Every Christian's Battle....

Thoughts from a weekend with the Emmanuel family and Philippians 3.2-3

Sunday afternoon..... today is one of those "step all over my own toes" encounters. So often, I experience the raging battle between my own pride (which leaves me "in" and others "out") and the grace-abounding, level ground of the cross of Jesus Christ. It befuddles me why I/ we, as followers of Christ, are so prone to build insanely petty boundaries that make the road to the cross so difficult to travel. Yeah, it's a bit crazy to us that a group of people a couple of thousand years ago would actually exclude others because THEY had been circumcised and the others had not... somehow making the circumcision elite. (The whole purpose of circumcision was a covenant with God to increase His name and His character and His glory in the earth. NOT to exclude. Isn't it amazing how we botch the most beautiful things intended to bring God glory!!) So, circumcision is strange to us.... but, to them the thought that we would exclude b/c of dress code or version preference or musical style or political party is equally as baffling.

Every Christian battles this beast called pride. What God really wants is for His followers to NEVER forget the cross -- EVER! With chests pounded, pour out our gratitude for our debt paid in full. Honestly, this is a huge struggle. I am proud... to pound my chest in desperation means that I admit my need for God (a need that deeply exists, but in my self-reliance is often ignored). I want to be small... to decrease.... to long for the glory of God alone. It's a battle. A battle won by staking my life on the level, earth shaking, grace awakening, accepting ground of the cross of Christ. At that place, I boast in only one thing... Him..... His Glory..... I find satisfaction there.

The teaching this weekend ended with an alarming story..... a story about an amaing woman and an even more amazing Savior. John 4 tells of an encounter Christ had with a woman at the well.... I really don't think we will ever truly appreciate the boundaries that Christ removed in this moment. He talked with her.... shared life with her... extolled, perhaps, the greatest discourse on worship ever told. And, after her encounter and embrace of the grace found in Christ alone, sent her to tell the city. She is the most remarkable carrier of great news. Get this.... the whole city listened. The whole city came to mee t Christ. Maybe, what the city of Crestview... what every city in the world is looking for is a person who has been authentically changed by the grace of God in Christ. Maybe people are looking for someone who has no pride, zero desire to exclude, and abounds in one singular longing - to connect others to the amazing grace found in Christ. People have, far too often, met proud, excluding, arrogant people who claim to belong to Christ. We have to show them a person stunned by grace....... stunned. Then, we simply hold out this word of life and invite them to drink deeply in the life we have found. Just a few thoughts.... what do you think? Click on "comment" below and feel free to share commentary.....

Galatians 6.14

Mark