UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
by Keith A. Johnson
with
“The Six Levels of Thinking”
Preface
I first met Keith when I was an inmate
convicted of armed robbery. I had recently arrived at a prison under a program for
heroin addicts. My life wasn’t in the best of shape.
I decided to find out if there was a God and if He could change my life. He responded to my first prayers with events. A Bible, fellow Christians, a Bible study group, and Keith Johnson. You can say I met Keith through prayer. By applying the fascinating basics of God’s Love to the whole of the scriptures, Keith would put before the group each week, a picture of God. By applying the truth contained in our lessons, to my daily circumstances, my personal relationship with God grew. I gained an understanding of His truths, myself, and others that truly has set me free. I found a God whom I can trust, not because of how good I am, but because of how good He is. I found a God who will always find a way to provide for my needs and in so doing take my fears of life and turn them into joys.
I find Him leading me on a road to
salvation that is traveled by accepting myself as He
does. On that path, I’ve found it the natural thing to like others, and in fact
see their transgressions, and my own, through the eyes of His compassion. That
reality has become to me to be the Christian life, and it nourishes me daily.
Keith has been non-stop ushering people to
the gates of this pathway as long as I have known him. Apply what you find
written here. Take all your cares and needs in prayer, look deep into the heart
of “Unconditional Love” and you will find your solutions on this wonderful
path, too.
It is this reality that has made the fundamental changes in my personal attitudes and thus my behavior that has rewarded me with a happy and productive life. I have found that it is God’s loving and caring that has created the good that now resides within me.
Sincerely, James.
This material has been time-tested in a state prison for almost 12 years with great results. In the past it was shared with the inmates orally and with the aid of a chalkboard. The inmates have asked me to write this material down so they could study it during the week. It is amazing, watching the growth rate not only in the inmates but in the growth of our class in the short time that it has been in print. For this opportunity I praise the Lord.
Through the years I have noticed that this material isn’t something that you can read once and then forget. The more you read and apply this material, the greater is the opportunity for deep healing to take place. I can’t stress enough the importance of repetition!
Many inmates have told me that the first time they attended my class, which meets every Monday night, they liked what they heard, but they really didn’t understand what I meant. After about the fourth night, it was as if a light came on, and they were able to start relating to the material and to the purpose of the class.
It is important in our class, for the inmates, to ask questions. The Marines continually stress that the only dumb question is the question not asked. Especially, in life and death situations we must never leave anything to chance. If you assume, you jeopardize everybody else. The battle between God and Satan is a life and death issue; you cannot afford to assume anything. Ask questions if you need help understanding this material. Feel free to write The Quiet Hour. It is prudent, that before you attempt to read through this material, that you will, please, pray for wisdom. May the Lord bless this material and use it according to His purpose.
My greatest desire is for this material to motivate the reader into thinking and reasoning for himself while in communication with the Lord. I pray that this material can be instrumental in providing healing to whoever reads it. If the Lord will grant me this privilege, then I will have served my purpose to my God and to my fellowman.
—Keith A. Johnson
Introduction
I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to rewrite the manuscript “Unconditional Love.” After all of the letters and phone calls that the original booklet generated it seemed obvious to me that the booklet went to print, prematurely. Of the 30,000 copies printed, I received only two letters claiming the content to be heresy. (Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is clear that just because the majority agrees with something doesn’t make it true, there is much more to truth then public opinion...Noah and his family are all the evidence that I need to prove my point. Then again, it is possible for a majority to agree on topics of faith and not be in opposition to God, too. Spiritual believers can be in agreement concerning truth; allowing the scales of truth to remain balanced until the Holy Spirit reveals whether the material is truth or heresy.)
There was one letter that complained about my grandmother crying when I broke her vase and holding me to her, instead of applying the board of education. The writer mentioned that the women in his household would always cry when he did something wrong. I’m left trying to figure out if he considered their reactions (to his behavior) to be manipulative and controlling or weak or what? It is strange how similar circumstances can bring about such drastic reactions; leaving one person harboring resentments while the other accepts grace, repents and continues to heal.
What I would like to request before the reading or rereading of this material is that you accept the role of a jurist. This means: you must put all of your opinions and prejudices aside and read the content unimpaired by self-imposed distractions. After you have read and comprehended the content, then go to your knees and compare it with the Bible to see if it is truth. Allow the Holy Spirit time to expose holes in the areas that are false; then following the instructions of the Scriptures: “Hold on to what is good and of good report.”
Other letters inquired about a study guide or a video to go with the booklet. I never intended to write the original manuscript, much yet even consider study guides or a video. This reminds me of how the original manuscript evolved. Each week I would type the material (on my computer), print out enough copies for all of the inmates in the class, take it in and then we would read it, together. The inmates would ask questions about the material. They would ask me to clarify some of the more difficult statements. We would constantly discuss the content’s meaning. After each session, I would return home and attempt to amplify the meaning of the material. With each passing week the material would expand on what love, mercy and compassion meant in the life of the believer.
Unfortunately for the manuscript...there were times when I shared valuable information with the inmates and then failed to include it in the material. The comprehension of the material would reveal itself in the spiritual growth of the inmates. This is always my primary concern; how can I write this material so that it will be so inclusive that the verbal discussions will not be necessary? My objective remains; to attempt to write on a level that everybody can understand. My plan will be to summarize each chapter and ask questions; leaving the answers to the individual under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The only requirements that, you, the reader must have as you examine this material is an open mind, a teachable spirit, and a desire to follow God’s truth wherever it leads.
Let me share an experience then maybe you’ll know why I feel an open mind is so important. One evening a friend invited me to their Bible study to give my testimony. My wife accompanied me. I guess the people sitting next to my wife must not have been aware that she was with me, because she overheard their comments and shared them with me on the way home. She told me that she overheard the person sitting next to her say to the friend, “I have never heard anybody use the word “I” so many times in my entire life.” The reason why this person reacted this way is because people have said that “Satan had spiritual “I” trouble. “I will ascend the throne, etc.” I, I, I. Unfortunately, we tend to always take everything to an extreme. Since my wife provided me with this information, “I” then had to do some deep soul searching. Was I guilty of using this opportunity to glorify me or was I simply giving my testimony? I finally came to the conclusion that my motives were pure and just, my intentions were not to exalt myself above the Lord. To verse that came to my mind that helped me decide was to simply take Jesus’ advice; “to judge righteousness for righteousness’ sake.”
The only thing that I was guilty of was not knowing how to give my testimony in the third person. By dwelling on one little letter (I), the listener allowed Satan to divert their attention away from the content of the message to the superficial and mundane. Satan is the master of distraction. Since then, whenever I’m asked to speak at churches, Bible studies, etc., I open with this experience. Then I ask everyone to be gracious enough to wait until I finish and then test the content of the message for truth and sincerity. When I finish everyone will have plenty of time to follow the example of the Bereans and search the Scriptures, finally, inquiring of the Holy Spirit to see if I was being egotistical or simply telling the truth.
If the word “I” is evil of itself then let us remove it from our vocabulary altogether,
ceasing to teach it to our little ones; but remember Jesus said, “I
am the way, the truth and the life.” From His example, it appears the pronoun,
“I” of itself, is neither moral nor immoral, but amoral. Therefore, like
everything else, it is the motive behind the word that governs its
usage. Please, while you are reading this material...do not allow Satan to
distract you; he enjoys getting us to go off on tangents over trivia and wind up,
missing the point, while he steals our blessing. I wish to thank you for your
cooperation.
I am well aware that by rewriting this manuscript, I have the opportunity to change the original chapter titles so they won't seem so confusing and intimidating to the reader, but instead of changing the titles...I prefer to explain them. Let me give you an example. Zenith came out with a new television tube, I believe it was around the late 60’s or early 70’s. They called it “Chromacolor,” implying that their competitors only had “color.” What they didn’t share was the fact that the word Chromo means color. So, taking advantage of marketing ignorance they sold the public—“color color.” The marketing world refers to this as “marketing puffery.” It is legal for marketers to make inflated claims about their product...claims that may not be totally true. The reason behind marketing puffery is to allow a business to compete equally on the open market. If a survey finds that a restaurant has the worst food in the city; the restaurant would not be obligated to advertise, “We have the worst food in the city! Come in and dine with us.” They are allowed to say, “We have the world’s best Food! Come dine with us.” That is why the burden is on the consumer, “buyer beware!”
With this in mind, I chose to use
“Cognizant thinking,” because cognizant means thinking. So, I give you:
“thinking thinking.” Only I mean it in the truest
sense of the word. Here is an example. While riding along the freeways in
If we logically tear it down...step by step...we must accept the fact that in order to have a moral majority, there must, by default, also be an immoral minority. (The sum of its parts is equal to its whole...51% (majority) + 49% (minority)= 100%.) By processing the information given, it is claiming that the majority is neither moral nor the majority, therefore, making it the immoral minority. If we then have an “immoral minority,” again by default, there still must be a moral majority. Leaving us trapped in a verbal revolving door heading nowhere fast. The statement on the bumper sticker is nothing but empty air. If...the author of that “thought” would have said, “The moral majority is immoral,” then at least they would have made a statement. It may not be a true statement, but compared to the bumper sticker at least it has a 50% chance at being true. The bumper sticker doesn’t have any chance at truth.
The point that I’m trying to make is: that we need, by the help of the Holy Spirit, the ability to think and reason deep. We must rid ourselves of superficiality and take on depth. The Lord will always desire truth in the inner man. Not only do we need to think and reason deep, but we need to learn to really see! We must continually ask for spiritual eye salve, so we can focus on the spiritual realm. I will take this opportunity to share two experiences I’ve had concerning this topic.
While growing up in
The correct pronunciation is: (Pear-a-dime). Webster says a paradigm means: (par’a dim) n. 1. A set of all the inflected forms of a word based on a single stem or root, as boy, boy’s, boys, boys’. 2. An example serving as a model; pattern; a paradigm of virtue (1945-85) LL paradigma Gk paradelgma etc.
A pattern establishes a set of rules; like my friend Danny did. Keith is blond. The interesting thing that happens with a paradigm is: things that are accepted pass through the mind’s filter quickly. Things that appear to oppose the pattern are either brought in and forced to fit the pattern or not seen at all. Danny looked at me through his blond paradigm and saw my brown hair but twisted it to fit his paradigm. Without expanding his paradigm and permitting me to have brown hair, he chose to lazily keep me, comfortably, in his old paradigm. If his wife hadn’t made him look closer he probably would have continued looking through his superficial spectacles. Was he still my friend? Yes! He simply stopped taking the time to look at me and allow his paradigm to grow with me.
I must confess that I catch myself in paradigms all the time. Two brothers shared an apartment with me. The oldest brother and I played on the same team. I told him, one evening, as I was leaving for the game; (He was late getting home from work.) that I would meet him at the park. When He finally shows up, there is something drastically different about him. I’m on the field practicing and he’s putting on his spikes; eventually, I just have to stop and stare at him. He just keeps smiling at me while he continues to put on his spikes. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what it is that’s different about him. Finally, I have to ask. He tells me that he shaved his mustache off after I left the house. Of course! That’s what made him look so different! Once he pointed it out, I could clearly see the change. When I could get through the rigidity of the pattern that my mind had established, I could see. Flexibility had to over-rule rigidity so new information could be processed. The paradigm wouldn’t let me see what was different...no matter how hard I looked. My eyes were trying to tell my mind, but the paradigm refused to accept the foreign information. Paradigms die hard.
It appears to me, that when we combine the understanding of paradigms with the six levels of moral development...we have an opportunity to leave the carnal, superficial world behind and allow the Holy Spirit to increase our ability to grasp spiritual maturity.
Another interesting experience occurred on a Friday evening while I was helping my youngest son and his friend (from across the street), study the Bible and “Steps to Christ.” We would take turns reading a page. The two would get upset with me when I would correct them every time they read a word wrong. They asked me if this was an English class or a Bible study? I simply answered that if they read the words wrong then it is going to affect their ability to comprehend the material. If we try to build a paradigm of God’s Word while reading the actual words, incorrectly, how are we ever going to find the path to truth? We can see how difficult it is to read the Word of God correctly and establish the true paradigm, without making it totally impossible by reading the words wrong in the beginning.
I also shared with them; that depending at what moral level we are at, in our spiritual growth, will effect our ability to comprehend its true meaning. Many times I’ve seen a single Bible text evolve in its meaning each time my spiritual experience grew. At first I approached it literally. Later I saw that it could take on broader meanings. The more understanding I acquire the clearer God’s plan of salvation gets. It reminds me of the Jews and the magi. The Jews were standing to close to the picture. Their paradigm hindered their ability to see the big picture. The magi, while standing at a distance, observed the prophecies without a preconceived paradigm. If we allow ourselves, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to climb to spiritual higher ground we will find we’ll have a much better view of the area.
My wife and I were baby-sitting a two year
old of a friend who was going through a very painful divorce. She was late
getting home from work on Friday night; and we were busy changing clothes
preparing to go to a vespers’ program. My wife had just taken off her clothes,
when little
From that experience, I could comprehend
how difficult it must have been for the disciples to understand what Jesus
meant when He was telling them about the leaven of the Pharisees. They thought
he meant that they were supposed to bring some of the excess bread with them
from the feeding of the multitudes. They were trying to understand Christ’s
train of thought at the same level that
When we are first learning to speak English, we learn it at a very basic level. Recently, I was speaking with an exchange student who was here trying to learn English—at that basic level. I started telling her about Idioms. I shared with her the term, “Starting from scratch.” She looked at me puzzled and scratched her arm and asked, “Starting from scratch?” I told her it means, “to start at the beginning.” An idiom takes words and uses them in a different way than originally accepted. When a little girl ran by us; I stopped her and told her that her outfit was really “bad!” The exchange student’s face became quite alarmed. I then asked the little girl what I meant and she said, “Cool (another idiom)!” She gave me a big smile and ran off. This left the exchange student totally confused. I told her that it is important to ask people to declare the meaning of their words, because how it’s used can change the meaning. In today’s setting “Bad” has taken on a new meaning as in “That’s “BAD”—in the good sense of the word.” With paradigms and idioms our ability to communicate is hindered if we don’t ask for clarification. The disciples finally asked Jesus to explain the parable of the seed sower. With this little bit of insight, we’ll start finding gray areas in places that we once thought were black and white. Without comprehending the true meaning of phrases, we can build some really strange paradigms.
Now that I’ve introduced you to some of the material that you will experience as we explore this material, let us move on. My prayer continues...that this material will be able to reach you where you’re at, but I don’t plan on leaving you where I found you, anymore then Christ leaves us where He finds us. This material is intended to expand your comfort zones, as well as, help; by the aid of the Holy Spirit, you to grow spiritual, mentally, and emotionally, in all areas of your personal relationships.
Of all the things that I’ve ever learned nothing has been so instrumental in changing my life and forming my character as “The Six Levels of Thinking.”
While attending California State College in
Words Are Just Symbols
One of the things that I have found to be of extreme importance is the need and the ability to communicate and then to communicate effectively. As I sit here, in front of my computer, I can’t help but think of the obstacles that I need to overcome in my attempt to communicate this material to such a vast audience. Not only is my audience vast, but I’m sure that there are not two people with the same experience nor levels of awareness. What appears black to some, is gray to another. Some are highly educated; some can barely read. I find that to be the case in the prisons. I have had a doctor sitting in my Bible class with inmates that are extremely illiterate. The only thing that they seem to have in common is their clothing. Therefore, to be able to communicate at all seems to be a monumental task. Some are open minded, while others are firmly entrenched in their beliefs. Some even have trouble thinking in the abstract portion of their brain. Then there are the ones that have a very limited vocabulary.
So the problem stands before me; how do I communicate with everybody? Is it possible to communicate with everybody? I believe it is only possible with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Just by making this statement, there’s a good chance that I’ve lost a portion of my audience, because some refuse to believe that there is a God. So, I must accept the fact that I may not be able to reach everybody. This material may frustrate the people that spend limited amounts of time in the right side of their brain. So, here’s a warning to all...my plan is to expand everybody’s’ horizons and/or comfort zones. This material is intended not only to expand your vocabulary, but your spiritual eye sight (awareness), your thought processing and your relationship skills.
It appears to me that every thought that I have needs an in depth explanation, just to be sure that we’re on the same “page.” The word “page” used in this context means: that we are using the same meaning to each word used. Here is an example that my wife and I run into when we’re talking on the phone and she wants me to meet her.
(When I was in the Marines...they taught us the use and the necessity of coordinates (one of a set of numbers used in specifying the location of a point on a surface or in space.). Coordinates are important, especially, when calling in artillery. Your intent is to have the artillery hit the enemy, while avoiding being hit yourself...by friendly fire. This is when communication is vital! It is a life or death situation; so being exact is of extreme importance. (See what I mean about having to explain each thought?))
I ask her for directions, but I what her to use the compass points. North, South, East, and West are always an exact. She doesn’t want to bother learning the compass points, to her it is easier to just use left or right. Unfortunately, left or right is relative to which way she wants it to be. I have to pinpoint if she means: left, while she’s driving East or left, while she’s driving West. Added information is needed to insure communication. Comm unication must eventually be in absolutes if we’re ever going to find each other.
Another case in point: Out in
I was taught that words are just symbols; or our “servants.” (They are meant to serve us not rule us!) It is important to be sure that we are using the same definition with the agreed-upon symbol. If we aren’t, then we become like two ships passing in the night. Paul refers to this in 1 Corinthians 14:8-9, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air.”
In the Bible there are words or phases that are accepted by people who are “Bible Literate;” like “computer literate.” The Bible warns us: “Don’t cast pearls before swine.” The sentence means: that there are people who will not be able to handle or understand truth.
A college professor, who is a friend of mine, was talking to the head dean explaining why she chose her career. She told the dean that it was for moral reasons, but the dean’s eyes just glazed over and gave her this weird look. So she rephrased it and said she chose it because it offered her financial security and the dean was happy. My friend walked away with a clear understanding concerning pearls and swine. The verse isn’t calling people pigs...it’s just saying that they won’t be able to understand where you may be coming from. “The carnal heart can’t understand spiritual things.” Their paradigm can’t filter in that information...without the help of the Holy Spirit!
Amazing Grace!!!
I need to set the setting with a brief
autobiography. I was born in
My grandmother and uncle treat me wonderful and I receive all of their love and time. I sleep with my uncle in his big (double) bed. Each night, before we go to sleep, my uncle smokes his last cigarette before he goes to sleep. The room is dark and all I can see is the orange glow of his cigarette each time he inhales. During his cigarette, I am permitted to ask my uncle any question that pops into my head. With each answer comes a barrage of “Why, Why, Why?” My uncle very patiently fields each question, until he finishes his cigarette, and then he finally says, “Let’s save some questions for tomorrow.” We say goodnight and I roll over and go to sleep.
They read to me from the “Book of Knowledge” an encyclopedia that has a section called “Wonder Questions.” It asks all kinds of questions and then explains the mysteries behind them; things like, “What is quicksand?” The material is usually over my head, but little pieces stick in my memory. One night, I tell my uncle, “When I grow up, I’m going to be the smartest man in the whole world! When I learn how to read like you, I’m going to read every book ever written!” My uncle just smiles and says, “That’s a good idea.” Little did my inexperienced, young mind know that they print more books in a day then I can read in a lifetime. To this day, I am grateful and love and respect my uncle for keeping my hungry mind open. He could very easily have stifled my desires to learn by telling me to “shut up” or “go to sleep,” whenever I decided to unleash all of my “Why’s,” but he remained patient with me. My uncle is, without a doubt, the one who is the most instrumental in the development of my character.
Many a night I would lie under my mother’s picture, on the wall in the dining-room, and cry myself to sleep. I missed her so much. She would visit periodically with my sister. Despite all the love my grandmother and uncle smother me with; it still can’t fulfill my desire to be with my mother.
When I am six years old; my mother remarries and I go to live with them. The desire of my heart, becomes my worst nightmare. My stepfather hates me. While he was dating my mother, he would take the three of us, every week, to the toy store, but now that they’re married the “gift giver,” reveals his true motive behind his generosity. It was just a front to marry my mother.
My mother is Lutheran and sends my sister
and I to a
In the beginning, I am so happy to be with my mother. Every Saturday, when I receive my allowance, I quickly run the two blocks to the flower shop to buy her a corsage. The man behind the counter takes my dollar and makes me a corsage with a pretty pink or white carnation. I would rush home and give it to her. She would thank me and place it on a shelf in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
The house is peaceful until my step-father returns home from work. While we’re sitting around the table having dinner, he gets up to get a glass of milk. When he opens the refrigerator he sees the corsage. He makes sure that I’m watching; then he crushes the corsage by placing the gallon of milk on top of it. Every night, he looks for a reason to call me “Dumbo.” So, any relationship we may have had...deteriorated in a hurry. A tender heart that has experienced loneliness and heartache is gradually learning to hate.
Through each encounter, I grow more rebellious. Gradually, he and my mother become alcoholics. Fist fights, between my stepfather and my mother, become a regular occurrence. My mother would receive a fierce beating and eventually pass it on to me. Hate is replacing love and the longing to return to my grandmother and uncle burns silently within. I have new questions now. “Why are you treating me like this?” If this is what a family is supposed to be like, then why bother to continue breathing? Each day I learn to just exist; without knowing it I learn to just cope.
My stepfather works swing-shifts. One day, I remember it was still dark when he came home. It is early in the morning and he tells my mother to get me up and out of the house so he won’t be disturbed. So at five in the morning, during dead of winter, my mother prepares to send me out into the dark and cold. She struggles to dress me while I’m still half asleep. I must go outside, so my stepfather can sleep. She attempts to keep the peace and avoid a fight, by locking me outside the house. I kept hearing my uncle’s voice warning me about strangers who hurt little children and how I need to be inside the house after dark. I am scared and confused. She locks the door behind me and no matter how I try, I can’t open the big door!
I am fortunate to have a hallway with a “cubbyhole” under the stairs. This is where we keep my wagon and scooter. I hide inside there until daybreak; when my mother finally opens the big door and lets me back inside the house. That big, locked door leaves a huge scar!
We move into a two story house with a
large back yard on the Westside of Chicago. We own the building. I am reunited
with the Public School System. I attended Kindergarten in the Public Schools
when I lived with my grandmother, but in order to make the house payment we
can’t afford to attend a
At the age of seven I watch my mother receive the worst beating of her life. While trying to protect my sister and I, she continually leaves herself open and vulnerable to his fists. Blood is everywhere. She tells us to run downstairs and tell the tenant, on the first floor, to call the Police. He has her pinned to the floor, while he continues to punch her. I stand there frozen and crying while my sister continues to kick him in the chest. We are hysterical, and hate having to leave her behind, while we run for help. The lady downstairs calls the police; the whole time we keep hearing her screams asking him to stop. When he finally stops; my mother manages to join us downstairs. Her hair and face are a mass of blood; her eyes partially closed. I can still hear the screams and fear in her voice. (She would lose sight in one eye.)
Once the police arrive and they see her face they immediately ask her who did it? She tells them, “My husband.” They ask if she knows where he is? She answers, “Upstairs.” She tells them that he has a gun. They reply, “We hope he’s holding it.” I’m standing next to her listening and hoping he’s holding it. My mother tells them how he always would wave the gun and threaten us with it. She also shares how (my uncle) her brother had visited while he was at work, and filed the hammer back. (My uncle told us that we wouldn’t have to be afraid of it anymore, unless he takes it out and tries to shoot it.) When she finishes telling the police that the pistol is harmless; the officers say, “We hope he’s holding it.” I’m hoping that he’s holding it; when all of a sudden the pistol comes bouncing down the stairs. I’m thinking; I should pick the pistol up and run upstairs and give it back to him. How can so much hate be in the heart of a seven year old?
The police bring him downstairs in handcuffs. As they walk past; he spits in my mother’s face. The officers beat him up, right there, in the hallway. I am overjoyed, except I don’t think they’re beating him enough.
After years of abuse, my mother finally divorces him. With all of the emotional turmoil at home, I turn to the streets and to my friends in search of love. When my friends are old enough to drive, we would cruise by his house hoping to catch him outside. I want him dead, but providentially the Lord doesn’t.
Through it all, my mother keeps sending me
to church. She must constantly run out of the house, and across the street;
into the playground, to break up my fights. Every time, she hears the front
door slam, she knows I’m in a fight and I just came in to get my bat. Every
time the bigger guys pick on me I go for the equalizer. With each encounter,
she manages to arrive just in time to grab the end of my bat, right when I’m
getting ready to unload on whoever it is that is messing with me. She tells the
kids in the neighborhood that she is raising me to be a Christian and that I am
not allowed to fight. Every time I hear her say that, I wonder; “If that
is true; then why are we living in
It seems like my mother spends most of her time either sending me to church or beating me. Boy, am I getting mixed signals. Violence at home, violence in the streets... my friends are an oasis from the emotional turmoil at home. It doesn’t take long before, I’m probably the best thief on my block. My friends give me lists of items that they want me to steal and then follow me around to the different department stores trying to see how I do it. They follow me all over the store until I decide it is time to leave. They say as we leave the store, “This store was too hard, wasn’t it?” I agree with them until we’re about a block away; then I start pulling out, from under my clothing, all of the items on their list. They ask me, “When did you take it? We were watching you the whole time!” Fortunately or unfortunately, they have eyes, but they don’t see.
The more time I spend on “the corner;” the more determined my mother is to make me a Christian. Shortly after my eleventh birthday she makes me start attending Confirmation Classes. The classes are every Saturday morning. It is a two year ordeal. I refer to it as the Protestant version of the Jewish Bar Mitzvah. All of my friends, in church, live on the other side of the literal tracks. They only see me on weekends so they never know what the rest of my week is like.
By the time I turn thirteen; my stealing is out of control. I need the affirmation of my friends. My mother keeps telling me not to hang around with my friends. What she doesn’t know is that they get arrested because of my ideas. How do I stop hanging around with me?
Every morning of summer vacation I am out stealing. It is the last few months of my Confirmation Classes. Every afternoon, I end up in the alley praying to the Lord asking Him to forgive me and promising never to do it again. What a cycle, acceptance from my friends; which means stealing and then acceptance from God by repenting. Eventually, it starts taking its toll. I hate promising Him never to steal again only to break each promise within 24 hours! Something has to give. Again, I find myself in the alley telling the Lord that I’m still sorry and that I know that what I am doing is wrong. I can’t continue telling Him that I’m never going to do it again, because I hate lying to Him. This time, I tell Him that I’m out of control and I need Him to help me to stop...stealing.
At Confirmation Class the pastor has us draw a text or bible topic out of a bowl. He tells us that we have to give a ten minute talk on whatever subject we pick. We can read it, if we chose, but it must be presented to the whole congregation on the Friday Evening preceding our Confirmation. I return to my seat after selecting my “Biblical Fortune Cookie.” I quickly open the piece of paper. My heart, my mind, and every molecule in my body is paralyzed! On the paper in front of me are the words, “Thou shalt not Steal!” This is the one topic where my conscience is the most vulnerable! The very subject that we’ve been wrestling with every afternoon in the alley! What an opportunity for the Lord! What a predicament for me!
I have two weeks to write my speech. For eight consecutive evenings my best efforts produce a trash can full of wads of paper. How can I get up in front of people and tell them not to do what I can’t do myself?
On Wednesday night, prior to our Friday night speech, after hours of mental anguish, I wad up my last piece of paper and throw it in the trash. I purpose in my heart not to be confirmed! Hypocrisy is something I can’t stomach! I hate it every time my mother says, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say!” (That phrase can gag a maggot!) My mother and I are going to have a huge fight on Friday Evening when she finds out that I’m not getting confirmed. She has already purchased my suit. One thing is for sure! My mother knows that it doesn’t matter what kind of beating she administers; she can’t get me to do anything that I don’t want to do.
Right then the phone rings. My mother answers it and tells me, “It’s for you.” She says, “It’s Pam Knee and Linda Peterson from church.” This would be the first and last time they ever call. I pick up the phone and say, “Hello?” They say, “Hi, Keith, It’s me Pam!” and “Hi, Keith, It’s me Linda!” I answer, “Yea, what do you want?” They ask, “Are you going to be there, Friday night?” This is really eerie! The only person that knows my decision, is God! I tell them, “I’m not going.” They’re in shock! Linda asks, “After two years of classes and now you’re not going? Why?” I respond, “I can’t find my paper.” Linda and Pam simultaneously ask, “You lost your paper?” “I can’t find my paper and the Lord knows that I’ve been looking for it for well over a week!” Again, I hear them ask, “You lost your paper?” “And I can’t find it anywhere.” Pam inquires, “What’s your paper on?” “Thou shalt not steal.” “Oh! That’s an easy one!” I’m thinking, “That’s easy for you to say, but it’s killing me!” Linda says, “Tell you what; if you come Friday night, Pam and I will write your paper for you.” “You’ll write it for me?” Linda adds, “Will you come if we write it for you?” “I’ll be there.” Linda happily answers, “Good! Then we’ll see you Friday Night!” I hang up the phone and I’m numb.
Friday night arrives and we’re all sitting in the Choir Loft wearing white choir robes. Painted sepulchers to be sure. Naturally, I have to sit between Pam and Linda. (At thirteen, girls seem really weird!) Pam and Linda keep leaning forward and smiling at each other; as they revel over their “Catch.” I feel like a huge fish, and they’re posing for the camera. It’s almost nauseating. I guess this is what Jesus meant when He said: “I will make you a fisher of men.” I sit quietly; reading what they’ve written. I’m overwhelmed. These girls don’t have a clue to my lifestyle nor my struggles and they’re exposing the innermost feelings of my heart. I feel like I’m sitting between God’s little CIA. Who would’ve thought that God would use two girls?
It’s my turn to speak. We speak from the podium that holds a large Bible. They read the Gospel from it every Sunday, while the whole congregation stands. I feel like I’m standing on Holy Ground. As I’m reading their paper to the congregation, my voice quivers. Tears start running down my cheeks. I’m not preaching to them, but to me. Linda and Pam have included Romans 7; “the things that I want to do, that I do not do. The things that I do not want to do, that I do. Oh wretched man that I am, who will rescue me, from this body of death? But Jesus Christ...because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.” The whole congregation is moved. Linda and Pam are blown away. The Lord reveals to me how He can move people to say and do things that they aren’t even aware of. Pam and Linda, to this day, don’t know how mightily God used them in my life. They even typed my paper. My paper wouldn’t have been typed had I been able to write one.
As I sit back and think about that event in my life and how the Lord helped me with my battle with stealing. I remember the white garment that was provided for my Confirmation and then I think about the wedding garment mentioned in the Bible. I remember being out in the streets looking for love and acceptance; if I couldn’t get it from my family then hopefully, I’ll get it from my friends. In the search, I found one who was really a friend. They had me terrified of Him. He brought with Him, two girls and I wasn’t always very nice to them, yet they persisted. The Lord didn’t stop there, He even provided me with my acceptance speech...just like the Prodigal Son. As I take it all in, all I can do is just shake my head and mumble the words: “Amazing Grace!”
Warning! Warp Speed Ahead...
What do I mean when I start out by saying, “Warning! Warp Speed Ahead!?” I am alerting you to the fact that somewhere along the way, you may become a little light-headed from all this information, but don’t stop...thinking! You’re just feeling mentally out of breath, just like most people feel, physically, the first day of an aerobics class. This material, is going to be similar to what you experienced in the introduction, it is intended to be “heavy” or “deep;” maybe even emotional at times and that is okay. It may appear to be beyond your ability to comprehend, but trust me...as you continue, the material will get easier as you think it through. Remember how overwhelming Kindergarten was in the beginning? If you had to repeat Kindergarten today, you could zip through a year’s worth of material, in just a few minutes. This material, by the way, is intended to expand your comfort zones and help you grow.
When I coached little league, I taught my team the same fundamentals that my college coach taught me. I knew the material was going to be overwhelming, especially, in the very beginning. I expected this, so I needed to continue to encourage them to keep trying. The first few weeks of practice were very frustrating for my little guys. Not only were the drills demanding their total concentration, but I started teaching the whole team how to switch hit (Swing the bat from the left and the right side of the plate.). My little guys were having to start at the very beginning. Unfortunately, they wanted immediate results. This, of itself, causes frustration. Later in life, I found out that Coach John Wooden told his players that, “Impatience: is expecting too much, too soon!”
The natural behavior of a child, first learning to play ball, is laziness. Some never outgrow that habit. They want the ball to be hit or thrown right to them. They don’t want to have to exert any more effort then is absolutely necessary. The word “hustle” just doesn’t seem to appear in their vocabulary. “You mean I have to run after the ball, too? I don’t think I’m going to like this game any more. It’s getting to be too hard! I’m starting to sweat and get out of breath and I’m getting tired. It was easier when I could just stand around and vegetate.”
I finally had to have them all sit down, so I could explain where I’m coming from. I told them that, “I am not planning on winning this season, but instead, I’m grooming you for tomorrow. Prepare yourself, because we’re going to lose games this year, that we could win. (Groan!) I’m here to develop your weaknesses so they’ll grow with your strengths. When you get to high school and maybe even to college and the coach has two players of equal ability; only one can play at a time. One of the players can switch hit and the other can’t; guess which player plays and which player sits on the bench? Which one of the two players do you want to be? Are you willing to sacrifice these meaningless games and grow or do you want to win now and grow at your current pace, only to sit later? I can coach either way, but one way reaps the greater rewards! It’s your choice.”
I can’t tell you how gratifying it was to watch them grow, despite them. Little by little the fundamentals that had been so frustrating started becoming a reaction. It was becoming a part of their character. With it came confidence! A presence that the other teams noticed. My team started doing the things that at first, were so contrary to their nature; suddenly, it became instinctive. I didn’t have to keep reminding them. They were now anticipating...but most important or all...they were thinking and moving. They had knowledge and were applying it. They changed from individuals, whose habits were so different, to a well orchestrated team. They weren’t wasting valuable energy complaining and fighting amongst themselves...they were focused.
The important thing that they had to always remember was the price they had to pay to get there. It took dedication, commitment, sweat, and lots of humility (Accepting the fact that they could and would make mistakes in front of the whole team and it was okay! You had to, to grow. It would take a safe environment to get them to come out of their comfort zones, so they would learn to take risks; to experience the freedom to try without worrying about failure or embarrassing themselves.). With it came perseverance. They started acting and playing at a level that was more mature than the other teams. It was so obvious that everybody could see it. They ran out onto the field just like all of the other teams, but the people stood up and took notice, once we started running through our warm-up drills. We left an impression that wasn’t easy to forget.
