Richard Kuhn: Return To Maker

Twas like a beacon in the night,
but, why three red lights shone so bright?
It felt like something was in the air,
and the dread filled thought - it needed repair.

When we read the owner's manual, the mocking words,
"Must be returned to Microsopft for repair" almost
gleamed out at you like those flashing lights on the
game console. I don;t know how they did it, but I
swore the word even sneered at you off the page.

This was beyond ANYTHING I could fix. It needed the
maker to fix it - or a complete replacement.

And that was the essence of Christmas, Jesus entered
life waiting in line - for us - so we could get a new
replacement on our terminally defective hearts.

And while I hate waiting in line for what seems like
forever, the X-Box replacement will cost me nothing
except my time.

OUR defect cost Him everything - and I will try and
meditate on that as I stand in line.

Matthew 6:19-21

'Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' Matthew 6:19-21 NIV

I Am The Christ By Mike Cope

“I am of Christ.”
That sounds like such a nice descriptor. Others may claim to be of Paul, and others of Apollos (two influential teachers in Corinth) — but I am of Christ.
So why does one have the feeling that Paul didn’t have warm feelings about those who made that claim (1 Cor. 1:12)? Because there were schisms in the church in Corinth: maybe within the house churches, maybe between the house churches, perhaps when they all came together. And behind the schisms, there was a lot of pride at work and a dearth of love.
There were fracture lines appearing, partly because they were attached to their teachers in unhealthy ways (but ways that would have been familiar in Corinth).
But others, dripping in pride and exclusivism, were only “of Christ.”
That resonates with me. Because for part of my life I took pride in not being of Wesley or Calvin, of Luther, and certainly not of the Pope. Just a Christian.
The desire to be “just a Christ-follower” can be very healthy. But it must not become a source of separation from others whom we don’t deem to be just as pure; and it should not ignore the fact that we’ve been influenced by many men and women and of faith. None of us is completely objective. None of us is reading scripture without bias. None of us finds our place in the family of God by being perfect–either in living or in biblical interpretation.
As I lived in those words of Paul last week, it reminded me of how subtle and dangerous spiritual pride is. It is so well disguised, masquerading in costumes of restoration and humility.
Beware anytime there is a church or a group that thinks it has cornered the market on spirituality, interpretation, or missionality. Let us follow the leading of God’s Spirit as he helps us live for the sake of the world; but let us recognize that there are many, many other followers of Jesus who may worship differently, talk differently and think differently.