THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE
Our Lord Jesus spoke through Gary this week from Luke 10: 38-42. This is the story about Martha and Mary. Mary was taking the time to listen to Jesus as he taught while Martha was preoccupied by serving Jesus( food, beverage pillows??). Martha felt that Mary was not doing her share of the work. Jesus` reply was that Mary indeed had the proper priority in that first hear Jesus- then act.
So often we go about our lives and then somehow squeeze the Bible and Jesus in. With our priorities askance we have already done many things but without allowing Jesus to take the lead we inevitably fall into chaos and misdirection. To read the Bible and hear God`s word will guide us to proper actions. The Bible says put Jesus first and we will not be anxious and troubled.( Luke 10: 41-42)
Please allow me to take this cart before the horse analogy a step further. We are born of a culture. This "culture" defines our ways of thought and actions. Most readers here at Higher Grounds are of what we call a Judea-Christian culture that goes back many hundreds of years. I prefer to call it an "American" culture for it has evolved in the last couple centuries and is constantly evolving. We must understand that there are millions of Christians worldwide and many different cultures. When peoples of different backgrounds read God`s word there is a tendency to imbue the interpretation with the background that reared the readers. Many will not get the true meaning of Christ because they get the cart before the horse-they read the Bible in the context of their own preconceived ideas. In fact, many people choose a church, not on the basis of Biblical teachings but what they ALREADY believe. They then contort Jesus` teachings into this belief.
We must read what Jesus is teaching outside of our own cultures. This is NOT easy but to not do this is getting the cart before the horse.
I don`t have a provocative question this week as I wish all to ponder what has been said.
Y`all have a great week which will certainly be easier by putting our priorities in Christ`s teachings first!!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
1/20/2008
Oh Oh!! This week Gary`s message from God was a bit more demanding. How `bout 100% committment to serving Jesus? Egads!! Not asking much is he?!!
Guess we better be buying plane tickets to Papau, New Guinia or maybe the Sudan. Missionaries of us all. Yes, for some, but Jesus lets us off the hook a bit. Gary brought out the name of James- son of Alphaeus. ( Matthew 10:3)James the Obscure?-perhaps but a disciple non the less. For every Peter there are millions of James the Obscure. We are them- but disciples non the less.
God bless the missionaries and great teachers and writers but God also bless the guy who offers to help an elderly person with their groceries. How often do we stand behind him/her in the check out line? As you scrape your icy windows in the morning have you ever wandered over to your neighbors car and scraped their window? Ever wrote a little note to someone saying- "I care -How are you?". Ever just passed an Aldi`s cart to the next person and told them to keep the quarter? Ever just held a strangers hand when they were frightened? The sentiments are endless and they all count. Quiet silent soldiers of Christ.
Many come to Jesus in time of crisis and He always responds. We think that is great!! Oh, but there is so much more when we commit ourselves to Him and His teachings!! Eternal life- hey whats not to like? Yet, a blessed life on earth also awaits us .Lets us James of Alphaeus type folks commit ourselves to a thousand small kindnesses and show Our Lord that we understand what He is saying!!
Provacative question: What faucet of society makes it actually difficult for us to do kindness? Would we indeed be thought of as odd??
Y`all try `n stave off the cold this week with the inner glow of Jesus within to bring warmth to us all.
Guess we better be buying plane tickets to Papau, New Guinia or maybe the Sudan. Missionaries of us all. Yes, for some, but Jesus lets us off the hook a bit. Gary brought out the name of James- son of Alphaeus. ( Matthew 10:3)James the Obscure?-perhaps but a disciple non the less. For every Peter there are millions of James the Obscure. We are them- but disciples non the less.
God bless the missionaries and great teachers and writers but God also bless the guy who offers to help an elderly person with their groceries. How often do we stand behind him/her in the check out line? As you scrape your icy windows in the morning have you ever wandered over to your neighbors car and scraped their window? Ever wrote a little note to someone saying- "I care -How are you?". Ever just passed an Aldi`s cart to the next person and told them to keep the quarter? Ever just held a strangers hand when they were frightened? The sentiments are endless and they all count. Quiet silent soldiers of Christ.
Many come to Jesus in time of crisis and He always responds. We think that is great!! Oh, but there is so much more when we commit ourselves to Him and His teachings!! Eternal life- hey whats not to like? Yet, a blessed life on earth also awaits us .Lets us James of Alphaeus type folks commit ourselves to a thousand small kindnesses and show Our Lord that we understand what He is saying!!
