What's it mean to be a Christian in America? I am starting to believe that the Christian population is much more narrow than the statistics read. The amount of 'good and faithful servants' is narrow, while the number of those who may be credited to eternal life by the Holy Life, is broad. And still, I can judge only by the fruit, while He judges the heart.
Ghandi said, "There is enough in the world for everyone's need but there is not enough for everyone's greed."
And God says through Moses in Exodus, "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little (16:18)"
In Luke 3:11 John the baptist says, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
Can we count the number of hangers in our closets on one hand or even two? Can we justify our reasons for 5 pairs of shoes?
The fact is this: 80 percent of the world own 20 percent of the world's things while the elite 20 percent own the 80 percent of the world's material. America is a big chunk of that 20 percent. And I cry out, how can there be a Christian living in these conditions and stay true to him/herself? I cry out, I am clothed and fed while the world is naked and hungry.
I personally have felt convicted to rid myself of excess. America is built around excess and bulk and waste. I am on the journey to becoming simplistic, only taking what I need. My prayer is Proverbs 30:7-9: "Make me neither rich nor poor but only give to me my daily bread."
God did not make a mistake and make too many people with not enough provisions. It us our greed that creates poverty. But Jesus came and said and still says "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near."
To build a community, or rather discover a community (Church), in which God orchestrates and no one lacks anything (Acts 2-read the whole thing), is what it means to "Repent." The word Jesus used in Hebrew meant "Return to your orginal state." The pursuit of origin and the pursuit of an artist's orginal design are worthy causes.
I am devoted to One. I simply will not have my trust fall on someone it shouldn't, like a preacher or group of preachers in a church building willing to spend 6 million dollars on their next big idea.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Righteous Anxiety
Today we hold conferences and conventions and give reports and make our programs. None of these things were in the life of Jesus, and yet every minute of His life He realized that He was fulfilling the purpose of His Father. How did He do it? By maintaining the one relationship, and it is that one relationship He insists on in His disciples, and it is the one we have lost in the rubbish of modern civilization. If we try to live the life Jesus Christ lived, modern civilization will fling us out like waste material; we are no good, we do not add anything to the hard cash of the times we live in, and the sooner we are flung out the better.
In John's gospel this aspect of our Lord's life is more elaborately worked out than anywhere else. It is indicated in the other gospels (see Luke 2:49, 13:32, 12:50). Jesus knew He was here for His Father's purpose, and He never allowed the cares of civilization to bother Him. He did nothing to add to the wealth of the civilization in which He lived, He earned nothing; modern civilization would not have tolerated Him for two minutes.
"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" John 9:4
-Oswald Chambers
He just seems to know what I'm thinking most of the time. That entry was for April 27 and it's August 15. I'm not so sure of anything and that is what I am excited about. I know that one cannot keep walking in one's own way and expect to find a worm hole into the other direction. What I'm saying is this: one must put it in neutral before any other will may take precedence. Or like martial artist Bruce Lee explains: "One must empty one's cup before any new contents may enter."
I am suffocating here. I am dying from old maggoty bread. I remember when Moses led God's people through the desert, and how even though God had shown his great power to them, they grew confident in the materialistic and when situations became a little doubtful, so did the people. I remember when God sent his freshly baked bread from heaven to his starving people and how he gave them water gushing from a stone. His command was to only take what one needed and not to save any manna for the next day or maggots would surely devour it and it would rot. And it happened: the teenage boys decided to try it out and it really happened.. the bread turned to excrement. How often do we do this today? The church, how often do we do this?
"Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God." Proverbs 30:7-9.
How often do we expect what was good today to be good for tomorrow? Our church buildings reek of it.
God has revealed to me that Sunday does not go down the way he wishes. I believe there should be such thing as a Sabbath. NOT only not working, but resting. America doesn't work hard enough to rest and so it is always meddling in mediocrity, doing what seems so important to add to the wealth of the world. It may be the best speaker in the world, it may be the best sermon, but it is not what I need. I do not need another sermon. I need only, my daily bread, and community with my fellow Church. Today, the church of America is modeled after the theatre of America. The attenders come separately from all over for one single cause: to watch the show. And they leave separately without so much as saying hello or even holding the door for each other on the way out.
