The Christian Ear is a forum for discussing and listening to the voice of today's church.
The Lord spoke to churches,“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 2&3
March 20, 2008
Spirit Working
A journalist of the 1900’s, Finley Peter Dunne wrote that it was a writer’s job to, “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”. Actually, I think this is a great condensed description of the Holy Spirit at work.
1 comment:
Anonymous
said...
Gail; -----Maybe I am just getting burned out on this comfort zone stuff, but every time something reminds me of it, I immediately think, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (II Cor 1:3-5 RSV) I remember all too well the hoax at your church which quickly followed every mention of “leaving your comfort zone.” Almost always I have observed the cliché to really mean, “Stop being like you are in the Lord, and stop doing what you are doing in the Lord. Be like me in the Lord and do what I tell you the Lord wants you to do.” And although you will never hear those who wish to stir their brethren up to discomfort admit to such an objective, all you have to do to know better is watch what they advocate next. -----We are to stir one another up to good works, not to our pet programs or celebratory gadgetry. Each of us is bought with a price, and each of us is owned by the God of comfort. He wants us comfortable in our relationship with Him so we don’t slip up and mistake Him for some god of pain and torment, like Allah. God gives to each the measure of faith He assigns (Rom 12:3), and He does not give anyone a mission to go around tampering with that faith (Romans 14.) That way, each of us has a gift useful to the body, and each is given the opportunity to use that gift without being made to feel like he must become uncomfortable because he does not have some other gift. Shame on Rick Warren for giving life to such an unscriptural concept. And shame on his host of little gremlin meddlers for spreading its accosting effect.
Now, be comforted in the righteousness, peace, and joy of His Kingdom, And build up one another.
1 comment:
Gail;
-----Maybe I am just getting burned out on this comfort zone stuff, but every time something reminds me of it, I immediately think, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (II Cor 1:3-5 RSV) I remember all too well the hoax at your church which quickly followed every mention of “leaving your comfort zone.” Almost always I have observed the cliché to really mean, “Stop being like you are in the Lord, and stop doing what you are doing in the Lord. Be like me in the Lord and do what I tell you the Lord wants you to do.” And although you will never hear those who wish to stir their brethren up to discomfort admit to such an objective, all you have to do to know better is watch what they advocate next.
-----We are to stir one another up to good works, not to our pet programs or celebratory gadgetry. Each of us is bought with a price, and each of us is owned by the God of comfort. He wants us comfortable in our relationship with Him so we don’t slip up and mistake Him for some god of pain and torment, like Allah. God gives to each the measure of faith He assigns (Rom 12:3), and He does not give anyone a mission to go around tampering with that faith (Romans 14.) That way, each of us has a gift useful to the body, and each is given the opportunity to use that gift without being made to feel like he must become uncomfortable because he does not have some other gift. Shame on Rick Warren for giving life to such an unscriptural concept. And shame on his host of little gremlin meddlers for spreading its accosting effect.
Now, be comforted in the righteousness, peace, and joy of His Kingdom,
And build up one another.
Steve
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