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Posts Tagged ‘Christ’

Evidence of the Truth?

07 Jun

(1Th 2:13h 2:13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.  

WP-Bible plugin)  “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

We are living in a time and place in history when the assumption of truth and acceptance of what was assumed to be true cannot be taken for granted.  Assuming the beliefs of those who raised you or blind acceptance of truth is not good enough to survive in a world that is built to contradict what we believe in God’s Word as absolute truth.  The church in general today has not been geared for a very long time to answer the “how” and “why” questions that must be answered in order to arrive at a conclusion that there is a God, the Bible is God’s Word, salvation comes through Jesus Christ, and ultimately there is such a thing as absolute truth.

“Doing church” today is more of a lifestyle add-on to the rest of our lives rather than a life of community generated from regenerated lives anchored in truth.  Does the truth “work” in us?  Do we actually believe the truth enough to allow it to change our lives?  The phrase “effectually worketh” comes from the Greek word “energeo” from which we get our English word energy.  The gospel came to you and me because someone in the past believed the truth enough to lay their life down for it.  History is full of examples of what God can do in the life of a person who is energized by truth.  The effectual working of the truth will cause you to abandon every superficial pursuit.  It will motivate you to make decisions that are aligned with God but out of alignment with the world.  It will create a life that despises “doing church” as a lifestyle and replace it with a love for the Church because Christ is the center and source of life.

Renewed Thought – If someone looked at your life, could they see the evidence that you actually believed in the truth of God’s Word?

 
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Today’s Slice: In the House of Friends by Jill Carattini

08 May

How do you forgive when 142 members of your family have been brutally murdered through systematic genocide?  We have a hard time forgiving just one person at a time.  Forgiveness for most of us tends to be based on conditions – “if you do this, or stop doing that, then I’ll forgive you.”  Ravi Zacharias’ daily “A Slice of Infinity” shows how Christ is the only answer to forgiveness when there is nothing someone can do to earn it.

Today’s Slice: In the House of Friends by Jill Carattini.

 
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Unity In Suffering, Unity In Glory

05 May

(Rom 8:22Rom 8:22
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. the...: or, every creature  

WP-Bible plugin) “‘For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

The great universal unity today is the experience of sorrow.  All of nature is experiencing the agony of sin.  The word “groaneth” comes from the Greek word sustenazō which means “to moan jointly, that is, (figuratively) experience a common calamity.” The word travail gives us the idea there is much suffering.  You and I don’t need any other verse to explain that.  While we try to put on a brave face and sustain the illusion that “everything is okay,” inwardly we all go through the private suffering common to all creation.  Whether we watch our loved ones suffer in a hospital bed or live with hurt ourselves, no one is exempt.

But there is another side of this travailing.  In John 16:21John 16:21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  

WP-Bible plugin we see that:  “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.”  Travail also means deliverance is coming but has not yet arrived.  The fact that we are surrounded by suffering means that we are still living in this parenthesis we call the Dispensation of Grace.  While we suffer together, we can also rest in the assurance that we are not yet living in our final deliverance!  There is a day coming when all of creation will be liberated.  Our unity in suffering will be transformed into unity in glory!  Together we will one day stand before the throne of God free from the groaning and travailing, free from the sickness and sorry, free from the presence of sin and death.

Renewed Thought – No matter what happens in your body today, no matter what the doctor tells you, no matter what you fear – if you are in Christ everything will be alright.

 
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And There Shall Be No More Curse

04 May

(Romans 8:21Romans 8:21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

WP-Bible plugin)  “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Seven words in Revelation 22:3Revelation 22:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  

WP-Bible plugin give us one of the greatest promises and proclamations in all eternity:  “And there shall be no more curse:…”  There is a day coming when nature will no longer be bound to the natural.  The chains of slavery binding all of creation to the decay of sin will be loosed and liberty will be proclaimed.  The long awaited cry will ring out from the mountains across the valleys of this world – “You are free!  You’ve been delivered!  Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!”

The very word “nature” will be redefined as all that was created for the enjoyment and glory of God finally fulfills its intended purpose.  Conflicts in the elements will be stabilized and the earth will be settled by the peace and presence of God.

Earthquakes will cease – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

Angry floods will be finished – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

Vicious hurricanes will no longer cause worry – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

Animals will live in peace – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

We shall be like Him – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

One day all creation will experience the same freedom in Christ that we’ve been given right now.  Our duty is to demonstrate the deliverance we have from the penalty and power of sin.

Renewed Thought – When your world seems to be falling apart today, cling to the promise of deliverance from the presence of sin – “And there shall be no more curse:…”

 
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Waiting For Opening Night

28 Apr

(Rom 8:19Rom 8:19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  

WP-Bible plugin)  “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

Have you ever been to the opening night performance of a play or musical?  Recently, my oldest daughter was one of the lead actors in the musical “Meet Me In St. Louis.”  For months the cast practiced long hours.  At the same time, the sets were built and the costumes were tailored.  The excitement and anticipation built as our family became involved (consumed?) in helping with various needs.  The week leading up to the opening night was filled with dress rehearsals.  But these rehearsals were “closed.”  That meant I wasn’t allowed to watch as the finishing touches were put on the performance.  Because I never saw the completed product, I attended opening night as an excited parent and spectator.  I can’t tell you how awesome it was to see the curtain finally drawn back and the finished sets, costumes and actors put on a display that was great beyond words.

Today, we are the finished work of Christ!  Today, we live in a body that covers the glorious work of God in our spirit and soul.  Our outer shell experiences suffering as it faces the effects of a fallen creation.  But the real you, the part of you that has been made complete in Christ, stands behind a veil waiting for that moment when God will throw open the curtain and put us on display as the new creation without the shroud of pain and suffering.  Live for that “opening night” and focus on what is “behind the curtain.”  It’s the eager anticipation of what is coming that helps us through this dress rehearsal we call “life.”

Renewed Thought – Who is on center-stage in your life today – you or Christ?

 
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