Do I think we should abandon the church or even refuse to call ourselves Christians? No, we should not be that materialistic. The materialistic-minded hate materialistic things. The spiritual-minded love below the surface. We're all still a family. I think design has gone out the window. We keep offering the offering of yesterday and expecting to get the return of yesterday. Well, in fact we are getting the return and it smells like skunk. I pray for reconciliation because the church building is worse on the fiery Christ-followers than anyone, not even to mention the lost sheep, the lost family.
Pray and obey.
In John's gospel this aspect of our Lord's life is more elaborately worked out than anywhere else. It is indicated in the other gospels (see Luke 2:49, 13:32, 12:50). Jesus knew He was here for His Father's purpose, and He never allowed the cares of civilization to bother Him. He did nothing to add to the wealth of the civilization in which He lived, He earned nothing; modern civilization would not have tolerated Him for two minutes.
"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" John 9:4
-Oswald Chambers
He just seems to know what I'm thinking most of the time. That entry was for April 27 and it's August 15. I'm not so sure of anything and that is what I am excited about. I know that one cannot keep walking in one's own way and expect to find a worm hole into the other direction. What I'm saying is this: one must put it in neutral before any other will may take precedence. Or like martial artist Bruce Lee explains: "One must empty one's cup before any new contents may enter."
I am suffocating here. I am dying from old maggoty bread. I remember when Moses led God's people through the desert, and how even though God had shown his great power to them, they grew confident in the materialistic and when situations became a little doubtful, so did the people. I remember when God sent his freshly baked bread from heaven to his starving people and how he gave them water gushing from a stone. His command was to only take what one needed and not to save any manna for the next day or maggots would surely devour it and it would rot. And it happened: the teenage boys decided to try it out and it really happened.. the bread turned to excrement. How often do we do this today? The church, how often do we do this?
"Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God." Proverbs 30:7-9.
How often do we expect what was good today to be good for tomorrow? Our church buildings reek of it.
God has revealed to me that Sunday does not go down the way he wishes. I believe there should be such thing as a Sabbath. NOT only not working, but resting. America doesn't work hard enough to rest and so it is always meddling in mediocrity, doing what seems so important to add to the wealth of the world. It may be the best speaker in the world, it may be the best sermon, but it is not what I need. I do not need another sermon. I need only, my daily bread, and community with my fellow Church. Today, the church of America is modeled after the theatre of America. The attenders come separately from all over for one single cause: to watch the show. And they leave separately without so much as saying hello or even holding the door for each other on the way out.
Do I think we should abandon the church or even refuse to call ourselves Christians? No, we should not be that materialistic. The materialistic-minded hate materialistic things. The spiritual-minded love below the surface. We're all still a family. I think design has gone out the window. We keep offering the offering of yesterday and expecting to get the return of yesterday. Well, in fact we are getting the return and it smells like skunk. I pray for reconciliation because the church building is worse on the fiery Christ-followers than anyone, not even to mention the lost sheep, the lost family.
Pray and obey.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
I am still. Painting. White.
I am still.
Feeling as if things will never change. Suffocation. I need change like fresh air.
I need it. Really bad.
Like a fish-out-of-water, son-in-law-needs-alibi.
Like when Aslan claws off Edmund's dragon scales. Like painting white. I need change. Oh.
I need less. I need a change for less. I dont know how to say it. I am feeling it.
And change hurts me too. I wish things were like two Christmases ago. But I would never have things the way they were in my conscious mind.
I promise I'm not doing drugs.
I promise I'm addicted.
I've only painted white for the last two weeks. Only white. eeeee
white.eewhite.wwwwwhitewwhitee.eeeee.wh.ite.whittteewhite.white.ee.
Feeling as if things will never change. Suffocation. I need change like fresh air.
I need it. Really bad.
Like a fish-out-of-water, son-in-law-needs-alibi.
Like when Aslan claws off Edmund's dragon scales. Like painting white. I need change. Oh.
I need less. I need a change for less. I dont know how to say it. I am feeling it.
And change hurts me too. I wish things were like two Christmases ago. But I would never have things the way they were in my conscious mind.
I promise I'm not doing drugs.
I promise I'm addicted.
I've only painted white for the last two weeks. Only white. eeeee
white.eewhite.wwwwwhitewwhitee.eeeee.wh.ite.whittteewhite.white.ee.
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