faith

Don’t Drink the Transmission Fluid

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Vincent Van Gogh, Tree Roots, July 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Our little tree never stood a chance. The other trees in our neighborhood flourished, grew, thrived. The crab apples flowered in spring, beautiful and vibrant. These trees were well rooted in good soil with plenty of water.

Our tree was planted in the same soil. It got the same water. I believe – the plot our neighborhood was built on having once been an auto salvage yard – our tree’s root system tapped into the transmission of a 1962 Ford F100 pickup truck buried deep beneath our front lawn.

I’m pretty sure 62-year-old transmission fluid would have an adverse (poisonous) effect on the nourishment and health of a tree. Trees weren’t created to get nourishment from refined petroleum products. They need to take root in good soil with the right amount of good water.

In the same way, we need to be rooted in Christ. It is through the indwelling Holy Spirit we receive strength through Jesus and His love to live our lives as God wants.

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. – Colossians 2:6-10 (ESV)

In Jesus – and Him alone – we find our strength. But we have to walk in Him to truly experience His peace, grace, mercy, love…

How do we walk in Jesus? Here are some thoughts:

  1. Fix your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord fully. Completely. 100%. Even when it makes no sense. Trust in God. Rest in Him. Let Christ be your solid foundation.
  2. Fix your priorities on Him. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, ESV). Pray. Constantly and consistently. Read – study – the Bible. Let God speak to you through His Word and prayer. Be open to the Lord. Listen and follow His leading.
  3. Fix your eyes on Christ. Remember Peter walking on the stormy waters to reach Jesus. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when he turned his attention to the storm raging around him, he started to sink. He called out to the Lord Who saved him. Immediately. Even when the circumstances look dire, don’t look away from Jesus. God is Truth. Our perceptions are not always, for we are limited by our humanity. Better to leave it all with our Father God Who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
  4. Fix your mind on the Lord. Develop the mind of Christ. Paul instructs us what and how we should think: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9. ESV).
  5. Fix your heart on Jesus. Love the Lord above all. Realize – well, as much as we faulty humans can – the height, length, width and depth of His love for you. He died for you. You. He’s with you always. You. God’s gifts are wonderful. He’s our Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Provider, Healer, Guide… The best gift of all is that the Lord gave us is Himself.

Find your strength by walking with Christ. In doing so, you will find your soul rooted deep in God. And, frankly, there is no better place to put down roots than in the good soil of God and His Word.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© 2024 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.

How Great is the Love of our Father!

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)

God owes us nothing. He created us. We are His.

Thankfully, our God is a gracious, merciful Father. He doesn’t just love us. He is love. And perfect love – which can only come from God – casts out fear (read 1 John 4).

When we begin to grasp the immensity of the love of our Abba, Father, and His never-changing steadfast love, the fears and worries of life begin to shrink. When we choose to trust God, we realize He is far and above our circumstances. When we see the Lord for Who He is and worship Him wholeheartedly, seeking Him first and foremost, we begin to understand that our lives are indeed in His hands, and there is no situation where we should fear.

God owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. Yet He loves us. Trust in the Lord’s love. Trust in Jesus. And praise Him with thanksgiving and joy – ALWAYS!!

The Simon Peter Principle

/ Chris Courtney / 1 Comment

I’m learning today that I have a long way to go.

It’s one thing to know it. As a Christian, I realize sanctification – the lifelong process of God working in us to grow us closer to Him and in His holiness – is just that: a process.

It’s another thing altogether to feel God telling you: you have a long way to go.

I find myself trying to fix my problems. I’m fine, I can do this. Right?

yeah… no.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels like I do. I struggle with a lot of fears.

Failure.

Rejection.

Humiliation.

Loss.

Friends marathons on TV.

I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights lately. I’ve been so focused on my stressful situations that I forgot the true Peter Principle. Not the Laurence J. Peters management book, but the Simon Peter Principle.

You’re most likely familiar with the account of Peter walking to Jesus on the stormy sea (Matthew 14:22-33). Peter wants so bad to please Jesus. He loves Him. And everything is going fine, until..

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:30-31 (ESV).

I’m embarrassed to admit it because, over the years, I’ve taught this Scripture more times than I can count. And I still face these fears.

I need to remember to keep my eyes on Jesus, not on the storm. I have to trust God in all things, at all times.

Even when the storm still rages, He has ahold of me.

Even when the stress grows, God is still in control.

Even when the fear compounds, I am safely in His hands.

