You Think Too Much!

Think of the Corinthians Christians.  Remember what scathing letters Paul wrote to them.  Now, without looking, what is the topic of the last thing Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians?

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Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (Romans 11:22)

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Jude 1:23)

Today I read the first verse listed and it sent my mind on a recently familiar exercise.  God works in our lives to bring us to repentance.  Until we repent, everything that happens to us is to bring us to repentance — the good things (Romans 2:4) and the hard things (Jude 1:23).

When we deal with people, we are sometimes good (soft) and other times “mean” (hard), but our goal is to bring them to repentance.

Even when God is good to you, it is so that you will come to repentance.

God calls all men everywhere to repentance.

You may have experienced the goodness of God and you may think that you are in the family of God, but if you’ve never come to repentance, that goodness is calling you to Him and soon it may become severity trying to drive you to Him.  But you must come to Jesus, the Lord of all to finally have God’s goodness.

As long as you insist on doing your own thing, you will never end up with God’s goodness.  He will cut you off from Himself altogether.

Turn from your pride and yourself and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ!

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

This verse came up in a recent sermon I preached.  It has particular application to someone I’m trying to work with right now.  I didn’t even notice the direct application until I was actually delivering the message.

Many of our problems would go away, if we would not live for ourselves.

Today

• 5K = N/A
• Weight = 186 lbs.
• Waist = 39″

The “N/A” means that I did not do any running today to have a time for.  Hopefully, soon I’ll get back into stride with a running program.

Goals

• Some Run 5K = 23:59
• Weight = 167 lbs.
• Height = 6′4″ 

Crucifixion is one of the most cruel forms of execution mankind has conceived.  It is a punishment reserved for only the most vile criminals.  No self-respecting citizen would want anything to do with someone who is punished in this way.  Crucifixion means shame, reproach, mockery, and ostracism for everyone who aligns themselves with the one that is executed in this way.  That the philosophy of someone who was crucified would be helpful in any way is pure foolishness and it’s true that anyone who’s hanged on a tree is cursed.

Crucifixion not only executes; it stigmatizes.  So when the Apostle Paul writes,

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross or our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

there is significance to a Christian and culture that cannot be ignored.  Galatians 6:14 teaches us that the world and its culture deserves from Christians all the shame, reproach, mockery and ostracism that a crucified criminal deserves.  It also teaches us that Christians should live in a way that receives all the shame, reproach, mockery and ostracism from the world and its culture that a crucified criminal receives.

Christian, the cross of Christ should change the way you view the world.  It should change your worldview. Can you despise the world? Can you mock the world? Can you heap shame and reproach on its culture?  Alternatively, does the world approve your lifestyle or reproach you for it?  Are your worldly friends ashamed to be around you or do you fit right in?  Does your Christianity make you do anything that is a mockery to our culture? You see, the cross of Christ changes a man so that the world views him differently also…

…the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Today

• 5K = N/A
• Weight = 186 lbs.
• Waist = 40″

The “N/A” means that I did not do any running today to have a time for.  Hopefully, soon I’ll get back into stride with a running program.

Goals

• Some Run 5K = 23:59
• Weight = 167 lbs.
• Height = 6′4″ 

Today

• 5K = N/A
• Weight = 194 lbs.
• Waist = 40″

The “N/A” means that I did not do any running today to have a time for.  Hopefully, soon I’ll get back into stride with a running program.

Goals

• Some Run 5K = 23:59
• Weight = 167 lbs.
• Height = 6′4″ 

Here’s a humorous set of stories sent to my email box.  Rather, than forward it to all of you, I’m going to start a stupid series in my humor category.

A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and it should be fine. The mother says, I just gave him some ant killer…..

Dispatcher: Rush him in to emergency room!