Candid. Authentic. Pure. Inspiring. Quietly challenging. A few words that come to mind to describe Knowing God, Knowing Myself, An Invitation to Daily Discovery by Cecil Murphey.
In Knowing God, Knowing Myself, best-selling author Cec Murphey opens his heart, candidly sharing secret struggles and experiences that taught him more about himself – and about God.
The chapters of Knowing God, Knowing Myself are short and sweet, making it an easy-read. Each chapter shares personal anecdotes, related Scriptures and ends with a thought-provoking maxim, which serves as a stepping-stone to keep us moving forward in spiritual growth.
Murphey’s vulnerability makes this book a spiritual heart-probe. When a person is willing to talk about their own growing pains and weaknesses like a friend confiding in another friend, it helps you let down your guard, discard your self-deception and take a deeper look at your own blind spots so as to learn to deal with them in a biblical manner.
This book draws us into an unveiled look at ourselves, which then leads us to deeper walk with God—God who loves us as we are, weaknesses and all. I recommend it for new Christians and mature believers as well. A great read.
My trip to Haiti this month was filled with delights and drama.
This picture shows just one of those delights--a little girl who is the joyful recipient of one of the dresses donated to Orphans First by Dress-A-Girl-Around-The-World. We gave out many of these beautiful dresses and also britches for boys.
Our trip took us to several parts of Haiti. I'll be writing a more in-depth article on this soon so keep stopping by. For now, let's talk about a wee spat of drama: I fell in a 20 foot well.
No panic, I didn't fall right to the bottom (or I probably wouldn't even be here to tell the story); I fell in up to my chest where I caught onto the metal lid which had flipped sideways. With the help of a friend, I managed to get my dangling body out and size up my wounds -- a bunch of bruises and a few broken ribs.
The good thing about that fall is that it brought attention to the need to get the well lid hinges fixed so that a child doesn't fall in. It also gave me a good reason to accept all the pampering and pity being poured on me (hey, I'm milking this for all it's worth -- it's not everyday I get to fall in a well). So, it's all good.
And whatever way you look at it, what are a few broken ribs and bruises in light of all that's happening in the world whether in Japan, Libya or even in Haiti? The world is in a bad way. With that sobering thought, I invite you to read my latest article in the San Diego Christian Perspectives Examiner on Spring 2011 and signs of the times.
I recently posted my review of PrayFit. If that whet your appetite to get fitter and closer to Jesus, you won't wanna miss my interview with the godly, fitness guru and author of PrayFit, Jimmy Pena.
JD--I love that PrayFit challenges me to go further in my workout than I'd normally choose--while also inspiring me to go deeper with God. What gave you the idea for this unique combination? JP— Well, from a fitness standpoint, I teach people that the body will only change according to the level at which it is stressed. Our bodies are pretty resilient and they adapt so well to what we put them through. For that reason, we have to continually ask more of ourselves day in and day out. I think the same thing goes for our faith. Spending good time with the Lord each day, seeking His guidance, going deeper into His word…that’s how we stay healthy on the inside.
JD--As well as being a brilliant fitness coach, PrayFit shows that you walk close to the Lord How does your faith impact your desire to help others get in shape? JP— Well, all I know is that I love the Lord, and I am so thankful He’s in my heart. I’ve said before that it doesn’t necessarily take faith to be healthy, but if we have faith, we should strive to be. The message of PrayFit has been formed and molded into some simple concepts, most important being that we believe that while life is not about the body, our health is a means of praise. That we’re called to take care of the body that carries the soul and that there are plenty of biblical references and examples that point to and require a response in the area of physical fitness and proper eating. We believe that many areas of life require a sacrifice. Is our money required for heaven? No. But we’re told to be good stewards of it. Same thing goes for our bodies. Required for heaven? Nah. But we’re called to take care of them because they’re not ours to neglect. After all, that’s what a steward is anyway; someone put in charge of something that’s not their own. It’s not about a six-pack, but something so fearfully and wonderfully made deserves better attention and upkeep. Things like lower blood pressure and sensible weight loss can be seen simply as bi-products of obedience.
JD--One of the things I love about PrayFit is it's gimmick-free. The exercises don't even require equipment. I'm often in Haiti or other third-world countries where there's little opportunity to exercise. Do you have any special tips for me in this situation so I don't get back home stiff and out of shape? JP—So glad you asked. We wrote PrayFit with bodyweight as the resistance because anybody and every body can experience a solid workout in very little time, without costly equipment and in the privacy of their home or hotel room. Few people realize how effective a bodyweight workout can be, but if you’re at home and you have only 10 minutes before work or if you’re in a hotel room, the simple bodyweight approach is so effective. The best thing? It’s all relative. My best effort, your best effort, anyone reading this article…we all have a threshold. Someone who can only do 5 push-ups or bodyweight squats or someone capable of 500, it doesn’t matter. Your best is your best, is your best… And each individual will see results. So while you’re in Haiti doing God’s work, you can Stayfit with PrayFit.
