Being born is a passive event. But death, now that's something you can actively help in achieving for yourself. -- Martin Luther, The 1518 Heidelberg Disputation (paraphrase)
How's that perfection thing working out?
In our democratic society we love to talk about freedom. But anybody out there ever tried to be perfect? Ah, shucks. Turns out we're not as free as we thought.
Freedom of the will is a thorny issue -- but only theoretically speaking. The problem of the un-free will is not a philosophical problem. The crux is, we are called to perfection, so none of us is truly free.
“Free will, after the fall, has the power to do good only in a passive capacity, but it can always do evil in an active capacity,” -- Thesis 14, Heidelberg Disputation
Here's a non-Yoda translation: after sin came into the world, the human will was so corrupted, even our best efforts are tainted before God. People have the capacity to do good but only when God comes onto the scene and makes us alive again.
Naked and filthy or clothed and righteous
People stand naked in sin or clothed in the identity of Christ with no middle ground in between. We can do good before God but only in a passive capacity. Consider this analogy:
“[water] can be heated but cannot heat itself, the will is driven by Satan or by God, as it acts in the vertical sphere of life. Instead of trusting the Word of the Lord, we turn to the lie of the Deceptor,and doubt binds our wills as it deafens our ears. Freedom comes only through the new identity given through Christ's death, that becomes our death to captivity and deception.” -- Robert Kolb, Luther on the Theology of the Cross, Lutheran Quarterly.
Do your best and God does the rest?
Claiming we somehow add just a little bit of good to our standing with God through our efforts is what Gerhard Forde coined as human “affrontery”. As if we could simply do our best and have God do the rest.
“The person who believes that he can obtain grace by doing what is in him adds sin to sin so that he becomes doubly guilty.” --Thesis 16 Heidelberg Disputation
Still we strive for just a teeny-weenie bit of good deeds to gain God's favor. This proclivity masks itself as piety, but it's an affront to God's perfect work of Christ, on the cross, for our sins. Christ's, death and resurrection is complete (it is finished), not a supplement to our shortcomings.
“
People have the capacity to do good but only when God comes onto the scene and makes us alive again.
”
Death to valiant efforts
Humans are not autonomous beings. We are to image our creator and receive our identity in him. But still we twist this beautiful truth towards our means and make rules for ourselves -- rules that highlight our valiant spiritual efforts -- in spiritual disciplines, idol hunting skill or even belief in our own belief. None of this will do.
“striving for the standards people set for themselves can convince them that they are not able to reach their goals, but apart from the perspective at the foot of the cross they will not understand that the solution lies not in trying harder but in dying to their sinful identity. At the foot of the cross sinners finally lose the presumption that they simply must stretch a bit higher. They fall to the earth to die to their sinful identity...”. -- Kolb
The beauty of all this is that we are born anew. Death always comes before a resurrection.
This song really sums up how I feel today about the Lord, we have never seen this man, but somehow He touches us and satisfies us, and meets us just when we need it. He is always waiting to show up in our lives--all we must do is ask for Him to show up. The creator of the universe longs to know you more and for you to spend more of your time with Him. I pray that He would meet you wherever you are today and ravish you with His love like never before. His love will set you free and you will be more alive than ever!
I'm in love with a Man I'm in love with a Stranger
I'm in love with my Maker whom I have never seen
I'm in love with the Lamb I'm in love with the Lion
I'm in love with my Savior whom I have yet to know
O won't You let me love You more, this is all that I desire
Won't You let me love You more this is all that I require
Won't You let me love You more this is my deepest heart's desire
Won't You let me love You more still more and more
You could give to me the gift of walking on water
maybe I will raise the dead
I have one life to live all I have to give to You is love
I have one life to live all I have to give to You is love
If I never walk on water if I never see the miracles
if I never hear your voice so loud
Just knowing that You love me is enough to keep me here
Just hearing those words is enough is enough to satisfy
You do You do You satisfy I couldn't leave even if a tried
I must have You I must have You
When it's been said and when it's all been done
When the race is run it all comes to love
this is a neat article i found the today, very sober view of community.
In the past few years, the word “community” has replaced “fellowship”
as a favorite Christian buzzword. We use it all the time, especially in
our churches. We know we probably need itâ€"especially since we're always
talking about it. But what is it? Friendship? Potlucks? Sharing a
common purse? Letting people see who you really are? Where does it
happen: just inside the church, in our neighborhoods or wherever we hang
out with Christian friends? And even if we figure out what community
is, how do we get this elusive commodity?
When we don't want community
Sometimes we think we don't even want it. We know true community will
require a lot of work, and we don't see the value in this romanticized
and vague concept. Communal laziness abounds in our cultureâ€"including
among Christians. Facebook wall posts are about as far as we get. We may
have Christian friends, but we never really open ourselves up to a
broader community of believers.
