Recently, I was reading through Ephesians Chapter 4 when a certain phrase in verse 32 caught my attention. Here's the verse from the King James Version: "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Several other versions are probably more on target in translating this phrase to be "as God in Christ forgave you." But the words "for Christ's sake" are the ones that gave me pause for thought -- even if it is translated "in Christ" in most other versions. Immediately my thoughts turned to what I do (and don't do) for the sake of Christ. If our God forgives us for Christ's sake. Shouldn't Christians be living their lives for Christ's sake?
In Matthew chapter 10, Christ tells His disciples that they will suffer for His sake (verse 18; verse 22). Finally in verse 39, He promises that "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus made similar statement several times throughout His ministry. He truly wanted the disciples to understand they would pay a great price for their loyalty; but He also wanted to assure them it would be worth it.
What does that phrase mean anyway -- "for Christ's sake?" It is certainly not one to be taken lightly ... nor is it to be used in exasperation as a form of swearing the way some folks may do. It means for the cause of Christ ... because of Him ... for His name .... because He died for us.
It is a simple concept - it's not at all difficult to figure out. As followers of Him, we bear His name. We should long to honor that name. Christians desire to stand up for the righteousness found in Christ. We strive to treat others with love and kindness. We seek to teach His gospel to those lost in sin and darkness.
The Holy Spirit (through Paul) says it much better than I could ever begin to. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:15 -(ESV)
"and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised." Christ died for us ... for our sake -- for the sake of our salvation. So that we will live for Him -- for His sake. We live for Him because He gave His life for us. Verse 21 of 2 Corinthians 5 says:
"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (ESV)
Those of us who seek to do the will of Christ realize it is our duty to represent Him by living righteous lives every day. Will we be perfect? Oh no -- we are still human. Only One was perfect; but we must cling to His word and follow His actions as closely as we possibly can. We cannot claim to be His and then go on our about business doing whatever we want to do.
If we are going to live for God, we will learn to love as Christ loved and to act as Christ would have us to act. We are to praise Him both in our victories and our defeats. Thank Him ever so much for all the good things that happen in our lives. Give Him the credit for our talents and our blessings.
What about those defeats? Well that is when we thank Him again. We thank Him for giving us the wisdom to seek His will and the strength He gives us to weather the storm. When things get tough, then every morning we praise Him for giving us the strength to face another day.
In so doing, we set a wonderful example to all those around us. And when someone asks us why we are always thanking and praising Him - then we get the opportunity to teach about God's grace and glory. We can tell others why we have the hope of eternal life -- for Christ's sake -- in His name -- because of His sacrifice.
Yes, Christ warned His followers they would suffer for Him. During one such discussion Peter reminds Jesus that the apostles had left everything to follow Him. Jesus responded in Luke 18:29-30: "...Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."
What a wonderful promise this is!! The apostles believed this promise. They followed Christ to the end. They loved Him and lived for Him and ultimately they died for Him.
But they knew Christ would keep His promise. They wanted everyone to share in this great promise and that is why they taught about Him everywhere they went. They wanted others to experience the incredible joy of forgiveness .. for Christ sake.
Paul felt the same way the other apostles did, for he said in I Corinthians 9:22-24: "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel." (in other words -Christ).
Why, Paul? "I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." Paul knew the prize was worth running for -- that for the sake of the gospel he would share in its blessings with others who had obeyed that very gospel.
Live for Christ - love Him --honestly love Him by seeking His will and following His commandments. Stand up for His righteousness.
" Because your sins are forgiven
for His name's sake."
(1 John 2:12)
Christ above all things,
Robin
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Another Dollar Tree Story
I guess most of you know by now how much I enjoy shopping in the Dollar Tree stores. I can definitely say it is one of my favorite places to shop for various items. I may never buy anything but I certainly enjoy looking. Still I think one of the reasons I like it most is watching the interaction that takes place between people there.
A few months back I was in the store looking around. A new shipment must have arrived because there were different items to look at this time. As I was strolling down one aisle, I had the opportunity to witness an amusing incident.
A woman (I suppose somewhere in her 50's) was on the same aisle I was and a younger woman rounded the corner to come down the aisle too. The younger woman seemed to be a little surprised to see the older one. She took a deep breath and said, "Well hi Mama."
The older woman said, "Hi yourself! So you are going to speak to me here in the store? I haven't heard from you in over a month." Uh-oh! That young lady was caught. She said - "I'm sorry Mom," and began to offer all kinds of excuses. The older woman would have none of it ... she never raised her voice .. and she never cursed or used hateful words; but she definitely let her daughter know in no uncertain terms how she felt about the situation.
In one way it was amusing to watch this interaction. The older lady was kind of funny in speaking with her daughter. (Sarcasm can be amusing). She shot down every excuse her daughter offered up. In another way it was kind of sad to think about because you could tell the mother cared deeply for her child.
To be honest, I can identify with both women. As a child, I haven't always been in touch with my parents often enough -- especially in times past. Mom and Dad - if you read this -- I offer my apologies here and now. As a parent, I understand missing hearing from your grown children.
