"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.
John 5.39-40, The MSG
A scripture like this really has, I think, a bit of humor to it when it's read from a daily Bible reading program that's main emphasis is reading the Bible on a daily basis because the Bible is very important.
Taken out of context it stands alone as this very vague passage of scripture, interestingly enough truth rings very heavy in this passage for me. To be honest I struggle with this side of the gospel. I love the side of the gospel that encourages generosity, champions social justice, requires peace and tolerance. You know the side of the gospel that you can talk about easily in a group of people because it's comfortable to. When you talk about your church building water wells or sponsoring sports teams, people inside, outside or on the fringes of Christianity say, "That's cool man," or "sounds like an awesome thing." I can handle that side of the gospel, but the side I struggle with is the side that says Jesus has the life that you really really want.
I struggle with this because its easy to read a OYB, or to participate in set up teams or service and bask in my own little pride. I sing of course Jesus loves me, this I know, because my Bible I read more than you tells me so.
You know the spiritual disciplines are important, reading the word is very important. But this relationship with Jesus, a visceral relationship with Jesus is the only way to get the life we really want.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sitting on the front row isn't what it used to be...
“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Luke 19.9-14
I can't resist the notion that Jesus might actually started this parable with a bit of sarcasm, almost if he was telling a joke, and then described probably someone he may have seen at temple one day. Classic. What a beautiful picture of authentic humility contrasted against pious vanities and arrogance. Traditionally this is true and Christ even goes on for those who maybe don't get to mention if you humble yourself you'll be exalted.
I get it.
But I think there's more we can take away from this story.
Maybe I'm being over-analytical, maybe it's CSI on the TV, but I think there is a small but amazing prayer, subtly woven into the posture of the tax collector. I read this and ask God that my heart would break for Him. I pray my heart would long for Him that I would dare not even lift my eyes to heaven.
I think how we pray is important. I think being self-aware and authentically confessing our sins is important. I think being in love with Someone so much that hurts is important too.
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Luke 19.9-14
I can't resist the notion that Jesus might actually started this parable with a bit of sarcasm, almost if he was telling a joke, and then described probably someone he may have seen at temple one day. Classic. What a beautiful picture of authentic humility contrasted against pious vanities and arrogance. Traditionally this is true and Christ even goes on for those who maybe don't get to mention if you humble yourself you'll be exalted.
I get it.
But I think there's more we can take away from this story.
Maybe I'm being over-analytical, maybe it's CSI on the TV, but I think there is a small but amazing prayer, subtly woven into the posture of the tax collector. I read this and ask God that my heart would break for Him. I pray my heart would long for Him that I would dare not even lift my eyes to heaven.
I think how we pray is important. I think being self-aware and authentically confessing our sins is important. I think being in love with Someone so much that hurts is important too.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Early Retirement
A great thing about allowing God to overflow into every area of your life is when those things overlap. Recently in the FOM's Total Money Makeover Group we where discussing saving for retirement, and today I was reading(catching up) in my OYB reading, and an awesome thing happens, Jesus talks about retirement.
What He says reminded me of our group discussion and something John Piper said at an event in 2003, and it made me seriously think about retiring early.
Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12.14-21
I tell you what a tragedy is. I’ll read to you from Reader’s Digest (Feb. 2000, p. 98) what a tragedy is: “Bob and Penny… took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be “I collected shells. See my shells.” THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don’t buy it.
- John Piper, One Day 2003
I think what is amazing is that in discussing retirement at group was awesome, because we discussed retirement as being different for followers of Christ, actually how its about more than retirement, but about how to live life. It's not just spinning it a different way, coming up with the hip, post-modern, anti-established, trendy-Jesus, view of retirement either. Its about working towards a freedom to be able to operate at my fullest capacity in God's mission to reconcile a broken and lost world to Him. Maybe I caught the Ecclesiastes bug from a poetic sunday morning rant, or maybe I'm young and can think this way, but you know it really has to stink to be the guy in the story Jesus told. He was rich and rich for a reason. He worked hard, had his emergency fund, drove a used cart and horse - paid off of course, did his debt snowball, and at the end of it all, he died. Just like we all will, and maybe, just maybe by Gods grace He'll help me on this journey to freedom. Maybe just maybe he'll rescue me from my prison of net worth . And maybe just maybe, if I'm really really lucky, by His grace, I'll be able to retire early.
What He says reminded me of our group discussion and something John Piper said at an event in 2003, and it made me seriously think about retiring early.
Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12.14-21
I tell you what a tragedy is. I’ll read to you from Reader’s Digest (Feb. 2000, p. 98) what a tragedy is: “Bob and Penny… took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be “I collected shells. See my shells.” THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don’t buy it.
- John Piper, One Day 2003
I think what is amazing is that in discussing retirement at group was awesome, because we discussed retirement as being different for followers of Christ, actually how its about more than retirement, but about how to live life. It's not just spinning it a different way, coming up with the hip, post-modern, anti-established, trendy-Jesus, view of retirement either. Its about working towards a freedom to be able to operate at my fullest capacity in God's mission to reconcile a broken and lost world to Him. Maybe I caught the Ecclesiastes bug from a poetic sunday morning rant, or maybe I'm young and can think this way, but you know it really has to stink to be the guy in the story Jesus told. He was rich and rich for a reason. He worked hard, had his emergency fund, drove a used cart and horse - paid off of course, did his debt snowball, and at the end of it all, he died. Just like we all will, and maybe, just maybe by Gods grace He'll help me on this journey to freedom. Maybe just maybe he'll rescue me from my prison of net worth . And maybe just maybe, if I'm really really lucky, by His grace, I'll be able to retire early.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Like owning one coat is sooo 30 A.D.
I've been finding the dangerous thing about being an avid reader, and reading books within the same genre, you experience overlap, points of thought emphasized and repeated. So along with my OYB, I've been reading a biographical devotional about Rich Mullins, the chapter I am starting (possibly avoiding to read past the first page) is on simplicity. The reason I mention this, is that a few days ago I stumbled across an interesting point John the Baptist makes, in answering a question on what one should do, he says;
If you have two coats, give one away,[Luke3.11, The MSG]
I read this and I think I have so much stuff, but does it really matter? To be honest with you, I don't like wrestling with these things, because well maybe I think it makes God out to be a killjoy robing us of coordinated wardrobes. As I look at what I have, what I spend my money on and I look at the size of the worlds problems I ask my self, does it really make a difference if I deny myself more than one coat?
Unfortunately the answer I am finding for myself is, well, yes.
It does matter.
It matters because in its essence it is what separates Christianity from social justice, its why the church is more than an outreach center or a spiritualized community center. A in Rich Mullins book mentions that Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, "Purity of the heart is to will one thing." That purity of heart, that essence of why consumption and simplicity matter, is Jesus, it is to will Him as one thing.
The more I think about simplicity and having fewer wants, the more I realize that Christianity's appeal is a cop-out and not why I am wrestling with this. I realize that I am wrestling with this because it is reflecting on what 'one things' I desire. The things that are my will.
If you have two coats, give one away,[Luke3.11, The MSG]
I read this and I think I have so much stuff, but does it really matter? To be honest with you, I don't like wrestling with these things, because well maybe I think it makes God out to be a killjoy robing us of coordinated wardrobes. As I look at what I have, what I spend my money on and I look at the size of the worlds problems I ask my self, does it really make a difference if I deny myself more than one coat?
Unfortunately the answer I am finding for myself is, well, yes.
It does matter.
It matters because in its essence it is what separates Christianity from social justice, its why the church is more than an outreach center or a spiritualized community center. A in Rich Mullins book mentions that Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, "Purity of the heart is to will one thing." That purity of heart, that essence of why consumption and simplicity matter, is Jesus, it is to will Him as one thing.
The more I think about simplicity and having fewer wants, the more I realize that Christianity's appeal is a cop-out and not why I am wrestling with this. I realize that I am wrestling with this because it is reflecting on what 'one things' I desire. The things that are my will.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Nothing Valued
Mark 12.41-44 is a great moment in the gospel. Usually this passage is used to emphasize giving, being generous, and how the poor woman is better than the rich person, and so on, but today this verse and I had an issue. Maybe it's the financial group, or recent efforts to become more financially responsible, I found myself in a conundrum. My studious crisis first begins with a women and two pennies. Here I am trying to be financially responsible, Total Money Made Overed, a person whose check book Jesus would be proud of, and yet here Jesus is saying this women is better because she gave what she couldn't afford!? To be honest, I had to stop, take a step back and really look at this. I had to be missing the point, and well I did. Reading over the passage again, I found a micro-commentary on giving, economics, and society. "All the others gave what they'll never miss".
Reading that, I felt saddened, because simply, if something is not missed it's not valued, and think that's a good commentary on the state of a certain society. Promiscuity is sex without value, true intimacy for some reason or another is no longer valued, not being missed, it is given away liberally. It's not like these guys in the bible gave little amounts, it says they "were making large contributions".
A credit score, our societies numerical definition of a financial reputation is traded for cheap moments of indulgence. Relationships are fast tracked, the value of a soul mate is no longer worth the price tag of courtship. Financial freedom is no longer worth hard work and patience. Why value anything when you can have it now, and pay for it later? Unfortunately we do pay for it later, and it is usually with interest. Turning back to the woman with two coins, I am encouraged. Encouraged because, of a pure and simple economic principle. The more you give the less you have, and the less you have the more valuable it becomes.
Reading that, I felt saddened, because simply, if something is not missed it's not valued, and think that's a good commentary on the state of a certain society. Promiscuity is sex without value, true intimacy for some reason or another is no longer valued, not being missed, it is given away liberally. It's not like these guys in the bible gave little amounts, it says they "were making large contributions".
A credit score, our societies numerical definition of a financial reputation is traded for cheap moments of indulgence. Relationships are fast tracked, the value of a soul mate is no longer worth the price tag of courtship. Financial freedom is no longer worth hard work and patience. Why value anything when you can have it now, and pay for it later? Unfortunately we do pay for it later, and it is usually with interest. Turning back to the woman with two coins, I am encouraged. Encouraged because, of a pure and simple economic principle. The more you give the less you have, and the less you have the more valuable it becomes.
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