A little over two years ago, I earned the money to attend driver's education class. It was an 8 hour long day and six hours worth of driving over three days. However every penny was worth it, because at the age of fifteen, I had earned the privilege to try for a South Carolina Drivers Licence.
I tried for my licence nervously and I was able to acquire it. Yes, there was the feeling of joy that came from growing up and being able to say that according to the State of South Carolina, I am competent in my driving. Although, the main feeling that I had was a sense of security in the confidence knowing that if at all I was question by someone in authority while I was on the road, I had been justified to drive.
Neither my personality, my grades, my beliefs even justify me on the road when it comes to a police officer, only my drivers licence. When it comes to God the Father, neither your personality, what others think of you, your grades, etc. are justification, but only Christ Jesus! Your belief and acceptance of Christ is the only thing that justifies you before the Father, for your works alone perish without Christ, and so will you. it is imperative that one has the justification that Christ offered us on the Cross when He died for our sins, for He is the Only Way!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Its Like This
Imagine for a second that you were a dirty, wretched criminal who was just released out of prison on bail. You decide that this is the life that you would live forever and so you go out and look for someone else to be your next victim in crime.
You go to a peaceful man who has done absolutely no wrong to you or anyone else. You see that physical he has small stature, so you decide to beat him and rob him for all that he has. So that is exactly what you do. You and some of your friends go and beat this man so terribly to where he dies. Dies. However, the judge lets a jury decide your sentence and they find you innocent on the count that this man claimed to be this great king.
However, three days later, you see this man, along with everyone else, alive and going to be on his throne to judge all who persecuted him. You see, he was a king and always did have the final say. But miraculously, you gave you and everyone else an option. He said that if you believed that he rose and admit that you went against him and ask for his forgiveness, you would be forgiven. However, if you did not, you would have an eternal price to pay.
Guess what, this story did happen, just not with these exact details. Jesus was, is, and always will be King and He does give all of us that Glorious option of Salvation through the Gospel! Christ did die and was risen from the dead three days later so that those that accept Him may come to the Father at the end for eternity! This is Salvation! This is the Gospel!
You go to a peaceful man who has done absolutely no wrong to you or anyone else. You see that physical he has small stature, so you decide to beat him and rob him for all that he has. So that is exactly what you do. You and some of your friends go and beat this man so terribly to where he dies. Dies. However, the judge lets a jury decide your sentence and they find you innocent on the count that this man claimed to be this great king.
However, three days later, you see this man, along with everyone else, alive and going to be on his throne to judge all who persecuted him. You see, he was a king and always did have the final say. But miraculously, you gave you and everyone else an option. He said that if you believed that he rose and admit that you went against him and ask for his forgiveness, you would be forgiven. However, if you did not, you would have an eternal price to pay.
Guess what, this story did happen, just not with these exact details. Jesus was, is, and always will be King and He does give all of us that Glorious option of Salvation through the Gospel! Christ did die and was risen from the dead three days later so that those that accept Him may come to the Father at the end for eternity! This is Salvation! This is the Gospel!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Bulls Eye
Every one of us has that one friend that we can tell almost anything to and talk for seemingly days about nothing with. We can sit with them and chat and laugh for hours. So at times when this friend tells you something serious or of importance to some degree, it can still be hard to keep that conversation focused on the subject at hand.
For example, one time I wanted to have a sleepover at my friends house and he told me that he would ask his mother of the matter. It turns out that he asked her and she told him yes. However, when he came to tell me the news that I could come over his house for the weekend, he started the conversation with telling me that and the conversation ended up with the subject being the Honda factory. The only problem: I forgot what he said his mother's answer to the sleepover was.
Sometimes we have the tendency to do that in the Christian race, to get distracted from what are non- negotiable of our Faith and focus on things of lesser importance. It is dire to remember that Christ died for our sins, for this is the Gospel, and we are to focus on that Grace daily so that we may share His Gospel, Truth, Grace, and Love daily and grow in Him in every area of our lives!
