Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Pile of Junk!
I recently began to explore a bag of clothes that I hadn't worn in a very long time, and was reminded why. As I searched through the bag for something decent looking, I began to think(scary huh?). Why would I have been interested to keep any of that junk, at any time? I wasn't wearing any of it, and if I was I would've looked absolutely ridiculous. All that the bag was doing was taking up space. From time to time I would have to move it all and maneuver it so that I could find something worth finding.
Psalm 55:22- "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."
So often we carry around needless junk, not only on our shoulders, but in our hearts. Over time we accumulate pain, heart-break, and bitterness. Our memory allows us to deposit our anger in our minds like you would a large check into the bank. We look at this junk and know that it's weighing us down but for some reason we decide to lug it around with us wherever we go.
This baggage tends to make us miserable. As we look for happiness and joy we find it trapped behind the bars of our burdens. As we try to build new relationships we are soon to find that the painful memories that we hold on to causes us to build up mental and emotional walls. We try to get past it but somehow, this pile of junk always manages to find its way back into our lives and back into the way.
Good news! Psalm 55:22 words it perfectly. So often WE try to remove our junk ourselves. As we continuously find a new place to re-locate it, we become tired and bogged down. It is impossible for US to remove our junk, and this is why we are called to give it to God.
Man has had junk since the Garden of Eden. We sin. Thats why Christ chose to die upon the cross. He chose to rescue us from our junk. And just like we hold on to hurt, we hold on to sin.
This is going to be a short entry because my point is...GIVE IT UP. Whatever it is that you have clinched in your fist and grasped in you heart, let it go. Don't just let it go as a child releases a balloon into the air but release it from you hands into God's. All of our issues cannot fit in our palms and they are to heavy to carry upon our backs. Why not give to someone who has, can, and will handle it? What is stopping you?
You may think that God doesn't want your junk or that he won't accept it. The thing is... God cares for you. He wants to remove the weight of the past from your shoulders. He gave us victory and he desires for us to feel victorious. He seeks to feed the hungry, so be fed. Stop lugging around the junk and GIVE IT UP!
Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.
Psalm 55:22- "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."
So often we carry around needless junk, not only on our shoulders, but in our hearts. Over time we accumulate pain, heart-break, and bitterness. Our memory allows us to deposit our anger in our minds like you would a large check into the bank. We look at this junk and know that it's weighing us down but for some reason we decide to lug it around with us wherever we go.
This baggage tends to make us miserable. As we look for happiness and joy we find it trapped behind the bars of our burdens. As we try to build new relationships we are soon to find that the painful memories that we hold on to causes us to build up mental and emotional walls. We try to get past it but somehow, this pile of junk always manages to find its way back into our lives and back into the way.
Good news! Psalm 55:22 words it perfectly. So often WE try to remove our junk ourselves. As we continuously find a new place to re-locate it, we become tired and bogged down. It is impossible for US to remove our junk, and this is why we are called to give it to God.
Man has had junk since the Garden of Eden. We sin. Thats why Christ chose to die upon the cross. He chose to rescue us from our junk. And just like we hold on to hurt, we hold on to sin.
This is going to be a short entry because my point is...GIVE IT UP. Whatever it is that you have clinched in your fist and grasped in you heart, let it go. Don't just let it go as a child releases a balloon into the air but release it from you hands into God's. All of our issues cannot fit in our palms and they are to heavy to carry upon our backs. Why not give to someone who has, can, and will handle it? What is stopping you?
You may think that God doesn't want your junk or that he won't accept it. The thing is... God cares for you. He wants to remove the weight of the past from your shoulders. He gave us victory and he desires for us to feel victorious. He seeks to feed the hungry, so be fed. Stop lugging around the junk and GIVE IT UP!
Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Switch-a-roo!
Do you know the definition of a "Switch-a-roo"? As you can already tell, it's not "correct" terminology. To be honest I don't even know if you would classify it as slang. To be totally honest, the only reason I used the term Switch-a-roo was to hopefully catch your attention. Anywho, a switch-a-roo is simply a change.
I know that we have all heard about change. This is a little different than you may have heard. I'm not talking about political change. I'm not speaking of changing your stomach flab to rock hard abs. And by the way, I'm not writing about changing from terrible to mediocre.
Christians are Christians through faith. Contrary to common belief, faith is not only belief but it is belief in action. Faith in Christ doesn't only make a claim, but it makes a change. When or how? Do you really care? Many people profess to love Christ and know the call that comes with him but don't follow through.(But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."-Luke 9:62) Will you?
When Jesus saves your heart, he changes your heart. When he changes your heart, he changes your life. Have you been transformed?
Saves Your Heart.
It all starts with being saved through Christ Jesus. He is the only way to be saved. Christ died on a cross for you, and the rest of humanity. After he died, he came back to life. Some choose to believe this and live like it happened. Both are key components of saving faith. Do you have both? See, we must have faith in Jesus(God's Son). The first step in being changed by Christ, is being saved by Christ.
Changes Your Heart.
If you have been saved by Christ, he changes your heart.
"This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day,* says the LORD:I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."- Hebrews 10:16
We usually complain that living for Christ is difficult. It is often so difficult because we are trying to do so on our own. The probable reason for this is that you have not been saved. People without Christ have no power over sin, therefore are defeated by this world. But as a believer, God changes our heart. As he does this he re-writes our morals, our thoughts, and our desires. You begin to hate what you used to lust. Christ gives you love for the people that you used to hate. God is unchanging but changes those who follow him so that may bring glory and honor to him. Are you desiring the same things? Do you love sin as you once did, or are you now desiring things of the LORD? Inspect youself, see where your heart is and see who is controlling it.
Changes Your Life.
When Jesus changes your heart, he changes your life. This one takes alot of common sense. As you begin to have a desire for things of God, you have to begin choosing those things over sin. Sorry for the weak comparison, but it is like a diet. You look in the mirror and don't like what you see. The sight gives you a desire to look differently. You have the desire to lose weight. This desire brings on a choice. What you usually do is sit on the couch, comfortably, and watch TV or read. You know that you need to exercise. Do you sit or get up and take a jog around the block? You love brownies! All of a sudden you get the craving for something belly-filling. Do you take the chocolate or grab an apple?
Desires bring on choices. Paul spoke of these battles within one's heart. Your life should be reflecting and imitating the one who saved you. Is it? A disciple desires to be like his master. You have to decide if you desire this world or God. If you are a true believer, the choice has been made.
Transformed?
Have you been transformed? Has Christ changed you? Has a "switch-a-roo" taken place in your heart and life?
I know that we have all heard about change. This is a little different than you may have heard. I'm not talking about political change. I'm not speaking of changing your stomach flab to rock hard abs. And by the way, I'm not writing about changing from terrible to mediocre.
Christians are Christians through faith. Contrary to common belief, faith is not only belief but it is belief in action. Faith in Christ doesn't only make a claim, but it makes a change. When or how? Do you really care? Many people profess to love Christ and know the call that comes with him but don't follow through.(But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."-Luke 9:62) Will you?
When Jesus saves your heart, he changes your heart. When he changes your heart, he changes your life. Have you been transformed?
Saves Your Heart.
It all starts with being saved through Christ Jesus. He is the only way to be saved. Christ died on a cross for you, and the rest of humanity. After he died, he came back to life. Some choose to believe this and live like it happened. Both are key components of saving faith. Do you have both? See, we must have faith in Jesus(God's Son). The first step in being changed by Christ, is being saved by Christ.
Changes Your Heart.
If you have been saved by Christ, he changes your heart.
"This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day,* says the LORD:I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."- Hebrews 10:16
We usually complain that living for Christ is difficult. It is often so difficult because we are trying to do so on our own. The probable reason for this is that you have not been saved. People without Christ have no power over sin, therefore are defeated by this world. But as a believer, God changes our heart. As he does this he re-writes our morals, our thoughts, and our desires. You begin to hate what you used to lust. Christ gives you love for the people that you used to hate. God is unchanging but changes those who follow him so that may bring glory and honor to him. Are you desiring the same things? Do you love sin as you once did, or are you now desiring things of the LORD? Inspect youself, see where your heart is and see who is controlling it.
Changes Your Life.
When Jesus changes your heart, he changes your life. This one takes alot of common sense. As you begin to have a desire for things of God, you have to begin choosing those things over sin. Sorry for the weak comparison, but it is like a diet. You look in the mirror and don't like what you see. The sight gives you a desire to look differently. You have the desire to lose weight. This desire brings on a choice. What you usually do is sit on the couch, comfortably, and watch TV or read. You know that you need to exercise. Do you sit or get up and take a jog around the block? You love brownies! All of a sudden you get the craving for something belly-filling. Do you take the chocolate or grab an apple?
Desires bring on choices. Paul spoke of these battles within one's heart. Your life should be reflecting and imitating the one who saved you. Is it? A disciple desires to be like his master. You have to decide if you desire this world or God. If you are a true believer, the choice has been made.
Transformed?
Have you been transformed? Has Christ changed you? Has a "switch-a-roo" taken place in your heart and life?
- No? The probability is that you have not expirienced the saving grace of Jesus. With faith comes evidence. Maybe your a young believer. The change is coming. Don't fear, the times may be tough but with a change of heart, your life will be changed easier than anticipated. Maybe you've found yourself in a whole. God didn't put you there, but he will sure help you out. Go back to the Gospel. Change starts and finishes there.
- Yes? Keep it up. Don't get comfortable. Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.
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