“It is virtually impossible to read the Bible and not see the truth that God expects His people to invest into His kingdom what He has given them, which typically involves other people. In fact, Jesus warns us that if we try to hoard what we have, will lose our lives. Perhaps this is why there are so many who claim to know Christ but whose lives are characterized by an absence of joy and a presence of depression or boredom. Ministering to others is not merely a mandate to “paid professionals.” It is the calling of anyone who claims to be a Christian. In fact, it is often at the intersection of our life with that of another that God does His most remarkable, joyful, and permanent work.”
Category Archives: christianity
Escaping a Prison of Unforgiveness
Do you know what a litany is? A litany, in Catholicism is a form of worship or prayer used in services or processions. It’s generally memorized. It’s something you say over and over in worship. We use that word figuratively to speak of anything we recite again and again.
I remember a woman I knew some time ago who had experienced a great deal of pain. Each time I spoke to her she would tell me the same stories over and over: My daughter’s done this to me. My mother did this to me. My son’s done this to me. The church has done this to me.
One time I was remarking to an elder how this poor woman had such a keen memory for past hurts. He said, “Pastor Steve – she remembers those hurts because they have become a sort of litany. A litany of woes. She recites them to herself and to anyone who will listen.”
That’s what Peter is taking about in Matthew 18 – memorizing many hurts a person gives us.
Matthew 18:21(NIV) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
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The Practical Irrelevance of Christianity…
“More than any other single thing, in any case, the practical irrelevance of actual obedience to Christ accounts for the weakened effect of Christianity on the world today, with its increasing tendency to emphasize political and social action as the primary way to serve God. It also accounts for the practical irrelevance of Christian faith to individual character development and overall personal sanity and well-being.” ~Dallas Willard in The Diving Conspiracy, p. xv.