Å kjenne Kristi kjærlighet

It's Friday... But Sunday's a Coming

Forkynn evangeliet, om de lytter eller ei

Del det gode budskap, og spis av Guds Ord

Esekiel 2 og 3 i ”The Message, Remix”

Det er to interessante ting som jeg plukker opp i disse kapitlene. Det første er at Gud gjentatte ganger ber Esekiel om å forkynne/tale/snakke til Israelsfolket, uansett om de vil høre på eller ikke.  Det er altså ikke Esekiels ansvar å få dem til å lytte og høre etter. Gud advarer derimot Esekiel om at de ikke vil komme til å høre på han, for de hører jo ikke engang på Gud. Gud kaller israelittene en gjeng med rebeller. Men oppfordrer Esekiel videre til å ikke være redd dem.

Speak your piece, wheter they listen or not.

Jeg føler meg inspirert av denne setningen. Inspirert til å forkynne evangeliet, for plutselig slipper jeg å tenke på om de tar imot budskapet eller ikke. Det er jo ikke mitt ansvar om de lytter eller ei. Mitt ansvar er å være tro mot Herren, tro mot evangeliet, og forkynne det på de måter Herren ber meg om, om det er gjennom ord, kunst eller gjerninger. Og så overlate resten til dem og Herren.

From then on it’s up to them. They can listen or not listen, whichever they like.

Det andre er at Gud gir Esekiel en bokrull han må spise.

Get all these words that I’m giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own.

Guds Ord, Bibelen – vi skal spise Guds ord og la dem fylle oss opp som et fullt måltid.

Eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!

Guds ord er et måltid vi skal spise, og det vil smake som honning, sier Esekiel. Få dem på innsiden, fyll deg skikkelig opp av Guds Ord. Lytt til dem og vær lydig mot Hans Ord. Gjør dem til dine egne!

I dag virker det som om det næringsrike måltidet Guds Ord blir byttet ut med junkfood skrevet av folk som påstår og mener at de kjenner Gud og Hans rike, og mange av de gjør jo det, mens andre ikke egentlig gjør det. I cellegrupper jeg har vært med i har det alltid vært ønsker om å følge en bok, som snakker om det Guds sier i Sitt Ord. Og jeg lurer alltid på hvorfor?! Hvorfor skal vi gå til det nest beste i stedet for det beste? Hvorfor stole mer på det kristne sier om kristne ting, fremfor å la oss la Den Hellige Ånd få veilede oss i Guds Ord?

Jeg lengter etter å spise av Guds Ord sammen med søsken i troen. Men uansett hvor jeg vender meg, så er ikke det prioritert noe sted. Ser dere ikke at vi drives vekk fra Guds Ord, i en nesten usynlig prosess? Fra talerstolen har jeg hørt flere ganger at de unnskylder seg for at de nå skal lese fra Bibelen, spesielt hvis det er flere enn to-tre bibelvers, at de bare må bære over med dem. Jeg får sjokk når jeg hører slike uttalelser. Og jeg blir veldig lei meg.

Det er Guds Ord som har kraft. Det er Guds Ord som skaper endring.

For Guds ord er levende og kraftig og skarpere enn noe tveegget sverd og trenger igjennom, inntil det kløver sjel og ånd, ledd og marg, og dømmer hjertets tanker og råd. (Hebr 4,12, 1930 oversettelsen.)

Så la oss, som Esekiel får beskjed om; spise av den honningsøte Guds Ord og la det fylles opp som et godt måltid hver eneste dag, slik at vi kjenner Guds Ord inn og ut, er lydige til Herrens Ord og gjør det til vårt eget.

Og la oss være frimodige til å dele det gode budskap når anledningene byr seg, vel vitende om at vi ikke trenger å ta på oss ansvaret og byrden med at de må ta imot, lytte og forstå. Vårt ansvar er å dele det vi har fått. Og overlate resten til den enkelte og Gud.

Give thanks

And on the night He was  

betrayed

He broke bread and lifted it up and 

gave thanks. 

If Jesus can give thanks  
I N  T H A T 

I can give thanks in

 everything

Ann Voskamp

Disse ordene fra Ann Voskamp har vært med meg den siste uken. Hun "nailer" det virkelig. Digger det. Takknemlighet er en sjelden gave - som er som såpestykket som glipper ut av hendene så fort man tror man har fått tak på det. Men det hindrer meg ikke i å fortsette å søke etter det.

