Difference between Believing and Knowing!

From: Anitha @ Fidelity (Bangalore)


Several years ago, a small farming community was experiencing a terrible drought. The leaders of the community called a prayer meeting in hope of everyone attending and holding a group prayer for rain.One man was in attendance with his small son. As everyone was praying, the small boy reached up and tugged his father's shirt to ask, "Daddy, what is everyone doing?" The man explained that everyone was praying for rain and then went back to his prayer.The boy looked around for a few more minutes and was puzzled. He tugged again on his dad's shirt and asked, "Daddy, if everyone is here to pray for rain, why didn't anyone bring an umbrella?"

(borrowed from http://sixfaces.blogspot.com/)

Monday's cartoon

Beginning a book study

We started a study in the gospel of John yesterday. I'm really excited about the study. I have studied John since I became a believer, and am still learning new things. One writer put it this way,

"it's simple enough for a baby to wade in, but deep enough for a mature Christian to

swim in."

It's such a rich book I don't know what to put into the study and what to leave out.

The thing about John that is so amazing is that in this gospel Jesus clearly claims to be God.

There is no doubt about that claim. It is not in doubt that he claimed it more than once in the book, and each person must make a decision about that claim because he also said, "noone comes to the Father but through me" so Jesus has created a challenge for our religion saturated world- either he's God and the only savior or he isn't, and you can't make that choice lightly until you read John.

One other thing I have found in John is that John is completely focused on this one thing- Jesus Christ himself. He forces the reader to almost literally come face to face with Jesus and his claims and make a decision.

There is no one like Jesus Christ in time or history who has so impacted our world, and still does today. I guess that's easy for him....because he's God.

It's a new world!

Less than 100 years ago this truck was the latest thing in technology! What a change 100 years has made. I thought about this today as I sat in my chair, reading. In the last 24 hours I have received phone calls, via the internet, from missionaries in Europe and Haiti. It hasn't been that long ago that the missionaries in Haiti were doing e-mail by shortwave radio! Even in the last decade communication and technology has "warped" into the future. I think it's great! How exciting to see the way God is working everything together to get the gospel to a world that needs a savior!

Mission trip in progress, pray!

At this moment we have a group from our church in Kenya training pastors and equipping them for their ministry. This is really exciting to me. I think it's great that we can come to the aid of those who are the pastors in these countries and help them. It's the key to missions in the future.

They are on the edge of the religious hot spot in North Africa. Although most of Africa is Christian the Muslim faith is on the move. Pray for the ministry and safety of those serving Christ in Africa. Pray for our team, that God will work through them this week.

Over committed or overcoming?

Is it a matter of over committment or simply a matter of balance? I have experienced in my own life, and watched it in others, this trend towards trying to do everything. Are we trying to do too much? Or, are we getting better at our "balance" of all of this stuff? The problem is that we all need down time, time alone and a chance to "unwind." But in our culture that is less and less available, less and less encouraged. I know I need some time to do nothing, but where do I fit that in? I must have some time to spend with God, pray, read the word, but when can I possibly do that!?

The next question is the big one- who's in charge of my life? Is it me, the schedule, the stuff I have to do, or the balancing act? The bible makes it clear I'm in charge, and that's my blessing and my curse. For the Jews of the Old Testament the message from the prophets was, "you have chosen badly, REPENT!" All through the bible our live are a matter of our choices, good or bad, and we get to live with the results.

Have you become good at the "balance" or do you realize, as you look behind you, that you are overloaded? Make some choices, cut some ropes, dump some of the load, stop, get off the ride for a while, and just do nothing....it's called rest. Do you remember that?

Here's David's instructions:

Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psa 37:6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Psa 37:8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

As pastors in the old days would say it, "are you over committed or are you overcoming?"

Good music for a cold winter night

My dear wife has already mentioned this, but let me add to her commentary. We recently got Norah Jones new album, "Not too Late." It's a great album for a winter night, well done and very "Norah." Good jazz, very much like her first album (I didn't like her second album.) If you're looking for some new music get a copy of this one.

Coming and going

It's interesting how similar our entrance and exit from this life appear.

At both ends of life we are in need of the love and care of others.

The truth is that life is a "team effort." People caring for each other.

Somewhere in the middle we seem to think that we can do this thing called life on our own, but it's not true. We are in need of others all the way through.

Pave your road ahead by caring for others around you. There is a day when you will need someone to help you....help them first.

