Fear Imprisons, faith liberates;
Fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
Fear disheartens, faith encourages;
Fear sickens, faith heals;
Fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable;
and most of all
Fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices
in its God.

– Harry James Fosdick

“The church used to be a lightning bolt, now it’s a cruise ship. We are not marching to Zion – we are sailing there with ease. In the apostolic church it says they were all amazed – And now in our churches everybody wants to be amused. The church began in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it’s ending in the supper room with a bunch of people organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, and commotion for creation, and action for unction.”

As long as we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want to get something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like the merchants. If you want to be rid of the commercial spirit, then by all means do all you can in the way of good works, but do so solely for the praise of God. Live as if you did not exist. Expect and ask nothing in return. Then the merchant inside you will be driven out of the temple God has made. Then God alone dwells there. See! This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine.

Meister Eckhart

We should not ask, “What is wrong with the world?” for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, “What has happened to the salt and light?” – John R. W. Stott

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.”

-General Douglas MacArthur

When you peel away the layers is there anything left?

Take away the titles? Take away the accomplishments? Take away the positions? Take away the opportunities to serve? Take away the layers of denial, the secrets, the bandages and salves that carefully conceal the scars and wounds.

Is there anything left when stripped of all the layers that are worn to protect?

Fear. Cold. Nakedness. Pain. Exposed to all the elements of not only ones own emotions, but to the emotions of the crowd. Sensitive to the slightest touch. Everyone staring, ones complete vulnerability on display.

Yet when you are stripped of everything, you realize that some things do still remain:

God
God is still God
God still holds the future
It is enough to be in His Hands
He who began a good work perseveres. He will complete it.
Titles, positions, and opportunities may all be removed, but God’s call remains.
And His Word still calls out in the storms – “Peace. Be still.”

People
Friends at your side
The strength of encouragement
Love that strengthens
That sees the flaws in all their ugliness but also chooses to see the beauty.

The need for Healing
Some wounds need to be exposed to the light. Left to fester they never truly heal. But when exposed to God and His People Healinq begins.

Copyright 2003 by Ken Sapp