When you come to me like the
first rays of sun
Your light envelops my body,
warms my soul, melts my heart, dries my tears...
and like the soft, sleeping petals
of the morning glory
I open...
© 2001
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Open
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
All There Is
...and then there are times when you're just happy to be safe
wrapped in the place you can always call home
cradled in the bosom of love and acceptance
yes!
no matter where you've been, or how much dust
has collected on the soles of your feet
or how much care has worn down your heart
no matter how much anguish has stripped your soul bare
there are times when you need to lay your weary head
on a broad shoulder, and it doesn't matter if the tears fall
you can let them fall!
your hurt is felt, shared, and begins to mend
there is no question, or judgment
only comfort and understanding
there are just those times when that familiar smile,
the warm embrace, and kind words will soothe what ails
and all there is in this unforgiving world is that place
within a loving heart where you know you are secure
and the repayment is zero
from Come, Joy! Songs from the soft of night
PublishAmerica, 2005
Boaz Ministries https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
Friday, June 29, 2012
It's not about fairness
Forgiveness, that is. I've been enjoying the Bible series #apps4life, by
Pastor Michael B. Kelly, II, of the Mt. Rubidoux SDA Church in
Riverside, CA, the month of June. Each week he discussed specific areas
in the Christian life that need strengthening in order to be victorious.
In today's techie parlance - we have apps on our smart phones, and
those we can download from the "app store". But apps are useless if they
are not applied. The same goes for the life of a Christian. We
have the ultimate "app store" - the Word of God. And many of us have
downloaded good principles from this store. However, we find that we are
still living ineffective lives because we have not applied what we've
downloaded.
The app last week was forgiveness. If I could roll the tape on this sermon right here and right now, I would! There was sooo much meat!! A couple weeks before was the confession app, which was just as powerful, and the appropriate lead into the app of forgiveness. Kelly reminded us in that sermon, that confession is NOT to be used as a means to get rid of guilt and feel better about yourself. There is an important exchange that takes place between the confessor and God - where the wrongdoer agrees he or she is wrong and then receives the power to turn from that sin and NOT repeat it!! Too often, we just say "sorry", and go back and do it again - only to come back and say "sorry". No. That's not what confession is all about.
So forgiveness, we learned, is not about fairness. Because whoever did us wrong, however it happened - the truth is, they are wrong and it made us angry. Add to that, forgiveness is unnatural for us as human beings. Our first reaction to someone who has hurt us, is to retaliate, shut them out, off, down. So if forgiveness is not our natural bent, and the act of forgiving someone who has betrayed us isn't a fair exchange - how do we bridge this chasm?
Ahhhh - of course, most of you know what's next. "God takes up the slack." Well, yes He does. But even though He's able to give us this supernatural ability, we still remember. We can remember, but as we continue in our faith walk with the Lord, there is a certain elevation we achieve. We find we are able to carry on, move forward, knowing we have gained a victory. (and in some cases, re/gained a brother or sister)
The most important point of forgiveness, in my humble opinion, is we cannot expect to be right with God, asking for His forgiveness, while continuing to hold grudges against one another. It doesn't work that way, and the Bible makes that clear. Matthew 18 tells us how we are to treat one another, and the importance of forgiveness. Jesus said, in Matthew 6:14-15, that if we forgive those who have sinned against us, God will forgive us; but if we don't forgive those who have wronged us, we won't be forgiven. (paraphrase)
Even in our interpersonal/marriage relationships - how can we live together each day, harboring grudges against one another, holding on to unresolved hurts - yet show up to Bible study, or church, lifting holy hands and sing praises to the Lord - and ask for His mercy and forgiveness? It's as if we're saying, "Forgive ME, save ME, but that spouse I have isn't worthy of my forgiveness!" Guess what. Neither of us is worthy. But God has shown us a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31 - 1 Corinthians 13) Hint: it's all about love.
When we look at the entire picture - which is difficult at best, we understand there are just some things that God asks of us that require His power, and His alone. What I've found is, the more I learn about His will for my life, how I am to treat my family, friends, strangers, and yes, even those who are my enemies, the more I see my need FOR Him. The more I need Him, the more I rely ON Him and the blessings I receive I realize I don't deserve. Hey - I'm forgiven, don't deserve it - that can't be fair!
Exactly!
The sermons I referenced are found here:
http://campus.316networks.com/mt-rubidouxVOD
From Boaz Ministries
https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
The app last week was forgiveness. If I could roll the tape on this sermon right here and right now, I would! There was sooo much meat!! A couple weeks before was the confession app, which was just as powerful, and the appropriate lead into the app of forgiveness. Kelly reminded us in that sermon, that confession is NOT to be used as a means to get rid of guilt and feel better about yourself. There is an important exchange that takes place between the confessor and God - where the wrongdoer agrees he or she is wrong and then receives the power to turn from that sin and NOT repeat it!! Too often, we just say "sorry", and go back and do it again - only to come back and say "sorry". No. That's not what confession is all about.
So forgiveness, we learned, is not about fairness. Because whoever did us wrong, however it happened - the truth is, they are wrong and it made us angry. Add to that, forgiveness is unnatural for us as human beings. Our first reaction to someone who has hurt us, is to retaliate, shut them out, off, down. So if forgiveness is not our natural bent, and the act of forgiving someone who has betrayed us isn't a fair exchange - how do we bridge this chasm?
Ahhhh - of course, most of you know what's next. "God takes up the slack." Well, yes He does. But even though He's able to give us this supernatural ability, we still remember. We can remember, but as we continue in our faith walk with the Lord, there is a certain elevation we achieve. We find we are able to carry on, move forward, knowing we have gained a victory. (and in some cases, re/gained a brother or sister)
The most important point of forgiveness, in my humble opinion, is we cannot expect to be right with God, asking for His forgiveness, while continuing to hold grudges against one another. It doesn't work that way, and the Bible makes that clear. Matthew 18 tells us how we are to treat one another, and the importance of forgiveness. Jesus said, in Matthew 6:14-15, that if we forgive those who have sinned against us, God will forgive us; but if we don't forgive those who have wronged us, we won't be forgiven. (paraphrase)
Even in our interpersonal/marriage relationships - how can we live together each day, harboring grudges against one another, holding on to unresolved hurts - yet show up to Bible study, or church, lifting holy hands and sing praises to the Lord - and ask for His mercy and forgiveness? It's as if we're saying, "Forgive ME, save ME, but that spouse I have isn't worthy of my forgiveness!" Guess what. Neither of us is worthy. But God has shown us a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31 - 1 Corinthians 13) Hint: it's all about love.
When we look at the entire picture - which is difficult at best, we understand there are just some things that God asks of us that require His power, and His alone. What I've found is, the more I learn about His will for my life, how I am to treat my family, friends, strangers, and yes, even those who are my enemies, the more I see my need FOR Him. The more I need Him, the more I rely ON Him and the blessings I receive I realize I don't deserve. Hey - I'm forgiven, don't deserve it - that can't be fair!
Exactly!
The sermons I referenced are found here:
http://campus.316networks.com/mt-rubidouxVOD
From Boaz Ministries
https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Is it love, or infatuation?
A few years ago in Bible study, the question was put forth that stopped everyone in our tracks. I haven't forgotten it, and it's still a legitimate issue for those of us who call ourselves believers.
We hear a lot more from the pulpit about having a " personal relationship with Christ" than was preached back when I was growing up. And that's a good thing, too. Everything "old school" isn't all good. The old school religious approach had more to do with the scare tactic when it came to serving God. Admittedly, it was that kind of sermon that motivated my eleven-year-old self to walk up and give my heart to Jesus - to be baptized. I was just scared as all get-out and didn't want to burn!
Over time, I've come to see that while there will be judgment in the final day, believers don't have to be afraid, because they've developed a real, living and breathing love relationship with the Lord. I have learned how it's possible, and am no longer worried about hell fire and brimstone. Oh, am I perfect? No. But I made a vow to God, to love, trust and obey Him until Christ returns. And He's given me the power to stay on the path.
The way we can make it more understandable, this relationship thing, is to compare it to what we actually experience between two people who say they love each other. What typically happens is - the initial attraction. After that, two people develop a mutual affinity and begin to get to know one another - they spend as much time together as possible. We're all familiar with that. And we've all had experiences where that initial attraction faded after a few weeks of getting to know one another. Or, there have been those relationships that were mutually agreeable because of some benefit one or both received. And as long as the bennies were flowing, the interest flowed, too. But if the goodies ran dry - or someone else came along with a 'better package' - you know the deal. Can I get a witness that we've been there, or at least know someone who has?
Now - imagine a believer who comes to Christ. They hear the gospel story; the unspeakable gift God gave us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus - and weeps sincere tears of joy! Oh, the amazing grace that saved this wretch! Oh, the lost sheep is found and all heaven is rejoicing! And now, because of belief in Jesus and accepting Him as our personal savior - we have a right to the tree of life! HALLELUJAH! The day of baptism is akin to a wedding ceremony, for, indeed, the most important vow one can make is made to the Lord on that very special day.
