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Archive for the ‘Christ’ Category

Itchy

Posted in Christ, Explanations, Peace, tagged on January 11, 2012| 1 Comment »

Jesus and Nicodemus

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night …” – John 3:1-2

Many focus on the Bible’s most famous passage, John 3:16, where Jesus tells a man he must be born again, but few ask why that man was there in the first place.

What would make a highly educated, deeply religious, upper class man risk his reputation to visit a supposed uneducated street preacher?

An itch.

Something in Nicodemus needed relief. Itches are like that, they have nothing to do with social class, race, creed, or gender. They can be ignored a while but must be satisfied to achieve any rest.

God’s call is like that, too. It has nothing to do with social class, race, creed, or gender. It can be ignored a while but it, too, must be satisfied for any lasting peace.

Jesus had a public ministry to all — but saved his best for those who had a holy itch.

Sound Bite: God heals itchy people.
Prayer:“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee..” — St. Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430)

— fritz

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Slow Checkout Lines and Jesus

Posted in Belief, Bible Characters, Christ, Endurance, Faith, Healing, Jesus, tagged on January 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“A man named Jairus besought [Jesus to] come into his house: For he had one only daughter … and she lay a dying.

But as he went the people thronged him. And a woman … came behind him and touched … Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they … said, … the multitude throng thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? … [finally the woman] came trembling, and falling down …

While he yet spake, there cometh one … saying … Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.” — Luke 8:41-49

Whichever line I choose at the store stops. Five people checkout at the next line while I wait with two items for the one person in front of me to get a price check, call an absent manager, have a credit card denied, and/or fill out a return receipt. I don’t know how I do it!

I get impatient though I have nothing important compared to Jairus; his daughter was on her deathbed, Jesus her only hope.

How Jairus heart must have sunk as Jesus was stopped along with the way for a discussion about feelings! How he must have felt such urgency — right up to the point when the bad news came! Too late!

But Jesus is never too late, even if it takes a lifetime of waiting.

Jesus … answered …Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole” — Jesus (Luke 8:50)

— fritz

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Following a Follower

Posted in Character, Committment, Explanations, Paul, Recognizing Christ, tagged , on December 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” — Apostle Paul (1st Corinthians 11:1)

Christ is the one we are to follow but some don’t, yet, have that connection. Some can’t “see” him and telling them to do so is ineffective.

But they do see us and some follow if not by their actions then certainly by watching our lives unfold — whether we realize it or not.

When Jesus said in his famous “Sermon on the Mount” that we are the light of the world and then added the analogy of a city on a hill (Mtt. 5:14) he meant that more people see a light than those in the light know.

I visited an uncle on his deathbed. We weren’t ever close and had never talked so I thought he knew little about me but when I walked in he said he knew I knew God and he asked me to tell him how to face eternity. He gave his life to Christ that night and sang for joy.

Embrace the calling as Paul did and follow Christ closely — little ones, and not so little, are watching.

— fritz.

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