Flying At A "Tude
Posted: February 25th, 2009, 2:31 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131ac Re-Written 25FEB09 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
Save Me Today—Part Twenty Nine: Flying At A ‘Tude
by rev dave c
Philippians 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (NIV).
Attitude can be everything. If my children roll their eyes as they say, “OK, Dad,” in a patronizing tone—their complying, or not complying, to a request becomes a secondary issue (“You better change your tone young man/young lady right now, or I’m going to…). On the other hand, when they are really sick, or hurt, but they genuinely strive to make the best of their situation, I can’t do enough to try to help them. I think our Heavenly Father may react to His children (you and me) in much the same fashion. As Abba-Daddy takes a look at us, does He see the face of His Son, or the faces of His ungrateful adopted siblings?
When we talk about “attitude” we could be referring to the general disposition of a person as he/she goes about his/her daily routine, or it could be how someone responds to a specific circumstance, problem, place, task, person, etcetera. Sometimes, we’d rather be around those who may be less gifted/qualified/capable but who have a great attitude, than someone who is unquestionably more gifted/qualified/capable, but who has an attitude that is arrogant, or contentious, or negative. The best person for the job is not always the most obvious—especially if it involves working with others.
“Attitude” is also an aeronautical term. Regarding space travel, attitude refers to the direction faced relative to the direction of motion. The “front” of an orbiting space craft can be pointed anywhere within three dimensional space as it travels around the earth. Herein lies God’s message to me about my attitude. I may well enough be passing toward New Jerusalem, but which way am I facing? What am I looking at as I am being transported toward the ultimate glory of God through space and time (to be made perfect in glorification)? I have been saved (declared righteous through justification), but if you follow the glance of my “eyes,” what do you see? Is it Jesus...or “stuff?” Is it the Lamb of God...or a golden calf in the shape of a woman’s leg? Is it the Lord...or unpaid bills? Is it my Savior you see...or a reflection of me?
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (2Co 6:1&2; NIV). We have been saved and we are going to be saved...but God wants to save us today. He wants to save today for us. If I am turned to take one last look at Sodom—or if I can only see regrets (or some bygone golden era...or hurts...or yesterday’s frustrations)—if I am racked by fears and concerns for tomorrow (or if I am concentrating on next week, or next year, when everything will be wonderful)—then my today is not saved. As long as I am consumed by the past, or fixated on the future, today is lost because I can’t see Jesus right here and right now. Neither can anyone else who may be watching.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ep 4:22-24; NIV). A literal translation would read, “...be made new in the spirit of your minds.” There are only three spiritual wells from which our mind can draw; the Spirit of God, the spirit of man, or fallen spirits. As Christians we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ep 4:25-32), but Paul tells us that we must choose today to put off our old self; we must choose today to be made new in the attitude of our minds; and we must choose today to put on the new self. If there is any hope for me today, I must let God save it. I must decide for it, I must commit to it, and I must surrender within it.
As we stare from the pews at our leadership, as we look across the room at our brothers and sisters, as we glance at our neighbors across a yard, a desk or a work bench—what is the attitude, the spirit, of our minds? As these people look back at us what do they see? The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (He 12:2; NIV). If we are fixed on Jesus (as well as by Him), all whom we encounter will see in and through us the Living Word in the midst of this fallen world. Today, at this very moment, Jesus calls out to His Church, to you and to me, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Re 3:20; NIV). Come Lord Jesus. Save me today. Amen.
Save Me Today—Part Twenty Nine: Flying At A ‘Tude
by rev dave c
Philippians 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (NIV).
Attitude can be everything. If my children roll their eyes as they say, “OK, Dad,” in a patronizing tone—their complying, or not complying, to a request becomes a secondary issue (“You better change your tone young man/young lady right now, or I’m going to…). On the other hand, when they are really sick, or hurt, but they genuinely strive to make the best of their situation, I can’t do enough to try to help them. I think our Heavenly Father may react to His children (you and me) in much the same fashion. As Abba-Daddy takes a look at us, does He see the face of His Son, or the faces of His ungrateful adopted siblings?
When we talk about “attitude” we could be referring to the general disposition of a person as he/she goes about his/her daily routine, or it could be how someone responds to a specific circumstance, problem, place, task, person, etcetera. Sometimes, we’d rather be around those who may be less gifted/qualified/capable but who have a great attitude, than someone who is unquestionably more gifted/qualified/capable, but who has an attitude that is arrogant, or contentious, or negative. The best person for the job is not always the most obvious—especially if it involves working with others.
“Attitude” is also an aeronautical term. Regarding space travel, attitude refers to the direction faced relative to the direction of motion. The “front” of an orbiting space craft can be pointed anywhere within three dimensional space as it travels around the earth. Herein lies God’s message to me about my attitude. I may well enough be passing toward New Jerusalem, but which way am I facing? What am I looking at as I am being transported toward the ultimate glory of God through space and time (to be made perfect in glorification)? I have been saved (declared righteous through justification), but if you follow the glance of my “eyes,” what do you see? Is it Jesus...or “stuff?” Is it the Lamb of God...or a golden calf in the shape of a woman’s leg? Is it the Lord...or unpaid bills? Is it my Savior you see...or a reflection of me?
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (2Co 6:1&2; NIV). We have been saved and we are going to be saved...but God wants to save us today. He wants to save today for us. If I am turned to take one last look at Sodom—or if I can only see regrets (or some bygone golden era...or hurts...or yesterday’s frustrations)—if I am racked by fears and concerns for tomorrow (or if I am concentrating on next week, or next year, when everything will be wonderful)—then my today is not saved. As long as I am consumed by the past, or fixated on the future, today is lost because I can’t see Jesus right here and right now. Neither can anyone else who may be watching.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ep 4:22-24; NIV). A literal translation would read, “...be made new in the spirit of your minds.” There are only three spiritual wells from which our mind can draw; the Spirit of God, the spirit of man, or fallen spirits. As Christians we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ep 4:25-32), but Paul tells us that we must choose today to put off our old self; we must choose today to be made new in the attitude of our minds; and we must choose today to put on the new self. If there is any hope for me today, I must let God save it. I must decide for it, I must commit to it, and I must surrender within it.
As we stare from the pews at our leadership, as we look across the room at our brothers and sisters, as we glance at our neighbors across a yard, a desk or a work bench—what is the attitude, the spirit, of our minds? As these people look back at us what do they see? The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (He 12:2; NIV). If we are fixed on Jesus (as well as by Him), all whom we encounter will see in and through us the Living Word in the midst of this fallen world. Today, at this very moment, Jesus calls out to His Church, to you and to me, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Re 3:20; NIV). Come Lord Jesus. Save me today. Amen.