Sunday evenings at CBC we are going through a video series on Spiritual Warfare by Chip Ingram a well-known speaker and pastor. July 10, 2011 was a Sunday and the video discussed two tactics that Satan uses against believers: 1) Guilt and 2) Condemnation of the believer. But what gave me the most thought was that "believers fight FROM victory NOT FOR victory."
Take a moment to think about that!
The Bible tells us that this is true. I Cor. 15:57. Yet this is something that we fail to realize... at least I failed to realize it. Maybe I read over the passage without evening thinking about it at all. It's simply something that hasn't clicked inside my head! My question is this: If the battle is already won, why do we fight like it isn't? In fact I believe that we fight like the battle is lost sometimes. We cower inside our comfort zones and watch as our enemy, the Devil, does whatever he wants. We keep the Great News of Christ to ourselves so as to avoid "persecution". But if the battle is already won, than why do we worry about that? What is the worst people can do to us? Kill us? Most certainly not because than we obtain our ultimate desire, to be in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!
Okay so in my mind than the worst thing is pain... I don't like it though I am told I can handle it rather well (ask my mom on this one)! My mind moves immediately to pain and suffering as the worst that can happen to me personally. So I think about Christ. His pain, His suffering all for a single purpose! The salvation of my soul. Then I think of the early apostles... Most of them suffered painful deaths and most certainly believers around the world and even in the United States suffer persecution.
I write this with the knowledge that I am as guilty as you. I get scared at the thought of death, pain and suffering. I am a young man, nearly 20, with a life to live ahead of him, but whose life is it? Mine or the Lord's? The world says it's mine, but the Lord says it's His!!! I know it's the Lord's because He gave it to me and He can most certainly take it from me in an instant. I'll close in the words of well-known Christian artist tobyMac, "I'm Yours, take me as I am!"
About Me
- Jakob
- A young man seeking after the Lord's will for my life. I am a believer in the One True God (John 14:6). A current student in college excited to be transferred to a Christian school to major in Youth Ministries!!! Yeah I believe the Lord is leading me to His ministry!!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Hope When There is No Hope!!!
Have you ever been in trouble?... No I am not talking about "stealing a cookie out of the cookie jar when Mom ain't looking" trouble. I'm talking "I don't even know if there is a God anymore because of the things going on in my life" kind of trouble.
For us believers the majority of the time we get in this kind of trouble is when disaster strikes close to the heart. It could be anything... death, divorce, accidents... etc the list can go on to whatever you think of.
Have you ever been in that kind of trouble... if not maybe you know someone. I do!!! About a year or so ago I had a friend who tried suicide. The question is this... Where is hope when there seems to be none?
The answer of this question is so simple we either overlook it of use it to much to see the sincerity in it and truth. We'll shrug it off because things just can't be that simple or think "we've heard this so many times before..." Our answer is the essence of our Christian walk and faith... THE CROSS!!!
Now you are thinking... "okay what happened there?... Jesus died there okay... um.. Jakob how does this make any sense if we are trying to help someone NOT kill themselves cause disaster and death is not the answer. Plus they don't really go together."
Alright yes I am talking about disaster and death that happened a long time ago yet holds so much relevance today that believing in it is the most important decision you will ever make. The cross is where our hope lies. Our God and King, Jesus Christ showed the hope, love and forgiveness that He has for us by taking the most painful death (see previous blog post for a brief description of Crucifixion) and then transforming that into life three days later by rising from the dead.
Jesus Christ was taken into the hands of his own people, the same people that once shouted "HOSANNA HOSANNA!!! Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord!" to shouting less than a week later "CRUCIFY HIM CRUCIFY HIM!!!!" The cross is where the Son of Man gave His life to show us unconditional love for us to have a relationship with Him and the Father. The cross, where you and I can find the hope that we need.
When we think there is no hope, think again. When we think that God can't possibly know what we are going through... think again because He went through it and knew He was going to have to go through it. He suffered a more painful death that any of us will have to suffer. We have so much evidence that what Christ did on the Cross and rising from the dead is true, what He did was real and we know it though people still refuse to see it. What he went through is a whole lot worse that whatever you may be going though now.
"Why does He let me go through the pain and suffering then?" Deuteronomy 29:29... "the secrets belong to the Lord" and He has a purpose for everything. I know that you will receive rewards in Heaven for persevering. Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I AM GOD!!!" In our world today we are very much a here and now generation... we don't look to the future and think of the benefits then if we wait now. We "need" everything now or we won't be happy. But the Bible says plainly... "BE STILL" It's hard and I know it cause I struggle too but the Bible also promises that everything works out in the end. The Lord is the Author if your life and if He is writing it than you KNOW that everything will work out.
I have been through pain and suffering as well and I have made it out... mine may be worse or not as worse than what you are going through, I suffered the loss of my grandmother, being the godliest woman I ever knew, 4 years ago on June 3rd. I've lost friends and I've had troubled times... but I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet. Why??? My hope is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and His mercy and grace He gave me at the Cross. He gave me the greatest Hope ever in the Cross!!! My hope is found in Christ Alone and I dare not trust in nothing less!!!
For us believers the majority of the time we get in this kind of trouble is when disaster strikes close to the heart. It could be anything... death, divorce, accidents... etc the list can go on to whatever you think of.
Have you ever been in that kind of trouble... if not maybe you know someone. I do!!! About a year or so ago I had a friend who tried suicide. The question is this... Where is hope when there seems to be none?
The answer of this question is so simple we either overlook it of use it to much to see the sincerity in it and truth. We'll shrug it off because things just can't be that simple or think "we've heard this so many times before..." Our answer is the essence of our Christian walk and faith... THE CROSS!!!
Now you are thinking... "okay what happened there?... Jesus died there okay... um.. Jakob how does this make any sense if we are trying to help someone NOT kill themselves cause disaster and death is not the answer. Plus they don't really go together."
Alright yes I am talking about disaster and death that happened a long time ago yet holds so much relevance today that believing in it is the most important decision you will ever make. The cross is where our hope lies. Our God and King, Jesus Christ showed the hope, love and forgiveness that He has for us by taking the most painful death (see previous blog post for a brief description of Crucifixion) and then transforming that into life three days later by rising from the dead.
Jesus Christ was taken into the hands of his own people, the same people that once shouted "HOSANNA HOSANNA!!! Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord!" to shouting less than a week later "CRUCIFY HIM CRUCIFY HIM!!!!" The cross is where the Son of Man gave His life to show us unconditional love for us to have a relationship with Him and the Father. The cross, where you and I can find the hope that we need.
When we think there is no hope, think again. When we think that God can't possibly know what we are going through... think again because He went through it and knew He was going to have to go through it. He suffered a more painful death that any of us will have to suffer. We have so much evidence that what Christ did on the Cross and rising from the dead is true, what He did was real and we know it though people still refuse to see it. What he went through is a whole lot worse that whatever you may be going though now.
"Why does He let me go through the pain and suffering then?" Deuteronomy 29:29... "the secrets belong to the Lord" and He has a purpose for everything. I know that you will receive rewards in Heaven for persevering. Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I AM GOD!!!" In our world today we are very much a here and now generation... we don't look to the future and think of the benefits then if we wait now. We "need" everything now or we won't be happy. But the Bible says plainly... "BE STILL" It's hard and I know it cause I struggle too but the Bible also promises that everything works out in the end. The Lord is the Author if your life and if He is writing it than you KNOW that everything will work out.
I have been through pain and suffering as well and I have made it out... mine may be worse or not as worse than what you are going through, I suffered the loss of my grandmother, being the godliest woman I ever knew, 4 years ago on June 3rd. I've lost friends and I've had troubled times... but I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet. Why??? My hope is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and His mercy and grace He gave me at the Cross. He gave me the greatest Hope ever in the Cross!!! My hope is found in Christ Alone and I dare not trust in nothing less!!!
Whose Cross Is It?!?!
Sorry it has been so long since I have last posted... Things have been busy which is a good thing. Softball, work, church, missions trip... so this post may be rather long so find yourself a comfy chair, popcorn and a drink.
The missions trip went great. It was June 10th - 18th. We went to Wyoming to Frontier School of Bible and to Tentmakers Bible Mission to help with some labor. Also we went to a town called Chugwater to help with a VBS. We at CBC support two missionaries working at Tentmakers and we were able to see them and help them out while at Frontier, since one of Tentmakers HQ's is located near the school. The school is in LaGrange, a small town of 300+ people, Chugwater is smaller with 244 people.
Anyways the drive was 16 hours, so 32 total there and back... my legs were pretty cramped. The total number of people going from CBC was about 27 ish, 17 or 18 youth, the most ever for a missions trip. We did a lot of painting, picking up tree branches, mulching, throughout the week. A group of 7 of us went to Chugwater each day for the VBS in the morning and came back for work in the afternoon.
Everything went very well. 4 kids in VBS trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and I had the privilege of leading 2 young boys on the very last day of the VBS. It was so cool to see our witnessing effecting then and there immediately. It really is something to lead a child to Christ, there is not a feeling like it and to see the Lord working through you!!!
It was great to see the young men of the group being chivalrous, and to see everyone get along, the beautiful scenery, an awesome storm, friendships, new friendships and the Lord ultimately getting all the glory.
Now for something else I wanna talk about and that is the title of the post... Whose Cross is it? When we believers evangelize and preach we often tell people that Christ died on THE cross for YOUR sins. By all means this is absolutely true and correct. Jesus DID die on the cross for our sins. We can easily personalize the sin aspect of it... but what about the punishment for OUR sin. Romans 6:23 says that "the wages (punishment) for sin is death. That punishment that is rightfully ours is the cross...
So whose cross is it? It is OURS!!! Jesus died on OUR cross to pay the penalty for OUR sins!!!
You know the Romans perfected crucifixion as the most painful way to die, quite possibly ever. Jesus took that away from us... the spitting, the mocking, the beating, the whipping, the nails driving through his wrists and his feet, the piercing of the spear in His side... He did all this for the whole world if they so choose to believe that He did.
This is His perfect example of love and forgiveness, taking away our cross and sins and placing the penalty on Himself. Maybe another way to evangelize is to personalize the cross as well. SO ask yourself... Whose cross is it? Because that cross... to steal a quote from Darth Vader... was our destiny!!!
The missions trip went great. It was June 10th - 18th. We went to Wyoming to Frontier School of Bible and to Tentmakers Bible Mission to help with some labor. Also we went to a town called Chugwater to help with a VBS. We at CBC support two missionaries working at Tentmakers and we were able to see them and help them out while at Frontier, since one of Tentmakers HQ's is located near the school. The school is in LaGrange, a small town of 300+ people, Chugwater is smaller with 244 people.
Anyways the drive was 16 hours, so 32 total there and back... my legs were pretty cramped. The total number of people going from CBC was about 27 ish, 17 or 18 youth, the most ever for a missions trip. We did a lot of painting, picking up tree branches, mulching, throughout the week. A group of 7 of us went to Chugwater each day for the VBS in the morning and came back for work in the afternoon.
Everything went very well. 4 kids in VBS trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and I had the privilege of leading 2 young boys on the very last day of the VBS. It was so cool to see our witnessing effecting then and there immediately. It really is something to lead a child to Christ, there is not a feeling like it and to see the Lord working through you!!!
It was great to see the young men of the group being chivalrous, and to see everyone get along, the beautiful scenery, an awesome storm, friendships, new friendships and the Lord ultimately getting all the glory.
Now for something else I wanna talk about and that is the title of the post... Whose Cross is it? When we believers evangelize and preach we often tell people that Christ died on THE cross for YOUR sins. By all means this is absolutely true and correct. Jesus DID die on the cross for our sins. We can easily personalize the sin aspect of it... but what about the punishment for OUR sin. Romans 6:23 says that "the wages (punishment) for sin is death. That punishment that is rightfully ours is the cross...
So whose cross is it? It is OURS!!! Jesus died on OUR cross to pay the penalty for OUR sins!!!
You know the Romans perfected crucifixion as the most painful way to die, quite possibly ever. Jesus took that away from us... the spitting, the mocking, the beating, the whipping, the nails driving through his wrists and his feet, the piercing of the spear in His side... He did all this for the whole world if they so choose to believe that He did.
This is His perfect example of love and forgiveness, taking away our cross and sins and placing the penalty on Himself. Maybe another way to evangelize is to personalize the cross as well. SO ask yourself... Whose cross is it? Because that cross... to steal a quote from Darth Vader... was our destiny!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)