A Net in Time

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Book Study

One Thing I Do

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Oh, this chapter in The Faith-Shaped Life took me by surprise.  Dr. Hamilton told the story of a pastor he had as a young man.  This pastor, James Philip, was speaking and asked “Are you a one-thing-I-do-man, a one-thing-I-do-woman?”  … Paul did many things, but in all things he did there was one thing he was always doing. He was always pressing on ‘toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’  … There was an inerradicable heavenly-mindedness to Paul’s faith.” (p140-141)

One Thing I Do

Why the Surprise?

One Thing I Do… oh that thought just grabbed a hold of me.  Spawning off into stories in my brain, and making my heart throb.  What is the ONE thing I do?   Am I like Paul, wholly committed to Christ.  Wanting to be with Christ more than any other thing… even if that other thing is totally worthy?

Not Always so Easy

It’s not always so easy though is it?  This is something that Paul admits to as well.   It’s hard to forget the things that lie in our past.  Sins that we cling to, sins that we did that the Devil wants to keep us ashamed of, and sins that just seem to show up.  It is a hard battle.

We need to remember this though.  To remember our past, to remember our shame, because then we are more keen to recognize God’s grace in our lives.   This recognition keeps us pressing forward.  You see it right?

God’s grace pulls us onward.  Even though it is hard (and it is!) but despite how hard it can be, his grace pulls us onward.  Helping us to remember our love for the Lord.  Our desire to put him first above all other things. 

To make Christ our “One Thing I Do”. 

One Thing I Do

Stop the Drift

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Dr. Hamilton starts this chapter off talking about Phil 2: 19-24. In these verses he points out two facts from Paul’s letter. These facts concern the supreme interest of the Christian.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

Stop the Drift

Two Groups

First he commends Timothy to them as a man who is genuinely concerned about their welfare.    He then speaks of those who don’t share that same concern.  He speaks of those who seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  

So we have two outlooks juxtapositioned against each other.

The first group with a genuine love for Christ and a love for the people of God.   Against the second group the professes to love God but is highly influenced by self-interest, greed, pride, or whatever.  This latter group serves their own self-interest.

The Drift

It’s easy to do you know?   To become complacent in our faith, to drift along with the tides of the world we live in. It’s easy to forget what our first priority should be. 

The Cross

To escape this drift, we need to remember the words of our Lord.  Take up our cross and follow him.  He doesn’t promise it’s easy, but he does promise that by seeking the genuine good of those around him, that by searching our own hearts and lives, and by actively pursuing the Lord others will see Christ in us. 

After reminding us of this truth, Dr. Hamilton calls us to action.  Calling us to remember how we show love to others. 

Stop the Drift

Our Fellowship

One of the best ways to prevent drift is to have a genuine love and concern for our fellowship of believers.  Taking the time to care for those around us.   From writing a letter of gratitude, to spending time with a shut-in, making a meal for a family in need, taking the time to babysit for a young family, or to help rebuild a porch.  Taking the time for others put our own self-love on the back seat.   And that helps to keep us aware of the drift and able to step out of it. 

It makes me think of Bondi Rescue, a show my 13 year old really likes to watch.  In this show the lifeguards are constantly reminding people to swim between the flags and watch where they are going.  If they do that, they will stay out of trouble, and not need to be rescued.

So too, as believers, we need to be alert to where we are.  We need to be watchful of the drift that naturally occurs.  Caring for our fellow believers stops the drift.  Just like watching for where the flags are and what the waves are doing, keeps the non-swimmers safe on the beach. 

Be safe, be alert and be caring.  Stop the drift.

The Christian’s Obsession with Christ

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One of the things my hubby pastor says frequently “I need to preach Christ”.  That means regardless of the scripture passage being used, Christ is to be preached.  He is central to the entirety of scripture.   He is woven throughout the fabric of our history, from the beginning of the world until it’s very end.  Christ is always to be found.

Therefore, Christianity is Christ. This is the central theme of this chapter from the Faith-Shaped Life.

The Christian's Obsession with Christ

Throughout the gospels this truism is seen most clearly.  Jesus doesn’t tell people in Matthew 11 to some other being in order to find rest.  He says “come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”.   He calls people to himself. 

Jesus was very much aware that he was the answer to people struggling with the affects of sin in their lives. 

It’s so True

Consider how God took care of all the details when his Son died.  How he made sure all scripture was fulfilled, that Jesus had a witness, and more.  God gave us his everything.  So we have EVERYTHING… not just what we need, but everything possible.  It’s all tied up in Jesus. 

