Yesterday our Pastor, Bill Hulse, spoke about one of my favorite things…marriage. We are doing a rich study of the book of Matthew and we are in chapter 5 where Jesus is fulfilling the law. This sermon was so great (in my opinion it was the best yet) because he communicated it well and simple, making it even more potent to the congregation. Of course, I will be paraphrasing and expressing my favorite points of the sermon, but if you are interested and wish to hear Pastor Bill’s sermon, please send me a message and I can send you a cd. I think I wanted to blog about this particular sermon because it seems to be wedding season and there is great truth that our society has lost the purpose of marriage. We as a body of Christ and as believers need to correct this lie and be examples and understand what marriage was created for.
First, we were brought to the reality that we (meaning even Christians) have made marriage a joke. Spencer and I had agreed to try to avoid sarcasm, belittling, name calling, or anything else that may seem harmless while dating. This teasing seems harmless, but in fact can creep in and cause damage. When Spencer and I were preparing to get married many people said things like, “you just wait till your honeymoon is over and you’ll wish you were single again!”…this is a huge pet peeve of mine. Those same people say those discouraging things when we were about to have our daughter…and I can’t help but try to lovingly disagree. It blows my mind. And honestly, I don’t think they would intentionally mean to be discouraging, but they have bought into ‘worldly’ teasing without realizing that it is unhealthy. See, I believe that when you joke or make fun of those wonderful blessings God gave us, we let Satan in, and subtly we fall away from God’s intentions.
We then went to Genesis to the first marriage, Adam and Eve. (Genesis 2:18-25) God says that it isn’t good for man to be alone and after he created all the animals, there still wasn’t a helper suitable for Adam. So, then out of Adam’s side God takes one of his ribs and makes Eve. When Adam wakes up from his surgery he said and understood that they were one flesh. Oh and another cool thing that I learned was a tradition that EVERYONE keeps at wedding ceremonies…also found in that chapter. It says in verse 22, “The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man and BROUGHT HER TO THE MAN.” There you go. So when our fathers walk us down the aisle and the pastor asks “who gives this woman to this man” know it’s because God did it first. More proof that marriage isn’t something we made up, God designed it and designed it to have a purpose. Cool stuff!
‘One flesh’ is an example used to not only describe our marriage on earth, but our marriage to Christ. This is the purpose of marriage and why God created it. It is a ministry. It shows a picture and lets us understand intimacy. If we didn’t have this example it would be hard to know that type of relationship with our heavenly Father.
Back in Matthew 5:31, Jesus talks about divorce and references Deuteronomy 24:1-4 where Moses talks about divorce and the right men have to leave their wives. There are two schools of thought because of how Moses communicates this and what it says in Matthew. Obviously our society has a skewed view of divorce because the statistics are staggering, but that is not what they are talking about when referring to it in the bible, there is more…and even the Pharisees tried to justify when testing Jesus in Mark 10. They start questioning Moses’ statement about just getting a certificate of divorce and still being righteous, but Jesus comes back saying in my pastors words, “it is a heart issue”, meaning just because you do the acts to get a “correct divorce” doesn’t mean you fixed anything…the problem is a hardened heart. And Jesus also states that because we are made one flesh in marriage, “What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.” This answers their question of whether or not is makes divorce ‘right’.
Now…as much as I believe that divorce is wrong, I know that there are circumstances that divorce is seemingly the best option and also that it falls within biblical parameters. I am not speaking about that. But, the last thing my pastor said was profound, true, and forgotten. God restores!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Acarigua or Bust!!
I mention in our “about me” that our hearts are geared towards missions. We often talked about missions while we were dating, even though it was a short dating period, we shared our hearts. Spreading God’s message around the world was something we were both passionate about. Spencer and I have both been to foreign countries to serve the Lord, Spencer to Egypt and Mozambique, and I to Belize. If you have gone on a foreign mission trip I am sure you can relate when I say it is absolutely life changing. I say this about foreign mission trips only, because you are completely stepping out of comfort zones and leaning on your relationship with God to guide you through. I am not saying mission trips inside the U.S. aren’t effective for your walk with Christ or meaningful, but there is something about completely leaving everything you know and walking into a different world. It opens up a way to be more intimate with our Father. For me, it was eye opening to really grasp that God is everywhere. It amazed me to see believers, who I went to tell about Jesus, already worshiping the same God I knew! And because someone else had sacrificed their time, fears, and flesh to go and tell others about Jesus, I and others were able to see God’s work and help continue to grow the Kingdom. There is something else that I saw with those who were believers that was actually condemning. Most of the people didn’t have nice things or even a complete home to live in, but they were sold out to Christ. They didn’t need anything else. It was a true love for Christ I saw even in the midst of what we would call desperation. I know I am talking about how others ministered to me. I am sure you have heard many missionaries tell you the same thing about how they went to minister only to be ministered to. It is true. Yes, there are so many people who need to hear the Truth about God’s love also, which is why we go, but there is also a growth and a deepening of your own relationship with Christ.
