LifeLift

The Bible tells us, “God is _________.”

Yeah, you can complete that sentence. Everyone can.

“God is love” (1 John 4:8).

We’re so familiar with the phrase that we forget love is both a commitment of unconditional covenant and it is an emotion. God, committed to us, is emotional, too.

Throughout the New Testament we read truths like-

Jesus was distressed with the Pharisees (Mark 3:5)/
Jesus was moved with compassion (Mark 6:34).
Jesus was full of joy through the Hoy Spirit (Luke 10:21).
Jesus was sorrowful and troubled (Matthew 26:37-38).
Jesus lingers even now, because the Lord is patient (2 Peter 3:9).
In God (Jesus is God) we see the full range of emotions- even the ones we typically consider to be “bad” or “taboo” ones- expressed in a healthy way.

There aren’t bad emotions. Again, notice Jesus Himself experiencing the “bad” ones-

Jesus wept multiple times throughout His ministry, including at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11:35) and even over the city of Jerusalem itself (see Luke 13:35, 19:41).
Jesus became angry on several occasions. He overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple, after taking the time to make a whip to loosen the sacrificial animals (John 2:15, Matthew 21:12). He expressed His indignation when the disciples brushed the little children way from Him (Mark 10:14).
Besides, we see emotions throughout the Bible-

Solomon tells us, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh… a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Notice both extremes of the emotional scale are present.
Paul acknowledged that we grieve, but “we do not grieve as those who who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). That is, the emotion is present- even if we express it in a different way than others.
When I grew up (and even until recently), I was confused about emotions. They could be dangerous. We could be deceived or led astray by them. We should never rely on our feelings, in other words. To say it another way, “You shouldn’t let the caboose pull the train.”

Remember this picture?

Maybe there’s some accuracy to that. But the truth is that faith can lead us astray, too, if that faith rests on the wrong thing. Facts- if they’re the wrong facts- can derail us as well.

For years I wanted to run from emotions rather than running towards them. It seemed safer, easier. Yet the way towards health and healing is actually to move straight into the emotions rather than trying to navigate around them.

Leif Heitland, a Bible teacher, locked-on to this notion of God’s feelings. He writes, “I often ask God to share His emotions with me because I know He is an emotional God- full of compassion, joy, and many other feelings.”

Sometimes these feelings are “negative.” We become broken for other people, as we see them dealing with pain.

Sometimes we become broken for ourselves. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve broken down and cried as I’ve worked my way through my story- as I saw the hurt done to me, as I saw the pain I inflicted on my wife, as I realized how much I have exposed my children to spiritual and real danger.

The Scripture shows me that God can be found in those emotions, though. And that seeking the Kingdom often involves not simply doing things out in the world but also in doing the tough, deep work of the soul.

Further, James says to “Count it all joy when you endure trials” (James 1:2). I historically assumed he referred only to the external pressured we face. Perhaps he does. Or perhaps he refers to internal trials, too. The reality is that externals most often place weight on the soul.

I do know that James promises something to those who endure the dark night. In James 1:3-4, he says to consider it joy-

“because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

That is, in the tension God takes us to the “end” of ourselves, to a place where we can no longer rely on our personal resources. At that point, He takes us to a place where He produces something new and substantial inside us.

The Bible communicates something astounding about Jesus: the One in whom was “life” was deeply acquainted with sorrow and grief (Isaiah 53:3). I’ve had my share of pain; you have, too. Somehow, when we connect with others who’ve been where we are, something resonates and hope is delivered…

In fact, rabbis believed that when a story of redemption was told, the telling of the story carried the same power that was present in the original event which the story references. You’ve seen this happen before…

* It’s why you hear about a healing miracle and faith rises…

* It’s why you hear of a restored marriage and you gain confidence that the same could be true for you…

* It’s why you hear the story of someone’s financial breakthrough, and you suddenly sense that something more is possible for you, too...

Here’s the deal. As powerful as it is when we hear that others have been where we are- and that they have come out on the other side of the story- the Scripture teaches us that Jesus has been everywhere we’ve been, too (see Hebrews 4:15). For that reason, He’s able to sympathize with our weaknesses- even as He continues makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:22). 

It doesn’t mean things are easy… 

And, yes, right now we live in the tension. A big one. A tension of the pain (acquainted with grief) and the joy (that all things WILL work together for the good, per Romans 8:26-28). 

We get enamored with external things- the things “out there.” The truth, though, is that the INSIDE changes before the OUTSIDE ever does. In fact, the greatness of what’s going on inside of you determines the altitudes you’ll reach in the world around you. 

