Zechariah 9:9
"Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey-riding on a donkey’s colt."
Righteous, victorious and humble these are the characteristics of Jesus and they should be the characteristics of every child of God. Righteous not only in our position in Christ but also in our lives before men. Victorious over sin, self and Satan, walking out and declaring to others the freedom of Christ. Humble in our attitudes and actions toward others. These three elements accurately define Christianity and allow us to experience the life Christ has for us
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Five Gifts of Christmas
Luke 15:16-24
The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began."
When we come Home to God, back to the place where our hearts thrive we will find these gifts from God the Father.
The Five Gifts of Christmas:
Love- God loves you and he is looking for you. He sees you when you are far away and runs to meet you.
Compassion- many people are afraid to come back to God because of their sins and failures. They think God will condemn them, but condemnation is what we experience when we are away from God. Compassion is the gift that God gives, not only does he never condemn but his heart breaks over your pain.
Affirmation- the father ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. God wants to lavish your heart with his love, he wants to affirm you and let you know that you are still accepted, wanted and loved.
Restoration- the father put a robe on his back, a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. The gift of Christ is that he will restore you to wholeness, but he doesn't just restore your heart but your whole life.
Celebration- the last verse we read said that the party began. Coming home to God is where the party begins, God celebrates your life and invites you to join the party that brings life.
Merry Christ-mas!
The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began."
When we come Home to God, back to the place where our hearts thrive we will find these gifts from God the Father.
The Five Gifts of Christmas:
Love- God loves you and he is looking for you. He sees you when you are far away and runs to meet you.
Compassion- many people are afraid to come back to God because of their sins and failures. They think God will condemn them, but condemnation is what we experience when we are away from God. Compassion is the gift that God gives, not only does he never condemn but his heart breaks over your pain.
Affirmation- the father ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. God wants to lavish your heart with his love, he wants to affirm you and let you know that you are still accepted, wanted and loved.
Restoration- the father put a robe on his back, a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. The gift of Christ is that he will restore you to wholeness, but he doesn't just restore your heart but your whole life.
Celebration- the last verse we read said that the party began. Coming home to God is where the party begins, God celebrates your life and invites you to join the party that brings life.
Merry Christ-mas!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Don't Be Surprised
Zechariah 1
Verse 6 "He has done what he said he would do."
God is faithful to his word, he will do what he has said. We can trust God's word, weather it be a word of correction or of blessing, he will do what he says.
So many people act surprised by the outcomes of their lives as if some strange thing has happened to them, but life is not a mystery. God has done what he said he would do. It is really all in the Bible. Sin brings death, faith based obedience produces the blessing of God and life will give back to you what you sow into it.
Storms come and winds blow but the outcome of your life is not determined by the storms but by the foundation that you have built your life upon. If we build on the rock of God's word we will receive the outcome we desire, because God will do what he said he would do.
Verse 6 "He has done what he said he would do."
God is faithful to his word, he will do what he has said. We can trust God's word, weather it be a word of correction or of blessing, he will do what he says.
So many people act surprised by the outcomes of their lives as if some strange thing has happened to them, but life is not a mystery. God has done what he said he would do. It is really all in the Bible. Sin brings death, faith based obedience produces the blessing of God and life will give back to you what you sow into it.
Storms come and winds blow but the outcome of your life is not determined by the storms but by the foundation that you have built your life upon. If we build on the rock of God's word we will receive the outcome we desire, because God will do what he said he would do.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Break Out Leaders
Micah 2
Verse 13 "Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land."
Leaders come out from among the people, they separate themselves from the crowd. You cannot choose who your leaders will be, you can choose who you put into positions of authority, but the leaders choose themselves. Leaders break out and lead, they influence people with their lives. True leaders lead with or without a position, because position doesn't make you a leader, influence does. How a person uses influence determines if they are a good leader or a bad leader. Some of the greatest leaders in the world are bad leaders, they use their influence for selfish motives or for evil purposes. It is not enough to be a great leader, we must be good leaders. Only when we use our influence for God are we capitalizing on our greatest potential and using our influence in the right way.
Verse 13 "Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land."
Leaders come out from among the people, they separate themselves from the crowd. You cannot choose who your leaders will be, you can choose who you put into positions of authority, but the leaders choose themselves. Leaders break out and lead, they influence people with their lives. True leaders lead with or without a position, because position doesn't make you a leader, influence does. How a person uses influence determines if they are a good leader or a bad leader. Some of the greatest leaders in the world are bad leaders, they use their influence for selfish motives or for evil purposes. It is not enough to be a great leader, we must be good leaders. Only when we use our influence for God are we capitalizing on our greatest potential and using our influence in the right way.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
He Is Worthy
Revelation 4
Verse 11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Jesus is worthy to receive all glory, honor and power. He redeemed us with his blood, he is greatest hero the world has ever known, he is the winner of the ultimate purple heart. He saved us with his blood, he is the greatest blood donor in history. He is worthy; we don't praise him because he desires our praise or even because he commands our praise. We praise him because he is worthy of our praise. His actions merit our worship, his life compels our praise. He is worthy.
Verse 11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Jesus is worthy to receive all glory, honor and power. He redeemed us with his blood, he is greatest hero the world has ever known, he is the winner of the ultimate purple heart. He saved us with his blood, he is the greatest blood donor in history. He is worthy; we don't praise him because he desires our praise or even because he commands our praise. We praise him because he is worthy of our praise. His actions merit our worship, his life compels our praise. He is worthy.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Embrace Him
Jonah 2
Verse 8 "Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies."
When a person rejects God, they reject the mercy of God that saves, heals and delivers. No wonder God's heart breaks when people turn their backs on him, because he realizes that when they reject him they disconnect themselves from all that is good and perfect and they sentence themselves to a life and eternity of pain and unimaginable torment. Over and over in scripture God says "turn to me and live"; because God knows that when we embrace him we embrace life and life more abundant
Verse 8 "Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies."
When a person rejects God, they reject the mercy of God that saves, heals and delivers. No wonder God's heart breaks when people turn their backs on him, because he realizes that when they reject him they disconnect themselves from all that is good and perfect and they sentence themselves to a life and eternity of pain and unimaginable torment. Over and over in scripture God says "turn to me and live"; because God knows that when we embrace him we embrace life and life more abundant
Monday, December 13, 2010
Do Something
Obadiah 1
Verse 10-11 “Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel,
you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded,
you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth
and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies."
God pronounced judgement on Edom, because of the violence they did to their relatives Israel. What was the violence the committed, they refused to help Israel when their enemies invaded them. The Bible says they stood aloof and because they did nothing to help Israel, God said they acted like one of Israel's enemies.
It has been said that all that has to happen for wicked men to prevail, is for righteous men to do nothing. Edom did nothing to help Israel and the enemies of God's people prevailed. How many times have you stood by and watched people struggle, being overcome by the enemies of their lives and yet you did nothing. We have all been guilty of turning a blinded eye to the needs and struggles of others, but God doesn't take our complacency lightly. Not only does he lump us up in the enemies camp, but he also pronounces judgement on our lives. Proverbs 21:13 says "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need." The cold reality of life is that one day we will all cry for help, maybe your cry won't be financially because of poverty, but your cry may come in the form of relational help; a broken marriage or a wayward child. The truth is we all need help is some form or fashion and the law of sowing and reaping teaches us that how we respond to the cry of others will determine how others will respond to us.
So the challenge for us today is to break the sin of Edom from off our lives and lets become people that are committed to always doing something to help those who cry out for help. Many times we are unable to do everything that a person needs, but we can always do something (prayer, encouragement, love) to help that person to meet the need in their life. Our support not only meets their needs but it enables them to defeat the enemy of discouragement and reclaim the victory that God has for their lives.
Verse 10-11 “Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel,
you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded,
you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth
and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies."
God pronounced judgement on Edom, because of the violence they did to their relatives Israel. What was the violence the committed, they refused to help Israel when their enemies invaded them. The Bible says they stood aloof and because they did nothing to help Israel, God said they acted like one of Israel's enemies.
It has been said that all that has to happen for wicked men to prevail, is for righteous men to do nothing. Edom did nothing to help Israel and the enemies of God's people prevailed. How many times have you stood by and watched people struggle, being overcome by the enemies of their lives and yet you did nothing. We have all been guilty of turning a blinded eye to the needs and struggles of others, but God doesn't take our complacency lightly. Not only does he lump us up in the enemies camp, but he also pronounces judgement on our lives. Proverbs 21:13 says "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need." The cold reality of life is that one day we will all cry for help, maybe your cry won't be financially because of poverty, but your cry may come in the form of relational help; a broken marriage or a wayward child. The truth is we all need help is some form or fashion and the law of sowing and reaping teaches us that how we respond to the cry of others will determine how others will respond to us.
So the challenge for us today is to break the sin of Edom from off our lives and lets become people that are committed to always doing something to help those who cry out for help. Many times we are unable to do everything that a person needs, but we can always do something (prayer, encouragement, love) to help that person to meet the need in their life. Our support not only meets their needs but it enables them to defeat the enemy of discouragement and reclaim the victory that God has for their lives.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Finishing Strong
2 John 1
Verse 8 "Be diligent so that you receive your full reward"
Persevering to the end is the key to a full reward. If we labor hard for Christ and then in the last few years of our lives we kick back and relax, then we will lose our full reward.
Finishing Strong is more more important than starting strong, because how you finish the race determines the reward you receive. They don't hand out trophies to those who are leading after the first lap, the trophy goes to one leading at the finish line.
Everyone reading this today has the opportunity to finish stronger than how you started. You may have started weak, struggling to live the Christian life or you may have started strong, blazing a trail for the Glory of God, but regardless of how you started we all have the potential to finish stronger. Persevering to the end, being diligent until we cross the finish line. Because only by finishing strong will you ever know and experience the full reward of living for Christ
Verse 8 "Be diligent so that you receive your full reward"
Persevering to the end is the key to a full reward. If we labor hard for Christ and then in the last few years of our lives we kick back and relax, then we will lose our full reward.
Finishing Strong is more more important than starting strong, because how you finish the race determines the reward you receive. They don't hand out trophies to those who are leading after the first lap, the trophy goes to one leading at the finish line.
Everyone reading this today has the opportunity to finish stronger than how you started. You may have started weak, struggling to live the Christian life or you may have started strong, blazing a trail for the Glory of God, but regardless of how you started we all have the potential to finish stronger. Persevering to the end, being diligent until we cross the finish line. Because only by finishing strong will you ever know and experience the full reward of living for Christ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)