I am 36 years old. I feel I get more dumb with age. When I feel like I have figured something out...it spins. Parenting...no clue. Marriage...I am an idiot. Pastoring...hit and miss. I am working on these things, a work in progress if you will. But there are a few things that I stand firm in concerning my beliefs and how to live. I do not believe I will deviate from them.
I believe your life counts! For the first 300 years of Christianity there were no church buildings, no paid or “professional” clergy. There were simply believers...those that embraced Jesus Christ as their life and mission. There is absolutely no dividing line between clergy and laity. We are all called with one calling and no man or woman is to ever be elevated above another so as to create a division between secular and sacred. There are no professional believers!
I believe today's Christianity has become a civilized religion that promises comfort, abundance and safety. I am convinced that perhaps the most dangerous place to be is in the center of God’s will! You are never safe, yet never alone. I am convinced that Jesus did not come to simply bring convenience but to bring His kingdom through the broken, humbled and even the struggling.
I believe that believers should be compelled by Christ and not by religious expectation, manipulation, guilt or shame. I believe our identity is in our birth as children of God and not by our performance. I believe that God’s grace is determined by His character and not ours. The Cross was enough. We must live out these truths.
I am certain that Jesus’ death wasn’t to free us from dying, but to free us from the fear of death. I believe that Christ calls us to die up front so that we might truly begin to live. Now. Today.
I believe that Jesus is not simply the answer to the death question, but also to the life question. I believe that the redeemed are called to passionately embrace both the nature and mission of Jesus Christ.
I believe we are here for a reason and that every believer is called to a life of service, studying the scriptures and investing the resources and gifts that God has given them.
I believe we can touch the world by touching the people around us. I believe that we only love God as much as the person we love least. To the glory of God, we are here for a reason.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
DON'T!
Kate, 15 months, is into everything–and dang, she can move. She is so cute the way she shuffles across the floor at blazing speed…however,
She seems to always want to migrate towards the one thing in the room she shouldn't touch (remotes, phones, lights, etc). We’ve told her no. We’ve taken it out of her hands. We’ve turned her away from it–yet still she seems to always find her way back there.
I was watching her do this the other day and actually tried pointing out to her that she literally has dozens and dozens of toys all throughout the living room…yet she is determined to get a hold of the one thing she cannot have.
Isn’t that the way temptation works? satan (intentional lower case) is SUCH a genius when it comes to this…he manages to take our eyes off of all that we do have and focus them on the one thing we don’t (or can’t) have.
He did it with Adam and Eve in the garden. (See Genesis 3:1-7) They had access to every single tree in the known world…all except for one…and he took their eyes off of all they had and put them one the one thing that God said they couldn’t have.
AND THEY FELL FOR IT!
Kate falls for it, Adam and Eve fell for it…and we will as well if we are not careful.
-He will take our eyes off of our spouse and put them on someone else.
-He will take our eyes off of our possessions and cause us to be jealous of the success of others and covet what they have.
-He will take our eyes off of all the kind deeds that someone has done for us and cause us to focus on the fact that “they didn’t return my e-mail/phone call.”
-He will take our eyes off the fact that we are incredibly blessed with more than we could have ever imagined and cause us to fear giving 10% to Jesus for the advancement of His kingdom.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that the church has been an incredible blessing to our family and cause us to not want to come back because someone gave us a dirty look or didn’t speak to us.
-He will take our eyes off of our wives and cause us to look at porn because, after all, we are men, we have needs, right? (Job 31:1!)
-He will take our eyes off the fact that we are called to go to one another and work out our issues and cause us to gossip and backbite one another.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that our bodies are the temple of the living God and cause us to abuse them through gluttony.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that our spouse and children are an incredible blessing from the Lord and cause us to see them as a hindrance to independance.
Temptation is DANGEROUS…allowing satan to put our thoughts on anything is DEADLY,
James 1:13-15 points out the destructive downward spiral of sin.
Is their junk in your life? I John 1:9 tells us how to deal with it!
Let’s NOT crawl towards the things that we know are forbidden…let’s do what Hebrews 12:1-2 says. It’s NOT easy…we will struggle, but I Corinthians 10:13 promises us we can handle it!!!
She seems to always want to migrate towards the one thing in the room she shouldn't touch (remotes, phones, lights, etc). We’ve told her no. We’ve taken it out of her hands. We’ve turned her away from it–yet still she seems to always find her way back there.
I was watching her do this the other day and actually tried pointing out to her that she literally has dozens and dozens of toys all throughout the living room…yet she is determined to get a hold of the one thing she cannot have.
Isn’t that the way temptation works? satan (intentional lower case) is SUCH a genius when it comes to this…he manages to take our eyes off of all that we do have and focus them on the one thing we don’t (or can’t) have.
He did it with Adam and Eve in the garden. (See Genesis 3:1-7) They had access to every single tree in the known world…all except for one…and he took their eyes off of all they had and put them one the one thing that God said they couldn’t have.
AND THEY FELL FOR IT!
Kate falls for it, Adam and Eve fell for it…and we will as well if we are not careful.
-He will take our eyes off of our spouse and put them on someone else.
-He will take our eyes off of our possessions and cause us to be jealous of the success of others and covet what they have.
-He will take our eyes off of all the kind deeds that someone has done for us and cause us to focus on the fact that “they didn’t return my e-mail/phone call.”
-He will take our eyes off the fact that we are incredibly blessed with more than we could have ever imagined and cause us to fear giving 10% to Jesus for the advancement of His kingdom.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that the church has been an incredible blessing to our family and cause us to not want to come back because someone gave us a dirty look or didn’t speak to us.
-He will take our eyes off of our wives and cause us to look at porn because, after all, we are men, we have needs, right? (Job 31:1!)
-He will take our eyes off the fact that we are called to go to one another and work out our issues and cause us to gossip and backbite one another.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that our bodies are the temple of the living God and cause us to abuse them through gluttony.
-He will take our eyes off the fact that our spouse and children are an incredible blessing from the Lord and cause us to see them as a hindrance to independance.
Temptation is DANGEROUS…allowing satan to put our thoughts on anything is DEADLY,
James 1:13-15 points out the destructive downward spiral of sin.
Is their junk in your life? I John 1:9 tells us how to deal with it!
Let’s NOT crawl towards the things that we know are forbidden…let’s do what Hebrews 12:1-2 says. It’s NOT easy…we will struggle, but I Corinthians 10:13 promises us we can handle it!!!
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