"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Jesus did not just overcome death on the cross, but we follow a king who was tempted in everyway and did not fall once. He overcame sin so he could become sin for us. He took our sins, killed them on the cross and left them in the tomb!
Praise the Lord!! Christ has overcome!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXeA0G_xKc
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Saturday-Where's the Proof?
On the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I have pondered what this period of time was like for Jesus' followers. They had just seen their King do wonderous miracles, preach outstanding and bold messages, and claim to be the Son of God through it all. Then, they saw the world come in, they saw the wickedness of men appear to have the best of our precious Savior.
What did the disciples see on this Good Friday? The defeat of their Savior. He claimed to be all these amazing things for them...now where's the proof? He claimed to be the Great Shepherd, the Bread of Life, even the Resurrection and the Life. Yet, on this day we remember him laying in the tomb. What went through their minds?
A good friend of mine made this statement last year, and I'm going to borrow it...we live in this same Saturday. We wait for Sunday to happen. Now we see that many times in the Old Testament and even in Jesus life the prophesy of Jesus death had to be fulfilled, and we even know that he said he will rise again.
But right now, on this Saturday while it's happening...where is the proof? Yes, he got crushed for our sins and bruised for our iniquities...if you remember he even raised Lazarus from the dead.
The disciples followed him throughout the ministry despite the parables they didn't understand, the messages they didn't reflect on, the miracles they saw but didn't comprehend the meaning...they still knew and believed that Jesus was Lord. However, when the hardest of hardship came, even when prepared by Jesus, the disciples fled...kept a distance...and mourned the loss of their Savior as if it was for good.
How depressing this day must have been...
We don't have to live like this. We don't have to mourn over the death of our Savior, because we know what we celebrate tomorrow. We don't have to worry about a narrow path that leads unknown, because we know Jesus walked it before us. We don't have to cry over a hopeless situation, because the Words of Jesus lead us to believe otherwise if we just believe.
So, when we are stuck in a Saturday, where is the proof? It is found from the Words of Christ, credible through the miracles, finalized through the cross, and hopeful through the resurrection.
Remember the promises not yet seen but soon to be fulfilled.
I love you all.
What did the disciples see on this Good Friday? The defeat of their Savior. He claimed to be all these amazing things for them...now where's the proof? He claimed to be the Great Shepherd, the Bread of Life, even the Resurrection and the Life. Yet, on this day we remember him laying in the tomb. What went through their minds?
A good friend of mine made this statement last year, and I'm going to borrow it...we live in this same Saturday. We wait for Sunday to happen. Now we see that many times in the Old Testament and even in Jesus life the prophesy of Jesus death had to be fulfilled, and we even know that he said he will rise again.
But right now, on this Saturday while it's happening...where is the proof? Yes, he got crushed for our sins and bruised for our iniquities...if you remember he even raised Lazarus from the dead.
The disciples followed him throughout the ministry despite the parables they didn't understand, the messages they didn't reflect on, the miracles they saw but didn't comprehend the meaning...they still knew and believed that Jesus was Lord. However, when the hardest of hardship came, even when prepared by Jesus, the disciples fled...kept a distance...and mourned the loss of their Savior as if it was for good.
How depressing this day must have been...
We don't have to live like this. We don't have to mourn over the death of our Savior, because we know what we celebrate tomorrow. We don't have to worry about a narrow path that leads unknown, because we know Jesus walked it before us. We don't have to cry over a hopeless situation, because the Words of Jesus lead us to believe otherwise if we just believe.
So, when we are stuck in a Saturday, where is the proof? It is found from the Words of Christ, credible through the miracles, finalized through the cross, and hopeful through the resurrection.
Remember the promises not yet seen but soon to be fulfilled.
I love you all.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Good Friday-Saving Faith
I truly miss blogging on a regular basis...it stinks not having internet in my apartment and not having the chance to sit down and reflect on scripture and God's path for my life like this. I have learned to really enjoy the challenge of blogging for the purpose of sharing my faith and strengthening others.
I wanted to blog today on my day off and on account of it being Good Friday...but a lot has happened in the last month that I am having a hard time picking what to write on...but my heart has really be pierced with this topic, and I believe that it will rub off into all areas of our lives (including the recent debates that are being publicized EVERYWHERE!!) If you don't see how, ask God to reveal it to you, because I do believe that this applies to all our future endeavors and it will guide us in all our choices in life, including these fine areas where we don't know how to respond.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
Fan verses Follower
Orpah versus Ruth (yes, it's another Ruth reference)
Read the first chapter of Ruth, and look at Orpah. In summary, this girl is very sincere and compassionate toward the widowed Naomi. It says in this chapter that both Ruth AND Orpah clung to Naomi and wanted to join her back to the Promised land. Now, after Naomi's pessimistic approach to the idea, Orpah departed and Ruth stuck on. I never looked at this comparison in this manner, and I want to bring this to your attention through Ruth and Orpah.
