November 2011: A Month of Loving-kindness

This year, I am setting apart November as a month of loving-kindness…a month dedicated to being and doing that which is kind toward others and toward myself...BASED ON LOVE.

Loving-kindness is tough, and it is neither flattering nor obsequious.

Loving-kindness speaks the truth, but does so always for the benefit of others.

Loving-kindness never does for another that which that one can (and, most certainly, should) do for himself or herself.

Loving-kindness is deferential, but in a meek (strength channeled lovingly) kind of way; it never lets another walk all over him or her.

Loving-kindness recognizes that everyone is sinful and is, as such, forgiving of everyone for everything.  In fact, loving-kindness chooses to forgive others long before they act.  This is how loving-kindness produces a slowness to anger, for loving-kindness is not easily offended.

Loving-kindness is gracious, and does whatever it can to make others feel preciously loved and welcomed...even if it's at 3:30 in the morning.

 

So…as I wrote above, during November (which is my birthday month), I wish to be lovingly-kind in every situation.  And I mean EVERY situation.  Is it possible to respond to life in such a way?  Yep.  The scriptures read that “the fruit of the Spirit is…kindness.”  My prayer (my plea, in fact) in this moment is for God to incarnate (make flesh) His Word in me in this very special, and often overlooked, arena of life.

Peace and loving-kindness to all of you,

Dave

Pray for Me

Greetings, everyone,

A few days ago, my dearest friend on earth asked me to write out specific prayers that I would like her to pray on my behalf.  Provided below is what I gave her.  She suggested also that I pass these on to other people in my life so that, to quote her, “[I] might have many people praying for [me].”  I am so grateful for her desire to pray for me, and I would be most grateful to you if you would pray these things for me, too.  :o)

Peace…

Dave

Father, I bring before You my dear friend and brother, Dave…

May he KNOW that You love Him, and may he experience the presence, power, and meaning of Your Son’s death and resurrection in every aspect of His life.

May he have Your Heart beating within His very own, and may he see and think about things the way You See and Think about them.  Oh that he might feel Your Heart and live from the Deep Places of joy and sorrow that reside Therein, and, oh, too, that he might have the Mind of Your Son and live, serve, and give of Himself wisely and selflessly to all those who need him.

May he, as he has prayed so very often, walk before You in holiness, humility, and purity all the days of his life, and may he, indeed, live a simple, open, and ordinary life inspired by a great love for You and for others and by an insatiable enthusiasm for life and for everything that has life.

May he be a missional conduit of Your loving-kindness, joy, compassion, and equanimity to all those within the realm of his influence and existence.

Use Him, Lord, to extend Your kingdom; use him, also, to hallow Your Name.  Listen, write, and express Who You Are through him, Lord, and enable Him, oh God, to inspire those around him to dream and to pursue their dreams.  May he be used by You to bring physical and living water to those who thirst…wherever they might be.

Place a hedge of thorns around his heart, soul, mind, and body, and please protect him for the attacks and assaults of his enemies.  Rise up, oh God, and defend him.  Come quickly to his aid, and rescue him from the fowler’s snare, for Thou Art his Refuge and Ever-Present Help in times of difficulty and trouble.

May the both of you forever enjoy the times you get to spend together, and may each breath Dave takes be of, for, and all about You.

And, last but not least, oh God…may Dave continue to find in You his greatest pleasure and satisfaction in life, and may the peace and humble joy that arises from such things spill over liberally, gracefully, and unashamedly into me and into all those around Dave who love him so much.

For it is in the blessed and hallowed Name of Jesus that I ask of You these very things,

Amen.

On Behalf of Many, My Confession...

From First John Chapter Four…

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is love:  not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  If we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  We love because He first loved us.  If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.  And He has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

From James Chapter One…

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

From James Chapter Five…

Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for each other that you might be healed.

MY CONFESSION

My dear friend, whom I may not yet know…

As a follower of Jesus, I wish, in this very moment, to express to you my deep sorrow over the ways in which people, JUST LIKE ME—and including me, have, at times, perpetrated great harm to you and to others just like you down through the centuries.

I am so sorry…

…for our arrogance and condemnation of anyone who does not live up to our own warped standards of what is right and what is good.  (Even though we, ourselves, don’t live up to it.)

…for our hatred of those—even amongst our own family and community—who are different than us.

…for our great earnestness in the imperialist expansion of our political, social, and economic agendas instead of the expansion of God’s love in our hearts toward you and toward everyone around us.

…for the crimes we have committed in the Name of the Church and, through our silence, for our our support of the perpetration of abject evil against our fellow human beings.

…for our participation in the killing of innocents who did not believe or think the way we did

…for our ostracizing of those who did not hold to our narrow views of “the truth.”  

…for our participation in the killing of “non-Christians” during The Crusades.

…for our participation in the burning of innocents at the stake during The Inquisition.

…for our inhumane treatment of native Americans, such as the Sioux, the Navaho, and the Cherokee.

…for enslaving Africans, that we might live lives of ease, and for labeling such practices as "biblical” and “godly.” (And they are neither.)

…for our stony silence during The Holocaust.

…for our love of money and wealth and of all that money can buy.

…for our hording of resources.

…for our waste…of time, resources, talents, and dreams.

…for placing our love of politics above our love for God, our love for you, and our love for every other neighbor of ours on this planet.

…for turning a blind-eye toward those in need and for our failure to feed those who are hungry, to clothe those who are naked, and to heal those who suffer illness.

…for our unhealthy commitment to narrow dogma that excludes those who don’t believe, feel, talk, or act the way we do.

...for telling lies about others to better our position or to help us feel better about ourselves.

…for being far more interested in converting someone to our narrow ways of thinking and believing than being interested in getting to know and to love that precious one just as he or she is, and right where he or she is.

…for our general teaching that sex is somehow bad or dirty and that our prejudice, rampant mistreatment of others, and unchecked pollution of our environment is somehow good and right.

…for our active participation in the destruction of other cultures.

…for attempting to ease our consciences and to bolster our own puffed-up views of ourselves by muscling our way in to do for others what they can and must do for themselves.  (Contrary to no one's opinion, but that of we the arrogant, we DO NOT know what’s best.)

…for throwing money, machinery, and manpower at the problems we see here and abroad instead of giving of ourselves and our hearts to the selfless service of those in genuine need.

…for raping the world of its resources that our selfish and transient desires might be satisfied in the moments of our cravings.

…for imprisoning and marginalizing (in a multiplicity of ways) the poor and the innocent so as to silence their voices and to shield them from view.

…for our ungodly silence as children have been molested and trafficked sexually all over the world.  (And for being a willing participant in such a trade.)

…for our silence as millions of children have been brutally murdered and millions of women have been traumatized through the genocide of abortion.

…for our treatment and degradation of women and children, especially, those who are poor and needy.

…for our love of money, power, and fame.

…for our love for the practice of controlling people through guilt, self-centered anger, and manipulation.

…for condemning those who do exactly what we do:  drink excessively, rape and beat-up our wives, molest and beat-up our children, enslave the innocent, cheat on our spouses, lie on our tax returns, steal from the poor, kick people when they’re down, and stab our “friends” in their backs.

…for our gossip and biting sarcasm at the personal and professional expense of others.

…for the unfiltered expression of our “opinions” as though we were somehow speaking for God.

…for our arrogance and haughtiness at the thought that only we have the whole truth and that if you, stupid person, want to become smart like us, you better come listen to what we have to say and mentally adopt into your own plethora of beliefs whatever it is that we say.

…for setting ourselves up as judge, jury, and executioner of the length, width, and breadth of mankind.

…for our hatred and fear of those different from us…different in belief, different in history and custom, different in life-style.

…for our slander of the poor, the downcast, and the under-represented.

There is so much more than I could confess, but I think I would like to just stop there for now.

I am so sorry for all of these things, oh dear one, and I ask you, someone that I may not yet know even, for your forgiveness.  I ask also, when you encounter or think of me or of someone like me, that you pray and ask God to heal us and to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves, and that is, that He would change us and make us more like the passionate lover of people and humanity that He is.

"The Our Father."  Of Jesus, from Matthew Chapter Six...

Our Father, Who Art in Heaven

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

Please…be at peace, my friend.

Intercessory Prayer and the Rolls of Faith and Hope

Greetings…

Provided below are nine scriptural passages that address the issues of faith and hope where prayer is concerned.  As has been my custom for a long time, I love looking at the same passage as it is written and/or recorded in different translations.  For the purposes of this exercise, I’ve chosen seven different translations.

The purpose of this exercise is to get me into God’s Word, for faith (in prayer) does indeed arise through my hearing of God’s Word prayerfully.

