I believe that once we forgive ourselves,its then that God is able to use what we learned from that sin to make us a better person. I think that sometimes the humbleness we get from being a sinner, and confessing that sin to God, makes us a better witness to Him.
'I can't think myself better than anyone else, because I have sinned too.'
I truly believe this, and in my life, I have learned so much from my own sins, and the sins of others. And if we all try to help each other in love and kindness, I think we really fulfill what God wants for our lives. When we stop judging others (that dang speck in their eye compared to our own logs!) we can see that their sin really isn't any worse (or better) than our own. We're all in the same boat. And praise God for the wonderful life preserver He sent when Jesus showed up! ;)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What Happened?
Yesterday my 17 year old son went to a funeral for a 15 year old boy from his school. This young man killed himself. This had not been his first attempt.
DISCLAIMER***I really don't know anything about this young man's family, so anything I say here is purely speculation and the ramblings of my own mind. I do not know if they are or are not a Christian family, I do not know of any mental illnesses or any other medical conditions that may contribute to depression or anything else that may have lead to his decision to end his life.***
I hear about suicide all the time. I'm a volunteer for our local ambulance service, and I read on my pager quite frequently, "suicidal" male or female. It's in the papers, it's on the news, and so many times, it's a young person.
I don't understand how a child can feel so alone and so desperate that they decide to take their own lives. Are we failing our children somehow? Are we doing something wrong? Or is it society? Is our culture killing our kids? The need to be popular, to be liked, to have material possesions; is strong. The "haves" sometimes alienate the "have nots". Bullies take lives too , by their hate and evil words and actions.
What makes these kids act like this?
Personally, I think that by taking God out of the lives of our children by taking Him out of our schools, we do them a huge disservice.
My taxes pay for that public school, why can't my Savior reside there too?
Also, by taking away the right of a parent to disclipline their child, we also do them a great disservice. (Abuse and disclipline are two very different things, for anyone who wants to cry foul.)
Also, by taking God out of our children's lives, we have taken away their hope and their knowledge of their Creator. And just taking these kids to church does not make them a Christian. Do you talk to your kids about God? Or is that your pastor's job? Do your kids know how important God is in your life? Is He important in your life? Do you spend time with your kids watching the shows they watch, listening to the music they listen to? Do you know who their friends are, and what those friends believe? Do you know your kids and what they believe? Peer pressure works both ways you know.
All in all, I pray that this young man is in the presence of Our Savior right now. I pray that God saw his breaking heart, his broken spirit, and anything else that contributed to his death, and said "Child of mine, I love you and forgive you. I died on the cross for you, you are mine."
DISCLAIMER***I really don't know anything about this young man's family, so anything I say here is purely speculation and the ramblings of my own mind. I do not know if they are or are not a Christian family, I do not know of any mental illnesses or any other medical conditions that may contribute to depression or anything else that may have lead to his decision to end his life.***
I hear about suicide all the time. I'm a volunteer for our local ambulance service, and I read on my pager quite frequently, "suicidal" male or female. It's in the papers, it's on the news, and so many times, it's a young person.
I don't understand how a child can feel so alone and so desperate that they decide to take their own lives. Are we failing our children somehow? Are we doing something wrong? Or is it society? Is our culture killing our kids? The need to be popular, to be liked, to have material possesions; is strong. The "haves" sometimes alienate the "have nots". Bullies take lives too , by their hate and evil words and actions.
What makes these kids act like this?
Personally, I think that by taking God out of the lives of our children by taking Him out of our schools, we do them a huge disservice.
My taxes pay for that public school, why can't my Savior reside there too?
Also, by taking away the right of a parent to disclipline their child, we also do them a great disservice. (Abuse and disclipline are two very different things, for anyone who wants to cry foul.)
Also, by taking God out of our children's lives, we have taken away their hope and their knowledge of their Creator. And just taking these kids to church does not make them a Christian. Do you talk to your kids about God? Or is that your pastor's job? Do your kids know how important God is in your life? Is He important in your life? Do you spend time with your kids watching the shows they watch, listening to the music they listen to? Do you know who their friends are, and what those friends believe? Do you know your kids and what they believe? Peer pressure works both ways you know.
All in all, I pray that this young man is in the presence of Our Savior right now. I pray that God saw his breaking heart, his broken spirit, and anything else that contributed to his death, and said "Child of mine, I love you and forgive you. I died on the cross for you, you are mine."
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Lessons From a Lost Dog
My son agreed to watch the pastor's dogs, Gabby and Cassie, while the pastor and his wife went to the East coast to meet their first grandchild. He would spend hours over there playing with the dogs to keep them company.
He was invited to go camping with his girlfriend's family for the 4th of July weekend, and I agreed to watch the dogs while he was gone. That's where everything seemed to go downhill.
That morning Malachi fed the dogs and played with them before he left. Then I took over. As if on cue, the dogs ripped a hole in the fence, and ran away that late afternoon. I drove around town talking to everyone I saw, asking if they had seen the dogs. A few people had seen them, so I kept searching, until it was so dark, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face.
That night I laid in bed, unable to sleep. I tossed and turned, slept for three hours, and then got up to begin the search again at dawn's first light. My husband searched too, we walked cornfield after cornfield, tree line after tree line, after hearing that the dogs had been spotted at someone's farm. I drove to Davenport, stopping at each farm along the way, telling them about the dogs and asking if they had seen them. My phone rang with a recent sighting, and then we found Cassie. I brought her home, gave her water and food, combed some of the burrs out of her fur and snipped off the big ones. She seemed relieved to be home. We continued to search for Gabby, assuming she would be nearby. But as night approached, I started to lose hope that she would be found before the next round of fireworks frightened her even more.
We searched again the next day, which was the 4th of July. But as the fireworks continued, Gabby ran further and further away. I followed the dog tracks, and walked the RR tracks. I walked through farmsteads, and stopped everyone I saw. I made posters with Gabby's picture that I had taken Saturday afternoon with my new cell phone.
Those posters proved vital as someone out spraying the fields saw Gabby Tuesday night. The next morning they saw the "Lost Dog" poster and I was notified. Gabby's neighbor Caroline and I walked the trees in that area, while my husband and son drove the roads on the lookout for movement.
After several hours of walking and calling, Gabby came out of the trees to the voice of her neighbor Caroline. Caroline called my cell phone, and told me she had Gabby. I had the leash around my waist, so I ran almost two-thirds of a mile back to where they were. I was so relieved when I saw her. She looked fine. She wasn't hurt, she wasn't scared, and she was found. I was so grateful to be able to send a picture of Caroline and Gabby to our pastor with the caption, "What was lost has been found!"
We walked the half mile back to the vehicles, then drove Gabby back to her house. Cassie was so excited to see her sister. She burrowed her nose in Gabby's fur, licking her and jumping on her. We brought them outside, in the fenced yard, the hole patched with odds and ends to keep the dogs in. They drank and ate some food. Gabby seemed content to be home, and Cassie was excited for the reunion.
As I sat and watched the dogs, I realized that I was completely exhausted. I had been walking miles each day in the heat and humidity. I hadn't had much to eat, and hadn't been sleeping well. I also had a revelation.
The relief I felt at the return of Gabby was something like how God feels when one of His lost children comes back to Him!
Jesus talks about lost sheep in the Bible as he tells us parables to help us understand God's love for us. In Luke verses 3-7 the Bible tells us , 'Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'
I think I have a been given a true understanding of this parable. I didn't put Gabby on my shoulders, we walked with her on the leash, and my rejoicing was primarily on Facebook. But when I read this parable now, it has a different meaning, its much more 'real' to me now. I think I really know, somewhat anyway, how God feels when he brings a lost sheep back to the flock.
When one of us admits our sin, and asks God to help.
When one of us finally says, I can't do this on my own, I need your help God.
Or when an unbeliever says "OK God, if you're really there, show me."
I think there really IS rejoicing in heaven!
But don't forget the last part of this parable. It says 'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.' So what does that part mean?
It means that God rejoices over the lost, the least, the sinner who begs, who pleads out of desperation for God's help, His mercy and forgiveness. When someone finally breaks, gives up, cried out for help, there's a party in heaven! As tears of bitterness and guilt and shame well up like a river and flow uncontrollably, the angels sing songs of happiness and praise for God's glory!
