"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but rather healed." Hebrews 12:12-13
Think for a moment what this is saying.. Lets look at it another way.. When you have surgery on something, or if you break something, you have to go to physical training. You are basically forced to work what you've damaged until it is strong enough to be used normally. If you don't and you try to do what you normally would you only wind up damaging it more, perhaps irreparably. Our spirits are the same way! Our spirits have been damaged by our sinful natures and now we have to work them, a painful and long process, to get them to where they should already be. We work our spirits by digging in to the Word of God! We don't always want to.. sometimes we flat out don't. But if we don't do it, all we are going to do is damage our spirits further.. Possibly to the point where we just give up and let dystrophy set in, leaving us useless. So don't give up, but work your spirit so you may be healed!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Oh, Sleeper
"for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" Ephesians 5:14
Wake up, O sleeper! The king james version says this: "arise thou that sleepest.." that is,Katheudo in greek. Katheudo means to have "carnal indifference to spiritual things". Carnal indifference is a very fun way of saying you don't give a crap. This verse is actually talking to those who are already believers. All who are apathetic, wake up!
Interestingly enough in the second part of this it says rise from the dead. This word Dead comes from the greek Nekros. It actually refers to the condition of an unbelievers spirit! A dead spirit. So lets double-take. "Wake up, you apathetic Christian, rise from your spiritual death." ok are we on the same page so far?
For the next line i'll go back to the KJV, "And Christ shall give thee light". the greek here for light is epiphauo, and it literally means to shine forth, but it means to shine forth in reference of the glory of Christ. It indirectly tells us that if we meet him, that is.. wake up, we will receive and reflect his light, making us more like Him.
This verse is a challenge, it challenges you to get off your chair and wake up. You sit there at the expense of your soul. Christ told us that if we are lukewarm, or apathetic he will spit us out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:16) He basically is telling us between these two verses that We need to get up or get out. It sounds harsh, but you cannot serve both God and man.(Matthew 6:24) You will love one or hate the other, and with our fractured spirit's we are more likely to start hating God than start hating man. So wake up, o sleeper!
Derek
Wake up, O sleeper! The king james version says this: "arise thou that sleepest.." that is,Katheudo in greek. Katheudo means to have "carnal indifference to spiritual things". Carnal indifference is a very fun way of saying you don't give a crap. This verse is actually talking to those who are already believers. All who are apathetic, wake up!
Interestingly enough in the second part of this it says rise from the dead. This word Dead comes from the greek Nekros. It actually refers to the condition of an unbelievers spirit! A dead spirit. So lets double-take. "Wake up, you apathetic Christian, rise from your spiritual death." ok are we on the same page so far?
For the next line i'll go back to the KJV, "And Christ shall give thee light". the greek here for light is epiphauo, and it literally means to shine forth, but it means to shine forth in reference of the glory of Christ. It indirectly tells us that if we meet him, that is.. wake up, we will receive and reflect his light, making us more like Him.
This verse is a challenge, it challenges you to get off your chair and wake up. You sit there at the expense of your soul. Christ told us that if we are lukewarm, or apathetic he will spit us out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:16) He basically is telling us between these two verses that We need to get up or get out. It sounds harsh, but you cannot serve both God and man.(Matthew 6:24) You will love one or hate the other, and with our fractured spirit's we are more likely to start hating God than start hating man. So wake up, o sleeper!
Derek
Fake
So here's a nice long one to make up for that short one earlier.
Someone recently asked why do girls have to be fake.. the real question is, why is anyone fake? What causes a person to abandon who they are to be what everyone else says, or thinks, they should be? What drives plastic smiles and mannequin poses? We're all created differently, we're all completely and utterly unique from each other, so why do we insist on making ourselves uniform? God has such a plan for our lives that he tells us how little he cares about our appearance. First Samuel 16:7 says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" Our drive to be alike, truly comes from a lack of purpose. Think about it, if you have no idea what your purpose is, why on Earth would you act in a way that should lead you to fulfill that purpose?
