Month: December 2008

War or the lack thereof (FIGHT!)

How do we define war? Is it nation vs nation, ideology vs ideology, or religion vs religion? Do wars require of the use of guns, tanks, ships, or airplanes? Is a it a war if there are no uniforms for either side? Can you imagine a war with an enemy that is unseen, or war with an enemy that makes no sound? In fact the only way to know where the enemy has been is too look at the path of destruction that he has left behind. Wouldn’t that enemy fill you with fear?

WAKE UP! WE ARE AT WAR!

We are in the midst of war that can’t be seen with our natural eyes or heard with our natural ears. Only the cries of hurt can be heard and only the tears of the ones left behind can be seen. Our enemy’s biggest (and most imponent) weapon is a physical death the power of which was removed by Jesus. The stakes of this war are higher than any war before or after. But that’s not to say that the outcome of the war is at stake, cause this war has already been won. It was won with a tree, three nails, and the death (and resurection) of One truely innocent man.

FIGHT!

The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. For many he has stolen our joy, killed our loved ones, and destroyed our dreams. If we accept these loses and hide our selves in the fleshly pleasures of this life then the only heaven we will ever know is a man made on here on on earth and not the one made by God. If we merely shake off the slumber the world has put on us and fight. We will regain our lost joy, restore our dreams, and save the ones we love and a whole heck of a lot more. Fight for your loved ones, fight for hope, fight for love, fight for peace.

FIGHT!

The enemy is one willing to negotiate, willing to find any compromise that we will accept. Want to go to church and then come home and watch porn? Sure he would willingly agree to that. Oh I’m sorry that was a little blunt. Ok here’s a better one. Want to go to church and then go out and see that really popular R rated movie? Hey watching that might help us connect to what the world is really going through just say a quick prayer before and after and no worries. God is a forgiving God, he’ll understand. The Enemy knows that any compromise on our part further seperates us from God, increasing the chances of slowly pulling us out of the fight and into a wordly life. A life seperate from God and his promise.

FIGHT!

How many half naked ladies do we have to see on TV before every woman we see is half naked?

FIGHT!

How many times can we hear “Oh my god” (or worse) on TV, in the movies, or in music before we start saying it?

FIGHT!

Had a bad day? Drown it out with a beer or two or three, heck who’s counting?

FIGHT!

How many of us would see a dead body on the street and immediatly think “What would Grissom be looking for here?”, rather than realize that God through his son Jesus has given us the power to raise the dead? 

FIGHT!

Where do these paths lead? To a weak and ineffectual church body as a whole! To congregants who would rather debate when Jesus is comming back rather than save their neighbor (assuming they even know their neighbor’s name).

I’m guilty just as much as the next person. I was saved through cheap grace. And now I’m trying to learn about costly grace. The grace that costs my life, but in return I get true life in Jesus.

FIGHT!

Silence

Today this interesting quote from Mark Driscoll’s blog popped up on my google reader, and really just gave me another perspective on how God and Satan view my day.

In that moment, God deeply convicted me that I was addicted to the false trinity of our day, the gods known as Noise, Hurry, and Crowds. I remembered the words of missionary martyr Jim Elliot, who said, “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds . . . Satan is quite aware of the power of silence.”

Take God with you

Something that has been on my mind is, how do I avoid becoming someone who only thinks about God when I’m in church, and not just that but how do I develop a deeper relationship with God. I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of reading the word (well not just reading it but desiring to read it), while reading God’s word this morning I stumbled upon (or better God lead me) to this verse in Romans. Something I’ve probably read before, but in the Message Bible version it seems to take on new meaning and stunning clarity.

Romans 12

Place Your Life Before God

1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

This would definetly not be an easy thing to do, but its one of those moments where I remember that God’s word can speak directly to me. The Bible is not just a bunch of stories, rules to live by, or condimination. But rather it is life, a rich and full life in God.

And what’s really sweet is, is that theme seems to be the focus of books I just got.

Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster I’m hoping this book will challenge me to engage more in prayer and meditation.

Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldredge I really like John Eldredge’s books I’ve read both Desire and Wild at Heart, and WaH was especially good.

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer I think this book will really challenge me and my views.