The Power of Correct Thinking

       

| renew | (verb)

to make like new
to restore to freshness, vigor, perfection
to make new spiritually
to begin again
to restore to existence
to make extensive changes
to be born again

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12: 1-2)

Do you know what is in short supply in today's world? Thinking. Or to be more specific, correct thinking.

When was the last time that you just thought about your life, the reality of whatever situation you find yourself, and the options available to you in this moment? If you are like the majority of people today that answer is probably not anytime recently. It takes a jumpstart to sometimes reveal our choices and God wants to help us achieve that today. 

Talk To God

It was recently announced that for the second year in a row the annual Burning Man event would be canceled. This was due in part to the worldwide popularity of the event and the fears of bringing upwards of 70,000 people together with unknown mixtures of vaccinated, infected, sick and healthy, and the consequences of all those people sharing close quarters. It is a fact that the locals are breathing a sigh of relief.

I consider myself a creative person and I have often day dreamed of a place where everyone had the resources to create at will, using their God-given talents to inspire others. I believe that Heaven will incorporate these same opportunities. And in fact, I find this is one of the more interesting aspects of the Burning Man event. Another part of the event that I find interesting about this event is the manifestation that two of mankind's deepest longings become apparent, the desire for community and spirituality. For instance one of the more popular exhibits each year is a booth labeled "Talk To God". Simple in its attraction, it is a phone booth where you can pick-up a phone and pretend that the person on the other end is God. Despite its fantasy nature, it is, unsurprisingly, an emotional experience for many. But it is not an experience that comes cheap . . . 

The New Jerusalem

Anybody else blown away with the similarities of the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 to the Holy of Holies described in Exodus 26? Both are described as perfect cubes, the first Tabernacle measuring around 10x10x10, and the New Jerusalem city measuring 1,380 miles high, wide, and deep. 

A cube, with all its three dimensions equal, is considered geometric perfection in classical mathematics and is a fitting tribute to the triune God who is ONE in all aspects of thought and purpose. A cube has six sides, six being the number of man in Bible code. Thus we see man in total unity with God, in the city of the New Jerusalem, even as we see that Jesus is both God and perfect man in one; God in the flesh. 

The Perfect Game

This week in baseball we almost witnessed an historic event. Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday, May 5th. This feat, while impressive, was almost historic because he was one technicality away from a perfect game. 

per·fec·tion - the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.

A perfect game in Major League Baseball is a victory by a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) that lasts a minimum of nine innings with no batter reaching first base. To achieve a perfect game, a team must not allow any opposing player to reach base by any means: no hits, walks, hit batsmen, uncaught third strikes, catcher's or fielder's interference, or fielding errors; in short, "27 up, 27 down" (for a nine-inning game). Over the 150 years of Major League Baseball history, and over 218,500 games, there have only been 23 official perfect games. 

For one game, everything works (at least for the winning team) the way it should, starting with the supreme confidence and control of the pitcher, and his catcher who calls a perfect game, and his teammates who defend their territory without blemish, through nine innings of baseball. 27 outs. Perfection, flawless execution by everyone who was part of that winning effort. An experience that most people can only dream about. Where every decision is correct, there is no second-guessing, no mistakes in the execution, where the universe and humanity align to create a rare moment in time, perfection.

But what happens when you are one mistake from perfection?