We all have a purpose that is the same, the Bible tells us our purpose is to glorify God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) But at the same time we each have our own separate, and specific, purpose.
Lets look for a moment at the word we use to describe people who are fake... plastic. Think about it, really think about that word, what's wrong with it? Plastic is inanimate... lifeless. Is that how we want to be viewed? as lifeless people? Being fake is such a waste of who we are. It is a dark, dark place. A place of death. No, I am not exaggerating.
Here's a new reality for you. If you are not following God... you're a faker! Here's why... without God we are nothing, nothing at all. When we don't follow him its usually because we think "i don't need God, i'm doing great by myself", or my favorite "God hasn't shown up at my door and said hey, I'm God, sup? so why should I follow him?" So here's a fork in your hand, we're nothing without God, he created us, who are we to demand of the Creater? That's like the painting in the museum hollering out, "Hey!! Where's Van Gogh?? I wont believe in him til her shows up." Then promptly fold its arms and glare. Sound ridiculous? Yeah.. welcome to how dumb we are. We are so consistently fake that we trick ourselves into thinking that we were randomly formed, or the other one, you know... I'm here, this is it, when i die, nothing. God is the Creater, without him, you wouldn't be, and without him active in your life, all you will ever be is lifeless plastic, fake... empty.
So you want to ask why are people fake... we're fake because the purpose we're made for is right in front of us, when we look in the mirror, when we look at our cashier fumbling over the coins in the drawer, when we look in the car next to us. Our purpose is to love each other, and guide each other to the arms of Christ. We're fake because we're soooo stubborn, that we're deaf and unfeeling to the God knocking on our hearts door. When we answer that door, that's when plastic comes to life, when Pinocchio becomes a real human, and when a fake person sees for the first time, how fake they really were.
Someone recently asked why do girls have to be fake.. the real question is, why is anyone fake? What causes a person to abandon who they are to be what everyone else says, or thinks, they should be? What drives plastic smiles and mannequin poses? We're all created differently, we're all completely and utterly unique from each other, so why do we insist on making ourselves uniform? God has such a plan for our lives that he tells us how little he cares about our appearance. First Samuel 16:7 says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" Our drive to be alike, truly comes from a lack of purpose. Think about it, if you have no idea what your purpose is, why on Earth would you act in a way that should lead you to fulfill that purpose?
We all have a purpose that is the same, the Bible tells us our purpose is to glorify God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) But at the same time we each have our own separate, and specific, purpose.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11These verses show us that God has different plans for each of us, and while some plans may bind together they are all still separate, like the cords of a rope.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."1 Corinthians 12:4-6
"So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Exodus 3:10
Lets look for a moment at the word we use to describe people who are fake... plastic. Think about it, really think about that word, what's wrong with it? Plastic is inanimate... lifeless. Is that how we want to be viewed? as lifeless people? Being fake is such a waste of who we are. It is a dark, dark place. A place of death. No, I am not exaggerating.
Here's a new reality for you. If you are not following God... you're a faker! Here's why... without God we are nothing, nothing at all. When we don't follow him its usually because we think "i don't need God, i'm doing great by myself", or my favorite "God hasn't shown up at my door and said hey, I'm God, sup? so why should I follow him?" So here's a fork in your hand, we're nothing without God, he created us, who are we to demand of the Creater? That's like the painting in the museum hollering out, "Hey!! Where's Van Gogh?? I wont believe in him til her shows up." Then promptly fold its arms and glare. Sound ridiculous? Yeah.. welcome to how dumb we are. We are so consistently fake that we trick ourselves into thinking that we were randomly formed, or the other one, you know... I'm here, this is it, when i die, nothing. God is the Creater, without him, you wouldn't be, and without him active in your life, all you will ever be is lifeless plastic, fake... empty.
