Where is your centre?

The fact of being Christ-centred provides us the power to be other-oriented, but we cannot be other-centred. We can only orbit around one centre at a time. Concern for others is simply not enough to attract us out of orbit around ourselves, only Christ centredness can free us to be other-oriented. One can only be self-centred or Christ-centred. Being Christ-centred means to please the Lord rather than ourselves. Pleasing the Lord provides us a pure motive for being other-oriented.

...

And just what is the key that will ensure that Jesus will bail me out? Harking back to Roy Hession, 'The only way to acquire grace is to admit you need it'. By this time I'm ready to admit I need His grace. The really exciting thing at this point (that I may not even recognise) is that I have finally come to an end of myself: I have cone face to face with the fact that my resources are inadequate for effective day-to-day living. This alone will ensure Christ-centredness, which will in turn ensure other-orientedness and the only positive cure for my basic selfishness. Effective day-to-day living is now possible in a way never before considered possible.

'A Humble Confidence: A Christian Perspective on Self-Image' by Dave Ames

From the mouth of babes!

Our eldest said to us last night during our family bible time; 'Praying is worship with your eyes shut.'

So she got the eyes shut bit a little wrong and we were able to explain to her the different places we pray and she can pray as well but don't we often forget that praying is worshipping God. How often do we in our modern thinking talk about worship and in our minds we are picturing singing songs, hymns and spiritual psalms?

Oh for the understanding of a child in my walk with the Lord.

Dilema

So I have been shopping and got my daughter her plates etc for her party. She is a little girl so I bought Disney Princess; everything matching. Now I feel guilty because of the money I spent on things that will be thrown away! As a Christian who wants to do the best for my children and someone who wants to make them aware of the needs of others I feel that I have wasted a lot of money. What I spent today on a party could have bought children in poorer countries vital things for their wellbeing and health.

I need wisdom in how to parent my girls the best. Letting them have a childhood but also making them think of others. I need to tell them of Jesus and how He put others first and help them model themselves on Him.

Prayer

I do not mean to imply that the Jerusalem temple, built by Herod the Great, is the direct counterpart of our church buildings today. God no longer centres His presence in one particular building. In fact, the New Testament teaches that we are now His dwelling place; He lives in His people. How much more important, then, is Jesus’ message about the primacy of prayer?

The feature that is supposed to distinguish Christian churches, Christian people, and Christian gatherings is the aroma of prayer. It doesn’t matter what your tradition or my tradition is. The house is not ours anyway; it is the Father’s.

Does the Bible ever say anywhere from Genesis to Revelation, “My house shall be called a house of preaching?” Does it ever say, “ My house shall be called a house of music”?

Of course not.

The Bible does say, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Preaching, music, the reading of the Word - these things are fine, I believe in and practice all of them. But they must never override prayer as the defining mark of God’s dwelling. The honest truth is that I have seen God do more in people’s lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in then of my sermons.

From: Fresh wind, Fresh fire by Jim Cymbala (page 70-71)