Living Life That's Truly LIFE!: Thinking about Family
Just got back from the CLEAR leaders graduation dinner. One thing I realised that many of them had siblings and had family in Church.
It is indeed a great blessing to be born into a family that knows and loves Jesus. In fact it is a great privilege that is sometimes taken for granted or not even…
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty
Maya Angelou (via ultravioletsunshine)
(Source: purplestrawberries)
Thoughts for 2011 - so far
1) Jesus’ first and last command to His disciples were:-
- “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19, and
- “Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
For PoD - let’s make this our vision for 2011! To be disciples, to Go, and to make disciples!
2) How can we form a contagious faith which propels the “Love of Christ”
- Love for one another within the body of Christ
- Love for those around us - evangelism isn’t about shoving the gospel down someone’s throw, but being the Salt and the Light, by being doers of the Word, to be a channel of His blessings and love!
- Can our schools be our mission field?
Do you not like to satisfy your hunger? Then you must with similar urgency feed your neighbour. Jesus is presupposing not commanding love. We desire and seek what we think is for our own good and this universal trait becomes the rule by which all loving self-sacrifice must be measured.
7 Laws of Spiritual Success, Selwyn Hughes , Page 119, Quote from John Stott.
The whole Christ seeks after each sinner, and when the Lord finds it, he gives himself to that one soul as if he had but that one soul to bless. How my heart admires the concentration of all the Godhead and humanity of Christ in his search after each sheep of his flock.
Spurgeon, C. H.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.
John Wesley
Millions of Christians have given up on conventional church, not because the church demands too much from them, but because it demands too little. The church.. is stuck in a rut of building-based, Sunday-centric, pastor-oriented Christianity. If the experience of attending church on Sunday mornings boils down to sitting next to strangers for 1 to 2 hours, listening to another stranger (the pastor) talk for 30 to 40 minutes, and then going home, it’s no wonder 80 percent of those who attend church are frustrated. That kind of Christianity puts immense pressure on pastors to perform and places great temptations on people to watch and criticize. Most Western Christians I know are bored with church. They are bored with it because many of their leaders are bored. The leaders are tired, overwhelmed by the expectations and demands placed on them.
Floyd McClung, Page 212 “I See An Army” (via danielchua)
I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.
Thanksgiving
“Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her—she seemed so happy, and how I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet—the world is mine. “And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, ‘It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find’; he turned and said, ‘Oh, thank you sir.’ And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine. “Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, ‘Why don’t you join the others, dear?’ He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine. “With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.”
