God Our Father

Consider why every human on earth should honor God and serve him with all their heart, mind and soul. The tragedy is that most will leave this world never recognizing him as their Heavenly Father. They will never be his children. They will never accept the fact of who he is. Why should we become children of God? “God is still the most important, most valuable, most satisfying, and, therefore, most relevant reality in the world.” John Piper

A number of things occur when you become God’s child. A child of God has a place in his heaven. A child of God will live in God’s house forever. A child of God becomes an heir to all that God has. A child of God will become perfect: a perfect mind, a perfect body, perfect knowledge, and perfectly holy. When God’s child leaves this world and goes to heaven he or she will have absolutely no flaws. But even before his child leaves this earth God looks at him and sees the righteousness of Jesus in him. God is proud of his children. I think God says of his child, “That’s my boy. That’s my girl. I am well pleased in them.” Those of us who have believed in the name of Jesus and have trusted in him alone to save us are blessed far beyond what we can possibly understand in this world.

God has rewarded us for choosing to believe in the Jesus, the Light, who was sent to deliver everyone from the curse of darkness. Of course God knew that most would prefer to live in darkness although they were given the opportunity to come to the light. You know, that is very sad. All they need to do is believe in the name of Jesus to become children of God. The gospel message is amazing. I am amazed that God would want me as his child. What about you?

The Contortion of Love

Richard Selzer, surgeon and author, wrote  this touching story about how true love works. He stood in the post op room where a young man waited beside the bed of his wife. The doctor had removed a cancerous tumor from her face. In doing this he had to cut a crucial nerve that had left her face distorted. One side of her face drooped, and her mouth was twisted. She asked her surgeon, “Will my face always be like this?” He replied, “I’m afraid so.” She nodded and turned her face slightly away from her husband. In the dim lamp light of the room her dear husband leaned down, took his hand, and turned her face toward his. “I kind of like it. I think it's cute.” Then he leans forward a little more to kiss her twisted lips. He twists his own mouth to accommodate hers showing her that their kiss still works.

1 John 4:10-11 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Some people are very hard to love, impossible to love, yet, God loves them still. God's love is a mystery that the multitudes can't seem to understand. But all  we need to know is that Jesus gave his all, loving us all no mater who we are or what we've done. His love was demonstrated  on the cross. We see Him there twisting his mouth to accommodate man's real need so that His kiss works perfectly. Unlike the surgeon Jesus takes away the cancer of sin that has distorted our souls. No one understands that, but by faith God's love accomplishes its purpose. God's kiss always works.

Handling Corruption

This is not Breaking News: Our world is corrupt! I know, this is not a pleasant thought for a Monday. But the corruption in our world affects everyone of us. However, there is a way we can escape the corruption which is caused by the evil desires of men. The word of God says that we can have grace and peace in abundance if we devote ourselves to seeking knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. It says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” In this we may participate in

God’s divine nature thus escaping the corruption in the world.

Study the word of God and pray. In this your fear and anxiety concerning the evil in our world will lessen. Peace and grace in your life will increase. Knowing more about Jesus and the precious promises of God will strengthen  and prepare you for anything the world does to you. Remember, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 Christians, we’ve got this! We are winners, overcomers. Don’t let this corrupt world frighten you or get you down.

Other Scripture References: 2 Peter 1

Somethig to Do aWith Love

On the first day of the week a man stood before his congregation and began reading the word of God. When he opened the book to read all of those present stood. As long as he read the people stood and did not sit down until he had finished reading. While the word was being read the people raised their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then at the end of the reading, which had been for 6 hours, they bowed down and worshiped God with their faces to the ground. Great conviction came upon these people, so much so that they were weeping as they listened to the words being read. This day and days that followed turned out to be quite a revival.

Finally, they were told to go and eat lunch. Their leader said, “‘This day is holy to the Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” About three weeks later everyone returned and listened to the word for a quarter of the day and then confessed their sins and worshipped God for another quarter of the day. Before they came back that day they had dealt with their sins by getting rid of everything in their lives that had been against the laws of God. Some of those who had been instructing the Israelites told them, “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

I’m sure most of the people in the world would not go to a service like these two services. “You are crazy if you think I’m going to stand half the day and listen to someone read the Bible”, is the protest we would hear. Yet some of these same people would get up early, drive a hundred miles to a football stadium and sit in freezing snowy weather to watch a game for three or four hours. How many people in the church you attend sit in a padded pew every Sunday and get upset if the service lasts more than an hour? Maybe it is because I am a preacher and once a pastor, but this bothers me. However, there are people in our world that are so hungry for the word of God in their own language and love Jesus so much that they will walk all day and stand for hours to hear the word read. I guess it must have something to do with what a person truly loves.

