As much as I know that this is key, I seem to need to be constantly reminded of it.
I have found faith and things a real challenge recently if I'm honest. Even though I have been talking about all the amazing ways that I have felt challenged by God to grow, I've felt somewhat overwhelmed. It's like I could see how all of the bits of the jigsaw fitted together better than ever before, but I found myself doubting whether the jigsaw even existed. That's not a great analogy, I know. An ever so slightly better one perhaps - it's like I was understanding the theory behind black holes in more and more complex detail, but was doubting the existence of them anyway. If that makes sense.
Even though I have felt that I have learned so much from God and been challenged afresh by Him in so many ways, I found myself struggling with faith as a whole. Taking, for instance, how my understanding of speaking into people's lives has grown and my willingness to pray for people to be healed, I haven't seen any healings yet and that has been really discouraging.
It built up over the term too, and over Christmas I was feeling really dragged down by it, even when I was able to see things in terms of persecution (spiritual) being an encouragement because it speaks of opposition when going the right way.
But on Thursday I went to The Gathering at Kings church, and we spent the whole time waiting on God's presence. I can never explain what that's like to anyone, but it was so amazing. I was with God in such a close way that I haven't felt properly for ages, and it just kinda made everything ok again.
I realised some things that are central to everything, and I think I had lost that whilst discovering the detail in the outer areas. Love.
I realised that I cannot heal anyone. I cannot make anyone come to church. I cannot even make anyone understand the gospel. I can pursue those things, and I should, but I cannot make them happen.
All I can do is love God and love others.
And that is what counts.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Sorting the wheat from the chaff
A wonder/worry of mine.
I believe all of these challenges, when taken seriously, will sort the wheat from the chaff, to use a phrase of Jesus'.
If I were to stand up in church, or CU, and put forward all of the things I have written about I think it would stir up negative responses even from the people there, before it even goes outside the Christian body.
Because, taking the last post as reference, people will not be happy to be told that we are to speak to people and challenge them. People in church even want to do things their way, to be seen as nice, not to offend. But this is why I think a lot of churches split, and new denominations form - those who recognise that following Christ is more than just sitting in their comfort zone get into an unavoidable conflict with those who don't like being made to grow. I know that the old testament Jews rejected the prophets, kicked them out and even killed them, even though they were speaking the truth, and I wonder and worry about what will happen if I take these challenges I'm encountering on seriously. Will I be rejected by some Christians, let alone non-Christians?
All I know is that I am building up a more detailed and amazing (albeit challenging) picture of what it means to follow God and see Him work and I will pursure that more and more.
I believe all of these challenges, when taken seriously, will sort the wheat from the chaff, to use a phrase of Jesus'.
If I were to stand up in church, or CU, and put forward all of the things I have written about I think it would stir up negative responses even from the people there, before it even goes outside the Christian body.
Because, taking the last post as reference, people will not be happy to be told that we are to speak to people and challenge them. People in church even want to do things their way, to be seen as nice, not to offend. But this is why I think a lot of churches split, and new denominations form - those who recognise that following Christ is more than just sitting in their comfort zone get into an unavoidable conflict with those who don't like being made to grow. I know that the old testament Jews rejected the prophets, kicked them out and even killed them, even though they were speaking the truth, and I wonder and worry about what will happen if I take these challenges I'm encountering on seriously. Will I be rejected by some Christians, let alone non-Christians?
All I know is that I am building up a more detailed and amazing (albeit challenging) picture of what it means to follow God and see Him work and I will pursure that more and more.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
A bit of connection
Another thing I worked out at CU (don't ask me what we were supposed to be doing, I got all this instead :-P), was a bit of a combination of a load of things I've written about before,
I do rememmber actually - we were talking about evangelism amongst our peers, and answering people when they ask us.
But I really feel I have to challenge that. I think that if we wait for people to ask us about our faith, it will be ages before we ever get anywhere, and it will be an incredibly slow process. Jesus, Paul, the Apostles didn't wait, but went around speaking into people's lives.
I think we need to be prepared, as I have discussed before, to speak directly to people about Jesus and not be afraid of what they think.
