Luke 15:3-7
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent
I'll tell you, there have been some very touching scripture lately. Once again Mike discussed this particular one at Acquire the Fire last weekend. It's just one more reason that we're given that explains the degree in which God cares about us.
Let's break the story down more so that you understand this parable. If everyone in the world knew God except for you, he would still stick his hands out and reach for you. He is so willing to love you no matter what. Shepherds care about their sheep. In the same way, God as our Shepherd, certainly cares and loves you so much even if you're lost. God longs for you and wants to hold you so badly - so don't hide. It's God's job to not only keep you safe but to keep close tabs on you.
Think of Niagara Falls. It's a beautiful part of nature. Imagine standing underneath it (if that was even humanly possible). Think of that force as love pouring over you. If you don't get past the devil's schemes telling you that God doesn't love or care about you, the waterfall will wash over you and make you lose your balance.
Hear God's voice today and follow it so that you don't become the lost sheep! Don't be discouraged if you have been the lost sheep. We all need to be guided back onto the right path sometimes.
Here's the song "Beautiful" by Unhindered.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
God Knows Every Tear that We Shed.
Psalm 56:8
8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
I'm using the New Living Translation of the Bible today because I like the way in which it describes our tears better. Have you ever thought about why we tear up? It's because we need to keep our eyes from drying out so they become moist. Tears symbolize pain in both a physical and emotional realm. Then again, sometimes we cry when we're happy. I know sometimes I laugh so hard that I cry!
Even though our tears are important to us, think about how many times we hide them. Society says that when we weep we're weak. This translates into hiding all of our emotions not only from others but from God. Don't worry about what the world says. It's okay to cry. God wants you to be real and honest.
In context, David seems to be a very emotional man. He absolutely loved God even though he went through so much. It seemed like there was no hope. In fact, David said that he has cried so much that no bottle could hold all his tears. Here's where God comes in though. Remember how I told you yesterday how he cares about the smallest qualities in you? That's so true. David turns to God and asks him to put all his tears in a bottle because he realizes that God really cares.
God catches your tears whenever you're going through something. David even tells us that God writes down every reason that a tear comes from our eyes. May it be comforting to know that God has caught EVERY tear. He loves you that much!
Do you cry over your relationship with God? Remember not to be distant. Do you cry over those who don't know God? I pray that God will redirect our tears in the interest of others. At the same time, come to him and give him everything that is making you cry. Let us long for God everyday as much as he cares for us.
Listen to today's song: "We Will" by Unhindered.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
I'm using the New Living Translation of the Bible today because I like the way in which it describes our tears better. Have you ever thought about why we tear up? It's because we need to keep our eyes from drying out so they become moist. Tears symbolize pain in both a physical and emotional realm. Then again, sometimes we cry when we're happy. I know sometimes I laugh so hard that I cry!
Even though our tears are important to us, think about how many times we hide them. Society says that when we weep we're weak. This translates into hiding all of our emotions not only from others but from God. Don't worry about what the world says. It's okay to cry. God wants you to be real and honest.
In context, David seems to be a very emotional man. He absolutely loved God even though he went through so much. It seemed like there was no hope. In fact, David said that he has cried so much that no bottle could hold all his tears. Here's where God comes in though. Remember how I told you yesterday how he cares about the smallest qualities in you? That's so true. David turns to God and asks him to put all his tears in a bottle because he realizes that God really cares.
God catches your tears whenever you're going through something. David even tells us that God writes down every reason that a tear comes from our eyes. May it be comforting to know that God has caught EVERY tear. He loves you that much!
Do you cry over your relationship with God? Remember not to be distant. Do you cry over those who don't know God? I pray that God will redirect our tears in the interest of others. At the same time, come to him and give him everything that is making you cry. Let us long for God everyday as much as he cares for us.
Listen to today's song: "We Will" by Unhindered.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
God Pays Attention to the Smallest Things.
Psalm 139:18
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Matthew 10:30
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
These are some pretty profound statements that show just how much God loves us. As a whole, they are an indication of just how amazing God is.
Have you ever tried to count something that was nearly impossible? Have you literally ever tried to count the grains of sand that you can place in your hand or the number of hairs on your head? It's virtually an impossible and tedious task, yet God knows those numbers without any hesitation. I guess it's not impossible, but it's not really possible to be completely accurate. At Acquire the Fire, Mike Guzzardo told us that the University of Hawaii did a study to see if they could count the number of grains of sand around the world. Their estimate was that there are 75,000,000,000,000,000,000 grains of sand worldwide! Still, I'm sure the numbers constantly deviate based on weathering and erosion. Even so, that's a lot of sand...in the quintillions!
So, yes, it is a little overwhelming when you think of yourself as being microscopic compared to God's enormous power. However, when you realize that the smallest details matter to God, then that's really comforting. He meticulously created you in your mother's womb. There is no correlation between smallness and insignificance in God's eyes. You see, God sees the whole picture...your whole life: from the time you're in your mother's womb until eternity.
Finally, if you think you have a lot on your mind, then you're so wrong! I couldn't possibly break it down like Mike did, but he said that God thinks about us millions, if not billions of times per SECOND. God thinks about you and me continuously (so much for our multitasking!) God thinks about us wherever we go; his thoughts consist of tenderness and pure love.
You are important! Remember that as you sing "No Other Name" by Unhindered with the video provided below.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Matthew 10:30
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
These are some pretty profound statements that show just how much God loves us. As a whole, they are an indication of just how amazing God is.
Have you ever tried to count something that was nearly impossible? Have you literally ever tried to count the grains of sand that you can place in your hand or the number of hairs on your head? It's virtually an impossible and tedious task, yet God knows those numbers without any hesitation. I guess it's not impossible, but it's not really possible to be completely accurate. At Acquire the Fire, Mike Guzzardo told us that the University of Hawaii did a study to see if they could count the number of grains of sand around the world. Their estimate was that there are 75,000,000,000,000,000,000 grains of sand worldwide! Still, I'm sure the numbers constantly deviate based on weathering and erosion. Even so, that's a lot of sand...in the quintillions!
So, yes, it is a little overwhelming when you think of yourself as being microscopic compared to God's enormous power. However, when you realize that the smallest details matter to God, then that's really comforting. He meticulously created you in your mother's womb. There is no correlation between smallness and insignificance in God's eyes. You see, God sees the whole picture...your whole life: from the time you're in your mother's womb until eternity.
Finally, if you think you have a lot on your mind, then you're so wrong! I couldn't possibly break it down like Mike did, but he said that God thinks about us millions, if not billions of times per SECOND. God thinks about you and me continuously (so much for our multitasking!) God thinks about us wherever we go; his thoughts consist of tenderness and pure love.
You are important! Remember that as you sing "No Other Name" by Unhindered with the video provided below.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Smitten with Love.
Zephaniah 3:17
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
I want to thank all of my readers yesterday. I got many compliments from yesterday's post. I thought some of the upcoming posts would have more to offer, but God of course has a different idea. It should be interesting to see how he carries me through this series.
On the first night, Mike Guzzardo, the primary speaker at Acquire the Fire, mentioned that God is smitten with love for us. How would you define smitten? The joke was that it sounds German or like an Irish dish. In all seriousness though it can be defined as being overwhelmingly and intensely in love. God is so in love with us!
Too many people know that God loves them in their mind, but don't understand it from their heart. Mike brought up a good point about the "Jesus Loves Me" song. It's probably the first song we learned as a kid and the first thing we learned about Jesus - that he loves us! With that song in our minds, occasionally we still remember it, and we think we have the point down. We think that we understand God's love. However, if it's just in our mind and not reflected in our hearts, then what good will that do?
He said there are two types of people in the world: those who know God's love and those who don't. That's so true. As I mentioned on Saturday, you don't have to know much other than Jesus died for our sins. That's the starting point. Then you can gain further knowledge by reading the Word.
