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Striking Quote

As I was reading unChristian this quote just really struck me, and I can’t disagree with it. It really intrigues me though. Thoughts?

“Having spent time around “sinners” and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group. I think he preferred their company. Because the sinners were honest about themselves and had no pretense, Jesus could deal with them. In contrast, the saints put on airs, judged him, and sought to catch him in a moral yep. In the end it was the saints, not the sinners, who arrested Jesus.”

-Philip Yancey, from his book, “Whats so amazing about Grace?”

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Faith based on Lifestyle and Transparency Christians

Faith- believing in things you cannot see or cannot prove. (my definition) 

Living your faith that is based on Lifestyle is dangerous. So very dangerous for the message that Jesus Christ has entrusted his believers with. As the Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 3:3, “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” It’s impossible to succeed at such a notion of living your faith out by morals. 

Now, don’t get me wrong morals are crucially important, but it seems that there is this belief that if you aren’t a Christian then you just can’t hack it. You don’t have what it takes to be holy. These types of thoughts and statements are what the new generations feel about Christianity today. Very scary and dangerous indeed. They feel repelled by Christians, but even more intriguing than that is that they don’t feel rejected by Jesus, but rejected by Christians. 

See, the mere fact is that we are fallen and we need God…everyday. That we cannot do it alone. Only one person could and he did it so well that we named the entire thing after him, but he was and will always be God. 

“There is darkness in our skin; our cover is wearing thin.” -David Crowder, from the song “Rescue is Coming”

“We should have an honest estimation of ourselves, measuring our worth by God’s purposes for our life.” -Romans 12:3

We have to as Christians be Transparent and be merely trying to act right but being honest with who we are. Yes we are believers in Jesus Christ and we believe that he is our savior. That does not exclude the fact that we are fallen and we need Him every single day of life on this earth! Without Him we are nothing. 

Let us move forward as believers in Jesus Christ and be honest with who we are. Have an open mind and realize that some of the ways that we live is not a good witness and not representative of the life that Jesus taught us to live. Thank God for what you have today. It is a gift because He is gracious and loving.  

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Receiving One ‘ s Self in the Fires of Sorrow

So occassionally I read “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers and the entry for today really made think.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
-John 12:27-28

I bet you have heard the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason,” in fact im quite sure you have.
How many times in your life do you experience bad times and wonder why. Why me? Why is this happening to me? How many times do we play the victim and whine that we are going through a tough time?
Far too much. Or at least I do.
I submit this phrase to you from Oswald Chambers

“The way to find your self is in the fires of sorrow.”

I love that because its so true. What doesnt kill me only makes me stronger right. With every bad decision i make I learn something about myself and who I am. God should be glorified at all times, not just the good times, the bad times as well because it is in those bad times that we truly find out who God created us to be.
Father, glorify your name!