December 22, 2011
The Cross. How can we, who are imperfect and deserving of eternal damnation, ever look to God and ask, "why?" when something doesn't go right. We plan things according to our road map, He plans according to His birds-eye view. What are you more willing to trust? We see twists and turns and unpleasant situations, but Christ sees from start to finish. What's even more amazing is that that Christ died for you! He came to die for selfish, pigheaded, sinful, me. What kind of love is that? What love would drive a God of the universe to send His son-His only son-to die for not only selfish, pigheaded, sinful me; but for the whole population of selfish, pigheaded, sinful vagabonds! Why? That love is so far beyond the reach of this temporal world, that it should drive us to our knees and cause us to live a life of awe. We should wake up every day of our lives, and so long as we have breath, thank God that He died for us because we should never get over the amazing love He has for us. Little me, God...God loves little me?? It doesn't stop there; God wants to have unending fellowship with us. The God of gods, the God of all creation, the God of love, wants you to fellowship with Him every day. He wants to lead you through life. I used to picture God's guiding as God standing behind us and pushing us on as He gives instruction. But I realized, if we let Him, God wants to step out in front of us, put His hand in ours, and lead us through everything life throws at us. Even more vivid is a shephered carrying an injured sheep to a safe haven. Why? Because He loves us. As we go through our life, we inevitably come across something unexpected, and our response is to get angry at the God who loves us and ask, "why?". We can't understand why He allows pain and suffering, especially if it lands in our backyard. We constantly challenge and turn our backs on Him, the God who loved us so much that He suffered and died for us. For shame. That attitude only reveals our need to cling to Him. As Cary Schmidt refrences in his book, Off Script, in times like these we need to turn our thinking around and ask, "Why would a good God allow good things to happen to bad people."
Rough road will come, but it's part of the journey. Put your trust in the One who knows the destination from the journey. Let the cross be a reminder of how much God loves you and how undeserving you are of His love. This Christmas, see the journey of Christ's life from start to finish and stand in awe of His sacrifice. Share His love with others and watch how a loving God leads them to the cross. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."
"For unto us is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us."
Posted by Jonathan.
October 9, 2011
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and loose his own soul?"
The importance of our stature and accomplishments here on earth become minuscule when compared to the grandeur of our God. Think about it, how big is our God? How BIG is your God?? Compare that to the size of our world and the "treasures" it offers, and we can begin understand what it means to "gain the whole world". You can have this world, and everything it has to offer, but if you haven't Jesus,... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
June 12, 2011
Once upon a time, Christians believed their God could do anything. Christians did what their God commanded regardless of what people thought. Christians were world changers, God was BIG. Christians never backed down from the defense of Truth...and now? Christians watch as our nation crumbles and people categorize our God with the rest of the powerless gods. Christian's agendas have trumped God's commands. Never before have Christians resolved to blend in with the world and dub it "Christian"... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
May 31, 2011
Last week, I found myself sitting at the front row of a conference that topped 500 people. The session started in the usual manner, but I was told that tonight was going to be the best night of my life. When the speaker was announced, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the name. Taking out my notebook, I began to scratch away, desperately trying to keep up with his message. He started out by saying something along the lines of, "You have heard from many speakers, all of them powerful, but e... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
March 26, 2011
With all the things that are going on in the world today, sometimes you just have to take time to have a good laugh. This has been re-posted from a friends blog who took it from the blog of David Thorne. Apparently, David irritates people like that's his job.
Enjoy!
****IF YOU LOVE CATS, DO NOT READ THIS. If you don't, read on.****
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster
Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
March 8, 2011
Abortion-the deliberate murdering of an innocent baby. How disturbing and sinful is that?
These are the thoughts that I have had lately. But I began to think of how many people here on earth throw their lives away into a proverbial trash can. Of course there is no parallel to the life a baby could have lived and the life of a person, but the fact that we forget one and give our full attention to the other is not right. We see on a daily basis people that have thrown their lives away and w... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
February 23, 2011
2011, has been quite eventful thus far. Protests, rumours of war, and despicable laws and debates are all a part of what this year has turned out to be. All of these events seem to point to the end times. Of course, no one knows the exact day the world will end, but regardless of when it ends, one fact that remains true is that every day brings us closer to it.
Watching all this happen is exciting some of the time, and scary most of the time. When our president makes such rash decisions, it... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
December 16, 2010
"What do you want for Christmas?" It is the question that millions of Americans ask their children. Christmas is almost here and people are crowding the mall trying their best to fulfill all their children's wishes. Others are busying themselves planning events for the holiday week. In all this chaos, we forget the true meaning of Christmas. Let's take a moment to try to see beyond the lights and decorations and remember what Christmas really is...
Christmas is the time we take to celebra... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
December 11, 2010
Hi all,
I have been reading through some history lately and have come to a realization. Every person in that history book is there because they have altered the course of history. Every person in history has impacted the world around them. Simple thought right? But what if you ever did something worth being written in history? What if someday you stood up and did something grand that would define you as a person forever?
But what if our actions would not be considered grand enough to ... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
October 14, 2010
In everyone’s life, there comes a time of change. Either good or bad, this change will always cause you to rethink your life.
I recently said goodbye to my best friends as they ship off to Oklahoma. I would have never known how much they molded my life or how many people they influenced during their time here if it were not for this time of change. Although I may look at this situation as my best friends leaving, others in Oklahoma don’t know what is coming their way. During times lik... Continue reading...
Posted by Jonathan.
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