Saturday, July 28, 2007


Sunday, July 17, 2005

If you are a Christian - act like it...

Reality...
Today I was reading in The Message Bible and I came upon Colossians Chapter 3. Many people don't read the Message Bible because there are parts that are said to be incorrectly translated or loosly translated. I still choose to read this translation occationally although it is not a translation that I study from. I think that as you read below you will be amazed at how clearly the message comes across and you will know quickly why I still read this translation from time to time.

As I read this chapter my heart was pierce to live for God more and to search out every corner of my heart and make sure it is consecrated to his will and not my own. I chose to call this section of our blog "Bits of Reality" because many people - Christian and non-Christians tend to live in a false reality most of their lives.

We awake every day of our lives with the knowledge that at some point we will breath our last breath whether it be today, a month from now...or even 50-60 years from now. What have you chosen to do with this knowledge? The reality of this life is this:

James 4:14 (Amplified Bible)
14 Yet you do not know about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears.

Do you live your life knowing that in the great spance of eternity this 70 or so years that you've been given is but a tick mark on the scale of eternity? What you do in this small amount of time effects your eternity. If you are a Christian and you profess to believe that Christ is your Lord - then I challenge you now to ask yourself if you really do believe this thing that you profess.

I don't say this to cause you to doubt your belief in God but to hopefully help you not to make a grave mistake in this life. Being a good person is not enough to get you into heaven. Just because you tried to do what is right in this life doesn't mean you had a relationship with God. I know many "good people" that are Buddists, Muslium and even Athiest but these people do not have a realtionship with God. The Bible tells us in Matt. 7:22:
21"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.'

So ask yourself - do I really live for God? Is he really the Lord of my life? If I am a Christian does anyone else see Christ in me? Do I think I'm Christian because my family raised me that way? Do I think I'm Christian because I go to church every week (sometimes more than twice!)?

The most important question to ask yourself is this: Do I have a relationship with God? Does He know me? I'm not talking about a once a week or even once a day prayer that you say before you go to bed - I'm talking about a real relationship with God where you seek his will for your life, where his wisdom is better than your own, where you are constantly seeking to be more like Jesus so you can please God, and most of all that you love God with all of your heart, body, mind and soul.

If you have asked yourself these questions and found that maybe you've been religious instead of being a Christian or maybe you've just stopped trying to live for God or maybe you have called yourself a Christian but never been more than just a good person - I say to you now: God is eager and willing to forgive a heart that seeks him. Go to God and in your own words ask him to awaken your heart, forgive your sins and being a new realtionship with him.

You can not believe that that is all you need to do. Many people say that salvation is free - and yes it is in a sense - but I can't help feel in my heart that it costs literally everything. To have a relationship with God it is important for you to pray and listen for God to respond and answer your prayers. It is important for you to read God's word and know what Jesus said. It is important for you to worship and be in fellowship with other believers who are not just being religious. People who have a real relationship with God and desire more of God in their lives.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have or if this has touched your life I would be thrilled to know. The funny thing is that...I completely and totally intended on writting about Colossians Ch. 3 but I didn't get to that did I? :) Well, I will leave the scripture below and write something on it later. Hope you enjoy!

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Colossians 3 - Translation: The Message Bible

He Is Your Life
1So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. 2Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.

3Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. 4When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

5And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. 6It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. 7It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. 8But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

9Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. 10Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. 11Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

12So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. 13Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. 14And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. 16Let the Word of Christ--the Message--have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! 17Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. 18Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master.

19Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don't take advantage of them.

20Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end.

21Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

22Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. 23Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, 24confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. 25The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work.