Tag: Christ

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Death Gets Pwn3d

Yesterday I had the chance to watch “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”.  What a great fun movie!   As we were driving away from the Rave yesterday afternoon, Amy asked me what my favorite part of the movie was.  At the time I was not sure, but oddly enough like a one of those visions that Harry himself had, my favorite part resurfaced in the middle of the night.  As a matter of fact, even though I didn’t wake up, I remember the thought very vividly and I think that even a smile came to my face while I slept.

++++SPOILER ALERT - If you don't want to read about things that happen in the move skip the next few paragraphs++++

So what is my favorite part?  Well, it happened on the front steps of Hogwarts as Voldemort and his band of ‘followers’ stand facing those who were willing to fight against the darkness and evil that he pronounced.  When it seemed that all was lost with Harry dead, and the Dark Lord about to claim his ultimate place of power, Neville Longbottom stands up and gives the reason for his resistance against Voldemorte, and right as good ol’ Neville tells the face of darkness and death himself  “You are wrong”, Harry, who was off to the side, rises up.  Oh man – the look of happiness and glee on the faces of his friends, the look of terror on Voldemort’s face!  and the quickness with which his followers high tailed it out of dodge!  Man, it was so obvious then that the victory was won.

+++END SPOILER ALERT++++ 

So, why was it my favorite scene and why did it bring me so much joy that it would make me smile even in my sleep?  Well it reminds me of another event – one that really happened – that was so much like that event that you can watch on the silver screen. 

 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence. Luke 24:36-43 New International Version (NIV)

It’s amazing to think about the impact and the rallying effect that Potter’s revival had on his friends and supporters.  But it’s even more impressive to consider what an outstanding impact the actual revival of the Christ had on his supporters and can still have on us.

Death is defeated, destroyed, pwn3d!

I hope that brings a smile to your face!

 

 

 

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Who’s Living?

Last night I was talking with my small group that I meet with quite often about what it means to “die to self” and to live with Christ.  It centered around this great verse in Galatians, we sing it, we exclaim it, we believe it…

19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21 New International Version (NIV)

But do we live it?  Or, I guess I should say, do we let Christ live it?

What’s interesting here, is this may not be a matter of doing what Christ would do, but more a matter of complete surrender, and letting Christ do what Christ would do.

This week, and especially today, I am going to try to take an inventory to see how much I am living and how much Christ is living in me.  Will  you spend a few minutes as well, examining your motives, your goals, your desires, your wants and your living to see how things are?

I find this verse extremely uplifting and extremely challenging as the same time.  How about you?

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The Peculiar Paper Dispenser

Sometimes at the office after drinking my morning jug of the gentleman’s coffee, I have to head over to the “Men’s lounge” and refresh myself.   And since there are several hundred wash your hand signs in our facilities, I oblige them.   Anyway, many a day I stand their with wet hands in front of the automatic paper dispenser waving my hand.   I continue to wave my hand and watch as the little red dot flashes, but no paper rolls out- ever.   One day during this ritual a co worker was there with me.  I commented on how this particular machines was not working.  He responded “It always works for me” and he promptly walked up waved his hand and was given more paper then he needed to dry with.  It seemed like I was invisible to this machine.

Invisible.

19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:19-21, New International Version)

This whole idea of becoming invisible, or maybe better put, the idea of dying to yourself and replacing your selfishness with the mind of Christ, is something that I have been struggling with and praying for for some time now.  For I know that that the days with I live for myself usually end up with things happening that are not so great, and the days when I hide myself and let Christ shine through are days of glory.

The dispenser still does not work for me, and I count that a blessing and a reminder.  A reminder of how I should be living my life.  A reminder that I should not be seen, but that the Christ should be seen in me.  When you wash your hands today and look in the mirror, ask yourself, “Who’s living in you?”

 

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Who Dresses You?

Yesterday I went out to lunch with a old friend and when we got to the restaurant we noticed some other co workers already there eating. Since my friend had not seen these guys for a while he went over and spoke with them. As the conversation wrapped up, one of the guys said to me in jest ( or I think it was in jest) “It’s so good that Amy dresses you, or there is no telling what you would look like”. In response I said “Me too, as I would just be naked all the time”. Of course that quickly ended the conversation with laughs and giggles.

Although that was a humorous conversation and I actually pick out my own clothes int he morning, and usually at the store as well ( some of you are not surprised and wish that Amy would dress me!). But here’s the thing – as we consider our spiritual selves, when we attempt to dress ourselves we unfortunately are as I responded – exposed, and uncovered and unprotected. But when we put on the clothes of Christ we are spiritually unstoppable!

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:23-29 (New International Version, ©2011)

Heirs to the promise – unstoppable!

And with the clothing of Christ on, we are changed, and different.

13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:13-14 (New International Version, ©2011)

So as you go about today, consider who has dressed you. Are you dressing yourself and therefore leaving yourself exposed or are you putting on the clothing of Christ!

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Stuck On One Thought

Wow What a game. I was thinking today I would write about the great Steeler comeback (FAIL), or the awesomeness of the commericals. However, outside of a devoted beaver, a epic theft sequence of some car, and the resurrection of grandpa thanks to some Doritos, there was just not much else there to write about.

So today, there is just one thing on my head. It was stuck there yesterday morning as I heard an outstanding lesson about the women at the well from John 4. The part of this that has stuck with me is the end of the conversation between the women and Jesus here:

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:25-26 (New International Version, ©2010)

Man, I just can’t this this out of my head. This dude Jesus, says that he is the Messiah, the Savior of the World that was predicted, and then those around him claim that again later in the chapter.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:42 (New International Version, ©2010)

This thought is so oustanding, so complex, so motivating and so uplifting, that this has just stuck with me for the last day. These words cannot be dismissed. There is something that you have to do with these words. Some decision must be made. Contemplate this and think about what you will do with these words.