It's Not Over 'Til It's Over

A man on death row. 72 hours to live. The Innocence Project. The race for evidence, witness statements, lab tests...Anything to get a stay of execution. It's a classic crime show plot based on a very serious, real life situation. Ultimately, someone wants to fight the death sentence to the bitter end and someone wants to accept the "inevitable".
 
The "inevitable"? If the "inevitable" is only three days away, why wouldn't you do anything and everything in your power to save the accused?!!! How could the stress or potential disappointments of the emergency investigation possibly be worse than the aftermath of the execution? In my opinion, IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER!
 
This is how God feels about people. It's not over 'til it's over. Listen to this:

 

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, 'So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!'

But the other criminal protested, 'Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.'  Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.'

 And Jesus replied, 'I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" 

Luke 23:39-43 NLT

 

This criminal was being crucified next to Jesus.  This man was dying with only hours left to live.  AND HE WAS GUILTY!!! But when this dying criminal asked, Jesus instantly guaranteed him heaven. 

 



This is how God feels about everyone. We are all guilty of disobeying God (Romans 3:23). But God's forgiveness is free to anyone who asks for it, any time.  You can ask on your fourth birthday or the second before you die. No matter who you are or how bad you are. 

“he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Death is inevitable. But it's not over 'til it's over.
(So stop making jokes about Hell because it's real, it's coming and you don't have to go there. It's a terrifying reality and it's NOT inevitable!!!)

Vengeance is Mayan?

 
Well, we made it.  It's December 22, 2012.

Jesus is right again when He said:
"Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.  And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!"   Mark 13:31-33

VENGEANCE IS NOT MAYAN!
God the Father decides when the world ends and He wants us to be ready! :

"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. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood."
Romans 3:22-25a

If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Savior- YOU NEED HIM and HE WANTS YOU!  He loves you.  Don't waste any more time because the world will end someday- your world will definitely end someday- and you NEED to be ready.  You can be totally ready, you can be safe and assured! 

When Jesus is your Savior, it doesn't matter how many crackpot archaeologists, wild-eyed preachers, Nostradamus believers or numerologists proclaim the end of the world because you know the Truth and the Truth has your back.

" For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."  Hebrews 10:30-31

A Three Decker Sauerkraut and Toadstool Sandwich With Arsenic Sauce

The Grinch!  He's the Christmas villain, the infamous meanie from Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  His heart is two sizes too small.  He is full of hate.  He hates Christmas and his happy neighbors in Whoville.

There is an entire song dedicated to his ickiness.  Among other things, the Grinch is a monster, a rotter, vile, foul and nasty.  His heart's an empty hole and his soul is full of gunk.  He's the king of sinful sots!

Look at this "grinch song" from the Bible:
“As the scriptures say, No one is righteous—  not even one.  No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.  All have turned away; all have become useless.  No one does good, not a single one.  Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.  Their tongues are filled with lies.  Snake venom drips from their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  They rush to commit murder.  Destruction and misery always follow them.  They don’t know where to find peace.  They have no fear of God at all." 
Romans 3:10-18
That's talking about us- everyone.  We're all Grinches!  In other words: your soul is an appalling dump heap, overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable!
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23
God's punishment for sin is Hell but He loves all of us Grinches.
 ^"Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood..."  Romans 3:24-25
And just like the Grinch's heart grew three sizes; our dirty, sinful hearts are washed clean when we accept God's forgiveness through Jesus.  And even though we still sometimes act like nasty,wasty skunks; God no longer holds it against us.  We know we'll be with Him someday in Heaven and we can truly have a merry Christmas.

Quick Quote

"This 'normal' Baby wrote book -you should read." -Fausta, from Go On on NBC.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son." John 3:16-18

Love Triangle

 

Aah, the love triangle. It's a classic.  Sure to add a little zest to any story. All the pining, angst-filled dialogue and unrequited gazes  can make for a compelling break from the action of your favorite story. 

How can our favorite characters possibly choose who they truly love?  Jack or Sawyer?  Nathan or Duke?  Addison or Meredith?  Abby or Ziva (okay that one's a decision for us viewers...)  Team Edward or Team Jacob?  Mr. Wickham or Mr. Darcy?  Roy or Jim?  Lana or Chloe...or Lois?  And don't get me started on choosing between Adam, Hoss and Little Joe.

Often, our gorgeous and complicated leading lady has to decide whether she wants the good man or the bad boy.  Personally, I have no clue why she needs to agonize over whether she wants the affectionate firefighter or the adulterous criminal.  It just seems like a no-brainer! 

