Forums
Thanks for posting this here, Kyle.
Years ago, a Sunday School teacher told us, "When we're done here today, I don't want y'all to just be smarter sinners. I want y'all to be changed." Love that. Sounds like what you're talkin' about here. I like that phrase 'smarter sinners' because there is that tendency for me to go off into pride and think "yeah, I've heard that chapter before. I've already been taught on this verse before. this is for the other people who have never heard it." and then just mentally check out on the teaching. To my horror, I find I am capable of gorging myself on head knowledge (Smarter) while my heart remains unchanged (Sinner). We're all capable of that. Which is why being a Christ-follower is not just memorizing a moral code. It's a relationship a journey and an ongoing lifelong conversation with a living breathing real person named Jesus. Thank God, the antidote to Smarter Sinner Syndrome is experiencing that deep knowing, that intimacy of the soul that Jesus offers. Once I got that, nothing else would do. And when I wandered off into other stuff, the hunger drew me back. Thanks be to God.I loved what you said"Meditating on the Word should be equivalent to kneeling at the throne of God. We have nothing to add but our very selves." It's astounding how alive and nourishing the Bible is to me when I read it with the heart attitude of "Jesus, speak to me. I'm so hungry. I need you so badly." and he does. With huge generosity. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs in the Kingdom of Heaven." When we come to him hungry, God starts giving. Not just a city or county or state but the whole kingdom. Can you just hear the generous heart of God? And it all comes from being aware of our hunger and need and dragging our hungry weary needy self to him.Tragically, Churchianity, this religious legalistic thing that calls itself Christianity has taught so many of us to ignore our needs and hungers for so long that we start to wonder why we needed God in the first place. Or perhaps we've fed our needs and hungers with junk for so long we've got spiritual food poisoning and we've forgotten how beautifully satisfying it is to feel real hunger and then experience real, good, healthy satisfaction. "Blessed are they who HUNGER and THIRST after righteousness. For they shall be filled. "
I’m so thankful about this web-based ministry that allows me to have borderless fellowship with fellow Christians in all over the world.
I was once a pastor but now I am a simply Christian business man in Japan. Because of health problem of my kid, my family & I cannot attend church service for last 6 month. I have quiet time in train to go to my office that is full of people in morning & evening time. Recently I am listening Audio books of Richard J. Foster (“Celebration of Discipline” & “Prayer”) throughout my personal time in the train.
As you can imagine there are few Christians in my country and churches are very tiny (not like US...). Even though I was a pastor and graduated M. Div, I am not strong enough to be Christ-like in front of people in my office. Difficult to remember the promise that God give me everyday while I am working. Therefore, I always become ordinary business man and realize that I could not live like Jesus in end of day.
I believe that God give me this opportunity to let me know how much I am weak and I desperately need his strength.
Kyle, thank you for sharing your testimony. Since I felt encouragement, I just wrote what I thought spontaneously...
May God bless “Metamorpha”!!
Kyle, Thank you for your reply.Your post reminded me Pt. Rick Warren's message called "God uses weak person."Yes, it's true...Now I am weak, but I am more sensitive to God than when I don't have any problem.Apparently this is contradiction, but it's true in Kingdom context, isn't it?My prayer is turnning from agony to little bit positive one. I would like to know Father's heart for my family and me in this situation.And if He has plan to share His heart and message to my workplace, I would like to be a part of the plan.I truly appreciate if you and people in this community pray for me...(I said this boldly...)Thank you again for your sincere sharing.May God bless your ministry!!