Does this story seem unbelievable to you? Can you imagine the joy of the family who had organized an unnecessary funeral? Does the entire idea of having someone who once was "dead" but now alive seem incredible? The media picks up this story for its emotionally-charged joy-to-grief/grief-to-joy angle, and many of you are reading this story today in complete wonder. And then missing the easy-to-see analogy.
That grief-to-joy moment can be yours for the taking. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. The Bible says that you, that me, that all of us were dead in our sin.
But Jesus says "I am the resurrection and the life." The Bible says that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." And the Bible says that you need only believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you shall be saved.
That death-to-life is not merely a sensational headline. It is, in fact, the most important transformation that you can encounter in your life if you turn over your heart to Christ. Will you choose that this very day?
5.31.2006
5.30.2006
our hearts burning within us
Last problem, and one that probably plagues the most of us is where you have the gift and the calling, but not the heart for it. This isn't a problem so much as simple disobedience. In the other two, the heart is simply misleading one's thoughts. Not disobedience as much as deception. But call and gift and no heart? That's simply willfulness.
He has given you something. He has called you to something. The heart is always the last to follow.
He has given you something. He has called you to something. The heart is always the last to follow.
5.29.2006
who is called by
Problem two arises when you have the gift and the heart, but still waiting for that call. This is the advanced form of the disease described Saturday, where you figure the leading is taking you where you want to go. Now not only do you want to do something, but you're really good at that thing, too. Question you have to ask yourself -- do you want to do it precisely because you're good at it? Not because you're called there, but because you think you're good there.
Will the Lord provide gifts where there is no call? That's the thing of it all. He wants you to use it, no doubt. But the question is where. And I'm saying that sometimes the where isn't where you want it to be.
How then will you know whether or not you're being called? Again, I'm saying there is no doubt. If you don't know know, then you aren't called. Capricious statement and belief? No doubt. Right? Not sure.
Will the Lord provide gifts where there is no call? That's the thing of it all. He wants you to use it, no doubt. But the question is where. And I'm saying that sometimes the where isn't where you want it to be.
How then will you know whether or not you're being called? Again, I'm saying there is no doubt. If you don't know know, then you aren't called. Capricious statement and belief? No doubt. Right? Not sure.
5.28.2006
let him be the first to
"God of Firsts"
* Living life on your own terms always leads to frustration & meaninglessness {Eccl1:9, 8:17}
* Living on His terms leads to fulfillment {Eccl12:13}
* Lord is a Lord of firsts {Gen1:1, 12:2, Gal3:8}
* His Word never returns empty/void {Isa55:10-11}
* Three stages in every work of God (J Hudson Taylor)
- It is impossible
- It is difficult
- It is done
* You can be involved in these milestones in His kingdom
- By going
- By sending
- By praying
* Living life on your own terms always leads to frustration & meaninglessness {Eccl1:9, 8:17}
* Living on His terms leads to fulfillment {Eccl12:13}
* Lord is a Lord of firsts {Gen1:1, 12:2, Gal3:8}
* His Word never returns empty/void {Isa55:10-11}
* Three stages in every work of God (J Hudson Taylor)
- It is impossible
- It is difficult
- It is done
* You can be involved in these milestones in His kingdom
- By going
- By sending
- By praying
5.27.2006
do not let your heart be
Where am I headed with this? Calling, heart, and gifting -- these lead to something, yes? Together, I believe they lead to Godly success. When you have a calling from God that matches your heart for something which matches your gifting, we have what we call a hat trick. And what the Lord calls perfect obedience. He has given you something and called you for something and in your obedience you have that same heart for something. And you will bear fruit. You can't actually devote your career to ministry if these three things are not in sync. But when they are, liar watches out because he knows it is bad news for him.
Problem one arises when you have a heart for something, but no calling or gifting. You might desire to be on that stage leading folks before the throne, but if He hasn't given you that gift or called you on that stage, your vocalizations and all the instrumentation in the world won't change the fact that that throne actually seems to be receding into the distance.
It may not even be visible, save in the recesses of your heart. You say you feel burned out after doing this for awhile? You say you still don't feel comfortable doing what you're doing? You say you feel frustrated that fruit isn't being born? I have one guess: 2 of 3 ain't right here. And it behooves you to figure out where the other two are. Because that heart of yours is leading you astray.
Problem one arises when you have a heart for something, but no calling or gifting. You might desire to be on that stage leading folks before the throne, but if He hasn't given you that gift or called you on that stage, your vocalizations and all the instrumentation in the world won't change the fact that that throne actually seems to be receding into the distance.
It may not even be visible, save in the recesses of your heart. You say you feel burned out after doing this for awhile? You say you still don't feel comfortable doing what you're doing? You say you feel frustrated that fruit isn't being born? I have one guess: 2 of 3 ain't right here. And it behooves you to figure out where the other two are. Because that heart of yours is leading you astray.
5.26.2006
if you knew the gift of God
A relatively new idea to me, this theory of gifting that the modern church has. Never heard of it ONCE until a decade ago. Perhaps not important enough to mention to young ones, although how they would choose their lives without knowing is beyond me.
At a fundamental level, I believe He has gifted us with a reason in mind -- and that reason being that He expects us to make use of those gifts. No Indian-giver, He's not taking them away if unused. But if you think you don't have a responsibility to use them, you'd be wrong. Do I believe that there is such a sin as the sin of disuse? It's really more a variation on the general theme of disobedience, really. But yes, sinful.
Can you develop gifts that you were not given? Probably. But never to the fruitfulness or potential of the true gifts given to you, methinks. Then how do I determine mine? If you think the answer is found in those ridiculous 40-question tests, you don't understand anything about anything.
If he bids me fly, etc. Take the step of faith, and when the water-walking comes second nature, you know you've found one. Those multiple choices will only mislead you, desires of the heart and all. Don't mislead yourself in trying to fit a gift not wrapped for you.
At a fundamental level, I believe He has gifted us with a reason in mind -- and that reason being that He expects us to make use of those gifts. No Indian-giver, He's not taking them away if unused. But if you think you don't have a responsibility to use them, you'd be wrong. Do I believe that there is such a sin as the sin of disuse? It's really more a variation on the general theme of disobedience, really. But yes, sinful.
Can you develop gifts that you were not given? Probably. But never to the fruitfulness or potential of the true gifts given to you, methinks. Then how do I determine mine? If you think the answer is found in those ridiculous 40-question tests, you don't understand anything about anything.
If he bids me fly, etc. Take the step of faith, and when the water-walking comes second nature, you know you've found one. Those multiple choices will only mislead you, desires of the heart and all. Don't mislead yourself in trying to fit a gift not wrapped for you.
5.25.2006
has filled your heart
That desire in your heart to do something is not your calling. It is what it is, a personal preference, a desire. You're thinking that all desires are bad, and that's only because you see desire in the lustful sense of the word. It can, in fact, be completely devoid of sexual context. You can desire to please God, for example. No issue with desire in that sense. In and of itself, nothing wrong with desire.
Desire in the heart is only part of having a heart for something. Having a heart for something means not only desiring to do something, but also having a heaviness there that drags your attention and focus away from all other things. It adds significance to it. The significance added to it pulls the desire away from the heart, and places it in the head. It makes that desire an interest. When someone says I have a heart for serving the homeless, they are stating two things: that they have a desire to serve in that area; and that they have a mental interest in doing so.
Where does the Lord fit into this? On one hand, these desires -- not your calling, remember -- are from you. They may or may not be sinful, that's the tricky thing. The Lord can give you a heart for a ministry -- He does that when He touches your soul -- but that should only increase something that was pre-existing. The heart for something must ultimately come from you.
I'm beginning to think I'm splitting hairs here. Hard to tell, but this is going somewhere.
Desire in the heart is only part of having a heart for something. Having a heart for something means not only desiring to do something, but also having a heaviness there that drags your attention and focus away from all other things. It adds significance to it. The significance added to it pulls the desire away from the heart, and places it in the head. It makes that desire an interest. When someone says I have a heart for serving the homeless, they are stating two things: that they have a desire to serve in that area; and that they have a mental interest in doing so.