Knowing and understanding these human relationships, and witnessing this incident made me think of our relationship with the Heavenly Father. He is our Perfect Parent and He loves us so much. He gave His Only Son for us and He longs to hear from us. He wants us to be in touch with Him.
Our Father longs to dwell with us. He wants us to visit with Him often. Our lives go so much better when we communicate with Him frequently! We should long for this as much as God does. He promises so much for our lives if we choose to walk with Him -- to obey His word. He wants us to love Him .. to talk to Him ... to talk to others about Him so we can have that abundant life Christ promised us.
Attending worship with our Christian brothers and sisters every time we get a chance is one way to show Him and our Savior Jesus how much we love them. I know God doesn't reside in any church building. But when we only worship Him once or twice a year .. aren't we kind of like the daughter encountering her mother in the Dollar Tree store?
God gave us our very lives and created a most beautiful world for us to live in. Don't you think He deserves our worship? Christ died for our sins so that we would have a direct line to God. When He died Christ tore down the "wall of partition" and gave us direct access to God -- no intermediary priest was necessary. That is part of the liberty of the gospel.
Direct access to God the Father through Jesus the Son is one of the freedoms we enjoy as Christians. It is one of the advantages over the old law. Our liberty is in Christ. Through Him we are able to come to God boldly and confidently -- but humbly and reverently. And God longs for us to talk to Him. He has always longed to be with His people .. to communicate with them ... to have us include Him in our daily lives.
Prayer changes things. God may not always answer them the way we think they should be answered; but even when He doesn't our trust in Him enables us to be at peace with whatever the answer is. Prayer gives us peace .. and strength .. and courage.
I once saw a billboard that said "Faith is the muscle ... prayer is the exercise." Did you know that the word prayer, pray, or prayed is used in the New King James Version of the Bible 392 times? If it is mentioned that many times, prayer should be an important aspect of our lives. I challenge you to build up your spiritual muscles every day!
What I'm saying isn't new but it certainly isn't outdated either. There's another saying about a popular soft drink ... "Things go better with Coke." That may or may not be true. But I can absolutely promise you that "Life goes better with Christ." It always will.
Studying God's Word is another way to be in touch with our Lord. It is another way of visiting with Him. Meditating on His love and His precepts will refresh our spirits and restore our souls. Knowledge of God's word helps us renew our minds daily so we can live the life Christ would have us live rather than our old worldly life.
The awkward situation I witnessed in Dollar Tree ended up being a sweet scene. Mother and daughter still loved each other and a relationship was renewed and strengthened. Seeing that happen was the best part of being in the store that day.
Let's challenge each other to keep in touch with our spiritual Father. Let's do away with our excuses and remember how much He really does love us .... how He longs to be with us....
Live your life with God in it. It will be worth it!!!
Christ above all things,
Robin
A few months back I was in the store looking around. A new shipment must have arrived because there were different items to look at this time. As I was strolling down one aisle, I had the opportunity to witness an amusing incident.
A woman (I suppose somewhere in her 50's) was on the same aisle I was and a younger woman rounded the corner to come down the aisle too. The younger woman seemed to be a little surprised to see the older one. She took a deep breath and said, "Well hi Mama."
The older woman said, "Hi yourself! So you are going to speak to me here in the store? I haven't heard from you in over a month." Uh-oh! That young lady was caught. She said - "I'm sorry Mom," and began to offer all kinds of excuses. The older woman would have none of it ... she never raised her voice .. and she never cursed or used hateful words; but she definitely let her daughter know in no uncertain terms how she felt about the situation.
In one way it was amusing to watch this interaction. The older lady was kind of funny in speaking with her daughter. (Sarcasm can be amusing). She shot down every excuse her daughter offered up. In another way it was kind of sad to think about because you could tell the mother cared deeply for her child.
To be honest, I can identify with both women. As a child, I haven't always been in touch with my parents often enough -- especially in times past. Mom and Dad - if you read this -- I offer my apologies here and now. As a parent, I understand missing hearing from your grown children.
Knowing and understanding these human relationships, and witnessing this incident made me think of our relationship with the Heavenly Father. He is our Perfect Parent and He loves us so much. He gave His Only Son for us and He longs to hear from us. He wants us to be in touch with Him.
Our Father longs to dwell with us. He wants us to visit with Him often. Our lives go so much better when we communicate with Him frequently! We should long for this as much as God does. He promises so much for our lives if we choose to walk with Him -- to obey His word. He wants us to love Him .. to talk to Him ... to talk to others about Him so we can have that abundant life Christ promised us.
Attending worship with our Christian brothers and sisters every time we get a chance is one way to show Him and our Savior Jesus how much we love them. I know God doesn't reside in any church building. But when we only worship Him once or twice a year .. aren't we kind of like the daughter encountering her mother in the Dollar Tree store?
God gave us our very lives and created a most beautiful world for us to live in. Don't you think He deserves our worship? Christ died for our sins so that we would have a direct line to God. When He died Christ tore down the "wall of partition" and gave us direct access to God -- no intermediary priest was necessary. That is part of the liberty of the gospel.
Direct access to God the Father through Jesus the Son is one of the freedoms we enjoy as Christians. It is one of the advantages over the old law. Our liberty is in Christ. Through Him we are able to come to God boldly and confidently -- but humbly and reverently. And God longs for us to talk to Him. He has always longed to be with His people .. to communicate with them ... to have us include Him in our daily lives.
Prayer changes things. God may not always answer them the way we think they should be answered; but even when He doesn't our trust in Him enables us to be at peace with whatever the answer is. Prayer gives us peace .. and strength .. and courage.
I once saw a billboard that said "Faith is the muscle ... prayer is the exercise." Did you know that the word prayer, pray, or prayed is used in the New King James Version of the Bible 392 times? If it is mentioned that many times, prayer should be an important aspect of our lives. I challenge you to build up your spiritual muscles every day!
What I'm saying isn't new but it certainly isn't outdated either. There's another saying about a popular soft drink ... "Things go better with Coke." That may or may not be true. But I can absolutely promise you that "Life goes better with Christ." It always will.
Studying God's Word is another way to be in touch with our Lord. It is another way of visiting with Him. Meditating on His love and His precepts will refresh our spirits and restore our souls. Knowledge of God's word helps us renew our minds daily so we can live the life Christ would have us live rather than our old worldly life.
The awkward situation I witnessed in Dollar Tree ended up being a sweet scene. Mother and daughter still loved each other and a relationship was renewed and strengthened. Seeing that happen was the best part of being in the store that day.
Let's challenge each other to keep in touch with our spiritual Father. Let's do away with our excuses and remember how much He really does love us .... how He longs to be with us....
Live your life with God in it. It will be worth it!!!
Christ above all things,
Robin
Saturday, July 9, 2016
God's Promise to Abraham
Long ago God made a promise to Abraham:
"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing ... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
(Genesis 12:2 & 3b)
Well, the ESV and KJV say all families (Genesis 12:1-3). Other versions say all people. Either way, the point is made. Through Abraham's seed would come a blessing for everyone.
Bible students know this blessing was God's own son, Jesus Christ. Abraham followed God. Because of his faithfulness, God kept his promise. Abraham's family did indeed become a great nation - the nation of Israel.
Throughout the Old Testament this nation of people - this family of Abraham's forgot God's laws over and over again. When they fell into sin, God withheld His blessings from them. They would repent and come back to Him. In turn, He blessed them with prosperity and peace.
I think sometimes the people of Israel forgot the second part of that promise..... you know --the part about all the nations of the earth being blessed through their nation.
When Christ began His ministry there was a lot of enmity between Jews and non-Jewish people -- otherwise called Gentiles.
And then there were the Samaritans - the racially mixed people with both Jewish and pagan (Gentile) ancestry. The Jews didn't like them either, and that's putting it very lightly. So the promise of Abraham's family (nation) being a blessing to other families had long been forgotten.
Then Christ came and things changed. The Savior turned the world upside down. He confronted the scribes and Pharisees who were always so proud to say they were "of the seed of Abraham."
Christ was the Son of God. He was of Jewish descent -- but He didn't come for just one race. He came for "all families of the earth." Jesus Himself said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:16-17 ESV).
So many lessons -- so much can be gained from these two verses. We could talk about the meaning of truly believing means more than just knowing who He is - but also being willing to follow Him. We could talk about so much from these verses. They are truly loaded with meaning.
But the point I want to make right now is that God loves ALL people -- and always has. He has always wanted ALL people to follow Him. God does not want any to perish, He wants us all to repent. (2 Peter 3:9) As I recently saw on a post on social media - God saves souls not skins.
God and His Son is all about love. Christ died for all people no matter what their color -- no matter what their profession -- no matter where they live -- no matter what their political status. Christ showed compassion to the woman caught in adultery and to Zaccheus, the hated tax collector. Another tax collector (Matthew or Levi) was one of His chosen twelve.
Jesus chose ordinary fisherman to serve Him and he healed the Gentile centurion's servant. He loved men and women. He loved the rich young ruler - although he walked away from Jesus very sad. But yet another rich man loved Christ enough to bury Him in his own tomb.
Do you see what I'm trying to say? WE are the promise to Abraham. Christians .... because we have obeyed Christ and followed Him ... because we have chosen to love Him. And WE come from all races and all walks of life ... from all ethnic backgrounds. We are the "all families of the earth."
See, in choosing to follow Christ - we fulfill God's promise to Abraham. And our lives should be marked by love -- the same love God showed to all of us when He sent His Son. Christ said:
" A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this ALL people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13: 34-35)
Yes, Abraham's righteousness was a blessing to us. And now because as Christians, we are the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham -- we must continue the promise. We must be a blessing to others - because we are to do good to ALL men. We must show the world who we are -- by blessing others with the same love wherewith He loved us.
Brothers and sisters in Christ --as part of God's loving promise if the world ever needed us, it needs us now.
Christ above all things,
Robin
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Who Lives Within You?
We were on the way home from a trip and stopped at a motel for the night. The next morning we ate the free breakfast served in the mini cafeteria connected to the lobby. As we walked back to our rooms just off the parking lot, I noticed one of the bushes in the landscape.
It stood at the end of the hedgerow and was slightly taller than the others. I noticed it because it was perfectly pruned in the shape of a Christmas tree. Even in the middle of springtime it appealed to me.
I stopped to admire it. The shape was flawlessly symmetrical, so whoever had pruned it was quite skilled. It was some kind of evergreen, but the leaves were not sharp and prickly like some evergreens are. They were actually quite soft and flexible in my hand.
Suddenly, a little bird flew from the midst of the bush and very close to my face. Naturally, I was startled and jumped - crying out "Oh" as I did so. My parents were behind me on the sidewalk and Dad got a good laugh from this scene. I have no idea where the little bird went; but I'm sure it was somewhere close by waiting to take up its residence once we had gone.
Of course when I first admired the bush -- (a beautiful living thing -- a creation of God) -- I had no idea that a bird was living / abiding in it. But that living creature very quickly made itself known. One life was living inside of another life and it only took a few seconds for the bird to make itself known.
This made me think of Christ and those of us who are His followers. Christ told us in John 14:6 "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. The only way to the Father is through me." (NCV) Think about this for a moment.
WE are living beings -- created by God - but does THE LIFE abide in us. Is there another life living within us? That little bird let him/herself be known almost immediately. When we meet someone new, how long does it take to let them know Jesus - "the Life" is alive in us?
This is not something magical, mystical or supernatural. It is not some elusive thing to which only a few folks have access. Remember who "the Life" is. Our Savior Jesus Christ is the Life and He is totally attainable to everyone. It is a sound scriptural promise given to us by Christ Himself.
Consider John 14:23 - Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (NKJV) What a wonderful promise this is! Love Jesus - keep (obey - follow) His word and both Jesus and the Father will be with us.
After giving the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus promised that He would always be with His apostles as they continued to teach others about Him. He will be with us today as long as we follow Him. We must be careful not to pick and choose what parts of Christ's Words we want to "keep." We must keep all His commandments.
We can't rationalize that one teaching is good for us to keep while others just may not be for us. But perhaps that's another lesson for another time. We just need to realize that all of Christ's teachings apply to all of us. And if we want to be with the Father -- then Jesus is the ONLY way.
In John 15:1-6 Jesus tells us He is the True Vine and that we must abide in Him to bear fruit for Him - for without Him we can do nothing. To bear good fruit for Him we must cling to Him as a branch clings to a vine. Do we allow Jesus to abide in us?
John 15:10 says: "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." This is how Christ and the Father come to us -- but we have to come to them first - with loving obedient hearts.
The apostle John speaks of the Lord's abiding love and presence in our lives several times in 1 and 2 John. Perhaps those passages can be shared in another post. They are beautiful verses teaching that our Christ can truly dwell within us - if we love Him enough to obey Him -- if we love Him enough to show that love to others.
So, the challenge for us is to live so that "the Life" lives within us ... and then to make known we have that wonderful Life - that is Jesus - living there. We must learn to let our light shine ... let our life be soon as beautiful .. like that shrub I saw ... and then when folks come to take a closer look ... make sure we let them see the Life - the Spirit of Christ dwelling there.
Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley
It stood at the end of the hedgerow and was slightly taller than the others. I noticed it because it was perfectly pruned in the shape of a Christmas tree. Even in the middle of springtime it appealed to me.
I stopped to admire it. The shape was flawlessly symmetrical, so whoever had pruned it was quite skilled. It was some kind of evergreen, but the leaves were not sharp and prickly like some evergreens are. They were actually quite soft and flexible in my hand.
Suddenly, a little bird flew from the midst of the bush and very close to my face. Naturally, I was startled and jumped - crying out "Oh" as I did so. My parents were behind me on the sidewalk and Dad got a good laugh from this scene. I have no idea where the little bird went; but I'm sure it was somewhere close by waiting to take up its residence once we had gone.
Of course when I first admired the bush -- (a beautiful living thing -- a creation of God) -- I had no idea that a bird was living / abiding in it. But that living creature very quickly made itself known. One life was living inside of another life and it only took a few seconds for the bird to make itself known.
This made me think of Christ and those of us who are His followers. Christ told us in John 14:6 "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. The only way to the Father is through me." (NCV) Think about this for a moment.
WE are living beings -- created by God - but does THE LIFE abide in us. Is there another life living within us? That little bird let him/herself be known almost immediately. When we meet someone new, how long does it take to let them know Jesus - "the Life" is alive in us?
This is not something magical, mystical or supernatural. It is not some elusive thing to which only a few folks have access. Remember who "the Life" is. Our Savior Jesus Christ is the Life and He is totally attainable to everyone. It is a sound scriptural promise given to us by Christ Himself.
Consider John 14:23 - Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (NKJV) What a wonderful promise this is! Love Jesus - keep (obey - follow) His word and both Jesus and the Father will be with us.
After giving the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus promised that He would always be with His apostles as they continued to teach others about Him. He will be with us today as long as we follow Him. We must be careful not to pick and choose what parts of Christ's Words we want to "keep." We must keep all His commandments.
We can't rationalize that one teaching is good for us to keep while others just may not be for us. But perhaps that's another lesson for another time. We just need to realize that all of Christ's teachings apply to all of us. And if we want to be with the Father -- then Jesus is the ONLY way.
In John 15:1-6 Jesus tells us He is the True Vine and that we must abide in Him to bear fruit for Him - for without Him we can do nothing. To bear good fruit for Him we must cling to Him as a branch clings to a vine. Do we allow Jesus to abide in us?
John 15:10 says: "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." This is how Christ and the Father come to us -- but we have to come to them first - with loving obedient hearts.
The apostle John speaks of the Lord's abiding love and presence in our lives several times in 1 and 2 John. Perhaps those passages can be shared in another post. They are beautiful verses teaching that our Christ can truly dwell within us - if we love Him enough to obey Him -- if we love Him enough to show that love to others.
So, the challenge for us is to live so that "the Life" lives within us ... and then to make known we have that wonderful Life - that is Jesus - living there. We must learn to let our light shine ... let our life be soon as beautiful .. like that shrub I saw ... and then when folks come to take a closer look ... make sure we let them see the Life - the Spirit of Christ dwelling there.
Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Speaking What We Have Seen and Heard
I've read so many posts on Facebook about the joy filled days we spent at Maywood Christian Camp this past week. It truly was a wonderful week. Many of us came back with our spiritual cups full to the brim and overflowing. We had so much in our hearts we just had to share. I spent several minutes talking about in our ladies' Sunday school myself!
This made me think of the incident recorded in Acts chapter four. After healing the lame man at the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3), Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus in the temple. The next day they were brought before the council and asked by what power or what name were they doing this? (Acts 4:7 NKJV)
Now think about this for just a minute. They healed a man in the name of Christ. They began to preach about Him. They were arrested and spent the night in jail -- and when they were brought before the council and questioned, what did they do? Peter preached Jesus again!! He did the very same thing for which he was arrested.
Peter and John and all the other apostles had become bold in their allegiance to Christ. There was no more running away like they did when He was crucified. There was no more fear! There was courage and faith and joy. They had seen Christ resurrected. They were full!
What was the councils reaction to this? Well, they really didn't know exactly what to do. They knew these men were uneducated and so they marveled at their speech. They noted they had been with Jesus. Something to think about. Do people take note of us when we spend time with Jesus? Shouldn't others be able to see Him in us?
OK - back to Acts 4. The Jewish council couldn't deny that Peter and John had done a good thing by healing the lame man. They could find no reason to detain them. But they didn't want this Jesus thing to get out of hand. They decided it couldn't go any further.
So they told Peter and John they couldn't talk about Jesus anymore. This didn't phase the apostles. It didn't even slow them down. Listen to their answer:
"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20 NKJV)
I love this verse! I love the commitment -- the resolve -- of Peter and John. The NIV says "we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" and the New Century Version says "we must speak about what we have seen and heard."
You get the point. The apostles were so full of Jesus - they couldn't help it! They had to talk about Him -- who He was -- how He had lived -- what He had done and why He died -- how He rose again -- and how we have hope through Him. They literally couldn't help it. Their hearts were full and they had to teach that Jesus Christ came to save us all.
Hopefully most of us can identify with this feeling -- at least a little. When I participate or am in a spiritually rich environment - I come back excited and joyful and ready to tell everyone I see about how good God is and how much Jesus loves us.
Places like Christian camps or retreats or Lads to Leaders or any other wonderful works for us help us fill up again and again. It is easy to be excited the first few days after we come home. It is easy to share in those days. But as time goes past, we loose some of our enthusiasm. It's natural - we are only human.
How do we rise to the challenge of keeping that joy and zeal alive? Close fellowship with other disciples is one way. Scripture tells us that when Peter and John were released, they "went to their own companions" to share what had befallen them. They needed that support .. that love ... that hope and comfort that only God's people could give them.
Prayer is another key way to stay true .. to remain steadfast .. to cling to the Father and remember that Jesus intercedes for us. Peter and John and their companions prayed. It is a beautiful and powerful prayer of praise to God for His plan ... the plan He had all along to make Jesus our Savior. And then a prayer for boldness to continue speaking and healing in the name of Jesus.
Getting to know Jesus like the apostles did is another way to stay focused on telling others about Him. We can do this by studying the Word of God. The Old Testament centers on the promise of a Savior. The Gospels tell us so much about how Christ lived. The rest of the New Testament continues to tell us about Jesus and how we can live for Him.
The authors of the New Testament saw Him .. heard Him.. loved Him. We can read about the things they saw and heard. We can know through faith in what we read .. we can learn to love Him like they did. And once we realize His great love ... once we understand how He can transform our lives too .... then ....
Well - hopefully then we will speak about the things we see and hear about Jesus!
Christ above all things,
Robin
This made me think of the incident recorded in Acts chapter four. After healing the lame man at the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3), Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus in the temple. The next day they were brought before the council and asked by what power or what name were they doing this? (Acts 4:7 NKJV)
Now think about this for just a minute. They healed a man in the name of Christ. They began to preach about Him. They were arrested and spent the night in jail -- and when they were brought before the council and questioned, what did they do? Peter preached Jesus again!! He did the very same thing for which he was arrested.
