".... but so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," (Luke 5:24). Forgiveness of sins - something that must be "known?"
The experts in the law didn't believe Jesus could forgive sins. I'm not sure that the people around Him believed that He could either. What do I believe about it? Do I even believe I needed it.
Four, apparently very good friends, bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus - or, at least, attempt to do so. They couldn't come in the normal way, so they knock a hole in the roof and lower him right into the very presence of the Son of God.
A change in plot, here. They were expecting physical healing for their paralyzed friend, and he received spiritual healing. Confusion erupts on the part of some, perhaps even anger, at the very least, a lack of understanding.
What does forgiveness have to do with healing? Perhaps more than we think.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Who is Jesus #49 (Savior Cont.)
Not a soft Savior, but a solid Savior.
Not an indecisive Savior, but a resolute Savior.
Not a quitting Savior, but a fulfilling Savior.
Not a selective Savior, but a "once for all" Savior.
Not a selfish Savior, but a selfless Savior.
Not a "one among many" Savior, but the only Savior.
Not a physical savior, but a soul Savior.
Not a "I told you so" Savior, but a merciful Savior.
Not a conditional Savior, but a "I will take you as you are" Savior.
Not a distant Savior, but a personal Savior.
Not an unknowable Savior, but a "longing to be known" Savior.
Not a hesitant Savior, but a "take action" Savior.
Not an unnecessary Savior, but a very necessary Savior.
Not a "I give up" Savior, but a "I will do what it takes" Savior.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Not an indecisive Savior, but a resolute Savior.
Not a quitting Savior, but a fulfilling Savior.
Not a selective Savior, but a "once for all" Savior.
Not a selfish Savior, but a selfless Savior.
Not a "one among many" Savior, but the only Savior.
Not a physical savior, but a soul Savior.
Not a "I told you so" Savior, but a merciful Savior.
Not a conditional Savior, but a "I will take you as you are" Savior.
Not a distant Savior, but a personal Savior.
Not an unknowable Savior, but a "longing to be known" Savior.
Not a hesitant Savior, but a "take action" Savior.
Not an unnecessary Savior, but a very necessary Savior.
Not a "I give up" Savior, but a "I will do what it takes" Savior.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Who is Jesus #48 (Savior Cont.)
"He saved us..." (Titus 3:5). Our Savior wasn't waiting on us to make the right move to be saved. Titus goes on to say that He saved us, "not because of righteous things we had done." When we were in our desperate "unsaved" position, there wasn't anything we could do that was good enough or powerful enough or strong enough or complicated enough or religious enough to even think about saving ourselves. Putting God in debt to us? - unthinkable!
Saving comes from Him and Him alone. He did it! That's why He wears the name. That's why we call Him, Savior!
It is not good works that "gets" me saved. It is being saved that motivates the good works (Eph. 2:10). The only thing I deserved was eternal separation from Him. He saved me!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Saving comes from Him and Him alone. He did it! That's why He wears the name. That's why we call Him, Savior!
It is not good works that "gets" me saved. It is being saved that motivates the good works (Eph. 2:10). The only thing I deserved was eternal separation from Him. He saved me!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Who is Jesus #47 (Savior Cont.)
I guess in this physical world I've never been in a condition where I needed to escape (I have had to go and hide from a couple of tornadoes) - but many have. POWs escape from their captors. Hostages escape from their abductors. People escape the devastation of an earthquake, hurricane or flood. Escape means there was a life critical/threatening situation that had to be averted. Leaving was the only way to survive.
There is still another threat out there. How about the evil of the world? How about the temptations to do evil that are out there in front of us every day and put us in peril - both body and soul. How do we escape that?
Peter says it comes by knowing our Savior (2 Peter 2:20). A knowledge of the Savior is the way of escape. It is provided both by and through the Savior.
He holds the door open so we can escape. Let's get out of here!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
There is still another threat out there. How about the evil of the world? How about the temptations to do evil that are out there in front of us every day and put us in peril - both body and soul. How do we escape that?
Peter says it comes by knowing our Savior (2 Peter 2:20). A knowledge of the Savior is the way of escape. It is provided both by and through the Savior.
He holds the door open so we can escape. Let's get out of here!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Who is Jesus #46 (Savior Cont.)
"..eagerly awaiting a Savior..." Paul said that we should be eagerly looking for the Savior (Philippians 3:20) Why? What is going to happen? Paul says our bodies will be transformed so that "they will be like His glorious body."
Sounds like our Savior is not through with us until the very end.
In the beginning, he took my miserable body of flesh and gave me salvation. He put His spirit in my body. But in the end, we will be just alike. I will have a body like His.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Sounds like our Savior is not through with us until the very end.
In the beginning, he took my miserable body of flesh and gave me salvation. He put His spirit in my body. But in the end, we will be just alike. I will have a body like His.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Who is Jesus #45 (Savior Cont.)
"Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." (Hebrews 7:25).
I can "almost" conceive of a Savior whose blood washed away all past sins - the sins committed by those who either were dead before his sacrifice or the "current" sins of those who were alive at the time of His death.
When He said "it is finished" He had accomplished such a complete sacrifice that it took care of sins not yet committed by those who were not even born yet. That's what I call "finishing" the task.
Day after day, year after year, people keep coming to Jesus and He "saves completely!" What amazing and powerful blood!. It washes away past sins as well as those sins yet to come. That is complete salvation - being saved completely.
Keep that blood flowing 'cause I will need it!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
I can "almost" conceive of a Savior whose blood washed away all past sins - the sins committed by those who either were dead before his sacrifice or the "current" sins of those who were alive at the time of His death.
When He said "it is finished" He had accomplished such a complete sacrifice that it took care of sins not yet committed by those who were not even born yet. That's what I call "finishing" the task.
