2 Corinthians 5:13
The purpose of our existence is to LIVE, it is not to simply exist. In God's eyes it isn't about the quantity, but the quality. As humans, we do now know how many days we have on this earth... we may have years left, we may have only days - but in the end it is about what we do with the time we do have. The purpose of life is to prepare for Heaven, to live a life that is pleasing to God. If you live your life with Jesus in your heart, then you will not experience spiritual death and you will life on eternally even after this life passes.
Galatians 2:20 - God gave his Son for us... he sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we wouldn't have to suffer the weight of our own sin. God gave such a large sacrifice that it is a small request to ask us to live a life that is pleasing to him.
We are a small speck - a small piece of a much bigger puzzle. God created man to fellowship with him. We were created to be God's friend, how awesome is that?!? It is important that we always remember the sacrifice that He gave - what if we were asked to sacrifice our own child - what would you do?
I read this story a long time ago and it really hit home for me - I would like to share it with you all in hopes it puts things into perspective:
One day there is a story on the news that there is a new disease, a horrible strain of the flu that is killing people by the hundreds. The disease gets so out of control that the CDC calls a national state of emergency and requires that every US citizen be blood tested to try to find someone who was immune to the disease....someone who offered a cure, a clue, something.
For weeks people were tested and awaited to hear their fate. They awaited to hear that they found a cure, all the while they watched helplessly as they lost family members, neighbors, friends... the disease was seemingly going to wipe out the entire nation if not the world.
A father is sitting in front of his television, watching the devastation and death all around. He prays every night for a cure to be found, for this horrible disease to spare his young son. Every night the two pray together, for the Lord to have mercy and to spare the human race.
The next day there was a knock on their door - it was someone from the CDC. He told them they had to come with them... they had found something interesting in their son's blood. They said not to be alarmed, that it was good, his son was believed to be immune.
The father fell to his knees and praised God. He was so thankful that their prayers had been answered. The father and his son followed the man from the CDC and got into his van. They were rushed to the nearest test center where his son's blood was drawn again to confirm their suspicions. Hours later a doctor walked in and nodded, indeed his son's blood offered a clue. Not only did it offer a clue, but it offered a cure.
The scientists had anticipated that they would find someone who was immune and had made a plan on how they could take that person's blood and turn it into an antidote. They shared that plan with the father and shared how amazing this opportunity was that his son could save all of mankind.
The father was so happy. They were saved, this nightmare was over. All they needed was a signature giving consent to take the blood that was needed for the procedure. Before the father signed the paper the doctor got very graven and said, "There is one thing I need to tell you.". The father eagerly awaited what the doctor had to say, after all every minute that passed people died - what could be so important to hold this process up?
The doctor said, "I am afraid that in all of our planning we had hoped that there would be more than one donor. We had anticipated that there may only be one and we have the procedure set to where we can use a single adult donor and they can survive... we simply didn't anticipate the donor would be a young boy of only 8. We can make the procedure work, but we will need a larger percentage of the donor's blood than if it was an adult."
The father hesitated, realizing that this was going to be a risk to his son. He asked the doctor, exactly how much of his son's blood they would need? In response the doctor answered solemnly, "All of it. Your son will not survive, but he will save many in the process."
Tears welled up in the father's eyes as he looked to his son. How could he give up his son's life, even to save millions? He couldn't, he simply couldn't. Before he could refuse, his son grabbed his hand and said, "It's okay Daddy... they need me to do this, God answered our prayers with me. Let them have my blood, Daddy - God needs me."
Trying to fight the tears back the father realized what he had to do. He signed the paper and he held his son's hand until he felt his little arm go limp. He hugged his boy one last time, then he walked out into the crowd of people...
That story depicts what God must have felt watching Jesus die on the cross. He made that ultimate sacrifice and saved mankind. What if you were that father and you gave up your son and saved the world. Then what if those very people that you saved simply wasted their lives - weren't grateful and even blasphemed you and your son's name? How would that make you feel?
Hebrews 12:1-2 You must lay aside your burdens - the weight of your sin so that you can "run the race" of life. Everyone has sin that holds them back, but our focus needs to be on the finish line, not on the weights that we are carrying along the way. You can't worry about those around you or what they are carrying with them either. If you look to Jesus - you are looking to the finish line. He is standing there waving that checkered flag.
It is important that we follow his example and life for Him. The best way to know how to live is to read his Word and to go to church. Church is simply practice for Heaven...sure you can get in without it, but it helps you be prepared for when you get there.
Acts 20:28 No one knows or loves you like Jesus - he is there to take care of you and to fellowship with. Micah 7:7Rely on Jesus - get help from him. He already knows your needs... all you need is to reach out and ask for his help - he hears your prayers.
Colossians 3:16 - The Bible is a teaching book. The Word is inspiring and we are to enjoy it and let it dwell in us. Smile in your heart for that makes the Lord smile. Feed your soul with the Word, spend time in your Bible daily for it nourishes your spirit.
