Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Mount Walsh!!
Me looking really stupid with one really long draw string...I was freezing cold and had next to no sleep so give me a break...
My Adventure...My Reminder
I recently read a quote by an American Philosopher named John Fiske that read... "Is it honest for me to go and sit there on communion day and drink the wine and eat the bread while feeling it all to be mummery?”
The definition of the word mummery is "meaningless ceremony". This quote began to trigger something in my mind that brought a real revelation to my heart. How often do i take communion as just a ritual or tradition? Is it something i do out of a heartfelt relationship or is it just part of the "church runsheet"?
It reminds me of Mark 7 where Jesus is rebuking the phrisees because they are complaining about the disciples not washing their hands in the tradition ceremonial way..and Jesus makes a powerful statement and says "thus you nullify (make void) the word of God by your traditions"..It triggered something in me about communion and why we do what we do...
Last weekend we went mountain climbing at Mount Walsh (just outside Biggenden). It was an awesome time of pain and endurance and pain...and pain...As we were climbing the mountain i noticed these small coloured ribbons attached to the trees along the path..As i later found out these ribbons represented the best and safest path to the summit of the mountain..They were a symbol of those who had gone before us and made a way...
The night passed and we saw a beautiful sunrise and decided to make our way down..Why should i folow the ribbons...that wouldn't be much of an adventure now would it??? 2 and a half HOURS later we vowed never to have another "adventure" as we kissed level ground and i subsequently lost all navigating privilleges...
This got me thinking about communion....Suddenly it all became personal to me...As i shared on Sunday at church i began to understand what Jesus meant when he said "do this in rememberence of me"...
Hebrews says this in chapter 2:14-18 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- [15] and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. [16] For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. [17] 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. [18] Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. [NIV]
What i see in this passage is that Jesus was made like us in every way...We are talking about the creator of the universe here, the God who spoke and his very word created the heavens and the earth, the same God who holds the world in the palm of his hands, the alpha and omega...became like me...and as i began to meditate on these ribbons i understood...Jesus became like me to make a way for me.....Jesus like those climbers who went before showed me the best way that i can live my life...he showed me that it is possible...
Now as i take communion i remember that he made a way for me when he died upon the cross...i remember that he went before me...i remember he is here with me...and now as i partake in communion i understand and i remember...
God Bless!!!
The definition of the word mummery is "meaningless ceremony". This quote began to trigger something in my mind that brought a real revelation to my heart. How often do i take communion as just a ritual or tradition? Is it something i do out of a heartfelt relationship or is it just part of the "church runsheet"?
It reminds me of Mark 7 where Jesus is rebuking the phrisees because they are complaining about the disciples not washing their hands in the tradition ceremonial way..and Jesus makes a powerful statement and says "thus you nullify (make void) the word of God by your traditions"..It triggered something in me about communion and why we do what we do...
Last weekend we went mountain climbing at Mount Walsh (just outside Biggenden). It was an awesome time of pain and endurance and pain...and pain...As we were climbing the mountain i noticed these small coloured ribbons attached to the trees along the path..As i later found out these ribbons represented the best and safest path to the summit of the mountain..They were a symbol of those who had gone before us and made a way...
The night passed and we saw a beautiful sunrise and decided to make our way down..Why should i folow the ribbons...that wouldn't be much of an adventure now would it??? 2 and a half HOURS later we vowed never to have another "adventure" as we kissed level ground and i subsequently lost all navigating privilleges...
This got me thinking about communion....Suddenly it all became personal to me...As i shared on Sunday at church i began to understand what Jesus meant when he said "do this in rememberence of me"...
Hebrews says this in chapter 2:14-18 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- [15] and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. [16] For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. [17] 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. [18] Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. [NIV]
What i see in this passage is that Jesus was made like us in every way...We are talking about the creator of the universe here, the God who spoke and his very word created the heavens and the earth, the same God who holds the world in the palm of his hands, the alpha and omega...became like me...and as i began to meditate on these ribbons i understood...Jesus became like me to make a way for me.....Jesus like those climbers who went before showed me the best way that i can live my life...he showed me that it is possible...
Now as i take communion i remember that he made a way for me when he died upon the cross...i remember that he went before me...i remember he is here with me...and now as i partake in communion i understand and i remember...
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Great Illustration
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.
And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!!!
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.
And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!!!
Greatest Way, Greatest Love
Check this quote....
"The heart must have something to cling to—and never, by its voluntary consent, will the heart so detach itself from all its attachments that there shall not be one remaining object that can draw its attention or solicit its affections. The love of the world cannot be removed by a mere demonstration of the world’s worthlessness. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new affection. We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our hearts than to keep in our hearts the love of God." Thomas Chalmers
A good friend told me an illustration that Joyce Meyer used in a message recently about a dog and a muzzle. She told the story of a dog that loved to bite feet. So the owners of the dog bought it a muzzle to stop it. And whilst this stopped the dog biting the dog didnt stop trying. She illustrated how the muzzle represents the "law". Whilst the dog was restrained under something that was imposed upon it, the dogs heart was still for chomping ankles.
We have to understand that we cannot change people by imposing laws or rules on them or by telling them the thing they love is worthless. But the greatest way is to show them a greater love. When reading this quote it made perfect sense why often when a woman is in an abusive relationship she will return to be with the man and no matter how much she is told how worthless he is or how bad he is she will still stay.
I pray that we would be a generation of people that would make the love of Christ so attractive, so personal, intimate and irresistable that it becomes infectious to the people around us. That we would show real love in a world that is plagued by a false perception of it. And that we would see a church filled with people, not living under a law but a heartfelt relationship with our king.
God Bless!!
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