Dan Walsh's Blog, page 33
May 12, 2012
Tearing Down Imaginary Walls
In this, our next look at “Perfect Peace – Hope for the Weary Soul,” I want to look at an often misunderstood passage of Scripture. If we’ve bought into this wrong view, it will have us wearing ourselves out chasing phantoms and, at the same time, missing out on one of the great benefits of our salvation. That is, a sound mind. One that thinks true things. The kind of true things that sets one free. Here’s the verse: “For …read more
May 5, 2012
Trust God…with ALL my heart? Really?
It’s been a few busy weeks since the last installment of the devotional feature in my blog, “Perfect Peace – Hope for the Weary Soul.” You can find the other posts on this by clicking on the Category by that name. One of the reasons for skipping a week was that we did a complete overhaul of my website and blog, to make it work better for people with Kindles, Ipads and other mobile devices. I’ve been told we succeeded. …read more
May 3, 2012
And the Winners Are…
To help celebrate the release of my latest book, The Discovery, we ran a contest called “Discover The Discovery.” People were asked to read the first chapter online and answer a key question about George Washington. Winners would get a signed copy of the book, plus they’d get to pick one of my other novels they haven’t read yet. We just picked the 3 winners, randomly from all those who entered the contest. And the winners are: Glenda Lovett Kim …read more
April 27, 2012
The Challenge of Reading Your Own Reviews
My 5th novel for Revell, The Discovery, released at the beginning of this month. As a writer, that’s always an exciting time, but also one that can make you nervous. You spend hours and hours alone, writing for months, crafting this book. You know what you hope readers will get out of it, hope your editor will like it, but also wonder if you’ll miss the mark entirely. Maybe the book will bomb. People will hate it. They’ll discover I …read more
April 14, 2012
Perfect Peace – God’s Timing
In this next installment of “Perfect Peace – Hope for the Weary Soul,” we’re going to look at something almost every believer in the US probably struggles with to some extent. Some to a great extent. Let’s start looking at this passage in Isaiah that should get us right into it. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways …read more
Perfect Peace - God's Timing
In this next installment of "Perfect Peace - Hope for the Weary Soul," we're going to look at something almost every believer in the US probably struggles with to some extent. Some to a great extent. Let's start looking at this passage in Isaiah that should get us right into it.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” --Isaiah 55:8-9
People who worry often have one thing in common: they have lots of thoughts.
Consider your present situation, the one that concerns you the most (the thing you’re always thinking about). How many thoughts have you had about it? Dozens, hundreds?
For some time I’ve been seeking to become simpler in my outlook on life, and far more dependent on God than on myself. But a while ago I discovered a basic problem, an inner conflict between that desire and the man I had become.
I had become someone who thinks way too much.
I think too much and pray too little. Hours in thought, minutes in prayer. That was me.
The sheer volume of thoughts I’d pile up trying to figure out solutions to my problems revealed whose mind and whose thoughts I trusted in the most. Mine. But I also realized, many of my problems were too big to think my way out of. And looking back, many of the solutions I came up with just made matters worse. They left me weary and more fearful as I stood gazing into an uncertain future.
But this promise in Isaiah 55:8 brings good news. God also has thoughts, many thoughts, about the very situations that perplex us. His thoughts and His ways (what He does with His thoughts) are not just a little different than ours. God says, they are not the same at all.
We don’t think like He does or do things the way He does.
But there’s more. God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. The gap between our ideas and His are as high as the heavens are above the earth.
That’s no small gap.
God feels no stress as He manages the wonders of a universe. I feel stress as I ponder an unpaid bill. As I pondered this gap between God’s wisdom and mine, I realized why I found it hard to trust in God’s thoughts and ways, and often prefer my own (foolish as that may be).
God’s ways seem much slower than mine.
Whatever my situation, I can usually think of a handful of things that, if done right away, would fix my problem. If I were God, I’d do those few things right now and solve this problem immediately.
But that’s not what happens.
I don’t have the power to pull off what I’m thinking and God refuses to cooperate. So my problem continues, far longer than I think it should. I do pray, at least some. But then I look for an instant breakthrough. When it doesn’t come, I’m tempted to stop praying and start thinking some more. More of my thoughts, not His.
Once as I prayed and pondered this passage, I believe the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about God’s apparent slowness. I realized that God’s ways are slower because He takes all the necessary details into account in His solutions. I may think of 3 things that need to happen. If God would just do these 3 things, my trial could be over. But God sees 30 things (or maybe 300 things) that need to happen. His thoughts are perfect and His ways are, as well.
Now might be a good time to mention the "Slow Children at Play" sign. When I used to see this sign, it seemed like it was an insult to children, rather than a warning to motorists. That's because it doesn't appear to have any pause after the word "Slow" (it intends to tell motorists to slow down, because children are at play around here). We might think the sign should read, "Slow God at Work."
But God’s plan only seems slower because God is infinitely wise…and we are not. When we look back at other situations God has rescued us from, we can plainly see this is true. We see His wisdom unveiled and vindicated. We see dozens of things God caused or allowed to happen―things we had never considered―that resulted in just the right solution to our dilemma.
We see things that, at the time, appeared to show God either not paying attention to our troubles or moving way too slow. Here's a prayer that might help get our thoughts a little more in sync with His:
Lord, today I defer to your wisdom and thank You for the evidences of grace already visible in this situation. I thank you even more for the promises in Your Word and Your abounding patience toward me. And for all the testimonies of past situations where Your faithfulness has passed every test. Help me to trust you fully in this new situation and release it completely into Your capable hands. Help me to pray more about this throughout the day, and think less. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” --Isaiah 55:8-9 People who worry often have one thing in common: they have lots of thoughts.
Consider your present situation, the one that concerns you the most (the thing you’re always thinking about). How many thoughts have you had about it? Dozens, hundreds?
For some time I’ve been seeking to become simpler in my outlook on life, and far more dependent on God than on myself. But a while ago I discovered a basic problem, an inner conflict between that desire and the man I had become.
I had become someone who thinks way too much.
I think too much and pray too little. Hours in thought, minutes in prayer. That was me.
The sheer volume of thoughts I’d pile up trying to figure out solutions to my problems revealed whose mind and whose thoughts I trusted in the most. Mine. But I also realized, many of my problems were too big to think my way out of. And looking back, many of the solutions I came up with just made matters worse. They left me weary and more fearful as I stood gazing into an uncertain future.
But this promise in Isaiah 55:8 brings good news. God also has thoughts, many thoughts, about the very situations that perplex us. His thoughts and His ways (what He does with His thoughts) are not just a little different than ours. God says, they are not the same at all.
We don’t think like He does or do things the way He does.
But there’s more. God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. The gap between our ideas and His are as high as the heavens are above the earth.
That’s no small gap.
God feels no stress as He manages the wonders of a universe. I feel stress as I ponder an unpaid bill. As I pondered this gap between God’s wisdom and mine, I realized why I found it hard to trust in God’s thoughts and ways, and often prefer my own (foolish as that may be).
God’s ways seem much slower than mine.
Whatever my situation, I can usually think of a handful of things that, if done right away, would fix my problem. If I were God, I’d do those few things right now and solve this problem immediately.
But that’s not what happens.
I don’t have the power to pull off what I’m thinking and God refuses to cooperate. So my problem continues, far longer than I think it should. I do pray, at least some. But then I look for an instant breakthrough. When it doesn’t come, I’m tempted to stop praying and start thinking some more. More of my thoughts, not His.
Once as I prayed and pondered this passage, I believe the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about God’s apparent slowness. I realized that God’s ways are slower because He takes all the necessary details into account in His solutions. I may think of 3 things that need to happen. If God would just do these 3 things, my trial could be over. But God sees 30 things (or maybe 300 things) that need to happen. His thoughts are perfect and His ways are, as well.
Now might be a good time to mention the "Slow Children at Play" sign. When I used to see this sign, it seemed like it was an insult to children, rather than a warning to motorists. That's because it doesn't appear to have any pause after the word "Slow" (it intends to tell motorists to slow down, because children are at play around here). We might think the sign should read, "Slow God at Work."
But God’s plan only seems slower because God is infinitely wise…and we are not. When we look back at other situations God has rescued us from, we can plainly see this is true. We see His wisdom unveiled and vindicated. We see dozens of things God caused or allowed to happen―things we had never considered―that resulted in just the right solution to our dilemma.
