Jul 6, 2010
In class we went through a book called the “Pursuit of God.” Then we had to share in front of our classmates what we thought and learned from the book. This is what I shared, in teaching format. (Sorry if its a little long)
Who is God to You?
Is He like the president? Some one that you know is there and is high and important, maybe one day someone you think it would be cool to meet; someone that passes laws that you can or cannot choose to follow?
Or, is he like your favourite movie star or singer? A person you greatly admire and dream of meeting one day but, you know it will probably never happen. A person you love and respect and do some of the same things He does, but, all in all your lives are almost completely different. OR…
Is God your best friend? The person that you spend most of your time with; Someone, who you would go to the moon and back for if they asked; Someone that you talk to on a daily basis and he\she talk back.
My whole LIFE, Up until a couple of years ago God was the president! I didn’t pay much if any attention to Him, like I do the prime minister of Canada, but I followed the rules and behaved well. Then 2008 in my senior year of high school God totally revolutionized my Life. He became a personal, loving God, a God that gives good gifts to His children, a friend. That in essence is what the book “The Pursuit of God” is all about. God can be known as much as you and your friends know each other. He can be felt, and loved as if He were your spouse. And the best part about all this is He desires that kind of relationship with each and every one of His children. Praise God! Doesn’t that sound great?
However… This Kind of relationship does not come without a cost. If you truly desire a close relationship with Christ then everything else in your life must take second place. God is not pleased to give Himself fully to you, unless you give yourself fully to Him. Paul said it well in the third chapter of Philippians.
Paul, a man of the Law was blameless, a Pharisee of Pharisee’s. He was looked upon as a righteous man, respected by all. Everything he had a Pharisee though, he gave up. Look what he says in verse 7and 8.
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may Gain Christ. Christ is worth your whole life, and more.”
The book put what I have been feeling into words, and strengthened my resolve to seek God, to expect great things of Him and to make Him my all, my everything. I want to be able, with Paul to say. I have counted all things as rubbish that I may gain Christ. How is this done? Some practical steps though that are sure to help.
For one, if anything in our life is important to us, we must ask ourselves. If God asked me to give this up, would I be able to? If God asked me to sacrifice my very own son like he did to Abraham would I be able to? Even if you don’t have children that can apply to many things. Money is a big one, food, clothes, friends, family, yes even your very self. If God asked you to go to a foreign country to preach the gospel, in which you would probably die. Would you? I know I wouldn’t, and that’s why we need this second step.
We must be constantly asking the God of the universe to change us, mould us and give us the strength to give up everything for Him. You just can’t do it alone. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in us to will and to do for his good pleasure.” Cry out to God, it is the only way.
To end, I would like to share this quote with you written by Brother Yun and a Chinese House church leader.
“I had experienced so much in those four years, but God had been faithful. I’d suffered some horrible tortures, but God had been faithful. I’s been dragged in front of judges and courts, but God had been faithful. I’d been hungry, thirsty, and had fainted from exhaustion, but God had been faithful.
Through it all, God was always faithful and loving to me. He had never left me nor forsaken me. His grace was always sufficient and he provided for my every need. I didn’t suffer for Jesus in prison. No! I was with Jesus and I experienced his very real presence, joy, and peace every day. It’s not those in prison for the sake of the gospel who suffer. The person who suffers is he who never experiences God’s intimate presence.”(The Heavenly man, pg 187)
Have you experienced that presence? Who is God to you?
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Jun 4, 2010
The Students really enjoyed going through the book/videos Jesus Style by Gayle D. Erwin.
The Nature of Jesus
1. Servant
2. Not Lord It over Others
3. Lead by Example
4. Humble
5. As A Child
6. As the Younger
7. As the Least
8. Last
9. Used No Force on Us
10. Was Not Driven by Selfish Ambition
11. Made Himself of No Reputation
12. Was Fully Human
13. Obedient
14. Unto Death
15. Ressurection
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Jun 3, 2010
In class we are going through a unit on grace using various testimonies, all while going through the two books, “Grace Awakening” by Charles Swindoll, and “What’s so Amazing about Grace” by Phillip Yancey.
God’s been teaching me a lot about His grace and forgiveness. Before I go into what I’ve been learning about grace and forgiveness, I’ll share a few quotes from Phillip Yancey that really stood out to me.
“The past must be remembered before it can be overcome.” (Phillip Yancey pg. 129)
“’Forgiveness is not just an occasional act: it is a permanent attitude,’ said Martin Luther King Jr.” (Phillip Yancey pg. 137)
“Without forgiveness we cannot free ourselves from the grip of the past.” (Phillip Yancey pg. 120)
“Forgiveness is not the same as pardon…you may forgive one who wronged you and still insist on a just punishment for that wrong. If you can bring yourself to the point of forgiveness…you will release its healing power both in you and in the person who wronged you.” (pg. 103 Phillip Yancey)
In my past, I’ve had a few people that have made my life kinda difficult. No matter how difficult that may be however, I had always forgiven them. I had the mind set, “love the sinner, hate the sin”, which is good, but I missed something in that lesson. I left out the part where I let that person know that I have indeed forgiven them. Not that I’ve pardoned their wrong-doing, but that I am not going to hold it against them ever. Who am I that I wouldn’t forgive someone, after God has forgiven me of so much?
That being said, God has grown me tremendously in my heart to forgive people. I’m happy to say that I’m at the point where I want to hug all those that have hurt me, and tell them, “It’s okay. I forgive you, and love you, and so does God.” And boy is that a liberating feeling to not be chained to the past any longer! Praise God! His grace is sufficient!
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Jun 1, 2010
A few months ago we went through Gayle Erwin’s “Jesus Style” series and this was a piece of advice given to us during one of the class times: “go to the mirror and create every emotion you can come up with, then find the face of grace and freeze it.”
As I went through this series with our class, it was made clear over and over that Jesus was completely “others centered.” Every attribute that was listed revolved around Jesus being a servant to everyone else in every situation. (Mark 10:45)
It is our job to become like Christ and to follow His example laid out for us during His time on earth. Philippians 2 opens with a plea for us to pursue the nature of Jesus in our lives by loving one another and valuing them above ourselves in the same way Christ valued us to the point of death on a cross that we might be reconciled with Him in heaven.
I desire to be a person so full of the love in 1 Corinthians 13 that it overwhelms me! I can’t live out that life on my own, no matter how desperately I may try. The only way I can even come close without feeling completely overwhelmed is for God to live out that love through me and to follow the example given us by His son.
I pray that as I continue to grow and seek the Lord that my heart will become more and more like His and that the people I encounter will experience His love because it is simply overwhelming me and flowing over.
I want my face to forever be a reflection of the grace I have received in Christ with no room for condemnation to others. I know I mess this up daily but its something the Lord is teaching me and I wanted to share that bit with you =)
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Jun 1, 2010
In class we just recently went thought a unit on Grace. I learned about God giving us grace and about the grace that I should be giving others. We are completely being covered by God’s Grace, but this doesn’t give me the freedom to sin just because of God’s grace, Romans 6:1– What shall we say then shall we continue I sin that grace may abound? God forbid. God’s Grace is like a steady rain, that never stops flowing over you! I have learned where I have had to give myself grace to grow and when I mess up I don’t need to beat my self up about it. Where I have to give my family grace to grow in the Lord. I can’t control the decisions of my family and friends. I can control my own actions and honor the Lord with my decisions and not become legalistic. When I fail the Lord gives me grace to move on and change. When I fail the Lord gives me grace to move on and change.
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