Why? Why? Why? If God exists why do good things happen to bad people? Simple. If good things only ever happened to good Christian people who would ever want to do anything else? God doesn't want to sway us with trivial earthly wealth (although He may bless us with it)...He wants us to love Him for Him. It would defeat the purpose of what Christianity is all about, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and Loving your neighbor as yourself. If good things only happened to good people nobody would ever see the fact that evil exists. And why would anyone turn to God if all you need to do is be good?
Here's the key, who cares if good things happen to them on earth because they won't be reaping good things when they're gone...We so often, if not always, think of things through our limited mortal minds. People of the world reap earthly "phenomenal" rewards because that's what they invest themselves in. God said that we would reap what we sow, so if we so earthly treasures, that's what we'll receive, but if we sow heavenly treasures, that's what we'll reap. Let them have their earthly gain, and stop dwelling on their earthly blessings...Are your promises not infinitely greater than anything on earth? I'll take a shack on a rock over a castle in the sand any day, and twice on Sunday. People of the world can't see the wisdom in this because they are tuned to look at everything through their self-serving, "what's in it for me?" perspective. Instead of focusing on the right here, right now blessings, look to the future! God said that he will bless those who give and sacrifice. Let those consumed with the here and the now pleasures have them, and accept the eternal pleasure God lays out before us every day of our lives. Besides, if you ask the majority of them if they experience true FULL-BLOWN joy, I'll bet they won't say yes. Joy is the ability to be content with what you have and the willingness to give it up for those who need it more than you. And when we do this God blesses us all the more. What could be more of a blessing than knowing you put the smile on someone's face that is truly struggling in this life?
God blesses us so many ways and more than we know or ever realize...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Bride of Christ
Several times in the Bible we are related through metaphors to a bride. We are to be the "Bride of Christ". A very interesting point of view popped into my mind while I was reading a book by Matthew McGee titled "Shaken Not Shattered". He says, "Marriage is not a relationship based on compromise; it is built on sacrifice. The nature of compromise says, 'What's in it for me?' Sacrifice says, 'No matter what, for better or worse, I'll do what it takes because I'm in it for you.'" Now listen to the standard wedding vows used in most traditional weddings, "Do you promise in covenant before God and these witnesses to be a wedded husband or wife - faithful in plenty and in want, in joy and sorrow, in sickness and health, for better or worse, forsaking all others, and giving yourself only to the other as long as you both shall live?"
Re-read that as many times as it take for it to sink in what that vow is really about. I know I had to read it twice.
Now, the application. If we are the bride of Christ, do we treat Him as our husband? Do we promise in covenant before God and these witnesses (acknowledging Christ before men), to be a wedded wife - faithful in plenty and in want, in joy and sorrow, in sickness and health, for better or worse, forsaking all others, and giving yourself only to Him as long as you both shall live? Do we take that to heart? Do we realize that this is what He asks of us? If we are to be the "bride" of Christ, we should probably live up to our vows. In our lives (relationships) and especially unto Him.
Re-read that as many times as it take for it to sink in what that vow is really about. I know I had to read it twice.
Now, the application. If we are the bride of Christ, do we treat Him as our husband? Do we promise in covenant before God and these witnesses (acknowledging Christ before men), to be a wedded wife - faithful in plenty and in want, in joy and sorrow, in sickness and health, for better or worse, forsaking all others, and giving yourself only to Him as long as you both shall live? Do we take that to heart? Do we realize that this is what He asks of us? If we are to be the "bride" of Christ, we should probably live up to our vows. In our lives (relationships) and especially unto Him.
1st Corinthians 6: Lawsuits Among Brothers
"Oh man" is the only way I know to start this one. It has some serious power kickin' out of it. The very first sentence shows how passionate about this Paul is, and how backwards the Corinthians had this. "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels?" That hit me like a rock! Not only should we not take disputes to the courts of the "ungodly", but in the end, we ourselves will become the judges of the entire WORLD with Christ!
Now here's the foundation shaker and my favorite part of all of this. Verses 7 and 8 say, "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers." Do you catch the severity Paul reveals in these circumstances? No only are you doing the opposite of what you're supposed to, but it has resulted in your complete defeat. We, as members of Christ, are supposed to be versed in the art of being cheated, slandered, persecuted, and abused. If we don't even stand up to the challenge amongst our brothers, how will we stand them when we are amongst those who actually want to persecute and maybe even harm us? We need to not only be ready for these challenges, but to take them head on in the manner that Christ showed us, through humility, grace, and perseverance.
"But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Now here's the foundation shaker and my favorite part of all of this. Verses 7 and 8 say, "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers." Do you catch the severity Paul reveals in these circumstances? No only are you doing the opposite of what you're supposed to, but it has resulted in your complete defeat. We, as members of Christ, are supposed to be versed in the art of being cheated, slandered, persecuted, and abused. If we don't even stand up to the challenge amongst our brothers, how will we stand them when we are amongst those who actually want to persecute and maybe even harm us? We need to not only be ready for these challenges, but to take them head on in the manner that Christ showed us, through humility, grace, and perseverance.
"But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
1st Corinthians 4: Apostles of Christ
Paul here starts with the very core of Jesus' ministry. "Men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God." This is so powerful! Look at all that comes from the blessing of God. We get to be His servants, but look at what we gain, "entrusted the secret things of God." Now that is some serious gain. As we offer ourselves to be obedient to the Word of Christ He grants us more and more trust over His wisdom. He loves us, so when we show Him we are faithful, He rewards us accordingly.
Next Paul makes a very interesting statement that I really love. In verses 3 and 4 he says this, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that doesn't make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." I'll admit I had to look down at the footnotes for this, but it was right on the money if you ask me. It talks about how Paul makes an openly admitted statement that he passes no judgment even on himself because he is human and his conscience can be mistaken and that only God is qualified to judge. He shows that the only way an accurate judgment can come from man is through the Holy Spirit and our minds are so feeble he doesn't even judge himself. This concept was foreign to me, but in the Christian life, it is almost a mandatory tool that the Holy Spirit enables us to have because as we mess up we can indeed inflict a sense of condemnation on ourselves. Rather than dwelling on his mistakes, he focuses on God's grace which gives him a clean conscience, and when he's obedient to God he won't have to feel disobedient anyway. It's the perfect system in reality. Focus on God's love and grace, and have peace in your soul. Simple and effective. (Not that it's actually simple to actually put into effect in our lives...)
Another interesting statement which is extremely important to the church and goes perfectly, hand in hand with the passage about division, in when he says, "...so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, 'Do not go beyond what is written.'" So often I feel our interpretations of things in the Bible cause us to not only miss the really important things in it, but actually cause us to begin to slip into foolish human pride. Paul also felt this way as he states right after, "Then you will not take pride in one man over against another." When we get caught up in the semantics of verses rather than putting things into context and "taking captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ" we cause levels of division in the church because we prize the opinions of men over what the Word clearly spells out. So we shouldn't take pride in our own interpretations for the Holy Spirit has already given us guidance through God's Word. All our interpretations are in reality are simplified versions of the truth so that we may more effectively reach other people. If your interpretation leads them away from the truth rather than towards it, it is not of the Holy Spirit. It's the perfect test, if you take the simplified, expanded version and enable them to understand the words straight from the text, you have effectively translated what the Holy Spirit was trying to speak through you. We need to take the Word for what it says rather than submitting it to human "wisdom", so then we can get the real truth out of it.
In verses 8-10 Paul begins to sarcastically compare what real Christians need to realize. We have wisdom, but the world should see us as fools for Christ, we have strength through Christ but the world sees us as weak, we should be dishonored by the world yet we seek for honor amongst them. This contrast is so striking to me because it reveals stumbling blocks in my own life. I feel so wise, strong, and honored, but I miss the point that I have been given these gifts by the Father, none of it is mine. Our fellow Christians will see and acknowledge the wisdom that God has given us, but if the world as a whole views you as wise, either they are all finally seeing the truth, or you aren't doing what you're supposed to be doing. Now, don't get me wrong...There will be people who will see your newly gifted wisdom as wisdom, however, the majority of people will be baffled by your actions and your words because it will run contrary to how they have chosen to live.
After this he then shows a radical difference between Christians and the world that we are supposed to abide by. In verses 11-13 he states, "To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now." This is the definition of "walking the walk, not just talking the talk". See the fact of the matter is, you don't always have to be persecuted for your faith. There will be times when everything is going fine, and you are not being persecuted for what you believe, but what he means, and what the difference is, is when you are faced with these adversities, you are to handle them as Christ would to the best of your ability (which through the Holy Spirit is pretty darn well). After that you are also not to dwell when you mess up, but to accept and turn back towards grace for that is the only way we can function according to Jesus' high demand for our lives as humans. Without some divine intervention we can not even begin to do what He asked of us.
Lastly verses 19-20 come, and for me, this was the true meat of the whole chapter. In fact, it was the sole reason for me to put this all together. It states, "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." Here he shows the truth behind his whole message. The truth of about whether you are abiding by God's commands, and showing your obedience will be demonstrated through your actions and your power, not your words. Talking the talk isn't good enough. You have to walk it.
Challenge: WALK THE WALK
Next Paul makes a very interesting statement that I really love. In verses 3 and 4 he says this, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that doesn't make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." I'll admit I had to look down at the footnotes for this, but it was right on the money if you ask me. It talks about how Paul makes an openly admitted statement that he passes no judgment even on himself because he is human and his conscience can be mistaken and that only God is qualified to judge. He shows that the only way an accurate judgment can come from man is through the Holy Spirit and our minds are so feeble he doesn't even judge himself. This concept was foreign to me, but in the Christian life, it is almost a mandatory tool that the Holy Spirit enables us to have because as we mess up we can indeed inflict a sense of condemnation on ourselves. Rather than dwelling on his mistakes, he focuses on God's grace which gives him a clean conscience, and when he's obedient to God he won't have to feel disobedient anyway. It's the perfect system in reality. Focus on God's love and grace, and have peace in your soul. Simple and effective. (Not that it's actually simple to actually put into effect in our lives...)
