Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Changing Humanity

June 4, 2011 by Fritz

“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself” — Leo Tolstoy 1828-1910 (Russian writer, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina)

Posted in Change, Humanity | Leave a Comment »

400 Years – A Long Time to Wait for Change

June 3, 2011 by Fritz

Speak not thou in thine heart … saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. – Deuteronomy 9:4

Our current culture presents the idea that poor innocent natives living in harmony with nature and in accordance with their own peaceful ways were brutally massacred by ruthless people who thought they were commanded by God to destroy the land. We struggle with how a loving God could command the murder of such wise and lovely people groups!

But a second look presents a different understanding!

Long before Israel was told to conquer Canaan, God told their original patriarch there was a primary reason it would be 400 years before the promised land would be theirs – read it here:

[God] said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in [Egypt] … four hundred years; … But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. – Genesis 15:13,16

God was still at work with the inhabitants, giving them 400 years to turn from their sin.

Sin is not a Christian/Jewish concept, it’s universal. The natives weren’t living in harmony and peace — they were violent, ruthless, and sinful! God was working with them, just as with us, to turn around and do right. We read in Genesis 14 how God sent Melchizedek, a Christ-like priest/king, to serve the people in what was later known as Jerusalem.

We only have enough detail to know, for those who notice, that God did not arbitrarily decide to wipe out a bunch of out poor innocents! He worked with them 400 years showing them mercy, calling them to righteousness, offering them true peace.

The Israelites were God’s eventual judgement on a sinful people – how long should he have waited? Was 400 years not enough time to wait for change?

God, likewise, has been patient to us as a nation – sending ambassadors for His kingdom, calling for repentance, offering forgiveness. How long does he have to wait before the cry of victims and the greed of social/economic leaders is full?

– fritz@langgang.com

Related Posts: What about the Pygmies in Africa?! – January 24, 2010

Posted in Explanations, God's Patience, Judgment, Justice, Melchizedek | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Method Or Person

June 2, 2011 by Fritz

Watchman Nee

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way…” – John 14:5-6a

While traveling through an airport years ago I was approached by a Hare Krishna devote in his wig passing out books and proclaiming his meditation as the way Jesus recommended. I was a new believer at the time (and feisty) but I knew that wasn’t right — I began following him, witnessing to him about Christ until he left the airport saying, “Man, leave me alone!” (That wasn’t very effective but it was quite a sight and an interesting memory)

Fact it, Jesus never recommend a method or formula, he recommended himself.

Watchman Nee (1903 – 1972), spiritual reformer who spent his last 20 years persecuted in a Communist prison, put it this way:

[T]o believe in the Lord himself, and to believe a formula, are actually two different motions…A method has no power nor effectiveness; for not being Christ, it is simply a dead thing. Every spiritual thing outside of Christ is dead…

The reason for many unanswered prayers and ineffective testimonies is found in our not touching the Lord. We have merely copied the method of others; we have not touched the Lord himself.” – Watchman Nee, Christ The Sum of All Spiritual Things

– fritz@langgang.com

Posted in Jesus, Meditation, Methods, Watchman Nee | Tagged | 4 Comments »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »