Celebrating Diversity
Luke 7:18-34
I was recently at a gathering with other Christians and felt uncomfortable because of the differences we shared. Not that I am completely opposed to the way they think, I can understand it, we are just quite different, and if these differences were discussed it may bring quite the argument. I decided to just keep the peace by keeping my mouth shut, rather than stirring up opportunity for the enemy.
When someone thinks they are doing right it is not easy to persuade them differently. There are certain truths that we interpret differently depending on our upbringing, surroundings, and those who mentor us.
Certain basic truths cannot be interpreted differently but some truth can. So instead of being divided because of our differences I think it is best to celebrate them. Therefore I choose wisely what I talk about around certain people, for their are certain sensitive issues that easily divide. United we stand divided we fall. We have to ask ourselves is this issue worth being divided over? There is a bigger picture that is more important than being right or wrong about something.
We see in Luke 7:18-34 that the disciples of John the Baptist came and questioned Jesus if He really was the Messiah? See John and Jesus were different from one another, for they had a different calling, and therefore some of their actions almost seemed totally in contrast with the other. While John lived separately from society and people came to him to hear him speak, Jesus went to sinners building relationships with those considered outcasts by the religious community. John's ministry was built on calling Israel to repentance for the Kingdom coming, Jesus ministry was built on celebrating the Kingdom that has come.
So John and his disciples had reasons to question for Jesus again was so different than John. Jesus instead of responding just continued to do what He does, heal and deliver. Then he told them to tell John what they saw. So basically what He was saying, it is the results that matter the most not the method. We all have a different purpose and God uses all of our differences in unique ways to fulfill His will on earth. So instead of comparing ourselves with others looking down on one another's differences, let's celebrate our diversities.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Follow Compassion
Luke 7: 11-16
Sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough for God, there are so many people in need, and I just can never do enough. I know it is not about what I can do for God but what He can do through me, but sometimes I feel I am not really yielded to Him. When I think this way God reminds me that I am only part of the body of Christ not the complete thing, meaning I have only a part to play I cannot do it all. So how do I know what my place of ministry really is?
We see here in this passage that Jesus was being followed by a crowd and then He was moved by compassion while passing a funeral procession and spoke to widows son who had died and commanded Him to come back to life. So we learn here even though Jesus had a crowd of people following Him desperately in need He ministered to the one He had compassion for. Now there were times Jesus had compassion and healed all but this time His compassion was for this child and those who were mourning.
Ministry without compassion does not come from the heart but from obligation which can become religious. Yes, there is a time to serve wherever needed, but for our primary ministry compassion must be the driving force. None of us like to be served from people who don't really care, who are just serving to get paid or to look good. We enjoy being served from people that put their heart into it no matter how menial the service is. When I go to a store and am treated like I am a burden for shopping rather than getting their undivided attention, I don't want to come back. This is why many in the world who are searching come to a church service and never return, for it is our love for one another that draws people to God.
So many believers don't know what their calling is, but all we have to do is follow our heart. What moves us to compassion? What stirs our emotions, meaning what causes us to cry or get's us real angry, these emotions God has placed in us for a reason. We are all made up different and if each one just follows there heart not trying to be everyone and do everything, everyone and everything will be reached.
Now our hearts were completely wicked prior to coming to the Lord, but we are being transformed, He is changing our heart. In this process we may not have compassion for others, it maybe all about ourselves right now, and that is okay, there is a time to be healed and a time to heal others, but in due time compassion will come and we will just naturally know what our ministry really is.
Sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough for God, there are so many people in need, and I just can never do enough. I know it is not about what I can do for God but what He can do through me, but sometimes I feel I am not really yielded to Him. When I think this way God reminds me that I am only part of the body of Christ not the complete thing, meaning I have only a part to play I cannot do it all. So how do I know what my place of ministry really is?
We see here in this passage that Jesus was being followed by a crowd and then He was moved by compassion while passing a funeral procession and spoke to widows son who had died and commanded Him to come back to life. So we learn here even though Jesus had a crowd of people following Him desperately in need He ministered to the one He had compassion for. Now there were times Jesus had compassion and healed all but this time His compassion was for this child and those who were mourning.
Ministry without compassion does not come from the heart but from obligation which can become religious. Yes, there is a time to serve wherever needed, but for our primary ministry compassion must be the driving force. None of us like to be served from people who don't really care, who are just serving to get paid or to look good. We enjoy being served from people that put their heart into it no matter how menial the service is. When I go to a store and am treated like I am a burden for shopping rather than getting their undivided attention, I don't want to come back. This is why many in the world who are searching come to a church service and never return, for it is our love for one another that draws people to God.
