active in God's will

I reposted the Saturday posting on nationalism because I thought it might get a couple more readers today. But I add a short post for any who may have read that one already.

To talk about being active in God's will is indeed a mouthful. It doesn't mean some mindless or dead repetition of works or routines. Though it certainly involves repitition of works and routines.

It involves first of all learning God's revealed will from Scripture and in Jesus. This comes from our own reading of Scripture, as well as our participation in the community gathering of the church. We learn by listening, but we also learn by participation. And in this two-fold dynamic we will begin to sense God at work in our lives. Both in using us in our lives and witness, and in changing us to be more and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus.

For me lately, this means I'm making it a priority to intentionally gather with God's people other times than our regular times, but in more intimate, smaller gatherings. This also involves more openness to correction to critique from others if it happens, and from Scripture itself as I view my life and seek to learn from both Scripture and life with others.

One of my biggest problems in the past as a Christian is that I haven't been active enough in God's will. And God's will while involving acts also involves change in our lives. In our hearts as well as actions in words and deeds. This is the tipping point we need.

What about you? What have you discovered about being active in God's will?

surrender

Surrender to God through Christ is important because we need to submit our wills to God's will, something at the heart of what Jesus showed us in his life and teaching.

Too often we see surrender as merely passive. We give up and give in, and then, so to speak, go with the flow. There is a true sense in which it is passive in that in true surrender we accept God's will and way for us, against our own will and way.

But surrender needs to be seen as also active. We actively pursue God's will, and seek to follow his ways. We seek to continue to unlearn the old "in Adam" as we seek to keep learning the new "in Christ."

Surrender involves joining a new side, and becoming active on that side. Finding a new way of life and purpose for living, that indeed gives us life through Jesus by the Spirit for God and for the world.

What have you found in your own life about surrender, or what would you like to add here?

it's not about us

Too often as God's people we fall into the same mistake as Israel of old. They turned all of God's promises in on themselves. It was all about God blessing them, when God was blessing them, according to the promise made to Abraham, in order that he might bless the world. They were actually to be a blessing to the world!

We are blessed by God in Christ, to be a blessing to others. It's not about us, or what we get out of it. Yes, we do receive salvation through Jesus Christ, but it's a salvation that is meant to save us from ourselves. For God, and for others.

That is surely where we find life, true and abundant life. And no where else! I have to keep being reminded of that, reminding myself. I forget easily, as I'm naturally attuned to looking out for myself, and seeing everything in terms of my own interests, rather than my Father's interests. And God's interests ends up being the true, lasting good for everyone.

What might you add here?

managing life

How easy it is to want to be in control of our lives, at least to some extent. If we wrote the story of our own lives, we might put in a few twist and turns for effect, but we'd want it to be out of harm's way. It would be different than the way life often works out. Of course it would be vanilla and quite predictable, maybe with plenty of charm, if we could write it out while we are living (gas prices might go down instead of up, right now). We could then solve all the world's problems, or at least our own!

But we have little control over the outcome of our lives, or what happens around us. Though through the Spirit's work in us, self-control in love can make a big difference. But a part of that self-control will put us at odds with the world, as we endeavor to take up our cross and follow Christ, being a witness of Jesus as we seek to live out this new life out of death, in him.

Having the sense that little is in our control, and that the best we can do is to do our part by the Spirit as part of Christ's Body, we can then focus on God anew, placing our lives again and again in his hands. In that we will find a moving in us to move us out of our own safe places and into the adventure and challenge of the unfolding will of God.

I'm groping my way in this, but I want to learn to walk in it.

Any insights or thoughts on this?

God is in control

What God's sovereignty means is debated among Christian theologians and Bible students. I don't care to get into that debate here.

Sometimes in our lives, it seems life is out of control. Friends with cancer, the uncertainty of the economy and work, losing something you can't find, struggling with wrong attitudes or sin, and much more.

That God is in control means we can entrust ourselves and others into God's loving, powerful yet gentle, and wise hands. And we can be assured that God is at work in everything. Even when it seems all is lost or out of control.

At the same time in this working of God we have our part. God takes us up as humans into that working, through Jesus and by the Spirit. He wants us to find our rest in him, and from that proceed with him in his working in the world. And he wants us to do that together with others in Jesus.

I know I'm not in control. And that apart from grace I am out of control myself. But in Jesus we can find God's good will actively at work in our lives. I saw it in a little corrective way this morning, and it led to this post.

Anyone have anything they'd like to add on this?

seasons and the Potter's hands

Who doesn't like the four seasons? One is a little long for us up here in Michigan. But this Spring is beautiful to behold, a real Spring, a gradual warming, the trees in full bud and bloom against the blue sky.

There are seasons in our lives as well. Tomorrow Deb and I are attending a silent retreat at the Dominican Center at Marywood, here in Grand Rapids. Hopefully a time where I'll truly be endeavoring to draw near to God, along with others.

Maybe today I need to kind of step back and look at my life, what God has been doing or wanting to do in it. This past Wednesday in our chapel at my work at RBC Ministries, we had an interesting speaker who talked about the Potter's hands shaping us into the vessels he wants, and how we need to learn to feel those hands on us. It's hard sometimes in the midst of that shaping, if we know there's a defect, or if we're resisting the Potter's hands. Also when we get a glimpse or sense of just how far we are from where the Potter wants us to be.

It's also good to be encouraged and get a sense, that while we have a long way to go, we've come a long way. And best of all to live up to what we've attained to, in Jesus. That can be the challenging part. It's easy to make a commitment, but harder to live that out day after day, through all the circumstances life brings. But in all of that we can learn to sense and feel the Potter's hands on us. And be open and compliant to his working.

What would you like to add to this?

in God's project

For me after more than a week off from work it's back to the grind today. Actually back to God's good will in Jesus.

We live in God's project. It's a project bigger than any of us, but includes us all. It's neat to see how it can end up bringing so many disparate people together in ways as God builds us together in Jesus. It's a project that has nothing to do with the American dream or the way we ordinarily look at things. If I did that, which for some brief moments I did this morning, it would seem rather hopeless or at least not optimistic in some ways. But when we look at God's will revealed for us in Jesus, we can have an optimism based on the assurance in faith that God's good promises in Jesus will be fulfilled. We need to hang in there and see them worked out in the difficult places over time. And keep responding to God's grace in every circumstance.

It certainly gives plenty of assurance to know we are in God's project in Jesus. That we are a part of that. That in Jesus, what we do does make a difference through God in this world. How encouraging and reassuring!

So as I get back into the swing of it, or better stated the step and often tedious steps of it, I do so with a renewed anticipation that just as the rest was good, so the work now is good, in God's hands. That indeed, in Jesus, it's God's good project we are in, to be completed someday, but beginning and being worked out here and now.

What would you like to add to these thoughts?

simple obedience

Simple obedience to the Lord is kind of a key that is helping me get out of my bout against, or even alliance with the summertime blues, mentioned in the last post. Of course I want the pain to speak to me or actually God to speak through that pain, and this is not only with reference to accepting a lie that comes to my mind. But it does have to do with more, a new work God wants to do in me. So like most things in life, while it comes down for me to simply obey God, there are also complexities going on. And like most things in life, simple obedience to the Lord is vital in it. Which of course involves trusting and obeying.

This involves a long term issue with me, as you may have guessed from the last post. So I know there will be no quick fixes. Yet I have to have discernment to not dwell in places or see things in a way that blocks God's good will in Jesus to, in and through me. I'm reminded of Jeremiah, whom I mentioned yesterday, who had to get pulled out of ditches in more ways than one. God had to pull him out of ditches of his own making, but Jeremiah had to reach up to take the help God offered to Jeremiah. And so did I, this morning.

In my case it took the form of a command from Scripture (actually from Philippians in my mind this morning) that is part of God's will for us in Jesus. And with that command, an entirely different mindset around the life we're to live, or in this case, I'm to live with regard to perspective and practice.

I know it will continue to be a miracle of grace as I go on in Jesus, and not only make it through my longstanding depths and the desert places that come, but find God's new working and work in my life.

What would you like to add for us, here?

