Interests:Falling in love with my God day after day... Expertise:Knowing that i'm a total failure, yet He still takes me back in His arms... Occupation:Other Industry:Other
Excerpt taken directly from Tom Holladay's book The Relationship Principles of Jesus, based on Luke 7:36-50.
"You've just arrived for a wonderful meal in the beautiful home of one of the most influential men in Israel - Simon the Pharisee. Before the meal begins, an uninvited guest slips in to see Jesus. Although uninvited, she is not unknown to those at the meal. This woman is notorious for her immorality; she is a prostitute. And she wants to see Jesus. How uncomfortable! Oh, maybe Jesus should talk with her, but this just isn't the right time or place.
And then the uncomfortable gets embarrassing! She begins to weep as she stands behind Jesus, first softly then quite noticeably. Everyone at the party acts as if they don't see the obvious. This woman then does something no one can ignore - she bows before Jesus and lets her tears begin to splash gently onto his dirty feet. You can almost sense the room going quiet - no one knows what to do or say.
Then the unthinkable happens. This woman takes her hair - her hair! - ad begins to wipe her tears from Jesus' feet. In that culture, prostitutes let their hair go unbound in public; proper women keep their hair covered. This woman obviously didn't know how to act in polite company. She seemed to be flaunting her immorality! She then pours perfume on Jesus' feet and finishes wiping them with her hair. As the fragrance fills the room, you can imagine the thoughts that filled people's minds: 'This is ridiculous. Doesn't Jesus know how bad that looks? What a waste to pour perfume on dirty feet. This woman doesn't belong here!'
We don't have to imagine what Simon thought. The Bible tells us Jesus' host said to himself, 'If Jesus were a prophet, he would know who this woman was and wouldn't let her touch him.' Jesus knew Simon's thoughts and had an answer for him. Before listening in on his answer, ask yourself a question: 'What would I have thought?' It's easy to look down our self-righteous noses at Simon in hindsight.
If you had been there that day, wouldn't you have felt at least a little embarrassed?
Jesus wasn't embarrassed in the least. He saw past the social niceties and cultural differences into this woman's heart. And he tells a simple story to help us see her heart also - a story about two people who were forgiven a debt: 'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owned him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?' The answer is obvious: the one who was forgiven the greatest debt.
Jesus then paints a picture for Simon that teaches profound truth about love. He says to Simon, 'You did not even wash my feet with water, but this woman washed my feet with her tears. You didn't even give me oil for my head [a common kindness for a guest with hair that was dirty from the dust of traveling], but she poured perfume on my feet.' Jesus showed Simon the heart of a woman who loved Jesus deeply because she knew how much she had been forgiven. Jesus concludes with this amazing principle of love: The one who is forgiven much loves much; the one who is forgiven little loves little."
Have you received the forgiveness, kindness, and mercy of Jesus Christ? If you were forgiven, love deeply. Which person do you want to be like? --Simon who was proud of his status and his morality....or the woman who was grateful for the love she had been given. she didn't even have a name in the Bible, but her story has been told over and over again. With her radical action she was not afraid to dare to be different or get mocked in order to love the Lord, her Savior...your Savior, my Savior....
I stand amazed at the lives of Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Roger, and Ed, as well as their wives and children....they were missionaries to the Acua Indian tribes in Ecuador. to have the trust in the Lord to provide for their every need...to be obedient to their calling...to be worthy of their calling....to love deeply and love radically....
i want that.
i say i want to follow the Lord and be obedient to Him in every way. what does that look like? i think these men and women are amazing examples of what it means to serve the Lord. even if there is a hint or probability of death in the near future. am i willing to die for the Lord? but even bigger than that, am i willing to actually LIVE for him everyday?
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." -Jim Elliott, missionary martyr
"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they, too, are expending their lives...and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted. -Nate Saint, missionary martyr
i also like this quote by Chuck Colson: "Christians are to do their duty as best as they can. But even when they feel that they are making no difference, that they are failing to bring Christian values to the public arena, success is not the criteria. Faithfulness is."
at any cost, dear Lord....by any road..... do you want it all? just a servant of the Lord, trying to be obedient and worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ, nicole
Check this out.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1rqb1BG4JU&feature=PlayList&p=1D35CEEBA52F1FE1&playnext=1&index=11
Todd Agnew- My Jesus
Which Jesus do you follow, Which Jesus do you serve If Ephesians says to imitate Christ, Why do you look so much like the world
Cause My Jesus bled and died He spent His time with thieves and liars, He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant So which one do you want to be
Blessed are the poor in spirit, or do we pray to blessed with with the wealth of this land Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sands
My Jesus bled and died for my sins He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars, He loved the poor and accosted the rich, So which one do you want to be
Who is this that You follow, This picture of the American dream, If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side, Or fall down and worship at His holy feet holy Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion, Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins, But the Word says He was battered and scarred Or did you miss that part, Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him
My Jesus bled and died He spent His time with thieves and the least of these, He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable, So which one do you want to be, Cause My Jesus would never be accepted in my church The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet, But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud And, I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud
I want to be like my Jesus I want to be like my Jesus I want to be like my Jesus I want to be like my Jesus
Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me Can I be like You Jesus? I wanna be like you Jesus I wanna be Like my Jesus
Whats your choice? Cuz ultimately thats the one question we must answer. What are you gonna do with Jesus? Do you wanna be like Him??
how do you continue to explain to a hurting friend how much worth they have, God's awesome plans, and how much the Lord loves them when all they have experienced is pain, hurt, disappointments, and doubts?
i by no means want to judge God's way of doing something to bring glory to His name, but i now see how confusing that would be....
my prayer is that soon, they would be able to sing this song wholeheartedly and believe it all. it is called "only one" by mainstay.
When I can't walk, will you carry me? When I can't stand, will you take me by the hand and pick me up right where I am
You are the only one for me That look in your eyes is all that I need This world could offer anything, but they can keep it all Because you're the only one for me
When I feel lost, will you stay with me? When I can't go on your grace it picks me up and makes me strong I know this is love
If you asked me to give up everything that I have you know I would I would go to the ends of the earth just to show you that you are the only one for me
Isaiah 1:17 “Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” hurtin..prayin...fightin...lovin, nicole
"The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....He's the King of Righteousness....He's the King of the Ages.....He's the King of Heaven....He's the King of Glory....He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. Well....I wonder, do you know Him?.... David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He's enduringly strong....He's entirely sincere....He's eternally steadfast....He's immortally graceful....He's imperially powerful....He's impartially merciful....... Do you know Him?
He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's Son....He's a sinner's Saviour....He's the centerpiece of civilization....He stands in the solitude of Himself....He's august....He's unique....He's unparalleled....He's unprecedented....He's the loftiest idea in literature....He's the highest personality in philosophy....He's the supreme problem in higher criticism....He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology....He's the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion....He's the miracle of the age.... He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him....He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour...... I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak....He's available for the tempted and the tried....He sympathizes and He saves....He strengthens and sustains....He guards and He guides....He heals the sick....He cleanses lepers....He forgives sinners....He discharges debtors....He delivers captives....He defends the feeble....He blesses the young....He serves the unfortunate....He regards the aged....He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek....... I wonder if you know Him?
Well, my King....is the King....He's the key to knowledge....He's the wellspring to wisdom....He's the doorway of deliverance....He's the pathway of peace....He's the roadway of righteousness ....He's the highway of holiness....He's the gateway of glory....... Do you know Him?
Well....His office is manifold....His promise is sure....His light is matchless....His goodness is limitless....His mercy is everlasting....His love never changes....His word is enough....His grace is sufficient....His reign is righteous....and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable....He's incomprehensible....He's invincible....He's irresistible.
Well, you can't get Him out of your mind....You can't get Him off of your hand....You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him....The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him....Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him....The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree....Herod couldn't kill Him....Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him. Yea!!!, that's my King, that's my King.
Father..."Thine is the Kingdom....and the Power....and the Glory....Forever"....and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever...and ever...and when you get through with all the forevers, then.... AMEN!....AMEN!"
at Vespers tonight when we watched this video on youtube, i was totally at a loss for words. i feel like i have forgotten about these qualities of my King. this is just something to meditate on, chew on. watch it again, hear it again. powerful stuff. let's not forget who He really is. wow....
check this out below. it is Dr. Lockridge speaking of the Lord's qualities...and yet He is indescribable:
