Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

april 25
Friday


IT'S NOT
A GAME

READ:
Mark 8:31-38
______________________________

Whoever desires to
come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow
Me. __Mark 8:34
______________________________

My former neighbor often talked about "the game of life," and I can understand why he did. It's part of human nature to approach life as one big game made up of a lot of little games. Competing can be fun, exciting, and stimulating.

But life is a whole lot more than a game--especially for a follower of Jesus Christ. When a believer needs to own the biggest house, drive the largest SUV, get the promotion first, and win every argument, something's terribly wrong from God's point of view. It's not right to run over people's feelings, bend or break the rules, and gloat over victories.

To approach life as one big game that you always have to win is to live in hopeless delusion and fantasy. While material possessions, professional success, and personal victories are enjoyable, they last only for this life. Then they're all left behind.

Jesus instructed his disciples to deny themselves, identify with His cross, and follow Him in self-denial, and for some that even meant death (Mark 8:34-35). He made it clear to His disciples that artificial victories in "the game of life" don't count for much. What really counts is what's done for the Lord. __Dave Egner
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``````````````````If I have but Jesus, only Jesus__````````````````
`````````````````Nothing else in all the world beside__`````````````
`````````````````O then everything is mine in Jesus;```````````````
````````````For my needs and more He will provide. __Olander```````
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Those who live for God
are the real winners in life.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Mark 8:31-38*************

31 And He began to teach
them that the Son of Man
must suffer many things,
and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and after three
days rise again. 32 He spoke
this word openly. Then Peter
took Him aside and began to
rebuke Him.

33 But when He had turned
around and looked at His
disciples, He rebuked Peter,
saying, "Get behind Me,
Satan! For you are not
mindful of things of
God, but the things of men."

34 When He had called the
people to Himself, with His
disciples also, He said to
them, "Whoever desires to
come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me. 35 For
whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake
and the gospel's will save it.

36 For what will it profit a
man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own
soul? 37 Or what will a man
give in exchange for his
soul? 38 For whoever is
ashamed of Me and My
words in this adulterous and
sinful generation,of him the
Son of Man also will be
ashamed when He comes in
the glory of His Father with
the holy angels."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHTS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The term "Son of Man," used about 80 times in the Gospels, is used
exclusively by Jesus to refer to Himself. The prophet Daniel makes
it clear that the "Son of Man" is a Messianic title (Dan. 7:13-14).
When Caiaphas the high priest demanded, "Tell us if You are the
Christ, the Son of God" (Matt. 26:63), Jesus referred back to the
apocalyptic vision of Daniel: "It is as you said.... Hereafter you
will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and
coming on the clouds of heaven" (v.64). __Sim Kay Tee

[realtmg]

As I have grown older and know the day is closer to when my Lord calls me Home; I know that I have lived most of my life backslidden. I think it says in Romans 1 to not be ashamed of the gospel. The Word is True and lives now and into Eternity. Love is the ultimate and He is love.

Thanks for sharing,

Real