Jesus says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17) It also says "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. " (John 3:17)
These passages are so important to understand. So many false teachings come from self-righteous people who don't understand the true concept of salvation because they don't have the true love of Jesus in their hearts.
We are all guilty.
Every one of us is a lost sheep.
Not one of us is good enough to get into heaven.
Nothing you do will get you into heaven.
You cannot bargain with God.
You cannot make up your own righteousness rules and think that somehow God's going to comply.
Only God is righteous, and only by the grace of God will you ever be allowed into His presence. You can't get there on your own. You also can't get their by condemning other people.
God is very clear on this one. There is a very narrow road to the truth, and if you miss it, you end up on the wide road to destruction. If you condemn others for their sins, you condemn yourself. Every time we pray the Lord's prayer we ask that we be forgiven in accordance with how we forgive others. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
I guess we should be thankful that we were lost, because that's why we have Jesus.
He was invited to go camping with his girlfriend's family for the 4th of July weekend, and I agreed to watch the dogs while he was gone. That's where everything seemed to go downhill.
That morning Malachi fed the dogs and played with them before he left. Then I took over. As if on cue, the dogs ripped a hole in the fence, and ran away that late afternoon. I drove around town talking to everyone I saw, asking if they had seen the dogs. A few people had seen them, so I kept searching, until it was so dark, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face.
That night I laid in bed, unable to sleep. I tossed and turned, slept for three hours, and then got up to begin the search again at dawn's first light. My husband searched too, we walked cornfield after cornfield, tree line after tree line, after hearing that the dogs had been spotted at someone's farm. I drove to Davenport, stopping at each farm along the way, telling them about the dogs and asking if they had seen them. My phone rang with a recent sighting, and then we found Cassie. I brought her home, gave her water and food, combed some of the burrs out of her fur and snipped off the big ones. She seemed relieved to be home. We continued to search for Gabby, assuming she would be nearby. But as night approached, I started to lose hope that she would be found before the next round of fireworks frightened her even more.
We searched again the next day, which was the 4th of July. But as the fireworks continued, Gabby ran further and further away. I followed the dog tracks, and walked the RR tracks. I walked through farmsteads, and stopped everyone I saw. I made posters with Gabby's picture that I had taken Saturday afternoon with my new cell phone.
Those posters proved vital as someone out spraying the fields saw Gabby Tuesday night. The next morning they saw the "Lost Dog" poster and I was notified. Gabby's neighbor Caroline and I walked the trees in that area, while my husband and son drove the roads on the lookout for movement.
After several hours of walking and calling, Gabby came out of the trees to the voice of her neighbor Caroline. Caroline called my cell phone, and told me she had Gabby. I had the leash around my waist, so I ran almost two-thirds of a mile back to where they were. I was so relieved when I saw her. She looked fine. She wasn't hurt, she wasn't scared, and she was found. I was so grateful to be able to send a picture of Caroline and Gabby to our pastor with the caption, "What was lost has been found!"
We walked the half mile back to the vehicles, then drove Gabby back to her house. Cassie was so excited to see her sister. She burrowed her nose in Gabby's fur, licking her and jumping on her. We brought them outside, in the fenced yard, the hole patched with odds and ends to keep the dogs in. They drank and ate some food. Gabby seemed content to be home, and Cassie was excited for the reunion.
As I sat and watched the dogs, I realized that I was completely exhausted. I had been walking miles each day in the heat and humidity. I hadn't had much to eat, and hadn't been sleeping well. I also had a revelation.
The relief I felt at the return of Gabby was something like how God feels when one of His lost children comes back to Him!
Jesus talks about lost sheep in the Bible as he tells us parables to help us understand God's love for us. In Luke verses 3-7 the Bible tells us , 'Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'
I think I have a been given a true understanding of this parable. I didn't put Gabby on my shoulders, we walked with her on the leash, and my rejoicing was primarily on Facebook. But when I read this parable now, it has a different meaning, its much more 'real' to me now. I think I really know, somewhat anyway, how God feels when he brings a lost sheep back to the flock.
When one of us admits our sin, and asks God to help.