The next level was harder...persevering through injustice. The other coaches saw the growth of my team and were intimidated. The coaches had to bring their characters with them and slowly started contaminating the little ones. They had to resort to “politics.” They would prearrange with the umps, who were other coaches, to make sure that all of the close calls went against us. One coach had players, on his team, that were too old. His teams always came in first, unfortunately, it was at the expense of his illegal players. Their ability would be “dwarfed” because they wouldn’t be challenged by the stiffer competition of their peers. They forfeited their integrity, by choosing to win at all costs. Integrity took a back seat to pride.
My little ones knew that what I was teaching was true and they finally believed in my system; but when they saw the hypocrisy they would quit trying. All of their motivation and confidence would be sucked right out of their bodies and they would revert back to their old lazy habits. “Why bother? They’re cheating!” This is where Christian maturity is so vital to growth. “You take the beatings that you deserve and you think this is commendable, but blessed is he who takes the beatings that he doesn’t deserve, this is commendable before God.” It is critical to be able to control one’s emotions while under attack by the enemy! “Stronger is he who controls himself, than he who takes a city.” Self-control...one of the vital characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit and it’s just as vital if we’re ever going to attain maturity.
As the season progressed, my little guys experienced the difference between just swinging the bat with their arms; compared to turning their hips and driving with their legs and applying the laws of leverage. The same results were experienced when they threw the ball. I had them feel the difference between throwing the ball with just their arm; compared to driving with their legs and body while taking full advantage of centrifugal force. (Yikes! Now he’s talking about Physics!) Now I had their attention! They were surrendering their bad habits and grasping solid fundamentals. Their hearts, minds, and souls were coming to the party. Can you see the spiritual application as it crowds out the old man and takes on the new?
One of my players was a skinny, freckled face, 12 year old. He developed into one of my best pitchers. Almost all of my players were making awesome strides in poise, confidence, savvy, and “Hustle,” but most of all in their character development. To see him standing on the mound, the last thing you expected to see was a flaming fastball, but the one thing I learned in sports was never to judge a book by its cover. This frail looking, skinny kid had the heart of a lion and with that heart came a fastball of pure fire! He went from being shy and timid to fearless. I get all teary-eyed whenever I think of him. Our season was almost over and this would be his last start. My little guy was so hyped I thought he was going to have a heart-attack on me.
The first three innings, he struck out the sides. He was playing on a level that he hadn’t displayed all season. In the fourth inning, after striking out the sides, as he walked off the mound, he rubbed his side. I quickly went to him and asked him what was wrong with his side? He said, “Nothing...I’m okay.” In the fifth inning he struck them all out again but this time he held his side as he walked off the mound. I immediately went to him and told him that I was going to take him out. His eyes welled up with tears as he pleaded with me not to take him out of the game. He told me that his father was at the game. His father hadn’t been able to attend any of his other games because he had to work. He was finally getting to see his son play and loving every minute of it. This became the turning point when my little guy decided to take his talents to a higher level. Love became his motivation.
In the sixth inning, while he was in the process of striking out the sides; I would periodically check on him to see how he was feeling? He kept assuring me that he was okay. (I never had my father see me play ball; so I was really happy for him.) He completed the game; by throwing a no-hitter while striking out everybody. He was so happy! After the last guy struck out, ending the game, his teammates mobbed him on the mound. When the dust had settled, he introduced me to his father and the rest of his family before they left.
That evening I received a phone call from his father, again, thanking me for all that I had done for his son. He called to tell me that after the game they had to rush him to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. They got it out just before it burst! The father assured me he was okay and then shared with me his son’s past. How they adopted him at the age of one after his biological father had broken both of his arms and legs. How they (the adoptive parents) received him with his four tiny casts and had to nurse him back to health. How great it felt when the casts came off and he could finally hug them back.
The next morning, at our next practice, I told the team what had happened and had the whole team autograph a new baseball. After practice I went to visit him in the hospital.
He had this big smile on his face as I entered the room, but nothing like the one when I presented him with the ball. I asked him how he was feeling? He said much better now as he kept looking at the ball. I told him that he should have told me the truth, that the game wasn’t worth risking his life over. He said he was sorry for not telling me the truth, but happy that he was able to finish the game, because on their way home, his father told him how proud he was sitting in the stands watching him. I can imagine our Heavenly Father telling His faithful friends, “Well done, though good and faithful servant...only I no longer want to call you servant, but friend! Better yet...My beloved Son!”
It turns out that my little guys taught me a whole lot more then I taught them. But to sum up how this all relates, if you haven’t already figured it out, is that when Jesus came; He was attempting to teach us how to love on a level that was beyond our comprehension. He knew it would be frustrating for us at first, but if we accept his fundamentals and put away our bad habits, eventually, His principles will, if we persevere, develop into our new nature. We will be transformed into His image, because by beholding Him; we become changed.
The Gift of Teaching
I have been blessed to experience many different teachers in my life while attending parochial and public schools. From kindergarten through college. The one conclusion that I have come to is that there are teachers who have the “Gift of Teaching” and those that just have credentials and collect a paycheck. When we encounter the ones that just have the credentials, the excuse is that there is a personality clash. If teachers have the “True Gift” of teaching, then their egos will be out of the way and they can deliver the goods and it doesn’t matter what kind of personality the student may have. Humility is only interested in the bottom line.
I will take this time to praise the teachers in my life that truly displayed the gift.
My
sister and I attend a one room
We exit from the right side of our desks. Our row decides to tie a blue piece of yarn from the front desk to the back on the left side. We put a paper clip on it so we can pass the answers back and forth. It’s like a clothes line. Unfortunately, when we’re sitting in our desks, we can’t see the yarn, so we figure that our teacher can’t either. The piece of yarn stands out like a neon sign, from the teacher’s perspective. It doesn’t take him long before he brings it to our attention. Only not the way that we expect.
He goes back and forth teaching each grade, like people eat corn on the cob. When he stops in front of our row, he quickly points out the blue yarn to the whole room. He tells us that it is an ingenious way to keep the desks in line (Our desks aren’t stationary.). We quickly volunteer to remove the yarn, but he insists that we keep it on. We become his “horizontal plum line.” So, for the rest of the year our “sin” is ever before us.
On PTA night, all of the second graders are dreading having their parents find out! That evening, my mother is getting ready, my sister is totally relaxed and I’m sweating bullets. I know that as soon as she gets home, I’m going to be in real trouble. My mind continues to beat me up by imagining all kinds of cruel and unusual punishments. She eventually leaves and tells us that she’ll be right home as soon as it’s over. I feel like I just had my last meal before the execution.
We hear the key in the lock and then the door opens. My sister jumps up to hear how wonderful she is (Gag!). Now, it’s my turn. I’m waiting, but nothing happens. This is worse then ever! Just beat me and get it over with. don’t torture me! The waiting is brutal. Nothing is ever said. I leave it alone.
Back at school, the teacher informs our row that we’re going to have a test, while he goes over to work with the eighth graders. Before he leaves; he tells us, “You can go ahead and look on each others’ papers, but if you could see what I see, what your friends put on their papers...you wouldn’t be caught dead with it on your papers.” Then he walks away.
We sit there thinking what he just said and our little egos, figure, that he is obviously talking to “ME!” It is obvious that everybody else in our row is stupid. We’re only in second grade and suffering from self-righteousness! He gives us the forbidden fruit and the freedom of choice and nobody copies!. Ingenious! What a true gift of teaching! Solomon is alive and well and teaching our school. He has the whole school three grade levels ahead.
Years go by before I’m curious enough to ask my mother about that PTA night. I figure the crime is safely passed the statute of limitations and I am exempt from litigation. It takes my mother a few minutes to remember the incident then she shares with me what happened. He showed all of the parents our little pulley system that we had set up and the parents of the second graders are horrified! They all say, “Our child is a cheat!” He replies, “No, this is creativity. I will never stifle creativity. So, don’t anybody say anything, because I have it totally under control. My job is to get it (the material) in them, anyway that I can get it in them.”
I remember once when I was looking over my friends shoulder during a test and he was sitting at his desk working. I happen to look at him and he’s staring right back at me. He just gives my a look of disappointment, but he never embarrasses any of us. He never tore up our paper or gave us a zero for the day. This motivates me to work harder. He is very Christlike in how he handles each and every one of us.
Once I experience “The Gift;” it becomes almost impossible to settle for just a credentialed teacher. I am so fortunate to have him for my teacher. To make sure he gets his just reward, I will not mention his name. If he gets the praise of men then he forfeits the praise of the Lord. I’ll mention his deeds and let the Lord take care of the stars on his crown.
It takes four years before I finally experience another awesome teacher. I’m in the sixth grade of a public grammar school on the West Side of Chicago. Our home life is full of turmoil. I resent authority of any kind, because of the abuse at home. Our teacher has a rule. If you are caught chewing gum in class, you must write the word gum 20,000 times. It takes awhile for me to think through what she says, “If you are caught chewing gum, you must take your paper and pen into the cloakroom and write the word gum 20,000 times; unless you have gum for everyone.” I’m thinking, “Hmmmm! Unless you have gum for everyone! That’s it! She’s not saying that we can’t chew gum in class! She’s telling us that it is impolite to eat in front of others!”
At lunch, I run to the corner store and buy 42 pieces of Bazooka Bubble Gum...at a penny a piece (Am I dating myself or what?). I carry it into class in a small brown paper bag and quickly stuff it inside my desk. History is the first class after lunch. I unwrap a piece and stick it in my mouth. I pretend that I don’t want her to see me, because I don’t want her to smell a trap. I’m waiting and waiting, but she’s not seeing me chewing. At last she sees me! I quickly hide my head behind the girl in front of me. She asks me to stand up (still on the right side of the desk...traditions!). I stand! She inquires, “What is in your mouth, Mr. Johnson?” I tell her, “Gum.” and I look down...like I’m sorry that she caught me..., but, inside, I’m hoping that she doesn’t decide to change her rules. She says the magic words, “Twenty thousand times, Mr. Johnson, ...unless you have gum for everybody.”
I quickly smile and lift the top of my desk. I grab my little brown paper bag and start going up and down the rows passing out gum to all of my friends. All of my classmates are hysterical with laughter. She just sits at her desk, quietly watching me gloat. I know that I must have one piece for her or else she will say, Mr. Johnson, you “DON’T” have gum for everybody.” That would be a disaster! The last piece. I triumphantly place it on her desk; I throw the paper bag away and go and sit in my desk. I’m wearing a great big smile on my face. Needless to say, I am quite pleased with my performance.
When the class settles down, she looks at me at says, “Mr. Johnson, you have won that one, but you will never win another one.” I think, “Oh yea? Wanna bet!”
A few days pass, it’s Friday, and just before leaving for school, I get a beating. Usually, they are undeserved. I am really mad! I refuse to do any school work. I just sit there. After lunch, we have a history test. I love history, but I’m still refusing to do any work. We have a test of 100 questions. I answer three. All three are correct; then I turn in my paper.
On Monday, after lunch, the test papers are returned. We have to stand and read our scores out loud while she records them in her grade book. When my paper is returned to me; I look at it in disbelief. On the top of the paper is a great big 97! She has written in every answer, but three! Eventually, she calls my name. I stand next to my desk. She’s not looking at me. Her head is buried in her grade book. She says, “Mr. Johnson, your score?” I hesitate, then I answer, “97.” After writing in her book, she looks up and smiles, “Very Good, Mr. Johnson, keep up the good work.”
As soon as the 97 rolled off of my lips, I knew that I messed up. She suckered me in. As soon as I said 97, my buddies were all saying, “97? What are you doing? Now we’re going to have to get grades!” I should have said three, because now I can’t tell my friends what she did. They would black-ball me as “Teacher’s Pet!” Now, I had to produce to keep that from ever leaking out. She was just like my other teacher...“My job is to get it in them, anyway I can get it in them.” “That is creativity, I will never stifle creativity.” When I stopped and really thought what she did. It was brilliant! She took a chance. Just because I verbally claimed the 97, didn’t mean that she really wrote it in her book. She could throw that one out and only measure all of the other tests. She buried her ego with the gum incident and focused on me. Could there have been a “Personality Conflict?” Of course, but she remained quiet and didn’t engage or confront.
When I graduated and went on to high school, we would pass each other on the street. I lived across the street from my grammar school, so she always would walk past our house on her way to work. She would just smile at me as she walked by and with a twinkle in her eye say, “Good morning, Mr. Johnson, are you behaving yourself?” I’d answer, “Of course!” Yea, right! I could never fool her after that. I never did win another one. She really kept her eye on me after the gum incident. I learned an awful lot in her class. Much more then just what’s written inside a bunch of books. She reinforced the fact that teachers either have “the gift of teaching” or they don’t. Think back in your life. How many teachers did you encounter that had “The Gift?”
I can’t recall having any outstanding teachers in high school. I did have an English teacher who taught the various meters in Poetry. This was very beneficial to me. My art teacher, Geography teacher and my frosh-soph football coach pretty much summarize the teachers with “The Gift” in high school.
Four college instructors come to the fore-front as I pursued my Bachelor of Arts Degree. My art teacher really helped me grow. One day we were doing life drawing using conti-crayon. The medium was in black, white, and gray. I had over committed too soon, meaning I over darkened an area of my drawing, too early into my sketch. My teacher was making her rounds and just happened to be standing behind me at the time. She just observed and continued on to the other students. I saw that I was in deep trouble so by the time she made her way around again, my drawing was in perfect proportion. The perspective and shading was “right on” and I was very pleased.
She stopped and took a long look at my drawing as she tried to figure out how I managed to bring my drawing back? When she finally figured out how I managed to reverse my field, she said, “Give me your white crayon.” I asked her, “Why?” She responded, “I’m not here to only develop your strengths, but your weaknesses as well. You are too strong with your white crayon and it gets you out of trouble. Give me your white crayon.” I was lost without that crayon. It was like having to learn to draw all over again. If was frustrating, but if she hadn’t taken my white crayon; I would have eventually hit a wall...where I wouldn’t be able to grow anymore. By developing my weakness I would eventually return to my current level of ability and then shoot past to an even higher level. She displayed “The Gift!”
My
baseball coach had won four consecutive regional championships. He had an
incredible eye for potential. (I hate using the word “Talent,” because I feel
that a procrastinator uses that word as an excuse not to try, while at the same
time putting down the efforts of those who have by giving the credit to
“Talent” and not to the individual who paid the price through hard work,
dedication, and perseverance. Leonardo da Vinci
didn’t paint “The Lord’s Supper” on his first attempt.) He reads the Chicago
Sports Sections and follows the high school baseball teams...that are
successful. To try out for his team, you have to be
Our
high school is an athletic powerhouse. The baseball team won the City
Championship the year we graduated. Two of my friends who
played on the team and I go to the coach to ask if we can tryout. He is
familiar with my friends’ names because he remembers reading about them in the
paper. I had crushed three vertebrae in my neck, in football, my junior year so
I never get to letter in any sport. He makes it real clear that he has never
read nor heard anything about me. My friends tell the coach to let me try out.
He has me explain why I didn’t letter. Finally, he tells us, “I know that
He gave
me the chance and I made his team. In the process of making his team he had to
cut players that were
What do I feel is the secret behind being “coachable?” Surrendering whatever preconceived ideas you might have and listen. Don’t just swallow it whole. Take it back with you and during quiet times, think it through. Does it make sense? Is it better then the other way? If it is...dump the old way. If it isn’t take it back and discuss the pros and cons between the two. Stay flexible. Think ahead and anticipate. See what others are doing that is better than your way, then take it home with you, analyze it, improve on it. Then pay the price it takes to apply it. Don’t try reinventing the wheel, when you don’t have to...just look for more applications.
The
third instructor was born and raised in
To look at him, with his radical red hair along with his thick Irish Accent...if you saw him carrying a briefcase in Belfast you would be sure to watch and make sure that when left...he left carrying the briefcase or else you better quickly clear the area, before the explosion. His mind is the quickest that I’ve ever encountered. His comebacks in class and even when we’d socialize after...came back with lightning speed. He was born with a “Pentium Chip” way before computers were invented. His classes are alive! Nobody can sleep in his class! He has a way of forcing you to put your foot on the accelerator of your brain and rev it up. I hated it when I ran out of classes to take that he taught. I hated having to write his papers. He would say, “I want a 25 page term paper. Not 24 and 1/2 pages not 25 and a 1/4 pages. I want and I will get a 25 page paper. When I find three typos you get it back. You are in college. Take pride in your work. I am not here to baby-sit you.” He is tough and his class is just as accelerated as his brain. “The Gift” with overdrive.
Can I have a favorite instructor? I love all them, but the one who really helped bring them all together was the one that taught me the “Six Levels of Moral Development.” She also had her Ph.D., like my “mad bomber” friend. She teaches psychology. When I told her about my experiences in grammar school, she asked me to come and teach her class for her. She instructs the future teachers who are working on their credential.
The ideal is to give “The Gift” to those that have or soon will have...the Credentials. If you have “The Gift” it can be lost as soon as the ego gets in the way. Humility and the Golden Rule are two of the keys to “The Gift.” By humility; I mean being able to admit you’re wrong or even admitting, you don’t know. Giving respect, even when you think they don’t deserve it. Comm unicating, without “talking down” to people.
