A Terrifying and Loving God

Let’s say one morning Dan (no one in particular) opens his Bible and reads 1 John 4:8. It says that God is love. He feels pretty good about this, closes his Bible, and goes throughout his day. The next morning Dan happens to be reading in Hebrews 10:31. It’s confusing and he’s kind of freaking out now. It says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The explanation? God happens to be the greatest Father there is. A good Father is going to spend time with his boy. He’s going to throw the ball with him in the yard, he’s going to go fishing, he’s going to listen to him, and he’s going to hug him and verbally express the love he has for that boy. Imagine the next day that little boy says his first swear word. What is that good father going to do? He’s going to spank the kid! Not out of hate, but out of love. He still loves his son, and he spanks his son out of love. That child is going to cry and have a healthy fear of his dad. He still loves his dad. Maybe he’s not feeling it in the moment that he’s on the ground in a puddle of tears trying to pull his pants up, but he loves his dad. There is no doubt that God loves us, this thread runs through all of scripture. God made the earth, gave His son, and created heaven and a way to get there. He loves us, but do we realize what He can do to us? You do not want to be found guilty of sin when the trumpet sounds and those clouds roll back. This would be a terrifying thing. 

The Crunch Berry Christian

There’s the age old phrase, “things are not always as they seem.” This is probably what the lady was thinking that  actually sued the company that created Cap’n Crunch because their cereal, Crunch Berries, contained no berries (mentalfloss.com). As this a pretty ridiculous reason to sue, the name of the cereal does lead one to think that there should be berries in this berry cereal. Can people look at you and tell that you are a Christian? What about you makes your faith genuine? Today many claim the name of Christ, but they really don’t act any different from the world. What is in your spiritual contents? Are you actually you profess to be? 

 “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (I Timothy 6:11).  

The Ol' Delhi Pillar

The iron pillar of Delhi has avoided corrosion and rust for over 1,600 years. Despite the harsh conditions where it stands, thousands of tourists are continually amazed each year. Scientist have no idea why, but they credit this to the knowledge and skills of the ancient indians that designed and built it. This bad boy towers 24 feet in the air. It is a wonder that doesn't seem to answer to time (www.world-mysteries.com).
When God designed the church, He designed it to be eternal. Despite all of the persecution that the church has endured, it has continued to survive. It has faced hard times and I'll bet that hard times are probably ahead, but we can take comfort in the fact that it will last. We have an obligation to keep it going. Christ has entrusted us with his bride! What are we doing to continue the church?
 "For you yourselves know, brethren, that our [a]coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much [b]opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or [c]by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who [d]examines our hearts. 5 For we never came [e]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ [f]we might have [g]asserted our authority" - Thessalonians 2:1-6 

Sushi, Sleeping, and Spirituality

In Japan sleeping on the job is not looked down on. To them, sleeping on the job means that they were working until the point of exhaustion and it is completely acceptable. Not surprisingly, some will pretend to be asleep in order to give the appearance of hard work. Now before we all pack up and move to Japan, let me throw out some application. While sleeping is a glorious thing, as christians we will not want to be caught "sleeping on the job" when christ returns. We have an obligation and a duty that has to be done while we are here on earth. The Bible says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in  holy conduct and godliness," 2 Peter 3:10-11.  When Jesus comes back we should be busy doing His work. If we are found doing nothing and having done nothing, that's not something that will be rewarded.

The Incredible Cure

A poor little boy by the name of James Harrison needed 13 liters of blood for a surgery he had when he was just 13 years old. After surviving the surgery, he pledged to give blood as soon as he was 18. He kept his pledge and because of it, doctors found out that his blood had a rare antigen which ended up curing Rhesus disease. He went on to give blood 1,000 times and saved the lives of 2,000,000 people. As incredible and touching as this is, we have access to a blood far more powerful, blood that can cure mankind's greatest "disease." This disease is sin. That blood is of course, the blood of Christ. We had a sin problem that we couldn't cure ourselves. We need something greater than we are, and God knew it! 1 John 1:7 says that, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." Who could turn that down? 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

The Killer Snowflake

Over 3,000 years ago a little snow flake fell from the sky. As more and more snow flakes fell, a glacier would be formed. A shelf would break off of the glacier and become an iceberg. This iceberg would be floating around while Jesus walked the earth, the city of Pompeii is destroyed, and Genghis Kahn enjoyed his reign of terror. That iceberg also happens to be the one that would sink the Titanic.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 talks about there being "nothing new under the sun." This includes sin. People have been struggling with the same sins for a long time. Lusting, intoxication, fornication, pridefulness...etc. have been around since shortly after creation. Did you know that if the iceberg was spotted only 30 seconds before, the Titanic could have avoided the fatal collision? Tragically many christians today find themselves sinking because of an ancient sin problem that could also have been avoided. Thanks to the Bible, we have the ultimate navigational tool, we just have to use it. Sin starts somewhere. The Bible can help us see the earliest signs of a potential sin before it even arises. That iceberg that sank the Titanic started with a single snowflake. If we see a temptation coming our way don't give it time to capture your attention. Just like the Titanic, 30 seconds could mean our way out, or our detriment. God doesn't want you to sink, the devil does. 

Practical help: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also give you a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13                 

Dingo Attack Awareness

In 2001 Ricky Megee woke up covered in sand in the middle of Australia. He was surrounded by wild dingos trying to kill him and he doesn't even remember how he got there. The last thing he said that he remembered was that he was taking a drive. After this he goes on to survive 10 more days of wondering around in the wilderness. He survived, but barely.
He ate raw leeches, grasshoppers and the occasional frog. Perhaps what makes this story so crazy is the fact he had no idea how he had gotten into this situation! He just woke up in the middle of a life threatening situation. There are a couple of quick lessons we can glean from this wild story. The first lesson is obviously, if you or a loved one suffer with memory loss and are planning a trip to Australia, make sure they check the area for dingos before you let them bury themselves in the sand.
Now on a more serious note, sometimes we may find ourselves drifting away from God. The scary part is maybe we didn't even notice. We just realized one day that our spiritual life had been neglected. Maybe it started when your job picked up? Maybe it started when you had gotten bogged down with school? You didn't have the time that you use to in the past and as a result you forgot to pray, you forgot to read and meditate. The good news is, God saw this coming! He knew that our spiritual lives weren't going to be flourishing all the time and He gave us a way back. God will forgive. Your spiritual life can be better than it has ever been, so just examine yourself. Look and see if you find yourself buried in sand. It's not too late! You may just need to remember.

Practical Help: "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to
                            God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify
                            your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your                  
                            laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves
                            in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."