Endtime Indications - 12/22/07
Volcanoes
Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano spewed gas and vapor more than a mile
into the sky in its first eruption since 1866. Park rangers and
volcano experts first noticed increased unrest within the mountain,
and vegetation dying around it several months ago.
A fresh eruption occurred on a volcanic island in the Red Sea, where
lava killed nine people during aan eruption on Sept. 30. The volcano
on Jabal al-Tair (Bird Mountain) island spewed lava out of fissures
created by that previous eruption, but the activity did not threaten
nearby islands.
VI. God's Love in Living
How might you answer someone who maintains that it is negative or
irresponsible to say that only God is able to give results?
"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." is a proverb from the
King James Version of the Bible. Monsignor Ronald Knox of Oxford in
his book Enthusiasm states; "Men will not live without vision; ... If
we are content with the humdrum, the second-best the hand-over-hand,
it will not be forgiven us."
Throughout the ages men have needed a vision, and have seen it, have
been ready to follow it. From time to time we think we have found one
- science, sociology, humanism - but because we do not weld them
together with spiritual strength they alone cannot save our
civilization from disaster.
We are living on the spiritual capital of our ancestors and capital
unreplenished does not last forever.
We have worshipped success, humanism, politics, money, self
expression. Each in turn has proved useless in a world where the
thoughtful are haunted by images of ruined cities, scarred lives, and
starving children. Our minds, like men and nations are divided. Many
of us are haunted by the knowledge that within the next few years,
world society must lay hold of a way of life that works - or perish.
We must discover the purpose of our existence and go back to the
basics of working towards it.
God is always there - whether you realize it or not, whether you
acknowledge him or not. When you identify and integrate God's
presence and LOVE in your life, the impact of his presence on you and
your life can be an empowering force. Just consider God is Good,
Creator and Controller of all.
(1 Clement 15:7-8)
"And above all he with his holy and pure hands, formed man, the most
excellent, and, as to his understanding, truly the greatest of all
other creatures, the character of his own image."
"For so God says 'Let us make man in our own image, after our own
likeness. So God created man, male and female created he them."
You have made the decision to become a Child of God, and join the
Kingdom of God!
"For Jesus nothing is more precious than the Kingdom of God, i.e., the
healing and renewing power and presence of God on our behalf. 'Seek
out his kingship over you, and the rest will follow in turn' (Luke
12:31). Like a person who finds a hidden treasure in a vield or a
merchant who discovers a precious pearl, everyone must be prepared to
give up everything else in order to possess the Kingdom (Matthew
13:44-46). But it is promised only to those with a certain outlook
and way of life (see the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12). One can
inherit the Kingdom through love of one's neighbor (Matthew 5:38-48),
and yet one must also accept it as a child (Mark 10:15). Jesus
assured the Scribe who grasped the meaning of the chief of the
commandments (love of God and love of neighbor); You are not far
from the reign of God (12:34). He also insisted to his disciples that
their commitment to the Kingdom would make strong demands upon them
(Mark 10:1; Luke 9:57-62; Matthew 19:12)" (Catholicism - Richard P.
McBrien).
Have you ever specifically verbalized God's reality, presence, or love
to someone? What happened?
"I would know myself, I would know you (God)." Augustine wrote these
words in one of his earliest works, and they pertain to us also here
and now. If we come to know our proper relationship to life, we also
need to come to know more about our Father in Heaven, and the other
side holds true also. There are many parallels. What is the Good
News of God? Jesus came to break the power of sin and begin God's
personal reign on earth (freedom, justice, and hope). You want to get
down to business!
(Mark 1:15)
"This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand, reform
your lives and believe in the gospel."
Jesus came to be active and compassionate to the people around him.
He exemplified tenderness when he healed the leper by touching him.
Jesus was a master at communicating love and personal acceptance. He
did so when He blessed and held... little children. But another time
His sensitivity to touch someone was even more graphic. This was when
Jesus met a grown man who was barred by law from ever touching anyone
again....
To touch a leper was unthinkable. Banishing lepers from society,
people would not get within a stone's throw of them. (In fact, they
would throw stones at them if they did come close!)... With their open
sores and dirty bandages, lepers were the last persons anyone would
want to touch. Yet the first thing Christ did for this man was touch
him.
Even before Jesus spoke to him, He reached out His hand and touched
him. Can you imagine what that scene must have looked like? Think
how this man must have longed for someone to touch him, not throw
stones at him to drive him away. Jesus could have healed him first
and then touched him. But recognizing his deepest need. Jesus
stretched out His hand even before He spoke words of physical and
spiritual healing.
(From The Gift of the Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent)
Jesus shows us the power of gentle love. Who do you have trouble
"touching" because they are not loveable in any way? Love requires
more than words, compassion requires action. Look for ways to express
compassion to those who are starving for a tender touch.
What is the "time of fulfillment," and the "reign of God" mean to you?
Time is running out! What are you going to do about it?
"The New Testament, therefore, says that we are to live according to
the demands of the Kingdom of God. We are to make God the center and
source of our being" (Catholicism-Richard P. McBrien, Pg. 962).
Commitment? "Love me with all your heart" became the great
commandment from God (Deut. 6:5). It indicated not jst the top
requirement set by God for our behavior but also His deep desire to be
known and loved by His human creatures and to interact with them.
"Religious conversion is a total being-in-love with God: Heart, soul,
mind and strength" (Catholicism-Richard P. McBrien, Pg 962).
How do I start?
The kingdom of heaven must arrive in our hearts. This means turning
away from our self-centeredness and "Self" control and turning our
life over to Christ's direction and control.
(Matthew 4:17)
"From that time Jesus began to preach his message: "Turn away from
your sins, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"
How has coming to know Jesus been like moving from darkness to light
for you?
You have turned your life over to God your Father and have rejected
evil and your earthly desires.
(Matthew 8:26)
"Why are you so frightened? Jesus answered. "What little faith you
have!" Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and
there was a great calm."
You have realized that if you don't trust your Heavenly Father and
turn your life over to Him, Life has very little meaning.
No plan - Our God would not be in ultimate control.
No promise - Our gospel would be empty.
No power - Our faith would be aimless wishing.
No pardon - Our sins would stain our souls.
No peace - Our fear of the future would rob us of the joy of living.
No purpose - Our life would be a cul-de-sac with no exit.
(God's Will in Your Life, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilive).
Trust in your Father in Heaven, has now become what you desire most.
(Mark 9:49)
"everyone will be purified by fire as a sacrifice is purified by
salt."
What can you do to "salt" your relationships with peace this week?
But their is still considerable challenges (e.g. difficulties of life,
etc.) you must deal with. The kingdom of heaven begins with the work
of God's Spirit in peoples lives and in relationships with our hearts.
(Luke 17:20-21)
Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. His
answer was. "The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be
seen. No one will say 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!'; because
the Kingdom of God is within you."
(Gospel of Thomas: Saying 112)
"His disciples said to him, 'When will the kingdom come?' 'It will not
come by looking for it. Nor will it do to say; Behold, over here! or
Behold over there! Rather the Kingdom of the Father is spread out on
the earth, but people do not see it'!"
An important question enters your life; "How do I make use of the
Kingdom of God within me?"
(John 10: 34-35)
"Jesus answered "It is written in your own law that God said, "You are
gods.' We know that the scripture says is true forever; and God
called these people gods, the people to whom his message was given."
What "old ways" of looking at Jesus must you overcome by faith?
If Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within us and that we are God's;
how do I make use of that power to reach Heaven, and the happiness on
earth that he promised us, Well this is the search that we hope to
take you on within this course.
"I want to suggest that the primary focus of theology is the life and
work of Christians, both their private and public lives, in the church
and in the world. I would argue that the fundamental beginning point
of theology is simply the questions, the issues, and the problems
which arise in the life and work of Christians and in their communal
life in the church. This is where theology becomes a necessity and
not merely a hobby or a game" (Theological Questions-Owen C. Thomas).
How are you a member of the body of Christ?
We are told to address God as "Father" - even being so bold as to call
him "Abba," the Aramaic word for Daddy or PaPa. Jesus has included
all of us into the great family of God. Thus, he has given us a
commonality with each other, a ground for relationships, and the
possibility of living with each other in deep and meaningful ways.
Becoming a child of God is like being adopted. You get a family in
the bargain. The new faces may be blurred. But gradually the faces
become familiar, and you begin to develop a bond with some of the
relatives.
