Crucified Hearts

Transforming lives by way of the cross

Home

  • The Centrality of Christ


    The centrality of Christ–born of a woman, lived among us, crucified, and resurrected from the dead to sit at the right hand of God, coming a second time for the full redemption of humanity– is in God’s plan of salvation the most essential truth, the most essential reality, that gives meaning to all created things, whether in heaven or in earth.

    Ignorance of or denial of this core reality, what is rooted in the very nature of the triune God and his purposes, is the cause of all sin and suffering in this world. It is this truth, the denial of Christ’s centrality in the purposes of God, that lives in the heart of Satan, and it is the identifying mark of all who follow him, what the Bible calls the Mark of the Beast. Those who bear this mark are those who refuse to worship Christ in his supremacy, revealed in the rejection of his law. And it is there rejection of the biblical Christ in his supremacy that results in their beastly, evil nature.

    To reject the supremacy of Christ as Lord of heaven and earth is to debase the dignity of those created in his image, paradoxically lifting the creature above the Creator, separating what is created from the One who made us. To lose the consciousness of Christ’s supremacy and centrality is in effect, to lose ones soul, one’s mind, one’s purpose for existence.

    Good and evil take their shape in reference to the centrality of Christ.

    If you want to trace the lines of false teaching, of corrupt doctrine, of corrupt faith and practice, you will find those lines running opposition to this divine purpose, that all things of heaven and earth are to be centered in their consciousness, their essence, their right of existence by the person and work of Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God.

    As Jesus said in his most sublime declaration of divinity, “before Abraham was, I AM”. (John 8:58)

    Read with the apostle Paul had to say from his meditations on the glory of the Son of God:

    “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities⁠—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
    — Colossians 1:13-20

    I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
    — Ephesians 1:18-23

    , ,
    , , , , , ,

  • “Fret Not”

    In the first 10 versus Psalm 37, in vss. 1,7,8, we are told not to fret over evil doers.

    Rather than I making an argument why this is so, I would recommend reading Psalm 37 for yourself. Here are the first 10 verses and then a link to follow for the full Psalm. Suffice to say there is great wisdom and peace in these words that can be taken as both a prayer and a Psalm of David.

    Why should we bother? Apart from the Christian understanding that this is the inspired Word of God, by no means a small consideration, there would be the added urgency of the times we live in, times when many hearts are failing themselves for fear. Anxiety, panic, fear, chaos, anger, and bitterness dominate the feelings of many as the cacophony of cable news reverberates between our heart and head. It is no longer the wild-eyed enthusiast who proclaims the end of the world, but the most rational among us question humanity’s future in the light of our self-destructive ways.

    How many of us have lost our way in the darkness as we journey through life? That’s a reference to Dante by the way. Will medication alone deliver us from a pandemic of mental illness, from dark nights of the soul that are the more fridged with our forgetfulness of God?

    Do we have something to lose in turning to the Word of God in our despairing cries for redemption, for salvation from ourselves?

    I say not. Rather, we have our souls to gain and the Promise fulfilled, the promise eternal found in Jesus Christ.

    Of David.
    Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
    For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.
    Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
    Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
    Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.
    He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
    Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!
    Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
    For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
    In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
    — Psalm 37:1-10

    The full text of Psalm 37 is here https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Psalm+37e

    , , , ,
    , , , , ,

  • Life is a Battle and a March

    Life is a battle and a march. At times we are able to make camp in peace, then another day begins. Every day brings new challenges, confrontations, and temptations, some within ourselves and some with others, fears within and fighting without. Every day is a challenge to our trust and obedience toward God. Every day is a challenge to love others with the same grace God has given us in the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. It is often a struggle to love ourselves as God does. If and when we fail we can be caught in bitterness, in resentment for not having our way. We may go quiet in a pouting self-justification or lash out with anger and contempt, such as I did yesterday. Underneath my bitterness I see a resentment toward God for not delivering me from my enemy, for not answering my prayer, for making me endure injustice day in and day out by an enemy I cannot escape.

    I now read the cries and complaints of the Psalmist in a more personal way. I ask the same questions of God and make the same laments, feel the same fears and frustrations, even demanding answers when God is silent, when he does not act to defeat my enemy. In hope, I also arrive at the same faith and praise for Him, even in the face of my coming death.

    Psalm 13 is just one of many laments, most of which come to some resolution of faith and praise toward God. Psalm 88 is the darkest of Psalms, where the only sign of hope is that the Psalmist is praying to “the God of my salvation”. But it ends by saying darkness is my only companion as he waits for death. Thankfully, we have the message of Psalm 89 that follows with hope and thanksgiving.