Orpah had faith, Ruth had saving faith. Why? Orpah was a good person....she loved Naomi. She did the right things, had the best intentions, truly cared for Naomi. But she didn't have the saving faith in God to make the sacrifice to really follow where her heart was going like Ruth did. To give you a brief context, what Ruth did was not only loving, but dangerous for herself. She was an outcast. She was a single woman with no secure male in her life to protect her in a foreign land. She was giving up her comfort land to not only follow Naomi and care for her, but she put away her old ways and struggles to go into an unknown territory to pursue a God that would later give her blessing beyond her wildest dreams (at the time, she had no idea what God was going to do for her).
Orpah did not have this faith. She did not give up her life. She did not like the idea of not knowing what would happen to her. It wasn't because she didn't love Naomi that much, I bet she loved Naomi just as much as Ruth did. The difference was in the faith in God. It's scary, but I want you all to hear this...just because you are a good person does not mean you are going to be with Jesus.
My verse above speaks just that to us today. It is the difference between Faith and Saving Faith. My friends, some of you love Jesus....but do you really LOVE Jesus? Are you like Orpah, who cared enough to latch on, but when it gets hard you run back to comfort? Now I am not perfect, and I have my doubts as well...and thank God that He is gracious to forgive me and give me second and third chances....I don't know your heart and I am not writing this to accuse anyone. You can point fingers right back at me, in fact I encourage you to so I may grow more.
But here is how I know I have saving faith...when I look at the Cross today, I don't just see an obligation that I meet once a year. I am reminded how Jesus gave up the perfect to live with the imperfect. I see how Jesus endured 33 years, being tempted in every way, and not falling once into sin. I see how Jesus submitted to the Father's will and provided the narrow way for me. I see how ultimate sorrow and ultimate joy come together. I see power and glory of God. I see the sign of victory. And seeing these things change how I live.
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
I wanted to blog today on my day off and on account of it being Good Friday...but a lot has happened in the last month that I am having a hard time picking what to write on...but my heart has really be pierced with this topic, and I believe that it will rub off into all areas of our lives (including the recent debates that are being publicized EVERYWHERE!!) If you don't see how, ask God to reveal it to you, because I do believe that this applies to all our future endeavors and it will guide us in all our choices in life, including these fine areas where we don't know how to respond.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
Matthew 16:24 NLT
Faith versus Saving Faith Fan verses Follower
Orpah versus Ruth (yes, it's another Ruth reference)
Read the first chapter of Ruth, and look at Orpah. In summary, this girl is very sincere and compassionate toward the widowed Naomi. It says in this chapter that both Ruth AND Orpah clung to Naomi and wanted to join her back to the Promised land. Now, after Naomi's pessimistic approach to the idea, Orpah departed and Ruth stuck on. I never looked at this comparison in this manner, and I want to bring this to your attention through Ruth and Orpah.
Orpah had faith, Ruth had saving faith. Why? Orpah was a good person....she loved Naomi. She did the right things, had the best intentions, truly cared for Naomi. But she didn't have the saving faith in God to make the sacrifice to really follow where her heart was going like Ruth did. To give you a brief context, what Ruth did was not only loving, but dangerous for herself. She was an outcast. She was a single woman with no secure male in her life to protect her in a foreign land. She was giving up her comfort land to not only follow Naomi and care for her, but she put away her old ways and struggles to go into an unknown territory to pursue a God that would later give her blessing beyond her wildest dreams (at the time, she had no idea what God was going to do for her).
Orpah did not have this faith. She did not give up her life. She did not like the idea of not knowing what would happen to her. It wasn't because she didn't love Naomi that much, I bet she loved Naomi just as much as Ruth did. The difference was in the faith in God. It's scary, but I want you all to hear this...just because you are a good person does not mean you are going to be with Jesus.
My verse above speaks just that to us today. It is the difference between Faith and Saving Faith. My friends, some of you love Jesus....but do you really LOVE Jesus? Are you like Orpah, who cared enough to latch on, but when it gets hard you run back to comfort? Now I am not perfect, and I have my doubts as well...and thank God that He is gracious to forgive me and give me second and third chances....I don't know your heart and I am not writing this to accuse anyone. You can point fingers right back at me, in fact I encourage you to so I may grow more.
But here is how I know I have saving faith...when I look at the Cross today, I don't just see an obligation that I meet once a year. I am reminded how Jesus gave up the perfect to live with the imperfect. I see how Jesus endured 33 years, being tempted in every way, and not falling once into sin. I see how Jesus submitted to the Father's will and provided the narrow way for me. I see how ultimate sorrow and ultimate joy come together. I see power and glory of God. I see the sign of victory. And seeing these things change how I live.
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus did not die to save us from Hell. He died to save us from Sin. He died to save us from ourselves...here and now. It begins here. It begins now. Not later after we die. When you look at the Cross, is it your ticket to Heaven, or your Saving Grace? Let the Cross save you and change you today. Because if you don't, you will be dissappointed.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven."
Matthew 7:21
This Easter, I pray that you just don't see a routine and obligation. I pray you don't just hear the story again. I pray that you don't settle with where you are in life. I truly pray that you will put away all selfish desires and run toward the Cross, broken and aware of your neediness for a Savior now and every day.
I love you all.
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