One of the nicest guys that I ever knew was Lloyd Burton from Monticello, Fla. Lloyd was a big guy, a man's man, but just as gentle and kind as he was large. He flew helicopters in the service, then flew to oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico delivering men and equipment. His last assignment was in Africa. On a day off, he was enjoying a nice day at a Western African beach when someone got in trouble in the surf. He risked his life to save this person only to lose it....for someone he didn't know.
It is quite a stretch from risking your life to save a person to what God did for us. This subject is discussed in Romans 5, beginning in verse 6: "....in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die. Yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Not a one of us would give our life for someone who was accusing us, spitting on us, beating us, whipping, scourging, mocking, lying about us, trying and condemning us, and putting us to death; nobody would do that. But God sent His only son to do just that.....and Jesus did it....for us. And notice that the quote above says "demonstrates," for the gift from God goes on and on. We can't pay God back for this gift, but we can love Him, and appreciate it, and follow (obey) him.
Well, thanks for reading and have a great week!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Being a Christian-Easy & Hard
It can be said that being a Christian is easy and hard. Jesus said that it is easy, at least in a sense, "Come unto Me all that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest....My yoke is easy and My burden is light."(Matt. 11). But we know that there is a sense that it can be hard. Jesus said, in effect, they will hate you, but they hated Me, expect persecution. And Paul was very dedicated, but he suffered greatly for the cause.
Consider this: Some people make it too easy, and some people make it too hard. Too easy, because they say, "God's grace will save me. That's it; I'm good;" or "We are all going to the same place, just taking different paths." But Jesus said: "..narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Yet, some people make it all too hard with all kinds of complex and deep analysis and interpretations. God's plan is quite simple to understand. He developed the history of man through the Old Testament, preparing for a Messiah to come. Jesus comes, lives, dies and is raised (Matt., Mark, Luke, & John). Jesus ascends to heaven, sending back the Holy Spirit, leaving the spread of the gospel to the Apostles (Acts) who proceed to show how people become Christians and the church is formed. How to live the Christian life is given to us in the epistles or letters (Romans through Jude).
Now, perhaps I make it all seem to simple. To me, the plan is simple, following it is not. But Jesus knows this; he was tempted in all ways as a man. Paul talked about the difficulties of always doing right in Romans 7:14 on. Living it is hard! All of us have our struggles. Romans 3;23 says "..all have sinned."
But I see two kinds of people in the world: those who are in sin and are going to stay there, and those who, sometimes sin (because all do), but are determined to do better, who repent when they are wrong, who are committed to obeying God, who try, who try to do what Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your mind on things above..." (Read all of Col. 3-it will tell you how to live).
Being a Christian can be hard in this life; but it is easy because it brings peace, it is God's way, and He knows best, and it is right!......and ultimately it will bring salvation. Peace to you! See you next week.
Consider this: Some people make it too easy, and some people make it too hard. Too easy, because they say, "God's grace will save me. That's it; I'm good;" or "We are all going to the same place, just taking different paths." But Jesus said: "..narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Yet, some people make it all too hard with all kinds of complex and deep analysis and interpretations. God's plan is quite simple to understand. He developed the history of man through the Old Testament, preparing for a Messiah to come. Jesus comes, lives, dies and is raised (Matt., Mark, Luke, & John). Jesus ascends to heaven, sending back the Holy Spirit, leaving the spread of the gospel to the Apostles (Acts) who proceed to show how people become Christians and the church is formed. How to live the Christian life is given to us in the epistles or letters (Romans through Jude).
Now, perhaps I make it all seem to simple. To me, the plan is simple, following it is not. But Jesus knows this; he was tempted in all ways as a man. Paul talked about the difficulties of always doing right in Romans 7:14 on. Living it is hard! All of us have our struggles. Romans 3;23 says "..all have sinned."
But I see two kinds of people in the world: those who are in sin and are going to stay there, and those who, sometimes sin (because all do), but are determined to do better, who repent when they are wrong, who are committed to obeying God, who try, who try to do what Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your mind on things above..." (Read all of Col. 3-it will tell you how to live).
Being a Christian can be hard in this life; but it is easy because it brings peace, it is God's way, and He knows best, and it is right!......and ultimately it will bring salvation. Peace to you! See you next week.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Mountains
I have mountains on my mind this week. (Next week it will likely be the ocean). I was just in the Smokies, got some pictures from a friend in the Rockies, then some pictures from friends in the Alps; the Alps won--now those are mountains!
It is interesting how many major events occur on mountains in the Bible. I can't possibly name them all, but should at least mention Mt Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments; and there was the mount of transfiguration in the New Testament. Mount Zion is a central matter in the OT and NT, being the physical location of Jerusalem and figuratively representing heaven.
I like the passage in Hebrews 12 beginning with verse 18 (through 21), "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire....", referring to Mt Sinai. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks....."
It is not a physical Mt Sinai that we seek; not a physical Zion, or a physical Kingdom. It is a spiritual king that we follow, one who reigns from heaven. Let's be sure that we "do not refuse Him..." Thanks for reading! See you next week.
It is interesting how many major events occur on mountains in the Bible. I can't possibly name them all, but should at least mention Mt Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments; and there was the mount of transfiguration in the New Testament. Mount Zion is a central matter in the OT and NT, being the physical location of Jerusalem and figuratively representing heaven.
I like the passage in Hebrews 12 beginning with verse 18 (through 21), "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire....", referring to Mt Sinai. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks....."
It is not a physical Mt Sinai that we seek; not a physical Zion, or a physical Kingdom. It is a spiritual king that we follow, one who reigns from heaven. Let's be sure that we "do not refuse Him..." Thanks for reading! See you next week.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
"He who overcomes...."
Sometimes I read the obituaries in the paper, noting how many of the deceased have "entered into heaven," or "gone to be with the Father," or other similar assurance that they are saved. But Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' " We would like to believe that everyone is going to be saved, but that is just not reality...according to Jesus.
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 uses the expression, "he who overcomes......." a number of times. That is, he who overcomes the challenges and temptations of this life is the one who will receive the reward. It also uses the expression, in these same two chapters, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear." We need to really listen to what the Bible is teaching!
I like the passage in Hebrews 12:1, "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...." Being a Christian is like running a race, and running to win, not just to finish. A lot of people who are good people, living a good life, will be surprised at the judgment when Jesus says, "I never knew you." We must know Jesus, and have a relationship with Him. We must be believers of Him, and followers of Him.
Thanks for reading; see you next week.
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 uses the expression, "he who overcomes......." a number of times. That is, he who overcomes the challenges and temptations of this life is the one who will receive the reward. It also uses the expression, in these same two chapters, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear." We need to really listen to what the Bible is teaching!
I like the passage in Hebrews 12:1, "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...." Being a Christian is like running a race, and running to win, not just to finish. A lot of people who are good people, living a good life, will be surprised at the judgment when Jesus says, "I never knew you." We must know Jesus, and have a relationship with Him. We must be believers of Him, and followers of Him.
Thanks for reading; see you next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