Today – Easter Sunday – the Lord reminded me of what He did for us.

He reminded me of the Simon Peter Principle: keep my eyes on Jesus, knowing He has me in His grasp, and will never let me go. He’s in control of the storm, and the boat, and the entirety of our circumstances. I may feel like I’m going to drown, but I’m not.

He reminded me He is the only source of good.

He reminded me I don’t need to understand what’s going on in my life. I just need to trust Him.

He reminded me of His miracles – water to wine, providing the coin in the fish’s mouth to pay the tax, knowing the woman at the well having never met her, healing after healing, sight to the blind, strength to the lame, feeding tens of thousands with one child’s lunch, raising Lazarus from the dead, raising Himself from the dead, ascending into Heaven… He reminded me He can handle my little problems.

He reminded me to let go of my pride.

He reminded me that, even if I can’t feel His presence, He is still with me.

He reminded me my struggles are His way of growing me.

He reminded me to walk by faith, not by sight.

He reminded me His Word is Truth, not the world.

He reminded me He loves me.

And, by the way, the same goes for you. For those of us who love God, He is with us. He is greater than our troubles, our fears, our weaknesses, our pain, our sorrow, our cares…

Just trust God.

The Gift of Unimaginable Price

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

The first Good Friday felt anything but good.

I try to imagine it, but I can’t. Any one of the events Jesus faced in the 24 hours before His death would have been too much for me. Betrayed. Abandoned. Humiliated. Arrested. Unfairly tried and convicted.

The torture Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans… I won’t recount it here. The fact that Jesus even made it to Golgotha alive is astounding. The brutality of it all is too much to even imagine. The pain Jesus – perfectly Holy Jesus Christ, untouched by sin – went through to take on my sin…

But the worst had to be the feeling of being abandoned by His Father.

Put it all together and you have the reward of sin. Unimaginable pain. Loneliness beyond belief. Humiliation. Sorrow. Death.

But when you look at Jesus taking all of that sin for us.

For me.

For you.

That is the reward of love. We don’t deserve it. But it is a gift. We can’t earn love. But Jesus gave us the gift of love on that cross. It is free, yet far more precious than anything on earth. It is a gift beyond price.

I cannot imagine how Jesus felt on that first Good Friday. But I have to try, so I can understand the great price of His gift. Jesus Christ – God incarnate – gave us Himself. Willingly. Without a second thought. He took on the unimaginable, so we don’t have to. He made a way for us that would be otherwise utterly impossible.

The first Good Friday felt anything but good. But just wait until the third day.

Through the Fog

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Ian Furst, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” – Luke 24:34 (KJV)

Curae quae meum animum divorse trahunt

That is the Latin definition of the word “cares” in Luke 24:34. The phrase translates to “cares that distract my mind”. Cares is just another word for anxiety. And anxious thoughts definitely distract our minds from focusing on God.

The problem is simple: when we worry, we’re saying we don’t trust God. We’re saying, “God, I realize you are sovereign over all. You created everything. You sustain everything. You set the stars and intricately designed all life.

Including mine.

But – and, yes, the big “but” often leads us to the problem – you don’t understand what I’m going through. You know everything, but my limited knowledge tells me to be afraid. You’re all powerful, but my issues are beyond your abilities. You’re everywhere all the time, and your Holy Spirit lives inside me, but I’m facing life all alone.

If you stop and think about it, anxiety is very irrational. We choose to believe in what we see and perceive because we don’t trust in God’s love, grace, wisdom, strength… We see life our way, not His. We believe what we see as rational.

We become “overcharged” with worry. When you were a kid, did you ever rub your feet on the carpet to build up static electricity, then touch someone else for the sheer joy of shocking someone else with your finger? Anxiety and worry are like that: a buildup of fear that needs to be discharged from our minds.

The collection of anxious thoughts creates brain fog. We have a difficult time seeing through the thick haze of fear. We can’t see the Truth for the troubles we perceive.

Luke warns us to “take heed” – to not allow the cares of this life to overtake our thoughts. We have to choose who we’re going to trust. Are we going to believe our limited understanding of our circumstances when those beliefs run counter to what God says? Or are we going to trust the Lord wholeheartedly and take him at His Word.

I find I frequently have to fall back on my old standby passage of Scripture when I’m facing anxiety: Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV)

4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Always – ALWAYS – be filled with joy in The LORD. Not circumstances. Not the things of the world. But in God because He has us. He is sovereign over everything, including me and my life. If I can’t feel prescence, it dioesn’t meean He isn’t with me. If I perceive impending trouble, I need to embrace God and His Word and put my focus on our Father and His Word and His promises, not my limited understanding.

