Spiritual Bankruptcy

"GOD will show His mercy forever and ever to those who worship and serve Him."
   -Luke 1:50

     GOD does not save us because of what we've done. Only a puny god could be bought with tithes. Only an egotistical god would be impressed with our pain. Only a tempermental god could be satisfied by sacrifices. Only a heartless god would sell salvation to the highest bidders.
     And only a great GOD does for His children what they can't do for themselves.
     GOD's delight is recieved upon surrender, not awarded upon conquest. The first step to joy is a plea for help, an acknowledgment of moral destitution, an admission of inward paucity. Those who taste GOD's presence have declared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis... Their pockets are empty. Their options are gone. They have long since stopped demanding justice; they are pleading for mercy.

The Master Builder

"He restores me soul; He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake."-Psalm 23:3

It's hard to see things grow old. The town in which I grew up in is growing old... Some of the buildings are boarded up. Some of the houses are torn down... The old movie house where I took dates has "For Sale" on the marquee...

I wish I could make it all new again. I wish I could blow the dust off the streets... but I can't.

I can't, but God can. "He restores my soul," wrote the shepherd. He doesn't reform; He restores. He doesn't camouflage the old; He restores the new. The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. He will restore the vigor. He will restore the energy. He will restore the hope. He will restore the soul.

God Gives Rest

"The teaching I ask you to acept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light."-Matthew 11:30

Paul has an interesting observation about the way we treat people. He said it about marriage, but the principle applies in any relationship. "The man who loves his wife loves himself" (Eph. 5:28). There is a correlation between the way you feel about yourself and the way you feel about others. If you are at peace with yourself-if you like yourself- you will get along with others.

The converse is also true. If you don't like yourself, if you are ashamed, embarrassed, or angry, other people are going to know it...

Which takes us to the question, "How does a person get relief?"...

"Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).... Jesus says He is the solution for weariness of soul.

Chrit's Ultimate Aim

"He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people." -Mark 10:45

On of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track...He kept His life on coarse.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of His future, He could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each which He could have persued. He could have been a political revolutionary...He could have been content as a teacher and educate minds...But in the end He chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus Himself. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and dave them" (Luke 19:10)....The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day He left the carpentry sho pof Nazareth He had one ultimate aim- the cross at calvery.

The Answers to Arguments

"Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

Unity doesn't begin in examining others but in examining self. Unity begins not in demanding that othes change, but in admitting that we aren't so perfect ourselves...
The answer to arguments? Acceptance. The first step to unity? Acceptance. Not agreement, acceptance. Not unanimity, acceptance. Not nogotiation, abritration, or elaboration. Those might come later agter the first step, acceptance.