Created Old!
The bible tells us to be ready, to be prepared. Here's a conversation I hope to have with someone;
Talking with someone about how work came about before the fall, before sin, and as he expresses surprise at hearing this, the talk comes around to the "theory of evolution."
As we move from the subject of work into a territory I'm a bit uneasy about, I say, "the theory of evolution goes directly against the word of God." We go to the scripture and where it says God made man in His image, He made animals in their own image (this data was new to him). So, how could man have evolved from an animal if he was made in God's image. The talk then moves into even more uneasy territory as he asks where I stand on the old vs new earth? I say new.
He thinks he has me when he asks how I explain how all the fossils are millions of years old.
I refrain from "well, they seem, according to today's science to be millions of years old and instead say, what makes us think that everything started as something looking new? God made Adam, he was brand new and he looked to be about 30 years old; first day, looked 30 years old. He is God, He can make fossils!
I hope I'm able to say "ahhhhhhhhhh" as Matt Carter did when he gave this explanation in a recent sermon.
Talking with someone about how work came about before the fall, before sin, and as he expresses surprise at hearing this, the talk comes around to the "theory of evolution."
As we move from the subject of work into a territory I'm a bit uneasy about, I say, "the theory of evolution goes directly against the word of God." We go to the scripture and where it says God made man in His image, He made animals in their own image (this data was new to him). So, how could man have evolved from an animal if he was made in God's image. The talk then moves into even more uneasy territory as he asks where I stand on the old vs new earth? I say new.
He thinks he has me when he asks how I explain how all the fossils are millions of years old.
I refrain from "well, they seem, according to today's science to be millions of years old and instead say, what makes us think that everything started as something looking new? God made Adam, he was brand new and he looked to be about 30 years old; first day, looked 30 years old. He is God, He can make fossils!
I hope I'm able to say "ahhhhhhhhhh" as Matt Carter did when he gave this explanation in a recent sermon.
Jesus Developed Followers Before He Developed Leaders
We don't really know a great deal about the first 30 years of Jesus', though we can speculate. Historically, we do know a great deal about the culture, the people, their habits, etc. But have you ever wondered why there was such a long period of time for Him to be revealed for who He was? Was an appropriate age? Probably, but I can't help but believe it was also for Jesus to be developed as a follower before He became a leader. Only then could He begin developing his own followers. Not leaders, that would come later, but followers. Jesus spent 3 years developing followers and at times had hundreds, maybe thousands of people following him.
He taught these men, made in the image of God, to be followers. Or rather, those that chose to follow. What did He do with those that could not meet the standards he set? He let them go. He loved them all, but knew He had to develop good followers before they could be good leaders. When picking the 12, He knew they weren't perfect. But Jesus, the Christ, loved them and continued to give instructions and training.
When He died, He came back and gave them more instruction on and off for 40 days until giving final instructions before departing. Yet, still, Jesus knew their growth wasn't finished and would drift in their following, so he left a Helper behind to continue to guide and train these men left behind to lead.
To lead well, we must learn to follow Christ well. As we lead our family, those we are responsible for at work, we must follow Christ well. As we serve those in authority over us, we must follow Christ well. We must follow, not blindly, and sometimes following well means stepping being courageous in our leading.
Jesus trained followers to train followers to lead well.
Follow, lead, follow more, and do it well.
To that end....
He taught these men, made in the image of God, to be followers. Or rather, those that chose to follow. What did He do with those that could not meet the standards he set? He let them go. He loved them all, but knew He had to develop good followers before they could be good leaders. When picking the 12, He knew they weren't perfect. But Jesus, the Christ, loved them and continued to give instructions and training.
When He died, He came back and gave them more instruction on and off for 40 days until giving final instructions before departing. Yet, still, Jesus knew their growth wasn't finished and would drift in their following, so he left a Helper behind to continue to guide and train these men left behind to lead.
To lead well, we must learn to follow Christ well. As we lead our family, those we are responsible for at work, we must follow Christ well. As we serve those in authority over us, we must follow Christ well. We must follow, not blindly, and sometimes following well means stepping being courageous in our leading.
Jesus trained followers to train followers to lead well.
Follow, lead, follow more, and do it well.
To that end....
Hmmm...if Christ had come back while I was at work today, would He have found me glorifying Him in my speach, actions, emails....? 5:53 PM Jan 8th from Echofon
#WorkMatters to ponder RT @oschambers-Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering and God will prove Himself http://bit.ly/mu0206
Great workplace Point to Pray and Ponder RT @TomZiglar: You can disagree without being disagreeable. Zig Ziglar 9:04 AM Jan 4th from Echofon
Christian Thinking and Influence: The Pictures in Our Head
Doug Sherman, in his Bible Study, Your Work Matters to God, states "we believe that the workplace is today the most strategic arena for Christian thinking and influence. Moreover, until we become godly workers, we have little hope of becoming godly husbands, wives, parents, or church members. For unless Christlikeness characterizes the 60-80 percent of our lives spent at work, we simply are not living Christlike lives."
The most strategic arena for Christian thinking......hmmm. Have you ever thought much about your thinking being strategic? How about your thinking, do you think about your thinking? Thinking about thinking is not something most of us today think about. Think about it for a minute or two.........hard to do isn't it? How about talking about your thinking, or another's thinking?
How dramatically is your thinking influenced by what's going on around you? Think about how much your thinking is influenced by the thoughts of others, because the mind is hungry for more information and is looking to be influenced. Are you aware of how your thinking is changed? How critical is your thinking?
Prior to the invention of radio, tv, internet, and even the mass production of newspapers, the spoils and triumphs of what flowed from another's thinking a much more celebrated event. In reality, the recepient was much more aware of the absorbtion and how his thinking might be changing. He or she had time to be critical about it.
Thinking about thinking - talking about what we think - arguing about thinking is something philosophers have done for thousands of years. It wasn't that many years ago when people would travel for miles and miles to hear a simple speech and then stay to discuss their thoughts in local bars and meeting houses. Today, we get our information in bits and pieces, yet, as if from a fire hose; there is more information in one week's worth of the New York Times than the average 18th century American would come across in a lifetime.
Thinking, critical thinking, and getting one's message across to others has always been an important part of those intent upon critical thinking. Ben Franklin would write letters to his own newspaper under fictitious names just so he could express his thoughts about what he thought just that he could then write the rebuttals to further spin the thinking. He claimed years later that he did this in part to develop opinions within his readers' thoughts.
So what does this have to do with Christian thinking? Everything. Everyone is bombarded with news and information they don't ask to receive; from emails randomly read to story lines of favorite tv shows, but received and processe it is.
Writer, journalist, and progressive thinker Walter Lippmann, in the mid 1900's, wrote extensively about the tendency of journalists to generalize about other people based on fixed ideas. He argued that people—including journalists—are more apt to believe "the pictures in their heads" than come to judgment by critical thinking.
The pictures in our heads is what we tend to believe and these pictures are formed from what we watch, hear, and read. And what most of us watch, hear, and read, is accidental; not purposeful.
So, what does this have to do with our Christian influence? Everything. If we are not purposeful about what we watch, read, and hear, our thinking will not lead to practicing Christianity and if we aren't practicing Christianity, we aren't influencing others towards God's glory.
And if we aren't influencing others towards God's glory, then what are we influencing them towards?
What do the pictures in your head look like today, and what are they going to look like in 10 years? Are you purposefully drawing those pictures or letting others?
To that end....
Note: this is a re-post from 1/2010.
The most strategic arena for Christian thinking......hmmm. Have you ever thought much about your thinking being strategic? How about your thinking, do you think about your thinking? Thinking about thinking is not something most of us today think about. Think about it for a minute or two.........hard to do isn't it? How about talking about your thinking, or another's thinking?
How dramatically is your thinking influenced by what's going on around you? Think about how much your thinking is influenced by the thoughts of others, because the mind is hungry for more information and is looking to be influenced. Are you aware of how your thinking is changed? How critical is your thinking?
Prior to the invention of radio, tv, internet, and even the mass production of newspapers, the spoils and triumphs of what flowed from another's thinking a much more celebrated event. In reality, the recepient was much more aware of the absorbtion and how his thinking might be changing. He or she had time to be critical about it.
Thinking about thinking - talking about what we think - arguing about thinking is something philosophers have done for thousands of years. It wasn't that many years ago when people would travel for miles and miles to hear a simple speech and then stay to discuss their thoughts in local bars and meeting houses. Today, we get our information in bits and pieces, yet, as if from a fire hose; there is more information in one week's worth of the New York Times than the average 18th century American would come across in a lifetime.
Thinking, critical thinking, and getting one's message across to others has always been an important part of those intent upon critical thinking. Ben Franklin would write letters to his own newspaper under fictitious names just so he could express his thoughts about what he thought just that he could then write the rebuttals to further spin the thinking. He claimed years later that he did this in part to develop opinions within his readers' thoughts.
So what does this have to do with Christian thinking? Everything. Everyone is bombarded with news and information they don't ask to receive; from emails randomly read to story lines of favorite tv shows, but received and processe it is.
Writer, journalist, and progressive thinker Walter Lippmann, in the mid 1900's, wrote extensively about the tendency of journalists to generalize about other people based on fixed ideas. He argued that people—including journalists—are more apt to believe "the pictures in their heads" than come to judgment by critical thinking.