So many believers don't know what their calling is, but all we have to do is follow our heart. What moves us to compassion? What stirs our emotions, meaning what causes us to cry or get's us real angry, these emotions God has placed in us for a reason. We are all made up different and if each one just follows there heart not trying to be everyone and do everything, everyone and everything will be reached.
Now our hearts were completely wicked prior to coming to the Lord, but we are being transformed, He is changing our heart. In this process we may not have compassion for others, it maybe all about ourselves right now, and that is okay, there is a time to be healed and a time to heal others, but in due time compassion will come and we will just naturally know what our ministry really is.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Authority through Humility
Just being good at something does not mean it is going to take you far. One's attitude has a big part to play. One can only be truly successful through the help of the support around them. So many people start well and finish poor because of their bad attitudes. Talent alone is not enough. True Authority is seen in Humility.
We see here in in Luke 7:1-10 the story of the Roman officer. He was highly respected by the Jewish elders because of his love for them and the help he had given. So when he had a need they looked out for him, they begged Jesus to heal his servant.
We usually find people with great authority very arrogant and high minded. It is hard to even approach them. Not the case with this Roman Officer. He approached Jesus in complete humility. He realized that no matter how great he was to man, he was nothing compared to God. He put His faith not in His ability but in God and His servant was healed.
This Roman Officer was submitted to the authority of his superiors but even greater he submitted to God. His authority had limits within the Roman empire, but submitted to God his authority was unlimited. Submitting to God in humility is what releases God's power upon us so that which is impossible with man now becomes possible through God.
It feels great to have power over others, to command people to do something and they follow, but it can't compare to having power over sickness and disease and all the principalities and powers of this world. This power is not based on our job title but our position in Christ. It does not come from our abilities and hard labor, but simply humbling ourselves in the sight of God, yielding to His power over our own.
We see here in in Luke 7:1-10 the story of the Roman officer. He was highly respected by the Jewish elders because of his love for them and the help he had given. So when he had a need they looked out for him, they begged Jesus to heal his servant.
We usually find people with great authority very arrogant and high minded. It is hard to even approach them. Not the case with this Roman Officer. He approached Jesus in complete humility. He realized that no matter how great he was to man, he was nothing compared to God. He put His faith not in His ability but in God and His servant was healed.
This Roman Officer was submitted to the authority of his superiors but even greater he submitted to God. His authority had limits within the Roman empire, but submitted to God his authority was unlimited. Submitting to God in humility is what releases God's power upon us so that which is impossible with man now becomes possible through God.
It feels great to have power over others, to command people to do something and they follow, but it can't compare to having power over sickness and disease and all the principalities and powers of this world. This power is not based on our job title but our position in Christ. It does not come from our abilities and hard labor, but simply humbling ourselves in the sight of God, yielding to His power over our own.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
It's Who You Are
Chapter 11
It's Who You Are
How many times have we said or did something hurtful we regret? Our usual response is I didn't mean it, or can I take that back! We think it is an easy way out, that the person hurt will just suddenly understand and get over it, but that rarely occurs. Truth is, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our hearts are terribly wicked and if it wasn't for the mercy of God through the transforming power of His word we would be doomed, hurting one person after the other.
As It says in Luke 6:45, It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. For what we say and do comes from who we are. It is easy to say sorry, hoping that word magically resolves the issue.
Many times I have said sorry to my wife yet didn't change my ways and therefore the problem remained. I have seemed to repent of my sins, tears and all, yet no change follows. The thing is we don't really mean what we say unless our actions follow. What is spoken from the heart will be acted out. True Repentance is a turn away from what was confessed, which sadly for most takes complete humiliation before we really mean what we say.
We cannot change by our own power or might but by the Spirit. The Spirit works with the Word. As the Word brings conviction to our worldliness and true repentance follows the Word now get's received into our heart and transforms who we now are.
Repentance isn't true unless we let go of something, and what seems to be loss will turn to great gain, but if we reject truth for what we think we can not relinquish, all will be lost to everlasting regret and torment.
It's Who You Are
How many times have we said or did something hurtful we regret? Our usual response is I didn't mean it, or can I take that back! We think it is an easy way out, that the person hurt will just suddenly understand and get over it, but that rarely occurs. Truth is, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our hearts are terribly wicked and if it wasn't for the mercy of God through the transforming power of His word we would be doomed, hurting one person after the other.
As It says in Luke 6:45, It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. For what we say and do comes from who we are. It is easy to say sorry, hoping that word magically resolves the issue.
Many times I have said sorry to my wife yet didn't change my ways and therefore the problem remained. I have seemed to repent of my sins, tears and all, yet no change follows. The thing is we don't really mean what we say unless our actions follow. What is spoken from the heart will be acted out. True Repentance is a turn away from what was confessed, which sadly for most takes complete humiliation before we really mean what we say.
