Tag: GodSoLoved

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Home Again!

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday on the road, driving home. Outside of a couple of construction zones and a few spots of congested traffic the drive was uneventful, just the kind we like.

I have no idea how many thousands of miles we have traveled over the years. God’s hand of protection has guided us. Protection. A gift that I never take for granted.

I was reminded of another gift that God has blessed us with when I was reading this morning, The gift of righteousness. Simply put, righteousness means right-standing or acceptable.

“There is a lot of difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gift. That one sin led to punishment. But God’s gift made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times. 17 Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has treated us with undeserved grace, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings.

18  Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19 Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.” Romans 5:16-19 CEV

God’s gift of right-standing isn’t seasonal; it’s a gift 24-7-365. Every day, all year long. Right-standing with God has been granted and as the verse says, “made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times.”

The reason Christ came was to pay the price for our sins. Something we were and are unable to do on our own.

“ When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV

This was God’s plan from the beginning; He wanted us to be a part of His family and to live with Him in His home. The gift of right standing with God is like coming home!

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The Gift of Love

Why Christmas?

Have you ever asked yourself, why Christmas? Christ-mas: the day of Christ. The day of His appearing was the gift of love.

I have been reading through this morning’s verses over and over again. First one translation and then another, these verses are the why of Christmas. This is the purpose of Christmas – a gift of love.

“We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. 3 And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient. 4 And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.

6 Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.

9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger. 10 I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.” Romans 5:1-11 ERV

Why Christmas?

Without it there would have been no Christ. Without His birth there would have been no death. Without His death there would have been no salvation. Without His salvation there would have been no friendship with God.

Why Christmas? Without it there would have been no gift of love!

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Where’s Jesus?

I share this story every year because it’s one I want to remember.

Years ago, when we moved back to Arizona from Montana one of our favorite places to go was to Tubac. We had purchased a Santa Fe style home and wanted to furnish it accordingly. This artisan community gave us so many wonderful ideas and was the perfect place to shop. It still is.

Anyway, we had one or two favorite stores and struck up a relationship with the shop keepers. Each year I would decorate our home at Christmas time with nativities and angels. The Country Shoppe had the most diverse selection of nativity sets of any of the stores. It also had the most unusual display.

Looking at each set, small or large, it didn’t take long to notice that something was missing. There was no baby Jesus! Upon closer inspection, shoppers would notice several small handwritten signs.

Please ask for the baby Jesus

I was intrigued. I asked the shopkeeper about the sign. He told me that although the store has little to no theft, the one item that is consistently taken is the baby Jesus. Because of that they keep Him in the backroom, only to be added to the set when a purchase is made.

Who would steal the baby Jesus? But it was definitely a thing. “Ask for the baby Jesus”, the sign was intriguing.

Isn’t that what the shepherds had to do? Ask for the baby Jesus. Afterall, the angels had only told them that He would be laying in a manager in Bethlehem. How many mangers did they stop at? How many times did they ask, “where’s the babe”?

“ The angels went from the shepherds back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this.” 16 They went fast and found Mary and Joseph. They found the Baby lying in a place where cattle are fed. 17 When they saw the Child, they told what the angel said about Him. 18 All who heard it were surprised at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary hid all these words in her heart. She thought about them much. 20 The shepherds went back full of joy. They thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It happened as the angel had told them.” Luke 2:15-20 NLV

It’s an important question for you and I. Where’s Jesus?

Have we left Him as a babe in the manger, only to be brought out of the back room at Christmas? Is He in a picture on the wall that we look at occasionally and then go on about our day? Or, does He live within our hearts as our constant companion, our Savior, Lord and King?

“There was a rich man named Zaccheus. He was a leader of those who gathered taxes. 3 Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus but he could not because so many people were there and he was a short man… 6 At once he came down and was glad to have Jesus come to his house.” Luke 19:1-6 NLV

Jesus desires to live in our house, in our hearts. Invite Him in. Let everyone know the answer to “where’s Jesus”.

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A Day to Remember

What do you think of when you see the date, December 7th, on the calendar? How many still remember “the day that will live in infamy”?

I took this picture, years ago, at our home in northern Idaho. It was a reminder of those who fought and died for our freedom. Those who died in a war to secure the shores of our nation and also the One who died to bring us spiritual freedom.

Will the generations to come remember the sacrifice of those who died at Pearl Harbor?

The bigger question is will they remember the One who came as a babe, lived a sinless life and died, becoming the spotless sacrifice for our sins?

We are a people who tend to forget.

“While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is to become a mother by the Holy Spirit. 21 A Son will be born to her. You will give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from the punishment of their sins.’” Matthew 1:20-21 NLV

A day to remember. Do you remember the day? when Jesus saved you from your sins?

“ I was near Damascus. All at once, about noon, I saw a bright light from heaven shining around me. 7 I fell to the ground. A voice said to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you work so hard against Me?’ 8 I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the One you are working against.’” Acts 22:6-8 NLV

Now, my salvation story isn’t as dramatic as the Apostle Paul’s, but I remember. I was a little girl in church on a Sunday evening. I really don’t remember what the preacher said however I knew I wanted Jesus to come live in my heart. I walked forward at the end of the service and Mrs. Turner talked with me about the importance of what I was doing and then she prayed with me to receive Christ.

“Remember this! Jesus Christ, Who was born from the early family of David, was raised from the dead! This is the Good News I preach.” II Timothy 2:8 NLV

A day to remember.

There are so many memories attached to the Christmas season. Songs of joy, celebrations with family and friends, family traditions and activities from Christmases past come flooding in.

May I encourage us all to take time to reflect (remember) the day that Christmas became more about the Person instead of the presents.

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Christmas Cards

I know it’s only December 1st but have you received any Christmas cards yet?

I have a few friends that address their cards and write their Christmas letters on Thanksgiving weekend. Then, like clockwork, they are in the mail and delivered by December 1. In fact, I have already received one – it arrived, hand-delivered, on Thanksgiving Day.

Are you like me? I love getting these Christmas greetings from friends and loved one far and near. Reading their newsy letters brings them close once again.

As I sat here this morning wondering what I should share, I prayed a simple prayer and asked “Lord, what do you want to say this morning?”. Here’s the answer – it’s from God’s heart to you – ‘nuf said.

“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3 KJV

“From far away, the Lord will appear to his people. The Lord says, “I love you people with a love that continues forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 ERV

Years ago, I read this verse about this time of year and it really impacted my heart. I felt like it was God’s message for the Season. His matchless love – His unconditional love – His love that never fails is the reason we have Christmas.

The Father reached out to us with His most extravagant gift, Jesus, His Son.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll print this verse and attach it to your mantle or at least copy it and put it in your phone so you can look at it several times each day. This message of everlasting love and God’s lovingkindness, His “hesed” is a message from His heart to ours!

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Back Sliding Isn’t Fun

Yesterday I told you that one of our Christmas tree cuttings had an added adventure that we weren’t expecting. Now, let me tell you the rest of the story. This image is a picture I took from the top of that mountain.

We went up to cut our Christmas tree. We backed off on a side road to turn around and slid 100 yds down the mountainside. Two hours later, after much work, we were finally back on the main road and heading home. We would gain a foot and then lose 6″. It seemed almost impossible to get any forward momentum. Inch by inch we gained ground, but we had to make sure we had good traction and that meant cutting pine boughs to put under the wheels – we needed a firm foundation.

Backsliding created some real stress and anxious moments.

I’ve had those same type of experiences emotionally as well. A failure or hurt can be daunting. Friends leave, loved ones don’t understand and so we can get stuck in our failure and live in self-pity or even become suicidal. Maybe you’ve had a “tremendous” sin in your life that has held you back from serving God. Leaving you with the thought that God couldn’t possibly love or forgive me after what I have done but He can. He does and He already has.

“So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. 2 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 12:1-3

To go on with God we need a couple things; one, to be looking in the right direction – looking forward and looking up and then two, we need good traction – something solid beneath our feet.

“Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time. Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time…19. And so, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. We can do this without fear because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus. 20 We enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way that leads through the curtain—Christ’s body. 21 And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. 23 We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.” Hebrews 10:10-14,19-23

The solid foundation Christ has given us is His sacrifice that offers us forgiveness and a right relationship with God (that’s our traction), it gets us out of the ditch of self-pity and off the slippery slope of unworthiness. The blood of Christ can and has cleansed us from a guilty conscience and put us on the right road with God.

When we’re wrapped up in guilt, and we all go there from time to time, we’re looking the wrong direction. The victory comes in looking at Jesus – looking forward, not back. Looking back, we magnify our failures and sin; looking forward we magnify Jesus and what He did for us on the cross.

Get on track and run the race looking to Jesus and don’t get “stuck” in your past.

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Start with a Song

That’s how my morning started, with a song. As you can tell by this posting, it was a later start than usual.

What a wonderful night’s sleep.

As I began to focus on the day, my heart started to sing:

“My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus ’tis now

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus ’tis now

I’ll love Thee in life and I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus ’tis now”

This song was written in 1862 and has been printed in thousands of hymn books and sung by millions of people, but this morning it was mine to sing in the quiet of our living room. Our RV is a place of worship and this morning it was a concert hall for a choir of one.

Yesterday, Dave and I spent the better part of the morning decorating our little piece of the world for Christmas. Although you’ll see a few candy canes and a sleigh, front and center, inside and out, it will be the nativity sets that command the attention.

Our home, like yours, is a place where the Lord is honored at this special time of year.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NLT

A message to ring loud and clear: shouted from the heavens and whispered by the heart.

“ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NLT

It’s no wonder why my heart was singing. I have been saved from my sins because He came.

Find the song that fills your heart today and sing it loudly as praise to our Lord and Savior!

