What are you waiting for

Sadly most people live like the one who sees nothing. Many of us start our day wondering why we are doing what we are doing.  Where has our time gone.  I am almost 50!  What will happen to me as I age?  And then I see the bumper sticker that says, "Eternity.....Will that be Smoking or Non Smoking.  When we are challenged to this extent, there is a immediate response needed.  We will need to make a choice.  Will it be Door number 1,2,or 3.   We can choose Jesus and Faith,  we can ignore everything and leave it to fate, or we can join satan's demons and resist God.  Most people fall into the "we will just ignore and hope this goes away".  Please do not make this mistake.

Forgive

For most people forgiveness is something we do when the person who has offended no longer is in your company.  Why is it so easy to be angry at someone and so hard to forgive someone?  This morning I look at Jesus who gave us the perfect example of how to forgive.  Jesus was crucified and he had every reason to just think of himself.  I don't deserve this!  This is not my fault! I will get even!  I will forgive, but get out of my face!  You see when he suffered on the cross he could have, and with good reason kept to himself and deal with his misery.  Then as if his time was not worth anything, two others beside him start talking to and about him.  Who knows how much they said, but can't you just imagine them arguing about who Jesus was?  Here Jesus is suffering and these criminals suffering with him, debate about who Jesus is.  Every part of ME would scream out, "Leave me alone".  Why is it so hard  to forgive others who get dirt on our "clean floors".  If this is you and I know this is me, turn to Jesus.  For he not only asked God to "forgive them", the ones who nailed him to the cross, but also forgave the man who asked Jesus to remember him. He took the time from his suffering to look on another who deserved death and forgave him.  "Today you will be with me in paradise".  Brothers and Sisters let us always remember what Jesus did for us today!
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

"He Became Sin?"

I was once again singing this song in church and as always, it bothered me once again.  This verse has been taken out of context over and over again, and Satan is as always trying to undermine who Jesus really is. 1 Peter 2:22 says Jesus was sinless.  He committed no Sin.  John 5:18 says "Jesus was equal to God"  Is someone implying that Jesus became sin on the cross?  1 Peter 2:24 says he bore  our sins in his body as a sacrificial substitute for us.  This is a sacrificial system in the OT where the lamb was offered as a substitute to atone for our sins.  The lamb did not bear our sins itself (It was symbolic), but the shed blood of the lamb was offered as a sacrifice for atonement.  Hebrews 9:26 says "He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."  The sacrifice needed to be a unblemished spotless innocent lamb. 1Peter 1:9 states "but with the precious blood of the lamb without blemish or defect."  1John 3:5 "He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.  How silly is this idea that Jesus became sin?  First of all in Hebrews 13:8 we read "he is the same yesterday today and Forever"  If we can agree that God is Sinless, and does not change.......how did he become sin?  So...How did he become Sin in 1 Corinthians 5:21?  Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ.  The blood is the key ingredient, not our sins, or Jesus becoming sin. Isaiah  53:6 "the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of all" the Hebrew word for iniquity is "deed and consequences."  This verse is saying that Jesus paid the consequences for our sins as the blood sacrifice that was accepatable to God.  2 Corinthians 5:21, back to the verse.... The Greek Word here for Sin means "guilt"  Jesus was made guilty for us as our sacrifice and substitute.  Gal 3:13  "having become a curse for us"  Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."  The curse of the Law was its demands that no one could keep.  Jesus did what no man could do for themselves.  His work, not ours, removed the curse upon us because of our disobedience to the law.  He shed his blood as our substitute.  He was made to be guilty in our place.  He paid the price!  How foolish to think a Perfect sinless lamb of God, equal fully to God, a God who never changes, could have become Sin.
 

Your not the Man

From the scripture read in Numbers chapter 1. The script of life has already been written for me. I am not the main character in the story. Jesus is the main character. I do not need to rewrite the script of my life. One of the greatest lies of Satan tries to convince me that I need to write my script. What happens to me when I do this is a lot of times,someone else does the writing. Satan has a need to rewrite my script because God's script is the perfect story for my life. My story is always being hijacked by an enemy who wants to write a depressing ending to the story. All through the Bible we find that God lead his people through their story of life. Sometimes people strayed from their script for their life and needed correcting. Peter chopped off an ear, to change the outcome of Jesus' script. Jesus said "don't do that Peter", and put the ear back on. Changing the script of peter's story and following through on his script, stopped Satan from changing the outcome. I need to realize that Jesus knows who I really am, not who I think I am. I am free from the "work" of writing my story. It is up to me to start living my script, which is to glorify God! I do not get to choose my script. The story of my life isn't cheaply created. The story of my life is mastered by my creator who knows what is best for my life. I do not get to avoid trials and temptations, because they will come. I can prepare for what life throws at me, because I believe God has the perfect ending to my story. If I look to Christ, my Savior,and give up my desire to live and write my own script, he will straighten my path. I am not the director. I am just a reflector so his light can shine back on Him. His word will be a lamp to my feet. Stop being the director and be a Reflector!

New Year. New Beginning. New Hope.

Many people will spend the first few hours of new years, contemplating the past year, and coming up with some new year resolutions to make themselves feel better.  In fact this very act is contrary to what Paul taught us in Philippians 3:13,Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on towards the goal.(NIV). I started thinking about what is so easy for us to take hold of.  We hang on to the past, not just by the memories we have, but also how the year went for us. I often find myself regretting things I did, or did not do.  I look at what could have been, or what should have been.  Base on our shortcomings we make a correction early in the new year and resolve that we will do better in the new year.  But what is the Apostle Paul saying when he says "Forgetting what is Behind"  I believe Jesus always looked ahead.  Our goal in 2012 should not be about changing what we did wrong in 2011, but what will I do for Him in 2012.  I will press on towards the goal, and prize. "My 2012 may very well be nothing 2011 had anything to do about" 

Some one should buy this thing!

HHH parts two and three

Not at all where I was going with last post.......haha .  I kind of got carried away there.  Hockey is on us (second H)  Jayms is playing on Interlake's City Midget Team.  He always amazes us on his ability to overcome.  His determination to be on this team was something to be admired.  It has not been easy as towards the end of tryouts suffered a lower back injury, he has no idea how it started. But sitting out a couple of weeks was really hard for him.  We have been taking him to physio a couple days a week, and he has learned to play with some discomfort in his thigh.  His lower back has improved, but he still needs regular massage therapy to be able to play relatively without pain.  So with the size and speed of the game it is necessary for him to play "smart" . This is how he has gotten here.  So many players can skate and Hit....but have no idea where they are?  Jayms knows the game and understands it better than most.  He is getting a regular shift and plays on the powerplay.  Our team is struggling, and may not win many games this year, and so points are hard to come by, but I am very proud of my Son!