War – Deception

Greetings Dear Reader,

My inner enemy seeks to constantly deceive me.  He tells me to follow my heart.  But my heart is deceitful.  He tells me I have time and can worry about faith and following later.  But time is elusive and moves away from me constantly. 

My fallen nature will use any ruse, manipulation, or lie to convince me to give in to my baser instincts.  It harps on and on about my rights.  It reminds me of past hurts that I wish to forgive and put behind me.  It badgers and whines about the things I do not have that I want.  It tries to convince me I can do wrong things for good purpose.

Every day the battle rages on and sometimes I lose.  When I give in to those things that same nature mocks me.  It laughs at my feeble attempts to repent and tells me I will never be what Christ accepts or desires.  It lies about my standing with Christ and urges me to doubt.

The war rages every day and every past failure is used as a weapon against me.  I find that the thing that silences it the best is simple remembering of what Jesus says.  He says I am his.  He says no one steal me from him.  Why would I follow anything but Christ?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

War – No Rusty Swords

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have a moderate sword collection.  I know how to use a sword.  I have never used one in combat though I have been involved in some competitive sword play years and years ago.  When it comes to the inner war the tale is altogether a different one.

I fight every day.  Just yesterday anger tried to claim me.  My tongue longed to lash out cut down the man who had offended me.  Instead I walked away.  Only by God’s grace and mercy did manage to walk away.  Every moment I am either fighting for the darkness or the light.  There is no neutral moment.  There are no secular issues.

The war rages in and around me no matter how I feel about it.  My fallen nature will allow no cease fire.  My enemy will not take a day off for holiday or respite.  If I do nothing then I am actually fighting for darkness.  If do not daily follow Christ in every step then I give ground to my fallen nature.

There is no moment when I am not promoting either Christ or that which is against Christ.  How I think and act is always a movement in the war for the world that God wants to reclaim.  Every idle word is a choice me to move that reclamation forward or to hinder it.  I cannot walk away from faith and following without doing damage to myself and the effort.  Every moment is a sword stroke.  What matters is who I am fighting for and who I am following.

No Rusty Swords – Michael Card

Don't you know the battle's raging

And you got to join the fight

There's an army of the darkness

And an army of the Light

There's a side that fights for Satan

And a side that's for the Lord

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

Christ has made the final move

So our side is sure to win

He became like us so we would have

A chance to be like Him

It seems strange so many fall back

When the victory has been won

You just need to ask yourself

Which side you're on

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

There's a fact you need to understand

Before you join our side

You need to know when Jesus calls

He bids you come and die

He's invaded Satan's kingdom

And He's claiming all His own

When the battle's over

He will lead us home

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

And on this battle field there are no rusty swords

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

War – The Enemy

Greetings Dear Reader,

Even as I begin to write today my enemy besieges me.  That part of me that would rather do nothing that read the Word of God rages when I tell him to shut up.  The part of my nature that urges me to be selfish and self-absorbed demands that I do anything but pray for the needs of my family and friends. 

Every day the battle rages within me.  The constant struggle is to do what is right or wrong in every moment.  My lesser nature demands that I give in to my anger and level it at others.  Worse it silently urges me to doubt and not live by faith.  It tries to whittle away at my resolve to more Christ like and to follow Christ more closely. 

The only enemy I have constant interaction with is my darker nature.  He wants me to lie and betray.  Worse he wants me to hold grudges and withhold love for others.  He hates it when I forgive.  He hates more when I show love and kindness.

He wants to use the damage and hurt from my past as an excuse to lack faith and obedience in Christ.  He wants me to use the failures of those I counted on as a “reason” to fail to count on Christ.  He is evil and there is nothing good about him.

Truly “we have met the enemy and he is us.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

War – First Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

The war in the Middle East is not over.  We still have men and women in harm’s way.  I realize it has fallen out of the news and most of us ignore it.  My Daughter in Law, Raven served in the war.  She is medic and risked everything to care for the wounded and dying.  She exemplified Christ’s command to love your enemy by volunteering to care for wounded insurgents.  This will always be the clearest example of following Christ in that command I know.

I hate war with the deepest kind of hatred I think I am capable of feeling.  No man ever has to kill another to get what he needs.  No religion has the right to take the lives of others to further a cause.  No one gains from harming another life.  I hate war and always will. 

