Sunday, April 17, 2016

Jesus Was Not...

 I think modern Christianity had a lot of misconceptions on who Jesus really was. Between media outbursts, the Middle Eastern Crisis, etc. sometimes it's rasy to loose focus on who Jesus really was. He was a lot of things, but there are a few things he was not...
 Jesus was not a hater...
 Jesus stood for everything that was love, for he was love. He knew when to angry and he knew when to be complacent. Jesus didn't unlove people because of their morality, religion, race, or anything else. He loves everyone just where they are. I think we get confused a lot as the church and try to mold people into what we think they should be or judge people because they don't fit those standards. For He did not condem the world, but came to save it.
 Jesus was not well groomed...
 One of my biggest pet peeves is every single picture of Jesus I have every seen gets Him all wrong. They portray him as this dainty guy who is holding a lamb withhair  looking as though he just exited the salon. That is not my Jesus. Jesus was a carpenter, he was a big dude! The bible even says that his hair was like that of an animal's. He was probably dirty and didn't smell well either! Also: he wasn't white, considering that he was Middle Eastern he was probably dark skinned, and there is nothing wrong with that.
 Jesus was not emotionless...
  Lots of people assume that since Jesus was fully God that he didn't experience human emotions like sadness, anger, or hurt. That is completely wrong, because yes Jesus was fully God, he was also fully man. We saw his display of anger when he overturned the tables at the temple, and we saw his sadness in the verse "Jesus wept." But what really hits this topic for me is in the garden right before his crucifixion where he prayed "Abba, if there is any way this cup could pass from me let it..." To me, this shows that it's okay to be scared sometimes, even Jesus was.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

He is Still Good

 One of my favorite passages of the Bible is Daniel 3. To me it just has so many different illustrations of God and his mercy, love, and power. It's the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego. If you haven't read it, it's a good read and I do suggest doing so.
 If not, He is still Good
 Sometimes God allows situations in our lives to happen that we wish he didn't. True, we may not be thrown in a burning fire like these three guys were, but in every situation we are ever in God always shows up and shows out- as long as we let Him. I love verse 18 of this passage, saying that even if God doesn't deliver us in the flesh that He is still good, and it is all for His greater glory, and they will never cease to worship Him. That is an attitude I strive to have: no matter what happens, use everything to bring glory to His name and His purpose, not my own..
The Fourth Man
 In verse 25 one of the guards call out, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” To me this verse is such a beautiful and so literal illustration that God is always with us. And that no matter where we are, it is never too far for Him to reach us. It always go to show that He would never put us through anything that He has not been through Himself. Of course we don't know it was Jesus they saw, but I mean it had to have been something!
The Conversion
The last illustration I want to talk about is the conversion of Nebuchanezzar's faith. Because of the faith in Godof those three men, not only did Nebuchanezzar cry out to Jehovah, he called the whole nation to do the same. God tells us that when we bring glory to His name he will bless that in the multitudes, and that is what He did here.

Friday, April 1, 2016

His Plan> Mine

 "Why did this happen to me?"
 That is quite a loaded question, but it is one we tend to ask a lot, especially when things are going exactly like we wanted them to. Wether this be a departure of a family member, a loss of a job, or your gerbil ran away. 
 Our human neurological system is not built to comprehend every single thing, such as God's plan for our lives. But that's okay, because we know, that whatever it may be, is so much greater than our own. For there may be pain in the night- but joy comes in the morning. I think a lot of times we forget that. Our mindset just sticks to the night, and we don't allow ourselves to see the morning for some dumb petty reason. 
 "What did I do to deserve this?" 
 This question is just plain dumb. But it is one that we are constantly asking. The Bible is clear, it says the wages of sin is death and that all fall short of the glory of God. But yet, we don't think we "deserve" to have our gerbil run away because we are too "good" for that. This question really should be turned around. With us asking "What did I do to deserve His love?"