Life for All

When Jesus our Lord followed his father in total obedience to the cross, he struck a blow that divided all time and that pierced the heart of death down to the very depths of hell. Death no longer has power over humankind, nor does sin. In the moment that Jesus said, "Thy will Father, not mine" and also "Forgive them, for they know not what they do," and then breathed his last breath the earth shook with a violent quake. In that moment, the battle over sin and death was won.

Jesus died, but Jesus also rose from death to eternal life.

Before that great act of love, human's lived in sin with no way out. With that act, now we have a choice. The gift of justification and life is freely given, all we have to do is freely receive and walk in life each day.

Angry God, Loving and Merciful God

Numbers 1:1 - 3: “Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then the fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah because the fire from the Lord had burned among them."

The story of the Hebrews in the dessert traveling with Moses to the Promised Land is a picture of God that I find troubling. He is so harsh and angry consuming people with fire and opening the ground and swallowing them.

I relate much more to the merciful God that takes my sins and throws them into the sea of forgetfulness. Nature does have consequences for bad choices and governments do have laws that punish wrong doing. It is necessary to keep order and peace. But I wonder how to incorporate this angry God image into my life. Should I?

For me, God has been my strength and shield. I relate to him as a child to a father. I feel that I experience his lovingkindness. I have heard people talk about dispensations to explain that God was one way in the Old Testament times and different in New Testament times. The Bible also states that God never changes. I like the idea that God never changes. I like the way Jesus in the New Testament writings introduces the father image of God to us when he teaches the prayer we call "The Lord's Prayer."

I don't want to pick and choose which parts of the Bible I believe or don't believe, but have over the years begun to see the Bible more like a friend and a trusted counselor than a magical book of immutable laws. The Bible comforts me and graces me with the stories of God and people and as miraculous as it is that we have these wonderful writings, I keep in mind that they were written from the human side of the relationship. I wonder how God's personally written book of all these times would read? And I consider that Jesus, the human image of God to be a window into God's perspective. I look at Jesus and read the words which are attributed to him in the Bible to get a fuller picture of God.

The living Bible, and I don't mean the printed translation, is written in the interactions that each of us has with God in our daily lives. The Bible didn't stop on the last page of the book, but continues each day as we walk hand in hand with Him.

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (Words of Jesus)

Psa 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

Micah 7:18-19 "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that."

"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind."

"Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Attributed to Jesus of Nazareth as he spoke the Sermon on the Mount. The Message Bible translation.

I wonder what would happen in the world if international diplomacy were governed by this thought? And what would happen in every city if each individual strove to walk this way? And what would happen to me if I would live this each day?

Loose Threads

In my morning devotion a memory surfaced of the time that Cory Ten Boon spoke at my college campus during a chapel in the late 1970's. She said that our lives are like a weaving of which we only see the underside. We see loose ends and threads crossing every which way in seeming randomness. But one day as we approach our time of passing God turns it over and shows us the beautiful work he had made. Maybe this is the comfort that people experience as they come close to passing, the comfort from God as he reveals to them the beauty of the life they have lived and they see how precious life has been and they rejoice.

Here is the poem on which Corrie's talk was based:
My life is but a weaving between my God and me,
I pick out the colors and He weaveth endlessly.
Sometimes He weaveth sorrow, and I within my heart,
Forget He sees the picture, and I see only part.
But the dark threads of sorrow, are as needful in the skillful weavers hands,
As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has planned.
Not till this life is over, and the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas, and explain the reasons why.

Lost and Found

Have you misplaced or lost something lately only to find it randomly after having given up your search? Did you feel happy and relieved when you found it? God never quits searching for us when we stray from him. When we return, even the angels rejoice! Luke 15:1-10. Salvation is not a one time event but a lifetime journey. We are too quick to let brothers and sisters in the faith go when we think they have strayed, but our Lord never gives up and continues to seek them.

We can be deadly hard on ourselves when we slip. Sometimes the last person to forgive you is the one looking back in the mirror. Isn't it good to know you can be forgiven more than once because there would not be many of us left in the faith if salvation were a one-use only coupon. There is no expiration date on our Lord's gift to us and we can use it daily.

Somehow in my early faith walk, I got the impression that if you stumbled in your faith that was it. You had thrown away your salvation. Though God is perfect and without flaw, and could find more things to condemn us for than we can even know, he forgives us. So should we forgive ourselves and others. Jesus said to be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect. Since I can not imagine coming close to God's perfection, I have come to believe that Jesus was referring to forgiveness. We can forgive like God forgives. Matthew 5:48

The completed chapter five of Matthew is a picture of forgiveness that few have lived out in their lives. It takes faith that God forgives and he does so in advance of our repentance. Read Matthew five and be challenged in your faith to step up to a new level of forgiveness for yourself and for all those around you.

Be blessed today and know you are forgiven and go and share the joy of forgiveness with everyone you see.

Be Still, Stand Firm

When the Israelites had their backs to the Red Sea and the armies of Pharaoh bearing down upon them, Moses told them to not be afraid, to stand firm, to be still. How many times in life would that approach calm and strengthen me during a time of strife or challenging circumstances if I would remember to have faith and simply be still? Worry and fear are antithetical to the peace of faith. It is up to me to choose which I want in my day, fear or faith. Today I will practice choosing faith.

When we face times of change in life, it's easy to be fearful. Change is unsettling, but it doesn't have to be a negative time. When change comes in life, look to the One who is always constant and unchanging. When change comes, I am going to remember to "not be afraid, stand firm, be still." When we are still we can see God's hand working in our lives. When the tempest hits, that is the time to seek silent meditation and prayer.

Today I will set aside a time to meditate and simply be still. I do not know how to meditate, but I will practice!

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10, NIV

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” -Exodus 14:13-14, New Women's Devotional Bible

Your gift from Jesus

God loved the world so much he gave his son so that all who would believe may have eternal life. Jesus loved us so much he gave us his peace which surpasses all understanding and life full of abundance.

I have been thinking about the word "habitation" recently and the concept of fully inhabiting my life. I have been worrying about several things. I have been walking through a period of grief. My house has been cluttered with so many physical things from the past just as my heart and mind has been cluttered with so many thoughts and emotions from my past. This year I am going to work on accepting God's gift of salvation fully in my mind and heart and also at accepting Jesus' gifts of peace which surpasses all my understanding. I want to live abundantly and to fully inhabit my life and home.

I am going to learn to "let go and let God" work in my day this day and each day forward. Holding on to things from the past has weighted me down. I will trust God's care for me.

Thank you Lord for loving me so much, beyond what I can comprehend. I love you Lord!

John 14:27 (NLB)

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 10:41-42 (NRSV)

But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Matthew 6:26-30 (NRSV)

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

He carried me on his shoulders

Thought for the day: "There is a good reason God calls his people sheep. Sometimes they act baa-aaa-ad and wonder away from the paths he has mapped out for them. A good shepherd will relentlessly search for a wayward sheep. Sometimes, if the sheep refuses to follow his master, the shepherd takes drastic action. The shepherd breaks the sheep's leg, places it upon his shoulders, and carries the sheep until it learns total dependence. This is tough love - the shepherd breaks the sheep to make sure it will always follow the shepherd." - New Women's Devotional Bible

This sounds strong-handed, but the shepherd knows if the sheep wanders on it's own, it will be devoured by wild animals. Isaiah 53:6 - "We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

God's love holds us close. He carries us on his shoulders when we fall. He forgives, redeems, and protects. And he takes our iniquities to the cross. This is God's perfect love. Since our Lord loves and forgives us, so should we forgive each other. Christians are too quick to banish as lost those that have stumbled but God bears them up and restores them.

Take the pledge! A prayer a day in 2012

God only knows what would happen if you prayed! Prayer changes you for good. Start small. Tiny prayers pack power because you are connecting with our unlimited Heavenly Father. The style of your prayer is not the most important thing. If you like formal prayers, find one you like and start there, maybe the Lord's Prayer. Or if you want to get personal, try simple conversation with God, like you would talk to your best friend. One prayer a day for 2012, unimaginable changes! Only God knows what can happen this year and he loves to talk with you in prayer.

A Tiny Prayer

The Lord's Prayer

Make it personal:

My Father, who is in heaven,
I respect and revere your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give me this day my daily bread.
And forgive me my trespasses,
as I forgive those who trespass against me.
And lead me not into temptation,
but deliver me from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen