THE OLD SHADY OAK TREE

Looking back/ Looking forward

 

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prosper. Psalms 1:3 

On a grassy knoll at the northeast corner of the Wooddale campus is a majestic old oak tree that is 128 inches in circumference and probably 100 feet tall. Its growth adds to the beauty of our campus landscape and shade for sunny days. In the winter the bare leafless branches silhouetted against the gray snow-laden clouds prompt us to pause and think of the past before going on to another growing season. The tree was just a seedling when Wooddale church was founded in 1949 and has grown over the 64 years just as Wooddale church has grown. It has a lot of growing left since oaks have a life expectancy of over 200 years.

The tree has an extensive root system that anchors it upright through the stormy winds that blow 50 to 100 mph. Wooddale has its own rootedness. It is rooted in Scripture with rich tradition, core values and memories of good times. The root system of the tree does more than anchor the tree. It also absorbs water from the earth and transfers it up the trunk, defying gravity, using a unique process called osmosis. Wooddale has its own unique process. It is called “God’s grace.”

 Then there is the trunk, sturdy and strong like the people of Wooddale, people committed to volunteerism and outreach to the whole world. The sap runs up and down the tree to give it life, energy and nourishment just like faith in Christ does for the church.

The branches and leaves are the many programs and opportunities for service that Wooddale offers. It is where the work is done, just as the leaves serve the oak tree with the power of photosynthesis.

LOOKING BACK

As we pursue our mission at Wooddale in Eden Prairie, there will be moments when it will be good to draw nourishment from our roots and the rest of the shade of the old oak tree. Our rootedness will help us to reflect on our foundational values, strategies, and programming. But while it is good to rest, reflect, and remember, but we must no longer linger for the world will not wait, we must advance on our journey,

LOOKING FORWARD

We have all heard the national conversation regarding the future of evangelicalism and how difficult and challenging it will be. While challenge is not new to us the pace and depth of change in the future will be different, faster, and more difficult to predict. Given this, we will need to be nimble, prepared, and ready to adapt. We must examine meaningful ways, trends and our response.

To reflect on our internal and external future, and review the plans, the old oak tree with its deep roots will remind us that we must always remain connected with and draw strength from our historic purpose, values, and identity.

At present, by most standards – quantitatively and qualitatively – Wooddale is recognized as a great church. However Wooddale must not rest on its laurels. We have been an institution that has grown on faith and a vision. We must continue to pursue a vision that challenges us and stretches us. We must have the courage, resolve and the faith in our vision of the future that is worthy of our boldest aspiration – to be a national leader in Christian outreach.

Every time you see the old oak tree, pray that Wooddale will continue to carry out the work of the Kingdom of God.

THE BOOK THAT CHANGES THE WORLD

Why has the Bible been banned in so places? Why do people fear it? Why is the Bible the only book that over the years and until this day is criticized, ridiculed, discredited by atheists, agnostics and scoffers? They try to point out errors and inconsistencies. They try to discredit it by pulling things out context. I doubt that most of them have read the entire Bible, yet they set themselves up as authorities on the subject.  

Contrast that with those of us who not only think of the Bible as containing the Word of God but that it is the Word of God. We consider it Truth. Jesus said “The Truth will set you free”. We consider it absolutely dependable. We use it daily for inspiration and to gain endless insights into how to manage our lives. It is a book that guides us and changes our lives.

Why do doubters feel so strongly opposed to the Bible? Maybe it is because the Bible teaches that men are free and to be under the control of God  and only accountable to him. It is a question of who is in charge. Men and governments have an innate propensity to want to be in control. The Scriptures teach that men should only put themselves under earthly powers voluntarily. Bible believers believe that we should be accountable to society or the government or some other power but only with  their own consent.

Looking at history we can see how this book has changed the world.

In 1522 Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) opened the Scriptures to the common man by translating it into German, a readable language that the common man could understand. Once the people could interpret the Scriptures, the power of the abuses of The Catholic Church was broken and the people were set free to worship God as their conscience led them. They saw that the required attendance at Mass was works not grace, that Jesus was the mediator between God and man not the Priest, that grace did not require penance, and that the selling of indulgences was a money making scam. The Bible changed the course of human history.

William Tyndale (1494 – 1536) translated the Greek and Hebrew into English. The King of England, Henry VIII, was angry with him because he knew the Bible would undermine his authority. Tyndale was imprisoned, beaten, exiled, and finally burned-at- the-stake for his work. Anyone caught reading his version of the Bible was burned-at-the- stake, and many were. But once people were able to read the Bible  they understood freedom. How could one book be such a big issue? Because it could change the world.

Our founding fathers were greatly influenced with the thinking of The Enlightenment (1648 – 1789) and referred to it in the Declaration of Independence as “Nature” and “Nature’s God”. Scholars were convinced that all of God’s creation was rational so that it was possible for man to uncover laws which regulated society, politics, the economy, and even morality. The thought process of the Enlightenment was based on the Biblical account of creation where God made man in his own image. This meant that man could reason, imagine, and had a memory similar to God’s. It also meant that he could fill his mind with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. If men had freedom, they had unlimited potential. They knew that human beings were all created equal as a right. If man had the freedom to pursue his own best interests everyone would benefit. This was based on Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” idea of which the founders were well aware.

The Enlightenment also implied that God was a God of new things. Creating things like the universe and planet earth and revealing new things like mans discoveries – the wheel, magnetism, AC and DC electricity, AM and FM radio waves, air flight, the atom and nuclear fusion, silicon for computer chips, genetics and DNA, sending a man to the moon, and using unmanned space craft to explore the universe to just name a few things.

They also knew that if we all start off  with equal opportunity that some would better use their freedom causing unequal results. When you give life and liberty to people the producing of wealth is natural. It also requires people with Biblical virtues to have a just society. Consequently, Congress authorized the printing of Bibles for distribution to the public schools.  These unequal results drive the culture. This has produced the wealthiest and most culturally rich nation the world has ever experienced.

A man working in Mexico can earn $2.00 a day for his work. If he were in the United States he could earn $50 to $100 a day. Why the difference? Because we have economic, political, personal, and cultural freedom that promotes productivity that makes human capital more important than financial capital.

When there is revolution the tyrants or religious leaders take over and people’s freedom is lost.  In the past and in the present wherever the Bible goes people gain economic, political and personal  freedom. It changes a culture that benefits the people by reducing poverty, building families, and creating a more just society. It is this book that changes the world.

 Following the end of World War II Korea was divided into two counties, North and South. In 1950 North Korea invaded the South and by the end of fighting in 1953 both countries were in ashes.

Today North Korea is ruled by a tyrant who took total control. All personal, economic, and religious freedom has been lost. Bible Believers and those who found hiding a Bible are arrested and sent to Concentration Camps. There are estimated to be 200,000 people in these camps where they are worked to death. Due to government control over agriculture the country cannot even produce enough food to feed the people and there is starvation. Lack of electricity makes the whole country dark at night. Where there are not any Bibles the people suffer.

South Korea, where there is religious and economic freedom is thriving. Its economy is ranked 12^th  in the world (North Korea is ranked 125th) and there are 13 million Bible Believers, 30% of the population. Where the Bible is allowed people flourish because it is this book that changes the world.     

 

HEAD KNOWLEDGE HEART KNOWLDGE

When a young child is introduced to math he first learns to count 1, 2, 3. It is just rote. Then he is shown pictures of one balloon, two pencils and three bears. But when the child sees one pencil he says two because pencil means two and when the child sees one bear he thinks three. Then a miracle of the mind takes place when he grasps that the objects are representative of quantity. Then he is able comprehend and apply his understanding and 1, 2 and 3 have meaning.    

So it is with spiritual understanding. Unless we have the miracle of the mind we cannot understand spiritual things. It is the Holy Spirit within us that allows the miracle to happen.

Lura and I were discussing spiritual things with a Chinese couple and used the parable of one house built on sand and one built on rock. Having been brought up in China where they were taught that there is no God, they had no understanding of spiritual things. They thought the parable was about how to build a house.  Then we explained that it was about how to live your life. Building our life on God, the rock, prepares us for the storms of life. It was a miracle moment when the Holy Spirit gave the wife understanding. He with his engineering mind was still stuck in the building problem. Spiritually speaking he was still at one-bear-means-three.

The eternal soul is created and implanted in the body by God as early as the zygote stage and departs sometime before the body’s life processes cease. To the physician, the soul is the “will to live” and to the psychologist, it is the Id or superego. To the theologian, the soul is our spirit, the essence of our being which we aptly call the “heart” (not the physical organ). The soul is the place where God created the capacity for beauty, virtue and His presence. It has a special place for God’s Spirit, if invited, or it can be left empty to be filled with self-centeredness or even Satan.

The mind is the avenue to the soul. It is when our mind interfaces with our soul, where the Holy Spirit resides, that we can think like God thinks and have His understanding, discernment and wisdom to reach good conclusions and decisions. It is the degree of mind management capacity, rather than DNA or environmental factors, which give us the option to choose God and freely choose to love Him back. The mind is the battlefield where body needs, self-esteem, evil, and spirits versus good clash. The mind needs to be well exercised in healthy patterns of godly thinking to engage in warfare; it needs to have well practiced routines to draw on the godly. With a high state of readiness and commanding mind management skills, we win the battle. When these flow naturally, abundant living flourishes.

One of the soul’s functions in prayer is to interface with the mind. Our soul is coached by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and nurtured by the abiding presence of Christ. While our soul is safely covered by the atoning blood of Christ and is fit and ready to go to heaven, the mind has its own will and is a “free fire zone”. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that flows to our mind to produce the mind state that we know as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self (mind) control. It is the indwelling presence of Christ that provides the mind with indomitable determination and energy to do all things for Christ’s kingdom. It is the enablement of the Holy Spirit that gives our mind faith to believe, turn the words of scripture into meaning, helps us recognize and use our Spiritual Gift(s), and distinguish sin, evil and evil spirits before there is evidence for a conclusion. It is the soul that provides the arms cache, which fully equips us for the battles of the mind. Be ready to put on a full set of armor before entering mind combat.

Another soul function is direct soul-to-Soul prayer which transcends words and mind thinking. It is prompted by our innate need for the presence and love of God. The soul has an ineffable prayer language of its own. Since the mind is so occupied with directing all the activities of a busy body in a dynamic environment, it only prays when directed. The soul can pray without ceasing.

Head knowledge and heart knowledge are both necessary to withstand the storms of life and have an abundant life.

 

WHAT IS BIBLICAL GOOD MENTAL HEALTH JOY PART 1

The book of Philippians is one of the best mental health manuals ever written. The book’s theme is joy or rejoicing.  These words are used 8 times in this short book. (Phil 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say again: Rejoice!”)

Joy is not to be confused with happiness. Happiness is an emotion driven by circumstances while joy is an inner quality that even endures hardship. Joy is the mental state where we know God is in control so there is no reason to be fearful. Our outlook on Life becomes more and more joyful as we mature in our relationship with God, when we see how he has changed our life, given us a kingdom mentality, and worked in the lives of those we know. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit – Love, joy peace… Jesus said “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

 Joy is more about trusting God than just being an optimistic person or being a happy camper. Our basic chemistry or DNA that determines our temperament is just a contributing factor. To be a Christian is to be a joyful person. If you are not, something is wrong.

Anxiety and its cousin Worry are the major obstacles to being a joyful person. Anxiety is being overly concerned about what is happening and worrying is being concerned about what might happen. They are both mental conditions brought on by fear of the unknown. They may be real or imagined. They affect us physically and may paralyze us mentally so we cannot carry on with life’s normal activities. From time to time we all suffer from them but that is normal and healthy. When they overwhelm us we need help.

Paul has the right prescription for this problem. It is prayer. (Phil 3:6) Prayer turns the situation over to God so we can have peace of mind.  It is a peace of mind that affects both our thinking and our emotions. It is a peace that transcends human understanding.  

How do we develop our minds to be joyful? We are to practice filling our minds with good thoughts: whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent. Thinking about lies, revenge, malice, wrongs done to others or others have done to you, impure or ugly things evolve into sin, evil and depression.   

 
Paul, the author of Philippians, says that he has sufficient courage to face the challenges of life or to even experience death (Phil 1:20). He does not dwell on the past but is forward thinker with a goal (Phil 3:14). He shares his secret about how to live a joyful productive life. Regardless of circumstances, whether good or bad, we can accomplish anything because God gives us the strength. What is impossible for us is easy for God. It stretches us.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL GOOD MENTAL HEALTH JOYFUL LIVING PART 2

You can be a joyful person if you are free from the guilt and shame of doing the wrong things. Doing wrong, whether it be one time or habitual, great or small, intentional or unintentional, is damaging to your body, mind and spirit. It takes the joy out of life. This is bondage, but forgiveness from these things sets you free for joyful living.

To understand how forgiveness works you need to understand GRACE. Grace is complete, unlimited and final forgiveness. It cannot be earned, bought or deserved. Grace is a gift from a loving God who makes it available to those who acknowledge that they are wrongdoers and accept that Jesus was the Son of God who died on the cross to complete forgiveness. It applies if you are a young child or on your death bed. It is grace that sets you free.

How do you deal with guilt if you do not have grace? You cope through the use of mental mechanisms like rationalization: I am not a bad person - or compensation – I do more good things than bad. To the human mind grace is counter intuitive. There is a human feeling that somehow I must pay for my wrongdoing. I may do it by repetitive prayer, reciting mantra or penitence – denying myself something or punishing myself. Some even punish themselves with a whip while others may go into a transience seeking nirvana. This is bondage not freedom.

Does grace allow me to do whatever I want because it will be covered by grace? Yes, but the key is, what do you want. After you become a believer and God is Lord of your life, Jesus has saved you from your wrongdoing and the Holy Spirit has entered your soul, your wants change. You want to please God, want to live a life of integrity, want to love people more than things, and want to care about the needs of other people. This is real freedom.

To us as Christians what happens when our wants or actions are not right?  The Scriptures instruct us to ask for forgiveness from God. But aren’t we already forgiven? Yes but asking reminds us  that God is faithful and can be depended on for complete forgiveness. It also causes us to reflect and resolve to do the right thing next time. This keeps us free.

People who want, or delight in doing the wrong things are sick or evil. They are self-centered, uncaring or maybe even psychopathic. We know from the news media that murderers frequently kill themselves because they cannot endure the guilt and shame of what they have done. This is bondage.

God’s grace is the bondage-breaker that sets you free and provides a truly joy filled life.

 

WHAT IS BIBLCAL GOOD MENTAL HEALTH BEING JOYFUL THROUGH ABUNDANT LIVING PART 3

Jesus said “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly”. Abundant living is having a meaningful and purposeful life. It is not about building wealth that can bring happiness but cannot produce joy. Having a meaningful life means impacting other people’s lives. It is about building relationships. It is caring for people. Purpose means you have your priorities right and know what you want to accomplish with your life. This is abundant living.

We can start by having the right perspective on life. Are we just a speck in a vast universe measured in light-years and a mere instant in eons of time? Are we no more than a temporary state of consciousness, a stream of hormones, and a blip of energy having a future limited to no more than passing on our genes? Or are we, as the Bible says, the special creation of a personal God? Does what we do on this planet have meaning and significance which carries eternal consequences?

In order to live life well we need to have a perspective or an overview as a context for decision-making. It is how we keep life in focus. That is best captured as a worldview. This means we have to have a firm fix on the world as it really is and an understanding of how things work.

Before you can have a meaningful impact on others there are prerequisites. A meaningful life starts with you. Do you have a positive joyful attitude toward life and are you continuously growing intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Do you enjoy new experiences or meeting new people? Are you a productive person whose life is in good order and do you have your priorities right? These are things you want to model as you influence people, care for their needs and share your Spiritual journey. You need to have your life in good order so you have the time and energy to invest in them.

If building relationships is the means for a meaningful life, how do we do it? Think of relationships as a target with a bull’s-eye in the center and a series of concentric circles. The bull’s-eye is where you have the closest relationships with the outer circle being people you do not even know, which is most of the people in the world. The other rings in between are various degrees of closeness.

The bull’s-eye is where you have the closeness of relationships or intimacy and the most influence. - God, spouse, children, grandparents, parents, and possibly some friends. The next ring is people that are close enough to you that you know what is going on in their lives. – close friends and relatives, and members of your small group. The next ring is people you know but not well enough to know what is going on in their lives. – Neighbors, co-workers, members of your church or just acquaintances. The final ring is people you do not know. – The 7 billion people in the world.

The challenge for a meaningful life of joy is to move people closer and closer, ring by ring over your life time. God’s direction and timing are critical. The closer people are to you the more impact  you can have on them and the more impact they can have on you. Learning from others can enrich your life and make it even more enjoyable.