15 September 2009

The Challenge

Everyday I come to my apartment complex and play a few games of 9-Ball by myself. I have a good time - and I get some good practice. The greatest reward is that you win every time. This is what the following post is about.

When we play games with ourselves - or when we study by ourselves we don't get the full benefit. Regardless if we're studying God's word, a class, or anything else. The only way we will challenge ourselves and learn anything is if we take the chance and ask others to help us. No matter what we're doing, we must have someone to challenge what we are saying. That's part of what this blog is - a way to reach a mass of people and have them challenge what I'm saying; a way for them to ask me questions so that we can all understand what God is trying to tell us. I encourage everyone to have some form of expression that can be shared with people so that others can look at it and challenge what they are saying and ask questions about it.

Even God challenged the beliefs of His disciples - He did this to ensure that they knew what He was saying. He wanted to make sure that the leaders He was sending out knew exactly what He would do. While I'm not saying I'm in any way, shape, or form blessed with the exact same knowledge and wisdom that the disciples had - I do know that we must challenge each other the same way that we are accountable for each other; if for nothing else than to gain a better understanding of the Lord's text.

And not just the Lord's text, but his meaning. Let's face it - Jesus loved parables, and even though He told us the meaning - we still must understand and relate that to what that means in our modern life. When you ask a friend if they are alright and they say, "Fine," yet look like something is clearly wrong, you don't just accept it do you? No, you pester them until you find a way to help them with the problem. I understand that this is a slightly backwards way of explaining this; but just as you pester that friend, you must pester the Lord's word until you figure out the meaning and interpretation to apply that to your life. And to do this properly you must have someone with whom you can challenge and ask questions. When you come to a conclusion, you may not always be right - in fact, more times than not you'll probably find yourself wrong in some way. However, when you work with someone and have them challenge you, you find that you can interpret things in a much clearer way. And when they challenge you, you find that you are challenging yourself to summon answers from a deeper place than the shallow answers you come up with on your own.

This is why people have a tendency to talk with God - He can challenge you in ways you could only dream about. Pray that He can challenge you enough that you can come up with the answer to that question of Faith you've been struggling with. Pray that He can challenge you enough to want to share His word to numerous followers. Pray that He can challenge you enough to live for Him. He will challenge you. Welcome it - it's the only you'll grow in His image.

4 comments:

  1. Talking to God implies conversing. How do you know when God is returning the communication, and is it in the same form of words that you send? That is, in the case of the English-speaking, the English language. ~Mel

    ReplyDelete
  2. The communication could very well be in english, just as you talk with anyone else. God is capable of anything. But as Christians we know when God is talking to us - the trouble is learning the difference between God and Satan. But the truth is that God will aid you in everything you do. So listen, you'll know when you hear him, I'm sure of it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. it is true. we have to learn not only to humble ourselves and ask for help, but we must pray for God to tune our ears to His voice. He is always speaking, but half the time we are too preoccupied with ourselves and our everyday lives to hear. We also have to seek His holiness. If the world can identify with the spirit inside of us, they will know we are full of crap in our faith and we make the Lord look terrible. But when the world knows that the spirit in us is drastically different than their own, they will see and understand that Jesus is not just words in a book or the way to a peaceful life. He IS life. He IS truth. We need the fear of the Lord. Not fear like the kind of someone threatening to hit us, but an awesome respect and reverence that He is the Lord of Hosts. Its like watching someone painting an intricately detailed ground painting and its the most incredible thing you've ever seen. Then the painter asks you to bring them a bucket of water for any given reason. When you bring the water back, you walk very, very, very carefully, extra slow, extra cautious, very careful not to spill any of the water or let it slosh out. You dont do this because you are afraid of the painter hitting you, but because you dont want to mess up this awesome masterpiece. Its that kind of fear and respect that we need. Jesus understand this awesome fear of the Lord and knew His Father's truth. He saw only the Father's eyes, knew where He came from, where He was going, and walked in that beautiful humility. The fear of the Lord will save our lives...literally. Psalm 91 lists the promises of those who fear the Lord and reside in the secret place of the Most High. The church must rise up and take her place as the pure and spotless, holy-loving, righteousness-seeking bride to be presented to Jesus on the day of the wedding feast that she can. WE ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO JESUS AS HIS BRIDE!!! DID YOU GRASP THAT??? we cannot go on thinking that everyone goes to heaven. We do not receive that reward for going to church, reading the bible, being a pastor, getting baptized or any other good works we can whip up to make ourselves feel better. We must be walking in His spirit and power, love, and intimacy. If He doesn't know us, how would He let us in? We have to read the word and take it as it is. It's truth that will remain absolutely pure until the end of time. It does not change, nor will it ever. It is perfect, and it is not for our changing. In fact, one of the last verses in the bible in Revelations says that "whoever add or removes any part of this, then their portion of the tree of life will be removed," (thats probably not word for word, but read it yourself...). We can CHOOSE to be on fire. WE cant always wait for Him to move. He who seeks Him will find Him...we gotta run and go after Him with EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you, for that comment. It's great to know that Faith of Christ can AND will burn in us if we embrace it, if we grasp it, if we search for it. The Lord says "Knock and the door shall be opened to you." The problem that we run into is that our knocks tend to be out of desperation, not heartfelt need for the Lord. Someone once said, "If you catch on fire with enthusiasm people will come for miles to watch you burn." This comment has stuck with as a way to describe how need to be about the Lord. How can we expect people to listen to us, if we don't have the true enthusiasm, and fire that we have burning for the Lord? With that enthusiasm we can do many things. I mean, it's not up to me to judge any person in their Faith, but it IS my duty to tell people about my Faith. However, the first step is to know that my Faith is completely and wholly for Him. I don't have many Bible verses and pray that I can one day find these things. My favorite Bible verse seems to be like my mantra, and strive to live by it. Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. Men do not light a candle and put it under a bowl, instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and worship your Father in Heaven."

    ReplyDelete