If you would like and this would probably make more sense to you if you do, read II Samuel 16:5-14 before reading this.
As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' " David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
On Sunday while at Reach Out I started perosing through my Bible to find something appropriate to share with the attendants. Because of how my week was it was hard to have spent time just meditating on what I wanted to share. I think this was God's doing to show me this verse. As I contemplatively looked through the scriptures I came upon the afore mentioned verses.
Now here was David in one of the most embarrassing and probably lowest period in his life. In chapter 15, Absalom puts in motion his conspiracy and in due time had David fleeing for his life from Jerusalem. In the first verses of chapter 16 he is told a lie by Ziba about Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and David's surrogate son in a sense. Here was King David in a turmoil, spiritual, emotional, psychological, economical and physical turmoil. This shifting that was taking place in Jerusalem impacted on him as a whole being. If I was preaching this from the pulpit I guess at this point I would ask "what has gone wrong in your life that is causing a blizzard in your entire being?" There are some situations that only impact a part of our being, but there are others that take a toll on our entire person.
Can you imagine...one switch and suddenly everything that God promised you is thrown into a whirlwind. Remember David's ascent to the throne was not out of selfish ambition or pulchritude. It was divinely ordained and orchestrated for the glory of God and the redemption of our souls. Although God being sovereign can switch the flow of history like he can with a might river...He has somehow bond himself to His Word. And David was a part of his promises to Israel. Like we are a part of his promises to the eagerly expectant creation that has been waiting for our manifestation.
There is something in us that our world is awaiting like a family awaiting the birth of a child. Like any pregnancy there are phases of discomfort. But these are processes of progress and necessary for fruition. Now here is where I would bring in the above scripture...after facing all that, David is now being accuse by Shimei and stoned. He accused David of being a man of blood in killing Saul's household...He saw David's plight as the wages of David's sin against Saul...He saw Absalom's reign as being by divine design...and he also called David a scoundrel. Not only was David in political turmoil, but here he was now undergoing further personal persecution.
Now If I were in David's shoes I might have loved the counsel of Abishai. "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." How many of us wouldn't like someone in our armoury of friends like this lad. Reminds me of Peter. But David rebuked him and then concluded "...let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
I must confess that when I first read this scripture I thought to myself "this is really hard to preach." But having reflected on it, I think I would love to get up and really preach on this, especially when I consider the thrust of David's contemplation. In the midst of what he was going through he saw this as an avenue that God could use to enter his situation. Somehow in the mind of David God seemed to have not been paying attention, but probably this cursing might get the Lord's attention. "God might see..." when we read the Psalms we know that David knew God was all seeing, so it wasn't that he thought God was uni-focal, he knew God was omni-focal. But he just felt God was not paying attention. He was seeing, but not seeing!
Oh Lord, I have missed this so many times and probably its because in those time I feel I had God's undivided attention. But even when we are wrongfully persecuted we should still listen to the providence of God before reacting. Its not that David would not be mindful of what Shimei did, but he was more focused on what God was doing. Even though David forgave Shimei when he was returned to the throne we see in I Kings 2 that he was still mindful of what was done to him and gave advice regarding it.
What are you going through that is causing you distress that God can use as an avenue to do you good?
WELL...A SUH MI SI IT, WHA YU THINK?
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Know
Some years ago while at the seminary (and this memory is as faint as it can be so I can’t remember who, when or why but) I remember someone saying that even Evangelicals (think the reference was primarily to Pentecostals and Charismatic groups) have fallen into a state of just being nominal organisations. In the context back home we say an election won by the Jamaica Labour Party in a country that political commentators have said over and over again is a People’s National Party Country. This might very well be true, people will tell you that I am a labourite (Jamaica Labour Party supporter) or a socialist (People’s National Party supporter), but in the end those who matter the most are those who get in and stand firmly behind they professed allegiance.
A similar situation exists in the Irish context, where one has to belong to one side or the other. In my experience here, most of the persons I have come in contact with have belong to one side of the fence…at least nominally. In church on Sunday the speak spoke about leading a young man to Christ who had been a Baptist from birth, but had never come to know Jesus.
That dear friends is the important reality in this life in the Kingdom. Do we know him? The Greek and Hebrew paint an interesting picture that gets blurred when we read our English translations. When we look through the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) we find the use of the term know to connote sexual relations between a man and his wife. This lends a vivid picture of knowing someone and the intimacy involved in this knowledge of the person.
The Greek paints another picture using diverse terms to capture the type or level of knowledge it is speaking about in the particular context. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see Paul pointing to the fact that we have a hope of coming into the fullness of knowledge knowing all things as everything is known about us by God. This is clearly a hope for the future. We shall epignosomai (fully perceive) even as we are epegnosthen (fully perceived).
That is something to look forward to in the glorious return of Christ. There is a reality now however that we are called to and this is to know Christ. Philippians 3:9-11
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know (gnonai) Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
A similar situation exists in the Irish context, where one has to belong to one side or the other. In my experience here, most of the persons I have come in contact with have belong to one side of the fence…at least nominally. In church on Sunday the speak spoke about leading a young man to Christ who had been a Baptist from birth, but had never come to know Jesus.
That dear friends is the important reality in this life in the Kingdom. Do we know him? The Greek and Hebrew paint an interesting picture that gets blurred when we read our English translations. When we look through the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) we find the use of the term know to connote sexual relations between a man and his wife. This lends a vivid picture of knowing someone and the intimacy involved in this knowledge of the person.
The Greek paints another picture using diverse terms to capture the type or level of knowledge it is speaking about in the particular context. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see Paul pointing to the fact that we have a hope of coming into the fullness of knowledge knowing all things as everything is known about us by God. This is clearly a hope for the future. We shall epignosomai (fully perceive) even as we are epegnosthen (fully perceived).
That is something to look forward to in the glorious return of Christ. There is a reality now however that we are called to and this is to know Christ. Philippians 3:9-11
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know (gnonai) Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul makes some connections between knowing Christ and the realities of that knowledge. The term above signifies to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand. This is where we are being pointed by the apostle. Have we really recognized who Christ is and the implications of knowing Him. We might say well we can’t know Christ fully, but when you find the scripture to that effect let me know. However, I don’t want to be misunderstood as saying that there is no mystery in Christ, because there is much. But there is enough to be known about him to produce the effects that Paul speak about.
What are the implications of knowing Christ. Well just in listing form since I am already going beyond the attention span of most of my readers. In verse 9 Paul speaks about two things in my mind,
1. the knowledge that comes through faith and
2. the righteousness that comes through that knowing-faith.
Knowledge in some sense is not the basis for our faith, but rather the product of our faith. It is after we have placed our faith in God that we come to know God. In verse 11 we see the likely reward of knowing Christ is the resurrection to glory from the dead for those of us who will die. Verse 10 speaks about the height of our knowledge, the resurrection of Christ…none has ever risen above him since He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Then there is the depth of our knowledge, his death (including his burial)…being buried, He descended into hades and took the keys of death and the grave. There is also the width of our knowledge, His suffering…the process and progress of becoming like Christ is partaking in his suffering.
“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person "knowing" and the object known; in this respect, what is "known" is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship.” Our relationship with God is based and developed on us knowing Him. He is the object of our ginosko hence what is known is of great value and importance to us. 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This "knowledge" is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.”
“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person "knowing" and the object known; in this respect, what is "known" is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship.” Our relationship with God is based and developed on us knowing Him. He is the object of our ginosko hence what is known is of great value and importance to us. 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This "knowledge" is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.”
Step from the nominal God does not really care what we call ourselves, it matters more who we know and what we are propelled to do with our knowledge of him.
Let us seek to know!!!
Well a suh mi si it…wah yu tink.
Bibliography
Vine, W. E. "Know, Known, Knowledge, Unknown," Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Blue Letter Bible. 1940. 1 Apr 2007. 20 Nov 2007. < type="GetTopic&Topic="Know,+Known,+Knowledge,+Unknown#Vines">
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
THERE IS NEITHER...NOR
HOW MI SI IT: THERE IS NEITHER...NOR
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Since I have been here one of the things that have disgusted me the most at Murlough is the constant references of national identity. The Jamaicans...this is what is used to categorize the four of us who are here from Jamaica. Of course we are Jamaicans, but the reality is that's not what is being said. When I first came here in 2005 I was told that we were a confusion to the natives because of our names. Most of us on the first team were protestants but yet some of us had Catholic names.
One of the sad things about the history of this place is the fact that people here MUST fall into a category. Everything here is used to put a distinction between one and the other. Hence, in reference to the Jamaicans, the ignorance of our culture often times follows where even though no one here knows anything about the culture of Jamaica, there ignorance is used as a measuring rod to judge. We are classified, categorized and placed in a jar like specimens labeled Jamaicans, pros and cons.
I am guilty of this at times as well, but my antidote to this and I try to make a habit of thinking this truth is the fact that the culture that is superior to the Jamaican culture and all other cultures is the culture of the kingdom of God. One of the amazing things about culture is the fact that the culture of the dominant nation (super-power) normally spans most of the world and is known to most of the world's inhabitants. This can be seen in the exportation of English to west during the years of colonization and British reign. Now we can see the influence of America on the world in just about every sphere of life. Fashion, Sports, Slangs, Movies, etc. this is due to there currently position as the most public country in the world.
What if we as a people of God should elevate the culture of the Kingdom of God and discard these racial and national classifications, where there is neither...nor, but everyone is seen as all one in Christ. If we trace the abolition of slavery we will inevitably come to this realization. Men and women came to the truth of equality and oneness in Christ. If we trace the beginnings of any oppressive system or genocide we will recognize that these ensued from one persons elevation over the next in one way or the other. The culture of the Kingdom of God as I share on Sunday at Reach Out is a tacsy-turvy culture in which the first shall be last and the last shall be first...to keep your life you have to lose it...to be exalted you have to be humble...to gain wealth you have to give it away...to live you have to first die...to be the greatest you have to become the least...to love God you have to love man...and the list goes on and on.
I have often times heard "we have been doing it this way for 30 years." Might I say that that is the problem and the insanity of Christian work. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
John 21
5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
Probably these disciples had been fishing on the left side of the boat all night and caught nothing. They were fishing in the same spot and expecting a different result each time they cast their nets out. When Jesus came and he brought a different angle to the fruitless situation immediately their labour bore fruit. This caused them to recognized that it was Jesus standing there. They had not gotten any closer to where he was, but because of the fruitfulness of their change of method they immediately knew that it was not there doing, but it was the doing of the man who had spoken and that Man was Jesus. Change is vital for growth and for staying alive. The culture of the Kingdom of God demands the neither...nor attitude in a deeper sense than just national categorization and it also calls of us to makes changes and align ourselves with God's commands and words.
Well a suh mi si it...wha yu tink.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Since I have been here one of the things that have disgusted me the most at Murlough is the constant references of national identity. The Jamaicans...this is what is used to categorize the four of us who are here from Jamaica. Of course we are Jamaicans, but the reality is that's not what is being said. When I first came here in 2005 I was told that we were a confusion to the natives because of our names. Most of us on the first team were protestants but yet some of us had Catholic names.
One of the sad things about the history of this place is the fact that people here MUST fall into a category. Everything here is used to put a distinction between one and the other. Hence, in reference to the Jamaicans, the ignorance of our culture often times follows where even though no one here knows anything about the culture of Jamaica, there ignorance is used as a measuring rod to judge. We are classified, categorized and placed in a jar like specimens labeled Jamaicans, pros and cons.
I am guilty of this at times as well, but my antidote to this and I try to make a habit of thinking this truth is the fact that the culture that is superior to the Jamaican culture and all other cultures is the culture of the kingdom of God. One of the amazing things about culture is the fact that the culture of the dominant nation (super-power) normally spans most of the world and is known to most of the world's inhabitants. This can be seen in the exportation of English to west during the years of colonization and British reign. Now we can see the influence of America on the world in just about every sphere of life. Fashion, Sports, Slangs, Movies, etc. this is due to there currently position as the most public country in the world.
