This is what the Lord GOD says: I, myself, will search for my sheep and take care of them. Eze 34:11
He's waiting for you. God is standing on the porch of heaven, expectantly hoping, searching the horizon for a glimpse of his child. You're the one God is seeking. God is the waiting Father, the caring Shepherd in search of his lamb. His legs are scratched, his feet are sore, and his eyes are burning. He scales the cliffs and traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups his hands to his mouth and calls into the canyon. And the name he calls is yours… The message is simple: God gave up his Son in order to rescue all his sons and daughters. To bring his children home. He's listening for your answer. And the Angels Were Silent (Max Lucado) "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?" Jesus answered, "… seventy-seven times." Matthew 18:21-22 Seems to me God gives a lot more grace than we'd ever imagine. We could do the same. I'm not for watering down the truth or compromising the gospel. But if a fellow with a pure heart calls God Father, can't I call that same man Brother? If God doesn't make doctrinal perfection a requirement for family membership, should I? And if we never agree, can't we agree to disagree? If God can tolerate my mistakes, can't I tolerate the mistakes of others? … If God allows me with my foibles and failures to call him Father, shouldn't I extend the same grace to others? When God Whispers Your Name (Max Lucado) What would an X-ray—an MRI—of your soul reveal? Regrets over teenage relationships? Remorse over a poor choice? You become moody, cranky. You’re angry, irritable. Understandable, you have shame lodged in your soul. Interested in an extraction? Confess. Request a spiritual MRI. Psalm 139: 23-24 is just that: “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there’s any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” We need a prayer of grace-based confession. God, I’ve done what you say is wrong. Would you wash away my guilt and make me clean again. No chant or candle needed. Just an honest prayer of confession. Try it! From GRACE God is strong and can help you not to fall. Judges 1:24
You and I are on a great climb. The wall is high, and the stakes are higher. You took your first step the day you confessed Christ as the Son of God. He gave you his harness—the Holy Spirit. In your hands he placed a rope—his Word. Your first steps were confident and strong, but with the journey came weariness, and with the height came fear. You lost your footing. You lost your focus. You lost your grip, and you fell. For a moment, which seemed like forever, you tumbled wildly. Out of control. Out of self-control. Disoriented. Dislodged. Falling. But then the rope tightened, and the tumble ceased. You hung in the harness and found it to be strong. You grasped the rope and found it to be true. And though you can't see your guide, you know him. You know he is strong. You know he is able to keep you from falling. A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado) If you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased. 1 Peter 2:20 Is there any emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive? What do you do when people mistreat you or those you love? Does the fire of anger boil within you, with leaping flames consuming your emotions? Or do you reach somewhere, to some source of cool water and pull out a bucket of mercy—to free yourself? Don't get on the roller coaster of resentment and anger. You be the one who says, "Yes, he mistreated me, but I am going to be like Christ. I'll be the one who says, 'Forgive them, Father, they don't know what they're doing.'" Walking with the Savior (Max Lucado) Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. 2 Co 3:18
The purpose of worship is to change the face of the worshiper. That is exactly what happened to Christ on the mountain. Jesus' appearance was changed: "His face became bright like the sun" (Mat 17:2 ). The connection between the face and worship is more than coincidental. Our face is the most public part of our bodies, covered less than any other area. It is also the most recognizable part of our bodies. We don't fill a school annual with photos of people's feet but rather with photos of faces. God desires to take our faces, this exposed and memorable part of our bodies, and use them to reflect his goodness. Just Like Jesus (Max Lucado) The highlight of my Cub Scout career was the Soap Box Derby. My plan was to
construct a genuine red roadster like the one in the Scout manual. Armed with a saw and hammer, lumber and high ambition, I set out to be the Henry Ford of Troop 169. My efforts weren’t a pretty sight. At some point dad mercifully intervened, and told me to follow him into his workshop. I kept my bike in there but I never noticed the tools. But then again, I’d never tried to build anything before. Over the next couple of hours he introduced me to the magical world of sawhorses, squares, tape measures, and drills. I was amazed. Within an afternoon, we had constructed a pretty decent vehicle. I didn’t leave the race with a trophy, but I did leave with a greater admiration for my father. Why? Because I’d spent time in his workshop! A father is the one person in your life who provides for and protects you.
That is exactly what God has done! When our oldest daughter, Jenna, was two years old, I lost her in a department store. One minute she was at my side and the next she was gone. I panicked. All of a sudden only one thing mattered—I had to find my daughter. Shopping was forgotten. The list of things I came to get was unimportant. I yelled her name. What people thought did not matter. For a few minutes, every ounce of energy had one goal—to find my lost child. I did, by the way. She was hiding behind some jackets. No price is too high for a parent to pay to redeem his child. No energy is too great. No effort is too demanding. A parent will go to any length to find his or her own. So will God! Life is not measured by how much one owns. Luke 12:15
Jesus had a definition for greed. He called it the practice of measuring life by possessions. Greed equates a person's worth with a person's purse. 1. You got a lot = you are a lot. 2. You got a little = you are little. The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable. If you are the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much… Greed is not defined by what something costs; it is measured by what it costs you. If anything costs you your faith or your family, the price is too high. When God Whispers Your Name (Max Lucado) Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell. Matthew 10:28
Hell's misery is deep, but not as deep as God's love. So how do we apply this [truth]? If you are saved, it should cause you to rejoice. You've been rescued. A glance into hell leads the believer to rejoice. But it also leads the believer to redouble his efforts to reach the lost. To understand hell is to pray more earnestly and to serve more diligently. Ours is a high-stakes mission. And the lost? What is the meaning of this message for the unprepared? Heed the warnings and get ready. This plane won't fly forever. "Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart" (Ecc 7:2 NIV). When Christ Comes (Max Lucado) |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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