"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
I've read this passage many times. I've heard it quoted when at the times of the tithing and the offering. I never really thought about what Paul meant by the statement "He became poor", and I mean, Paul is in deed talking about money, but at the same time he's talking about something much deeper: love & relationships.
Yes, Jesus had everything He needed in Heaven, but what could he possibly need? What is the currency of Heaven? Not gold, that's for sure, what is valuable down here is pavement material there... The currency of heaven is love, and a love that can only be expressed through relationship. Do you know where I'm going with this?
The other day I was reading about the source of poverty and how it really has nothing to do with resources or possessions. I was researching on the causes of poverty as a mentality, and how it comes from the lack of relationship with the One who made everything that is. It suddenly dawned on me; Jesus Christ, having the most amazing, close relationship with His Dad, chose to come to a place where that relationship was limited, so that we could have access to that wealth. Wow!! His sacrifice in coming wasn't so much about having to be born in a manger, or be raised by a carpenter; but about being in a place where the honoring, perfect relationship with the Father was under a different dynamic. He had to actually set time apart and encounter God, He had become poor, so that we could become rich...
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Road
I love road trips! he, he, I love how you get to sit, to be still, and yet go somewhere. It might help that I'm usually a passenger and not a driver, but I think even if I drove I would like it.
Today we went from Florence, AL to Nashville, TN to spend the day. The landscape on the road was beautiful; trees and rivers lit by the shinny sun, a clear path. It made me think about the One who called Himself the Road. Jesus Christ. He's a much, much, greater "road".Jesus is the path to our most important appointment ever, the one with the Father... and I'm not talking about the "when I die" kind of trip; but more like the everyday necessary journey, constantly bringing us to encounter with our Maker, constantly standing on Truth & Life. He's not the "safest" road, but definitely the most worth going through. So, enjoy the ride!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
To Be? To Do?
Neither? Both?
I used to have such a crisis about this! haha... Though I really didn't grow up in a church that was activism oriented, you always hear about your "duties" for Christ. Then I went to YWAM and really tried to live by the slogan: "To know God, and to make Him known".
Many teachings are out there emphasizing one side or de other of the equation. "We need to get out there and do more, there's a world out there that needs to know of the Savior" or "just be, you're a daughter of the All Mighty and His grace is upon you, you don't need to do anything for Him to love you more".... ahhh!! which one is it?
As with many issues of the Kingdom the answer is: both! The truth is that there should not be a separation between who I am and what I do. Our identity is always related to our assignment. Always!
There didn't use to be a separation in the Hebrew culture, which is why you don't hear Jesus saying "don't do, just be". What He did do was encourage people to choose their activities wisely, like stating that Mary had chosen the better deal when she sat at His feet to hang on to His every word. He too would sometimes choose to pray all night, or set Himself apart from the crowd. 'Cause the truth is that "being still", "meditating", "soaking"; are all activities that require intentionality; and witnessing, sharing, spending time with our family, working, going to church, and hanging out, should all to come out of who we really are.
There's a whole lot of doing out of who we're not, and not doing out of who we are; and my challenge every day is to be coherent in my actions, so that they may follow my identity. If I really believe that what I believe is the truth, then I must act in accordance. But often times people don't, I don't. It's the same problem James was having with the people in His church;
When we really know who we are and Whose we are, nothing can stop us from fulfilling our destiny; and the best part is that is that there's a "destiny"! God wants to partner with you & me in co-creating actively. This isn't about some pre-determned fatalistic fate, it's about a purposeful adventure with the most benevolent Father! Sign me up! Yay!
I used to have such a crisis about this! haha... Though I really didn't grow up in a church that was activism oriented, you always hear about your "duties" for Christ. Then I went to YWAM and really tried to live by the slogan: "To know God, and to make Him known".
Many teachings are out there emphasizing one side or de other of the equation. "We need to get out there and do more, there's a world out there that needs to know of the Savior" or "just be, you're a daughter of the All Mighty and His grace is upon you, you don't need to do anything for Him to love you more".... ahhh!! which one is it?
As with many issues of the Kingdom the answer is: both! The truth is that there should not be a separation between who I am and what I do. Our identity is always related to our assignment. Always!
There didn't use to be a separation in the Hebrew culture, which is why you don't hear Jesus saying "don't do, just be". What He did do was encourage people to choose their activities wisely, like stating that Mary had chosen the better deal when she sat at His feet to hang on to His every word. He too would sometimes choose to pray all night, or set Himself apart from the crowd. 'Cause the truth is that "being still", "meditating", "soaking"; are all activities that require intentionality; and witnessing, sharing, spending time with our family, working, going to church, and hanging out, should all to come out of who we really are.
There's a whole lot of doing out of who we're not, and not doing out of who we are; and my challenge every day is to be coherent in my actions, so that they may follow my identity. If I really believe that what I believe is the truth, then I must act in accordance. But often times people don't, I don't. It's the same problem James was having with the people in His church;
Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
James 2:17-18, The Message
When we really know who we are and Whose we are, nothing can stop us from fulfilling our destiny; and the best part is that is that there's a "destiny"! God wants to partner with you & me in co-creating actively. This isn't about some pre-determned fatalistic fate, it's about a purposeful adventure with the most benevolent Father! Sign me up! Yay!
A Spec
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| The Pale Blue Dot |
Cool Picture, huh? Have you seen this before?
This is a picture taken back in 1990 by the Voyager 1 looking back to Earth as it continues its travels. It's called "The Pale Blue Dot". Do you see that tiny blue spec on the fourth ray that almost looks like a flaw on the lens? That is Earth.
Um... We're small in a vast and amazing Cosmos!
The Atheist Scientist Carl Sagan said about this picture:
From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The man has point. But he looked at that little dot rather hopeless, and though it makes you feel very, very small it also helps me put things in perspective. I am small, God is big! He really, really y BIG! He made all those people I've loved, and every hero, and every superstar, He made every star on the sky and He knows them by name. He knows me by name... and, in that vast Cosmos and beyond, HE REIGNS! What a marvel to be able to put things in perspective thanks to the science of astronomy!
The heavens really declare the Glory of the All Mighty God! And there is so much more that's still being explored. No problem is too big, no circumstance to overwhelming for our God. Yaaay! Isn't that a relief?
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