We all know two kids: the one who is the life of the party. Whenever there's a social event, you see him/her there. And then the other kid is the opposite. You see him in the background. He's the social outcast.
We're talking about both of them today.
We love being together. The time we feel safest is when we're in a cluster of loved ones. Some people think that they're better off without fellow humans to slow them down, but in the end, they really do have at least one trusted confidant to hang on to.
This leads me to point one: we were designed to be together.
Then why are people pushing away from each other? Why do we isolate persons who are just like us, but we ignore them anyway? Why this separation?
Point two: Sin came into the world. God's perfect plan has been mutilated.
Why aren't we concerned about this? Because we sin, and admit it, we LOVE sinning. It's fun, it satisfies our malicious desires, and besides, everybody does it.
But here's the party pooper: one day you are going to have to stand before the judgement throne of God, ALONE, and give an account of every single way you broke His law. He cannot tolerate people breaking His law. The reward for breaking it is eternal wrath. It's not just a spanking. This God creates volcanoes, swirls hurricanes, and spins tornadoes, all with his pinky finger. Can you imagine getting pounded with His fist forever?
Point three: This God loved us so much that He sent a substitute! His only son Jesus came down to us, living the perfect life that we never could, and taking the world's sins on Himself, He endured the full wrath of His father in three hours. Guys, we couldn't even pay off our sin if we had a thousand eternities to do it! And now if we love God back, we have Jesus on our side, who will stand alongside us before that throne and say, "Dad, this one I paid for, let him/her in."
If you have Jesus as your friend, you are never alone.
Elsie Mason
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Subject Debunked: Freedom in Christ
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
~ Romans 13:14
Okay, let's get down to business: have you ever seen people who claim to be Christians, but you find little difference between them and the unregenerate neighbor next door? People who claim they love the Lord, but wear plunging necklines, butt skirts, and don't have the most admirable vocabulary.
But of course, we can't tell them what to do; or if we do, they say that it's okay because they have freedom in Christ.
What exactly is this slippery phrase?
Some people will tell you that it means since all things are lawful (1 Cor 10:23)it's ok, or that it's "great that you have your own opinion, but it's yours, not mine" (Rom 14:22).
This is my definition:
"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."
~Romans 6:17-18
What I draw from this is that we were slaves to sin, but when Christ died for us, He set us free to live for Him.
I don't think freedom in Christ means that since He died for all your sins, you can sin all you want because He is paying the bill.
That's not cool! Assuming you call yourself a Christian, you love Christ. If you love Christ, why do you sin all the more? He died for those! Every time you sin, He paid the price by willingly crawling up on that cross, beaten to a pulp and stripped naked, hanging there by nails pounded through His hands, and having to push Himself up to breathe by His feet (they are pierced through as well) until He runs out of energy and suffocates in the most excruciating pain imaginable.
Do you know why He suffered all that? Because He loves you. Are we to continue making our Lover suffer so we can feel temporary pleasure? He keeps calling to us, inviting us to find His love, which is FAR more powerful and longer lasting (Spoiler alert: it's actually infinite!!). Why don't you accept?
Is there something holding you back?
There doesn't have to be.
His love is worth fighting for.
~ Romans 13:14
Okay, let's get down to business: have you ever seen people who claim to be Christians, but you find little difference between them and the unregenerate neighbor next door? People who claim they love the Lord, but wear plunging necklines, butt skirts, and don't have the most admirable vocabulary.
But of course, we can't tell them what to do; or if we do, they say that it's okay because they have freedom in Christ.
What exactly is this slippery phrase?
Some people will tell you that it means since all things are lawful (1 Cor 10:23)it's ok, or that it's "great that you have your own opinion, but it's yours, not mine" (Rom 14:22).
This is my definition:
"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."
~Romans 6:17-18
What I draw from this is that we were slaves to sin, but when Christ died for us, He set us free to live for Him.
I don't think freedom in Christ means that since He died for all your sins, you can sin all you want because He is paying the bill.
That's not cool! Assuming you call yourself a Christian, you love Christ. If you love Christ, why do you sin all the more? He died for those! Every time you sin, He paid the price by willingly crawling up on that cross, beaten to a pulp and stripped naked, hanging there by nails pounded through His hands, and having to push Himself up to breathe by His feet (they are pierced through as well) until He runs out of energy and suffocates in the most excruciating pain imaginable.
Do you know why He suffered all that? Because He loves you. Are we to continue making our Lover suffer so we can feel temporary pleasure? He keeps calling to us, inviting us to find His love, which is FAR more powerful and longer lasting (Spoiler alert: it's actually infinite!!). Why don't you accept?
Is there something holding you back?
There doesn't have to be.
His love is worth fighting for.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
"What, You Don't Have a Valentine?"
Nobody has ever said this to me, but as I get older the message becomes more apparent: "you should have a sweetheart on Valentine's day, if you don't, you are a sad single pringle."
Do you ever feel lonely on Valentine's day? Sometimes it's hard when you see your friends texting their boyfriends or girlfriends cute poems, or some people just can't take a hint that PDA (Public Display of Affection) is not welcomed in certain areas. You want to nibble on the heart shaped chocolates you bought yourself while you invite Me, Myself, and I to your pity party (while scrolling through the social media, which doesn't help).
Here's some advice: stop hurting yourself. You can keep the munchies, but crash the pity party, shut off your phone, and open the Bible. Do you know what the Bible is? It is God's own love letter toward us. Not just in the new testament, either. Genesis, Isaiah, Song of Solomon, even Exodus shows that God wants us to come to Him for love and acceptance. Even though God created the opposite genders for each other, the union between a man and a woman represents Christ's union with His church. They are that close.
Having a significant other is wonderful, but it's temporary. God has loved you before anyone else, He loves you more than anyone else, and He will love you longer than anyone else.
After that, don't you feel a little silly for crying about "no one sending you a valentine?" Now that you think about it, that was rather disrespectful to God, ignoring His beautiful, chocolate-filled, glistening valentine when it was most likely in your very room.
Go ahead.
Open it.
Elsie Mason
Do you ever feel lonely on Valentine's day? Sometimes it's hard when you see your friends texting their boyfriends or girlfriends cute poems, or some people just can't take a hint that PDA (Public Display of Affection) is not welcomed in certain areas. You want to nibble on the heart shaped chocolates you bought yourself while you invite Me, Myself, and I to your pity party (while scrolling through the social media, which doesn't help).
Here's some advice: stop hurting yourself. You can keep the munchies, but crash the pity party, shut off your phone, and open the Bible. Do you know what the Bible is? It is God's own love letter toward us. Not just in the new testament, either. Genesis, Isaiah, Song of Solomon, even Exodus shows that God wants us to come to Him for love and acceptance. Even though God created the opposite genders for each other, the union between a man and a woman represents Christ's union with His church. They are that close.
Having a significant other is wonderful, but it's temporary. God has loved you before anyone else, He loves you more than anyone else, and He will love you longer than anyone else.
After that, don't you feel a little silly for crying about "no one sending you a valentine?" Now that you think about it, that was rather disrespectful to God, ignoring His beautiful, chocolate-filled, glistening valentine when it was most likely in your very room.
Go ahead.
Open it.
Elsie Mason
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