CHRISTIAN JARGON

http://ebook30.com/security/security/11848/encyclopedia-of-cryptology-re-link.htmlFew years ago, I’ve had the “pleasure” of going to church with a sweet old lady who was so spiritual she wouldn’t even go to the market unless the Lord told her to. I’m not exaggerating. She considered her daily routines as divine appointments that a lot of times, she simply sounded out of this world. When you ask her how she was doing, she’d say something like, “Oh hallelujah praise God for His unfailing love that enables me to blah blah blah…” At the end of the conversation, you don’t really know her answer, you just get a mini sermon full of high sounding theological words.

It is good to acknowledge God in our daily lives but it is another thing to hide behind Christian jargon when confronted with daily realities. For most “regular” people, over-spiritualizing everything is weird. How can you keep a conversation with someone who tells you about divine guidance when you were just asking for spaghetti recipe?

When Jesus talked about “deep” theological stuff, He illustrated His point with simple things like rock, salt, birds and mustard seed. Some people love to do the exact opposite. When they talk of simple things, they professionalize their talk with complicated words like sedimentary formations (rock) or avian creatures (birds). My journalism professor had a point when he said, “Why write “conflagration” when you can write “fire?” Why indeed!

MEGAPHONE TOWARDS HEAVEN

http://www.mychristianconcierge.com/images/prayer-group.jpgIt was small group time tonight. Four of us guys gathered around pizza and pasta while we talked about God, our lives, jobs, church and our daily walk with Jesus. As always, it was awesome to just be surrounded by people who make a positive influence in your life, making you want to pursue higher goals for yourself.

Prayer time was simple but powerful. Have you ever tried listening to a person while he prays for you? Didn’t you ever wonder why that person would have the audacity to ask God for things in your behalf?

When a brother prays for you, some spiritual value gets added to your life. It’s as if your faint voice suddenly reverberates loudly in the throne room of God like you used a megaphone because it’s not just you who is asking, you got two or three people rallied behind you to ask God for whatever it is that you need.

God is compelled to listen to a group of people praying the same prayer. You know why? Aside from the fact that He is hearing multiple voices agreeing in unison, He is the one who promised so. “I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” Matt. 18: 19

How Do You Feel About the President?

How do we feel about our national leaders? I know that this is a sticky issue to blog about but I won’t be writing about politics so before you click your mouse away, read on. This is still a devotional blog.

I’m writing about Romans 13: 5, 7.

“It is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.”

“Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

I love the way conscience and respect are put together in a chapter on politics for Christians. The Bible didn’t give us conditions on what kinds of leaders to respect. The command is just there for all of us to ponder on (and obey). In the days when bashing our presidents is as normal as pancakes in the morning, the word of God confronts us.

ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT

http://www.margaretmorrisbooks.com/images/pharoah%27s_chariot_387x343-med-01.jpgWe all know the story when the Israelites were freed from Egyptian slavery, how they went happily on their way feeling all great and excited. Then the Pharoah suddenly realized that he just lost the entire labor force of Egypt and began pursuing them. (Exodus 14).

The human drama started when the Israelites realized that they were being pursued by their former masters. Some peole cried to the Lord, some cried to Moses, others simply grumbled and wished they died in Egypt. Moses, being the godly leader that he was, cried out to the Lord.

It was one of those “edge of your seat” kind of situations. The Lord allowed them to feel the danger first before finally doing the miraculous. What’s interesting is how the hearts of men are tested in those moments.

Looking at this, I think one definition of faith should be “trusting God in that span of time between the minute you realized you are in mortal danger until the time the miraculous rescue happens.” It’s hard to pull off actually, trusting God when everything around you is in chaos. Most people would panic and question God. Moses knew better.

But how did Moses know that God was gonna save them that way?

The answer is obvious: he didn’t. He simply trusted the character of God. Maybe he figured that it was so unlikely that the God who took all the trouble negotiating their release from Egypt would simply let them be slaughtered in the desert. He didn’t know what God would do next. He simply knew that God’s heart, plans and intentions can be trusted no matter what.

(This post is part of the blog carnival Bridget Chumbley and Peter P. started. Read all the posts from the link here.)