Quiet Time 3

So many times I open the word of God and have no clue what to read or what I should read. I usually gauge what I am going to read by the number of times I have read a certain passage or by what I feel like I need to hear (so selfish). "Romans...nahh...don't really feel like reading about knowing what I should do and not doing it. James...don't really feel like reading about 'practical Christian living'. 1 John...I've been pretty loving lately...I feel like being encouraged. How about Philippians?" Even as selfish as I can be sometimes, God is always faithful and exposes in me something I really needed to hear, or builds up my spirit. Often times what I have found God is doing in me through his word is preparing for something to come. I'm a bit scared this week as I have been reading 1 Peter. If you haven't read through 1 Peter lately, it is all about suffering well for the sake of the gospel. I'm scared in that, God is shaping my thoughts, my emotions, and my heart for a time to come when this could be the case. I've read 1 Peter quite a few times, and as I am spending more and more time in silence with God, he continues to reveal his word to my heart in a new, exciting and scary way.

Quiet Time 2

As you might have guessed, I've already missed a couple of days-pretty pathetic. Why is that so difficult? What Christians consider the most important thing in life, the thing which we strive to give our life to, and I can't take 10 minutes out of my day to spend in thought about it! This morning I picked back up and spent my quiet time before I read-no commentaries, no podcasts, just me and the word of God. I was reminded of how precious this time is. I realized very quickly this morning that I have been so dependent on other people, commentaries, and others opinions to tell me about the words of God. This morning was so refreshing to let the Holy Spirit work in my heart and allow God to open my eyes to what he is doing in me.

Quiet Time

How often do you spend time in complete solace just listening? I think there is extreme value in this and it is something that I don't do nearly enough. This week I am going to make a much more concerted effort to turn off my cell phone, iPod, and computer and focus on listening to God this week. This is such a simple concept yet so difficult to do. One of the reasons I don't do it more often is that I am so accustomed to speaking to God and rely heavily on the words I have to say to Him. It's as if what I am going to say must be profound enough for Him to hear-as if he doesn't know what is on my heart anyway. I'm going to dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to trying this-I'll let you know how it goes.

The Big Red Tractor

What if the church actually did what we were charged with? We should stop being gaurds and start being gardeners. Let me know your thoughts on the video.

John 20

This may have been one of the most widely used passages yesterday at churches all over the world. I wanted to write a bit on it, because the story itself is so gripping. You can read it for yourself of course, but imagine the scene. Mary, sees the stone rolled away, goes to tell the others, Peter and John run to the tomb before Mary can go back, and by the time she gets back the others are gone. No matter how far away it is, she must have been exhausted from running, and overwhelmed with sorrow about what had happened. She looks into the tomb, sees and talks to two angels, and then she hears a voice. She must have looked back, and through her tears could not see who it was she was talking to, so she peers back into the tomb-hoping for some kind of answer, hoping there had been a mistake, hoping she could help the situation. And in-between her breaths of sobbing, she recognizes her savior's voice. The most comforting sound she had heard in over three days. The voice that provides the peace and comfort and safety we all long for. Wiping away her tears, her heart about to beat out of her chest, she turns with all joy and excitement and confusion and exclaims with the joy of a little child, "Teacher!". Hugging Jesus with all her might, never wanting to let go, Jesus pats her on the back and tells her she must go and tell the others-he is risen! One day, with joy of a child whose father is coming home from war, we will proclaim, "Teacher! Father!" How I long for the day when he wipes away the tears for eternity and says, "Well done faithful servant".

Confession

Fellowship with God, being closer to God, and knowing the nature of God is what we as Christians strive for. Sin is the one thing that keeps us from that. One of the only ways to deal with sin is to confess our sins to each other, sympathize with one another, and work out our salvation together with God’s help. But isn’t it ironic, that confessing our sins depends on us? In essence, the one thing that keeps us from fellowshipping with God is ourselves. However, this is one of the hardest things for us humans to do-to admit that we have something wrong. To admit, ultimately, that we are wrong. We like authority and control, and admitting that we sin and continue to struggle with sin, is admitting that we are not in control; that we cannot fix it ourselves. So, in the most basic form, sin is self-deception. We deceive ourselves into thinking that we can fix it or control it, when in reality the way in which God created us was for confession through others. If God created us for community and confession, why is this so difficult?

Wrapped Up

When I wrote those words, immediately the VBS song came to my head (If you don't know it, ask someone to demonstrate...in a very public place, I promise you it will be funny). I was studying Acts and realized they were wrapped up in something much bigger than you or I have ever experienced. That's what I long for the church to be wrapped up in again. A sense of urgency, of desperation, of absolute necessity to spread the gospel. Not only to spread the gospel, but to be sanctified through the blood of Jesus. However, we have come to a place in religion that says, "Just learn more about the Bible." Here's the deal-we have our mission, we know what to do, we know what God did, now we need to work on doing it. Like, really work on doing it. I want to be wrapped up in something so big, I actually would give my life for it. Cause if an opportunity came where I could, I'm not sure what my response would be. If the church really was "Wrapped up in Jesus", I wonder what it would like?