|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/16/2007 11:17:49 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
would he be right?
(John 2:12-17)
12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
How different this culture is from our own. It seems that we think that we must distance ourselves from our parents/our family to prove our independence and adulthood, our coming into our own. Much like the prodigal son that demanded his share of the inheritance and walked away from his father and family.
There is a line/boundary set by God that adult children are to cleave to their spouse. That means to put their spouse's well being and needs above that of their family. There is an unhealthy level of bringing your family into your marriage/the raising of your children that goes against that command of God. But when things are kept in order as the word of God and common sense dictate, then family should never be something that we have to be ashamed of (or that we need to shun) in order to prove anything to anyone.
Here, we see Jesus traveling with his mother and family and friends and students. He travels with anyone that is able and willing to go where he is going. It made him more human to be among family, because he was fully human. Could it be that when we distance ourselves from family thinking that they are an embarrassment to our agenda -- that we are NOT-human and inhumane?
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
Okay, it would be easy to brush past the opening of this scene, but there is so much here to think on. Things that are key to what is about to happen. The Passover was at hand, rather the time of remembrance and honor of what God had done for their people. The Jews were looking back to Moses and the passing over of the people of Israel by the death angel. They thought of the dark night when God sent an angel to kill the first born of Egypt and to free His people from bondage.
Or did they.
Perhaps the Passover had become much like our Thanksgiving. The Jews were not looking ahead to what the Messiah would do as a sacrificial lamb. They had no clue what Christ was about to do for them and for all who would believe because of them.
Perhaps, it was like going to the mall and seeing all the glitter and glitz of advertising and buying and selling and celebration of the ritual rather than the God that caused death to pass them over -- the God that covered them/protected them with grace and mercy as he pardoned them from their many sins and guilt.
Perhaps, they had reached a place in their society where they had forgotten about the blood of that innocent lamb that was smeared upon their doorposts -- that bloody cross dripping from the top to the ground splattered on each side of the wooden frame -- that ridiculously extravagant price paid, that LIFE sacrificed, that precious one offered and who willingly died, that blood that marked them and freed them from bondage.
Perhaps all they saw was a lamb (turkey) for the feast and all the trimmings (cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie). Perhaps, with great distraction, they mumbled Thanks God as they hurried off to hang out with their friends downtown at the temple. or to show off their costumes for the Passover play, or to make that gorgeous centerpiece for the dinner banquet that night.
Perhaps Capernaum had become more commercial than we realize.
Perhaps they were more like us than we realize...
15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
What if Jesus strolled thru the mall and saw all the Halloween leftovers and the tinsel hung to encourage people to spend more money on Christmas shopping... what if he began tearing thru the mall ripping it all down? What if he started going from church to church and Bible study home to Bible study home and began heaving tables over and tossing your Thanksgiving meal all around the room and into everyone's laps?
What if he made a small whip and began stinging your guests to run them out of the house and started chucking Aunt Martha's best pies out the window? What if he spoke all that was in his heart and said how hurt and angry he was that we have idolized the ritual and taken for granted the Life that was given? What if he warned us that we were too focused on spending money and gift-giving? That we had missed the mark? That we have forgotten him in the busyness? That he was disappointed in us that we would allow ourselves to be sucked into the commercialism and a worldly mindset (whether we realized it or not), so that honoring him and the relationships that he has blessed us with... carry less of a shine for us as we eat a big meal in November simply to mark the start of a month of shopping in December?
What if he rebuked us for spending the entire Thanksgiving meal discussing the biggest sales in the morning rather than his many blessings to us all and how much we appreciate one another? What if he said it was more important to us to leave Grandma's house early so we could get to bed and hit the early-bird Christmas sales at 4:00am, than to be sure that we have thanked and encouraged every person we can?
What if Christ stood in the mess of the turkey and mashed potatoes and tinsel now scattered on the floor and smeared over the doorposts of our heart, crying in his frustration at our unthankfulness, breathing with a restrained groan of pain as he gently stepped forward to embrace us... to stand forehead to forehead with us as he searches our eyes and speaks something so disturbing to us,
"... you have forgotten me."
would he be right?
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/19/2007 11:55:31 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
as opposed to false-humility
(John 2:18-25)
18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
So here are the Jews, freaking out a little that some nobody would walk into the Temple and take charge in the name of God, and disrupt the flow of things that had come to be accepted. So basically they were yelling at Jesus, "Who do you think you are!" The Temple/church leaders had not approved of this outburst, they had not condemned the merchandising that was going on. And they were the voices of authority second to God. So the Jews were demanding, "you better whip out some miracle that proves that God has given you permission to do this, or we're gonna nail you to the wall!"
I don't think they were really expecting him to perform a miracle. I think it was a bit of sarcasm because they were so outraged by his barging into the Temple and acting like he was in charge. They were, however, expecting him to answer for himself. And so he did...
