The Precious Gift

 After I opened all the gifts from my friends—funny, sweet, or practical things now sating amidst discarded wrappings and clutter—I saw one more package. Stunningly beautiful Why hadn’t I noticed  it before? No tag, no clue of the sender’s name. I put it aside until my guests had gone and I could examine it more thoroughly. 

Who loved me enough to send such a beautiful package-- too lovely to cast aside such colorful, artfully decorated wrappings? I decided to leave it front and center of my coffee table to enjoy longer and admired it every day for a while.  Admiration morphed into a routine glance now and then and an occasional flick of my feather duster. When someone remarked on its beauty, asking why it remained unopened, I still insisted it was bound to be more beautiful than whatever was inside and I wanted to enjoy its mystery a little longer. 

One day, when I came home from a disappointing visit with my doctor, I lay on my couch, wondering what would become of me, My gaze fell on the gift and I picked it up. Wiping away a film of dust, I found my hands ripping away that once vividly beautiful package—no reason to save it for later when there might not be a later. 

Inside was only one pure white scroll with a title in gold lettering:  Adoption Certificate and it bore my name.  “With all costs borne by the Provider” I read, I have been named a Child of the King of All There Is. Entitled as co-heir with the Son of the Provider to inhabit the household of the Most High Creator, Provider, Healer, Loving King. 

I thought back over the months I skimped and saved, ill and needy. Barely getting by when  all this awaited me. All I had to do was receive the gift offered to me.

 

 

                                                     

   Th 

IN CASE OF FIRE---

Open Here. This new apartment has all the bells and whistles! It’s fireproof—why include am old-fashioned relic like this ancient warning from the olden days of horse-driven fire wagons? Forget that. I turned away. Still, occasionally I found myself glancing over at the box on the wall that seemed to draw my attention at nighttime, when worries seemed to invade my thoughts—rumors of a layoff looming at work and this apartment lease just signed. Pacing the floor, I eyed the box on the wall designed to provide safety. A good night’s sleep will do me more good--but do I smell a whiff of smoke? Probably someone cooking a late supper has left a pot on the stove—the apartment manager will check it out.

Definitely smoke, stronger now, closer perhaps. Maybe I’d better do something. Call the manager/ No answer! In case of fire. But there’s no fire, just smoke--but more than earlier. Why isn’t someone t taking care of this? Doesn't anyone see the danger? Ow! My door feels hot! My eyes seek the ancient box on the wall—would it even still work? I reach for the box. Maybe------

You have such an emergency box tucked away somewhere, in case your troubles get bigger than you can handle, called The Holy Bible. But why ignore a whiff of smoke until your coat tail is on fire before opening the book? Why not read some of the fire prevention teachings inside and avoid the death traps all around you? Didn’t you buy fire insurance to protect your physical dwelling? Isn’t your own life worth much more?

Rights and Wrongs

                             

Each of us has certain rights; common ethics warn us those rights end at point of contact with someone else’s nose. And that settles our limits to our satisfaction, in most disputes. And we guard those rights religiously. For some of us that’s our closest connection to religion, possibly our only contact, but who really needs that anyway?

Really? Just try to explain to someone that there are truths about this world and the next that, regardless of their opinion, they just don’t have all the facts. Their freedom has an expiration date and certain limits as well.  For instance, Mr. “Don’t Tell-Me-What-To-Do on the freeway,      speeding to a party on Saturday evening suddenly sees a highway worker waving a red flag. Mr. "Don’t" yells out his window: ”Get outa my way; I’m late.” The worker shakes his head, won’t budge. Mr. Don’t yells again “You don’t have the right to stop me. I have a right to go wherever I please:”

                                                    Hit the pause button.

Who is right? Mr. Don’t thinks that he is, He's entitled to his opinion, but he’s missing vital facts about his immediate future. The worker has nothing to gain—he’s simply trying to help a stranger and his boss handed him a sign to wave at oncoming traffic. Anyone failing to stop is putting himself in danger--He doesn’t know his path will lead him to forfeit all his rights, all his future.

Look back at the smiling friend holding a Bible tract out to you. Take it. It won’t cost much of your valuable time, and you just might find good news therein. You still have all your rights, plus the right to accept the promise of new life as a child of the King of All.

You know a bargain when you see it, don't you?

Compass. GPS, Logic?

 

There will be days when you don’t know which way to go—the sun is hidden and everything around you is in shades of gray. What do you do?

Panic may grip your heart but you try to stay calm and figure out the best path. There are no footprints in the snowy ground beside your own. You know better than to try to follow those tracks. Think! You’ve heard moss always grows on the north side of a tree, or is it the . . . ?

You are alone and must find your way to somewhere safe: Home! That warm, cozy safe home sounds really good right now. But it feels very far away, and your heart is in your throat.

But wait! Your loving Father always leaves the porch light on to guide His wayward child home and He is waiting for you to call for His help. You feel embarrassed that once more you have wandered from the path He showed you.

What had He said last time?

Of course! Now you remember: “You were forgiven. you are forgiven, you will be forgiven. Not because you earned it—but because of My love for My children bearing My Name, each of you are covered forever, purchased at Calvary by sacrifice of Holy blood in your behalf. Forever.”

                  

                                    But let all who take refuge in You be glad,                                                                                                                      Let them ever sing for joy;                                                                                                                                                May You shelter them                                                                                                                                                       That those who love Your name may rejoice in You                                        .                                                                     For surely You, O Lord, bless the righteous,                                                                                                                                   For You surround them with the shield of your favor.

                                                                           Psalms 5:11-12

                             

 

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit              Romans 8:1-4

Why Read the Old Testamemt?

