Salvation

A Summons To Appear

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SummonsToAppear (1)There’s an interesting piece of conversation in I Chronicles 28 between God and Solomon that occurs after the rule and reign of King David.  At the start of Solomon’s reign, God set some standards to help guide the new king: “The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”

Is That With an “E” or an “I?”

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vowels-of-leadershipThe question of the title is a focus on the difference between complement and compliment.  Even though the difference between the spellings of the two words is nothing more than a single vowel, there is a significant difference in their meaning:

  • A complement completes, enhances, or perfects.
  • A compliment is the expression of praise, admiration, or in some cases it is used in regard to a free gift.

Both words offer an appropriate expression of your relationship with Jesus:

  • Because salvation is a free gift to you from God, Jesus is a compliment: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).”
  • Salvation is also the complement through which He completes, enhances, and perfects you: “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10).”

As you start your week, I encourage you do so with a spirit of thanksgiving for the manner in which God has complimented you and continues to complement you.

A Mind Full of Memories

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2012-02-26-sandhillsOn Thursday night of this past week, I received a phone call about 10:30.  It was a call from my cousin:  “Hey Stan, I wanted you to know that Mom just died.”

I didn’t sleep much that night.  I kept thinking about my Aunt Ila.  I reminisced about my childhood days at Sallyards, and the Seymour gatherings at that white house bordered by railroad tracks on the South and surrounded by the captivating beauty of the Flint Hills.

My memories were of a time when both Ila and I were much younger.  As I thought of her, I remembered the sound of her joyful laugh, the infectious smile that lined her face, and the sparkle in her eyes.  Most of all, I remembered her kind gentle spirit and the warmth of her ever-present love.

As I thought about her love, I remembered the words of the Apostle Paul:

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! 

~Romans 8:38-39

I hope this verse convinces you, as it does me, that not even the princes of darkness can separate us from the love of God.

When you are stirred up and trampled down by the tragedy of death and the miles of trials you’ve walked in your life, why not take a peek at things from God’s perspective? God has a hold on you and He isn’t going to let you go.

Jesus said:   My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Are you “persuaded” by the words of Paul and convinced that there is no power on earth or below or heaven above that can separate you from the love of God?

I think Aunt Ila was convinced of this truth.  I think she could say:  “We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him (I John 4:16).”

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Whenever I look North of Highway 54 and my eyes see an empty and vacant pasture that used to be Sallyards, my mind is still full of memories.

One that remains and will always be cherished is the memory of Aunt Ila’s love.

The TGIF Zone

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thank-god-its-p6f715There are some weeks that by the time Friday rolls around, I need to get a little boost to finish the week.  I want to share a little booster  that’s tucked away in the Old Testament.  It’s like drinking a rejuvenating cup of spiritual adrenaline:

“For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6).”

When you listen to its uplifting theme, this TGIF Booster might make you crow like a rooster. Look at this dynamic definition of your righteous relationship with God:

  • You belong to God.
  • You are special because He has chosen you.
  • You are one of His prized possessions.

Isn’t this enough to make you click your heels together; shake off your mental malaise; and praise God?

Let me affirm what’s already been said: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (100:3).”  This verse clarifies and verifies who you are:  You are His; you are made by Him; and, He cares for you like a shepherd does his sheep.

When God purchased you it’s not because He was looking for a bargain and you had been discontinued and discounted.  No, you’re valuable, and He paid a premium to purchase you:  “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price, so glorify God in your body (I Corinthians 6:20).”

Not only can you TGIF, but you can also TGFF.  You can Thank God For the Friday that He paid the price for your redemption through the death of Jesus.

Don’t moan about the day: own the day.  You’ve entered the TGIF zone.

From Deadly to Dazzling and Delightful

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eggs2They’ve gone from being downright deadly to dazzling and delightful.  Eggs were all but banned by dietitians and doctors alike; however, I recently heard a person should eat four eggs a week to help ward off on the onset of diabetes.

Eggs have been a topic of discussion and an element of speech ever since the first person asked:  “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

How many of these egg-laced phrases have you heard?

  • He egged me on.
  • I have egg on my face.
  • There’s an egghead.
  • Boy, he really laid an egg.
  • Be careful, talking with him is like walking on egg shells.
  • Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

Most of the egg-centric philosophy above is pretty good advice; however, I have to question the context of the last one.  It’s wise to put all of your eggs in one basket when that basket is Jesus.

If you remember the exchange that Jesus had with Peter, you might agree with me:  Jesus said to the Apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (John 6:67-69).”

When it comes to the basket of eternal life, I hope you will come to know and to believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

The Pace of Life’s Race

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time1This has been one of those weeks where the minutes don’t drag on; they race by, and it there doesn’t seem to be enough time to get things done.  When I realize I’m rushing from one project to the next, I try to slow down by spending some time in the Psalms.

One of the Psalms that helps me manage the pace of life’s dizzying race is Psalm 103:

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

3 Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

There are four things that I think about when I read this Psalm:

  • I need to get the right start by saying : “Bless the Lord, O my soul”
  • I need to take an inventory so I don’t “forget” my resources.”
  • I need to total my assets or “benefits.”
  • I need to see God at work: He forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies.
  • I need to gauge my power: I am “renewed like the eagle.”

I encourage you to read the Psalm again and use the list above as a guide.  I hope it helps you as much as it does me.

The Standard of Purity

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81rMuq0yIEL._SL1500_In recent years, the debate over greenhouse-gas emissions has been hotly debated.  At issue is the matter of stifling the effect of the toxic emissions without trifling with industrial-strength free enterprise.

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory think they may have an answer to the problem.  They believe it’s found in caviar-sized bubbles that are designed to absorb carbon dioxide.

The ecological impasse over greenhouse gas may have found a solution to the world’s pollution in something as simple and mundane as baking soda.  According to a Bloomberg report, these micro-bubbles have a” highly permeable polymer shell and a fluid (made up of sodium carbonate solution) that reacts with and absorbs carbon dioxide.”

I see a similarity between the ability of these micro bubbles infused with baking soda and the spiritual cleansing you can find in Jesus:

  • Paul said that it is, “Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness. He poured out his kindness by giving us every kind of wisdom and insight (Ephesians 1:7).”
  • In Hebrews, it says that Jesus was crucified outside of the city, so he could purify people from their sin with his own blood (Hebrew 13:12).

Arm and Hammer market their baking soda as “The Standard of Purity,” and it helps eliminate the smelly odors in refrigerators; however, before the soda can work, the box must be opened.  The same is true in your relationship to Jesus—you must be open to Him: “ Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20).”

I’ll leave you with this link to Alan Jackson as he sings about Jesus’ standard of purity.

What’s Following You?

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On Tuesday of this week, I walked the hallway of three different hospitals. My first stop took me to the room of a man who is ravaged by cancer.  I saluted him earlier this year when he was the Parade Marshall of the Celebration of Freedom Parade.  Will’s heroic deeds during World War II helped to pay for the freedoms I enjoy today.

My second stop took me to the room of a man I’ve know all of my life. I’ll always be grateful for his friendship and his help.  Johnny was one of the first people to come to my house when I was a 12 year old boy and my dad had just been killed in an oil field accident.

My third stop was the most difficult because it took me to the room of a blonde-haired and blue-eyed little girl.  At the age of 2 1/2 years she is fighting an inoperable case of cancer, a neuroblastoma.

Yesterday, I conducted the funeral of a man, I worked with my last two summers of high school.  Ralph’s face was usually marked with an ear to ear grin, and I will remember the mischievous sparkle that colored his eyes.

The sadness that has filled the lives of each of these people and their families can only be tempered by the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.  A foreshadow of that hope is see in the verses of Psalm 23.

If you feel like you are living under a cloud of despair, and walking a path full of worries and problems, you might find some comfort in the words of this Psalm and the declaration of David: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (23:6).

I think it is important to note that David did not say that every waking moment of your life will be filled with good times and happy days.  He did say the goodness of God and His mercy are resources that are available when needed.

Unless you have given some consideration to the meaning of mercy and its close cousin, grace (goodness), you may think they are synonymous.  To help you distinguish one from the other, let me define them:

  • Grace is when God gives you something you do not deserve.  Salvation is a good example of this.  I do not know of anyone who really deserves it.
  • Mercy is when God does not give a you what you deserve.  When a righteous God judges sinful man, He can either punish him or extend His goodness and mercy.

I’ve heard people say:  I just want what I deserve and what I have coming to me.  Not me, I want the mercy of God.

David said the mercy of God is a given, and we see this in the word surely.  It isn’t a hope so or maybe so proposition: It’s a guarantee from God.  In the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the prophet said:  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed; they are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness!

In the shepherd/sheep analogy of Psalm 23, we have the Good Shepherd who leads us, and guarding the back of the flock are His two sheep dogs.   One is named Goodness and the other is called Mercy.

Remember the promise of this Psalm:  Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.  Think of Goodness and Mercy as your lap-dogs who are just a whistle away.

I’ll Give You $15 for Your Benjamin

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usd-loi-d13dbI had to chuckle when I opened my email and read an offer for a free gift card.  That’s right, free.  When I spend $100, the merchant will give me a free gift card in the amount of $15.

I’d like to make the same offer to you:  For every $100 you place in my hand, I’ll give you $15 in return—no stipulation, no fine print, and no questions asked!  It’s free!

Evidently there is some disparity between that merchant’s idea of free and my understanding of the word.  One the many meanings of free is “no charge.”

This two word definition also sheds some light on the nature of salvation.  It is a “no charge” salvation because Jesus has paid the price of sin.  According to Scripture:

  • You were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body (I Corinthians 6:20).
  • The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
  • God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the payment for our sins (I John 4:9-10).

The gift of salvation is exactly that—a free gift from God at the expense of Christ.

. . . by the way my free offer still stands:  $15 for every $100 you give me.

Under the Cloak of Darkness

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into-the-lightHis name meant “victory of the people,” but Nicodemus was living a life of spiritual defeat that left him thirsting for something more.   His religious zeal had left him parched and perched.  The dryness of the religion he had practiced from the time of his birth had withered his soul, and the conundrum of messianic proportions left him sitting in a precarious position.

It was within the framework of this nodus that Nicodemus went under the cloak of darkness to find Jesus and said: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Even though Nicodemus could see the signs he was blind to his sins, so Jesus went straight to the heart of the matter:  “I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Like many people today, Nicodemus thought he had lived a good live.  After all, he was a Pharisee and even a member of the ruling council—the Sanhedrin.  He was no religious malcontent, but he questioned the content of Jesus’ discourse.

If he followed Jesus what course would his life take?  Would it would lead him away from Judaism and the prestige and prominence of his position?  Was he ready to sacrifice everything that he had worked so hard to achieve?

Nicodemus decided to wander away to ponder and pray.  I believe Nicodemus re-examined the Messianic prophecies and they validated the claims of Jesus.

When the third chapter of John comes to a close, Nicodemus is never head of again until Jesus is crucified.  Then he came out of the darkness to identify with Jesus and to prepare the body of His Lord for burial.

Which stage of Nicodemus’ life best describes you?  Is it the under-the-cloak-of-darkness Nicodemus, the closet-Christian Nicodemus, or is it the stand-up-and-stand-out for-Jesus Nicodemus?