Provacative question: What faucet of society makes it actually difficult for us to do kindness? Would we indeed be thought of as odd??
Y`all try `n stave off the cold this week with the inner glow of Jesus within to bring warmth to us all.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
1/13/2008
Matthew 14 verse 30-he(Peter) was frightened and he began to sink. Verse 31-InstantlyJesus reached His hand and caught and held him.
This was Peter, the rock upon whom Christ built his church!! Peter had faith for sure( he stepped out of a perfectly good boat into a raging sea) yet even he faltered, is it not likely that we too shall stumble as we walk towards Jesus?
Jesus came out to the boat in the fourth watch( 3am to 6am)[verse 25]. This is the darkest time of the night. This is when we may need Jesus the most- He will come!!!
Jeasus is our beacon, our guide to life perfection, life eternal. We follow His rays of goodness but being human we stagger into the darkness. Our God will gladly reach out and guide us back into the light but we must take His offered hand.
Provacative question of the week- Why can`t WE get to literally see Jesus walk on water? Why just the Apostles?
Y`all have a great week and if`n ya stumble a bit just a grab a holdt a the Big Guys hand- you can be sure that He is holding it out to you!!!
This was Peter, the rock upon whom Christ built his church!! Peter had faith for sure( he stepped out of a perfectly good boat into a raging sea) yet even he faltered, is it not likely that we too shall stumble as we walk towards Jesus?
Jesus came out to the boat in the fourth watch( 3am to 6am)[verse 25]. This is the darkest time of the night. This is when we may need Jesus the most- He will come!!!
Jeasus is our beacon, our guide to life perfection, life eternal. We follow His rays of goodness but being human we stagger into the darkness. Our God will gladly reach out and guide us back into the light but we must take His offered hand.
Provacative question of the week- Why can`t WE get to literally see Jesus walk on water? Why just the Apostles?
Y`all have a great week and if`n ya stumble a bit just a grab a holdt a the Big Guys hand- you can be sure that He is holding it out to you!!!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
01/06/2007
Genesis 1:31 says "and God saw everthing that He had made and behold it was good"-amen
By Christian definintion God is unfallable thus his creation is perfect- but why did God use the word "good"? and not the word perfect. -Because, he also made man, and man is NOT perfect.
Shakespeare calls the world a "stage". Okay, and upon this stage appears man. Thus, we have a "perfect" stage and imperfect actors(us). When we doubt it can only be either us or other people. When we castigate and doubt Jesus it is transference for He is perfect.
John The Baptist doubted Jesus, probably because he was in prison(Matthew 7:2-6). All our doubts are cause by a form of prison. Since the world is perfect it HAS to be our perception that is askance.
Jesus gives us the keys OUT of our prisons through His Perfection. We may blame Him for our dispair, our prison but He has not created the prison;man(with perhaps the aide of satan) has made it.
His Perfection surrounds us in the form of nature.A tree, a flower, a river, the sun or the stars it is God`s Perfection. All flaws were either ours or our perceptions-the misguided actors upon the Perfect Stage.
Jesus will guide us in our proper roles-give us our lines and cues. All we need to do is follow his direction and we become super stars!!!
Provacative question- Is the flu or a heart attack perfect?
Y`all have a great week- remember your roles and be a super star for Jesus!!
By Christian definintion God is unfallable thus his creation is perfect- but why did God use the word "good"? and not the word perfect. -Because, he also made man, and man is NOT perfect.
Shakespeare calls the world a "stage". Okay, and upon this stage appears man. Thus, we have a "perfect" stage and imperfect actors(us). When we doubt it can only be either us or other people. When we castigate and doubt Jesus it is transference for He is perfect.
John The Baptist doubted Jesus, probably because he was in prison(Matthew 7:2-6). All our doubts are cause by a form of prison. Since the world is perfect it HAS to be our perception that is askance.
Jesus gives us the keys OUT of our prisons through His Perfection. We may blame Him for our dispair, our prison but He has not created the prison;man(with perhaps the aide of satan) has made it.
His Perfection surrounds us in the form of nature.A tree, a flower, a river, the sun or the stars it is God`s Perfection. All flaws were either ours or our perceptions-the misguided actors upon the Perfect Stage.
Jesus will guide us in our proper roles-give us our lines and cues. All we need to do is follow his direction and we become super stars!!!
Provacative question- Is the flu or a heart attack perfect?
Y`all have a great week- remember your roles and be a super star for Jesus!!
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