Another interesting statement which is extremely important to the church and goes perfectly, hand in hand with the passage about division, in when he says, "...so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, 'Do not go beyond what is written.'" So often I feel our interpretations of things in the Bible cause us to not only miss the really important things in it, but actually cause us to begin to slip into foolish human pride. Paul also felt this way as he states right after, "Then you will not take pride in one man over against another." When we get caught up in the semantics of verses rather than putting things into context and "taking captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ" we cause levels of division in the church because we prize the opinions of men over what the Word clearly spells out. So we shouldn't take pride in our own interpretations for the Holy Spirit has already given us guidance through God's Word. All our interpretations are in reality are simplified versions of the truth so that we may more effectively reach other people. If your interpretation leads them away from the truth rather than towards it, it is not of the Holy Spirit. It's the perfect test, if you take the simplified, expanded version and enable them to understand the words straight from the text, you have effectively translated what the Holy Spirit was trying to speak through you. We need to take the Word for what it says rather than submitting it to human "wisdom", so then we can get the real truth out of it.
In verses 8-10 Paul begins to sarcastically compare what real Christians need to realize. We have wisdom, but the world should see us as fools for Christ, we have strength through Christ but the world sees us as weak, we should be dishonored by the world yet we seek for honor amongst them. This contrast is so striking to me because it reveals stumbling blocks in my own life. I feel so wise, strong, and honored, but I miss the point that I have been given these gifts by the Father, none of it is mine. Our fellow Christians will see and acknowledge the wisdom that God has given us, but if the world as a whole views you as wise, either they are all finally seeing the truth, or you aren't doing what you're supposed to be doing. Now, don't get me wrong...There will be people who will see your newly gifted wisdom as wisdom, however, the majority of people will be baffled by your actions and your words because it will run contrary to how they have chosen to live.
After this he then shows a radical difference between Christians and the world that we are supposed to abide by. In verses 11-13 he states, "To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now." This is the definition of "walking the walk, not just talking the talk". See the fact of the matter is, you don't always have to be persecuted for your faith. There will be times when everything is going fine, and you are not being persecuted for what you believe, but what he means, and what the difference is, is when you are faced with these adversities, you are to handle them as Christ would to the best of your ability (which through the Holy Spirit is pretty darn well). After that you are also not to dwell when you mess up, but to accept and turn back towards grace for that is the only way we can function according to Jesus' high demand for our lives as humans. Without some divine intervention we can not even begin to do what He asked of us.
Lastly verses 19-20 come, and for me, this was the true meat of the whole chapter. In fact, it was the sole reason for me to put this all together. It states, "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." Here he shows the truth behind his whole message. The truth of about whether you are abiding by God's commands, and showing your obedience will be demonstrated through your actions and your power, not your words. Talking the talk isn't good enough. You have to walk it.
Challenge: WALK THE WALK
Monday, April 26, 2010
1st Corinthians 5: Expel the Immoral Brother
Lately I've been having some thoughts weighing heavily on my heart because of all of the rumors and struggles I've come to realize that the church has flowing through it and around about it. The concept of judgment and hypocrisy seem to be on the minds of all of the non-believers. This troubles me because as "Christians" we should be beacons of Jesus' love and the fruit of the Spirit should be flowing out from us. The fact that all of these awful stories about our brothers, and maybe even about some of us, are circulating is a surefire sign that these things are happening in and among us.
"The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge these with their lips and then walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds...Unbelievable."
I feel that there is a need for some perspective here regarding the issues of judgment on sinners and Christians alike. Here is the truth of the matter for those that are willing to ponder it.
Jesus spent His time with the worst of the worst, and why? Because He was "here for the sinners of the world, not for the saved". When we look at Jesus' life we find a rather incredible characteristic. He surrounded Himself with the most "unholy of the unholy", in the eyes of Christians, and He still remained flawless. What's worse, the words that He spoke with the most passion, and the strongest tones of judgment were those aimed at the one's that believed they were holy, but were so lost in their own power and self-righteousness that they completely missed all of what God really intended for them. Jesus' comment about creating sons that were "twice the sons of hell as you are" were directed at the Pharisees, the "holiest of the holy". Does this strike you as backwards? Those who were on a path destined to hell, were less damaging to the world than those who believed they were on the path to righteousness.
So why didn't Jesus pass judgment on the sinners of the world, but He did pass it on those who believed they were holy? The truth of the matter was, they didn't need judgment and accountability in the same terms as the Pharisees, because they weren't even on the right path to begin with. He didn't concern Himself with constantly condemning people based on things they had never heard, He showed them the truth...The truth that the "holiest" were missing and outright neglecting. If there were any life in all of history to emulate, it would be that of Jesus...so why don't we? We, as Christians, should not be passing judgment on those that have yet to hear the truth! If you never tell someone to do something you can't hold them accountable for not doing it. If you noticed Jesus showed the people the truth, and then He showed His strict and passionate judgment towards those who thought they knew the truth but were really lost.
