Have you ever read 1John 3? You should. But first, do some crunches or sit-ups or P90x, because you're about to get a firm shot to the breadbasket.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
All this from the disciple Jesus loved.
Showing posts with label cost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cost. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Tyranny of the Now
The Israelites were hanging out in the wilderness, awaiting the appointed time when God would lead them into the Promised Land - that place that was "flowing with milk and honey". The inheritance that God had promised, a paradise handed down from the time of Abraham.
In the midst of the waiting, some of the tribes started looking around at wheee they were now. Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, specifically, looked at the neighboring people, shepherds like themselves, and they liked what they saw. "This land is good for grazing, it would support our flocks. Hey Moses, why don't we just stay here? I mean, you guys go ahead and take the land on the other side of the Jordan, we're good here. We'll even help you fight for it, but we like what we have now and we're done waiting. Just give it to us."
Moses consulted with God and the answer came back, "sure, as long as you go out and fight with your brothers, you can have this land". So, there they stayed, outside of the promised land, outside of what was rightfully theirs, outside of what God had promised to them and their forefathers. They stood on the wrong side of the Jordan, looking west at what could have been.
How often do we do this? How often do we look at what we have now and give up our God given right to something better? We're still going to have to fight, we're still going to face trial and temptation, why not make it worth the fight?
Your relationship with God, with your significant other, with your kids, with your friends and family - why settle? Your spiritual life, your job, your legacy - why settle? God wants so much more for us, and he wants us to fight for it.
To do that, we've got to get past the Now. We can't settle for the status quo, we can't assume this is as good as it gets. We must believe the promises of God and be willing to give up the offerings of society. If we settle, we'll only find ourselves on the wring side of the Jordan looking west, wondering what could have been.
In the midst of the waiting, some of the tribes started looking around at wheee they were now. Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, specifically, looked at the neighboring people, shepherds like themselves, and they liked what they saw. "This land is good for grazing, it would support our flocks. Hey Moses, why don't we just stay here? I mean, you guys go ahead and take the land on the other side of the Jordan, we're good here. We'll even help you fight for it, but we like what we have now and we're done waiting. Just give it to us."
Moses consulted with God and the answer came back, "sure, as long as you go out and fight with your brothers, you can have this land". So, there they stayed, outside of the promised land, outside of what was rightfully theirs, outside of what God had promised to them and their forefathers. They stood on the wrong side of the Jordan, looking west at what could have been.
How often do we do this? How often do we look at what we have now and give up our God given right to something better? We're still going to have to fight, we're still going to face trial and temptation, why not make it worth the fight?
Your relationship with God, with your significant other, with your kids, with your friends and family - why settle? Your spiritual life, your job, your legacy - why settle? God wants so much more for us, and he wants us to fight for it.
To do that, we've got to get past the Now. We can't settle for the status quo, we can't assume this is as good as it gets. We must believe the promises of God and be willing to give up the offerings of society. If we settle, we'll only find ourselves on the wring side of the Jordan looking west, wondering what could have been.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Desire
What does your soul long for? What is it that you want most in life? What competes for your heart? What do you desire?
So many times we hear this word and think of erotic passion, but it doesn't only have that particular meaning. U2 sings about desire as ambition, addiction, power, riches, love, position or fame:
Your desire might be one of these. Or, it might be something particular for you, something that is uniquely yours, something special. Desire drives us, pushes us, moves us on to bigger and better things.
Or it destroys us.
It all comes down to what you desire.
Are the desires that drive you God's desires, or your desires?
Are you regularly working to bring your desires in line with God's?
Who is helping you?
Who knows your true desires?
Who is holding you accountable?
So many times we hear this word and think of erotic passion, but it doesn't only have that particular meaning. U2 sings about desire as ambition, addiction, power, riches, love, position or fame:
Lover, I'm off the street
Gonna go where the bright lights and the big city meet
With a red guitar, on fire
Desire
She's a candle burning in my room
Yeah, I'm like the needle, needle and spoon
Over the counter with a shotgun
Pretty soon, everybody got one
And the fever, when I'm beside her
Desire, desire
And the fever getting higher
Desire, desire
Burning, burning
She's the dollars, she's my protection
Yeah, she's a promise in the year of election
Oh sister, I can't let you go
I'm like a preacher stealing hearts at a travelling show
For love or money, money, money...
And the fever, getting higher
Desire, desire
Desire, desire
Your desire might be one of these. Or, it might be something particular for you, something that is uniquely yours, something special. Desire drives us, pushes us, moves us on to bigger and better things.
Or it destroys us.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. The desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
It all comes down to what you desire.
Are the desires that drive you God's desires, or your desires?
Are you regularly working to bring your desires in line with God's?
Who is helping you?
Who knows your true desires?
Who is holding you accountable?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
False Advertising
I drive by a certain church on my way to work (also at a church) that ummm.... creatively uses their front sign to ummm.... educate? entertain? amuse? Invite? Anyway, they put lots of different sayings on their front sign. Right now it says, "Free trip to heaven! Details inside."
Fun. Funny. False. For too long this is how we've presented Christianity. It's easy, it's fun and you get a great prize for playing. We've cheapened it.
Our society caters to the consumer. We offer choice and price competition on nearly everything. Why should church be any different? If we can advertise the lowest cost and the best pay-out at the end, we should get the most customers, right?
Apple doesn't play this way. They are convinced their product surpasses all others and they refuse to cheapen it with sales or slashed prices. APPL stock is at an all time high. Coincidence?
Why don't we place the same value on Christianity? If you take your faith seriously you know it is the furthest thing from free. In fact, it will cost you everything you have. Yet, we try to portray it as cheap or free.
Instead, we need to remember that nothing out there compares to a relationship with God. Christianity surpasses all and it is worth the cost.
Fun. Funny. False. For too long this is how we've presented Christianity. It's easy, it's fun and you get a great prize for playing. We've cheapened it.
Our society caters to the consumer. We offer choice and price competition on nearly everything. Why should church be any different? If we can advertise the lowest cost and the best pay-out at the end, we should get the most customers, right?
Apple doesn't play this way. They are convinced their product surpasses all others and they refuse to cheapen it with sales or slashed prices. APPL stock is at an all time high. Coincidence?
Why don't we place the same value on Christianity? If you take your faith seriously you know it is the furthest thing from free. In fact, it will cost you everything you have. Yet, we try to portray it as cheap or free.
Instead, we need to remember that nothing out there compares to a relationship with God. Christianity surpasses all and it is worth the cost.
Location:Salem Pike,Cincinnati,United States
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