Category: II Corinthians

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A Father’s Heart

A couple of days ago I asked you to imagine what it might have been like for Jesus when they discussed the plan of restoring relationship with those of us on earth. He had to lay aside everything glorious and heavenly and become common. Now consider this.

Those of us parents who have had children join the military or enter other dangerous occupations know the heart ache, the apprehension and even the fear of having our children go off into the unknown, into hostile and harmful circumstances.

What if we were Father God? Our Son has been with us every moment from eternity past. We have created universes together, have intervened in the lives of our creation in a powerful way. Never a cross word spoken, never a rebellious thought or action – our Son is our dearest friend, He’s a part of all we do and have ever done.

He’s leaving now – headed to earth. “unto us a Son is given” Isaiah 9:6

He will be loved by some, treated with ambivalence by most and hated by others and they will plot to kill Him. Although we know all this, we still choose to let Him go and even more than that, we choose to let Him die so that He can provide restoration for all those who are incapable of providing it for themselves.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17

And all of this was not because of our great value or importance but because of His great love.

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person.But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger.” Romans 5:6-9

“Unto to us a Son is given”! Would you be willing to give your son? Aren’t you glad He did!!

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Be A Comfort

Yesterday morning I went to the hospital early to see Mom. She had a good night and was feeling much better than she had the day before. Shortly after I arrived she received her breakfast. She said it tasted good but not as good as the chocolate pudding she had the night before.

In just a little bit, a sweet nurse’s aide came in and asked if Mom would like to have a sponge bath. She thought that sounded nice. The aide was so sweet as she went about her task – warm water, wash cloths, a clean hospital gown and then she changed the sheets on the bed. Mom felt like a new woman! To top it off, she leaned over and gave Mom a big hug before she left.

Comfort!

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

Mom was dismissed from the hospital yesterday afternoon, my sister and brother-in-law are taking good care of Mom, we are so grateful for all they do!

The littlest kindnesses are sometimes the greatest sources of comfort. Where do you find comfort?

“When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady. 19 And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.” Psalm 94:18-19 CEV

“When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life. 51 Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law. 52 I find true comfort, Lord, because your laws have stood the test of time.” Psalm 119:50-52 CEV

Our true comfort doesn’t come from the external things in our lives but from the eternal – from God’s Word and His love.

“Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others.” Philippians 2:1 CEV

My prayer is that we will all be used of God to make others “Comfort-abled” today!

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Strongly Dependent

You may think the title to this blog is a typo but it’s not. Some would think I meant to say strongly independent but they would be wrong. How can one be strong and dependent, it appears to be an oxymoron.

Many times, circumstances and situations cause us to draw back. “I’m never going to be hurt like that again. I won’t allow anyone to be close enough to betray me and/or steal my ideas, etc.”. So the conclusion is to be independent, a loner, strong enough to stand on my own.

However, that is the attitude and determination that get us into trouble. It separates us from good counsel, loving support and God’s direction.

“The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety” Proverbs 18:10 CEV

David seemed to be alone; he was independent of the army of Israel, when he went out to face Goliath but in reality he was drawing strength from his dependence on the Lord.

“David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!” I Samuel 17:45-46 NLT

Daniel exhibited the same strength when King Darius sentenced him to the lion’s den. The king had been tricked into signing a law that would condemn Daniel to death for praying. Daniel chose to honor the Lord and stand by his faith and devotion to the God. His dependence on the Lord brought his deliverance from death.

“So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. 19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” Daniel 6:16-22 NLT

There were many times during His ministry that Jesus seemed alone, independent of His disciples and certainly independent from the religious leaders of His day. However, He was totally dependent on the Father. He would leave the crowd, independent of their opinion, to spend time in prayer, displaying His dependence on the Father.