Wasn't there a movie about this? I think they called it "Pay it forward." The truth is that this movie was based on a biblical concept-

1Ti 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
1Ti 6:19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Imitating the world

Sheep just don't look right when they try to act like tigers. Something is wrong with this picture of a sheep in a tiger's skin. But I have watched as the children of some of our "sheep" have tried to be tigers...tried to look like, live like the world. These are Christian kids acting like the world. It not new, but it doesn't look right, it's not the way it's supposed to be. Last Sunday Dave, one of our pastors, taught on this topic. I like the way "The Message" describes what Dave taught and our challenge-

Rom 12:1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Rom 12:2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

If you are one of God's sheep, one of his children, don't try to be like the world. Don't try to "fit in." It looks funny! Rather, do this-

Eph 5:1 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.
Eph 5:2 Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

A book I enjoyed

Here's a book I just finished. I really enjoyed it! If you're looking for a good book I recommend this one.

If you have read anything that you really like I would love to hear about it.

Coloring our lives

Be careful what you add to your life. It changes you, it flavors you. All that we read, watch, take in affects us...affects who we are and how we act with those around us. Just a few drops of bitterness can change the color of a bright day and a bright life into something different, something we wouldn't want if we could see it in colors.

I've been praying for one specific comedian...for his salvation....for a long time, but as I watch him he continues to put "dark paint" into his life and continues to be bitter, angy, rude, an atheist. I will keep praying for him.

But be aware that we "color" our lives by what we put into them. Most lives end up being a muddy gray with no clarity, no distinct color, no brightness....just a mess of colors poured together. The picture we are painting is confusing, the life we are living does not tell anyone who we really are.

Choose your colors, choose what you read, what you watch, what you say, what you entertain, who you hang out with....choose them because they really do make a difference.

Here's a passage from Psalms that has fascinated me for a long time. It describes a man who isn't picky about the colors he puts into his life.

Psa 109:17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
Psa 109:18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered into his body like water And like oil into his bones.
Psa 109:19 Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.

It "colored" his life, how he thought, what he saw, and how he lived. Wow.

Choose your colors carefully, make your life a painting that will beautifully point to Christ as Lord of your life, and bring glory to God. We have enough "gray" people around us, paint your life in such a way that all who look at you will see a painting of Jesus.

Belief-O-Matic

If you find yourself bored, with nothing to do, here's a fun little quiz to see what you really believe-

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

P.C. Christianity

We are in a very interesting time in the history of the church. Our culture has continued to pressure us to be "politically correct", "culturally sensitive" and be sure you don't impose your beliefs on others. The world is trying to press the church and it's people into its mold. If we don't stand out we won't bother them and we won't make a difference. In many ways the world has won the day.

Jesus would have none of it. He railed against the establishment of his day, both religious and political, and called them to a higher law. Here's a "cut" from one of his encounters with the "establishment"-

Mat 23:13 "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either.
Mat 23:15 "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned.
Mat 23:16 "You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.'
Mat 23:17 What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands?
Mat 23:18 And what about this piece of trivia: 'If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'?
Mat 23:19 What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands?
Mat 23:20 A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. (THE MESSAGE)

Well, you get the idea.....those aren't soft words. They leave no question behind, "what did he mean by that?" Jesus made it very clear what he wanted to communicate. In many ways we fail at that today. We have softened the message of the cross to the point that it irritates no one. We have stopped talking about sin, death and hell so that we won't offend. If we comply with the cultural demands to tone down our message, the message of the cross, we neither obey God nor serve those who need it most.

I found a call back to these topics on Mark Driscoll's blog, and thought it would be great challenge-

Anthony Bradley's Blog
This Year Don't Forget To Warn About Hell
Jesus, in an act of compassion, warns about eternal punishment and calls all to repentance. Jesus did not shirk from preaching the truth about the disastrous future awaiting those who do not confess Jesus as Lord. Many of today's preachers, out of cowardice, are not warning people about the impending justice of a holy and righteous God. In fact, it is entirely possible that people are confused about the necessity of the atonement because they are confused about the reality of hell. Preaching the gospel includes both dimensions of God's grace and his justice.

King of the Hill- Church!

One more to make you laugh today...

Airtap

As you can tell by now I really love different kinds of music. Here is another guitarist from Spain with an amazing style. Some of these guys are reinventing the way a guitar can be played, and I think it's great! Enjoy.