But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” 1 Samuel 8:19-21
Have you ever desperately wanted to be like other people?
I have.
When I read this story, in 1 Samuel 8, I thought, What in the world is wrong with you? Why would you do that?
It doesn't seem like such a big deal when you just read that passage, but there's more to the story. Isn't there always? When the Israelites asked Samuel for a king, he got upset and prayed to God about it. You see, Israel was supposed to be different.
They were a people set apart for God.
He was their king.
When Samuel prayed, God listened and told him to tell the people what would happen to them if they demanded a king. He said, "This is how a king will treat you:"
*The king will draft your sons into his army and make them run before his chariots.
*Some will be commanders of his troops, while others will be slave laborers.
*He'll force some to plow and harvest and others will make his weapons and equipment.
*He'll take your daughters and force them to cook, bake and make perfumes for him.
*He'll take your best fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.
*He'll take a tenth of your harvest and distribute it to his officers and attendants.
*He'll want your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys.
*He'll demand a tenth of your flocks and you will be his slaves.
Then God said this: And you will beg for relief from this king, but I will not help you.
1 Samuel 8:9-20
And the people basically said, "Sounds good to us!"
Talk about free will!
Talk about freedom...to be stupid.
And yet, I understand because I've wanted to be like the others around me too.
And I know all about wanting someone else to fight my battles.
This gives new meaning to the phrase: Be careful what you pray for!
Will this change the way you pray?
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Who's Your Daddy?
My post today is on an epic fight about fathers; it's appropriate for the day after Father's Day, I think!
Jesus is teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. He liked to teach near the offering boxes and watch people as they put their offerings in. Incidentally, these boxes were located in the court of women. This is significant because it means that Jesus liked to be where everyone could hear, even the women, though they were considered "less important."
He'd just told the people, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." And of course, the Pharisees were there to challenge him.
He engaged.
He told them that he knew who He was, where He came from and that He wasn't alone. "...I stand with the Father, who sent me." John 8:16
Then they verbally sparred. "Where is your father?"
"You do not know me or my Father." Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
He kept talking and confused them.
He told them that they were from below and He was from above.
They were of this world and He was not.
They were confused because those who don't belong to God, can't hear his voice. They didn't understand what he was saying because they were listening to the voice of their father, the devil. They only "heard" what they wanted to believe about themselves.
But the Bible says: Even as he spoke, many believed in him. Some of them received clarity and he explained who God's true children really were and the effect his teaching would have on them...
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32
If you want to go deeper, you can read all about it in John 8:12-58
So now I ask you...Who's your daddy?
Jesus is teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. He liked to teach near the offering boxes and watch people as they put their offerings in. Incidentally, these boxes were located in the court of women. This is significant because it means that Jesus liked to be where everyone could hear, even the women, though they were considered "less important."
He'd just told the people, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." And of course, the Pharisees were there to challenge him.
He engaged.
He told them that he knew who He was, where He came from and that He wasn't alone. "...I stand with the Father, who sent me." John 8:16
Then they verbally sparred. "Where is your father?"
"You do not know me or my Father." Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
He kept talking and confused them.
He told them that they were from below and He was from above.
They were of this world and He was not.
They were confused because those who don't belong to God, can't hear his voice. They didn't understand what he was saying because they were listening to the voice of their father, the devil. They only "heard" what they wanted to believe about themselves.
But the Bible says: Even as he spoke, many believed in him. Some of them received clarity and he explained who God's true children really were and the effect his teaching would have on them...
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32
If you want to go deeper, you can read all about it in John 8:12-58
So now I ask you...Who's your daddy?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Born To Overcome
Lately, I've heard a lot of talk about sin not mattering much to Jesus. The story goes, as long as you have love in your heart and believe in God you're ok... just the way you are.
Kind of like Lady Gaga right? Because... baby you were born that way.
I don't think so.
The idea of finding freedom through Jesus Christ, is that we overcome, through His power within us, the condition we were born into. We were born into the condition of sin.
Every one of us.
I don't like to think of myself of being born as sinful, because seriously, I was a adorable baby. Look!
I think my mom was trying to get me to smile.
I think my dad was saying, "Honey, if I set her up here do you think she'll fall?
I was a cutie; I was also born sinful, greedy and selfish.
As a baby, my first word was Master Charge - no joke!
now it's called Master Card, and isn't that the truth!
I spent the first part of my life in a quest for things:
money
good looking guys
nice cars
and anything I could use to make me feel successful.
I did good stuff too: I volunteered with the Red Cross helping old people, I was a good friend and was good to my parents. But I was never satisfied, and always felt like something was missing.
Forgiveness and God was missing. And when I found Him, or rather when I finally admitted I needed Him, I felt differently. Over time, he worked the greed, selfishness and addictions out of me. I work on other things as they emerge, but it's up to me to keep myself pure, so my old nature doesn't creep back in.
Sin separates us from God. But instead of arguing it through my own filter of feelings, I'm going to show you some verses from the Bible so you can see for yourself:
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God's judgement and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to his people." Hebrews 10:26-29 (emphasis mine)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
"Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." Hebrews 13:4
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what makes a man 'unclean.'" Jesus - Matthew 15:19-20
"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tiled around the neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 'where the worm never dies, and the fire never goes out.'" Jesus - Mark 9:42-48
After reading these passages do you believe Jesus doesn't care about sin - all of it? This is a problem today and was a problem in the early church as well. Apparently, people thought that since they were reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, they were free to do anything they wanted. In fact, the apostle Paul had to clarify it multiple times. I leave you with these last verses:
"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." Romans 6:1-4
"For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin." Romans 6:7
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us for the bad things we do and for sending your own son to die in our place. May we never take advantage of it and trample over the grace you've freely given us. Amen
Kind of like Lady Gaga right? Because... baby you were born that way.
I don't think so.
The idea of finding freedom through Jesus Christ, is that we overcome, through His power within us, the condition we were born into. We were born into the condition of sin.
Every one of us.
I don't like to think of myself of being born as sinful, because seriously, I was a adorable baby. Look!
I was a cutie; I was also born sinful, greedy and selfish.
As a baby, my first word was Master Charge - no joke!
I spent the first part of my life in a quest for things:
money
good looking guys
nice cars
and anything I could use to make me feel successful.
I did good stuff too: I volunteered with the Red Cross helping old people, I was a good friend and was good to my parents. But I was never satisfied, and always felt like something was missing.
Forgiveness and God was missing. And when I found Him, or rather when I finally admitted I needed Him, I felt differently. Over time, he worked the greed, selfishness and addictions out of me. I work on other things as they emerge, but it's up to me to keep myself pure, so my old nature doesn't creep back in.
Sin separates us from God. But instead of arguing it through my own filter of feelings, I'm going to show you some verses from the Bible so you can see for yourself:
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God's judgement and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to his people." Hebrews 10:26-29 (emphasis mine)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
"Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." Hebrews 13:4
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what makes a man 'unclean.'" Jesus - Matthew 15:19-20
"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tiled around the neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 'where the worm never dies, and the fire never goes out.'" Jesus - Mark 9:42-48
After reading these passages do you believe Jesus doesn't care about sin - all of it? This is a problem today and was a problem in the early church as well. Apparently, people thought that since they were reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, they were free to do anything they wanted. In fact, the apostle Paul had to clarify it multiple times. I leave you with these last verses:
"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." Romans 6:1-4
"For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin." Romans 6:7
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us for the bad things we do and for sending your own son to die in our place. May we never take advantage of it and trample over the grace you've freely given us. Amen
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