Christ Archives – Page 3 of 5 – Sonshine's Journal

May 9, 2015

Jesus-Believer’s Transformation

In Thessalonica Paul preached the truth of the gospel from the scriptures “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” [Acts 17] But his stay was short lived and as Paul left hurriedly he had visions that his work was of no value as it seemed that the word of the Lord had fallen upon deaf ears. How often do we proclaim and think that what we have shared has done the same? It is then that we must remember it is NOT about you or me, but it is the power of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit that changes lives. It must have been almost more than Paul could take when he heard that the Thessalonians not only heard but received and now were living as Jesus-Believers. They were transformed!

Three things stood out in the lives of the Thessalonians that we can take to heart. First their transformation was evident to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia so much so that the message of the power of the gospel was echoing everywhere. Does our transformation by Jesus do the same? It was evident in three ways: ‘work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope.’ They put faith; words and their belief into action. The world is looking for the reality of transformed lives. Are we living out the gospel so much so that even our “trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold –“?

How does your life and my life look to the outside world?

You can also read this post here: https://www.facebook.com/bible.org

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May 6, 2015

How to Love Thy Neighbor….

Discipline is hard for parents and for children but this keeps both accountable and keeps the family living peacefully with one another. Paul has been acting as the parent to these precious Galatian babes in Christ who are dividing the Galatian church by their childish actions of snapping and arguing and had fallen for the bait of the “Thou Shalt be Circumcised and Obey the Mosaic Law” legalists. Paul asks those who had had not swallowed their bait to take on a mighty task of restoring gently those who were the back biters, devourers and provokers so that the church is once again united in Christ.

However, before they or anyone takes on this task there is are two steps that must be adhered to: “First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” And secondly, be living by the law of Christ which means living out the character of Christ step by step. Both of these require self-examination so as not to be self-deceived and quench and grieve the Holy Spirit. The only thing that mattered was: faith working through love and demonstrating that one is a new creation in Christ. This is how you love your neighbor as yourself.

Are we mature enough in the Lord to do this? This can only happen by immersing oneself in the Word, meditating upon it so you can discern truth from error. Only then can one bear the burdens another carries.

You can also read this here: https://www.facebook.com/bible.org

April 30, 2015

Struggling against the tide

This is where I am at this point in time after a discouraging evening with the evangelism team and as I struggled through Galatians 1 thinking. Here is the struggle….

One of the prevailing answers to the faith question in our culture today is this: we are all on different roads and they all lead to the same destination: heaven. Is this true? If so we might have to discard Jesus’ words “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” In fact, Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to rescue us. It is therefore an astonishing thought to think that one who received the pure gospel message would so quickly desert and follow another gospel which is not really a gospel at all. The reason it is not a true gospel is because it is not the good news but rather one that seeks to put one into the bondage of faith plus works.

Why is that? It is because the true gospel is offensive to our human nature, our pride and our wisdom. We want/need to be in control and are offended when it is God’s way only. Our pride is offended to know that a man died in our place. That removes our self-sufficiency. And it offends our wisdom to think that God would use this humiliating disgraceful death to save us. But the truth is this: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” That is the truth of the pure gospel message and although the world considers it foolish God chose that so that we might know that His grace is the all sufficient, all wise way and there is no other way. Which gospel are you following—one of grace alone or one that says grace plus works?

BTW: this will appear on Facebook.com/bible.org on May 1…so any ideas you can offer here would be eagerly anticipated and considered.

April 9, 2015

Are We Being Transfigured/Transformed?

Jesus chose mark 9 earley unveiled2 three disciples out of the 12 to accompany him to the mountain top. Each would later draw strength from this as their message of encouragement to others. Peter, the denier would later write: “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” And John would write: “we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father…” James would draw strength as he faced the sword of Herod. God gives us these mountain top experiences as His powerful picture that the goal is not the cross but only its path to glory.

Why did Jesus reveal this to just three of his disciples? Perhaps because he knew that soon Peter would deny him; James would be beheaded, and John would be the one chosen to write the Revelation of the Transfigured Christ. Recently a precious friend left his earthly dwelling and now sits at the feet of Jesus. As I pondered this I considered this thought: Jesus’ Transfiguration has given each of us a glimpse into what awaits each believer at death which is comforting for those that are now grieving but also a picture of what we can become even now as we reach our mountain top with him.In addition, Paul gave us a glimpse of what will happen at death: 1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Did you grab that thought? We will all be changed just as Jesus was changed on that mountain top and forever changed these men’s lives.

But until then we must return to the valley but are reminded that it is a process as Paul reflected: “And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,” And now the crux of the whole purpose! We return from the mountain top so that we may reflect God’s glory before the world that we inhabit day by day.