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
That was the answer to their question on both counts (though they were unable to comprehend the Truth of what Christ was saying), "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
1) His resurrection after offering himself (allowing the destruction of his physical body thru death) as payment for their sins would be the miracle he would perform. But of coarse, there was no way to explain that to them in the moment so that they could understand or accept it. He would have to wait for the right time of fulfillment. So for now, he endured their scoffing and their assumptions that he was a blasphemous madman.
2) Offering himself as payment, the miracle of the incarnation/death/resurrection was the proof and fulfillment that declared and revealed his authority to do such things. He was and is God, not second to Him.
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Oh, don't you wish we had that patience, that ability to be content with stating the Truth whether people believed/understood us or not. Don't you wish that when we profess our faith in Jesus to heal or to save or to intervene or to participate in our joy... that we could remain unaffected by the blank stares and mocking laughter of the world and of religion?
But here is Christ. Here is God himself setting the example for us. We must do what the Spirit of God compels us to do, all that the heart of his word declares, and to remain standing when people (even other Christians sometimes, even family, even friends) try to shame us or silence us. The Word of our testimony must go forth. It is that word combined with the blood of Jesus that ensures that we will overcome all. Christ overcame it, so that we could follow his example... so that we could be with him forever and be blessed.
(Eph 6:13-15)
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
(Rev 12:10-11)
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
(John 16:29-33, amplified)
29His disciples said, Ah, now You are speaking plainly to us and not in parables (veiled language and figures of speech)!
30Now we know that You are acquainted with everything and have no need to be asked questions. Because of this we believe that you [really] came from God.
31Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? [Do you believe it at last?]
32But take notice, the hour is coming, and it has arrived, when you will all be dispersed and scattered, every man to his own home, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
33I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
The Jews could not understand what Christ was speaking of. His own disciples couldn't understand the depth of it all at the start of Christ's ministry. The revelation of the Truth would only come after they had walked thru many things with Jesus, but as stated in John 16 above, there came that ah-ha moment when they understood.
We feel so alone sometimes when we think that no one understands us. Jesus does. He stood in that place of knowing the Truth, knowing that his heart was following the will of God to the letter, but having to endure the ridicule -- the looking down their noses of everyone around him -- the labels put upon him because his words and actions seemed so removed from the norm and the ritual. Zeal and passion for Christ and for following hard after his example, will often times put you in that place. I can never say it enough...
you are not alone.
23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Not here, as they demanded a sign, but later when the heart and motive was right/pure, Christ performed many miracles and many believed in his authority because of them. But he was always careful that such things were performed to glorify God the Father, and God as a whole, never for a show to move himself to the top of the pack, to the forefront, to the pinnacle.
It was Satan and the spirit of the world that moved him to the pinnacle and tried to tempt him to prove himself, to demonstrate his power, to walk in arrogance elevating self for all to worship. That was what was in man. That was what Christ was careful not to do. And that is the example that he left for us in this passage.
humility.
He had the power, but he laid it down. He could have performed a miracle and showed them who was boss, but he endured their scoffing and ridicule instead. He could have called a legion of angels to stop the crucifixion at any given moment, but he committed to it all with zeal to the end. He had the power to have his own way, but he gave it all up in Gethsemane -- even before Gethsemane. He emptied his heart of his own desires as a man, and he yielded himself to the heart of God, his Father...
for the very ones that stood scoffing and that would later scream, "Crucify Him!"
for the very ones that would choose self and arrogance over love and mercy.
for the Jews in that moment, for the hypocrite, for the sinner, for you and for me.
He emptied himself,
and he asks us to do the same.
To bite our tongue when there is so much we could say to wound an enemy. To remember kindness when something brilliant pops into our head that would win an argument. To remain gentle, and always focused on building people up rather than tearing them down... in every situation. To be unafraid to walk with zeal and passion as we follow the heart of God, yet to commit the sting of the pain to him when people don't understand us or begin to make fun of us. To let anger and violence and vengeance belong to God, to empty ourselves, and to yield to the heart and will of God rather than our own wants.
Risking embarrassment when we are sometimes led by God to be loud or violent.
Sacrificing our words/feelings/need for justice when the motive is not purely God.
Can we walk away from the attention of performing a miracle (showing off our talent/gift),
and wait for the right moment to glorify God -- that moment that causes us to blend in as a member of the team rather than to manipulate the spotlight so that we can be idolized as the star player.
He emptied himself,
and he asks us to do the same.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/21/2007 11:21:46 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
Thanksgiving Eve
(Psalm 91, Psalm 96)
Hi Everyone!
