NEW BEGINNINGS
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Here I am sitting beside a swimming pool in Miami , Florida , thinking of new beginnings and it is 6:30 Eastern time. I have been up for about an hour and one half. Some think I have lost my marbles, I won't say who that someone is. I had some notes written on paper but they are packed away with my Bible in a piece of luggage, where I don't know. So I will try to remember what I was thinking on...oh, yes, it was about having it all together. Some people seem to really have their act all together, something I could never really say. Just when I think I've got it together some thing comes up to remind me just how fallible I am. Some character flaw like stupidity, anger....me? Yes, me. For instance what's a guy in his right mind doing writing a blog at this hour? Good point.My friend Coffee might understand ...maybe.But my musings takes me to the story Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Now if anyone could say he had his act together it was the Pharisee. After all ...he had a lot to be thankful for.He wasn't like other men (that's a blessing in itself), why he paid tithes, he fasted often, and most importantly he was not like this scumbag beside him...the tax collector. I bet he looked pious (hope you know that word). You can read this account in Luke chapter 18 starting at verse nine (look it up) He had it all together, ...Yes! Then there was the publican...the tax collector, the sinner. The scumbag..That’s what the modern Pharisee might call him. He beat his chest in humiliation and his only prayer was the only one God heard that day...God...be merciful to me a sinner...God, please forgive my sins. He showed us what repentance is. It starts with confession.. I AM A SINNER! Jesus said that he went away justified or just as if he had never sinned. He got his act together, only it was not an act as the Pharisee's was but rather it was an act of faith. If you are reading this blog today and you have sinned, the Bible says that all have sinned, you can confess your sins and Jesus, is faithful and just and He will forgive you and cleanse you and thatHe will come in to your heart and fellowship with you. He will save you and He will keep you.
Make today your new beginnings, it’s not a shame to confess your sins to Jesus…do it today.Cast your care upon Him. I would welcome your comments...RC
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Here I am sitting beside a swimming pool in Miami , Florida , thinking of new beginnings and it is 6:30 Eastern time. I have been up for about an hour and one half. Some think I have lost my marbles, I won't say who that someone is. I had some notes written on paper but they are packed away with my Bible in a piece of luggage, where I don't know. So I will try to remember what I was thinking on...oh, yes, it was about having it all together. Some people seem to really have their act all together, something I could never really say. Just when I think I've got it together some thing comes up to remind me just how fallible I am. Some character flaw like stupidity, anger....me? Yes, me. For instance what's a guy in his right mind doing writing a blog at this hour? Good point.My friend Coffee might understand ...maybe.But my musings takes me to the story Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Now if anyone could say he had his act together it was the Pharisee. After all ...he had a lot to be thankful for.He wasn't like other men (that's a blessing in itself), why he paid tithes, he fasted often, and most importantly he was not like this scumbag beside him...the tax collector. I bet he looked pious (hope you know that word). You can read this account in Luke chapter 18 starting at verse nine (look it up) He had it all together, ...Yes! Then there was the publican...the tax collector, the sinner. The scumbag..That’s what the modern Pharisee might call him. He beat his chest in humiliation and his only prayer was the only one God heard that day...God...be merciful to me a sinner...God, please forgive my sins. He showed us what repentance is. It starts with confession.. I AM A SINNER! Jesus said that he went away justified or just as if he had never sinned. He got his act together, only it was not an act as the Pharisee's was but rather it was an act of faith. If you are reading this blog today and you have sinned, the Bible says that all have sinned, you can confess your sins and Jesus, is faithful and just and He will forgive you and cleanse you and thatHe will come in to your heart and fellowship with you. He will save you and He will keep you.
Make today your new beginnings, it’s not a shame to confess your sins to Jesus…do it today.Cast your care upon Him. I would welcome your comments...RC
posted by Randall | 5:02 a.m.
3 Comments:
Most……if not all of us seem to have [split personalities ] which we are able to change from one to another at will ….Pharisee…..a person who makes a show of religion rather than following its spirit…..a person who considers himself or herself much better than others.
Tax collector….a person who collects [tax ] weather the taxed can afford to pay or not made no difference [people hated the tax collector ]
We all seem to have these personalities…….and more
But
Scumbag….the lowest sort of people….a worthless person
This fits us all much better ….we are all the same what we do about it is what counts….what do we do…..easy…..
Make everyday a new beginning……confess to god…..repent
But most of all remember……when you fail and we all do
Every day is a new day….so if you want to be in the Pink
Remember
JESUS…..loves all the little “SCUMBAGS “ of the world
Coffee
hello again,
Pharisee,do we have these in today's church?People who can quote
scriptures,but don't know that their bad attitudes,and gossiping
tongues are against every thing the
scriptures tell us.
People who can see sin in every body's life but not their own.
People who live in the world all
week,but think that because they
are in church on Sunday that they
are better than their neighbor.
The tax collector, The one that
knows he sinned and asked for God's
forgivness.
The one who sees sin in others,and
has compassion for them.
The one that thinks it is better
to pray for someone and not talk
about them.
You know what,I like the scumbag
better. Let's pray for our church
to be filled with them.We don't
need more holier- than- thou people
just sinners that are trusting
God to see them through.
C.M.
Very sobering thoughts. I have been running them over and over in my mind over the past several hours.
And, I relate very much to the thoughts of the "commentors" too.
When I first read your blog, I got stuck on the SINNER comment. And, I am still there.
I began thinking that we are pretty much like the addict or the alcoholic, who at their meetings, must stand and introduct themselves as I am so and so, and I am an alcoholic. With the thought, that once an alcoholic, always and alcoholic. That is similar to us, we are sinners, always will be sinners. Therefore, we must be "repent - ers" - repenting often, and daily, for our sins.
Thank God for His grace and for His plan to reconcile us - even in our sin. But only as we repent.
Again, sobering . . .
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