The Cinderella Story

 "He has sent me to...bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:3

    A friend of mine shared photographs of her daughter's splendid wedding, which took place in a castle in Scotland. As I viewed the images of radiant happiness dressed in celebratory garments in a breathtaking setting, the best adjective that came to mind to aptly describe the occasion was "fairytale." The sun shone in stained-glass array, kissing the happy couple who exchanged holy vows in the castle's chapel, before proceeding to pose for photographs on verdant hills of pastures green.

    As I beheld the bride's radiance, my heart imagined the glorious sights we will see at the marriage supper of the Lamb. If, on earth, a wedding could be so beautiful, how much more will our Bridegroom prepare for us? "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14: 2, 3)

    Coming to Christ is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. Thoughts of Cinderella came to mind so I studied the origin of this fairytale. I had only known of the Disney film, so I was surprised to read there are thousands of variations of this tale throughout the world, which bears the basic message of a young woman living in forsaken circumstances, who experiences a sudden change in her life. She ascends to the throne via a marriage to a noble prince, who sought for her and raised her up from the cinders, crowning her with honor before her enemies. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." (Psalm 23:5)

    Having been born into the poverty of a broken world, we all begin in forsaken circumstances -separated from God and dead in our sins. Labor though we might, we cannot cleanse ourselves of the ashes that stain, nor can we free ourselves from the bondage we are in. We need a Prince. Only Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, whose kingdom shall never end, could save us by His sacrificial death on the cross. Only He could disentangle us from the cords of death, when He awoke the Victor, and strode from the garden tomb. 

    This is no tall tale. There is no fairy godmother waving a wand, providing the clothing we need to attend the ball. Far better than fantasy is this reality: Greater love has no one than the One who laid down His life for us, while we were smeared with soot, cleanses us with His blood and arrays us with His righteous robe. The scepter has been extended and, with confidence, we can approach the throne room of God as the bride of Christ. The glass slipper fits!

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

"You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God...As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:3, 5

Cleats and Shoulder Pads

 "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11

    My great-nephew, Mason, is happy to be on his school's football team. Now that practice has begun anew, he must no longer dress as he had all summer long - in shorts, T-shirt and crocs. If he tried to perform on the field in these togs, though his love for the game was undiminished and even if he followed the plays exactly, he'd fail at the sport. He'd likely be tackled, bruised and shoeless in the first few minutes of the game.

    As I imagined him running the ball in crocs, I pondered the parallel with the Christian's armor of God. This struggle we are in is not a game; we're engaged in daily battle. Look at Ephesians 6:12 at all the things we are up against:  

• against the rulers
• against the authorities
• against the powers of this dark world
• against the spiritual forces of evil

    How are we to stand up against those who rule, those who have positions of authority? What fighting chance have we against penetrating darkness and such forces of evil which we cannot see?

    The answer lies in how we're outfitted, and the preparations which take place in the locker room before we run out onto the field. Every piece of equipment we have is provided by Christ Himself. As Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians: "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (6:10, emphasis added) Gird yourself with the belt of truth (John 14:6). Don the shoulder pads of righteousness (Philippians 3:9). Our cleats are the gospel shoes of peace (Philippians 4:7). Blocking our opponent requires the shield of faith (1 John 5:4). To protect our minds, we must strap on the helmet of salvation (John 10:28).

    Knowing the playbook, we gain yardage. If we are not well-versed in the Bible, which is the sword of the Spirit, we will flounder on the field. Pray! Communicate with your Coach at all times. He is able to send teammates to your aide or bench you for a bit if you're feeling battered. 

    

    Lastly, remain alert. The battle rages until we exit the arena, when Jesus takes us home. Our team wins! 

The Gospel at Bob Evans

 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2: 8, 9

    David and I visited our cousin's church with her yesterday. After a heavenly service, we went to Bob Evans for lunch. Preceding us to the hostess stand was a large, friendly family who recognized us from the church we had just attended, so this sparked a conversation that gave us goosebumps. 

    A lanky man, who was most notable for his cowboy hat, began by saying how much they loved the church in which we had all just worshiped. They had begun attending three months prior; before this, they had been Amish. It wasn't until they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ that they had realized the legalistic shortcomings of the faith in which they had hoped. 

    Once they heard the good news that salvation is not by means of works but only by the grace of God, they left all they had known and placed their faith in Christ alone. Though they had lost all family (save their own) and community, they expressed only joy, no regrets.

    The younger of the two men quoted Jesus' words from Matthew 10: 34-36:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."

    This courageous faith displayed the value of the precious gospel to the human soul. In my own life, having been raised in a Christ-centered home, I was not challenged as these Amish folks were. However, I had to surrender all to Jesus in my personal life, daily denying myself, picking up my cross and following Him. For me, there are no regrets. 

    I have often wondered what it was about Jesus that caused the fishermen to leave their nets and follow Him. Now I know, as do these new believers whom we met, that "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up the last day." (John 6:40)

Jesus, the Shepherd of my soul,

Keeping me from all harm,

Ever, until He leads me home,

Safely into His arms.

When I behold Him face-to-face,

Then I will look and see,

Goodness and mercy from His hand,

Surely have followed me.

Precisely

 "This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that the day and night no longer come at their appointed time, then my covenant with David, my servant....can be broken, and David will no longer have a descendant on his throne." Jeremiah 33: 20, 21

    Did the sun rise this morning? The weather app on my phone not only tells me, with precision, that the sun rose at 6:16 a.m., but I was surprised to see times given for the moon's rising and setting. To be honest, I don't think I was aware of these moon times, but it all points to the faithfulness of our God. 

    Of course, we know that the sun doesn't actually "rise" or "set," rather, there is a specific revolution and rotation going on that keeps track of the times and seasons. And that's how it has been since God ordained it when He created everything (Genesis 1:14). 

    Obviously, no human can alter this, and I am glad no one can. What a mess we would have on our hands if that could happen! So, has God been faithful to His promise? Since the days and nights always come at their appointed times like clockwork, has David always had a descendant on his throne?

    After what's known as the four hundred silent years, the period between the old and new testaments, an angel appeared to a young virgin to bear this message: "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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 Jacob's descendants forever; His kingdom will never end." (Luke 1: 30-33)

    In the fullness of time, Jesus came into our world, though some may have doubted that God would keep his promise. But, He always does, faithfully. As surely as I know the sun will set at 8:46 p.m. this day, I know that Jesus will come again, on the clouds of heaven with all his saints and angels, to set up his kingdom that will never end (Mark 14:62). On that I can depend.

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." Psalm 36:5

A Rare Find

 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13: 44-46

    My great-nephew, Mason, and I love to comb for beach glass along the shores of Lake Erie. This summer, he found the "Hope Diamond of the Beach," as it is known among the experts of sea glass: a piece of red glass. 

    Since I wasn't with him at the time of the great find, he was eager to show it to me. During a visit to his home, he brought out a segregated container in which he keeps his collection. There, in a square by itself, was the prized piece. A deep ruby in color, it even felt uncommonly worthy. Truly a rare find.

    Happy he was to have found it, and for good reason. Red is the most difficult to find. Only one piece in 5,000 found may be red. 

    Mason's treasure reminded me of the parable Jesus told, when He compared the kingdom of heaven to finding a pearl of great price. Just as Mason has multiple pieces of other colors, there are many false hopes that may shimmer like red glass along the shore, but they are counterfeit, empty and worthless. 

    There is only one way to eternal life and I am happy to say that Mason has found it in Christ Jesus. John 14:6 plainly says, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Those are the emphatic words of Jesus, full of grace and truth.

    If you have found life in Christ, then rejoice for you are very rich indeed. Sell everything you have - leave it all behind - and follow Him. You have found incomparable riches!

    If you are combing for the truth, come to Jesus. Only He laid down His life for you. Only He left the throne behind, donned the clothing of mankind and bridged the gap that lay between heaven and earth. Only He forgives sins and grants new life. Only He loves you.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 

Why Was I So Afraid?

     "A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?'

    "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

    "He said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?'

    "They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!'" Mark 4: 37-41

    Who is this, indeed, that can bring a sense of peace in the midst of an intense storm, such as battered our area last Thursday? 

    Ordinarily, I love a rousing thunderstorm, when God unleashes His power in a physical way. Even so, when the brooding skies and the urgency of the eighty-plus miles per hour winds demonstrated His force in such a frightening way, I found myself wandering wide-eyed from window to window to check our trees.

    The maple whirled like a dervish, sending our neighbor's patio umbrella somewhere. The gnarled oak defied its age, surprisingly, by standing its ground but it was our eighty-foot tall tulip tree that furiously flung logs in a spitting tempest, hurling them straight into our neighbor's home. Hearing the snaps and cracks, my powerlessness was getting the best of me until the Holy Spirit, aroused in strength, force-fed me the very verses I craved:

    "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

    "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its surging." (Psalm 46: 1-3)

    Like the Sea of Galilee, my heart became completely calm as He rebuked the waves of anxiety that threatened to engulf me. Why was I so afraid?

    After the rains, we all crawled from our homes, a bit bewildered, to survey our new landscape. As we met neighbors we had not previously known, it was this sight that brought mirth to potential misery: a homeless squirrel perched at the peak of my neighbor's garage beneath a slice of the moon, looked down upon the fallen foliage as if to ask, "What just happened?" It brought a knowing smile to us all as we shared in his plight.

    Our neighbor, who is also a sister in Christ, put everything into perspective the following day. Though her home had received the brunt of the damage, after viewing the overall condition of others in our area, she looked at me and declared with conviction, "We are blessed." I couldn't agree more.

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind." Psalm 107: 28-31

     

All the Lonely People

 "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him.'" Genesis 2:18

    The only thing I remember from my Ohio History class in high school, oddly, has nothing to do with our state's history. 

    Classrooms in the 1970s differ greatly from the technologically based learning of today so, consequently, it was a big deal when our teacher, Mr. K., brought in a record player one day. We all sat up a bit straighter, wondering what this could entail. He prefaced his lesson with a heart-to-heart talk that made a lasting impression on me. With kindness and compassion, he implored us to consider the kids who were on the fringes of our society, those who appeared lonely or friendless. Then, he played "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles, encouraging us to listen to the lyrics. There was an air of thoughtful consideration as we quietly absorbed the lesson.

    The writer of a recent editorial in our local paper reported that loneliness has become an epidemic in our country. The U. S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has listed loneliness among the top scourges of society such as cigarette smoking and obesity. Contributing factors could include financial problems, health limitations and social media. He is urging communities and individuals to spend time engaging with others, really listening to them. Put down the phone and go visit someone, in person. Evidently, the problem is a very serious one.

    Serious, yes, but certainly not new to mankind. God recognized loneliness in the first man ever created, Adam, which is one of the reasons why He ordained marriage between man and woman. "God sets the lonely in families." (Psalm 68:6)

    Today, I took a bike ride around the block. There's a wee cottage designed only for one; the man who dwells there was outside, so I paused to speak to him. The conversation began around the neighborhood cat we call Hobo before segueing to the problems in our country. The Lord opened a window of opportunity for me to speak of my faith, and I was delighted when the neighbor shared his favorite Bible passages with me in return. 

    Though I am blessed with many loving friends and family members nearby, not everyone is. The exchange between the neighbor and I didn't last long, but the effects of the friendly conversation could last even longer. 

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 10