Who We Are

Last week was another rather tough week. We’re going through a bunch of changes at the office and I’m not really pleased with any one of them. Nonetheless, I’m still working so I have no room to complain.

That wasn’t really the only reason for the rough week. For no other reason than Satan tearing at my faith, I had several people, recently finding out who I am and what I believe in, start drilling me on the contradictions in the Bible.

You know how that goes… sometimes God puts the answer right on the tip of my tongue and, other times, He doesn’t think the questioning warrants a response.

For Instance

Trust me, I understand people questioning the contradictions. If you’d like, I could point out many of them myself. I’ve never claimed the Bible was an easy read and, if you’re heart isn’t open, you’ll find it very difficult to get through the scriptures.

Let’s take the Disciples on the rough waters for example. In Matthew 14, it clearly tells the story about Jesus coming to them on the water in the midst of a storm. Remember how Peter called-out to Him but lost his focus and began to sink? In Mark, Luke and John, it tells the story of how Jesus was asleep in the boat.

What is the bottom line of what the story of the stormy seas was all about? What were Jesus’ Disciples trying to tell us? Well, the consistent part was… in all four Gospels, that Jesus was able to calm the seas and make the storm cease.

It was about the great and glorious power of Christ and, more importantly, how great His faith truly was. This lesson in the Bible was about faith…

How about the fig tree? In Matthew Jesus cursed the tree because it had no fruit, and it immediately withered. But, in Mark, Jesus cursed it… but it wasn’t until the Apostles were on their way back from Jerusalem that they noticed the fig tree had withered.

Again, what was the lesson truly about? Once more, it was about having faith and believing you will receive what you ask for from God.

People need to remember; the scriptures were written by man. Men are humans and humans make mistakes. Quite honestly, I believe a lot of the scriptures were written on man’s recollection of what lead-up to the final lesson from God.

To be quite honest, I truly don’t believe the Apostles, nor any of the prophets, carried a notebook around with them in their journeys. We really need to focus on the primary lessons delivered.

Okay, enough trying to pick apart the Bible. We have too many people doing that already but, again, these are people without belief; without understanding; and not thinking with an open heart and receptive mind. In reality, we need to read our Bibles with humility and grace. We need to stop relying on what logic may tell us and read the Bible with our hearts!

My Talk with God

Okay so, moving on… by Saturday morning, I had become frustrated and angry. Why was everyone questioning me so harshly instead of trying to understand why I believe so much in what I do?

I must be doing something wrong. Why would anyone listen to me at all anyway? I’m just a man. I’m just a sinner like everyone else. Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?

You know God and I have these little arguments from time to time. I’m always up for a good scuffle. I always loose, but at least I try!

So here I am. I’m at the beach and have said my prayers giving thanks for another day. Now it’s time to get down to business.

Still on my knees, I begin… “Why are you letting these things happen to me? Is my faith really that weak that I can’t hear you when I need you most? What am I doing wrong?”

Now I’m getting more and more frustrated as I don’t hear an answer from Him so, in a last gasp, I cry out, “God, I am Yours!” There it is, I had my answer!

From a song by Hillsong Worship (Who You Say I Am), was the answer I was looking for… I was lost but He brought me in. I am who you say I am!

I Am Yours – Casting Clowns

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBcqria2wmg[/embedyt]

Who Are We

We are different than so many of the “others.” Why? We are children of God as we have accepted Christ into our lives willingly and openly!

John 1:12 – “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

To all that believe, we have been “reborn.” Everything we have done in this life, before accepting Jesus and His teachings, is far behind us.

We have new lives. We have new chances and new beginnings. We have been forgiven our sins and bathed in the blood of Jesus.

Romans 6:6 – “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

Yes, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are cleansed!

Jesus Promised Us

  1. Life

Matthew 16:24-25 – “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’”

It seems like an incredible contradiction, but we will only find life when we quit pursuing it. When we stop chasing the things we believe will bring us life and instead, pursue the creator of life, we discover life as it was designed to be.

  1. Acceptance

John 6:37 – All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away”.

If we come to him, we will find him waiting with open arms. Christ’s invitation extends to everyone, and he accepts all those who follow him.

  1. Rewards

Mark 10:29-31 – “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first”.

Following Jesus requires sacrifice. There are times when the immediate benefit of going our own way may appear to outweigh the potential gains of obedience. Jesus wants us to know that our sacrifices aren’t in vain and there’s nothing we can surrender that exceeds what’s attained in following him.

  1. Revelation

John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them”.

When you get down to it, there’s an element of God’s truth that one can only understand from the inside. All the arguments and proofs for God’s existence pale in comparison to actually experiencing a relationship with God through Christ. Jesus promises us that, when we obey him, he will manifest himself to us.

  1.  Friendship with God

John 15:14-15 – You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus came to reconcile God to mankind. The surprise there isn’t just that a bridge would be built between God and humanity; it’s that we would enter this relationship as friends. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus promises us.

  1. Joy

John 15:9-11 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

We’re instructed to continually exist in God’s love, and he tells us that we can do that by keeping his commands. Our obedience keeps the relationship alive and active, allowing us to remain in his love. Why does he want to securely stay in this relationship? So our joy will remain full.

Jesus promises us that joy is a byproduct of remaining in God’s love.

  1. Trials

Okay, this is the one I was getting to and what was going on this past week with me. It’s also something we always talk about around Sunrise Chapel… the devil will challenge us for certain!

2 Timothy 3:12 – “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

When you get down to it, following Jesus puts you at odds with the world. This persecution can vary in extremes. Some that belong to Jesus will lose friends, family, jobs, opportunities, maybe even their lives. This truth is partially why these other promises exist. It’s as if God is saying, “Following me will be a struggle, but here are the things I will promise those who persevere.”

Jesus says it this way: Matthew 5:10-11 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

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In Conclusion

I hope everyone understood what I was trying to say today. I gave an example of my own struggles and how society challenges me. In these, I hope you will see some familiarity in what trials you may be facing.

Understand You are His!” and your challenges will be many. Know the sacrifices our Lord has already made for us and, if you really think about it, how little we do for Him in return.

Nonetheless, we are forgiven; we are cared for in ways we may not even understand; and we are Loved and have been Loved from before we were even born in a way we most assuredly, don’t understand.

…and all that He asks in return: Love Him; Love one another and believe in His promises to us.

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