I had to laugh - I've been wanting to cut the grass (it's called "mow the lawn" in some parts of the world) for about a week now
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Bull's-Eye
Target shooters like to be able to hit the center of the target, called the "bull's-eye" or bullseye. And if they get especially sharp, they can hit the center of the bullseye. So if you wanted to know what the exact center
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Mind and Voice of the Holy Spirit
The Lovely Joanne was trying to tell me something this morning, but I was in the other room and had noise coming in the window. Guess what? She didn't get through -- but it wasn't because she didn't do her part!
Lately I've been writing about the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and who teaches us the mind of Jesus Christ because he is the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). As we see in scripture, the goal of God from before creation is to draw us into a relationship of mutual love. Despite our continual detours and sins, God has continued to pursue us, even sending the Son to be a human along with us and create the way back to him, and sending the Spirit to draw us toward the Father (even when we don't believe in him yet), creating and deepening that bond of love.
How does the Spirit draw us to God and build the relationship? Jesus said in John 16:8-9, the Spirit "will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me." So the Spirit is "the advance man" so to speak, chipping away at our refusal to believe in God. Once we believe the Spirit's message of our acceptance with the Father, we can gain a stronger bond with God by deliberately living, every day, within the Spirit's influence. Jesus said the Spirit will "guide you into all truth...tell you about the future...bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me." So when we can hear the Spirit, look how much God gives us!
This morning, in order to hear Joanne, I had to go in the other room where she was standing. So how can we hear the mind and voice of the Spirit? By getting more serious about listening. Sometimes, to hear the Spirit, we have to shut off the noise --turning off the TV or the XM satellite radio or the music or the video games, or the cellphone and text messages and Facebook. Sometimes we have to stop the continual march of food and drink into our mouths, because fasting from the physical helps us focus on the spiritual, which is the only real thing anyway. Sometimes we have to change locations, getting away from all the ordinary in order to hear God in a fresh way.
What one thing could you do today, in the routine busyness of your life, to stop and hear the Spirit better? What's stopping you from doing that? Will you make the decision to change it, so you can receive all God has for you?
Lately I've been writing about the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and who teaches us the mind of Jesus Christ because he is the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). As we see in scripture, the goal of God from before creation is to draw us into a relationship of mutual love. Despite our continual detours and sins, God has continued to pursue us, even sending the Son to be a human along with us and create the way back to him, and sending the Spirit to draw us toward the Father (even when we don't believe in him yet), creating and deepening that bond of love.
How does the Spirit draw us to God and build the relationship? Jesus said in John 16:8-9, the Spirit "will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me." So the Spirit is "the advance man" so to speak, chipping away at our refusal to believe in God. Once we believe the Spirit's message of our acceptance with the Father, we can gain a stronger bond with God by deliberately living, every day, within the Spirit's influence. Jesus said the Spirit will "guide you into all truth...tell you about the future...bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me." So when we can hear the Spirit, look how much God gives us!
This morning, in order to hear Joanne, I had to go in the other room where she was standing. So how can we hear the mind and voice of the Spirit? By getting more serious about listening. Sometimes, to hear the Spirit, we have to shut off the noise --turning off the TV or the XM satellite radio or the music or the video games, or the cellphone and text messages and Facebook. Sometimes we have to stop the continual march of food and drink into our mouths, because fasting from the physical helps us focus on the spiritual, which is the only real thing anyway. Sometimes we have to change locations, getting away from all the ordinary in order to hear God in a fresh way.
What one thing could you do today, in the routine busyness of your life, to stop and hear the Spirit better? What's stopping you from doing that? Will you make the decision to change it, so you can receive all God has for you?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Trust Jesus
Trust is a big deal for people. Marriage, for instance, is based on trust, not just on love. Or, for another example, would you give your wallet and keys to the next person you meet on the street? Why not? Probably because you don't trust they would take proper care of them.
Why should you trust God? What does he have for you? Well, he sent his Son to tell us about himself (John 14:9), to provide the only way to God (John 14:6) and to bring us life. John wrote at the end of his gospel, in 20:31, "But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name."
Belief is important in John's gospel; John uses the word over 75 times. That's nearly 4 times per chapter. Believing in Jesus means trusting him -- relying on him for what we can't do for ourselves. Including, first of all, saving ourselves from destruction as a result of our sins.
Do you trust him? That's the question. Do you trust that he really has died for you? Do you trust that he has given you life with him, a life without end? Do you trust that it is a gift from him to you? Or do you think it's something you can earn, if you're a good enough person? John records Jesus saying this, in 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." See, we can believe that Jesus existed, but what's really important is believing what he said, and trusting that he meant it.
Trusting Jesus means you've already entered into the life he has for humanity: a life of knowing, being in relationship and living in the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A life that will, after your physical existence is over, lead you into the presence of God forever. Not trusting Jesus, on the other hand, is a much harder road. Refusing to trust Jesus means choosing to miss out on everything he has for you. Not much of a choice. But then, God still leaves the choice up to you.
Which one do you choose?
Why should you trust God? What does he have for you? Well, he sent his Son to tell us about himself (John 14:9), to provide the only way to God (John 14:6) and to bring us life. John wrote at the end of his gospel, in 20:31, "But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name."
Belief is important in John's gospel; John uses the word over 75 times. That's nearly 4 times per chapter. Believing in Jesus means trusting him -- relying on him for what we can't do for ourselves. Including, first of all, saving ourselves from destruction as a result of our sins.
Do you trust him? That's the question. Do you trust that he really has died for you? Do you trust that he has given you life with him, a life without end? Do you trust that it is a gift from him to you? Or do you think it's something you can earn, if you're a good enough person? John records Jesus saying this, in 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." See, we can believe that Jesus existed, but what's really important is believing what he said, and trusting that he meant it.
Trusting Jesus means you've already entered into the life he has for humanity: a life of knowing, being in relationship and living in the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A life that will, after your physical existence is over, lead you into the presence of God forever. Not trusting Jesus, on the other hand, is a much harder road. Refusing to trust Jesus means choosing to miss out on everything he has for you. Not much of a choice. But then, God still leaves the choice up to you.
Which one do you choose?
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