In the next few days, I’d like to do a word study on faith/belief and hope, and I'd like to do my study of those words just as they are used in the below passages.

Oh how I love God’s Word!  It is the very manna of my existence!  I can fast bread; but I cannot fast the scriptures.

So…with THAT in mind, I hope you enjoy the feast below!

Grace and peace,

Dave  

1 Corinthians 13:13

New International Version (NIV), 1984:  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Amplified Bible (Amplified):  And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

God’s Word Translation (GWT):  So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.

J. B. Phillips New Testament (Phillips):  In this life we have three great lasting qualities—faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.

King James Version (KJV):  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Message (TM):  But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Young’s Literal Translation (Young’s):  [A]nd now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these [is] love.

Hebrews 11:1-3

NIV:  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s Command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Amplified:  NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].  For by [faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.  By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

GWT:  Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.  God accepted our ancestors because of their faith.  Faith convinces us that God created the world through His Word.  This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.

Phillips:  Now faith means putting our full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.  It was this kind of faith that won their reputation for the saints of old.  And it is after all only by faith that our minds accept as fact that the whole scheme of time and space was created by God’s Command—that the world which we can see has come into being through Principles which are invisible.

KJV:  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report.  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

TM:  The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.  It's our handle on what we can't see.  The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.  By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's Word, what we see created by what we don't see.

Young’s:  And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, for in this were the elders testified of; by faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a Saying of God, in regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing;

James 1:6-8

NIV:  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.   That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Amplified:  Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.  For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [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].

GWT:  When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts.  A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea.  A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.  A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything.

Phillips:  But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not.  The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next.  That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.

KJV:  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

TM:  Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.  People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves.  Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Young’s:  [A]nd let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed, for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord—a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Mark 11:22-26

NIV:  “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Amplified:  And Jesus, replying, said to them, “Have faith in God [constantly].  Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.  For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.”

GWT:  Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God!  I can guarantee this truth:  This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen:  He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him.  That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours.  Whenever you pray, forgive anything you have against anyone.  Then your Father in heaven will forgive your failures.”

Phillips:  “Have faith in God,” replied Jesus to them. “I tell you that if anyone should say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea’, and without any doubt in his heart believe that what he says will happen, then it will happen!  That is why I tell you, whatever you pray about and ask for, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.  And whenever you stand praying, you must forgive anything that you are holding against anyone else, and your Heavenly Father will forgive you your sins.”

KJV: And Jesus answering saith unto them, “Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;’ and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:  that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

TM:  Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you.  This mountain, for instance:  Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done.  That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large.  Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything.  And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking.  If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."

Young’s:  And Jesus answering saith to them, “Have faith of God; for verily I say to you, that whoever may say to this mount, ‘Be taken up, and be cast into the sea,’ and may not doubt in his heart, but may believe that the things that he saith do come to pass, it shall be to him whatever he may say.  Because of this I say to you, all whatever -- praying -- ye do ask, believe that ye receive, and it shall be to you.  And whenever ye may stand praying, forgive, if ye have anything against any one, that your Father also who is in the heavens may forgive you your trespasses;  and, if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in the heavens forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 19:26

NIV:  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Amplified:  But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.”

GWT:  Jesus looked at them and said, “It is impossible for people to save themselves, but everything is possible for God.”

Phillips:  Jesus looked steadily at them and replied, “Humanly speaking it is impossible; but with God anything is possible!”

KJV:  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

TM:  Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself.  Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."

Young’s:  And Jesus having earnestly beheld, said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Mark 9:20-24

NIV:  So they brought him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.  He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”   “From childhood,” he answered.  “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Amplified:  So they brought [the boy] to Him, and when the spirit saw Him, at once it completely convulsed the boy, and he fell to the ground and kept rolling about, foaming [at the mouth].  And [Jesus] asked his father, “How long has he had this?”  And he answered, “From the time he was a little boy.  And it has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him.  But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us.”  And Jesus said, “[You say to Me], ‘If You can do anything’? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!”  At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, “Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith!”

GWT:  They brought the boy to him.  As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions.  He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth.  Jesus asked his father, “How long has he been like this?”  The father replied, “He has been this way since he was a child.  The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. I f it’s possible for You, put Yourself in our place, and help us!”  Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”  The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe!  Help my lack of faith.”