Day after day, year after year, people keep coming to Jesus and He "saves completely!" What amazing and powerful blood!. It washes away past sins as well as those sins yet to come. That is complete salvation - being saved completely.
Keep that blood flowing 'cause I will need it!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Who is Jesus #44 (Savior Cont.)
"It is finished." (John 19:30). What was finished? The perfect and perfecting sacrifice had been made. (Hebrews 10:10). It was ONE sacrifice for ALL sins of everyone. (Hebrews 10:12). It is a sacrifice that makes us holy. (Hebrews 10:14).
There was/is so much I needed/need that could only be done through the death of Jesus on the cross.
The sacrifice was complete/finished. The purpose/mission of Jesus was complete. His obedience to the Father was complete. His perfection was complete. His atonement was complete - atonement for us.
Sometimes, I say something is "finished" when I really mean I am going to stop working on it now or I have done all I can do. It's not really finished, I've just gone as far as I can go. As far as I am concerned, it is done.
When Jesus said it is finished, it was complete is every way. There was nothing left for some else to do or "clean up."
Thank you, Jesus, for being so thorough
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
There was/is so much I needed/need that could only be done through the death of Jesus on the cross.
The sacrifice was complete/finished. The purpose/mission of Jesus was complete. His obedience to the Father was complete. His perfection was complete. His atonement was complete - atonement for us.
Sometimes, I say something is "finished" when I really mean I am going to stop working on it now or I have done all I can do. It's not really finished, I've just gone as far as I can go. As far as I am concerned, it is done.
When Jesus said it is finished, it was complete is every way. There was nothing left for some else to do or "clean up."
Thank you, Jesus, for being so thorough
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Who is Jesus #43 (Savior Cont.)
"He saved others," they said, "but He can't save himself!" (Matt. 27:42). It was intended as a taunt by those standing near the cross. They were trying to make fun of Him -- tempting Him to just jump off that cross.
What they intended as a taunt is, in reality, a fervent truth. If He was going to save others, He would have to die. Salvation for me came through his horrible death on the cross. They were right! It was either Him or me - His choice. He chose me!
In order to save others, He couldn't save Himself.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T>
What they intended as a taunt is, in reality, a fervent truth. If He was going to save others, He would have to die. Salvation for me came through his horrible death on the cross. They were right! It was either Him or me - His choice. He chose me!
In order to save others, He couldn't save Himself.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T>
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Who is Jesus #42 (Savior Cont.)
Don't know whether it was a stomach bug or food poisoning, but yesterday I needed saving from whatever it was. My wife had been in and out of bed all night with regular trips to the bathroom and "it" grabbed hold of me, too, and forced me out of bed about 4:30 A.M.
In the bathroom, I went completely dark and, for the first time in my life, I passed out. That was a scary thing. I hit my head on the side of the toilet and tumbled to the floor. My wife heard all of this from her bathroom, but didn't know what had happened and couldn't have helped anyway because of her condition.
Today is much better. I felt so good, I couldn't think of an excuse not to come to work.
I needed relief from the pain, dizziness and fever.
What about the pain, dizziness and fever of life? We need saving from those things. They are caused by sin. The only remedy is the Savior. Once we know what we need saving from, the Savior becomes more visible.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
In the bathroom, I went completely dark and, for the first time in my life, I passed out. That was a scary thing. I hit my head on the side of the toilet and tumbled to the floor. My wife heard all of this from her bathroom, but didn't know what had happened and couldn't have helped anyway because of her condition.
Today is much better. I felt so good, I couldn't think of an excuse not to come to work.
I needed relief from the pain, dizziness and fever.
What about the pain, dizziness and fever of life? We need saving from those things. They are caused by sin. The only remedy is the Savior. Once we know what we need saving from, the Savior becomes more visible.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Who is Jesus #41 (Savior Cont.)
"Lord, save me!" - the ernest cry of a man about to drown in the sea though he had stepped out of the boat at the word of the Savior, (Matthew 14:30).
This salvation thing was brought really close to home for Peter. As his feeble body sank and the sea rose, he recognized his desperate situation.
Fortunately for him he was headed in the direction of the Savior; and, there He was to reach out a saving hand. How much better a Savior than a life preserver??
I must continually march toward the Savior. In Him and Him alone is the salvation that I need - desperately need.
There will be those times that I will begin to sink into the sea of life, business, non-important/urgent things. I pray I will continually reach out to the Savior.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
This salvation thing was brought really close to home for Peter. As his feeble body sank and the sea rose, he recognized his desperate situation.
Fortunately for him he was headed in the direction of the Savior; and, there He was to reach out a saving hand. How much better a Savior than a life preserver??
I must continually march toward the Savior. In Him and Him alone is the salvation that I need - desperately need.
There will be those times that I will begin to sink into the sea of life, business, non-important/urgent things. I pray I will continually reach out to the Savior.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Who is Jesus #40 (Savior Cont.)
"Lord, save us!" - a fervent cry from the disciples to Jesus who was asleep in the bottom of the boat (Matthew 8:23-27). Once they saw their desperate plight, they knew not only that they needed saving, but what they needed saving from - the sea, the wind, the elements. Fortunately, for them, the Savior was close at hand. Their predicament became crystal clear.
I wonder if ours/mine has. Once I realize my desperate plight - my sinful ways - then, and only then, can I reach out to the Savior for salvation. Then I see the man on the cross as the one and only Savior - through Him and none other can I calm the storm of sin in my life. He responds to my cry of, "Lord, save me!"
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
I wonder if ours/mine has. Once I realize my desperate plight - my sinful ways - then, and only then, can I reach out to the Savior for salvation. Then I see the man on the cross as the one and only Savior - through Him and none other can I calm the storm of sin in my life. He responds to my cry of, "Lord, save me!"
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
