Quasi-Intemperate and Ten Thoughts Being Chewed On In My Brain...
Posted by Matt
There we go. The longest titled post in my blog thus far.
...I've only been quasi-intemperate, lately. I don't believe I've pushed my personal envelope of intemperance in the blogosphere lately.
So, in the name of intemperance, before sharing some random thoughts on Jesus and leadership, I shall tell an intemperate joke or two:
Q: What was Hellen Keller's favorite color?
A: (highlight the invisible text) Courdoroy
A Brit, a Frenchman and a Russian are viewing a painting of Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden. "Look at their reserve, their calm," muses the Brit. "They must be British." "Nonsense," the Frenchman disagrees. "They're naked, and so beautiful. Clearly, they are French.""No clothes, no shelter," the Russian points out, "they have only an apple to eat, and they're being told this is paradise. They are Russian."
Hmm...those are pretty tame. Perhaps I should make fun of those people who handle snakes in church or think they really do need to buy a Kirby vaccum cleaner. Maybe later...
Alright...time for a random thought or two:
Non-Christians won't learn that Jesus loves them until Christians love them.
God doesn't reveal information to you until you're ready to act on it.
More than sacrifice, than getting your masters in divinity, than tithing, than going to church, than going on a missions trip to China or Botswana...God wants your love. "But the Bible says obedience is more important than sacrifice!" Yeah...what do you think it looks like when you show your dad love? You obey him...
Never let guilt over not reading your Bible or praying keep you from returning to those things.
Stop looking for the magical moment of mystical, earth-shattering revelation when you read or pray--not that it can't or won't happen, but God would rather be Father, than David Copperfield. He'd love for you to get to know Him through consistent prayer and reading, rather than intermittent shows of magic (i.e. rearranging the letters on a billboard to tell you yes, indeed, I want you to do such and such a thing). Miraculous actions and communication by God often bring Him glory and renown, but they aren't the foundation of the sort of relationship He wants with you.
God won't listen to your prayer if you're unkind and unloving to your wife. What Bible verse is that? It's there...go look for it!
We glorify and share with others what we love most.
If the church is the body of Christ, the world sure hears a lot from His butthole. Can we try to get the helping hands or the kind face better represented to the non-Christians in our lives?
I need to be the church for my wife and daughter(s) before Avalon is. Avalon is where we serve other Christians and non-Christians--but my first church is my family.
God wants me to tell Him what I want and how I feel--not because He doesn't know, but in saying it out loud and sharing it, I move out of the realm of unspoken, vague and cloudy feelings to a real and honest, unlying place where I give things up to God. Basically, if I don't say it and admit it to God, then it's like I'm convincing myself that I can hide it from Him and ignore it. Think of the toddler who thinks that if he covers his face with his hands, then his dad can't see him. Of course Dad can see him!
