Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Sometimes, it causes me to tremble... tremble.
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Imagine, if you can, being THERE on the day Christ died for us.
God's anger would truly been of "Biblical" proportions! Only His love for us kept Him from destroying the entire earth, but I would still be willing to bet that He had to restrain Himself from doing so.
Some people ask why it is that we do not see God being as active in our world, as they did back in Old Testament times... perhaps Jesus' death is the reason. Seriously, if somebody killed YOUR kid, would you REALLY want to hang out with his/her family?
This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of Christ, enjoy the happiness you see in your kids' faces and have fun passing out gifts. Just remember the most important thing...
Jesus was born to die in our place, so that we could get to heaven.
Sobering, isn't it?
See all of you soon, in paradise,
and have a Merry Christmas!
Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Every One a Child of God
If you have, or have had, children, I ask you to think back to the time when you first held your precious baby in your hands. Do you remember the lumps in your throat, the tears in your eyes, or even the amazement you experienced that God had entrusted such a precious child to you?
I am a father, and I remember these feelings well. When I held my first born, I was terrified that I might drop him. I was afraid to do more than support him with my hands, so sure was I that hands, like mine, toughened by years of hard work, might just accidentally cause bruises, in one so tender.
Love for your children, and joy in their existence, go hand in hand. It is natural, and it is an amazing gift from God.
I have always loved kids, all of them. Some are easier to love, some require getting past obstacles they've inherited. Some have learned to not trust others, and this makes getting to know them very difficult. But, all of them, every one, is a child of God.
It isn't just the kids, either. We are all children of God's. Every one, no matter the age, is still a child of God. Look around you... Can you see the baby that an older person was? God can! That is one of the reasons we are supposed to continually remind others of God's love. He wants those who've strayed from His flock to find their way back to His love!
I have been very blessed. God has arranged things so that I seem to be able to reach most kids at whatever level they operate on. I listen to what they have to say, try to explain things in a way they can understand, and do not expect them to always be perfect. As a result, I have been "adopted" by a number of kids. I have been an (adopted) uncle, a grandpa, and very recently, a best friend (to a 4-year old!). There is an emotional overload to this "adoption" that cannot be described accurately. I am constantly in awe that God has given this gift to me.
You see, I am not perfect, either. I am very aware of my faults, and know that there is not one thing I could ever do to pay Him back adequately for this incredible gift, so I just end up loving kids all the more, and thanking God constantly.
Thank-you so much, God!
Please remember that God loves all kids; those who are just born, those who've entered their "terrible twos," teenagers, the elderly, and those not yet born. All are God's children. He loves everyone. He sent His Son to die for every single one. He want them all to come to His arms of love.
You...
me...
the unborn...
mobsters...
terrorists...
the handicapped...
Yes, even politicians!
Everybody is God's child! Some just need to be told or reminded.
Spread the love!
I am a father, and I remember these feelings well. When I held my first born, I was terrified that I might drop him. I was afraid to do more than support him with my hands, so sure was I that hands, like mine, toughened by years of hard work, might just accidentally cause bruises, in one so tender.
Love for your children, and joy in their existence, go hand in hand. It is natural, and it is an amazing gift from God.
I have always loved kids, all of them. Some are easier to love, some require getting past obstacles they've inherited. Some have learned to not trust others, and this makes getting to know them very difficult. But, all of them, every one, is a child of God.
It isn't just the kids, either. We are all children of God's. Every one, no matter the age, is still a child of God. Look around you... Can you see the baby that an older person was? God can! That is one of the reasons we are supposed to continually remind others of God's love. He wants those who've strayed from His flock to find their way back to His love!
I have been very blessed. God has arranged things so that I seem to be able to reach most kids at whatever level they operate on. I listen to what they have to say, try to explain things in a way they can understand, and do not expect them to always be perfect. As a result, I have been "adopted" by a number of kids. I have been an (adopted) uncle, a grandpa, and very recently, a best friend (to a 4-year old!). There is an emotional overload to this "adoption" that cannot be described accurately. I am constantly in awe that God has given this gift to me.
You see, I am not perfect, either. I am very aware of my faults, and know that there is not one thing I could ever do to pay Him back adequately for this incredible gift, so I just end up loving kids all the more, and thanking God constantly.
Thank-you so much, God!
Please remember that God loves all kids; those who are just born, those who've entered their "terrible twos," teenagers, the elderly, and those not yet born. All are God's children. He loves everyone. He sent His Son to die for every single one. He want them all to come to His arms of love.
You...
me...
the unborn...
mobsters...
terrorists...
the handicapped...
Yes, even politicians!
Everybody is God's child! Some just need to be told or reminded.
Spread the love!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
We call her, Mary!
Jesus called her, mom.
Of all the women God could have chosen, why did He pick Mary, and not someone else? There were lineage requirements that the Bible mentions, and they had to be met, but still, God picked Mary.
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.' " (Luke 1:26-31)rsv
"And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I have no husband?' And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.' "
(Luke 1:34-35)rsv
She was the one with whom God found favor. He was pleased with her. Of all women, she was the only one He found acceptable.
Keep in mind that God gifted women with something fantastic! Inside them, He placed a small part of His creation. They have they ability to house new life, and bring it forth. No man can ever say he was so blessed. It cannot be. Only women can bear children. I'm sure that some would probably rather forego this "honor," but this precious gift only they will ever have.
I ask every woman to think of the incredible honor that Mary received. God's Son was her child! She was NOT a foster mom! He was her son, too!
And I ask every man who ever reads this to consider what God thinks of women... He made them the way they are on purpose. You are the warrior, SHE is the (possibly potential) mother of your kids! And one girl became His Son's mom. Incredible, isn't it!
Love them the way God does!
See you soon, in Paradise.
Of all the women God could have chosen, why did He pick Mary, and not someone else? There were lineage requirements that the Bible mentions, and they had to be met, but still, God picked Mary.
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.' " (Luke 1:26-31)rsv
"And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I have no husband?' And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.' "
(Luke 1:34-35)rsv
She was the one with whom God found favor. He was pleased with her. Of all women, she was the only one He found acceptable.
Keep in mind that God gifted women with something fantastic! Inside them, He placed a small part of His creation. They have they ability to house new life, and bring it forth. No man can ever say he was so blessed. It cannot be. Only women can bear children. I'm sure that some would probably rather forego this "honor," but this precious gift only they will ever have.
I ask every woman to think of the incredible honor that Mary received. God's Son was her child! She was NOT a foster mom! He was her son, too!
And I ask every man who ever reads this to consider what God thinks of women... He made them the way they are on purpose. You are the warrior, SHE is the (possibly potential) mother of your kids! And one girl became His Son's mom. Incredible, isn't it!
Love them the way God does!
See you soon, in Paradise.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Hey! Who loves ya?
I've heard this as a greeting, quite a few times. It was much more common 40 years ago, but I still hear it occasionally today.
Who loves you?
Without thinking about it, we Christians always say, "God loves us..."
It is time to think about it. God, our Lord, our Creator... He gave up His only Son for us, for you, for me! Think of it this way. Whom do you care enough about that you'd willingly give up your child's life for that person?
Anybody?
My kids have all been grown for some time, so for me, the question has always been a bit blurred. For some reason, today, I considered this question from the standpoint of my feelings for my granddaughter.
Wow! Boy, did that ever put it into perspective for me! There is nobody on this planet I value anywhere near as much as one scratch on my Princess! Nobody! Not even if you put everyone who's ever lived onto the other side of the equation! If anybody ever hurts her in the slightest way, he better get struck by lightning before I get there! Could God possibly care any less for His Son? I think not!
And yet... He did sacrifice His only Son. And He did it to save countless people who showed Him no respect, no concern and no love. It really boggles the mind. He loves even people who live an evil lifestyle, & loves them enough that His own Son was not too big a price to pay!
