I think a lot of us like the idea of the Holy Spirit as long as the Spirit behaves."
I laughed because it is so true.
Here's the bottom line with that issue in community life; of who gets to be heard. If you want God more than anything else you will genuinely want anyone who thinks they may have something from God to share to be heard. And if you just want to fit into your social group, you will get very particular.
Listen to what Jesus says after He has reamed out the religious leaders of His day for their godless lives, for their hypocrisy.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
What Jesus did not say was You will not see henceforth until you say blessed is he who comes from this particular school of thought, or blessed are those who carry real credentials to speak. Blessed are those who come from First Baptist Church.
No, He leaves it unqualified, and does, not because the listener will not eventually determine if the person coming in the name of The Lord did actually come with something from God. They bless them at the beginning in the hope that they do have something from God because they are just so hungry for more of God that they have left behind all of their egotistical, pride-driven requirements.
And Jesus is saying to us today, as much as he was saying this to people of His day, that this is a deal-breaker for God. If you dearly want more of God, you will leave your prideful stipulations at the door and look for God in absolutely anyone who says they have something from God for you.
Do you do this?
What stipulations do you add? What does your list of people you will listen to look like? Think about this one carefully, because we all have a prideful list. I do, even as I post this. I am not aware of where that pride is lurking, but God keeps showing more of my pride, so I can extrapolate that there is very likely much more of the crap in me.
God is not trying to label some of us as good people and some of us as bad people in raising these issues. He is, instead, calling us into a bigger, more peaceful, joyful, and contented life.
I laughed out loud when I read; "
I think a lot of us like the idea of the Holy Spirit as long as the Spirit behaves."
I laughed because it is so true.
Here's the bottom line with that issue in community life; of who gets to be heard. If you want God more than anything else you will genuinely want anyone who thinks they may have something from God to share to be heard. And if you just want to fit into your social group, you will get very particular.
Listen to what Jesus says after He has reamed out the religious leaders of His day for their godless lives, for their hypocrisy.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
What Jesus did not say was You will not see henceforth until you say blessed is he who comes from this particular school of thought, or blessed are those who carry real credentials to speak. Blessed are those who come from First Baptist Church.
No, He leaves it unqualified, and does, not because the listener will not eventually determine if the person coming in the name of The Lord did actually come with something from God. They bless them at the beginning in the hope that they do have something from God because they are just so hungry for more of God that they have left behind all of their egotistical, pride-driven requirements.
And Jesus is saying to us today, as much as he was saying this to people of His day, that this is a deal-breaker for God. If you dearly want more of God, you will leave your prideful stipulations at the door and look for God in absolutely anyone who says they have something from God for you.
Do you do this?
What stipulations do you add? What does your list of people you will listen to look like? Think about this one carefully, because we all have a prideful list. I do, even as I post this. I am not aware of where that pride is lurking, but God keeps showing more of my pride, so I can extrapolate that there is very likely much more of the crap in me.
God is not trying to label some of us as good people and some of us as bad people in raising these issues. He is, instead, calling us into a bigger, more peaceful, joyful, and contented life.
Thank you! We need to listen to the Spirit. We need to discern. As we discern, we need to welcome and listen more.
Beautiful and expansive!
So beautifully see and shared--as always. So vitally unsettling of the worldly order., then and now.
Thank you.
Bless you. Always.