Read this at your own expense, I may offend :)
Ok, so I can't concentrate on my Marketing assignment because I need to let this little rant out, here it goes!
I feel like I have been living a lie. I know I haven't been, it is just that my eyes have been opened and God is taking me on a journey where I am challenging all the beliefs, life routines, things I do and now I am asking questions of them. Things as simple as "Am I a bad Christian if I miss a week of Church?" or "Am I doing this because it is what a Christian does?". All my thoughts make me seem like I am rebelling against the Church (not my Church, the Church in general). But it isn't I am re-looking things with eyes of - What would God want and what DID Jesus do? Just from spending a lot of time in the gospels I have noticed that Jesus didn't come to create programmes and encourage people to cross the line so they don't go to hell, then sign up to a Church (go to 3 new believers courses) then join 6 ministries and give your life to the establishment of the Church and "build" the "kingdom" (kingdom being translated to growing the church and building more "ministries" --> Where did that come from anyway? I thought Jesus had one ministry and it was to Love people?). Nope, he came to freakn LOVE people! With NO AGENDA! They just ended up following him because they couldn't resist his love!
They saw who he was (not the title he carried, remember the priests didn't believe he was the Son of God) they followed him because of who he was. And the miracles he did, that was out of the intimacy he had with his Father and the love that overflowed out of that. I heard a saying "nothing is birthed without intimacy" and well that means practically like Children can't come into the world without a man and a women....you know the story... and the same with God, nothing can be birthed without us and God being in a relationship.
So I challenge you, strip back all your beliefs that you have been conditioned to believe and go back to the Bible and see what Jesus said and did about everything, then re-construct. It's great, my life has changed and to be honest is more exciting because it has challenged me to live for a cause greater than filling seats on Sunday. It has challenged me to love people, 24/7 with no agenda and then see the miracles overflow out of that.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
A Big Fat RANT!
Why should we be hungry for God? Isn't it much less effort and easier to be a Christian, go to Church, be in a life group and sing some songs in worship. And have Christian friends...
Spending time with God, reading the Bible and praying involves taking time away from our lives. We could be spending that time with Church friends or planning the next big Church event. We could spend it practising guitar for the worship team or you tubing all the Christian bands that have "made it".
What is the point? Leading the Christian life is way easier than living like Christ.
Recently I have been reading the Bible with a different pair of eyes, I have started looking at it realisticly...Here are some of my thoughts:
1) Jesus is awkward.
2) Jesus makes you get uncomfortable
3) Love affects someone most when it costs the person giving it
4) We live a watered down version of the gospel.
1) JESUS IS AWKWARD.
As I have been reading Matthew with eyes of realistic-ness (not sure if that is a real word....) I have been thinking about these things happening in real life, which I suppose makes sence because they did. Like for example the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9 where he gets mud and rubs it in his eyes, imagine walking along the street down by the beach and this Chrsitan nutter guy called Jesus grabs some watery sand off the floor and rubs it in this blind mans eyes then tells him to go wash it off himself... To be honest I get freaked out with just someone else with me evangelising with words let alone doing weird miracles...
But don't get me wrong, and think the mud is the secret to blindness. No, only doing what the Father is doing is the key. See Jesus was in such a intimate relationship with his Father that he heard clearly from God and did and the man was healed.
And the kingdom of God is opposite to the kingdom of the world, hense the mud. So of course Jesus is going to do something that seems mental to us.
2) JESUS MAKES YOU GET UNCOMFORTABLE...
Following on from above, he makes you get uncomfortable, life is sweet when you don't feel challenged and need to change. As humans we are searching for ways to make our life more comfortable, and easier.
I can be a bit of a clean freak and love cleaning my teeth, I can't stand not brushing them I sometimes brush them 3-4 times a day if I am home. Same with showering, I love feeling clean and comfortable, somedays I can't wait to get home and into fat pants. I love hot water bottles, blankets and wheeties (and couches with a cup of tea...) ahhh bliss. As current I am in my PJs under a blanket on my bed all comfy with a couple of books. In my natural habbitat. I feel COMFORTABLE here. Alone, reading the word and resting my body. But life isn't about finding our comfortable place.
Speaking of being comfortable as I was just about to write this section I got a call from my lovely friend Molly asking to stay at my place and I had a split second to think "Ahhh I am in my zone with my books in my own little space I don't really want disturbance" or "of course!" and I choose the later. Being Molly I would always choose to say yes just cause I love her company but you get the jist of what I am saying. He gives us opportunities to stay in our comfort zone or step out of the boat. Last week I promised myself I would talk to a homeless person in the next week, now I actually haven't been down lampton quey to do so yet but I am still planning on it cause it will be uncomfortable cause well there will be everyone walking past and probaly judging...
3) LOVE EFFECTS SOMEONE THE MOST WHEN IT COSTS THE PERSON GIVING IT
Don't you love that warm fuzzy you get when someone has re-arranged their schedule to fit you in, or taken the time to write you a letter or taken you out on a date that has involved thought and time to plan?
That is when love touches people, I heard a saying "fire always falls on sacrifice" I think it was Bill Johnson who said it...anyway what it means is that when there is sacrifice involved that is when it starts the fire!! So when we give up something of ours for God or Jesus dies on the cross for our sins the fire falls on that and it is like there is now a supernatural element to it.
In the context of my life this is like the difference between me fitting things into my life nicely and giving to people up to the point where it hurts or is awkward or is uncomfortable. For me this is like choosing not to ask someone out for coffee who probaly needs a talk because I feel "weird" about it... or don't think I know them enough to ask them (that really should be a good reason for a coffee!) it is love when I push past those things and do them anyway cause then the fire will fall on it.
When I am down to my last $10 with two days til payday and a young person asks me for $5 and I say yes. It is pushing beyond which keeps us comfortable that is love. And of course in all this God calls us to look after ourselves because our bodies are temples so we should not do so much that we burn out, and to not do so much that you burn out you must allow the relationship between you and God to be the life line and listening out for what he is saying to do and not to do.
I have discovered this week that I feel the most alive and full of joy, love and happiness when I am giving out to people and engaging with his call in my life. Not when I am "relaxing" at home...
4) WE LIVE A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THE GOSPEL
As Children we read and learn the Bible stories and that is what they are...stories.
But we are not to stay in that place of "stories" we are to engage with the Word as if it is real. Which kinda makes sence, because it did happen and is real.
The Church today (and this is a huge generalisation of the Church as a whole and probaly very critical) is living a watered down version of the gospel and settling for "cool services" "commitment numbers" and how many famous speakers or worship bands we can get to visit our Church. We are settling for the Worlds version of Church to be honest. We have watered Jesus down so that non christians feel comfortable because the lifestyle difference isn't a hue change instead of challenged to really engage with how Jesus lived and calls us to live.
Be CHALLENGED to wear a difference pair of eyes when reading the word and allow the gospels stories to challenge you to live the life Jesus did.
Spending time with God, reading the Bible and praying involves taking time away from our lives. We could be spending that time with Church friends or planning the next big Church event. We could spend it practising guitar for the worship team or you tubing all the Christian bands that have "made it".
What is the point? Leading the Christian life is way easier than living like Christ.
Recently I have been reading the Bible with a different pair of eyes, I have started looking at it realisticly...Here are some of my thoughts:
1) Jesus is awkward.
2) Jesus makes you get uncomfortable
3) Love affects someone most when it costs the person giving it
4) We live a watered down version of the gospel.
1) JESUS IS AWKWARD.
As I have been reading Matthew with eyes of realistic-ness (not sure if that is a real word....) I have been thinking about these things happening in real life, which I suppose makes sence because they did. Like for example the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9 where he gets mud and rubs it in his eyes, imagine walking along the street down by the beach and this Chrsitan nutter guy called Jesus grabs some watery sand off the floor and rubs it in this blind mans eyes then tells him to go wash it off himself... To be honest I get freaked out with just someone else with me evangelising with words let alone doing weird miracles...
