Reeves,'s posterous

Reeves,'s posterous http://rossreeves1.posterous.com Most recent posts at Reeves,'s posterous posterous.com Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:21:26 -0700 He shatters http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/he-shatters http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/he-shatters

“Images I suppose have their use or they would not have been so popular. to me however, the danger is more obvious. images of the Holy easily become holy images – sacrosanct. my idea of god is not a divine idea. it has to be shattered time after time. He shatters it himself.

He is the great iconoclast. Could we not almost say that this shattering is one of the marks of His presence? The Incarnation is the supreme examples, it leaves all previous ideas of the Messiah in ruins.” CS Lewis

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:24:01 -0700 the eternal appetite of infancy http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-eternal-appetite-of-infancy http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-eternal-appetite-of-infancy

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” - G.K. Chesterton

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:13:47 -0700 the vertically-impaired http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-vertically-impaired http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-vertically-impaired

“At the same time, the word of the Cross is called folly because it assumes that the vertically-impaired, the horizontally-addicted, the very people whose habits deny the presence and power of grace—especially those who are made aware of and thus grieve their idolatry—are given the grace that makes all things new. Grace makes the horizontal possible in a whole new way.” - Mark Galli

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:07:58 -0700 masochistic cross http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/masochistic-cross http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/masochistic-cross

The way of the cross is often misunderstood as masochistic, especially in an age so desperately in search of pleasure. But the suffering of which Jesus spoke is not the suffering that unwell people create for themselves. Instead, it is the suffering already present in the world, which we can either identify with or ignore. If pain were not real, if it were not the lot of so many, the way of the cross would be pathological. But in our world — with its millions of hungry, homeless, and hopeless people — it pathological to live as if pain did not exist. The way of the cross means allowing that pain to carve one’s life into a channel through which the healing stream of the spirit can flow to a world in need.

— Parker J. Palmer, The Promise of Paradox

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:15:46 -0700 MLK http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/mlk-25 http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/mlk-25

“The contemporary church is often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent and often vocal sanction of things as they are. But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.” Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:10:51 -0700 Judging Others http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/judging-others http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/judging-others

Reprint: This is some awesome stuff!!!

John H Armstrong

Judging Others
September 17, 2009 at 6:00 am

There are some obvious tensions between teaching that we encounter in the Scriptures. One such tension that often causes problems between Christians is the teaching of the Bible about judging others.

The Scriptures do teach us to avoid judgmental attitudes toward others, especially in dealing with Christians. At the same time we are clearly encouraged to developing a discerning attitude that can evaluate people and ministries carefully; e.g, 1 Cor. 5:12-13; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; 6:1-6; Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Cor. 11:10-15. This is the tension I refer to here. How can we follow both of these standards? No matter how you apply these texts you will soon have to admit that judging and discerning sometimes do get very close to one another.

The temptation to pass judgment upon the life or testimony of other individuals is clearly warned against in the New Testament. If you have lived in a Christian context where the truth of your church or mission is extremely important than the tendency will always be to err on the side of passing judgment wrongly or unfairly. I have seen more of this misuse of Scripture than I care to think about. I have also done more than my share of judging others critically and unfairly.

I recently dipped into a great resource on my shelves titled: The Quotable Oswald Chambers (Grand Rapids: RBC Ministries, 2008). Chambers had a lot of great thoughts about this subject. I find him extremely wise. Here are a few of his comments on judging others.

We say that a man is not right with God unless he acts on the line of the precedent we have established. We must drop our measuring-rods for God and for our fellow men. All we can know about God is that His character is what Jesus Christ has manifested; and all we know about our fellow men presents an enigma which precludes the possibility of the final judgment being with us.

What a marvelous reminder of our human weakness and limitations. The "enigma" precludes the possibility of final judgment residing with us.

Chambers is again insightful when he says:

We pronounce judgments, not by our character or our goodness, but by the intolerant ban of finality in our views, which awakens resentment and has none of the Spirit of Jesus in it. Jesus never judged like that. It was His presence, His inherent holiness that judged. Whenever we see Him we are judged instantly. We have to practice the presence of Jesus and work on the basis of his disposition. When we have experienced the unfathomable forgiveness of God for all our wrong, we must exhibit that same forgiveness to others.

I wish I had a dollar for all the times that I allowed my views to lead me to embrace "an intolerant ban of finality in [my] views." Chambers' ideas here are quite powerful. He says the "presence" of Jesus was judgment in itself. If my life was holy, in the best and fullest sense, then my words would not be needed to judge most situations. My life would raise all the right questions if I lived as I should.

I think the most common form of judging that I have experienced, and this is why I write about this so often in these blogs, is the judgment Christians feel they must exercise toward fellow Christians because they do not believe the "gospel" in just the way we do. Catholics do it when they say Christ is found only in the Catholic Church and its sacraments. Protestants do it when they insist that Rome teaches a false gospel and thus Catholics are all condemned by Galatians 1 for preaching a "false gospel." This very fruitless exercise harms the work of Christ profoundly and grieves the Holy Spirit. Oswald Chambers is helpful when he concludes:

Beware of mistaking suspicion for discernment; it is the biggest misunderstanding that ever twisted Christian humility into Pharisaism.

In Oswald Chambers' study of the Sermon on the Mount he wrote:

The average Christian is the most penetratingly critical individual; there is nothing of the likeness of Jesus Christ about him. A critical temper is a contradiction to all our Lord's teaching. Jesus says of criticism, "Apply it to yourself, never to anyone else." "Why do you judge your brother? . . . for we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ."

And he says in Notes on Isaiah:

The danger is lest we make the little bit of truth we do know a pinnacle on which we set ourselves to judge everyone else. It is perilously easy to make our conception of God like molten lead and pour it into our specially designed mould and then when it is cold and hard, fling it at the heads of the religious people who don't agree with us.

This is precisely how I treated Catholics for many years. I read a great deal of polemical argumentation about what was wrong with Catholic teaching and Catholic teachers. I stereotypically used the bits and pieces I collected to pour this into my designed mould. Then when these views hardened I had something to fling against other Christians. The problem here is really rather uncomplicated. First, I used teaching that I did not agree with out of misunderstanding and fear. Second, I then mixed this into a mold that made me feel like I was in the right and they were in the wrong. Then it is only a baby step to judging wrongly.

The number one mistake I encounter among evangelicals who judge Catholics to be non-Christians is in how they take a piece of theological debate, or of historical conflict, and then use it as the "right understanding" of the Catholic position. The most egregious example of this is quite common. Catholics teach that we are saved by our human works so they preach a false gospel. This statement is patently false but most who use it never bother to find out why. It is just much easier to hold on to our specially designed mould and keep throwing things around the room.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:50:40 -0700 "This man receiveth sinners." http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/this-man-receiveth-sinners http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/this-man-receiveth-sinners

Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners-this Man receiveth sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces-this Man receiveth sinners. It needs an angel's tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us should be willing to seek after the lost is nothing wonderful- they are of our own race; but that he, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon himself the form of a servant, and bear the sin of many, and should then be willing to receive the vilest of the vile, this is marvellous.

"This Man receiveth sinners"; not, however, that they may remain sinners, but he receives them that he may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by his purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and enable them to serve him, to show forth his praise, and to have communion with him. Into his heart's love he receives sinners, takes them from the dunghill, and wears them as jewels in his crown; plucks them as brands from the burning, and preserves them as costly monuments of his mercy. None are so precious in Jesus' sight as the sinners for whom he died. When Jesus receives sinners, he has not some out-of-doors reception place, no casual ward where he charitably entertains them as men do passing beggars, but he opens the golden gates of his royal heart, and receives the sinner right into himself-yea, he admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes him a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is still most sure this evening, he is still receiving sinners: would to God sinners would receive him.

-Charles Spurgeon

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:46:11 -0700 Will we trade our Christianity for Jesus'? http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/will-we-trade-our-christianity-for-jesus http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/will-we-trade-our-christianity-for-jesus

This is AMAZING! ..an excerpt from Ted Haggard

When Martin Luther lamented at the end of his life that he might not be justified, he must have seen something dark in himself in relation to the Scriptures, something that we in the modern church might be overlooking.