Tomorrow will likely be a busy day and I may not get the chance to chat online. So instead of posting after Thanksgiving, I decided to give a shout out on this here Eve. haha. so...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
bunches and bunches of love and appreciation for your friendship and encouragement and hilarious antics that make me laugh daily 8D
We serve a Good God, who paid a great price to be with us forever.
He is worthy of our Praise and our Love and our Thanks. Consider his promises and how he cares for us daily:
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/24/2007 11:05:09 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
Fighting for Neverland
(John 3:1-3)
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus came to Jesus during the night, I have heard this preached as though he were afraid to be seen with Jesus because his teachings were so controversial. And that may have been the case. However, could it have been that he had been at Temple, or just come from a debate/meeting with the Jewish ruling council, and wanted to speak to Jesus about some things that were weighing on his heart.
Perhaps, he was coming to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt, and to ask him what was in his heart when he taught as he did. Perhaps when he approached him, the Spirit of God began to stir the heart of a man that was pure in his motives and in his love of God. In his attempt to understand this controversial Jesus, it would seem that the wooing of the Spirit made it into a personal encounter for Nicodemus.
Isn't it something wonderful, that here was a member of the Jewish elite, a Pharisee with great power and influence, someone who walked in a circle of crusty old arrogant leaders... isn't it beautiful to see his return to such a child-like faith as he speaks with Christ, as he learns and hungers to be born again.
I think, Nicodemus recognized the drift of the people of God, even their leaders, from the heart of God. I think the heart of the boy inside him longed for a return to the realness, the joy and innocence of a Faith motivated by Love and Trust rather than rules and arrogance, power and position. I think he was intrigued by Jesus, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit was drawing him to the Christ. Perhaps he came to Jesus by night, because he could not rest as the hunger for the will/plan of God robbed him of sleep and caused him to venture out into the night seeking answers.
We as believers have all been there at some point.
Yes, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, unless he humble himself. But that is true of all of us. Here is a man of wealth and power and reputation hungering and humbled with an almost desperation to know this Jesus, this anointed One, that seems to speak the very heart of God. Nicodemus recognized this.
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
BORN AGAIN.
so much imagery wrapped up into one simple phrase.
Dying to self -- Living for Christ.
Dying to who your were, a sinner -- and Living as a Child/Heir of the King.
Dying to the desire to please the world -- Living to please only Him.
From a dead, dying, crusted religion -- to a new beginning, Hope, Life, Freedom, Joy.
No wonder this passage has become the benchmark verse for the new believer.
Talk about Never Never Land and the Lost Boys and Never losing that child-like Faith in all that is good and free of darkness, where there are no more tears to be wiped away, no more burdens to carry, no more regret and dread and guilt and bondage. Every generation seeks that fountain of youth, that escape to an imaginary place where evil is shunned and defeated.
But there is a real place, a real existence, a real eternity in which you can remain that care-free child growing and always learning and advancing with a Father and Family that will remain forever with you. Innocent in your Joy and your Faith and your Love, Mature in your Ability and your Service and your Heritage. A place that fulfills you in every way, young and old, because Christ has finished/completed all to make it a reality for you...
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 5:1-11)
There is no Neverland.
But there is a real Kingdom of God, and there is an enlistment of all who are willing to fight for it. The battle will be short-lived, but the victory is guaranteed and the spoils are everything you could imagine and more.
So many would fight for such a place as Neverland,
Why not do it for a Kingdom that is actually real and offered to you by a King that loves you and would die for you so that you could inherit the desires of your heart and His? A King so powerful that he could pick his life back up, so loving that nothing will ever remove you from his heart or his hand or his presence?
27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
Be a child again.
The world laughs and scoffs at such a thing.
But God offers you the best of both worlds: Innocence and Maturity
... all wrapped up in one simple gift purchased specifically for you and for me.
He loves us as his children. You are loved. You are loved by God. He wants to ensure your Health and your Joy and your Future. He is the Creator and God of all things, and he says that you have his permission to be child-like...
Come and play.
.
< Message edited by selahgirl -- 11/24/2007 11:17:57 AM >
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/30/2007 12:31:34 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
that first real breath
(John 3:4-8)
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
All too often we take things too literally in Scripture, so much so that we forget that there is almost always a spiritual or symbolic meaning to everything that God speaks. He is so multifaceted, addressing so many dimensions at once, that our little brains get easily fried. And so here is Nicodemus, not being that icon in scripture that we read about, but being a man, human, just like the rest of us. His thoughts became a little knotted at trying to follow the thoughts of God. And so Jesus, leads him along as a Good Shepherd, wise and gentle. Not coddling him or handing him all the answers in an instant, but challenging him to think it through and giving him direction in how to do it. There is truly no other god like our God <3
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
There is a physical birth, and there is a spiritual birth. The physical birth is into a body on the earth, a cursed and fallen realm. But the spiritual birth is into a realm inclusive yet far beyond all that is seen with your physical eyes. It is another realm that cannot be seen or touched or tasted unless you are first born into it, you must enter into it. And Jesus is the only door.
