I’m three almost four chapters in and I’m not sure if I like it or not. It was just tedious to wade through the first three chapters. This is not the first time. Several books I have read recently did not start well. They ended great and proved to well worth the read but they left much to be desired at the beginning. I can’t say that about my current read I’ll let you know.
One concept that has jumped to the surface is how radically different Jesus lived life and expects his followers to live life. Have you considered how radical his way of life is? I mean really? Turn the other cheek? No, really smack them down. Serve rather than being served means you won’t get anything. Jesus’ words and life just flies in the face of “common sense” and the worldly way of doing things.
In this world and world order we do things by might and power, influence and control. Might makes right, we love the movies where the good guy kicks the tail of the bad guy. We love the cop who goes rogue tired of the slow legal system and delivers just by his own gun. I love those endings too but would that be a Jesus ending. Would his movie end that way? Guess what, it would not. The following is the only quote I know from Zechariah but it’s a goodie.
"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6 NIV
Do you see how radically different that is from the way we think. Oh I have heard the words “that’s not practical” or “that worked for Jesus but He never intended that for us.” Really? Never intended us to live the life he modeled? What about the last shall be first? Love your neighbor as yourself? To gain your life you must lose it? What about those radical statements? Do you think he said them just to hear his own voice? It seems to me he said them so we would have words for what we have seen Him do.
I’m still not sure if I like the book or not, but I continue to read. I must also say I’m not sure if I like this idea of Jesus the radical or not either but I continue to live that way for what else is there to do he “is the Christ the Son of the living God.”
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
More thoughts regarding the previous post...
I stumbled into some problems…no one got hurt but they sure put a halt to plans at least for the moment. I had already read this excerpt written by Eric Bridges earlier in the week…
Every Christian, declared the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon, is either a missionary or an imposter.
Or both. Even the Apostle Paul had his days of discouragement, despair and failure. Just read his letters. A sign of growth for a believer is living like a missionary more days than you live like an imposter.
One of the great things about being around Christian mission work -- or a good church, for that matter -- is associating with people who are more faithful, more committed and more passionate about serving God than you are. They are a "cloud of witnesses," as Hebrews 12:1 describes the saints of old, who motivate the rest of us to pursue a higher calling.
Anna, a 98-year-old lady in my church, participates in multiple ministries during a typical week. Recently she spoke at a women's detention facility and 14 inmates gave their lives to Christ. Anna has a great sense of humor, too. No one can top that! But we can listen to her wisdom, learn from her life and follow her example with God's help.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, faithful is as faithful does.
When a problem brings us to a halt it is easy to say, “God must not want me to go there or do that.” Because, well it’s just easier to NOT than TO. To push ahead in the face of adversity, to push ahead in the face of limited resources or big government, it is just easier to quit. Quitting is what the evil one wants a believer to do. Remember Jesus in the garden? Quitting would have been easier for HIM not us.
Faithful is as faithful does.
This morning at a prayer breakfast a gentleman asked, “What do you want to hear when you get to heaven?” Interesting question, one man answered “welcome” and there were other answers I thought of “well done good and faithful servant.” Did you catch the faithful part?
Faithful is to continue when it is hard, uphill, hot, nasty, mean, difficult, horrendous, dirty, sweaty and grueling if God has said so. Have you noticed that too often we quit just before a real breakthrough. It is when we are ready to break that the breakthrough comes. I wonder how many times I have given up just before the break though.
Faithful is as faithful does.
The headline in the paper today is “Savannah-Chatham schools to slash 132 jobs, raise property tax rate” that is 132 people, 132 families possibly more if two wage-earners are employed by the board more bad news to add to the pile. How do you be faithful in that possibility? What has God called you to? Certainly not an easy task, faithfulness is not problem free. Honestly, there are no problem free solutions just solutions with problems we will push through. Faithful is as faithful does!
Every Christian, declared the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon, is either a missionary or an imposter.
Or both. Even the Apostle Paul had his days of discouragement, despair and failure. Just read his letters. A sign of growth for a believer is living like a missionary more days than you live like an imposter.
One of the great things about being around Christian mission work -- or a good church, for that matter -- is associating with people who are more faithful, more committed and more passionate about serving God than you are. They are a "cloud of witnesses," as Hebrews 12:1 describes the saints of old, who motivate the rest of us to pursue a higher calling.
