Rev 4:10-11
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits upon the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Falling in worship, awe, and praise, the elders who surround the throne exalt God. They lay their crowns before the throne, they submit themselves to the author of life. They humble themselves, they remove their crowns, pride, achievements, possessions, and accomplishments.
They recognize the will of Jesus-creator of all things, seen and unseen. May I also submit and humble myself to the same king in the same way.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Is this me?
Rev 3:1 talks about the church in Sardis. The Holy Spirit says (my para-phrase) "I know you and what you do. You have this reputation of being productive but your not."
The letter is addressing the church as a whole, but we as individuals are the church, we are the body and we make up the church. We can say all the right things and do all the right things and develop the reputation of being a productive Christ follower. But are saying and doing the right things enough?
1. Weekend worship
2. Daily personal study
3. Small group membership
4. Serving others
These are some of the things that are the "right" things. Sometimes if we are not careful it can also be merely going through the motions.
It's never about me. It's about loving God and others, and teaching them to do the same.
The letter is addressing the church as a whole, but we as individuals are the church, we are the body and we make up the church. We can say all the right things and do all the right things and develop the reputation of being a productive Christ follower. But are saying and doing the right things enough?
1. Weekend worship
2. Daily personal study
3. Small group membership
4. Serving others
These are some of the things that are the "right" things. Sometimes if we are not careful it can also be merely going through the motions.
It's never about me. It's about loving God and others, and teaching them to do the same.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Inspired
The Old Testament and the New Testament are the inspired word of God. If I believe nothing else, I believe this. God has spoken to us in the past through scripture, He continues in the present to speak through scripture and He will in the future
God has always been speaking to us. He uses creation to reach us. David writes in Psalm 19 of the heavens declaring the glory of God. The skies are evidence of His handiwork. Nature point to the existence of God. Scripture teaches us of salvation.
All scripture is useful; useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Scripture equips us for good works. As Adam was placed in the garden to work, we are given scripture to prepare us for work. The work we are prepared for is found in the will of God, found in the word of God.
We read scripture with an end in mind, that God will speak to us. He does, we need to bring the good news of salvation to the world.
God has always been speaking to us. He uses creation to reach us. David writes in Psalm 19 of the heavens declaring the glory of God. The skies are evidence of His handiwork. Nature point to the existence of God. Scripture teaches us of salvation.
All scripture is useful; useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Scripture equips us for good works. As Adam was placed in the garden to work, we are given scripture to prepare us for work. The work we are prepared for is found in the will of God, found in the word of God.
We read scripture with an end in mind, that God will speak to us. He does, we need to bring the good news of salvation to the world.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Greatest
Romans 13:9-10
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is fulfillment of the law."
Jesus himself declared loving God was the greatest commandment. He went on to say the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Paul taps into this theme and concludes that love is fulfillment of the law. Love is fulfillment. We are therefore commanded and instructed to love. The law and its fulfillment are found in love.
What does love look like? Love has an endless array of faces.
Love is expressed, love is implied.
Love is given, love is received.
Love is silent, love is boisterous.
Love is weak, love is strong.
Love is the ageless mighty oak, love is the prairie grass yielding to gale force winds.
Love gives, love shares.
Love laughs, love cries.
Love holds on, love lets go.
Love knows when, love knows how.
Love does. Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is yielding.
Love is meeting our needs by meeting the needs of others.
Love is the greatest command, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is God's will.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is fulfillment of the law."
Jesus himself declared loving God was the greatest commandment. He went on to say the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Paul taps into this theme and concludes that love is fulfillment of the law. Love is fulfillment. We are therefore commanded and instructed to love. The law and its fulfillment are found in love.
What does love look like? Love has an endless array of faces.
Love is expressed, love is implied.
Love is given, love is received.
Love is silent, love is boisterous.
Love is weak, love is strong.
Love is the ageless mighty oak, love is the prairie grass yielding to gale force winds.
Love gives, love shares.
Love laughs, love cries.
Love holds on, love lets go.
Love knows when, love knows how.
Love does. Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is yielding.
Love is meeting our needs by meeting the needs of others.
Love is the greatest command, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is God's will.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
In Spite...
Ps 78:32
In spite of all this they kept on sinning; in spit of his wonders they did not believe.
God is the sustainer. He doesn't hide his love in secret places like a clue to be discovered. God is love, abundant love and can be found where you are, no matter where you are or the circumstances of you life. God's love is in abundance. We run the risk of of misreading his love for us by confusing the way he loves us. We come to expect his love and gifts as inalienable rights.
Thirsty? Turn on the tap and drink, grab a bottle of water. Cold? Turn up the thermostat, put on warmer clothing, go inside to warmth and comfort. Hungry? Pick, you choose: open you refrigerator, go to the store, reach into your pantry, drop some coins into a vending machine, pick up a phone and have it delivered, cruise a drive through. Transportation? Hop on a bike, grab a train, jump on the bus, drive you car, fly across the country, try them all.
God's abundant love is pervasive in our lives. We should be left in awe and wonder. And we are, sometimes. We marvel at the promise of eternity, neglecting his will for us here and now. Belief requires action. Can we love God without loving others? Is God's abundance given to us only for us? Or are we to let it pass through our fingers and bless others with it? In doing so are we loving God back?
