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Len
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
About a Cure for Zombies
There has been a growing cultural fascination with the
concept of Zombies. Many movies,
television shows, and popular books have focused on the actions of these living-but-dead creatures. Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller,” current TV shows like “The Walking Dead,” and successful movies
like “World War Z” all expose a seemingly insatiable interest in the
subject. You can even go to the internet
and purchase real weapons at addresses like, zombie-defense.com, or zombietools.net.
But, I’ve been thinking that Zombies are not fiction… they
are REAL! The Bible tells us that we
actually do live in a world of Zombies… our co-workers, neighbors, family
members, and the cashier down at the convenience store all could be Zombies.
Two thousand years ago the condition was described by the
Apostle Paul when he wrote a letter to a church in a town called Ephesus… he
describes the Zombie predicament to a tee.
In fact, he told the members of this church that they all used to be Zombies. He said, “You were dead… in which you
formerly walked”. How’s that for cultural
relevance! The walking dead, described
perfectly… in the Bible.
If you think I’m lying look it up. Ephesians 2:1,2.
The amazing thing about what Paul writes however is not that
there were Zombies in the first century but that there was and still is a
cure! This is exactly what every hero in
every Zombie show is looking for… a Zombie cure. And it’s been right there in the Bible all
this time.
In Ephesians 2:4-7 lays out the cure every one of the living
dead need…
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even
though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised
Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For
he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the
heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us
in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and
kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with
Christ Jesus. (New
Living Translation)
It’s amazing that the cure for walking around dead is not a
thing but a person. Jesus Christ was
sent by God for the purpose of dying on the cross to pay the penalty I deserved
so that I could be “born again” to a new life.
I’m no longer dead in my sins, but living life to its fullest – all
because I found the “Jesus Christ Cure” for my problem.
A cure that fantastic and powerful raises a question. How can a Zombie acquire it?
Paul goes on in his letter to explain that the cure cannot
be purchased, or earned, or inherited, or accidently stumbled over… and Zombies
do a lot of stumbling… NO. The
“Jesus Cure” has been offered as an absolutely free gift from God Himself.
“Jesus Cure” has been offered as an absolutely free gift from God Himself.
Paul’s letter explains it this way,
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take
credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for
the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8,9 (NLT)
So it’s clear that when Jesus was talking about being “born
again” He was talking about the ability to stop walking around dead in our sins
and beginning to live a new life of actual living. “… I came that
they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Paul talked about the Zombie cure again in Colossians 2:13
when he wrote,
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful
nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he
forgave all our sins.
(NLT)
Notice that Paul used the past tense, “you were dead” but
the Colossian Christians (and all Christians) were then made alive through
Jesus Christ. They were no longer going
through their lives as the walking, waking dead! All born-again Christians were once walking-dead Zombies… but now, cured in Christ, we are alive, alive!
If you are already a Christian, look with new eyes at all the
people you encounter during the day. How
many of them are going through their lives as living yet dead, Zombies? You have the cure. It’s wonderful news… good news in fact. Jesus will take them from their scary
circumstance of walking deadness to a new life… and the cure is FREE! Tell them all about it.
If you’re a Zombie who happens to be reading this, ask
yourself, “Don’t I want the cure?”
Aren’t you tired of walking through life dead on your feet? No purpose, no direction, just getting by –
just going through the motions of living, but knowing you’re really dead
inside? Don’t you want real life?
It doesn’t take any fancy ritual. If you’re interested in a new life, check out
http://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/index.htm
for a great explanation of how to live.
And if you’re a Christian, it’s important to never forget
that we were all Zombies once. Don’t
forget to see the spiritually dead Zombies all around you and know that you can
be the hero who tells them of the fabulous cure you’ve found in the person of
Christ.
Think about it…. all you Zombies and former Zombies.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Is A President's Library Better Than A King's?
Recently George W. Bush’s Presidential Library opened in
Dallas, Texas. Built on the grounds of
Southern Methodist University, this beautiful edifice welcomed the public to
tour the years of presidential challenges, decisions, and accomplishments.
It’s been said that a Presidential Library is a place for
scholars and members of the public to come, study, and judge that particular
president’s place in history. Anyone can
examine the papers of a president and “get to know the man and his thought
process.”
These buildings are full of memos, letters, speeches, drafts
of legislation, and exhibits revealing the particular president’s ideas,
struggles, and executive decisions.
People can, and have, come to these places of historical information and
studied for years in order to understand how these men affected history… and
that got me thinking.
Is a Presidential Library better than the Library of a King?
There is a place where the thoughts, speeches, legislation,
and actions of the world’s greatest King are recorded; a place where scholars
and everyday people can come to study; a place where you and I can determine
how that King affected history and even affects our lives today.
That place? The
Bible. In fact, the word “bible” means
“library.” In fact, if you look up the
Spanish word for “library” you’ll find, “la biblioteca.”
In this “place of books,” The Bible, every one of us can
discover the thoughts, letters, songs, laws, and histories of The God of the
Universe… The King of all kings.
The Bible is not some old dusty book. It is THE place to go to find out about the
person of God Himself. We can go there
and study who God is and what He’s like.
This assembly of memos, letters, personal observations, and personal
disappointments of God gives each of us a reference point for our own actions
and beliefs about this wondrous King.
“… you have known the
sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness;” 2 Timothy 3:15–16
“The teaching of Your word
gives light, so even the simple can understand.” Psalm 119:130 (NLT)
If we can get so excited about a Presidential
Library opening to give us access to the writings of a man, why are we not
excited about spending time in the King’s Library? Aren’t the words of God more significant for
us than even the words of a president who is, after all, just a human being?
I’ve been thinking that I should approach the
Bible as a wondrous, treasure trove of information about how God loves me, what
He wants from me, and how I can serve Him.
We can go to the King’s Library and make it our life’s work to study,
obey, and teach all that the King’s Library reveals.
“Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,
accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
“For Ezra (and Len) had set his heart to study the law
of the Lord and to practice it,
and to teach His statutes and ordinances…” Ezra
7:10
So take a tour today.
Meet Moses, Job, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, John, Paul, and many
other contributors to God’s Library… And maybe if we faithfully visit the
King’s Library we’ll get to know God better...and get a cool tee-shirt that says, “I’ve spent time with the
King today!”
Think about it….
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