To balance this though, I don't advocate a soap-box method of hell-fire and brimstone shouting. I still think there is a right way to go about it, which is not that.
I believe to be heard we need to earn the right to speak. Whilst I have mentioned that Jesus and Paul just went and spoke without waiting to be asked, I still think that they earned the right to speak. Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was 30 and a fully trained Rabbi. In his cultural setting by spending all that time in training, he had earned, in the eyes of the people, the right to speak. (Now Jesus also spoke with an authority that made him stand out from his contemporaries, and I believe we need that, but don't have the time or knowledge to discuss that right now). Paul also was a top ranking Pharisee and recognised for this. He also went to places were speaking was practiced - synagogues, philosophers gatherings - as well as doing background research (so to speak) about the people he was speaking to (he wandered around Athens getting a feel for his audiences religiosity). And so too I believe we need to earn the right to speak to the people around us, and I would argue that this involves speaking at the right time and place and getting to know the people you are speaking to.
I don't agree with waiting for people to ask us, because even though it's scary, I am convinced the correct path is to speak into people's lives directy, having earned the right to do so.
To link it back to older thoughts, I think that we're going to be hated. What we have to say is offensive to people and in today's culture we are going to be considered arrogant, closed-minded and foolish, but we need to speak out. This is why we are afraid to speak to people, because we are worried they will think this of us, but think - when someone disagrees with you strongly they are vocal about it back to you, unafraid of you disliking them. They consider what they have to say more important than what you think of them. How much more should this be true of us as Christians with the message that we have of Jesus?
We need to speak out, regardless of the outcome, having earned the right to speak. We need to not worry about what they think, but speak the truth. Read the below:
1 Peter 3:15-17
We are probably familiar with the first verse, but look at the rest. We need to not be afraid of what people think or say when we share the good news. Because even if they are malicious about us, they will be ashamed if we are living Christlike lives. If we are living good lives, and are connected in Unity (as in my last post), then even if they disagree with what we say, they will be ashamed to speak against us.
Because the other thing is it is more important for us to correct people and guide them in truth than be quiet and have them think we are "nice people". We have this bad habit of thinking that if people think we are nice then they'll be attracted to God, because they'll see Him as nice too. But they don't see Him as nice even if we are nice. They'll think He is powerless, uncaring with no strong important views to express, happy with them as they are because they haven't heard otherwise. We need to help others get to know Jesus, because that is the most important thing going.
So we need to live lives worthy of Jesus, be connected in Unity and, having earned the right to speak through our love and kindness in our friendships, we can speak to them about the good news, even if it seems tough.
BUT.
This is why persecution will happen. We know that persecution is a good sign, because it's what happens to true followers of Christ. But we seem to think that it will happen because one day some non-Christians will decide they don't like Christians. This isn't true. The reason that Christians get persecuted is that they speak the truth boldy and fearlessly, even when it flies in the face of society and strong opposition. It happens because Christians tell people that everyone is sinful when people don't want to hear that, it happens because Christians tell people they need God when people want to be self sufficient and do what they want to do. The world will persecute Christians because Christians make them uncomfortable. (Keep in mind that as much as it is important to say these things, they are always to be done with gentleness and respect, having earned the right to speak through love and kindness). That is why Godly people will be persecuted. That is how we will hurt them (salt and light in previous post, what we say will hurt). That is why we'll suffer (because people will hate us, possibly attack us, family may disown us, because we say and do what is right, in the face of an opposing society, group or individual).
I realise that this is really tough, but this isn't a call to condemn people for certain sins or anything, but a call to speak the gospel boldly to people. For me this massively connects a whole load of the things that I have been thinking about and is, again, challenge that as a Christian I must take, despite discomfort, despite fear, despite possible opposition, persecution, rejection and so on.
We must speak out to people, in truth and love, having earned the right with our lives and our love, even with the possibility of bad outcomes. For Jesus sake.
I do rememmber actually - we were talking about evangelism amongst our peers, and answering people when they ask us.
But I really feel I have to challenge that. I think that if we wait for people to ask us about our faith, it will be ages before we ever get anywhere, and it will be an incredibly slow process. Jesus, Paul, the Apostles didn't wait, but went around speaking into people's lives.
I think we need to be prepared, as I have discussed before, to speak directly to people about Jesus and not be afraid of what they think.
To balance this though, I don't advocate a soap-box method of hell-fire and brimstone shouting. I still think there is a right way to go about it, which is not that.
I believe to be heard we need to earn the right to speak. Whilst I have mentioned that Jesus and Paul just went and spoke without waiting to be asked, I still think that they earned the right to speak. Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was 30 and a fully trained Rabbi. In his cultural setting by spending all that time in training, he had earned, in the eyes of the people, the right to speak. (Now Jesus also spoke with an authority that made him stand out from his contemporaries, and I believe we need that, but don't have the time or knowledge to discuss that right now). Paul also was a top ranking Pharisee and recognised for this. He also went to places were speaking was practiced - synagogues, philosophers gatherings - as well as doing background research (so to speak) about the people he was speaking to (he wandered around Athens getting a feel for his audiences religiosity). And so too I believe we need to earn the right to speak to the people around us, and I would argue that this involves speaking at the right time and place and getting to know the people you are speaking to.
I don't agree with waiting for people to ask us, because even though it's scary, I am convinced the correct path is to speak into people's lives directy, having earned the right to do so.
To link it back to older thoughts, I think that we're going to be hated. What we have to say is offensive to people and in today's culture we are going to be considered arrogant, closed-minded and foolish, but we need to speak out. This is why we are afraid to speak to people, because we are worried they will think this of us, but think - when someone disagrees with you strongly they are vocal about it back to you, unafraid of you disliking them. They consider what they have to say more important than what you think of them. How much more should this be true of us as Christians with the message that we have of Jesus?
We need to speak out, regardless of the outcome, having earned the right to speak. We need to not worry about what they think, but speak the truth. Read the below:
1 Peter 3:15-17
We are probably familiar with the first verse, but look at the rest. We need to not be afraid of what people think or say when we share the good news. Because even if they are malicious about us, they will be ashamed if we are living Christlike lives. If we are living good lives, and are connected in Unity (as in my last post), then even if they disagree with what we say, they will be ashamed to speak against us.
Because the other thing is it is more important for us to correct people and guide them in truth than be quiet and have them think we are "nice people". We have this bad habit of thinking that if people think we are nice then they'll be attracted to God, because they'll see Him as nice too. But they don't see Him as nice even if we are nice. They'll think He is powerless, uncaring with no strong important views to express, happy with them as they are because they haven't heard otherwise. We need to help others get to know Jesus, because that is the most important thing going.
So we need to live lives worthy of Jesus, be connected in Unity and, having earned the right to speak through our love and kindness in our friendships, we can speak to them about the good news, even if it seems tough.
BUT.
This is why persecution will happen. We know that persecution is a good sign, because it's what happens to true followers of Christ. But we seem to think that it will happen because one day some non-Christians will decide they don't like Christians. This isn't true. The reason that Christians get persecuted is that they speak the truth boldy and fearlessly, even when it flies in the face of society and strong opposition. It happens because Christians tell people that everyone is sinful when people don't want to hear that, it happens because Christians tell people they need God when people want to be self sufficient and do what they want to do. The world will persecute Christians because Christians make them uncomfortable. (Keep in mind that as much as it is important to say these things, they are always to be done with gentleness and respect, having earned the right to speak through love and kindness). That is why Godly people will be persecuted. That is how we will hurt them (salt and light in previous post, what we say will hurt). That is why we'll suffer (because people will hate us, possibly attack us, family may disown us, because we say and do what is right, in the face of an opposing society, group or individual).
I realise that this is really tough, but this isn't a call to condemn people for certain sins or anything, but a call to speak the gospel boldly to people. For me this massively connects a whole load of the things that I have been thinking about and is, again, challenge that as a Christian I must take, despite discomfort, despite fear, despite possible opposition, persecution, rejection and so on.
We must speak out to people, in truth and love, having earned the right with our lives and our love, even with the possibility of bad outcomes. For Jesus sake.
Be like Trinity (not the one from the Matrix)
This was interesting.
I got this whilst at Christian Union on Monday, even though this wasn't really what CU was about.
In John 17, Jesus prays in Gethsemane, and we looked at verses 20-26, where he prays for all those who will become his disciples in the future. It's the things he prayed about that have made me think. Go and look at it here:
John 17:20-26
The reason I figure that this is important is because this is the only thing that we know of that Jesus prayed for for you and me. Out of all the things that he teaches, all the things that he says, this is the only recorded time he prays for us, so I figure what he had to say is of primary importance.
His focus is not that we would have health, not that we would be wealthy, not that we would be strong, not that we would have spiritual gifts, not even that we would bear fruit (as important as any of these things may be). Jesus prayer is that we would have unity in love.
Wow. This is a massive challenge though, it's not some nice thought. Think about what I've just said about how this is the only recorded time, and what that means for the importance of this. It's central. But it's tough, because look at the words that he uses. "all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you", and "let them be in complete unity". !!! !!! !!!
Jesus wants us to have the same unity in the church that exists between him and the Father.
That is not a small order if you want to think about it.
This involves vulnerability, honesty, involvement, intimacy.
This involves sharing with each other EVERYTHING! Which I'm guessing is why the church is not the church that it should be yet.
Imagine if, as Christians, we all lived like that. That we spoke to each other about EVERYTHING. Not that we spoke to our best friend, but that we shared as a church. That we shared our joys, but that also we shared our struggles. If every time we found something difficult we told people as soon as they asked. That if every time we were upset we told people when they asked "how are you?". Imagine if we shared with each other that much, and had love for each other that was that deep.
That is what Jesus wants for us! It's what he prays for. He also prays that we would be one with him as much as he is one with the Father, which sounds to me like that makes us part of the trinity, which I don't quite get, but what I do know is that he wants us to have relationships with each other within church, within CU, etc that are as close and as intimate and as involved as the Father is with the Son is with the Spirit is with the Father and so on.
That's the church I'm looking for. That's the CU I'm gonna push for. That's the challenge of the moment. Let's create a church that is as connected and loving of each other as the Trinity. It's what Jesus wants :-D
I got this whilst at Christian Union on Monday, even though this wasn't really what CU was about.
In John 17, Jesus prays in Gethsemane, and we looked at verses 20-26, where he prays for all those who will become his disciples in the future. It's the things he prayed about that have made me think. Go and look at it here:
John 17:20-26
The reason I figure that this is important is because this is the only thing that we know of that Jesus prayed for for you and me. Out of all the things that he teaches, all the things that he says, this is the only recorded time he prays for us, so I figure what he had to say is of primary importance.
His focus is not that we would have health, not that we would be wealthy, not that we would be strong, not that we would have spiritual gifts, not even that we would bear fruit (as important as any of these things may be). Jesus prayer is that we would have unity in love.
Wow. This is a massive challenge though, it's not some nice thought. Think about what I've just said about how this is the only recorded time, and what that means for the importance of this. It's central. But it's tough, because look at the words that he uses. "all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you", and "let them be in complete unity". !!! !!! !!!
Jesus wants us to have the same unity in the church that exists between him and the Father.
That is not a small order if you want to think about it.
This involves vulnerability, honesty, involvement, intimacy.
This involves sharing with each other EVERYTHING! Which I'm guessing is why the church is not the church that it should be yet.
Imagine if, as Christians, we all lived like that. That we spoke to each other about EVERYTHING. Not that we spoke to our best friend, but that we shared as a church. That we shared our joys, but that also we shared our struggles. If every time we found something difficult we told people as soon as they asked. That if every time we were upset we told people when they asked "how are you?". Imagine if we shared with each other that much, and had love for each other that was that deep.
That is what Jesus wants for us! It's what he prays for. He also prays that we would be one with him as much as he is one with the Father, which sounds to me like that makes us part of the trinity, which I don't quite get, but what I do know is that he wants us to have relationships with each other within church, within CU, etc that are as close and as intimate and as involved as the Father is with the Son is with the Spirit is with the Father and so on.
That's the church I'm looking for. That's the CU I'm gonna push for. That's the challenge of the moment. Let's create a church that is as connected and loving of each other as the Trinity. It's what Jesus wants :-D
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