What if we as a people of God should elevate the culture of the Kingdom of God and discard these racial and national classifications, where there is neither...nor, but everyone is seen as all one in Christ. If we trace the abolition of slavery we will inevitably come to this realization. Men and women came to the truth of equality and oneness in Christ. If we trace the beginnings of any oppressive system or genocide we will recognize that these ensued from one persons elevation over the next in one way or the other. The culture of the Kingdom of God as I share on Sunday at Reach Out is a tacsy-turvy culture in which the first shall be last and the last shall be first...to keep your life you have to lose it...to be exalted you have to be humble...to gain wealth you have to give it away...to live you have to first die...to be the greatest you have to become the least...to love God you have to love man...and the list goes on and on.
I have often times heard "we have been doing it this way for 30 years." Might I say that that is the problem and the insanity of Christian work. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
John 21
5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
Probably these disciples had been fishing on the left side of the boat all night and caught nothing. They were fishing in the same spot and expecting a different result each time they cast their nets out. When Jesus came and he brought a different angle to the fruitless situation immediately their labour bore fruit. This caused them to recognized that it was Jesus standing there. They had not gotten any closer to where he was, but because of the fruitfulness of their change of method they immediately knew that it was not there doing, but it was the doing of the man who had spoken and that Man was Jesus. Change is vital for growth and for staying alive. The culture of the Kingdom of God demands the neither...nor attitude in a deeper sense than just national categorization and it also calls of us to makes changes and align ourselves with God's commands and words.
Well a suh mi si it...wha yu tink.
Monday, 5 November 2007
Animal Instinct
In Church on Sunday Night the speaker spoke about protection and how our major protection if from falsehood. It was a good sermon, this guy or man is the prospective pastor or pastor in courting for the Baptist Church. He spoke for 2 Peter 2 and looked at the reality that men who lived by certain ideological compounds are living at the base nature of animals. Well that's what I heard him saying. I agree with him. But as usual something struck my mind in a different sense. And hence the caption: Animal Instincts. The Bible uses animals at different points to show different aspects of the spiritual and practical operations of man.In 2 Peter it speaks about men who behave like beasts as they disregard the truths or God and speak lies for gain. These men are reduced to the base nature of life. For those who tasted of the kingdom and turned away from its goodness, Peter said they are like dogs who returned to their own vomits and swines who are washed clean and return to the Mud. Jude paints this brutish and beastlike image in his epistle as well about those who become like Balaam the son of Beor. Paul in Philippians tells the saints to beware of Dogs, men who do evil and mutilate the flesh. And Revelations captures a similiar picture in the last days in chapter 22,"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the DOGS; those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."But isn't there another side to it and look out for the booklet that I am hoping to write on this aspect. God also uses the animals to paint wisdom, sobriety, industrialism, bravery, boldness, aptitude and altitude. In these regard we think of the ant, the lion, the eagle and in another sense even the dog. Because I am hoping to develop this further here are some verses to consider:Proverbs28:1 The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!Chapter 3025 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;26 coneys [d] are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.There are many others, of course we know that those who wait on the Lord will be restrengthened and will soar as if they possess wings of eagles. Animals: to be and not to be!
The Church...A Foretaste of Heaven?
Now I was in church on Sunday morning and the speaker was speaking about unity. As he spoke and I thought about what to right regard this, I thought about the family that we had dinner with on Sunday last. Allan and Heather and how a diverse family they are; Heather is South African, Allan is Irish, They have grandchildren who are English, Canadian and American and in-laws that are diverse themselves, yet they are one family. I thought that would have been a sufficient thought to share. But then the preacher went on and said, the Church is a foretaste of heaven, as I shared at REACH OUT, I came across another quote that says Worship (Corporate) is a foretaste of heaven. Both of these are really saying that when we gather, particularly on a Sunday Morning, for cooperate worship its a foretaste of heaven. But flipping heck (pardon the french) is it really? Well, if the church I was in on Sunday was a foretaste of heaven I really think I would pass. Even the passing traffic seemed more exciting that being in that church. How many of us can identify with that? If your own local church on a Sunday Morning was a foretaste of heaven would you really be excited about heaven? If all we had to judge in terms of the worship in heaven was the cooperate worship on a Sunday Morning. Check this passage which is a glimpse of heaven in John's apocalyptical writings,Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. Do those scenes represent the "foretaste" of what we have in Church. The sincere adorations of a might and awesome God. Charismatics are often times just loud, but empty, so lets not think I am talking about being loud. It has its place, well not in the church that I was in. But the scriptures sing forth an awesome experience. Richard Foster says, Worship is experiencing Reality and touching Life. I sincerely believe that cooperate worship should indeed be a foretaste of heaven, it is regretable that what is is not what ought to be. Foster continues on worship and says "it is invading the Shekinak of God, or better yet (and I think this is the actual reality) to be invaded by the Shekinah." The AWESOME, MAJESTIC, GLORIOUS, UNIQUE, AUGUST, GRAND, IMPERIAL GOD wants to manifest and invade our cooperate worship service, but is He welcomed?Well a suh mi si it...wha yu tink. TRANSLATION: That's how I see it...what do you think?
