Plowing Hope

"...That he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope."  (1 Corinthians 9:10b)

I recently read this passage of Scripture, found in the latter part of 1 Corinthians 9:10, and it has been rattling around in my head ever since. 

The thing that stand out to me is the word 'hope'.  Plowing in hope.  Threshing in hope.  Partaking in hope.  I love that word hope.  Day after day I am reminded that without hope, we have nothing. 

Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

I have been a believer for over 30 years and I have seen the Lord move in mighty ways.  I have seen people rise off their sickbeds.  I have seen instantaneous healing.  I have seen unexplainable miracles.  I know God is real.  I know He is active, calling, wooing, seeking, saving and setting people free!

Even when life seems at it's worst, when I have moments of doubt, I go back to those milestones and my hope is renewed. 

That hope stirs me, fills me and I am challenged to share that hope with others.  Too often we dwell on our mistakes or have our mistakes continuously pointed out to us.  The truth of the matter is we all sin.  We all make mistakes.  The Bible is very clear on that.  It is also clear that we are called to love God and love our neighbor.  We are called to share what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  I will share hope, I will share truth in love, I will speak life.  This world is not the end.  I have a hope of eternity.  That eternal hope causes me to rejoice today.

Suffering will one day end, pain will be no more.  Life is more than it appears, God still moves today.

I can't worry about tomorrow.  What comes will come.  Today, today I will rejoice in hope!  Tomorrow is a new day, and again I will rejoice in hope.

Live hope, breathe hope, speak hope and let the peace of Jesus Christ reign in your life forever!

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

 I have been singing this children's hymn for over a week now.  Like any ear-worm, it has buried itself deep and I have even woken up in the middle of the night with the song on my lips.  However, this simple but profound song isn't driving me crazy, it's driving me deeper into the Word of God!
 
I found a definition of love that I have been using as a baseline as I read various scriptures on the topic.

Love - It is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

Tender and passionate.  That is the kind of Love I believe the Lord exhibits towards us on a continual basis.  It is that passionate love that caused God to send His only Son to die for us!  It was that kind of love that caused Jesus to submit His will to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane.  A sacrificial love!

"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2)

One of the most encouraging Scriptures to me is found in Romans 8:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

The key to experiencing that love is relationship with Him!  Recognizing and accepting the work he did on the cross!

From the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation, Love Permeates the Bible.  Yes,  at times God has had to discipline His children, we have suffered the consequences of our own sinful actions, but His love is there, wooing, calling, and available.

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

If we except, or have excepted that love then we can also rest in that love:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9)

To Abide meas to: to remain or continue, to dwell, or my favorite, to await in expectation!

Jesus love us, let us abide in His Love!

The Possibility of Peace

Peace!

Life has a way of wearing you down.  The daily up and down grind can make you feel as if you are on a roller-coaster as you deal with physical, emotional and financial issues.

I was reading 1 Corinthians this week as part of my regular devotions.  I didn't make it past the 3rd verse of the 1st chapter.  That verse says, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 1:3)  It's a wonderful greeting Paul gives in his letter and it got me thinking how great it would be if we greeted each other with grace and peace today! Peace seems to be lacking in so many lives, yet God is a God of comfort.

I looked up the word peace in the dictionary and I found two definitions of peace that resonated with me.  The first one is a state of calm and quiet.  The other is freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions. 

Both are fitting descriptions.

A state of calm and quiet.  Probably the thing we think of most when we think of peace is quiet.  Just a chance to take a time to rest and relax. No worries, no distractions, just quiet.  Jesus often went away with the Father for some alone time.  Sometimes the crowds followed Him and sometimes He got alone but He never stopped setting aside time for rest.

How often do we set aside time for rest?  There is always something to be done, someone who may need us, demands on our time.  We give in to every whim of life.  Why not set aside time to refresh?

Freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions.  This definition is one I am struggling with the most.  I can't just turn off my mind and rest.  I lay in bed and the days activities run through my mind as I recall the good and the bad while planning the next day.  I too often recall the hurts of life and the conflicting emotions that come up as I try to do what's right and yet so often do the wrong thing.  (Romans 7:15)

So I come back to this greeting in 1 Corinthians.  As I read this verse, I was also reminded of Psalm 23.  Particularly I am drawn to the verse that says, "He leads us beside still waters."

There is truth in that verse.  This past year has been an...interesting...one.  I've taken some hits in unexpected ways, seen God bless me in others and through it all...through the worst of it...I can say that I know His peace.  It is a peace that truly passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), and yet it is undeniably His peace.

So my wish for you, my greeting, is that of 1 Cor. 1:3, grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Did I Start Growing Up?

I remember this commercial well as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania and later Tennessee.  The catchy tune stuck with me and it was something I remember singing even into my early adult years.

I didn't just sing it, I tried to live it as well.  I did not want to grow up.  I loved being a child and tried to hold onto my childhood as long as possible.  

As I reached adulthood, I became a fan of flea markets, yard sales and antique stores.  Anyplace I could find retro toys and other items from my youth appealed to me.  I may not have been able to afford them, but I sure got pleasure from these regular trips down memory lane.

The older I got, the more I seemed to embrace my childhood.  I continued my baseball card collecting hobby, watched vintage cartoons and acted somewhat...immature at times.  When my daughter came along, it gave me the chance to introduce her to some of things I enjoyed, so that I could somewhat selfishly enjoy them again.  When my son came along, it gave me an excuse to walk down the boys toy aisle with him as opposed to doing so by myself.

Now there is nothing inherently wrong with enjoying your childhood or being young at heart.  There is also nothing wrong with growing up.  I have heard whole sermons based on 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."

Those sermons usually condemned immaturity, and not just spiritual immaturity.

I have to admit though, I liked being a kid at heart.  I like collecting baseball cards, some superhero books and even the occasional toy from my youth.

However, over the last couple years, I have noticed some subtle changes.  I still collect these items, but my mindset is changing.

Somehow I began thinking like an adult in other parts of my life. 

I no longer feel the need to "argue" the Gospel.  I want people to come to faith in Christ but see the value in balancing grace and truth in how I present the message of hope.

I am willing to die for what I believe, but what I believe is being refined to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2)

I began embracing a new mindset in my interactions with others:  "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (Romans 12:18) 

Probably the biggest change, and one that has been coming along a bit more slowly, is a working out of James 1:19 where we are encouraged to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. 

One day, I looked in the mirror and saw grey hairs.  People began telling me I had matured in my interactions and that they feel I have become more well-rounded.  Somehow I began growing up.

It's actually not so bad.  Don't get me wrong, you'll still see me in the toy aisle, and I will be buying baseball cards until my wife cuts out my allowance.  However, you will also see a calmer me.  Someone who is more relaxed in his faith and trusting more in the King of Kings.  

If that is what it means to grow up, I am ready for it. 

Do You Feel Loved Today?

Do you feel loved today?  Do you think that if people knew the real you they would still love and care about you?  Maybe you have never felt loved. I think, rather we would admit it or not, all of us long to be loved unconditionally.  We want to know that, even if we mess up, we are still cared for.

Well I have good news!

Romans 8:35 asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

The answer comes a few verses later: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39)

Jesus Christ offers that.  He offers that unconditional love.  You are going to mess up.  You WILL make mistakes and you will encounter hardships in this life.  So many of us feel unloved and/or unlovable.  We might feel that we have gone too far to turn back from the bad choices we have made.  The good news is that it is never too late.

God loves us and He loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to take it all of our mistakes and bad choices on the cross.  (John 3:16)  This is not a license to do what we want. This is a call to accept His love.  Who else loves you enough to die for you?  To forgive you unconditionally and to not hold your past, present or future against you?  Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The choice is yours.  Will you accept that love or will you walk away from it?  Only you can answer that.  Jesus Christ is waiting with open arms.  Why not run to Him today? 

Hope For Today

I found myself thinking about hope quite a bit lately. 

Hit with some rough times, I found the message of hope to be one I needed to be reminded of. 

Discouragement unchecked can turn to depression and anger can turn to bitterness.  I have struggled with both discouragement and anger recently and realized I needed to remind myself of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

I went looking through the Scriptures and found numerous verses that spoke about the hope that the Old Testament men and women of God had.  Their hope was in the prophesied birth of the Messiah.  We, as His children, now have the hope of Christ's return as predicted in the New Testament.

However, as great as those words are, they did not give me hope for today.  For right now.  I dug a little more until I came across a few verses that I believe offers hope for the here and now.  The beauty of this passage is that it gives us hope for the past, present and the future!

Here it is:

Romans 8:35-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST!

There is my hope. 

No matter how bad I have blown it in the past, no matter what I am going through today and no matter what I will face tomorrow...I am still loved.

Cared For.

Forgiven.

Loved.
 

The Father's Love Letter

My Child,
   

You may not know me, but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

 For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications
© 1999-2011 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

My Yo-Yo Life

Up and down, up and down.

I could never get the hang of a yo-yo when I was growing up.  I could do it a few times but invariably, it ended with the yo-yo just hanging there, hanging on by a thread.

This past week, my life definitely seemed like a yo-yo.  Monday started off fairly normal, then I went to work.  It seemed as if all hell broke loose.  Over the next three hours, it seems I used every management, pastoral and counseling tool in my repertoire.  When it was all said and done, I was exhausted.  I felt empty inside.  I came home to just veg and 20 minutes after walking in the door, the power went out for the next 6 hours.  

Tuesday morning I felt like I was operating on vapors, but throughout the day, the Lord continuously strengthened and encouraged me.  Wednesday, my wife and I experienced a fairly embarrassing incident and it seems I quickly crashed to earth.  By Thursday, it felt like I was hanging on by a thread.

"I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  (Galatians 2:20)

My wife gave me a quote that said in part that "Christ did not want to be our helper, but rather our Life.  He wants us to experience His life in the heat of the moment."

In the heat of the moment, I was not letting Christ shine through.  Heck, to be honest, by Thursday I was questioning God's goodness.

Now I know He is good, but in the midst of the storm it is hard to see clearly.

Yet He did bring us through the storm.  A friend reminded me of Romans 8:35 which says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?"

Romans 8:37-39 answers that question:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Nothing can separate us from His love.

Not In My Right Mind

Concussions are no fun. I am now recovering from my 3rd diagnosed concussion. I have had the various symptoms like headaches, dizziness and slight confusion. My words were a bit jumbled up and at one point I was just a bit out of it.

Three days later and I am better than I was. However, I still find different words popping to mind than what I intend to say. Thankfully, I have improved to the point where I can recognize it is the wrong word and change it to the right one before speaking.

Even writing this post is a bit hard at the moment.

I have been on a forced rest and that has given me a lot of time to think. (Or with my concussion, thinking I was thinking.) I have also tried to use this time to reflect on the Word.

This inability to do what I want (like move a lot), say what I want or think what I want reminded me of a specific Scripture.

"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Romans 7:15) Now I know Paul was not talking about concussions here. However, when I take this verse about the struggle to do what is right, I am also reminded that my identity is in Christ.

Gal. 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

I may struggle with the world around me, wrestle with temptation and even do the very things that disgust me, yet if I can remember to live out Gal. 2:20, I can rest in Him instead of struggling with the world.

And those are the ramblings of a concussed man!

The Bell - I KNow Who I Am

I was sent this in an email and really liked it so I thought I would share it with all of you. Merry Christmas!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17

.

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8: 31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph.. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?

5 Questions With Philip Yancey

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's Guest is one of my all-time favorite authors, Philip Yancey.

He is also an author I highly recommend.

Philip Yancey began his career as Editor of Campus Life Magazine. More than 15 million people have read his books since he was first published in 1977. His books have been translated into 35 languages. Philip explores the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of Christian faith and invites readers to join him on his journeys. His books have earned recognition including two Christian Book of the Year awards and 13 Gold Medallion awards.

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

Hello Philip,

1. Of all the books you have written, do you have a favorite?

Yes, Soul Survivor is my favorite, because in it I wrote about 13 of my heroes, people (some dead, some living) who shaped my faith and had a profound effect on me. I recommend that exercise to everyone: to give serious thought to people who have helped formed you--more, people you want to follow as role models. Interestingly, my own favorite books are not necessarily the best sellers. I like Soul Survivor, The Gift of Pain, and Reaching for the Invisible God, none of which topped the sales charts. A writer seldom knows what will connect most strongly with readers.

2. What do you see is the difference between mercy and grace?

The classic distinction is between grace (getting what you don't deserve) and mercy (not getting what you do deserve). There's an element of truth. We believe that as God judges our behavior, much mercy is involved, and we don't get what we deserve. Grace goes further, lavishing on us God's forgiveness and love that go well beyond modifications of justice and turn upside down the laws of the universe. In my book, I coin the word Ungrace to describe the karma-like law of the jungle that applies in finance, nature, foreign policy, and so many places. Grace cuts right across that.

3. How do you balance grace and truth when it comes to issues of sin?

It's important to me to realize that I'm not the judge, God is. If I see someone engaging in behavior I disapprove of, my instinct is to declare myself, to feel superior, to point out the flaw in the other person. When I give in to that instinct, I become the Pharisee that Paul describes do well in Romans 2-3. I'm not the judge; more, my own judgmentalism may be worse than what I'm judging--after all, Paul's sense of superiority led him to torture Christians. My job is to love people of whom I morally disapprove. I let God worry about the balancing act; I'm incapable of that. Of course, there are roles we assume--youth director, pastor, employer, parent--which require us to make difficult choices between grace and truth because the role sets us up as a kind of judge. But in every day life I must remind myself that I'm called to present God's love to the undeserving. That God loves good people isn't Good News; it's old news you can find in every religion. The radical nature of grace expresses God's love for bad people.

4. Your most recent book, What Good is God, again asks the tough questions. Do you ever hesitate in verbalizing what many are probably afraid to say or ask?

I ask the questions I am struggling with. I never ask myself, What would readers like? Rather, I mull over what's been bothering me and when it approaches a boiling point I decide to write a book about it. That particular book came out of my experiences in six different countries in which what I believe is put to an extreme test: Mumbai India, for example, during the terrorist attacks, and the campus of Virginia Tech after the massacre. In places like that the question "What good is God?" naturally arises.

5. You have encouraged people around the world, who encourages you in your relationship with God?

My "pastors" are mostly books, by people like Eugene Peterson, Jurgen Moltmann, Henri Nouwen, Frederick Buechner. I look to them for inspiration and wisdom. My encouragers are my readers who write me or post comments on my website or on Facebook reminding me that I am not alone, that my efforts do make a difference, that we struggle together along a path, always seeing through a glass darkly, in hope of one day seeing the light face to face.

Well there you go. I would encourage you to check out all of Philip Yancey's books and to visit his website: philipyancey.com Philip Yancey is on Facebook as well!

To see past 5 Questions guests see 5 questions page under the tab above.

I Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy....

Joy...I believe this is one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian faith. When you hear the word joy, may feel they need to paste a sickly, unnatural smile on their face and act like everything in the world is just peachy keen...

Insert a gagging noise here.

Who hasn't experienced the happy, happy, joy, joy Christians who want no one to mention adversity and seem to deny the reality that bad things DO happen? I remember one time someone asked how my wife was, I mentioned she had a cold and then was blasted for "negatively confessing" these things.

What does the Bible say about joy? I like Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

What do we have to be joyful about anyways?

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE." Jeremiah 29:11

We have a HOPE AND A FUTURE! That is what we have to be joyful about.

Yeah bad things happen. However we should remember this: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

There is also this passage in Romans: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

Life isn't always peaches and cream...my prayer for you is this: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:11-14

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Walking Forgiveness - Just A Thought #47

I have been thinking about forgiveness a quite a bit lately. What does it look like? Am I living out my faith and forgiving those who I feel have wronged me? Am I following the commands of Jesus to forgive "seventy times seven?"

One thing I know for sure and that is, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," (Ephesians 1:7)

If His blood can wash away my sins and He has shown me His amazing grace, how can I then judge others for the wrong they have done to me?

Jesus himself asked God to forgive those who were crucifying Him! "And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments." (Luke 23:34)

Of course I am not Jesus and I'll tell you what, it is hard to forgive someone who has burned you...sometimes more than once. I have struggled with forgiveness more than I care to remember. I can relate to Peter asking Jesus how often we should forgive someone...and in the past, found the response of Jesus hard to swallow. "Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus makes it pretty clear here that there is no cap on forgiveness. He is still forgiving those who were never born when He was crucified!

Forgiveness is made even more clear to me when I see these verses in Mark: "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.] (Mark 11:25-26) This sounds like we shouldn't be holding grudges....it says if YOU have anything against anyone, FORGIVE!

Sometimes offering forgiveness means we actually have to humble ourselves and let go of our pride! The "I am in the right and justified" attitude just doesn't cut it. Neither does taking on the offense of others.

In this world we are going to get hurt, stepped on and abused! Do we let the enemy rob our joy or do we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and remember that He forgave us much, so how much more should we forgive others? I know, you've been hurt badly...so was Jesus. I know you were in the right...so was Jesus. You have every reason to be angry...so did Jesus.

Yet He chose to die so that you AND the person who hurt you could experience His forgiveness.

I'll leave you with 2 verses I am chewing on right now. May they speak to you as you think on this topic.

Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

James 1:19, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"

Are you walking out forgiveness?

I Do Not Condemn You!

Who knows what was running through the woman's mind. As she was dragged into the midst where Jesus stood, the Pharisees began eagerly sharing the woman’s sin with Jesus and the people around Him. The woman had sinned…she was caught in the act, the very act, of adultery. “Moses said, according to the LAW, that she should be stoned. What do you say Jesus?”

Stooping down, Jesus took His finger and began writing on the ground. Again He was questioned, “What do you say? Should this woman be stoned?” Jesus stood up and looking around said to the scribes and Pharisees, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” With that proclamation Jesus returned to writing on the ground.

The crowd of accusers drifted away until no one was left. Jesus stood again and asked the woman if there was anyone left to condemn her. When the woman replied, “No”, His response to her echoes as a lesson to us all. “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” (A paraphrase of Romans 8:1-11)

I love this passage of Scripture. It is one of hope and mercy, grace and truth! Note that Jesus did not condone her sin. He told her to in fact, stop sinning! However, He showed her grace and mercy while also addressing those who would condemn her.

The accusations laid against her were not wrong, but the heart motive of her accusers was. Sadly, my motivations were not always pure when I confronted someone caught in sin. how have you responded to those who sin?

Instead of heaping condemnation on this woman, Jesus demonstrated a better response, one filled with grace.

I think we struggle in the church with how to respond to those caught in sin. We seem to forget that these were the very people Jesus died for. In fact, His harshest words were for those religious people of the day.

Maybe we are afraid that by demonstrating grace and mercy, we will seem weak on sin. Need that be so? Jesus spoke to the heart, not to the behavior. As demonstrated in this story, He told her to sin no more, but by His act of mercy, he also demonstrated His love!

There is a wonderful passage of Scripture found in Matthew 7:1-5 which says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

If we would remember that we ourselves have sinned and been forgiven much, we would find it easier to extend grace to others.

