Why are we not offended by HIs Word anymore?...because we r not preaching the bits that offend us ;)
There is something decidedly unsettling about the times when the same topic and challenge comes up in very time that you spend with GOd, both in readings,bible verses, books and general observation. What is it that is causing me tofeel unsettled and challenged about my current state of living?
Poverty. Our need for it, its significance in the bible, our lack of.
Guy Chevreau notices, to my interest, The only time that Jesus refers to Himself as KING is in one of the least preached on passages in the bible, the stark and sometimes very unnerving passage of the sheep and the goats. Only here does JEsus describe when He comes back and that He is king. The thing is, if we search what it was Jesus said about ownership of the kingdom of Heaven, we find things that are beyond disturbing...they are lifechanging.
"The kingdom BELONGS to the children...the poor POSSESS the kingdom...Those who care for the hungry, the sick and the stranger INHERIT the kingdom....and the rich have to TRY and enter the kingdom."
go one step further and you will note how we spend so much of our time singing that we want to see God 'high and lifted up" to see him in His glory etc etc. The one time he refers to Himself as the king we sing about, glorified, HE makes a BOLD statement that, in essence, to se HIm high and lifted up, we must first see HIm and love HIm in HIs more distressing disguise and "when i was sick you cared for me, when I was thirsty you gave e a drink etc etc". Guy puts it beautifully but once again unsettlingly when He says this:
"There are dynamics of the kingdomof heaven therefore, that we will never know without giving ourselves to the poor"
I am not calling you to outer mongolia. What I am saying is that if we track through the gospels, look at His message...it is rooted in the poor, the young, the least.
It was at this point that my spirit was unnerved, but then the Lord had me read Oswald chambers for the day...what was it about? Asking and getting. Doesnt sound relted to the above does it? But what Oswald points out is that you cannot ask until you appreciate that you do not hvae and that the word for 'ask' in the greek was in fact the same as the word for 'beg'. HE identifies that in the beatitudes the ones who inherit the earth are the 'paupers in spirit', the ones who have recognised they have nothing and who arent ashamed to throw everything out of the window in begging for what they need and do not have. Oswald concludes today by saying the following:
"Yet we will never receive if we ask with a certain mind for we are asking out of our lust, not our poverty. A pauper doe snot ask out of any reason other than the completely hopeless and painful condition of his poverty. He is not ashamed to beg...blessed are the paupers in spirit (matt5:3)"
Thoroughly challenged and with my world turned on its head, I realised that a few observations I had made this week to people who had particularly frustrated me or with whom I had realised life was frustrating me, fitted into place in this lesson the Lord is bringing forth. The thing is, that is why it is so much simplier to reap a harvest and preach salvation in places where physical poverty is very very rela and not just some abstract imagined state. When we are desperate, we have a higher propesnity to believe and have faith, and quicker abandonment to just ask and to pray, less time to be bothered intellectualising and thinking about stuff and a more welcoming heart to anything and everything that will meet our needs, offer us love, heal our wounds and feed our mouths. That is the difference between here and africa, they have less to lose.
Getting to that point in my revelations over this word, I began to wonder my own place in this, my own repsonse. How we can all react to the challenge that Jesus very strakly puts forth, the Lord asked me in prayer this afternoon to really grasp and understand and live Ephesians five. NOt knowing what it was I turned to the passage and read:
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
You want a framework of how to start living this? Read what Jesus said "whoever receives a little child like this, recieves me" "when I was sick...hungry...thirsty...imprisoned..." and then read the above. Our reaction to living as paupers in spirit is 100% dependance on Him, purity of mind, body and action, the testimony of the way we conduct our lives what we do with our resources, what we trust into the LOrds hands, giving hysterically with abandon whe HE asks it of us, living every second recognising that we have nothing to offer Him but that when we ask Him for something, He will meet and answer us. Will the above revelartions make it easier to live here now we understand better why we are possibly not seeing the harvest where we thought we'd find it? maybe, mybe not. THe rich western world will always cause levels of frustration in us who have seen or heard the more that God is doing in places where there is nothing but Him. But maybe it might challenge us to quit being apathetic, to eva,iate the shelf life of our investments, to get ou there onto the streets, into projects, just to smile at our next door neighbour. As a beautiful friend of mine recently concluded...
"I realised that when you get deeper into Popa's heart it always leads you to the poor"
Amen x
There is something decidedly unsettling about the times when the same topic and challenge comes up in very time that you spend with GOd, both in readings,bible verses, books and general observation. What is it that is causing me tofeel unsettled and challenged about my current state of living?
Poverty. Our need for it, its significance in the bible, our lack of.
Guy Chevreau notices, to my interest, The only time that Jesus refers to Himself as KING is in one of the least preached on passages in the bible, the stark and sometimes very unnerving passage of the sheep and the goats. Only here does JEsus describe when He comes back and that He is king. The thing is, if we search what it was Jesus said about ownership of the kingdom of Heaven, we find things that are beyond disturbing...they are lifechanging.