Phillips:  So they brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it convulsed the boy, who fell to the ground and writhed there, foaming at the mouth.  “How long has he been like this?” Jesus asked the father.  “Ever since he was a child,” he replied. “Again and again it has thrown him into the fire or into water to finish him off.  But if You can do anything, please take pity on us and help us.”  “If you can do anything!” retorted Jesus.  “Everything is possible to the man who believes.”  “I do believe,” the boy’s father burst out.  “Help me to believe more!”

KJV:  And they brought him unto Him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.  And He asked his father, “How long is it ago since this came unto him?”  And he said, “Of a child.  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him:  but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.”  Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

TM:  They brought him.  When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth.  He asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?"  "Ever since he was a little boy.  Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him.  If You can do anything, do it.  Have a heart and help us!"  Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers.  Anything can happen."  No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe.  Help me with my doubts!"

Young’s:  [A]nd they brought him unto Him, and he having seen Him, immediately the spirit tare him, and he, having fallen upon the earth, was wallowing—foaming.  And He questioned his father, “How long time is it since this came to him?” and he said, “From childhood, and many times also it cast him into fire, and into water, that it might destroy him; but if Thou art able to do anything, help us, having compassion on us.”  And Jesus said to him, “If thou art able to believe!  All things are possible to the one that is believing;”and immediately the father of the child, having cried out, with tears said, “I believe, sir; be helping mine unbelief.”

Romans 5:1-5

NIV:  Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us.

Amplified:  THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).  Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.  Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.  And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity).  And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.  Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

GWT:  Now that we have God’s approval because of faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.  Through Christ we can approach God and stand in His favor.  So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God.  But that’s not all.  We also brag when we are suffering.  We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence.  We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.

Phillips:  Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things He has for us in the future.  This doesn’t mean, of course, that we have only a hope of future joys—we can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles.  Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us.  Already we have some experience of the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.

 KJV:  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:  knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:  and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Which is given unto us.

TM:  By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with Him, make us fit for Him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus.  And that's not all:  We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us.   We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.  There's more to come:  We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.  In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged.  Quite the the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Young’s:  Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have the access by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope of the glory of God.  And not only [so], but we also boast in the tribulations, knowing that the tribulation doth work endurance; and the endurance, experience; and the experience, hope; and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit That hath been given to us.

James 5: 13-16

NIV:  Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the Name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Amplified:  Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)?  He should pray.  Is anyone glad at heart?  He should sing praise [to God].  Is anyone among you sick?  He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides).  And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's Name.  And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart].  The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

GWT:  If any of you are having trouble, pray.  If you are happy, sing Psalms.  If you are sick, call for the church leaders.  Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil in the Name of the Lord.  (Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them.)  If you have sinned, you will be forgiven.  So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed.  Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective.

Phillips:  If any of you is in trouble let him pray.  If anyone is flourishing let him sing praises to God.  If anyone is ill he should send for the Church elders.  They should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s Name.  Believing prayer will save the sick man; the Lord will restore him and any sins that he has committed will be forgiven.  You should get into the habit of admitting your sins to each other, and praying for each other, so that if sickness comes to you, you may be healed.  Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer.

KJV:  Is any among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is any merry?  Let him sing psalms.  Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

TM:  Are you hurting?  Pray.  Do you feel great?  Sing.  Are you sick?  Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the Name of the Master.  Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet.  And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven—healed inside and out.  Make this your common practice:  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.  The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

Young’s:  Doth any one suffer evil among you?  Let him pray; is any of good cheer?  Let him sing Psalms; is any infirm among you?  Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil, in the Name of the Lord, and the prayer of the faith shall save the distressed one, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if sins he may have committed, they shall be forgiven to him.  Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another, that ye may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man;

Romans 10:17

NIV:  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the Message, and the Message is heard through the Word of Christ.

Amplified:  So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the Message that came from the Lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).

GWT:  So faith comes from hearing the Message, and the Message that is heard is what Christ Spoke.

Phillips:  (Belief you see, can only come from hearing the Message, and the Message is the Word of Christ.)

KJV:  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

TM:  The point is:  before you trust, you have to listen.  But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.

Young’s:  [S]o then the faith [is] by a report, and the report through a Saying of God.

