Okay, I got about a page into this when my computer went out so let's try this again. Today in Sunday school, we were talking about Matthew and the Beatitudes, specifically about marriage and God's/the Biblical view on marriage and divorce. I just finished reading C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity and he had such a great way of expressing his view on marriage as he sees it from the Bible. I can't do him justice in my own words so I will be quoting him a lot.
Since marriage is a vow made between two people and God, that the two will always be together forever, til death do us part. His first comment on it is that the the two must enter into marriage believing in permanent marriage. "If people do not believe in permanent marriage, it is perhaps better that they should live together unmarried than they should make vows they do not mean to keep. It is true that by living together without marriage they will be guilty (in Christian eyes) of fornication. But one fault is not mended by adding another: unchastity is not improved by adding perjury." Here I think he is just talking about not taking marriage casually, but taking it seriously with the intent to stay married.
His next point is about staying married. "The idea that 'being in love' is the only reason for remaining married really leaves no room for marriage as a contract or promise at all." "A promise must be about things that I can do, about actions: no one can promise to go on feeling in a certain way. He might as well promise never to have a headache or always to feel hungry." He then goes on to answer the question as to why does God want to keep two people together that may no longer be in love. He states a couple of practical reasons, children, and to protect the wife who may have given up her career, but he goes much deeper. Quoting Lewis "They (we) like thinking in terms of good and bad, not of good, better, and best, or bad, worse and worst." "Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but still a feeling. No feeling can be relied on to last in its full intensity, or even last at all." I have to laugh when he goes on to say that living for 50 years in the same euphoria of initial love would be unbearable. "What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be 'in love' need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense - love as distinct from 'being in love' - is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other" "Being in love first moved them to promise fidelity; this quieter love enables them to keep the promise."
"People get from books the idea that if you have married the right person you may expect to go on 'being in love' for ever. As a result, when they find they are not, they think this proves they have made a mistake and are entitled to a change - not realising that, when they have changed, the glamour will presently go out of the new love just as it went out of the old one." "...it is just the people who are ready to submit to the loss of the thrill and settle down to the sober interest, who are then most likely to meet new thrills in some quite different direction." "..one little part of what Christ meant by saying that a thing will not really live unless it first dies." "It is because so few understand this that you find many middle-aged men and women maundering about their lost youth, at the very age when new horizons ought to be appearing and new doors opening all round them."
Well that's what I highlighted in that chapter about marriage in Mere Christianity. I had never heard things put quite that way, so I got a new perspective. Like the Bible, Lewis's view has a high standard for us sinning humans, but although we are sinners and continue to fail, C.S. Lewis said it best by saying "The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection." It's the effort, not the result that is important to God.
You gotta read this book.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
New favorite book
I am absolutely loving this book by John Eldredge called Epic. My pastor told me to read Wild at Heart which is also by this author. At Half Priced Books they didn't have that one, but they had a couple of other books by Eldredge.
It basically likens the "story" of God's creation to every great Epic story. It is an interesting, creative, and insightful way to explain God's true story. He makes an very compelling arguement for creationism versus evolution. He also almost answers the question of the meaning of life.
I have to say that I adore my God and savior Jesus Christ. However, I will admit that my closeness to Him seems to be a bit of a roller coaster. Sometimes I feel he is right there beside me and other times I long to feel his presence because I have neglected him. He doesn't move, I do. Life just gets in the way, but then that gets me off the hook a little too easily. I did find myself wondering how or even why would God care about little ole me? He has bigger fish to fry and probably many better followers or those in greater need than me. Why me? I almost found myself feeling jealous that God probably loved others more than me. The crazy things we tell ourselves. But then he answers my concern... Epic pg 72. - "The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth answer once and for all the question, "what is God's heart toward me?" At the point of our deepest betrayal, when we had run our farthest from him and gotten so lost we could never find our way home, God came and died to rescue us. You have never been loved like this. He has come to save you in every way a person can be saved. That is God's heart toward you." Whew!!! I love it. I love the way God will answer me when I have called upon him for wisdom, or direction. Sometimes the answers come sooner and some come later.
Life is surely an adventure. Every day is a new page in our chapter of His Story.
It basically likens the "story" of God's creation to every great Epic story. It is an interesting, creative, and insightful way to explain God's true story. He makes an very compelling arguement for creationism versus evolution. He also almost answers the question of the meaning of life.
I have to say that I adore my God and savior Jesus Christ. However, I will admit that my closeness to Him seems to be a bit of a roller coaster. Sometimes I feel he is right there beside me and other times I long to feel his presence because I have neglected him. He doesn't move, I do. Life just gets in the way, but then that gets me off the hook a little too easily. I did find myself wondering how or even why would God care about little ole me? He has bigger fish to fry and probably many better followers or those in greater need than me. Why me? I almost found myself feeling jealous that God probably loved others more than me. The crazy things we tell ourselves. But then he answers my concern... Epic pg 72. - "The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth answer once and for all the question, "what is God's heart toward me?" At the point of our deepest betrayal, when we had run our farthest from him and gotten so lost we could never find our way home, God came and died to rescue us. You have never been loved like this. He has come to save you in every way a person can be saved. That is God's heart toward you." Whew!!! I love it. I love the way God will answer me when I have called upon him for wisdom, or direction. Sometimes the answers come sooner and some come later.
Life is surely an adventure. Every day is a new page in our chapter of His Story.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The book of John
In our Bible study, we are currently studying the book of John. I do love this book of the Bible. I like that it is a different gospel from the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark or Luke. John is more spiritual in his account of Jesus life. He wants people to understand WHO Jesus truly is.
John wants us to understand the difference in the spiritual and physical world. To him, life and death, light and darkness, are to represent our spiritual status rather than a physical state. Just as Adam and Eve lost their life by eating the forbidden fruit, they didn't physically die, but their spirit died. They were separated from the light into a world of spiritual darkness and loneliness. Guilt, shame, fear, sinfulness all were a result of their alienation from God.
Sometimes I have a hard time reconciling who God is as described in the Old Testament versus who Jesus tells and shows us God is in the New Testament. I guess we are not intended to truly understand this mystery. During our bible study, I mentioned this in class and Jodi, our pastor, asked me how I would explain this to a person that is searching and needs reassuring in their faith. So I thought about it and what I believe is that God has always been in control, yet purposely given us all freewill. You must choose to love or it isn't love at all. If you forced behavior and belief, then you get a bunch of Stepford people that just go through the motions. Also, you can't have good without evil. But that's another subject.
Jesus has been with God in the very beginning. He was not a creation that he sent to earth just for the purpose of salvation for his people. Jesus is his beloved son that was there with him as they created the earth. (John 1: 1-5, "the Word" is Jesus (in Hebrew and Greek) Jesus was with God though all of the Old Testament. The world of that day was very different than today and they had not really had an organized belief. Sacrifices and Prostitution for the sake of worship was commonplace in those days. In order to train God's chosen people, the Jews, to spread his desires for the world, he needed to set some rules in place to change their current way of life. They were strict and hard to follow rules. If you think about it, even though we are broken humans that are unable to live completely sin free, the rules that God handed down are for our own good. He knew that any deviation from these rules would only result in pain for ourselves, our loved ones, and for mankind as a whole. We can justify our own circumstances for every broken rule, but when everyone is doing that, there is sure destruction as we have seen. Also to get this world headed in the direction God wants he probably had to make some major decisions that we can not understand because we can't see from his perspective. The Old Testament is a preparation for Jesus as we can see in the prophetic books in the Old Testament (the last books of the Old Testament). Reading those still amazes me. God does have a plan. For God to send his Son to this cruel world and know that he will have to suffer had to be a sacrifice for God and Jesus. But he did so that Jesus can offer us LIFE not only after we die, but now. The spirit that had died with Adam and Eve, could be reborn with Jesus. This is what John wants us to understand.
Jodi did bring it to our attention that Nicodemus in John 3 is visiting Jesus at night in the protection of darkness to ask questions of Jesus and Jesus, clever as ever, replies that people that do evil love darkness. John 3: 19. Jesus explains that people say they need to see to believe, but he is giving them something to see and they still don't believe.
I also like how he uses the woman at the well to spread his ministry. A woman that was not accepted in polite society. (She was at the well during the heat of the day instead of in the evening with the other women). A sinner by all accounts, he revealed his identity to her and she told her village and many believed because of her account. Wow the first woman evangelist, by Jesus choosing. I love when he says "I am he". "I am he", sounds too normal in English. In Greek and Hebrew it means God. He said it to the captors that took him to be crucified and they fell back. It is the way the God introduced himself to Moses on the mountain. "I Am" (Yahweh). Just a little tidbit that I think loses some clarity in the translation. (Along with plenty of other things in the Bible)
As I have said before, I love my bible study. I always come out of it with clarity about something that I just can't wait to share. This insight is not really mine, but from our Disciple I study guide, Jodi our pastor, my classmates, my study Bible, and sometimes a little leading from the Holy Spirit. It all comes together. My hope is that anyone that reads this wants to learn more or has more to share with me or others.
John wants us to understand the difference in the spiritual and physical world. To him, life and death, light and darkness, are to represent our spiritual status rather than a physical state. Just as Adam and Eve lost their life by eating the forbidden fruit, they didn't physically die, but their spirit died. They were separated from the light into a world of spiritual darkness and loneliness. Guilt, shame, fear, sinfulness all were a result of their alienation from God.
Sometimes I have a hard time reconciling who God is as described in the Old Testament versus who Jesus tells and shows us God is in the New Testament. I guess we are not intended to truly understand this mystery. During our bible study, I mentioned this in class and Jodi, our pastor, asked me how I would explain this to a person that is searching and needs reassuring in their faith. So I thought about it and what I believe is that God has always been in control, yet purposely given us all freewill. You must choose to love or it isn't love at all. If you forced behavior and belief, then you get a bunch of Stepford people that just go through the motions. Also, you can't have good without evil. But that's another subject.
Jesus has been with God in the very beginning. He was not a creation that he sent to earth just for the purpose of salvation for his people. Jesus is his beloved son that was there with him as they created the earth. (John 1: 1-5, "the Word" is Jesus (in Hebrew and Greek) Jesus was with God though all of the Old Testament. The world of that day was very different than today and they had not really had an organized belief. Sacrifices and Prostitution for the sake of worship was commonplace in those days. In order to train God's chosen people, the Jews, to spread his desires for the world, he needed to set some rules in place to change their current way of life. They were strict and hard to follow rules. If you think about it, even though we are broken humans that are unable to live completely sin free, the rules that God handed down are for our own good. He knew that any deviation from these rules would only result in pain for ourselves, our loved ones, and for mankind as a whole. We can justify our own circumstances for every broken rule, but when everyone is doing that, there is sure destruction as we have seen. Also to get this world headed in the direction God wants he probably had to make some major decisions that we can not understand because we can't see from his perspective. The Old Testament is a preparation for Jesus as we can see in the prophetic books in the Old Testament (the last books of the Old Testament). Reading those still amazes me. God does have a plan. For God to send his Son to this cruel world and know that he will have to suffer had to be a sacrifice for God and Jesus. But he did so that Jesus can offer us LIFE not only after we die, but now. The spirit that had died with Adam and Eve, could be reborn with Jesus. This is what John wants us to understand.
Jodi did bring it to our attention that Nicodemus in John 3 is visiting Jesus at night in the protection of darkness to ask questions of Jesus and Jesus, clever as ever, replies that people that do evil love darkness. John 3: 19. Jesus explains that people say they need to see to believe, but he is giving them something to see and they still don't believe.
I also like how he uses the woman at the well to spread his ministry. A woman that was not accepted in polite society. (She was at the well during the heat of the day instead of in the evening with the other women). A sinner by all accounts, he revealed his identity to her and she told her village and many believed because of her account. Wow the first woman evangelist, by Jesus choosing. I love when he says "I am he". "I am he", sounds too normal in English. In Greek and Hebrew it means God. He said it to the captors that took him to be crucified and they fell back. It is the way the God introduced himself to Moses on the mountain. "I Am" (Yahweh). Just a little tidbit that I think loses some clarity in the translation. (Along with plenty of other things in the Bible)
As I have said before, I love my bible study. I always come out of it with clarity about something that I just can't wait to share. This insight is not really mine, but from our Disciple I study guide, Jodi our pastor, my classmates, my study Bible, and sometimes a little leading from the Holy Spirit. It all comes together. My hope is that anyone that reads this wants to learn more or has more to share with me or others.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sacrifice and the Now Generation
I just loved the message today at church. I hope Pastor Jodi doesn't mind if I paraphrase what I got out of it. She started out telling a story about a man stuck in the desert and trying to find his way out. He knew it had to do with the sun so he started to follow his shadow which led him in circles and in the same place he started. So in order to find his way out, he needed to follow the sun (Son) to find his way out instead of rely on his own shadow.
The message was from Mark 8: 27, where Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is and several say John the Baptist and some say Elijah, but Peter gets it right, by saying the Messiah. He then tells them that the time to reveal this to others is not yet come. He starts to explain to them what is to happen. The Son of Man is to suffer many things and then will be killed and then rise on the third day. Peter rebuked Jesus by saying this can never happen and Jesus tells him "Satan get behind me", you do not know the things of God, but only the things of man.
Mark 8: 34 - Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul.
She said that many believe to take up his cross means to bear a burden, but she made me see that to take up his cross and follow me, means we have work to do here. We are a generation of instant gratification. Me included in the worst way. I have no patience. I want everything now. I have always known this fault of mine, but try to control it.
This economy is built on a house of cards, credit, spending, and living above our means which are all sinful according to the Bible. The Bible teaches against living in debt. Why, because God knows it only causes strife a kind of slavery to the debtor. Man is he right. But I'm in it just like the rest of the country. So much that we are currently in a Dave Ramsey mode of living on less. We don't eat out or spend needlessly. God is always with us even in our shortfalls and is pulling for us to do the work we are called to do. But as I was saying we are a generation of now and don't want to wait or work for it first. Well we want to live an eternal life in heaven, but don't really want to do anything to have to get there. We are called to love God with all our heart and love others as ourselves. Within this is a bunch of service opportunities to share God's love with others...endless ways to do God's work.
But an analogy that really clarified it for me was about a musician. I spent the weekend at a Bluegrass Festival with numerous talented musicians. I constantly think I could never do that and I have no talent. But then she pointed out that to be a talented musician you have to work hard, work long and hard to get there. These fellas have been playing their whole lives, hours a day, every day. Nights without their loved ones, a non steady paycheck, hours of practice. They didn't just walk up and pick up an instrument and begin to play beautifully, they worked long and hard, with numerous sacrifices for that. Well, we want salvation, a live eternal in heaven, to live with our precious Jesus for all eternity, but we don't want to sacrifice for it. I know that salvation is not based on works, but as a follower of Christ with his spirit inside of you, you are here with a job to do. We all have a talent to lend to this job. Many different talents to do the work of our savior. We, his followers, are called to take up our cross and follow him.
The message was from Mark 8: 27, where Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is and several say John the Baptist and some say Elijah, but Peter gets it right, by saying the Messiah. He then tells them that the time to reveal this to others is not yet come. He starts to explain to them what is to happen. The Son of Man is to suffer many things and then will be killed and then rise on the third day. Peter rebuked Jesus by saying this can never happen and Jesus tells him "Satan get behind me", you do not know the things of God, but only the things of man.
Mark 8: 34 - Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul.
She said that many believe to take up his cross means to bear a burden, but she made me see that to take up his cross and follow me, means we have work to do here. We are a generation of instant gratification. Me included in the worst way. I have no patience. I want everything now. I have always known this fault of mine, but try to control it.
This economy is built on a house of cards, credit, spending, and living above our means which are all sinful according to the Bible. The Bible teaches against living in debt. Why, because God knows it only causes strife a kind of slavery to the debtor. Man is he right. But I'm in it just like the rest of the country. So much that we are currently in a Dave Ramsey mode of living on less. We don't eat out or spend needlessly. God is always with us even in our shortfalls and is pulling for us to do the work we are called to do. But as I was saying we are a generation of now and don't want to wait or work for it first. Well we want to live an eternal life in heaven, but don't really want to do anything to have to get there. We are called to love God with all our heart and love others as ourselves. Within this is a bunch of service opportunities to share God's love with others...endless ways to do God's work.
But an analogy that really clarified it for me was about a musician. I spent the weekend at a Bluegrass Festival with numerous talented musicians. I constantly think I could never do that and I have no talent. But then she pointed out that to be a talented musician you have to work hard, work long and hard to get there. These fellas have been playing their whole lives, hours a day, every day. Nights without their loved ones, a non steady paycheck, hours of practice. They didn't just walk up and pick up an instrument and begin to play beautifully, they worked long and hard, with numerous sacrifices for that. Well, we want salvation, a live eternal in heaven, to live with our precious Jesus for all eternity, but we don't want to sacrifice for it. I know that salvation is not based on works, but as a follower of Christ with his spirit inside of you, you are here with a job to do. We all have a talent to lend to this job. Many different talents to do the work of our savior. We, his followers, are called to take up our cross and follow him.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Random
Well I haven't had time to write anything meaningful. I have been so busy lately. In fact, I think I have been too busy. My family, house, church, and friends are suffering for it. I am trying so hard to get everything done, that I have even neglected my faith. Then I wonder why I feel so far from God. Guess what...he hasn't moved, I have. I need to remind myself that I can do nothing without him. I need to renew that bond and climb that mountain top once again.
I got some new office space that I think will be a great thing and will help me be more productive at work. The business is good, I just need to sell, sell, sell more, more, more.
I am also looking forward to warmer weather. I am over winter. Come on spring!!!!
Hopefully I will be able to write more soon.
God Bless all.
I got some new office space that I think will be a great thing and will help me be more productive at work. The business is good, I just need to sell, sell, sell more, more, more.
I am also looking forward to warmer weather. I am over winter. Come on spring!!!!
Hopefully I will be able to write more soon.
God Bless all.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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