Luk 20:37-38 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
Research on the subject of optimism is fascinating and does suggest that positive thinking can enhance health. As we wax old, health and living out our days in a positive condition is a priority. Nothing can give us more hope and wellness than a daily dose of God's Word and assurance. We have in this passage a declaration that only Jesus could proclaim with such authority. God is the God of all those that have adhered to Him. He does not disappear at the end of one's breath on earth. They go on to be in His Presence and He remains their God. There is no end to the life of the one who has loved and served Him. He remains evermore and so does that one that has put their trust in His promise of eternal life.
Enthusiasm adds significance to all you do. How thrilled we should be that Jesus came to proclaim Good News that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. We may not visualize or grasp this promise perfectly, but we can hold on to it as the best news that we have ever heard in our lives. God is the God of the living. In Christ you move, and live, and have your being. You will dwell and reign with God forever. As He does not cease, neither shall you. Because He lives, yet shall you live. Jesus has risen as He said He would as evidence that what He has promised is true.
Today we accentuate the positive and celebrate life in Christ, eternal life, and joy unspeakable for evermore. God is the God of the living. Celebrate that your life on earth will cease, but your spirit shall never come to an end. You are kept by our Lord who will never fail or forsake you. He is able to do as He has promised. He is your God. Rejoice that He has revealed Himself to you. Turn to someone today and tell them the Good News that we live unto God and God is the God of the living. In Him we achieve life, now and forevermore. Positively a priceless message.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
An Offer That Can't Be Refused
Mar 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.
Single handedly, this woman, in one act of kindness to our Lord was memorialized forever in the Good Book. When we think there is nothing in our life left to offer to others, the Lord draws this act of kindness to our attention. It is not the sizable monetary amount of this gift that matters, so extravagant indeed that it was a gift of a full days wages. We may not have that left in our own coffers to offer.
We learn in further in exploring Scripture that it was Mary of Bethany, Martha's and Lazarus' sister who had sat at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him. It is now remarkable that she stands over His head and pours out of gift to prepare for His burial. Mary arose from a sitting position to a standing position. That is a symbol of action. It wasn't that she had learned all of the lessons that were available to learn in this life, but that she was ready to put them forth in a grand burst of display which showed to others that she had not only heard what would happen to her Lord, but she was willing to be criticized by others. We read that there were some that were filled with indignation, murmured against her, and scrutinized her reasons for not giving this money to the poor.
I don't know what you think of this instance, but my mind immediately wanders to the fact that riches or poverty, abundance or lack, either case being, I always have, and always will have, the means of doing the Lord a great and kind act that others, by chance, might witness.
You may not be a guest in a house today, but the Lord is here. You might be a resident, but the Lord is not absent wherever you are at. You may not be a wealthy person, and are just getting by with basics. You are too late for the Lord's funeral, for He has risen indeed and you know that He is the Son of God as He said. But if you put your mind and heart and soul to it, you can think of something extravagant to do for Jesus today.
It might be that you just smile and smile at Jesus all day long so that it makes an observant ask you, "What's up with you? Why all the smiles? What is going on?" Then you can declare, "This is my very precious gift unto the Lord today." Won't that cause tongues to wag? You can be memorialized for that. Your name may not be Mary of Bethany, but your name will live on because of your love of the Lord. Smile at the Lord and let Him know you were listening.
Single handedly, this woman, in one act of kindness to our Lord was memorialized forever in the Good Book. When we think there is nothing in our life left to offer to others, the Lord draws this act of kindness to our attention. It is not the sizable monetary amount of this gift that matters, so extravagant indeed that it was a gift of a full days wages. We may not have that left in our own coffers to offer.
We learn in further in exploring Scripture that it was Mary of Bethany, Martha's and Lazarus' sister who had sat at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him. It is now remarkable that she stands over His head and pours out of gift to prepare for His burial. Mary arose from a sitting position to a standing position. That is a symbol of action. It wasn't that she had learned all of the lessons that were available to learn in this life, but that she was ready to put them forth in a grand burst of display which showed to others that she had not only heard what would happen to her Lord, but she was willing to be criticized by others. We read that there were some that were filled with indignation, murmured against her, and scrutinized her reasons for not giving this money to the poor.
I don't know what you think of this instance, but my mind immediately wanders to the fact that riches or poverty, abundance or lack, either case being, I always have, and always will have, the means of doing the Lord a great and kind act that others, by chance, might witness.
You may not be a guest in a house today, but the Lord is here. You might be a resident, but the Lord is not absent wherever you are at. You may not be a wealthy person, and are just getting by with basics. You are too late for the Lord's funeral, for He has risen indeed and you know that He is the Son of God as He said. But if you put your mind and heart and soul to it, you can think of something extravagant to do for Jesus today.
It might be that you just smile and smile at Jesus all day long so that it makes an observant ask you, "What's up with you? Why all the smiles? What is going on?" Then you can declare, "This is my very precious gift unto the Lord today." Won't that cause tongues to wag? You can be memorialized for that. Your name may not be Mary of Bethany, but your name will live on because of your love of the Lord. Smile at the Lord and let Him know you were listening.
