Ignoring Reality 03/10/2010
 
"Ouch". I can vividly see the image of the glowing finger slowly approaching Elliot. What a great movie. E.T. is without a doubt a classic. For weeks all three of my kids looked forward to being able to ride E.T.'s Great Adventure at Universal Studios in Orlando.

When the big moment came and we began to load ourselves into the ride car, my 3 year old son balked. When my wife, who had been holding him, attempted to place him in a seat by himself, his body straightened and his lungs got some great exercise. Quickly assessing the situation, she picked him up and exited the ride. The reason my son freaked out was because the tunnel ahead was...dark. He fears the dark. When he had to leave the security of his mother he lost control. Fear gripped him. He clung to her for dear life.

Life is like my son and that ride. We are great as long as we have the security of our friends. We are comfortable as long as we can be confident of what lies ahead. But life isn't that way is it? Life has some wonderful "up" moments, but it also is full of sucker punches. There are times when friends, and God seem but a distant memory. But God is always with us. "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you". The promise of his presence is the vehicle that should help us face our fears and challenges. We must always remember that God is always present, even when we do not feel him.


(First published on July 21, 2005)
 
 
Everyone was having a blast. The warm June day was the perfect weather for the Florida beach.  Little did I know what was lurking just feet from my family.

Standing in knee deep water playing with my kids, my father-in-law motioned a few feet from me.  "Look, a bass."  It was the way he said it that caused the rapid turn of my head.  My brother-in-law and I both did a double take as a small, two and a half foot shark swam gracefully just a couple feet from my legs.  We positioned ourselves between the fish and our families.  We followed it a little ways, before it swam back toward the depths.

My sense of safety in the ocean was robbed that day.  Everytime we return to the beach, I am unable to relax. My eyes constantly scanning the water…watching.  I know the predator that swam among us that day comes in "super size".  There lies my fear.

This story makes me think of another predator that lies in the depths...of my heart.  At times a miniature version of this beast comes out in the form of selfishness or it's close relative.  I know the moment I see this little demon, that I must take immediate precautions to safeguard myself.  It is important to understand that when things that are contrary to the character of Christ, come swimming around, action must be taken to avoid the danger.  Failure to do so invites the super size beast to emerge and inflict some major damage on the pursuit of Christ.  There are really no small dangers.  Even a small shark can take a nasty chunk out of a leg.  Same with the little nasty things that creep from the depths of the heart.

Lord, grant us the wisdom to recognize those things that draw us from you.  Grant us the courage to act with wisdom to turn and pursue You when they come.  Place in our hearts the desire to learn from You, how to live a holy life.  Help us practice those things that will keep You and your love ever before us.  Amen.

 
 
"What do I do with my old bible?"

 This question has been posed to me several times over the years. So, I decided to do a little research to see if there is a proper way to discard our old Bibles. If you are like me, you have several old, worn out ones sitting in a box somewhere.

What I have discovered is there is no official designation of how to handle the disposal of Bibles. Islam and Judaism provide very strict rules for disposing of copies of their text, but Christianity does not.

As Christ followers our long tradition has been to see the sacredness of the Bible to be in the meaning of the text, not the text itself. It is in the words that God has revealed himself to us, not the physical ink and paper. Many believers fear of violating the commandment concerning worshipping an idol, if too much emphasis is placed on the book itself. Christians worship the Word who became flesh, not the paper that the Bible was written upon. The way I look at it, the word of God will endure forever. Therefore, we cannot possibly destroy His Word by throwing away a Bible.

I recall in my theology studies that there are no original copies of the Scriptures in existence today. That’s right, zero. At some point, the autographs (originals) were discarded. So the way I see it, there is a precedent.

So what do we do with our old Bibles?
 I will echo the recommendation that I came across most often. Dispose of our Bibles the same way that the American Flag is discarded. Burn it. In the US Flag Code. TITLE 4,CHAPTER 1,Sec. 8(k). It states: 
"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

Maybe one can read some pages of Scripture about God’s Word and write a brief statement that can be read over it like a eulogy. I have pulled some verses from Psalm 119 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 and 4:1, to write my own tribute.

Your word, O Lord, is eternal;
It stands firm in the heavens.
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your word is lamp unto my feet and light for my path
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
Let no sin rule over me
Your statutes are my heritage forever;
They are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end
I have put my hope in your word
For all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that I may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give this Bible back to the Father from which it came. Amen.

So, maybe we need to get together with some of our Christian friends and have a good old fashion, respectful, Bible burning....

 
 
A question I am asked quite frequently is what version of the Bible is the one I should use? My answer is what are you looking for in a Bible?

Remember that the Bible was written in three languages, none of which was English! Therefore, translation is needed. There are basically three approaches to translating the Bible:

Word-for-Word: As much as possible, translators take each "word" from the original Greek or Hebrew text and find the closest English word to put in its place.

Thought-for-Thought: Translators take the "meaning" of the original language and rewrite it in modern language so it is easy to read and understand.

Paraphrase: This type of Bible is typical put together by a single person, instead of a team as is the case with the previous two types of translation. They reword the text and put it into contemporary language so that it is very easy to read and understand.

If you are a person who plans are really studying the Bible in a very calculated approach, then you will prefer a Word-for-Word translation. This type of Bible, because of its desire to be as close to the original as possible, may at times read a little choppy.

If your desire is to get a solid translation that is easy to read, then you need to pick up a Thought-for-Thought Bible.

A paraphrase is good for devotional reading. However, I do not recommend them as the primary Bible you will use. They make great complementary text for one of the previous two types of translations.
 
 
I guess you can call me a Bible collector. I have over a dozen Bibles in a wide variety of translations.  Let me take this opportunity to share my favorites in each type of translation method. I will list a total of four different versions.

My Word-for-Word choice is the English Standard Version (ESV).

My Thought-for-Thought selection is the New Living Translation (NLT).

My favorite Paraphrase is the Message (Msg).

In my opinion the best overall translation is the New International Version (NIV).

Below you will find a comparasion of the versions using Colossians 3:1-4.

ESV: 1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

NLT: 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Msg: 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

NIV: 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 
Pray Continually 02/18/2010
 
Never stop praying.  - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

I believe this mindset is one of the "missing links" in the life of many Christians. Paul seems to be emphasizing that a Christ follower needs take the initiative to be in constant contact with God. By praying continually it is a way to remember that God is always with you. (Hebrews 13:5) When we make it a lifestyle to practice being with God, our relationship with him will make a dramatic shift.  No longer will we go through life on our own, but we will actually take the journey with God.

When become attentive and aware of God's presence in our life, our commitment to being like Christ will be easier and more fulfilling. When we acknowledge God being with us every second of every day, we are accepting his dominion, his rule, over our life. In doing so, we are truly living in His kingdom. In order to bring ourselves into this mode of living, we must cultivate the habit of thinking of God often. We must focus on being with Him. We must intentionally invite Him into every compartment of our life. We must invite his presence into everything we do, say, think, feel, all of it. So many Christ followers are missing out on an abundant life because they feel that "spiritual disciplines" are the way to get close to him (they are important but not the end all). But God also wants us walk with Him in constant awareness of His presence. Every moment of every day. He wants to be our constant companion. I close with the words of Brother Lawrence, a French monk in the 1500s:

“I still believe that all spiritual life consist of practicing God’s presence and that anyone who practices it correctly will soon attain spiritual fulfillment. To accomplish this, it is necessary for the heart to be emptied of everything that would offend God. He wants to possess our hearts completely. Before any work can be done in our souls, God must be totally in control.

There is no sweeter manner of living in the world than continuous communion with God….I would urge everyone to be aware of God’s constant presence, if for no other reason than because his presence is a delight to our souls and spirits.”

-       Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God.

 
 

Here is the current plan for the blog at Renovating Life.


  1. To provide an ongoing place for you to read about spiritual formation and living life as a Christ follower.
  2. I would love for you to comment on the post, so don't hesitate to do so.
  3. I first began blogging on March 21, 2005.  Many of the post from the original site will be reproduced here in hope you will gain some benefit from them.  
  4. I will be inviting guest writers from across the country to deal with topics that they have expertise.