3/10/2010
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” A woman in New Zealand recently put up a couple of souls for auction. She allegedly captured these souls in her house using glass vials dipped in holy water. Yeah, so basically people were buying empty bottles, but that didn’t stop them from paying around two thousand dollars for them. I’m not sure what the attraction is in supposedly buying someone else’s soul, and I’m kind of surprised that they only went for two thousand dollars. You know the truth of the matter is that no one has the right to buy or sell anyone’s soul, because they aren’t ours to buy or sell. Our souls have already been purchased, and they cost a lot more than a mere two thousand dollars. Jesus Christ purchased our souls with his own precious blood as he died on cross. He then rose from the dead so that our souls could have new life. That’s how precious we are, that’s how loved we are, and that’s how valuable we are. I think that’s really good news, I also think it’s good news that our purchases souls can someday live in heaven with Jesus instead of just being stopped up in a bottle.
3/9/2010
Numbers 32:23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” We hear a lot about moral relativism these days, but what exactly does that mean? Well, it basically means that nothing you do is ever wrong. Sure, you may do something you know is wrong, but if you can cite extenuating circumstance, somehow show you’re a victim of something, or otherwise provide an explanation for why it really isn’t your fault, then what you did isn’t really wrong, just misunderstood. This is dangerous territory and it will only lead to more trouble, not less, and to greater captivity instead of more freedom. Friends, we may not like it, it may make us uncomfortable, but it’s time to call sin what it is; sin. It’s time to stop making excuses, stop shifting blame, and otherwise stop trying to make it look like it isn’t our fault. The Bible is very clear that no matter what we do or how we try to wiggle out of it, our sin will find us out. You’re probably wondering where the good news is. The good news is that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin. His death and resurrection sets us free from sin, but until we’re willing to fess up to fact that we have sinned, that won’t do us a lot of good. Let’s set the example when it comes to dumping moral relativism and instead embracing the solidity of the cross and the empty tomb; that’s good news our world desperately needs to see and hear.
3/8/2010
Ephesians 2:10“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” NBC recently debuted a new series called Who Do You Think You Are? In the series, various celebrities trace their roots back through history to gain a greater understanding of who they really are. Now personally, I don’t really understand the appeal of watching somebody else explore their personal history, celebrity or not. However, the concept of knowing who we are is very important. In fact, you may want to ask yourself that same question; who do I think I am? I’ll share a little secret with you, one that even reality TV won’t expose; the best way to find that answer is through Jesus Christ. The fact of the matter is we won’t ever know who we really without Jesus Christ. Why? Because we just can’t be complete, we aren’t whole, without him. He quite literally completes us and it’s through him that we’ll discover who we really are. So there you go, you don’t need your own reality show to truly understand yourself, who you are, where you came from or where you are going. All you need is a Bible, a prayer life, and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Isn’t that good news?