"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock." - Matthew 7:25
No one ever wants to go through hard times. We all want to go through life with as little resistance as possible. Speaking for myself, I certainly do everything I can to avoid any sort of hardship. But the fact is that no matter how hard we try to avoid the hardships of life, they are inevitable. Eventually, something devastating will happen. It has been said that if you are not going through a storm, you're heading into one.
In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus is nearing the end of the Beatitudes, a series of teachings to His followers. In this section, Jesus talks about how those who listen to His words are like wise men who build their houses on a rock. When the storm came and the winds and rain beat on the house, it did not crumble because it had a solid foundation. On the other hand, Jesus says those who do not follow His words are like a foolish man who builds his house on sand. The storm came and the winds and rain beat on the house but because the house was not built on a solid foundation, it crumbled. There are a couple important points to discuss about these verses.
First, Jesus is attempting to convey just how powerful His words and promises are. What He is saying in these passages is that if you hold true to the teachings of Christ, when the storms of life hit, you will have a solid foundation to help you through the tough times. Developing that foundation before the storm hits (and it will hit eventually) prepares you to deal with anything. No matter how bad the situation gets, there is comfort in knowing that you are a child of God. He loves you and will see you through the toughest of times. However, if you are building your foundation on something other than Jesus, the tough times will leave you in its destruction. Just as a foolish man's house after a storm, you will be left picking up the pieces, trying to patch things together again. Why not prepare for the storm beforehand rather than dealing with it after?
The second point I want to make is for you to notice that the storm hit both the wise man's house and the foolish man's house. There is a false belief (coming from false teachers) that being a Christian means you will never go through difficult times, that life is just butterflies and rainbows. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Christians go through storms just like everyone else. The difference is that we have the promises of Jesus to hold us up, to keep us strong. We know that whatever we are faced with, Jesus is with us every step of the way.
So if you are going through a a tough time right now, I encourage you to hold close to the promises of Jesus. He is with you at all times. He loves you so much and He wants to help you through whatever you are experiencing. But a relationship is a two way street. He is not going to help anyone that doesn't want to be helped. So if you haven't already, start building your home on the proper foundation. Build your house on the Rock.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Ask, Seek, Knock
"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." -Luke 11:10
Some people who become Christians think that God is a genie: ask Him for whatever you want and He is going to give it to you. Then when they ask for something and God doesn't give it to them exactly how they want, they get upset, think that He doesn't care, or worse, think He doesn't exist. The thing is, if they knew exactly how God operates, they would find that He always has better plans for your life.
In this passage, Jesus has finished praying and the disciples have asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus then goes on to recite what is commonly known to as the "Lord's Prayer". Personally, I believe this is more of a template of how to pray rather than the exact prayer that we should be pray. After all, Jesus did say that we shouldn't "keep on babbling like pagans" (Matthew 6:7). Often times when people recite the "Lord's Prayer", it becomes more of a chant rather than heartfelt communication with God. For the record, I believe the "Lord's Prayer" is actually found in the gospel of John chapter 17.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand prayer. It is one of the greatest mysteries of being a Christian but there is no doubt it has great power. It is interesting that after Jesus gives the disciples a template for how they should pray, He goes on to describe that power:
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
A couple things about this passage. First, Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. Many times people (and I'm just as guilty as anyone) use prayer as the last option. We've tried everything we could think of, now it's time to pray. Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. James 4:2-3 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." When we need something in our lives, we should pray and ask God. And when we ask God, it should be with correct motives.
Secondly, notice how Jesus doesn't say, "For everyone who asks receives exactly what they ask for, and the one who seeks finds exactly what they are looking for, and to the one who knocks gets the exact door they were hoping for." Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock but He never said we would get exactly what we wanted. Many times we ask for things out of selfishness and we don't take the time to think about what would happen if God gave us exactly everything we asked for. What if God allowed you to win the lottery? Sure you would be rich but would you get lost in all of your possessions? What if God gave you that promotion you've been wanting? Would you still have time for Him or for your family? Often times our desires are focused on being in the moment and not thinking about the bigger picture. Luckily for us, God knows all. He knows what would happen if He gave you your every desire.
Finally, Jesus compares our heavenly Father to earthly parents. As parents, we wouldn't give our children a snake if they asked for candy, right? Or if a child wanted some ice cream, you wouldn't throw a swarm of bees at them. Now if we, as fallen and sinful humans, know how to give children what they need, how much MORE does our Heavenly Father know how to give us what we need? So while you may not get exactly what you ask for, rest assured that the God of the universe knows exactly what you need and will provide you with that.
As children of God, we have access to God anytime we want. We can talk to Him, plead with Him, and ask Him for what we need. As Christians, we need to take advantage of this privilege. Take time now to talk with God. Let Him know what you need.
Some people who become Christians think that God is a genie: ask Him for whatever you want and He is going to give it to you. Then when they ask for something and God doesn't give it to them exactly how they want, they get upset, think that He doesn't care, or worse, think He doesn't exist. The thing is, if they knew exactly how God operates, they would find that He always has better plans for your life.
In this passage, Jesus has finished praying and the disciples have asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus then goes on to recite what is commonly known to as the "Lord's Prayer". Personally, I believe this is more of a template of how to pray rather than the exact prayer that we should be pray. After all, Jesus did say that we shouldn't "keep on babbling like pagans" (Matthew 6:7). Often times when people recite the "Lord's Prayer", it becomes more of a chant rather than heartfelt communication with God. For the record, I believe the "Lord's Prayer" is actually found in the gospel of John chapter 17.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand prayer. It is one of the greatest mysteries of being a Christian but there is no doubt it has great power. It is interesting that after Jesus gives the disciples a template for how they should pray, He goes on to describe that power:
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
A couple things about this passage. First, Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. Many times people (and I'm just as guilty as anyone) use prayer as the last option. We've tried everything we could think of, now it's time to pray. Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. James 4:2-3 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." When we need something in our lives, we should pray and ask God. And when we ask God, it should be with correct motives.
Secondly, notice how Jesus doesn't say, "For everyone who asks receives exactly what they ask for, and the one who seeks finds exactly what they are looking for, and to the one who knocks gets the exact door they were hoping for." Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock but He never said we would get exactly what we wanted. Many times we ask for things out of selfishness and we don't take the time to think about what would happen if God gave us exactly everything we asked for. What if God allowed you to win the lottery? Sure you would be rich but would you get lost in all of your possessions? What if God gave you that promotion you've been wanting? Would you still have time for Him or for your family? Often times our desires are focused on being in the moment and not thinking about the bigger picture. Luckily for us, God knows all. He knows what would happen if He gave you your every desire.
Finally, Jesus compares our heavenly Father to earthly parents. As parents, we wouldn't give our children a snake if they asked for candy, right? Or if a child wanted some ice cream, you wouldn't throw a swarm of bees at them. Now if we, as fallen and sinful humans, know how to give children what they need, how much MORE does our Heavenly Father know how to give us what we need? So while you may not get exactly what you ask for, rest assured that the God of the universe knows exactly what you need and will provide you with that.
As children of God, we have access to God anytime we want. We can talk to Him, plead with Him, and ask Him for what we need. As Christians, we need to take advantage of this privilege. Take time now to talk with God. Let Him know what you need.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Ultimate Form of Love
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." - 1 Corinthians 3:13
What is interesting about the word 'love' is that in English all we have is one word. If I wanted to describe the feelings that I have for my wife, I would say, "I love my wife." However, I'm limited to using the same word when I am asked to describe what I think about pizza. "I love pizza." Obviously, the love I have for my wife and the love I have for pizza are different but I'm limited in the words I can use. In the Greek language (which the New Testament was written), there are a few different words that we translate as 'love':
"eros" - it is fairly easy to see that the English word 'erotic' was derived from this Greek word for love. "Eros" refers to sexual love and the arousal feelings that accompany that. It was commonly used to describe the love of two people who were physically attracted to each other.
