In the Bible Bee gift bags, Voice of the Martyrs gave the senior contestants a copy of Jesus Freaks: Martyrs. A few days ago, I had a little extra time and decided to read for a few minutes. About 100 pages later, I finally put the book down.
For some of the stories, they listed the ages of the martyrs. They were teenagers–just "kids" our age! Like the Jeremiahs and Timothys in the Bible, they were not afraid to proclaim the Gospel even when they knew it would be their death sentence. Not all the "Christians" stood firm during persecution, though; some counted this life above that which is to come.
Have you ever imagined what you would say if someone pointed a gun at you and asked if you were a Christian? I like to think that I would say yes, not caring what the consequences would be. But then I think of Peter, the apostle who said that even if all were made to stumble because of Jesus, he would never be made to stumble (Matthew 26). We read Peter’s story and wonder how–after declaring how much he loved Jesus and how he would never desert him–he could be so afraid of being associated with Jesus that he told a little servant girl that he didn’t know Him. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Many of us would say that we are more than willing to die for Jesus, but how many of us are really prepared to live for Him? Jesus didn’t define a Christian as "one who will die for Me" (although being a Christian sometimes includes that), but as "one who takes up his cross daily and follows Me" (Luke 9:23, emphasis added). We’re ready to die for Jesus or suffer for Him, but we’re not always ready to take up the daily little crosses. How many times a day do you deny Christ by not wholeheartedly following His commands? I doubt I could even count how often I disobey Him. As Paul said, "For me, to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). The rest of that verse says, "and to die is gain." Sometimes it’s easier to think about dying for Him and receiving the gain of being with Him instead of present tense living for Him. If we think that saying we are willing to die for Jesus proves our love for Him when we are not willing to live for Him, we need to examine our hearts. Ask Him to help you learn to deny yourself and live for Him every day. The Greek word martys does not mean only one who dies for his faith, but also one who bears witness of his faith. You can be a martyr for Jesus while you’re still alive! Don’t wait for the day you die to prove your love for Him–let your life be a shining testimony to the world; show everyone what it means to have the Love of God alive in your heart!
Showing posts with label Greek root words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek root words. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Happily ever after
My family has a tradition of setting aside Friday evening as family night. We research the latest BBC adaptions of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, and all our other favorite authors, and then count the days till we get to watch the movie. When the day finally comes, we leave 21st century America and travel to old England. We become so engrossed in the movie that someone listening to our conversations would think that Lizzie Bennet, Horatio Hornblower, Molly Gibson, and Arthur Clennam were our best friends.
This last Friday, after finishing Our Mutual Friend, I was thinking about how nice happy endings are. All the good people end up happily married, and all the bad guys end up either dead or unhappy bachelors (since of course in English drama the married state represents ultimate bliss). With Dickens, it feels a lot more complex, but it generally boils down to that=) Something in us longs for a happy ending. When a bad guy gets what’s good and a good guy gets what’s bad, our sense of justice starts yelling at the author. We want a good ending. God made us that way. He, the Author of life, promises us that He has already written a happy ending for us.
Revelation 21:4-5--And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
In Bible Bee the past few weeks, we’ve been studying about inheritance, salvation, and suffering. In a good story, the good people end with some sort of inheritance or treasure that usually comes about through a redemptive process. Normally, the redemptive process involves suffering. Why do we enjoy watching good characters suffer? Through the suffering, they grow up into stronger characters. They become deserving of the happy ending–the inheritance–that we sincerely hope will happen.
In real life, we don’t usually go through a challenging year and then find ourselves possessors of large fortunes. The inheritance that we’ve been promised isn’t an earthly inheritance; we will only find it in heaven. Oftentimes, we hear Romans 8:28 quoted to us when we’re struggling. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Why do good people suffer? What about the trial that never results in any good? God doesn’t promise us that He will make all things work together for good in our lifetime; He promises is that He will make all things work together for good in His plan. Sometimes the good doesn't come till after our lifetime; we see the good when we are in heaven. Maybe Dickens wrote a good chapter-long ending at the end of 600 pages, but God promises a good ending for all of eternity! Praise God for His promises!
This last Friday, after finishing Our Mutual Friend, I was thinking about how nice happy endings are. All the good people end up happily married, and all the bad guys end up either dead or unhappy bachelors (since of course in English drama the married state represents ultimate bliss). With Dickens, it feels a lot more complex, but it generally boils down to that=) Something in us longs for a happy ending. When a bad guy gets what’s good and a good guy gets what’s bad, our sense of justice starts yelling at the author. We want a good ending. God made us that way. He, the Author of life, promises us that He has already written a happy ending for us.
Revelation 21:4-5--And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
In Bible Bee the past few weeks, we’ve been studying about inheritance, salvation, and suffering. In a good story, the good people end with some sort of inheritance or treasure that usually comes about through a redemptive process. Normally, the redemptive process involves suffering. Why do we enjoy watching good characters suffer? Through the suffering, they grow up into stronger characters. They become deserving of the happy ending–the inheritance–that we sincerely hope will happen.
In real life, we don’t usually go through a challenging year and then find ourselves possessors of large fortunes. The inheritance that we’ve been promised isn’t an earthly inheritance; we will only find it in heaven. Oftentimes, we hear Romans 8:28 quoted to us when we’re struggling. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Why do good people suffer? What about the trial that never results in any good? God doesn’t promise us that He will make all things work together for good in our lifetime; He promises is that He will make all things work together for good in His plan. Sometimes the good doesn't come till after our lifetime; we see the good when we are in heaven. Maybe Dickens wrote a good chapter-long ending at the end of 600 pages, but God promises a good ending for all of eternity! Praise God for His promises!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Charitoo...honored with grace
Do you remember what the angel first called Mary? Highly favored one. He greeted her by calling her the highly favored of the Lord. Wow–wouldn’t that be amazing? To have God’s own messenger come down from heaven and say that you were the favored one of God!
The Greek word that is used there is charitoo, which means “to make graceful; encompass with favor; to honor with blessings.” That definitely describes Mary! She who was a common Jewish girl became the mother of the King of creation. She was given the greatest honor a woman could be given. The name “highly favored one” fits her perfectly.
Charitoo is only used one other time in the Bible. If you were a Bible Bee junior or senior last year, you probably memorized this verse. Do you know who it describes? You! Ephesians 1:6–To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. He made us accepted, He encompassed us with favor, He honored us with the blessing of becoming His child. Is that not the very definition of a Christian? We are honored with blessings! We are also the highly favored ones of the Lord! Think about that for a minute...isn’t it amazing? The King of Kings chose us to be His people and accepted us. That is almost too incredible to be true!
People probably honor and respect Mary more than any other woman in the history of the world. She was the mother of God. Can you think of any greater honor? Yet, the honor that was given to her is described in the same phrase that was used to describe the Ephesian Christians...the same term that describes us as Christians. We are given an equally great honor–we are the children of God (1 John 1:3). Does that make us–or Mary–perfect? No, we are all still sinners, but God has encompassed us with favor and filled us with His grace. He chose us to carry His Light in a dark world. Just as Mary, the highly favored (charitoo) of the Lord, brought Jesus into the world, we, the ones He made accepted (charitoo) proclaim Him to the world. What higher honor, what greater blessing, can be given to us than to bear His name and carry His Light to the farthest corners of the earth? Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you (Luke 1:28)!
The Greek word that is used there is charitoo, which means “to make graceful; encompass with favor; to honor with blessings.” That definitely describes Mary! She who was a common Jewish girl became the mother of the King of creation. She was given the greatest honor a woman could be given. The name “highly favored one” fits her perfectly.
Charitoo is only used one other time in the Bible. If you were a Bible Bee junior or senior last year, you probably memorized this verse. Do you know who it describes? You! Ephesians 1:6–To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. He made us accepted, He encompassed us with favor, He honored us with the blessing of becoming His child. Is that not the very definition of a Christian? We are honored with blessings! We are also the highly favored ones of the Lord! Think about that for a minute...isn’t it amazing? The King of Kings chose us to be His people and accepted us. That is almost too incredible to be true!
People probably honor and respect Mary more than any other woman in the history of the world. She was the mother of God. Can you think of any greater honor? Yet, the honor that was given to her is described in the same phrase that was used to describe the Ephesian Christians...the same term that describes us as Christians. We are given an equally great honor–we are the children of God (1 John 1:3). Does that make us–or Mary–perfect? No, we are all still sinners, but God has encompassed us with favor and filled us with His grace. He chose us to carry His Light in a dark world. Just as Mary, the highly favored (charitoo) of the Lord, brought Jesus into the world, we, the ones He made accepted (charitoo) proclaim Him to the world. What higher honor, what greater blessing, can be given to us than to bear His name and carry His Light to the farthest corners of the earth? Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you (Luke 1:28)!
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