Wednesday, May 13, 2009

5-13 Like a Fish out of Water

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Big machines are good! Love them. I got to drive the backhoe yesterday. Evie asked me to bring it over and tear out a shrub she didn’t want. It came out way too easy. I like something a bit more challenging. Then I tore out a trellis covered with ivy dumped the ivy on our bank… it will be a nice stream bank protection. And then the fun began. I stretched a little too far and moved the front deck AND the front sidewalk an inch away from the house! The sidewalk! Can you believe that? Things seldom move back to the spot where they came from, so I was a little concerned, but I fired up the hoe and pushed her back! Just like that, it was the way it should be. Surprise, surprise! Now there was some fun.

Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 20: 24-42; Hosea 9; Romans 17
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com

Today’s thought comes from 1 Corinthians 15: 50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

How do you get to heaven? A Sunday School teacher once asked that question to a group of grade school boys, and one of them shouted, “That’s easy! First you’ve got to die!” True… but not exactly the answer we were looking for. Our verse for today says that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God!” Simply put, us mere humans in our flawed, sinful state are not capable, nor qualified to be in heaven. It would be like a tuna fish trying to live in the Himalayan Mountains! Sure the mountains are nice, but the rocky crags are not the environment for fish! They need water, they are not capable of long hikes on snow covered trails. It would take quite a trick of transformational metamorphosis, or perhaps an out of water scuba suit for fish, for the Tuna to live on land. A guy named Nick came to Jesus by night and asked Him about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him, “unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom.” We need a transformation to make us capable and qualified for heaven. A heavenly scuba suit is not available. We must be born again “of spirit” if we want heaven thrown in. The reason? Every man, woman and child is a sinner, and sin is not allowed in heaven. A sinful human being is no more capable of breathing in heaven’s environment than a fish out of water. But even more pertinent, God’s presence is a consuming fire with early warning sensors. Any sin is immediately incinerated if it even approaches His presence. We are not capable nor qualified in our present state to go to heaven. We need to be born again. How’s it done? You must become a child of God by simple faith. Trust Jesus. Ask Him to forgive your sins and “save” you. It’s the only way. Once “saved” you’ll be singing a brand new tune, and then you won’t be like a fish out of water.

Dear Lord Jesus. I trust you for my hope of Eternal Life. I realize that I am a sinner unable to come into your presence. I ask you to transform me and make me like You. Please forgive me for even trying to get to God my own way instead of yours. I want to be born again. I thank you for Your death on the cross that paid my penalty of sin so that I don’t have to. I am trusting You.

Whoever believes in Him will never be put to shame.

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