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A Family Favorite

Are you like me? The Thanksgiving menu is posted to the refrigerator door. You’ve looked at the list and double checked the pantry for all the ingredients. It’s down to crunch time. The turkey is thawing, the potatoes are waiting to be peeled, the dressing/stuffing will be mixed tomorrow night and the pies are ready.

Yep! It’s all but done. On that list of things that need to be made are the family favorites.

This morning I was reading Psalm 145, as I always do. I read through it quickly, as if to check it off the list and move on, when I was impressed with stop and read it again. That’s when I felt the Lord minister to my heart that this is one of His family favorites, so I read it again – savored it and tried to enjoy it to the fullest.

“I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I’ll bless your name into eternity. 2 I’ll bless you every day, and keep it up from now to eternity.

3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.

4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. 5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders.

6 Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.

7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country; your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.

8 God is all mercy and grace— not quick to anger, is rich in love.

9 God is good to one and all; everything he does is soaked through with grace.

10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God; your holy people bless you. They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor,

12 Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.

14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.

15 All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time. 16 Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.

17 Everything God does is right—  the trademark on all his works is love.

18 God’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it.

19 He does what’s best for those who fear him— hears them call out, and saves them.

20 God sticks by all who love him, but it’s all over for those who don’t.

21 My mouth is filled with God’s praise.  Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity!” Psalm 145 MSG

Now you may want to read that again because I’m sure you will find something in these verses that will become a favorite. Maybe it’s the fact that God is all mercy and grace or that He is good to everyone. How about the part that says He picks us up when we fall or that He is never voted out of office? Perhaps it’s the part that says He is generous to a fault and He listens when we pray.

God’s word is like a good meal; it contains all our favorites including dessert. The goodness of the Lord never ceases.

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More Love

That really is an oxymoron. If you love or are loved how can there be more?

With our heavenly Father there is just love for He is love. His whole character, His nature, His very being is love!

We can come to comprehend His love in greater depth but there is never a point where He withholds His love and then releases more of it. He can’t stop being who He is, He is love.

Yesterday while I was looking further into “hesed”, loving-kindness, I found these words.

“Hesed is to love as God loves. When God’s presence passed by Moses on Mt. Sinai and revealed his very essence, God proclaimed his great hesed. (Exodus 34:6) In his book The Bible Among the Myths, biblical scholar John Oswalt describes it this way:

The word hesed…[is] the descriptor par excellence of God in the Old Testament. The word speaks of a completely undeserved kindness and generosity done by a person who is in a position of power. This was the Israelites’ experience of God. He revealed himself to them when they were not looking for him, and he kept his covenant with them long after their persistent breaking of it had destroyed any reason for his continued keeping of it. …Unlike humans, this deity was not fickle, undependable, self-serving, and grasping. Instead he was faithful, true, upright, and generous—always.

Like other Hebrew verbs, hesed is not just a feeling but an action. It intervenes on behalf of loved ones and comes to their rescue.” excerpt from Hesed: Love in the Long Term.

by Lois Tverberg

Contrary to what some teach, our heavenly Father is not the one causing evil and disruption in our lives. He is the One bringing peace in the midst of our storm.

“ For this is like the days of Noah to Me. As I promised that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again, so I have promised that I will not be angry with you or speak sharp words to you. 10 The mountains may be taken away and the hills may shake, but My loving-kindness will not be taken from you. And My agreement of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has loving-pity on you.” Isaiah 54:9-10 NLV

and we have this promise in Ephesians

“At one time all of us lived to please our old selves. We gave in to what our bodies and minds wanted. We were sinful from birth like all other people and would suffer from the anger of God.

4 But God had so much loving-kindness. He loved us with such a great love. 5 Even when we were dead because of our sins, He made us alive by what Christ did for us. You have been saved from the punishment of sin by His loving-favor. 6 God raised us up from death when He raised up Christ Jesus. He has given us a place with Christ in the heavens.” Ephesians 2:3-6 NLV

A heart of gratitude is established on love. Day 2 in the month of giving thanks. Thank the Father for His unconditional love and then look for an opportunity to share “hesed” with someone.

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Smile Big!

This is a teaching I have used before but it’s an analogy I like. Just something to remember.

We see a lot of pumpkins around that still have their yucky parts, we are all in a process of cleaning!

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-20 CEV

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch and washes all the dirt off of you. He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate and greed. He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

We, all too often, look at ourselves and others and become critical. We aren’t what we want to be or should be. But when the Father looks at us, He sees us complete in Christ.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

Jesus didn’t give up on Peter who denied Him or Paul who killed Christians. He loved Zacchaeus and the woman who committed adultery. The thief on the cross next to Him went to Paradise without having ever been to church, been baptized or having given anything in the offering plate. Why? Each of them received God’s forgiveness for their sins.

When we accept the work of Jesus on the cross, we are forgiven and given a new life. We are all in a process of growing in that new life and we are being transformed, its a daily renewal.

So too all my fellow pumpkins, welcome! Smile big and let the light of God shine brightly.

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