The Life We Imagined

We all carry an ideal image of what life should be—but for many of us, reality falls short, leading to disappointment and frustration. While hardship is undeniably part of the human experience, settling for a survival mindset may cause us to miss something greater: the life God truly intends for us. In this post, we’ll reflect on the Apostle John’s words in 1 John 2:24–25 and explore two powerful truths—true life flows from obedience to Jesus, and it is found in fellowship with God. This “eternal life” isn’t merely about duration; it’s about depth. It’s a life of meaning, purpose, and redemption—and it’s available to all who walk with God.

Read The Life We Imagine vs The Life God Offers.

The Right Cross at the Right Time

 

Discover the power of the cross in this Paul’s Ponderings post, “The Right Cross at the Right Time” (Romans 5:6-11). Learn how Jesus’ sacrifice shows God’s love, justifies us, and reconciles us to Him. Find joy in a restored relationship with God and hope for the future. The death of Jesus reveals God love and reconciles us with Him. Read now and worship with gratitude this week. Read The Right Cross at the Right Time.

God's Promise of Life

{Isaiah 1:18-20; ESV}

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

One of the wonderful promises God has made to us is that He will remove our sin and make us new. Let me put it another way: God will redeem our lives!

God will take all the junk, the sin, the pain, and the tragedies and exchange them for eternal life. This promise speaks to the heart of many people because we want our lives to have weight to them.  We want our lives to matter!

At this moment many of us feel like our lives are being wasted. The consequences of sin hold us in bondage and the addictive nature of sin has turned us into people we don’t want to be. Our hearts come alive when we discover that God promises to change this reality.

There is another side to this coin. God has promised to help us, to re-create us, and to take away our sins, but He also expects us to accept the help and redemption that He offers. The key to receiving God’s help is faith. Faith is not just about having a belief in God, but it is trusting God. I like to say that belief + action = faith.

See more at Paul's Ponderings: Experiencing God's Promise of Life 

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Saturday Video: God's Children

 

 

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Daily Thought: We Cannot Pay the Price

How can he make up for this past?  What can he trade to God in exchange for his soul?  What can he do to stop the vengeance of God?  How shall he come before Him?  How shall he pay that which he owes?  If he were, from this very moment to perform perfect obedience to every command of God, this would make no amends for the past.  He already owes God all the service he is able to perform, from this moment to the end of eternity.  If he could pay this, it would make no manner of amends for what he should have done before.  Therefore, he sees himself utterly helpless with regard to atoning for his past sins.  He is unable to make any amends to God.  He cannot pray any ransom for his own soul.

John Wesley, The Sermon on the Mount, The Christian Community (2010), pp. 71-72

Daily Thought: Redeemed from Pride

All the wretchedness of which this world has been the scene, all its wars and bloodshed among the nations, all its selfishness and suffering, all it ambitions and jealousies, all its broken hearts and embittered lives, with all its daily unhappiness, have their origin in what this cursed, hellish pride, either our own, or that of others, has brought us.  It is pride that made our redemption needful; it is from our pride we need, above everything, to be redeemed.

Andrew Murray, Humility and Absolute Surrender, Hendrickson Publishers (2005), p. 10

Daily Thought: Redemption is God's Work

"We preach our own experiences and people are interested, but no sense of need is awakened by it.  If once Jesus Christ is lifted up, the Spirit of God will create a conscious need of Him.  Behind the preaching of the God is the creative Redemption of God at work in the souls of men.  It is never personal testimony that saves men." ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, p. 352

Daily Thought: No Shortcuts, No Alternate Routes

"The truth is, unless we come humbled and barren, with empty hands and open hearts, then access to the kingdom is denied.  There are no shortcuts, no alternate routes.  All must pass the way of the cross." ~ Mark Moore, Encounters With Christ, p. 26

Linkage: The Redemption of Horror?

One of the things I absolutely detest in this world and in our culture are horror movies.  The reason is simple: they are a celebration of everything Jesus came to destroy.  They are filled with darkness, death, and with sin.  They tap into a primal experience of fear, a feeling people enjoy when they realize the ultimately there was nothing to be afraid about, it was just a fantasy on the movie screen.

The early Christians opposed gladiator combat in the arena because it cheapened human life, and God had revealed that every life is precious.  Sure there were justification that people used to support the grisly sport, the foundational principle remained: life is precious to God.  I remember watching Jurassic Park and in the scene where the T-Rex ate the annoying little lawyer a cheer went up from the audience.  Why?  They had been manipulated by the director to believe the lawyer did not deserve to live.  I felt sick about that moment, because I knew God said differently.  I have never liked Jurassic Park for that very reason.

