struggle with Matthew 5:48. thinking about perfection and how inconceivable it is in my mind. came across a quote in some old ramblings of mine. not sure who made the statement ( definitely not me) but it was scribbled next to the text of matt 5:48.
" our perfection in Christ does not mean flawless or without fault. folks, we are perfected when our spiritual life is fulfilled. when we mature spiritually (Ephesians 4) we become completely perfect in Christ."
perfect in the world is way different than being perfected in Christ. I'll take being perfected in Christ, its a lot more attainable.
"it was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors or teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
today!
therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own. matthew 6:34
GOD is warning us. do not look ahead! let today end before you think about tomorrow. your troubles today may seem minor compared to tomorrows.
OR
why are you waiting for tomorrow to do what i told you to do today. today it will be easier. tomorrow gives you too much time to change your mind!
however i interpret his words, i know that he wants me to make the most of this day. by most i don't mean stuff. or the earning of more stuff. talking about the eternal most.
what have i done today to grow myself into his perfection?( matthew 5:48) if i did nothing today, what makes me think tomorrow will be any different?
so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 corinthians 4:18
Friday, July 10, 2009
"we fear our highest possibility (as well as our lowest one). we are generally afraid to become that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments." Abraham Maslow
scared of failure. scared of success.
nice to know that GOD has no expectations for my life. his hope is that my relationship with him allows me to give up control and finish this walk of life with him.
he leads. i follow freely
scared of failure. scared of success.
nice to know that GOD has no expectations for my life. his hope is that my relationship with him allows me to give up control and finish this walk of life with him.
he leads. i follow freely
nameless face
spent the last couple of hours checking out different websites connected to tulsans. what did i find? mikey d giorno ( forgotten about him. had a good little talk show that at times turned my stomach and at times intrigued me), bob wills ( great music! have been a fan since my first trip to caines ballroom), jim inhoffe ( has this dude been a politician forever?), garth brooks ( uhh, great guy), oral roberts ( built a really big hospital that is now an office building, namesake for a university, charismatic evangelist), weber's root beer ( hawking franchises, god bless them)...
a bunch of different names, businesses that have different degrees of importance to most of us in our great city. this blog has no real explanation, its just me thinking about how important we find ourselves to be.
type in my name and you'll find nothing about me. however, ask my wife and kids and they would say i am important in their lives. insert your name and wait for a response from the great wide web. how important are you? if nothing pops up on the monitor, trust me- YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE!
too often we count success as the number of people that know our names. not the number of people we have touched with the grace of GOD! people that may not even recall my name but know that some dude prayed with them or for them. how much more important are the nameless?
when my mother was ill and we were at our lowest point of the battle some guy came in to her room, stood by her hospital bed and prayed with us. at the time we knew his name. more importantly, we knew his heart. he broke down with us. he spent time with us. he prayed fervently with my parents on numerous occasions when they simply didn't have the strength (physically or spiritually) to knell down before GOD. he brought peace into a very unpeaceful place.
we have all since forgotten his name. we will never forget the prayers! thank GOD this man came to us. he came as just another nameless face but he left a lasting impression.
never consider yourself unknown. the unknown are often the most known to the one that matters: GOD.
a bunch of different names, businesses that have different degrees of importance to most of us in our great city. this blog has no real explanation, its just me thinking about how important we find ourselves to be.
type in my name and you'll find nothing about me. however, ask my wife and kids and they would say i am important in their lives. insert your name and wait for a response from the great wide web. how important are you? if nothing pops up on the monitor, trust me- YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE!
too often we count success as the number of people that know our names. not the number of people we have touched with the grace of GOD! people that may not even recall my name but know that some dude prayed with them or for them. how much more important are the nameless?
when my mother was ill and we were at our lowest point of the battle some guy came in to her room, stood by her hospital bed and prayed with us. at the time we knew his name. more importantly, we knew his heart. he broke down with us. he spent time with us. he prayed fervently with my parents on numerous occasions when they simply didn't have the strength (physically or spiritually) to knell down before GOD. he brought peace into a very unpeaceful place.
we have all since forgotten his name. we will never forget the prayers! thank GOD this man came to us. he came as just another nameless face but he left a lasting impression.
never consider yourself unknown. the unknown are often the most known to the one that matters: GOD.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
just a man
for this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to GOD, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18 niv
that is why he had to enter into every detail of human life. then, when he came before GOD as high priest to get rid of the peoples sins, he would have already experienced it all himself- all the pain, all the testing- and would be able to help where help was needed. Hebrews 2:17-18 message
always think of Jesus as supernatural in his walk on this earth. he is GOD! a third of the trinity. but he came to his earth as a man, the same kind of man as me. well, not exactly like me. he had faith that his father would always be there and that he would never be let down. outside of the whole faith thing, Jesus and I are just alike.
he faced the struggles, he took on the temptations, he walked and talked with some of the cruelest folks ever placed on his earth. Jesus stood side by side with the devil! i would venture a guess that Jesus faced more temptation daily than i will in an entire lifetime. he faced all and overcame because he knew the one who sent him. he knew that the one that sent him here was faithful, therefore, he had faith that all would be well. no matter what the devil threw his way.
whats the point?
Jesus lived life as a man. he lived his life perfectly. not because he was GOD, because he had faith in GOD.
that is why he had to enter into every detail of human life. then, when he came before GOD as high priest to get rid of the peoples sins, he would have already experienced it all himself- all the pain, all the testing- and would be able to help where help was needed. Hebrews 2:17-18 message
always think of Jesus as supernatural in his walk on this earth. he is GOD! a third of the trinity. but he came to his earth as a man, the same kind of man as me. well, not exactly like me. he had faith that his father would always be there and that he would never be let down. outside of the whole faith thing, Jesus and I are just alike.
he faced the struggles, he took on the temptations, he walked and talked with some of the cruelest folks ever placed on his earth. Jesus stood side by side with the devil! i would venture a guess that Jesus faced more temptation daily than i will in an entire lifetime. he faced all and overcame because he knew the one who sent him. he knew that the one that sent him here was faithful, therefore, he had faith that all would be well. no matter what the devil threw his way.
whats the point?
Jesus lived life as a man. he lived his life perfectly. not because he was GOD, because he had faith in GOD.
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