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The Paradoxical Life of Abiding in Christ
Abiding in Christ involves more than trusting him for salvation; it includes living intimately attuned to his presence within me. By his Spirit, Christ and I are one. My eyes are now our eyes; my mouth is now ours; my hands, my feet are ours. Though he lives in heaven, Jesus continues the ministry he began two thousand years ago. Through me, Jesus continues reconciling people with the Father. It’s a noble endeavor, but an arduous one – one that hurls me headlong into awkwardness and scrutiny. Obedience to the indwelling Christ makes me a living paradox. Reading the Sermon on the Mount and hearing Kent M. Keith’s “Paradoxical Commandments” in my…
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The Golden Rule
We all know that “Two wrongs don’t make a right” and “A stitch in time saves nine.” These and other handy proverbs provide nutshell explanations of broader concepts. Even in first century Israel, people wanted short clarifications of complex things. In their pre-internet, pre-printing press era, Israelites exchanged information and got their educations by questioning Jewish Teachers, or Rabbis, in formal gatherings. As a Rabbi, Jesus constantly fielded questions, even from know-it-all religious leaders (Mt 22.34-36). The Israelites had numerous rules, Mosaic Law and Talmud, while Gentiles had little if any familiarity with the Old Testament, and neither knew what to do. So, when a crowd gathered on a…
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The Paradoxes of Christianity
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Now that is a contradiction! Please do any and all children a favor and let them know that sticks and stones, as well as sarcasm, shouts, and silence, hurt. We live in a world dominated by hate crimes, hate speech, hate mail. We live in a world of hurt, yet God calls Christians to remain vulnerable and kind. This played out in real time when recently I was hurt by some of the aforementioned hate. As the Lord ministered to me, I realized that I had two choices: withdraw, retreating from the possibility of getting hurt again,…
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The Blessing of Being Broke
Leadership is broken because leaders are unbroken Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . You can’t be rich until you’re been bankrupt. You can’t be wealthy until you’re worthless. You can’t have God’s best until you’ve faced your worst. Bankruptcy is a sinister word. Job lost. Career crashed. Identity crushed. Prospects dim. Future bleak. Hope gone. Home about to go. Family tattered. To be broke is to be shattered, ashamed, devastated. Spiritual bankruptcy starts with the same feelings of failure, frustration and hopelessness, the same struggle. the same shame. We ask questions like, “How could I have done that?” or, “When will I be free?” We feel shackled…
