Looking through my notes from the conference in Swanwick I was reminded of a saying of the Dakota Indians: 'When you discover you are riding a dead horse, it is advisable to get off the horse.' Yet we western Christians tend instead to - use a stronger whip, change riders, form a committee to study the dead horse, go on an overseas trip to see how others ride dead horses etc. etc. The speaker gave a longer list but I was a bit slow at writing and so stopped so I didn't miss any, and now can't remember them all! But we get the picture - why do we insist on 'flogging a dead horse'?
We ride a dead horse because we do things earth to heaven instead of heaven to earth. Much of the conference was about Abraham and his two sons. God had given him a promise to become the father of a great nation but when nothing happened he felt, in all sincerity, that maybe he should do something about it (earth to heaven). The result was Ishmael, born of a slave woman. Many years later Isaac was born of Sarah, Abraham's wife. He was the son born of the promise of God (heaven to earth).
We want results at any price! And preferably not to have to wait for them. In the end Abraham had to get rid of Ishmael and his mother. We need to choose - earth to heaven or heaven to earth; our way or God's way!
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