Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

Martin Luther – The movie, some background and the 95 Theses

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Last night I watched the movie Luther with my family.  I knew a little of the history of Martin Luther prior to watching, but the movie helped set the historical context  and exposed many more of the issues that were going on in the church and in politics at that time.  I was also amazed to learn that Luther translated the Bible into German by himself because he wanted people to have direct access to the scriptures in their native language.  After watching the movie I wondered what was in the 95 Theses that ticked the Catholic church off so bad and unraveled that part of the world in such a way that over 100,000 people died in the Peasant’s War.  I always thought what upset the Catholic church the most was the loss in revenue they received when people no longer placed value on indulgences, but the movie and Wikipedia seem to support that the Catholic church was equally bothered by Luther providing people with personal access to a Bible they could understand and for the theological claims he made about grace and relationship with Christ.

I highly recommend the movie.  Based on the historical details of the account as captured on Wikipedia, the movie appears to have stayed true to history, down to some pretty specific details.  For example, the speech that Luther gives at the Diet of Worms is quoted verbatim from historical accounts.  If you have never read the 95 Theses, they are pasted below.  As you read through each point, if you confidently and adamantly disagree with anything Luther wrote, please reply with a comment stating the # of the item you disagree with and why.

Before you read the 95 Theses, you need to understand what an ‘indulgence’ was/is…here is a brief explanation for those who don’t know:

Indulgence - The practice by which a person could pay money to the church or do a good deed and obtain remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. (often this meant purchasing forgiveness of sins for a dead relative so they would spend less time in purgatory)

Also, here is a quick recap on Martin Luther, also found on Wikipedia:

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation.[1] As a priest and theology professor, he confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his The Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. Luther strongly disputed their claim that freedom from God’s punishment of sin could be purchased with money. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor. Martin Luther taught that salvation is not from good works, but a free gift of God, received only by grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge[2] and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptised Christians to be a holy priesthood.[3] Those who identify with Luther’s teachings are called Lutherans.

The first two pages of the 95 Theses in German

Below is the English translation of the 95 Theses Luther posted on the doors of the castle church in Wittenberg Germany in 1517:

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.

4. The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely till our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt would certainly remain unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him submissive to the vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to the canons themselves, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit through the pope is kind to us insofar as the pope in his decrees always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory.

11. Those tares of changing the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory were evidently sown while the bishops slept (Mt 13:25).

12. In former times canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties, are already dead as far as the canon laws are concerned, and have a right to be released from them.

14. Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater the fear.

15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ the same as despair, fear, and assurance of salvation.

17. It seems as though for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase.

18. Furthermore, it does not seem proved, either by reason or by Scripture, that souls in purgatory are outside the state of merit, that is, unable to grow in love.

19. Nor does it seem proved that souls in purgatory, at least not all of them, are certain and assured of their own salvation, even if we ourselves may be entirely certain of it.

20. Therefore the pope, when he uses the words “plenary remission of all penalties,” does not actually mean “all penalties,” but only those imposed by himself.

21. Thus those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.

22. As a matter of fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life.

23. If remission of all penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.

24. For this reason most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty.

25. That power which the pope has in general over purgatory corresponds to the power which any bishop or curate has in a particular way in his own diocese and parish.

26. The pope does very well when he grants remission to souls in purgatory, not by the power of the keys, which he does not have, but by way of intercession for them.

27. They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

28. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed, since we have exceptions in St. Severinus and St. Paschal, as related in a legend.

30. No one is sure of the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary remission.

31. The man who actually buys indulgences is as rare as he who is really penitent; indeed, he is exceedingly rare.

32. Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

33. Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.

34. For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction established by man.

35. They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional privileges preach unchristian doctrine.

36. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.

37. Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

38. Nevertheless, papal remission and blessing are by no means to be disregarded, for they are, as I have said (Thesis 6), the proclamation of the divine remission.

39. It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the bounty of indulgences and the need of true contrition.

40. A Christian who is truly contrite seeks and loves to pay penalties for his sins; the bounty of indulgences, however, relaxes penalties and causes men to hate them — at least it furnishes occasion for hating them.

41. Papal indulgences must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend that the buying of indulgences should in any way be compared with works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.

44. Because love grows by works of love, man thereby becomes better. Man does not, however, become better by means of indulgences but is merely freed from penalties.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God’s wrath.

46. Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences.

47. Christians are to be taught that they buying of indulgences is a matter of free choice, not commanded.

48 Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their devout prayer more than their money.

49. Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.

52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.

53. They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.

55. It is certainly the pope’s sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The true treasures of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.

57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure.

61. For it is clear that the pope’s power is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties and cases reserved by himself.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last (Mt. 20:16).

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.

66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.

67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.

68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.

70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.

71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.

72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.

73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.

74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.

75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.

76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.

77. To say that even St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.

78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written, 1 Co 12[:28].

79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.

81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity.

82. Such as: “Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.

83. Again, “Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?”

84. Again, “What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love’s sake?”

85. Again, “Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?”

86. Again, “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?”

87. Again, “What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?”

88. Again, “What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?”

89. “Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?”

