God’s goal is not to merely keep us from sinning. Â This missing the grand purpose of Christ’s coming. Â Just as wiping the dirt of clothes does not make them clean, getting us to stop sinning does not mean we are sanctified. Â The purpose of Christ’s coming was to return us to Him, fully and completely. Â Our sin separated us from the holiness of God. Â The hope in our victory over sin rests fully in the work of Jesus Christ having already conquered sin.
Everyone has someone in their life that they are concerned about their faith. Â God places people in our life that we either are concerned about their salvation or eagerly seeking to see the evidence of their faith lived out. Â Many times, these are the people that God has given us for the long haul. Â The story won’t be that a testimony was shared one time and then everything became fine. Â This will be a longstanding, persistent relationship where the affect of God is felt overtime, even though it may not be seen immediately. Â
It is vital that we are able to support one another during our lives and stand with one another. Â As with most things I have found, there is room to grow on both sides and losing weight is no exception. Â From an overweight person seeking to drop weight and making progress, here are some helpful ways to support one another. Â
The movie Rogue One, a prequel to the 1977 film Star Wars, tells the story of a band of heroes seeking to resist evil and ensure those who seek the domination of the galaxy do not thrive. Throughout the movie, there is a constant of hope. You see characters who had given up hope, find it renewed and the struggle of losing and gain hope is made plain. For Christians, the idea of hope is one of the three we must cling to dearly (the other two being faith and love cf 1 Corinthians 13). As we walk through the daily life of following Christ and trusting Him, hope can be one of our greatest tools and strongest allies in the process.
Luke writes with major foreshadowing of the time that would be coming. For Jesus seemingly went missing and was found on the third day. Furthermore, He was found keeping about the business of His heavenly Father and proclaiming the good news to all who would receive it. This is the same thing with His crucifixion. For Mary, this was a difficult time fearing she had not only lost her son but had lost the Son of Man. For Jesus, however, when he noticed that His community had left Him, He knew to seek solace in the house of His Heavenly Father.
It has always been a rather large temptation for me to define my worth by my achievements. For whatever reason, there has been this need to prove myself as “good enough” or fully capable to handle myself in any circumstance. While I may have tried to define my self worth as a person by my achievements, every time I earned one, the pleasure may have lasted for a while, but ultimately the crown of achievement was not able to sustain a deep internal need. For many of us, we do everything in our power to wear the crown of achievements on our head because it makes us feel special, important, and loved, but ultimately, that deeper sense of meaning and purpose cannot come from our actions.
It has always been a rather large temptation for me to define my worth by my achievements. For whatever reason, there has been this need to prove myself as “good enough” or fully capable to handle myself in any circumstance. While I may have tried to define my self worth as a person by my achievements, every time I earned one, the pleasure may have lasted for a while, but ultimately the crown of achievement was not able to sustain a deep internal need. For many of us, we do everything in our power to wear the crown of achievements on our head because it makes us feel special, important, and loved, but ultimately, that deeper sense of meaning and purpose cannot come from our actions.
With John’s Revelation, we are given a glimpse into the spiritual side of the story that God weaves throughout human history. This hotly debated book remains one of the few parts that Christians stand in eager expectation of its coming rather than a record of the past events of the faith. With its fantastical depiction of the end of days and the victory of Christ over the forces of nature, Revelation shows us that Christ already won and secured our victory. However strong this may be, we are catching up and eagerly awaiting the promised finale. Nonetheless, God is still seated on the throne. Whatever accomplishments we may earn as we await the coming of eternity, compared to the fullness of God’s victory, they will fall short.
With John’s Revelation, we are given a glimpse into the spiritual side of the story that God weaves throughout human history. This hotly debated book remains one of the few parts that Christians stand in eager expectation of its coming rather than a record of the past events of the faith. With its fantastical depiction of the end of days and the victory of Christ over the forces of nature, Revelation shows us that Christ already won and secured our victory. However strong this may be, we are catching up and eagerly awaiting the promised finale. Nonetheless, God is still seated on the throne. Whatever accomplishments we may earn as we await the coming of eternity, compared to the fullness of God’s victory, they will fall short.
Make no mistake, shepherds were dirty people. Not morally, although maybe they were, but they were often covered in dirt, sweat and grime. For the sake of protecting the flock, they would stay with the sheep, sleeping in the fields. They smelled like livestock and were not the upper class of society. If you were planning an event for the coming of the King of the Universe, more than likely, you would overlook the shepherds. Yet, it was to the lowly shepherds that the angels announced the birth of the Savior.
