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Re-Act 12/4/09- "The Well" pt. 2
Today, Abe showed us a video by Rob Bell about how we are so rich in America. It was a serious reminder to me on how I should be percieving and living life.
As Rob said, so often people have the bumper stickers, “God bless America,” but it really should me, “America bless others” because we are already so blessed. We have clean water, millions don’t. We have plenty food each day, 800 million won’t eat today. We have spare change lying around, 1 billion people live on less than $1 a day. We are so blessed and we have the ability to really bless others. America will spend around $450 billion this Christmas, it only takes around $10 billion to give the world clean water. But are we doing? Many times we do not realize our blessings, but instead complain about wanting more. We always see people that are better off than us and we forget that we are the richest people in the world.
Everything in life is a gift. We need to learn to be content and take a hold of the life we were given. Do we truely see everything we have as a gift?
It is hard to ask difficult questions about how we spend our money but it is a issue really should think about. We spend $5 on a coffee/ Boaba drink. $5 can give a person clean water for 5 years. We spend $20 on movie and dinner. $20 can feed a kid and send them to school for 1/2 a month. We spend $60 on new shoes. $60 can give a family a goat which will provide milk and newborns. We spend $200 on retreat. If 5 of us gave up retreat, we could provide and entire community with clean water for the rest of their lives. If you look at it, we spend money on things we don’t really even need while people around 30,000 people will die of hunger each day. We have so much, multiple pairs of shoes, new laptops, excessive amounts of clothes while people live on less than $1 a day. Why is there such a gap between those who are blessed and those who are in need? Any why is there so little being done to change this?
1 John 3:17 (NIV)
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
2 Corinthians 8:14 (NIV)
14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,
Acts 2:44-45 (NIV)
44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (NIV)
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Luke 12:33 (NIV)
33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
Here’s an opprotunity to really live out what God has commanded us to do. Why don’t we try spending less but giving more this Christmas? (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/). Instead of buying our friends/ family presents that they don’t really need, why not buy presents for people truely in need as a present for our friends? By a cow, chicken or rabbit for someone in a third world country that is in need (http://www.gfa.org/gift/). And instead of asking for presents or things that are only excess, why not ask simply for a clean glass of water? Ask for money to be donated in your name towards building wells for people who don’t have clean water (http://www.charitywater.org/). I believe this is the heart of Christmas. If it is all about Jesus, I belive he would want us to help those in need. We don’t need more “stuff.” Remember, where your tresure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
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Re-Act 12/4/09- "The Well" pt. 1
Today for large groups at my fellowship, Roots (a drama group) preformed an inspiring piece about wooden man. The story is about Punchinello, a wooden man who can’t seem to do anything. All the wooden people give each other stars for being “cool” and circles for being a “loser.” Punchinello is sad because he only has circles. Punchinello ends up visiting the woodcarver and hears a life changing truth.
(story can be read at: http://www.lollie.com/thinkagain.html)
“The stickers only stick if you let them. The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers.”
What people think only matter if you care. We are in control of how we see ourselves. We can look at ourselves through the eyes of people or we can look at ourselves in the eyes of our creator. God made us in His own image, and He did not make any mistakes. The only reason we think there are mistakes is because compare ourselves to the worlds standards. Don’t let the stickers stick in your life any longer. Become a person that is free of stickers.
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
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Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows….
Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest.
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You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
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Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
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The "M" word
I am going to say something that might offend some people, but I feel that it is something that needs to be considered both individually and collectively. Sometimes I have my reservations about the priorities of the Edge as a college ministry: more specifically, we are willing to drop almost $200 for a weekend retreat and it goes practically unquestioned, but for some reason, when it comes to giving to causes such as poverty, human trafficking, homelessness, or even the Sunday offering, we make excuses and almost conveniently “don’t have the money for it.” I wonder sometimes if we focus so heavily on “events” that we have become overly self-indulgent and lost sight of the fact that there is an entire world out there apart from us. But are we so consumed with pursuing our own self-satisfaction that we have blinded ourselves to that reality?
If the way we manage and spend money is a reflection of our hearts and our values, I wonder if God is pleased with my spendings. I am imperfect, I am selfish, I am inherently self-seeking, but I hope He will give me the will to give radically and generously despite myself.
1 John 3:16-18 (New International Version)
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
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I hate looking at myself and realizing that I don’t like what I see. But then I realize that when God looks at me, He sees His son, whom He loves just the way I am, despite my flaws. I was created in His image, and I am beautifully and wonderfully made.
I hate looking back at thinks I did and wondering why I was like that. But then I realize that God forgives, God wipes our slate clean every time we mess up.
Everyday there’s something wrong. But then I remember that everyday I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to praise, I have a reason to worship my God. Everyday I wake up I am doing better than I deserve because of God’s grace. Everyday I am surrounded by immeasurable amounts of blessings, all I need to do is count my blessings one by one and see what the Lord has done. Things always can be worse. It’s all about perception, the way I see life, is the way its gonna be. Is the glass half empty or half full?
Just one trivial think that can make me unhappy for just a moment. But then I remember that everything in this world can let you down. Nothing lasts. The things in this life are like a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. That is why I cannot relent until Jesus is my only satisfaction. Because Jesus is the only thing that never fades, His love never fails, His grace is always sufficient. Jesus is all I need.
It’s like it’s not even possible to have a day without one bad feeling. But then I remember to simply be still and know that He is God. I remember why I am here and what I am living for. I remember that its not about me, its all about Him. I remember that God is most glorified in my life, when I am most sastisfied in Him, in the midst of pain and bad feelings, not prosperity.
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Professor Vadez
Quotes from Professor Vadez:
-“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
-“Brick walls are in your way to show how much you want something.”
-“It takes 2 muscles to smile and 40 to frown.”
-“Be the change you want to see in the world.”- Ghandi
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cell phone Vs. The Bible
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our
cellphone?What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.Makes you stop and think “where are my priorities?
And no dropped calls!
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king of Israel
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (NIV)
18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
To be a king of Israel, it required a immense amount of commitment to God. In the same way, if I want to be a leader, I should be willing to give the same commitment. Have God’s Word with me always, and to read and meditate on it all the days of my life. In doing this I might learn to revere the Lord. In doing this I might become the leader that is worthy of the name of the Lord.
It is so hard to fully commit myself to the Lord. I think it is because I look at where I am at and look at where I should be at and I get discouraged. It is like looking at something that is 500 miles away . I need to realize that I won’t be able to teleport there instantly. It is going to take time. Its going to take baby steps. 1 mile each day, pretty insignificant in comparison to the 500 miles, but nevertheless, everyday 1 mile closer. This is how I should think about my faith. Each day is one step closer to becoming what God wants me to be. It is going to take time, it is going to take patience. All I need is the commitment to take keep walking each day.
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the right
Deuteronomy 16:20 (The Message)
20 The right! The right! Pursue only what’s right! It’s the only way you can really live and possess the land that God, your God, is giving you.
I want so persue the right in everything that I do. Not just in certain aspects of my life, but in every aspect. I want to be holy as He is holy. I don’t want to live at the minimum, but I want to stive to live at the maximum. My mindset should never be, “How much can I do before it is considered a sin”, but my mindset should be “How holy can I be?” God, guide me, show me what I am missing, open my eyes to see your glory in everything.
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