3 types of church-goers

In the arena of loving others - as God's commanded us to do, one of the ways the Church expresses it is to give genuine love and kinship to fellow Christians, OR those seeking -who come to church for the first time.

Having moved around so many times in my life, I've spent a lot of time being the "new" person at church. Which isn't fun  - you feel so vulnerable and rejected when everyone acts as if you're either not there, or just not human.

I've found that there're 3 categories of people in church

Category A- <1 p="">Those who'd seek out newcomers or just anyone who seems lonely, who look like they don't know anyone. Show them genuine warmth, actually make some effort to get to know them. Seeking to befriend, not just act friendly. [yes, there're lotsa people who can be friendly without actually wanting to be friends with the person] These people would invite the newcomer to lunch, or coffee during the week, or something.

Category B-
Those who wouldn't introduce themselves to the newcomers but would introduce themselves back when the said newcomer introduces oneself, and attempt to make conversation. Perhaps they're just shy and not socially confident enough to introduce themselves to a stranger, but once the ball is rolling, they have a 50-50 chance of actually running with it.


Category C-
Not only does this church-goer never talk to newcomers, and even tries to avoid them and certainly avoid eye contact, but even when said newcomer approaches him and introduces themself, he looks disinterested and makes an excuse [or sometimes, not even!] to leave the conversation to go talk to people he knows. Church is just a social club where he picks the most beneficial/entertaining people to hang with and sticks with them. He probably doesn't understand at all the purpose of meeting with other believers.


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No prizes for guessing which category has the least people in it...! I've only ever met 2-3 people of Category A in any church I've been to and shockingly, i've met people in Category C!



By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”John 13:35

A touching compelling memoir with lotsa interesting Indian Cultural tidbits

I've read this book over and over again and never get bored. The writer's style is so fluid and compelling that the reader is drawn into it right from the start. We are taken on a journey from Ravi's childhood in India through his teenage years when he came face to face with God and was given a purpose for living. Through many challenges, opportunities, heartbreak, hardship, victories, friendships forged, reconciliations and miraculous intervention we witness the sovereignty of a loving God whose hand was upon Ravi's life long before he'd even known Him personally. 

I particularly enjoyed the colourful cultural descriptions of social, family and religious life in India and the author's first experiences of the West as a young adult. How God used him, a boy who never read anything more than comic books and didn't do well at school, to now be preaching to the multitude and writing books to help the thinker believe and the believer think, that speak about the deepest yearnings of the heart, is so awe-inspiringly amazing.

A must read! 

Focus on One - The One who is able to keep you from falling

I had a vision of a tree, with its roots running into the ground, its trunk solid and strong, and its branches flourishing with green leaves and fruit. A picture of beauty, design and "flourishing". 

Conversely, a vision of one upon whom 2 forces are applied but going in different directions - being torn apart, like an explosion. Such a force doesn't produce beauty, but disorder and destruction. 

"Do not be double minded, but be single minded - focused on ME."  was impressed upon my heart. 

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-"he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 1:8

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8

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To be double minded is not only unstable, it's sin! 

I had to make a choice- serve my own purposes, or God's.

Before,  I thought the idea was to do both, so as to be a well rounded person, winning in every "arena". 

Do well at work/academics/impress people  ☑ 

save enough money to do the following:

Buy everything I want ☑

eat at the best restaurants ☑

create stylish home, look fashionable ☑

try to get as popular as possible ☑

and with time/attention leftover,

fulfill some godly goals such as going to mission trips and serving in church ☑

But I know now that all of that amounts to a big zero in God's eyes AS WELL as in my own life. Everything I was doing amounted to nothing, was meaningless and i knew it - I felt spiritually shaky and unstable.... I was tossed about by the winds, at times giving into deadly temptations to glorify or worship my selfish wants. Most of the time I was prevented from achieving any of them anyway, those of you who know me can attest to that! 

But giving it all to Him makes ALL the difference. perhaps we ARE meant to put all our eggs in one basket - in light of who God says He is. (Luke 10:27 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.)

The picture of Peter walking on water comes to mind [Matt 14 :22-36] - while he focused on Jesus he was able to do the impossible, but when he looked at the winds and got scared, he began to sink. but Jesus reached out to him and took hold on him - how he does for us too when we cry out to Him for help! One of the lessons from this is that God wants us to trust Him, and not look towards our earthly circumstances/understanding. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

 in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight

Trust Him for EVERYTHING. not for a house, car, clothes or material gain, no, trust Him for our very existential essence of being. Trust Him for our spiritual care, and physical care, for His purposes, and to ultimately take us to be with Him for eternity. 

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Gaining the whole world and all its recognition, success and accolades is ultimately worthless without God, but when living for Him, anything He calls me to is eternally valuable and worth it. Like that tree rooted in Him, growing strong and flourishing, and bearing fruit that in turn blesses all around it - I have to be focused on His purposes, and not be double minded. Perhaps, our hearts can really only have one person on its throne. 

Who is Lord of your heart? 

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“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money". Matt 6:24 

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Well the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God

Yeah, the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God

It's the only treasure that will never fade

Even death can't take it away

Yeah, the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God

You can live for happiness, or live for stuff but it's all gonna fade away

But you'll never ever feel like you've got enough because it's all gonna fade away

The trickiest toys that money can buy it's all gonna fade away

What if the world makes you a star? It's all gonna fade away

The biggest house and the flashiest car, it's all gonna fade away

Earthly treasures like the morning mist are all gonna fade away

Yeah the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God

Yeah the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God

-Colin Buchanan "The greatest treasure" 1997 

God as Provider

what if... God's  got a jar of chocolates for you to last your entire earthly life, until the day you die. He doles them out at the right times, and there's enough for each season in life, right until the last day. Nobody can steal any from that jar, it's in God's posession and only God doles the chocolates out at His discretion, in His timing. You can't see how much is left in the jar, you only have God's character to rely on.

would I worry about His provision? would I be afraid that there wouldn't be enough? would I stress about other people stealing it from me?

The chocolates represent God's provision of earthly needs, whether financial, opportunities, spiritual strength, mental clarity, comfort, encouragement,emotional resource and anything really, that we need to run this race on this side of eternity. I wonder how I would live if I really believed that God provides everything i need!

I know that God's caused birds to bring food to someone when he needed it (1 Kings 17:6-8)
, or even food to fall from heaven (Exodus 16). He's caused bread and fish to multiple to feed a crowd, caused fishermen to catch a load of fish where they previously had none. Certainly we know all these laws of nature bend to His divine will! Because He's set those laws. So why is it hard to believe that God will provide when we can't see exactly how it's going to happen?  It's easy to believe it when there's a job lined up, when there's money in the bank but if we can't see HOW it's going to happen...we struggle to believe it.


  

Luke 12:22-34New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[a]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.