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Archive for May, 2011

Quote – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

08 May

When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Galatians 2:20 – 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 A man cannot successfully serve Jesus if he is chasing after his own desires. 

Luke 9:62 – 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Part of the fall is us chasing after our own selfish and evil desires.  Trying to be the God of our own lives.  Isn’t that the bill of goods that Satan was feeding to Eve.  You can be like God?  That didn’t bode well for her, Adam, or all of us decedents.

We need to die to our own selfish lives and serve the One who created and already died for us.

 
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Posted in Quotes, Reflections

 

Religion?

06 May

As a Christian the term religion is so generic and impersonal.

Any belief system can be a religion.  You can make your own up.  Get a following and you are religious.

Religion.

You’ll hear people say, I grew up in religious household, or went to a religious school.  Trust me they didn’t get anything out of either the house or the school if that’s how they refer to it.

Here is a little analogy, I love analogies.  Let’s say you’re into favorite football team.  Let’s say it’s the Seattle Seahawks.  You live, you breathe the Seahawks.  It’s what you live for.  Nothing else matters.  No other football team, certainly no other sport.

Someone comes up to you and says, I understand you like sports.  You look at them and say not really, just one.  I really only like one team.  Then they look at you and say, what’s the difference?  Sports is sports isn’t it?  Do people play?  Do you keep score?  You like sports.

No.

Christianity is supposed to be a relationship with the Son of God!

It’s not supposed to be a ritual or a set of rules made by men.

Isaiah 29:13 – 13 The Lord says:
   “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

It’s supposed to be a relationship.  People have those with the Lord.  It’s best when it grows and becomes stronger.  In any relationship that exists, how does it become strong?

Dedication, devotion, sacrifice, and love.  In any relationship and that includes friends.

So without it can you have a relationship with Jesus without those things?  Oh you can be saved.  It says whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.  One has to believe more than He just existed.  They have to believe He is the Son of God and ask for forgiveness. 

The relationship though doesn’t grow automatically because of that.  I’ve met a lot of people.  I don’t have even the slightest relationship with them. 

Do you have religion?  Because if you refer to it as religion, you’re missing out on a relationship with the One who loves you, created you, and died for you.  It takes effort and devotion.  When you sincerely do that, He’s right there with the love and He made the sacrifice.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation

 

Nahum 1:7

05 May

Nahum 1:7 – 7 The LORD is good,
   a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,

Jeremiah 17:7 – 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.”

We as Christians have nothing else to put our trust in, but the Lord. 

Others who do put their trust into something else?

Isaiah 42:17 – 17 But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Proverbs 11:28 – 28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Psalm 146:3 – 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

Proverbs 28:26 –  26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

An idol can be anything you put in front of the Lord.  Riches are huge stumbling block of today.  Only one God Man can save, the rest cannot.  Those who trust in themselves are in for a lot of heartache.

Let go, let God.  I’ve always enjoyed that saying.  Trust in the Lord.  The rest is all temporary.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration

 

Forever!

04 May

Forever!  F-O-R-E-V-E-R!  Do you know how long that is?

There is nothing in your current life that is worth rejecting God and Jesus forever.  There is nothing worth being away from God’s presence or hearing the Lord’s disappointment at the time of truth.  Nothing, absolutely nothing!

Start today.  Get your heart closer in the right direction today.  Eternity is Forever!  You just have to take the time to walk in the right direction.  God meets you much earlier than half way.  He’s there right away. 

As the song says, Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  You make the call.  You make the effort.  He’ll do a lot of things for you after that, but making the call and effort is your responsibility.

1Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

 
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Life Is A Model Example

03 May

My wife and I were woken Sunday morning by our children with May Day gifts.  That’s right, May Day gifts.  My first ever May Day gift.

Why was it so special?  Because no one told them to do it.  It was totally out of the ordinary, unexpected, and one hundred percent was showing us love.

Nunahnunahnunahnah …… what a revelation.

Our children took the initiative, without being prompted, to show us that they love us.

Why can’t most of the human race understand that God wants his children to go out of their way to show Him that they love Him?

I could end the post right here, because that really is the point.  We are given tons of scenarios like this in our lives so we can understand things better and relate.

I know many people who consider themselves Christians who don’t put any effort into a relationship with God.  Let’s reflect on that.  How can this be if they really care about God and Christ like they say they do?

If you say you’re a baseball fan and never watch a game on television, go to the ballpark, or listen on the radio, are you really a fan?

If you say you love country music and never listen to country music, do you really love it?

Isaiah 29:13 –  13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.  

Mark 7:6 – 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

   “‘These people honor me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me.

Actions speak louder than words.  Talk is cheap. 

However for those who try to make a show and has a heart that is not sincere, He is not fooled by them either.

If you love the Lord, make Him the center piece of your life.  Show Him that you love Him.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Motivation, Reflections

 

The Lord Loves Righteousness.

02 May

Since I got a late posting I’ll wait to post my other one tomorrow.  Instead I’ll put down a scripture for today.

Psalm 33:5 –  5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Don’t ever forget that.  Our Lord loves what is right and can’t stand what is wrong.  He is the Creator, so we need to do our best everyday on living for Him that gave us life!

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Reflections

 
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