Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. (NLT Ephesians 2:1)
I never felt as though I were dead. I thought I had things pretty good. I had friends and family and fun times. Life was filled with work and hobbies. Every day was busy from start to end. What is this dead stuff? I believed in God and knew He was always present in my life, but as an observer. When I realized I had done something wrong or was thinking about doing it, I hoped God was looking into someone else's life instead of mine.
Like most, I thought our lives were judged on our goodness and if we passed the test we would go to heaven instead of the alternative, hell. As humans we were basing good and bad on what we as a culture had decided was good and bad. As the years went on we moved things from one category to another and assumed God was doing the same.
As the years moved on, more and more bad became good and sometimes it was a blurry line between the two sides. Sin was what was defined in some list somewhere. Everyone seemed to have different lists. Catholics had a different list than most Protestants I knew, and Jews had another. We all tried to live within our own list and envied some of the things on another list or gloated about what we could do and they could not.
I had heard about Jesus and new it was written that He was crucified for our sins. We celebrated Easter and Christmas and went to church every Sunday. What I did not know is what Jesus was to me. I did not have a relationship with Him. The emptiness in me was being filled with new things. Often having them was more important than using them. As each was obtained, it was fun for a while, then another would top the most desired list. It was like a never ending need to have. I believed the adage "He who dies with the most toys wins."
When our housekeeper invited us to attend that healing school in 1991, I knew Dianne would be healed of Crohn's Disease. What I did not know is how that day would affect the rest of our lives. Both of us accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior that day. We began a personal relationship with Jesus.
Dead was no longer just a physical state. Now that I was alive in Him, I understood what dead really was. Not having a relationship with Him was being dead; dead to Him. As our relationship with Him grows, we grow. We become more Christ like in our thoughts, actions, and deeds. This is all possible because we were given the chance to choose life over death and we took it.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
PURSUE RIGHT PATHS
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. (NLT 2 Timothy 2:22)
We hear others refer to "the good old days". They look back and remember good times and think all would be better if we could only go back. They forget the growth in them because they came out of those "good old days" and moved into the future.
In our youth we were driven by youthful desires. We may have been looking to please ourselves; looking for the good times. Our ambitions were driving us into schools and down career paths. Our youthful lust may have been driving us down other paths as well.
As we get older, we realize how important it is to stay away from anything sending us in a direction we know to be wrong. But the world still pulls us. It still offers opportunity every day to take the wrong path.
The emails flood my machine daily with gambling opportunities, get rich quick schemes, and invitations to peek into the private rooms of young girls with their online video cams. These are not the avenues to follow. These are not ways to pursue faith and love and peace.
We must choose our companionship carefully, always mindful of the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must work daily to keep our hearts and our bodies pure as we continue to call on the Lord.
We hear others refer to "the good old days". They look back and remember good times and think all would be better if we could only go back. They forget the growth in them because they came out of those "good old days" and moved into the future.
In our youth we were driven by youthful desires. We may have been looking to please ourselves; looking for the good times. Our ambitions were driving us into schools and down career paths. Our youthful lust may have been driving us down other paths as well.
As we get older, we realize how important it is to stay away from anything sending us in a direction we know to be wrong. But the world still pulls us. It still offers opportunity every day to take the wrong path.
The emails flood my machine daily with gambling opportunities, get rich quick schemes, and invitations to peek into the private rooms of young girls with their online video cams. These are not the avenues to follow. These are not ways to pursue faith and love and peace.
We must choose our companionship carefully, always mindful of the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must work daily to keep our hearts and our bodies pure as we continue to call on the Lord.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
BOOMERANGS
For the Scriptures say, "If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. (NLT 1 Peter 3:10)
Being happy is feeling or showing pleasure, contentment, or joy. Feeling it is the result of something, which has happened. This occurs when we are involved with something pleasing. Perhaps it is when we see our children succeeding, or our grandchildren enjoying a new toy, or when our parents are pleased with something, we did.
Showing pleasure however is a decision. We must choose to show happiness. When we do, it is contagious. Just try to be with a number of others laughing at something funny and not laugh. It is like someone yawning; it is catchy.
There is something real about the old adage laughter is the best medicine. I Googled the phrase and discovered a study done by the University of Maryland that found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
What we decide to say and how we decide to react to day-to-day circumstances affects who we are and how we feel. Think before you delete that joke in your email. Laughing at it may change your day.
As far as speaking evil and telling lies, I like another old adage—what comes around goes around. Our words are like boomerangs, they come back at the most inopportune times.
Smile, God sees it all.
Being happy is feeling or showing pleasure, contentment, or joy. Feeling it is the result of something, which has happened. This occurs when we are involved with something pleasing. Perhaps it is when we see our children succeeding, or our grandchildren enjoying a new toy, or when our parents are pleased with something, we did.
Showing pleasure however is a decision. We must choose to show happiness. When we do, it is contagious. Just try to be with a number of others laughing at something funny and not laugh. It is like someone yawning; it is catchy.
There is something real about the old adage laughter is the best medicine. I Googled the phrase and discovered a study done by the University of Maryland that found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
What we decide to say and how we decide to react to day-to-day circumstances affects who we are and how we feel. Think before you delete that joke in your email. Laughing at it may change your day.
As far as speaking evil and telling lies, I like another old adage—what comes around goes around. Our words are like boomerangs, they come back at the most inopportune times.
Smile, God sees it all.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
GOOD OLD DAYS
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to interview Jesus. "Why do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions?" they demanded. "They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat." (NLT Matthew 15:1-2)
Do you know anybody who always talks about the good old days? Hindsight is twenty-twenty. We have all heard that one and we know it is true. The further ahead we get the better we see what we left behind.
