Category: Theme

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Who Knows My Name

Remember the sitcom from the 80’s, Cheers?

The theme song said “Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came”. Then Norm would walk in and the whole bar would call out “Norm” as he walked to the end of the bar and sat down.

This was a popular show for 11 years. People identified with the characters, they became friends to many. I think what probably resonated the most with the viewing audience is that so many people just want someone to recognize that they are here.

They want to be known! We all do.

I heard a pastor say two things impacted him greatly when he was an 18 year old. It was then, for the first time, he heard that God knew who he was and that God loved him unconditionally. He said that was all it took for him to give his life to the Lord.

The reality of knowing that God Almighty knows me – He knows everything about me and loves me anyway, is pretty overwhelming.

“You, Lord, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother’s breast. 10 From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God.” Psalm 22:9-10 CEV

“You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, 14 and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.” Psalm 139:13-14 CEV

God, the Father, knew us as we were growing in our mothers’ womb. He knows every detail, He knows every bump and bruise, every hurt and disappoint, every failure and bad thought and He loves us unconditionally.

Each of us knows what it’s like to face rejection; having people we  call friends  learn something about us that reveals our actions in our darkest moments and they turn and walk away.

It’s not that way with God the Father. He knows every sin and shortcoming; He knows our past and our future. He loves us still. He loves us unconditionally.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:6-11 CEV

King David had great victories but he also had some real failures of character. He defeated Goliath, became Israel’s king, led armies to victory but he also committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.

He’s the one who wrote the verses about God knowing us even while we are in our mother’s womb. He was well aware that God is always with us. He knew first hand that God’s love is unconditional. This is what he recorded  the Lord saying to us in Psalm 91.

“Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know my name. 15 When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you.” Psalm 91:14-15 GW

Thank you Father for knowing me, loving me, making peace with me and saving me!  Thank you for knowing my name!

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The Sounds of Joy

Can you hear it…the giggles, the laughter, the squeals?

Do you remember being like these kids? What fun it was to run through the sprinkler and play with such abandon. I love it.

So does the Lord.

“Shout praises to the Lord, everyone on this earth. 2 Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the Lord. 3 You know the Lord is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture.” Psalm 100:1-3 CEV

There are so many verses written about joy. I can find 187 verses in the King James Bible with 34 of those being in the Book of Psalms. King David knew a thing about joy – he lead a procession, dancing with joy for all the Lord had done.

Another verse from Psalms that means a lot to me is this:

“You make the path of life known to me. Complete joy is in your presence. Pleasures are by your side forever.” Psalm 16:11 GW

Complete joy, that’s what I see in those kids playing in the sprinkler. Not a care in the world, absolute joy in the moment. God wants us to find that type of complete joy in Him. I don’t know where people got the idea that God’s wants us to be unhappy, scowling and miserable. Far from it!

Paul told the Christians at the church in Philippi to rejoice always. Get that, ALWAYS! How is that even possible? Look at his explanation.

“Always be joyful in the Lord! I’ll say it again: Be joyful! 5 Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. 6 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. 7 Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.” Philippians 4:4-8 GW

Always joyful, never worry. God is working on our behalf. He can handle the needs and requests we bring to Him. When we keep thinking about things that are good, honorable and true we are focusing on the Lord. We have placed ourselves in His presence because we are allowing Him to occupy our thoughts.

When things go wrong we can still have joy.

“ My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

In the King James version, it says “Count it all joy”. Really, count it joy when you fall into temptations – really? Yes, because the joy comes from knowing that you’re not in this alone! God has promised to never leave us or abandon us. He is constantly with us so that means we are in His presence and in His presence there is fullness of joy!

Joy in knowing we are not alone, joy in knowing that we aren’t operating under our own power or our own wisdom, joy to know that He has created us to be victorious! And when we realize all of that, we are growing and maturing, becoming more Christ-like .

In John 16, Jesus was talking with his disciples the night before His crucifixion. He was giving them last minute instructions. He told them that they would all abandon Him and that He would be alone but He quickly added that the Father would be with Him so He wouldn’t really be alone. (In His presence is fullness of joy)!

He then told the disciples that they would have troubles in this world. Not as big as the crucifixion but troubles all the same. His next words may have seemed strange to them.

He said “Be of good cheer (find joy), for I have overcome the world”.

