How do you know if your faith is growing?

How do you know your faith is growing? How do you measure faith growth?

Work Out Your Own Salvation?

I don't think going it alone in trying to become transformed into the image of Christ is a good idea.

Following the crowd is not a great idea either.

So how and why is it important to work out your own salvation?

I guess the first reason is because the Bible says so (Philippians 2). I think the other reason is that ultimately, I am going to be judged as an individual. From what I understand, the judgement discussed in Matthew 25 is an individual judgement. What did I do in this life for other people? How did I show my love for God by taking care of my neighbor?

Have you ever thought about your neighbor as a very legalistic religious organization in which you might find yourself? Am I supposed to love them? Take a look at Matthew 23:1-3.

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

I had never focused on the first sentence of verse 3 before. I must confess past sins of hammering organizations and doctrines. I must repent.

I also think the rest of verse 3 is key for individuals in any religious organization. Am I doing what the organization says I need to do or am I doing what I feel I need to be doing? Am I looking to what Jesus says he is going to judge me on as an individual?

It seems to me to be very dangerous if I was to think that my association with a religious organization who has convinced me they have the right answers guarantees my salvation and prohibits others. What if I don't take care of others? What if I don't love my neighbor?

I think I need to respect and love people in such organizations, associate myself with people who will help me and hold me accountable on my transformation journey and work out my own salvation by doing what Jesus said for my neighbor. That is a challenge!!!

Thank you Jesus for grace, but am I relying on that to cover over my selfishness in all too often ignoring my neighbor?

Satan's Most Effective Tool?

I wonder if Satan's most effective tool is getting us to believe we have to do something big?

I think he understands that if we obsess about doing something big, we are frozen. We downplay "little" things. We tell people "it was nothing" which is often a way of saying I wish it was bigger.

Satan is effective in getting us to focus on a goal and not the journey. Every step of the journey is exquisite. There are no little steps. Exquisite and little do not equate!

Getting Old is Interesting - I Think!?!?

It occurred to me that one of the things I wanted to discuss in my last post, I forgot to add before I published! Getting old, wow!!

What I was going to add about the parable of the shrewd manager:

Do you think that God had passages like this in the Bible to remind us that he is so much bigger than us, our doctrines, our thoughts about whether people are right or wrong, our interpretations of what scriptures mean? Do you think he threw us certain curveballs to remind us we are not to sit around and try to figure him out? We are not to try to develop a flawless theological doctrine? Perhaps we are to read, contemplate, study so that we can be, so that we can spread life?

Back to Questions

I was thinking today that I have been getting away from the main reason I started this blog stuff - asking questions because I don't have answers. The more questions I have, the more I figure out that often, there are no answers.

Interestingly, in Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis that I recently read, he talked about how in the Jewish educational system, the way you demonstrated knowledge was by asking questions. I think I am on the right track in asking questions but I am afraid my questions don't demonstrate any knowledge.

Anyway, back to the question(s).

Luke 16 the parable of the shrewd manager. I am not sure what to think of this. What does it mean? We often quote verse 13 about not being able to serve two masters. That verse makes a very good point. But what is the point of verses 1-12? What are we supposed to learn here? What are we supposed to pass along to future generations about this passage? Did I miss what earlier generations passed along about these verses?

Wrong Message?

I saw on Cope's blog and on the news last night that the NFL cracked down on a church which was going to have a Super Bowl Bash. They were going to show the game on the projection screen. (Don't you wonder how they found out? My guess is they have "cops" searching on the net, media reports, etc. which is sad to me.)

The NFL has the legal authority to do this. I don't agree with it but it is the law.

On that news story, the reporter interviewed a local church for reaction. The pastor couldn't believe the NFL either and said they were going ahead and projecting the game on their screen.

What kind of message is that church, and others like it, sending? We know this is illegal but we are moving forward anyway?

Strange Sight

On the way to work on the slushy roads, the snow was slowly starting to fall some more. Drivers were actually being appropriately cautious today. As I was waiting to head up the on-ramp to 169, I saw a strange sight for February 1, especially with the snow.

A truck turned in front of us to go on that same on-ramp . . . with his boat in tow!!

Midday Update - Strange Sighting #2

Snow on the ground, more forecast, temperature freezing, at best. Man seen wearing tennis shoes, a cowboy hat, no coat, t-shirt and shorts!!!

Makes me wonder what I will see this evening!!