C. S. Lewis
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Quote of the Week
One mustn't make the Christian life into a punctilious system of law...Nothing gives one a more spuriously good conscience than keeping rules, even if there has been a total absence of all real charity and faith.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
What am I?
You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com |
Interesting, seeing that I have never studied Wesley and don't know any Methodists. Most people have me pegged as a fundamentalist. Some of the statements were ill posed, such as this gem:
The person of Christ, rather than the Bible, is the central focus of God's self-revelation
I'm also not sure who Bishop Spong or Karl Bath are or what they teach.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Quote of the Week
Beware in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do.
Andrew Murray
Monday, May 14, 2007
Free as a Bird
A.W. Tozer once wrote:
“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth; God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.”
Do you agree with Mr. Tozer? Is God pleased when we’re pleased? If you look at the lost world, you see many people who are living life like they please and are pleased to live it that way. For the most part, the irreligious live their lives like they want. Sure, they may have a moral sense of right and wrong, learned from their parents, that causes them to avoid certain situations. They may also choose to do what is right in order to avoid consequences, legal or otherwise. But, for the most part they are free to live life like they choose. Is that kind of life pleasing to God?
What kind of life is it that Christians are called to live? Do we have freedom, as Tozer puts it, to soar and to sing our maker’s praises without anxiety? If you ask the average Christian if he is pleased with the life he lives, what would be his reply? He might intellectually agree with what Tozer wrote, but is that how he lives his life?
I don’t really want to make this about Grace Vs Legalism, even though living in legalism can be a big source of anxiety, but I will write in terms of God’s will. God’s will, not in a general sense, but His specific will for our lives. Many Christians are very anxious in their relationship with God and His will for their lives. They live in great fear of missing God’s will. They believe that if they don’t hear God right, they will make the wrong decision and choose the wrong path and their lives will be ruined. They are paralyzed with fear, not knowing which way to go. Is that kind of life pleasing to God?
I don’t believe it is pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. We are to live our lives by faith. The opposite of faith is unbelief. Unbelief tells us that, although God has a will for us and expects us to do His will, He is either not powerful enough to make His will know to us or He expects us to work very hard to figure it out. Faith tells us that, not only does God have a will for us, He wants us to know His will and not only does He want us to know His will, He wants to be the impetus in bringing it to pass.
In light of this, how does God want us to live our lives? In a sense, just like the lost person! I know what you are thinking. I am not saying we should live our lives in sin, following after our own lusts. I am saying that we should live our lives like we desire. We should be pleased with our lives and should be anxious for nothing, especially in our relationship to God. This is in spite of any unpleasant circumstances we may find ourselves in. I know it sounds strange to hear that we should live our lives like we desire and, even then, be pleased with it. This is where faith comes in. Do you believe that God is all powerful and in control of your life? If you don’t, then what comes next probably won’t help you.
It begins by knowing what is true about you and your relationship with God. As a Christian, your sins, every last one of them, have been hidden behind the back of God never to see them again (Isaiah 38:17), they have been cast into the bottom of the sea (Micah 7:19), and they have been flung as far as the east is form the west (Psalm 103:12 ). Your debt of sin been removed from the books; wiped clean. You are a child of God and He always has your best interest at heart, He is always with you and will never fail you. Approach Him with boldness, as a favorite son would approach an earthly father who dearly loved him. God is well pleased with you, so delight yourself in Him.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
By faith trust Him to be the Lord of your life and He will lead you, guide you and direct you.
"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:6)
Live your life by your desires and, by faith; trust that it is God who has given you your desires. Live your life in freedom and without any anxiety, choose to trust Him and you will soar above the things that might steal your peace and joy. Worship Him and dwell, in thankfulness, on His provisions and His promises. Let your desires determine your path, trusting that those desires came from Him. Have faith that He is big enough and faithful enough to take you where He wants you to go and to place you on the right path, even if you chose to start down the wrong path. Trust God with your life, and sit back and marvel at where he takes you, singing His praises all the way.
“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth; God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.”
Do you agree with Mr. Tozer? Is God pleased when we’re pleased? If you look at the lost world, you see many people who are living life like they please and are pleased to live it that way. For the most part, the irreligious live their lives like they want. Sure, they may have a moral sense of right and wrong, learned from their parents, that causes them to avoid certain situations. They may also choose to do what is right in order to avoid consequences, legal or otherwise. But, for the most part they are free to live life like they choose. Is that kind of life pleasing to God?
What kind of life is it that Christians are called to live? Do we have freedom, as Tozer puts it, to soar and to sing our maker’s praises without anxiety? If you ask the average Christian if he is pleased with the life he lives, what would be his reply? He might intellectually agree with what Tozer wrote, but is that how he lives his life?
I don’t really want to make this about Grace Vs Legalism, even though living in legalism can be a big source of anxiety, but I will write in terms of God’s will. God’s will, not in a general sense, but His specific will for our lives. Many Christians are very anxious in their relationship with God and His will for their lives. They live in great fear of missing God’s will. They believe that if they don’t hear God right, they will make the wrong decision and choose the wrong path and their lives will be ruined. They are paralyzed with fear, not knowing which way to go. Is that kind of life pleasing to God?
I don’t believe it is pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. We are to live our lives by faith. The opposite of faith is unbelief. Unbelief tells us that, although God has a will for us and expects us to do His will, He is either not powerful enough to make His will know to us or He expects us to work very hard to figure it out. Faith tells us that, not only does God have a will for us, He wants us to know His will and not only does He want us to know His will, He wants to be the impetus in bringing it to pass.
In light of this, how does God want us to live our lives? In a sense, just like the lost person! I know what you are thinking. I am not saying we should live our lives in sin, following after our own lusts. I am saying that we should live our lives like we desire. We should be pleased with our lives and should be anxious for nothing, especially in our relationship to God. This is in spite of any unpleasant circumstances we may find ourselves in. I know it sounds strange to hear that we should live our lives like we desire and, even then, be pleased with it. This is where faith comes in. Do you believe that God is all powerful and in control of your life? If you don’t, then what comes next probably won’t help you.
It begins by knowing what is true about you and your relationship with God. As a Christian, your sins, every last one of them, have been hidden behind the back of God never to see them again (Isaiah 38:17), they have been cast into the bottom of the sea (Micah 7:19), and they have been flung as far as the east is form the west (Psalm 103:12 ). Your debt of sin been removed from the books; wiped clean. You are a child of God and He always has your best interest at heart, He is always with you and will never fail you. Approach Him with boldness, as a favorite son would approach an earthly father who dearly loved him. God is well pleased with you, so delight yourself in Him.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
By faith trust Him to be the Lord of your life and He will lead you, guide you and direct you.
"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:6)
Live your life by your desires and, by faith; trust that it is God who has given you your desires. Live your life in freedom and without any anxiety, choose to trust Him and you will soar above the things that might steal your peace and joy. Worship Him and dwell, in thankfulness, on His provisions and His promises. Let your desires determine your path, trusting that those desires came from Him. Have faith that He is big enough and faithful enough to take you where He wants you to go and to place you on the right path, even if you chose to start down the wrong path. Trust God with your life, and sit back and marvel at where he takes you, singing His praises all the way.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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