Authentic Love

Jesus had key relationships: Martha, Peter, Mary Magdalene and John. Each of these profiles of friendship were unique unto themselves. These people walked, talked, loved and were loved by Jesus. Each of us may be similar in some way or another to one or more of these folks but ultimately they walked with Him. What they experienced is special, unique and will never be replicated.

But...

We do share the most important things in common...

the need for and ability to receive His ultimate love through the cross and resurrection. Each of these special people needed to choose to follow, repent and receive the grace and mercy provided through the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what we share… We must do the same. Jesus Died and rose from the dead for them and for us.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Three Lies... Three Truths: Part III

Lie #3: You are Small and Unknown by God.

Truth: Many people live their lives feeling as if they may believe in God but they are unsure of whether He believes in them. I would say most go through this at some time in their life. We feel like the Who's from Whoville realizing that our whole existence is headed toward destruction and we scream out "We are Here! We are Here! We are Here!". The truth is God knows we are here and He is too! His presence is real.

I Peter 5:7 says:

"Cast your worries on Him because He cares for you"

Action Point: The best way to live this truth out is to serve those who are truly small in the eyes of the world. Be Jesus to the last in this world, the lost in this world, and the least in this world! This takes our focus off of our presumed "smallness" and onto those that Jesus asked us to be concerned with.

Love the unlovely and you will experience the genuine Love of Jesus!

Who Would Jesus Vote For?

Was Jesus a Democrat or a Republican? Let me just let that one sit with you for a second.....

The absurdity of the question makes some laugh and some shake in anger. Obviously Jesus was part of neither political party... in fact, he did not do well at bowing to any party but One... and that was the party line of His Father in Heaven. In Luke 20 the religious leaders of the day were trying to take Jesus out and get Him to stumble over His words. So they sent spies to get Jesus to incriminate Himself with some misspoken words about the Roman Empire (the whole freedom of speech thing under Roman occupation in Israel wasn't exactly as we understand it here in the USA).

Jesus replied to the spies questions with "Render to Caesar what is Caesars... Render to God what is God's"

WOW!

In these words people were amazed and decided not to mess with Jesus (for the time). In this statement Jesus made clear His party affiliation, His voting record, His agenda... to do the will of His Father in Heaven!

Caesar, Bush, Obama, Reagan, JFK, Lincoln...are a list of the created, the temporary, the short-sighted and men of this world.

God... is the Creator of all things, eternal, Kingdom of Heaven minded and above and beyond this world.

I vote. I have political opinions. I have views on issues in our nation I am passionate about. I have a political party affiliation.

But... May you and I render to God what is God's so that when we render to Caesar what is Caesars we are believing, viewing and acting on things in such a way that it reflects our faithfulness to the eternal, the Biblical, the Creator of all things.

Are you...

Republican?

Democrat?

Independent?

Render to God what is God's.