Tag Archives: religion

The Jawless Fish

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by in Animals, Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mullet

a mullet fish – photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Years ago I wrote a song/poem about creation specifically as a rebuttal to the evolutionary theory that all life started from the mud in the form of a jawless fish. My wife came across it as she was cleaning the house yesterday; thought you might enjoy it!

At school the other day they taught us man evolved from fish.
I scratched my head and wondered, “What genius thought of this?”
They said this lucky mud just started stirring round one day.
And pretty soon these critters sort of formed themselves from clay.

The critters joined together and made a little squish.
And what evolved was finally what they called a jawless fish.
Now I’m not one to question, so I figured it was true.
Besides, they wouldn’t teach no lies to little kids at school!

So I listened as they taught us how old “Jawless” learned to crawl
And turned his little fish fins into tiny feet and claws.
He then commenced to change himself with lots of other twists.
He became amphibians and reptiles that would hiss.

Jawless, he was fearless, he had so much to achieve.
Forget about the halibut, he wanted lungs to breathe!
Soon he grew tired of wearing scales and fins and such.
He decided it would be more fun to add some warmth to touch.

So he grew himself some fur and turned his claws to paws and feet,
And walked across the landscape in search of food to eat.
Before too long he stretched his back and forced himself to stand
And transformed his appendages to legs and arms and hands

The more I heard, the more I thought this really couldn’t be!
This thinking we was fish might make a monkey out of me!
If this were true, why not say we came from bugs instead?
And we could all pretend we had antennae on our heads!

If man evolved from fish, then he’s got to be a mullet.
Thinking like a fish up in the head is sure to dull it!
To me it’s only logical when I say what I believe
That God created man when he made Adam and made Eve.

And so it’s my conclusion if the truth were really told,
That “Jawless” is nothing more than a lie from long ago.
The God who made the earth did not leave it all to chance
And hope that somehow randomly that we would learn to dance.

Hope you have a wonderful day, mugs up!!

Erased from Memory

27 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

erase-memory

photo courtesy of mercatornetitalia.files.wordpress

“Demolition workers have torn down the Newtown, Conn., home where gunman Adam Lanza planned the school massacre that killed 26 people, including 20 children, two years ago, part of a town effort to recover by erasing all traces of the killer.

Destruction of the large, colonial-style home in a bucolic neighborhood of Newtown follows the razing of the Sandy Hook Elementary School, which was targeted on the morning of Dec. 14, 2012.

“All I want to say is I am glad it is done.”- Mary Jo Jacob, Newtown legislative council chairman

In addition to gunning down 20 first-graders and six school employees, Lanza, 20, shot his mother, Nancy, to death in the home they shared. He killed himself in the school hallway as police responded to the shooting.” LA Times.com

The Bible warns against adopting a wicked and contemptible lifestyle. Those who think they are creating a lasting legacy for themselves by committing heinous crimes are wrong………… Instead, they will be erased from our memories.

Psalm 37:1-2, 9-10 NIV

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.

Psalm 34:15-16 (NIV)

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

Isaiah 26:13-14 (ESV)

13 O Lord our God,
    other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
14 They are dead, they will not live;
    they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
    and wiped out all remembrance of them.

I can’t begin to fathom what evil works inside a man’s soul that would cause him to willfully devise a plan to walk into a mall or a school with a loaded gun and shoot down innocent victims. That thought process is so foreign to me, it would never occur to me to even consider it.

Yet, there it is. It has been done. And all of us wonder, “How and Why?”

The answer?

Because given the opportunity, sin will enter a heart and bring ruin and destruction. When we read about such terrible atrocities, it is a reminder of what the world would be like without God. Were it not for the influence of God’s Spirit in us, we might follow the same path. That we have been graced with His presence is something we should not overlook …………. ever …………… it is something we should give thanks for daily.

Today as I raise my mug, it is in honor of the families who lost loved ones two years ago in the town of Newtown, Conn. I pray that you will find peace.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Giving Up First Chair

02 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

First Chair

Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra

I must decrease so that He can increase.

John 3:25-30 (ESV)

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

When I played in high school band, there were competitions every year to see who got to play “first chair.” If you played first chair, you were given the best parts with the most solos and the most opportunities for audience recognition. If you played second chair, you got to sit beside the person who got all the best parts and recognition. If you played third or fourth chair, you were further down the line and always in a supporting role. And so on and so forth……….

In the life of a Christian, you are always playing third and fourth chair. Christ must be first chair – without exception. And frequently it is others in the church and in your family who get second chair.

In order to maximize Christ, I must minimize me. I have to be willing to stand in the shadow, to play third chair, to only play a supporting role ………… without complaint. The decision to focus more on Christ and less on me is counter cultural. It runs against everything we are taught in school and demonstrated in our society. But the Spirit that draws me further and further into the person of Christ tells me there is something better than playing first chair……….

Jesus wrote the music that formed the world, the greatest symphony ever written. He is still writing; the score is not complete. He is also the conductor, guiding each note and phrase to the proper tempo and dynamics.

As we are being transformed into the image of Christ, we become the music itself. We are not just the notes on the page but the wonderful harmonious sound that floats through the air with every measure that is played. At some moments the symphony is dark and ominous with a crash of cymbals and tympani; at others light and melodic like the piccolo. Each phrase is carefully crafted by the Great Conductor according to the beautiful arrangement that he desires to produce in us.

As you raise your mug today, give thanks for the music that God is writing into your life. Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Sorry Mr. Twain, I Disagree.

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

mark-twain-quotes-bible

courtesy of beforeitsnews.com – Mark Twain quotes

Disturbing ………. that’s what I found this picture to be. I like Mark Twain’s stories and many of his other quotes ……….. but not this one.

Samuel Clemens loved the paddlewheel steamboat and he loved the river. As a matter of fact, it was during his years as a riverboat pilot that he chose his pen name, “Mark Twain.” It was a phrase called out by the leadsman, a person with a rope with a lead weight at the end, who checked to make sure the water was deep enough to travel by dropping it into the water to measure the depth. The phrase literally means “mark two,” the second mark on the measuring line that indicated that the water was 2 fathoms (12 feet) deep and safe to navigate. boatsafe.com

Riverboat

Although Mark Twain was a regular attender of a Presbyterian church, he did not accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God. “Twain stated that he believed in an almighty God, but not in any messages, revelations, holy scriptures such as the Bible, Providence, or retribution in the afterlife.” (Wikipedia – Mark Twain) To him, the Bible was nothing more than a book full of interesting stories with a few good morals thrown in.

Is this true? Is the Bible nothing more than a compelling lie? A book of noble poetry and clever fables? Stories with a few good morals?

If the Bible is the Word of God, as we profess, then there must be is a logical reason for God to have inspired its writing. According to Paul in Romans 10, it is the means by which God brings about salvation for all lost souls.

Romans 10:8-11, 17 (NIV)

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 

17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Granted, it is conceivable that God could have developed an alternative plan for bringing his message to the world. The stories and truths could have been passed down verbally. But who would have known if their sources were reliable? How could you verify their authenticity?

God chose instead to have his words recorded in the scriptures. They are the written version of his powerful, life-changing spoken words. It was by speaking with his mouth that God created the universe. It was by speaking that Jesus calmed the storm; by speaking he called Lazarus from the dead. Those same spoken words now live through the mouths of preachers and believers all over the world who learned the message by studying what was recorded in the pages of the Bible.

Faith combined with the message of God’s Word is the recipe for salvation. Outside of faith, they are nothing more than letters printed on a page …… poetry, clever fables.

Compelling lies? Sorry Mr. Twain, I think not. The Word of God? Yes, that’s what I believe.

My mug is up. Here’s to a promising day of speaking and believing what I know is true because of the faith in me that confirms that scripture really is God’s Word.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Keep Your Aqua Velva To Yourself!

24 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

salesman
photo courtesy of mailbow.net

They say image is everything. If you’re running a business it’s certainly crucial to success. However, looking honest and professional doesn’t necessarily translate to actually being honest and professional.

During my years as a business owner, I’ve entertained many salespeople, good and bad. Occasionally, a pushy salesman reeking of cigarettes and excessive cologne would barge uninvited into my office, peddling the latest, greatest gadget or service that was going to change my life. Getting them out the door once they were in was always a challenge. I wonder if they send those guys to “Super Salesman School” and instruct them to use an internal counter; when the client has said, “NO!” fifty times, then they know he really means it and it’s okay to leave. Sheez!

All salespeople have a very clear agenda: to convince you that you need what they have for sale. There is nothing viciously wrong with that, especially when they are offering a product that they believe is genuinely beneficial. But, some of them will use scare tactics to try and sell you a lie. They tell you that the situation is critical, time is of the essence, and that without their product you run the risk of failure. Their goal is to get you to sign on the dotted line before you have a chance to change your mind.

