"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Genesis 1:27
While studying the delicate pink blossoms of a graceful tree in bloom, it occurred to me that our Creator has a feminine side. When I mentioned that to my husband, he thought it odd, but I rejoiced in it. Most men, if they were asked to create a tree, would stick to the basics: practical, servicable, of staid color and function. Men do not likely lean toward froo-froo. After all, of what use is a pink blossom?
When I was a teen, attending Bible classes, it irritated me that women were seen as second-class citizens who were only created for man's use and forever marred because Eve ate the fruit first. Given enough time, I reasoned, Adam would have eaten of it without any help. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14:34 galled me: "Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the Law says." But then, I read of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. How daring! A Jewish man was forbidden to speak to a woman alone, especially a despised Samaritan! But, he saw something in her soul, a yearning for the Messiah who would come and explain everything. Her witness to the townspeople brought many to Christ. Good thing she did not remain silent.
Galatians 3:28 says: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." In God's image, male AND female were created and we are all ONE in Christ.
Yesterday, I attended a mother-daughter banquet at a church. The theme was vintage fashion and we were asked to wear hats. What fun! Some ladies wore jewelry or nail polish, others wore dresses and lipstick. Dainty food was served in tiny dishes and we nibbled on butter cookies shaped like tea pots. We sang the Doxology in praise to our King, thanking him for making us his royal daughters.
I'd like to think that, just like the pink trees, God enjoys the feminine, delicate offerings that women bring to life. In his kingdom, I now know, there are no second-class citizens for "everything comes from God." (1 Corinthians 11:12)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Plain and Simple
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
John 17:3
I love it when I find a plain and simple truth on a page. It's as if all the other letters and words fall away as a beam of light highlights what is most imperative. Where is the Fountain of Youth? How can I avoid the Grim Reaper? Plastic surgery, perhaps? More exercise? Refrain from smoking? Although those choices may help fend off the inevitable, they are temporary measures. Webster's definition of eternal is: without beginning or end, existing through all time, everlasting. To have life everlasting, one must know the only true God, believing that he came to this world to save us in the form of a baby on Christmas Day. His death is payment for my sin. He sacrificed his life for me.
Believe in Jesus, plain and simple.
John 17:3
I love it when I find a plain and simple truth on a page. It's as if all the other letters and words fall away as a beam of light highlights what is most imperative. Where is the Fountain of Youth? How can I avoid the Grim Reaper? Plastic surgery, perhaps? More exercise? Refrain from smoking? Although those choices may help fend off the inevitable, they are temporary measures. Webster's definition of eternal is: without beginning or end, existing through all time, everlasting. To have life everlasting, one must know the only true God, believing that he came to this world to save us in the form of a baby on Christmas Day. His death is payment for my sin. He sacrificed his life for me.
Believe in Jesus, plain and simple.
Something to Crow About
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
John 17:24
Jesus knows he is loved completely by the Father and it is his desire to share that glorious love with the people of Earth - so much so that he was arrested and sentenced to die a criminal's death. While I was still a sinner, Christ did this for me and he wants me to be wherever he is. Why?
"....in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:26) There's the answer.
This love is really something to crow about. It's too marvelous NOT to be shared. After all, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..."(John 3:16)
I am drawn to stories of near-death experiences. The common thread of these is the profound, purest form of love they felt while in the presence of God. It must really be something for Jesus to want to share this with us.
John 17:24
Jesus knows he is loved completely by the Father and it is his desire to share that glorious love with the people of Earth - so much so that he was arrested and sentenced to die a criminal's death. While I was still a sinner, Christ did this for me and he wants me to be wherever he is. Why?
"....in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:26) There's the answer.
This love is really something to crow about. It's too marvelous NOT to be shared. After all, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..."(John 3:16)
I am drawn to stories of near-death experiences. The common thread of these is the profound, purest form of love they felt while in the presence of God. It must really be something for Jesus to want to share this with us.
No End In Sight
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.'"
John 11: 25-26
Tombstones bear two dates: a date of birth and one of death. For Lazarus, his date of death was changed when the Lord Jesus called him to come out of the tomb!