Since we’ve been a married couple, we haven’t been on a trip, but soon that is all about to change. Our home church, Parkview Baptist Church in Tulsa, is also passionate about mission work and has ministries set up in Venezuela, Russia, India, and Turkey. Spencer and I feel led to be apart of the team going to Venezuela this summer. Our church has made many trips there over the years and has helped start what is now known as the First Baptist Church of Venezuela! This church has blossomed out to now form 100 churches and missions! We are very prayerful and excited about going as a couple to this trip. We both feel that we are to use what God created, marriage, as a tool. We hope and feel led to really grasp what God intended marriage for as we venture in His unfailing will for our lives.
I am writing this blog so that those of you who are believers can be praying for us as we prepare for this trip. For me specifically, pray for my fear. We will not be able to take our one-year-old daughter on this trip for safety reasons (although we do want her and our future children to start coming with us as soon as she/they are old enough). The duration of the trip is 10 days, and for a mommy, it is very difficult to be away from my daughter. I need to be confident in the sovereignty of God and His will for my/our life. As our friend Brent Higgins once said, “There is no safer place than in the will of God.” I don’t want to waste my life by drowning in fear and lies that Satan feeds my mind. I wish to be engulfed with the works of our Father, and a mighty, useful servant for His Kingdom.
Since we’ve been a married couple, we haven’t been on a trip, but soon that is all about to change. Our home church, Parkview Baptist Church in Tulsa, is also passionate about mission work and has ministries set up in Venezuela, Russia, India, and Turkey. Spencer and I feel led to be apart of the team going to Venezuela this summer. Our church has made many trips there over the years and has helped start what is now known as the First Baptist Church of Venezuela! This church has blossomed out to now form 100 churches and missions! We are very prayerful and excited about going as a couple to this trip. We both feel that we are to use what God created, marriage, as a tool. We hope and feel led to really grasp what God intended marriage for as we venture in His unfailing will for our lives.
I am writing this blog so that those of you who are believers can be praying for us as we prepare for this trip. For me specifically, pray for my fear. We will not be able to take our one-year-old daughter on this trip for safety reasons (although we do want her and our future children to start coming with us as soon as she/they are old enough). The duration of the trip is 10 days, and for a mommy, it is very difficult to be away from my daughter. I need to be confident in the sovereignty of God and His will for my/our life. As our friend Brent Higgins once said, “There is no safer place than in the will of God.” I don’t want to waste my life by drowning in fear and lies that Satan feeds my mind. I wish to be engulfed with the works of our Father, and a mighty, useful servant for His Kingdom.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Music Man
What if you take away music? Think about it. I am not just talking about the music we sing to in the car, but from tv shows and movies too. How boring would it be?