    I’ll give you both Psalms here for comparison, to study, to learn what God is doing in your own life and why.

    Psalm 13
    How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
    How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
    How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
    Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,\
    lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
    But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
    I will sing to the LORD,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

    Psalm 88
    O LORD, God of my salvation,
    I cry out day and night before you.
    2 Let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry!
    3 For my soul is full of troubles,
    and my life draws near to Sheol.
    4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
    I am a man who has no strength,
    5 like one set loose among the dead,
    like the slain that lie in the grave,
    like those whom you remember no more,
    for they are cut off from your hand.
    6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
    in the regions dark and deep.
    7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
    and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
    8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
    you have made me a horror to them.
    I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
    9 my eye grows dim through sorrow.
    Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
    I spread out my hands to you.
    10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
    Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
    11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
    or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
    12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
    or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
    13 But I, O LORD, cry to you;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.
    14 O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?
    Why do you hide your face from me?
    15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
    I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
    16 Your wrath has swept over me;
    your dreadful assaults destroy me.
    17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
    they close in on me together
    18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
    my companions have become darkness.

    , , , ,
    , , , , , , ,

  • A Video / Psalm 88: The darkest Psalm that brings light to the soul in despair

    This is a 37 minute video I recorded on Psalm 88, a reading and commentary, that not only attempts to open up this darkest Psalm, but with some thoughts on the larger volume of Psalms and how to read them with understanding.

    This is a follow-up video to my confession of mental illness in depression and how I cope with it as a Christian. The Psalm is meant to add to that understanding about depression in the spiritual life and how we share in one another’s burdens to make them lighter.

    , , , ,
    , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Living As A Christian With Mental Illness: Dysthymia / PDD

    A little bit about my mental illness and how I live with it as a Christian. The video is on my YouTube channel, Voices in the Garden.

    , , , ,
    , , , , , , , , ,

  • Remember Lot’s wife: It’s a brave new world.

    I just posted the following to Facebook. In what may be a vain hope for a wider audience I share it here too. I have not given up the hope that even in the digital age words still matter.

    Remember Lot’s Wife

    Social media is seductive, giving the illusion of familiarity, when in fact, it is impossible to know a person truly simply through social media. We only present bits and pieces of ourselves here and when we do that we favor presenting the very best of those tidbits, even when confessing weaknesses or troubles.

    We troll the pages for likes, not for rejection. The content does not matter in this respect. We share in the hope of acceptability, of confirming our bias, our prejudgments.

    With the agreement and support of our selected friends, our sense of powerlessness and chaotic world is soothed. We feel less lonely, less adrift, and yet we really don’t know one another with any depth that would challenge this illusion.

    Social media groups us together with its algorithm so that we assume a unanimity of thought, a feeling of being accepted even when we express the most aberrant parts of our humanity.

    If you do not understand that social media is an artificial construction designed to make profit off of its products…we are the product…then you are very misinformed or quite naive.

    The two areas of life where social media is most effective in maintaining its illusion is in politics and religion. It facilitates us as we seek to distance ourselves from those who disagree and unite ourselves with those of similar beliefs. This is my design.

    The longer one is on social media the fewer and fewer disagreeable associations one has. We are exposed to fewer and fewer individuals or groups that would confront our bias and challenge our prejudice.

    Social media algorithms are not designed to promote truth or facilitate the seeker for truth. Instead, they homogenize us into a willing mediocrity that masquerades as camaraderie and goodwill.

    The longer you spend on social media the less able and the less likely you are to form and keep deep, meaningful, loving face to relationships, because there are no helpful algorithms to protect you from conflict with life in the flesh.

    I am not saying there are no benefits to technology, to connecting through technology. I am saying that if you are serious about your relationships then use that technology that will enhance those relationships over time and space. Concentrate on phone calls, real-time texting, face to face video, and email.

    The medium is the message. The media you use shapes the relationships you have. The tools you use to communicate shape the content of that communication, the very nature of it.

    Nor should you confuse the communication between friends with the consumption of bite size pieces of information that can never give you the complete picture of either your friend, your group, or yourself.

    The digital age is an age of fragmentation, of deconstruction. It takes us apart and remakes us in its own image. It is an age in which technology promises salvation, but more than this, it promises to make us god’s, autonomous arbitrators of our own destiny. With the new dominance of AI, artificial intelligence, the meta dream will  replace reality. It’s “a brave new world”, not 1984. Even now the somnolence is so deep, the dream so pleasant that very few will come out of the darkness and into the light. Those who do, it will be by a miracle of grace in which we are sought out, taken by the hand, and like Lot, lead quickly out of the city soon to be destroyed. The remainder will be like Lot’s wife, turned to a pillar of salt, sharing the judgment of God on the land she was loathed to leave. (Genesis 19.26)

    So back to reality. Only a very small number, if perhaps a handful, will ever read this. And of those who do, even fewer will be benefited by it.

    So why am I sharing it on social media?

    That’s a very good question. I know the answer. Do you?

    , ,
    , , , , , , , , ,

  • Habits To Die For

    Here is a selected reading, a small selection, about the Biblical understanding of the power of Habit.

    Hebrews 3:12-13
    “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

    “The will is the power or faculty by which the mind makes choices and acts to carry them out. At first, against his will, a person engages in some forbidden pleasure because he wants to, but if he keeps it up, he soon finds that he has no strength to resist it. This process does not happen any more quickly than an addiction to alcohol, but in the end, he keeps sinning because he cannot help but do so! Once a thought or act becomes a habit, it is a short step to being a necessity. The old saying is true: “Sow an act and reap a habit; sow a habit and reap a character; sow a character and reap a destiny.”

    Hebrews 3:12-13 reveals a worrisome characteristic of sin: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin is seductive, enticing, deceitful, and hardening.

    Sin’s deceitfulness is that it cannot deliver what it promises. It deludes a person into thinking he can “have it all” or “take it or leave it.” It promises pleasure, contentment, fulfillment, and life, but what it delivers in those areas is fleeting, which leads to its addictive quality. The pleasure is never quite enough to produce the desired contentment and fulfillment. Sinners are forced into greater perversions until it kills them.

    Sin offers rationalizations and justifications. It puts on a plausible appearance and can even seem to be virtuous, as in situation ethics. However, sin’s drug-like quality always demands more because what formerly satisfied no longer will. The person in its grip gradually becomes its slave, and all along the way, his heart becomes hardened as well.

    In Hebrews 3:13, hardened is translated from the Greek word for a callus. A callus forms around the break in a bone, on the palms of hands and on fingers from constant hard use, or in a person’s joints, paralyzing its actions. In a moral context, it suggests “impenetrable,” “insensitive,” “blind,” or “unteachable.” A hardened attitude is not a sudden aberration but a habitual state of mind that shows itself in inflexibility of thinking and insensitivity of conscience. It can eventually make repentance impossible.

    Jeremiah 9:1-5 describes people in this state, so inured, so enslaved to sin that they weary themselves pursuing and doing it:

    Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. “And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,” says the LORD. “Everyone take heed to his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.”

    ~ John W. Ritenbaugh, in “The Elements of Motivation (Part Seven): Fear of Judgment”

    , ,
    , ,

  • How The Gospel of Christ Heals Body, Mind, and Spirit

    “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

    Proverbs 16:24

    “And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”

    Acts 3:16

    Here is a quote from the 19th century author, Ellen White, on the healing power of the gospel, of “the truth as it is in Jesus”. In my life long struggle with the inheritance of melancholia I’ve proven the truth, not only in overcoming depression, but in recovery from addiction. What is that truth? That in receiving the love of Christ through faith in Him and His Word of Life, He brings healing to my body, mind, and spirit. What follows is an eloquent enunciation of this divine reality available to us through Christ alone.

    The Life of God in the Soul Is Man’s Only Hope, by Ellen White

    “The religion of the Bible is not detrimental to the health of either body or mind. The influence of the Spirit of God is the very best medicine for disease. Heaven is all health; and the more deeply heavenly influences are realized, the more sure will be the recovery of the believing invalid. The true principles of Christianity open before all a source of inestimable happiness. Religion is a continual wellspring, from which the Christian can drink at will and never exhaust the fountain. 

    The condition of the mind affects the health of the physical system. If the mind is free and happy, from a consciousness of right doing and a sense of satisfaction in causing happiness to others, it creates a cheerfulness that will react upon the whole system, causing a freer circulation of the blood and a toning up of the entire body. The blessing of God is a healing power, and those who are abundant in benefiting others will realize that wondrous blessing in both heart and life. 

    When men who have indulged in wrong habits and sinful practices yield to the power of divine truth, the application of that truth to the heart revives the moral powers, which had seemed to be paralyzed. The receiver possesses stronger, clearer understanding than before he riveted his soul to the eternal Rock. Even his physical health improves by the realization of his security in Christ.

    Men need to learn that the blessings of obedience, in their fullness, can be theirs only as they receive the grace of Christ. It is His grace that gives man power to obey the laws of God. It is this that enables him to break the bondage of evil habit. This is the only power that can make him and keep him steadfast in the right path. 

    When the gospel is received in its purity and power, it is a cure for the maladies that originated in sin. The Sun of Righteousness arises, “with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2. Not all this world bestows can heal a broken heart, or impart peace of mind, or remove care, or banish disease. Fame, genius, talent—all are powerless to gladden the sorrowful heart or to restore the wasted life. The life of God in the soul is man’s only hope. 

    The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy—joy in the Holy Spirit—health-giving, life-giving joy. 

    Our Saviour’s words, “Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28, are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.”

    Ellen White, Counsels to the Church, pp. 216-217

    , , , ,
    , , , , , , , ,

  • New Video/Addiction and Recovery: The Night God Took My Life

    My previous video on addiction, depression, and recovery has gotten good views, at least for the size of my channel, and comments. So I’m following up with this offering. Perhaps you may not be a user or in recovery, but could still find a blessing in my story. That’s my prayer.

    , ,
    , , , ,

  • On Social Media: Dipping your finger in the ocean doesn’t mean all the fish know it

    The following is a copy of a comment I made on Facebook in reply to someone’s suggestion that our postings help raise awareness of a particular cause:

    “Yes, I agree. I’m only modifying the idea of raising awareness in social media with this truism: “Just because we dip our finger in the ocean all of the fish don’t know it”. As with the widows mite, or a story of Jesus asking a despised woman for a drink of water, it is the attention that the Holy Spirit gives to the account, the way God favors the act with his blessing that sends it on through space and time with saving power.

    In simply human terms, even when a social media post or video goes “viral”, the numbers may not reflect the actual influence in real time. This is especially true with the nature of our extremely short attention spans.

    The medium is the message. And this particular medium degrades thought as much as it might inspire it. Social media obfuscates the truth as much as it proclaims it. We live in a postmodern time when one thing can mean anything. All definition is being lost in the flood of relativity. And the entertainment value of what is shared has greater significance than any truth it might try to tell. That is why the algorithms of social media support conflict and polarization. We are deceived by the appearance of unity in our social media feeds. Birds of a feather have not so much flocked together as have been herded into their cages by the algorithms. Therefore, our little postings seldom get outside the boundaries of the room we have all crowded into.

    Too, when one is drowning in a flood there is very little discernment in what we grasp to keep afloat. We are drowning in a flood of information as I’m sure you agree.

    My main point, in offering the obvious, is to not overestimate our reach, our sphere of influence with social media, not to think that we have made a great impact or done a great thing or had a great influence with our words, etc.

    Pictures of cute kittens, cavorting goats, and the like far exceed the reasoned Word within social media’s sphere of influence. Proof of this could be found in a survey of those websites that are defined as “influencers.” Trivia and banality take on infinite proportions.

    But I don’t despair. What is impossible with man is possible with God. We do indeed sow this tiniest of seed with the promise that God will give the increase.

    I believe we are entering that time when the voice of God in Scripture, like humanity itself, will be as rare as the gold of Ophir.

    “I will punish the world for its evil,
    and the wicked for their iniquity;
    I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
    I will make people more rare than fine gold,
    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
    Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
    at the wrath of the LORD of hosts
    in the day of his fierce anger.”
    — Isaiah 13:11-13

    “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
    “when I will send a famine on the land⁠—
    not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
    but of hearing the words of the LORD.
    They shall wander from sea to sea,
    and from north to east;
    they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,
    but they shall not find it.”
    — Amos 8:11-12

    Postscript:

    Those familiar with media studies and media criticism will recognize Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman in McLuhan’s dictum: The medium is the message.

    I highly recommend Neil Postman’s two books, “Amusing Ourselves to Death” and his prophetic vision from the 1990s, “Technopally”. Oh, that he had lived to see this day!

    I agree with those thinkers who say that Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” has superseded George Orwell’s 1984 in defining humanity as a victim drowning in a flood of insignificance, brought on by the imagined advances of technology’s religion and the worship of it.

    , ,
    , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

About Me

A Christian, thinking, vlogging, and writing online. I live elsewhere as well. I follow the theology of the cross in the faith and practice of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Formerly a pastor in Europe and America, now living semi-retired in Kentucky (U.S.), driving for the Amish and in-home carer.

Recent Posts

Newsletter