Sticky post
Saturday, January 17, 2004 1:49:58 AM
They say life begins at 40.
Well, mine began years before that when I found Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. A gift, a marvelous gift. And He turned my life upside down. Today nobody, it seems, wants to talk about Him. Talk about a generic god, yes, but when it concerns Jesus Christ all different kinds of reactions are seen, many of which are hostile. Some simply a mumbling, "Yeah, yeah". I certainly can understand that. I had my own misconceptions before. If I were to live life PRIMARILY just to enjoy and have fun then my attitude would be the same. It was amazing when I first came to know what living and following Christ meant because the call's charge was so opposite to what I believed in. I found out that the bible declares in so many ways, for example, that life is not about the do's and don'ts and doing good works but rather a giving up, a complete surrender of one's life to God's purposes. Imagine that. That means I was or am not called to be happy but to seek God and know Him. Happiness is just a by-product. It is not to be pursued. I remember very well the words, "Seek and you shall find." In finding Him by giving up the right to my life I found abounding joy. Ah, yes, it did hurt to break old habits, to allow Him to change me. It is called dying to self. A hard price? Considering the confusion, fears, torments of sin, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness exchanged for forgiveness, love, peace and joy the price is nothing. Such joy indeed! And then there is this other thing about success. That I was called not to be successful but to be obedient to Christ. 'Twas hard to understand at first because I fashioned Him to be somebody who loves me (which is true) and who would want me to pursue success. I got it wrong. God wants to be pursued instead. With all my heart, soul and strenght. I wondered how could that be possible but, looking back, by His grace He has done what He promised to do. No, the inworking is not finished yet but one thing I can say with certainty: He is good! He is faithful!
Well, it's Christmas. That's the reason I have been thinking about Jesus who loves me and died for me to take my sins away. Through the years I have come to love Him, too.
I thank Him that I have not missed living life without Him. A bountifully rich privilege knowing it is undeserved.
Ah, Christmas. Right now, I wonder who out there is receiving the free gift that sets man free. I heard it said that when just one lost sheep is found the whole of heaven rejoices. Awesome.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004 1:26:24 AM
Consumed is usually not the word used to describe the things that get us going. More often than not it's associated with food. Can a man be consumed with something he desperately pursues? If earthly pursuits can drive a man crazy, can God do the same? If God is so powerful can He not drive a man crazy for Him? Can anyone be so passionately consumed with Christ?
Definitely. Truth is we seldom, if ever, see that kind of a man or a woman. Someone even said that by the time a Christian shows fiery devotion to Christ (which should be the norm) everybody thinks he has fever. If a face could launch a thousand ships to war, I wonder what we would do if we really see the beauty of God? Our God is a consuming fire. He judges, yes. But for those who reciprocate His love mere words would not even adequately describe the fire that God will cause to burn within us for Him.
The article below is such a blessing to me.
Consumed with Christ
by David Wilkerson
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26
The Greek word for hate means "to love less by comparison." Jesus is calling us to have a love for Him that is so all-inclusive, fervent and absolute that all our earthly affections cannot come close. If we had that red-hot, all-consuming, intense and joyous love for Christ, we would not need outlines, diagrams and instructions telling us how to pray; we would pray because our hearts would be on fire with love for Him. We would not grow bored trying to fill up an hour praying ambiguously for needs all over the world; Christ would be the object of our prayers, and our prayer time would be precious. We would spend hours behind closed doors, expressing the overflowing admiration and sweet love that flood our hearts for Him. Reading His Word would never be a burden; we wouldn't need formulas on how to finish the Bible in a year. If we loved Jesus passionately, we would be drawn magnetically to His Word to learn more about Him. And we would not become bogged down with endless genealogies and end-time speculations. We would want only to know Him better-to see more of His beauty and glory so that we could become more like Him. Think about it: Do we know what it is like to come into His sweet presence and ask nothing? To reach out to Him only because we are grateful that He loves us so completely? We have become selfish and self-centered in our prayers: "GIVE US, MEET US, HELP US, BLESS US, USE US, PROTECT US" All this may be scriptural, but the focus remains on us. We go to His Word for answers to our problems, for guidance and comfort, and this also is right and commendable. But where is the love-motivated soul who searches the Scriptures diligently, who wants only to discover more and more about his beloved Lord?
Saturday, August 28, 2004 3:28:40 AM
When we choose to steadfastly stand for truth, like it or not, we'll be consequently marked. Others will take notice and just like Jesus, we will either be loved or hated. However, standing for truth can't be done by just intectually knowing the truth and by the power of the will. The Truth (who is Jesus) has to do its work in our hearts first. This is the truth: the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). How's that for the self-esteem? A good tree bears good fruit, Jesus said. No one is good but God. A heart is good only when it is changed by God and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then and only then will truly good fruit come forth. Subsequently whatever the person does is just an expression of the in-working of Jesus Christ in him. Elsewhere in scripture it is said, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is [unconditional] love....
The truth has its enemies. Now who among us is able to love his enemy? or pray for those who persecute, hate or spitefully use him? Who can love unconditionally? Who can boldly and consistently proclaim and stand for the truth with unconditional love? The natural man can't do that. He'll just bring condemnation to the enemies of truth. Only the man whose heart is changed and empowered by God can. He'll boldly call sin a sin. "Murder" for what others may call "a choice." "Sexual immorality" for what may be known as "alternative lifestyle." He will be hated, called names. Nonetheless, he remains steadfast in love. Even in death he'll be able to say, "Father, forgive them..."
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