Gifts of Love

It's been over a month since my birthday but I have one more story to tell about that day. To look at these cookies one might think, "So what? It's a plate with three cookies on it. Big deal."

Well, that's right. There are three cookies on a plate in this picture. But these aren't just ANY cookies. These are Aunt Mabel's sugar cookies!!

Aunt Mabel is actually my Great Aunt Mabel. She used to work for the railroad and stayed with my grandparents when I was a kid. Her recipe was handed down to my grandmother and then my sister and, now my daughter makes them.

Yes, they're Christmas cookies and my birthday is in March. A daughter's premeditated birthday present for her father. And that brings us to today's topic - gifts of love.

It seems like lot's of people crave expensive gifts. Just look at the car commercials during the Christmas season.

"Oh, honey! You got me a new Range Rover! How sweet."

Gifts from the heart however fall into an entirely different category. The PRICELESS category. My daughter knows me and loves me. You can tell it in the gifts she gives. Surprise gifts of love, like these cookies were, are amazing.

Yesterday evening I was the recipient of another surprise gift. It was a picture sent to me from a former youth group kid. No words. Just the picture. But it was a surprise gift to let me know that I was being thought of. The Lord is SO good!

As a youth leader, there is always a lingering thought - am I really reaching them? Are the words I am speaking having any effect at all? Do these kids know just how much I care about them? Thank you my friend!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35

Dust

Do you remember the story about the woman caught in adultery? She was brought before Jesus by the scribes and the Pharisees, and they asked him this question:

"³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” - John 8:3-5

Jesus then does something very interesting. He kneels down and starts writing in the dirt with his finger. 

"But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger." - John 8:6

What was Jesus writing? The Bible doesn't really tell us here. But, if we search through the scriptures, we can get an idea. Check this out....

"Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water." - Jeremiah 17:13

Could it be that Jesus, by writing on the ground, was fulfilling the prophecy given to Jeremiah 600 years earlier? I think it was! And what was Jesus writing? Jeremiah tells us! "Those who turn away from you," it says. "Those" are the Pharisees and the scribes. And the "you" is Jesus.

The Bible is amazing. It never lies and always speaks the truth. And then there's this from John's Gospel:

“⁷Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there." - John 8:7-9

The Pharisees HAD to know what writing in the dust meant. And they left.

If indeed Jesus was writing down "those who turn away from you" in the dust, could it be that Jesus was writing down the names of those present? Those Pharisees who had turned away from him, in order, by the date of their birth? Wow!

And they all indeed did turn away from him, one by one, until all of them were gone. Amazing!

"For dust you are and to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:19

We are ALL dust . . . without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our names are written in the Book of Life! Not in the dust.

Ups and Downs

"So, how are you doing today?" 🙂

"Well . . ." 🙄

It all depends on the day, right? Life has its ups and downs. We all have our good days and bad. So what can we do to minimize the down days and maximize the ups?

First of all, everyone has bad days. EVERYONE. So accept that fact and then do this: Prepare yourself. How?

Remind yourself. Remind yourself of who you are. And WHOSE you are.

My wife and I were stuck at home on Sunday due to a rather nasty ice storm. So, I decided to listen to a sermon by one of my favorite pastors - Voddie Baucham. There's a link at the end of this story.

What Voddie said was that we often forget just WHO God is. When we remind ourselves of who He is, or more likely, when GOD reminds us who He is, our problems tend to fade away.

When we are feeling good and life is wonderful, we tend to forget the things that God has done for us. Sacrificed His Only Son, forgiven our sins, promised us eternal life with Him in heaven. No more pain, no more death, no more tears. We must remind ourselves of these tnings.

"Remember who is God, what has He done, and what has He promised."

Here's another thing to remember from Voddie: "Christianity is not a test you take and pass. It's your life! It's your breath!"

If we would only remember these things we wouldn't have a problem with ups and downs. Our emotional and spiritual cycles would level out and we can live in the grace that God has extended to us.

Thanks be to God!

This Is Why We Need To Be Reminded - Voddie Baucham

Stay Strong

This past week Facebook posts began appearing about a 12-year old boy in our community who died suddenly and unexpectedly. No cause of death was given, which is unfortunate because we are left to wonder.

"Sudden death" is a term we usually reserve for sporting events, but real-life death is not a game. It wounds the living, and leaves invisible scars on the heart.

There are four things we need to do when we find ourselves faced with death. First, we need to prepare for it. Death IS inevitable, for everyone. How to prepare? I would advise a two-part strategy - read the Bible, and do what it says.

The second thing we need to do is to be strong. God commanded Joshua to "be strong and courageous" when Joshua took over for Moses. God mentioned it 5 or 6 tines. That's good advice. And how do we get strong? We work out - by reading God's Word and not leaning on our own understanding.

"⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

The third thing we should be doing is to pray. It actually should be but our first resort, not last. When we hear of someone's suffering, our immediate response should be to pray.

That brings us to number four and that is to reach out in love. People suffering a loss have been damaged. They need to be loved and comforted. Hugs, tears, and prayers are just what they need. Apply all, liberally.

Jesus told us to build our house (our faith) on the rock (Jesus). We should be a rock to those who are hurting. Remind them of Jesus' truths. Remind them of the hope to be found in Him. Love them unconditionally, and stay strong - for them.

"A wise man built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25

Stay strong my brothers and sisters.

Stay Strong - Newsboys

Leave

Okay. Trivia time. What was the first command that God gave to Abram?

"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." - Genesis 12:1

Other translations use the words 'get out,' 'flee,' 'go from,' and 'get thee out.' You get the idea. God's first command was to leave everything Abram had ever known. God, it seems, had a plan.

We are in a similar situation today. God is still telling us to leave our old self behind and He will lead us to a 'land' He will show us.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.” - John 8:11

Are we following God's command our lives of sin? Uhh . . .

Remember when the angels went to Lots house? They wanted Lot to leave because God was going to destroy the city he was living in. Even when they were fleeing, Lot's wife looked back, and perished for doing so.

Abram followed God's command. It CAN be done. So, why don't we? Lack of faith? Or is it our own comfort? Have we ever felt led by God's Holy Spirit? Then why don't we follow? Good question.

Here's a convicting verse to consider in light of our disobedience.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

It's not too late for us to LEAVE our life of sin and follow Jesus. But one day it will be to late. And that day is quickly approaching. 

Two questions remain for each of us to answer. What are we doing today that God wants us to leave behind? What are we waiting for?

When Tears Fall

There is a silent bond amongst the grieving. It lasts a lifetime, and its common thread is love, woven amongst the hearts of those who have lost a loved one. Here's how it works.

It usually begins with a phone call. It's like there's a vacuum on the other end of the line, sucking our joy and happiness right out through our ear. The conversation ends and there we are. Motionless. Having just lost a part of our heart.

The pain eases over time, but the memories are still there. Those too may fade but then, suddenly, a spark rekindles a memory, and there we are,  missing our loved one all over again.

It's good when those memories return. They remind us to appreciate those that God has given us in this life. Time is fleeting and, sadly, so are our loved ones and the time we get to spend with them.

I am reminded of a verse, as I paused to contemplate the next words for this story. It is about unconditional love and the pureness of a young heart.

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14

It is another of those needed reminders that we who believe are ALL God's children. The text says "do not hinder them" from coming to Jesus.

God knows which "children" are His. He wants nothing to get in the way of us coming to Him. That's because He loves us. The common thread in all of this is love. And the important thing to remember is that we get to spend eternity with those we love, IF they believe. IF their name is written in The Book of Life.

The question remains, "Do they believe?" Knowing a loved one's answer to that question, that they do indeed believe, makes it a whole lot easier when they leave us. That's because it is no longer a 'goodbye,' it's a 'see you later.'

"Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12:15

Problem Solving 101

There is an unfinished jigsaw puzzle waiting in the sunroom right now. It is extremely slow-going and very tedious. The remaining pieces, about 150 of them, are all the same basic color and shape. Yet, progress is being made. How? Basic problem solving.

1. Assess the situation

2. Determine the root cause

3. Create a solution

4. Implement the plan

Upon closer examination there ARE slight differences in the color of the puzzle pieces. Very slight, but they are there. And the brush strokes of the artist are right to left on his painting. Puzzle piece placent attempts just got cut in half . . . or lower!

Examine the facts, come to a conclusion. Either the piece doesn't fit or . . . BINGO!

As we read the Bible it doesn't take long to figure out that God doesn't like sin (Genesis 3). He hates it SO much that anyone who commits a sin faces death - eternity in hell. That's a problem. How do we solve it?

Further examination reveals that God actually does provide a way to get into heaven and have eternal life with Him. His name is Jesus. We must repent of the sins that we have committed and then become a disciple - learning from Him and becoming obedient to His will. BINGO!

WE are the puzzle pieces. You and I. And no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to fit (sin). But God has the ability to re-shape us - His Holy Spirit. He can change the sinful human heart with a word from His mouth. God created the solution to this puzzle called life - Jesus.

All that remains is for us to implement the plan. And there's the snag. Our free will. God has provided, but it's up to us. We need to make a choice.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

"I lift up my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the mader of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

Admit - Believe - Forever Receive

Extrapolation

"There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

⁸And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, "O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?"

⁹And He said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." - Daniel 12:1, 8-9

* * *

It's still dark out, but this time of day is perfect for what we are going to be doing. The security patrols have just gone through, giving us a 30-minute window to get to our destination.

As we hurried down an alley way, we took a right at the old, burned-out Tesla dealership. Then, there it was, an old, abandoned hospital. It was small but it had just what we needed - lead-lined walls in its x-ray room. A safe place from their scanners.

We knocked and there was a muffled response, asking for a password.

"Maranatha," we replied. And the door was opened to us.

Everyone was there, or so we thought. It was good to see everyone again. And then we noticed that Vic was missing - one of the elders of the church.

"Where's Vic," we asked?

"They got him. He was praying for someone downtown at an abortion clinic and they nabbed him."

* * *

Scary, right? It's coming. Think I'm crazy? Read that passage from Daniel again. It's nearer than you might think. The events in that ficticious little story you just read were all taken from today's news headlines.

There were Teslas on the news this week, after being set on fire with Molotov cocktails. Pro-Palestinian protesters are at it again at Trump Tower and our universities. Even Tim Waltz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, was gloating about Tesla stock taking a dive saying, "$225 and dropping." The crowd cheered.

Elon Musk is hated and vilified, despite bringing two astronauts home from space this week. Tesla owners are being doxxed and their cars destroyed. This is a guy building EV's for the Green New Deal people. Now he is hated because he joined with Trump.

Ukraine and Russia are negotiating peace, but there is no peace. Nor is there peace in Gaza where 431 were killed on Tuesday.

Antisemitism is everywhere. It's in our colleges, serving as a breeding ground to grow its numbers, not curb it. And here we sit, checking our NCAA tournament brackets.

"The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“²I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

³I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” - Genesis 12:1-3

I'm not ranting or trying to convince anybody of anything. I'm just saying that things like we are seeing on today's news are prophesied in the Bible. I'm just suggesting that we be ready. The Tribulation period spoken of in God's Word will be nothing like this world has ever seen before. And it's coming.

Let me ask you a question. Would it surprise you at all if the government used the national guard to quell these protests? The did in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention in  Chicago. Why not today?

Prologue / Someday - Chicago

Testimony

There are two very compelling stories in the Book of Matthew. Both surround the crucifixion of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection. The first begins during The Last Supper. Jesus is talking to His disciples.

"Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

³²But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same." - Matthew 26:31-35

Every one of the disciples was so sure that they would never leave Jesus, never deny Him, even though Jesus told them that they would. Let's keep reading.

"⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled." - Matthew 26:55-56

They all said they would never leave Him, then just a few hours later, they all did. Keep that in mind now as you read this. This was how those scattering disciples went to their individual deaths.

Peter - crucified upside down

Andrew - crucified

James (Zebedee) - executed with a sword

John - natural causes

Phillip - executed

Bartholomew - crucified

Thomas - stabbed with spears

Matthew - slain with a halberd (spear/axe)

James (Alpheus) - stoned to death

Thaddaeus - attacked & murdered

Simon - crucified

Matthias - stoned to death

With the exception of John, all these disciples chose death rather than deny Jesus Christ and stop preaching The Gospel. Their dramatic change is their testimony to their salvation.

