God of Death?

People can only offer what they have. If someone offers you something they do not have, it is not theirs to offer in the first place. If someone offers you something they don't have but hope to acquire soon, it is a scam. If someone offers you someone else's belongings, they are a thief. So what about Jesus?

Jesus offered us life; "I have come that you might have life," "I am the way the truth and the life." These are powerful claims. But does Jesus really possess this gift to be able to give it? Jesus' claims could be a scam or a thief; but how can we know if it is this or the real thing. How can someone know if they are being part of a spiritual scheme or if Jesus really possess life in order to give it away? The answer: the resurrection.

Matthew chapter 28 tells the account of some of Jesus closest friends coming to visit his tomb. These ladies had come bearing oils and spices to place upon the deceased to help cover the smell of decay. When arriving at the grave, the tomb was open and the tomb was empty. Their curiosity was eased by an angel that was sent to explain what they were seeing. The angel told them that this was not crime scene, rather it was the scene of fulfilled prophecy; "[Jesus] had risen, just as he said."

Jesus is the only person who has died and brought himself back to life by his own power. How could this be done? Because he is God in the flesh, the God of life. If he were the God of death he could not have done this; but since he is the God of life he could honestly say, "I lay it [his life]down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10.18). But this still is no declaration that we can have life just because Jesus did this. Well, John 18.18 may not declare it, but John 11.25-26 sure does, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die." You can't get more plainly spoken then that.

The bottom line is that Jesus is God's Son, God in the flesh, and has come to give us life. If we do not accept this life we are accepting death. If we do not claim His blessings upon this life we are only accepting life when we could have abundant life (John 10.10). If you are not living a holy life, then you are being content with life stopping with you and not interesting or concerned is spreading life to others.

Romans 6.23 says that "the gift of God is eternal life through [by means of] Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus, God in the flesh, possesses all power of life and will share it with anyone who asks. Don't live a life of death, when God laid down his life so you could have yours.

Tears=Joy

Does God grade on a curve? No. Is God's love love for us based upon a "How much I love Him" meter? No. Are God's blessings bestowed to me based up my dedication and devotion to Him. Yes.
Although it is true that a person can live a life of a carnal Christian and still receive blessings from God, we are still instructed to "Be Holy as I am Holy." There are still responsibilities for the believer. Some try to deny that a God of Grace could ever be partial to some and neglect others. The fact is that God is a just God, and that means he will keep his word. As you look through scripture is repeats over and over the idea that God will bless his own, and the obedient more so than the lukewarm. This is not a bias God, this is a fair God.
God, being a fair God, wants to see us excel in all we do. God nurtures our needs in all realms; spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional, and in all areas we are to submit to him. When we do this, there is reward. Blessings to believer should not be our driving force of dedication to God, but it is certainly a bonus.
Last week a revelation came to be based off Psalm 126.5 "Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy." Think of this verse; what does it mean to "Sow in tears" and what does it mean in relation to our service to God? Yes, there are certainly times we literally invest sweat, blood, and tears into our life's passion, but was characterizes those times? If we are passionaite about something or someone so much that we are "sowing in tears", it is not an easy task, trial, or temptation that we are going through; we might want to give up. Through out the Psalms David continually whines to God about the unjust people living a life of luxury while he is enduring the day in misery... he was having to "sow in tears".
You too will face mountains in life where you can't do anything but "sow in tears". You won't be able to do more than endure for the moment and have faith that God will take care of it. It will seem easier to give up on people, God, and issues in our life than to press through, but what is the reward in that? God did not intend for us to be quiters or failures. If we were made in the image of God, we were made in the image of the greatest "overcomer" this world has ever known. There are times you will have to invest sweat, blood, and tears into your life, but there is just reward also.
The last half of the verse states the blessing given to people who are faithful through troubles and temptations. "...Shall reap in joy." This is the principle of "Sowing and reaping" found all through scripture. You get what you give. If you put forth a half-baked effort in life, don't expect much out of it. If you put forth a limp-wristed handshake in your relationship to God, don't look for the greatness of the utmost joy. Our salvation is not achieved by anything more than the faith we have through God's grace (Eph. 2.8-9), but our blessing is. Ephesians 5 lists off the fruit of the Spirit, and in them is Joy; how do you get it? By letting Spirit have control and produce it... having faith, sowing in tears because we know God is in control, and from it we "shall reap in joy."
Yesterday I spoke with a friend who is currently incarcerated and shared this verse. This man is justly in jail and he knows it. The fact is that he will face the temptation that put him there for the rest of his life, and in order for him to continue overcoming those temptation he will have to work at it and continually submit this area to Christ. It will not be easy; he will have to "sow in tears" to retain victory, and the reward from God (reaping in joy) will be far greater that the pleasure he would receive from his past substance abuse.
When life seems to be producing little joy, examine it again and see if you have been sowing in tears. What has your effort level been in handing it over to God and pressing through, claiming the power of God. Joy is not conditional upon circumstance and it does not mean you won't bad days, weeks, or years in life, but it does make it easier to sow in tears, when you know that God's blessing of joy awaits.

Race Day.

At my house one of the best days of the year is when we participate in a local Grand Prix Derby. It is the same thing as the Pinewood Derby in Cub Scouts. It is held at a local church and other churches are invited. The race is help in the early spring/late winter and has about 35-40 cars that race. According to some I get a little carried away with this whole event.

To avoid the cold of winter I begin for the next years race just after the previous race and start planning for next years car. Over and over again I mentally shape and prepare to make the first cuts to the plain block of wood. Plans were put on paper and the building process began.

Over the next few weeks the block of wood began to take shape and an image of a car came out. After the wood was cut and sanded it came time to paint, the put the final workings into making it resemble what I had wanted it to be. In the midst of all of this I began to gain a basic divine truth that is sometimes forgotten.

We are just like that block of wood in the hands of God. In the beginning of all time he looked down, picked up a block of wood and mentally planned each move and mark to place in our life. After His vision of us was complete and began to mold, cut, carve, and sand us into what he had planned. At the end he picked up the rattle can and sprayed us down to bare a resemblance to his image and his likeness. Then, as an act of love that only a parent can give, He placed us on the track and gave us free-will.

No matter how much someone prepares to make the car fast or aerodynamic, once it is on the track it is out of the control of the designer. When God gave us life he was taking his prize creation and setting it in motion. Now, he is along side the track seeing us execute freewill in life. He had a vision and a plan for us and we must now focus on Him to see a plan that was made for us from the beginning.