When I tried my hand at teaching, my first long-term assignment was in a junior high school. I had all of the students that the teachers with seniority. After I was there a few days, I asked them to write their definition of the “Ideal Teacher”, then the areas I needed to improve to become the ideal teacher. Next, I had them write their definition of the “Ideal Student.” I told them that they couldn’t say, “Smart!” Then, tell me where they need to improve to become the ideal student. After I threw out all of the “Bo Derricks,” They told me that I needed to be “more strict” I asked them, “If everybody in this room, over the age of twelve?” They reply, “Yes!” “Do you all know right from wrong? That when I leave the room for a minute you should refrain from throwing paper airplanes, fighting, going in my desk?” They admit, “Yes!” “Then it is not my responsibility to police you, it’s your job to police you. If you need more discipline to get you to behave when nobody is around, then administer it... but to yourself.”
I told
them that I teach as slow as the slowest student. They answer, “That’s going to
slow us down!” I point out, “When we climb a mountain. Everybody attaches him
or herself to the rope. The leader climbs up to a certain ledge and braces his
body against a portion of the mountain, grabs hold of the rope, and takes out
his knife and while he prepares to cut the rope, he yells back to the others,
“You’re going to slow me down!” That’s the way people climb mountains, right?”
They answer, “No!” I ask, “What does he do?” They say, “He pulls the next guy
up and then they pull the next guy up, until everybody is up and then they go
again.” “So, we’re climbing
Probably the final bit of information that I gave them was concerning tests. The students in my class were intimidated by tests—especially the battery of tests that the State mandates. I share with them this secret. “Picture me as the resident education doctor. I need to take your temperature to see if you have a fever. My thermometer can’t be so hard that I can’t get a reading nor can it be so easy that it goes over the top. The thermometer must be hard enough, but yet easy enough so I can get an accurate reading. Once I am provided with the necessary information; I can assist you to make sure that by the end of the year, you’re where you need to be.”
I’m no longer teaching in the schools. I feel like our prisons are simply a reflection of our homes and school systems. When we started sending the students through school like they’re riding on a conveyor that was when our school system started failing society. Instead of having them stay until they learn, we cripple the students and turn them loose on society without any skills to survive, much yet contribute anything of value. Teaching requires the gift. If you don’t have the gift, either get it or pick a new career. Oh, by the way, the only way you can get “The True Gift” is from the Master!
The Six Levels Defined:
Ground Zero:
What do I mean when I use the term: “Ground Zero?” This is the term used for the detonation of the atom bomb. What better example can be used to describe the horror that followed after the fall of Adam and Eve. The catastrophic behavior that came upon the earth once humanity unplugged themselves from the “Love Life-support System.” Except for mercy on God’s part; they would have surely died. The spiritual side became swallowed up by the physical; all of the virtuous fruits were replaced by their opposites. Instead of Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, gentleness, faith and self-control, the carnal nature manifested itself in huge doses of inferiority and superiority complexes. Instead of Love, we experience conditional “Hoop Jumping.” “I love you if...” Control, control, control. The fruits of the carnal nature are: Hate, misery, war, impatience, kind—but only if it meets my needs, rough and discourteous, untrusting, and totally out of self-control, but needing to control others.
The carnal nature if left unchecked results in psychopathic behavior. If it is left without the proper guidance, it will become totally controlled by hate and the result could lead to a seared conscience. Truth at this level is whatever gets one out of receiving the consequences that they have brought upon themselves. The end result to that mentality usually leads one into becoming a pathological liar. Their emotions are left to run rampant over any animal inclination that comes to mind.
The infant has these tendencies of rage and self-gratification, but fortunately for mankind, the infant doesn’t have the strength to act out the rage inside when its needs and wants aren’t met. We might as well give this a label and call this the embryonic period because this is synonymous with the carnal nature mentioned in Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither in deed can be.” This brings us to the Ten Comm andments and their purpose.
The Ten Comm andments are used by God to establish walls of restraint for the carnal heart, and from there, hopefully, the Law is able to teach humanity the difference between right and wrong and/or truth and a lie. Without these restraints we will never find our way back to unconditional love and recovery. The Ten Comm andments give us security. The child that exists where the rules are consistently and fairly enforced feels safe and secure and can then be nurtured. The child will continue to check to see if the hedge is still in place. If these rules are administered too severely, then legalism sets in, and all these rules are obeyed for the wrong reason, and the people become unbalanced.
LEVEL 1:
Legalism or Prenatal Cognizant Thinking
What do I mean when I say: “Legalism or Prenatal Cognizant Thinking?” Legalism is the opposite of freedom. I use the term prenatal because we need, as Jesus said, “to be born again,” therefore prenatal and as I mentioned earlier...“Cognizant Thinking” is “thinking thinking” or deep thinking. Prenatal Cognizant Thinking, therefore, would be the extreme case of superficial thinking. But one of the best definitions to legalism is found in the book Christ’s Object Lessons.
This is one of the Ellen G. White quotes that I share in the prisons. It explains perfectly what legalism is and what it isn’t, so why try to reinvent the wheel when this quote is so readily available.
“None are so vile, none have fallen so low, as to be beyond the working of this power. In all who will submit themselves to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life is to be implanted; the lost image of God is to be restored in humanity.”
“But man cannot transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven—something wholly from without—must be put into the meal before desired change can be wrought in it. So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power.”
“As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God. There are many who try to reform by correcting this or that bad habit, and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart.”
“A profession of faith and the possession of truth in the soul are two different things. The mere knowledge of truth is not enough. We may possess this, but the tenor of our thoughts may not be changed. The heart must be converted and sanctified.”
“The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteous is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God.” Christ’s Object Lessons pages 98-100
The law and the punishment is a condition when the rules are strictly adhered to, to avoid the punishment. Obedience, brought about by fear, breeds rebellion. This level cannot apply “mercy” into its concepts, and therefore the tendency is to become very self-righteous, judgmental, intolerant, critical, stern, and severe. The beauty of the rules is lost, love is discarded, and the people become very cold and unsympathetic. Everybody is expected to conform because the group wants to control and even think for everybody else. This is the severest case of institutionalism. Free thinking is not permitted. Just do it! No questions permitted! Obey, obey, obey! This is similar to elephants walking in a line, trunk and tail, trunk and tail. When you try to get them to see that they are holding the tail in front of them, they become very nervous and may even start to hyperventilate. This has become their comfort zone. Free choice? Freedom to think and know why one believes what he does? Surely, that must be heresy.
LEVEL 2:
Quasi-Legalism or Postnatal Cognizant Thinking
When I use the term “Quasi” (pronounced: kwa-zee—the qua is like quality) I mean that it has similar characteristics, but it is evolving. Since this word is a volatile word in some Christian circles, those who prefer a different word, I can use; “metamorphosis.” A change is starting to take place...but we must continue to strive for the Higher Calling and never allow our spiritual growth to become complacent or as the Book of Revelation refers to it as “lukewarm.”
The next group is very similar to its predecessor but these people are starting to wake up or grow in the area of sympathy. They start seeing that there are situations that should be dealt with a little differently, but then they fall back to sleep and give in to the old way of doing things. The old way is easier, more comfortable. The commandments of men, or better phrased, traditions of men, win out over love. Mercy still can’t crack the power of the rules. The organization dictates the thinking process. The desire for acceptance and the inability to cope with the rejection keeps the individual from growing spiritually.
This process of evolution that starts in our schools keeps the people from experiencing the freedom that the law intended. The group is sick and anybody that starts to step forward and is willing to become healed is a threat to those who don’t want to exert the energy to cast off the chains that bind them.
This results in the organization walking around wearing masks, saying all the clichés, knowing all of the Bible texts, yet not experiencing the victorious life. They spend all of their energy walling people out, preventing them from ever seeing the real person. Satan has imprisoned them again. He finds a way to imprison them either in total rebellion to the law or imprisoned by the law. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can they find the happy medium, “the true freedom of the law” as it was originally intended, and are not then left walking around with masks on, or shall we call it as it is stated in Scripture, “painted sepulchers” (spiritual zombies, the living dead).
LEVEL 3:
Semi-Quasi-Legalism or The Spiritual Toddler
Welcome to the term “Semi-Quasi.” I am merely attempting to reveal levels of spiritual growth. Unfortunately, the distance that man fell from spirituality to carnality requires a daily struggle as we continue on the path that leads us back home. The main reason that the struggle is so intense is because Satan doesn’t give us a moment’s peace. We must be constantly examining ourselves with the “Love Chapter” while we put away old habits and take on new principles in its place.
Onto the scene comes the concept known as abstract reasoning ability. It can be experienced and proven with children in the lower levels of the elementary schools by taking a tall skinny glass and a short fat glass of equal volume. If you fill one of the glasses with water and then pour the water into the other glass, the children are amazed at the magic trick that you have just performed. They can’t comprehend this optical illusion because they’re functioning on the level of sight instead of knowledge. The older students who have grown in their abstract reasoning process aren’t impressed anymore because they have grown in knowledge. They completely understand what is actually taking place; they have learned about equal mass.
The same principle applies spiritually. Paul explains this when he is telling the baby Christian that there comes a time for the baby to give up the pabulum and start eating spiritual food. The level three group starts to realize the importance of life and sharing. They need to grow in understanding and truth. Yet the rules still have this hold because all the old tapes keep playing.
The organization is afraid of losing control of the group just as in Christ’s time. The organization uses the rules in a more flexible way at times, but when two of the rules come into conflict, they are thrown into a tailspin. Example: the scribes and the Pharisees were preoccupied with the Sabbath and how it should be observed. When they saw the disciples walking through the field picking and eating on the Sabbath, they accused them of Sabbath breaking. There are Christians today that claim that since Jesus made the rules, He has a right to change or break the rules. That’s the same inconsistency as when an adult tells a child, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Can you see God being that hypocritical?
In Leviticus
We can see now that Jesus and His disciples were obeying the rules; that two rules can be obeyed concurrently. They weren’t gleaning since they weren’t taking anything with them, and the Lord had provided for the traveler’s needs away back in Leviticus. This is where the lower four levels run into problems. They tend to rely on their own understanding rather than presenting the problem to the Lord and having Him explain exactly what should be done when the rules seem to come into conflict. The true picture of God would alleviate these problems because then our motives for obeying would be out of love instead of fear.
Another problem arises when the lower levels think too literally and therefore continue to miss the point that God is making. When Jesus was talking in parables the people were constantly trying to comprehend Him in the literal sense.
Example: When Jesus was talking about the leaven of the Pharisees, after feeding the five thousand, the disciples thought that He meant that they should have brought along some bread. Thinking too literally can be harmful to our health, and being too proud to ask questions results in misunderstanding and even fanaticism.
This level tries to avoid making decisions because the organization is highly critical. This results in coping techniques to avoid taking any kind of responsibility. While this group has the ability to reason, they prefer to yield to the peer pressure and “the norm” because these levels are dictated by conditional love. Comply, and we will give you praise; don’t, and be subject to our wrath.
The main reason for this is that the lower four levels are void of mercy and compassion. Choose to be different from the rest and from just following the traditions of men and you set yourself up as a target. The organization will rise up and what happened to Christ will happen to anyone who chooses to love and live. Satan will send the organization and his “body of Bible thumpers” to beat you down into compliance. Do not rock the boat; just do as you’re told! Rules, rules, and more rules.
If we look deep inside we will find that the timbers are termite eaten because the organization has taught us how to adorn the outside with masks. Here are some great quotes of today to show how preoccupied man is with the outside. They say, “Dress for success” and “The clothes make the man.” Against that mind set, the Lord sent John the Baptist in camel skins, and a child in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. Interestingly enough, both were very successful in what they came to do without having to wear any masks or jump through any of the world’s hoops. They did it by being real and free.
We see man’s traditions versus God’s truth and reality. God builds from within for quality; man builds on the outside for superficiality. God’s ways are definitely higher than man’s.
LEVEL 4:
Semi-Quasi-Legalism 2 or The Spiritual Pre-teenager
The peer pressure at this level is intense. They focus predominately on the outside. They establish a who’s who. The rules vary depending on the caste system. If you’re a friend or if you can be politically useful, the rules can be bent as a form of mercy starts to work its way into the experience. We find that grace and mercy are talked about in the organization; but because conditional compliance dictates, the application of mercy is inconsistent.
The pecking order of a hen house is a great illustration of the organization’s body of “Bible Thumpers.” If blood is seen on one of the members in a hen house, the rest of the hens start pecking at the wound until the victim is finally killed. Let’s suppose it was possible to place red contact lenses on the eyes of the chickens so they couldn’t see the blood, and it would also be possible to remove the scent of blood from the nose of the other chickens. The wounded chicken would then be left alone for healing to take place. The contacts on the chickens would cause the pecking order to disappear, and all the chickens finally would have equal access to the feeding trough; the politics would cease to exist.
Speaking of rose colored glasses, let me digress a moment to include an experience I had while working as a security guard at a Christian boarding school.
One evening as I was making my rounds, I stopped in the typing class where some of the students were working on their assignments. A young girl came over to me to talk, finally sharing what was on her heart. She told me that she hated her father and her whole face contorted as she shared her innermost feelings.
I asked, “Why do you hate your father?”
“Because he thinks only about himself!”
I inquired, “How do you know that your father thinks only about himself?”
“My mother told me.”
“In what way does your father think only about himself?” I asked.
With sarcasm in her voice she answered, “All he ever thinks about is sex!”
“How do you know that?” She replied, “My mother told me.”
Every time she mentioned her father, her face became very ugly as her whole body touched those deep feelings of resentment and hate. She asked me what my feelings were concerning the hatred she had for her father. I knew why she asked me that question; it was because she had heard me talking about “unconditional love” a few days earlier. I asked if I could have some time while making my rounds, to talk this over with the Lord before I gave her my opinion. I promised her that I would return the next day at the same time, same place, with the answer to her question.
The next evening, all of her friends were back, eagerly waiting to hear what I had to say. The Lord never ceases to amaze me with His wisdom and simplicity and how He gets right to the heart of the problem. I asked again why she hated her father.
“Because he only thinks about himself!” she said in exactly the same tone as the night before. I watched as her face contorted from the hate and how her eyes filled with resentment.
I asked, “Who told you that?”
“My mother,” she replied.
“Who is your mother thinking of?”
“Herself,” she answered.
I could now share the Lord’s simple revelation of truth: “So, who do you hate?” Her eyes grew big as she realized how Satan had “used” her, while the Holy Spirit began removing all the resentment and hate that she had in her heart for her father. In an instant, her eyes welled up with tears as the Holy Spirit began washing the hate from her system.
Her next question was, “What should I do?”
From this “right attitude” came the invitation for the Lord to teach His truth of forgiveness and reconciliation. In the beginning when her mother and father first got married, they each wore a pair of “rose colored glasses.” Their first thought was, “How can I make my Honey happy?” Somehow Satan replaced God’s “rose colored glasses of love” with his “X-ray glasses of hate, selfishness, and fault-finding.” The mother has started entertaining thoughts like, “I’m not being appreciated” and “he wants me only for my body!”
During their courtship and early in their marriage the mother lived for his every touch, not to mention the sound of his voice, but now she detests it. It may seem hard to believe, but it’s the same touch and the same voice. Just as in the garden, after the fall of man, it was the same God and the same voice, but it wasn’t perceived through the same ears, eyes, and heart.
Since she’s free from Satan’s control and can clearly see the damage that he’s done to her family, the daughter’s job now is to go back home and help replace Satan’s goggles with God’s rose colored glasses and put God’s love back into the family unit. As I left, to continue my rounds, I turned back to ask if she still hated her father. I rejoiced as I saw the peace and the relief on her face. She gave me a hug, thanked me, and smiled through the tears, finally giving me a triumphant, “No!” What an honor to receive a hug for God. He did it all. All night long I rejoiced under the stars knowing that there was a young girl set free and probably experiencing the soundest sleep in her entire life. Mercy was administered properly and the healing balm of the Holy Spirit set the captive free! Truth won again!
I was so thankful that the Lord chose to use me to break through Satan’s cycle of resentments. That young girl was on a road that would have resulted in a string of broken relationships. Without respect for the parent of the opposite sex we are on a course of hate for our future mate because of a lie received during nurturing. We can see clearly how resentments can hinder us from ascending this spiritual ladder.
Returning to the Bible, we find Jesus, in the heat of the day, waiting for the arrival of the woman at the well. The reason she goes in the heat of the day is that the pecking order has been established in the cool of the morning. If she should show her face at the well in the cool of the morning the wounds on her would be seen and the local gossips would verbally peck on her until she was emotionally dead. Needless to say, we find Jesus at the well waiting for her to offer her His love and mercy to heal her wounds of guilt and despair and win her back to truth. Knowing that she, who was forgiven much, would love much, He made Himself available to her at the well in the heat of the day instead of in the morning, where He would have found a bigger but less receptive audience. (Yes, Jesus came to save sinners.)
The television evangelists that yielded to the flesh were constantly talking about God’s grace and mercy, but once one of their peers fell and they saw blood, the world watched how the pecking order became established and how the killing frenzy took over.
From Jesus’ parable of the man whose debt the king forgave and then went away and unmercifully threw his debtor into prison, we can see that this level cannot administer grace. They can’t give grace because they are preoccupied with their own greed and inferiority complexes, putting others down to make up for their feelings of inadequacy.
Until the Holy Spirit can change hearts, some will keep records of wrongs and demand that vengeance be administered. This level still needs to control in order to feed their superiority complexes since healing and freedom threaten their existence. The legalist exists, but he never lives or loves. All legalists feed on other people’s shortcomings! They never experience the joy or the unconditional love that is experienced only in the “New Birth.”
LEVEL 5:
Mercy—The First Step to Spiritual Adulthood
This is the first breath of life. Our climb has finally brought us to a level that is above the carnal smog. A major portion of the carnal pollution in our lives has been discarded. Forgiving everybody who has ever hurt us allows us to climb higher and faster. As the mind rids itself of this cancer we find that the Holy Spirit is able to also start healing some of the physical health problems that hate and resentments have caused. This level experiences the thrill of letting go of the tail in front of them. They experience the reality of the liberty that the law always intended. The change takes place first in the attitude. This level grows in maturity and soon realizes that the “pity parties” that they wallowed in start to diminish. The other four levels have very thin skins, because pride is there to try to cover up all the insecurities. The upper two levels have become thick skinned because the more that Agape Love dwells in the heart the more secure and whole they become. This level starts to focus less and less on “their own rights” and becomes more conscious of everybody else’s. The phrase, “take care of numero uno,” which is all through the lower four levels, loses its power at the upper two. This level becomes less judgmental and selfish. The other groups may appear to be unselfish but all of their giving is tied to the barter system. “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine!” This mentality is based on the principle of “What’s in it for me?” The first four levels are basically takers and the top two levels begin to be unconditional givers. Their gifts do not require an obligational response– they’re freely given, with no strings attached. The lower level thinkers, who judge others by their own motives (see Genesis 50:15-18), suspect this kind of giving to be some kind of a trick. It’s simply too good to be true, and this kind of love is away beyond their capability to comprehend, but the Holy Spirit’s job is to bring about this kind of change in all of us.
LEVEL 6:
Compassion or Spiritual Maturity
Here is where we really experience life in its truest sense. Mercy and compassion are the fruits of unconditional love, where all of our phobias are healed by the Holy Spirit. This is not just a form of love, referred to as “sloppy agape,” but deep sincerity and caring, the end of the superficial platitudes and the plaster grins. This is the highest form of freedom one can ever experience. It’s not throwing off the Ten Comm andments but entering into a harmonious coexistence with the holy precepts. We have become “atonement” with it because it is simply a paraphrase of what agape love is. Unfortunately, at the lower levels we could never comprehend its true meaning. At the lower levels, the laws were needed to keep us safe at each level of its application.
When we were babies we had to be carried across the street because our parents knew we weren’t capable of safely crossing the street on our own. As we grew, the process changed and we didn’t need to be carried; we had learned to walk. Soon we had to hold hands while crossing the street. That too, was for our own safety. Later, we were told to cross only at the corner and only when a crossing guard was present.
As our development increased we were instructed on how to cross by ourselves. We were told to look both ways and after doing so and seeing that there wasn’t a car in sight, we would run as fast as our legs could carry us, and we couldn’t get to the other side fast enough! The law was given to us and it was meant to be a blessing so it could keep us safe from ourselves.
The dictatorial organization wants to keep everybody at the level of hand holding (trunk and tail), because it’s safe and it doesn’t require any thought (the body sleeps and grows old from lack of exercise). Unfortunately, nobody can grow in that environment; we remain comatose (stuck on pabulum).
Hopefully, we will come to the level of maturity where we can understand the purpose of all those rules and can even appreciate why they were given and how they kept us alive long enough to appreciate their purpose and value. They were emergency measures needed to be applied in different ways at different times, yet there remains a right way and a wrong way to cross a street safely.
To this day we hardly give “the law of street crossing” a second thought. It has become a part of us. Since our rebellious nature has finally been brought into harmony with the requirements of the law, the Lord can safely say we are lawful not lawless. We can quote the text that says, “When I was a child, I thought and reasoned as a child, and when I became a man, I put away childish things!”
The Six Levels Experienced:
The Revelation of Truth
In the
Book of Deuteronomy we find that the Lord had just given the Ten Comm andments to the children of
We find
in Romans
When
I’ve shared these Six Levels of Moral Development with inmates at
I have taken the liberty to modify some of Dr. Kohlberg's concepts to what I feel better applies to the principles of the Bible.
When we first start our learning process as infants we are introduced right away to the law and the punishment. The road that must be climbed takes us from legalist to moralist. The Bible defines the two as carnal and spiritual.
We are told there are these six steps of development that must be climbed to reach spiritual maturity, where no longer is the law only written on the wall but is inscribed on our hearts. The law is an emergency measure needed to keep order until we can be trusted with the freedom that was originally intended.
The
best example that I can give, so that I won’t be misunderstood, is this: my
wife, Roxanne, my uncle and I were walking along the beach of Devil’s Lake
State Park in Wisconsin when we came up to a bunch of picnic tables that were
chained to the trees. There were signs on the trees that said, “Do Not Put
Picnic Tables in the
My uncle saw those signs and said, “Those signs up there tell you of the mentality of the people that they’re dealing with.”
The fact that the Lord would have to tell people not to kill or steal or lie, tells us of the immaturity level of those with whom He is trying to deal. Eventually the people in the parks can take those signs down and remove the chains when the people finally come to the point where they wouldn’t even want to put the tables in the lake. Any removal of the signs doesn’t mean that it’s now all right to put the tables in the lake. It means people have finally reached the level of development where trust and respect have taken over and vandalism no longer enters the mind. The phrase in the Bible that states that He will write His law in our heart simply means that by His Spirit, God will bring people to the point of maturity where they wouldn’t even think of killing anybody, even after the laws have been removed from the walls and out of sight. By His Spirit humans have been transformed from law-breakers (the attitude of a rebel) to law keepers (mature in their choices, with a spirit that is teachable).
All must make this journey up the mountain of education. At the base of this mountain as they prepare to climb the summit, they gaze up at the top and see how high they have to climb. As they start up, they find it very difficult, but manageable. Upon reaching the summit they see that what has been climbed is simply one of the foothills that has blocked the summit from view.
Again setting out to climb to the summit, they find upon reaching the top, that this is another ridge, also hiding the summit from view. This continues for six levels until the goal is finally achieved. While climbing each ridge it is noted that the path continues to get steeper and steeper. When reaching the different levels one could stop and turn around and see from where he has come. The lowest ridges look extremely simple compared to where he is now, but at the time it was very difficult for the raw abilities possessed at that time. With the accumulated experience, along with the strength and the endurance that came from extending himself, the lower levels wouldn’t be a challenge at all. It would be like reaching eighth grade and then returning to first or second grade. Probably the program, which previously took a whole year, could be completed in just a matter of hours.
The spiritual climb from conditional love—actually, it should be called hate—to unconditional love is equally as difficult. Just as in school we cannot skip these spiritual steps of development, and we cannot get there without being brought. Without the Holy Spirit the carnal nature will leave us spiritual dwarfs. I have noticed in the prisons that many, because of their rebellious attitudes, have never grown up to the maturity that their age should produce. These are the ones that need the rules to be put on the walls as a constant reminder, along with someone to police their behavior, otherwise known as the school-master, because they have never permitted the Holy Spirit to develop that ability.
Exposing the Levels of Spiritual Maturity
The Bible is very clear about three levels. The first is where the carnal heart is in open rebellion toward God. As we have pointed out in the section titled “Ground Zero,” we see in Romans 8:7— “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”—the carnal heart trying to avoid the consequences by lying its way out.
The second is where the Holy Spirit has been drawing the person closer to conversion and he is now willing to accept the correction that he deserves, but the Lord explains that more is required.
In 1
Peter
The carnal heart is very insecure and the lower on the moral development ladder that it is the more pride is on guard ready to defend itself. We find that those who are spiritually dwarfed are constantly playing Romper Room (preschool or kindergarten) with the devil. A person with a carnal heart feeds on lies and totally surrenders his “will” to words, allowing anybody and everybody to control him. So the saying should be revised to say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can totally annihilate me!” The carnal heart rejects the truth and is therefore constantly finding itself shipwrecked at the hands of the devil.
The converted heart has found freedom in truth and peace. The spiritual heart resists the lies that in the past would have brought defeat and now confesses everything to the Lord. This clears the conscience and prevents the extortioner from gaining a hold. Then the saying can be true that “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me!”
The spiritual maturity needed to reach this level is found in the “Love Chapter” of the Bible. It reveals the true humility that lets the saints grow in the love and acceptance that the Lord gives to His own. He mentions this in His “Peace that passes all understanding.”
Level 1: Legalism—The Beginning of the Lie
The legalist struggles to keep everything black and white. He clings to the letter of the law to try to find out what he should do. From very early in life when he was first introduced to the “law and the punishment,” he struggles to avoid the punishments. From our first day in school we are taught the rules of behavior. We’re told right away that if we are tardy we will stand in the corner. So the first day of school there’s always that one who must test the boundaries. Right after recess Billy wants a drink of water and by the time he gets to his room the tardy bell rings. Upon arrival the teacher promptly places him in the corner. He stands in the corner embarrassed and angry. The other students see what happened to Billy and are overwhelmed by fear.
They go home and tell their parents, “Billy had to stand in the corner and I never want to stand in the corner!” They obey on the outside but not on the inside because fear produces the heart of a rebel.
A few days later while the children are out on the playground the bell rings, ending recess, and to avoid being tardy, all the kids run for their classroom. In the rush the “mob” runs over a little girl and she sprains her ankle. By the time she gets to her room the tardy bell has rung, and she’s more upset over the fear of being tardy than from the pain in her ankle.
As soon as she appears in the doorway Billy is on his feet and pointing at the little girl in the doorway and saying, “Tardy! Tardy! She has to stand in the corner!”
The teacher, who is higher up on the moral ladder, sees the reason why the little girl is tardy. The teacher tries to explain to Billy why she shouldn’t have to stand in the corner, but Billy will have nothing to do with the teacher’s explanation. He says that the teacher is doing away with the rules. He tells the teacher that he had to stand in the corner for being tardy and if she doesn’t, “It’s teacher’s pet” or “Prejudice! And he’s never going to stand in the corner again!”
The teacher notices that the whole class is watching what the teacher is going to do. The teacher wrestles with truth, knowing that the child deserves to go unpunished, but fearful of losing control of the class. The teacher then decides it is better to punish one unjustly than to have to put up with open rebellion. The little girl is placed in the corner, to the satisfaction of Billy and the rest of the class. Society has been satisfied. Their need for consistency has been met. Meanwhile, the little girl is in the corner thinking to herself, “The law’s not fair, why bother to do what’s right? I wanted to obey the rules and look what it got me!” Another rebel has been produced by failing to stand for truth.
It was pointed out to us that Jesus is at the top of the mountain of moral development. I asked myself how He would handle the same situation. In His dealings with the teachers of His day, we find that if we really look closely they resemble the lowest rung of the moral ladder. Just like Billy, they came to trap Jesus with the woman that was caught in adultery. In the need to keep the rules black and white (the law and the punishment) there isn’t any room for the application of mercy. That is found on the fifth rung of a six-rung ladder. That frustrates the lower level thinkers because they haven’t had the Holy Spirit develop their abstract reasoning ability. It seems like one is attempting to do away with the law. To the legalist the law is where he finds his security.
When Jesus wrote in the sand, it is said that He wrote their sins. As I thought about that, I had to wonder what He wrote because He didn’t have enough time to write, “Matthew did this” and “Zacharias did that.”
In order to get mercy into the mind of the legalist, you must place him in the position of wanting mercy himself. Otherwise, he is so self-righteous he is blinded by his pride and even enjoys watching others being punished. He says to himself, “Thank You, Lord, for not making me like that person!”
In Revelation
Getting back to Jesus’ writing in the sand, what would you think Jesus would have to write to include everybody, something that would put them next to the woman that was caught in adultery? As I prayed, these thoughts started coming to mind. The men that brought her to Jesus had plotted against this woman to trap Jesus. Jesus would then probably write, “Since you knew your sister’s weakness and aided in her fall, all are guilty of adultery and all must be stoned! Now he who is without sin let him cast the first stone.”
It says that the oldest left first until all were gone. I can hear them all saying in the words of today, “Busted! Lord, be merciful to me a sinner!”
Billy was demanding that the little girl must be placed in the corner. He who hated every second that he spent in the corner would be expected to be the most compassionate, but not so! It was he who cried the loudest for her to be punished. How would Jesus handle Billy and all the others? He would probably write on the chalk board something like this: “Since all of you are responsible for spraining her ankle and causing her to be tardy, then all of you are guilty of being tardy, and all of you must stand in the corner!”
Because the carnal heart seeks to avoid the punishment that it deserves, the natural response of the class would be each member standing with bowed heads, moving one foot impatiently back and forth on the floor, and finally saying, “She can sit down.” By Jesus doing this act, He would not be attempting to do away with the law of tardiness. He simply would be breathing life and love into cold, rigid rules and rule keepers.
The Awakening of the Abstract Capabilities
We were
told at
Forgiveness is another vital key coupled with honesty and humility. These qualities working in combination through the power of the Holy Spirit can help us move rapidly through these steps.
Warning! The subtleties of pride can creep in at any time and can cause us to fall back down the mountain. A close and constant vigil must be kept or spiritual pride or over-confidence will render us helpless.
The
instructor at
The story that was given us goes like this: An elderly couple has been married for more than 50 years and they are more in love now than the day they were married. One warm sunny day they were out driving on an old dirt road. They were enjoying each other’s company along with the peace and solitude that this old back country road provided. They could see nothing but wheat fields in every direction as far as the eye could see. There wasn’t any sign of civilization anywhere. They basked in the privacy that they had found.
Suddenly there was a loud bang! One of the tires had blown and the car went out of control and ended up in a ditch on the side of the road. The husband was shaken up but his wife was critically hurt. She needed medical attention immediately or she could die. He carefully removed her from the car as quickly as possible in case the car exploded and burst into flames. He tried to make her as comfort-able as he could as soon as he got her a safe distance away.
As he scanned the horizon, he noticed that there wasn’t any help in sight. The privacy they enjoyed moments before now turned out to be their worst enemy. The husband was getting frantic as he helplessly stood by watching his wife slowly dying.
Suddenly he looked up and noticed in the field nearby an old farm truck. As he went over to investigate he noticed that the keys were in the ignition, the gas tank was full, the windows were rolled up and the doors were locked. As he thought about the truck he remembered the law says, “Thou shalt not steal.”
After watching his wife slowly dying he decides he must take the truck and get his wife to the hospital. He picks her up and places her in the bed, breaks the window and drives her to the hospital. Upon arrival they tell him that his wife will be fine, but if she had arrived five minutes later she would have died. This is the end of the story.
When we went into the first grade class and told the story the students said, “The man didn’t ask the farmer and he stole his truck. He has to go to jail!” We asked them where was the farmer? They would just shrug their shoulders and say, “I don’t know.”
In the second grade class the students recognized that the lady was injured but the same response followed as in the first grade class, “He took the truck and didn’t ask the farmer; he has to go to jail!” Again we asked where the farmer was. Again, they would just shrug their shoulders and say, “I don’t know.”
The third level has reached the level that they notice the value of life and the responsibility everyone has to try to save life. An example of this is that if a group of mothers were at a public pool with all of their children and a toddler fell into the pool right in front of another mother, and the real mother was on the other side of the pool the mother closest to the toddler is expected to pull the child out and not wait for the real mother to race around the pool and pull her own child out. The real mother would obviously be racing around the pool to her child but if the closest mother doesn’t act immediately the child could possibly drown if she waits for the real mother.
The same behavior is expected when there is an auto accident. The vehicles following or even pedestrians who witnessed the accident are obligated to call for help and offer any kind of emergency assistance they can until the professionally trained people arrive. (We must remember that this willingness to help can be taken to an extreme when we take it upon ourselves to make choices for other people when they are capable. If God doesn’t force His will on us, we must remember always to respect the right of “Free Choice” when applicable. God didn’t prevent Adam and Eve from sinning, He respected their right to choose.) Thus we can see a major growth pattern between the first group and the second.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a perfect example. Even though we are dealing with adults in the story, we can see clearly that age doesn’t guarantee spiritual growth. The religious leaders walked by because they were rule keepers and the true concept of unconditional love doesn’t fit into their rules. They focused more on details and less on true responses of the heart. The carnal heart is selfish and does things only that fit in with their best interests.
When we look at the Good Samaritan we can see how high he was on the moral ladder. He didn’t just stop to assist the severely beaten man on the side of the road; he allowed himself to be totally inconvenienced. He went more than the extra mile that Jesus spoke about, and he did it willingly. He took him to the nearest inn, paid for his stay, and followed that up with, “When this money runs out I’ll give you the rest when I return.”
He had reached the level of development where “Life is worth more than any material things.” He displayed true AGAPE LOVE at its highest level. There wasn’t any ulterior motive behind his assistance. As expressed in the Beatitudes, he gave without expecting anything in return.
The third level thinkers have reached the point where they see a need for the rules. Rules do have their place. If you disagree, try driving the wrong way on a highway during rush hours in a large metropolitan area and see if it doesn’t cause a problem.