 5 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; “Let the world see your gentleness – which is reasonable for Christians, for Our God is with us always. The Lord is near!

6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Always rejoice. Never fear. Don’t worry about anything. Instead take everything to God in prayer, choosing to trust in Him and thanking Him for His care and concern, knowing your problems are now in God’s more-than-capable hands. Cast your cares on God, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). 

7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We don’t have to understand what we fear. We shouldn’t be wasting time and energy twisting and turning in our doubts and fears. When we believe God and take Him at His Word, we can have His peace. We don’t need to react to our circumstances. We need to trust in God. Just trust in God.

8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” This is where our minds need to be. Not distracted and bothered and throttled by our fears, but focused on God in faith, knowing He will see us through any and every circumstance we face.

If that’s not good news, I don’t know what is.

Palm Sunday: Misunderstood Triumph

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment
Pietro Lorenzetti (1280–1348), Untitled, known as Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. From the collection of
La Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi, Assissi, Italy.

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. – Mark 11:1-11 [ESV]

__________________________________________________________________________

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” – Matthew 21:1-11 [ESV]

_________________________________________________________________________

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. – Luke 19:28-40 [ESV]

_____________________________________________________________________________

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” – John 12:12-19 [ESV]

________________________________________________________________

Messiah has come! Rejoice! Our Saviour is here.

The Jews were expecting a military overthrow of their oppressors. They didn’t realize Jesus had come to overthrow our real oppressor: sin.

He came to bring freedom, but not like the people expected.

He came to make a way back to our Father. He came to save us.

By the end of the week, there would be violence. But not from a coup.

Today was a day of misunderstood celebration. They missed that Jesus was riding on a humble donkey, not a noble steed. The palm fronds beneath the colt’s feet – a sign of victory – were being trod on by humility.

Jesus is indeed King. But what He gives His people is so much more, so much grander, som much more valuable, that anything we can imagine.

We misunderstand sometimes, too. That’s why we to seek Him first and foremost, in all things, and trust in His will and direction, not our own.

Family Affair

/ Chris Courtney / 1 Comment

By National Cancer Institute – This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2716 (image) (next)., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24036618

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)

A dear friend of mine once shared with me something his great-grandmother used to say: “Family should live far enough away that they need to dress up to see each other.” While I can’t tell you I exactly agree with her sentiment, it still makes me chuckle.

Family politics can be tough waters to navigate. Nothing stings like familial strife, disagreement, disappointment, insults or ill-treatment. As family, we should always have each other’s backs. It’s hard to do that when one feels that’s where a loved one has stuck the knife.

Squabbles and quibbles are commonplace in many families. Just because people share DNA doesn’t necessarily mean they always share values, worldviews, ideas, ideals… If anyone believes the Cleavers, Bradys or Waltons exemplify real family life, they are sorely misled and naive.

Here’s the thing, friends: we are called to forgive. We are called to love. Which means we need to remember what love is:

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)

We cannot control how other people (re)act. We can’t control their feelings. We can’t manage their beliefs. We cannot undo what’s been done or said.

But we can control our (re)actions. We can choose to love despite feeling hurt or disappointed. We can opt to forgive instead of bearing a grudge. We can try to empathize and understand instead of responding with our own hurtful or spiteful words and deeds. We can reject the notion that we are right to not forgive. We can walk through life refusing to feel slighted, or cheated, or unappreciated, or ignored, or jealous, or vengeful, or __________________ (fill in the blank with any negative emotion you feel).

We can choose to love even if we’re not feeling the love. Even if forgiveness is never asked for or offered. Even if we feel so wronged that those who hurt us are undeserving of forgiveness.

Don’t take the enemy’s bait. He loves seeing families divided and destroyed by bitterness and hurt. Choose the better path: walk in love and forgiveness, as Jesus did. If you can mend the hurts, do so. If you can’t, you can still love and forgive and refuse to be led by unforgiving emotions. Unforgiveness only hurts the one refusing to let go of the grudge, not the offender.

Some hurts are too big to heal quickly. Some relationships may never be the same again. But remember… we – you – are loved by God to a degree no human – relative or not – could ever love anyone. It is impossible to earn love. And, thank the Lord for that because, if anyone ever had a right to not forgive, it’s Jesus. And yet He loves, forgives and restores us fully, despite our sins and failures.

