And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all. (Romans 8:9b NLT)
Beyond forgiveness, there is another part of God's gift to us: His Spirit. God not only lays down His life for us, he also spends every moment with us - giving us a gift we hadn't experienced from the moment we first sinned against Him. He gives us his presence...his time.
All of us who have received the gift from Him really received two gifts in one: forgiveness and His Spirit. Now we can talk to God in prayer unhindered. Now we can ask for His Wisdom and He will say, "Yes." Now we can fight back against any powers that try to knock us back into the "potholes" of life. Now, we are empowered to walk together with God.
You are empowered!
Showing posts with label 2.2.3 - Accepting His Help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2.2.3 - Accepting His Help. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
You are Forgiven
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:38-39 HCSB)
The plan is Gods. The gift is free. The choice is yours.
God's offer to forgive you always stands. While it is offered to us for free, we still need to unwrap the gift to receive it's benefits: Believing in Him, Repenting of our sin, Confessing Jesus as Lord, and being baptized into His death - raised to a new life. These choices are personal. These choices are doable. The choice is completely in your hands. That's His Plan.
No one can take that choice away from you. No one can remove it's benefits from you, either. When you follow His plan, you get out of the pothole you were in. You are forgiven. You are set free!
The plan is Gods. The gift is free. The choice is yours.
God's offer to forgive you always stands. While it is offered to us for free, we still need to unwrap the gift to receive it's benefits: Believing in Him, Repenting of our sin, Confessing Jesus as Lord, and being baptized into His death - raised to a new life. These choices are personal. These choices are doable. The choice is completely in your hands. That's His Plan.
No one can take that choice away from you. No one can remove it's benefits from you, either. When you follow His plan, you get out of the pothole you were in. You are forgiven. You are set free!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Getting Out
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39 NIV)
The last part is the easiest of them all.
Admitting that my sin causes my own pain and death and needs to change...that takes repentance.
Believing that Jesus died to take the punishment my sin...that takes faith.
Confessing that you want Him to be Lord...that takes humility.
Being baptized...that just takes water.
When we go down into the water, are completely immersed, and come back out...something happens.
We are lifted out of the pothole.
Jesus is left behind, but you are lifted up.
You're back on the path again.
You have been set free.
You're out!
The last part is the easiest of them all.
Admitting that my sin causes my own pain and death and needs to change...that takes repentance.
Believing that Jesus died to take the punishment my sin...that takes faith.
Confessing that you want Him to be Lord...that takes humility.
Being baptized...that just takes water.
When we go down into the water, are completely immersed, and come back out...something happens.
We are lifted out of the pothole.
Jesus is left behind, but you are lifted up.
You're back on the path again.
You have been set free.
You're out!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Ask Him for Help
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 TNIV)
I come from a very proud family. My dad lived through the Great Depression with his mom and sister. (His father died when he was 5 years old.) He lived through World War II with many trips over seas in convoys of 100 Merchant ships per trip. Needless to say, 100 ships did not make it through each trip. He returned to become a police officer, then homicide detective. Mom and dad worked multiple jobs to afford their first home, their children, and even sending their children to college.
When you're proud of your accomplishment and you've worked hard to earn each of them, it's difficult to humble yourself to accept help. It's difficult to put your life in someone else's hands. But that's what we need to do to get out of the pothole we jumped in. We can't forge our own escape plan. We can't dictate to The One standing at the top how He will save us. We need to listen to His instructions, then follow them. Once we get up top, we need to continue following His instructions so we don't fall back in or fall in another pothole. He needs to call the shots. He needs to be in charge. That's what "Lord" means.
When we call out to Him, "Jesus, you are my Lord." We put Him in charge. He calls the shots.
Come to think of it, maybe my dad had some humility too. He listened to his mom growing up. He took orders from his superior officers in WWII. He listened to his boss on the police force and every job I saw him work. Oh, yeah, and he went every weekend to a church building to listen to his Lord. Even when we didn't want to go, he took us kids with him. We watched him learn, grow...and follow the instructions of his Lord. It all starts with asking Him for help.
I come from a very proud family. My dad lived through the Great Depression with his mom and sister. (His father died when he was 5 years old.) He lived through World War II with many trips over seas in convoys of 100 Merchant ships per trip. Needless to say, 100 ships did not make it through each trip. He returned to become a police officer, then homicide detective. Mom and dad worked multiple jobs to afford their first home, their children, and even sending their children to college.
When you're proud of your accomplishment and you've worked hard to earn each of them, it's difficult to humble yourself to accept help. It's difficult to put your life in someone else's hands. But that's what we need to do to get out of the pothole we jumped in. We can't forge our own escape plan. We can't dictate to The One standing at the top how He will save us. We need to listen to His instructions, then follow them. Once we get up top, we need to continue following His instructions so we don't fall back in or fall in another pothole. He needs to call the shots. He needs to be in charge. That's what "Lord" means.
