What is it about nice people that attract total idiots?Nice people are martyrs. Idiots are evangelists.

SOCK IT TO ME BABY!!!

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Sunday Message- being clear about love



So at one time I had a plan for this post, a plan in which I vented same old rage in a new package, put a nice, Easter-type bow on top, and passed it off as from God.


Thankfully, a sign of new maturity, I threw that away.

I don't want to join in the stupid wars on the internet anymore.  Everybody out there is getting their kicks sending out their hate wrapped in attacks on the people who they say are motivated by hate.

I want you to hear something else today.  I want you to hear about love.

Not love that says everyone goes to heaven, like spots in the eternal mansion are cars at an Oprah party.  Love in which One Creator God so loved His creation that He emptied Himself of Godhood and died in our places so we could join Him.

Not love that says, hey, you are a decent person, you'll make the list.  Love that recognizes that we have ALL fallen short of the perfection needed to be with a Holy God- and finds us a way there anyway, if we so choose.

Not love that says as long as you don't bother anyone, whatever you do is okay.  Love that recognizes that there is a moral standard that HAS to be met- and then offers us the chance to meet it.

I want to be clear on this.  Such love isn't cheap- it cost Jesus everything.  And it isn't easy- we have to be willing to give up this world for the reward of the next.  And it isn't for everyone.  There's one thing you have to do, and that is to recognize there is nothing you CAN do.  You need someone to do it FOR you- and that Someone has already done it.


Paul said, " that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)  Seems simple enough, right?  Except for that little 3 word phrase- in your heart.  Requiring sincerity, not just head knowledge.

Paul also said, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8) THAT means there are a set of rules, and a sincere believer has to follow them.  You don't get to cherry-pick out the non-PC stuff.

And Jesus told us, "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (Matt. 7:16-20)  And THAT means that it has to lead to a change in the way you see things and the way you act.  Not that you become instantly perfect, but that you begin to say no to the things that go against all the rest.  You feel guilt when you fail- or when you don't try.


So what brings all this up?  Well, as I may have mentioned, there is a "crack down on Chris" campaign going on here.  I am sick and tired of fighting the battle the world's way.  And one thing that has been laid on my heart in this is that I need to be CLEAR.  If I give people the impression that God grades on the curve, I am doing a garbage job on these posts.  Yes we fail, and God still loves us- He doesn't take Jesus back.  We repent, we slip up; God knew every time we would do that WAY before we did, and if He showed us today how many more times we had yet to fail, we'd probably wonder why He gives us the time of day.  But it still remains these three things:

Faith and confession

Learn and pray

Apply, apply, apply.

And that means I have to up the standards around here.  I have to make sure that every Sunday message shows that I believe that I am a sinner deserving of hell, except that Christ died for me.

Every Sunday message has to be grounded in the Bible- and my opinions have nothing to do with it.

And I have to go out and walk the walk.

So, continue praying for me, as anyone reading this knows that I am praying for you.  And we'll go on muddling through together- and with God's grace, maybe I won't be sharing as many, "and this is how I douched that up" stories, and more, "Here is the victory God won" stories instead.

9 comments:

  1. Chris:
    This is the type of message that takes me back to those days of being in our small church with the old prayer warriors...and that was something worth sacrificing a lot for.
    ---You hit every single point SPOT ON.
    The comparisons (via Paul) at the top of the post make SO much sense.
    "Crack down on Chris"...lol. I like that.
    (cracking down on myself , too)
    ---I can see you put much thought and heart into this message and it's a very fine way to kick off a new year...with a new outlook.
    Amen to that!

    Keep fighting that good fight.
    We are in this one together, after all.
    Stay safe up there, brother.

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    1. Well, it's easy to hit the points when you SHUT up and let HIM type...

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  2. It's a tough journey, but, if lived correctly, one which is worth it in the end.

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  3. Of course I pray for people because I believe in the power of pray, there are some who I am related to who do not

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    1. I appreciate all prayers. I hope you know you are on the ever-expanding list, with your whole family (at least the ones I know...)

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  4. I'm so glad that I couldn't sleep so I could come here and read this post. I needed it today. I missed church this morning but not because I was running late or was sick or anything like that. I simply chose not to go. And I feel guilty as you know what. Thank you for posting this and for reminding us of the core reason we are here; And that is, because HE gave up his only son so that we would be saved. I am a sinner through and through. And I know some things I am doing in my life are clearly NOT what God wants for me. But I am human and I am weak. And while I know that I can't cherry coat my sins because well, HE knows everything I do, I also know that a repentant heart, is a step in the right direction. I promised myself to be more God worthy this year, spend much more time with him than I have been. We are three weeks into the new year and I already messed that up. But luckily, I get a clean slate tomorrow and I try again. Hope you have a great week!

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    1. That is a comment that lets me know that I succeeded in getting out of His way on this post. Thank you!

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    2. You're very welcome :) Hope you had a great Sunday!

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