I just spent a couple hours talking with 3 other guys about how God is working in our lives. I have been there before. You know… you get together with your accountability group or some friends at church and talk about how good God is. The pastor is impressed. It is encouraging and you feel good about yourself for having done it, but does it really matter? Does it really make any difference? Will you be closer to God because of it? Maybe.
But this time was different. The four of us shared about the reality of Christ in our lives. It wasn’t spiritual sparing, trying to out do each other with our spiritual prowess. It was simply, a sincere uninhibited sharing of the love we experienced while living life with Christ driving the day. Does that make sense? Let me try again….
Let me take it to the extreme just for the sake of communication. Do you appreciate Jesus? Do you appreciate what He did for you on the cross? You might, but tell me this. Have you ever asked God to allow you to experience the pain Christ suffered on the cross in even a small tangible way?
The difference from appreciating Christ on the cross from a distant and experiencing even a very small part of the pain He felt is huge! It is the same huge difference in experiencing God from a distance while doing all the right things and experiencing God up close and real, while allowing Him to work out His good will and pleasure in your life.
Today, God revealed Himself at Starbucks… where were you?
God Spots 
i was at work
or the store
or home eating
wouldve loved to be there though =D
Amazing how many people say there is a God – out there somewhere perhaps! I believe ina very personal God… and wanted to share that with you:
Bette Midler in her 1985 song tells us: God is watching us from a distance.
When I pondered on the words to this well known song, it kind of intimated that God is like some giant, All Seeing Eye in The Sky!
I just want to share with you my joy in knowing that God is NOT a BIG EYE in the SKY watching over all of humanity from a distance.
http://justmeintchristian.blogspot.com/2010/07/is-god-watching-us-from-outer-space.html
I can relate. I have not had deep conversations about Jesus with ‘church’ members and I have not overheard any. I have had great conversations with nonchurched folks, thoroughly enjoyed it and yearn for more encounters like that.
I appreciate the thoughts Lisa.. It is totally refreshing to chat about Christ at the most unpredictable times…
I think it is impossible to even begin imagine what Jesus did for us on the cross.
I can imagine him walking around teaching, or healing.
I cannot imagine the pain and suffering he went through.
It is beyond me.
he said once that to be by his side in heaven would mean to drink from the same cup he would drink from.
Only a minority of people have done this – suffered, tortured, in complete agony, until death.
I wonder why I was spared. Did God consider me too weak to go through this?
AM I really blessed to have missed it, or have I missed a blessing because I haven’t?
Sobering thought.
Someday soon we will all be tested…very severely – maybe.
Is our commitment strong enough to endure the testing?
My prayers are for the saints, to keep their courage and faith alive.
it will be what light they have, which will be needed in a very dark world.
May they be full of the spirit, and may their light shine brightly, to the glory of God.