Are You In The Know?

Everyone likes to be in the know. For some reason we feel special when we know some thing that everyone else doesn't. I can't recall how many times I have heard children brag, "I know something you don't know." Thing is, God keeps it really simple. Many that don't get his rules (commandments) are just thinking too hard. They are too wise for their own good. It all boils down to love. When in doubt, love, that's pretty much it. Now I am not going to sit here and say I know why certain things play out hay they do. I don't understand gods master plan but I do understand what he expects of me. He wants me to love. When I am in need he wants me to love enough to humble myself and ask for help. When someone needs help he wants me to love enough to help those in need. When I wrong someone or God he wants me to love enough to ask for forgiveness. When I am wronged he wants me to love enough that I forgive without being asked. Many Christians get to caught up in the rules so that they spend all their time condemning others, and that is not loving. I always think about the line Jesus spoke, "he without sin cast the first stone." I find it a very healthy habit to examine my actions and look to my hero to decide if I am staying on a proper course. I make mistakes. I sin and I ask for forgiveness when I do so. Most of all I try and not be too wise. I do study daily, but I try and take that knowledge to my heart and not my head. For when I find when I fill my head with too much knowledge it grows and makes it difficult getting through doorways. So if you find yourself wanting to be in the know all you need to do is ask. God has so much to share if you only want to make time for him. Do you want to though?

Luke 10:21-24
21In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 22All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 23Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

A Thought: Know Who Loves You

Of all the things that I have endured over the years I have never known about anything terrible in advance. Sometimes I hear people talk about death like, “I would want to know how much time I have left so that I could make the best of it.” I sit and just think about being on the receiving end of that conversation. If I had someone truly dear to me come up to me and say, “Hey Michael I only have 4 months to live.” I would absolutely freak. I would probably smother them for the next 4 months so that I didn’t miss a thing. I couldn’t imagine someone telling me, “Hey in like so many months I am going to have people spit on me, beat me, mock me, drive nails in to my wrists and feet and kill me right in front of you.” I would at any rate want to make sure that I knew everything about my friend. I would want to make sure nothing was lost or taken for granted. I would hang on every word and I would probably ask for their lives story. I would want to make sure that person was never forgotten. I am sure that for his time Jesus was probably an unforgettable person. The type of person that just lights up a room. The person that everyone wants to know. He came and feed those in need, healed the sick and he even raised people from the dead. He preached to love, love, when in pain forgive and then love some more. Jesus chose Peter as the leader of his Church after he passed. He entrusted him and all of his other disciples to continue to reach out to others with his message. Having someone that is willing to die for you is a rather heavy thing. I barely can wrap my head around it until I think of my children. For my children I would do anything. I would die for my children. I would take any punishment I thought too much to bear for them. That is Jesus, he knew how to really love. Jesus being God as well came down to be with us for a while because he loves us. Its important to realize who Jesus is. He is the son of God. Its important to realize what he taught, to love God and each other all of the time no matter what. Its important to realize what he did. He allowed himself to surrender to the people of his time. They spit on him, beat him, mocked and killed him in a very bloody and horrific way. He endured all of this for you. You reading this and all the people that you see and those whom you will never even meet, all because of love.

Matthew 16:13-23

13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 21From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you." 23But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men."