My first date with my husband was kind-of like a blind date. We had only talked on the phone for about a week. (Our story is unique and fun, but for sake of this blog I'm only giving the short version.) Anyway, I didn't realize he was a "music man", a good one, until after our date. So, you can't say I liked him for his guitar people! He is so brilliant at music. He is recognized for his amazing bass guitar talent, but he can play any instrument as if he'd been playing his entire life. I am only speaking of his ability to play...he is also brilliant at music theory. Having said all that, I have learned soo much about music. I can now pick out instruments and follow them in a song. I can name the instrument. I can understand how and why certain notes mesh with others in order to sound 'good' to us. I have also learned that it is so complicated. It is math. We often conversate over the 'why' and 'how' of music, which brings me to the question I asked in the beginning. I don't think we realize how music affects us. When we are watching that sappy love movie with the beautiful chords in the background working with the words in the scene it is the music that makes the words have meaning. Think about if in that same sappy movie the music was taken away...would the words mean as much? We use music to match whatever emotion we are feeling and it can be beautiful. I can't imagine how powerful the music will be like in heaven. I mentioned music being math. My husband brought that to my attention in a conversation...I asked how composers could think to do some of the things they put together, and he responded by simply saying, it was already created, just like math. Math isn't something that was created, it is only being 'figured' out and still is. This sat in my mind for a few days. It makes me think of those who believe in evolution over intellegent design (God). Anything that man has ever 'made' or 'invented' was already made by God, they just tapped into the knowledge. So talking about music, and how it surrounds us is a perfect picture of how God works. He is everywhere and it is only by Him that we even experience the brilliance of music. He created everything. I sometimes imagine God as this GIANT man that is peaking in our universe and to understand just how everything...I mean everything works within itself...I imagine him sucking in everything, until there is nothing. That may be hard to follow, but in my mind it helps to understand. You can pull apart and dig and research all the processes to a process to a process of something, but it still has God stamped all over it no matter how simple it may be. So, this new thinking as opened up a whole new way for me to appreciate my Creator and acknowledge his divine intellegence.
My first date with my husband was kind-of like a blind date. We had only talked on the phone for about a week. (Our story is unique and fun, but for sake of this blog I'm only giving the short version.) Anyway, I didn't realize he was a "music man", a good one, until after our date. So, you can't say I liked him for his guitar people! He is so brilliant at music. He is recognized for his amazing bass guitar talent, but he can play any instrument as if he'd been playing his entire life. I am only speaking of his ability to play...he is also brilliant at music theory. Having said all that, I have learned soo much about music. I can now pick out instruments and follow them in a song. I can name the instrument. I can understand how and why certain notes mesh with others in order to sound 'good' to us. I have also learned that it is so complicated. It is math. We often conversate over the 'why' and 'how' of music, which brings me to the question I asked in the beginning. I don't think we realize how music affects us. When we are watching that sappy love movie with the beautiful chords in the background working with the words in the scene it is the music that makes the words have meaning. Think about if in that same sappy movie the music was taken away...would the words mean as much? We use music to match whatever emotion we are feeling and it can be beautiful. I can't imagine how powerful the music will be like in heaven. I mentioned music being math. My husband brought that to my attention in a conversation...I asked how composers could think to do some of the things they put together, and he responded by simply saying, it was already created, just like math. Math isn't something that was created, it is only being 'figured' out and still is. This sat in my mind for a few days. It makes me think of those who believe in evolution over intellegent design (God). Anything that man has ever 'made' or 'invented' was already made by God, they just tapped into the knowledge. So talking about music, and how it surrounds us is a perfect picture of how God works. He is everywhere and it is only by Him that we even experience the brilliance of music. He created everything. I sometimes imagine God as this GIANT man that is peaking in our universe and to understand just how everything...I mean everything works within itself...I imagine him sucking in everything, until there is nothing. That may be hard to follow, but in my mind it helps to understand. You can pull apart and dig and research all the processes to a process to a process of something, but it still has God stamped all over it no matter how simple it may be. So, this new thinking as opened up a whole new way for me to appreciate my Creator and acknowledge his divine intellegence.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Work It Out
Lately, I've been trying to lose the last 10lbs from my pregnancy with Audrey, it is not easy. I have my good days and bad. I can get really really motivated and tell myself to eat good and exercise more than normal and I go real hard, but I am easily distracted and then left with guilt and remorse and no change. For some reason I don't have much self discipline in that area, I never really thought about it either...until I had a baby. There are a couple of reasons I yearn to lose that 10lbs. One, to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Two, I set a goal and it would be an awesome feeling to accomplish it. Finally, when you are losing weight you tend to eat better and exercise more, which in turn makes you feel better all around. I want to one day be that health nut and hopefully will encourage my children to follow in good decisions as well. It just makes you happy when your body is healthy....of course I have to put a little Jesus in this...lol. This also relates to being in the Word. When you have that self-discipline and are on with reading the Bible you feel good and radiate a happiness that you can't get anywhere else. For me personally, when I am not in the word regularly or I'm 'distracted' I feel gross and far away from God. And like when you've stopped working out for a few weeks and come back, you kind-of have to start all over and work out some soreness (spiritual soreness) for a few sessions.
