As Easter draws near, we fellow Christ follow have to remember what Christ went through on the cross to pay the death penalty for our sins. I take for granted this amazing gift God has given us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus died as and was punished as an innocent man. We are not innocent but sinful creatures that Jesus died on the cross for. In Mark 15:15-37, describes how the only charge against Jesus was that he was the King of the Jews and he was even mocked for this in verses 17-18. A sign was even hung on his head that said this in Mark 15:26. All he was guilty of was being who he said he was the Son of God and King of the Jews.
Jesus was our sinless sacrifice for our sins. Isaiah describes how he was beaten and broken for our sake in 53:4-6. 1 Peter 1:18-19 describes how he was to be an acceptable and spotless sacrifice for our sins. God sent his son, in his justice and mercy to take on the wrath of God to restore us to him. This is known as propitiation.
He was also a sinless man, a form of God in human flesh. He was an image of the invisible God; Colossians 1:15-16; God incarnate; Hebrews 1:1-3 and John 1:14. Humans in their sinful nature crucified him to the cross. This was to accomplish God's plan that day, Romans 5:1-6. God used the death of his Son to restore us back to relationship with him. Romans 5:8 says,"But God demonstrated his own for for love in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." His atoning work on the cross, restored our sinful and broken relationship back to the Father.
I have been doing an paper on atonement and studying it in systematic theology this semester. It has helped me realize the depth of my depravity from God. By looking at the various theories of atonement and doing a research paper on one, I am able to see how much Christ has atoned us our sins through his work on the cross. Atonement means at-one-ment. This means Jesus died for our sins once and for all.
Easter should be a time of rejoicing in our Savior. At times, we as Christians go through the motions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. As believers in Christ, we need to deeply experience and remember his death on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday remember what God has done in our life by sending his Son for us and how our life has been changed through him. I hope your life is changed by this blog today.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Thorn in my flesh
There has been a thorn in my flesh most of my life. It revolves around these driving problems I have had that hinder me in my life. The apostle Paul describes the Thorn in the Flesh in his life.
Paul discusses this thorn in the flesh in his life in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. This thorn in the flesh was given to him to make sure he would not become arrogant or conceited, showing him his weakness and enabling him to depend on God for everything. He says in 2 Corinthians 12: 7, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpasingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." He describes this thorn in the flesh as something that will not go away. He precedes in verse 8, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me."
He then continues to describe this thorn as a hardship, weakness, that was put in place to help him depend on God and see his grace. He further describes in verse 9, "But he said to me my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." Paul goes into discussion of how this weakness in him has given him the ability to depend on God. This thorn has given him the ability to trust in God's grace and made him humble.
Paul ends this discussion of his Thorn in the Flesh by describing how depending on God in this struggle has shown the power of Christ's movement within himself. In the last section of verse nine and ten the apostle says, "There I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest in me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul ends this his diatribe on his Thorn in the Flesh concluding that in essence that Christ's power is made perfect in his weaknesses. This weakness has helped Paul realize how much he needs to depend on God in his grace and mercy. It has given him perspective and humbled him in how much he is nothing without his relationship with Jesus Christ. Before Christ, Paul persecuted Christians, now Paul is persecuted for the sake of Christ. Paul describes in verse ten of how Paul has come to accept this weakness for the trouble that is means in order for Christ to be shown through him even if it means that he is persecuted for the sake of Christ.
This weakness that I have has been really hard in my life. It has made me doubt God early in my walk with him in my junior year of high school. I almost gave up my faith during that time. I was mad at God and the world after this car wreck in which was my fault. God put some friends in my life to lead me back to relationship with him.
Other times, it has helped me see my need for God and how much I need him in his power. It has made me humble as well and given me perspective. This Thorn in my Flesh has been hard but it has helped me realize that God is in control and is sovereign. It helped me not to boast in myself or things of this world as Paul describes. Jesus Christ is made perfect in my weakness.
This Thorn in My Flesh has developed my prayer life as well. It has increased my ability to depend and abide in Christ at times. It has helped me realize as Paul says in verse 10, when I am weak then I am strong. God has made me realize that I can't do this life on my own. God knows everything about me, every thought I am thinking, and what I am going through because he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, who knows what he go through on a daily basis.
Another important aspect I have learned through this weakness is that I am not my own. God bought me though his Son's death on the Christ for our sins. For he chose us before the world began as it says in Ephesians 1:11, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." He is sovereign and in control of our life despite the struggles that we have to go through in order for him to conform his to his image and get to where we wan to go in life. God's plan may not always end up what I want, I just have to trust him through it all.
As this post comes to as conclusion I just want to say though this struggle has been really hard I am just trying to trust in God's goodness through it all. Though this weakness has killed me at times, looking back on my life I can see the God is sovereign in through it all. In our weakness, we are strong.
Paul discusses this thorn in the flesh in his life in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. This thorn in the flesh was given to him to make sure he would not become arrogant or conceited, showing him his weakness and enabling him to depend on God for everything. He says in 2 Corinthians 12: 7, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpasingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." He describes this thorn in the flesh as something that will not go away. He precedes in verse 8, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me."
He then continues to describe this thorn as a hardship, weakness, that was put in place to help him depend on God and see his grace. He further describes in verse 9, "But he said to me my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." Paul goes into discussion of how this weakness in him has given him the ability to depend on God. This thorn has given him the ability to trust in God's grace and made him humble.
Paul ends this discussion of his Thorn in the Flesh by describing how depending on God in this struggle has shown the power of Christ's movement within himself. In the last section of verse nine and ten the apostle says, "There I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest in me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul ends this his diatribe on his Thorn in the Flesh concluding that in essence that Christ's power is made perfect in his weaknesses. This weakness has helped Paul realize how much he needs to depend on God in his grace and mercy. It has given him perspective and humbled him in how much he is nothing without his relationship with Jesus Christ. Before Christ, Paul persecuted Christians, now Paul is persecuted for the sake of Christ. Paul describes in verse ten of how Paul has come to accept this weakness for the trouble that is means in order for Christ to be shown through him even if it means that he is persecuted for the sake of Christ.
This weakness that I have has been really hard in my life. It has made me doubt God early in my walk with him in my junior year of high school. I almost gave up my faith during that time. I was mad at God and the world after this car wreck in which was my fault. God put some friends in my life to lead me back to relationship with him.
Other times, it has helped me see my need for God and how much I need him in his power. It has made me humble as well and given me perspective. This Thorn in my Flesh has been hard but it has helped me realize that God is in control and is sovereign. It helped me not to boast in myself or things of this world as Paul describes. Jesus Christ is made perfect in my weakness.
This Thorn in My Flesh has developed my prayer life as well. It has increased my ability to depend and abide in Christ at times. It has helped me realize as Paul says in verse 10, when I am weak then I am strong. God has made me realize that I can't do this life on my own. God knows everything about me, every thought I am thinking, and what I am going through because he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, who knows what he go through on a daily basis.
Another important aspect I have learned through this weakness is that I am not my own. God bought me though his Son's death on the Christ for our sins. For he chose us before the world began as it says in Ephesians 1:11, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." He is sovereign and in control of our life despite the struggles that we have to go through in order for him to conform his to his image and get to where we wan to go in life. God's plan may not always end up what I want, I just have to trust him through it all.
As this post comes to as conclusion I just want to say though this struggle has been really hard I am just trying to trust in God's goodness through it all. Though this weakness has killed me at times, looking back on my life I can see the God is sovereign in through it all. In our weakness, we are strong.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Shack: Part 3: What the book teaches us about loss
In my last post about the book The Shack, the discussion will revolve around the emphasis of God not being there in the midst of tragedy and loss. This is an important topic in theology and Christian circles today. It is a topic all of us as believers deal with in regards to tragedy.
In the book, the author loses his daughter when she is abducted and murdered in a Shack in the wilderness while his him and his family were camping. He goes through this hard time in his life where he blames himself for her death. If he wouldn't not have gone after his other daughter Kate when she was in the lake then Missy may have still be alive. The main character feels guilt and pain for allowing this tragedy to happen. He then blames God for allowing this to happen.
The main character, Mack, can't believe God would allow this happen to him. In the same way, he doubts God's presence everywhere.
Mack doubts that God was with Jesus on the cross. Mack says (98), "At the cross? Now wait I thought you left him on the cross." Papa, who is personified by God, says in response to Mack's doubtful nature, "You misunderstood the mystery there. Regardless of what he felt at that moment I never left." Mack distances himself from the thought of God's presence his life.
As sinners, we fall away from our hope in Jesus Christ. We forgot the beauty of God's presence everywhere in our lives. The great thing about the God we put our hope in is that he is everywhere, if we turn to him he will welcome us into relationship with us daily.
One important thing that I was able to conceive from this book is that God is with us wherever we go in life. His presence will never leave or forsake us despite the fact that we fall away from him or the pain that is in our life. His omnipresence is not too be questioned because of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture that shows how God speaks to him daily. God is with us in the Old Testament and in the New Testament through Jesus, the Apostles, Paul, and many other believers. At times, I have lost sight of this fact in my life, during junior high of high school but God worked in that time in my life, putting friends in my life to reminds me of God's presence in my life. God helped me realize who he was in my life and I rededicated my life to him at the beginning of my senior year.
God's presence is always with us in the midst of pain and tragedy. He is faithful when we are not.
In the book, the author loses his daughter when she is abducted and murdered in a Shack in the wilderness while his him and his family were camping. He goes through this hard time in his life where he blames himself for her death. If he wouldn't not have gone after his other daughter Kate when she was in the lake then Missy may have still be alive. The main character feels guilt and pain for allowing this tragedy to happen. He then blames God for allowing this to happen.
The main character, Mack, can't believe God would allow this happen to him. In the same way, he doubts God's presence everywhere.
Mack doubts that God was with Jesus on the cross. Mack says (98), "At the cross? Now wait I thought you left him on the cross." Papa, who is personified by God, says in response to Mack's doubtful nature, "You misunderstood the mystery there. Regardless of what he felt at that moment I never left." Mack distances himself from the thought of God's presence his life.
As sinners, we fall away from our hope in Jesus Christ. We forgot the beauty of God's presence everywhere in our lives. The great thing about the God we put our hope in is that he is everywhere, if we turn to him he will welcome us into relationship with us daily.
One important thing that I was able to conceive from this book is that God is with us wherever we go in life. His presence will never leave or forsake us despite the fact that we fall away from him or the pain that is in our life. His omnipresence is not too be questioned because of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture that shows how God speaks to him daily. God is with us in the Old Testament and in the New Testament through Jesus, the Apostles, Paul, and many other believers. At times, I have lost sight of this fact in my life, during junior high of high school but God worked in that time in my life, putting friends in my life to reminds me of God's presence in my life. God helped me realize who he was in my life and I rededicated my life to him at the beginning of my senior year.
God's presence is always with us in the midst of pain and tragedy. He is faithful when we are not.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The Shack: HS conondrum
The book, The Shack, is a theologically life changing book. It shapes how we view certain theological concepts of God. This book gives us a greater concept of the Holy Spirit's workings in the Trinity.
This book explains how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work together in unity. It describes how one aspect of the Trinity is not greater than the other. All three work together to produce one God that has three natures but is still God. This relationship is described as simple and easy throughout the book. The author discusses all three parts of God coming together.
The author helps us grasp this nature of three persons in one in the main character's encounter with God. Papa, personified as God, says, "When we spoke of ourselves into human existence we chose to be the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose the embrace the limitations this entailed" (101). Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood." On 103, Papa or God says "I am God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely one." I feel as if the author uses this quote to show how this relationship of the Father, Son, and HS works as a whole.
The main part of this section of the book that is a problem is authority. There is no authority of God over Jesus. The Trinity is depicted in a way that is construed and turned to fit the author's perspective.
The nature of Jesus described by Papa or God also shows how God's three nature into one work together. Papa says although "by nature he is fully God, he is fully human and lives as such." The author depicts Jesus as totally reliant on everything. Jesus cannot do anything with the Father's leading.
The author wants us to see that without the Trinity that God wouldn't not be able to love the way he can. He would be limited to the amount of love he can give us. The Trinity opens up the depth of The Father's love for us through God, talking to Jesus personally, and the Holy Spirit guiding us along the way.
Young's term for Holy Spirit chimes into the conversation in this book describing this unity of God's love. "It's a circle of relationship, not a chain of command, or a 'great chain of being' as your ancestors put it." This relationship is described as one working with the other to produce something great and awesome. The relationship is a simple, easy unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is God in flesh and the Holy Spirit gives us things to pray for and guides us daily in our walk with God.
At times, we break this unity when we sin... As Christians, we first broke in in the Fall, when Adam ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Today, I hope you realize this wonderful relationship with God in this thing we call the Trinity. This book challenged me in my theology and thinking.
This book explains how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work together in unity. It describes how one aspect of the Trinity is not greater than the other. All three work together to produce one God that has three natures but is still God. This relationship is described as simple and easy throughout the book. The author discusses all three parts of God coming together.
The author helps us grasp this nature of three persons in one in the main character's encounter with God. Papa, personified as God, says, "When we spoke of ourselves into human existence we chose to be the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose the embrace the limitations this entailed" (101). Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood." On 103, Papa or God says "I am God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely one." I feel as if the author uses this quote to show how this relationship of the Father, Son, and HS works as a whole.
The main part of this section of the book that is a problem is authority. There is no authority of God over Jesus. The Trinity is depicted in a way that is construed and turned to fit the author's perspective.
The nature of Jesus described by Papa or God also shows how God's three nature into one work together. Papa says although "by nature he is fully God, he is fully human and lives as such." The author depicts Jesus as totally reliant on everything. Jesus cannot do anything with the Father's leading.
The author wants us to see that without the Trinity that God wouldn't not be able to love the way he can. He would be limited to the amount of love he can give us. The Trinity opens up the depth of The Father's love for us through God, talking to Jesus personally, and the Holy Spirit guiding us along the way.
Young's term for Holy Spirit chimes into the conversation in this book describing this unity of God's love. "It's a circle of relationship, not a chain of command, or a 'great chain of being' as your ancestors put it." This relationship is described as one working with the other to produce something great and awesome. The relationship is a simple, easy unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is God in flesh and the Holy Spirit gives us things to pray for and guides us daily in our walk with God.
At times, we break this unity when we sin... As Christians, we first broke in in the Fall, when Adam ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Today, I hope you realize this wonderful relationship with God in this thing we call the Trinity. This book challenged me in my theology and thinking.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Shack: How to Deal with Pain and Loss
The book The Shack by Wm. Young details a man who details with pain and loss of his daughter who was abducted and murdered. The author deals with this incident throughout the beginning of this book through the search for the killer and the family dealing with the loss of their daughter.
The author helps us see that we can't blame God for our struggles and pain in life. God allows things to happen because of evil in this world. Because of the sin of Adam, we are all fallen human beings. Mack says (94), "If I can't trust you to take care of Missy then how can I trust you to take care of me." God who is termed Papa in the book calls Mack out that he doesn't trust him.
The main character Mackenzie Phillips relationship with God is severed through his broken relationship with his Father and this tragedy. As Christians, we at times become mad at God because of things that happen to us in life. We have to learn that some things happen because our broken nature in this world.
Forgiveness is also key in regaining the ability to love others after hardships take place.Mack is finally able to forgive his dad for not loving him (217). He also forgives the man who murdered his daughter Missy (226).
Lastly, trusting in God though it may take time is necessary to restore our relationship with God. God can lead back to a deep, lasting, relationship with him if we learn to trust him in time. Mack learns to trust God in the second half of this book and finally admits to God that he trusts him with all of his life (226).
This book was very helpful for me because I have also struggled through hard times in my life. I have had to remind myself that God allowed this to happen for a purpose. Also, the it may have happened because of the sin nature in this world. I have come to realize that trusting God with hard things takes time. We will not be able to move on life if we can't trust God with the hardships that we deal with daily.
The author helps us see that we can't blame God for our struggles and pain in life. God allows things to happen because of evil in this world. Because of the sin of Adam, we are all fallen human beings. Mack says (94), "If I can't trust you to take care of Missy then how can I trust you to take care of me." God who is termed Papa in the book calls Mack out that he doesn't trust him.
The main character Mackenzie Phillips relationship with God is severed through his broken relationship with his Father and this tragedy. As Christians, we at times become mad at God because of things that happen to us in life. We have to learn that some things happen because our broken nature in this world.
Forgiveness is also key in regaining the ability to love others after hardships take place.Mack is finally able to forgive his dad for not loving him (217). He also forgives the man who murdered his daughter Missy (226).
Lastly, trusting in God though it may take time is necessary to restore our relationship with God. God can lead back to a deep, lasting, relationship with him if we learn to trust him in time. Mack learns to trust God in the second half of this book and finally admits to God that he trusts him with all of his life (226).
This book was very helpful for me because I have also struggled through hard times in my life. I have had to remind myself that God allowed this to happen for a purpose. Also, the it may have happened because of the sin nature in this world. I have come to realize that trusting God with hard things takes time. We will not be able to move on life if we can't trust God with the hardships that we deal with daily.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Series of "Are you a Fan or a Follower?
What are you willing to give up in order to follow Jesus? Your family? Your life?
That is what Kyle Idelman describes is the difference between being a fan or a follower. I follower is willing to give up their whole life to Jesus. A fan won't leave behind all they have to give up their life to surrender to Christ. A follower senses the call to surrender all they have to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A follower is totally committed to Jesus.
In Luke 9:57-62, there are instances where people are faced with the decision to surrender everything to Jesus. The first man says in verse 57, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus then says in verse 58, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We as followers of Christ have to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads us.
While in verse 59, Jesus called another to follow him. This man said, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." In the next verse Jesus replies to the man, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." We try to make excuses and put off following God. As sinful people prone to wander to put off surrendering everything to Christ.
In today's culture we have so many things to do and accomplish on a day to day basis. Following Christ becomes just one of those things we put off on our list of things we need to do. This can be ongoing process unless we stop making excuses in life and ways to get around giving up everything we have for faith in Christ.
In Matthew 4:18-22 describes how Jesus' disciples first followed him. In verse 20 it says they at once followed him and in 22 it describes how immediately they gave up everything and followed him. This is what Jesus wants from those that follow him. Jesus requires us to give up everything and follow him at once. As followers, we can't be waiting for life to clear up or make up another excuse to get out of following him at that moment, it has to be right now or we won't do it.
The author of the book tells a story about a teenager girl's funeral that he did who surrendered her life to Christ. He read her journal on the day of her funeral. In it, she describes how surrendered to God completely she was. Her dad says she didn't care about grades, college, what car she drove, what house she lived in, or many goals scored, all she cared about was her relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that should matter to us.
Are you willing to give up everything for him?
God called me to give up everything for him in the summer of my sophomore year of high school. Years later, at D-focus at called me to give up all that I have to him and be in a more desperately dependent relationship with him. During that time, I sensed a call for a total surrender to God.
In the last section of these verses another person says in verse 61, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me say good-by to my family." Jesus was agitated at this and said in verse 62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Becoming followers of God requires us to make a decision. Do we want to give up all of our life for Jesus? There are many instances even in the Bible of people having to give up things for Jesus from Nicodemus unsure of whether to give up his prestige, the rich young ruler unwilling to give up his stuff, and Elisha having to give up his wealth. In Psalm 106: 19-20, it describes how the people bowed down before a golden calf when Moses received the ten commandments. 19 "At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass". We have to be willing to surrender everything to God and not hold on to anything.
I want to leave you with this on a true follower of Christ. William Borden, the son of a dairy billionaire, who did his undergraduate with at Yale and graduate at Princeton left everything to follow Christ. He left millions to reach an Muslims. He left these three phrases in his journal that was found before he died. He wrote down the phrases No regrets, No reserves, and No retreats. One thing we can learn from him is to say yes to Christ in everything and no to our self and it's desires.
That is what Kyle Idelman describes is the difference between being a fan or a follower. I follower is willing to give up their whole life to Jesus. A fan won't leave behind all they have to give up their life to surrender to Christ. A follower senses the call to surrender all they have to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A follower is totally committed to Jesus.
In Luke 9:57-62, there are instances where people are faced with the decision to surrender everything to Jesus. The first man says in verse 57, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus then says in verse 58, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We as followers of Christ have to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads us.
While in verse 59, Jesus called another to follow him. This man said, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." In the next verse Jesus replies to the man, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." We try to make excuses and put off following God. As sinful people prone to wander to put off surrendering everything to Christ.
In today's culture we have so many things to do and accomplish on a day to day basis. Following Christ becomes just one of those things we put off on our list of things we need to do. This can be ongoing process unless we stop making excuses in life and ways to get around giving up everything we have for faith in Christ.
In Matthew 4:18-22 describes how Jesus' disciples first followed him. In verse 20 it says they at once followed him and in 22 it describes how immediately they gave up everything and followed him. This is what Jesus wants from those that follow him. Jesus requires us to give up everything and follow him at once. As followers, we can't be waiting for life to clear up or make up another excuse to get out of following him at that moment, it has to be right now or we won't do it.
The author of the book tells a story about a teenager girl's funeral that he did who surrendered her life to Christ. He read her journal on the day of her funeral. In it, she describes how surrendered to God completely she was. Her dad says she didn't care about grades, college, what car she drove, what house she lived in, or many goals scored, all she cared about was her relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that should matter to us.
Are you willing to give up everything for him?
God called me to give up everything for him in the summer of my sophomore year of high school. Years later, at D-focus at called me to give up all that I have to him and be in a more desperately dependent relationship with him. During that time, I sensed a call for a total surrender to God.
In the last section of these verses another person says in verse 61, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me say good-by to my family." Jesus was agitated at this and said in verse 62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Becoming followers of God requires us to make a decision. Do we want to give up all of our life for Jesus? There are many instances even in the Bible of people having to give up things for Jesus from Nicodemus unsure of whether to give up his prestige, the rich young ruler unwilling to give up his stuff, and Elisha having to give up his wealth. In Psalm 106: 19-20, it describes how the people bowed down before a golden calf when Moses received the ten commandments. 19 "At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass". We have to be willing to surrender everything to God and not hold on to anything.
I want to leave you with this on a true follower of Christ. William Borden, the son of a dairy billionaire, who did his undergraduate with at Yale and graduate at Princeton left everything to follow Christ. He left millions to reach an Muslims. He left these three phrases in his journal that was found before he died. He wrote down the phrases No regrets, No reserves, and No retreats. One thing we can learn from him is to say yes to Christ in everything and no to our self and it's desires.
Trusting God
Trusting God is really hard. God has brought me through some hard times in my life. In these times, he has helped me trust him with all I am and have.
Everyone has had trouble trusting God in their life. Even the prophets and some of the most influential people in the Bible. Moses didn't think God could use him to speak and minister to the people. God would end up using Aaron to speak through Moses. Jesus at times had trouble trusting God. He surrendered his life to God in total trust and died on the cross for our sins.
Sometimes I have had trouble trusting God with my driving problems. It's hard not having a car and not being able to drive. I used to get mad at God during high school when I first ended up not being able to drive when hearing of my disability that affects my driving problems. At times I think it is God's plan for me to struggle with this disability while other times I just get frustrated. It hinders my life and where I want to go and do in the future.
I learned through D-focus a summer discipleship program I did that God can give us faith if we trust him with our struggles in life. During that next year, I surrendered my attitudes, struggles, and what I was facing to God and he gave me great faith. God also showed me that he is sovereign over all things.
God brings hard times in our life to conform us to his image. That is also his purpose to conform his to his image and for us to know and understand him. This truth of God using things to conform is to his image is found in Romans 8:28-29.
God is faith to us and we most of the time are not faithful to him. That is what I learned in my Old Testament class last semester. God wants to the best for us and he loves us abundantly are two truths I need to cling to daily when I struggle in trusting God. God is isn't too big for any struggle in my life is another thing I need to remind myself of when struggling with trusting God.
I have to remind myself to trust God with all of my life. I can't do this life on my own. We as Christians, are desperately dependent on God for everything in our life; John 15:5.
Everyone has had trouble trusting God in their life. Even the prophets and some of the most influential people in the Bible. Moses didn't think God could use him to speak and minister to the people. God would end up using Aaron to speak through Moses. Jesus at times had trouble trusting God. He surrendered his life to God in total trust and died on the cross for our sins.
Sometimes I have had trouble trusting God with my driving problems. It's hard not having a car and not being able to drive. I used to get mad at God during high school when I first ended up not being able to drive when hearing of my disability that affects my driving problems. At times I think it is God's plan for me to struggle with this disability while other times I just get frustrated. It hinders my life and where I want to go and do in the future.
I learned through D-focus a summer discipleship program I did that God can give us faith if we trust him with our struggles in life. During that next year, I surrendered my attitudes, struggles, and what I was facing to God and he gave me great faith. God also showed me that he is sovereign over all things.
God brings hard times in our life to conform us to his image. That is also his purpose to conform his to his image and for us to know and understand him. This truth of God using things to conform is to his image is found in Romans 8:28-29.
God is faith to us and we most of the time are not faithful to him. That is what I learned in my Old Testament class last semester. God wants to the best for us and he loves us abundantly are two truths I need to cling to daily when I struggle in trusting God. God is isn't too big for any struggle in my life is another thing I need to remind myself of when struggling with trusting God.
I have to remind myself to trust God with all of my life. I can't do this life on my own. We as Christians, are desperately dependent on God for everything in our life; John 15:5.
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