I've recently decided to officially accept the position of Outreach Coordinator for my church, The District Church (TDC), through doing TDC's Leadership Residency Program. One of the main ways God confirmed for me that this is where He wants to use me over the next year is that when I read statistics like the one below, I feel my heart start beating three times faster than normal:
"The US has 138 million church attending Christians, generating 2.5 trillion in annual income, spending 97.5% on themselves" (LIVE58, http://live58.org/)
If you’re reading this blog, you probably agree that this is WRONG. If not, please respond to this post so we can chat :)
It is reading things like this that MOVE me. That literally move me to tears. To prayer. And to think, within about 2 minutes after I read this, "What are you calling me to do, God, to change this?" This is how I know God has clearly led me to work for The District Church. For as long as I can remember, I have felt pain - sometimes unhealthily - for anyone who is hurting. Whether it is thinking about a second grader getting picked on by the bully in his class, a girl who does not feel loved and protected by her parents the way she should, a young woman who is deceived by the words of a man, whole groups of people who are dying because their government abuses its power...whatever it is, my heart has always ached for the lesser, for the least, for the one who is hurting or forgotten. Even when the CNN newscaster has moved on from that particular news item, or the group of people I am with has changed the topic of conversation, or my husband is done with his story about his student, my mind dwells and my heart feels. Sometimes it is not good. Often, actually. It is not good because if I am not mindful of my tendencies, my sinful nature quickly takes all the world's problems and makes me feel the weight of them, burdening me to the point of nausea, exhaustion, and anger at God.
But when, as Stephen and others are helping me do more and more and as God continually trains my mind, I take this heart that God has given me and I give it back to Him. I feel, then I pray, then I think and I listen. I am learning to trust that God has made me the way I am for a reason. And that He HAS already acted powerfully in the world through the death and resurrection of His Son, and that He will continue to act in this world His Spirit in us. He will act. I am to trust that He has made me who I am for a reason and that He will use how He has made me to help accomplish HIs redemptive purposes in this world.
So as I learn to trust Him, I learn to trust that if I am seeking Him, what I feel deep in my soul is probably from Him: if I feel righteous anger at the fact that so many are suffering while so few of us have so much, then God is probably calling me to address that! I feel more confident than ever that He has given me the passions I have so that I can help change the statistic above. I feel so pulled to help the Church, Christ's own Body, His representation on this earth, truly live differently. Truly live the way He has called us. Truly live justly.
We are meant to live justly in this world - so different from the norms that our materialistic and individualistic culture dictates - so that God's heart of justice is seen and those who are the "least" become our equals. We should live as if all were the brothers and sisters we have grown up with and love dearly – not live like it is normal to see other human beings starving to death while we are content with excess everything.
This is my passion, and this is where TDC comes in. At TDC, I will be mentored by others who will help me learn how to teach, equip, and mobilize the Church to live differently. I will learn more of who God is and how He desires us to live in Him, and I will learn how to better lead others to know Him deeper as well, through word and action. I will learn how to serve, lead, and unify. I just can’t wait to learn. To learn more about Christ, how to live in Him, and how to daily give back all He has given me and to help others do the same, so that one day the statistic above will not even be believed.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thinking less of me
I haven't written in a awhile. Although there has been no shortage of things I've been thinking about and itching to sit down and write about, I have purposefully taken the times I would have written to instead spend more time thinking and praying through things. I am quick to write, to speak, to get my thoughts out there. But God has been impressing on me more than ever the incredible importance of sitting in HIs presence, of listening, of praying through things, of truly seeking His truth and being content to wait for an answer - not always feel like I have to give an opinion or an answer.
As I've been intentionally focusing on listening, on waiting, and just in general on God and not myself, He has led me to see the beauty in this prayer and to make it my own:
"O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love"(prayer of St. Francis)
I've realized that so often the things I am quick to write and say, often even the things I say to God, are out of a desire to be known, loved, justified, understood, etc...it is for me, about me, focused on me, my life, my purpose, my reputation...and as I’ve been learning to think of the Father more, of the beauty of Christ and the reality of His glory, of His selfless love and what that love means for my life, I have begun to realize in new ways that my purpose is to love, console, understand, think of, and pray for others - I just don’t need to be the focus. And I have become happier, more joyful, more peaceful, more in love with God than ever, the less i have focused on myself and the more I have focuses on what He has created me for: loving Him and love others. Praying for others to live in the same peace I know in Christ. Thinking less of my own reputation, happiness, and status, and desiring love for others. So this is my prayer now daily, my desire for my life: God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love."
As I've been intentionally focusing on listening, on waiting, and just in general on God and not myself, He has led me to see the beauty in this prayer and to make it my own:
"O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love"(prayer of St. Francis)
I've realized that so often the things I am quick to write and say, often even the things I say to God, are out of a desire to be known, loved, justified, understood, etc...it is for me, about me, focused on me, my life, my purpose, my reputation...and as I’ve been learning to think of the Father more, of the beauty of Christ and the reality of His glory, of His selfless love and what that love means for my life, I have begun to realize in new ways that my purpose is to love, console, understand, think of, and pray for others - I just don’t need to be the focus. And I have become happier, more joyful, more peaceful, more in love with God than ever, the less i have focused on myself and the more I have focuses on what He has created me for: loving Him and love others. Praying for others to live in the same peace I know in Christ. Thinking less of my own reputation, happiness, and status, and desiring love for others. So this is my prayer now daily, my desire for my life: God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love."
Friday, March 4, 2011
Following Jesus - what difference has it made?
On her thought-provoking blog, GODSPACE (http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/following-jesus-what-difference-does-it-make/#comment-6538), Christine Sine asked her readers’ thoughts on this question: “Following Jesus, what difference has it made?”
For me, as for CS Lewis, “I believe in God like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but because of it all things are seen.” Christ is the light by which I see everything else, giving me a reason to live and showing me how.
I reached a point a few years ago where God allowed some very painful things to happen in my life and opened my eyes to much of the pain and heartbreak that exists in this world. Before God intervened my life, and my faith, had been very self-focused. When Christ took me deeper into Himself, he also took me deeper into the lives of others. Since this point of growth, there have been so many painful, sickening days where seeing the reality of the pain that exists in this world has just been too much to handle. I’ve wanted to just give up: on God, on there being any purpose in this world. I’ve wanted to scream at the Father and run far, far away. And there are days where I’ve started running. But I’ve only gone a few steps before the Spirit gently reminds me of the words of one of Christ’s disciples long ago: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Even when I want to react to the pain in this world by being angry at my Savior, I am reminded that it is the hope of my Savior that gives me any hope at all. I cannot leave Him, because he has not left me. What do I have if not Christ? As horrible as things are now, He promises that He will make them GOOD. As desperate as I get at points, His promises give me hope. Without Him, I have nothing. No reason to have purpose in my work in this world, no reason to hope for anything more beyond this life.
But with Him, I can make sense of this hard world. “Deep calls to deep” (Psalm 42:7) and His truth resonates in my heart, even when my mind cries out against it. Knowing Christ, following this Savior, changes my entire perspective. Because Christ lived this pain, because He went through the worst horrors we could ever endure, giving His life for us in the process - and then because He rose victoriously over this horror in the end - I can have hope.
Because he showed us what a life of selfless love looks like, what a life of GOOD looks like, I can have hope. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:9-12)
Christ showed us that it is possible to spread love and redemption and beauty on this earth. This is why I cannot leave Him. Where else would I go? Who else can offer me this hope? It is this hope that has affected my entire life. As I daily know Him more, He opens my eyes to more of the pain that exists but also to more of His hope, His joy, and His Way of bringing healing to the pain. Because of knowing Christ I do not groan and despair like so many but am empowered by His Truth, by the reality of His redemption, to love like Christ loved and give His hope to others as He has given it to me. My life has purpose.
I can hope because what Christ has offered me is eternal: it enables me to look forward to a world without pain, death, or tears, giving me the strength and peace to love others now and share this hope with all I meet. I can ask “Why?” and receive the promise of future glory in return. This promise frees me from fear and enables me to think of others, living joyfully in this world and spreading Christ’s peace amidst a world of confusion and chaos.
For me, as for CS Lewis, “I believe in God like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but because of it all things are seen.” Christ is the light by which I see everything else, giving me a reason to live and showing me how.
I reached a point a few years ago where God allowed some very painful things to happen in my life and opened my eyes to much of the pain and heartbreak that exists in this world. Before God intervened my life, and my faith, had been very self-focused. When Christ took me deeper into Himself, he also took me deeper into the lives of others. Since this point of growth, there have been so many painful, sickening days where seeing the reality of the pain that exists in this world has just been too much to handle. I’ve wanted to just give up: on God, on there being any purpose in this world. I’ve wanted to scream at the Father and run far, far away. And there are days where I’ve started running. But I’ve only gone a few steps before the Spirit gently reminds me of the words of one of Christ’s disciples long ago: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Even when I want to react to the pain in this world by being angry at my Savior, I am reminded that it is the hope of my Savior that gives me any hope at all. I cannot leave Him, because he has not left me. What do I have if not Christ? As horrible as things are now, He promises that He will make them GOOD. As desperate as I get at points, His promises give me hope. Without Him, I have nothing. No reason to have purpose in my work in this world, no reason to hope for anything more beyond this life.
But with Him, I can make sense of this hard world. “Deep calls to deep” (Psalm 42:7) and His truth resonates in my heart, even when my mind cries out against it. Knowing Christ, following this Savior, changes my entire perspective. Because Christ lived this pain, because He went through the worst horrors we could ever endure, giving His life for us in the process - and then because He rose victoriously over this horror in the end - I can have hope.
Because he showed us what a life of selfless love looks like, what a life of GOOD looks like, I can have hope. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:9-12)
Christ showed us that it is possible to spread love and redemption and beauty on this earth. This is why I cannot leave Him. Where else would I go? Who else can offer me this hope? It is this hope that has affected my entire life. As I daily know Him more, He opens my eyes to more of the pain that exists but also to more of His hope, His joy, and His Way of bringing healing to the pain. Because of knowing Christ I do not groan and despair like so many but am empowered by His Truth, by the reality of His redemption, to love like Christ loved and give His hope to others as He has given it to me. My life has purpose.
I can hope because what Christ has offered me is eternal: it enables me to look forward to a world without pain, death, or tears, giving me the strength and peace to love others now and share this hope with all I meet. I can ask “Why?” and receive the promise of future glory in return. This promise frees me from fear and enables me to think of others, living joyfully in this world and spreading Christ’s peace amidst a world of confusion and chaos.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
To be in the world, not taken out of it
I was really blessed by Pastor Tim Keller’s recent article about his church’s five main ministry fronts to their city of NYC, and why these are their main ministries:
"Foundational to everything we do is the gospel message that God entered the world in Jesus Christ to achieve a salvation we could not achieve for ourselves. This good news is first of all grace-centered. Jesus lived the life we should be living (but rebelliously will not live), and he paid the penalty for the life we are living (so we do not have to pay it ourselves). Therefore, we are not reconciled to God through our efforts and record—as in all other religions—but through his efforts and record.
Second, this good news is kingdom-centered. Jesus is not ultimately saving individual souls by removing them from the world, but rather he is bringing the life and power of God down into the material world to eventually renew and restore it. Thus we seek not only the conversion of individuals but also the peace and prosperity of our city. The grace and kingdom emphases of the gospel compel us to be very city-centric, as God instructs in Jeremiah 29:1–7 and as Paul demonstrates in his urban-centered mission in the book of Acts. Grace-centeredness reminds us to love the city, not despise it. Kingdom-mindedness leads us, as citizens of the city of God, to be the very best citizens of our earthly city.
...Redeemer seeks to minister in both word and deed. The Bible’s basic narrative points to the restoration of the whole world, material and spiritual, as the aim of salvation. Christian churches, therefore, must work for justice and peace in their neighborhoods through service, even as they call individuals to conversion. Indifference to the poor and disadvantaged demonstrates a lack of understanding of grace and God’s free salvation. A church that grasps the gospel will be holistically faithful in both word (Bible teaching) and deed (acts of service)."
Keller makes it clear that one of the main objectives of his church is to carry out Christ's mandate for social renewal AS WELL AS personal renewal. Because Christ came not just to remove us from this world and deliver us to heaven, but to use us to bring His love and redemption in the world NOW to help prepare it for its eventual complete restoration, Keller biblically states that one of the main purposes of his church is to minster to the city in both Word AND deed, seeking to bring peace and justice through their actions just as much as they preach the Word. (to read the other main purposes of his church, read the rest of the article at http://www.qideas.org/blog/the-five-ministry-fronts-in-the-city.aspx) This is a purpose of the Church that I think we too often forget. We as people are so bad at balance: either we preach the Word and focus so much on ourselves that there is no room left for action for the benefit of others, or we have all action and no preaching of the Word and focus on ministry to our own souls. But Christ came to show us that God desires BOTH. he desires a balance of both aspects: He came to redeem us, but also to redeem the cities we live in - and He wants to use US to help Him do it! As Keller, said, failure to recognize that Christ came to redeem the world around us and not just take us out of it – failure to recognize that He came so that we may live out His love and care for the poor around us - is a failure to truly grasp the meaning of God's grace and its impact on our lives. I pray the Church continues to explore what this balance looks like and holds both the teaching of the Word and acts of service as equally important to Christ's calling for us.
"Foundational to everything we do is the gospel message that God entered the world in Jesus Christ to achieve a salvation we could not achieve for ourselves. This good news is first of all grace-centered. Jesus lived the life we should be living (but rebelliously will not live), and he paid the penalty for the life we are living (so we do not have to pay it ourselves). Therefore, we are not reconciled to God through our efforts and record—as in all other religions—but through his efforts and record.
Second, this good news is kingdom-centered. Jesus is not ultimately saving individual souls by removing them from the world, but rather he is bringing the life and power of God down into the material world to eventually renew and restore it. Thus we seek not only the conversion of individuals but also the peace and prosperity of our city. The grace and kingdom emphases of the gospel compel us to be very city-centric, as God instructs in Jeremiah 29:1–7 and as Paul demonstrates in his urban-centered mission in the book of Acts. Grace-centeredness reminds us to love the city, not despise it. Kingdom-mindedness leads us, as citizens of the city of God, to be the very best citizens of our earthly city.
...Redeemer seeks to minister in both word and deed. The Bible’s basic narrative points to the restoration of the whole world, material and spiritual, as the aim of salvation. Christian churches, therefore, must work for justice and peace in their neighborhoods through service, even as they call individuals to conversion. Indifference to the poor and disadvantaged demonstrates a lack of understanding of grace and God’s free salvation. A church that grasps the gospel will be holistically faithful in both word (Bible teaching) and deed (acts of service)."
Keller makes it clear that one of the main objectives of his church is to carry out Christ's mandate for social renewal AS WELL AS personal renewal. Because Christ came not just to remove us from this world and deliver us to heaven, but to use us to bring His love and redemption in the world NOW to help prepare it for its eventual complete restoration, Keller biblically states that one of the main purposes of his church is to minster to the city in both Word AND deed, seeking to bring peace and justice through their actions just as much as they preach the Word. (to read the other main purposes of his church, read the rest of the article at http://www.qideas.org/blog/the-five-ministry-fronts-in-the-city.aspx) This is a purpose of the Church that I think we too often forget. We as people are so bad at balance: either we preach the Word and focus so much on ourselves that there is no room left for action for the benefit of others, or we have all action and no preaching of the Word and focus on ministry to our own souls. But Christ came to show us that God desires BOTH. he desires a balance of both aspects: He came to redeem us, but also to redeem the cities we live in - and He wants to use US to help Him do it! As Keller, said, failure to recognize that Christ came to redeem the world around us and not just take us out of it – failure to recognize that He came so that we may live out His love and care for the poor around us - is a failure to truly grasp the meaning of God's grace and its impact on our lives. I pray the Church continues to explore what this balance looks like and holds both the teaching of the Word and acts of service as equally important to Christ's calling for us.
Monday, January 10, 2011
A deadly weapon...
The recent shooting in Arizona reiterates in a horrific way what the Bible means when it talks about the danger of the tongue. Over and over, we see prophets, apostles, and Christ Himself emphasizing the sharpness of the tongue, the pain and evil that careless words can cause, and the evil that can result from the tongue if we are not careful.
I really believe that many people are pushed towards dangerous action because of angry words they hear. In most cases, this action doesn’t end in tragedy. But sometimes it does. And the "sometimes" scenarios are too horrendous to risk.
that is why we must, as God warns us, guard our tongues, for it is a "double-edged sword." Angry political rhetoric leads those who are easily influenced to think that the only way to solve a problem is to shoot someone who disagrees with them. And they think they are justified in doing this - our rhetoric has become so angry, so divisive, that it leads some to think killing is a [possible course of action.
When this becomes the case, we need to change how we speak. We need to watch the words that come out of our mouths, for our tongue is a weapon more powerful than we realize. We need to seriously think about and definitely change how we discourse with one another, especially on points of disagreement, or there will be many more scenes like the one in Arizona to come.
We as Christians should be leading the way in godly discourse, not joining in full force in the angry dialogue. Because we are passionate does not mean our words should contribute to the anger and violence. We should follow Christ’s example and communicate wisely and with cunning, but in gentleness and love. In disagreement, our words should not promote violence, but only speak truth. Following Christ’s example, we can speak boldly and powerfully without causing people to draw their swords (or their guns).Current events of the day challenge us to think more about what we are saying and how we are saying it, instead of carelessly joining in the debate.
I really believe that many people are pushed towards dangerous action because of angry words they hear. In most cases, this action doesn’t end in tragedy. But sometimes it does. And the "sometimes" scenarios are too horrendous to risk.
that is why we must, as God warns us, guard our tongues, for it is a "double-edged sword." Angry political rhetoric leads those who are easily influenced to think that the only way to solve a problem is to shoot someone who disagrees with them. And they think they are justified in doing this - our rhetoric has become so angry, so divisive, that it leads some to think killing is a [possible course of action.
When this becomes the case, we need to change how we speak. We need to watch the words that come out of our mouths, for our tongue is a weapon more powerful than we realize. We need to seriously think about and definitely change how we discourse with one another, especially on points of disagreement, or there will be many more scenes like the one in Arizona to come.
We as Christians should be leading the way in godly discourse, not joining in full force in the angry dialogue. Because we are passionate does not mean our words should contribute to the anger and violence. We should follow Christ’s example and communicate wisely and with cunning, but in gentleness and love. In disagreement, our words should not promote violence, but only speak truth. Following Christ’s example, we can speak boldly and powerfully without causing people to draw their swords (or their guns).Current events of the day challenge us to think more about what we are saying and how we are saying it, instead of carelessly joining in the debate.
Political involvement
I recently wrote an article for Capital Commentary,an awesome publication produced by the Center for Public Justice, on the importance of Christian political engagement. Check it out if you want!
http://www.capitalcommentary.org/faith-and-politics/christian-political-engagement
http://www.capitalcommentary.org/faith-and-politics/christian-political-engagement
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Faith in Christ
"Following Jesus is not meant to be some cursory assent to the question 'Do you believe in Jesus?' Following Jesus is meant to turn our lives around so that we go out and live differently in a way that draws others to the God in whom we live and move and have our being."
"Doing mission is not for the few who choose to serve in distant countries. The mission of God calls all of us to step out of our comfort zones into another way of being and another way of doing. It calls all of us to accept the challenge of Epiphany to live and serve joyfully in a way that reveals Jesus to others so that they too hunger for the One who has transformed us." (http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/eve-of-epiphany-we-have-come-we-have-seen-now-we-must-follow/)
These words by blogger Christine Sine strike a deep chord with me right now. Our Christian culture and the American church overall have not sat right with me over the past couple years, and I am realizing more and more that this unsettled feeling comes when my growing realization of who God is and who He made His church to be are contrasted with what His church actually is. So many of us have turned "faith in Christ" into a simple, theological concept that has made answering the question of "Are you going to heaven" the goal of our belief system.
Really, though, true faith in Christ should produce a deep awe of a holy God that we can never fully understand, but who we believe in anyway because our hearts will not be satisfied without His whispers. Faith in Christ, in the living God, will make our lives different than the lives of others around us because we will live believing in the magic and holy power of a magnificent God. Truly having faith in Christ will cause us to desire a better system, to strive for a different reality, to never grow used to hearing of heartache and never cease believing that God will use us to make that heartache go away. I've realized that I grow more and more dissatisfied with the world around me as the years go on because I grow more satisfied with Him. With who He is, with His truths, with His reality. I continue to not be satisfied with how things are not because there is something wrong with my faith, but because there is something right with my faith. I feel the power of the Spirit moving through my bones and feel Him crying out through me to desire more, to seek a different kind of world - a world where He is presented daily through how we live and what we say and how we love - and He aches within me when He sees Christians all around Him growing satisfied with the way the world is now. The more I get to know Christ and His personality, His heart, His vision for the world and for His church, the more I am filled with an excitement and a burning in my soul! I become more dissatisfied with the way things are because I see more of how they could be, and I yearn to be Christ's representative and bring His fiery love into the world. I yearn to be His feet that never stop running, yearn to help show the church how much more there is to living for Christ in this world.
It is more than praying a prayer once and saying "yes" when someone asks if you’re going to heaven someday. Faith in Christ is believing in His power to truly save and redeem - it is believing and desiring to see Him change this world in ways we could never change it ourselves. Faith in Christ gives us more in this life than just waiting for the next one. There is more we are called to: faith in Christ fills us with a desire to live like He lived and change the situations around us, just like He did while on this earth. And because of the power of the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ allows us to do even greater things than He did to love, heal, and redeem the world around us (John 14:12) – so that like Christ, we may draw people to the Father. Faith in Christ is fervently praying for "His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, " and living in such a way that it is so.
Faith in Christ should cause us to live so drastically different than the world around us, because we live with hope in a power that can change things - and we live out that hope by joining with Him to bring about that change, believing and doing and saying things that are so clearly beyond human ability or social "norms." Living differently is not just for those who feel called to mission work in other countries, or for those who feel called to be pastors or work in a church building. Living differently is not something we choose a choice because it fits our personalities or preferred lifestyles. Living differently in this world should be an outpouring of true faith in Christ, faith in a powerful God who can truly do even more than “all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20) We are the ones who can live in such a way as to display His power and draw people to Him.
