It was a dark and stormy night aboard a cargo ship in the Irish sea. Eight men on board a vessel containing 3 tons of limestone...when the hull cracks and they begin to take on water. A 2:00 am mayday call was sent out and area ships answered to provide shelter for survivors. The men donned their immersion suits with strobe lights and found themselves in the chilly waters off the coast of Holyhead Wales.
The Royal Air Force sent a rescue helicopter with a crew of four to the scene of waves, winds and wondered...how many would they save? Out of the eight, two were airlifted to safety aboard. The difficulty was described as, "challenging at best."
What amazed me most about this exciting news story was that there was royalty on that helicopter. The Prince William himself was copilot for that mission. I wondered, did the rescued men recognize him during all the tension? Did they realize who was on board with them? I doubt they knew until afterwards, with a hot mug of tea and warm dry clothes on...someone let them know that the man who would someday be King of England had risked his life to come to their rescue.
How do you think those two men felt? Do you think they were amazed that he would step into that danger to save them? Why would Prince William risk his life for another? I wonder...
I have a message for you dear reader. Have you got your warm mug of tea and a blanket around you? There is a storm brewing out there in the world. Do you have that sinking feeling that your job is not going to save you, your friends are not able to save and you don't even have the strength to save yourself?
When you send your mayday call, make sure it's to the One who can rescue you. And don't expect Prince William to fly in on his RAF Helicopter and lower a basket!
Two thousand years ago God stepped out of His throne room and onto this earth as a man called Jesus. He came to earth to save us all from a death that no one should suffer from. It is nothing we can do ourselves to save us. Every time a person prays to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, another soul is plucked from the storm of sin. Are you still treading water dear reader? How much longer do you think you can do this all on your own? Do not waste a moment to send out your own SOS (save one soul) prayer to God and He will.
How do I know that? Because I myself am a witness to my own rescue...and it was no "man who someday would be king"...it was Christ who IS KING!
I wonder...who do you say that Jesus is?
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Hard Way
The easy way out is never easy in the end. You always have to play some kind of catch-up or pay a huge fee of some kind.
My Dad always says, "Do the hard stuff first." Then you could take it a bit easier as you get older. That wisdom is true for schooling, work and even taking care of your health.
Instead of taking a year off before starting college, jump in with both feet--work through summer school and finish early. Even some high schools have ways to dual enroll in college--that way your two year degree is free!
Instead of waiting by the phone and computer for that job to pop up after sending out hundreds of resumes, volunteer in your field and do all the hard work. It builds up your experience, gets your mind off the wait, and you might catch some employer's eye with your dedication.
Start the day with something healthy instead of a doughnut or sugar bombs. By 10:00am your body will thank you by not crashing and you can reward it with a healthy snack before lunch. Avoid elevators and close parking spots--make those legs work harder and you'll have more energy by the end of the day, and a healthier heart in your 50's.
Taking the harder road is normally best these days, especially with all the time-saving, sweat sparing gadgets out there. Someone is always ready to take your money in exchange for the amount of time it might take you to work and get a better result.
The discipline muscle is the hardest and also the most rewarding part of your self to exercise. If you can conquer that, you will win whenever your body or emotions whine to pull over and take the easy escalator to what you think is the next level.
There is One who is the model of discipline. His name is Jesus and He knew what obedience of the will was all about. Even as a child, He hit the books. Later on a trip to Jerusalem, His parents found Him in the temple--debating scripture with rabbis when He was 12. There was no begging for sight-seeing jaunts to the pyramids or the camel farm! (Luke 2:41-52)
When He stepped up to the challenge God had for Him, He went toe-to-toe with the devil himself and won. (Matthew 4:1-11)
And even in the garden, when His path was clearly laid out for the cross and Death was near, He prayed to God, "Not my will but Yours." (Luke 22:39-46)
Think about it. The only time God ever asks you to take the easy road is in accepting His gift of His son's sacrifice on the cross for your sins. Because there is no amount of schooling, overtime hours or strenuous physical activity you can do to attain that forgiveness.
