Category: helping
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Jesus — The Resurrection and the Life
A family of five, living in a studio apartment full of little critters running around, is no way to live life. An 11 year old, having to worry about whether or not an adult will make sexual advances on him or her tonight, is no way to live either. Nor is it cool that a single mother, working three jobs to make ends meet, gets her 4 kids taken away because someone called child protective services after discovering they were left alone at home a few hours a day.We get so caught up in living life and gathering things. We define ourselves by the things we have accumulated and none of these things mean anything when we’re dead. We spend a lot of time being angry and frustrated when things don’t go our way. We hold grudges and seek revenge and will go to great lengths to get even. We are overweight, sleep deprived and need assistance from the pharmaceutical industry just to keep up. For all these things to be temporal, why do we place such value on them?
Jesus made this statement in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…” I wonder how many people truly understand and are comforted by these words? With these statements Jesus has changed the game.
He’s taken the focus off of the now and placed it on the eternal. If there is anyone watching the big picture here, God has given us an everlasting promise that should make our lives easier. His statements set us free.
We struggle to live life here on earth in such a corruptible state and when our loving savior promises us eternal life it doesn’t appear to be enough. I mean is it enough, dear reader, to make you stop chasing the almighty dollar and begin to covet more spiritual things? Does it make you want to spread love to everyone you meet? Does it make you want to change the game for someone else? Does it even make you want to be a better person — you know, live life because you’re saved and not to earn salvation?
This could be a stab in the dark, but I believe that Jesus actually meant for this to be the best news ever and that his disciples would hear these words and live a celebratory life in honor of His work.
Are we taking his promises for granted?
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Would you dare to die?
I don’t know who first said it, but love is a strange thing. This is a very true saying and when you think of all the things that love was given credit to, you can see how powerful love really is. Love has been the cause of things good and bad. Love has been the cause of wars, suicide, divorce, murder, lies, stealing, cheating and betrayal. It has also been the strength of marriages, the changing of hard hearts to soft hearts and the resurrection of a nation.Love is pretty powerful. So Veteran’s Day always makes me think of the sacrifices of our armed forces. I think about the fact that even though some soldier who died did not know me — heck, never met me. But he or she risked their very lives so I could feel safe. They didn’t just die for my country, but they died for me.
Jesus died for me in amuch similar fashion. He died so I wouldn’t have too. He fought the battle and shouldered the burden of sin in my stead. There was nothing about me that would make him do this. His death says far more about him than it does me. I believe this statement is true about our veterans.
The bible says: “6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:6-10 KJV).
Here’s the point, it is noteworthy that we have men and women filled with so much love that they would be willing to give their life in the ultimate sacrifice. What makes this sacrifice ultimate is that they walk in the footsteps of Jesus. It was the love that God had for us that he gave his son — this started it all.
I am thankful to all our service men and women who answered the call of patriotism and served or is serving our country faithfully. I honor you this week and you are worthy of this praise. God bless you and God bless the United States of America!
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But God,
Attention everyone!This is a break from the election junk. Please remember to vote Nov. 6 for whoever you support because it is your right.
I was explaining to a group of kids this past week about my selection for president. Now before you think that I’m getting ready to give you my personal views on the candidates don’t worry. That’s not what I told the kids and it’s not what I’m going to waste your time on either.
What I told them was about two of my favorite words in scripture and when these two words come together, look out! The two words I’m referring to are “But” and “God”. If my life were a manuscript, after every calamity it would read “but God.” After every screw up, every sin, every problem, every worry and every confession, I have been able to say “but God.”
I’m very proud of this fact. I have personally experienced the unmerited favor of the Lord. Every time I read Ephesians 2:3-6 I get goose pimples because it is very personal to me. Paul writes: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;).”
It’s not enough to simply know that we are sinners. It’s really the idea that we could experience such great love and not have earned it. It’s really that we have been granted peace, given grace and experience mercy. The level of forgiveness is not of this world and for this, all God wants us to do is trust and obey.
It is this fact that makes me not a candidate for judging others. I am not a candidate eligible to sit on the same level as God and condemn anyone. BUT GOD did invite me to love, forgive, help, comfort, educate and nurture all of mankind. It’s the privilege I have as a child of the King. I have to always remember who is in control — and it ain’t ever been me. I’m glad that God sits high and looks low and shows favor to his children.
No matter what happens on Nov. 6, I will be content where I am because God is in charge and I am eternally grateful for that. So when things go wrong and situations get out of hand, I hope like me you can smile and say, “But God.”
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Greet one another
An acute characteristic of a Christian ought to be that he or she is very friendly. I have heard many congregations say that they are the friendliest church around, but most times when you attend you can barely get a handshake.
Christ seemed to have a natural way with people. It always fascinates me that crowds of sinner hung around just to hear what he had to say. Jesus was always gentle with them. He never made the feel like they were sinners. He never made them feel like he was better than them. And he never made them feel like they didn’t belong.
But beyond making them feel welcomed, through his words he always gave them something valuable – the words of life.
Every moment was like a teaching moment for Jesus. He never lost sight of his mission and he understood that how he greeted people would directly effect his ministry. He never gave people a license to sin or made them feel comfortable in sin. What Jesus did was profound: He accepted where they were in life and gave them words to move them forward.
The woman he met at the well in John 4 is a great example. Despite the obvious differences of Jesus being Jewish and the woman being a Samaritan, Jesus did something to show her instant acceptance. He asked her for a drink of water. When she heard the question she had a hard time digesting it. She knew he didn’t have anything to drink with meaning that he would have to drink from her cup.
That’s not something a Jewish person would have done at that time. This would have been worse than a White person drinking from the “colored” fountain in Mississippi in 1930!
Jesus with one question did more to build a relationship with someone different than many Christians do today. To have the same Spirit of Christ we have to have the ability and desire to walk in his steps.
ClydeStyle 