My friend, Britany, played this really awesome song for offertory today at church and then I just saw it in my iTunes list. Seeing it, I had the idea of posting it on here for you because it is just that awesome. Really listen to what the words are saying.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Are you healthy or sick?
What is it that caused you to believe and have faith in what Christ has done for us? What in your life guided you to that end?
Reading through a friend's blog and hearing about how he found the face of Jesus the most portrayed through the actions of felons and addicts living in the most run-down town in CA made me start thinking.
Now before I get started, I'm not saying that the examples I use are black and white scenarios for every single person. I'm not stereo-typing here.
Where do you see the life of Christ the most? In well-off people, who don't have to struggle for anything? Or in broken, humiliated people, who have nothing? (I hope I'm explaining myself well enough that you'll understand. I don't think I am, but let's keep going.) Was it the Pharisees (whom He called "white-washed sepulchers") Jesus came for? or the prostitutes and sinners?
"Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners ?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means : 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."" (Matthew 9:10-13).
Throughout the Bible, you see it over and over and over. Jesus always worked through the weak, simple, humble, and basic people. If a person were "righteous", why would he need Jesus? That person would already have "arrived". Jesus was there to teach those who needed it. "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."
Those people who my friend talked about in his blog, those people were sick and Jesus showed them the way. They knew the love of Christ and it changed them. I myself knew of Christ since I was a child, but I didn't start understanding what the big deal was until I was so sick! I didn't understand what He was trying to tell me until I was at the end of myself. I was falling down to the bottom of the barrel, I was living for myself and this world only. I was doing what I wanted to do, and yet I was so completely unhappy that many of you may not understand. I was completely hopeless.
Not until I realized that I was "sick" was He, the physician, able to help me.
Following that train of thought (if you were able to keep up with my random mind), when and how are we able to grow in our relationship with God? After we fail. That's right, I said FAIL!!
Me --> Failure --> realize my NEED --> study the Word of God --> renewal of my mind through the Holy Spirit by the Word of God --> growth ------->(back to the beginning)
If I don't recognize my failure and my need, If I don't recognize that I am sick, then I don't move, I don't grow, I don't heal. I become a stagnant pool of slime. (not really all that appealing, is it?) If I become stagnant....I'm not really all that useful to God.
Only by believing and understanding God's truths will I obey Him and thereby allowing Him to live His life through me, conforming me to the image of His Son (which, in case you haven't heard, is so awesome I don't even have a word great enough to describe it).
Are you a white-washed grave? Or are you the sinner who recognizes your need for Him?
What does your testimony say? Is Christ seen through your life, your actions?
Are you healthy or sick? Righteous or a sinner?
Reading through a friend's blog and hearing about how he found the face of Jesus the most portrayed through the actions of felons and addicts living in the most run-down town in CA made me start thinking.
Now before I get started, I'm not saying that the examples I use are black and white scenarios for every single person. I'm not stereo-typing here.
Where do you see the life of Christ the most? In well-off people, who don't have to struggle for anything? Or in broken, humiliated people, who have nothing? (I hope I'm explaining myself well enough that you'll understand. I don't think I am, but let's keep going.) Was it the Pharisees (whom He called "white-washed sepulchers") Jesus came for? or the prostitutes and sinners?
"Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners ?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means : 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."" (Matthew 9:10-13).
Throughout the Bible, you see it over and over and over. Jesus always worked through the weak, simple, humble, and basic people. If a person were "righteous", why would he need Jesus? That person would already have "arrived". Jesus was there to teach those who needed it. "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."
Those people who my friend talked about in his blog, those people were sick and Jesus showed them the way. They knew the love of Christ and it changed them. I myself knew of Christ since I was a child, but I didn't start understanding what the big deal was until I was so sick! I didn't understand what He was trying to tell me until I was at the end of myself. I was falling down to the bottom of the barrel, I was living for myself and this world only. I was doing what I wanted to do, and yet I was so completely unhappy that many of you may not understand. I was completely hopeless.
Not until I realized that I was "sick" was He, the physician, able to help me.
Following that train of thought (if you were able to keep up with my random mind), when and how are we able to grow in our relationship with God? After we fail. That's right, I said FAIL!!
Me --> Failure --> realize my NEED --> study the Word of God --> renewal of my mind through the Holy Spirit by the Word of God --> growth ------->(back to the beginning)
If I don't recognize my failure and my need, If I don't recognize that I am sick, then I don't move, I don't grow, I don't heal. I become a stagnant pool of slime. (not really all that appealing, is it?) If I become stagnant....I'm not really all that useful to God.
Only by believing and understanding God's truths will I obey Him and thereby allowing Him to live His life through me, conforming me to the image of His Son (which, in case you haven't heard, is so awesome I don't even have a word great enough to describe it).
