Friday night ( the day after thanksgiving) : I decided to go for a walk in our neighborhood so I could pray and walk off the food I just ate. I walked for about a mile and noticed a white car with 2 men sitting in it ... they were listening to music so loud the windows had to have been vibrating. I didn't think much of it and kept walking. I had to walk past the car again and felt like God was telling me to approach the care and talk to the people inside. I noticed earlier that they were drinking and they were not listening to Sandy Patti. My first instinct was to dismiss this idea ( of talking to them) and keep walking. I walked past the car and kind of said to God: "surely You don't want me to talk to them... I only do relational evangelism." You know, I have to build relationships first. I walked about 30 yards past the car and the urge was overwhelming to go back and talk to them. I decided to go back and I approached the car. The sounds coming out of the car were really offensive... some of the hardest music I had ever heard. I sort of waved at the driver and he opened the door.
More on this later... I have to go to bed.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
clobbered
The word clobbered comes to mind when I think about the last 6 weeks. We closed on a home, moved out of our apartment and remodeled a home. If you want a 90 minute visual of what I just went through watch : " The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks ( circa 1986) ... watch an edited version...
I have been thinking about grace this week and how much I need it. I came across this and thought I would put it in print again:
" At the center of Jesus' parables of grace stands a God who takes initiative towards us: a lovesick father who runs to meet the prodigal, a landlord who cancels a large debt... God shattered the inexorable law of sin and retribution by invading earth, absorbing the worst we had to offer, crucifixion, and then fashioning from that cruel deed the remedy for the human condition. Calvary broke up the logjam between justice and forgiveness. By accepting onto His innocent self all the severe demands of justice, Jesus broke forever the chain of ungrace."
( Phillip Yancey)
I like that idea that Jesus broke forever the chain of ungrace. We are so ready to accept grace for ourselves and yet find ourselves resenting people when they hurt us or don't take notice of us. There are things that are too painful and embarrassing to write about in a blog but just know that there is tremendous pain involved in living a life of "works " righteousness. It 's too difficult and the guilt is too much to bear. I say that I believe in grace but often I live like I really believe in "works." It's hard to escape in our world where everything has to be paid for and there are receipts for everything.
I can remember being in Canada while I was in high school on a key club trip. My friend Stuart and I were in the hotel room and I was trying to convince him that salvation was free. Stuart said: " someone paid for it." I will never forget that because it hit me hard for the first time that Christ had paid for it and that payment really cost him something. That thought is staggering to me right now. Why would I despise that gift by acting immoral or lying or being insensitive to my family ?
I'm ready to be done with the flesh... it's a cruel master. You are saying: "well just read Romans 6... we have a new master." We are slaves of righteousness, not of sin. I know that's true... I'm just tired of being tired.
How does the fact of our justification by faith ( by grace ) relate to our daily experience ?
I have been thinking about grace this week and how much I need it. I came across this and thought I would put it in print again:
" At the center of Jesus' parables of grace stands a God who takes initiative towards us: a lovesick father who runs to meet the prodigal, a landlord who cancels a large debt... God shattered the inexorable law of sin and retribution by invading earth, absorbing the worst we had to offer, crucifixion, and then fashioning from that cruel deed the remedy for the human condition. Calvary broke up the logjam between justice and forgiveness. By accepting onto His innocent self all the severe demands of justice, Jesus broke forever the chain of ungrace."
( Phillip Yancey)
I like that idea that Jesus broke forever the chain of ungrace. We are so ready to accept grace for ourselves and yet find ourselves resenting people when they hurt us or don't take notice of us. There are things that are too painful and embarrassing to write about in a blog but just know that there is tremendous pain involved in living a life of "works " righteousness. It 's too difficult and the guilt is too much to bear. I say that I believe in grace but often I live like I really believe in "works." It's hard to escape in our world where everything has to be paid for and there are receipts for everything.
I can remember being in Canada while I was in high school on a key club trip. My friend Stuart and I were in the hotel room and I was trying to convince him that salvation was free. Stuart said: " someone paid for it." I will never forget that because it hit me hard for the first time that Christ had paid for it and that payment really cost him something. That thought is staggering to me right now. Why would I despise that gift by acting immoral or lying or being insensitive to my family ?
I'm ready to be done with the flesh... it's a cruel master. You are saying: "well just read Romans 6... we have a new master." We are slaves of righteousness, not of sin. I know that's true... I'm just tired of being tired.
How does the fact of our justification by faith ( by grace ) relate to our daily experience ?
Friday, October 5, 2007
extrapolating
One of my friends in the Bay area always challenged me with this thought... He didn't want me to quote stuff to him but to explain how what I read affected me.
If I were to detail the events of today in a blog window I would say this:
We cannot give what we don't have. If we want to affect people in their life and mind with the power of God's word, then that word must take hold of us. You would expect that a tour guide in Himalayas would be captured by the beauty of the mountains. Before I can cast a compelling vision, I have to be captured by it.
