This Sunday’s readings: Acts 2:1-13

Reflections

Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God’s new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet. — So take seriously the story that God has given you to live. It’s time to read your own life, because your story is the one that could set us all ablaze.
~ N.T. Wright (1st Part)
~ Dan B. Allender, To Be Told (2nd Part)

I am not always full of love, not always seeing Him clearly. Self-indulgence has a way of creeping in. Sometimes I am thoroughly empty and have to say so in public. But what I have discovered is that Jesus loves to fill empties! All I need to do is to keep open to Him and to admit frankly what’s wrong. He does the rest.
~ Festo Kivengere (1919-1988), the ‘Billy Graham’ of Africa

The truth is something that burns, it burns off deadwood and people don’t like having their deadwood burnt off often because they’re 95 percent deadwood.
~ Jordan Peterson, Psychologist, Author, Speaker

It is my contention that the Holy Spirit has unfortunately been replaced today with sophisticated 21st century Christianity. We celebrate our facilities more than the Holy Spirit, we celebrate human personalities more than the Holy Spirit, we celebrate notoriety more than the Holy Spirit. We celebrate and replace him with entertainment, and we wonder why the church is not on fire, and if the church isn’t on fire, why should the world pay attention?
~ Tony Evans, Pastor

This Sunday’s readings: John 20:19-23

Reflections

Love is courageously setting aside our personal agenda to move humbly into the world of others with their well-being in view, willing to risk further pain in our souls, in order to be an aroma of life to some and an aroma of death to others.
~ Dan Allender, Psychologist/Author

God doesn’t need our good works, but our neighbor does.
~ Gustaf Wingren, 1910-2000, Swedish Theologian

God isn’t looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him.
~ Hudson Taylor, 1832-1905, Missionary to China

Thus, for followers of Christ, calling neutralizes the fundamental position of choice in modern life. “I have chosen you,” Jesus said, “you have not chosen me.” We are not our own; we have been bought with a price. We have no rights, only responsibilities. Following Christ is not our initiative, merely our response, in obedience. Nothing works better to debunk the pretensions of choice than a conviction of calling. Once we have been called, we literally “have no choice.”
~ Os Guinness, 1941- , Author/Social Critic

We were not called to make converts. Our job is the task of disciple-making. I mean, if we are not making disciples, why are we here? … You are either making disciples or making excuses. Which one are you?
~ Jonathan Hayashi, Ordinary Radicals: A Return to Christ-Centered Discipleship

Everyone will be forgotten, nothing we do will make any difference, and all good endeavors, even the best, will come to naught. Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavour, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever.
~ Tim Keller on “Why Calling Matters”