In this article the author tries to convince us that there is some redeeming quality to the horror genre, and I would say that there is none.  You don't need to watch a movie to have a spiritual conversation or to be reminded the evil exists or that each of us is capable of evil.  There are examples of those realities all around us.  Why do we need to justify our continued participation in this world rather than to look for way to live differently while living in it?

Facing our fears can be terrifying. Life beckons us to engage our deepest anxieties and offers a number of scenarios to do so, and yet every time, facing our fears can leave us feeling inadequate and out of control. Enter the horror genre. Strip away its guts, glory and intense sequel making abilities, and this genre is about fear. Namely, our fears. Culture’s fears. Fear of death. Fear of the dark. Fear of terrorism. Fear of war. Fear of being alone in a house with a serrated kitchen knife and a guy stumbling up the stairs behind you. 

This genre has fascinated me ever since I can remember, yet my interest was always combined with hesitation. Why? Evangelical conviction? Post-modern skepticism? The fear of being sucked into the TV like the little girl from Poltergeist? No. I’ve always been fascinated and entertained by the excitement of horror genre, yet I've been reminded on more than one occasion that "good Christians don’t watch horror movies.” Mainstream Christianity has embraced a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality in regards to genres or works of art that are unfamiliar or elusive. We're too quick to attach the demise of our culture on the back of such a genre instead of viewing it as a lost society's desperate attempt to search for the spiritual. So I decided to find out for myself what, if any, redeeming qualities lie in what many consider the most controversial and frustratingly dismissed genre in the world of entertainment. Is there anything good in a genre that emphasizes the bad? Can the genre be redeemed?

Continue Reading...

I have no doubt that part of what drives the horror genre is society's attempt to understand the spiritual, but that doesn't mean it has value for a follower of Christ.  I am not worried that the demise of our culture lay at the feet of horror movies, because there are many other reasons why that is happening.  What does concern me is the way Christians justify their participation in culture rather than rising above it.  This strikes me as another attempt to justify being relevant to culture, rather than seeking to redeem culture as whole.  Isn't that what we have been called to do?

We Are Rescued

Galatians 1:3-5; NLT

May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. That is why all glory belongs to God through all the ages of eternity. Amen. 

The Millennium Falcon and her passengers and crew are trapped aboard the Empire's deadly new battle station the Death Star. As the old Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi left the others to deactivate the tractor beam; the astro droid R2-D2 discovers that Princess Leia Organa is a prisoner on the battle station.

Luke Skywalker convinces the two pirates, Han Solo and Chewbacca, to join him in attempting to rescue the princess. Luke quickly formulates a plan that has him and Han, disguised as Stormtroopers, marching the large Wookie into the detention area. While things don't go smoothly, eventually the trio is able to rescue the Princess and escape the dreaded Death Star with the two droids and make it to the Rebel Alliance's secret base.

Every rescue attempt must first begin with a plan. A plan gives direction, clarifies goals, and it assigns responsibilities. A plan is essential to the success of the mission. Even God had a plan to rescue us from sin.

Galatians 1:3-5 tells us that God had a plan to rescue us from the evil world in which we live. God is not winging it when it comes to rescuing His creation from the grip of sin and death.  From the very beginning He had a plan of action in place. History contains the story of God unfolding His plan to save us.

The key figure in this rescue mission is Jesus. He is the hero, the warrior, the one who faces the enemy, and the one who rescues us from evil. Perhaps we should rethink the image we have of Jesus. He is the good teacher, but He is also the Captain of the Heavenly Armies. He is the sacrificial Lamb of God, but He is also the Lion from the tribe of Judah. Jesus in not only the Way, but He is also the Deliverer. Jesus has gone to battle for us and has emerged victorious!

It is for this; Jesus' victory over Satan, sin, and death; that we praise Him. We may debate the different theories of atonement or the necessity of baptism, but we can know for certain that our salvation and freedom come from the power and majesty of Jesus. He fought for us when we were powerless to fight for ourselves. He invaded the kingdom of darkness and secured our release even when we had sided with His enemies.

Why did Jesus do this? Because God loves us and it was His plan that we be saved. Jesus committed Himself to carrying out His responsibility because of love. Jesus' choice to rescue us demonstrates His obedience to the two great commitments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. We are rescued because of God's love. For that all glory and honor belong to Him.

