Godly Arrogance with Humility? (cont.)

Some quotes resembling the same thoughts as my last one.

Ray Ortlund's Post

As much as I'd like the confidence to believe that I am speaking the very Word of God, I would like the grace and humility to support my brothers and sisters as they speak it too :)

Godly Arrogance with Humility?

For The Love of God just finished 2 Samuel today and almost through Galatians.

2 Samuel 23:1-2
"These are the last words of David:
"The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
Israel's singer of songs :

"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

Galatians 1:1

"Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead"

Galatians 1:12

"I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."

Galatians 1:15-16

"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles..."

Galatians 2:7-9

"On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me."

To me it seems arrogant to claim to speak the word of God. Not that I think it arrogance from King David or the Apostle Paul, but I think it from me. Theologically (although there are differences) I know it is true for me too since we have the same Spirit. Practically I can't believe it. And that is where I find the difficulty.

How do I connect what God's word says with how I live? To have a "godly arrogance" knowing his Spirit speaks through me and his words are on my tounge, with humility knowing I do not always speak his words.

I understand it's a growing process. But I want to grow!

Jesus, I my Cross Have Taken

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be:

Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
God and heav’n are still my own!

Man may trouble and distress me,
‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.

O ‘tis not in grief to harm me,
While Thy love is left to me;
O ‘twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Hasten on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heav’n’s eternal days before me,
God’s own hand shall guide me there.

Soon shall close my earthly mission,
Swift shall pass my pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Little Christ's

"The word Christian means 'Little Christ's', and that's what we're supposed to be, little Jesus' running around." Keith Green

I had a horrible week, which was a culmination of long standing problems in the way that I think, and a desire for a kind of spiritual fruit that I may never see. I am thankful for just 2 days away with a dear friend where God taught me some helpful but hard lessons

I like that quote from Keith Green, if it is understood properly. We are supposed to be little Jesus. We are not supposed to be Jesus himself. Jesus walked on water. Peter walked on water a little. The other disciples didn't. They were no less little Jesus'.

Some faithful Christian people may NEVER see a soul converted because of their ministry. Sometimes the only fruit they will see is thankfulness (though even that may seem rarer than conversions at times). If you think about it, sinful people are not concerned with God nor thankful to him. If someone thanks you for what you did for Jesus, it is no small, unspiritual token. It is a grace and a fruit of His work in you.

I receive thank yous like water off a ducks back. Sin has crept in even to the way I respond to the response my service gets. What if thankfulness is the only fruit I will see? I'd best be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:1-2).

Servanthearted...

"The servanthearted will always be the brokenhearted. When your heart is wrapped up in the service of others in this broken world, you will either not be able to serve as completely as you want or it will not be received well."

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm34:18

SEX!

I drive home from uni every day to see a billboard that says "WANT LONGER LASTING SEX?". I think, "I haven't had sex, nor do I see the situation for it in the near future, so I don't really have a desire for it to last longer."

For 3 weeks in a row I've heard about sex at church. This month's issue of Southern Cross (Anglican magazine) is entitled SEX.

FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH. Well it's a fall back flavour. I mean sex will start going out of fashion when people do.

I just pray that it is helpful for someone because I can tell you it's not so helpful for me currently. I just don't belong in this world if sex is all we have to talk about.

End rant.

Church Planter Video

I don't understand why you would use a "probably what happened" story to say something that is definitely happening. Maybe it's just me but I don't think that unevidenced stories are convicting especially when there is plenty of churches with the background. But there were a lot of interesting things in the video. One thing that stuck out to me:

"Every second of every day $3000 dollars is spent on pornography."

Just to put that in perspective http://www.takeawayhunger.org can provide 100 meals for every 6 dollars donated.

Quick maths says that if this money was spent on food rather than porn, every second of every day would provide 50 000 meals.

Every day would provide food for 4 billion 320 million meals.

Food for thought?