Do our lifestyles, our friendships, our marriages, our finances, our jobs, etc., reflect that we really believe in an awesome, holy God whose powers extend above all other principalities? Are we living in such a way that others see Him and fear Him and desire Him? The more I come to know Christ the more He urges me quietly and insistently to examine my own life and boldly follow His example, not living by the standard of the world but by the beautiful, all-satisfying standard He has given us.
"Doing mission is not for the few who choose to serve in distant countries. The mission of God calls all of us to step out of our comfort zones into another way of being and another way of doing. It calls all of us to accept the challenge of Epiphany to live and serve joyfully in a way that reveals Jesus to others so that they too hunger for the One who has transformed us." (http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/eve-of-epiphany-we-have-come-we-have-seen-now-we-must-follow/)
These words by blogger Christine Sine strike a deep chord with me right now. Our Christian culture and the American church overall have not sat right with me over the past couple years, and I am realizing more and more that this unsettled feeling comes when my growing realization of who God is and who He made His church to be are contrasted with what His church actually is. So many of us have turned "faith in Christ" into a simple, theological concept that has made answering the question of "Are you going to heaven" the goal of our belief system.
Really, though, true faith in Christ should produce a deep awe of a holy God that we can never fully understand, but who we believe in anyway because our hearts will not be satisfied without His whispers. Faith in Christ, in the living God, will make our lives different than the lives of others around us because we will live believing in the magic and holy power of a magnificent God. Truly having faith in Christ will cause us to desire a better system, to strive for a different reality, to never grow used to hearing of heartache and never cease believing that God will use us to make that heartache go away. I've realized that I grow more and more dissatisfied with the world around me as the years go on because I grow more satisfied with Him. With who He is, with His truths, with His reality. I continue to not be satisfied with how things are not because there is something wrong with my faith, but because there is something right with my faith. I feel the power of the Spirit moving through my bones and feel Him crying out through me to desire more, to seek a different kind of world - a world where He is presented daily through how we live and what we say and how we love - and He aches within me when He sees Christians all around Him growing satisfied with the way the world is now. The more I get to know Christ and His personality, His heart, His vision for the world and for His church, the more I am filled with an excitement and a burning in my soul! I become more dissatisfied with the way things are because I see more of how they could be, and I yearn to be Christ's representative and bring His fiery love into the world. I yearn to be His feet that never stop running, yearn to help show the church how much more there is to living for Christ in this world.
It is more than praying a prayer once and saying "yes" when someone asks if you’re going to heaven someday. Faith in Christ is believing in His power to truly save and redeem - it is believing and desiring to see Him change this world in ways we could never change it ourselves. Faith in Christ gives us more in this life than just waiting for the next one. There is more we are called to: faith in Christ fills us with a desire to live like He lived and change the situations around us, just like He did while on this earth. And because of the power of the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ allows us to do even greater things than He did to love, heal, and redeem the world around us (John 14:12) – so that like Christ, we may draw people to the Father. Faith in Christ is fervently praying for "His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, " and living in such a way that it is so.
Faith in Christ should cause us to live so drastically different than the world around us, because we live with hope in a power that can change things - and we live out that hope by joining with Him to bring about that change, believing and doing and saying things that are so clearly beyond human ability or social "norms." Living differently is not just for those who feel called to mission work in other countries, or for those who feel called to be pastors or work in a church building. Living differently is not something we choose a choice because it fits our personalities or preferred lifestyles. Living differently in this world should be an outpouring of true faith in Christ, faith in a powerful God who can truly do even more than “all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20) We are the ones who can live in such a way as to display His power and draw people to Him.
Do our lifestyles, our friendships, our marriages, our finances, our jobs, etc., reflect that we really believe in an awesome, holy God whose powers extend above all other principalities? Are we living in such a way that others see Him and fear Him and desire Him? The more I come to know Christ the more He urges me quietly and insistently to examine my own life and boldly follow His example, not living by the standard of the world but by the beautiful, all-satisfying standard He has given us.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
If the Tea Party can do it, then so can we...
What if there was a movement of people that actively stood up for Christ’s truths in our culture? What if we demanded leaders that truly stood up for legislation that promoted justice, peace, equality, and righteousness – and that actually acted in a way that promoted these truths?
As the Church, we are called to be "salt and light" in this world. (Matthew 5:13-16). It is no secret that our human nature suffers from the disease of inherent selfishness - looking at the world around us, this self-centeredness is apparent everywhere. Unfortunately, rather than visibly combating it, the Church seems to be joining in much of the time.
As my pastor recently said, our lives as Christians merely look "tweaked, but not transformed. Why would anyone want that?" We should be so salty and so filled with light that we look DIFFERENT to this world - different in a way that gives people the answer our hearts are all searching for.
How do we do this? How do we live in such a way that we are still in this world, still engaging the world, but live as salt - set apart and different?
I recently read an article elaborating on the beliefs and platform of the Tea Party. The article pointed out that the Tea Party has no “official” platform, but then went on to list their interests and priorities. As I read it, this problem of our inherent human selfishness grew more and more glaringly obvious: every single priority of the Tea Party had to do with self-interest. Whatever was best for them – for us – as Americans was the priority. No matter who else it affected and how – if it was what would most benefit the United States, that was the option they favored. It seems that the only platform of the Tea Party is self-interest.
I don’t think it is any secret why the Tea Party became so popular so fast: it is all about us. It feeds our already natural inclination to put ourselves before anyone else.
As Christ followers, we are called to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2). We are called to actively fight this human nature as we learn to live in the power of the Spirit. We are called to actively provide an alternative, another way, to movements like the Tea Party that feed our selfish nature.