It is His Spirit, the Spirit of God, that draws you and it is that connection to Christ that jolts your deadness and causes LIFE to wake the core of your being. He is the center, the source, the electric excitement that is true Life that causes us to live and move and have our being.
In the hospital room, the doctor and nurses and family scream with delight and joy at the new arrival. In the spiritual realm that engulfs the physical, all of heaven, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the very angels and creatures of his creation scream and shout with delight at the birth/arrival/new life that is suddenly aware of a God that loves them beyond their understanding.
7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Being born of the Spirit, suddenly aware and alive and joined in relationship/family to God, you are made aware of so much. So many things that a person cannot sense as an unbeliever. Only after that step of faith thru that doorway, are your senses alive and awake and firmly convinced of the reality that is Christ. But God is still God, and still far beyond our understanding. Though he draws near to us and is with us, he will never lose his mystery or fascinating awe. He is so deep and so wide and so far from our ever being able to contain him in the small box that is our mind. And that is a good thing.
But being born again, and being able to actually experience the savor of the sweetness of his presence is LIFE to the fullest. There is no explanation or description of that. It is something that each person much choose to experience. It is a personal relationship that becomes a block in the building of community that is the Kingdom. It must be personal before it can be Kingdom.
Being dead, removes the right or ability to understand LIFE, to experience LOVE, to know TRUTH, to embrace GOD.
We can live a physical life, and walk around so very dead inside. We can laugh and live for self, or we can work and serve and live for the people we value. But either way, we remain dead inside. It amounts to nothing. We will physically die, and eternity will be an eternal second death with no chance of hope or life or love. It will be darkness without peace, without the presence of God, and without end. That is the second death according to Scripture. It is not your life on this earth that will remain, it will all return to dust. It is that second birth, that being born again, that entering into the life-giving-sustaining-abundantly-fulfilling LIFE through Christ Jesus.
Just as the water broke and spilled over all to mark your physical birth into this world...
the water of His Spirit spills out over you and your spirit enters into an existence that will remain forever, LIFE without end.
That scream,
that heart-cry,
that declaration,
that sudden and blinding light,
that leap of faith and fear that moves you,
propels you forward
and empties you
freeing you from the staleness that once filled your lungs
so that you can take that first real breath that is LIFE.
He becomes the very air that you breathe
and you become born again.
Here with Nicodemus,
just as we discussed at the opening of the book of John...
that is the beginning of all things.
And that is where Christ takes him here in John 3,
to the beginning
to the choice set before each of us
to believe God
to be born again.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 11/30/2007 1:54:43 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
true to form, God always echoes the things he speaks thru worship/music.
I shared this in the music thread, but I wanted to post it with this topic of being born again as well.
that simple faith, that mustard seed, to believe God...
-----
oh my goodness, I just came across the most amazing inde artist
Blake Aaron Mundell
www.myspace.com/blakemundell
His lyric writing is so unique and beautiful, and his acoustic style is so refreshing. I ran across his site for the first time this morning and I have a window open repeating his song MUSTARD SEED. It is just such an intimate and beautiful moment at contemplating our frailty and our dependence on a God who is always present to help, a God who walks with us even in our weakness.
Hope everyone has their Christmas decor up, especially their tree ^_^
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 12/6/2007 1:54:34 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
stone and wood and breath
(John 3:9-21)
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus had heard Jesus speak. He was familiar with the parables and analogies that he used as he taught. I think Nicodemus was trying to get his mind around this concept of being born again, but just couldn't make sense of it in practical terms.
But that is the whole point of the passage. Christ wanted him to see how foolish it seemed, how strange and impossible, how miraculous. He wanted him to realize that the things of God were not written in stone on lifeless pages, but that it is written in the heart of God and the heart of man as they come together in relationship.
(Isaiah 1:17-19)
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
Jesus knew that the concept of entering the womb again to be born as a baby was not something anyone would or could do. He wanted to appeal to the hope of every person to have a second chance at life, to have their failures and their sins forgotten and erased as though they had never happened. He wanted Nicodemus to glimpse the possibility that everything that he had been taught about the law -- was about to come to life -- it was about to breathe and walk among them and it would look very different.
A wooden marionette suddenly begins to breathe and take on flesh and feel and talk and interact and love and laugh -- and it becomes so far removed from the stick figure that was once lifeless and piled on the carpenters table. It is alive. It is a boy. It is no longer just made, it is born, made a second time, made new all over again.