"storge" (pronounced "store-gey") - this refers to familial love, the love that is shared between family members. This Greek word is not found in the bible.
"philia" - this word was used to describe love that was shared between friends. Whereas 'eros' deals with a person's libido, 'philia' has to do with feelings of the heart.
"agape" (pronounced "a-ga-pe") - this refers to a type of love that is self-sacrificing. It is a love that looks out for others with no regard of the personal cost. This love is able to love even when it is not loved in return. This love is given not expecting repayment.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul uses the Greek word "agape" throughout, which actually makes sense when you read the chapter knowing the Greeks had different words that we translated into 'love'. Now that you have a sort of scholarly knowledge of this passage, what does it all mean?
Quite simply, Paul is declaring that as Christians, we need to have the "agape" type of love. No matter what spiritual gifts we are blessed with, if we do not have "agape" then we are missing the point of those gifts. What is the point of having knowledge if you can't share it in love? What is the point of having complete faith if you can't express it in love?
Jesus Christ was the ultimate form of "agape" love. Because He loved you with an "agape" love, He sacrificed His life on the cross so that you could have eternal life with Him. To drive the point of "agape" love even further, Christ died knowing that some people would reject that love but He chose to die anyway. That is the ultimate love. If you haven't chosen to experience the "agape" love of Christ, I would encourage you to do so.
As for Christians, we must have an "agape" love for people. I know it is not easy and there are people who don't always seem deserving of "agape" love but we must do it anyway. Christ commands us to in Luke 6:35. Jesus says, "Love your enemies". Guess what Greek word is used for "love" in this passage? That's right, "agape". We must love everyone, even our enemies, with "agape" love.
1 Corinthians chapter 13 is quoted has become a go-to piece of scripture whenever Christians try to define and describe what love is.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
My challenge to you is to take out the word "love" and replace it with your name. Does it describe you?
"[insert name here] suffers long and is kind; [insert name here] does not envy; [insert name here] does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
After replacing "love" with your name, does it describe you? If you are like me, it doesn't but I will continue to try to love with an "agape" type of love.
What is interesting about the word 'love' is that in English all we have is one word. If I wanted to describe the feelings that I have for my wife, I would say, "I love my wife." However, I'm limited to using the same word when I am asked to describe what I think about pizza. "I love pizza." Obviously, the love I have for my wife and the love I have for pizza are different but I'm limited in the words I can use. In the Greek language (which the New Testament was written), there are a few different words that we translate as 'love':
"eros" - it is fairly easy to see that the English word 'erotic' was derived from this Greek word for love. "Eros" refers to sexual love and the arousal feelings that accompany that. It was commonly used to describe the love of two people who were physically attracted to each other.
"storge" (pronounced "store-gey") - this refers to familial love, the love that is shared between family members. This Greek word is not found in the bible.
"philia" - this word was used to describe love that was shared between friends. Whereas 'eros' deals with a person's libido, 'philia' has to do with feelings of the heart.
"agape" (pronounced "a-ga-pe") - this refers to a type of love that is self-sacrificing. It is a love that looks out for others with no regard of the personal cost. This love is able to love even when it is not loved in return. This love is given not expecting repayment.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul uses the Greek word "agape" throughout, which actually makes sense when you read the chapter knowing the Greeks had different words that we translated into 'love'. Now that you have a sort of scholarly knowledge of this passage, what does it all mean?
Quite simply, Paul is declaring that as Christians, we need to have the "agape" type of love. No matter what spiritual gifts we are blessed with, if we do not have "agape" then we are missing the point of those gifts. What is the point of having knowledge if you can't share it in love? What is the point of having complete faith if you can't express it in love?
Jesus Christ was the ultimate form of "agape" love. Because He loved you with an "agape" love, He sacrificed His life on the cross so that you could have eternal life with Him. To drive the point of "agape" love even further, Christ died knowing that some people would reject that love but He chose to die anyway. That is the ultimate love. If you haven't chosen to experience the "agape" love of Christ, I would encourage you to do so.
As for Christians, we must have an "agape" love for people. I know it is not easy and there are people who don't always seem deserving of "agape" love but we must do it anyway. Christ commands us to in Luke 6:35. Jesus says, "Love your enemies". Guess what Greek word is used for "love" in this passage? That's right, "agape". We must love everyone, even our enemies, with "agape" love.
1 Corinthians chapter 13 is quoted has become a go-to piece of scripture whenever Christians try to define and describe what love is.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
My challenge to you is to take out the word "love" and replace it with your name. Does it describe you?
"[insert name here] suffers long and is kind; [insert name here] does not envy; [insert name here] does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
After replacing "love" with your name, does it describe you? If you are like me, it doesn't but I will continue to try to love with an "agape" type of love.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Should Prayer Only Be Done Privately?
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." -Matthew 6:5-6
It is a very common idea by those who are not familiar with the Bible that Jesus was against praying in public. Of course, many people read only these two verses and so of course it is easy to see how they come to that conclusion. It is interesting how many do this with the Bible but if those same people were to read a certain quote from a newspaper or magazine, chances are they would read the entire article. Why would they read the entire article? Because they are looking for context.
What is context? Context is a word or passage surrounding a discourse that clarifies meaning. For some reason though, when people read the Bible, context doesn't seem to matter. If you want correct context of a verse or passage in the Bible I strongly suggest that you never read a verse. That's right. If you want context in the Bible, you should never read a single verse. Rather, you should always read more than one verse. Does something sound off to you? Read the verses before and after and it may help you clarify.
Now back to Jesus being "against" public prayer....
If you read Matthew, chapter 6 verses 1-21, it's clear that Jesus is talking about a person's intentions for doing certain things. In verses 1-4, Jesus talks about doing charitable deeds in secret. Why? Because as Christians, we should not do things for approval or praise from people. We should do these things because Christ has called us to do them and we want to honor Christ. Jesus says that those who do things for earthly rewards will not receive heavenly rewards. Likewise, in verses 16-18 Jesus discusses the issue of fasting. If Christians are going to fast, we should do so with the right intentions, i.e. not to seek the approval of people but rather to honor God.
Now, that I have discussed the verses before and after, it is clear that Jesus being anti-public prayer does not fit in the context of this section. What Jesus is really talking about is what our real motives should be. Notice Matthew 6:5 even starts by Jesus saying, "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites..." Who were these hypocrites? These people that Jesus are referring to were the religious leaders of those days. What made them hypocrites? Jesus considered these religious leaders to be hypocrites because their intentions for being "godly" were way off. Whenever they did a charitable deed, they would call attention on themselves, seeking approval from others. When they were fasting, they would make their faces seem sad and disfigured so people would feel sorry for them. And when they prayed, the religious leaders would stand in the synagogues or street corners so that all could see them and think that they were so religious. Apparently, these leaders would also say the same prayers over and over again (verse 7). These prayers were probably really long and consisted of very long or educated words designed to impress the people.
IFJesus meant for prayer to be only a private action, surely Jesus only prayed in private right? Nope.
While there are many examples of Jesus stepping away from the crowd in order to pray privately, Jesus also prayed among other people:
Jesus was not anti-public prayer. Jesus was anti-praying in such a way that was not with proper intentions. The context surrounding Matthew 6:5 clearly shows this. If you are going to pray in front of people, make sure that you are doing so with the right intentions. Pray to honor and give thanks to God, not to seek praise from those around you. Prayer should not be done for earthly rewards. Prayer should be selfless, not selfish.
It is a very common idea by those who are not familiar with the Bible that Jesus was against praying in public. Of course, many people read only these two verses and so of course it is easy to see how they come to that conclusion. It is interesting how many do this with the Bible but if those same people were to read a certain quote from a newspaper or magazine, chances are they would read the entire article. Why would they read the entire article? Because they are looking for context.
What is context? Context is a word or passage surrounding a discourse that clarifies meaning. For some reason though, when people read the Bible, context doesn't seem to matter. If you want correct context of a verse or passage in the Bible I strongly suggest that you never read a verse. That's right. If you want context in the Bible, you should never read a single verse. Rather, you should always read more than one verse. Does something sound off to you? Read the verses before and after and it may help you clarify.
Now back to Jesus being "against" public prayer....
If you read Matthew, chapter 6 verses 1-21, it's clear that Jesus is talking about a person's intentions for doing certain things. In verses 1-4, Jesus talks about doing charitable deeds in secret. Why? Because as Christians, we should not do things for approval or praise from people. We should do these things because Christ has called us to do them and we want to honor Christ. Jesus says that those who do things for earthly rewards will not receive heavenly rewards. Likewise, in verses 16-18 Jesus discusses the issue of fasting. If Christians are going to fast, we should do so with the right intentions, i.e. not to seek the approval of people but rather to honor God.
Now, that I have discussed the verses before and after, it is clear that Jesus being anti-public prayer does not fit in the context of this section. What Jesus is really talking about is what our real motives should be. Notice Matthew 6:5 even starts by Jesus saying, "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites..." Who were these hypocrites? These people that Jesus are referring to were the religious leaders of those days. What made them hypocrites? Jesus considered these religious leaders to be hypocrites because their intentions for being "godly" were way off. Whenever they did a charitable deed, they would call attention on themselves, seeking approval from others. When they were fasting, they would make their faces seem sad and disfigured so people would feel sorry for them. And when they prayed, the religious leaders would stand in the synagogues or street corners so that all could see them and think that they were so religious. Apparently, these leaders would also say the same prayers over and over again (verse 7). These prayers were probably really long and consisted of very long or educated words designed to impress the people.
IFJesus meant for prayer to be only a private action, surely Jesus only prayed in private right? Nope.
While there are many examples of Jesus stepping away from the crowd in order to pray privately, Jesus also prayed among other people:
- In John chapter 17, Jesus prays in the upper room in the presence of his disciples (minus Judas, who had left to betray Jesus). We know Jesus is praying because the chapter starts by saying, "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said..." (verse 1).
- In John chapter 11, verses 41-42, Jesus prays at the tomb of Lazarus. Verses 31 and 33 show that many people had followed Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus so they must have heard Him pray.
And if the disciples and a group of Jews are not big enough for you:
- In John chapter 6, verse 11, Jesus gives thanks for the loaves of bread before He feeds the crowd of five thousand. And if there is any question as to who Jesus is giving thanks to, in Matthew chapter 14, verse 19, the writer adds that Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed the loaves. It should be noted that five thousand was the number of men in attendance, not the total amount of people. Verse 21 indicates "those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children." So it's reasonable to think that there could have been ten thousand people (or even more) in attendance. Certainly that large of a crowd could be considered "public".
Jesus was not anti-public prayer. Jesus was anti-praying in such a way that was not with proper intentions. The context surrounding Matthew 6:5 clearly shows this. If you are going to pray in front of people, make sure that you are doing so with the right intentions. Pray to honor and give thanks to God, not to seek praise from those around you. Prayer should not be done for earthly rewards. Prayer should be selfless, not selfish.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The G.O.S.P.E.L. In the Bible's Most Famous Verse
"God so loved the world, He gave His
Only begotten
Son that whoever believes in Him shall not
Perish but have
Everlasting
Life" - John 3:16
The word gospel is used more than 75 times in the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek and when you look at the original language that was used in the manuscripts, the English word gospel is used to translate the Greek noun euangelion "good news" and verb euangelizo "to announce the good news". Of course the English word does have more meanings but essentially the Bible declares the gospel, or good news, of Jesus.
As I was listening to the radio this week, I heard a pastor talk about how the G.O.S.P.E.L. was in John 3:16, probably the most well-known verse in the Bible. As I wrote above, here is where you can find it:
God - the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Your Father in heaven who loves you unconditionally.
Only begotten - there was no other who could take the punishment for the sins of the world.
Son - speaks to the relationship that Jesus had with the Father.
Perish - those who choose not to accept the free gift of salvation that Christ has paid for will eventually have to pay the price of their own sin. But you don't have to. Jesus did that on the cross.
Everlasting - those who trust in Christ are assured an eternal life in heaven. Take a moment to truly think about eternity. It never ends. Would you rather spend an eternity with God or without Him? We all answer that question here on earth and reap the consequences of our answer after we die.
Life - the opposite of death. Those who trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins will experience a life with God that is beyond words.
So what exactly is the good news? Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, took the punishment and wrath of God for the sins of the world and most importantly resurrected so that we could experience an eternity with Him in heaven. THAT is the gospel and it is good news indeed.
Only begotten
Son that whoever believes in Him shall not
Perish but have
Everlasting
Life" - John 3:16
The word gospel is used more than 75 times in the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek and when you look at the original language that was used in the manuscripts, the English word gospel is used to translate the Greek noun euangelion "good news" and verb euangelizo "to announce the good news". Of course the English word does have more meanings but essentially the Bible declares the gospel, or good news, of Jesus.
As I was listening to the radio this week, I heard a pastor talk about how the G.O.S.P.E.L. was in John 3:16, probably the most well-known verse in the Bible. As I wrote above, here is where you can find it:
God - the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Your Father in heaven who loves you unconditionally.
Only begotten - there was no other who could take the punishment for the sins of the world.
Son - speaks to the relationship that Jesus had with the Father.
Perish - those who choose not to accept the free gift of salvation that Christ has paid for will eventually have to pay the price of their own sin. But you don't have to. Jesus did that on the cross.
Everlasting - those who trust in Christ are assured an eternal life in heaven. Take a moment to truly think about eternity. It never ends. Would you rather spend an eternity with God or without Him? We all answer that question here on earth and reap the consequences of our answer after we die.
Life - the opposite of death. Those who trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins will experience a life with God that is beyond words.
So what exactly is the good news? Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, took the punishment and wrath of God for the sins of the world and most importantly resurrected so that we could experience an eternity with Him in heaven. THAT is the gospel and it is good news indeed.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Jumping In The Wheel Barrel
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me." -John 14:1
The story is told of a man who would push a wheel barrel across a tight rope over a large canyon every day. It did not matter what the weather was, this man would push that wheel barrel. One day a stranger came up to one of the man's friends. He asked the friend, "Does this man push the wheel barrel every day?" "Yes, he does," the friend replied. The stranger then asks, "So you believe that this man can push the wheel barrel across that tightrope?" "I sure do," retorts the friend. The stranger followed up, "Would you ever get in the wheel barrel?" "Are you kidding me?! I would never get in that thing!" The stranger looked at the friend once more and said, "So you believe THAT he can push the wheel barrel across the tightrope but you don't believe IN him."
Belief That vs Belief In
This story is a good representation of how we can be with God. So many people are wiling to admit that God can do this or God can do that but they are not willing to commit their lives to Him. Believe me, I know how hard it is to trust God when the storms of life hit. It is extremely difficult. But I can also tell you that all the times I have trusted God with whatever situation I am experiencing, He has always come through.
If you are a person who likes to declare how much God can do, ask yourself, "Do you allow Him to do those things in your life?" There is a big difference between "belief that" and "belief in". "Belief that" is when you know God has the ability to clean up your situation or help you through a problem. You know He is a mighty, powerful God who is able to provide you with all the strength you will need. But it is completely different to "believe in". This is when you not only understand what God can do but you trust in Him to do it. That mortgage that can't be paid this month: believe IN God. That sickness you are going through: believe IN God. The job you're working for is going to be laying people off: believe IN God.
When Jesus was talking to His disciples the night before He was crucified, He told them, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me" (emphasis added). Jesus did not tell His disciples to believe THAT but to believe IN. And that is what He is telling you today. Don't stop at believing that God can do great things in your life. Start believing in it. Start trusting. Start committing your life fully to God and the plan He has for your life. Trust me, there is no greater plan you can live out than the plan He has set for you.
If you haven't fully committed your life to Christ, do so now. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later to prove He was who He said He was. Believe IN Him today. Don't be afraid. Jump in the wheel barrel.
The story is told of a man who would push a wheel barrel across a tight rope over a large canyon every day. It did not matter what the weather was, this man would push that wheel barrel. One day a stranger came up to one of the man's friends. He asked the friend, "Does this man push the wheel barrel every day?" "Yes, he does," the friend replied. The stranger then asks, "So you believe that this man can push the wheel barrel across that tightrope?" "I sure do," retorts the friend. The stranger followed up, "Would you ever get in the wheel barrel?" "Are you kidding me?! I would never get in that thing!" The stranger looked at the friend once more and said, "So you believe THAT he can push the wheel barrel across the tightrope but you don't believe IN him."
Belief That vs Belief In
This story is a good representation of how we can be with God. So many people are wiling to admit that God can do this or God can do that but they are not willing to commit their lives to Him. Believe me, I know how hard it is to trust God when the storms of life hit. It is extremely difficult. But I can also tell you that all the times I have trusted God with whatever situation I am experiencing, He has always come through.
If you are a person who likes to declare how much God can do, ask yourself, "Do you allow Him to do those things in your life?" There is a big difference between "belief that" and "belief in". "Belief that" is when you know God has the ability to clean up your situation or help you through a problem. You know He is a mighty, powerful God who is able to provide you with all the strength you will need. But it is completely different to "believe in". This is when you not only understand what God can do but you trust in Him to do it. That mortgage that can't be paid this month: believe IN God. That sickness you are going through: believe IN God. The job you're working for is going to be laying people off: believe IN God.
When Jesus was talking to His disciples the night before He was crucified, He told them, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me" (emphasis added). Jesus did not tell His disciples to believe THAT but to believe IN. And that is what He is telling you today. Don't stop at believing that God can do great things in your life. Start believing in it. Start trusting. Start committing your life fully to God and the plan He has for your life. Trust me, there is no greater plan you can live out than the plan He has set for you.
If you haven't fully committed your life to Christ, do so now. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later to prove He was who He said He was. Believe IN Him today. Don't be afraid. Jump in the wheel barrel.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Which Thief Are You?
"Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, 'If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us.' But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' The he said, 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.' -Luke 23:39-43
This is perhaps one of the most touching moments in all of the Bible. Down to his last moments, a thief who is nailed on the cross next to Jesus, cries out for salvation. In all of His pain and anguish, both seen and unseen, Jesus comforts the thief and assures him of his eternity. What a moment.
The Gospels tell us that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. It is important to note that crucifixion was a punishment reserved only for the worst of criminals. These guys were no petty thieves. More than likely, they were murderers, rapists, kidnappers or even all of the above. Either way, according to Roman law, they were guilty and deserving of crucifixion.
When we begin reading these verses, one thief is insulting Jesus. If you read the Gospel of Mark it says that both thieves insulted Him (Mark 15:32). Is this a contradiction? Hardly. When you put the Gospels together, it is apparent that both thieves did initially mock Christ while on the cross, however, after Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," (Luke 23:34) one of the thieves has a change of heart. The question remains: why wouldn't the other thief repent?
One thought is that the thief wanted to fit in with the world. Of course there were many people at the foot of the cross that hurled insults at Christ and by insulting Christ himself, maybe the thief thought the world might see him differently. He was looking for acceptance by the world rather than acceptance by God. On the other hand, the repentant thief was so touched by Christ's words on the cross, that he felt convicted. Notice how the thief calls Jesus "Lord". By saying that, the thief was admitting to Jesus that he was a sinner and there was no way he was going to be able to save himself. So he cried out and asked Jesus to remember him. There was no special phrase. No magical words. Just complete surrender.
The whole world falls into two categories: the insulting thief or the repentant thief. Many people in the world want nothing to do with God. Whether people intend to or not, they insult God by not accepting the free gift of salvation through Jesus. In essence, they are the insulting thief on the cross. No matter how bad life gets, they refuse to cry out to God. They would rather try to fit in with the world than submit to God. But here is what many people don't understand: no matter how bad you try to conform to the world, it will never truly love you. I'm sure the thief thought that by insulting Jesus, the people would bring him down and forgive him. But it didn't happen. They still let him suffer and die on the that cross. And I guarantee you, that thief is still regretting his decision to this day.
There are, however, some people who choose to be like the repentant thief. They know that they are sinners and that they should be punished for the sins they have committed. But still they trust that God will save them just as He has promised. They cry out to Jesus and ask that He doesn't forget them. They submit to Christ and deem Him Lord of their lives. These people are called Christians. We trust in Christ, who lived a perfect life, was crucified for our sins, and resurrected three days later. We don't rely on our own works because we can never they can never be good enough. No matter how many good things we do, our deeds are like filthy rags when we compare them to Christ's perfection. So we have faith that on the day of judgement, God the Father will not see our sinful lives but rather the righteousness that is in Christ.
So which one are you? Are you an insulting thief? It doesn't have to be that way. Remember, at one point, both thieves insulted Jesus. But ultimately, one thief realized his need for Christ. In the same way, Christians are just thieves who used to insult God with their sins but have now recognized that we need Him.
As the repentant thief showed, as long as you are alive, it is never too late to repent and turn to Jesus. If you haven't put your faith in Christ yet, I urge you to do so, not just to save yourself from an eternity separated from God but so that you can personally experience the love of Christ in your life.
This is perhaps one of the most touching moments in all of the Bible. Down to his last moments, a thief who is nailed on the cross next to Jesus, cries out for salvation. In all of His pain and anguish, both seen and unseen, Jesus comforts the thief and assures him of his eternity. What a moment.
The Gospels tell us that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. It is important to note that crucifixion was a punishment reserved only for the worst of criminals. These guys were no petty thieves. More than likely, they were murderers, rapists, kidnappers or even all of the above. Either way, according to Roman law, they were guilty and deserving of crucifixion.
When we begin reading these verses, one thief is insulting Jesus. If you read the Gospel of Mark it says that both thieves insulted Him (Mark 15:32). Is this a contradiction? Hardly. When you put the Gospels together, it is apparent that both thieves did initially mock Christ while on the cross, however, after Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," (Luke 23:34) one of the thieves has a change of heart. The question remains: why wouldn't the other thief repent?
One thought is that the thief wanted to fit in with the world. Of course there were many people at the foot of the cross that hurled insults at Christ and by insulting Christ himself, maybe the thief thought the world might see him differently. He was looking for acceptance by the world rather than acceptance by God. On the other hand, the repentant thief was so touched by Christ's words on the cross, that he felt convicted. Notice how the thief calls Jesus "Lord". By saying that, the thief was admitting to Jesus that he was a sinner and there was no way he was going to be able to save himself. So he cried out and asked Jesus to remember him. There was no special phrase. No magical words. Just complete surrender.
The whole world falls into two categories: the insulting thief or the repentant thief. Many people in the world want nothing to do with God. Whether people intend to or not, they insult God by not accepting the free gift of salvation through Jesus. In essence, they are the insulting thief on the cross. No matter how bad life gets, they refuse to cry out to God. They would rather try to fit in with the world than submit to God. But here is what many people don't understand: no matter how bad you try to conform to the world, it will never truly love you. I'm sure the thief thought that by insulting Jesus, the people would bring him down and forgive him. But it didn't happen. They still let him suffer and die on the that cross. And I guarantee you, that thief is still regretting his decision to this day.
There are, however, some people who choose to be like the repentant thief. They know that they are sinners and that they should be punished for the sins they have committed. But still they trust that God will save them just as He has promised. They cry out to Jesus and ask that He doesn't forget them. They submit to Christ and deem Him Lord of their lives. These people are called Christians. We trust in Christ, who lived a perfect life, was crucified for our sins, and resurrected three days later. We don't rely on our own works because we can never they can never be good enough. No matter how many good things we do, our deeds are like filthy rags when we compare them to Christ's perfection. So we have faith that on the day of judgement, God the Father will not see our sinful lives but rather the righteousness that is in Christ.
So which one are you? Are you an insulting thief? It doesn't have to be that way. Remember, at one point, both thieves insulted Jesus. But ultimately, one thief realized his need for Christ. In the same way, Christians are just thieves who used to insult God with their sins but have now recognized that we need Him.
As the repentant thief showed, as long as you are alive, it is never too late to repent and turn to Jesus. If you haven't put your faith in Christ yet, I urge you to do so, not just to save yourself from an eternity separated from God but so that you can personally experience the love of Christ in your life.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Let Me Be The One To Tell You
"But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?" - Romans 10: 14-15
In his letter to the Romans, Paul is following a line of reasoning as to how believers in Christ are responsible for telling the world about Jesus. An unbeliever cannot ask God to save them unless they believe in the one true God. And they can't believe in the one true God unless they hear about Him. And they can't hear about God until someone tells them. So let me be the one to tell you.
There is a God in heaven, the creator of the universe and everything in it. He created you for a purpose and a reason. He loves you more than you can imagine and nothing can take away or add to that love. It is a perfect and unconditional love that has no prerequisite. He loves us just because. And what makes this love even more amazing is that He loves us even though we are sinners. Yes, that's right. We are ALL sinners. You may try to convince yourself that you are a good person but good people do not get into heaven. Perfect people get into heaven. Are you perfect? No, well that's good. Because neither am I.
If only perfect people get into heaven and none of us are perfect, then what hope is there for any us? This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and lived a sinless life. He was brutally beaten and unfairly put to death by means of the Roman crucifixion. But three days later, He defeated death by coming back from the dead.
What does this all mean? By suffering and dying on the cross, Christ took on the punishment for the sins of the world; past, present, and future. By doing so, He cleansed us from all unrighteousness that comes from our sins.
So what now? You have just been presented with what is commonly known as "the Gospel". The word "gospel" means "good news" and you have just read about the good news of Jesus Christ. But you are not automatically saved. In fact, the default destination for all sinners is eternal separation from God. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can spend all of eternity in God's presence by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, believing that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead three days later.
Well, why would God send people to hell? Too many people get this wrong. God doesn't send anyone to hell. Part of the perfect love that I described above means having free will. After all, is it possible to love someone without free will? If God had created us like robots and programmed us to love Him, would that be true love? Not at all. Love is a choice. God does not force us to love Him and He will not force you to spend an eternity in His presence. If you choose to not believe in what Christ did, you are essentially condemning yourself. You are basically saying, "Hey God, thanks for Jesus. I know he was a good guy and said a lot of nice things but I know that there is a bunch of different ways to heaven. I'm just going to forgo His sacrifice and try to make it in to heaven based on my own perfection." Let me be the one to tell you that this will not suffice. You are not good enough, no matter how good you think you are. And if you believe that all roads lead to God, well you are actually right. All roads do lead to God...eventually. But not all roads lead to heaven.
How can I put my faith in Christ? It is really simple: "Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. I am not perfect and have sinned against you many times in my life. But I choose to turn from my sins and trust in Jesus. I believe that He lived a perfect life, suffered and died on the cross for my sins, and rose again three days later. I ask you to come into my life. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."
So saying that saves me? Not at all. First of all, there is no special phrase that people say to become a Christian. There are no magical words. But you must confess that you are a sinner and you need Christ to save you. It doesn't matter how you say it. Second, you must mean it. Simply reciting the statement above does not guarantee you heaven. You have to truly mean it. It has to be genuine. It has to be real. No more games.
Do not take this lightly. We are talking about eternity. The Bible says that "Today is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Don't put this off. Don't wait. You may never get another opportunity.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul is following a line of reasoning as to how believers in Christ are responsible for telling the world about Jesus. An unbeliever cannot ask God to save them unless they believe in the one true God. And they can't believe in the one true God unless they hear about Him. And they can't hear about God until someone tells them. So let me be the one to tell you.
There is a God in heaven, the creator of the universe and everything in it. He created you for a purpose and a reason. He loves you more than you can imagine and nothing can take away or add to that love. It is a perfect and unconditional love that has no prerequisite. He loves us just because. And what makes this love even more amazing is that He loves us even though we are sinners. Yes, that's right. We are ALL sinners. You may try to convince yourself that you are a good person but good people do not get into heaven. Perfect people get into heaven. Are you perfect? No, well that's good. Because neither am I.
If only perfect people get into heaven and none of us are perfect, then what hope is there for any us? This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and lived a sinless life. He was brutally beaten and unfairly put to death by means of the Roman crucifixion. But three days later, He defeated death by coming back from the dead.
What does this all mean? By suffering and dying on the cross, Christ took on the punishment for the sins of the world; past, present, and future. By doing so, He cleansed us from all unrighteousness that comes from our sins.
So what now? You have just been presented with what is commonly known as "the Gospel". The word "gospel" means "good news" and you have just read about the good news of Jesus Christ. But you are not automatically saved. In fact, the default destination for all sinners is eternal separation from God. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can spend all of eternity in God's presence by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, believing that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead three days later.
Well, why would God send people to hell? Too many people get this wrong. God doesn't send anyone to hell. Part of the perfect love that I described above means having free will. After all, is it possible to love someone without free will? If God had created us like robots and programmed us to love Him, would that be true love? Not at all. Love is a choice. God does not force us to love Him and He will not force you to spend an eternity in His presence. If you choose to not believe in what Christ did, you are essentially condemning yourself. You are basically saying, "Hey God, thanks for Jesus. I know he was a good guy and said a lot of nice things but I know that there is a bunch of different ways to heaven. I'm just going to forgo His sacrifice and try to make it in to heaven based on my own perfection." Let me be the one to tell you that this will not suffice. You are not good enough, no matter how good you think you are. And if you believe that all roads lead to God, well you are actually right. All roads do lead to God...eventually. But not all roads lead to heaven.
How can I put my faith in Christ? It is really simple: "Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. I am not perfect and have sinned against you many times in my life. But I choose to turn from my sins and trust in Jesus. I believe that He lived a perfect life, suffered and died on the cross for my sins, and rose again three days later. I ask you to come into my life. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."
So saying that saves me? Not at all. First of all, there is no special phrase that people say to become a Christian. There are no magical words. But you must confess that you are a sinner and you need Christ to save you. It doesn't matter how you say it. Second, you must mean it. Simply reciting the statement above does not guarantee you heaven. You have to truly mean it. It has to be genuine. It has to be real. No more games.
Do not take this lightly. We are talking about eternity. The Bible says that "Today is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Don't put this off. Don't wait. You may never get another opportunity.
Friday, April 4, 2014
A Free Gift
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23
"The wages of sin is death." Such a very powerful statement Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans. Think about the word 'wages' for a second. When I think of wages, the first think that comes to mind is my compensation, what I receive or am paid for my work. I receive my wages because I have earned them. The same can be said for sin in our lives. The wages, or what we earn from committing sin, is death. Death is the penalty for which our sins must be paid.
I think Paul could possible be talking about two kinds of death: the physical and the spiritual.
First, the physical. Death entered into this world because of sin. Because Adam and Eve were deceived in the Garden of Eden and rebelled against what God had told them to do, a curse was put on all of humanity (Romans 5:12). Since that fateful day, death is something we face everyday. Of course we may not be in danger of death everyday but the fact remains that at any moment, you could die. Each second that passes by is another second closer to your end. Each breath you take is one less breath you have on this earth.
Now the spiritual. As I mentioned, wages are earned. We have earned spiritual death and an eternity in hell because of the sins that we have committed. None of us are perfect and all of us have broken the commandments of God (Romans 3:23). Because the God of the universe is perfect, he requires perfection. And anyone who falls short of perfection cannot spend an eternity in His presence.