When you first commit your life to God, you might feel pretty much
alone.
But, Jesus taught his disciples to pray by saying, "Our
Father..." (Mt. 6:9). When we receive Christ as our Savior, we become
the "children of God" (Jn. 1:12. If God is our Father and we are his
children, then all other believers are our brothers and sisters.
Jesus said that; "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my
brother, and sister, and mother" (Mt. 12:50).
One of the purposes of this course is to introduce you to the
genealogy of your family. You and I are branches on a family tree.
In this course, we will explore what it means to be part of God's
family. We will look into the potential of our life and discover the
depth of relating that our God offers to each of us. We will learn
about the impact that our relationship with God has upon us.
In the first lessons, we looked at our need for both the secular and
the spiritual. We delved into how God met people's needs. We grew in
our understanding of the ways in which God meets our own deep needs
and we acquired a greater appreciation of how God meets deep needs
through us.
All I Need to Know
Phyllis C. Michael
Teach me, O Lord, to see Your love
In every drop of rain;
Teach me to feel Your presence near
Yes, even when there's pain.
Teach me to praise Your name by faith
Whatever comes my way,
To know that midnight hours will fade
Before the light of day.
Teach me acceptance, Lord, I ask,
Submission to your will,
Not resignation - but the grace
To seek Your wisdom still
Teach me that wells some times run dry,
That rivers overflow
But You are always in control -
That's all I need to know.
God has created us as multifaceted people. We are physical,
emotional, mental, social, and spiritual people. Perhaps the most
difficult of those facets to give expression to is the spiritual
dimension. This spiritual dimension is what we will concentrate on in
this course.
We will seek to understand spiritual needs more fully, both in
ourselves and others. God is with you now and he is going to bless
you with understanding, and fellowship in your church.
So, "Shalom." Have you ever noticed that no matter how well you live
your life, something always seems to be missing? God's response to
that frustrating human condition is his offer of wholeness. Jesus
came so that we can have a life that is full and whole. In the second
half of John 10:10, Jesus said that he came so that we might have life
and have it "over abundantly." He calls us to experience that "over
abundant" life.
In this course we will discuss and experience wholeness. We will look
at ourselves to discover some of the blocks keeping us from
wholeness. You have asked for and now you will receive God's
guidance.
(Psalm 82:6-7)
"You are gods, I said; all of you are sons of the most High.' But you
will die like men; your life will end like that of any prince."
We started a search for some answers, within the Introduction; let us
continue on that search. We should start with God's Word and Wisdom.
(Job 28:20-24)
"Where, then, is the source of wisdom? Where can we learn to
understand? No living creature can see it, not even a bird in
flight. Even death and destruction admit they have heard only
rumors. God alone knows the way, knows the place where wisdom is
found, because he sees the ends of the earth, sees everything under
the sky."
Job claimed that God's wisdom supersedes all human wisdom. Nature
cannot tell everything about God's wisdom. For further insight we
must look at God's Word.
God know me! He knows every tear I cry. "Thou hast taken account of
my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle" (Psalm 56:8). God knows
every trial we go through, and His wisdom allows each to happen....
God is perfect in His wisdom. As the sun cannot be without light,
neither can God be without wisdom. He was wisdom originally. Men
acquire wisdom through experience; God has it by essence. He does
not have to study or gain more experience. God has wisdom perfectly.
He has absolutely no ignorance. He has wisdom universally. Men are
wise in various things. God iis wise in all things. He has wisdom
perpetually. Man's wisdom fades near death. God's wisdom is
everlasting. His wisdom is incomprehensible. The wisdom of one man
may be comprehended by another. "Canst thou by searching find out
God?" (Job 11:7) His wisdom is infallible. Even the wisest men fall
short of their goals. God never fails.
(From The God You Can Know by Dan DeHaan)
How will you strive to be wiser and more understanding person this
month?
God's wisdom is His Plan for everything. Wisdom's children live
changed lives.
(Luke 7:35)
"God's wisdom, however is shown to be true by all who accept it."
Would you be more effective if you lived differently? Why?
Well if his word and plan is true; how can we make use of it, to
respond to the challenges we face?
What does it mean to be human?