The Scriptures say that we are to be known as followers of Christ by the evidence of our love for one another, but we’re not (see John 13:35).

The Scriptures say that we are not to boast about what we have or what we have done, but we do (see Jer. 9:23-24).

The Scriptures say that in the last days people will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, and we are (see 2 Tim. 3:5, NKJV).

Very often we charismatics rejoice in the power of God, and rightly so. But we subject ourselves to ridicule when we boast that we are not among those “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).

We claim that we have spiritual power and others don’t because of our openness to accept and operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But our words fall short when our marriages don’t work, our children are wild and disobedient, and we refine the art of giving and receiving money to the point that we could qualify as the experts in greed that Peter warns about in his second letter (see 2 Pet. 2:14).

We have a credibility problem. We have some wonderful churches, but increasingly, people do not seek to be connected . . .

. . . Maybe we’re not Christians. Maybe we’re just the most popular religion of the day, using the power of persuasion, the force of our numbers, and the strength of our money to advance our ideology.

Maybe we just believe whatever makes sense to us by default, and we don’t truly—as individuals and as communities of Christians—seek to be genuine disciples and to do God’s work of caring for the fatherless and the widow of our day.

Could we be Pharisees? Our own books, television programs and prophecies should make us wonder.

I believe that we all know and love the Word, but we live in earthly vessels with a fallen nature. We feel and see the hopes of the Spirit within, but we also end up doing the very things we do not want to do.

When we preach, write, lobby, raise money, build, broadcast, threaten, sue and spin, we present conflicting images that don’t stand up very well against the tests of time and scrutiny. We are confusing the world, other Christians, and our families.

This isn’t something that can be changed with a list of practical exercises. This is something that has to be dealt with deep within us by exposing ourselves to the wisdom of the Scriptures, to one another, and to God.

< The writer of the above article excerpt is Ted Haggard. Three years after its publication, he would resign from the pastorate of his Colorado megachurch because he was cheating on his wife with a man. This is how he concludes his article: >

We have to get this right. Even though the global church is stronger than we’ve ever been, we in the American church are showing early signs of impotence. We are in a global theatre now, which means that our words, actions, investments and thoughts have greater impact. Thus, we have the opportunity to do unprecedented good, but also the dangerous ability to do unparalleled damage.

Let’s make the right choice. If you are like me, you are conflicted. I don't like this column. Granted, there is a part of me that does. But most of me likes the comforts of the church I serve, the way I travel, the way I'm treated by both the public and the body of Christ. I enjoy the political platform we Christians are given.

But at the same time, there is a dark cloud in the back of my mind woondering if God isn't stirring another Martin Luther to nail his theses to our church doors.

I would rather have us return to our foundations of integrity by the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the illumination of the Scriptures, rather than have us defending our lifestyles, edifices and power to future generations as they read history books recounting our demise because of our own hypocrisy.

We need to ensure that we are not the whitewashed tombs and snakes of our day (see Matt. 23:27, 33). We need to be sure.

<> I found this @ http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/2009/08/integrity-maybe-were-not-christians.html

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:53:38 -0700 A Wall or a Window? http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/a-wall-or-a-window http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/a-wall-or-a-window

A Wall or a Window?

"To give people answers to questions they have not yet struggled with or suffered for makes those very answers more a wall than a window. The answers are not deeply understood or subtly felt, and they tend to be used to block further experience; or worse, to find real inner experience of God unnecessary. All you need to do is follow outer authorities or texts, and obey laws. This creates the passive, aggressive, and largely un-transformative religion that we have today. The Gospel offers us so much more."

Richard Rohr, Adapted from The Authority of Those Who Have Suffered

FROM : http://miketodd.typepad.com/waving_or_drowning/2009/08/a-wall-or-a-window.html

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:23:25 -0700 Vos-ism http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/vos-ism http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/vos-ism

Geerhardus Vos:

“What the Lord expects from us at such seasons is not to abandon ourselves to unreasoning sorrow, but trustingly to look sorrow in the face, to scan its features, to search for the help and hope, which, as surely as God is our Father, must be there. In such trials there can be no comfort for us so long as we stand outside weeping.

