The Gradual Fall Into Spiritual Self-Righteousness

1. Recognition of Sin - The individual, moved and called by the Holy Spirit, recognizes the darkness and brokenness within that seeks to destroy every piece of them
2. Salvation - Upon recognizing this brokenness, the individual comes to a crossroad; receive the eternal gift of adoption into the kingdom of Christ, or deny this inheritance and move forward in carnal pursuits with no desire for a relationship with the Creator
3. Restoration - The individual that chooses salvation begins to exemplify the fruits and restorative power seen in one whom has graciously been given this priceless inheritance    
4. Pursuit of Righteousness - And so we enter into the body of Christ (i.e. the Church) and spur each other on towards the things of Him; seeking to live the high standard he has set before us as we utilize the gifts he has instilled within us
5. Righteous Expectations - The more we are able to distinguish darkness from light (good from evil), the more we feel an obligation to live this righteousness in front of our fellow Christians.  Often times with these righteous expectations come less grace from our fellow brothers and sisters and less pursuit of inward accountability.  Therefore, walls are built creating dark shadows of "the heart" (i.e. our spirit). 
6. Self-Righteousness - Instead of restarting the cycle of recognizing sin and pursuing restoration, we allow our spiritual pride to grow, thus killing the Godly fruit that had once defined us.  This not only immobilizes our spiritual growth and effectiveness but creates a different kind of fruit; one that looks shiny and polished but tastes bitter and rotten

Unfortunately, this "fall" into self-righteousness is all too common in the modern church.  We're all guilty of it to some degree, but how do we continue the cycle of spiritual restoration while we still pursue the Christ-like example of one who has been set free from the bondage of sin; including that of spiritual pride? 

The Gospel According to Mumford - Timshel

The world can be a paralyzing place that freezes us in a state of stagnation founded upon fears; fears of success, fears of failure, fears of growth, fears of change, and ultimately a deeply rooted fear of death (i.e. the great unknown). Cold and enslaving it is to live in such a world.

The harsh reality is this: death is daily knocking at your door and is seeking to gradually rob you of your innocence and your youth. The other harsh reality is that death is succeeding. "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass; it's flowers fall and it's beauty perishes." And so it is with us.

But our substance, OUR LEGACY! Now THAT is something death can't rob you of. Freeze you from creating valuable substance, yes, but once that substance is established there is no power in death to rob you of your legacy.

So take heart and know "you are not alone in this."  Again, "you are not alone in this."  As brothers and sisters you will stand, holding fast against this cold world. And so you surround yourself with those that might warm your hearts towards the things that make death irrelevant; spurring you on towards a life that is free from it's enslaving and paralyzing power. Pushing you towards the eternal nature of a life well-lived and well-served.

But be cautious of who you surround yourself with. These people will define you. They will be the roots by which your choices stem from. Choices that can "make you great" and give you "a ladder to the stars"...or, choices that freeze you in a state of nothingness. Choose wisely.

How blessed I am to have friends that would "move mountains" for me. As iron sharpens iron, so a true friend sharpens another friend. Thank you to those that invest in me and push me towards great things; eternal things.

Head in the Clouds?

I think often of those that have come and gone since the beginning of time. They had their beliefs and all wondered what, if anything exists beyond the grave. Generation after generation we populate the earth and generation after generation death swallows us up.

And so it's our turn to fill these vacated seats as living, breathing beings; nearly all of which fearfully anticipate the fate we all face. Is it from dust to dust or is it dust to dust to spirit? As Christ followers we believe in the spiritual and anticipate, that like Christ, we too will be resurrected to dwell with the Creator God; a hope that gives us peace as we believe loving characteristics are what defines Him.  But one of the most difficult fears for people to process is the certainty of our expiration and therefore the fearful anticipation of whether or not all things become final and complete in that moment; a fear that often paralyzes its host.

I don't know about you, but when I think back to those that have come and gone, I actually feel a sense of encouragement. You see, we all want to feel a part of something; a community of sorts.  It's a common human trait to purge loneliness and seek communion and commonality with others. Ultimately, this is likely the reason death draws such great fear because it's a moment we must journey alone and we're scared that we may end up alone; separate from those we may leave behind.  So here's my point: YOU'RE NOT ALONE. We've had multiple generations come and go before us, all taking this same journey and walking the same path. Look around, we're all in the same boat! We're all working to preserve life and extend our expiration date. We all wonder the same things. While some of us have hope that we will continue to live beyond the grave in relation with a loving Creator, some believe they're laid to rest in an eternal sleep. My faith pushes me to believe the spiritual, but even if we fall into an "eternal sleep," I'd personally be content with that. We can't control the unknown and it becomes a futile and paralyzing process when we try.  