Where does the Lord fit into this? On one hand, these desires -- not your calling, remember -- are from you. They may or may not be sinful, that's the tricky thing. The Lord can give you a heart for a ministry -- He does that when He touches your soul -- but that should only increase something that was pre-existing. The heart for something must ultimately come from you.
I'm beginning to think I'm splitting hairs here. Hard to tell, but this is going somewhere.
5.24.2006
but I have called you friends
Eph4 has one of the best of all starts, this calling from Paul to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. And this calling probably gets preached on every now and then, but usually focused more on careers or ministries.
But calling is often confused with internal desire. I've heard said "I know this is what the Lord wants me to do because it's something I've always wanted to do, and so He must have put that desire there." Really? Because I desire a twinkie right now, and I don't understand the theology that equates my twinkielust with the noble idea being stated by Paul.
Calling is something that originates from God. It should be clear. It may actually (and my guess is often) go against what you actually desire. Calling won't come from digesting a line of reasoning and deciding upon a best course of action. Calling is all at the level of the soul.
My theory? That most people don't know what their calling is because they haven't asked, and because they haven't shut up long enough for the Lord to tell them. Initially? Let's say 10% of believers know their calling. The other 90? Shut up and ask.
But calling is often confused with internal desire. I've heard said "I know this is what the Lord wants me to do because it's something I've always wanted to do, and so He must have put that desire there." Really? Because I desire a twinkie right now, and I don't understand the theology that equates my twinkielust with the noble idea being stated by Paul.
Calling is something that originates from God. It should be clear. It may actually (and my guess is often) go against what you actually desire. Calling won't come from digesting a line of reasoning and deciding upon a best course of action. Calling is all at the level of the soul.
My theory? That most people don't know what their calling is because they haven't asked, and because they haven't shut up long enough for the Lord to tell them. Initially? Let's say 10% of believers know their calling. The other 90? Shut up and ask.
5.23.2006
want to go away also, do you
These retroactions might seem ridiculous to you. I don't care. It isn't as if the thoughts are stopping; just the time and effort and will to place them here. Not five to spare? Maybe five to spare; but frankly, the will to spare to anything is a question right now. Going to have to find a different way to think about these regular ponderings. The next few days might be where this all heads.
5.22.2006
had also seen a vision of
This is awful, just dreadful. Do yourself a favor and just read the book. This isn't one of your typical "Reading is fun!" crusades; those crusades are for cheerleaders and tweed jacket types. This is simply trying to do you a favor.
In any case, one overplayed piece of the movie lay in its depiction of how Vardon focused the rest of the world out of his mind's eye until all he could see was the flag and the green and surrounding wide-open fields. Ouimet had a similar focus visual with shimmering flags and greens. Heard athletes tell of the zone experience, and know something like it actually exists.
It's a wonder that skill hasn't been practiced towards worship. You are brought to the house of the Lord to meet Him there, and imagine the changed flock whose focus was not on the cellphone rings of the ignorant, or the wailing of the little ones, or the murmuring from beyond the closed doors. Imagine that focus on a shimmering throne surrounded by wide-open fields. Imagine that singing of yours being lifted to the rafters lifted instead toward seated wonder.
Great plus and all being able to see the others before the throne with you on that Great Day, but I'll tell you what. I won't see a one of them, my gaze instead lifted toward the shimmering, nothing else in sight but the only sight I need to behold.
In any case, one overplayed piece of the movie lay in its depiction of how Vardon focused the rest of the world out of his mind's eye until all he could see was the flag and the green and surrounding wide-open fields. Ouimet had a similar focus visual with shimmering flags and greens. Heard athletes tell of the zone experience, and know something like it actually exists.
It's a wonder that skill hasn't been practiced towards worship. You are brought to the house of the Lord to meet Him there, and imagine the changed flock whose focus was not on the cellphone rings of the ignorant, or the wailing of the little ones, or the murmuring from beyond the closed doors. Imagine that focus on a shimmering throne surrounded by wide-open fields. Imagine that singing of yours being lifted to the rafters lifted instead toward seated wonder.
Great plus and all being able to see the others before the throne with you on that Great Day, but I'll tell you what. I won't see a one of them, my gaze instead lifted toward the shimmering, nothing else in sight but the only sight I need to behold.
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