George's Journey

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George Little

Mark read out a verse at church on Sunday that really resonated with me. It was 2 Corinthians 6:4-10. It listed some of characteristics of the life that Paul lived for Jesus. It struck me as being so real and blunt. It also struck me as being a rather interesting resume.

In our work life we all have resumes or CVs that we try to construct so as to give a realistic picture of ourselves as possible. Okay, I know that some of them are a little embellished to make us look better than we are but ours should be the truth without distortions. I feel this scripture is the unembellished resume of every Christian who is walking by faith.

Consider this list of "qualifications".

"in great endurance;
in troubles, hardships and distresses;
in beatings, imprisonments and riots;
in hard work,
sleepless nights and hunger;
in purity,
understanding, patience and kindness;
in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
in truthful speech and
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left
through glory and dishonour,
bad report and good report;
genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

Wow, that's a lot of reality packed into a few verses. You have to read it through again to get a better grip on this "warts and all" view of life in Christ.

This walk of faith seems to have more down sides than up sides. Well, maybe not, when you consider the big up side is Jesus and eternal life. However we have go tot learn that our walk with Jesus has some serious challenges. Our resume looks a little "spotty" from a human point of view but from where God is sitting this is the life He planned for us. It's a life lived just like the life Jesus lived.

Easter Monday

Nobody had died for me on this day. No one was raised from the dead for me.

Today I lived by faith the glorious life that God has given me as best I could. Spent most of the day with my family. After the day I was feeling happy and content. I have not laughed this hard in a long time. My sons have a way of cheering my heart like no one else.

My grandson never fails to bring a smile to my face. His passion for life, for food, for fun and for family just lifts my soul.

A holiday is great but in God's family it is more than a day off. It is nourishment for the spirit. It is regeneration of the heart.

Thank you Father.

The Non-Negotiables

I was challenged recently by a blog by a distant friend of mine, Dave Wasson. He decided to compile a list of non-negotiables in his life, hills he would defend with a fight. It made me think. After living a lengthy life so far, what things have I concluded are the truly important, the Non-Negotiables. In an honest moment I decided to compile my own list and share it. Time will tell if there is wisdom in this.

Rather than make it an unending list I decided to make it the top ten non-negotiables. They are not in order of priority but if you challenge me on any of these you will get determined and loving resistance. Don't try me when I am tired. You will still get resistance but I will get a bit nasty.

My love for my wife, sons, daughter in laws and grandson
My faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together, the creator and sustainer of all and redeemer of all who will choose Him.
The love God has for me as expressed in the life, death and rising of Jesus
My obligation to preach the truth no matter how much it might offend friends, leaders or enemies
I am a sinner who daily needs help from the Holy Spirit, friends, family and those I will meet today
God has a plan for me and my wife
I love my church, warts and all, while realising I am one of the warts
I am expecting heaven and a long talk with Jesus
My pride in my sons
Led Zeppelin are the greatest rock group of all time

What are your non-negotiables? Have a go at making a list. You will be surprised what a clarifying experience it is to compile one and what a liberating experience it is to share it. Blog it, Facebook it, preach it, write it on a napkin, just do it. When you look in the mirror what are the non-negotiables that make you who you are? We are all unique creations of the Father. Our lists will differ but that's who we are.

Things That Won't Get You To Heaven

The longer I minister in the kingdom the more I come across false ideas of what it takes to get a reconciled relationship with God that will lead to a home in heaven. Here are some that we need to back away from. They aren't even a little bit "true". They are lies and we must reject them. Here's the list of ways some Christians seek to use to get saved and go to heaven.

