Crown Of Compassion

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Come to the water – and listen https://ift.tt/ASm2IhN A male whooping crane forages inside his marshy enclosure at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI. While his mate incubates a future whooper, safe from predators. “O let all who thirst, / let them come to the water. / And let all who have nothing, / let them come to the Lord: / Without money, without price. / Why should you pay the price, / except for the Lord.”- John B. Foley, S. J. “Come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; . . . Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that you may live.”- Isaiah 55:1,3 (ESV) Quiet is a think tank of the soul.”- Gordon Hempton, acoustic geologist In 1973 Ron Sauey (1948-1987) and George Archibald ornithology students at Cornell University, founded the Internation Crane Foundation (ICF).  Ron and George envisioned an organization created to combine research, captive breeding and reintroduction, landscape restoration, and education.  So, in 1973, the Sauey family rented their horse farm to Ron and George for $1 per year! Furthermore, Dr. Archibald served as ICF director until the year 2000.  Most significantly, George pioneered the use of crane costumes by humans as a technique to raise cranes.  In fact, for three years Archibald walked, called, and danced with a female crane named Tex.  Along with artificial insemination, the process produced a chick named Gee Whiz. Located on its present 300-acre site since 1983, ICF’s global headquarters in Baraboo, WI, includes the only complete collection of all 15 species worldwide.  Other features include live crane exhibits, guided and self-tours, a research library, welcome center, and 4 miles of nature trails.  Today Dr. Rich Beilfuss serves as President and CEO. Writing in Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (2017), Mark Batterson stresses that ultimately, all of us need to find a voice.  Thus, Mark defines voice as the unique message God wants to speak through our lives.  But, to find our voice begins with hearing His voice.  Come to the water. Certainly, Pastor Batterson notes, God possesses an outside voice — one He’s not afraid to use.  However, when God truly wants us to hear Him, He often speaks in a whisper — just above the threshold of hearing.  In addition, Mark observes, the Hebrew word for silence, demamah, translates as ‘silence’ or ‘stillness’ or calmness.’  Gentle, but most powerful! Above all, we lean toward a whisper; exactly what God desires.  But the goal of hearing the heavenly Father’s voice involves more than just hearing.  It consists of intimacy with Him.  Because He wants to be as close to us as possible, He speaks in a whisper.  God loves us that much — so come to the water. Did you know, Pastor Batterson asks, that Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor opens with silence?  Because Beethoven inserted an eighth note rest before the first note.  And if we want our lives to function as symphonies of God’s grace, we need more eighth note rests.  For silence enables us to hear God’s voice and sing His song as we come to the water.  Thus, silence constitutes the difference between: sight and insight. happiness and joy. fear and faith. In conclusion, Mark underscores, whether you recognize it or not, God was the first voice in your life.  But, Mark wonders, is it the loudest voice in your life?  Silence involves proactive listening — not passive waiting.  And as we listen, God’s whisper quiets, calms and stills us as we come to the water. As a result, Pastor Batterson counsels: “God wants us to hear what He’s saying, and we must heed His voice.  But much more than that, He wants us to hear His heart.  So He whispers softer and softer so that we have to get closer and closer.  And when we finally get close enough, He envelops us in His arms and tells us that He loves us.” The post Come to the water – and listen appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/H5pWbxm July 20, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Formed supernaturally: one place only https://ift.tt/QMJ3SYc After Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with a slingshot, he looks for new ground to stand on. He rescues the baby birds and takes on the job of raising them. “We have to remember that we are formed supernaturally in one place and in one place only: before the face of God, in Christ, by the Spirit. . . .  But we often go looking for other ground to stand on. . . .  We’re often afraid that if we don’t actualize ourselves and make something of ourselves, then no one will uphold us and our life will come apart.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”- Colossians 2:3 (ESV) In Chapter 9 (“Relearning the Path of Love”) of When God Seems Silent, Kyle Strobel and John Coe note that, when things seem hopeless, we need to remember the depth of the good news.  That Christ is ours in faith.  