The Most Important Thing

Does anyone know John 3:16?

John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life (Good News Bible)

To me, it’s one of the most important verses in the Bible.

Everyone born has an expiration date.

Hebrews 9:27 Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. (GNB)

Wait…John says we might not die…but Hebrews says everyone must die.

Why must or might we die?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin infected the world and we all are affected by it.

James 1:13-16 If people are tempted by such trials, they must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires.  Then their evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown gives birth to death.

Why do we lie? Cause our desire to protect ourselves suddenly trumps God’s law.  Why do we steal? Because our desire to have what isn’t ours trumps Gods’ (and man’s) law.  Why do we kill? Because our desire to have revenge/take their stuff/vent anger/protect self trumps Gods’ law.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

To avoid the grave all you need is one perfect sinless life.  But all have sinned.  You have to die.

2 Peter 3:9b states that the Lord is “…patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish…”

So God provided a way.  Jesus.  Fully God and yet fully man.

Philippians 2:6 (NIV) Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God.

This is the Gospel.  I couldn’t put it any better than Peter.

Acts 2:22-28 (MSG) “…Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredit by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through Him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you.  And you pinned him to a cross and killed Him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up.  Death was no match for Him…” 29-36 “…This Jesus, God raised up and every one of us here is a witness to it.  Then, raised to the heights of the right hand of God…There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, the Jesus whom you killed on a Cross”

Romans 5:18 (GNB) So then, as the one sin (Adam’s) condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act (Christ’s death) sets all people free and gives them life. Italics added by me

1Corinthians 15:21 (GNB) For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man.  For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.

What does someone do with this knowledge?  What is our response to God solving our sin and death problem through His Son Jesus?

I don’t know.  How grateful would you be if someone dove into a swimming pool and saved your life?  Wouldn’t you owe them everything?

We owe God everything because He gave us everything.

Peter also explains what our response should be:

Acts 2:38-39 (MSG) “…Change your life.  Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven.  Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

You become the Church..the Temple of the Holy Spirit..Christ’s ambassadors, a Holy and Royal priesthood, a new creation and a member of God’s family.

What does this life look like?  That like looks like Jesus’ life. It looks like loving the unlovable.  Touching people most would cross the street to avoid. It looks like Jesus looking down from the cross at those who were crucifying Him and asking God to forgive them. It looks like sacrificial love without limits.  It means sharing this Good News to those still lost.

Be Blessed.

Why Do We Have Children??

Why do people have children?  I really doesn't make sense.  With the economy, the crime, the hate and the disease, why would you bring something so pure into this world.  Babies come into this world so pure and innocent and it doesn't take long for the world to grab them up.  Even if you try you best to protect them from the pedophiles and the strangers, what can you do about the natural disasters and the mental and physical illnesses?  What can you do about the freak accidents and the misspoken meanness we use in moments of frustration? We want to protect them from everything, but sometimes we can't even protect them from our bad choices...their bad choices...someone else's bad choices.

I though of this only because I tried to understand why God created us.  It doesn't make much sense.  Being God, He new the moment he conceived the idea what the end result would be.  He knew about the snake and the flood and the idolatry and man's inhumanity to man and the cost to Jesus.  We don't know the end of the story from the beginning of our children's lives but God knew.

We were made in the image of God.  I think His motivation is our motivation today.  To Love.  We know that our children will one day go their own way despite our best guidance.  That some will thrive and some will be lost.  Some will live beyond us and some will not.  We Hope.  We will love them wherever they go, near or far, for as long as they live.

GOD loves us.  God LOVES us.  God loves US.  He always will.  And we may doubt and we may stumble and we may fall and we may never love Him back but none of that change the fact GOD LOVES US.  He wrote it into our DNA.  He paints it in sunrises and sunsets.  He yells it in the thunder.  He whispers it in our ears.  He hugs us with the wind.  He ruffles our hair in the breeze.  He brushes our cheeks with tree leaves.  He waves to us with bird wings.  He weeps with us in the rain.  He mourns for us with the clouds.  He encourages us with the sun and the rainbows after a storm.  When you see a dandelion (weed..I think not) or a bird perched on a bush looking straight at you.  When a complete strangers smiles at you with or a child waves at you.  Remember GOD LOVES YOU!!  Be blessed.

If we are the Body...

I'm only just realizing the benefits of being the church, the bride of Christ and the body of Christ, and children of God. We are co-heirs with Christ. We have the Holy Spirit of God WITHIN us empowering us to fulfill His purpose. We are disciples of God. I am realizing more and more that whatever Jesus did on this earth is what we need to be doing as our PRIMARY function and our priviledge. My roles as wife, mother, employee, member of my forever family (local congregation) are opportunites to reflect Jesus and to lead others to him or encourage the body.

Coming back to the Heart of Worship

Worship -- I've been guilty of being a little obsessive in relationships (real or imaged). It goes like this: I wake up and I think of him. All through the day I wonder what kind of food he liked or what sports and music he liked or just what he was doing. When I do something, I wonder what he would think about it. I tell everyone about about how great he is. And then (if he knows I'm alive, lol) it's over. What if I worshipped God like I worshipped my crush of the day in high school. What if God was the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last thing I thought of at night? What if I spent time wondering what God thought and what His will is? What if I thought about what God would think of my actions before I acted? What if I told everyone how great our God is? What if worship is not about Sunday or Wednesday or music? Romans 12:1 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Maybe our life is our Worship. BE BLESSED.

The Gospel according to the Duck Commander

Watch "Duck Commander - Preachin' Hard - ShellShocked Outdoors" on YouTube

Who are you trying to please?

Who are you making decisions to please? I'm started a new program today to refine and solidify my answer. I want to say the answer is 100% God but not so much some days. In most areas of my life I just do whatever my flesh says. Extra piece of cake? Sure, flesh. Does he need a piece if my mind? I'm on top if that, flesh. Hit the snooze button again? Can do,flesh. Put it on credit? Done,  flesh. I often talk about running my thoughts and actions through a God filter. Is it helpful to others? What would Jesus do? Is God being glorified? This is day one in yielding my will and flesh to God. Be blessed.

A new take on an old parable

I was walking down a dirt road.  And I saw a person lying there unconsious and bleeding.  I ran to that person and I saw my enemy.  She was a lady who hurt me at every turn.  She stole from me.  She lied to me.  She slandered my name for her own amusement.  She did not see me but I looked down at her dying form and I didn't know what to feel.  Then I heard a voice saying, "Take her home and nurse her back to health."  I looked around to see who was talking but there was noone around.  It was the voice of God.  In the most reverent voice I could muster I asked , "What!!??".  I told God I'd call her a doctor.  He repeated, "Take her home and nurse her back to health." God said to take her home, lay her in my bed, dress her wounds, feed her and bathe her until she was well.  Because God must have forgotten the bitterness between this lady and myself, I commenced to explain it to Him.  I explained that I was not fair that I be asked to do this with all the bad blood between us.  I explained that she would in no way do the same for me.  To do this would not be reasonable or rational. 
God said to me "I've had this conversation before.  My Son asked if the cup of suffering could be passed from Him.  But I saw his human heart. In His humanity, My Son wondered why He would do this for the very people who would nail him to a cross.  His humanity cried at the unfairness of it all.  Many would not appreciated His sacrifice.  Many more would use His name for evil purposes. But My will was clear.  Jesus would purchase from eternal damnation all that would be saved by his very body, blood and life. Jesus' answer was yes and He humbly obeyed the will of His Father.  I ask you, daughter, would you save this my other prodigal daughter with your hands and with your home and with your heart as your Brother Jesus did for you.  What say you?"