90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace! (Jer 6:14)

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!

94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace (Acts 14:22).

Here is a brief scene from the movie during Luther’s speech at the Diet of Worms:

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John Lynch – Biola University Chapel

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

I received this video from a friend of mine yesterday and thought it was worth sharing with the group….enjoy:

He mentions his book at the end.  I haven’t read it myself but I have heard good things about it and hope to read it soon:

TrueFaced

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Is Faith Delusional?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Got Jesus?

Like most Christians, I enjoy sharing the “good news”.  I’m not the type that walks up to strangers in the grocery store to ask if they’re “saved” or if they have “accepted Christ as savior” but, in my own way, I share the hope that is in me.  I consider myself to be an analytical person and I enjoy studying philosophy, logic, and “Truth”.  I remember as a kid trying to understand God and wanting to develop a relationship with Him through an increase in knowledge about Him.  I read the Bible, studied science, and listened to older people that I perceived to be wise and successful in life.  I grew in “faith” but I couldn’t say that I knew for sure that there was a God…only that it seemed logical to me and that I thought the evidence for His existence was overwhelming.

Over the years, but especially recently, I have run into people that seem to think that faith in God is delusional.  They think that Christians (and theists in general) have “fooled” themselves into believing in God to satisfy emotional needs or because of ignorance they have been fooled by the money loving preachers into supporting the church and pronouncing faith in God to avoid Hell.  Many of us have witnessed even the most devout atheist call on God when disaster strikes or life gets out-of-control…but that is arguably just another example of a delusional faith.  So is faith delusional?  I think it can be.  I don’t doubt that many people’s faith in God is rooted in fear, or ignorance, or emotional insecurity.  Is there such a thing as a “true faith” that springs forth from reality and not from emotional self-deceit or fear?

The ThinkerI have found that no matter how convincing my arguments or logical my reasoning, people do not typically come to have faith in God because of reason.  Reason may open the door to true faith but without an encounter with God a person will typically continue to live with some doubt of God’s existence…or worse, doubt about God’s love for and interest in them as an individual.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that faith in God is illogical or unreasonable.  On the contrary, I think it is by far the most reasonable assumption and, when thoroughly studied, the only logical conclusion.  Some great examples of the logic and reason I am referring to are detailed in books like Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Unshakable Foundations: Contemporary Answers to Crucial Questions about the Christian Faith by Norman Geisler & Peter Bocchino, What’s So Great about Christianity by Dinesh D’Souza, or The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists by Ravi Zacharias.  There are literally thousands of examples of such books, many written by graduates of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cambridge, and Oxford.  The dilemma is that there are an equal number of books written by equally intelligent authors supporting a case for no God.

lamininThe problem is that many people are trying to prove or disprove God within the realm of the natural world and the bounds of scientific observation.  If God created the Universe(s), then HE was OUTSIDE of the universe(s) at the time of creation.  We may never be able to prove or disprove something that is outside of our ability to “study”.  That may be why theists rarely become atheists from logical discussion and the same reason why atheists rarely become theists because of logical discussions.  There is literally NO END to the arguments for and against God’s existence.  While they are fun to participate in, they usually only lead to frustration and anger for anyone not willing to agree to disagree.

So why do I have faith?  How can I trust that my faith is based in reality?  How can I know that God loves me and knows me specifically?  It is not only because of the reading and thinking I have done.  It is because of what I have experienced.  So here is what I”m going to do.  The rest of this post is going to be used to document my first encounter with God.  I would like any believer that reads this post to please take a minute and share the story of your first encounter with God as well.

I am sharing this not because I think that the knowledge of my experience alone will be enough to bring someone to faith in God…it is, after all, just another bit of knowledge, just another story, and will never be enough to bring someone else to faith.  I do hope, however, that by reading my story, it would encourage some non-believer to consider the possibility of God.  By being open to the possibility, it is my hope that they will seek their own experience with the God of the universe and know Him not as a “logical conclusion” but as a “Father”.  So here goes:

lightbulbMy first encounter with God is not a particularly miraculous story from a “third party observer” standpoint but for me it was an epiphany and redirected the entire course of my life.  The moment I am referring to happened my senior year in high school but let me give you a quick recap of my “religious” life up to that point first.  My parents were both raised Catholic but when I was young they got divorced and my mom married into the Baptist church.  I grew up baptist and learned a lot about God but still had more questions than answers.  In late elementary/early middle school I became convinced of God’s existence, mostly logically, but I do remember submitting my life to Christ and “feeling something”, but as real as it felt to me at the time, I wasn’t sure years later if it was my own emotions or God’s presence.  I felt joy and peace but I didn’t really experience an “epiphany” or anything beyond normal human emotion.  I do remember noticing at that point in my life something very different about the character and confidence of what I considered to be “mature” Christians…something that I hoped I would develop as my relationship with Christ grew.  Things went well for several years and my faith continued to survive…until high school.  I remember being so confused during my high school years by the mixed messages I received at Church, Home, School, at my after school job at Burger King, and from my friends.  I became very short-sighted, selfish, and “base” in my behavior.  My grades were suffering, my relationships with my friends and girlfriend were suffering, and I often felt depressed, confused, and lost.  So that brings me to my senior year….

