Rulers, Glory, and Taking Sides – My Tuesday Three
My Tuesday Three started out as a means to showcase the blogs of my fellow Christian bloggers, but it has morphed into so much more. Today I decided to take it back to its roots and share with you three of the blog posts I’ve “liked” this past week or so. As I begin to write this I have no idea how they will be connected, but I trust that God has been creating those connections all week.
The first post I want to showcase is by my dear friend Deb over at Deb’s Blog. Every day (except Sunday), Deb writes a short devotion that ends with a “simple poem.” She works her way through a book of the Bible from beginning to end, and is currently in Judges. Her Monday post was titled “Who Shall Rule?” It’s a great question. In the Bible passage Deb was working from, the Israelites wanted Gideon and his sons to rule over them, but Gideon said that God is their ruler. Deb’s wonderful poem is a reminder that it is Jesus who we need to rule our hearts.
The second post I want to showcase was written by Pr. A.C. Baker over at The Recovering Legalist. It is a book review titled “Barriers to Church Growth. # 1.” Pr. Baker promises to blog further about additional barriers to church growth from the book he reviewed, but it seems to me if all one ever thought about was this one, churches would be growing and not shrinking. The point of the post is that churches need to glorify God, and often these days they don’t. Churches seem more concerned with creating programs that will draw people in or singing just the right songs to keep people happy.
The third post I want to showcase is by Amy Barlow Liberatore over at Sharp Little Pencil. I found this post because I was intrigued by one of Amy’s comments at Deb’s Blog. The post is titled “Whose Side Are They on Now?” It is a thought-provoking poem about the tendency of Christians to claim that God is on their side. As I read it, I pondered whether a better question for us to ask is whether we are on God’s side? Although I may not agree with everything I’ve read on Amy’s blog, she is always open to a civilized discussion about things and does, indeed, make one thoughtfully consider the basis for their beliefs.
So, now that the selecting and showcasing is done, what’s the connection? Don’t you see it? It’s plain as day that God is the center. We must allow Him to rule in our hearts. We must glorify Him in our churches and in our lives. We must always, in all that we do, consciously decide to be on His side.
Share this:
LInda, I am profoundly thankful that you thought to mention my blog, as I was sure it would provoke some folks. But my blog exists TO provoke, in the best way, to stimulate discussion. Yours was one of the best responses to my poem I received. We are all under God, and yet God created each of us with free will and the curiosity to explore, to ask questions, and ultimately, to love each other despite whether or not we agree on any given point. So I do send my very real love to you and all on your blog, especially Debbie, who brought us together. Peace, Amy
Amy, I was pleased to share your poem, and hopefully it makes people think. There is a precarious balance between love and truth, and I appreciate anyone who helps me keep that balance in my own life. You do that. I am blessed that Debbie (and God) has brought us to each other’s blogs. Peace, Linda
Sorry I’m so late getting here to the Tuesday Three party! Blessed that you included something simple. 🙂 And Linda, blessed also that you included something from Amy too. Now off to read about glorifying God in our churches! Thank you for all you do to encourage us and keep us connected!
God bless you and your heart centered on Him!
Deb, It wasn’t really even a party until you arrived! 🙂 I was blessed to be able to share these posts, especially yours. Peace, Linda
sounds interesting….will need to check them out…thanks linda…
Claudia, I enjoy showcasing other blogs. Who knows, you might show up in one of My Tuesday Three sometime. I didn’t even notice until I was done that two of the three posts were poetry. I don’t know what it is with me and poetry these days. Hmmmmm. Peace, Linda
Thank you Linda – What a gift you are giving not only through your own blog but also sharing other’s blogs. I definately will check the blog’s “in” my readings. We are so blessed to have some many people sharing being love with our God
It is a blessing that there are so many great Christian bloggers. I wish I had time to read them all! Peace, Linda
Thanks Linda 🙂
You do a great job at connecting…
I had read Deb’s … now I’m off to check the others!
Blessings,
ann
SIDEBAR: – Can you access your ‘following’ list on WordPress? ‘My Subscriptions’ has vanished. When I click on the link that normally displays the blogs I subscribe to, I get this “Nothing to read! Why not find your friends, subscribe to some blogs, or have a look at Freshly Pressed?”
How weird is that? I’m already subscribed to quite a few!
Thx
Ann, Connecting people to God and with each other is what life is all about! I love doing it. As for my subscriptions, I’m having trouble with my list, too. A few show up, but only ones that aren’t WordPress blogs and the DailyPost blog that is by WordPress staff. It’s happened before, so hopefully they will get it fixed soon. Peace, Linda