So the next time you want to speak to the sins of others, swallow your spiritual pride, check your heart and show the love of Christ!

Separation Anxiety

As a teen, I struggled with separation anxiety quite a bit. The feeling was quite overwhelming. I would break out into a sweat, mutter to myself, get extremely nervous and panicked feeling.

I was not medically diagnosed, because it was a spiritual problem.

See, I was afraid of being separated from God for all eternity.

I am not making light of people who suffer. I was really petrified. My fear was real and almost crushing at times.

It started the week I gave my life to Christ. I was 13 and not versed in Biblical knowledge. Being the inquisitive type, I made the mistake of asking my assistant pastor, "What happens if I sin, now that I am a Christian?"

Instead of using wisdom and pointing me to Scriptures on confession, repentance, and so forth, this man told me I would lose my salvation!

That pastor did not qualify or expand on his comment....EVER!

Thus began my long nightmare.

Because, of course, I made mistakes and committed sin AFTER I became a Christian. With no one to offer wise counsel and being spiritually immature, I would "get saved" over and over and over, week in and week out. I was in bondage to fear.

This continued for YEARS! I would "rededicate" my life to the Lord whenever I heard an altar call. I would say the sinners prayer every time I turned around.

I was battling in my mind to the point where I began to suffer physical manifestations of stress!

A breaking point came when I literally was forced into bed. I was in such pain I could hardly move. The Lord offered relief through a well spoken word. I was asked by my Mom if I was dealing with anything spiritual. I admitted my doubts and fears. She left the room and I literally slid to the floor and truly repented. Except this time, I knew what I was repenting of and for: fear and doubt!

I would love to say the problem instantly stopped. It didn't. However, the Lord led me into His Word where I read a few Scriptures that became very important to me in the battle:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Today, free from this fear, I realize how important it is to use Godly wisdom when answering questions about faith. I think the best answer is always to encourage the person to go back to the Word themselves!

Justice for All, Mercy for Me!

I mess up.

There are times when I blow it and do not act the way I know God would have me to act. It seems I reflect Paul's struggle in Romans 7. It is times like this I have to call out for God's mercy and forgiveness.

I recognize my need for God's mercy. Without it I would be dead...literally! I want God, and others for that matter, to forgive me when I have done wrong.

Honestly...I don't always want God to extend that same grace to others.

I am ashamed to admit, I wish at times God would do a bit more smiting! I want vindication for those who are victims. I want the guilty party to receive the justice they deserve. Drop the hammer...or at least a lightening bolt or three!

Frankly, it boils down to justice for others and mercy for me!

I am reminded of Matthew 7:1-3 which says, "“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?"

Why is it that I want to hold others to a higher standard than I hold myself? Why do I want to hold the sins of others against them?

More to the point...who am I to play God?

It's a struggle.

I see lots of "guilty" people in my line of work. Drug addicts, abusers, sinners...yet they are all where I was once...lost.

My prayer is that each finds the same measure of mercy through the work of Jesus Christ that I did.

Forgiven...a name we all need.

Thoughts on Unity

I was re-examining some Scriptures on unity this week. Things popped up in our community that got me thinking about what unity was and what my role as a believer is.

Psalm 133:1, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"

This is probably the most oft-quoted Scripture on unity. I believe unity is a God thing and can change, not only our life, but the lives of those around us.

However, look at that Scripture again. It is pleasant for BRETHREN to dwell together in unity. My brother and I are a part of the same family. The same thing goes for my spiritual family. I can have unity with those of the same faith, Christianity. However, it is kind of hard to have unity with someone who doesn't believe in the same God as me. It is hard to have unity with someone who doesn't believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Coffee, yes! Unity, No!

Ephesians 4:1-3 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Let's be honest. God's children have not always modeled unity. It is hard to convince the world Jesus loves them when we can't even demonstrate that to someone from another denomination! Jesus ate with sinners and yet, I see pastors who can't share a coffee with one another!