Tomorrow: "Olive Press - gratitude" from L.L. Barkat's book, Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places

moving mountains

God can move mountains in our lives, but we in Jesus are told that we must take action. We are to speak to them, and tell them to get out of the way, and be gone. But this seems to mean or at least involve, in the context of Jesus' teaching, prayer. We're to pray, believing God will do what we ask, or that he'll answer it according to his will.

I've seen situations in my life in which I could see no way out. In earlier years I knew in my head that according to God's word, he could do it. But after experiencing God's miracle a few times in my life, I can now say that I always know he will do it, but that it usually involves a process over time, with some breakthroughs possibly, a part of that, of course it being a true breakthrough in the end.

I do see it in smaller ways at times and more often. In a way it's harder for me to see the bigger changes that need to take place, as I'm getting older. I need to hold on to this mountain-moving promise from God for others, as well as for hopes I have of living more fully and in fulfillment of God's way for us in Jesus- the rest of my life.

What about you? How do you look at "moving mountains" this way in your life?

new chapters

I can't help but think that the analogies of journey and story well describe our life in Jesus in this world. Of course we can take journey as fitting into story, and story fitting into journey.

We need to look at life that way, because too easily we can succumb to something less than this. Maybe something like we're just trying to survive, kind of existence. Or simply just existing with one of a number of ways of living which characterize the world. Like: "You go around only once in life. So grab for all the gusto you can get!" Or: "Just do it!" Etc.

But in Jesus, we find a new way which bucks all the ways of this world. And finds hope no matter what. That God is bigger than all the problems and issues we face. Yes, they often will not be easy to work through. But by faith, we can work through them, and live out lives that are godly in Jesus. And best done, and really only done as far as the New Testament teaches us, when done in fellowship with God and with others in Jesus.

What new situations or challenges do you face? Can we see them as simply a new chapter which God can write as we by faith trust him to do so, even through our lives, in all their brokeness, and even sin? Do we believe that God is bigger than all of that, that God in Jesus can and will make a difference in us and in our story, including the lives of others? We need to think this way. We're in the story, therefore we have our part that we must do, but it is because of God that we can do it. By the grace we find, in Jesus.

I can shrink back and overreact to disappointments and challenges and too easily buy into the idea that I'm a failure, or there is little or no hope. But this is not trusting God. Look at the Bible. The stories there are real, about real people facing real, and often seemingly insurmountable problems. But God... That's the answer: God in Jesus can make all the difference in our lives and stories. Let's trust him to write a new chapter. And let's also remember that a large part of what God writes is our very lives in Jesus by the Spirit. Like any good story, true to life, there will always be ups and downs alolng the way. Let's trust God in his good will to work in making it all beautiful in its time, in Jesus.

What might you like to add to this?

"Indiana Jones - fear" from L.L. Barkat

While I don't completely buy into the words: "There is nothing to fear but fear itself", fear operates in mostly a detrimental way in people's lives. Unhealthy fears.

L.L. takes us to the time when she sits with her love watching Indiana Jones in his death-defying last crusade. She makes it plain that this is not her! That she is one who has been given to protecting her life. Understandable when you read what has preceded this time in her life, in the earlier chapters. But paralyzing, and growth stunting, just as she says. She explains how well she identifies herself with Jonah in wondering how she would respond to her stepfather if he was alive today. If she was able to invite him to faith and he repented would she have open arms for him? I can understand her reticence in that and appreciate her vulnerability as well as commitment to the grace of God in Jesus, to work through such questions.

I too have been held back by unhealthy fear in my own life. It has held me back from doing many of the things I could have done in following the sense of call I had from God. I was too often wrapped up in trying to avoid that which might hasten my death. Too busy worrying about dying to really live. My fears took on many faces, but the face of death was the one that haunted me the most.

Thankfully as I'm now in my fifty-third year, I have come to accept much more the inevitable (as long as Jesus tarries). This has freed me more than I can imagine, in ways I've already become accustomed to. So when I do fall into some pit of paralyzing fear, and it still does happen, I especially hate it, and while learning to carry on better than in the past, as well as get out of it sooner, I know it's not of the truth found in Jesus. Better to die living than to live in a fear which takes the life right out of us. I know all too well what I'm talking about, and even at this moment in recalling this, I feel something of the same inner dread and turmoil which used to plague me off and on, regularly.