When one of us finally says, I can't do this on my own, I need your help God.
Or when an unbeliever says "OK God, if you're really there, show me."
I think there really IS rejoicing in heaven!
But don't forget the last part of this parable. It says 'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.' So what does that part mean?
It means that God rejoices over the lost, the least, the sinner who begs, who pleads out of desperation for God's help, His mercy and forgiveness. When someone finally breaks, gives up, cried out for help, there's a party in heaven! As tears of bitterness and guilt and shame well up like a river and flow uncontrollably, the angels sing songs of happiness and praise for God's glory!
Jesus says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17) It also says "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. " (John 3:17)
These passages are so important to understand. So many false teachings come from self-righteous people who don't understand the true concept of salvation because they don't have the true love of Jesus in their hearts.
We are all guilty.
Every one of us is a lost sheep.
Not one of us is good enough to get into heaven.
Nothing you do will get you into heaven.
You cannot bargain with God.
You cannot make up your own righteousness rules and think that somehow God's going to comply.
Only God is righteous, and only by the grace of God will you ever be allowed into His presence. You can't get there on your own. You also can't get their by condemning other people.
God is very clear on this one. There is a very narrow road to the truth, and if you miss it, you end up on the wide road to destruction. If you condemn others for their sins, you condemn yourself. Every time we pray the Lord's prayer we ask that we be forgiven in accordance with how we forgive others. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
I guess we should be thankful that we were lost, because that's why we have Jesus.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I Believe
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
I believe that I was created by God, for God, and that the opinions of others mean absolutely nothing to me.
I believe that God created my soul in His own image. My physical body does not look like God at all, for God needs no physical body. My body is His temple however, and I will take care of it as if it were not my own.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
I believe that God loves me so much, He came down and died for me. I don't know why. I don't know what would make someone so high, so mighty, and so perfect, love something as miserable as me. But I am truly moved to tears quite often, thinking of how much love that would take. What kind of love would that take? I don't think a human, other than Jesus Christ Himself, has that kind of love.
I read something from a friend, something hurtful and deceiving about God. I wonder, "how can anyone who calls themselves a Christian spread hate and lies?"
They ask questions like "Why are people leaving the church?" "Why are people choosing other things over God?"
If people would stop bickering over scripture, and stop trying to prove or disprove their opinions by manipulating scripture, the world would be a different place. You see, there are lots of things in the Bible that can be taken to mean different things. Over the past 2000 years we have mistranslated God's word and we have changed things in it, to make it more palatable to humankind and to our own devices. But that doesn't make it right.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT!!!
The one thing I can tell you is this:
JESUS IS LOVE.
JESUS SAID TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
EVERYTHING ABOUT JESUS WAS ABOUT LOVE.
Every parable, every law, every story about Jesus is telling us that He loves us enough to die for us, and what do we do?
We argue about who is the most important disciple.
About which sins are more fatal than others, even though Jesus says all sin is sin.
About who is or is not qualified to speak God's words in a church because of the sins they have committed, even though Jesus says if you commit one sin, you have committed them all.
About how old the earth is and how that matters to the story of creation, like we really have any say over when God created the earth and how long one of His 'days' is.
About what Jesus meant when He said 'the poor will always be with you'.
About women holding any place in a church other than in the kitchen, even though it says: in Christ there is no male or female.
About racism and how your latitude determines whether or not you'll starve to death, even though if all Christians tithed, there would be enough for everyone.
About the scourge of AIDS and how Jesus said to care for the sick, but some people seem to think AIDS is a punishment from God so we shouldn't help.
About the wrath of God, and how some people still seem to think that God is punishing us, even though Jesus settled that debt years ago.
Get over yourselves people. Its not about you, its about God. And if you were truly His disciple, you would do his bidding.
STOP YOUR IDIOTIC FIGHTING.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR,
LOVE YOUR PLANET.
TAKE CARE OF THE LESS FORUNATE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO GOD WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE TIME.
I'M IMPRESSED AT HOW MUCH PATIENCE GOD TRULY HAS.
I believe that I was created by God, for God, and that the opinions of others mean absolutely nothing to me.
I believe that God created my soul in His own image. My physical body does not look like God at all, for God needs no physical body. My body is His temple however, and I will take care of it as if it were not my own.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
I believe that God loves me so much, He came down and died for me. I don't know why. I don't know what would make someone so high, so mighty, and so perfect, love something as miserable as me. But I am truly moved to tears quite often, thinking of how much love that would take. What kind of love would that take? I don't think a human, other than Jesus Christ Himself, has that kind of love.
I read something from a friend, something hurtful and deceiving about God. I wonder, "how can anyone who calls themselves a Christian spread hate and lies?"
They ask questions like "Why are people leaving the church?" "Why are people choosing other things over God?"
If people would stop bickering over scripture, and stop trying to prove or disprove their opinions by manipulating scripture, the world would be a different place. You see, there are lots of things in the Bible that can be taken to mean different things. Over the past 2000 years we have mistranslated God's word and we have changed things in it, to make it more palatable to humankind and to our own devices. But that doesn't make it right.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT!!!
The one thing I can tell you is this:
JESUS IS LOVE.
JESUS SAID TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
EVERYTHING ABOUT JESUS WAS ABOUT LOVE.
Every parable, every law, every story about Jesus is telling us that He loves us enough to die for us, and what do we do?
We argue about who is the most important disciple.
About which sins are more fatal than others, even though Jesus says all sin is sin.
About who is or is not qualified to speak God's words in a church because of the sins they have committed, even though Jesus says if you commit one sin, you have committed them all.
About how old the earth is and how that matters to the story of creation, like we really have any say over when God created the earth and how long one of His 'days' is.
About what Jesus meant when He said 'the poor will always be with you'.
About women holding any place in a church other than in the kitchen, even though it says: in Christ there is no male or female.
About racism and how your latitude determines whether or not you'll starve to death, even though if all Christians tithed, there would be enough for everyone.
About the scourge of AIDS and how Jesus said to care for the sick, but some people seem to think AIDS is a punishment from God so we shouldn't help.
About the wrath of God, and how some people still seem to think that God is punishing us, even though Jesus settled that debt years ago.
Get over yourselves people. Its not about you, its about God. And if you were truly His disciple, you would do his bidding.
STOP YOUR IDIOTIC FIGHTING.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR,
LOVE YOUR PLANET.
TAKE CARE OF THE LESS FORUNATE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO GOD WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE TIME.
I'M IMPRESSED AT HOW MUCH PATIENCE GOD TRULY HAS.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Passion of Peter
I was asked to write and deliver the sermon for Lenten services. I also read a passage from "Imaginary Jesus" by Matt Mikalatos. Here's the sermon: As I read and researched and learned more about Peter for this message, I realized that I actually know a lot of people who are a lot like Peter. Peter is impulsive. He's a proud person who thinks a lot of himself. He's hot headed, and quick to argue and criticize. He really sounds like a lot of people I know, and even maybe, a little like me. I think we all have a little bit of Peter's character in us. Maybe that's because its one of the biggest problems we as humans face. As Mac Davis sang: Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way. It is a funny song. But we're not perfect, and even doing the best that we can, isn't good enough. Did you know that? Did you know that no matter what you do, no matter how good you are, no matter how much money you have, it will not get you into heaven? I looked it up on Travelocity.com, and I couldn't even find the airport for Heaven. The closest it could get me was Havana. So if we can't buy the ticket to heaven, how do we get there? Peter knew in his heart that Jesus was the true son of God. He knew, he had been with Jesus this whole time. He saw the miracles, he saw everything. How can he not have complete faith in Jesus, when he was there? He was there! He heard the parables straight from the lips of Jesus. He saw his own mother-in-law, laying in bed with a fever, sick as a dog, touched by Jesus, and healed instantly. He knew! He knew Jesus was for real. So do we, we know Jesus is for real. I'm sure each one of us has seen the love and miracles of Jesus in our lives. So why then, does Peter deny Jesus? In Luke 24 verses 31-34 Jesus says: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” And we heard the story, he did deny Jesus, not once, it wasn't a slip up. He did it three times! Did he not even realize what he was saying? He had just expressed his