He is risen; He is risen indeed.
The entire Christian faith, as agreed upon by all true Christians, is centered around Jesus and the story of the Gospel. The coming of Christ as a human child, growing up as a man, living a perfect life, and dying on the cross for our sins.
At least, that's where many people stop. Often we forget that after Jesus died, He was raised from the dead - and that without this fact, the entire Christian faith would just be another religion following some dead prophet who taught good morals.
Because Jesus is alive, this changes everything.
Did you get that?
Because Jesus is alive, this changes EVERYTHING.
He is who He claimed to be; God in human form. His teachings are not guidelines; they are laws. His commands are to be obeyed. His example is one to follow. And because He is God, our sins are well and truly nailed to the cross, and we bear them no more...praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!
My heart throbs with a mixture of pain and joy as I look at the Cross. I can't imagine what it would be like to be so punished for something I didn't do, something I didn't deserve.
Oh, I was there at the Cross. I was there yelling insults and profanities, screaming in delight as the nails were driven into Jesus's flesh, laughing as He cried out "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" I jeered and taunted, shaking my fist in His face and spitting on Him.
What a fool I was! The wrath that boiled in the heavens that day, crashing down as a thunderbolt on this God in man's form, was meant for me. But that man whom I mocked and rejected was the one who took it in my place, and now I am struck dumb, speechless. As the song says,
"Why would You adopt
And take as Your own
Those who had crushed Your one precious Son?
Why mercy and grace
Towards Your enemies
Your name they have cursed, and Your throne they have shunned!
Oh how could you choose to show kindness to these
The ones who would mock You and hate You
The ones just like me?"
And the atheists mock Christians for blind devotion to an imagination in the sky.
...sorry, I need to go recompute.
He is risen!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Trust Only One
The last post I put up argued for trusting no one, as this world is full of deceit and lies. Well, here's the counterpart to that argument; trust only one.
If you're a Christian, the object of that trust is obvious: God. Who else?
It's amazing to find how often we can say 'trust God and He'll take care of you' or 'do such and such', but our lives don't reflect that. I personally can testify that when I find myself pursuing earthly things with more vigor than my Bible reading and memorization and the pursuit of the One who snatched me from the jaws of sin and death, I feel rather mortified.
The truth is, we are completely and utterly helpless by ourselves. Against sin, we can do nothing but give in. As Christians, however, God has granted us the ability to beg for grace to fight temptation and faith that what God has said, He will do.
Ultimately, when we sin, it is because we mistrust God. We look at sin and tell God "You know what, God, I think you're lying to me. This over here will give me much more pleasure and satisfaction. I don't need you to be my all in all. You're a liar."
How close-minded we little humans are! Who are we to tell the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, the ONE WHO CAN SPEAK THINGS INTO AND OUT OF EXISTENCE, "You aren't sufficient." By all rights, He should vaporize us on the spot for our insolence. But He forgives us?! He is patient with us?! And then, soon after we repent from our sin, we do it again?! And yet He's still merciful!
What even. I can't find words to describe such a thing, language is so inadequate. It's as the song goes:
"I can't comprehend
Your fathomless love
I'm gripped and amazed
At what You have done
Why would the adored
Become the despised
To bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery
Of your fathomless love for me..."
Who better to put your trust in than the one who has all things in His control? In such a view, what have we to fear? Terrorists? Disease? Criminals? Death? While these may befall us, it is of no matter if our ultimate goal is the glory of the Creator. For everything He does or allows, He orchestrates for His glory.
If you're a Christian, the object of that trust is obvious: God. Who else?
It's amazing to find how often we can say 'trust God and He'll take care of you' or 'do such and such', but our lives don't reflect that. I personally can testify that when I find myself pursuing earthly things with more vigor than my Bible reading and memorization and the pursuit of the One who snatched me from the jaws of sin and death, I feel rather mortified.
The truth is, we are completely and utterly helpless by ourselves. Against sin, we can do nothing but give in. As Christians, however, God has granted us the ability to beg for grace to fight temptation and faith that what God has said, He will do.
Ultimately, when we sin, it is because we mistrust God. We look at sin and tell God "You know what, God, I think you're lying to me. This over here will give me much more pleasure and satisfaction. I don't need you to be my all in all. You're a liar."
How close-minded we little humans are! Who are we to tell the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, the ONE WHO CAN SPEAK THINGS INTO AND OUT OF EXISTENCE, "You aren't sufficient." By all rights, He should vaporize us on the spot for our insolence. But He forgives us?! He is patient with us?! And then, soon after we repent from our sin, we do it again?! And yet He's still merciful!
What even. I can't find words to describe such a thing, language is so inadequate. It's as the song goes:
"I can't comprehend
Your fathomless love
I'm gripped and amazed
At what You have done
Why would the adored
Become the despised
To bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery
Of your fathomless love for me..."
Who better to put your trust in than the one who has all things in His control? In such a view, what have we to fear? Terrorists? Disease? Criminals? Death? While these may befall us, it is of no matter if our ultimate goal is the glory of the Creator. For everything He does or allows, He orchestrates for His glory.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Trust No One
You might be scratching your heads, but let me assure you, you read that right.
Call me a nerd, but I've watched all six Star Wars movies, read the books for them, and read a heap of in-between episodes literature as well. Yeah, okay, I'm a nerd. And happy for it.
One quote that has stuck with me from Star Wars (admittedly, not many did) was Jango Fett's motto - "Trust no one." While you might call that drastic at first (and I would certainly agree), hold the rum and let's ask a question...why not?
The world we live in is chock-full of lies, deceit, and people primed and ready to lead you around by the nose until you hit their trap. Advertising is, perhaps, the foremost perpetrator of deception; the entire purpose of the industry is to make a product look appealing, sound like a deal, and feel good, so that you will spend your money on it. Without fail, the product in question is always not as good as in the advertisements, by whatever margin.
A second glaring example is politics. Dictionary.com defines 'politician' as a seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles. (Italics are mine for emphasis.) Politicians will lie, cheat, steal, do whatever it takes to keep their position, and there are numerous scandals and examples, stretching throughout all of history. In fact, 'politician' and 'professional liar' have almost no difference in meaning in our society today.
The two abovementioned examples are the most obvious reasons why 'trust no one' might be a good dictum. But it's not only they who are the problem.
Media is, in my opinion, the giant among these causes of evil. No matter where you look, there is always a subliminal message wanting to squirm into your mind; its mission, to slowly wear down your morality and destroy your sense of good and evil. Nowhere is this object more seeded than the movie industry, where producers use the emotion and situations available in the movie to present their point in the most appealing way possible. Music is also this way; though its gambit for corruption is a bit more obvious than movies, given that most popular artists and their songs are complete and utter trash.
And, lamentations upon lamentations, books are also filled with lies, messages, evil waiting to wrench the principles out of your heart and take their place. I often wish I could spend hours in the library, but now my reasons have changed; I just can't find a good book, so I have to look longer and harder. Even when I do find one, it's usually only passable.
The common denominator to all of this, of course, is people. (That's why this is 'trust no one' instead of 'trust nothing'.) People are born in sin, and to sin they cling. From that sin is spawned all assortments of evil; it's why the entire world has a crust of lies covering it, barely concealing the sin trying to hide beneath. As Christians, we cannot, ever let down our guard, not when surrounded by such evil. We are constantly in a war, constantly fighting for righteousness, supported by our brothers and sisters around us in the battle line, drawing on the power of the Word of God.
As I said in the beginning, 'trust no one' isn't something to be taken literally. That would be a bit extreme. We cannot help but give trust. I am trusting in this seat to hold me. I am trusting in this house to shelter me. By that trust, I am extending my faith to the builders of these materials, trusting they did their job. But in our personal relationships, from heart-to-heart, we cannot let down our guard, not for a moment. Even with other Christians, we must always be aware; while we love and support one another, we must be wary of sin that has perhaps infiltrated the life of one of our companions, and help them eradicate it.
Oh be careful little heart, what you love.
Oh be careful little mind, what you think.
For world all around, with sin always abounds;
Oh be careful, little heart, what you love.
Call me a nerd, but I've watched all six Star Wars movies, read the books for them, and read a heap of in-between episodes literature as well. Yeah, okay, I'm a nerd. And happy for it.
One quote that has stuck with me from Star Wars (admittedly, not many did) was Jango Fett's motto - "Trust no one." While you might call that drastic at first (and I would certainly agree), hold the rum and let's ask a question...why not?
The world we live in is chock-full of lies, deceit, and people primed and ready to lead you around by the nose until you hit their trap. Advertising is, perhaps, the foremost perpetrator of deception; the entire purpose of the industry is to make a product look appealing, sound like a deal, and feel good, so that you will spend your money on it. Without fail, the product in question is always not as good as in the advertisements, by whatever margin.
A second glaring example is politics. Dictionary.com defines 'politician' as a seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles. (Italics are mine for emphasis.) Politicians will lie, cheat, steal, do whatever it takes to keep their position, and there are numerous scandals and examples, stretching throughout all of history. In fact, 'politician' and 'professional liar' have almost no difference in meaning in our society today.
The two abovementioned examples are the most obvious reasons why 'trust no one' might be a good dictum. But it's not only they who are the problem.
Media is, in my opinion, the giant among these causes of evil. No matter where you look, there is always a subliminal message wanting to squirm into your mind; its mission, to slowly wear down your morality and destroy your sense of good and evil. Nowhere is this object more seeded than the movie industry, where producers use the emotion and situations available in the movie to present their point in the most appealing way possible. Music is also this way; though its gambit for corruption is a bit more obvious than movies, given that most popular artists and their songs are complete and utter trash.
And, lamentations upon lamentations, books are also filled with lies, messages, evil waiting to wrench the principles out of your heart and take their place. I often wish I could spend hours in the library, but now my reasons have changed; I just can't find a good book, so I have to look longer and harder. Even when I do find one, it's usually only passable.
The common denominator to all of this, of course, is people. (That's why this is 'trust no one' instead of 'trust nothing'.) People are born in sin, and to sin they cling. From that sin is spawned all assortments of evil; it's why the entire world has a crust of lies covering it, barely concealing the sin trying to hide beneath. As Christians, we cannot, ever let down our guard, not when surrounded by such evil. We are constantly in a war, constantly fighting for righteousness, supported by our brothers and sisters around us in the battle line, drawing on the power of the Word of God.
As I said in the beginning, 'trust no one' isn't something to be taken literally. That would be a bit extreme. We cannot help but give trust. I am trusting in this seat to hold me. I am trusting in this house to shelter me. By that trust, I am extending my faith to the builders of these materials, trusting they did their job. But in our personal relationships, from heart-to-heart, we cannot let down our guard, not for a moment. Even with other Christians, we must always be aware; while we love and support one another, we must be wary of sin that has perhaps infiltrated the life of one of our companions, and help them eradicate it.
Oh be careful little heart, what you love.
Oh be careful little mind, what you think.
For world all around, with sin always abounds;
Oh be careful, little heart, what you love.
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