Today, if you are holding on to bitterness or hurt or unforgiveness, please let it go. Make the choice to follow Christ and forgive. Love.

After all, as H.I. McDonnough (from the movie Raising Arizona) quipped in response to his wife’s complaint about their dysfunctional home life: “Well… it ain’t Ozzie and Harriet!”

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:14-21 (ESV)

Strength in Joy

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Joy is central to the Christian experience. A close cousin to peace, joy is that sense of calm happiness that bears witness to the world of the wonders of faith in Christ. Regardless of the circumstances we face in life, we can still exude joy. Through pain, through sorrow, through hardship, through disappointment, through illness, through troubles of any and all kinds, we have hope in God – The One Who is sovereign over all.

Our joy is not rooted in our difficulties, but in God our Father Who leads us through life’s situations. In the LORD, we have hope over all circumstances. We have His wonderful promises to grasp onto tightly. 

God is sovereign over everything.  He is sovereign over our enemies. He is sovereign over our infirmities, He is sovereign over our families. He is sovereign over our work. He is sovereign our needs. He is the Only One we can trust entirely and completely in all things.

And God our Father loves us. He cares for us. He is with us through every storm. He never abandons us. He is always with us.

“The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:20b, ESV).  Whatever’s going on, we can embrace God’s joy and find our strength in Him. When we’re filled with fear or grief or a troubled mind, we’re weakened by our troubles. When we choose to embrace God’s joy in faith, we are strengthened, finding our lives are actually filled with hope because of our Father’s love, grace, mercy, peace, strength, sovereignty, holiness, faithfulness, joy… 

Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV), “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We rejoice in the LORD Our Father. Nothing is beyond His ability. And, when others see us waiting patiently and joyfully on God, we are an effective witness for Jesus. When we choose joy over anxiety, our faith grows. And we are able to inspire and help others to find strength in God as well – finding joy for their lives and helping others do the same.

Rest in Jesus. Trust in God. Walk in His joy. You are loved far more than you can imagine!

Monkey Brain Sufferers – We Have Hope!

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Affe mit Schädel (Ape with Skull) by Hugo Rheinholdt (c. 1893). By Jfderry – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31511541

“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Phillipians 4:9-9 (ESV)

Monkey Brain noun (muhng-kee breyn)

  1. A form of brain damage caused by repeated overstimulation of the cerebellum, stemming from a gluttonous mental diet of news and opinions (mostly opinions misrepresented as news) and pop culture. 
  2. An epithet for one who is exhibiting symptoms of Monkey Brain.

Monkey Brain (toxicus cerebrum primatus) strikes when one’s mind is blinded to the Truth by drowning in a constant sea of media, flooding in from the eyes and ears, filling the cranial cavity of the infected victim with a stream of “woke” and “fake news” misinformation, cloaked as fact. Common symptoms include confusion, loss of common sense, inability to see God at work in this world and overly opinionated expressions of political and social views (presented as absolute fact, with or without solid proof).

We all suffer from Monkey Brain to one degree or another.  We are all affected by our culture, by what we see, hear, feel, think and perceive.  When what we believe is based on these factors and not the Truth as defined in God’s Word, our perception is really deception.

Monkey Brain sufferers often display behaviors caused by a focus on subjects that are either false or unimportant.

If any of the below questions concern you deeply, you may be suffering from Monkey Brain:

  • What does Taylor Swift think about the state of the world today? 
  • Are UFOs real? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about UFOs? Has she ever flown in one?
  • Why are protesters blocking I-94 to speak out against the use of cotton fill to stuff teddy bears? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about the use of cotton fill to stuff teddy bears? 
  • Should I start Christmas shopping this early?
  • What does Taylor Swift want for Christmas?
  • Are plant-based meat substitutions the way to go? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about plant-based meat substitutes? 
  • What about Donald Trump? I bet he doesn’t eat plant-based meat substitutes.
  • Will Elon Musk run the world someday?
  • Will Taylor Swift run the world someday? 
  • Who will cause the end of the world?  Iran?  Israel?  China?  North Korea?  Taylor Swift?
  • What does Taylor Swift think about the end of the world?
  • Is Putin real or AI generated?
  • Is Taylor Swift real or AI generated?
  • Is truth real or AI generated?
  • What is real?
  • What is true?

If you, like me, suffer from Monkey Brain, there is hope.  There is a way to know the Truth, the reality of our situation, the outcome of the “unknown”, the source of – and antidote to – all our confusion and anxiety and worry.