Takknemlighet er døren inn til glede, vinduet inn til livet, huset som rommer fred.

Når Jesus, som visste hvilken dag det var, som visste hvem som skulle forråde Han, som visste hva som lå foran Han, Han som ba "Ikke som Jeg vil, skje Din vilje, Gud Fader" rett før Han ble forrådt med et kyss fra en såkalt venn - når Han kunne løfte brødet og si takk - ja, da har vi all verdens grunn til å kunne takke i enhver situasjon vi møter.

Jesus ble forrådt. Han mistet venner. Han mistet all støtte. Han følte Gud hadde forlatt Ham. Han hadde gitt avkall på uforgjengeligheten bare Gud har, og ble et menneske - med kjøtt, blod og hud, og vil for alltid ha den menneskelige kroppen, selv om den er blitt uforgjengelig. Gud ble menneske, og Han sa takk. He gave thanks.


Bibelen oppfordrer oss til å takke i alle omstendigheter. Og glede oss alltid. De to henger sammen. Hvis man finner noe å være takknemlig for i enhver omstendighet, kan man også være glad for dette, og dermed glede seg. Dette er ingen enkel øvelse, men vel verdt øvelse. Ann Voskamp har en historie å fortelle på dette, gjennom boken: 1000 gifts. Jeg har lest den. Og jeg holder på med gaveversjonen av 1000 gifts. Hun opplevde å gå fra depresjon til glede ved å telle tusen gaver. Og hun kan se gaven i solstråler som treffer benken der hun lager mat. (Nei, jeg får ikke betalt for å reklamere ;) )

 Takknemlighet 

er døren inn til glede

vinduer inn til livet

huset som rommer fred 

Trine Kvalnes

Parents Push Their Kids Away from God Without Realizing It

7 Ways Parents Push Their Kids Away from God Without Realizing It

written by Frank Powell

This broke me. So many things that are so obvious yet so rarely done.

Why are young people leaving the church? If I had a dollar for every time I heard this question, I would have a lot of dollars. And I get it. The rate at which young people are leaving the church is alarming. Everyone has experienced a young person throwing aside their faith, either directly or indirectly. It’s devastating.
So, how does the church need to change? While this question needs to be addressed, I don’t think it provides an answer to the problem.
Stick with me, I am going somewhere.
You see, I believe parents are the primary link between young people and God. Not the church. In his book Soul Searching, Christian Smith says this:

The most important social influence in shaping young people’s religious lives is the religious life modeled and taught to them by their parents.

In an interview with Drs. Kara Powell and Chap Clark, Smith goes even further:

When it comes to kids’ faith, parents get what they are.

Whoa. That’s real.
Here’s the deal. Parents, you are painting a portrait of God for your children every day. Every word, action, and conversation is a brushstroke. And when your children prepare to leave home, they are staring at a portrait of God. A portrait that shapes their actions and decisions about faith moving forward.
Are there exceptions? Absolutely. As a youth minister, I witnessed young people leave Jesus, even though the faith of their parents was rock solid. I also saw young people continue into college on fire for God, even though their parents had shaky, fickle faith. So, this isn’t a black and white, issue. Few issues are.
But will you, as a parent, play an enormous role in shaping the faith of your children? No doubt.
With that being said, I want to point out some things young people need from their parents. I present these as someone who left God for a season in college, someone who ministers to young people every day, and someone who is passionate about reaching about the next generation.
Here are 7 things youth need from their parents so they won’t abandon God.

1.) THEY NEED YOU TO STOP HANDING THEIR FAITH OFF TO YOUTH LEADERS.

I grew up in church. But I was never part of a youth group. I didn’t receive formal training in youth ministry. So, when I jumped into youth ministry, the whole thing was new to me.
In the first few months, I noticed something alarming. It appeared as though parents looked to me as the primary person responsible for the spiritual growth of their kids. Why is this alarming? The Bible makes no mention of this model.
Unfortunately, most churches have created this mess. And reinforced it. Calendars are filled with events, and a cultural pressure is placed on young people to get a gold star for perfect attendance. Don’t get me wrong. I am not against youth ministry. I think it is a great tool for building faith in young people.
But there is a problem when youth ministry becomes THE tool.
Parents, you have the primary responsibility for building faith in your children. Youth leaders exist to equip you and supplement the work you are doing in the home. They don’t exist to replace you.

