Thursday, December 20, 2007

Close, Big and Everywhere

Been thinking about God being big? small? close? far away? ... chewing it over I've come up with "four mouthfulls" (ruminations) ... the last one is the "big mouthfull" . . .

Because God is Close … He is Big!

God is close to you

He is close to me

He is close to all of us

To be that close He’s can’t be small …

Because He’s SO close ….

It shows us that He is BIG!!!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

By myself I struggle, but together … we get it right

Just been reading the apostle Peter’s second letter to the churches, chewing over "how by himself he was a struggler, yet developed greater clarity and confidence with others" . . .

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain … notice a “wee bit of we language” ….

Like him we struggle (I read he achieves seven separate "stuff-ups" in the New Testament - wish I could keep it down to such a low number) getting and outworking life and belief answers by ourselves … often forgetting we are called to a biblical faith, revealed by God Himself - a faith held with others … “later-life-faith is not struggling individualistic-authentication, its confidence in personal and corporate belief”.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A'Kempis on Temptations

Today I've been reading A'Kempis "On Temptations" ... in putting down the book, here's my "chew on it" ...

"Temptation and temptations are tests to raise or fall; they are not opportunities to “stay just the same.” When I am tempted I am “in company” with all humans, from the first-born (Jesus), to greatest born (John the Baptist), to least-born (Paul), to latest born (those born, even as I write).

Temptations will always be part of life, their frequency and intensity will vary … so I will go through them, I can growth through them, but I will not live or grow without them. While God may not be behind them all, He will be with me in them all."