If only we will take the courage to fix our gaze deliberately upon the stern countenance of grief, and enter unafraid into the darkest recesses of our trouble, we shall find the terror gone, because the Lord has been there before us, and, coming out again, has left the place transfigured, making of it by the grace of his resurrection a house of life, the very gate of heaven.”

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:09:26 -0700 if you find my purpose laying around ... http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/if-you-find-my-purpose-laying-around http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/if-you-find-my-purpose-laying-around

I love this blog post!

This is an epidemic illusion…. What is God’s will for me? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be a Christian…..? The short answer I’ve learned: we are ALL priests, kings, witnesses , and adopted children of the King. We live our lives where we are as functioning priests, kings, witnesses, and talk & relate to our Father as our heavenly Dad!

Cheers, Ross

If You Find My Purpose, Give me a Call...
July 14, 2009 at 2:13 am

When a popular "purpose driven" movement swept through my faith community helping people to identify God’s special plan for their lives, I instantly became obsessed. I bought into the expectation that God would deliver a concise plan for my life overnight. I waited and watched, bewildered, as others seemed to effortlessly fall into their divine callings as mine stalled. Clamoring for clarity, I willingly submitted myself to‘constructive’ criticism, character evaluations, accountability partners and endless workshops preparing for ministry and purpose, to no avail. This was a precarious season of great expectation. I became increasingly convinced there was an invisible ‘ladder of purpose’ which existed to usher privileged spiritual superstars to significance and meaning. I wanted to climb that ladder and believed once on it, I would also arrive at my coveted destination of divine purpose where everything in my life would finally make sense. (joy schroeder, communitas collective)

Wow, I totally get that. I have waited years. Years. For my life to make sense, for my faith to discover her identity and what amazing purpose my life is meant to fulfill. God only hands out cool assignments, ya know.

I met a woman one time who spent a great deal of conversation telling us all about her ministry. Ugh, there's that M word. Min-a-stree.

In the sub-culture of evangelicalism there is a kind of holy grail in discovering what one's ministry is. This is akin to finding one's destiny or cracking your personal code on what your life's purpose is meant to be. And for sure, there are some, the lucky ones, who have a clear path laid out before them of what they can do or become to help make the world a better place.

Then there is the rest of us.

I would love to find my purpose in my life. If anybody finds it let me know. I've searched all over for it. Books, sermons...oh my god, sermon upon life-changing sermon upon sermon...conferences, prayer lines, late-night conversations, pleas upon pleas on the altar of Divine Guidance...

It took me a while and quite a few bruises to finally discover that the best life I am meant to live and the ever-elusive purpose I am meant to possess is actually right in front of me right now. I already have it.

There is a disabled man who lives in my neighborhood. He lives in an adult foster care home in my neighborhood. He cannot support himself due to being horribly crippled by a car accident. He has no family and the few friends he had are unable to take him in. He lives a kind of transient life, people come, people go. But there he remains. Quietly steadfast in his wheelchair, rolling down the sidewalks to where ever the pavement can take him. I once pulled over to help him when his chair got stuck on the curb. I'm trying to imagine talking to him about his purpose in life. That doesn't seem like the thing to bring up.

What is a purposeful life? How can we know if we are living out a scripted role that only we can fill? Or maybe we are asking the wrong questions. That's what I think. I think we are asking questions that are ego-driven, not purpose driven.

Maybe fear is the undercurrent of the search for purpose. Fear of failing at life. Fear of being an irrelevant, anemic Christ follower.

Fear of failing as a human being.

AS IF!

It's a big, fat effed up lie that leads us down a dead-end road in the search for ghosts like purpose, higher calling, destiny, fortune...life is immensely purposeful simply because we exist. I do not fail at being a human being, no matter how broken or frail or corrupt I may find myself.

For sure there is a lot I am not addressing here, like those who possess talents and giftings and advantages in life and do not use them at all to serve their brothers and sisters. This is not what I am talking about. I am referring to the pressure to become more and shine brighter. To soar higher and live more fully. To own your best life now and be driven by purpose.

I don't know about you, but it's not working out for me!

So really, if you find my purpose laying around some where, give me a holler. I think I'll post it on Craigs List and sell it and give the money away. I haven't been using it anyway.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:36:19 -0700 Spurgeon-isms http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/spurgeon-isms http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/spurgeon-isms

"I in them."

— joh 17:23

Thought:

If such be the union which subsists between our souls and the person of our Lord, how deep and broad is the channel of our communion! This is no narrow pipe through which a thread-like stream may wind its way, it is a channel of amazing depth and breadth, along whose glorious length a ponderous volume of living water may roll its floods. Behold he hath set before us an open door, let us not be slow to enter. This city of communion hath many pearly gates, every several gate is of one pearl, and each gate is thrown open to the uttermost that we may enter, assured of welcome. If there were but one small loophole through which to talk with Jesus, it would be a high privilege to thrust a word of fellowship through the narrow door; how much we are blessed in having so large an entrance! Had the Lord Jesus been far away from us, with many a stormy sea between, we should have longed to send a messenger to him to carry him our loves, and bring us tidings from his Father's house; but see his kindness, he has built his house next door to ours, nay, more, he takes lodging with us, and tabernacles in poor humble hearts, that so he may have perpetual intercourse with us. O how foolish must we be, if we do not live in habitual communion with him. When the road is long, and dangerous, and difficult, we need not wonder that friends seldom meet each other, but when they live together, shall Jonathan forget his David? A wife may when her husband is upon a journey, abide many days without holding converse with him, but she could never endure to be separated from him if she knew him to be in one of the chambers of her own house. Why, believer, dost not thou sit at his banquet of wine? Seek thy Lord, for he is near; embrace him, for he is thy Brother. Hold Him fast, for he is thine Husband; and press him to thine heart, for he is of thine own flesh.

-Charles Spurgeon

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:46:20 -0700 Untitled http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/1466048 http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/1466048

"The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing, who would have ever been spared?"

-- Martin Luther

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:49:13 -0700 God Isn't Gamey http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/god-isnt-gamey http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/god-isnt-gamey

Reposted from internetmonk.com

….this is awesome!

God Isn’t Gamey: My New Hot Button
July 7, 2009 at 12:18 am

I’ve got a new hot button. I experienced it this week and I think it’s best to warn the general public that until I make some progress in sanctification, pushing this button could result in an ugly scene.

(Before I say this, I know there are a bunch of books on this subject and I’ve read some of them. I could just recommend a good book, but I need to get this off my chest.)

My new hot button is “You need to pray until you find God’s will.”

First of all, I believe in God, and I believe he has a will. I believe God sovereignly runs the universe pretty much like the Westminister/Second London Confessions say, though I have absolutely no idea what that means other than God is in control in a way I can’t understand and am not capable of understanding. (My brain is too small.) It’s an assertion, and as much as I know God only in Jesus, it’s a comfort.

Frankly, when Capon says that God runs the world through “Holy Luck,” like a guy with a card trick that’s amazing to you but no big deal to him, that works for me. Capon believes that things don’t look like there’s a plan, but that’s the beauty of the way God has chosen to run the universe. He’s there in plain sight where you can’t see him.

Secondly, I believe God’s will encompass my life. In the same way, I don’t believe I am going to get much specific insight into that. It’s an assertion, and as much as it comes to me packaged as Jesus, it’s as I said, a comfort.

I know that when tragedy or sudden blessing strike, my belief in God’s sovereign control is a comfort. When my mom had a stroke and died in 14 hours, I was resting in God’s hands and praying the same for her. When I got a book deal, I believe it was God’s time. I’ll give him thanks.

But here’s the thing- I am really, really, really tired of being told to “find” God’s will.

I have no idea what most people mean when they say “find” and I don’t believe they do either.

Let’s run the perspective list:

1. What God declares and commands in scripture is, when rightly understood, his will. I’m fine with that. That’s why I preach the Bible and live my life by it. But I also know there is a lot of life that is a mystery to me, I don’t care how much Bible I stuff in my head.

I’m not impressed by people who demonstrate that they have a verse to turn any tragedy into an opportunity to say “God is doing this.” I prefer to see a tragedy as a tragedy. I’m not saying God is less in control. I’m not going atheist or blaming God, but he’s running the show and he allows tragedy. He doesn’t say, “Now show me you’ve trained yourself to say otherwise.” That’s sad. Maybe even sick.

