Am I trying to be strong in the temptations I face this week? Am I trying to overcome what's wrong with me? Really. Our sin is no match for God's Grace. Acts 11:2 The circumcision party criticizes Peter because they heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God. What better news than the Word was settling deep in the hearts of the Gentiles. But no, men have a way of demanding that their way is right. The Gentiles knew that God was back and after them. Acts 11:18 ~ God granted repentance that leads to life. We can fool ourselves into thinking we are living a repentant life---just like the prophet did in I Kings 13. The question remains: Are we fully alive? "The Glory of God is man fully alive."
Weakness is not your biggest problem, God's grace is sufficient, but it's delusions of strength that get in the way of your growth in grace." Paul David Tripp - The circumcision party was deluded in their strengths. So was the prophet who thought he was strong enough to go back. Where did we go wrong as a country in believing that we have to be such strong people and take what comes our way? Pull yourself up by your bootstraps---self-made men and women. Why can't we boast in our weakess? It's not accepted in my circles.
Weakness is not your biggest problem...it is not the way we are taught. It isn't accepted and we have to unlearn it to be vulnerable enough to truly trust in Jesus. Such good things to consider, Bev.
ReplyDeleteAnd in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Followers of The Way now take a new title. A title not an entitlement. A name given by other men, thought to have been a little derogatory at best.
You call yourself a Christian? Gandhi’s advice was “I love your Christ but I dislike your Christianity.” When asked how it would be possible to bring India to Christ, Gandhi replied, “First, I would suggest that all of you live more like Jesus Christ. Second, I would suggest that you practice your Christianity without adulterating it. Third I would suggest you put more emphasis on love, for love is the soul and center of Christianity.
Lots of people claim to know Christ but don’t follow Him. And even when you do know Him intimately, I’ve lived too long to know I’m not going to get it right most of the time, and I don’t really believe that I can expect others to either. That is perhaps what attracts me to Jesus the most. He offers real hope for real people with real problems in a fallen world.
And we have the privilege to be called His Own.
The voices that Rehoboam listened to caused rebellion. What voices do I listen to? What influence do they have upon me? Can I see the decit that may be in them? I am thankful that God's Word is truth, it will aways be so and I can count on it, trust in it and cling to it!
ReplyDelete"Real hope for real people with real problems in a FALLEN world."
ReplyDeleteLove that!
So many people get the part about real hope---of course it comes from God.
So many people get the real people cause that's what they see.
So many people live in their real problems---in fact everybody does.
But people don't want to view this as a fallen world. The problem with the world is me. I exist. Today, we were talking about how we can grow and get stronger and better and NO!!!!! I will always deal with my sin problem.
I think I am from Mars.
How long has it been since you read "The Little Prince,"Bev? Maybe we could join him on Asteroid 325.The little prince didn't understand people's need to be important, to order people around and to own everything.
ReplyDeleteWe are not of this world. Most see through different eyes--even within the walls of the church.
If it's any consolation at all, i think you're right. The more humble we are, the more He shines. The more we deal with our sin, the more accessible He is to our lives. The more we admit, "I can't but I know Someone who can," the more we can lay those real problems at His Feet in perfect peace.