Tag: Psalm 139:13-18

Finding the Courage to Be Different. John 15:18-19

John 15:18-19 The Message

Hated by the World

18-19 “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

A Hated People

John 15:18 Amplified Bible

Disciples’ Relation to the World

18 “If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

This may be one of Jesus’ hardest teachings—especially if anyone of us tends to prefer being a people pleaser.

Jesus wants us to understand that his followers will sometimes be at odds with the values of the world.

As a result, there will be times when we pay a relational price for following him.

But will we be hated?

Disliked? Probably.

Misunder­stood? Sure.

But hated? That sounds pretty extreme.

Well, hatred is a pretty extreme and polarizing emotion.

Hatred is a high energy radically divisive way of immediately shutting down the course of events of that moment – say the words “I hate you” and life just stops.

Yet Jesus deliberately chooses this strong language here for a reason.

And Jesus knew that it absolutely had to be said and Jesus knew his disciples had to be prepared to receive the hatred – even to the point of their death on a cross.

Putting God first in our life will absolutely create friction—being different from everyone around you — well, guess what? it’s going to be a significant threat to people and unto world systems which have a deep and vested interest in their own selfish ambitions and much preferred ways of doing “their own” things.

Jesus invited people into the kingdom of God, to hate the world, and this will result in his arrest, public humiliation and his suffering and death on a cross.

Why? Because his teachings represented a threat to the religious leadership.

Following Jesus meant great personal sacrifice, having less power, status, and attention, so their response was to get rid of the competition and protect their own interests (see John 11:48 Amplified).

48 If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation.”

Since we read in Scripture this is how Jesus was treated, should we be surprised to encounter such a hardship in our own lives because of our faith in him? No.

Yet, in spite of resistance in this world, God remains faithful to his people.

Through the Holy Spirit, we can be emboldened, empowered and inspired and refreshed to continue the most challenging of Kingdom work God calls us to do.

And in community we can find the prayer and support to keep following Jesus, no matter what it costs us.

John 17:6-12 Amplified Bible

6 “I have manifested Your name [and revealed Your very self, Your real self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept and obeyed Your word. 7 Now [at last] they know [with confident assurance] that all You have given Me is from You [it is really and truly Yours]. 8 For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood [with confident assurance] that I came from You [from Your presence], and they believed  [without any doubt] that You sent Me. 9 I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and [all things that are] Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; yet they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and protected them, and not one of them was lost except [a]the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

With the power and strength of Such deep Prayerful Support – what becomes possible?

The COURAGE to be DIFFERENT!

John 15:19 Amplified Bible

19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own and would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this the world hates you.

Against the Grain

My father who grew up in the Depression era and was a combat veteran of the Korean Conflict, used to say the times have changed, a sentiment I now echo.

A child of the sixties and seventies, the world looked so very different during my own childhood; some resulted from my idyllic imaginings, and some from a much darker more brutal and bullied reality now most thankfully long past.

Today, the world, especially whether it is my country, or most anyone else’s country, looks darker, uncertain, bullied, terrorized and war-like and divided.

My Judeo-Christian faith now shines brighter than ever, and too many days I have never felt so alone, misunderstood and out of place. 

Born and baptized a Christian, My family and I grew up Jewish when being Christian was much more in fashion, even ubiquitous.

Kids pretended to be Christian even when they weren’t.

I do not guess that is as true now as it was then – Not anymore.

It was the sixties and seventies – Haight Ashbury, the Vietnam War, Protests, Anti War Sentiments and campus riots were 5 minutes from my parents home.

There was the iconic transformative Woodstock on a farm in Bethel New York.

There was the Watergate Scandal and a US President was compelled to Resign.

This was our era – which we and my family lived, grew up in, were shaped by.

Each era seems to have its own iconic mind-bending, setting, transformative events which served to change the thinking of those who were born and raised.  

Nowadays, many people hide their faith for fear of being offensive.

There seem to be fewer open prayers when out in public and less mention of God in school. 

The challenges are mind bending, mind setting, controversial, transformative, divisive, politically high charged: Abortion. Homosexuality. Race. Transgender.

Violence, school shootings, walk into a church or any other place and spray bullets and bombs all over, among many other things which could easily take their place in bending, breaking, shaping, transforming billions of minds.

Uttering an unpopular opinion or a fact that goes against the grain is far more consequential than just merely taboo.

So for those of us seeking to stand firm in the faith, our absolute belief in God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, what exactly are we left to do?

Finding the courage to be different today comes with consequences like job loss, public ostracization with threats of physical violence, legal repercussions, fines, and maybe at some point, death. 

From those first century days, it is not too far fetched to believe or wonder if it’s not significantly more counter-cultural to be that faithful, faith-filled, hopeful hope-filled, publicly prayerful, publicly praying Christian in today’s society.

The question is, do we have even the the minimal courage to be max different?

Intersecting Faith and Life:

The world hated Jesus.

There should be no surprise when we receive the same treatment.

If you are a Christian who finds yourself in harmony with the world, that’s an indication to rethink your faith.

We are called live differently, like Christ. 

He didn’t have an easy life.

Why would we? 

Why should we?

Christ told His disciples there would be suffering in the world.

Yet, despite suffering, through Him, they could find peace.

Through Him, they found the strength needed to live out their faith.

That same peace and strength are available to us today. 

We’ll need it if we are to be different.

Different in the Way We Talk

Scripture prescribes a certain way to communicate.

Our words are supposed to build another up, those in the faith and outside.

That doesn’t mean every word spoken from our mouths is soft and gentle, but that also doesn’t mean our words should be extremely harsh and ultra divisive.

Where the world seeks to offend, we should make peace.

Where the world stresses peace, we should boldly speak the truth of the Gospel of our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ in “tough” love to people who need to hear it.

Different in the Way We Walk

Modern society glorifies the value of an individual’s happiness, priorities, needs, and wants. Our faith prioritizes the values of God.

We recognize we are not the center of the universe, which causes us to value getting married and starting families.

We value impartially serving others as opposed to serving ourselves. (James 2:1-13)

We value children in and outside of the womb. (Psalm 139:13-18)

Different in How We Think

Our primary motivations as Christians should be to love God and, secondly, to love our neighbors as much or as little as God commands us to love ourselves.

These are the greatest commandments.

Society commands the love of self.

If we aren’t happy, the culture encourages us to change our circumstances through divorce, jobs, etc.

Scripture helps us understand happiness is not just transitory but something we are not entitled to for simply existing.

God blesses us with good, but He also blesses us, allows for the bad and even the catastrophic and for very good reasons!

Different in What We Believe

Those in the world reject God when they can’t see the evidence but are quick to believe science without viewing the evidence – the methodology, the variables, the data, etcetera.

Knowing ‘the science’ proves something is enough for some people.

As Christians, we believe science helps us understand the natural world, but we also recognize there is also a supernatural one.

God allows us to see where conventional insight fails or deceives. 

Being different is a challenge today, but walking with God was never meant to be easy.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are proof. 

Proverbs 29:18Amplified Bible

18 
Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained;
But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

Choosing courage over comfort means embracing the unknown.

It pushes you to new experiences and makes you open and accommodating when you are tired of working for world instead of working for Savior Jesus.

Serving as Jesus did? It requires courage and confidence to do what your mind would otherwise assume and ignore because it anticipates failure or challenges.

Comfort will keep you back from pursuing your goals, fulfilling your dreams, and living up to your potential.

Courage, on the other hand, gives us prophetic vision (Proverbs 29:18) to see what others cannot see, to pursue what others would not dare to go after.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

God Almighty, God my Father, I come before you now with a fresh anointing of your Gospel from John 15:18-19, with a plea and a prayer for courage. Please be with me on these dark and challenging days. No matter how alone I may feel, remind me you are my ever-present company. Whatever obstacles I face and my mindset faces, help me to live out the faith consistently and constantly. When the world seeks hate me as it hated your Son Jesus, seeks to deceive and sell me on falsehoods as Satan did your Son, direct me again towards truth. Please direct me to you. Being different is hard and scary, and some days God, I wonder what life would be like to be of the world. But I want to remain steadfast. I wish to remain with you. So, Lord, please give me the courage to be different, especially when I need it the most. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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What is Redemption? Important Meaning for Christians from the Bible. Romans 8:18 (22-23)-25

Romans 8:18-25 Amplified Bible

18 For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! 19 For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. 24 For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

So, how is your day so far today?

Did you dread getting out of bed this morning?

Will you be irritated by traffic on the way to work?

Are you facing unreasonable demands from your employer?

Is there ongoing tension in your marriage?

Do you find that your children are ever more appreciative of what you do on their behalf?

Did the evening news cheer you at the end of the day?

Are you simply tired of the same old routine, and longing for something new?

Chances are you feel burdened about one or more issues above.

You are certainly not alone.

In fact, the Bible states,

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the first fruits – we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23).

All of creation groans, longing for redemption. 

The Definition of Redemption

The dictionary defines redemption as:

1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.

2. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

Romans 5:8-11 specifies,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Redemption is used in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

The Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, redemption involves deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer.

The Hebrew root words used most often for the concept of redemption are pada, gaal, and kapar.

The verb pada is a legal term concerning the substitution required for the person or animal delivered.

The verb gaal is a legal term for the deliverance of some person, property, or right to which one had a previous claim through family relation or possession.

The meaning of the third verb, kapar, is to cover.

Fundamental to the message of the New Testament is the announcement that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hope and that, in him, the long-awaited redemption has arrived.

Deliverance of humankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

In the New Testament, redemption requires the payment of a price, but the plight that requires such a ransom is moral, not material.

