pilgrimage - "a journey, esp. a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion"
Can normal everyday life be considered a pilgrimage? I think most of us consider a pilgrimage to be something that is deliberately long and focused on reaching a particular place. However, consider the possibility that normal everyday life is also a pilgrimage to be in the presence of God on a day to day basis until reaching the ultimate goal of an eternity spent in his presence.
Psalm 84:5-7 has the passage "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."
Using this passage with the analogy of normal everyday life as a pilgrimage would mean that even in our day-to-day existence, there will be times of long, arid, dry stretches (like the Valley of Baca... read the Bible text notes) but the springs and pools serve as blessings and refreshment... reminders of the ultimate joy that the experience of reaching Zion will bring.
May your day-to-day life bring you blessings of springs and pools as you go "from strength to strength" on your pilgrimage.
-Andy G.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Testimony
testimony - "open declaration or profession, as of faith; evidence in support of a fact or statement"
Lately, I have been very encouraged through hearing several testimonies from various people. These testimonies are of things that the Lord God had done for people. Sometimes the person was just sharing good news or "good luck" stories, and other times the person was completely aware that God had done a good work in their life. It has made me realize that we should not hesitate to share such stories with people... friends, co-workers, family, and maybe even strangers that we meet. When you have a testimony to share, don't hold back... you never know if the listener needs to hear that story at that particular time or not.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5, there is the story of when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was living in the tombs by the side of a lake. After Jesus had cast the demons out and healed the man, the man begged to go with Jesus. However, Jesus did not let him go with him, but said "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell throughout the region how much Jesus had done for him, and the people were amazed!
In the above story, I believe that Jesus sent the man to go tell his story because he knew that people needed to hear it and would be amazed. If the man had gone with Jesus instead, many other people throughout the region would not have heard about what the Lord had done for the man.
Let's proclaim all that the Lord does for us! Share your testimonies!
Lately, I have been very encouraged through hearing several testimonies from various people. These testimonies are of things that the Lord God had done for people. Sometimes the person was just sharing good news or "good luck" stories, and other times the person was completely aware that God had done a good work in their life. It has made me realize that we should not hesitate to share such stories with people... friends, co-workers, family, and maybe even strangers that we meet. When you have a testimony to share, don't hold back... you never know if the listener needs to hear that story at that particular time or not.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5, there is the story of when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was living in the tombs by the side of a lake. After Jesus had cast the demons out and healed the man, the man begged to go with Jesus. However, Jesus did not let him go with him, but said "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell throughout the region how much Jesus had done for him, and the people were amazed!
In the above story, I believe that Jesus sent the man to go tell his story because he knew that people needed to hear it and would be amazed. If the man had gone with Jesus instead, many other people throughout the region would not have heard about what the Lord had done for the man.
Let's proclaim all that the Lord does for us! Share your testimonies!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Pursuing Knowledge of the Attributes of God
With regard to finding the answers to questions that we have about God...
"...They must be sought by prayer, by long meditation on the written Word, and by earnest and well-disciplined labor. However brightly the light may shine, it can be seen only by those who are spiritually prepared to receive it. 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'" from The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer (p.22)
What questions do you have about God?
What attributes of God have you seen or been made aware of?
"...They must be sought by prayer, by long meditation on the written Word, and by earnest and well-disciplined labor. However brightly the light may shine, it can be seen only by those who are spiritually prepared to receive it. 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'" from The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer (p.22)
What questions do you have about God?
What attributes of God have you seen or been made aware of?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Media Discernment
Discernment – the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.
Learning media discernment is very important for Christ-followers (especially young Christians) in order to maintain a focus on God’s communication and plan for us. What I mean by “media discernment” is the ability to identify and distinguish those things in the media (music, movies, TV, books, magazines) that are inherently “bad” for us, and separate them from the “good” or “neutral” category. It is like having radar to detect stuff that we know deep inside that God would rather have us steer clear of. Sometimes it is easy to identify this: obviously God would rather us not choose to view a pornographic movie or magazine. Other times it is not so clear. Music in particular is a form of media that is sometimes difficult to have clear discernment for good and bad, because it isn’t always visual and the lyrics can sometimes cloud an otherwise clear message. Nevertheless, I believe that it is extremely important for all youth, and Christians in particular, to develop a strong sense of discernment about what they choose to listen to, see, and be exposed to.
