Ben Garrett Coleman

Come Visit Me

2010-11-16T17:22:00.000-06:00

My blog has moved to:

http://www.bengarrettcoleman.com

Truefaced- 8th Letter

2010-10-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

It's All About Relationship

2010-09-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

"Everything you were designed to experience and enjoy is found in God. Knowing God is your life and your highest joy. You either believe that or you don't. Believe it and you will experience and enjoy life, real life, eventually. Guaranteed. Disbelieve it and, at best, you will experience counterfeit life and enjoy it only for a season."

I have found these words that Larry Crabb wrote in his book THE PAPA PRAYER to be true. Hey, I'm not bragging or anything. Sadly, for a season and then on more than one occasion, I chose poorly. Yes, I have experienced "counterfeit life." But living a counterfeit life is not how our Creator designed us. And it's not how I've chosen to live my life now.

Reading Psalm 91 today from the Message version of the Bible, I was struck with how relational God's words are to us, His sons and daughters:

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,

"I'll get you out of any trouble.

I'll give you the best of care

if you'll only get to know and trust me.

Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad

times;

I'll rescue you, then throw you a party."

Psalm 91:14-15 (emphasis mine)

This particular Psalm is so familiar. But today it read differently. Rather than being all about me and how God would do all this great stuff for me, it hit my heart as a plea. Here is the God of all the Universe pleading for me to "get to know and trust" Him. What else can it be but relationship? Clearly, He knows what Crabb says is true and He wants the best for His kids!

Crabb's book title is a turn-off for me. I never called my dad or any other father figure papa. It's just not a term my family has ever used. Goodness knows, coming to terms with my own father wounds was a huge obstacle to get through before I felt comfortable calling God, Father. But Papa?

Actually, PAPA is an acronym:

Present yourself to God
Attend to how you're thinking of God
Purge anything blocking your relationship with God
Approach God as the "first thing" in your life

What this is, is a form of relational praying modeled after the Lord's Prayer (see my blog post How To Pray for more on this).

A confession: So much of my praying has been driven out of a deep performance orientation along with narcissistic tendencies resulting in me attempting to create my own happy life. Somewhere within I'd think that if I just did it right or enough or with the proper intentionality, then God would hear and I'd get what I was asking for. It's clear to me now that this was steeped in duty and obligation, not rooted as a son knowing and resting in the love of his True Father.

Another confession: Many of the teachers I've been drawn to, especially on all forms of prayer including spiritual warfare, lean toward a similar view as what I had. No, I'm not advocating throwing it all out the window. What I am saying is exactly what Crabb says in the quote atop this post and that is that GOD be the first thing. Anything that gets in the way of God being the first thing in our lives, including things like warfare prayer, is out of place...wrongly ordered in our lives.

Obviously, I heartily recommend "The PAPA Prayer" or I would not have written all of this about it! Just be aware that reading it and then following "A Simple Four-Day Plan" which starts on page 171 of the book, is likely to shake some things up in your life a bit; particularly if, like me, so much of that life has been all about creating your own happy life following the many guru-given principles du jour and using God as a sort of modern-day vending machine.

Oath of Office, The Constitution, and 9/11

2010-09-11T00:13:00.004-05:00

In the last few days I've received quite a number of emails from friends with a subject line of "NEVER FORGET," "REMEMBER," and "I'M FLYING MY FLAG..." In one of these email messages, I felt compelled to scroll down the page and look at quite a number of photos, images taken and forever etched in my memory, of a day that actually doesn't seem like it occurred nearly a decade ago.

Probably, like you, I remember exactly where I was at the moment...just like when Kennedy was assassinated (if you're old enough to remember) and the space shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry. No matter how hard I try to erase the images from my brain, I cannot seem to purge the visuals of fellow citizens jumping from windows to their deaths God knows how many stories up. I have never known nor experienced terror to that degree. I hope I never have to.

And I have been thinking. Not just today or yesterday. But for almost a decade. This post is a brief of where I've come to in that thinking over time.

Every four years we decide upon a new president for these United States. In January following the November election every 4 years, our elected President takes the following Oath of Office:

“

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

”

So, too, do our other nationally elected REPRESENTATIVES [please note the emphasis] take an oath, both members of the House of Representatives and Senate. What they affirm is:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God." Now in case you're a little rusty on the Constitution and especially those portions which apply to anything remotely 9/11-ish, read on. The Constitution of the United States of America says in Article Four, Section 4, Clause 2:

[...] and [The United States] shall protect each of them [the States] against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

”

Okay, so what's my point?! It seems the mindset de rigueur is to deflect responsibility and push most things off onto others, especially if the results are less than favorable. Let's just call it an "it's not my fault" mentality. As another election approaches, we're hearing this more and more. It's the other guy (or gal). It's not me!

Regardless of political party sentiments and loyalties, it is quite clear that the ball was dropped along the way resulting in the 9/11 event in 2001, particularly if you're measuring the effectiveness of our elected REPRESENTATIVES (there's that word again). Even if you're of the "false flag" persuasion, the ball was dropped when it comes to the oath ALL of our elected "leaders" take.

I'm not sure what it is about this year. But I seem to be on a heightened awareness! I'm remembering. I'm remembering 9/11 and the visual images seared into my consciousness. And I'll be remembering in November when I vote. If an elected official was in office back in 2001, they bear some of the blame for not fulfilling their oath. I will be doing my part to replace them. And for those who have come on the scene since, I'm beyond weary of listening to all the empty words ad infinitum. IT'S WHAT THEY DO that counts, not what they say.

And I realize that I, too, bear responsibility. I was a voter then, like now. The people in office then and the decade before were MY REPRESENTATIVES. "We the people" voted them into office to represent us. They failed to fulfill their oath. Since so many refuse to own up to the responsibilities of the office they temporarily held then or hold now, I need to help them understand. I am responsible to help them REMEMBER!

Lately, during my prayer times I've found myself praying: Father, set our country right. Let us be one nation under You, the Living God, again. Give us representatives that will do right for all, and not just themselves. YES!

He Loves Me

2010-09-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

If given the option of recommending just one book to those I love and about whom I care deeply, it would be He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father's Affection by Wayne Jacobsen. Oh, I know...I get it. It's CC (Christian Correct) to always say "The Bible" when presented this question. But I've long since passed the point of needing to be politically or christian correct.

So many have been powerfully and effectively inoculated in our religious culture that being a good christian is all about reading the Bible, praying, and all of that. I must admit that I had that vaccine administered to me, too. I'm not advocating that we should stop reading the Bible. It's simply a fact there was a time for me when doing so was just dry and pointless and laden with guilt if I didn't. I had been so programmed on "doing something great for God" that I was missing the point.

Rarely do I read a book more than once, but NOT this one. Over the last few years on more than one occasion when I would pray and ask Father, "hey, what would You suggest I read next?" The answer came back, "He Loves Me!" I've read the book at least half a dozen times over the last two years.

The message is clear. Ben, My son, you don't get it. Here you've been striving, living your life under such huge performance orientation. That's not the best I have for you. I want you to really get this message. I LOVE YOU! And this from the Creator of the Universe!

Honestly, I'm not positive that I get it yet today deep in the core of my being. But I'm beginning to!

Oh, and just for any naysayers or cynics amongst my readers, I have read The Bible through completely at least twice in the last 18 months....just sayin'. Don't miss my point. Don't miss the message in this book!

"The Colorado Trail" Bar D Wranglers

2010-08-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

Daily Affirmations & Law of Attraction

2010-08-24T16:58:00.000-05:00

A part of my story is a journey down the new age path. Somewhere along the way, I'd become so disillusioned with the whole Christianity thing, particularly the institutional version of that, that I simply said "enough" and walked away. It just wasn't necessary nor was it really working for me.

What I walked toward, hoping to find Truth, was this old notion (not really new anything) that we are indeed, each one of us, gods. We create our own reality. We attract things and the universe is bound to comply and give us what we want.

