Month: April 2012

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No More Sacrifices

Aren’t you glad that as you head off to work this morning you are not having to think about what animal you will sacrifice to atone for your bad deeds and missteps of the week!

This is one of the many fantastic things that we Easter reminds us about; the Christ become THE sacrifice!

 But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  Hebrews 9:26

Today as you head into work and get started on your week, remember the only thing you really need to worry about is doling out forgiveness in the same quantity it’s been giving to you!  Really that’s just about all you need to worry about.

That’s makes no sense.

And that is why I follow him!

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Good, Better, Best

It’s Good Friday,

What an incredible day.  So far this morning I have already read tons of reflections from people on Twitter and Facebook.  They range from my college buddy Willie posting

On this Good Friday, please pause for a moment and realize that seersucker suits may be worn in just three days!

to Max Lucado tweeting this gem

On this Good Friday, envision the Savior on the cross, bloodied and cast in shadows. Listen as heaven whispers: For you, my child. For you.

It’s a pretty awesome day historically, I mean, really, the son of God dying on a cross, with intent.  What better, is that he was buried and guarded by the Romans, and what is best is that he rose back to life, again with intent on the third day.  Of course, the intent being that he did he not for his own glory , but instead to restore us back in a relationship with the Creator of the Universe!

Enjoy the weekend!  And do spend some time on your own reflecting on this Good Friday and this best weekend!

 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5 NIV

 

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Are you a Slacktivist

Last night I was flipping though Flipboard on my phone and discovered this Forbes article predicting the person of the year for 2012.  The author suggested it will be the Slacktivist!

Even though the term has been around since the mid 90’s, I really don’t recall hearing it very much – or I really am out of touch with what is going on.  Anyway, for those of you in the same boat as me, a slacktivist is someone who does something in support of a cause that requires minimal personal effort.  For instance, give $5 dollars online, or post the topic to Facebook, but yet never take any other action.  As the article suggests, those people have been pretty powerful with messages such as SOPA, and even some of the Occupy stuff.

But, here is why I was so attuned to this.  This is how lots of us follow Christ.  We say yes, we post verses to Facebook, and we even give a few dollars – minimal personal effort.  Although, I like the concept ( a lot), I don’t think we are called to be that way when we follow the Way.

13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13 New International Version (NIV)

and

27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 New International Version (NIV)

 

God loved you so much that he gave his son. Do you think that slacktivism and following the Christ can go together?

 

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Back to it

My spring break is over and I head back to ye olde mill today, with one thought in mind.

31Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.  Luke 6:31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

I hope I can make it past 9 o’clock with this still on my mind!

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The Conquering Spirit

I will start by apologizing to all of my loyal readers out there for being late today.  Today was a recover day from my weekend trip, and as it were, I was not up and on the keyboard at the crack of dawn this morning.

This weekend while on the bus, I was reading the Steve Jobs biography – which is a fascinating read, by the way.  Anyway, Jobs, as you may know was into the whole Zen thing, and simplicity.  The book was comparing some of his ways to the German philosopher Nietzsche, who evidently wrote in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, “The spirit now wills his own will and he who had been lost to the world now conquers the world.”.  I don’t claim expertise in all of the ways to enlightenment, but I do see that those thoughts sound oddly familiar to this

 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mark 8:34-37 New International Version (NIV)

and this

33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 17:33 New International Version (NIV)

Of course the big difference being the guiding force – your own spirit or the spirit of the creator of the world?  Today, give up yourself, let the Spirit guide you, and the teaching of sacrifice and love light your way.