L.L. gives us on a most interesting look at Jonah. Jonah, whose name means "dove" was called by God to go on a peace mission to a people who not only were enemies of Jonah's people, Israel, but were dangerous enemies, known for their cruelty. L.L.'s venture of guessing that what plagued Jonah through this story was fear, the fear of losing his head or his "wings", seems more and more plausible to me as I consider the story. And at least it's a good application possible from this story.

L.L. points out how Jonah may have thought, at least subconsciously, that he might be that dove cut up with blood flowing, for an offering. And the story goes from Jonah fleeing from death to learning the hard way that there is no safety for God's servant except in God's will and in his hand. And really no sure escape from death by one's own efforts, either.

Of course the One who swallowed the cup of death for us so that we would never have to take that cup of ultimate, final death ourselves, is the One who is with us, telling us over and over in Scripture, "Be not afraid." "How truly brave Jesus was to face the hardness of death and loss, with love and grace to draw him onward. I pray for love and grace to draw me onward too." (page 73)

This is a delightful chapter and one in which most interestingly L.L. unfolds a helpful take on the story of Jonah. We can better see that the same God of this Jonah who is so like us, is our God as well. And that he will see us through, yes even us, just as he saw Jonah through in spite of himself.

We shouldn't forget the "discussion questions" in the back. Here are two of them:

"Hebrews 2:15 says that Jesus has freed us from the fear of death. What might this mean, especially since a Christian may still express fear of dying? Are there different aspects of the fear of death?

"Peacemaking is often viewed as a 'soft' mission as opposed to the 'hard' mission of war. Considering the story of Jonah, do you agree that peacemaking is a soft mission?" (page 157)

What would you like to add to the thoughts on this chapter?

1. Stepping Stones - conversion
2. Christmas Coal - shame
3. Tossed Treasures - messiness
4. Heron Road - suffering
5. Sword in the Stone - resistance
6. Howe's Cave - baptism
7. Palisade Cliffs - doubt
8. Holding Pfaltzgraff - inclusion

Next week: Chapter 10: "Old Stone Church - love"

patience

Life in Jesus consists of patience, patience with others which is part of the fruit of the Spirit and a part of the love we're to live out towards others. But also a patience with God's good working in us and our response to that.

Patience involves "suffering long" or believing that something better lies ahead in God's good will. And not losing hope when it seem like the only thing we can hold on to is a love that is patient towards God and others.

Patience can help us avoid dread and embrace what is set before us, even when we know we still haven't received what God in Jesus has promised us. It involves pressing on in faith, even when it would be easier to just accept the status quo and end up hibernating spiritually, and in life.

I can look at myself and my life and can find things which while they may not be wrong, they point out to me that I'm still very much a person in process. This kind of reminds me of green bananas. When I was a boy for some reason I loved green bananas. Maybe it was an overreaction against overly ripe bananas. As I'm older I like them far less, though maybe just a tad bit on the not fully ripe side. So I can look at my life and see some immaturities, or not fully grown up attitudes or ways of being. In prayer to God for myself and others I then must exercise this patience.

We need to be willing to plod along when it seems uphill and every step requires effort. When it seems most difficult and darkest, as I've continued in faith with patience, and hung in there or persevered, this has often been the prelude to some of God's most exalted blessings in my life. Or a sense of God's good working. Patience is needed quite often, one that is both passive in knowing our help is only from the Lord, but is active in looking to him and continuing in our faith with this patience, as we await his good work and will in our lives and through them, in Jesus.

What would you like to add on patience?