My Guiding Principles—Draft (90%) Version

Note:  I have been engaged in a Daniel fast for almost three weeks.  During this time, God has been working in my heart and life in some very significant ways.  One of those ways has been the gumption I’ve felt to prepare this document.  Even though it is still in draft form, I consider this to be a 90 percenter and have begun already the long process of committing this entire document to memory.  I am, from this point on, assimilating these, MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES, into the morning portion of my daily contemplative prayer practice.  In time, these things will become consciously integral to how I approach and pursue God, life, work, family, play, self-care, ministry, and relationships with other people.

Peace…

Dave

MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES

October 2011

My Enduring Vision

I dream…

OF BEING an intimate friend of God and a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, THE Good Shepherd.

OF HAVING THE HEART OF THE FATHER and the Mind of Christ.

OF LIVING a simple, open, and ordinary life inspired by a great love for God and for others and by an insatiable enthusiasm for life and for everything that has life.

OF BEING a missional conduit of God’s loving-kindness, joy, compassion, and equanimity to everyone within the realm of my influence and existence.

OF SPILLING OUT MY LIFE into the lives of those around me.

OF BEING A PORTAL of prayer and worship through which God Almighty hallows His Name and extends His kingdom.

OF HEARING MY FATHER SAY one day, “Well, done, My good and faithful servant.  Enter in to your Master’s rest.”

OF BEING a CO-creator with God of a child-like, and yet ever-expanding, life dedicated to living in and enjoying the moment and to serving selflessly God and everyone around me.

OF PLAYING AT LIFE and, when I’m 104, being the oldest 11-year-old walking the face of the planet.

OF BEING A CREATOR OF CULTURE by living holistically and by integrating art and science, pragmatism and vision into the creation of life-giving works of music, writing, and art, life-enhancing inventions, products, and devices, and life-sustaining environmental treatment and recycling systems.

OF BEING A TENDER-HEARTED WARRIOR … and that is, a man who’s transpersonally devoted to compassionately warring on behalf of God’s people and who’s dedicated to defending life, freedom, and dignity in all its many forms, tastes, shapes, and colors.

OF BEING A SENSUOUS LOVER…and that is, a man who lives from the deep places of his heart, a man who’s very much in love with life, and a man who’s unashamed to be romanced by God or to be touched intimately by the beauty and sensuousness of life.

OF BEING A MAGICIAN/SAGE…and that is, a man of genuine wisdom, fruitful counsel, compassion, self-awareness, self-control, and technical skill, a man who knows the contributions he’s been raised and trained by God to make in the world, and a man who’s adopted “the practice of practicing everything”…

How he eats.

How he sleeps.

How he writes.

How he brushes his teeth.

How he washes the dishes.

How he loves and respects and honors and makes love with the woman he loves, has married, and has committed himself to for life.

How he moves and trains and works the bag.

How he engages in his work.

How he gives to others.

And…

How he serves God.

And…

OF BEING A BENEFICENT KING…and that is, a man who’s been raised by God to rule well with a kingly heart, and a man who’s become like Jesus (the King of Kings) in his generous and generative spirit, life-giving nature, protective care, disciplined guidance, fearless leadership, and beneficent heart.

My purpose

My purpose in life is…

TO LIVE.

To LOVE, HONOR, AND GLORIFY God, principally through my unbridled enjoyment of Him and of all people.

And..

To love others by spilling my life into them, listening to them, praying for them, and serving them selflessly in whatever ways I can.

My MISSION

My mission in life is…

To extend the kingdom of God.

To create wealth and to secure resources that enhance my family’s quality of life and that fund and sustain my call to lead and engage in holistic missionary adventures and endeavors throughout central North Carolina, the United States, and the developing/rebuilding world.

TO INSPIRE those around me to dream and to pursue their dreams with great abandon.

To WRITE IN WAYs that encourage and challenge my readers to pursue deeper intimacy with God and with each other.

TO LIVE AND TO DO SO AS A LITTLE CHILD.  For just as the purpose of riding a bike is the actual riding of it, so also, the purpose of life is found in the living of it.  To live as a little child means…

To love with great abandon in the here and now.

To forgive quickly and easily.

To not have to own anything to be happy.

To feel that everyone is a friend, and to treat each person I encounter accordingly.

To rest securely in the protection and care of my Abba Daddy.

To never stop asking questions.

To never lose my delight in life as I am experiencing it right now.

And…

To never lose the wonder I am feeling right now toward even the most simplest of ideas, events, people, places, creatures, or things.

