The definition of obsessed is: to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic, to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of.
What do you think about when you hear that someone is obsessed with Jesus? Do you think that they are a little different or off? Do you think that they are weird or stand offish?
My question is, what should we really look like? When the Holy Spirit is so alive and active in our lives we cannot help but to be as Christ put it, “the city one the hill.” In other words we shine so much with the glory of God that everyone around see’s it whether we like it or not!
This subject of obsessed with Christ came up while I was sitting in on a Bible study with some friends on a chapter in the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan titled “Profile of the Obsessed.”
The first section that he spoke about in the chapter was “Lovers.” Not what you think when you hear this word!! Chan brings up that fact we all too often believe that by being a NICE person people will see that and then want to know more about Jesus. This is not how it happens says Chan. We do all know people that are nice but they are not even close to believers!
Our real call to love is in Luke 6:32-36 2“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
How challenging is this really. If I am going to love someone that hates me I must first love them as Christ loves them and not with my own understanding. The question comes up in the chapter, “Can you love someone after they have hurt you?” I can say that my answer is yes but when I think about some of the things that the people of this world do and live I really am unsure sometimes! I do recognize that with this concept in mind I have to sit down and ask Jesus to help me see people as He sees them! This is the only way that I feel that I can truly love those that have/will hurt me!
Now why do we love and serve the way we do if we are true followers of Christ. Luke 14:12-14: 12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
What is this telling us? First that we are to love and serve others without thoughts of being repaid, Jesus said in Mark 2:17; Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” We have to understand that the things that we have are not our own. What we have been given are from God and should be used for whatever ministry we can. That does not mean that we should always have our homes open to have people to but if we do see that someone is in need and we are able that we step up in love those people and show them Christ!
The section that really stood out to me what the section about being risk takers! As Francis Chan put it we have all prayed from safety during travel and that no one gets hurt on this trip and bring us back safely. Why can we not pray, “God bring me closer to you during this trip, whatever it takes! We are all too often worried about what is going to happen to us that we then become blinded to the will of God in our lives. I can often forget what it means to be uncomfortable here and set in the kingdom! Sometimes pain and/or distress are going to come with the things of this world, especially if we are walking a life that is Obsessed with Christ!
We have to have a heart that is going to minister and want to minister to people that don’t know Jesus. We are called to a witness to the light as it says in John 1:7a, “7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light.” The definition of witness is to see, hear, or know by personal presence and perception and then this is the important part, to bear witness to; testify to; give or afford evidence of. Just of this definition alone if we are called to be a witness to the light which is Jesus should be self explanatory!
The final thought that I have is directly out of the book. Remember our definition of obsessed The definition of obsessed is: to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic, to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of.
Christians Obsessed with Christ are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.
5.26.2011
5.24.2011
Live by the truth and Come into the Light!
Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
What is confession? To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that he is right to declare what we have done as sinful, and that we are wrong to desire or to do it. It is to affirm our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow him more faithfully.
I had a close friend from college call me Sunday after our study. He was driving to the hospital in Madison hospital. He suddenly broke down in crying and said, “One of my good friends from college is dying tonight! He has had some swelling of the brain that started a couple weeks ago and doctors had to do surgery and open up his skull to relieve pressure. They told us that he was doing better! Then I just got a call today saying that things have taken a turn for the worse and he is not going to make it through the night!! Russ he is only 1 year younger than me (24), how can this be happening? Why is this happening? He’s too young to die!
This is not an easy thing for anyone to deal with. It does make me think instantly about the gospel! I had to ask, “Does he know Jesus as Lord and Savior?” Was this life a testimony to who God was in this young man’s life? and how to I use this situation to bring to light the truth of the gospel?
It’s interesting how and what we think about when we are faced with death, either our own or someone that is close to us. We suddenly have a realization that we are not invincible and that everything in this world is dying. We are struck with fear of potential unknowns and anger toward people or God.
After talking with my friend and praying for him and everyone in the situation, I almost feel that there is a sense of urgency to stand on the truth even more than I do! My devotions Monday morning was reading John chapter 3.
To start this chapter, Christ is talking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a man of high stature and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He had come to Christ with the question in verse 4, “How can someone be born again when they are old?” Stop here for a second and think of what it means to be born. When I think of being born, I think of something new to the world around them. Their eyes are just opening they are hearing for the first time, and they are held in the arms of their parents and shown unconditional love. If we think of being born again, we should see that we are suddenly new in a world that we don’t understand. We need a parent to guide and teach us. We need Jesus Christ to show us His unconditional love!
Christ responded to Nicodemus’s question by saying in verse 5, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Jesus then goes on saying in verse 8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” I believe the Jesus is saying that we can’t see the wind; we can only see its effect. Similarly, we can’t see any physical change in a person born of the Spirit, but we can see the effect of the Spirit at work in someone. We may not understand how the Spirit works, but the effect of the Spirit in the lives of believers is evidence of God at work.
