Category: Romans

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Worth Bragging On

I have had a number of occasions to overhear compliments on my children when people didn’t know who I was or even realize that I was standing close enough to hear. Those have been special times! It’s one thing when people come up to tell you something good about your kids and to thank you for “raising them right” but it’s entirely different when you overhear something complimentary in a conversation that you aren’t involved in.

Now put yourself in God, the Father’s, place. He knew the angels would come heralding the birth of His Son. He made sure it was announced properly. A light show filled the entire sky and the angelic chorus never sounded better as they sang His praises. Then those shepherds went to find His Son – they stood before the manger and oo-ed and awed when they saw Him for the first time.

“Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.” Luke 2:18-19 CEV

Then there were those wise men that traveled so far to find the child. All along the way, I’m sure folks asked where they were going and heard the story of how they had seen the star and now they had to find the child.

“Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-3 CEV

There’s one more testimony of Jesus I want us to look at this morning.

“41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they went home, but Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know about it…46 After three days they found him. Jesus was sitting in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and wise answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they wondered how this was possible. And his mother said, “Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you. We have been looking for you…”51 Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. His mother was still thinking about all these things. 52 As Jesus grew taller, he continued to grow in wisdom. God was pleased with him and so were the people who knew him.” Luke 2:41-52 CEV

Can you imagine the religious leaders talking among themselves? Who is this young boy, he has such amazing knowledge of God? He talks like someone who knows God personally – how can this be?

The Father was pleased with His Son, Jesus! Jesus said that the whole reason He came was to please the Father! We can only assume how great the love between the Father and the Son is. But now think about this, the Father loves us with that same great love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”

We didn’t hear it but for all eternity, Jesus and the Father had been talking about us in heaven. Talking about how much they loved and how much it hurt that they didn’t have the relationship with us they desired to have. They wanted us to be close in spirit – they wanted us to come home on holidays, to talk with us daily, to share their thoughts and their love with us the way they did with Adam in the garden.

So they came up with a plan…
“ 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. 10 I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.” Romans 5:8-11 CEV

We’re not just friends but we have been adopted by the Father and called His sons and joint heirs with Jesus!

Now let me ask a question. Have you ever bragged about a gift you’ve received? Maybe it came from your spouse, your kids, your grandkids or a dear friend. It’s a gift that is so special and you feel so loved that you just have to brag about it, even when you don’t think the one who gave it to you is listening!

Well, I hope that’s how you feel about this wonderful gift, the gift of the Son. We need to brag on what God the Father has given us! One of the most performed songs at Christmas praises God for His wonderful gift.

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the Spirit felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

[Verse 2]
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

[Verse 3]
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim


Merry Christmas Father!! Merry Christmas Jesus!! Merry Christmas Holy Spirit!!

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Naughty or Nice

We’re only a week away from the day that the world celebrates the birthday of Jesus!

I still have quiet a bit of baking to do and a few more presents to finish but I’m not feeling rushed or pressured. I am simply enjoying the reason for the season; the gift of life that God gave us all over 2000 years ago. 

“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler.
His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father  and Prince of Peace. 7 His power will never end; peace will last forever. He will rule David’s kingdom
and make it grow strong. He will always rule with honesty and justice. The Lord All-Powerful will make certain that all of this is done.” Isaiah 9:6-7 CEV

There is such peace when we have a true relationship with Jesus. For years I didn’t have that. I thought that I was the one responsible for getting God to love me, I had to be good enough for Him to bless me. I guess I had the same impression of God that many do of Santa – was I going to be on the naughty list or the nice list. I had a real struggle. 

Maybe that’s why I so enjoy the celebration of Christmas now. The struggle is over. I have learned that God’s love for me is unconditional. I don’t have to work to earn it; I just need to accept what He has done for me and say “thank you”. 

