Well I'm very sorry to any of you who are still following along. Two weeks ago was a perfect example of how easily life can get busy and priorities can be misplaced. One thing lead to another, a set back here and there, and time had ran out. I spent the previous week in the Dominican Republic which would be a great excuse if I was there for missions work but instead I was there for a much needed vacation. I spent a lot time in prayer next to the beach and caught up on some reading that I had been wanting to get done. The trip was a huge success.
Still I feel guilty for not posting through the best section of our 28 days together. The book of Luke had a lot to teach us in the last 6 chapters that we read. Looking at the parables Jesus taught as well as the example he set to his disciples, we can see so much into the person that was Christ. A genuine loving man who came to save us all; we could see frustration and compassion as he proclaimed truth everywhere he went. Christ recognized urgency and excluded no one. My ministry has an image of the people it is seeking. The problem is that image excludes people and to be like Christ is to love people in a genuine way. Love like that can be offensive to people, because the message we are bringing calls for Life Change. Christ set the ultimate example of love by going to an embarrassing torturous death on the cross.
I pray that I seek the true love of Christ and learn to replicate it in my life towards others. I hope everyone has enjoyed this. I've loved my first experience with blogging and hope to one day do this again. I appreciate the chance to remember the importance of meditating on scripture and grow in my relationship with Christ.
God Bless,
Nick
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day 23, Luke 6,
Today we got an intense glimse into what it must have been like to follow Christ. I imagine that he was teaching constantly. I believe we learn a lot when we look at the parables that Christ taught in. We know that Christ could have been a tyrant who enforced the law but instead we saw a man who taught the theory behind the law.
Christ taught that we should be a people that understood good from evil and the best way to do that was know God the Father. Christ taught that we should know love and know what it was to love Him. Then we should show that love to others. This humbleing of ourselves was the best chance we had to show Christ to others. Of course we must know the law, but we must understand the love behind the law in order to apply it to our lives. This is why Christ used parables.
Tomorrow is Day 24, Luke 15.
God Bless,
Nick
Christ taught that we should be a people that understood good from evil and the best way to do that was know God the Father. Christ taught that we should know love and know what it was to love Him. Then we should show that love to others. This humbleing of ourselves was the best chance we had to show Christ to others. Of course we must know the law, but we must understand the love behind the law in order to apply it to our lives. This is why Christ used parables.
Tomorrow is Day 24, Luke 15.
God Bless,
Nick
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day 22, Psalm 103,
I often wonder about passages like this one. Why is our God the way he is? I know everyone asks that question. I know everyone wonders why God allows things to happen etc...But what I understand the least about God is grace. Why is he so willing to forgive? If I wronged someone as often as I wronged God, I would be an enemy, not a friend. This idea of forgivness can literally make me ill. My issue is not believing he forgives as much as he says. I understand chapter 103 to be true and clear that God wipes all the blemishes in my life away and that he forgets as soon as he forgives. I have to believe that because it is part of the glue that holds our relationship with Christ solid. But what I can't understand, what I can't get out of my head, is that time after time, he continues to forgive. What keeps him from giving up on me? What kind of love must that be? And is that love attainable in my own life as I show Christ to others?
I pray for an understanding of grace. I pray that I better appreciate it and better extend it to others.
Tomorrow is Day 23, Luke 6.
God Bless,
Nick
I pray for an understanding of grace. I pray that I better appreciate it and better extend it to others.
Tomorrow is Day 23, Luke 6.
God Bless,
Nick
Monday, June 15, 2009
Day 21, Proverbs 3,
Proverbs 3 tells it like it is. This is a blunt reminder of the way we should be and can be living. The text begins poeticly with a description of loving our God. Then it continues with reminders of how we should be following Christ and obeying his commands. We can be assured that God provides for us and promises to take care of us.
The text concludes with a reminder of wisdom and the blessing that it is from from God. Chapter 3 is one that we could read everyday and remind ourselves of the God we serve. The text really does a great job of explaining the God we serve.
I pray I remind myself of the greatness of God everyday.
Tomorrow is Day 22, Psalm 103.
God Bless,
Nick
The text concludes with a reminder of wisdom and the blessing that it is from from God. Chapter 3 is one that we could read everyday and remind ourselves of the God we serve. The text really does a great job of explaining the God we serve.
I pray I remind myself of the greatness of God everyday.
Tomorrow is Day 22, Psalm 103.
God Bless,
Nick
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Day 20, 1 John 5,
The entire book of 1 John is wrapped up exactly how we would expect in chapter 5. John does a great job of explaining the work that God has done on our behalf by coming to earth and being full man. John explains in great detail so that we understand it was a man who lived a perfect life and not only the Christ. He suffered and was tempted, being born just the same as you or myself, and sustained perfection while being the perfect example.
