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Unique Son of God

John 3:16; one of the greatest messages and reminders we have today of God’s love. We may all be considered the children of God as John 1:12 would put it: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Yet only Him – the Him this verse displays the light and radiance of, the one John 1:14 goes on to speak of saying “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus – the Word of God, the Word that commands all else; a glory we know that gives us hope, that we would gladly give our lives to; this is God’s only Son, the only Begotten of God, the true light that would light our way, the only one worthy to atone in sacrifice for the weight of all men’s sins; that is the Son of God who died for us!

But though we may call ourselves children of God, only Jesus Christ alone is unique Son of God and Son of Man, part of the Holy Trinity, the Godhead, three in one. Tracy had an invigorating journal earlier this week about God being absolute, perfect truth, revolving around John 14:6: “Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I thought of that verse while writing this too; only in Christ can we find salvation. Only through Him can we hope to come to & know God. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5: “ For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Who else is worthy to stand in front of God on our behalf? When our own sin damns us, who else but the perfect, true Son of God would be able to grant our pardon from what we’ve deserved? Only Jesus Christ, Son of God, could save us!

There is none other like Jesus; no one else to live a sinless life in the flesh, who could satisfy the wrath of God. No other could step down from heaven to earth, and demonstrate to us what it means to be different from the world. In prayer today, I thank God for His Son, the one and only, who did what no other man could do for us: dying a death in the flesh so we may live a life beyond it. I praise God for the unique role He set aside for Christ, and I praise Christ for being willing to step up to that role for us. I humble myself in awe at the magnitude of His plan, of His perfection, and pray a simple prayer that in this perfect love Christ showed, I could look and learn a little more every day how to love more like Him. I hope you can join me in this prayer as well. Together, may we flood a world in need with a love resembling His unique love for us.

Unchanging

Do you believe people can change? Sometimes change is a good thing. It can mean leaving our past sinful ways and bad habits behind us. When we begin to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that is a change which is good…really good. It’s been said that baptism is the outward display of an inward change (or decision) to follow and trust Jesus. However, change can be a bad thing. Sometimes people go in the wrong direction and begin to chase their worldly and sinful desires. You often hear it said with broken marriages…”He/She changed. They are not the person they were when I married them.”

Right now with an election upcoming, we see the topic of change come up a lot. Not just in the area of whether or not they can create a positive change if elected or re-elected, but have they changed their stance on certain topics. We can find past things they have said on topics that they now say something totally different within not just a matter of years..but a matter of months, weeks and even days. We also wonder if they have changed as a person. Being that we are all sinful humans that have made mistakes, every candidate has said or done things in their personal life that are not good. The question is…who are they today? Are these past words or actions a representation of who they are today? They will say no. Truly..only God knows for sure. Sometimes it’s exhausting to try to figure out not only who a political candidate really is…but sadly even sometimes who our friends and family really are. The fact is..we are all sinners in need of a Savior.

The good news is…the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are unchanging as James 1:17 tells us.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17

When we read His Word, we can see that He is the one…and only one…that never changes. He is only one who is perfect, blameless, and holy. He has kept every promise and always will. He was great from the start of Creation (before actually), and He will continue to be great until He comes again and for eternity. Every one of His words has and will come to pass. He is the one “candidate” we can trust and follow who will never ever fail us. Mark your Bible and read this before every election. It is a reminder that the One who is really in control and who we should put our hope in has never run for a public office.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

Psalm 118:8-9

No matter how “good” someone might be…they are not perfect. They have messed up and will again. They cannot be unchanging. Only He can. Let us trust and truly follow and worship Him and only Him, and remember this not only on election day, but today and every day for the rest our lives. Let us thank Him for giving His life on the cross that through the shedding of His perfect blood and belief in Him, we are now also made blameless and will spend eternity with Him.

This God-His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 17:30

Truth

 

 

John 14:6

 

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the father except through me.” God is absolute truth. He doesn’t just know truth or arrive at truth after much study, He actually is truth. While this concept is hard for me to wrap my brain around and I am not articulate enough to explain this concept or expound on the theology behind it, I do believe it as fact in my life. I am 100% positive that He is perfect truth because I have read about His character in the Bible, I have experienced first hand His truth, in wisdom and answers throughout my entire life, and in my relationship with Him I hear Him speaking truth into my mind when I am seeking Him. I am as sure of this fact as I am of any other fact in my life. The beauty of a perfect Father who is absolute truth brings amazing comfort to my heart as this world is on a path of destruction.

Look, I realize that each one of us has to at some point come to the place where we believe God is who He says He is. We have to choose Him and we have to trust that the Bible is actually His written word to us. This choice never felt hard for me. It didn’t seem like too big of a stretch. Maybe because I chose God when I was young the decision was simple. I hope that all of you have experienced God enough in your own lives to be confident that He is who He says He is. I hope that you have chosen Him so He is free to reveal to you His truth in your own personal experiences. It is powerful! It is rich and amazing that the creator of the universe loves each of us so much that He wants a personal relationship with us so we can share ourselves with Him and He also shares Himself with us individually. It is crazy, beautiful, ridiculous and the best possible gift ever!!

Jesus is the way the truth and the life. As the “way”, He is our path to the Father. He is in fact the only way. We can do nothing to earn our way to relationship with God. Jesus gifted us that path. Are we thankful for this gift? Do we regularly tell Him how much we appreciate Him trading his life for ours? What words can convey our gratefulness for this kind of gift? As the “truth” He is the reality of all of God’s promises. Everything that God told people in the Old Testament would happen actually did. Jesus fulfilled God’s plan by becoming human, giving his life for ours, raising from the dead, and returning to heaven. He will return to earth to gather His believers to heaven with Him when God’s chosen time arrives. Do we praise God and worship Him for His plan? Do we give Him the praise He deserves for accomplishing that plan for our benefit? As the “life” Jesus joins His divine life to ours both now and forever in heaven…eternity. Are we looking forward to the day when we see Jesus face to face? Do we live knowing this earth is not our home?

 

I am comforted, refreshed and refueled this morning spending time thinking on God, Truth. The fears, frustration, wrongs, and broken things that were weighing on me earlier are in much better perspective now that I have given God back His rightful spot in my heart.

Trap And A Snare

Isaiah 8:13-15

As we have been following along the attributes of God, I would not have predicted a trap and a snare to be among them.  I mean, God is good, right?  He is all about love and peace and harmony; honey on a biscuit.  According to Isaiah 8:14, that is only partly true.

Let’s start at Isaiah 8:13.  “The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. He will be a holy place.”  Isaiah’s language is pretty clear.  Regard God as holy and fear him.  If you do, God will be a holy place.  I don’t think any of us would contest that.  But, what if you don’t regard him as holy?  What if you do not fear him?  Isaiah answers those questions in verse 14.

“He will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.  And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.  Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

As I try to better understand this, I found it helpful to remember Isaiah was a prophet.  He was foretelling a story of Jesus.  More directly, he was warning God’s “followers.”  Maybe you remember them as Pharisees.  I cannot explain this better than David Osborne.  In his book Accidental Pharisees, he says: “Don’t forget, the Pharisees of old saw themselves as God’s biggest fans. They praised him. They worshiped him. They spoke out in his defense. Yet when he showed up, they vehemently opposed him.”  If God can be a stumbling block, a trap, and a snare, surely that is what it looks like.

The same is true for us.  We can do all the right things, say the right stuff and show up at the right places.  At some point in our journey, God is likely to show up in a way we don’t understand or He will do something we disagree with.  Even worse, he may show up and we don’t recognize him for who he is, just like the Pharisees.  I see now that Isaiah’s warning is very much for me.

Osborne, Larry. Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (p. 27). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I Will Not Be Shaken

As a believer in Jesus, the hardest part of faith for me is to keep a positive faith-filled attitude when things are not going well. It is certainly much easier to have faith when I am not challenged.

Maybe you had an event in your life that caused you to lean in to God, or perhaps, to lean out.  Trials thrown at us like sickness or illness, tragic loss or death, relational challenges, or perhaps a job loss.  The world is crumbling around you and you don’t hear God speaking to you and He is not coming to your rescue. Where is He when I need Him?  Why should I continue to believe and have faith if it does not feel like God is with me when I am in a bad season?

Isaiah 8:14 says “He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the house of Israel as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

The context behind this verse relates to the prophet Isaiah and his counsel to the Jewish people when they were under the reign of King Ahaz.  The Nation of Israel was a very low point of faith and turned their faith to King Ahaz rather than to God. Isaiah urged the Jewish people to fear the Lord and put their faith in Him.  Isaiah is stating in this verse that God will challenge and “snare” the Jewish people with trials and difficult times to bring their faith closer to Him.

Wait!  You mean the Lord our God knows we will go through bad times and He lets it happen!  Why do I want to believe and have faith in a God that wants or knows that I am suffering?

The apostles that lived and traveled with Jesus carried on the expansion of Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus.  When Jesus died on the cross, they were devastated and I would be confident to say they, briefly, lost their faith. But that all changed with Jesus’ resurrection.  To add onto that, all of the disciples that carried the movement and expansion of Christianity around the world, endured imprisonment, ridicule, torture, and in many cases horrible deaths.  If they would have quit or not had faith, humanity today might not be saved. Although they put their lives at risk and suffered greatly, most of the books of the New Testament in the Bible were written by men who suffered more than we could ever imagine and they still followed Jesus.

The randomness and inconsistency of life does not shake my faith simply because of the resurrection of Jesus.  There are far better people than me that endured insurmountable obstacles yet they still believed in the risen Christ.  They were so moved and impacted by His resurrection, they were willing to suffer unimaginable circumstances to spread the gospel.  They believed and trusted that God would bless them even in the face of horrible circumstances.

There has to be a reason and purpose for our suffering is this life.  I must keep studying, asking, digging, questioning, and exploring my faith.  One of my favorite quotes about faith and studying the Bible is from Matthew Maher.  Matthew said “We cannot say God is not speaking to us when our Bible is closed.”

I will keep reading.  I will continue to ask questions.  I will strive to be reverent and curious to understand the meaning of this life’s events.  What I know is I may not always understand but I trust that my God has a purpose.  He is challenging me to learn more, explore more, and go deeper with my relationship with Him.

If the disciples who were tortured and died horrible deaths still believed in Jesus, I think my day to day life challenges can be overcome. I will not be shaken.

Family Traditions

This week, during our e-learning adventures, I worked with my first grader on social studies. Cultures, customs, and traditions were in the lesson, and I had to laugh at the family tradition he chose to write about.

Taco Tuesday.

This kid L O V E S tacos. And he REALLY loves taco Tuesday at our house. Have you ever heard the song “It’s raining tacos”? Yeah, it’s a regular over here.

Anyway, his write up on Taco Tuesday was great – except one small detail. Taco Tuesday doesn’t fit into the definition of a tradition: a custom that is passed down through the generations over time. 

Now, if my son eventually makes tacos with his kids on Tuesdays, BAM, this custom is now a tradition! And I’d be a proud mama to pass that down.

Although, not quite David/Solomon level of traditions we have recorded in the Bible…

From an early age, David declared not just the power of God, but the power in his NAME! When standing against Goliath he says “you come with sword and spear, and I come in the name of the Lord”.

In Psalms, David says “may the name of the God of Jacob defend you“. He goes on to worship and sing praises to the name of God and call on the name of God.

There IS power in the name of the Lord! This power continues with the name of Jesus. Praying in his name, miracles in his name, POWER in the name of Jesus.

I’m guessing that King David not only wrote down about this power and strength that the name of the Lord carries, but he also shared his testimonies with his family. His real life experiences of God’s protection while battling Goliath, running from Saul, and everything in between. He shared how the Lord was his refuge and strong tower against his enemies, passing down to the generations the protection that the name of the Lord provides. I can picture them worshipping the name of the Lord together as a family. What a legacy!

Proverbs 18 records David’s son, King Solomon, penning this very same thing. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it.  His name protects us, shields us, secures us. David believed it, Solomon believed it, and generations later, we believe it. We rely on it. I’m so grateful to be part of the family of God with these truths passed down from generation to generation!

Thirst Quencher

When you’re thirsty, which beverage sounds the most quenching? Is it situational?

For me: First thing in the morning, cold tap water, then sparkling water. After working in the yard, beer (and when I was very young my grandma always had Orange Fanta ready after I cut her lawn). Throughout the day, flavored sparkling water. When I was a youngster playing golf, I loved lemonade or Vernors (ginger ale) with ice and a lemon. Fitness, a sport bottle that quickly launches a steady stream of cool water down my throat. Ahh….

Typing this brings back some great memories, quenching thirst with friends and family.

What do you thirst in life? Peace, balance, fun, joy, laughter, friendship, love, success, healing, wealth, rest, sleep?

One prayer on my heart, “my thirst” has been to find another brother in Christ in/near the city where we live. Perhaps there was some doubt that this would happen anytime soon because when it did happen I admit to being shocked. What other prayers do we pray with seemingly full faith but as time passes we begin to doubt? Keep on praying and trusting!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding; (Proverbs 3:5)

My new friend Francesco is already a great blessing as we discuss and give praise to God; this is true living water. When I think about all of the earthly things that I seek, none are greater than being in alignment with my creator and seeing him work and move in my life and in those around me. All of that wonderful sparkling water in the world will never compare to the thirst quenching of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He promises it; may our words, thoughts and actions reflect our belief in his promises.

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

Teacher

Did you like school growing up?  Some years were better than others, but overall I remember generally liking school.  Often times whether the year was good or bad simply depended on the teacher I was assigned.  I had one or two with whom I never really made a good connection, a few that made the class tons of fun, and a few that truly inspired me to excellence / to love the subject matter / to love learning.  Inspiring teachers had a lasting impact on my life by getting me to engage in the learning process.

During the season of remote learning we are currently enduring, one of the things my kids are missing out on is the opportunity to connect with others, in person, on a daily basis.  Personal interaction enhances friendships and I am convinced it enhances learning.  While my kids’ teachers are doing all they can to increase the effectiveness of remote learning plans, it cannot completely replace the value of personal interaction.  These teachers don’t have the same ability to influence the lives of their students because it is so much harder to get students excited about/engaged in learning when you never see them in person.  It is sad, both the students and teachers are missing out!

Merriam-Webster defines teacher as, a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue (conformity to a standard of right).  This is a pretty high standard.  Every teacher who had a lasting impact on my life took this responsibility seriously.

In the New Testament, Jesus was often called, Rabbi or teacher.  He helped his followers acquire knowledge and conform to the ways of the Lord.  He inspired his followers to engage in the learning process and thereby had the opportunity to make a lasting impact on their lives.

Do you consider Jesus a teacher?  Are you allowing him to guide and influence your life through personal interaction?  While Jesus is not physically present, by accepting him and Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit will come and live in your heart.  He will be with you always.

An inspiring teacher + a willing learner = life change

 

 

Glorious Sword

Deuteronomy 33:29 Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.

Today’s name of Jesus is “glorious sword“. Swords are primarily a symbol of warfare used to kill and destroy. This brings pictures of gladiator fights and bloody wars from Braveheart to Ben Hur. If I have ever used a sword it was made out of foam and my kids were involved.  There is no one in this world that I would use a sword against. I am a peaceful person and never want to hurt anyone…especially with a sword! So barbaric!

But 1 Peter 5:8 reminds me that there is an adversary and an enemy that seeks to destroy me. “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” I am defenseless against this enemy without the glorious sword of Jesus. This sword is more powerful than any physical sword. The sword of the spirit is the word of God. When thoughts of worthlessness are creeping in…..wield His glorious sword! When tempted to give in or give up….wield His Glorious sword! When the darkness starts to crowd out the light….wield His Glorious sword and trust that you are victorious through Jesus. There is power in our proclaiming His name and allowing his glorious sword to fight for us.

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.

Dear Heavenly Father~I pray that we would have faith to wield your Glorious Sword in the midst of our daily lives. Help us to battle against the lies of this world with the truth of your word. Thank you for fighting for us and giving us victory. Amen

Sustainer

Last week I was attempting to play some street hockey with my kids. As I was trying to go down the driveway, my stick gets stuck in to a gap between the driveway and road. As the end of the hockey stick jabbed me in the stomach, my feet went as high as my head, landing on my hand, then elbow, and then shoulder. My body and pride took a hit as the kids expected me to hop right back up like they usually do. I thought…

 In about a month, I will be turning 45.  Now some may say, “That’s old!”  Or some may say, “That’s young.”  or some may say, “ I’m right there with you.”  Wherever you land or, in my case, physically land, Jennifer was quick to remind me of my age and need for me to be injury-free in our household.  

I tell you this story to help you to reflect on our verses today.  These were the verses I read that night as I secretly rubbed my should and applied a little ice. Bothe verses connect with our word for today.  Sustain. When you look up the word sustainer, you will discover names like carrying, upholding, supporting, keeping from falling, or enduring.

 

Isaiah 46:4 even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save you.

 

Those who trust in the Lord can believe and have an assurance that He will sustain us through it all.  That day I had physically fallen, but the Lord picked me up and supported me.  At work, I had a plan not happen as planned.  This is where I  mentally fell.   I was talking to a family member who is on the verge of a divorce.  I spiritually fell after thinking of the prayers we had said.  Our Lord picked us right back up.  

Where have you fallen? Is it physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? 

 Our Lord is here to carry, support, and endure anything the world throws at us or takes out from under our feet.  Are you worried a little today about anything? Let’s change it.  

 

David reminds us in 

Psalm 55:22  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. 

Are you trying to do it on your own? So maybe its the impact of COVID, a position at work, dealing with family, a recent failure? Whatever it may be.  Trust in the Lord.  He is our sustainer.  

Unspoken ~ You’ve Always Been

You’ve been my Savior, Sustainer when I’m at my end. My Healer, Redeemer, again and again, My Mother and my Father, Brother, Sister, and friend and everything I’ve needed Lord, You’ve always been everything I’ve needed Lord, You’ve always been