“May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Let us honor and thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has already given us a taste of what heaven is like. 4 Even before the world was made, God chose us for Himself because of His love. He planned that we should be holy and without blame as He sees us. 5 God already planned to have us as His own children. This was done by Jesus Christ. In His plan God wanted this done.” Ephesians 1:2-5 NLV

God chose each and everyone of us to be His. He has showered His love on us and He when He looks at us He sees us as blameless because of what Christ has done for us. It’s not our efforts or actions that qualify us for the Nice List; it’s the actions of Christ. 

“By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. 2 Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 CEV

We’ve been made acceptable; we can live in peace; happiness is ours because of what Christ has done! 

Let’s celebrate!  It’s the Birthday of a King!

In the little village of Bethlehem
There lay a child one day
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
O’er the place where Jesus lay.

Alleluia
O how the angels sang!
Alleluia
How it rang!
And the sky was bright
With a holy light
‘Twas the birthday of a King.

Humble birthplace
But O
How much God gave to us that day!
From the manger bed what a path has led
What a perfect holy way.

Alleluia
O how the angels sang!
Alleluia
How it rang!
And the sky was bright
With a Holy light
‘Twas the birthday of a King

God gave us a gift of new life; He gave us the gift of His Son. Alleluia!

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PBJ Spells Love

The littlest grandkids and their parents arrived yesterday. It’s so nice to have them close, only a 2 1/2 hour drive from our house to theirs. Hugs for everyone. Merry Christmases said. Bags brought in. It didn’t take long for their laughter to fill our home!

The giggles and squeals that came from Sam when he discovered that there were new toys in the toybox since his last visit and the big smile and giggles that emanated from Kristine were infectious. 

Love!

I imagine the joy experienced at the manger was all this and so much more. Mary had just given birth to her first child, the shepherds had just seen the angels and heard God’s message, Joseph had been the birthing coach and delivery team…Oh the joy!

A small bundle of love.

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!” John 3:16-17 CEV

Because of God’s great love He sent His Son to save the world. Do we really think there is anything that our loving, heavenly Father would deny us when He was willing to give His own Son? 

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right. 34 Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us.” Romans 8:31-34 CEV

Because God is for us, we can be as carefree and joy filled as our grandchildren were yesterday. We are enveloped in God’s love. Our grandkids never gave it a second thought, they knew they were at a place where they were loved. All was right in their world. God loves us so much more than this – all should be right in our world as well. 

What’s all this have to do with a PBJ? Plenty. Last night I saw a true example of  fatherly love. Sam woke shortly after midnight, he was “starved”. Since he and his sister were sharing the same room, she woke up too. When I came out to see what was going on, there they were – Dad, Sam and Kristine sitting at the kitchen table. Dad had left his warm bed, come to the kitchen and found something for Sam to eat. That’s what loving dads do, they provide for their kids. 

God, our loving Father, provides for us!

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ERV

Love Came Down At Christmas. written 1885

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

God is the kind of father who gets up in the middle of the night to provide for us! He never leaves us to flounder on our own. Love isn’t spelled PBJ, it’s really spelled G-O-D!

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Thankful for Victory

I hoping that you had a wonderful day of Thanksgiving and that you took opportunities throughout the day to look around and say thank you for the blessings the Lord had provided.

When I got up this morning my heart was filled with gratitude for  life’s victories. We never like going through the battles but the victories are worth remembering. We’ve all had them; the battles with health, finances, relationships, and emotions. Some of you have faced actual battles (war, military conflict, disasters) and that, I know nothing about. But I am grateful for each and every one of you who have fought those battles for me.

I remember the words of a young shepherd boy named David. He told King Saul that he was prepared to meet the giant Goliath because God had given him victory over a lion and a bear.  The small, sometimes daily, battles that we fight prepare us for life’s bigger conflicts.

The secret is to remember that we didn’t succeed in the smaller skirmishes by our own efforts, it was by the help that God gave us. So when the larger battles come our source of strength and power is the same.

I’ve told you about King Jehoshaphat before but I want to relay a couple of things from his battle this morning.

“ Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “There is a large army coming against you from Edom. They are coming from the other side of the Dead Sea. They are already in Hazazon Tamar!” (Hazazon Tamar is also called En Gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat became afraid, and he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting for everyone in Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to ask the Lord for help.” II Chronicles 21:2-4 ERV

Three armies were getting ready to descend on the small kingdom of Judah. They outnumbered. It was definitely a battle they couldn’t win on their own efforts.

“Lord God of our ancestors, you are the God in heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms in all the nations. You have power and strength. No one can stand against you. 7 You are our God! You forced the people living in this land to leave. You did this in front of your people Israel. You gave this land to the descendants of Abraham forever. Abraham was your friend...12 Our God, punish those people. We don’t have the strength to stop this large army that is coming against us. We don’t know what to do! We are looking to you for help.” verses 6,7, 12 ERV

The first thing we must all do when we see the battle coming is admit that we don’t have the power to do it on our own and that we need strength that only the Lord can give. 

“Jahaziel said, “Listen to me King Jehoshaphat and everyone living in Judah and Jerusalem! The Lord says this to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or worry about this large army, because the battle is not your battle. It is God’s battle! 16 Tomorrow, they will come up through the Ziz Pass. You must go down to them. You will find them at the end of the valley on the other side of the desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Just stand there and watch the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid. Don’t worry, because the Lord is with you. So go out to stand against those people tomorrow.”  

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before the Lord and worshiped him.” verses 15-18

The Lord will give us the direction and wisdom we need. We have to show up for the battle but it’s not our battle. Once we pray about it and ask the Lord for help, it becomes His. Our part is to not worry or be afraid; God is able.

I’m not sure what battles are before us today. But I am thanking God that He is on our side! He has prepared a way of victory! I won’t be afraid.

“ So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. ” Romans 8:31-32 ERV

AMEN!

 

 

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Thankful for Hope

Have you ever been in a tough place for an extended period of time and wondered if things were ever going to change? I have.

On those days, I am so thankful for the Scriptures verses that I have hidden away in the heart of my memory so that I can remind myself that God is here and my hope is in Him.

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

“ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep. ” Psalm 121:1-3 NLV

“Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my help and my God.” Psalm 42:11 NLV

Circumstances come. They would like to destroy our hope and rob us of the inner peace that God gives but  no circumstance  is bigger than our God!

We have His promises that we don’t face the problems of life on our own. No, He is there with us and He is the one who brings us through victorious!

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

“We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:3-5 CEV

The Lord  is faithful!

He provides for us as a good shepherd who looks after His sheep. I have studied Psalm 23 on several occasions. The verses of that Psalm touch me in different ways because of what  may be going on in my life at that particular time. The verse that I relate to most when I am in the midst of a particular struggle is verse 4.

“Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 ERV

I will fear no evil for you are with me! Yes, hope brings peace when we keep our eyes on the One who never leaves or abandons us. He walks with us through every situation.

“Everything that was written in the Holy Writings long ago was written to teach us. By not giving up, God’s Word gives us strength and hope.” Romans 15:4 NLV

We are not without hope. We have the Lord!

Thank you Lord that your Word gives us strength and it gives us hope.

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Thank You for Your Service

I ask that you take time today to say a prayer of thanks for those who have fought in our nation’s wars and conflicts.

This is the flag that flies in our courtyard. We are a proud American family. Our family has served in this nation’s military and we desire to give honor to all those families who have loved ones who have served.

Veteran’s Day was first known as Armistice Day. It was originally a day to commemorate the end of World War I.

“World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

President Eisenhower signed a bill in 1954 changing the name to Veteran’s Day to honor all service members who had served in the United States military.

The Apostle Paul was writing to the Christians in the church at Rome and addressing issues that dealt with government, rulers and municipal issues. He said this:

“Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor.” Romans 13:7 ERV

We owe our military service members honor and respect. They commit their lives to protecting ours. They fight so that we can live in peace.

Join me today in thanking our military members for their service.

