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It’s A Gift!

This morning as I sit here, I am replaying in my mind some of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite western movies, Crossfire Trail.

Tom Selleck was cast as the story’s hero, and he had some great one-liners. My favorite – “It’s a gift”.

That line grew so large that it was my only focus. I sat here mulling it over, “Lord, what do you want me to see. What are You saying to me”?

And then it jumped off the page of my Bible:

“ But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about. 22 God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. 23 All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25-26 God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people’s sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26 ERV

It’s a gift!

Our right standing with God – our forgiveness, our salvation, our peace is a gift. It’s nothing we could ever earn, not something we can buy or acquire by our own goodness. It’s a gift.

Recently we were at our granddaughter’s sixth birthday and when it came time to open her gifts, she was reluctant. Everyone was standing around watching and she was self-conscious but once the first gift was opened and she found something she always wanted, she eagerly opened all the others.

Not once did she look at any of us gift-givers and say “Oh, you shouldn’t have. I haven’t been good enough. You need to take this back until I’ve done something to earn it”. That would have been silly and unrealistic. It’s a gift.

She used to childlike faith to accept the gift freely and eagerly and said thank you.

“So do we have any reason to boast about ourselves? No reason at all. And why not? Because we are depending on the way of faith, not on what we have done in following the law.” Romans 3:27 ERV

God’s gift to us should be accepted the same way, with childlike faith. We have no room to boast on our own goodness. We receive right standing with the Father the same way Kristine received her birthday presents – with joy!

If you have felt you needed to be good enough, more pious, or needed to earn your salvation let all of that go and enjoy what Christ has done for you.

It’s a gift!

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Added Strength

The older I get I have to face the fact that I don’t have as much strength as I used too. It’s hard to admit something like that because I would be the first to jump in on hard tasks and stay with it until the project was done.

Now I take time to rest.

This morning I was really encouraged by a verse I have known and quoted for years.

“My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. 10 Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 CEV

Paul knew about being stretched beyond his natural strength. It seems everywhere he went there were people who wanted to imprison him, mistreat him and even kill him. He would overcome in one situation only to face another one.

God gave him amazing insight and he shared it with us.

It’s important to keep a proper perspective when going through a tough time. If we begin to look to closely at the situation it will begin to seem overwhelming. It’s important to pull back and look at things the way God’s see them.

The children of Egypt saw a sea too big to cross; God saw a stream and damned it up. Saul’s soldiers saw a giant too big to conquer; David saw a man who was no match for God. Noah saw a world filled with corruption and a devastating flood; God saw a cruise ship of salvation. Paul saw persecution and God saw an opportunity to show up with strength and provision.

Do you see things as hopeless, do you see defeat?

I really liked this picture of father and son flexing their muscles. It’s an image of proper perspective. I know the son probably thinks he’s strong and he can handle things on his own but once he sees dad’s muscles, he realizes that it’s better to get help from someone who loves him and has the greater strength.

“ Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Philippians 4:13 CEV

What the Lord revealed to Paul was he wasn’t on his own. Neither are we. We have the Father’s promise to never leave us or abandon us. Jesus told his disciples to “ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find”.

“ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11  Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks.” Ephesians 6:10-11 CEV

What has you feeling weak and disabled this morning? Let the Lord give you what you need to be strong.

Remember, Satan saw Jesus as a dead man, buried in a tomb but God saw the resurrection and that same power, resurrection power has been placed within us.

“The Lord is my strength and shield.  I trusted him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy.  I sing songs of praise to him. 8 The Lord protects his chosen one. He saves him and gives him strength.” Psalm 28:7-8 ERV

No matter the obstacle, no matter the circumstance, our Father will be there to give us the added strength we need!

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Found!

Have you ever lost something valuable? Maybe it was a piece of jewelry, a credit card or maybe something more personal like a relationship; did you search and work hard until you “found” it again?

Jesus taught three stories about things that were lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. The shepherd, the woman and that father searched until all was restored.

Do you know the Father is doing the same with us?

“If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won’t you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? 5 And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder 6 and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, ‘Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep.’

7 Jesus said, ‘In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don’t need to.’” Luke 15:4-7 CEV

God, the Father, has been asking man for thousands of years to allow Him to be their God, to lead and direct. Jesus watched as the Father had searched (seek) for His people when they had gone off to follow after other gods and do their own thing. He lovingly brought them back.

