Chapter 5 -- Seven Realities of Experiencing God provides a summary of what the author will speak of in the next chapters. I won't say much about this chapter since it will be covered more thoroughly later. One thing worth mentioning is the three similarities noted concerning the men and women God used in the Bible.
1. When God spoke, they knew it was God.
2. They knew what God was saying.
3. They knew what they were to do in response.
Chapter 6 -- God Is At Work Around You
I absolutely love how God is speaking to my heart through this book! The author reminds us that God didn't create the world and then leave it alone never involving Himself. I didn't doubt that as I see it evidenced in the Bible and in my own life. God is at work redeeming the world, and His desires is to use His people to do that task. He wants us to be His hands and feet, so to speak. What a privilege to work with the Father in such a glorious task! He doesn't send us off alone to do this job because He knows more than we do that we accomplish nothing on our own! He works through us and equips us with the gift of Himself ... wow!
Jesus recognized this when He stated in John 5 that He did nothing on His own, and that the Father worked through Him. He even summed it up by saying "I and my Father are one."
Instead of trying to do a task that seems good to us and then pray that God will bless it, we should see where God is working, where He is blessing and yield to Him as He works through us.
Another wonderful thing -- God is working all around me and in my life, but, sadly, God's people don't always recognize it. We may have a deep longing to experience Him, but we don't recognize that we are already experiencing Him day after day. I hope to learn how to recognize God at work in my life! The author reminds us to make the love relationship with God our priority. We often look for an assignment and bypass the love relationship. It is only by abiding in Jesus that we have the power and ability to do the assignment!
Instead of trying to identify our spiritual gifts so we can find suitable assignments, we should ask God for the assignment and then wait for HIM to do the task through us. So, in essence, the spiritual gift is the Holy Spirit. This is shown in the life of Moses. God gave him an assignment. Moses thought, "I don't have the gift of speaking," but what did God say, "Have I not created your mouth...I will speak for you!" Praise the Lord! What He asks me to do, He will equip me to do it. I don't have to go about wondering what is my spiritual gift and then find my own tasks to do in order to build the kingdom of God. I just need to focus on abiding in the Vine and the Vine will bear much fruit through my life!
Wow! How true it is ... where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Experiencing God -- chapter 4
Being God's Servant
Jesus is our example and He came to serve others and to give His life for our salvation. To be involved in God's work, we must be servants. Our human idea of a servant is that the servant asks, "Master, what do you want me to do?" And then the servant goes off by himself and does the assigned tasks. Being a servant of God is different. Instead of working for a master, God works through His servants. Remember Jesus' words were "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men," not "go there by yourself and see how many men you can get to follow me." God works through us and with us.
The author likes to think of us as the Potter and clay illustrated in Jeremiah 18. "To be useful the clay has to be moldable, and once made into a vessel it has to remain in the hand of the potter to be used." If we aren't moldable and flexible, we are useless clay. If we are formed into a cup for instance, but then do not remain in the Potter's hand and Him to use us (the cup) as He pleases, what good are we and what purpose do we have?
God uses ordinary people. Elijah was an ordinary person, but he humbled himself and was moldable and God used him greatly. Anyone who will take the time to enter into an intimate relationship with God can see God do ordinary things through his or her life. (see Acts 4:13 -- the people marveled because they realized Peter and John had been with Jesus.)
"When you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have said about yourself. You have said that God is not capable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is, He is able to do anything He pleases with one ordinary person fully consecrated to Him." ---- WOW!!!!!!! What a wonderful thought!
"If you feel weak, limited, ordinary, you are the best material through which God can work!" -- see I Corinthians 1:26-31 -- God uses the weak and despised things because it is from them that He can get the greatest glory.)
I recognize that I can do nothing, but God can do anything. I want to be an ordinary person used by God to accomplish whatever He wants to do for His glory.
What a wonderful lesson!
Jesus is our example and He came to serve others and to give His life for our salvation. To be involved in God's work, we must be servants. Our human idea of a servant is that the servant asks, "Master, what do you want me to do?" And then the servant goes off by himself and does the assigned tasks. Being a servant of God is different. Instead of working for a master, God works through His servants. Remember Jesus' words were "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men," not "go there by yourself and see how many men you can get to follow me." God works through us and with us.
