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December 15, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Salvation: A New You

SAVED

The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. [John 6:18-20 (ESV)]

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. [Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)]

Lifeguard rescue boat
Several months ago, two young men were fishing from shore at a nearby Florida beach. Seeing a sandbar further out and thinking better fishing might be found there, they swam out to it. Unfamiliar with the ocean, they hadn’t taken into account the rising tide. When they arrived at the sandbar, they found it to be ten feet under water. With no way to stand and rest, the exhausted men panicked and started to swim back to shore. One managed to save himself but the other young man couldn’t and drowned.

If a lifeguard had been present, perhaps this story would have had a better ending. Our southwest Florida beaches, however, have no lifeguards. Although onlookers did their best to find the man in the murky water, they were unsuccessful.

When encountering difficulty in the rough seas of life, sometimes we can save ourselves and sometimes we can’t. When it comes to our final salvation, however, no matter how good we can swim, there is no way we can save ourselves. Fortunately, we have a lifeguard on duty at all times, one who can walk on water, and He is the only one who can truly save us. He offers us the only salvation we really need—all we need to do is believe in Him.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. [Acts 4:12 (ESV)]

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. [Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)]

 

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December 11, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Joy, Peace of God, Today: Make it Count

HOLIDAY TIME

He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!” [Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)]

christmas starThe countdown has begun and it’s just two weeks until Christmas. At this point in December, we’ve probably made ourselves and our families crazy while preparing for this wonderful holiday. The word “holiday,” however, doesn’t come from “holler-day” as in holler at your family because you’re over-booked or over-drawn, nor does it come from “hollow-day” as in feeling drained and exhausted. A holiday is not supposed to be a “horrible-day” either! The word “holiday” actually comes from the words “holy” and “day.” Its original Old English meanings were “religious festival” and “day of recreation.”

As we prepare for the upcoming holiday, we want to remember to keep the day “religious” which means keeping Christ in our Christmas festivities. But what about that other meaning of the word holiday: a “day of recreation”? Perhaps it’s time to stop the madness and do some refreshing and recreating. Try taking a break from all the holiday prep and listen, truly listen, to the beautiful music of the Christmas season. Ponder the words, “joy to the world” or “tidings of comfort and joy” and let them fill your heart. Sing along with the carols’ words and let the hallelujahs, glorias, and fa-la-la-la-las echo throughout the house. (FYI: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and “Santa Baby” are not Christmas carols!) Put your feet up and read some Christmas stories or poems—the first two chapters of Luke are a great place to start. Perhaps you’d prefer O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, Max Lucado’s The Christmas Candle or even The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! Watch a holiday movie, drink a cup of cocoa with marshmallows, sit quietly by the fire, or make a list of things for which you’re thankful instead of things you need to do or want to purchase. You’ve probably spent hours decorating the house but have you paused to enjoy the decorations or think of what they represent? Notice the star on the top of your tree and imagine the magnificence of the star of Bethlehem. Take the time to look at your nativity scene and think about the people depicted in it. Remember the purpose of all this holiday hubbub: the celebration of Christ’s birth. The Jews were told by Isaiah to clear the way for the Lord. Have we cleared the way for His presence in our hearts, not just during the holiday season, but all year long?

Father, as we busy ourselves with preparations to celebrate Christmas, keep our hearts and minds focused on the real meaning of this holiday—the loving gifts of salvation, forgiveness and restoration brought to us by the Christ child.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. [Dr. Seuss]

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken! [Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT)]

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December 10, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Holy Spirit, Peace of God, Salvation: A New You, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Temptation & Sin

CLEAN THOUGHTS

Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. … Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. … Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. [Psalm 51:2,7,10-11 (NLT)]

tropical water lily There’s a shampoo that claims, “I’m so good, I put clean thoughts in your head.” A nice idea and, if a shampoo could do that, the world would be a better place. Our heads often become filled with mind grime: worry, fear, anger, ingratitude, bitterness, envy, guilt and anxiety. That kind of dirt, while not as obvious as poor hygiene, is far worse than dirty hair. Unfortunately, no matter how you combine berry and tea extracts with orange flowers, the concoction can’t clean out the gunk that can fill our minds. There are, however, ways to put clean thoughts in our heads by availing ourselves of the Holy Spirit, prayer and scripture.

When our minds become filled with negative or troubling thoughts, we need to take a long shower with the Lord; better yet, soak in His tub and immerse ourselves in His word. Our thoughts will be cleansed with prayer, our souls reconditioned by God’s words, and the Holy Spirit will fill us with His light. We truly will emerge from that bath feeling refreshed and clean.

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!
[Are You Washed in the Blood? (Elisha A. Hoffman)]

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. [Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT)]

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [1 John 1:7-9 (NLT)]

 

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December 2, 2015

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God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, God's Promises, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You

ONLY ONE WAY

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6 (NLT)]

Santa Rose de Lima-Abiqui NMWhen my children were young, they sometimes balked at trying a new food that I’d prepared. After pointing out that, while I was short and could cook, I was not a short-order cook, I always offered them a simple choice: some or none. God gives us the same options regarding His son Jesus Christ: take him or leave him! Just as I didn’t offer my children a different entree, God doesn’t offer us any alternatives for salvation.

When Jesus said, “I am the way,” he was pretty clear on our lack of options. He didn’t say, “I am one of the ways.” He is the only way. He didn’t say there were several means to come to the Father; there was only one—and that was through Him. It’s not only an offer that can’t be modified, but it’s also an offer than no one else could ever make.

Moreover, there is nothing that we can substitute for belief. We can’t buy or bribe or our way into heaven. Being famous or even especially kind or generous won’t do it. Jesus is the way and he makes it abundantly clear that he is the one and only way. We must take His path and follow in His footsteps. He is the truth and the reality of God’s promises. He is the life and only with him will we have eternal life.