With God's longing desire and love for us, he can come down and quiet us as today's scripture reading says. Understand that God will never leave your side. He is with you!
Here's to a great quote (below)...I love how certain words relate to what was learned at Acquire the Fire this weekend such as "encounter," the theme of the weekend. The only problem I see is that God should get the credit for rekindling our inner spirit but often he does use other people...
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer
Unhindered was the in-house band at Acquire the Fire. They were there last year as well and they are fantastic. You may remember me sharing these songs with you last year. There are some new songs as well.
Today's song will be: "Light This World," a very exciting one!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
I want to thank all of my readers yesterday. I got many compliments from yesterday's post. I thought some of the upcoming posts would have more to offer, but God of course has a different idea. It should be interesting to see how he carries me through this series.
On the first night, Mike Guzzardo, the primary speaker at Acquire the Fire, mentioned that God is smitten with love for us. How would you define smitten? The joke was that it sounds German or like an Irish dish. In all seriousness though it can be defined as being overwhelmingly and intensely in love. God is so in love with us!
Too many people know that God loves them in their mind, but don't understand it from their heart. Mike brought up a good point about the "Jesus Loves Me" song. It's probably the first song we learned as a kid and the first thing we learned about Jesus - that he loves us! With that song in our minds, occasionally we still remember it, and we think we have the point down. We think that we understand God's love. However, if it's just in our mind and not reflected in our hearts, then what good will that do?
He said there are two types of people in the world: those who know God's love and those who don't. That's so true. As I mentioned on Saturday, you don't have to know much other than Jesus died for our sins. That's the starting point. Then you can gain further knowledge by reading the Word.
With God's longing desire and love for us, he can come down and quiet us as today's scripture reading says. Understand that God will never leave your side. He is with you!
Here's to a great quote (below)...I love how certain words relate to what was learned at Acquire the Fire this weekend such as "encounter," the theme of the weekend. The only problem I see is that God should get the credit for rekindling our inner spirit but often he does use other people...
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer
Unhindered was the in-house band at Acquire the Fire. They were there last year as well and they are fantastic. You may remember me sharing these songs with you last year. There are some new songs as well.
Today's song will be: "Light This World," a very exciting one!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Encounter.
Colossians 1:27-28
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
It was another incredible Christian event! Acquire the Fire is an annual Christian conference was inspirational speakers, worship time, skits, and an altar call. It's one of those moments where although you've generally been on the up and up with God with some "downs," you go up a few extra notches in your relationship with God. I plan to spend several days talking about what I learned during the weekend which was themed: Encounter. All forms of love were discussed.
There's always something that inspires me at these events. There were at least 7,000 people packed in the Sun Dome of Tampa, with a majority being students. It was no coincidence that everyone who was there went either. God called everyone of us to go. It's really something to be with your own generation jumping up and down and screaming for Jesus. I'd have to say at least at some point during the weekend EVERYONE was engaged in worship.
This is all so fascinating because, although we're one body of Christ, certain circumstances in life occur. We still have problems. We absolutely can't work it out alone - without God! There was a survey done at ATF among the Christians and nearly one-third of the students said they have cut themselves in the past; and about half of the students said they have had thoughts of suicide at some point in their life. I mean, seriously, those statistics just broke my heart.
I wrote on my facebook status over the weekend: "hanging out with the good 'ole JC at Acquire the Fire!" I needed to do a bit of explaining to my mom when I got home. She didn't know what that meant. I said, "I was hanging out with Jesus!" It literally felt like he was so close all weekend long.
Although today's Bible verse wasn't mentioned at the conference, I did read it after I returned home. I think it sums up our role back in the real world: now that God has made his presence known in all who attended, we must teach everyone the good news so that they may be perfect in him.
Starting tomorrow I'll post some great songs each day from the bands at Acquire the Fire. Today, however, I'm going to share with you "Up and Up" by Relient K. This is a bit of a fast worship song, but enjoy it. I pray that from here on out we'll all be on the up and up. That is, we can't losing God anymore. May we hold onto our fire for Christ!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
It was another incredible Christian event! Acquire the Fire is an annual Christian conference was inspirational speakers, worship time, skits, and an altar call. It's one of those moments where although you've generally been on the up and up with God with some "downs," you go up a few extra notches in your relationship with God. I plan to spend several days talking about what I learned during the weekend which was themed: Encounter. All forms of love were discussed.
There's always something that inspires me at these events. There were at least 7,000 people packed in the Sun Dome of Tampa, with a majority being students. It was no coincidence that everyone who was there went either. God called everyone of us to go. It's really something to be with your own generation jumping up and down and screaming for Jesus. I'd have to say at least at some point during the weekend EVERYONE was engaged in worship.
This is all so fascinating because, although we're one body of Christ, certain circumstances in life occur. We still have problems. We absolutely can't work it out alone - without God! There was a survey done at ATF among the Christians and nearly one-third of the students said they have cut themselves in the past; and about half of the students said they have had thoughts of suicide at some point in their life. I mean, seriously, those statistics just broke my heart.
I wrote on my facebook status over the weekend: "hanging out with the good 'ole JC at Acquire the Fire!" I needed to do a bit of explaining to my mom when I got home. She didn't know what that meant. I said, "I was hanging out with Jesus!" It literally felt like he was so close all weekend long.
Although today's Bible verse wasn't mentioned at the conference, I did read it after I returned home. I think it sums up our role back in the real world: now that God has made his presence known in all who attended, we must teach everyone the good news so that they may be perfect in him.
Starting tomorrow I'll post some great songs each day from the bands at Acquire the Fire. Today, however, I'm going to share with you "Up and Up" by Relient K. This is a bit of a fast worship song, but enjoy it. I pray that from here on out we'll all be on the up and up. That is, we can't losing God anymore. May we hold onto our fire for Christ!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Don't Be Ashamed!
1 Corinthians 2:1-2
1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Do you ever think that we make the idea of evangelism too complicated? Sure, we have to know what the Bible is saying because we need to know what we're talking about when we tell others about Christ. Still, the main idea that we have to meaningfully convey to others is that Jesus died on the cross for YOU and ME.
You probably don't even realize how much God can use you to make others come to Christ. Find whatever way you can to spread the Word. Don't be forceful with his Word, just be encouraging. When the words of God come to you, take advantage of that and realize it's because you have experienced his powerful love. Now is not the time to be ashamed! Tell others about it. Can you imagine if God was ashamed of one of his creations...YOU? No, because he wouldn't be ashamed!
Has anyone ever come back to tell you stories? I know I've heard some amazing God stories of people getting saved.
In a nutshell, there is great meaning in the simple story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Don't over-complicate it! Don't add to it, don't take away from it. Leave it just how it is. Proclaim and spread the good news. Then, stand back, so to speak, and watch God work his wonders!
1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Do you ever think that we make the idea of evangelism too complicated? Sure, we have to know what the Bible is saying because we need to know what we're talking about when we tell others about Christ. Still, the main idea that we have to meaningfully convey to others is that Jesus died on the cross for YOU and ME.
You probably don't even realize how much God can use you to make others come to Christ. Find whatever way you can to spread the Word. Don't be forceful with his Word, just be encouraging. When the words of God come to you, take advantage of that and realize it's because you have experienced his powerful love. Now is not the time to be ashamed! Tell others about it. Can you imagine if God was ashamed of one of his creations...YOU? No, because he wouldn't be ashamed!
Has anyone ever come back to tell you stories? I know I've heard some amazing God stories of people getting saved.
In a nutshell, there is great meaning in the simple story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Don't over-complicate it! Don't add to it, don't take away from it. Leave it just how it is. Proclaim and spread the good news. Then, stand back, so to speak, and watch God work his wonders!
Friday, April 23, 2010
As White As Snow.
Isaiah 1:18
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
This is one of the most beautiful passages with regard to color imagery that I've seen in some time. It provides so much comfort on this Friday!
I think snow is a majestic image to see (at least the few times I've seen it). Some people who've lived in it for years wouldn't think so. Either way, you can't tell me it doesn't make for a great picture! After all, no two snowflakes are alike. It's fascinating to think that God makes something with so much care. And you're no different!
Snow serves as a symbol for salvation in the Bible. During ancient times, these crimson and scarlet colors described here were produced by a worm. It was a powerful liquid that stained anything it touched.
So, even if sin penetrates your life, and nothing seems capable of removing it, well, think in again, because that's where God comes into play. When God makes you white as snow, think of how much you would shine through the blood of Christ! Everyone can notice God in you when this happens.
Oh, Lord, wash me pure as snow. Get rid of all things unholy. Wash me and make me whiter than snow so that I can shine and do all things as you would.
Listen to the song "White As Snow" by U2. It's a slow song, but think about the words from Isaiah and be blessed with it in your mind today.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
This is one of the most beautiful passages with regard to color imagery that I've seen in some time. It provides so much comfort on this Friday!
I think snow is a majestic image to see (at least the few times I've seen it). Some people who've lived in it for years wouldn't think so. Either way, you can't tell me it doesn't make for a great picture! After all, no two snowflakes are alike. It's fascinating to think that God makes something with so much care. And you're no different!
Snow serves as a symbol for salvation in the Bible. During ancient times, these crimson and scarlet colors described here were produced by a worm. It was a powerful liquid that stained anything it touched.
So, even if sin penetrates your life, and nothing seems capable of removing it, well, think in again, because that's where God comes into play. When God makes you white as snow, think of how much you would shine through the blood of Christ! Everyone can notice God in you when this happens.
Oh, Lord, wash me pure as snow. Get rid of all things unholy. Wash me and make me whiter than snow so that I can shine and do all things as you would.
Listen to the song "White As Snow" by U2. It's a slow song, but think about the words from Isaiah and be blessed with it in your mind today.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Grace is the Distingusishing Mark.
Romans 3:22-24
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Have you ever been asked what the difference is between Christianity and other belief systems? Well, first as a Christian, I don't consider it a religion, I consider it a lifestyle and a relationship if you live up to the Word. Anyways, I've been pondering this and I've realized that the answer is GRACE. No one is more loving than our God. He forgives us and he forgives us and he forgives us again and again.
As I'm writing this post, I'm thinking about the traditional song "Amazing Grace." I'm sure the composer of the song wanted you to remember a few things in the end: You're a sinner and Christ died for you!
We have no chance to rise over our sin without the grace of God. When God compassionately saves you from your sins, it's not because of the two good deeds that you did today, but instead because God is merciful. Realize that you're not going to be saved just from your good deeds. The bottom line is that grace is God's biggest favor to us and he doesn't expect anything in return.
All in all, our faith and knowledge about God indicates that true grace can only come from God. Remember, we're all one in the same under God. The only thing that separates us as sinners is God's grace. Wow!
Take a listen of a contemporary version of "Amazing Grace." It's entitled "Amazing Grace: My Chains Are Gone" by Chris Tomlin.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Have you ever been asked what the difference is between Christianity and other belief systems? Well, first as a Christian, I don't consider it a religion, I consider it a lifestyle and a relationship if you live up to the Word. Anyways, I've been pondering this and I've realized that the answer is GRACE. No one is more loving than our God. He forgives us and he forgives us and he forgives us again and again.
As I'm writing this post, I'm thinking about the traditional song "Amazing Grace." I'm sure the composer of the song wanted you to remember a few things in the end: You're a sinner and Christ died for you!
We have no chance to rise over our sin without the grace of God. When God compassionately saves you from your sins, it's not because of the two good deeds that you did today, but instead because God is merciful. Realize that you're not going to be saved just from your good deeds. The bottom line is that grace is God's biggest favor to us and he doesn't expect anything in return.
All in all, our faith and knowledge about God indicates that true grace can only come from God. Remember, we're all one in the same under God. The only thing that separates us as sinners is God's grace. Wow!
Take a listen of a contemporary version of "Amazing Grace." It's entitled "Amazing Grace: My Chains Are Gone" by Chris Tomlin.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Good and Bad.
Romans 8:18-21
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
How often do we go day to day wanting the good stuff to come about? On Monday night, I was pleased to win the Young Floridian scholarship for the Journalism/Communications category for St. Lucie county. I had six other competitors. I won after so much hard work. It didn't come easy.
Unfortunately, the good times aren't always going to roll. Another example of a high moment was on Friday night. I had senior prom. Of course that's something that was a lot of fun. I can't become too complacent thinking that everything that happens is going to be positive though. In between those two events, I attended my great aunt's funeral. When I received my scholarship, it made it that much more meaningful because it was more in the positive light (even though eternal life must be great. Ironically, heaven will be discussed in a moment). It was just a reminder, oh yeah, God does give me many blessings.
It is true that when you struggle through something and then circumstances turn around, you feel uplifted. Today, Paul wants to let you know that life won't always deal you a fair game, however. Life won't always be easy; we may become frustrated. But think of this: the worst thing that we could possible endure on earth is not even close to the absolute best thing that God has planned for us in heaven.
What is heaven going to be like? We know it's going to be the opposite of bad. Think of when you've been in sick or in pain, rejected or betrayed, lost or broken. What you experienced in this life will be the complete opposite up in Heaven.
Don't just wait for heaven. Remember, life is going to be a journey first. Turn to God for hope, comfort, and strength from day to day.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
How often do we go day to day wanting the good stuff to come about? On Monday night, I was pleased to win the Young Floridian scholarship for the Journalism/Communications category for St. Lucie county. I had six other competitors. I won after so much hard work. It didn't come easy.
Unfortunately, the good times aren't always going to roll. Another example of a high moment was on Friday night. I had senior prom. Of course that's something that was a lot of fun. I can't become too complacent thinking that everything that happens is going to be positive though. In between those two events, I attended my great aunt's funeral. When I received my scholarship, it made it that much more meaningful because it was more in the positive light (even though eternal life must be great. Ironically, heaven will be discussed in a moment). It was just a reminder, oh yeah, God does give me many blessings.
It is true that when you struggle through something and then circumstances turn around, you feel uplifted. Today, Paul wants to let you know that life won't always deal you a fair game, however. Life won't always be easy; we may become frustrated. But think of this: the worst thing that we could possible endure on earth is not even close to the absolute best thing that God has planned for us in heaven.
What is heaven going to be like? We know it's going to be the opposite of bad. Think of when you've been in sick or in pain, rejected or betrayed, lost or broken. What you experienced in this life will be the complete opposite up in Heaven.
Don't just wait for heaven. Remember, life is going to be a journey first. Turn to God for hope, comfort, and strength from day to day.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Lord is My Shepherd.
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
I have a God story to tell you today with regard to this Scripture. It's amazing to see what God grants you from this Psalmist's writing: peace. It is a great representation of who the Lord is to us personally and is a common prayer. I have found it as a great way to pray over someone through intercession.
On Easter Sunday I was with my great aunt who was slowly dying. I figured she would pass away in about a week. She could no longer talk, but that didn't stop her from trying to say something. When we were leaving, my dad told me to read Psalm 23 as a prayer to her. I read it and you could just see Jesus in her eyes. I could hear her saying "I love you" even though the words didn't actually come out. As much as I didn't want to believe it, that was the last time I saw her. She died one week later and we celebrated her life this weekend. I'm so glad she's with Uncle Jack again, but up in heaven, without all of her pain and health concerns that she's had for at least the last five years. At the funeral service this weekend, Psalm 23 was read by the Pastor who was hosting the service. Once again, this is not a coincidence. It's so a God thing. I will forever see and remember Aunt Margie when I hear this passage from the Word. Today's also the day when my grandfather died..five years ago.
