In this life there are many troubles. Where does your help come from? A reflection of Ps. 2: 7-93/28/2019 Psalm 2: 7-9
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." I remember the day I had invited Jesus to live within me; to be part of my life, in my heart. I heard the voice, much like what the psalmist expressed in these verses. God said to me, as a 10 to 11-year-old, “You are mine now.” I did not hear the voice as I would if I were talking to you. I heard the voice in my heart, in my mind. It was a pivotal moment in my life, although I did not fully understand it at that time. It has deep meaning for me. What do you remember of your salvation experience? To draw closer to God, reflect on the following: Write 3-5 scriptures down that inform your salvation through Jesus. Write 3-5 scriptures down that affirm your salvation through Jesus. Write your story of how you came to know Jesus. The prayer for today: Jesus, you are my Savior; my Lord and my King. Thank you for becoming sin and dying on the cross for me. In doing so, Jesus, you shattered my old life and washed me clean of sin. Therefore, I am a new creation in you. As I draw near to you, draw near to me. Strengthen me by your word that I may keep my focus on you. Amen. Copyright by Dan Kinjorski, 2019
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[Disclaimer, I am going to publish this and will return later to edit it, if needed. Enjoy].
What are you striving for in life? Perfection or Superiority? I would propose that one would be more biblical than the other. According the Koine Greek, the word “perfection” found in Matthew 5:48, John 17:23, and Colossians 1:28, is “teleos” which means maturity or mature. (Thank you, Dr. Luke Queen, for the reminder). Today’s “Positive” Psychology speaks to the idea of pursuing superiority. Richard E. Watts, in an informative response to Adler’s On the Origin of the Striving for Superiority and of Social Interest (1933) proposes that Adler “should be acknowledged as the ‘Grandfather of Positive Psychology.’” I would suggest that you rest your racing heart, especially if you disagree with the concepts of positive psychology. I too disagree with positive psychology, for the most part. However, there is something more to be said about Adler’s thoughts on positive psychology. His thought about it is healthier than the contemporary ideas of positive psychology. Adler would say that striving for perfection is about the community, being involved in the community. It is horizontal in nature and involves others. It involves community and social interest. When you think of community, he would use terms such as a sense of belonging, empathy, caring, compassion, acceptance of others. Watts, in referring to Adler, would say that this striving would lead to social interest that includes ideas and action that contribute to the common good, the good of the whole community. I think the PhD Cohort is a good model and example for what striving for perfection can look like. Another model is the Clinical Pastoral Education model. Perhaps there are other models or Pastoral groups that meet for accountability and encouragement. Striving for superiority is vertical, about the self, narcissistic in nature. Most of the popular leadership books promote the ideas of this type of striving. Is there anything wrong with it? Well, I am not sure how positive life can be around you when it is all about you and your desire for superiority over others Adler can be the grandfather of positive psychology. However, there is one much older than him who gave us an example that is noted in one the most popular narratives found on the bookshelf, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. © Dan Kinjorski Psalm 2: 4-6
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” In the previously three verses (1-3) we understand that the world mocks God. I believe it is a result of the fall of humanity, the narrative of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. I think the mocking is an ultimate result of the Fall. However, there comes a time when people are presented with the knowledge of God, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whom is the ultimate “King of Zion.” In the last three verses (1-3), I made a reference to how the “Church” interacts with others. We, the church, are comfortable chasing people with the bible and most, not all, are uncomfortable being the “good Samaritan” to the community. I do believe that there are some in the church that use the model of the good Samaritan. I can think of great examples in urban areas; ministry that reaches into the depths of disenfranchisement. There are also great examples in rural areas. In think what can assist us in “being” Christ-like—as a good Samaritan—is understanding that God is ultimately in charge. He is Sovereign, enthroned in heaven. When we fully realize this, our belief (and the Spirit of God) will empower us to “let go” of our own fears and let him be enthroned in our heart. Let’s not only believe, but make God Sovereign in our lives today. Questions to reflect on: Do you understand the Sovereignty of God, divine authority? How so? Do you struggle with pride and perhaps “power or authority” over others? Do you struggle with authority figures? How so? Although Christ is sitting on the throne, does he sit on the throne of your heart? If he does, think about how God is manifested in your life? The prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I have struggled with the perplexity of your character. And sometimes as I read your Word I remain confused. Open my eyes Lord that I may see. Open my mind Lord that I may understand. Open my ears that I may hear you. I also have pride in my heart and sometimes have taken advantage of my position at home and at work. I neglected those who are hurting and are disenfranchised. Forgive me. Come and be on the throne of my heart, that I may begin to live for you daily, that you may be glorified by my attitude and actions. In Jesus name, Amen. Copyright by Dan Kinjorski Psalm 2: 1-3
Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain? The Kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The United States was founded on an idea of religious freedom and yet lately we are finding that there are cases of discriminatory practices against faith based ideology, more specifically of the Christian faith. How are we, the Christian Church, to respond? How have we treated others in the past? I would submit, just as other faith groups have, we may have responded to others in a terrible way. The vision that I have is that of Aunt Esther of the 1970’s sitcom, Sanford and Son. Aunt Esther as a metaphor for the church, chasing Fred around-beating him up with the bible. I can see the Church doing that in the past in the name of evangelism. Rather than exemplifying the model of the “Good Samaritan” – we have taken the mantel of an evangelist (doing) verses “being” the good Samaritan. I don’t necessarily see a total problem with that, but I wonder if the model of the “good Samaritan” would have been a better way to represent Christ? I am speaking in general, overall, in terms of the church. I know that is not always the case and that the Church has done well and we also have not done so well. So, how are we to respond to the nations (people) when they are against God? I would submit that we follow what Peter had written in 1 Peter 1, to respond with self-control. Read 1 Peter 1. To draw closer to God, please reflect on the following questions: What negative attitudes have you had about God, Jesus? What negative attitudes have you had about others who don’t know God and “conspire” against him? What concerns you the most about your government’s attitude towards God? The prayer for today: Heavenly Father, please give me an understanding of your character; of your holiness and majesty. Give me a greater understanding of what it means to be a "good Samaritan." Forgive me for my attitude towards you and my Savior, Jesus. Renew a right spirit within me. Give me the strength to represent you to the nations, whether they like you or not. I ask that you forgive my country and their attitude towards you. Send a revival to my heart, my city, state, and to my country. Make yourself known to my leaders, locally and nationally, guide them as they lead our nation. In Jesus name, Amen. © Dan Kinjorski This is a quick response to the video, “Mental Health Crises with John Stossel”
I am in favor of Mental Health Hospitals or Inpatient Programs that are designed for persons with legitimate mental health diagnosis that keep them from working in the public workplace. The model would be more of an assisted living, inpatient care, for mentally challenged individuals. I have trouble with the former concept of asylums where tales of abuse and experiments had taken place. The initial questions that come to mind are: (1) Who is responsible for the mentally ill? (2) Who pays the bill? I think the main responsibility falls on the family of the mentally ill person. However, not all families are responsible in the care for those not like them. For instance, the brother or sister who was born different from their siblings. Sometimes the healthy do not know how to care for the challenged. Another possibility relates to money, how can the family afford the care of their loved one? In today's culture, one may find it hard to find those who truly care for their family members and we may find those "different" family members in the streets, homeless (sometimes, the only surviving one in the family). So, who cares for them? Is the government responsible? Can it be that there is a calling for the church to step up and be the good Samaritan? I think there is a case for the story of the good Samaritan to be applied to the church as a whole, in taking care of the disenfranchised. I also think of what Jesus said, that people will know that you are my disciple if you have love for one another. The follow-on question is, why does the church exist? Yes, to spread the gospel, to encourage, to strengthen each other in our faith—to disciple. What a better way to spread the good news of Jesus by caring for those who are disenfranchised, to disciple the disenfranchised. Can you imagine what the world would look like if every denomination had one faith-based care facility for the mentally challenged! Who pays the bill? I think that there can is a case for non-profit inpatient care competing for grants to care for the disenfranchised. Yes, even faith-based. I was thinking about the "church" as a whole. In some ways, we have failed the world by not being the good Samaritan to the disenfranchised. In other ways, we have done well to take care of the children and we have created orphanages. We have done well by creating a safe retirement home for the retirees. However, I am speaking as a whole. I think there are cases where some churches or even the Catholic Church, for example Mother Theresa, who has done tremendous work in taking care of the disenfranchised. Overall, we have failed because we are more concerned about what we think is the "right" way to do "church." We think of church as being “in community,” among each other, rather than reaching out to the community--especially the disenfranchised. It burdens my heart to know that the majority of the homeless are mentally ill, and as a whole, the church is not there for the homeless. Psalms 1:4-6
