A new word I've coined!
(Verb) meaning: the act of seeing through the eyes of lust. This could apply to how I view myself, my wife, my neighbor's wife, other people in general, etc. It is when I view myself and others only in terms of sexuality and sexual performance. For example, do I see myself as a sexual object, basing my identity in part on how well I "perform" with my wife? Do I see other women as objects to be classified according to categories provided to me by the cesspool of pornography?
Just a few thoughts . . .
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Some Favorite Quotes on Knowing God
Brennan Manning, Lion and Lamb: the Relentless Tenderness of Jesus.
"Religion is not a matter of learning how to think about God, but of actually encountering Him" (13).
"For a disciple of Jesus the process of spiritual growth is a gradual repudiation of the unreal image of God, an increasing openness to the true and living God" (14).
"Christianity happens when men and women experience the unwavering trust and reckless confidence that come from knowing the God of Jesus" (18).
"It does us little good to memorize chapter and verse, to master the language of the Bible, if we have nothing to share in that language, no experiential knowledge of God in our lives" (26).
Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God.
"For me, the life of faith sometimes consists of acting as if the whole thing is true" (88).
"The New Testament epistles tell us that love for God, which means acting in loving ways toward God, nurtures the relationship and leads toward growth. I do not get to know God, then do his will; I get to know him by doing his will" (89).
"God wants instead a different kind of knowledge, a personal knowledge that requires a commitment from the one who seeks to know him" (117).
"The journey does not transpire like a treasure hunt, such that if we follow the instructions and look hard enough we will find the treasure. No, the journey itself is the goal. The very quest for God, our determined pursuit, changes us in the ways that matter most" (120).
Mike Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality: God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People.
Quoting William McNamara, "I stake the future on the few humble and hearty lovers who seek God passionately in the marvelous, messy world of redeemed and related realities that lie in front of our noses" (9).
"Spirituality looks like whatever you and I look like when we’re thinking about Jesus, when we are trying to find Jesus, when we are trying to figure out what real Christianity looks like in the real world" (26).
"Jesus cares more about desire than about competence" (31).
"Begin a relationship with Jesus, and we’re going to get in the same kind of trouble Jesus did" (48).
"Our personal relationship with Christ is often the only apologetic we can offer. Our lack of knowing is the beginning of humility and the very essence of the spiritual life" (52).
Eugene Peterson, Leap Over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians.
"We can’t be human without God . . . we can’t get away from God; he’s there whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not. We can refuse to participate in God; we can act as if God weren’t our designer, provider, and covenant presence. But when we refuse, we’re less; our essential humanness is less. Our lives are diminished and impoverished. And it is just this sense of lessness that gives us an important clue to understanding ourselves. We’re aware of something we need or lack most of the time. We’re not complete. We’re not fully human. This sense of being unfinished is pervasive and accounts for a great deal that’s distinctive in us humans. We then attempt to complete ourselves by getting more education or more money, going to another place or buying different clothes, searching out new experiences. The Christian gospel tells us that in and under and around all of these incompletions is God: God is who we need; the God-hunger, the God-thirst is the most powerful drive in us. It’s far stronger than all the drives of sex, power, security, and fame put together" (6).
A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy.
"What comes to our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us" (my translation!)
"Religion is not a matter of learning how to think about God, but of actually encountering Him" (13).
"For a disciple of Jesus the process of spiritual growth is a gradual repudiation of the unreal image of God, an increasing openness to the true and living God" (14).
"Christianity happens when men and women experience the unwavering trust and reckless confidence that come from knowing the God of Jesus" (18).
"It does us little good to memorize chapter and verse, to master the language of the Bible, if we have nothing to share in that language, no experiential knowledge of God in our lives" (26).
Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God.
"For me, the life of faith sometimes consists of acting as if the whole thing is true" (88).
"The New Testament epistles tell us that love for God, which means acting in loving ways toward God, nurtures the relationship and leads toward growth. I do not get to know God, then do his will; I get to know him by doing his will" (89).
"God wants instead a different kind of knowledge, a personal knowledge that requires a commitment from the one who seeks to know him" (117).
"The journey does not transpire like a treasure hunt, such that if we follow the instructions and look hard enough we will find the treasure. No, the journey itself is the goal. The very quest for God, our determined pursuit, changes us in the ways that matter most" (120).
Mike Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality: God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People.
Quoting William McNamara, "I stake the future on the few humble and hearty lovers who seek God passionately in the marvelous, messy world of redeemed and related realities that lie in front of our noses" (9).
"Spirituality looks like whatever you and I look like when we’re thinking about Jesus, when we are trying to find Jesus, when we are trying to figure out what real Christianity looks like in the real world" (26).
"Jesus cares more about desire than about competence" (31).
"Begin a relationship with Jesus, and we’re going to get in the same kind of trouble Jesus did" (48).
"Our personal relationship with Christ is often the only apologetic we can offer. Our lack of knowing is the beginning of humility and the very essence of the spiritual life" (52).
Eugene Peterson, Leap Over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians.
"We can’t be human without God . . . we can’t get away from God; he’s there whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not. We can refuse to participate in God; we can act as if God weren’t our designer, provider, and covenant presence. But when we refuse, we’re less; our essential humanness is less. Our lives are diminished and impoverished. And it is just this sense of lessness that gives us an important clue to understanding ourselves. We’re aware of something we need or lack most of the time. We’re not complete. We’re not fully human. This sense of being unfinished is pervasive and accounts for a great deal that’s distinctive in us humans. We then attempt to complete ourselves by getting more education or more money, going to another place or buying different clothes, searching out new experiences. The Christian gospel tells us that in and under and around all of these incompletions is God: God is who we need; the God-hunger, the God-thirst is the most powerful drive in us. It’s far stronger than all the drives of sex, power, security, and fame put together" (6).
A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy.
"What comes to our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us" (my translation!)
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