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Monday, 16 June 2008
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A lot of people like to jump all over Simon Peter's case because while walking on the water toward Jesus, he began to sink.
"Oh, Peter! He shoulda kept his eyes on the Savior!"
"Oh, Peter! He shouldna have lacked faith!"
"Oh, Peter! If only he didna look at the waves and fear!"
"Oh, Peter! That's not what a Christian should look like!"
People who like to criticize Simon Peter for his apparent failure, need to just clap their hands over their mouths and keep quiet.
He was the only one who got out of the boat and he knew enough to yell for help as soon as he got into trouble.
That's what being a Christ-follower really looks like.
Saturday, 07 June 2008
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Marked for Love
Last night while running an errand for my wife (one I really didn't want to do in the first place), my face exploded.
I was looking at the receipt she had sent me to retrieve instead of where I was going. Earlier, my daughter and I had loaded a demolished deck into my pickup. It has a topper and the boards were sticking out, which caused the hatch on the topper to be partially opened. I walked right into it, connecting my upper lip with the sharp metal corner of the hatch.
I couldn't see much for a few seconds but stars and tweety-birds. Then I saw the blood. Further inspection revealed that I had punctured my lip and cut another four inches across my face over to the cheek. What bugged me the most was that I had to perform a wedding today, and felt bad that I was standing in front of the church with my face all cracked up.
It will leave a scar, nevertheless my wife's love for me hasn't changed. (Never had a best side for taking pictures, but now I know at least I have a better side.) While reading 1 Corinthians 13 during the wedding ceremony, it made me think of a paraphrase: "Love sees no scar."
That really is true of God's love for us. We all, as sinners are "damaged goods." Even so, God loves us just as we are ... even when we were unrepentant sinners. The Book of Romans says that God demonstrated His love for us by giving Christ as the sacrifice for us even while we were still sinners.
Yup, I'm pretty beat up on both the inside and the out. On the outside because I'm a klutz and have the marks to prove it. On the inside because I was a sinner. Thankfully, God sees no scars, and loves me like He loves His Son who died for me.
I hope I remember that every time I look in the mirror to shave.
Friday, 30 May 2008
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The Value of Wheat
The Lord is sovereign, and things don't happen just by happenstance. Even those with no desire to satisfy the righteous demands of God can be used by Him to bring Him glory.
For instance, in the movie "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe," after Aslan defeats the Witch he looks at Peter and says, 'It is finished." That line, which mirrors one of Christ's last utterances on the Cross, was never in Lewis' book. The director of the movie, a non-Christian, when asked about his motives of inserting the line could only shrug, and say, "I don't know. It just seemed fitting."
Likewise in two movies that speak to the warrior's heart, a wheat field appears. In both cases, it becomes a visual grip upon the observer during the death scenes of the heroes. You might remember them if you watched "Gladiator" or "300."
Not knowing the motives of the director, accidental or not, the appearance of the wheat field during these scenes carry thunderous significance, and should not be lost on the viewer.
John 12:24 (ESV)
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.So said Jesus, speaking of His own sacrifice that would bring life to the spiritually dead. Two violent, secular movies reflect the same sacrifice: Maximus brings life and hope back to corrupted Rome; Leonidas brings victory and life to threatened Sparta ... both by their deaths. Nice to see Hollywood, even when it doesn't mean to, bring glory to the truth of Christ. All truth is God's truth, after all.As Christians, we are called to die. Jesus didn't mince words when He said, "Take up your cross ... and follow Me." He meant for us to die - to lay down our lives for Him. When we do, the loss can never measure against the gain. Yet so many are unwilling to become the grain of wheat. I wonder what would happen on this sad, broken earth, if a whole wheatfield of Christ-followers lived and "died" like Maximus, Leonidas, and Jesus.
While you're left to ponder this, I'll be watching "Braveheart" to see if there was a wheatfield in that one too.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Giving
As the offering plate makes its circuit through the pews, have you ever considered why you put money in it?- Because it makes you a better Christian? Nope. Giving doesn't improve your position as a child of God.
- Because the church needs your money? Nope. Any church that preaches this is held by the power of greed more than the power of the gospel.
- Because God needs your money? Again, Nope. God doesn't need anything; He's self-sufficient. Besides, it's already His anyway.
Beyond that, if you're going to give money, time, or service, it would be pointless to do it without reason. So, why give?
I can find no more compelling reason than this: because we are created in the image of God. We are made to reflect Him to the world and one of the most wonderful things about God is that He is a Giver.
He so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son ...
He gives the best to the worst of us, and not one of us deserved it. It's who He is. It's in His character to give and we are made in His image.
There really is no better reason than that ... and that alone should compel us a Christ-followers to give more than we've ever given before. -
Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on Revelife... Drop me a comment if you've got some ideas on what to do first - or just to say, "Hi!" :-)
soultender
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- Member Since: 5/29/2008
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Shepherd of souls, husband of one, father of three, friend of the friendless and all other Earthbound Misfits.
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A river runs through it ... not the movie, my garage. Heavy rains last night flooded my yard and three more inches are expected today.
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