Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Wednesday, June 2
James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
I know this verse very well. I've heard it many times adding fuel to the inquisition fires (small and large). Today I want to shy away from using this as a faith-tester verse. I want to look at it as an applicable verse - a life changing verse. This is not a license to gossip and judge, this is an internally searching verse.
If you love cars, do spend all your time sailing? If you love art, do you spend all your time studying equations? If you love Jesus, do you spend all your time sinning?
I'm not saying we should all ascribe to a list of rules so that we don't sin. The rules, though good, are not what we need to follow. We need to follow Jesus. Why? Because when you look at the rules He's asking us to obey you see that He really loves us.
I have to ask myself, "if we follow Jesus Christ, who died to save us, why is Gandhi the modern standard for 'good deeds'?" I'm not asking for Christians to have that kind of fame, but I am asking why we are not on the front lines of global activism. Jesus came to save the lost and stood against the establishment. Why? Because they forgot who they were supposed to be ruling. Jesus came as the answer to economic stability, environmental sustainability, political calm, etc. His Love will conquer all.
His love is the answer, and if we believe that shouldn't we be acting on it? The way you act will be different to the way I act; but inactivity is not an answer. As Paul said, "Christ's love compels us, (2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV)" therefore we go and do good things.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Tuesday, June 1
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
Ok... I'm not really sure what to do with this. I'm guess I'm too proud to back down so I'm going to tackle this, but how?
For someone on the cusp of so many good things, this is a very weird verse to read...well, at least the first part. Patience over pride is an easy concept to understand even if it's really hard to implement. Though patience and pride are an odd pairing, we know that as Christians patience is much better than pride. Patience is long-suffering, kind, loving; while pride is arrogant, distant, self-serving. As believers in and followers of Jesus we should emulate patience and rid ourselves of pride.
Other than proving its own point, I think that the verse is speaking about endurance. That the end is better than the beginning. To understand this, think about a race. Though the beginning is important, it's what you do after that which will produce the outcome.
An excuse used by our society is "I was born this way" or "my parents made me this way"; but there is much truth in the many quotes that go something like this, "your choices define you". You can be a king or a hobo, what you choose to do with your life, resources, etc. defines who you are.
In a race, if you start off well that helps, but if you look back and start comparing yourself with others you slow down. You think that you're ok and that no one will beat you. Your pride gets in the way. Then, someone else will outrun you. It is not the one who begins the best, but the one who ends the best who will receive the medal. That takes patience. That takes determination. That takes effort, endurance, and never ending motivation.
As humans we cannot run the race ourselves. We're so lost we don't even know if we're on the right track. We follow other goals, other ends. Its as if we got in our running gear and then blindfolded ourselves, hoping to follow the noise of the crowd to show us the right way. We're not getting anywhere. I'm not getting anywhere. Too often I willingly blind-fold myself and run away from God's reward.
He is the reward. He is the motivation. He is the end, and He will provide the patience, endurance, and determination because He has already provided the effort. Somehow I forget this. Yes, there are days when I am basked in the bright beauty of His glory, but other days I blindfold myself. I just forget. How? How can we forget? I get so lost in the crowd, I hear their voices, I see their shiny lives, and I get sidetracked. But How? How do I forget?
God loved me, even though I'm a sinner - even though I do wrong, I live only for myself - He gave it all! See He didn't just die. He gave up His glory to come down from heaven and woo His people, and then He died without His glory. He gave up heaven to come down and be with His people, then He gave up His life, and then He sent His Holy Spirit. I am floored by His love, and somehow I still forget.
Lord, forgive me. Let me not be swayed by this world. Let me keep my eyes on you, that I may run and run only to you. I started off badly, I started off alone lost in my sin; but now I have you. Let me run to you, that the end may be sweet and beautiful, better than the beginning.
Tuesday, June 1
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
Ok... I'm not really sure what to do with this. I'm guess I'm too proud to back down so I'm going to tackle this, but how?
