C. Gene Wilkes's Blog, page 7

How to become Spiritually Fit

This month I have been lifting weights with a couple of NFL Alumni. Well, mostly with one of them...a 6'5" 300-lb lineman. I look like his scrawny dad when we are walking around the gym from station to station. He has been kind enough to show me the ins and outs of his lifting regimen, which I have not done since High School football days. (I graduated in 1971.)
I joined them at the start of this year because I need the extra strength for my one big goal of summitting Mt. Rainier in August. 
I have learned you grow stronger through lifting by literally tearing the muscle as you lift. As the muscle heals over the next 24-48 hours, it becomes stronger. Learning not to tear the muscle too much while increasing the weight is part of the practice. You also become stronger by covering all the muscle groups with a variety of motions. Soreness is also part of the strengthening process. If you are not sore, you are not lifting enough to improve. (There's a spiritual parallel in that truth!) Following the program and investing the effort have made a difference already.
In my book, A New Way of Living: practicing the Beatitudes everyday, I write about how spiritual exercises are intended to help those of us claiming to be Christ followers to get into shape--spiritual shape. I believe that, like physical exercise, spiritual exercise builds the muscle of our soul in order to live as God intended us to live. I also believe they must also be planned in advance, that they must become a priority at the expense of other commitments and that they are one of the key components in a life well-lived.
For example, I write,

Part of any well developed exercise program pays attention to what is consumed. This is equally true physically and spiritually. Just as optimal health and fitness require a keen eye overseeing what we eat, spiritual health is also tremendously impacted by what we place in our heart, our mind, and our soul. When we want to know which foods are most beneficial regarding fitness, we turn to a nutritionist...When we want to know which principles to follow in pursuit of spiritual wellness, [we turn to] Christ's own words. (52)

Physical exercise--lifting weights regularly in a predetermined program, for example--will change my body and improve my health. Spiritual exercise--reading the Bible regularly following a predetermined program, for example--will change my heart and how I think. 
Our culture is obsessed with physical wellness. Why not turn some of that obsession toward caring for your soul? 
Interested? Here's a place to start:
What physical exercise(s) do you do? Walking, cycling, running, aerobic classes...What spiritual exercise(s) do you do? Reading the Bible, prayer, fasting, solitude...Write out a plan to improve your physical and spiritual wellness today. List one exercise you will do daily this week to get you started.

Next week we will begin to walk through the Beatitudes to see how they serve as both a benchmark and goal of our relationship with Jesus, the Christ, and what spiritual exercises can enhance that part of our relationship with God.
You can read a sample chapter from the book here.

Cameron Park Trail Workout

Park at the Redwood Shelter
Cross the street to the trail along the river
Run to end of River Trail and the Highlander Trailhead
Run Highlander to
Outback to
Powder Monkey back down to
River Trail
Run at pace to Jacob's Ladder
One ascent and one descent
Jog back to Redwood Shelter

Took me about 1h 30m. You'll be faster. Add climbs on Jacobs Ladder for climbing strength

Cameron Park Trail Map

http://www.wacocvb.com/forms/cameron-...

How to Know if you are Spiritually Well

I want to kick off my new year on the topic of spiritual wellness. It is a primary theme in my new book, A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes Everyday. 
Much has been written about physical wellness and how exercise and diet are essential elements to health and longevity, but how do you know if you are spiritually well?
The Beatitudes--like physical vital signs--can serve as a baseline for your spiritual health. How can you know where you are in your spiritual development? Just as you would take your pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and rate of breathing to measure your health physically, you can gauge your spiritual health by measuring your attitudes and behavior against what Jesus considered "blessed" in his teachings recorded in Matthew 5:3-10.
Jesus not only blessed certain spiritual conditions as he looked out over his disciples and the crowd that gathered to hear him, but I believe he also revealed characteristics of who he wanted his followers to demonstrate in their lives: meekness, mercy, purity in heart, living as a peacemaker, for example. 
So, if you want a baseline for your spiritual wellness, you can look for the heart conditions Jesus blessed in your heart and life. 
Here are some questions you could ask yourself to test your spiritual condition as Jesus described it:

Do I have a sense of poverty of soul?  
Have I confessed I am spiritually bankrupt?
Am I painfully aware of my need for God? 
Do I have a deepened sense of grief for not only my anemic spiritual condition but for those around me who are hurt by sin and suffering? 
Have my poverty of soul and mournful heart brought me into a state of meekness, submitting all I am and have to the leadership of Jesus to help me?
Do I have a hunger and thirst that things be made right as God designed them?

We will pick up here next week, but in the meantime, take time to become familiar with the Beatitudes and allow the Holy Spirit to measure your spiritual wellness with them. 
Leave a comment or question if you like.

Hints to Spiritual Growth this Year

I wrote an article for New Hope Digital titled "Top Five Ways To Change Your Spiritual Development in 2013."

Here's the link. Thanks for checking it out.

The End of the World!?!

Mayan Calendars12/21/12 is finally here! The next end-of-the-world tsunami has hit the shores of our culture, and the people I talk to jokingly speak of eating all the ice cream they want, maxing out their credit cards, and partying like its 2012--just like they did in 1999.

Earlier this month I blogged about the end of the world on 12/21/12. You can read it here. Since Friday is supposed to be the end of the world, I wanted to post on last time on the subject. And, since I expect to be here next week, I will post then as usual and as the Lord wills.

"Fear is the opposite of faith," Someone once said. I agree with that statement. Christians do not worry about tomorrow because Jesus made it clear that while he did not know the date or time of the end, we can be sure God's got the final say on when all we know is over. (Matthew 24)

The words of Jesus we usually read at funeral services are appropriate here. Jesus was comforting his disciples when they began to realize his end was near.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)

Jesus promised that whatever we face here, we can trust He has a place beyond here with Him. Now, that's good news in the face of hype about the end of all things.

By the way, the end predicted by the Mayan Calendar is not the only way the world is supposed to end in 2012. USA Weekend recorded at least six of them. Read their list here.

I also published an article about this in More Living Magazine. You can order a copy for you or your church here.

Newtown and Bethlehem

Reactions to Newtown ShootingsI'm afraid lifelong, American Christians treat Christmas with at least two false assumptions:
The first false assumption is that (maybe due to carols like Silent Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Angels We Have Heard on High) we assume nothing bad was going on when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Somehow it must have been more tranquil and God chose that time in history because life was simpler and less violent. Nothing like what happened in Newtown was anything like reality to those who lived at the time of Jesus' birth.
The second false assumption is that God worked differently then than now . We assume that when Jesus was born everything immediately changed, Jesus grew up blissfully, and the Kingdom of Heaven eventually came on earth until we are in Heaven. God protected the just and the ways of God became embedded in the hearts of humans forever more.
These assumptions about the Christmas story are false, and they cause us to miss how Jesus' birth in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago speaks directly to the horrors of the Newtown shootings.
Things were bad when Jesus was born. Read for yourself the history of Israel during the time of Roman rule, the Maccabees, and 50  years either side of Jesus' birth. Things were brutal, and life was expendable for political and military gain. Pompey the Great (d. 48 B.C.) laid siege to Jerusalem and entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple while slaughtering 12,000 in the process. The biblical story tells us that Herod the Great (d. 4 B.C.), having heard from the Magi of the birth of a king in Bethlehem, had all the two-year-old boys killed in the area. (Matthew 2:16) Jesus' family fled to Egypt to hide from Herod's goon squads.
Jesus was born into a world like ours, and that's the point. God did not wait for some tranquil, non-violent span of history to insert His Son to offer some other-worldly, idyllic reality. God sent His Son into human suffering and violence to demonstrate the power of love over evil, eternal life over death, and God's reign over the rule of human evil.
God works now as when Jesus was born. How? God enters evil. God identifies with the weak and wounded. God comforts the mourning. God loves the shot and the shooter. Jesus came to redeem and restore Creation damaged by the Pompeys, Herods, and the Adam Lanzas, fill in the blank with the worst act that comes to mind of our world.

The story of Christmas is the story of God entering our violent, evil-infected world in the person of His Son, Jesus, so we may know the power of love over weapons, forgiveness over revenge, and sacrifice over self-preservation. 
We can have hope in Newtown because Hope was born in Bethlehem.

Tell the Christmas Story. (Luke 2:1-20) Jesus' birth led to Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, and that is what we put our trust in during days like these.

Get vs. Give

How do you make an impact at Advent this year? Win the battle of Get vs. Give. 
Advent Impact at Legacy Church this year is about helping people have a "counter cultural Christmas." We are committed to families helping families, and have begun to bless families with what they need this time of year.
I have been blown away by how God's people have stepped up to provide the necessities and extras for those the church has brought forward as families who needed help this Christmas. 
How does this happen? Are some people naturally more generous than others? Do some have more money and are able to share more than those with less? 
We explored how to win the personal battle of Get vs. Give. last Sunday by reviewing the story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet with an expensive perfume. (You can hear the entire message here.) 
Read the story captured in John 12:1-8.
We observed that:

Giving is an act of worship and reflects the heart of God. (See Mary's actions in the story.)To get only exposes a self-centered and hypocritical heart. (See Judas' response in the story.)
Jesus affirms those gifts given from the heart in honor of his sacrifice. (Read Jesus' reply to Judas.)

As part of the message I reminded the listeners that we had given support to Church at the Movies in Mastic Beach, NY, who decided to bless those in their community affected by Superstorm Sandy. Here's a video they made of the event:


O Giver of every good and perfect gift,
Capture my heart with your love
that I may give to others as you have given to me.
May the love of Jesus, who came at Christmas,
transform my selfish heart and open my hands
to love others as you have loved me.
In the name of the one who gave his life for mine,
Amen.

The Myth of Ownership

Legacy ChurchThis Advent as Legacy Church, we want to help each other have "a counter-cultural Christmas."  We are challenging each other to win some key battles in our hearts so we can impact the lives of others this Advent season. To read more about Legacy's Advent Impact, you can go here.
The first battle we spoke of Sunday was the battle of Mine vs. God's. We are hardwired from birth to have things our way and claim ownership of those things we think are ours. 
But, the more mature we become and the more honest we are, we realize we don't own anything and we ultimately have no control over our lives. This reality should not breed cynicism but trust--trust in God who owns all things. (Ps. 24:1) 
Absolute ownership of things is a myth. Yes, under the laws of the land, we can claim ownership and defend what we hold title to, but although we "own" a house or car outright, for example, fire, crash, or storm can take them from us in a flash. To own something does not guarantee we will keep it. Jesus warned against putting our trust in those things that can be taken from us. (Matthew 6:19-21)
The problem with the myth of ownership is that it breeds the 3 D's of disillusionment. When we think we own something we becomeDependent on it. We depend on what we think we own to provide security and comfort. Only God ultimately can provide those things. Defensive of it. We defend what we think we own, and we can become consumed with protecting what is ours and lose a heart for service and love.Defined by it. Our identity becomes what we have and have accumulated rather than who we are in our relationship with Jesus, the Christ. Our example for giving up ownership in order to serve others is Jesus. Read this poetic passage from the Bible for what Jesus did for us at Christmas. (Philippians 2:5-11)
Maybe you suffer like me from believing the myth of ownership. Ask God to free your heart from it so you can serve and aid others this season of Advent.

Lord and Owner of All Things,I confess my belief in the myth of ownership.I have become dependent on those things,defensive of them, and defined by them.Forgive me, and free me so I may follow Jesus' exampleand serve others with your love.Amen

A Day of Prayer

Occasionally, as Legacy Church, we set aside days of prayer for different reasons. As we enter the season of Advent and complete our series SENT, we invite you to join us to take today to prepare your heart for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. May the Holy Spirit speak clearly to you today through these meditations.
Morning Devotional: Worship
To worship something is to give it a place of honor or importance. Worship = worth (of value, importance) + -ship (position).
Human beings are geared to worship: the star athlete, the talented musician, the charismatic personality, the successful business leader, the creative author, the generous philanthropist, the intelligent theorist. When humans fail to impress us, we can always turn to money, power, lust, success, acceptance, love, adoration. Sometimes we even worship the reflection in the mirror.
The question, then, is not “Will you worship?” but rather, “Who or what will be the object of your worship?”
In 1851, Anglican minister Frederick Oakeley wanted his congregation to have the opportunity to learn and sing a centuries-old Catholic hymn, so he translated the Latin “Adeste Fidelis” (literally, “Be present or near, you faithful”) to the carol “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Oakeley knew his parishioners had the same struggle we face today: those of you who follow Jesus need to stop and give him top priority.
The entire carol declares that Jesus is worthy of being worshiped:
Verse 1 tells us to visualize Jesus as a baby in the stable.Verse 2 reminds us that this baby Jesus is truly God himself.Verse 3 repeats the song of the angels, “Glory to God! Glory in the highest!”Verse 4 is adoration of Jesus as the Word, who was with God from the beginning of time.
Just as we begin every church service with praise and worship in order to turn our focus from whoever or whatever has the #1 spot of worth-ship in our hearts and minds, get in the habit of beginning your prayer time by declaring Jesus is worthy. Begin and end your Sunday, your every day, your every prayer, with praise. Remind Jesus (and yourself) that He is Lord.
Reflect: 
“O Come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”