Some things that you can gain from today's passage:
1. The Lord is our God and he is the shepherd of David. It's so comforting to know that God won't let go of us.
2. God tucks us in bed at night away from stress and anxiety. With God, we can lie down in peace.
3. God can lead us to still water and safe shelter.
4. The Shepherd, our God, heals and gives life to the sick.
5. He straightens our path if we acknowledge him.
6. David may have a lot of light shining in his life, but he still realizes that all of us, each and every day, walk through a valley that is in the shadow of death. (Verse 4 is stated in the song "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman)
7. When God's in your life, fear and terror are transformed into an overflow of God's wisdom, power, and support from head to toe.
8. God's goodness and love follows you all around. Praise him and seal your life in the house of God!
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
I have a God story to tell you today with regard to this Scripture. It's amazing to see what God grants you from this Psalmist's writing: peace. It is a great representation of who the Lord is to us personally and is a common prayer. I have found it as a great way to pray over someone through intercession.
On Easter Sunday I was with my great aunt who was slowly dying. I figured she would pass away in about a week. She could no longer talk, but that didn't stop her from trying to say something. When we were leaving, my dad told me to read Psalm 23 as a prayer to her. I read it and you could just see Jesus in her eyes. I could hear her saying "I love you" even though the words didn't actually come out. As much as I didn't want to believe it, that was the last time I saw her. She died one week later and we celebrated her life this weekend. I'm so glad she's with Uncle Jack again, but up in heaven, without all of her pain and health concerns that she's had for at least the last five years. At the funeral service this weekend, Psalm 23 was read by the Pastor who was hosting the service. Once again, this is not a coincidence. It's so a God thing. I will forever see and remember Aunt Margie when I hear this passage from the Word. Today's also the day when my grandfather died..five years ago.
Some things that you can gain from today's passage:
1. The Lord is our God and he is the shepherd of David. It's so comforting to know that God won't let go of us.
2. God tucks us in bed at night away from stress and anxiety. With God, we can lie down in peace.
3. God can lead us to still water and safe shelter.
4. The Shepherd, our God, heals and gives life to the sick.
5. He straightens our path if we acknowledge him.
6. David may have a lot of light shining in his life, but he still realizes that all of us, each and every day, walk through a valley that is in the shadow of death. (Verse 4 is stated in the song "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman)
7. When God's in your life, fear and terror are transformed into an overflow of God's wisdom, power, and support from head to toe.
8. God's goodness and love follows you all around. Praise him and seal your life in the house of God!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Favoritism and Partiality Equates to No Mercy.
James 2:12-13
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
James calls us to reevaluate who we really are. Do you often show favoritism? What about your love for your neighbor? Think about it. Your love for your neighbor says a lot with regard to how much you love Jesus as a believer. If you are genuinely faithful, be merciful.
Realize that one day you will be standing at the feet of Jesus come judgment day. God is going to judge our character and our actions not only toward God, but toward our neighbor and others. What if God could tell you something today? Would he find you loving toward others constantly? May we live according to the Word of God and make it the source of our actions.
As I touched on yesterday, if you live without showing love, mercy, and compassion, then God will not show you mercy either. If we have favorites, for example, our love would be partial. We have no right to have partial love. God's love is impartial because he sacrificed his Son for us!
It is important to realize that mercy triumphs over judgment as it reveals genuine faithfulness. If your life is characterized by mercy, then surely you must understand true salvation. As we work for God, however, we can't take the credit away from him. Our mercy must demonstrate the work of God. Look into your heart today!
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
James calls us to reevaluate who we really are. Do you often show favoritism? What about your love for your neighbor? Think about it. Your love for your neighbor says a lot with regard to how much you love Jesus as a believer. If you are genuinely faithful, be merciful.
Realize that one day you will be standing at the feet of Jesus come judgment day. God is going to judge our character and our actions not only toward God, but toward our neighbor and others. What if God could tell you something today? Would he find you loving toward others constantly? May we live according to the Word of God and make it the source of our actions.
As I touched on yesterday, if you live without showing love, mercy, and compassion, then God will not show you mercy either. If we have favorites, for example, our love would be partial. We have no right to have partial love. God's love is impartial because he sacrificed his Son for us!
It is important to realize that mercy triumphs over judgment as it reveals genuine faithfulness. If your life is characterized by mercy, then surely you must understand true salvation. As we work for God, however, we can't take the credit away from him. Our mercy must demonstrate the work of God. Look into your heart today!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Compassion Pays Off.
Psalm 41:1
1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
This reminds of me of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, specifically verses 5 and 7: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth and Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Anyways, the Psalmist was very sick. Still, he was extremely confident that God would heal him. He knew that because God says that he "has regard for the weak." Asa result of his full blown trust into that statement, the Psalmist expected mercy.
Don't just see God's mercy in action when YOU ARE weak. God expects us to bless and try and understand the weak and poor, those that are in a huge need from sickness or depression, for example.
I think we often forget how quickly things can change in our lives. We take people for granted sometimes and we certainly can't hold onto them forever. You can't avoid difficult times or trials from coming your way and causing a train wreck in your life. However, rest assured, God will push you out to let you see the other side if you pay attention to the feeble and give him time.
As followers of Christ, we can have a renewed since of hope in tragic times that others wouldn't have. Realize that when we bless others, those blessings filter back down to us. When we do everything for God, he does so much more for us. Because of God's merciful blessings our lives can turn around flourish with contentment.
When you're struggling, it pays when you think back and remember helping someone else in their time of need. God can certainly ease your soul.
It's been one of those hard weeks for me. Earlier in the week, I learned of a death in my family. I always have to turn to God for comfort in such times. He never lets me down! On Monday, I heard the song "Hold Me Together" by Matt Maher three different times on the radio at different times of the day! What are the chances? God was so speaking to me. May God hold all of our families together during our difficulties.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
This reminds of me of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, specifically verses 5 and 7: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth and Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Anyways, the Psalmist was very sick. Still, he was extremely confident that God would heal him. He knew that because God says that he "has regard for the weak." Asa result of his full blown trust into that statement, the Psalmist expected mercy.
Don't just see God's mercy in action when YOU ARE weak. God expects us to bless and try and understand the weak and poor, those that are in a huge need from sickness or depression, for example.
I think we often forget how quickly things can change in our lives. We take people for granted sometimes and we certainly can't hold onto them forever. You can't avoid difficult times or trials from coming your way and causing a train wreck in your life. However, rest assured, God will push you out to let you see the other side if you pay attention to the feeble and give him time.
As followers of Christ, we can have a renewed since of hope in tragic times that others wouldn't have. Realize that when we bless others, those blessings filter back down to us. When we do everything for God, he does so much more for us. Because of God's merciful blessings our lives can turn around flourish with contentment.
When you're struggling, it pays when you think back and remember helping someone else in their time of need. God can certainly ease your soul.
It's been one of those hard weeks for me. Earlier in the week, I learned of a death in my family. I always have to turn to God for comfort in such times. He never lets me down! On Monday, I heard the song "Hold Me Together" by Matt Maher three different times on the radio at different times of the day! What are the chances? God was so speaking to me. May God hold all of our families together during our difficulties.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Praise God for a Mericful Promise.
Luke 1:46-56
46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
God is always willing to be compassionate and show his mercy when you go as far as worshiping him with all your heart. He has the power to stick out his arms and do some miraculous wonders. He won't ever let you down with this promise...NEVER!
One thing that I absolutely love about this passage is how easily events that occurred in the Old Testament slip off Mary's tongue. They're not just ordinary events, they're events that shows she is praising the Lord. The words Mary said were almost like another language that she was very familiar with. May we all be filled with words of praise.
