“Love does not keep a record of wrongs.”
I Corinthians 13:5 TEV
Do you remember the story about the man who was bitten by the dog? When he learned the dog had rabies, he began making a list. The doctor told him there was no need to make a will, that the rabies could be cured. “Oh, I’m not making a will,” he replied. “I’m making a list of all the people I want to bite.”
Forgiveness is not always something that comes easy but it can be a great faith exercise. In my own personal experiences, this is the case. It is so difficult for me to forgive people for things that have happened but it's made so much easier if you look to Christ and ask him for help. The example of the sinner that points out the sliver in one mans eye while he has a plank in his own can be applied to my own life. Theoretically, it should be very simple for me to forgive those that need forgiving. I sin every day and every day I need to ask God to forgive me for the things I've done wrong so I should be more than willing to forgive the person that makes one mistake that happens to effect me. Realistically though, it's not always that easy. I think our human nature is to carry around these grudges and wait for a chance to get our revenge. Forgiving requires so many things from Christ. We need the humility to understand and know we are no better. We need trust and self control to know that God is in control and it is not for us to make sure the person that wronged us sees their mistake. If we can use Christ as our example and show the love he shows us, it is so much easier.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Failures Are Not Fatal
Thursday, July 24, 2008
“We must pay more careful attention…to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”
Hebrews 2:1 NIV
I don't want to say that Max seems to sugar-coat his messages because although it seems that way, he is just constantly giving us the message that God wants us to hear- no matter how often or how far we turn away from God, by his grace, our mistakes are not fatal. With that being said, our mistakes do have consequences. In Hebrews 2:3 it says: "So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation...". There are many things about God and his creation that are so far beyond us- things that are far beyond our comprehension but the guidelines he has laid down for us don't fit into this category. There is a logic to it. He gave us a set of rules to follow for our own good. As Max says, "If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. You will let a few days slip by without consulting your compass. Your sails will go untrimmed. Your rigging will go unprepared. And worst of all, you will forget to anchor your boat. And, before you know it, you’ll be bouncing from wave to wave in stormy seas". God knows and we need to be aware that when we make one bad decision, it may seem like just that, one simple mistake that we can let go but there are consequences. This does need to be "the wrath of God"- look at drinking alcohol- too many drinks can seem like such a harmful and innocent mistake but there are so many consequences that we don't think of. Virtually every mistake we make, if we look at it carefully, we can see that there are consequences that result from it. Aside from the direct consequences of one mistake, we also start a process of moral decay that Max mentions- one mistake often leads to another. I know for myself this is so true. One day without prayer and devotion often leads to another and when I fail to include these things in my day, I notice the difference that day...funny how quickly the devil can get a hold on us. Thankfuly, God is always waiting at the door. We simply need to open it and let him back in!
“We must pay more careful attention…to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”
Hebrews 2:1 NIV
I don't want to say that Max seems to sugar-coat his messages because although it seems that way, he is just constantly giving us the message that God wants us to hear- no matter how often or how far we turn away from God, by his grace, our mistakes are not fatal. With that being said, our mistakes do have consequences. In Hebrews 2:3 it says: "So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation...". There are many things about God and his creation that are so far beyond us- things that are far beyond our comprehension but the guidelines he has laid down for us don't fit into this category. There is a logic to it. He gave us a set of rules to follow for our own good. As Max says, "If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. You will let a few days slip by without consulting your compass. Your sails will go untrimmed. Your rigging will go unprepared. And worst of all, you will forget to anchor your boat. And, before you know it, you’ll be bouncing from wave to wave in stormy seas". God knows and we need to be aware that when we make one bad decision, it may seem like just that, one simple mistake that we can let go but there are consequences. This does need to be "the wrath of God"- look at drinking alcohol- too many drinks can seem like such a harmful and innocent mistake but there are so many consequences that we don't think of. Virtually every mistake we make, if we look at it carefully, we can see that there are consequences that result from it. Aside from the direct consequences of one mistake, we also start a process of moral decay that Max mentions- one mistake often leads to another. I know for myself this is so true. One day without prayer and devotion often leads to another and when I fail to include these things in my day, I notice the difference that day...funny how quickly the devil can get a hold on us. Thankfuly, God is always waiting at the door. We simply need to open it and let him back in!