The hard stuff was already done by Christ. The only difficult part left to do is accept the free gift He offers. And to some, that seems too easy to believe.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
My Dad always says, "Do the hard stuff first." Then you could take it a bit easier as you get older. That wisdom is true for schooling, work and even taking care of your health.
Instead of taking a year off before starting college, jump in with both feet--work through summer school and finish early. Even some high schools have ways to dual enroll in college--that way your two year degree is free!
Instead of waiting by the phone and computer for that job to pop up after sending out hundreds of resumes, volunteer in your field and do all the hard work. It builds up your experience, gets your mind off the wait, and you might catch some employer's eye with your dedication.
Start the day with something healthy instead of a doughnut or sugar bombs. By 10:00am your body will thank you by not crashing and you can reward it with a healthy snack before lunch. Avoid elevators and close parking spots--make those legs work harder and you'll have more energy by the end of the day, and a healthier heart in your 50's.
Taking the harder road is normally best these days, especially with all the time-saving, sweat sparing gadgets out there. Someone is always ready to take your money in exchange for the amount of time it might take you to work and get a better result.
The discipline muscle is the hardest and also the most rewarding part of your self to exercise. If you can conquer that, you will win whenever your body or emotions whine to pull over and take the easy escalator to what you think is the next level.
There is One who is the model of discipline. His name is Jesus and He knew what obedience of the will was all about. Even as a child, He hit the books. Later on a trip to Jerusalem, His parents found Him in the temple--debating scripture with rabbis when He was 12. There was no begging for sight-seeing jaunts to the pyramids or the camel farm! (Luke 2:41-52)
When He stepped up to the challenge God had for Him, He went toe-to-toe with the devil himself and won. (Matthew 4:1-11)
And even in the garden, when His path was clearly laid out for the cross and Death was near, He prayed to God, "Not my will but Yours." (Luke 22:39-46)
Think about it. The only time God ever asks you to take the easy road is in accepting His gift of His son's sacrifice on the cross for your sins. Because there is no amount of schooling, overtime hours or strenuous physical activity you can do to attain that forgiveness.
The hard stuff was already done by Christ. The only difficult part left to do is accept the free gift He offers. And to some, that seems too easy to believe.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Friday, January 01, 2010
GPS
I went to the door to welcome hubby home the other evening. The dog was barking frantically and when I opened the front door and looked outside I could see why. There was a strange car just closing it's doors and quickly pulling out of our driveway. My hubby came walking up the sidewalk with lunchbox, papers, and a puzzled look on his face.
He said, "That was weird."
I said, "Why, who was that?"
"I dunno," he said.
"So some strangers drove into our yard and then left?"
"Yeah, that's it in a nutshell."
Then he told me the part I missed. He said when he drove into the yard, the car followed him, turned around and an older lady got out of the car smiling. He greeted her.
Then the driver, a younger lady, got out of the car, took one look at my hubby and said, "Omigosh! We followed the wrong van!!"
They apologized and promptly got back in their car to drive away.
I can only imagine the panic that ensued inside that car. We had no idea how long they had followed him. He commutes home from work about 30 minutes every evening. He didn't notice when they started following him, just when they turned on to our street.
I hope they had a cell phone and could call a friend for help. I hope they made it to their final destination with no problem. I bet this was the last straw and that driver buys a GPS soon.
In January you can't land on a tv channel without hearing someone and their Top 10 of 2009 or a synopsis of the last decade. There were a lot of rough spots and calamities. You could say that a lot of people might've been lost and didn't know it until they arrived at where they thought they were supposed to be.
Are you one of those people?
Did you find yourself with a fancy hybrid car that had payments that could've been mortgage payments in the 80's? Or has that college degree not really prepared you for the job you dreamed of and you need a few more years of study? Or maybe you are getting ready to downsize to a smaller home because the mortgage was too costly for a family that suddenly has one income... Or did a phone call change your life suddenly one dark night?
