What you pawned, I’ll redeem
Can a woman forget her nursing child? Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you.
Isaiah 49:15 God’s Word Translation
My wife and I like to peruse antiques shops. That is a fancy way of saying that we sometimes check out the stuff that other people have thrown out. In a sense, it is trash picking. People may no longer have a use for that old cabinet or a dented metal container. So they pile the broken and abused items into their cars and drop them at a pawn shop, or a mission of some kind. And that is where I show up; looking at each unwanted item and trying to re-imagine its purpose. For you it is an unwanted bottle, but I might see it as a vase for flowers. I remember picking up a broken piece of a dressing table. I turned it into a glass door apothecary cabinet. Sometimes, old trash heaps have the most incredible finds if you are willing to put some of yourself into them, help them become something greater than what they are.
And likewise you may feel broken, dented and abused. You may feel like you are ready for the trash heap. You may not think you have any value or beauty at all. And you may feel discarded… Maybe you feel like the child in today’s Bible verse, abandoned by the one that is supposed to love and care for you. But know that if all others have abandoned you, God would never forget you!
I think that God sort of goes trash picking, looking for valuable finds. He looks at us and re-imagines us, creates a new purpose for us. To the world, we may not be worth much. We may be easily overlooked, but not to God. The world may see us and say, “They will never amount to anything.” But God sees us and thinks, “Mmmm… I can do something with these!” If we allow the Lord to have His way with us, He will make us into something so wonderful, purposeful and magnificent! What they pawned and counted as loss, the Lord will redeem. And He wants to do that for you right now.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Witness to the Truth
Witness to the Truth
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John 18:37 KJV
When I say that I am a Christian, I admit that in the back of my mind there is a preconceived definition at work. You probably have your own idea as to what the word “Christian” means. For many people "Christian" means that one should be good, be kind and generous, which sounds to me like nothing more than good manners. But when I take a peek at Christ from the perspective of scripture, I am forced to see that Jesus ignored social etiquette in order to proclaim the truth. When I think about it, Jesus may not even live up to ‘our’ idea of Christianity… Based on our modern social standards, his manners were reasonably atrocious. He was often incredibly disrespectful of the religious leaders of his time. And, the friends he kept (sinners and prostitutes) would probably never get through the doors of some of today's churches. But in spite of these things, Jesus always proclaimed the truth of his Father.
I think a real and complete declaration of Christ is in a balance of word, thought and deed, not one or the other. And that has nothing to do with being politically correct or following the unwritten rules of respectability. I think that the only way to fully represent Christ and be a witness of the truth is to be consumed with the Gospel (John 2:17), that is, being consumed by God Himself. Then, the words, thoughts and deeds that pour out of us will be befitting of the Jesus we claim.
But truthfully, we believers can not be identified by decorum or appearance; we are believers because we hear and respond in obedience to the voice of Christ. If we speak and live what we hear from the Lord, then maybe that is what makes us His?
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John 18:37 KJV
When I say that I am a Christian, I admit that in the back of my mind there is a preconceived definition at work. You probably have your own idea as to what the word “Christian” means. For many people "Christian" means that one should be good, be kind and generous, which sounds to me like nothing more than good manners. But when I take a peek at Christ from the perspective of scripture, I am forced to see that Jesus ignored social etiquette in order to proclaim the truth. When I think about it, Jesus may not even live up to ‘our’ idea of Christianity… Based on our modern social standards, his manners were reasonably atrocious. He was often incredibly disrespectful of the religious leaders of his time. And, the friends he kept (sinners and prostitutes) would probably never get through the doors of some of today's churches. But in spite of these things, Jesus always proclaimed the truth of his Father.
I think a real and complete declaration of Christ is in a balance of word, thought and deed, not one or the other. And that has nothing to do with being politically correct or following the unwritten rules of respectability. I think that the only way to fully represent Christ and be a witness of the truth is to be consumed with the Gospel (John 2:17), that is, being consumed by God Himself. Then, the words, thoughts and deeds that pour out of us will be befitting of the Jesus we claim.
But truthfully, we believers can not be identified by decorum or appearance; we are believers because we hear and respond in obedience to the voice of Christ. If we speak and live what we hear from the Lord, then maybe that is what makes us His?
