Posts Tagged ‘ Kill ’
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10, ESV
We don’t have to live in fear, knowing that God has defeated Satan and the lower of this world through the cross.
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Matthew 2:16, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came, and the first powerful person to hear about him reacted … violently
Have things really changed?
We still react to God in violent and nasty ways, usually against each other. When we get upset, we attack God by attacking His image found in each of us.
We demean each other, mock and ridicule and belittle each other. We kill and mutilate ourselves and each other, our children, our elderly and infirm.
All of this is our attempt to push away and destroy God from in our lives.
And we all do it.
Herod wanted to destroy Christ, but he was only fulfilling prophecy.
Christ came to save us, and it meant living in this fallen world with all of its dangers and temptations.
But He did not give in, and turned our anger and violence into the tools to save us.
Let us respect the image of God in each other, turning to the One who took on our image to redeem us.
May we seek the Lord who works in the midst of our sin to redeem us from sin.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverb 18:21, ESV
God spoke to create us.
The Word came to save us.
Let us choose to share the words of life with the world rather than to bite and hurt each other with our words.
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
1 Peter 3:13, ESV
We expect persecution and mocking if we follow Christ, but the worst they can do is kill us. If we die, we join Christ in glory.
“no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:17, ESV
When found in Christ, the worst people can do to us is kill us, for they would be sending us to God.
And we have truth on our side, so we can preach with boldness.
a simple man of God 