Do you feel like the guy who got lost in on a country backroad, stopped to ask for directions and listened with dread as the local guy scratched his head and said, "Sorry bub, you can't get there from here."
Now what do you do?
Can I make a suggestion? Yeah, you can see that pitch coming...you need a GPS. And I don't mean a Garmin or Magellan. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It's a device in your car that talks to a satellite up in space, and the satellite beams back an answer of where you are, where you could go and how to get where you want to go.
What do you think God's GPS is? His Word, the Bible! If you take the time to really read the Bible, it has a ton of wisdom learned from people who have "been there, done that, got the t-shirt and don't ever want to travel that road again!" It also has directions on how to get where you want to be.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. Proverbs 16:16
But most of all the Bible has the thing that people need the most: GPS, or God's Plan for Salvation.
Dear readers, in this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33) There's no way around it. But when you have accepted God's plan for salvation, you have something better than any Garmin or Magellan on a dashboard. You have the Holy Spirit who will counsel and be your "driver".
When you confess your need for Jesus, pray for His forgiveness and turn your life over to Him, you will have a new life, you are "reborn". And He deposits within you the Holy Spirit who is your link, your satellite connection to God, for an eternity.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:16-17
So how about it? Are you ready for the trip of your life? Do you want to be sure of your final destination? Just remember: Jesus is The Way.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
He said, "That was weird."
I said, "Why, who was that?"
"I dunno," he said.
"So some strangers drove into our yard and then left?"
"Yeah, that's it in a nutshell."
Then he told me the part I missed. He said when he drove into the yard, the car followed him, turned around and an older lady got out of the car smiling. He greeted her.
Then the driver, a younger lady, got out of the car, took one look at my hubby and said, "Omigosh! We followed the wrong van!!"
They apologized and promptly got back in their car to drive away.
I can only imagine the panic that ensued inside that car. We had no idea how long they had followed him. He commutes home from work about 30 minutes every evening. He didn't notice when they started following him, just when they turned on to our street.
I hope they had a cell phone and could call a friend for help. I hope they made it to their final destination with no problem. I bet this was the last straw and that driver buys a GPS soon.
In January you can't land on a tv channel without hearing someone and their Top 10 of 2009 or a synopsis of the last decade. There were a lot of rough spots and calamities. You could say that a lot of people might've been lost and didn't know it until they arrived at where they thought they were supposed to be.
Are you one of those people?
Did you find yourself with a fancy hybrid car that had payments that could've been mortgage payments in the 80's? Or has that college degree not really prepared you for the job you dreamed of and you need a few more years of study? Or maybe you are getting ready to downsize to a smaller home because the mortgage was too costly for a family that suddenly has one income... Or did a phone call change your life suddenly one dark night?
Do you feel like the guy who got lost in on a country backroad, stopped to ask for directions and listened with dread as the local guy scratched his head and said, "Sorry bub, you can't get there from here."
Now what do you do?
Can I make a suggestion? Yeah, you can see that pitch coming...you need a GPS. And I don't mean a Garmin or Magellan. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It's a device in your car that talks to a satellite up in space, and the satellite beams back an answer of where you are, where you could go and how to get where you want to go.
What do you think God's GPS is? His Word, the Bible! If you take the time to really read the Bible, it has a ton of wisdom learned from people who have "been there, done that, got the t-shirt and don't ever want to travel that road again!" It also has directions on how to get where you want to be.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. Proverbs 16:16
But most of all the Bible has the thing that people need the most: GPS, or God's Plan for Salvation.
Dear readers, in this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33) There's no way around it. But when you have accepted God's plan for salvation, you have something better than any Garmin or Magellan on a dashboard. You have the Holy Spirit who will counsel and be your "driver".
