intimate

Disclaimer: I have since amended my belief around this. Andrew Farley spoke at the Meeting House this last summer and challenged my faith in a fantastic and necessary way! Listen to the podcast here: The Naked Gospel

As Christian’s we hide behind the theology that the blood of Jesus covers all our sins. We are home free or heaven free whatever. WRONG. The blood of Jesus covers all sins we are repentant of.
This challenging truth was the topic of the service a few weeks ago. Seems impossible – do stand a chance? There are, no doubt many attitudes and behaviours that I am not even aware of – or that I have ignored for so long that they have become invisible.
O, Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down.
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
There is my hope. I’m a mess. Without God’s help I have no way of exposing the root cause of all the ways I have been separated from God. He knows – intimately acquainted! All I need to do is ask. And then ask again for help. Then be prepared to work through it.
This is not a onetime sit down fix with Jesus. A quick verbal incantation is not enough. It’s an ongoing battle. But what better way to get to know yourself and change yourself then with the One who created you and is intimately acquainted with all your ways.
First Published on Barkmans Blog 1.26.2008

Do I Have the Proper Training?

I have annoyances with Christianity. I have strong opinions about huge issues. When I feel like I need to speak up I have one thought – I don’t have the training. Training is not a requirement, this I know. However one of my grievances of people with opinions is false conviction. Let me explain. Do you know with authority what you are talking about? Is it based on truth or on what you’ve been taught? Is it ‘truth’ after God’s own heart or are you feeding into the false teaching based on mistakes the Christian faith has taught and held strong to in the past?

This is not fear – but resolution. I need to get into the Bible more.

Today I signed up for a Bible reading plan.