Receivers or Reproducers?

I am just overwhelmed by truth right now. Thank you Lord for revealing yourself to me!

I just read two more chapters in this book called Radical by David Platt. (amazing! Go read it!) The question that this part of the book proposes is simple. Are we receivers or reproducers? We are all called to be teachers. We are called to spread the gospel to the world. We were not saved for our sake, but for the sake of God's glory. It is our responsibility as God's children to take His grace and His glory to all the world. This means the people around us, the people in neighboring states and the people in neighboring countries. This calling is not reserved for a select few. This calling is yours from the moment that you relinquish control of your life and let God live through you. This is a calling to teach and to disciple. The book speaks about how we often times think about that meaning that we have to have big productions and big performances. But Jesus took 12 men and invested 3 years into them. He spent all of His time showing them how to live, how to speak and how to spread the gospel.


David Platt explains it so well like this:

"For example, imagine "going" and leading someone to faith in Christ and then seeing her "baptized" in identification with Christ and his church. Now what? How is she going to learn to walk with Christ daily? If teaching is limited to a select few in the church who are equipped for that then we will immediately tell this new Christians she needs to sit in a classroom and learn from a teacher. Thus we get the common approach to "discipleship" today - a far cry from the disciple making of Jesus. It's not that sitting in lecture-style settings is not beneficial, but what if Christ has actually set us up to be the teachers? Think about it. What would be the most effective way for this new follower of Christ to learn to pray? To sign her up for a one-hour-a-week class on prayer? Or to invite her personally into your quiet time with God to teach her how to pray? Similarly, what would be the most effective was for this new follower of Christ to learn to study the Bible? To register her in the next available course on Bible study? Or to sit down with her and walk her through the steps of how you have learned to study the Bible?"

He goes on to talk about how this "raises the bar in our Christianity". We have to study the Word in order to be able to share what we have learned. We have to actually pray in order to teach someone how to pray. This should create a challenge for us to know God so that we can teach Him to others. Do I believe that people are given different spiritual gifts? Yes. But do I believe that I am relieved from my obligation to spread the gospel just because God hasn't given me the desire to go to school for a teaching degree? Absolutely not.

We have been raised in a society where life revolves around us. We have to pay attention in school so that we can go to college to make a good career to make a lot of money to provide a good life for a good family. There is nothing wrong with going to college and having a good career and providing for your family. But we are called to use those gifts and blessings that God gives us for HIS glory. This just puts everything in perspective. Yes, I have questions and stresses and whatnot about my life and the circumstances I am in. But I am called to be a teacher. So I need to turn my circumstances over to God and ask how I can use them in my life to teach the gospel to others. The question should not be what I can gain or how I can overcome the circumstance but how can I let God speak through this circumstance in my life?

These obstacles in my life are not about me overcoming them but about God being glorified through them.

Conditional Forgiveness????????

I have been talking about forgiveness a lot lately...because that is kinda my world right now. As I'm reading through the word and growing in Christ, the same concept has been popping up over and over. I dont know if its because it is God asking me a question or if it is me obsessing over this thought so any feedback is much appreciated!! I have been reading this book called Radical by David Platt. Today I read a chapter about the American Dream. It drew the difference between how we think life is supposed to be lived and how God intended life to be lived. Striving for the American Dream states that if we are determined and set our mind to it, we can do anything and accomplish anything so acheive that "white-picket fence" or high-rise condo or mansion in Spain or multi-billion dollar company or whatever lifestyle that we want. The Bible time and time again tells stories of the opposite. God causes things to happen in our lives that bring us to complete desperation in Him so that He reecives the glory...the glory that He solely deserves. If I work really hard on a project, then when it is completed I am proud and satisfied with my dedication. I receive the glory because I worked hard. What I forget is that God gave me the opportunity, focus, drive, talents, etc that I needed to complete the project in the first place. Unfortunately, often times with things are going good, we forget about thanking God completely. In the book, David mentions the story of Jericho. He displays this picture of Joshua preparing for battle. He is thinking about all the strategies and tactics for war as he should be being the leader of the army. But God has a different plan. This battle was not about Joshua being a good leader or a strong warrior. This story is about God revealing His power and strength. So he tells Joshua to march around the walls and on the last day, march around playing trumpets and have the people shout. That must have sounded ridiculous. But this is the plan that God designed that would show his faithfulness the best. I say all of this to draw a comparison to how we think things should be done vs how God inteds them to be...I promise my question will come soon... hang tight. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us Now to the question part of this rant....I obviously struggle with insecurity because of the infidelity in my marriage. It goes back to that same head-to-heart struggle that I have described before. I remind myself of who I am in Christ and that I am a daughter of the God who created me exactly as I am and loves me unconditionally. But just as easily in the back of my mind I have the picture of being replaced...of someone else holding his hand and laughing at his jokes. Everyone says trust is not just given, it is earned. I know there are consequences for actions but here is where I'm getting a little confused. In the verses that I listed above, none of them say "If you confess your sins, He will forgive you but He will have to wait and see over time if you really are going to change." And they also dont say "For he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and put us on probation to make us jump through a ton of hoops before being really reconnected and forgiven and given a clean slate." Part of me is very convicted about this. I sin EVERY DAY and I know I will sin EVERY DAY for the rest of my life but yet I want God to trust me to carry His will out. I want to be used by Him and for Him to trust me to be a good and faithful servant. So how does that connect with my human emotions? God gave me a very big heart and feels everything. I love and hurt very easily because I love with my everything. I love with my everything because that is how I feel that God has called His children to be. So I guess my question is two-fold and all boils down to this: When God forgives us, he doesn't put conditions on his forgiveness. He forgives and says you are wiped clean and your sin is as far as the East is from the West. If we are called to be like Jesus, doesn't that mean we are called to forgive without conditions? And how the HECK do I do that when all of those insecurities and thoughts keep popping up in my mind?