Breathe Life…dan o’deens

Thoughts to consider in light of shootings, terrorism and moral decline.

Today, I feel like the apostle Paul quoting from pagan philosophers on Mars Hill.  Truth is truth no matter the source. These fascinating quotes about breathing were written by Yogi Ramacharaka and published in English in 1904.

“Life is absolutely dependent upon the act of breathing. “Breath is Life”.  To breathe is to live, and without breath there is no life.  The infant draws in a long, deep breath, retains it for a moment to extract from it its life-giving properties, and then exhales it in a long wail, and lo! Its life upon earth has begun. The old man gives a faint gasp, ceases to breathe, and life is over. From the first faint breath of the infant to the last gasp of the dying man, it is one long story of continued breathing. Life is but a series of breaths.”

Breathing may be considered the most important of all of the functions of the body, for, indeed, all the other functions depend upon it. Man may exist some time without eating; a shorter time without drinking; but without breathing his existence may be measured by a few minutes.  Man in his normal state had no need of instruction in breathing. Like a child, he breathed naturally and properly, as God designed.

“Civilization and culture has changed the methods in which a man now breathes.  He has contracted improper methods and attitudes of walking, standing and sitting, which have robbed him of his birthright of natural and correct breathing.”  He has wandered on paths developed by man not God.  He chooses to live on the edge of decadence flirting with its luring and enticing menu desire to partake with the delusion that there will be no consequence.

I am no exception neither was Paul the author of ½ of the New Testament.  The things I want to do, I don’t do.   The things I don’t want to do, I do.  The struggle is real.  Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the ‘god of this age.’ Satan is powerful.  He is real.  He is stronger than we are when we choose to walk alone without God.  BUT GOD!  Thankfully, greater is He that is in us than ‘he’ that is in the world.  There is hope!  Those who walk and follow after God, WIN!

Man pays a high price for breathing the breath of culture rather than of God.  We were created to breathe life and hope into the world. God breathes his life into us in order that we might breathe that same life and hope into a desperate culture.

When the ‘BREATH OF GOD’ is removed from culture, we are left with death, not life.  When God is removed from schools and the common market place of community are we surprised by its effect on society?  When God is removed from the home and replaced with gaming and movies that graphicly display ‘death’ and not life are we surprised by its effect on society?

The ‘total depravity’ of man often leaves me breathless.  When man is left to his own vices what he is capable is being played out before our very eyes.  Shooting sprees in Las Vegas and our schools.  In the days of the judges we saw a pattern.  A new Judge was raised up.   He worshiped God…God blessed.  He took his eyes off of God and God removed his hand of blessing and replaced it with oppression and wrath.  After 7 cycles, the book concludes, in those days…everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

The wisdom that comes from above should be in our sites.   It is the Breath of God that is once again needed.  Our God and only our God is FULL of GRACE and TRUTH.  He cannot be emptied of either.  God we pray for an extra dose of Grace.  Forgive us for doing our own thing.  Forgive us for not learning from the past.  Set us free from our willful display of disobedience as we journey though the 8th cycle of doing what is right in our own eyes.  Forgive us for desiring ‘culture’ more than ‘Jesus.’  Forgive us for making this life about us and neglecting the very people in need that you also love.

YOU have shown us Oh God, what is good.  You have given the GREAT REQUIREMENT.  To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, our God.  Breathe that breath again we pray.

Breathing Life!   Dan O’Deens