"It’s all about the theoretical becoming experiential."

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life (Kindle Location 945). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I at the age of five on a Sunday morning in my Grandma Williams’ church in Fairview, Oklahoma asked Jesus to come into my heart. It was a very real experience even though I was very young. Now I asked Him to forgive my sins because I knew that was a part of the process but at five I was not a great sinner. So for many years forgiveness was theoretical until I went through what I call my three year jerk time. After asking God to forgive me it was more than a theory it was an experience. I realized what it meant to be forgiven. 1 John 1:9 (NIV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” became very real to me.

I like how Mark puts it. “When you first read a verse of Scripture, it’s nothing more than a theory because you haven’t personally experienced it yet. Until you experience it for yourself, God’s grace is theoretical. Once you experience it, it becomes the reality that redefines your life. The same is true of His promises. You have to prove them by putting them into practice. Then when God delivers, theory becomes reality. So over time, the Bible becomes less theoretical and more experiential. Verse by verse, the Bible becomes your spiritual reality — a reality that is far more real than the reality you can perceive with your five senses.”

Is the Bible real to you or is it just a theory? Have you been in a situation where you had no control and that you had to really trust that God was in your life and where you had to “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV). That verse because very real to us when we found out that Margaret had cancer. And it has been very real to us many different times in our lives.

I hope your relationship with Christ isn’t just a theory but that it is real. That it isn’t something that you just know about but that you live it out every day.

Please let Him have you totally. Really experience Him in your life and your life will totally become what Jesus came to do where He said in John 10:10 (NIV), “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Have you experienced that yet?

Comments

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog