The Lion and the Lamb

Hebrews 9:12 He has not entered into the sanctuary once upon a time by the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, and has thereby brought forth eternal salvation.

It is a contradiction: the lion and the lamb. The lion is the king of animals, a leader in his area and receives respect from all other animals. On the other hand, the lamb, who is helpless without the shepherd, could not even survive. When we speak and read about Jesus, He is the Lion and the Lamb.

For as Lamb Jesus was led to slaughter. He let himself taken away, without struggle. He gave His own blood for the sins of the world. Before that moment, a goat had to be slaughtered for reconciliation with God. But now Jesus suffered as a lamb for slaughter. His blood ensures that you and I can be saved from eternal death. Just like the blood at the door post at the exodus, death did not enter there, so is it for God's children too. The blood of Jesus does not save you for earthly death, but for eternal death. Is it your rescue already?

But besides the Lamb, which carries away the sins of the world, Jesus is also the Lion. The Lion of Judah, risen with power from death. Who has conquered hell and defeated death. That lion that has ensured that there is eternal salvation for anyone who believes in Him. He is the King of the world, no one is stronger than Jesus. Even Satan trembles when he hears His name. He shattered the head of Satan and made Him powerless for His children.

Jesus also wants to be your Lamb and Lion. No, He does not depend on us to be that. He is too big for it, because he is the Son of God. But He wants to be for you, He loves you and gave His life. As Lamb He let him torture for you, hang on the cross, descend to hell and die himself. As a Lion, he came back from God's abandonment with the words: it has been accomplished, as a lion he has risen from the dead he now reigns with God his father.

What a lovely God we have, what a loving Son and the Spirit of the Son wants to work in us and show us on the Lamb and the Lion. He is both of them! Come on, we fall down in worship for that lovely Jesus. Your Name has been praised!

In wonder (2)

Exodus 14:22 And the people of Israel went in the midst of the sea in the dry place. The water was a wall for them on their right and left hand.

Have you ever seen a wall of water? No of course not. That does not exist. Water flows and is liquid, which cannot stand upright and also form a wall? Yet it happened when the people of Israel fled from Egypt and the people were sealed between the desert and the water while Pharaoh came behind them. A wonderful story in which God shows His powerful hand. He has all the power and can even make a wall of water.

God commanded Moses to stretch his staff over the water and break the sea. There was absolutely no doubt with God and therefore not with Moses. God knew that if Moses would extend his staff, that He would send the wind to dry it, and that He would put the water as a wall along the path. God has that power, He created everything and He can also make such an adjustment in His creation that it changes structure. As the water can stand upright like a wall, it is a little change for God.

That God stood and stands on the side of Israel. When they were in trouble, He did not let them down. They began to shame on Moses and to cry, because they were afraid of course. And yet God stood on their side, making sure that the Egyptians could not come closer and He helped them through the sea. But that God is also on our side, He is there for you and me too. Not because we are so good, not because our faith is so strong, but because He wants to be our God. When you believe in the Being Son as your Savior and Savior, this God that has driven the sea and made a path, is even your God!

Thus we may wonder about the power of our God! He can do everything and wants to give us everything. Not that it always goes as we would like, but with Him on your side there is always a path. For God also made paths in invisible things, in pain and sorrow, in psychological problems, in deprivation, in sins we cannot stop with, with all we can get into, God can make a way. And then he sets up walls that protect us.

Then focus on God, focus your life on Him, marvel at His omnipotence and make you fulfill by His greatness!

In wonder (1)

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

When you think of God, about who He is and what He has done, we will be short of words. Because God is always there, our understanding is over. We cannot understand that, but we do not have to understand that either. When we want that, we make the faith very difficult. Because then we want to understand and we cannot.

The Bible begins with: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. There was apparently no heaven yet and there was no earth. There was nothing at all. Maybe that's the black hole we hear so much about. The black hole from then there was nothing. For once God began, he went on. When He saw how good everything was, He made even more. And it was all good!

So the start was all good! God created the light when there was no sun and no moon. God later created the sun, moon and stars. And he just did that out of nothing. But there it did not stop. He made a difference between land and water. He made the flowers, trees and plants. He made the birds, fish and animals and of course, the crown of creation: man. And God saw that it was good.

Now take such a God into your mind and let him work on you. Without all that has happened after creation. When we look at God and so pure to that God who created everything, we can only admire and wonder. Because who can create an animal? Complete? Who designed life and developed everything so that the whole nature connects and needs each other?

Look at the details in nature: the water that always stays in a cycle. From sea water to clouds, to rain, to river and weather to sea. The water never gets up! But also to the human and animal body. Everything has been thought of: digestion, breathing, moving and even thinking. It is all in agreement. And in animals it is equally well-matched. And so there are many examples. And God created it! We do not even have to discuss a discussion because something like that cannot happen by accident.

Think of the Creator again! Does he get your and my worship? He is worth it and we can give our lives to Him and wonder about who He is and what He does. His great deeds are sometimes incomprehensible, but He is God!

