Love Letters from God

Week 34

Even though the Bible was written by men, it was inspired by God and the writers wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we are reading God’s words to us. That is pretty amazing to think about. The God of the universe made a way to communicate with us in a medium that we would understand and he really wanted us to know about him. He has revealed himself to us through this inspired writing and in the book of 1 John he speaks about this writing.

“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” (1 John 2:12)

Who are these dear children? Believers in Christ, those who have faith in the finished work of the cross. He made sure that this information was spelled out for us in the pages of the Bible. All through the Bible he spoke of what he was going to do to rescue us. His word is full of prophecies and promises about the coming of Messiah. 

“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.”  (1 John 2:13a) 

Who are the fathers? Those believers who are mature in their faith. Those who have been living their lives as “little Christs.” Those who have a relationship with Christ and are true disciples following in his footsteps. His word continues to speak to believers who want to know him better. 

My own experience in this area is that no matter what I know about God the Father, there is always more to know. He is mysterious and his ways are so immense that we will never know all there is to know about him. Each time I read scripture, I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more about God and every day I see more of his character and creativity. His word is living and changing to meet me where I am. 

“I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:13b)

Who are the young men? Those who have been engaged in spiritual warfare and have overcome the enemy because they have searched the scripture and been instructed how to fight the battle. There are numerous passages helping believers stand our ground in the battle that Satan is waging against us.

God has not left us here to struggle without help. He knows that Satan prowls around the earth searching for someone to devour and he has given us the means to overcome him. I am reminded of one scripture in particular. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 reminds us that “though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” God has given us instruction for fighting the battle in his word.

“I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.”

 (1 John 2:13c)

God has given true believers knowledge of him and his ways. Those who believe in Christ are aware that he is God incarnate. When we know about Jesus, he reveals God to us. Jesus told us that if we had seen him we had seen the Father. 

“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.” (1 John 2:14a)

The knowledge that mature believers have in the Lord is such that it is passed on to their children and grandchildren and in some cases it came from past generations. That knowing has been part of the lives of many believers since their own childhood but it is more than just from their beginning that he is referring. When we know him and understand him we see him from the beginning of time. God was always there, his love for us is eternal.

“I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14b)

Once again God is revealing himself to new believers and his word is what will make believers strong in their faith. The word of God is meant to be ingested and become part of believers. As we study the word of God our faith becomes stronger and we are able to overcome the evil one by the word of our testimony. 

Satan has to flee when we speak the word of God into situations, therefore, if we know the word, if it is within us and part of our makeup, we can speak that word into situations and Satan will have to go. God’s word is our strength.

God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. Psalm 119:105. It illuminates our steps through life. Wherever we go, if we will ask God, he will order our steps. He has given us his word as an instruction manual. No matter what our questions, no matter what we need to know, the answer is in God’s word. 

This may sound silly to the world, but we can ask God for help in every situation of our lives. There are days when I am not even sure what clothes to wear. I have stood in the middle of the closet looking at my clothes and asked the Lord to give me direction. It sounds dumb, but God really wants to be a part of my every day life. His word tells me that. And his word tells me that I can ask anything in his name and he will answer me. I am believing him and all the promises he has given me. That is what he wants.

The next time you have a question about anything, ask God for the answer. You may not get an audible response, but he will hear and respond. You may have to look in your concordance under a topic pertaining to your question. You may have to ask your pastor, but God will give you direction and he will illuminate your path. Trust in his written word.

Father God, We just want to thank you for the amazing way that you have provided answers to our questions about you and the universe. We know that you are all knowing, all sufficient and ever present. We praise you and thank you for being so magnificent and holy. Continue to draw us into a deeper relationship with you. We need you and your divine guidance in every area of our lives. Bless you Lord. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

Nailed to the Cross

Week 33

When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments he knew that all mankind was sinful. God knew that no matter how hard we would try to be obedient, we just couldn’t do it. He didn’t give us the Ten Commandments to save us, but to prove a point to us. He wanted us to realize that no matter how hard we tried, we just could never be good enough on our own to overcome our sinful nature. 

