Tag: Romans

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A Different View

Over the weekend, I was sitting in a place in the auditorium where I was looking at the backside of a screen that was set up for the other half of the crowd. So when I looked at this projection, all the words were backwards. I attempted to challenge myself to only read them from that screen – to see if I could keep up, reading in a new way. Let me say the after a few minutes, my head literally started to hurt as my brain worked against everything it has learned for 40 years.

But that was good.

And so it is for us.

˙ʎןʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp sbuıɥʇ ʇɐ ʞooן oʇ ǝnuıʇuoɔ oʇ sǝʌןǝsɹno ǝbuǝןןɐɥɔ oʇ pǝǝu ǝʍ

It’s through that challenge we are transformed and find growth.

I hope you find even the smallest way to challenge yourself to get out of your ǝuoz ʇɹoɟɯoɔ today.

 

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 NIV

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Look Out for Others

It’s seems today should be twosday, especially since I wrote a $22 check this morning on 2-22.  But alas, its Wednesday, so that math fun is sort of wasted. However, today is still pretty special, not only is it Ash Wednesday, and World Thinkers Day, but it is also Inconvenience Yourself Day.

Yes, that’s right Inconvenience Yourself Day.  I hope that you choose to participate by putting yourself second and others first as you go through the day today.  Take the path that is inconvenient for you, to make it convenient for others.  If you are looking for ideas, you can check some out here at the day’s spot on the interwebs.

Be inconvenient today and impact others.

 1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” Romans 15:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

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Lessons from Parenting

I mentioned early this week that the toils of having a 15 year-old son in the house is teaching me a lot about mercy, and grace, and that I would tell more about that later.  Here’s the later.  Hope it’s worth the wait! (it was a whole day!)

Any of you who are parents have experienced those days when your children take you to the edge, either through behaviors, or ( in most cases) attitudes.  I have discovered it is in those times where once you regain you right mind great opportunities for growth are to be found.  In those instances we can understand so much about our relationship with God.  Try this on.

You as a parent tell your child to do X or probably Y will happen.  He doesn’t.  Tomorrow, you tell you child to do X and remind him about Y. He doesn’t.  And the next day and the next day and the next day.  And then finally Y occurs, and your child is absolutely stunned and upset. And blames you!

I hope that sounds familiar to two of your relationships.  ( in case that is confusing, I am talking about you as a parent and you as a child of God.)

But what happens next is the most confusing and where the lesson really is.

As a parent, you love them anyway.  You offer them grace and mercy, and forgiveness, because you want them to be successful.

Sound familiar?

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8

Hm.. That probably wasn’t worth that wait, but I hope you that are parents consider how your parental relationship can teach you about how God is and that you can use that to emulate both as a child and as a parent!

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Worthy of the Effort

Last night the Mountaineer basketball team lost a game that they should have won.  What’s worse is they lost it really because of a lack of effort or concern.  It’s long been established that the coaches at West Virginia continue to tell the players that they play for the entire state – a state that holds the reputation of being a blue collar, hard working, coal mining state.

After the game last night, their coach Bob Huggins reportedly said that the effort the team displayed was very disrespectful to West Virginians.

“I’m sure there are a lot of days they don’t want to go down in that mine, but they do.”

Hmm. That’s pretty interesting.  He was essentially saying “They go work, they do incredible hard dirty work so that you can play basketball.  How are you going to respond to that?”

I guess we could even think about it that this way: Those miners are going to work today, to harvest coal, that will be turned in electricity, that you will consume – what are you going to do with that power?  Will it be worthy of their trip?

Even more so, we can think about some one else who did the work for us, so that we didn’t have to do a thing. The book of Romans address this in several verses spread over a few chapters.

5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him

6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

 

In light of that work, what effort are you giving today to  live?

 

 

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Happy Three Kings Day

Well, today is the end of Christmas – the 12th day, as it were.  It’s also know as Three Kings Day, commemorating the arrival of the star following magi at the side of the baby Jesus.  Makes you sort of wonder why it’s not called Four Kings day doesn’t it?

Anyone, for most of us Christmas is a thing of long ago.  Most of the lights are down, the bows and ribbon disposed of and the tree lays out on the curb for the city recycling program ( or stored neatly in the closet for next year!).  But take a quick moment to remember how following that star affected those dudes, and remember that when we stick with that Christ guy we also become kings – fellow heirs to his throne.  That’s royally cool stuff.

 

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.Romans 8:16-17New American Standard Bible (NASB)