2.) THEY NEED YOU TO CARE AS MUCH ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES AS YOU DO ABOUT THEIR SALVATION.

Growing up, I remember numerous conversations with my parents about baptism. My fellowship holds baptism in very high regard. Too high. That’s how I felt, at least. I grew to hate the word “baptism,” and with every conversation about why I needed to be baptized, I took one step further away from God.
Maybe that’s not fair. But that’s where I was. As strange as this sounds, I needed someone to care as much about my struggles as they did about my salvation.
And I struggled mightily in high school. I searched everywhere for my identity. I struggled with lust and pornography. I traveled down dark roads searching for direction.
It was as if my salvation was the only thing that mattered. Eventually, I started to see God this way. He didn’t have much to say about my present struggles. He just wanted me to be “saved.” And I didn’t care much for a God who didn’t inform my current situation. So, I left.
Here’s what I learned from that season. While everyone who talked to me was sincere, I believe they were trying to manufacture my salvation. Humans don’t have the power to save someone. That is God’s job.

You can’t manufacture salvation. But you can show people God’s love.

Parents, what you can do is show the love of God to your children. This starts by helping them see their present struggles as God’s concern. Sit down with your children. Talk to them. Show them grace.

As you do this, the gospel will come to life. Because the gospel doesn’t just inform salvation. It informs everything. Addictions. Temptations. Identity issues. And once your children see that God walks with them through their struggles, they will have a stronger desire to give their lives to him.

3.) THEY NEED YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THEY ARE ASKING.

Today’s culture is extremely complicated and complex. Young people see everything. Information (good and bad) is available on-demand. And as young people battle with difficult questions about sexuality and social issues, among many other things, the world is forming their perspective. Every article. Every conversation. Every video.
It is more important than ever that parents open up space to discuss difficult topics. It’s time to stop turning a blind eye to the questions prevalent in the lives of your kids. Naivety is not an excuse. Awkwardness and tension won’t work as excuses either.
I never had a conversation (at least not one I remember) with any adult about sex growing up. Nothing about lust. Nothing about God’s design for purity. Nothing about masturbation. I never had a conversation about alcohol. I was battling these questions, but Christians weren’t there to give me answers. So, I tried to figure it out myself. You can only imagine how that worked out for me.
Yes, these conversations are awkward. Yes, they create tension. But your children are asking them. Unless you create space for the hard questions, they will turn to other sources for answers. And that usually doesn’t end well.

4.) THEY NEED YOU TO STOP PROTECTING THEM.

The world is broken. No argument from me there. It seems as though our world is more sinful than ever.
But I wonder what the response would be if the same microscope were placed on cities like Ephesus and Corinth? During the time of Paul, Ephesus was overtaken by witchcraft. Every spring, roughly 1,000,000 people traveled to the temple of Artemis, which was filled with prostitutes. Let’s just say these people weren’t going to the temple to talk about the weather.
To top it off, Ephesus hosted the Festival of Dionysus, a keg party that would have laughed in the face of any St. Paddy’s Day party you have thrown (not that you would do that sort of thing).
So, how does Paul instruct the Ephesians to respond in the midst of a culture blanketed with sin? He tells them to put on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20). In other words, jump in the fight. Paul didn’t understand a theology of retreat. There is no such thing. He expected the Christians in Ephesus to engage the culture, not run from it.
When the ultimate goal is to make sure our children never experience the evils of the world, we not only do them an injustice socially, we rob them of seeing the gospel’s transformative power.
As a parent, your goal should not be to teach your kids how to flee from evil. Your goal should be to show them how to engage it. For the glory of God. In those spaces, they will see the gospel. And it will become real.

5.) THEY NEED TO SEE GOD AS MORE THAN RULES AND CHURCH ATTENDANCE.