The author likes to think of us as the Potter and clay illustrated in Jeremiah 18. "To be useful the clay has to be moldable, and once made into a vessel it has to remain in the hand of the potter to be used." If we aren't moldable and flexible, we are useless clay. If we are formed into a cup for instance, but then do not remain in the Potter's hand and Him to use us (the cup) as He pleases, what good are we and what purpose do we have?
God uses ordinary people. Elijah was an ordinary person, but he humbled himself and was moldable and God used him greatly. Anyone who will take the time to enter into an intimate relationship with God can see God do ordinary things through his or her life. (see Acts 4:13 -- the people marveled because they realized Peter and John had been with Jesus.)
"When you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have said about yourself. You have said that God is not capable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is, He is able to do anything He pleases with one ordinary person fully consecrated to Him." ---- WOW!!!!!!! What a wonderful thought!
"If you feel weak, limited, ordinary, you are the best material through which God can work!" -- see I Corinthians 1:26-31 -- God uses the weak and despised things because it is from them that He can get the greatest glory.)
I recognize that I can do nothing, but God can do anything. I want to be an ordinary person used by God to accomplish whatever He wants to do for His glory.
What a wonderful lesson!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Experiencing God -- chapter 3
This was the best picture I had of a branch bearing fruit. :-)
Doing God's Will -- Incredible chapter that spoke directly to some current questions that I have!
Instead of concerning myself with "What is God's will for my life?" which focuses the attention on myself, I need to ask "What is God's will?" God is doing things in the world, and I need to become involved in what HE is doing.
In reviewing examples from the Bible, we see that God does not always provide detailed instructions initially on what He wants people to do. (See Abram's story in Genesis 12:1-5 as an example.) Instead He wants us to walk with Him in a relationship -- day by day, hour by hour. Jesus simply told His disciples "Follow me" and He made those fishermen into "fishers of men."
The relationship with God must come first. Jesus said in John 15,
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
a·bide
[uh-bahyd]| 1. | to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me. |
| 2. | to have one's abode; dwell; reside: to abide in a small Scottish village. |
| 3. | to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.; last. |
So really all I need to do is abide in Him ... every day, every hour.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
Instead of trying to figure out what to do, where to go and what steps to take, I should abide in Jesus and let Him produce fruit in me in His timing.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Experiencing God - chapters 1 & 2
This year I have been posting a bit about books I have read in order to remember what each of them taught me. Last night I started a book that has been around for several years, but one that I never chose to read until now. It's called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King. It says "How to live the full adventure of knowing and doing the will of God." Sounds like exactly what I need!
Instead of waiting until I read the entire book to post lessons learned, I may post after every chapter or two so I can keep straight some of the things that stood out to me. I finished the first two chapters and wanted to reflect on them now.
Chapter 1
Knowing God By Experience
The authors say that we don't come to know God until He reveals Himself to us. Just as God was not called "The Lord Will Provide" until He provided a ram for Abraham so he wouldn't have to sacrifice Isaac, we don't really know God as "Comforter in sorrow" until He has comforted us in times of grief. In other words, we know God in a relationship, not just a name. He's not some abstract name, but REAL to us. He "reveals Himself with purpose," and "The Scripture is a record of God's revelation of Himself to man. Each of the many names of God is a part of that revelation."
There are many names and descriptions of God in the Bible and "to focus your attention on His name is to focus attention on the God of the name." The authors present us with a list of some of God's names, and I want to pick out a few that are real to me about God because He has revealed Himself to me in these ways.
Chapter 2
Knowing God's Nature and His Will
1. God is love; His will is always best.
2. God is all-knowing; His directions are always right.
3. God is all-powerful; He can enable you to accomplish His will.
Things that spoke to me. God's very nature is love. Nothing He does is apart from His love. Even when He disciplines us for disobedience, it is because of His love. I only have to look at the awfulness of the cross to see how much God loves me.
God's commands are for my good. Since I know He loves me, I can safely trust in the plans He has for me. God wants me to have life and have it abundantly! No need to go through life "under the circumstances." I can be more than a conqueror because of God's great love and His will for me!