We see things that, at the time, appeared to show God either not paying attention to our troubles or moving way too slow. Here's a prayer that might help get our thoughts a little more in sync with His:
Lord, today I defer to your wisdom and thank You for the evidences of grace already visible in this situation. I thank you even more for the promises in Your Word and Your abounding patience toward me. And for all the testimonies of past situations where Your faithfulness has passed every test. Help me to trust you fully in this new situation and release it completely into Your capable hands. Help me to pray more about this throughout the day, and think less. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
April 7, 2012
Perfect Peace – The Holy Spirit’s Role
This is the 5th post on my blog on the topic of “Perfect Peace – Hope for the Weary Soul.” Another foundational discussion, building on the last one where we talked about how true peace is actually a person, or…comes to us by having a close relationship with that person, Jesus Christ. I’m referring to more than the mere fact of whether one is a Christian. Clearly, you can be a Christian and not enjoy Perfect Peace. But this is …read more
Perfect Peace - The Holy Spirit's Role
This is the 5th post on my blog on the topic of "Perfect Peace - Hope for the Fretting Soul." Another foundational discussion, building on the last one where we talked about how true peace is actually a person, or...comes to us by having a close relationship with that person, Jesus Christ. I'm referring to more than the mere fact of whether one is a Christian.
Clearly, you can be a Christian and not enjoy Perfect Peace. But this is something God intends for us to experience. To help us, He provides the most wonderful gift. The gift of Himself. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
But how many of us really know the third Person of the Trinity? God, the Holy Spirit?
Of all the Gospels, God tells us the most about what happened at the Last Supper in the Gospel of John. Four whole chapters in fact (John 13-16). Jesus said a great deal to His Disciples on that last evening and, apparently, God wanted us to hear it. One of the primary topics Jesus discussed was the Holy Spirit. But first, let's look at something Jesus said about Himself.
"I am the Vine, you are the Branches." (John 15:5)
This is a familiar passage and a powerful metaphor. Because it is familiar, we can sometimes forget what was happening when Jesus said it. It was the eve of His death. After three years of being with His disciples day and night, Jesus was about to leave them. And not just for a short journey. He was about to die a violent death at the hands of his enemies.
Yet Jesus shares this picture of a Vine and Branches, specifically drawing attention to the closeness of the disciples' union with Him. Jesus was the Vine and they were the Branches, which meant they were to live in complete dependence upon Him. The disciples would have known all about vineyards, vines and branches. They would know the branches must remain connected to the vine to receive life, and to have any chance of bearing fruit. Jesus uses this metaphor to show His disciples how they should relate to Him.
They must remain this close. But how can they? He is leaving them this very night, for good.
To strengthen this idea of total dependence Jesus adds these words: "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." And yet, this very night, He will be taken away from them. Still, He tells them here, in essence, don't do anything from now on apart from me.
In light of what was about to happen that night, it might make more sense for Jesus to say, "Remember Me always." He actually does say this earlier in the night when He led them through the first sacrament of Communion. Then He used the metaphor of His body like Bread being broken, and His blood was like the wine they would drink. And He did say, "Do this in memory of me."
But here, a little while later that night, we have this new metaphor with the Vine and Branches. Jesus isn't speaking of remembering Him. He's talking about an ongoing relationship with Him that He wants them to have, well beyond the horrific events of this night. And clearly, He intends this relationship to be so real, so close and so strong that the best way to describe it is to call to mind the relationship between a Vine and its Branches.
The reason John wrote down all these extra words about the Last Supper is because he knew this is also the kind of relationship Jesus wants to have with everyone who would believe in Him. That includes you and me. Today, right now. And He wants this kind of relationship with us every day we live on this earth, until the time we see Him face to face in Heaven.
Looking back at that moment, it must have been perplexing to consider how such an intimate, ongoing relationship with Christ could be possible, since He was about to die and be taken from them that very night.
But Jesus doesn't leave them in confusion, to ponder a nice but irrelevant metaphor that can't possibly connect to real life. He tells them exactly how this new, intimate, dependent relationship with Him would be possible. In fact, experiencing it for themselves was part of the reason He was about to give His life for them (and for us) on the cross.
This is why He introduces them to the Holy Spirit that night, the third Person in the Trinity.
He is the One who had been with Jesus from the beginning, and whose sweet Presence and fellowship united Jesus to His Father while He was on earth. Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit six times that night (that makes introducing the Holy Spirit the primary topic of the night).
The first time, Jesus said this: "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth…" (John 14:15-17). Here, Jesus identifies the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth." Then He says He is coming as "another Helper" (Jesus being the first Helper). And then, to offset the sad news that He would be leaving them physically that night, Jesus says, "He will abide (remain) with you forever."
In the very next verse, Jesus adds this: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
This can only mean that a primary role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to serve as a living link to Jesus. Jesus comes to us through the union we have with the Holy Spirit. And not only Jesus, but the Father as well. A few verses later in verse 23, Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
The Father and the Son make their home in our hearts through the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who unites the Branches to the Vine.
After the Last Supper, it is abundantly clear that the early disciples got what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. We see them constantly talking about the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts and the epistles. And it is very evident…they related to Him in a personal and dependent way.
In contrast, I'd say many modern Christians don't get what Jesus said, and don't relate to the Holy Spirit the same way. In my observation, as a Christian for over 35 years (25 years as a pastor), I'd say many modern Christians relate to a "different Trinity" than what the apostles and early Christians experienced.
Instead of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, for some of us, I think our "functional Trinity" looks more like:
• The Father, Son and The Church
• The Father, Son and The Bible
• The Father, Son and Theology
• The Father, Son and The Pastor
Many of us depend on things like the church (people in the church), the Bible, theology books, or a pastor in a way God didn't intend. Certainly, these are important things, good things, necessary things. But they are not the Vine and cannot give us life and peace. They are a means God uses to help us. But we must learn to relate and depend on the other, primary "Helper" Jesus talked about at the Last Supper.
The Holy Spirit.
We need the Holy Spirit every bit as much as Jesus said we would, every bit as much as the early disciples did. Especially if we have any hope of experiencing Perfect Peace. The Good News is…if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already lives within you, and is eager to help you draw closer to God.
It's my hope that over the course of time, you will become much more familiar with this most precious gift―the Holy Spirit―and become far more comfortable relating to Him. Not just every day but, as Jesus did, throughout every moment of every day.
For it is the Holy Spirit who will help us to keep "our minds stayed on Him." Let's close with this challenging question? Do you believe in the Trinity? If you are a Christian, likely you do. But is your "functional Trinity" the Father, Son AND the Holy Spirit?
Clearly, you can be a Christian and not enjoy Perfect Peace. But this is something God intends for us to experience. To help us, He provides the most wonderful gift. The gift of Himself. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
But how many of us really know the third Person of the Trinity? God, the Holy Spirit?
Of all the Gospels, God tells us the most about what happened at the Last Supper in the Gospel of John. Four whole chapters in fact (John 13-16). Jesus said a great deal to His Disciples on that last evening and, apparently, God wanted us to hear it. One of the primary topics Jesus discussed was the Holy Spirit. But first, let's look at something Jesus said about Himself."I am the Vine, you are the Branches." (John 15:5)
This is a familiar passage and a powerful metaphor. Because it is familiar, we can sometimes forget what was happening when Jesus said it. It was the eve of His death. After three years of being with His disciples day and night, Jesus was about to leave them. And not just for a short journey. He was about to die a violent death at the hands of his enemies.
Yet Jesus shares this picture of a Vine and Branches, specifically drawing attention to the closeness of the disciples' union with Him. Jesus was the Vine and they were the Branches, which meant they were to live in complete dependence upon Him. The disciples would have known all about vineyards, vines and branches. They would know the branches must remain connected to the vine to receive life, and to have any chance of bearing fruit. Jesus uses this metaphor to show His disciples how they should relate to Him.
They must remain this close. But how can they? He is leaving them this very night, for good.
To strengthen this idea of total dependence Jesus adds these words: "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." And yet, this very night, He will be taken away from them. Still, He tells them here, in essence, don't do anything from now on apart from me.
In light of what was about to happen that night, it might make more sense for Jesus to say, "Remember Me always." He actually does say this earlier in the night when He led them through the first sacrament of Communion. Then He used the metaphor of His body like Bread being broken, and His blood was like the wine they would drink. And He did say, "Do this in memory of me."
But here, a little while later that night, we have this new metaphor with the Vine and Branches. Jesus isn't speaking of remembering Him. He's talking about an ongoing relationship with Him that He wants them to have, well beyond the horrific events of this night. And clearly, He intends this relationship to be so real, so close and so strong that the best way to describe it is to call to mind the relationship between a Vine and its Branches.
The reason John wrote down all these extra words about the Last Supper is because he knew this is also the kind of relationship Jesus wants to have with everyone who would believe in Him. That includes you and me. Today, right now. And He wants this kind of relationship with us every day we live on this earth, until the time we see Him face to face in Heaven.
Looking back at that moment, it must have been perplexing to consider how such an intimate, ongoing relationship with Christ could be possible, since He was about to die and be taken from them that very night.
But Jesus doesn't leave them in confusion, to ponder a nice but irrelevant metaphor that can't possibly connect to real life. He tells them exactly how this new, intimate, dependent relationship with Him would be possible. In fact, experiencing it for themselves was part of the reason He was about to give His life for them (and for us) on the cross.
This is why He introduces them to the Holy Spirit that night, the third Person in the Trinity.
He is the One who had been with Jesus from the beginning, and whose sweet Presence and fellowship united Jesus to His Father while He was on earth. Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit six times that night (that makes introducing the Holy Spirit the primary topic of the night).
The first time, Jesus said this: "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth…" (John 14:15-17). Here, Jesus identifies the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth." Then He says He is coming as "another Helper" (Jesus being the first Helper). And then, to offset the sad news that He would be leaving them physically that night, Jesus says, "He will abide (remain) with you forever."
In the very next verse, Jesus adds this: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
This can only mean that a primary role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to serve as a living link to Jesus. Jesus comes to us through the union we have with the Holy Spirit. And not only Jesus, but the Father as well. A few verses later in verse 23, Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
The Father and the Son make their home in our hearts through the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who unites the Branches to the Vine.
After the Last Supper, it is abundantly clear that the early disciples got what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. We see them constantly talking about the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts and the epistles. And it is very evident…they related to Him in a personal and dependent way.
In contrast, I'd say many modern Christians don't get what Jesus said, and don't relate to the Holy Spirit the same way. In my observation, as a Christian for over 35 years (25 years as a pastor), I'd say many modern Christians relate to a "different Trinity" than what the apostles and early Christians experienced.
Instead of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, for some of us, I think our "functional Trinity" looks more like:
• The Father, Son and The Church
• The Father, Son and The Bible
• The Father, Son and Theology
• The Father, Son and The Pastor
Many of us depend on things like the church (people in the church), the Bible, theology books, or a pastor in a way God didn't intend. Certainly, these are important things, good things, necessary things. But they are not the Vine and cannot give us life and peace. They are a means God uses to help us. But we must learn to relate and depend on the other, primary "Helper" Jesus talked about at the Last Supper.
The Holy Spirit.
We need the Holy Spirit every bit as much as Jesus said we would, every bit as much as the early disciples did. Especially if we have any hope of experiencing Perfect Peace. The Good News is…if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already lives within you, and is eager to help you draw closer to God.
It's my hope that over the course of time, you will become much more familiar with this most precious gift―the Holy Spirit―and become far more comfortable relating to Him. Not just every day but, as Jesus did, throughout every moment of every day.
For it is the Holy Spirit who will help us to keep "our minds stayed on Him." Let's close with this challenging question? Do you believe in the Trinity? If you are a Christian, likely you do. But is your "functional Trinity" the Father, Son AND the Holy Spirit?
March 31, 2012
Perfect Peace - True Peace is a Person
True Peace is a Person?
This is the 4th post in the Perfect Peace series. You can find the others by scrolling down a bit or looking on the right sidebar for the label "Perfect Peace - Hope for the Fretting Soul." Last time, we talked about the Foundation of True Peace (something that has to be in place for us to ever experience real peace inside). Feel free to read it if you're just starting now. Basically, we're talking about the need for our hearts to be at peace with God, and what keeps that from being real.
In earlier posts, I've talked about what Perfect Peace is. The secret is found in this Scripture (and in dozens more like it, which we'll meditate on in future posts):
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)
Do you see the promise here? What is being offered to us? Perfect Peace. Do you also see what this perfect peace hinges on? What makes it possible?
"You will keep him…" "…whose mind is stayed on You…" "…because he trusts in You."
You, you, you (not you or me, but Him).
Perfect Peace is not an elusive state of mind or the mere absence of trouble in one's life. It's found in a close relationship with a Person. The Scriptures tell us this person is Jesus Christ. Jesus is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Heb 1:3). Jesus is the "You" Isaiah is talking about. Perfect Peace is held out to us as a promise by God to those who keep their minds "stayed" (focused, set or fixed) on Christ.
You might think, well, I already know Jesus; I am a Christian (I'm sure that's true for many reading this blog). So then…you already know the secret to Perfect Peace.
Then why do you still fret and worry?
I'm not trying to confuse you or make this complicated. But clearly there is more to experiencing Perfect Peace than just being a Christian. If Perfect Peace came automatically with conversion, Christians would never worry or fear, never become anxious, never fret.
If you're like me, you've known moments of real peace. Moments when you've trusted God fully for your life, for everything going on in your life. And in those moments, you knew real peace. The problem is…the word "moments."
The moments didn't last.
The promise of Isaiah 26:3 is not to have moments of peace in our lives. The promise is that God would "keep us in Perfect Peace." This sounds a lot more stable and lasting than mere moments.
So why is it that most of us only know moments of peace?
I believe the problem stems from our embedded tendency to want to live independent from God. Simply put, we don't want to need God as much as we do.
Think about the first thing Adam and Eve did after The Fall. They hid from God and tried to fix the problem themselves. This is the inherited tendency of all mankind. We'd prefer it if God would make this perfect peace something we receive once, then it stays with us the rest of our lives, regardless of how close to God we live, day to day.
It is true we experience peace with God when we are saved (what we looked at last time). In that, His wrath is removed from us and we are no longer His enemies. But the peace that calms our fears and worries, the peace that assures us everything will be okay (even when it seems things are anything but)…this peace is not something that comes once in full measure, and stays with us the rest of our lives.
But I don't need to tell you that. You already know this (it's why you're reading this blog). The perfect peace Isaiah is referring to is not a one-time gift given at conversion. It's a gift given to those who draw near to God each day and stay near to God throughout the day.
Because this peace is a person. It is directly connected to the level of relationship we maintain with Jesus Christ. He will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him. Jesus enjoyed this peace and experienced it every day on earth, because He kept His mind stayed on His Father. He wants us to enjoy this same level of peace as we keep our minds stayed on Him.
To help us experience this grace, Jesus gives us a wonderful gift. The gift of Himself. God is willing to relate to us in a day to day, abiding relationship.
Next time we'll talk what the Lord has done to make it possible for us to experience an ever-deepening relationship with Him, so that we can experience a fresh dose of God's peace every day.
This is the 4th post in the Perfect Peace series. You can find the others by scrolling down a bit or looking on the right sidebar for the label "Perfect Peace - Hope for the Fretting Soul." Last time, we talked about the Foundation of True Peace (something that has to be in place for us to ever experience real peace inside). Feel free to read it if you're just starting now. Basically, we're talking about the need for our hearts to be at peace with God, and what keeps that from being real.
In earlier posts, I've talked about what Perfect Peace is. The secret is found in this Scripture (and in dozens more like it, which we'll meditate on in future posts):
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)
Do you see the promise here? What is being offered to us? Perfect Peace. Do you also see what this perfect peace hinges on? What makes it possible?
"You will keep him…" "…whose mind is stayed on You…" "…because he trusts in You."
You, you, you (not you or me, but Him).
Perfect Peace is not an elusive state of mind or the mere absence of trouble in one's life. It's found in a close relationship with a Person. The Scriptures tell us this person is Jesus Christ. Jesus is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Heb 1:3). Jesus is the "You" Isaiah is talking about. Perfect Peace is held out to us as a promise by God to those who keep their minds "stayed" (focused, set or fixed) on Christ.
You might think, well, I already know Jesus; I am a Christian (I'm sure that's true for many reading this blog). So then…you already know the secret to Perfect Peace.
