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What Is That Ringing In My Ears?

Posted by Jim Thornber on December 8, 2009
Posted in: Publishing, Worship. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

Abraham’s patient obedience is starting to irk me. He did not own any land, nor had he personally received any as an inheritance, but lived as a tent dwelling nomad, moving from place to place. He waited twenty-five years to see the son God promised him, and never really possessed the land God said his children would inherit.

I keep wondering how Abraham could remain so patient in his obedience. We live in a society that grows impatient if it takes too long for the coffee to brew in the morning, much less wait four hundred years for escrow to close on our new property. Still, Abraham went to Canaan possessing nothing but faith. He didn’t know where he was going, didn’t have a house when he arrived, didn’t own any land to build upon and didn’t know anybody who lived there. It kinda makes you wonder why he would go in the first place.

However, Abraham “when called . . . obeyed and went” (vs. 8).  The phrase “when called” translates an action indicating a quick response. In other words, while the call of God was still ringing in his ears, Abraham was packing his bags and moving west.

When was the last time I obeyed the word of God while the sound of His instruction was still ringing in my ears? Continue Reading

Eleven Days to Rest

Posted by Jim Thornber on November 25, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” — Mark Twain

Eleven Days to Rest

I was reading Deuteronomy the other day, and I had trouble getting past verse 2 of the book before this passage started to bother me and my mind started to wander off in a different direction. (Maybe it is just me, but sometimes my mind has a mind of its own.) Verse 2 says, “Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea” (NLT).

In other words, a simple journey that should have taken about two weeks took thirty-eight years (they had already stayed two years at Mt. Sinai – Numbers 1:1). It made me wonder how many times I’ve over-stayed my welcome in one place because I murmured, complained and doubted God’s word. I’d hate to count.

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God Is Thinking Of Me?

Posted by Jim Thornber on October 20, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Spiritual Gifts. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand”— Psalm 139:17-18

ThinkerI like the honesty of King David. Up until verse sixteen of Psalm 139, David is contemplating ways he could hide from God. (I’ve done that – I just don’t readily admit it.)

Then David realizes that there is no place in the Universe he can go to avoid God.  He even concludes that God knew Him and counted all of his days while he was still forming inside his mother’s body. After meditating upon all of this, David finally says, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” As this Psalm clearly shows, the thoughts of God have been resting upon David, and David tells us that those thoughts are more numerous than the grains of sand (vs. 18).

Think about that. God has more thoughts about you than there are grains of sand on the earth. And those are precious thoughts, not angry, disappointing thoughts.

God is thinking about His creation, and His thoughts are precious as they pertain to man—so precious, in fact, that God has chosen to crown man with glory and honor (Ps. 8:4-5; Heb. 2:7) and to one day set his stature eternally above that of heavenly beings.

When we truly understand that God is thinking precious and positive thoughts about us, and even wants us to live crowned with glory and honor, not burdened with sin and shame, will it change our way of life? Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Isaiah 1:3

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 15, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

I Don’t Know How Good I’ve Got It

“Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care – but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them” – Isaiah 1:3 (NLT)

ConstitutionI did not get up this morning intending to write. All I really wanted to do was check my e-mail and a few sports scores, and then settle down and read some nice, comfortable, soothing, spiritually uplifting and self-esteeming Scripture. Why I chose Isaiah is beyond my understanding.

As you can tell, I didn’t make it past verse three. At first, I wanted to ridicule and scoff at Israel for not knowing their God and forgetting everything He has done for them. The Lord rescued them from their Egyptian masters, gave them a land overflowing with abundance, established a lifestyle of worship and peaceful existence with their God and continually protected them from their enemies. In response to God’s marvelous care for them, the Israelites show a tremendous lack of gratitude and turn their backs upon Him (Isaiah 1:4).

After I finished thinking bad thoughts about a group of people who died 2,700 hundred years ago, I started to consider the many ways this verse speaks of my life. In how many ways do I not recognize God’s care for me? It didn’t take long to compile a list.

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Singing The Same Old Song

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 8, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 9 Comments

Singing The Same Old Song

“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.” – Psalms 96:1

Old MusicYou know the Holy Spirit is on your case when you’re zipping along, joyfully reading Scriptures, feeling good about yourself and your relationship with God, when suddenly you come across a verse that smacks you in the head so hard your feet ache. This verse did that to me about two minutes ago.

How, you may ask, can such a sweet, uplifting, joyful and inspiring verse bring you such misery and pain? Easy. It’s been a while since I’ve sang a new song, and I sense God telling me its time to change my tune.

I feel like my prayer life is in the rut of seeking the same things over and over and over. I’m getting so tired of praying the same old song (“Lord, guide me to our next ministry. Help my book find a publisher. Lead me to a job that pays well enough that my wife won’t have to work. Give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning other than going to work to sell plumbing parts….”) that I’ve mostly given up on prayer.

You’ll notice, of course, that my prayer life is mostly about me. My ministry. My job. My book. Continue Reading

A Lost Soul

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 4, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

I’ve been reading Henri Nouwen’s book The Return Of The Prodigal Son (Image Books, 1994). He has a passage in the book which just wrung me out this morning. And, since I like to share Scriptures That Bother Me, I thought I’d also share some “Nouwen That Bothers Me.” Enjoy.

What happened to the son in the distant country? Aside from all the material and physical consequences, what were the inner consequences of the son’s leaving home? The sequence of events is quite predictable. The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world.