The pictures in our heads is what we tend to believe and these pictures are formed from what we watch, hear, and read. And what most of us watch, hear, and read, is accidental; not purposeful.
So, what does this have to do with our Christian influence? Everything. If we are not purposeful about what we watch, read, and hear, our thinking will not lead to practicing Christianity and if we aren't practicing Christianity, we aren't influencing others towards God's glory.
And if we aren't influencing others towards God's glory, then what are we influencing them towards?
What do the pictures in your head look like today, and what are they going to look like in 10 years? Are you purposefully drawing those pictures or letting others?
To that end....
Note: this is a re-post from 1/2010.
Pragmatism leads to leaning on values as long as they make money -On chapt "Being Impractical" in Dave Moore's "The Last Men's Book...." 4:39 PM Jan 3rd from Echofon
Is Christ@Work in your business?
Is Christ@Work in your business? Take this simple test to see how you are doing - http://fcci.org/atwork.asp
Pursecuted for Christ's Sake. What Does That Mean At Work?
What does it mean to be persecuted at work?
10 Truths to Live By, by Kent Humphreys
Written by Kent Humphreys and posted at FCCI - http://tiny.cc/pazkf
1. Don’t be religious, but passionately seek to know and love God. Seventy years on this earth will seem but a moment in all eternity.
“Love your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your might” Deuteronomy 6:4, 5
2. Make your family a priority. Love is spelled “T-I-M-E”. Create opportunities to work and play together.
“Husbands love, wives respect, young children obey, and grown children honor” Ephesians5, 6
3. Have a career that you enjoy and be the best at what you do, both in your company and industry. Never compare yourself to someone else. Balance times of work and rest.
“God will teach him how to choose the best” Psalms 25:12 (L)
4. Love and serve those people around you as you observe, listen, and become available to them. Don’t seek to control others, but unselfishly give your life for them.
“Through love serve one another” Galatians 5:13
5. Build your life on established truths. The latest “opinion polls,” how people “feel,” or current fads are weak foundations on which to build your life.
“I am the Truth” John 14:6 “A wise man who built his house upon a rock” Matthew 7:24
6. Establish a few intimate friendships and become transparent in small groups. True friends are invaluable and necessary during the storms of life.
“A cord of three standards is not quickly torn apart” Ecclesiastes 4:12
7. Keep your word whatever it cost! Be totally honest, trustworthy, and a person of character. Yes, character does matter.
“Who can find a trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6
8. Work hard at learning to be a good communicator. Read a lot, learn to speak, to write and to spell. Be an enthusiastic leader, not a dumb sheep following the crowd over the cliff.
“A wise man will then increase in learning” Proverbs 1:5
9. Make money your slave, not your master, save regularly and avoid debt. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
“Whoever loves money will not be satisfied” Ecclesiastes 5:10
10. Persist. Never give up! Know where you are going.
“Trials --> Perseverance --> Character --> Hope” Romans 5:3, 4
Practicing Christianity
In part, practicing Christianity means:
- To be Called by our Lord God.
- To be brought forth by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; to be alive because of Him.
- To know that God create me in His image.
- To be a slave, a servant, and to serve Him, our Lord and Savior
- To know that God worked and I am to work by reshaping His creation.
- To follow God's will, not my own.
- To live a life not restricted by boundaries of names and places.
- To live in the worship of God in all circumstances.
- To remember Jesus in everything I do.
- To renew oneself everyday through to love and suffering Jesus has for me.
- To live for Him, our Lord, our Savior.
- To tell yourself the Gospel everyday; Jesus's life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
- To touch people on God's behalf.
- To create an environment that softens peoples hearts to the point they ask about Jesus.
- To come to God in intercession of other people and places.
- To pray forgiveness when I sin, and pray this many times per day.
- To be a called person on a mission for God.
- To know that my work is my sanctification, even in the daily grid of the nitty gritty.
- To to want to one day hear "well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master."
Book: Prayer-Finding Hearts True Home
Preface Statement: To be spiritually fit to scale the Himalayas of the spirit, we need regular exercise in the hills and valleys of ordinary life. (XII)
I Coming Home: An Invitation to Prayer
A. Simple Prayer
B. Prayer of the Forsaken
C. The Prayer of Examen
D. The Prayer of Tears
E. The Prayer of Relinquishment
F. Formation Prayer
G. Covenant
Prayer III Moving Upward: Seeking the Intimacy We Need
Note: the movement Upward is prayer to God the Father, which corresponds to his role as sovereign Kind and eternal Lover among us.
A. The Prayer of Adoration
B. The prayer of Rest
C. Sacramental Prayer
D. Unceasing Prayer
E. The Prayer of the Heart
F. Meditative Prayer
G. Contemplative Prayer
IV Moving Outward: Seeking the Ministry We Need
Note: the movement Outward is prayer to God the Holy Spirit, which corresponds to his role as Empowerer and Evangelist among us.
A. Praying the Ordinary
B. Petitionary Prayer
C. Intercessory Prayer
D. Healing Prayer
E. The Prayer of Suffering
F. Authoritative Prayer
G. Radical Prayer
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/08/book-prayer-finding-hearts-true-home-by.html
I Coming Home: An Invitation to Prayer
- The heart of God is an open wound of love
- He aches over our distance and preoccupationo He mourns that we do not draw near to himo He grieves that we have forgotten him
- to come home
- to where we belong
- to that for which we were created
- His arms are stretched wide to receive us
- His heart is enlarged to take us in
- He welcomes us home
- The Key, to the heart of God, is Prayer
- even if you’ve unsuccessfully tried prayer before
- even if you’ve only prayed in anguish or terror
- perhaps you are broken and/or bruised
- perhaps prayer is the delight of your life, but you long for more power• more love• more of God in your life
- He lived a perfect life
- He died in our place
- He rose victorious over all the dark powers so that we might live through him
- We may now enter through the door of God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ
- The Father’s heart is open wide – we are welcome to come in, to come higher up, and deeper in
A. Simple Prayer
B. Prayer of the Forsaken
C. The Prayer of Examen
D. The Prayer of Tears
E. The Prayer of Relinquishment
F. Formation Prayer
G. Covenant
Prayer III Moving Upward: Seeking the Intimacy We Need
Note: the movement Upward is prayer to God the Father, which corresponds to his role as sovereign Kind and eternal Lover among us.
A. The Prayer of Adoration
B. The prayer of Rest
C. Sacramental Prayer
D. Unceasing Prayer
E. The Prayer of the Heart
F. Meditative Prayer
G. Contemplative Prayer
IV Moving Outward: Seeking the Ministry We Need
Note: the movement Outward is prayer to God the Holy Spirit, which corresponds to his role as Empowerer and Evangelist among us.
A. Praying the Ordinary
B. Petitionary Prayer
C. Intercessory Prayer
D. Healing Prayer
E. The Prayer of Suffering
F. Authoritative Prayer
G. Radical Prayer
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/08/book-prayer-finding-hearts-true-home-by.html
The Discipline of Evaluation and Correction
Do not quench the Spirit. Test everything; hold fast to what is good. Flee from what is evil.
Do not quench the Spirit...test everything....hold fast what is good...flee from what is evil. I read, ponder, and pray on those words and I'm drawn to the Spirit living inside me; the Spirit that Jesus referred to when He said He had to leave so the Spirit could come. I ponder and pray on that and I'm drawn to how the Spirit groans in us; one of the reasons He groans is because He sees and feels us going against God's will and He is trying to correct us. Thus, the point of this writing.
Again, I'm working under the assumption that if one believes in Christ, he wants to follow Him well. To do anything well takes practice and practicing well takes a good discipline of evaluation and correction. Practicing Christianity well is different only in the aspect that it is the most important aspect of an evaulation and correction process, or discipline.
Many authors have touched on this discipline, most recently Jim Collins with the Hedgehog (Good to Great) and Dennis Bakke's "robust evaluation and correction" (Joy at Work). Years ago I heard Max Anders, senior pastor at Grace Covenant Church, give a sermon where he talked extensively about looking back over your shoulder periodically to review how well your walk with Christ had been.
I like the "robust evaluation and correction" thing, but with some twists.
In the Navy, I was on a submarine and while a radioman, I was a bit intrigued with sonar. We had different types, but primarily passive and active. Active was the type you hear about in movies when the captain orders for a "ping;" the sonarman sends the single pulse (ping) out and then listens for the return. He can then evaluates the distance from the target. Passive sonar is simply listening for threats. In either case, once a sound is recognized, the captain would evaluate and take the necessary action. We would be out at sea for weeks at a time and someone would be in the sonar room at all times....listening and paying attention.
Practicing Christianity well requires a good discipline of listening, paying attention, evaluation and correction when those pings come back at us, whether invited (active), or passive (uninvited);
Lord God, I pray that I listen to you today. I pray that I pay attention to where I am at and what you want me to do - right here. Give me the wisdom and discernment to recognize the corrections that need to be made in my life. Help me to accept those evaluations and move towards the corrections. Help me to see the blind spots and remove them. You are good and gracious and your mercy is boundless. You never said our lives would be easy and I pray that I am listening and paying attention to my surroundings, that I allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life. Blessed by your name, that I honor your name. Amen
To that end.....
1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21
Do not quench the Spirit...test everything....hold fast what is good...flee from what is evil. I read, ponder, and pray on those words and I'm drawn to the Spirit living inside me; the Spirit that Jesus referred to when He said He had to leave so the Spirit could come. I ponder and pray on that and I'm drawn to how the Spirit groans in us; one of the reasons He groans is because He sees and feels us going against God's will and He is trying to correct us. Thus, the point of this writing.