When you confess your need for Jesus, pray for His forgiveness and turn your life over to Him, you will have a new life, you are "reborn". And He deposits within you the Holy Spirit who is your link, your satellite connection to God, for an eternity.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:16-17
So how about it? Are you ready for the trip of your life? Do you want to be sure of your final destination? Just remember: Jesus is The Way.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Grace Happens
I cannot imagine how people feel in the gulf cities of Texas and Louisiana right now. Yet another hurricane beat a path to their door with water, wind and tornados nearly a week ago. Lovely coastlines were erased, boats were drydocked in asphalt parking lots and cars were moored in murky water.
And the people, they are everywhere except where they want to be. Those that evacuated are trying to get home, while those who remained at home are cutting holes in their attics to be rescued from their rooftops.
And I sit in amazement at the whim of the wind.
"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going..." John 3:8a (NAS)
We thought we would be the ones boarding up the windows and evacuating to the North. Who is to say why God diverted this storm from our coast? Some wonder why God even allows hurricanes.
...for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. Matthew 5:45b (NAS)
"How can a loving God allow bad things to happen at all?"
I hear that more and more every day. From the mother of a sick child, the grandson of a man killed by a drunk driver, a teacher in shock after a student's suicide, a woman after her first miscarriage...
It rings in my ears and I have to ask God, "Why?"
And He seems to answer with the wind, the rain, and the alarm on the weather radio. But I wait for that still, small voice that is steady against the static of chaos.
So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; {but} the LORD {was} not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, {but} the LORD {was} not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, {but} the LORD {was} not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NAS)
The world will keep spinning on it's axis, people will continue to be human and God will still love us--no matter what we do or say to each other.
In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus talked of calamaties happening and questioned some people about whether the victims had this happen because of their sins.
He said, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (NAS)
It wasn't about whether the bad thing that happened was because of being bad or good. That was not the point. The point was whether or not they were right with God. Repent means to make a U-turn. (God might've been a terrible traffic cop--He allows U-Turns all the time!)
If tragedy happens, are you ready to come face to face with the possibility of death?
Tomorrow it might be a freak accident, a hurricane or just plain old age catching up with us. We never really know when it's time. But there is one thing we can be sure of, and that's if we've made our peace with God and His son Jesus. (This is one thing you don't want to procrastinate about.)
You don't have to get right first, because He's the one that makes it right. It's no change that we can make on our own. He gives us grace-total unmerited favor-while we're in our guilt!
So tell me, when you see that storm on the horizon, or feel the punch of your airbag, do you know for sure where you'll be for eternity?
"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. "Two women {will be} grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:37-42 (NAS)
My prayer is not a kind one. I pray that you are restless until you have made a decision for Christ. Consider it a dose of holy insomnia my friend. I care about your soul.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NAS)
If you want more information, check out the book of John in your Bible...or ask a Christian friend.
But don't stop until you get the answer you need.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Revelation 22:21 (NLT)
And the people, they are everywhere except where they want to be. Those that evacuated are trying to get home, while those who remained at home are cutting holes in their attics to be rescued from their rooftops.
And I sit in amazement at the whim of the wind.
"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going..." John 3:8a (NAS)
We thought we would be the ones boarding up the windows and evacuating to the North. Who is to say why God diverted this storm from our coast? Some wonder why God even allows hurricanes.
...for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. Matthew 5:45b (NAS)
"How can a loving God allow bad things to happen at all?"
I hear that more and more every day. From the mother of a sick child, the grandson of a man killed by a drunk driver, a teacher in shock after a student's suicide, a woman after her first miscarriage...
It rings in my ears and I have to ask God, "Why?"
And He seems to answer with the wind, the rain, and the alarm on the weather radio. But I wait for that still, small voice that is steady against the static of chaos.
So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; {but} the LORD {was} not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, {but} the LORD {was} not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, {but} the LORD {was} not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NAS)
The world will keep spinning on it's axis, people will continue to be human and God will still love us--no matter what we do or say to each other.