Is there really more to life than meets the eye?
Let us start by working on your personal faith (wisdom concerning
God). Christian faith therefore is personal knowledge of God acquired
through Christ.
(1 Clement 17:7-8)
"But how, beloved, shall we do this? We must fix our minds by faith
towards God, and seek those things that are pleasing and acceptable
unto him."
"We must act comfortably to his holy will; and follow the way of
truth, casting off from us all unrighteousness and inequity, together
with all covetousness, strife, evil manners, deceit, whispering,
detractions; all hatred of God, pride and boasting; vain glory and
ambition."
What clues can we look far in ourselves to determine whether we are
acting out of servanthood or servitude in a given situation?
Faith is not primarily belief in truths (propositions) which have been
revealed to us by God through the Bible and the Church; rather it is
the way we come to the knowledge of God as God.
The object of faith, is God, our Creator, Judge, and Savior. It is
our perception of God in the midst of life.
(1 Clement 17:23)
"But who are his enemies? Even the wicked, and such who oppose their
own wills to the will of God."
For the interpretation of one's faith is theology itself. Theology is
as St. Anselem of Canterbury defined it, "Faith seeking
understanding." Theology is that process by which we bring our
knowledge and understanding of God to the level of action.
(1 Clement 17:36)
"let the wise man show forth his wisdom not in words, but in good
works."
The New Testament also commands Christians to press on toward Christ -
Likeness (Phil. 3:12). All of us Christians are to strive to grow in
spiritual maturity because growth doe not happen automatically.
It is a gradual process by which Christians grow toward our home in
heaven. In theology, this process of growth is referred to as
sanctification. Prayer and Bible study are part of the process.
Only through God can one become holy, but God has chosen to use his
Word and our Communion with him in prayer as a means to that end. By
communicating with God and reading his Word, we provide a way for the
Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
The purpose of this lesson is to suggest which theological
interpretation may be best to meet your purpose in life.
"Belief" is a formulation of the knowledge we have of God through
faith. There are many Christian beliefs, even though there is only
one Christian faith (the knowledge of God through Christ).
Even so in the New Testament there is little sign of the deep
vocational difference which would shortly show up in the Church.
Quite plainly, the New Testament word for clergy (kleros) refers not
to a special order among Christians. And the word for laity (laos)
refers not to a receipient part of the congregation but to all
Christians. All are called to one service, and all alike are God's
people. 'And ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God's own people (laos), that you may declare the wonderful deeds of
him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light' (1 Peter
2:9)."
A primary reason, Christians become entangled in the web of servitude
is the fear of not pleasing God enough. "Have you experienced this
fear?" What other problems might this fear cause in a person's life?
What is God's answer to this fear?
"Among the first Christians every man, however he lived and worked,
ministered in the parish in which he lived and worked. There were
leaders and teachers and special spokesmen, of course. But they did
no more than show or set the direction of every Christian's
obligation."
"Today, in a continuing effort to reclaim the priesthood of all
believer, Protestants who note their own repeated failures are putting
most emphasis on the common service to which the doctrine bids all
Christians. 'Every shoemaker can be a priest of God, and stick to his
own last while he does it,' said Luther. Whoever, wherever we are,
whatever we do, we are ministers of God" (A Handbook of Christian
Theology - Priesthood of Believers - Theodore A. Gill).
The "universal priesthood of all believers" is a fundamental Christian
concept. Again and again the Bible states that every Christian,
regardless of his or her station in life, shares with other
Christians the privileges and responsibilities of the faith. (Exod.
19:6; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Rec. 1:5-6; 5:9-10; 20:6).
Regardless of who you are, you need to take this concept of "universal
priesthood" with utter seriousness. All Christians need to put their
priesthood into action - giving glory to God. You have the resources
of Christianity available for your use. So do not hesitate to use
these resources to give him the glory due. and the way to start, is
to give him the obedience due.
(Ignatius to Ephesians 1:18)
It is therefore fitting that you should by all means glorify Jesus
Christ who had glorified you." that by a uniform obedience ye may be
perfectly joined together, in the same mind, and in the same judgment;
and may all speak the same things concerning everything.