I've said it before, but that innocent, childish understanding of God should be enhanced as we grow with Christ. Mary was (from what I've read) very young when she spoke the words above. Either way, her words were still inspiring no matter how old she was. (Remember what 1 Timothy 4:12 states!)
Go forth and include words of praise in your conversations with your family and friends each day. Act like you own those words...don't just start impressing everyone with them!
46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
God is always willing to be compassionate and show his mercy when you go as far as worshiping him with all your heart. He has the power to stick out his arms and do some miraculous wonders. He won't ever let you down with this promise...NEVER!
One thing that I absolutely love about this passage is how easily events that occurred in the Old Testament slip off Mary's tongue. They're not just ordinary events, they're events that shows she is praising the Lord. The words Mary said were almost like another language that she was very familiar with. May we all be filled with words of praise.
I've said it before, but that innocent, childish understanding of God should be enhanced as we grow with Christ. Mary was (from what I've read) very young when she spoke the words above. Either way, her words were still inspiring no matter how old she was. (Remember what 1 Timothy 4:12 states!)
Go forth and include words of praise in your conversations with your family and friends each day. Act like you own those words...don't just start impressing everyone with them!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Lift Up Your Eyes.
Psalm 123
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.
It's short, sweet, and to the point. Psalm 123 may be brief, but it is full of wisdom. It is often the smallest passages that really can be inspirational and be concise enough to give us some important messages. Psalm 123 says that we're servants! Not many people want to believe that statement because they want to personally be in the center of their life and have everything revolve around them.
I pray that one day you realize that it's an absolute privilege to be servant of God. Of course we don't deserve it, but thank God for us mercy anyway! As a result, Christ is on our side and lets us rise up into the position of a servant.
What is there to lose? Worldly friends who don't support you? Are you confident that God provides everything for you? This is important to realize because nobody is perfect. We are born sinful, but through Christ we are saved!
Often we fall down pleading for forgiveness and mercy from God. We don't want to be eternally condemned. How does this work then? We're not perfect until we're in heaven with the Lord, so... Well, Jesus died for us! When we cry out for God's mercy sincerely, then God doesn't see our sin. Instead, God envisions the blood of Christ. He knows your heart.
This is a wonderful gift from God. This grace and mercy is something we don't deserve at all. God could have left everyone to be condemned, but he sent his Son to save his people so that we could all be with him. What an honor! We're never worthy. However, we go to God out of humility. God, give us your mercy to take us away from our sins today!
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.
It's short, sweet, and to the point. Psalm 123 may be brief, but it is full of wisdom. It is often the smallest passages that really can be inspirational and be concise enough to give us some important messages. Psalm 123 says that we're servants! Not many people want to believe that statement because they want to personally be in the center of their life and have everything revolve around them.
I pray that one day you realize that it's an absolute privilege to be servant of God. Of course we don't deserve it, but thank God for us mercy anyway! As a result, Christ is on our side and lets us rise up into the position of a servant.
What is there to lose? Worldly friends who don't support you? Are you confident that God provides everything for you? This is important to realize because nobody is perfect. We are born sinful, but through Christ we are saved!
Often we fall down pleading for forgiveness and mercy from God. We don't want to be eternally condemned. How does this work then? We're not perfect until we're in heaven with the Lord, so... Well, Jesus died for us! When we cry out for God's mercy sincerely, then God doesn't see our sin. Instead, God envisions the blood of Christ. He knows your heart.
This is a wonderful gift from God. This grace and mercy is something we don't deserve at all. God could have left everyone to be condemned, but he sent his Son to save his people so that we could all be with him. What an honor! We're never worthy. However, we go to God out of humility. God, give us your mercy to take us away from our sins today!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Your Instincts.
Psalm 4:8
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
As always, it's a pretty ordinary day. There's nothing unusual about it. That is, until you get this really unusual feeling. Typically, it's when you're in the middle of something. It's not like you're sitting around waiting for that nudge.
I know specifically for me those nudges that I remember have been while driving. A couple times I have turned on a different street than normal because I have had a bad feeling. Of course, I don't know what would have happened, but I just followed my instinct. Another time, I hesitated a little longer than normal after the light turned green. It was a good thing because a car wasn't going to stop at the light and he went through. It's amazing what a little listening will do.
While I don't mull over the situation specifically, in times like those, I just wonder what held me back? Was there any reason or was it purely coincidental? Is it the same feeling that tells us to avoid certain turns on the highway of life?
It's more like "who held me back?" I always give credit to God. He's my safety blanket. I know if I'm observant and I am aware of those nudges, that chances are, they're probably from God. He has angels watching over every one of us.
Remember, you can thank your lucky stars all you want, but God is guiding you! Lord, grace us with your merciful presence when unforeseen circumstances come our way. In the same way, let us know when to keep going in life. Thank you, Lord, for your field of safety that surrounds us.
Here's a beautiful song from MercyMe: "Here With Me."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
As always, it's a pretty ordinary day. There's nothing unusual about it. That is, until you get this really unusual feeling. Typically, it's when you're in the middle of something. It's not like you're sitting around waiting for that nudge.
I know specifically for me those nudges that I remember have been while driving. A couple times I have turned on a different street than normal because I have had a bad feeling. Of course, I don't know what would have happened, but I just followed my instinct. Another time, I hesitated a little longer than normal after the light turned green. It was a good thing because a car wasn't going to stop at the light and he went through. It's amazing what a little listening will do.
While I don't mull over the situation specifically, in times like those, I just wonder what held me back? Was there any reason or was it purely coincidental? Is it the same feeling that tells us to avoid certain turns on the highway of life?
It's more like "who held me back?" I always give credit to God. He's my safety blanket. I know if I'm observant and I am aware of those nudges, that chances are, they're probably from God. He has angels watching over every one of us.
Remember, you can thank your lucky stars all you want, but God is guiding you! Lord, grace us with your merciful presence when unforeseen circumstances come our way. In the same way, let us know when to keep going in life. Thank you, Lord, for your field of safety that surrounds us.
Here's a beautiful song from MercyMe: "Here With Me."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The End of the World.
Matthew 24:4-14
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The "end of the world" discussion has been a pretty big deal for the past year or so now. It's a huge controversy as the Mayan calendar suggests that the end of the world will occur at the end of 2012. Is the whole 2012 thing a lie? I mean there's a movie about it, so it must be true, right?
Well, I don't know of anyone who can give you a definite answer except for God. He knows the end of time, but of course he's not going to come up to you, tap you on the shoulder, and tell you when the end is in sight. He wants you to live. Have you ever thought about how you would live your life if you knew how much longer you had to live? Thing would be much different, that's for sure.
With the recent major earthquakes around the world, it's no wonder why people think that the end is near: Haiti, Chile, and Indonesia...along with a couple other countries had significant earthquakes. The thing is, while I do believe the earthquake in Haiti caused a sort of domino effect with various faults around the world, I really don't believe that we're seeing any more than we've seen in the past.
Just about every minute, the earth is shaking from at least a minor earthquake. There are hundreds each day, with only a fraction that are noticeable to humans. Typically, the world experiences one major earthquake every month. That makes sense because Haiti's quake was in January, Chile's was in February, etc. However, great earthquakes, which are those of 8.0 or higher, occur about every one to two years. Prior to Chile, I don't remember one that was above 8.0 for some time.
I just think that with the media's constant coverage whether on the television, on the internet, or in the newspapers, more information is being released to the general public. We're demanding. There has likely not been an increase in numbers.
So many people have asked me whether I think this is the end. Jokingly, sometimes I come out and say it upfront. I'll say something along the lines of: "What's going on with the world?" Then, reality will kick in and I'll say: "There is no telling when the end will be, but I believe this is only the beginning of the end, as scripture indicates." I like to think of natural disasters as God's way of managing the earth. He has his reasons that are not easy to explain.
The bottom line is that I don't believe it's important to think about the end of time. Don't let anyone deceive you. Focus on God. Live in the now with Christ. Understand, believe, and live John 3:16 before it really is...THE END!
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The "end of the world" discussion has been a pretty big deal for the past year or so now. It's a huge controversy as the Mayan calendar suggests that the end of the world will occur at the end of 2012. Is the whole 2012 thing a lie? I mean there's a movie about it, so it must be true, right?
Well, I don't know of anyone who can give you a definite answer except for God. He knows the end of time, but of course he's not going to come up to you, tap you on the shoulder, and tell you when the end is in sight. He wants you to live. Have you ever thought about how you would live your life if you knew how much longer you had to live? Thing would be much different, that's for sure.
With the recent major earthquakes around the world, it's no wonder why people think that the end is near: Haiti, Chile, and Indonesia...along with a couple other countries had significant earthquakes. The thing is, while I do believe the earthquake in Haiti caused a sort of domino effect with various faults around the world, I really don't believe that we're seeing any more than we've seen in the past.
Just about every minute, the earth is shaking from at least a minor earthquake. There are hundreds each day, with only a fraction that are noticeable to humans. Typically, the world experiences one major earthquake every month. That makes sense because Haiti's quake was in January, Chile's was in February, etc. However, great earthquakes, which are those of 8.0 or higher, occur about every one to two years. Prior to Chile, I don't remember one that was above 8.0 for some time.
I just think that with the media's constant coverage whether on the television, on the internet, or in the newspapers, more information is being released to the general public. We're demanding. There has likely not been an increase in numbers.
So many people have asked me whether I think this is the end. Jokingly, sometimes I come out and say it upfront. I'll say something along the lines of: "What's going on with the world?" Then, reality will kick in and I'll say: "There is no telling when the end will be, but I believe this is only the beginning of the end, as scripture indicates." I like to think of natural disasters as God's way of managing the earth. He has his reasons that are not easy to explain.
The bottom line is that I don't believe it's important to think about the end of time. Don't let anyone deceive you. Focus on God. Live in the now with Christ. Understand, believe, and live John 3:16 before it really is...THE END!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Double Standards.
2 Corinthians 3:2
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You mean everything as a Christian! All of your actions hopefully represent the Word of God. If it doesn't, people are going to notice!
This is an important point to realize and it goes along with lying and deception with which I've been discussing this week.
Think about it, if you go against what the good news says then you're making it an unattractive source. If it doesn't match up to what comes out of our mouth, how you behave, and what you believe in, then other people get the impression "what's the point of being a Christian again?" I'm sure this is a clear turning point for people who are in the middle - and it probably means a no. You must be respectful too. Don't steal anything or take advantage of someone either as this all looks bad. In other words, don't make the Bible look bad and then invite someone to church. What does that say about you, then?
No matter where you are...home, work, school, or in the grocery store, don't live a double standard or two-faced life. Live out what you believe all the time. If you don't do this, no one will feel the need to serve the Lord. If you curse, cheat, or lie, then you're making the Bible look like it's worth nothing and worth nobody's time.
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You mean everything as a Christian! All of your actions hopefully represent the Word of God. If it doesn't, people are going to notice!
This is an important point to realize and it goes along with lying and deception with which I've been discussing this week.
Think about it, if you go against what the good news says then you're making it an unattractive source. If it doesn't match up to what comes out of our mouth, how you behave, and what you believe in, then other people get the impression "what's the point of being a Christian again?" I'm sure this is a clear turning point for people who are in the middle - and it probably means a no. You must be respectful too. Don't steal anything or take advantage of someone either as this all looks bad. In other words, don't make the Bible look bad and then invite someone to church. What does that say about you, then?
No matter where you are...home, work, school, or in the grocery store, don't live a double standard or two-faced life. Live out what you believe all the time. If you don't do this, no one will feel the need to serve the Lord. If you curse, cheat, or lie, then you're making the Bible look like it's worth nothing and worth nobody's time.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Drama.
Romans 16:17-18
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Avoid drama! As I've been writing this, I can't think of a non-contemporary word to sum up this passage from Romans which is why I used "drama." Everyone probably has their own terminology for it anyway. I hope you know what I'm talking about. It's pretty childish and unnecessary, if you ask me. In reality, however, everyone knows someone who isn't happy unless those around them are angry and unhappy.
Depending on the age, different situations arise. With teenagers, it may be jealousy in a relationship. A common thought is that once you are in a relationship, you can't have any other friends, for example. It's silly and so unrealistic.
Maybe someone wants you to fall for their troubles. They don't just have one; they have a new problem everyday. They expect you to react and panic along with them and if you don't, you're a horrible friend.
Talk about insecurity! You have to remember though that everyone is human. Anyone who is a drama queen, learn to love and accept them anyway. Prayers and positive encouragement are always good things to throw into the mix.
Still, don't let your acceptance of this person get in the way with the rest of your (social) life. Find a balance as best as you can. Be loving, but also protect your relationships from someone's inharmonious manners.
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Avoid drama! As I've been writing this, I can't think of a non-contemporary word to sum up this passage from Romans which is why I used "drama." Everyone probably has their own terminology for it anyway. I hope you know what I'm talking about. It's pretty childish and unnecessary, if you ask me. In reality, however, everyone knows someone who isn't happy unless those around them are angry and unhappy.
Depending on the age, different situations arise. With teenagers, it may be jealousy in a relationship. A common thought is that once you are in a relationship, you can't have any other friends, for example. It's silly and so unrealistic.
Maybe someone wants you to fall for their troubles. They don't just have one; they have a new problem everyday. They expect you to react and panic along with them and if you don't, you're a horrible friend.
Talk about insecurity! You have to remember though that everyone is human. Anyone who is a drama queen, learn to love and accept them anyway. Prayers and positive encouragement are always good things to throw into the mix.
Still, don't let your acceptance of this person get in the way with the rest of your (social) life. Find a balance as best as you can. Be loving, but also protect your relationships from someone's inharmonious manners.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Secular Ways.
2 Kings 23:25
25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
King Josiah of Judah was probably one of the most faithful servants that I can think of in which the Bible describes. After all, he not only heard God's Word, but he listened and reacted in an obedient manner.
Do you remember when you first started seeking out God and his unending love with all your heart? It probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world because of all the worldly behavior that surrounds us. However, many times in order to make a change in our lives, we have to break through certain barriers; one of the barriers we have to deal with on a daily basis is the world. The world may have many idols, for example, but you have to worship only the one, true God with all of your heart, your mind, and your soul.
As a part of the ungodly like behavior, we are always pressured by friends and celebrities. They say that God's will doesn't matter. Perhaps this already hinders a declining relationship with God because of a busy schedule. These two factors combined offer little time for prayer and the inability to grow leaps and bounds in our faith.
Think about a couple things that you can remove from your life so that you can become closer to God by removing the ungodly things from it. May God do something heavenly in your life.
25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
King Josiah of Judah was probably one of the most faithful servants that I can think of in which the Bible describes. After all, he not only heard God's Word, but he listened and reacted in an obedient manner.
Do you remember when you first started seeking out God and his unending love with all your heart? It probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world because of all the worldly behavior that surrounds us. However, many times in order to make a change in our lives, we have to break through certain barriers; one of the barriers we have to deal with on a daily basis is the world. The world may have many idols, for example, but you have to worship only the one, true God with all of your heart, your mind, and your soul.
As a part of the ungodly like behavior, we are always pressured by friends and celebrities. They say that God's will doesn't matter. Perhaps this already hinders a declining relationship with God because of a busy schedule. These two factors combined offer little time for prayer and the inability to grow leaps and bounds in our faith.
Think about a couple things that you can remove from your life so that you can become closer to God by removing the ungodly things from it. May God do something heavenly in your life.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Are You Fighting the Wildfire?
Exodus 20:16
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Isn't it sometimes hard to be truthful on your daily walk with Christ for whatever reason? Not only are we called to be truthful, but we need to go a step further and prevent any form of misunderstanding and mis-communication.
Have you heard others who have completely the wrong idea of someone? Perhaps they just base their impression on their first judgment. Perhaps, they go along with what someone else believes and they don't see what the person is like for themselves. The question is do you know the truth? Have you ever stood up for someone?
Even when "talk" is flying like wildfire behind someone's back, as a Christian, you should be controlling that wildfire. If you know the real deal about someone, then you should stand up for them and protect their reputation (just think, if you were in this innocent person's shoes.) Realize that if you know what's good and refrain from doing it, then it's a sin.
The lesson to be learned here is that you should always know the full story before anything comes out of your mouth. Be assured that what's coming out of your mouth is the truth. You don't want to spread rumors because what does that really say about your reputation even though people only hear what is being said about someone initially? Their going to find out the truth eventually. And where does that put you? Smack dab in the middle of a lie.
I know this is extremely vague, but a huge part of trustworthiness and honesty involves swapping out lies with the real mccoy.
If you're having a hard time making a proactive step to stop any gossip, pray to God. Also, read God's Word.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Isn't it sometimes hard to be truthful on your daily walk with Christ for whatever reason? Not only are we called to be truthful, but we need to go a step further and prevent any form of misunderstanding and mis-communication.
Have you heard others who have completely the wrong idea of someone? Perhaps they just base their impression on their first judgment. Perhaps, they go along with what someone else believes and they don't see what the person is like for themselves. The question is do you know the truth? Have you ever stood up for someone?
Even when "talk" is flying like wildfire behind someone's back, as a Christian, you should be controlling that wildfire. If you know the real deal about someone, then you should stand up for them and protect their reputation (just think, if you were in this innocent person's shoes.) Realize that if you know what's good and refrain from doing it, then it's a sin.
The lesson to be learned here is that you should always know the full story before anything comes out of your mouth. Be assured that what's coming out of your mouth is the truth. You don't want to spread rumors because what does that really say about your reputation even though people only hear what is being said about someone initially? Their going to find out the truth eventually. And where does that put you? Smack dab in the middle of a lie.
I know this is extremely vague, but a huge part of trustworthiness and honesty involves swapping out lies with the real mccoy.
If you're having a hard time making a proactive step to stop any gossip, pray to God. Also, read God's Word.
Monday, April 5, 2010
It's Just a Lie.
1 Samuel 22:16-17
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
Why did the King order that the priests be killed? Simply, Ahimelech, who was the chief priest, committed mutiny. He helped the King's enemy, David, even though he didn't realize he was doing it.
During, this time, David was becoming increasingly popular as a result of the slaying of Goliath. The King (I didn't mention before, but his name was Saul) was on a rage of jealousy because of David's prominent status; King Saul knew that he'd be able to dominate the kingdom if he gained too much more power, so he ordered that David be killed. He tried to kill David in the dining room, but David ran off. King Saul left without any of his weapons. When he arrived at Ahimelech's residence, David was asked why he journeyed off alone. David lied and that was it. David, however, told Ahimelech the truth saying that nobody else could know about it. Ahimelech was a loyal supporter of King Saul and wanted to help fulfill his goals. He gave David bread and a sword. David was not concerned about his lie, however Ahimelech and many others lost their lives.
When lies come out of your mouth, you have no idea who it will harm and when it will harm them. There's going to be some consequence down the road at least. Whether, it's feeling guilty, losing a loved one, or destroying your reputation, the truth is the way to go.
But you ask, isn't it easier to lie? Yes, but I ask you then, besides it being easier, what do you gain from lying in the long term? Nothing! Just pray to the Lord for the ability to muster the strength to tell the truth...all the time. Quit thinking, it's just a lie so I can lie just this once. That's one lie too many!
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
Why did the King order that the priests be killed? Simply, Ahimelech, who was the chief priest, committed mutiny. He helped the King's enemy, David, even though he didn't realize he was doing it.
During, this time, David was becoming increasingly popular as a result of the slaying of Goliath. The King (I didn't mention before, but his name was Saul) was on a rage of jealousy because of David's prominent status; King Saul knew that he'd be able to dominate the kingdom if he gained too much more power, so he ordered that David be killed. He tried to kill David in the dining room, but David ran off. King Saul left without any of his weapons. When he arrived at Ahimelech's residence, David was asked why he journeyed off alone. David lied and that was it. David, however, told Ahimelech the truth saying that nobody else could know about it. Ahimelech was a loyal supporter of King Saul and wanted to help fulfill his goals. He gave David bread and a sword. David was not concerned about his lie, however Ahimelech and many others lost their lives.
When lies come out of your mouth, you have no idea who it will harm and when it will harm them. There's going to be some consequence down the road at least. Whether, it's feeling guilty, losing a loved one, or destroying your reputation, the truth is the way to go.
But you ask, isn't it easier to lie? Yes, but I ask you then, besides it being easier, what do you gain from lying in the long term? Nothing! Just pray to the Lord for the ability to muster the strength to tell the truth...all the time. Quit thinking, it's just a lie so I can lie just this once. That's one lie too many!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Turn to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to start off by saying Happy Easter to all my blog readers!
Why is it so hard to look at Jesus, the reason for today, but so easy to give into Satan and his lies? Satan's plan is just the opposite of the Holy Spirit's. Satan wants to tell you that YOUR sins can't be forgiven, that there's no possible way that YOU can continue living the way you are, and that YOU'RE not anyone in Christ. Notice how these thoughts are all about YOU. That's the devil and his schemes.
You see, the Holy Spirit, brings us away from ourselves, and helps us to "fix our eyes on JESUS." Sure we're not worthy of anything, if we turn to Christ, we are worthy of everything, however. You will never be satisfied by your own prayers and desires, but instead you will be only be satisfied by those of Jesus. Jesus gives us rest and comfort in our soul. He is the "author and perfecter of our faith."
How do we overcome Satan's traps and enjoy the peace that God offers through Jesus Christ? Look into the eyes of Jesus Christ. Keep his death, suffering, and glory in the front of your mind. Follow Jesus and surely he won't fail you.
Lord Jesus, may we build our hope on nothing other than your blood that was shed on the cross, your healing mercy, and your love on this Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter! May you have a blessed day!
I think we need to sing "Happy Day" today. I've used this song in an earlier post, but I believe that it is highly important to understand the meaning of Easter. Plus, think of all the songs you sing on Easter: aren't some of them usually slow and/or somber? Well, not this one. Enjoy and start celebrating!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to start off by saying Happy Easter to all my blog readers!
Why is it so hard to look at Jesus, the reason for today, but so easy to give into Satan and his lies? Satan's plan is just the opposite of the Holy Spirit's. Satan wants to tell you that YOUR sins can't be forgiven, that there's no possible way that YOU can continue living the way you are, and that YOU'RE not anyone in Christ. Notice how these thoughts are all about YOU. That's the devil and his schemes.
You see, the Holy Spirit, brings us away from ourselves, and helps us to "fix our eyes on JESUS." Sure we're not worthy of anything, if we turn to Christ, we are worthy of everything, however. You will never be satisfied by your own prayers and desires, but instead you will be only be satisfied by those of Jesus. Jesus gives us rest and comfort in our soul. He is the "author and perfecter of our faith."
How do we overcome Satan's traps and enjoy the peace that God offers through Jesus Christ? Look into the eyes of Jesus Christ. Keep his death, suffering, and glory in the front of your mind. Follow Jesus and surely he won't fail you.
Lord Jesus, may we build our hope on nothing other than your blood that was shed on the cross, your healing mercy, and your love on this Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter! May you have a blessed day!