But don't get me wrong, and think the mud is the secret to blindness. No, only doing what the Father is doing is the key. See Jesus was in such a intimate relationship with his Father that he heard clearly from God and did and the man was healed.
And the kingdom of God is opposite to the kingdom of the world, hense the mud. So of course Jesus is going to do something that seems mental to us.
2) JESUS MAKES YOU GET UNCOMFORTABLE...
Following on from above, he makes you get uncomfortable, life is sweet when you don't feel challenged and need to change. As humans we are searching for ways to make our life more comfortable, and easier.
I can be a bit of a clean freak and love cleaning my teeth, I can't stand not brushing them I sometimes brush them 3-4 times a day if I am home. Same with showering, I love feeling clean and comfortable, somedays I can't wait to get home and into fat pants. I love hot water bottles, blankets and wheeties (and couches with a cup of tea...) ahhh bliss. As current I am in my PJs under a blanket on my bed all comfy with a couple of books. In my natural habbitat. I feel COMFORTABLE here. Alone, reading the word and resting my body. But life isn't about finding our comfortable place.
Speaking of being comfortable as I was just about to write this section I got a call from my lovely friend Molly asking to stay at my place and I had a split second to think "Ahhh I am in my zone with my books in my own little space I don't really want disturbance" or "of course!" and I choose the later. Being Molly I would always choose to say yes just cause I love her company but you get the jist of what I am saying. He gives us opportunities to stay in our comfort zone or step out of the boat. Last week I promised myself I would talk to a homeless person in the next week, now I actually haven't been down lampton quey to do so yet but I am still planning on it cause it will be uncomfortable cause well there will be everyone walking past and probaly judging...
3) LOVE EFFECTS SOMEONE THE MOST WHEN IT COSTS THE PERSON GIVING IT
Don't you love that warm fuzzy you get when someone has re-arranged their schedule to fit you in, or taken the time to write you a letter or taken you out on a date that has involved thought and time to plan?
That is when love touches people, I heard a saying "fire always falls on sacrifice" I think it was Bill Johnson who said it...anyway what it means is that when there is sacrifice involved that is when it starts the fire!! So when we give up something of ours for God or Jesus dies on the cross for our sins the fire falls on that and it is like there is now a supernatural element to it.
In the context of my life this is like the difference between me fitting things into my life nicely and giving to people up to the point where it hurts or is awkward or is uncomfortable. For me this is like choosing not to ask someone out for coffee who probaly needs a talk because I feel "weird" about it... or don't think I know them enough to ask them (that really should be a good reason for a coffee!) it is love when I push past those things and do them anyway cause then the fire will fall on it.
When I am down to my last $10 with two days til payday and a young person asks me for $5 and I say yes. It is pushing beyond which keeps us comfortable that is love. And of course in all this God calls us to look after ourselves because our bodies are temples so we should not do so much that we burn out, and to not do so much that you burn out you must allow the relationship between you and God to be the life line and listening out for what he is saying to do and not to do.
I have discovered this week that I feel the most alive and full of joy, love and happiness when I am giving out to people and engaging with his call in my life. Not when I am "relaxing" at home...
4) WE LIVE A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THE GOSPEL
As Children we read and learn the Bible stories and that is what they are...stories.
But we are not to stay in that place of "stories" we are to engage with the Word as if it is real. Which kinda makes sence, because it did happen and is real.
The Church today (and this is a huge generalisation of the Church as a whole and probaly very critical) is living a watered down version of the gospel and settling for "cool services" "commitment numbers" and how many famous speakers or worship bands we can get to visit our Church. We are settling for the Worlds version of Church to be honest. We have watered Jesus down so that non christians feel comfortable because the lifestyle difference isn't a hue change instead of challenged to really engage with how Jesus lived and calls us to live.
Be CHALLENGED to wear a difference pair of eyes when reading the word and allow the gospels stories to challenge you to live the life Jesus did.
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