Sunday, March 29, 2015

I Am a Friend of God

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly...But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5: 6-11

     It had to be this way. When Jesus died, none of his closest friends hung around. If they had, perhaps they could have claimed, "Well, he sacrificed his life for me because I was always there for him." No, we've all sinned and fallen short of the grace he demonstrated. At just the right time, when we were powerless, without a leg to stand on, all the glory, credit, praise, thanks and attention is focused on Jesus' love for the Father and for us.

     Paul goes on to say, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" I looked up the word "reconcile" in the dictionary and smiled when I read, "to make friendly again." Jesus' death, while I was blackened by sin, made me friends with God. So, Paul is right to be excited about the abundance of joy that follows.

     The gift-giving didn't stop on Good Friday. No, God was only getting started. On Easter, our friendship really begins to blossom as I serve a risen Savior.

     Dear God,

     I've been told that we are friends. Friendship is usually a two-way street, but you desired a relationship with me while I was still your enemy. Dead in my sin and stinking like the devil, you were still fond of me. I'll never understand why, but may I reciprocate with all the love I have. Thanks to Jesus' death on the cross, we are able to be allies, on the same side of the struggle - a struggle I could never hope to win alone, but by your power, I am saved. Hellfire may have singed my coattails, but the pierced hands of Jesus grabbed me just in time. Thank you! I love you!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Whitewashed Christian

"Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down."
John 19: 28-37

     Why am I not surprised at this foolishness of the human heart? More concerned with how it will look, these self-righteous, whitewashed tombs did not want the ugliness of what they had done to an innocent man to mar their special Sabbath. They think by sweeping it under the rug they can then proceed with their Passover celebration. They just killed God!

     My own sinfulness convicts me, however. Unless I live each day with my heart wide open before God, led by the Spirit, I easily become a whitewashed Christian who only looks good on the outside. I can attend church, sing hymns and bow my head in prayer, but unless I sincerely repent of my sins and cry in humility for forgiveness at the foot of the cross, then I am only going through foolish motions.

     Oh, Jesus, I don't want to be that way - ever! Cleanse me, discipline and sanctify me, lead me as a Shepherd so that I may sparkle with your radiance.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Beautiful Cat

"And God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over the creatures that move along the ground."
Genesis 1: 25, 26

Dear Father,

     What were you thinking of when you created the cat? In your wisdom, you provided it with all the right stuff:
  • whiskers, to guide it in the dark
  • smooth pads, so it would walk gracefully and quietly
  • a sandpaper tongue, so it could clean efficiently
  • sharp claws, for defense and survival
  • a selection of teeth, to tear and to grind
  • a sleek tail, for balance and poise
  • ability to purr, to convey contentment
  • strong legs, to jump high
     Or were you thinking of the people who would love them for their:
  • curiosity, to make us laugh
  • smooth heads, to kiss and to pet
  • fluffy tummies in which to bury our nose
  • soft fur, to spark with static beneath our hand
  • glass-marble eyes, to watch our every move
  • inate love, to greet us at the door and curl on our lap
     I believe you were thinking of all these things when you created this fine animal. I praise you for allowing some animals to remain in relationship with people after The Fall, because the love I share with my cat reminds me of how much you love me. What a lovely gift!

Closer Than My Close Friend

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything."
Philippians 4: 5 & 6

     "The Lord is near." How close is He? Like a next door neighbor that I could run to in time of need? Like the pastor down the street who could answer all my questions? Like a phone call away, or like my best friend who knows my intimate secrets and my idiosyncrasies?

     The Lord is nearer than even those: he dwells within my heart, nearer than my own breath. I don't have to worry that he is not home, that he won't answer the phone or come to my need. Jesus promised in Revelation 3:20: "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in..." It is me who must open the door! He calls for me! My phone is the one ringing!

     Lord, each day I must make sure my door is ajar for you. If Satan and sin seep in, darkness and selfishness thus prevail, making my life miserable. I have lived like that and know by experience how empty, cold and lonely life is without you. Whatever I worry about today, sweep it under the rug with this dear reminder that you are so very near. Thank you!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Humpty Dumpty

"It is the Lord who goes before you; he will march with you; he will not fail you or forsake you; fear not, neither become broken."
Deuteronomy 31:8


     Ever feel broken? Like Humpty Dumpty, you feel like everyone in the vicinity is trying to reassemble you, but no one can piece you back together?

     When a man and a woman vow to become one at the altar of the Lord, I'd like to think they have the best of intentions. Why get married if failure is on the menu? Yet, this fabric is often woven in sadness, silence and solitude as the two wonder if they are really one.

     Casting Crowns recorded a song entitled, "Broken Together." Here is a stanza from the lyrics:

"How I wish we could go back to simpler times,
Before all our scars and all our secrets were in the light.
Now, on this hallowed ground,
We've drawn the battle lines.
Will we make it through the night?"
 
     We have a Valiant One who carries the Sword of the Spirit and girds himself with the Belt of Truth. Envision the Lord, going before you, strident in a confident march, never failing, never forsaking, empowering us by chiding, "Fear Not!"
 
     When you feel as though you can't make it through the night, realize that it's human to be broken and that only God can piece you back together again.
 
     I close with the chorus of "Broken Together:"
 
"Maybe you and I were never meant to be complete.
Could we just be broken together?
If you can bring your shattered dreams and I'll bring mine,
Could healing be spoken and save us?
The only way we'll last forever is broken together."

Jesus, the Great Reformer

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near...No man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed, no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed or who has any eye defect or festering sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the Lord by fire...because of his defect he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar and so desecrate my sanctuary."
Leviticus 21: 16-23

     Having decided to read through the Bible in a year's time, I find myself sullenly slogging through Leviticus. I find it so full of rules, demands and stiff expectations. To be honest, God seems so aloof and unloving that it depresses me to read this.

