In the bible, we are often taught to renew our hearts and minds as a way of accepting the process by which we are saved. We stop doubting and begin to believe in the Good News of Christ.
The part we often forget is to clean out the junk before we start. Have you ever wondered why children learn so quickly and adults don't. My theory? Our minds are full.
Children's minds are like brand new sponges. They are empty of water and readily collect water on contact. the older we get, the more our minds have absorbed and the less they will hold. The process is merely a lesson in filling a bucket.
If this be true, when the sponge is full, we can not accept any more water. If our minds are like the full sponges, we can't accept any more knowledge until we make room in our sponge.
The real truth is that we all have ideas, thoughts, and knowledge that is taking up space where good solid knowledge of things of God are supposed to be. What we need to do is spend some time cleaning out our minds so that we can renew our thought process and begin to draw closer to God through the renewing of our minds.
Be brutal in your search to eliminate wasteful knowledge. Rip those horrible thoughts from your mind and begin to see the difference in how you look at life, love and truth.
How, you ask? Well, meditate on the word. Read things that tend to uplift your soul. Spend less time dwelling on problems and spend more time listening to what God has to say.
I find if I take time everyday to spend with God in prayer and meditation, He takes the time with me. Meditation has lately been the realm of other religions and has gotten a bad reputation as something of a mystic tool, but it belongs to God. As Christians, we need to begin to practice the art of meditation and communing with God. When we can sit down with God and get to know Him, he will allow us to really experience his love, as well as His plan for us.
First, find a place away from all the hustle and bustle of the world. Toss off all earthly trappings, such as clothes, books, radio, and television. Especially avoid other people. Closets are nice. Caves are better.
Next, find a comfortable position to sit and be quiet. relax your arms and legs. Feel the presence of the darkness around you. Listen for that still small voice. Find the peace in simply existing without worries.
In your mind, ask for forgiveness. Ask for peace. Ask for that special time to learn.
Soon the things of the world will become unimportant. When all you can feel, hear, or experience is that serene calm. Wait and be patient, for God is near.
Showing posts with label reformation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reformation. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, November 10, 2008
Second Reformation
In the last group of comments, someone asked about the second reformation. So here goes.
The Reformation was a revamping of Christian ideals, and a changing of how our lives meld into the world around us. Before this change, ordinary people were not trusted to read the scriptures. They were not supposed to interpret the scriptures or to speculate on Christian daily activities. These things were left to the church fathers. The Reformation opened the scriptures to the ordinary person, birthing an explosion of the different denominations and beliefs in the Church. (big C, not little c). It was an awakening of ideas and beliefs that has transformed the way we worship God and has opened up the world to a closer one on one relationship with our Savior.
This was great. But with separation came descent. The separation in beliefs began the distancing of each other. We became fragmented.
In the same light of fixing a wrong, but not for the same wrongs, there is a new awakening falling down on us. Our knowledge of Christ is expanding. Our worship is growing. And some of the ideas we once held as absolute truth are now being exposed for what they are. Some to the good. Others, not so much.
The second reformation is preparing us for the coming of our Lord by trying to unite us all under one God. The reformation is reforming the Church by expanding our knowledge of what God wants from us and by bringing people together. It is trying to accomplish what Jesus longed or years ago, the Church being as one.
Jesus can't return until all the world has been exposed to Him. We are now working our way into those corners of the world we never thought we would find. In urban areas where children grow up and spend more time searching for food than for a god. In deep forests where civilization hasn't found them. In small bible study groups that gather in homes all across the country.
In these places, we are finding the Word being proclaimed at an alarming rate.
The word is even filtering into the places the mainstream church is not going, to nudist parks, to gambling joints, to pipe smokers conventions, to biker bars, and to jails. With this, we are experiencing a renewing of our mind. We are claiming, as our brothers, those people we once considered lepers and scoundrels.
Jesus said he would gather up his remnant scattered by the four winds, and He is doing it now. Bringing in the new people is bringing in a new wave of people to love and be loved by.
There is some great reading on this scattered across the internet. They say it much better than me. I urge you to begin to read and join this new celebration.