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Here the psalmist begins to the contrast those whom journey with God, their delight is in the Word of God (verses 1-3), to those whom do not follow God. In the previous devotion, we looked at how we may relate to God through collaboration and/or deferring to God. Here the writer reflects on those who do not follow God, they live life aimlessly – they go with the wind. No collaboration with God, no deferring. Perhaps it is more like a self-directive lifestyle (Cole and Pargament, 1999), choosing to be dust in the wind. In 1977, there was a popular song, titled, “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas. It is a very melodious song, it could be a sad song, a reflective song. However, there is some truth to it. Without God, we are but dust in the wind. We can choose to be dust in the wind, we can choose to be self-directing. We can also choose to make a difference in the world (knowing we will one day die and rather just becoming dust, we will be in eternity with God). To strengthen your relationship to God, take a moment and answer these reflective questions Have you anything in your heart that needs forgiven? List what needs to be forgiven. Do you know anyone that does not know Christ? List them. Do you know anyone that has professed Christ but is not living for him? List them. The prayer for today: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the sins that I have committed and have not asked for forgiveness. Strengthen me through your word that I may not sin against you. I ask that you touch the lives of my family and friends that I have listed; those who do not know you or those that know you and yet is walking away from you. They need your love, mercy, and grace more than ever. Take a moment today to speak to their heart that they may recognize your love, accept it, and claim you as Father. In Jesus name, Amen. Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers. We, as disciples of Christ, always have a choice in our life journey. We can either have a collaborative, deferring, or self-directing life style in our relationship with God. I personally prefer a collaborative and at times a deferring relationship to God. A few authors would speak of a collaborative relationship with God, “When we use this collaborative coping style we see God as a partner to help us make sense of and cope with difficult situations. Those with a secure attachment to God often use this style. A deferring coping style is when we turn our problems and situation over to God, trusting him to work on our behalf . . .” (Cole and Pargament, 1999). To strengthen your relationship to God, take a moment and answer these reflective questions (1) List the areas of your life that are not given to God in the sense of collaboration? Ask yourself, why? (2) List the things that you are passionate about and what about them that fulfills you. Do they draw you near to God? Speak with God in reflective prayer about the things that you are passionate about. Ask God to show you what is his will for your life. (3) List the things that can assist you to live life to the fullest. The prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I recognize you as the source of all success and strength. Forgive me if I have not released all of my life to service for you. I want to move in your direction. I want to experience the joy and peace that you give. I want to have the strength of a tree planted by a stream. I want to hear your voice today. In Jesus name, Amen! © Dan Kinjorski, 1999 What happens when we attend church and experience something of God, the love of His people and the sense of belonging? Perhaps our hearts get full of joy. We are filled with confidence and hope because we are reminded that God is mighty, awesome, and amazing. We are humbled as we worship our God; Heavenly Father. We get excited about others and their relationship with God, whom we love and serve. We look forward to the day we will see God with our own eyes and spend eternity in the Divine presence. When we worship, that is what happens.
When we stay away from the house of God, or a Community of Faith, our mind is away from God. We may become anxious about tomorrow. We may envy people who have what we do not have. We develop a sense of entitlement, “I ought to have this” and it chokes off our gratitude. We may become negative and judgmental towards others. We get discouraged and easily defeated by setbacks. You see, that is a non-worshiping mindset. There is no better example in all of scripture that shows us the difference between the non-worshipping mind and the worshipping mindset than Psalm 73. Where does sickness and diseases come from?
(An excerpt from one of my papers). The first bad choice that humanity had made is found in the creation account of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God. They willfully had taken from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, becoming like a god. This resulted in humanity’s expulsion from the garden of Eden and therefore, a chasm between God and his creation. I believe that this one act of willful disobedience introduced humanity to a system of evil that would introduce itself in the hearts and minds of humanity. God created man and woman—he created the systems within the body of his creation and the original sin begins to eat away the connections in the holy creation of humanity; with cognitive, emotional, and physical diseases. The story after the expulsion is the story of a possible mental illness or at the very least a temporary mindset of emotional illness; jealousy, anger, and/or anxiety. This story resulted in the first murder to occur in God’s creation: the story of Cain killing Abel. Although we do not have the full picture of what caused Cain to kill Abel, I have wondered how long Cain allowed his anger, anxiety to build up before he killed his brother. Could it have been six months or more? Was Cain restless, did he get good sleep, easily fatigued, or was his body tensed? These are some of the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (page 222, in DSM 5). Did he have GAD? I don't know, but it seems that he was angry, jealous, and possibly anxious. Throughout the biblical record, in the Old Testament, we can find thoughts of suicide, and sexual addiction (although this particular addiction is not in the DSM 5). Solomon’s book, Song of Solomon, speaks of sexual liaisons between lovers using innuendo and imagination. I do not think there is anything wrong with the book itself. It is the Word of God and it creates for a more robust and potential holy matrimony between husband and wife as one of many theological points. My point is that it does not take long, in reading through the Old Testament, to see that throughout the biblical record we are shown the imperfections of fallen humanity. Therefore, many of the imperfections is the result of sin, creation without holiness, that has impacted the physical, mental, psychosocial aspects of God’s creation and therefore there is a need for Christian Counselors to bring about healing to the Church. Life was hard for me as a child. I can say that I know what it is like to live as a child of an alcoholic. I can say many things, it was very dysfunctional. However, during the worst of those years, there was always some food on the table—even though eating cereal with a fork is not cool; to save on milk. The mother figure had to ensure we had enough milk and five kids are not easy to raise. There were certainly difficulties during those years and she did what she could to help us kids, three of whom were not hers and one of the three (me) was not even his. She was a teenage angel in that she did care and yet it did yield some terrible experiences for me (as I was the oldest and did not belong to either of the two). I do not want to disparage her. She did what my mother did not do and I can appreciate that.
Those were not the only years that were very difficult for me. Oh, just to name a few publically would be so rich and sensational and a great marketing tool. For instance, my mother would eventually have all three of us in her care. There was one summer where we lived in a tent, in a State park. There was another time where the kids of my mother’s boyfriend sabotaged a bike before I jumped a ramp. I could have been killed. I have the scar to prove it. Life was difficult as a teenager too, lack of self-esteem, identity issues, typical things that come with growing up in a dysfunctional family. I grew up with a lot of anger in my life, especially as a young man. Those close to me would say that they hear a lot of anger and I would deny it. One time, I conducted the funeral for my mother, whom I love and was able to pray with before she passed. A few of my aunts would say that I seemed angry as I conducted the funeral. I denied it. A few years ago, I realized that the anger that I had was in my subconscious and it was directed towards my mother. Yes, I had mommy issues (in relation to abandonment). In reality, I could be angry at others. I think those of us who had grown up with difficulties can be a great metaphor to our nation’s current cultural anger toward our Nation’s past. Just as I had a choice to make, our Nation has a choice to make. To be angry and continue to be angry or to reflect and learn from the past. Yes, our Nation was not always healthy or perfect. Are there any healthy or perfect Nations? Nations are really people, people make up nations. We can allow our anger to tear us up or we can learn and grow from it. For me, as a believer, I think of 1 Peter 1 where Peter encourages us by stating that our suffering leads to a stronger faith. My experiences as a child and adolescent has certainly strengthened me because I made a choice to grow and not live in the muck and mire of dysfunction. I chose to put on my boots and clean up the muck, mud, of dysfunction. Can you put on your boots, learn from the past, and grow? |
AuthorDan is in a second career, that of Counselor, but he is a pastor at heart. He desires to present the Word of God in its context and then challenge the reader in its application to our lives. It is the Word of God that brings revival to our souls. The psalmist writes, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Categories |
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