     However, I know that all scripture has purpose so I strive to see the larger picture. I see this setting the stage for the beauty of our Messiah. The sinfulness of mankind so separates us from the holiness of God, we wonder how we can ever approach the Holy of Holies?

     When Jesus walked this earth, he had compassion on the lame man who had no one to help him into the pool of Bethesda. He touched the leper whom everyone shunned. He broke barriers of social stigma by speaking to the Samaritan woman by the well. He mixed mud with saliva and applied the strange salve on the eyes of a blind man. He touched the dead and they came to life.

     The God I see in Leviticus is demonstrating his pure holiness, but the God of the Gospels bridges far more than just the way to heaven. He restores relationships.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

A Pierced Soul

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother...When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."
John 19: 25-27

     My heart wrings when I think of Jesus, hanging on a tree - his clothes removed and gambled away, his mother watching. I wonder if Mary was exhuming all of those memories she pondered in her heart: the angel who announced her pregnancy, the shepherds who were heralded by the heavenly host, the old man, Simeon, who blessed them in the temple, the twelve-year-old son who must be about his Father's business. Her life, as the mother of the Messiah, flashed before her eyes as she incredulously watched the grisly scene unfold on Calvary.

     This was the sword that would pierce her own soul which Simeon spoke of all those years ago. What could all this mean? Why did God bring this Son of hers into this demise? How hard it must have been, watching this mysterious plan unfolding before her teary eyes. A criminal's execution on a cursed tree? But the angel Gabriel told her, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1: 32, 33) Yet, here he was being mocked, spat upon and humiliated.

     I picture God, leaning down close to Mary, whispering to her bruised and bewildered spirit: "Have faith, Mary. I know what I'm doing."

     Lord, remind me of these gentle and obedient saints like Mary, world-weary people who clung to your promises like a lifeline. As I view life through the lens of faith, may I strive to be a part of the plan, like the lovely Mary.

    "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1

Part of the Family

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
John 1: 12, 14

     "He gave the right..." It's his to give since all authority on earth and in heaven has been given to him. Galatians 4:7 says, "You are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." What do I inherit? Eternal life! Salvation from the pit of hell! Hope for each day and the peace that passes all understanding!

     To be adopted into a family, a person is given the last name of that family. It's a gift, but one to live up to also. The Father who adopted you hopes you will not bring shame to his name, but if you should, there is forgiveness at the foot of the cross.

     Thank you, blessed Jesus, for becoming flesh, for rubbing elbows amid common sinners like me, telling us we are not condemned; go and sin no more. By receiving you, you have adopted me into your family. I have a seat reserved at your table. Help me to live up to your Holy Name.

     Thank you. I love you!

Jesus: Not Your Average Guy

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made: without him nothing was made that has been made, In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it."
John 1: 1-5

    These first five verses of John say so much about Christ and are the foundation of Christianity, for if a person does not accept the divinity of Jesus, then they are guilty of rejecting everything between the covers of the Bible.

     "In the beginning was the Word..." The great I Am is Jesus, the infinite Ancient of Days.

     "...and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, he was with God in the beginning." He may have been born of a woman in Bethlehem, but that was not his origin. In fact, he has no point of origin because he is incarnate, not made, something I can't quite wrap my mind around because I am a finite being.

     "Through him all things were made." Jesus created the tree on which he was crucified. He fashioned the minute details of the solar system, from the papery nest of the wasp to the grand orbits of many moons. He is the master of all creation.

     "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." His light shines, it's always there, patiently waiting for the lost to use it for guidance out of the spiritual mire, but many fail to see it.

     Jesus, I believe in your eternity, your infinity, your divinity and your shining light. Illuminate me today, by your Holy Spirit, so that I may radiate with your pure joy. Reflect off me so that the darkness fails to exist, so that others may see you are more than just a martyr. You are the Great I Am.

X Ray Vision

"When Jesus saw Nathaneal approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.'"
John 1:47

     Jesus searched Nathaneal's heart prior to meeting him and was impressed by his sincerity.

     If Jesus saw me approaching, what would he declare? To answer that, what do I see inside? I know my thoughts, opinions and beliefs better than anybody. Do I like what is there? Is it impressive to the King of Kings?

     Honestly, no. If I see myself truly, I would not impress the dullest person

     Jesus, I pray that my heart would be coated by your righteousness, your kindness and your loving mercy. It is only when I wear your clothes that I begin to look like you! Create in me something of refinement so that I am worthy to be in your Presence.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Living Together

"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him."
1 Thessalonians 5:10

     A lot went on at that cross on Calvary. Others were crucified during the Roman Empire, but they did not willingly give up their lives for me. Christ died for me- a girl born in 1961 in a country that was not even founded at the time of His sacrifice. Why would he do that? It is because he wants to live with me and me with him.

     Ideally, people who dwell with one another take care of each other's needs, laugh and converse, hug and console one another. This is what the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer desires to have with each and every one of us. It says in Revelation 3:20 that Jesus stands at the door, knocking. Whoever opens it invites him in for dinner.

     The terms in the above verse, "awake or asleep," are not literal, but they refer to being dead or alive. As Jesus told the grieving sisters of Lazarus, "whosoever believes in me shall live, even though he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die."

     What wonderful news this is! No matter what my personal familial circumstances are, I can rest assured that I will never live alone.

     My mother, a recent widow after 62 years of marriage, takes great comfort in this as she talks to her Savior all the time. She runs things by him, asks for help and strength, thanks him for his care and places her trust in him. She knows, in her heart, that she lives together with him in this world and the next, always and forever.