Humankind is held in the captivity of sin from which only the atoning death of Jesus Christ can liberate. (“Entry for ‘Redeem, Redemption'”. “Evangelical Dictionary of Theology”)

Redemption is Necessary

When life gets hard we tend to say that we need a break.

What we really need, however, is redemption.

Instead of gaining a momentary respite from the madness that surrounds us, redemption is the promise of God to deliver us from the power and presence of sin.

If this promise sounds too good to be true, consider the fact that the world used to work this way.

Prior to their rebellion, Adam and Eve had unbroken fellowship with God, unparalleled intimacy with each other and undisturbed enjoyment in their Edenic environment.

There has never been a time such as theirs when humans exercised biblical dominion over creation, complemented each other so completely and joyously lived every moment of every day under the rule of God.

But there will be again.

The Bible envisions a day when these broken relationships will be forever restored.

God’s people will inherit a new earth that bears abundant food apart from the sweat of their brow and without the threat of thorns (Revelation 22:2).

They will never feel pain or cause others to experience hurt of any kind as their tears have been eternally wiped away (Revelation 21:4).

Death will no longer haunt the living as gentle lambs will rest side by side with formerly carnivorous wolves (Isaiah 11:6).

Best of all, God will dwell with his people (Revelation 22:3).

Nothing unclean will be allowed to enter the new creation.

There will be no trees that trick or serpents that tempt.

Worship, not worry, will characterize the family of God in a world without end.

In a word, this fallen world will be redeemed.

Thus, the Christian worldview is premised on two realities:

God’s good world spoiled by human sin (fall) and sinful humans made fit to enjoy God forever (redemption).

In spite of the fall, the world continues to work – sort of.

After the fall, Adam and Eve’s oldest son proved remarkably adept at navigating through life.

Cain married a woman and loved their son (Genesis 4:17).

The curse of the ground notwithstanding, Cain became a farmer and then a city builder (Genesis 4:3, 17).

Even Cain’s descendants were known for their creative prowess, including advancements in shepherding livestock, playing musical instruments and developing sturdy weaponry (Genesis 4:20-22).

Put simply, even fallen people in a fallen world somehow manage to contribute to human progress.

On the other hand, even morally upright people manage to confirm the human predicament.

Noah is such a man who, in the midst of a moral sewer, managed to find favor in God’s eyes (Genesis 6:8).

His craftsmanship is demonstrated through his ability to build an ark that withstood the most destructive storm ever.

His attention to detail spared not only his life but that of his family and the entire animal kingdom (Genesis 6:14-22).

Nevertheless, in spite of God’s grace towards him, Noah later became drunk and passed out naked in his tent (Genesis 9:20-21).

When he awoke he cursed generations yet to be born (Genesis 9:24).

This is hardly the behavior one would expect from the man God used to rescue the world but Noah’s life confirms that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

Redemption is Already Accomplished but Not Yet Complete

Humans still retain the image of God, which accounts for any semblance of goodness and enables any sense of progress (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6).

However, life is not as it should be in this fallen world.

Theologians have differed over the means by which Adam’s sin has been passed down to every person but the reality of death provides sufficient confirmation that no one is exempt (Romans 5:12).

Though Charles Manson and Billy Graham took completely different paths with their lives, both are subject to the death sentence as are you and I.

The Bible thus describes our common plight: we are “dead” in our “trespasses and sins” and we are “by nature children under wrath” (Ephesians 2:1,3).

Redemption is the reversal of the fall.

In part, this reversal means that those who were spiritually dead are made alive (Ephesians 2:4) and those who were children of wrath are now children of God (1 John 3:1).

Though the Bible recognizes fallen people may make positive contributions to the world as a whole, the Bible is quite clear that no one can contribute anything positive to their own redemption (Romans 3:23-28).

The only person qualified to undo the effects of the fall is Jesus Christ who, as the eternal Son of God incarnated through the Virgin Mary. by the Holy Spirit.

This is not to say that he was not tempted as he lived in a fallen world and experienced genuine struggles that all humans face (Hebrews 2:14-18).

However, the Bible unflinchingly states that Jesus never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22) and thus focuses on him alone as the one who can make sinful humans fit to worship a holy God (Acts 4:12).

Even the death of Jesus was not the result of any sin he committed but rather the most gracious act of love ever displayed, where he took upon himself the sins of the world so that all who believe in him will be saved (Romans 5:6-11).

The Big Picture of Redemption in the Bible

The doctrine of redemption extends even beyond the matter of individual salvation.

During his lifetime, Jesus provided abundant proof of his ability to completely restore a fallen world.

He demonstrated his lordship over heaven when he calmed the storms on the sea (Mark 4:35-41);

he demonstrated his lordship over hell when he exorcised demons from a troubled man (Mark 5:1-20);

he demonstrated his lordship over life when he healed a woman of her incurable disease (Mark 5:24-34);

and he demonstrated his lordship over death when he raised a young girl from the dead (Mark 5:35-43).

With these and countless other unwritten miracles (John 20:30-31; 21:25), Jesus provided ample reason for us all to conclude that this troubled world is not our home – in the end, He himself will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

The final book of the Bible is, therefore, a fitting end to the story of the fall with its triumphant declaration of full redemption:

“Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the trees are for healing the nations, and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).

Living in Light of Redemption

Living in a fallen world as Christians means we will experience trials and tribulations and will continue to struggle with our own temptations.

We are forgiven, but God is not finished with us yet (Philippians 1:6).

Consequently, longing for a better world, even a perfect world, is not a form of escapism.

Rather, it is the Christian’s rightful anticipation of a promise made by the One who justly pronounced a curse on this world and then lovingly took that curse upon Himself in order to, for once and all time, redeem people for His glory.

What are some practical steps that you can use to share the story of redemption with others? 

Recognize that we are all products of the fall and in need of redemption.

It’s easy to forget that people who bother us are often people just like us.

We are all affected and afflicted by the fall.

When we view people through the lens of being fallen (instead of expecting them to live as if they were fully redeemed), we can be more sympathetic.

Thus, instead of bearing a grudge against them we should recognize the need to point them to their Redeemer.

Jesus stated it this way: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:35-40).

Realize that the sufferings of this world are temporary.

This is not to diminish the pain we feel when our bodies fail or when friends betray us.

Pain is hurtful and we will feel it.

Yet, the promise of redemption is that our pain and hurt are not final.

We have hope because God Himself has promised to redeem all of creation.

If we want others to share in our story of redemption, we do this best when we live in light our future redemption. 

1 Corinthians 2:9 states,

“But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived’ – God has prepared these things for those who love him.”

Respond to God’s grace in your life by offering grace to others.

One of the joys we will experience in the new heavens and new earth is knowing that we are there because someone shared the good news of the gospel with us.

How much more will our joy be to know that someone has been redeemed because we shared the story of redemption with them!

We can do this with gentleness and kindness: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Creation is Groaning as in the Pains of Childbirth.

Romans 8:22 Amplified Bible

22 For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now.

God created a paradise and sin ruined it.

Fortunately for us that is not the end of the story, creation is longing to be restored to the state it was created to be in, based on the promise of God.

This promise was fulfilled in Jesus and now Paul describes the physical fulfillment of this promise as something creation is in anticipation for.

He likens this waiting period to the labor pains of childbirth.

The process might be hard and might take awhile but once started there is no way to stop it.

And the end result makes the whole thing worth it.

Many people look around and make a judgment call based on what they see.

They look at the state of our natural realm and see death and decay.

Our news channels are filled with warnings of global warming ruining our environment.

Many organizations rally the governments and it’s citizens to save the planet.

However, the Bible says that creation as already been saved.

After taking all of this in it would be easy to say that God hasn’t fulfilled his promise to creation yet based on the natural evidence of this.

However, when Jesus came, I John says, that he came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Since he has already come, Satan’s power over creation has been destroyed.

We know this because Jesus came the first time to reconcile us to the Father and he will come the second time to redeem us and take us home.

Based on this we understand that creation has already received the first fruits of it’s redemption because Jesus has sent to us the Holy Spirit to testify that we are his children.

Paul said earlier in this chapter that this revelation of the sons of God is what creation has been waiting for (Romans 8:19).

Paul uses the illustration of childbirth to illuminate this very truth and to help us understand that just because we cannot see it, does not mean it has not happened yet.

Pregnancy is a sign that new life is something which is already taking place, awaiting the moment when God and God alone calls the new life into being.

Psalm 29:8-10 Amplified Bible

8 
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 
The voice of the Lord [a]makes the doe labor and give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple all are saying, “Glory!”

10 
The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.

When a child is conceived within the womb of the mother, the evidence of this isn’t apparent for a time, even to the women – but changes are already starting.

Psalm 139:13-18 Amplified Bible

13 
For You formed my innermost parts;
You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.
14 
I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.
16 
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

17 
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 
If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

The body of the mother is already beginning to adjust itself to receive the new life and attach it to the walls of the uterus where it may be nourished by mom as it steadily comes together and grows and grows as God has ordained it to be so.

A women doesn’t become pregnant when there is evidence to support that she is bearing a child, a women becomes pregnant at the conception of this child.

This illustration helps us to understand that the physical evidence always follows the act.

The spiritual always births the physical.

Creations’ redemption is already complete in the spiritual realm and now it is experiencing the labor pains which have started announcing to the reader the physical manifestation of this.

The amazing thing about labor and childbirth is that afterward comes fullness of joy.

The pains and hardship experienced are quickly forgotten once a baby is held in arms.

Countless women cannot recall any details of their labor because the joy of motherhood is so great.

Knowing what this type of suffering produces gives courage to all to endure it.

The same is true with creation.

Expectation of being restored to a perfect sinless existence is enough to endure hardship right now.

Creation is waiting in anticipation for it’s final redemption because it knows the One who promised is faithful.