The Reformation was a revamping of Christian ideals, and a changing of how our lives meld into the world around us. Before this change, ordinary people were not trusted to read the scriptures. They were not supposed to interpret the scriptures or to speculate on Christian daily activities. These things were left to the church fathers. The Reformation opened the scriptures to the ordinary person, birthing an explosion of the different denominations and beliefs in the Church. (big C, not little c). It was an awakening of ideas and beliefs that has transformed the way we worship God and has opened up the world to a closer one on one relationship with our Savior.
This was great. But with separation came descent. The separation in beliefs began the distancing of each other. We became fragmented.
In the same light of fixing a wrong, but not for the same wrongs, there is a new awakening falling down on us. Our knowledge of Christ is expanding. Our worship is growing. And some of the ideas we once held as absolute truth are now being exposed for what they are. Some to the good. Others, not so much.
The second reformation is preparing us for the coming of our Lord by trying to unite us all under one God. The reformation is reforming the Church by expanding our knowledge of what God wants from us and by bringing people together. It is trying to accomplish what Jesus longed or years ago, the Church being as one.
Jesus can't return until all the world has been exposed to Him. We are now working our way into those corners of the world we never thought we would find. In urban areas where children grow up and spend more time searching for food than for a god. In deep forests where civilization hasn't found them. In small bible study groups that gather in homes all across the country.
In these places, we are finding the Word being proclaimed at an alarming rate.
The word is even filtering into the places the mainstream church is not going, to nudist parks, to gambling joints, to pipe smokers conventions, to biker bars, and to jails. With this, we are experiencing a renewing of our mind. We are claiming, as our brothers, those people we once considered lepers and scoundrels.
Jesus said he would gather up his remnant scattered by the four winds, and He is doing it now. Bringing in the new people is bringing in a new wave of people to love and be loved by.
There is some great reading on this scattered across the internet. They say it much better than me. I urge you to begin to read and join this new celebration.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Second Reformation, again.
Yes, I know, you are sick and tired of the binge I'm on with the reformation. Well, I just can't seem to find an end to this. Each time I pray about this blog, I get bits of information about the Reformation coming.
There is nothing in the bible to suggest there wouldn't be times of reform. In fact the bible often speaks of returning to Christ and churches finding the true spirit. The bible is full of times when Isreal reformed and was returned to their glory.
Let's look at 2. Chron 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Here, God makes a promise, one that endures to us today. If His people come back to Him, He will heal their land. Speaking from a country where we need healing, I find this most comforting. The best part is that He gives us the exact formula for our healing, sort of a prescription for good health. There are several parts to this promise.
First, God calls on His people, those called by His name. He doesn't ask the aliens in the land or those who are not associated with God to do anything. He simply wants those people who He counts as His own to come to Him.
Second, He gives us the manner is which we are to come back to Him. We are to:
1. Humble ourselves. Pride goes before the fall. Pride causes the fall. If we are to come to Him, we must acknowledge God is First and we are below Him before we can enter His courts.
2. We are to pray. There is nothing better than to get a phone call from a long lost friend. God loves those returning home prayers.
3. Seek His face. We need to come face to face with our God to become fully in His love.
4. Turn from our wicked ways.
Once we have done this, God's promise kicks in. He will hear us from Heaven, forgive us our sins, and will heal our land.
In our country today, the US, we are in dire need of healing. The election was about healing, picking someone who could help put America back on the right track. For many of us, me included, we put our trust in McCain to heal our nation. Other of you picked Obama. At this point, and through much prayer, I have come to this conclusion. It really doesn't matter who is president. Presidents can't heal our country.
Let me say that again. Presidents do not heal our land. God does. He made a promise to us that if we seek His face humbly, and confess our sins to Him, He will heal our land.
Now, He didn't say we had to get everyone in the nation to do this. He is only calling out the men and women who are called by his name. This is a call most specifically for Christians, those called by His name. The key to healing our land lies with the Christians in this country.
Our nation is a nation of sometimes love. We sometimes love our neighbor. The mere fact that we are celebrating a black man's election to the president's job is an indication that we have a long way to go to recognize our lingering prejudice against people of other colors and backgrounds. We should celebrate the man and not his color.
