Of Gentleness and Thievery

"There is nothing stronger than gentleness." - Abraham Lincoln

This is true of Jesus, I pray it becomes more true for me on a daily basis.

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit but not one we often try to cultivate and not one that is considered masculine aka manly.

Can I take criticism, unfair, unkind remarks without lashing out or losing my temper?
Can I turn the anger of others to calm with my demeanor?
Do I abuse my authority or mistreat those I under my authority?

Jesus exemplified gentleness at his own trial. He had the authority to end the charade. He had the power to destroy his adversaries. He had the right to put a stop to the proceedings or even turn the tables on his accusers. He had the means to enact revenge. Instead he showed the strength to endure it all without a hint of malice or thought of retribution. He remained calm, his gentleness was his great strength.

I see gentleness as a humble kindness stemming from inner strength and inner peace that comes from Christ. It starts with controlling one's temper but goes much deeper to include having such an inner confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit that you realize your temper, your tongue, none of it is yours to loose any longer.

The thing is I am not there yet, so often I still feel ownership of that which I no longer own. I reclaim possession of that which is no longer rightfully mine. I am weak...

On Being a Dad: 01.28.09 : Perspective

It's always about perspective isn't it?  Well maybe the answer to that question depends on your perspective.  As a father of an active 2 year old warrior for Jesus, mommy loving, Tigger emulating bouncing boy I am often floored by what God teaches me through him.  Today as he often does, Elijah begged me to let him turn on the lights.  Now to be more specific anytime we are in one of the bedrooms or the living room and I pick Elijah up he wants to pull the 2 chords dangling from the ceiling fan.  I will pick him up and suddenly this new height perspective (those that know me are inserting short jokes at this very moment) causes a flood of new desires and goals to enter into Elijah's lexicon of activities.

No longer is he content to just play with his big block lego's, Noah's ark, or Hotwheels.  He wants to "tuwn on lights, daddy, tuwn on lights!"  Or he wants to reach for something previously hidden from his view that sits atop the entertainment center.  He wants to reach for, take hold, or engage in activities that previously were not at his disposal and not even on his radar as an option for consideration.

I realize me taking him in my arms and lifting him up is just like my time spent with God.  Often times I am just down here minding my own business or other times I cry out to Jesus to lift me up but either way I am down in my limit perspective. Left on my own I am incredibly short-sighted, easily amused (at least for a little while) and really just living in a childish, limited reality.  It is those times that God my Father lifts me up to be apart of something bigger, deeper, more meaningful that my perspective is changed, even shattered and I realize the incrible and wonderous opportunities that open up when I join God and am allowed to see from his perspective.  These times also make me feel small, they show me that I have been "too easily amused, too easily satisfied, and sometimes too willing to settle, give-in, or give-up."

It took looking at things from my 2 years old limited perspective for God to remind me of my limited, short-sighted perspective.  Sometimes life is a mess all around me but if I would just lift my voice up to God, cry out to Jesus to pick me up and help me see things from His vantage point my whole life and my whole world change in those moments.  Come to Him with the faith of little child but stay for the grown-up perspective.

God's kingdom is like a mustard seed.  His ways are higher than my ways, higher as in they blow mine out of the water and they blow my mind.  His thoughts are not my thoughts, compared to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe I can comprehend God's thoughts and actions about as well a as a 2 year old can comprehend the danger and wonder and power of the electricity courseing through the unseen wires that come to the ceiling fan of the chords he want to pull. But man is that power there doing its job and wow what an impact it would make if he got ahold of it somehow by accident.  From God, the Father of Lights, comes every good and perfect gift and in Him there is no darkness, no shadow, only pure unadulterated light.  How majestic? How awesome.

That is why He is God and that is why though I can not comprehend it all and I know like sticking my finger in light socket--IT"S GONNA JACK ME UP!  I want more of God's perspective and less of the lowdown, short-sighted, limited-eye view that I get when left to my own.  It took my 2 year old to remind me of that tonight.  Come on God, lift me up out of this and show me what I am missing! That is my prayer. Jack my jaw for Jesus! 

I want to go to Heaven...

This line has been around for awhile at least...but it reoccurred recently while listening to the new disc by The Streets 'Everything is Borrowed.' The song title is 'Heaven for the Weather' and the whole line is:
"I wanna go to heaven for the weather, hell for the company"

Now there are all kinds of folks with similar sentiments to this lyric.  What do you think is the missional response to someone that feels this way. To be honest I am a Christian and I feel this way sometimes in that I would much rather be around unchurched people than "church people". I would rather be around the irreligious than the religious.

Missionally speaking we are called to represent the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. How do we do it in such away that draws people towards it rather than drives them away?

American Teen Fighting World Wide Slavery

Zach Hunter is a teenager and a modern day Abolitionist. He is 15 years old and he is fighting modern day slavery, he has founded Loose Change to Loosen Chains, and he has written a book "Be the Change."

Here is a video along with links to see this amazing story. I hope it inspires you, encourages you, and challenges you.



Links:

See he him on both CNN and CBN news.

Help make an Amazing Change.

More resources and info for individuals, families, youth groups and churches.

From Around the Web

The Jolly Blogger summarizes some recent studies detailing the beliefs and lifestyles of 18-25 year olds. Or you can see the entire Pew Research Center findings in PDF.

Ben Witherington author of one of my favorite books from college wrote an article in CT about the passing of New Testament scholar and early manuscript expert Bruce Metzger. Then on top of that he blogs twice in one week about the infamous Rob Bell making an appearance at the University of Kentucky, first here and then here. Both great discussions of Bell's thoughts and theology.

Church Marketing Sucks mentions getting people out of the Christian Ghetto which I blogged about recently as well.

Great Audio finds of the week:
Alistair McGrath critiques athiest Richard Dawkins' arguments in the book "The God Delusion."
Ed Stetzer at the Baptist Identity Conference delivered the message "Towards a Missional Convention"