In my own life, music has always had an extremely powerful pull on my emotions, attitudes, and way of viewing the world. When I was a teenager, I had a youth pastor who helped me to understand why it was important to develop a sense of discernment, to basically learn how to be careful what I listen to. He would often listen to our records and tapes with us and help us to evaluate the good and bad, and to understand why it was important for us to pay attention to it. I am not just talking about the style or genre of music, but rather the content of the message, the lyrics, and the way it makes you feel about yourself, others, and the world. Ask yourself “Does this song glorify God or does it show rebellion towards God and his plan?” It is not just the style of music that is the topic of this discernment issue, but the content and the message being sent out to the listeners. I thank God that I started to learn this art of discernment early on (in high school), and that I have been able to improve my sense of discernment and continue to improve my understanding of God’s will in this area of my life. It has helped me to develop a positive outlook on life, and has given me a strong sense of looking out for and being careful with what I “consume” in the form of media (music, movies, TV, magazines, etc.) – to help me to determine what is good and what is bad for my soul, and ultimately to help me stay focused on the goals and attitudes that God has intended for me.
-Andy G.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Learning media discernment is very important for Christ-followers (especially young Christians) in order to maintain a focus on God’s communication and plan for us. What I mean by “media discernment” is the ability to identify and distinguish those things in the media (music, movies, TV, books, magazines) that are inherently “bad” for us, and separate them from the “good” or “neutral” category. It is like having radar to detect stuff that we know deep inside that God would rather have us steer clear of. Sometimes it is easy to identify this: obviously God would rather us not choose to view a pornographic movie or magazine. Other times it is not so clear. Music in particular is a form of media that is sometimes difficult to have clear discernment for good and bad, because it isn’t always visual and the lyrics can sometimes cloud an otherwise clear message. Nevertheless, I believe that it is extremely important for all youth, and Christians in particular, to develop a strong sense of discernment about what they choose to listen to, see, and be exposed to.
In my own life, music has always had an extremely powerful pull on my emotions, attitudes, and way of viewing the world. When I was a teenager, I had a youth pastor who helped me to understand why it was important to develop a sense of discernment, to basically learn how to be careful what I listen to. He would often listen to our records and tapes with us and help us to evaluate the good and bad, and to understand why it was important for us to pay attention to it. I am not just talking about the style or genre of music, but rather the content of the message, the lyrics, and the way it makes you feel about yourself, others, and the world. Ask yourself “Does this song glorify God or does it show rebellion towards God and his plan?” It is not just the style of music that is the topic of this discernment issue, but the content and the message being sent out to the listeners. I thank God that I started to learn this art of discernment early on (in high school), and that I have been able to improve my sense of discernment and continue to improve my understanding of God’s will in this area of my life. It has helped me to develop a positive outlook on life, and has given me a strong sense of looking out for and being careful with what I “consume” in the form of media (music, movies, TV, magazines, etc.) – to help me to determine what is good and what is bad for my soul, and ultimately to help me stay focused on the goals and attitudes that God has intended for me.
-Andy G.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Saturday, April 3, 2010
To walk humbly with your God
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8
What does it mean "to walk humbly with your God"? To me it means that wherever I am I should invite and welcome God's presence there with me, AND that I should seek to be where He is. I should desire to be with God in everything I do, whether that is at home, at work, at play, or at church. The Lord reveals His desire to be with us throughout scripture, He longs to be with us, and we should long to be with Him. Should I do this simply out of obligation? (After all, he is God.) Well... obligation is ok, but really I should do this because I long to know God and to understand His attributes and to know His love for me. In eternity I will worship and adore Him constantly; there is no reason that I shouldn't strive with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength to do that here on earth as well, 24/7.
-Andy G.
What does it mean "to walk humbly with your God"? To me it means that wherever I am I should invite and welcome God's presence there with me, AND that I should seek to be where He is. I should desire to be with God in everything I do, whether that is at home, at work, at play, or at church. The Lord reveals His desire to be with us throughout scripture, He longs to be with us, and we should long to be with Him. Should I do this simply out of obligation? (After all, he is God.) Well... obligation is ok, but really I should do this because I long to know God and to understand His attributes and to know His love for me. In eternity I will worship and adore Him constantly; there is no reason that I shouldn't strive with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength to do that here on earth as well, 24/7.
-Andy G.
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