"Shorter of Breath and One Day Closer to Death"

A few years ago, there were some posters that came out that were pictures in a picture so to speak. The thing was to let your eyes relax as you stared at this thing, and another totally different picture would emerge...Sort of a 3d kinda deal. Sometimes I would see the hidden picture, other times I would look like an idiot staring at the wall.

I have been tryin to look at life as a whole for the past few years. Sometimes I get messed up by getting real close to the canvas and focusing on one little detail for a while, but mostly, I have tried to look at the big picture.

There are certain things that are clearer in my life since I am no longer a staff member of the local Body.

most of my time spent on staff was spent with other believers. I was constantly surrounded by those who believed as I did. While there were some minor differences, it was pretty much the same. Hours were spent looking at a particular part of the canvas, discussing and pointing out difficulties we saw on the actual mural. At the end of the day, we seldom looked very far back, nor did we spend much time looking very far forward.

the farther I walk away from the canvas, in order to get a better look at the bigness of life, I find myself running to people who are focused on a different part of the picture. While it is interesting to try and dialogue with those who see the canvas different than I do, it has been difficult realizing I may have been focused on the wrong thing.

many believers will spend more time looking at a bizarre color on Revelation and miss the picture all together. Many will spend way to much time on another area than I would. But we all tend to look at one part of the canvas to justify our own individual thought process.

More and more I try and read stuff that is different from what I actually believe. Understanding another's ideals may be difficult, but it can help us to understand folks. As hard nosed as I am about certain things, I find there are others that are the same in their understanding.

Scripture for me has been more than an old book of stories. I have found with in its pages life, understanding and confrontation. From the beginning to the end, the picture of redemption is a beautiful painting painted with care, purpose and desire by the most wonderful of Artists.

many lose the completeness of the painting by simply treaing is not as a work of beauty and purpose, but as a super wal-mart. With so much stuff, you cannot buy it all, so we can pick and choose which parts we may want to take home.

the good thing about buffet style thinking is having the ability to look and choose what one wants, what one can use, what seems to be needed.

we cannot apply the same thoughts to what is to be taken as complete.

Bargain shopping at the mall of convenience cannot be the attitude we take when dealing with the Words of Scripture. Nor can we use excuses with what is breathed and inspired by Him who is seated on the Throne above the Earth.

As a young man, I have shaken my fist at the establishment leaders while crying out "you do not understand! There has to be more to this! You cannot take what is given to man and twist it into your own agenda!"

as an older man. "shorter of breath and one day closer to death", I am finding that it is those who are against Christ as Judge, but for Christ as love. For Christ as savior, but against Christ as divider of men. For John 3:16, but against John 3:18.

my point is this.

we cannot pick and choose based on convenience, what parts of the whole picture we will take and which we will leave behind.

we were created to give glory to God. We cannot do that by reading scripture as if it is a irrelevant dated book written by people who were somewhat ditzy. Nor can we look at part of redemption history as children stories and object lessons. Nor can we try and take the edge of what is "sharper than any two edged sword." nor can we pick and choose truths and directions like picking grapes off while leaving others since they are not to our liking.

I desire to know what it means to be in it but no of it. I desire to know the full life I was promised. I desire to be part of a greater cause. I desire to know Him, His character, His heart and His face. I desire to walk in transforming resurrection power that reanscends problems and issues that distract.

in a country that has embraced weak and easy faith, it is vital we become people of the Word.

I read about Wycliffe. He was burned at the stake for what he did by translating scripture. Years later, they still hated him so bad, they dug up his bones and burned them again.

today, Americans treat scripture as a Harry Potter book. It is nice to read, but all these stories can't possibly be real...Can they?