۱۳۸۹ دی ۸, چهارشنبه

Victory Over Death

Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your pain? 1 Corinthians 15:55


The fire that lit the boiler of the New Testament church was an unquenchable belief that if Jesus had been only a man, he would have stayed in the tomb. The earliest Christians couldn’t stay silent about the fact that the one they saw hung on a cross walked again on the earth and appeared to five hundred people.

Let us ask our Father humbly, yet confidently in the name of Jesus, to remind us of the empty tomb. Let us see the victorious Jesus: the conqueror of the tomb, the one who defied death. And let us be reminded that we, too, will be granted that same victory!

۱۳۸۹ آذر ۲۳, سه‌شنبه

The Unspeakable Price

To all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

Parents, who are seeking to adopt a child, spend days, sometimes weeks, immersed in different languages and strange cultures. They fight the red tape and pay the large fees, all with the hope of taking a child home with them.
Hasn’t God done the same for us? He entered our culture, battles the resistance, and paid the unspeakable price which adoption required. Legally we are his. He owns us. We have every legal privilege accorded to his child. We are just waiting for him to return. We are, as Paul said, “waiting for God to finish making us his own children.” Romans 8:23.



۱۳۸۹ آذر ۱۷, چهارشنبه

No Worries in Heaven

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying or pain. Revelation 21:4

What have you done today to avoid death? Likely a lot. You’ve popped pills, pumped pecks, passed on the pie, and pursued the polyunsaturates. Why? Why the effort? Because you are worried about staying alive. That won’t be a worry in heaven.



In fact, you won’t be worrying at all. Some of you moms worry about your kids getting hurt. You won’t worry in heaven. In heaven we’ll feel no pain. Some of you fellows worry about getting old. You won’t in heaven. We’ll all be ceaselessly strong.


We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death.


The next life, however, is different. Jesus urged the Christians in Smyrna to “be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10.


۱۳۸۹ مهر ۲۷, سه‌شنبه

خداوند خانه شماست

خداوند روح است و هر که بخواهد او را بپرستد، باید او را در روح و راستی پرستش کند. یوحنا 4:24


هرگز فکر نکنید که شما از خدا مجزا هستید ، او در انتهای نردبان عظیم حیات منتظر شما و دیگران میباشد. به هر فکری که میگوید خداوند در آسمان است پایان دهید زیرا او در ماست و با خود ما بر روی نردبان حیات پله پله تا انتها ما را همراهی میکند. زیرا خدا روح است ، او همواره در کنار شماست: خداوند خودش زیر بنای حیات ماست. خداوند خودش دیوار حائل و بنیاد و صخره و تکیه گاه ماست.

۱۳۸۹ شهریور ۱۲, جمعه

God Makes Us Right Again

Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Psalm 51:10

We are thirsty.Not thirsty for fame, possessions, passion, or romance. We’ve drunk from those pools.  They are salt water in the desert. They don’t quench – they kill “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. . . .”

Righteousness. That’s it. That’s what we are thirsty for. We’re thirsty for a clean conscience. We crave a clean slate. We yearn for a fresh start. We pray for a hand that will enter the dark cavern of our world and do for us the one thing we can’t do for ourselves – make us right again.

۱۳۸۹ تیر ۲۳, چهارشنبه

Knowing God’s Will

Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal life….This is what my Father wants. John 6:40

 
We learn God’s will by spending time in his presence. The key to knowing God’s heart is having a relationship with him. A personal relationship. God will speak to you differently than he will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, that doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. God used a fish to convict Jonah. Does that mean we should have worship services at Sea World? No. God reveals his heart personally to each person.

For that reason, your walk with God is essential. His heart is not seen in an occasional chat or weekly visit. We learn his will as we take up residence in his house every single day….

Walk with him long enough and you come to know his heart.

۱۳۸۹ تیر ۱۹, شنبه

A Father’s Pride

God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives. 2 Peter 3:9
To those who embrace Christ as Savior, he promised a new birth
 
Does that mean the old nature will never rear its ugly head? Does that mean you will instantly be able to resist any temptation
 
To answer that question, compare your new birth in Christ to a newborn baby. Can a newborn walk? Can he feed himself? Can he sings or read or speak? No, not yet. But someday he will
It takes times time to grow. But is the parent in the delivery room ashamed of the baby? Is the mom embarrassed that the in fact can’t spell…that the baby can’t walk…that the newborn can’t give a speech
 
Of course not. The parents aren’t ashamed; they are proud. They know that growth will come with time. So does God

۱۳۸۹ تیر ۱۶, چهارشنبه

Closer than You Think

Jesus Spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

When the disciples saw Jesus in the middle of their stormy night, they called him a ghost. A phantom….To them, the glow was anything but God

When we see gentle light on the horizon, we often have the same reaction. We dismiss occasional kindness as apparition, accidents, or anomalies. Anything but God

And because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper

But it is in burnished candles that God comes, and through whispered promises he speaks: “When you doubt, look around; I am close than you think

۱۳۸۹ تیر ۱۲, شنبه

Who is my Brother

Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Jesus answered, “…seventy-seven times.” Matthews 18:21-22


Seems to me God gives a lot more grace than we’d ever imagine.
We could do the same.

