I am glad that you found my little corner of the internet. Paul’s Ponderings is my outlet to share the thoughts that occupy my mind that don’t make it into the lessons and sermon I do for Bethlehem Church. Most of what I think about centers around how to follow Jesus and bear God’s image in this world.
Here are are few posts to get you started.
Following Jesus
Christians should reject the world’s politics and follow Jesus, who rejected politics as the way to establish God’s Kingdom and called his followers to make disciples of the nations through sacrificial love. The way of Jesus is the path of the Lion who became a Lamb and was slain.
There are two ways for us to live. We can live our lives guided by the flesh or guided by the Holy Spirit. This includes our sexuality. Followers of Jesus need to be guided by the Spirit, even in the area of sex.
Christians should not merely adopt the culture of the world around them, but instead live like foreigners in a strange land, adopting the customs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Spiritual Formation
Christians are people of the Book. The Bible is God’s gift to His people and it shapes our beliefs and our actions. To be good stewards of this wonderful gift requires that we read it, study it, and meditate on it.
Discipline is the way that we mature and improve. We especially see this reality in the areas of sports and music. Disciplined practice is essential in maturing as a musician and an athlete, and it is essential to maturing as a follower of Jesus.
There are many things we can do as individuals that helps our spiritual formation. While we need to have our personal spiritual disciplines, we cannot neglect the importance of Christian community when it comes to discipleship and spiritual formation.
Politics
Too often when it comes time to vote we are presented with no good options and we are told to vote for the person who is affiliated with our party. Yet, as followers of Jesus we are called to be loyal to Jesus and his Kingdom, not a political party. It is a legitimate, both politically and spiritually, to abstain from voting.
Our rights are not determined by the government, rather, they are a gift from God. Ultimately, the way we enjoy these rights is by living a life of virtue. This is not just about living a moral life, but a life that is guided by God’s wisdom.
The Bible teaches that there are spiritual beings manipulating the governments and institutions of the world. It is no different in the United States. We may say that we are a “Christian Nation,” but the reality is that we are a country that worships a different god.
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