It goes somewhat like this: I am not so sure anymore that I have a safe home, and I observe other people who seem to be better off than I. I wonder how I can get to where they are. I try hard to please, to achieve success, to be recognized. When I fail, I feel jealous of resentful of these others. When I succeed, I worry that others will be jealous or resentful of me. I become suspicious or defensive and increasingly afraid that I won’t get what I so much desire or will lose what I already have. Caught in tangle of needs and wants, I no longer know my own motivations. I feel victimized by my surroundings and distrustful of what others are doing or saying. Always on my guard, I lose my inner freedom and start dividing the world into those who are for me and those who are against me. I wonder if anyone really cares. I start looking for validations of my distrust. And wherever I go, I see them, and I say: “No one can be trusted.” And then I wonder whether anyone ever really loved me. The world around me becomes dark. My heart grows heavy. My body is filled with sorrows. My life loses meaning. I have become a lost soul

What really strikes me is the statement, “Caught in this tangle of needs and wants, I no longer know my own motivations.” Caught between needing to provide for my family, wanting to see my book published, needing to see my gifts used in the Church, wanting to contribute to the Kingdom of God….“I no longer know my own motivations.”


But I know the One who does. And when I am done running around the distant country looking for what I want to be when I grow up, He is always there to welcome me home with open arms.

Previously posted Dec. ’08

Scriptures That Bother Me — Philippians

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 3, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” — Mark Twain

My Problem With Paul

Paul in Prison by Ben Long

Paul in Prison by Ben Long

I’m starting to avoid reading the book of Philippians. Well, let me back up.

Have you ever noticed that when people read the Bible, they tend to read it from the perspective of their current situation or circumstances? For instance, if you are sick, then you start to notice all the Scriptures relating to healing. If you are poor, you see the abundance Scriptures, and if you are in prison, you focus on the passages that relate to feeling confined. I’ve felt like a prisoner myself lately, so I’m starting to avoid the book of Philippians. Yes, the whole book.

Please understand – it is not that I dislike Jesus. Jesus is still my Lord and Savior (much to the surprise of a few people who know me, I’m sure). The problem I’m having is with Paul and his whole joyful attitude theme. It is starting to get on my nerves, because sometimes I just don’t WANT to be joyful. I feel it is my RIGHT to complain about my circumstances, and I want a group of sympathetic ears to gather around me, pat me on the back and tell me it’ll all be “okay.” Instead, I read the book of Philippians and in place of a pat on the back, I get a kick in the pants.

The book of Philippians bothers me for a number of reasons. First, Paul is writing the Philippians from a Roman prison, just as he previously wrote to the Ephesians, Colossians and his good friend Philemon. I’d probably be writing my lawyer.

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Scriptures That Bother Me — Matthew 14:28-30

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 31, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 27 Comments

Laughing at Peter

“‘Lord, if it is you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said . . . But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” – Matthew 14:28-30

peter_crux1Last night a friend invited me to a men’s study at his church. I usually don’t go to men’s groups, but this man attends my Friday night group and I wanted to support him.

In the course of the evening, we began to talk about Peter. Someone labeled this preeminent Apostle of Christ “Peter the Water Walker,” and every time someone said it, it generated a laugh. The conversation then recounted all Peter’s failures: sinking in the waves; the desire to build shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus; denying Jesus during His trial; separating from the Gentiles and hanging out with the Jews. The consensus was unanimous – we don’t want to be like Peter.

The tone of this conversation began to bother me, for it is contemplating Peter’s failures that give me such comfort in my own walk with Christ. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — John 1:35-39

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 27, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

They Are Not My Disciples

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”­ – John 1:35-39

Two items bother me about this passage. One, the disciple-making process is a catch and release program. And two, it takes a bit of faith.

But let’s back up. For four hundred years, there has not been a prophet in Israel. Then John shows up, and he’s pretty weird. While wearing camel skins, eating locust legs and living in the desert, John stirs up trouble by calling the religious leaders to repent. Naturally, this behavior draws not only the ire of the religious, but also a crowd and a few disciples.

But John knows his place. John knows that he is God’s instrument to point the way to the Christ, but he is not the Christ. John knows he is not the Word, but his words reveal Jesus. This, of course, begs the question, “Do my words reveal Jesus, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world?” Not always, but I’m getting off my point.

John knew how to make disciples, and he knew they weren’t his to keep. A wise friend of mine said that Christian discipleship does not come when a person receives salvation. Rather, discipleship comes when you make a friend and take them with you on your journey with Christ. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — John 12:3-6

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 24, 2009
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

How To Talk “Christian”

“Mary took . . . an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. . . But Judas Iscariot objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?’ He said this because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what as put into it.” – John 12:3-6

Reading this passage reminds me of why I hate Christian clichés.

Judas, in his desire to line his pockets with the disciple’s money, says the religiously acceptable thing when he talks about giving the money to the poor. However, in order to hide his true motives, Judas mouths a frequently used yet thoughtless statement that sounds good to the listening ear but betrays the truth.

To the casual observer, Judas’ statement appears to be closest to the mission of Jesus, but in reality, his motive is furthest from the heart of Christ. That, to me, is the definition of a Christian cliché.

I’m confessing to you that I’m bothered by how many “religious” statements appear full of compassion and dedication, but are actually self-serving and furthest from the loving kindness of God. After sharing my crankiness over Christian clichés with some Facebook friends, I’ve compiled a short list of our least favorite Christian sayings. Feel free to add your own, but I warn you; just thinking about some of these can put you in a bad mood.

  • “Bless her heart.” This is the quick follow-up after sharing some bit of gossip about “her.”
  • “I’ll pray for you.” It sounds so religious and spiritual, but we can all count the number of times we’ve said that and failed to follow up on it. Continue Reading