For example, one time I wanted to have a sleepover at my friends house and he told me that he would ask his mother of the matter. It turns out that he asked her and she told him yes. However, when he came to tell me the news that I could come over his house for the weekend, he started the conversation with telling me that and the conversation ended up with the subject being the Honda factory. The only problem: I forgot what he said his mother's answer to the sleepover was.
Sometimes we have the tendency to do that in the Christian race, to get distracted from what are non- negotiable of our Faith and focus on things of lesser importance. It is dire to remember that Christ died for our sins, for this is the Gospel, and we are to focus on that Grace daily so that we may share His Gospel, Truth, Grace, and Love daily and grow in Him in every area of our lives!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Never to Judge
Let us take an adventure. Imagine that we just finished getting off of a plane and we are now at a new city that we do not really know. So we decide to take a stroll of the town and absorb the atmosphere of the city, to learn the culture and people.
The first person we see is a man in a nice suit, and we check our pockets and realize that we have absolutely no money. So we ask the businessman if we could have just a minute amount of money to get through the day. He tells you that he has absolutely no money and gives you the impression that he does not make a lot of money from whatever job that he has.
Then you see a man that has ripped jeans, an old faded t- shirt, and hair that has not been trimmed in what seems to be months. You walk right pass him and ask him for nothing, although you find our later that he is the richest and most generous man in the entire town!
A fatal mistake as Christians that we can make is to judge people solely on their appearance, especially for the worse. Imagine how many more opportunities we would have to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we would never let our judgement get in the way? I challenge you monitor yourself this week to avoid unfair judgement, in the hopes that you may better spread the Hope and Love of Jesus Christ!
The first person we see is a man in a nice suit, and we check our pockets and realize that we have absolutely no money. So we ask the businessman if we could have just a minute amount of money to get through the day. He tells you that he has absolutely no money and gives you the impression that he does not make a lot of money from whatever job that he has.
Then you see a man that has ripped jeans, an old faded t- shirt, and hair that has not been trimmed in what seems to be months. You walk right pass him and ask him for nothing, although you find our later that he is the richest and most generous man in the entire town!
A fatal mistake as Christians that we can make is to judge people solely on their appearance, especially for the worse. Imagine how many more opportunities we would have to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we would never let our judgement get in the way? I challenge you monitor yourself this week to avoid unfair judgement, in the hopes that you may better spread the Hope and Love of Jesus Christ!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Pushing Out
When I enrolled into school my freshman year, I decided that I would go and try out for the football team. I had no idea why I was trying out for the team, and when I started, I was not sure if I wanted to continue in the tryouts. However I did try out and make the team and because I did, I had to be enrolled of the sports version of the PE class.
In this PE class, students from all different school sports would meet together for a little less than 90 minutes per day and run together and lift weights and do drills according to their particular sport. The main thing that we did, however, was run. In fact, weekly, we would be required to run a mile, timed.
Before this class, I had never ran a mile without stopping before. However, I loved sprinting so I thought that the concept would be the same and therefore the mile would be a piece of cake. However, I found out quickly that the mile was new to me and it was not in my comfort zone to run it because at first, it was not an easy thing to do.
However, once I broke that comfort zone initially in PE class, I realized that over time the mile got easier and easier and now saying that I am going to run a mile is almost a joke. But i would have never thought that if I did not initially break that comfort zone.
As a Christian, can you think of any way that your comfort zone has been broken lately? If so, can you think of another way to stretch past that? If not, can you think of a way to push out of your comfort zone? Being in Christ is all about continual growth! So, how have you grow out of your comfort zone lately? Or have you?
In this PE class, students from all different school sports would meet together for a little less than 90 minutes per day and run together and lift weights and do drills according to their particular sport. The main thing that we did, however, was run. In fact, weekly, we would be required to run a mile, timed.
Before this class, I had never ran a mile without stopping before. However, I loved sprinting so I thought that the concept would be the same and therefore the mile would be a piece of cake. However, I found out quickly that the mile was new to me and it was not in my comfort zone to run it because at first, it was not an easy thing to do.