I think we need to sing "Happy Day" today. I've used this song in an earlier post, but I believe that it is highly important to understand the meaning of Easter. Plus, think of all the songs you sing on Easter: aren't some of them usually slow and/or somber? Well, not this one. Enjoy and start celebrating!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Come Near to God.
James 4:8
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
As I wrap up the prayer series today, I think we've all learned some new lessons about prayer in the last month because of God's Word. I believe today's verse is a nice way to end the series.
Every bit of space is occupied by the Holy Lord. Is it hard to wrap your mind around that statement? I think sometimes we think that in order to pray, we must be a hero, live a perfect life, and know exactly what our future holds. Really, that's not true.
Then, there are those times that we pray when we need God's immediate rescue. Notice how when we need "help" we don't just leave God at that. We pray more than just that single word. However, when difficult times depart us, we soften up and our regular prayer tendencies shoot down because we believe that we can't possibly meet his standards. This means that we have sleepless nights as we try to put on our superman costume and deal with our sins and temptations, hurts and questions, stress and concerns, all while whispering just a few words in prayer to the Almighty.
Well, surprise surprise, there are no requirements nor expectations when it comes to our prayer life! We don't have to be forgiven by God before we pray. We don't have to be knocking on the door of heaven before we pray. The only things you should remember are: time, good intentions, and acknowledgment of the Lord as your forgiving Savior when you pray. You can whisper your prayer, you can say your prayer out loud, you can write it down. Either way, God is near.
Lord, let us breathe in your presence and call out your name at all times of the day no matter what's happening in our life: trials or joyfulness. Just think, if everyone prayed...
NOTE: There will be a special post tomorrow as it's Easter!
Listen to the song: "What If His People Prayed" by Casting Crowns.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
As I wrap up the prayer series today, I think we've all learned some new lessons about prayer in the last month because of God's Word. I believe today's verse is a nice way to end the series.
Every bit of space is occupied by the Holy Lord. Is it hard to wrap your mind around that statement? I think sometimes we think that in order to pray, we must be a hero, live a perfect life, and know exactly what our future holds. Really, that's not true.
Then, there are those times that we pray when we need God's immediate rescue. Notice how when we need "help" we don't just leave God at that. We pray more than just that single word. However, when difficult times depart us, we soften up and our regular prayer tendencies shoot down because we believe that we can't possibly meet his standards. This means that we have sleepless nights as we try to put on our superman costume and deal with our sins and temptations, hurts and questions, stress and concerns, all while whispering just a few words in prayer to the Almighty.
Well, surprise surprise, there are no requirements nor expectations when it comes to our prayer life! We don't have to be forgiven by God before we pray. We don't have to be knocking on the door of heaven before we pray. The only things you should remember are: time, good intentions, and acknowledgment of the Lord as your forgiving Savior when you pray. You can whisper your prayer, you can say your prayer out loud, you can write it down. Either way, God is near.
Lord, let us breathe in your presence and call out your name at all times of the day no matter what's happening in our life: trials or joyfulness. Just think, if everyone prayed...
NOTE: There will be a special post tomorrow as it's Easter!
Listen to the song: "What If His People Prayed" by Casting Crowns.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tears of Joy and Pain.
Psalm 39:12
12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.
When you think of tears running down someone's face, you don't think of them as dry do you? They're moist tears. The same can be said with the human heart. Tears soften our heart. Have you ever seen someone like your best friend cry? How about a child who falls? I know instantly when that happens, my heart is filled with compassion and sometimes I even begin to tear. How about when we cry? Isn't it comforting when others surround us and act in order to comfort us. Words are only successful and meaningful to a certain extent. Not only do actions fill in the gaps, but so do tears.
Have you ever gone to the Lord in tears? Sometimes that's the only thing that you can do. The good thing about weeping is that often it conveys our feelings and emotions best - everything from extreme anguish and grief to joy and praise. They come instantly and usually without control. When words can't express our thoughts, sometimes tears come in as a substitute. Even then, the Holy Spirit guides your conversation with God.
When you cry, God's heart is softened too. I think this makes the Lord turn his attention to us. When Jesus said his prayers with agony, God heard them and he expressed great compassion. Our tears should represent our acknowledgment of the need for help from the Lord. God comforts and heals us. God, may our cries be heard by you.
Two days until He is Risen! It's Good Friday everyone.
12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.
When you think of tears running down someone's face, you don't think of them as dry do you? They're moist tears. The same can be said with the human heart. Tears soften our heart. Have you ever seen someone like your best friend cry? How about a child who falls? I know instantly when that happens, my heart is filled with compassion and sometimes I even begin to tear. How about when we cry? Isn't it comforting when others surround us and act in order to comfort us. Words are only successful and meaningful to a certain extent. Not only do actions fill in the gaps, but so do tears.
Have you ever gone to the Lord in tears? Sometimes that's the only thing that you can do. The good thing about weeping is that often it conveys our feelings and emotions best - everything from extreme anguish and grief to joy and praise. They come instantly and usually without control. When words can't express our thoughts, sometimes tears come in as a substitute. Even then, the Holy Spirit guides your conversation with God.
When you cry, God's heart is softened too. I think this makes the Lord turn his attention to us. When Jesus said his prayers with agony, God heard them and he expressed great compassion. Our tears should represent our acknowledgment of the need for help from the Lord. God comforts and heals us. God, may our cries be heard by you.
Two days until He is Risen! It's Good Friday everyone.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Give it to God.
Psalm 25:7
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
We often carry the weight of our burdens, sins, betrayals, and failures on our shoulders. It weighs down on us and hushes us. Still, we try to deem ourselves acceptable to the rest of the world. Nonetheless, our silent rebellions continue within us.
Once we remember what we've done, we fall into a sort of remission and constant cycle of sorrow. The thought is that our actions can't be undone. The reality is, it can be undone through God because of the forgiveness he grants us. I was telling someone this week that we're so unworthy, but we still can readily receive God's grace and forgiveness.
The problem is that we try to cover up these memories once we realize that it's our responsibility. As Christians, this makes us two-faced (and hey, that's a real April Fools joke).
I tell you today that you can give it all to God. When your sins make you want to collapse, give it to God. The good news is that God will cover you with grace and forgiveness in his arms day in and day out. Say a prayer today from your heart so that God will make you feel worthy.
Lord, let us go into the world and be ourselves. Help us realize that we are who you say we are and that even when we mess up, you can always unleash your mercy upon us!
Remember these words today from the song "Take It All" by Hillsong United:
Jesus, we're living for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of you
Woah oh oh
Our praise
And all we are today
Take, take, take, it all.
Take, take, take, it all.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
We often carry the weight of our burdens, sins, betrayals, and failures on our shoulders. It weighs down on us and hushes us. Still, we try to deem ourselves acceptable to the rest of the world. Nonetheless, our silent rebellions continue within us.
Once we remember what we've done, we fall into a sort of remission and constant cycle of sorrow. The thought is that our actions can't be undone. The reality is, it can be undone through God because of the forgiveness he grants us. I was telling someone this week that we're so unworthy, but we still can readily receive God's grace and forgiveness.
The problem is that we try to cover up these memories once we realize that it's our responsibility. As Christians, this makes us two-faced (and hey, that's a real April Fools joke).
I tell you today that you can give it all to God. When your sins make you want to collapse, give it to God. The good news is that God will cover you with grace and forgiveness in his arms day in and day out. Say a prayer today from your heart so that God will make you feel worthy.
Lord, let us go into the world and be ourselves. Help us realize that we are who you say we are and that even when we mess up, you can always unleash your mercy upon us!
Remember these words today from the song "Take It All" by Hillsong United:
Jesus, we're living for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of you
Woah oh oh
Our praise
And all we are today
Take, take, take, it all.
Take, take, take, it all.
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