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.14:2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. Do those scenes represent the "foretaste" of what we have in Church. The sincere adorations of a might and awesome God. Charismatics are often times just loud, but empty, so lets not think I am talking about being loud. It has its place, well not in the church that I was in. But the scriptures sing forth an awesome experience. Richard Foster says, Worship is experiencing Reality and touching Life. I sincerely believe that cooperate worship should indeed be a foretaste of heaven, it is regretable that what is is not what ought to be. Foster continues on worship and says "it is invading the Shekinak of God, or better yet (and I think this is the actual reality) to be invaded by the Shekinah." The AWESOME, MAJESTIC, GLORIOUS, UNIQUE, AUGUST, GRAND, IMPERIAL GOD wants to manifest and invade our cooperate worship service, but is He welcomed?
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.14:2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. Do those scenes represent the "foretaste" of what we have in Church. The sincere adorations of a might and awesome God. Charismatics are often times just loud, but empty, so lets not think I am talking about being loud. It has its place, well not in the church that I was in. But the scriptures sing forth an awesome experience. Richard Foster says, Worship is experiencing Reality and touching Life. I sincerely believe that cooperate worship should indeed be a foretaste of heaven, it is regretable that what is is not what ought to be. Foster continues on worship and says "it is invading the Shekinak of God, or better yet (and I think this is the actual reality) to be invaded by the Shekinah." The AWESOME, MAJESTIC, GLORIOUS, UNIQUE, AUGUST, GRAND, IMPERIAL GOD wants to manifest and invade our cooperate worship service, but is He welcomed?
The Fruit of a Tree is Another Tree
went to a wee pentecostal church on Sunday morning and the man who was speaking, Angus, said one thing that stuck in my mind, "the fruit of a tree is another tree". As I thought about it, it really made more and more sense. Often times we see the fruit of a tree as the produce that we eat that's sweet to the taste and that soothes our palette. The reality is however that trees have not really been fruitful until they reproduce. Production is not the end result of the process of fruitfulness, it is reproduction. In the garden we were called in Adam to be fruitful and multiply. The fruitfulness of humankind is really in reproducing after our own kind. If a tree is never allowed to reproduce and the produce of the tree is always taken to the dinner table then when that trees dies, the season of the produce of the tree would have ended forever. If the tree is allowed to be fruitful through reproducing trees after its own kind then the season of its produce will live on. Isn't this what God has called us Godward to do. To reproduce after our own kind spiritually. Christians begetting Christians through the planting of the seeds of our lives in the hearts of others by our witness and our testimony. We are like trees planted by the rivers of living water, we must be fruitful and bring forth trees after our own kind. The Fruit of a Tree is Another Tree.
The Church is not Sexy Enough
Now for the caption of this email. I was at a Bible study tonight and there were some Germans there. We were looking at commitment and at one point started to look at the reason while 80% of 18 years old in the UK don't return to church. After we spoke for a while one of the Germans, a female, said "The church is not sexy enough." The truth is there is a sense that the Bride of Christ should be sexy enough to cause people to be attracted to her. The members of this body should be functioning and healthy enough to attract and allure. But there is also another side of her being the body of Christ that she will bare evidence of His scars by her challenge to purity that others won't find her sexy. She is in ideology and deed a stranger in this world. Finding the balance even in our own lives is not the easiest this to do, but I think it is necessary.
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