Friday, March 21, 2014

Rescue me

John 3:9-21

Who would you call for if you were in a terribly dangerous situation, facing certain death?

I don't see life that way.  I see life as pretty mundane.  I wake, turn over, hit my snooze alarm, eventually get up into a hot shower, make coffee and my lunch.  I drive to work, put in my day, drive home, make dinner, clean it up and I am back in bed again.  Nothing dangerous about my everyday life.

Until Joe calls and says mom can't stand up today.  Until I notice the dark spot on my chest is getting bigger.  Until I notice one daughter struggling to complete the work required for her teaching certification and the other one's temporary job is coming to an end with no replacement in sight. Until I realize I have a habit that needs breaking and I just can't manage to do it. Then I start to look around, look up.  Who will save me?

In the middle of this passage is the big E on the chart, the reason why Jesus came:

Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction. 

We don't notice it all the time but this world is headed toward certain destruction. The whole world, and us individually too. We might be well today, but eventually we all die.  All of us. Things might be going well today, but eventually we all need to look around for someone to rescue us. Who will you choose?

That is the point really.  There is a choice to be made, whether we realize it or not.  We may want to avoid it, but we cannot.  Even failure to choose is a choice.

Jesus was like a light in a dark place.  His light, His life, and what each person He met chose to think about it, was the judgment.  He did not judge.  We do.  We pick. It's our choice.
Ok, maybe this is a bit harsh and funny in a sick way
but I just had to post it, sorry!


Why does God allow for judgment and condemnation? Because the Light, sent from God, pierced through the world’s darkness to expose ill motives, hatred, gossip, greed, violence, and the like. Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because their actions were dark. Some of humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes.

Yes, to be honest, I want to hide my bad side. And sometimes, I do want to cling onto and enjoy my vices.  But more and more, I want to bring them into the light of Jesus' love, so He can heal me, make me beautiful, make me whole.

But she who practices truth, who does what is right, comes out into the Light; so that her works may be plainly shown to be what they are—wrought with God, divinely prompted, done with God’s help, and in dependence upon Him.

Practice truth.  Over and over again I want to practice, until I get it right. Daily, hourly, moment by moment, I choose You, my Beloved Jesus.  I choose You.  And as I live my life in front of others, I pray they will see the joy and beauty of being rescued by You.

For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life.

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