For someone on the cusp of so many good things, this is a very weird verse to read...well, at least the first part. Patience over pride is an easy concept to understand even if it's really hard to implement. Though patience and pride are an odd pairing, we know that as Christians patience is much better than pride. Patience is long-suffering, kind, loving; while pride is arrogant, distant, self-serving. As believers in and followers of Jesus we should emulate patience and rid ourselves of pride.
Other than proving its own point, I think that the verse is speaking about endurance. That the end is better than the beginning. To understand this, think about a race. Though the beginning is important, it's what you do after that which will produce the outcome.
An excuse used by our society is "I was born this way" or "my parents made me this way"; but there is much truth in the many quotes that go something like this, "your choices define you". You can be a king or a hobo, what you choose to do with your life, resources, etc. defines who you are.
In a race, if you start off well that helps, but if you look back and start comparing yourself with others you slow down. You think that you're ok and that no one will beat you. Your pride gets in the way. Then, someone else will outrun you. It is not the one who begins the best, but the one who ends the best who will receive the medal. That takes patience. That takes determination. That takes effort, endurance, and never ending motivation.
As humans we cannot run the race ourselves. We're so lost we don't even know if we're on the right track. We follow other goals, other ends. Its as if we got in our running gear and then blindfolded ourselves, hoping to follow the noise of the crowd to show us the right way. We're not getting anywhere. I'm not getting anywhere. Too often I willingly blind-fold myself and run away from God's reward.
He is the reward. He is the motivation. He is the end, and He will provide the patience, endurance, and determination because He has already provided the effort. Somehow I forget this. Yes, there are days when I am basked in the bright beauty of His glory, but other days I blindfold myself. I just forget. How? How can we forget? I get so lost in the crowd, I hear their voices, I see their shiny lives, and I get sidetracked. But How? How do I forget?
God loved me, even though I'm a sinner - even though I do wrong, I live only for myself - He gave it all! See He didn't just die. He gave up His glory to come down from heaven and woo His people, and then He died without His glory. He gave up heaven to come down and be with His people, then He gave up His life, and then He sent His Holy Spirit. I am floored by His love, and somehow I still forget.
Lord, forgive me. Let me not be swayed by this world. Let me keep my eyes on you, that I may run and run only to you. I started off badly, I started off alone lost in my sin; but now I have you. Let me run to you, that the end may be sweet and beautiful, better than the beginning.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Word on the Way - Deuteronomy 13:4
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Monday, May 31
Deuteronomy 13:4 Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
I used to be scared off by verses like these. They are so frightening, unless you look at them from a redeemed view point. When we acknowledge our freedom from sin, we begin to see the horror of not following His voice. The fear we should feel is not of Satan or sin's grasp, but of God. Why? Because without Jesus, God is VERY intimidating. Can you tell the God of creation that you shouldn't get what you deserve? In His love God sent His son to redeem us, and now we look at His commands and know that they are good.
Monday, May 31
Deuteronomy 13:4 Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
I used to be scared off by verses like these. They are so frightening, unless you look at them from a redeemed view point. When we acknowledge our freedom from sin, we begin to see the horror of not following His voice. The fear we should feel is not of Satan or sin's grasp, but of God. Why? Because without Jesus, God is VERY intimidating. Can you tell the God of creation that you shouldn't get what you deserve? In His love God sent His son to redeem us, and now we look at His commands and know that they are good.
Word on the Way - Isaiah 40:31
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Sunday, May 30
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Let go of the control, trust and have faith in the Lord. Completely letting Him provide for you and He will not let you down. Follow His heart and He will provide you with His strength to dispel the darkness.
Recently, my fiance and I (in preparation for our marriage) sat down and wanted more faith in our lives. We were in a place where we didn't necessarily need faith (disclaimer: as humans we always need God, but we can live lives ignoring our need for Him). So, we decided to change. We prayed for direction. God didn't say go, He said stay, but stay here. So, we began looking for a new apartment in a less secure neighborhood that was near our Church. Our Church is in downtown Charleston (SC) and it is surrounded by neighbors crying out for Jesus - college students who need more than drinking, young professionals that need a deeper meaning in life, a deep and scared racial divide, homelessness, crime, etc. The Lord provided a beautiful place with a nice kitchen, near a park, near a housing project, near our church, on a quiet road, entertaining space, pretty much everything we wanted and God put in out hearts to do.