After the rejoicing and celebrating - and all the people have gone home- the euphoria wears off. Day after day, a little more joy that was once so real and so wonderful, disappears. A week goes by, church seems the same but something is dying inside. What's happened? Nothing. And therein lies the problem. For some, because they don't want to appear as empty as they are, they will "fake" their Christianity. And they may fool their brothers and sisters in the church. (I dare say, most are faking it - I'll probably be booed for saying that - that's ok) A believer can stay in the church and even be active for many years - yet be on empty in Christ, never mind the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, in Matthew 15:8-9 (NLT) ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' (that last part is a whole nother topic)
God knows who truly belongs to Him and who's faking. (2 Tim. 2:19) It's just like us, when we examine the behaviors of those who say they love us. They may be in heavy like with us, but it's certainly not love. If we're serious about having a love relationship with someone - isn't it true that nothing less than total commitment will do? It's no different with God - the Creator of this whole experience we're blessed to be having!
The Bible doesn't stutter about how we are to show our love for God. It is no secret. I am of the opinion that we ought to love Him simply because He IS - and He made us! Throughout the Word, we are instructed, yea, commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6:5, 10:12; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). And the relationship is not one-sided, as so many human ones are! No! Our God is faithful to us, and made a vow to us and keeps His promises to us for "a thousand generations" - (to those who love Him! Deut.7:9). David, the Psalmist can't say enough about God and how he served and sought after God with his WHOLE heart! (Psalm 119:2, 10, 34).
This is not a halfhearted proposition - this relationship with the Lord. And I think, if we meditate on all the things He has done for us, if we acknowledge that He is the King and ruler of our hearts - and we accept His sovereignty over our lives, knowing He has our best interests in mind and heart (because He knows the end from the beginning) - how can we not fall in love with Him?
Think of it this way - we know that infatuation is just a passing phase, and we've all been there. Once we were "over" that short-lived experience with that person we were only in heavy like with, what happened? We dumped them (or got dumped)! Imagine if God had only been infatuated with us.
Are we in love? Or are we simply infatuated with the idea of God, Jesus and this whole Plan of Redemption thing? Just some stuff I've been thinking...
Blessings
We hear a lot more from the pulpit about having a " personal relationship with Christ" than was preached back when I was growing up. And that's a good thing, too. Everything "old school" isn't all good. The old school religious approach had more to do with the scare tactic when it came to serving God. Admittedly, it was that kind of sermon that motivated my eleven-year-old self to walk up and give my heart to Jesus - to be baptized. I was just scared as all get-out and didn't want to burn!
Over time, I've come to see that while there will be judgment in the final day, believers don't have to be afraid, because they've developed a real, living and breathing love relationship with the Lord. I have learned how it's possible, and am no longer worried about hell fire and brimstone. Oh, am I perfect? No. But I made a vow to God, to love, trust and obey Him until Christ returns. And He's given me the power to stay on the path.
The way we can make it more understandable, this relationship thing, is to compare it to what we actually experience between two people who say they love each other. What typically happens is - the initial attraction. After that, two people develop a mutual affinity and begin to get to know one another - they spend as much time together as possible. We're all familiar with that. And we've all had experiences where that initial attraction faded after a few weeks of getting to know one another. Or, there have been those relationships that were mutually agreeable because of some benefit one or both received. And as long as the bennies were flowing, the interest flowed, too. But if the goodies ran dry - or someone else came along with a 'better package' - you know the deal. Can I get a witness that we've been there, or at least know someone who has?
Now - imagine a believer who comes to Christ. They hear the gospel story; the unspeakable gift God gave us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus - and weeps sincere tears of joy! Oh, the amazing grace that saved this wretch! Oh, the lost sheep is found and all heaven is rejoicing! And now, because of belief in Jesus and accepting Him as our personal savior - we have a right to the tree of life! HALLELUJAH! The day of baptism is akin to a wedding ceremony, for, indeed, the most important vow one can make is made to the Lord on that very special day.
