DUMP the TRASH

Dan confidently says "I know that there is no human way that man can make a vertical leap that tops five feet." Socrates replies "Ancient Greeks vaulted over bulls, did you know that?" Defensively and pridefully Dan snorts " I know more than you think!" Mercifully Socrates states the obvious "You think much more than you know. Knowledge is NOT the same as wisdom."  Baffled Dan asks "What is the difference?" The humble man responds with a question.  "You know how to clean a windshield?"  Dan chuckles "Yeah!" Socrates throws him a squeegee "Wisdom is doing it" Selfish curiosity about how this old man miraculously leaped atop the gas station roof, drew Dan into a relationship with Socrates.  "Look I do whatever it takes, I train 50 weeks a year, I read and study the best methods and apply them and I am just a heartbeat away from qualifying for the Olympics.  Even as good as I am, I gotta do all I can to make sure I qualify." Socrates was patient as he listened to Dan talk about how he trains his BODY, not his mind so HARD and says "There is a lot you need to let go of before you will understand what you saw Me do"  Socrates allows God's grace to work in him as he practices the truth. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." [John 1:17]  When the student was ready, the teacher appeared.  Dan invited Socrates into his heart and mind so he could learn the secret to performing like Socrates. The relationship began with Dan's transparent desire to learn.  

"Ask me anything." Socrates pauses then asks "Are you happy?" Exasperated Dan questions "What does happiness have to do with anything? My dad has plenty of cash, school is a breeze, I get straight A's, I have great friends, I am in great shape, and I don't sleep alone unless I want to.  I have all I need to be happy."  Socrates then asks "Why cant you sleep then?  You keep returning at 3:00 in the morning to talk to Me. What if you do not qualify for the Olympics, will you still be happy?  What if things do not go your way will you still enjoy your friends and the competition? Maybe you are still asleep. Many people live their whole life, asleep to the truth, and they miss all the glorious moments in between where they are and where they are going.  Never fully awake, never fully aware of all that is going on behind what they can see, or what they think they know is truth." Dan was getting agitated and blurts out "If you know so much, why do you work at a gas station?"  With a clear voice Socrates says "This is a service station.  We offer service.  There is no higher purpose."  Suddenly a new character shows up and her name is JOY.  Dan asks "Is she related to you?" Socrates shakes his head and says "You need to ask better questions."  Dan begins to shovel food into his mouth and Soc says "Slow down."  Dan continues to gulp down his food and replies "You sure got a lot of rules!"  The teacher replies "Not rules, but GRACE.  Through my life as a man, I learned to rely on grace, not my strength. Grace is God's ability to work in me. But I must accept the gift of grace and allow it to work in me. You eat sloppy and your sloppy thoughts slide around and defeat your purpose. The difference between me and you Dan is that you practice being good at gymnastics.  I practice listening, and allowing grace to work in me.  God is able to work through those who believe in Jesus for each action, each breath, and each word they speak.  There are no accidents, and nothing growing stays the same. IF you want to be all you were created to be, and IF you accept me as your Trainer I would require that you eat no meat, watch no TV, drink no alcohol and have no sex." Stunned by the sacrifices required, instead of being quick to listen and slow to speak Dan blurts out "And that is exactly why you will not be my chosen trainer."  Knowing that Dan loves a challenge, Socrates asked Dan to maintain a simple squat for five minutes.  Dan failed and fell to the floor.  Socrates said "Meet my son Jack!  Everyone tells Jack what to do. The church taught him how to acquire and sustain faith and what Jack must do to remain in good standing before God and to enjoy peace in this life.  All his life Jack did not seek answers from within, but he relied on people ~ not on the living Word of God.