The remedy for Monkey Brain is as follows:

  1. Read the Bible.
  2. Pray.
  3. Study the Bible.
  4. Pray.
  5. Seek first the kingdom of God – His will, His ways, His character, His sovereignty over all.
  6. Pray.
  7. Surround yourself with fellow believers who will help you stay focused on Jesus.
  8. Pray.
  9. Mind what you feed your mind – what you watch, what you read, what you listen to, what you accept.
  10. Pray.
  11. Stop believing everything as reported.  Not all of it true.  Not all of it is important.  Reject the toxic and embrace the Truth of God as revealed in the Bible.
  12. Pray.

Do not be deceived (Matthew 24:3-5, Mark 13:5, Luke 2:1-8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 15:33, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Colossians 2:8, Galatians 6:3-7, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 1:26- 27, James 1:13-22, 2 Timothy 3:13, 1 John 1:8 and 4:1, Revelation 12:9).  Recognize that the insanity swirling around us is nothing more than “wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-8, ESV).

And know this.  The media feeds us information, some factual, much not.  God doesn’t call us to know everything.  We aren’t meant to understand it all.  We are created to believe, to walk in faith in God through Jesus Christ.  What we see on this earth doesn’t have to make sense. God’s way and the ways of this world are in opposition. 

Am I suggesting we stick our heads in the sand, ignoring what’s going on? Absolutely not. All I’m saying is trust God in all that’s going on. Recognize He is sovereign over all – even those who do not accept Him as Lord and Savior. Don’t believe everything you hear, read and see. If it isn’t the gospel, don’t take it as such.

Now, I need to grab my Bible for my Monkey Brain therapy.

NOTE: I do not have anything against Taylor Swift. You can insert the name of any celebrity and it will have the same result. God is still sovereign. 

Resolutions (or, Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht)

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

German half-hour sand glass, first quarter of the 16th century, bronze-gilt and silver-gilt, Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

“Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht.” Or, “Man Plans, and God Laughs.”

Old Yiddish saying

2023 is speeding toward its inevitable conclusion, and our thoughts now turn to hopes and prayers for the soon-dawning new year. 

Plans and resolutions.

So much we want to accomplish.

I have a list of goals – not “resolutions”, a term that makes me a bit squeamish because it doesn’t carry the same weight of intentionality as “goals” – for the new twelve months. 

I’m going to need to start right away on 1 January 2024. 

  • Create a Daily Bible Reading Plan that will deliver maximum impact for effective spiritual growth. (Or is that effective impact for maximum spiritual growth. Or effectively im;pactful to the max.)
  • Create and launch The Bouville Diary podcast to reach millions of listeners with the message of Christ’s love, grace and peace.
  • Write a best seller (ECPA, New York Times and Bono Indiana Picayune charts) that will also deliver maximum impact for effective spiritual growth for millions of people. (Look out, Max Lucado.)
  • Have above best seller published in 52 countries, translated into a minimum of 52 languages (including Budukh, spoken by only about 200 people in Azerbaijan, according to UNESCO).
  • Travel the world by boat (I don’t like flying), visiting all seven continents and personally seeing to it every nation has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Broker peace in the Middle East and Asia. (To be done concurrent with aforementioned evangelical world boat tour.)
  • End hatred, racism, drug addiction, homelessness, cancer and all other nefarious diseases, broken families, greed, corruption…
  • Take away all anxiety and worry, filling the void with God’s peace.

That’s just a partial list. I left out the more personal items (weight loss, reading a book a day, training myself to eat beets without gagging, etc.). I also didn’t mention bringing an end to reboots of old TV sitcoms, but that seems fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

I’m being a bit facetious here. Ok, maybe more than a bit. My intention is neither to belittle these very important subjects, nor to offend anyone. My point is, simply, resolutions and goals are great. But if we make our plans without the Lord’s direction, we strategize in vain.

And while these lofty goals are noble and good (except perhaps the sitcom reboot thing), I believe my efforts would be far better focused on the below:

  • 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)
  • 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
  • 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-8 (ESV)
  • 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. – Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)

Instead of grand plans and resolutions, perhaps simply following and focusing on Jesus is a far better path. He will lead us to opportunities to bless. He will take us where we need to be if we follow His path in faith. Our call is to love God, love others and share the Gospel. If we are lead by God’s love with pure motives, we will succeed in playing our part in God’s plans.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3, ESV).