Again, I'm working under the assumption that if one believes in Christ, he wants to follow Him well. To do anything well takes practice and practicing well takes a good discipline of evaluation and correction. Practicing Christianity well is different only in the aspect that it is the most important aspect of an evaulation and correction process, or discipline.
Many authors have touched on this discipline, most recently Jim Collins with the Hedgehog (Good to Great) and Dennis Bakke's "robust evaluation and correction" (Joy at Work). Years ago I heard Max Anders, senior pastor at Grace Covenant Church, give a sermon where he talked extensively about looking back over your shoulder periodically to review how well your walk with Christ had been.
I like the "robust evaluation and correction" thing, but with some twists.
In the Navy, I was on a submarine and while a radioman, I was a bit intrigued with sonar. We had different types, but primarily passive and active. Active was the type you hear about in movies when the captain orders for a "ping;" the sonarman sends the single pulse (ping) out and then listens for the return. He can then evaluates the distance from the target. Passive sonar is simply listening for threats. In either case, once a sound is recognized, the captain would evaluate and take the necessary action. We would be out at sea for weeks at a time and someone would be in the sonar room at all times....listening and paying attention.
Practicing Christianity well requires a good discipline of listening, paying attention, evaluation and correction when those pings come back at us, whether invited (active), or passive (uninvited);
- Pay attention to what is going on around you at all times.
- Ask questions about how you are doing - listen to the answers
- Be purposeful about your life; have a mission and a plan to carry it out.
- Be aware that everyone has blind spots and you can't see them from where you are at - that is why they are called blind spots.
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to talk to you and be involved in your valuation and correction - this is where the real ROBUSTness kicks in. The bible tells us He is groaning inside us , wanting to help. We just need to listen and pay attention.
- Don't ignore pingings we hear coming through our hulls.
Lord God, I pray that I listen to you today. I pray that I pay attention to where I am at and what you want me to do - right here. Give me the wisdom and discernment to recognize the corrections that need to be made in my life. Help me to accept those evaluations and move towards the corrections. Help me to see the blind spots and remove them. You are good and gracious and your mercy is boundless. You never said our lives would be easy and I pray that I am listening and paying attention to my surroundings, that I allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life. Blessed by your name, that I honor your name. Amen
To that end.....
Tim Keller on Work - Tidbit
Unless you and I understand the biblical doctrine of work, we will never find rest - Tim Keller
Book: The Good Life
Have you ever wondered how you got to the point of allowing something to gradually come into your life? Or how you got this point in your life?
The word is "tollerance."Colson describes how he concluded his rise to the White House and then the descent to a jail cell.
A very telling story that needs to be struggled through in all our lives.
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-good-life-by-charles-colson.html
The word is "tollerance."Colson describes how he concluded his rise to the White House and then the descent to a jail cell.
A very telling story that needs to be struggled through in all our lives.
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-good-life-by-charles-colson.html
Let's Stop Complaining About The Day Our Lord Has Made
There's a prayer that goes something like...this is the day our Lord has made, let's be glad and rejoice in it. Maybe it's in a song.
What a statement of truth though - this is the day the Lord, our God, our Savior, has made. If you are anything like me, you pray for God's will to be done in your life and then go about trying to make IT happen. Yes, we're to do our part, I'm to work as to the Lord, but, when things are tough, or their's conflict, something goes wrong, I/you start to complain. Errrrrr....why did that have to happen? Or, why did SHE have to say that, did you hear about what HE did.....? We even use disguises of prayer to complain and gossip.
What is God's attitude towards grumbling, whining, and complaining? Proverbs is full of wisdom and none is more powerfull than a direct note about what God HATES - 6:16,19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him.....and someone who complains and spreads discord amoung others.
How does it affect us when we acknowledge that God makes the day and then we complain to others, believers and non-believers alike, about the makings and happenings of the day? What does that do to our testimony? What happens to what we hear ourselves say?
(Side note.........of course, as Skip Heitzig points out in reference to Numbers 14, sometimes it is through our complaining that the God's glory shows up the most.)
Seriously, what do you say when you talk to yourself? You hear yourself pray, but then you hear yourself grumble, what does that do to what you really believe?
There's a host of other verses that come to mind about the tongue, the heart, and what proceeds from the mouth. Let's be mindfull of the fact that God made this day and not complain. This day isn't anything like what it will be like in Heaven, but He made it, let's be glad that He's giving us the struggles, that we are to test everything, grab what's good, and flee from evil. The challenge/conflict/struggle you are having is probably very very similiar to one you've had in the past; He brought you through that, He'll bring you through this one. Just remember and learn from the last time, don't waste that previous struggle by ignoring it ever happened and totally shutting it out.