So you want to ask why are people fake... we're fake because the purpose we're made for is right in front of us, when we look in the mirror, when we look at our cashier fumbling over the coins in the drawer, when we look in the car next to us. Our purpose is to love each other, and guide each other to the arms of Christ. We're fake because we're soooo stubborn, that we're deaf and unfeeling to the God knocking on our hearts door. When we answer that door, that's when plastic comes to life, when Pinocchio becomes a real human, and when a fake person sees for the first time, how fake they really were.
Places of Weakness
This one's short, but hopefully sweet
Anyone here have this one place where you always screw up? Maybe its anywhere at home, maybe its specific places at home. Maybe its the locker room at school. Or perhaps its your classroom at school, all those annoying teachers making you feel like cussing and being disrespectful, kids around you goading you on (that's brainiac for pushing you).
You know that's a weak place for you. So here's a curve ball for you... Turn it into a place for meeting God. Granted at school you probably aren't going to have some Elijah moment, but turn it into a place of prayer. Pray while you're sitting home alone, or while you're changing into your street clothes. Pray in your head while that one teacher that just makes you insane is doing that thing that makes you insane! God will meet you where you are, and he's never met you in a place where you weren't sinning, so make it a habit to meet him everywhere.
Derek
Anyone here have this one place where you always screw up? Maybe its anywhere at home, maybe its specific places at home. Maybe its the locker room at school. Or perhaps its your classroom at school, all those annoying teachers making you feel like cussing and being disrespectful, kids around you goading you on (that's brainiac for pushing you).
You know that's a weak place for you. So here's a curve ball for you... Turn it into a place for meeting God. Granted at school you probably aren't going to have some Elijah moment, but turn it into a place of prayer. Pray while you're sitting home alone, or while you're changing into your street clothes. Pray in your head while that one teacher that just makes you insane is doing that thing that makes you insane! God will meet you where you are, and he's never met you in a place where you weren't sinning, so make it a habit to meet him everywhere.
Derek
Valleys
Psalm 23:4"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Sometimes God leads us into valleys! Often times we view valleys as terrible lonely places to get into. And that is true, in a way. But as the main verse says "I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." God will lead us into valleys, because valleys are a place of GROWTH! Get this! When the Jews were taken captive and taken to Babylon, Babylon was situated in a Valley! God sent them there to grow, it was a hard place for them, but it was the only way they were going to grow and come back to God.
Another important Valley of growth can be found in 1 Samuel 17:1-3, "1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them." Recognize this valley? This is David's valley, the valley where he faces the giant Goliath! God grows David here, he makes him known to all the Israelites. After he slew Goliath the king, Saul took him into his service. Anything Saul asked David to do, David did, and everyone became fond of him!
David and the Israelites went through valleys in their lives, so will we. The honest truth is, that even though valleys are dark and frightening, even lonely and draining, God will still be beside you and guide you, sometimes even carrying you. And if there is one thing i've learned its that when you come out of that valley and turn to look, you will see all the beauty there you hadn't noticed before.
You see in reality without valleys we would never grow. We would never get close to God, and if we stick with God and really worship Him, those valleys will never be deeper than the hole He had pulled us out of! And when we come through we will thank God for being with us, or should anyway. Because on the other side is a new green pasture, with fresh water to drink and restoration for our soul(Psalm 23:2-4).
Derek
Sometimes God leads us into valleys! Often times we view valleys as terrible lonely places to get into. And that is true, in a way. But as the main verse says "I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." God will lead us into valleys, because valleys are a place of GROWTH! Get this! When the Jews were taken captive and taken to Babylon, Babylon was situated in a Valley! God sent them there to grow, it was a hard place for them, but it was the only way they were going to grow and come back to God.
Another important Valley of growth can be found in 1 Samuel 17:1-3, "1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them." Recognize this valley? This is David's valley, the valley where he faces the giant Goliath! God grows David here, he makes him known to all the Israelites. After he slew Goliath the king, Saul took him into his service. Anything Saul asked David to do, David did, and everyone became fond of him!
