Jesus

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THE VALUE OF FORGIVING AND LOVING YOURSELF

(Matthew 16:14) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also for give you.

(Matthew 19:19) Honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.

In my post last week, I mention the freeing experience of forgiving yourself for the sins that God has already forgiven.  Once you’ve embraced God’s forgiveness, you are freed to truly love yourself.  This is vital for carrying out the commands Jesus gave us: to forgive one another and to love one another.  If you haven’t accepted God’s forgiveness for yourself, how can you forgive others? If you don’t love yourself, then your ability to love your neighbor as yourself is obviously hindered.

I’m not encouraging narcissism.  I am encouraging the humble acceptance of the forgiveness that Jesus made possible for us.  I am also emphasizing the freeing awareness that God loves us and has renewed us.  We are new creatures in Christ.  We are God’s children who have been given a fresh start.  We can love ourselves with the full recognition that God’s love for us made it possible. 

When I was lost in my sins, filled with pride and arrogance, I relied on the false ideas and deceptions of this fallen world to judge my self-worth.  When I finally came to the end of myself, I cried out to God to save me.  Now I have a completely different view of myself. I am a redeemed sinner – fully depended on God my savior.  There is no bondage in this new way of seeing myself.  There is actually great freedom.  I can love myself because God first loved me.

There is true value in forgiving and loving yourself.  We can be effective examples of what it is like to be a child of God.  Through the power of his Spirit living within us, we can reflect God’s love for his created beings.  Best of all, we can be content knowing we don’t have to strive to feel worthy.  Our worth is in God our Father. 

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YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN

(Psalm 103:8-12) The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

When Jesus’ work of taking on the sins of the world was finished, he ascended into heaven.  I like to think that he left behind a vacuum that draws away our sins.  This vacuum is available for all those who receive him as their savior.  This vacuum takes our sins from us and sends them to the place of forgotten.  Unfortunately, through pride and inability to accept this forgiveness, we hold on to certain of our sins.

I speak from experience when I address this subject.  Nothing good comes from holding on to already forgiven sins.  Going back and fixing those sins is only possible in the imagination.  I definitely would change things if it were possible, but holding on to sins only kept me from experiencing the freedom for which Jesus paid such high price. Jesus paid for all sins no matter how egregious.

So, I humbled myself and surrendered those sins to my savior.  It took some time, but eventually I was able to receive the forgiveness God had afforded me.  The value of this struggle with accepting forgiveness brought me closer to my Savior and improved my understanding of his love for me.  It was worth the effort because I learned to forgive myself.  Forgiving yourself is a humbling experience that leads to realizing freedom in Jesus.

If you are in this situation, my advice is to let that vacuum finish removing your sins.  The damage your former sins caused is done.  You can’t fix the past.  Don’t let pride keep you from accepting forgiveness. God has forgiven and forgotten all our sins.  It is alright to live in the freedom Jesus bought for you.

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DO NOT LOSE HEART

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

In these verses, the Apostle Paul is reassuring us so that we might be encouraged to stay the course of our lives.  Look at your body.  It is aging.  If you are young it’s not so concerning, but at my age wasting away is a good analogy.  Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit is constantly at work within us renewing our souls and preparing us for eternity. 

Our troubles are sometimes overwhelming, yet compared to what they are achieving for us, they are light.  I don’t understand how our troubles in this life achieve eternal glory, or what our eternal glory is exactly.  This is where we trust in faith the one who is establishing eternal glory for us.  “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.”

Paul reminds us that our troubles are momentary. Compared to eternity, the time of this life is quite short.  Our troubles will not last forever.  Even here and now, we have a great advantage.  We can take our troubles to our Heavenly Father.  He will help us through whatever comes our way.  Troubles come and go; Our Father is always with us.

“Therefore we do not lose heart.”  Paul was simply reminding us of what Jesus said to his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”  So we stand encouraged dear friends, remembering, “…What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

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 WHEN THE TIME HAS FULLY COME

(Galatians 4:4-5) But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

I have always been fascinated by the idea that God has a plan. This quote from Galatians 4:4, “But when the set time had fully come…” tells us that the timing of Jesus’ birth was planned.  Even today, in the midst of our daily life, God’s plan is unfolding. 