Today, I join with creation in praising our God, looking forward to that day when I will see him face to face.

May you also join with us in celebration our full redemption through Christ Jesus, Amen!

The First Fruits of the Spirit

Romans 8:23 Amplified Bible

23 And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection].

Heart change comes quickly on the heels of Salvation.

This is because at Salvation our entire being and nature is completely changed when we get the Holy Spirit deposited inside of us testifying to the fact that we now belong to the family of God.

The Holy Spirit is given to us as the first fruits of our eternal redemption through Christ Jesus.

This is a foretaste of the blissful things that are to come.

Our bodies long to be clothed with Christ and like creation, we groan inwardly a waiting for this adoption to take place.

If the world and it’s desires held anything over you, once you are born again, the illusions of this world seem to fade away.

Replacing them comes a longing to be reunited with Christ.

Paul talks in detail about this desire.

In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about a inward groaning in which we long to be further clothed and fitted with our heavenly dwelling.

On this earth we long and groan under the burden of this body because we are being fitted with a heavenly body fashioned after Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:2-5).

But in the same way that he is preparing us and making us fit for this heavenly body, the Holy Spirit is given to us as a guarantee of the fulfillment of this promise while on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:5 Amp).

So in this we can rejoice knowing that we have already received the first fruits of our redemption.

The amazing thing about knowing this promise is that we can rest assured of our future with God.

He left nothing up to chance but has done everything to bring restoration to us through his son Jesus.

Today I am so blessed to be called a child of God.

I am so blessed to have the Holy Spirit inside of me to testify to this wonderful truth every moment of the day.

I pray that this scripture based truth will come to bless you mightily today!

Amen!

In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Everlasting God, as our hearts yearn and groan within us waiting for the fullness of your kingdom, help us to pray, help us to wait, help us to not be misled by deception, but with undivided hearts look for the true light of your coming. Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ I have been made a new creation. Thank You that the day is coming when the curse on the whole of Your groaning creation will be lifted. Until that time I pray I may live and work to Your praise and glory in Jesus name I pray,

Dear Father, you have blessed me with so many wonderful blessings. I thank you for each and every one of them. At the same time, dear Father, I do long to be brought into your presence in glory as your child. The pain and heartache of the world, the fragility of my body, and my frustration with my own vulnerability to sin keeps me longing for the day that your Son returns in glory. Until that day, help me as I try to be your holy child, let the Body of Christ be Your Church. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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For Grace to Grow Up: What is God’s Greatest Desire for Us and Our Lives? Psalm 139:13-18

Psalm 139:13-18 Amplified Bible

13 
For You formed my innermost parts;
You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.
14 
I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.
16 
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

17 
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 
If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis. Venite Adoremus. Dominum.

Gloria. In Excelsis Deo. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

Finding God’s Purpose for My Life

I can remember being a young teenager, on summer vacation at my family’s country place. 

A lot of time was spent in the back of my Dad’s old 1968 International Pick Up truck, staring out into the vast fields and meadows and trees and ponds beyond wondering: WHAT my purpose in life was. 

I fully knew that God created me for a reason, but I couldn’t understand what he wanted me to do with my life. 

I was so busy trying to think my own way to live my own life, not finding God’s purpose for my life, that I had basically immobilized myself in that idyllic place.

It was naïve of me to think at that time that this feeling of uncertainty would disappear as I got older and smarter and wiser and I thought far more mature. 

“It’s only teenagers who struggle with the big life questions,” I thought to myself – adults [Mom and Dad] have it made in the shade with their careers.

After – all, Mom and Dad had bought this great 40 acre place in the country.

I laugh now, thinking about how much I had to learn then. 

Now, as a 60 plus year old adult, I find myself thinking and praying through so many of life’s biggest questions I never thought to ask myself then. 

A lot of those questions, I’m no more certain of the answer now than I was as a teenager. 

But I am more confident in God’s word, and I’m able to rest in that more than I did back then.

God’s word has been the biggest answer for me on my quest to finding God’s purpose for my life.

Does God Have a Purpose For Me and My Life?

If you’re asking yourself this question, I know from experience that it’s likely causing you some stress. 

I want you to know that God wants you to rest in the knowledge of something beautiful:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you , for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm  139:13-14

Does that sound like a God who wants you to live in stress and toil away about missing your purpose? 

It certainly doesn’t sound that way to me. 

The God described in that beautiful psalm (my personal favorite psalm) is an intricately and intimately involved God. 

That is not the kind of God who doesn’t have a plan for us, or is content to let us waste away our remaining days in the worry of being unsure of your purpose.

Life Makes Sense: God’s Story of You

Psalm 139:15-16Amplified Bible

15 
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.
16 
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

We love stories, but it’s surprising how easily we can end up missing the stories God has written for our lives.

Winston Churchill once famously claimed that history was simply “one big years long collection of one thing after another.”

In other words, he was claiming there was no “just one” story behind our experiences in life, only a years long weaving of numerous series of events.

Few things are more deadening to your soul than thinking that your life ulti­mately means little more than we live through several one thing after another.

Yet that’s how we often find ourselves feeling – no matter how old we are in life.

On many days we view our jobs or careers or families as where we have “ended up” in life.

In fact, it can seem a bit overly presumptuous to think there’s only one master plan and master planner behind whatever situation you and I are in right now.

But the Bible tells us that the events of our lives make sense because they are part of a much larger story.

The struggles of last month or the victories of yesterday that we may claim in the next few weeks are not simply chance occurrences.

They are part of a intricately weaved story line that is going somewhere.

The work you do, the people you share life with, the abilities you have, and the weaknesses you struggle with are all part of a collection of ele­ments intended to make for a really good story—the story of you – that’s really God’s story of you. 

Do you believe this?

What Does God’s Living Word Say About Purpose?

I want to share a couple more Bible verses about purpose with you. 

I’m sharing them in a specific order as it’s going to help round out the edges of this devotional, and I pray will truly help you to be able to say with confidence,  “God has a purpose for my life.”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

God has a plan for your life… and what’s better, it’s a good plan.  There’s nothing in that plan that says God intends harm or unhappiness for your life.  God KNOWS the plans he has for you, and that includes plans to prosper you, keep you safe, give you beautiful hope, and the promise of a future.

Now, I want you to keep that knowledge and promise in mind as we read the next couple verses together.

“I know you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:2

That verse is referring to God, not us. 

God can do all things. 

His plans cannot be thwarted. 

So when you’re trying to find your God-given purpose, take comfort in the fact that there is NOTHING that can ruin God’s plans. 

Not even your own indecision, or fear, or pride… NOTHING. 

I want you to whisper that to yourself and pray thanks to God for that fact. 

God has a purpose for my life, and God has a purpose for your life.  

There’s absolutely, positively nothing we (or our circumstances can do) to ruin, or destroy or ever erase that purpose.

Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” –Acts 13:36

There’s a couple really interesting things in this Bible verse about purpose.

As I’ve struggled through finding God’s purpose for my life, I’ve forgotten a couple key things that this verse makes very clear:

  1. We are serving God’s purpose... not our own.  Did you notice that in the verse above?  It says David had served God’s purpose in his life.  I think often (whether innocent or not), we end up searching for and serving our own purposes instead of God’s.  This is something we need to avoid.
  2. The other thing I want to pull out of that verse is that David didn’t pass away until he had fulfilled God’s purpose in his life.  So when you think about fulfilling your God given purpose, know with confidence that the purpose is actually God’s, and he’ll keep you on this earth until that purpose is fulfilled.

How to Know God’s Purpose For Our Lives

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” –Colossians 1:16

This Bible verse about purpose, like the one above about David, is also helpful as I find myself, along with you, on the journey of finding God’s purpose for my life.

This verse makes it clear again, that the purpose is ultimately God’s, and not our own. 

This doesn’t mean we are devoid of purpose… in fact, our purpose is FOR him.

We were created through him and for him. 

This is where the lights, for me, started to come on while I was finding God’s purpose for my life.  

Check out this next Bible verse about purpose:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” –1st Peter 2:9

Isn’t that beautiful? 

If we know Jesus as our Savior, we are chosen, royal, holy… his special possession.  

And why do we get this privilege? 

So that we can declare his praises!  Bingo! 

Right there we have uncovered and discovered our main purpose for God.

We do each have different and unique ways of living out our purpose.

Down at the root of it all, as Christ followers, our main purpose is to glorify God and to declare his praises and to point our neighbors to Christ through our love.

If you seek to do this in everything you do… you won’t miss out on fulfilling your God given purpose.

Identifying Your Unique Purpose

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. 18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the [a]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the [b]saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He [c]produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:16-21 Amplified

God’s Desire and Purpose: Our Growing in Wisdom

Growing in wisdom is about cultivating a character that is Christlike.

If we want that wisdom, then the words of Ephesians 1 are a great discovery and and an even greater source of divine encouragement.

What is striking about these verses is how they tell us we don’t have to figure this all out on our own.

It’s not a project for which God gives us a textbook and tests us with a final exam at the end of life.

God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is absolutely never a “hands off” teacher.

In Ephesians 1 Paul explains that he prays for people to have wisdom, and he asks God to be involved in the process—because that is what God promises. Paul goes on to mention “the Spirit of wisdom,” and he isn’t asking only for the Spirit to help us; Paul asks that the Spirit of wisdom be given to us.

Why? So that we may know God better.

Suddenly this matter of gaining wisdom is not just about anyone or everyone learning some Christian way of living.

It is about an interactive God who wants to live in interaction with and within us and be the absolute most vital part of our faith growth by becoming part of us.

We can simplify all that to this: God wants us to have wisdom.

So we can make this prayer our own, saying, “I want to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation because I absolutely want to know my God better.”

God’s Desire For Us: Eyes Open, Mind Illuminated

Ephesians 1:18-21Amplified Bible

18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the [a]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the [b]saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and  unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He [c]produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come.

What a blessing it is to read this prayer of the apostle Paul!

He asks that God will open, or enlighten, the eyes of our hearts.

Why?

That we may “know him better,” have “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” and know the hope of all that God promises to us.

With hearts open to the wonder of all that God has done, we are empowered by his Spirit to live faithfully and purposely and wisely for him, as Jesus did.

When we are open to God’s working in and through our lives, we are like a blank page on which he writes his poetry, a blank empty canvas on which he works his artistry, softened clay with which he molds, shapes and transforms his vessels.

Perhaps the right combination is openheartedness and singlemindedness—our heart and mind, hands and feet, equally devoted to the God of infinite wisdom.

Lent is an excellent time to have the eyes of our hearts opened and our ears and our minds illuminated to absolutely all of that our Lord has done, all that he can do in our lives, and all that we can look absolutely look forward to in sure hope.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

God of ALL truth, sometimes I not sure if I’m actually hearing your voice, or if it’s just my own thoughts or even another spirit. Sharpen my spiritual hearing, Lord, so I can recognize your words when you are speaking to me. Help me know it’s really you, with no doubt or second-guessing. When I’m asking for your guidance in important decisions, give me your peace that surpasses understanding with your answer. Help me remember that your words to me will never go against your written word in the Bible. Give me a clear mind and push out all my confusion. Savior Jesus, encourage us in the single minded pursuit of being open and opened up to your greater wisdom and your working and your desires and purposes in our lives. In your name we live.

Adeste Fidelis. Venite Adoremus. Dominum.

Gloria. In Excelsis Deo. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

Happy Mother’s Day! God’s Priceless Legacy: The Hope of Faithful Moms.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be an archaeologist. The whole idea of my finding something buried and unseen by others appealed to me. When younger, I could be found digging in some corner of the yard. Best thing I ever found was a big old cookie tin with three small words on it – “Love, From Mom.”

And then, one day I was playing archaeologist in my dad’s old dusty library. I looked in an old, unlocked drawer on his secretary and encountered Christ. My whole life changed, but my love for a good dig didn’t. It was simply redirected.

God placed a treasure trove of priceless jewels within reach when I removed an old torn up Bible with pages falling out everywhere. Miner’s hat? Check. Pickaxe and shovel? Check. A new-born burning passion to discover God? Check, check.

Thus began my youthful lifelong search for God’s nature. The pages which had fallen out of the old Bible were from Psalm 139. I read it but really did not know what I was reading. So, I took it to Mom who was in the kitchen baking bread.

Mom took the pages and she read them. She picked me up and put me on her lap and read them to me. In this moment of youth, I realized had stumbled across something stunningly lovely: His handiwork in fashioning my mothers’ heart.

It’s easy to miss God weaving Himself into mothers and their hearts. Man can only offer up a deep, well, totally unfulfilling definition coming from myriads of greeting cards offering vast armies of “sentimental” words feebly addressing it.

Hollywood’s script writers have spent countless millions, (if not billions by now) depicting it onscreen. Yet the very truest wellspring of a mother’s heart remains mysterious. They try to depict what cannot be depicted.

What can never be depicted is this incredible truth: Our Creator God takes great care to knitting all of Himself into who we are and will become.

In examining His deep love for us, His mothering nature is quickly apparent:

Psalm 139:13-18 Authorized (King James) Version

13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvelous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret,
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!
how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:
when I awake, I am still with thee.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Our Creator takes care to knit Himself into who we are and will become. In examining His love for us, His mothering nature is quickly apparent:

“…How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37 NASB)

How could God reference Himself as a protective mother, lest He’d poured His compassionate nature into the mother’s heart? His maternal temperament continues:

“…He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17b NASB)

“Quiet in His love,” duplicates the tenderest moments between mother and child, referencing the child being fully contented and simply enjoying the closeness of its mother.

The child wants nothing more than its mother’s presence. It’s a time of very quiet love. Drawing powerful strength from her proximity alone.

Again, we see His mothering side:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15a NASB)

Who better than the Designer of mothers could explain this nurturing side of Himself? The nourishing definition of Jehovah Jireh. Our Provider.

His provision in limitless care was famously spoken to Moses. Asking a yet unnamed God His true name, He replied, “I Am.” A statement begging to fill in the blank. “I AM everything. I AM infinite. I AM all powerful.”

Until my mother’s passing from a heart attack 1997, I took fullest possible advantage of my family membership and went straight to her for comfort.

I guess Dad understood my running past him to reach her arms.

With advancing years, hurts changed, but the source of my consolation didn’t.

I still went directly to Mom and her lap for comfort and my “momma hug”.

For through her deep and limitless kindness, forgiveness, and never-ending compassion, I came to feel God’s caring, hugging presence, I came to wholly trust God’s ever nurturing presence. He was easily recognizable in her and I very deeply valued God’s mothering heart woven tightly into hers.

