Salvation

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RECOVERY OR TRANSISTION

(Psalms 116:15) Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.

I have spent this week fighting a cold.  I‘ve not recovered, but I’m showing signs of recovery.  God has blessed me with a body that can recovery from Illness, and I’m looking forward to a full recovery. There will come a time when I don’t recover.  I like to think of that time as a transition.

When the body can no longer recover, we move from the temporal to the eternal.  Think of God’s perspective.  For God death is a simple transition.  He is with us here in the temporal world, and he is with us in the eternal world.  God never loses us.  For us the death of a loved one is a great loss, yet even for us it is only temporary.  We will all transition.

“There is no recovery from aging,” said my wife in our morning discussion of recovery or transition.  As we are getting older, we can look ahead and see an ending, or we can look forward to a transition into the beginning of eternity.  Jesus showed us the way. All we need to do is follow him.

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HARMONY

(Genesis 1:31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.

Everything in God’s creation was very good.  All of creation was in harmony.  Harmony denotes a flowing togetherness that is continually in sync like a well-practiced choir.  Though the various members sing different notes, they mesh together to produce a beautiful melody.  If one person hits a wrong note, a trained hear will catch it. But what happens if everybody in the choir refuses to follow the sheet music and sings whatever note they want.  Harmony is gone and only noise and chaos persist.  It kind of sounds like our current world.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, all of creation was in harmony.  Man and woman were in harmony with each other and themselves.  They were in harmony with the multitude of animals and creatures God had created as well as with the earth itself.

I believe you would agree that the harmony that once existed has been greatly distorted. 

Jesus taught us to consider others more highly than ourselves, along with many other teachings that would help us promote harmony. Even we who have received the seal of his Holy Spirit find it impossible to maintain harmony.  Jesus came because we are incapable of restoring harmony on our own.    Restoring harmony to all of creation can only be done by our creator.  He’s working on it.  Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplished the most important step. He opened the door for us to be in harmony with our God.

Jesus is coming again, and he will restore harmony to all creation.  The Bible tells us that this will include the ushering in of a new heaven and earth.  God has made it so we can choose to be a part of this new harmonious world by confessing Jesus as Lord and receiving the forgiveness for which he gave his life.

I can’t even comprehend what this new harmonious world will be like, but I really want to be a part of it.

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DEPRESSION

(1 Kings 19:4&5) …He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.  “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.  “Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

Did you ever have an amazingly successful day, and find yourself fighting depression the very next day?  I have, and it reminds me of what happened to Elijah.   He and God had demonstrated to the divided nation of Israel the truth that God is the only God.  He had shown King Ahab and all who had assembled on Mt. Carmel that Baal was not a god.  Then he eliminated the 450 false prophets of Baal.  As a climax, Elijah Prayed to God, and God brought rain to end a three year drought.  Elijah was at the top of his prophetic life, and he was filled with hope that the Northern Kingdom would return to worshiping the true God.

Then the enemy stepped in.  The enemy was manifested in the person of Queen Jezebel who was outraged that he had killed all her prophets of Baal.  She sent Elijah a message saying she was going to kill him before the sun set.  In fear he ran, and wound up under the broom bush very depressed.

The beauty in this story is what God did for his depressed prophet.  He sent an angel with bread and water to care for him.  He sent the angel a second time to provide nourishment, and then send him on a journey.  For forty days and forty nights Elijah traveled until he arrived at Mt. Horeb. He found a cave and sequestered himself.   God continued to provide him with food and water, and when the time was right, God began to speak to Elijah.

First God asked Elijah what he was doing there.  Elijah responded with an inventory of what was going wrong with the Israelites and concluded with, “they are now trying to kill me”.  God didn’t respond to his complaints directly.  What he did was to say, “Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus.  When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.  Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”  (See 1 Kings 19:15&16) Finally, God added, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”  (See verse 18)

God’s response to Elijah’s depressed state was to give him a new set of directions, a plan for retirement, and reassurance that all Israelites were not lost.  God redirected Elijah with a new purpose taking his thoughts off of his perceived dilemma.  

What I derived from this story is that God deals with his children separately and individually. So if you’re at the point of thinking all is lost, stop and seek God for help.  Let God help you to find your bearings.  His method for Elijah was effective for ending his depression.  God can help you because he knows you much better that you know yourself.  When I’m depressed, God tends to change my perspective by showing me another way of see the situation. 

I have learned that when I’m down, trusting God is the way out.  Which leads me to believe that trusting God is the best way out for all of us.

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EASTER, CELEBRATING WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US

(Philippians 2:6-11)  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used for his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, till the time when Jesus died and rose again, God’s plan of redemption was unfolding.  The plan, as far as I can understand it, was to bring about a population of living beings, created in his image, which would be recipients of his love and live forever in his presence.  These living beings are identified as the ones who have chosen to receive the redeeming actions of Jesus on the cross, and they have entered into the resurrected life he gained for them when he rose from the dead.  We are celebrating the climax of God’s plan this Easter weekend.

  On Good Friday, we bend our knees and mournfully weep as we acknowledge the suffering and death that Jesus experienced for us.  Who can comprehend what Jesus, God the Son, suffered when he took on the sins of the whole world?  What we can comprehend is our own sins for which he died.  In humble gratitude, we take time to remember what he went through for us.  He has given us freedom from our sins.  He died that we might live.

Then comes Easter Sunday, joy springs forth, and we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Death has been defeated, and eternal life is given to those who will put their trust in God and receive his offer of eternal life.  No other event on earth bears the weight of this day of celebration. 

As we celebrate God’s plan, we invite those around us to join in; for God’s plan is offered to all who will receive what he has prepared. 

There is a final act in his plan, but he’s waiting for you who have yet to come to him.  Don’t put it off.  The time is now.  Open your heart and seek him.  He promises that if you seek him with all your heart, you will find him.

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GODS TIMING IS PERFECT

(2 Peter 2:5-10) If he (God) did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority…

Those who criticize God for allowing horrible things to happen on the earth are confused.  First, they are confused about whom God is, and secondly, they are confused about what God has planned for those who continue to perpetrate evil and fail to repent.  The flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are two excellent examples of what God will do about the evils of sin perpetrated by us humans.Those who think God should continually intervene might consider what that could mean.

We humans are the center of his creation, yet we fail to comprehend that we belong to him who created us.  This verse reminds us of God’s ownership, (Psalm 24:1) “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”  This verse is the base scripture for godsworldandus.com.  I write about God’s world and those of us who live in it.  What we see happening on the earth is God carrying out his plan for his creation.  He is not unaware.  He knows everything that is occurring moment by moment.  He is continually working toward his ultimate goal, and that goal is to have eternal fellowship with the ones who will respect him and return his love.  He is patiently withholding judgement to allow for all who will embrace his plan of redemption and enter into a loving relationship with him.

God’s timing is perfect.  I state this in full confidence because I know him and love him.  I have great faith in his ability to carry out his plan to the fullness of his desired outcome.

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GOD IS FOR US

(Ephesians 1: 3-5) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Yesterday morning, I got up, got dressed, and drove to the Costco gas station which opens at 6:00am.  I’m trying to retire form the busy mindset of employment. So as soon as I got on the road, I reminded myself that I had no need to hurry. Even in retirement, I still have built into me the American need to rush, take the quickest route, and drive there as fast as I can.  I’ve found that listening to the Christian radio station distracts me from the “I’m in a hurry syndrome”.  On my short trip to get gas, I heard encouraging songs that reminded me of God’s love for me.  This caused me to remember the above Scripture from Ephesians that I had read the day before. 

It is interesting to note from this Scripture that God created the universe with us in mind.  Of all that seems important through the history of man, nothing compares to the purpose for which God created us.  He chose those of us who now love him before he began his creation. So that we, his adopted children, might live eternally as recipients of his fatherly love.

You may ask yourself, “What have I done to deserve such love?”  The answer is: you have accepted his redemptive gift through Jesus Christ his only begotten Son.  In humble repentance, you have received his offer of forgiveness and put yourself, along with billions of others, right in the center of his purpose for his creation.  Nothing else in all the universe compares to this truth.

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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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 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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  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!