I am of Christ

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the ground because you came from it; Because dust is you and you will return to dust.

Who are you? There, biologists and scientists can talk for hours and many books have been written about it. Some smart people think we descend from the fish, others from the monkeys, and so there are different opinions. The Bible teaches us that we are dust and that we will return to dust again. Well say, what a negative word. Man does not mind anything at all, it's a bit dusty and when life's out, the weather turns into dust. Indeed, so is it.

You and I do not suggest anything, we can be very honest. Perhaps you are good at making a lot of money, good at your hobby or having a lot of knowledge of the Bible. Maybe you can sing well and become a star? Indeed, sometimes people can do a lot and sometimes seem a lot. But still there is that text: dust you are. For all we can have, we cannot stop death and we cannot give us salvation. It all stops when life is out of our way.

And that is precisely the wealth of a child of God! Who knows that he or she is dust and does not actually suggest anything. Who knows that he or she is only sinful and, as the Bible says, unable to do the good. But whoever believes in the Lord Jesus, who has everything in him! And then suddenly there is a powerful person, a living person, who will live forever. Then it will not stop when we return to dust. No, then the wonderful life begins with Him only.

Then it's wonderful that God wants such a person, who does not actually imagine and choose Him. That God opens His arms wide to embrace you and look at you through Jesus Christ. Then you are not suddenly a popular person or a great person, you are just a dependent person. Someone who expects everything from God and His Spirit. Then you may flourish and grow to his honor.

Jesus died but did not turn into dust. He is ascended and sitting on God's right hand to pray for us. He blows His Spirit on us and shares gifts to you and me. Use those gifts and live before Him! Let yourself flow through the Spirit, open yourself and you will see what gifts God has for you. Your dead I come to life through life with Christ and you may live by His mercy! Who am I? I am of Him, Jesus Christ!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBcqria2wmg

#castingcrowns

The love of Christ

1 Corinthians 15: 3 For I delivered you first what I received also, that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures.

Are coming with me to take a look at Golgotha? See, there's a man hanging on a cross. He hangs in between other men and sometimes speaks a few words. But it are powerful words, words of forgiveness, eternal salvation, a cry to God and a declaration of fulfillment of His great mission: die for the sins of men.

Jesus is widely used as a curse. He is often mocked and talked about Him as about a fairy tale. In the world, on Facebook, on television it does not matter what you look and read, but you see such a hate against him. But why that hate? Because if you have taken a look at Golgotha, you see that Christ who carries the whole world on his shoulders. He had to die as punishment for the sin of the people. Yes, there you can be blind, but He also wants to open your eyes. His love for people is infinitely deep, He even wanted to die for it.

We may worship Jesus because He has carried the punishment of God. You could not do it yourself, I could not even hang on a cross and think of others so what about die for others? But Jesus gave His life and that is the core of faith.

He gave Himself delivered to Satan and to death. He has come down to hell, out of pure love. There is absolutely no grammar of own interest, but He has given Him as a sacrifice. For your sins, without having to do anything for it. It does not have to happen yet, it has already been completed. You only have to believe it.

And when we can believe this, this lovely love of Jesus, we fall in worship!

Lord Jesus my Savior! You are exalted and your love is inexhaustible. You went to the cross for me and carried my sins. What a wonderful Savior you are. I praise you who you are, what you do and what you have done. No one loves me as much as you do. And by that I may love you, like no one else. You are perfect, holy, delicious, wonderful and loving. My Jesus, my Savior. Hallelujah!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ZeONHBV5k
#castingcrowns 

A river of Christ

Ephesians 5:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

What's actually happening to you when you get to know Christ? That is a question that many young people are concerned with, but that is also very important for adult people. It is a question of which we find the answer in the Bible, in several places. But one of the core texts about it, in Ephesians, is that you are dressed with the new human being. That new person created according to the image of God, in true righteousness and truth.

So we must become like Adam and Eve befor the fall. That is of course impossible because sin has infected all of us and we will not get it out of us until we eventually will be in heaven. But it must be our goal. God does not ask us to be legal, God does not ask us to speak in all kinds of languages ​​or to become a preacher. He asks us to take care of the new person.

That new person can be received in His Son, Jesus Christ. When we accept Christ's sacrifice for our sins, new life is created in us. Our soul changes from one moment to another, from desolate to glorified. But we do not live like that yet. There is so much we do, that goes against God's will. It does not belong to the new person. The new human being is directed at God, the new human being is righteous and in truth. The new person does not want to do things that go against God's Word, who wants to take care of the poor, follow Christ in everything.

But we need Him for that. The Spirit of Christ is poured out on us and we can be changed by the Holy Spirit. He will flow into us like a river, a river that is aimed at God. A refreshing river that opens our eyes to sin and raises our eyes to Christ. He will be central and so we ourselves become a river of God's message. People can see it to us. Not so much to our appearance, but to our inner and what message we have for the world! Thus we may be a river of God's mercy, because that river is poured into us. That's the new person. Delicious yet to be and to be!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4PjKG-CcBo