This is part of what Jesus said to Martha, the sister to Lazarus. Lazarus had died, & Martha had gone out to meet Jesus when He arrived at her town.
John 11
25 Jesus told her,
"I am the resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
26a Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.
I
find it difficult to connect with the thinking of some that Jesus was
just a good man (not the son of God) who had many kind & loving
things to say that we need to incorporate into our lives.
But Jesus clearly says something here that a man who says wise & meaningful things I would think would not say.
To my way of thinking, Jesus lays it out in these 2 verses that there is life after an earthly death.
He says we "will live, even after dying", & if we live & believe in Him we "will never die."
Either Jesus was who He said He was, or He was a nut case.
There are too many instances of things Jesus said that would point to that premise.
If He was just a wise & wonderful man, then He would only say & be quoted as saying wise & wonderful things.
But telling us something He clearly thought was the truth...
...that we will continue to live on after our life here on earth ceases...
...would have to either come from someone who knows what He's talking about...
...or it would come from a crazy man.
My point?
I believe Jesus is the Son of God, sent by God to make a way for us to have connection with God.
Jesus was not just a wise & wonderful man.
Only 1 of 2 kinds of people would say & do the things He said & did...
...the Son of God...
...or a crazy man.
I believe He is the Son of God.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
abundance
No matter how we translate it, it always comes out the same - Jesus came to give us a richer, fuller life.
The "thief" that Jesus speaks of here is the devil.
John 10:10
The thief's (the devil's) purpose is to steal, kill, & destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. (NLT, 1st ed.)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (Amplified)
A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. (ERV)
The thief comes only to steal and (A)kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (ESV)
The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before. (J. B. Phillips)
A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (The Message)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NASB)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)
The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance. (The Voice)
The "thief" that Jesus speaks of here is the devil.
John 10:10
The thief's (the devil's) purpose is to steal, kill, & destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. (NLT, 1st ed.)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (Amplified)
A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. (ERV)
The thief comes only to steal and (A)kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (ESV)
The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before. (J. B. Phillips)
A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (The Message)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NASB)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)
The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance. (The Voice)
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
tasks
"All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent Me..." John 9:4a
This is Jesus speaking here.
This statement of His says these things to me...
God has some specific things He wants me to be & do while here on earth.
Then if that is true, the the God of the universes must be aware of me, a nano-speck in the cosmos.
If He has specific things He wants me to be & do, then He must trust me at some level & know that I can be & do them.
If God trusts me to be & do these things, He must know me through & through.
If the God of the universes has certain plans for me, then what I am to be & do, at some level, must be important to Him & important to the overall overarching plans He has for humankind.
Does this encourage anyone else besides me?
This is Jesus speaking here.
This statement of His says these things to me...
God has some specific things He wants me to be & do while here on earth.
Then if that is true, the the God of the universes must be aware of me, a nano-speck in the cosmos.
If He has specific things He wants me to be & do, then He must trust me at some level & know that I can be & do them.
If God trusts me to be & do these things, He must know me through & through.
If the God of the universes has certain plans for me, then what I am to be & do, at some level, must be important to Him & important to the overall overarching plans He has for humankind.
Does this encourage anyone else besides me?
Monday, April 27, 2015
come into the light
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,
"I am the light of the world.
If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness,
because you will have the light that leads to life."
John 8:12
This world we live in is so dark.
There are always evil people trying to be & do evil things to us & with us.
(That sounds a little paranoid, but you know what I mean.)
All we have to do is look around & see how people are being so incredibly sinful.
And all we have to do is look inside ourselves to see plenty of sinfulness.
But Jesus says if we follow Him, not only are our sins forgiven, but light & life pours into our lives.
Is there anybody reading this who could stand a little light in their lives.
Anybody reading this who needs to cast off the dark, dead way(s) they're living & move into an existence that is really & truly living?
Jesus says here that if we follow Him we won't be living in that dark place we are now, that ours will live in a light & open place.
How many of us live in darkness right now?
We all know who we are.
Come out of that dark place by believing what Jesus said about Himself & us...
...that the power of the Holy Spirit will empower us to turn away from the darkness we live in...
...and then let's decide to follow what He said in His Word, & in the things He will say to us as we walk along with Him.
Come out of the darkness into the Light.
"I am the light of the world.
If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness,
because you will have the light that leads to life."
John 8:12
This world we live in is so dark.
There are always evil people trying to be & do evil things to us & with us.
(That sounds a little paranoid, but you know what I mean.)
All we have to do is look around & see how people are being so incredibly sinful.
And all we have to do is look inside ourselves to see plenty of sinfulness.
But Jesus says if we follow Him, not only are our sins forgiven, but light & life pours into our lives.
Is there anybody reading this who could stand a little light in their lives.
Anybody reading this who needs to cast off the dark, dead way(s) they're living & move into an existence that is really & truly living?
Jesus says here that if we follow Him we won't be living in that dark place we are now, that ours will live in a light & open place.
How many of us live in darkness right now?
We all know who we are.
Come out of that dark place by believing what Jesus said about Himself & us...
...that the power of the Holy Spirit will empower us to turn away from the darkness we live in...
...and then let's decide to follow what He said in His Word, & in the things He will say to us as we walk along with Him.
Come out of the darkness into the Light.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
livin' the new life
Paul sets down some practical advice one how to live the new life we find when we follow Jesus.
There's some tough stuff in here.
But there's also a lot of good stuff.
Colossians 3
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.
2 Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth.
3 For you died to this life,
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality,
impurity,
lust,
and evil desires.
Don't be greedy,
for a greedy person is an idolater,
worshiping the things of this world.
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
8 But now is the time to get rid of anger,
rage,
malicious behavior,
slander,
and dirty language.
9 Don't lie to each other,
for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
10 Put on your new nature,
and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator
and become like him.
11 In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbaric,
uncivilized,
slave,
or free.
Christ is all that matters,
and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness,
and patience.
13 Make allowance for each other's faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others.
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through him to God the Father.
There's some tough stuff in here.
But there's also a lot of good stuff.
Colossians 3
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.
2 Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth.
3 For you died to this life,
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality,
impurity,
lust,
and evil desires.
Don't be greedy,
for a greedy person is an idolater,
worshiping the things of this world.
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
8 But now is the time to get rid of anger,
rage,
malicious behavior,
slander,
and dirty language.
9 Don't lie to each other,
for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
10 Put on your new nature,
and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator
and become like him.
11 In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbaric,
uncivilized,
slave,
or free.
Christ is all that matters,
and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness,
and patience.
13 Make allowance for each other's faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others.
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
a wholelot of stuff
Here's some verses that stood out when I read @ Samuel 7 & Psalm
62 this morning. I feel like someone just needs to be comforted by them
today.
What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign Lord. 2 Samuel 7:20
I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He along is my rock &my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5, 6
O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8
Now, here's what stood out in Colossians 2...
What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign Lord. 2 Samuel 7:20
I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He along is my rock &my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5, 6
O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8
Now, here's what stood out in Colossians 2...
Colossians 2
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.
7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense
that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world,
rather than from Christ.
9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ,
who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure.
Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized.
And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God,
who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ,
for he forgave all our sins.
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us
and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him."
How can we do this?
Read the Bible every day, without fail.
I know y'all get tired of hearing me say that.
All I know is all I know.
If we read the Bible ever day, God talks to us.
And the longer we read the Bible,& the more we listen out for what He may say through what we read, the deeper & deeper our roots end up growing down into Him. It's just the way it is - I speak from experience from reading the Bible every day, without fail, since January, 2003.
If I was going to have a headstone - I won't because I'm gonna be cremated - I would have carved on it these words: "Read the Bible every day, without fail."
If you remember anything about me when I'm gone, remember i loved you, & "read the Bible every day, without fail."
"you also are complete through your union with Christ..."
"You were dead because of your sins..."
