Questions to Answer
Another Day Along the Way
Friday, September 22, 2006
Another day,
Counselors ask questions. Not so they can only obtain information. They hope to lure the participant into a time of evaluation which can detect a present situation for the purpose of moving beyond that status and into a much better condition.
What if we let God counsel, ask, listen, and advise? Today, let's try it. Investigate yourself and answer. The confessions can locate problems and motivate us toward solutions. Use portions of Scripture if you want. But take time to think, to pray, to answer with honesty.
Here are the questions:
When you think about God, what image comes to your mind? If you could hear God speaking to you right now, what would He say? Why would He say that to you? What question would He ask? Why would He ask you that question? How would you answer Him?
Are you afraid of God? Why? What would He say to you about that fear? How can fearing God be good, and how can it be bad?
Why do you believe in Him? What has hindered your conversations and experiences with God? How can you keep that from happening?
What does God want to change in your life? How can He help make that change a reality? How can you allow Him?
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: (John 8:47, The Message)
Anyone on God's side listens to God's words. This is why you're not listening--because you're not on God's side.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Another day,
Counselors ask questions. Not so they can only obtain information. They hope to lure the participant into a time of evaluation which can detect a present situation for the purpose of moving beyond that status and into a much better condition.
What if we let God counsel, ask, listen, and advise? Today, let's try it. Investigate yourself and answer. The confessions can locate problems and motivate us toward solutions. Use portions of Scripture if you want. But take time to think, to pray, to answer with honesty.
Here are the questions:
When you think about God, what image comes to your mind? If you could hear God speaking to you right now, what would He say? Why would He say that to you? What question would He ask? Why would He ask you that question? How would you answer Him?
Are you afraid of God? Why? What would He say to you about that fear? How can fearing God be good, and how can it be bad?
Why do you believe in Him? What has hindered your conversations and experiences with God? How can you keep that from happening?
What does God want to change in your life? How can He help make that change a reality? How can you allow Him?
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: (John 8:47, The Message)
Anyone on God's side listens to God's words. This is why you're not listening--because you're not on God's side.
10 Comments:
i do not think about god enough. too much other stuff gets in the way.
I fear him because he knows my sin. Does he want to punish me?
I am going to try to answer those questions this weekend.
When I think about God, what comes to mind?
To say I know all about this idea called God is a farce. When I think about God, I think about a friend whom I enjoy spending my time with. This friend, however, is a friend in the same sense that my instructor for ROTC in high school was. He knew me by my first name, we could talk about things and he would show me how to do what I was supposed to do, he was funny, but I knew better than to mess up in his presence. I could say profanity away from him and feel like I was getting away with something, but to be profane around him was a series of interesting physical exercises. I think much the same of God; He is my friend, but he's more than a friend, he's in command, he's in control. He's taking things to a certain place no matter what I do to rebel against his plan. This is not to argue for "irresistible grace," but to say that God will let those in whom he knows, who choose to be his friends.
I would imagine God would ask me why I allow so many things, materials, unimportant specks of the human existance to pile up and get between me and him. It's not his will that there be something there in between us, we wear the same uniform... Mine is a little different, but the same (we put on holiness by Jesus' blood, He is holiness in its truest extent.). I imagine he would ask why I allow my uniform, the Holiness that he has given me, to have little spots and little wrinkles (that are much bigger than I think they are) on them. He would ask why I profane his holiness with my own self-righteous version of filthy rags.
I can say I fear the Lord without being afraid of him. I understand his acceptance and I have for a long time, but his acceptance is what transforms a man from foulness to holiness. By this I mean that, I fear the Lord for his righteousness. I know I can never, ever, ever measure up. He, in his power and the nature of God as Almighty, then, is the aggressor in purifying me so that I can measure up. I fear him, but I'm not afraid, because he is aggressively seeking to purify me, not to destroy me.
I believe in God because of a relationship; Here's what I mean: I've always been a good, church-going assembly of God boy. I grew up thinking of and seeing God as the pie in the sky. I never saw the blood and gore of the cross, just an anglo-saxon man with long hair and a sad face on a flannel board. As I grew up, I realized just how insane this man was. After my senior year of High School, I began to think about my life, and play with different ideas of who I thought I was. Consequently, I also thought of this religion that I said I believed. I believed in a crazy man! If he was anything but what he said he was, it was insanity. Why would anyone ever die so willingly unless he believed the thing he was dying for? Here is the man who said "I AM." Firmly asserting his deity, and therefore making him crazy or correct. I don't see any other choice. I look at Jesus as correct, the man who chose those who wouldn't ever make it without him, so that he could showcase the victory of the Father.
What does God want to change in my life? I could go on for hours. First of all is my own self-righteousness. I'm an arrogant man sometimes. Frequently. Often. I find myself covering a fear of rejection with an over-compensated knowledge, an argumentative temper, and even a stand on Holiness that is based on anything but holiness. I'm also very gullible. I don't see with spiritual eyes as much as I think the Lord wants me to see- if I did, I would have probably avoided some really stupid mistakes. He's still knocking my rough edges off, and teaching me how to "be holy as He is holy."
I know what I've been told about God. Just lately though, I am finding it all to be true for myself. He really is here for me right now. I wanted to believe that before. These days I'm more sure that ever.
I think if He came into my room and talked to me right now He would correct me about something I did wrong and He would help me know how to not do that any more. I also think He will tell me He loves me and wants me to live to help many more people.
I don't know how to answer those questions. I need to though and I will try.
What has hindered your conversations and experiences with God?
-- Myself and my way of being so selfish and not making time for God...
How can you keep that from happening?
-- Set goals and stay at it.
WE NEEd TO FEAR GOD BECAUSE HE IS HOLY. WE NEED TO SAY NO TO SIN AND TEMPATION. WE ALSO NEEd TO KNOW THIS GOD WE FEAR LOVES US AND CAN HEAR OUR PRAYERS AND FORGIVE OUR SINS
I have a picture of me when I was six, sitting in my daddy's lap. We are cheek to cheek and all smiles. Sometimes God is like that, calling us closer, loving on us, embracing us. I remember another, very different time when my father helped me, then four, safely down from a two story roof I climbed upon. He protected me all the way down. Then, once at the bottom, reminded me (on MY bottom) not to do such a foolish thing again. That image too is true of God. He loves us so sometimes He allows painful circumstances to get our attention. mary d
What would God say to me? That he loves me. Why would he say that? Because he made me in his image and because Jesus died for me.
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