As Ravi Zacharias International Ministries writer Margaret Manning said in a recent article about this very topic of human selfishness: We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others… In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, “[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14). Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
This is our purpose. Rather than let our selfish sinful dominate us and let us think the freedom we’ve been blessed with is to be used for our own purposes, let’s be reminded of Paul’s words: “…do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…" This mindset is completely countercultural – it is completely the opposite of the popular message of personal interest that the Tea Party preached. So let’s be the counterpart to the Tea Party! If the Tea Party can gather such momentum, then how much more can a movement that is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit? As Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 3: 14-21, God is capable of - and WANTS - to do more than we can even imagine. And THROUGH US.
What if the Church passionately and boldly demanded policies that support education reform, child welfare, the sanctity of life (babies in the womb as well as those living in poverty all over the world), justice for those oppressed all over the world, peace in our relations with other countries, righteous action in our government and in our dealings with other nations, prison reform, an end to the sex-trafficking industry, and countless other values that we as the Church are called to zealously stand for.
Then we need to stand together as the Church in demanding leaders that will also seek these values – regardless of their policy affiliation. What would it look like to our divided and partisan country if we, if the Church collectively – which would be a much larger group of people than those following the Tea Party – mobilized behind these values? These values of justice, peace, righteousness, equality – the values that everyone desires and everyone needs – are the truths Christ exemplified perfectly and taught, and the truths that He also prayed for His followers to live out. Christ prayed in John 17 for His Church to show His beautiful, selfless love through being unified in Him. And through standing together for the truths He commanded us to live out, the world will see Him. The way the world will see Christ’s love is through living the way He taught us, and one of the main ways we can do that today is using the power in the system He has blessed us with in this country to stand together for His truths.
The Church is essential for the betterment of government and society, and it is a necessary part of God’s call on our lives to speak out in matters of politics and to influence our leaders. As Christians, we are called to holistic redemption: not just redemption of the soul or of the society, but of both. Christ calls us to carry His salvation of the hearts of all people, but He also calls us to become like Him, living differently in this world, in a way that physically brings His redemption to the hurting and broken world we are living in.
Through Christ in us, we can be a people that reflect God to this world – a people that bring His redemption here and now. I’m not suggesting we start our own Christian political party or our own little Christian nation – no, far from it! I’m suggesting we demand a better way: Christ’s way. Not “conservative, liberal, or moderate” – but CHRIST’S way. I’m talking about boldly standing for certain values and staunchly supporting those in power who also stand for those values – just as the Tea Party did.
But, unlike the Tea Party, we stand for only what brings true justice, righteousness, peace, and equality….we demand selfless love, and we live it out. We actively bring it into politics by demanding the kind of leaders who will fight for these principles. We live it out by bringing these principles into every area of our culture: into business, art, music, what we buy, what we eat, how we live day to day, how we interact with all those around us…we help push our Christian culture as a whole to be salty in every area of life, living in such a way IN our culture that Christ is truly reflected to the world around us.
As the Church, let’s join together in living differently to bring Christ into our culture. Through our different gifts, we can work together to live out Christ’s selfless love in this world, and to teach others how to do the same. We can stand up and demand political leaders that will work for the issues that were close to Christ’s heart, and that are close to our’s. We can figure out ways to live simply, not buying products that hurt our brothers and sisters in other countries. We can personally live in a selfless way, in a way that promotes biblical equality and fairness. We can use our money to support businesses that are engaging in Christ-like work and practice.
We as the Church can start a movement that, because it is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Spirit in us, can do far more than anything the Tea Party was and is able to accomplish. We can help each other learn how to best be salt and light in this world, and help lead the United States and worldwide Church in discovering how to best be salt and light in our culture! As salt and light, we are called to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith, bringing the flavor of Christ into everything we do and shedding His light on this world. Using our different gifts, passions, and ideas, let's spur each other on and help each other figure out how to do this! Let’s start a movement to change our Christian culture and the culture of the world around us – and through this, change the hearts of people all over the world.
As the Church, we are called to be "salt and light" in this world. (Matthew 5:13-16). It is no secret that our human nature suffers from the disease of inherent selfishness - looking at the world around us, this self-centeredness is apparent everywhere. Unfortunately, rather than visibly combating it, the Church seems to be joining in much of the time.
As my pastor recently said, our lives as Christians merely look "tweaked, but not transformed. Why would anyone want that?" We should be so salty and so filled with light that we look DIFFERENT to this world - different in a way that gives people the answer our hearts are all searching for.
How do we do this? How do we live in such a way that we are still in this world, still engaging the world, but live as salt - set apart and different?
I recently read an article elaborating on the beliefs and platform of the Tea Party. The article pointed out that the Tea Party has no “official” platform, but then went on to list their interests and priorities. As I read it, this problem of our inherent human selfishness grew more and more glaringly obvious: every single priority of the Tea Party had to do with self-interest. Whatever was best for them – for us – as Americans was the priority. No matter who else it affected and how – if it was what would most benefit the United States, that was the option they favored. It seems that the only platform of the Tea Party is self-interest.
I don’t think it is any secret why the Tea Party became so popular so fast: it is all about us. It feeds our already natural inclination to put ourselves before anyone else.
As Christ followers, we are called to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2). We are called to actively fight this human nature as we learn to live in the power of the Spirit. We are called to actively provide an alternative, another way, to movements like the Tea Party that feed our selfish nature.
