The Making of a Christian

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God,…” (1 Peter 3:18 RSV)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.’ “ (John 14:6 RSV)

I’ve seen pictures of Jesus nailed to the cross. I’ve seen pictures of Jesus tied to the cross with ropes. Do you ever wonder what it was that really held Him to the cross? It wasn’t spikes, it wasn’t ropes…it was us.

When the One who knew no sin absorbed our sin, the Father chose not to send an army of angels to save Him. He’d rather give up His Only Begotten Son than give up on us. It’s hard to comprehend that the Greatest Positive Force in all Existence loves you that much, isn’t it?

You’re reading this Bread because you’re interested in your spiritual life. Maybe you’re just intellectually interested. Maybe you’re simply curious. Maybe you read the Breads as a tradeoff for truly giving your heart to Christ. Maybe your spiritual interest is a masquerade for spiritual commitment. It isn’t too late to dig down deep and honestly admit your hopelessness without Christ. What brings happiness to one’s life, what brings the much wanted sense of fulfillment and purpose we all yearn for, is sincerely confessing our unworthiness and our inability to fill the deep void within ourselves.

Once we truly come in touch with the fact that the best physical condition, the deepest amount of intellectual knowledge, the greatest finances, the highest level of popularity does not give life its meaning; and we confess this from the heart, humbly reaching out to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and as our Savior, then we’ll know Peace and Life’s Purpose. As our Lord, directing our thoughts and decisions; as our Savior, saving us from evil which includes the evil within us.

As one great Christian leader said, “What makes a Christian a Christian is not perfection but forgiveness.”

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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Spiritual Fitness

“And we all… are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Behold, now is the acceptable time;….” (2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:2 RSV)

I have always appreciated the need to stay fit. I was an avid boxer in Jr. High School. I played varsity football and basketball in high school and ran varsity track in college. I ran five miles every morning for the first few years after college. I was a faithful weightlifter all through the years until Christmas Eve 1999 when I was in a serious car accident and haven’t been able to lift much since. I see my body now and am frustrated at the loss in muscle tone which I was so used to all of my life until 1999. I’m recently been given the green light to slowly reenter the exercise realm: that feels great!

It’s the same with our spiritual condition. “Salvation” has been accomplished by Christ. The price is paid for our sinfulness. “Sanctification”, on the other hand, is a process. “Sanctification” is the lifelong process of being changed from one level of glory to another. Have you seen the lapel button, “Christian Under Construction”? That’s “Sanctification.” It’s an ongoing process. It’s so easy to become quite spiritually fit: sincerely recognize our sinful nature…repent…become aggressive about our Christian commitment….progress in spiritual strength. We feel great! We are on the right track! All is good. Then…we relax our faith-commitment. Our spiritual muscles drift into atrophy. We become spiritually flabby. Before we know it…a once spiritually firm person is a spiritual invalid. We’re morally and spiritually unfit. There’s nothing more Satan would like than a once Spiritually strong individual slowly drifting into spiritual weakness. Talk about a false sense of security!

“Now is the acceptable time.” How spiritually fit am I today? Today is all that counts. Yesterday was important…yesterday. But all that matters right now…is…right now!

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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Those People Called Christians

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul.

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:9-12 RSV)

In the third century St. Cyprian wrote to his dear friend, Donatus:

“This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden…. But if I climb some great mountain and look out…you know very well what I see: brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the amphitheaters men murdered to please an applauding crowd…
Yet, in the midst of it all I have found a quite, holy people….They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, dear Donatus, are called Christians."

Not obnoxious.
Not boisterous.
Not boastful.
...Quiet.

Pure in desire and deed.
Decent.
Sincerely wanting good.
Motivated by Love.
Focused upon Christ,
not self.
...Holy.

Is your spiritual strength sincere enough and powerful enough that people recognize it just by interacting with you?

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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A Familiar Voice…

“And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Mark 13:20, KJV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:27-30,RSV)

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29, RSV)

Two years ago I was sent with some of my peers to Dallas for training with a new subsidiary company. The trainer and I bonded immediately. Four days later when time came to depart, we both were sad and vowed to stay in touch. We did, at least for a couple months. You know “the rest of the story”: the hectic world of work life took over both of us and we lost touch. This morning I was surprised to find an email from my new friend and trainer! A welcomed voice from the past that immediately roused warmth and good feelings within me!

A Day is coming when everyone will hear Jesus’ voice. All other voices will be silenced. Like when we have sat in a crowded and noisy room humming with chatter and the leader screams, “Quite! Please!”---then there is the immediate deafening sound of silence. So will it be that day. Like the distracted student in the classroom, some will hear His voice despite the fact that they weren’t listening. For those, it will be the last time. They will go forward to spend eternity away from His presence as they chose to do.

Others will hear the warm voice they were desperately paying attention to amidst the surrounding chaos and distractions. They are the sheep who know His voice. They will go forward to spend eternity in His presence fulfilled beyond their wildest dreams! These are the sheep of His pasture.

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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God’s Pumpkin Patch

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit….Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another. (John 15:1-17, selections, RSV)

From one pumpkin to another!!!!!!!

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it to other pumpkins. I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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