Category Archives: God’s Promises

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August 4, 2015

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Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Sharing Our Faith

THE GRACE PROJECT – PART 1 (GIVING)

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, which he gave to us in such large measure! [Ephesians 1:6-7 (GNT)]

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Several years ago, the pastor at our Colorado church preached a series on grace. Since God’s grace is both extravagant and unearned, he wanted the community to receive some unmerited gifts from our church as an expression of God’s grace. Anyone who wanted to participate in this demonstration received a ten dollar bill and was asked to use the money in a way that would spread God’s grace and love.

Members of the Spanish congregation made tamales and delivered them to the people vital to the migrant population in the community: the social service workers and volunteers at the food pantry and re-sale shop. When they walked into the offices of the food pantry with their tamales, imagine the surprise when the staff and volunteers realized that someone was bringing them food instead of taking it away! That same joy and surprise was expressed when a wagonload of tamales was pulled into the area social services’ office.

The teen youth group met the challenge by sharing God’s grace with the local police and sheriff’s deputies. Thinking that donuts were too predictable a gift for law enforcement, the teens purchased assorted breath mints and gum and delivered them to the officers. Smiles were shared all around and some of God’s grace was passed along.

One family combined their money and then doubled it with their own donations. Learning of a student who was unable to participate in a field trip because of the expense, they arranged a scholarship for her by finding another donor who would match their funds. A Bible study group knew of a family in need of assistance and decided to prepare and freeze dinners and to give to them. The group then agreed to continue this practice every month for a different family in need. When a church member’s co-worker broke into tears of frustration at work, she gave her the ten dollar grace gift with the instructions to take a break at Starbucks and enjoy a latte and muffin.

The final experiment in passing along God’s grace was when members of the congregation donated money so that free gas could be offered to the community. One Sunday, a special offering of $5,000 was collected. The following Saturday, seventy volunteers manned the pumps at two gas stations. Church members pumped ten dollars of gas into the tank of any car that arrived at the stations. While they were at it, they even washed car windows! There was no catch or hidden agenda to getting the free gas; nobody had to listen to a spiritual message and no religious pamphlets were distributed. The only things shared were smiles, free gas, and God’s love. In fact, when a few cars were still in line after the money ran out, volunteers paid for the last gallons of gas from their own pockets! Over five hundred people received a bit of grace that afternoon!

The point of all this: God’s grace is epic and extravagant; it’s totally unearned and underserved. All we have to do is accept it and then share it.

The secret of life is that all we have and are is a gift of grace to be shared. [Lloyd John Ogilvie]

Since you excel is so many ways – in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us – I want you to excel in this gracious act of giving. [2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)]

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July 31, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Forgiveness, God's Plan, God's Promises, God's Word: The Bible, Obedience, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

NO AMNESTY

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. [Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)]

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Tonight, we’ll experience what’s called a “blue moon,” a somewhat rare occurrence of two full moons in the same month. A few years ago the Chicago Public Library had what they called the “Once in a Blue Moon Amnesty” program. For three weeks, any late fees were waived on all overdue material, no matter how late it was. Apparently, many people prefer keeping their books, magazines and DVDs rather than paying steep fines as a consequence for their late return. The amnesty was offered in hope of getting more than two million dollars’ worth of media back on the shelves. It had been twenty years since the city ran a similar program of reprieve. Avoiding the consequences of our actions, like the Chicago Public Library’s amnesty offer, usually only happens “once in a blue moon!”

David was famous: he was a musician and shepherd, a giant killer and celebrated warrior, a great king and the author of most of the psalms. Nevertheless, he was human and David, like the rest of us, fell into sin. Adultery with Bathsheba was just one of them; he also murdered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah by sending him to his certain death. When David finally confessed his transgressions, the prophet Nathan assured him that they were forgiven. Nathan added that God’s forgiveness didn’t mean David wouldn’t suffer the consequences of his sins: his child by Bathsheba, conceived while she was still married to Uriah, would die. David’s confession and apology to God were not enough to eliminate the consequences of his actions; there was no amnesty for him.

