I think this picture is amazing (from David Uttley again). Things that devastate leave behind such unpredictable messes. Random destruction...some things swept away while others are left hanging on by threads flapping in the breeze. It isn't just tsunamis and earth shaking quakes that can leave our lives in ruins. Cancer left my family stripped. Life is terminal.....we seem taken by surprise by life taking earthquakes and diseases. Why are we surprised? Maybe because we were built for something eternal (lasting, infinite, never ending)..... something not of this earth.So many read this blog. Mostly family, I would imagine, to keep up with far away growing so rapidly little people. But as we have traveled over Asia dipping our roots for seasons in different soil we have picked up dear friends and neighbors along the way. Many, I am sure, have no idea why we do what we do......so this post is for you dear ones. The reason we live as aliens and foreigners......we believe the following to be true....so much so that we happily give our lives to sharing this amazing news.
Many people think of God as
Uncaring Uninvolved Dead (or non existent)
But that's not true. God wants to have a relationship with us and give us a full life.
Jesus, who is God's Son said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Let's think about what Jesus meant by life to the full. He is not talking about our circumstances, or a feeling of well being, He is describing a dimension of life, rather than a quality of life. It's like the difference between virtual life and real life. Life to the full is life lived in real relationship with Jesus, and results in life both now and forever.
What do you think stops us from having life to the full?
We ignore God in attitude and in action. We rebel and separate ourselves from Him, breaking our relationship, which ultimately results in death - permanent separation from Him.
Ignoring God in attitude leads to ignoring Him in action. Because we ignore God, we end up living life our own way. Some of us do this in small ways, and some of us in really big and devastating ways that have significant consequences. We mess up our lives and we never find real fulfillment in life. When we live in rebellion to God, it affects and breaks our relationship with Him.
The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) "There is no one righteous, not even one; There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God, all have turned away." (Romans 3:10-12a)
How do you think God will react to us ignoring Him?
"God is love" (1 John 4:8) On one hand God is loving, so He doesn't want to punish us.
"God is just" (Exodus 34:7b) on the other hand God is just, which means He must punish our sin.
God's love for us doesn't depend on what we do for Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. But no matter how much He loves us and doesn't want to punish us, He cannot ignore our sinfulness.
God solved this tension in the person of Jesus.
Jesus lived the perfect life.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect (sinless) life. Being man, He experienced adversity - just like us - in the midst of social upheaval, depression, and crisis. But, being God, He never sinned. Because Jesus chose to obey, He lived his life to the fullest; being blessed by God and being a blessing to those around Him. It's the way life was meant to be lived.
So if Jesus lived His life to the full, what does that mean for us?
Jesus did something no one else could do because of who He is. Being without sin, He became the substitute for our sins, and by doing so, He has removed the barrier that blocked our relationship with God. He took our penalty, our sins were laid on Him and He assumed our guilt and our debt, and He rose from death to a life forever. This means we can join Jesus and live with Him forever. We're not covered by guilt or sin anymore, because Jesus has removed it.
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Our relationship with him can start today, and we can have life to the full, now and forever.
How do we receive this life to the full?
Jesus says, "I am the way the truth and the life." (John 14:6)
We start this relationship through faith, and receive this life to the full as a free gift.
Faith is not simply knowing in our mind the existence of God and Jesus. Faith is not temporary or fleeting.
Faith is Knowledge, Agreement, and Trust.
It is understanding who Jesus is and what He did for you, agreeing that He is in fact the Lord and Savior, and trusting in Him alone for life to the full.
We cannot in any way earn or deserve this relationship with God.
The Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Trusting in Jesus is the only way by which we can receive this life He promises.
The real life Jesus offers can start today and go on forever.
It's a life that lasts beyond the grave. Jesus offers us this life to the full. All we have to do is take it.
Would you like to begin this relationship with Jesus and have life to the full?
You need to:
A. Admit that you have sinned against God, need to repent, and accept His forgiveness
B. Believe that only Jesus can save, that He died, and rose again
C. Commit to following Him as Lord and Savior
If this is the desire of your heart, then we encourage you to tell God by speaking to Him in these words:
My Lord and my God, I admit that I have been wrong in not following You. I turn away from my sin - I repent. Please forgive me. I believe that You paid the penalty for me on the cross and that You rose again from the dead to offer me new life. I commit myself to following You as my Savior and Lord. I want Your gift of life, now and forever. Help me to live for You by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life." (John 6:47)
Like any relationship, your relationship with God needs to grow.
You can begin immediately by doing 5 things:
Bible - read the Bible, this is God's primary way of speaking to us
Pray - talk with God, he wants to hear from you
Worship - attend a local Bible believing church
Fellowship - we reflect those we spend time with
Witness - speak to others about your new-found relationship with God
(The format for this was found at http://xeelife.com/index.html)
The God of the Bible is not American or even western. He was before the beginning of time. He has watched with heart aching the courses of cities, countries and peoples....and has never changed. He loves, He forgives yet He is just.
We continue relationships in each of your countries and cities with people who speak your language who would love nothing more than sitting down with you to talk about God and His amazing love for you and HOPE for your life. Please contact me if you want to talk.