In an instant, in mid-sentence of a conversation, Nicodemus had everything he ever knew about God shaken and jolted in his hands as Life was breathed into it. Suddenly it lived in his thoughts and in his presence. Suddenly he glimpsed the new birth, the fulfillment, the beauty of the wholeness of the will and plan of God. And it was beautiful.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Jesus is not rebuking Nicodemus, he is challenging him to think -- to believe the impossible thoughts that were flashing thru his mind in that moment. To accept that being born again was a spiritual possibility and that Christ had come to make it happen, he had come to pay the price, to supply whatever was needed to make it a reality. Christ had come to perform the miracle, to erase the past, to offer a second chance, a fresh start, a new Life... even if it cost him his own.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Being born again is a choice.
God will not force you to choose to be forgiven, to have a second chance at a better life, a good and perfect life. He will not make you let him pay your bill and your debt, but he will do everything possible to convince you to let him. He loves you. He wants good things for you and everyone that wants to live in a world where there is peace and love and everything positive for all people.
No more tears, no more pain, no more hurt, no more sickness, no more hate...
That is the new life that he offers to anyone that chooses to be born into it.
.
< Message edited by selahgirl -- 12/6/2007 2:02:44 PM >
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 12/8/2007 7:57:25 PM
|
|
|
SD456
Posts: 1263
Joined: 8/6/2007
Status: offline
|
quote:
So here we are, each of us, trying to understand this God that we have moved so far away from. Trying to understand how we could possibly take on such beauty to resemble him at all, trying to understand why in his brilliance he would come to us and embrace us in a loving relationship. Why would he call us his family, his children, his bride, his beloved?
Amazing what kind of love He showed us. 
_____________________________
MY BLOG
http://reflectionsdeep.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 12/12/2007 10:03:29 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
yeh, it's pretty overwhelming 
I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking about it or dwelling on it.
^_^
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 12/12/2007 10:53:34 AM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
(John 3:22-24)
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.)
Here is the tension that continues even today. God moves among a group, he introduces a fresh move, the next wave, the next step in his plan... there are those that receive it and there are those that reject it. The interesting thing is that those that reject it are not always the ones that have rejected Christ.
Often times there are people who profess Christ among those that walk away. They are the people that get stuck. The ones that embraced the wave when it was new, but who can't seem to let the moment go. The moment that has become the past, that has served it's purpose and flatlined. The Life and Spirit of God moved thru it to perform some key forward motion, but the time has come and gone and the Spirit calls them forward as the will of God leads.
Stuck.
Too arrogant to give up their front row seat and settle for one in the back, unwilling to become the student for a time rather than leading the show, too afraid to let go of what seems solid and to step out on the uncertainty of that wave.
But that is our walk as believers. His voice and presence is the only constant in this world. It is the only rock that does not move. All else is a constant shift, a constant risk, a continual journey to keep moving forward and to take as many people with us as are willing to share the risk. You can't stand still. The world never stands still.
Yes, I know, our calling is not to follow the world, nor is it to stand paralyzed by fear. Our calling is to follow Christ thru this world -- to lead others in the Way as the world constantly marches and moves and shifts. It is to move forward with time, but always against the grain of the spirit of the age, independent of any other plan that contradicts the Plan of God. It is to search out every soul that is willing to hear and to believe the Good thing that we have been sent to tell them.
That was Christ's ministry on this earth. That is what we have been called to mirror.
There is always a time that must decrease, a ministry that must step aside, a baton that must be passed. Letting go is a scary thing. Your heart flutters, your hands shake, your step is less steady... but your confidence must be strong if you want to witness the end -- the victory of the race.
Will someone drop the baton?... not your concern.
Will someone pick it up if they do?... not your concern.
Will you be the one?... not your concern (well maybe a little on that one. haha)
You are to hear the word of the Lord and to obey the leading of His Spirit.
You are to commit to the calling... to walk out the plan of God step by step. Our walk is one of faith. It's not laid out so that we can look down the road and daydream or fear the things that lie ahead. Christ said it best...
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Matt 6:25-34)
Change will come. It will challenge us, there will be an element of fear, there will be a temptation to own that fear, but we must choose Faith over fear. In all things GOOD AND BAD, we must constantly be asking God about the timing. Has something run it's course, served it's purpose. Is it time for the birth of something new? Is there a John the Baptist with some important message that the people of God need to take to heart? Or is Christ hand delivering the next phase of the plan? Should we continue riding the current wave and not get ahead of God? Or has this wave flatlined without our even noticing as we have gotten caught up in the moment rather than the giver of that moment?
Is the swell rising before us, is the sky dark with a warning of change, is the thunder screeching and the lightning striking, is everything that we have understood shifting beneath our feet as we reach out for balance and our thoughts race with our adrenaline? Is something stirring in our hearts as the Spirit of God whispers, "Do not be afraid?"
Is a new wave upon us, Lord?
Are you calling us higher up and further in?
If so... then, just as those that have walked before us declared in Faith...