In John 15 Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the branches.  He is the ONE that gives us the life that we need to flourish. 

This means that if we are struggling, the first thing that we must do is turn to Jesus.  We need to look to him for the answers.  

And wow.. it’s so easy to forget that eh?   We find ourselves down in the dumps and what do we do?  Everyone has their own thing.

 I know what I do!   I make myself busy and force myself to be involved in the world around me.. even if all I want to do is curl into a ball and stay away from the world.  But that’s not turning to Christ first.  That’s me making decisions about what I think I need to do.  It’s the same advise I give to others who struggle.  Stay involved, don’t shut yourself away, community is there for a reason. 

When perhaps, if I turned to Christ first, if I looked to him for the answers, he might have another solution for me.  A solution that would be better in the long run instead of a short term solution.   If instead of losing myself in an electronic game, tv show or book.  That instead, I took a walk and spent time just talking with God.  Or spent time perusing scripture. 

I need to remember when I am struggling to look to Jesus.  In him I can find the solution I need.  How about you?

Watch and Pray

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I was orginally going to entitle this post, the wicked shall not inherit, but then I read the chapter again.   While it is true that that wicked shall not inherit the earth, it is more true that our job is to watch AND pray.   Let us then consider WHY we should watch and pray.

Watch and Pray

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul is talking with a church that he has spent a lot of time with.  He’s seeing things in them he doesn’t like to see and so offers a series of six questions.   Questions that begin with Do you not know?

  1. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 
  2. Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
  3. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
  4. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?
  5. Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?
  6. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Watch and Pray

We are Not Immune

You would think that all believers would know these truths, particularly ones that have been taught by solidly biblical pastors.    But that might not true.   People don’t always know what we expect them too.   Sometimes the world influences us in ways that we don’t expect.

Take the age that we live in now.  Sensuality and money influences about everything you can think of.  Think you aren’t influenced by that?   Please… think again.  We cannot for one moment take for granted that we are immune to certain sins, even some of the grosser sins in Paul's catalogue! The Faith Shaped Life by Ian Hamilton Click To Tweet

Watch and Pray

Watch and Pray

So we need to watch and pray.   We need to pray that we are kept from the evil one, that our churches not succumb to the pressures of the age in which we live.  We need to be alert to influences of the world creeping in in ways that we might not expect. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that we need to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

We need to pray that we don’t deceive ourselves, that we not be compromised by the prevailing wickedness of the world around us.   Watch and Pray.  The earth belongs to the Lord but the devil fights him hard.  Let’s not help him.   Bring glory to God. 

If you’d like to follow along in The Faith-shaped life, amazon link is below.

Before I leave today, I’ve just realized I only have 6 more chapters to go before I am done this amazing book. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying going through this book. I’m getting rather curious about what book I should go through next. These are the books that I am considering. What are your thoughts?

Legacy of Faith

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Okay, here’s the truth.  I’ve been sitting here for the past hour thinking…. how do I write about a chapter in the Faith-shaped life that I am just so not connecting to.  Like I understand the importance of reading the words of faithful saints who have gone on before.   I understand the beauty in a dying man making sure his spouse and family see the glory of God.  I GET IT…..but seriously I am SO not connecting with it.   Not even a little bit.  Leaves me wondering what I can write about then… and then I got to thinking… My dad was a man of faith… I think a lot like him…he left a legacy of faith for me.  Why not write about him?

Right up front I’ll tell you that Dad and I didn’t have the easiest relationship. We didn’t.  Two people who preferred to do our jobs without asking questions or offering a lot of feedback… quick tempers and a lack of knowledge about why people do what they do. GAH… If only I knew THEN what I know now!!!!   🙂

Childhood

My earliest memory of him though… pulling us kids through the water at the beach. This man who wasn’t really a swimmer took time to just have fun with his kids at the beach. We had SO much fun with him. He treasured his family. You know how God treasures us? Dad showed that to me.   

Learning of how he quit smoking cold turkey because it wasn’t good for us children. We were so important to him, nothing dissuaded him from that. 

The cat incident.  My younger sister and I thought it was funny to shake some baby kittens after they had a full tummy of food.  We laughed at how their tummies sounded.   Dad heard about it, listened, then waited until after dinner when he picked us up one at a time and gave us a good shaking up and down.   We learned… kindness to animals under our care was VERY important.  God gave them to us to we need to care for them well. 