Monday, July 14, 2008
God Forgets
Monday, July 14, 2008
"Bless the LORD,…who forgives all your iniquities."
PSALM 103:1-2 NKJV
Simple but hard to accept. Because of what Christ did for us, all we need to do is ask him and he'll completley take it all away from us. Too simple. It seems to go against our human nature. Even as I write this, I can think of those sins that I've asked God to forgive me for and I still have this feeling like he could use them against me at some point. Maybe because I do it all the time. As Christians, we need to forgive in the same way. When we accept him, he is in us and we are made new each and every time we ask him. I feel like we shouldn't forget though- we need to learn from our mistakes- I know that if I can remember how it felt when mistakes were made- that feeling of having drifted away from what I knew was right and what he wanted for me- I can remember this the next time I am tempted or am confronted with that same sin. I think the most important thing is that we realize God has completely forgiven us and we should not feel guilt for what happened in that past because if we do, we are questioning his word. We need to truly accept that the sins of our past and really gone. As with everything else that happens to us in our lives, God uses our sin and our mistakes to make us better. Max uses a great metaphor in his book "Come Thirsty". He tells the story of a group of fishermen and the local Inn after a day of fishing. One of the men is enthusiastically telling the story of a fish that got away. His wild arm motions knock the passing waitress's tea tray against a white wall, leaving a big brown stain on the wall. The owner comes over and sees the mark and complains that the wall will need to be repainted. An artist hears him and asks him if he can work with the stain and that maybe he won't need to repaint it. The artist ends up using the stain in the creation of a beutiful wild life painting, making the wall more beautiful then it was before. And that is truly amazing. Only God- only the one true God- could take the bad in us and use it for good!
"Bless the LORD,…who forgives all your iniquities."
PSALM 103:1-2 NKJV
Simple but hard to accept. Because of what Christ did for us, all we need to do is ask him and he'll completley take it all away from us. Too simple. It seems to go against our human nature. Even as I write this, I can think of those sins that I've asked God to forgive me for and I still have this feeling like he could use them against me at some point. Maybe because I do it all the time. As Christians, we need to forgive in the same way. When we accept him, he is in us and we are made new each and every time we ask him. I feel like we shouldn't forget though- we need to learn from our mistakes- I know that if I can remember how it felt when mistakes were made- that feeling of having drifted away from what I knew was right and what he wanted for me- I can remember this the next time I am tempted or am confronted with that same sin. I think the most important thing is that we realize God has completely forgiven us and we should not feel guilt for what happened in that past because if we do, we are questioning his word. We need to truly accept that the sins of our past and really gone. As with everything else that happens to us in our lives, God uses our sin and our mistakes to make us better. Max uses a great metaphor in his book "Come Thirsty". He tells the story of a group of fishermen and the local Inn after a day of fishing. One of the men is enthusiastically telling the story of a fish that got away. His wild arm motions knock the passing waitress's tea tray against a white wall, leaving a big brown stain on the wall. The owner comes over and sees the mark and complains that the wall will need to be repainted. An artist hears him and asks him if he can work with the stain and that maybe he won't need to repaint it. The artist ends up using the stain in the creation of a beutiful wild life painting, making the wall more beautiful then it was before. And that is truly amazing. Only God- only the one true God- could take the bad in us and use it for good!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
They'll know...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
“I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear.”
Matthew 25:36
So much can be said without saying a word...the old cliche "actions speak louder than words" still carries so much truth to it. Max gave the example of Mary:
"The baby Jesus, still wet from the womb, was cold and chilled. So this mother did what any mother would do; she did what love does: She covered him." Max also quotes from Matthew when Jesus says in chapter 25, I was without clothes and you gave me something to wear. We are presented with so many opportunities everyday to show our love for Jesus. In a world where we are surrounded by information, so many people telling us so many different things, I think maybe the best form of evangelism is through our actions. So many non-believers look at Christians or people of the church as hypocrites- looking down at them from their hight horse. By not saying anything and just acting out of complete love for Jesus, we can accomplish so much! The difficult part is to do this in all situations. Sometimes it's easy but other times, we would like nothing more than to turn our backs, pretend we didn't see or just tell ourselves we've done all we can. There are situations in my own life where I've simply given up on the person, telling myself it's up to them now, I've said my peice. To an extent this is true, for a person to come to God, it is up to them and God but I need to stick with them. I don't need to be constantly telling them what they need to do but I can support them and show them God's love through my own actions...perseverence is something that doesn't come easy otherwise the definition of the word simply wouldn't make sense.
“I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear.”
Matthew 25:36
So much can be said without saying a word...the old cliche "actions speak louder than words" still carries so much truth to it. Max gave the example of Mary:
"The baby Jesus, still wet from the womb, was cold and chilled. So this mother did what any mother would do; she did what love does: She covered him." Max also quotes from Matthew when Jesus says in chapter 25, I was without clothes and you gave me something to wear. We are presented with so many opportunities everyday to show our love for Jesus. In a world where we are surrounded by information, so many people telling us so many different things, I think maybe the best form of evangelism is through our actions. So many non-believers look at Christians or people of the church as hypocrites- looking down at them from their hight horse. By not saying anything and just acting out of complete love for Jesus, we can accomplish so much! The difficult part is to do this in all situations. Sometimes it's easy but other times, we would like nothing more than to turn our backs, pretend we didn't see or just tell ourselves we've done all we can. There are situations in my own life where I've simply given up on the person, telling myself it's up to them now, I've said my peice. To an extent this is true, for a person to come to God, it is up to them and God but I need to stick with them. I don't need to be constantly telling them what they need to do but I can support them and show them God's love through my own actions...perseverence is something that doesn't come easy otherwise the definition of the word simply wouldn't make sense.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thank you
Thank You
Monday, April 28, 2008
“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful.”
Psalm 31:23 NKJV
Max talks about saying thank you to all those who carry out the work of our God- all of his saints- teachers, pastors, missionaries, etc. The list goes on and on because we all have a job to do. The one message we get from Jesus throughout his time on earth was to be "fishers of men". We are all disciples. We have been called to serve him in many different capacities. I am so thankful to so many people in my life for what they've done for me, the help they have provided for me in my walk with God but it's not enough for me to simply say thank you and continue on with my life. I also have a job to do. Sometimes when I sit and think about this I start to get ancy...I want to get out and do something. Studying sociology has stirred this up even more. K.P. Yohannan said some pretty powerful things in his book about how the developing world doesn't need social programs, they don't need people telling them how to improve their health care and their education system. They need people to tell them about God. The problems of the developing world are not social problems, they are not having God in their lives problems. K.P. is from India where evidence of this is so clear and simple. The majority of Indians believe in a religion that tells them people that their great ancestors, if they were pure and holy would reincarnate to the body of a cow. People go hungry, going with less than one meal per day and they are giving what little food they do have to cows. Good point from a man of God. That being said, I'm not sure my gift is evengalizing the way K.P has but I know there are many different ways to evanggelize. They will know we are Christians by our love. There are so many projects I want to be a part of and I think through these projects, God will give me the opportunity to evengelize and tell others about Him. I can't wait to get started!
Monday, April 28, 2008
“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful.”
