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Archive for the ‘Christ’ Category

The “These”

Posted in Bible Characters, Loving Christ, tagged on July 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” … After breakfast, Jesus said “… do you love me more than these?” – John 21:10-13 (Message Bible)

After the whole ordeal — three years of discipleship, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the emotional highs and lows — the disciples decide to go back to their normal lives.

Then Jesus appears and asks an important question — not just, “Do you love me?”, but “Do you love me more than these?” What are the “These”? The fish, the food, the fellowship, life as we want it to be.

Fishing was all many of the disciples ever knew before Christ. It was their trade, their hobby, their comfort zone.

Jesus wanted them to love him more than these — it’s the same call to us, the same question, “(insert your name here) do you love him more than these?

How would he know?

— fritz@langgang.com

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Jesus Still Visits

Posted in Christ, Explanations, Recognizing Christ, tagged on July 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Jesus appeared again to the disciples … but they didn’t recognize him … He said, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.” They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish … [John] said to Peter, “It’s the Master!” Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master. – John 21:6-12 (Message Bible)

A strange little story here in the Gospel.

Jesus has resurrected and the disciples just go back to their normal lives of fishing, but with no success. On the shore a man shows up no one recognizes but when he tells them where to catch fish they knew this was no ordinary man — it was Jesus.

Though they could not recognize Christ by sight they did by his acts — and it is similar today. Jesus continues to show up! We go through our routines when suddenly we recognize God’s grace and provision.

You can tell it’s Jesus, it brings peace to a storm, supply to great need, true wholeness to great loss.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for showing up in unexpected ways in my life. You always meet my needs when I obey you! Amen.

— fritz@langgang.com

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It Wasn’t About The Fruit – Guess Again!

Posted in Adam, Cross, Eve, Explanations, Jesus, tagged , , on July 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” – Genesis 3:6

This story isn’t about the fruit (it could have been any forbidden thing) and it wasn’t about the woman (the man was right there watching in silence); the point of the story is about control.

The desire for control over their lives and destiny brought misery through poor choices and unseen consequences — just as it does today.

It takes human acts of yielding control to undo the damage. Christ yielded control, obtaining by the “fruit” (results) of the “tree” of the cross what was lost by the fruit of the tree in the garden. We yield control by taking our desires, ever so strong, and submitting them to God and his word, trusting he has our best interest at heart.

Prayer: “Jesus, thank you for coming to earth, putting on humanity, and dying on the “tree” of Calvary so I can put on Christ and live in your kingdom now and always. Amen

Sound Bite: “Jesus, put on humanity and lived here so I can put on Christ and live there.1

— fritz@langgang.com
1 – Galatians 3:27, Romans 13:14

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