God enables me to do His will. I don't have to look at myself and see how unqualified I am. God qualifies the called, and He wants to work through me. I am not to do things for me and in my power so it is fine that I am weak and not very talented or knowledgeable. If I am yielded to God, HE can do great things through me. Moses told God that he was not a good enough speaker to go in front of Pharoah. God's reply was that HE made Moses' mouth, HE knew Moses' limitations, but HE would be the One Who spoke through Moses. This gives me hope! Whatever God calls me to do, I can do it through Him.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
I should not lean on my own understanding, but trust in the Lord! I can rest in the fact that He loves me, He calls me according to His will and what He calls me to do, He will enable me to do through Himself.
Instead of waiting until I read the entire book to post lessons learned, I may post after every chapter or two so I can keep straight some of the things that stood out to me. I finished the first two chapters and wanted to reflect on them now.
Chapter 1
Knowing God By Experience
The authors say that we don't come to know God until He reveals Himself to us. Just as God was not called "The Lord Will Provide" until He provided a ram for Abraham so he wouldn't have to sacrifice Isaac, we don't really know God as "Comforter in sorrow" until He has comforted us in times of grief. In other words, we know God in a relationship, not just a name. He's not some abstract name, but REAL to us. He "reveals Himself with purpose," and "The Scripture is a record of God's revelation of Himself to man. Each of the many names of God is a part of that revelation."
There are many names and descriptions of God in the Bible and "to focus your attention on His name is to focus attention on the God of the name." The authors present us with a list of some of God's names, and I want to pick out a few that are real to me about God because He has revealed Himself to me in these ways.
- Comforter in Sorrow
- my hope
- our Father
- a sure foundation
- God of all comfort
- Prince of Peace
- my stronghold
- refuge and strength
- my help
- my song
- my salvation
Chapter 2
Knowing God's Nature and His Will
1. God is love; His will is always best.
2. God is all-knowing; His directions are always right.
3. God is all-powerful; He can enable you to accomplish His will.
Things that spoke to me. God's very nature is love. Nothing He does is apart from His love. Even when He disciplines us for disobedience, it is because of His love. I only have to look at the awfulness of the cross to see how much God loves me.
God's commands are for my good. Since I know He loves me, I can safely trust in the plans He has for me. God wants me to have life and have it abundantly! No need to go through life "under the circumstances." I can be more than a conqueror because of God's great love and His will for me!
God enables me to do His will. I don't have to look at myself and see how unqualified I am. God qualifies the called, and He wants to work through me. I am not to do things for me and in my power so it is fine that I am weak and not very talented or knowledgeable. If I am yielded to God, HE can do great things through me. Moses told God that he was not a good enough speaker to go in front of Pharoah. God's reply was that HE made Moses' mouth, HE knew Moses' limitations, but HE would be the One Who spoke through Moses. This gives me hope! Whatever God calls me to do, I can do it through Him.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
I should not lean on my own understanding, but trust in the Lord! I can rest in the fact that He loves me, He calls me according to His will and what He calls me to do, He will enable me to do through Himself.
On the Lighter Side
Here are a few things I wrote to some friends. I thought I'd post them here in order to remember them.
On Tuesday my sister was asked to substitute where my mom works so I was at Michael's house all day. It was fun. I was his teacher and when I said I would leave cursive "b" for his mom to teach him later, he said with enthusiasm "Why, Susie? You're doing a great job!" He was really so sweet that day. We went out in the morning and I walked while he rode his bike beside me. He talked the whole time about various things particularly Indiana Jones. :-)
Monday night one of our church friends had us and 4 other couples over for a Labor Day gathering. We had BBQ, slaw, potato salad, shrimp, chicken, corn on the cob and corn off the cob (for those with braces...Kevin's son), garlic bread and homemade ice cream. It was great! One of the couples is a young, newly-married couple, Amy and Matt. They are about 20 or so and are English-teachers/missionaries in Pakistan. I had a great time hearing stories from them about living there. Amy was so enthusiastic about the people. I could tell she really loved them except for the men who are always staring. She even wears the hijab in order to blend in with the locals, but the men stare. I'm talking coming up to your car while it's stopped in traffic and peering in the window. :-)
Ohhhh, Gina mentioning The Dark Knight reminded me. Last Friday Michael spent the night with his friend from church so Steph and Will took advantage of the free evening and went to see TDK. On Sunday they were telling us a bit about it and Michael piped up, "I'm getting that movie when I'm 18. Dad said he would buy it for me then since it's not suitable for children." Struck me funny that Michael is anticipating owning that movie over 11 years from now when he is 18! Ha!
