Punishment

Ok
I know I've said it before but I get rather sick when I talk about the parts of the Bible that are hardcore.  That are convicting to me.  These parts aren't fun, but truthfully when I think about it; if I didn't cover the parts that are hard it would be like saying to my kids "Hey, you have no consequence at all for telling me that I'm stupid and please continue to hit me while you're saying it."
Ah, that ain't going to cut it in my family because one I'm not someone to allow a child to hit me just randomly and two that's insane to not to correct your child and make sure they have a consequence like cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush ;-)

So here we have Hebrews 10 this chapter is full of in your face real t.v. or real Bible.  The chapter talks about Christ's sacrifice, His beautiful decision to give us the ability to be forgiven for our sins.  The first part of the chapter is incredible uplifting and reassuring.  The next chapter is the punch in the gut it's the "now that I've talked about all this incredible stuff let's talk about how you need to act as a Christian".  In verse 24 it gives us the encouragement of stirring up love in one another and doing good works for each other, to not neglect in meeting with each other and to continue to draw near to each other as the Day draws near.  Then the hammer is brought down in verse 26 "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins".  The consequence to this is in verse 29.

Friends, this isn't someone who is walking life with Jesus and trying their hardest to live a life that glorifies God.  This is someone continually rejecting the ways of Jesus.  Someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God.  For some reason they have been sanctified and have decided they need Jesus and then they choose to walk a path that rejects Jesus in their actions and words.

My question to you is, are you doing that?  How are your words to people, are you continually showing them Christ, or are you talking about them behind their backs using the "concerned Christian" as an excuse to gossip, are you lying to your kids and excusing your actions as just a little white lie, are you drinking and getting drunk justifying your actions because your at home with friends and they'll never talk about it with people at church, are you sleeping with someone outside of marriage?  If you call yourself a Christian and are purposefully not walking the life that Christ has asked us to do, you have profaned the blood of the covenant, you have outraged the Spirit of grace.  And truthfully I'm afraid for you, because never in a million years would I want you to fall into the hands of the living God.

Please Christian brothers and sisters think about what you signed up for when you first believed in Christ.

Working Out

Here are Todd and I.

It came to my mind that we’re not the young athletic and in shape couple that we used to be.  We’ve gotten lazy and quite honestly I like chocolate and Lays potatoes chips oh and my goodness I love Pepsi too!  This last weekend we have decided to start making healthier choices and to work out.

Ugh, I hate working out.  I hate the way my body feels afterwards and I hate the feeling of wanting to eat chocolate and chips but I can’t because of my decision to eat healthy.  Why does feeling sore after a workout feel like your about to get the flu!  That’s totally not fair, and it should be made illegal ;-)

What makes me motivated  though is toned and defined muscles.  I can do this!  For goodness sake I do not want my flabby arms swinging to and fro when I play cello!

So friends, if you see Todd and I or even think of us, say a prayer while we try to make healthier decisions.

iniquities

Sin

What in the world is it?  For my Christian friends we can go into great discussions and debates about what sin is.  For my friends who believe in something else this word is null and void.  There is no point to it.

Todd and I were talking yesterday during our walk about how I can explain what sin is to a culture that believes that good works will get them to heaven.  That's an incredibly hard thing to explain to someone who generally thinks they're a good person who doesn't do bad stuff.  A person like this doesn't need someone to save them because they don't think they'll have a consequence for how they have behaved.

So here's the deal about sin.  Have you told a white lie?  Have you ever been angry at someone and said something mean to them?  Have you ever thought something that wasn't kind?  Have you ever wanted to hurt someone?  All of these small inconsequential things seperate us from God just as much as the big time things like murder, stealing, and grand theft auto.  What I've read in the Bible is all of these things seperate us from God, the more we sin the farther we are from God.  

So here's the question, how close to God do you want to be?  Because if you want an actual relationship with Him, if you want to be able to talk to Him you're going to realize that you need someone to take the consequence of all those small little things you've done in the past and maybe the big things too.  That is why friend, Jesus had to come; to take the blame and consequence for your actions.  He is the whipping boy, the innocent victim who very willingly said I'll take their punishments so they have the option of having a relationship with God.

This long discourse is to finally talk about Hebrews 8:12

How beautiful is God saying I will be merciful to them, and I will remember their sins no more.  Oh to be loved so much that Jesus took my consequence.  That for me is why I believe in this faith because never before have I gone through a day without making a mistake.  I can try my hardest but but I always end up doing something that I regret.  If you're like me, you might just need Jesus to say "I'll take your punishment, so that you can get the blessings."

Love you and praying for you friend  

Romans 10:9-10 English Standard Version (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.