Archive for February 16th, 2006
Nothing outside of the Glory of God
There is nothing outside of the glory of God. Everything that has ever been created, seen, known, and felt is to bring glory to God. Every purpose every given to us by the Lord has been that His glory might increase. The end goal of the life of Jesus was the worship and glory of God. The very reason I’m in france is that God might receive Glory.
To draw a comparison to something more tangable. The pursuit of every christian endeavor must be the Glory of God. Everything in scripture has been done for the Glory, for Him to receive praise. Even the very basics of the Christian life are focused on God’s Glory; prayer, evangelism, and fellowship. So what was different today then yesterday, why is this some new ‘insight’?
Looking back on what Jesus showed me a couple days ago about beauty, today He helped me make another connection. God receives glory when we are in Nature, and Nature being created by God just radiates and overflows with His glory. This is why I love getting lost in the woods and just being away from the ‘city.’ It allows me to really get an overwhelming taste of the glory of Jesus.
"Becoming a Contagious Christian" by Bill Hybels, Lee Strobel, and Mark Mittelberg
This series has become very well known across Christian circles in the united states (and potentially other countries as well) and it is difficult to not see why. It offers a non-confrontational way to proclaim the gospel with those we know. Yet when I read the gospels and epistles I don’t see this strategy ANYWHERE. Now I’m not going to go as far as to say that this method isn’t biblical, but there is a major emphasis missing. We as servants of Christ are to be Bold in proclaiming the King and Creator of EVERYTHING (even time), to the point where we realize our chains to the procession of Christ and nothing else matters. When the full grandeur of God is in your sight there is nothing else that matter but His glory. Your friends and there possible rejection of you/your beliefs is secondary.
Next is the attempt to provide a formula for telling others about Christ. The bible shows us over and over again that there are no formulas. When the prophets where called they were each different (personality), every time Jesus healed someone it was done differently (method), and the only consistency was that it was for the Glory of God.
Nowhere in this book do those truths come forward. If the Apostle Paul needed others to pray for his boldness, how much more we need it! This book does provide a good starting point for people, but it must be followed by the truth that God doesnt like formulas. Every person, life, and moment is uniquely written by Him.
God’s children need tools (like how to first prepare their testimony and an easy starting point with the gospel) to build confidence, which this series does well. If you do go over this with your small group make sure to place emphasis on the uniqueness of God’s plan for everyone, and how to be open and lead by the Spirit. Look into the book of Acts and see how God responded when the Kingdom of God was boldly proclaimed. I would love to see this series completed in a way that encourages people to put God drastically first in their lives.
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