totally worth the 8 minutes to watch. Be blessed...
"For by Him, all things have been created......all things have been created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and IN HIM, all things are held together" Colossians 1:16-17
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Dying Daily
I don't really remember the day I got saved. I was a little kid. I used to think this was terrible. I used to wonder if I was "really saved" since I couldn't remember actually turning my life over to Jesus.
The reality is, it doesn't matter. We should be getting saved again every morning. If you remember the day you became a Christian, that's awesome. Most people do have a big conversion experience. Though I've never met anyone who's had one as cool as Saul (Paul)! Haha. (for those not familiar with the Apostle Paul, check Acts chapter 9, and just keep on reading for an awesome story!)
in 1Corinithans 15:29-33, the Apostle Paul writes,
"Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."*
* Paul is quoting Isaiah 22:13
In other words, Paul is saying that if Jesus didn't raise from the dead, then what's the point of us being baptised (and being re-born) for His sake? If Jesus just died and that was the end.... then that would be the end of us too. Jesus had to BEAT death, so we could be resurrected too. Just earlier, Paul says in verse 20-22:
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
Since there was no death until (sin) with man (Adam), the resurrection had to come through a man too (Jesus Christ). And since we come from Adam, born into sin, we are destined for death too. Unless we "die" to our old life (meaning to abandon and give it up) and surrender our life to Christ, then through Him, we will live again. Physical death (which comes from sin) has no power over us, because Jesus Christ beat it for us, and adopted us as His own; we are no longer man's. With daily spiritual death, we are saying "I know my life is not my own. I belong to You, Jesus, who bought me with such a high price, because You saw that worth in me. Before that I was bound to myself, with no way out. Only YOU made the way, because though hertigage of man, I was destined for death until you conquored it and adopted me. So then, this morning, I want to start this new day living for you, and not myself like I did yesterday."
It's a choice we have to make. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, but it's our job to die to ourselves (give up our life, give up our fleshly, wordly desires that conflict with God's), and cling to Christ. If we don't choose to die to ourselves, then we are rejecting Christ's offer of adoption. It's kind of like He's saying, "I beat death- now do you want to belong to Me and beat death too? Or do you want to belong to the world, and die along with it?"
2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
The reality is, it doesn't matter. We should be getting saved again every morning. If you remember the day you became a Christian, that's awesome. Most people do have a big conversion experience. Though I've never met anyone who's had one as cool as Saul (Paul)! Haha. (for those not familiar with the Apostle Paul, check Acts chapter 9, and just keep on reading for an awesome story!)
in 1Corinithans 15:29-33, the Apostle Paul writes,
"Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."*
* Paul is quoting Isaiah 22:13
In other words, Paul is saying that if Jesus didn't raise from the dead, then what's the point of us being baptised (and being re-born) for His sake? If Jesus just died and that was the end.... then that would be the end of us too. Jesus had to BEAT death, so we could be resurrected too. Just earlier, Paul says in verse 20-22:
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
Since there was no death until (sin) with man (Adam), the resurrection had to come through a man too (Jesus Christ). And since we come from Adam, born into sin, we are destined for death too. Unless we "die" to our old life (meaning to abandon and give it up) and surrender our life to Christ, then through Him, we will live again. Physical death (which comes from sin) has no power over us, because Jesus Christ beat it for us, and adopted us as His own; we are no longer man's. With daily spiritual death, we are saying "I know my life is not my own. I belong to You, Jesus, who bought me with such a high price, because You saw that worth in me. Before that I was bound to myself, with no way out. Only YOU made the way, because though hertigage of man, I was destined for death until you conquored it and adopted me. So then, this morning, I want to start this new day living for you, and not myself like I did yesterday."
It's a choice we have to make. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, but it's our job to die to ourselves (give up our life, give up our fleshly, wordly desires that conflict with God's), and cling to Christ. If we don't choose to die to ourselves, then we are rejecting Christ's offer of adoption. It's kind of like He's saying, "I beat death- now do you want to belong to Me and beat death too? Or do you want to belong to the world, and die along with it?"
2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Prodigal Son... my favorite story
The Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
Just like our Heavenly Father, this father turned him over to his heart's desire. Sometimes the Lord tell us "no" and then sometimes he gives us what we ask, knowing we might learn from it. But He won't fight it. Romans 1:28: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done."
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When we get off track with our relationship with the Lord, there is a hunger that no one else can fill... we'll even settle for scraps. We'll settle for anything to fill the hunger. And sometimes, temporarily, we are decieved to think it was substantial. We'll settle for unhealthy relationships, anything that makes us feel better. When we're so hungry, we'll settle for any lie that sounds good.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
When we come back to God (every day) we should be coming with such a humble heart that we know we're not worthy of His best… however, even still, this father resembles the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father….
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Jesus doesn't just sit around and wait for us to come back. Just like Jesus does, this father ran to meet the son where he was. They were both looking for each other. He RAN, not walked. First of all, in the Jewish culture, it was not commonly acceptable for an old man to be running like that. But Jesus doesn't always follow what's "commonly acceptable" to culture or society. When He's filled with compassion and sees us running towards Him, all He wants to do is run and meet us. And neither was this father just sitting there twisting his beard with an angry look on his face as his worthless son approached him. He abandoned himself to run to his beloved. I am reminded of earlier this week when I lost my son at the movie theaters. For a while, as the staff searched for him, I stayed in the spot where I was, waiting, incase Ryan would come back. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and had to go search for him too. When we saw each other in the huge parking lot, we both ran to each other. I didn't care why he ran off anymore, and I didn't even ask. I was just so glad he was found.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
Jesus doesn't meet us with condemnation and say such things as "Oh you finally decided to come back, huh? Well you used up your blessing already, so don't be expecting much else from me." Or "Wasn't such a good idea, taking control over your own life, was it? See, I knew you'd come crawling back." Or "Look at the mess you've made of yourself. Should have listened to me!" … all our heavenly Father sees when we come running back is that we are found. We were dead, but now in Him ALIVE. That's all He wants to celebrate. This father didn't say anything like that. When God sees us, He immediately sees that *because of Jesus Christ* we are His royalty, and his heir- and the co-heirs of Christ (Romans 8:16-17), and it doesn't matter where we were before. And we don't even deserve it. We should be like the son, begging every morning to be considered worthy of God's slop (does God even have slop to give?). But God says "no, you're a child of Mine" and that's all He sees (thanks to Jesus who paid the highest cost to cover the REAL US)
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
It is so easy for us to get jealous when we see someone else get a blessing that we don't feel deserved it. We might feel like we are doing everything right. "Why doesn't anything good like that happen to me?" The Lord says "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5. "meek" meaning to show patience, humility, and submission. When we humbly submit our lives over to the will of God, He's going to bless that. This brother only cared that he tried to do "the right thing" and isn't seeing a reward. It's nice to do the right thing, but that isn't what brings us near to God, and it isn't what softens God's heart to have mercy on us. Only letting go of ourselves, and humbly submitting our will to His.
" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
And still this same father, like our Heavenly Father still came down with love on his older son. He didn't say "mind your own business" or "just be thankful for what you have" or "don't be such a party pooper". He still acknowledged that this son was also precious, and is still an "heir" to all he has, just the same. He (probably all smiles and jumping around) was just like, "hey man, come on! Your brother is here again! He's alive again! Let's party!" He totally ignored the bad attitude and just brought forth encouragement. And just the same as our Heavenly Father, God- when He looks on us, He sees only His love for us, not the "real" us. That should just make us all the more want to abandon the "real" us so it will become the "former" us… and by always keeping in our hearts a hunger for God, we can STAY the "new" us.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
Luke 15:11-32
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
Just like our Heavenly Father, this father turned him over to his heart's desire. Sometimes the Lord tell us "no" and then sometimes he gives us what we ask, knowing we might learn from it. But He won't fight it. Romans 1:28: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done."
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When we get off track with our relationship with the Lord, there is a hunger that no one else can fill... we'll even settle for scraps. We'll settle for anything to fill the hunger. And sometimes, temporarily, we are decieved to think it was substantial. We'll settle for unhealthy relationships, anything that makes us feel better. When we're so hungry, we'll settle for any lie that sounds good.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
When we come back to God (every day) we should be coming with such a humble heart that we know we're not worthy of His best… however, even still, this father resembles the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father….
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Jesus doesn't just sit around and wait for us to come back. Just like Jesus does, this father ran to meet the son where he was. They were both looking for each other. He RAN, not walked. First of all, in the Jewish culture, it was not commonly acceptable for an old man to be running like that. But Jesus doesn't always follow what's "commonly acceptable" to culture or society. When He's filled with compassion and sees us running towards Him, all He wants to do is run and meet us. And neither was this father just sitting there twisting his beard with an angry look on his face as his worthless son approached him. He abandoned himself to run to his beloved. I am reminded of earlier this week when I lost my son at the movie theaters. For a while, as the staff searched for him, I stayed in the spot where I was, waiting, incase Ryan would come back. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and had to go search for him too. When we saw each other in the huge parking lot, we both ran to each other. I didn't care why he ran off anymore, and I didn't even ask. I was just so glad he was found.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
Jesus doesn't meet us with condemnation and say such things as "Oh you finally decided to come back, huh? Well you used up your blessing already, so don't be expecting much else from me." Or "Wasn't such a good idea, taking control over your own life, was it? See, I knew you'd come crawling back." Or "Look at the mess you've made of yourself. Should have listened to me!" … all our heavenly Father sees when we come running back is that we are found. We were dead, but now in Him ALIVE. That's all He wants to celebrate. This father didn't say anything like that. When God sees us, He immediately sees that *because of Jesus Christ* we are His royalty, and his heir- and the co-heirs of Christ (Romans 8:16-17), and it doesn't matter where we were before. And we don't even deserve it. We should be like the son, begging every morning to be considered worthy of God's slop (does God even have slop to give?). But God says "no, you're a child of Mine" and that's all He sees (thanks to Jesus who paid the highest cost to cover the REAL US)
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
It is so easy for us to get jealous when we see someone else get a blessing that we don't feel deserved it. We might feel like we are doing everything right. "Why doesn't anything good like that happen to me?" The Lord says "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5. "meek" meaning to show patience, humility, and submission. When we humbly submit our lives over to the will of God, He's going to bless that. This brother only cared that he tried to do "the right thing" and isn't seeing a reward. It's nice to do the right thing, but that isn't what brings us near to God, and it isn't what softens God's heart to have mercy on us. Only letting go of ourselves, and humbly submitting our will to His.
" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
And still this same father, like our Heavenly Father still came down with love on his older son. He didn't say "mind your own business" or "just be thankful for what you have" or "don't be such a party pooper". He still acknowledged that this son was also precious, and is still an "heir" to all he has, just the same. He (probably all smiles and jumping around) was just like, "hey man, come on! Your brother is here again! He's alive again! Let's party!" He totally ignored the bad attitude and just brought forth encouragement. And just the same as our Heavenly Father, God- when He looks on us, He sees only His love for us, not the "real" us. That should just make us all the more want to abandon the "real" us so it will become the "former" us… and by always keeping in our hearts a hunger for God, we can STAY the "new" us.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
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