SCRIPTURE: Ruth 2
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me–a foreigner?” [Ruth 2:10]
The book of Ruth is a teaching story, and God uses the main character to show His people the kind of humility, love and obedience that He wanted from them.
Sadly, they often missed this.
And so God would use people like Ruth to make His point.
Ruth had no right to expect the favour and attention of Boaz.
As a woman, and a foreigner, she was a likely candidate for neglect or abuse.
Boaz assures her that he will favour her, and protect her from the men… Ruth is shocked.
Continue reading ‘why me?’ »

The following lines from South African poet Mzwakhe Mbuli’s Zulu poem reminds me of Paul’s words about our belonging together to one body: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” [1 Corinthians 12:26]

An injury to the head,
Is an injury to the whole person,
Is an injury to the whole family,
Is an injury to the compound,
Is an injury to the village,
Is an injury to the kingdom,
Is an injury to the world.

“In Japanese the word dojo means ”place of the way” and is used to describe a school or practice space for martial arts or meditation. Theoretically, a dojo could be created for any skill or discipline. You could have a knitting dojo, a cooking dojo, a karate dojo — or a Jesus dojo. The important distinction is an active learning environment, where participation is invited and expected.”
“We don’t enter the kingdom of God merely by thinking about it or listening to one another talk about it. We have to experiment together with how to apply the teachings of Jesus to the details of our lives.”

Continue reading ‘a Jesus ‘dojo’’ »

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new Earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.”

—Sir Francis Drake, explorer and naval pioneer during the Elizabethan era

When Jesus walked the earth, God spoke from heaven several times, urging people to “listen to Him!”
Although Jesus is no longer on earth, we can still hear Him speak through the four Gospels (biographies of Jesus).
We can still choose (or refuse)  to listen to Him.
As Jesus-followers, we choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the true way to life!
We thankfully accept the forgiveness and freedom He offers us, and we eagerly strive – with His help – to live the full life He has saved us for.
The first disciples learned the Jesus life by spending time with Jesus, watching Him in action, talking things through with Him as He preached and practiced God’s message.
Although Jesus is no longer on earth, we can still spend time with Jesus – through prayer and bible-reading.
If you are a Jesus-follower, what is the quality of your time with Jesus?
Are you watching Him in action, through the stories recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?
Are you thinking through what He says, and trying to figure out what His teaching means for you?
Are you striving to obey what He commanded?

Continue reading ‘Jesus-centered bible reading’ »

”Missional leaders see the world through the eyes of Jesus and see Jesus in the world.”
(Earl Creps, Off-Road Disciplines, xiv)
So how do I see my part of the world, where I live, work, socialize?
Or better, who do I see?
What does Jesus see when He looks at the people within my present field of vision?
He loves them, He is concerned for them, He came for them, He died for them.
Do I see Jesus in this lady who just sat down next to me?
What if I would wear rose-tinted sunglasses (red for Jesus’ blood, symbol of His loving sacrifice)?
This would give me a better sense how inclusive and extensive the love of God in Christ is.
It would be a constant reminder that everywhere and always is tinged by the gospel.
Everywhere and always, like Jesus, I am sent by God to show and share His grace.
Lord, give me eyes to see this way, to see as You see, and to see You everywhere and always.

Jesus is in town, and I have a chance with a few others to spend some time with Him.
We’re sitting by the lake, in a comfortable shaded spot, and we pull out our bibles.
The reading for the day is Joshua 15… uggh, a boring list of land allotments.
I would rather deal with Psalm 23, or 1 Corinthians 13, or maybe something from Revelations.
What can I learn from Joshua 15, can God really have a lesson for me there? Continue reading ‘reading the bible with Jesus’ »

A disciple is someone who is determined to live in/with/like/for Jesus.

IN JESUS
The phrase “in Christ” is repeated often by Paul to describe our new identity and status before God.
Jesus is God’s perfect Son, and by entrusting ourselves to Him, everything that is true about Him becomes true about us.
His death becomes ours, His resurrection becomes ours, His victorious reign becomes ours, and God sees us in Jesus, and Jesus in us.
We are united in Christ, a covenant bond that makes us one, and God accepts us completely as He does Jesus.
We are forgiven, set free, and fully restored to God’s family, just like Jesus… because we are in Him. Continue reading ‘in/with/like/for’ »

If someone were to ask me what it means to be a disciple, I would suggest the following.
A disciple is someone who is devoted to Jesus as God’s Messiah and His kingdom mission.
This devotion expresses itself in three ways, three movements.
First, a disciple lives in daily, interactive fellowship with God and Jesus.
Second, a disciple learns and grows through the mutual support and accountability of other believers.
Third, a disciple lives out the life and love of Jesus in the community where God has called them.
These three elements can be shaped in a variety of ways, but they are essential to being a disciple of Jesus.

It is not enough to agree with these ideas in principle, we need to implement them in practice.
Personal devotions (prayerful bible-reading) are an important starting point for interacting with the Lord daily.
Some kind of small group relationships are essential for a healthy support and accountability.
And participation in some kind of community activity is critical for extending the kingdom beyond my safe, private world.
A disciple will be and do a variety of things, but certainly healthy discipleship will involve at least these things:
— intentional time with the Lord
— intentional time with other disciples
— intentional time in the community

How about you, does your discipleship involve these three elements?
If not, what intentional, practical steps will you take to strengthen them in your christian life?