Only Jesus Can do Jesus Stuff

Only Jesus Can do Jesus Stuff

Wherefore he [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 – AKJV)

Marsha Horn, one of my followers on Twitter posted the following on her Twitter page:

Eat, Pray and Be Happy! (Only Jesus can do Jesus stuff)

I applaud this; it is a joy to find new ways to restate eternal truths in a way that may capture peoples’ attention, and help them see how truly amazing Jesus is.

Only Jesus can do Jesus stuff

So, what is this “stuff” Jesus can do, that no one else can do?

The first, and perhaps the one dearest to our hearts is:

FORGIVENESS

There is a very real reason only Jesus can dispense forgiveness to a lost world. You see forgiveness comes at a great cost; sin is a horrible reality, and must be paid for. In the moral universe forgiveness is not a cheap commodity that can be casually given to anyone who asks for it.

There are only two ways of paying for the sin you and I have committed – either we must pay for it ourselves, which will cost separation from God for all eternity – or Someone Else must pay for it. Forgiveness for our sins can only come at the price of the shedding of blood:

And according to the Law, [one may] almost [say], all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22 – NASB)

Jesus shed His own blood on the cross to pay for our sins, and therefore becomes the only One through Whom God can forgives us our sins:

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 – NASB)

The next “stuff” only Jesus can do is:

CLEANSING

…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9 – AKJV)

Not only did Jesus shed His own blood to procure forgiveness for us, but he goes a step further and grants cleansing. We are not just forgiven sinners, condemned to continue our sinful lifestyle; by confessing our sins we have forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness.

If that were not enough, Jesus is also the only One Who can assure us a place in:

HEAVEN

Because Jesus has paid for all that can keep us out of Heaven, He is the only One Who can a place in Heaven:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. (John 14:1-3 – AKJV)

There is a whole lot more “stuff” only Jesus can do, and it will take us the rest of our lives to explore it all. Indeed, we will never get to the end of it in this life; we will need all of eternity to gain even a small appreciation of all has done for us.

So Much More

(© Wednesday 18^th November 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

There is so much more Jesus can give,

To those hungry hearts who seek Him,

If only they give Him their wills,

And dare each day to believe Him.

There are many go only so far,

As is needed to just make do;

The treasures of Grace are so vast –

Always available to you.

There’s so much more you can still claim,

On the grounds of mount Calvary;

Don’t starve- a treasure awaits you –

For all of God’s blessings are free.

So much more if you’ll only seek them,

Christ’s opened so many new doors;

Just hunger and thirst to find Him,

All treasures of Heaven are yours.

Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
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Forgiven by unknown. Shared on flickr by “Lynn ~ Off and On.” Copyright. Used under the CC by ND 2.0 license: please note the Disclaimer at this link. We have made no changes to this photo as found on the flickr link, above.

A Significant Event

A Significant Event

When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5 – NASB)

There is really no such thing as a casual meeting with anyone; every time we meet someone it is a significant event.

Becoming a disciple, or follower, of Jesus, is a life-changing event – it is meant to filter down into every aspect of our lives.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 – NASB)

Now I know hate is a strong word, but what would you call considering another person, for whom Christ died, of less worth than yourself? I think hate, as a definition, comes pretty close to the mark.

Devaluing another human being in any way raises the question as to whether our love for God is genuine or not. We need the Holy Spirit to adjust our vision so we see another human being automatically adjust. We see them as loved by God, and therefore objects of our own love as well. Once that happens every meeting with another human being will be a significant event. Our hearts will engage as well as our eyes.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of [the] law. (Romans 13:8-10 – NASB)

Everyone is Special

(© 7^th May 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 – NASB)

Everyone we meet, is special;

Be he beggar or king, ‘tis true,

That God has sent him in that moment

To be a test for me – and you.

There are no accidents in life,

At least not of this shape and kind;

When I meet a man or woman –

It is a test of heart and mind.

When we meet a stranger, brother,

Sister, when we just shake his hand;

God has brought him to our notice

For a purpose both good and grand.

It may be to meet his dire need,

Or to learn a truth not yet learned;

It could be to make us humble,

Or to receive a rebuke you’ve earned.

There’s a purpose in every meeting,

That for sure has been God-ordained,

But you cannot know that purpose,

If by pride your heart’s been stained.

You have to be open-hearted

To each person you meet abroad;

You have to believe God loves them

As He tells in His Holy Word.

Never take for granted, my friend,

That some souls are of little worth;

For the price Christ paid to save them

Is enough to prove their true worth.

 Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
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“Young Love at the Malt Shop” by Kevin Simpson from Goleta, USA – As the elderly disapprove. Uploaded by JohnnyMrNinja. Copyright. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; please note the Disclaimer at this link. We have made no changes to this photograph.

What you Love Will Change You”

What you Love Will Change You”

(Picture of Chihuahua held in hand)

 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2 – AKJV)

I heard about a woman in the advance stages of Anorexia who was on the point of dying. She had virtually given up the will to live.

This woman’s sister, desperate to do something to help her conceived the idea of giving her a pet to care for. At first her gift did not appear to change things, but gradually, as love for the animal took hold of her she began to be concerned for what would happen to her pet if she died. Fear of what would happen to her animal friend so took hold of her it overwhelmed her fear of putting on weight. She began to eat and was eventually restored to full health. Love for her pet had transformed her in both body and mind.

The above example shows the positive result of learning to love some living creature other than yourself. It can transform your life – positively.

There are, however, negative consequences of loving someone or something to the exclusion of everything else. The case of a man who becomes a workaholic in the pursuit of financial security mace end up neglecting his wife and family and may even lose them as a consequence. He may tell himself he is doing it all for them, but the pursuit of riches have changed his natural desire to provide for his family into an obsession.

Without using too many examples women may be so concerned with keeping up with fashion and maintaining their good looks that they become obsessed with it. They begin to judge others by the way they dress and how they look, instead of valuing them for who they are.

Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good and making a good impression, just so long as it does not have a negative influence upon your character.

Focusing on loving God, doing His will, and loving our neighbour will keep us balance, an have the end result of making us more like Jesus

Transformation

© Wednesday 26th October 2005 – by Christopher Shennan)

I’m flying straight now, Lord,

With Your Wind beneath my wings,

The crooked paths behind me,

And my wayward heart now sings.

It sings because the secret

Was whispered from above:

“You’ll always be transformed

Into what you truly love.

“It’s a law of life unchanging,

It’s a principle so true,

That whatever you love and cling to,

Will end up changing you.

Be it idols you have cherished;

Be it wealth, or fame, or pleasure,

Will cast you in its likeness;

            You’ll become a blight, or treasure.”

So I seek to choose more wisely

What I set my heart upon,

The thing I choose will change me

Into what I focus on.

So I set my love upon

The beauty of my King,

And trust tin time my life

Will be a lovely thing.

 Please visit My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Chihuahua Puppy by Jose Antonio Tovar. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photo.

Hidden Treasure

(Picture credits at end of post)

Hidden Treasure

 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels… (2 Corinthians 4:7 – NASB)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (John 15:12 – NASB)

Few searches for hidden treasure have a more fascinating or tragic history that that of Oak Island on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. The costly and futile search for treasure, resulting in loss of life and shattered dreams, over more than two hundred years, continues even today. Oak Island surely has few parallels in the history of man’s lust for gold. There is no space to tell the story here, but those interested can follow it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island

The story of Oak Island, however, has value as a parable of seeking treasure in the wrong places. I put it to you that there are treasures all around us that most eyes are too blind to see. I speak of the people with whom we rub shoulders with every day. The value of one human soul would have been enough for Jesus to shed his blood on the cross to redeem that one soul.

If we would take the time to invest our lives in people in Christ’s name, we would discover treasure beyond our wildest imaginings; we would discover not only how much God loves people, but also how much love God will give to those who dare to love people the way He does.eH

The diamond mines of Kimberly, South Africa, were discovered when a farmer found his neighbour’s children playing marbles with some “stones” they had gathered from the ground.

The children had no idea of the wealth in diamonds they were holding in their hands, and banging one against another in a game of marbles.

God wants us to stop considering people (for whom Christ died) as mere pieces to be manipulated in the game of life. He wants us to see them as the treasures they really are, worth investing everything we have to bring them to God.

I was Blind

(© Sunday 30^th November 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels… (2 Corinthians 4:7 – NASB)

I was blind.

At least, my eyes could only see

Those treasures that would last for time;

I longed for them and gave my all

In the hope they’d someday – be mine.

I was blind.

I could not see the treasure in

The ones who walked beside me;

I took them all for granted then,

And had no true love to guide me.

I’m not blind anymore…

For Christ has touched my eyes and made

Me see His treasures all around;

They’re the people who cross my path,

And these treasures – at last – I’ve found.

Check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Oak Island, created by NormanEinstein. Copyright. Used under the

CC BY-SA 3.0 (note the disclaimer) and GNU Free Documentation License 1.2   No changes were made to the image.