Therefore, in light of the good news of Jesus, Kyle and John pose these questions: How are our lives purified? What does it look like to grow in affection rather than passion, to grow in goodness without being moralistic? What does it look like to give our lives to the Lord rather than fixing ourselves? Furthermore, the authors stress, spiritual formation looks far different than the fantasy of self-actualization.  Because spiritual formation requires that we start precisely where we are.  And draw near to the God who is perfect love.  Hence, we draw near because our sin and brokenness no longer define us.  Instead, Christ and His righteousness define us. Therefore, Kyle and John ask that you pause for a moment to ponder the above thought.  For, Kyle and John explain and reiterate: “Spiritual formation requires us to pause and seek the truth, naming how our guilt, shame, fear, and anxiety have led us, and also the various ways our pride, jealousy, and greed still infiltrate our decisions.  We need to see and name these things to draw near to the God who is perfect love.” Today’s question: What most helps you to remember you are formed supernaturally?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: the July Short Meditation, “Come to the water – and listen” The post Formed supernaturally: one place only appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/OdWuARF July 19, 2026 at 01:00PM

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God’s presence = spiritual pleasure? https://ift.tt/EgZYIdu Betsie and Corrie ten Boom with their father (seated between them on the couch). With them are Jewish people and other refugees they sheltered in their home. “The temptation to fill and fix oneself are significant in the Christian life.  We will always be tempted to look for ways to fill ourselves and to equate God’s presence, acceptance, and love with spiritual pleasure rather than trusting in the promise by faith. . . .  We are tempted, with the Corinthian church, to equate Christian power with worldly power and achievement, using those things to secure life on our own terms.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”- Romans 5:5 (ESV) Kyle Strobel and John Coe conclude Chapter 8 of When God Seems Distant with this astute observation.  That many people naively think that they have dealt with a specific sin.  That their spiritual efforts conquered the problem.  But, the authors note, the truth is often different. Certainly, Kyle and John acknowledge, the Holy Spirit’s ministry to lance the wound of our flesh to expose the truth is often painful.  However, in the end, the cure awakens praise, gratitude, and awe from the heart.  Because the Spirit’s work calls us to see these things for this purpose.  So that we receive forgiveness, redemption, and transformation where we need it most. But, the authors counsel, this happens if we assume that being filled with the Spirit always produces pleasure.  Then we miss the way the Lord calls us to himself.  And exposes us to the truth. In conclusion, Kyle and John exhort: “As a Christian, you have the Spirit.  That is the truth of your life by faith.  By having the Spirit, you are called to live a spiritual life — a life that seeks, rests upon, and receives the love of God poured into your heart by the Spirit (Romans 5:5). Today’s question: do you ever equate spiritual pleasure with God’s presence?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Formed supernaturally: one place only” The post God’s presence = spiritual pleasure? appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/E0Xd3rq July 18, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Grasp ahold of your struggle https://ift.tt/uUDPkMa In this photo from the 1970s, an awestruck young boy looks us at wrestler Andre the Giant. Andre stood 7′ 4″ tall and weighed 520 pounds. “Maybe . . . you are struggling with too much to be able to say with confidence that you know the love of God.  Don’t try to generate faith in these moments.  Don’t try to fix yourself.  Instead, grasp ahold of your struggle, fears, worries, and needs, and bring all of that to the Lord.  Come out of hiding and tell him exactly what you are feeling and thinking and wrestling with.  Be open to his forgiveness, mercy, and love.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”- 1 John 3:19-20 (ESV) Kyle Strobel and John Coe continue Chapter 8 of When God Seems Distant with this salient point.  That we don’t simply develop spiritual virtue.  In addition, we bear the fruit of abiding in Christ.  However, the authors caution, we must not turn the reality of being with God into a feeling.  Because we cannot judge the work of God by attending to our feelings. Furthermore, Kyle and John counsel, feeling excited or joyful fails to help is discern God’s presence and activity.  Thus, when we live by faith, we trust what the Lord’s declared to us.  Hence, we cannot reduce being filled with the Spirit to a feeling. In conclusion, the authors encourage: “We too struggle with where God leads us.  But our feelings don’t somehow locate God in this world, and they don’t tell us about his presence.  Rather, our feelings of struggle tell us about ourselves and the truth of how much we need him. . . . The path of faith must lead us beyond what our present experience seems to be telling us.  The path of faith leads us to the God who is greater than all we experience, even when our feelings tell us that he is the one condemning us.” Today’s question: What Bible verses help you grasp ahold of your struggle?  Please share. Coming Monday: the July Short Meditation, “Come to the water – and listen” Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s presence = spiritual pleasure?” The post Grasp ahold of your struggle appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/LhUYuTC July 17, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Tether God to what we can see https://ift.tt/WqiCR26 “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, let us make gods who will go before us.’ “- Genesis 32:1 (NIV) “If we reduce being filled with the Holy Spirit to our activity, we seek to tether God to what we can see, like tethering God to a golden calf.  We think that if only we have the right technology — doctrinal statements, spiritual practices, or liturgies — that we can harness God’s power to use for our advancement.  But God is free.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another is psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in your heart.”- Ephesians 5:18-19 (ESV) As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 8 of When God Seems Distant, they discuss one thing that happens as we mature from being a toddler in the faith to adolescence.  We carry with us notions of the flesh that still dwell in our hearts.  Consequently, we still function as if we are: alone. under the law instead of grace. the source of our spiritual life. In addition, like Adam and Eve, we find ourselves tempted to self-create a life.  Because, Kyle and John stress, the serpent’s lie in the garden echoes throughout history.  Thus, Satan’s original lie still tempts us — that we too can be like God.  The lie that we can self-live, self-create, and self-transform seduces us still. Therefore, the authors observe. we must not hear biblical commands as a call to fix ourselves.  So, in Ephesians 5:18, the apostle Paul writes in the passive voice.  It’s not an active command.  As a result, this serves as a call to abide in order that we can bear much fruit.  Because the Holy Spirit’s filling produces the fruit of our growth. In conclusion, Kyle and John exhort: “God is love, and he calls us to himself in love to be known in love.  God is both our foundation for a flourishing life and the goal for a flourishing life because we truly flourish only if we embrace him.” Today’s question: How do you tether God to what you can see?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Grasp ahold of your struggle” The post Tether God to what we can see appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/36ekhtz July 16, 2026 at 01:00PM

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An overly caffeinated will https://ift.tt/MtaFdj1 Ralph Kramden’s iconic bulging eyes behold a suitcase full of money found on his bus and left unclaimed for 30 days. Ralph thinks he’s struck it rich, but the money turns out to be counterfeit. “When consolation fades and we feel stuck in the Christian life, the temptation is to pump up our will, excite passion, and fuel our faithfulness through flesh.  But over time we feel the effects of trying to live off an overly caffeinated will. . . .  The assumption is that we simply need to tweak our actions to get the right result.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “These [regulations] have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”- Colossians 2:23 (ESV) In Chapter 8 (“Avoiding God by Fixing Ourselves”) of When God Seems Distant, Kyle Strobel and John Coe detail what happens when we begin to feel the effects of living off our overly caffeinated will.  Rather than infuse passion into our will, we might also: focus on getting the right technique. affirm the right doctrinal statement. tweak our actions to get the right result. find it tempting to create a path where we use God as an instrument for our own achievement. Most significantly, Kyle and John note, when desolation hits, we tend to discover a deep, abiding anger.  An anger we never knew existed in our hearts. In conclusion, the authors counsel: “The temptation of the flesh, like Satan’s temptation in the garden, promises much but delivers nothing that lasts.  Like Satan’s lies, the flesh promises a path to being like God through our own efforts and actions, but it proves fruitless. . . .  This way appears wise . . . but fails because it seeks to make Jesus and his way into a bulleted list of ways to grow.  Jesus himself is our salvation and hope, our righteousness, and our sanctification.” Today’s question: What Bible verses help calm an overly caffeinated will?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Tether God to what we can see” The post An overly caffeinated will appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/j5V0ZJu July 15, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Self-fueled spirituality: a cure? https://ift.tt/0baMGL9 Canaan in the Desert is located north of Phoenix, AZ. The American Branch of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, Germany, operate the retreat center. The sisters founded Lutheran-based religious community in 1947. “Desolation is a cure for a self-fueled spirituality.  The Lord is taking away our deep belief that we know the right formula to make the Christian life work. . . .  Desolation takes us from merely affirming Christ is the only answer for our sin and brokenness to actually living this out in our deepest needs and desires.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”- 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) Kyle Strobel and John Coe conclude Chapter 7 of When God Seems Distant as they underscore this truth. We are not called to change our experiences.  Instead, our calling centers on presenting ourselves to the Lord (Romans 6:13).  And as we do so, we must accept the truth about our path. Furthermore, it’s on this path that the Lord unravels the false structures we’ve been using as crutches.  In addition, the Lord erodes the ways we fuel our Christian lives with the flesh. Above all, the Lord shows us not only that our initial salvation is by grace.  The Lord also shows us that the entirety of the Christian life is by grace. In conclusion, Kyle and John tie this together with Jesus’ death and resurrection.  They explain: “Spiritual formation is never simply tacking on upgrades to an already decent person, it is first and foremost about death and resurrection. . . .  We can seclude death and resurrection to our conversion and fail to see that Scripture depicts the whole of our life with God as a continual death and resurrection. . . .  Through desolation, we can now say with more depth of knowledge, Lord, I believe; help me in all of this unbelief (see Mark 9:24).” Today’s question: What most helps you cure self-fueled spirituality?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “An overly caffeinated will” The post Self-fueled spirituality: a cure? appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/nM2tdqm July 14, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Overcome with weariness https://ift.tt/cAt1Dqk Vietnam War POW Jeremiah Denton blinks the word T-O-R-T-U-R-E in Morse Code. From 1978-1980 he served as a consultant with the Christian Broadcasting Network. “It is easier to memorize verses about not growing weary than it is to not grow weary when we are overcome with weariness.  In desolation specifically, we will be tempted by thinking, None of this is working. . . .  Many sadly just accept dullness as the new normal and give up on a deeper journey with the Lord. . . .  But this experience is an invitation from God to recognize that something is wrong and that we need to turn to him regardless of what is going on.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”- Hebrews 12:3 (ESV) As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 7 of When God Seems Distant, they note this issue.  The temptation of many to despair under the weight of their sin, rather than turning to God.  Thus, many drown beneath the sea of condemnation.  Because they seek to use their own goodness or devotion to buoy their life before God. Most significantly, the authors observe, in seasons of desert and desolation, people yearn for spiritual practices to provide a reprieve.  To function as a life vest of hope when they thrash against the waves.  Instead, though, these practices feel like weights dragging them down into the darkness. Because spiritual practices mirror back our own brokenness and sin. As a result, we often interpret this as a heavy and fatiguing failure. In conclusion, Kyle and John explain: “What this means is that these practices reveal our insides — our lack of love, our boredom, or something like loneliness — instead of providing experiences of consolation.  When spiritual practices become mirrors, it is tempting to go looking for other practices that might bring back consolation or quiet our guilt and shame.” Today’s question: What Bible verses uplift you when you’re overcome with weariness?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Self-fueled spirituality: a cure? The post Overcome with weariness appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/Tvrs8lo July 13, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Using God as a form of self-help? https://ift.tt/Ij5uGEp In “Young Man with a Horn,” Norton and Ralph compile a list of Ralph’s good and bad points. Ralph wants to improve his chances for success. “We need to see if we are using God as a form of self-help.  Instead of self-help, God transforms our souls in and through love and shepherds us into places of love so that we can overflow with love.  What we discover in this is that the Spirit . . . wants us to long for [joy, happiness, and spiritual pleasure].  But he wants us to long for these things because we long for him.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”- Colossians 3:4 (ESV) As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 7 of When God Seems Distant, they stress that a massive difference exists between using God to fix your life and knowing Christ is your life.  Hence, the second darkness invites you to delve more deeply into this difference. Certainly, Kyle and John acknowledge, we don’t want the desert and desolation.  But they comprise the realities we need to mature.  So, to avoid them or look to get out of them equates to trying to avoid the demands of adulthood. Consequently, the authors note, here’s the truth.  The Lord wants to reveal to us, more and more, the true depth of His grace.  Also, to show us our tendency to accept this grace in part.  When the Lord wants us to have it whole. In conclusion, Kyle and John encourage: “In following Jesus, we are called to learn not only that we are saved by grace but also that we only grow by grace. . . .  Growing up in the faith is, in part, coming to see how we can grow with and in him only by grace. . . .  We should never assume we are beyond being tempted by growing ourselves in the flesh as opposed to the Spirit.” Today’s question: When do you recall using God as a from of self-help?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Overcome with weariness” The post Using God as a form of self-help? appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/D2RL5yB July 12, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Internalized equations in our souls https://ift.tt/VtxvpuN After Ralph claims a suitcase filled with money left on his bus, he lives large and quits his job. Then he finds out it’s counterfeit. “In the season of desolation, we discover how much of our Christian devotion and obedience are fueled not by faith but by sight, not by God’s grace but by our virtuous efforts in the flesh.  We come to see that we have internalized equations in our souls that we use to determine if we are doing well. . . .  We want to gaze at ourselves and our formation instead of looking to Jesus.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”- Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) Kyle Strobel and John Coe continue Chapter 7 of When God Seems Distant as they note one of the reasons for disorientation in the desert.  We become accustomed to seeing sin as an aspect of ourselves that we want to leave behind.  Yet, at the same time, we subconsciously hold on to our virtues.  We think, Well, at least I have these (emphasis authors’). Therefore, Kyle and John stress, in this season God moves you away from a sensual Christianity.  A system where you use your senses to measure God’s presence and your goodness.  Because you use your virtues and spiritual experiences as a way to secure yourself. In conclusion, the authors address what happens when all feels dead in the desert: “The question is where this experience leads them.  Will this deadness cause them to draw near to the Lord by faith, or will they go looking for other avenues to live by their senses to reawaken their passion so they feel better? . . .  When this happens, where do we turn?  We often try to pump up our wills — exciting ourselves with passion — to try to feel alive again instead of drawing near to the Lord in the truth of what is going on in our souls.” Today’s question: What internalized equations reside deep in your soul? Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Using God as a form of self-help?” The post Internalized equations in our souls appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/WFEqhaM July 11, 2026 at 01:00PM

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A more abiding praise https://ift.tt/dWP6Hev Corrie ten Boom’s release from Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, located near Berlin, Germany (from the movie “The Hiding Place”). She witnessed about Christ in that place. “As our desires transform from our childhood to our adulthood, so too consolation develops and deepens in our maturation.  No longer grounded in our passion but with more deeply fueled affection, we can see what the Lord was doing in the desert, and this helps fund a more abiding praise.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “Now the law came in to increase trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”- Romans 5:20 (ESV) As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 7 of When God Seems Distant, they caution that it may feel like the right thing to say when you admit your sinfulness.  However, the authors counsel, we can admit our sinfulness without attending to the truth of our sin. In addition, Kyle and John stress, the Lord wants to show us that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.  But that path, they note, requires that we confront how much sin really abound in us.  Even in our good works. Yet, the authors observe, as with all our relationships, we fear that difficult truths carry with them the potential to destroy the relationship.  But, often revealing the truth turns into the catalyst for growth.  Above all, this also hold true for our like in the Lord. Also, Kyle and John caution, this new season of consolation also awakens another temptation.  Hence, we find ourselves tempted to think we’ve deciphered the hidden formula for the Christian life. Furthermore, we believe we’ve learned all we need to know to follow the Lord more deeply.  But then, the authors note, a second darkness emerges.  Most significantly, this causes us to feel more disoriented than simply losing consolation.  Now we feel lost and abandoned.  Spiritual desertion, the dark night of the soul. In the next blog, Kyle and John discuss the goal of this second season of darkness. Today’s question: What Bible verses draw you to a more abiding praise?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Internalized equations in our souls” The post A more abiding praise appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/3pg9LPh July 10, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Spiritual formation – embrace Jesus https://ift.tt/gGuzk35 Felix and Oscar travel to the Brotherhood of Life Mission for a retreat of peace and contemplation. But both violate the strict rules and proceed to the penalty phase of total silence for 24 hours. “Spiritual formation is not actualizing ourselves.  Spiritual formation is losing our self-made and self-established life to know life in Christ. . . .  To embrace the life of Jesus requires that we accept that Christianity is not primarily about our transformation but is first and foremost about life through death — losing our life to find life in Christ and the Spirit.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”- Romans 6:11 (ESV) In Chapter 7 (“Avoiding God in Our Devotion”) of When God Seems Distant, Kyle Strobel and John Coe agree that our devotion to God is a good thing.  But, like all good things God gives us, we find ourselves tempted to use it to secure ourselves.  Rather than trusting in Him.  In addition, we must watch out lest we turn our devotional lives into places to make life more meaningful.  Instead of laying down our lives for Jesus. Also, Kyle and John find our devotion particularly susceptible to the flesh.  Because we assume it’s the one place our action is pure.  But, in contrast, Jesus calls us to walk with Him in such a manner that allow Him to define us.  As well as to secure our identity, value, and goodness. Furthermore, the authors stress, our faith involves death and resurrection.  Here our faith is not simply a boost to get the life we want.  For we journey with the purifying fire in this new existence of life in Christ.  In the process, this purifying fire calls forth the deep things of the heart to transform them in and through His love. Finally, in this walk, we accept that in Christ’s presence the truth of our heart leaks out.  As the purifying fire of love, God always awakens the truth. Today’s question: How do you avoid a spiritual formation that centers on self-actualization?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “A more abiding praise” The post Spiritual formation – embrace Jesus appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/Gh8aUrq July 9, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Simply better versions of ourselves https://ift.tt/8VDnNX3 In “Young Man with a Horn,” Ralph Kramden attempts to correct his faults and become a success — to hit the high note. But he only gets a piece of it. “The way we actually think about the moral activity or growth of the Christian (what we often label ‘discipleship’) is not really Christ-centered; we can talk about ‘relying on the power of the Spirit’ but still think about this as something we do.  When, with the Holy Spirit’s help, we are obedient, we are simply better versions of ourselves.”- Grant Macaskill, Living in Union with Christ (2017) “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”- Galatians 2:20 (ESV) Kyle Strobel and John Coe conclude Chapter 6 of When God Seems Distant as they stress that Christianity is not solely about trying to imitate Jesus.  Because Jesus didn’t take on flesh, live in faithfulness, and die for our sins simply to show us a pattern of life we could live apart from Him.  Thus, Kyle and John assert, perhaps the greatest temptation of the Christian life involves growing oneself.  And we continually fail to recognize this. However, the authors note, some people might wonder why being better versions of ourselves creates a problem.  Certainly, it seems obvious that we should aspire to that.  So, as Grant Macaskill explains, our only hope centers on this: for a better self to inhabit our lives.  Christ and Christ alone = our only hope. In conclusion, Kyle and John counsel: “What few realize but all must come to grapple with is that to mature in the faith, we need to see that we are not the ones making this work.  