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Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Resurrection – life necessary
Glamour Shots in the Plaza Bonita Shopping Mall in National City, California, offered a
Mother’s Day special one year. “Can I give her a Mother’s Day to remember?”, the ad
read. “Yes, you can.”
Glamour Shots gave good ol’ Mom a new face fashioned by professional photographers
and make-up artists. (The Oprah Winfrey show recently bestowed such a paint-over on
an Encinitas, California resident. Coast News, January 22, 2010) From her existing
features they created dramatic changes that pleased the eye. It certainly proved the value
of paint over old surfaces.
That stirred a thought: Jesus does for our soul in conversion what Glamour Shots does
for the human face, but with significant differences. He uses MAKE-OVER, not MAKEUP,
to achieve our spirit’s renewal. The Holy Spirit, not liquids and creams and clever
photography, rebuilds us in Christ’s image. The photography may, for an instant, capture
a graceful glance lost in other facial contortions, but the Holy Spirit captures all that’s
pleasant and positive about us. And his changes last a lifetime, not hours; for experience
by experience in real life, not from a staged performance in a studio with lights adjusted
to a romantic instant and people of camera-skill freezing the instant good ol’ Mom might
seldom or ever have again.
Glamour Shots makes us what we usually are not; Jesus what we can always be. They
change us into something we wish we could keep; he into something we can’t ever lose.
They turn human reality into illusion; he turns human potential into divine realities. They
do it to show a better side of self; he to make a show-window of his Glory, Grace and
Truth. They paint or brush on what soap and water remove; he penetrates us to saturation
with holiness impervious to contamination. Under Glamour Shots make-up exists
someone who may not be pleasant once it’s removed. In Christ’s make-over exists a
permanent winsomeness.
Why be MADE-UP when we can be MADE-OVER? Why settle for what will only
amuse our friends when Christ gives what astonishes them? Why offer only what WE
ARE when Christ reveals through us what HE IS? Why tolerate a momentary freedom
from normal appearance when Christ wants to give us an entirely new life now and,
ultimately, an incredibly new body to house it?
Illustrations, courtesy of Ugly Dog Productions.
Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner
Mother’s Day special one year. “Can I give her a Mother’s Day to remember?”, the ad
read. “Yes, you can.”
Glamour Shots gave good ol’ Mom a new face fashioned by professional photographers
and make-up artists. (The Oprah Winfrey show recently bestowed such a paint-over on
an Encinitas, California resident. Coast News, January 22, 2010) From her existing
features they created dramatic changes that pleased the eye. It certainly proved the value
of paint over old surfaces.
That stirred a thought: Jesus does for our soul in conversion what Glamour Shots does
for the human face, but with significant differences. He uses MAKE-OVER, not MAKEUP,
to achieve our spirit’s renewal. The Holy Spirit, not liquids and creams and clever
photography, rebuilds us in Christ’s image. The photography may, for an instant, capture
a graceful glance lost in other facial contortions, but the Holy Spirit captures all that’s
pleasant and positive about us. And his changes last a lifetime, not hours; for experience
by experience in real life, not from a staged performance in a studio with lights adjusted
to a romantic instant and people of camera-skill freezing the instant good ol’ Mom might
seldom or ever have again.
Glamour Shots makes us what we usually are not; Jesus what we can always be. They
change us into something we wish we could keep; he into something we can’t ever lose.
They turn human reality into illusion; he turns human potential into divine realities. They
do it to show a better side of self; he to make a show-window of his Glory, Grace and
Truth. They paint or brush on what soap and water remove; he penetrates us to saturation
with holiness impervious to contamination. Under Glamour Shots make-up exists
someone who may not be pleasant once it’s removed. In Christ’s make-over exists a
permanent winsomeness.
Why be MADE-UP when we can be MADE-OVER? Why settle for what will only
amuse our friends when Christ gives what astonishes them? Why offer only what WE
ARE when Christ reveals through us what HE IS? Why tolerate a momentary freedom
from normal appearance when Christ wants to give us an entirely new life now and,
ultimately, an incredibly new body to house it?
Illustrations, courtesy of Ugly Dog Productions.
Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner
Monday, October 26, 2009
Today is the Day
Today is the Day
The time we have on this earth for the most part is an undetermined thing for us. God knows how long we have but we take each day as a new day and should be thankful for it and in it. I was reminded of this in such an in your face way this weekend when my next door neighbor just collasped and died. He was visiting with his father, who needs constant care, not doing anything strenuous and his aorta detached and he died instantly.
That is why today is the day of salvation and not tomorrow when "I get around to it". Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us so we could become the righteous of God in Christ.
Romans 10:8 - 13 (NIV) 8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”£ 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Call on the Lord today while you have today and ask him to be your saviour...you will never regret it.
Jeremiah 29:11 - 14 (NIV) 11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Don't put off calling upon the Lord - JUST DO IT!
Blessings On Ya!
Pastor Kitner
The time we have on this earth for the most part is an undetermined thing for us. God knows how long we have but we take each day as a new day and should be thankful for it and in it. I was reminded of this in such an in your face way this weekend when my next door neighbor just collasped and died. He was visiting with his father, who needs constant care, not doing anything strenuous and his aorta detached and he died instantly.
That is why today is the day of salvation and not tomorrow when "I get around to it". Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us so we could become the righteous of God in Christ.
Romans 10:8 - 13 (NIV) 8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”£ 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Call on the Lord today while you have today and ask him to be your saviour...you will never regret it.
Jeremiah 29:11 - 14 (NIV) 11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Don't put off calling upon the Lord - JUST DO IT!
Blessings On Ya!
Pastor Kitner
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