Revelations 22 - Lean on Jesus. You can't do it alone - you simply can't make it through life's trials and tribulations without Him. He is your crutch, lean on Him so that the devil can not trip you!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Let Christ Live in You
The law was given by Christ as a guide. We are taught how to live our lives by the outline that the law gives. Galatians 2:16-20 - the idea is that we must live our lives for Christ.
Galatians 2:20 includes four parts:
Matthew 6:25-33 Are we not more valuable than animals? God knows our needs and he takes care of the faithful. He knows the things that we are needful of and he supplies.
We don't fix our own problems by worrying about them - we fix them by turning it over to God. He asks us to focus on what is really important - Matthew 6:34 We must not worry about tomorrow because God already has tomorrow taken care of. We must do, today, what he wants us to do. Please him and be faithful and worry not.
Things work out for those who follow and seek the Lord. Romans 8:28 verifies that very fact. Again in John 6 we see that Jesus met the needs of 5,000 with mere rations that would leave a small family hungry in normal circumstances.
"This is the day that the Lord hath made, We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalms 118:24
There is a big difference between living and surviving. Because He lives, I can face life and death... Because of Christ we each have eternal life, we have an eternal friend, and because of Him we have hope! In turn we must do our best to live lives that are pleasing to Him, lives that give Him glory. Make it matter how you live your life - God cares, you should too! Live each day of your life like it is your last. Don't be in a hurry to get to Heaven, but be ready for when you are called.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 If you are listening for God's voice and truly believe in Jesus you are included in His people. There is no waiting period to be saved - it is instant! Look at the thieves on the cross with Jesus. One was ready while the other still did not believe. Luke 23:39-43 The thief that believed in Christ was saved - he secured his salvation at the end of his earthly life, just in time!
1 John 5:10 You can know where you are going and be assured in your salvation. Trust in Jesus and leave your worries of eternity behind. Jesus is the only way to salvation - John 14:6 - believe in him and you shall have everlasting life. John 6:44
You CAN face life - you CAN have a happy and successful life - and to do that you MUST have Jesus Christ in your life. With Jesus you can make it through sickness, age, financial issues, unemployment, and even death. All of that is taken care of through Jesus. Trust in him and live every day for the Lord.
If you haven't asked the Lord into your heart take the time to do it now. Secure your future - you are the only one that can. Pray to the Lord from your heart, confess that you believe that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for your sins and ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. Ask those things and today you can know where you will spend eternity!
Galatians 2:20 includes four parts:
- Being crucified with Christ. Of course this isn't meant in the literal sense - but it means that we are redeemed in Christ, through his sacrifice.
- It is no longer I who lives, it is Christ - Again not literal but meaning that Christ dwells inside of you once you ask him into your heart. It is God's purpose that we live a happy and fruitful life - he fills us with the Holy Spirit and helps us accomplish that.
- Live by the faith of God - It is only through his grace that we live and have the lives that we have. It is because of his love and grace that we have life rather than mere existence.
- Given by the Son of God who died for me - We are given hope through Christ who gave himself for each of us. Through the knowledge of what happened, by reading and believing in the gospels, we have hope.
We don't fix our own problems by worrying about them - we fix them by turning it over to God. He asks us to focus on what is really important - Matthew 6:34 We must not worry about tomorrow because God already has tomorrow taken care of. We must do, today, what he wants us to do. Please him and be faithful and worry not.
Things work out for those who follow and seek the Lord. Romans 8:28 verifies that very fact. Again in John 6 we see that Jesus met the needs of 5,000 with mere rations that would leave a small family hungry in normal circumstances.
"This is the day that the Lord hath made, We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalms 118:24
There is a big difference between living and surviving. Because He lives, I can face life and death... Because of Christ we each have eternal life, we have an eternal friend, and because of Him we have hope! In turn we must do our best to live lives that are pleasing to Him, lives that give Him glory. Make it matter how you live your life - God cares, you should too! Live each day of your life like it is your last. Don't be in a hurry to get to Heaven, but be ready for when you are called.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 If you are listening for God's voice and truly believe in Jesus you are included in His people. There is no waiting period to be saved - it is instant! Look at the thieves on the cross with Jesus. One was ready while the other still did not believe. Luke 23:39-43 The thief that believed in Christ was saved - he secured his salvation at the end of his earthly life, just in time!
1 John 5:10 You can know where you are going and be assured in your salvation. Trust in Jesus and leave your worries of eternity behind. Jesus is the only way to salvation - John 14:6 - believe in him and you shall have everlasting life. John 6:44
You CAN face life - you CAN have a happy and successful life - and to do that you MUST have Jesus Christ in your life. With Jesus you can make it through sickness, age, financial issues, unemployment, and even death. All of that is taken care of through Jesus. Trust in him and live every day for the Lord.
If you haven't asked the Lord into your heart take the time to do it now. Secure your future - you are the only one that can. Pray to the Lord from your heart, confess that you believe that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for your sins and ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. Ask those things and today you can know where you will spend eternity!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Be Spirit Filled
One of the most important things to look for when you are seeking a new church is one that is filled with the Holy Spirit. A Spirit filled church is a blessed church - and one that will help you grow in your knowledge and love for the Lord.
