Easter

...for he will save his people from their sins. (Matt. 1:21b)

I began reading through the New Testament today.  As I began reading the book of Matthew and came to the above verse, I found it hard to move on.  So I didn't.  When reading through the bible, I try never to treat it as a check off but read it slow so that it can speak to me.  By that I mean, if something hits me in such a way that I can't concentrate going any further then I don't.  That's when I stop and ponder and study.  It's the Holy Spirit's way of saying "Stop, hold up, I've got something to teach you here."  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is alive and powerful.  It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires".   When something strikes you while reading scripture stop and take note, God is trying to say something to you.

For he will save his people from their sins.  As I ponder these 9 words, I began to understand the power of them.  This doesn't say he saves the people who sin.  It's says he will save his people from their sin.  We. Will. Sin.  This is for all you do gooders, ladder climbers, perfectionist weight carriers, people like me.  But listen up!  HE saves us!  We. Cannot. Save. Ourselves. Never. Ever.   No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do or don't do... I will never measure up, and I can never earn His love. Ever. I can't.  BUT there is good news .....and that IS Jesus!  By what He has done, He has saved me from my past, present, and future sins.  And God completely forgives and loves me just as I am.  All and only because of Jesus.  When God looks at me, he sees Jesus.  It's as if Jesus was a lens in which God looks through to see me.  If I would get that and stay in that truth, I would walk in such freedom, love, and power!  But I still find myself most times yet, dragging out that stupid ladder, to do my stuff that I think God could love me more by them.  Don't get me wrong the do good stuff is awesome, in fact, we are totally equipped to do lots of good stuff, but it's not to earn love but it's a way to love.  Big difference.

My do good stuff should come out of my love for Jesus.  To obey what He asks of me is the way to show Him that I love Him. It's not a have to, it's a get to.  The opportunity to obey is to speak God's love language.   "He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...".

This Easter as I look to the cross and look to the empty tomb with joy, I will sit in the presence of His complete and perfect love for me.  This love is free.  Ditch the ladder, I'm gonna.

Just a chunk.

Being real.

I can get madder than a hornet.  I have a very hard time extending a particular kind of forgiveness.  The kind of forgiveness that requires a whole lot of investment of my hurt heart and a whole lot of no heart investment from my offender.  Ya know what I'm talking about?  The kind of forgiveness that you want to extend ONLY AFTER they absolutely know and understand the offense they have caused you.  The kind that needs proof of some suffering first.  Like twisting their arm as hard as I can in effort to show them the offense.  After all, if I don't, how in the world can they see the magnitude of my awesome forgiveness.  Are you stepping in this with me?  Or am I all by myself here?

This may come as a shocker but people who love and serve Jesus have the same feelings and emotions as the rest of the world.  We haven't been magically set free from all human struggles. 

Like I've said in the previous post, I'm not a violent person, but I do like vindication now and then.  I have to admit there are a few times I would love to lob off a couple fingers as pay back.  (gasp!)  Sorry if I've disappointed anyone.  Just being honest.
I believe to effectively minister to broken people, we have to be able to say we've been there, we've suffered the same thing, we have felt the same feelings.  We need to keep it real. 
At the end of the day, I always want to be authentic and I will always lay out all my (shoulder) chips to the one who is authentic, and never ever to the one who hides behind an "act" of perfection.  I will always put my stakes on the stories of redemption over the stories of perfection.

Because I am a screw up at times, who loves Jesus...I know I will have victories and failures in how I deal with my junk.  And we all have junk....Jesus even did.  Now hold up before you start calling out..."Blasphemer! Heretic!"

Some of my favorite verses in scripture....
...since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.   For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Is those two verses not totally amazing!  What hope for me!  He knows my struggle, He's able to sympathize with my struggle cause HE HAS BEEN THERE!  And what I love even more, it says, YET He was without sin.  And that's why I love Him so much!  That's why my relationship with Jesus is worth everything!  He shows me the way, He has sent His Spirit to empower me to do as He did.  And when I fail, there's no condemnation, but forgiveness that was paid at the cross.  All my past, present, and future failures forgiven! That's complete victory now.  Right now.  And right now.

So if you see someone missing a couple fingers out there somewhere, you know why...Will you tell them you know me and on a positive note, I'm using our example to minister to others?  I am sorry.  Keeping it real.  :)

Just a chunk.

Marks of a true Christian.

When I study scripture I usually use the New American Standard Bible translation. However, I do have a love for the English Standard Version Bible and use it quite a bit as well.
In the book of Romans I'm digging into the passage titled "Marks of a True Christan" (in the ESV), which is in chapter 12 verses 9-21.
These verses consist of a whole lot of green dotted lines if your an inductive studier. And if you are, you know we LOVE green dotted lines because they are commands. And we LOVE commands because in obeying them we are totally speaking God's love language.  (by our obedience He knows that we love him, John 14:15, 1 John 5:3)

I'm focusing on verse 12:9....
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

In the nasb it's translated "to love without hypocrisy". The greek word for hypocrisy is anypokritos (G505) which is translated unfeigned, undisguised, sincere. This love should be authentic, not a counterfeit. How in the world do I do this? I'd be misleading if I said I love everyone and you can tell by my actions. But I totally get the idea of loving a person, but just not liking them. But is that ok? The bible has a lot to say about love.  And how to do it.

In the book of John, Jesus said "Love one another, JUST as I have loved you".  In the book of Romans it says to "love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor".  In the book of 1 John it says "if anyone has the world's goods and sees a brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him".  How about John 15:13 ...there's no greater love than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 
In the book of Luke, Jesus says "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil".

We are to be different than how the world would react to our enemies.  There's a lot opinions and conversations as of late circulating about the Westboro baptist preacher who recently died.  This preacher was one who spewed hatred towards a group of people, his behavior and beliefs were far from what I would call one who claims to follow Jesus.  So it's easy to fall into retaliation towards this man and the people that follow his teaching and allow our mouths to speak hatred but when we do, aren't we doing the exact same thing we are condemning him for?   God said in Ezekiel 18:23 & 33:11 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked and not rather turn from his way and live?  Although I can't be for certain how he will be judged, I can guarantee God's not swing dancing in celebration that another one bit the dust and not welcomed into His kingdom.  God is patient not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.  Any and all in the greek mean ANY and ALL.

Good time to think on....Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good.  Greek word for abhor is apostygeo meaning to dislike, have a horror of.  It's regarding what is evil not who is evil.

This blog entry is getting longer than what I anticipated.  But there is so much jumbling around in my head about just this verse and recent reaction of some people.  I want to be careful not to speak of God as if I know or think I know what He should be like or should do.  I feel sorry for the people that do, they carry a burden that is not theirs to carry.  It is dangerous to speak or even suggest to know  about how God should punish those who commit evil and judge salvation.

In understanding God's holiness there is no measuring stick that would suffice, all evil is evil compared to His holiness.  I haven't seen in scripture that God has a chart to compare evils.  Sin is sin.  I know that's hard to wrap our minds around and if you can, it's because a false God was created, a God that passes personal expectiations and qualifications, it's to say "I make a better god".  God's not a push over.  He is completely holy, fair, just and absolute love, all at the same time.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts and ways, than ours. (Isa. 55:8-9) 

I love that God is infinitely huge and I can never ever figure him out....If I could, He wouldn't be very big at all.

Just a chunk.