Monday, October 15, 2007
God Will Carry You As You Fly
Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Everyone has a little bit of a bird watcher in them. We have had lovely observations of the mother bird covering her eggs to hatch them and then covering her chicks to provide warmth and safety. We are given this imagery to equate to us God the Father's care of us. He is faithful. He is our defensive wall.
An eagle mother does something that is amiss to us. The mother eagle "Stirreth up her nest," "fluttereth over her young," "spreadeth abroad her wings," and "beareth them on her wings." The time has come when the young eagle must leave the nest and strike out on his own, and the refuge the eaglets have always known becomes discomforting as she teaches them to leave the nest and fly. There is not one willing volunteer of the nest. The mother eagle must begin tearing up the nest and repeating this process until the eagle begins to fly. What an experience that must be.
Does it seem that God is dealing harshly with you? Is He tearing up your soft, comfortable nest? Does the place in God that once met such a need in your life now seem rough, tight, and uncomfortable? What is happening? The Lord is getting ready to push you off into heights you never dreamed of. He is preparing your final flight; destination heaven. He is teaching you how to move to a heavenly place.
We grew accustomed to routine, yet we knew those days would come when we could no longer dwell in our comfortable nest. That is what the senior years entail. God still covers us with His feathers. He is still our refuge. He will always be our faithful Father. But He knows that He has prepared an eternal and heavenly resort for us and now He begins the preparation to make us soar on that day of our departure.
Take courage, saints as we begin our ascent. It may appear to be a descent of the body, but the spirit is stronger than flesh and God's love is more protective than anything we can imagine otherwise. Rejoice for the Word declares, [God] is like an eagle that stirs up her nest, hovers over her young, spreads out her wings, takes them and carries them as she flies. Deu 32:11
Everyone has a little bit of a bird watcher in them. We have had lovely observations of the mother bird covering her eggs to hatch them and then covering her chicks to provide warmth and safety. We are given this imagery to equate to us God the Father's care of us. He is faithful. He is our defensive wall.
An eagle mother does something that is amiss to us. The mother eagle "Stirreth up her nest," "fluttereth over her young," "spreadeth abroad her wings," and "beareth them on her wings." The time has come when the young eagle must leave the nest and strike out on his own, and the refuge the eaglets have always known becomes discomforting as she teaches them to leave the nest and fly. There is not one willing volunteer of the nest. The mother eagle must begin tearing up the nest and repeating this process until the eagle begins to fly. What an experience that must be.
Does it seem that God is dealing harshly with you? Is He tearing up your soft, comfortable nest? Does the place in God that once met such a need in your life now seem rough, tight, and uncomfortable? What is happening? The Lord is getting ready to push you off into heights you never dreamed of. He is preparing your final flight; destination heaven. He is teaching you how to move to a heavenly place.
We grew accustomed to routine, yet we knew those days would come when we could no longer dwell in our comfortable nest. That is what the senior years entail. God still covers us with His feathers. He is still our refuge. He will always be our faithful Father. But He knows that He has prepared an eternal and heavenly resort for us and now He begins the preparation to make us soar on that day of our departure.
Take courage, saints as we begin our ascent. It may appear to be a descent of the body, but the spirit is stronger than flesh and God's love is more protective than anything we can imagine otherwise. Rejoice for the Word declares, [God] is like an eagle that stirs up her nest, hovers over her young, spreads out her wings, takes them and carries them as she flies. Deu 32:11
Monday, October 8, 2007
Shine Jesus Shine
2Ch 24:15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
A very interesting saying, "waxed old." I don't believe I have had any occasion in my life to use this term, have you? Perhaps it only catches my eye now because I am waxing old. How about you? Are you curious about this phrase or are you just simply, "waxing old" and no longer interested in learning something new?
There are only six instances of this term in the Bible, so we see that God surely never dwelt on it. Why should we? We are what we are. We are waxing old. We never said when we were young that we were waxen of youth, did we? Yet, I am confident that each and every well-placed word in the Bible has content and meaning. So, I looked beyond this quaint saying, recalling the days I tinkered in candle making, and wondered if there was a connection with the word wax and wear out. Sure enough the first sentence I read on the history of candles was, "Candles were once the only source of light in homes all over the world." Of course I thought, so it does waxing old mean passé"? Does this verse speak of the body or of the spirit? Yet again, does this saying really mean that the spirit, the source of light to our families, if not the world has grown dim? Is this what Jesus meant when He said we were the light of the world and not to hide our light under a bushel? Is God saying that we waxen old in our love and devotion to Him as our body grows weary and tired? Are we full of days in our body, exhausted, and forget that our spirit is what God sees foremost while the people of the earth only view our physical body? Is that what we only view too, or do we keep our light in Christ shining brightly? I see this verse has purpose for those that are not bodily weary, but for those that have served their fullest and highest purpose in glorifying God upon this earth.
Candles are also used in worship. Have we waxed old and are no longer of service in this area? Or does this mean we simply need our wicks trimmed? If you are discovering that you have waxed old, do you think the Lord might be dropping a huge hint today to rejuvenate in the area where you might be useful once more--and that is in your spirit? Can you contribute radiance around you today? You sure can even if the body has waxed old. You can outstretch your hand right now to the nearest person that you come into contact with today, and say, "The peace of the Lord be with you always." That one will realize, sooner or later, that you have not waxed old in letting your light shine brightly for Jesus.
A very interesting saying, "waxed old." I don't believe I have had any occasion in my life to use this term, have you? Perhaps it only catches my eye now because I am waxing old. How about you? Are you curious about this phrase or are you just simply, "waxing old" and no longer interested in learning something new?
There are only six instances of this term in the Bible, so we see that God surely never dwelt on it. Why should we? We are what we are. We are waxing old. We never said when we were young that we were waxen of youth, did we? Yet, I am confident that each and every well-placed word in the Bible has content and meaning. So, I looked beyond this quaint saying, recalling the days I tinkered in candle making, and wondered if there was a connection with the word wax and wear out. Sure enough the first sentence I read on the history of candles was, "Candles were once the only source of light in homes all over the world." Of course I thought, so it does waxing old mean passé"? Does this verse speak of the body or of the spirit? Yet again, does this saying really mean that the spirit, the source of light to our families, if not the world has grown dim? Is this what Jesus meant when He said we were the light of the world and not to hide our light under a bushel? Is God saying that we waxen old in our love and devotion to Him as our body grows weary and tired? Are we full of days in our body, exhausted, and forget that our spirit is what God sees foremost while the people of the earth only view our physical body? Is that what we only view too, or do we keep our light in Christ shining brightly? I see this verse has purpose for those that are not bodily weary, but for those that have served their fullest and highest purpose in glorifying God upon this earth.
Candles are also used in worship. Have we waxed old and are no longer of service in this area? Or does this mean we simply need our wicks trimmed? If you are discovering that you have waxed old, do you think the Lord might be dropping a huge hint today to rejuvenate in the area where you might be useful once more--and that is in your spirit? Can you contribute radiance around you today? You sure can even if the body has waxed old. You can outstretch your hand right now to the nearest person that you come into contact with today, and say, "The peace of the Lord be with you always." That one will realize, sooner or later, that you have not waxed old in letting your light shine brightly for Jesus.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Don't Worry; Be Happy
Rev 2:10a 'Stop being afraid of what you are about to be suffering. Listen indeed! (ALT)
Were you the typical child that had a relatively worry-free life? You trusted your parents to care for all your basic needs. There was food, clothing and shelter all taken for granted. You trusted them to provide healthcare and believed them when they said you would be feeling well again in no time at all. There was never a lack of hours in a day to find time for yourself. There was social activity within the family and without in your neighborhood and school. There was always, and I repeat always, an opportunity to learn something new and to retain it. Death was a foreign concept to you. Prejudice was not yet known. Red-tape was a term you were not yet introduced to. We had it all and was too young to comprehend the abundant blessing of our life before the process of inevitable growing-up set in.
Perhaps no one can exactly place a day and time that trust began to ebb out of their life and slowly be replaced by anxiety, cares and concerns. But happen it did. Here we are in this realm in our life where innocence of those times are just a remote memory. Reality stalks us daily. Past experiences have flavored us negatively. Statistics regarding our age group doesn't put a spin on high expectations. We do fear what the end of our lives will involve.
We have the opportunity to encompass Jesus' words to us today. When he speaks, "Stop being afraid of what you are about to be suffering," He did not say, "You will suffer; be afraid." Do you see the difference between projecting fear or accepting encouragement? In my formative years, I can still recall two catch phrases: 1) What, me worry? 2) Don't worry; be happy. Is that not exactly what Jesus attempted to say in this passage two thousand years ago that is still relevant this very day? Listen indeed!
Were you the typical child that had a relatively worry-free life? You trusted your parents to care for all your basic needs. There was food, clothing and shelter all taken for granted. You trusted them to provide healthcare and believed them when they said you would be feeling well again in no time at all. There was never a lack of hours in a day to find time for yourself. There was social activity within the family and without in your neighborhood and school. There was always, and I repeat always, an opportunity to learn something new and to retain it. Death was a foreign concept to you. Prejudice was not yet known. Red-tape was a term you were not yet introduced to. We had it all and was too young to comprehend the abundant blessing of our life before the process of inevitable growing-up set in.
Perhaps no one can exactly place a day and time that trust began to ebb out of their life and slowly be replaced by anxiety, cares and concerns. But happen it did. Here we are in this realm in our life where innocence of those times are just a remote memory. Reality stalks us daily. Past experiences have flavored us negatively. Statistics regarding our age group doesn't put a spin on high expectations. We do fear what the end of our lives will involve.
We have the opportunity to encompass Jesus' words to us today. When he speaks, "Stop being afraid of what you are about to be suffering," He did not say, "You will suffer; be afraid." Do you see the difference between projecting fear or accepting encouragement? In my formative years, I can still recall two catch phrases: 1) What, me worry? 2) Don't worry; be happy. Is that not exactly what Jesus attempted to say in this passage two thousand years ago that is still relevant this very day? Listen indeed!
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