Daily Thought: The Opposite of What was Suffered

"This is in harmony with the whole scheme of redemption. Our Lord always wins for us the opposite of what He suffered. He was bound that we might go free. He was made sin that we might become the righteousness of God. He died that we might live. He bore God's curse that God's blessing might be ours. He endured the not answering of His prayer, that our prayers might find an answer." ~ Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer

Daily Thought: No Other Way

"God has no other way of dealing with sin, or the sinner, except through the blood.  For victory over sin and deliverance of the sinner, God has no other means or thought than 'the blood of Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:16).  Yes, it is indeed something that surpasses all understanding." ~ Andrew Murray, The Power of the Blood of Christ, p. 21

Daily Thought: What Does It Mean to be Human?

"Without an understanding of our nature and purpose, we cannot have a proper understanding of redemption.  You may wonder, what does all this really have to do with our salvation.  Do we really need to know so much about our own nature before we can understand how that nature can change through salvation.  Yes, we do.  What 'salvation' is depends upon what is being saved.  Before something can be saved it must face the risk of being lost. And, essentially, it is the nature of what is being saved that determines how it can be at risk and at loss.  For example, 'saving' and investment is a different kind of project from saving a life, a reputation, or an injured pet, because investments, lives, reputations, and pets are different kinds of things.  So, if we want to know what it is to save a human being, to redeem the human soul or personality, we cannot find a better way to begin than by asking: what did God make when he made us, and how could creatures such as we be at risk and at loss?" ~ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 45

Daily Thought: Understanding Our Nature

"Without an understanding of our nature and purpose, we cannot have a proper understanding of redemption." ~ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 45

Sunday Quote: Making Things Right

"It is this Fall that made redemption necessary, not to continue a process of creation already begun and still in progress, but to arrest and correct a process of deterioration that threatened to abort the whole purpose for creation. Redemption is not the continuation of creation, but the correction of the Fall. As such it restores or reinstates God's original purpose for the creation by turning it back toward its proper goal. Thus the key word is not continuation but restoration. God's purpose for creation will be achieved, but only through redemption. Their unity lies in a common source (God) and a common goal; but they represent two different means of achieving the goal, not two stages of the same means." ~ Jack Cottrell, God the Redeemer, p. 31

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

I just have to say it: Darth Vader is one of my heroes! More specifically: Anakin Skywalker is one of my heroes.

The story of Star Wars is the story of the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Ultimately it isn't about the Jedi or the Force, but about the choices of one individual and how those choices shaped a galaxy (perhaps it is worth considering just how much influence your choices have). Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is the central figure in George Lucas' vision of Star Wars.

Why do I consider such a rotten person to be one of my heroes? I consider Anakin/Vader to be a hero because his story is my story. I know far too well what it means to give into the seduction of the darkness and to follow the evil path instead of the righteous one. I also know what it means to find hope and salvation.

Think about how the Emperor convinces Anakin to join the dark side. I believe he goes after two areas in Anakin's life: Anakin's fear and Anakin's pride. Ultimately it is Anakin's fear of losing Padme that causes him to surrender to the call of the Dark Side. In his mind Anakin had no choice but to follow the Emperor when he was offered the false hope of saving Padme's life.

Isn't this one of the ways the Enemy attacks us? We are afraid of being alone and so we enter into an immoral relationship which falsely promises real companionship. We are prideful of are accomplishments at work, but when it looks like we might fail we make an unethical decision in order to keep our "winning streak" alive. Satan will use our fear and our pride to gain a foothold into our lives and eventual convince us that his dark path is the right way to go.

But we know from Anakin's story that he does not remain evil. He is able to escape the evil identity of Darth Vader Sith Lord and once again take on his true identity of Anakin Skywalker Jedi Knight. This redemption was made possible because his son Luke believed there was still good in him. Luke was able to put Anakin in a situation where he once again could live from the good that was in his heart.

No matter what we have done or how far we have slipped there is still good in our hearts. Each one of us is still able to respond to God's calling, but we need to be put in a position to respond. Often what this requires is someone who comes alongside of us, who believes in us, and is willing to walk with us on the path of light. The Apostle Paul reminds of this reality:

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are (Romans 3:21-22; NLT).

We can be saved! Our destiny has not been sealed. We are not doomed to remain in our evil way of living. It is possible for us to live by the good that remains in our hearts. Darth Vader maybe a villain, but Anakin Skywalker reminds us that within every villain there is the potential of a hero.

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