My human instinct is to see terrible things as terrible. I don’t have any theological response to not trust those feelings and say “Oh, but God is really using this.” He is. He does. But my part is to start with, “This is terrible and people are hurting/suffering.”

2. What God communicates and allows through providence. I’m alive in Ky in 2009. I’m at a school. I have a family. I’m an American. I have an income. I have certain gifts and certain opportunities. God sent them. God allows them. Again, I’m not making a show of believing this. It’s how God unfolds life in time. His story. I’m a character. I don’t try to understand the author. (See Stranger Than Fiction to get that picture.)

3. What God communicates through those with authority over me and/or by means of trusted people in my world. Same as above.

4. What God communicates by his Spirit to me in mystical ways. Now we’re getting close to the issue. I know God does this, but I am really through playing the game of seeking for God to do it or expecting God to do it because some Christians think it’s obviously the way to go. I’ll pray. I’ll ask. I’ll ask others to pray. I’ll be still and listen. I’ll evaluate impressions. I’ll try to discern God’s voices.

But this is not a game I am going to play with God. I’m not cooperating with what amounts to saying “God is toying with us to see what we’ll do.” If God wants to say something to me, no game is necessary. And I am not required to demonstrate my desperation to know God’s will to know it. There may be places in my journey I need to be before God’s will unfolds, but God isn’t being gamey. He’s not playing hide and seek. He isn’t constantly dangling guidance in front of me like bait.

If this makes sense, I reject the idea that God requires some superior effort on my part to be mystical in order to communicate his will to me.

5. What God communicates by signs, miracles and answered prayers. You don’t want me decoding these things. Years ago, our house caught on fire, and a noise outside- totally unrelated- woke me up and got me in the hallway where I saw the fire. That noise saved our lives and our house. It’s a miraculous providence. I have no idea what it “means,” however, beyond what it is. If you hear me saying it meant we were supposed to leave or stay or paint the house pink, I’m just rattling on. No one has that information and I don’t want to go to a church that believes they have it.

I do not want anyone trying to get me on board with anything using miracles as a method. If God is that gamey, I don’t want to play. My dog can talk to me if necessary. I’ll listen.

Now the real deal comes down to this, and I’ll use a real life example. Let’s say I make enough money writing over the next 2-4 years that I could work part time, my wife could work part time, and we wouldn’t have to be where we are doing what we’re doing. So it could be stay or go.

God’s will? Stand by.

I don’t think he cares. And if he does, he can let me know without me acting like he’s an alien sending coded messages.

I can serve him either here or elsewhere. I can serve him anyplace. I can be faithful wherever. I’m free, within the boundaries of following Jesus, loving God, loving neighbor and using my gifts and talents, to serve God wherever I believe is the best place for me. There is a process, but I can trust myself as a reliable means of knowing God’s will. Not perfect, but not to be ignored in favor of “signs.”

I don’t need a sign, or a vision or a voice. I may or may not get a nudge. It doesn’t matter. I don’t think God is hiding his will. I don’t think I am supposed to ignore “normal” factors in determining where God wants me. I believe that if God has a place for me I don’t know about- like being Andrew Marin’s bodyguard- then Andrew will call and talk to me about it.

I can go to school. I can sell programs at the ball park. I can write. I can teach. I can preach or be an associate. I can counsel. I can do a lot of things. And I don’t believe I have to torment myself or anyone else about that.

When it seems right to me and my family, when I’m in a place to be responsible, obedient, submissive and faithful, I can love God and do as I please.

That’s the button. Thanks for listening.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:30:41 -0700 The Weight May Not Be A Sin: A Thought On Hebrews 12:1 http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-weight-may-not-be-a-sin-a-thought-on-hebr http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/the-weight-may-not-be-a-sin-a-thought-on-hebr

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The Weight May Not Be A Sin: A Thought On Hebrews 12:1
June 27, 2009 at 10:01 pm

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The central insight I’m going to be bringing in my Sunday morning sermon tomorrow at the local Baptist church is an optional reading of Hebrews 12:1. Specifically, I want to suggest this: the “weight” that holds us back in the “race” is not always a “sin” as specifically defined by scripture.