The second Bible story is one that also shapes beliefs. The story occurs while Jesus hung on the cross. It was His conversation with the thief next to Him that testifies to us. The thief was never baptized, never went to church or confirmation class, never took communion, and never did a single good deed. Not one that we know of. Yet . . .

"Then he (the thief) said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

⁴³Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:42-43

That's it. Pretty simple. It is the testimony of the disciple's actions and the thief's faith,  all coupled with the Holy Spirit of God that has caused us to believe. The question then becomes, "What does MY testimony say?" What about yours?

Do we have that kind of commitment the disciples had after they finally came to believe? Do we have the testimony of the thief in our hearts upon facing his own death?

Do we have a testimony that reflects our Lord and King, and what He means to us?

Green Pastures

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." - Psalm 23:1-2

What comes to mind when you try to picture the green pastures spoken of here? Lush, green fields and an abundance of food to eat? That may not be the case.

While it is true that God provides us with what we need, our opinion of what that provision is often differs from God's.

A shepherd watches over the flock. Shepherds lead their sheep to green pastures where they can eat and they "shall not want" for more.

Sheep like to eat. I'm just guessing, but if a shepherd's sheep were presented with lush, green fields of alfalfa to eat, they would eat until they exploded.

I watched a video this week showing two modern day shepherd girls, leading their sheep through a place that is literally called Green Fields. It appears dry and barren, yet the sheep are eating as the walk through it. What are tgey eating? Grass (pictured above)

As we walk through this life, don't we truly have everything we need? Are we "wanting?" No. God has provided. Remember that gluttony is someting that God hates.

"And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear." - Deuteronomy 21:20-21

But . . .

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6

Our Shepherd gives us everything we need. We "shall not want" means we have all that we need. Let us give thanks and praise to our Good Shepherd, Jesus, who truly provides ALL the things we need.

Green Pastures Explanation

Grace

If LOVE was our currency, would you be rich or poor? Would you be in the poor house? Or would you be a philanthropist, giving love away to all those who have none?

We first experience love, hopefully, when we are born. A nurturing mom comes to mind. A mother breastfeeding her newborn, stroking its cheek, and smiling. So innocent and fresh.

Sadly, there are those who have very little love in their hearts. Something happened to them that sucked the love right out of them. They withdraw from everyone and their hearts become hardened.

What should we do when we encounter the loveless? That's simple.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." - Matthew 5:43-45

We are to love everyone. So, what does our love look like? As Jesus said, "pray for those who persecute you." So, our love begins with prayer. But what do we do after we pray? What do we do when we meet our "enemies" on the street?

Here's another word that goes hand-in-hand with love. GRACE.

If someone we know does not have love or grace in their hearts, then neither do they have the Holy Spirit living in them.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

"One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend." - Proverbs 22:11

And our King is Jesus.

"It is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved." - Acts 15:11

We are just as much in need of God's grace as our "enemies" are. Prayer, love, and grace are what's needed. And then patience.

"Love one another as I have loved you." - John 13:34

The Sanctuary Friend

We've all heard of "sanctuary cities." They are in the news a lot lately. In the present context, they are cities, run mostly by Democratic mayors, where illegal immigrants can go to avoid being deported.

The concept is actually biblical.

"When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, ¹¹select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. ¹²They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly." - Numbers 35:10-12 

However, in the present-day context, the sanctuary city concept actually defies the law in favor of political preference.

Let's abandon this "sanctuary city" thing and shift our focus to personal relationships. We'll call them sanctuary friends. Do you have any of those? I hope so.

Sanctuary friends are those you can talk to openly and freely, without fear of retribution or persecution. They usually have a similar mindset, and you know you are 'safe' speaking with them.

Sanctuary friends are a blessing and are easily labeled as our very best friends. And, in a world filled with anxiety and political rhetoric, it's a good idea to have several of these precious friends on hand.

There is a certain amount of unconditional love involved in sanctuary friendships. There is also trust. These are extremely valuable characteristics.

Is Jesus one of your sanctuary friends? I hope so. He should be at the top of our list. We can talk to Him about anything at any time of day. And unlike our earthly friends, Jesus is always with us.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

May God give you the blessing of having trusted friends who will never leave you or forsake you. But always remember that you are never alone, without the most-trusted friend ever - Jesus.