When we finally hit that point, we are ready to see that the spiritual life requires denouncing the moral life of the flesh. Today’s question: What’s lacking when we aspire to simply better version of ourselves?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Spiritual formation – embrace Jesus” The post Simply better versions of ourselves appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/6g4u31P July 8, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Attending to our self-talk https://ift.tt/zdt5qyK Ralph has faith he’ll inherit the better part of 40 million dollars from a lady who frequently rode his bus. What he receives is Fortune – the lady’s parrot. “Often, it is only by attending to our self-talk that we can see how we really understand the conscience.  If our immediate inclination is that God wants us to ignore the truth of our lives or that God cannot handle the truth, this reveals we are already functioning moralistically apart from the gospel. . . .  it is time to come out of hiding to draw near to Christ and seek him in the truth.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “[The Gentiles] show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.”- Romans 2:15 (ESV) As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 6 of When God Seems Distant, they note that when the apostle Paul describes how the conscience pangs, accusing and excusing thoughts escape from the heart.  Above all, these thoughts consist of strategies employed by the fallen self.  Strategies to: defend against the condemning nature of the conscience. feel better rather than turning to the one place can truly be found. Most significantly, the authors stress, our strategies move in opposing directions — one self-accusation and the other self-defense.  In addition, both strategies stem from deep beliefs.  Beliefs that we can (a) manage sin in our own goodness and (b) instead of seeking the truth, we self-condemn or self-justify. In conclusion, Kyle and John counsel: “What becomes difficult for some is that the conscience can be seared (1 Timothy 4:2).  Sometimes a seared conscience does not pang at all, and a person loses the sense of living in rebellion.  The person becomes numb to their sin.  A seared accusatory conscience is debilitating . . . [and] often leads a person to moralistically silence this unappeasable voice, living a kind of despairing life and never feeling release.” Today’s question: What helps you in attending to your self-talk?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Simply better versions of ourselves?” The post Attending to our self-talk appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/WpAdykJ July 7, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Secure hiding place away from God https://ift.tt/kIExKRv Dietrich Bonhoeffer particularly tuned into problems with the conscience. He revealed the nefarious depths employed by the conscience. “Indeed it is the function of the conscience to make human beings flee from God. . . .  Conscience chases humankind away from God into its secure hiding place.  Here, far away from God, humankind itself plays the role of being judge and in this way seeks to avoid God’s judgment. . . .  Conscience is not the voice of God within sinful human behavior; instead it is precisely their defense against this voice.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer Kyle Strobel and John Coe continue Chapter 6 of When God Seems Distant as they underscore that conscience is not meant to be in service to our moralism.  Rather, conscience needs to be in service of our desperate need for Jesus.  Therefore, the conscience must lead us to the cross.  And not to strategies of the flesh. Thus, the authors conclude, it’s not our responsibility to deal with the pangs of our conscience.  Even though we assume that is what God wants.  Instead, such an effort represents an attempt to take back from Christ the work He had done for us.  A refusal to embrace His grace.  Put another way, in this manner we reject the way of Christ to generate a way of life from within our own goodness. Hence, Kyle and John observe, the conscience, meant to lead us to God, morphs into a strategy to avoid and manage God.  Or to secure ourselves without truly repenting.  So the conscience, like the law, is not the problem.  Because the problem centers on our tendency to take what God gives us and use it according to the flesh.  Not the Spirit. Most significantly, Kyle and John conclude: “Our greatest temptation as Christians [is] not abandoning the faith, but using the things of God to hide from him — using the ‘filthy rags’ of our works to imagine we can placate an angry God. . . .  This is why the desert and desolation are gifts; it is in those places that we learn that God is our all in all.” Today’s question: When do you find yourself prone to find a secure hiding place away from God?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Attending to our self-talk” The post Secure hiding place away from God appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/7v0zU6E July 6, 2026 at 01:00PM

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God’s infallible voice: conscience? https://ift.tt/U5saPYM [Saul] said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good whereas I have repaid you evil.”- 1 Samuel 24:17 (ESV) “The conscience doesn’t have a perfect link with God’s law but is a fallen aspect of our psychology.  Many, Christians, oddly, believe the conscience is the infallible voice of God in their souls.  They bear the yoke of their conscience, thinking it is God when they are actually turned in upon themselves, seeking to use the morality to placate the pangs they don’t want to experience.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coed As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 6 of When God Seems Distant, they address one notable problem with the conscience.  We often seek to placate our conscience rather than turning to the Lord.  As a result, we seek to silence the conscience.  Hence, we do whatever we think will make it stop panging. Therefore, rather than seeking faithfulness, we like to assume that whatever silences our conscience must be faithful.  So, in the process, the conscience turns our attention to our experiences of ourselves.  Then the conscience uses that to make us believe we are experiencing God. Consequently, Kyle and John counsel: “Biblically, the conscience is a psychological response to whatever law has been internalized into your heart. . . .  Importantly, [the apostle Paul] claims that it is in and through our experiences in life that our conscience is formed and transformed, and not simply through information we learn (1 C0r. 8:7-12).  We do not simply decide what our conscience will respond to, and we cannot transform our broken conscience by shouting the trust into our souls.” In conclusion, the authors acknowledge, the conscience often aligns with God’s law.  However, they note, that is both good news and bad.  The good news?  It orients us to the truth of God’s call.  And the bad news?  It also comes with the condemning features of the law.  In this latter sense, the conscience tends to function apart from Christ. Today’s question: When do you view your conscience as God’s infallible voice?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “Secure hiding place away from God” The post God’s infallible voice: conscience? appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/O8xzJRZ July 5, 2026 at 01:00PM

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Sin and failure in the light of grace https://ift.tt/5Jb4G16 Under tense interrogation from Lt. Daniel Caffee (Tom Cruise), Col. Nathan R. Jessup retorts: “You can’t handle the truth!”- A Few Good Men (1992) “Instead of seeing one’s sin and failure in the light of grace, recognizing it as an opportunity to seek God, abide, and know his transforming presence, we shut down because we cannot handle the truth about what our life has become.  The truth feels too scary for us because we are still trusting ultimately in ourselves.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe “If Christ is put aside, and I look only at myself, then I am done for.”- Martin Luther Kyle Strobel and John Coe continue Chapter 6 of When God Seems Distant as they discuss two tests that quickly reveal moralism in the heart. Test #1: Consider what happens when sin convicts you.  Certainly, Kyle and John underscore, it’s good to be convicted by sin.  Sin should convict us.  However, if your first and abiding response centers on working harder, then you’re a moralist.  Because, the authors note, moralism drives us to turn to our works as an answer for our sin or need.  Instead of turning to Christ. In addition, this test often reveals two lies: first, that we can fix our life, and, second, that God really wants us to fix our life.  Hence, we find it easier to trust ourselves than to trust Christ.  so, the moralist seeks to get past sin and brokenness.  Rather than see them. Test #2: Seeing one’s sin and failure in the light of grace.  Or do you shut down because you cannot handle the truth of what your life has become.  Therefore, we find the truth scary because we still trust ultimately in ourselves. Thus, this core dynamic animates the moralist, who cannot bear: the awareness of being a failure the awareness of shame and guilt. to see weakness. Finally, Kyle and John counsel: “We are tempted to read that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), underline it in our Bibles, but continue to live and minister in our strength because we cannot bear entering into the truth.” Today’s question: What Scriptures help you see your sin and failure in the light of grace?  Please share. Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s infallible voice: conscience?” The post Sin and failure in the light of grace appeared first on Crown of Compassion. via Crown of Compassion https://ift.tt/BGHMFnS July 4, 2026 at 01:00PM