Relationship with God

Jesus needs you

Growth & Development, Relationship with God /

“Without God man cannot, without man God will not.” Augustine
We all know the story of Jonah and the extraordinary measures God used to get him to carry His message of repentance to the city Nineveh. And most people know the story of the man in Jesus’ parable of the talents, who buried his instead of investing it. Although Jonah, in running from God, was much more cantankerous than the one talent guy who simply refused to use his talent, they both were very much alike. Neither one of them thought God really needed them to do His work.

Both offered the same excuse for their stubbornness in not doing what God had asked them to do. Both rationalized that God in His might and sovereignty could do what he bid them to do without them, so why should they bother. (Jonah 4:2 & Matthew 25:24)

What they failed to understand about God is that He has chosen to delight Himself in working through the agency of man.

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One parable we all misinterpreted

3 Comments / Prayer, Relationship with God /

I say to you, although he will not get up and give them to him because he is his friend, because of his shamelessness, at any rate, he will rise and give him as many as he wants. (Luke 11:8)

Here is something to think about. What if the manner in which we have been interpreting this passage of Scripture is wrong? What if we have all missed the point Jesus was really making in this parable about a midnight request for bread from a neighbor? As a teacher of the Word of God, I am embarrassed to admit that I may have missed this one completely. And sadly, so may have every other teacher I have ever heard teach on this parable.

The key to the parable is the word shamelessness.

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God’s higher math

Relationship with God /

God’s math is higher than our math. In God’s economy if you want to multiply something you must first divide it and if you want to add something you must first subtract from it. It makes us scratch our heads and wonder how it works, but it just does. Consider the way in which Jesus fed the 5000 starting with just five loaves and two fishes. We are told that He divided them among the multitude and they all ate and were satisfied. When the disciples collected the leftovers, miraculously they had multiplied into twelve baskets full of bread and fish. (Mark 6:41-44) Go figure. How did He do that? The little boy who gave his lunch away ended up with a staggering return on his investment.

Walking with God requires faith and the ways of faith defy logic. (Habakkuk 2:4) God’s higher math applies to time. Think about the Sabbath principle. God created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established the seventh day as a day of rest. He then commanded His creation to incorporate a Sabbath rest in giving a day to Him, into the rhythm of our lives as well. When the demands of work and projects overwhelm us, the temptation is to skip the resting part and our time with God.

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A prescription for waning spiritual passion

2 Comments / Overcoming, Relationship with God /

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Isaiah 42:3

In my late twenties, several years following my conversion to Christ, I found myself struggling in my relationship with Him. I had been burning the candle at both ends carrying a full time job, trying to be a Godly husband and father with two little children while seeking to maximize whatever time was left over in serving Him. In the midst of leading a small group, teaching Sunday school, volunteering in a prison ministry and trying to be at church every time the doors were open I suddenly found myself without any passion in my personal relationship with Jesus.

Feeling overwhelmed and the need to cutback on my commitments to the church I went to the pastor to tell him about my burnout and feelings of estrangement from Jesus. With trepidation I approached him after a Sunday service and asked if he would release me from several of my serving commitments at church and pray for me.

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