Archives for September 2017

In this new series, we will look at four intensely intertwined realities:

• The most dangerous circumstance we can be in…being alone.
• The most dangerous emotion and how it fosters and perpetuates this dangerous circumstance…being ashamed.
• The most terrifying emotion and how it feeds the most dangerous emotion…being abandoned.
• The only solution to being held in the captivity of aloneness, the grip of shame, and the fear of abandonment.

All of this is in Genesis chapters 2 and 3!

Lets start with the danger of being alone. Genesis 2:18 is an overlooked verse but critically important. The serpent, realizing the danger that God speaks to in this verse, makes use of it in successfully tempting Eve to distrust God and then uses it to create and perpetuate the most dangerous condition that mankind can be in: alone.

“It is not good that man should be alone.”  (Genesis 2:18)

Wow! Pause and ponder that for a moment. When we are alone we are never in a good place. Never in a healthy place – but always in a bad place.  And as we will see in the weeks ahead, in a place of unavoidable danger and great fear.

First we need to understand what it means to be alone. The best way to understand what it means to be alone is to understand the relationship God created so that Adam was not alone. God creates Eve and then  verse 25 says this:

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” 

There were Adam and Eve. Naked. Totally exposed. Totally known. Nothing hidden. They had no shame that made them want to hide some aspect of their being. That is what it means to not be alone. It means there is someone who knows everything about you and still loves and accepts you. There is nothing you have to hide.

Whenever you and I live with something hidden we are alone…and that is “NOT GOOD.” Does everyone need to know everything?  No. But there needs to be someone with whom we are totally exposed. Totally vulnerable. It is this relationship that God created to solve Adam’s aloneness.

Satan’s key strategy was to move Adam and Eve to a place of being alone. And it is still his number one strategy with us. Understanding how he did it with Adam and Eve is key…because that is how he is doing with us.  That’s next.

“It is not good that man should be alone.” 

Are you alone?

A personal greeting to you all!

Sue and I have lived on the academic calendar for so long, September means the start of a new year. Not sure what January 1 is all about!  This means the beginning of a new year of “Laying it Down.” I am eager to be back with you.

It has been a good summer break, lots of travel and some good vacation. It has come to a close with the death of Sue’s 97 yr. old mom.

Here is what is coming beginning later this week. For the next couple of months we will be exploring three enemies of healthy living and how the gospel brings good news to each one.  Here are the three:

1. The most dangerous and unhealthy circumstance we can find ourselves in – it is one we naturally and intentional move toward.  Why? Because we are responding to:
2. The most dangerous emotion. It is an emotion that, unfortunately, has affected everyone. It is the one that always moves us to the most dangerous place and gives birth to:
3. The most fearful and controlling emotion.

You will be surprised where and how we find these playing out in the Scriptures and with the incredible power they hold. Yet without understanding these circumstances and emotions, we fail to understand how God comes to our rescue with the Gospel and sets us free.

I will also be altering the weekly quotes from just quotes about the gospel to also include quotes about being a gospel leader. You will want to check these out as well.

If you have not subscribed to receive a short automatic notice in your email alerting you to a new weekly blog post, this would be a great time to do so. And like last year, I will periodically have special content for those who have subscribed. All you need to do is add your email and first name to the boxes above. It’s that simple.

Back with you in just a few days to start this journey.

-bill