“I cannot do anything on my own. The Father sent me, and he is the one who told me how to judge. I judge with fairness, because I obey him, and I don’t just try to please myself.” John 5:30 CEV

And finally, the Apostle Paul is an example of strength through dependence. He wrote over one-third of the New Testament. He was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, persecuted in nearly every town he visited. He appeared to be completely independent, his own man. But he said this about himself:

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

I hope you find these verses encouraging. Maybe you have been trying to handle “it” all on your own. You’ve worked so hard to be independent, free from anyone being able to dictate to you. The Lord promises us strength when we become dependent on Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;  do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

When we trust the Lord we will become strongly dependent and there we will find victory!

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The Great Pumpkin

Many of you have taken your children and perhaps, your grandchildren to the pumpkin patch. It’s so much fun!

I remember one particular time that we went on a school field trip to the farm; each child got to find, and take home, their own pumpkin. There was apple cider, donuts, pies to be purchased, a corn maze and a hay ride. Everyone had a wonderful time. The air was crisp, Fall was in the air. It was a refreshing day.

At our house, pumpkins are for baking not for carving. Years ago, we attend a Harvest Party at our church in California. One of the men from the church, who worked in the agriculture field, acquired a large pumpkin for the photo area. It was a 75 pound pumpkin and when the night was over there was a quandary as to what would become of the pumpkin.

It came home with us. I spent the next several days washing, scooping out seeds, baking pumpkin shell and flesh, then pureeing it for pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads. Oh the house smelled wonderful. There were pumpkin pies on every counter in the kitchen and as they cooled they went in to the freezer. Twenty-eight, ten-inch, homemade pumpkin pies with crust from scratch – it was truly a labor of love! My kids still talk about those pies to this day.

A few years back I found this analogy of Christians and pumpkins on the internet. I’m not sure who wrote it originally but it certainly rang true with my heart.

“A lady recently being baptized was asked by a co-worker what it was like to be a Christian. She replied, “It’s like being a pumpkin:  God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off… Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.”

This is the Father’s promise to us; He takes what we were and makes us into something new.

“The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 ERV

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:16-17 NLT

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

Chosen – Cleansed – Filled with life and light. Like a great pumpkin, God has blessed us with a delicious new life!

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True Treasure

One of the things I value most is the cedar chest I have in the guest bedroom. It was my Mom’s hope chest. I loved it when Mom would open it and let us go through the keepsakes that were inside. I remember seeing a newspaper that told about the end of World War II and then there was the program from the Ice Capades, a date night that she and Daddy had so many years ago.

It’s interesting that my kids, grown adults now, also enjoy going through the cedar chest. It’s contents are my most valued treasures. There are the family photo albums which contain pictures of my parents as young adults; my grandparents wedding picture and then the treasures that our kids made in Sunday School or public school. There’s a plastic candy cane wrapped in eyelet, a wooden board that has been sawn in wood shop and painted with red letters that say “#1 Mom”. There’s a sweet letter that tells me how much I am loved and a bud vase with a red rose that was made in ceramics.

My treasures!

All this has me thinking this morning, what have I given the Father that He would deem worthy of putting in the cedar chest for safe keeping? What is valuable to Him? It was then I remembered the story of a widow who gave all. I’m sure her two little pennies are in the Father’s treasure chest.

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 NLT

What the widow gave was an insignificant amount but the way she gave was priceless!She held nothing back; she gave her all.

When I was little, before we would head out the door to church, Mom would take some coins and tie them in a hankie for us to take to Sunday School and place in the offering. I remember being so excited to carry that hankie, my offering, and give it to Jesus. Sometimes I would pull the knot so tight, I didn’t want to loose the coins, that I would have to use my teeth to loosen the knot at offering time. I loved giving all I had to Jesus!

If the Lord had a cedar chest I’m sure my hankie would be in it. It was the symbol of a child’s love, a cheerful heart, giving all.

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.” II Corinthians 9:7-11 NLT

True Treasure isn’t measured by the amount given but by the attitude of the heart. It’s just like that candy cane, wooden sign and sweet letters that are in my cedar chest. Those items have value because they were given from the loving heart of a child to their parent.

Whatever we give to the Father should be given from a heart of love. We can give money, time, possessions, attitudes, kindness. When we give, we are planting seeds and those seeds will return a harvest in like kind.

Give the Father your best; that is the treasure He desires!

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Who Am I?

