looking.for.logos

I've started school full time again, and thus my blogging is taking 2nd fiddle in my writing endeavors. However, for one of my classes, I read a chapter from a book called "Habits of the Mind" by James W. Sire that rocked my world!

Ok backing up, I have to say that naming this blog was a real challenge! I wanted the blog to stand for something more than myself. Even though I strive to be transparent and include my personality and life in my posts, it's not really about me, my day-to-day life, etc. I have a written journal for that, and no one would want to read it. I promise. This blog, as I've mentioned before, was meant to honor God publicly for what He has done and is doing in my life, the things he is teaching me, and more importantly, to hopefully work as a conduit for God's truth. He gave me the name, "looking.for.logos".


A seed was planted in my heart by a teaching series I watched while in St. Louis. The instructor talked about the concept of allowing God to transform our souls (mind, will, and emotions) by His Truth. As part of my healing journey and now my life as a disciple, I'm learning how vital it is to sort out the truth from the lies and to fight for the knowledge of God.

John 8:31-32 is a token verse worth memorizing. "Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

It's obvious, but Jesus was NOT kidding. The lies (strongholds) of the enemy are what systematically break us down. They go from huge fundamental lies like "God does not exist" to personal lies like "I fail at everything I do". It was a lie that lead to the fall of mankind and a system of lies that keep mankind from living in the victory that Christ died to give us. The antidote for Satan's lies, is TRUTH.

There are some that would argue that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Our culture today tells us that truth is a personal thing - It's truth if it is true for me, but it doesn't have to be true for you. We're told that truth is cultural or religious, or preferential. Ultimately, the world (Satan) tells us that truth is relative. Some believe that no one can really ever know the truth. They claim that the truth is ultimately unknowable. But that statement is self-contradicting. Proclaiming the "truth" that truth is unknowable nullifies the statement.

God has given us the absolute Truth through his revelation in Christ and the Scriptures. It is the "logic" of God - His thoughts - His reasoning - His logos - that breaks apart Satan's strongholds and sets us free from sin, doubt, guilt, FEAR, anxiety, hatred, unforgiveness, selfishness, etc. Knowing the truth and holding fast to it allows us to weather any circumstance in life. It gives us HOPE.

James W. Sire says, "The ultimate foundation for human knowing is not the autonomy of human reason; it is not the autonomy of human experience.  The ultimate philosophical and theological foundation for all human knowing is the Logos. The foundation is ontological: God not just as Being but as Reason or Meaning.  And this Logos has an incarnate from - Jesus as 'reasoner'. [Truth]" (Sire, 2000 p.202)

Jesus' ministry here on Earth was to impart a new logic, to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven and His father. Knowing Christ, the Logos of God, and living from the truth of our identities in Him, gives us victory over our enemy and lets us share that truth with others. God has placed a burning desire in me to be "looking for logos" in every situation, every circumstance, every breath. To be listening for the God's Truth in the midst of the flood of other noises. To be seeking after Christ, to know Him better, and to pursue that Truth so that God, through the Holy Spirit, can break down those strongholds in my soul and continue to transform me into the likeness of His Son.

I don't know where God wants to take this blog or even this vision for a future ministry, but I wanted to share a little more about the meaning of the name "looking.for.logos", and hope that others will join me in pursuing Truth/Christ/ and the Logos of God in all things.

disassembling lies

One of the most powerful things I experienced in my healing journey was discovering the Truth about myself and God. I mentioned before that it's not so much what we experience in life that harms us, as do the lies we believe as a result of what we experience.  These "strongholds", or as Pastor Les calls them, "demonic logic", are what eat away at our minds, bodies, and souls, and wreak terrible havoc on our ability to live and enjoy life.  Sometimes the lies are pronounced, but some are more subtle, and we don't notice that we are buying into them until Truth comes blaring through.

 Paul talks about this concept in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (just so ya know I'm not making this up)

  "The world doesn't fight fair.  But we don't live or fight our battles that way - never have and never will.  The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.  We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of a life shaped by Christ." (The Message)

In context, Paul is speaking in defense of his ministry, so the weapons he speaks of are Truth, God-given Understanding, the Scripture, and our Authority in Christ.

With the help of some great mentors, I was exposed to the truth. I wrestled with it, argued with it, and saturated myself with it until the Holy Spirit began to turn head knowledge into a real revelation to me.
I had "head knowledge" for years. I could spout off a ton of memory verses about how "God so loved the world" and we are "created in His image", but it never changed my life. I still, at the core of me, believed that I was an exception. I had a sneaking suspicion that while God loved the world, He was angry with me. Maybe God had great plans for other people, but for some reason, I was sub-par and would fail at even the most mediocre plans He had for me.  And it was just as well.  As long as God and I had a handshake relationship, He couldn't expect too much of me, and I couldn't expect too much from Him.
But when God in the Holy Spirit turns head knowledge into heart revelation, it becomes woven into the fiber of who we are, and untangling it becomes near impossible. That is when real change occurs.

One of my great passions in life is to see people (and hurting girls specifically) discover the Truth.

All of that said, here's one lie we're going to disassemble today:

Lie:  "My existence is an accident. I am on this planet by chance / happenstance / fluke / mistake." 

Truth: "I was created by God on purpose, for a purpose."

There are so many things that I could say regarding this simple truth. It's profound in its simplicity. But it makes such a HUGE difference when we start to understand that we are here by divine will. 
Now, if we believe this, Satan will throw a bunch of things at us regarding God's intention, His decision making skills, our ability to do what God has purposed for us, what it says about us if we aren't walking in God's purpose, or how we've failed in one way or another by simply breathing in and out every day.

FORGET THAT NONSENSE. We'll get there. There are truths to refute all of those arguments.
Today, just revel in the fact that you are not a mistake. You were brought forth from the heart of God, intentionally. He wants you here right now because He has amazing things in mind for you. And no matter what that looks like or how it plays out, His plans for us match our personality, our preferences, dreams, hopes, and abilities. We can be excited about our future, because He's right here with us, glad that we've hung on this long, and excited to show us the next thing.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 2:9


"Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love." Ephesians 1:4 (The Message)


"You did no choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last..." John 15:16


"This is the kind of love we are talking about - not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God." 1 John 4:10 (The Message)


I think people like the girl in this video are a special wink from Heaven. How can anyone argue that this precious girl with her amazing abilities came together by a random grouping of cellular energy? There's a Creator at work, here. And while my life may not look at all like this, (although I can hammer out a mean "chopsticks") my life is no less significant and I am no less talented in the area of my destiny.




Addendum:

A dear friend of mine, Tempy, is an awesome example of a heart pursued by God. She has survived horrific abuse and has found herself on the other side sifting through many of the same lies I did. Tempy is a courageous and eloquent woman, and I'm glad to know her. Here's a link to one of her most recent revelations. 

Crackers & Juiceboxes