Jack got answers that were revealed by his intellect, by his own study of the commentary and opinion of his trustworthy coaches."  Dan interrupted "So you want me to believe You and your ways?" Socrates answered "NOPE! What I command is that you stop gathering information from outside yourself and start listening to the voice within. People are afraid of what is inside ~ but inside is the only place where they will find the One who can give them what they need. The ever present Holy Spirit will deliver sufficient grace, joy and wisdom to whomever believes in Jesus. The warrior must be willing to surrender their ego to His power to transform a restlessness self-centered mind to the mind of Christ.  You are awake at 3:00 in the morning because you have no peace. When your day is done, the distractions cease, your busyness stops,  and most of the noise of life is silenced.  You lay in bed awake and scared because you feel empty and alone.  You tell me that you want to be more than a man who swings from the rings.  You tell Me that you hope to make a difference. You tell me that you want to do more than perform a few well practiced tricks of the trade.  You tell me that you want to be a man that uses his mind and body in ways that the world thinks is impossible. You tell me that you are ready to do what I say and  I will be your personal Trainer.  I

will teach you to be a real warrior of the living Word of God." Dan agrees to have Socrates coach him.  Soc invites Dan to meet up inside a local bar.  Dan is shocked to find Socrates smoking a cigar and having a drink.  Dan asks "Hey I thought we were better than this?" Socrates takes a puff of his cigar and says "Just because you choose to obstain so that you can perform does not make you superior.  You are no better than anyone seated in this bar."  Dan departs and at the gym a friend falls and gets badly injured. Dan admits to Socrates that his first thought was selfish and judgmental.  His initial thought was what his friend should NOT have done.  Dan admitted the truth that he thought if his friend had followed the rules, this would not have happened. Then Dan was disgusted in himself for truly thinking that his friends unfortunate

injury would give him the advantage. Dan said "Sometimes I do not like myself."  Socrates quickly offered this truth "People are not their thoughts. They think they are what they think, or they are who people say they are.  The thought that 'I am not good enough' compels the lost to prove who they are by what they do. This thinking sets them up to try harder, on their own. You are NOT what you think.  The truth is:  you are what God says you are and His grace is sufficient for you. Your mind is just a reflex organ that reacts to everything.  Your head is filled with a million random thoughts each day. People judge, criticize, and wonder too much about what and why people do what they do.  None of these thoughts are useful.  No amount of this useless comparison will reveal the truth of who you are and why you are here."  Socrates suddenly SLAPS Dan. Shocked Dan says "I do not want to hurt you"  Well I guess I will just have to keep slapping you until you wake up!  LESSON: Develop awareness.  Be still.  Be quick to listen and slow to speak.  Develop the right motive. At the right place, at the right time, allow grace to work in you and through you.  LESSON: Take out the TRASH.  Throw out all useless thoughts.  Thoughts of the past, about why, worry about not being right, and about the future.  EMPTY your mind." Dan asked " But how do I empty my mind? Socrates invited him to meet up the next day for a quick demonstration.  Dan arrived a bit late and he was in a hurry so Socrates tossed him off the bridge.  Dan gets out steaming mad!  Socrates asked "Are you thinking about yesterday? Are you thinking about what you know about swimming, what you were taught in school, at church, from any man? Great you are

totally in the present, ALIVE and living in this pure moment!  Congratulations you have just emptied your mind!"  TRUTH IS: People cannot receive the gift of GRACE if their hearts and minds are full of chatter about what they need to do, or what they should be doing,  or what others are thinking and doing.  "and of His fullness have all we received, and grace to grace." John 1:16 ~ God's grace is His ability to work in us. Just as God the Father grew His Son Jesus in grace, so we can grow in grace, ONLY IF we empty our minds on how and why and accept His gift of grace!   People who are like children, live in the moment without a thought of the future or if they are good enough.  "and the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40 ~ Some people who know the Bible pridefully quote scripture confidently thinking that they know God. However, they have NOT surrendered their limited man acquired knowledge or doctine to the Teacher, the Holy Spirit.  The grace of God is then blocked from doing the work in them and through them. 

They simply operate on what they have been taught by humans. They rely on themselves to "get er done!"  God's living word warns us to NOT lean on our own understanding, but to seek Him. We were saved by grace, and to live the way of the peaceful warrior requires that people drop the pride of what they know and allow the grace of God to do His work in them and through them.  People must put to death their way of thinking and adopt the mind of Christ.  People must welcome the gift of grace, depend on Jesus and allow the grace of God to do what we cannot do apart from God, apart from grace. Frustration comes when people cannot get scripture to work for them. Knowledge of how to swing on the rings, knowledge of how to drive a car, any knowledge lodged in the mind of how to be a good Christian, this knowledge is useless without grace. IF we could obey all the scriptures in our own strength, by our own understanding, God would not have needed to send His Son Jesus to come and die as a perfect sacrifice so that we could be presented before our holy Father.  WHY EMPTY your mind of all you think? Jesus was a man full of grace, dependent and obedient to His Father.   "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" Acts 10:38 states that Father God anointed, or filled Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power so that He could do good because God was with Him. Father God did not anoint Himself, He anointed His Son Jesus to heal the sick and cast out demons. The humanity of Jesus does NOT diminish His Diety or God's purpose.  Jesus came down, He was sent by God to walk among us in the flesh, in the form of a man. Jesus cried out to His Father "it is finished", His body was buried, and His Spirit ascended to the throne and then Jesus returned to speak to His disciples and deliver the Holy Spirit as He promised He would.

The Son of God, Jesus was honest with His Father and with anguish He asked "Take this cup from Me" ~ Jesus grew in grace and relied upon His Father for the grace to be obedient to death on a cross.  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature  of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"  Phil 2:5-8 Jesus went to the garden to pray, to share His burden,  to ask for grace. Jesus depended on grace to defeat temptations and receive grace from His Father to obey.  Jesus never did anything by His own power or ability. He was humble and obedient, He was full of the grace and He prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.  “I have revealed you  to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full

measure of my joy  within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." John chapter 17 NIV  ~ “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain,  and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation." Rev  5:9.  "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." 

Rev 19:1  "On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords."  Rev 19:16 ~ Let us empty our mind, drop our pride, our ego and let us boldly claim the truth. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, who was with God the Father in the beginning. "First there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning."  John 1:1-2.  Scripture lines up with scripture and Jesus is returning and His name is the Word of God. He is the alpha and the omega, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  There is no teaching, no commentary written by man that can stand up against the truth; and the truth is the Word of God, which came down and walked among us as the man Jesus Christ. Dan Millman's best-selling Way of the Peaceful Warrior was first published in 1980. Written in autobiographical form, it chronicles Millman's

experiences as a competitive gymnast at the University of California in Berkely.  A woman named JOY shows up and lays hands on Dan and prays for his soul. Socrates, or the Holy Spirit keeps talking to Dan in his dreams to reveal God's way as the only way. Socrates seeks to break down Millman's conventional thought and show him the way of the "Peaceful Warrior" and that is to allow God's grace to work through him.  Dan had to drop his ego and surrender all he thought he knew, and his way of performing in life to allow grace to do what only God could accomplish. The fact is, the truth is: The grace of God healed Dan's multi-fractured leg.  In ten short months Dan confounded the wise and performed flawlessly to qualify for the Olympics. LESSON: Lighten up, enjoy the journey, take out the trash, Yackety Yak, don't talk back! Sing a FUN song by the Coasters or enjoy the lyrics of HOME by Phillips and Phillips. "If you get lost, you can always find HOME, you are never alone! 