I am indeed fortunate that my Creator came after me and rescued me. He had long heard my prayer that I desired Truth more than anything else...that I wanted to know Truth.

All of that is to say that I discovered a few years back a wonderful compilation written decades before by Dr. Victor Matthews, a college professor at a seminary in the Midwest United States. It is a daily affirmation and for me the Truth I want to "attract" or live by in my own life.

I often recite it out loud, a proclamation to all of creation and myself, of decisions I make for this time...this day. Sometimes, I come back and look up specific references that are cited and delve deeper into a particular Truth.

And so, here's Dr. Matthews "The Daily Affirmation of Faith:"

Today I deliberately choose to submit myself fully to God as He has made Himself known to me through the Holy Scriptures which I honestly accept as the only inspired, infallible, authoritative standard for all of life and practice. In this day I will not judge God, His work, myself or others on the basis of feelings or circumstances.
In particular--I recognize by faith:
1. That the triune God is worthy of all honor, praise, and worship as the Creator, Sustainer, and End of all things. As my Creator I confess that God made me for Himself. In this day I therefore choose to live for Him (Rev. 5:9,10; Isa. 43:1, 7, 21; Rev. 4:11).
2. That God loved me and chose me in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:1-7).
3. That God has proven His love to me in sending His Son to die in my place, whereby every provision has already been made for my past, present, and future needs through His representative work whereby I have been quickened, raised, seated with Christ in the heavenlies and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:6-11; 8:28-39; Phil. 1:6; 4:6, 7, 13, 19; Eph. 1:3; 2:5, 6; Acts 2:1-4, 33).
4. That since I have received Christ as my Lord and Savior, I believe God's Word that He has received me (Jn. 1:12; Eph. 1:6); forgiven me (Eph. 1:7); adopted me into His family whereby He has assumed every responsibility for me (Jn. 17:11, 17, 21, 24; Eph. 1:5; Phil. 1:6); given to me eternal life (Jn. 3:36, I Jn. 5:9-13), applied Christ's perfect righteousness to me whereby I am justified (Rom. 5:1); has made me complete in Christ (Col. 2:10); that He offers Himself to me as my daily sufficiency through prayer and the decisions of faith (I Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:27 Gal. 2:20; Jn. 14:13, 14; Matt. 21:22; Rom. 6:1-19, Heb. 4:1-3, 11); and that the Holy Spirit Himself has baptized me into the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13); sealed me (Eph. 1:13,14); anointed me for life and service (Acts 1:8; Jn. 7:37-39); seeks to lead me into a deeper walk with Christ (Jn. 14:16-18; 15:26, 27; 16:13-15; Rom. 8:11-16), and to fill my life with Himself (Eph. 5:18). I accept these truths as realities in my life today.
5. That only God can deal with sin and only God can produce holiness of life. I confess that in my salvation my part was only to receive Him and that He dealt with my sin and saved me. Now I confess that in order to live a holy life, I can only surrender to His will and receive Him as my sanctification, trusting Him to do that glorious work within whereby I may be enabled to live today in purity, freedom, rest, and power for His glory (Jn. 1:12; I Cor. 1:30; II Cor. 9:8; Gal. 2:20; Heb. 4:9; I Jn. 5:4; Jude 24).
Having confessed that God is worthy of all praise, that the Scriptures are the only authoritative standard, that only God can deal with sin and produce holiness of life, I again recognize my total dependence upon Him and submission to Him. I accept the truth that praying in faith is absolutely necessary for the realization of the will and grace of God in my daily life of sanctification (I Jn. 5:14,15, James 2:6, 4:2, 3, 5:1618; Phil. 4:6, 7; Heb. 4:1-3; 11:6, 24-28).
