Scars: the remants of past battles, or the signs of former stupidity.
Sin will always scar your life. Not just your sin, but the sin of others will leave scars (some of them very deep). We must always remember that scars do not just disappear, they remain and usually forever. The decisions of our parents will always leave some scars in our lives. Divorce, death, and general decay in a family will produce scars that make excuses for bad behavior in the lives of children throughout the rest of their lives. Poor money management, anger issues, deceit, lies, treachery, and many other forms of sin will damage, and even destroy the tender tissues of the growing mental processes of a child. Our own mistakes, battles, and stupidity will scar our lives to the degree that every time we look at something (or unfortunately someone) the pain of the scars will come back, and often we will find ourselves fighting the same battles over again. We must be careful of how we act, and of how we react to all situations. SIN WILL ALWAYS SCAR YOUR LIFE.
The good news is, however, that God and serving and trusting Him will always heal the wounds, mend the pain, and cover the scars. However, we must be willing to have that intimate, and consistent walk with God that is required to let the wounds and scars heal.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Mary
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
It is just interesting at this time of year to consider Mary. First of all, Mary was a virgin. The Bible is very clear about this. In a day when so many laugh and mock at purity, Mary is a wonderful example of living the right kind of life. The fact that Mary was physically pure is the only first requirement for here being able to be the mother of Jesus. People who mock at purity are stupid. Physical purity is sanctioned and encouraged, really it is commanded, by God. God honors pure people (virgins). Second, Mary was favored of God. How would you like to be one of God's favorite people? Throughout the Bible people are mentioned who God favored above other people. These "favorites" of God were always the people who were doing right, and the people who would go the extra mile to serve God. Third, Mary was pure in her thoughts. She could not comprehend that God would favor her, and this showed an attitude of humility. Pride comes from an impure thought pattern which makes you the most important person, and makes you feel that you deserve something more in this life. Also, she could not fathom the fact that she would have a baby. She knew her body was pure, and therefore her mind could not comprehend that she could be with child. The angel had to explain that this was a miracle, and that God was the One who had placed the baby inside her. So often we live a "clean" life on the outside, but our thoughts are so full of wickedness and sin that we are really very dirty people. Fourthly, Mary was willing to do whatever it took to serve God. The discovery that she was with child could have been a death sentence for her, but she was willing to do what God said in spite of the risks. She had to endure the ridicule of ignorant people for the rest of her life because she carried the Lord. She was called a fornicator by the Pharisees, yet she was willing to bear reproach for the sake of the Lord. Finally, Mary saw the greatest miracle of the ages performed in her life, simply because she was qualified, due to the reasons above, to be the mother of Jesus. What kind of miracle would God work in our lives, if we only had the characteristics of Mary?
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
It is just interesting at this time of year to consider Mary. First of all, Mary was a virgin. The Bible is very clear about this. In a day when so many laugh and mock at purity, Mary is a wonderful example of living the right kind of life. The fact that Mary was physically pure is the only first requirement for here being able to be the mother of Jesus. People who mock at purity are stupid. Physical purity is sanctioned and encouraged, really it is commanded, by God. God honors pure people (virgins). Second, Mary was favored of God. How would you like to be one of God's favorite people? Throughout the Bible people are mentioned who God favored above other people. These "favorites" of God were always the people who were doing right, and the people who would go the extra mile to serve God. Third, Mary was pure in her thoughts. She could not comprehend that God would favor her, and this showed an attitude of humility. Pride comes from an impure thought pattern which makes you the most important person, and makes you feel that you deserve something more in this life. Also, she could not fathom the fact that she would have a baby. She knew her body was pure, and therefore her mind could not comprehend that she could be with child. The angel had to explain that this was a miracle, and that God was the One who had placed the baby inside her. So often we live a "clean" life on the outside, but our thoughts are so full of wickedness and sin that we are really very dirty people. Fourthly, Mary was willing to do whatever it took to serve God. The discovery that she was with child could have been a death sentence for her, but she was willing to do what God said in spite of the risks. She had to endure the ridicule of ignorant people for the rest of her life because she carried the Lord. She was called a fornicator by the Pharisees, yet she was willing to bear reproach for the sake of the Lord. Finally, Mary saw the greatest miracle of the ages performed in her life, simply because she was qualified, due to the reasons above, to be the mother of Jesus. What kind of miracle would God work in our lives, if we only had the characteristics of Mary?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Christmas
What a wonderful time of year.
People are full of laughter and cheer.
The carols are playing the people are singing.
The anthems of Christmas are gleefully ringing.
Sometimes we miss the meaning of the season, its sad.
Even though people are laughing in people are glad.
The meaning of Christmas is simple you see.
Jesus was born in a manger for you and for me.
So this holiday season remember this well.
Jesus is the reason, I just want to tell.
The Lord of all glory came down to the earth.
Born of a virgin, so that all may have a new birth.
People are full of laughter and cheer.
The carols are playing the people are singing.
The anthems of Christmas are gleefully ringing.
Sometimes we miss the meaning of the season, its sad.
Even though people are laughing in people are glad.
The meaning of Christmas is simple you see.
Jesus was born in a manger for you and for me.
So this holiday season remember this well.
Jesus is the reason, I just want to tell.
The Lord of all glory came down to the earth.
Born of a virgin, so that all may have a new birth.
IMMANUEL
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. "God with us," the meaning of immanuel. What a wonderful revelation, that God was going to send His Son to be with us forever. Forever? Yes. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, died on Calvary, rose from the Garden, and is coming again for His saints. The prophecy was fulfilled, a VIRGIN bore a Son, and He truly was "God with us." But even more wonderful, if you are a Christian, He is still "God with you," each and every day. What a wonderful thing that JESUS came to save us. Merry CHRISTmas Joshua Barkley Psalm 37:5 John 1:12 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.Ps. 53:1a |
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