Are you a white-washed grave? Or are you the sinner who recognizes your need for Him?
What does your testimony say? Is Christ seen through your life, your actions?
Are you healthy or sick? Righteous or a sinner?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
"It is finished"
So I titled this post "It is finished." (as you probably could see)
For me, I really was just trying to think of a phrase that describes my time here at NTBI as a student. "The End." "Game over." "It's done!" Things like that and what popped into my mind was "The end has come. It's finished." But wait...
...."It is finished." Jesus said that right before He gave up His spirit to the Father when He was crucified to pay the price for our sins. (John 19:30) What a concept...here I am thinking that today was a big day because I have graduated from a 2 year Bible school. The vastness of that concept in my mind is pretty well belittled when compared to the vastness of the concept that because some 2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins, I am saved from an ETERNITY separated from my God in the Lake of Fire. Holy cow! That is such an awesome thought!! And it all came from the connotations in my mind of three little words,
"It is finished."
I leave this school here taking with me knowledge such as that to help me as I walk and (Lord willing) grow with God. I leave so many wonderful people and I will miss them dearly. I step forward in faith that I WILL see them again one day. I can't wait for that wedding feast to come!!! It'll be like NOTHING on this fallen earth.
Saying that reminds me of a song that one of my fantastically awesome friends wrote. She talks about God's creation and all of its beauty here on earth (sun, mountains, eagles...), but she goes on to say "If we see things now as beautiful, think how much more will heaven be?"
: ) I love her. She's such a great encouragement and I thank God for her in my life, along with all of my room-mates I've had here at NTBI.
Getting distracted now, so....
Here's some pictures of our last day together as a dorm...
My RA, Grace, decided to take a nap on one of our bookshelves after we finished dorm clean-up. All of us were exhausted. As you will soon see.
It didn't last for long though because we all got up and went to DQ!! Our last dorm date (actually, I think it was our second date with all of us), we did exactly what we did for our very first Dorm Date (the first of our two).
We two Seniors, or should I now say NTBI Alumni? Grace looks exceptionally more happy than me, but I have to say that I really was enjoying my ice cream. So much so that I very soon after this picture started spilling it all over my clothes. I guess I just wanted to save some (a lot) for later.
The two Juniors (now Seniors), Michelle (first pic) and Kristi (second).
And our dorm freshman, which I guess I must acknowledge the fact that they are now Juniors!! Scary thought. Btw, they really like their ice cream (or just food in general). They take after Gracie. ; )
THE END! for now.
For me, I really was just trying to think of a phrase that describes my time here at NTBI as a student. "The End." "Game over." "It's done!" Things like that and what popped into my mind was "The end has come. It's finished." But wait...
...."It is finished." Jesus said that right before He gave up His spirit to the Father when He was crucified to pay the price for our sins. (John 19:30) What a concept...here I am thinking that today was a big day because I have graduated from a 2 year Bible school. The vastness of that concept in my mind is pretty well belittled when compared to the vastness of the concept that because some 2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins, I am saved from an ETERNITY separated from my God in the Lake of Fire. Holy cow! That is such an awesome thought!! And it all came from the connotations in my mind of three little words,
"It is finished."
I leave this school here taking with me knowledge such as that to help me as I walk and (Lord willing) grow with God. I leave so many wonderful people and I will miss them dearly. I step forward in faith that I WILL see them again one day. I can't wait for that wedding feast to come!!! It'll be like NOTHING on this fallen earth.
Saying that reminds me of a song that one of my fantastically awesome friends wrote. She talks about God's creation and all of its beauty here on earth (sun, mountains, eagles...), but she goes on to say "If we see things now as beautiful, think how much more will heaven be?"
: ) I love her. She's such a great encouragement and I thank God for her in my life, along with all of my room-mates I've had here at NTBI.
Getting distracted now, so....
Here's some pictures of our last day together as a dorm...
My RA, Grace, decided to take a nap on one of our bookshelves after we finished dorm clean-up. All of us were exhausted. As you will soon see.
It didn't last for long though because we all got up and went to DQ!! Our last dorm date (actually, I think it was our second date with all of us), we did exactly what we did for our very first Dorm Date (the first of our two).
We two Seniors, or should I now say NTBI Alumni? Grace looks exceptionally more happy than me, but I have to say that I really was enjoying my ice cream. So much so that I very soon after this picture started spilling it all over my clothes. I guess I just wanted to save some (a lot) for later.
The two Juniors (now Seniors), Michelle (first pic) and Kristi (second).
And our dorm freshman, which I guess I must acknowledge the fact that they are now Juniors!! Scary thought. Btw, they really like their ice cream (or just food in general). They take after Gracie. ; )
THE END! for now.
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