Only the transfigured Jesus has the power to change us from the inside out for He is the Messiah, and why we are to “listen to Him.”

PhotoCredit: christianity.about.com

March 31, 2015

The Compassion of Christ

As we are walking through Passion Week and soon will celebrate Resurrection Sunday it is important for us to step back and look at the life of Christ and the writer Mark will be our guide. As we begin we see that Mark reveals the urgency of Christ’s message to a world wallowing in sin. He shows us His authority over the physical elements of sin. He shows us His compassion over us who are held in the grip of sin.

It is this last element that grips our hearts this week as we see our blessed Savior hung on a cruel cross because men were blind by choice to who Jesus truly was. He was a man yet he was God in his humanness. He was as the demoniac said “the Holy One of God” to show us His goodness and His love for mankind. He was a man who walked, talked and saw the effects of sin yet with a heart of compassion. It was this character quality we see as he silenced the demons, with gentleness lifted an ailing woman from her sick bed, reached out to a leper to heal him not just because he was able but because he was willing. This is the gospel or good news we are to proclaim this week for we have the message, we have been touched and healed.

Beloved there are people all around us who are wallowing in sin and Christ is the authority who can heal them because He is the Compassionate Christ. May we take time this week to show and reveal compassion to another.

March 14, 2015

Reflecting Christ in an Unchristian World

As parents and teachers we often hear the words “why?” when asked to do something. Paul in this chapter gives us the answer to the question before it is asked. “Why” are we to be above reproach within and without the church is the question that surely will arise when we are told to pray for our leaders. It is because leaders have been given a charge to lead the body of Christ, the church of the living God. Therefore, they are held to a higher standard and their behavior both within and without the church must be “irreproachable,” that is faultless.

But, Beloved, it is not just leaders that must hold to these standards. We too are called to be a people of the cross that are holy both in our homes and in the church. So what does that look like? James tells us that we must be not just hearers of the word but also doers. We must look in the mirror and see what is reflected back. When we look do we walk away and forget or do we see ourselves as a people who walk, talk, and exhibit that we are “true children of the faith” and “our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith?” Beloved, you and I live, move, breathe and exhibit the truth that Jesus Christ was revealed in the flesh; vindicated by the Holy Spirit, seen by angels; and is even now being proclaimed among the nations who come to believe he was the Resurrected Christ! Is this our reflection to a world that is in need of His love and redemption?

April 21, 2014

“Chosen ..Elected…Called”

The one who has been fully restored now passes on the torch to us with words of wisdom. As Christ told him “when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old…” Peter is now in advanced age as he writes and seeks to pass on to us the vital words of wisdom he learned on that seashore experience that we too might carry the torch to the world.

Jesus had three tasks for Peter and they are the same three tasks for us as well: Feed “MY” Sheep, Shepherd “MY” Sheep, Tend “MY” flock. This task encompasses and challenges our “Do you love ME?” question. To fulfill these words, Peter reminds us that we are anointed, “chosen, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood.” It has come with a price and that price is the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. Just as Jesus faced the trial we too will face trials but each one will “show the proven character of our faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire…”

Even though we do not, like Peter, see the risen Christ face to face, yet we believe and because of that we love him. We love him for he bore our sins on that cross and paid our ransom fee for entrance into the Most Holy Place and thus we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. This is the Christian walk of faith which leads to our attaining the goal of our faith – the salvation of our souls.

One last piece of wisdom from Peter: “like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,”

Beloved, you are special this day because of the price Christ paid for your salvation. You were “chosen before the foundation of the world, that you would be holy and blameless before Him” [Eph 1:4]. He has inscribed your name upon His nail pierced palms so that you might carry the torch of His love to His flock. Do you love ME rings forth in our ears. Will you as the chosen, elected, called, step up the task that He has prepared for you?

April 18, 2014

Are We Looking?

Mark opened his gospel with these words “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” and ended with “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here.” Mark is saying to his readers, you began searching for the Messiah and now I tell you that this one who said that He was the very Son of God has proven it through his resurrection. The empty tomb is open for all to enter and to see with their earthly humanity that Jesus the Nazarene was and is and ever will be the very Son of God.

