---If we stay silent and do not fulfill our commission to fight for the truth and the purpose of winning people to Heaven, does that mean we are fighting to win them for hell? After all, one of Satan's tactics is keeping us silent. So if we are quiet we are a part of his scheme... Right?!
---It is selfish of us to withhold the proclamation of God's amazing grace. When we do it minimizes the power of God's ability to forgive. I can speak for many people, myself included, and venture to say we have a skewed idea that we somehow are more deserving of salvation than the rest of the world. My salvation is no better than anyone elses, and it is selfish of me to think otherwise. After all "nothing any of us has done is bigger than a dead Jesus. Christ had shed his blood for me to no less degree than he did for them. We are standing at the foot of the cross and the ground was, indeed, level." It is crucial that followers of Christ remember that we, too, need a savior. Alone we don't measure up to God's standard for righteousness. So it is important that we do not keep from sharing this grace that we also do not deserve.
-- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
-- Matthew 28: 18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
What's in a Name?
----I have to ask the question…we can “say the names of Gandhi, Churchill, and Einstein and people immediately recognize the person about whom you are speaking” (Voddie Baucham). These names are not seen as shameful in our culture, infact use these names and their teachings in society and you will be seen as intellectual, philosophical, and passionate. However, if you use the most intellectual, philosophical, and passionate name ever spoken off of human lips you are considered an outcast in society. Just ask the Pledge of Allegiance, and Christmas (Happy Holidays). I ask the question, why of all names is this name ridiculed???
----In the book of Acts John and Peter are commanded by the Sanhedrin to stop using the name of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem (Acts 4). The rulers, elders, and teachers of the law watched as this name caused the masses to follow God, and these leaders deemed it forbidden to say it. It’s funny because this is an ongoing practice today, and should not surprise us because “that name brought shame and reproach to Pre-Christian culture, why should we be surprised that it brings shame and reproach in Post-Christian culture” (Voddie Baucham).
----The only explanation for this is the truth that there is POWER in this name, whereas the other names are merely names. No other name has the power to make the lame walk, the blind see, mountains tremble, and most importantly the dead (lost) live (salvation).
----“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
----In the book of Acts John and Peter are commanded by the Sanhedrin to stop using the name of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem (Acts 4). The rulers, elders, and teachers of the law watched as this name caused the masses to follow God, and these leaders deemed it forbidden to say it. It’s funny because this is an ongoing practice today, and should not surprise us because “that name brought shame and reproach to Pre-Christian culture, why should we be surprised that it brings shame and reproach in Post-Christian culture” (Voddie Baucham).
----The only explanation for this is the truth that there is POWER in this name, whereas the other names are merely names. No other name has the power to make the lame walk, the blind see, mountains tremble, and most importantly the dead (lost) live (salvation).
----“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sustainer
Hebrews 1:3-4
3>>The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4>> So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
1:3 Jesus is an exact representation of God’s glory. He sustains all things through his powerful word.
--- He upholds everything
At the sound of his “words” He sustains everything… He holds it all together
On the reverse side, if he can hold everything together He also has enough power to allow things to fall apart.
I would think with this much power (this much to uphold) would come much stress. After all if Jesus opened His hands (which hold everything together) the world would shift into mass pandemonium and chaos. Kind of a stressful situation HUH???
WRONG—Vs 3 says “After He had provided purification for sins, He SAT down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
--- Jesus went through his painful death, marvelous resurrection, and now he has the task of holding every corner and crevice of the world together. And all he does is sit at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
--- Jesus keeps every faucet and gear in this world oiled and working properly without breaking a sweat , getting stressed, and for a matter of fact He does it sitting at the right hand of God with His feet up relaxed!
Case and Point
If Jesus is so big and He can hold every seam of this world together without as much as twitching in His seat next to God, and we are His most valued possession, wouldn’t He be big enough to handle all of the problems in our lives which seem microscopic to Him anyway?!
3>>The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4>> So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
1:3 Jesus is an exact representation of God’s glory. He sustains all things through his powerful word.
--- He upholds everything
At the sound of his “words” He sustains everything… He holds it all together
On the reverse side, if he can hold everything together He also has enough power to allow things to fall apart.
I would think with this much power (this much to uphold) would come much stress. After all if Jesus opened His hands (which hold everything together) the world would shift into mass pandemonium and chaos. Kind of a stressful situation HUH???
WRONG—Vs 3 says “After He had provided purification for sins, He SAT down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
--- Jesus went through his painful death, marvelous resurrection, and now he has the task of holding every corner and crevice of the world together. And all he does is sit at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
--- Jesus keeps every faucet and gear in this world oiled and working properly without breaking a sweat , getting stressed, and for a matter of fact He does it sitting at the right hand of God with His feet up relaxed!
Case and Point
If Jesus is so big and He can hold every seam of this world together without as much as twitching in His seat next to God, and we are His most valued possession, wouldn’t He be big enough to handle all of the problems in our lives which seem microscopic to Him anyway?!
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