"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.
Friday, April 25, 2014
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?
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