The Torn Curtain

 "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. "Matthew 27: 50, 51

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10: 19-23

    Like King David, when he lamented all he'd done wrong, I feel "my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:3) It was with great interest, then, that I cocked an ear when a question from a listener was answered on the Running to Win radio broadcast by Dr. Lutzer. 

    A 98-year-old woman from Michigan by the name of Carolyn desperately sought the assurance of forgiveness before she dies. After being date-raped as a teen which resulted in pregnancy, an abortion was performed against her better judgment. As time passed, she had married a man she loved, though they never had children. Eventually, she was able to forgive her perpetrator but she could never forgive herself saying, "My sin is always before me." The scars of that time ran deep.

    Were they too deep for the blood of Christ to heal? 

    Could I ever be forgiven for the shameful things I have done? How can God forgive me when I cannot forgive myself? A better question is, since God forgives me, why can't I forgive myself? Who am I to doubt the power of the blood of Christ?

    When Jesus laid down His life for me (and for Carolyn), that which separated me from God was torn in two. Read again the good news from the passage I quoted from Hebrews: "...to cleanse us from a guilty conscience." 

    The Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory, but praise Jesus who has opened the way to approach God with "the full assurance that faith brings." This is declared again in Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (emphasis added) We have been set free!

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ...cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:14

    

You're Welcome

 "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 110: 4, 5

    Working with the public provides an interesting view of humanity. At the cafeteria where I work, when a student thanks me for handing them their lunch, it makes such a difference in my own demeanor. When I assure that person they are welcome to my services, I mean it with all my heart. 

    Imagine with me for a moment that, in response to our thankfulness to God, He says with sincerity, "You're welcome."

    You are welcome to forgiveness of your sins, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. You are welcome to friendship with the Creator of the world. You are welcome to the table that He has prepared for you, one with overflowing cups and abundant food for your soul. You are welcome to approach the throne of the King of kings with confidence as a child of God. You are also welcome to eternal life in the mansions of glory that He has established for those who love Him.

    A few days ago, my husband and I began to write down our blessings so that, when we come to Him in prayer today, we would have our list ready. It took only a few minutes to fill the pages; I am looking forward to verbally praising the Lord for ALL He has done for us because I know He will smile and say, "You're welcome."

"Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5: 19, 20 

My Dazzling Inheritance

 "Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones." Isaiah 54: 11, 12

    In Mumbai, India, the hometown of my son-in-law, there is the second most expensive home in the world, after Buckingham Palace. Called "Antilla," its worth is $1 billion, it's 27 stories high and boasts of a 50-seat movie theatre, three helipads, a temple, a ballroom and even a room solely for ice cream. A staff of some six hundred people is required to maintain its affairs. 

    Though my readings of Antilla did not say, I would venture to guess the foundations of the home are composed of sensible concrete and, though I have no access to such a grand abode as that, the home I (and those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life) stand to inherit has twelve foundations decorated with precious stones. 

    Revelation chapter 21 shares this grandiose description of the New Jerusalem:

"The wall was made of jasper and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst." (Revelation 21, 18-20)

    Out of curiosity, I looked up each gem on the internet and was duly dazzled by the smoky ambers, the regal purples, the brilliant blues and the smoldering tones of richest hues. When I see the Holy City, whose golden glamour will steal my breath, it will all pale in comparison to seeing the welcoming smile of the Owner of all, my Lord and my God! As all people cast their crowns at the foot of His throne while thousands upon thousands of angels raise praises, any memory of earthly treasure will never come to mind. 

    When the day seems gray and life becomes ho-hum, read about your future home. It will refresh you to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."(Matthew 6:20)

"Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?" James 2:5

The Patience of Job

 "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth...I myself will see Him with my own eyes...How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:25-27

    It's hard to be patient. "A watched pot never boils" befits my temperament. 

    This week, I have been learning about Old Testament Job through a sermon series. Did you know that the book of Job is traditionally known as the oldest book of the Bible and that Job lived in the time before Moses? That means Job did not even have the Torah (the first five books of the Bible written by Moses) from which to fortify his faith, yet he could declare the above verse with confidence. Despite unusual, undeserved suffering in his life, Job patiently endured it all, waiting for the hope of salvation.

    How could Job know that thousands of years later, his Redeemer did stand on the earth? Indeed, Jesus stood in the Jordan River when baptized by John. A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

    A glorified Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfiguration, chatting it up with Moses and Elijah, when, once again, a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him." (Matthew 17:5)

    An accused and arrested Jesus stood before the Roman governor as He was asked, "Are you King of the Jews?" (Matthew 27:11)

    After His death, burial and resurrection, a risen Jesus was taken up into a cloud before the very eyes of His disciples. Two angels then said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

    So, we join the patient Job as we, too, watch with the eyes of faith for His coming, His second coming. Will He come? What do you think?

    I bank my life and eternity on the words spoken by Job so long ago. "I myself will see Him with my own eyes!"

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.' He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21: 2-4

Men of Honor

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3: 17, 18

    In these tumultuous times of clouded identities, it was a breath of heavenly air to open the paper today and see an inspirational article about the Men of Honor Junior Cadets group. The article's photo features a beaming bunch of men and boys by the flag pole of Evergreen Cemetery who are seeking to raise funds for a very worthy cause.

    While their group was taking a history tour of Evergreen Cemetery, they learned of two Civil War veterans from Painesville who are buried there without any type of headstone. Edward Whiten served in Company H, 29th United States Regiment, Colored Troops, while Charles Eledge served in Company C, 101st United States Infantry. According to the article, these men are the only two Black Civil War veterans interred in the cemetery.

    Rather than resurrect the injustices of the past for purposes of discord as is the choice of some, these honorable men and boys decided to launch a fund raiser to rectify this appalling lack of homage. Their goal is to raise the necessary funds for the headstones and hold a dedication ceremony over Memorial Day weekend of next year for the two veterans.

    The Bible tells us, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) How do we win this war against evil that seems to rage all around us in our culture? By doing the next right thing, as these Men of Honor are doing. They are sowing in peace to raise a harvest of righteousness. I, for one, will be donating some money for their cause. 

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:8