Are You Looking for Answers or Freedom?

It's time for a quote - a long one. So bear with me, though I am positive you will enjoy this one. Well, maybe not "enjoy" until you realize the impact it will have, but certainly "appreciate" it. Be forewarned, though, it may upset your applecart to a point of no return.

This comes from a book of writings by John Eldredge called "the Ransomed Heart, a Collection of Devotional Readings." In this book there is an excerpt for each day of the year. This one comes from day/page 319 which is itself taken from John's book The Journey of Desire, pp. 38-40. Hold on, here goes:

You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want. (John 5:39-40 The Message)

The promise of life and the invitation to desire has again been lost beneath a pile of religious teachings that put the focus on knowledge and performance.

History has brought us to the point where the Christian message is thought to be essentially concerned only with how to deal with sin: with wrongdoing or wrong-being and its effects. Life, our actual existence, is not included in what is now presented as the heart of the Christian message, or it is included only marginally. (The Divine Conspiracy)

Thus Willard describes the gospels we have today as "gospels of sin management." Sin is the bottom line, and we have the cure. Typically, it is a system of knowledge or performance, or a mixture of both. Those in the knowledge camp put the emphasis on getting our doctrine in line. Right belief is seen as the means to life. Desire is irrelevant; content is what matters. But notice this -- the Pharisees knew more about the Bible than most of us ever will, and it hardened their hearts. Knowledge just isn't all it's cracked up to be. If you are familiar with the biblical narrative, you will remember that there were two special trees in Eden --the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. We got the wrong tree. We got knowledge, and it hasn't done us much good.

(You can find John and his writings and ministry at http://www.ransomedheart.com)

So, what do you think? Puts a different perspective on things, no? A bit heretical, even. We'll talk more of this in days to come, but this gives a good foundation for why I am the (Medical) Heretic!

Won't you come be a heretic with me? We will go find our hearts, and life, together!?

Blessings,

Dr Jon
http://www.goodheartgroupinc.com