Israel set up stones to provoke questions, to make opportunities to tell about the great thing God had done. Several of you have told me of ways we can do that.
Peter (1 Peter 2:5) also suggests a way. Coming to Christ in faith we are Living Stones. as such we should be always be ready to give a reason for the hope we possess (1 Peter 3:15).
How can we oursleves be living stones that provoke others to ask?
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Romans - Living in God's Great Work
The book of Roman's is perhaps the apostle's opus, Paul's great work about God's great work. God's great work through history is the restoration of humanity. Our series in the book of Romans will take us deeper into God's great work. As you follow the series, join the conversation by adding your comments below.
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4 comments:
My first respond to this is by our actions people will know that we are Christians. Our actions speak volumes of truth about us. Actions are a result of effort and will to do something. I believe “will to do something” requires a person to have thoughts about it before they can act. Maybe a better way of says it is we have to think about something before we can do it. What controls our thoughts is the condition of our heart. I learn this when I looked up “action” in the back of my Bible and found a reference to Mathew 15:8-9. However, after I read Mathew 15:8 to 20. I realized that action was more about the condition of our heart and thought pattern. So in order to be living stones that will cause other people to ask questions or be reminded about God is dependent upon the condition of your heart and your thought life. So how is your thought life? Where does your mind go when you relax? Is it to the Bible or the latest movie from Hollywood? The Bible states that what comes out of a man’s mouth is a good indicated of the condition of your heart and thoughts. Have you listen to yourself talk lately. Are you someone that you would want to spend time with? Are you happy and up beat? I know these are questions I ask myself and am sometime not happy with the answer. That when I have to go back to God and ask for his forgiveness and his help to grow in these areas. Let’s also not forget about the internet? Where are you going when no one is looking? If you have problems in this area, it is important that you accountable to some one. Why not be accountable to God? He already knows where you have been. So why not tell him about it and ask for His assistant in this area. I know when I am temped to be somewhere I should be. It is best for me to fleet back to God and not let that thought settle in my heart to be thought about at a later date. So the bottom line for me is I need to be spending more time in God’s word. When I do, this will help me to be a better living stone to point the glory of God. My hope is that you will choose to take the time to spend time with your Heavenly Father.
Great Blog Bob.
Windjammer, I agree with a lot of what you stated but your inference that one should be 'happy and upbeat' I must respectfully disagree with. The WalMart Happy Face Jesus is a con job. He did't promise us happiness. Happy is not a fruit of the spirit. In the instant case I doubt that there were too many verses of "Put on a Happy Face" being sung as the Children of Israel were crossig the Jordan. They still had the uncertainty of countless battles ahead of them. God was with them. They had faith in a God who was faithful to them even when they were faithless to Him. But I doubt they were happy and upbeat. One of the stones we can leave behind is a life of sincerity and transparency. Polly Anna pretense works well on WallStreet but it is not the stuff that holds up under life's crisis.
I would agree that no one wants to be con or have fair weather friends that just say what we want to hear. We all want people to be honest and sincere in their comments to us. Likewise it is our duty to do the same for them. This is where, I pray to God to give me the words to say to them. For without His help, I will fail and miss an opportunity that God has granted me. With this in mind, let me explain what I meant by “Happy and Upbeat” in my previous comments.
My happiness and my ability to be upbeat or look at life circumstances in a positive way has to come from seeing them from God’s stand point. In order to understand how God looks at things, I have to have a relationship with God. How my relationship with God is, corresponds to my level of “happiness” or maybe a better word is contentment as a Christian comes from. As a Christian, our lives need to be focus on God. We need to be content in God and have faith in his word. The only way I know how to do this is by reading my Bible and praying to God. When I do this, it helps me to have the correct perspective on life. Approaching life with the correct perspective or attitude from God give me a sense of peace the goes with me all day. With God‘s perspective on life, I stand more ready to respond to other people and point them towards God. Without putting God’s first in my life I will always miss opportunities or not respond in manner that is what God wants for my life. When this happens, I have to go back and ask for his forgiveness and help. I don’t pretend this is easy. I mess-up a lot, but God is faithfully to forgive me and help me in my daily walk with him. For God‘s faithfulness in my life, I am happy, content and joyful. This is what enables me to be upbeat in my life and what I meant in my previous comments.
WindFarmer, I thank you for the reply. Contentment is a great word. It encompasses peace beyond the circumstances we face. That is what God has promised. He will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death with us. As I face those type of circumstanes there should be peace in my heart but not necessarily a gleeful countenance.
I'll try to figure out this blog and I'll give you a 'handle' to fire back at soon WF.
The above being said the Christian has no reason to appear to have been weened on a pickle either. I'll bet there was some reservations held by those crossing over the Jordan, however I'll bet it was mixed with some tremendous excitement since God had been so faithful in the past. Contentment....I do like that word!
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