Treasure of Villena, uploaded by Qoan, here (note that author is unknown.) Image is copyright. Used under the

CC BY-SA 3.0 license (see Disclaimer at this link.) No changes were made to this photo. Also used under the
GNU Free Documentation License 1.2

Loving Service

Loving Service

(Picture Credits at end of post)

 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15 – NASB)

I read of a man working in the forest who took his dog with him. Coming to a clearing he put his lunch pail down and commanded the dog to stay and watch the pail. So saying he went further into the forest to do his work.

While the man was away a forest fire swept over that region, right where the dog was. In perfect obedience to his master’s command, the dog stayed where he was. He loved his master and therefore obeyed him, even at the cost of his own life.

The dog’s obedience was not out of duty – it was out of love. The dog loved his master, and it was love that caused the obedience. Love should always be the fountain from which service to our Lord flows. It may be our duty to do certain things for God, but the moment we perform that duty out of love for Him, it changes from a duty into a delight.

If our service to God feels like drudgery in any way, perhaps it is time to re-examine our motivation for that service. Is it out of love for God, or is it out of mere duty.

Prophetic of Jesus Christ, Psalm 40 declares:

Then I said, “Behold, I come;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

I delight to do Your will, O my God;

Your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:7-8 – NASB)

Delight should always be a word synonymous with any service we perform for our Lord. The absence of delight always indicates the absence of love.

In His letter to the church in Ephesus Jesus commended them for all their wonderful deeds of service. Then He said: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4 – NASB)

We have great cause to love Him:

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 – KJV)

You loved me first, my God

And my love came far behind;

Before I saw the love You bore me,

Love within me could not be found.

But Thy love created love for Thee –

In me. – Christopher Shennan

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Team Satisfaction

Team Satisfaction

Picture credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Team_work.jpg.

Read: Mark 2:1-13

And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5 – NASB)

When true believers come together to engage in a team effort to win the lost, there will some satisfaction to their labours.

And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5 – NASB)

 

You notice here that this paralytic received forgiveness of sins because of the faith of the four stretcher-bearers, not on the faith of the paralytic himself. Jesus made specific mention of this. It was when He saw their faith that He forgave the sins of the paralytic.

I am not saying the paralytic had no faith. He may have, but Mark makes particular mention of forgiveness being granted because of the faith of the four stretcher bearers.

I wonder if we realize how much our own faith figures in winning the lost to Christ. We rightly urge people to believe; they must put their faith in Christ and wholly depend upon His sacrifice and resurrection to save them. 

Nevertheless, God honours the faith of those who are seeking to win the lost to Christ. Without faith we cannot please Him; without faith we cannot abide in Him, and therefore apart from Him we can do nothing. If we want to win the lost for Christ we have just got to believe that He will do it.

D.L. Moody said, “A little faith will bring you to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.” A lot of faith may even bring heaven to someone else’s soul.

Albert Schweitzer said, “All work that is worth anything is done in faith.”

Sign on a Church Bulletin Board, “We believe the task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.”

I Really Believe

(© Friday 5^th September 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

I really believe that my faith and yours,

Combined with some other believers, too,

Will bring other sinners to Heaven’s shores;

The Spirit of God will bless what we do.

 

There is no satisfaction that compares,

Through the years of time and eternity,

To the joy of seeing a sinner’s cares

Lifted, and his blind eyes made to see.

 

To see a sinner forgiven, made whole

And ushered into God’s Presence and power,

Is the highest of joys to bless the soul –

Makes the angels rejoice, and devils cower.

 

So come now with me and taste of that joy;

Let’s labour together to win the lost –

Let’s all of our strength and courage employ –

Refusing to linger and count the cost.

Check out my books for sale at: My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Overcoming Life’s Complications

(Picture credits at bottom of post)

Overcoming Life’s Complications

Reading: Mark 3:31-35

For whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother. (Mark 3:35 – NKJV)

Life sometimes seems like a maze, but does it really have to be that way?

I don’t know about you but when I set out on the road I want to know where I’m going; and if I’m not going anywhere I want to know that too.

Life becomes very simple when you start your day by knowing what it is you have to do and where you are going. And I am not talking about having a grocery list of all you have to do that day.  When I start my day I know there are only two things I have to do: I have to believe God and I have to love my neighbour, whatever it takes to accomplish those goals. There is nothing else of any importance.