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!
Let us echo a battle cry such as that, full of courage, full of resolve, full of Faith in you Lord.
Amen.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 12/20/2007 12:16:32 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
Temptation on a Silver Platter
(John 3:25-36)
25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
I love how Scripture doesn't always fill in every detail. Sometimes there are things that aren't fully explained because God wants us to think it thru and relate it to our real life to understand it. That keeps his word real to us, fresh, not just a story written out line by line. Every passage of Scripture contains so much more than merely the words on the page. And it is the Holy Spirit that comes along side of us and helps us to find the answers to our many questions. That is why an unbeliever will never be able to understand the Scriptures in Truth, because he has no relationship with God... and therefore has no one to interpret and to converse with concerning Truth. How precious is the Spirit of Truth.
The argument among the disciples was about ceremonial washing, which is part of the ritual before eating or performing holy functions. It was handed down traditionally from the time of Moses. That is where the argument started...
But by the time the argument reached John it had become a taunt that pitted the ministry of John against the ministry of Jesus. It's as though you can see the enemy reaching into the hearts of men and manipulating them like a puppet on his hand. The smallest legalistic things is used to rouse peoples anger, disrupting their common sense and self-control, and then it escalates into the real intent of the enemy -- to tempt that key person to sin.
It doesn't even have to be the pastor, often times it is that right-hand man, or that little woman holding the world on her back. But the enemy knows that if he builds enough discontent among the group, he can maneuver them to thump that first domino over, or to drop that one straw.
It's fascinating, the tangled web, the poised precision of the strike, yet the quiet subtlety slithering from the garden so long ago into our own hearts and lives. A challenge to our greed, to our pride, our inability to say no to our arrogance... temptation.
Here is John hearing the usual grumbling that arises among any group of people. Thinking that it will subside and be resolved and peace restored, like the many times before. But suddenly from no where, it turns upon him and is suddenly thrust in his face -- arrogance/jealousy served up to him on a silver platter, "... the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
This was the moment. The enemy slithered close listening with every scale on his body for the sound of John lifting his fork to take a bite. If snakes could sweat, he would have been. It was a crucial moment, many things hinged on the decision that John would make. He was not immune to the temptation, he was a man just like you or me. Human. Doubts flashed thru his mind. We'll read more about that after his arrest.
Do you think your commitment, your walk, your faithfulness, doesn't matter?...
well, think again. The power of many things was in John's hand at that moment. God would succeed in his plan, but how many souls would be won or lost based on the decision that John was about to make. How many wounds would be inflicted upon the people that watched him, that depended on his leadership to reflect Christ?
"Jealously, Envy, Arrogance, and Pride... just a little. What would it really matter? So what if I make an off the cuff comment that damages the reputation of some good person, or that makes me look a little better than them. I need affirmation too. I need people to like me just like anybody else. Isn't that merely being human? Is it truly so harsh a thing that you would label it a sin?..."
yes, it is a sin.
John knew that. But beyond that, he knew what God had called him to. He knew that he was to fulfill a purpose and that that purpose was complete. He knew that the passing of the baton was at hand, and he knew that that would be the most difficult of the entire task. Sacrificing what you know and love. He loved obeying God, he loved his calling, he loved everything about it and that he was good at it, anointed. But now that calling was asking him to give the glory of it all up, to invest it in the call of another. To hand it off to someone else, so that they could fulfill their calling and mission and ministry. He knew without doubt that that was the will of God, as contrary as it felt to every human desire and want of his flesh.
The temptation was there... but so was the faithfulness of this man of God.
19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5)
and so...
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
If only we would choose faithfulness over arrogance in the face of temptation.
We hold so much power in our hands with every choice we make. Good or Evil. Life or Death.
Father God, make us strong, help us to seek You continually to increase our faith and our faithfulness, so that we would always choose Life. For that is your heart, your love and your desire for each of us. You paid such a great price to share the power in your hands with us, to put it in our hands as your children, as your family, to keep us from Evil and from Death. Thank You Lord. Help us to be full of courage. To claim what we are instructed to claim, to declare your Truth and Love without fear or regret, and to sacrifice all for your glory even those things that we love most dearly. In the name of Jesus, our God and Friend. Amen.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 1/3/2008 12:05:25 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
A brief detour from John...
2008: From my Prayer Journal
Good deeds will not be the mark of the coming year.
Perseverance will be what is required.
That will be the sign.
These things will never change...
The faithfulness of God
And His Love for us.
1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
(Proverbs 8:1-4)
It is a time to hear wisdom.
Wisdom will be required, it will be your guide and tool in this hour of the Church. You must be discerning. You must know the Word of God, his heart, his person. The blind will lead the blind. Do not follow them, they are men -- not God.
A new ritual has emerged, contemporary, eccentric dreamers.
