Monday, November 08, 2010
He believes in me
God's word to us can be very .very personal . So much so that when you try to share that , noone believes you. Lots of the miracles in the Bible are like that . Miracles are clearly not for show - public show that is . Miracles are for those in distress and those who need something that God is prepared to give them ( He doesn't always give us what we want but He does listen and if its good he may well say wait )
Wow - when it happens . I have been on the campaign trail ( the electorate isn't worried about our leaders - i am about them having another term ; the indifferent politics of this day will go down in history ). I have to supervise children at work and children in charge . It makes me depressed when church people aren't prepared to be something special and relevant to attract the attention of the world to His message about " something new" and relevant . even the often heartrending reminder that so many people are more interested in building change than people change (today we had an architect here)
didn't really phase me as much as it normally does .
I had some good quality time with Brian sharing my thoughts and those of MLK"Its not the bad people i worry about but the good people who say nothing " . The overall effect of the day though is not good .I thought as i went to bed "who really believes in me' and knows my passions- more who really supports me in my passions - "believes in me' sums it up BEST ; .I went through my best friends; the list of names and faces didn't help - there were always areas where they " didn't understand"
I drop into bed thinking i need something special. I get up I turn up to john 7 :5 ( not the whole passage just that verse). 'Even his family did not believe in Him' . What a blow
So he believes in us even though noone else on earth does, or doesn't make such efforts to remind us - isn't that amazing !
Wow - when it happens . I have been on the campaign trail ( the electorate isn't worried about our leaders - i am about them having another term ; the indifferent politics of this day will go down in history ). I have to supervise children at work and children in charge . It makes me depressed when church people aren't prepared to be something special and relevant to attract the attention of the world to His message about " something new" and relevant . even the often heartrending reminder that so many people are more interested in building change than people change (today we had an architect here)
didn't really phase me as much as it normally does .
I had some good quality time with Brian sharing my thoughts and those of MLK"Its not the bad people i worry about but the good people who say nothing " . The overall effect of the day though is not good .I thought as i went to bed "who really believes in me' and knows my passions- more who really supports me in my passions - "believes in me' sums it up BEST ; .I went through my best friends; the list of names and faces didn't help - there were always areas where they " didn't understand"
I drop into bed thinking i need something special. I get up I turn up to john 7 :5 ( not the whole passage just that verse). 'Even his family did not believe in Him' . What a blow
So he believes in us even though noone else on earth does, or doesn't make such efforts to remind us - isn't that amazing !
This idea of belief
No one whose ever followed the Master for a long time can , like his disciples did, not question why the road seems so hard.The wonderful joy of the walk is that He always provides relief along the way - a special and personal type of encouragement that could only ever come via the angel armies .
Why don't people believe ?
Why didn't his own family believe ? As if Jesus hasn't got enough to worry about with the Jews wanting and willing to kill him ,John 7 records the depressing reality that even his brothers didn't believe in him. Patronizing him they give him some advice .People do that --they give you advice, often dopey and unthinking advice as the disciples did - " This is how you can be taken seriously" they said . Yet they weren't taking him seriously and they were close to him ; Heartbreaking because to give yourself for others and have that care thrown back at you - its tempting just to " get on with your own life "
How do you feel when you are patronized ? when people feel sorry for you . When its publicly , as it was there, it can drive people to the edge . Patronizing people is one of the most hurtful things we can do to each other; When done privately its easier to dismiss the comment as " what would they know" . "They don't know me , they don't believe me ? Hard though very hard if its your partner who truly loves you as Jesus loves you.
I had a recent bad reaction to someone saying, because I am always busy, " you don't need to do that so how about you don't'-full stop no questions The person was in charge and was genuinely concerned that i had too much on my plate around the church BUT they weren't really prepared to ask me what I though t about why I did what I did .
Its not hard to listen is it ? Ask God - he truly knows because He truly cares . So few people talk to Him. When we talk to each other , how often do we really listen . God more they, is really trying to help - His words worth more than a million others .
On my tombstone i would be tempted to say " why didn't you ask me when you saw me stressed by lots of work -with the words " How can I help ? "
If you have felt patronizing yourself , you have my complete sympathy( sympathy here contrasted with and presumptive talk about 'what you should do" - its so easy to spoil a listening session with your suggestions" . "Yes dear" is often all you need to say - the highly paid couch professionals prove it.
What does all this teach us about why its hard to believe ? Well for starters- its very hard to listen . Let a bit of listening to God' s clear and spoken word to you be your source of inspiration for this day .
Why don't people believe ?
Why didn't his own family believe ? As if Jesus hasn't got enough to worry about with the Jews wanting and willing to kill him ,John 7 records the depressing reality that even his brothers didn't believe in him. Patronizing him they give him some advice .People do that --they give you advice, often dopey and unthinking advice as the disciples did - " This is how you can be taken seriously" they said . Yet they weren't taking him seriously and they were close to him ; Heartbreaking because to give yourself for others and have that care thrown back at you - its tempting just to " get on with your own life "
How do you feel when you are patronized ? when people feel sorry for you . When its publicly , as it was there, it can drive people to the edge . Patronizing people is one of the most hurtful things we can do to each other; When done privately its easier to dismiss the comment as " what would they know" . "They don't know me , they don't believe me ? Hard though very hard if its your partner who truly loves you as Jesus loves you.
I had a recent bad reaction to someone saying, because I am always busy, " you don't need to do that so how about you don't'-full stop no questions The person was in charge and was genuinely concerned that i had too much on my plate around the church BUT they weren't really prepared to ask me what I though t about why I did what I did .
Its not hard to listen is it ? Ask God - he truly knows because He truly cares . So few people talk to Him. When we talk to each other , how often do we really listen . God more they, is really trying to help - His words worth more than a million others .
On my tombstone i would be tempted to say " why didn't you ask me when you saw me stressed by lots of work -with the words " How can I help ? "
If you have felt patronizing yourself , you have my complete sympathy( sympathy here contrasted with and presumptive talk about 'what you should do" - its so easy to spoil a listening session with your suggestions" . "Yes dear" is often all you need to say - the highly paid couch professionals prove it.
What does all this teach us about why its hard to believe ? Well for starters- its very hard to listen . Let a bit of listening to God' s clear and spoken word to you be your source of inspiration for this day .
Sunday, May 27, 2007
How rational is faith?
"Why christian" is not really a very good advertisement for foloowing christ because we all need much more than a reason to follow Christ .
Pure logic won't get anyone to make the huge step it is to trust someone you can't see in a world that clearly builds its superficial success on getting what you want for yourself .
The logic of putting self somewhere eles than first place is alien logic to all of us .even einstein put a z into the equation
If A equals success, then the formula is _ A = _ X + _ Y + _ Z. _ X is work. _ Y is play. _ Z is keep your mouth shut. -- Albert Einstein
Enough logic - try looking more deeply at the world in which you live - about who really wins and who is really blessed! For the sustainable view of life Read psalms Try Psalm 67 .
Pure logic won't get anyone to make the huge step it is to trust someone you can't see in a world that clearly builds its superficial success on getting what you want for yourself .
The logic of putting self somewhere eles than first place is alien logic to all of us .even einstein put a z into the equation
If A equals success, then the formula is _ A = _ X + _ Y + _ Z. _ X is work. _ Y is play. _ Z is keep your mouth shut. -- Albert Einstein
Enough logic - try looking more deeply at the world in which you live - about who really wins and who is really blessed! For the sustainable view of life Read psalms Try Psalm 67 .
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Keep rebelling if you like, but this truth remains
The preaching of the gospel and a rediscovery of grace by hearing about how great and good God is ,is the only way to lift us ALL beyond the deep holes in which we all can find ourselves - even in churches . How easily any little thing stands in the way of the bare altar of the plain gospel .
We are ALL still rebels-are we not? wanting to add or take away what God has made simple !
Yes, we all pray for something powerful to shake the reactionaries and ourselves out of our cynical perches- for the sake of a new generation of believers who, we trust, can see they can come - come , without any baggage at all.
