Blessings from Bonhoeffer

 

Believe him to be the Son of God,

and you will find him wonder upon

wonder, counsel upon counsel.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A few years ago, I was introduced to Dietrich Bonhoeffer through a play that depicted an interaction between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Ever since that introduction, I have read something by Bonhoeffer at least once a year.

Recently, I continued reading Life Together by Bonhoeffer.  Undoubtedly, it reminds me of the kindred spirit that Bonhoeffer offers me through his discourse on the concept of community to people of faith.  In all fairness, Bonhoeffer shares some inspirational words that should cause us all to pause for a moment and realize the true value of our Christian community despite the shortcomings and mistakes of our humanity.

I also started reading I Want to Live These Days with You, a daily devotional by Bonhoeffer.  I had read through it previously back in 2006 and 2009.  As I prepared for 2013, I decided to return to the devotional once again.  I had done the same with My Utmost for His Highest by Chambers and Morning and Evening by Spurgeon.

I suggest that most believers could glean something from Bonhoeffer's writings.  He provides the reader with both inspiration and insight.

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Just Jotting in a Journal

 For ever, O LORD,

thy word is settled in heaven.

- Psalm 119:89

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

-Psalm 119:9-11(NIV)

Look at the Word of God.  Look into and seek the things that God wants to share with you.  Oddly enough, the Word tends to strike us right where we are in our lives.  Whether we are up or down, happy or sad, it touches us and it speaks to us through the Spirit of God.

Start keeping track of your daily inspirations from God and His Word.  Jot down in a journal or notebook how God speaks to you daily.  Keep track of it.  Refer to it on your down days or just during your down time. 

Write openly and freely about what the Lord says to you with the Word.  Keep your journal as your own private sanctuary for you coming before the presence of God with the burdens of your heart and soul.  Let loose and see what God does with your thoughts, expressions and feelings.

Danger Ahead

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored

to struggle to that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate;

the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: but I beheld
in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there.
. . .  Fear followed me so hard that I fled the next way, and fell in.
- Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan



Bunyan's protagonist is aptly named Christian.  He struggles with which way to go and who to listen to as he searches his way through life.  That may sound familiar to many of us as Christians.  We have spent some time trying to find our own way and the help of others have sometimes led us astray.  That appears to be nothing new.

Pilgrim's Progress is a book full of symbolism.  Yet, it is a tale that should resonate with most of us.  It should remind us of our constant struggle to stay on the right path.  Through this christian classic, we should remember that life is full of dangers ahead and just around the bend.  It may not simply be the things that we encounter upon the road itself.  It may be the danger of the very people who cross our path along the way.  We may do well to not listen to some of the folks who seem to know so much and cause us so much trouble as we follow their lead.



Paul wrote it this way: "Test everything. Hold on to the good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NIV).  Don't simply look into what people say and take it as gospel.  The Bible warns us of false teachers and their twisting of the Word of God for their own benefit and gain.  Learn to discern the truth based upon your understanding of the Word and the urging of the Holy Spirit. 

Even in his letters from prison, Paul is careful to state: "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains" (Philippians 1:15-17, NIV).  Jude urged the believer to "contend for the faith," while John shared that we should imitate and do "what is good." We cannot spend a lot of time following behind this manipulators and workers of evil.  We have to focus on the good that comes from God that produces love and peace, even joy and forgiveness.  If we do as He has said for us to do, we will uphold the truth that comes from Him and he will destroy that which defies His Word.

Be careful to hold onto the Word of God as truth.  Otherwise, when you least expect it, you will find danger ahead.

Eat Like Ezekiel

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.  -Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV)

We, as believers, are called to do something with the Word.  Yes, I know Ezekiel is one of those prophets who seems to border somewhere between deranged madman and dedicated messenger of God.  Yet, God calls Ezekiel to do something symbolically that He expects of all of us literally.

Take in the Word.  Take it in daily.  Take it in deliberately.  Take the Word in as much as you can each and every day.

• Discover the Word: Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll... (v. 1). The ESV says: eat whatever you find here,  while the New King James Version reads: eat that you find.  You need to discover the Word.  I don't mean find the thing that is sitting somewhere on the backseat from your last visit to church.  I mean find out what the Word has to offer.  Don't rely on what others have to say about it.  Discover it for yourself.  Seek out the Word and see what it has to offer.
• Devour the Word: So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll (v. 2, KJV). Take the Word in.  Eat it up.  Consume it.  Take it into your soul.  Allow it to feed the hunger that burns within you.  Let the Word nourish you.  Feast on the deep mysteries of God.  Open your mouth and eat of what God provides to His children as you discover His Word for yourself.
• Digest the Word: eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it (v. 3).  Let the Word fill you.  Take it in and let it settle into your soul.  Digest it.  Absorb the richness of God's Word.  Don't let it just pass through you.  Absorb it.  As you consume it, let it consume you.
• Disseminate the Word: eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel...So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth (v. 3).  The whole point of taking in the Word is not only for our own gain.  You are to share what you take in.  The ultimate purpose is that you consume it to become a connoisseur of it.  As a connoisseur, you can share about its sweetness and richness because you have tasted and seen that it is good.  If we are obedient to God in taking in His Word, we should also be obedient to God in sharing and spreading His Word to others.