As Ravi Zacharias International Ministries writer Margaret Manning said in a recent article about this very topic of human selfishness: We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others… In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, “[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14). Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
This is our purpose. Rather than let our selfish sinful dominate us and let us think the freedom we’ve been blessed with is to be used for our own purposes, let’s be reminded of Paul’s words: “…do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…" This mindset is completely countercultural – it is completely the opposite of the popular message of personal interest that the Tea Party preached. So let’s be the counterpart to the Tea Party! If the Tea Party can gather such momentum, then how much more can a movement that is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit? As Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 3: 14-21, God is capable of - and WANTS - to do more than we can even imagine. And THROUGH US.
What if the Church passionately and boldly demanded policies that support education reform, child welfare, the sanctity of life (babies in the womb as well as those living in poverty all over the world), justice for those oppressed all over the world, peace in our relations with other countries, righteous action in our government and in our dealings with other nations, prison reform, an end to the sex-trafficking industry, and countless other values that we as the Church are called to zealously stand for.
Then we need to stand together as the Church in demanding leaders that will also seek these values – regardless of their policy affiliation. What would it look like to our divided and partisan country if we, if the Church collectively – which would be a much larger group of people than those following the Tea Party – mobilized behind these values? These values of justice, peace, righteousness, equality – the values that everyone desires and everyone needs – are the truths Christ exemplified perfectly and taught, and the truths that He also prayed for His followers to live out. Christ prayed in John 17 for His Church to show His beautiful, selfless love through being unified in Him. And through standing together for the truths He commanded us to live out, the world will see Him. The way the world will see Christ’s love is through living the way He taught us, and one of the main ways we can do that today is using the power in the system He has blessed us with in this country to stand together for His truths.
The Church is essential for the betterment of government and society, and it is a necessary part of God’s call on our lives to speak out in matters of politics and to influence our leaders. As Christians, we are called to holistic redemption: not just redemption of the soul or of the society, but of both. Christ calls us to carry His salvation of the hearts of all people, but He also calls us to become like Him, living differently in this world, in a way that physically brings His redemption to the hurting and broken world we are living in.
Through Christ in us, we can be a people that reflect God to this world – a people that bring His redemption here and now. I’m not suggesting we start our own Christian political party or our own little Christian nation – no, far from it! I’m suggesting we demand a better way: Christ’s way. Not “conservative, liberal, or moderate” – but CHRIST’S way. I’m talking about boldly standing for certain values and staunchly supporting those in power who also stand for those values – just as the Tea Party did.
But, unlike the Tea Party, we stand for only what brings true justice, righteousness, peace, and equality….we demand selfless love, and we live it out. We actively bring it into politics by demanding the kind of leaders who will fight for these principles. We live it out by bringing these principles into every area of our culture: into business, art, music, what we buy, what we eat, how we live day to day, how we interact with all those around us…we help push our Christian culture as a whole to be salty in every area of life, living in such a way IN our culture that Christ is truly reflected to the world around us.
As the Church, let’s join together in living differently to bring Christ into our culture. Through our different gifts, we can work together to live out Christ’s selfless love in this world, and to teach others how to do the same. We can stand up and demand political leaders that will work for the issues that were close to Christ’s heart, and that are close to our’s. We can figure out ways to live simply, not buying products that hurt our brothers and sisters in other countries. We can personally live in a selfless way, in a way that promotes biblical equality and fairness. We can use our money to support businesses that are engaging in Christ-like work and practice.
We as the Church can start a movement that, because it is based on the selfless love of Christ and the power of the Spirit in us, can do far more than anything the Tea Party was and is able to accomplish. We can help each other learn how to best be salt and light in this world, and help lead the United States and worldwide Church in discovering how to best be salt and light in our culture! As salt and light, we are called to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith, bringing the flavor of Christ into everything we do and shedding His light on this world. Using our different gifts, passions, and ideas, let's spur each other on and help each other figure out how to do this! Let’s start a movement to change our Christian culture and the culture of the world around us – and through this, change the hearts of people all over the world.
Freed to Serve by Margaret Manning
very thought-provoking and very true article:
Freed to Serve
A recent article in Christianity Today magazine caught my attention. With an excerpt from his forthcoming book What Good Is God?, author Philip Yancey discussed his speaking and listening tour throughout several countries in the Middle East in 2009.(1) Part of his listening included hearing how the "Christian" West is viewed by those living in predominantly Islamic countries. Time and again, he heard a familiar refrain: freedom in the West was equated with decadence. Yancey writes, "Much of the misgiving...for the West stems from our strong emphasis on freedom...where freedom so often leads to decadence."(2)
Of course, Yancey would quickly acknowledge that the freedom we enjoy in the West is often taken for granted. In general, we are free to do and to be whatever we want. We move unhindered towards the achievement of our own personal freedoms and objectives, without worrying about impediment or coercive control from outside forces. Certainly, we enjoy the privilege of the freedom to move about our country across state borders effortlessly. We have the freedom to worship, unhindered by government intervention or surveillance. Many of us who have financial abundance are able to access freedoms that only money can buy. We are free to think as we want, speak what we want, and do what we want. In comparison with people in other countries, we have the freedom to fill in the blank with endless possibilities. Freedom is the air we breathe.
But if we take an honest look at how freedom is exercised in the Western world, we ought to turn a careful ear to this critique from those looking in from the outside. Our association of freedom with doing, being, or saying whatever we want is often cut off from the intended ideal. We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others.