Paul clearly addresses this in 1st Corinthians 5:12-13 when he states, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.'" Now I think a little elaboration about this is in order because I think this is where the church begins to seriously slip up. So often the church begins to do exactly what Jesus criticized the Pharisees of which, as we all know, is a very, very dangerous place to be. They began to rely more heavily on human tradition rather than the truths that God had given them. They actually became walking contradictions to God's law because of their dependence on man's traditions which were based on proper terms, but had now been given more authority and caused a blindness to the actual truth placed plainly in His Word.
If a man's faith is weak Paul urges us not to condemn him, but to help build him up and brace him so he may stand up again. It is our job as the body of Christ to encourage one another when we stumble and we fall (which is inevitable). Here is where the tightrope walk begins. There is a fine line between passing judgment that is necessary and getting caught up in overly self-righteous, discouraging behavioral patterns. When someone makes a minor, or even a large mistake we are to demonstrate love and compassion for those that fall as long as the will to repent is there! It is not for us to judge unless they are living an immoral life with pride, and then still continue to parade around with the name of Christ. Paul warns us so starkly about having fellowship with someone who takes the good name of Christ and slanders it with is lifestyle that he flat out says, "With such a man do not even eat!" Even if someone slips into adultery and falls flat on his face, it is our job as the body of Christ to help him up and to encourage him as long as he is willing to repent and move forward in Christ and leave that life behind him. How often to we miss these opportunities? We literally drop the ball as the body of Christ so often that we drive people to leave the church which is the absolute antithesis Christ's ministry.
In the very first sentence of verse 2 Paul says the key to the whole concept, "AND YOU ARE PROUD!..." This is the key to the whole concept. If a man falls on his face, but is willing to repent, acknowledges his sin we are to embrace him as a brother and build him up just as Christ would do. How many of us view David as "A man after God's own Heart"? Do we ever really think about how many times that man fell flat on his face, yet God always picked him back up? God brought him out of more despair than maybe any other man in all of existence. He wrote more of our peace giving psalms than maybe any other man in history. If we view this man so highly, despite his flaws, should we not prize our brothers who fall in the same manner, as long as they repent and turn back towards God's love? We need to get off our high horses of righteousness and realize that we are all under the same grace as the worst of the worst. In God's eyes we are all equally putrid comparatively, but His infinite grace covers us all the same way. I know for a fact that I have done far more horrible things than many other people that I know, but I am covered by the same grace as they are. Paul said in Romans 5:20, "...But where sin increased, grace increased all the more." It's time we start living under Christ's concept of grace which is given through repentance, for none of us are righteous.
Another really important concept that I will leave to a snippet is this...When those of us do fall flat on our faces it is vital to Christ's body not to all jump on the person and make them aware of their sin. Only speak truth into the lives of those who give you access or it will fall on deaf ears regardless. We as Christians always seem to feel obligated to pass judgment and assume the worst of every situation for everything and everyone, but the real test is always, "How would you feel if this were happening to you." Right and wrong is perfectly demonstrated through your reaction to equal circumstances. We are vessels of encouragement, love, and peace NOT judgment, condemnation, and brimstone. Keep in mind who the judge is, and remember that we will be held to the same standards that we judge others according to. Judge by grace and you shall be judged by grace.
I really hope you learn from this what has been demonstrated to me. And remember, these are God's words...Not mine. None of us are anything but vessels.
"The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge these with their lips and then walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds...Unbelievable."
I feel that there is a need for some perspective here regarding the issues of judgment on sinners and Christians alike. Here is the truth of the matter for those that are willing to ponder it.
Jesus spent His time with the worst of the worst, and why? Because He was "here for the sinners of the world, not for the saved". When we look at Jesus' life we find a rather incredible characteristic. He surrounded Himself with the most "unholy of the unholy", in the eyes of Christians, and He still remained flawless. What's worse, the words that He spoke with the most passion, and the strongest tones of judgment were those aimed at the one's that believed they were holy, but were so lost in their own power and self-righteousness that they completely missed all of what God really intended for them. Jesus' comment about creating sons that were "twice the sons of hell as you are" were directed at the Pharisees, the "holiest of the holy". Does this strike you as backwards? Those who were on a path destined to hell, were less damaging to the world than those who believed they were on the path to righteousness.
So why didn't Jesus pass judgment on the sinners of the world, but He did pass it on those who believed they were holy? The truth of the matter was, they didn't need judgment and accountability in the same terms as the Pharisees, because they weren't even on the right path to begin with. He didn't concern Himself with constantly condemning people based on things they had never heard, He showed them the truth...The truth that the "holiest" were missing and outright neglecting. If there were any life in all of history to emulate, it would be that of Jesus...so why don't we? We, as Christians, should not be passing judgment on those that have yet to hear the truth! If you never tell someone to do something you can't hold them accountable for not doing it. If you noticed Jesus showed the people the truth, and then He showed His strict and passionate judgment towards those who thought they knew the truth but were really lost.
Paul clearly addresses this in 1st Corinthians 5:12-13 when he states, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.'" Now I think a little elaboration about this is in order because I think this is where the church begins to seriously slip up. So often the church begins to do exactly what Jesus criticized the Pharisees of which, as we all know, is a very, very dangerous place to be. They began to rely more heavily on human tradition rather than the truths that God had given them. They actually became walking contradictions to God's law because of their dependence on man's traditions which were based on proper terms, but had now been given more authority and caused a blindness to the actual truth placed plainly in His Word.
If a man's faith is weak Paul urges us not to condemn him, but to help build him up and brace him so he may stand up again. It is our job as the body of Christ to encourage one another when we stumble and we fall (which is inevitable). Here is where the tightrope walk begins. There is a fine line between passing judgment that is necessary and getting caught up in overly self-righteous, discouraging behavioral patterns. When someone makes a minor, or even a large mistake we are to demonstrate love and compassion for those that fall as long as the will to repent is there! It is not for us to judge unless they are living an immoral life with pride, and then still continue to parade around with the name of Christ. Paul warns us so starkly about having fellowship with someone who takes the good name of Christ and slanders it with is lifestyle that he flat out says, "With such a man do not even eat!" Even if someone slips into adultery and falls flat on his face, it is our job as the body of Christ to help him up and to encourage him as long as he is willing to repent and move forward in Christ and leave that life behind him. How often to we miss these opportunities? We literally drop the ball as the body of Christ so often that we drive people to leave the church which is the absolute antithesis Christ's ministry.
In the very first sentence of verse 2 Paul says the key to the whole concept, "AND YOU ARE PROUD!..." This is the key to the whole concept. If a man falls on his face, but is willing to repent, acknowledges his sin we are to embrace him as a brother and build him up just as Christ would do. How many of us view David as "A man after God's own Heart"? Do we ever really think about how many times that man fell flat on his face, yet God always picked him back up? God brought him out of more despair than maybe any other man in all of existence. He wrote more of our peace giving psalms than maybe any other man in history. If we view this man so highly, despite his flaws, should we not prize our brothers who fall in the same manner, as long as they repent and turn back towards God's love? We need to get off our high horses of righteousness and realize that we are all under the same grace as the worst of the worst. In God's eyes we are all equally putrid comparatively, but His infinite grace covers us all the same way. I know for a fact that I have done far more horrible things than many other people that I know, but I am covered by the same grace as they are. Paul said in Romans 5:20, "...But where sin increased, grace increased all the more." It's time we start living under Christ's concept of grace which is given through repentance, for none of us are righteous.
Another really important concept that I will leave to a snippet is this...When those of us do fall flat on our faces it is vital to Christ's body not to all jump on the person and make them aware of their sin. Only speak truth into the lives of those who give you access or it will fall on deaf ears regardless. We as Christians always seem to feel obligated to pass judgment and assume the worst of every situation for everything and everyone, but the real test is always, "How would you feel if this were happening to you." Right and wrong is perfectly demonstrated through your reaction to equal circumstances. We are vessels of encouragement, love, and peace NOT judgment, condemnation, and brimstone. Keep in mind who the judge is, and remember that we will be held to the same standards that we judge others according to. Judge by grace and you shall be judged by grace.
I really hope you learn from this what has been demonstrated to me. And remember, these are God's words...Not mine. None of us are anything but vessels.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Is the Bible an accurate account of history?
I was just curious what everyone thought regarding this concept? Is it historically accurate?
Live as Though the Only Law is Love
While reading Romans 4 I stumbled along a passage that references Abraham's faith. The promise of Righteousness comes through faith not through the Law. Verses 14 and 15 state, "For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression."
To me this means to live, not in a lawless fashion as if there is no law, but to live as though there is no law except to Love. When we do this God has the ability to flourish. As Paul describes it, the law actually motivates and provokes sin. Despite all of its consequences, due to our human nature the law actually causes us to fall into sin, however, if we pretend and come to terms with the fact that TO LOVE is the only law, we will then automatically become obedient to all of the other laws for they are derived from the basic concept of love. Paul says literally to become "dead to sin", which to me is his urge for us to be dead to the law. To be raised up under a new law, that of grace and of love, for if we focus and live under this new law our ability to follow all of the other laws are guaranteed to proceed.
It is a beautiful concept that is such a profound truth. How perfect would our world be if we all loved? I'm not talking, dating, I love you because you love me love, I'm talking you hate my guts, but I will show you kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control, goodness, peace, faithfulness, and LOVE despite that fact. If we truly began to follow this in our lives think of how perfect the world would be...Truly try and grasp it. Regardless of what you may think about the theology of the Bible, even if you take it as nothing more than a set of moral guidelines, the world would be a heavenly place if we would just follow it. Its divine wisdom is demonstrated through its absolute truth. If the world would simply love one another, it would be a perfect place. Self-sacrifice, kindness, understanding, patience, and all other moral qualities would flourish, for where love is, the others always follow.
