Monday, August 31, 2009
What's stopping you?
So like I said at the very beginning of this blog, we often limit ourselves and limit God because we rationalize our potential away and try to remain comfortable. In light of what I just wrote, and in the great promise that we are "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37) I just want to ask the question (again if you checked my facebook) of 'what is stopping you from changing the world?' Don't for a second think you can't. It might be hard, but Christ conquered everything, including death...Stand strong. Let His glory shine through you.
Oaks of Righteousness
So taking that topic of faith and running with it a little further, I just want to discuss a big theme in my life for the past several months. My theme has been based around a verse and a common parable. The verse is short and simple. Isaiah 61:3 says "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." The parable is the parable of the sower, which I have already talked about a couple times.
So I've often hiked through the forest and passed by big tall oak trees. They really are a sight to be seen, but what is even more amazing is not their aesthetics, but rather it is their incredible sturdiness. Oaks are very strong trees that withstand the fiercest of occasions. I think this is part of the reason that Isaiah used such language. When Christ raises us up for HIS glory, we are to be very strong, and not blown over by the inevitable storms of life.
Kind of running off of that, I ran across an analogy used by Beth, a director of B2B. She talks about the same imagery of a tree, but brings into the very picture the very important aspect of the fruit in which we bear. She likes to say that we start at the roots, and that that is where we are drawing our sustenance which directly affects our trunks, or our what she refers to as self image. In turn that self image directly affects the top of the tree, the part which bears the fruit.
Where am I going with this? Those trunks, while very hidden under the ground, are the most important aspect of the whole tree for without them the rest of the purpose of the existence of the tree begins to crumble. It is so important to watch what you are letting "in your water" for it can very easily jump right up into that self image weaken you to the point of falling at the slightest breeze. We need to be firmly rooted in Christ and in his Word; In Truth so that when tests and trials do come we are healthy, and firmly rooted. We can stand and display the splendo of God. Even more importantly we want to be producing the best fruit we can for we exist for the benefit of others. We want to multiply God's splendor, not a poisoned counterfeit...
So back to faith...the other day I stumbled over another verse that kind of tied together my thoughts on the issue. That verse is Hebrews 11:7 which speaks this of Noah, "By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." So the question of how do we become an oak of righteousness is pretty simply answered. Faith is the stepping stone to righteousness...It starts with belief...belief in the Truth, them leads to action (as is seen in the examples of faith in Hebrews 11).
So just take a second to evaluate yourself. Do you feel like an oak of righteousness? Also ask yourself what kind of story your fruit tells? Be honest with yourself.
If you'd like to talk more about this or anything please just contact me. Love ya'll!
So I've often hiked through the forest and passed by big tall oak trees. They really are a sight to be seen, but what is even more amazing is not their aesthetics, but rather it is their incredible sturdiness. Oaks are very strong trees that withstand the fiercest of occasions. I think this is part of the reason that Isaiah used such language. When Christ raises us up for HIS glory, we are to be very strong, and not blown over by the inevitable storms of life.
Kind of running off of that, I ran across an analogy used by Beth, a director of B2B. She talks about the same imagery of a tree, but brings into the very picture the very important aspect of the fruit in which we bear. She likes to say that we start at the roots, and that that is where we are drawing our sustenance which directly affects our trunks, or our what she refers to as self image. In turn that self image directly affects the top of the tree, the part which bears the fruit.
Where am I going with this? Those trunks, while very hidden under the ground, are the most important aspect of the whole tree for without them the rest of the purpose of the existence of the tree begins to crumble. It is so important to watch what you are letting "in your water" for it can very easily jump right up into that self image weaken you to the point of falling at the slightest breeze. We need to be firmly rooted in Christ and in his Word; In Truth so that when tests and trials do come we are healthy, and firmly rooted. We can stand and display the splendo of God. Even more importantly we want to be producing the best fruit we can for we exist for the benefit of others. We want to multiply God's splendor, not a poisoned counterfeit...
So back to faith...the other day I stumbled over another verse that kind of tied together my thoughts on the issue. That verse is Hebrews 11:7 which speaks this of Noah, "By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." So the question of how do we become an oak of righteousness is pretty simply answered. Faith is the stepping stone to righteousness...It starts with belief...belief in the Truth, them leads to action (as is seen in the examples of faith in Hebrews 11).
So just take a second to evaluate yourself. Do you feel like an oak of righteousness? Also ask yourself what kind of story your fruit tells? Be honest with yourself.
If you'd like to talk more about this or anything please just contact me. Love ya'll!
Doubt and Faith
Wow...it's been awhile since I last wrote, but rest assured I have a whole list of things I want to blog on. I will just start with probably one of the simplest yet ground breaking statements that one of my mentors said to me. We were just having a discussion about various things one night at Applebees, one of which was the subject of faith and doubt. All he said was this, "Doubt is necessary, for without doubt there would not be faith, but rather there would be certainty." I don't know. Maybe I'm retarded but that little seed of a thought exploded in me as I dwelled upon it for the following weeks. For starters it eliminated a ton of guilty feelings that rolled around in my head as I had just struggled with the fact that I doubted things and that I felt like such a sinner because of it. Not only that, it brought to my attention the way in which God so very often acts. Often He will give us an urging, or whatever you want to call it, via the Spirit, but yet often there is deep doubt. So very often we can let ourselves be overcome simply by these thoughts when what is required of us is a single step out over that barrier of doubt to see God start working in the plans He already has in store for us. Faith is about that step, in fact I would venture as far as to say it IS that step and the ones following. It's not just thinking against doubt, which is more of a thing of belief. It is action. Sure belief is good, in fact is is the foundation of faith but what good does it do without action? How can God use you if you sit there and believe something but never act upon it? Faith is action. Christ is about action. How are you going to act?
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