In loving others we love God. Loving others is an act of belief. God's love is abundant, may we also love abundantly with all we have and all we have been given.
In spite of all this they kept on sinning; in spit of his wonders they did not believe.
God is the sustainer. He doesn't hide his love in secret places like a clue to be discovered. God is love, abundant love and can be found where you are, no matter where you are or the circumstances of you life. God's love is in abundance. We run the risk of of misreading his love for us by confusing the way he loves us. We come to expect his love and gifts as inalienable rights.
Thirsty? Turn on the tap and drink, grab a bottle of water. Cold? Turn up the thermostat, put on warmer clothing, go inside to warmth and comfort. Hungry? Pick, you choose: open you refrigerator, go to the store, reach into your pantry, drop some coins into a vending machine, pick up a phone and have it delivered, cruise a drive through. Transportation? Hop on a bike, grab a train, jump on the bus, drive you car, fly across the country, try them all.
God's abundant love is pervasive in our lives. We should be left in awe and wonder. And we are, sometimes. We marvel at the promise of eternity, neglecting his will for us here and now. Belief requires action. Can we love God without loving others? Is God's abundance given to us only for us? Or are we to let it pass through our fingers and bless others with it? In doing so are we loving God back?
In loving others we love God. Loving others is an act of belief. God's love is abundant, may we also love abundantly with all we have and all we have been given.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sustain
Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Casting our cares on the LORD, the creator of EVERYTHING, sounds simple and easy. Whatever it is we are fretting over or struggling with, we simply need to turn it over to God. We give him our burdens and he promises to sustain us. He will supply us, support us, maintain us. He will provide what we need. And with that promise, we try to and we mean to turn over our cares to the LORD.
And we wait. Temporarily and momentarily we wait. And then we pick up our burdens all over again forgetting the promise that he will sustain us. He will see us through. He will gives us what we need when he sees the need.
Reliance on God in the present is difficult. We lack faith. In hindsight and reflection it's almost too easy to see God sustaining us. We forget to remember. When we look back we can remember, we can see God's goodness.
No one, not one is righteous. And that's why the son came we are made righteous through Jesus and he will sustain us.
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Casting our cares on the LORD, the creator of EVERYTHING, sounds simple and easy. Whatever it is we are fretting over or struggling with, we simply need to turn it over to God. We give him our burdens and he promises to sustain us. He will supply us, support us, maintain us. He will provide what we need. And with that promise, we try to and we mean to turn over our cares to the LORD.
And we wait. Temporarily and momentarily we wait. And then we pick up our burdens all over again forgetting the promise that he will sustain us. He will see us through. He will gives us what we need when he sees the need.
Reliance on God in the present is difficult. We lack faith. In hindsight and reflection it's almost too easy to see God sustaining us. We forget to remember. When we look back we can remember, we can see God's goodness.
No one, not one is righteous. And that's why the son came we are made righteous through Jesus and he will sustain us.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Posting Gaurds
Mt. 27:66
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The idea is, if the tomb is guarded the disciples cannot steal the body and stage a resurrection. Forget the healing, the miracles, and the teachings the rulers have witnessed over the last 3.5 years, these can be explained away. A missing body, that would only serve to add validity to the claims of Jesus and his followers. The claim that he would rise on the third day had to be prevented. And so the Romans posted a guard. And so, Jesus arose on the appointed day while guarded. Despite the efforts of the religious leaders, God's will took place.
I try to guard the tomb in my own way. Jesus commands us to love God and to love others. And so I do, when its convenient for me to do so. For me guarding the tomb is placing the teachings of Jesus that I don't like or that are uncomfortable for me, in a vault in my mind where I can keep them out of sight. Out of sight and out of mind, I am free to choose the commands I like to follow. I choose the teachings I like and I am free to forget the ones I don't.
God's will is different and will not be thwarted. He wants all to be loved, not just the ones I find lovable. And when I don't do as I should, God completes his will through someone else and I am diminished. Instead of going on the adventure, I read about it in a brochure. The experience is never the same when it is read about instead of lived.
The living are not found among the dead. The tomb needs no guards.
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The idea is, if the tomb is guarded the disciples cannot steal the body and stage a resurrection. Forget the healing, the miracles, and the teachings the rulers have witnessed over the last 3.5 years, these can be explained away. A missing body, that would only serve to add validity to the claims of Jesus and his followers. The claim that he would rise on the third day had to be prevented. And so the Romans posted a guard. And so, Jesus arose on the appointed day while guarded. Despite the efforts of the religious leaders, God's will took place.
I try to guard the tomb in my own way. Jesus commands us to love God and to love others. And so I do, when its convenient for me to do so. For me guarding the tomb is placing the teachings of Jesus that I don't like or that are uncomfortable for me, in a vault in my mind where I can keep them out of sight. Out of sight and out of mind, I am free to choose the commands I like to follow. I choose the teachings I like and I am free to forget the ones I don't.
God's will is different and will not be thwarted. He wants all to be loved, not just the ones I find lovable. And when I don't do as I should, God completes his will through someone else and I am diminished. Instead of going on the adventure, I read about it in a brochure. The experience is never the same when it is read about instead of lived.
The living are not found among the dead. The tomb needs no guards.
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