... or, thing that makes me feel guilty today. I'm still reading Beth Moore, covering the Gospel of John, and she asks: If your life were a Gospel told by someone else, would people know the Lord based on the way you live?
Oooh, right between the eyes. Words are cheap. How much action is in my faith?
Ouch.
Showing posts with label John the Disciple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John the Disciple. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
2 steps forward, 2 steps back
Forgive my Paula Abdul reference, but that seems to be the mantra of my life of late. Moments of productiveness followed by hours of sitting still, waiting for inspiration. Feeling on top of the world, then getting knocked back on my rear. Keeps me humble, I suppose.
I did get so much accomplished today; so many things were crossed off my "to do" list this afternoon, and it felt GREAT. Now I'm watching "Idol" and trying to interpret what Paula means during her critiques. Does anyone have a "Paula to English" dictionary? "The world needs to see what we hear"... what the...
On a more serious note, I'm still loving my Beth Moore book. Last night I was reading her interpretation of how John must have felt after his brother, James, was killed. She contends that, during this traumatic time in his life, John surely discovered what it meant to be alone before God. Stripped bare. Broken and confused.
"Sometimes we don't realize how real He is until we've experienced the awesomeness of His answerless Presence. He knows that what we crave far more than explanations is the unshakable conviction that He is utterly, supremely God."
How completely humbling it is to me to take a moment and try to comprehend just how awesome God is. It's incomprehensible, but so true. Utterly, supremely God. Wow.
I did get so much accomplished today; so many things were crossed off my "to do" list this afternoon, and it felt GREAT. Now I'm watching "Idol" and trying to interpret what Paula means during her critiques. Does anyone have a "Paula to English" dictionary? "The world needs to see what we hear"... what the...
On a more serious note, I'm still loving my Beth Moore book. Last night I was reading her interpretation of how John must have felt after his brother, James, was killed. She contends that, during this traumatic time in his life, John surely discovered what it meant to be alone before God. Stripped bare. Broken and confused.
"Sometimes we don't realize how real He is until we've experienced the awesomeness of His answerless Presence. He knows that what we crave far more than explanations is the unshakable conviction that He is utterly, supremely God."
How completely humbling it is to me to take a moment and try to comprehend just how awesome God is. It's incomprehensible, but so true. Utterly, supremely God. Wow.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Come, follow me
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
~Matthew 4:18-22
As previously reported, I'm reading a great book about John, the Disciple (and not John the Baptist, as I'm an idiot and was confused before). Of course, the first few chapters talk about John's call by Christ to be a disciple, and his walking away from his profession in order to follow Jesus.
And while none of us, I assume, have been commanded by Christ in person to stop what we're doing and follow His literal footsteps, those of us who have made professions of faith have, in fact, chosen to cast away our self and follow him.
I was lucky enough to be raised in a home where church attendance was never in question. Rather, we were there a minimum of three times a week, more if there was Bible School, revival, or any other reason the doors were opened. So I heard the story of the calling of the disciples many, many times. A few years ago, while working with the children's choir in a different church, we did a production called "Fishers of Men," devoted solely to the telling of the story of the calling of the fishermen into discipleship, and how we too are called to proclaim the Gospel.
But this morning, while visiting a local church where they were having a living Lord's Supper, I heard the story anew. I realized that phrase "Come, follow me, and I will make you..." is so applicable to our lives. Christ says it to each of us. "Follow me," which is a daily commitment, not just one we make at salvation, "and I will make you..." into what He wills us to be.
The first part of that verse is the most important and often most challenging. "Follow me" sounds easy enough, but we know from experience how much of ourselves we must cast aside in order to do that.
"And I will make you...." He will make us. It doesn't say, "Follow me and I will let you," or "Follow me and you will become, " but rather "I will make you." Wow. We are in His likeness, and holiness is certainly our goal. So let us follow Him and let Him make us into more than we can imagine.
~Matthew 4:18-22
As previously reported, I'm reading a great book about John, the Disciple (and not John the Baptist, as I'm an idiot and was confused before). Of course, the first few chapters talk about John's call by Christ to be a disciple, and his walking away from his profession in order to follow Jesus.
And while none of us, I assume, have been commanded by Christ in person to stop what we're doing and follow His literal footsteps, those of us who have made professions of faith have, in fact, chosen to cast away our self and follow him.
I was lucky enough to be raised in a home where church attendance was never in question. Rather, we were there a minimum of three times a week, more if there was Bible School, revival, or any other reason the doors were opened. So I heard the story of the calling of the disciples many, many times. A few years ago, while working with the children's choir in a different church, we did a production called "Fishers of Men," devoted solely to the telling of the story of the calling of the fishermen into discipleship, and how we too are called to proclaim the Gospel.
But this morning, while visiting a local church where they were having a living Lord's Supper, I heard the story anew. I realized that phrase "Come, follow me, and I will make you..." is so applicable to our lives. Christ says it to each of us. "Follow me," which is a daily commitment, not just one we make at salvation, "and I will make you..." into what He wills us to be.
The first part of that verse is the most important and often most challenging. "Follow me" sounds easy enough, but we know from experience how much of ourselves we must cast aside in order to do that.
"And I will make you...." He will make us. It doesn't say, "Follow me and I will let you," or "Follow me and you will become, " but rather "I will make you." Wow. We are in His likeness, and holiness is certainly our goal. So let us follow Him and let Him make us into more than we can imagine.
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