Recognizing that faith is a total response to God whereby the daily provisions which the Lord has provided in Himself are appropriated, I THEREFORE MAKE THE FOLLOWING DECISIONS OF FAITH.
1. For this day (Heb. 3:7,13,15; 4:7) I make the decision of faith to wholly surrender to the authority of God as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures --TO OBEY HIM. I hereby confess my sin, face the sinful reality of my old nature [flesh] and deliberately choose to walk in the light, in step with Christ, throughout the hours of this day (Rom. 6:16-20; Phil. 2:12-13; I John 1:7,9).
2. For this day I make the decision of faith to wholly surrender to the authority of God as revealed in the Scriptures--TO BELIEVE HIM. I accept only His Word as final authority. I now believe that since I have confessed my sin He has forgiven and cleansed me (I John 1:9). I accept His Word of promise, to be my sufficiency and rest, at full value and will conduct myself accordingly (Exod. 33:14; I Cor. 1:30; II Cor. 9:8; Phil. 4:19).
3. For this day I make the decision of faith to recognize that God has made every necessary provision so that I may fulfill His will and calling. Therefore I will not make any excuse for my sin and failure (I Thess. 5:24).
4. For this day I make the decision of faith to deliberately receive from God that provision which He has made for me. I hereby renounce all self-effort to live the Christian life and to perform God's service; renounce all sinful activity which only weeps over sin and failure; renounce all sinful praying which asks God to change circumstances and people so that I may be more spiritual; renounce all drawing back from the work of the Holy Spirit within and the call of God without, and renounce all non-Biblical motives, goals, and activities which serve my sinful pride.
a. I sincerely receive Christ as my sanctification, particularly now as my cleansing from the old nature [flesh], and ask the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work Christ accomplished for me on the Cross. In cooperation and dependence upon Him, I obey the command to "put off [the conduct of] the old man" (Rom. 6:1-14, I Cor. 1:30; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 4:22).
b. I sincerely receive Christ as my sanctification, particularly now as my enablement moment by moment to live above sin, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work of the Resurrection so that I may walk in newness of life. I confess that only God can deal with my sin and only God can produce holiness and the fruit of the Spirit in my life. In cooperation and dependence upon Him, I obey the command to "put on [the conduct of] the new man" (Rom. 6:1-4; Eph. 4:24).
c. I sincerely receive Christ as my deliverance from Satan and take my position with Him in the heavenlies asking the Holy Spirit to apply to me the work of the Ascension. In His Name I submit myself to God and stand against all Satanic influence and subtilty. In cooperation with and dependence upon God, I obey the command to "resist the Devil" (Eph.1:20-23;2:5,6;4:27; 6:10-18; Col. 1:13; Heb. 2:14,16; James 4:7; I Pet. 5:8,9).
d. I sincerely receive the Holy Spirit as my anointing for every aspect of life and service for today. I fully open my life to Him to fill me afresh in obedience to the command to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18; John 7:37-39;14:17,26;15:26, 27;16:7-15; Acts 1:8).
Having made this confession and these decisions of faith, I now receive God's promised rest for this day (Heb. 4:1-13). Having sincerely attempted to do my part, I now assume the rest of faith that God will do His part. Therefore, I relax in the trust of faith knowing that in the moment of temptation, trial, or need, the Lord will be there as my strength and sufficiency (I Cor. 10:13).

