Bignorm.net » Devotional

Gospel Thoughts From Mark

bignorm — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:03:55 +0000

I bring a fresh thread to bgnmdtnt from my personal study life: thoughts from Marks Gospel.

David Garland’s NIV Commentary has been aiding me, so I probably bring a mixture of thoughts from both scripture and the Dr’s opinions. I’ve deliberatedly made it slowly to chapter three of Mark. Lots to consider here.

Let me open your thoughts for discussion by presenting something that has been a reasonably large chord in my christian awareness recently: unity (or lack or it in the body too often). Jesus proclaims in Mark 3:25 says “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Garland comments on this hot area:

“Vicious criticism of others in religious circles stems form a variety of motives: sincere distress over something radically new, genuine alarm over what is perceived to be heresy, a desire to reassure that we belong to the good guys by branding others as bad guys, or a craven dread of losing power.” (Garland p.142)

Someone once said that “character is who we are when we are alone.” To often I’ve noticed that believers get caught up in wranglings about things which don’t really matter; clandestine tittle-tattle that is divisive and poisonous, and ultimately, unnecessary lies and speculation that proves cancerous and paralysing to God’s People and the development of His Kingdom.

There’ll probably be few comments on this post, or answers to these questions, sadly, due to the scale of discord that often exists within the “body”. I’ll ask it anyway for you to ponder at least:

Of the four that Garland mentions, which do you think are most common in your “house”? And, how much are you contributing to the unifying process?

Rend Collective

bignorm — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:12:17 +0000

Let me introduce to you the Rend Collective Experiment, a home-grown Nirish (Northern Irish) band that really rocks musically, and theologically. I felt their song “You Bled” is appropriate as we fast approach Easter.

Crank it up and consider the marvellous Cross with me once again. I hope I never get over it.

You Bled HD from my friends over @Clear Media

Listening to Scripture in 2010

bignorm — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:19:33 +0000

I’ve decided to read the Bible in 1 year.

Openly, I admit that I’m not the fastest reader, so instead of just reading the Bible in 1 year, I’m going to gorge on it by listening at the same time as I read. Thanks to ESV, I can read and listen to the weird voice of their narrator every morning.

It’s not too late to start. I’m using THIS NavPress version.

Fancy joining me?

Loving the early mornings of ice,

Normy.

Spit & Rinse

bignorm — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:14:02 +0000

Notice your ‘God’ appointments becoming less frequent?

Maybe your attitude has soured and God’s protecting you and his lambs by segregating you from the front line? He’s probably had you gargling divine mouthwash in front of the mirror and you haven’t even caught on.

The solution: Spit and rinse – mouth and heart.

Nobody wants to talk to someone with bad breath, especially God.

Souperism?

bignorm — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:08:05 +0000

Today: Outward.

The finest evangelistic program that I have served within is Street Pastors.

Unlike Souperism, which was used to proselytize starving Roman Catholics in the potato famine, Street Pastors simply offer a late night service of free beverages and listening ear. Simple.

‘Outreach Beyond Outcome’ was the motto – and it worked brilliantly. One’s and two’s coming right through from street to repentance, the image of the Church being changed, the great commission being fulfilled, and folks being loved in their late hour of need.

Spiritual, Social, Emotional and Physical action. In short, the Gospel incarnate.

For me, this type of mission idicates a generation that responds to love, grace and interaction. It indicates a generation who want to engage rather than be instructed, who will believe those who actually practice what they preach and feel loved no matter who or what they are.

Street Pastors is a key indicator that the church can point to proving that they must re-think ‘mission’ whilst re-branding Jesus that it has so badly propagated.

~ Is the Street Pastor approach too gentle, or is it a step in the right direction? ~

Enterprise USA

bignorm — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:58:47 +0000

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe where it became a culture. and finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.

Richard Halverson

~ How much have US Christians contributed to the demise of contemporary Christianity? ~

Step 4: Christ Publicly Confessed

bignorm — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:42:27 +0000

And finally,

Step 4: Christ must be publicly confessed within and without the church. Forgiveness of others is not only a necessary precondition to receiving God’s forgiveness; it is also essential to personal revival.

We end in a double-whammy. Confession and forgiveness. “WOoW!” I here you say! After a title like this there is not much more to be said, but I will anyway.

The first - public confession of Christ terrifies most contemporary followers in the Jesus brigade. Yet coming from an evangelistic ministry background, I would argue that this theme has limitless potential for awakening society today.

Some argue persecution is optional, “No confession of Jesus = No persecution”, and I would concur to a point, yet our delivery as ‘The Church’, the living embodiment of God’s Grace, must be delivered with love and humility.

The second, on which I will finish this mini series, is forgiveness of others.

Letting go of the past is tough, yet essential for personal revival. If we are serious about seeing more revivals we must move on from our own emotional battles and allow Christ to reign completely within us. After all, the entire doctrine of Christianity is based on forgiveness. It’s our mantra.

God, through Grace forgave us so that we could forgive.

Grace is the very thing that sets Christianity apart and above all other religions. With Grace we are able to forgive those, who like us, have made a multitude of muck-ups and mistakes.

Thanks for visiting,

~ Is Evan Robert’s ‘4 Steps’ still relevant for todays culture? If not, why not? ~

Step 3: Obedience

bignorm — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:19:11 +0000

Were back up and at it today bloggers. Get ready for step 3..

Step 3: Prompt and complete obedience must be rendered to the Holy Spirit.

The ‘O’ word for most people in any shape or form is a struggle, never mind when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Obedience simply means full compliance and acknowledgement of someone’s or something’s authority – again an issue for most people, like me. This means immediate:

Surrender of SELF.
STOP trying to take control of things that you can’t control.
STOP trying to fabricate your own future.
STOP worrying.

Allow the only person – the Holy Spirit – who can, and will really help you write your future AND equip you through baptism.

Complete submission to the supernatural in faith.

God works all things for the good..

See you tomorrow for the last step!

~ What’s the most difficult part of your life to surrender? ~

Step 2: Removal

bignorm — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:56:08 +0000

Step 2: Every doubtful thing in the believer’s life must be immediately removed.

If it’s ‘unclean’ to you – gone. Wine, cigs, cigars, weed, whatever – gone. Relationships going nowhere – trashed, porn, gambling, bad language habits – crushed. It doesn’t take a genius to know when you are doing stuff that you shouldn’t be.

If you struggle with it, get help. And put yourself out of harms way. Or, like Joseph when Potiphers wife felt rather hot – just flippin’ run!

If you have trouble with this one, go to a friend for advice who both loves you, but can be really honest with you. Ask them their opinion of ‘doubtful things’ in your life.

Most of all, get prayer. By yourself, you WILL fail. Success is ONLY by God’s Holy spirit and not by our might.

Step 1: Confessing

bignorm — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:13:36 +0000

Step 1: The past must be thoroughly dealt with by confessing every known sin to God and every known wrong to man.

The key word here is throughly.

This step has unlimited potential and by which all the other steps hinge on. If fully and thoroughly adhered too, I would argue that this step has unthinkable power toward fulfilling the church’s mandate.

After pleading for mercy and forgiveness from Almighty God, IF the church publicly sought genuine forgiveness for ALL its wrongs, we could see seismic changes for God. All the dirt. All the clandestine maneuvers, and all the vile and disgusting things the church has done, condoned and allowed using the name of God, OPENLY and PUBLICLY CONFESSED.

People Set FREE.

Someone told me recently that Donald Miller in “Blue Like Jazz” set-up a confession booth not for people to confess their sins to his group, but for people to come and listen to his group apologise for some the wrongs of Christians and the church. Have you read this book?

Today’s Church leaders must make this micro experiment of Miller’s a MACRO experiment, placed smack at the top of their big colorful vision plans and agenda’s, if Revival is as serious an issue as we revere it to be.

~ Starting with a local viewpoint, who should the church start to seek forgiveness from? ~