To support and aid others in their desire to live holistically and sustainably.

To protect and preserve the environment, and to provide real and lasting solutions to water quality and other environmental problems that plague our planet.

TO BRING WATER (both physical and spiritual) to the thirsty.

To engage in local watershed protection and restoration efforts.

To invent and develop products and devices that enhance the quality of life for others.

And…

To provide assistance and peace of mind to owners, operators, and regulators of environmental treatment and recycling systems.

I do all of the above…

By seeking God continuously, and by contemplating His Word, Will, and Ways day and night.

By engaging in monastic practice.

By pursuing deep and intimate community with others…here in central North Carolina and throughout the world.

By writing from a place of deep joy and satisfaction in God.

By setting an example in holistic and sustainable living patterns.

By creating environmental treatment and recycling systems that protect our environment and that enhance our individual and corporate enjoyment of life.

By developing and pioneering various inventions, devices, and products, assessment and evaluation methodologies, and cutting-edge implementation strategies that contribute to sustainable living initiatives and to the restoration of ecological function in our meadows, forests, streams, and water bodies.

By conducting thorough construction and regulatory compliance inspections, assessments, and evaluations.

By serving as an intermediary between governmental regulators and environmental treatment and recycling system owners.

By providing comprehensive—yet  readable—environmental and functional assessment reports, user-friendly operational guides and planning tools, and cost-effective design solutions.

By supplying worry-free contractor selection and contract administration services.

By linking governmental regulators, community leaders, and environmental treatment and recycling system owners with innovative problem-solving products, methods, and technologies.

And…

By promoting ecological interest, aesthetic beauty, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship in the world.

My VALUES AND BELIEFS

I BELIEVE and affirm the words of The Nicene Creed , which read as follows:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Eternally Begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, Begotten, not made, of One Being (“Ousia”) with the Father.  Through Him all things were made.  For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven:  by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.  For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.  On the third day, He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the Right Hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.  With the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified.  He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

For me, this particular creed establishes what I know to be the fundamentals of my faith and those things which are, in my belief, understanding, and experience, decidedly true, normative, and worth staking my life upon.  Discussions about theological matters, church organizational strategies, worship forms, customs, and practices, outreach methods, and life-style issues that exist outside of what is written within the above creed can and should be subject to open, honest, and respectful discourse and should be conducted within the light of the creed, the life and teachings of Jesus, the freedom Jesus imparts, The Holy Eucharist (The Great Thanksgiving), tested church tradition, and surrendered human reason.

I BELIEVE that the Old and New Testaments of the Bible comprise the Holy Written Word of God and that the life and teachings of Jesus provide the fullest and most complete interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures.

I BELIEVE in the special gifting of the Holy Spirit, and I believe that such gifts are for today and that they are absolutely critical to the growth and health of Christian community and to the furthering of God’s kingdom.

I BELIEVE that God speaks to us (primarily) through His Holy Written word; I believe, also, that He speaks to us through The Holy Eucharist (The Great Thanksgiving), through tested church tradition, through the sacred (canonized and non-canonized) writings of the saints (both new and old), through pastors, prophets, and teachers, through parents, through lay ministers and believers in Jesus from all walks of life, through surrendered human reason, through creation, and directly within the privacy of our own souls.  For any “word” from God to be deemed as such, it must be congruent with the creed, the teachings of Jesus, and “the whole” of God’s Holy Written Word; if such “a word” appears to fail such a test, it is to be rendered suspect as it is impossible for God to lie or to contradict Himself.

I BELIEVE that God is both imminent and transcendent, meaning, He is deeply personal and yet so far beyond anything we can see, hear, feel, taste, smell, or monitor with our “sensing” instruments.

I BELIEVE that God is sovereign and that He respects the endowment of freewill, which He has so thoroughly and wonderfully woven into the fabric of humanity.  How the two are reconciled is a mystery to me.  Within this mystery, though, I know that God’s intervention (or, at times, His seeming lack thereof) is intended ALWAYS to bring about ultimate good and His absolute best—as HE defines it.

I BELIEVE that God loves me intimately and that He continues, through the work of His Son and the Holy Spirit, to do in and for me that which I cannot do for myself.

I BELIEVE that God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.

I BELIEVE that God hears me when I pray and that my prayers are a portal through which God intervenes in the affairs of mankind…both personally and corporately.  How this is so is a mystery to me.

