Archive for the 'Random!' Category

07
Mar

the fruit of the wrong tree

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Random!, Right In Their Own Eyes and Vision

A quote from my wife’s Starbucks cup across from me:

"The law, for all of its failings, has a noble goal - to make the little bit of life that people can actually control more just. We can’t end disease or natural disasters, but we can devise rules for our dealings with one another that fairly weigh the rights and needs of everyone, and which, therefore, reflect our best vision of ourselves." - Scott Turow, Author

Wow. Well, there it is - a quote that sums up the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. A quote that encompasses the self-delusional disease that has been progressively taking over the human heart since that fateful bite. Mind you, I have nothing against Scott Turow - I’m sure he’s a fine person, and perhaps an inspiring author. This quote may have been spoken by Turow, but might as well have been from anyone else who’s being honest about the situation we find ourselves in under Adam, the man of the earth, a man of dust.

"The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those of the dust, and as is the man from heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man from heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:46-47 ESV)

Wow. Great news is - a quote from the New Testament that sums up the fruit of the tree of life. A quote that encompasses the God-reality that has existed before time began and has been progressively taking back the human heart since the death and resurrection of Christ. Mind you, I think everything of Jesus Christ - because His life and word are being sent forth from heaven and will not return void. He will show everyone, not just "Christians" that there is a man who can end disease and natural disasters - the God-man, King of Heaven/Earth Jesus Christ. He has spoken, and anyone who’s being honest about what He has said has to believe we are in a good situation under Jesus, the second Adam, the man from heaven.

The problem is - we are still deceived into thinking we can figure out this whole good/evil thing. After we think about it hard enough, we really can deal with each other fairly, understand the needs of everyone, and in the end, create the best possible version of ourselves in our own image. Right? Hasn’t human history been one tale after another of men and women making the best of themselves and creating wonderful times on the earth that respect the needs and rights of all? Isn’t that the fruit of our choice, the fruit of our understanding of the law?

God have mercy on us - and He has, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the second Adam, who has come to renew our minds from earthly to heavenly. Because we were made to reflect His image, not our own. We just can’t seem to get over ourselves, our laws, and our "best vision of ourselves" - even sometimes in the Church. Only when we die to that (self) vision will we find the life in the true vision (God) that we were created to have and be completely satisfied in it.

12
Sep

11 Things TO DO that won’t shipwreck your faith

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Random!

Michael over at Missionsblog.com has had some interesting posts as of late called “11 Things That will Make Everyone Dislike you and Shipwreck your Faith.” They were some great thoughts that really expose horrible attitudes and ideas that find a way to creep into our christian lives if we aren’t careful. Everyone, including myself, probably has been guilty of one or many of those attitudes, mostly springing out of insecurity, pride, self-righteousness, or bitterness. Praise the Lord He is such a good and patient shepherd that He leads us towards Him and His ways!

In response, I decided to type up the reverse reality - the 11 things TO DO (instead of 11 things not to do) to advance, not shipwreck your faith. Michael and Justin had talked about this already, but I thought I’d throw my two cents in as well, as follows:
1) Listen to what Jesus says and when you share it, don’t just share the words themselves, but in the heart of compassion and the spirit of truth that He does. When others share and you don’t understand, take it before the Lord before you say something - if you do at all.

2) Pursue the Lord with all your heart, and be authentic about the areas of your heart the Lord is redeeming and setting you free from, even if they are the “small issues”. Let your passion for purity, overwhelming kindness, and radical love drive people to their knees.

3) If something bad is happening to someone else, pray for them. If something bad is happening in your life, ask some people to pray for you that you may endure with patience and obedience.

4) If you disagree with anything someone says, approach them about it personally before labeling them publically, for you may have misunderstood them. Or at the least, talk to other brothers you respect privately about the teaching, omitting the persons’ name, so that they may give you objective counsel. Pray for them and ask God to bless them, don’t attack them.

5) Don’t focus on what’s wrong about everything as much as you focus on what’s right about Jesus and His ways. People need to know who Jesus is more than they need to know what is wrong. The greatest way for people to spot the counterfeit is to dynamically know the truth.

6) Don’t judge your life by what you are and aren’t doing. Judge your life on who you are and aren’t being - namely, how close you are to being like Jesus. Let your hope in Jesus’ good and pure desire for you and His great love motivate you towards a Christ-likeness that beams.

7) Preach the Bible verses Jesus tells you to preach, no matter if they are popular or not. Do not fear man, but don’t think that yelling at people means you fear God. Fear God by bringing His words AS WELL AS His heart to people. Tremble before His Word that you might be found faithful in bringing His words by His Spirit and not your own.

8) Watch the person with the most kindness, humility, and meekness. Listen to their words of wisdom, though they may be few. Spend time with that person, and follow them as they follow Christ, even if they were born-again yesterday.

9) Be authentic about your life before God and man - it will bring freedom to others to do the same. If the Lord calls you to call out sin - then do so as He would - call it out in truth and then urge people towards the open-armed Christ who is ready to forgive, redeem, and heal at that very moment.

10) If you are “shepherding” people to follow Christ - learn from the Good Shepherd Himself. Watch His patient, careful, and gracious leadership over your own life and let that be your model - not the models of other men. Read Psalm 23 and let your preaching and leadership follow.

11) Preach the coming of Christ as victor over death, sin, and the human heart. Preach it in such anointing and passion that it breeds sincere hope. “He who has this hope (that when we see Him, we shall be like Him) therefore purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)

(these were in direct counter response to the second set of 11 mentioned at missionsblog.com)

15
Jul

Of Sprinklers and Mongolia

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Random!

Random - Jenny and I just found out that our lawn sprinklers have not been working at all for the last few weeks, actually since before Israel, and we didn’t even know it!

How did we realize that the water wasn’t flowing, that the automatic system wasn’t being so automatic? Well, goodness gracious, the lawn started turning from green to brown! The lush, think, healthy green blades that we are used to were turning into hard, bristle, easily-breakable brown refuse.

I just heard a guy speak of a band of Germans, Swiss, and Americans who felt called of God to worship Him in the middle of the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. They had to have generators brought out for their equipment and some of the activities they were doing with the nomads who consistently travel through there. They began to worship, and continued to do so for about 3 hours. Then, suddenly, in the middle of the August heat of Mongolia, out of nowhere, it began to rain. And rain, and rain. It rained all night long.

In the morning, when they arose, the desert began to look like a garden, as flowers and grass had sprouted out all over the place. Life was brought to that dry place - and the man said the Lord spoke to them “This is what I am doing in the nations of the earth, bringing life where there is only death.”

Isaiah 35:6-7 “The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where the desert jackals once lived.”

Its good to ask ourselves - Is there life flowing in our hearts? Does the river of the Holy Spirit flow within? Is the water of the Word purifying us? Do we desire to know Christ and make Him known by the power of the Spirit?

It just took a turn of the valve to get the sprinklers going. Sometimes it just takes a worship song or a prayer of faith to get the life flowing again.

Let’s not wait until the grass is brown to realize what we are missing!