How Much?!

C.S Lewis once said that before he could truly thank someone for paying a debt he owed...he would first have to find out the amount of that debt.

If a neighbor paid .46 cents to the mailman for a postage due, he would give a courteous "thank you" to that neighbor and then begin to dig in his pockets to pay him back.

But if while he was away, Revenue Canada came with a bill for 10 million dollars in unpaid taxes, and the penalty of 20 years in prison if they were not immediately paid...and the neighbor paid THAT bill...he would fall on the ground before him...kiss his feet and profusely thank him...not even bothering digging in his pockets...because he knows that they aren't THAT deep.

Here is the reality of life. We are all the person who owes the 10 million! But in real life...its really not 10 million...its an amount that is unpayable...not even by Bill Gates!...sorry Microsoft.

Here is another reality of life. Apart from God's intervening grace [by His Spirit working through His Word]...we all view our debt AS IF it were the .46 cents.

We might tip our hat to God...give a nice thanks...have a kind smile on our face...then begin to dig in our pockets to pay Him back...acting AS IF...the debt were something within our grasp to pay back...via our efforts and good works.

We under value the debt we owe in a couple ways;

1. By misunderstanding ourselves.
2. By misunderstanding the God who made us.

As time permits we will look at these important areas of life...and the consequences that flow from misunderstanding them.

Where Is The Love?

When Jesus taught on love He said "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Where was Jesus when He taught this...who was He speaking to?

He was at a dinner party, where He was being snubbed...and He was talking to leaders of the religious community of His day...people that other people looked up to as moral, ethical...good folk.

Jesus isn't saying that we can muster up enough love to earn God's forgiveness...please don't try and read this into His words.

Instead, what Jesus is teaching is this...the better, more clear grasp you have on how great your sin is...and how great the payment was for your sins to be forgiven...will directly effect the "amount" of love you have towards Jesus.

If you view yourself as a pretty good person, a man or woman whom God would be lucky to have on His team, a person who really doesn't have too many sins, a person who has a pretty good moral resume...then you will not have a deep, consuming love and passion for Jesus...because you have reserved this love and passion for someone you deem as equal or better than Jesus...yourself.

But...if you...like the sinful woman [possibly a prostitute] in this story, see your sins as something horrible...a debt that you could never even begin to imagine how you could pay it off...if you see yourself as a rebel against God, one who has nothing to offer God...then forgiveness becomes precious...and the One who brings that forgiveness...becomes the Greatest Treasure...

How do you view your sins? How do you view God? What is your understanding of forgiveness...what did it take for God to forgive you?

Over the next few posts I will spend some time looking at these very important questions...if there is anyone who reads these...may they encourage you...if no one reads these...may they encourage my heart to love You more and more Jesus!

Love Machine

Is love like a virus...you either catch a really powerful one...or a weak one.

One person's love for Jesus is deep, life changing...another's is...well like lip stick...very glossy, sometimes colorful and rests nicely on a person's lips...but goes no further.

Jesus tells us that love can grow!

Jesus was invited to a dinner party...the Host was a religious man. At the party Jesus didn't feel a loving welcome. His host had him into his house...but then kept him at arms length...treating him like a stranger...a party crasher!

Speaking of party crashers...this story has one. We are told that a sinful woman from the city crashes the party...she must have heard that Jesus was there...and had to see Him!

She falls at Jesus feet, and totally pours herself upon Jesus' mercy and grace. The woman pours expensive ointment on Jesus feet and cleans His feet with her hair, she even kisses His feet in adoration...almost totally undone...because of the love and gratitude that she had for the Savior!

Jesus looks at the the cold, aloof treatment he received from his dinner party Host...and then compares it to the love of this "sinful" woman...and tells a story.

He tells of two debtors...one owed a couple months worth of wages...the other one a couple years worth of wages...their Creditor forgives them both their debt...

Then Jesus asks the "religious" dinner host. Who do you think will love the Creditor most?

The religious dude busts himself by his own answer.

He responds...I suppose the one who was forgiven more...

Jesus then proclaims that the one who is forgiven much...LOVES MUCH...and the one who is forgiven little...LOVES LITTLE...

...next time we will look into what Jesus means by this answer!

How long will that take in Sheep time?

When you hold the Bible in your hands you may think that you are simply holding one book...but this really isn't the case...you are holding one story...His story [history]...but not one book.

The Old Testament contains 39 books [929 chapters].

The New Testament contains 27 books [260 chapters].

The Bible is God's revelation to mankind!

Now, here is something to wrap your brain around.

The only reason why we have the Bible is because God decided to show mercy to rebels...the Bible points men to God's salvation!

If God hadn't decided to show mercy...then we wouldn't need a revelation from God for salvation...the only revelation we would have is what our sins naturally deserve...God's wrath!

But God did decide to show loving mercy...and the only way that He could take away rebels sin...was to become a man...live a perfect life [in our place]...suffer for sins [our sin...He didn't have any]...and die [the penalty for sin is death]!

When Jesus rose from the grave on the third day...it proclaimed that God the Father accepted His Son's perfect sacrifice...and that all who trust in Jesus will have eternal life!

Even though Jesus stepped into human history only 2000 years ago...we are told that He was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.

This means that Jesus sacrifice doesn't only work in forward motion...but that His sacrfice worked backwards...the only reason why anyone in history could be forgiven was because of Jesus' self sacrifice!

This means...the 66 books that you hold in your hand have come to you at an infinitely great cost!

God the Son, gave His life...suffered the holy wrath of God...so that you could receive the revelation of God's great salvation...trust in Jesus...and receive forgiveness for all your sins...and eternal life!

This is mind bloggling news!

But for many Christians this is "old" news...BORING!

Jesus was willing to suffer and die for us to give us His revelation...so that we can know Him...love Him...worship Him...

What really amazes me is that many Christians are too busy to read and study God's word...too busy doing more important things [T.V is pretty important you know?]

Here are some interesting stats...if you read between 3 to 3.5 chapters of the Bible a day [maybe 15 minutes]...you will get through the Bible in a year!

This means if you have been a Christian for 5 years and haven't read thru the Bible...the excuse of too busy is pretty lame. You would have to read around half a chapter a day...to get through the Bible in 5 years...

Oh well...enough of the guilt trip...guilt won't get you interested in the Bible...an overwhelming love for the One the Bible points to is the only thing that will get your nose into the number 1 best seller of all time!