Ezra, the priest of Israel, was the one who had read the Law of God, and Nehemiah was their leader. Nehemiah 8 and 9

Thank You Lord for Weeds

There were four of them, stair stepping in ages of three, five, seven and nine. They lived three houses over and behind us. Their mother home schooled them so they were always at home. She had taught them well in more ways than their school subjects. These precious little girls were kind, loving, caring, very smart, and they made me laugh. Whenever they saw my dog, Pogo, and me out in our backyard they would come running to see us. They might be in their pajamas, maybe a ballet outfit, or a princess dress, or maybe sporting Harry Potter glasses, and very often the youngest would have on a pair of bright yellow rubber boots that were two or three sizes too big for her. You never knew how they would be dressed. Life was an adventure and a wonder for them.

“Mr. Brady, how are you today? May we play with Pogo? How's Mrs. Brady.” Sherri was going through chemo treatments. The little girls knew she had cancer, and truly worried about her. They always asked about Sherri. They always questioned with great concern if she was going to be okay. I would sit down on the ground with them and we would talk. We talked about Sherri, Pogo, bugs, grass, trees and flowers. Sometimes we discussed the clouds, their different shapes, and sometimes they would tell me something about those clouds, about their science lessons, and amazing things about nature that I didn't know. I really enjoyed their visits, especially during the time when we were so concerned about Sherri's condition. Before they would leave to go home at least one of them would give me something. It might be a rock, a stick, but usually it was a flowering weed of some sort. They would have one for me and another one for Sherri.  “Give this one to Mrs. Brady. We hope she feels a lot better,” one of them would say.

I always thanked them and remarked how lovely their gift was. They would leave just as they had come, and I would take our bouquet of weeds inside to Sherri. We both appreciated the sweet gesture from our small neighbors. I would put that glorious bouquet of weeds in a glass of water because they were given in love and with great concern for my wife. They were presented as a token of beautiful love wrought from the world of the nature that those little girls loved. Yes they were weeds, things I didn't like to have in my yard, but we loved those little girls. Therefore those weeds became our treasures. They made Sherri smile. They made me happy because of the spirit in which they were given. How could something so detestable, and unwanted as weeds become such a source of joy? Because they were always a gift of love! For that Sherri and I were so very Thankful.

The Blind Receive Sight

“How is it that a man born blind is now able to see? How did something like this happen?”

Jesus gave sight to a blind man, and it caused quite a stir. There was much debate concerning this act of healing. Maybe the man was not really blind! Who would do something like this on the sabbath? Would a man from God even think of making mud out of spit on the sabbath and putting it on someone's eyes? Is he a sinner or a prophet or is he crazy?

The people were greatly divided in this matter. The real question was, “Who is Jesus? The debate continues to this day. Jesus continues to cause division.

For a second time the religious leaders summoned this man who had been blind from birth. They said, “Give glory to God by telling the truth.” “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

What a great answer! Those of us who have been redeemed know what this man was saying. There are many things we don't understand about Jesus, about life in general, but one thing we do know is, “I was born blind, but now I see.” We have spiritual sight that those who refuse to believe in Jesus don't have. They look down their noses at us and with their authoritative, condescending voices and say, “How can you believe in this fictional mud makings imposter?”

“How can you believe that one man can be the answer to all the world's problems?”

“What can possibly make you believe that a man could die and be raised from the grave?”

We can look these doubters in the eye and say, “I once was blinded by the sinful ways of this fallen world, but now I know that Jesus has opened my eyes. I know that my Redeemer lives. Because he lives I have eternal life, and I will serve my risen savior forever.”

We have to remember that we are new creatures with Holy Spirit filled hearts. We don't need to get caught up in all of the silly, worthless debating going on in the world today. Christian wipe away the worldly mud from your eyes and let your words and actions reflect the love of Jesus. You were created for a higher purpose. We were given spiritual sight so that the works of God might be displayed in us. Those who are blind to the truth have hardened hearts and cannot understand the things of God. So we must remain faithful to our Lord and show the world who he really is. Pray each day that Jesus will open your eyes to the beauty of his holiness.

Where Love Is

Forget about the vicious display of hate in the world’s political systems. Forget about the utter disdain people have for another’s religious affiliations. Look beyond the racial, sexual, and countless other biases which separate the human race. Instead look into the only heart that you truly know and search to find a love that should control everything you do. Where is it? Where is love? Is it there? What compels your breath to spew out barbs that rip the spirit of another? What moves you to report stories that do nothing but flame the angry fires of those you consider to be your enemies? Can you name the vile rage that has built up deep down in your heart which erupts with a vengeful destructive force?

Years ago on the day three thousand Americans were killed in New York and in Washington DC. I stood before my colleagues where I taught school and I said, “How could anyone have so much hate in their hearts that they would do something so evil as this?” This question came from a man who in anger had turned his back on God. This question was uttered by a man who had for years hated several people who had hurt him. I was a man who showed no love for God, nor did I feel that God loved me. As soon as that question left my mouth I received the answer deep within my hardened heart. I heard it as clearly as if someone sitting beside me had spoken to me. A quiet voice said, “That hate came from the same place that your hate and your anger and your bitterness comes. It comes from the very pit of hell, and it will destroy you as it destroyed those evil men.”

I remember reading a story a long time ago by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy entitled where Love Is, There Is God Also. In this wonderful piece Martin Avdeitch, a poor, lonely shoemaker has lost touch with love and with God because all three of his children and his wife had died. For years he had denied God. One day a missionary told him that he should serve God, not deny him. Martin began reading his Bible. One night he read about a man who invited Jesus into his home, and Jesus accepted his invitation. Martin thought how good it would be if Jesus visited him. He fell asleep and dreamed that Jesus did indeed come to visit. The dream seemed so real that Martian expected Jesus to show up the next day. As he waited and watched out his window Martian noticed on three occasions people who needed help—one cold and hungry, one lonely, and one filled with anger. Martian was moved to help each person. At the end of the day disappointment began to fill his heart because Jesus had not come. That night as Martin wondered why God had not visited him, one at a time each of those he had helped appeared to him from out of a dark corner in his small house. They said, “When you showed love to us, Martin, you were showing love to God.” Martin then realized that God had visited him that day.
“If you do it to the least of these, you have done it unto me.”

No one needs to spend even one second being involved in the hate filled banter that plagues our society. Instead spend those moments doing something good and loving  for others. Be kind, tenderhearted, loving one another, even your enemies. Your anger, your hate and your rage will never change the world for good. These things will only serve to destroy you. When you serve others you will understand, “For God so loved”. When you receive kindness from someone you will know that God loves you. When you make sacrifices to help others you will know in your heart that you do indeed love God.

The Beat of His Heart

In his mother’s womb his heart began to beat. At six weeks into his life evidence of that tiny heart was detected, and two weeks later his mother listened to hear that rapid thump, thump, thump as if he were shouting, “Hello mommy, I’m here!” A vast system of blood vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries had begun to develop in his little body until like a raging river life giving blood flowed it’s journey’s course of an amazing 60,000 miles.

O Lord how wonderful is this your creation! A masterpiece, one of a kind, your precious work is the life you have made! A life in which is found two hearts, one physical, the other spiritual. One heart will cease to beat and will die, the other can live for eternity. In the redeemed spiritual heart, where Christ lives, the heartbeat of Jesus will be heard as his life giving blood flows freely. The power of his blood makes pure this repentant heart. Through his Savior God created a clean heart and renewed his spirit when it went astray.

Silently that new life began without notice to fulfill the marvelous plan of the Father. Only God knew the holy purpose for which that tiny heart, nestled securely in his mother’s womb, was made. A life, this sacred blessing from the Creator, ordained to serve and live to bring glory to his maker must be given every chance to carry out the purpose for which he was created. May we praise God for we were fearfully and wonderfully made. We know full well that your works are wonderful. Psalm 139