The third level thinker is like Pontius Pilate in the Bible. He saw that Jesus was innocent, yet he decided not to make a stand for truth because he was afraid of losing his position. Whenever the rules conflict with truth, the pet phrase is, “I’m not here to interpret the rules; I’m just here to enforce the rules!” Or “That’s why we have judges.” The third level is usually slow to come to the aid of truth and common sense.
When we would present the story of the elderly couple and the car wreck to the level three thinkers they were quick to acknowledge the lady needed medical assistance; but then they would say that the man knew he would have to go to jail because he took the truck. They might even say, “Who knows maybe he’ll just get probation, but something must be done legally or else the people will think we’re condoning stealing.”
At level 5 mercy enters the picture. They go and tell the farmer the problem and he decides not to press charges. He tells the old man that he is glad that his truck was there to help save the man’s wife. He tells the old man that he would have done the same thing if he was in his shoes. He closes with, “Why should I have to pay for the broken window and the gas and the oil?” Here we see that the man has mercy but he still has selfishness. Unlike the Good Samaritan who gave without expecting to be paid back, the farmer, in this case, hasn’t reached that level yet.
In level 6 we find compassion mixed with mercy. I believe this is where we start seeing unconditional love in action. Here is where the farmer would say, “I am thrilled to know that my truck was available for you to save your wife. I would have done the same thing if I had been in the same situation and don’t you worry about the repairs to my truck and the fence. Go and enjoy the time remaining that you and your wife have together.”
Here we witness the Holy Spirit’s work in the development of a life for God! Selfishness and greed has been replaced with love of the brethren. Life has finally been given it’s rightful place at the top of the list of priorities. We sometimes see people fighting when there is a car accident. Everybody may be unharmed but the vehicles are destroyed. Here is where possessions are higher on the list than life. Instead of rejoicing that everybody is safe, our selfish and insecure nature wants to punish the person who was at fault. Beat them, hate them, but whatever you do, don’t forgive them, is the cry of the carnal heart. People will think I’m a fool if I forgive. They’ll think I’m condoning their behavior if I just forgive. Satan has the world bound up with walls of resentments and unforgiveness that prevents us from ever attaining the abundant life that Jesus has promised.
The old man would respond to the farmer’s gracious offer by telling him that he appreciates the fact that the farmer understands his situation and refuses to press charges but because the old man has grown and better understands what are the real priorities of life since this accident, he turns down the farmer’s offer that the damages have been taken care of. He tells the farmer that he will pay for the damages and all the expenses, plus here is money besides because his wife is worth more than any material thing. The man repays the debt, not out of obligation but simply from the heart. He has seen the truth that worldly things will come and go but life only comes but once!
We find in Psalm 37:21, “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.” Honesty and right-doing has filled the thoughts of those that the Lord has brought up the mountain to spiritual maturity. The happiness and the well-being of everybody fills the hearts and minds of all who have seen the truth of the unconditional love of God. They can now enjoy heaven while still here on earth waiting for the Lord’s return.
Totally Secure in Christ
If we look closely at the “Love Chapter” of the Bible we can see that it is devoid of superiority and inferiority complexes. Through it we can experience total freedom from the attacks of the enemy. We can see how far humanity has fallen since the garden and why we are so easily beset by every wind of doctrine that blows. We know we are hurting but to whom can we turn for help if everybody is equally sick and dying?
We need the Holy Spirit to give us that spiritual eyesalve so we can see the truth about the Father and His love for us. Until we can see the true character of God, we will treat people the way we perceive Him to be. There is a principle that states, “By beholding we become changed.” If we see God as severe, arbitrary, and unforgiving, that is how we will behave towards others and even ourselves. We will be cold, critical and intolerant. It is essential for our healing and spiritual growth to learn the truth about God and what love really is.
I found
that by sharing 1 Corinthians 13 with inmates and others, they are drawn by the
power and truth of it. The Scriptures give us a promise concerning Jesus, “And
I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John
We find
in 1 Corinthians
The examination is just two chapters away in 1 Corinthians 13 verses 4-7. Remember that this examination must be taken in absolute honesty. You either will score a hundred or zero. This exam is taken from the Living Bible translation.
4 “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud,
5 never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
6 It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
7 If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.”
If you have scored as I did you came up with a zero. The truth of the matter is that we are all hateful, selfish people in need of a heart transplant. I have heard many times that Christianity is a “crutch.” But I can’t see the need for crutches when my heart is terminally ill! If I am suffering from the cancer of hate in my heart, what good are crutches? When I realize that I’m slowly dying of hate and that I’m a “hate-oholic” and I can finally admit it and see my need and I seek help because I want to be cured, there is now hope for my recovery.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. This is where the Bible promises applied in their proper context come in. The good news is seeing that we are hateful creatures, bearing fruits of selfishness, impatience, unforgiveness, bigotry, and every-thing else that prevents us from enjoying the peace, joy, and happiness that can only be found in unconditional love. We want that kind of love; we search to get that kind of love from people, but the only problem is that we have to sow it to reap it.
How can a heart of hate sow unconditional love? Can a leopard change its spots or an Ethiopian his skin? Can an apple tree bring forth anything other than apples?
Can the carnal heart bring forth spiritual fruit without the Holy Spirit?
Climbing the Ladder of Spiritual Maturity
After I have given the examination found in 1 Corinthians 13 to the inmates, they see the beauty of the text, they see that they are looking into the eyes of Christ because He lived it. Because of His life, the text becomes a fact.
While being murdered He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” — “Does not hold grudges.” The woman caught in adultery was told, “I don’t condemn you”— “Keeps no records of wrongs.”
Do you feel you can trust a God who knows everything about you and would still treat you like that?
When I ask the inmates if anyone has ever loved them like that, they always say, “No.”
I ask them if they have ever loved anybody like that, including themselves? They say, “No.”
I tell them that they have to sow it to reap it. They must take responsibility for their actions and not blame anybody else.
I ask them if they would like to be loved like that? Would they like to be able to love like that? They say, “Yes” to both.
We have now admitted that we are hateful and that we would like to be changed from our carnal nature to spiritual. We then turn to Matthew 5:3-12. By admitting that we are devoid of love (and I mean AGAPE LOVE), we are admitting that we are spiritually poor. Bankrupt! Destitute! In need of God’s healing power.
The Great Physician looks at our hopeless case and gives us a promise. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The carnal heart is overwhelmed! The unlovable feels loved! It is more powerful than any drug and it doesn’t have any harmful side effects. In fact it destroys the hate cancer. It is addictive once it is experienced and there’s much more where that came from.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” We mourn because of our rebelliousness and that we believed a lie about the truth of our God. We saw Him as severe and cruel. We actually let Satan convince us that his character is God’s character. We mourn because our best Friend has been trying so diligently to win us back and we have kept hurting Him. Yet He’s still here, always expecting the best of us. He is always defending us, always believing in us, and loving us despite ourselves. He knows how we feel, and He comforts us.
This reminds me of my grandmother. When I was a child I could not be controlled by force. The more force that was applied, the more I rebelled and the more I would disregard any and every threat. I would do things only if I were willing to do them. My mother tried using force repeatedly but would end up frustrated. My maternal grandmother would use love and kindness and she could win me over and at least get me to listen.
One day my grandmother went to the store and left my older sister and me at home. The store was just a few doors away so she felt she wouldn’t be gone very long. But in that short time my sister and I got into a fight. We started hitting each other and running away after one of us hit last. Well as I hit her and ran away I accidentally knocked over one of my grandmother’s vases. When she returned we had cleaned it all up and were angelically sitting on the sofa watching television.
I was hoping she wouldn’t notice it, and maybe after a long time forget she ever even had it. That surely wasn’t the case. As soon as she passed the spot where the vase had been, she noticed the vacancy. It was a very large vase handed down from grandmother to grand-daughter for generations. My sister was going to be the recipient of it shortly. Needless to say the sentimental value was beyond description.
She asked what happened to her vase as she looked at us and then at me. She knew I did it; obviously my face revealed it. I told her that I knocked it over and that I was sorry.
She called me to her side and she knelt down, looked me in the eyes, and asked how it happened. I told her I was running and bumped into it. She didn’t say a word as she looked into my eyes; all she did was start to cry. I wanted her to beat me because then I would feel as if I had paid for the damage. But she just kept crying.
I stood there dying a slow death, hurting so badly inside. My mother would be beating me right now and I could handle that. The beatings would just make me wish I had broken more items. But this crying—what do you do with that? I would have gotten a tongue-lashing from my mother and I would have heard it for a long time from her, but my grandmother was silently crying.
Time seemed to stand still until she did something that won me to her forever. She reached up, grabbed me, and held me while she cried. I felt she was telling me that what I did was wrong and that the vase meant a lot to her, but I was worth more. She could see that I was hurting even more than she was.
I could take that experience and transfer it over to the text, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” What a promise! What peace that follows! The only release from guilt is forgiveness. My grandmother had my heart. She won it through sacrifice. She lost something very dear to her but won my undying admiration.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” I look at this meekness in the framework of a very secure, humble, and teachable spirit, willing to listen, very respectful, courteous, and kind. I believe that this is what is left after that experience with mourning, not a know-it-all anymore. We are free from that rebellious attitude that plagued us in the past. It has been replaced by an inner peace and strength because we KNOW how very much we are loved, accepted, and respected. That is the “peace that passes all understanding.”
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” I see many applications to this promise. I see a solution to the struggle in Romans 7:19– The things I want to do, I don’t do. Where in the past we didn’t want to do what is right, now by God’s Spirit, the desire to do right is there along with the power to fulfill it. I see a hunger to be changed into unconditional lovers just like God. By beholding we shall be changed!
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” This is where the healing starts. We need to couple this text with Matthew 6, verses 12 and 15. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” plus, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This is a call for healing and reconciliation. This is where the heart can be cleansed and healed. This is where the spark of love begins. Until we can love ourselves and forgive ourselves, insecurity abounds. We can’t love others as ourselves until we can love ourself as we are, where we are.
Jesus has shown us how much we are worth by His death. All self-esteem can only be found at the Cross. That is where we find our self worth. Possessions can’t do it; titles can’t do it. Only the truth of God’s undying, unconditional love can heal us. As we understand how much we’re worth we will value and respect others as He does us.
It is only after that healing session—where the Holy Spirit shows us all the areas where we must forgive and ask God’s help to pry our fingers off of the resentments that we’ve carried all these years—we can feel the freedom that God wants us to experience. Then all of the puppet strings that Satan has used to control and bind us will be loosed.
The most common cherished sin that I’ve come across is the breaking of the fifth commandment. Paul writes: “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“that all will be well with you. ” Ephesians 6:2 (NIV). We need to love our parents and respect our parents, but we don’t have to blindly obey them nor do we have to agree with whatever they do or say.
Satan knows the power of forgiveness and he dreads the thought of families reuniting. He dreads the blessing that will follow the people who turn to God for complete healing; happy families—dysfunctional people cured and functional. God setting the captives free! God wants us healed and happy. Forgiveness is the only way.
Satan tags a lie on the end of forgiveness so we won’t find the truth, the power, or the healing. He tells us that if we forgive, then we CONDONE! Society has bought that big lie and people are dying, families are estranged, and hate is running rampant because of it!
Our pride wants an apology and Satan knows that the person who did the wrong won’t apologize. That is why Jesus came to find us. He knew that the offended person must make the first move if there is ever going to be peace in the family.
Once the healing has taken place and we are no longer sprinting on Satan’s hamster wheel we are free.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” We have received a new heart and we are free from the nightmares that held us captive in the past. Today and tomorrow are ours to claim. We can be a blessing to the world and reveal the truth about the Father in the same way His Son did, by loving His children.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” We will be about our Father’s business visiting those that are in prison, feeding the hungry, doing the things that love can’t help but do. These are the fruits of righteousness. These things are done with a pure motive, no strings attached. Not for the fanfare of mankind, but because by beholding we have been changed.
The Proof Is in The Pudding
While substitute teaching I was sent to a high school. Upon my arrival I found that this school had a program called S.W.A.S.— “School Within A School.” This was a program where the gifted students could work at their own pace along with the students that couldn’t function in the structured system of the ordinary high school and had discipline problems. Here they had mixed the top and the bottom of the school academically speaking.
The students could attend the classes if they wished, or they could study alone. The head of S.W.A.S. had three classes joined together the day I was there because there were two substitute teachers that day, with my being one of them.
The instructor asked the students if they would like to participate in a moral quiz and those that didn’t were asked to leave the room. He told everyone that whoever remained had to participate, including the two substitute teachers.
He informed everybody that there weren’t any wrong answers, but each answer revealed what one believed. The test shows only the moral development the student is making. The quiz goes like this:
There are five characters in the story and one will be asked to rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the best and 5 the worst and then he must say why he rated them that way.
The five characters are: Mary, Harry, Slowboy (he has a speech impediment, meaning he stutters. Remember, Moses also stuttered.), All-American Boy Jim, and Playboy. The instructor said that every story has to have a villain and ours was Playboy.
Mary, Harry, Slowboy, and Jim are out sailing on the ocean one day. It’s a perfect day for sailing, great breeze, warm, sunny day, good friends, the wind and the mist in their face, flying fish swimming alongside the boat, plus peace and quiet except for the waves slapping at the boat as it cuts across them.
Harry, Mary, and Slowboy are up at the bow of the boat and Jim is located at the stern, standing at the helm steering the boat.
After a few hours Harry is alone with Mary and suddenly asks Mary if she would marry him. Mary tells Harry that she loves him as a friend but not enough to be his wife. She asks him not to let this hurt the friendship that she holds so dear and he tells her not to worry that he understands and he cherishes their friendship, too.
A few more hours go by and now Slowboy is with Mary and he attempts to ask Mary to marry him. With stammering words he says, “MMMMMary wwwwwill yyyyou bbbbbbbe mmmmmmmmy wwwwwwwwwife?” Mary looks into Slowboy’s eyes and tells him how much she loves him and how honored she is that he would even consider her to be his wife but she doesn’t love him in the way she would if he was to be her husband. She begs him not to let this come between their friendship because she loves him and treasures their relationship.
After awhile Harry and Slowboy are back at the helm taking turns steering the boat and talking while Mary is up at the bow talking with Jim, when suddenly to Mary’s surprise, Jim asks her to marry him.
Mary, with tears in her eyes, tells Jim that this is the happiest day of her life because she has dreamed of the day that Jim would finally utter those words. She accepts his proposal and they are officially engaged.
Time passes some more and Jim is back at the helm and Harry, Mary, and Slowboy are together again on the bow of the boat. They have been sailing in some uncharted waters well off the normal sailing lanes and they see these two deserted islands up ahead. The boat is in shark infested waters and they start seeing the dorsal fins breaking the surface all around them.
Without any warning the boat hits a reef hidden just below the surface and tears the boat in half. They cling to parts of the boat as the current and the surf keep breaking the boat into pieces. Fortunately, they are all washed up on the shore of two islands before the sharks can harm them but the boat is lost. Harry, Mary, and Slowboy have been washed up onto one island and Jim has been washed up on the other. The islands are close enough to each other that they can see each other but too far apart to try to chance swimming to each other because of the sharks. The roar of the surf prevents them from talking back and forth between the islands. Mary and Jim set up a vigil as they stare across the ocean at each other.
After a few weeks the people back on the mainland have called off the search planes and boats figuring that all have been lost at sea.
Six months goes by and Harry goes up to Mary and tells her that he knows that Mary’s heart is over on the other island but they may never be rescued and he still loves her and would like her to be his wife. She thanks him for still loving her but she tells him she chooses to wait for Jim.
Slowboy makes a similar offer to Mary and she responds the same to him that her heart has been given to Jim.
Five years pass and suddenly on the horizon a sail appears. The closer it gets they can make out the silhouette of a bunny head on the sail and as it gets closer a topless mermaid just under the bow. It’s Playboy! He navigates around the reefs and comes ashore by Harry, Mary, and Slowboy and they tell him all that has happened to them and that Jim is over on the other island and how they want to go home.
Playboy turns and looks at Mary and tells her that she has a choice. If she joins him aboard his boat for 24 hours for a “fun time,” then he will take her and her friends home or he will sail away without them.
Mary considers his offer and takes a long look at Jim and then decides she’ll spend the 24 hours with him on the boat. After the 24 hours is over Playboy returns to the island and picks up Harry and Slowboy and then sails over to Jim’s island.
Mary jumps out of the boat and they immediately start running towards each other. As the two come together Jim picks her up in his arms and twirls her around and tells her how much he has missed her and how much he loves her. She stops him and tells him that before he says he loves her she wants him to know that in order for her to be with him she had to spend 24 hours with Playboy on his boat for a “fun time” and does he still love her?
Jim puts her down and walks away and gets on the boat. Slowboy looks at her and then he turns away and gets on the boat. Harry walks up to Mary and tells her, “Mary, I still love you and I want you to be my wife!” The end.
The instructor told us to list the characters and tell why we rated them the way we did.
(This is a good time to test yourself before going on!)
It was very interesting listening to the different choices everybody had and why they rated the characters the way they did. Before I would rate the characters I wanted him to explain what the definition of a “fun time” was. He simply said a “fun time.”
As I thought about the “fun time” I figured that it can’t be what it appears because I can’t believe after spending that kind of a “fun time” with a guy’s girlfriend: one would then go and pick up the guy, especially, in shark infested waters. That just isn’t smart.
