Scott's N-Cites

Day Off - 2nd Edition

My second day off is already as enriching as last Wednesday. Thank God for the gift of Sabbath!!

I had a good (short) run to start the morning. I saw a raccoon in the neighbor’s yard that looked sick. After I got back and got cleaned up, I played "Guess Who" and "Guess Where" with Shani and Kim took Seth to school. On her way out of the neighborhood Kim confirmed that something was wrong with the animal. So I called the neighbors and they were more than happy to have me take care of it. I used a .22 that was a gift and had the opportunity to share with my neighbor how God had called me to sell some guns a few years ago in order to contribute to the building fund of our church. God eventually gave me that .22 and a shotgun that more than replaced what I had sold. Cool opportunity to share that it’s impossible to out-give God!

I finished an amazing book today called “Velvet Elvis” by Rob Bell. This book is going to be at the top of my recommended reading list. I thank God for Steve Hartman (a young pastor in MI) for encouraging me to buy it. We share a similar journey. Rob Bell understands grace, the abundant life, and what it means to be “in Christ.” He writes about our new nature and having a new identity that is all wrapped up in living our lives based on believing what God says about us being new creations is really true. Awesome!!

Something that is grabbing my spirit is realizing that God is saying the same thing to His Body through a variety of authors that I’ve been reading lately – people like Miles Munroe and Steve McVey and the author of Blue Like Jazz. They’re saying the same things to us about our identity in Christ and what it means to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.

Here is on excerpt that really spoke to me today:

Eternal life then is a certain kind of life I am living more and more now and will go on forever. I am living more and more in connection with God, and I will live connected with God forever.
This has huge implications for when I do stumble, when I sin…
I admit it.
I confess it.
I thank God I am forgiven.
I make amends with anyone who has been affected by my actions.
And then I move on.
Not because sin isn’t serious, but because I am taking seriously who God says I am. The point isn’t my failure; it is God’s success in making me into the person he originally intended me to be.
God’s strength, not mine.
God’s power, not mine.
So what does this mean for the Christian life? To begin, Christians are people learning who they are in Christ. We are being taught about our new identity. Do you see how deeply this life affects the life of a community? I heard a teacher say that if people were taught who they are, they wouldn’t have to be told what to do. It would come naturally. When we see religious communities spending most of their time trying to convince people not to sin, we are seeing a community that has missed the point. The point isn’t sin management. The point is who we are now. (p. 143-144)

Today’s N-Cite: The more I rest in Jesus, believing what He says about me is really true, the less I focus on me and my failures and shortcomings. Then I am free to live abundantly, loving other people unconditionally. Thank God that the entire work of salvation is His part and simply believing and receiving and resting is my part. I’m learning how to embrace and enjoy my part. What a great life!

posted by Scott @ 1:43 PM