Also this past week I finished a book that contained short stories and recollections of life and history in Alamance County according to Mary Louise Mason who was born in 1912. It is called Mary Louise's Opus and it was edited by Corinne Bivins and Gail Nelson. I know Gail from the gym, and she gave me a copy of the book. She wrote inside "To Suzanne, my beautiful friend. I hope you enjoy this little history book. Blessings, Gail 8/08." It was an enjoyable book. Mary Louise is definitely witty! I actually laughed out loud at some of her tales! Great "light" reading for the evenings. I especially loved when her grandson went to Cherokee, NC expecting to see the Indians dressed as they are in western movies. He commented with disappointment that the Indians had become too "Americanized." Ha, ha, ha!
Today I woke up to rain and wind from Tropical Storm Hanna. She left us 4.5 inches of rain -- yippee! Last Wednesday, Fay's remnants gave us over 6 inches so we are happy about the much-needed rain! Thank You, God!
On Tuesday my sister was asked to substitute where my mom works so I was at Michael's house all day. It was fun. I was his teacher and when I said I would leave cursive "b" for his mom to teach him later, he said with enthusiasm "Why, Susie? You're doing a great job!" He was really so sweet that day. We went out in the morning and I walked while he rode his bike beside me. He talked the whole time about various things particularly Indiana Jones. :-)
Monday night one of our church friends had us and 4 other couples over for a Labor Day gathering. We had BBQ, slaw, potato salad, shrimp, chicken, corn on the cob and corn off the cob (for those with braces...Kevin's son), garlic bread and homemade ice cream. It was great! One of the couples is a young, newly-married couple, Amy and Matt. They are about 20 or so and are English-teachers/missionaries in Pakistan. I had a great time hearing stories from them about living there. Amy was so enthusiastic about the people. I could tell she really loved them except for the men who are always staring. She even wears the hijab in order to blend in with the locals, but the men stare. I'm talking coming up to your car while it's stopped in traffic and peering in the window. :-)
Ohhhh, Gina mentioning The Dark Knight reminded me. Last Friday Michael spent the night with his friend from church so Steph and Will took advantage of the free evening and went to see TDK. On Sunday they were telling us a bit about it and Michael piped up, "I'm getting that movie when I'm 18. Dad said he would buy it for me then since it's not suitable for children." Struck me funny that Michael is anticipating owning that movie over 11 years from now when he is 18! Ha!
Also this past week I finished a book that contained short stories and recollections of life and history in Alamance County according to Mary Louise Mason who was born in 1912. It is called Mary Louise's Opus and it was edited by Corinne Bivins and Gail Nelson. I know Gail from the gym, and she gave me a copy of the book. She wrote inside "To Suzanne, my beautiful friend. I hope you enjoy this little history book. Blessings, Gail 8/08." It was an enjoyable book. Mary Louise is definitely witty! I actually laughed out loud at some of her tales! Great "light" reading for the evenings. I especially loved when her grandson went to Cherokee, NC expecting to see the Indians dressed as they are in western movies. He commented with disappointment that the Indians had become too "Americanized." Ha, ha, ha!
Today I woke up to rain and wind from Tropical Storm Hanna. She left us 4.5 inches of rain -- yippee! Last Wednesday, Fay's remnants gave us over 6 inches so we are happy about the much-needed rain! Thank You, God!
Tears
What a week! Many joyful hours, but also some sad ones. But isn't that life? Highs and lows. Sometimes I feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster...wheeeee! Hang on for the ride!
Just a few days ago in my post about The Attentive Life, I copied something the author wrote about tears. I only want to post a small portion of that again here because it is something that seems fitting in my life right now. And, hey, this is my blog so I can repeat myself as much as I want, right? ;-)
Ahhh, I do feel as if God is puncturing my heart, but I have a hard time being grateful for tears. I always seem to cry too easily, but is desiring a harder, not-as-easily-concerned heart better? Hmmm.
