In which maybe I need better eyes

by Craig on January 5, 2012

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A little bit of reason, intellect, modern thought…
every miracle can be explained…
the people in the day of Jesus were all sick, not demon possessed.

God was invented by primitive people who had no explanation for the wind, the weather, the lights in the sky, life or death. It absolved them of uncertainty, and personal responsibility.

But we’re past all that now.
All of that was primitive.

Stick with me please.
I’m going somewhere good with this.

Even Paul admitted that it’s okay to believe as a child when you’re a child but when you’re an adult you put away childish things. (1 Cor 13:11)

There comes a time when we have to put away such a simplistic childlike faith. Right?

But what about, what the man we believe to be God, said…

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. (MK 10:15)

And this…

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Love believes

But let’s be honest…
believing that a man…
was God…
and died…
and after three days being dead in a dark musty tomb…
ran about like a frisky lamb, alive…
and after a few weeks floats up to heaven.

That’s primitive thinking.

That’s crazy talk.

That’s foolish.

But…

“…the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.” (1Cor 1:25)

“…God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise” (1Cor 1:27)

And is it that we, by virtue of our proud “modern” thinking are…

“…always trying to learn but never able to reach a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim 3:7)

We believe because there is evidence.
We believe because we have a relationship with God.
We believe because we choose.

But we refuse to let faith take wing, unrestrained…

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…because we don’t want to seem simplistic.

What if I were to get a little…primitive…with my vision?

I’d keep an answer ready for those who think I’m being too primitive in my thought.

I’d be able to confidently say, after years of thinking, that nobody, none of us, know nearly as much as we think we know. All the technology, and science, and grown up thinking ever taking place, in all of history – is confined to a ridiculously fragile and tiny speck of dust, spinning in the universe, just barely protected from the ravages of space.

The entirety of humanity’s wisdom doesn’t change the universe one. little. bit.

If that comet that plunged into Jupiter a few years back instead hit us…
there would be no evidence left of this acquired knowledge…
or us even we who thought of it.

And this better vision wouldn’t be to go overboard…
it wouldn’t see everything as spiritual only…
because life is a magical interweaving of time and eternity…
a mystical mix of material and spiritual.

So this new vision would see earthly realities mingled with spiritual reality.

Who can claim beyond shadow of doubt that a virus, the insipid little thing that it is, is not… a demon?
Who can prove that the chemical brain imbalance that creates depression isn’t caused by the demonic?
Who can unassailably state that everything material doesn’t have spiritual running through it?

Who can say with complete certainty that those “primitive” people looking for reasons to explain things didn’t stumble upon the eternal truth – that there is a little bit of spiritual behind everything material in this universe.

So today I name my year…

I name it on Deep into Love

would you consider clicking over there to read the boldest choice I could have made?

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

Stacy January 5, 2012 at 10:14 am

This was good! As a species we’ve lost so much as we’ve developed our sophistication. Just look at us running around stressed, miserable, always seeking the quick fix, and the next “high.” Then take a look at a “primitive” culture (I’m partial to the Navajo because I’ve done a couple of mission trips out there) and look at the smiles. These are people who are happy without…stuff. Tell them the story of Jesus and they are amazed, astounded, awed, humbled, and they believe easily.

On the flip side of this, I’ve also noticed a big difference in how the enemy attacks. When I was with the Navajo, one of the things that was a huge shock was just how close to the surface Satan’s attacks were. When we were sharing the gospel one night at camp we could hear a medicine man singing to try and stop God’s influence. Those of our group not involved in the program immediately began prayer-walking the site…and all but two of the children ended up dedicating their lives to Christ. My husband and the local pastor also spend one long night trying to drive what they believe was a demon out of a teenage boy.

That kind of thing just doesn’t happen around here. We’re too sophisticated. Too worldly. Too smart. We poo-poo the whole idea of spiritual warfare. But you know what? Satan just brings it to our level. There is always one more thing to do in our already crammed schedules to keep us away from God. There are television shows, music, movies, and more that keep our minds racing along too fast to have a quiet moment with God. Children’s soccer games are scheduled on Sundays so we miss church. We’re so tired…God will understand if we sleep in…just this once. Everywhere we turn someone is screaming “It’s all about me!” and we buy into it. There was a TV movie a few years back that depicted Satan as a handsome man in an Armani suit. I think that’s pretty accurate in our culture. We’ve gotten more sophistcated so he’s gotten smoother, sneakier.

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Craig January 5, 2012 at 11:00 am

WOw – just wow. what you said about the Navajo – I’ve heard that same thing about people who are missionaries in Africa or South America – where things are so much more simple – and the attacks are so much more direct. Maybe the evil one and his minions are having so much success with subtle attacks in our culture, they don’t need to resort to the direct ones. anyway – everything you said – AMEN. Thank you, and God bless and keep you Stacy.

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thefisherlady January 5, 2012 at 10:32 am

Craig…aren’t we are so blessed in our nations to have so much at our fingertips… And the freedom we have to study God’s word and share together, indeed we are so blessed!
Speaking about getting primitive… I so enjoyed a video from a friend’s blog. Oh do watch the expressions on the children’s and adults’ faces as they experionce the story of the Gospel for the first time… it had me weeping.
In our unprimitive nations I would long to see people so moved by God’s gift to us… I am spending time on my knees for our people. Oh that we might all hunger and begin with a childlike faith and let it grow to maturity, for His Kingdom.
May this year be “Deep into Love” for all God’s people.
God’s grace can do this
Blessings dear friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kb8hdxz-Sk&feature=share

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Craig January 5, 2012 at 11:05 am

Tina,THAT Tina ツ – there are good things – look at how quickly we can find a Bible verse, and the amount of teaching that’s out there – good teaching – is amazing, and fellowship that we can have that crosses the globe because of the inter-webs, I wouldn’t know you if we weren’t bloggers! There is so much good – and as time goes on, it seems evil keeps pace. I once fought against “primitive” belief – I wanted to be an intellectual believer – I think maybe simple is better. Anyway, thank you Tina, and God bless you!

