Love Beyond Reason by John Ortberg. I haven't even finished this book yet, but I would highly recommend it.
In the most recent chapter, the questioned was posed, "What is the one thing the church has to offer that the world cannot get anywhere else? Answer: GRACE!
The follow up to that is this: Is your church a provider of grace? What are you doing in your Christian life and involvement with your church that offers grace to others?
The book talks about so many Christians that you see no joy, excitement, involvement with life. Do you think those people share God's grace to others regularly?
Non-Christians give to those in need, help build houses for those less fortunate, and feed the poor. The ministries in "churches" are great, BUT non-Christian, non-church-going people can, and do, the same. Does your church offer grace to everyone that enters? Does your church offer grace to you? Does your church put showing, sharing, and giving God's grace above all ministries? What are you doing to help make that happen?
The book also makes a comment about how we live in God's grace and share it with others. We need to stay close to the cross. When we are standing in the shadow of the cross, it is easy to share God's grace because we understand and have received His forgiveness, mercy, and yes....GRACE.
May His grace visibly overflow in all of us each and every day.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Roundabout Way
I am reading "Love Beyond Reason" by John Ortberg and his one chapter is title 'The Roundabout Way". This very good book talks about moving God's love from our heads to our hearts.
In this chapter, the roundabout way is usually the long way to solve a problem in our lives. It is never the easiest or the shortest road traveled. Why? Because God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. Because during the roundabout way, we learn to be to obey when obedience is never easy. This is the stretch of road where our faith really grows.
Think about it......the Israelites 40 years in the desert to reach the Promised Land that should have taken a few weeks of travel. This roundabout journey is where the Israelites learned about God, their obedience was tested, their faith was measured. Look at Jesus...the roundabout way was to go through the trial, punishment, disgrace, and beating on the way to the cross. He didn't need to take this route. But He did. Would our salvation be as precious if Jesus just waived a wand and fixed everything? Look back at the times in your life when you were struggling to get ahead. Struggling with your faith because a promotion didn't happen, an illness crept in, financial stress ruined most days of your week. Looking back, you probably thought you would never get through this tough time. You even looked for shortcuts in an effort to fix everything yourself.
The roundabout way is a road all Christians should expect to travel. The roundabout way will involve hard times, temptation, and frustration. The old phrase "nothing good or worthwhile comes easy". I think this is true of our faith journey with Christ.
I'll be looking for you on "the roundabout".
In this chapter, the roundabout way is usually the long way to solve a problem in our lives. It is never the easiest or the shortest road traveled. Why? Because God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. Because during the roundabout way, we learn to be to obey when obedience is never easy. This is the stretch of road where our faith really grows.
Think about it......the Israelites 40 years in the desert to reach the Promised Land that should have taken a few weeks of travel. This roundabout journey is where the Israelites learned about God, their obedience was tested, their faith was measured. Look at Jesus...the roundabout way was to go through the trial, punishment, disgrace, and beating on the way to the cross. He didn't need to take this route. But He did. Would our salvation be as precious if Jesus just waived a wand and fixed everything? Look back at the times in your life when you were struggling to get ahead. Struggling with your faith because a promotion didn't happen, an illness crept in, financial stress ruined most days of your week. Looking back, you probably thought you would never get through this tough time. You even looked for shortcuts in an effort to fix everything yourself.
The roundabout way is a road all Christians should expect to travel. The roundabout way will involve hard times, temptation, and frustration. The old phrase "nothing good or worthwhile comes easy". I think this is true of our faith journey with Christ.
I'll be looking for you on "the roundabout".
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