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. [1 John 5:12 (NLT)]

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. [Ephesians 2:18 (NLT)]

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November 25, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Word: The Bible, Peace of God, Trusting God

STORM WARNING

Bryce, Utah
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away. [Isaiah 28:16-17 (NLT)]

For the last two months, I’ve watched a heap of lumber at a nearby intersection transform into an enormous three-story “retirement resort.” Made entirely of wood, I can’t help but think about the Big Bad Wolf. You remember him—the fellow who huffed and puffed and blew down the Three Little Pigs’ homes until he got to the one made of bricks.

Here in southwest Florida, there are no wolves at our doors but we do get our fair share of huffing and puffing from tropical storms and hurricanes. Just because it’s been ten years since Wilma hit here doesn’t mean we’re not going to encounter another hurricane. In fact, some weathermen say we’re three years overdue for one. While nothing is actually hurricane proof, things can be pretty darn hurricane resistant. With proper design and construction, damage from storms can be greatly reduced. Our home, for example, is made of poured concrete and has hurricane straps anchoring its roof to the building.

Hurricanes aren’t the only threat to homes here. There’s a high risk of termite infestation and that building looks like a huge buffet for those hungry pests. Wood rot and mold in our hot and humid climate also jeopardize wood structures, not to mention the danger of fire. I’m sure the resort’s landscaping will be attractive, the interior design lovely, and stucco will be applied to the exterior. Nevertheless, while it may look well-built and beautiful on the surface, it will still be nothing more than an attractive pile of sticks. It might be able to withstand a tropical storm, like Fay with her 55 mph winds, but I doubt there will be much left if a relative of Wilma’s with her 125 mph winds returns (or if a family of termites take up residence).

What a building looks like on the surface is nowhere near are important as what it’s made of and who constructed it. That goes for people, as well; we need a solid base made by a good builder. Sooner or later one of life’s storms will come along to shake our lives. Without a firm foundation in God, without a life built on His word, without Jesus as our cornerstone, we’re not going to be able to stand strong against the tempests of life. We might make it through one of life’s cloudbursts like unemployment, but add debt, disease, or a death and you have the makings of a hurricane. Just as mold and termites threaten a poorly built home, infidelity, addiction or depression can gradually destroy a family. A life that isn’t built by God is vulnerable to attack on all sides. We’re not hurricane-proof—believer and non-believer alike will encounter major storms—but they don’t have to blow our lives apart. If God has been the architect and builder of our lives, we have nothing to fear. With Jesus as our cornerstone, we’ll be hurricane resistant and still be standing when the tempest has passed.

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. [Psalm 127:1a (NLT)]

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. [Ephesians 2:23 (NLT)]

 

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November 24, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Obedience, Trusting God

A CHANGE IN PLANS

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” … Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [Genesis 12:1, Romans 4:20-21 (NLT)]

laughing gull - VB780webThis morning’ s news reported a federal grand jury’s indictment of a Utah man for making a bomb threat against a hospital last September. The false threat led to the hospital being evacuated and locked down for several hours. The man had nothing to do with ISIS or any terrorist group; he just made the threat to disrupt the hospital’s operations enough to cause the postponement of his wife’s scheduled C-section that day. He was in Idaho at the time and wanted the procedure delayed so that he could be present for the baby’s birth. Now, facing up to ten years in prison, it may be quite a while before he gets to enjoy that child.

While life rarely goes according to our plans, most of us don’t resort to bomb threats. Consider Mary—she was a carefree young girl busy with wedding plans when an angel interrupted her life with the message that, in spite of her virginity, she would have a baby. That certainly put a damper on the wedding plans and her relationship with Joseph. What about Noah—the farmer turned shipbuilder? Constructing an arc on the back forty and gathering a boatload of animals certainly interrupted his family’s comfortable life. Things were going well in Ur when Abraham and Sarah were told by God to pull up stakes and move miles away to an unknown place. Certainly Hosea wouldn’t have deliberately chosen a wife knowing she would be unfaithful to him, but that’s what God told him to do. Elizabeth and Zechariah had resigned themselves to being childless when she became pregnant. While a blessing, it had to be a challenge for the elderly couple—diapers and midnight feedings instead of quiet afternoons in the sun. Elisha was a farmer with a team of oxen, Isaiah a scribe, and Amos a shepherd; they hadn’t attended prophet school, but that’s what God called them to be. Andrew, Peter, James and John were fisherman and Matthew collected taxes; they all had careers when Jesus interrupted their lives and turned them into disciples. Paul, the Pharisee tent-maker, was on a mission when blinded on the road to Damascus and the persecutor of Christians became a preacher for Christ. None of these people asked God for a life change; it was God who called to them and God never asked any of them if it was a convenient time.

The Utah man who made the bomb threat apparently missed the important life lesson that the world does not revolve around us. But then again, while our behavior isn’t as extreme as his, we all have difficulty accepting that fact at times. God, however, has an uncanny way of reminding us who’s really in charge. One look at the lives of family and friends tells me that God continues his holy interruptions. Blessings, difficulties, challenges and assignments do not arrive according to our time schedules. God’s plan is not written for our convenience and we can’t call in a bomb threat whenever we don’t like His timing. Instead of God accommodating us, we are to accommodate Him and follow His plan, not ours. It may not be convenient or even what we wanted and we may feel ill-prepared or overwhelmed but, like those faithful people before us, we have to trust God and say, “Here I am, Lord!”

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” [Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)]

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Luke 1:38 (NLT)]

So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. [Genesis 6:22 (NLT)]