These past few weeks have been hard on my family. My father-in-law is in ICU on life support. It is strange coincidence that I wrote my last blog about rejoicing the Lord in the hard times and grieving the night before all this went down. My husband and his family have a perception that has touched my life forever. The trust that they have in Jesus is known and shown clearly and although this is the kind of situation that seems to test that trust and can be hard to really see and understand just how much Jesus loves them, still they rejoice because they love Him and know that whatever happens it is for the glory.
I said all that at the beginning because although I have been ministered to by watching my family, I had also been distracted. It has been a busy week with family in and juggling with 5 babies under 2 that I wasn't in the word. Not that I didn't pray, gee whiz, but in order to communicate to God you have to be in His word and I can tell when I am not. Much like taking care of your body, when you aren't working out your spiritual body you tend to feel bad and fall in a rut. Today was the first day back to church since the incident and I was rejuvinated and motivated(one reason why it is so important to go to church). I also believe that when your body is healthy it helps your spiritual walk (mind, body, spirit is all connected), but that too is another blog for another day. I find that with me, working out and reading my bible are alike in that, I have high goals to achieve with both, they require self-discipline, and they have great results!
These past few weeks have been hard on my family. My father-in-law is in ICU on life support. It is strange coincidence that I wrote my last blog about rejoicing the Lord in the hard times and grieving the night before all this went down. My husband and his family have a perception that has touched my life forever. The trust that they have in Jesus is known and shown clearly and although this is the kind of situation that seems to test that trust and can be hard to really see and understand just how much Jesus loves them, still they rejoice because they love Him and know that whatever happens it is for the glory.
I said all that at the beginning because although I have been ministered to by watching my family, I had also been distracted. It has been a busy week with family in and juggling with 5 babies under 2 that I wasn't in the word. Not that I didn't pray, gee whiz, but in order to communicate to God you have to be in His word and I can tell when I am not. Much like taking care of your body, when you aren't working out your spiritual body you tend to feel bad and fall in a rut. Today was the first day back to church since the incident and I was rejuvinated and motivated(one reason why it is so important to go to church). I also believe that when your body is healthy it helps your spiritual walk (mind, body, spirit is all connected), but that too is another blog for another day. I find that with me, working out and reading my bible are alike in that, I have high goals to achieve with both, they require self-discipline, and they have great results!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Rejoice!
Some of what I have been trying to say in bits and pieces of my blogs I found in a perfect summary. I read this, and immediately wanted to share it! I was reading "Rejoice" by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley (book 4 of the "Redemption Series") and the first three chapters made me so nauseous that I didn't want to read anymore. Even though these books have such a real grip on understanding the truth of God's love through real life scenarios, this one just got to me. If you know me, you know that I struggle with fear and worry. I have to constantly be on guard for satans attack on my mind. Anyway, I still wanted to read the book, but I had to know if everything worked out...so...I skipped to the end. When I was looking through the end notes to get back to the story I caught this...
"God understands grief. Jesus wept when he saw the crowd's response to Lazarus in the tomb. Death, illness, and painful trials were never God's intention for his people. Since the fall of man, it has been the way of the world. But even so, God gives us a way out of the misery.
Be joyful! Rejoice always!
This doesn't mean you'll never cry. To the contrary, if your heart is soft for God, you'll cry often. You'll weep when it's your turn to stand vigil at a hospital bed, or when you stand there on behalf of someone else. But if you make a decision to rejoice, then deep inside you will always have a reason to go on, a reason to get up in the morning. Your grief won't be that of a person without hope; rather you will grieve because pain and death and tragedy are sad. Very sad. But you will have hope because you believe the truths that go along with faith in Christ. God is in control...He has a plan for everyone who loves him...Death is merely a door for those who believe in him...And he will make good out of every situation.
See?
What other response could we have to that kind of God but joy?"
-Gary Smalley
This was at the back of the book as "A Word from Gary Smalley." It really spoke to me and it is the truth. This world is scary and bad things have been happening all over the place, but we 'Rejoice' because our God is King and for whatever reasons that we don't understand it is all apart of His perfect plan! But, that is why it is so important for us to 'relate' to one another to get through the 'hard' of life and to love one another....and why we need to be saved, so that we can be with that God for eternity because there will be one day soon that we won't grieve, be scared or worried or cry, but REJOICE and sing and dance and laugh in our new glorified bodies with hopefully our loved ones! He told us these things in the bible for a reason...so that we can rest.