The levels of rating the five people are very close. It would be easy to rate some and then others could be a little more difficult.
With no wrong answers, I rated them this way:
1. Harry: His love for Mary was unchanging, His love was unconditional!
2. Mary: Her love was sacrificial for the betterment of all involved. She remained steadfast while on the island with Harry and Slowboy.
3. Playboy: He may not have had compassion but he was honest. Once Mary was on his boat, he could have sailed away. He kept his word! He gave Mary a choice.
4. Slowboy: His love was conditional. He turned and walked away after assuming the worst about Mary. He had offered to marry her and then, after turning his back on her, he accepted the boat ride back. Interesting?
5. All-American Boy Jim: His love was conditional, exactly like Slowboy’s only his commitment was greater! He was engaged to her. Yet he took the ride. He loved her virtue, but he didn’t love her.
After we made our selections he told us what a “fun time” was: Playboy had been at sea and he hadn’t enjoyed any female company in a long time. He knew that once Mary and Jim would be reunited that there wouldn’t be any chance of his spending time with her. He simply wanted to enjoy a quiet dinner and talk to Mary. He flew the colors of a Playboy, as many do, but it was just to avoid people laughing at him.
Accepting his offer, Mary was willing to pay the price of people thinking the worst had happened. When aboard the ship she found out that what she had figured the “fun time” to be wasn’t Playboy’s. She was greatly relieved but knowing that she had her love tested every day with Harry and Slowboy and proved her love for Jim, she took this opportunity to prove Jim’s love for her. So when she reached the island she told Jim what she had to do as it was presented to her. Needless to say, Jim failed the test.
The moral of the story is: do not judge a book by its cover. Playboy wasn’t as he appeared to be while looking on the outside, and the All-American Boy Jim wasn’t on the inside as he appeared to be on the outside. Plus a “fun time” wasn’t what it appeared to be either. So, when picking a mate, look for the Harry and the Harriettes; their love is unconditional. And may God’s indwelling Spirit change us into unconditional lovers, too!
Truth—The First Step in Spiritual Healing
Unconditional Love is the strongest medicine offered to a dying world. It is something that is so radical to the carnal heart that it cannot grasp it. Unconditional Love is a concept that the heart yearns for and then when it’s offered, the carnal heart suspects that it must be a trick. We’re told in the world that if it’s too good to be true than it must not be true. We want people to love us and the closer anybody gets to us to give us the love that we crave, we feel that we don’t deserve it and do all that we can to drive them away.
We always hear people talking about “fair weather friends” and yet if we look closely we’ll see anyone without the Holy Spirit is a fair weather friend. Conditional Love is the cause of “Fair Weather Friends.” I love you if...
I have never had any problems finding friends when I’ve been “good” or when I perform to their wants or expectations (demands), but when I really need them is when I’m “bad.” If you can love me when I’m “bad,” then I know you’ll love me when I’m “good.” When I was young I had the tendency to get into trouble more than I care to think about and it was at this point in my life that I understood that I had a desire to be loved unconditionally.
When we take a long hard look at all of the divorces, and then stop to check out the wedding vows, we see that in making the vows they are claiming to be unconditional friends and lovers. The vows are: “In sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, until death do us part!” We give these awesome promises or vows “lip service.” The Old Covenant was based on promises made by carnal people. How can a heart of hate, lies, and disrespect keep a law of love, honesty, and respect? The wedding vows are like Old Covenant promises, too! Some people stay married for decades because God commands them to. They stay married thinking they are obeying God when in reality they have been divorced for years. I wouldn’t consider the vows fulfilled when two people have been married, let’s use 50 years as an example, and shortly after that, one of them passes away, if the one remaining says, “I’m finally free of that overbearing, inconsiderate, jerk, and this is the happiest day of my life!” This proves that there is a definite problem. If both people involved can’t say with deep heart felt honesty that if they had to do it all over again that they would choose the same mate, then I’m sorry, they have been divorced a very long time because they have never been in love. They have been running through the motions and living a lie.
People are still in the carnal nature trying to earn God’s love by forcing themselves to obey rules so they can have eternal life.
I’m sorry but that is not obedience. I’ll repeat this because of its importance. True obedience is simply doing right because it is right without any rewards or punishments.
When growing up all I ever experienced was conditional love. In the church I would hear about God’s grace and how I should accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior followed by, “Be good, love God or go to hell!” This statement brought fear into my life and from there, rebellion. There are two “fears” in the Bible. The first is respect, reverence, or awe for God. The other is intimidation. One brings healing and reconciliation and the other produces rebellion. The latter fear is the greatest tool of Satan’s to get us to rebel against God.
Can you imagine standing at the altar on your wedding day when you and your bride have just exchanged your wedding vows, claiming to be unconditional lovers for life, and then in the next moment you turn to your bride and tell her,” Now I want you to be good (faithful), and love me, or I’m going to kill you!” The Lord gave divorce, but He said it was given because of our stiff necks, meaning our pride and unforgivable attitude, otherwise known as conditional love. We are told in the Bible, “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her.” Try holding any relationship together with force and threats and see how much love it generates. I’ve asked the inmates that join me in our study how many relationships they have maintained by being insanely jealous, threatening, and physically abusive? They have said, “None.” Yet every day I hear people telling others to choose heaven or hell. That is not the gospel message. The gospel message is the unconditional love of God! The proof that God is not a “fair weather friend” is revealed in the fact that “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
In the beginning God loved Adam and Eve. After the fall God loved Adam and Eve. God didn’t and doesn’t change. Perfect love doesn’t need to change. So then what was it that changed? It was the eyesight of Adam and Eve. They had willfully unplugged themselves from the “love (life) support system” and started to die. Their eyesight, under the influence of Satan, started seeing God as a despot. They ran and hid from God for no other reason than they believed a lie.
I find it interesting that how one reads the beginning of the Bible sets the tone through-out. How one interprets, “If you eat of the tree of knowledge you will surely die,” will influence the rest of the book. The question should be raised, “Is this a warning or a threat?” Some may try to say it’s a promise but that would still be a threat.
When the surgeon general says, that “smoking cigarettes can be hazardous to your health,” we take that as a warning but when God says it, it must be a threat! God didn’t say, “If you eat of the tree I will hunt you down and kill you” anymore than the surgeon general would say, “If you smoke a cigarette, I will hunt you down and kill you.” Both give warnings; both are facts. God doesn’t send an angel down to put cancer in your lungs when you smoke, it is a natural consequence. If we unplug ourselves from the love-support system then we become hateful, and hate kills itself. Hate consumes itself.
I find it impossible to love anybody that I’m afraid of. This promise has brought so much healing to me. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” Fear brings torment all right. Mental torment, anguish; it breaks down communication and with it goes any kind of a relationship. The relationship dies, communication dies and we die because we become prisoners in our mind and to our feelings. We die the slowest, cruelest death ever conceived, and it was thought up by Satan. He loves to torture us by manipulating and emotionally keeping us mentally bound up.
One of the things that I have found that Satan hates is the testimony of what God has done for one of His children! When testimonies are shared, other people, who are bound up and under the same attacks, find their way out, too! It takes a very much liberated person to bare their innermost thoughts, and that is exactly what the Holy Spirit does. He gives us the freedom not to worry about what other people think because the freedom one receives is greater than the pain that comes from being kept prisoner by what other people might think. This boldness then helps set other captives free and this is what makes Satan tremble. He knows that the ability to render him powerless lies in the power of the testimony! The testimony is what sets the captives free!
Our whole belief system that held us captive has been established on lies and guilt. What must be done to start the healing process is to build a new foundation that is founded on absolute truths! The danger that we will find in the beginning is that Satan will want us to “throw the baby out with the bath water!” If Satan can’t control us with his lies claiming that God is a despot, then his only alternative is to make us religious “hard liners” and “extremists!” Satan sets us up by telling us that, “if a little is good than a lot is better!” We must be focused on Christ or we will get out of balance. Christ wants us walking down the middle of the road while Satan tries to run us off into either gutter. It doesn’t matter what side of the road Satan drives us into because victory is only found on the straight and narrow path.
The greatest gifts that God gives us are His Son, unconditional love, and free choice! Free choice is another thing that Satan hates because despots need to control the thought processes and the actions of their servants. I know that God loves free choice more than life itself by the fact that He doesn’t want or need robots. Robots cannot return nor appreciate unconditional love.
The Love Chapter provides us with great insights into the Love and character of God and the absolutes drawn from this provide us with the foundation that we need for our healing.
The greatest revelation that I ever received came when I became engaged. This lady never became my wife, but I am very thankful that the Lord brought her into my life because she was very instrumental in some major areas where I needed healing.
It came about that my fiancé and four of her girlfriends were living in my main house while I lived in my guest house. One of her friends was moving out and needed help moving her piano. She asked my fiancé to ask me to help because she figured that if she asked me I might say “no,” but if my fiancé asked me, I would probably say “yes” (this is another way of showing us that we are “respecters of persons,” or conditional friends, our help or friendship depends on what’s in it for me.).
When it came time to move the piano into the back of the truck, I needed help. I asked my fiancé if she would go next door and ask my neighbor and friend to help me.
She told me “No,” that I should go.
I asked her again and again she said “No,” that I should go.
Each time that I asked her to please go, she refused, until finally I told her that I had to hold the piano or it would roll into the street. She told me that I should go and that she would hold the piano. I left seething inside and returned with my friend, and we loaded the piano onto the truck.
As I was joining my friend in the back of the truck, my fiancée said, “I’m really sorry you’re upset.”
I replied very sarcastically, “I’m sorry you didn’t get Bill (not his real name)!”
There wasn’t anything else said between the two of us. I just went through the day letting Satan fuel the fire that was simmering inside. Finally, it was evening and this is when my fiancé and I would sit in my spa and discuss any and everything that might have occurred that day. I arrived at the spa first and I started going over the battle plans in my mind. All the trash that the world had put into my head was being analyzed to be used in my defense. Pride had been wounded that day and it was demanding an apology! As I sat there I was gradually regressing from 35 years old to 5. Satan was reducing me to the sandbox and I was blindly letting him because it was “the principle of the thing.”
The principle of pride is opposite the principle of unconditional love, and while pride records every wrong and plots its revenge, unconditional love covers a multitude of sins and plots its way back into the heart to be reconciled!
I was taught in sales that after one has made “the close,” he is to say nothing more because he who speaks first after that, “loses!” I also figured out that my fiancé would somehow try to make this whole episode my fault!
She finally joined me in the spa and we sat there during a period of silence, so manipulation could have its way while the storm clouds of pride rolled in. She chose to sit on the opposite side of the spa from me, as the scene was being set for the battle that loomed ahead.
It was time now for the Lord to move because He knew I needed this great lesson in relationships and agape love.
My fiancé spoke and broke the silence. She said, “Today we had a problem.”
I told her, “I was very much aware of the problem.”
I thought to myself, “Well, since she spoke first, I’m going to win”, according to what I had been taught. But God had other plans for all the foolishness that I had cluttering up my brain.
She then said, “Today, you made a demand.”
I told her that I hadn’t made a demand but had asked her to do me a favor.
She replied, “It’s obvious that you don’t know what a demand is; God has given me the right of free choice to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and if you can’t take a ‘no’ without getting mad, then it’s a demand.”
I had planned on her trying to make today’s problem all my fault, but I never dreamed it was going to be like this. Again, I told her that I didn’t make a demand because I had said, “Please!”
She came back with, “It’s obvious that you still don’t know what a demand is; God has given me free choice to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and if you can’t take a “no’ without getting mad, then it is a demand. Just because you said please, just makes it a sugar-coated demand, but a demand none-the-less.”
What a revelation! I had never heard nor thought of anything like this in my entire life! After the smoke cleared, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper in my mind, “Love never demands its own way.” This was an absolute truth. It is as high as high, as wide as wide, and as deep as deep, with no loopholes! We are faced with only two choices: to accept it as truth and yield to it, or call it a lie and grieve the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit can only reason with us with truth, and if we call truth a lie, then the words are uttered: “Ephraim, is joined to idols: let him alone.” Hosea 4:17.
I told my fiancé that what she shared had had a powerful effect upon me, and I must leave because I had an appointment in my bedroom on my knees with the Lord. Here was the foundation for my healing. “Love never demands its own way!”
Freedom of Choice—The Building of Successful
Relationships
I realized something that night on my knees. I have read that Jesus, when He was in the garden before His death, prayed a prayer of submission, saying: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42. I can no longer accept His prayer as a prayer of submission. I see it much higher than that. Now I see mutual respect even between the Godhead for each other’s right to exercise free choice. That has changed my prayer life.
It has brought into context what it means when the Bible says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3. We fail to take into account God’s right of free choice. Instead, we demand our will to be done and just give lip-service to God by saying, “His will be done.” What we really mean is “Do it my way and now! Thank you.”
I now enter prayer with the Love Chapter in my mind, accepting the simple fact that I have limited tunnel vision compared to the Lord’s 360 degree vision. I can respect His wisdom for guidance even more now because of the comfort I get from just having the insight into His respect and desire for free choice. I appreciate the fact that He asks me what He desires me to do. He doesn’t demand it, even though He has the power to force me to do whatever He wants even against my will. But He wouldn’t enjoy my doing it because it goes against everything that He stands for! That is why Paul writes, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” “Free choice!” What a great God!
That night the Lord gave me an overview of how many times I have demanded my way. How I’ve abused relationships by manipulating situations with the word, “PLEASE.” It was brought to remembrance how I would tie it up with guilt and bring up all the favors and gifts that I had done in the past and that nothing that I had done in the past had a pure motive.
Did the fact that I had a carnal nature help any? Or the fact that I came from a dysfunctional family; a broken home with alcoholics? What about the rejections, the child abuse, the inferiority complexes, the coping mechanisms that are learned in the streets for survival? With all of these things working against me, the miracle of God’s love finding its way into my heart makes the miracle that much greater!
Look at how much healing we need when we’ve had all the years of Satan’s harassment and repeated lies formulating deep down into our brains, letting innocent things said by unsuspecting people to be totally misinterpreted, using each and every opportunity to drive us deeper under his control.
Yet, the Holy Spirit can still pierce through all the lies and start the healing process in motion. Without the knowledge of the truth of unconditional love all of our attempts at healing; just leaves us picking at scabs.
We must get to the core and remove the foreign object, drain the pus, rinse it with truth, and let the healing take its rightful course. Now we can appreciate the beauty of God’s law. His law of liberty takes on the true meaning that was intended. Freedom, joy, and peace are the results of a relationship built on love, trust, and respect, and they are ours to claim. Would you be happy in an atmosphere like that and could you be trusted to live in an environment like that?
The next truth that I have found to help me in my healing was an understanding of how Satan constantly replays all of the mistakes and bad choices that I have made. This is how he keeps me held captive. The Love Chapter states that “love keeps no record of wrongs.” That’s great news!
The Bible has recorded every wrong that man has done down through the ages. The Bible also states that our sins are cast into the depths of the sea by the Lord. I believe that the deeds of men are recorded because of the great Controversy between God and Satan. These records are being kept strictly for our use to assist us in casting our vote in God’s defense or Satan’s. God is on trial in the universe. He was accused of being a liar and that accusation can’t be answered and put to rest by a mere claim. It must be met with hard, cold, facts. Evidence, is the only answer to meet the accusations brought forth by Satan. The question remains: “Can God be trusted or is He really despot, like His enemies have made Him out to be?”
The issue that lies before us is not over who is the most powerful but who is telling the truth. If truth is based strictly on power then “might makes right.” That means that whoever has the most AK-47s (machine guns), is the one telling the truth. This is the issue that has to be settled. If God can just claim to be love and truth on authority alone, then we are in deep trouble. That would mean that God could tell a lie and by His authority alone command it to be truth. That kind of authority would scare me to death along with killing any kind of respect that I might have for God.
I believe that truth can stand alone apart from God and can be proven by facts, not authority. From the evidence that I have found in my life and by testing the Scriptures, as the Bereans, I find that God is in harmony with truth; He doesn’t dictate truth. The fact that He is so powerful and chooses not to force our wills but seeks to reason with us with truth and love wins my undying respect.
It is Satan that abuses authority and power. It is Satan that lies and refuses to answer accusations regarding his true motives. It is he who has to beguile rather than use truth and respect. It is he who would cast the blame of sin upon on God. Satan’s plan or philosophy is to tell the big lie long enough and loud enough so people will believe it. If there is terrorism and tyranny, then I guarantee that Satan is behind it.
Jesus came to reveal the Truth concerning the lies that Satan had used to imprison us. Jesus doesn’t keep records of our wrongs to manipulate us with guilt. He knows all that we’ve done and all that we’ve thought and still looks at us with eyes of compassion and friendship. It is Satan, who is “the accuser of the brethren.” The life of Christ, recorded in the Gospels, brings the Good News of how God treats sinners. He calls us back, wanting to heal us from the hate that is consuming us. He wants to free us from the lies and guilt that hold us captive. He wants to free us from the lies we’ve heard about Him that prevent us from getting close to Him and learning to trust Him. Faith, belief, and trust are all synonyms; they all mean the same thing and are what is needed in every relationship that is deep, meaningful, and committed.