Noon or Mid-day: Intercession
A quick illustration—don’t panic, it’s easy. I’m going to take a famous song and give you the first two lines. You fill in the blank with the next line.
A, B, C, D, E, F, GH, I, J, K,_______________
If you’re like most people, you sang the next five letters as one continuous sound, something like, “el-le-minnow-pee”.
Music therapists, teachers, neurologists, and parents have long understood that combining words/lyrics/ideas (left brain) and music (right brain) results in higher memory or recall. That’s why your parents taught you the alphabet to the tune based on a French folk song from the 1700’s, although you probably know the tune better as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.
It’s also why the longest book in The Bible is a song book, and why many familiar hymns and praise songs are based on phrases straight from scripture. By singing scripture, you’re more likely to remember it, not only the actual verses but, hopefully, the truth behind those verses.
The title and last verse of the Christmas Carol, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ is based on Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” There are seven verses in the song, each tells of our longing and desperate need for Christ to make all things right.
That longing for Christ to make all things right is the sentiment to have in praying for others.
So why bother with worship? Why not go straight to asking God to provide, to help, or to fix a situation for ourselves or for those we love?
Because it’s too easy to focus on the problem and our inability to fix it. It’s also too easy to lose hope when the answer doesn’t come as expected or when the answer takes a long time to arrive.
Spend some time praying for others. Click here or here to read through (or sing) the lyrics to “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and the names for Christ, each thought with a purpose to give hope to a weary world. Each time you face the enormity of the circumstances rise up, think on this carol, remember that God is greater than your helplessness, and praise him. After all, “Emmanuel” means, “God with us”. 
Reflect: 
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive IsraelThat mourns in lonely exile hereUntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Evening: Thanksgiving
As darkness has fallen, I can reflect on the time spent praying and thinking on the things of God today, and I am thankful. Although I wait to see how God will answer some of my prayers, and some circumstances remain just as bleak, I can sing and give thanks with full voice and with great enthusiasm.
No one can understand this truth better than Heinrich Suso.
In 1326, this Dominican monk wrote a small book, aptly titled, The Little Book of Truth. His premise was to present the gospel in clear, common language so any person could comprehend it and could receive hope and compassion. Instead of receiving praise, Suso was tried for heresy.
Convinced he was right, Suso defied authority and wrote a second book,The Little Book of Eternal Wisdom, which taught the reader using everyday language the wisdom and joy which comes from following the teachings of scripture. Suso was condemned by the Pope and exiled from Germany, so he escaped to Switzerland. Although he was persecuted, slandered, and faced death threats, he never turned his back on the church and continued to share the gospel and the happiness, peace, and joy he had found by walking with God.
One night, Suso had a dream in which he saw countless angels singing and dancing. He listened and joined in the dance with them. When he woke up, he remembered the details of the dream including the words and the tune to the song. Feeling led by the Spirit, Frederich Suso recorded the words to the song from his dream, and “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” was born.
Although never accepted by the church, Suso taught his song and carried his message to the German people until his death in 1366, and the people wholeheartedly embraced this song of the joy of Christ.
It would be more than 150 years before “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” would be printed, but the song was so popular, it inspired other German writers, including Martin Luther, to compose hymns in the common language for the common people. Suso’s radical thinking became part of the foundation for the way most people viewed and continue to view their relationship to Christ.
James Mason Neale was a priest in England in the mid-1800’s was one of those who was inspired by Suso’s writings and was filled with the desire to bring the joy and hope of salvation to every person in his congregation and beyond.
Unfortunately for Neale, the thought of religion and exuberance was too radical for church authorities, and he was exiled to a pastorate far from his native England. Although ridiculed, stoned, and beaten, James Mason Neale continued to look for ways to reach the lost and the hopeless. In a truly radical move, he founded the Sisterhood of St. Margaret, an order of women whose goal was to feed the poor, care for orphans, and minister to prostitutes.
In spite of death threats to himself and the women who served with him, in 1853 a publisher released Neale’s English translation of “Good Christian Men, Rejoice!” in a book Carols for Christmastide, which carried the song all over the world.
As you end your day today, read through the lyrics to “Good Christian Men, Rejoice!”, and give thanks for men like Frederich Suso, James Mason Neale, and Martin Luther who followed the calling to bring the message--and the joy behind the message--of what it means to know Christ.
Reflect: 
"Good Christian men, rejoiceWith heart and soul and voice;Give ye heed to what we say:News! News!Jesus Christ is born today:Ox and ass before him bowAnd He is in the manger now.Christ is born today!Christ is born today!"
 ---------------------------------
References:
1.    “O Come All Ye Faithful”-- http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/Come_Faithful.aspx2.    “O Come, O Come Immanuel”-- http://www.worshipmap.com/lyrics/storyveni.html“Good Christian Men Rejoice”-- Collins, Ace. Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001. 58-63. Print.
Thanks to Patsy Weinberg for authoring these meditations. 

Riding the trails

Took to the trails this morning for the first time on my secondhand mountain bike. (Thanks K Brown) The conditions were ideal, but I was super cautious. I was glad no one else was riding! There was one runner, and I told him I'd rather be running than riding as I passed him. He laughed. (At me?)

Rode the 2.5 mile loop at Arbor Hills in Plano. Excellent for newbies like me. I'm sure if you go more than 5 miles an hour it would be even more challenging. Made two loops before heading to the office, and I'm ready to go again.

More upper body work on the mtn bike, and the climbs are trickier than road cycling for sure. No clipping in for a while. Needed to bail too many times. Someday.

Trail running is my favorite sport. Now I can drive up to a trailhead and either run it or ride it. Nice.