Some days I have to determine who I need to be. What role requires my attention? Mother, wife, sister, daughter, neighbor, friend. Will I be a quiet listener and observe life around me or will I be an active participant? Will I be self serving or generous and kind? At one point in time I have been all of these and sometimes I have been them all in the same day.

That’s why it’s so important that I start each day in God’s word, reminding myself who He says I am.

Well, this morning I would like to invite you to step into a Bible story and assume a role. You need to choose one of the characters that you indentify with and play the part as we read the verses. The characters; a social outcast, a debutante, an ambitious CFO, a leading CEO and an ambitious type A personality.

Have you chosen your character? Now let’s read the story line.

“Six days before the Passover festival, Jesus went to Bethany. That is where Lazarus lived, the man Jesus raised from death. 2 There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. 3 Mary brought in a pint of expensive perfume made of pure nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.

4 Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ followers, was there—the one who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, 5 “That perfume was worth a full year’s pay. It should have been sold, and the money should have been given to the poor people.” 6 But Judas did not really care about the poor. He said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the moneybag for the group of followers. And he often stole money from the bag.

7 Jesus answered, “Don’t stop her. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial. 8 You will always have those who are poor with you. But you will not always have me.” John 12:1-8 ERV

Jesus knew all of these people well. Three of them were some of his closest friends and the fourth was one of his inner circle. It’s very encouraging to me that Jesus didn’t choose the polished, the refined, the proper when he chose his disciples and his friends. The people around him were flawed, egotistical and others lacked confidence, common and prone to mistakes.

Let’s look at the characters; social outcast – Jesus, debutante – Mary, CFO – Judas, CEO – Lazarus, and type A – Martha. Do you want to change the one you decided to portray?

A few chapters before this Jesus had talked to Mary about being too busy to sit at his feet and hear his words. We find her doing the same thing here. Busy working when she should have been focused on Jesus and what he was saying, after all, he had just raised her brother from the dead a few days earlier.

Now Mary, an unmarried woman (I assume), she was devoted to Jesus and loved to be close and hear his words. She was thrilled that he had brought her brother back to life and was showing her devotion and worship to the Lord in the most impractical way. She broke a bottle of expensive perfume on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. In that day, a woman’s hair was her crowing glory and this showed her complete humility and gratitude. It would also bring her ridicule in the community.

The CEO, Lazarus, sat quietly throughout the dinner. His love and gratitude of his Savior compelled him to open his house for a dinner. A dinner to honor the Son of Man who had given him life.

Our CFO, Judas, one of Jesus disciples was a crook. He hid it well but a crook all the same. His only concern was for financial gain. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him for financial gain. This night his protest was “for the poor”. Oh, it sounded good but he wasn’t concerned for the poor but only for the finances that might have been available to him if the perfume had been sold.

Our social outcast is Jesus. Hated by the elite of society and religion, he continued to do the works that his Father sent him to do. He loved people. He continued to minister healing, forgiveness and restoration to all. It cost Him his life.

Sadly, I have played the role of each of our characters; I have been ambitious for financial gain, an overachiever driven by work and less by worship, a silent but grateful recepient of salvation and a demonstrative admirer who willingly gave up reputation to worship the Lord.

In each and every role that I have played Jesus has been there to love me through it – love me into being who He desires me to be. The key is to identify ourselves, make no excuse for our failings and allow Him to change us, to use us and to empower us by His unconditional love.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ” II Corinthians 5:17 CEV

I have a new role to play, I am a new person in Christ. To God be the glory!

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Home Again

Dave and I travel quite a bit. Last night we returned Home Again. This time we were in the Phoenix area and we were only gone 6 days; we had a wonderful time. We saw our oldest daughter and her husband, spoke at a friend’s church, and then spent the remainder of our time with our youngest daughter, her husband and two grandchildren. Before we left our newest grandchild was born and we were able to love on her too.

As much as we enjoy going – visiting family and friends, it’s always nice to come home again.

Last night we were sitting on the couch watching an English program on television. Some of the characters were involved in a play of the Wizard of Oz. One of the most famous lines came at the end when Dorothy clicked her heels together and said “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”. That’s how I felt.

Home again.

And then as I was waking up this morning, later than normal, I heard those words again and thought of Jesus. He left his home, came to earth; some loved and accepted him but others rejected and hated Him. He knew when He left heaven what life would be like on earth and yet He came anyway.

“Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. 10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.

13 “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.

“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. 16 “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”

“How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested. 17 Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean?

‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

18 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

19 The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.” Luke 20:9-19 NLT

Jesus knew. He knew what was in the hearts of those around Him. He knew. But His heart was filled with so much love that He was willing to face the consequences of hate filled and evil men to rescue us from a life of sin and separation from the Father.

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” II Corinthians 5:21 NLT

He was willing to go through it all because He was looking ahead and could see that there was coming a time when He would return to heaven but this time He would be making it possible for us to be with Him.

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” John 14:1-3 CEV

Home Again.

God, the Father, in his great love has made a place for us in heaven. He has adopted us and He is overseeing the preparations of our home. As much as I love my earthly home I can hardly wait to get to heaven, see my Father and my heavenly home!

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More Peace

I know how truly blessed I am to get up each morning and enjoy the peace which comes with the start of a new day. The house is silent except for the cycling of the coffee maker and the refrigerator. There are no obtrusive sounds of sirens, planes, trains or automobiles. Just the quiet.

As the sun starts to give its first glow on the horizon, the birds begin to sing and welcome to the day. The first to voice its song is the bob white and then the quail. The cactus wren joins in, followed by the morning dove. Peace.

Most mornings my heart joins in. It’s very rare for me to wake without a sense of peace. God’s peace! Before I started to write this morning I looked back over the blogs from the past 2+ years and found that I have written about peace over seventy-five times. It’s a subject that occupies much of my teaching.

To many, peace is a fleeting or even elusive sense of well being. There are so many things that rob peace; text messages, phone calls, conversations, career, doctors reports, financial statements, weather, personal relationships and world conflicts. I’ve found that we must fight for peace or our mind will take us down a road of turmoil.

“We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 ERV

Jesus knew what it was to be bombarded with unsettling and fearful thoughts. In fact, each time he was with someone who was facing a fearful situation His counsel was the same “fear not”. One of his final impartations to his disciples was a message of peace.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:26-27 NLT

Each day I pray for personal peace and then for the peace of my children and grandchildren. I thank the Lord that He is teaching my children, making them aware of His love and bringing peace to their lives.

“I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.” Isaiah 54:13 NLT

There are times when we have to make decisions, hard decisions, and we are left wondering what to do. Years ago, Dave and I made a commitment that we would let peace rule and direct us. If we didn’t have a peace about something we didn’t do it. There were times that we told the kids they couldn’t go somewhere or do something because we didn’t have peace. There were times we walked away from what appeared to be good business decisions because we didn’t have peace. And quite frankly, there have been times that we made decisions without that peace and regretted it.

“So My Word which goes from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well. 12 You will go out with joy, and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break out into sounds of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress tree will come up. Instead of the thistle, the myrtle tree will come up. It will cause you to remember the Lord, something special to see that will last forever.” Isaiah 55:11-13 NLV

We can always rely on God’s word and His peace to lead us in the right direction.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLV

Let God’s peace stand guard over your hearts!

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Sealed

A few days ago I visited my neighbor and she couldn’t wait to show me the kitchen table they had built. She told me how just the day before they had put on the third coat of sealer. Now it was fully protected and she didn’t have to be concerned about water rings or food stains getting through and spoiling the surface of the wood.

It was sealed!

That’s an interesting word – sealed. There are so many different pictures that come to mind. A letter can be sealed to keep it’s contents private. If you have a tent you will certainly want to make sure the seams are sealed so the rain water doesn’t get in. Concrete floors and counter tops are sealed just like the wood of my neighbors table. Food packages are sealed. Medicine is sealed. Sweaters are sealed in bags.

The sealing serves a purpose – protection. Protection from destruction or contamination. It also denotes importance.

When treaties were struck or laws were written the king’s seal was placed on the document to verify that it had come from his hand. The most trusted advisor was the one in the king’s court who had access to the king’s ring and his seal.

“The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king’s service.” Esther 8:10 NLT

Kings continued to use seals up to the 1800’s. And then nations developed seals, we have the great seal of the United States.

But there is another kind of seal, it’s the seal that God the Father puts on us, his children; it’s a seal of protection and a seal of importance.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” II Corinthians 1:21-22 NKJV

or in more modern language: “God is the One Who makes our faith and your faith strong in Christ. He has set us apart for Himself. 22 He has put His mark on us to show we belong to Him. His Spirit is in our hearts to prove this.” II Corinthians 1:21-22 NLT

The seal that God has put on our lives shows that we belong to Him, the Holy Spirit living in us proves that.

“It is the same with you. You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark (seal) on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised. 14 The Spirit is the first payment that guarantees we will get all that God has for us. Then we will enjoy complete freedom as people who belong to him. The goal for all of us is the praise of God in all his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 ERV

Jesus said that the reason Holy Spirit came was to be our comforter, our helper, our teacher. He is the seal that shows we are valuable to God and He brings the Father’s goodness and blessings to our lives.

“Do not make God’s Holy Spirit have sorrow for the way you live. The Holy Spirit has put a mark on you for the day you will be set free. 31 Put out of your life all these things: bad feelings about other people, anger, temper, loud talk, bad talk which hurts other people, and bad feelings which hurt other people. 32 You must be kind to each other. Think of the other person. Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ’s death on the cross.” Ephesians 4:30-32 NLV

When I read this verse I am reminded of my friend’s table. The wood has been sanded, several times, removing the elements that made it ugly and rough. The surface was smoothed and cleaned showing the beauty that was beneath the surface. Then it was SEALED to protect the beauty and the quality of the wood.

We are to remove those things that make our lives ugly. Then we let Holy Spirit “seal” us for our protection and preservation. Our beauty will shine through, it’s the beauty of a life filled with Christ.

There will be times when our surface gets dusty and dirty by the things we say and do. We will need to be cleansed by repentance but we are sealed by the Spirit of God and our beauty will remain protected. We are God’s workmanship, He created us for good things.

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 ERV

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Twenty-Three and Me

I think it all started with Ancestry.com. You know the search of where we came from, what is our heritage and who we are related too. It all helps to answer the question “Who am I”.

I have a strong Norwegian heritage and I’m very proud of that. I’ve never really done a lot of research on my family tree nor do I feel compelled too. It’s enough knowing that my ancestors came from Norway.

However, I do spend considerable amounts of time researching my DNA. But the DNA I refer cannot be run for chemical analysis; instead it is revealed in the pages of Scripture. I know I’ve told you this before but the DNA I am speaking of stands for my Divine Nature Ability.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” II Corinthians 5:17 NLT

A completely new life has begun.

This morning I was reading in I John and once again evidence of my DNA jumped off the pages of my Bible.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:1-5 NLT

Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Then these verses are referring to you. First off, the Christ, means that Jesus is the Anointed One. Not just a man, but one who has been selected as perfect and set apart by God, the Father, to bring new life to us. He gave us the right to be a child of God.

Then our DNA gives us the power to obtain victory in this life through faith. Our DNA causes us to love. Just as naturally as a duck floats on water because it’s his nature, we keep God’s commandment to love. It’s been programmed into us – it’s what we have inherited from our Father, who is love.

Do we ever act unloving? Of course, we do! But…God, through His word, reminds us that we have been given His nature and His ability to life that reflects his character. These are His words to us.

“God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life. 13 All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know that you have eternal life. 14 We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. 15 And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” I John 5:11-15 CEV

He has given us life; He has placed within us His ability, His character. We receive our natural DNA from our earthly parents and we receive our spiritual DNA from our heavenly Father and our life that comes through His Son.

“All of you are God’s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman.” Galatians 3:26-28 CEV

Father, thank you for making us your children and filling us with your power. We have victory in this life because of our faith in what You have done for us and in us!

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