One of the most significant things that different about me is that I have a newfound faith - something that's not entirely new, but definitely rediscovered, re-invented, redefined, and completely new from anything else in my life, ever. And I'm discovering that I simply cannot get enough of God. I've been going to church regularly (more than once a week, which for those of you who know me is a HUGE deal), I've been simply soaking myself in studying God's word and God's person, prayer, fellowship, meditation, and learning. And from that, I'd like to share a few things that I've recently learned that I was never taught in 18 years of going to Sunday School:
- Acts 2:42-47 -- This is what a christian community should be about! This is a church.
- God's material blessings to me and those around me is, in fact, a true BLESSING. It's what we do with these blessings that matters - and God calls us to use our material blessings to help others, not shed our blessings to be with others. There's a distinct and important difference, and it's something I struggle with.
- Regarding Doubts: "if you see through everything you see nothing. The point of doubt isn't to see 'through' everything, but to see what's on the other side."
- God has blessed each of His followers with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING that could be.
- God's plan A was the church. This was not His plan B or C or "collateral damage". THIS is the plan.
- Regarding Testimonies: Most people emphasize the "how bad they were before God" part. Shouldn't we be telling the story opposite; that is, shouldn't we be living radical, crazy lives AFTER we were transformed for Jesus? Shouldn't that be the glorified part? The "wow" part?
- If a stranger were to walk into a church, they should look around at the people and say, "what on earth could bring every single one of these people here? They are all so different - what could they possibly have in common?"
- Your life with God is like a bullseye, with God at the center. People are all over, facing different directions, walking different directions, some are close to the center some are far out. Obviously God cares about where we are in relation to Him, but more importantly, God cares which direction we are facing. If we are in the center but facing out, looking back at where we came from, at all of the great things we've done, at all the hoops we've jumped through, we've completely missed the point. God wants us to be facing him and walking forward, no matter where we are on the circle.
- God has entrusted me with the Gospel, and it is my responsibility to share it.
- We don't have to be perfect to come to God, but we do have to be ready to be perfected.
- Sometimes we grab a hold of an idea before God is done talking. We need to let God finish His sentences.
- God wants to do something ORIGINAL in me. Not something he's never done before -- something ORIGINAL. As in, original to His plan. Original to how He intended things to be. Original - back to the origins.
- Our spirituality is more important than our physicality.
- God often talks of His inheritance IN US. WE are God's inheritance!
- God is BIG!!!! (This is maybe my favorite thing about God... every time it makes me fall in love all over again.)
- God calls us to do nothing to discredit His name... and that's a big task!
- Prophecy and the Bible is actually NOT up to interpretation - God had only one meaning and one purpose to His word. (This is not to say that discussion should be squelched, or that His word isn't worth reading over again and again because there are many layers to things, but rather that each of those layers and facets to His word has only one true meaning as God intended. It is up to us to figure out what that is.)
- This is all temporary. The book of Revelations is my comfort many days.
1 comment:
Yeah, Sunday school failed to teach me alot, but I'm glad God is still teaching me more than I could ever imagine. Good to read your thoughts. =]
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