Careful What You Preach

Mat 7:16	You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?
Mat 7:17	So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.
Mat 7:18	A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Mat 7:19	Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20	Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Does the Gospel I preach and teach have a natural tendency to cause people who hear it to become full-time students of Jesus?
Would those who believe it become his apprentices as a natural "next step"?
What can we reasonably expect would result from people actually believing the substance of my message?
Dallas Willard - The Divine Conspiracy (pg 58)

Sow a bad seed, reap a bad fruit. It's not rocket science people!

Hosea you are the man!

As I read the book of Hosea I am struck by two things.

1. That dude had a pair. I mean it. He believed in Yahweh. He really believed. Yahweh told Hosea to marry a harlot, and have harlot children. What an ego blow to know that every guy in town has been with your wife, and your children might not be your own. But Hosea did it. He had faith that Yahweh knew better than he did. It makes me cringe because I know what Yahweh wants me to do, and often it is nothing close to what he asked Hosea to do, but I choose me instead. Yahweh asks me to love all people as I love my self, but I still pass judgment. Yahweh asks me to love my wife as Christ loves the church, but I really love my self.

Hosea was the kind of servant I want to be, he was all in. There was no sitting on the fence, he knew what had to be done and he did it. He may have had questions, but he wasn't about to disappoint the Father. I burn to be a doer.

Father open my eyes and my heart to see what it is you are asking me to do, and give me the humility to forget myself.

2. Yahweh knows us better than we think. He wants to give us wonderful things to enjoy, but he will not hesitate to take them away. He made me and He can take me apart. I forget this sometimes. I really like stuff. Often I want. But the Lord has already blessed me with more than I need. I am content. And sometimes I think to my self, "hey, look what I did. I made that. I worked hard for that." I imagine that Yahweh looks at me shakes his head. I don't have two sticks to rub together with out Yahweh, I better watch my self.

Father I am so thankful for the way you have blessed me and my family. Everyday I enjoy the things you have given to me, and I thank you. I am sorry I am selfish, forgive me.

Dogma - The Secret of Life Revealed

I really enjoy Kevin Smith and his writing/directing prowess. But I think the best of his creations is Dogma. This is a brilliant movie which makes fun of religion - sometimes distastefully. But unlike most Hollywood political agenda's, Kevin Smith's movie offers a solution. Kevin refutes many of the Catholic churches (and others for that matter) traditions. The basic gist of the movie is we have lost site of true spirituality in our hypocritical religiosity. He then suggests that true spirituality is found in faith and ideas (not beliefs) shared in our relationships. I love this thought and I think it has a great Biblical model - Jesus.

Jesus and his apostles did not plan and execute vacation Bible schools, clothing drives, Christmas services, seeker services, coffee houses, and any other church outreach activities. Smith implies that these things corrupt the truth, but fit our agenda. Jesus and his apostles just lived! The most important thing to Jesus were all the people who crossed his path every day. He made time and effort to love them in extraordinary ways. He also concerned him self with deepening his friendship with his father and his apostles. He took time to be with his friends and talk with his friends challenging them to be true disciples. I think about Yahweh creating me for the purpose of having relationship with him, and I can't help but think that he enjoys our relationships too. The relationships we have with each other are extensions of our relationship with Yahweh. We are created to be in relationships with anyone and everyone for the purpose of teaching and giving Yahweh's love.

"Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn't give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47 I tell you, her sins-and they are many-have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke 7:44-48