Pits

An excerpt from Christianity.com's daily email devotional:

When people dig a pit for somebody else, they end up falling into it themselves. In fact, Proverbs 26:27 says it most directly,
"Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him."

Pretty plain, isn't it? If you are asking God to get you out of a pit, you need to take time to consider if it is a pit of your own construction. If you have done something to get someone else in trouble--even if you think you are justified in doing it because that person has hurt you--you need to repent. Until there is repentance, God will not intervene.

God is not going to get you out of your pit while you have a shovel in your hand.

How many of the times in my life when I feel the most alone, and well, in the pits, is that very pit of my own making? I do need to stop and think on this. I do need to repent more often, to really admit that I have done something wrong and ask forgiveness. It 's not a natural thing, or an easy thing, but then again, the right things seldom are.

In the flesh

“When God chose to reveal himself, he did so(surprise of surprises) through a human body. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And his tears.. oh, don’t miss the tears… they came from a heart as broken as yours or mine has ever been.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.”
So, people came to him. My, how they came to him! They came at night; they touched him as he walked down the street; they followed him around the sea; they invited him into their homes and placed their children at his feet. Why? Because he refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. He chose instead to be Jesus…

Remember that.

Remember that the next time you find yourself amazed at your own failures.
Or the next time acidic accusations burn holes in your soul…
Remember. It is a man who creates the distance. It is Jesus who builds the bridge.

“Just call me Jesus.””

God Came Near – Max Lucado

The baby Jesus with the glowing halo shown in all the Nativity scenes never existed. Jesus existed, but he was a person that wouldn’t have jumped out in the crowd for most of his life. He put himself in the position to have to live a “regular” life, full of joys and full of disappointments. Because He chose to live out this life, He does understand. He really does. That is such a comfort to me. He understands me and He still chooses to love me!!!!

Resource

A neat resource I have found just recently is www.Christianity.com . There are TONS of articles there, email devotionals to sign up for, blogs to browse, just lots of good stuff. Just wanted to share :)

A love worth giving

This sounds like an excellent book - I'll be looking for this one and reading this very very soon!

David Whiting Live

Before we moved, we attended North Baptist Church in Rochester, NY, and I have to say that I truly miss sitting under the teaching of the lead pastor there. He has a great combination of directness, accuracy, relevancy, and compassion in his messages that is hard to find. Recently he started up a blog that I've set up feed for on the sidebar. It's from www.davidwhitinglive.com . I just thought it might be fun to share. I've also embedded one of his messages on compassion as a podcast. Enjoy!

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Time to leave

“And you can be sure of one thing. Among the voices that found their way into that carpentry shop in Nazareth was your voice. Your silent prayers uttered on tearstained pillows were heard before they were said. Your deepest questions about death and eternity were answered before they were asked. And your direst need, your need for a Savior, was met before you ever sinned.

And not only did he hear you, he saw you. He saw your face in shame the hour you first fell. The same face that looked back at you from this morning’s mirror, looked at him. And it was enough to kill him.

He left because of you.

He laid his security down with his hammer. He hung tranquility on the peg with his nail apron. He closed the window shutters on the sunshine of his youth and locked the door on the comfort and ease of anonymity.

Since he could bear your sins more easily than he could bear the thought of your hopelessness, he chose to leave.

It wasn’t easy. Leaving the carpentry shop never has been.”

Max Lucado, God Came Near

You know, I really do believe this stuff. I do. I believe that the Jesus we talk about at Christmas really did do what He said He was going to. I believe that the Bible really is a true collection of things that really did happen, just they way it says they did. I believe that because of this all there really is hope in this seemingly hopeless world.

The troubling part of that is that since I really do believe that, why don’t I live like it? Why isn’t my life markedly different from the lives of those around me who don’t have the same beliefs? The same hopes?

I guess it’s time for me to leave the carpentry shop in my life, and to step out and really live like I should be. Not easy. Not comfortable. Right.

It's a Gift

“Bloodstained royalty. A God with tears. A creator with a heart. God became earth’s mockery to save His children.

How absurd to think that such nobility would go to such poverty to share such a treasure with such thankless souls.

But he did.

In fact, the only thing more absurd than the gift is our unwillingness to receive it.”

Max Lucado, God Came Near

How dense we people are!!