David and the Israelites went through valleys in their lives, so will we. The honest truth is, that even though valleys are dark and frightening, even lonely and draining, God will still be beside you and guide you, sometimes even carrying you. And if there is one thing i've learned its that when you come out of that valley and turn to look, you will see all the beauty there you hadn't noticed before.
You see in reality without valleys we would never grow. We would never get close to God, and if we stick with God and really worship Him, those valleys will never be deeper than the hole He had pulled us out of! And when we come through we will thank God for being with us, or should anyway. Because on the other side is a new green pasture, with fresh water to drink and restoration for our soul(Psalm 23:2-4).
Derek
Walking
1 John 2:6 says "whoever claims to live in Him (God) must walk as Jesus did." This word "walk" actually means to live, most of us know this, but what does live mean? The third definition of live reads like this: To continue in existence, memory, and/or operation. We must operate our lives, we must existlike Christ, and in those we touch we must leave a memory of who Christ is.
Now, to operate our lives how Christ did, does not mean live a perfect life and die for everyone. Duh! What it means is, to strive for God's will and purpose in your life. It means to follow God's commandments, obviously not perfectly because that is impossible for us, but to the best of our ability. We must love and pray for even our enemies, or those we perceive to be against us. Christ operated his life in a manor that allowed him to glorify God. His being praised God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God," and in verse 33 Paul continues with "...For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved." If we want to bring people to Christ we must first show them what He looks like. Christ glorified God in everything He did, whether eating or drinking, and because He did not seek His own good, many of us, including myself and hopefully you, are saved by Him. Operate how Christ did, and people will see Christ through you.
Christ lived His life with purpose, with a drive to do God's will. Even in His darkest moment, His biggest concern was that the will of God be completed (Matthew 26:39). His sole purpose was to do God's will, and that also is our sole existence. Once we know Christ we are bound by Him, and with Him. God's will is that all should be saved, this is reflected by the Great Commission (Matthew 28). Our testimonies and our God-reflecting moments are all different. Cassie Bernall's biggest reflection of God was when she was killed for following Him. Sound familiar? Christ died to follow God, so we must die to self to follow Him. Cassie is a martyr, not all of us will have to live that life. Sometimes the greatest testimony is great because the one person it touched, will touch millions. People we will never meet or share the same lifetime with be affected by you or me.
The memory of Christ was and still is powerful. Christianity would be nothing without the disciples who knew and remembered Jesus' life and who He was. The memories we leave behind should be things that draw people to Christ. Remembering the joy you seemed to have even in your darkest times could lead someone to accept Christ and allow Him to change their life. Remembered that you took the time to invite someone to church and maybe even bugged them will make them wonder why you are so excited. Even just the memory of something you were apart of. No one will really remember who worked at Acquire The Fire last year, but they will remember Acquire The Fire. And it may change their life.
Throughout Biblical history God has been able to use one person to change the course of a nation. What if we all began to walk as Christ? What would happen to this nation? What if we all rose up to be Moses, Gideon, Esther, Ruth, Mary, Joseph, how would it impact this nation? If God can use one what could He do with millions? Walking like Christ will make you a planet shaker, we can shake the foundations of the world and turn it upside down, but it starts with you, and it starts with me. Shake the dust from your shoes and walk until He calls you home.
Operate
Now, to operate our lives how Christ did, does not mean live a perfect life and die for everyone. Duh! What it means is, to strive for God's will and purpose in your life. It means to follow God's commandments, obviously not perfectly because that is impossible for us, but to the best of our ability. We must love and pray for even our enemies, or those we perceive to be against us. Christ operated his life in a manor that allowed him to glorify God. His being praised God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God," and in verse 33 Paul continues with "...For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved." If we want to bring people to Christ we must first show them what He looks like. Christ glorified God in everything He did, whether eating or drinking, and because He did not seek His own good, many of us, including myself and hopefully you, are saved by Him. Operate how Christ did, and people will see Christ through you.