I’m not for watering down the truth or compromising the gospel. But if a fellow with a pure heart calls God Father, can’t I call that same man Brother? If God doesn’t make doctrinal perfection a requirement for family membership, should I?
 
And if we never agree, can’t we agree to disagree? If God can tolerate my mistakes, can’t I tolerate the mistakes of others?... if God allows me with my foibles and failures to call him Father, shouldn’t I extend the same grace to others?

۱۳۸۹ خرداد ۲۱, جمعه

Who’s in Charge

Give all your worried to him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

Worry…makes you forget who’s in charge. And when the focus is on yourself… - you worry. You become anxious about many things. You worry that:

Your co-workers won’t appreciate you.

Your leaders will overwork you.

Your superintendent won’t understand you.

Your congregation won’t support you.

With time, your agenda becomes more important than God’s. You’re more concerned with presenting self than pleasing him. And you may even find yourself doubting God’s judgment….

God has gifted you with talents. He has done the same to your neighbor. If you concern yourself with your neighbor’s talents, you will neglect yours. But if you concern yourself with yours, you could inspire both.


۱۳۸۹ اردیبهشت ۹, پنجشنبه

Voice of Grace

I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise. Like 23:43

Tell me, what has the thief on the cross done to warrant help? He has wasted his life. Who is he to beg for forgiveness? He publicly scoffed at Jesus. What right does he have to pray…, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”?

Do you really want to know? The same right you have to pray….

You see, that is you and me on the cross; naked, desolate, hopeless, and estranged. That is us. That is us asking….

We don’t boast. We don’t produce our life. Any sacrifice appears silly when placed before God on a cross….

We, like the thief, have no more prayer. And we, like the thief, pray.

And we, like the thief, hear the voice of grace.


۱۳۸۹ فروردین ۵, پنجشنبه

The Standard

We are made holy through the sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time. (Hebrews 10:10)

Only the holy will see God. Holiness is a prerequisite to heaven. Perfection is a requirement for eternity. We wish it weren’t so. We act like it isn’t so. We act like those who are “decent” will see God. We suggest that those who try hard will see God. We act as if we’re good if we never do anything too bad. And that goodness is enough to qualify us for heaven.
Sounds right to us, but it doesn’t sound right to God. And he sets the standard. And the standard high. “You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).
You see, in God’s plan, God is the standard for perfection. We don’t compare ourselves to others; they are just as fouled up as we are. The goal is to be like him; anything less is inadequate.

۱۳۸۸ اسفند ۸, شنبه

God’s Help Is Near

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good…. It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all hasn’t left it all and that he still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith….

Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.

God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely, your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater the need for light.

God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it.

۱۳۸۸ دی ۲۸, دوشنبه

Just the Way You Are (همانطور که شما هستید)


در زندگی‌ تان باید مثل عیسی مسیح فکر و عمل کنید (فیلیپیان5:2)
خطرناک است حقایق بزرگ و مهم را در یک جمله خلاصه کنیم اگر یک یا دو جمله می‌توانست میل و محبت  خداوند را برای تک تک ما نشان دهد آن را همانند جمله زیر میتوان انگاشت:
خدا شما را همانطور که هستید دوست دارد، اما قبول نمیکند که شما را درآن حال ترک کند، او می‌خواهد که شما مانند عیسی مسیح بشوید.

 بله خدا شما را همانطور که هستید دوست دارد. اگر فکر می‌کنید محبت خداوند به شما بیشتر میشود اگر ایمانتان قویتر شود در اشتباه هستید. اگر فکر می‌کنید با افکار عمیق‌تر محبت خداوند به شما افزونتر خواهد شد باز هم اشتباه می‌کنید.
عشق خدا را با عشق بشری اشتباه نگیرید.عشق انسان‌ها بیشتر اوقات با عملکرد خوب بیشتر میشود، و با اشتباهات کمتر. و نه بیشتر به محبت خداوند شبیه نیست.
او شما را دوست دارد همین الان در هر کجا هستید...

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In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
It’s dangerous to sum up grand truths in one statement, but I’m going to try. If a sentence or two could capture God’s desire for each of us, it might read like this:

God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Don’t confuse God’s love with the love of people. The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so much with God’s love. He loves you right where you are.

۱۳۸۸ دی ۱۸, جمعه

Looking Back

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heaven bound in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

What are your thoughts as you look back over the last year? Was it a year of heartache and loss, tragedy and sorrow? Or happiness and joy, success and achievement? Or something in between? Do you close the book on this year with regret, or with relief?

No matter what your answer is, I hope you will pause and prayerfully ask yourself two important questions. First, how do you think God looks on this past year in your life? Did it being you any closer to Him? Did it expose any weaknesses, or find you wandering from His way? Was He disappointed in your response to its challenges?

Second, what lessons will you take from this year into the next? What did God teach you? What did He try to teach you? What needs to change – and how will it happen?

Don’t be bound by the past and its failures; Paul’s goal was to forget the past and press on in obedience to Christ. But don’t forget its lessons either.


درباره من

عکس من
من یک گناهکار بودم که با شنیدن خبر خوش نجات عیسی مسیح زندگی و حیات دوباره یافتم و خداوند ،عیسی مسیح را شکر میکنم که خون پاکش را کفاره ای برای گناهان ما نمود تا هر که به او ایمان بیاورد هلاک نگردد بلکه حیات جاوید یابد.