I made the colossal mistake, once, of listening to a presentation by a dishonest salesman. Then I made an even worse colossal mistake, I signed a contract for his services. Why, oh why, oh why …….

after shave

He was a consultant who offered to help me turn my ailing business around. Admittedly, I needed some help, but not his sort. What I didn’t know, when I signed the agreement, was that his firm was going to bring in a whole team of high-powered, sweet-smelling slicks who wanted me to pay their airfare, hotel rooms, and all expenses while they stayed in town for three weeks making my business more successful …..

Right …….. that was going to make the balance sheet look swell….

In the end, after repeatedly asking them to leave, and them refusing, we had to call the Sheriff’s department to escort them off the premises. Astounding! The same consulting firm called a year later and continued to call us for years, trying to get us to commit to another “consultation.” It was as if they had no record of our previous episode.

This particular company was ruthless and dishonest. They pushed their way into my office offering unattainable results, exaggerating the truth and using coercion to trick me into signing a contract. It may have been the closest thing to a Mafia organization that I’ve ever encountered.

As I pondered over those memories, I had to wonder. Is this a viable way to make a sale? Do I try to force my will, my personal agenda on my friends and family? As a believer, is this the method I use to convince another about the love of God?

Considering these thoughts, I am reminded – don’t we all exaggerate at times? Maybe not in the same manner, but don’t we bend the truth, omit important details in conversations, spray on a little extra cologne in order to make ourselves more appealing? Hmmm? In the Lord’s eyes that’s a dishonest sales pitch.

Proverbs 11:1-3 (NIV)

  The Lord detests dishonest scales,
    but accurate weights find favor with him.

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Oooh, now there’s a word to add to your vocabulary – duplicity – meaning: deceitfulness, double-dealing, under-handedness. It’s not a word that you want associated with your character. Proverbs 11 suggests that we should be guided by honesty, humility, and integrity.

Christians don’t need sales gimmicks or exaggeration to impress; we don’t need sweet-smelling “spiritual cologne” to disguise the truth. The gospel speaks for itself. In Christ, we’re all equal. That is, equally lost before we’re found, equally forgiven, equally loved by the Father. Christ is the only image we should portray; Christ is the only fragrance we should emit. Our personalities should be honest and humble; not pushy and obnoxious.

Let’s share a hot mug! Here’s to living with integrity and being totally sold out for Christ in a manner pleasing to God and our neighbors.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Chances Are ……

09 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

large

photo courtesy of pixgood.com

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NIV)

11 I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

  • Chances are you’ve made a bad grade on a test ……
  • Chances are the person next to you didn’t ……
  • Chances are you’ve stubbed your toe on something hard ……
  • Chances are you’ve gotten soaked in an unexpected rain shower …..
  • Chances are you’ve been angry and frustrated …….
  • Chances are you’ve been lied to ……..
  • Chances are you’ve told some lies of your own ……
  • Chances are you’ve bitten off more than you could chew …..
  • Chances are you managed to swallow it …….
  • Chances are you’ve done something you regret …..
  • Chances are you’ve made some bad decisions …..
  • Chances are you’ve been blamed for something you didn’t do …..
  • Chances are the other guy got away with it ……
  • Chances are you’ve stepped in doggy doo …….
  • Chances are you marched through the house before you discovered it was still on your shoes ….
  • Chances are you’ve received disappointing news ………
  • Chances are you’ve felt depressed and overwhelmed …..
  • Chances are you didn’t duck soon enough and banged your head ….
  • Chances are you’ve spent some days lying sick in bed …….
  • Chances are someone close to you has died ……

But ………

  • Chances are you’ve laughed out loud at a funny joke ……
  • Chances are you’ve held your someone’s hand ……..
  • Chances are your parents held yours to protect you ……..
  • Chances are you’ve shared a soda or a cup of coffee with a good friend …..
  • Chances are you’ve watched the sun set over the horizon …..
  • Chances are you’ve read something amusing and entertaining …….
  • Chances are you’ve felt a cool breeze on your face ……..
  • Chances are you’ve slept comfortably in a bed ……
  • Chances are you can stand up and walk ……..
  • Chances are you can breathe fresh morning air …..
  • Chances are you’ve felt the warmth of the sun after a cold winter …….
  • Chances are you’ve enjoyed the smell of fresh flowers …..
  • Chances are you’ve heard the music of birds singing …..
  • Chances are you’ve seen a rainbow after a storm ……
  • Chances are you’ve been surprised by good news ……
  • Chances are you’ve had good friends and family to help you and hold you when life tossed a bad chance your way ……
  • Chances are you’ve been given second chances, lots of them …..
  • Chances are you’ve been forgiven ……..