When I think about it, I realize that the Bible is about an epic love triangle.  It's about us deciding who we love most: Jesus Christ or anything else.  Jesus is the good man: the loving, self-sacrificing, attentive, affectionate hero.  And anything that we would choose over Him is the bad boy.  The bad boy might be pride telling us that we don't need God's forgiveness through Jesus or guilt telling us that we're too bad for Jesus to forgive.  The bad boy might be our own selfishness telling us to not even consider Jesus because Jesus wouldn't approve of our favorite activity.

Just like a real life bad boy, the things that keep people from Jesus can be very attractive, charming and fun.  And just like a bad boy, they don't love or respect you.  They'll string you along and then break your heart.  Anything that stops you from accepting Jesus as your Savior is really trying to send you to Hell.  When you look at it the way God does, it's really a no-brainer!  

Even after you accept Jesus, you'll still have feelings for that bad boy.  You'll catch yourself flirting with that stuff that Jesus tells you not to do, the stuff that's bad for you.  The instant you accept Jesus, He is totally committed to you and will never, ever, ever leave you no matter what you do.  But that bad boy can keep you from enjoying your relationship with Jesus.  So send the bad boy packing because the love triangle isn't worth it.  

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from this world."
1 John 2:15-16

"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy."  Ephesians 4:21-24

   

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

          This movie was so much fun!  Zac Efron stars as the voice of Ted, a young resident of the tree-free, industrialized city of Thneedville where they buy bottled air.  Ted wants to impress his friend Audrey (Taylor Swift) and for that he'll need to find a tree.  So Ted goes to the Once-ler (who sports the dramatic and entertaining voice of Ed Helms). 

          The Once-ler regails Ted with the story of his wonderful invention, the thneed.  The thneed was an all-purpose piece of clothing made from trees and was once the must-have fashion item.          
        The Lorax who speaks for the trees (Danny Devito) is a cute and fuzzy little creature with a mustache and an attitude. He warns the Once-ler not to harm the trees or something bad will happen.  But when the Once-ler foolishly decides to chop down trees instead of harvesting only the part he needs, he uses every tree in the forest and is left with nothing. 

    After all the trees are gone, the Lorax sends the animals away and leaves the Once-ler alone in the gray, barren forest with only the tree stumps and a special stone.  The stone has a word carved on it: Unless. 

          When the Once-ler finishes his story, he gives Ted the last seed.  He tells Ted to plant it where everyone in Thneedville can see so that they will know the importance of trees and free air.
               

        We may not have thneeds, bottled air or the Lorax but our world is a lot like Ted's.  Like the forest that was once beautiful, our world was once very good:

"Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!"

 Genesis 1:31 NLT



          Like the Once-ler, we got a warning:

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.' " Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV

 

          We didn't obey and something bad happened:

"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a NKJV

 

          And we have an Unless:

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b NKJV



                  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 NKJV 

 

Christ lived the perfect life we never could and died in our place, as our substitute, taking the punishment from God that we all deserve for the wrong we do.  Now we can be forgiven and go to Heaven someday if we accept this gift.

 

And we have a seed to plant by telling everyone we can so that everyone can see the importance of Jesus and free eternal life!





Once Upon A Time: Remember Who You Are

          ABC’s Once Upon A Time is one of my favorite new shows, along with Fox’s Terra Nova.  Once Upon A Time is a gorgeous fairytale drama with sweeping cinematography, engaging storylines and acting so real it gives me goose bumps.  It’s highly original plot sets this show apart from previous fairytale endeavors and other sci-fi/fantasy hits. 

          In this reimagining, the Evil Queen from the classic story of Snow White has placed a curse on the entire realm of fairytale characters.  In an attempt at revenge on Snow White and her Charming husband, the enchantress has banished them, along with others from their world, to a life with “no happy endings” in our world.  They find themselves in uneventful Storybrooke, Maine.  They live ordinary lives and have no memory of who they used to be.  Snow White is a schoolteacher.  Rumplestiltskin is a pawn broker.  And the Evil Queen has positioned herself as mayor of Storybrooke. 

There’s only one person who can come to Storybrooke and break the curse.  Emma Swan.  The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.  At the time of the curse, she was an infant.  Now she’s a gritty, disillusioned bounty hunter, unencumbered by things like personal attachments or optimism.  But when the son she gave up for adoption shows up at her door, her life changes. 
Henry knows all about the curse, thanks to a special book of fairytales.  He believes that Emma is Storybrooke’s savior, the only one who can make everyone remember who they are and put things back the way they were.

What a wonderful, rich story.  It reminds me of a wonderful, rich truth.  The truth of the Bible.  The truth about us.  Just like the fairytale characters in Storybrooke, all of humankind is under a curse.  We live in a world we weren’t meant for.  We have forgotten where we come from and who we are meant to be. 

This is what the Bible is about.  In the beginning, everything was perfect just how God created it.  The first people, Adam and Eve, were a perfect couple, living in a perfect garden, in a perfect world, friends with God.  There was no suffering or death.  Only happiness, harmony and love.  It sounds like a fairytale.  But this is the truth.

And then something happened.  Adam and Eve turned away from God; disobeyed Him.  This is when earth fell under the curse.  As the owner of everything, God cursed the world because of Adam and Eve.  They were no longer going to live forever and now life would be difficult.  Now that they knew how to disobey God, they would sometimes be angry, bitter and selfish.  They would argue and hurt each other. 

God’s punishment for sin is death and after death- separation from Him.  Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death…”

          Today, we are still under the curse.  We all sin. (Romans 3:23)  And we have forgotten what the world used to be, what we are supposed to be.  But God is not like the Evil Queen, He didn’t place us under this curse out of spite or for revenge.  It is more like a reset plan.  A way to get the world back to that perfection.   
          The Bible says in Romans 8:20-21 that “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.”
          He sent us a Savior.  His Son, Jesus Christ.  Born as a human, Christ lived the sinless life that no human ever could.  Then He let Himself be killed, at the same time taking the punishment for all of humanity’s sin on Himself.  Then He rose from the dead, victorious over sin.  He is the cure for the curse that we brought on ourselves.  "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

All we have to do is accept this; truly believe we are under the curse of our own sin and ask God for the cure- the Savior.  Then we can live the life we were meant to live.  Life based on His unconditional love and His promise of Heaven.

Listen to Colossians 3:2-4: “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.”

Did you hear that?  When you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, your real life is with Him.  Don’t let this world get you down.  It’s easy to worry and hurry and let discontent run rampant.  I have this problem big time!  But like the verse says, don’t focus on the things of this world, focus on your real life.  Don’t live in the curse!  Live the life you were meant to live, look forward to your real home in heaven.  Remember who you are! 

   Song Recommendation:  Remind Me Who I Am – Jason Gray (written from the perspective of someone who has accepted Jesus as their Savior)

"Come With Me If You Want To Live"

       This one is an oldie but a goodie.  The extremely famous, 80's hit Sci-Fi movie The Terminator.  Very dark in tone and full of heart-pounding action, The Terminator is interesting from start to finish.
       Sarah Connor is an ordinary waitress.  Until she becomes the target of a serial killer.  Someone is murdering every Sarah Connor in the phone book, one by one.  Sarah doesn't know that she is the real target.  She doesn't know how important she is.
       In a future ruled by machines, Sarah's son, John, is humanity's only hope.  The killer is a cyborg sent from the future to murder Sarah before her son is ever conceived.  He is strong, resilient, nearly unstoppable.  The Terminator.
       But someone else is looking for Sarah too.  Kyle Reese was sent by Sarah's son to save her life.  To save her from the Terminator. 
       When the Terminator catches up to Sarah, he creates mayhem and terror.  Reese intervenes to save Sarah.  She doesn't know Reese but he risks his own life to save her.  With the Terminator seconds away from killing her, Reese holds out a hand and says "Come with me if you want to live."
       Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Every person has failed God.  Every person does wrong.  Romans 6:23 reads "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  God says the punishment for sin is death. 
       We all die but the Bible tells us that people who have sinned are doomed to Hell after death.  The Bible says it’s a place where there’ll be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” and fire forever.  So everyone is doomed to this because everyone sins.  Everyone deserves Hell.
       Hell is like the Terminator.  It’s getting closer and closer.  On our trail, chasing us.  We all know that we’ll die sometime and every second that passes we get closer to it.  Every second that passes Hell is getting closer to us.  Like the Terminator getting closer to Sarah.
       But there is hope!  “The free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus”- that’s Heaven.  Jesus allowed Himself to be killed on the cross and allowed God to put all the sins of the world on Him so that we could have forgiveness.  We just have to ask for it. 
       When He was on earth, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)  No one can be friends with God and go to Heaven without Jesus. So in other words: “Come with Me if you want to live!”
       Sarah could have run away from her rescuer and been killed by the Terminator.  And we can run away from Jesus and go to Hell.  Every person needs to make a decision to either ignore Jesus, try to do there own thing and fail; or to come to Jesus and live.  Jesus is holding out His hand.  He's offering to save you.

Hell is getting ever closer, come to Jesus and live.

Romans 10:9  "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."