It doesn’t matter what profession you are in, or if you are retired. Those two things cover it all. You will always have to believe what God says in His Word, and you will always have to love your neighbor.

Keep those two things at the forefront of your mind, and I guarantee you will be set free as you have never been in your life before.

The Simple Life

(Friday 23^rd April 2010 – by Christopher Shennan)

I said, “God I can’t do it.

This Christian life’s too hard.

Too many things I must do;

Be always on my guard.

I must do this, and I can’t do that;

I might offend a brother.

If I don’t do this I’ll make life hard

For my sister and my mother.

 

“And the folks at work are so hard to please;

Nothing I do satisfies them.

And the boss is so mean, the worst that I’ve seen,

And the things that I need, I can’t find them.

And when I get home the kids have been bad,

And my wife’s in a frazzle and then some;

The dishes aren’t washed, the TV is broken,

And besides all that, Lord, I’m done.

 

“My child,” God said, “Don’t worry and fret:

Life is simple if you can understand it.

Just believe what I say and love in My way,

And your heart will grow strong, Ill expand it.

My yoke is easy, and my burden is light;

There is nothing we can’t do together.

Just believe that I’m kind; it is sure you will find

Peace and joy in all kinds of weather.

Check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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© Copyright Brian Robert Marshall and licensed for reuse under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0). No changes were made to this photograph. Find this photo at http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/938546. For reuse:

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Elbow Grease

 

Elbow Grease

‘…and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30 – NASB)

What in the world is elbow grease?

It is a term my family has used for as long as I can remember to denote someone expending every effort to do a good job. When “No-half-Measures” is the rule of a person’s life; when he or she expends every effort to a task, we say that person has a lot of “elbow grease.”

When scraping a pot to remove stubborn grime, my daughter would go at it with a pot cleaner with such gusto, we would say, “My, she is using a lot of ‘elbow grease’ to getting that pot clean.”

I think the term is exemplified in our text by the little word “all.”

Love the LORD with:

ALL your heart…

ALL your soul…

ALL you mind…

ALL your strength…

I don’t think our Lord is pleased with half-hearted devotion. His words to the church at Laodicea illustrates this:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will ^[a]spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16 – NASB)

Give it All You’ve Got!

(© Wednesday 18^th June 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

Give it all you’ve got, believer,

Reach out with faith to grasp the prize;

Don’t hold back your service, rendered,

Or the true work of love despise.

 

The work of faith demands your all,

Not just a part of it will do;

A little here, and a little there

Will never be enough for you.

 

Not perfection, our Lord demands,

That’s out of reach for you and I,

But your heart and soul surrendered

Will better please the Master’s eye.

 

Half-hearted service; love grown cold,

Should never be offered our King;

It’s a slap in His face, an insult –

It’s an unworthy offering.

 

So give it all you’ve got, my friend;

Make an offering that’ll please

And joy will bubble out of you

That not another can receive.

Check out my published books at:

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Love of the Truth

Love of the Truth

…they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:10b – NASB)

            Acknowledging the Truth and loving the truth can be two different things.

            You can accept the truth that God wants you to remain married to your wife till death parts you – but you may not love the idea that you have to spend the rest of your life with her.

            You may acknowledge your political opponent has won the election, but hate that he has beaten you.

            God does not just want us to recognize His Truth; He wants to give us a love for the Truth.

            The Truth can only set us free if we embrace it; simply acknowledging it without loving it will rob it of its liberation power.

            Truth acknowledged but not embraced is like a seed stored on a shelf but not planted. It will never bloom in your life, or set you free.

Loving the Truth

(© Wednesday 21^st May 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

 …they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

I did not love the truth I’d found,

Though I kept it in my treasure;

I loved so many other things,

For they gave me so much pleasure.

 

I kept the truth quite safe in store;

I was sure no one could steal it;

So many other things were there,

I was sure they’d never see it.

 

I had the truth; it gathered dust

On a shelf where things could hide it

It was sure to be overlooked

Where no one else could find it.

 

That is the way it was, dear friend,

Till God’s mercy made an offer:

To grant my heart a love for truth,

Such as only Christ could proffer.

 

He said if I would receive it,

And give it first place in my heart,

He’d give me treasure from Heaven,

And joy that would never depart.

 

So I cleared out all earthly treasures

To make place for those that will last;

Truly my Lord kept His promise –

And the riches I have gained are vast.

Excerpt from the Author’s book: Exploring Biblical Prayer (vol. 2) (not yet published).                                                                            Volume 1 available at: http://www.christophershennan.ca