I BELIEVE that living a selfless life of devotion toward God and providing faithful and genuine service to others are the highest and most noble of all virtues.

I BELIEVE that the building of loving and life-giving relationships, founded upon a spirit of genuineness and mutual kindness, respect, dignity, and compassion, is central to the achieving of anything worthwhile.

I AM SUBMITTED to my pastors, to my friend Julie, to my Board of Spiritual Directors, to my entire family, to my life group (The Just His Team), to Hope Missions/International (HMI), to the community of Newhope Church in Durham, North Carolina, to my employers, to my employees, to my work colleagues, to my customers, to my acquaintances, to my civic and political leaders, and to all those with whom I interact during the day.

I CONDUCT MYSELF with the utmost integrity and respect.

I AM CONVINCED THAT A LOVING WIFE is one of God’s greatest gifts in life, and I ascribe to the belief and practice that the piercing pleasure and intimacy of sexual intercourse is a gift of God given to be enjoyed between a man and a woman solely within the context of a God-ordained marriage covenant.

I KNOW THAT CHILDREN are a great heritage from God and that their souls are to be cherished, encouraged, nourished, and protected in the Ways, Will, and Words of God and that all of this is to be divinely accomplished under the watchful care and discipline of two loving parents who have themselves submitted to God and to each other within the context and comfort of a local Christian community.

I AM COMMITTED to living in community with a few select brothers and sisters who love me and who are acquainted with the messy details of my life.

I NOURISH my body with healthy and tasty food and drink, weekly fasts, regular exercise, sufficient rest, relaxation, and recreation, exuberant laughter, honey in my food, tea, and coffee, and an occasional glass of wine or a piece of dark chocolate.  

I DO NOT DO for others what they must do for themselves.  In fact, in such instances where freedom of choice is available, I do only that which has been asked for, and then only after careful and prayerful consideration.  To do otherwise is to engage in unhealthy giving, which creates dependence, stymies self-respect, human dignity, and the advancement of God’s kingdom, and hurts and devalues everyone involved.

I LEAD from the front, not the rear, and commit the full force of who I am to fulfilling my purpose and accomplishing my mission.

I SPEAK AND WRITE from the cutting edge of my own life, experience, and reason.

I KEEP ABREAST of emerging technologies, trends, and scientific discoveries.

I SEEK to recognize and honor God’s adaptive natural design in all my creative endeavors.

I CHOOSE the simple when the simple is all that is needed, for I have learned that, more often than not, real talent usually needs only the simplest of tools to accomplish its work.

I EMBRACE a war gaming approach to the critical evaluation of my theories, methods, solutions, and device proto-types.

I TAKE PRIDE and special delight in my never-ending cycle of self-stimulated improvement and investment in the future.

I WORK TO FOSTER a culture of continuous learning, exploration, spiritual hunger, development, and scientific playfulness.

I ENDEAVOR TO PROVIDE a safe and enjoyable playing field on which those around me can learn, practice, and train in anything that suits them.

I ENSURE a happy, safe, and energizing work environment.

I CONTRIBUTE to the well-being of myself and others through my relentless drive for progress and my unending quest to preserve the integrity of my ideals.

And, through my surrenderedness to God and my commitment to relationship-building, service, and selflessness…

I LIVE from my heart and seek always to reflect the magnificent glory of Almighty God as I work to build long-term friendships and partnerships with people from all walks of life.

MY CARD

The Oils of My Gladness, Inc. Dave and Almighty God, Soul Proprietors Specializing in (1) Warriorship and Holistic Living; (2) Faith, Mission, Work, and Monasticism; (3) Art and Science; (4) Service and Selflessness; (5) Humor, Paradox, and Change; (6) Creating Culture; and (7) Exercise and the Practice of Everything.   Blog:  http://theoilsofmygladness.blogspot.com E-mail:  thatdaverbling@yahoo.com

ENGINEERING AND LEONARDO DA VINCI

“Leonardo [da Vinci] took an artist’s vision into science.  He understood that science, as much as painting, has to find the design of nature in her detail.  He gave science what is most needed:  the artist's sense that the detail of nature is significant.” – Jacob Bronowski

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of consciousness that created them.” – Albert Einstein

“[We are] struggling to draw right conclusions from observation of matter in motion, because we haven’t acquired the ability to translate dynamic effect back to cause.” – Jeff Tennant

“The pursuit of beauty and the pursuit of truth are not incompatible.” – George Sarton

It has been said that an engineer is one who seeks to solve a problem by tinkering with science to produce a functionally efficient solution, be it the harnessing of geothermal energy from thousands of feet below the earth’s surface to the placing of a human being on the moon.  As engineers, we must first and foremost do well to observe the many natural phenomena and corresponding scientific explanations that inform our technical expertise.  But as human beings, our observations should never end there.  A sunset can be described mathematically, but does such a description capture the essence of a sunset?

