Tag: observation

Plan with Christ

Life changes like the wind: it alters in an instant and or another direction.

At college, I hoped to graduate with a minor study in Broadcasting. Today, upon my return, I discovered the school has dissolved that academic program.

This reminding to always secure your plans in Christ. Our guarantee in the future is like standing on sand that shifts and sifts between your feet.

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel that will stand”. (Proverbs 19:21)

Loving Lost People

I managed to get myself stranded at my city mall. While I wait for my Good Samaritan, I observed the crowds.

As I glared at the sea of faces around me, I discovered how much I felt detached to them. It was like I was in a foreign terminal or something. I didn’t like this feeling, because although I believe Jesus wants us separate from the world, I don’t believe He wants us to be isolated from it.

The people of the world should not be seen as diseased victims to shun, but lost orphans needing to know they have a Father who loves them and wishes them to come to Him (2 Peter 3:9).

I recall Matthew 14:14, where Jesus looks over the multitude that came to hear Him and it says, He was moved with compassion. He genuinely loved and accepted all people.

As someone hurries here to rescue me, I’m praying that God will open my eyes and help me to love lost people as He loves me.

Jesus Has No Social Clicks

At a Bible class today, we surveyed in Mark 2 when the Pharisees attacked Jesus for eating with sinners. The beauty of this event is that Jesus expressed genuine love for the people he was sitting with.

What uniquely spoke out to me at this passage is the Pharisees’ upset and bafflement of Jesus mingling with people outside his social status.

Its almost like they were saying: “Hey Jesus, we don’t hang with those kind of people.”

How I see this passage relate today is how we adjust to ‘clicks’.

“Don’t talk to him, he aint cool.”

“That guy is a freak”

“She is so weird”

When we get down with isolating every person we deem inadequate to meet our social acceptance, do we contain a real love for people?

My teacher fed this idea of isolating people when he said: “When you get done with isolating people, they only people you know are your people.”

Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?” (Matthew 5:46)

Partial love never impressed anyone. I can’t say that I am not guilty of isolating people, but its questionable to see people redeemed by the universal love of Jesus, filter love.

1 John 3:1a is an appropriate reminder of what Jesus’ impartial love made us:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Jesus has no clicks.

Jesus Gave His Life

“…I lay down my life…” -John 10:17

Do you know that Jesus wasn’t killed but that He gave up His life?

Yes, He was crucified on the sentence of death, but when they hanged Him on the cross they did not kill Him.

He died on the cross on His call. We can know this by referring to Luke 23:46: “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” By the words of His mouth, He let Himself die.

Listen to Jesus again. “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18).

Although crucified in weakness as a man, Christ on the cross was still God Almighty. He still possess power of His deity even at His death. “No one takes it from Me” – no took Jesus’ life from Him, but He lay it down of Himself to give His life to save us.

Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He came to give His life to ransom us from sin.

Jesus was both God and man. He lived His entire life on Earth in this manifestation, especially on the cross. He suffered and died as a man did dying on a cross, but He also experienced death as Jesus -The God Who Saves.

He lay down His life on the cross and took it up again when He rose again on the third day.

Our Jesus is both power and love. He authored life even at death when He lay it down by His will. That’s the God whom you worship – Jesus whom you love.