In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus talked of calamaties happening and questioned some people about whether the victims had this happen because of their sins.
He said, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (NAS)
It wasn't about whether the bad thing that happened was because of being bad or good. That was not the point. The point was whether or not they were right with God. Repent means to make a U-turn. (God might've been a terrible traffic cop--He allows U-Turns all the time!)
If tragedy happens, are you ready to come face to face with the possibility of death?
Tomorrow it might be a freak accident, a hurricane or just plain old age catching up with us. We never really know when it's time. But there is one thing we can be sure of, and that's if we've made our peace with God and His son Jesus. (This is one thing you don't want to procrastinate about.)
You don't have to get right first, because He's the one that makes it right. It's no change that we can make on our own. He gives us grace-total unmerited favor-while we're in our guilt!
So tell me, when you see that storm on the horizon, or feel the punch of your airbag, do you know for sure where you'll be for eternity?
"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. "Two women {will be} grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:37-42 (NAS)
My prayer is not a kind one. I pray that you are restless until you have made a decision for Christ. Consider it a dose of holy insomnia my friend. I care about your soul.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NAS)
If you want more information, check out the book of John in your Bible...or ask a Christian friend.
But don't stop until you get the answer you need.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Revelation 22:21 (NLT)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Boot
I am humbly acquiescing to my ankle doctor. It seems that sprains need immediate attention. They do not thrive on neglect and activity. They will continue to change color and swell no matter how high you elevate, no matter how much ice you pack on and no matter how expertly you wrap your ace bandage. I was missing one gizmo, the boot. It seems it was the continual flexing of my foot that was re-injuring the damaged tendons and ligaments. The boot keeps the foot in a rigid environment so it is impossible to flex your foot. (It also gives me a kind of a pirate-y gait. Arg!)
I thought I had enough knowledge after suffering a sprain several years ago. I went immediately to the ER and they wrapped my ankle, gave me lovely crutches (that only endangered me more) and painkillers. So with this last graceful trip and sprain, I thought I knew how to take care of it myself. I didn’t realize I was going to prolong my recovery.
How interesting it is to see people self-diagnosing their own spiritual injuries. A pastor trips and falls into sin, and his flock disbands. A close Christian friend lies to you and suddenly all Christians are hypocrites and church is out of the question. Or maybe we dabble in astrology and crystals and we rely on yoga to bring us inner peace…only to find ourselves still hurting, still bruised or our problem swells to unimaginable sizes. We need an absolute truth that will not give in with pressure from the world—like a splint, the Bible will prop up our life.
If you haven’t taken care of this issue, I cannot stress enough the importance of taking care of it today. Like a sprain, spiritual issues get worse with time and take longer to heal if neglected.
Is it time to make an appointment with the Great Physician in prayer? Have you any unforgiveness you’re holding inside that’s knocked you off balance? How about any unconfessed sin eating away at you? Have you ever really accepted Jesus, or just assumed you were on the right track to heaven anyway because you’re a nice person? It’s time for your spiritual check up. Make sure you’re not hobbling around on your own makeshift solution for eternity my friend. (Romans 8:31-39)
A simple prayer like this one might be just what the Doctor ordered:
Father God, I’m sick and need your healing. I need to help with forgiveness and unconfessed sin. I know that you can handle my baggage that has hindered my walk in life so far. The things that I’ve tried to fix have done more harm than good. I believe you sent your son Jesus to save me and I want to ask Him to come heal my life. Thank you Jesus, for saving me.. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, it’s time to follow God’s prescription. Find a local church that’s not afraid of Bible study and believes Jesus Christ is God’s son. Daily doses of prayer and scripture and fellowship with his people will do a world of good for a lifetime of neglect. (Don't forget, a church is like a hospital. There will be others there, seeking healing--so don't expect perfection!)
Welcome to the family, and keep giving sin and unforgiveness the boot! (Romans 8:1-2)
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