What kind of God you following?
'A pastor I know recalls a Sunday morning bible study at his church when the text under consideration was Genesis 22. God commands Abraham to take his son Isaac and offer him in sacrifice on Mount Moriah.
After the group read the passage, the pastor offered some historical background on this period in salvation-history, including the prevalence of child-sacrifice amount the Canaanites. The group listened in awkward silence.
Then the pastor asked, 'But what does this story mean to us?'
A middle aged man spoke up, "I'll tell you the meaning this story has for me. I've decided that me and my family are looking for another church."
The pastor was astonished, "What? Why?"
"Because," the man said, "when I look at that God, the God of Abraham, I feel like I'm near a real God, not the sort of dignified, businesslike, Rotary Club God we chatter about here on Sunday mornings. Abraham's God could blow a man to bits, give and then take a child, ask for everything from a person, and then want more. I want to know that God."'
(Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel, ©1999,2000.)
Oft times we have a diluted sense of what God will do or require of us, particularly when we get to 'pivot points' of change.
Mental boxes form via favored passages and select experience, then seasoned with hope and presumption of what God could/would/should do. These 'filters' are often self-selective and dangerous.
And they can keep us from moving with God's next step.
He may scandalize us by His grace to one we deem undeserving, or be far too demanding than we think should be 'right' or 'the rule.'
Yet God is saying to the church, 'It's MY Right to Rule.'
Peter, John, Jonah and Job were some touch points last night - all were 'recalibrated' by an encounter with Reality (with the capital R) as examples for us.
THE God of scripture is not a 'dignified, businesslike, Rotary Club God.' He's more Jehovah-Sneaky than Jehovah-Sleepy (and a whole lot more interesting.)
Regardless your view right now, He's called you to ride with Him. Jump up, jump on and go.
You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
It's His Right to Rule and you belong to Him.
Stephen
PS: Next week, First Fruits - the new biblical month. We also will commission/send Esther, Tara, and Hannah to their next assignments.
Full replay of the Deck last night, click here.
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