“ The time is coming, and is already here, when all of you will be scattered. Each of you will go your own way and leave me all alone. Yet, I’m not all alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I’ve told you this so that my peace will be with you. In the world you’ll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 GW

Jesus had just told them how he was overcoming the trials in His life – He wasn’t looking for the support of friends and followers but He was simply looking to the One who would never leave Him, the Father, and in the Father’s presence is victory and fullness of joy.

Search for your joy today. It’s not in things, it’s not in people and it’s not based on circumstances. Fullness of joy comes from spending time in the Father’s presence.

As we give Him our time He will fill us joy. Take a run through the sprinklers, laugh, giggle, be joy-filled!

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Never Too Young

A few days back I received a message from someone who has been very dear to us for many years.

She reminded me of a time when Kim and Koy were younger and they spent the night with her step son. I had sent their children’s Bible with them. She was wanting to get a similar Bible now for her granddaughter.

I had to tell her that the specific Bible had I for the kids is no longer in print but I was able to recommend another version that I know of and have given to parents and their children in recent years.  It’s called The Beginners Bible.*

I am so grateful for my early Sunday School teaching and I believe strongly that children are never too young to learn about God’s love and the amazing story of grace.  The photograph above is one of my family when I was little. A local newspaper photograph came out to take our picture for an article in the Sunday edition. My parents raised us with the Bible as our foundation!

When I think of examples of children learning about the Lord I am reminded of Samuel. His parents sent him to live with Eli, the priest, when he was just a young child. Samuel heard the Lord call his name in the middle of the night and he responded with an open heart.

“Eli told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.’”    So Samuel went back to bed. 10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he did before, saying, “Samuel, Samuel!”  Samuel said, “Speak. I am your servant, and I am listening.”  11 The Lord said to Samuel, “I will soon do things in Israel that will shock anyone who hears about them.”     I Samuel 3:9-11 ERV

But even before that, Moses gave instruction to the whole nation of Israel that they should tell their children about the mighty things that God had done to save them.

“Memorize these laws and think about them. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and your foreheads to help you obey them. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them all the time—whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. 20 Write them on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.” Deuteronomy 11:18-20 CEV

King David was taught about the Lord when he was young; Abraham taught Isaac about God’s faithfulness and in the New Testament Jesus scolded his disciples for not letting the little children come to Him.

“Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this. 16 But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. 17 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17 ERV

Awww, Jesus was talking about childlike faith. We adults tend to rationalize, dissect and over analyze. Children accept things, that are passed their understanding, by faith.

It’s important for us as parents and grandparents to give our children good solid Bible teaching so that they grow into young men and women with a heart for the Lord.  The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon to his son. The whole book is filled with parental instruction based on God’s principles.

“Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLV

“Wisdom is a life-giving tree, the source of happiness for all who hold on to her. 19 By his wisdom and knowledge the Lord created heaven and earth. 20 By his understanding he let the ocean break loose and clouds release the rain. 21 My child, use common sense and sound judgment! Always keep them in mind. 22 They will help you to live a long and beautiful life.” Proverbs 3:18-22 CEV

One of the best things we can do for the young ones in our lives is to teach them God’s word. They need to know that God is a loving Father and He wants the best for his children. We teach and we pray. God will guide.

Lord, let your Word and Your love take on true meaning for our children. We pray that they seek You for the answers to life. Bless them, encourage them and keep them safe as they grow. In Jesus name. Amen

 

*I will suggest that you use a Bible that is geared to the child’s age level.   The Beginner’s Bible. is for little ones but there are also Bibles geared to middle school age and high schoolers. This is one of those times I am providing you with a link to Amazon where you can find Bibles for all ages. 

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Taking Care of Weeds

I wish I had gone out yesterday and taken a picture of our property. We’ve been gone four weeks and the weeds are almost out of control.

Dave is so faithful to keep the weeds sprayed but while we’ve been gone, we’ve had rain and they have gone wild.  He came in for a drink and told me that he had to chop the biggest ones down and now he was on his third batch of spray.

Oh my!

The heat, rain and humidity have caused our yard to bloom and look beautiful but it has also caused the weeds to flourish.

Isn’t that just like life?

We go along trusting the Lord, having our quiet time, reading our Bibles, (and our favorite morning devotional), taking time to talk with the Lord in prayer. Things might not always be smooth but our focus is on the Lord and we know with Him present we will weather any storms and things will be well.

Then something happens and we get distracted. Little weeds start to grow; discouragement, worry, fear, sarcasm, unexpected set backs. We’ll deal with them later, after all, it’s only a couple of weeds and they aren’t very big.

“ I walked past a field that belonged to a lazy man. It was a vineyard that belonged to someone who understood nothing. 31 Weeds were growing everywhere! Wild vines covered the ground, and the wall around the vineyard was broken and falling down. 32 I looked at this and thought about it. This is what I learned: 33 a little sleep, a little rest, folding your arms, and taking a nap— 34 these things will make you poor very quickly. Soon you will have nothing, as if a thief broke in and took everything away.” Proverbs 24:30-34 ERV

Have you ever noticed that the weeds grow faster than the flowers? It’s that way with the weeds of life, Jesus called them the cares of this life. Some weeds are small and can be pulled up easily by the roots. Others have long roots and pulling them causes them to spread, they need to be sprayed. While others are tall and their stocks are too thick to be effected by the spray so they have to be chopped down and then sprayed.

We are told to take our cares to the Lord. He is a master gardener and has a way of removing with weeds without harming the good crop that is growing in our lives.

“ The seed that was planted among thorns is like some people who listen to the Word. 19 But the cares of this life let thorns come up. A love for riches and always wanting other things let thorns grow. These things do not give the Word room to grow so it does not give grain. ” Mark 4:18-19 NLV

“ Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 NLV

“Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need. 7 The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7-8 NLV

Time for some good old fashioned weed extermination.

Spend time with the Lord this morning and let Him skillfully remove the weeds/cares that have been choking out the promises that God has made to you.

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First Look

First Look. This isn’t a term I was familiar with before our grandson’s wedding.

No this isn’t their “first look” picture; they should be able to share that on their own without my interference.

Anyway, First Look describes the first time the bride and groom see each other dressed for their wedding. Many brides and grooms are having their photographs taken before the ceremony but still want the element of surprise when they see each other for the first time that day. The photographer captures that intimate moment when they First Look at each other.

Last night I went to bed thinking of how special that must have been for them and how truly special it is for us when we get our first look of Jesus.

I grew up in the church and always remember knowing Jesus. As a little girl I remember when I realized I wanted to give Him my heart and accepted Jesus as my Savior.  However, I know that I took His great sacrifice for granted. I didn’t take into account what it truly cost to pay for my sin and for me to be reconciled to the Father.

It took years for me to realize that!

But I do remember the day when I fell hopelessly in love with Jesus, the day I gave Him my all. That day I came to know, really know, that if I went through the rest of my life with only Jesus by my side that was more than enough.

That was my First Look at the bridegroom who held my heart and still does today!

“The Lord makes me very happy. I am completely happy with my God. He dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He put the victory coat on me.
I look like a man dressed for his wedding, like a bride covered with jewels.
11 The earth causes plants to grow, and a garden makes the seeds planted there rise up. In the same way, the Lord God will make goodness and praise
 grow throughout the nations.” Isaiah 61:10-11 ERV

As a little girl I grew up singing a chorus in Sunday School, Jesus Loves Me This I Know. According to my Mom I sang it all the time running around the house. But then there was that day when I would start to sing that simple chorus and my throat would constrict and the words would struggle out as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.  I was overwhelmed by His love.

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.”

Like the bride seeing her groom for the first time on their wedding day, I hope that you are seeing Jesus with eyes of love. I’ve learned that no matter how long I am in relationship with Him he looks at me with that same unconditional love in His eyes.

“The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NLV

Amazing love – Amazing grace – Amazing sacrifice – Amazing life

 

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Waiting & Expecting

Do you dread waiting? Do these thoughts lodge in your thinking? Is it ever going to happen; why do I have to wait so long; I might as well give up and do something else, etc.


When we are waiting for God’s provision and His promises to be fulfilled it should fill us with excitement and anticipation, much the same as a pregnant woman waiting to give birth, waiting to hold her child for the first time.  It should be similar to the child waiting to go to the circus or on a special fishing trip with Grandpa.

Each day we are one day closer to the expected goal, our hopes are high!

Waiting for one of God’s promises to be visible starts with hope and grows into faith.

