“Authentic Christianity is not learning a set of doctrines and then stepping into cadence with people all marching the same way. It is not simply humanitarian service to the less fortunate. It is a walk—a supernatural walk with a living, dynamic, communicating God. Thus the heart and soul of the Christian life is learning to hear God’s voice and developing the courage to do what he tells us to do.”

"Authentic Christians are the persons who stand apart from others, even other Christians, as though listening to a different drummer. Their character seems deeper, their ideas fresher, their spirit softer, their courage greater, their leadership stronger, their concerns wider, their compassion more genuine, their convictions more concrete. They are joyful in spite of difficult circumstances and show wisdom beyond their years."

“Authentic Christians are full of surprises. You think you have them neatly boxed, but they turn out to be unpredictable. When you are around them, you feel slightly off balance because you don’t know what to expect next. Over time, though, you realize that their unexpected ideas and actions can be trusted.”

Bill Hybels – Too Busy Not To Pray, Intervarsity Press,  1988, page 99.

A few weeks ago me and the girls had a contest to see who could paint this year's Christmas card. We each picked a photo get our ideas from. I scanned all the paintings into the computer and touched them up a bit. In two I added clipart wisemen, for the Christmas theme.

The artists:

Emma

Anni

Rick

Bella

Via

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ^Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^ the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ^and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

^{Matthew 28:18-20}

^{This morning the Mirante Church met down by the Xingu River to baptize eleven more people. It still amazes me how many "stories" are out there. Everyone has their own. Fear, wonder, reluctance, anticipation, dread, relief and hope all play into the emotions of those wanting to be obedient to Jesus commands, whether it is in a small river house on stilts, a crowded invasão neighborhood, or in a educated and wealthy family.}

^{I remember when I was in the Yukon taking my first steps in really following Jesus. I read Yongi Cho's testimony. He was a very poor boy in Korea, dying of something, maybe tuberculosis. As he was bedridden and waiting to die a young girl came and witnessed to him. He tells of how ashamed he was at first to confess he was a Christian. I remember thinking, "Who would care what a very poor and dying Korean thinks? What is there to be ashamed of?" Then I realized I was thinking like someone who thinks the whole world revolves around me. And I realized this young Korean probably felt the same way.}

^{We all feel this way a lot of the time. We often take ourselves way too seriously. Baptism seems like a time of "coming out" to me. We are making a public statement of dying to the old self and rising to live for Jesus.}

^{Water baptism seems like such a giant step to new Christians much as a toddlers first steps are such a big achievement for the toddler. Yongi Cho has gone on to lead a church of nearly 1,000,000. I wonder what the Lord has in mind for today's candidates? I wonder what the Lord has in mind for you? I wonder what the Lord has in mind for me? Can we keep taking big steps of obedience?}

Sometimes I kind of joke with Anni, who is our oldest daughter of 14 years, "My but it must be nice to be a teenager and know everything." Recently I have been sensing that God wants to communicate with me more than I am hearing. It is so hard to listen for God's response when we are always jumping to conclusions.

What thoughts would come to mind if you saw a field of dry bones...backfill, hmm-interesting, death valley, grotesque...lots of snap judgements come to my mind. Yet when God asks Ezekiel whether these bones can live, rather than making a snap judgement he snaps into listening mode. After listening Ezekiel was asked to prophecy. And then again. And the miracle that followed, and then the second stage of that miracle, almost defies our imagination. Read the rest of the story sometime, imaging you were Ezekiel.

So where are all the signs and wonders that are to follow us? Are we listening? Or are we "realists?"  Know-it-alls?

Ezekiel 37:1-3

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ^2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ^3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”