I'm a guy trying to follow Jesus. I believe that he said, "follow me" to many people when he was alive in the flesh and that his desire is still for all people to "follow" him. Here's the deal. There seems to be something lost in translation from what he meant by "follow me" then to what he means now.
For instance, to follow Jesus then mean to be physically with him as a student, apprentice, disciple learning to do what he did and become the kind of person that he was. It meant leaving all else that stood in opposition to the new purpose in life. Many times that was family, comforts and jobs.
For a guy today that wants to follow Jesus it doesn't make sense when someone tells me that your just supposed to believe that Jesus was who he said he is. That doesn't sound like following him. So just what does that mean for me today? I guess I have an answer in my head and am trying to live it out. But I guess I wonder more if we all think that Jesus is still speaking the invitation to us today. "Follow me"?
Monday, August 28, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
the earthly "society of Jesus"
This is a subtitle in chapter 8 of Willard's Divine Conspiracy. I tell you this book is rich with wisdom and understanding. I'm going to start with quoting from this chapter.
"The assumption of Jesus' program for his people on earth was that they would live their lives as his students and co-laborers. They would find him so admirable in every respect-wise, beautiful, powerful, and good-that they would constantly seek to be in his presence and be guided, instructed, and helped by him in every aspect of their lives. For he is indeed the living head of the community of prayerful love across all time and space."- does anybody see Jesus this way? Is he seen as the treasure in the field or the pearl of great cost? Or is he seen as, and what he offers, look more like an outhouse on the beach?
"On that assumption, his promise to his people was that he would be with them every moment, until this particular "age" is over and the universe enters a new phase (Matt. 28:20 the great commission). More generally, the provisions he made for his people during this period in which we now live are provisions made for those who are, precisely, apprentices to him in kingdom living. Anyone who is not a continual student of Jesus, and who nevertheless reads the great promises of the Bible as if they were for him or her, is like someone trying to cash a check on another person's account. At best, it succeeds only sporadically."-so Jesus wants students, followers, disciples, apprentices (people who leave the significance of their previous way of life to live with and be like Jesus). And in the assumption that this would happen he made promises like being with us at all times found in the Bible. So why would he be with me at all times if I have not committed to being his student?
"The effect of such continuous study under Jesus would naturally be that we learn how to do everything we do "in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col 3:17); that is , on his behalf or in his place; that is, once again, as if he himself were doing it. And of course that means we would learn "to conform to everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:20 great commission). In his presence our inner life will be transformed, and we will become the kind of people for whom his course of action is the natural (and supernatural) course of action."-so the goal then, we see, is the transformation of our inner life so that the natural course of our actions would be what Jesus would do if he were us. But again, if we don't want to be like Jesus and live according to the Kingdom ethics then we should not expect the benefits of being a student of Jesus, namely his protection and unfailing presence.
"The assumption of Jesus' program for his people on earth was that they would live their lives as his students and co-laborers. They would find him so admirable in every respect-wise, beautiful, powerful, and good-that they would constantly seek to be in his presence and be guided, instructed, and helped by him in every aspect of their lives. For he is indeed the living head of the community of prayerful love across all time and space."- does anybody see Jesus this way? Is he seen as the treasure in the field or the pearl of great cost? Or is he seen as, and what he offers, look more like an outhouse on the beach?
"On that assumption, his promise to his people was that he would be with them every moment, until this particular "age" is over and the universe enters a new phase (Matt. 28:20 the great commission). More generally, the provisions he made for his people during this period in which we now live are provisions made for those who are, precisely, apprentices to him in kingdom living. Anyone who is not a continual student of Jesus, and who nevertheless reads the great promises of the Bible as if they were for him or her, is like someone trying to cash a check on another person's account. At best, it succeeds only sporadically."-so Jesus wants students, followers, disciples, apprentices (people who leave the significance of their previous way of life to live with and be like Jesus). And in the assumption that this would happen he made promises like being with us at all times found in the Bible. So why would he be with me at all times if I have not committed to being his student?
"The effect of such continuous study under Jesus would naturally be that we learn how to do everything we do "in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col 3:17); that is , on his behalf or in his place; that is, once again, as if he himself were doing it. And of course that means we would learn "to conform to everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:20 great commission). In his presence our inner life will be transformed, and we will become the kind of people for whom his course of action is the natural (and supernatural) course of action."-so the goal then, we see, is the transformation of our inner life so that the natural course of our actions would be what Jesus would do if he were us. But again, if we don't want to be like Jesus and live according to the Kingdom ethics then we should not expect the benefits of being a student of Jesus, namely his protection and unfailing presence.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
the biggerblog
I'm reading an amazing book by Dallas Willard called Divine Conspiracy. Willard says, "Jesus' basic message is 'Rethink your life in the light of the fact that the Kingdom of the Heavens is now available to all'"
With this message from Jesus we should naturally be led to become his students whereby we learn to rutinely obey his way of love. And in doing so will we find ourselves living into the present Kingdom of the Heavens and the salvation that we all hope for.
It's not about doing a few great things for God or even having the right doctorine whereby you can talk like you're in Gods family(Mt 7:21-23). It's about treating your neighbor as yourself in love on a regular basis. Mother Teresah said, "we can do not any great things, only little things with great love" remember (below).
Maybe the desire to do great things paralyzes us from doing anything at all because we realize we really can't do anything great. But if we can know that God's desire is for us to live a day-to-day life filled with little things of great love we would be set free to act.
Those of us who believe Salvation is entirely about life after death won't understand anything I'm saying. Only when we see that this life today is part of our salvation will we begin to understand why Jesus wants us to be his students, disciples, apprentice.
Quit waiting for heaven! Jesus said it's here today. To experience it we must apprentice ourselves to him. And in following his way of love toward God and others, from a heart that's been transformed with his indwelling presence, we will live into the eternal kind of life that we were originally created for.
With this message from Jesus we should naturally be led to become his students whereby we learn to rutinely obey his way of love. And in doing so will we find ourselves living into the present Kingdom of the Heavens and the salvation that we all hope for.
It's not about doing a few great things for God or even having the right doctorine whereby you can talk like you're in Gods family(Mt 7:21-23). It's about treating your neighbor as yourself in love on a regular basis. Mother Teresah said, "we can do not any great things, only little things with great love" remember (below).
Maybe the desire to do great things paralyzes us from doing anything at all because we realize we really can't do anything great. But if we can know that God's desire is for us to live a day-to-day life filled with little things of great love we would be set free to act.
Those of us who believe Salvation is entirely about life after death won't understand anything I'm saying. Only when we see that this life today is part of our salvation will we begin to understand why Jesus wants us to be his students, disciples, apprentice.
Quit waiting for heaven! Jesus said it's here today. To experience it we must apprentice ourselves to him. And in following his way of love toward God and others, from a heart that's been transformed with his indwelling presence, we will live into the eternal kind of life that we were originally created for.
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