God is good, all the time.
To that end......
What a statement of truth though - this is the day the Lord, our God, our Savior, has made. If you are anything like me, you pray for God's will to be done in your life and then go about trying to make IT happen. Yes, we're to do our part, I'm to work as to the Lord, but, when things are tough, or their's conflict, something goes wrong, I/you start to complain. Errrrrr....why did that have to happen? Or, why did SHE have to say that, did you hear about what HE did.....? We even use disguises of prayer to complain and gossip.
What is God's attitude towards grumbling, whining, and complaining? Proverbs is full of wisdom and none is more powerfull than a direct note about what God HATES - 6:16,19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him.....and someone who complains and spreads discord amoung others.
How does it affect us when we acknowledge that God makes the day and then we complain to others, believers and non-believers alike, about the makings and happenings of the day? What does that do to our testimony? What happens to what we hear ourselves say?
(Side note.........of course, as Skip Heitzig points out in reference to Numbers 14, sometimes it is through our complaining that the God's glory shows up the most.)
Seriously, what do you say when you talk to yourself? You hear yourself pray, but then you hear yourself grumble, what does that do to what you really believe?
There's a host of other verses that come to mind about the tongue, the heart, and what proceeds from the mouth. Let's be mindfull of the fact that God made this day and not complain. This day isn't anything like what it will be like in Heaven, but He made it, let's be glad that He's giving us the struggles, that we are to test everything, grab what's good, and flee from evil. The challenge/conflict/struggle you are having is probably very very similiar to one you've had in the past; He brought you through that, He'll bring you through this one. Just remember and learn from the last time, don't waste that previous struggle by ignoring it ever happened and totally shutting it out.
God is good, all the time.
To that end......
Why Work?
Quote in Your Work Matters to God by Sherman/Hendricks..
...by Dorothy Sayers, an author and professor in England. In April 1942, she delivered an address at Easbourne, England, entitled, "Why Work?" In aswereing that questions she said the following;
"In nothing has the Church so lost her hold on reality as in her failure to understand and respect the secular vocation. She has allowed work and religion to become separate departments, and is astonished to find that, as a result, the secular work of the world is turned to purely selfish and destructive ends, and that the greater part of the world's intelligent workers have become irreligious, or at least, uninterested in religion. But is it astonishing? How can any one remain interested in a religion which seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life?
Sayers, Creed or Chaos? page 56
...by Dorothy Sayers, an author and professor in England. In April 1942, she delivered an address at Easbourne, England, entitled, "Why Work?" In aswereing that questions she said the following;
"In nothing has the Church so lost her hold on reality as in her failure to understand and respect the secular vocation. She has allowed work and religion to become separate departments, and is astonished to find that, as a result, the secular work of the world is turned to purely selfish and destructive ends, and that the greater part of the world's intelligent workers have become irreligious, or at least, uninterested in religion. But is it astonishing? How can any one remain interested in a religion which seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life?
Sayers, Creed or Chaos? page 56
Worklife Coaching (TM)
Worklife Coaching today talked about building upon a proper foundation and how if you don't do so, your house will be condemn when it is finished.
How terrible to build your life on a bad foundation to find out at the end that Christ doesn't have you in the book of life...to be condemned because of your foundation.
How terrible to build your life on a bad foundation to find out at the end that Christ doesn't have you in the book of life...to be condemned because of your foundation.
The marketplace is to a metropolis what the heart is to the human body....from Silvoso's "Annointed for Business" http://tiny.cc/XTZKr
Wow. How to do this at work? RT @JohnPiper- 5 min video/audio of effort to say why the glory of God is central to ministry http://ow.ly/WdpT
Practicing Christianity: Being a Missionary at Work is a Process
A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear Leon Dillinger talk about his life as a missionary in New Guinea over the course of past 40 years.
One of the many interesting aspects of Leon and Lorraine's ministry was how they ministered through their work to the Dani tribe for 7 years before a single person confessed to accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. During the years leading up to the first conversion, and since, the Dillingers prepared and worked and prayed..over and over, day in and day out (it took him 1/2 that time to speak the same language). They ministered through their labor of providing medical services and introducing new food sources, planting crops, and living in the community. All these years they worked with the love of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in their heart and actions, believing that in time their work would make a difference.
Can you imagine a life of such patience and struggle but not seeing any results of your ministry? But the Dillingers knew their ministry was about their life in that tribal community, and in time, the Danis responded to the words, and the love, through the work. You and I are should look at our ministry in a like way. Most vocational missionaries (what you and I, as believers in Christ should be) have similiar experiences; years of living and preparing before any fruit shows itself.