"God understands grief. Jesus wept when he saw the crowd's response to Lazarus in the tomb. Death, illness, and painful trials were never God's intention for his people. Since the fall of man, it has been the way of the world. But even so, God gives us a way out of the misery.
Be joyful! Rejoice always!
This doesn't mean you'll never cry. To the contrary, if your heart is soft for God, you'll cry often. You'll weep when it's your turn to stand vigil at a hospital bed, or when you stand there on behalf of someone else. But if you make a decision to rejoice, then deep inside you will always have a reason to go on, a reason to get up in the morning. Your grief won't be that of a person without hope; rather you will grieve because pain and death and tragedy are sad. Very sad. But you will have hope because you believe the truths that go along with faith in Christ. God is in control...He has a plan for everyone who loves him...Death is merely a door for those who believe in him...And he will make good out of every situation.
See?
What other response could we have to that kind of God but joy?"
-Gary Smalley
This was at the back of the book as "A Word from Gary Smalley." It really spoke to me and it is the truth. This world is scary and bad things have been happening all over the place, but we 'Rejoice' because our God is King and for whatever reasons that we don't understand it is all apart of His perfect plan! But, that is why it is so important for us to 'relate' to one another to get through the 'hard' of life and to love one another....and why we need to be saved, so that we can be with that God for eternity because there will be one day soon that we won't grieve, be scared or worried or cry, but REJOICE and sing and dance and laugh in our new glorified bodies with hopefully our loved ones! He told us these things in the bible for a reason...so that we can rest.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Victory
I always catch myself thinking about heaven and the day when Jesus is to return, and I get really wrapped up in trying to figure it out. Obviously, we won't know til the end, but the Bible tells us of many events (or revelations) that are to take place that we can only imagine details about. It BLOWS my mind. I may just let my fingers get kerried away and hope that I make sense to you. This blog kind-of ties into my salvation blogs...
The book of Revelation in the bible is one of the hardest to read. Not only because it is condeming, but it is flat out scary. Especially when you get to all of God's judgements. First with opening the seven seals, then the seven trumpets, then the Bowl judgements. I mean people are killing each other, the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red, the stars fall to the earth!! This is really going to happen. (I do believe though that the saved aren't here to experience this wrath.) Who's team do you want to be on? Then there is the great white throne judgement where we are ALL judged for our sins on earth and if your name isn't written in the Lambs Book of Life you were judged and thrown into the lake of fire (Hell) But then....the saved see all things made new! A new heaven and earth and a new Jerusalem. We get to walk with God and "...He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will be no longer any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21 :4. Finally, we can relax from reading the previous chapters that make our hearts beat fast, stomach turn, and our shoulders tense. The reason and truth behind why we are to follow Christ... to have eternal life with Him. Everything on earth is temporary. Now is our chance to be the Christians we are called to be and to help lead others to Christ, so they too will have eternal life. It seems so simple to have our names written in that book of life. The bible says that if we confess our sins and believe that Jesus died for us, and ask Him into our hearts we are saved (saved from Hell). The bible also says that we are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, meaning the fruit is what is our good works on earth. We have to continuously repent for our sins, because we are sinners. That is why it is so important to grow in Christ and have that relationship with him. We aren't to stay stagnant in our walk, but continue to learn and grow. That is the 'hard' I was talking about in a previous blog. It is a daily battle to win against sin and our flesh, but we have been given a full set of armor. No amount of sin can keep us away from Him, but it is written all over the bible that we are to grow. It also doesn't matter what sin you have committed. Nothing can keep you from the love of Christ. All we are to do is know that He is Truth and admit we are unworthy. Remember when Jesus was dying on the cross and the guy next to him was being crucified for being a thief and he said to Jesus I believe in you and Jesus then said, "today, you will be with me in paradise?" What a statement Jesus made just then. Sure he will be judged (because God is a just God), but he now has eternity instead of death and all he did was acknowledge that Christ was who He said He was. Here is the real verse...Luke 23:42-43 "....And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!' And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'"
I think too, we all need to really grasp the reason why Jesus had to die. I think that unsaved...and some saved all know that Jesus died for our sins, but the reasons exactly why are left unclear and it is easy to walk away. It is simple. Our God is a just God. He is perfect. We can't fathom perfection, because we haven't seen it, but He is. When Adam and Eve sinned the punishment was death He warned them of that. That was what we call the "Fall" of man. It is our own fault that disease, death, hunger, sadness, loss, depression, you name it has filled our earth. We did that, not God, He gave us freewill. See, Adam and Eve were made perfect in order to be in His presence. A perfect God can't be with something that isn't. That is why there is separation now. So, God sent a son to die for us so that we have a chance to be renewed and so that He is still just. His son was crucified for you and me!! He took our place so that we don't have to die and get what we deserve...Hell! God loves us, and He made a way and is still a true, good, loving, perfect God. So to answer so many peoples question of "If God loved us why won't He save us?" HE DID!!! Unfortunately, we all have to die on earth, but that isn't our end. There will be a day that Jesus returns and "the dead in Christ (those loved ones who have died that have been saved) will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we shall be with the Lord." 1Thessalonians 4:16-17
Oh goodness, I could go on and on! I haven't even touched on Paradise and Hades! That is another blog for another day!
In the mean time, I encourage all of us to examine our lives and make sure that we are glorifying that perfect God who saves us and to read our bibles!
The book of Revelation in the bible is one of the hardest to read. Not only because it is condeming, but it is flat out scary. Especially when you get to all of God's judgements. First with opening the seven seals, then the seven trumpets, then the Bowl judgements. I mean people are killing each other, the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red, the stars fall to the earth!! This is really going to happen. (I do believe though that the saved aren't here to experience this wrath.) Who's team do you want to be on? Then there is the great white throne judgement where we are ALL judged for our sins on earth and if your name isn't written in the Lambs Book of Life you were judged and thrown into the lake of fire (Hell) But then....the saved see all things made new! A new heaven and earth and a new Jerusalem. We get to walk with God and "...He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will be no longer any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21 :4. Finally, we can relax from reading the previous chapters that make our hearts beat fast, stomach turn, and our shoulders tense. The reason and truth behind why we are to follow Christ... to have eternal life with Him. Everything on earth is temporary. Now is our chance to be the Christians we are called to be and to help lead others to Christ, so they too will have eternal life. It seems so simple to have our names written in that book of life. The bible says that if we confess our sins and believe that Jesus died for us, and ask Him into our hearts we are saved (saved from Hell). The bible also says that we are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, meaning the fruit is what is our good works on earth. We have to continuously repent for our sins, because we are sinners. That is why it is so important to grow in Christ and have that relationship with him. We aren't to stay stagnant in our walk, but continue to learn and grow. That is the 'hard' I was talking about in a previous blog. It is a daily battle to win against sin and our flesh, but we have been given a full set of armor. No amount of sin can keep us away from Him, but it is written all over the bible that we are to grow. It also doesn't matter what sin you have committed. Nothing can keep you from the love of Christ. All we are to do is know that He is Truth and admit we are unworthy. Remember when Jesus was dying on the cross and the guy next to him was being crucified for being a thief and he said to Jesus I believe in you and Jesus then said, "today, you will be with me in paradise?" What a statement Jesus made just then. Sure he will be judged (because God is a just God), but he now has eternity instead of death and all he did was acknowledge that Christ was who He said He was. Here is the real verse...Luke 23:42-43 "....And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!' And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'"
I think too, we all need to really grasp the reason why Jesus had to die. I think that unsaved...and some saved all know that Jesus died for our sins, but the reasons exactly why are left unclear and it is easy to walk away. It is simple. Our God is a just God. He is perfect. We can't fathom perfection, because we haven't seen it, but He is. When Adam and Eve sinned the punishment was death He warned them of that. That was what we call the "Fall" of man. It is our own fault that disease, death, hunger, sadness, loss, depression, you name it has filled our earth. We did that, not God, He gave us freewill. See, Adam and Eve were made perfect in order to be in His presence. A perfect God can't be with something that isn't. That is why there is separation now. So, God sent a son to die for us so that we have a chance to be renewed and so that He is still just. His son was crucified for you and me!! He took our place so that we don't have to die and get what we deserve...Hell! God loves us, and He made a way and is still a true, good, loving, perfect God. So to answer so many peoples question of "If God loved us why won't He save us?" HE DID!!! Unfortunately, we all have to die on earth, but that isn't our end. There will be a day that Jesus returns and "the dead in Christ (those loved ones who have died that have been saved) will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we shall be with the Lord." 1Thessalonians 4:16-17
Oh goodness, I could go on and on! I haven't even touched on Paradise and Hades! That is another blog for another day!
In the mean time, I encourage all of us to examine our lives and make sure that we are glorifying that perfect God who saves us and to read our bibles!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
God Is Love
Well hello, all. So I'm still new to writing down (typing rather) thoughts that sail through my noggin box. In spite of said 'newness', it was easy to decide what to write (type) about. Okay, write = type...
I want to write about my wife. We have only known each other a couple of years, and in that short time together, I have seen her change so much.
Right off it was simple to see that she was a beautiful and amazing creature that would no doubt care for my future children and home. I also was very confident that my spousal relationship would be one of great companionship. I was correct. But underestimate did I. Kerri has become a best friend that boasts of legend. I believe now that it is impossible for me to explain the kind of bond a husband and wife can have. Now don't get carried away. Kerri and I have plenty of work to do in growing in our relationship, but I am saying that I never imagined being this happy. Jesus Christ is the reason being. Kerri and I both knew and talked about what we desired in a marriage while we were dating. We both knew that as long as we kept Jesus Christ in the center, our marriage would flourish. To me, the center means that anytime we 'relate' (touch, talk, listen, act) we emulate Jesus' example. This means loving her unconditionally.
There is a great truth that plays a part here. Kerri is part of God's creation. Furthermore, she is one of his children, a Christian, and therefore my sister in Christ. Under his authority, we are one flesh. God Himself, stepped into our physical realm to sacrifice His Son, so that Kerri could be in fellowship with Him. He did this in spite of all sin Kerri has committed, or will commit. When I focus on this truth, I cannot help but be the sweetest most compassionate husband I can think to be. I see her for what God has made her and in turn can channel His love into her. This is Jesus at the center. However, I can not boast this all the time. Without God I am incapable of love. It takes walking in God's Word and 'relating' with him first to allow His love to pour into her through me.
The changes I've seen in Kerri have everything to do with these things I speak of. I can look back at where we were when we first met and see a constant climb up, striving for a likeness to the love that God showed us. I am so blessed to have her in my life, and I am so excited for the things God has to teach us in the future.
I want to write about my wife. We have only known each other a couple of years, and in that short time together, I have seen her change so much.
Right off it was simple to see that she was a beautiful and amazing creature that would no doubt care for my future children and home. I also was very confident that my spousal relationship would be one of great companionship. I was correct. But underestimate did I. Kerri has become a best friend that boasts of legend. I believe now that it is impossible for me to explain the kind of bond a husband and wife can have. Now don't get carried away. Kerri and I have plenty of work to do in growing in our relationship, but I am saying that I never imagined being this happy. Jesus Christ is the reason being. Kerri and I both knew and talked about what we desired in a marriage while we were dating. We both knew that as long as we kept Jesus Christ in the center, our marriage would flourish. To me, the center means that anytime we 'relate' (touch, talk, listen, act) we emulate Jesus' example. This means loving her unconditionally.
There is a great truth that plays a part here. Kerri is part of God's creation. Furthermore, she is one of his children, a Christian, and therefore my sister in Christ. Under his authority, we are one flesh. God Himself, stepped into our physical realm to sacrifice His Son, so that Kerri could be in fellowship with Him. He did this in spite of all sin Kerri has committed, or will commit. When I focus on this truth, I cannot help but be the sweetest most compassionate husband I can think to be. I see her for what God has made her and in turn can channel His love into her. This is Jesus at the center. However, I can not boast this all the time. Without God I am incapable of love. It takes walking in God's Word and 'relating' with him first to allow His love to pour into her through me.
The changes I've seen in Kerri have everything to do with these things I speak of. I can look back at where we were when we first met and see a constant climb up, striving for a likeness to the love that God showed us. I am so blessed to have her in my life, and I am so excited for the things God has to teach us in the future.
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