Live 2 Give

Live 2 Give

So, we're reading Luke right now. It's interesting, I remember the last time we went through Luke and even which particular things stuck out to me. I wrote a post about it. I seemed to have passed by chapter 6 verses 30 and 35 without a second thought. But for some reason I came across these verses this time around and they practically put me in a cold sweat! I even had a hard time sleeping the night after I read it.  


"Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." 
  Luke 6:30


"...lend, hoping for nothing again..."
Luke 6:35


Dang it.  There it is again.   I'd like to think that I'm not a very selfish person.  I do like to give, I like to help, I like to love.   But, I guess I've realized that my best attempts at selflessness are pretty few and far between....  sporadic at best.     Give to every person that asks of me?   I wonder if I give 50% of the time I am asked.   And who exactly does Jesus mean when He says "every"?   It sounds like He's talking about everyone.   And if I do give... is it cheerful?    Do I give because I will feel better if I give?  What would it look like if I truly gave every time someone asked?  And not only that, but gave simply because they asked.  


And it doesn't stop there.  If someone takes or borrows something of mine... don't ask for it back?   I'm pretty sure I just did that like last week.  And I'm pretty sure that when I lend something to someone I hope to get it back probably about 100% of the time.  Sometimes I even tell them before I entrust them with my "sacred" thing.... "please bring this back".


One of my mentors, an incredible servant of Jesus in his 80's, told me a few years back that when someone asks to borrow something that I shouldn't lend what I don't plan on giving.  That always stuck with me, but more as like a good word of wisdom.  But not like a.... command.   I didn't realize that he was practically quoting Jesus.


I'm beginning to come to grips with the fact that there are too many things that I'm too possessive over.  Some things are actual physical things I have.  But there are others as well.... like my time.


It's funny how blind we can be to our own selfishness.

The Year Of Living Like Jesus

The Year Of Living Like Jesus

I Just started reading the book “The Year of Living Like Jesus” by Ed Dobson. This was the book that initially inspired Tim and I to start reading the gospels over and over and over. I was in the Christian bookstore one afternoon, noticed the book and picked it up. Read a few pages and felt inspired. Mentioned it to Tim on the drive home, and voua la, our idea to read and blog was born. Somehow it took me a couple months to get around to actually buying the book and now, to start reading it. And man oh man. Yeah we were inspired by a few good pages, but I had no idea how little we were just scratching the surface of the journey this man Ed Dobson embarked on.
In short Ed set aside a year of his life to try and live exactly as Jesus did. Using the fundamental belief that as Christians Jesus is our Rabbi. And if we are his disciples, we should truly try to be just like our Rabbi. The truth in his thinking is undeniable.
I realized in the first chapter that he was not only trying to learn about Jesus by reading the gospels, he began a journey of increasing his knowledge of the Jewish traditions and beliefs that Jesus no doubt lived by so that he too could live like that for a year. And here we have been, reading the gospels two chapters at a time every morning for the last two months. I wish I had picked the book up earlier. I feel convicted, inspired, challenged and invigorated. Mr. Dobson took it upon him self to learn and follow not only Jesus' teachings, but follow how he ate, dressed, spent his time on the Sabbath, etc. Learn from what we really know about his life. Learn like a disciple is expected to learn from his Rabbi.
While our intentions are in NO way trying to replicate his decision to live like Jesus for a year I have found my self troubled by this question tonight:
Why not?
Why am I NOT trying to live more like Jesus? Why when it seems so radical and absurd to the rest of the world do I too dismiss it as impractical and crazy. I worry about judgment, what other people will think, what the church my fellow believers will think….. Apparently, I really care about what other people think.
The Gospel is not something to read, it is something to live, certainly a different way of living than the rest of the world.
Here is a quote from Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love” that particularly sticks out in my mind tonight.

It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in out day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.


I have some serious thinking and praying to do.

A heavenly feast

A heavenly feast

So I wanted a food blog. And somehow last year I managed to turn our "God blog" into mainly a "dog blog" which now I am not entirely sure how I feel about that. But in light of all that I have to say I am pleased with how this blog has turned out so far. I love reading Tim's thoughts and insights about our daily readings, and now I feel inspired to share some thoughts of my own. As much as I would love colored pictures of fresh baked fruit tarts and curried leg of lamb I would have to actually start cooking those things before I could blog about them, so I guess that's out of the question for the time being.

We were reading in John this morning about Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman by Jacob's well. His travels had left him hungry, thirsty and tired to the bone. His disciples were out buying food for him - their worn and wearied Rabbi - while he sat and asked a stranger for a cup of water. When they returned from their errand of love, he refused their food and said I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Clearly confused, and equally offended that he was talking to this woman, they debated amongst themselves as to what food he could have possibly eaten. He simply replied My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

His food was to do Gods work.

Now I must say that truly nothing has been more satisfying than to experience being a part of God's plan and being allowed and trusted to carry out a work order directly from our Father in heaven.

One of the greatest joys in my life has been a recent ministry God has allowed us to be a part of. He has been faithfully bringing a growing group of high school girls to our home on Friday evenings to celebrate Shabbat and break bread together.

This massive blessing was nothing we concocted or set into action. It was nothing that took months of strategic planning by inviting just the right people and having just the right things to do that made it both entertaining and yet a valuable time spent in Gods word and truth. It simply just happened. And God has blessed it. He has been bringing the young women to our home for good food, good company and good teachings about His word. And this has been the most incredible spiritual feast I could have ever hoped for.