Anna, a 98-year-old lady in my church, participates in multiple ministries during a typical week. Recently she spoke at a women's detention facility and 14 inmates gave their lives to Christ. Anna has a great sense of humor, too. No one can top that! But we can listen to her wisdom, learn from her life and follow her example with God's help.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, faithful is as faithful does.
When a problem brings us to a halt it is easy to say, “God must not want me to go there or do that.” Because, well it’s just easier to NOT than TO. To push ahead in the face of adversity, to push ahead in the face of limited resources or big government, it is just easier to quit. Quitting is what the evil one wants a believer to do. Remember Jesus in the garden? Quitting would have been easier for HIM not us.
Faithful is as faithful does.
This morning at a prayer breakfast a gentleman asked, “What do you want to hear when you get to heaven?” Interesting question, one man answered “welcome” and there were other answers I thought of “well done good and faithful servant.” Did you catch the faithful part?
Faithful is to continue when it is hard, uphill, hot, nasty, mean, difficult, horrendous, dirty, sweaty and grueling if God has said so. Have you noticed that too often we quit just before a real breakthrough. It is when we are ready to break that the breakthrough comes. I wonder how many times I have given up just before the break though.
Faithful is as faithful does.
The headline in the paper today is “Savannah-Chatham schools to slash 132 jobs, raise property tax rate” that is 132 people, 132 families possibly more if two wage-earners are employed by the board more bad news to add to the pile. How do you be faithful in that possibility? What has God called you to? Certainly not an easy task, faithfulness is not problem free. Honestly, there are no problem free solutions just solutions with problems we will push through. Faithful is as faithful does!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Faithful is as Faithful Does by Erich Bridges
Just saw this today. For those who are struggling with life and living walking behind Jesus.
Every Christian, declared the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon, is either a missionary or an imposter.
Or both. Even the Apostle Paul had his days of discouragement, despair and failure. Just read his letters. A sign of growth for a believer is living like a missionary more days than you live like an imposter.
One of the great things about being around Christian mission work -- or a good church, for that matter -- is associating with people who are more faithful, more committed and more passionate about serving God than you are. They are a...click here to read the rest
Every Christian, declared the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon, is either a missionary or an imposter.
Or both. Even the Apostle Paul had his days of discouragement, despair and failure. Just read his letters. A sign of growth for a believer is living like a missionary more days than you live like an imposter.
One of the great things about being around Christian mission work -- or a good church, for that matter -- is associating with people who are more faithful, more committed and more passionate about serving God than you are. They are a...click here to read the rest
Friday, May 14, 2010
Speaking of Problems..............
There has been a belief maybe more like a wish that connecting with Christ as Lord and savior would somehow make everything better and by better I mean easy. I say a wish because I know of no one who says life will b easy but that is really what we want. We are usually approaching God form some desperate position or situation and what we want is out of the spot we’re in. Quick, easy and painless a solution that fixes it all and al is fixed in one simple easy step. The trouble is God does not work that way. Have you noticed that?
In our small groups we have been looking at prayer, its’ purpose and practice. In this past weeks’ material the following questions and their oxymoronic counterparts were presented.
Consider this:
If you want to be trusted with more? ………………. Then how much do you trust?
If you want to be depended on to do great things?................... Then how much do you depend on God? I would add how dependable are you?
If you want to be loved more?................................... Then how much do you love?
We usually approach difficult problem as to how someone else will solve them. It seems that Christ would solve them in and active not a passive way. I remind you he said if you want to live you must die. If you want to lead you must serve. The first will be last and the last first. That’s a problem.
It doesn’t make sense in the world I live in. You lead by leading and getting others to do for you. You are first because you got there sooner and smarter. You depend on no one but yourself. People will love you because you have power and wealth not because you love much. That is weakness.
The problem is Jesus calls us to “come and see” like he did the first disciples. However, before long he asked them to “come and die.” That is a whole different matter. That whole different matter is the problem. Christ calls us to a radically different life with a radically different perspective on the whole thing. I think we are NOT RADICAL ENOUGH. That causes us to wrestle with only a half way commitment in either reality. Therefore the problem of problems, we don’t fit in either place. Let’s get radical so that the words for Away in a Manger will be true, “and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.”
In our small groups we have been looking at prayer, its’ purpose and practice. In this past weeks’ material the following questions and their oxymoronic counterparts were presented.
Consider this:
If you want to be trusted with more? ………………. Then how much do you trust?
If you want to be depended on to do great things?................... Then how much do you depend on God? I would add how dependable are you?
If you want to be loved more?................................... Then how much do you love?
