You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. Matthew 7:2
We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn't see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged. Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don't know. Only one who has followed yesterday's steps can be their judge. Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God's work is complete? "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again" (Php 1:6). In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado) I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me. Php 3:14
Most of my life I've been a closet slob… Then I got married… I enrolled in a twelve-step program for slobs. ("My name is Max, I hate to vacuum.") A physical therapist helped me rediscover the muscles used for hanging shirts… My nose was reintroduced to the fragrance of Pine Sol… Then came the moment of truth. Denalyn went out of town for a week. Initially I reverted to the old man. I figured I'd be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened, a curious discomfort. I couldn't relax with dirty dishes in the sink. What had happened to me? Simple. I'd been exposed to a higher standard. Isn't that what has happened with us? … Before Christ our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn't even know we were slobs until we met him… Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding? In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado) Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Psalm 32:1
If we are already forgiven, then why does Jesus teach us to pray, "Forgive us our debts"? The very reason you would want your children to do the same. If my children violate one of my standards or disobey a rule, I don't disown them. I don't kick them out of the house or tell them to change their last name. But I do expect them to be honest and apologize. And until they do, the tenderness of our relationship will suffer. The nature of the relationship won't be altered, but the intimacy will. The same happens in our walk with God. Confession does not create a relationship with God, it simply nourishes it. If you are a believer, admission of sins does not alter your position before God, but it does enhance your peace with God. The Great House of God (Max Lucado) I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me. Php 3:14
Most of my life I've been a closet slob… Then I got married… I enrolled in a twelve-step program for slobs. ("My name is Max, I hate to vacuum.") A physical therapist helped me rediscover the muscles used for hanging shirts… My nose was reintroduced to the fragrance of Pine Sol… Then came the moment of truth. Denalyn went out of town for a week. Initially I reverted to the old man. I figured I'd be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened, a curious discomfort. I couldn't relax with dirty dishes in the sink. What had happened to me? Simple. I'd been exposed to a higher standard. Isn't that what has happened with us? … Before Christ our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn't even know we were slobs until we met him… Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding? In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado) May the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
"All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other" (John 13:35). Stop and think about this verse for a minute. Could it be that unity is the key to reaching the world for Christ? If unity is the key to evangelism, shouldn't it have precedence in our prayers? Should we, as Paul said, "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3 NIV)? If unity matters to God, then shouldn't unity matter to us? If unity is a priority in heaven, then shouldn't it be a priority on earth? Nowhere, by the way, are we told to build unity. We are told simply to keep unity. From God's perspective there is but "one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Unity does not need to be created; it simply needs to be protected. How do we do that? … Does that mean we compromise our convictions? No. Does that mean we abandon the truths we cherish? No. But it does mean we look long and hard at the attitudes we carry. In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado) When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us! It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home.
Adoptive parents understand this more than anyone. We biological parents know well the earnest longing to have a child. But in many cases our cribs were filled easily. We decided to have a child and a child came. In fact sometimes the child came with no decision. I’ve heard of unplanned pregnancies, but I’ve never heard of an unplanned adoption. If anybody understands God’s ardor for his children, it’s someone who has rescued an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home! from The Great House of God Honour God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do. Ecc 12:13 Here are some God-given, time-tested truths that define the way you should navigate your life. Observe them and enjoy secure passage. Ignore them and crash against the ragged rocks of reality … : - Love God more than you fear hell. - Make major decisions in a cemetery. - When no one is watching, live as if someone is. - Succeed at home first. - Don't spend tomorrow's money today. - Pray twice as much as you fret. - God has forgiven you; you'd be wise to do the same. In the Eye of the Storm (Max Lucado) He took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. Isa 53:4 Jesus knows how you feel. You're under the gun at work? Jesus knows how you feel. You've got more to do than is humanly possible? So did he. People take more from you than they give? Jesus understands. Your teenagers won't listen? Your students won't try? Jesus knows how you feel. You are precious to him. So precious that he became like you so that you would come to him. When you struggle, he listens. When you yearn, he responds. When you question, he hears. He has been there. In the Eye of the Storm (Max Lucado) Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them. Luke 17:33
There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it's to live. Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe… Or you can hear the voice of adventure—God's adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God's impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn't safe, but what is? He Still Moves Stones (Max Lucado) My grandmother canned her own peach preserves and stored them in an underground cellar. It was a deep hole with wooden steps and a musty smell. As a youngster, I’d climb in, close the door and see how long I could last in the darkness. Not even a slit of light entered that underground hole. I’d sit listening to my breath and heartbeats, until I couldn’t take it anymore. Then I would race up the stairs and throw open the door! Light would avalanche into the cellar. What a change! Moments before I couldn’t see anything—then, all of a sudden I could see everything!
Just as light poured into the cellar, God’s hope pours into your world. Upon the sick, He shines the ray of healing. To the confused, He offers the light of Scripture. God gives hope! Your cup overflows with joy—with grace. Shouldn’t your heart overflow with gratitude? From Traveling Light |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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