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is the key...following Christ Jesus. If we, the followers of Christ, would focus on what we share instead of where we DENOMINATIONALLY differ, I believe God would be glorified even more.

Remembering AND Experiencing

So, as most churches do, our church celebrates communion or the Lord's Supper together. We like to do this over an actual meal.

As I was preparing some notes for the service I was reflecting on this Scripture in Luke:

Luke 22: 14-19, "When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”"

This last part really got me. Do this in Remembrance of me. Do what? Break bread and drink wine? (Insert juice if wine offends you!) OK I get that. What are we supposed to remember? His death on the cross!

This started me thinking about Gal. 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

You can't remember something you haven't experienced. I can read about WW2 but I didn't experience it so I look at it with a detached view. I hear about my wife's childhood and I love her so I am interested but I have no connection to the events as I did not experience it myself.

The same is true with Jesus. You have either experienced the work He did on the cross for yourself or you haven't. If you have, it is a real event and you have something to truly remember. As Gal. 2:20 says in a nutshell....you were there!

If you haven't accepted His gift....then you can read about it, and remember what you read, but it won't be real to you. Not until you experience it for yourself.

Is Christ real for you?

Crawling Backwards - Just A Thought #44

My son is learning to crawl. Now 6 months old, he is endeavoring to move across the floor. I have watched his progress with interest and cheer his every little victory.

It started with his getting his arms out in front of himself. Then, a few days later he got his knees under himself. He started rocking back and forth and the legs moved, then he scooted and crawled--backwards!

Of course we got a chuckle out of this.

He now is going forward a couple inches--and going back a couple feet.

I was sharing this with a friend who reminded me of Paul's comment in Romans 7:15, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."

Now, Paul was talking about sin, not learning to crawl. However, watching my son struggle to go forward over and over, I can really see the point. When he keeps going backward, he begins to get more frustrated, more persistent. One day, not too far in the future, he will get it. Everything will come together and he will begin crawling, which will open up a whole new world for him, both good and bad.

Thinking on this Scripture though, I am reminded how my faith walk has imitated my son's faltering attempts at moving forward.

I know where I need to go. I know what God has laid before me. Yet, sometimes the things I want to do, I don't. It seems I go backwards; I struggle; I falter.

Of course I have the hope found in Romans 8:1. I know that I am IN Christ Jesus. Therefore, I don't have to stay in that place of struggle. I can relax in Christ Jesus. I can lean on Him, focus on Him and let Him guide my steps.

My son needs a helping hand to crawl and walk right now. I need that, too. I need Christ to hold my hand and lead me forward. I just have to be willing to trust.

What IS sin?

I have been coaching girl's basketball for the last few weeks. Our town has a 6 week spring league for youth and this is my second year coaching 10-11 year old girls.

Imagine my surprise when one of the girls asked me that question as I was going over plays before they went back onto the floor. It through me for a bit of a loop. I forgot that I had a t-shirt on under my open jacket. The shirt had one of those Christian messages on it. This particular one said, "Sin is the leading cause of death" and quoted Romans 6:23 which says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^a]"> Christ Jesus our Lord."

My mind began to race just a bit. I tried to ignore her question and focus the team back on the plays I was trying to call. Persistent, she asked the question again. Again I attempted to ignore her.

It wasn't that I did not know how to answer her, but I was asked to coach by the town and could not be seen as using this as a chance to evangelize kids without a parents knowledge. When she asked a 3rd time I was seriously flummoxed. I was attempting to form an answer when another 10 year old burst forth with a response, which was far more appropriate for her to do in that situation.

However it got me to thinking...what is sin? Some consider the big "issues" like abortion, murder, rape, etc to be sin. Others look at "little white lies" and say they are ok. Some justify sin for whatever reasons and even mis-quote and interpret Scriptures accordingly.

So what is Sin to you? Are some sins worse than others?