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Archive for the ‘Action’ Category

Breath

Posted in Action, God, Holy Spirit, tagged , on October 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. — Genesis 1:2

Throughout the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, in both Hebrew and Greek languages, the word translated “Spirit” is the same used for Breath and Wind. Why?

Part of the answer, I believe, is that wind, breath, spirit is unseen and uncontrolled. It can be felt on our skin, it can be heard blowing through the trees and tall grass, we even try to track it with radar, but it goes where ever it goes without or control, approval, or direction.

God’s spirit is like that and so are his followers.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit — John 3:8

He moves and we benefit. We pray for it, wait for it, work with it or against it, but we don’t control it, and we don’t control those following him.

— fritz@langgang.com

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Handling Difficult People

Posted in Action, David, Difficulties, God's Compassion, Suffering, tagged , on September 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Shimei cursed, cast stones at David, and said “Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial. The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul!”

Then said Abishai unto the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.”

And the king said, “Let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.” — 2nd Kings 16-17

It seems there’s always someone adding insult to injury. So, how do you handle difficult people?

King David gives the right example.

Fleeing for his life from his own son he was followed by someone taking the opportunity to add his own cheap shots.

Instead of responding in kind, however, David offered it as a sacrifice to God! He knew God has compassion on suffering and recognized his need for that compassion. The Bible says,

If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. – Psalm 34:18 (Message Bible)

Offer suffering and the rudeness of others as a sacrifice to God — he sees and returns compassion.

— fritz@langgang.com

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Missing Part of Faith’s Message

Posted in Action, Explanations, Faith, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, tagged , on September 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe…” — John 11:14-15a (Message Bible)

Jesus made a passing comment we should not pass over.

Lazarus became sick and eventually died while his closest friend, Jesus, purposely delayed. Why? Jesus told his disciples he was glad, for their sake, he wasn’t there because he wanted them to believe — implying had he been there they would not have believed — probably because Lazarus would still have died.

The often missing part of Faith’s message is that while having it enables mountains to move and the impossible to occur, it is a gift from God. It can’t be worked up, earned by personal holiness, or manipulated for our personal desires — Jesus said,

“I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. — John 5:19 (Message Bible)

So when you are told if you had faith you could be healed, it may be technically true but God gives the faith, not you.

Your responsibility is to present yourself to Him, present your need and/or the needs of others, look to him for faith, and act on the faith he provides.

That’s what Jesus did.

— fritz@langgang.com

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