Our God has a history of delivering His people:
He delivered Adam & Eve from immediate death
He delivered Noah and his family from the flood
He delivered Rahab from destruction
He delivered David from King Saul
He delivered Samson from his foolish pride
He delivered Esther from poverty and brought her to royalty
He delivered Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego from the fire
He delivered Daniel from the mouth of the lions
He delivered Luke from life as a mere doctor
He delivered Paul from a life of misguided murder
He delivered Peter from a career that wouldn't save anyone
He has delivered you and me from bondage, depression, addiction, the choices of our pasts, our sin and a future without hope. He is our Deliverer!
It started here on earth in a stable, but led to a cross that provided the ultimate deliverance for us-will you accept it? Will you throw off the chains of captivity and let the King of Kings set you free to follow Him?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Who Jesus Came For
I read this as part of our decision time yesterday and wanted to share it here. It is not my own work, but is borrowed from something Rick Warren wrote a while back.
In my study of the Gospels, I made a list of the people Jesus came for:
Jesus came for the chewed up, crossed off, crying out
The dropped out, edged out, fizzled out, and freaked out
The have-nots, the held back, hung over, and knocked around
He came for the left out, the loaded down, and looked over
The locked up, led astray, laid off and let down
The messed up and the mixed up.
He came for the passed over, the picked on, put down, pinned down and pushed around
The ripped off, the run down and the run over.
Jesus came for people who are screwed up and the shrugged off
The shut in and shut out
The smashed up, the stacked against, and strung out.
Our Savior came for the torn up, thrown away, and the turned off
Those who used up and walked over
The washed out, the worn out, the wiped out, and the written off.
He came for you. And me.
In my study of the Gospels, I made a list of the people Jesus came for:
Jesus came for the chewed up, crossed off, crying out
The dropped out, edged out, fizzled out, and freaked out
The have-nots, the held back, hung over, and knocked around
He came for the left out, the loaded down, and looked over
The locked up, led astray, laid off and let down
The messed up and the mixed up.
He came for the passed over, the picked on, put down, pinned down and pushed around
The ripped off, the run down and the run over.
Jesus came for people who are screwed up and the shrugged off
The shut in and shut out
The smashed up, the stacked against, and strung out.
Our Savior came for the torn up, thrown away, and the turned off
Those who used up and walked over
The washed out, the worn out, the wiped out, and the written off.
He came for you. And me.
Monday, December 6, 2010
On Your Mark
In Galatians 6:17, Paul states that he bears on his body the marks of Jesus. In this context, he is acknowledging the physical beatings that he has endured for the cause of Christ. If we were to see Paul in this time the evidence of his conviction to follow Christ would be visible to us.
I read this and wonder where my "marks of Jesus" are. Can I even see what they are? We don't suffer physically here in America for our beliefs as our brothers & sisters around the world do, so our marks must show up in different ways. Is it through our finances? The time we spend with our families seeking God's will for us? The sources of media that we allow to either pollute or enrich our minds each day? The enmity or true forgiveness that we feel towards those that have wronged us? The unconditional love that we share with our children, spouse and family members? Our desire (and corresponding actions) to help a world without Christ find deliverance and salvation?
I have to stop and ask myself the personal question. Is God truly leaving on impact on my life that is evident to other people? I desire to have those "marks" in my life-for it to be plainly known and seen that my life belongs to Christ. I may not have them yet, but I pray that my passionate desire for them may be the beginning.
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
I read this and wonder where my "marks of Jesus" are. Can I even see what they are? We don't suffer physically here in America for our beliefs as our brothers & sisters around the world do, so our marks must show up in different ways. Is it through our finances? The time we spend with our families seeking God's will for us? The sources of media that we allow to either pollute or enrich our minds each day? The enmity or true forgiveness that we feel towards those that have wronged us? The unconditional love that we share with our children, spouse and family members? Our desire (and corresponding actions) to help a world without Christ find deliverance and salvation?
I have to stop and ask myself the personal question. Is God truly leaving on impact on my life that is evident to other people? I desire to have those "marks" in my life-for it to be plainly known and seen that my life belongs to Christ. I may not have them yet, but I pray that my passionate desire for them may be the beginning.
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
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