Friday, February 14, 2014
The Verdict
The Verdict
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NIV
I know a man that had been dragged to court because of his transgressions. The verdict was undeniable…, guilty. He was sentenced to death. The judge addressed the court, explaining that the law is absolute. “The law” he said, “must always be satisfied in the face of injustice.” Then the judge stepped down from his bench and demanded that the cuffs be removed from the defendant and applied to his own wrists. Then, face to face, he addressed the man and told him, "Remember me." The judge handed the man some papers, "Here, read my love letters. These papers will explain why I am doing this for you. I have also laid out a path for you to follow. I want you to do whatever these letters tell you to do. They will lead you through hard times and the good, but the best is yet to come. I have to go now… You won't see me for quite some time, and then you will see me again because I am making a place for you."
I am the guilty man and Jesus is the righteous judge that took my place. Now that I am liberated from the judgment I deserved, how will I spend my freedom? Will I squander my freedom by depending too heavily on grace instead of good sense and responsibility? Will I abuse the freedom that cost Jesus everything? Or, will I follow God's love letter, listening for His explanation on His words and living them with near reckless abandon? Will I pray for others, love others and forgive others? Will I become salt and light for a tasteless and dark world?
The verdict of the court is that I am guilty. The verdict handed down from the cross is "penalty paid". And the final verdict is that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)! Where else can I go than to Jesus? Only He has the words of eternal life (John 6:68). And because of Christ, I will live in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NIV
I know a man that had been dragged to court because of his transgressions. The verdict was undeniable…, guilty. He was sentenced to death. The judge addressed the court, explaining that the law is absolute. “The law” he said, “must always be satisfied in the face of injustice.” Then the judge stepped down from his bench and demanded that the cuffs be removed from the defendant and applied to his own wrists. Then, face to face, he addressed the man and told him, "Remember me." The judge handed the man some papers, "Here, read my love letters. These papers will explain why I am doing this for you. I have also laid out a path for you to follow. I want you to do whatever these letters tell you to do. They will lead you through hard times and the good, but the best is yet to come. I have to go now… You won't see me for quite some time, and then you will see me again because I am making a place for you."
I am the guilty man and Jesus is the righteous judge that took my place. Now that I am liberated from the judgment I deserved, how will I spend my freedom? Will I squander my freedom by depending too heavily on grace instead of good sense and responsibility? Will I abuse the freedom that cost Jesus everything? Or, will I follow God's love letter, listening for His explanation on His words and living them with near reckless abandon? Will I pray for others, love others and forgive others? Will I become salt and light for a tasteless and dark world?
The verdict of the court is that I am guilty. The verdict handed down from the cross is "penalty paid". And the final verdict is that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)! Where else can I go than to Jesus? Only He has the words of eternal life (John 6:68). And because of Christ, I will live in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
Friday, February 7, 2014
Real Blessing
Real Blessing
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NIV
What do you think “blessing” means? I don't think that "blessing" and "abundance" have ever been entirely about "possessions" or having one’s own way. But far too often blessing has equaled dollars in many believers’ minds, and as far as I can see, that is a serious misunderstanding. If all we had to do were to follow a few simple "blessing" steps, we would all have what we want and we would most certainly be rich and probably spoiled rotten. As it is, many of God's followers are far from any sort of fiscal security but they are richly abundant in the knowledge (and hope) that God will supply all of their needs according to His riches in Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
We live in a world where “he who has the most wins.” But the task of our generation is not to "seek greater things, but to save and preserve our souls out of the chaos, and to realize that our souls are the only thing we can carry as a prize from the burning building.” -Bonhoeffer-
The real blessing isn't in Euros, Dollars or Yen. Real blessing is perseverance, that is, hanging on to what we have in Christ. Our relationship with God will be the only thing of value after the world has ceased to exist.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NIV
What do you think “blessing” means? I don't think that "blessing" and "abundance" have ever been entirely about "possessions" or having one’s own way. But far too often blessing has equaled dollars in many believers’ minds, and as far as I can see, that is a serious misunderstanding. If all we had to do were to follow a few simple "blessing" steps, we would all have what we want and we would most certainly be rich and probably spoiled rotten. As it is, many of God's followers are far from any sort of fiscal security but they are richly abundant in the knowledge (and hope) that God will supply all of their needs according to His riches in Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
We live in a world where “he who has the most wins.” But the task of our generation is not to "seek greater things, but to save and preserve our souls out of the chaos, and to realize that our souls are the only thing we can carry as a prize from the burning building.” -Bonhoeffer-
The real blessing isn't in Euros, Dollars or Yen. Real blessing is perseverance, that is, hanging on to what we have in Christ. Our relationship with God will be the only thing of value after the world has ceased to exist.
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