Then why do you still fret and worry?
I'm not trying to confuse you or make this complicated. But clearly there is more to experiencing Perfect Peace than just being a Christian. If Perfect Peace came automatically with conversion, Christians would never worry or fear, never become anxious, never fret.
If you're like me, you've known moments of real peace. Moments when you've trusted God fully for your life, for everything going on in your life. And in those moments, you knew real peace. The problem is…the word "moments."
The moments didn't last.
The promise of Isaiah 26:3 is not to have moments of peace in our lives. The promise is that God would "keep us in Perfect Peace." This sounds a lot more stable and lasting than mere moments.
So why is it that most of us only know moments of peace?
I believe the problem stems from our embedded tendency to want to live independent from God. Simply put, we don't want to need God as much as we do.
Think about the first thing Adam and Eve did after The Fall. They hid from God and tried to fix the problem themselves. This is the inherited tendency of all mankind. We'd prefer it if God would make this perfect peace something we receive once, then it stays with us the rest of our lives, regardless of how close to God we live, day to day. It is true we experience peace with God when we are saved (what we looked at last time). In that, His wrath is removed from us and we are no longer His enemies. But the peace that calms our fears and worries, the peace that assures us everything will be okay (even when it seems things are anything but)…this peace is not something that comes once in full measure, and stays with us the rest of our lives.
But I don't need to tell you that. You already know this (it's why you're reading this blog). The perfect peace Isaiah is referring to is not a one-time gift given at conversion. It's a gift given to those who draw near to God each day and stay near to God throughout the day.
Because this peace is a person. It is directly connected to the level of relationship we maintain with Jesus Christ. He will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him. Jesus enjoyed this peace and experienced it every day on earth, because He kept His mind stayed on His Father. He wants us to enjoy this same level of peace as we keep our minds stayed on Him.
To help us experience this grace, Jesus gives us a wonderful gift. The gift of Himself. God is willing to relate to us in a day to day, abiding relationship.
Next time we'll talk what the Lord has done to make it possible for us to experience an ever-deepening relationship with Him, so that we can experience a fresh dose of God's peace every day.
March 28, 2012
Book Updates - The Discovery is Releasing!
IT'S HERE!!It's Wednesday as I write this, mid-week in the last week of March. My 6th novel and newest release, The Discovery, is scheduled to release on April 1st. But it's already out in all the online stores like Amazon, B&N and Christianbook.com. The Kindle, Nook and other Ebook versions should release on time, April 1st (but that's not far away...just this Sunday).
Click here to go to my website if you'd like a shortcut to order it online. Beneath the book cover on my homepage are 3 buttons to order from whichever online store you prefer.
Some Great Early Reviews
There are already 7 Customer reviews up on Amazon as of today, 6 of them give it 5 Stars. Here are a couple of clips:
"This is a story within a story so masterfully developed by Dan Walsh that it is almost impossible to describe...When done I realized the story was so satisfying it should be read slowly and every word, line, allowed to melt in the mind. I'll reread it that way, as soon as I can get it out of my wife's grip."
--Harold Wolf "Doc" (Wells, IN)
"A suspense novel...by Dan Walsh? I couldn't get my mind around it. So unlike his writing, until ... I read more. Until I was captivated, enthralled, with the story of an impossible love, a doomed life. A life pre-determined by the circumstances of war; a life that held value, but where no value could be found. Walsh has such a unique gift of writing that he draws the reader into not only the story, but the era...I don't remember ever reading a complete novel within a novel, but Walsh integrates the two masterfully. When Michael discovers his famous novelist grandfather's hidden manuscript, we aren't just told about the effect it has on him, nor are we given only snippets of it. We read it with him, the complete novel. What a treat to read two books, one inserted in the other, with two separate heroes, Michael and Ben...The Discovery is two stories twined together, yet separate. It's a keep you on the edge of your seat novel(s). Another keeper for your Walsh collection."
--Bonnie Engstrom, (Scotsdale, AZ)
"The Discovery is such a profound novel and so incredibly moving that I finished it in less than 24 hours. Michael Warner's grandfather has died and left him his house in Charleston and made him an instant millionaire, but no one knows anything about the grandfather's early life. Absolutely nothing. He was an incredibly famous writer but never had his picture taken for a book jacket, never published a photo with an interview. Nothing. When Michael takes possession of the house, he finds an old yellowed paged manuscript written by his grandfather, which he presumes was a novel his grandfather had written but never published. Michael begins to read and then things get very interesting. I will not reveal more so as not to spoil this book for those who haven't read it, but the book was worth every cent I paid for it. It was incredibly moving and if someone doesn't make a Hallmark movie of it, it's is a crying shame!"
-- Susan Snodgrass (SC)
What's Up Next for The Discovery?
Magnolia Plantation
Discover The Discovery's Settings - Charleston Pics
- Two weeks ago, my wife Cindi and I took a getaway to 2 of the historic cities featured in the book, Charleston and Savannah. We toured all the places Michael and Ben visit in the story and took pictures. You can see them on my Author Page on Facebook, by clicking here. If you haven't already "Liked" the page, just click on Like to get past the Welcome box. Then click on "Photos." You'll see the album with The Discovery pics right near the front.
Local Book signings in the Daytona Beach Area - There are 2 Booksignings planned near my hometown. But neither one are in local Bookstores. In both, I will do an old fashioned Book Reading, as well as some Q&A with the audience. The first will be in Port Orange at the Java Jungle, a local coffeehouse with a nice meeting room on the side. It will be on April 10th at 7pm. The 2nd is at the end of the month, Saturday, April 28th, at the Halifax Historical Museum in the downtown area on Beach Street. This one should be especially fun. The staff down there helped me a lot with the research for the book, and much of the story actually takes place nearby, in the 1940's.
Two Major Blogs Featuring The Discovery - In the first week of April, I will be visiting 2 highly traveled blogs on the internet. The first blog is called Seekerville on Thursday, April 5th. It's got hundreds of members and thousands of people visit it each month, many of them Christian writers seeking to write fiction more effectively (I recommend this blog to every one who asks me for advice about writing). I've written an article for writers and will be meeting with them throughout the day to talk about this and my new book. The 2nd blog is with a friend and a real sweet lady from Texas, Lena Nelson Dooley. Lena's written dozens of books. She'll be interviewing me on her blog, A Christian Writer's World, and giving away a free book. I'll be visiting Lena's blog on April 8th.
Major Blog Tour throughout the US and Canada - In the 2nd week of April, from the 9th through the 15th, The Discovery will be on its "Blog Tour." Approximately 70 bloggers in the US and Canada are reading the book now, and during that week will each feature a review of the book on their blog. It's always a blast to visit these bloggers and see what they have to say (so far, most of them have been very kind).
Interviews about The Discovery with National Publications - Not sure of the exact dates yet, but RT Book Reviews magazine and USA Today plan to feature interviews with me about The Discovery in April. I'll post the details about these interviews when I have them on Facebook and Twitter. I'm also doing an interview for Christianbook.com.
Dutch Publisher Picks Up Right to the Book - We've been informed that Uitgeverij de Banier bv, a publisher in the Netherlands has signed a contract to publish a Dutch version of The Discovery. This version should be out in a year or so, after being translated from English.
Update on My New Series with Gary Smalley
Dr. Gary SmalleyAt the end of this week, I will send in the manuscript for The Dance, the first novel in the 4-book series I'm co-authoring with Dr. Gary Smalley. We've been working on this since October. After my editor at Revell reviews it, we'll do the final rewrites. I'll also be turning into her this week the synopsis for Book Two (title not picked out yet). I've already begun the research, and plan to start writing this book by mid-April.The Dance should be on the shelves about this time next year.We've also chosen a title and theme for the 4 books -- the Restoration Series. The first book opens as Jim and Marilyn Anderson's 27-year marriage appears on the verge of collapse. But we believe God is all about healing hearts and restoring broken lives. The series will follow the Anderson family, as they face a number of real-life obstacles and hurdles, the kind of challenges many of us deal with every day.
In mid-June, Gary and I will fly up to Grand Rapids, MI to meet with the sales and marketing staff at Revell to discuss strategies for promoting The Dance and the new Restoration series (as well as get some pictures of the two of us together!).
More updates to come, as details get firmed up!