Psalm 31:23 NKJV
Max talks about saying thank you to all those who carry out the work of our God- all of his saints- teachers, pastors, missionaries, etc. The list goes on and on because we all have a job to do. The one message we get from Jesus throughout his time on earth was to be "fishers of men". We are all disciples. We have been called to serve him in many different capacities. I am so thankful to so many people in my life for what they've done for me, the help they have provided for me in my walk with God but it's not enough for me to simply say thank you and continue on with my life. I also have a job to do. Sometimes when I sit and think about this I start to get ancy...I want to get out and do something. Studying sociology has stirred this up even more. K.P. Yohannan said some pretty powerful things in his book about how the developing world doesn't need social programs, they don't need people telling them how to improve their health care and their education system. They need people to tell them about God. The problems of the developing world are not social problems, they are not having God in their lives problems. K.P. is from India where evidence of this is so clear and simple. The majority of Indians believe in a religion that tells them people that their great ancestors, if they were pure and holy would reincarnate to the body of a cow. People go hungry, going with less than one meal per day and they are giving what little food they do have to cows. Good point from a man of God. That being said, I'm not sure my gift is evengalizing the way K.P has but I know there are many different ways to evanggelize. They will know we are Christians by our love. There are so many projects I want to be a part of and I think through these projects, God will give me the opportunity to evengelize and tell others about Him. I can't wait to get started!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
reason vs. believing without seeing
We, as mankind, need to find reason and justify things before we can accept it as truth, this is just natural. People want to understand and make sense of something before they can fully call it their own. Theories or doctrines will be studied until a level of understanding is gained, until then, it is difficult for someone to mentally embrace and pursue their belief. An example of this is the path that a one takes before converting to beliefs, for example, the teachings of Ron Hubert’s Scientology. You often hear of reports of people coming to accept a belief after years of study, they feel it “benefits humanity” or “works for their lifestyle”, they are comfortable with it only after they come to a level of understanding.We do not know Christ by our minds figuring it out, and slowly coming to some realization and converting, because our minds can never understand who Christ is. Christ is known to us by revelation, by the Holy Spirit, supernaturally! Jesus comes to people by being proclaimed not by being explained. The natural instinct of man is to explain, to make it reasonable , to make it understandable. But Jesus is so much more than us that He can never be reasoned, can never be understood by the natural mind, He can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. Praise God!And with this supernatural revelation comes a new life. We are no longer are bound to sin for we have been liberated by His blood, we live by the grace of God, and walk in His light. He is proclaimed through our changed lives, and we must be ready to give explanation for this change. Give God the glory and rejoice in the life He has given us. Colossians 1:16 All things were created through Him and for Him. This means for His glory! Enjoying life and embracing what God had created for us is paralleled to glorifying Him and joyfully displaying His supremacy.
Covered with Christ
Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 NIV
Funny how often we can be thinking about something. We can't find the answer and then it's laid out for us right after. I can remember on several different occasions at the dinner table, growing up having family discussions and not really coming to any conclusion that we were all willing to accept. We would end the discussion and start our devotions and what we would read from the
Bible was like a response from God. Anyway, it happened to me again. I was just taking a shower thinking about this- basically what I wrote to myslef in a few blogs ago and not really being happy with my own answer. The issue was this idea about how God gives us choice- it's for us to decide if we want to follow him so where do we draw the line...
Max gives me such a great response to this question. "Christians are like their ancestor Abel. We come to God by virtue of the flock. Cain came with the work of his own hands. God turned him away." As colossians says, when we come to God, there really isn't a choice, we don't need to make decisions anymore. We "set our sights on the realities of heaven". I guess the point is that yes we're going to make mistakes because sometimes we loose focus but as long as we keep our eyes focused on Him and we're living a righteous life- because our life is hidden with Christ- it's not us making the right decisions, it' not really even us
being righteous, it's Jesus' grace bestowed upon us.
If I've really given my life over to him, he
takes away all of the difficult decisions.
Colossians 3:3 NIV
Funny how often we can be thinking about something. We can't find the answer and then it's laid out for us right after. I can remember on several different occasions at the dinner table, growing up having family discussions and not really coming to any conclusion that we were all willing to accept. We would end the discussion and start our devotions and what we would read from the
Bible was like a response from God. Anyway, it happened to me again. I was just taking a shower thinking about this- basically what I wrote to myslef in a few blogs ago and not really being happy with my own answer. The issue was this idea about how God gives us choice- it's for us to decide if we want to follow him so where do we draw the line...
Max gives me such a great response to this question. "Christians are like their ancestor Abel. We come to God by virtue of the flock. Cain came with the work of his own hands. God turned him away." As colossians says, when we come to God, there really isn't a choice, we don't need to make decisions anymore. We "set our sights on the realities of heaven". I guess the point is that yes we're going to make mistakes because sometimes we loose focus but as long as we keep our eyes focused on Him and we're living a righteous life- because our life is hidden with Christ- it's not us making the right decisions, it' not really even us
being righteous, it's Jesus' grace bestowed upon us.
