Purpose & Authority

March 19, 2012

Not too much to write about pretty much same old except for March madness which we have been enjoying with our friends.

There are a few movies that you can watch and instead of becoming dumber or worldlier you can actually be challenged and inspired. We watched Blindside the other night and it just made me want to live with purpose. Too often Christians fail to live with purpose. We just live for ourselves. Our time, our fun, our families, our plans…forgetting about the people, needs, and world. There is a lot of hopelessness in a purposeless life. Too many Christians are searching for purpose. We think we are the ones to choose our purpose. We are wrong. God has given us purpose. He has given us our purpose in life. We are worship Him, be His witnesses, go and make disciples, defend and care for the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens… So are we living with purpose – God’s calling for us? I use to think we had to be called to do something but now I wonder hasn’t God already called us to it in His Word? Aren’t we all called to obey and honor God, to be missionaries, to help those in need, to love…? Yes! So what are you doing? Blindside made me think of my parents who adopted 5 of God’s children. We have churches full of people who love living in their comfortable, safe homes with their normal, easy, comfortable, safe families. There are children and people who need help, a home, family, and Jesus. We have it but will we share it? God tells us to. Will we obey or disobey? There doesn’t have to be orphans. God’s people can change lives and the world. I know it wont be easy and will change our lives but if we are more concerned with comfort than we are not Christ disciples. It will be living with purpose and God will be with you.

Kinda along those lines, Josh preached Sunday on creation. One point he made was how God’s word has authority. He spoke and creation obeyed. God has spoken to us through His Word. His Word has authority. Do we obey? God said, “Seek first the kingdom of God, flee from evil, go and make disciples of all nations, defend and look after the least of these, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, do not love the world, forgive as I have forgiven you…” Does His Word have authority in our lives? Are we obeying His Word? What a challenge. We need to repent and obey the authoritative Word of God in our lives.

Last week Josh taught about forgiveness in Obule. He was so excited about what God was going to do he invited me to come for the afternoon and be apart of it. I was blessed to see the Spirit work that afternoon. I was moved to tears seeing my friends in Obule choose to forgive. I wasn’t the only one crying. I know these people and what God is doing in them is real when there is so much emotion. It is not culturally accepted to cry here unless it is a funeral and then you are expected to wail. The things these people have to forgive are things I can’t even imagine. There are also constant injustices they have to forgive. Their choosing to forgive because God says to is humbling to me. Standing at the cross with them, laying down all the hurts and pains, and worshiping God together was a beautiful thing. After the time of forgiveness they shared how peace comes with forgiveness and how they learned that they need to forgive if they want God to forgive them. It made me think of how many Christians are not forgiven because they have not forgiven. We don’t like to talk like that but it is truth from God’s Word. I thank God for challenging me through His people in Obule. And for the power of forgiveness.

Lydia is so much like me. Today she got all upset when her sister bothered her. They both got a punishment. Lydia just cried and said how she hates that she sins and wishes there was no sin. She said she feels so bad when she does something wrong. So we talked about how that is the Holy Spirit working inside of her. I reminded her that God doesn’t like sin either but how much He loves us to forgive us every time we do sin. It is hard to see her so upset and I understand. No one needed to punish me as a child I had enough guilt to punish myself. But I am thankful that Lydia is so sensitive and desires not to sin.

Enough “preaching” from me, till next week… May God fill us with wisdom, strength, truth, and peace so we can do all He has entrusted us to do.