"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall ypu gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the Lord your God" Leviticus 19:9-10
The question isn't how much should be give, but how much should we keep. It's commanded of us to give some of the fruit of our labour to the poor, that's our wages for us non-farmers here today.
How much of what we have do we really need, and how much will we be willing to give to those who need it more?
Monday, 26 February 2007
Purpose and Passion
For my first post, I wanted to examine what the Bible says about itself and in a wider context, the things God speaks into our hearts:
"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Perhaps it is fitting I quote that scripture in the first week of Lent (at church we looked at the Temptation of Jesus, and this was the first scripture he used in his defence). One of the things I am passionate is our need to be reliant on God... I think it is supposed to be our natural state, but we lost it when we became sinful... and instead try to do everything in our own strength.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
There is so much we can learn from the Bible. The old corny cliche is that BIBLE stood for "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth", but that doesn't nearly do it justice. Beautiful Inspiration for Beneficiaries of Life Eternal? No... even that doesn't really cut it. The essential thing is that the Bible is full of inspirational words, teachings and stories that apply to our daily lives... I'd never call it an instruction book though, because I don't think it is supposed to work that way.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "
Hebrews 4:12
An instruction book speaks to our minds, but the Bible speaks to our hearts... even to our very souls. We don't need to analyse it clinically to benefit from it. God always speaks to those who are willing to listen.
An instruction book speaks to our minds, but the Bible speaks to our hearts... even to our very souls. We don't need to analyse it clinically to benefit from it. God always speaks to those who are willing to listen.
You will notice to the side of the website, a quote by Mahatma Gandhi:
"You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature."
Gandhi was speaking of the Bible... and was using the word dynamite metaphorically, to describe the wonder and the power that he recognised in the words of the Bible... irrespective of his personal religion or beliefs.
Finally, I stumbled across the following verse... and my wish is that anyone reading this will understand from it, the reason we write.
"You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature."
Gandhi was speaking of the Bible... and was using the word dynamite metaphorically, to describe the wonder and the power that he recognised in the words of the Bible... irrespective of his personal religion or beliefs.
Finally, I stumbled across the following verse... and my wish is that anyone reading this will understand from it, the reason we write.
"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."
2 Corinthians 2:17
We wish to be passionate and sincere to you about God.
Sunday, 25 February 2007
Unveiled
2 Corinthians 3
I think it incredible, that on the mountain when the presence of God descended and rested in fire and smoke and thunder, He was desiring the intimacy of betrothing Himself to His people Israel. His desire was not only to meet with Moses face to face, but the entire nation comprising his Beloved-to-be. How terrible that in the face of this most ardent Lover, she instead, like Adam before her, is terrified and will not expose herself to such naked intimacy, likely for fear of what it will expose in her. Instead she pushes Moses to the front of the line and demands, "YOU go and meet with Him, and just tell us what He requires. We can't stand to look Him in the face!" Essentially, she exchanges the intimacy of marriage for the fellowship of stone tablets, relationship for rules and legalism. She is saying, I know You are Holy, so give me the bare essentials of how to get it right enough that You won't kill me. She cannot even conceive that this God is looking for a face-to-face covenental relationship. She requires that Moses veil HIS face, too, for even the residual glory of having met with Yahweh is too much for her to bear.
So, with what must have been heart-tearing pain, He again is denied bridal fellowship, and gives her what she demands: LAW to live by; but, with a PROMISE. That one day, this law would not stand between He and His beloved. That one day, One would come who would write this law on her heart, and she would again be able to gaze into the eyes of her One and Only, as she did in the garden, in intimate exchange without fear.
Now, that we have received the Spirit of betrothal by faith because of what our Redeemer has wrought for us, we enjoy the intimacy of face to face fellowship with our Bridegroom. It does truly come at a cost, Jesus having paid it first; and we continue to imitate Christ as we let go of ourselves that He may increase in us. We have within us divine covenant, and the more we yield, gazing into His glory and holiness, the more we are resplendant with His character. The more we allow Him to have what He has been asking of us since He made us - intimate fellowship - the more we become like Him. And we, with unveiled faces, like bright mirrors shine back to our Lover His very Self. And it is GOOD.
For any who have perused my blog, you will see a rather repetitious use of the word 'unveiled'. I love it, and this scripture is why.18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit.
I think it incredible, that on the mountain when the presence of God descended and rested in fire and smoke and thunder, He was desiring the intimacy of betrothing Himself to His people Israel. His desire was not only to meet with Moses face to face, but the entire nation comprising his Beloved-to-be. How terrible that in the face of this most ardent Lover, she instead, like Adam before her, is terrified and will not expose herself to such naked intimacy, likely for fear of what it will expose in her. Instead she pushes Moses to the front of the line and demands, "YOU go and meet with Him, and just tell us what He requires. We can't stand to look Him in the face!" Essentially, she exchanges the intimacy of marriage for the fellowship of stone tablets, relationship for rules and legalism. She is saying, I know You are Holy, so give me the bare essentials of how to get it right enough that You won't kill me. She cannot even conceive that this God is looking for a face-to-face covenental relationship. She requires that Moses veil HIS face, too, for even the residual glory of having met with Yahweh is too much for her to bear.
So, with what must have been heart-tearing pain, He again is denied bridal fellowship, and gives her what she demands: LAW to live by; but, with a PROMISE. That one day, this law would not stand between He and His beloved. That one day, One would come who would write this law on her heart, and she would again be able to gaze into the eyes of her One and Only, as she did in the garden, in intimate exchange without fear.
Now, that we have received the Spirit of betrothal by faith because of what our Redeemer has wrought for us, we enjoy the intimacy of face to face fellowship with our Bridegroom. It does truly come at a cost, Jesus having paid it first; and we continue to imitate Christ as we let go of ourselves that He may increase in us. We have within us divine covenant, and the more we yield, gazing into His glory and holiness, the more we are resplendant with His character. The more we allow Him to have what He has been asking of us since He made us - intimate fellowship - the more we become like Him. And we, with unveiled faces, like bright mirrors shine back to our Lover His very Self. And it is GOOD.
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