However, once I broke that comfort zone initially in PE class, I realized that over time the mile got easier and easier and now saying that I am going to run a mile is almost a joke. But i would have never thought that if I did not initially break that comfort zone.
As a Christian, can you think of any way that your comfort zone has been broken lately? If so, can you think of another way to stretch past that? If not, can you think of a way to push out of your comfort zone? Being in Christ is all about continual growth! So, how have you grow out of your comfort zone lately? Or have you?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Teaching To Follow
When I attended elementary school, I gratefully earned all A's during those six years. Now I see how minute of an accomplishment this really is. However, it did help me to realize something of dire importance that I still think of to this day.
In elementary and middle school, I attained all A's because in every class, I learned the material acquainted with that subject and that class. The teacher taught me what I needed to know for my homework, assignments, and tests and then test my knowledge. I was able to regurgitate the data given to me and pass all of my assignments. However, what I learned in the future was that, much more valuable than the curriculum that they taught me, was that I actually learned how to learn. I needed to learn how to study and learn how to attain knowledge than the exact curriculum that the specific teacher taught.
The teachings of Jesus are absolutely necessary and quite marvelous! However, when we spread Jesus to others, it is of more importance to teach others how to follow Jesus for themselves and obey His Word, instead of just giving the commands of His Teachings legalistically. If they seek Jesus for themselves and learn how to follow Him, the universal benefits of that True Relationship are endless and necessary!
In elementary and middle school, I attained all A's because in every class, I learned the material acquainted with that subject and that class. The teacher taught me what I needed to know for my homework, assignments, and tests and then test my knowledge. I was able to regurgitate the data given to me and pass all of my assignments. However, what I learned in the future was that, much more valuable than the curriculum that they taught me, was that I actually learned how to learn. I needed to learn how to study and learn how to attain knowledge than the exact curriculum that the specific teacher taught.
The teachings of Jesus are absolutely necessary and quite marvelous! However, when we spread Jesus to others, it is of more importance to teach others how to follow Jesus for themselves and obey His Word, instead of just giving the commands of His Teachings legalistically. If they seek Jesus for themselves and learn how to follow Him, the universal benefits of that True Relationship are endless and necessary!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
By It's Fruit
So you are at a tour of an apple farm in South Carolina. Yes, let us take another adventure, shall we. You arrive on the farm very anxious to take pictures and learn new things about apples, their products, and where they are farmed.
The first stop that you make is an average apple tree. You look at the tree and the tree itself seems pretty normal, however you notice one major thing that you may not even pay close attention to, but take it for granted. The apple tree that you are gazing at does not grow oranges! That tree also does not grow peaches or pears!
You could tell what kind of tree it was by the fruit that it produced. Guess what, the same applies to us believers in Jesus Christ! The fruit that we produce shows who we belong to, follow, and believe in.
I am not saying that our worlds save us, for that is not true, we are saved only because Christ died on a cross for our sins, however, if we have been saved, then our fruits will surely show it. That goes for everything that we do. In our friendships, relationships, giving, encouraging, conversations, athletics, time management, Christ will be shown in all of these fruits because we produce after Him. So tell me, what tree does your fruits suggest?
The first stop that you make is an average apple tree. You look at the tree and the tree itself seems pretty normal, however you notice one major thing that you may not even pay close attention to, but take it for granted. The apple tree that you are gazing at does not grow oranges! That tree also does not grow peaches or pears!
You could tell what kind of tree it was by the fruit that it produced. Guess what, the same applies to us believers in Jesus Christ! The fruit that we produce shows who we belong to, follow, and believe in.
I am not saying that our worlds save us, for that is not true, we are saved only because Christ died on a cross for our sins, however, if we have been saved, then our fruits will surely show it. That goes for everything that we do. In our friendships, relationships, giving, encouraging, conversations, athletics, time management, Christ will be shown in all of these fruits because we produce after Him. So tell me, what tree does your fruits suggest?
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