God is providing in stages, and I know and hope that He isn't done yet; but until that I day I rest in His provision and promise. "[We] will soar high on wings like eagles. [We] will run and not grow weary. [We] will walk and not faint."
Sunday, May 30
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Let go of the control, trust and have faith in the Lord. Completely letting Him provide for you and He will not let you down. Follow His heart and He will provide you with His strength to dispel the darkness.
Recently, my fiance and I (in preparation for our marriage) sat down and wanted more faith in our lives. We were in a place where we didn't necessarily need faith (disclaimer: as humans we always need God, but we can live lives ignoring our need for Him). So, we decided to change. We prayed for direction. God didn't say go, He said stay, but stay here. So, we began looking for a new apartment in a less secure neighborhood that was near our Church. Our Church is in downtown Charleston (SC) and it is surrounded by neighbors crying out for Jesus - college students who need more than drinking, young professionals that need a deeper meaning in life, a deep and scared racial divide, homelessness, crime, etc. The Lord provided a beautiful place with a nice kitchen, near a park, near a housing project, near our church, on a quiet road, entertaining space, pretty much everything we wanted and God put in out hearts to do.
God is providing in stages, and I know and hope that He isn't done yet; but until that I day I rest in His provision and promise. "[We] will soar high on wings like eagles. [We] will run and not grow weary. [We] will walk and not faint."
Word on the Way - Romans 12:16
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Saturday, May 29
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
It is so hard to live like this. Really, do we really live in harmony? If you've ever seen a symphony play, everything is on time and works out perfectly so that the listeners get the full and beautiful effect. People want to come and see and hear the beautiful harmony that our conductor points us to. What would it look like for the church to be in harmony? Right now we just sound like we're warming up, catching up on the symphony gossip, our backs turned to our conductor. Some of us are off playing our on songs. Some of us are playing the song we're supposed to playing but we're off time, or only including our section. Imagine if you heard Beethoven's third with only the percussion, or just the cello's. Do you really think that would sound good? So, why do we think that it's going to work in the church?
This is not an accusation saying I'm better than anyone. To be honest that would just make me even worse. I know that I can't get it right. I struggle every day with this. I want to be in harmony, I want to enjoy the company of others, but I'm the one who thinks I know it all.
Yesterday, I was kicking a soccer ball around near where I am about to move next week. The field is across from a housing project. I could see the invisible wall keeping the blacks in and the whites out. It was like a different country. The church is the same way, as an Anglican there are invisible walls thrown up whenever I speak to a Baptist or Presbyterian. God is weeping over Jerusalem. We are the new Jerusalem and we are failing. We need to repent and lay down our arms instead of attacking each other. We need to lay down our pride and look to God for direction, discipline and unity. We need to stop the mindless theological arguments, stand up for orthodox and authentic Christianity, while unifying around our Savior's last words - the commission to go out making disciples of all men. We do this not for our pride, or our glory, or our fame; we do it because God loved us and so in our reception of that love we conform to His image, follow His heart, and love Him back.
Saturday, May 29
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
It is so hard to live like this. Really, do we really live in harmony? If you've ever seen a symphony play, everything is on time and works out perfectly so that the listeners get the full and beautiful effect. People want to come and see and hear the beautiful harmony that our conductor points us to. What would it look like for the church to be in harmony? Right now we just sound like we're warming up, catching up on the symphony gossip, our backs turned to our conductor. Some of us are off playing our on songs. Some of us are playing the song we're supposed to playing but we're off time, or only including our section. Imagine if you heard Beethoven's third with only the percussion, or just the cello's. Do you really think that would sound good? So, why do we think that it's going to work in the church?
This is not an accusation saying I'm better than anyone. To be honest that would just make me even worse. I know that I can't get it right. I struggle every day with this. I want to be in harmony, I want to enjoy the company of others, but I'm the one who thinks I know it all.
