A Memory

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so hat Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy: 15-16)

 

Gosh, I had to be about five or six years old. We lived on the third floor of an apartment building. I loved Easter because we got the most incredible baskets. This one year I was super excited. I remember waking up and looking out the window. The sun was starting to light up the sky but had broken through the horizon yet. My bedroom window looked out over the apartment complex’s playground and tennis court. I swear I saw an incredibly large rabbit thee buildings down. I jumped out of bed to search for my basket. I don’t remember where the basket was but this miniature arcade game (Pac-Man) I had was out and I remember thinking it smelled like candy so the Easter Bunny had to have taken a break to play it. I was amazed that the Bunny smelled so sweet. In fact, I convinced myself that, as I put my nose to the carpet, I could smell each of his footsteps through our apartment. 

 

Fast-forward a few years. When I was 20 I went to Easter service with my husband’s family. I had never been to an Easter service and I don’t recall if I knew at that time that Easter Sunday was a special day for Christians and not because of some bunny. I was so nervous at that service (I thought lightening was going to rain down on me) that I truly can’t remember if I heard the message or not but I really liked the music. The year I remember sticking out is when I was 23. I had just received Jesus as my Lord and I recall being amazed during Easter service that year. I simply hadn’t gotten it before. I got it then. I get it now.

 

Today I try to keep my mind on Jesus all day. I have the music I want selected and I have a Bible at my desk at work. I will get mad when I lose my focus and if I fail at my goals today. I just keep reminding myself that nothing I try to accomplish today to worship God silently will ever compare to what Jesus endured on Calvary so very long ago. And on Sunday, because Sunday will come, I will not be anxiously waiting for a bunny to fill my house with the scent of candy. As I rise this Easter morning I will be reminded that Jesus has risen. He has risen for you and He has risen for me. However, until Sunday comes let us be in prayer and remember, not little memories that fill our personal history, but the amazing suffering one man endured so that the rest of us can live.

 

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was born in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart…(Matthew 27:50-51)

 

The Promise

“I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins. So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation! They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies. I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. The my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave non of my people behind. And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 39:24-29)

 

Sin is real and sin is very present in our lives. For many of us, we were swimming in the values of the world and we got so deep that we didn’t think that God would be able to reach in and pull us safely to shore again, or that He would have wanted to. He did pull us out of the water and He will continue to help us up again every time we fall. He does this because He has poured His Spirit into us and when we accepted that gift we became His sons and daughters.

 

God’s love is greater for us than we can possibly fathom. His desire to be with us, and for us to choose Him, is immeasurable. God wants His family to reflect Him and He wants His family to be with Him. No matter where you have been, or what you have done, God has rescued you and He is with you at all times. We are no longer trapped in the values of ideas of the world. We have been made heirs of God and our worth and value were determined the day that Jesus hung on a cross for ALL the sins of the world. We just have to trust that He is there and ready to help us along the road that leads to Him.

 

“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17)

 

Crossing the Line

“But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

 

When I first wanted to start coming to church it wasn’t because I had some huge desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Goodness, I didn’t even know what that meant. I thought it was what good people did. The “good” people took their families to church on Sundays and had their children in Sunday school classes. When we started coming, as sporadic as that was, I had no clue what the pastor guy was talking about but I liked the music. It was Easter, and I was 23, that day I realized that all these people weren’t talking about bunnies but instead talking about Jesus dying. I knew He had died but didn’t know all that other stuff. And, therein, lays the beginning of my faith walk.

 

I was excited for my new found faith, I was full of zest, and I was probably really annoying. But you know when you love something and get all excited it’s hard not to talk about it. Then, being the nerd that I was and am, I started soaking. I soaked in the Bible, I took classes when I could (the kids were really small), I read articles, did research, read studies and books, I made friends and tried to make huge lifestyle changes. I slipped a lot. I was wrong a lot. I was arrogant at times and proud at others. God had to break me several times through life’s circumstance to bring to where I am today. Unfortunately, I am sure the work isn’t done yet!

