You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘eternal life’ tag.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21 (NIV)
Father, I rejoice in you today because I can trust you. In an era when trust is hard to find I know I can always come to you and find you.
I know that you will be the same every time I seek you. Your love for me doesn’t change when I rebel against you. Your forgiveness is free for the asking even when my attitude isn’t right.
There are many around me who make claims about the great things they will accomplish, but their words are hollow. When you say something will happen, I know it will be just as you say.
Times change. People change. Yet the principles you set at the foundation of the world remain solid and secure because you have spoken it.
I rejoice in the many blessings you have given us.
I rejoice in the gift of family, of the love between a man and a woman, of the miracle of new birth, of the proud smile of a grandparent as they hold the assurance of their posterity.
I rejoice in the gift of friendships that encourage us to move on, allow us to cry on their shoulders, support us even when they don’t agree with us, and comfort us when we mourn.
I rejoice in your Holy Word, the Bible, for in it we have simple truths that lead us to eternal life along with principles for living that will guide us through the most difficult of times.
I rejoice in your gift of diversity. Just as no snowflake is alike, my world is full of different colors, different people, different cultures and different traditions. All these join together to testify to your greatness.
Most of all, Holy Father, I rejoice in your name. A name tells us about character and integrity. Your name, Jehovah, never changes and has withstood the attacks of time.
And I rejoice in that name that is above all names. The name that brings hope, forgiveness, understanding and patience. The name of your son, Christ Jesus my Lord.
Amen.
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV)
Murder: the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.
I used to think that Jesus Christ was murdered by an angry mob until I read Matthew 27 again for the millionth time.
Two things came to my mind about that whole situation. The second one first (in order to confuse you) was how traumatic the death of Jesus was. The curtain in the temple was sixty feet long and thirty feet wide! All woven of one piece and not a seam to be found it must have been a sight to behold.
‘The curtain’ served as the final division between man and God. Behind it was the holiest of all places, where God himself dwelt. The High priest was allowed behind the curtain once a year to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of his people and himself. The only way to God, essentially, was through the priest.
Just outside the temple, perhaps within view, a lonely hillside held three crosses and a small gathering of people who’d come to mourn, to celebrate or just to watch the show and jeer at the criminals hanging there.
When the guy in the middle died, the result was something like noone had ever seen. As he breathed his last there was a tremendous earthquake to add to the ominous dark sky. Rocks split in two from the force of the action.
Meanwhile inside the temple as the priests celebrated their victory over some itinerant preacher fromGalileethe temple shook and the curtain split in two from top to bottom! Can you imagine the reaction of those in the building! No one had ever seen the holiest of all places. Some may have covered their eyes in fear (as if dark skies at midday and earthquakes weren’t enough). Tradition says that he priests hastily tried to patch the curtain (wonder if they had duct tape back then?)
That action was extremely symbolic because now, because of Jesus, direct access to God was completed. The devout Jews continued to worship as though access to God was restricted. They continued to believe that the only way to truly learn from God was through a priest, a tradition that has lasted through the centuries. But Jesus’ death put an end to that. To say a priest or pastor or missionary is closer to God because of position is like saying you are closer to the planet Mars because you are taller than I?
Closeness to God isn’t because of position, it’s because of passion.
Then, there’s the issue of Jesus’ murder. As I read that passage again, I asked myself, is it murder when you willingly let someone kill you? After all, Jesus didn’t need to die that day. The same power that tore the curtain and split the rocks could have saved him at the bat of an eyelash.
So, I looked up the definition of murder. Murder is, according to Webster, a crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.
Was Jesus murdered? According to Webster he was. He meets the qualifications. Jesus was innocent of all charges, yet he died for your sin. Nothing you have done of ever will do could have gotten you through that curtain in theTemple. Nothing you can do will ever separate you from God’s forgiveness through Jesus.
Was his killing an act of planning and malice and cunning? Yes, although the priests thought their plan worked, the plan for Jesus to die was planned years earlier. They were simply pawns in God’s plan to finally bring us home, to tear that curtain in half.
Jesus was murdered by his own will so you can choose. He died so you could live. He conquered death so you could have eternal life.
PRAYER; Lord Jesus, once again I’m reminded of your sacrifice of love for me and the power you have to bring us to the Father. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for removing the curtain so I can find God. Amen.
Those who rush to other gods bring many troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods. Psalm 16:4 (GNT)
Several years ago I attended the same church as a State Trooper for the state I lived in at that time. This guy was huge, make no mistake about it. I’m guessing he was about 6’ 8” tall and close to 350 pounds. From the looks of him there wasn’t an inch of fat on him. He was all muscle. His facial features were deceiving. Tom (I’ll call him) was the kindest, most compassionate person I’d ever met. He had a heart for Jesus and a heart for people. That love of people was the driving force behind his career choice.
Tom worked in the children’s ministry with his wife. I never saw him get upset. Never saw any anger in his eyes. Never saw any personality traits that would match his stern expression…except once.
Tom and I were standing in a group having coffee after services. One person in the group made an innocent, off hand remark about how there was a speed trap out on the interstate on his way to church.
Tom looked him square in the eye and said, “That wasn’t a speed trap. Traps are for not intended for innocent people, only guilty ones. The innocent have nothing to worry about.”
There was a very noticeable pause in the group and discussion suddenly changed to the Huskers game the day before!
Tom’s point was well-taken. The innocent don’t need to worry about ‘being caught’. If you never lie, cheat or steal you will never be accused of being dishonest. If you never drink, you will never get drunk. If you never open yourself to the opportunity of an affair you will never be caught in infidelity. If you never look at pornographic images you will never have your mind contaminated by their poison.
The world is full of many gods (note the small ‘g’) that promise wealth, success and happiness. God’s that offer us status and power. Only one God promises us inner peace in the present and eternal life after death. That God (note the capital ‘G”) is the God of Genesis; the God of Creation; the Father of Jesus Christ.
When struggles attack ask yourself, is this a natural consequence of following a god of hopelessness or a test of your faithfulness. Only one God promises that we will never have to be ‘caught in the trap’ intended for the guilty.
PRAYER: Lord thank you for your promise of inner peace and eternal life. Forgive me for following the gods of this world. Empower me with your Spirit to follow after you. Amen.
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10 (NLT)
He was in his early 20’s. He had quite a reputation around the small town I’d just moved into. Most of his activities revolved around multiple girlfriends and marijuana. Jim (not his real name) and I struck up a friendship as the result of an old man we both worked with at a small factory in town.
The old guy, I’ll call him Richard, was a Bible-thumping Presbyterian who always had a good word for everyone and usually it came from the Bible. Richard had a been a Christian for over 40 years at that time and read the Bible through every one of those years. Richard didn’t just ‘love the Lord’; he walked and talked with him on a daily basis!
As time passed, Richard and I decided to make Jim our very own prayer project. Jim was interested in the Bible, but most of the time it seemed like it was just a good discussion tool and not something he took seriously.
Perhaps that’s the reason why I was so surprised one morning when he showed up at church. I’d invited him but had no thought that he’d actually attend, but there he was at Sunday School in jeans and a t-shirt (which, in this church was simply unheard of and inappropriate).
After Sunday School we talked a bit before I had to excuse myself to tend to some of my responsibilities at the church. I lost track of Jim and couldn’t see him during the worship service either. I assumed (sadly) that he left for home. At the end of the service the pastor announced that he had an introduction to make. He invited Jim to the front of the auditorium. Jim had been sitting up in the front row the whole time. The pastor told how this young man had come to him after Sunday School and prayed to accept Christ as his Savior.
I was moved to tears to say the least. As I made my way through the crowd to try to reach Jim (who was now surrounded by a crowd of ‘welcomers’) one of the deacons stopped me and said, “Say, I see you are painting your house!”
His statement still amuses me in a sense. I tried, as I was choking back tears, to engage in the small talk but on the inside I was screaming “Who cares about my stupid house! Do you realize what just happened here? A soul has come home! A life has been changed! A lost sheep has returned to the fold!”
I think of this story whenever I hear this verse from Luke. Do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, really realize the impact we can have on someone’s eternity? We admire great evangelists who can win 1,000’s to Christ, but the angel’s party in heaven over just one soul. We weren’t put here on earth to make money or to raise families. As Christ-followers, we are here to show those who need the Savior the way to repentance and joy and eternal life.
Let your light shine! Be a part of changing just one persons life today by showing them the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the privilege God has given us to make a difference in someone for eternity!
PRAYER: Lord I thank you for Jesus. It’s amazing to me that the angels rejoice over even one person who comes to you. Empower me to see the great privilege I have to make a difference today. Help me to show someone what Jesus is like and perhaps even have the great privilege of leading them home. Amen
Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. Ruth 4:16-17 (NLT)
She was Ruth. She was just your normal widow and peasant woman. There was nothing special about her other than the fact that she was a foreigner and a hard worker. Nothing about her would attract someone’s attention to her at all.
He was Boaz. A young, hardworking farmer who was well-respected by men and committed to the God of Israel. But there was one other quality about Boaz. He had a heart for people. His success hadn’t made him forget his God or people.
One day Boaz noticed Ruth gleaning in his field. Gleaners were women who followed after the harvesters to gather what little grains of wheat were left. Often this was the only food they had. On a good day they may even find enough to sell for a few extra coins to cover other expenses.
Moved to compassion for the young woman Boaz instructed the harvesters to leave a little extra for the young woman. He warned them not to harass here, a common occurrence in other fields.
Boaz had plenty of opportunities to push Ruth away. He could have viewed her as any other foreigner and widow and ignored her completely. She wasn’t like him after all. He could have had her stoned the night she slipped into his tent to sleep at his feet. He had a reputation to protect. He could have refused to spend the funds needed to ‘purchase the right’ to marry her.
No one would have blamed Boaz for any of the above actions. He had life made. He was young. He was rich. He was very well respected. But none of that mattered. He saw a person in need and did whatever he could to meet those needs.
Want to read a good love story? Read the book of Ruth. Eventually Ruth and Boaz become husband and wife. To this union was given a son and that’s the best part of this story. The son born to this couple was the grandfather of David, the greatest, most powerful King in Israel’s history, and the man after God’s own heart.
Even more important than David was another child born into this family line. His name was Jesus and he was born to take away the sins of the world. One small act of kindness led to my salvation.
We never know where our small acts of kindness may lead. God may call us to do something relatively simple or something that will yank us out of our comfort zone. Whatever he calls you to do, no matter how simple can be used greatly by him. Reach out to those in need. Be willing to take risks. Go the extra mile in showing God’s love. You never know where it may lead!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. I thank you for the story of Boaz and Ruth and how it shows me that my small acts of kindness can have eternal rewards. I ask that you would help me today to see someone who needs your touch. Then give me the courage and wisdom to reach out to them for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 