One must admit one's own helplessness and make oneself open to divine
control and assistance (grace) (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith, according to
Paul, is also obedience (Romans 1:5; 16:26), demanding total
surrender. And it is not accomplished in a single act. Faith must
grow (2 Corinthians 10:15). The believer passes from ignorance of God
to the knowledge and love of God through the action of the Spirit
(Galatians 4:8-9); Ephesians 4:18; 5:8; 2 Corinthians 4:6).
(Ignatius to Ephesians 3:14)
"For the beginning is faith; the end is charity; and these two joined
together, are of God; but all other things which concern a holy person
are the consequences of these."
Faith being a personal knowledge of God, is even more a trust and
total commitment of the self to God, a commitment of heart as well as
of mind.
(Psalm 62:8)
"Trust in God at all times, my people, tell him all your troubles, for
he is our refuge."
In what do you trust first; God, yourself, people or money? What
second, third? If you are willing to trust a plane or car, are you
willing to trust God?
(Psalm 118:8)
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to depend on man."
We can live in assurance and calm. Despite troubles around us, if we
love and trust God, he will be with us. We have nothing to fear if we
put our trust in our Guardian.
We have the assurance that in the storms of life today. Jesus Himself
will be standing just outside the door waiting to be invited in. He
is waiting to share a meal with us, waiting to share our sorrows, to
renew our courage, to come in and talk intimately.
We are not alone. We never shall be. He has to be there; all we
need do is open the door to Him. What is your need today? Do you
need comfort in your personal trials? Christ is waiting. Do you need
forgiveness for your sins? He is knocking. Do you need to make a new
commitment to serve God with your life? Whatever your spiritual need,
right now Christ is knocking at the door of your heart. He is Lord of
the universe, and He wants to be Lord of your life as well.
(From Storm Warning by Billy Graham)
What will you depend on today for your needs? Although you may be
tempted to trust earthly means more than God, have more confidence in
God than anything else.
Where do you need help right now? Joy? Victory? Success? What
promise do you hold on to?
It grows, and may even be started within a given community of
believers. This knowledge and community must always come second to
the rejection or acceptance of God's guidance and written word, as the
controlling influence in our lives. This guidance comes from Old
Testament, God's word - made flesh in Jesus Christ, and then of that
Word by the Apostles and the Church as long as it does not conflict
with Christ's word or God's in the Old Testament.
We must have obedience - obedience to the Commandments and to the New
Law of the Gospel. In order to obey we need to acknowledge that we
must turn over control of our lives to his control, and admit that we
cannot and should not control our lives. Let the fear of God do its
work in you to keep you from sin. In your gratitude for God's love,
don't ignore his justice.
(Psalm 36:1-4)
"Sin speaks to the wicked man deep in his heart; he rejects God and
does not have reverence for him. Because he thinks so highly of
himself he thinks that God will not discover his sin and condemn it.
His speech is wicked and full of lies; he no longer does what is wise
and good. He makes evil plans as he lies in bed; nothing he does is
good, and he never rejects anything evil."
St. Paul urges us to worship God "in a way that is worthy of thinking
beings" (Romans 12:1). Therefore we will use our reason to better
understand our relationship to God.
One example of this is the very fact; that humanity has ingrained in
their very nature, a conscience, a knowledge of right and wrong. This
has to be explained as to why we as humans have this very unique
capability. Their is no animal that has this capability, along with
creativity, initiative, etc. Therefore how did we :evolve into this
ability. Why did we "evolve" into this ability. What is it's
purpose. Without "God" and the rest of the relationship to him, we
open up more, and more questions. With him, we answer many
questions.
Theology is not simply talk about God, or about Christ, or about the
Bible, or even about faith; but coming to a better, clearer,
understanding of his or her own faith and it's use in everyday life.
This faith in God and in Christ, grown through "Help" available to us
in the Bible, in the Church, or wherever God provides.
We must be careful not to limit our Theology to just the Bible. If
this were true than how did the Church start or exist without it in
place, fully formed and defined. Since Christ did not write it; but
others controlled and influenced by the Holy Spirit; where is it
written by God that this control and influence by the Holy Spirit has
ceased.
We find when we study the New Testament that the Church had started to
interpret Christ's Words and to develop tradition's which it operated
in. Paul uses the word tradition in 1 Corinthians 11:23 and 1
Corinthians 15: 3-5. This is shown in many families or communities,
that traditions develop which reflect the approved method of action in
specific situations. But once these methods aare no longer
appropriate or proper tradition changes. God's Word does not change.