Not a ritual from tradition or from the past, rather a new ritual.
There is a new form of godliness, that denies the power of True Godliness. They worship the ritual and have abandoned their God. Train a generation to know Him, not the rituals of trendy blind guides..
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD..... (Jonah 1)
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
"I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."
10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4)
Pity for those who do not know their right hand from their left.
"Take Courage"
The filth on the bottom of the shoes of corrupt leadership and worship track (spead, corrupt) thru the church from the pulpit. Even the fragrance in the air of their worship is no longer pleasant but unclean and unhealthy. The filth on the bottom of their shoes is the blood of the prophets (voices of Truth) that have been murdered by selfish ambition.
There is no discernment, only arrogance. You have become blind. You have become blind guides leading others into the pit.
Repent. Repent.
Turn and change your ways.
2008 will be a time of cleansing.
A scrubbing of old wounds. Things that have scabbed over and have trapped the corruption within. There will be a re-opening, it will sting and bleed and nothing will make the pain avoidable. The removal of the infection and the very root of it is a necessary thing. Lives are dependant upon it.
Fresh bandages.
Right and lasting healing. Preparation for a season that will come after.
The ritual will change or be interrupted, but the Word of God will remain solid and True and Faithful.
Worship will become a walk of Faith.
8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous. 9 "You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. (Nehemiah 8:8-9)
People don't want to hear the Truth anymore. They want to hear what fits into the mold of what they want (especially leaders, those in positions of authority and power), or what they can easily twist and manipulate to fit. But then it is no longer Truth. It is a lie.
Much of what began as Truth has become a lie.
So when you speak Truth, do not expect to be rewarded or favored or esteemed -- rather EXPECT INJUSTICE. Not just from the ungodly, but from all who embrace the spirit of the world ( no matter what they call themselves, or how convincing the mask or title they wear may be). Good deeds and a calm disposition are not the mark of holiness. Beware of those who try to lead you as such.
2006 was marked by justice.
2007 was marked by mercy
2008 will be marked by faithfulness
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23)
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
(Micah 6:8)
The end of 2008 will mark the closing of many things. 2009 will mark the breaking of the seal of something (a command perhaps) of something that has been reserved.
For now, at the start of 2008, the cry is that...
"It's about to get personal!"
7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
(2 Tim 1:7-8)
"Do not be afraid," write this in your hand and on your forehead, because you will be tempted to forget.
In your hand so that you will always hold onto it.
On your forehead, so that you will remember that you are not alone when you look at your reflection. It's not about how big or small you are, full of beauty or lacking, rich or poor, skilled or not. It is about Christ and Him Crucified.
When it is embarrassing to be a Christian to many, will you remain faithful and unmoved?...
Come Lord Jesus!
Do not forget that you do not walk this dark road alone. He is in the world. He has come to be among us and to guarantee our victory.
Expect injustice in this world, but not forever.
The Spirit of God has come.
There is a whiteness, a holiness, a stirring in our midst. It has already begun.
Those who will persevere by Faith alone, will witness it. The eyes of their spirit will be opened.
The blood. The blood. The blood of Christ!
It is the beginning and the end.
The hill has been forgotten and abandoned.
But there is a remnant that will remember the cross (not as a ritual) but as something personal/painful/real. And it is thru that remnant that revival will come.
But remember...
Truth (revival) will not be met with joy by those that smell of the spirit of the world (in the church and outside of it). Expect injustice and persecution, shame and ridicule. That is the test. That is the mark of real revival, rather than ritual, ceremony, and form. It is birthed only thru tears and mourning that are genuine. It can not be mustered or bathed in false-humility. It must be authentic and will be.
Beware of walking in false-humility. It is the infection that has crippled many, even entire churches. It has become a stench before God. It has devoured and murdered. Those who walk in it will be violently slammed -- not by man, but by God. It too will be personal -- witnessed only by you and God. But remember that he disciplines those he loves, to save and restore you to be a blessing. That is what it means to be blessed, and that is his heart for you.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 3:7-12)
Gossip, even by leaders, is sin.
It can not be justified based on popularity, power, or postion.
God will measure out justice and mercy for all. No member of the body is above another. No member is exempt from correction, because each is loved by God.
Heal us Lord.
Each soul, our nation, your people.
We are in need of you as we enter this year, 2008.
We are in need of you as never before.
Amen.
.
< Message edited by selahgirl -- 1/3/2008 12:23:55 PM >
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 1/3/2008 2:33:03 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
Like a Good Neighbor
(John 4:1-9)
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Jesus had gone to John the Baptist to be baptized, and he said it was right for every man to do the same. So people continued to come to be baptized by the disciples of both John and Jesus. I think it is interesting that Jesus didn't actually do the baptizing. I'm not sure why, but perhaps it comes down to free-will. Being baptized into Christ, dying to yourself, must be a choice. If Christ did the baptizing, then symbolically it would suggest that such spiritual death was less out of obedience and sacrifice.
