I am a big fan of Brennon Manning. He may be best known for his book, “The Ragamuffin Gospel.” However, he has several other works that are stellar in their understanding of God’s heart for His children. Here is a quote from his 2004 work, “The Signature of Jesus.” Ponder it. It’s powerful:
“If we take all the goodness, wisdom and compassion of the best mothers and fathers who have ever loved, they would only be a faint shadow of the love and mercy in the heart of the redeeming God.“
Gary
“When we received eternal life, we became part of a cosmic family that is alive in three dimensions; past, present and future. Jesus is currently the one who WAS, IS, and IS TO COME. And we are hidden in Christ! We have responsibility to honor the past, live in the present and look to the future.”~Kris Valloton
Now that’s a real good word, there!
Gary
“Since the incarnation, the question is no longer Is Jesus God-like? but Is God Jesus-like?” – Brennon Manning
So goes Brennon’s question from “Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path to God.”
It would seem – by a secret law of the soul – the way we live or feel about our lives is governed by the way we see God. In “The Knowledge of the Holy” A.W. Tozer said, “What we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
We can know a good deal about God from Old Testament Scriptures. But we can only truly know God by watching Jesus Christ.
It’s easy to gloss that statement and give it mental assent. My challenge is that we look at Jesus more deeply with the eyes of quiet gazing, slower pondering. Lift up the stories of Him before the eyes of your heart until He moves within your consciousness…until His reality moves you. It’s when the heart begins to experience something beyond the brain’s calculations that we actually begin the reality of knowing.
Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the EXACT REPRESENTATION of His being.
Caution: Jesus is not a super-sized, mega image of the best man we might be able to conceive. He’s also not an attorney working feverishly to keep God from destroying us. He’s beyond comprehension and comparison to images of natural invention. However, even in our incompleteness of understanding, God truly is Jesus-like.
Your vision of God will shape your day, today! Get that vision by watching Jesus.
Gary
“Jesus Is The Most Normal Christian In The Bible” – Bill Johnson
Just roll that thought around in your noggin for awhile. It’ll challenge you and refresh you. Just keep remembering (as you practice the purposeful awareness of His Presence),
“The most normal Christian in the bible is one with you, in you, through you, as you.”
That’ll do something for your day.
I double dog dare you to think about that, seriously, several times today.
Gary
The secret of life is to “die before you die” — and find that there is no death.” – Ekhart Tolle
Jesus put it this way in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
IMHO (In my humble opinion) we put far too much energy in trying to live…have pleasurable experiences…attain a sense of happiness.
Happiness is a poor substitute for joy. It’s a faux joy. Happiness is overrated. Happiness depends on external experiences that we judge as positive. Joy depends on embracing the inner reality, “Christ in you the hope of glory.”
It’s not about expecting sadness and calling it spiritual. That’s crazy! That’s not spiritual truth at all!
It’s about a shift in how we perceive true reality.
If you dare…ask the Lord to guide you to an understanding of what dieing really is. It’s one of those truths that is better caught than taught.
One of the most entrenched forms of “false living” is in the area of having to be right. Even the kind being right that humbly masquerades as submission, but – on the inside – says, “I’ll give in…but, I’m still right!”
What you’ll discover is what I am discovering a little bit each day…
There is no death in dying…into Jesus!
What Are Your Thoughts?
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“If you live cautiously, your friends will call you wise. You just won’t move many mountains. “ -Bill Johnson
My wife, Karen, and I recently saw the movie, “Secretariat.” (What a great movie!). There are so many illustrations of faith to be seen in the actions on the screen. I was thinking while walking to our car, “So much of the time we make our “faith decisions” based on what is more accurately called calculated risk than it would be a true Biblical response of faith. In other words, while we determine to “take a risk” we also decide if the move we are about to make still has an acceptable “recovery plan.”
As Bill Johnson says, “We live cautiously…”
We like to think it’s wisdom, but it’s really something else. And that something else has put us in places where we won’t get hurt. We won’t loose much – if any – reputation. But, this calculated caution will keep us from experiencing, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth (my earth) as it is in heaven.”
You and I are going to “make mistakes.” Welcome to planet earth and the human frame. But, as a man named Elbert Willis used to say (referring to Peter walking on the water), “I’d rather be a wet water walker, than a dry boat sitter!”
Your Kingdom, Lord! Your Kingdom!
What Do You Think? Help Us Grow With Your Story
Gary
“You can’t do great things today. So do small things with great love” – Mother Teresa
The biggest bang for the buck. That’s the ‘American Way.’ That’s what we’ve come to believe is the most important thing.
That ain’t the truth. That’s misinformation. That’s misunderstanding of you and me and how we fit into God’s reality.
<btw, That’s another subject, itself. The difference between human reality and God’s reality. But, I digress. That’s for another post>
I often say in the weddings I perform, “If you forget everything else said here, today, remember this: It’s the little things that are the big things.”
Just for today…and then maybe the day after that. And, then, the day after that, etc….
Do Something Small Today…With Great Love. Then, do another…and another. Those small things done with great love is what will make your life worthwhile.
Now what do you say? What small things can be done (or have you done…or doing) with great love. Share. It will help us all learn what little things are actually big things. Put your examples in the “comments.”
Thanks For Subscribing
Gary
I have a Facebook friend. His name is Al Perales. I always look to see what he’s posted on his status because…well…the dude is funny. His latest post was no exception and it actually had a moral. Not that you have to make a moral out of everything. But, as my congregation tells me, I can “preach anything.” So here’s what Al put on his status on October 19, 2010…
Now to the moral…
Instead of my pontification, just think about it for a few moments. It’s pretty clear without my help. But…okay, just a tad…
Be loving. Be a lover of people. But, be wise about opening the treasure chest of your heart to anyone who acts like they care. Everyone has an opinion. Only a few truly have your best interests at heart.
That’s not cynicism, that’s wisdom.
Gary
Bible study without Bible experience is pointless! ~ Bill Johnson
