I follow a blog by a man named Winn Collier. Winn is a fantastic writer and has some of the greatest insight on God I have ever read. Throughout the rest of the Easter season Winn is having an Easter book conversation on his blog. I would like to invite anyone who reads my blog to participate in this as it should be fun, and it will also give you some fantastic insight on God and your relationship with him. The link below will take you to his blog where you can get all of the details.
http://blog.winncollier.com/2010/03/easter-book-conversation.html
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Looking at The Great Commission
Last week at youth group we had an interesting discussion about missions and the act of “converting” people. Some students wanted to know why it was necessary to become a “Baptist” or a “Pentecostal” or some other denomination in order to serve God. They also wanted to know why it was necessary to parade around those names when we were doing the work of Christ.
This was a great discussion and it has had me thinking and meditating all week. So with the meat of our conversation still left in my teeth I set out to find some answers to these questions.
One person had brought up the Great Commission as a means to explain some of this. I agreed that this was a good place to start so I too looked into this verse.
(Matthew 28.16-20)
-Before I begin I just want to let everyone know that I am not bashing any denomination or sect. I am just simply stating my mind and you can do with my words what you please.-
As I looked in Matthew I noticed in verse 18 that Christ said something phenomenal. He said that ALL authority in Heaven and on Earth had been given to him. So right off the bat, Christ takes all power away from man and puts it upon himself. We have no authority to make up any law or rule or “way,” we can only do and follow what Christ has commanded and taught us.
If we look at what Christ commanded us to GO and DO (verses 19-20) it was simply to make disciples, baptize people and teach people to obey what he said. I have not seen anywhere in the Bible where it says to go and make people; Baptists, or Assembly of God, or Catholics, or Mormons, or Methodists, or Calvinists, or Puritans, or Lutherans, or anything else for that matter. All that Christ said was to make disciples and baptize and teach people to obey what HE commanded.
Why then, when we go on mission trips to help people in our country or abroad, do we parade around our denominations? Why can’t we simply go in the name of Christ? Why can’t we just simply go and help people and let our actions speak for us? I think people would be more interested in Christ and his commands if it were all about him and less about us and our denominations.
What have we turned Christ into? A formula for saving souls, a way to increase our church numbers, a means by which to make ourselves look better? Have we taken ALL authority from him and placed it upon ourselves?
When we are caring for the “least of these,” are we really doing it out of a heart of compassion and a love for Christ, or do we have ulterior motives?
Is it our Great Commission or Christ’s?
Food:
Matthew 28.16-20
Matthew 25.31-46
Disciple
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Just Like Me
You could easily accuse me of "over spiritualizing" situations at times, because I like to look for Gods finger prints everywhere. I can't help it, it's just a part of who I am. So... the following is one of those moments of noticing Gods fingerprints somewhere.
I recently watched the movie District 9 and was really moved by a scene in it. *SPOILER ALERT* It was when the little alien boy, was holding his arm up to the humans arm that had been grafted with an alien arm. He did it over and over and the alien boys father said "He likes you" and then the little alien boy said "Your just like me."
I kept thinking about that part for a while, and I am still thinking about it now. This human, whom to start with, was nothing at all like the aliens had been genetically changed to become like them. The little boy was just fascinated with the humans arm. Studying it, looking it over, analyzing it, wondering if it could in fact be real.
It made me wonder if thats how the Disciples were with Christ. Knowing he was God but yet he was wearing their flesh. I wonder if they pulled his skin or just sat back and analyzed in awe. I wonder if they watched him sleep to see if he slept or breathed differently then they did. I wonder if they sat next to him and compared arms or facial hair, or looked deeply into his eyes to see how "human" he really was. I wonder if they ever told him as they looked "your just like me."
Not of this world - Yet Human.
Light and Word - Yet Flesh
God - Yet Man
God became like me. I wonder if thats why the children flocked to him, because they could see the true nature of who he was. They could just sit there in his lap and call him abba God, and then also see that he was just like them.
God bled just like me. When he was beaten and when he bled, I wonder if the Disciples noticed and talked about how he bled like them as well.
A human that became an alien, what a strange concept.
Almost as strange as God becoming a man, just like me.
Food;
Philippians 2:5-11
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202.5-11&version=NIV
John 1
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201&version=NIV
I recently watched the movie District 9 and was really moved by a scene in it. *SPOILER ALERT* It was when the little alien boy, was holding his arm up to the humans arm that had been grafted with an alien arm. He did it over and over and the alien boys father said "He likes you" and then the little alien boy said "Your just like me."
I kept thinking about that part for a while, and I am still thinking about it now. This human, whom to start with, was nothing at all like the aliens had been genetically changed to become like them. The little boy was just fascinated with the humans arm. Studying it, looking it over, analyzing it, wondering if it could in fact be real.
It made me wonder if thats how the Disciples were with Christ. Knowing he was God but yet he was wearing their flesh. I wonder if they pulled his skin or just sat back and analyzed in awe. I wonder if they watched him sleep to see if he slept or breathed differently then they did. I wonder if they sat next to him and compared arms or facial hair, or looked deeply into his eyes to see how "human" he really was. I wonder if they ever told him as they looked "your just like me."Not of this world - Yet Human.
Light and Word - Yet Flesh
God - Yet Man
God became like me. I wonder if thats why the children flocked to him, because they could see the true nature of who he was. They could just sit there in his lap and call him abba God, and then also see that he was just like them.
God bled just like me. When he was beaten and when he bled, I wonder if the Disciples noticed and talked about how he bled like them as well.
A human that became an alien, what a strange concept.
Almost as strange as God becoming a man, just like me.
Food;
Philippians 2:5-11
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202.5-11&version=NIV
John 1
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201&version=NIV
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