Tag: Love

P.S. I Love You

There are at least two great songs and one movie with the title, “P.S. I Love You.” The idea comes from a letter– one in which the writer wants to make sure that “I Love You” are the last three words on the page– the lasting impression for the letter’s recipient.

The Bible is many things– a history, a book of laws, a narrative of God’s dealings with humankind–but it is also a love letter. Scattered throughout the lists of generations, the poetry, the prophecies, the gospels, and yes, the letters to churches, are expressions of love. God begins by creating a beautiful garden, creating Adam in his own likeness, and creating a suitable helper from Adam’s side. He gives them everything they need to live and enjoy everything around them–He even comes to walk and talk with them!

God rescues the nation of Israel from slavery and cruelty in Egypt, and guides them in the wilderness for 40 years–providing food and water, even preserving their clothing and shoes, so they have no lack!

God punishes the rebellious nation, sending them into exile– but He gives them promises, and even in the worst of their punishment, He speaks words of love and healing and reconciliation.

God sends the ultimate Word of Love in His Son– who loves, heals, forgives, and serves, even to the point of dying! And in the death and resurrection of Jesus, this love is extended to everyone who will accept Him.

Finally, God promises an end to death and rebellion–eternal reconciliation and life with Him who loves us best. His love letter ends with a glorious P.S.:

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever… 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life… 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
(Revelation 22:1-5; 16-17; 20-21.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+22&version=NIV

Even when God sends punishment, or stays silent in the face of our immediate questions, He never stops saying “I Love You.” I. LOVE. YOU!

Lord, may I take time today to read your love letter. May I savor Your words and may I take the time to read Your Post Script– and respond to Your Eternal and Fathomless Love! Amen!

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Love Lifted Me

1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:1-19 NIV (taken from biblegateway.com)

I grew up hearing hymns– lots of them. My mother and grandmother and aunt all played the piano or organ for church and often practiced during the week. My father led the congregational singing sometimes, and my grandfather taught himself to play many musical instruments, and used hymns to become familiar with the chords, notes, and fingerings of the instrument du jour. The congregation at our small church sang with more gusto than musical talent, but we sang during the Sunday morning service, the Sunday evening service, the Wednesday evening service, and at any special occasion.

Two things happened as a result of this: one not-so-good, and one very good thing. The not-so-good thing was that I became somewhat inured to the songs and lyrics– I knew what the songs said, but I didn’t really understand or internalize the truths they contained. However, the very good thing was that the hymns stuck in my memory– years later they came back like the best of friends to comfort me, challenge me, and remind me of sacred realities in the midst of mundane frustrations and worldly confusions.

This old hymn, neglected, out-dated, and seldom sung in our current services, was my lullaby growing up. My mother would sing it over and over as she rocked me to sleep, often running out of verses and words and just humming or filling in with “la, la la, la,” until she reached the chorus.
“Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.”

As a young child, I experienced the loving arms of my dear mother lifting me to her lap and rocking me for what seemed like hours until I drifted off to sleep. As a teen, I scoffed at the lyrics a bit–what need had I to be lifted and helped, when I was invincible and young and ready to conquer the world? As an adult, this old hymn came back with power and comfort when my own efforts and life’s stormy circumstances left me with little hope and lots of confusion, doubt, and regret. It reminds me that help and hope can be found even in the raging storms of grief, depression, oppression, and pain. “When nothing else could help…” God could and did! He can and will!

“Love lifted me”–such a simple phrase, and by itself not a solid foundation for hope and victory. In fact, there are many popular songs that speak of love lifting a person up, making one feel buoyant and hopeful, joyful or young. But this song speaks of a different and everlasting, all-powerful love– the Love of Christ. And it doesn’t just lift us up from one pleasant place to another. It reaches down into the depths of sin, despair, and even death to lift us up beyond all hope, beyond any strength or effort we could generate or receive from any other source. And this great Love reaches down to lift me–even me! It does not belong only to the elite, the wealthy, the beautiful people, the gifted or the powerful. In fact, this love is especially close and available to those who have done nothing to deserve it; those who have been bypassed and ignored and left to drown in their own shame and sorrow.

Love. Lifted. Me! My prayer is that this same Love will surround you today, lifting you up, and helping you, just as it helps me and brings me life and hope, to the Glory of Christ our Savior.

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Of Stubbed Toes, Pet Cats, and Lost Coins

Prayer doesn’t have to be BIG to catch God’s ear or His heart. God cares about the “big” things– war, cancer, broken relationships. And we must be persistent in our prayers about such things. But God also cares about stubbed toes. He cares about the illness of pets and the pop quiz at school and “that noise” the car has been making lately. And we are not just encouraged; we are commanded to come to Him about the ordinary and “little” things in life.

I was challenged in this a few weeks ago when someone disparaged the prayer group I belong to. We meet every Wednesday morning to pray. And we have a running list of concerns that have been brought to our attention– some requests come from our members, some from prayer cards and requests that have been turned in after Sunday Services at our church. Some of our requests are about “big” things– social issues, wars, the persecuted Church around the world, etc… And some of our requests stay on the list for months. We don’t give up– we rejoice in God’s timing. For instance, we were praying for several months for a dear sister who was having housing issues. She was in assisted living because of her many health issues. But she wanted to live independently. So, we prayed. Miraculously, many of her health issues disappeared, and it seemed that she would be able to move out of the facility, but she didn’t know where she could go on her limited budget, and she still had some issues with mobility. So, we prayed. We got updates– it seemed that a situation would be opening soon, only to find that she had been denied. And denied again! Still, we prayed. Then, a couple of weeks ago, God acted by taking her Home to Heaven unexpectedly. It wasn’t the answer we imagined, but it was God’s perfect timing to answer her greatest needs.

Often, the stories are much smaller. One of the children in our church filled out a prayer card asking for us to pray for their pet cat, who was ill. So, we prayed. There was more to this request than just an animal feeling sick. This child had just lost a grandparent. The family was already dealing with loss, and this child did exactly what Faith tells us to do– call on the LORD in our distress. Bring “everything” to God in prayer (“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7)And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we were encouraged by this child’s faith and willingness to share. We pray for twisted ankles and hip surgeries. We pray for broken-down cars and those who are struggling to buy groceries this week.

And when someone seemed to disparage our group’s efforts, I was confused and a bit hurt. The other person wasn’t saying that the requests themselves were wrong, but they felt that we might be “wasting” time on such requests at the expense of “more important” issues. Instead of praying for “uncle Joe’s stubbed toe,” we could be praying for social change in our community. “Uncle Joe” was on our list, but world peace was not. Their approach was that such “small” requests might be dealt with in a more personal and immediate way. And that shows another marvelous aspect of prayer. We don’t need to wait for Wednesday, or Sunday, or for a particular group to pray for our needs. In fact, on the strength of their suggestion, our church now announces that there is a “prayer team” at each Sunday service who will take time to offer immediate and personal prayer for those who want it. And both the weekly prayer group and the weekly prayer team can joyfully bring prayers before the Throne of Grace– no matter how big or small, dire or fleeting, personal or corporate.

Our group still offers to pray for “Uncle Joe’s stubbed toe” or Wendy’s car trouble, or Alice, who would like someone to help with yard work. Some of these requests also get passed on to or from our “Help” team, connecting them with practical help from volunteers in our congregation AND prayer support. Because it is our privilege to pray for others– to share their sorrows, struggles, and joys as we travel life together. And we also pray for war-torn areas, our persecuted churches around the world, and spiritual battles taking place in our congregation– addictions, ruptured families, stroke victims and their families, and much more.

Jesus told the three stories of people facing “loss” in Luke, chapter 15. The first story is of the lost sheep and the shepherd who is willing to abandon 99 sheep in order to look for one sheep that is lost. The third, and most famous of the three stories, is of the Prodigal Son, who runs away, spends all of his inheritance, and returns home to find that his father not only forgives him, but celebrates his return. Tucked in between is the story of a woman who loses one silver coin and sweeps through her entire house looking for it. When she finds it, she wants to celebrate with all her neighbors. THAT is what prayer can be–we don’t pray for lost coins or stubbed toes because they are earth-shaking events–we pray because that is how we share life with our neighbors, our brothers and sisters around the world, and the God who Loves each and every one with boundless, eternal, extravagant Love!

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There my Burdened Soul Found Liberty

Prayer is often about burdens– the burden of need; the burden of sin and guilt; the burden of worry and distress. We bring our burdens to God, to the “throne of Grace;” we bring them “in Jesus’ Name,”, and we bring them to “Our Father.” But how often do we bring them to “Calvary?”

Not the victorious empty cross on the hillside with a beautiful sunset in the background, but the bloody, hot, dry and dreadful Calvary of the crucifixion? How often do we make the pilgrimage to that rocky outcropping with the smell of blood and sweat and death and agony? How often do we cry out to the one who was lifted up, struggling to breathe, pierced, wounded, broken and humiliated? When do we reach out to touch the scars and bruises he received in our place?

It is at Calvary that we get the real story of Grace, Mercy, and forgiveness–the real cost of victory and peace. It is at Calvary that we see the full extent of God’s Holiness married to the full extent of His Love. Holiness demands justice; Love demands intimacy– together, they require sacrifice.

And it is at Calvary that we find, in the darkest and most hopeless of moments– God forsaking Himself, giving all He IS to bring justice and reconciliation for all we’ve done–that we trade our burdened souls, our worries, our despair for God’s embrace. Arms stretched so wide they are pulled from their sockets; blood spilled from head to toe; breathless and exposed in His passion for your soul and mine–that’s what God offers at Calvary.

Why do I pray? I am ambushed and overwhelmed and enraptured by such a love. God had no need to suffer even a moment’s discomfort. He owed nothing to His rebellious creation; no mercy, no explanation, no hints as to His character (or ours). The creator of galaxies had no need to lift a finger to save one puny planet or any of its inhabitants from His own right to un-create them and blot out even their memory. Instead, He showed the greatest act of Love across all of space and time–to me!– At Calvary!

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Suffering from “Prayer’s Block”

Do you ever suffer from “prayer’s block”– those times when you bow down, and your prayers seem stilted, or your mind keeps wandering, and you find yourself coming to God with…less.  Not necessarily with nothing– you can always thank God for your daily bread, or worship the fact of his majesty or holiness or search your heart for confession or praise.  But you’re left feeling like you really want to bring more…
Am I the only one who ever feels this?  I don’t think so; and I don’t feel it often, but when I do, I just wish I had something like a prayer prompt to take the conversation to another level.

That’s when I find books extremely helpful.  I recommend a personal prayer journal– one that has pages for each day, and lots of space to write requests and reminders as you pray.  I’m on my tenth year through a journal, and it has names of people who are celebrating birthdays or anniversaries on that day– including sad anniversaries of losses or challenges.  But even if you don’t have a journal, there are other great and creative ways to jump-start a great conversation with God.  See the Edit Page “Prayer Journal” ‹ Pursuing Prayer — WordPress page on my ideas for a Prayer Journal, or search for other wonderful ideas online to get you started.

Have you ever prayed a page from the phone book? (or your personal address list? or another list?)  It can feel awkward and impersonal to pray for people simply by name and without knowing anything about them, but it can also be instructive.  How so?  It reminds you that:

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  • You are one person in a larger community of people you may not even know.  We live in a world that is more connected than ever before; yet we can be more isolated than ever before.  Neighbors come and go, communities grow (or shrink) without our awareness, unless we make ourselves look around.
  • Your problems are part of a larger reality.  Sometimes, our prayer life becomes narrow as we focus on our own struggles and needs.  Looking around doesn’t mean that our struggles are any less painful, important, or real; it does remind us, though, that we live in a big world– and that we have an even bigger God!
  • You may be the only Jesus another person will ever know… your prayers for a stranger may have unexpected consequences for them, as well as for you.
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Similarly, you can pray through an old yearbook, or your friends list on Facebook or LinkedIn, the members of your favorite band or the cast of your favorite movie or TV show, the members of your local government. The list goes on.  Rummage through your closet or look at old photos– are you finding anything to be thankful for, or reminded of times when God or others blessed you?  Pray the newspaper (or your news feed)–there’s plenty of fodder there!

Of course, there is also an opportunity to ask God to bring things to mind as you struggle. You can pray and praise all the names of God– Almighty, Prince of Peace, Savior, Redeemer, Lamb of God… Or you can pray about His attributes– His sovereignty, His Holiness, His Mercy, His Faithfulness… We serve a very BIG God!