Either way, it is stated that Jesus never actually baptized anyone.
I also love that when Jesus heard that the Pharisees were concerned about his ministry as they were John the Baptist, he left for Galilee. He had seen how the Pharisees hounded John and tried to engage him in lengthy debate to entrap him. Christ knew that he would also be challenged by them in verbal debate eventually.
But at the moment, there was an open door to occupy himself with more important ministry -- teaching those that were willing to hear about the love of God. So rather than debating with the Pharisee, he continued to be about his father's business whenever a door was opened to him. And on his way to Galilee, a great door was opened to him when he crossed paths with a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
I love that as Christ was led by the Spirit of God from moment to moment, he finds himself continually walking into ministry opportunities. He is on his way to Galilee, and here is a very key encounter along the way. We should learn from his example. Sometimes it's not necessary to prove a point, or to try to establish our identity or our calling or our authority. Sometimes, walking away from unnecessary tensions in order to put ministry first is where the Spirit of God is leading us to go. Like Christ, our hearts should be looking past the bickering among those in the church and searching out more important matters -- broken hearts, bruised lives, hurting people, lost and dying and not even aware that they are leprous. We must deal with the bickering eventually, but our heart should be drawn to ministry first whenever the door is opened to us.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus was tired and thirsty from his journey. We so often are tired or not feeling well or have some minor stress to deal with in life, and it causes us to be distracted from ministry. It is so easy to make excuse or to put ourself before some hurting soul that God has brought across our path. Yes, there are times when we need to guard our own health or keep one of our two coats for ourself. We cannot help others is we allow ourselves to be neglected or to become a doormat. But all too often, it's easier to throw out that excuse rather than to truly sacrifice and do what God had called us to do in that moment. Sometimes we are more able than we care to admit.
Samaritans and Jews were at odds with each other. There was much prejudice and animosity between the two groups of people. Samaritans were considered unclean, because they had not kept certain aspects of the law. But here was a Jewish holy man, not only acting as though this Samaritan was not unclean, but actually asking her for a drink of water. He was speaking to her as though he had no prejudice, as though he wasn't looking down his nose at her, as though he wasn't judging her. It was shocking.
This one point speaks to so many things, so many relationships among the people of God and concerning the people we encounter in the world. We all know that aire of judgment, that critical twinkle in someone's eye as they smile at us and greet us so cordially. All too often people in the church do it to one another. They do it to people that come to visit our sunday school classes. They go to lunch or the store after service and gaze upon the people they pass with that same condescending or uncaring glance.
People in the workplace, at school, on the sidewalk, during the bus ride. They measure your appearance, your mannerisms, your conversation, even your quietness. Each of us is sized up within the church, and as we wade thru the world day to day. Some people we know will treat us based on some insignificant aspect of our appearance. They may have only introduced themselves a time or two, discussed their children on some random occasion. But they have already decided that they know everything about us. No matter how wrong they may be.
Here was a Samaritan Woman... judged her entire life by Jews and their holy men because she lived on the wrong side of the tracks. He was addressing her as tho he was her neighbor, as tho there was any chance that they had anything in common or any connection that would give him the right to talk to her -- or even the desire to talk to her. Immediately, before responding at all, she must have thought, "who is this guy?"
She was about to find out, and it would not only affect her in that one distinct moment, but her entire future, her very being, and the lives of everyone that her life would touch.
What if we were Christ to such people? What if rather than being like everyone else and sizing people up and measuring everything about them with some random stick in our hand... we approached them as a neighbor?
Even tho we may be entirely different people with entirely different pasts from very opposite sides of town or even the universe... what if we just sat down in our busyness and said, "hey, what ya got there? mind if I have a little? got a minute to chat? what ya been up to? you matter in the world? do I matter to you?..."
Whatever comes to mind, whatever the Spirit of God leads you to say to break the ice and bring down that cold hardened wall that keeps people distant and separated from one another. For Christ and this Samaritan woman, the conversation was about a cup of water and a well. There are conversations that will be just as powerful for you and the people you encounter, and God will give you the words to start them every time you put ministry first.
Deal with the trouble of the day...
but when God opens a door and says ministry first, don't be afraid to obey his command and GO.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Thinking Out Loud about John - 1/4/2008 2:01:32 PM
|
|
|
selahgirl
Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
|
NEWS FLASH:
I am so excited. I'm the featured blogger on myCCM this week! My blog is featured on their homepage starting today until next Friday, along with one of FF5's CCM magazine covers, the one featuring Soli.
If you get a chance, check it out at
www.myCCM.org
yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!
seLahGirl
| | |
Forum Tools
Printable Version
