I'm back from the retreat.
Dangerous Freedom.
Good stuff. I may post a couple of insights that I've gleaned.
One thing we talked about that I thought was great was
"If we focus on Grace, we become obedient. If we focus on obedience, we become mean."
What was the Pharisees claim to fame? "We do this. We don't do that. Therefore, God loves us."
I've learn that focusing on Grace (that Truth that God loves me no matter what) I desire what God desires. I want what God wants. I want to do what God wants me to do. Sure I stumble. Sure I struggle, but I'm no longer dogged by guilt for not living up to what some critic thinks I should be living up to because I know God loves me.
I can make claims like Paul did in Philippians. I can say I've made a profession of faith. I can say I've been baptised in water and in the spirit. I can say that I am a member of a fellowship of believers. But like Paul, I can also say that I could it all 'dung except for the knowledge of the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord." All that is just an outward expression of a Child of God. But, those outward expressions can also just be masks. As Paul once said, (paraphrase) "If I move a mountain, but have not love, it means nothing."1 Corinthians 13. It becomes, "I did this, that and the other. Therefore, I'm saved." That becomes works of the flesh and not faith. But grace says, "I'm saved, so I express it by love. If Jesus says get baptised, I'll gladly do it out of faith and love. If Jesus says fellowship with brothers and sisters, I gladly do it out of faith and love...etc..." Are you catching what I'm saying.
Final thought. Jesus said that the world would know that we are his disciples by the love we have for one another. Pray about it. Seek Jesus' will.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
Anyone have some cheesecake I can have.
I need to put on some Floyd. Pink Floyd. I loves me some Pink Floyd.
DJ GlenMC
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8 comments:
You raised some good issues here Glen,Religion has changed much since I was a child, we as children always had to attend Sunday School in the afternoon, we were taught that if we disobeyed God, God would not be happy and we would suffer in the long run, nowadays Sunday School no longer exist, there's a different view about God altogether, even assembly
at school has been taken off the agenda why I can't imagine as that was when everyone got together.
I was very interested in what you had to say.
Sorry no cheesecake .
Yvonne.
Dang...no cheesecake?
Oh sigh...
A lot of views come from studying Jesus out of love, not out of "have to." How did He react to people? Who did He interact with? Who did He have the most criticism for? Why did He criticize them? What was His main point when He criticized them? How does Jesus' day compare to today?
Simple questions for a simple mind such as I.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
DJ GlenMC
I love this post. This sentence alone puts everything in perspective for me: "If we focus on Grace, we become obedient. If we focus on obedience, we become mean."
Lately, I'm all about trying to be less judgmental and loving people the way Jesus did. I have too many faults and made too many BIG mistakes over the years to think for one second that I'm better than anybody else because I'm now following all the "rules."
Thank you Glen for your loving voice in an increasingly loveless world.
Great lessons in this post Bro. I'm glad you got to enjoy your time away and come back filled up with great things to share. I'm learning them, slowly but surely. Having grown up in a very legalistic church, it's sometimes hard to realize just how simple it all really is. When I finally allowed myself to accept that freedom, I can't tell you how incredible it felt. :)
PS - sittin' here having some Lemon Cheesecake. MMmmmm...good.
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Nah, just kidding. I didn't make it this weekend. Maybe tomorrow! :)
Can I come over for lemon cheesecake? I promise not to be mean.
:)
If we love people just because they are 'perceived' to be good we are still wrong. Love does not play favorites. That's what politicians and religious people do. Not Jesus. What did religious people like to accuse Jesus of? Being a friend of publicans and sinners...
May I be accused of the same thing.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
I loves me some Pink Floyd and Cheesecake...
DJ GlenMC
Oh, yeah. Welcome back. Hope you had fun.
Sorry. Don't have cheesecake.
That was a very meaningful post. I agree. You should do things out of love. NOt because it's expected or because it's required. Or because you HAVE to. If you do it out of love, it has a reason for being done.
-Wolfie
Sometimes we have to really look at our motivation. Sometimes we don't even know what I own motives can be. A lot of times, what we think are honorable are really deep down, selfish...I speak from experience. I can be very delusional about motives. I can very easily deceive myself. But we must continue to love and have faith.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
It's good to be back, and to loves me some Pink Floyd.
DJ GlenMC
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