One of the things that we talked about as part of the class are the masks that we put on to show the world what we want them to see. Wearing masks are an important part of our culture. We are not an open society like we portray to the world. As a country we wear a mask of solidarity towards the world but underneath it we are a mixed bag of factions. This bubbles up out of the fact that as individuals we do not want others to know who we really are. We hide behind shiny veneers of cute Facebook pictures and witty Tweets. We cram Tumblr, Blogger, and Wordpress with our thoughts about a myriad of things and we use linkedin to show how professional we can be. However underneath it all we are bundles of emotions that we can sometimes control.

As I work through my salvation with fear and trembling and talk to others who are doing the same here are 2 masks that we can often wear.

The Angry Mask: This is the mask that we use often as a defense mechanism to keep others at bay. We can do this for a lot of reasons but in my experience it is because we don't want to get hurt. We are scared that others will hurt us so we lash out at them first.

This mask steals the joy of meeting new people and the growth that comes from working through difficult situations. Put the Angry Mask away.

The Religious Mask: This is one of the most dangerous masks that I run into. It is also a mask that I wore for much of my youth. This is the mask that allows us to look good on Sunday but living like hell Monday through Saturday. I call this one dangerous because it can present a false image of what the church is. This mask steals the day to day work of community. We can't labor together for the kingdom if we don't know what each other's weaknesses are. If you have no upper body strength I don't want you spotting me in the gym.

I wanted this post to be short so I am going to cut this off here. But as we go through the rest of this week I am going to talk about how to break out of these masks and introduce some other ones.

Whatever you do with this post make sure you do it in the comments section below.

Talk to you tomorrow,

• God's Man

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Transliteration: chazown

Pronunciation: khä·zōn'

Part of Speech: masculine noun

Root Word (Etymology): from chazah

Outline of Biblical Usage:

1) vision

a) vision (in ecstatic state)

b) vision (in night)

c) vision, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)

d) vision (as title of book of prophecy)  

What are you doing with God's vision for your life? Jump into finding it out!

• God's Man

• God's Man

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1-6 ESV)-God's Man

This was a fun one too.

Enjoy your weekend

• God's Man

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.

A man too poor to present such an offeringselects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:1-31 NIV84) As we continue to Jump this month I want you to know that no matter where you are or the circumstances of your life there is a God in heaven that is real and who desire all He has called.

• God's Man

Deontology Deontological ethics or deontology (from Greek deon, "obligation, duty"; and -logia) is the normative ethical position that judges the morality of an action based on the action's adherence to a rule or rules.^[1] It is sometimes described as "duty" or "obligation" or "rule" -based ethics, because rules "bind you to your duty".^[2] Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted to consequentialism.^[3] Deontological ethics is also contrasted to pragmatic ethics.

Teleology A teleology is any philosophical account which holds that final causes exist in nature, meaning that design and purpose analogous to that found in human actions are inherent also in the rest of nature. The word comes from the Greek τέλος, telos; root: τελε-, "end, purpose". The adjective "teleological" has a broader usage, for example in discussions where particular ethical theories or types of computer programs are sometimes described as teleological because they involve aiming at goals.
Teleology was explored by Plato and Aristotle, by Saint Anselm around 1000 AD, and later by Immanuel Kant in his Critique of Judgment. It was fundamental to the speculative philosophy of Hegel.
A thing, process or action is teleological when it is for the sake of an end, i.e., a telos or final cause. In general it may be said that there are two types of final causes, which may be called intrinsic finality and extrinsic finality.^[1]

I did not know that these 2 words existed before today and while they bear greater study I am richer for finding them.  That is one of the best Birthday Gift I could have been given.

This is another great gift for me in case anyone is feeling generous.

 Continuing to Jump in June...

-God's Man

I shared this a few Fridays back but since I am talking about words today this seems appropriate.  Stephen Fry on Language.

Jump and Find Your Inspiration...

Episode #1

Episode #2
Episode #3
Episode #4
Episode #5
Episode #6

-God's Man

A U.S. Army soldier of the Charlie company from 5-20 infantry Regiment attached to 82nd Airborne Division, walks past his company's kitchen board at Combat Operation Outpost (COP) Pashmul South in Zharay district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, June 6, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) #

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. - 1 John 4:9 Every moment is precious.

-God's Man

Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him. - Read the rest here So I ask you to *Jump *into finding your focus today.

-God's Man