As the Father has loved me, so
have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you keep my commands, you will remain
in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
John 15:9, 10
All throughout God’s Word, the Father’s love for the Son is clear and unfailing. The Father and the Son are one! Yet Jesus said he loves us as the Father has
loved him. So let’s stop and think about this …
The Father says of the Son: “You are my son; today I have become your
father. Ask me, and I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you
will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Psalm 2:7
And the Son says to us: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you…”
It is written of the Father and the Son: Your throne, O God, will last forever
and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with
the oil of joy. Psalm 45:6,7
And the Son says to us: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you…”
The Father says of the Son: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a
footstool for your feet.” Psalm 110:1
And the Son says to us: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you…”
The Father says of the Son: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well
pleased.” Mark 1:11
And the Son says to us: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved
you…”
The Father says of the Son: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to
him.” Luke 9:35
And the Son says to us: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you…”
Lord Jesus, I see how the Father loves you and I marvel that you love me that much. I open
the door of my heart and let it in. I
relinquish and renounce fear, guilt and hopelessness – anything that would
stand in the way of receiving your love for me.
It is peace. It quiets my heart. And I leap for joy.
“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a
school-boy” Ebenezer Scrooge
Showing posts with label Father. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Genesis 24:10-27
Hospitality as a Sign
Abraham’s wife Sarah had been buried. Abraham was older than
dirt. (I mean well advanced in years.) Isaac was becoming an adult. He needed a
good wife.
In those days, dating, living together for a while, having a
child and then perhaps getting married didn’t happen. Isaac’s father Abraham
enlisted his chief servant to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham had him make a
solemn promise though, that he would not get Isaac a wife from the Canaanites
they were living among, but from Abraham’s own country. He wanted to be sure
that Isaac’s future wife came from the same spiritual foundation as his family.
Abraham was aware of the importance of both the husband and wife having a heart for the Lord in order to
work together to build a marriage relationship on the solid ground of God and
the teachings of the Bible.
Have you ever prayed to God with words something like this;
Father, please help me to know your will. I pray for your guidance and direction.
Lord please clearly reveal to me my path that I may without a doubt know the message
is from you.
That is in a way the prayer of the chief servant of Abraham.
Upon arriving to the town of Nahor, the servant prayed; “Oh Lord, God of my
master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are
coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, “Please let down
your jar that I may have a drink, and she says, “Drink and I’ll water your
camels too” – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By
this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
Hospitality accompanied by sincerity is very welcoming. That
is exactly what the girl offered the servant. She was the type of person
Abraham asked the servant to bring to
him. In this case, the warm and welcoming spirit she exuded made the choice
clear. She was just what the servant was looking for!
As Christ followers and lovers of the Word, we too must hold
out our hands in welcoming hospitality to others. All others. The feelings or vibes we
give off, may make a difference in the life path of another. Our outreach may be just what they needed.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
Sunday, April 26, 2015
John 14:1—10
Jesus the
Way to the Father
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, trust also in me.
I am the way and the truth and the
life.
No one comes to the father except
through me.
John 14
It is possible to be sad, disappointed
even angry, yet without a troubled heart.
Do not be anxious about anything
But in everything by prayer and
supplication
With thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding
Will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Loosening our grip on power and control,
paves the way for a peaceful heart.
Just as
Jesus was comforting his disciples and attempting to explain how letting go and
allowing their hearts to trust and live in faith would enable them to dwell in the
peace of his promise, he speaks to us today.
The challenges of this world seem endless. God’s people, like everyone else, will experience the hills and
valleys of this life. Some days may be very difficult to carry on. A heart and
soul that trusts in the promise of our Lord however, will view their valleys
from more of a heavenly perspective.Through a lens of contentment regardless of the circumstances. I choose to have such a heart.
Father, your ways are indeed beyond our
comprehension. We cannot thank you enough for your great love and mercy. Though
our minds are not capable of understanding, our hearts are able to feel. Please
continue to mold them into free and faithful hearts ready and willing to do all
you ask and live each day in a way that will please and honor you. Amen.
Read/Listen to John 14:1-10
Friday, October 24, 2014
Father of fathers
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--
God is like a Father to us; He is a Father to us. We might have memories of an earthly father who made us sad; a flawed father who did not know how to love because he was never loved properly. But our Heavenly Father is Love. He is walking at our side to help us up and to help us out, of any situation we find ourselves trapped in.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5 NIV)
If this day you are remembering a father who was not a kind, loving or forgiving person, know this. Listen close to what God is speaking into your heart and perhaps you will hear the words I heard one day as I was sensing God tell me to get over it already.
"I am your Father."
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Matthew 1: 18-25
Joseph’s Dream
He spoke of how
Joseph must have felt when Mary told him of her visit from an angel, and that
she was carrying a child conceived by the Holy Spirit. “Yea right,” he likely
thought. We can imagine the disbelief of anyone who was told such a thing, yet
it was the truth. Chuck’s message went on to bring to light the kind and virtuous
man Joseph was, and how he proceeded once he was also visited by an angel in a
dream that clarified Mary’s claim.
As Mr. Swindoll
continued, my thoughts drifted to Joseph as a father. Throughout Jesus’ life,
there is not much mention in the bible of Joseph and his relationship with
Jesus, Mary, or anyone else for that matter. We know he was a carpenter by
trade. I envision Joseph sawing, pounding, and smoothing rough wooden edges
with his strong, weathered hands, thinking, “Why was I chosen, and what is my
role now?” How could he possibly know how to be the father of Christ? Was God
watching every encounter he had with Jesus and critiquing his parenting style?
The role of a
father is enormous. It is a responsibility no mother can understand. Though they
may appear harsh or unfeeling on the surface, most fathers have a true heart
for their children and work hard to protect, provide, and plan for their future.
May God bless the fathers of this world, and give them the strength, patience,
and determination to stay the course, and follow the will of the Lord, no
matter what.
Read/Listen to Matthew 1: 18-25
Sunday, September 1, 2013
John 14: 1-7, 32-29
Heaven
John 14 contains all the reminders we need. It holds
comfort, guidance, truth and the promise of salvation in the words of Jesus.
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust
also in me. In my house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have
told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be
where I am.”
Jesus the Way to The Father
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.”
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father
will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in
my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”
“I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts
be troubled and do not be afraid.”
“You heard me say I am going away and am coming back to you.
If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the
Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when
it does happen you will believe.”
Each of these verses deserves a separate blog entry, for the
power within them is immense. They do however, speak for themselves. I feel
honored to be able to share so many powerful words of Jesus on one page.
Recently I attended the funeral of a friend's mother. The experiences reminded me of the grief I felt when I lost
my parents, brother, and oldest son. Though the sorrow was at times
overwhelming, I felt a peace knowing they were resting in the arms of God. I
long for others to feel that sense of love and peace that comes only from
knowing of, and trusting in these promises of the Lord delivered through Jesus.
Read/Listen to John 14
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
Forgiven By
God’s Grace
Some of our
deepest wounds come from our families. If we allow them to eat away at us, they
will fester like a profound sore that won’t heal, consuming and tiring us to
the point of exhaustion, and emptying our hearts of the joy the Lord wants for
us. Bitterness accompanied by its cell mate jealousy or hate will rob us of
relationships God intended us to grow in.
Luke 15
tells of how Jesus shared several parables with the Pharisees and teachers of
the law, as they were mocking Him for welcoming sinners and eating with them. Apparently
they did not comprehend his intentions, or His Grace.
One parable
was about the son who requested his inheritance from his father, set off for
another country, squandered his wealth in wild living, and then returned to the
father requesting a place with the servants. Upon his arrival the father welcomed
him with open arms and orchestrated a grand feast to celebrate his return with music
and dancing after adorning him with a fine robe, sandals, and the family ring. The other son, who had been faithful to his
father all along, was very upset and bitter about how his father was treating
his brother, after all the wrongs he had committed. Many might say the brother
was justified for feeling that way; however the father is the one who “really
got it.” In Luke 15: 31-32 when approached by his other son, the father stated,
“My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to
celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and now he is
alive again; he was lost and is found.”
This father
is a symbol of our own Father God, who accepts us back into his family no
matter where we have been. In Matthew 8:11 Jesus proclaimed, “I say to you that
many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the
feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.” God wants us all back, no matter who we are or
what we've done. Jesus modeled unconditional love while He walked this earth
and He expects us to do the same. In the long term scheme of things, what does
holding on to a grudge or negative emotions do for us? By His wounds we are healed. By God’s Grace we
are forgiven.
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us.”
Listen to: 7X70 by Chris August
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Matthew 1: 18-25
"The Birth of Jesus Christ." Last Sunday we talked about Mary and how she must have felt before, and after she was given the gift of Jesus. What about Joseph? He was really thrown for a loop too. A virgin birth? When that was revealed to Joseph, one can only imagine his thoughts and inner feelings about the whole thing.
That must have been quite a dream Joseph had. He too was told, "Do not be afraid." How could he argue with a voice from the heavens speaking the same words that Mary heard? Bringing the exact same message of hope for the world. Joseph and Mary both must have been thinking, "Why me? I am not worthy of this great honor, it cannot be true."
It was an honor beyond all others, yet a trial like no other. Some account is made of the time Mary spent with her son Jesus, but little to nothing is written about Jesus and Joseph sharing father/son time. It makes me wonder why. God chose Joseph for good reason to be his son's earthly father. When I think of the character of Joseph, a skilled, hard working man, it reminds me of my grandfather. The creations that emerged from his workshop were beautiful, yet he was a very quiet, gentle, and modest man. He did what he believed the Lord intended him to do, in a deliberate and focused manner. Never did I hear a cross word leave his lips. He had a strong, silent presence that required no explanation. This is the same type of man I picture Joseph being. He likely guided Jesus as a child and young boy in the same way a shepherd tended to his flock. Ever watchful, yet gentle when they stray. Though we do not have details of Jesus and Joseph's relationship, I believe we can be confident that God placed his son within the care of one of the most genuine men of all time. Because of the blind faith of Joseph and Mary so many years ago,the words of Joseph's dream are true today, "....and they will call him Immanuel" which means "God with us."
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Psalm 110:1; Luke 2:11
David considered it an honor and privilege that God allowed him to hear a conversation with His Son. "The LORD says to my lord:“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
The Psalms are packed full of wisdom. The message they delivered, the comfort they have provided countless millions over the ages is a testimony to the power of God's Word for us. As we prepare our hearts and our homes for the celebration of Christmas we are reminded of the Greatest Story ever told. Jesus entered this world to provide for our salvation and our future. God is telling His son, Jesus, that He will be seated at His right hand, propping up His feet; His enemies as the footstool.
Those words conjure up quite a visual for me. There are times when I need to see that I will some day be victorious over all the pain that assails me in this life. There are those days when I need to know that my adversaries will not prevail, but that I too, will be seated in the presence of God and His Son.
- Life is difficult; we struggle, learn and grow through those difficulties.
- Life is challenging; we press on through the challenges emerging triumphant if not scarred a bit.
- Life is short; we embrace every moment and savor the lessons learned and proudly wear our scars as a badge of honor.
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