I was reading this morning in 1 John 2. Verse 25 talks about the promise of eternal life to those of us who trust in the Lord Jesus and the work He did on the Cross.
Eternal life. What a blessed future we have to look forward too! It is so much more then a quantity thing. It is a quality thing! We will be living with the King of Kings! Father God! Lord of Lords! The Lamb Who Was Slain! We will be spending eternity with no sin, no pain, beautiful worship, and perfect communion with our Heavenly Father who created us.
Do you really believe that? Do you also believe in eternal damnation? Eternal torment for those who do not trust in Jesus to save them? Scripture says very clearly that there is a lake of fire reserved for those who did not believe. Hell. Do you believe that?
It seems that many of us do not believe that. At least we do not believe it enough. God has been working pretty hard on me as of late. I believe that there is a real Heaven where God's people will spend eternal life. I also believe that there is a hell where all the rest will suffer eternal death. I have so many friends and even family that are looking at eternal death. Do I love them enough to tell them about Jesus? There is a heaven and a hell, to not tell them is hating them. Is there acceptance of me more important then eternity? Is my pride, my selfish heart in the way?
Everywhere I look it seems that God is telling me to get out of the way and let Me do it. There are many areas in my life that I have surrendered. There are more, many more. I need to get out of the way. I can't do life better then God. Help me father to get out of your way. Help me to surrneder all. Take this foolish pride and fill it with your grace. Help me to love as you love. Help me to love others so much that each and every conversation I have is based on that love. Give me the blodness to proclaim your word no matter where I am.
Please pray with me that we will all love others enough to tell them about Jesus. Let us speak boldly about what it is that Jesus did for us!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Contemplating Christmas
Last night I attended the Christmas Eve service at our church. What a time to think about or meditate on what it is that Jesus came to earth to do. I had the privilege of holding my little niece during the service, let me tell you, she has her Uncle Rob's heart wrapped around her little finger! What a delightful little blessing she is! Her name is Sophia and she is somewhat less then a year old. Not too long ago she learned to clap her hands and wave and she can do a pretty impressive army crawl too. I love her to pieces! (I need to state here for all of my siblings that I love all of your children equally! This post just happens to be about Phia.). Sophia was so cute! Every now and again she would turn and wave and smile at the folks sitting behind me. She would clap at the end of some of the songs and made these little sounds. Adorable! While holding this little baby last night it really struck me that Almighty God was once a small and helpless infant! Can you imagine Baby Jesus in his mothers arms, looking at the people behind him, waving and smiling? Cooing? Baby Jesus learning to crawl? Needing to be fed? This is the same Jesus spoken of in the first chapter of John. The eternal creator of the universe! Merciful and Mighty God! How could this be! Born a helpless babe. Needing to be cared for by humans. What a humbling experience! I understand that God is sovereign (as best as my mind can fathom). Jesus was safe. God was and is in control! Even so. Stop to think about baby Jesus today. Think about who He is. God. Savior. Redeemer. Friend. He now sits at God's right hand and intercedes for His people. A people washed in the blood of this little babe that was born so long ago. This little babe that was born to die. Little hands and little feet made to be pierced. Little head made for a crown of thorns. Little back made to be scourged. Little shoulders made to carry a wooden cross. Little baby made to die for the sins of the world. Your sins. My sins. So, Happy Birthday Jesus. My king. My Savior. My God. Thank you for humbling yourself even to the point of death.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The following is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as recorded in the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 15:33-39 then chapter 16:1-8.
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Let us not forget as we look at the birth of Jesus what He came to earth to do. He is The Word That Became Flesh, He is the Lamb That Was Slain. He was forsaken so that we can be forgiven. Through Jesus, we who know Him are justified. We are being sanctified. One day we will be glorified! The first time the King of kings dwelt on earth in flesh His kingdom was broken. It remains broken today. Let us look forward to the day He returns to rule His perfect kingdom! As the Centurion said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Better still, Truly this man IS and forever will be the Son of God! Because of that sacrifice we can be too! We, as Christians who He called are co-heirs of Christ! We are adopted children of the Most High God! Let us live to Glorify the God who saves us!
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Let us not forget as we look at the birth of Jesus what He came to earth to do. He is The Word That Became Flesh, He is the Lamb That Was Slain. He was forsaken so that we can be forgiven. Through Jesus, we who know Him are justified. We are being sanctified. One day we will be glorified! The first time the King of kings dwelt on earth in flesh His kingdom was broken. It remains broken today. Let us look forward to the day He returns to rule His perfect kingdom! As the Centurion said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Better still, Truly this man IS and forever will be the Son of God! Because of that sacrifice we can be too! We, as Christians who He called are co-heirs of Christ! We are adopted children of the Most High God! Let us live to Glorify the God who saves us!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Joyfully Joyful
We have been studying through 1 John at our Sunday morning services. What a great, encouraging, and convicting little epistle this is! I was just doing a little reading on my own and I wanted to share with you some of what God has put on my heart.