Sometimes, though, our apathy is not laziness. It simply hurts too
much to engage. We put in the work of transparency, confession or
ministry and don't get anything in returnâ€"or worse, we get hurt. Or
we've seen this happen to our parents and we swear we won't turn into
themâ€"the kind of person who becomes a ministry doormat. So we combat the
idealism with cynicism or lofty ideas of how church “should look.” In
reality, though, we close ourselves off because engagement is scary.
Life in the church, communal living, is hard. It takes a lot of work.
And if it doesn't, it might not be real community. True community, the
kind we see in the Acts church, goes deeper than friendship that fills
our relational buckets. It's even more particular than a common bond
with those who claim Jesus as Savior. Although there are deep shared
realities between all believersâ€"a knowledge of heaven, a filling of the
Spirit, being baptized into new lifeâ€"these realities don't necessarily
equal daily communal living with other Christians.
“The way of Jesus Christ”
Take church hunting, for example. First of all, the concept is kind
of creepy. People should hunt for birds, not faith communities. More
importantly, it implies the process is completely in our control. It
also implies church is about me: my needs, my theology, my kind of
people. We scout out the options, then point and shoot our spiritual
rifle at our destined target. It seems like God almost has nothing to do
with it.
In a church we try to find perfection, which is often the case
when faced with many options, most of them good enough. Our frame of
thinking can easily become, The preaching doesn't “feed” me,
or, The music isn't good enough or, I can't see myself
hanging out with these people. But community isn't there to meet
all our needs. It's not there to make us feel good, or “feed” us, like I
assumed. And it's never perfect.
When we realize the true nature and purpose of communityâ€"faithfulness
to Jesus and serving those in needâ€"we open ourselves to authentic
discipleship and lives that are focused outward. And ironically enough,
this is often when we experience real biblical community most.
Realizing the imperfect nature of the Church, and our tendency to
want the Churchâ€"instead of Christâ€"to fix us, are the first steps in
allowing God to heal the communal wounds that have cut us deeply, even
if those wounds are simply apathy toward community. This realization
doesn't justify those hurts; it doesn't mean forgiveness is easy, but it
forms us into people who know what community in the Church can offer: a
chance to live in the best way, in transparent communion with Christ
and one another.
Taking off our shoes
The hardest part about this confessional, transparent way of living
is the fear of shame or hurt. Because the Church is just a bunch of
people, itâ€"or theyâ€"might hurt us, even if the purpose of this group is
especially holy and God-ordained.
The Church can't fix us, but being in the Church is really the only
place there is for a Christian to examine and heal from those
misunderstanding and wounds, that rejection of community. God's deepest work in us is to teach us how to love. And love doesn't
mean much until it's tested by someone who is cranky, narrow-minded,
bigoted, critical and harsh.
Wonderful and awkward, fumbling and flawed, this is the Body of Christ. The body of Christ, faulty as it may be, is
part of what it means to walk with Christ. He never promises this path
will be easy or won't hurt, but He does always promise resurrection,
even amongst the most broken situations. To let community in is to open
ourselves to the fullest life and communion Jesus offers when He calls
us to Himself.
People who live in a kingdom, live for the king. If the king is a
good king, they can fully give their lives to the king and the kingdom,
trusting that their king will take great care of them. If the king is a
bad king, the people can put no trust in him, and will at some point
probably over throw him.
If you are living your life for
yourself, you have made yourself king over your life. If that's the
case, you need to ask yourself, "Am I a good king?" Or better yet, ask
yourself, "Am I the best king?"
In my experience, in times
where I was living for myself and making decisions on my own apart from
God, I have always found that I am not the best king. I don't make the
best decisions. I don't take very good care of myself. I don't act
out of wisdom. I don't make choices that bring me LIFE, I make sinful
choices that bring me DEATH. I find that in my search for freedom I
actually forfeit the TRUE freedom that Christ, the One TRUE King, has
already freely given me.
In my experience allowing Jesus
Christ to be the King of my life, I have found that He truly is the BEST
King! He shows me how to act wisely, and make the best decisions. He
takes great care of me. He shows me the choices that will bring me the
most life, and gives me the freedom to decide for myself. He is a King
who has adopted me as His very own son. His love towards me is
astounding! His plans for my life are plans to prosper me and not to
harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.
My King
fights for me. He is relentless in pursuing me. He has never left me
nor forsaken me, and He never will. My King has never let me down. My
king is always there for me, and always ready to speak with me. I don't
need to make an appointment to see Him. I don't need to call His
secretary in order to get a message to Him, I can call Him directly!