The Bible is itself the product of tradition - of many traditions in
fact. Tradition refers (in Christian terms) to the whole process of
"Handing on" God's Word.
Why do we have to have this training? The leading reason is our
predisposition to seek after our own power and Godhead. This is known
in Christian circles as "original sin."
"The concept of "original sin" is even more offensive to most modern
men than the concept of sin. It's original meaning was "inherited
sin" or "erbsuende," and Christian orthodoxy explained it as a taint
which all men inherited from the fallen Adam. The concept had no
place in Jewish thought. This gives rise to some interpretations
which contrast the so-called optimism of Judaism with the pessimism of
Christianity. Actually the jewish doctrine of the "evil
inclination" (yetzer ha-ro) which every man has inherited sin, but
spoke only in terms of the rabbinic doctrine of the evil
inclination."
"Whatever may be the traditional doctrine, the real issue is the
universality of the corruption which results from undue self-regard.
Certainly no one would regard a traditional doctrine of a transmission
of evil from generation to generation as meaningful. But the idea of
a universal inclination in the human heart of self is not only
meaningful but is empirically verifiable. It means merely that the
capacity and inclination of the self to give its interests undue
regard can arise on every level of culture and of moral attainment.
The taints of vanity in the lives of the saints would attest to the
inclination as well as the power lusts of a Napoleon or Hitler. The
universality of the taint does not preclude the possibility of
mitigating or aggravating egotism by education, social engineering ,
cultural disciplines, or any other method of channeling or
transfiguring man's basic and inordinate self-regard. Nor would it
preclude the relation of this self-regard to all forms of creativity.
Actually all creative impulses are probably inextricably related to
the self-regarding ones, but not in such a way that the latter are
absolute prerequisites of the former. It is significant that
political science usually presupposes some version of the doctrine of
original sin despite the unpopularity of the concept in modern culture
since the Enlightenment" (Reinhold Niebuhr-Sin-A Handbook of Christian
Theology).
In the end, Christian theology is a effort to come to terms with, and
to express, our experience (knowledge) of God through Christ and other
ways and what he expects of his children.
In the New Testament Jesus, as the revelation of true humanity, is,
obversely, a revelation of the disruptive pride which prevents men
from enjoying the harmony and union for which they were indented and
made. The words of Jesus underline the fact of Jesus. Over and over
again he commends "the meek" and "the poor in spirit" who follow in
the direction of their original and ultimate reality; over and over
again he repudiates the self-sufficiency, self-assertion; self-
advertisement which are the ugly, visible site of pride.
"Men are great in their freedom, their transcendence, their
consciousness of self and of self being conscious of self. It is part
of their greatness that they know their finitude, their contingency,
their dependence. And the anxiety that comes from that knowledge is
the panic which drives them to their own security, men would be
themselves the divinity who alone is independent, not contingent.
Each man identifies his own truth, his own goodness, his own
creativity with a divine truth, goodness, creativity. The end is
always confusion, for each of man's illusions conflicts with the
others; and events inevitably smash the whole pretense. Each man
reaches out for the power, prestige, property with which to buttress
his own existence. The effort is foredoomed to failure.
"The pride which Christians are called to repent is not a social
nuisance, but a universal tragedy. Such pride is the self's self-
defeating, destructive centering upon itself - which self can never
even be itself until pride is broken and the self knows its center in
God. Appropriate self-respect comes only when there is a real self to
respect, when pride is past, when we accept the significance we cannot
establish, when we trust God for the ultimate security He alone can
guarantee" (A Handbook of Christian Theology - Pride - Theodore A.
Gill).
From our "pride" to "God's Kingdom" is where we should move.
"In being truly converted to the kingdom of God, everything we do
assumes its direction, purpose, and meaning in light of the Kingdom,
i.e., in light of God's will. This does not rule out the possibility,
indeed the probability, that we shall occasionally act against this
fundamental choice for God. But only a fundamental reversal of that
choice (what the traditional testbooks called "aversio a Deo," a
"turning away from God") is sufficient to cancel out the original
decision to understand oneself in relation to God and to orient one's
whole life in view of that new self understanding" (Catholicism-
Richard P. McBrien XXVI, 955).
As we have read, as long as we do not quit loving God with complete
commitment to him and eager to receive his Love, we can continue on in
this Love. We have to approach this Love as a Child. We are to be
childlike with humble and sincere hearts, weak and dependent people
with no status or influence.
(Matthew 18:1-4)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, "Who is the greatest
in the Kingdom of heaven?"
So Jesus called a child, had him stand in front of them, and said, "I
assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will
never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of
heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child."
What childlike quality do you need to recapture? Why?
Humility and Love can make us the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
So how do we achieve these qualities? God provided us with our
earthly plan of growth to become mature members of the family of
humans in order to give us a living parable of how we can become
mature members of His family. We shall look at these parallel growth
plans and look at how each relates to the other, and why God did this
for us.
Take time to praise God, to count his blessings on you and to affirm
your commitment to do what he has already said to do. God has done
much for us, and he plans to do even more!
(1 Chronicles 17:19)
"it was your will and purpose to do this for me and to show me my
future greatness!"
Do you more often ask, or thank, God for things? What does that say
about your rapport with Him?
One of the most important lessons Christ modeled for us was that He
was a servant. Jesus said of himself, "For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom
for many" (Mark 10:45). There is a special blessing for those who not
only agree that humble service is Christ's way but do it. Christ
demonstrated the freedom with which he served in John 13:
(John 13:3-5)
"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and
that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he went up from
the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his
waist. After that, he poured water into a basin, and began to wash
his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
around him"
How will You put Jesus' teaching into practice at home, work, or
church this week?
Jesus, knowing who he was - the Lord, creator and controller of all
creation is and will be served. Similarly, knowing who we are in God
- "Perfectly free, Lord of all, subject to none" - we are freed to
serve.
However, sometimes our service can be the result of guilt, fear, and a
half-hearted sense of obligation. This is servitude, not
servanthood. It is more harmful than helpful, both to ourselves and
our God. Servitude provides freedom.
Our "sacrifices" for God can easily become manifestations of our sin,
not our love for him. We use them as a bargaining weapon: "If I do
this for you, God, will you do this for me?" We try to use these
sacrifices to control his behavior and bring him down to our level.
But this will never lead us to deeper intimacy with God. If we are to
know him, we must know him as he is: our perfect, all knowing God who
sacrificed himself for us when we were helpless. He gave up, not just
his glory possible as a man but suffered and died.
(Knowing the Face of God-Tim Stafford).
"If we succeed, they will become like us - people who make such
sacrifices reflexively. To put off pleasure, we do intricate mental
surgery. We cut ourselves up into separate personalities, one
receiving carefully calculated benefits at the other's expense. We
eat dessert at the end of the meal saving the best for last. The 'me'
at the end of the meal can enjoy it. Similarly we study to pass an
exam tomorrow. We work out to get in shape, expecting to enjoy a
trimmer waistline at some future date."
Christian Models
Moses
If any conclusion can be drawn from the biographies of great leaders,
it is that none enjoyed easy paths to greatness. It could, in fact,
be argued that, had they avoided hardship, greatness would also have
eluded them. This painful process of leadership development may be
seen in the lives of biblical leaders as well. Moses, arguably the
greatest figure in the Old Testament, had a life filled with adversity
and failure. As a newborn, his life was threatened, so his mother
gave him away to a foreigner. Although Moses was raised among
Egyptian royalty, he was regularly reminded that his ancestry was, in
fact, slavery. His bungled attempt to rescue a fellow Hebrew meant he
had to flee for his life into the desert. Moses spent forty years
herding sheep in the wilderness for his father-in-law because of a
mistake he made in his youth. He spent another forty years wandering
in the wilderness because of a mistake made by those he was leading.
He would ultimately die outside the land he had dreamed of entering
because of a mistake he made while wandering in the wilderness. Yet,
despite his significant failures, even secular historians recognize
Moses as one of the most influential leaders of all time.
Student Prayer
Dear God, forgive those times when I seem to forget you. Help me to
include you in all I do, think and feel. Be with me to guide me, now
and forever. Amen.
For further information go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeramiahs_back_again/
.
|
