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okay so those things we get by email are usually so corney and i hate the email it to 6 friends for good luck bits- but i did really like this parable!
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel.. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100? $200?” Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son? ” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.”I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” announced the auctioneer. “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.” “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, Sold for $10.00. A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection!” The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
knock knock, whos there? Jesus… Jesus who?
i know that seems like a joke, but i dont mean it irreverently…
Revelation 3 says that Jesus is knocking at the door and that if we open to him he will come in and eat with us, dine with us, fellowship with us, relate with us, hang with us.
but often we’re there, with a closed door, calling Jesus who? through the latch hole, holding Jesus at arm lengths, keeping him out of our lives.
we make our choices to put ourselves first, not God and his ways.
yet if we opened the door, Jesus would come and live (not in our hearts in a cliche!) in our lives and wow how awesome is that!
it is awesome for eternity (after death) but awesome for this lifetime even more so. to know God. to walk with God. to be friends with God. to be acceptable to God. to be new and forgiven and clean and holy and pure. to worship God. to be his child. to be known by God. to be his disciple. to be a real christian.
all it takes is for us to open up to God and to say YES to him and his ways. to keep the door open. every door.
“Paul tells you that you desire to be clothed, but it is necessary that you be stripped before you can put on Christ. Allow Him to strip your self-love of every covering so that you might receive the white robe washed in the blood of the Lamb. You need only His purity.” Fenelon (100 days in the secret place by gene edwards)
isaiah tells us that our righteousness is as dirty rags (isaiah 64:6) (used tampons is a really graphic way of puttnig it…) and in the light of fashion and clothing it is a good picture. our righteousness, our good works, our best trys and efforts are ugly dirty ragged clothing, instead of hte beautiful white robes of christ that he gives us by grace and by faith and such.
we want to wear His clothes, but we want to retain our own fashion sense too… despite what it really is…. we want to hold onto our lifestyle choices… our pride… our unforgiveness… our efforts… our ideologies… our intereptations of the bible… our way of dealing with people… our bias’… our comfort sins… our plans…
its an emporers new clothse syndrome really – we think our clothes are glorious and stunning, whereas God sees clearly.
we need to be humble and allow God to change and transform us. our works and efforts dont impress God… our humility and faith and surrendering “does”.
isaiah 61:1010 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19
a friend of mine asked this question of a group of us… “So, go on, just for a moment indulge yourself and tell me what kind of Christian you are. What texts do you focus on? What biblical stories and emphases make up the heart of your faith?”
of course everyone else, it seems, that answered this question answered it in deep, meaningful, spiritual, theological sounding answers – which is super – but i dont think i am wired that way, or at least i dont sound that way!
how would you answer? what kind of christian are you? what shapes you?
me – i’m a jesus believing, trusting, loving, knowing believer… believing that we can know God, really know Him, because of Jesus’ sacrifice. i dont claim to know it all, or to be super spiro, but i do love God and his grace and his mercy and his ways. i love his Word and find great hope and encouragement in it.
texts that have shaped me are 1 corinthians 2:9-10 eye has not seen, ear not heard, heart comphrened the good things that God has prepared for those who love him – BUT GOD HAS REVELAED them because the Holy Spirit lives in us… and 1 john 4:9-10 also shapes me – God loved me first, so i respond to him, and in turn i love others (paraphrased!) i believe that the inward faith we have should be expressed and that God is demonstrated through our lives. the the inside is reflected on the outside.
i believe life is spiritual and life is natural. but God is almighty and amazing.
that’s my answer…
“So what is this good news? The refined and civilized version goes something like this: Jesus died and rose from the dead so that you can live a life of endless comfort, security, and indulgence. But really this is a bit too developed. Usually it’s more like this: if you’ll simply confess that you’re a sinner and believe in Jesus, you’ll be saved from the torment of eternal hellfire, then go to heaven when you die. . . . The call of Jesus is far more barbaric than either of these. It is a call to live in this world as citizens of an entirely different kingdom.”
Erwin McManus
you see, we get saved not just for salvation in one moment or even for eternity but we get saved for this life too that we live on earth.
we become acceptable to God so we can draw near to him and so we can live as his children here on earth, his ambassadors, his witnesses, his demonstrations.
living as a citizen of heaven means we live counter culture. it takes up a cross, prepared to die – physically if need be, but to die to our own desires and selfishness. to follow Jesus. to obey his ways and his word, to be conformed and transformed.
there are people who will not understand who we are or what we do.
but there will be people who look at us and see God demonstrating himself in our lives, that want answers, that want hope, that want salvation. that want good news.
the bible says that i am no longer my own, but i am bought with a price, the death of Jesus Christ. the death of Jesus Chrsit sets me free from sin and death, from failure and guilt. it makes me new and clean and whole and holy. it makes me innocent and pure and forgiven and acceptable.
that is good news.
yes God we cry out – we need your Holy Spirit, we need your love and mercy. we cry out for your grace to move our hearts and to make us alive again. Lord. we cry out and ask for you to stir us – to make us willing to do your will. give us your heart for the lost and broken. forgive us for our selfishness. Lord open our eyes to your majesty and beauty and love. we today choose to follow you and to be christians. not just in name or in culture but radical empowered loving demonstrations of your love and grace. have mercy on us great God. and use us again. in these days pour out your Spirit! in these days make us new! make us your holy servants!
One Passion One Devotion