As ominous as the first part of the verse, the second half brings a hope that no other religion can bring. All other religions of the world are works based, meaning they believe that man has the ability to earn his salvation. But think about that for a moment: could you ever do enough good in your life to outweigh the bad? On the other hand, Christians believe that salvation can only be a gift from God. We could never reach the perfection that God requires. So God, in all of His perfection and love, gave His son as sacrifice for our sins. All other religions say "Do", Christianity says, "Done".
When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He experienced a separation from the Father, taking on the punishment that you and I deserve. He did it so that you wouldn't have to live out eternity paying for your sins. Jesus took and paid your punishment on the cross. Paul calls Jesus "the gift of God." Gifts are not earned. Gifts are given. But the person who the gift is intended for does not have to receive it. There is always an option to reject the gift.
Jesus was God's gift to us. He was the final payment for all the sins we have committed and will commit. And as Paul says in this verse, if we receive this free gift, we will be given eternal life in heaven. We won't be held accountable for our sins because Christ paid them for us.
All you have to do is receive this free gift. It is that easy. Will you receive God's free gift?
"The wages of sin is death." Such a very powerful statement Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans. Think about the word 'wages' for a second. When I think of wages, the first think that comes to mind is my compensation, what I receive or am paid for my work. I receive my wages because I have earned them. The same can be said for sin in our lives. The wages, or what we earn from committing sin, is death. Death is the penalty for which our sins must be paid.
I think Paul could possible be talking about two kinds of death: the physical and the spiritual.
First, the physical. Death entered into this world because of sin. Because Adam and Eve were deceived in the Garden of Eden and rebelled against what God had told them to do, a curse was put on all of humanity (Romans 5:12). Since that fateful day, death is something we face everyday. Of course we may not be in danger of death everyday but the fact remains that at any moment, you could die. Each second that passes by is another second closer to your end. Each breath you take is one less breath you have on this earth.
Now the spiritual. As I mentioned, wages are earned. We have earned spiritual death and an eternity in hell because of the sins that we have committed. None of us are perfect and all of us have broken the commandments of God (Romans 3:23). Because the God of the universe is perfect, he requires perfection. And anyone who falls short of perfection cannot spend an eternity in His presence.
As ominous as the first part of the verse, the second half brings a hope that no other religion can bring. All other religions of the world are works based, meaning they believe that man has the ability to earn his salvation. But think about that for a moment: could you ever do enough good in your life to outweigh the bad? On the other hand, Christians believe that salvation can only be a gift from God. We could never reach the perfection that God requires. So God, in all of His perfection and love, gave His son as sacrifice for our sins. All other religions say "Do", Christianity says, "Done".
When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He experienced a separation from the Father, taking on the punishment that you and I deserve. He did it so that you wouldn't have to live out eternity paying for your sins. Jesus took and paid your punishment on the cross. Paul calls Jesus "the gift of God." Gifts are not earned. Gifts are given. But the person who the gift is intended for does not have to receive it. There is always an option to reject the gift.
Jesus was God's gift to us. He was the final payment for all the sins we have committed and will commit. And as Paul says in this verse, if we receive this free gift, we will be given eternal life in heaven. We won't be held accountable for our sins because Christ paid them for us.
All you have to do is receive this free gift. It is that easy. Will you receive God's free gift?
Monday, March 31, 2014
Light of the World
"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." - John 8:12
It is early in the morning and she's sleeping in the arms of her lover. She feels some regret over what she has just done but it's okay because her husband will never find out. They've kept their relationship a secret this long. If no one had found out yet, they weren't going to find out at all.
Suddenly there are footsteps outside. She dismisses them as just a passerby but slowly she realizes that those are not footsteps of one person but rather a large group. Who could be up so early this morning? Hoping that the clamoring sound of sandals will disappear as quickly as the night sky, she grips her lover a little tighter. Who could that be? Why are the footsteps getting closer? She hears voices, men's voices. She can't quite figure out exactly who it is but she's heard the voices before. Where had she heard them? The voices are getting louder and closer. They are seemingly just outside the door. Then it hits her: those are the voices of the religious leaders! The same men who call attention to themselves when making an offering at the temple. The same men that overcharged her last week for her animal sacrifice. She knows those voices all too well. "Please pass by!" the little voice in her head screams. "Please don't come in here. If my husband were to every find out...."
It all happened so fast. The religious leaders had burst in the door with such force, such anger. She didn't even have time to put her clothes on. The only thing she could do was grab the blanket that had once covered the sins of her and her lover. Now it seemed that blanket would be thrown open for the world to know to she had been sleeping with a man that was not her husband. What were they going to do to her? The law called for her to be stoned. Where is her lover? Surely he is just as guilty as she is. But they're not taking her to be stoned. Where are they taking her?
After what seems like ages being dragged through the streets and the dirt, she is finally thrown down in front of the temple. Why would they bring her here? She felt bad enough as it was. She didn't need to be reminded that God was furious with her too. She knew the ultimate price she was about to pay. Soon she was going to be standing in front of her Maker and would be searching for the right argument to give why she was not being faithful to her husband.
Not wanting to face her accusers, she stares at the ground. She can't believe the religious leaders are drawing out their mockery of her. It would have been so much easier to just be taken out and stoned rather than face the people who knew her. She can't look down far enough. The Pharisees start talking and condemning her, "We just caught this woman in the very act of adultery! The law says that she should be stoned to death. What do you say to that?"
The silence was deafening. She was waiting to hear some sort of response. Nobody. What happened to the gossip of the crowd? Why was it so quiet? Did everyone just disappear? Somebody say something! Not able to bear the silence anymore, she has to look up. As she lifts her head, her eyes meet the gaze of a Man. She's seen Him before. She knows who He is. It's Jesus of Nazareth. Just when she couldn't feel any worse about herself, she was now cast down before a Man who claimed to be the Son of God. Why couldn't they have just stone her?
But as she looks into His eyes, something is different. If she didn't know any better, it was almost as if He was smiling at her. Surely He must be mistaken. Was it not clear why she was in front of Him? Why are His eyes so comforting? As she continues to stare in His eyes, she realizes He is different. The same anger that the Pharisees had in their eyes are not in His. Why would this holy Man of God look at her so differently? As His eyes continue to pierce hers, it feels like He is looking at more than just her hazel brown eyes. It's almost as if He is looking into her soul, as if He could see every sin she had ever committed but He wasn't stopping there. He knew this is not who she really was. All she wanted was love. All she wanted was to be appreciated. All she wanted was to be forgiven....
With a slight nod, Jesus breaks His gaze and stands next to her and faces her accusers. She's waiting for Him to start speaking but He doesn't utter a single sound. Out of her peripheral she can see Him start to bend down. What is He doing? Is He....is He wring in the dirt? What could He be writing? After a few moments scribbling in the dirt, He stands up. She tries to read the dirt without being noticed but it's no use. Jesus emphatically declares, "Whoever has not committed a sin in his life, go ahead and throw the first stone." Bracing herself, she cowers. At any second that first stone is going to hit and it's going to hurt. How many stones would she have to endure before it ended? However many it would take, she hoped that it would go by quickly. She braces, tightening her body hoping that it will somehow make the stone hurt less. She waits. And waits. Why isn't anyone throwing their stones yet? Just get it over with!
Slowly she opens her eyes and looks in the direction of Jesus. She can see His face and it is polar opposite of the look He gave her just moments ago. It's as if there is fire in His eyes. She quickly turns away knowing that is a look she never wants to see again. As if to break the silence, she feels Jesus kneel yet again. He continues writing something in the dirt. What on earth could He be writing? Suddenly, she hears a thud on the ground. Then another. Yet another. It sounds like it's raining stones all around her. Then she hears footsteps. As scared as she was earlier that morning, she is equally relieved to hear the footsteps walking away from her. One by one she hears the flapping of the sandals continue to slip into the morning. How many of them were there? She had lost count by now.
Finally, she hears the last stone drop and listens as the man's footsteps stubbornly walk away. Still afraid to look up at Jesus, she feels him bend down once more. Again He is in the dirt but this time there seems to be no slow pattern to His motions. He is erasing everything He spent His precious time writing. She hears Him walk back and stand right in front of her. She doesn't need to look up to know His eyes are fixed on the back of her head.
"Look around and tell me who is here to condemn you, " He says. She almost can't muster the strength to look up. What if there is still a crowd looking at her? The thought of looking into the eyes of all of those people momentarily strikes her with fear. She wonders if this Jesus would consider calling back the Pharisees to continue with the stoning so she wouldn't have to look up.
Despite going against everything her instincts are telling her, she looks up. She again meets the eyes of Jesus, who simply holds out his hand as if to be telling her, "look around." She turns to her left. No one. She turns to her right. Nope. She looks behind her. Not a single soul. She meets Jesus' eyes once more. Of all the words in the world, she says the first three that come to mind: "No one, Lord."
As He continues to look into her eyes, she can feel the warmth. No other pair of eyes have ever seemed so inviting...so tender...so...loving. "I do not condemn you either. Now go and sin no more." That's it? That's all He has to say? Then it hits her like a ton of bricks: that's all He needs to say. Those are more than just words. It was an invitation; it was sincerity; it was...forgiveness.
She slowly rises to her knees. She takes one last look into His eyes and realizes that this may be the last time she sees those eyes on earth. Who knows the next time she would see Him. Surely since He was the Son of God, she was going to die before He was....
At that moment, emotion overcomes her and all she can think to do is embrace Him. She's never hugged anyone this tight. She holds on to Him as if her life depends on it and hopes it will never end. She pulls away and begins to walk home. As if to remind her one last time, she hears His voice usher one last declaration. "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." She turns to see Him but He's no longer there. An ear to ear smile overcomes her knowing that though she can't see Him, He can see her.
As she makes the quiet walk home, she can't stop thinking about his last statement. She repeats it to herself, "I am." "I am." Where has she heard that phrase before? Suddenly she realizes that that same phrase was spoken to Moses by God. "I AM". She knows that she has seen the face of God Himself.
As she approaches her door, she stops and takes a look at the morning sky. The clouds have never seemed so white before. She smiles, not because she has just seen the Son of God but because she knows she will see Him again.
It is early in the morning and she's sleeping in the arms of her lover. She feels some regret over what she has just done but it's okay because her husband will never find out. They've kept their relationship a secret this long. If no one had found out yet, they weren't going to find out at all.
Suddenly there are footsteps outside. She dismisses them as just a passerby but slowly she realizes that those are not footsteps of one person but rather a large group. Who could be up so early this morning? Hoping that the clamoring sound of sandals will disappear as quickly as the night sky, she grips her lover a little tighter. Who could that be? Why are the footsteps getting closer? She hears voices, men's voices. She can't quite figure out exactly who it is but she's heard the voices before. Where had she heard them? The voices are getting louder and closer. They are seemingly just outside the door. Then it hits her: those are the voices of the religious leaders! The same men who call attention to themselves when making an offering at the temple. The same men that overcharged her last week for her animal sacrifice. She knows those voices all too well. "Please pass by!" the little voice in her head screams. "Please don't come in here. If my husband were to every find out...."
It all happened so fast. The religious leaders had burst in the door with such force, such anger. She didn't even have time to put her clothes on. The only thing she could do was grab the blanket that had once covered the sins of her and her lover. Now it seemed that blanket would be thrown open for the world to know to she had been sleeping with a man that was not her husband. What were they going to do to her? The law called for her to be stoned. Where is her lover? Surely he is just as guilty as she is. But they're not taking her to be stoned. Where are they taking her?
After what seems like ages being dragged through the streets and the dirt, she is finally thrown down in front of the temple. Why would they bring her here? She felt bad enough as it was. She didn't need to be reminded that God was furious with her too. She knew the ultimate price she was about to pay. Soon she was going to be standing in front of her Maker and would be searching for the right argument to give why she was not being faithful to her husband.
Not wanting to face her accusers, she stares at the ground. She can't believe the religious leaders are drawing out their mockery of her. It would have been so much easier to just be taken out and stoned rather than face the people who knew her. She can't look down far enough. The Pharisees start talking and condemning her, "We just caught this woman in the very act of adultery! The law says that she should be stoned to death. What do you say to that?"
The silence was deafening. She was waiting to hear some sort of response. Nobody. What happened to the gossip of the crowd? Why was it so quiet? Did everyone just disappear? Somebody say something! Not able to bear the silence anymore, she has to look up. As she lifts her head, her eyes meet the gaze of a Man. She's seen Him before. She knows who He is. It's Jesus of Nazareth. Just when she couldn't feel any worse about herself, she was now cast down before a Man who claimed to be the Son of God. Why couldn't they have just stone her?
But as she looks into His eyes, something is different. If she didn't know any better, it was almost as if He was smiling at her. Surely He must be mistaken. Was it not clear why she was in front of Him? Why are His eyes so comforting? As she continues to stare in His eyes, she realizes He is different. The same anger that the Pharisees had in their eyes are not in His. Why would this holy Man of God look at her so differently? As His eyes continue to pierce hers, it feels like He is looking at more than just her hazel brown eyes. It's almost as if He is looking into her soul, as if He could see every sin she had ever committed but He wasn't stopping there. He knew this is not who she really was. All she wanted was love. All she wanted was to be appreciated. All she wanted was to be forgiven....
With a slight nod, Jesus breaks His gaze and stands next to her and faces her accusers. She's waiting for Him to start speaking but He doesn't utter a single sound. Out of her peripheral she can see Him start to bend down. What is He doing? Is He....is He wring in the dirt? What could He be writing? After a few moments scribbling in the dirt, He stands up. She tries to read the dirt without being noticed but it's no use. Jesus emphatically declares, "Whoever has not committed a sin in his life, go ahead and throw the first stone." Bracing herself, she cowers. At any second that first stone is going to hit and it's going to hurt. How many stones would she have to endure before it ended? However many it would take, she hoped that it would go by quickly. She braces, tightening her body hoping that it will somehow make the stone hurt less. She waits. And waits. Why isn't anyone throwing their stones yet? Just get it over with!
Slowly she opens her eyes and looks in the direction of Jesus. She can see His face and it is polar opposite of the look He gave her just moments ago. It's as if there is fire in His eyes. She quickly turns away knowing that is a look she never wants to see again. As if to break the silence, she feels Jesus kneel yet again. He continues writing something in the dirt. What on earth could He be writing? Suddenly, she hears a thud on the ground. Then another. Yet another. It sounds like it's raining stones all around her. Then she hears footsteps. As scared as she was earlier that morning, she is equally relieved to hear the footsteps walking away from her. One by one she hears the flapping of the sandals continue to slip into the morning. How many of them were there? She had lost count by now.
Finally, she hears the last stone drop and listens as the man's footsteps stubbornly walk away. Still afraid to look up at Jesus, she feels him bend down once more. Again He is in the dirt but this time there seems to be no slow pattern to His motions. He is erasing everything He spent His precious time writing. She hears Him walk back and stand right in front of her. She doesn't need to look up to know His eyes are fixed on the back of her head.
"Look around and tell me who is here to condemn you, " He says. She almost can't muster the strength to look up. What if there is still a crowd looking at her? The thought of looking into the eyes of all of those people momentarily strikes her with fear. She wonders if this Jesus would consider calling back the Pharisees to continue with the stoning so she wouldn't have to look up.
Despite going against everything her instincts are telling her, she looks up. She again meets the eyes of Jesus, who simply holds out his hand as if to be telling her, "look around." She turns to her left. No one. She turns to her right. Nope. She looks behind her. Not a single soul. She meets Jesus' eyes once more. Of all the words in the world, she says the first three that come to mind: "No one, Lord."
As He continues to look into her eyes, she can feel the warmth. No other pair of eyes have ever seemed so inviting...so tender...so...loving. "I do not condemn you either. Now go and sin no more." That's it? That's all He has to say? Then it hits her like a ton of bricks: that's all He needs to say. Those are more than just words. It was an invitation; it was sincerity; it was...forgiveness.
She slowly rises to her knees. She takes one last look into His eyes and realizes that this may be the last time she sees those eyes on earth. Who knows the next time she would see Him. Surely since He was the Son of God, she was going to die before He was....
At that moment, emotion overcomes her and all she can think to do is embrace Him. She's never hugged anyone this tight. She holds on to Him as if her life depends on it and hopes it will never end. She pulls away and begins to walk home. As if to remind her one last time, she hears His voice usher one last declaration. "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." She turns to see Him but He's no longer there. An ear to ear smile overcomes her knowing that though she can't see Him, He can see her.
As she makes the quiet walk home, she can't stop thinking about his last statement. She repeats it to herself, "I am." "I am." Where has she heard that phrase before? Suddenly she realizes that that same phrase was spoken to Moses by God. "I AM". She knows that she has seen the face of God Himself.
As she approaches her door, she stops and takes a look at the morning sky. The clouds have never seemed so white before. She smiles, not because she has just seen the Son of God but because she knows she will see Him again.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Leaving Your Water Jar Behind
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst." -John 4:13-14
One of my favorite narratives in the Bible is in the Gospel of John chapter 4. It is more commonly known as the "Woman at the Well." As this chapter opens, we find Jesus leaving Judea (southern Israel) and heading north to the area of Galilee. In verse 4, we have an interesting choice of words: "Now he had to go through Samaria" (emphasis added). This is key for a couple of reasons. First, it is important to know that Jews and Samaritans were not particularly fond of each other, going back centuries before the time of Christ. Secondly, because of this animosity, it was quite common for Jews to travel a day or two out of the way just to avoid going through Samaria. So it is interesting that it mentions Jesus had to go through Samaria because geographically, he actually didn't. But as we find out later on in the chapter, He did in fact have to go through Samaria because there was a divine appointment to keep.
When we reach verse 6, a fatigued Jesus sits by the well and it is noon (some Bible translations say "sixth hour"). As He is sitting by the well during the hottest part of the day, a woman comes to draw water from the well. Most women of that day would draw their water either in the early morning or the evening when the weather was cooler but for some reason this woman is drawing water in the middle of day. As we find out later, this woman had quite a past: married and divorced five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. I'm sure she was the topic of most gossip in the town and wanted to draw water when the others wouldn't be there to criticize her lifestyle in front of her. Many times we are like that as well. We are ashamed of our past and the things that we have done or are currently involved with. I'm sure when the woman was getting married the first time, she had no intention of getting divorced but we live in a world where things rarely go as planned. Flash forward four more marriages and four more divorces and you have a woman would had probably given up on love. She probably didn't want to get married again so settled for just living with the guy. Similarly, we all hit a point in our lives where we want to give up. We don't believe that our life can get any better and we settle for things that we shouldn't settle for. Until one day God gets our attention...
As the woman approaches the well, Jesus asks her for a drink (remember Jews and Samaritans don't get along). After a bit of dialogue, Jesus tells the woman, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst." Let me clear up that Jesus had no intention of giving her literal water that would eliminate all thirst forever. I believe Christ is referring to eternal life and the salvation He alone can provide.
The well can serve as perfect picture of this woman's life. So many times, this woman had come to the same well of love and marriage over and over again. So many times she had carried the same burdensome water jug to that well hoping that this time the thirst would be satisfied. So many times she found herself having to come back to the well hoping this time would be different. Then one day, carrying the same burdensome water jug, she met her Savior. He didn't offer to carry her jug. He didn't offer to fill her jug for her. Instead He offered her something even better: she never has to come back to that well again. Jesus is able to meet all of her needs. No longer would she have to depend on the love of another. Too many times, human love is fickle and changes depending on how someone is feeling. But God's love doesn't change. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, what you are doing now, or what you will do, God loves you just the same. And that never changes.
My favorite part of this chapter are verses 28-29, "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?'" What happened after the woman met Jesus? She left her water jar with Him. The burden that had caused her so much grief and heartbreak was behind her and left in the presence of the One who has the strength to carry it for us. Jesus didn't have to ask to carry the burden, she willingly left it behind.
If we are willing to meet God with whatever troubles we are going through, whatever burdens we have to carry, whatever past we have lived, He is willing to take that all from us and give us new life. Notice how Jesus didn't force her into conversation but simply made Himself available to meet her needs. God is available to you right now and is ready to meet your needs. You just have to be willing to leave your water jar behind.
One of my favorite narratives in the Bible is in the Gospel of John chapter 4. It is more commonly known as the "Woman at the Well." As this chapter opens, we find Jesus leaving Judea (southern Israel) and heading north to the area of Galilee. In verse 4, we have an interesting choice of words: "Now he had to go through Samaria" (emphasis added). This is key for a couple of reasons. First, it is important to know that Jews and Samaritans were not particularly fond of each other, going back centuries before the time of Christ. Secondly, because of this animosity, it was quite common for Jews to travel a day or two out of the way just to avoid going through Samaria. So it is interesting that it mentions Jesus had to go through Samaria because geographically, he actually didn't. But as we find out later on in the chapter, He did in fact have to go through Samaria because there was a divine appointment to keep.
When we reach verse 6, a fatigued Jesus sits by the well and it is noon (some Bible translations say "sixth hour"). As He is sitting by the well during the hottest part of the day, a woman comes to draw water from the well. Most women of that day would draw their water either in the early morning or the evening when the weather was cooler but for some reason this woman is drawing water in the middle of day. As we find out later, this woman had quite a past: married and divorced five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. I'm sure she was the topic of most gossip in the town and wanted to draw water when the others wouldn't be there to criticize her lifestyle in front of her. Many times we are like that as well. We are ashamed of our past and the things that we have done or are currently involved with. I'm sure when the woman was getting married the first time, she had no intention of getting divorced but we live in a world where things rarely go as planned. Flash forward four more marriages and four more divorces and you have a woman would had probably given up on love. She probably didn't want to get married again so settled for just living with the guy. Similarly, we all hit a point in our lives where we want to give up. We don't believe that our life can get any better and we settle for things that we shouldn't settle for. Until one day God gets our attention...
As the woman approaches the well, Jesus asks her for a drink (remember Jews and Samaritans don't get along). After a bit of dialogue, Jesus tells the woman, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst." Let me clear up that Jesus had no intention of giving her literal water that would eliminate all thirst forever. I believe Christ is referring to eternal life and the salvation He alone can provide.
The well can serve as perfect picture of this woman's life. So many times, this woman had come to the same well of love and marriage over and over again. So many times she had carried the same burdensome water jug to that well hoping that this time the thirst would be satisfied. So many times she found herself having to come back to the well hoping this time would be different. Then one day, carrying the same burdensome water jug, she met her Savior. He didn't offer to carry her jug. He didn't offer to fill her jug for her. Instead He offered her something even better: she never has to come back to that well again. Jesus is able to meet all of her needs. No longer would she have to depend on the love of another. Too many times, human love is fickle and changes depending on how someone is feeling. But God's love doesn't change. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, what you are doing now, or what you will do, God loves you just the same. And that never changes.
My favorite part of this chapter are verses 28-29, "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?'" What happened after the woman met Jesus? She left her water jar with Him. The burden that had caused her so much grief and heartbreak was behind her and left in the presence of the One who has the strength to carry it for us. Jesus didn't have to ask to carry the burden, she willingly left it behind.
If we are willing to meet God with whatever troubles we are going through, whatever burdens we have to carry, whatever past we have lived, He is willing to take that all from us and give us new life. Notice how Jesus didn't force her into conversation but simply made Himself available to meet her needs. God is available to you right now and is ready to meet your needs. You just have to be willing to leave your water jar behind.
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