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Dawn January 5, 2012 at 11:40 am

Dear Craig,

I began at Deep Into Love and came over here. When I read you were going to become more primitive, I wondered what that meant. Now I know.

Being a nurse, I was intrigued by what you said about disease:

Who can claim beyond shadow of doubt that a virus, the insipid little thing that it is, is not… a demon?
Who can prove that the chemical brain imbalance that creates depression isn’t caused by the demonic?

I had just written a column for our local newspaper for Nurses’ Week (Florence, Faith and Fever), finished reading a book by Bruce Lipton entitled “The Biology of Belief” and I had an appointment with my physician for a physical exam. My doctor, Doogie Houser, (he really looks like he is in high school, Craig) is a committed Christian, superfine doctor and humble intellectual who will toss around ideas with me. At my appointment I said, “Did you ever think that maybe germ theory is really not true? Perhaps what causes disease is not a germ or a virus. You know, like there are always firemen at fires so firemen must cause fires… Silly, but maybe that’s what is going on with germ theory. Maybe the germs are just bystanders in the process.”

He looked at me as if I had just lost my mind, but I can’t put this out of my mind because there is a whole other dimension than what we see with our physical eyes right now and we should not close our minds because our eyes, wide open, can’t see it. I like that you are going to make this a year where you are challenging yourself to see beyond what you can see. I am with you.

Great post!
Dawn

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Caddo Veil January 5, 2012 at 11:58 am

This is great stuff!!! Really glad I visited today (first time) after stopping at Deb’s Blog. Thanks for the encouragement! God bless you richly.

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Craig January 7, 2012 at 8:09 am

Caddo, thank you for clicking over from Debbie’s – and thank you for your kind words. I took a quick peek at your blog – I think I like reading it – I’ll be swinging by again soon – and I’ll leave comment type words ツ God bless you richly as well!

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Craig January 7, 2012 at 8:05 am

looks like you and I have a slightly – SLIGHTLY – different theory of disease. I’m thinking that if angels can take the form of a human – and we know that from Scripture – then maybe they can also take the form of a virus, or a bacteria. Or maybe it’s just that viruses and bacteria are the results of a broken world – and it started with one virus, and one bacteria after the Fall – and then has been multiplying since. You’re the medical mind – I’ll leave that theory development in your capable hands ツ. I’m really glad I know you Dawn – I just finished watching your namesake come over the horizon ツ God bless you!

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Debbie January 6, 2012 at 7:47 pm

I love your deep thinking. I just don’t have it in me. So there I was following along and saw where it was going . . .and had to laugh. Going on over to Deep Into Love to find out. You’re sneaky. . .in a good spiritual way. :)
Loved the comments too! Thanks everyone!

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Craig January 7, 2012 at 8:14 am

I keep telling you that your simple poems are awfully deep! And I think it’s true that some of us like to dig, and dig, and dig – like I can take forever on one word – it’s my own little brand of spiritual craziness. I heart the way you take the lessons from Scripture – and make your not so “simple poems”. As log as we’re digging into the correct ground – it doesn’t matter how deeply we dig – it’s the same blessed biblical stuff. God bless you Debbie! And yes – the one blog led to the other today – sometimes these things just kind of dovetail into each other – just like these two aspects of my spiritual brain dovetail – and why, even though it’s really hard to keep up two blogs – I can’t get rid of either one – nor can I blend them together – they’re different.

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Debra January 7, 2012 at 4:07 pm

Wow, Criag, wow! We had a term for this kind of writing, this kind of message, in the charismatic world: “Anointed ;-)” This comes from having spent time in His presence and learning His ways. This is not spoken by flesh and blood only, but by the Spirit of Life and Wisdom that dwells within you. You are doing some digging deep; and thanks for sharing these treasures you’ve found in this earthen vessel.

One thing He showed me is that children don’t raise objections to the improbable. They haven’t yet been taught realism and the scientific method as the pathway to knowledge. In their innocence, they still hear the bell and believe that all things are possible. Mark Twain once said, “We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that the savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we have gained by prying into that matter.” Likewise, children in their raw innocence haven’t yet lost their sense of wonder. And they intuit that sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see. That’s why Jesus said that unless we change and become like little children, we can never enter the kingdom of heaven.

We have to return to our childlike believing in order to become who God intended us to be, and unlearn much of what we’ve been taught by the experts, that we may enter into His kingdom. Leo Tolstoy stated. “The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.”

Thank you!

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Craig January 15, 2012 at 5:43 am

if we’re close to our Lord – we all get “anointed” at one time or another. I’m sorry, by the way. Debra, for replying to your comment so late – I read it – but didn’t get to replying till now – and I apologize. And there is a name for the way you write too Debra – erudite – that’s how you write. So wise. I heart reading your words. And this “simple” thing – it’s hard for this mind that wants to think, and think, and overthink – this will be a challenge to believe so simply – a good challenge. Thank you Debra, and God bless you my friend.

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Debra January 7, 2012 at 4:13 pm

I know how to spell your name. It’s C-r-a-i-g. Pardon typo above ;-(

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