A Spirit filled church is one that is:
Acts 2:38 shows that we were given the Holy Spirit as a gift. When you use the Bible as a guide the Spirit is active with you and the Lord blesses that. It is important to conduct your church in a way that is patterned after the church in Jerusalem. That church was devout in their worship - spending time daily in the temple.
Conviction is so important - you must make the commitment to be devout in your worship. People are often taunted for being devout in their worship - sometimes their actions being called ritualistic. It is all a matter of how you look at things. Do you go to your job everyday? Do you eat dinner everyday? Do you consider those actions ritualistic...and if so, is that a bad thing? Some rituals are good - make a habit of talking to God and doing things that please Him.
Acts 2:45 Talks of how the church members sold their possessions and made sure each one had what they needed. They operated as a family, as a group where everyone supported one another in every way. That model worked in its time, but for many reasons has to be altered to fit modern day. Face it, if we all went to church on Sunday and the pastor said "Clear out your bank accounts, sell your cars and homes, and put the proceeds in the collection plate next Sunday" I think that would be our last time attending that church. But that model should be applied in that we need to take care of one another. If we have extra of something share it - seek out someone who needs what you have to give.
We often look to men for approval for our thoughts and actions - that is not the approval that we need to be seeking. In Acts 5:29 Peter makes a valid point, we should be obeying God rather than Man. Peter and the apostles knew that they were sinners saved by grace, and that they could not be saved by mere men.
Romans 1: The Word and God's love is for everyone. There is no one out there that doesn't need Jesus - that was true back when the Bible was written and it is true now. Share the Word, spread the joy that it has brought your life. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and neither should we be. Paul was threatened with prison - bodily harm - and much more...yet he continued to spread the word. Don't fear mere words from people... be strong in your faith and share it with the world. Mark 16:15
Be thankful for the many blessings you have - be content and happy for things can always be worse. Philippians 4:11 tells us to be content, in whatever state we are in. Don't let any situation or sadness stop you from spreading the Word!
Acts 11:26 - Christians were first recognized as such. Christian meaning Christ like - use Him as a model. Be the beacon of God's love - 2 Timothy 1 - show it to the world! Do not apologize for preaching the truth - follow the Word and be non-judgmental yourself yet honest in God's desires of us.
Psalms 126 - Be thankful to the Lord for all he does for you. Give thanks to Him without ceasing. Sometimes it isn't just our words that make the difference it is our actions and the light that our lives shine. Be the Lord's beacon of light!
A Spirit filled church is one that is:
- Steadfast in God's Word
- Growing
- Has consistent attendance by its members
- Full of fellowship
- Celebratory with breaking of bread
- A praying church
Acts 2:38 shows that we were given the Holy Spirit as a gift. When you use the Bible as a guide the Spirit is active with you and the Lord blesses that. It is important to conduct your church in a way that is patterned after the church in Jerusalem. That church was devout in their worship - spending time daily in the temple.
Conviction is so important - you must make the commitment to be devout in your worship. People are often taunted for being devout in their worship - sometimes their actions being called ritualistic. It is all a matter of how you look at things. Do you go to your job everyday? Do you eat dinner everyday? Do you consider those actions ritualistic...and if so, is that a bad thing? Some rituals are good - make a habit of talking to God and doing things that please Him.
Acts 2:45 Talks of how the church members sold their possessions and made sure each one had what they needed. They operated as a family, as a group where everyone supported one another in every way. That model worked in its time, but for many reasons has to be altered to fit modern day. Face it, if we all went to church on Sunday and the pastor said "Clear out your bank accounts, sell your cars and homes, and put the proceeds in the collection plate next Sunday" I think that would be our last time attending that church. But that model should be applied in that we need to take care of one another. If we have extra of something share it - seek out someone who needs what you have to give.
We often look to men for approval for our thoughts and actions - that is not the approval that we need to be seeking. In Acts 5:29 Peter makes a valid point, we should be obeying God rather than Man. Peter and the apostles knew that they were sinners saved by grace, and that they could not be saved by mere men.
Romans 1: The Word and God's love is for everyone. There is no one out there that doesn't need Jesus - that was true back when the Bible was written and it is true now. Share the Word, spread the joy that it has brought your life. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and neither should we be. Paul was threatened with prison - bodily harm - and much more...yet he continued to spread the word. Don't fear mere words from people... be strong in your faith and share it with the world. Mark 16:15
Be thankful for the many blessings you have - be content and happy for things can always be worse. Philippians 4:11 tells us to be content, in whatever state we are in. Don't let any situation or sadness stop you from spreading the Word!
Acts 11:26 - Christians were first recognized as such. Christian meaning Christ like - use Him as a model. Be the beacon of God's love - 2 Timothy 1 - show it to the world! Do not apologize for preaching the truth - follow the Word and be non-judgmental yourself yet honest in God's desires of us.
Psalms 126 - Be thankful to the Lord for all he does for you. Give thanks to Him without ceasing. Sometimes it isn't just our words that make the difference it is our actions and the light that our lives shine. Be the Lord's beacon of light!
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