Posted on 02/12/2004 6:23:24 AM PST by Religion Moderator
We don't consciously and deliberately disobey God - we simply don't listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them - not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect for God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.
"You speak with us, ... but let not God speak with us..." We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don't want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks of tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God's servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, "Well, that's only your own idea, even though I don't deny that what you said is probably God's truth."
Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, "Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?" This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was born July 24, 1874, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Converted in his teen years under the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, he studied art and archaeology at the University of Edinburgh before answering a call from God to the Christian ministry. He then studied theology at Dunoon College. From 1906-10 he conducted an itinerant Bible-teaching ministry in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
In 1910 Chambers married Gertrude Hobbs. They had one daughter, Kathleen, who still resides in London (as of 1992).
In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham, London, where he lectured until the school was closed in 1915 because of World War I. In October 1915 he sailed for Zeitoun, Egypt (near Cairo), where he ministered to Australian and New Zealand troops as a YMCA chaplain. He died there November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix.
My Utmost for His Highest, his best-known book, has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and in this, the last decade of the century, remains in the top ten titles of the religious book bestseller list with millions of copies in print. It has become a Christian classic. [from the flyleaf of the book]
Reflect, ponder, discuss, debate, even argue, but absolutely no flaming!
I can attest from personal experience that reading from Chambers daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.
Thanks for the continued postings.
talking to yourself is the first indication you need a life beyond that of mod / forum diaper changer LOL
I liked this one today and have been thinking much about God's will and operating (through grace of course) within it lately
these articles are a help
If I can ask a personal question - you seem to be here alot - is your job flexible in that regard? - do you work out of your home?
LOL! I've been asking myself that same question about most of you. The answer is sometimes.
This is a very difficult one -- probably because it requires us to be humble before a brother or sister in Christ and admit they have a better answer. I don't think our culture today...even our Christian culture....likes humility too much.
Humility is the lost virtue in Christianity today, and yet clearly it has a strong Scriptural presence. Graciousness takes a hard second place.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
R (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.
Words to remember. Too many times those that make a statement about their faith on these threads are ridiculed beyond belief. Hardly the reaction you'd expect from Godly people.
Recently I have begun teaching my children the lessons of our Scripture at church, and it has helped me enormously to understand them myself. :-) I don't know where I was for the last 8 years, but suddenly I seem to be hearing what is being said, for a change. I suspect I have been too busy celebrating being Orthodox and not busy enough learning to love God and emulate Christ.
For an example, last Sunday we had the Prodigal Son parable, in which our priest explained that although most of us don't see ourselves in the Prodigal son, we are all, actually "in exile and tending pigs". I was so amazed, and I am still chewing on this mentally and spiritually.
I shared that because of the humility discussion. It made things very clear for me. I should be viewing myself as a person tending pigs.
God has been very good to me as our church approaches Great Lent. I have been praying for repentance and He is answering my prayer.
Shhh! Don't say that too loud around here...
Why was it more challenging for Moses' contemporaries to follow his leadership than for future generations, who universally honored him, and had his written words, but did not have Moses himself? Because Moses was right there telling them wherein they were going astray. Because of the hardships of the journey. Because of the Dathans in their midst. Because of the things the Lord challenged them to do by the mouth of Moses, and so forth.
An important part of this mortal experience is to see if we will obey the Lord when he sends someone to speak for Him, or if we will only obey Him when He is right there before us. Little children who are still learning to obey their parents behave differently when they toddle off into another room of the house where they do not think anyone will know what they are doing. (Grownups do that too.)
Imagine that you are a nine-year-old boy. You ask your mother if you can go play at Joey's. She says you need to finish your chores first. You do so, and go to tell her that the chores are done. She thanks you and says, "Have fun at Joey's".
Several hours later, she sends your little brother to call you home for dinner. When he arrives, he finds you completely engrossed in a very interesting activity, and your friends are all around you.
What do you do? Do you turn to your friends and say, "Well, gotta go. Had a great time. See you tomorrow." Or, do you turn to your little brother and say, "NO. Get lost. I'm not coming."
If you chose the latter, does it occur to you that it is really your mother that you are disobeying, for she sent him to call you home to dinner. (If you were afraid he might be pulling your leg, you can always call home and verify it.)
Your mother knows a great deal more about how much obedience you have really learned when she speaks to you by the mouth of your little brother.
By extension, the Lord knows the end from the beginning, but still in our manner of speaking, He knows a great deal more about how much obedience we have really learned when he speaks to us by the mouth of true and living apostles whom He has sent.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
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