Going to church - This is the "religious" way. It goes like this, "if I do lots of religious stuff (Christian of course), especially going to church, that will give me enough points to go to heaven". People who subscribe to this will never miss a church service but will often gossip, lie, cheat on their taxes and frequent porn sites. The way to heaven, for them, is one compartment of their lives and as long as they get that compartment right then nothing else matters. Once you learn the modern proverb of the chicken you will no longer hold onto this charming little idea. What proverb? I'm glad you asked. I'm sure this comes out of some rural preacher's manual. "Being at church doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a chicken coop makes you a chicken". Rather agricultural but you can't fault the logic.
Being Nice - It's the "be a good boy and God will be forgive you" path. It is usually linked with the "passing grade" approach to salvation. Most of us realise we just don't seem to be good all the time and so we have invented the idea that God "grades on the curve". Falsely it asserts that as long as you have more good in you than bad then you pass the grade and get the big tick from God. Only problem with this idea is that God never said it.
Baptism - Don't get me wrong. Baptism is a vital part of our acceptance of God's gift of forgiveness. However I'm talking about the idea that many have that as long as I was baptised with the right words said over me, then that is really the only determining factor in whether I'm saved or not. Baptism is not the key to heaven. God is very clear what is the key. More on that if my next blog.
Being Right - It's the old "right doctrine" makes my church the true church and gets me to heaven. This one sounds "kinda right" but it isn't. While we should always strive to learn the truth on every matter from scripture there is no scripture that says I have to get 100% mark on a Theology 101 test to be a true Christian. I used to subscribe to this false notion. But when I started to think about it I realised how false it was. Why? Two things. Firstly, God never said it. Secondly, there has never been even one Christian who had perfect doctrine. Even with the Holy Spirit and the Bible we are not the smartest tools in the shed. There weren't any in the first century church. Every letter in the New Testament is written to get people to correct their teaching (as well as other things). I have never found one Christian who will attest to me that they have gotten all the teachings of God correct all the time.
Being Right on a Special List of Teachings - This is a sub-category of the previous one. For some churches it is getting the teaching on the Sabbath correct. For others it is the pattern of public worship. For others it is baptism. For others it is 5 points of Calvinism. Nowhere did Jesus or His apostles ever teach that believing all the right things on a subset of beliefs makes you or your church the chosen ones.

Lists get a little bit boring after a while don't they? But you get my point. These things are all good things but none of them get you to heaven. Well, what does? I think you know but I'll be blogging about that soon anyway. See you then.

They Should Do Something

We have all grown up in an age where institutions have been promoted as the solution to our problems. We have taken to this idea with such relish that we have almost come to worship it.

So often, when there is a problem in my life, I have often been heard to say, "THEY should do something about this" or "SOMEONE should do something about this" or "SOCIETY made me do it" or "It's the school system to blame" (insert any blameworthy insitution eg. government, Muslims, Christians, the Church etc. etc.).

Let's notice two truths that immediately present themselves.
1. Institutions don't really solve any of the crucial social ills. Before the elections they claim they will. The first year after the election they try a bit. The second year after the election they tell us why they can't. The their year after the election they start claiming they can if they get re-elected.
2. It is the individual (you and me) who has the real power to bring about change that is good and real.

Jesus came to world riddled with institutions. Similar institutions to the ones we have now except we just have better technology. Not just institutions like government, the military and religion but institutional ills like slavery. He never once spoke against the institutions. He did have a go at some individuals in those bastions. He never tried to enter government as many of the upstart saviours of the day. He didn't start a social justice movement aimed at the violations of human rights.

He walked up to people and said, "Love God. Love each person around you". He was very focused on every single person. He challenged each of them and now challenges each us to throw off our victim status and and begin solving our problems by doing what He says.

Science, government, academia et al promise to save us from all our woes. Yet their promises ring hollow. They give us a better standard of living but they don't really effect in any major the crimes stats. Seriously, do you think that fewer children are being violated, fewer women getting raped, etc.? Only Jesus can save. He has been tried and found effective by millions of people for two thousand years.

Yes, Jesus. Not the church. Not religion. But Jesus' teachings being lived out in the life of people like you and me. Not an institution but a Christian.

2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal

Read this article recently. Made me think. Check it out.
2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal

Yes, it is a catchy headline and it is not what Kurzweil said. However lets consider a few facts.

On its best day computer technology can only process data incredibly fast. It can't think about the data. It can't take into account life variables such as morality, laws, feelings etc. It can process information at high speed but in the end all it has is highly processed information.

Despite such fanciful movies views of the present (Enemy of the State), the near future (Eagle Eye) and the not to distant future (Terminator movies) computers can only do what they are programmed to do. Sounds boring and you won't see a movie about it.

Oh they can really mess you up. Remember the old adage, "To err is human but to really screw things up takes a computer".

I love science fiction but really get ticked off when people fail to see the difference with science fact.