 As a child I enjoyed the adventures of the mighty men of God who did wondrous things. Later I became aware of their terrible ooops! moments when they went astray--like Sampson and Delilah, King David and Bathsheba--and their pitiful crying for forgiveness/ After all they had seen God do for their people, how could they sink so low? I was embarrassed for them, from my immature understanding of my secure identity as God’s adopted child.

At this point, I felt no kinship with this obstinate, whining tribe of God’s chosen people. But as the newness of my own relationship with God wore off, I began to see a familiar thread in the world around me. Awareness of the marvelous grace and forgiveness of God in my own uneven walk toward heaven, I began to see every generation has failed just as miserably. We no longer take our newborn child in unholy worship, a sacrifice to a murderous god; now we take the babe to a doctor who kills him in a sterile room, an inconvenience, devoid of love.

Could this be the reason we should read the Old Testament—to point us to our common pattern of forgiveness, falling away, returning. resolving to abide on faith? To realize we are incapable to change ourselves? To see how God deals with an unfaithful people? Yes, but it also confirms His assurance He is able to overcome our weakness and He has given us a glimpse of His command of history and future through hundreds of prophecies, which were 100% correct, and the future records one last prophecy: His return, beginning with the Rapture of His saints, when He calls those who are still alive to join Him in Heaven.

But He (Jesus) answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4

 

Feed My Sheep

Jesus said, "Feed My sheep". He did NOT say, "Hang out with other sheep wearing bright white coats and look away from those sheep with muddy coats, who looked like they had been somewhere they shouldn't have gone.: All members of His flock are valuable to Him, although not all are identical in knowledge or experience. What He did say was that we grow as we nourish and teach the young lambs who are just learning how to walk. 

He said a rope of three strands woven together is superior in strength; as unity strengthens a family or group. Unity does not mean identical; indeed each strand may have some unique difference in his experience, knowledge. Some may be stronger, some more flexible, some more durable, yet each unique attribute strengthens the group.

We have more than enough enemies in this world around us. Indeed, they now show a new strength in their unity to destroy us. The tale of a wolf in sheep's clothing tells me to expect to find one sitting in a pew nearby, sowing the serpent's seed, right next to a lamb. This babe in Christ, watches the behavior of older sheep, more experienced in hearing the Shepherd's firm, quiet voice, more confident in their walk following their Master. The innocent babe desires and needs this training, and only God knows, but the wolf could possibly hear God's Truth and some leopards do change their spots. 

Discerning needy lambs from goats (or hungry wolves) is not for me, but for my Shepherd. If we can't approach others freely,  with love, we don't need a wolf to sow discord. Sharing our walk, encouraging one another, rescuing lost sheep is our job. Feeding His sheep blesses us as well.

Far too long, I was reluctant to speak out and expose my pitiful knowledge of the Scripture, believing I had nothing to offer. Years of growing, during everything He carried me through, enable me, encourage me, to boldly share from my experience. I know I have far to go to reach my goal, but looking back, I can see growth and changes I would never have believed possible. This river is moving!  No more a stagnant pool hoarding gifts from God's bounty as if He could run short.

Evangelism Explosion, a training program which enables a layman learn to effectively share his faith gave me freedom from failure. If the listener refuses what I offer, he isn't refusing me, but Christ.  

There will always be many who know the Bible far better than I do. but in this world, there will always be younger saints with many questions, lost sheep without a shepherd, who do not yet know they are lost.  As I benefitted in hearing how others navigated their way through some of my same problems,, I gained confidence in sharing my own experiences to encourage others who cross my path.

A stream, or stagnant pool? As we share, God replenishes us daily and blesses both the speaker and listener. God will provide a listener for every speaker who needs to share:  a speaker for every searcher.

We need each other now, perhaps more than any generation before. A basic truth: We must hang together or we are doomed to be hanged alone.  We each were created, purposely assigned for this day in history, assigned to walk this road surrounded by deep muddy ditches. Praise  Jesus for keeping us on the right road and holding our hands as we reach a particularly rough patch of rocky road.

evangelism Explosion 

The Loneliness Of Separation

"This hurts me more than it does you."  Have you said those words to a child you love? Do you remember hearing them from your own parent? It's a painful memory, either way.

I remember hearing them from my mother at about 4 or 5 years of age, with dread in my heart. The worst was not a couple of half-hearted swipes received. It was that cold feeling of separation, perhaps the warm feeling of being loved was lost forever.  I remember the terrible desolation as she walked away. Sobbing, I would follow her, crying, assuring her I loved her, holding my breath until she picked me up and hugged me and said she loved me. Only then would my world be okay.

I was just beginning to understand my freedom to entertain myself had limits/ When I did something I knew was wrong, there would be a reminder. I thank God for her teaching me the way this world works. Even as an adult, there would always be penalties or rewards, sooner or later. I needed to learn to avoid those tempting things displeasing to her, and later, to God. 

The difference is that as adults, after we ignore His warnings of dangerous places or behaviors, God often waits patiently while we dig ourselves such a deep hole we can't get out without His help.  And when all else fails, we repent, promising we have learned that lesson.  He will forgive us, knowing we mean well but also knowing that more enticing temptations wait ahead, when next we stumble into another of Satan's traps. Like any teacher, He will allow tests occasionally to help us to see how well we do at avoiding that loss of companionship with our Heavenly Father.

Remember the parental warning you never believed as a child?  "This hurts me more than it does you"  

Remember the coldness of your separation from your Father until your close relationship is resolved?

Remember the cross where He suffered the penalty you earned?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.                                                                                         Romans 3:23