Teenage years

When I look back at my teenage years I wonder how anyone could STAND to be around me.   Seriously… angry, rebellious lass I was.  I determined to spend as much time away from my dad as I could.   Wouldn’t let him anywhere near me…Horrible I was.  

BUT as much as I broke his heart, and I know I did, and eventually I came around again… but in the meantime you know what Dad didn’t do?   He didn’t turn his back on me.  As horrible as I was, he remained a steadfast caring dad.  ALWAYS.   How like God you know?   God doesn’t give up on his kids.  He handles our anger, questions, storming out of a room, and he welcomes us back when we get over ourselves and out of a snit.  He does.  And it totally blows my mind. 

Aging happened

My dad and I developed a better relationship over the years.  As he aged though, his mind started to leave him.  It was sad seeing him go.  Despite the falls and the memory lapses, two things never left him.  His fierce love for my mom and his abiding love for God.  Both were there all time. Always a smile or a look over, always his bible, a prayer or a song of worship at hand.  Modeling what it means to love and care, modeling devotion to those who mattered most.  

So yes, legacy matters. I can look back at my dad’s life and see what message he left behind.  Perhaps not written down for generations to see, but lived out so his children could see, and hopefully pass along his abiding love for the things of God. 

Dare to Be Different

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We live in a post-modern world. Sometimes it’s hard to define what that is, so I thought I’d go looking for a clear definition. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica Postmodernism, also spelled post-modernism, in Western philosophy, a late 20th-century movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining political and economic power.

As Christians, how do we live out our faith in this post-modern world? How do we live out moral, faith-based lives when surrounded by political-correctness, skepticism and suspicion? How do we follow this adage in 1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. Yet follow the example of Jesus who was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners”.  How do we engage in Christian living in a post-modern world?

How do we stay true to the absolute moral standards that God calls us to?  It’s not an easy thing, especially when people twist our actions, or fellow believers get side-tracked, or when we aren’t sure of our own way. How do we hold true to God’s will and word?

How to stay true:

Dare to be different. It takes courage to choose to stay the course.  Courage is needed to live by a standard that others will not hold to. Christian men choosing to living out godly headship, sacrificing themselves for their wives and families.  Christian women choosing a simpler life, striving to raise up families, caring for them full well, able to submit to their husbands.  Show by their godly lives the example of Christ to the world. Showing lives of obedience, lives that please him full well.

Dealing with our Past: Trusting God

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Do you ever struggle with remembering God remembers our sins no more?   I know that I do.  I remember some of the horrible things I’ve done, sometimes I wonder why that is. Why do I keep remembering those things?   Why do they keep me wondering if God really forgives me?   OR worse… makes me wonder about my faith and if it can be real.   WHY, why do we do this?

Dealing with our Past: Trusting God

Mr. Hamilton suggests that it’s a matter of trust.  

Do we truly believe that God forgets our sin, that he removes our transgressions from us?   That he indeed washes us whiter than snow, cleaning us all up!  It’s an amazingly sweet, and simple, and basic truth.  

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

See…it’s right there.  God tells us that we are, as believers, washed, sanctified and justified.   Do we believe it?   It’s a hard one to grasp… I KNOW THIS.  I fight myself everyday to remember WHOSE I am and why I should trust that he has my back.

Being reassured that Jesus intercedes for me with God. Asking God to be mindful of me, protecting me from the evil one.  Who do you think puts those thoughts in my head that I’m not good enough, or that God doesn’t really forgive sin, or that I somehow need to find a way to make up for the wrongs I did.   It isn’t God.  

So the question comes… can I trust God’s spoken word?   Can I believe what he tells me over and over and over again?   He loves me, he forgives me, his Son paid the penalty for MY sin, for YOUR sin… it’s covered, we’re washed, sanctified AND justified.

Satan has no hold on me, or you or anyone who believes in the Lord.   Not one single hold.

Believe it.  Oh… reader, if you love the Lord, believe it.   Jesus is our high priest and intercessor.  He died and rose again so that our pasts: our sins, our failures, and our dirtiness can’t be held against us. 

I liked this quote: “Satan will always want you to ‘look in’ to yourself; God wants you always to ‘look out and up’ to Christ.”  (p111, the faith shaped life)

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Let’s look up to Christ.  Let us see him more and ourselves less. We so need to remember whose we are.