Because I hate so much when people take to killing each other over things, ideas, and land I sometimes I forget that I am constantly at war.  I forget that within me are two wills who want my attention.  I am just as evil as anyone who kills others for his own gain.  I am just a wicked as those who create suffering for power.  I have a nature that left to its own purpose would become a destroyer of worlds.

I also have a nature that is compassionate.  I love deeply and permanently.  I see the good in others and desire to enhance it.  I find great pleasure in making others realize their own potential.

I so often forget that these two natures are at war.  Recently a friend reminded me of this conflict and in my attempt to follow Christ more closely I have been spending some time examining it.  It takes strategy to win a war.  I am going to spend a little time in planning the next phase.  Walk with me for a bit if you wish.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Bible I Read

Greetings Dear Reader,

I thought I would share some things about the actual Bible I read.  It is as old as my eldest Son and much more worn.  It is the Bible I had in Bible College and was a gift from some people now departed.  It is a New American Standard translation.  I can recall lectures and learning as I read and turn its pages.

None of that is as important as the way in which it has been a companion through so many victories and failures.  I can count eighteen other physical Bibles from where I sit that are mine.  One is the Bible I was given when I first found faith in Jesus.  I have an electronic Bible that is excellent and free.  Containing dozens of translations and many commentaries, dictionaries, and writings makes it an invaluable tool. It is e-Sword produced by Rick Meyers.  The link will take you to his web site and can freely enjoy this amazing labor of love.

None of them are as precious to me as the one that I read daily.  It that physical Bible that helps me understand why daily reading of the Word of God is so important for me.  I do this privately and try not to make a big deal of it.  Nothing changes that it is the words that make it matter, and the Spirit behind those words.  I am not saying that the translation is the best because even though it is good it is not the best.

The thing that matters is that we read.  Faith comes from hearing the word of God.  Jesus knew the Old Testament intimately and so I should as well so that I can understand what he says.  I have said this before but studying the Bible is negligible compared to really reading it.  So many people claim to have studied it when what they have done is read what others have written and never really pursued the actual story.

The story is what matters.  The way it wants to get into me and change who I am so that I can live my part in it.  When others comment on the weaknesses of Bible I wonder so often if they have really read it.  They usually arrogantly say they have but I challenge this: Really read the Bible.  Really give it a chance to be something more than just another book.  This it what I did so long ago and it saved my physical life and who I am. 

To my eternal shame I have not always lived what I have learned but that does not make the lessons any less valuable.  We do not say that Shakespeare was a hack because we see bad actors perform one of his plays terribly.  Yet we blame the failures of Christ’s followers on God and his story for us.  The Bible I read says that this is exactly why we need to read it.  We need to see that we are all in need of a kind of healing and reclamation from who we are.  We have a part in a fantastic story whether we embrace it or not.  I would much rather live the adventure.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Final Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Deeper faith is attainable but it is not free.  God promises that if we lack faith he will help our unbelief.  He wants us to find him through faith.  He works out our relationship with him through faith.

If you think about all the things that people try to debunk in the Bible they are all things that require faith.  We demand sight where God demands that we have faith and then we wonder why our faith is weak.

Everything I am is subject to what I believe.  My Grandfather used to say that “you do what you believe.  Everything else is just religious talk.”  If we believe we will act.  More importantly we will act out of faith.  I have failed to live what I believe in ways that have hurt others and the cost is not yet counted.

If I hope to have deeper faith I must use my faith to follow more closely what Christ calls us to do.  I must realize that faith is the engine that runs our ability to love, be kind, give, and care.  If I try to do it without faith my strength comes from pride and God resists the proud.  He gives grace to the humble.

By faith I follow.  By faith I live.  Lord I believe please You help my unbelief.

By Faith – Michael Card

By faith one was commended

For the sacrifice he made

Another out of holy fear

Built an ark the world to save

Another left his homeland

And as a stranger he'd reside

But none received the promise then

And so, in faith, they died.

Others conquered kingdoms

Quenched the fury of the flames

Some made strong in battle

Some were raised to life again

But many more were martyred

Midst the crowds loud clamoring

By faith they would not bow the knee

Nor kiss the emperor's ring

Faith understands and offers

It assures and calms our fears

It can shut the mouths of lions

And make sense of scars and tears

We persevere in hope

And with conscience clean and clear

We walk this fallen wilderness

With Salvation's Pioneer

Being sure of what we hope for

Seeing what is yet unseen

A universe from nothingness

New life where none had been

The known made from unknowable

And hope for the comfortless

Who hear and hold on firmly to

The faith that they possess

So fix your eyes upon the Champion

As you seek to run the race

Understanding that He cheers you on

As you long for His embrace

So hold on and do not grow weary

Of the faith that you profess

Remembering that you are ringed around

By this cloud of witnesses

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Reading

Greetings Dear Reader,

A long time ago and what seems so very ancient to me now I used to read my Bible through once a month.  I was single and had the time to do it.  A friend, Laura, mentioned that she is going to be in a program soon that requires an intense level of Bible reading.

I was reminded of how often I hear people talk about the Bible who do not really know that Bible.  One of the things I have done recently is re-intensify my Bible reading.  I am not back up to pace I once had but I am headed in that direction.  I wrote about faith being our shield but its counterpart is our sword, the Word of God. 

If I want to think like Christ I must know what he knows as much as possible.  I must follow more closely in knowing what God has to saw.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – A Journey

Greetings Dear Reader,

Faith is a journey and not a destination.  There will come a time when faith is no longer necessary.  It will be translated to sight.  My belief will be realized.  Faith culminates in a destination.  This means that there is no point this side of that destination where faith is no longer necessary.

We can come to the place where faith is natural and a common response but I know that I must always be willing to go deeper into that faith.  Just as I think that I have strong faith something comes along to show me I can trust God with more. I can give more of myself to his guidance and his will.  Following Christ is using faith to get somewhere. 

I cannot claim to understand why God wishes us to seek him in faith but it is what he chose; therefore it is the path.  You will notice that I do not indulge in discussions of hell and destruction for those who do not follow in faith.  That is not what matters.  God has asked us to follow his Son, Jesus in faith.  He has asked us to trust that he is good and has good things in store for us.

Through the ages foolish men (the wrong kind of fools) have used faith and following to twist things to their own ends.  This is not what God intends for any of us.  The Father wishes for me to see his love through his Son and to act in faith on that love in everything I do.

The journey to Father only works if we journey in faith.  The path, the challenges, and the joy in the journey are all subject to the faith we exercise along the way.  As I conclude this writing on diving deeper in faith I do so realizing that there is no formula or script.  It is the choice that in each moment I decide if I am following Christ or not.  I decide if I believe that God is good and that he loves me.  Deeper faith is simply more consistent following in the journey.  It is very simple but very difficult.  It is all that works for me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – The Right Kind of Fool

Greetings Dear Reader,

Last week a colleague listened to my conversation with a student who habitually lies to me and does not follow through.   The student was lying to me again and I knew it.  I called him on it.  I asked him why he lied to me.  The student said, “Because most of the time you believe me.”

I explained to the student that I did not believe him but that I was rather giving him another chance to do what is right because I believe he can.  I watched the student break and confess that he has never had someone really believe in him before.  After the student left with a promise to show up to class and to do his work the colleague approached me.

He confessed that he has been thinking for weeks that I was just a fool when it came to the way I deal with students.  I immediately responded that he is correct.  I explained that as someone who wishes to follow Christ I must be a fool but I must be the right kind of fool. 

Deeper faith requires that I look foolish to others at times.  It also requires that I be wise and gentle in my foolishness.  I must be kind and loving and appear at times to be unenlightened.  Then again, if the thing in the balance is another’s ability to see and follow Christ should I not be willing to appear a fool for that end?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Satisfaction

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things about faith that I do not understand is how something that requires uncertainty can be so satisfying.  When I know that I have acted in faith there is peace.  When I trust my faith to see me through something I worry less. 

With that in mind I must be sure that acting in faith does not become an excuse for abandoning wisdom.  I must not violate my faith in Christ by refusing to listen to others who are impacted by my choices.  Faith must guide me but I must not abuse it.  I think the key to knowing which is which is that inner peace.

If I know I am doing what is right and I have peace about it I must act in faith.  If I question either of those I must listen to counsel and keep seeking the answer.  Once again it still requires faith but it does satisfy.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Visible Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

“Indeed faith, if it is not occupied with doing good things, is lifeless and alone.  One may say you have faith but I am occupied in doing good things.  Evidence your faith apart from the good things you do.  I will evidence my faith by the good things I do.”  