"God made you alive with Christ..., for he forgave all our sins."
The older I get, the more aware of how really sinful I am.
But Paul says over & over that our sins are forgiven.
And that because our sins are forgiven, God starts the process of making us new again, giving us new life ("For I make all things new." Jesus)
The infinitely holy God of the universes chooses to forgive our sins (& forget them) & make us knew.
Here's a song that goes along with that last thought - I know it's kinda old school, but hey, listen to it anyway ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdMWyDyIPaE
And here's the lyrics..
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.
7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense
that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world,
rather than from Christ.
9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ,
who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure.
Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized.
And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God,
who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ,
for he forgave all our sins.
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us
and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him."
How can we do this?
Read the Bible every day, without fail.
I know y'all get tired of hearing me say that.
All I know is all I know.
If we read the Bible ever day, God talks to us.
And the longer we read the Bible,& the more we listen out for what He may say through what we read, the deeper & deeper our roots end up growing down into Him. It's just the way it is - I speak from experience from reading the Bible every day, without fail, since January, 2003.
If I was going to have a headstone - I won't because I'm gonna be cremated - I would have carved on it these words: "Read the Bible every day, without fail."
If you remember anything about me when I'm gone, remember i loved you, & "read the Bible every day, without fail."
"you also are complete through your union with Christ..."
"You were dead because of your sins..."
"God made you alive with Christ..., for he forgave all our sins."
The older I get, the more aware of how really sinful I am.
But Paul says over & over that our sins are forgiven.
And that because our sins are forgiven, God starts the process of making us new again, giving us new life ("For I make all things new." Jesus)
The infinitely holy God of the universes chooses to forgive our sins (& forget them) & make us knew.
Here's a song that goes along with that last thought - I know it's kinda old school, but hey, listen to it anyway ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdMWyDyIPaE
And here's the lyrics..
Morgan Cryar – What Sin Lyrics
It happened so long ago
And I cried out for mercy back then
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"
But this is all He'd say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again
Cause He'll just say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
Lord, please deliver me
from my accusing memory
Nothing makes me weak this way,
Then when I hear you say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
And I cried out for mercy back then
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"
But this is all He'd say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again
Cause He'll just say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
Lord, please deliver me
from my accusing memory
Nothing makes me weak this way,
Then when I hear you say
[Chorus]
What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away
as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
Friday, April 24, 2015
holy & blameless
Here is one more towering statement by Paul about who Jesus is.
And there's something towards the end that will know anybody's socks off!
Colossians 1
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can't see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ's blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God.
You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.
As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,
and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.
"holy & blameless"
Here's what Paul is saying...
Because Jesus made a way for us to connect with God, part of that includes God forgives us of all our sins...
...wipes the slate clean...
.....forgives them, & forgets them.
So,when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sinfulness.
He sees us as clean, restored people.
Let that sink in for a minute...
We all know who we really are - that person we each know & see that no one else knows or sees.
And that person is pretty sinful, & tainted by that sinfulness.
But because God is able to forgive us of all those sins, & cleanse of of all that tainting, He sees us as He created us - as being whole.
Think about that today & what that means as far as being able to come to God completely, to be able to make direct contact with the God of the universes, with nothing between us & Him.
And there's something towards the end that will know anybody's socks off!
Colossians 1
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can't see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ's blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God.
You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.
As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,
and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.
"holy & blameless"
Here's what Paul is saying...
Because Jesus made a way for us to connect with God, part of that includes God forgives us of all our sins...
...wipes the slate clean...
.....forgives them, & forgets them.
So,when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sinfulness.
He sees us as clean, restored people.
Let that sink in for a minute...
We all know who we really are - that person we each know & see that no one else knows or sees.
And that person is pretty sinful, & tainted by that sinfulness.
But because God is able to forgive us of all those sins, & cleanse of of all that tainting, He sees us as He created us - as being whole.
Think about that today & what that means as far as being able to come to God completely, to be able to make direct contact with the God of the universes, with nothing between us & Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)