If I've really given my life over to him, he
takes away all of the difficult decisions.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
It’s Up to You
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”
Revelation 3:20 KJV
Perhaps you’ve seen Holman Hunt’s painting of Jesus. Stone archway…ivy-covered bricks…Jesus standing before a heavy wooden door.
It was in a Bible I often held as a young boy. Beneath the painting were the words, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”
Years later I read about a surprise in the painting. Holmann Hunt had intentionally left out something that only the most careful eye would note as missing. I had not noticed it. When I was told about it I went back and looked. Sure enough, it wasn’t there. There was no doorknob on the door. It could be opened only from the inside…
God come to your house, steps up to the door, and knocks. But it’s up to you to let him in.
Thought I would post the entire write up from Max...good stuff. It's so true. People say they don't believe in God because He hasn't done anything for them in their lives...but it's simple, he's waiting for the invitation to come in. He's still there and there is so much evidence of this but we need to open up and let him in and let him take over our lives...it's not a one way street. We don't just say ya okay God exists and then good things will start to happen for us. We need to let him in and accept his grace. Once we do that, we can be happy knowing we have his grace and we can always turn to him for help. Of course this doesn't mean our lives will be better. As Christians, we should expect things to go bad, to face turmoil and hard times. The difference is where we turn when we face them!
Revelation 3:20 KJV
Perhaps you’ve seen Holman Hunt’s painting of Jesus. Stone archway…ivy-covered bricks…Jesus standing before a heavy wooden door.
It was in a Bible I often held as a young boy. Beneath the painting were the words, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”
Years later I read about a surprise in the painting. Holmann Hunt had intentionally left out something that only the most careful eye would note as missing. I had not noticed it. When I was told about it I went back and looked. Sure enough, it wasn’t there. There was no doorknob on the door. It could be opened only from the inside…
God come to your house, steps up to the door, and knocks. But it’s up to you to let him in.
Thought I would post the entire write up from Max...good stuff. It's so true. People say they don't believe in God because He hasn't done anything for them in their lives...but it's simple, he's waiting for the invitation to come in. He's still there and there is so much evidence of this but we need to open up and let him in and let him take over our lives...it's not a one way street. We don't just say ya okay God exists and then good things will start to happen for us. We need to let him in and accept his grace. Once we do that, we can be happy knowing we have his grace and we can always turn to him for help. Of course this doesn't mean our lives will be better. As Christians, we should expect things to go bad, to face turmoil and hard times. The difference is where we turn when we face them!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Made in His Image
Max keeps it so simple, says it so well. I'm not sure I really have much to add. We can look at so many aspects of his creation an see how creative he was. To say that this world was created because of a big bang, to me, is abserd. So many things in creation are made so perfectly- like they were hand crafted- that to me it's not even a remote possibility. We are so far from really ever understanding what God is and how powerful he really is but if we take a step back and think about how much he really did in those seven days, it can be almost overwhelming. I remember one scene in the movie "Adaptation" where they show how perfectly certain flowers are a perfect match for another specific insect. Such a simple thing like a flower and then look at our bodies, our lives...there are so many things about ourselves that we are so far from fully understanding...He really is amazing!
"And then, as finale to a brilliant performance, he made man. With his typical creative flair, he began with a useless mound of dirt and ended up with an invaluable species called a human." I read this statement from Max and I wonder what God had in mind for us when he created us and how much have we fallen short from the expectations he had on that first day when he created us from nothing. So many inventors throughout history are given so much respect, we aspire to be like them...can I say the same for God? How much of my thought is devoted to trying to follow in his footsteps after everything he has done for me? It's the least we can do, afterall he invented us!!!
"And then, as finale to a brilliant performance, he made man. With his typical creative flair, he began with a useless mound of dirt and ended up with an invaluable species called a human." I read this statement from Max and I wonder what God had in mind for us when he created us and how much have we fallen short from the expectations he had on that first day when he created us from nothing. So many inventors throughout history are given so much respect, we aspire to be like them...can I say the same for God? How much of my thought is devoted to trying to follow in his footsteps after everything he has done for me? It's the least we can do, afterall he invented us!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I the LORD do not change.