Exist
Christ lived His life with purpose, with a drive to do God's will. Even in His darkest moment, His biggest concern was that the will of God be completed (Matthew 26:39). His sole purpose was to do God's will, and that also is our sole existence. Once we know Christ we are bound by Him, and with Him. God's will is that all should be saved, this is reflected by the Great Commission (Matthew 28). Our testimonies and our God-reflecting moments are all different. Cassie Bernall's biggest reflection of God was when she was killed for following Him. Sound familiar? Christ died to follow God, so we must die to self to follow Him. Cassie is a martyr, not all of us will have to live that life. Sometimes the greatest testimony is great because the one person it touched, will touch millions. People we will never meet or share the same lifetime with be affected by you or me.
Memory
The memory of Christ was and still is powerful. Christianity would be nothing without the disciples who knew and remembered Jesus' life and who He was. The memories we leave behind should be things that draw people to Christ. Remembering the joy you seemed to have even in your darkest times could lead someone to accept Christ and allow Him to change their life. Remembered that you took the time to invite someone to church and maybe even bugged them will make them wonder why you are so excited. Even just the memory of something you were apart of. No one will really remember who worked at Acquire The Fire last year, but they will remember Acquire The Fire. And it may change their life.
Throughout Biblical history God has been able to use one person to change the course of a nation. What if we all began to walk as Christ? What would happen to this nation? What if we all rose up to be Moses, Gideon, Esther, Ruth, Mary, Joseph, how would it impact this nation? If God can use one what could He do with millions? Walking like Christ will make you a planet shaker, we can shake the foundations of the world and turn it upside down, but it starts with you, and it starts with me. Shake the dust from your shoes and walk until He calls you home.
Fuel
Life is like a fire. The longer it lasts the bigger it gets. Your environment, your worries, even your ideals and standards. And on an impersonal side of it, as life in general carries on things get bigger in essence. Granted our cell phones get smaller and smaller while doing more and more, but life around us gets bigger; bigger buildings, bigger crises, larger debt; longer and more devastating war. And like a fire, eventually it's all going to run out of fuel.
More than likely on that personal level it isn't so much "life" that runs out of fuel, but our hearts. Granted, at the end of it all, our average of 70 years life-span, runs out of fuel, we pass away. But more often than not one's spirit breaks first. A kerosene lamp cannot continue burning once its out of kerosene, it dies like a hungry bear. Our lives run on the same basic principle. In the same way our physical aspects run on food and water, our spiritual aspect can only be fueled by God in our lives. In John 4, Christ examples this perfectly: "31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, 'Rabbi, eat something.' 32But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about'" His disciples did not yet fully understand the power of God in their lives. God is fuel for our soul, and without him, we will wither.
But having God as a canteen and a tv dinner is not enough. These are temporary things, made for a temporary thing. In verse 34 Jesus continues on to say, "My food is to do the will him who sent me and to finish his work." Our food is not just believing in God and existing in that belief, but to continue to pass on that belief and live according to it. If you are a Christian and think that this holds no point for you then remember the final verses in Matthew 28, "18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and 'make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" You cannot deny that you've been sent, and you cannot deny that God has clearly defined what your spiritual food is.
God is fuel for our fire. Our life force, essentially, is God. Yes we can physically exist without him guiding and directing our lives, but we cannot truly live without him. We cannot escape destruction without God. Nor can we simply survive on some sort of spiritual high from an emotional moment. A spiritual high is no different than a drug high, temporary and empty. True fuel will come from God's will being done through you.