No matter how deep my faith is I cannot take it out and show it to you.  I can only evidence my faith by the good things I do.  Those good things must be done out of faith and seasoned with humility.  James, the physical brother of Jesus, wrote the above to explain that we cannot hope for others to see our faith if we do not live it out in caring for others.  Deeper faith requires deeper commitment to the good of those around us.

If I am not good to others then my faith is no real faith.  James goes on to be very clear that faith unaccompanied by good action is dead faith.  Simple belief has its value but if I am to follow Christ more closely I must do something.  I must forgive.  I must give.  I must love.  I must be kind and patient.  I must see others as better than myself.  I must not judge and reject others.  I must make peace.  I must see physical needs in others and be moved to action.  I must not care what a person’s sin is as much as I care that they see how much God loves them. 

I can only evidence my faith by what I do.  I will fail.  I will act wrongly.  I can also choose to not do wrong and make doing what is right my occupation.  How can I hope to show my faith to others if I do not work out that faith in practical connective action with others? 

I also wonder if this does not have the added impact of making my faith more genuine to me.  If I see and feel the impact of working out my faith and the lives of others will the natural byproduct not be a deeper faith.  If I reject the opportunity to do good for someone else I should not be surprised if it weakens my faith.  Faith needs hands and feet to sustain it.  When I act outside of the things Christ has called me to do I should not be surprised when my faith weakens.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Hope

Greetings Dear Reader,

The writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   This is a common rendering of the original language though there is one that I prefer because it seems to make faith carry the weight it is meant to carry.  “Now faith is the mental foundation hope.  Faith is the convicting proof of things we do see or understand.”

I make my own choices.  I choose what I am going to believe when I do not see the answers or I do understand the situation.  When I count on my own understanding to follow Christ I am choosing to follow poorly.  This does not mean that God requires us to follow mindlessly.  It does mean that when I do not understand that faith is the right choice.  It means that when things seem hopeless it is my faith that is to give me hope.

So many people I have spoken to about faith and the lack of it give experiential stories of how someone or a group of people betrayed the tenants of faith and following.  This became the stepping stone to walking away from faith.  I know that I have seen those I respected betray what we hold dear as Christ followers.  It would have been very easy to reason my way away from faith.  I also know my past failings have caused others to do that very thing.

The problem is that faith is the foundation.  Once we step away from it we have nothing on which to build hope.  We have no bedrock on which to construct our hope, understanding, or following.  So often we get it backwards.  We count on things to prove God to us so that we can have faith.  Seeing is not believing.  Believing is seeing. 

I cannot hope to have real hope if it is not built on a foundation of faith.  I think that people fail so that we will learn not to base our faith on them or their example.  Christ wants our faith to be solely because of him.  I know that when I despair over the things that are dear to me but unrealized my only solace is in my faith. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Shields

Greetings Dear Reader,

Faith is imaged by Paul as a shield.  I have been pondering how often we use other things as shields instead of faith.  How many times have I used the wrong thing to protect me from the wrong enemies?

The shield that Paul speaks of in Ephesians is a tower shield.  The Greek word refers to a large four cornered shield shaped like a door.  The Romans knew how to use these very effectively.   If this is the image of what I am to use as protection from my enemies it bears some pondering.  It is also significant that Paul tells us that this action of using a shield of faith is “above all” his other instructions.

We cannot hope to stand without the protection of faith.  We try to endure the world with other things as our protection.  We try to withstand evil with politics, opinions, and debate.  We try to make laws to put forth our particular moral views.  As a follower of Christ my protection is my faith or better, my faith is my protection.

How can I hope to withstand the evil in the world without it?  If I do not have a deep faith then my protection is lessened.  Since Jesus is both the author and completer of our faith it is in following him that faith is deepened.  When I count on anything outside of Christ for my protection it will surely fail me.

I have done this too often.  I have looked to men, books, and traditions to bolster my faith.  The shield can only be made stronger by the armorer.  The creator of faith is Jesus.  If this sounds disjointed I apologize but it is hard to not be simplistic here and the simplicity sounds well, too simple.  I suppose that is why faith is also to be like that of a child.

Deeper faith means a larger stronger shield.  I can only obtain that by following Christ more closely  and more consistently.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Riding the Wind

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the aspects of faith that is so challenging for me is living in the unknown.  Things rarely unfold as I imagine they will.  They often unfold in ways more beautiful and amazing. 