The women will be the first to be given the honor to know this news. The temple guards who fled know as well but will be bribed to keep silent. The chief priests hear this news but will add to their guilt heaping lies and deceit upon the charge of murder. The disciples will be the last to know for they are sequestered behind closed doors shaking in fear. It is the women alone who will boldly walk the quiet dim streets of Jerusalem wondering “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” It is the women who will enter the quiet garden and instead of a tomb darkened by death, see and hear from a heavenly messenger commissioned just for this purpose to tell any who would enter: “He is not here, He has risen just as He said.” Peter later would write that angels long to catch a glimpse of what God had not revealed until this very moment. They had waited through time unknown to us for such an event as this and as at the birth of Christ when the angelic choir sang Glory to God in the Highest we wonder if at the resurrection they added the words “Hallelujah.”

Beloved, Christ is not dead, He is risen just as He said. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Do you know this risen Christ as your own personal Savior?

April 4, 2014

Piercing the Darkness

Frank Peretti may have written a novel titled “Piercing the Darkness” but in Mark chapter 5 we experience this first hand.

If there is one thing that Jesus is an expert at it is this: do NOT waste a teachable moment! We would do well to glean from this chapter just how he uses each one to open the eyes of the disciples and us the reader to his power to redeem mankind—whether from demons, a hemorrhaging, or an impending death. And in each instance he provides the backdrop for responses for those who see his power in action or those who experience it firsthand.

When Mark wrote he just added one story upon another like a person who seeks to share without taking a breath. So as we read about the fearful storm on the Sea of Galilee in chapter 4 and hear the disciples ask, ““Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!” the modern day reader stops at vs 41, but in reality the answer to that question lies in the beginning of chapter 5 where we meet a man encased by the demons. Where the disciples are left wondering the demons cause the man to bow in reverence and cry out: “Jesus, Son of the Most High God!” Did the disciples thus discern the answer to their question? It is not until later when Jesus asks “who do men say I am” that Peter responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

The question before us is the same. Who is Jesus to you? The demoniac freed from his prison knows and in humility he desired to follow Jesus much like the blind Bartimaeus would do, but this is not the time. Jesus needs the “man freed from demons” to be left behind for Jesus is not wanted in the region of Gadarenes but the message of who He is needed. He will always be known as the “man freed from demons” and will be the first missionary to carry the “LIGHT” to his pagan land. The swine herders may have not wanted to hear the good news of the kingdom for they “loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.” However, God had a love message that needed to be shared and who better to do it than one through whom the LIGHT pierced the darkness.

Today spiritual darkness hangs like a pall over our culture but we have the LIGHT to pierce it. Will we like this man “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you”…that you have been redeemed from darkness to be His witness to your family and friends. How are you doing on this task?

March 7, 2014

Sharing Your Faith to the Almost Persuaded….

What do Felix, Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice all have in common with the rich man in Luke 16? They all in some way said that they were almost persuaded to accept Jesus but never did. They sealed their eternal destiny by a single word “almost.” To be almost is to be eternally lost because you have not made the most important decision of your life and this is what Paul presented to these four individuals.

Paul, by sharing, teaches us the primer of how to share one’s faith to those who have not heard and have not made any decision. Paul was “not ashamed of the gospel, for [he knew] it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” We must believe that as well. He had been waiting now for 2 full years and now with a captive audience he asked their patience as he recounts his journey from unbelief to belief and that is what you and I are to be doing.

Vs 4-19 Plant the seed through your faith story. Share who you before you met Christ. No one has your history and no one has your experiences, capitalize on those facts. Note Paul shared both his education and his religious training and then asks a question: “Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?” Before they could respond Paul continued.

Vs 20-26 Water the seed of their thinking just as Paul shared about his change and transformation. No one has your experience and no one has the same story. Jesus stopped him and opened his eyes to see his sin and how he had been persecuting Jesus. Your story is not the same but it is still just as powerful as Paul’s.

Vs. 27- Ask the key question that will touch their hearts just as Paul revealed the heart of Agrippa. “Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.” In other words, where do you stand before God, as an unbeliever or a believer?

Remember that all men will respond in some way. Festus said Paul was insane which revealed that he truly did not believe that God could raise someone from the dead nor did he believe that Paul actually met Jesus on the Damascus Road and was transformed. He discounted both and thus is without excuse. Agrippa sat squirming knowing if he answered he did believe then Festus would categorize him as crazy as well and that was a place he was not willing to be…so he answered “almost.” To be almost is to be eternally lost for you have not made any decision. Bernice was silent, but was her heart pricked? The heart is God’s problem not ours.

Beloved, each of us has a story to tell, it is our story, in fact we are the expert because it is ours and ours alone! Peter said we have everything we need. It is the devil’s lie that we are not wise enough, strong enough, educated enough…we are…for God has prepared us to share. How the hearers respond is not our concern, our concern is to be obedient to share. We may not have two years to craft our story for God may bring someone today across our path. Are we ready? Can we share the Romans Road to salvation as Paul did?