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Archive for the ‘Christ’ Category

All Except One

Posted in Christ, Humanity on May 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“Every human being who has ever lived has suffered from a messiah complex—except one.”

— John Ortberg1

1.The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (p. 126). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

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When Jesus Doesn’t Care (Rules are Rules)

Posted in Character, Christ, Compassion, Ownership, tagged , on April 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” — Mark 12:14b

Three times Jesus was accused of not caring. Here, some were trying to get Jesus to make a public gaff and derail his ministry. Does Jesus uphold a hated law and reject caring or does he turn against the law and risk arrest?
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The ones who really didn’t care were those trying to put Jesus into a box. They didn’t care what he thought, what was right or wrong, only what would further their cause. They were accusing Jesus of being like them.

They didn’t think Jesus cared because they didn’t care. We tend to project to God our own attitudes.

But Jesus went right to the heart — What, really, determines the ownership of anything? The image stamped upon it — what does it look like?

Who do you resemble? Who owns you? Are you stamped with your heavenly Father’s image or acting like the devil?

The good news — ownership can change!

It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood” — 1st Peter 1:18 (MSG)

— fritz

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A Secret Place

Posted in Bible Places, Christ's Body, Holy Spirit, In Christ, tagged , , , , , , , on April 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” — Psalm 91:1

The Bible says God has a secret place.

Is this just a euphemism for God’s general care or is there, really, a place (physical or spiritual) not even suspected by most?  Is it just a euphemism for heaven or can the living person enter?

Psalms 31:20 calls it a “Pavilion” or “tent” saying it is a place of God’s presence, a place of safety from pride and strife of tongues. Job calls it a place of wisdom and that it is “hid from the eyes of all living” (Job 28:21) so at this point it sounds a bit like heaven, but not so fast! The New Testament, using the term “mystery”, says it is now revealed!

Paul said he discovered it and we could, too!

“By revelation [God] made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words,  whereby, when ye read ye may understand…)”– Ephesians 3:2-4

He wrote the secret mystery is that God always planned to join himself with mere human beings — and actually does so in Christ! This mystery, he said, is “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27) and that we actually enter into Christ like we enter our clothing (Galatians 3:27).

More than a euphemism, the Bible says our bodies actually become a physical part of Christ and that what we do in our bodies, both good and bad, is being done with and to Christ’s body. (1st Corinthians 6:13-17) This is why we need to do right things with our bodies. That same passage says those joined to Christ are one spirit, the human spirit infused and one with God’s Holy Spirit.

God’s secret place, his pavilion? Safe in Christ!

“God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus … to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.” — Ephesians 2:5-7 (CEB)

Start reading the Scriptures from this perspective and a whole new world opens!

– fritz
Related Post: “Thin Places” — March 20, 2012

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