One reason I have been down lately is just the grind of life, coupled with laziness and selfishness.
If I don't have it, I can't give it. I cannot impart what I do not possess.
If I were to detail the events of today in a blog window I would say this:
We cannot give what we don't have. If we want to affect people in their life and mind with the power of God's word, then that word must take hold of us. You would expect that a tour guide in Himalayas would be captured by the beauty of the mountains. Before I can cast a compelling vision, I have to be captured by it.
One reason I have been down lately is just the grind of life, coupled with laziness and selfishness.
If I don't have it, I can't give it. I cannot impart what I do not possess.
Reading
I am not sure how to explain all of this but when I feel spiritually flat, reading seems to bring me out of the slump. I feel like when I read I am motivated and inspired. Here's a sample of what I read from John Ortberg:
"In between other people's opinion of us and our pleasure in them is our assessment of the validity of their approval. We are not the passive victim of others' opinions. Their opinions are powerless until we validate them. No one's approval will affect us unless we grant it credibility and status. The same holds true for disapproval."
( The Life you always wanted )
Why do we allow other people to affect us this way ? Why isn't God' s opinion of us enough to satisfy us ?
"In between other people's opinion of us and our pleasure in them is our assessment of the validity of their approval. We are not the passive victim of others' opinions. Their opinions are powerless until we validate them. No one's approval will affect us unless we grant it credibility and status. The same holds true for disapproval."
( The Life you always wanted )
Why do we allow other people to affect us this way ? Why isn't God' s opinion of us enough to satisfy us ?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Judgment
The Bible mentions judgment in at least three places:
Matthew 25:31 2 Cor. 5 and Revelation 20
Are these three separate judgments or all describing the same judgment ?
What do you think ?
Matthew 25:31 2 Cor. 5 and Revelation 20
Are these three separate judgments or all describing the same judgment ?
What do you think ?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
why worry ?
The word of God really is our source of nourishment. I can feel myself shrinking spiritually when I don’t read it and I feel myself strengthened when I spend time with God in His word. For example: Galatians 3:26 says that we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. So, where does our faith come from ? Romans 10 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. There is a real connection between hearing the word of God ( and I would say reading) and our faith.
God has chosen to let us live in uncertainty with regard to :
the safety of our children
our housing
how people will respond to us
whether or not our “plans” will work out
Somehow in those uncertainties, God is glorified when we put our faith in Him and when we put our faith in Him we see the results of His power. All of my anxiety and worry about the future is meaningless and an unproductive waste of time. So, if we are worried, then we must not be walking by faith. Worry and self centeredness are related. This is why we shouldn’t worry. Tonight… or tomorrow night, go for a walk at night, look at the vastness of the sky and ask God to give you eyes of faith. Ask Him to give you strength to face an uncertain future. When you stop and think about it, there are no risks with a sovereign God. Have you really come to grips with His sovereignty or are you still walking by sight, trying every angle to make it work your way ?
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God has chosen to let us live in uncertainty with regard to :
the safety of our children
our housing
how people will respond to us
whether or not our “plans” will work out
Somehow in those uncertainties, God is glorified when we put our faith in Him and when we put our faith in Him we see the results of His power. All of my anxiety and worry about the future is meaningless and an unproductive waste of time. So, if we are worried, then we must not be walking by faith. Worry and self centeredness are related. This is why we shouldn’t worry. Tonight… or tomorrow night, go for a walk at night, look at the vastness of the sky and ask God to give you eyes of faith. Ask Him to give you strength to face an uncertain future. When you stop and think about it, there are no risks with a sovereign God. Have you really come to grips with His sovereignty or are you still walking by sight, trying every angle to make it work your way ?
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Nice people or new men ?
There's a chapter in CS Lewis' book "Mere Christianity" called "Nice people or New men." It is basically discussing the idea that if people are Christians, shouldn't they be nicer than non Christians. There is definitely some theology in this chapter that I disagree with...namely the thoughts about God' s inability to change our will. However, I do like the way he phrases some things about the changes God does bring about.
Listen to this: "... mere improvement is not redemption... God became a man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature. Of course, 0nce it has wings, it will soar over fences which could never have been jumped and thus beat the natural horse at its own game. But there may be a period, while the wings are beginning to grow, when it cannot do so: and at that stage the lumps on his shoulders may even give it an awkward appearance." page 216 Mere Christianity
I think this reminds me of the fact that Christianity is not about taking bad people and making them good... it's about taking dead people and making them alive.
Listen to this: "... mere improvement is not redemption... God became a man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature. Of course, 0nce it has wings, it will soar over fences which could never have been jumped and thus beat the natural horse at its own game. But there may be a period, while the wings are beginning to grow, when it cannot do so: and at that stage the lumps on his shoulders may even give it an awkward appearance." page 216 Mere Christianity
I think this reminds me of the fact that Christianity is not about taking bad people and making them good... it's about taking dead people and making them alive.
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