To observe rightly, we must draw from both the scientist and the artist within us…from the mathematician and the poet...from the pragmatist and the visionary.  For only then will our faculties and senses work together synergistically to observe the world around us more completely.  Without such observations, we will never see the problems we encounter correctly or in the right context, nor will we conceive of real and lasting solutions that harmonize naturally with our environment.

The practice of engineering is and must be a conscious blending of both art and science (the da Vincian principle of “Arte/Scienza” [see Note]); and its principles must be exercised in the context of an entire system, where all elements are part of One Unified Whole, including the principles and practices themselves (the da Vincian principle of “Connessione” [also see Note]).  Anything less is beneath us as human beings created in the image of a creating God...

...A God Who is still creating.

...Even in this moment.

Note:  For an expanded discussion of these and other da Vincian principles, I recommend Michael Gelb’s book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci:  Seven Steps to Genius Every Day.

MY DESIDERATA

I WISH TO LIVE a simple, open, and ordinary life inspired by a great love for God and for others and by an insatiable enthusiasm for life and for everything that has life.

I WILL LOOK to see, listen to hear, and touch to feel.

I WILL TASTE my food and drink.

WHEN I SPEAK, IT WILL BE TO SHARE my thoughts, feelings, and dreams.  And, at times, even my complaints—but not very often.

I WILL INDULGE my sense of smell.  And humor.

I WILL BE OKAY with the unknown, but never stop asking questions.

I WILL REFRAIN from gossip, look for the good in other people and in other things, and count others as better than myself.

I WILL BE CREATIVE and allow the artist within to emerge.

I WILL BE GENUINE.

I WILL FEEL things deeply, but be slow to take offense.

I WILL EMBRACE paradox.

IN EVERY WAY, I WILL SEEK opportunity to lay my life down for others.

I WILL TAKE THINGS IN STRIDE and, like the willow, bend with the breeze and be at home in the presence of water.

I WILL MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC my soul’s anthem.

I WILL BE GENEROUS to those who hurt me.

I WILL CLIMB.  High.

I WILL TELL those I love how much I love them and what they’ve meant to me in my life.

I WILL ENJOY the quiet of my own thoughts.

AND WHEN I DREAM, IT WILL BE OF GREAT THINGS:  convertibles, big waves, white rivers, and vertical rock faces.  I will also dream of freedom.

I WILL FIND A WAY to enjoy the weather no matter how cold and rainy it might be.

I WILL ENJOY the sensation of breathing.

I WILL EMBRACE those things I’m afraid of and push myself beyond my perceived limits.

I WILL READ the letters of old friends.

I WILL LEARN.

I WILL SPEND LESS than I make and work in such a way as to ensure the success of those for whom I work.

I WILL TAKE TIME to write.

I WILL NO LONGER HIDE my vulnerabilities.

I WILL SET personal records.

I WILL EXPRESS myself in ways that children understand.

I WILL LOOK BACK to that from which I came.

I WILL CREATE shared memories with others.

I WILL THINK UPON the love God has for me personally and, when my cup is full, allow my heart to weep its deep waterfall of tears.

I WILL REFLECT on the hurt I’ve caused in others.

I WILL PLAY at life:  at 104, I will be the oldest 11-year-old walking the face of the planet.

I WILL SHARE my heart with those nearest it and not just wait for things to happen.

I WILL NOT LET LIFE PASS me by—I will pursue it with great abandon.

I WILL SPEAK the truth in kindness and strive to make a difference in the lives of individual people.

I WILL ENJOY my mornings and be grateful for what God has given me, striving ever to thank Him even in the midst of great loss.

I WILL NOT FORCE myself upon others, but will invite and welcome their company.

WITH PATIENT ENDURANCE, I WILL RUN the race set before me—for it will be MY race.  I will pace myself, forever remembering the good things, until at long last I draw my final breath.