My
King always provides for me. My King desires for me to have life and
have an abundant life. My King heals me. My King delivers me. My King
lays down His life for me. My King actually came to serve me. My King
sets the best example for me to follow, and there is no one else in
this world including myself, who I would rather follow.
If you are tired of following a
king that comes short of the Greatness of King Jesus, you should
probably just go follow King Jesus .... caaaaaause He is AWESOME!
written by Mike Sanders! check out his blog site here.
Lately I have been very burdened for the men of the church. While I was overseas, my brothers told me they learned what an influence they have on women. Of the 13 guys I ministered with, I would dare to say none of them knew the power of their words until being constantly surrounded by women. Not just any women, but women that called them to greatness.
Men, your words have so much value and impact on the women in your lives. You are looked up to by women, whether you know it or not. Your words carry weight and are valued by women. The bible says that we bring life or death with our words.
Are the words you speak life or death? Do they give hope or
discouragement? Since
we are held responsible for every word we speak, I think we better
listen
very carefully to what we are saying, not just to our brothers and sisters, but also
to
ourselves. Notice what Jesus said: "But I say unto you, That every
idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned" (Mt.12:36-37). Let us look at the words, justified
and
condemned a little more closely. By being Justified --
we are
being freed from all blame, we are without guilt and we are shown or
proven to
be right. Condemned means -- to be pronounced unfit for use,
guilty. By
our own words we can be free from blame and without guilt, or we can
pronounce
ourselves guilty and unfit for the use of God. If it is the Word of God
-- it is
Life, it is freedom. If it is ourselves speaking -- it is death, and
words of
death will destroy, kill everyone that hears us; and not only they who
hear us,
but ourselves as well. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life
are in
the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit
thereof."
So what do we love -- Life or
death? What
are we eating, and what are we 'living' on? Is it Life or Death? It is
one or
the other.
When someone speaks negative things to you, you feel as if you have dies on the inside, you wilt but when a gentle or loving word is spoken, you bloom like a flower and come alive.
Men, please never say negative things to your daughters or wives about their appearance, it only crushes them and then they have no hope to try to look any better, they feel unloved. however, when correction is brought with love, people want to change and a healthy conviction is brought about.
You have the power to change. The power that rose Christ from the dead lives in you!
Romans 8: 9-11 9You, however, are
controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of
God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he
does not belong to Christ. 10But
if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit
is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from
the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Hello my friend
I remember when you were
So alive with your wide eyes
Then the light that you had in your heart was stolen
Now you say that it ain't worth staying
You wanna run but you're hesitating
I'm talking to me
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found
So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
There's a girl on the streets, she's crying
There's a man whose faith is dying
Love is calling you
Why do we go with the flow
Why take an easier road?
Why are we playing it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take
I'm moving out of the gray
So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
This song really speaks to me daily. I never take full advantage of all
the ways I could minister. Each day, each moment is a chance to share
the "good news" of Jesus Christ! I wonder if we truly believe that our
redemption and salvation story is good news...If so, why aren't we
sharing it? Let's live today for something bigger than ourselves, let's
be blessed by sharing this love that burns inside each of us! I love each of you dearly!
Jesus once called a group of onlookers hypocrites because they could
discern the weather but couldn't discern the times. It's apparent why
Jesus would prefer people to recognize the times (spiritual climate and
seasons) over natural weather conditions-but it's not quite so apparent
why He would consider them hypocrites if they didn't.
Many of us
have thought that the ability to see into the spiritual realm is more
the result of a special gift than a personal responsibility for
everyone. Jesus addressed this charge to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The very fact that they, of all people, were required to see is evidence
enough that everyone has been given this ability. They became blind to
His domain because of their own corrupted hearts and were judged for
their unfulfilled potentials. The born again experience enables us to
see from the heart. A heart that doesn't see is considered a hard heart.
Faith was never intended simply to get us into the family. It is what
makes the life in this family enjoyable. Faith sees. It brings His
kingdom and its resources into focus. They are accessible by faith.
Jesus commanded us to "Seek first the kingdom of God. . ." Paul said,
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." He also
stated, "For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal." The Bible clearly instructs us to turn
our attention towards the invisible. This theme is repeated enough in
scripture to make most of us from this Western culture quite nervous. We
tend to prefer the material world. Yet, herein lies the secret to much
of the supernatural realm that we want restored in the church. Jesus
told us that He only did what He saw His Father do. Such an insight is
vital for those who want more. The power of His actions (i.e. the mud in
the eye of the blind) is rooted in His ability to see.
God is
very committed to teaching us how to see. To make this possible He gave
us the Holy Spirit as a tutor. The curriculum that He uses is quite
varied. But the one class we all qualify for is the greatest of all
Christian privileges-worship.
Learning how to see is not the
purpose for our worship, but it is a wonderful byproduct. Those who
worship in spirit and truth learn to follow the Holy Spirit's lead. His
realm is called the Kingdom of God. The throne of God, which becomes
established upon the praises of His people, is the center of that
kingdom. It's in the environment of worship that we learn things that go
way beyond what our intellect can embrace. David was so affected by
this that all His other exploits pale in comparison to his abandoned
heart for God. We know that he learned to see into God's realm because
of statements like, "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is
at my right hand I shall not be moved" (Psalms 16:8). The Presence of
God affected His seeing. He constantly practiced recognizing God's
Presence. He saw God daily, not with the natural eyes, but with the eyes
of the heart.
The privilege of worship is a good beginning place
for those unaccustomed to addressing some of these kinds of themes
found in scripture. In worship we can learn to pay attention to this
God-given gift-the ability to see with the heart. As we learn to worship
with purity of heart, our eyes will continue to open. And we can expect
to see what He wants us to see.
I have been home for 25 days now. This time has not
been at all what I expected. I thought I would rest for about a week,
spend time with my family, and then hit the ground running. God had
other plans : ) I have been looking for a job for about 3 weeks now
without any success. The ministry that I am supposed to be working for,
seems its going to take a lot longer to get off of the ground than I
thought. So basically, after a year of non-stop adventure and being
surrounded by like-minded, God-fearing people for 24 hours a day, I have
resulted to no community, no transportation, no phone, and no job. Why
is this happening, I thought, God has the power to open even the most
impossible doors. Doesn't He want me to progress? As I sat there
listening, He said to me, "The wind blows from the north. This will make
sense to you soon." A few days later I was reading My Utmost for His
Highest and I came across this sentence: "Fancy bringing about him a
north wind that froze him and turned him away discouraged!"
That's it...He is doing this on purpose, He has me completely frozen. I
can't move to the right, to the left, or forward. For someone like me,
who is very social and active, this is the ultimate annihilation of any
rights to myself. No wonder I feel like I'm dying. I opened up Psalm 23,
and began to see if with a fresh pair of eyes. We all know the
traditional Psalm, but this is what it was really saying to me about the
character of God: He guides me, He supplies my every need
in abundance, He gives me rest (even when I feel I
don't want it, hahahaha!) He gives me peace, He restores my soul, He
never leads me astray (He does it mainly for Himself because He loves me
so much, and He can't bear me going in the wrong direction), He
protects me and promises that no harm shall befall me, He plunders
darkness and gives me their riches, He anoints my head with oil-my
portion is the oil of joy (everyday), Goodness and love
follow me all the days of my life-I can call on these things daily,
and nothing can or will seperate me from His love. So if this is who
God is then He is doing this for my benefit. Today I choose to embrace
this time of stillness instead of fighting it tooth and nail. Everday it
seems like I am faced with more impossible things, for example, I still
have a deficit of $1,555 for my mission trip, and the payment needs to
be made in full by October 15th. (If you feel a tug on your heart to
help and would like to make a donation, please click on the "support me"
tab to the left of this page. Thank you so much for your prayers and
support. I wish words could express how much it really impacts my life.)
However, I know who my Father is and I know He will supply all of my
needs according to HIS riches and glory! Not because He
has to, but because He wants to, because that's what He is like : )
her blog is here: http://melinaorengo.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-wind-blows-from-the-north
“The Doctrine of justification by faithâ€"a biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effortâ€"has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such a manner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Academic ego. Christ may be “received” without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. This man is “saved,” but he is neither hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact, he is specifically taught to be satisfied and is encouraged to be content with little. God is a person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feel, loves, desires, and suffers as any other person may. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed man is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion. The relationship between God and the soul is known to us in conscious personal awareness. It is known to the individual and it is conscious: it does not stay below the threshold of consciousness and work there unknown to the soul.'”
We must realize that the mundane Christian lives we lead need no longer be that way. In John 15, Jesus says that He no longer calls us servant, but instead calls us friend. He knows every thought you think and everything about you, but he longs for you to open up to him and share your heart and deepest desires and thoughts with Him. He wants to get to know you as a friend. We are also his bride and He is our Father. I was listening to a song the other day that caused me to examine my relationship with the father:
Does not a son know his father's heart? Does not a bride, know her husband's eyes? Don't best friends tell each other secrets?
The thought of the things I keep from God was very sobering in that moment. I have been seeking intimacy with the Father but have been missing something. I want to be able to love Him better and love Him more. I want to actively respond to His pursuit of my heart.
We have been “rescued by love's hands. Forged by fire, not cheaply made. This love he has for you cannot be slain!”