Someone could legitimately say that “weight” and “sin” are a parallelism, and I would agree, but the parallelism may be because of the effect of hindering our ongoing life as a follower of Jesus.

There is no doubt that we are called to lay aside, i.e. repent of, sin. I would contend that we are admonished, with just as much authority, to lay aside whatever may hinder us that is not a matter of repenting of sin, but of giving up what is not necessary, what distracts us and what makes it difficult to carry out the calling and mission of the church.

It is interesting that we will give our preachers permission to preach against sin, but do they have permission to preach about the “weight” we insist on carrying?

The traditions? The methodologies? The cultural assumptions? The expected and accepted calendar? The attitudes toward personal evangelism? The attitudes towards money, comfort and personal investment?

The role of family? The expectations of significant others? The pattern of denominational methodology? The role of the church itself? The role of its leaders?

It strikes me as incredibly relevant to the current situation that we not just ask, if the mission hindered by gossip, but that we ask if the mission is hindered by exactly what we are doing and why we are doing it.

This occurred to me at Advance ‘09 when a speaker who shall remain nameless, but who likes to eat chicken wings, suggested that some churches needed to cancel Sunday School. The air temporarily vanished from the room. The speaker looked impishly provocative and I immediately got the point: he wasn’t suggesting you abandon Bible study or small groups, but what if the fact that your entire small group program is a dress up affair in a church building on Sunday morning is ONE of the reasons you aren’t doing the basics of your church’s mission?

What if your WAY of doing church is a weight. Not a sin.

What if your way of living the Christian life is too comfortable, too predictable, too safe and too “in the niche” of a tradition that answers all your questions?

What if your schedule is so full of things that aren’t sinful that you can’t do anything new this week for the Kingdom? What if your life at church is so full you already know everything you are ever going to do for Jesus? What if your life is so full of your current friends you could never make a new one?

What if you are investing so much in what is good that you can’t sacrifice or joyfully give away money for the Kingdom?

What if your good life, good morals, good witness are the reason you don’t have a life of discipleship filled with risk, impact and Kingdom adventures?

What if your problem isn’t the sin that clings so closely, but the weights you are so easily and comfortably carrying around in order to be a “good Christian?”

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:15:31 -0700 Perry Rocks! http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/perry-rocks http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/perry-rocks

From PerryNoble.com

16 Questions That Will Help Us Make It In Ministry - Part Nine

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 04:49 AM PDT

9. Do I Realize There Will Be Opposition?

In Matthew 10.16-18 Jesus is very clear that when preach the Gospel and lead under His direction we will face opposition.

I once heard a good friend that if you are not experiencing opposition from the devil, it probably means that you and him are walking in the same direction.

I was very surprised early on in my ministry at the opposition that I faced. I could not believe people would oppose what I clearly felt God had called me to do. Until…I began to read the Gospels and understand that Jesus was opposed on numerous occasions and actually told people that if they were going to follow Him that they would experience the same.

The enemy loves to work through things like distraction and discouragement…and if you as a leader are called into ministry then these two things (distraction and discouragement) are major weapons in His arsenal. We must strive to keep our eyes on Jesus and receive our encouragement from His word because the stakes are too high to give up just because some blogger doesn’t like what we are doing.

EVERYONE in the Scriptures who accomplished ANYTHING significant for the Kingdom was opposed…but it was their willingness to stay with the vision and not cave to opposition, that made the difference and changed the game for the Kingdom!

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:21:06 -0700 Doctrines of Grace http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/doctrines-of-grace http://rossreeves1.posterous.com/doctrines-of-grace

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Doctrines of Grace
June 18, 2009 at 8:38 am

After Tom suggested in the previous comments that I was leaning toward Calvinism (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I looked up the five “doctrines of grace.”

Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints

I am leaving town for the weekend, and don’t have time to flesh these out now, but in comparison to TULIP, my five doctrines of “grace” are…

Broken Eikons
Eternal Purpose
Extravagant Atonement
Response to Grace
Shalom

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/1bfIAaKASKl Reeves, Ross Reeves, Reeves, Ross