The truly spiritual man is indeed something of an oddity. He lives not for himself but to promote the interests of Another. He seeks to persuade people to give all to his Lord and asks no portion or share for himself. He delights not to be honored but to see his Savior glorified in the eyes of men. His joy is to see his Lord promoted and himself neglected. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and overserious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens. He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none, he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.
. ~ A.W. Tozer
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Gavel.
Here is a thought. When was the last time you judged someone? When you looked down at a homosexual? When you looked down on someone for sinning in an area you felt God could not forgive? I know I have. It is also easy to look down on those who do judge.
Christ did not judge the adulteress woman. In fact, he told those who would have her stoned (as is the custom in Jewish history) that the one without sin could cast the first stone. No one could. But also how easy is it to say the Pharisees were evil people. If you look back in history, they saved Israel from a lot of idolatry. Judas Maccabees stood up for what was the truth then.
What got me thinking about this controversial subject is a movie entitled "To Save A Life." In it, a guy named Jake learned how to care for the un-lovely of this world. I could not do this movie justice. Anyways, think about it. Christ did not hang around with the "Godly." He fellowshipped with revolutionaries, prostitutes, thieves who he died beside, fishermen (one in particular named Peter),tax collectors who people considered traitors, and the list goes on. the point is...I am too "godly" for Christ.
I in particular have judged my family, friends (especially best friends), as people who do sin as if I myself am God. He commanded me as a follower of Christ( a Christian by what the world calls today) to love my enemies, bless those who speak bad about me...but instead, I judge people. This is hatred. James Heinrich Arnold wrote "a man who admonishes(corrects) his brother without love is a murderer.
Also, I judge God himself. I ask him why things in my life have happened to me. Why he lets people die lonely. In the movie I heard a thought that I've heard before, but it never hit me so hard. Why do I let people become lonely? Young people today cling to Gandhi's words "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Can you imagine in the mind of the prodigal son's dad? He did not judge his son. He ran to him and embraced him. Though the son hurt him, he loved his son. I cannot judge anyone. I pray Christ will make his love enter me.
WE ARE TO LOVE. GOD DOES LOVE EVERYONE. HIS JUSTICE IS PURE.
(Sorry this post is written so raw, I didn't know how else to write it)
Christ did not judge the adulteress woman. In fact, he told those who would have her stoned (as is the custom in Jewish history) that the one without sin could cast the first stone. No one could. But also how easy is it to say the Pharisees were evil people. If you look back in history, they saved Israel from a lot of idolatry. Judas Maccabees stood up for what was the truth then.
What got me thinking about this controversial subject is a movie entitled "To Save A Life." In it, a guy named Jake learned how to care for the un-lovely of this world. I could not do this movie justice. Anyways, think about it. Christ did not hang around with the "Godly." He fellowshipped with revolutionaries, prostitutes, thieves who he died beside, fishermen (one in particular named Peter),tax collectors who people considered traitors, and the list goes on. the point is...I am too "godly" for Christ.
I in particular have judged my family, friends (especially best friends), as people who do sin as if I myself am God. He commanded me as a follower of Christ( a Christian by what the world calls today) to love my enemies, bless those who speak bad about me...but instead, I judge people. This is hatred. James Heinrich Arnold wrote "a man who admonishes(corrects) his brother without love is a murderer.
Also, I judge God himself. I ask him why things in my life have happened to me. Why he lets people die lonely. In the movie I heard a thought that I've heard before, but it never hit me so hard. Why do I let people become lonely? Young people today cling to Gandhi's words "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Can you imagine in the mind of the prodigal son's dad? He did not judge his son. He ran to him and embraced him. Though the son hurt him, he loved his son. I cannot judge anyone. I pray Christ will make his love enter me.
WE ARE TO LOVE. GOD DOES LOVE EVERYONE. HIS JUSTICE IS PURE.
(Sorry this post is written so raw, I didn't know how else to write it)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The pain that comes from loving
I used most of this post from a teaching I got to listen to this past Wednesday.
More often than not..we face pain in our lives.I'm not talking about scraping yourself up. It's the pain we all face as we start to lose ourselves.. It means our flesh is still alive. Some have built a "tolerance" to this pain. Others numb themselves for many years and end up with a tall wave of pain or regret that can sometimes overwhelm us.The Father sends us through pain to make us more like his son. Learning to love like Christ does... IS HARD! I don't think that anyone has it easy(I could be wrong! :-) )
To love like he does (and what a love it is!) we WILL have people hate us, people we are close to hurt us, and The Father will seemingly turn his back on us. When we get to the point in which in the midst of all of the pain we feel we can say "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit" just like Christ did, we give up our "rights," sense of justice, and feel the love Christ has.
Weeping may last for the night,but a shout of joy shall come in the morning- Psalm 30:5
He has a purpose for every dot and tiddle that you experience. We may not know how God will use us, but his will is done.
More often than not..we face pain in our lives.I'm not talking about scraping yourself up. It's the pain we all face as we start to lose ourselves.. It means our flesh is still alive. Some have built a "tolerance" to this pain. Others numb themselves for many years and end up with a tall wave of pain or regret that can sometimes overwhelm us.The Father sends us through pain to make us more like his son. Learning to love like Christ does... IS HARD! I don't think that anyone has it easy(I could be wrong! :-) )
To love like he does (and what a love it is!) we WILL have people hate us, people we are close to hurt us, and The Father will seemingly turn his back on us. When we get to the point in which in the midst of all of the pain we feel we can say "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit" just like Christ did, we give up our "rights," sense of justice, and feel the love Christ has.
Weeping may last for the night,but a shout of joy shall come in the morning- Psalm 30:5
He has a purpose for every dot and tiddle that you experience. We may not know how God will use us, but his will is done.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The three relationships..
This isn't a new idea but it seemed like a good idea to post on.
In our walk with Christ, we have three different stages of relationship: stranger, friend,and beloved. Each of these have a different intimacy level, different pains and trials we go through, and deeper joys as we draw closer to Christ. This is one of my thoughts, not necessarily a fact with everyone.
First, we enter the stranger phase with Christ.It is also the point we are servants.This is like being in the outer courts. We only hear what is going on inside. This is sometimes the point we hear about Him, but not always have much experience ourselves. In this stage we are often drawn to Christ fort different reasons. Some for curiosity,hope in a hard time, or many other reasons. We aren't really close to Christ and it is sometimes easy just to walk away. But if we stay, he calls us to become friends.
I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father. --John 15:15
In the friend stage, we are called to really hear him for ourselves. It is like when the priest entered the inner courts. We get to partake of the feast of his bounty.He speaks to us like he did the disciples. The hardships we go through are like that of the disciples. We must leave our own lives and follow. We often get discouraged because we may have to leave our family and friends to do so. This stage is probably one of great joy and like climbing a spiritual mountain as well. Then after a while we are thrown into the furnace like gold to be purified....into lovers.
Into the gems of his delight.As the beloved we lose ourselves. All we are is a reflection of the Lover of All. The pain of leaving his side is absolutely unbearable. This place is both frightening and exciting at the same time. Frightening since we are totally exposed. Exciting because we are exposed to the one who really loves. It is the Holy of Holies to be a beloved.
In our walk with Christ, we have three different stages of relationship: stranger, friend,and beloved. Each of these have a different intimacy level, different pains and trials we go through, and deeper joys as we draw closer to Christ. This is one of my thoughts, not necessarily a fact with everyone.
First, we enter the stranger phase with Christ.It is also the point we are servants.This is like being in the outer courts. We only hear what is going on inside. This is sometimes the point we hear about Him, but not always have much experience ourselves. In this stage we are often drawn to Christ fort different reasons. Some for curiosity,hope in a hard time, or many other reasons. We aren't really close to Christ and it is sometimes easy just to walk away. But if we stay, he calls us to become friends.
I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father. --John 15:15
In the friend stage, we are called to really hear him for ourselves. It is like when the priest entered the inner courts. We get to partake of the feast of his bounty.He speaks to us like he did the disciples. The hardships we go through are like that of the disciples. We must leave our own lives and follow. We often get discouraged because we may have to leave our family and friends to do so. This stage is probably one of great joy and like climbing a spiritual mountain as well. Then after a while we are thrown into the furnace like gold to be purified....into lovers.
Into the gems of his delight.As the beloved we lose ourselves. All we are is a reflection of the Lover of All. The pain of leaving his side is absolutely unbearable. This place is both frightening and exciting at the same time. Frightening since we are totally exposed. Exciting because we are exposed to the one who really loves. It is the Holy of Holies to be a beloved.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Two plants
Not my very best poem, but it is a rough draft.
Two Plants
There was a seed planted in my heart
by the great King of heaven,
This seed was to change everything
this seed was the Love of Christ
not like any human love
It began to grow into a seedling,
It's care was not like any other plant
It seemed abused by others
So I hid it.
As this happened a new seed
began to grow
one of bitterness
It seemed very easy to feed
In time
Fed me
But with it growing
The other suffered,
As my life seemed to shrivel
from the poison of bitterness
I cried out to the King.
He told me
To remove this plant
will hurt quite a lot
For it's roots had wrapped my heart.
It would take every ounce of strength
to kill it....
But with it's death the other would bloom.
Two Plants
There was a seed planted in my heart
by the great King of heaven,
This seed was to change everything
this seed was the Love of Christ
not like any human love
It began to grow into a seedling,
It's care was not like any other plant
It seemed abused by others
So I hid it.
As this happened a new seed
began to grow
one of bitterness
It seemed very easy to feed
In time
Fed me
But with it growing
The other suffered,
As my life seemed to shrivel
from the poison of bitterness
I cried out to the King.
He told me
To remove this plant
will hurt quite a lot
For it's roots had wrapped my heart.
It would take every ounce of strength
to kill it....
But with it's death the other would bloom.
Random story..:-)
When I was younger, my dad told me a story that will stick with me the rest of my life.
The story is about a boy who really wanted to please his father. One day, when his dad told him to go clean his room, he told his dad "I love you Daddy." His dad replied "I love you too, now please go clean your room." So the son, thinking he would show how much he loved his dad, went and washed his dad's new car. The problem was, he left the windows down, soaking the leather seats. Which of course ruined the seats.
Crickets are crunchy!
This post was inspired by a friend.They posted a YouTube link on Facebook from a youth pastor who wanted to prove proclaiming Christ was easier than eating crickets. Here is the link, in case you wanted to see what she posted http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOr4OEPDtnU.
Anyways, that thought brought an idea to me. How often do I allow my self to "eat crickets" instead of living out a God-fearing life? I did eat a live one once... not to gross anyone out. It definitely seems like "eating crickets" can be easier. I mean, there's our pride...insecurities....desires. Not to say wanting to do something great is a bad thing. As long as it does not get in the way of what is in front of you right now. Doing what we want can be so simple sometimes...doing God's will takes a daily commitment to follow when it it hard.
Anyways, that thought brought an idea to me. How often do I allow my self to "eat crickets" instead of living out a God-fearing life? I did eat a live one once... not to gross anyone out. It definitely seems like "eating crickets" can be easier. I mean, there's our pride...insecurities....desires. Not to say wanting to do something great is a bad thing. As long as it does not get in the way of what is in front of you right now. Doing what we want can be so simple sometimes...doing God's will takes a daily commitment to follow when it it hard.
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