Hey all,
I'm writing this morning from my hotel room in Eagan, MN. I have found it to be nice to have nothing more to do than read and hang out. It is a gorgeous bedroom, in fact my bed is a king-size. It's huge! This is also the first time I, as an adult, have stayed at a hotel by myself and paid for it all. It's exciting for me, albeit only me.
I finished a book called "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey this morning, and it was very moving. Parts of it I didn't grasp the direction he was going, but it was good. One thing he did write on that really spoke to me was about legalism. Taking in John 7, when Jesus talks about people coming to Him and saying they did all these things for Him, yet He answers "I never knew you" was so grappling. The point Yancey really makes is it is not knowing Jesus, but Jesus knowing you.
How do we do that? I believe it is what grace is all about. It is taking away from our self-dependency and relying on a gift that only Jesus Christ can give us. When we do not try to do all these things for Jesus, but we do things through Him, we depend on Him and allow His power to do all the work. But I do not know the answer. I'm left in a state of doubt. I just have to depend on Jesus and what He has already accomplished for me.
One thing I do know--Romans 8:33-39 says "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jese who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' (Psalm 44:22)
No, in all things we are more than conquerors throuhg him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (TNIV translation)
Trusting in Jesus Christ has to be (and is) my hope. His grace needs to be my addiction. But I need help with that dependency. I need to seek that fix. I have to believe that God does hold me. He does know me, I have to be sure. God grant me your strength and your let your grace shine so very radiantly in my soul, for I need that now.
On a side note, I have been a little sad that Michael Jackson passed. (I know the whole world has been talking about this...I'm not traipsing new ground.) I am blown away by the enormous amount of people that have "bevied" to his memorial. And with good reason, he was phenomenal. I'm not even upset that people would rather go to this than to church or to hear about Jesus Christ.
What bothers me, is the message that so many are preaching about him and his family. They are Jehovah's Witnesses. THIS IS NOT CHRISTIAN. The message that will be translated will be a message from this church--and that is not cool with me. I pray that God would speak a different message to the people through it--that the devil will not use his evil schemes to turn people away from God.
I don't know where Michael Jackson stood with God. I know he was raised as JW, but if he turned when he was older, or if he left God completely, I don't know. I would love it if he did, but I don't know.
I pray that Jesus Christ would be glorified through this event, and throughout this day. God's blessings to you all.
Brandon
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