Scripture- then tradition, reason and experience

Over at Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight has been going through John Stackhouse's book, Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World. In this book Stackhouse talks about how Christians think through issues: Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. In the end, Christians sometimes come to different conclusions on how best to address a problem of society or who to vote for, etc. This is inevitable as we all vary with reference to all four entities. I need to add to this that the prerequisite to Stackhouse is the commitment to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Scripture involves interpretation, and though we have the Spirit to guide us, why is it that we Christians do have different interpretations and think differently on how to tackle the problems of this world? I think it involves in part the nature of our existence here. We know only in part and we see through a glass darkly. This makes us more dependent on God, and it should make us more humble about what we think with reference to everything, while not watering down at all our commitment to the Triune God and to the faith once for all entrusted to us, God's people in Jesus.

The realism Stackhouse seems to be advocating (I haven't read the book) is in light of the idealism we find in Scripture, but an idealism that does not deny the existence we live in here. So that God's will worked out in us in Jesus does involve experience, but an experience that is always being brought back to the touchstone of Scripture and then to our church tradition and various church traditions, as well as to the tradition of the Church at large. Then to our reason, and finally back to our experience.

We live out God's will mediated to us in Christ and from Scripture in a real world together as God's people with the gift of our reason. But oftentimes we're better off to acknowledge that we simply don't know what the best course is in a given situation. And in prayer along with fellowship with other Christians, we seek to make the best decision we can, and keep learning. All four of these are important, and probably in that order: Scripture certainly first always having priority- then tradition, reason and experience.

This is not a denial that Scripture is our basis for faith and practice. But how that is worked out, I believe, is through the church as best we understand it in real life. With an ever ready desire to change where need be and keep growing in our understanding of God's will, and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What do you think about factoring in, along with Scripture: tradition, reason and experience?

confidence in the Lord

Confidence in the Lord is my only hope of keeping me going and growing in Jesus, remaining on "the narrow way", and being recovered when I get off that way. Confidence in myself is assuredly a disaster, or a false assurance and even false existence that would go with it. Pity the people who live all their lives in some sort of confirmed confidence in themselves, doing well in that without having confidence in the Lord.

This confidence in the Lord does help us to learn to know more and more our true selves and the good gift that God has given each of us in Jesus from the Spirit. So that we can realize that even in our weakness, and really especially so, the Lord and his strength will be present for us. This also helps us when we see our shortcomings and know we need more change in our hearts. We know the Lord is faithful as we bring this to him in prayer. And so we know that he will work in our lives in that matter, according to his good will for us.

This helps me. I need it. Because I'm all too aware of my shortcomings and the fact that I need to keep being changed so that my life is more and more a clear reflection of who I am in Jesus. But above all I just want to make the point in this posting that our confidence needs to be in the Lord, no matter what we face and no matter what troubles we are experiencing. He will see us through into his good will as we simply place and keep our confidence in him.

What would you like to add to this?

prayers

I'm coming to see that any prayers in Jesus have value. We're to pray in the Spirit, but even when we don't sense the Spirit helping us in our praying, we're to pray.

Of course the best praying is in the context of seeking to hear God. We do that by reading the word, and seeking to listen with the goal of hearing God. Sensing what God may be saying to us. Or just wanting to be open to whatever God is doing, even if we don't understand it.

We're to pray as in pouring out our hearts to God, but we're to pray according to God's heart, whether or not our heart is in that or not. And part of that prayer is that God's will would be done, even if it means our will is not. And that God would give us a heart that wants to do his will. In Jesus and as members of God's family, we have that already, though we can drift away from that, as well.

For all kinds of reasons we need to keep right on praying. Don't wait until you feel like it. Don't wait for the Spirit to move you to pray. Let's pray. In the Spirit, yes. But in whatever state we're in. As we go on in this world, we know we need it. And if we know we need prayers, we know others we love need them as well. And we need prayer simply as a part of our communion with God. And for the world of people and God's will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Prayers are natural for us as God's children. But they're also a part of the phenomenon of walking by faith, not by sight. So in that darkness, our prayer may not be pretty. Matters not at all! In fact those kind of stumbling, halting prayers may be the most beautiful in God's eyes, as God sees us continuing in faith when it's hardest for us to do.

What thoughts would you like to share with us on prayers and praying?

wanting to, not having to

I'm rewriting this post because I thought what I wrote was unclear at best and a bit confusing at worst.

Wanting to do God's will is what God wants from us. Of course like Jesus we will have to pray at times, "Not my will, but your will be done." It is true that Jesus faced the ultimate test and trial that we won't have to (since he did that for us). But just the same we must live as Jesus did, and that includes accepting God's will over our own will in everything.

The occasion for this thought is from my practice of Bible reading. Too often lately I've been dragging myself through it. It is rather ambitious in how fast I go through Scripture (at least for me) and I have been trying to practice it when first getting up in the morning (not too bad, then) and before falling asleep at night (that can be more of a challenge). And it can take precedent over fulfilling it, as in visiting Deb at times (not in the morning since she works second shift and is not a morning person). Instead of trying to do it both times, I've decided I want to do it through the day as well, when I'm more alert and because I want to, not just because I have to. And not worry about days I may not do it as much. Other days I may do it more.

This leads me to make this application for me and for all of us in our lives in Jesus. The goal should be that I do the will of God because I want to. Now if I don't want to, I can pray that God will make me want to, of course. We do it anyhow, though all hell seems set against us and our own hearts may be frozen or unresponsive and hard to it.

Just a thought and I know it's an undeveloped thought here. But what might you say to help us think through wanting to, not just having to do God's will for us in Jesus?

Tomorrow: chapter 4: "Heron Road - suffering" from L.L. Barkat.

deader than a doornail

A reminder that next Friday, May 9 we will begin blogging through John Frye's new book, the novel, Out of Print. John is a great storyteller, and I think we'll find this story intriguing as to its ramifications for us now. So get a copy and read (not much more than 100 pages) and join us, or join us anyhow for some interesting and challenging discussion.

Have you ever felt "deader than a doornail"? Not sure exactly what that means, except it most certainly means dead, period. I mean feeling-wise when there seems to be nothing much at all inside. And it matters little what you do to try to change that; it doesn't change.

For us in Jesus we're of course still going to have a conscience (and all people have that, though it can be seared or defiled, and no longer of much use) and we'll still want to do and say the right thing and avoid what is wrong. But we can get to the place or experience the time when it is simply hard to carry on. Like everything is an uphill effort. That was most of my day yesterday. We did have a good laughing time over a good number of things at work, but I was left as empty and on top of that, heavy as ever, afterwards.

I wonder what's going on when this happens. I have my ideas. While Satan can be at work in his opposition to God and God's will in our life, God is at work to change our hearts, our affections, our priorities, etc.

During such times we can be vulnerable. If we're tempted in any given area we might give in (which means that it's a good thing there was no bag of dark chocolate Hershey's kisses around here, last night). I was tempted to throw in the towel in regard to something, but instead, as I made phone calls, was blessed with the exchanges.

The faith in Jesus does not always feel good. It's true that the kingdom of God in Jesus is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and in that way we're to live our lives in pleasing God. But to get to that righteousness, and for that righteousness in Jesus to have its way in our lives, often means waylaying matters that are not right or need worked on in our hearts. We need heart change because from the heart we live.

I'm glad in my case that the most recent of this did not last a full day. I pray God will continue to work on me as I know he has more to do, and he knows that better than I. Of course we know God will continue to work on us, and his work of grace is what keeps us on track, and helps us find our way in the Way, hard as that often seems.

Anyone have anything to add to my meandering on this?

from the future to the present

(We had a wonderful visit with L.L. Barkat last evening. I will post on it tomorrow. And I'm fighting a healthy cold, which I was able to mask pretty well with strong, drowsy medications for our visit. So my head is still a little in the clouds this morning.)

The theological idea that God acts from the future into the present is one that I think indeed has merit. Of course God acts from the past as well, specifically from the work of Jesus accomplished for us and for the world in his life (of which his ministry is an important, strategic part), his death and his resurrection. This work done in the present is through Jesus' ascension as Lord, having all authority in heaven and on earth. And by the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The future is God's will realized in Jesus. All God has done and continues to do has as its goal and working, moving us towards that future. This future is when God brings all things into conformity to his Son in his resurrection in which all creation is renewed in the new creation in Jesus.