A Scholar's Atheist

Quote from "Surprised by Joy" the autobiography by CS Lewis.  "I was at this time living, like so many atheists...in a whirl of contradictions.  I maintained that God did NOT exist.  I was very angry with God for NOT existing.  I was equally angry with Him for creating a world."  CS Lewis considered Christianity nothing more than a myth.  He was an Oxford scholar, a respected teacher with profound things to say. He held two degrees from his university and also taught at Cambridge. CS prized the creative imagination and as an academic, his lectures stimulated reason and much thought among his students. He was a literary critic, a tremendous historian and a satirical humorist who was fun to hang out with. "The things that I assert most rigorously and with such vigor, are the very things that I resisted long and accepted late."  His highly intelligent argumentative skills allotted him frequent triumph in verbal debates. CS was a complex man who was gravely affected by his mother's battle with cancer and early death.  At the age of nine, the tragic loss of his mother stiffened his heart against belief in a

benevolent God.  CS believed that there was no God worthy of praise because of all the unnecessary cruelty, agony and pain contained by humans affected by war and death. His unanswered prayer for his mother's life proved that billions of weeping prayers were pointlessly directed to the absolute void of a merciful, loving God.  CS Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  His boyhood library shelves were filled with fantastical books of mythology. After romps with his brother through the rich green landscape of Ireland, CS would retire to his room to draw pictures that matched his fantasy characters. At the young age of 19 ... CS found himself in France on the front lines of World War 1. Many men under his command were blown to bits and his best friend was killed in a fierce combat.  Resolved to keep his promise, CS took care of his deceased friends mother and sister after the war. His mind was filled with the haunting question of WHY? Is life and death so random?  After his father died in 1929, CS purchased a home in Britain just three miles from his work on Oxford campus.  His alcoholic brother came to live with him shortly after moving in. For

30 years CS taught, lectured and immensely enjoyed his walks and talks with other outstanding intellects. He loved the life of the mind and became close friends with J.R.R. Tolkien. Together over a pint at the local university pub called the "Eagle and Child", CS and Tolkien agreed that as there was massive amounts of inadequately fulfilling literature at the university, that they would begin to write things that would satisfy their souls. They initiated a club called the "Inklings" and their members included prolific intellects such as Owen Barfield, Neville Calkhill, and Hugo Deisen. They both began to write mythical fantasy with a morality beyond prejudices commonly held by opposing beliefs regarding religion and politics.  They met weekly at the pub, or in their respective homes to drink, socialize and read aloud samplings with welcomed and revered criticism.  The process of honing their written words among the great minds of the day, enabled the finished work of CS and Tolkien to appeal to a wide range of peoples.  Fifty years later, their inspired writings have touched the

hearts of young and old.  Millions of copies of their books have been sold and both became legends at the box office by movie goers across the globe.  "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" and " The Lord of the Rings" are indeed timeless works of great literature gone viral. To be infected by their highly contagious virus of hope for more, the series entitled "The Chronicles of Narnia" and sequels of hits for more of "The Lord of the Rings" is a testament to the thirst of the soul for knowledge that good prevails over evil.  People do celebrate the victory in these wonder filled visual triumphs. After years of believing that Christianity was a beautifully spun lie, at the wise age of 33, CS was introduced to a book entitled "Everlasting Man" by Chesterson. He had long resisted believing in Jesus and after many hours debating with Tolkien, CS became a believer because of his identification of God in the glorious theater of nature, in science and in his innate compulsion to know the truth. His satirical account of letters between the author of evil and his earthbound helper became an over night sensation.  "The Screwtape Letters" became a best-seller.  A revolutionary book in the 1920's, it rattled the souls of his peers and became the most talked about writing among his students, and eventually it was a worldwide must read. Screwtape (the devil) gives Wormwood (the temptor) detailed advice on various methods of undermining faith in people while promoting healthy pleasures. In Screwtape's advice, individual benefit and greed are seen as the greatest good.

Because CS Lewis served on the faculty at Oxford University, and as his published works caused such a scandal, the University board was unable to convince him to be silent about his faith, so they simply denied this literary giant the title of Professor.   CS Lewis was baptized at birth in the Church of Ireland, but denied Jesus for 32 years.  God used his close friend Tolkien to water the seed of faith and CS became a ordinary layman of the Church of England.  CS credits the Holy Spirit for the content and impact of his children's books.  His wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him worldwide acclaim. Later CS published a book entitled "Mere Christianity" which was a compilation of his popular radio broadcasts. In 1956, he married the American writer Joy Davidman, 17 years his junior.

