Tag: transformation

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Stuffing T-Shirts

Earlier this week I carried some clean t-shirts to my chest of drawers and stuffed them into the drawer grunting as I struggled to close the drawer, and thinking to myself, how can it be that I have no room for the shirts that I wear?  Whats in this drawer?

It had been a few days before that I had been stumbling around Matthew and I read this exchange between Jesus and potential follower.  Its sort of goes like this.

57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:57-59 (New International Version)

I have been thinking a lot about this exchange, and my t-shirts and the whole idea that Jesus calls us to live a radical crazy life that is different from the frustrations of this world.  Yesterday, I mentioned that my mind is trying to work out a few thoughts, and I think that they will come out over the next few days.
So with all of that in mind, Monday night, I stumbled on this BBC article about a guy who has created a Cult of Less.  Essentially, this guy has sold almost everything except a bare amount of clothing and his electronics and lives with his “digital possessions”.  The sub title of the article is “living out of a hard drive”.  He is not the first person to try this of course, but what I think is interesting is how he describes the freedom he has with minimal material things.
hm, this sounds awful familiar.  Almost like some bible stories I have heard since I was an infant.  Things like

20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-22 (New International Version)

and this

33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:33-35 (New International Version)

I don’t know this guys motivation, nor will I question it.  But I do know that as a follower of the Christ, I have been provided with a motivation, or maybe a command, er, non optional requirement, er strong suggestion?

So today, I am not completely suggesting that you sell everything and live out of a hard drive.  I think there is some certain amount of reasonableness that needs to be checked.  However, this is the beginning of at least a personal challenge to take a look at my view on material things.  Why do I have them? why do I need them?  What things should I be letting go?  And what real attachment should I even have to any of it?  And that might just be the key.  Not the having, but the have to have or the attachment.  Comments?

Use your stuff today as a tool to express where your treasure really is.

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Battle with the Worms

Sorry this is so late today.  Busy morning after the great radio show last night.

Those big nasty horn-worms have invaded my tomato plants.  Yes, the eat everything in sight.  I have already purged 7 or 8 and found the evidence of another one this morning.  So I will be spending the next few days tracking this guy down.

This is so much like our spiritual lives. Sometimes we get those bad habits, or continual sins eat away at our ability to produce fruit.  We need to continually use the power of the spirit to remove those sins from our lives – to remove those big nasty worms that disguise themselves as an important part of our lives, but led to destruction if we leave them alone.

So take a look today at your lives and see if you you need to cut off and destroy some worms.

 13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (New International Version)

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Registration Day

Yesterday was school registration day.  What a mad house.  Between all the confusion and chaos and money flying around, there is a small detail that makes me love this day.  There something about seeing the children again after not seeing them for just the short months of summer.  Some of them have different hair cuts.  Some have grown 2 feet.  Some have matured in their faces and in the eight grade some of them have grown beards.

Its just a great measure of physical development and really really fun to witness.  Its a shame in some ways that we reach a maturity level with our physical stature.  The shame is that I think sometimes we apply that same ‘I’m done’ growing approach to our spiritual growth as well.  Wouldn’t it be interesting if we could witness in such a visual way our continued spiritual growth?

So, maybe as school gets starting for another year, we need to assess our spiritual situation and figure out what we need to do to move on the the next level.  Just like those children growth day by day, not all at once over the summer, we can continue to grow in our salvation day by day.  However, you do have to make sure that just like school lunch, you are providing yourself with spiritual fuel to keep that growth going.

So, start today and sign up for continued spiritual growth!

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16 (New International Version)

17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18 (New International Version)

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Add it up

Last night I was given the opportunity to hear Rich Little speak.  No, not that Rich Little, the preacher Rich Little.  He’s heading out to be a professor at Pepperdine and was speaking in town last night.   He was very engaging as he spoke of sharing the grace with have received with other people.  The whole time he was whittling away on stage, I keep thinking to myself, that these ideas seem like they are a little risky, and radical.  He spend most of the night exposing hidden secrets from Matthew 7, part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount.  However, it was the place he ended that really started me thinking:

12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Matt 7 :12

How simple!  The entirety of the law in 11 words.  “Do to others what you would have them do to you”.  But how complex and how radical.  How many times have your heard this relay in word or action as “Do to others before they do to you?” or “Do to others as they do to you?”   But Jesus, always the radical, says “Treat them how you want to be treated.”  How many times to I tell my boys those exact same words?

But can we really live that way?  I mean, I know that I want the people I work with to bring me ice cream at 3pm every afternoon.  Hm, I wonder maybe if thats what I want then I should bring ice cream to them at 3pm.  Or I should find out what they like and bring that to them.  For many of my co workers that may be a bowl of gajar halwa.

But I guess its more then ice cream.  Its the words we use, its the way we listen.  Its the attention that we give to others.  Its our concern.  It’s a text message of encouragement, a smile, forgiveness and mercy and grace.

Hm, sounds radical and risky.  Maybe its worth some serious prayer and attention.  I know that I would want you to do it for me.

Are you summing it up today?

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Risks

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the safe little environment that I live in.  Nice comfortable house, water coming from the faucets, a very nice place to work, good roads, internet connections, electricity, all those things that we come to expect, and things that don’t get me wrong are great blessings from God.  However, I think some times they all with the other aspects of life can make us complacent all the way around.

So I have been thinking about taking risks.  I don’t mean bungee jumping off the New River Bridge, or necessarily backing up and moving to the Sudan.  I am thinking about things closer to home that will force me out of what can become the comfort zone of life.  I am not sure what this means yet, but I think it may lead to a good thing. With those thoughts, I have two things to share today.  One is a video that I shared a few years ago with several of you from Francis Chan.  If you can’t see this on your work computer, as I know YouTube is blocked a lot, make sure you check this out at home.

The second is this guy named Ananias from the book of Acts.  God told him to go and see this bad dude named Saul who was persecuted those who followed the Christ, and he after a little bit of hesitation, went.  He took a risk and great things happened

10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Acts 9:10-18

What risks are sitting in front of you that you are hesitant to take.  Trust in God and see where he leads you.  Great things are ahead, if we dare!