Hopefully, when we wrong others, we confess, apologize and try to make amends. Nevertheless, our confession, someone’s forgiveness, and even restitution won’t free us from consequences. We may still lose respect, a job, a friend or even a marriage. Our actions may lead to a punishment as simple as a traffic ticket or as serious as time in prison. A child may be put in “time out,” a teenager might be grounded and a college student could be put on academic probation. We may receive a poor performance review, not be allowed to participate in an activity, be expelled from school or find a relationship irrevocably destroyed. We could lose money, status or even our family. If we choose to sin, we must be prepared for the consequences of that sin. Amnesty is rarely an option.

We ask God to forgive our sins and he does. We must never forget, however, that God’s promise of forgiveness is not like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card in the game of Monopoly. Neither God’s forgiveness nor the forgiveness of those we’ve wronged will exonerate us from the consequences of our actions in this game of life.

The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. [Hosea 13:16a (NLT)]

But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord. [Ezekiel 4:12 (NLT)]

And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution. [Ezekiel 23:35 (NLT)]

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July 10, 2015

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Bible Stories, God's Promises, Knowing Him, Obedience, Temptation & Sin

WICKEDNESS BRINGS PUNISHMENT

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“The Last Judgment” – Munster Cathedral, Bern, Switzerland


Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. [Exodus 43:6-7 (NLT)]

If asked to draw a picture of God, many would probably draw a pleasant old gentleman with a gentle smile. Looking a bit like Santa Claus, he’d be dressed in a long white robe instead of a fur-trimmed red coat and hat. This kind-looking grandfatherly man would be seated on a throne with several little children in his lap. Reading the Old Testament, however, makes one rethink this picture. While we meet a loving and forgiving God, we also encounter a judgmental and destructive God: a God who sends plagues to his people, destroys whole towns, and sends his people into slavery. This is not the “warm and fuzzy” God about whom we want to think. He’s certainly not the good-natured God of my Sunday school classes.

It certainly is more comforting for us to think of God as loving and merciful and, indeed, He is. But, as the Old Testament reminds us and the New Testament warns us, God can get angry with his people. He hates sin and he is ready to hand out punishment to those who defy him. Fortunately, we also have a loving and forgiving Heavenly Father who hasn’t lost faith in his children. He saved Noah and his family from the flood. He rescued Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He saved Jonah from the whale after Jonah said he’d obey God’s directions. After telling Nineveh they would be destroyed in forty days, God relented when they repented their sinful ways. After punishing the Israelites for their disobedience, God finally led them to the Promised Land. Later, He rescued them from their exile in Babylon. Although we continually disappoint God with our disobedience, He mercifully gave us his only son as a sacrifice for our sins.

The righteous character of God includes both his anger and judgment along with his love and mercy. It is not enough to read and hear only God’s comforting words. We must remember that His justice goes hand in hand with His love.

Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him. I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken! [Jeremiah 2:19 (NLT)]

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June 27, 2015

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Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Prayer, Trusting God

PRAY AS IF YOU BELIEVE

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Praying Mantis


Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. [Psalm 5:3 (NLT)]

Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! [John 14:14 (NLT)]

I never wrote a Christmas or birthday present wish list as a child; I was taught that it is impolite to ask for gifts. When I was first married, I remember being somewhat disappointed at the gifts my husband chose for me because he hadn’t selected whatever it was that I’d hoped to receive. Yet how was he to know? I foolishly thought that if he truly loved me he would automatically know what was on my unexpressed wish list. After a few disappointing holidays, I realized that I had to speak up and make my feelings known. Good man that he is, he hasn’t let me down since!

If I can express my wishes to my husband, why do I have so much trouble asking God for what I want? Am I afraid He won’t or can’t answer? The more critical the problem or greater the need, the less likely I am to pray as if He can deliver. When praying for other people’s needs, I can be pretty specific, but when praying for my own needs I often pray a somewhat generic prayer of, “Thy will be done,” without ever expressing my fervent hopes for healing or help. It’s as if I don’t trust God enough to ask for anything that specific. This, however, is the God who created the heavens and earth, parted the Red Sea, made the sun stand still, restored lepers to health, gave sight to the blind, and brought Lazarus back to life. I shouldn’t be afraid to ask God for anything, always understanding that my hopes may not be His will. I should, however, have the faith to ask Him anyway.

Father in Heaven, give me faith; help me overcome my unbelief!

“Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” [Mark 9:22-24 (NLT)]

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June 26, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Wisdom & Guidance, Worry

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. [Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)]

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Our land rover stopped as the bull elephant approached. He paraded around in all of his elephant magnificence and, perhaps thinking we were a cow elephant, he even fully displayed his manhood. Although our cameras were clicking away, apparently that was not the response he desired. After circling us several times, he turned his back to us, raised his tail, and did what elephants do in the grass of the Serengeti! While we held our noses and looked in dismay at the enormous pile in the road, he lumbered away.

Elephants in the Serengeti don’t like to be ignored and neither do elephants in the living rooms of our lives. There’s an elephant sitting in the room whenever an obvious but unpleasant truth is being disregarded or going unaddressed. There have been several elephants in my life that I thought could be ignored. “If I pay no attention to it,” I thought, “maybe, it will just go away.” Problems, however, like elephants, don’t take being ignored lightly. If we disregard them in the living room, they’ll just stomp around the bedroom at night and keep us awake; they may even follow us to work or visit other family members. Ignored elephants will leave a big pile of stink behind them and unheeded problems do the same thing. Paying no attention to a problem doesn’t make it disappear; it just gets bigger, messier and harder to clean up.

We shouldn’t ignore the elephants in our lives; we need to give them to God in prayer and look to His word for guidance. In answer to our prayers, however, God will probably hand us a shovel and tell us to get to work scooping up the mess. It’s often an unpleasant and difficult task, but it can be done. With God’s guidance, I’ve managed to clean up the assorted stinky piles the elephants in my life created. The task, however, would have been far easier if I had just properly acknowledged the problems when they first appeared and given them the attention they originally demanded.

Impossible situations can become possible miracles. [Robert H. Schuller]

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” [Psalm 91:14-16 (MSG)]

 

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June 13, 2015

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Bible Stories, God's Promises, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Trusting God

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

“Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. … Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” [Luke 9:3,23 (NLT         

Our Lady Cathedral, AntwerpVarious other translations of these verses from Luke say the follower of Christ is to “stop thinking about,” “lose sight of,” “deny,” or “disown” himself and give up his interests and the things he wants. Many translations are far less poetic when mentioning the taking up of one’s cross. The Expanded Bible, for instance, say followers must “be willing to give up their lives” and the Complete Jewish Bible bluntly refers to the cross as an “execution-stake.” It’s bad enough that Jesus told us to take nothing when we follow him. He then tells us that we won’t be staying at the Hilton nor having room service. In fact, there might not even be a bed at the Motel 6 with coffee and stale rolls in the morning. Moreover, since we’re to deny ourselves the things we want, there may be no bed at all and it’s quite possible we’ll go hungry. We have to learn to rely on God rather than ourselves. Finally, there’s that that whole “taking up the cross” thing meaning a loss of one’s life-style or, even worse, the possible loss of one’s life! It seems to me that Jesus needed to consult with a better advertising agency if He was going to get followers. There would be plenty of Christians if He, like most politicians, offered us a care-free life, one of effortless comfort and ease, instead of telling us how difficult it would be. Jesus, however, laid it all on the line. A follower of Christ must rely on God’s provision, not his own; God-dependence must replace independence and obedience must replace self-determination. Long-standing habits, desires and attitudes must be renounced and the old self crucified so we can be made new in Christ. Our old lives have to be left behind if we’re going to journey with Jesus. Indeed, his early followers and even some Christians today face the actual loss of life for their belief. Jesus certainly didn’t make Christianity sound very easy. Why would anyone follow him? Then again, when we consider the benefits, why would anyone not?

 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Luke 9:24 (NLT

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2:20 (NLT)]