So why do I write about this? As Christians, we have a selfish tendency to invest ourselves in the eternal because it gives us an intoxicating sense of peace and comfort, temporarily defending against the reality that our lives are short. Herein lies the problem.  This comfort keeps us focusing on the "peaceful eternal" (as though we were already there) and hinders us from vigorously pursuing the mission of the "here and now."  This comfort is completely contrary to the message of the gospel. The fruits of our eternal investment (i.e. salvation) are what should be lived out here and now.  Doing so achieves our hope for living eternal life beyond the grave but MORE IMPORTANTLY empowers us to leave a living legacy that lasts far beyond our death. How? Through our daily, Christ-like actions. Why? Because true salvation is the life changing process that draws us away from the ego-centric self and towards the outward expression of love for our fellow-man. Especially towards those that are still enslaved by sin with no direction on how to break free from it's bondage. 

The sooner you come to grips with the fact that this life is a mist, the sooner you will pick up your cross and do the will of God TODAY.  Don't get to the end of your life and realize it never truly began.

So spend life as though today's actions are all that will live beyond the grave but continue to hope for eternal life through the salvation of Christ.

Depressing thought or simply reality smacking us in the face?

Wasting Away in Jesus-ritaville



There are too many already vacationing on heaven’s shore;
All the while many near you are unintentionally knocking on death’s door.

The taste of your “forever” is so sweet you become drunk with comfort;
Refusing to get on your feet because doing so might actually take effort.

Back off me, I said I’m pretty sure I believe;
Continuing to defend until you once more achieve your cozy reprieve.

Parts of the Bible make sense and I really appreciate the morals;
Never realizing its purpose isn’t to create nifty catch-phrases like “never rest on your laurels.”

You may have even wrongfully thought that phrase was straight outta’ the Good Book,
But you wouldn’t know either way because you never took the time to look.

Out of this ignorance the competing philosophies of "knowing them by their fruits" and "salvation by works" have become intertwined;
Causing some to think the tree of the philanthropic atheist
bares juicy peaches and plums combined.

The line between righteousness and sin is made out to be so hazy and skewed,
You wouldn't dare take a stand on either for fear of appearing rude.

So you continue to play church, munching on spiritual tea and crumpets;
Just hangin’ out while you wait for Christ and his angels to blow their trumpets

For too many it's the end you long to see;
Meanwhile you miss out on everything you were created to be:

Leading a horse to water and watching it drink;
Watching truth and light expand as sin and darkness shrink.

Witnessing lives align more closely to the original intentions of the Creator;
The opportunity to live the adventurous life of an instigator...

Instigator of truth, hope, mercy, change and fulfillment in life;
But too many pass up that “front-line” role because they don’t want the strife.

So you say you were called to be a “behind the scenes kinda guy;”
Try explaining that to Peter who hung upside-down on a cross to die.

Pretty sure he didn’t want to go out that way,
But he LIVED his principles ‘til the end; unwilling to sway

Instead, donations to the local shelter become the extent of your outstretched hands;
As if you could build a ladder to heaven from unused soup cans.

So what is it you are asking me to do?

Choose a side and stop going through life so comfortably in the middle,
So others might know where you stand without it being such a riddle.

Until then, I’ll respect the atheist far more than you,
At least they come to battle armed with a well thought-out point-of-view.

And please be smarter than what you hear on TV:
"You too can taste this heavenly goodness for a small fee

Donate $300 to the number flashing across your set,
And get ready to see God do amazing things when I buy this private jet!"

Yea, this is more than your typical case of “buyer-beware;”
Those money hungry people are no better than the pigs in your local county fair.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand,
It’s time to get off the beach and out of the sand.

Start living a front-liner kind of life;
And newsflash: “It doesn’t have to cut everyone like a knife”

Just keep the message simple as was the intention,
The supernatural simplicity of the gospel still goes beyond comprehension.

Focus less and less on the endless religious rhetoric,
And more and more on the principles that made Jesus historic.

This is where the teaching must end,
and where your journey must begin.

You’ll have to seek and find it on your own;
asking that the living wisdom of the Holy Spirit be made known.

You must be willing to leave the comfort of your Christian bubble,
In fact, blast that motha’ and leave it in the rubble.

PS: Don’t let your fear of death be the weak engine that keeps your faith in-line;
It’ll keep you frozen until that final day when you’re out of time.

The reality is that one day you will be washed and buried,
And in those final moments don’t regret turning down the workload you could have carried.

Do you want to continue wasting away in Jesus-ritaville, or start living a fulfilled life here and now?

"Imagine All the People"

We complain about the persistent sins and injustices in this world. We blame God for the wrongdoing and evil things that happen at the hands of other men. At first glance it appears to be a viable criticism. If God is supposedly all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowledgeable, why doesn’t he intervene when his supposed “children” suffer the injustices of this world? There are a few directions we could go with this but in the same spirit of John Lennon, let’s “Imagine” for a moment a world where such evil, sinful tendencies didn’t exist.