After the rejoicing and celebrating - and all the people have gone home- the euphoria wears off. Day after day, a little more joy that was once so real and so wonderful, disappears. A week goes by, church seems the same but something is dying inside. What's happened? Nothing. And therein lies the problem. For some, because they don't want to appear as empty as they are, they will "fake" their Christianity. And they may fool their brothers and sisters in the church. (I dare say, most are faking it - I'll probably be booed for saying that - that's ok) A believer can stay in the church and even be active for many years - yet be on empty in Christ, never mind the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, in Matthew 15:8-9 (NLT) ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' (that last part is a whole nother topic)
God knows who truly belongs to Him and who's faking. (2 Tim. 2:19) It's just like us, when we examine the behaviors of those who say they love us. They may be in heavy like with us, but it's certainly not love. If we're serious about having a love relationship with someone - isn't it true that nothing less than total commitment will do? It's no different with God - the Creator of this whole experience we're blessed to be having!
The Bible doesn't stutter about how we are to show our love for God. It is no secret. I am of the opinion that we ought to love Him simply because He IS - and He made us! Throughout the Word, we are instructed, yea, commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6:5, 10:12; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). And the relationship is not one-sided, as so many human ones are! No! Our God is faithful to us, and made a vow to us and keeps His promises to us for "a thousand generations" - (to those who love Him! Deut.7:9). David, the Psalmist can't say enough about God and how he served and sought after God with his WHOLE heart! (Psalm 119:2, 10, 34).
This is not a halfhearted proposition - this relationship with the Lord. And I think, if we meditate on all the things He has done for us, if we acknowledge that He is the King and ruler of our hearts - and we accept His sovereignty over our lives, knowing He has our best interests in mind and heart (because He knows the end from the beginning) - how can we not fall in love with Him?
Think of it this way - we know that infatuation is just a passing phase, and we've all been there. Once we were "over" that short-lived experience with that person we were only in heavy like with, what happened? We dumped them (or got dumped)! Imagine if God had only been infatuated with us.
Are we in love? Or are we simply infatuated with the idea of God, Jesus and this whole Plan of Redemption thing? Just some stuff I've been thinking...
Blessings
Monday, June 25, 2012
What's done in the dark, will come to light....
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
~ Luke 12:2 ~
It has been said that character is what you are when no one is looking. Well someone is always looking and that someone is none other than the Lord himself. If we believe that “God Sees All” then we believe that no deed good or bad goes unnoticed; and somehow, someway when we least expect it, we are divinely rewarded for good deeds and we are punished for bad deeds. There is forgiveness, but there are always consequences.
If one does not believe in God, they should be reminded that what goes around comes around and the so called good or bad karma in life will surely result from decisions one makes in life.
by Bruce Edwards of https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
~ Luke 12:2 ~
It has been said that character is what you are when no one is looking. Well someone is always looking and that someone is none other than the Lord himself. If we believe that “God Sees All” then we believe that no deed good or bad goes unnoticed; and somehow, someway when we least expect it, we are divinely rewarded for good deeds and we are punished for bad deeds. There is forgiveness, but there are always consequences.
If one does not believe in God, they should be reminded that what goes around comes around and the so called good or bad karma in life will surely result from decisions one makes in life.
by Bruce Edwards of https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you - say WHAT?
Pray for those who hurt you and are hateful toward you. (paraphrase Matthew 5:44) That's a toughie, correct?
In our relationships with one another, all manner of evil goes on. Even though craziness may be all around us, and we may even be part of the crazy, believers know that God has shown us "a more excellent way" (from 1 Corinthians 12:31, prelude to chapter 13).
As we keep the focus on prayer in every area of our lives, I will share one of my favorite passages, which is found in Matthew 5:43-48, Amplified Bible:
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I love the Amplified Bible's augmentation of the last verse. So many of us stumble over the English definition of "perfect" (without flaw). Seasoned Bible students have done the research into the original languages which give us a more accurate meaning. While we KNOW God IS perfect - we may now understand more fully that our characters (thus, our behaviors) are maturing and "growing up" into completeness - by the power of God (the indwelling Holy Spirit present in us).
"Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to forgiveness."
from: https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
In our relationships with one another, all manner of evil goes on. Even though craziness may be all around us, and we may even be part of the crazy, believers know that God has shown us "a more excellent way" (from 1 Corinthians 12:31, prelude to chapter 13).
As we keep the focus on prayer in every area of our lives, I will share one of my favorite passages, which is found in Matthew 5:43-48, Amplified Bible:
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I love the Amplified Bible's augmentation of the last verse. So many of us stumble over the English definition of "perfect" (without flaw). Seasoned Bible students have done the research into the original languages which give us a more accurate meaning. While we KNOW God IS perfect - we may now understand more fully that our characters (thus, our behaviors) are maturing and "growing up" into completeness - by the power of God (the indwelling Holy Spirit present in us).
"Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to forgiveness."
from: https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
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