“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Monday Modern Parable ~ Conversation Between Jesus and a Modern Day “Christian”
Conversation Between Jesus and a Modern Day “Christian” by jwise
(Jesus’ words in blue)
Hello.
Oh.. well hello. Mike. Glad to meet you. *hand shake*
Greetings, Mike. My name is Jesus.
Jesus? Ah, Jesus! I know you! From the Bible, right?
Yes, that’s me. Would you like to follow after me for a while?
Well, I’d love to, Jesus… But, see, 24 is on tonight, and if I miss even one episode, the show just won’t make any sense! But don’t worry, I’m DEFINITELY one of your believers!
“Believers?” I’m not familiar with that phrase…
You know.. Your followers.. A Christian!
Strange.. I would have guessed that my followers were those who… follow me.
Well, yeah, if you take everything literally! But I know the Bible pretty well. You have to to be a believer, ya know? *nervous laugh* And it’s by grace through FAITH that I’m saved, not of works. And I KNOW I have faith, Jesus. I mean, you should know that too, right?
If you believe my Word, then why do you not follow me?
I told you, I’d love to.. but…
*interrupting* but your TV show is a must-see. I know.
Great. I’m glad you understand. I’ll talk to you later, ya know. When I pray for dinner!
Actually, I don’t know that I DO understand. Do you love me?
What kind of a silly question is that??! Of course I love you! All Christians love you!
Then follow me!
We’ve been through this twice now, Jesus.
You love your TV show more than me. Is that not true?
Of course it’s not true!
Actions speak louder than words, Mike.
*a bit frustrated* Jesus, of course I love you more than ANYTHING. I’d DIE for you!
You would? But you won’t follow me? I think you’re deceiving yourself. Come, follow me, and I will show you my Kingdom.
Oh, I know your Kingdom. It’s Heaven! I’m already assured a spot there myself! But that time comes later… after I die. I’ll see you there, okay?
Mike, do you not know that I am the Way? No man will enter my Kingdom unless he follows me there.
Jesus, we’ve been through this already, too! I DO believe in you. I have faith. That’s all I need to get into Heaven.
You say you’re familiar with the Bible?
Of course.
Well, remember what my brother James said? That faith without works is dead?
Yeah.. That means that because I’m a Christian, I should go to church and try to be happy about it.
Not at all. It means that if your faith doesn’t lead you to die daily, pick up your cross, and follow me, then your faith is not really faith at all.
Preposterous! I have faith, Jesus! I know I do, because I asked you into my heart years ago!
Asked me into your heart? What on earth does that mean?
It means I gave over my will and decided to do what you want me to do!
First, I never told ANYONE to “ask me into his heart”. Secondly, you demand that you won’t follow me, but now tell me that years ago decided to do whatever I want you to do? Mike, you’re not making any sense.
Okay, Jesus, so I’m not perfect.
No, you’re certainly not. But follow me, and I will make you new; I will teach you how to live unto righteousness. I will forgive your sins and make you clean.
You did that already, Jesus! *nervous laugh*
Obviously not. You say you love me, but you will not follow. You say you believe, but you will not obey. Yet you expect that your sins are forgiven.
Of course they are. John said “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I’m aware of what John said. He spoke truthfully of me. Surely I will forgive those who confess their sins. But it is in following me that you realize the latter part — Truly I will remove all sin from you, and train you in righteousness.
I dunno… It sounds like works to me! I know the Gospel — that Heaven is available to everyone who believes.
You think you believe, but you deceive yourself. If you believe, then forget about your TV show and come follow me! I will give you life everlasting.
I already HAVE eternal life!
Apart from me you are dead, Mike.
*Mike staring off into space*
Mike?
Yeah, sorry… See that guy over there?
Dave?
Yes, Dave. He is SUCH a jerk!
Mike! What did I tell you about calling your neighbor a “jerk”? Do you know I made Dave in my image? I have great plans for him!
He cut me off on my way to work.. I was SO mad, Jesus! Heh, I guess a few words slipped on that day…
I’ll say they did. But remember that out of a man’s heart come his words.
Yeah.. anyway, he’s always such a jer– I mean, so mean to me!
Mike, you’ve never even met him! Why don’t you forgive him for cutting you off? That was over three years ago.
I can’t forgive him, Jesus! I’ve tried; I just can’t…
Do you not know what I said of those who won’t forgive? Truly, I tell you, if you do not forgive Dave, and anyone else, then my Father will by no means forgive you.
Oh, come on, Lord!
Why do you call me Lord? You refuse to follow me. You refuse to do as I say. You say you believe, but your heart is far from me.
*getting angry now* Jesus, maybe those silly legalists got to you. I KNOW I have faith! I KNOW I’m going to Heaven someday. You’re way too caught up in works and proving my faith. I’ll show you someday. I’m going to go watch 24 now. I hope you get back to the Jesus I know — love and hope and GOOD NEWS. Have a good night.
As I have been, so am I now, and so I will always be. Truly I tell you, turn from your wicked ways, forgive those who sin against you, let go of this world, come follow me, and I will certainly give you eternal life. I love you, Mike.
G’night.
Blessing God ~ Wonderfully Made
You moms out there know the weight of this verse. Anyone who has gone through a full pregnancy understands the miracle of life. How awe-inspiring is our God!
“Wonderfully Made”
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
– Psalm 139:13-16, ESV
Photography by Jen O’Sullivan
Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl
Rocks Cry Out
Flourish
Joy in the Thorns
Perfection
Fruit
Everything
Integrity
Hiding Place
Quote of the Day ~ David Platt on Self
“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”
― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
Blessing God ~ Hiding Place
When dark times are upon us and there is too great a sadness to even wake up in the morning, we find ourselves curled up and trying desperately to block out anything in this world that could molest us further. The outward reflection of our inward turmoil is simply to curl up in the fetal position and shut it all out. God wants you to curl up in Him. He desires that He become your hiding place. That you let go of yourself and allow God to preserve you. If you let Him, he will surround you with more than abundant protection and deliverance. Open up and flourish!
“Hiding Place”
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
– Psalm 32:7
Photography by Jen O’Sullivan
Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl
Rocks Cry Out
Flourish
Joy in the Thorns
Perfection
Fruit
Everything
Integrity
Quote of the Day ~ Francis Chan on God’s Call
“It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace.”
― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
Blessing God ~ Integrity
Integrity is the foundation of a strong person. As in most plants the base is larger than the top, or in trees the roots grow out in the same pattern as the top to give it integrity, or strength. I try, every day, to instill integrity into my own child. Those who lack wisdom, lack integrity. Children are mostly lacking in wisdom, so it is our job to guide them along. Often I feel like the blind leading the blind. My own integrity is often lacking. I catch myself all the time. It pains me when I tell a white lie or gossip or lose my temper. Our old nature is always just at the surface. It reminds me to not just live by the Spirit but to also walk by the Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:25
The ease by which you are able to do things that are wrong will be a strong indicator of how your walk with God is doing. Audit yourself daily and commit yourself to starting your day in the Spirit through prayer and reading of God’s Word. You will see a marked change in your own integrity throughout your day.
“Integrity”
Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!
– Job 31:6
Photography by Jen O’Sullivan
Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl
Rocks Cry Out
Flourish
Joy in the Thorns
Perfection
Fruit
Everything
Quote of the Day ~ Francis Chan on Humanity
“The world is not moved by love or actions that are of human creation. And the church is not empowered to live differently from any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit. But when believers live in the power of the Spirit, the evidence in their lives is supernatural. The church cannot help but be different, and the world cannot help but notice.”
― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
Friday Fruit Audit ~ The Spirit
Do you walk by the Spirit?
The idea is that the more time you spend with God the closer you will become to him and the more you will want to spend time with him. Imagine getting to a place where you no longer need to “carve out” time in your life for God but where you need to carve out time in your walk with God for your life. The Lord promises that if you hunger and thirst to do his will, obey his commands, and follow after him you will be satisfied. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” -Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
In fact, you will be more than satisfied. Take a look at what Peter has to say:
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” -1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)
In Peter’s day his readers understood the word “agapo” or “love” to mean continually loving God and as a regular daily activity. The word “pisteuo” or “believe” means to rest your confidence in or to trust in or depend on. The joy of this verse implies joy for the present. The word for rejoice was not commonly used by secular Greek writers of Peter’s day as it meant a deep spiritual joy. As we continually spend time daily with Jesus through faith we rejoice and have joy that is unutterable and exalted. They understood this as wanting more and more of Jesus and that joy was something only believers could experience. Have you experienced this?
Even though I have not seen him, I am active in my love and faith by daily worshiping him through prayer and bible reading. Because of this communion with him I have even deeper joy that is filled with the glory of heaven. By adjusting your life to focus more on God you will inevitably begin to mirror the below verses written by Paul to the Galatians.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” – Galatians 5:16-26 (ESV)
My prayer: Father, what a gift you have given me in your Word. Help me to desire it more and more each day. Oh Jesus, I long to see your face. Father, I cannot wait to look upon your face shining like the sun. Holy Spirit, what an honor to know your person living in me. God, my God, I have faith and trust in you; to know that my belief in you brings me heavenly joy is so exciting! To think that perhaps my faith actually rests in you and that you are joyful for it is overwhelming. Thank you for loving me with a love I don’t even have words for.
Blessing God ~ Everything
This world was made for us. Everything in it, we are to enjoy. The sad reality is that we have brought decay and death upon ourselves. God longs for us to be right with Him again. Give your life over to him and He will give everything to you once again. He made a promise so don’t turn your back on Him because you are stubborn or worse, arrogant in thinking your way is better. Many people’s foolishness and arrogance will cause them the greatest loss they will ever know.
“Everything”
And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
– Genesis 9:3
Photography by Jen O’Sullivan
Blessing God Series
Rain from the Lord
Grass in the Field
Parable of the Pearl
Rocks Cry Out
Flourish
Joy in the Thorns
Perfection
Fruit
Holy. Just. Love. 