I have been writing a blog at Xanga for awhile, but I am planning to start blogging over here. There are things about Blogger that I like better, so I thought I would try it out. I may be posting the same blog at both spots at first, but will eventually choose one.

I am trying to get back in the habit of spending daily time in the Bible and in prayer, and I am using Oswald Chamber's My Utmost For His Highest, to help me get started. I generally don't like using devotionals, kind of feeling like I am cheating, and often feeling I am above them. That sounds really humble, doesn't it? Well, I am coming to find out two things: 1) Don't tread on those who have walked the path before, whose wisdom has stood the test of time, 2) A thirsty soul will lap up any droplet of water that it can find in the wilderness. So far, Oswald Chambers is both of those things to me, wisdom that has stood the test of time and a droplet of water for a thirsting wandering soul in the desert.

This part of today's reading really resonated within me: "It is easier to belong to a faction that simply tells what Jesus has done for me, and easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But Paul did not say, 'Woe is me if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,' [or preach about divine healing, or sanctification, or baptism of the Holy Spirit] but, '. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!' (1 Corinthians 9:16). And this is the gospel-'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"

This message is getting lost in the Church today. You can walk into churches throughout the United States today and often never hear about the fact that Jesus died to take away your sins. Sermons, today abound on topics like: purpose, marriage, success, peaceful life, joy, healing, intimacy with God. But often in the consumer market of the Church, pastors don't want to preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. Many reasons can be made: it isn't sexy, it isn't seeker friendy, everyone knows that already and this truth is more important, it isn't warm and fuzzy. The reasons are many. But most likely the ultimate, untalked about reason is that, in order to do that we have to address the fact that we are all sinners, and hey we don't want to OFFEND anyone by calling them a sinner now do we.

It is easy to judge the Church as being impotent in this area, but I have to look at my life, and the lives of those who are claiming to be Christians and I realize, we aren't doing that much to live out the message of Jesus' redemptive work in our own lives. What about me and what I do and say points out to my co-workers the gospel. Do they see that living a life redeemed by Christ is any different or better, or more fulfilling than the one they already live? Mine often doesn't. And if I, or we are going to accept the fact that we are ALL missionaries, and that by using the giftings that the Holy Spirit has given us, we are to bring all Glory and Honor to Jesus, and thereby glorifyiig the Father, we have to examine our lives and say, "Does the life I live preach the message of the Gospel?"

Does this mean that we must be perfect, by no means. But it does mean this, people should be able to see how we live and recognize that even though we are a mess, there is something different about us. We can say to them, "Yeah I know I am a screw up, but it doesn't matter, because Someone came and erased all that."

All this may be nothing new to you, but like I said, I am a thirsty soul in the desert right now, and a droplet feels like a river to me.