Earthly, physical death is still a reality. Obviously, Lazarus is not walking around anymore, but his soul lives on in heaven for all eternity. Today, he is strolling about, perhaps meeting with Noah, Moses or the apostles. Perhaps spending time with his sisters, Mary and Martha, or, even MY sister, Annette, who passed away in 1972. Maybe he is telling her what it was like to walk out of the tomb, bandages trailing behind, sounds of astonishment filling the air. She, in turn, would respond with joy what it's like to be whole now, enjoying the strength, vitality and soundness of mind that had eluded her on this planet.
This is the message of hope! Believe in Jesus and there is no end in sight. Abundant life, free from the cares of this world, is ours. Hallelujah. Let it be so.
John 11: 25-26
Tombstones bear two dates: a date of birth and one of death. For Lazarus, his date of death was changed when the Lord Jesus called him to come out of the tomb!
Earthly, physical death is still a reality. Obviously, Lazarus is not walking around anymore, but his soul lives on in heaven for all eternity. Today, he is strolling about, perhaps meeting with Noah, Moses or the apostles. Perhaps spending time with his sisters, Mary and Martha, or, even MY sister, Annette, who passed away in 1972. Maybe he is telling her what it was like to walk out of the tomb, bandages trailing behind, sounds of astonishment filling the air. She, in turn, would respond with joy what it's like to be whole now, enjoying the strength, vitality and soundness of mind that had eluded her on this planet.
This is the message of hope! Believe in Jesus and there is no end in sight. Abundant life, free from the cares of this world, is ours. Hallelujah. Let it be so.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
A Safe Pasture
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
John 10:9 and 10
Dementia seems like a sinister thief, stealing precious memory, but, for the Christian, that person has entered a verdant pasture. He can come and go in safety. The Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for that sheep, will certainly not allow anything to happen to him.
Jesus said, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand."
In pastures green he leadeth me, beside still waters I rest. We're in good hands!
John 10:9 and 10
Dementia seems like a sinister thief, stealing precious memory, but, for the Christian, that person has entered a verdant pasture. He can come and go in safety. The Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for that sheep, will certainly not allow anything to happen to him.
Jesus said, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand."
In pastures green he leadeth me, beside still waters I rest. We're in good hands!
A Work in Progress
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands."
Psalm 138:8
God doesn't leave half-finished projects laying around. He finishes what he starts and he has an idea in mind while he's working.
Some days, I don't know what my purpose in life is. One day segues into the next as I go to work, go home, make dinner, go to bed, go to work, go home, make dinner etc...Yet, there is a bigger picture that God is painting. Even when I am at my lowest and have thrown in the towel, giving up on the project, he keeps on working.
"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6
Psalm 138:8
God doesn't leave half-finished projects laying around. He finishes what he starts and he has an idea in mind while he's working.
Some days, I don't know what my purpose in life is. One day segues into the next as I go to work, go home, make dinner, go to bed, go to work, go home, make dinner etc...Yet, there is a bigger picture that God is painting. Even when I am at my lowest and have thrown in the towel, giving up on the project, he keeps on working.
"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6
Co-Mission
"I have become its (the church's) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness."
Colossians 1:25
At first, I pondered in awe the fact that Paul was directly commissioned by God to bring the Good News to the Gentiles, but then I remembered the Great Commission that Jesus gave to all believers:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20)
God and I have a mission to accomplish: to teach others the Good News. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one is pure, not one, but God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son to die on the cross and pay for our sins. He does not want anyone to perish! How will folks know unless they are told?
Teach me, O Lord, to be a blabbermouth of the Gospel.
Colossians 1:25
At first, I pondered in awe the fact that Paul was directly commissioned by God to bring the Good News to the Gentiles, but then I remembered the Great Commission that Jesus gave to all believers:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20)
God and I have a mission to accomplish: to teach others the Good News. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one is pure, not one, but God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son to die on the cross and pay for our sins. He does not want anyone to perish! How will folks know unless they are told?
Teach me, O Lord, to be a blabbermouth of the Gospel.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
How Much Do You Weigh?
"But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways...You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting."
Daniel 5: 23 and 27
Belshazzar, a king during Daniel's time, had thousands of nobles, many wives and concubines with whom he enjoyed royal prestige wth a banquet of rich foods and flowing wine. He had it all! Yet, when he was weighed by God, he was found to be wanting. He misused the temple goblets as beverage glasses, which "set himself up against the Lord of heaven." (verse 23) On the surface, it appeared Belshazzar had it made, yet his life was snuffed out that very night and someone else took his place the next day.
Jesus said in Matthew 23:13 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." It is God who holds your life in his hand. Honor him in all you do, and your weight will be just right.
Daniel 5: 23 and 27
Belshazzar, a king during Daniel's time, had thousands of nobles, many wives and concubines with whom he enjoyed royal prestige wth a banquet of rich foods and flowing wine. He had it all! Yet, when he was weighed by God, he was found to be wanting. He misused the temple goblets as beverage glasses, which "set himself up against the Lord of heaven." (verse 23) On the surface, it appeared Belshazzar had it made, yet his life was snuffed out that very night and someone else took his place the next day.
Jesus said in Matthew 23:13 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." It is God who holds your life in his hand. Honor him in all you do, and your weight will be just right.
Eat Your Vegetables
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law...Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
Galatians 5: 16,22,23,25
The fruits of the Spirit are like the vegetables in one's diet. Eat as many as you like, there's no law against it, they are good for you. But gratifying the sinful nature is like indulging in too much cheesecake. Tastes excellent at first, then it sits like a leaden ball in your stomach, wreaking havoc on your system.
Don't let the rich foods of the world bog you down. Partake in the best, most nutritious things and you'll be able to keep in step with the Spirit, leading an abundant life.
Galatians 5: 16,22,23,25
The fruits of the Spirit are like the vegetables in one's diet. Eat as many as you like, there's no law against it, they are good for you. But gratifying the sinful nature is like indulging in too much cheesecake. Tastes excellent at first, then it sits like a leaden ball in your stomach, wreaking havoc on your system.
Don't let the rich foods of the world bog you down. Partake in the best, most nutritious things and you'll be able to keep in step with the Spirit, leading an abundant life.
Everlasting Gobstopper
"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations."
Psalm 145:13
Don't you hate it when your favorite shirt wears out? Your soap opera with all its nebulous characters goes off the air? Your own body betrays you by not performing feats it once did. Maybelline quits making your favorite shade of lipstick. Your strong, viable parents, who once worked all day and raised a family, now shuffle slowly across the room. Even the Everlasting Gobstopper doesn't last forever.
Rest assured. If you put your faith in the Faithful One and build your life on the Rock of Christ, you are investing in a never-ending corporation. God rules! Always has, always will, no matter what. He won't age, he doesn't sleep, won't quit and never runs out of ideas.
Psalm 145:13
Don't you hate it when your favorite shirt wears out? Your soap opera with all its nebulous characters goes off the air? Your own body betrays you by not performing feats it once did. Maybelline quits making your favorite shade of lipstick. Your strong, viable parents, who once worked all day and raised a family, now shuffle slowly across the room. Even the Everlasting Gobstopper doesn't last forever.
Rest assured. If you put your faith in the Faithful One and build your life on the Rock of Christ, you are investing in a never-ending corporation. God rules! Always has, always will, no matter what. He won't age, he doesn't sleep, won't quit and never runs out of ideas.
The Value of Sacrifice
"Anyone who disobeys some law of God without realizing it is guilty anyway and must bring his sacrifice of a value determined by Moses..."
Leviticus 5: 17
In reading of the various types of sacrifices described in the beginning of Leviticus, I got to pondering the levels of values mentioned. Imagine the level of value of the sacrifice of God himself in Christ Jesus? How can a value even be placed on that? He is priceless, top-of-the-line, nothing is above him. And yet, that's what was needed to pay for the sins of the world. When I think of the atrocious sins i.e. abuse of another, greed, arson, murder, Holocaust - I see nothing less could ever be accepted. No ram, however perfect, could make justification.
Thank you, God, for providing this Lamb without blemish to make atonement for sinners like me.
Leviticus 5: 17
In reading of the various types of sacrifices described in the beginning of Leviticus, I got to pondering the levels of values mentioned. Imagine the level of value of the sacrifice of God himself in Christ Jesus? How can a value even be placed on that? He is priceless, top-of-the-line, nothing is above him. And yet, that's what was needed to pay for the sins of the world. When I think of the atrocious sins i.e. abuse of another, greed, arson, murder, Holocaust - I see nothing less could ever be accepted. No ram, however perfect, could make justification.
Thank you, God, for providing this Lamb without blemish to make atonement for sinners like me.
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