When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus he explained to the man that we cannot see the wind or where it comes from or where it is going.  He said that everyone who is driven by the Spirit of God is the same way.  I long so much to know what is next that I forget that I do not need to know.

On a daily basis I need only to handle what God places is front of me next.  Deep faith is actually moment by moment acting in faith to what is happening.  Even if things never develop as I imagine them or wish them it is the faith that matters not the unfolding of events.  This does not mean that I do not hope for things.

What it does mean is that I need to trust God so deeply that the failures of others do not impact that trust.  It means that not getting what I wish does not impact my faith.  It means that I live in wonder knowing that Christ will make all things right as he promised.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Faith Weeps and Hopes

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am overcome sometimes with the depth of pain I feel over certain things.  When I ponder the people I know who do not have a real relationship with Jesus it hurts so deeply.  I am not talking about church or any trappings of religion.  I am talking about those who do not have or have abandoned faith in Christ and following him.

This is not a judgment but a condition of my heart.  It is not depression and it is not despair.  It is my true pain for those who do not follow in faith.  I weep in the mornings when I pray for them.  The tears fall silently as I consider the potential I see in them for showing Christ to others.  I see the pain they carry that Christ wishes to take for them; has already taken for them.

In those tears is also hope.  In those tears is the faith that Christ is faithful and knows what he has in mind for those who need him.  Diving deeper in faith means a release of control and the desire to control.  I cannot nor will I try to control what others do with faith and Christ.  I must follow and reflect and hope that others benefit from it.

I remember once visiting a friend of my Grandfather's.  They talked for about an hour.  As we were driving away my Grandfather was weeping.  I asked him why.  His simple answer, "Son, Mr. Clemmet cannot see his need for Jesus.  I know how much Jesus wants to be seen by Mr. Clemmet and it makes me sad."

Faith in Christ cannot be forced on anyone.  That always ends in blood.  But when I weep silently over those who need Christ as I pray for them things can happen.  I was speaking with a friend recently and we discussed those who need to see Christ as he is and follow him.  We were not judging them but sharing the burden in our hearts for them to have what we have.  We agreed that it is an area where just being honest with God is all we have.  All we can do is trust that Jesus meant it when he promised to draw all men to him.

Faith does not take away the pain and sorrow I feel for those I love who are far from faith.  It does, however, remind me to hope.  It reminds me to love.  It reminds me to be kinder and gentler.  I have nothing to offer but all that I am.  Today this includes my sorrow for those who need to follow Christ.  Perhaps my simple tears and silent prayer will reach someone.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Missing in Action

Greetings Dear Reader,

I must apologize for dropping away for the last five days.  Last Tuesday evening I came down with a fever and slept for most of the next three days.  I did not even awaken my computer until late Saturday evening.  Even then I realized I needed another day of rest were I to fulfill my obligations during the week.

I am back and own my blog five days of writing.  Today in diving deeper I wish to focus on the void we leave when our faith is not active at every moment.   The first thoughts I had when I fell ill was how unjust it seemed to get so sick when I had so many plans to do things well.  Then that chiding voice inside reminded me that it is not my plans that matter it is my obedience in faith. 

So as I swam in and out of my feverish sleep I would pray simple that my sleep helped focus my mind and spirit on Christ.  When I felt ill I would rehearse parts of the Psalms that comfort me.  I focused on using faith as my anchor through the illness.  It made my rest deeper and my waking times less miserable.  Even when I need to be MIA from life due to illness that does not mean that I cannot delve more deeply into Christ.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Who am I?

Greetings Dear Reader,

This is more an epistemological question than any other.  The knowledge of who I am as a being of faith is vital to my ability to have deeper faith.  It is easy to give those who wish to follow Christ a list of dos and don’ts.  I can easily make a list of behaviors that once checked for the day assures me that I am a “good Christian.”   There is a place for examining behavior to measure our faith and following but it is not the behavior that is the prime mover.

These things can move in two ways.  The first is that I do this or that because I want to follow Christ.  While this is good it is not where depth of faith is found.  It is the measure that other men use to evaluate the genuineness of our beliefs.  Men judge us based on what we do and all the more severely when we claim to follow Christ.  The problem is that one can do the things proscribed and still not have a heart that sees the source of these things.