God bless each and everyone of you who have served or are serving now.

On a personal note I want to thank Austin, AJ, Hal, Dave, Lonny, Sid, Stacy, Henry and Steve.

 

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Thankful for Help

In the 70’s there was a commercial on television with this slogan; “It’s Shake n Bake, and I helped”.

Do any of you remember that one?

There are so many things we are thankful for and in that list should be those people who are especially near and dear to us. The ones who have helped.

I was talking with Mom yesterday about Thanksgiving and what we were going to be doing and what plans she has. For the last four or five years Mom, my niece and a couple, who are close friends, have gotten together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone works on different aspects of the meal; they share the cooking, enjoy their dinner and then the clean up.

It’s one of those things Mom looks forward too; she loves to cook for people. She really doesn’t do it anymore because of her age. So it makes those times when she can even more special.

When I was a girl we always had families over to share the holidays. We lived in AZ and most of our relatives lived in Iowa so, we didn’t have big family gatherings. Our friends were our family and they were around our table as often as possible.

Mom had a way of making everyone feel at home. She has a true gift of hospitality. This year, at 95, she is still wanting to help and said she really hoped there would be something she could do in the kitchen to be part of the preparation. She’s spent her life giving and doing for others and she’s not ready to quit yet.

” I thank God every time I remember you. 4 And I always pray for all of you with joy. 5 I thank God for the help you gave me while I told people the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now.” Philippians 1:3-5 ERV

People with a helpful heart are a gift! They come in and without being asked, lighten the load. That unselfish attitude is a gift from God!

Yesterday had another example of helpfulness. Shortly after I hung up from talking with Mom, I was getting things ready for our evening meal. I asked our three-year old grandson, Sam, if he would like to help me set the table. His eyes lit up, a big grin spread across his face and he came running.

The very young and the elderly both with hearts to help! It’s their calling.

“In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others.

6 We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us. Whoever has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in a way that fits the kind of faith they have. 7 Whoever has the gift of serving should serve. Whoever has the gift of teaching should teach. 8 Whoever has the gift of comforting others should do that. Whoever has the gift of giving to help others should give generously. Whoever has the gift of leading should work hard at it. Whoever has the gift of showing kindness to others should do it gladly.” Romans 12:5-8 ERV

There in verse seven, serving is called a gift. None of us are capable of doing everything on our own. We need those “helping” people by our side. It’s not only for our benefit but its the fulfillment of who they are. I am so thankful for the assistance I receive from others and I desire to be more helpful.

It might not be a “Shake n Bake” kind of moment but whatever it is, I’m certainly thankful for those who help!

 

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Do You Smell Thankful?

I guess the better question would be, what does thankful smell like? According to Scripture it should smell like us.

“ I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. ” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

When we center our focus on Christ and follow His lead He will always – ALWAYS – lead us to victory. With those victories comes our testimony of God’s goodness, His power and His provision. Those testimonies bring the knowledge of Christ to the world and that knowledge brings the smell of a sweet perfume.

So, we have the opportunity to be God’s perfume. Thankfulness should smell like us.

In the Old Testament, when a sacrifice or an offering of thanksgiving was made the priest also burned incense to make the sacrifice smell sweet.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

We give our lives to Him to be molded and used for His honor. As we thank Him for all He has done and the purpose He gives our life, we are a living sacrifice that is pure and pleasing.

The Lord has so many good things in store for us. He created us for good things. He’s not looking to withhold blessings from us, He desires to overflow us with blessings.

“ I pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus. 3 We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:2-4 CEV

Take time to let those verses sink in. We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. Not by our own power but by His. He gave us great and marvelous promises. Now that’s a reason to be thankful. It’s knowledge like this, that God wants us sharing with others.

God doesn’t expect us to live a life that pleases Him on our own. No, He gave us His promise that He would empowered us for the life He called us too.

“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV

When obstacles, trials and difficult times come, and they will, let’s refrain from complaining and worrying. Instead, let’s use the knowledge that God has provided victory for us through His power and His promises.

That way, we will be the ones who are the sweet smelling perfume of thankfulness.

 

 

 
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God’s Thoughts About Me

How do you define the word righteous? And along that same line, define the word righteousness.   Think about that for a few moments.

Let me give you a simple definition of righteous. It was one that my college professor gave in class years ago. Righteous: being made right with God. Is that how we see ourselves – right with God?

“ Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:21 ERV

That’s the way God sees us. The great exchange. Jesus, who had never sinned, took on our sins when He died on the cross and in exchange for our sin, gave us His righteousness. His right-standing with God became ours. That is absolutely amazing!

Isaiah wrote that our self-righteousness is like filthy rags. Our efforts to make ourselves in right-standing with God is, at its best, rubbish.

My dad was a master mechanic. He worked on large equipment, keeping it running and fixing it when it broke down. When he would come home his clothes were filthy and he would often have dirty towels he had used to wipe his hands on. I remember Mom telling him to throw those dirty things in the trash, there was no point in trying to wash them, they wouldn’t come clean.

That’s the image that would come to mind when I heard that phrase, filthy rags. Now contrast that image with this one.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:10-11 NKJV

Dirty, greasy, grimy clothes or the elegant apparel of a bride groom, how do we think God sees us?  Because of Christ, He sees us decked out in His finest.

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners (dirty, greasy), 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. 10 I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends (righteous) makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.” Romans 5:8-11 ERV

I titled this morning’s blog God’s Thoughts About Me. Do you see it now? He thinks we’re righteous, in right standing with Him and these verses in Romans say that He calls us his friends. God the Father doesn’t hate us – He isn’t even mad at us.

He loves us!

Now for the final word on what God thinks about us. The first version of this verse uses the word “thoughts” and other versions say “plans”. I wanted you to see them both

“ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

God’s thoughts about us are those of a loving Father. He has good plans for us, He doesn’t want to harm us. Instead He gives us hope and a good future. As we go about our day, it’s quite possible that thoughts will come to mind that are counter to the thoughts that God has of us. Don’t let those thoughts linger, replace them with what God thinks of us.

Trust God! His thoughts toward us are good.

 

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What Do You Mean By That

Dave and I were having a conversation the other day about phrases that are commonly used; figures of speech or colloquialisms. Neither one of us really fell into that habit.

“To die for” has been a pretty popular phrase. It has been joined to clothing, food, movies, entertainment, cars and sports.

Colloquialism. col·lo·qui·al·ism. NOUN  1. a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

So let me ask, what’s to die for in  life?  Family…our faith…our neighbor…our country?

Christ looked at us and said “You’re to die for”. And He did.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life.” Romans 5:6-10 CEV

I think this morning is the first time I have really stopped and looked at verse 9.  Verses 6-8 focus on the amazing depth of Christ’s love for us; love beyond measure. Love that gave up all, His very life, for us. That would be enough for anyone, right? However, verse 9 goes on to say “But there’s more”!

Really? More than that kind of self-sacrificing love? Yes. More.  We have been given more than friendship with God, we have peace and salvation through Christ.

Now let me ask another question. What do you find worth living for?

” I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.

21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. 22 I don’t know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. 23 It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. 24-25 But I know that all of you still need me. That’s why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith.” Philippians 1:20-24 CEV

Paul said he preferred to die and be with Christ but chose to continue living for the benefit of the Christians that he was ministering too. He had his life’s mission and he was determined to reach that goal.

God has blessed us with individual talents and abilities. He has strategically placed us in different parts of the country, in groups and organizations, among a diverse group of people. I can’t and won’t reach the same people  you do. The Apostle Paul often referred to Christians as “the body of Christ” because each part in the body has a specific purpose in providing strength and health to the whole. We should  do the best we can with the giftings God has given us.

Jesus chose to die for us. Shouldn’t we be willing to live for Him?

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