“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.” Hebrews 11:1-2

Waiting is what Abraham did for 25 years. Waiting for God’s promise to come to pass in the birth of a son, Abraham was excited!

“There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.” 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20 He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. 21 Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised.” Romans 4:18-21

Joseph knew  God had made him a promise that he would rule over his brothers and that they would bow before him. He held on to that promise. However, he first experienced being sold into slavery, serving in a foreigner’s house, being falsely accused of rape. He was imprisoned and forgotten.

Eventually he was called before Pharaoh and exalted to second in command in all of Egypt. He experienced all of this with hope and without bitterness. Hope that the promise God made him would be kept.

“So Joseph said to his brothers again, “Come here to me. I beg you, come here.” When the brothers went to him, he said to them, “I am your brother Joseph. I am the one you sold as a slave to Egypt. 5 Now don’t be worried. Don’t be angry with yourselves for what you did. It was God’s plan for me to come here. I am here to save people’s lives. 6 This terrible famine has continued for two years now, and there will be five more years without planting or harvest. 7 So God sent me here ahead of you so that I can save your people in this country. 8 It was not your fault that I was sent here. It was God’s plan. God made me like a father to Pharaoh. I am the governor over all his house and over all Egypt.” Genesis 45:4-8

Jesus discounted the pain and anguish of dying on the cross and becoming sin for all mankind by looking past it to see what God had promised – the salvation and restoration of man in relationship to God.

“We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Nothing I have ever had to wait for compares with the depth of these examples.

We have the ability to replace dread with expectation; frustration with hope and disappointment with peace. We are one day closer to seeing God’s promise fulfilled.

Be joyful, be excited because God is doing a mighty work and He can be trusted to keep His word!

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True Friendship

We’re just returning home after spending several weeks in Idaho. We have wonderful friends there and it was so great to see them. You know, they are the kind of friends that you don’t see for years and still have that wonderful heart bond with.

When we lived in the Northwest we had that same yearning for our friends in the desert. Now we get to see those dear ones more often and it warms our hearts with each visit.

This morning the house is quiet and I began to think of dear friends, far and near, and as I was praying for them by name I heard myself tell the Lord “I would do anything I could to help them”.

And then the Lord reminded me of this story.

“A few days later, Jesus came back to Capernaum. The news spread that he was back home. 2 A large crowd gathered to hear him speak. The house was so full that there was no place to stand, not even outside the door. While Jesus was teaching, 3 some people brought a paralyzed man to see him. He was being carried by four of them. 4 But they could not get the man inside to Jesus because the house was so full of people. So they went to the roof above Jesus and made a hole in it. Then they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. 5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there. They saw what Jesus did, and they said to themselves, 7 “Why does this man say things like that? What an insult to God! No one but God can forgive sins.”

8 Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, “Why do you have these questions in your minds? 9-10 The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say to the crippled man, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ There’s no proof it really happened. But what if I say to the man, ‘Stand up. Take your mat and walk’? Then you will be able to see if I really have this power or not.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, stand up. Take your mat and go home.”

12 Immediately the paralyzed man stood up. He picked up his mat and walked out of the room. Everyone could see him. They were amazed and praised God. They said, “This is the most amazing thing we have ever seen!” Mark 2:1-12 ERV

Here were four men who heard about Jesus reputation to heal. They had a friend who was paralyzed. They put him on a bed and carried him through the streets of town to the house where Jesus was teaching.

When they got there they couldn’t get in. There were too many people so they went up the stairs to the roof top. They began to dismantle the roof! Seriously! I’m sure that the owner of the house valued his roof as much as I do mine. These men were determined – their friend needed help. He needed Jesus!

They worked until there was a hole in the roof large enough to lower the man to Jesus. Imagine for just a minute what it was like to be inside the house and hear the commotion on the roof. There were particles falling and hitting people but we can only assume that Jesus kept on teaching.

I always ask questions, you know that. Did the paralyzed man object when his friends carried him out into the streets? Did he ask to go home? The Scripture tells us that Jesus “saw” how much faith they had. The friends and the man all had to have faith in Jesus to go to so much trouble.

There are so many ways we can help our friends. We can provide physical strength, financial help, emotional support and prayer support. The best thing we can do to help our friends is bring them to the One with all the answers. Sometimes we just need to “carry” them to Jesus.