When we call out to Him, "Jesus, you are my Lord." We put Him in charge. He calls the shots.
Come to think of it, maybe my dad had some humility too. He listened to his mom growing up. He took orders from his superior officers in WWII. He listened to his boss on the police force and every job I saw him work. Oh, yeah, and he went every weekend to a church building to listen to his Lord. Even when we didn't want to go, he took us kids with him. We watched him learn, grow...and follow the instructions of his Lord. It all starts with asking Him for help.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Turn to Him
In the past, God didn't judge people for what they didn't know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins. He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly. He has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to all people by raising that man from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31 NIrV)
This concept is probably the most misunderstood concept in Christendom. The term translated "turn away from their sins" in Scripture is most often translated, "Repent!" I've heard preachers yell it. I've watched priests give assignments to prove it. I've listened to people say it, then immediately follow it with another statement: "Now, you're going to mess up again. Everybody does. God doesn't expect you to be perfect. You just need to be sorry for your sin." Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The greek word μετανοέω (metanoeō) means "to change one's mind or purpose." In other words, it's not about feeling bad. It's about seeing things differently. Something about the way you look at "potholes" (temptations) still holds it's appeal. It still looks fun. You still want to do it. Repenting means you look at it differently now. You look at it through God's eyes. You see that His design (staying on the path) is far better than these distractions you've been wasting your time on. Repentance means you want to walk with God.
In our pothole illustration, you were hurt at the bottom of the hole. You look at the floor of the cavern in which you are stuck. You look around at the walls trying to find a way out. You even look up - maybe even seeing Jesus up top - and you want out because it hurts. This is not repentance.
Then you start thinking about the series of events that got you where you are. You remember that you were walking down the path when someone pointed out the pothole to you and said, "Let's go jump in. I've heard they're a blast!" You remember walking up to the edge of the pothole to look down. Peering down the black hole, you remember wondering what was at the bottom. You remember all the voices talking to you about the pros and cons of jumping in the pothole. You also remember one clear voice saying, "That's not the path I designed for you. Someone put it there to hurt you. Please don't go. I don't want you to die."
Suddenly, that voice makes sense to you. You realize that was the voice of God. Not only do you realized the love that God has for you, but you also see temptation (potholes), sin (jumping in), and death the way He does. You want no part of it - ever. You want the path God had designed for you. You don't blame God for your situation. You don't blame other people for trying to get you to jump in. You blame the design-twister who dug the pothole to trap you and your friends.
You don't just want out. You want to try again...this time listening to His voice, walking the path He designed and built, walking with Him. That's repentance. Jesus is willing to help anyone who repents.
This concept is probably the most misunderstood concept in Christendom. The term translated "turn away from their sins" in Scripture is most often translated, "Repent!" I've heard preachers yell it. I've watched priests give assignments to prove it. I've listened to people say it, then immediately follow it with another statement: "Now, you're going to mess up again. Everybody does. God doesn't expect you to be perfect. You just need to be sorry for your sin." Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The greek word μετανοέω (metanoeō) means "to change one's mind or purpose." In other words, it's not about feeling bad. It's about seeing things differently. Something about the way you look at "potholes" (temptations) still holds it's appeal. It still looks fun. You still want to do it. Repenting means you look at it differently now. You look at it through God's eyes. You see that His design (staying on the path) is far better than these distractions you've been wasting your time on. Repentance means you want to walk with God.
In our pothole illustration, you were hurt at the bottom of the hole. You look at the floor of the cavern in which you are stuck. You look around at the walls trying to find a way out. You even look up - maybe even seeing Jesus up top - and you want out because it hurts. This is not repentance.
Then you start thinking about the series of events that got you where you are. You remember that you were walking down the path when someone pointed out the pothole to you and said, "Let's go jump in. I've heard they're a blast!" You remember walking up to the edge of the pothole to look down. Peering down the black hole, you remember wondering what was at the bottom. You remember all the voices talking to you about the pros and cons of jumping in the pothole. You also remember one clear voice saying, "That's not the path I designed for you. Someone put it there to hurt you. Please don't go. I don't want you to die."
Suddenly, that voice makes sense to you. You realize that was the voice of God. Not only do you realized the love that God has for you, but you also see temptation (potholes), sin (jumping in), and death the way He does. You want no part of it - ever. You want the path God had designed for you. You don't blame God for your situation. You don't blame other people for trying to get you to jump in. You blame the design-twister who dug the pothole to trap you and your friends.
You don't just want out. You want to try again...this time listening to His voice, walking the path He designed and built, walking with Him. That's repentance. Jesus is willing to help anyone who repents.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Believe Him
They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31 NASB)
We all have things that we believe. Even the most staunch atheists I've met over the years still have some belief system. You may believe there is no God - that is a belief. You may believe in fate - that is a belief. You may believe that the universe is here through a series of random accidents - that is a belief. Make no mistake about it. We all have things we believe.
When you reach the point where you see your situation the way I've been describing, you've got to decide what you believe. I realize that it's not fun to believe that there is a God who made rules that you've broken, setting yourself up as God's enemy. It's not fun to believe that you've fallen in the potholes of life, you're stuck, and that there's no way of your own effort to get out of the mess you're in. It's no fun to believe you're going to die in this state either. The good news, though, is that God's revelation doesn't stop there. He tells us that there's more.
Jesus now stands at the top of the hole. He's ready to jump in and help. He wants to save you from your situation. He loves you enough to do whatever it takes to pull you out. Do you believe that? Do you believe that He is capable, willing, and asking? Getting back to the garden walk God designed for you all begins with what you believe. What do you believe?
We all have things that we believe. Even the most staunch atheists I've met over the years still have some belief system. You may believe there is no God - that is a belief. You may believe in fate - that is a belief. You may believe that the universe is here through a series of random accidents - that is a belief. Make no mistake about it. We all have things we believe.
When you reach the point where you see your situation the way I've been describing, you've got to decide what you believe. I realize that it's not fun to believe that there is a God who made rules that you've broken, setting yourself up as God's enemy. It's not fun to believe that you've fallen in the potholes of life, you're stuck, and that there's no way of your own effort to get out of the mess you're in. It's no fun to believe you're going to die in this state either. The good news, though, is that God's revelation doesn't stop there. He tells us that there's more.
Jesus now stands at the top of the hole. He's ready to jump in and help. He wants to save you from your situation. He loves you enough to do whatever it takes to pull you out. Do you believe that? Do you believe that He is capable, willing, and asking? Getting back to the garden walk God designed for you all begins with what you believe. What do you believe?
Friday, January 17, 2014
Listen to His Offer
No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. (Romans 10:17 CEV)
Have you ever had someone try to talk to you and you didn't want to hear what they had to say?
When I was a child, we would do childish things. One of the things we would to was "block out" our friends. Whenever they would try to tell us something we didn't want to hear or boss us around, we simply say, "I'm not listening to you." If the other person continued, we would cover our ears and start humming or singing, "I'm not listening. I'm not listening! I'm not listening!!!" This would continue until the person talking would finally give up and stop talking. Childish, right? The only problem was, the situation had not changed. The problem was still there. We had simply stopped talking about it.
I'm a bit surprised at the number of adults who act the same way. We don't walk around with our hands over our ears shouting, "I'm not listening," but the effect is still the same. We stop talking through issues with our spouse, so our marriage crumbles. We stop listening to our children, so our relationship dissolves. We act as though not listening to the problems somehow makes them all go away.
We do the same thing with God. "I don't have to go to church to believe in God." "I don't need to read the Bible. It's all just man's interpretation anyway." "That's fine for you, but everybody doesn't believe the same thing and this is not an appropriate place for that kind of discussion." We might as well be saying, "I"m not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening."
I can understand the desire to avoid the bad news. I don't want to hear that some of my words or actions are an affront to God. I don't want to be told that I'm a sinner. I don't want to believe that the price I pay for my sin is death. I don't want to talk about the fact that I've fallen in a big pothole, I'm stuck, and I have no way out.
Just remember, the situation doesn't change just because you won't listen. Oh, by the way. That's only half the story - the bad news part. If you listen, you just might hear the good news as well.
Have you ever had someone try to talk to you and you didn't want to hear what they had to say?
When I was a child, we would do childish things. One of the things we would to was "block out" our friends. Whenever they would try to tell us something we didn't want to hear or boss us around, we simply say, "I'm not listening to you." If the other person continued, we would cover our ears and start humming or singing, "I'm not listening. I'm not listening! I'm not listening!!!" This would continue until the person talking would finally give up and stop talking. Childish, right? The only problem was, the situation had not changed. The problem was still there. We had simply stopped talking about it.
I'm a bit surprised at the number of adults who act the same way. We don't walk around with our hands over our ears shouting, "I'm not listening," but the effect is still the same. We stop talking through issues with our spouse, so our marriage crumbles. We stop listening to our children, so our relationship dissolves. We act as though not listening to the problems somehow makes them all go away.
We do the same thing with God. "I don't have to go to church to believe in God." "I don't need to read the Bible. It's all just man's interpretation anyway." "That's fine for you, but everybody doesn't believe the same thing and this is not an appropriate place for that kind of discussion." We might as well be saying, "I"m not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening."
I can understand the desire to avoid the bad news. I don't want to hear that some of my words or actions are an affront to God. I don't want to be told that I'm a sinner. I don't want to believe that the price I pay for my sin is death. I don't want to talk about the fact that I've fallen in a big pothole, I'm stuck, and I have no way out.
Just remember, the situation doesn't change just because you won't listen. Oh, by the way. That's only half the story - the bad news part. If you listen, you just might hear the good news as well.
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