Every decision, every thought, and every action comes down to this: in whom do I place my trust?  Kara Powell

Looking back on my childhood, this was the most important factor in my faith as I transitioned into college. I needed to see that my parents trusted the promises of God. I needed to see that my parents made decisions as though God was real and alive, not a set of rules or a list of “do’s and don’ts.” I got that from my mom. Not so much from my dad.
And until God surrounded me with men who modeled an unwavering trust in Him, I thought following Jesus was just a piece of the puzzle.
Parents, especially fathers, never underestimate the impact of your decisions on your children. They need to see you trust God with your time and money. They need to see you approach your job as a mission field. They need to see you love people well. All people. They need to see you trust the promises of God in Scripture.
If you boil Christian living down to church attendance and morality, your children will notice. And who wants to follow a God who is nothing more than rules and showing up to a building? I sure don’t.

6.) THEY NEED TO SEE YOUR STRUGGLES AND DOUBTS.

You need to be strong for your children. They need to see that you have it together. I understand that. But let’s get real for a second. God is mysterious. Faith is not easy. Some questions about God don’t have easy answers. You have probably experienced days where you considered throwing in the towel.
Join the party. I want you to meet some people. These are the apostles. Yeah, the ones who walked with Jesus and started the church. Yes, they are at the “I have doubted my faith at some point” party.
Parents, your kids have doubts. And they need to see that you have doubts as well. Otherwise, when questions about God come, your kids will either internalize them or turn to another source for answers. Both are bad options.
I am not telling you to have confession hour every night. But there is power in vulnerability and authenticity. Your kids need to know you are human. And they need to know the path to intimacy with God involves seasons of doubt and struggle.

7.) THEY NEED YOU TO PLEAD FOR GOD TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN THEIR FAITH.

Parents, in the journey to lay a foundation of faith for your children, nothing is more important than prayer. Pray for your children. Pray with your children. Every day.
The best part of my day is when my boys lay in bed and ask Tiffani and I to pray for them. I also know a day will probably come when they won’t ask us to pray for them. Instead, we will have to fight through the tension and pray for them even though they don’t necessarily want us to. But we are committed to praying for them every night.
I am eternally grateful for my mom. She is awesome! And I am convinced that my faith is a product of her relentless devotion to prayer. I think my mom prayed so much eventually God got tired of hearing her ask for transformation in my life. So, after years of hearing thousands of versions of the same prayer, he called me back home. And I haven’t looked back sense.

Even if your child is a long way from God, He is only one prayer from them.

Never stop praying for your kids. Don’t allow their current circumstances to impact God’s power. Even if your child is light years from God, God is only a prayer away from them. One prayer can change everything.

________________

Parents, you are painting a portrait of God for your children. What does the picture look like?
It is never too late to start investing in the faith of your children. God doesn’t operate like money. The outcome of your kids’ faith isn’t necessarily determined by the time you put in. God isn’t confined to such things.
It is also never too early to get started. Set the trajectory of faith for your children now.
The church plays a role in the faith of your children. But the primary responsibility is yours, parents. You got this. God would never give you a task and not equip you for it. Your children don’t need the funniest, most knowledgeable, or best communicator to build their faith. They need you.
So, give them what they need.
I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!

Frank Powell

http://www.faithit.com/parents-push-their-kids-away-from-god-realizing/

Årets julesang!! wow!