The law was given to us as a plumb line. The Lord wanted us to get a glimpse of how we would be judged. He expected his people to love him with all of their being, he expected his people to bow only before him, he expected his people to not misuse his name or break his sabbath. He expected his people to honor their parents, to not murder anyone, to not commit adultery or steal. He expected his people to not give false testimony or set their desire on their neighbors property. These are things that God expected of his chosen people, the Hebrews. 

God only wanted his people to follow these laws because it would be best for everyone if they did. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is a God who is worthy of complete devotion. He is worthy of total love. He alone is trustworthy and loyal. He established the sabbath day as a day of rest for himself and expected the same for his people. He is honorable, the giver of life, he is truthful and faithful. He never takes but always gives. He cannot speak anything but truth and he is the one who gives good gifts as he decides what is best for each one of us. 

Why would God expect us to live such righteous lives? Because righteous people are the only ones who can have a relationship with a holy God. He cannot look upon sin - he cannot be intimate with people who are sinful. It goes against his character to associate with sinners. But look at us... Paul says it best in Romans 3:23. “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All means ALL, not most, not a few, not maybe everyone - but ALL. If following the law could save us then surely there would be some who could follow the law completely and be saved. Surely there would be a few who would be righteous in God’s eyes.

Jesus Christ is the only one who was able to follow the law completely and totally. He was the only one who could save God’s chosen people. When he died on the cross, the sins of the whole world died there as well. In taking the sins of the world on himself, he was able once and for all to satisfy the law. 

His death on the cross completed the perfect sacrifice and then the law could be fulfilled through him. When we break a civil law what are the consequences? There is a penalty to be paid. We must go before the judge and make restitution for our crime. When Christ died on the cross, he went before the righteous judge of heaven and paid the penalty for everyone on the face of the earth. 

The penalty for sin is death and Jesus paid that price for us, even though he was sinless and holy he willingly let the powers of earth nail him to the cross. He knew that they did not have authority over him because he had not broken any of the laws. An innocent man was condemned to death. 

When Satan entered Judas and he betrayed Jesus, when the Jewish court found him guilty, when the Roman government ordered his death, each of these acts lead to the salvation of the world. Those associated with his death didn’t realize that they were not in control, but that God had planned this from the foundation of the world. We read what God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 

Indeed, through Abraham’s descendents came the Messiah, the anointed one of God who would take away the sins of the world. Paul said in Galatians 3:8 “The scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’.” 

The law of Moses was satisfied when Jesus died on the cross. The law had required a perfect sacrifice and there was none perfect until Christ. But how do we fit into that picture? When we put our faith in Christ Jesus we are saying that we believe that he died for our sins, we are accepting the gift that he gave us. We don’t have to do anything to satisfy the law because he did it all. 

Once we accept his gift and we choose to live our lives as his disciples, we honor the commandments that he gave us. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love one another. 

Colossians 2:13-14 tells us that “when you were dead in your sins and in the circumsicision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Jesus told us in Matthew 7:12 “to do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.” 

When we love God and love our fellow humans we will naturally live our lives according the plan that God devised when he gave Moses the ten commandments. No, we will not live sinless lives, our sinful nature is still in us until Christ comes back and we receive our glorified bodies, that is when we will be like him. But until that time, we are to strive to live Christlike lives. 

Paul told the church in Galatia that the entire law was summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

Heavenly Father,

We accept the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for our sins. We understand that he was not a sinner and that the debt he paid for us was made by a perfect sacrifice. His sinless blood has covered the sins of every person who has ever or will ever live on the face of the earth. We thank you for sending him to earth for this purpose. It is amazing to us that he would willingly do this for us and that the law would be fulfilled in him. We thank you that we don’t have to try to live righteous lives, because we know that it would be impossible for us to do so.

Thank you for fulfilling the promise that you made to Father Abraham so many centuries ago. You are indeed a gracious God, a God of compassion and love, a God of justice and mercy. We honor you and give you praise because you are worthy of praise. Amen

God will help us speak

Week 32

When Moses was called by God to go to Pharaoh and ask him to set the Israelites free, he didn’t think he was the one God should send. He questioned God in Exodus 4:10-12. Moses said to the Lord, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

If God is the same today that he was then, why do we refuse to obey when he asks us to speak on his behalf today? Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you and tell you to speak to someone? To offer a word of encouragement, to offer sympathy or help, to ask for help yourself? God doesn’t always expect us to preach or teach when he asks us to speak in his behalf. Sometimes it is very ordinary, everyday things that he wants us to talk to someone about.

God was stressing to Moses that he knew everything about him and he knew his disabilities. It didn’t seem to matter to the Lord that Moses had a speech impediment. God didn’t worry that he was sending someone who didn’t have a great vocabulary or someone who could argue a good case. God knew Moses’ heart, he knew that he loved the Hebrew people and wanted to see them released from captivity. God knew that he was sending the right man for the job. 

He does the same thing with each one of us. I remember one day praying for someone on the prayer chain from church. There was a lady in the hospital in the town where I work. I had never met her and I didn’t know anything about her, but God put her in my heart that day and told me to go visit her on my lunch hour and pray with her. We had a mutual friend in common and I told her that her friend had put her on the prayer chain at our church. I let her know that I had been praying for her and that I just wanted to come and let her know that God loved her. We chatted a few minutes and I asked her if I could pray for her before I left. She agreed, we held hands and I prayed for healing for her. I have never seen her since and I really don’t know how she is doing today, but I do know that God used me that day. He must have had a message for her and he used me to give it to her. He gave me an instructed tongue.

Sometimes God uses people in a big way with a great message. He did that with Jeremiah and Isaiah. But most of the time he uses ordinary people with simple messages of love for his children. 

How many times has God put someone in your heart to write a note of encouragement to? Has he ever asked you to send a sympathy card to someone and let them know that they are not alone? Have you ever taken a casserole or loaf of bread to someone who needs to know that God loves them? How did you know what to say to them? Didn’t the Lord give you the right words to comfort and lift up? These are simple acts of kindness and love, but they are the things that people will remember for eternity. 

Now think back to a time when you were the recipient of one of those acts of kindness. I remember coming home from a frightening day in the hospital when I wasn’t sure if my condition was serious and having a lady from the church drop by with meals for two days. That same night, a friend stopped in with Christian teaching tapes on healing. She told me to keep them for as long as I needed. I will always remember those acts of kindness and concern.

When we speak God’s words of healing and comfort to one another, when we obey God and call, write or visit a brother or sister in Christ, we are being Jesus to someone who really needs to see Jesus at a moment of crisis. That is God reaching out to someone who needs him. 

Many times God speaks to us through the scripture. Sometimes he is the still small voice within us. But sometimes he has to become like us - with a compassionate heart and just be “Jesus with skin on” to a person with a deep need.

There are other times when the Lord will use us to teach someone. He will impart knowledge to us through his Word and we are instructed to share that knowledge with others. “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Once again we find out that there are differing degrees of teaching. Some are instructed to speak to large gatherings and share the deep things of God with multitudes of people. Others are asked to share a specific thought with someone who may need to hear that word on a particular day. 

Whenever Christians meet and discuss the Word of God, it is inevitible that they share some tidbit of truth that God has given them. Some of the most important teaching that I have ever received was during a time of sharing in a small group setting. Wherever true disciples of Christ are gathered, the Holy Spirit will guide the conversation toward Christ and his teachings. 

God uses people to share his Word with one another and often times with those who do not know his Word. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful source of information when called upon to help believers share their faith with unbelievers. Many times we, as believers, are asked questions that even theologians couldn’t answer. 

I had a boss who loved to argue about everything. One afternoon we were talking about the Bible and he argued that the Bible was just a book written by men. I knew I had to respond, but I, like Moses, am not eloquent. I also knew that this could just lead to an argument and I knew that I couldn’t win an arguement with my boss. I quickly asked the Holy Spirit to give me an instructed tongue. My response to him was that the Bible was written by men who were inspired and instructed by the Holy Spirit of God. His answer was, "well, that makes a big difference."

The Holy Spirit will give us guidance when we stand before officials and leaders to speak on behalf of God. Jesus told his followers that they could expect to be arrested because of their beliefs, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say to how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20.

God wants us to learn to be receptive to his voice. He wants us to be obedient and speak his words to others. He may be training us for a time when we will stand before kings and governors and will have to rely on him to speak words of healing and grace to them. There may be a day when he will want to put prophetic words in our mouths to share with the people of the world. The Lord told Jeremiah, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:9-10.

God is looking for people that he can use to minister to the world. He may need someone for a small task or an enormous one, but he is still in the business of using people to speak to other people. He is still counting on believers, filled with his Holy Spirit, to speak blessing and life into the lives of people everywhere. Has he asked you to speak to someone recently? If so then praise him and thank him for counting you worthy. If not, then ask him to use you today. And don’t be surprised when he does!

Heavenly Father,

You are the God who is still the same today as the day that you spoke to Moses. You continue to use people to speak your Words of love and compassion to those in need. How amazing that you, the God who created the universe would speak through us, your creation. How awesome to think that you want to speak blessing and love to people on the earth today. Thank you for speaking to us and through us. Thank you for using even us to meet the needs of those you love. May we honor you with our lips and may we speak only your words to those around us. Be glorified in us today, in Jesus name. Amen.

I'm a Leaping Lamb

Do you tend to be more of a leaping lamb or a fainting goat?

I have been reading a lot of historical novels lately and it amazes me how delicate and protected the women in the early 1800s were. I imagine some of the fainting spells were caused by the corsets that they wore, but the women, especially those who were from wealthier families, seldom got a glimpse of what was really happening in the world. They were sheltered and kept in their own little world. When they were faced with reality, their first reaction often was to faint. A temporary form of escaping from the real world.

What a difference 200 years have made in the lives of women. I am definitely a leaping lamb and Christ, my good shepherd, is the one who protects me from the trauma and turmoil of the 21st Century. When I experience a shock, my first reaction is to leap into the arms of my protector. I know that in the arms of Jesus, I can find shelter. I still have to deal with the problems, the hurt, the betrayal and the grief, but I don't have to deal with it alone. 

On the last night Jesus spent with his disciples, he knew that they would be facing with his impending death and he wanted to reassure them that he was sending a comforter and that they could expect persecution. In John 16:33, Jesus told his disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

When trials come, when financial set-backs occur, when death takes a loved one, when we are hurt by a friend, Jesus' words still bring peace. Paul was well aware of this and wrote in Romans 8:38-39. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If we believe in the promises in scripture, we can be leaping lambs and enjoy this life we are living. Our good shepherd is going to lead us, restore our souls, guide us, comfort us and anoint us but it takes a leap of faith on our part to put our trust in Christ. 

God Sees the Entire Picture

Week 31

When God created the universe, he knew what he wanted it to look like. He fashioned it to exact specifications and dimensions. He had a plan for every planet and star, he knew exactly how it would fit together and was able to envision the finished work. When he finished it, he declared it good. 

Our lives are similar to the creation of the world. God knew exactly what he had in mind for each one of us when he made us. He knew how he wanted us to fit into his plan and he has envisioned what the church will be like with each one of us fulfilling the plans he has for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us: “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 hope and a future.” 

Psalm 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 139:16 ...your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 

How can that be? Have you ever pictured the way a project will look when it is finished? Maybe you were going to paint a room and envisioned what the finished work would look like. Maybe you were going to build something, sew something, bake something - in the creative process we get a mental image of the finished work that we are creating.