Jesus followed the Father’s example as He went from town-to-town teaching, preaching, doing miracles and spreading God’s love. He was reminding them, and our Father will continue to pursue us – He won’t give up.

” Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:8-10 ERV

The Father pursues us diligently just like the woman who lost her coin. Each one of us are valuable to Him. Remember the children’s Sunday School song; “red, yellow, black and white they are precious in sight”. We are precious to Him, that’s why Jesus came.

“The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.” Luke 19:10 CEV

As the Father pursues us, searching for us when we are lost, we should pursue daily fellowship with Him. He is waiting for us to seek Him!

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Incomprehensible!

Some concepts in God’s word are almost impossible to understand. I feel that way about the unconditional love of God. But I know it’s true because He said it was.

Unconditional!

Growing up I had the impression that if I wasn’t a good Christian it somehow affected God’s love for me. It was hard and each time I failed I felt condemned, like God loved me less because I had failed!

“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 ERV

I didn’t understand that even though I sinned the sacrifice of Christ had made me free. The book of Romans is a book of grace. Paul points out that God’s love and forgiveness are unconditional but that doesn’t give us a license to live anyway we choose. To quote Paul, God forbid!

“Sin must not have power over you. You are not living by the Law. You have life because of God’s loving-favor. 15 What are we to do then? Are we to sin because we have God’s loving-favor and are not living by the Law? No, not at all!” Romans 6:14-15 NLV

There is a big difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation is accusatory, belittling, insulting in nature. Conviction is a loving and concerned correction, I see it as the Holy Spirit saying, “You’re better than that, I can help you overcome that weakness or action”.

“ At one time you were held by the power of sin. But now you obey with all your heart the teaching that was given to you. Thank God for this! 18 You were made free from the power of sin. Being right with God has power over you now. 19 I speak with words easy to understand because your human thinking is weak. At one time you gave yourselves over to the power of sin. You kept on sinning all the more. Now give yourselves over to being right with God. Set yourself apart for God-like living and to do His work.” Romans 6:17-19 NLV

Yesterday’s blog was about knowing the depth of God’s love to us through Christ. Did you take time to think about just how much God loves you? I did. It’s overwhelming, awe-inspiring, almost unfathomable, but it’s true! The unconditional love of God.

“For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NLV

Let me take this moment to encourage you to not only read but to study the book of Romans.

“Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. 23 For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. 24 Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins.” Romans 3:22-24 NLV

God’s unconditional love made a way, through Christ, for us to be free from sin – now that’s almost incomprehensible!

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More Than Expected

I love the mornings when I wake up thinking about the goodness of God!

Frankly, I used to have mornings when I would dread getting up because I knew the day was going to be chaotic and at times confrontational. I went to sleep focused on a problem and it would be the first thing on my mind when I greeted the day. But now, most mornings I am in awe of God’s love.

Do you want to know what was on my mind this morning?

“God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers 17 and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. 18  I pray that you and all God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep.19 I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.

20-21 I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21 CEV

God is wonderful and He wants us to know and experience the depth of His unconditional, unending, immeasurable love!

There is nothing more powerful than the love of God because God is the full embodiment of love and He wants to fill our lives with all He is. To be filled with that love, that power, working in us is certainly more than I could possibly imagine or ask for.

Our heavenly Father’s desire is to live through us so that we are experiencing the fullest life ever.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

Those aren’t my words, those come from the Apostle Paul who was writing to Christians who were young in the faith. He wanted them to know, and us to know also, the amazing depth of His love and commitment to us.

It truly is so much greater than anything we could dream of, imagine or ask for but that’s how God is!

When Christ came to earth one of His names was Immanuel meaning God with us. This is so much more than a baby in a manger. This is Christ, the full expression of the Godhead, making us complete and providing all that we need to live the same type of life that He lived while He was on earth.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” John 10:10 AMP

More than expected? Absolutely. Our heavenly Father has a life planned for us that is beyond our dreams.

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Do You See It?

I have always had a vivid imagination.

When I was a young girl, I didn’t need books with pictures because my mind would make the words come to life. It still happens today.

Through my mind’s eye I have seen Daniel in the lions’ den, Miriam standing at the riverside watching over Moses, the leper who was healed, the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and Mary in the garden on resurrection morning.