Yesterday, I was kicking a soccer ball around near where I am about to move next week. The field is across from a housing project. I could see the invisible wall keeping the blacks in and the whites out. It was like a different country. The church is the same way, as an Anglican there are invisible walls thrown up whenever I speak to a Baptist or Presbyterian. God is weeping over Jerusalem. We are the new Jerusalem and we are failing. We need to repent and lay down our arms instead of attacking each other. We need to lay down our pride and look to God for direction, discipline and unity. We need to stop the mindless theological arguments, stand up for orthodox and authentic Christianity, while unifying around our Savior's last words - the commission to go out making disciples of all men. We do this not for our pride, or our glory, or our fame; we do it because God loved us and so in our reception of that love we conform to His image, follow His heart, and love Him back.
Word on the Way - Ecclesiastes 10:4
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Friday, May 28
Ecclesiastes 10:4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
I sneaked a peek at this verse yesterday to see what I had coming, and I was a little weirded out by this verse. Yet, as I read it today I started to see what the words were saying. To me its talking about integrity. Integrity is not just about being right all the time, actually anyone can be right all the time. Integrity usually only shows up when you're wrong. When somehow you are called into question; and this verse displays, probably, the best reaction. The verse says, take it! Take responsibility and endure that your boss can see that you are dependable, even when you are wrong.
This is hard. You have to shelf your pride and be willing to be seen as a failure. Yet, as Christians we should be used to this. Christianity is the road less traveled. Unfortunately, now I have to say true Christianity is the road less traveled. The closer we get to our Lord the more we begin to focus less on ourselves and more on Him, the more our motivations change from temporal to eternal. With the Lord's help we will persevere through the rough times with integrity as an example of the Lord's love, which transcends this earthly realm.
Friday, May 28
Ecclesiastes 10:4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
I sneaked a peek at this verse yesterday to see what I had coming, and I was a little weirded out by this verse. Yet, as I read it today I started to see what the words were saying. To me its talking about integrity. Integrity is not just about being right all the time, actually anyone can be right all the time. Integrity usually only shows up when you're wrong. When somehow you are called into question; and this verse displays, probably, the best reaction. The verse says, take it! Take responsibility and endure that your boss can see that you are dependable, even when you are wrong.
This is hard. You have to shelf your pride and be willing to be seen as a failure. Yet, as Christians we should be used to this. Christianity is the road less traveled. Unfortunately, now I have to say true Christianity is the road less traveled. The closer we get to our Lord the more we begin to focus less on ourselves and more on Him, the more our motivations change from temporal to eternal. With the Lord's help we will persevere through the rough times with integrity as an example of the Lord's love, which transcends this earthly realm.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Word on the Way - Psalm 86:5
Word on the Way is a passage sent out daily by Way.FM
Thursday, May 27
Psalm 86:5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Have you ever been in a place where the good things God has around you just stop feeling good? I don't mean that they become evil, but they just don't feel good. Maybe a better way to say it would be that they stop giving that good reaction, they stop producing a feeling in you. You read the scriptures about love and you don't feel it. You start to wonder what's wrong with you. You feel that you're just going through the motions. Well, I'm there. I feel productive at work, but lost in my morning devotional.
When I read this verse, I felt His love covering me. Here I am wondering what's wrong with me, then God takes the focus away from me and turns it back on Him and His love. That's where God wants us. He wants us focused on Him and His love, and when we're not then we need to stop and refocus; because He's waiting, He's waiting to forgive, to love and to help.
Thursday, May 27
Psalm 86:5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Have you ever been in a place where the good things God has around you just stop feeling good? I don't mean that they become evil, but they just don't feel good. Maybe a better way to say it would be that they stop giving that good reaction, they stop producing a feeling in you. You read the scriptures about love and you don't feel it. You start to wonder what's wrong with you. You feel that you're just going through the motions. Well, I'm there. I feel productive at work, but lost in my morning devotional.
When I read this verse, I felt His love covering me. Here I am wondering what's wrong with me, then God takes the focus away from me and turns it back on Him and His love. That's where God wants us. He wants us focused on Him and His love, and when we're not then we need to stop and refocus; because He's waiting, He's waiting to forgive, to love and to help.
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