Jesus not only met the man’s physical need but He forgave his sins. Jesus is still doing both of those today.

“A man who has friends must be a friend, but there is a friend who stays nearer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 NLV

True friendship.

First we take them to Jesus, either in our prayers or through a Scripture verse or spoken word of encouragement. Then we lend a helping hand and lighten the load.

Thanks to all the friends that have done both for me. I love you dearly and consider you a gift from God!

 

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Bread or Crackers

I really enjoy bread…sour dough is my favorite. Then of course there are fresh biscuits, thick cut multigrain bread and don’t tell anyone but occasionally I sneak in a donut or two.

I’m a little more picky about crackers. Not too many really wake up my palate but if I had to choose I would grab a box of Cheese-Its or Town House crackers.

The major difference between bread and crackers is the yeast. In the Bible we will find it called leaven. Jesus taught numerous times about removing leaven. The traditional Jewish feast of Passover is celebrated with unleavened bread.

There’s a true correlation in life between the two.

The Apostle Paul talks about our lives as dough. Dough without yeast was a sign of purity. This went back to the time of the Passover in Egypt. The Israelites were told to boil the lamb and eat unleavened bread.

They were waiting on God to move and deliver them from Egypt. They had to be ready at a moments notice. There wasn’t time to let the bread rise or the meat to roast. Boiling the meat and baking the bread without leaven was the fastest way to make their meal.

“Your proud talk is not good. You know the saying, “Just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.” 7 Take out all the old yeast, so that you will be a new batch of dough. You really are bread without yeast—Passover bread. Yes, Christ our Passover Lamb has already been killed. 8 So let us eat our Passover meal, but not with the bread that has the old yeast, the yeast of sin and wrongdoing. But let us eat the bread that has no yeast. This is the bread of goodness and truth.” I Corinthians 5:6-8 ERV

Paul is referring to our daily life – it should be leaven free! Pretty appropriate for this day and age when everyone is wanting to be “gluten free”.

Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed to bring forgiveness and restoration to our lives. We need to  be an example of His goodness and truth.

Take out the yeast! Periodically I have to take inventory and have the Holy Spirit reveal to me areas in my life that have leaven. He’s faithful to do that when I ask.

Leavened bread is full of air that is caused by a chemical reaction in the yeast. That’s what makes it rise. Our lives can be full of air! We get so caught up in ourselves that we puff up. You know the sayings, “he’s full of hot air” or “they are puffed up like a peacock”. These are referring to someone who is selfish, conceited or prideful.

Look at these two translations of the same verse from I Corinthians 13.

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” verse 4 KJV

“Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud,” verse 4 CEV

Jesus warned people to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. He wasn’t talking about the bread they were serving but of their teachings. The Pharisees were inflicting all types of rules and regulations on the people. Their teaching was based on what “they” could and needed to do to be in right relationship with God. They taught the people that if they weren’t good enough, didn’t celebrate enough festivals, bring enough sacrifices, give enough tithe that God wouldn’t be pleased with them and they couldn’t have relationship with Him.

Jesus’ teaching and God’s desire were completely opposite. Jesus told us to come as we are. God’s love is unconditional, not based on our good works. It is His free gift to us, presented by Jesus who died for our sins.

Pharisees teaching: “ Why is it that you do not see that I was not talking to you about bread? I was talking to you about keeping away from the yeast of the proud religious law-keepers and the religious group of people who believe no one will be raised from the dead.” 12 Then they understood that it was not the yeast of bread that He was talking about. But He was talking about the teaching of the proud religious law-keepers and of the other religious group of people.” Matthew 16:11-12 NLV

Jesus’ teaching: “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever. ” John 3:16 NLV

Am I big and fluffy or flat and salty? Am I puffed up with self or am I deflated of selfish ambition and trusting God to use me how He sees fit?

I am so glad that we have a loving heavenly Father who desires that we have a life of goodness and truth free from selfishness and pride.

 

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A Good Good Father

Do you know, really know, what Christ did for you on the cross? Not only did He die so that our sins would be forgiven, He gave His life so that we could be joined in a Father/son, Father/daughter relationship with God Almighty!

WOW!!