The apostle Paul wrestled with this issue as he wrote to the early Christians at Corinth. In discussing matters of personal freedom he exhorted these early Christians that "all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his or her own good, but that of his or her neighbor....whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24, 31). In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, "[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into and opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
- Margaret Manning, writer for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Freed to Serve
A recent article in Christianity Today magazine caught my attention. With an excerpt from his forthcoming book What Good Is God?, author Philip Yancey discussed his speaking and listening tour throughout several countries in the Middle East in 2009.(1) Part of his listening included hearing how the "Christian" West is viewed by those living in predominantly Islamic countries. Time and again, he heard a familiar refrain: freedom in the West was equated with decadence. Yancey writes, "Much of the misgiving...for the West stems from our strong emphasis on freedom...where freedom so often leads to decadence."(2)
Of course, Yancey would quickly acknowledge that the freedom we enjoy in the West is often taken for granted. In general, we are free to do and to be whatever we want. We move unhindered towards the achievement of our own personal freedoms and objectives, without worrying about impediment or coercive control from outside forces. Certainly, we enjoy the privilege of the freedom to move about our country across state borders effortlessly. We have the freedom to worship, unhindered by government intervention or surveillance. Many of us who have financial abundance are able to access freedoms that only money can buy. We are free to think as we want, speak what we want, and do what we want. In comparison with people in other countries, we have the freedom to fill in the blank with endless possibilities. Freedom is the air we breathe.
But if we take an honest look at how freedom is exercised in the Western world, we ought to turn a careful ear to this critique from those looking in from the outside. Our association of freedom with doing, being, or saying whatever we want is often cut off from the intended ideal. We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others.
The apostle Paul wrestled with this issue as he wrote to the early Christians at Corinth. In discussing matters of personal freedom he exhorted these early Christians that "all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his or her own good, but that of his or her neighbor....whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24, 31). In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, "[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into and opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Paul's definition of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while we rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, we should likewise deplore the unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered understanding of freedom that occupy many Western societies and systems. We are called to freedom. Paul reminds us of the true intention for freedom—it is a freedom for others—and not simply so we can pursue our own self-interest. It is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.
- Margaret Manning, writer for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Amos, worship, and justice
God said in Amos 5:21-24,
"I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!"
It is clear from this passage that it is not simply offering God our wealth, going to church, being "religious" and observing religious tradition, or even worshipping Him through song that pleases Him. It is living justly and righteously that pleases Him.
I was privileged to be a part of a meeting this morning where the discussion opened up with talking about the debate of the importance of the Word vs action and of personal salvation vs. acts of justice. Someone from our group wisely commented that unfortunately, many Christians hear "justice" and think only of the world's definition of "social justice." But God's justice is so different.
God's justice is seen completely in Christ, in redeeming us from our sin and giving us the chance to become the people He creates us to be. In Christ, God's justice is personified and not only are we justified, but we now have the chance to join with Christ in living out God's justice. Not only to carry His message of personal salvation and redemption to the world, but His message of physical and societal redemption as well. In Christ, we are not only forgiven but are also refined and molded and called to become more like Him. We are called to live as He lived - which means we do not just carry a message of hope after death, but hope now. God desires this world to be redeemed, and in Christ we can work to bring His redemption to all areas of life, working with the hope that one day God will come and perfectly complete the work He has called us to.
In Christ, it is not Word or action, personal or societal salvation. It is both. Both are an essential part of the Gospel. As someone also commented at our meeting this morning, they are intimately connected, flowing out of each other. It is clear from the passage in Amos that God desires action: He desires justice and righteousness. But He does not desire the type of action that results in mindless ritual and heartless religion. He is looking for action that is truly worshipful. And when we know Christ, true worship will flow from us: acts of justice and righteousness. Truly knowing Christ’s justice will cause us to live out that justice. One comes from the other: just as when God spoke and the earth came into being, just as when Christ spoke people were healed – when we read His Word we will not be able to help but act as He acted. Experiencing personal redemption will lead us to desire redemption of society and of the world – it will lead us to see the world more through God’s eyes and desire for it to be the way He intended it to be in the beginning – and this will lead us to do acts of justice to make it so. And as we see from Amos 5, this is true worship.
"I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!"
It is clear from this passage that it is not simply offering God our wealth, going to church, being "religious" and observing religious tradition, or even worshipping Him through song that pleases Him. It is living justly and righteously that pleases Him.
I was privileged to be a part of a meeting this morning where the discussion opened up with talking about the debate of the importance of the Word vs action and of personal salvation vs. acts of justice. Someone from our group wisely commented that unfortunately, many Christians hear "justice" and think only of the world's definition of "social justice." But God's justice is so different.
God's justice is seen completely in Christ, in redeeming us from our sin and giving us the chance to become the people He creates us to be. In Christ, God's justice is personified and not only are we justified, but we now have the chance to join with Christ in living out God's justice. Not only to carry His message of personal salvation and redemption to the world, but His message of physical and societal redemption as well. In Christ, we are not only forgiven but are also refined and molded and called to become more like Him. We are called to live as He lived - which means we do not just carry a message of hope after death, but hope now. God desires this world to be redeemed, and in Christ we can work to bring His redemption to all areas of life, working with the hope that one day God will come and perfectly complete the work He has called us to.
In Christ, it is not Word or action, personal or societal salvation. It is both. Both are an essential part of the Gospel. As someone also commented at our meeting this morning, they are intimately connected, flowing out of each other. It is clear from the passage in Amos that God desires action: He desires justice and righteousness. But He does not desire the type of action that results in mindless ritual and heartless religion. He is looking for action that is truly worshipful. And when we know Christ, true worship will flow from us: acts of justice and righteousness. Truly knowing Christ’s justice will cause us to live out that justice. One comes from the other: just as when God spoke and the earth came into being, just as when Christ spoke people were healed – when we read His Word we will not be able to help but act as He acted. Experiencing personal redemption will lead us to desire redemption of society and of the world – it will lead us to see the world more through God’s eyes and desire for it to be the way He intended it to be in the beginning – and this will lead us to do acts of justice to make it so. And as we see from Amos 5, this is true worship.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)