Ten shekels and a shirt

Humanistic christianity uses Jesus as a means to reach happiness and a spot in heaven. But Jesus is no means, He is the END. Everything in my life should be focussed to bring glory to His name. Period. This is a drastically different approach to my spiritual journey. An undeserving heart serving God because it is the highest honour in the universe to do so.

Paris Reidhead's sermon "Ten shekels and a shirt" is arguebly one of the best sermons on this topic of all time on record. No summary does justice to it. Here is the link

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10180222445

A new focus point

It is so much better to focus on the life with Christ and walk in His grace than to look at the long list of things that I did wrong or sinned and feel guilty about. God loves me anyways and always. These concepts are so easy to say and declare, but by taking them apart bit-by-bit, digging into the fulness of their meaning, I might discover a different reality. [What would be your next sentence here?]

Measuring up

Question of the day: What do you feel or think when you see someone giving their life to Christ?

Interesting question once I start thinking about it. It comes back to faith and how I define faith (that for later).
For most part I am a sceptic...sadly to say. I want to see the "fruit". How long is it going to last? Is it real?

Behind my questioning lies an unredeemed world view:

• I want to see the fruit - meaning that something needs to be delivered, done, performed, measured up.
• This is again the DO thing instead of the BE thing. (Abide in Christ rather than trying to clean myself up)
• Always measuring myself with others, others with myself. A judge by nature.
• I feel threatened. Why? Do I even now? Do I want to know?

I will walk in the grace of God.

God at work

Question of the day: How do you see God at work in your life?
Think about it - what's your answer?

• A moment in nature
• Relationships, a twist or turn
• Its the good with the bad
• A miracle!
• Blessings abound
• A test of faith, perseverance and/or trust in God
• Tears
• Failure
• Success
• All the "stuff", directions and protections we can see so clearly in retrospect.
• I don't think this list can ever end...

But what is it today?

Abide in Christ

I can't do anything to clean myself up. My time and energy spend on managing my sin is wasted since Jesus did the cleansing for me on the cross. This means I have to abide in Christ. Its almost like resting in the comfort of my father's arms. It seems to ever bug the spirit of a Christian man when he missed the target, failed or neglected something. I am not perfect in being a disciple of Jesus and never will be, but my place in His arms are reserved. Its available all the time, regardless of my "state" of mind and soul. Asking for His forgiveness is part of the abiding. At times of my greatest weakness, abiding in His love brings comfort and hope. Abiding in Him brings freedom from fear of (more) failure.

Practically speaking:

• Abide means to wait for, to submit to, to await. It has to move from knowing it in my mind to embracing it with my heart.
• This is not a lame excuse for not being "obedient" or trying to be obedient to the Christian walk from a thankfulness-of-being-saved perspective. This is a challenging paradox. How long will I keep this straight in my mind? Do I actually get it?