NaplesHighI was dating a girl named Bethany (now my wife) and I was going to go and see her get inducted into the National Honor Society at our High School.  I had gotten off work late and was unable to make it on time.  I was so disappointed that I missed the event.  As I was walking back out to my pickup truck, I saw my Chemistry teacher in the hallway, leaving for the night.  His name was Phil Short and I highly respected him because of the amazing life he had lived and the way that he treated me and my classmates (no matter how poorly they treated him in return).  He saw me and said “hi” and began talking with me.  Mr Short was a Christian but also a bit of a rebel.  During the course of our conversation he began to share things with me that I had never heard of before, never thought of before, and that resonated with me as Truth (truth claims about creation, Jesus, purpose, eternity,etc).  I started having those old feelings of joy and peace swell up inside me.  We talked for a long time and then Mr. Short said he had to get going.  I walked out to my truck feeling a little confused but a lot hopeful.

My TruckI sat down in my Chevy, closed the door, and looked up at the beautiful, clear, star-filled sky.  I began to talk to God..not like a “prayer” but more like a conversation.  I told Him that if He really existed then I wanted to know Him (something I had done many times before with no noticeable response from God).  I wanted Him to confirm if what I just heard from Mr. Short was true.  I wanted to know if He noticed me and if He had plans for me.  At that moment, as I sat there pleading for God to make Himself known to me, I suddenly felt something I had never experienced before.

I felt completely overcome with what I knew was God’s presence.  It felt like electricity was flowing through my body and like the full power of the universe was pressing in on me.  I felt more peace, and love, and joy, and certainty of God’s presence than I ever thought was possible.  I KNEW it was God.  I KNEW that He loved me.  I KNEW that He had specific plans for me and that He wanted to use me as much as I would allow Him to.  I can’t tell you if the experience lasted for 3 seconds or 30 minutes but as I drove away that night I KNEW that I would NEVER doubt the existence of God or His love for me again.  I recommitted my life to Christ Jesus that night and I am thankful for the light that He has brought into my life every day since then.

Born Again - A New CreationWhen I look back at the history of my life, that was the year my life “started”…the year I was “born again”…the year I became a new creation.  My wife knows better than anyone the transformation that God made in my heart over the next few months.

I still struggle with sin, still have many questions, and still crave His presence, but I don’t doubt that He loves me like a perfect father.

I have only had a handful of experiences like this in my life.  I go sometimes months or even years with nothing but then suddenly God shows up and surrounds me with His presence.  Its not something someone can tell you about or explain to you in a way that will make it real for you.  There isn’t something unique about me that makes God willing to “visit” me but not someone else.  I believe He loves all people the same way.  I believe He is pursuing everyone with the same passion and love.  He is a gentleman though.  He respects our free will…He is after-all the one who gave it to us.  He will not make one person choose him.  He calls us to repentance…but He doesn’t force us.  He loves us while we are sinners.  He loves us as we are.  He has plans for us…according to Jeremiah 29:11 He has “plans for good, and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope”.

This post is getting long so I am going to wrap it up.  If you are a believer, and you consider yourself to have an unneurotic faith, please click “reply” on this post and share your story of the first time you experienced God’s presence and the certainty of His love.

unplugIf you can’t immediately recall having experienced God then please consider turning off your computer, finding a quiet place away from everything, and calling out to God.  I can’t promise that you will feel anything or experience anything…but, it won’t hurt to try.  Remember though, God doesn’t respond well to demands…at least not based on the stories I’ve heard over the years or based on my own experience.  Many people try to say things like “reveal yourself now or I am going to stop believing in you!”  That never worked for me.  I have never heard of anyone (although there may be an exception) hearing from God using that approach.  God seems to respond Psalm 25:8-10 - He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his waybest when we humble ourselves and when we seek Him on His terms.  I may be wrong about this…if others leave their stories we may see something different..after all, God is not a formula…He does as He pleases.   I’ll close with a few verses from the Bible though that seem to support my observations:

Isaiah 66:1-2

1 This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?

2 Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.

Daniel 10:11-12

11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

James 4:5-10

5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[a] 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”[b]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Psalm 25:8-10

8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.

2 Chronicles 33:11-13

11 So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

Psalm 18:27-28

27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

Writing this post has made me realize that I have let my relationship with God grow lax. I have let my focus drift to the stresses of life and my plans for myself and my family. I have been craving His presence for many months but haven’t taken time to humble myself before Him and “seek His face“. I am going to a men’s retreat in a couple weeks with some close friends of mine. Hopefully I will hear from God that weekend….or sooner.

As this week of Thanksgiving approaches, please consider carving out some time to be alone with the Lord. And, in the spirit of the Love Dare, if you are married with children, consider watching your kids and providing some quiet time for your spouse too. Blessings, Anthony


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