How to boil a potato?

Having prayed for years now at the Peoria Prayer Center, I have come to understand the verity of ways the Lord has. It is not just a verity of ways He has to communicate or for intercession. The Lord is just truly creative and freely uses many and various ways to do most everything He does.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Christian boiling a potato for dinner and a non-Christian? This would be the difference between a Christian cook and a non-christian cook. But if they follow the same methods, follow the same recipe, show the same interest and care in the product; what is the difference?

What makes a person a Christian? Is it how they cook? Is it how moral they are? Is it how religious, what type of meeting and events they attend? A Christan is a person who has been transformed from being just a human being into a person who is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is the indwelling Spirit of God that transforms us from "natural" to "born again".

Let me share how a Christian cooks by sharing how they act.

The actor can play a great evil person, not by becoming that person but by the Spirit. Through the help of the Spirit of God the actor can be empowered to amaze people by playing an "evil person". Even more the actor can do so in such a way that those watching are "taken" by the person who is playing the 'evil person" and how they can play that part greatly out of the goodness that is in them. For in the creativity of God a truly good person can play an evil person and by the Spirit all who watch be captivated by the evil, the great job of acting and the wonder of how such goodness can communicate so well.

It is the same with cooking the potato.

The reality of living without God has born the fruit in people(in this case actors) needing to, in some way, "become the part". But in the deeper wonder of the Creator, dramatizing communication is done on the highest level, if it done with the Spirit. It is not a matter of "looking Christian" (as in crosses, lions, fish and such). It is actually being Christian - something I would strongly suggest of all who are trying to follow the way of Jesus.

So Rod, what about the potato? Are you fasting too?

The Christian cook and the non-christian are not just cooking in some different way. They are two different types of beings. One is natural and the other is spiritual. While this is not about human elitism, for that is of the real of the natural man, it is what is required to be of God. Being Christian must come from the spiritual transformation of the inside or it has not happened. If you were or are not changed on that level, you are a natural man trying to act christian (a condition all to familiar in our time).

So do you know how to live by the spirit?

Demonstrations

Have you noticed that modern man needs a lot of explanations. Maybe this is why art is not a "big thing" in our culture. If you look at a picture seldom is there someone there to tell you what it means. Art requires you to observe and understand by your personal interaction with the drawing, painting, play or even photograph.

I tried to deduce what God is by the demonstration of Him in the church world. By observing people going to and at church, you would have demonstrated that a great many people love church until it is time to listen to teaching or help others. Church seems to have a lot of visible energy when it comes to community, music or fellowship. We would assume that church life is fun when it is in community but not so much so when it is working or learning together. Maybe God has a "fun time" and a "not fun time".

The picture of God through the messages are usually that "God is love in spite of how hard you life is" and "you should be doing more, but we understand why your not". These messages seem quite different from the actual teaching of Jesus, which are more about how to live than who God is. I guess Jesus assumed that the people could look at Him and see who God is. Maybe Jesus was a demonstration of the Father.

The point is...I think, that we should be demonstrating God more than explaining Him. God is big on freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So if we show people God more, they enjoy the beauty of discovering God. Even the Jesus Video that is used in world missions is more about showing a picture of God rather than teaching them what God has done. The picture tells the story in a personal interacting way.

SO.....
All you art types get busy and get the picture out! We are behind the times in showing Jesus to our culture and the world. Show them who God is and allow the freedom and God and the power of the Spirit to work their part in transforming humanity.

I guess if each of us lives right we become a vi sable image of the invisible God. But lets not wait for that, someone get to drawing.

God and Rocks

How amazing is it that God compares himself to rocks in the Bible. The Bible is full of "rock/God images". That should be a clue to us that God is real and not some man made religion. For who in there right mind would choose a rock as an image for the thing they worship, love and obey.

So our God rock (fortress, foundation, stronghold, obstacle) is an example of what we ought to be at times - simple, powerful,foundational. We do not need to find endless "new things to do" and "new ways to do new things". We can be like God and just be for a while. In this ambition driven, need to be the best, manipulate my way to the top world, we believers can take a moment and reflect on the anxiety of the rock. I do not mean that we become seekers of nothing. I mean that in our steadfastness we are not moved by the things of this world. Rocks don't fear so why would we?

I tried to google for a picture of a rock. It took six pages before I found some stones. Then in the twenty somethings I found a few rocks. It seems like there are a great many things in our world that desire to be known as "rock". A lot of music stuff, and some people. But somehow I don't think all the people I saw in my "rock image search" were what I would call "rock solid people". If I was from outer space and searched for "rock" you might get the impression that rock means "with little or weird clothing". Or maybe it might mean "to strike a strange pose" or maybe to "hold an instrument in some unplayable way".

Luther used rock music. He wrote "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" You might know it as "a might fortress (rock) is our God". I wonder if some of those images I was were Lutheren?

I'm glad that I got the God I got. I love it that the King of all kings is so secure that He can talk about himself as a lowly rock. I think that the next time I go to the wilderness I am going to be struck with awe at the sight of a nice rock. You and I are chips off the old block, living stones seeking to grow up and be like our Father, the rock from which we were cut. [1 Pet. 3:4-8; Ps. 28:1; 89:26; Isa. 51:1]