While doing good things can earn us favor with men it can never give us favor with God.  If I am to deepen my faith I must realize who I am and use that as a motivation for what I do.  Deeper faith and closer following is much more about seeing who I am over and above what I do.

If I truly see that I am someone who God loves and accepts no matter what I have or have not done then I can learn that I have value.  It is what I see in my own being that must motivate me to do those things.  My heart must see that God wishes me to connect with him and then from that connection work out the message that he desires to connect with everyone. 

Faith and following must flow from a clear realization that I was made and redeemed for a purpose.  If my “good deeds” flow from my desire for others to connect to Christ then I become a prism to translate the light.  God does not need me for this but it is the way he has chosen. 

When we look at the deeds of “Christians” to measure our understanding of God we get it backwards and faith becomes difficult.  It is in connecting to the truth of who I am that I find the motivation and power to express this being to others by doing what is good.  I will always be frustrated if I look to men for my understanding of faith.  I will always frustrate others who look to me for a blueprint of what faith is.  I can only look to Christ and follow him as closely as I can.  I can only follow in faith with the firm realization that without Christ I have no true north.  I cannot find who I am outside of him.  “For in him we live and move and have our being.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – What Does Faith Do?

Greetings Dear Reader,

James makes it clear that faith cannot be seen.  It can only be evidenced in what we do that is an act of faith or because of our belief.   So if I wish a deeper faith I need to consider what faith does.  Since no one can see my faith I must exhibit by my actions being more faith centered.

Now I am not going to suddenly decide that I can fly by faith and then jump off of a building.  I am sure that this would work if it was what God wished me to do.  It is more that I follow Christ by less sight and more faith.  This includes not looking for signs, looking for a path, or using my own insight.  It means being in tune with Christ more deeply and following that.  So how does that happen?

I hope to get to more practical aspects of that later but I think first there is a heart matter that must be addressed.  Will I be satisfied to follow if I do not understand?  Will be willing to follow when things seem to be going wrong?  Will I still cling to faith when all around me insist that it is irrelevant? 

If God insists that we are justified to him by faith then the answer must be yes.  When my Sons were young I tried to help them understand faith through a song that seems simplistic yet is true.  I have included it at the end.

So often I want to know the path before I walk it.  That is not faith or following.  I fear that I have lost years of simple joy because of this irrational need.  The need is irrational because it is not faith.  Christ made it clear to Nicodemus that those carried by the Spirit are like that wind.  One cannot know where it comes from or where it is going.  In my heart this is thrilling and in my mind it is terrifying. 

Too often have I been dependent on knowing what is next and how things will unfold at the expense of following Christ more closely.  I think that answer to what faith does is simple.  The answer is that I need to be happy not to know where things will lead and to follow by faith.  I still need to be responsible for my obligations.  I still need to act with wisdom.  I do, however, need to realize that my desire to know and plan is much less necessary than I believe it to be. 

So as I seek a deeper faith I must release my desire to know that I am financially, socially, and practically secure.  I must not be foolish but I must move toward total dependence on Christ and following him.  That’s what faith must do.

That’s What Faith Must Be – Michael Card

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

When the universe fell from His fingertips

He decided He wanted some fellowship

But the man and the woman would not submit

So He made a better way

When the moment was right He sent His own Son

And He opened the way so that everyone

Could have hope and believe that when time was done

He'd be able to make us one

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

Now I understand that there is a key

It's Jesus in me, a reality

That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me

That with faith I see what is unseen

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

That's what faith must be

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Intimacy

Greetings Dear Reader,

I do not for a moment want to give the impression that this effort for a deeper faith is an easy one.  I feel tattered and torn; weary and worn.  The area of intimacy is very difficult for me.  I do not mean sexual intimacy but rather the elusive unconditional intimacy that people share when they share God’s love.

Add to that the knowledge that I can only have deeper faith if I have a deeper bond of intimacy with Christ and things get very tense.  I realize that if I make the inner changes I wish to make it means there are also some larger external change that will be a natural byproduct of the changes.

The truth is I wish I had chosen this journey twenty years ago.  Many other lives might have benefited from it.  I was feeling very alone in this part of my efforts until I asked a dear friend to pray for me.  The response from this friend makes me weep with longing for the realization of the words every time I read them.  Here is what this friend said to me.

Abba really wants you to know just how proud of you he is, and just how pleased he is with you. He delights in you, he delights in your fittings, your heart, and the way you think. You are the apple of his eye. The word I hear over you for 2013 is Intimacy. He is drawing you into greater intimacy with him. I basically see a picture of him coming to you, running to you, and enveloping you into his heart, where you are surrounded by him. By Love. By acceptance

I so long for an intimacy with Christ that I have not felt since I was very young.  I realize this will blow apart my life in ways I do not imagine.  I realize the danger and risk but I also know the rewards are beyond my comprehension.  Too long have I feared real intimacy and settled for a life that gets by.  So I am diving deep even though it feels like already out of air.  For those of you who pray; please spare some time in prayer for me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Dissatisfaction

Greetings Dear Reader,

I love peaches.  They are probably my favorite food in all of known creation.  I have had peaches from all over the world.  I am particular to the peaches that are grown in Georgia.  I buy them buy the bushel and preserve them so I can enjoy them all year long.  Any time that any one has asked me to try any other peach I am left dissatisfied.  My mind compares them to the wonderful orbs I buy from Tree-Ripe when they journey to Wisconsin each summer.   Those peaches take me back to summers with my Grandfather in Georgia.  I am so thankful that I live in a place where I can get my beloved Georgia peaches.

I realize that I sound a little obsessed about peaches.  I probably am.  More important is that I realize that I must have the same level of dissatisfaction over my faith.  I must be someone who prizes depth of faith with same level of exclusive discontent that I prize those peaches.  Depth of faith comes from constantly wanting to believe more deeply and broadly. 

I must remain dissatisfied with my faith until it has sway over every area of my being.  I must become so immersed in walking by faith that everything is a natural discussion over if the next act is following or floundering.  As a writer my heart’s desire is to choose every word out of faith that this is the right word to choose.  That said, I wish to assure you that all grammatical and spelling errors are mine and not God’s.

I hope you can see the logic in what I am saying.  I must be dissatisfied with anything less than following by faith.  I must be discontent with anything that gets in the way of my relationship with God.  When I let other things come between me and my pursuit of Christ it weakens my faith.

To get back to the peach analogy, I would submit that I have had times when I was given peaches of lesser worth as a gift by well-meaning friends.  I ate them and found a level of enjoyment in them.  They were after all peaches.  Then I ate another Georgia peach and was reminded that nothing touches my soul in the area of food the way that those peaches do.  This is how I want to pursue a deeper faith.  Even when I have tasted a good peach I always want another one.  Even when I feel my faith is strong and broad I want to go deeper.  I want it to become the pursuit that drives all other pursuits.   

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Is God Really That Good

Greetings Dear Reader,

If you've been burned, here’s what I've learned; the Lord’s not the one to blame. – Keith Green

Let me first say a resounding “yes” to the above question.   I do not for an instant wish to give the impression that there is any other valid answer to this question.  The question, however, is one that we ask every moment of every day.  It is the question Adam faced in the garden.  He had to choose between the goodness of the Father and what Eve had done.  He had to answer the question if God would forgive Eve so he could keep her.  Is God good enough to make a way for me to still have this relationship?

For me it is the constant question of is God good enough to provide for my emotional, social, and physical needs.  Do I really believe that God loves me enough?  When I say yes I do well.  When I say no I sin.  Instead of embracing this truth I try to make things work out the way I think is best.  This always fails.  Worse, when I am truly following Christ it gives those around me little confidence it that following.

If I do not live in every choice as if God is good then I hinder the ability of others to see that he is good.  If I do not make my faith and following choices based on the continued and eternal goodness of God then I will make bad choices.  I can only build a deeper faith if I put into that faith the sure knowledge that God is good to me.

After all, how can I have any hope if I do not believe that one with whom I wish to share my destiny is not good?  Is this not how we get disillusioned?  Is this not how faith fails?  I know it how interpersonal relationships fail.  When I stop believing that another person is good then I lose faith in him or her.  This is a root of divorce and division in families.  It is key to the way in which parents in children fail each other.  It is not those failures, however, that define the goodness of God.

But God is good.  He knows us intimately and will be good to us.  He knows the path ahead and wants us to believe that he is good and to accept that goodness by faith.  It is what he asked of Adam.  It is what he asked of Israel even when they were enslaved in Babylon.   It is what Christ asks in the Sermon on the Mount.  It is his desire that I trust in his goodness and follow in faith.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster plans to give you a future filled with hope. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will hear you. When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me, I will let you find me, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I've scattered you, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Diving Deeper – Faith as a Cornerstone

Greetings Dear Reader,

I wonder how much time a relationship requires to be healthy.  If I hope to maintain friendships I must spend time with those friends.  If I hope to stay healthy I must eat right and exercise.  If I desire something I must work towards it.  Faith and the depth of it are no different.

If I wish for my faith to be deep I must immerse my life in faith.  If I proceed from the assumption that my relationship with Christ is based on faith then I must ask what role faith plays in every aspect of following Christ.   I do not want to belabor this too much but there are some very key phrases in the New Testament concerning the place of faith in following.

Rom 14:23 But if a person has doubts and still eats, he is condemned because he didn't act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.

Gal 3:11 No one receives God's approval by obeying the law's standards since, "The person who has God's approval will live by faith."

Hebrews 11:6 No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

There is context behind all three of these verses that bears reading.  I am not pulling these out of that context but rather the context in each case leads to these statements as a conclusion.  Since, therefore, faith is central to following Christ I must give it the prominence it demands. 

If my faith is to be deeper it must be a prime mover in all that I do.  My work, my play, and my undetermined must all be governed by faith.  It makes the statement “in good faith” so much more powerful and weighty.   I must assure that any step I take is done in good faith that I am taking it to follow Christ more closely. 

I must examine what this does in terms of my job.  I must look at my writing in the shadow of this.  I must understand that free time must be used in faith that I am following.  If in Christ I hope to live and move and have my being then I must acknowledge that there are no secular issues.  This is a very hard but essential place to begin.

Diving Deeper – First Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am determined to dive deeper in my faith.  One of you lovingly asked how I am going to do this.  Over the next few days I hope to map this out so that it is clear and practical.

That alone seems like an impossible task.  One dose not easily make a map to that which is based on faith.

I am not going to give any pabulum solutions here.  None exist.  I expect this to be difficult and taxing.  I fully believe this will be painful and rigorous but the rewards will be undeniable.  One of the motivators has been the challenges I have felt to my faith over the last year.  When asked why I do things that are not expected in the area of kindness or giving it is automatic for me to relate them to my faith and in following Christ.

I realize there are areas where that is not true.  I want to begin there.  Not with a specific list but with the why factor.  Why do I do anything I do?  What is my motivation in things?  I was recently criticized by a friend for missing church to care for my Grandsons when both his parents have to work on a Sunday.  On balance is my ninety minutes at church more important to following Christ that week or is giving peace of mind and love to my family of greater import.

My motivation is the question.  Why do I do it?  I do it because of my love for Christ, my Son and Daughter-in-law, and my Grandsons.  I want to translate this motivation to every area of my life.  I want to live and move and have my being in Christ and in following him.  The adoption of this attitude is dangerous.  There are things I do that I cannot say are a complete living out of my faith.  I will have to find a way to temper or if necessary abandon those things.

I hope to stay away from too much language of Zion as I discuss this.  I hope to keep the cookies on the shelf where everyone can reach them.  I am taking steps today to live with greater intention toward this end of deep faith.  A Dear Reader reminded me of a verse that applies to those who follow Christ:  John 3:8 “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don't know where the wind comes from or where it's going. That's the way it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

This means I do not know where this will take me but I know I must go on the journey.  Travel with me if you wish and we may both be better for it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Once Upon a Year

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have several things that I begin today or accomplish today.  All of them are things I do annually on January first.  Most of them are mundane but necessary.  This is the day I update my will, close out last year’s household budget, and make some long term decisions for the year.

As I do each of these things I pray and meditate on the blessings I have.  As I do each of these things I look for ways to be more faithful in following Christ.  The mundane is holy.  When I do anything I must do it in mind of my obligation to follow Christ in all things.  As I steward what I have I must assure that I possess with full understanding that nothing is mine.  I move forward with total knowledge that everything is on loan from God and I must care for it in that way.

For those who do not always get my subtlety I am not simply updating the document that relays my wishes should I die.  I update the intentions in my heart as well.  I look for places where what I want is not in line with what God wishes from me.  If my will, desires, and intentions are not aligned with God’s then I have no hope of success. 

So once upon a year and prepare the mundane to sanctify it for the entire year.  I must assure that I treat it that way daily if I am to walk in deeper faith and understanding of who Christ is for me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."