Peter and John and all the other apostles had become bold in their allegiance to Christ. There was no more running away like they did when He was crucified. There was no more fear! There was courage and faith and joy. They had seen Christ resurrected. They were full!
What was the councils reaction to this? Well, they really didn't know exactly what to do. They knew these men were uneducated and so they marveled at their speech. They noted they had been with Jesus. Something to think about. Do people take note of us when we spend time with Jesus? Shouldn't others be able to see Him in us?
OK - back to Acts 4. The Jewish council couldn't deny that Peter and John had done a good thing by healing the lame man. They could find no reason to detain them. But they didn't want this Jesus thing to get out of hand. They decided it couldn't go any further.
So they told Peter and John they couldn't talk about Jesus anymore. This didn't phase the apostles. It didn't even slow them down. Listen to their answer:
"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20 NKJV)
I love this verse! I love the commitment -- the resolve -- of Peter and John. The NIV says "we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" and the New Century Version says "we must speak about what we have seen and heard."
You get the point. The apostles were so full of Jesus - they couldn't help it! They had to talk about Him -- who He was -- how He had lived -- what He had done and why He died -- how He rose again -- and how we have hope through Him. They literally couldn't help it. Their hearts were full and they had to teach that Jesus Christ came to save us all.
Hopefully most of us can identify with this feeling -- at least a little. When I participate or am in a spiritually rich environment - I come back excited and joyful and ready to tell everyone I see about how good God is and how much Jesus loves us.
Places like Christian camps or retreats or Lads to Leaders or any other wonderful works for us help us fill up again and again. It is easy to be excited the first few days after we come home. It is easy to share in those days. But as time goes past, we loose some of our enthusiasm. It's natural - we are only human.
How do we rise to the challenge of keeping that joy and zeal alive? Close fellowship with other disciples is one way. Scripture tells us that when Peter and John were released, they "went to their own companions" to share what had befallen them. They needed that support .. that love ... that hope and comfort that only God's people could give them.
Prayer is another key way to stay true .. to remain steadfast .. to cling to the Father and remember that Jesus intercedes for us. Peter and John and their companions prayed. It is a beautiful and powerful prayer of praise to God for His plan ... the plan He had all along to make Jesus our Savior. And then a prayer for boldness to continue speaking and healing in the name of Jesus.
Getting to know Jesus like the apostles did is another way to stay focused on telling others about Him. We can do this by studying the Word of God. The Old Testament centers on the promise of a Savior. The Gospels tell us so much about how Christ lived. The rest of the New Testament continues to tell us about Jesus and how we can live for Him.
The authors of the New Testament saw Him .. heard Him.. loved Him. We can read about the things they saw and heard. We can know through faith in what we read .. we can learn to love Him like they did. And once we realize His great love ... once we understand how He can transform our lives too .... then ....
Well - hopefully then we will speak about the things we see and hear about Jesus!
Christ above all things,
Robin
Monday, May 2, 2016
It's Not All About Me -- It is All About HIM
Sometimes it is difficult to trust God. We get so wrapped up in our lives ... our busyness ... our own self-interests ... that we forget what life is really all about. We go along in our own little world -- from work, to home, to family, to worship on Sunday, to sleep and back again. We get set up in our nice little routines ..and then BAM!!! Reality hits us right smack in the face.
Sometimes that smack may be a little thing that carries a big impact -- sometimes it comes from some event much more substantial. Whatever the source ... we come to the realization that it's not all about us. Your life - my life - is not all about us. It is not all about our spouse, our work or even our children (honestly, it's not). At least, it's not supposed to be. It is supposed to be about serving Him.
I have to be reminded of this at times -- it isn't always the easiest lesson to learn. But if I love my Savior, I must learn to realize my life is not all about me. Sometimes I can imagine Him telling me - "It is not all about you, Robin. It is all about Me. Serve Me. Love Me."
Life is not about doing what makes us happy. It's just not. Our lives are supposed to be about Jesus. We are supposed to be about all about Jesus -- about loving Him and living for Him.
We should learn to Love like He does, Live like He did, have Compassion and Mercy like He does, Serve like He did. We should learn to have the same Humility He did. We should learn to focus on the Father's will like Christ did.
It isn't always easy because we have a carnal nature. Sometimes we have to reign our selfishness in, we have to tone down our pride, and learn to think of others. So sometimes when we are reminded of this through something that happens in our lives -- we have to pull ourselves up by the boot straps and give ourselves a good talking to.
We have to remember scriptures like Romans 12:1-2 and realize that in order to become a living sacrifice we do have to transform ourselves by renewing our minds -- because it takes a different way of thinking to learn to have a servant heart. Maybe we think of John chapter 13 where Jesus washed the apostles' feet as an example to teach them humility.
Maybe we have to remember how Christ healed the 10 lepers and only one came back to thank Him and maybe we need to pray that we aren't like one of the nine. Maybe we need to remember how Zacchaeus climbed that sycamore tree just to get a glimpse of the Savior when everyone was blocking his view. Maybe we need to pray we have the same kind of seeking heart that Zacchaeus had.
