(via audjoo)
Jesus to the Rescue
Lately, I’ve been reminded more and more that I count for very little. I have many weaknesses and insecurities that the world’s standards could count as ineffective. But thank God that those in Christ function in an upside-down kingdom!
What’s perplexing and awe-inspiring about this upside-down kingdom is that God loves taking the useless things in the world and making them useful. He loves sharing his worth with the poor, and he loves giving crowns of majesty to the lowly. He puts the power to move mountains in our timid prayers. He gives foolish men the ability to convict three thousand men of their sin, while adding to their number day after day. And best of all, he removes the grip that death so firmly holds upon our throats as soon as we whisper our confession of faith in the one found worthy, Jesus.
After being saved by grace though, I often fall into the trap that I now have to live the perfect life that I once could not live. I often feel like I have to save the world of all its trouble — and while grace empowers us to do amazing things and to live in the upward call of perfection, Christ sometimes asks me to just get out of the way.
To attempt to save by the power of Chris rather than the power of Christ makes me an enemy of the cross. To try to perfect in the flesh what was perfected in faith makes me a skeptic of the power of grace. I’m reminded that Jesus loves giving us grace. God loves showing us mercy. If he does, then I should too. Thank you Jesus, for coming to my rescue when I was incapable of saving myself. My prayer is that I would become less, and that you would become MORE! That by the power of Christ, Chris can see people be transformed and rescued by the love of God.
"But why Judas? Why have someone from His inner circle betray Jesus? Why not just a stranger? But that’s the point. It had to be someone from His inner circle. Jesus already knew that Judas was going to betray Him. He knew from the beginning. Yet, He still invited Judas to His table and ate with Him. Jesus allowed Judas to drink His blood and eat His flesh. Jesus knew. Jesus knows you’re going to be messy and sinful. We don’t have to keep reminding ourselves of that…even the devil reminds us how sinful we are. No, we have to keep reminding us that Jesus knew that we were going to mess up…yet He still invites us to His table to eat with Him"
— (via jjajangmyun92)
(Source: cashewjam92, via jyw)
Let’s talk about habitual sin, shall we? Oh my, how much doubt has come into the world through habitual sin? How can I be saved if I go on sinning? We ask again and again… as if our behavior had anything at all whatsoever to do with our salvation.
Let me give you a simple test to help you…
2,000 years ago, Jesus turned water into wine. And ever since then people have been trying to turn it back into water.
inahbunag asked: How should I get to the place where I love myself? I think that’s the problem with me sometimes.
Unka Glen answered: That’s easy, just receive some humility from God.
Now, that’s maybe not the answer you were expecting, given there’s a chance that humility is what…
Dropping knowledge.
"Not every dude who picks up a $5000 guitar and jams out a praise song is really singing to the God of the universe. There’s a kid in China who can’t hold a note and he sucks at guitar, but he is actually singing in gratitude to the God who made him and gives him breath. That’s worship."
— (via jspark3000)
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WELL PLAYED.
LOLOLOLOLOL #ijustgotservedbythegreatestofalltime
Truth?
For the past few months, I’ve been conflicted with many issues concerning faith, spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit, tongues, worship, music, order, theology, goals, purpose, and the lot. Wrestling with these ideas leaves me exhausted, trying to outline the good & the bad, the right & the wrong. I just end up feeling defeated because I can’t reconcile a definitive answer to these issues. Turns out that things aren’t as black and white as I’d been taught all my life. Yes, there are DEFINITE no-no’s in the Bible, but so many issues become heavily debated and chasms have been created when really, they’re peripheral issues.
Sometimes people just like to argue, bickering back and forth to find out what the “truth” is — or perhaps “more importantly” to prove a point. Maybe people like to argue because they just want to win. If we were not so concerned about being right and if we were willing to surrender our stubbornness and pride, there wouldn’t be so many shoddy theologies being held as truths, and a lot less people would be hurt by the church.
I just want to get to the heart of everything. I want to get to the heart and the furnace of God’s great, great love. I’ll work my way from there.
(drafted MANY months ago; wanted to add more but forgot what to add at this point.)
" Fight for us, O God, that we not drift numb and blind and foolish into vain and empty excitements. Life is too short, too precious, too painful to waste on worldly bubbles that burst. Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity."
— John Piper (via jspark3000)