Malachi 3:6
It's so true and it's something I ask people about all the time. Here in Brazil, Alan Kardec has a strong following. Alan Kardec is the founder of Spiritism. Anyway, any of my students ask me how it is possible for me not to believe in the teachings of Alan Kardec or others that have come accross a new theory about how the world may have begun, of course disproving the Bible and the creation theory. But why are they looking for something? Why is it somehow easier for people to buy into an idea created by Allan Kardec less than 200 years ago than it is to believe in God and his word that he provided for us? The Bible is considered by many to be the oldest book in the world yet people are constantly trying to disprove it in favour of something new and modern. God doesn't change. He hasn't changed and he won't change. His grace is never ending, it won't run out. We can disagree on different points in the Bible but the bottom line for me is that the Bible provides us with an excellent guideline for how we should live our life, regardless of how you want to interpret different passages. If this simply isn't enough, there are also so many prophecies in the Bible that give us evidence. Yet people seem bent on the idea that the Bible cannot possibly be true. Why? I don't know. What I do know is that these words: "I the LORD do not change" are so good to hear. It's so good to know that even when everything in my life seems to be going crazy, God is my center and he won't change. What he said thousands of years ago, he is still saying today. Maybe it's human nature- we're always looking for something new and improved. But in the end as it was in the beginning, He is there for us and will continue to be. "Now return to me, and I will return to you".
Malachi 3:6
It's so true and it's something I ask people about all the time. Here in Brazil, Alan Kardec has a strong following. Alan Kardec is the founder of Spiritism. Anyway, any of my students ask me how it is possible for me not to believe in the teachings of Alan Kardec or others that have come accross a new theory about how the world may have begun, of course disproving the Bible and the creation theory. But why are they looking for something? Why is it somehow easier for people to buy into an idea created by Allan Kardec less than 200 years ago than it is to believe in God and his word that he provided for us? The Bible is considered by many to be the oldest book in the world yet people are constantly trying to disprove it in favour of something new and modern. God doesn't change. He hasn't changed and he won't change. His grace is never ending, it won't run out. We can disagree on different points in the Bible but the bottom line for me is that the Bible provides us with an excellent guideline for how we should live our life, regardless of how you want to interpret different passages. If this simply isn't enough, there are also so many prophecies in the Bible that give us evidence. Yet people seem bent on the idea that the Bible cannot possibly be true. Why? I don't know. What I do know is that these words: "I the LORD do not change" are so good to hear. It's so good to know that even when everything in my life seems to be going crazy, God is my center and he won't change. What he said thousands of years ago, he is still saying today. Maybe it's human nature- we're always looking for something new and improved. But in the end as it was in the beginning, He is there for us and will continue to be. "Now return to me, and I will return to you".
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Luke 5:5
“I will do as You say and let down the nets” (v.5).
So easy to say...not so easy to do. Seems like the first thought that comes to mind when things don't go the way you want them to is to pack it all in, tell yourself it wasn't meant to be and move on. It can seem like a very tiresome cycle. A problem presents itself, you try to solve it on your own. You realize that isn't going to work so you turn to God. Seems like at times I'm less patient with God than I was trying to do it on my own. I turn to him in prayer and for some reason expect immediate results. This is the fine line...something I've always wondered about. As much as we need to pray for God to give us strength to face the problem...whatever the problem may be, in the end, it's me that needs to fix the problem. God gives us choice. Because of his love for us, he wants us to come to him out of our own free will. We can choose to make the right choice or the wrong one so many times in a single day but that's exactly the point- it's me making the choice. To deal with a problem, it's me that has to turn things around but it's God's guidance that helps me to make those decisions. I think this is where things get foggy and I sometimes lose myself in the philosophy of the issue I'm facing. Where do I draw the line between trying to do it myself and sitting back and letting God do it for me? It's so easy for me to say to God "why won't you help me with this", "I keep trying and trying but you won't fix it". Like Luke 5:5 says: we worked hard all night and didn't catch anything....when I say things like why won't you help me, that's the problem, God isn't the partial solution, he is the only answer. I can't try to do it on my own and expect God to give me a push when I start failing. I need to give it completely to God. Yes, it's me that needs to carry out the action but 100% of whatever it is I'm doing has to be for God, with him at the center of my thoughts with constant reflection on what I'm doing and what I have done to be sure I don't lose sight of him for even a second because that is all it takes. It's so easy to slip down, it's not so easy to climb back up.