Prayer’s Block can happen to anyone and for many different reasons. I may need to confess a sin that is getting in the way of my relationship with God. Or I need to slow down my thoughts and meditate, rather than rushing through a list of requests or burdens. There are days when my heart is just too full (or maybe too empty) to concentrate.  And it’s not that God doesn’t know or understand such times.  But in this pursuit, I want to bring my best, and if “prayer’s block” comes, I don’t want it to be an excuse for missing out on the best that God has for me.

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“Sam I Am” v. the Great “I AM”

Some time ago, I wrote about the famous Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs and Ham.” In it, a character, named Sam (“Sam I am”) encourages the nameless narrator to try a strange dish– ham and eggs that are bright green! After several exchanges in which the narrator insists he will NOT try the dish, Sam’s enthusiasm wears him down and he agrees to try a bite. Surprise– He LOVES green eggs and ham! He spends the rest of the book enthusiastically affirming how much he loves the dish, thanking Sam for insisting that he try them.

We just celebrated Easter. The Resurrection, I would argue, is much more important than trying a new breakfast dish. But how many of us are as enthusiastic as Sam in trying to get our families, friends, and neighbors to “taste” the amazing gift of Eternal Life? Would we witness on a train? In a car? In the rain? Would we witness to a grumpy, resistant person like the narrator of “Green Eggs and Ham?” And if not, why not?

Photo by Anh Nguyen on Pexels.com

And would we pray for the unsaved? In a tree? On a boat? With a goat? In our house? With a mouse? Here or there? Anywhere? What kind of enthusiasm do we show for making disciples? Do we seek to pray for our neighbors? With our neighbors? With those who are struggling with doubts or fears? For those who resist the message of Christ? Does our confidence in the Gospel of Christ equal the confidence of Sam in ham and eggs? Shouldn’t our joy and commitment exceed Sam’s? After all, our “product” is unending, everlasting, unconditional Love from a God who came to earth and died to save each one of us!

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

2 Corinthians 4:1-9 ESV – The Light of the Gospel – Therefore, – Bible Gateway

We carry the amazing treasure of God’s Power to save, redeem, and reconcile! Let us not get discouraged as we share the good news and as we pray for God to continue His work in a broken world!

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For God So Loved…

Today is March 16. In my area of the world, we abbreviate it as 3/16/26, or just 3/16. So it reminds me of the most quoted verse in the Bible– John 3:16– “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (ESV) This verse is so famous and so quoted, that many times, people just skip the actual verse and just use the reference. In fact, if you just see a poster or sign of reference that says 3:16, it almost always means this verse.

Recently, I saw a short video of a person complaining about seeing such a reference on their soft-drink cup at the fast food chain In-N-Out Burger. The chain prints “John 3:16” on the inside of the bottom of their cups. They’re known for it. They don’t print out the entire verse, just the reference. It’s not blatant or over-bearing– just a modest note on the bottom of their cups. But this person wanted none of it. They started out by liking the food, but they were offended by this tiny reference to a Bible verse. “Keep your John 3:16,” they sneered. “I don’t want your John 3:16.” Apparently, it left a bad taste in their mouth just to see any reference to the Bible. They felt judged and oppressed, I guess.

But John 3:16 is not about judgment. It’s all about Love! For God SO LOVED the WORLD–take a minute to reflect on that. God, the Holy One, who created the world, only to have mankind reject Him over and over again, didn’t destroy it. He didn’t turn His back on the world. He didn’t leave us as a footnote and move on. Instead, He GAVE His ONLY begotten SON. He didn’t come up with a cheap plan for salvation that was just adequate to cover our worst sins and leave us enslaved to our old guilt and shame. He didn’t send a half-hearted emissary to show us what Heaven and Holiness were like. He sent His SON– the heir of the Universe–to live among us, show us how to love and live and worship. And that Son GAVE all of Himself as a sacrifice– not for a select few, but for WHOSOEVER would trust in Him and submit to His Lordship!

WHOSOEVER believes in Him will not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE! How does that offend and oppress? The message of John 3:16 sums up the whole Gospel of Christ. It is NOT judgment, but Salvation. It is not oppression, but freedom from Sin and Death!

So today, I am thrilled to celebrate 3:16! It is a message of hope, joy, renewal, abundance, purpose, power, and LOVE!

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If I Could Change the World

Several years ago, Eric Clapton recorded a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. It was called, “(If I Could) Change the World”, and it ended up winning three Grammy awards. The chorus keeps repeating, “(if) I could change the world– I would be the sunlight in your universe. You would think my love was really something good. Baby, if I could change the world.”

