Joe Fontenot's Blog, page 6
January 14, 2019
On praying ‘in faith’
“Whatever you ask in prayer you will receive, if you have faith.” -Jesus (Matthew 21:22)
Faith is a connection, not a projection.
A projection is when you want something to be true and then act as if it is, in the hopes that it somehow becomes true in the process.
A connection, on the other hand, is a touchpoint to a real thing somewhere else.
“Whatever you ask in prayer” is not a summonsing technique.
Instead, it’s understand through that last part: “if you have faith.”
Another way to say this is: ‘If you understand the one you’re praying to, if you care about what he cares about, and if you’re focused on what he’s focused on, then when you pray, things will happen.’
This grounds things.
It gives us a way forward in prayer (see/do the above).
But…it also opens up a new question.
(PART TWO: In a sea of people, why does God care about me?)
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January 11, 2019
The idols of nations
“The idols of nations,” goes the Psalm, “are silver and gold.” Some of the most valuable things we have.
They have mouths to speak, “but they do not speak.” They have eyes to see, “but they do not see.” They have ears to hear, “but they do not hear.”
Everything is right, and at the same time, all is wrong.
The wisdom—for those interested—is that “those who make them become like them.”
The sad part, as it concludes, is “so do all who trust in them.”
This last group are the ones who are genuinely searching.
Knowing is never good enough for us to make a difference, or to help these people.
For us, and for them, it comes down to showing.
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January 10, 2019
It’s a tool
Translations, denominations, even seminary. These are tools, not contracts.
They are good. But they’re not necessary. They are helpful because they point the way. But they are not the way.
Mixing this up creates friction in church and life.
One solution: next time there’s a disagreement, ask: are we fussing about a tool?
If the answer’s yes, that’s great news! Because tools are variables. And they can be changed out as needed.
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January 9, 2019
Love seems condescending
God doesn’t have my problems. He doesn’t forget his purpose, or struggle with life.
He has everything.
So why doesn’t he use some of that power to change things for me?
Love seems condescending…until I remember he was here, too.
But, unlike me, it was at his own choice.
He chose the pain of humanity, not as an experiment, but as a cost.
For some reason—the part I don’t quite understand—you and me are valuable to him.
Love seems so condescending, until it doesn’t.
Now it’s just strange.
It’s a dichotomy between all God’s power and authority and will, and his desire to make me better.
Some days I forget which are problems to solve and which are areas to mature into.
Love doesn’t seem so condescending, just overwhelming.
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January 8, 2019
The spirituality of children
When my sister was young, maybe about five, I don’t remember exactly, our family and out-of-town relatives gathered for a picture.
We were fretting about beating the rain.
Then, pleasantly, the rain held off. We got our picture. And I still look at it today on the wall of my Granddad’s study.
What stands out in my memory, though, was something my sister said. When everyone expressed their thanks that it didn’t rain, she said, “I know, I asked God.”
To adults, that’s simplistic.
And a pleasant coincidence.
Yet, often, some of the most profound spiritual insights come from these same little mouths.
From Jesus:
“Have you never heard the words ‘You have fashioned the lips of children and little ones to compose your praises’?” (Matthew 21:14-16)
Something to think about.
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January 7, 2019
A case for selfishness
Jesus took time away.
From all the sick people. The ones who really needed him. Even those closest to him.
“And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you’” (Mark 1:35-37).
He wasn’t being selfish in the way my three-year-old is. Or the way I am.
He was prioritizing what was best, regardless of the way it may have appeared.
And sometimes the best thing for us to do is to ignore some really important things—even people—so that we can refocus on the one who matters most.
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January 4, 2019
Is prayer just for us?
It’s hard to deny, when you pray, you are different for it.
Some people explain this away. As if its power is not from you talking to your creator—but instead you talking to yourself.
Like meditation or deep breathing.
But when my kids ask me for something–whether they get what they want or not–they learn something. They interact with me and learn more about my character. And even if the solution is beyond their understanding or sight, it still affects them (like paying the bills or planning for the future).
The question is: does their understanding limit me?
And if not, then why wouldn’t the same be true for us and prayer?
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January 3, 2019
What counts as righteous indignation?
The passage often cited is the one where Jesus walks into the temple and loses it on those who’ve set up shop (Matthew 21:12-13). He did this, because they were extorting travelers and (especially) non-Jews, while generally acting as a barrier for those who wanted to worship. The question for us is: when should we […]
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January 2, 2019
Discipleship is…
Discipleship is a thought process. A mentality. It’s not a style of living as much as it is a filter for how we think about life. Only as a result of this does it becomes an activity. Something we can measure, and in certain cases, turn into systems. But these activities are results. If we […]
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December 27, 2018
Sleep
Taking off the rest of the year to reflect, do a little book writing, and, most importantly, rest.
Speaking of, here’s a recent one I wrote.
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