Chapter one verse four talks about making our joy complete. Who wants complete joy? I DO! I hope that you do too! John also talks about joy in his gospel account (15:11 and 16:24). All of scripture is filled with believers being joyful. Why do you suppose that is. It is Gods will that we are joyful! Frequently in scripture joy and the Holy Spirit are connected (Acts 13:52, Rom 14:17, 1 Thes. 1:6). Joy is also tied directly to obedience to the Word of God. How can we have that supernatural joy if we are quenching the Spirit or living in disobedience? What are the fruits of the spirit? Love, JOY, peace, patience.... John says he is writing these things to you so that your (our) joy may be complete. Are you joyful? It is Gods will that you are! Be Joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The first part of 1 John chapter 2 talks about how we can know if we are saved (2:3). How do we know if we truly know the Father? We keep his commands. All of them. Not just the ones we like. Not just the ones that are politically correct, ALL OF THEM! Our society today tends to shy away from scripture that talks about marriage, or submission, or finances, or Jesus being the only way to heaven, or creation, abortion, the list goes on and on. Our joy may be complete! How? Keep His commands! This is not rocket science here. This is simple obedience to a God that wants what is best for us! Chapter 2 verses 5b and 6 says that we can know that we are in Him (God) if we walk in the same way in which he (Jesus) walked. Again, obedience. We can have assurance of our salvation, simply look at your life. If you are living an obedient life you are saved, if you are not, it may be time to reexamine your life and make some changes! Why is it so difficult to be obedient to an all powerful God who truly wants what is best for us?!!
It is important for me to say here that I do believe that scripture teaches eternal security (Rom 10:30,1 Pet 1:5, Jn 10:28,Phil. 1:6) That is, once saved, always saved. I also believe that there are lots of people out there who think they are saved who aren't. Look at the wheat and the tares that Jesus teaches about. They all look the same (to the human eye) but they aren't. Jesus' parable of the seeds is another example, some of those seeds may spring up but they soon die if they are not planted in the fertile soil. Judas is another fine example, only he (and Jesus) knew the condition of his heart. I guess this post is more of a warning. It is important to look at our lives and examine who we are, what we do and why we do it. Are we keeping His commands? Are we living for the King? Are we His adopted children? Keep His commands and you will be joyful!
Chapter one verse four talks about making our joy complete. Who wants complete joy? I DO! I hope that you do too! John also talks about joy in his gospel account (15:11 and 16:24). All of scripture is filled with believers being joyful. Why do you suppose that is. It is Gods will that we are joyful! Frequently in scripture joy and the Holy Spirit are connected (Acts 13:52, Rom 14:17, 1 Thes. 1:6). Joy is also tied directly to obedience to the Word of God. How can we have that supernatural joy if we are quenching the Spirit or living in disobedience? What are the fruits of the spirit? Love, JOY, peace, patience.... John says he is writing these things to you so that your (our) joy may be complete. Are you joyful? It is Gods will that you are! Be Joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The first part of 1 John chapter 2 talks about how we can know if we are saved (2:3). How do we know if we truly know the Father? We keep his commands. All of them. Not just the ones we like. Not just the ones that are politically correct, ALL OF THEM! Our society today tends to shy away from scripture that talks about marriage, or submission, or finances, or Jesus being the only way to heaven, or creation, abortion, the list goes on and on. Our joy may be complete! How? Keep His commands! This is not rocket science here. This is simple obedience to a God that wants what is best for us! Chapter 2 verses 5b and 6 says that we can know that we are in Him (God) if we walk in the same way in which he (Jesus) walked. Again, obedience. We can have assurance of our salvation, simply look at your life. If you are living an obedient life you are saved, if you are not, it may be time to reexamine your life and make some changes! Why is it so difficult to be obedient to an all powerful God who truly wants what is best for us?!!
It is important for me to say here that I do believe that scripture teaches eternal security (Rom 10:30,1 Pet 1:5, Jn 10:28,Phil. 1:6) That is, once saved, always saved. I also believe that there are lots of people out there who think they are saved who aren't. Look at the wheat and the tares that Jesus teaches about. They all look the same (to the human eye) but they aren't. Jesus' parable of the seeds is another example, some of those seeds may spring up but they soon die if they are not planted in the fertile soil. Judas is another fine example, only he (and Jesus) knew the condition of his heart. I guess this post is more of a warning. It is important to look at our lives and examine who we are, what we do and why we do it. Are we keeping His commands? Are we living for the King? Are we His adopted children? Keep His commands and you will be joyful!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Bigger Badder Better
Last night we had a family movie night and watched "Prince Caspian". If you are not familiar with the film, it is based on the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I loved reading the books as a kid and I continue to read them as an adult. There was a part of this movie that really caught my attention and I want to share it with you! Lewis intended the character of Aslan (a lion) to be a picture of Jesus. He is the creator, sustainer and savior of Narnia. Viewed in this light it can be a very touching and sometimes emotional tale. The character Lucy seeks out and finds Aslan near the end of film. She is awstruck at the sheer size of the lion and tells him that he has grown since the last time she had seen him. Aslan says to her with a tender voice "each year you grow, I grow." I think that is a beautiful picture of our relationship of our God. When we grow in Him, he looks bigger to us. Not that He is actually bigger, but our view of Him is! It is so important for us as Christians to grow in the Lord! We are not to be the same! For the Word of God is living and active! It will change us and our view of Him! We are being made into His image! Sanctified!
Christmas Time Troubles
Christmas is broken. The more I grow in my Savior the more I am convinced and convicted that there is something dreadfully wrong with how we treat the birth of Jesus. A while back I posted a Pink quote about Christmas and ever since then I have been trying to wrap my mind around the proper way to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Nowhere in scripture does it tell us to celebrate Christs birth, only to remember Him in his death. Let me share a verse with you- "and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents". To me, that sounds like what Christmas is about today. Making merry and presents presents and more presents! This is the only place in scripture that I am familiar with where it talks about being merry and exchanging presents. Do you know where it's found? In Revelation (11:10). Do you know why they are celebrating? Because the beast had killed God's two prophets. Just some food for thought.
Here in America we are so spoiled. So used to getting what we want. We have the riches to get almost any material possession. It has been my experience that the more I get, the more I want! Moremoremore! The way we celebrate Christmas today just feeds that desire. Materialism. Idols. Self gratification. Those are terms I would use to describe today's Christmas. Sacred. Holy. God Glorifying. Selfless. Terms I think should be used to describe our Lord becoming flesh.
Let us remember this Christmas season not only the birth of our Lord, but also his life, death, and resurrection as well.
I apologize if this is a little scrambled. Welcome to my mind!
Blessings!
Here in America we are so spoiled. So used to getting what we want. We have the riches to get almost any material possession. It has been my experience that the more I get, the more I want! Moremoremore! The way we celebrate Christmas today just feeds that desire. Materialism. Idols. Self gratification. Those are terms I would use to describe today's Christmas. Sacred. Holy. God Glorifying. Selfless. Terms I think should be used to describe our Lord becoming flesh.
Let us remember this Christmas season not only the birth of our Lord, but also his life, death, and resurrection as well.
I apologize if this is a little scrambled. Welcome to my mind!
Blessings!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Christmas
This was posted on the Truth Matters blog.
"Christmas is coming! Quite so; but what is "Christmas"?Does not the very term itself denote its source-- "Christ-mass."Thus it is of Romish origin, brought over from Paganism.But, says someone, Christmas is the time when we commemoratethe Savior's birth. It is? And who authorized such commemoration?Certainly God did not. The Redeemer bade His disciples "remember"Him in His death, but there is not a word in Scripture, fromGenesis to Revelation, which tells us to celebrate His birth." - Arthur Pink
"Christmas is coming! Quite so; but what is "Christmas"?Does not the very term itself denote its source-- "Christ-mass."Thus it is of Romish origin, brought over from Paganism.But, says someone, Christmas is the time when we commemoratethe Savior's birth. It is? And who authorized such commemoration?Certainly God did not. The Redeemer bade His disciples "remember"Him in His death, but there is not a word in Scripture, fromGenesis to Revelation, which tells us to celebrate His birth." - Arthur Pink
What would you do for a friend?
What would you do for a friend? Not too long ago I posted on the topic of love. I talked about how difficult it can be for me to love others. I talked a little about dying for a friend and maybe even going to hell for a friend.
I have been reading "All of Grace" by Spurgeon. It is a neat little book written in easy language with the intent of reaching the lost. It so good to see the heart of such a man as he! At one point in the book he is talking about the person who "can't" live a christian life because of the influence his friends have on him. Listen to what Mr. Spurgeon has to say.
"I would do many things to please my friends, but to go to hell to please them is more then I would venture It may be very well to do this or that for good fellowship, but it will never do to lose the friendship of God in order to keep on good terms with men."
This quote, though aimed more towards the unbeliever can still be relevant to the Christian today. How many times have I caught myself doing something stupid just because of the company I was in! Christ had to suffer and Die because of those stupid things! I praise God for all of His grace!
I have been reading "All of Grace" by Spurgeon. It is a neat little book written in easy language with the intent of reaching the lost. It so good to see the heart of such a man as he! At one point in the book he is talking about the person who "can't" live a christian life because of the influence his friends have on him. Listen to what Mr. Spurgeon has to say.
"I would do many things to please my friends, but to go to hell to please them is more then I would venture It may be very well to do this or that for good fellowship, but it will never do to lose the friendship of God in order to keep on good terms with men."
This quote, though aimed more towards the unbeliever can still be relevant to the Christian today. How many times have I caught myself doing something stupid just because of the company I was in! Christ had to suffer and Die because of those stupid things! I praise God for all of His grace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)