The song speaks to a great longing we have to, if not change the entire world, at least change the circumstances around us. If only we could! Especially in a situation like that of the singer, who is in love with someone who doesn’t return his feelings. Oh the things he would do– He would bring down the stars, he would be king for a day, he would shine as bright as the sun! All in the hope of changing the heart of the woman he loves…Ahh, romance.

But there is a reality in this song that grieves the heart of God. Our world NEEDS to change. It is fallen, and it is on a collision course with death and destruction due to Sin. It is natural that we should want to change the world around us– it is full of danger, disappointment, death, and deception. But the only one who can truly change it (for the better) is the one who created it in the first place. We want to change the world by taking the place of God. WE want to be the sun in the center of our solar system. WE want to place the stars and planets. WE want to be the kings and queens of our days and lives.

And there are certain things over which we DO have that kind of control. WE can change our attitudes. WE can change our behaviors. WE can change some elements of our environment and our social circle. We can change jobs, hairstyles, addresses, sleep schedules, gym memberships, diets, and more.

But there are other things that we simply cannot change. We can’t change the weather– even when we talk of “climate change” we don’t speak of individuals being able to single-handedly improve (or destroy) the environment. We can’t change another person’s heart (as this song laments), or their mind. And, as Jesus reminds us, we can’t add a single hour to our lives (see Matthew 6:27)! We cannot change our genetic code to add inches to our height or subtract inches around our middle! And, while surgeons suggest that we can change our gender, it is not possible for a man or woman to change their basic DNA and assigned organs to completely “become” someone else. We cannot change the rotation of the Earth (and thank goodness! Even the slightest changes would wipe out life as we know it!) We cannot even rid the world of mosquitoes!

But our “groaning” echoes that of all nature (see Romans 8:22-23)– we long to see the world as it SHOULD BE. Something in our souls longs to see the world renewed, transformed, and perfected. And it WILL BE! God has promised to make a “new heaven and earth” (see Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1) And when that happens, HE will be the sunshine in our universe. We will KNOW that His Love is REALLY something Good! And while we wait, Jesus has promised to change our current situation, as well. HE can change our world! And that’s something worth singing about!

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Prayer In the Digital Age

Wilt thou love God, as He thee? then digest,
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In Heaven, doth make His Temple in thy breast.
The Father, having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting (for he ne’er begun),
Hath deigned to choose thee, by adoption,
Coheir to His glory and sabbath’s endless rest;
As a robbed man which by search doth find
His stol’n stuff sold must lose or buy again,
The Son of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom He had made, and Satan stol’n, to unbind.
‘Twas much that man was made like God before,
But that God should be made like man, much more.
John Donne, Holy Sonnets 1633, No. 11

 

In the Garden

1 I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing. [Refrain]

3 I’d stay in the garden with Him
Tho’ the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro’ the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling. [Refrain]

Baptist Hymnal, 1991

 

Sanctus Real– Pray (You Tube)

 

Times have changed– God has not.

God does not have a Facebook or X account; he’s not in Pinterest or Snapchat.  He doesn’t post selfies or have a blog.  But he is the same God that Adam and Eve walked with in the Garden of Eden; the same God who spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend.  He is the same God who listened to the impassioned Psalms of King David, and the lamentations of Jeremiah.  He is the same God who has inspired awe and fear in the hearts of apostles, poets, philosophers, songwriters, and evangelists over the centuries.

When we come before God, it is tempting to see him through the lens of our own times– we want him to be one of our “peeps”, accessible, someone who will answer a text or voice mail, “like” our post or “follow” us as we babble about our hours and days and show pictures of what we had for dinner or what we looked like heading out to the concert. We want him to be about US, instead of us laying down our lives for HIM.

Media– especially social media, can help or hinder our prayer life.  We can access all kinds of helpful tools to focus our prayers, link up with prayer partners and groups, listen to inspiring music or peaceful slide shows for meditation…  But more often than not, media becomes a distraction or even a substitution for real, serious, personal communication with God.

God is not our virtual friend; he’s not our “Bruh” or “the man upstairs.”  He is the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe– every galaxy created at his command, every particle obedient to his whim.  And he has given us the privilege to come before him as his adopted and beloved children to lay our hearts before him and receive his wisdom, forgiveness, strength, and joy.  “Liking” your friends’ posts with Bible verses, sending a thumbs up or an emoji when someone puts up a picture of Jesus on their wall–if that’s the sum total of what you call worship, God has another name for it– Idolatry.

That may seem really harsh, but Idolatry is ANYTHING that we are worshiping in place of God himself.  There’s a reason we don’t have statues of God the Father in temples and churches, synagogues, and chapels around the world.  God warned us thousands of years ago about the dangers of creating substitutes.  Even things that are meant to remind us of him can become substitutes for worship.  That doesn’t mean that the crucifix necklace or the picture of Jesus knocking at the door are automatically evil– but when we stop reaching out to the real God, and focus on a false image, no matter how lovely or touching, we can fall into idolatry.  And the distractions of the digital age have been shown to create isolation and depression, and become impediments among our human relationships..  We don’t have meaningful meditation or intimate conversations online with people at the other end– what makes us think that wireless devices will bring us closer to God?

That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t use technology to enhance our worship–just don’t make it an entertaining substitute for the real thing.  You wouldn’t (or at least I hope you don’t) text and catch up on Twitter while having a face-to-face and heart-to-heart talk with your spouse or child. Give God the honor, the time, and the respect he deserves.  You don’t have to live like a stone age hunter to get some alone time with God, but it is a great idea to set aside some time to unplug from media and the noise of this world, and plug into the wonder of meeting with God in the Garden.pexels-photo-130154.jpeg

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When God “Remembers No More…”

In my last post, I discussed what it means (or doesn’t mean) when the Bible says that “God remembered…” God is not forgetful. He is omniscient, meaning that He knows everything, all the time. When God “remembers,” the Bible is usually talking about God’s timing. God “remembers” His promises– meaning that the time has come for God’s promises to be fulfilled. The reminder isn’t for God– it is for US. We need to trust that God will fulfill ALL of His promises in His time, not ours.

So what does it mean when God says, “ “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12? Or “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 ? (emphasis added)

How can a God who knows everything and remembers everything say that He will NOT remember? Once again, God does not forget. But He does choose what He will call to mind– what He will hold against us, or what He will hold in our favor. And, just as God remembers His promises, He promises to “forget” our sins and remove them “as far as the east is from the west” Psalm 103:12.

God’s perfect justice demands that He should remember every wrong, every injustice, every sin–and punish them. God will never leave one of His precious children as an eternal victim. Every martyr, every victim of theft, abuse, betrayal, slander, and injury will someday be vindicated, healed, and made whole. But God can, more perfectly than any human being, remember and correct the injustice without attaching all of the punishment to guilty party. Instead, He sees the Blood of Christ as the complete and entire payment for our sins! God has promised that the Blood of Christ has fully atoned for Sin. Our response of Faith allows us to claim that promise and move forward in New Life. Not just Eternal Life, but newness and abundance of Life today. Just as God can “remember (our) sins no more,” so we too can turn away from them.

There is great comfort in remembering that God always remembers His promises. There is also great comfort in knowing that God will NOT remember all of our failures and rebellious thoughts and actions. His forgiveness is not conditional on our level of guilt or our attempt to make atonement. It is complete, even to the point of wiping clear the very memory of our past sins! And Christ’s finished work on the cross also guarantees that every hurt and injustice we have suffered will also be made right–in His perfect way and time.

But there is a further comfort– WE can rest in the promise that our guilt and shame can stay in the past. We do not have to continually ask for God’s forgiveness for the sins we committed years ago, nor do we have to continually live in the guilt of knowing we have fallen short of the Glory of God. We do not have to live as constant victims of someone else’s sin. We do not have to rehearse our failures, justify our scars, or live as second-class Christians, feeling that we are not “as good” as others, since we are all saved by Faith, and not by our own works of goodness (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

Being a Christian is not a matter of what we’ve done (or what has been done to us) in the past. It is walking a new road, following Christ’s example and resting in His assurances. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us on the road ahead, not letting our accuser (Satan) drag us back to our former paths. We will still remember our old actions, the pain of what we have suffered, the pain we have caused others. But we need not live in those memories. We can be ecstatically grateful for God’s promise to “remember (our) sins no more!”

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