LISTS

I list items on ebay occasionally and it’s fun getting some “pocket change” now and then. I run across a few ebayers that have strict rules. I can understand this procedure, because I have seen more and more people who do NOT represent the high standards of business on ebay. Just like in America, there seems to be a downward trend in dealing with people – many do not have the honesty and courtesy that they should have in doing business with others. That also applies to the way people deal with HUMAN BEINGS in life! Sometimes, I am so appalled at how some people tend to treat their colleagues as if they were objects and not human..

Well, getting back to the rules that some ebayers list, I was intrigued by how long a list some of these people have. I read one today and I had to finally quit about a quarter of the way down because it was so long! Then I thought to myself, “Wow! I am so glad I do not have to read a long list of rules, regulations, and “venting” from God before I talk to Him (prayer) or He talks to me (His Word)!” Can you imagine if we had to read, learn and apply pages of rules and steps just to get a chance to have a relationship with our wonderful Lord? And I am sure we could imagine that He could vent about us and all our trespasses! The creator of the heavens and earth probably SHOULD ask for a laundry list of “do’s and don’ts”, right? Well, I would think that He deserved the right to have lists and lists of requirements, but He doesn’t!

God, our Father is always there to hear us – His children* - and He does not require us to jump through a bunch of hoops and follow a long list of regulations to hear Him or to talk to Him. God allows us to freely have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved…Acts 16:31) Our heavenly Father waits for us to seek Him, and then, VOILA! (pardon my French) He is there….excited to be with us. Romans 8:31-32 says that God is FOR US! Do we ever really think about what that means? Yes, we are for God, we believe in God, we should follow God, follow His Word, do the right things, etc. blah blah blah. Do we realize that GOD IS ON OUR SIDE???? He is for us and wants to work IN US, if we let Him. What a wonderful thought! God is so faithful (we know that) and He is FOR US! WOW! Think about that…..no list of rules so that He will like us……no steps to take before He will decide to be for us……no requirements just to talk to Him……..all we need is a willing heart, a seeking heart, that realizes Who He is and who we are – a child of His. No, that is not a list of steps, just a meltdown of the heart realizing that our Father in heaven is the best DAD EVER!

Challenge: Seek Him daily and moment by moment. Talk to Him constantly through the day. Be open to hear His voice in everything you do, yes everything! From walking through the halls at school or work, driving, getting a parking spot, opening a door for someone, and on and on it goes…..

Memorize: Romans 8:31b “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

*In order to be a child of God, you must place your faith in Jesus Christ. He died for your sins (and mine) and you (we) need a Savior. Otherwise, we would be punished forever – separated from God eternally and in hell FOREVER. (Lake of Fire later, but that’s another subject). Accept, trust, believe (however you want to say it) in Christ, that He died for YOU and He can save YOU! You can do that right now wherever you are sitting, standing, etc.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says that He died, was buried and rose again on the third day.

WHY? For you and me!

FORGIVENESS

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Jesus said that we should forgive seventy times seven. What does that mean? Jesus was actually saying to forgive and forgive and forgive - constantly and consistently. Doesn't that seem ridiculous? How can we keep forgiving without being a "wimp"? Shouldn't we at least "teach that person a lesson" or stand up to the one hurting us? "God just does not understand what I am going through!" Oh, really......hmmmmm.

There are people in our lives that just seem like they do not deserve forgiveness. How can God ask us to forgive these people? They have hurt us so deeply. Sometimes, the hurt seems intentional. And other times, these people just do not have the common courtesy to think about what they have are doing. There are people we do not want to forgive because we want to hang on to this "feeling" of being a victim. We hold it over the head of the guilty party in order to control them or at least make them FEEL guilty. We tell ourselves that we have done no wrong because we are not retaliating, we are not out to get them, and so we are fine with "holding" this precious "hurt" that we have. And then we do not forgive. Why? It reminds us that we do not like this person. OR possibly the hurt helps us receive sympathy from others; OR we share in some misery with a crowd of "victims" or at best win the prize of "I've been hurt the most, so please give me all the attention". So, really not forgiving is a failure in our lives that we want to hold; we can hide it and then we bring it out occasionally to remind ourselves that we are better than the ones who hurt us. Maybe having this "hurt" in our back pocket is comforting. We "prove" that "No one likes me" and "everyone is out to get me".

Whatever, the case, forgiveness is a command from God. It is also something God freely did at the Cross. He forgave ALL our sins. He did not question any sin individually. They were just poured out on Jesus Christ at the Cross - not one sin was scrutinized to see if it should be forgiven. It was just forgiven - enough said!

Colossians 3:13 says: "Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."

So we are to forgive others as Christ forgave everyone else (even that person who has hurt you). All the wrongs in the world have been forgiven at the Cross. Not by us, but by God the Father - Who GAVE HIS ONLY SON to die for those sins and transgressions! How can we do this? It seems impossible! By the strength of the Holy Spirit living in us. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us. We cannot forgive from our human strength (flesh) but we can forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 says that we need to walk in the Spirit and we WILL NOT walk in the flesh. It's a choice.
(John 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 8:9 and many more references talk about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.) Is there anything in your life right now that is blocking God, the Holy Spirit from being in charge of your everyday walk? Any sins, any attitudes, any rebellion, etc.? Examine your life and give it all to the Lord. He will give you the strength to fulfill His commands, especially the one about forgiveness. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Why Blog?

Everyone is blogging. So why another blog? Do people blog because they want their opinion out there and they want attention or evaluation? IDK. (Evaluation seems subjective and scary.) Or do these people just want to vent? Maybe. Could it be that bloggers are using the internet to test the waters - see if anyone agrees with them? Or maybe they are asking for accolades to their new-found idea(s). There are so many reasons to write one's thoughts, facts, reports, etc. in order for the "masses" or better yet the "grassroots" people to read. There are even blogs that are totally untrue - oh that would be LIES, wouldn't it? Well, to be honest, this blog will be just plain honest thoughts from this author and other friends - friends who have attended SEYC and other ministries that are connected to SEYC. The purpose of Xtreme Nergy? Just to stay in touch with YOU! We hope and pray that these few biblically based comments will spur you on to asking for more. More what? More of God, more of Jesus, more of being led by the Holy Spirit! How will this blog do that? THIS BLOG actually will not "spur you on" - God's Word WILL! And you will, too. Because you have a choice - to read and study or not to. Xtreme Nergy is just a reminder to stay in God's Word daily - through Bible study (from your church or a solid Bible teacher) and to have an alone time with God each day (reading His Word and praying). This blog is not an end in itself - it's just a "Hello, how are you doing mentally and spiritually?" Why? Because we love all of you and care for you. When you have the time please look up these verses:
Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:10-12; Hebrews 3:13; 1 Peter 4:11
And here is what I'm talking about:
Hebrews 10:23-25 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may SPUR ONE ANOTHER on toward love and good deeds.Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day coming." (emphasis, mine)

And that's all I have to say about that. Thanks for listening. We appreciate any comments.