God had a mental image of you before you were even formed in your mother’s womb. He knew how you would look, he knew your hair color, he knew your attributes, your infirmaties. He knew you before anyone even knew you were on your way. He created you for a purpose and he wants to be glorified in your life.

Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. Psalm 119:73

Since we were created by God for God we can have an intimate relationship with him. He wants us to. He desires that relationship more than anything else. But he wants us to seek him and desire the realtionship also.

Only as we seek him and read his word and desire to know him more and listen to his voice can we become intimate with the God who created us. As we listen to his voice and follow his commands, we begin to see his plan for us and he reveals his plans one piece at a time. Faith is needed to believe that the end result will be pleasing to him and that we will become exactly what he fashioned us to be.

It is human nature to want to see the finished work, the end result and God knows that we are like that. But he wants us to trust in him and believe in him to accomplish what he created us to be. How can we trust him when we can’t see what is ahead for us? 

Paul realized that this spiritual walk was a process and he stressed it to the believers in Philippi by telling them, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6

We are works of art that are still in process and will continue to be in process until the day that we die. The day that has been ordained for us from the time we were formed in our mother’s womb. But it is up to us to keep in partnership with the gospel and the universal church. We have a part to play in our completion.

As brothers and sisters of Christ, we all fit into the big picture together. Just like a jigsaw puzzle isn’t complete until the last piece is in place, we are all part of the big picture. We need each other to become the bride of Christ. God has a purpose for each member of the body and we need to encourage one another to find out where we fit into the body and to do exactly what it is we are fashioned to do.

In the faith chapter in Hebrews we read about the founding fathers and mothers of our faith. We are reminded in Hebrews 11:13 that all these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. These people lived by faith, not by sight. That is what God expects from us also. 

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we are told to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Habakuk shared a message from the Lord for the people of Israel. In Chapter 1 verse 5 they are told, “Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.” That message could be for us today. For the church that is the bride of Christ. 

God is going to do something with the bride of Christ that we would not believe, but he is waiting for the bride to make herself ready. We are the bride and we have some things to do before the wedding day. 

Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

Paul speaks about building up the church in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. He who prophesies edifies the church, try to excel in gifts that build up the church, all things must be done for the strengthening of the church. Until believers come together as one body, Christ cannot receive his bride.

God has a wonderful plan for the future of the church. He already sees what it will become and knows the way he is going to bless her when the time is right. He has only given us glimpses into the future of the church, but we know that God is a God of perfection, he is a God of magnificence and majesty. He is a God who loved the church enough to die on the cross for her. 

When is she going to love him and other believers enough to live for them?

Holy God,

We give you praise for creating the universe to glorify you. We also praise you and thank you for dying for the church. We ask that you teach us, as members of Christ’s church to be all that you created us to be. We want to glorify you in all that we say and do. We want to show the world your glory. Empower us and help us to encourage one another daily. May we see Christ in every believer just as you see him in each one of us. In his name. Amen.

What Artwork Inspires You?

This week the Women of Faith asked What artwork inspires you?

A painting of Christ walking with two of his followers on the road to Emmaus by artist Robert Zund is an inspiration to me. The picture was based on the scripture, Luke 24:13-36. 

On the Road to Emmaus

 13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.

 17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

   They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

 19"What things?" he asked.

   "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

 25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

 28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

 33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

This picture has so much meaning because of my own Walk to Emmaus. Christ's followers didn't recognize him as they walked along that road but they listened to him speak of the scriptures and by the time the day was done, they saw him as the risen Lord.

A very kind lady from the church I attended sponsored me to go on the Emmaus Walk, which is a three day spiritual retreat, many years ago. Before that retreat, I was in the process of developing a close relationship with Christ and that relationship grew considerably during my Walk to Emmaus. 

I have a copy of the painting in my living room, a reminder of my walk. It is also a reminder that my journey with Christ continues. On a daily basis my knowledge of him grows and as I read and meditate on God's word, I am amazed that "my heart burns within me" in the same way as those followers so long ago.

We serve a risen Savior and he cares about each one of us and desires to walk with us through life.