truth

Speak the truth but leave immediately after.

– Slovanian Proverb

I love it!! Of course, it’s taking the easy way out, and I suspect that running away is more likely to cancel out any ‘good’ that may have come from speaking the truth. But nevertheless, it was good for a laugh when I looked at it on my desk calender this morning.

I’m still doing a lot of thinking and reading and praying about the fact that Jesus said he was the Way, the Truth & the Life. I suspect that I’ll be spending a great deal of my time pondering this statement.

So, Jesus is the Truth. I like that. Truth is a person, not a set of ideals or principles. Wayne & Brad at The God Journey often talk about this and I have to say that it’s done my head in on more than one occasion, and I’m still not sure I get it.

It’s a bit of a paradigm shift really. After all, I’m rather good at taking in didactic teaching, remembering facts and quoting all manner of texts and information, as if by this I can prove myself ‘right’ or a defender of truth.

But, if Jesus is Truth, I mean, the real person Jesus, then really, while knowing information is helpful, the only true advantage is in knowing Him.

So once again I return to the Gospels, and to Jesus. To the One who is from always, and will be forever. The One who not only knows truth (for of course He does), but is Truth. The One who came and walked amongst us and showed us the Way to live a Life worth living in Truth. The One whom I love. Jesus.

on the improve

For the last 12 weeks I’ve been fighting off the ravages (p’haps a tad dramatic) of pneumonia, asthma and a cold.  I’m finally feeling like I’m getting on top of all three (Yay!) and beginning to feel mostly human again.  Such a relief!!  Many thanks to my friends who have prayed with and for me, and to that friend who let me stay in her nice, warm friendly house for 2 weeks.  Lovely.

Now that life is returning to it’s crazy ‘norm’, I’m hoping to be back in the swing of actually being able to think through where I’m at, and hopefully have something worth saying here in blogcity.

life together

Life together under the Word will remain sound and healthy only where it does not form itself into a movement, an order, a society… but rather where it understands itself as being a part of the one, holy, catholic, Christian Church, where it shares actively and passively in the sufferings and struggles of the whole Church. Every principle of selection, every separation connected with it that is not necessitated quite objectively by common work, local conditions, or family connections is of the greatest danger to a Christian community. When the way of intellectual or spiritual selection is taken, the human element always insinuates itself and robs the fellowship of its spiritual power and its effectiveness for the Church, and drives it into sectarianism.

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

living this life

The book of Romans is my second favourite in the Bible (second to John) and this morning I read through chapter 12.

Here’s my take on the chapter…

Verse

1. Live for God
2. Let God transform the way you think
3. Be humble before God, recognise that all that you have comes from Him
4. Everyone has a function in the Kingdom
5. We are all of Christ’s body, all of us, belonging to and working with one another
6. Use the gifts He’s given you and allow/encourage others to do likewise
7. Whatever that gift may be, do it intentionally
8. Live up to who He has made you to be, using the gifts He’s given you for the body
9. Love all, abhor evil, cling to goodness
10. Work together, love one another, encourage each other, serve together, be kind, have affection for one another
11. Be deliberate about it!
12. Rejoice in hope, be patient in times of trouble, pray always
13. look after each other
14. Bless those who seem to be against you, bless, bless and never curse. Desire their best, as Dad does.
15. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep – live life together
16. Associate with humble people, don’t rely on your own opinions, be open to being wrong
17. Don’t retaliate, rejoice in goodness
18. Live in peace with everyone
19. Don’t retaliate, that’s not your job. Your job is to bless.
20. If your enemy is in need, help him out
21. Don’t let the evil around you win, but over come it with goodness!

I love this stuff! It’s absolutely perfect.

Basically,

• Let Dad direct the way you live.
• Encourage those around you to do the same.
• Let each one play their part in the kingdom.
• Love your enemies

Beautiful!!

back

I was reminded recently that it’s time for my “monthly blog”.  I suspect there was a hint of sarcasm when my Canadian friend wrote this, due to (I’m sure) my complete slackness in keeping up my rolling commentary on life.   So, this blog is dedicated to Caz, my friend who is secure enough in our friendship to know that she can pick on me with indemnity and Ken for the phone call, encouragement and the like-minded heart for Dad’s Kingdom.  It has been a couple of months since I last blogged.  There are reasons for that, but I’m confident said reasons will no longer impact my blogging activity.  So I begin again with an earnest desire to record the things that Dad is teaching me:

• Follow Jesus, He is the Way
• Look for what He’s doing in my life and passionately pursue his agenda
• Look for what He’s doing in the lives of my friends, and encourage them to do likewise
• Look for what He’s doing in the lives of those around me and agree with it
• Abandon my own agendas and embrace His
• Have a reason for what I believe
• Don’t let the expectations of others get in the way
• Don’t let others impose their agendas on me
• Embrace life
• Live in today, not yesterday
• Intentionally live life with those around me
• Be intentional about being His disciple
• Say “yes” to God, it’s far more powerful than ‘no’ to sin
• Formulas don’t work and are often controlling, abusive and a very poor substitute for life in  the Kingdom
• Don’t impose my agenda on others
• Individual people matter. they are all ‘ones’
• Asking “why?” is a good thing
• Don’t defend myself, it’s silly
• Be the Church
• Love the Church
• Seek His wisdom
• Hang in there with people, never give up