willingness to die with Jesus, and now he doesn't even know Him? How is that possible? I think that Peter was afraid of the peer pressure and he was under a lot of stress. Peer pressure is defined as the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to the group's behavior. Its something we usually attribute to teenagers, however, its something very real in most of our lives. Almost everyone wants to be accepted by the people around them. And during this day in Peter's life, everything he knew fell down around him. He was probably feeling very anxious, scared, and uncertain. I want you to imagine that day in Peter's life. He knows something is going on. Jesus has been talking about how he's going to die. They celebrate the Passover meal with Jesus, who gives them this speech about how happy he was to have this meal with them before he suffers. Then he gives them bread and wine, saying that its his body and blood, broken for them. Then he tells them that one of their band of brothers is going to betray him. So what do they do? They start arguing about which one of then is the greatest disciple! Did they not believe it, maybe they just didn't want to believe it. Maybe they didn't understand. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. If you don't think about it, maybe it won't happen. But as the predictions of Jesus started coming true, Peter's blissfulness started turning into panic. In the garden after taking a nice nap as Jesus prayed, sweating blood for the horrible torture He was about to endure, Peter again, in John 18 verse 10, shows his impulsiveness by pulling out a sword and hacking off the ear of the high priest's guard who comes to arrest Jesus! Jesus, who for obvious reasons, doesn't need Peter as a bodyguard, says, in Matthew 26: “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” So then Peter follows after his rabbi, his leader, his best friend in all the world, who he has pledged to die for, only to say he doesn't know him when he's asked. You see, Jesus has been hauled off. He's being judged for crimes he didn't commit. Peter knows Jesus is innocent, and he's scared. He can't go into the court room, so he's waiting outside, anxious and nervous, scared for his life. Talk about stress! Fight or flight. Its what our bodies and our brains are designed to do when under great stress. We saw Peter choose to fight with the sword, and Jesus said no. So now he's picking flight. If he doesn't know Jesus, then he can't be held accountable, right? If he runs away from the problem, it goes away, right? Was all this really happening? Or was it all a bad dream? I think that perhaps Peter's mind was spinning with all this information, with all these things being dumped into his consciousness at the same time, and his nervous system was being overloaded with adrenaline. People are asking him questions, he doesn't even know what he's saying, he's scared, he's panicking, and then bang, the rooster crows. That rooster must have been like a fire alarm going off in his brain. The terror it must have struck in his heart. The fear, the hopelessness, the anger toward himself realizing that he just did the very thing he swore he wouldn't do! It was done. It was over. The last thing that Peter got to do for Jesus was pretend he didn't know him. It says "He went outside and wept bitterly." Jesus told him to pray not to give into temptation. Was that temptation, the temptation to believe that he could do all this on his own? What if instead of relying on his own strength through this trial of his life, he had prayed for guidance? What if instead of thinking he was such a great disciple, he acknowledged his weakness and asked for help? Maybe he wouldn't have had to go through all that heartbreak. I think that making Peter go through this dreadful denial of Jesus was God's way of teaching Peter humility. If that didn't make him a little more humble, I'm not sure what would. I think that is the plank in our eyes that God keeps telling us about. If we can't look at own sins and shortcomings with honesty, we will never be able to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. But if we stop depending on our own understanding, our own knowledge, and our own preconceived notions, and we start praying for guidance, for understanding, and for mercy, then God will show us His love, and give us these things. I think most people would have a pretty easy time judging Peter to be a pretty poor disciple. But Jesus didn't think so. I also think that many of us have a pretty easy time judging each other to be pretty poor disciples. Praise the Lord that Jesus doesn't think so. In fact, He is so convinced that you are one of His best disciples that He let himself be nailed to the cross and He died to show you how much He believes in you! That ticket to heaven was purchased, not by us, but by the blood of Jesus Christ who died for us on that cross.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"Where's Waldo" or "God's Plan for my Life"
Sometimes I feel like I'm the Waldo in the pictures, one face in the sea of faces, one little insignificant person in the crowd of millions. Make that billions. One person, one soul, just one lost sinner looking for my role, waiting on God to reveal...what's that Jesus?
What am I waiting for?
