Weekly Verse

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Sunday, July 28, 2013

All About Jesus

What is it that God calls us to do? He calls us to do everything in order to GLORIFY HIM. He wants us to treat others as we would like to be treated, have patience, be loving, act like Jesus did and be a LIGHT. 



As a follower of Jesus, you will get a lot of attention and you will likely be praised for it. People will notice how different your attitude seems to be or they will question your beliefs. Many people will be taken aback by you happiness or patience. But there is a danger in that. Many Christians will begin to act for THEMSELVES--for popularity or fame or a good reputation or to make themselves feel good. That is doing good with the wrong motivation and therefore really not that good. 


Make sure that what you do, you do for the GLORY OF GOD. You should do what you do to make Him happy and to point others in His direction. Sometimes this can be hard or discouraging because people won't understand Jesus' call the way you do, they won't attribute your attitude to Christ. 

My companions saw the light, but did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
Acts 22:9

Even in the Bible there are cases of people not understanding how much God does and that He has a hand in things. Not understanding God's voice. Not seeing Him or hearing what He has to say. But don't give up hope!



Even when it seems impossible to get someone to see God, remember that He can do ANYTHING! Even if nothing seems to be happening now, He can make a way for it to happen eventually. He is the one who needs to do the work in their lives, not you. 


Jesus is the one who saves not you! All you can do is be a good example and try to point people in the right direction and Jesus will do the rest! So don't be discouraged if people don't understand that it truly is God's handiwork, but continue to do your part. 


Keep on living for Jesus and SHINING for Him. Make your life all about Jesus, give Him the glory and don't forget that He does the work, you just point people in the right direction! 








Friday, July 26, 2013

Awesome Creator

Do you ever have those LONG projects-- that take you weeks, months, maybe even years-- that when you finish it you just look at it with pride? Maybe you worked on your house, maybe you made a painting, a collage, or a song. Looking at what you've made can be really awe inspiring, but have you ever looked at what God has made? Have you ever looked at the world around you and just MARVELLED? Any where you turn you can see God's artistry in the sights and scenes surrounding you. It seems every detail is perfect and beautiful!

He made the oceans:

He made the mountains: 

He made the deserts: 

He made all the animals: 

He even made our solar system: 



He made EVERYTHING and each thing He made is so complex and glorious and beautiful, it's breathtaking! God truly is the one and only AWESOME CREATOR. He made the sun, moon and the skies. He made everything you can see and feel and smell in just 7 days! I don't know about you, but that makes any project I can make dim in comparison. Everything on Earth points to it's AWESOME creator! 


You know what is really mind blowing? God made all of this extraordinary universe and He made YOU. Not only that, but our awesome creator chose you and loves you. 


What are we that God should care about us? Look how tiny we are compared to a lion, to a mountain, to the universe, and the AWESOME creator who made it all cares about tiny, little us. Isn't that just amazing? God not only cares, but He loves us enough to send His son to die for us on the cross so that we might be saved. We do nothing but spite Him, we are tiny and minuscule and yet He loves us and chose to save US. That is truly AWESOME. 

Have you thanked your awesome creator lately? We should-- every day and every second because that is how much He has done and continues to do for us. 





Thursday, July 11, 2013

Bridge

We have ALL sinned and that sin is what separates us from a pure and holy God. We all deserve punishment and suffering for that sin, but God is so gracious and merciful and He loves us so much that he FORGIVES and even gives us a way to be with Him!
 
Salvation is a GIFT from God, it is nothing that we can do on our own. We can never do enough good works or pay enough to cover our sin. Our sin requires a sacrifice and since we are sinners ourselves, we NEED the sacrifice, we cannot be or make it. God loves us so much that He sent His one and only son to be OUR sacrifice!
 


 
 
Jesus suffered and died for US. For OUR sins. He took our place. He healed us. He BRIDGED the gap between God and us and only through Jesus can we make it to God, not by ANYTHING that we can do on our own! Only by accepting Jesus' GIFT of sacrifice and salvation. Only Jesus can truly save us! Isn't that the best gift imaginable? 
 
 
 
We each have a choice: try to save ourselves through good works and perish or we can accept God's FREE GIFT of salvation and cross the BRIDGE of Christ! Which will you choose? 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Brokenness of All

Each and every one of us has flaws. Every single one of us struggles with something. Every one of us sins. We are not perfect. How many times have you lied, said a mean thing about a friend, or lashed out at someone? We are ALL broken and the trouble is we can't see how broken we really are. I've heard it put like this, a man who breaks his leg will immediately feel the pain and know he needs a doctor, but someone who is paralyzed and breaks his leg won't feel it and think he is fine. We are like the paralytic, so broken we don't even realize how broken we are.

ALL have sinned. Not just some of us, but ALL of us. The Bible says that that sin in all of us deserves punishment and justice. It says that we all deserve to die because of that sin. 


That is why we ALL need Jesus because we ALL have sinned. Lucky us though, our God is forgiving and loving and merciful and he has given ALL of us a gift of salvations through Jesus Christ. We are weak ALL weak on our own and we will continue to fail, but through our failing God will show us His mercy and goodness. 


When we are weak and we turn to God, we see just how strong he really is! We are ALL weak and broken and we ALL need Jesus! We cannot do this without him. 

So let me ask you this: Do you see how broken you are? Do you know that you need salvation? Have you accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ?