Do we appropriate a faith of convenience or are we SOLD OUT for Christ?

Most church attending Christians would strongly argue that we are faithful and obedient to the Lord…but are we?  Do we, really, follow Jesus and his example?

Let’s set aside for a moment the challenging example of obedience that Jesus set before us by being beaten, whipped, and hung on a tree …. although he emphatically teaches us to die to ourselves, deny ourselves, and relentlessly follow Him.  It’s simply my observation that some people are inclined to “pick and choose” the scripture they believe in somewhat of a smorgasbord approach.  They’ll certainly adhere to that which takes little effort but will avoid that which might appear to be more challenging.  I call it “selective obedience”.  The examples could be exhaustive ….

Start with a practical illustration for your own self assessment…

Let someone see our wallet and calendar and they will clearly identify where our priorities are and how much our faith really does mean to us. In other words where one spends their TIME, TALENT & TREASURE are strong indicators of one’s love for God and one’s faith being lived out in a practical way.

In the last 30 days how much TIME have you spent advancing God’s agenda?
In the last 30 days how have you used your TALENT advancing God’s agenda?
In the last 30 days how and how much have you used your TREASURE advancing God’s agenda?

…. and here is a specific scripture illustration ….

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35

How many of us obey that discipline on a regular basis?

J. Scott Bush, photographer at www.sebaygalleries.com

Beyond the chronic nausea, Irene had a terrific day.  Jocelyn moved this weekend so we visited her at the new place, a small house in the rural hills of Larkin Valley. It’s gated and very private with more space for her two dogs.

Irene also worked in the yard.  Later, we took our favorite coastal drive, stopping at the wharf for a crab cocktail.

Do we

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Recently we told you about a colleague of mine from InterWest whose 22 year old niece is experiencing kidney failure and is on dialysis.

Mallory Zeis has a preliminary diagnosis of “Auto Immune Syndrome”.  Please pray for her during this challenging time.  She was hospitalized at Catholic Healthcare West Hospital in Redding and has been referred to Stanford.

I was quietly minding my own business on the computer at 6.50 a.m. this morning when I heard in a strong, firm voice, “Yo, I gotta go”!!  Irene was grinning with her signature smile as I directed my attention toward her!!!  What a way to get my attention!!  “Yo, I gotta go ….!!!!  I told her that the greeting was going to be on the update this evening!!!!!!!  We had a good laugh and she drove herself to dialysis.  She rested for the balance of the day, taking a LONG nap on the dreary, rainy afternoon.  She prepared a very delicious homemade pizza for dinner!!

As we pray for Mallory Zeis our hope is that she will fully recover from her symptoms, especially because of her tender age.  Thanks for agreeing with us in prayer on her behalf!

Caminando con Fé

Dave

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