Now the question becomes, can I really live without God and doing God's will. Or am I just an empty lamp, giving off no light, no warmth and no life. We are the lamp, spreading God's word, will we hide ourselves under a bowl? (Matthew 5:15)
God Bless,
Derek
Agape
Agape is pretty awesome. If you don't know what it is, its love. But not oh, baby love, or moneylove, its like wildy, IN YOUR FACE, JESUS love, man. Agape is died-for-you love; whetheryouacceptitornot love. its wholehearted-pinching-your-cheeks-squeezin-your-guts-out-hugs-and-joy love. You CANNOT even COMPREHEND what kind of love deathonthecross love is. if you tried your brains would be on the wall like modern art! all the valentine's day cards in the world could not make a heart big enough to express agape. But dude there's a manual for agape-love. Its the basic instructions. You gotta read it, its in depth its out of control, vin diesel's car has nothing on this manual. BIBLE!. I know intimidating right? Like Gaston in beauty and the beast, "how can you read this thing, there's no pictures". Man you gotta read it to get it. Dude you can read a game manual and sometimes those things are more confusing than algebra. "What do you mean i gotta hold R and X while making full circles with both thumb sticks in opposite directions just to jump?!?" (don't even get me started on Wii-motes).
God's not cruel, if he was cruel he would have killed us all by now. God is love. God IS agape. Do you understand that when God says to abide in his love he is saying abide in me? to abide means to remain or continue. more specifically to continue in an attitude, or relationship. "Remain in my love, and remain in me." That's not difficult or confusing. its Simple, Love God; remain in God, his love. If you love God, you will obey him, you're not forced, you're asked. and if you Claim it, you better prove it. Ya'll will claim you're alone, and if someone suggests you go to God, you say God!? what's God ever done for me. Dude he died for you, duh. He has loved you, still loves you and is waiting for you to come home. No not your house, home to him, to his love, to Abide. the other definition of abide is to make your home in, so make your home in God, you wont ever be alone, and you'll always have a place to stay, so stop sitting there with your mouth open and taste agape.
God Bless,
Derek
God's not cruel, if he was cruel he would have killed us all by now. God is love. God IS agape. Do you understand that when God says to abide in his love he is saying abide in me? to abide means to remain or continue. more specifically to continue in an attitude, or relationship. "Remain in my love, and remain in me." That's not difficult or confusing. its Simple, Love God; remain in God, his love. If you love God, you will obey him, you're not forced, you're asked. and if you Claim it, you better prove it. Ya'll will claim you're alone, and if someone suggests you go to God, you say God!? what's God ever done for me. Dude he died for you, duh. He has loved you, still loves you and is waiting for you to come home. No not your house, home to him, to his love, to Abide. the other definition of abide is to make your home in, so make your home in God, you wont ever be alone, and you'll always have a place to stay, so stop sitting there with your mouth open and taste agape.
God Bless,
Derek
God Wants You to Know Him
God wants you to know him.
Hosea 6:6 (Amplified Bible)
For I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings.
Why does God want you to know him?
- Romans 10:9 (New American Standard Bible)
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"
We need to know WHO Jesus is to confess Him. We need to know he IS LORD - Ephesians 3:19-20 (New International Version)
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
If you know God, you will know his Power and He'll be able to work through youimmeasurably. - Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
If we know God we will be able to honor him properly. - Matthew 16:15-17 (New International Version)
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
When we know who God is, we will be blessed by God.
- Romans 10:9 (New American Standard Bible)
How can we know God? God reveals himself.
- He revealed himself to Moses. (Exodus 3)
- Isaiah 45:18-19a (New American Standard Bible)
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.19"I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land
He tells us in His word - John 1:1,14 (New International Version)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
You want to know God, then look at Jesus, Jesus is God revealed.
God wanted so much for us to know him, that he became flesh and died to open the gate.
Proverbs 1:23 (New International Version)If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
If we repent we will know Him. Looking back to Romans 10:9, if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that he is raised from the dead, we will be saved. So let us confess, and know God, so that we may be joyful, and at peace.
