Any Holes In Your Life ??

"Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom." Song of Solomon 2:15.

 

Researchers who had made repeated dives to the wreckage of the Titanic-

- challenged the accepted theory that an iceberg tore a 300-foot gash in the side of the ship.

 

The ship's bow is mired in mud, but the team 'looked' at the hull using sound waves.

 

They concluded that the damage is 'astonishingly small'-

- just six small gashes along the starboard hull.

 

Unfortunately-

- the openings were made at the worst possible place, along six watertight holds.

Little things can do great damage:

- a little lie here,

- a little cheating there,

- a little stealing,

- a little gossip, and/or

- a little unresolved conflict

- like a little gash in a mighty ship can open a floodgate of damage somewhere down the track.

Any holes in your life?

 

Let's not neglect them.

Let's get smart and, with God's help, take care of them today before they sink us.

May God help us see the 'little' things in our life that-

- if we fail to resolve them now, they may 'burn out of control' farther down the line.

How Old Are You???

How old are you?
Before you answer, you might want to consider this:

The trillions of cells in our bodies are constantly reproducing and replacing themselves. The skin on our bodies is replaced every five days. The skeletal system is new every three months. Ninety-eight percent of the total number of atoms in our body are replaced at the end of a seven-year period. So, in one sense, thanks to the amazing regenerative powers of our body, none of us are more than seven years old.

But the Bible offers us something even more amazing.
It's a renewal that goes far deeper than skin and bones.

It occurs only once but lasts for all of eternity.
And we read about it in 2 Corinthians 5:17-19.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation"

Where does this renewal take place?
As a "new creation" what is our relationship with God?
What is our new responsibility as a new creation?

When we receive Christ as our Saviour-
- the Holy Spirit baptizes (puts, places, immerses) us into the Body of Christ.1 Corinthians 12:13.

That's what it means to be "in Christ."
It is in Christ that we find safety from God's wrath that is poured out on sin and those who engage in it.John 3:36.
As a new creation we are to put off the old habits we formed when we were apart from God and put on new habits that are consistent with our new life.Ephesians 4:20-24.

Have you become a "new creation"?

If you have become a new creation-
- what habit or habits do you need to "put off" so that your life is more consistent with your status as a new creation?

Go to Colossians 3:8-10 and list the items that should be "put off."
Then go to Colossians 3:12-17 and list the items to "put on."

Circle at least one item on each of these lists which you will seek to put off or put on.

Bound To The Past

"He who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47.

A woman came to Ibn Saud, the first king of Saudi Arabia, requesting that the man who killed her husband be put to death.

The man had fallen from the top of a palm tree when he had been gathering dates and landed on this lady's husband and killed him.

The king said:
"It is your right to exact compensation, and it is also your right to ask for this man's life.
But it is my right to decree how he shall die.
You shall take this man with you and he shall be tied to the foot of a palm tree and then you shall climb to the top of the tree and cast yourself down upon him from that height.
In that way you will take his life as he took your husband's.
Or perhaps," Ibn Saud added, "you would prefer after all to take the blood money?"

The widow took the money.

To fail to forgive keeps us bound to the past!

It is a killer-
- not of the one who caused the resentment,
- but the one who carries the resentment.

Failing to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Also, as Jesus said:
"He who has forgiven little loves little."

One way to love much, therefore, is to confess all our wrongs and sins, not only to God, but to the one/s we have hurt and do all we can to make restitution and be forgiven ourselves.

For he who has been forgiven much loves much!

Have you done that?

Have you done that?


Do we really comprehend the incredible gift we were given when Jesus died for our sins?

Not that we take this act for granted-
- but we have spoken about it so routinely that we might not absorb the full scope of this gift.

It's as though all of our sins were listed on a writing board.
And then Christ has come along with a cloth and erased them forever.

It's as though they were never even there.

On that board, somebody puts a receipt that says, "PAID IN FULL."
That's what the nails of the cross did-
- paid the penalty for our sin in full.

Christ has done it all.
Our sins have been nailed to the cross; they've been taken care of.
Nothing more is needed for forgiveness other than our accepting this amazing gift.

Have you claimed the liberating forgiveness of knowing that Christ has paid the full debt of your sins?

If not, why not let Christ give you a clean slate?
After all, He's already "paid in full."

Our choice is simply to accept His gift in faith.

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14.

A part of God's Plan

"You are to go into all the world and preach to Good News to everyone, everywhere." Mark 16:15.

FedEx CEO and founder, Fred Smith, first developed the idea for an innovative airfreight company while he was a student at Yale University.

His professor was less than impressed.
The paper Smith submitted outlining the concept earned him a C.
Thirty years later-
FedEx is the world's largest express transportation company, with 128,000 employees and more than $7 billion in capital.

Smith's shortsighted professor didn't take a few things into consideration.

One was Smith's persistence!

He refuses to give up.

Another

is his plans!

When plan A doesn't work-

- there is always a plan B to put in motion.

Most important, however, was Smith's ability to recruit people!

People want to be part of what he is involved in—even to the point of sacrifice.

In the early days, for example, his pilots often refueled company jets with their own money.
Sometimes they sat on paychecks for months to help keep the company afloat.

Can you imagine what would happen if every Christian had that kind of attitude in wanting to be a part of God's plan and what he is doing in the world today—and was willing to make that kind of a sacrifice to follow Christ and accept his commission to take the gospel to everyone everywhere?

'Oh Lord please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear,
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burned with holy fear.'

But Listen!!!

Why aren't our lives fulfilled and happy apart from God?

 

Admittedly, we may experience happiness for a time.

We may even think we're on the right road and don't need God.

 

The Bible says that sin may bring us pleasure, for a time.Hebrews 11:25.

 

But if we're honest, we'll admit our lives were empty.

And we paid a stiff price for our wanderings.

 

Like King Solomon of old, we'll realize that apart from God-

"All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 2:17.

 

We weren't only made by God-

- we were made for God!

 

And life's greatest joy comes from knowing Him and living for Him.

And this becomes a reality as we turn to Jesus Christ and commit our lives to Him.

 

His words are true, as millions have discovered:

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10.

 

But listen!

It isn't too late for you to discover this truth for yourself!

The Bible's warning is true: "The way of the unfaithful is hard." Proverbs 13:15.

 

God loves you, and right now you can turn to Him for the forgiveness and new life you need.

Confess your sin to Him, and open your heart to Christ today

What Are You Pursuing in Life?

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the refrigerator-

- trying to find something to satisfy a vague sense of emptiness or discontent? 

You aren't looking for anything specific, but you know you want to fill a longing. 

Whatever you choose will probably not do the trick-

- because the empty spot is not in your stomach but in your soul.

Whether the substance is food, career, possessions, or relationships, our souls are continually trying to find satisfaction. 

But nothing in this world will fill the void. 

Since we were created for relationship with God-

He placed deep within us a yearning for Him. 

Though we may not recognize it as such-

- everyone knows the feeling of dissatisfaction that at time seeps into our souls. 

Whenever we attempt to find fulfillment with worldly substitutes, disappointment and disillusionment are sure to follow.

There are two possible menus from which we can choose to fill our empty souls. 

Satan's menu is long and full of enticing things that seem to promise fulfillment and pleasure. 

These could include relationships, prominence, acceptance, riches, or recognition. 

Whatever he offers looks like the good life that will bring contentment, but it's a deception. 

But God's menu is quite small. 

In fact, it lists just one "item"—Jesus. 

He is the only one who can fill the void.

What are you pursuing in life? 

Have you found the satisfaction you seek?

Or is there always a vague sense of discontent in your soul? 

If you give Jesus your whole life and stay focused, unhurried time with Him-

He'll satisfy you as nothing else can.