Look at how He's been paid back. Crime, lies, filth, and various forms of unspeakable vileness are commonplace today. A large percentage of people don't want to even be bothered with God. Who among us would have been capable of enduring all this satanic back-stabbing?
"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deut 30:6)kjv
"...and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God." (Hos 2:23)kjv
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing." (Zeph 3:17)kjv
"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(Rom 5:8-10)kjv
Almost puts tears in your eyes, doesn't it? And it should! God loves us all with a love that infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of! Jesus died for each one of us. My sins killed Him, so did yours, so did the sins of each and every person who's ever lived. He died on the cross to save each of us.
Separately...
Individually...
Completely...
There is no way to respond to a love like that, except to hit your knees, thanking Him with all that you have, promising to do better, and meaning it.
Then get out and tell (or remind) others; after all, He values each of them that much, too.
See you soon, in Paradise!
Who loves you?
Without thinking about it, we Christians always say, "God loves us..."
It is time to think about it. God, our Lord, our Creator... He gave up His only Son for us, for you, for me! Think of it this way. Whom do you care enough about that you'd willingly give up your child's life for that person?
Anybody?
My kids have all been grown for some time, so for me, the question has always been a bit blurred. For some reason, today, I considered this question from the standpoint of my feelings for my granddaughter.
Wow! Boy, did that ever put it into perspective for me! There is nobody on this planet I value anywhere near as much as one scratch on my Princess! Nobody! Not even if you put everyone who's ever lived onto the other side of the equation! If anybody ever hurts her in the slightest way, he better get struck by lightning before I get there! Could God possibly care any less for His Son? I think not!
And yet... He did sacrifice His only Son. And He did it to save countless people who showed Him no respect, no concern and no love. It really boggles the mind. He loves even people who live an evil lifestyle, & loves them enough that His own Son was not too big a price to pay!
Look at how He's been paid back. Crime, lies, filth, and various forms of unspeakable vileness are commonplace today. A large percentage of people don't want to even be bothered with God. Who among us would have been capable of enduring all this satanic back-stabbing?
"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deut 30:6)kjv
"...and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God." (Hos 2:23)kjv
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing." (Zeph 3:17)kjv
"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(Rom 5:8-10)kjv
Almost puts tears in your eyes, doesn't it? And it should! God loves us all with a love that infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of! Jesus died for each one of us. My sins killed Him, so did yours, so did the sins of each and every person who's ever lived. He died on the cross to save each of us.
Separately...
Individually...
Completely...
There is no way to respond to a love like that, except to hit your knees, thanking Him with all that you have, promising to do better, and meaning it.
Then get out and tell (or remind) others; after all, He values each of them that much, too.
See you soon, in Paradise!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Discernment: blessing or curse?
Tell the truth, would you really want to know every time someone was lying to you?
Now I'm not talking about the kind of tales that were common when I was a kid. Not too many people had a TV back then, most everyone I knew had a radio set, though. Sometimes, if there was nothing else to do, later on that evening one of the uncles or neighbors would get a far-away gleam in his eye, and start up with;
"Well, I mind me of the time my buddy Rupert and me was campin' out late. Some sort of a ruckus came up, an' naturally we lit out to investigate. We seen a critter comin' an' we roped it in the dark. Struggled with that varmint for three whole days, let me tell you. When we finally got 'im tuckered out, we had us a 1200 pound jackalope. For the next 3 years, or so... we saddled 'im up an' rode 'im to all the shindigs here about. Impressed them ladies, too, let me tell you!"
The surroundings, the sparkle in the old man's eye and his grin always told us this was a "yarn," not to ever be confused with reality in any way shape or form. But this is not the type of untruth that makes the hair on the back of your neck shiver and makes you feel as though a cold wind is blowing. I thank God it doesn't happen often.
Discernment is not the most heavily mentioned "gift" in the bible. Sometimes, the reference is vague, at best.
"...You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right." (Heb 5:12-14)nlt
See what I mean, this is not much of a description. But this next is more to the point;
"Yes, the king will give us peace of mind again. I know that you are like an angel of God and can discern good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you." (2 Sam 14:17)nlt
Right from wrong, good from evil, there seems to be a pattern here.
" 'Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?' And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor has asked the life of thine enemies; but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.' " (1King 3:9-12)kjv
There never was, nor will there ever be, another Solomon. I am very thankful that God gave him this gift, he needed it. There are times, however, when I wish I had none of it. I am thankful it doesn't usually kick in, but when it does, the little bit of discernment I "enjoy" is very unsettling. Would you REALLY like to know when a cop was lying to you? How about your preacher or a cashier at the grocery store? We normally expect sleazy jerks to lie to us, though, that isn't the problem. If it is someone you trust, the stab is deep.
I once had a business appointment with a guy I thought I knew. As I walked up, I noticed his office door was open, so I stuck my head around the corner to announce myself. For about 2 seconds, I saw (at his desk) a human-sized outline with some substance that looked a bit lizard-like. It glanced my way with an annoyed look, then vanished. To this day, I feel I saw that guy's spirit controller. I've never trusted that man since. Rarely have I spoken of this with others, but several have told me that he has lied profusely to them, mostly about other people. Was it just discernment acting in my behalf? I suppose I'll have to ask God about it someday.
Remember this; God gives all of us various gifts. We have no control over which, or why. It is His choice. Make the most of what He's given you. Invest the "talent" on His behalf.
We can compare notes when we meet in Paradise!
Now I'm not talking about the kind of tales that were common when I was a kid. Not too many people had a TV back then, most everyone I knew had a radio set, though. Sometimes, if there was nothing else to do, later on that evening one of the uncles or neighbors would get a far-away gleam in his eye, and start up with;
"Well, I mind me of the time my buddy Rupert and me was campin' out late. Some sort of a ruckus came up, an' naturally we lit out to investigate. We seen a critter comin' an' we roped it in the dark. Struggled with that varmint for three whole days, let me tell you. When we finally got 'im tuckered out, we had us a 1200 pound jackalope. For the next 3 years, or so... we saddled 'im up an' rode 'im to all the shindigs here about. Impressed them ladies, too, let me tell you!"
The surroundings, the sparkle in the old man's eye and his grin always told us this was a "yarn," not to ever be confused with reality in any way shape or form. But this is not the type of untruth that makes the hair on the back of your neck shiver and makes you feel as though a cold wind is blowing. I thank God it doesn't happen often.
Discernment is not the most heavily mentioned "gift" in the bible. Sometimes, the reference is vague, at best.
"...You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right." (Heb 5:12-14)nlt
See what I mean, this is not much of a description. But this next is more to the point;
"Yes, the king will give us peace of mind again. I know that you are like an angel of God and can discern good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you." (2 Sam 14:17)nlt
Right from wrong, good from evil, there seems to be a pattern here.
" 'Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?' And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor has asked the life of thine enemies; but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.' " (1King 3:9-12)kjv
There never was, nor will there ever be, another Solomon. I am very thankful that God gave him this gift, he needed it. There are times, however, when I wish I had none of it. I am thankful it doesn't usually kick in, but when it does, the little bit of discernment I "enjoy" is very unsettling. Would you REALLY like to know when a cop was lying to you? How about your preacher or a cashier at the grocery store? We normally expect sleazy jerks to lie to us, though, that isn't the problem. If it is someone you trust, the stab is deep.
I once had a business appointment with a guy I thought I knew. As I walked up, I noticed his office door was open, so I stuck my head around the corner to announce myself. For about 2 seconds, I saw (at his desk) a human-sized outline with some substance that looked a bit lizard-like. It glanced my way with an annoyed look, then vanished. To this day, I feel I saw that guy's spirit controller. I've never trusted that man since. Rarely have I spoken of this with others, but several have told me that he has lied profusely to them, mostly about other people. Was it just discernment acting in my behalf? I suppose I'll have to ask God about it someday.
Remember this; God gives all of us various gifts. We have no control over which, or why. It is His choice. Make the most of what He's given you. Invest the "talent" on His behalf.
We can compare notes when we meet in Paradise!
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