A Makeover

Had to write on this! Sometimes I see something and really get a desire to write something on it. I saw this brief artlcle yesterday. There is this singer that was on Britian's Idol show that is similar to American Idol where music stars are discovered. Her name is Susan Boyle. She is a lady from Scotland who wore old clothes and had a kinda "older" hair style. Think of Jessica Simpson on one end of the scale and Susan Boyle all the way on the other end. Anyway she can sing and she got "discovered". Actually it is a bit of a scam I think, believe Simon knew of her, and it is a money making venture-which plays into the story. See Susan got this makeover, wish you could see the before and after. She looks quite different! Susan got a new hair style, she got her bushy eyebrows trimmed, she put on a leather jacket and boy O boy does Susan look like a "new Susan". It is quite stunning actually what makeovers can do. Susan is now more than ready to sell thousands of CD's and make her and Simon tons of money! (That is a another topic-another day-greed) but anyway back to my writing.
The thing that sticks out to me is that a makeover can do NOTHING--I repeat NOTHING. Ok bear with me I want to do this--N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!!!!!!!!. I'm trying to give emphasis here-thanks for bearing with me. But a makeover cannot do a thing for the INSIDE. Yes it's only a change that brings the outside to more beauty. A makeover changed for instance Susan's hair, eyebrows, clothes makeup, whatever else they did. She is now an outside stunner, is she an inside stunner? What people need, and I don't know Susan Boyle, but what people need is a HEART makeover. That change that comes from the inside -out. Not from the outside-in. Susan I'm positve felt better for an hour or so, maybe even 4 or 5 hours, but after that did she see that she still has some form of issues that the leather jacket could not help with??
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes. Yet is not washed from its filthiness (Prov 30.12). Again Im not judging Susan, she is just the focal point in the news. But people need a washing from filthiness. An INSIDE change that only comes from a pure relationship with the living God. I think God is about the heart. It is fine to want to look nice, but the externals the way we look to others is not key! No its not what is key in life. To God the lowest of the low are the highest in his eyes. Does the world understand that what matters most is not how Susan looks on the outside, but what matters is the heart of Susan Boyle and millions of others? I dont think the world around us gets it. I must say I think that beauty is king. I cant help but feel that way.
No room to go into here all biblical passages that focus on the fact that Jesus liked to hang with those who were the least in society. Jesus could care less what a person looks like on the outside. It is of zero concern to the One who was able to pierce into the depths of us.

check this hope out!

Was reading this morning in Hebrews 7 the latter part and then the first part of Heb 8. The word speaks of Jesus in His priestly role.. Heb 8.6 says "Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises."
Here is the hope for the believer-Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, taking our business to the Father for us. Jesus is different from the priests of old. They were human. Jesus is the God-man. Jesus is a "greater kind" of priest for us. Jesus ministers in the "heavenly Tabernacle"(Heb8.2) which is no earthly Tabernacle. O the glory of this God-man. O how we ought to love Him so for how Glorious He is! Jesus has a superior ministry (Heb 8.6) which means He can take care of things that the human priests could not. These passages show that Jesus is to be lifted high, to be exalted. See-Jesus is so many things to me, to us-Redeemer, Friend, Shepherd, the Light of the world, he is Truth, etc. These words in Hebrews point out the Majestic side. We have a savior who is our all in all. He has us covered at every point! How often do we think of how Jesus ministers TO us , ministers ON our behalf? Jesus is for us friends, Sweet Jesus said "you have given me a body to offer" (Heb 10.5) Oh the care in his eyes, What would our lives look like if we lived as if we knew that Jesus looks on us with that kind of care each hour of the day? Could we live in more peace? more joy? Maybe have a greater hatred of sin, which always misses the mark? We are being made holy (Heb 10.14) as we more and more lay our lives at the feet of King Jesus-the only priest we need, the One who loves us with a love which is so great that I think it is difficult for us to fully comprehend.

Choices

How many choices do we make each day? Quite a few huh? Eat here or eat there? Watch this show or watch that show? Buy this or buy that? Spend this much or not that much? Some are big, some seem real small. I see more and more that life just sends me choice after choice. Now the biggest choice in life is to choose life in Jesus or non life in Jesus. Theologians and psychologist and the like will say there is much more to the decision than that. But I'm telling you folks I have to make the decision each day to follow Jesus and so does everyone else. I want to get to the point in my life whereby my decision for Jesus and others is foremost on my mind. In the end nothing else matters other than what people decide about Jesus. He died and rose again and it is the responsibility of believers to share the Good News that Jesus is alive. I have failed miserably in sharing hope with others, and I confess that. But I will not be chained to my past , and I resolve to be a man who shares Jesus with others. I'm saying in these days that I want to lay it all on the line for Jesus, He died for me, what more could he do? The cross was stained with blood, there is no denying that reality, and since that is true, it requires a reaction and a decision to be made. What are you going to do about the blood shed? I will keep you posted here on how I'm living my calling.

Poem out of the blue tonite

The Freedom I Seek

O Lord wasted days and wasted nights? How long?
How long O My Lord?
Regret the night away? O No not even a hint
Prisoner to myself?
O no, must end today
Freedom?
Yes Ive heard of such, such that is so glorious
No longer a life unto just me
strains to find my only way
to be gone
Outside of me, yes that is where Freedom
is waiting
To find me
A letting go? But how so?
Yes! to let it go-then to come back to me
In a fuller kinda way
worry not-fret not-look
to me
Listen!
Freedom calls

Looking for a better place

Hebrews 11.16-"they were looking for a better place,a heavenly homeland". I think I will get there-heaven that is. Now first of all, I'm not overly anxious to get there I must admit. Even as bad a place as this ol world here is, I want to meet my mate God has for me, I want to see UK win another NCAA basketball championship, I want to meet more good friends, I want to eat more good steaks from my brother in laws restuarant, I want to lay out by beaches and so on, you get the idea. But the other day I had to drive 515 miles in my trucking job with my back in great pain. Somewhere along the line with anguish on my face I said-man in heaven no more back pain like this, no more lonely times, no more aches all over in my body and in my soul. The Bible is so true isn't it? It says we will have troubles here on earth, and I've had my share. What if I began to live as each day is my last day here? Would I treat people better? Would I laugh more? Would I seek to reach out to others with the gospel message more? Maybe I should try that. Just lay it all on the line each day. Mostly I just keep to myself, I think I keep too much inside when a world around me is dying. Lord what about the people I run across who put no hope in a heaven beyond this world? Lord will you work thru me to reach these people in some way? Just a word Lord to them, use just one word I may say to them. I guess I just want to live more like an alien. Kinda like I'm a stranger down here in Kentucky. Oh bear with me, I think I will get there, but it will only come with engrossing myself in God's Word-I admit so little I read it. Oh bear with me folks-Who wants to join me in becoming aliens? It's difficult to picture the afterlife-but it will be a much better place. No lonlieness there at all. Anybody else longing like me?