Living the Life

I had a little altercation with a co-worker this past week. It had come to his attention that a task given by one of our sales team members hadn’t been completed for a customer and had been going on for weeks.

Thinking I had been involved since the beginning of the project which, quite frankly I should have been, he screamed at me using words and metaphors I had never even heard. He thought it was me that “dropped the ball.” Long-story-short on this one, I jumped in at the last minute and took care of the issue.

We all make mistakes. That’s just a simple fact of life. If I had done as he thought (dropped the ball), I would have certainly understood his rampage. The fact that I wasn’t involved, didn’t “drop the ball”, and didn’t deserve the chastising is what got my temper up.

I hardly spoke to him for the rest of the week. Sounds childish, doesn’t it? Even though the right thing to do, as a Christian, would have been to simply let it go and continue my work-week.

Here’s the thing… for months now, him knowing what I do and how I feel about living a Godly life, he had indicated to me that he too was a Christian, God-Fearing man and attended church every Sunday (Calvary Chapel).

After our little run-in and his choice of words blended with raging temper, I threw out this little comment: “Go to Church every Sunday do you? What for… to listen to the music? You obviously must be asleep during the messages because you apparently haven’t learned much at all!”

Yeah, okay… that made me feel a little better but, after a while, I began to think about what I had said. Are we listening? Do we understand? Do the things we hear change our lives at all? What kind of lives are we actually living and what kind of lives “should” we be living?

Live for Christ

So, exactly how should we be living our lives, and should it be as this individual demonstrated to me last week? Somehow, after all we’ve spoken about over the past year, I’m guessing maybe not.

“We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.”

– Adrian Rogers (Southern Baptist Pastor)

It isn’t easy to live as Christ would have us. Our faith may only be, “that of a mustard seed” and because our faith is so small, perhaps we don’t have the same “drive” as the Apostles did. So, let’s go back in time and see if it might change our view on things.

What if we had lived in that first century? What if we had been there throughout Jesus’ ministry and witnessed all that had occurred? Wouldn’t we be living differently than we are now? I suggest we would for certain.

Witness the Miracles

The Virgin Birth: We can read about the birth of Christ in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. While most believe His works in Cana was the first miracle surrounding Jesus, if you read about His birth, you’d see you’re missing the first.

It was well-known that Mary had never “been with a man” and was considered a virgin, and very Godly woman, by all who knew her. Her blessing from Heaven is truly a testament to her faith and the power of our God.

Imagine this happening today. Surely, it would be denied and considered totally impossible by everyone. Science would try and find alternative answers and the public would just consider a such woman a liar and some kind of hussy (an impudent or immoral girl or woman).

Water into Wine: John 2:1-11 – While Jesus was attending a wedding ceremony in Cana, his Mother came to him and said, “They have no more wine.” To which, Jesus replied, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.”

Mary didn’t relent, she then told all the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus then told all the servants to fill six stone water jars with water. After blessing the jars, he then said, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

After the master had tasted the wine, he proclaimed, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you, have saved the best until now.”

All of the Apostles, as well as Mary, knew what Jesus had done and believed in Him. Imagine, once again, had you been there, what would your reaction had been? I can only guess… “Dude, did you just see what this guy did?!”

The Healing Powers of Christ

Let’s not go through every one of the miracles Jesus performed but not forget to mention just a few more:

• Removal of demons
• Healing of the sick
• Restoration of sight and hearing
• Raising of the dead (at least three times)
• Feeding 5,000, then 4,000 with just a few loafs/fish
• Catching a large amount of fish

I believe there are forty miracles documented throughout the New Testament that Jesus had performed but, as John told us…

John 21:25 – “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Imagine you were there for all these things. Wouldn’t you be living your life differently now? Wouldn’t you be proclaiming His name as Lord and savior? I think your answer is, most definitely, yes! SO WHY NOT NOW?

The Last Days

Okay, maybe you weren’t there throughout His ministry. We can only wish we had been as our lives would be so much different now and our faith would be far stronger than that of a mustard seed.

So, in order to help us live a little better today, let’s think about a few ways to imagine our life today if we had been there, only for the last days. Try and think about the events from these last days and see if it will “perk-up your faith.” You know they happened as you’ve heard it in at least four different Gospels.

Christ Crucified

You have witnessed the crucifixion. You saw Jesus’ beaten body nailed to a cross of wood. You heard all the criticism being shouted at Him even while He was dying.

Yet, through all His pain; through all His anguish; you heard him say, from the cross, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”

What kind of compassion was that?! What kind of man would ask God forgiveness for his persecutors knowing, surely, He was to die?! The Son of God, that’s who!

The Resurrection

You’ve just seen your teacher, your Rabbi and, to most of the Apostles, your friend crucified. You watched through His torture, suffering and agony as He slowly died on the cross… this man who you knew truly Loved you and you Loved Him in return.

Now, after the Sabbath, you go to His tomb to pay your respects and pray. When you arrive, you see the stone has been rolled back and He is no longer there.

Then, an Angel appears before you… Matthew 28 and Mark 16 speak of only one Angel, but Luke 24 tells us two. Nonetheless, there were Angels involved. Imagine the fear that filled you yet, the peace.

Now, you run back to where you are staying to talk about all of this with the other disciples as you are quite frightened but amazed.

Luke 24:36 – “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Okay, now you’re freaked-out! Jesus then says…

Luke 24:37 – “’Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

So, after all of this, would your faith not be so much stronger than it is today? Would you not be shouting His name on the rooftops and in the streets?

…or would you be saying what the Apostles did?

Acts 3:15 – “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”

Acts 3:19 – “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”

When He Returns

Once again, all these facts have been documented. Not by one crazy, psyched-up individual, but multiple authors of the events that had occurred.

We ought to be living life as if He is coming back today because He WILL! The Apostle John gave us a very serious verse to ponder when he wrote…

1 John 2:28 – “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming”

Why would John write such a thing? Because he knew human nature and our tendency to slack off in the Christian faith. That’s why Jesus warned us in…

Matthew 24:36 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Matthew 24:42 – “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come”

Therefore, we must live as if He’s coming back today!

The 10 Commandments

Shall I remind everyone?

1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.”

This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it excludes polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.

2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor.

3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”

The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday.

Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.

“Honor thy father and mother.”

This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm.

5. “Thou shalt not kill.”

The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.

6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

The sixth and ninth commandments honor human sexuality. This commandment forbids the actual, physical act of having immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery, which is sex with someone else’s spouse or a spouse cheating on their partner.

This commandment also includes fornication, which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, masturbation, group sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.

7. “Thou shalt not steal.”

The seventh and tenth commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes that this commandment also denounces cheating people of their money or property, depriving workers of their just wage, or not giving employers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, and vandalism are all considered extensions of violations of the Seventh Commandment.

8. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. The most obvious way to fulfill this commandment is not to lie — intentionally deceive another by speaking a falsehood. So a good Catholic is who you want to buy a used car from.

9. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

The Ninth Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Just as human life is a gift from God and needs to be respected, defended, and protected, so, too, is human sexuality. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s considered sacred in the proper context — marriage.

10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. Along with the Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

These are God’s laws to Us!

The 11^th Commandment

Jesus gave us the most simple instruction on how we should be living our lives today.

John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Love one another. That’s all there is to it, all we have to do to stay in the good graces of God and earn our place in eternal peace.

Another simple reminder…

James 1:19 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”

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Conclusion

So, was I treated last week as Jesus would have treated us given the same circumstances? Was my co-worker “quick to listen and slow to speak?” I don’t think so. His behavior was not at all a representation of how Christ wants us to live.

We need to remember all of these things each and every day of our lives. How could we not believe in what took place back then? It is so well documented by so many different people. The Bible is the number one selling book of all times in so many countries. If it isn’t all the truth, why do so many believe and why wouldn’t you?

• Think about the virgin birth – impossible today!
• Remember the miracles – how in awe you would be!
• Remember the crucifixion – the torment our Lord went through yet still blessed all as He hung near death!
• Remember the resurrection – again, another miraculous event that, today, would probably give us a heart attack!
• Remember He IS coming back – are we ready for His return?
• Remember God’s commandments – are we indeed following them – how simple they really are.
• Remember Christ’s 11^th commandment – LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS HE LOVES US!

We need to keep our sights set on God; set on Jesus; and set on The Holy Spirit. Stay focused! Don’t let the distractions of this world take you away from God and steal eternal salvation out from under you! LIVE LIFE AS CHRIST WOULD HAVE YOU DO!

Be good to one another; always stay humble; always be kind… God Bless (Amen)