Last night (Thursday) we had our mid-week service. My husband, our pastor, started a very interesting series last week. I am loving it.
He is looking at the lives of certain people throughout history and the relationship that they had with God; people like Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, Soren Kierkegaard, Billy Graham and other personal heroes that have impacted, and continue to mark his life.
Last night we looked at Martin Luther, very good stuff. Here are some morsels…
From the life of Martin Luther we learn to love a seemingly frustrating God. But it is not God who is frustrating, rather our misconceptions about God and the things of God that cause us to become frustrated.
We become frustrated when we find that God is not who we have always thought he was.
We become frustrated when religious models turn out to be inaccurate.
We become frustrated when we try to make good works do something they were not meant to do.
Loving a frustrating God:
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Martin Luther said:
“The evil of good works comes when we consider good works as the payment for spiritual benefits and blessings. A sort of payment that gives us access to something that you really desire. It is in these instances that good works become a vice of the devil distracting us and giving us a false hope.”
DaRonn Washington said:
“A search for God through an inaccurate religious model will always lead you to frustration. God places that frustration within you to force you to examine your ways. It is in this way that frustration with your own religious expression can be your best friend.”
I especially enjoyed being challenged to let the frustrations I encounter push me towards seeking God and his kingdom thus stripping away the misconceptions and replacing them with a freeing truth.
Angie Washington
- Angie Washington
- Cochabamba, Bolivia
- My principal blog: www.angiewashington.com See you there!
My books...
English title: In Search of Reality and Newness. This is the first book that I wrote. We self published it. The main idea is that in Christ we can know the true reality and newness of life.
English title: Faith Dreamer. This is the second book I have written, also self-published. The book is the first in a series designed to draw the Latin women into a relationship with their Heavenly Father. This particular book helps women to dream big as they look closely at Rahab and her story.
4 comments:
that's so good. i love the learning about the life of martin luther as well. have you seen the movie "luther"? it is powerful!
Great stuff! I love your husband's comment at the end. I'll have to share that. It gives me a sort of reassurance about things that frustrate me in the religious models I've seen and experienced.
mmm... good stuff!
good words! I bet it is so neat to listen to your husband preaching...what an awesome window into his heart!!
BTW... did the Mother Theresa "scandal" reach Bolivia at all? There was a big to-do not too long ago stateside because a bunch of her personal letters were made public and they are all about her struggles to experience the presence of God and the challenges she faced in her faith. Personally, I think they made her more authentic... reflecting a "job" season in her life. Anyway... several of the major news magazines had stories on it- so I'm sure you could read them online if this "news" happened to miss you guys there...
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