In this episode of the podcast, we take take the fifth (and final) rung of the ladder…

Remember, with each rung we go higher AND closer to realizing our dreams…

Once you understand the power of the mind… and how it literally creates destiny, some of the most popular Bible verses make EVEN MORE sense. Things like…

When we really believe that we can do these things… that we CAN take thoughts captive, that we CAN transform ourselves by proactively recreating what’s in our minds… that we CAN choose peace over anxiety and stress… that we CAN select the object our our thoughts… we begin to see just how powerful we are.

And when you do that, you realize that the biggest part of the dream isn’t just achieving the goal, but it’s the process of transformation that occurs in you as you do…

_________________

Links mentioned in this episode include www.TheLadder.info and www.EatSleepAdvance.com

Look at EVERY significant turning point in your life- the good ones AND the bad ones. Most of them probably have MORE to do with a RELATIONSHIP than any other factor…

Someone believed in you…

Or someone steered you in the wrong direction…

Someone called forth the greatness in you- or shared with you an amazing idea that TOTALLY transformed your outlook on an opportunity… 

Or someone else wounded you in some way…

You see? No blaming here. Just observing… 

Relationships have POWER. Tremendous power. 

Whereas we tend to plan life around “what” we’ll do… or even “how” we’ll get it done…

… the biggest defining factor is… yes…

RELATIONSHIPS!

I’ll be honest. I never would have thought this one was true. I would have thought talent, position, money, experience… that those would get you higher, farther, faster…

Time + Experience proves it to be true, though >>>>

True power is in the presence of real, raw relationships!

________________

Links mentioned in the show- www.TheLadder.info for the free download AND www.EatSleepAdvance.com for the updated event info. 

Everyone seems to ask it these days- it's a "buzz word" that few of us really unpack. In this session we unpack the "why," putting it in the context of everything you do...

PEOPLE that know WHAT they want to do get further than people who don't have a clue!

And people that understand HOW to do that thing... well... they go higher, still...

Yet those who go the farthest, the fastest... and endure... they have a grasp of what's driving them. They're in touch with their WHY. 

In this lesson, you'll uncover the thing that drives you! You might even know what it is. Or, perhaps it's eluded you... 

Either way, you won’t just know what your dream is (or what your dreams are- remember, you probably have dreams & goals for multiple areas of your life), you’ll actually feel those dreams.

Think about it...

The heart. Most of us don't get in touch with our feelings that often, do we? 

I remember sitting through some counseling sessions in the last year (yeah, been there, done that, highly recommend it). The counselor constantly handed me a chart- a sheet with a list of dozens of "feelings" listed on it. 

"How do you feel today?"

I'd look at the chart. It was helpful. Really. Sometimes a feeling is just a sense... an intangible. Putitng a word to it helped.

During those sessions I became increasingly aware that, often, I don't know what I'm feeling! Yet, our feelings were given to us by God. And, when channeled in a healthy way, they can been incredibly beneficial!

If you get in touch with your feelings, you can actually "see" what's driving you. Here's the truth: Business is hard work. So are relationships. And marriages. And most things worth pursuing well. In every thing you do there are ups and downs. And having our feelings nailed down for each- the core- empowers us to embrace the right things more fully while letting go of the wrong things more freely!

This is the lesson where we pull out the ladder and start climbing. And, of course, once it's out, it stays on stage for the remainder of the workshop. 

We’ll keep adding labels and concepts to that ladder for each of the remaining sessions. This tool will become your go-to when talking to friends, your business partners, and others! And, it will help you clarify what you’re doing, deciphering if it aligns with your deepest aspirations, and help you continue making forward progress. 

But, first of all, we've got to get in touch with the heart- and uncover the thing that drives you. 

_________________

Links mentioned in this episode include www.TheLadder.info and www.EatSleepAdvance.com

We’re all busy. It’s almost a #HumbleBrag in our culture to actually BE busy. I mean, no one actually LIKES being so busy that they can’t keep up with what’s going on, but we carry our jam-packed calendars around like badges of honor. 

That can be a HUGE problem with it comes to pursuing your dreams. 

You see, dreams require time. Concentrated, high-octane time. Some of your “best” time. And your energy. And your focus. 

At the Advance, we actually use juggling as an example to illustrate this. It never fails. Whenever we call someone onstage and let them start juggling, whenever they juggle beyond their capacity, they don’t just lose the last ball that was added… they drop them all. 

You can make the correlation. Less is better. Less is actually “more.”

“More” just… well… it causes the entire thing to fall apart. It creates anxiety, it causes your skill level to actually diminish, and it’s a lot more difficult to live at that level of movement than a SLOWER pace at which you can actually achieve MORE.

You see, if we juggle too much, we end up not doing anything well. That means, well, we get frustrated in multiple areas of life. 

Once we understand the reality of tradeoffs, though, and realize that we actually MUST choose which balls to juggle… and that we GET to choose (meaning that we actually pick some up and set the others DOWN)… well, things start humming. 

Even better, we learn that we can achieve for more with even less effort than we thought due to the nature of FOCUSED efforts done consistently well… 

____________

Links mentioned in this episode include www.TheLadder.info and www.EatSleepAdvance.com

The first step in living any dream is to decide what that dream is. Sounds obvious, right?  I mean, how are you going to go ANYWHERE if you don’t first have a destination?

My wife and I go on a date every week. Sometimes, we get into this debacle… perhaps you’ve been there: 

“Where do you want to eat?”

“I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”

Suggestion made. 

Reply = “Anything but that!”

Been there? Done that? (This works both ways- sometimes she makes the turned-down suggestion; others times I do it!)

It’s frustrating, isn’t it? It kinda stalls out the first part of the evening.  

And, the truth is that this kind of thing can keep you stalled out in life, too. 

Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). They lose heart. They grow faint and weary. They find themselves hopeless. They find themselves in despair. 

In this episode of the podcast I talk about success- and how it’s simply a recipe. That brings two items of great news- 

Great news #1- it’s a proven process. You can look at what others do and you can follow along, getting similar results.

Great news #2- there’s no shortage. Often, we look at success as if it’s a lottery ticket. If someone else wins, that means you didn’t. It means you CAN’T, in fact… that it’s IMPOSSIBLE.

Success isn’t like that, though. 

There's enough to go around. We can all win. We can all help each other. We’re not in competition.

OK- just covered a lot… 

Listen in. Great stuff, I promise :-)

________________

Note: download the Advance info at www.TheLadder.info 

One of my favorite events of the year is coming up, so I'm taking a short break from the Redemption series. Advance arrives every 5-7 months, depending on the time of year, and is designed to empower men to move from where they are to where they’re destined to be. It’s not a retreat… it’s an Advance. 

In this episode I’ll tell you a bit about what we do and how… 

And introduce you to the concept of The Ladder, tell you the stories of how this thing (“accidentally”) came to be, and share with you how to go deeper and higher at the same time…

Ah… about The Ladder. Lots of talk about climbing ladders and making sure you go up the right one. This one’s short, though. On purpose. Because we REALLY believe this…

*Your dreams are HUGE (inspired by God Himself and placed inside of you, waiting to burst forth).

*Your dreams are within reach…

Join us on the journey…

___________

Access the free PDF or the online Advance at www.TheLadder.info 

Learn more about attending the live event at www.EatSleepAdvance.com

Paul encouraged us to not stray from the simplicity that is found in Christ. His thought was, well… we tend to make things infinitely more complex. We tend to move towards complex religious systems.

Jesus, on the other hand, came to make things easy.

Follow me here…

Moses received the Law- ten commandments which, in Hebrew, were expressed using only ten words (they have a far more economical language than we do).

613 more laws were then added to explain what those ten words meant. They had moral laws, civil laws, and religious laws.

You’d think that would be enough, but no… well intended leaders created the Mishnah, the oral tradition built around the laws, to explain what each one meant…

That wasn’t enough, either. Enter, the Talmud.

Then the legal comments added by scribes and lawyers (and their “fences” and “hedges” around the law).

And, then along come the rabbis…

Jesus drops into this tradition of the rabbis, and picks up some of their practices- So, we see Jesus do things like:

A rabbi’s system of thought was known as a “yoke.” Jesus came with a simple, though (read Matthew 11:28-30) NOT a yoke that bound people with a heavy burden (see Matthew 23:4).

We see His disciples make the yoke lighter in Acts 15 (see 15:8-11,28-29) and in Galatians (see 5:1).

If religion is weighing you down, it’s not the yoke of Jesus, for sure… because Jesus came to make it simple, easy…

The Bible outlines a few contradictory things about us- things that we need to hold in tension.

First, everything that happened to Jesus has already happened to us. We were crucified with Him, we died with Him, and we were buried. We also arose with Him AND we’ve been seated with Him in Heaven. 

That means that, right now, we’re “here” and “there” at the same time. This is our current experience. 

Second, the Kingdom of God is a kingdom- not a democracy. It functions with rank, order, and spheres of authority. I know, authority is a misused and bloated term in our culture… but, under the lead of a benevolent king in which the first is last, the greatest serve the most, and honor and humility win the day, the Kingdom of God is the ideal… 

We actually want to see it THIS Kingdom manifest. 

However, we find ourselves in the middle of a conflict. A spiritual war of sorts. 

But, rather than fighting FOR the victory, we must remember that we live FROM victory. When we live from the 3rd realm (seated in Heaven), we’re free to love… to honor… to grace… and to empower…

We’re not striving… we’re receiving… 

And we’re not “against” things so much as we’re “for” things… 

__________________

For the worksheet related to this episode, go to:

https://www.jenkins.tv/threerealms