The chances for unpleasant experiences are rampant in our world ………. but so are the chances for good ones ……

Psalm 130:3-4 (NIV)

3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

2 Corinthians 13:14(NIV)

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Mugs up!! Have a great day, the possibilities are endless!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com 

Jesus Is Not A Banana

03 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

bananas

I never knew such a thing existed, but when we visited Guatemala last November, we came across a banana store. That’s right, bananas ……….. only bananas …….. on every shelf …. on every wall …. of the entire store …….. rows and rows of yellow fruit.

Do you know that there is no mention of bananas anywhere in scripture? Amazing; how could a fruit so perfect not be in the Bible?

Several years ago, there arose a debate about whether or not bananas were evidence of God’s existence. Apparently I missed out on that argument; I must have been on a banana fast at the time. I’m not going to delve too deeply into this, but what is evident about the discussion is that those who formulated the argument didn’t do their homework.

The basic premise of the argument is that the banana is so perfect, it has to be the result of intelligent design. Unfortunately, the authors of the argument didn’t consider something important: the bananas we eat from the grocery store today are the result of modern plant hybridization, human engineered modifications, not divine creation. God did create the banana, but not in its current form.

And so, in an effort to not look foolish ………. if there is a need to defend our faith, it should be done intelligently and humbly, with adequate research so that we know what we are talking about before we start talking.

1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

IMG_1599

 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Timothy 2:14-16 (NIV)

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

Godless chatter and foolish arguments do nothing to further the kingdom of Christ. They serve only to increase arrogance, to make those who are arguing appear more knowledgeable and wise than they really are. And they increase our ungodliness and make us look …. well,  a little like a monkey with a banana.

My mug is raised, is yours? Let’s cut the foolish talk and focus instead on serving each other and loving God.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Where Do You Wander?

02 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

 

4101033918_b1d702fbf3_o

photo courtesy of Josh Cato – flickr.com

Genesis 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

I confess, I was angry and jealous. He was getting all of the attention and everyone ignored me. I hated him and so I killed him ……. and since then, I have been a restless wanderer. I have no one, nor any place that is truly mine. Only the ground I walk on today; that will be mine.

The thought of killing someone may seem inconceivable, but let’s be real: in our hearts we’ve all felt like that at some point. Jealous, angry, bitter ……… confused and out of control. We may not have pulled the trigger, but we wanted to. There is an unsettled nature in each of us that prevents us from ever being fully satisfied with where we are and drives us to search for some place new.

Think I’m joking? Look around. I bet the gyms are full of new signees ready to start the year with a new attitude and a new body. Many people set goals for the new year in hopes of achieving something great and glorious; they are out to conquer their world, wherever it may be. Why? The grass is always greener some other place, some place that they are not.

Discontentment. It’s what breeds other sins like unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, stealing. There is a grave danger in dissatisfaction and envy ………..

What made Abel’s sacrifice acceptable and Cain’s not?

Genesis 4:3-4

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.

Abel’s gift was a sacrifice that cost him something. To give up the best of his flock could have potentially changed the quality of his herd. Farmers know that you keep the best animals for breeding, but Abel was willing to risk losing them in order to please God.

Cain’s sacrifice cost him very little. He planted crops and had a large harvest. But he did not choose the best fruit from his fields to give to God; he just gave a small portion of it, the leftovers after he himself had enjoyed the best.

The difference between the two? The motivation of the heart. Abel’s was motivated by love and regard for his creator, Cain’s was motivated by obligation. When God did not accept his offering, scripture says that Cain’s face was downcast. His disappointment turned to jealousy and anger that eventually lead to murder.

Cain’s sin forced him to become a wanderer. It is the same sin that desires to rule your heart and lead you further and further away from God. When people are motivated by jealousy and greed, they are in essence saying to God, “I am not happy with what you have provided. I want something else.”

What motivates you? Are you hungry for change because you realize that your lifestyle is not beneficial to yourself or the people close to you? Good! Make the changes. But if your desire for change is motivated by jealousy, envy of people on the front of magazine covers, or simply thinking that you deserve something different, then maybe there is a deeper problem. Maybe the wanderer in you is becoming restless….. Be careful what you wander from and where you wander to. 

1 Peter 2:11-12  (NIV)

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles (wanderers), to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

If feelings of dissatisfaction and discontentment are ruling your heart today, then take a moment to survey your life and see if there is truly a need for change. Ask God to search deep inside you and show you what is motivating your desire for something new. Be careful that envy is not at the root of your desire. James 3:16, Proverbs 24:1

Today I raise the mug in hopes that you will find great joy and contentment and peace both for the present and coming year.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

 

Driven By Success

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Sports Equipment

photo courtesy of zunal.com

Well, college football season is nearly over. It’s been a lot of fun as usual with typical highs and lows. After tomorrow, there’ll be about a four-month stretch where I won’t watch or listen to many sports related games. I don’t get overly excited about the Super Bowl. I’ve never cared tremendously for basketball, soccer, or hockey. I’ll just spend the immediate future pining for baseball season to begin.