Search for it.  Study it.  Stomach it.  Share it.  Spread it.

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.- Jeremiah 15:16

Followers of the Master

"You can't be like everyone else and follow Him"- dc Talk

Toby Mac and Michael Tait teamed up beyond music to deliver a message through Jesus Freaks. I love this book. It's like a mix of Foxe's Book of Martyrs and a sprinkling of Outreach Magazine and Relevant.

Here are some other titles that may spark some revival in your walk:

• Crazy Love, Francis Chan
• The Unusual Suspect, Stephen Baldwin
• The House Church Book, Wolfgang Simson
• The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne

If you desire more Christian classics like Tozer, Bonhoeffer, and others, try www.ccel.org.

If you want something newer and more recent, I would suggest checking out the following sites:

• www.lifechurch.tv
• www.crosswalk.com
• www.jesusfreaks.net
• www.threadsmedia.com

The World Uses the Word

...The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.- 1 John 3:1 (ESV)

...For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.- Luke 16:8 (NIV)

The world did not know him according to the first verse posted above. In fact, John wrote earlier in his gospel account: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. Believe it or not, John also said that Jesus came to His own people and they did not even receive Him. Needless to say, Jesus was not received well by the world.

Yet, the world did something different with His Word. While many did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and the Anointed One, the world did take His Word to a totally different place. The world took His Word and did something different with it.

The world tainted His Word. It puts everything else alongside His Word and simply held the Word without reverence or much regard. The world twisted the Word. It bent the Word this way and that way to make it work for them. They use the Word in such a that makes the Word as more of a reference source than a relied-upon source. The world tweaked the Word. It added some here and removed some there, straying away from the truth of the Word.

Don't rely on the world. Rely on the Word. Put your full trust in the Word. As a Christian, the world does not understand you because the world does not understand Him. Stay with the Word.

Exponential Potential

So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed. Acts 19:20

But the word of God grew and multiplied. Acts 12:24

God's Word has extraordinary power. It can used many ways to accomplish many things. It is said to be good for teaching, correction, inspiration, and other such things (2 Timothy 3:16). It has been twisted and turned, even tweeked, to be used for negative purposes to justify enslavement, colonialism, and even wars that included ethnic cleansing. Yet, the Word of God must be used for God's purposes by believers.

When believers use the Word of God to accomplish the things of God, things happen. Lives are changed by the power of God's Word. hearts are convicted and souls are converted. God's Word is so powerful that it brings about changes that cannot be imagined. Try hard to imagine what would happen if what was "hidden" in our hearts came forth from our mouths in this day and age. Picture the possibilities! Now, once you have a clear mental picture of what could be, start sharing and spreading His Word. When we do so, things happen among us and around us. Do it and watch God work.

Beyond the Barriers

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him.
-Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

Consider the challenges before President Obama and his cabinet. From untangling a monetary mess of an economy to restructuring and rewriting some key policies for labor, stem cell research, and other hot-button issues, these national leaders face countless challenges with bipartisanship and those who are bummed-out over bailouts. In comparison, look at today's spiritual leaders such as T.D. Jakes, Charles Swindoll, and Billy Graham. Imagine what they have to face as they seek to shepherd the flock of God. Take into consideration what weighs heavy upon them as they seek to serve the Lord with gladness.

The prophet Nahum spoke out against the wicked and cruel nation of Assyria. The name Nahum means "comfort," and it is certainly comforting to read this description of God in times of trouble. Imagine Him as a refuge, a place where you can feel protected and guarded from danger and harm. Not only is He good, but He extends His care to those who trust in Him. Peter was saying something similar when he wrote: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). We are blessed to be in the care of one such as God Himself. Trust Him with your worries. Trust Him with your burdens. Trust in times like these like you've never trusted Him before. He's worthy!

For Your Information:
Recently, I started trying to get back into shape. Yes, I mean physical shape but I was also intrigued on staying balanced spiritually. What do I mean? Oftentimes, we can become out of balance as Christians, even with our intake of the Word. We can get wrapped up in reading Psalms so much that we rarely visit the pages of the Pauline epsitles. Our attention can be on the Gospels without giving any attention to minor prophets. a friend of mine in the ministry made the suggestion of taking on a Bible reading plan such as the One Year Bible to keep such a balance. If we are what we eat, then we must be mindful of maintaining a balanced diet, even with the Word.