“I will do as You say and let down the nets” (v.5).
So easy to say...not so easy to do. Seems like the first thought that comes to mind when things don't go the way you want them to is to pack it all in, tell yourself it wasn't meant to be and move on. It can seem like a very tiresome cycle. A problem presents itself, you try to solve it on your own. You realize that isn't going to work so you turn to God. Seems like at times I'm less patient with God than I was trying to do it on my own. I turn to him in prayer and for some reason expect immediate results. This is the fine line...something I've always wondered about. As much as we need to pray for God to give us strength to face the problem...whatever the problem may be, in the end, it's me that needs to fix the problem. God gives us choice. Because of his love for us, he wants us to come to him out of our own free will. We can choose to make the right choice or the wrong one so many times in a single day but that's exactly the point- it's me making the choice. To deal with a problem, it's me that has to turn things around but it's God's guidance that helps me to make those decisions. I think this is where things get foggy and I sometimes lose myself in the philosophy of the issue I'm facing. Where do I draw the line between trying to do it myself and sitting back and letting God do it for me? It's so easy for me to say to God "why won't you help me with this", "I keep trying and trying but you won't fix it". Like Luke 5:5 says: we worked hard all night and didn't catch anything....when I say things like why won't you help me, that's the problem, God isn't the partial solution, he is the only answer. I can't try to do it on my own and expect God to give me a push when I start failing. I need to give it completely to God. Yes, it's me that needs to carry out the action but 100% of whatever it is I'm doing has to be for God, with him at the center of my thoughts with constant reflection on what I'm doing and what I have done to be sure I don't lose sight of him for even a second because that is all it takes. It's so easy to slip down, it's not so easy to climb back up.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Friday April 4, 2008
Day 1
http://www.maxlucado.com/
passage: Ephesians 2:10
Great passage and great message from Max. Our salvation is not something we earned...so important to remember this at all times. Being a Christian doesn't make us any better than the next guy. God gave us the gift of his grace and his grace allows us to move on from our mistakes time and time again but as with anyone else regardless of faith, we will make those mistakes. "He draws together the disjointed blotches in our life and renders them an expression of his love". How powerful is that? Not only does he not get tired of us and give up on us, he takes our mistakes and turns them into something good. I can look at my own life and I think, wow, what a job he's got...he just doesn't quit. How often have I made mistakes and got mad about it because things didn't work out, even to the point of being angry with God for making my life so difficult. But he doesn't give up. It's my responsibility to take the never ending opportunities he gives to me and grow closer to him. The last part of the verse: "so we can do the good things he planned for us". It's not enough for me to just sit back and say thank you God, I need try my best to follow the path he's laid out for me. I need to pray and ask him for strength so that when I stray I can ask him for forgiveness and have the strength to turn around and start heading back in the right direction!
http://www.maxlucado.com/
passage: Ephesians 2:10
Great passage and great message from Max. Our salvation is not something we earned...so important to remember this at all times. Being a Christian doesn't make us any better than the next guy. God gave us the gift of his grace and his grace allows us to move on from our mistakes time and time again but as with anyone else regardless of faith, we will make those mistakes. "He draws together the disjointed blotches in our life and renders them an expression of his love". How powerful is that? Not only does he not get tired of us and give up on us, he takes our mistakes and turns them into something good. I can look at my own life and I think, wow, what a job he's got...he just doesn't quit. How often have I made mistakes and got mad about it because things didn't work out, even to the point of being angry with God for making my life so difficult. But he doesn't give up. It's my responsibility to take the never ending opportunities he gives to me and grow closer to him. The last part of the verse: "so we can do the good things he planned for us". It's not enough for me to just sit back and say thank you God, I need try my best to follow the path he's laid out for me. I need to pray and ask him for strength so that when I stray I can ask him for forgiveness and have the strength to turn around and start heading back in the right direction!
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