Helpful verses this week encouraged me to keep things in proper perspective.
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
II Peter 3
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Mark 16
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
In closing, I want to offer this prayer of thanks to God ...
Thank You for breaking my heart so that You can pour Your love into me. Please use me so You can love others through me. I want to be a willing vessel even if that means more puncturing and more tears. It will be worth it in the end. Thank You for the hope I find in You!
Psalm 126
5 Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Just a few days ago in my post about The Attentive Life, I copied something the author wrote about tears. I only want to post a small portion of that again here because it is something that seems fitting in my life right now. And, hey, this is my blog so I can repeat myself as much as I want, right? ;-)
The old spiritual teachers used to say that it is very important to pay attention to our tears. Athanasius prized "the gift of tears" as the outward sign of God's puncturing of our heart. Deborah Smith Douglas recalls hearing a wise priest say that we should be grateful for whatever breaks our heart: "Reflecting on God's promise to write 'upon' our hearts, rather than 'within' them, he suggested that our own hearts are so hard that all God can do is write upon the surface (Jeremiah 31:33). It is only when our hearts break, that they break open: then the word of God can enter deeply, like a seed in a harrowed field."
Ahhh, I do feel as if God is puncturing my heart, but I have a hard time being grateful for tears. I always seem to cry too easily, but is desiring a harder, not-as-easily-concerned heart better? Hmmm.
Helpful verses this week encouraged me to keep things in proper perspective.
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
II Peter 3
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Mark 16
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
In closing, I want to offer this prayer of thanks to God ...
Thank You for breaking my heart so that You can pour Your love into me. Please use me so You can love others through me. I want to be a willing vessel even if that means more puncturing and more tears. It will be worth it in the end. Thank You for the hope I find in You!
Psalm 126
5 Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Faith, Attentive Life, Called to Die (book reviews)
The Faith by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett is a book seeking to answer the questions about "what Christians believe, why they believe it and why it matters. The authors note
"Christians must see that the faith is more than a religion or even a relationship with Jesus; the faith is a complete view of the world and humankind's place in it. Christianity is a worldview that speaks to every area of life, and its foundational doctrines define its content. If we don't know what we believe -- even what Christianity is -- how can we live it and defend it? Our ignorance is crippling us."
Charles Colson argues that the truth "is the faith given once (Jude 3) and shared by all true Christians from the apostolic era to today."
This books covers topics such as God Is, He Has Spoken, Truth, The Invasion (God became flesh and invaded our world), God Above, God Beside, God Within, Exchanging Identities, Reconciliation, Be Holy - Transform the World, The Sanctity of Life, The Joy of Orthodoxy and more. I enjoyed the examples and stories shared including the Amish community in Nickel Mines, PA, Speratus from North Africa in AD 180, the Chinese house church movement, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jesus Amado Sarria, Theo van Gogh, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Mohammed Bouyeri.
A few things that I made note of include the following:
The Trinity "answers the deepest needs of the human heart, offering a depth of spirituality unknown in any other religion." The authors state, "The Creator God of Christianity is not a distant, unapproachable, judging God as in Islam. Neither is God so diffuse within creation as in Eastern religion that God cannot be found. The Father is close beside us in the Son, as we encounter this God in the person of Jesus: 'God with a human face,' as Pope Benedict likes to say. Further, through the power of the Holy Spirit this God comes to dwell within us -- God gives us His life. The Holy Spirit enables us to live out God's will with its heroic demands." (pg. 104)
Concerning time -- "As Christians we do not need to live oppressed by the ticking clock -- the tyranny of the urgent. Life's value doesn't depend upon where we are in time; whether we are young,middle aged or old. We see life, all of life and all of the time that God created for us, as a gift. The greatest time of our life, then, may occur at any point in our lives. Maybe the most important insight we'll ever have or the greatest contribution we'll ever make is in our dying words or in a youthful experience of learning. Maybe it will come during our most productive years. But the point is we are not restricted. Each moment of life is a gift open to the possibility of eternity, and so what we do now matters for eternity. The gift of time enables us to prepare ourselves for an everlasting relationship with God. This is what gives significance to every one of our actions." (pg. 109)
"In Beijing, an American journalist recently encountered one of China's foremost scholars, a man who had spent long years studying the West. His colleagues and he had investigated the reasons for the West's success and preeminence, examining our history, politics, economics and culture. Their first conclusion was the West's success was due to its more advanced military; later they believed it might have been the political system; or perhaps the economic system. But 'in the past twenty years,' one investigator said, 'we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West has been so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don't have any doubt about this.'" (pg. 215)
"The orthodox Christian faith is the one source that can renew culture because it relies on a wisdom far beyond humankind's own that can yet be known by reason. It constantly calls people to the practice of virtue and charity guided by this greater wisdom." (pg. 224)
"Chesterton explains why Christians are change agents. There are, he says, optimists and pessimists in the world. The optimists are always trying to do good things, and the pessimists are always wringing their hands in despair. But the Christian, he argues, is the only one with a balanced view -- a pessimist because he knows that this is a fallen world and things do need fixing, but an optimist because he knows that God is all powerful and in charge and that all things therefore can be fixed." (pg. 225)
"Christianity does not seek to impose, it proposes. The Gospel is the great proposal: Come to the wedding feast, one and all -- black, white, rich, poor, East, West, Muslim, Jew, Christian -- all are welcome, and it's never too late. God turns no man or woman away, not one. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Father brings us into His Kingdom. This is the promise He holds out to individuals and nations alike, a Kingdom not of eating and drinking or of marching armies and clashing swords, but a Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (pg. 225)
In closing, I want to make note of a verse that the Mr. Colson uses in his prison ministry. It was taken from Jesus' message in the Nazareth synagogue as he read from Isaiah's scroll: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18,19 & Isaiah 61:1,2).
The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford caused me to ponder many things. In defining attentiveness, he said it "may be just the opposite of ' fixing our attention.' Instead it involves a letting go of our usual need to control, an opening of ourselves to what we are being told or shown. Our instinct is to hold on." This book was one you had to read slowly and with care. Things that stood out to me include the following:
* This quote from French philosopher Emile Caillet's account of his own discovery of the Bible as "the book that understood me." (pg. 73)
* A prayer from the Bible,
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God ...
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:1-2,4-5 NIV)
* This quote from Henri Nouwen about prayer
* Robert Llewelyn wrote about the "'constancy of God's love. No power in heaven or on earth - and that includes sin -- can stop God loving us.' When we fall into sin, said Julian, it may seem that God is angry with us, but actually we are often projecting our own disappointment onto God. The truth is that God is present with his forgiveness whether we choose to take it or not." (pg. 128)
* Something about Mother Teresa: '"We do our work for Jesus and with Jesus and to Jesus,' ... ' and that's what keeps it simple. It's not a matter of praying some times and working others. We pray the work.' She also told us how she and the other sisters sought to see Christ in the face of each one they served." (pg. 132)
* From Hwee Hwee Tan -- "That's the profound truth: you are what your mind looks at. You are what you contemplate." (pg. 199)
* "The destination is Christlikeness. The wonder is not only that we will be like him, but that when we are like him we will most truly be ourselves." (pg. 203)
* "Love is seeking us, the only Love that redeems time, that takes the fragments of what is past and the hope of what is coming and binds them together in the 'love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.' That love is reaching out even now, calling us to our heart's true home." (pg. 204)
* Paying attention to our tears
Called to Die by Steve Estes is a book I received from The Voice of the Martyrs and is the story of American linguist Chet Bitterman who died at the hands of a terrorist group in Colombia after being held hostage for many days. The terrorists wanted the linguistics missionaries to leave Colombia because they said the Westerners were trying to destroy the native cultures. When the linguistics institute refused to meet their demands, they killed Chet. I especially enjoyed the talk of called to missions (pg. 83-85-- instead of asking "why go?" it changed to "why not go?"), and the story of how Wycliffe Translators was born (p.89 "if your God is so great, why doesn't He speak our language?" -- from a bilingual Cakchiquel), and also the responses to Chet's murder (pg. 251 -- "The guerrillas had intended to oust the translators; instead, they entrenched them. Almost a decade of negative press gave way to supportive editorials. ... Strangers embraced Al in the streets, tearful and smiling. 'I saw you on television,' they would say. 'We're glad you stayed.'" In the US people stepped up to fill the ranks and applications for overseas service with Wycliffe Bible Translators doubled and this trend has continued.) What M-19 guerrillas meant for evil, God meant for good.
Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
"Christians must see that the faith is more than a religion or even a relationship with Jesus; the faith is a complete view of the world and humankind's place in it. Christianity is a worldview that speaks to every area of life, and its foundational doctrines define its content. If we don't know what we believe -- even what Christianity is -- how can we live it and defend it? Our ignorance is crippling us."
Charles Colson argues that the truth "is the faith given once (Jude 3) and shared by all true Christians from the apostolic era to today."
This books covers topics such as God Is, He Has Spoken, Truth, The Invasion (God became flesh and invaded our world), God Above, God Beside, God Within, Exchanging Identities, Reconciliation, Be Holy - Transform the World, The Sanctity of Life, The Joy of Orthodoxy and more. I enjoyed the examples and stories shared including the Amish community in Nickel Mines, PA, Speratus from North Africa in AD 180, the Chinese house church movement, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jesus Amado Sarria, Theo van Gogh, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Mohammed Bouyeri.
A few things that I made note of include the following:
The Trinity "answers the deepest needs of the human heart, offering a depth of spirituality unknown in any other religion." The authors state, "The Creator God of Christianity is not a distant, unapproachable, judging God as in Islam. Neither is God so diffuse within creation as in Eastern religion that God cannot be found. The Father is close beside us in the Son, as we encounter this God in the person of Jesus: 'God with a human face,' as Pope Benedict likes to say. Further, through the power of the Holy Spirit this God comes to dwell within us -- God gives us His life. The Holy Spirit enables us to live out God's will with its heroic demands." (pg. 104)
Concerning time -- "As Christians we do not need to live oppressed by the ticking clock -- the tyranny of the urgent. Life's value doesn't depend upon where we are in time; whether we are young,middle aged or old. We see life, all of life and all of the time that God created for us, as a gift. The greatest time of our life, then, may occur at any point in our lives. Maybe the most important insight we'll ever have or the greatest contribution we'll ever make is in our dying words or in a youthful experience of learning. Maybe it will come during our most productive years. But the point is we are not restricted. Each moment of life is a gift open to the possibility of eternity, and so what we do now matters for eternity. The gift of time enables us to prepare ourselves for an everlasting relationship with God. This is what gives significance to every one of our actions." (pg. 109)
"In Beijing, an American journalist recently encountered one of China's foremost scholars, a man who had spent long years studying the West. His colleagues and he had investigated the reasons for the West's success and preeminence, examining our history, politics, economics and culture. Their first conclusion was the West's success was due to its more advanced military; later they believed it might have been the political system; or perhaps the economic system. But 'in the past twenty years,' one investigator said, 'we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West has been so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don't have any doubt about this.'" (pg. 215)
"The orthodox Christian faith is the one source that can renew culture because it relies on a wisdom far beyond humankind's own that can yet be known by reason. It constantly calls people to the practice of virtue and charity guided by this greater wisdom." (pg. 224)
"Chesterton explains why Christians are change agents. There are, he says, optimists and pessimists in the world. The optimists are always trying to do good things, and the pessimists are always wringing their hands in despair. But the Christian, he argues, is the only one with a balanced view -- a pessimist because he knows that this is a fallen world and things do need fixing, but an optimist because he knows that God is all powerful and in charge and that all things therefore can be fixed." (pg. 225)
"Christianity does not seek to impose, it proposes. The Gospel is the great proposal: Come to the wedding feast, one and all -- black, white, rich, poor, East, West, Muslim, Jew, Christian -- all are welcome, and it's never too late. God turns no man or woman away, not one. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Father brings us into His Kingdom. This is the promise He holds out to individuals and nations alike, a Kingdom not of eating and drinking or of marching armies and clashing swords, but a Kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (pg. 225)
In closing, I want to make note of a verse that the Mr. Colson uses in his prison ministry. It was taken from Jesus' message in the Nazareth synagogue as he read from Isaiah's scroll: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18,19 & Isaiah 61:1,2).
The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford caused me to ponder many things. In defining attentiveness, he said it "may be just the opposite of ' fixing our attention.' Instead it involves a letting go of our usual need to control, an opening of ourselves to what we are being told or shown. Our instinct is to hold on." This book was one you had to read slowly and with care. Things that stood out to me include the following:
* This quote from French philosopher Emile Caillet's account of his own discovery of the Bible as "the book that understood me." (pg. 73)
* A prayer from the Bible,
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God ...
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:1-2,4-5 NIV)
* This quote from Henri Nouwen about prayer
Prayer can only become unceasing prayer when all our thoughts -- beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sorrowful or joyful -- can be thought and expressed in the presence of God ... This requires that we turn all our thoughts into conversation. The main question, therefore, is not so much what we think, but to whom we present our thoughts ... Prayer is an outward, careful attentiveness to the One who invites us to unceasing conversation. (pg. 93)
* Robert Llewelyn wrote about the "'constancy of God's love. No power in heaven or on earth - and that includes sin -- can stop God loving us.' When we fall into sin, said Julian, it may seem that God is angry with us, but actually we are often projecting our own disappointment onto God. The truth is that God is present with his forgiveness whether we choose to take it or not." (pg. 128)
* Something about Mother Teresa: '"We do our work for Jesus and with Jesus and to Jesus,' ... ' and that's what keeps it simple. It's not a matter of praying some times and working others. We pray the work.' She also told us how she and the other sisters sought to see Christ in the face of each one they served." (pg. 132)
* From Hwee Hwee Tan -- "That's the profound truth: you are what your mind looks at. You are what you contemplate." (pg. 199)
* "The destination is Christlikeness. The wonder is not only that we will be like him, but that when we are like him we will most truly be ourselves." (pg. 203)
* "Love is seeking us, the only Love that redeems time, that takes the fragments of what is past and the hope of what is coming and binds them together in the 'love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.' That love is reaching out even now, calling us to our heart's true home." (pg. 204)
* Paying attention to our tears
The old spiritual teachers used to say that it is very important to pay attention to our tears. Athanasius prized ' the gift of tears" as the outward sign of God's puncturing of our heart. Deborah Smith Douglas recalls hearing a wise priest say that we should be grateful for whatever breaks our heart: "Reflecting on God's promise to write 'upon' our hearts, rather than 'within' them, he suggested that our own hearts are so hard that all God can do is write upon the surface (Jeremiah 31:33). It is only when our hearts break, that they break open: then the word of God can enter deeply, like a seed in a harrowed field."
We should prize the gift of tears? What a hard saying that is. Yet I concur with Leon Blum: "Man has places in his heart which do not yet exist, and into them enters suffering in order that they may have existence." Looking back, I know there are in me "places of the heart" that have opened to God's presence, or to welcome the hurt of others, places that I might never have explored had it not been for the dark passages I have come through. In a very strange and mysterious way the light shone in and opened up the darkness. So when tears come, instead of avoiding them I am trying to learn to pay attention, to pause and ask: What makes these tears come? (pg. 145)
Called to Die by Steve Estes is a book I received from The Voice of the Martyrs and is the story of American linguist Chet Bitterman who died at the hands of a terrorist group in Colombia after being held hostage for many days. The terrorists wanted the linguistics missionaries to leave Colombia because they said the Westerners were trying to destroy the native cultures. When the linguistics institute refused to meet their demands, they killed Chet. I especially enjoyed the talk of called to missions (pg. 83-85-- instead of asking "why go?" it changed to "why not go?"), and the story of how Wycliffe Translators was born (p.89 "if your God is so great, why doesn't He speak our language?" -- from a bilingual Cakchiquel), and also the responses to Chet's murder (pg. 251 -- "The guerrillas had intended to oust the translators; instead, they entrenched them. Almost a decade of negative press gave way to supportive editorials. ... Strangers embraced Al in the streets, tearful and smiling. 'I saw you on television,' they would say. 'We're glad you stayed.'" In the US people stepped up to fill the ranks and applications for overseas service with Wycliffe Bible Translators doubled and this trend has continued.) What M-19 guerrillas meant for evil, God meant for good.
Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
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