I struggle with what causes a practicing Christian to think he or she should do anything different here in our America, than the Dillingers, and scores of missionaries like them, do every day.
The purpose of this website is to bring together my thoughts, notes and papers about this subject of God at Work. As I do so, my theme is Practicing Christianity. I haven't been overseas to live and work as a "missionary." I've worked in an office around Christians and non-Christians. I've spent time laying the foundations to share the Gospel and to wittness within my sphere of influence with my words and my work. Someone once said, "share the Gospel with everyone you come in contact with, and use words when you have to."
There is a parallel to the vocational, or traditional, missionary, and the "normal" worker and I believe they are much more the same than they differ. In a large part, my struggle, and I don't believe I'm alone, is with our culture. The normal church attender is told, mostly through omission, that our work is not as important as a third world country missionary. Yet, a Christian's work is every bit as important if we are working for our Lord and Savior. We must take notice of the purpose for which we are working. Whether you're working as an accountant, a broker, a truck driver, nurse or you're Leon Dillinger giving penicillin shots and planting lemon trees, it has eternal impact if your doing it with a mindset to enlarge and mature the body of Christ.
Jesus instructed his apostles to disciple, baptize, and teach everyone to observe what He commanded and the most important of those commands was to love. Leon and Loraine loved the people they were in community with and I can't imagine how hard that must have been at times. Paul reiterated Jesus' commanded by instructing the Colossians to proclaim Him through instruction and teaching so that we would present everyone complete in Christ.
What better way to observe Jesus commands that to go about our day with the mindset, the worldview, that we are missionaries to our community at work and to love those around us?
Lord, as I go about my world today, I pray that I honor your name by loving my co-workers. I pray that I look upon the unbeliever as natives to whom I'm to witness to about You. I pray my wittiness is not just with my words, but with my work. I pray that I listen to the groaning of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. Help me to help them to help others in your name. Blessed be your name, your kingdom come. Here in this community at home and work just as it is in Heaven. That your name is honored and that I am satisfied. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
One of the many interesting aspects of Leon and Lorraine's ministry was how they ministered through their work to the Dani tribe for 7 years before a single person confessed to accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. During the years leading up to the first conversion, and since, the Dillingers prepared and worked and prayed..over and over, day in and day out (it took him 1/2 that time to speak the same language). They ministered through their labor of providing medical services and introducing new food sources, planting crops, and living in the community. All these years they worked with the love of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in their heart and actions, believing that in time their work would make a difference.
Can you imagine a life of such patience and struggle but not seeing any results of your ministry? But the Dillingers knew their ministry was about their life in that tribal community, and in time, the Danis responded to the words, and the love, through the work. You and I are should look at our ministry in a like way. Most vocational missionaries (what you and I, as believers in Christ should be) have similiar experiences; years of living and preparing before any fruit shows itself.
I struggle with what causes a practicing Christian to think he or she should do anything different here in our America, than the Dillingers, and scores of missionaries like them, do every day.
The purpose of this website is to bring together my thoughts, notes and papers about this subject of God at Work. As I do so, my theme is Practicing Christianity. I haven't been overseas to live and work as a "missionary." I've worked in an office around Christians and non-Christians. I've spent time laying the foundations to share the Gospel and to wittness within my sphere of influence with my words and my work. Someone once said, "share the Gospel with everyone you come in contact with, and use words when you have to."
There is a parallel to the vocational, or traditional, missionary, and the "normal" worker and I believe they are much more the same than they differ. In a large part, my struggle, and I don't believe I'm alone, is with our culture. The normal church attender is told, mostly through omission, that our work is not as important as a third world country missionary. Yet, a Christian's work is every bit as important if we are working for our Lord and Savior. We must take notice of the purpose for which we are working. Whether you're working as an accountant, a broker, a truck driver, nurse or you're Leon Dillinger giving penicillin shots and planting lemon trees, it has eternal impact if your doing it with a mindset to enlarge and mature the body of Christ.
Jesus instructed his apostles to disciple, baptize, and teach everyone to observe what He commanded and the most important of those commands was to love. Leon and Loraine loved the people they were in community with and I can't imagine how hard that must have been at times. Paul reiterated Jesus' commanded by instructing the Colossians to proclaim Him through instruction and teaching so that we would present everyone complete in Christ.
What better way to observe Jesus commands that to go about our day with the mindset, the worldview, that we are missionaries to our community at work and to love those around us?
