Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts

I am admittedly eclectic, if not eccentric, in my taste in music. Consequently, when I build my Pandora Radio I add a little bit of everything--hymns to easy-listening, classic rock to classic Jesus, country to western, and lots of stuff in between. In the mornings, as we prepare for the day, I tune in to Pandora and hit shuffle. I must say that sometimes the shuffle gets stuck in a loop and I hear several songs or similar songs in a row, but there are other days when an old forgotten favorite from the glory years will hit the ears and start me singing. And from time to time, with my hands plunged deep with the soapy breakfast dishes, I'll be struck by the movement from song to song on my Pandora Playlist shuffle.

This morning as I went about my post-breakfast business (the kids and Blushing Bride preparing for school, I hit the sink and from the morning's feast) a back-to-back coupling struck me. The first song includes these lines: "Never been a sinner I never sinned/I got a friend in Jesus" was followed on its heels with this rebuttal, "All my life I had been searching for that crazy missing part."

I really like Norman Greenbaum's hit from yesteryear. It has a groovy beat, and you can sing along. It hits hard though when you begin to realize that the philosophy of "Spirit in the Sky" is being bought by millions of Americans. We like to think that "in the morning when I die, I'm going up to the Spirit in the Sky." Even church people jump on this bandwagon. We especially like it when we get to throw the name of Jesus into a song. That kind of makes it holy doesn't it?

But I think that Keith Green's classic holds more truth. It admits to the sinful nature of who we are as human beings, and revels in the understanding that Jesus (the You in "Your Love Broke Through") provides the only means to life--here or hereafter.

Sadly, our culture lends itself to a feel good mentality that refuses to admit sinfulness. And until we can reach that admission, we're doomed in our spirit to an eternity opposite the "Spirit in the Sky." Why don't you take a moment to consider your condition? Do you know Jesus personally as the provider of your life? Or is he just a "friend" who makes you feel good about yourself? It's a tough question. And it requires resolution if you really do have a friend in him or if you're just singing along with a catchy tune.

Will I stop shuffling some of the oldies through with my hymns and praise songs? Probably not, but I will latch onto the message of the meaningful songs instead of the ones that just make me feel good.

Then we were blessed with a song that pointed out how human this baby was, even though He was God in the flesh:

Entering into the Christmas season is always a great pleasure for me. Not the pushing and shoving and shopping and such, but the hustle and bustle does invigorate one. No, it's the celebration: the decorating of the home, the setting and celebrating of traditions; sappy Christmas movies that don't really have much to do with Christmas itself but do enlarge the spirit of the Holiday within the hearts of those who watch, the many versions of "Little Drummer Boy" that keep cropping up, "visions of sugarplums" dancing in all the heads of all the little children who've ever heard the poem by Clement Moore.

But what makes Christmas special is not just the Christ-child, it is the CHRIST, the Son of the living God - Jesus Himself. Born of a virgin. Living a sinless life in order to fulfill His purpose in coming at Christmastime anyway--to shoulder the responsibility for my sin willingly on a rough-hewn cross. I am so thankful that Jesus initiated Christmas so that my inadequate payment for my sin would be covered by all of His adequacy - His abundance. It is the Life found in Jesus the Christ that makes me so thankful every year, at both Thanksgiving and at Christmas.

This time of year you begin to see the generous spirit of people begin to shine through. You don't mind the annoying 'cling-clanging' of the Santa's helper outside the retail outlet. As a matter of fact you reward his/her generous donation of time in behalf of the Salvation Army to drop a few drips of generosity into the red bucket yourself.

Some people volunteer to help gather together goodies in shoe boxes and food baskets for a host of charities. People donate time in a soup kitchen and extra money that isn't really extra to the charity of their choice. In the midst of commercialism and greed you can witness the glimpses of generosity all around you.

Be generous with your time, talents, and finances this Thanksgiving season. You will be glad you did, and so will those who benefit from your generosity.

I am thankful for this kind of generosity. But I am most thankful for the generosity bestowed upon me when the Christ, the Son of the Living God, was sent to Earth to make provision from me. It is a double gift of generosity because God gave his only Son (generosity), and Jesus gave himself (generosity) so that I might experience life to the fullest.

What generosity! I am blessed and I am thankful.

So, a year has past since my dear friend, Elizabeth, introduced me to the idea of "Thanksvember" (taking the whole month to express thanks). I think it's such a grand idea that I'll attempt to be thankful daily again this year. Join me if you like.

This year, I thought I'd start on the spiritual side and be thankful for the most important part of my life on the very first day. That's right, I'm thankful for Jesus. I remain daily thankful because God gave us His Son. I'm thankful that that Son lived a sinless life and then proceeded to pay the death penalty for my sin. That's right, the death penalty. Not just any death penalty, though. Ultimate death. This was much worse than the physical passage that we know here on earth, but the complete separation from the Life that is found in the presence of God Almighty. (Henry Blackaby refers to this as "deeper death", see Experiencing the Cross chapter 5, especially page 46.)

The great news about this, though, is that in living a sinless life and tasting death for my sake, Jesus conquered sin and death itself. I know this because He rose from the dead and then defeated the Grave! I could say that because He did this for me (actually for anyone and everyone who would believe) and that because I have believed it receiving the everlasting life promised in the New Testament is the reason that I or anyone else might even have the hope of being thankful at all.

So, I am thankful for Jesus. And I can be even more thankful for Him every time I hear that someone new has believed and received, and therefore been made thankful.

Being the child of the '70s that I am (born in the sixties, but formed most of my opinions in the next decade), no one singer says, "Christmas," to me more than the be-dimpled Evie. I must admit that I'm tempted to post a week's worth of Evie Christmas Tunes--but I'll spare those of you who think that's too much syrup. Instead, I hope you enjoy this version of "Mary's Boychild":

On this final day of Thanksvember, I have decided to save the very best for the climactic moment:

#30: I am thankful for LIFE in Jesus Christ.

At the ripe old age of six years, having lived all my life in the home of a Baptist minister, I said, "Yes," to Jesus Christ. Why? because I am a sinner, falling short of God's design for my life. The only way, according to Scripture, for me to "make the grade" was to accept the payment Christ made on the Cross some 2000 years ago. And so I did. I've learned that I cannot be good enough, work hard enough, or pay dearly enough to earn the Life that is available simply by accepting the substitutionary payment Jesus made on the Cross.

The payment is sufficient for a couple of reasons: Jesus was not marred by the sin that corrupts the lives of all other humans. Secondly, Jesus was not defeated by that execution. Instead He rose again conquering Death for all of time and eternity. The way to this salvation? Through Him (for a more detailed description of how to have this LIFE, click here). I would love for you to say, "Yes," to my Jesus today.

For this I am fully thankful.

Today, I'd like to suggest that we adapt an old Andy Griffith commercial (sorry couldn't find it on YouTube): The old actor says, "What are you hungry for when you don't know what you're hungry for?" And then answers himself, "Something on a crisp Ritz(r) cracker."

Being as today is Thanksgiving Day, I say let's ask it this way, "What are you thankful for when you don't know what you're thankful for?"

May I also suggest the answer?
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (Jesus quoted in John 3:16, HCSB)


Happy Thanksgiving!

I loved this meme so much that I just wouldn’t wait to be tagged. John Smulo started it just on Saturday, and it’s already gaining momentum.

Here are the rules:

1. Those tagged will share 5 Things They Dig About Jesus.


2. Those tagged will tag 5 people.


3. Those tagged will leave a link to their meme in the comments section of this post so everyone can keep track of what's being posted.