So here is the cool philosophical part of all of this. Jesus said, "No one is good except God alone." Since man has been born into sin due to Adam and Eve's disobedience, there was only one way for salvation to truly function. God had to create a way out of our sinful nature through a perfect GOD SACRIFICE. Only God is good therefore for Jesus to live a sinless life He could have only done it through the seed of God. The reason that a woman's womb could be used was because it isn't an actual "seed" it is simply an incubator with an egg, but the actual seed of life comes from the man. I know that it takes both, but the actual living seed comes from the man, who was born into sin due to disobedience. This is where the absolute perfection of the plan comes to fruition.
God created a perfect being through His, and only His, goodness, for no one except Him is truly good. Jesus then lived a sinless life due to His supernatural birth from the core of goodness, God Himself. Jesus obeyed the law, but He did not become a slave to the law for no man can perfectly abide by the law. The reason that men of that day and age found Him so displeasing was because He didn't rely on the traditions of men that came from the law, He was only obedient to truth, not the twisted concept of truth through man's tainted traditions. That's why when the Pharisees got upset about how Jesus' disciples didn't wash their hands before eating they got all bent out of shape because they had taken the law and formed traditions that actually cause them to contradict the law. They place their obedience in the traditions of men rather than in the absolute truth of God's word. He was a slave to the law and God, but not to the deceitful traditions of man. This is not to say that traditions are bad, but to place them higher than the ultimate truth is what Jesus was addressing. They let their traditions and customs become more valuable to them than the truth about God's word.
So here's the kicker. Those who are children of the law will be judged by the law, and those that are children of grace, in Jesus Christ, will therefore be judged by grace, Jesus Christ. To me, God's perfect plan is just amazing. The complexity of its simplicity is the most astounding truth in all of our existence. His infinite wisdom is so amazingly simple that we actually miss it due to our innate desire to complicate everything. Instead of reading the Bible and thinking it's all complex, read it and truly realize how simple its truths really are.
To me this means to live, not in a lawless fashion as if there is no law, but to live as though there is no law except to Love. When we do this God has the ability to flourish. As Paul describes it, the law actually motivates and provokes sin. Despite all of its consequences, due to our human nature the law actually causes us to fall into sin, however, if we pretend and come to terms with the fact that TO LOVE is the only law, we will then automatically become obedient to all of the other laws for they are derived from the basic concept of love. Paul says literally to become "dead to sin", which to me is his urge for us to be dead to the law. To be raised up under a new law, that of grace and of love, for if we focus and live under this new law our ability to follow all of the other laws are guaranteed to proceed.
It is a beautiful concept that is such a profound truth. How perfect would our world be if we all loved? I'm not talking, dating, I love you because you love me love, I'm talking you hate my guts, but I will show you kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control, goodness, peace, faithfulness, and LOVE despite that fact. If we truly began to follow this in our lives think of how perfect the world would be...Truly try and grasp it. Regardless of what you may think about the theology of the Bible, even if you take it as nothing more than a set of moral guidelines, the world would be a heavenly place if we would just follow it. Its divine wisdom is demonstrated through its absolute truth. If the world would simply love one another, it would be a perfect place. Self-sacrifice, kindness, understanding, patience, and all other moral qualities would flourish, for where love is, the others always follow.
So here is the cool philosophical part of all of this. Jesus said, "No one is good except God alone." Since man has been born into sin due to Adam and Eve's disobedience, there was only one way for salvation to truly function. God had to create a way out of our sinful nature through a perfect GOD SACRIFICE. Only God is good therefore for Jesus to live a sinless life He could have only done it through the seed of God. The reason that a woman's womb could be used was because it isn't an actual "seed" it is simply an incubator with an egg, but the actual seed of life comes from the man. I know that it takes both, but the actual living seed comes from the man, who was born into sin due to disobedience. This is where the absolute perfection of the plan comes to fruition.
God created a perfect being through His, and only His, goodness, for no one except Him is truly good. Jesus then lived a sinless life due to His supernatural birth from the core of goodness, God Himself. Jesus obeyed the law, but He did not become a slave to the law for no man can perfectly abide by the law. The reason that men of that day and age found Him so displeasing was because He didn't rely on the traditions of men that came from the law, He was only obedient to truth, not the twisted concept of truth through man's tainted traditions. That's why when the Pharisees got upset about how Jesus' disciples didn't wash their hands before eating they got all bent out of shape because they had taken the law and formed traditions that actually cause them to contradict the law. They place their obedience in the traditions of men rather than in the absolute truth of God's word. He was a slave to the law and God, but not to the deceitful traditions of man. This is not to say that traditions are bad, but to place them higher than the ultimate truth is what Jesus was addressing. They let their traditions and customs become more valuable to them than the truth about God's word.
So here's the kicker. Those who are children of the law will be judged by the law, and those that are children of grace, in Jesus Christ, will therefore be judged by grace, Jesus Christ. To me, God's perfect plan is just amazing. The complexity of its simplicity is the most astounding truth in all of our existence. His infinite wisdom is so amazingly simple that we actually miss it due to our innate desire to complicate everything. Instead of reading the Bible and thinking it's all complex, read it and truly realize how simple its truths really are.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Joshua 24:15
Last night I woke up at 430 in the morning after having had quite possibly the most bizarre dream of my entire life which I will talk about another time once I get to mow over it, and decide what exactly I feel it means for sure.