I think to capitalize on the fact that there should be evidence of the working of Christ in our lives. In verse 21 Jesus capitalizes on this point! “But whoever lives by truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
How awesome is this to think about, “But whoever.” The word whoever is defined as, whatever person, or anyone or no matter who. So there is not getting out of this aspect of our faith in Christ! He is saying WHOEVER, everyone who “lives by truth comes into the light.” So once again truth is an actual statement of fact or reality, and Jesus says in John 14:6a, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” So we know that Christ is truth and now if you live by that truth, it says that you “come into the light.” John 1:1-5 says “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Now we are not only believing that Christ is truth, but we are living in light that is Jesus Christ. One we are living by truth and have come into the light(Jesus) now we have no option but to allow, “it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” Now we are to the point that everything we do is in the light of Christ and that those things will be seen plainly by those around you that it is God who is at work in you!
So back to my starting point of a different devotion, Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
What is confession? To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that he is right to declare what we have done as sinful, and that we are wrong to desire or to do it. It is to affirm our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow him more faithfully
If we confess our sins before God and we then come into the light of truth and our lives should show that God is at work in us!
My challenge to you! Do you believe in the truth of the gospel of Christ in such a way that the light of Christ is shinning out of you so much, that everyone around you sees that it is God that is at work in your lives?
We do not live but for a millisecond in the realm of eternity, and I cannot explain why someone is dying at 23 years old, except for we live in a dying world that has not hope without Jesus. If I can say for even that millisecond I am alive, that I strived to see God glorified and I strived to live a life worthy of the cause. Then God can say as he does in Matthew 25:23, “'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
What is confession? To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that he is right to declare what we have done as sinful, and that we are wrong to desire or to do it. It is to affirm our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow him more faithfully.
I had a close friend from college call me Sunday after our study. He was driving to the hospital in Madison hospital. He suddenly broke down in crying and said, “One of my good friends from college is dying tonight! He has had some swelling of the brain that started a couple weeks ago and doctors had to do surgery and open up his skull to relieve pressure. They told us that he was doing better! Then I just got a call today saying that things have taken a turn for the worse and he is not going to make it through the night!! Russ he is only 1 year younger than me (24), how can this be happening? Why is this happening? He’s too young to die!
This is not an easy thing for anyone to deal with. It does make me think instantly about the gospel! I had to ask, “Does he know Jesus as Lord and Savior?” Was this life a testimony to who God was in this young man’s life? and how to I use this situation to bring to light the truth of the gospel?
It’s interesting how and what we think about when we are faced with death, either our own or someone that is close to us. We suddenly have a realization that we are not invincible and that everything in this world is dying. We are struck with fear of potential unknowns and anger toward people or God.
After talking with my friend and praying for him and everyone in the situation, I almost feel that there is a sense of urgency to stand on the truth even more than I do! My devotions Monday morning was reading John chapter 3.
To start this chapter, Christ is talking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a man of high stature and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He had come to Christ with the question in verse 4, “How can someone be born again when they are old?” Stop here for a second and think of what it means to be born. When I think of being born, I think of something new to the world around them. Their eyes are just opening they are hearing for the first time, and they are held in the arms of their parents and shown unconditional love. If we think of being born again, we should see that we are suddenly new in a world that we don’t understand. We need a parent to guide and teach us. We need Jesus Christ to show us His unconditional love!
Christ responded to Nicodemus’s question by saying in verse 5, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Jesus then goes on saying in verse 8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” I believe the Jesus is saying that we can’t see the wind; we can only see its effect. Similarly, we can’t see any physical change in a person born of the Spirit, but we can see the effect of the Spirit at work in someone. We may not understand how the Spirit works, but the effect of the Spirit in the lives of believers is evidence of God at work.
I think to capitalize on the fact that there should be evidence of the working of Christ in our lives. In verse 21 Jesus capitalizes on this point! “But whoever lives by truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
How awesome is this to think about, “But whoever.” The word whoever is defined as, whatever person, or anyone or no matter who. So there is not getting out of this aspect of our faith in Christ! He is saying WHOEVER, everyone who “lives by truth comes into the light.” So once again truth is an actual statement of fact or reality, and Jesus says in John 14:6a, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” So we know that Christ is truth and now if you live by that truth, it says that you “come into the light.” John 1:1-5 says “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Now we are not only believing that Christ is truth, but we are living in light that is Jesus Christ. One we are living by truth and have come into the light(Jesus) now we have no option but to allow, “it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” Now we are to the point that everything we do is in the light of Christ and that those things will be seen plainly by those around you that it is God who is at work in you!
So back to my starting point of a different devotion, Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
What is confession? To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that he is right to declare what we have done as sinful, and that we are wrong to desire or to do it. It is to affirm our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow him more faithfully
If we confess our sins before God and we then come into the light of truth and our lives should show that God is at work in us!
My challenge to you! Do you believe in the truth of the gospel of Christ in such a way that the light of Christ is shinning out of you so much, that everyone around you sees that it is God that is at work in your lives?
We do not live but for a millisecond in the realm of eternity, and I cannot explain why someone is dying at 23 years old, except for we live in a dying world that has not hope without Jesus. If I can say for even that millisecond I am alive, that I strived to see God glorified and I strived to live a life worthy of the cause. Then God can say as he does in Matthew 25:23, “'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
5.19.2011
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