False Peeps

Friends are there to encourage and support you as you go through life. Occasionally, you will experience the tragedy of a person of whom you thought was your friend, turn their back on you. It is full of heartbreak. One might argue you were a bit delusional in your trust, depending on how deep or solid the friendship was at the time.

Maybe you've been the friend who has "pulled the wool over their eyes" and caused someone else to be delusional in your friendship.

Either way, it hits home about what Jesus is saying in Matthew 7:21-23 about saying "Lord, Lord" to Jesus. As we reflect on that, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Peep Show ~ Is your life in Christ just something for "show?" Are you doing the various actions for others (spouse, family member, parent, public) to see what you do? If it is for show consider the end result possibility "I never knew you...away from me you evildoer." Kind of frightening!
• A Name is Just a Name ~ As I am a parent there are times when I ask my son to reply "Yes, sir" when it comes to responding to something I've instructed him to do. Partly because he has said "Yes" in a snotty way. He will respond with the words "Yes, sir!" in an emphatic and snotty way. You could easily read that as simply emphatic, but that isn't the way he is responding. There are different ways to emphasize a word or words. And by that emphasis would convey various things.May we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, but do it in a way that brings honor to Him, not belittling.
• Reflect Your View ~ Is Jesus "Lord" of your life? It should be reflected in that way, so much you don't even need to say anything - people should see Him in you. I have my moments when I try to tell a joke or funny story, but it doesn't come out well, so I have to explain it. May our life properly reflect Christ in a way we don't have to tell people - they will just see Him.

Our following of Christ must stem from the heart. The heart is vital to the rest of the body. When God has our heart, he will have the rest of us too.

Does God have your heart?

Die - John 11:25

Continuation of series looking at the different words in John 11:25

Have you died today? If not today, when was the last time you died?

This was the question I posed to the church toward the beginning of the sermon yesterday as we examined death/die/dying.

It is easy to be selfish. You want something and you would like to get it. I think it is our nature. You can see it in kids, when they are told "no", they may get upset - or even worse. They desired permission to have something or go somewhere and they were denied. Our weak bodies generally lack the maturity to understand why we may not get something - even spilling over into adulthood.

Though we're growing all the time, one of the goals of a Christian is to die to self for the goodness of Him, the Kingdom, and others. When we don't "die" we may be holding on to something that doesn't allow us to flourish.

As we continue on with this concept, here are some applications to choose from this week...

1. Give this day to God...all the problems, all the appointments, all the errands, all the phone calls, all the encounters, all the conversations, all the meetings...Everything you do today, consciously think about doing it to the glory of God.
2. When something "dies" we miss them/it, but logically we cannot hang on to them/it, besides in memory. As you "die" daily, you may miss things about the past, but it is better to move on...so do just that.
3. Be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and die to the concepts incorporated with serving Him that are difficult for you.
4. Look forward to next week when we talk about the joy of living!

Think about if Jesus didn't die to self, before He died on the Cross. He displayed humanity when He was asking God to "take the cup" from Him. I have to presume He'd seen crucifixions. He'd seen the pain, embarrassment, and agony that was associated with death by crucifixion. He didn't want to go through it. However, He died to self for the sake of you and me and went through with it.

Are there things you need to die to, for the sake of someone else? Maybe your family, your community, or your church? Maybe there's something that you are holding on to that is keeping a restrain on others? If you "died" to that, the future would be better, just like the future was better when Jesus died. Think about it.

Dying, while living, is not easy, but it is what is expected of us.

Dying, Regularly... (or at least trying)...

Monday Mentionings: Empty - Tomb - Luke 24:1-6a

How was your Easter? Even though our son couldn’t appreciate all the fun that kids enjoy on this holiday, it was still a memorable and enjoyable day for my family.

I can’t imagine if, at the time of Christ’s ascension, He knew what was happening or if he was wondering what was going on. Even though I know He was 100% man and God, was He God or man at this time? Was He experiencing something like what we experience when we’re awaken in the middle of our sleep? We’ll never know the answer during our earthly life. Regardless, the empty tomb exhibited power. Power that mesmerizes me. It “wows” me! It is simply unfathomable. Power that makes me preach and share about Him with an unquenchable fire. Do you share in any of those feelings? Regardless, what does the empty tomb do to you? As we look back to yesterday, here are some other applications that I hope you can use in your daily life…

1. We are wired to desire power. Kids try to get power over people – usually their parents. As we grow older, teenagers want power over their own lives, not wanting parents to have any more. Even as adults, we desire power – power over events in life – a job, family, environment, etc. The sad fact is, we can’t “have” power over anything like that. The same goes for the tomb not being able to have power over Christ. When we’re in a situation that is “out of our control”, may we stop, pray, thanking God that He is in control, and be willing to let Him take care of it according to His Will.
2. What would your life be like without Jesus? Jesus taught so many great things – how to look past another’s speck for the log in your eye, how to forgive, how to be examples to the world (salt and light), etc. The list could go on and on. For us to be without Jesus, we’d be lost. For the tomb to be without Jesus, we’ve won! You’ve won a pass to heaven. You’ve won the opportunity to share about Him. You’ve won direct access to God (through prayer). The real question is, how will you let others know about this victory you have? Ask someone how their Easter Sunday was…may that open a door for you to share your faith with them! Be bold!!
3. Christ came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). Sin came into the world in the very beginning and has infected all of us sometime in their life before adulthood. Say a prayer of thanks to Jesus going to the Cross, shedding His blood, and overcoming the conditions of death to be brought up out of that grave! Hallelujah, Christ arose!!! May you have a clear mind as you go to Him to praise Him for these things (among anything else).

I get very excited as I look forward to the opportunities God puts in front of me to go out on to the mission field and share about the victory that comes through the cross and then the resurrection!

Have an “enlarged territory” type week (I Chronicles 4:10) ~