Having abandoned desire, we have lost hope. C. S. Lewis summed it up: “We can only hope for what we desire.” No desire, no hope. Now, desire doesn’t always translate into hope. There are many things I desire that I have little hope for. I desire to have lots more money than I do, but I see little reason to think it will come. But there isn’t one thing I hope for that I don’t also desire. This is Lewis’s point. Bland assurances of the sweet by-and-by don’t inflame the soul. Our hopes are deeply tied to our real desires, and so killing desire has meant a hopeless life for too many. It’s as if we’ve already entered Dante’s Inferno, where the sign over hell reads, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”

The effect has been disastrous, not only for individual Christians, but also for the message of the gospel as a whole. People aren’t exactly ripping the roofs off churches to get inside. We see the Enemy’s ploy: drain all the life and beauty and adventure away from the gospel, bury Christians in duty, and nobody will want to take a closer look. It’s so very unappealing.

David Whyte calls this the “devouring animal of our disowned desire.” It is the reason behind most affairs in the church. The pastor lives out of duty, trying to deny his thirst for many years. One day, the young secretary smiles at him and it’s over. Because he has so long been out of touch with his desire, it becomes overwhelming when it does show up. The danger of disowning desire is that it sets us up for a fall. We are unable to distinguish real life from a tempting imitation. We are fooled by the impostors. Eventually, we find some means of procuring a taste of the life we were meant for.

– John Eldredge, Desire

Photo: Jonathan Paulson

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Posted by: jakinnan | August 22, 2013

08/22/2013 Scripture

Cape Cod

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

-2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT

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