 

I can remember the very moment I crossed the line from a person seeking to a person filled with faith. However, this life isn’t always easy. Good things don’t just blossom in my front yard because Jesus is my friend. I struggle the same as anyone else. I have really great days and I have really crappy days. There are things that happen that I don’t understand and there are things about this world that make me so angry. There are things I love about my life and things that I can’t explain about the beauty of this world. The biggest difference between me then and me now, besides eternal salvation, is hope. I don’t see the circumstances of today as an end or a cause but the beginning and a gateway. I crossed that invisible line of faith and I found hope, what did you find?

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiahs 29:11)

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd;

            I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

            He leads me beside peaceful streams.

            He knows my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

            bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

            through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

            for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

            protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

            in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

            my cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

            All the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

Keeping the Door Open

“You will be accepted if you do what is right.  But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But your must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:6b-7)

 

Do you know how hard it is to have a philosophical conversation with a 7-year old? My youngest and I can have the best conversations and he is so smart and tries to rationalize everything. Last night we were talking Star Wars, which is actually a pretty normal thing since that is all he wants to talk about. As I was tucking him into bed the little guy said, “If I was Anakin I would have just learned as much as I could about the Dark Side but stayed on the good side of The Force.” I, with great trouble, explained to him that once you step over to the Dark Side it’s hard to come back. I tried to tell him that when you go to the Dark Side you are shutting the doors to the good side. Once those doors are shut everything gets dark and it’s hard to see and you can get back to the good side but it’ll take a lot of work because you shut all the light out so you will have to feel your way to the doors. It’s all about choices.

 

It’s all about choices. My dad used to say that for every bad decision I made I was shutting doors of opportunity and I shut a lot of doors. I walked in the dark searching for the light for a very long while. Once I saw where the light was coming from I would run to the door, only it seems to move or if lost focus at all I would loose the door and have to start searching all over again. Once I found the door and walked in it seemed as though I wanted to keep the door open so I could jump between the light and the dark just in case the light got too bright or the dark look to cozy.  

 

Now, I forget there is another door in the room most days. Even on down days, like yesterday, it never dawns on me to walk away from God or what His grace and His love have given to my life. I have seen too much, experienced too much, and seen God work too much to not believe that God is real and that this walk of faith is worth something. I am thankful that God kept the doors open for me and that He didn’t lock them shut and I am thankful for the yearning I had to start finding another way since what I was doing wasn’t working. Everyone walks in the dark sometimes but not everyone realizes that they can find their way back because God is keeping a door open until the last of days.

 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

A Page from a Book

“All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:25)

 

This is an excerpt from the Life Application Study Bible (NLT)

 

“With tiny wrinkles and cries, he entered the world and, wrapped in strips of cloth, took his first nap on a bed of straw.  Subject to time and to parents, he grew to manhood and Roman-occupied Palestine, his gentle hands becoming strong and calloused in Joseph’s woodworking shop. As a man, he walked through the countryside and city, touching individuals, preaching to crowds, and training 12 men to carry on his work.  At every step he was hounded by those seeking to rid the world of his influence.  Finally, falsely accused and tried, he was condemned to a disgraceful execution by foreign hands.  And he died—spat upon, cursed, pierced by nails, and hung heavenward for all to deride.  Jesus, the God-man, gave his life completely so that all might live.

 

At God’s appointed time, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus will burst into the world scene. Then everyone will know that Jesus is Lord of the universe!  Those who love me him will rejoice, greeting their Savior with hearts overflowing into songs of praise. But his enemies will be filled with fear.  Allied with Satan, the enemies of Christ will marshal their legions against Christ and his armies.  But who can withstand God’s wrath?  Christ will win the battle and reign victorious forever! Jesus, the humble suffering servant, is also the powerful, conquering King and Judge.”

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8)

 

Reference:

 

(2004). Life application study bible: New living translation. Pg 2165, para 1-2. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, IL

I got that…maybe not

“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.” (1 Peter 4:4)

 

There were many passages I read this morning that really caused me to pause and ask: Do I get it? How is it that 2,000 years ago that people were going through the same things as we do today. I haven’t had any issues with former friends the way others I know have but there are other things that I can relate to and, yet still, other things I wish I felt I understood better.

 

Like 1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at that fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange is happening to you.” I got that. Our salvation does not keep us from life’s trials and we can use them to become stronger for God. I will honestly say I don’t like the trials and since I seem to go through the same trial over and over again I feel as though I am either not learning what He is trying to show me or that He is building me up for something.

 

2 Peter 2:19b “For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” This one sucks. There is no one person I feel that controls me. However, there are times when I feel out of control and I can’t seem to turn on my self-control button. The Bible says the Spirit gives us self-control, I just haven’t done a very good job of figuring out where it is. Consequently, there are days when I feel like I am a slave to my lack of self-control when I would much rather feel like a slave to God, whom I gladly serve.

 

1 John 1:9 “but if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” If we confess all our sins but forget one, I mean honestly forget, are we not truly forgiven. Once we accept Jesus into our hearts and are saved does that mean past, present, and future sins are forgiven by default? What if you die before you have a chance to confess a sin? Does it make a difference if that sin was by ‘accident” or if it was deliberate?

 

I imagine many of my questions, and some days there are more than others, won’t be answered while I breathe on this earth. Sometimes there are probably only questions that can be answered by God Himself, or questions we will most definitely see on the other side of Heaven. I am okay with not knowing all the answers though. Having a direct answer to any of my questions does not help decide if I have faith or not. I am pretty sure I had even more questions the day I stepped over that line into faith and belief. This morning I am just glad that God took the time to make sure His Word spoke to me, right where I am, this very moment in time, telling me He knows and He loves. Those are the only answers I really need.

 

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

What do you think?

“But—‘When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.’ This is trust a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial to everyone.” (Titus 3:4-8)

 

No where in this passage does Paul say that we did anything to deserve the salvation that Jesus Christ so freely gave. No where does it mention that some sinners are more deserving of this grace than others. No where does it say that the sins in our lives, and that is any sin because  they all carry the same weight, makes us more or less qualified to receive this salvation.

 

As I see the world and social structure change around us I see many Christians using their voices and really hurting the people that come in their path. We may say that we don’t agree with homosexuality or cohabitation of any kind without a marriage, for an easy example, but it’s not necessarily about what we do or don’t agree with. Our voices should reflect that of Christ and he didn’t like lying, stealing, gossiping, turning his church into a marketplace, being jealous, and not having self-control, gentleness, kindness, peace, joy, love, etc (Galatians 5:22-23). Every sin has the same weight as any other, so lying and cheating is just as disdainful to God as murder. And as much as Jesus wanted to set our minds and hearts against these things He also let us knows how much He loved us in spite of these things. He hates the sin but always loves the sinner.

 

 Look I know what I believe is right and what I think is wrong. But I believe that we are called to love everyone. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus and when the prostitute was about to be stoned He didn’t throw the first stone and neither should we. Free will is a beautiful thing we can thank God for daily and we cannot try to condemn or condone people for using their gift differently than we would. I don’t know where I am going with this today. I just know the white-lie you told your boss is as deep a gash in Jesus’ back as the one it sits next from the person who robbed the bank.  The sin that put one nail in Jesus’ hand is no different than the sin that put the other nail there. Love each other and know that God loves each of you because we are ALL His children.

 

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14)

The Stare

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2)

 

The wise men, or magi, were looking for the new King they didn’t talk about how they would be filled or blessed by the experience. These wise men didn’t go looking for social interaction or networking. The magi didn’t go for the treats or the Bible study. The wise men simply wanted to worship the new King: Jesus. This entire journey was for Jesus. The gifts were for Jesus. The worship was about Jesus. With this thought in mind I have wanted to be sure that when I am in service that I am not focused on how the words are making me feel but how the words lift up and praise our Savior and our King.

 

With this in mind, focusing on Jesus, yesterday during service I was trying my best to put everything into practice but something in me kept wanted to focus on how the praise music moved me or the words of the sermon touched me. So, then I would rewind my brain and remind myself that this wasn’t about me it’s about Him. On that note my thoughts took me to a book that I read where a very gifted child could see colors radiating out of people as they praised and worshipped. The color-thing, for some reason, made me think of CareBears™ and their ever-so powerful CareBears™ stare. When ever there was an enemy their little tummies would light up and they would shoot light at them and win the fight. Well, God isn’t our enemy put something in me imagined our songs of praise radiating beams of light from everyone and the light was going straight to the cross that hangs at the head of our sanctuary and the more we made our focus about God the more powerful the beams were. Then I really wanted to give everything I had in my praise because I wanted our lights to be so bright and so pleasing to God.

 

I realize this is a very odd story and, silly enough, it is also a very true tale of the different paths my brain took yesterday. You know, Christmas is supposed to be this special time of year when we are in remembrance of this beautiful gift that God gave us 2000 years ago that He had promised 2700 years ago (Micah 2:5). But the rub is it’s hard for me to go through this season because I am excited about Jesus nearly every day of the year. Consequently, this Christmas I have felt like something is wrong with me because I am not moved anymore than usual today, however, I qualify that by sharing that I feel moved everyday and new in His mercy and blessings everyday.  So, I am going to put on my “stare” today and focus on our glorious Savior as much as I can and pray, that even though there are days when I wallow too long, that I can show Him how much I love Him and how very thankful I am for eternity.

 

“I will exalt you, my God and King,  and praise your name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:1)

Snow Day!

“For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

 

It’s a snow day today and there is no school. Children of all ages, including some very grown up people I know, wait and pray for a day like this. All this past week I could tell that my children’s teachers were hoping for a snow day this week because they sent the kids home every night anticipating the next day to be one (this was actually really annoying). Ah, but behold! We have 1/10” of ice under 2” of sleet under 2-4” of snow. Snow day! Great joy will fill the house as my little babes wake up one by one and realize their great fortune.  The joy will be reversed, however, when the school year gets extended out an extra day and they realize that they could have made their first trip to the pool but instead they are sitting in hot sticky classrooms.

 

People have been waiting for the day when Jesus raptures His children for thousands of years now. I can honestly say that I fully anticipate this day to come every day and I want to be ready. My children have their hats, mittens, games, and anything else they need ready to enjoy this much anticipated day of no school. It’s easier, and not so easy, to be ready for the Lord to come. For me it is a process of learning to not cling to things of this earth. It is a process of loving the people in my life but realizing I could never love them as much as Jesus. It’s a process of getting to know Jesus as much as possible through His Word because I want to know the One I will be spending an eternity with. I may teach kids at church but I need to reach and volunteer out in the community more. I may pray for people in the comfort and safety of my own home but I really need to go pray with them. See, until that day comes I need to keep working and studying for Jesus.

 

My children, and many across the great state of Iowa, have been dreaming of a day just like today. What are you dreaming of? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for a raise or a pink slip? Are you waiting for a husband or a wife? Are you waiting for your kids to get past the stage where they totally grate on your nerves? Are you waiting for your hero to come from the war? Are you waiting for Christmas so you can give the gifts you got for everyone or open the ones others got for you? One of the things I desire more than anything is for Jesus to come! A part of me wants to pause at that though but honestly, nothing I, or my family, could experience could possibly compare to finally realizing that beautiful day….even though my brain wants me to picture everything we would miss a little too long. Lord Jesus, I pray that you come grab us today but if it is not time yet I pray that you let us know what we need to get everything ready so that you can. Amen.

 

“Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)