When I read the last few chapters of John and the story of the crucifixion it’s hard for me because my mind takes me there and I can see the anguish on Jesus’ face as he is stripped, whipped and abused.

“He was hated and men would have nothing to do with Him, a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was hated, and we did not think well of Him.

4 For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. 5 But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-6 NLV

But the thing that has made the biggest impact on me is His eyes. Going through the pain and anguish that He did, His eyes were never angry, they were always filled with love. It was love that held Him to the cross. It was love that forgave the thief hanging next to Him. It was love that asked John to care for His mother. It was love that said, “It is finished”!

“Let us keep looking to Jesus. Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect. He did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. Now He is sitting at the right side of God.” Hebrews 12:2 NLV

It was the Father’s love for us that sent His Son and it was Jesus’ love for us that compelled Him to die. Both the Father and the Son are the living examples of unconditional love.

” But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NLV

Close your eyes. Do you see it? Jesus is looking at you with a smile on His face and eyes filled with love!

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Blessed Assurance

Another morning started with praise!

There is a time and place when completely alone, no noise – only the sound of my own breathing, that from the depth of my heart a song rises up.

“This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.”

That’s the chorus to a hymn written 150 years ago by Fannie Crosby, “Blessed Assurance”. Miss Crosby wrote hundreds of hymns of faith. She was a woman who faced hardships, not the least being that she was blind from the early age of three. Her mother and grandmother raised her to know and trust God’s word and it’s evident in her music.

The first verse of this hymn goes like this:

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”

Heir of salvation, purchased of God, Born of His Spirit, I’m washed in His blood. What a marvelous truth, a truth to give strength, hope and resolve. The premise for this song comes from a verse in Hebrews.

“So let’s come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let’s keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water.” Hebrews 10:22 CEV

The writer of Hebrews spent the whole book comparing the sacrifices and duties of the Old Testament priests with the blood sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of animals had to be done every year to cover sin but the blood sacrifice of Christ was done once and for all, cleansing us completely.

“But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God’s right side, 13 and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. 14 By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.” Hebrews 10:12-14 CEV

A sacrifice that is good forever, never needing to be repeated, offered by the sinless Lamb of God; one sacrifice setting us free from sin!

“ Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:2 CEV

This sweet assurance is mine and is available to all who receive the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. This is my story, this is my song…Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

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Something Old

This morning I sat here praying and I told the Lord that I really didn’t think I had anything new to share. His answer came quickly, “Then share something old”.

Of course, why didn’t I think of that?

We’re here at our oldest daughter’s for the week, dog sitting. As I look around, I see lots of old things; pieces of furniture, pictures, clocks, a cookie jar, some books and me. We call those family heirlooms and antiques.

The old stuff is the good stuff.

“My son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my words. 2 For they will add to you many days and years of life and peace. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them upon your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. 6 Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from what is sinful. 8 It will be healing to your body and medicine to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your riches, and with the first of all you grow. 10 Then your storehouses will be filled with many good things and your barrels will flow over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:1-10 NLV

What could be better than the old instruction we receive from God’s word?

His word adds peace and years to our life. Kindness and truth give us favor with men and with God. His word makes our path straight, gives us health and blesses what we put our hands to do.

There’s a reason that back in the “olden days”, as we used to call them, that school children used the Bible in their classroom studies. The truth in the Bible is timeless. As far as I know, no laws have ever been written to outlaw love, joy, and peace.

But the perversion of God’s word is also as old as time.

“Now the snake was more able to fool others than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say that you should not eat from any tree in the garden?’ 2 Then the woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But from the tree which is in the center of the garden, God has said, ‘Do not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’

4 The snake said to the woman, ‘No, you for sure will not die! 5 For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.’” Genesis3:1-5 NLV

Satan was the first to twist God’s word and try to make it say something God never intended, and people have been doing that ever since.

I would like to encourage you to find something old today – find your Bible. Don’t read it from your computer screen, your tablet or your phone. Find the book, hold it in your hands, read the words from the page and let the Lord impress them on your heart.

Something old? Yes, but treasured and timeless!

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Free to Forgive

How hard is it for you to forgive? Sounds like a loaded question doesn’t it?

When we look at forgiveness from a strictly personal, human perspective it can seem almost impossible to forgive some and easy to forgive others. It all depends on how deeply we have been hurt or wronged. Forgiveness seems to be based on our feelings and quite frankly, we often don’t want to take responsibility for letting them go.

However, we are free to forgive because we have been forgiven.

“We have been bought by His blood and made free. Our sins are forgiven through Him.” Colossians 1:14 NLV

In this morning’s reading Jesus was teaching on this very thing.

 “Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, speak sharp words to him. If he is sorry and turns from his sin, forgive him. 4 What if he sins against you seven times in one day? If he comes to you and says he is sorry and turns from his sin, forgive him.”

5 The followers said to the Lord, ‘Give us more faith.’ 6 The Lord said, ‘If your faith was as a mustard seed, you could say to this tree, ‘Be pulled out of the ground and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.’

7 “What if you owned a servant who was working in the field or taking care of sheep? Would you say to him when he came in from his work, ‘Come and sit down to eat?’ 8 No, instead you would say, ‘Get my supper ready. Dress yourself and care for me until I am through eating and drinking. Then you can eat and drink.’ 9 Does the servant get thanks for doing what he was told to do? I am sure he does not. 10 It is the same with you also. When you do everything you have been told to do, you must say, ‘We are not any special servants. We have done only what we should have done.’” Luke 17:3-10 NLV

Jesus talked to his disciples about forgiveness. They tried to make it a “faith” issue. Jesus quickly refuted that and told them they didn’t need more faith – even a small amount of faith was sufficient to make earth moving changes.

What he did talk to them about was their obedience. Verses 3 through 5 don’t seem to tie together with verses 6 through 10 but read it again and you will see the correlation. Jesus starts in verse 6 telling them their faith is sufficient and then immediately goes into a teaching on obedience, the obedience of a servant.

The disciples, servants of Jesus, are being challenged to obey what the Master has said. Forgive!

Take forgiveness out of the realm of feelings and place it where it belongs – it is an act of obedience. We don’t need to struggle with doing something we are commanded to do. Just obey!

Obey because it’s what the Father has instructed us to do. Obey and know that we have done our duty as a servant of the most high God. We have been forgiven and we are charged with following His lead.

We’ve been forgiven so we are free to forgive!

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Spa Day

Let me share some of my day with you.

I’ve been waiting for yesterday to come. You see I had a very special appointment. For my 70th birthday my family, kids and grandkids, gave me the one thing I asked for – a spa day!

Oh my, I’ve been looking for to it for weeks. Facial, massage, mani/pedi, the works. Believe it or not, I’ve never been pampered like this. I had imagined how wonderful it would be. My appointment was for 11:30, I was there by 11:15.

I walked in and since no one was at reception to meet me I signed in. I sat there patiently for the next 15 minutes. Finally someone came to the reception desk and asked why I was there. I told them I had an 11:30 appointment. Her next words caused my heart to sink, “I don’t have anyone scheduled at 11:30”.

“Surely, there’s a mistake” I said. “I was called yesterday to confirm my appointment”. After this dialogue she assured me that I was in the wrong. I asked if they had another location and she told me there was another location at least 20 minutes away. (I won’t explain how there is another spa with the same name and they are not affiliated but it’s a thing.)

I left there, almost in tears and called the other location to let them know I would be late and explained what happened. The young woman put me on hold and when she came back she told me that I would probably not get my massage, because I was late, but they could do the facial and the mani/pedi.

Big sigh!

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

Now, it was time to pray. Before any of you think this is too petty to pray about your wrong. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing and to pray about everything. I resolved not to be disappointed if I couldn’t get the massage I had been looking forward too and to keep my attitude pure.

“God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. 24 Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right.” Psalm 139:23-24 ERV

When I arrived, the masseuse was at reception. She understood my frustration and said this has happened before. She had looked at her appointments and would be able to fit me in if we rearranged the order of my services.

Thank you Jesus!

What I’ve conveyed this morning is not some deep Biblical truth, it’s simple. The Lord cares about us and all we do. He’s big enough to heal cancer and also concerned about the small things in our life like a delayed spa appointment.

Plain and simple the key to walking with the Lord is trust.

The more we read His word, the more we will realize the many facets of His character and as we grow in knowledge of our heavenly Father our faith will grow also.

Each day walk with Him, trust Him. He’s even concerned about a spa day!

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