God Bless,
Derek
Complete Joy
John 15:11
I (Jesus) have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Do you understand the simple and plain reality of this verse? Jesus is described as the Word of God. (See John 1) That means that the entire Bible (the Word of God) is told to you so that you may have JOY, and not only joy, but COMPLETE joy. When we begin to store God's Word, indeed the Reality of Christ, in our hearts we will have complete Joy. This verse does not say, "...that your joy may be complete when you get to heaven" it says when we hear His Word His perfect and complete Joy will be in us. So begin to store God's Word in your heart. Store the reality of Christ Jesus. Joy is ours to take, but God comes first, then Joy.
God Bless,
Derek
I (Jesus) have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Do you understand the simple and plain reality of this verse? Jesus is described as the Word of God. (See John 1) That means that the entire Bible (the Word of God) is told to you so that you may have JOY, and not only joy, but COMPLETE joy. When we begin to store God's Word, indeed the Reality of Christ, in our hearts we will have complete Joy. This verse does not say, "...that your joy may be complete when you get to heaven" it says when we hear His Word His perfect and complete Joy will be in us. So begin to store God's Word in your heart. Store the reality of Christ Jesus. Joy is ours to take, but God comes first, then Joy.
God Bless,
Derek
The Moon, JFK, and Christianity
"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
Many of you... may not know this speech... in fact, I am willing to bet very few of you here really care about John F. Kennedy.
However, read this excerpt of this famous speech and know this. We chose. Here he says, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..." They were hard. We lost resources, men, and marriages going to the moon. A long time ago in Genesis man built the tower of Babel. You can bet that they didn't do it cause they thought it would be easy. They did it, because they wanted to push their limits, because they wanted to see what they could do.
Now wait a minute... God got upset about Babel. Yes he did. I'm not saying this world needs to start building a tower to heaven. I am saying that Christian's need to test their limits of faith. We need to push our boundaries. We need to give our own personal speech.
"Now some are saying why choose to witness to our relatives friends and neighborhood. Why choose to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, or make the lame walk, or make the deaf hear. Why is their an acquire the fire event in almost every state in the U.S.? We choose to reach the lost. We choose to reach the lost in this decade, in this generation, IN THIS LIFETIME, not because it is easy, but because it IS HARD, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
What is your speech today? Do you do things because they are easy or because it is hard and because it actually does test you?
One last example I pose to you...
When you work your body out. You do not stop because there is pain, but rather the pain tells you that you are actually doing something. That you are not just moving muscles but that they are being worked and strengthened.
So what will you do? Do you choose to go to the moon?
God Bless,
Derek
Many of you... may not know this speech... in fact, I am willing to bet very few of you here really care about John F. Kennedy.
However, read this excerpt of this famous speech and know this. We chose. Here he says, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..." They were hard. We lost resources, men, and marriages going to the moon. A long time ago in Genesis man built the tower of Babel. You can bet that they didn't do it cause they thought it would be easy. They did it, because they wanted to push their limits, because they wanted to see what they could do.
Now wait a minute... God got upset about Babel. Yes he did. I'm not saying this world needs to start building a tower to heaven. I am saying that Christian's need to test their limits of faith. We need to push our boundaries. We need to give our own personal speech.
"Now some are saying why choose to witness to our relatives friends and neighborhood. Why choose to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, or make the lame walk, or make the deaf hear. Why is their an acquire the fire event in almost every state in the U.S.? We choose to reach the lost. We choose to reach the lost in this decade, in this generation, IN THIS LIFETIME, not because it is easy, but because it IS HARD, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
What is your speech today? Do you do things because they are easy or because it is hard and because it actually does test you?
One last example I pose to you...
When you work your body out. You do not stop because there is pain, but rather the pain tells you that you are actually doing something. That you are not just moving muscles but that they are being worked and strengthened.
So what will you do? Do you choose to go to the moon?
God Bless,
Derek
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