We usually approach difficult problem as to how someone else will solve them. It seems that Christ would solve them in and active not a passive way. I remind you he said if you want to live you must die. If you want to lead you must serve. The first will be last and the last first. That’s a problem.
It doesn’t make sense in the world I live in. You lead by leading and getting others to do for you. You are first because you got there sooner and smarter. You depend on no one but yourself. People will love you because you have power and wealth not because you love much. That is weakness.
The problem is Jesus calls us to “come and see” like he did the first disciples. However, before long he asked them to “come and die.” That is a whole different matter. That whole different matter is the problem. Christ calls us to a radically different life with a radically different perspective on the whole thing. I think we are NOT RADICAL ENOUGH. That causes us to wrestle with only a half way commitment in either reality. Therefore the problem of problems, we don’t fit in either place. Let’s get radical so that the words for Away in a Manger will be true, “and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Some additional thoughts about Ruth and you!
Thoughts:
1. It is still amazing to think his 4 chapter book is after Judges with its Samson and superhuman feats of strength AND stupidity and coming before Samuel the first great prophet of Israel.
2. The book of Ruth contains no divine intervention of God in the life of Ruth, Naomi or Boaz. It does contain the providence of God.
3. Boaz was Ruth's protector but she still worked the field gleaning barley. Hard work for sure. No sudden free ride to food, family and fortune.
4. This story seems more like our lives today than a "Bible story."
5. It is a clear example of what faithfulness looks like and how God works in our lives in a "normal" way.
6. The little stuff really does matter.
You can listen to the message, watch the video and download the In Christ You are Document HERE.
1. It is still amazing to think his 4 chapter book is after Judges with its Samson and superhuman feats of strength AND stupidity and coming before Samuel the first great prophet of Israel.
2. The book of Ruth contains no divine intervention of God in the life of Ruth, Naomi or Boaz. It does contain the providence of God.
3. Boaz was Ruth's protector but she still worked the field gleaning barley. Hard work for sure. No sudden free ride to food, family and fortune.
4. This story seems more like our lives today than a "Bible story."
5. It is a clear example of what faithfulness looks like and how God works in our lives in a "normal" way.
6. The little stuff really does matter.
You can listen to the message, watch the video and download the In Christ You are Document HERE.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Mother's Day always presents a problem...
How do you tell them how much you love them on just one day? How do you honor them without worshipping them? Although they might prefer that, how do you tell them how much you appreciate them? Honestly, I don’t know.
Really, is there any way to thank them for kissing your sore knee and making it better; For getting up in the middle of the night an chasing away monsters; for cleaning up after you have been sick when they are just as or more so than you? I don’t know.
Yea, they are not perfect not all the time, not every meal is wonderful but it is edible (most of the time especially when you don’t like it). Your favorite outfit is not clean when you want it but other outfits are. It might take her a minute or two to remember where you left your homework that was due yesterday. No, they are not perfect they ARE human after all.
How can we say we are sorry for all of the sleepless nights Mom spent when we were away from home? The tears we caused when we chose the wrong path and hurt ourselves and others? The pain and disappointment we inflicted when we were angry at her for something she had no control over? I don’t know.
There is no way to adequately say anything. I guess we live the life that she has invested countless hours developing and influencing in us. To be all that God has made us to be and to express in as many ways as possible all of the love that our Mothers have lavishly given to us as the physical image of our Heavenly Father.
I don’t really know any other way to say, “I love you Mom,” than that.
Really, is there any way to thank them for kissing your sore knee and making it better; For getting up in the middle of the night an chasing away monsters; for cleaning up after you have been sick when they are just as or more so than you? I don’t know.
Yea, they are not perfect not all the time, not every meal is wonderful but it is edible (most of the time especially when you don’t like it). Your favorite outfit is not clean when you want it but other outfits are. It might take her a minute or two to remember where you left your homework that was due yesterday. No, they are not perfect they ARE human after all.
How can we say we are sorry for all of the sleepless nights Mom spent when we were away from home? The tears we caused when we chose the wrong path and hurt ourselves and others? The pain and disappointment we inflicted when we were angry at her for something she had no control over? I don’t know.
There is no way to adequately say anything. I guess we live the life that she has invested countless hours developing and influencing in us. To be all that God has made us to be and to express in as many ways as possible all of the love that our Mothers have lavishly given to us as the physical image of our Heavenly Father.
I don’t really know any other way to say, “I love you Mom,” than that.
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