Proverbs 3:5-12

2010-08-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

When reading these words in The Message a few years ago, they resonated so powerfully that I took the time to write them in my journal. Since then just about every day, and sometimes several times a day, I have read these words and thought about them, about how they apply to me. Here they are:

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
   Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
   your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
   give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
   your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
   don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
   a father's delight is behind all this."

Initially, my motivation was focused around the parts of this passage dealing with health and wealth. But over time, I began to hear a different message. Mind you, I still deeply desire that my "body glow with health" and my "barns burst." The wine vats brimming over is right up there, too! But I know now that being so focused on just those parts of this insightful and amazing passage causes one to miss the mark.

Nowadays, I find myself praying these words more than anything else...for me, for my wife, for my children, for those I love. Each time is a bit different because I'm tuned into my heart and communicating in the moment. Here's sort of how that looks:

Father, I do trust You. Help me to completely trust You from the bottom of my heart.

Thank You for being here for me...so much so that I don't have to figure it all out on my on.

I'm listening. Help me to listen to You...to Your voice...everywhere I go and in everything I do.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for keeping me on track! I do trust YOU!

I know I don't know it all. Help me with my assumptions. I want to think like You think.

I run to You, God. I run from evil. Keep me running to You and running from evil.

You say that my body will glow with health and my bones will vibrate with life. Make it so, Lord.

I do honor You, God, with everything I own, with all that I am. It's all Yours!

Continue to open my eyes for what You desire as the first and the best. I give it to You.

Thank You that my barns burst and my wine vats overflow. Perform these, Your words, Father.

I choose not to resent and sulk because of your discipline and correction. I willingly accept it.

Thank You for Your love. Keep me knowing that You delight in me.

I have to tell you that I am blown away with how God continually speaks to me through these words. May Father speak His love and delight in YOU each time you read and pray these words He's given us.

Jesus, Never Proclaimed a Cause

2010-08-07T12:43:00.001-05:00

Oswald Chambers' book of daily readings, "My Utmost for His Highest," has long been a favorite. And this particular reading (from July 2nd if you have the book) continues to speak to me over a month after I read it back in July. That day when I first read it, that still small Voice seemed to be saying: Ben, you've left your first love.

"No way!" was my initial and immediate response. Just NO WAY!

Here's the reading (emphasis mine):

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33

If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

Sadly, I DID hear correctly. Over the last few weeks, I've been reminded of the oh so many causes and principals that have caught my attention and my heart...and have supplanted that early yearning and deep desire to know Jesus personally and intimately (Philippians 3:10-11). Most of these causes and principals are good ones: healing, abundant living, success, spiritual warfare, giving, restored hearts. But that's not the deepest and truest place Jesus has called me up into.

I've been in a season of asking His forgiveness, repenting, and running to Him. Paul, the apostle is right. It's ALL about Jesus!

How To Pray

2010-07-31T19:15:00.000-05:00

So much has been written about prayer and how to go about it. Why on Earth would anyone, especially me, think for a minute they could add much wisdom or insight to the already existent body of knowledge? Actually, I don't know that what I'm about to share will be new-found information for you or anyone else reading this post. For me, though, the prayer thing is becoming crystal clear with simple discoveries I've made over the last six months.

During the last 5 years just about every morning I have been spending time alone with God praying. Early on it was rough going. My mind would wonder. I would occasionally doze off. Distractions seemed to bombard me from everywhere. But I was determined to push through all of that and persist. The way I thought then, and still do today, is that if it was essential for Jesus, it's even more critical for me. So I'd best get on with it!

Friends had given me several written prayers. One was even recorded on a CD. The CD thing never really worked for me. And it took some time for me to get past my built-in prejudices and resistance to any form of wrote prayer. Diligently, I'd speak the words of these prayers each day and work hard at doing so from my heart with real purpose and intent. Eventually, it became easier and served more as a launching point into other conversations I'd have with my Creator.

But after some years of this routine, I began to feel like I'd evolved this practice more into a formula. My daily ritual came to seem somewhat more of a practice that if I performed just right and said things just so, then I'd control my world and keep all the bad stuff pushed back.

Since the beginning of the year, I've been reading and re-reading the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And one day I was reading from The Message version starting at Luke 11:2 where Jesus is talking:

So, he said, "When you pray, say,

Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil"

Immediately following this, he tells a story about persistence. And he even tells us that if we ask, seek, and knock that we'll get, find, and doors will open. Pretty simple! Pretty straight forward!

Then he gets even more direct in telling us how to pray:

Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.

I love the way The Message puts this in more current and understandable verbiage. The wrote prayer often referred to as the Lord's Prayer had over time become meaningless to me. But after much perseverance and asking, Jesus took me back into those simple words and outlined what He desires in our relationship.

He wants clear and direct communication. He wants us to ask and keep on asking...to run to Him and keep running to Him. And He's given us the outline in words of what really matters for us...the daily prayer He knows is best for us.