My kids and I love to go and watch my husband's football practice. One of the things I have noticed is when my husband says something once you listen, but if he says it twice you better make sure and do it. Much like when I am at home...when I something once it is important, but if I have to say it twice, the momma train is coming choo choo!
Therefore, if Jesus, the son of God, says something once it is important, but if He says it twice, you might want to put down all other things listen, take notes, and put what he says into action. Well, I was reading in Matthew at the different times Jesus was dealing with the Pharisees. In Matthew 9:13 Jesus is talking to the Pharisees after they asked the question, "why does your teacher eat with such scum?" Jesus replies with, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy not offer sacrifices.'
Then when the Pharisees questioned Jesus about picking grain on the Sabbath. He answered with, ..."But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'
Ok Jesus you have my attention: "show mercy not offer sacrifices." As I was trying to figure out what that scripture meant I was reminded of something Jesus said in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7. "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgement day many will say to me, 'Lord! we prophesied in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply 'I never knew you..."
Oh the things we do in His name. We do so many things in His name aka offer sacrifices...
-In His name I told that group of people they were going to hell because they were gay
-In His name I have never touched a drop of alcohol and condemn those who do
-In His name I told someone exactly what I thought of them
-In His name I picketed in front of the abortion clinic yelling at the girls going in
-In His name I voted Republican all across the board
-In His name I told someone they needed to get their act together before going to church
We do a lot of things IN HIS NAME....but doesn't reflect HIS HEART. We can speak truth, but Jesus says he came to speak Grace and Truth (John 1:14). You can speak truth but if you do not show love...it is worth nothing. You can stand up for the things of Christ but if you do not show love...it is worth nothing. You can offer sacrifices but if you do not show mercy and love...it is worth nothing.
Alright Jesus you have my attention, but knowing me...you may have to say it again:)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Just Do It
Nike commercial? Nope just my son. Every morning my kids have their stations that complete before going to school. The usual stuff: get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, make bed, and bible time. The one that gets my youngest son (Case, 3) is making his bed. Every morning he says, "Mom, can you help make my bed?" I will say yes and begin to help him. He, in turns, starts playing catch with himself, kicking the ball, anything except help make the bed. I say, "Case, you need to help me make your bed." And he replies, "Mom, can you Just Do It?"
You see, in my son's mind helping him means just doing it for him. We live in a world where we want God to just do it...come down to the world, live a perfect life, die a painful death on the cross, and raise 3 days later from the dead. That's all...just do it. We want to do nothing, give nothing, sacrifice nothing. Although he did do what we couldn't do for ourselves, he died a death we should of died, he did do all that needed to be done for us to be saved from an eternity without him...He still asks us to do one thing: Give Him US!
Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
I am reading a book right now that is so awesome and rocking my world. It's called Not a Fan.
I highly recommend it! It talks about how so many people are simply just fans of Jesus, but not really followers. They want just enough to Jesus to save them from hell, but not too much where they have to change their lifestyle or mess with their daily living. In other words, want Jesus just to do it and we say thanks...we will see you in heaven. No! Jesus said we take up our cross and follow him every day. We turn from our selfish ways and follow him every day.
James 2:26 says it this way, "Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." We can not have a faith in Jesus without doing something. We don't do great things to get to heaven, we do great things because we get to go to heaven.
Living in the house of a coach, I know there are so many kids out there who have so much God-given talent, but never reach their full potential because they want someone else Just to do it. They want someone else to run the sprints, lift the weights, learn the plays, do the sacrifice so that they can just play football. They don't understand....they have been given a gift now go use it, exercise it, sacrifice for it!!
We have been given a God-given gift through Jesus...now my challenge is to go use it, exercise it, and sacrifice it! When you accepted Christ as your savior the Bible says, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
What will you do in the name of Christ today?
You see, in my son's mind helping him means just doing it for him. We live in a world where we want God to just do it...come down to the world, live a perfect life, die a painful death on the cross, and raise 3 days later from the dead. That's all...just do it. We want to do nothing, give nothing, sacrifice nothing. Although he did do what we couldn't do for ourselves, he died a death we should of died, he did do all that needed to be done for us to be saved from an eternity without him...He still asks us to do one thing: Give Him US!
Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
I am reading a book right now that is so awesome and rocking my world. It's called Not a Fan.
I highly recommend it! It talks about how so many people are simply just fans of Jesus, but not really followers. They want just enough to Jesus to save them from hell, but not too much where they have to change their lifestyle or mess with their daily living. In other words, want Jesus just to do it and we say thanks...we will see you in heaven. No! Jesus said we take up our cross and follow him every day. We turn from our selfish ways and follow him every day.
James 2:26 says it this way, "Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." We can not have a faith in Jesus without doing something. We don't do great things to get to heaven, we do great things because we get to go to heaven.
Living in the house of a coach, I know there are so many kids out there who have so much God-given talent, but never reach their full potential because they want someone else Just to do it. They want someone else to run the sprints, lift the weights, learn the plays, do the sacrifice so that they can just play football. They don't understand....they have been given a gift now go use it, exercise it, sacrifice for it!!
We have been given a God-given gift through Jesus...now my challenge is to go use it, exercise it, and sacrifice it! When you accepted Christ as your savior the Bible says, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
What will you do in the name of Christ today?
Monday, August 13, 2012
Put me in Coach...
I am going to need everyone to sing along....Put me in Coach, I am ready to play (clap clap) today (clap clap). Look at me..I can be center field. Oh how I love this song because it is about a kid who wants to play so bad, he would rather play the worst position on the field (when it comes to little league) just so He can be in the game. Whatever it takes, whatever you need I will do it because that's what you need, coach. I have been married to a coach long enough to know that every coach wants the heart of this little leaguer to be in every kid that he coaches. Why is Rudy one of the greatest sports movies of all time? Because Rudy had this kind of heart, the heart that said "I will get my face pounded every week to make the team better just so I can be on the team." We serve our head coach, God himself, that is searching for these hearts to be on His Team. He searching for the hearts not the talented. He searching for the hearts not the gifted. He searching for the hearts not the experienced.
We learn from Isaiah how it works...
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Who should I send and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."
Just like our little baseball player, I can see Isaiah jumping up and down saying "Put me in coach! I am ready to play, I will do whatever you need. Wherever there is a need I will serve. Wherever there is a need I will pray, wherever there is a need I will encourage. Look at me...I can even play center field.
The first thing we learn from Isaiah is we have to be in the presence of God to overhear the desires of God. We must be in seeking God through His Word, through His Church, and through prayer.
The second thing we learn from Isaiah is there is no "But" after He says, Yes!
He doesn't say, "Yes I will but I wont say that. Yes I will but I wont go there. Yes I will but just not now. He just wants us to say Yes and then trust Him with the Rest.
God is still roaming the earth asking and searching "who will go into the schools and share my son?, who will go into their homes and share my son?, who will go into the hospitals and share my son? who will go into the restaurants and share my son?, who will go? Who has the heart I am looking for?
Will you say, "Put me in coach, I am tired of being on the sidelines, I am ready to play!"
If there is something God is laying on your heart...I wan to pray for you as my teammate:)
We learn from Isaiah how it works...
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Who should I send and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."
Just like our little baseball player, I can see Isaiah jumping up and down saying "Put me in coach! I am ready to play, I will do whatever you need. Wherever there is a need I will serve. Wherever there is a need I will pray, wherever there is a need I will encourage. Look at me...I can even play center field.
The first thing we learn from Isaiah is we have to be in the presence of God to overhear the desires of God. We must be in seeking God through His Word, through His Church, and through prayer.
The second thing we learn from Isaiah is there is no "But" after He says, Yes!
He doesn't say, "Yes I will but I wont say that. Yes I will but I wont go there. Yes I will but just not now. He just wants us to say Yes and then trust Him with the Rest.
God is still roaming the earth asking and searching "who will go into the schools and share my son?, who will go into their homes and share my son?, who will go into the hospitals and share my son? who will go into the restaurants and share my son?, who will go? Who has the heart I am looking for?
Will you say, "Put me in coach, I am tired of being on the sidelines, I am ready to play!"
If there is something God is laying on your heart...I wan to pray for you as my teammate:)
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