Analogies: Neglecting a Relationship

(Neglect a Relationship) - ANALOGIES

Analogy: Katie and Mark have been married now for 3 years. The marriage looks great, they've got a beautiful house, car, a new baby, etc. Well, one day Katie just decides not to come home. She's not on work leave, not visiting family, not at a friends, not with someone other man, but she just decides, "Ya know, I just don't 'feel' like going home to my husband tonight." Well, three weeks go by with no phone call, note anything. Finally, here she comes walking up to the front porch and of course her loving husband is sitting there waiting patiently.

Q: How does this affect their relationship?

Don't you think it'd cause a little 'tension'? Mark loves her and is faithful enough that he doesn't leave, but it takes some work for Katie to gain the trust and bond they had before.

Point of the Story: How do you think it affects our relationship with our lover, Jesus, when we neglect our quiet time with Him? It would affect it in a similar way as it would with that wife who left her husband temporarily. You'd have to work to get it back to where it once was. He is faithful and He will always do His part, it's just a matter of us doing ours.

Analogies: Term Paper

Term Paper...(Listening to instructions)

It's the end of the semester and it's near due date for the big term paper. You take your rough draft to your professor and have him proof read it. After looking over the pages, he returns the paper with indications of mis-spelled words, improper grammer, comma splices, etc. He makes some suggestions as to what could be added to the paper to make its presentation stronger. Well, you take the paper home and type your final draft but instead of making the revisions instructed, you decide to go back to what you had before your professor edited it. Now, when you turn this paper in you are dumbfounded that you have received a failing grade on the assignment. On graduation day you just hang your head in shame because you aren't able to walk with your classmates because of that failing grade you received. BUMMER! If only you would have listened to what professor suggested, you would have passed the class and made it...

POINT OF THE STORY...

Isaiah 44:22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

When we come to Jesus with a sincere heart and repent (turn away) from our sins, He is more than willing to blot them out. Like with the professor, it's like Jesus has edited our life and shown us what needs to be done in order to live according to God's plan. The Bible tells us what God asks of us and how to please the Lord. When God has showed us what needs to be done, and what needs to be taken out of our lives or put into our lives it's up to us what we do with it. Wouldn’t it be foolish to return to those areas Jesus' blotted out and replace that portion of your heart with the exact same filth? It would wouldn't it? Too often we find ourselves doing this very thing though. It's like a post I made awhile back, "don't cry lead us not into temptation and then walk deliberately into it." When we cry out to God to forgive us of these things, we should turn away from them, not continue to embrace them. Another thing is just like that unfortunate student who wasn't able to graduate at the end of the year since he willingly chose not to take heed to the instructions given, same is in our walk with Christ. By the time our life comes to an end, if we haven't taken to heart the instructions given us by God and truly lived a life devoted to Him, we wont make heaven. Our God is merciful, loving and compassionate, but He is also just and full of wrath. A good judge gives a criminal their due punishment and same is true with our heavenly Father. Hell is home for the ungodly. Scary thing is with that students term paper, he knew exactly when it was due, but we have no clue when our live is due. (Let that soak in a minute). No idea when we will take our last breathe. That is why a decision needs to be made now. Apply those revisions to your life that the Holy Spirit has made known? Is there anything you can pinpoint that is displeasing?

Analogies: Hindering a Relationship

Hindering a relationship...(ungratefullness)

Mom spends all day cleaning the house and finally everything is right in place. She steps out to run an errand, and while she's out you totally trash the place. When mom returns from the store, how do you think she'd react? Would she run up to you and give you a great big hug and kiss? "It's okay sweetie, I like the house messy!" No, she wouldn't react this way, you'd probably get some sort of punishment, and she'd be pretty upset right? Right!

Now, let's think about Jesus for a second! At the point of salvation, Jesus comes into our hearts and washes away our sins. He forgives us of the evil we participated in before and the Bible says He throws our trangressions as far as "east is from the west." Now, how do you think He must feel when he takes a look inside afterwards, and you have brought those filthy sins back into your life? He has every right to be displeased knowing that He was willing to sacrifice His life so that we might live, so that our sins may be forgiven us. Don't you think He is worthy of every area of our lives in return? Yes, I know, we do mess up, but we shouldn't continuously fall to the same sin over and over again after it's been cleansed from our lives. It doesnt have to be a vicious cycle, there really is victory in Christ.

Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'