The birthing process is God’s idea. He’s maternally given birth to the universe, birth to our planet, and birth to us. Most importantly He’s given us re-birth, calling us into reconciliatory relationships with Him.

Nicodemus needed clarification. He knew it impossible to reenter a mother’s womb a second time. God’s way was easier with no gestational period.

Being born-again in the Spirit granted restoration with the Father, enjoying unbroken intimacy.

Our Father in heaven is solidly our Father. His maternal nature guarantees attendance at every bird’s funeral. Keeps track of 7.2 billion heads of hair.

Tallies innumerable thoughts about us exceeding grains of sand. Stills our storms, heals our diseases, binds our broken hearts.

The most potent attribute of His mother’s heart is His lavish forgiveness of our sins. Dark sins, washed in red blood, producing robes of white righteousness.

Like the mother that deliberately forgets her child’s shortcomings, He casts our sins directionally as far as the east is from the west, and as far as the north is from the south, until sinking to the absolute floor of the Sea of Forgetfulness.

Simply stated, He is Father God with a mother’s heart.

Waiting to wipe every tear; sitting up with us through the night; and listening to our troubles—solving them while we are yet wounded, suffering, speaking.

The mother’s heart is best defined by her unselfish generosity in ongoing, unconditional giving and raising her family to become loving parents too.

Proverbs 22:6Authorized (King James) Version

6 Train up a child in the way he should go:
    and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Psalm 119:9-16Authorized (King James) Version

ב  Beth

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord:
teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts,
and have respect unto thy ways.
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes:
I will not forget thy word.

Pastor Billy Graham is quoted as saying, “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.”

Now listen to these other quotes you may find of particular interest:

“All I am I owe to my mother; I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” George Washington

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln

“I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother.” Reverend Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Only loving relationships provide lasting legacy and hope.

Today, Mother’s Day 2022, we will celebrate and encourage all moms in their contributions to legacy…to being that character forming mother!

Plus, we will remind each of us—parents, children, teens, and young adults, of the importance of pursuing God’s plan for relationships.

Questions for Moms and Dads

What hope do we have that our children will stand by their faith and live by their values?

What or who do you trust to impact their lives?

What are you hoping will produce relationally healthy followers?

Who had a profound effect on Jesus? (Proverbs 22:6).

What legacy are we leaving?

We certainly can’t hope for perfect children like Jesus because our children are just like us—imperfect people. But where do they go for guidance does matter.

Do they go to God’s Word?

Do they seek guidance from attentive parents?

Both Parents, even Grand-Parents must continuously pursue relationship with their children so they will “earn the right” in their child’s eyes to speak God and Jesus Christ into their lives as they begin to make their own choices.

Could you join with me and every mom here today in this hope?

Look square into your mom’s face and tell her:

“I praise God for you and Psalm 127:3 Behold children are gifts from the Lord”

Let’s fervently hope and pray that…

Our children are raised by Godly principles drawn directly from the Word of God. (Romans 15:1-6, Ephesians 6:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:10-17, Hebrews 4:12)

• Our children are more influenced and shaped by their parents and their faith than by the world.

• Our teens and young adults remain open to our input and continue to be open about the details of their physical, emotional and spiritual life.

• Our adult children want to be around us, and we regularly enjoy being around them!

Some of us may also champion the simple, but profound, hope our current family could be a little healthier or a more functional than our own childhood family.

Thank God for creating motherhood!

Today we celebrate all moms who pay the price for making a difference in us!

Thank you, Mom, for letting me feel God’s love radiate through you.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Lt us Pray,

A Child’s Prayer for their Mama’s on Mother’s Day

Dear God, My Creator …

I just want to say, “Thank you for my Mama!”

Thank you for the woman who gave birth to me and has loved me ever since.

I’m grateful for her impact on my life, for her presence, for her love.

Thank you for every moment she was there to pick me up from school, and every moment she helped me heal from heartbreak.

Thank you for every phone call, hug, compliment, even complaint.

Thank you that she cares.

Thank you that despite us not always getting along, our love has endured.

I’m grateful for Mama, and pray that you help me to better honor her every day.

Show me how I can express appreciation for what she has done.

Help me to see all that she has done. God, please help me practice patience when I feel like she’s being too much, or too bossy, or too much like a mom.

Honestly God, who would I be without my Mama?

I pray to you now, God, asking you to bless the remainder of her life.

Please bring her comfort when sickness and body aches occur. Please give her continued direction for her life. Keep her mind renewed.

God, I ask the remainder of her life may be enriched, that she would still feel like she has purpose to fulfill, despite having accomplished so much already.

I pray for those Mama’s who have found their eternal reward with you. They have earned their place of rest by your side, and I know you will keep her safe.

Rest well, Mama, from your labors. One day we shall worship God together!

In the name of Jesus,

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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