I've been floundering around for my whole life, trying to figure out what God's big plan for my life is. But I'm still waiting. I even go to church almost every Sunday and toss a couple bucks in the offering plate, but nothing's changed. My life isn't anything like it will be once God's plan is revealed. I'm still waiting for God to show me...what did you say Jesus?
Good works? Good news?
Yep, I go to work everyday, but its not cool to talk about God there. My coworkers might make fun of me if they knew I was a Christian. And I don't know if any of them go to church, and I sure don't want to talk about the Bible to anyone that doesn't go to church. That would be really uncomfortable. So that's why I'm just waiting for God to reveal...what do you mean Jesus?
What do you mean God already showed me His plan?
Its in the Bible?
But I read the Bible, the whole thing, and I never found anything where God wrote about what He was going to do with my life. He doesn't even mention me in the Bible, Jesus.
He did mention me in the Bible?
Oh, yeah, child of God...
Yeah, I know, I'm a child of God, and that's all great, but I'm waiting for MY big day, when God shows me what He's calling me to do with my life. When He calls my name loud like thunder and says"This is what you were meant to do!" And then He gives me a bunch of money and I can go do whatever easy job He's created me for. I can't wait to do God's work! Its going to be so great... What did you say Jesus?
What do you mean "Feed my sheep"?
Who are "the least of these"?
Love my neighbors? Well, I hardly know them, how can I love them?
Besides, wouldn't that be weird?
But those people live on the other side of the planet, how can they be my neighbors?
I've never even been to Samaria, how would I know a good one if I met one?
I just don't understand your riddles Jesus!
What's that about parables Jesus?
Don't waste my what, Jesus?
What am I waiting for?
I've been floundering around for my whole life, trying to figure out what God's big plan for my life is. But I'm still waiting. I even go to church almost every Sunday and toss a couple bucks in the offering plate, but nothing's changed. My life isn't anything like it will be once God's plan is revealed. I'm still waiting for God to show me...what did you say Jesus?
Good works? Good news?
Yep, I go to work everyday, but its not cool to talk about God there. My coworkers might make fun of me if they knew I was a Christian. And I don't know if any of them go to church, and I sure don't want to talk about the Bible to anyone that doesn't go to church. That would be really uncomfortable. So that's why I'm just waiting for God to reveal...what do you mean Jesus?
What do you mean God already showed me His plan?
Its in the Bible?
But I read the Bible, the whole thing, and I never found anything where God wrote about what He was going to do with my life. He doesn't even mention me in the Bible, Jesus.
He did mention me in the Bible?
Oh, yeah, child of God...
Yeah, I know, I'm a child of God, and that's all great, but I'm waiting for MY big day, when God shows me what He's calling me to do with my life. When He calls my name loud like thunder and says"This is what you were meant to do!" And then He gives me a bunch of money and I can go do whatever easy job He's created me for. I can't wait to do God's work! Its going to be so great... What did you say Jesus?
What do you mean "Feed my sheep"?
Who are "the least of these"?
Love my neighbors? Well, I hardly know them, how can I love them?
Besides, wouldn't that be weird?
But those people live on the other side of the planet, how can they be my neighbors?
I've never even been to Samaria, how would I know a good one if I met one?
I just don't understand your riddles Jesus!
What's that about parables Jesus?
Don't waste my what, Jesus?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Love Never Fails
Love Never Fails.
The verses printed inside the cross are 1 Corinthians 13: verses 1-8. I have pretty much bet my salvation on this way of thinking. When I am before the Lord, my God, and He asks me what I did with my life, I will tell Him that I loved: that when I was in doubt, I did what I thought Jesus would do, and I loved.
As you judge, you will be judged.
I know that I, the sinner that I am, will need alot of mercy, so I make sure to offer it as much as I can. But I know in my heart, that God wants us all to think this way. He said it so many times, it amazes me that people are still out there, judging away. In my journey to know God, I have had to change some of my ways of thinking. I have had to completely change my point of view on some things. Its hard, but when the Bible says...when JESUS says... we need to listen. We need to stop assuming we know what HE meant. Stop assuming we understand what HE wants us to do.
To enter heaven we must become like small children.
Read that Bible again, with the soft heart of a child, and see what it really says. Our hardened hearts will never know the truth unless we can do this.
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