Six Key Verses for Living Effectively as a Jesus-Follower (Part One) 04/11/2012

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1 Corinthians 9:19-21

Principle--We must be willing to change the way we think, act and talk (all the while remaining in Christ) for the purpose of help other to understand and know Jesus Christ.

Key phrases:

“Kerdaino” translated "to save" or "to win" means to escape from evil, to be spared, or can to enter into the Kingdom of God.  Also seen in Mat 16:26; Mat 18:15; Mat 25; Phil 3:8

“Ginomai“ translated "to become like" means come into existence, to be re-created or remade, or to be brought about as a result of a miracle.

Thoughts:

1. In Christ I am free to do as I like (while still in Christ, this is not a “license to kill”), but we give up this right for the sake of others—to become a slave to the way other view us and become more like them so that they might understand and know Jesus in a real and meaningful way.

2.  This reminds of a phrase from a song by Chris Rice -- “We’re so thankful for the blessings but maybe we should lay them aside, I got a feeling we might missing the time of our lives…” (Chris Rice, Becky, not sure of the album titile)

3.  Being Jewish no problem for Paul.  Being under the law was no problem for Paul.  Being like the Gentiles was surely difficult, frustrating, confusing and sometimes downright offensive. 

Being with people we know and understand is no problem.  For those who have grown up in the church being with others who have grown up in the church presents no major problems (which is why they tend argue about secondary and third-ary issues).  Yes, I know that's not a word.  But when we move into the world, among people unlike ourselves and who have grown up in very different systems of thought and lifestyle, everything quickly becomes difficult, frustrating, confuisng and sometimes downright offensive!

But Paul reminds us to always look for common ground with everyone.  Our best witness is not in pointing out differences and focusing on where they are wrong...but in finding places to stand and talk, share, and live together.  "Ginomai" is Jesus and Paul's preferred method of "kerdaino."

My paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 9:19-21

Even though in Christ I am free and can do as I wish (as long as I remain in Christ, this is not a license to sin), I have chosen to not live according to my own rights.  I do this for the purpose of helping others avoid the evils of this world and finding life in the Kingdom of God. 

When I am with small town Americans I speak, act and think like they do in order that they might better know and understand who Christ is and desire to follow him.  When I with those who have long been in the church and following laws of the church, I become like them in as much as their law does not contradict the clear teachings of Scripture so that they might truly know the plan and purpose that they have in Christ.  When I am with people very much unlike myself, even sinners and those with whom I am uncomfortable, I take interest in them and try to find a way to “fit” into their world so that I might have a voice to whom they desire to listen.  I no longer try to fit them into the “church mold” but rather try to bring Christ to them.  In all things I follow obediently the teachings and the ways of Christ.

In every situation and with all people I try to find common ground in order to have a voice among them; a voice that they can hear and understand.  I do this that some might respond and know the blessings of following Christ.

Application:

a.    How can I become more like the people I seek to reach?

b.    Am I willing to move past my cultural values or right/wrong/appropriate in order to be able to speak of Christ from within the culture of the other person?

c.    Am I willing to truly “become like” or do I expect people to see my way?

d.    Do I expect people to get closer to me…or am I getting closer to them?

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Happy Holidays! 09/03/2011

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"Did you enjoy your Eid?" is the question most people are asking around here.  Basically it means, "We hope you had a happy holiday."
  
We are back and mostly recovered from our cross-island journey to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with some of our Muslim friends.  We had a great time of seeing people we hadn’t seen for a long time, sharing stories, eating lots of food (5 full meals in 5 hours time! Yikes!), watching our kids integrate seamlessly with the kids in the neighborhood (how cool is that?), lots of driving (15 hours of driving to get back home in holiday traffic...zzzzz...) and joining in the community activities to celebrate this most important holiday of the year (that means no sleep because the fireworks and celebration went on through the night). 
 
All in all not unlike many holidays in the States, minus the football.  Well, they do have football but its the kind of football that requires the use of feet; unlike our version of football (otherwise called by such names as gridiron, American Football, or sissyball by our Australian rugby-loving friends...hey, don't come after me I just report the news).
 
One friend, a young mother, we noticed was wearing her head covering for the first time  since we’ve ever known her.  I ask her why she was wearing it now and what did it mean to her?  She answered that she was “finally ready” to wear it and that she decided to begin wearing it because she felt that her heart was now pure.
 
Later I told her that I would be praying for her throughout this coming year that she would know the clean heart and forgiveness of sins that comes through faith in Isa al-Masi (Jesus, the Messiah).  She thanked me for the prayer but then explained that she believed that her forgiveness had come to her through the Prophet Muhammad.

Boldness check...
 
Later I told that I had read much of her Scriptures and that I admired the wisdom of Prophet Muhammad when he said that Muslims ought to read the Gospel because it will answer their questions about the Messiah and that everyone who follows the Messiah will be considered worthy on the Final Day.
  
“...I hope someday you’ll decide to follow Isa al-Masi,” I told her via sms after we had left her home.
  
We hope you enjoyed this year Ramadan Emails (www.loveneighbor.weebly.net) and learned something along the way, were challenged to rethink some of your thoughts and encouraged to see that God is working among these Neighbors of ours--people that He loves dearly.

 

Go into their world 01/12/2011

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For our friends and supporters back home simply moving to another far away land is often seen as the ultimate act of obedience to God and the pinnacle of faith. If so, how come I don’t feel that way most of the time?
   
I’m here but I feel as though just being here is the tiniest of steps. Anybody could have done this part; the question is what am I going to do with this opportunity to be in this place where most of my friends, family, and supporters are not? Am I ready to take that next step to go find them, to enter their world, to intentionally and purposefully arrange my life so as to become a part of their world?

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