Happy Easter!!
Easter reminds me that Jesus died for me personally. The question is "can we die to ourselves?" and live for him. It means laying down our dreams, ambitions and agendas.
Easter reminds me that in death there is new life - In laying down our stuff we give God the space and permission to breathe his life into our dry bones - we find that life means so much more with Jesus in control than it did when we were trying to do our own thing.
May we die to ourselves and be alive to Christ and our world as we reflect on the cross this Easter.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
sent to act
I was reading Luke 4 with my son this morning. in this passage Jesus reads aloud in the Synagogue. He reads:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to procliam freedom to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."
we all know that this is from Isaiah and that this is generally thought to be Jesus' own description of his ministry and calling. So how did Jesus fulfill this calling and ministry. Jesus tells the people that this was already fulfilled, and it was in that Jesus had already been sent by God to do these things. Yet he then goes out and begins doing the things he was sent to do.
We also have been called and sent out into the world to demonstrate the great love of God. The question is how do we do this?
Jesus fulfilled his calling by touching one life at a time. Read any of the Gospels: A woman by a well; a religious man in the night (Nicodemus); a demonised man be the lake; an adulterous lady forgiven; a tax-collector accepted; a fisherman restored; etc.
Yes, crowds followed Jesus and he taught them. But in the crowds there were individuals seen by Jesus - and he made it his life's work to make a difference in those lives.
Will we follow Jesus today to allow God to use us in touching someone's life? God can make a difference as we are willing and open to his calling on our lives. you have been sent - will you go?
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to procliam freedom to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."
we all know that this is from Isaiah and that this is generally thought to be Jesus' own description of his ministry and calling. So how did Jesus fulfill this calling and ministry. Jesus tells the people that this was already fulfilled, and it was in that Jesus had already been sent by God to do these things. Yet he then goes out and begins doing the things he was sent to do.
We also have been called and sent out into the world to demonstrate the great love of God. The question is how do we do this?
Jesus fulfilled his calling by touching one life at a time. Read any of the Gospels: A woman by a well; a religious man in the night (Nicodemus); a demonised man be the lake; an adulterous lady forgiven; a tax-collector accepted; a fisherman restored; etc.
Yes, crowds followed Jesus and he taught them. But in the crowds there were individuals seen by Jesus - and he made it his life's work to make a difference in those lives.
Will we follow Jesus today to allow God to use us in touching someone's life? God can make a difference as we are willing and open to his calling on our lives. you have been sent - will you go?
Monday, March 3, 2008
Make a difference
The riverbed was dry - bone dry. there hadn't been a drop of rain in months. Life was struggling to survive and it looked like there would be no hope.
A single whiite cloud floated across the clear blue sky above. As it gazed down from it's vantage point its heart began to break and a tear rolled down its cloudy cheek and fell upon the arid river-bed.
"What can I do?" sobbed the cloud with the broken heart, "I am one cloud and I cannot make a difference: it's so unfair!"
Another cloud rolled up and saw that the small white cloud was crying. "What's making you sad little cloud?" asked the second cloud.
"The river is drying and life is dying and there seems to be no hope", cried the little white cloud.
The second cloud looked down and saw the situation. He also began to weep for the world below as he moved slowly away in the breeze.
"Does no one care?" thought the little white cloud as his heart was torn and the tiny tears grew in intensity. He began to weep so profusely that he did not see the second cloud return with a crowd of clouds. The crowd looked down and their hearts were also torn. they all began to weep at the situation. Their tears fell heavy upon the land below.
the little cloud opened his tear-stained eyes and saw a marvelous sight. A multutude of crying clouds poured out their hearts on the ground below. The river was filling. Animals becan creeping towards the river bed. Life began to move.
The little white cloud cried all the more at this hopeful sight: tears not of sadness but of joyful delight. There can be hope when even the smallest is moved with compassion.
Will we be moved?
A single whiite cloud floated across the clear blue sky above. As it gazed down from it's vantage point its heart began to break and a tear rolled down its cloudy cheek and fell upon the arid river-bed.
"What can I do?" sobbed the cloud with the broken heart, "I am one cloud and I cannot make a difference: it's so unfair!"
Another cloud rolled up and saw that the small white cloud was crying. "What's making you sad little cloud?" asked the second cloud.
"The river is drying and life is dying and there seems to be no hope", cried the little white cloud.
The second cloud looked down and saw the situation. He also began to weep for the world below as he moved slowly away in the breeze.
"Does no one care?" thought the little white cloud as his heart was torn and the tiny tears grew in intensity. He began to weep so profusely that he did not see the second cloud return with a crowd of clouds. The crowd looked down and their hearts were also torn. they all began to weep at the situation. Their tears fell heavy upon the land below.
the little cloud opened his tear-stained eyes and saw a marvelous sight. A multutude of crying clouds poured out their hearts on the ground below. The river was filling. Animals becan creeping towards the river bed. Life began to move.
The little white cloud cried all the more at this hopeful sight: tears not of sadness but of joyful delight. There can be hope when even the smallest is moved with compassion.
Will we be moved?
God is a whisper away
Perhaps this week holds stress and worry. Perhaps it holds blessing anf joy. Whatever it holds, God holds it.
God is a whisper away:
He's in the breeze, he's in the sea
He's in your thoughts, and he's in me
He's in the person that shouts you down
he's in the sadness of the clown.
he's in the concepts we have of truth
he's in the Word, he's not aloof
He's even closer than we see
He's close to you, and he's near to me
God is a whisper away:
He's in the breeze, he's in the sea
He's in your thoughts, and he's in me
He's in the person that shouts you down
he's in the sadness of the clown.
he's in the concepts we have of truth
he's in the Word, he's not aloof
He's even closer than we see
He's close to you, and he's near to me
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