We cannot change by our own power or might but by the Spirit. The Spirit works with the Word. As the Word brings conviction to our worldliness and true repentance follows the Word now get's received into our heart and transforms who we now are.
Repentance isn't true unless we let go of something, and what seems to be loss will turn to great gain, but if we reject truth for what we think we can not relinquish, all will be lost to everlasting regret and torment.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The World's Rejects
Whom the World Rejects, God Accepts!
Luke 6:20-42
I tried so hard as a young person to fit in. Always worrying about if I am saying the right thing, wearing the right clothes, and acting the right way. It brought such pressure, fear, and foolishness. I just wanted to be accepted and liked by the kids I thought were cool. No matter how hard I tried it just didn't seem to fully work because I was going against who God had made me.
When I gave my life to the Lord everything changed. I felt free to be me. I didn't care so much what other people thought of me for I was now accepted by God. As I grew in my love for Him, I began to love myself, for who He made me. I now celebrated my differences instead of trying to be like others.
I now joined a family of rejects, the church. Those who I use to make fun of and look down upon were now my friends and co-laborers in Christ. I actually had more friends and family than I did ever before. See I would rather be temporarily rejected by the world than eternally rejected by God. I lost so called friends but gained true friends who accepted me for who I am.
The things I strived so hard for and fell short in, I now was experiencing through God's blessings. All of a sudden I have many friends, I am making a positive impact in the world, I am married to the most beautiful woman both on the inside and out, I have amazing children, live in an amazing home, travel throughout the world, always having my needs met, and the blessings just continue to flow.
So I can relate with the beatitudes, I have been rejected by the world, hated, excluded, mocked, cursed because I follow the Son of Man, but yes I truly leap for joy for great is the reward I am experiencing here in this life and even greater in the age to come.
What the world sees as success is what one achieves, what one has been able to gain. What God sees as success is what one gives away. For what one gains will eventually be loss, but what one gives away will eventually be gain. There is nothing ahead but trouble for those that live for the approval of others, those who try to live to satisfy nothing but themselves, who are just trying to make it to the top of a popularity contest. Life is found in being real and not fake.
We will all have enemies in life, when we are free from what others think, we are no longer moved by what others say or do to us. So instead of our enemies bringing the worst out of us they bring the best out of us. We pray for our enemies and serve them with unconditional love.
We now treat everyone equally and do unto them what we would want them to do unto us. We no longer give to get, we give freely as the Lord has given freely unto us. Our Father has been so kind and generous to us it is natural for us to do the same to others. Life has truly been found in giving it away.
Luke 6:20-42
I tried so hard as a young person to fit in. Always worrying about if I am saying the right thing, wearing the right clothes, and acting the right way. It brought such pressure, fear, and foolishness. I just wanted to be accepted and liked by the kids I thought were cool. No matter how hard I tried it just didn't seem to fully work because I was going against who God had made me.
When I gave my life to the Lord everything changed. I felt free to be me. I didn't care so much what other people thought of me for I was now accepted by God. As I grew in my love for Him, I began to love myself, for who He made me. I now celebrated my differences instead of trying to be like others.
I now joined a family of rejects, the church. Those who I use to make fun of and look down upon were now my friends and co-laborers in Christ. I actually had more friends and family than I did ever before. See I would rather be temporarily rejected by the world than eternally rejected by God. I lost so called friends but gained true friends who accepted me for who I am.
The things I strived so hard for and fell short in, I now was experiencing through God's blessings. All of a sudden I have many friends, I am making a positive impact in the world, I am married to the most beautiful woman both on the inside and out, I have amazing children, live in an amazing home, travel throughout the world, always having my needs met, and the blessings just continue to flow.
So I can relate with the beatitudes, I have been rejected by the world, hated, excluded, mocked, cursed because I follow the Son of Man, but yes I truly leap for joy for great is the reward I am experiencing here in this life and even greater in the age to come.
What the world sees as success is what one achieves, what one has been able to gain. What God sees as success is what one gives away. For what one gains will eventually be loss, but what one gives away will eventually be gain. There is nothing ahead but trouble for those that live for the approval of others, those who try to live to satisfy nothing but themselves, who are just trying to make it to the top of a popularity contest. Life is found in being real and not fake.
We will all have enemies in life, when we are free from what others think, we are no longer moved by what others say or do to us. So instead of our enemies bringing the worst out of us they bring the best out of us. We pray for our enemies and serve them with unconditional love.
We now treat everyone equally and do unto them what we would want them to do unto us. We no longer give to get, we give freely as the Lord has given freely unto us. Our Father has been so kind and generous to us it is natural for us to do the same to others. Life has truly been found in giving it away.
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