Two Defining Forces

Romans 3:22-26
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

I just finished reading a book based on a letter written during the American Revolution. In the story one of the main character, along with an army of men, went to war with his muzzle loader to acquire the freedom of all Americans. Since that time, we've had countless soldiers continue to fight for the freedom of America. I thank God for those who have given their lives, their time and their families to allow me to worship God.

I've read a saying that says something like this: "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American G. I. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom." -Author: Unknown

Jesus died to free me from the weight of sin in this world. He came to earth and took on the burden of any who believe in him. He gave his life. That's true freedom! The freedom to live in this world without the burden of sin. The freedom to live in this world and not of this world. The freedom to love God and love people. I thank the Lord for sending his son. To live in this world without Jesus would be hopeless. To live in this world with Jesus means to live with hope and joy. I love Jesus and thank him for his sacrifice!

Did Martha Go Wash the Dishes?

John 11:21-27
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

I like Martha; Jesus' friend and Lazarus and Mary's sister. Too often she gets a bad rap. She's accused of worrying about the practical things while her sister rested at Jesus' feet, learning. But when you read the rest of her story...

Martha loved her brother and sister. It appears she takes good care of the household they share. Of course Lazarus has responsibility as the male in a Jewish household. No doubt, Mary does her part. But Martha makes sure the everyday things get done. Food is prepared, water is drawn, floors are swept, clothes are cleaned. But don't be fooled by Martha's focus on the essentials.

In her story from John 11, her brother Lazarus has died. Martha and her sister sent for Jesus, but he arrived after the fact. I'm sure she and Mary prepared Lazarus body with oils before they laid him in the cave and pushed a rock in front of it. So they knew Jesus was too late to heal their brother. I'm guessing Mary wanted to sit at Jesus' feet again and listen to his wisdom and comfort. But Martha wanted hope. In her heart she knew Jesus' power, she understood his significance, she believed he was the Son of God. That faith paid off. Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave and brought him back to life.

Martha and Mary witnessed this miracle up close and personal. Did Martha go wash the dishes? No, she confessed her faith to Jesus. When Martha needed to, she took care of business. Yet, along with her can-do spirit she worshiped her Lord and shared his hope. I like Martha. She's a nice blend of practical and faithful. Her feet scurried around the house even as her heart was full of Jesus' love.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

What's Expected?

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.

The calendar declared September 22 as the first day of autumn. But in Ohio the thermometers registered close to ninety degrees. Too hot to be considered the wonderful season of change I look forward to every year. I'm not a summer person. Although I've enjoyed swimming with the grandkids and visiting Lake Erie, I'm ready for cooler days and nights. Breezes with the slight smell of chimney smoke and fallen leaves. And oh the pumpkin flavored goodies. But because of the hot days, I can't wrap my head around the idea that leaves will be changing soon, and I'll be donning a jacket. Because the season hasn't changed as I expected, I feel restless, unsure I can trust the weather.

Expectations can be misleading and disappointing. How often have I expected God to show up the way I thought he should ? I've prayed and assumed he'd answer exactly as I petitioned. When he didn't, anxiety crept in, my imagination blew out of proportion, and I felt restless. But then, guess what. I found out that God knows better than I do. My expectations don't always match the wisdom of my loving Father. I've learned it's better to push expectations to the sidelines and instead embrace faith and trust. I believe God knows best. And I need to put that into practice. Is it easy? Nope. But life is so much better when I anticipate with faith instead of my own assumptions.

Praise God that he knows what's best for me!

Have you had expectations and found out God had a better plan? 

Sandy Beach or Rocky Shore?

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine [Jesus] and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The 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. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

In the course of a day we walked on a sandy beach and stood upon a rocky shore. In the afternoon as my foot touched the warm sand on one of Lake Erie's beaches, the tiny grains shifted beneath my feet. I had to make an effort to keep my balance. I scooped a handful of sand and let it sift through my fingers. Each bit sprinkled to the shore and was washed away by the tide. Beautiful but not a solid foundation.

Later in the evening, Tim and searched for the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset. We found huge rocks along the shore of the lake. As we climbed out to secure a place, the boulder I stood on felt solid under my feet. Waves crashed against the rocks, but we stayed put, in place, safe from the stormy water. From our safe spot we viewed orange, pinks and blues as the sun dipped down.

As Jesus told the story of where to build a house— on sand or on rock, he wanted his listeners to understand they needed a solid foundation for their faith. He was asking, "Will your faith shift like sand and be pulled out from under you? Or will your faith have a well-built foundation, strong, durable in times of trouble, secure?" Jesus cares about our faith. His desire is that we have a faith as solid as a rock that can't be moved. He wants us to be certain that our faith will stand up against the difficulties of life and give us confidence to serve him. I'm thankful that when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, God instilled the Holy Spirit in me so I would have a solid foundation, a reminder of my faith, a guide in life. I've built my faith on the solid rock of Jesus. I love him and he loves me. Praise God for Jesus Christ!

Where is Your Faith?

Luke 8:22-25
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Tim and I traveled to the Cleveland area over Memorial Day weekend. On Tuesday, our daughter would be having surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. As we eased into the week with prayer and time reflecting on God's creation, we grabbed some sandwiches and settled into a picnic table by Lake Erie. The water stretched before us much like an ocean; where we couldn't see land on the other side. A few boats bounced along the water. The seagulls squawked. In the distance we saw what the gulls were excited about. A storm with a wall of rain was crawling across the lake. The water turned a deep, dark blue and the temperature dropped about ten degrees. Thunder rumbled and the wind kicked up and lifted the waves. The storm was heading our way. We watched for a while, mesmerized by God's power. The whole scene gave me cold chills. Yet I knew I was safe. Jesus was with us, just as he'd be with our daughter in surgery.

I believe in the power of prayer and the amazing power of God. But, like the disciples I had to find out about that power through experience. The disciples didn't know Jesus well enough to understand that he could speak to the storm and it would obey. They hadn't seen his amazing powers and the miracles he would perform. But in time they would. Like them, I had to spend time with Jesus through prayer and learn about him through the Bible. Every day I get to know him a little bit better. Praise God for Jesus!

P.S. Surgery went well!

Is Belief Enough?

Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

We sat in on a Super Saturday architecture class with our granddaughter. The teacher, an architect, shared a video with the students of how a foundation is built. They watched with interest as a cement mixer sloshed the gravel, sand, water, and cement around to make concrete. The teacher went on to explain that the concrete wasn't strong enough to hold the skyscraper up by itself. So the construction workers laid heavy wire mesh at the base and poured the concrete over it. This small change made a huge difference in the strength of the foundation.

That got me thinking about faith. I've known many believers who went through difficult times. Instead of giving up, they clung to their faith and marched through the fire. But what if instead of faith, the person only had belief. Believing might be like the concrete. It's not strong enough by itself. But with faith mixed with belief a strong foundation is built. It's not enough to just believe God exists. I have to have faith and know beyond a doubt that God knows me and loves me, that everything comes from Him. I didn't see the creation come into being, but I believe and have faith that God created our world. I didn't see Jesus raise from the dead, but I know he did. I believe, I have faith, and I trust. Praise God for faith that's the foundation for life.

Faith Replaces Logic

Psalm 74:16-17
The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.

Spring flowers bloom, summer grass grows, autumn leaves color the trees. Then there’s winter. The season of quiet, cold, ice, snow, did I mention quiet. January brings a sense of serenity after a flurried season of celebration. I don’t know how your holidays are, but mine are blessed with lots of people and activities. As much as I love the busy, fun holiday, I cherish the month of January. And yes, I like winter. The solitude, the silvery snow, colder temperatures, but mostly the time to think. In winter I ponder my relationship with God, my goals, life with family and friends.

God created seasons for nature to roll through just as he gave us seasons in life. Age wise, I’m probably in my autumn years. Logically, these are the days when wisdom wins over daring. But, where God is concerned, faith replaces the logic and I’m willing to step out and follow my Father’s lead. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I do listen for what God has in store for me. This is the year of listening and following. Where he leads I’ll go in faith.

What are you doing this year?