It's good to know because I often live with the past haunting me, and the present often not encouraging me. But when I realize that God in Jesus is at work in my life to prepare me for the future, this is helpful. Actually it is not just helpful, but important, because we're to be ever changing toward God's goal for us in Jesus. And in that changing we're to do what God is doing, or better put, what God wants to do- and it's his work, through us! This is the work of bringing something of the new creation into this world even now. All we do in the Lord here and now, is not in vain! It may be an uphill battle, with many pitfalls and dangers along the way, but it's not just about us. God is working his future in us in the present, so that we can work this future by the Spirit into the present around us. In the lives of others by prayer, listening, love, acting and speaking. And with reference to all of creation, so that all we do as stewards of the earth and in fulfilment of God's will for us is, in Jesus new creation stuff (this includes potentially all we do, not just "spiritual" works), that somehow in God's mysterious and wonderful working, will have an impact now and in the life to come, when heaven and earth are joined as one, in Jesus.

(This comes from thinking in regard to N.T. Wright's latest book, Surprised by Hope, which no surprise, I'm not quite finished with yet!)

Just some thoughts to think about with reference to Scripture and life. What might you add to them?

God has something for you to do

In Jesus, God has something for each one of us to do, something very special. Indeed, we're told that there are works prepared for us in advance by God, that we should walk in those works, that is, that doing them should be a way of life for us.

This is true no matter how down and out you may seem to be. No matter what seems to be against you and me. Or even true, no matter how we may be sinning at the moment, or tempted to sin. Or having to work through a disappointment or ongoing difficulty in our lives. Yes, God is there in Christ, with a special work for each of us to do.

There are general works, and there are specific or special works. Passages such as 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 open up general categories of giftedness from the Spirit to each person in Jesus. I believe there are both constitutional gifts and situational gifts (as in 1 Corinthians 14). They may go together or be related, but not necessarily always the case.

For myself I have something in mind that I can begin to work on for the rest of my life, however long or short that may be. And if I'm right, it's something I rather shrink back from and am disinclined to specifically, though regarding the task generally, it is something I'm very much drawn to.

Be open to the gift and creativity and blessing you can be to others. Whatever it is on your heart that is good, pray and work on fulfilling it. We can be, in Jesus, a blessing to others. God has something special for each of us in Jesus to do today. Let's pray that we have the faith to see what it is, and of course, prayer itself should be one part of it, and sometimes it's the only work we can do for a time. And for some, it is a big part of what they do.

What about you? What works does God have for you to walk in, or do, today and beyond?

dialing down

One of our greatest enemies is pure expectation, and I mean the kind that revolves around our wish list, having to do with our perceived needs, wants and feelings. Not that these things aren't important in their place, but they're out of place in us humans, because of sin. They displace God himself: Father, Son and Spirit. And the irony is that in the end they're only really satisfied and fulfilled in God. Which means we must leave the old path of pursuing our needs, wants in accordance with our feelings, behind.

What we need, of course it begins in Jesus, and apart from him this won't happen...., but what we need to do is to "dial down." I mean we need to put our perceived needs, wants and feelings into the hands of God. As we do that, displacing them so that the Triune God through Christ becomes the center, than we'll find that our desires eventually begin to be fulfilled.

This is not easy in this life where sin is simply turning good things into idols so that those good things, no longer received as from their Creator, God, end up sending us down a long and winding dead end path. We may get what we want, but we'll have lost something of ourselves, of our true humanity, in the process. So that what is left is less satisfying to ourselves and others around us.

To dial down for me means to quit my own expectations about life, or what anything in life ought to be. Instead I need to see what is already there and present as gifts from God. And I need to give thanks to God, worshiping only him.

We can do so only in prayer. We need to give our wills over to God and embrace his will, even when we don't understand or maybe just don't like it. Dialing down will end up getting us in on the real good, while failing to do so will see the good not last forever. In God through Jesus the real good does last forever. And better still- along with that- we'll be lost in wonder, love and praise for our God.

This is a process, and like everything else in this life involves growth on our part which will involve repentance from our old ways and repeatedly so, faith open to God's ways in Jesus so that we increasingly are on that path and grow. So that we become more and more confirmed in this.

What do you think about dialing down?