Father' loveletter to you / Fars kjærlighetsbrev til deg

Fars kjærlighetsbrev til deg

Mitt Barn… 

Du vet kanskje ikke hvem jeg er, 

men jeg vet alt om deg

Salme 139:1 

Jeg vet når du sitter og når du står oppreist

Salme 139:2 

Jeg er vel kjent med alt du er

Salme 139:3 

Til og med hvert eneste hårstrå 

på ditt hode vet jeg om

Matteus 10:29-31 

For du ble skapt i mitt bilde

1. Mosebok 1:27 

I meg lever du og beveger deg og er til

Apostlenes gjerninger 17:28 

For du er min slekt

Apostlenes gjerninger 17:28 

Jeg kjente deg allerede fra før du ble unnfanget

Jeremia 1:4-5 

Jeg bestemte deg da jeg planla skapelsen

Efeserne 1:11-12 

Du var ikke en feiltagelse, 

for alle dine dager er skrevet opp i min bok

Salme 139:15-16

Jeg fastsatte den eksakte tiden for 

din fødsel og hvor du skulle bo

Ap.gj. 17:26

Du er skremmende og vidunderlig skapt

Salme 139:14 

Jeg vevde deg sammen i din mors mage

Salme 139:13 

Og jeg dro deg fram den dagen du ble født

Salme 71:6 

Jeg har blitt fremstilt feil av 

dem som ikke kjenner meg

Johannes 8:41-44

Jeg er ikke langt borte fra deg eller sint, 

jeg er sann kjærlighet

1 Johannes 4:16 

Og det er mitt dypeste ønske å få gi deg min kjærlighet 

1 Johannes 3:1 

Rett og slett fordi du er mitt barn og jeg er din far

1 Johannes 3:1 

Jeg tilbyr deg mer enn din jordiske 

far noen gang har kunnet tilby

Matteus 7:11 

For jeg er den perfekte far

Matteus 5:48 

Hver god gave som du mottar kommer fra min hånd

Jakob 1:17 

For jeg er din forsørger og den som møter alle dine behov

Matteus 6:31-33 

Min plan for din fremtid har alltid vært fylt med håp

Jeremia 29:11 

Fordi jeg elsker deg med en evig kjærlighet

Jeremia 31:3 

Mine tanker for deg er like 

talløse som sandkornene på stranden

Salme 139:17-18 

Og jeg fryder meg over deg med jubel

Sefanja 3:17 

Jeg vil aldri slutte med å gjøre godt mot deg

Jeremia 32:40 

For du er min verdifulle eiendom

2. Mosebok 19:5 

Av hele mitt hjerte og hele min 

sjel ønsker jeg at du skal slå rot

Jeremia 32:41 

Og jeg vil vise deg store og vidunderlige ting

Jeremia 33:3 

Dersom du søker meg av hele ditt hjerte, 

vil du finne meg

5. Mosebok 4:29 

Ha din lyst i meg, 

og jeg vil gi deg alt ditt hjerte ønsker

Salme 37:4 

For det er jeg som gir deg disse ønskene

Filipperne 2:13 

Jeg er i stand til å gjøre mer for 

deg enn du kan klare å forstå

Efeserne 3:20 

For jeg er din største oppmuntrer

2 Tessaloniker 2:16-17 

Jeg er også den Far som trøster deg 

under alle dine problemer

2 Korinterne 1:3-4 

Når du har hjertesorg, er jeg nær deg

Salme 34:19 

Som en hyrde bærer et lam, 

har jeg båret deg nær til mitt hjerte

Jesaja 40:11 

En dag vil jeg tørke vekk hver 

eneste tåre fra dine øyne

Åpenbaringen 21:3-4 

Og jeg vil ta vekk hver eneste 

smerte du har lidd her på jorden

Åp. 21:3-4 

Jeg er din Far, 

og jeg elsker deg slik jeg elsker min sønn Jesus

Johannes 17:23 

For min kjærlighet for deg er forløst i Jesus

Johannes 17:26 

Han er det nøyaktige bilde av min eksistens

Hebreerne 1:3 

Han kom for å demonstrere at jeg er for deg, 

og ikke imot deg

Romerne 8:31

Og for å fortelle deg at jeg ikke teller dine synder

2 Korinterne 5:18-19

Jesus døde slik at du og jeg kunne forsones

2 Korinterne 5:18-19 

Hans død var det ultimate uttrykk 

for min kjærlighet til deg

1 Johannes 4:10 

Jeg ga opp det jeg elsket for å 

prøve å få din kjærlighet

Romerne 8:31-32

Dersom du mottar min sønn Jesus som gave, 

da mottar du meg

1 Johannes 2:23 

Og ingenting vil noen gang skille 

deg fra min kjærlighet igjen

Romerne 8:38-39 

Kom hjem og jeg vil holde det største selskapet 

himmelen noen gang har sett 

Lukas 15:7 

Jeg har alltid vært Far, 

og vil alltid være Far

Efeserne 3:14-15 

Mitt spørsmål er…

Vil du være mitt barn?

Johannes 1:12-13 

Jeg venter på deg

Luke 15:11-32

Kjærlig hilsen fra din himmelske Pappa,
den allmektige Gud