Anyway, this set of thoughts really began to way heavily on my heart.
This passage is in homes, on walls, cards, picture frames, you name it...There's something made with this verse on it. But really read through this and analyze it really quickly.
15"But if serving the Lords seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Lets be sure to note that in all instances this verse implies action. "As for me and my household WE WILL SERVE the Lord." Do you catch it when you read it? It's not just a catch phrase, a frame decorator, or even a passive statement. When you place this in your home you are making a declarative statement of your willingness to act on behalf of the Lord. You are offering yourself and your household into service which is not a passive action...It's an active action. Really pour over that and take into consideration the implication and declaration you are making unto the Lord when you parade this verse around. It is something that we all should take to heart, without a doubt. We need to stop passively being Christians. Christianity is an active title. If you aren't acting: teaching, preaching, helping, loving, sharing, giving...You aren't being a true Christian. Jesus said that people would know us by our love.
Are we all really living this out? Are people noticing that we are Jesus filled through our love?
Anyway, this set of thoughts really began to way heavily on my heart.
This passage is in homes, on walls, cards, picture frames, you name it...There's something made with this verse on it. But really read through this and analyze it really quickly.
15"But if serving the Lords seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Lets be sure to note that in all instances this verse implies action. "As for me and my household WE WILL SERVE the Lord." Do you catch it when you read it? It's not just a catch phrase, a frame decorator, or even a passive statement. When you place this in your home you are making a declarative statement of your willingness to act on behalf of the Lord. You are offering yourself and your household into service which is not a passive action...It's an active action. Really pour over that and take into consideration the implication and declaration you are making unto the Lord when you parade this verse around. It is something that we all should take to heart, without a doubt. We need to stop passively being Christians. Christianity is an active title. If you aren't acting: teaching, preaching, helping, loving, sharing, giving...You aren't being a true Christian. Jesus said that people would know us by our love.
Are we all really living this out? Are people noticing that we are Jesus filled through our love?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Take some Time to Evaluate:
I think sometimes in our lives it's good to truly evaluate where we're at.
The other day I was watching a youtube video of an amazing concert that was performed by John Mark McMillan singing "How He Love Us". The story that he unfolds is absolutely tragic, but he then shares the impact that it had on the youth of the nation. It's incredible when you step back and really take in how God uses everything in the world to His overall advantage. He uses tragedy to soften our hearts, desperation to show and give his strength, devastation to bring us together. His power is unfathomable, and incomprehensible. To truly try and wrap our heads around His greater vision is impossible. It's best to sit back, live the way He commands, and watch Him work as if you were watching a painter paint. He is the master of artistry...After all, isn't every piece of artwork ever created only an image of the actual beauty that is already placed all around us? Joyce Meyer once said, "I've come to a place in my life where I would rather see God's ways than His miracles." Isn't that really how we should all be? We should all be longing to see His ways because when He demonstrates them we can act them out.
If you ever get the chance to watch or hear the live performance that this man put on, it will literally break your heart. I know that I sobbed like a little seven year old girl when I heard the heart wrenching story about his friend. However, here is the overall point of this post. I challenge you to take a minute, grab a piece of paper (or in my case 3 of them) and write out exactly what you would say to the people you love and know if you knew this was your last day on earth. After you do this really sit back, and pour over what you've written because if you aren't living this out every day of your life...Then you really aren't living. This applies to Christians and non-Christians alike. I think we can all agree that no matter what religious convictions you may have, love is a universal desire. Stop living like you're gonna live forever on this earth, and live like you were dying. That doesn't mean jump of buildings, but live with your heart open and flowing with never ending love.
I know for a fact that if I knew I was going to die to tomorrow, without a doubt, that I wouldn't care who was around me I would just want everyone I ever knew to know that I loved them, and what's more that Christ loves them even more than my tear soaked eyes can express. Anyone who wants to see what true love is about I challenge you to write this out, really consider it, and then live it. This is a challenge for myself as well. I don't live my life according to this nearly as much as I would like, but I'm starting to. It's time to take serious action America, let our generation be the one that TURNS THIS COUNTRY UPSIDE DOWN!
Love is a serious thing...Stop taking it for granted.
The other day I was watching a youtube video of an amazing concert that was performed by John Mark McMillan singing "How He Love Us". The story that he unfolds is absolutely tragic, but he then shares the impact that it had on the youth of the nation. It's incredible when you step back and really take in how God uses everything in the world to His overall advantage. He uses tragedy to soften our hearts, desperation to show and give his strength, devastation to bring us together. His power is unfathomable, and incomprehensible. To truly try and wrap our heads around His greater vision is impossible. It's best to sit back, live the way He commands, and watch Him work as if you were watching a painter paint. He is the master of artistry...After all, isn't every piece of artwork ever created only an image of the actual beauty that is already placed all around us? Joyce Meyer once said, "I've come to a place in my life where I would rather see God's ways than His miracles." Isn't that really how we should all be? We should all be longing to see His ways because when He demonstrates them we can act them out.
If you ever get the chance to watch or hear the live performance that this man put on, it will literally break your heart. I know that I sobbed like a little seven year old girl when I heard the heart wrenching story about his friend. However, here is the overall point of this post. I challenge you to take a minute, grab a piece of paper (or in my case 3 of them) and write out exactly what you would say to the people you love and know if you knew this was your last day on earth. After you do this really sit back, and pour over what you've written because if you aren't living this out every day of your life...Then you really aren't living. This applies to Christians and non-Christians alike. I think we can all agree that no matter what religious convictions you may have, love is a universal desire. Stop living like you're gonna live forever on this earth, and live like you were dying. That doesn't mean jump of buildings, but live with your heart open and flowing with never ending love.
I know for a fact that if I knew I was going to die to tomorrow, without a doubt, that I wouldn't care who was around me I would just want everyone I ever knew to know that I loved them, and what's more that Christ loves them even more than my tear soaked eyes can express. Anyone who wants to see what true love is about I challenge you to write this out, really consider it, and then live it. This is a challenge for myself as well. I don't live my life according to this nearly as much as I would like, but I'm starting to. It's time to take serious action America, let our generation be the one that TURNS THIS COUNTRY UPSIDE DOWN!
Love is a serious thing...Stop taking it for granted.
Books I have been Reading
This is my absolute first time doing this so have mercy on me because I have no idea who this will compare to the other blogs that you have been apart of. Hopefully though, this will enrich your life rather than being a waste of time.
I have been reading a ton lately, and for those of you who know me...That's a bizarre phenomenon. However, lately I have been pouring my time into different things such as, clearly, the Bible, and what I think is a must read for anyone and everyone that is struggling with the purpose of life. I think the pursuit of truth regarding religion seems to be one of the driving forces behind many of our fellow earthlings lives. If you find yourself under this particular category I have a book that I challenge you to read, and what's more than challenge, urge you to read! It's titled "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist". If you want a book that is going to absolutely rock your world, and give you some meaning and purpose in life...That would be the place to start. It will put the Bible into perspective, as it did for me, for the very first time. If you were raised in a Christian home, are now starting to turn to religion, or just want something that will be an interesting read without being like a rocket launching clear over your head look no further. This book is so basic a 12 year old could read it, and it has more meat in it than any other book you can pick up anywhere.
Now, for those of you who have been long time Christians, I would highly recommend reading a book by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love". He sets the perfect stage for what being a Christian truly means. There is so much more to our lives than you even under stand. He didn't have the low expectations and the trivial babble that we pursue and let consume our lives planned for us. He had "greater things than even He did" in our lives planned. Greater things even than the Son of God...I think that's a pretty bold statement, and what's more, an even more amazing challenge. Instead of taking His teachings and His words lightly, like so many of us do, it's time to step up our game and turn this world into the place He meant for it to be. A place where we bring His will and make it done on earth.
He said in Matthew 6:8-10 "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...'"
This is almost like a direct command to us on earth to make God's kingdom come to fruition in this realm. If we are to make things like they are in heaven, which heaven clearly gets spelled out through the rest of the gospel, then why aren't we taking action?
I have been reading a ton lately, and for those of you who know me...That's a bizarre phenomenon. However, lately I have been pouring my time into different things such as, clearly, the Bible, and what I think is a must read for anyone and everyone that is struggling with the purpose of life. I think the pursuit of truth regarding religion seems to be one of the driving forces behind many of our fellow earthlings lives. If you find yourself under this particular category I have a book that I challenge you to read, and what's more than challenge, urge you to read! It's titled "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist". If you want a book that is going to absolutely rock your world, and give you some meaning and purpose in life...That would be the place to start. It will put the Bible into perspective, as it did for me, for the very first time. If you were raised in a Christian home, are now starting to turn to religion, or just want something that will be an interesting read without being like a rocket launching clear over your head look no further. This book is so basic a 12 year old could read it, and it has more meat in it than any other book you can pick up anywhere.
Now, for those of you who have been long time Christians, I would highly recommend reading a book by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love". He sets the perfect stage for what being a Christian truly means. There is so much more to our lives than you even under stand. He didn't have the low expectations and the trivial babble that we pursue and let consume our lives planned for us. He had "greater things than even He did" in our lives planned. Greater things even than the Son of God...I think that's a pretty bold statement, and what's more, an even more amazing challenge. Instead of taking His teachings and His words lightly, like so many of us do, it's time to step up our game and turn this world into the place He meant for it to be. A place where we bring His will and make it done on earth.
He said in Matthew 6:8-10 "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...'"
This is almost like a direct command to us on earth to make God's kingdom come to fruition in this realm. If we are to make things like they are in heaven, which heaven clearly gets spelled out through the rest of the gospel, then why aren't we taking action?
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