Our lives might be the only chance some folks will have of ever "seeing" Jesus. We must be careful not to block their view by our selfishness. Christ loves us all ... He died for us all. He knows how different we are. He recognizes that sometimes we need a wake up call.
But Jesus also remembers what it was like to live on this earth and He knows how frail we are. And He cares for us and cares for what we go through. We can cast all our cares on Him. And when we remember that it really is not about us -- it is absolutely all about Him -- then He will be there ready for us -- and we will know we can totally trust Him to care of things. Then we will realize again just how much He loves us.
Life really is all about Jesus. Love Him. Serve Him.
Christ above all things,
Robin
Sometimes that smack may be a little thing that carries a big impact -- sometimes it comes from some event much more substantial. Whatever the source ... we come to the realization that it's not all about us. Your life - my life - is not all about us. It is not all about our spouse, our work or even our children (honestly, it's not). At least, it's not supposed to be. It is supposed to be about serving Him.
I have to be reminded of this at times -- it isn't always the easiest lesson to learn. But if I love my Savior, I must learn to realize my life is not all about me. Sometimes I can imagine Him telling me - "It is not all about you, Robin. It is all about Me. Serve Me. Love Me."
Life is not about doing what makes us happy. It's just not. Our lives are supposed to be about Jesus. We are supposed to be about all about Jesus -- about loving Him and living for Him.
We should learn to Love like He does, Live like He did, have Compassion and Mercy like He does, Serve like He did. We should learn to have the same Humility He did. We should learn to focus on the Father's will like Christ did.
It isn't always easy because we have a carnal nature. Sometimes we have to reign our selfishness in, we have to tone down our pride, and learn to think of others. So sometimes when we are reminded of this through something that happens in our lives -- we have to pull ourselves up by the boot straps and give ourselves a good talking to.
We have to remember scriptures like Romans 12:1-2 and realize that in order to become a living sacrifice we do have to transform ourselves by renewing our minds -- because it takes a different way of thinking to learn to have a servant heart. Maybe we think of John chapter 13 where Jesus washed the apostles' feet as an example to teach them humility.
Maybe we have to remember how Christ healed the 10 lepers and only one came back to thank Him and maybe we need to pray that we aren't like one of the nine. Maybe we need to remember how Zacchaeus climbed that sycamore tree just to get a glimpse of the Savior when everyone was blocking his view. Maybe we need to pray we have the same kind of seeking heart that Zacchaeus had.
Our lives might be the only chance some folks will have of ever "seeing" Jesus. We must be careful not to block their view by our selfishness. Christ loves us all ... He died for us all. He knows how different we are. He recognizes that sometimes we need a wake up call.
But Jesus also remembers what it was like to live on this earth and He knows how frail we are. And He cares for us and cares for what we go through. We can cast all our cares on Him. And when we remember that it really is not about us -- it is absolutely all about Him -- then He will be there ready for us -- and we will know we can totally trust Him to care of things. Then we will realize again just how much He loves us.
Life really is all about Jesus. Love Him. Serve Him.
Christ above all things,
Robin
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Home
"Home Sweet Home" ..... true ... for some of us
"Home is where the heart is," also true for many .. your earthly residence may not be where your heart is .. you may actually feel more "at home" at another's residence.
And for some ... by Robert Frost. "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." from the "The Death of the Hired Hand" by Robert Frost.
If we have an earthly home to live in ... away from the elements .. a home to keep us warm .. a place to lay our heads at night. We should be eternally grateful - for many do not .. even in this country. And those of us who do should be ever mindful and ready to help those who don't. Remember "to whom much is given, much shall be required of him." (Luke 12:48) We just really need to be both more thankful and more helpful to those in need.
While my boys were growing up, I had the blessing of spending one week of the summer with them at Maywood Christian Camp. It is a place that has a piece of our hearts. We feel completely at home when we are there.
My youngest child has been able to attend Christian camp for at least part of the week every year of his life (even if it was just for one day). The year he was three was his first full week. It was an experience for both of us and one I will never forget.
When we stepped back into our cabin after supper that first night, he said "We're home!" For the first several days of the week, he did feel quite at home. He was busy playing all day, and being as young as he was, he had plenty of attention from the older children. However, after a few very full days, late nights and early mornings calls to "Rise and Shine," he was completely worn out.
We all have our limits -- even or maybe especially -- young children. It was either Wednesday or Thursday when he hit his limit. He was totally worn out and became weepy and cranky. To put it bluntly he was about to have a meltdown.
We were at the pavilion about to engage in the night's activities. But I knew we weren't going to make it through any of that. So I told my co-counselor we were going back to the cabin for an early night. I hoped to have him bathed and in bed asleep before anyone else came back to the cabin.
In an attempt to cheer him up I said, "Come on, let's go home." He brightened up immediately and came along with no complaint. But when we got back to the cabin and walked through the door it was a totally different story. I said, "OK, we're home." Aaron just fell down in the floor crying. He said, "No - no. Not this home. My real home. I want to go to my real home."
At that point I must admit I almost felt the same way. I remember this night very well because I felt so sorry for him. All I wanted to do was hold my baby and comfort him until he fell asleep which of course, is exactly what I did.
After a full night's sleep we both woke up feeling much better. I don't know if he even remembered the night before. He had just been exhausted. We made it through the rest of the week with no more meltdowns. And he still has a deep love for Maywood.
That night my little boy longed for his "real home."
Where do we long to be? Do we dream of a place called heaven? Is there where our heart is?
God loves us so much and He longs for us to be there with Him. He is not willing that any should perish - and yet, He commands us all to repent. (2 Peter 3:9, Acts 17:30) He sent His Son - His only Son to die for us. It is through Christ that we have hope an eternal home in heaven -- a place of sweet rest from all our labors and toils ... from all the heartaches this world has brought us.
If we love God enough to seek Him diligently - He will reward us with a home that will be so much sweeter than any place we have ever known! Jesus has told us there are many rooms in His Father's house. He has promised to come back for those who love Him as much as He has loved us - for those who will keep His commandments and live a life of love for Him.
Jesus also told us - "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-20)
See, if our treasure is our hope of heaven - if we long to be with God -- if we lay up our treasures - by loving and living for Him -- then no one can take that away from us! We must never give up. Peter tells us we are just sojourners and pilgrims here. He encourages us to live holy lives.
See this is our temporary home. We will either spend eternity in one place or another. Yet, as Christians we know where we want to be -- where we long to be. At our lowest point, "we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
(2 Corinthians 5:8) For we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, "our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)
Christ above all things,
Robin
"Home is where the heart is," also true for many .. your earthly residence may not be where your heart is .. you may actually feel more "at home" at another's residence.
And for some ... by Robert Frost. "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." from the "The Death of the Hired Hand" by Robert Frost.
If we have an earthly home to live in ... away from the elements .. a home to keep us warm .. a place to lay our heads at night. We should be eternally grateful - for many do not .. even in this country. And those of us who do should be ever mindful and ready to help those who don't. Remember "to whom much is given, much shall be required of him." (Luke 12:48) We just really need to be both more thankful and more helpful to those in need.
While my boys were growing up, I had the blessing of spending one week of the summer with them at Maywood Christian Camp. It is a place that has a piece of our hearts. We feel completely at home when we are there.
My youngest child has been able to attend Christian camp for at least part of the week every year of his life (even if it was just for one day). The year he was three was his first full week. It was an experience for both of us and one I will never forget.
When we stepped back into our cabin after supper that first night, he said "We're home!" For the first several days of the week, he did feel quite at home. He was busy playing all day, and being as young as he was, he had plenty of attention from the older children. However, after a few very full days, late nights and early mornings calls to "Rise and Shine," he was completely worn out.
We all have our limits -- even or maybe especially -- young children. It was either Wednesday or Thursday when he hit his limit. He was totally worn out and became weepy and cranky. To put it bluntly he was about to have a meltdown.
We were at the pavilion about to engage in the night's activities. But I knew we weren't going to make it through any of that. So I told my co-counselor we were going back to the cabin for an early night. I hoped to have him bathed and in bed asleep before anyone else came back to the cabin.
In an attempt to cheer him up I said, "Come on, let's go home." He brightened up immediately and came along with no complaint. But when we got back to the cabin and walked through the door it was a totally different story. I said, "OK, we're home." Aaron just fell down in the floor crying. He said, "No - no. Not this home. My real home. I want to go to my real home."
At that point I must admit I almost felt the same way. I remember this night very well because I felt so sorry for him. All I wanted to do was hold my baby and comfort him until he fell asleep which of course, is exactly what I did.
After a full night's sleep we both woke up feeling much better. I don't know if he even remembered the night before. He had just been exhausted. We made it through the rest of the week with no more meltdowns. And he still has a deep love for Maywood.
That night my little boy longed for his "real home."
Where do we long to be? Do we dream of a place called heaven? Is there where our heart is?
God loves us so much and He longs for us to be there with Him. He is not willing that any should perish - and yet, He commands us all to repent. (2 Peter 3:9, Acts 17:30) He sent His Son - His only Son to die for us. It is through Christ that we have hope an eternal home in heaven -- a place of sweet rest from all our labors and toils ... from all the heartaches this world has brought us.
If we love God enough to seek Him diligently - He will reward us with a home that will be so much sweeter than any place we have ever known! Jesus has told us there are many rooms in His Father's house. He has promised to come back for those who love Him as much as He has loved us - for those who will keep His commandments and live a life of love for Him.
Jesus also told us - "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-20)
See, if our treasure is our hope of heaven - if we long to be with God -- if we lay up our treasures - by loving and living for Him -- then no one can take that away from us! We must never give up. Peter tells us we are just sojourners and pilgrims here. He encourages us to live holy lives.
See this is our temporary home. We will either spend eternity in one place or another. Yet, as Christians we know where we want to be -- where we long to be. At our lowest point, "we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
(2 Corinthians 5:8) For we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, "our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)
Christ above all things,
Robin
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