JD—I like that: STAYFIT with PRAYFIT. Yay! With all the talk about the dangers of obesity, are Americans finally catching on? Are they becoming more health conscious or are they still caught in the deadly cycle of unhealthy food and little exercise? JP—We’re great at identifying the dangers, risks and haunting statistics, but obesity is still something we see yet don’t yet feel. For that reason, it’s our opinion that the believer needs to lead the way. Whether you’re Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Non-denominational or otherwise, we believe that the believer should be the example. In 5, 10, 50 years, when this country puts statistics together to summarize the state of health in our nation, may there be one group that led the way to a healthier America…the Christians.
For all the links and more from Jimmy, click here.
I reviewed PrayFit out of curiosity. How is it celebrities recommend a fitness book that focuses on Jesus? (Not your usual Hollywood stuff, for sure.) I soon found out what makes PrayFit buzz-worthy.
PrayFit is a guide to a healthy body and stronger faith in 28 days and includes devotions, exercises, tips and meal plans.
Author and fitness guru, Jimmy Pena, shares his wisdom about exercise, food and faith. Jimmy Page, MS and Jim Stoppani, PHD, complete the package making PrayFit an easy-read manual on growing in faith and fitness in 28 days.
Don’t get me wrong. Although PrayFit provides a challenging 28-day workout plan (which, by the way, involves zero equipment, so no excuses anyone), the spiritual component is not deep theology. The devotional nuggets and prayers are simple, but nonetheless biblical. And, like the meal-plans and food tips, readings are bite-sized easy to read.
PrayFit provides intense workouts, thorough food info and inspiring spiritual content. I recommend it for just about anyone. (Makes a great gift—especially for friends interested in improving their health and needing to draw closer to Jesus.)
Follow up tips and info are also provided via PrayFit.com. Good stuff.
This week we're talking about The God Hater by Bill Myers (see previous post). But it would be unfitting to ignore what's going on in the world -- especially as with so much God-hating activity on the loose. With that in mind, please read my latest article in The San Diego Christian Perspectives Examiner, Missionaries killed by Somali Pirates.
If you're look for a relevant, thought-provoking, page-turning book -- and you have a heart to help orphans -- buy The God Hater by Bill Myers.
Not only is The God Hater one of the best books in the genre of Christian Fantasy that you'll read, but here's the double-whammy: The proceeds go to Orphans First -- a non profit organization helping children. (Read my recent article on Orphans First work in Haiti here.)
Bottom line: There's a whole lot of us who recommend The God Hater.
Oh, and for those curious about the Orphans First / Bill Myers connection: As well as being a brilliant writer, Bill has a huge heart for orphans. As well as being an advocate and supporter, he is on the Orphans FIrst Advisory Board. (He was also our guest speaker for our commencement ceremony at Theological Institute in France years ago.)
It took a whole lot of faith to sit under that collapsed building on top of a ton of stinky rubble. Eeeeeooh! Who knows what lay underneath that stuff? But what is real faith -- the kind that delivers our souls from damnation? And what makes the Christian faith, belief in the Bible as God's inspired Word, different from other faiths?
One defining aspect of the Christian faith is faith. Sound simple? It is. But some people make it so darned complicated.
The Bible teaches that by faith we are saved, not by works (Ephesians 2:8). Faith, as discussed in last week’s article, must be based on truth in order to be true faith. To the Bible-believer, that object of truth is God’s Son, Jesus.
Most religions – just about all religions – believe that you must try to be good enough to merit Eternal Life and Heaven. That’s what makes Christianity or Bible-believing different from other religions; the very premise of Christianity is that humans cannot do enough good to merit God. They cannot arrive at perfection because they are bound by old sin natures.
The Bible says none of us will ever be good enough for all have sinned and fall far from the mark of perfection demanded by the very personification of perfection, God (Romans 3:23). That’s why God sent His only Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our imperfections and to die for our sin, so we could, in essence, go scot free to Heaven on the merit of what He did—and not on what we did or didn’t do. That’s called grace: receiving something we don’t deserve and never earned or merited.
Bottom line: He did it for us. We must accept it and accept Him, believe in Him, put our faith in Him. It’s not hard but it is clearly the most important decision one can ever make because it’s this decision that determines our eternal destiny. If we believe in Him, we become His adopted child and He promises Heaven and a life walking with Him now. Just takes a little faith...
But that doesn’t mean that once we have put our trust in Jesus and accept Him that we can live like Hell with no consequences. Whatever a person sows, he or she will also reap (Galatians 6:9). And a person who has asked Christ into his heart will be changed over time. Truly changed. And that will show on the outside.
The Bible says that faith without works is dead.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:14-18, NKJV).
So here’s the cincher. If you really know Jesus you’ll walk the walk that reflects who He is. You’ll reach out to the hurting, pour out to the poor, reach out to a needy neighbor, pray for loved ones, seek to make your own wrongdoing right, sense when you’ve done something that grieves God and ask for forgiveness… The list goes on. But all that’s for another time. Stop by again soon for more on this subject.
Feel free to leave a comment. i value your feedback.
Candid. Authentic. Pure. Inspiring. Quietly challenging. A few words that come to mind to describe Knowing God, Knowing Myself, An Invitation to Daily Discovery by Cecil Murphey. 