Lord, as I go about my world today, I pray that I honor your name by loving my co-workers. I pray that I look upon the unbeliever as natives to whom I'm to witness to about You. I pray my wittiness is not just with my words, but with my work. I pray that I listen to the groaning of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. Help me to help them to help others in your name. Blessed be your name, your kingdom come. Here in this community at home and work just as it is in Heaven. That your name is honored and that I am satisfied. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
RT @_Matt_Carter: Sermon Prep this morning. Back in Genesis...Looking at the Theology of Work. about 1 hour ago reply
Quote: R C Sproul on Work
Our culture tempts us to see work itself as a curse and to live for the day when we need not labor any more. But the Bible says we are made to work for God's glory, and although there may come a day when we may no longer be able to serve in our current vocations, there is no such thing as full retirement in the kingdom of God. Are you expressing your gratitude to the Lord for giving you work by endeavoring to serve Him with all that you are in?
From daily reading, Jan 14 (see notes) RCandWork
From daily reading, Jan 14 (see notes) RCandWork
The Lord created me at the beginning of His work, the first of His acts of old - Prov 8:22 6:27 AM Oct 8th, 2009 from Echofon
Notes: The Body, The Church, and At Work
Church as body and what that means at work.
1 Corinthians 12: 12, 14-23
Book: God in Work, chapter 11
Book and Workbook: Joy at Work...
1 Corinthians 12: 12, 14-23
Book: God in Work, chapter 11
Book and Workbook: Joy at Work...
Points to Pray and Ponder on: God, creation, rest, man&woman, garden, work, fall, cast out, work, Christ, cross/redemption. Our work? 4:42 PM Jan 8th from Echofon
Worldview
I get behind on many things because of my lack of interest in current events. This is due in part to the pure fact that today's current event is tomorrow's I don't remember what was current yesterday.
Somewhere along the line a big thing called worldview came about and I only started paying attention to this term about 18 months ago. After a few paying attentions I actually went a googled it and read what Wikipedia had to say about the subject.
My worldview goes something like this:
I practice looking at everything through the lens of being a Christian, but with a severe slant towards the work God put me here to do, combined with Jesus' commands.
This means that I learn and apply the work theme that God started during creation and continued after the fall.
Questions I regularly ask and explore are;
Somewhere along the line a big thing called worldview came about and I only started paying attention to this term about 18 months ago. After a few paying attentions I actually went a googled it and read what Wikipedia had to say about the subject.
My worldview goes something like this:
I practice looking at everything through the lens of being a Christian, but with a severe slant towards the work God put me here to do, combined with Jesus' commands.
This means that I learn and apply the work theme that God started during creation and continued after the fall.
Questions I regularly ask and explore are;
- what does God's word have to say about work?
- how is it applied do I apply God's word to my work?
- what work is depicted in the Bible?
- how did the characters in the Bible apply God's word in their work?
- what do and other believers had to say about work?
God created everything and it was work. That is evidenced by Him wanting to rest. He gave Adam and Eve authority over that creation by putting them in the garden to work and then casting them out to continue to work.
He has never told us to stop working and save for the some judges during Moses' time, we have never been told to retire.
This worldview is not easy, but then it is not supposed to be, except through Christ's redemption; through that love He has for us. Through him dying on the cross and Him exclaiming it is finished we can have the rest and joy in our work that Adam and Eve had before their sin.
To That End....
Remember...your work matters to God. He created everything from nothing and we're just reshaping it all. Glorify Him in your work today. 8:08 AM Jan 7th from web
Workplace Point to Pray & Ponder: to be annointed for business is to be set aside by God for service - Ed Silvoso 9:29 PM Jan 6th from Echofon
Points to Pray & Ponder about on inviting the Lord into your work today at Psalm 15. 7:02 AM Jan 6th from Echofon
RT @QBQGuy: "Who do leaders blame? Nobody, not even themselves." Blame is a cancer, personal accountability is the cure. www.QBQ.com 11:59 AM Jan 3rd from Echofon
Speed of Trust
Seperate blog site for laying out the 4 Cores of Credibility and the 13 Behaviors and then the scripture that coincides with it all:
http://thespeedoftrustingodseyesproject.blogspot.com/
Book review and some notes:
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/04/speed-of-trust-by-stephen-m-r-covey.html
http://thespeedoftrustingodseyesproject.blogspot.com/
Book review and some notes:
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/04/speed-of-trust-by-stephen-m-r-covey.html
Book: "The Preacher and The Presidents" by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
History and Biographies are an important part of the process of learning, and changing.
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-preacher-and-presidents-by-nancy.html
http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-preacher-and-presidents-by-nancy.html
The past year year has been spent searching out some matters (Prov 25:2), testing things while grabbing hold of what is good and letting go of what's not (1 Thes 5:21), and just generally trying to learn what Jesus meant by "observing all that he commanded" (Matthew 28: 20).
This site will be a major focus this year as I bring some things from my other blogs and unpublished notes together here.
To that end....God Bless, and be purposeful
This site will be a major focus this year as I bring some things from my other blogs and unpublished notes together here.
To that end....God Bless, and be purposeful
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