Defusing Volatile Words
While in the Marines I kept encountering deep spiritual experiences. It is comforting to look back at The Lord’s leading and how He keeps pulling all the pieces of our lives together for our healing.
my schooling in the service I was assigned a bunk and lockers in a cubicle that slept four Marines. The man that I shared the bunk with was also from Chicago, a Puerto Rican. One day I asked him how to pronounce his first name. He caught me with an unexpected response. He said, “My name is Spic; say it.” I got this sick feeling inside that told me I’m in for a long afternoon. Where I’m from that is a “blood word,” meaning, say it and prepare for bloodshed.
I wasn’t looking for trouble, and I told him that I wasn’t about to say that word. I was only interested in how to pronounce his first name, and I was losing interest right then. He kept after me to say that word and now the whole squadbay was gathered to see if there was going to be a fight.
matter how hard I tried to get out of this situation, he wouldn’t let up, but kept right in my face. As soon as it started I began praying in my mind, narrating my feelings to the Lord about the limited amount of options I had remaining. It seemed that sooner or later, I was going to have to let him have it. I finally said the word “Spic,” to him, only to have him tell me to say it again, only louder. I figured it was time to just hit him because all that I’m doing is delaying the inevitable.
So, I said it again and he got a big grin on his face and said, “That’s my name,” and turned and walked away.
From then on he insisted that he be called, “Spic,” and would only answer to that name.
By that encounter he totally broke the racial tension in our squadbay. I really saw how the Lord had freed him from any of Satan’s harassment in that area. I saw how the Lord had moved in and took control in such an unusual way. At least for us it was unusual. This taught me a lesson on how the Lord can set us free with truth.
While growing up, I would always get into fights over the word “punk.” That was one of the main words where Satan really had control over me. I can see him now with his little electronic remote control box with my name on it, seeing how much enjoyment he gets out of pushing all of my buttons. He would have me tied up in knots before I even knew what hit me.
Then the Lord finally let me in on a secret. In my mind I heard the Lord ask me if the word “punk” bothered me and naturally I answered, Yes. He asked me why it bothered me, and I told him because I’m not a punk, and I’m not going to let anyone call me one because I don’t deserve it. He asked me if I was sure that I wasn’t one, and I told Him that I’m sure I’m not a punk. Then he asked me if I was so sure, then why am I giving that word the time of day? Why am I surrendering my will to words? I am the only one who can give those words power over me. He told me that I should surrender my will only to Him because He won’t abuse it. Instead of returning a curse for a curse, simply say, “I’m really sorry you feel that way. I’m going to pray for you, and someday, maybe we can worship Jesus together.”
In my mind I heard Him ask if it would bother me if somebody called me a “pickle?” Naturally, it wouldn’t get any kind of a reaction from me because I know that I’m not a pickle. The truth sets me free. He said that I shouldn’t worry about words and what people think or say because the only thing that matters is truth. If I know the truth and the Lord knows the truth, then nothing else matters.
One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, and when we let Jesus set us free from that electronic box of Satan’s, we experience a freedom at a level that most mortals can’t even comprehend. We experience emotional security beyond our wildest dreams. Jesus asked if I noticed Him panicking when they called Him, “Beelzebub?” Just because they called Him that, He didn’t suddenly become that demon. Jesus never let Satan pull Him into the sandbox. I can’t use this text enough to bring home my point, “When I was a child, I thought and reasoned as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
I asked Him how He could let them spit in His face. To make His point clear He had me recall some of my childhood experiences. He reminded me of the times when my mother and I were out in public and my face was dirty. How she would spit in her hanky and scrub my face. He reminded me of all the times I spit in my hands or in my glove while I was playing ball. He asked if my hands or face ever became deformed afterwards? I replied, “No, but that was done in love; they spit on You in hate!”
He said, “Oh, you have love spit ducts and hate spit ducts, would you mind showing them to me? Then I heard this song in my mind and it went like this—
My spit is greater than your spit!
My spit is greater than yours!
I’m so superior, ‘cause you’re so inferior
My spit is greater than yours!”
The next question that I heard was, “When you change a baby’s messy diaper and you get it on your hand, do you cut off your hand? If they spit on me a million times, if on the millionth time they accept me as their Messiah it was all worth it! All he would have to do is wash it off. Where there isn’t any pride, there can’t be a problem.
I sat there, numb. God’s ways are definitely higher than man’s. It is true—we do make galaxies out of atoms because of our pride. Let the Lord cut the puppet strings that Satan uses to control you. Let Him defuse the volatile words that so easily beset you. Ask the Lord to set you free so you can grow up and become a spiritually mature Christian. I have found that by just having this information available gives me a leg up when it comes to handling Satan’s attacks. In the past he would over-run the camp, but now I see him in flight more than he ever used to be. It’s made my life a whole lot more bearable and the inmates can say, “Amen,” to that, too!
Standing in the Gap
Intercessory prayer is vital for deep spiritual healing. In the Marines, I was placed in the Radio Battalion. Our jobs varied, but primarily we were the ones who would carry the radio on our backs while out on patrol. The life expectancy for a radioman in combat was somewhere around three seconds. The enemy primarily engages when the number ratio is in their favor. In order to keep the numbers in their favor, they have to cut the communication lines. The radioman has the ability to change the ratio at a moments notice. Therefore, the primary target is the man with the radio.
The men with him while on patrol know that their safety depends on the life of the radioman. Their job is to keep him alive at all costs if they are to return alive.
The spiritual war is no different. The enemy engages when the numbers are to his advantage. Jesus stood in the gap for us to keep the lines of communication open. He is our relay system.
I tell the inmates that because of free choice the Lord can’t come to our defense unless He’s invited. If God would just think and act without our invitation, we would become robots and the freedom of choice would not exist. God never forces Himself on anybody; He stands at the door and knocks.
When the radioman puts the radio on his back because duty calls, the reality of the text that “greater love hath no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends,” is experienced. As soon as the radioman keys his transmitter, the enemy has the capability to use geometry to locate the source of the transmission and wipe it out in seconds.
Satan does the same thing. When we key the transmitter or pray to the Lord, Satan sends his forces against us. When we “stand in the gap” and invite the Holy Spirit into the lives of those that Satan has, we free God’s hands to enter in and start the courtship. Satan will come against God’s radioman and try to have us get angry at God and throw the radio away. Remember, standing in the gap is a life and death issue, like Job, who was diligent in his prayers for his children, yet he took heavy losses. It appears though he lost some battles, but we see that he won the war. The intercessor’s commitment must be like Job’s, “Lord, even if You slay me, still will I trust You!”
Spiritual healing takes “homework.” I give the inmates an assignment before I leave. I tell them to go back to their dorms and pick out three people that they can see who need the Lord. They must pray for them three times a day. The first must be Satan’s primary disciple, meaning, “By their fruits you shall know them.” It is going to take him awhile to ripen, so we are going to have to be patient with our crop. The other two that they pick should be a little riper. This will strengthen their faith as they watch the miracle of prayer working right before their eyes.
The first thing that takes place during that week is that though they detest the men that they are praying for, after a few days they notice that there has been a change in their own hearts concerning their attitude towards those inmates. The Lord must remove the self-righteous attitude that we have before He can work in the other person’s heart. Let’s just say, that this is God’s way of removing the static in the lines so we can have better reception.
The Lord can get us to pray for all the people who have offended us, then we will become like Him because while hanging on the cross He prayed for His enemies. Jesus didn’t let hate take over, He chose to continue to love them for as long as He could draw breath.
In the Marines the highest compliment that you can give is to tell someone that you would be proud to share a foxhole with him any day. Jesus not only said that He would be proud to share the foxhole with us, but He also smothered the live hand grenade with His body so we could continue to draw breath in His behalf. Will you participate in the homework assignment? It is an assignment due each day. Will you take up the radio and stand in the gap for your enemies?
Setting the Captives Free
When we keep records of wrongs, Satan keeps us imprisoned in the past. He keeps us living a nightmare and riding on his emotional roller coaster. In order to be free from these attacks we must ask the Holy Spirit to help free our minds and emotions by using truth. If we have done wrong, we need to address it. We must call it by its right name and then not blame anybody else or make any excuses. Simply admit the truth of our mistake and ask God for forgiveness. This is what Adam and Eve failed to do; they blamed God instead of admitting the truth. God can only heal us with the truth, He wants us to come out of denial and admit that we need help.
If we look at the story about the man with palsy in the second chapter of Mark, we see in verse five that Jesus forgives the man’s sins even before he asks. This shows that God is forgiveness personified, that He loves mercy and not only claims to be merciful but demonstrates it, too. His words and His deeds are one and the same. He doesn’t just claim to be love he proves to the universe that He is love by how He treats His children that have gone astray.
If God has already forgiven us, even before we ask, we can be confident of the promise, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. This must be coupled with the text that if we won’t forgive others their trespasses then He won’t forgive us our trespasses. This is the choice that must be made for healing. Satan knows how vital this decision is. Let’s call this the “Devil’s Crossroads,” because this is the difference between being free and remaining a prisoner to Satan and to all of His emotional/mental attacks.
We need to realize that the carnal heart keeps records of wrongs and the computer mind can call it up repeatedly at the whim of Satan and the only release from his puppet strings is our choice of wanting to become unconditional lovers like our God instead of being bound up and imprisoned in Satan’s “House of Horrors.” With the help of the Holy Spirit the will chooses to give up those cherished sins of resentments that so easily ensnare us. Through the help of the Holy Spirit we can finally leave Satan’s amusement and experience emotional security and the abundant life that is promised us in Christ.
One by one the Holy Spirit brings to mind the painful experiences of our life and asks us to forgive or to acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness. Each time, we tie up and resolve each issue and close it up (throw it into the depths of the sea) we start to live. This organizes the clutter that is in our attics. Disorganization on the outside often reveals disorganization on the inside. This isn’t easy to write because as I write this, the Holy Spirit is revealing areas in my life that I still need to address. I see my desk at work and my dresser at home and even my computer desk as I type, areas that need to be addressed. Is the Holy Spirit revealing any areas of unforgiveness in your life as you hear this read or as you read this? Address it, settle it, and receive the peace of mind and the satisfaction you get as the strongholds of Satan’s are torn down.
When
the Holy Spirit has led you through these healing sessions, you will have
claimed the promises, step by step, in the Beatitudes, in Matthew, chapter five, you can receive your “New Heart” daily. Then when the extortioner comes to dig up the past, you can confidently
say, “Get behind my Satan, for you are the accuser of the brethren and the
father of lies and I know that my Redeemer lives and He has set me free from
your lies, and now I know the voice of my Lord, and He brings me conviction and
comfort, not accusation and guilt!” Jesus clears the conscience of guilt.
Now we
can choose real love instead of hate. Don’t forget to forgive yourself in the
process! Do not leave the extortioner any ground. God
does not want us trapped in the past with guilt and regrets. We are
nonproductive to Him in that state. Too often Satan keeps us hostage with guilt
or even worse, false guilt!
Perhaps
your mate is an alcoholic and all he does is belittle you. They are proving the
law correct, they are loving you as they love
themselves. They may even try to blame you for their drinking! Adam blamed God
for creating Eve. So, do you expect the carnal heart to produce any other fruit
than carnal fruit? That is false guilt when battered wives believe that they
deserved getting beaten! Another example of false guilt: Children who are
abused, sexually or physically or mentally, believe they were at fault! We
constantly hear victims saying, “If only I was better then my parents wouldn’t
fight” or “I didn’t do that then they wouldn’t have to beat me all of the
time.” It doesn’t matter whether it is real guilt of false guilt, take it to
the Lord; He will heal you of both. Let the Holy Spirit deliver you from the
hands of the enemy. Ask for wisdom as James 1:5 counsels. Test all things; let
the truth set you free.
This ties in with commitment. In sales I frequently had to
go to training meetings. I found that most successful Sales Seminars have used
the principles of the Bible, but have dropped Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So I
just mentally put them back in and get wonderful sermons and leave spiritually
blessed. One of my favorites—and I have many—deals with guilt and commitment.
It points out that the mind can find more ways to load itself down with guilt and then become “non-productive.”
Most meetings now-a-days always have “buzzwords.” Commitment and non-productive were the buzzwords that were stressed. Let’s see if our understanding of the Bible gets any clearer from this seminar?
This seminar just happened to be put on by three men, which I find to be either coincidental or providential, whichever the case may be. Let me describe for you the gentlemen that hosted the seminar. There was an older man, a much younger looking man. They split the responsibility of teaching the class. In addition, there was another very large gentleman that always remained in the back of the room and they addressed him as John.
The older man opened the class before turning over to the younger man. All three men were equally interested in helping us become successful in whatever avenues our hearts desired. The first hour he had to set up some rules that had to be strictly adhered to for the class to be successful. The class met one day a week for six weeks. He told us that we had a problem and the problem was “ Commitment.” He shared with us that if we really wanted to be somewhere, we would prioritize our time to be there; that we would do everything within our power to fulfill that desire, such as our wedding day. We wouldn’t permit any other plans clutter up that block of time that we have set up for that special occasion. Death or medical accidents outside our control are the only things that could get us to miss this event.
He then proceeded to ask the group of about 500 people if they had any plans that would stand in the way of these next six appointed days? Some people did and they asked them to go and get their money back and withdraw from the course until a later date when they could free up those six days and take the course then.
Next,
he asked the group if they would commit and hold “sacred” that time slot and
barring death or accident, promise to be at the auditorium for the next six
weeks and be “early.” Everybody committed! Sound familiar?
After we committed he told us that the classes would be broken up into 50-minute classes and each class would start on the hour and end at 10 minutes to the hour. During the break, we were instructed that were to use the phones, restrooms, or partake of the refreshments that they provided, but the doors would be closed right on the hour and they would promptly begin the next class. Anybody left outside when the doors were closed, would not be allowed back in unless they were “scrubbed” by John. Again, we had to “commit” to being on time or face the consequences! Again, we agreed.
After that short 20-minute example of prioritizing and commitment, we received a 30-minute lecture, “Guilt Being Non-productive.” He stressed how we load ourselves down real or false guilt and totally reduce our production or usefulness. The example that he used had to do with a man at the office who calls in sick to go play golf. While out on the course, all he can think about is all the work that he should be doing at the office. So, needless to say, he shoots a terrible round of golf. Why? Because his concentration wasn’t on his golf game.
The next day at the office he has another non-productive day because all he can think about is what a rotten round of golf he just played. So out of a five day work week he had only three productive days. What was the cause for his non-productiveness? Guilt! So the answer to the equation is: guilt equals non-production or G=NP.
What is the solution? Rather than lie and a call in sick, thereby stealing from your boss and yourself, plan to take the day off, rest, relax, or play golf and then come back and have four productive days and guilt free. Don’t feel guilty because you took the time off because even Jesus took His disciples away to be refreshed. So we all agreed that guilt is non-productive.
(Think about how Satan beats us up and says, “And you call yourself a Christian!” How much witnessing do we do when Satan knocks us down? Satan uses guilt to stop us from witnessing. The guilt makes us non-productive for the Lord’s work.)
After that session, we received our first 10-minute break and when the 10 minutes were up the doors were closed and the class started without about 10% of the class. They were late and the doors were closed. All of us, that were safe on the inside, couldn’t understand how approximately 50 people could forget to be on time in just 10 minutes? We were sitting there feeling so self-righteous and mentally superior and also very thankful that we weren’t out there with John, behind those double doors, getting “scrubbed!”
Finally, the doors opened and the 50 “lost sheep” came into the room and we all turned to see who the guilty ones were. The older man called them all up to the front by him and while they were all standing there looking at us, he asked us if we wanted to know what being “scrubbed” meant?
Unanimously we all said, “Yes!” He then turned to one of the 50 that were standing by him and asked if they had met John? And a lady said, “Yes.”
He asked her to give her testimony to the group and this is what she said: “I couldn’t believe when I had returned from using the telephone that John was standing in front of the doors and refusing to let us in. I stood in disbelief that 10 minutes had passed away by already. John then asked all of us if we were ready to be “scrubbed?” And hesitantly we all said, Yes.
“He then asked us if we had promised (made a covenant) to be back on time? We told that we had. He then asked, “How do you feel?” We answered, “We feel guilty and embarrassed.” He then said that we didn’t learn anything the past hour, because guilt is non-productive! He then asked if we would like to “recommit?” We all said with a sigh of relief that we would. Then John let us back in, scrubbed clean.”
I sat there in awe as the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear, the Holy Spirit convicts and comforts you; Satan condemns and drives you to despair.
Friend, are you ready to commit (consecrate)? Are willing to rely on God’s power and love to keep you committed?
Are you willing to let the Holy Spirit free you from the mind-games with which Satan has held you hostage? Are you willing to let go of the hate and anger and receive a new heart, new desires, and pure motives? Are you ready to live for truth and come out of denial?
Do you long to be loved unconditionally? Unconditionally, doesn’t mean “license to go on sinning.” It means that you come to Him as you are, at your worst, and while we were yet sinners—carnal—dying from the effects of the dreaded disease...hate; He came to show us how valuable we are to Him. If you do desire that love and mercy and are equally willing to share it with others, then meet John (the Holy Spirit) behind your closet door and let Him scrub you, so He can open the doors of those pearly gates and welcome you home to take your rightful place with the family of God. There you will be received like a new born child...the new born child of the Great King. He is waiting to announce the new birth of the long awaited arrival and write your name upon the scrolls of heaven. May the Lord bless you and keep you true to your decision.