You parents who are getting your kids ready to go back to school know what it’s like to be a provider. My kids are older and so it’s been a long time since I bought school supplies or had a kid in athletics and the $$ that can be spent there. But as a parent, that’s what we do – we provide. Sometimes, we may wonder why and how but we still provide.

We provide emotional support, food, clothing, shelter, $$, medical care, life skills and good practical advice for living and dealing with life. Why? Because we’re the parent and we love this child and want them to grow into a man or woman that we can be proud of – someone who will be loving, ambitious, a benefit to their community and not a drain on society.

Well, God the Father, feels this way and more about you. His love is infinitely greater than ours – His is unconditional and He looks for ways to cover our faults and failures and to bring us up to a better place. He has promised to supply ALL our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
When we look at His relationship with Jesus we will see an example of the relationship He desires to have with us.

All of the messages Jesus taught, all of the times He healed, the miracles He did were all examples of the Father’s love for us. He wanted people to know and understand just what a loving Father was.

The religious rulers of the day were condemning and critical in all they did. Jesus was revealing an amazing contrast between relationship with the Father and the religious order of man.

“God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17 His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.” Romans 8:16–17 CEV

Now I know some of you aren’t going to like that word suffer.

But how did Jesus suffer? He suffered public ridicule, defamation of character, he turned the other cheek, He put others first and then He suffered death on the cross, so we don’t have too. The suffering we are called to is  giving up our desires and ambitions for life to live a better, more loving, more sacrificial life for Him. 

The rewards are certainly worth it. We will share in His glory. That’s the inheritance we receive.

Let the Father show you His love today! He’s just waiting for you to spend time with Him.

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On A Clear Day

I think the words go, on a clear day you can see forever but our view yesterday was far from clear.

This is what we saw from the windows of the truck as we drove from Idaho to Nevada. Smoke from the fires is everywhere. We planned our trip home through areas we haven’t been to before and wanted to see the ranch country of Jordan Valley and around Winnemucca. Guess we’ll save that for another trip.

But all that smoke got me to thinking about what it’s like to have a foggy mind and not be clear headed. There’s a lot of that going around these days. People doing and saying things that are irrational and selfish.

If we’d all just take time to think a bit more before we open our mouths. Jesus was giving some instruction to His followers about this very thing.

Everyone was so eager to correct their neighbors, family members and co-workers that Jesus had to explain to them the importance of removing offensive actions from their own lives before they started “Helping” others see their faults.

I think there’s a lesson here for all of us.  We seem to make allowances for our own actions that we aren’t willing to concede to others.

“Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5 You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to get the dust out of your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:4-5 ERV

The Apostle Paul wrote all about love in the 13th chapter of I Corinthians. I’ve shared it with you on numerous occasions. He tells us that love is gentle, kind, not jealous, overlooks wrong actions, doesn’t keep score. And then he ends is definition of love by saying that it never fails.

I will admit we will never be able to live this life of love perfectly but that doesn’t mean we quit trying. Paul goes on to say a few verses later that as we mature we will put away foolish thinking or as I like to call it selfishness. There is nothing more foolish than a “me” centered life. Paul tells us that kind of living is like looking into a dark or smoky mirror. Our vision of what is true and real is obscured.

But…he goes on to say, that when we look into Jesus face we will see clearly. Now I do believe that this verse is making reference to how things will be in heaven but they also apply to how things should be here on earth. When we look closely at Jesus we see how everything he said and did was motivated by love. As we grow and mature we will see that our lives are also reflecting more of His love.

“When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. 12 Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture  in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.” I Corinthians 13:11-12 CEV

One more Biblical example on being able to see clearly. It comes from the Old Testament. Moses had just led the Jews out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. They were wandering in the Sinai Desert. The Lord sent a pillar, a cloud to cover them in the day to protect them from the overwhelming heat and He sent a pillar or cloud of fire to protect them at night from the bitter cold.

“The Lord went before them, in a pillar of cloud during the day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire during the night to give them light. So they could travel day and night. 22 The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire during the night did not leave the people.” Exodus 13:21-22 NLV

God’s love was displayed in the fire. It made it possible for the Israelites to see clearly at night. God is still displaying His love to us. He wants us to see clearly. He doesn’t want us to stumble or fall in the dark.

Thank you Lord for letting me see Your love clearly. For lighting my way and keeping me out of the smoke and the fog.

 

 

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