John has carried a theme through the book that we are saved by Christ alone from the sin we had in our life. As we develop we should continue to flee from sin, this is the sin that wont take our life he explains. He also talks about praying for friends to understand their fallen nature or understand the sin in there life so they will have the opportunity to turn to Christ. This mindset of sin is different than we are used to hearing. We understand the poisen in can be when we hear John explain it this way.
I pray I battle the sin in my life and let Christ prevail. I also want to help others who have seen fault in their lives find hope in Christ who forgives them freely.
God Bless,
Nick
John has carried a theme through the book that we are saved by Christ alone from the sin we had in our life. As we develop we should continue to flee from sin, this is the sin that wont take our life he explains. He also talks about praying for friends to understand their fallen nature or understand the sin in there life so they will have the opportunity to turn to Christ. This mindset of sin is different than we are used to hearing. We understand the poisen in can be when we hear John explain it this way.
I pray I battle the sin in my life and let Christ prevail. I also want to help others who have seen fault in their lives find hope in Christ who forgives them freely.
God Bless,
Nick
Friday, June 12, 2009
Day 19, 1 John 4,
Chapter 4 is the best chapter of John thus far. We are fortunate to serve a Lord that allows us to challenge and promises he will persevere as our God. As we challenge our faith through the study of scripture and with a searching heart, we begin to understand God's love for us. A love that is ultimate and above comprehension. But rather than hold that understanding of love in a high esteem, we are to allow it to overflow from us into the world.
If we understand such love, the God of all creation is living in each and everyone of us. With power like that in me, nothing can hold us back. John explains that the power of the love of God living within us will hold fast so strongly that it will conquer all possibilities of fear. Without fear you will see followers of Christ flood the world with the truth. A truth that God lives for them and in them. The opportunity is theres for the taking just as it was ours and no one has been made exempt.
I pray this truth pours out of me and into the lives of others. I pray that I understand the love of Christ in a way that I cannot be bound by fear any longer. I pray the world sees the truth through the work Christ is doing in my life.
Tomorrow is Day 20, chapter 5.
God Bless,
Nick
If we understand such love, the God of all creation is living in each and everyone of us. With power like that in me, nothing can hold us back. John explains that the power of the love of God living within us will hold fast so strongly that it will conquer all possibilities of fear. Without fear you will see followers of Christ flood the world with the truth. A truth that God lives for them and in them. The opportunity is theres for the taking just as it was ours and no one has been made exempt.
I pray this truth pours out of me and into the lives of others. I pray that I understand the love of Christ in a way that I cannot be bound by fear any longer. I pray the world sees the truth through the work Christ is doing in my life.
Tomorrow is Day 20, chapter 5.
God Bless,
Nick
Day 18, 1 John 3,
Better late than never applies I suppose. I feel very guilty this morning. I woke up and the first thing that came to my mind was that I had slipped up. Today will have two blog entries, one this morning and one this evening. Thank goodness we are reading the apostle of John and can be encouraged because I feel aweful for letting yesterday slip away without following through with my commitment.
When reading chapter three today, I began to see the difference in writing styles from a lot of Paul's work that we have already read in comparison to John. I love the hope that John taught with. The picture of encountering Christ upon his return for us is beautiful. I love verse 2, when we are told "what we will be has not yet been made known." For a lot of us we can't remove our minds from life on this earth. Age begins to have an old feel with an end in sight description. I wonder what John was talking about in verse 2. Might his faith have been deep enough that he had an understanding of what being made new in eternity would look like. I like to dwell on thoughts like that, when we will look back and see this life as a dirty speck. The next life will be beautiful.
John continues with a blunt truth that reminds us if we are living with the Spirit of God in our lives than there is going to be conviction in our hearts for the sin we have in us. If this is the case then we need to constantly be working on removing the power that sin has over us. If we really are seeking the Spirit of God, then our desire to be near God will far outweigh our desire of sin. I pray that we find that love John speaks of for one another and that we seek out truth in our lives apart from sin.
This afternoon is Day 19, 1 John 4.
God Bless,
Nick
When reading chapter three today, I began to see the difference in writing styles from a lot of Paul's work that we have already read in comparison to John. I love the hope that John taught with. The picture of encountering Christ upon his return for us is beautiful. I love verse 2, when we are told "what we will be has not yet been made known." For a lot of us we can't remove our minds from life on this earth. Age begins to have an old feel with an end in sight description. I wonder what John was talking about in verse 2. Might his faith have been deep enough that he had an understanding of what being made new in eternity would look like. I like to dwell on thoughts like that, when we will look back and see this life as a dirty speck. The next life will be beautiful.
John continues with a blunt truth that reminds us if we are living with the Spirit of God in our lives than there is going to be conviction in our hearts for the sin we have in us. If this is the case then we need to constantly be working on removing the power that sin has over us. If we really are seeking the Spirit of God, then our desire to be near God will far outweigh our desire of sin. I pray that we find that love John speaks of for one another and that we seek out truth in our lives apart from sin.
This afternoon is Day 19, 1 John 4.
God Bless,
Nick
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