Now if Atlanta had a team that was competitive and could make it to a championship, then I would probably be excited, no matter what sport it was. I’ll give the Hawks credit, they’re off to a great start this year. The question is, “Will they collapse like every other Atlanta team in recent years?”

I don’t know why championships seem to be so elusive for Atlanta. How many can they claim? One? It’s not like they haven’t had their share of talented players and good coaches. Their teams just never seem to have enough “umph” or magic to win it all. When you invest yourself in teams that lose repeatedly, it becomes a little discouraging. After a while you stop caring.

There is something in our make up that drives us toward success. Everybody wants to be a part of a winning endeavor, to revel in the glory and pride of OUR TEAM taking home the trophy.

What makes something successful?

Success is defined as – the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, triumph

Hmmmmm …………. what will I accomplish this year? What will ensure my success?

When it comes to spiritual success, the book of Joshua indicates the following:

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Really? I have to do everything in the law in order to be successful? Then I’m doomed before I even begin! I know I can’t do everything written in the law! Nobody can do that!

Galatians 5:14 (NIV)

14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Okay, so we’ve managed to reduce a whole book of requirements to one, loving my neighbor as myself. But can I even do that one thing? Doubtful. Nah …….. let’s be real, let’s just go ahead and say, “No.” I love myself way too much.

So what am I to do? If I can’t keep even one rule, how will I ever be successful in the eyes of God? Here’s a clue.

Galatians 3:11-14 (NIV)

11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

My success in life and my success in the eyes of God does not depend on my performance, but rather on the performance of Jesus. No, I cannot keep the requirements of the law, but Jesus did. It is my faith in him that assures my success.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill

I like this quote by Winston Churchill. If we could adopt this attitude, failure would be easier to endure. People, in general, are probably driven too much by success. New Year’s resolutions and goals are set so high that disappointment is sure to follow when the goals are not achieved. So when you make your resolutions, remember this – everyone fails; but in Christ we all succeed!

My mug is up – May you have a prosperous and successful 2015! Even if you fail, you can still have success!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Did The Word Become Flesh?

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by in Christianity, Life, Raising The Mug

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

BJ Mary and JosephOur son was born on November 16, 1987. It made for a convenient Mary, Joseph and Jesus at our church’s annual live Nativity Scene. We are no longer members of that church, but the congregation continues the tradition every December. One key difference today, however, is that they have moved the production inside of their gym. The year we were the Christmas family, it was all outside ……. and cold……… very cold.

Luke 2

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

There’s a lot of debate about the birth of Jesus. Some speculate about what season of the year it occurred. Evidence seems to suggest it was either in the spring or fall. While it may be a little disturbing to admit that the events of Jesus’ birth don’t correlate exactly with our Christmas calendar, when it happened shouldn’t really challenge our faith.

What is more disturbing, is that there are some less conservative Biblical scholars who will argue that the entire message of Luke 2 was made up by the early Christians. They specifically argue against the divine incarnation. The divine incarnation is the belief that Jesus was not just a man, but actually God in human flesh. To bring into question this element of the Christmas story is to question many of the Old Testament prophecies. Much of the legitimacy of the Bible depends on the accuracy of the Christmas account as recorded in Matthew and Luke.

The core truth of Christmas is that God has entered human life in the baby Jesus. By a mysterious process that we won’t ever understand, and that Matthew and Luke don’t even try to explain, God became human in the womb of Mary.

The Birth of Jesus: Hype or History? – Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

For Christians, there are certain elements of the Christmas narrative that are nonnegotiable: the virgin birth, the location of Bethlehem, the appearance of angels, and most assuredly the incarnation. If Jesus was not God incarnate, then everything we’ve proclaimed, the entire foundation of our beliefs, the hope for eternal life, is nothing but a sham.

But ………… If Jesus is God ………..

John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Every person must decide for themselves what they do and don’t believe. If you don’t accept the validity of the Christmas story as presented in scripture, I hope you will find time during the holidays to search, investigate the evidence, and pray that the Holy Spirit will confirm in your heart what scripture claims to be true.

As I raise the mug today, I say, “Believe! The story of the baby Jesus, God incarnate, is at the core of our Christian faith and leads us to the only means of salvation from our sin!”

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com