We sometimes love our neighbor, but not the neighbor who doesn't hold countenance with our beliefs. I do not say this as a way to excuse sin, but I say this because we need to fill our lives with love for everyone so that we are not held responsible for keeping a man from the face of God. We need to remember that seeking God's face is one step to healing the nation. We need to be the one that ushers people to His face, not hold out to see if our neighbor will come around to our thinking.
The beginning of this reformation will be the healing of our nations. Those churches where God's people stand tall and seek God's face will be renewed... Reformed. With each reform, those nations will be transformed by the renewing of their spirit.
True to all God's plans are a way to Salvation. God set before us the perfect method for reforming our Christian world and healing our nation. All we need is for men and women of faith to seek God's face and repent of our sins and the others will benefit, as well.
It is from this point that I ask men of faith to pick a moment in time to humbly seek God's face in prayer, to acknowledge our sins before His throne, and for God to lead us from from our wicked ways.
If you will follow me in this, please send this to those people who you know call themselves by His name. We can start the healing now, regardless of who is president.
See you soon.
There is nothing in the bible to suggest there wouldn't be times of reform. In fact the bible often speaks of returning to Christ and churches finding the true spirit. The bible is full of times when Isreal reformed and was returned to their glory.
Let's look at 2. Chron 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Here, God makes a promise, one that endures to us today. If His people come back to Him, He will heal their land. Speaking from a country where we need healing, I find this most comforting. The best part is that He gives us the exact formula for our healing, sort of a prescription for good health. There are several parts to this promise.
First, God calls on His people, those called by His name. He doesn't ask the aliens in the land or those who are not associated with God to do anything. He simply wants those people who He counts as His own to come to Him.
Second, He gives us the manner is which we are to come back to Him. We are to:
1. Humble ourselves. Pride goes before the fall. Pride causes the fall. If we are to come to Him, we must acknowledge God is First and we are below Him before we can enter His courts.
2. We are to pray. There is nothing better than to get a phone call from a long lost friend. God loves those returning home prayers.
3. Seek His face. We need to come face to face with our God to become fully in His love.
4. Turn from our wicked ways.
Once we have done this, God's promise kicks in. He will hear us from Heaven, forgive us our sins, and will heal our land.
In our country today, the US, we are in dire need of healing. The election was about healing, picking someone who could help put America back on the right track. For many of us, me included, we put our trust in McCain to heal our nation. Other of you picked Obama. At this point, and through much prayer, I have come to this conclusion. It really doesn't matter who is president. Presidents can't heal our country.
Let me say that again. Presidents do not heal our land. God does. He made a promise to us that if we seek His face humbly, and confess our sins to Him, He will heal our land.
Now, He didn't say we had to get everyone in the nation to do this. He is only calling out the men and women who are called by his name. This is a call most specifically for Christians, those called by His name. The key to healing our land lies with the Christians in this country.
Our nation is a nation of sometimes love. We sometimes love our neighbor. The mere fact that we are celebrating a black man's election to the president's job is an indication that we have a long way to go to recognize our lingering prejudice against people of other colors and backgrounds. We should celebrate the man and not his color.
We sometimes love our neighbor, but not the neighbor who doesn't hold countenance with our beliefs. I do not say this as a way to excuse sin, but I say this because we need to fill our lives with love for everyone so that we are not held responsible for keeping a man from the face of God. We need to remember that seeking God's face is one step to healing the nation. We need to be the one that ushers people to His face, not hold out to see if our neighbor will come around to our thinking.
The beginning of this reformation will be the healing of our nations. Those churches where God's people stand tall and seek God's face will be renewed... Reformed. With each reform, those nations will be transformed by the renewing of their spirit.
True to all God's plans are a way to Salvation. God set before us the perfect method for reforming our Christian world and healing our nation. All we need is for men and women of faith to seek God's face and repent of our sins and the others will benefit, as well.
It is from this point that I ask men of faith to pick a moment in time to humbly seek God's face in prayer, to acknowledge our sins before His throne, and for God to lead us from from our wicked ways.
If you will follow me in this, please send this to those people who you know call themselves by His name. We can start the healing now, regardless of who is president.
See you soon.
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