In order for this “imagined” world to exist, the current freedoms allowing a man to pursue evil, sinful things could not exist. Therefore this very same freedom that also allows a man to pursue righteousness and great things; setting himself apart from the masses and leaving a legacy that lasts for generations, could not exist. We often forget that choice is what allows men to freely pursue endeavors that afford him the opportunities to be distinguished, great, legends, heroes, set apart, etc.; all things we naturally want whether we pursue them for evil or good or realistically speaking, pursue anything at all. If we didn’t have the opportunity to distinguish ourselves from the masses or if we were all perfect clones of one another inhabiting the characteristics of a righteous God there would be no distinction; no individuality. Basically put, the lack of distinction would steal any opportunity for greatness or hope of being set apart. Yes, it would solve the issues of injustice, war, poverty, abuse, wrong doing; all of which would no doubt be a beautiful, beautiful thing. But wouldn’t this world without distinction then lead to a world lacking any substance? Substance including the things pursued but not yet attained; goals strived for but not yet accomplished; the pursuit of goodness and kindness; opportunities to bless and be blessed; the joy of seeing progress and change; pursuing love and seeing this love grow even in the midst of brokenness; experiencing the power of forgivness; appreciation for good things; appreciation for anything.  Why do you appreciate good food or good sex?  Because you've tasted the opposite; the bad and broken side of both.

Could these things exist if there was no evil? If these substantive things didn’t exist, what would be the purpose? If there is no purpose, wouldn’t our existence be absolutely pointless?

I have a feeling if the model were different and we were all clones of a loving God in action, we would somehow find a way to blame him for not giving us the freedom or the opportunity to be distinguished or set apart. Do we contradict ourselves when we demand freedom while at the same time praying that all people would inhabit the righteous characteristics of God? It seems to me that you can’t have both.

I guess I have trouble “imagining” what this world would look like. Even though we expect heaven to be this way, our attendance or absence there ultimately begins with the choice to accept Christ and spend eternity in his presence or not; again, beginning with the freedom to choose.

So as I read through my thoughts, I’m left with this summarized view of the existence of sin:

A world without sin is a world without choice.
A world without choice is a world without freedom.
A world without freedom is a world with no distinction.
A world with no distinction is a world with no greatness.
A world with no greatness is a world with no substance.
A world with no substance is a world with no purpose.
A world with no purpose is pointless.

The Weight of This World

Today was a pretty good day.  Besides the fact that I didn't have to use my AK...I was able to squeeze out a PR on my Split Jerk at 265lbs and though extremely ugly, made it count.  

It's been a little rough as of late making the time to sit in front of the ol' Dell 5500 when I've got 2 awesome kids awaiting my crowd favorite kangaroo-hop-down-the hallway stunt, and any new Jim Carey-like impersonations I can conjure up (since my "old silly faces" don't pack the punch they did when they were brand new...2 days ago).  I've also got a wife that needs a break from her crazy day (cue 2 toddlers and a newborn reference), several things going on at work, and a pretty hefty training schedule of nearly 2 times per day/6 days a week.  So yea, welcome to the insanity the Woolfenden household likes to refer to as "our blessings." 

I have every intention to begin writing on and referencing the principles I discussed in my last post, but after I got done with my workout today I couldn't help but feel in awe of the weight I feel both from this world and for this world.  That small amount of weight on my back is representative of the huge burden so many of us carry around on a daily basis.  Whether it be our own sin, hurt from our past, brokenness from loss, regrets from poor choices or whatever; its a load to carry.

One of the consistent threads you will see woven throughout scripture is the basic, yet powerful principle that Christ made himself the load-bearer for anything and everything we carry with us.  Who did he say he came to save?  The broken, the weary, the sick, the lame.  Why?  Because these are the ones who recognize they have a burden needing to be unloaded.  The ones who claim they are strong enough on their own don't see the need for a load-bearer. 

The funny thing is, we all fit this wrinkly, left-in-the-pocket, fresh-out-the-washer, 3-dollar bill.  If you're human....boom, you're broken, lost, weak, sick, lame, etc.  However, Jesus uses these terms because he's looking for those that are willing to look outside an ego-centric "inner strength" and realize their own "sickness", so when he calls they can instantly resonate with his message and take action; action that will lead them to the cross; the place that continues to bear the weight of our world if we let it.  If we do allow it, we are literally allowing Christ to bring light (i.e. truth, healing, grace, forgiveness, mercy, etc) to the areas of our lives filled with darkness (i.e. blindness, no direction, unanswered questions, lost hope, etc).  It's here you will find rest for your soul.  It's here you will find a home.  It's here you will no longer walk alone.  It's here you have someone offering to bear your burdens.  It's here you will finally put those burdens to death.

Always remember:  Just because we aren't willing or (respectfully speaking) "able" to give up our burdens, does not mean Christ isn't waiting to accept them.  Brokenness and sin is a process; laying down your burdens is a process...so why wait to begin this process?  If you don't know where to start, find someone who does.