Sure, life was different when we were growing up. We had not been through all the trials that got us to where we are right now. It was a simpler life. I for one do not want to go back there. I like cell phones, notebook computers, the Internet, PDAs, movies on demand, microwaves, GPS navigational systems, and all the conveniences we have in the early stages of the twenty-first century.
We want new things without change--a better life without having to give anything up. Everyone wants eternal life. Look how many are using whatever means they can to live longer and longer. It is not just in the movies that people are thinking about cloning themselves as a way to love forever.
True eternity is not a physical thing; it is spiritual. When we become born again, we are born of the Spirit. The next step is to walk in step with Jesus, to take on His nature. As our relationship grows, so do we; change occurs. We must give up the ways of the old traditions to take on the new. No longer do we think how great the good old days were.
Are you ready to give up your age-old traditions?
Do you know anybody who always talks about the good old days? Hindsight is twenty-twenty. We have all heard that one and we know it is true. The further ahead we get the better we see what we left behind.
Sure, life was different when we were growing up. We had not been through all the trials that got us to where we are right now. It was a simpler life. I for one do not want to go back there. I like cell phones, notebook computers, the Internet, PDAs, movies on demand, microwaves, GPS navigational systems, and all the conveniences we have in the early stages of the twenty-first century.
We want new things without change--a better life without having to give anything up. Everyone wants eternal life. Look how many are using whatever means they can to live longer and longer. It is not just in the movies that people are thinking about cloning themselves as a way to love forever.
True eternity is not a physical thing; it is spiritual. When we become born again, we are born of the Spirit. The next step is to walk in step with Jesus, to take on His nature. As our relationship grows, so do we; change occurs. We must give up the ways of the old traditions to take on the new. No longer do we think how great the good old days were.
Are you ready to give up your age-old traditions?
Monday, February 05, 2007
FILTERS
Those who have been born into God's family do not sin, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they have been born of God. (NLT 1 John 3:9)
I receive many emails each day and quite a few are spam. To reduce the number of unsolicited emails I use a filter. My email program allows me to set up parameters which, if met drop the unwanted mail into my junk folder. Mail falling into the rules set up in those filters cannot find its way to my inbox.
When we are born again, we are given the chance to start over with a clean slate. All our past sins are not only forgiven, but in God’s eyes, they have never existed. We are truly a new being; truly given a second chance at this life.
Knowing what we know about our past, we must set up our own filters to insure we are not pulled back into an old life. We need to set filters for how we speak, who we hang around, what we are involved in, and whatever else might tempt us back to the old ways. God does not set the filters; we do.
When we do, our lapses into sin will be less and less. We are born of God and cannot keep on sinning because His life is in us--the spirit of Christ is within.
Have you set your filters?
Those who have been born into God's family do not sin, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they have been born of God. (NLT 1 John 3:9)
I receive many emails each day and quite a few are spam. To reduce the number of unsolicited emails I use a filter. My email program allows me to set up parameters which, if met drop the unwanted mail into my junk folder. Mail falling into the rules set up in those filters cannot find its way to my inbox.
When we are born again, we are given the chance to start over with a clean slate. All our past sins are not only forgiven, but in God’s eyes, they have never existed. We are truly a new being; truly given a second chance at this life.
Knowing what we know about our past, we must set up our own filters to insure we are not pulled back into an old life. We need to set filters for how we speak, who we hang around, what we are involved in, and whatever else might tempt us back to the old ways. God does not set the filters; we do.
When we do, our lapses into sin will be less and less. We are born of God and cannot keep on sinning because His life is in us--the spirit of Christ is within.
Have you set your filters?
Sunday, January 07, 2007
MAN IN THE MIRROR
As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person. (NLT Proverbs 27:19)
Mirror mirror on the wall... We all remember that line from Snow White. The reflection we see in the mirror is how we look to others; how they see us with their mortal eyes. It is not a reflection of how we feel or of the deep hurts we many be harboring. It is just the way we have groomed ourselves to appear to the world. It is like the WYSIWYG feature of most computer applications used today; what you see is what you get.
What if we could choose between seeing the reflection of our mortal self, the image others see, and the reflection of our Spirit man, the person whose presence others feel when they are around us? How finished would that reflection be? Would there even be a reflection?
Who do you see in your mirror?
Mirror mirror on the wall... We all remember that line from Snow White. The reflection we see in the mirror is how we look to others; how they see us with their mortal eyes. It is not a reflection of how we feel or of the deep hurts we many be harboring. It is just the way we have groomed ourselves to appear to the world. It is like the WYSIWYG feature of most computer applications used today; what you see is what you get.
What if we could choose between seeing the reflection of our mortal self, the image others see, and the reflection of our Spirit man, the person whose presence others feel when they are around us? How finished would that reflection be? Would there even be a reflection?
Who do you see in your mirror?
RELATIONSHIP
Don't speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. (NLT James 4:11)
Many watch shows on television having to do with legal battles. We see guilty and not guilty represented in court by lawyers. Some of us have actually seen it in reality by being called to jury duty. Others have had the misfortune of being the one on trial. The job of the judge is to make sure the law is obeyed.
In an attempt to not be judged wrongly, it can be easy to point fingers at others; to place the blame on them for some wrong. By doing so we are disobeying His commandment to love each other as He loves us. He is the judge; not us.
Our job is to hear His words and obey them. This is not an easy task if we do not really know Him. Sure, we all know about Him. We believe God exists and that He rules over all. I know who the mayor of our city is, too. Without a personal relationship with him, I will never hear his words. So how can any of us expect to hear from God if we do not have a personal relationship with Him?
Are you in relationship with Jesus Christ?
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