From the Christmas story, found in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, we can read the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah. As you may recall, they were the parents of John the Baptist.  Zechariah was a priest; he and his wife Elizabeth were upright in the sight of God, yet they had been unable to have children.   In their daily life, they were faithful and trusted in God.  They desired to have a child, but they did not abandon God for his seeming failure to answer their prayers, even though they were both well along in years.

One day, at the appointed time, when Zechariah was ministering before the altar, an angel of the Lord appeared to him.  The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John…” 

Have you prayed for something and thought that your prayer wasn’t heard?  Maybe, it just wasn’t the right time.  God has a plan that he is working out through history.  We only have a broad, very general insight into his plan, yet each of God’s children has a part in his plan. We are usually unaware of how we fit into his plan.  We just patiently trust in his infinite wisdom.  Don’t lose heart; stay faithful.  In faith we trust that God will complete his plan, and our part will happen as it should when the time has fully come.

Happy New Year!

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THE RIGHT GLUE

  (Jesus prays for us in John 17:26) “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

(John 15:17) This is my command: love each other.

 As a woodworker, I have found that when connecting pieces of wood together, the glue is important.  Screws and nails can be removed, but the right glue never lets go.  Selecting the right glue then, is important.

When people get together, there is only one glue that produces a permanent bond.  That glue is Love.  Jesus prays that the love that bonds him and the Father would be the love that joins us to them.  Now that’s the right glue.  Our permanent bond with our God is love.  God first loved us that we might return that love to him.  The love that Jesus brought into the world can now make a strong connection between us and our creator.

The bonding qualities of love grow stronger over time to the point that love overflow to others.  In other words, sharing love with God gives us the ability to follow Jesus’ command to love each other.  I’m encouraged to keep this in mind as our Christmas Celebration continues, first to worship and commune with my Heavenly Father building a stronger love connection, and then to share that love with others.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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  CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

With the advent of Christmas, we celebrate the greatest event that ever happened on the earth:  God entering time and taking on human flesh.  He spent time as one of us.  He walked beside us, and with his eventual death and resurrection, brought new and eternal life for all who would receive him.  This is worthy of celebration.  No other event on earth has stirred the hearts of men to such joyous celebration.  People all-over the earth celebrate this wondrous occasion.

Our Joining in celebration helps us to focus on something bigger than our individual lives; something more real than the temporal.  Celebration sets a mood of happiness and oneness.  I remember singing in a community choir.  The usual human difficulties were present during rehearsals, but when the performance came, we were a unit of celebration.  Our hearts were lifted.  We experienced a oneness of joy and delight.

God delights when we enter into celebration.  The angels celebrated that first night when Jesus was born, and we have ever since celebrated with them.  Let us continue the celebration of Jesus’ birth and the wonder of God’s plan for our salvation begun that glorious night.

                   A promise has been fulfilled.

                   A reclamation for all the earth

                   A virgin has brought forth child.

                   A most miraculous birth

                   A prophesy from ancient times

                   A hope that’s now achieved.

                   A salvation to be realized

                   A redemption for Adam’s seed.

God bless you and have a Merry Christmas celebration!

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MINISTRY – FOR GOD OR WITH GOD

(Matthew 11:28-30) Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

(John 15:5) I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

People often ask, “What are you doing for God?”  Perhaps the proper response to this question would be, “Do you mean what am I doing with God?”  Doing something for God puts us in charge, and the full wait is then on our shoulders.  We like to be in charge, but that’s not how it works with God.  He gives us a ministry and leads us through the daily fulfilling of that ministry.  He doesn’t expect us to do it on our own.  John reminds us that Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Months ago one of my beloved granddaughters and her fiancé came to me and asked if I would perform their wedding ceremony.  I was honored by their request and delighted to do it.  However, as the day approached, the weight of performing this wedding ceremony began to weigh heavy on my shoulders.  The importance of the marriage ceremony, and its significance in this young couple’s life loomed heavily before me.  I became overly stressed.  It wasn’t until the wedding day came that, through desperate prayer, I finally realized that Jesus and I would be doing this together.  Oh, how this lightened the load.  Jesus and I did a fine job, and the ceremony went well.

Looking back, I recognize how I had let the responsibility of the task almost steel the joy of the moment.  Jesus had to rescue me, again.  You’d think I’d learn.  There is unmeasurable value in the words of Jesus.  This is a truth I know so well, yet I can all too easily forget this in the process of daily life. 

So, I am again reminded that whatever the task we face, Jesus is right beside us; we are yoked together, sharing the load, doing it with God.

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THE UNSEARCHABLE MIND OF GOD

(Romans 11:33-36) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?  For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.

As we read this statement made by the Apostle Paul, we are given the opportunity to stand in awe of the God we serve, and to recognize how far he surpasses our understanding.  Paul gives us a clear perception of our God.  

When I address God in prayer, I sometimes think I’m being too familiar.  I know God wants to be personal with his children, yet I’m talking to the creator of the universe.  This passage helps me to gain a better perspective and be in a more reverent place as I speak to God.

When people say things like, “why did God let this happen to me?”  I have only one answer, “I don’t know”.  Who can explain all that God does, or what God allows?  The scriptures lead us to know that he has an overall plan to bring about an eternal kingdom for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.  How the individual events of our lives are part of this is unknown to us. Only God knows.  His ways are not our ways. 

What God is doing far exceeds our ability to understand.  We surrender our way of thinking to his infinite wisdom and knowledge.  In some ways this is comforting.  Who would want to serve a god who didn’t know more than they themselves?  Our comfort rests in our faith – faith that trusts in his love for us.    To him be the glory forever!

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LIGHT

(Genesis 1:1-4)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

The first thing God brought to the earth was light.  Light, as the scientists tell us, is a combination of waves of energy and particles called photons.  This combination of energy waves and particles is still somewhat of a mystery.  God, who spoke light into existence, could easily explain it, but science is still working on it.

The word light is used 232 times across both the old and new testaments.  It is used to describe illumination and metaphorically to contrast with the darkness in our souls.  In 1 Timothy 6:16 we are told that God lives in unapproachable light.  The Apostle Paul was called to be a light to the non-Jewish gentiles (Acts 13:47), and we, God’s children, are called to be a light to those around us, and collectively we are called to be light to the world (Matthew 5:15&16).

The Apostle John in the first chapter of his gospel uses the idea of light to describe Jesus’ advent as the light sent to bring light to the world.  (John 1:4&5) In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  Jesus brought us life and clarity by shining light on sin, and then he died that we might have the victory over sin and no longer live in darkness.

(Revelation 22:5)  There will be no more night.  They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.  And they will reign for ever and ever.

 In the beginning light was given, and at the conclusion of the first creation, we will move on to the new heaven and new earth and live in God’s eternal light forever.  The darkness will be gone.  Our future will always be filled with light.   

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FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT

(1 John 4:15&16) If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

The Bible tells us why we are here and how we came about.  God created us.  God is presented to us in the scriptures as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God with three aspects or parts.  God created the entire physical realm in which we exist.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and omnipresent.  We are the crown of His creation, given charge to take care of the earth.  Yet, how do we relate to this amazing being.  

As Father, God takes on the position of authority.  He is the head.  He is our provider and protector.  God the Father is who we look to for help in our time of need.  With love and mercy, He corrects us and turns us to the right path.  Sometimes, He allows the consequences of our choices to teach us.  He is the perfect father.  The scriptures point out that God is slow to anger and abounding in love.  I’m glad that my Father has these two attributes. 

God the son came to earth and became one of us.  He walked through this life as we do.  He taught us many lessons to show us how we should live.  He lived as we live and suffered as we suffer.  The Son was given the name Jesus meaning God saves, and He did just that.  He gave his life to redeem us.  Through his death and resurrection, he purchased for us eternal life.  Jesus is our oldest brother, and He loves us. He is now in heaven interceding for us.

The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, indwells those of us who have believed in Jesus and accepted his redemption.  The Holy Spirit lives within us and counsels us, teaches us, and leads us in righteousness.  The fact that the Holy Spirit lives in us amazes me.  No other relationship is more personal.

I believe God has shown us exactly how He wants us to relate to him Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I think God is more complex than the three aspects he shares with us, but these aspects present the most personal interaction we can understand.  He takes care of us as our Father, loves us as our Brother, and through the Holy Spirit connects with us on a deep spiritual level.  God created us to love us.   His underlying characteristic is love.