Easter+40+10

I think in a lot of ways this blog gets less attention than my actual conversations. Which is a good thing cause people are way more important than what I have to say here but I was thinking today "wow it would be great if what I said in the conversations I have with people was in here, it would make a much better read for those people who take time to read this." So I am going to try to do that. I am going to try and explain what I told Elise yesterday while on our date. Sound good! Okay! 

While home on Easter's Eve I was reading through the account of Jesus' death and resurrection and the concurrent following days weeks months etc. and I was really struck by this whole idea of what followed Easter. As we all know as Christians Jesus rose from the dead. He was basically around for forty days in which I believe as the bible points out He basically taught the disciples how to understand His words and gave them basically an understanding of scripture now that the majority of scripture was fulfilled. On that fortieth day he rose and joined His father. the following ten days the disciples met in the upper room and prayed and were one and then the holy spirit came. 

So I took this thought and said instead of just making "easter" a one day thing and forgetting about it as all of us sometimes do why not make it into a 50 day thing  remembering the remarkable chain of events that Easter had or if you do lent 90 days. Forty days before easter. Fifty days after.

So I have devoted myself for the next 27 days (as it is 13 days after easter today) to letting God redefine my understanding of scriptures...saturating myself in it praying and seeking out God  etc. . In a sense fasting from anything that is not Jesus ( to some degree I can't remove myself altogether,wish I could but I am supposed to be in the world). I'm all about the Matthew through John. 

And in all this It's really remarkable because everything is literally beginning to change or flip a 180. My understanding on the concept of God's church,  when we should be doing ministry, What community looks like, rebuke,  sin: it's all just molding into something solely based on the words that Jesus spoke and its crazy. 

And I find myself asking questions, lots of question about what I see in the church and it compared to what Jesus says.  ie. what should we do, how should we live our lives. What parts of that church were cultural and what were ordained by God to follow in suit etc. 

And all these questions basically have led me to say God I want to live a life in that "God may find a way through me". I have always been more on the opposite end of things thinking it is God's role being somewhat "hyper calvinist" if you will but as I am learning the church is the oracle of God in this age and it is our charge to make sure we are doing things right, ie be the people God is calling us to be and this focus on the gospels has really done that it is remarkable. I've really learned to see that the embrace of scripture is what holds all of this together.

Anyways I think that is enough I need to do some studying, catch you guys later. 

To His Glory alone,

JG