Super-Size Sin

What size is your sin?  Sounds like a silly question, but we size them up all the time.  We rate or size our sins and those of others.  We like to compare our "sample" sized sins to those of someone who is really bad off and has "super-sized" sins.  We make ourselves feel good by noting that we may do so and so, but, at least I am not as bad as ... (you fill in the blank).  Where did we get this idea, because it is most certainly not from God. 

If we take a few minutes to look into our Father's word, we will find something radically different from our sin rating mentality.  Paul, in Romans 3:23, pretty much lays it out for us.  "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Not some, no mention of size or severity of sin, just all have sinned. If we notice too, that means we all fall short of God's glory.  Lucky for us, Jesus doesn't rate sin, he also happens to love sinners.

Jesus was showing his love for sinners on a daily basis and He still does today.  That's one of the reasons the religious leaders eventually managed to crucify him.  He was not about ranking sins.  Listen to what some had to say about Him.  "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus was called "a friend of tax collectors and sinners".  The Pharisees muttered about Jesus, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them".  As a matter of fact, each time it was pointed out that Jesus was around sinners, it was to "super-size" another's sin in an attempt to minimize their own.  I might also add that it was those who considered themselves religious and with "sample" sins that made these statements, the Pharisees.  Jesus had this  to say to the Pharisees on one occasion.  "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Matthew 12:34)  They were guilty of the sin sizing business.

Lucky for us, Jesus came just for people who realize that their sins may be "super-sized" but accept that Jesus is the way out.  Jesus tells us just who He came to save in Luke 19:10,   "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost".  He also said in Matthew 9:12, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”  So Jesus understood and still understands our hurts and hardships.  He knows that we need help, he just wants us to realize that too.  Jesus in Matthew 9:13, "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” 

Let's stop trying to make ourselves feel better by minimizing our sin and begin realizing that we have a Savior who is ready, willing and able to forgive that sin, "super-size" or not.
God bless.

Mo Mo Motivation

Motivation,  what is yours?  What is mine?  Those are important questions for us to answer.  I think that is a key in our spiritul journey.  Why do we do what we do?  More specifically,  why do we do what we do in our spiritual life or walk with Jesus. I am almost sure that you, like me, have had different motivations at different points in our life and faith journey.   I wish I could say that I have always had the right motivation, but I am weak and human.

Jesus had some things to say about obedience,  and that's what I am really talking about.   What's our motivation for following Jesus' example?  Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments."  So why do we do what we do?  Some people have it all wrong.  Maybe they do the right things, but out of fear.  Is this wrong, I don't know, and I will leave that to them and God.  But how freeing and much more motivation would it be to follow Jesus because we love Him?  2 Corinthians 3:17 gives us a little hint as to what Jesus gives us, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  It would give us a whole new perspective.  We would GET to go to worship, not HAVE to go to church.  We would be blessed to BE ABLE to serve God in some way, not HAVE to teach or lead this week.  That perspective kind of changes everything.  Sure Hell is real and something to be avoided, but Heaven and an eternity to BE with Jesus is so much more something to look forward to.

We can't out love God, because he got such a head start on us.  It is our basis for all our love.  "We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:19)  Because he loved us first he made the ultimate sacrifice.  "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8)  And because of this sacrifice, we "can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (5:11)  So God loved us first, now we can choose to follow Him because of our great love for Him, or because we are afraid of Hell.  As for me, love is the answer.  Jesus said Himself in John 10:10, "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  Let's start acting like it.  God bless!