"The kingdom BELONGS to the children...the poor POSSESS the kingdom...Those who care for the hungry, the sick and the stranger INHERIT the kingdom....and the rich have to TRY and enter the kingdom."
go one step further and you will note how we spend so much of our time singing that we want to see God 'high and lifted up" to see him in His glory etc etc. The one time he refers to Himself as the king we sing about, glorified, HE makes a BOLD statement that, in essence, to se HIm high and lifted up, we must first see HIm and love HIm in HIs more distressing disguise and "when i was sick you cared for me, when I was thirsty you gave e a drink etc etc". Guy puts it beautifully but once again unsettlingly when He says this:
"There are dynamics of the kingdomof heaven therefore, that we will never know without giving ourselves to the poor"
I am not calling you to outer mongolia. What I am saying is that if we track through the gospels, look at His message...it is rooted in the poor, the young, the least.
It was at this point that my spirit was unnerved, but then the Lord had me read Oswald chambers for the day...what was it about? Asking and getting. Doesnt sound relted to the above does it? But what Oswald points out is that you cannot ask until you appreciate that you do not hvae and that the word for 'ask' in the greek was in fact the same as the word for 'beg'. HE identifies that in the beatitudes the ones who inherit the earth are the 'paupers in spirit', the ones who have recognised they have nothing and who arent ashamed to throw everything out of the window in begging for what they need and do not have. Oswald concludes today by saying the following:
"Yet we will never receive if we ask with a certain mind for we are asking out of our lust, not our poverty. A pauper doe snot ask out of any reason other than the completely hopeless and painful condition of his poverty. He is not ashamed to beg...blessed are the paupers in spirit (matt5:3)"
Thoroughly challenged and with my world turned on its head, I realised that a few observations I had made this week to people who had particularly frustrated me or with whom I had realised life was frustrating me, fitted into place in this lesson the Lord is bringing forth. The thing is, that is why it is so much simplier to reap a harvest and preach salvation in places where physical poverty is very very rela and not just some abstract imagined state. When we are desperate, we have a higher propesnity to believe and have faith, and quicker abandonment to just ask and to pray, less time to be bothered intellectualising and thinking about stuff and a more welcoming heart to anything and everything that will meet our needs, offer us love, heal our wounds and feed our mouths. That is the difference between here and africa, they have less to lose.
Getting to that point in my revelations over this word, I began to wonder my own place in this, my own repsonse. How we can all react to the challenge that Jesus very strakly puts forth, the Lord asked me in prayer this afternoon to really grasp and understand and live Ephesians five. NOt knowing what it was I turned to the passage and read:
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
You want a framework of how to start living this? Read what Jesus said "whoever receives a little child like this, recieves me" "when I was sick...hungry...thirsty...imprisoned..." and then read the above. Our reaction to living as paupers in spirit is 100% dependance on Him, purity of mind, body and action, the testimony of the way we conduct our lives what we do with our resources, what we trust into the LOrds hands, giving hysterically with abandon whe HE asks it of us, living every second recognising that we have nothing to offer Him but that when we ask Him for something, He will meet and answer us. Will the above revelartions make it easier to live here now we understand better why we are possibly not seeing the harvest where we thought we'd find it? maybe, mybe not. THe rich western world will always cause levels of frustration in us who have seen or heard the more that God is doing in places where there is nothing but Him. But maybe it might challenge us to quit being apathetic, to eva,iate the shelf life of our investments, to get ou there onto the streets, into projects, just to smile at our next door neighbour. As a beautiful friend of mine recently concluded...
"I realised that when you get deeper into Popa's heart it always leads you to the poor"
Amen x
posted by Claire at 2:21 PM
1 Comments:
Yes Claire, you touched on something that I think everyone has a hard time with coming back from the mission field. I find myself constantly attacking the western prosperity doctrine. Not that I don't believe God wants us to prosper, but I don't believe in the prosperity doctrine as we are taught here in north america. I love Matthew 6:33: Seek first God, and the other stuff will follow naturally, or without concern. God's desire is that we should prosper, therefore, why do we even seek it. If God desires us to prosper, and we are seeking Him, then isn't it locical to assume that our NEEDS will be met if we put Him first and foremost in our lives? I believe prosperity will come to west when we learn to hate riches and seek anything else but them. Myself, I don't believe in our 'wealth transfer' doctrine. I believe it happened 200 yrs ago on the cross. However, I do know that I am needing many, many finances to do what I feel I am to do. This means that I am searching for money, but I myself, will see very little of it. It's all to go to reaching out to the needy people of this world. And on and on and on. I loved this post though. We should be at the point where we don't desire anything but Jesus; everything else takes care of itself when we focus on Him and Him alone.
I'm just scratching the surface, but this is what I grapple with here in Canada. It's neverending. You know and have seen all this. It's really disheartening to see the mindset of the Christians here compared to places like Africa. It makes you wonder about certain things.................
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