We are ALL still rebels-are we not? wanting to add or take away what God has made simple !
Yes, we all pray for something powerful to shake the reactionaries and ourselves out of our cynical perches- for the sake of a new generation of believers who, we trust, can see they can come - come , without any baggage at all.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Miracle talk
Heard you talking cautiously about miracle claims . Sounds reasonable, considering the apparent euphoria around what has happened around Beaconsfield .
Struck by the fact that for me ( and think most ) the sense of miracle is very personal. A sort of wonderful thing in itself – a bit like the warmth in the pants effect , that is not welcomed so much by others?
Nothing hits you when you have a sense of miracle than the difficulty of explaining it to others – after all its your experience ---at least in large measure .And we forget and doubt quite naturally .
The best examples I know of are ones where the miracle happened to someone I know and I share a sense of wonder greater than they do about all the coincidences .
One day I’ll put a few in writing
BUT I am in a sense of wonder that the one who could tweak the nuons and quarks should do it with such incredible precision as to be so personal. Is not the testimony of experience of humans that we are made our Creator’s image ?
Either way, I think JUST like the blind man Jesus healed , most did not want to know .Despite being loud and getting lots of people to defend him and share his knowledge , the wider elements of audience wanted to shut him up . Somethings in the media are very predictable . The challenge is to avoid focusing on them alone ! After all the lowest common denominator is not good science either
Remember too, that our secular prophets say we are after all in denial about determinism --and rightly so – there is a lot of things to wonder about ----- if you are prepared not to close the door of the mind / heart on them.
Heard you talking cautiously about miracle claims . Sounds reasonable, considering the apparent euphoria around what has happened around Beaconsfield .
Struck by the fact that for me ( and think most ) the sense of miracle is very personal. A sort of wonderful thing in itself – a bit like the warmth in the pants effect , that is not welcomed so much by others?
Nothing hits you when you have a sense of miracle than the difficulty of explaining it to others – after all its your experience ---at least in large measure .And we forget and doubt quite naturally .
The best examples I know of are ones where the miracle happened to someone I know and I share a sense of wonder greater than they do about all the coincidences .
One day I’ll put a few in writing
BUT I am in a sense of wonder that the one who could tweak the nuons and quarks should do it with such incredible precision as to be so personal. Is not the testimony of experience of humans that we are made our Creator’s image ?
Either way, I think JUST like the blind man Jesus healed , most did not want to know .Despite being loud and getting lots of people to defend him and share his knowledge , the wider elements of audience wanted to shut him up . Somethings in the media are very predictable . The challenge is to avoid focusing on them alone ! After all the lowest common denominator is not good science either
Remember too, that our secular prophets say we are after all in denial about determinism --and rightly so – there is a lot of things to wonder about ----- if you are prepared not to close the door of the mind / heart on them.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
True love - we are bombarded daily with talk of love that is not love .Fake and false love that is cheap and unsatisfying Following Christ is about seeing true love, enjoying it as real and finding a way that really works to keep walking in it .
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
On the eve of a crusade whose predecessors have had more converts than often occurs in the lifetime of any church . We mostly all ask why? Why don't people come forward without being asked specifically to do so?
Do such often hasty decisions mean something's wrong, or just the opposite?. I don't accept that anyone should ever respond in such a context unless they really feel deeply drawn . Who are we to stop such life changing actions ? for something a little different in this context of faith try http://graceware.blogspot.com
Do such often hasty decisions mean something's wrong, or just the opposite?. I don't accept that anyone should ever respond in such a context unless they really feel deeply drawn . Who are we to stop such life changing actions ? for something a little different in this context of faith try http://graceware.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
And by the way after 50 years, I think its a very practical and realistic way of learning more about this wonderful place we find ourselves in .
Since I started this blog , I'd just like to say that one great reason to keep going down that road is that, on that journey, while it has big ups and downs ,you never seem to walk alone. A great part of the walk is that real people we learn to know share with us the wonder of that experience.