Weaknesses

I have been encouraged recently by Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  The quoted part is Jesus speaking.  I definitely receive my fair share of grace., because I have my fair share of weaknesses.   Taking pleasure in my weaknesses though?  That part is a bit harder to swallow.  I have been thinking about that a little more lately. 
Jesus was always around the sinners and people who, at least, admitted their weaknesses.  I mean, we all have them, and it wasn't any different in the first century, but we don't all admit them as easily as Paul did.    But it is only by admitting our weaknesses, hardships and troubles that we can begin to trust God to handle them.  I have found, that with my hard head, I must first realize that I can not handle the situation on my own before I will rest on the grace, mercy and strength that God, through Jesus, offers me.
Jesus again emphasizes what he came to do again in Mark 2:17, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”  Notice that Jesus didn't say righteous, he said those who THINK they are righteous.  So we are really all in the same boat, the unrighteous boat.  I can now begin to understand taking pleasure in this idea.  I don't think it is so much being happy that we fall short, but more of an awareness that the power and love of God can turn those weaknesses into a chance to show the glory of God.
Those that know me could tell you that I am a perfect example of someone who has weaknesses, just ask them.  :-)  I show the glory of God everyday, not by anything I do, but by my admission that I can't do it.  I allow God to do the things I am powerless to do on my own, and by that allow the Lord's power to be displayed.  Each day is a new beginning,  a new start and a day of new and fresh mercies.  We can wake up each day and know that the grace of God is there to cover our mistakes, strengthen our weaknesses and get us through any hardships.  Paul reminds us again in 1 Corinthians 1:27, "God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong".  We are a chosen people.  We should be so happy that we were indeed chosen.  And once again, it is not necessarily those who are strong, but those who think they are strong that will be shamed. All this really encourages me.  It also may teach me a thing or two and allow God's mercies to be displayed.
In every recovery program I have been around, the first steps always include admitting powerlessness and realizing that what we can not do, God can and will do for us, but only once we are willing to turn our lives over to His care.  So through weaknesses and trials God is indeed glorified.
Laura Story sums this up so well in her song,  "Blessings".  She has a way of expressing a very similiar thought to that of Paul's in a very touching way through her music.  "What if the trials of this life ..  are Your mercies in disguise."  Take a few moments and listen, you will be blessed by having done so.  Until next time, let's be proud that we are weak, I know I am.  In doing so we will be made strong.  God bless.

Get Moving

Well friends, it's been a while.  I have been on many adventures,  some good, some not so good,  since our last time together.  I will share bits and pieces of those as we move forward.  I hope to get back to a more regular schedule of blogs in the days, weeks, and months ahead.  So let's waste no more time and "get moving".
If you are at all like me you probably don't remember reading, or just passed over Exodus 14:15.  Who could blame us, I mean, it is almost the very middle of the amazing story of God parting the Red Sea.  I recently came across it and noticed especially one phrase that stuck out to me for the first time.  Here is the New Living Translation's version, "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!'"  For some reason that day, I paid attention.  God was trying to get something through my thick and somewhat stubborn skull.  "Get moving!" 
I had been on a journey of denial and self pity for a while.  I was wondering why I wasn't as close to God as I used to and wanted to be.  I wondered why God didn't do something to make my life and heart closer to Him again.  I wanted some answers and wondered why God had suddenly become so silent.  Have any of you felt this way?  I know that, at least for me, this isn't the first time I had drifted away from my spirituality and wanted it back.  My faith, spirituality and closeness to God has always seemed like a roller coaster.  I am up and down, sometimes fast, like a quick drop that would take even  the strongest stomach,  and other times it is a slow and steady drop, as if a feather were floating in the breeze.  But I had been here before.
Why was God not doing something?  This verse had my answer.  It was like a slap in the face, or a splash of cold water on a hot day.  I had been doing my fair share of calling out.  I have told friends that I am sure God was tired of hearing my voice,  although I know God never tires of hearing from his children.  What I now realized I had been missing was action.  God wanted ME to do something, in other words, "get moving". 
In what I am sure was God's quiet still voice, he led me to other passages that call for action.  Passages like Matthew 4:19,  where Jesus said, “Come, follow me", and Jesus again in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  Jesus was full of words that called people to action like, " come", "follow", and "ask".  I am afraid that too many times I have seen my Christianity as more of a spectator sport and less of a battle that I am actively involved in.  I am thankful to God for opening my eyes to see and remember the comforting words of James 4:8, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."  I am so blessed to be able to serve such an awesome God that, even after all I have done, still wants to be close and have a personal relationship with me.  I just need to remember that sometimes God expects me to take that first step and "GET MOVING".  This is my first step, please share with me what steps you might be taking to strengthen your relationship with God.  I would also love to pray for you and with you.  We can make great strides in the Kingdom of God together.  Look me up on facebook, twitter, and instagram.  I would love to connect with you!  God bless you!