The Shack

Several years ago when this book came  out, it cause quite a stir. A friend gave it to me to read and warned me that some people hated  it and others loved it. When I finished the book, I was not sure and about it tucked it away on my book shelf.

I found the book while I was going through and giving away a lot of books during our move.  This labor day weekend was kind of quiet.  So, I picked it up and re-read this thought provoking book.  I decided to get  past the tragedy that set the story in motion  and  the way it described God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Wisdom.

 This time I was looking for lessons to be found . Of course the Bible is  my primary source for learning, but I like to read things that make me think.

When  Mack said that he would go talk to God because he felt obligated, this was the response.
"Don't go because you feel obligated. That will not give you points around here. Go because it is what you want to do."

How often do we read the Bible, go to church and pray or even give or serve because we feel obligated ?

Words spoken to Mack by God to think about when tragedy strikes

" I want to heal the wound that has grown inside of you and has come  between us...There is no easy answer that will take your pain away.  Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship."

"I often find that getting head issues put out  of the way first,  makes the heart stuff easier to work on.......later... when you are ready"

"Only I can set you free. But freedom can never be forced. The truth  shall set you free and truth has a name and it is Jesus. Every thing is about Him and freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with Him."

Trying to describe God

"I am holy and wholly other than you  The problem is man tries to take the best version of themselves and project that to the nth degree, add all the goodness they can  perceive and call that God.  " I am above and beyond all you can  ask or think."  Even though we  can not grasp God, He still  wants to be known by us. So,  He sent Jesus.  You still can not grasp His nature.  That is a good thing. Who wants to worship a God who can be fully comprehended?.... Not much mystery there. "

Love and Relationship

God is the great( I am who I am) and can not act apart from Love

Relationships are never about power. One way to avoid the will  to assert power over another is to limit oneself - to serve -a  choice to facilitate a relationship and to honor it.  We often do his when dealing with the infirm, sick, the very young or very old.

True Devotion

Love expressed - good - simple -  warm - intimate - genuine
Jesus loves the Father and wants to please Him and praise Him and really enjoys spending time with Him...Holy and Pure

 relationship with the trinity

Jesus is living in  us and us in Him through His Spirit
Jesus created the world as the Word before He ( the Word)  became flesh
Mankind is intended to be in the very center of God's  love and purpose.
The Trinity wants to share with us the Love, Joy, and Freedom and Light that they already know.
The real underlying flaw in our life is that ,.....We don't believe that God is good and we don't trust Him
Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know that you are loved.
God IS good and desires only what is best form us. We can only believe  that in a relationship of love.

Freedom

Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love.
God does not justify pain and lost,  but redeems it.
We must give up our right to decided what is good and evil on our own terms.  Choose to live in Him..to do that,  you must know,  God is enough  and  trust Him and learn to rest in His inherit goodness.

God = I am good         Evil         = absent of good      
           I am light           Darkness= absent of light                                                      
           I am life             Death     =  absent of life
Results: apart from God = evil - darkness - death                                                    

We must give up our rights
after all
Jesus gave up His right and willingly became a servant
HE gave up everything so that He could open the door
 that would allow us to live free enough to give up our rights
and to learn to serve Him by serving others

Live in the present

God is in the present
We are to live in the present.....not the past
.although we can remember and learn by looking back
 (but don't get stuck there)

for sure, don't dwell in the future with fear
Because you rarely picture Jesus when you are worrying about the future
The person living in fear will not find freedom in His love
Because they do not believe that He really loves them
they do not trust Him with their future.

Submission

Submission is not about authority or obedience
it is all about relationships of love and respect

Eden

In Eden we abandoned relationship with God to assert our own independence

men and women

most men find fulfillment in achievement
most women find fulfillment in relationships

Jesus loves the church

My church is all about people
 and Life is about relationship
We can not build it
only Jesus can build the church

You don't have to figure it all out
Just be with Jesus

Jesus is not fond of the trinity of
terrors that ravage the earth and
 deceive those  He cares about
Religion - politics - economics

Abundant Life
Jesus came to give life to the fullest..
the simplicity and purity of enjoying a
growing friendship and relationship
with Him

sinking in sin

It is extremely hard
 to save a drowning person
unless they are willing to trust you.
When you start to sink
lets Jesus save you
do not worry
even if you do not'
understand
Just trust Him and
grow in your love.

God's purpose

His purposes are always
an expression of love

God's purpose is:
to work life out of death
to bring freedom out of brokenness
to turn darkness into light

It  is all about Jesus
He is the center of purpose
through His death and resurrection
God is fully reconciled to the world
reconciliation is a 2 way street
God has done His part
totally, completely, finally
It is not the nature of love
to force a relationship
But it is the nature of love
to open the way

God is a verb
I am that I am
I am alive
dynamic
ever active
always moving

Holy Spirit verbs
confession, repenting,
 living,  loving,
responding, reaping
changing, sowing
sunning, dancing, singing

We have a knack for taking a verb
that is alive and full of grace
and turning it into a dead noun

verb: ability to respond and expectancy
         alive and dynamic full of life
 noun: responsibility and expectation
          dead, full of law and fear and judgement

Respond not react
to every situation
under the power of
Holy Spirit

Priority list
Jesus does not want to be first on your list
He wants to center in all that you do

Find Holy Spirit in the Bible
Don't look for rules and principle
Look for relationship

Please help me live in truth.

As you can see, the book gave me a lot to think about.
There is much more, but I am tired and going to bed.

Read " The Shack" and see if it makes you think about
God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Wisdom
and relationship
and love.

Good night.