Joy died at the age of 45, just four years after they were married.  Lewis died three years after his wife, from renal failure, one week before his 65th birthday on November 22,1963, in the same hour that President John F Kennedy was assassinated.  When it comes to faith in God, it is an ongoing personal choice to be made.  It is a relationship with a very real and unseen Supreme Being. Only God can aptly answer the question of why?  His ways are not our ways, and History, is indeed His story. When we are faced with the harshest of realities here on earth, we must pay careful attention to who and what we are listening to.  Intellectuals live in their minds, but a relationship with God requires trust, it requires faith in the unknown, in the unseen department of the heart.  If you have suffered great loss, or a prolonged illness, read the book of John in the Bible, then read CS Lewis book entitled "The Problem of Pain". Herein a picture of his beloved wife Joy.

We choose to listen to the voice of indisputable Truth or the voice of the great Liar...CS Lewis challenged the miracles of Jesus "You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."  Who do we trust?  "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture....the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming...If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm....I was young, now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken....Wait for the Lord and keep His way...The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble." The book of psalms was written by a young musician who trusted in God and became King.  Psalm 37

Imagine Your Last Breath

Imagine entering into the holy Presence of God.  Imagine that you were very sick for a long while and you closed your eyes and woke up in heaven!  Or, just imagine that you were enjoying the day like you had not in a long while, and suddenly you lose your breath. A deep sharp pain in your chest causes you to drop cold to the floor and then your spirit rises with several surprises "look down there, that is my body on the ground...and I am floating up into a brilliant Light and I feel calm, warmly embraced, deeply comforted, genuinely treasured, softly nurtured, absolutely understood, dearly cherished, completely forgiven, totally honored, happily welcomed, instantly perfected, and unconditionally loved ALL at once! God told us in His living word "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" Now, just imagine, that without hesitation or any regret your sense of self dissolves

as your soul is enveloped by the Light of the world, and you are aware of Jesus more than ever before. Imagine standing submerged in His Presence while knowing Jesus and experiencing God so powerfully that you fall to your knees in a state of genuine worship.  Imagine all thoughts and feelings as a human melting into the brilliance of His glory.  Imagine having all your questions answered without asking. Imagine experiencing God's promises fulfilled as your soul is filled with unprecedented peace.  Imagine feeling "at home" for the first time in your life while feeling "safe" and "free" to live eternally in the unequaled beauty and unmatched Love of God. How compassionate of my Father to lead me to the words to write about my son Jason's experience as he took his last breath.  Our heavenly Father loves us, He knows us and He provides all that we need to be comforted in this world. A song we sang at church today: “There’s a Peace I've come to know, though my heart and flesh may fail, there is an anchor for my soul

and I can say “it is well”.  Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed, the victory is won.  He is risen from the dead.  And I will rise when He calls my name, no more sorrows, no more pain.  I will rise on eagles’ wings, before my God, fall on my knees, and rise, I will rise.  There is a day that is drawing near, when this darkness breaks to light, and the shadows disappear…and my faith shall be my eyes, and I hear the voice of many angels sing, “worthy is the Lamb” And I will rise when He calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain.  I will rise on eagles’ wings, before my God, fall on my knees.  And rise, I will rise.”  Chris Tomlin lyrics “I will Rise” -- In the book 'Jesus is Calling' on April 20, 2016 the day of Jason's last breath it is written:"Do NOT be afraid, for I am with you.  Hear Me saying Peace, be still to your inquiring and restless heart.  No matter what happens, I will never leave you or forsake you.  Let this assurance soak into your mind and heart, until you overflow with Joy. The media relentlessly proclaims bad news, but the Good News is that Jesus came to give us eternal Life in Him. Let Scripture saturate your mind and heart, and you will walk steadily into your ultimate destination. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 3:16