Wouldn't It Be Nice If....?

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

I saw a news program several years ago about a developer who built some beautiful (and quite expensive) homes.  They sold very quickly.  All was well until about two years later when cracks began to develop in the walls and foundations.  All attempts to contact the developer and his contractor failed.  Another year went by and several of these once beautiful homes collapsed completely.  What the developer and the contractor did not disclose was the fact that the homes had been built on a swamp that had been filled in. As time passed, the swamp began to reclaim its place in the area and took most of the homes in the process.

What made me remember this story was a person I once loved turned on me.  When I asked why, I was told that I should have listened to the rumors about them because the rumors were true and this person was self serving.  

If we follow the teachings of Jesus, we will be genuine and loving people.  We will be so genuine that we will treat everyone else the same way we want to be treated.  We will be like the house built on the bedrock....we may get treated badly but we won't crumble.  True strength, I believe, comes from being genuine.  Jesus was SO genuine that the Pharisees and Scribes hated Him because THEY were hollow inside. Jesus referred to them as "white-washed graves."  

The more I contemplated this Scripture, I knew that it takes looking inside frequently to make sure that my own foundation had no leaks or cracks.  If any are found, it's time to take them to the Cross and ask for Abba's help to seal them in His love.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could know if the people we interact with are genuine or "white-washed graves"?

 

"What's In A Name?"

You remember Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet" where the question was posed, "What's in a name? That which we call a 'rose' by any other name would smell just as sweet"?  There was a time when a person's name actually had a specific meaning.  For example, the name "Johnson" quite literally meant John's son.  Goldsmith meant you were a Gold Smith (worker of gold into coins or jewelry).  

We don't think too much about names anymore, but they still have meaning because the name is attributed to a person's reputation, personality, and actions.  When you hear the name John Wilkes Booth, what comes to mind?  What about the name Mother Teresa?  Names get a reaction from us when we know to whom they belong.

When I hear the name Claire Barlow my heart is warmed.  That name may not mean a thing to you, but she was my 3rd grade teacher who encouraged me write and read.  Because of her, I began to learn and the more I learned the more I wrote.  I had notebooks filled with journal entries and observations, thoughts and dreams. Page after page and all because that teacher took the time to encourage me.

Let me get to the point of today: 

"Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father." 

Philippians 2:9-11

Did you catch the importance of this name?  Abba elevated Jesus to the place of HIGHEST HONOR.  Because of that, when the name of Jesus is named, all honor should be shown to include, but not be limited to, kneeling (a sign of submission and respect), and every tongue openly proclaim that Jesus IS Lord! And all of this brings glory to Abba!

What's in a name? Quite a lot when you think about it!

 

We Tend To Forget

 

Have you ever wondered why Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper?  Was it because He just wanted to hang out with the Disciples? Maybe.  Was it because He wanted to impress upon them how nasty their feet get? Well, there's that.  But permit me to share what I believe...Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper because He knows we have a habit of forgetting.  I have a confession to make, I tend to forget more than I remember.  I have a habit of looking for my glasses when I'm wearing them (the lenses just need a clean).  I can't remember, most days, what I had for breakfast.  Why? Because these things aren't overly important to me.  We tend to not remember the things we don't consider essential for our day.

1. We Need To Remember How Quickly We Forget.

Now, think about this, the world says "Have a drink and forget."  But Jesus reminds us to "Take, eat, drink...and remember."  

I was reading about Martin Luther who said he had to preach the Gospel to his congregation every single day otherwise they would forget every single day.  But also consider Martin Luther preached the Gospel every single day so Martin Luther would remember!

2. We Need To Remember Our True Condition

We have this insatiable need to be right.  We want everyone to see us as "good".  We want others to see us correct the sin of this troubled world.  Why? Because that is our sinful nature.  Remember when Jesus ate with the drunkards, tax collectors, and prostitutes?  Jesus didn't talk with them using hard words.  He reserved His hard words for the "religious" people who believed it was their goal in life to be "good" and be perceived as "good" when they were far from it and more judgmental than anything else.

Jesus used these words to them: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look pure and clean outwardly, but inside is corruption and uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly look 'righteous and pious' to others, but you are really full of hypocrisy and chaos." - (Matthew 23:27-28).

3. We Need To Remember Where Jesus Found Us.

The Apostle Peter wrote: “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10).  When Jesus found us, we had no identity as a people.  Abba when to a LOT of trouble to teach us truth and love.  You see, sin isn't sin because it's ugly. Sin is sin because it stains your heart. When it stains your heart, Abba's heart breaks because He loves you.  I read a quote by Steve Brown: "The cross isn't a sign of God's judgement...it is the sign of His broken heart."

4. We Need To Remember How Loved We Are

"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).  Because of Abba's love, I'm Abba's CHILD! I no longer have to consider myself to be without hope!  I am LOVED without conditions or hesitation!

Take time to remember!

Spoiled?

Where do you think all these appalling fights and arguments come from? Do you actually think they "just happen"? They come about because you want your own way and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to do anything to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.  You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

James 4:1-3

When I read this passage, the events in our nation came to mind.  What's happened to us?  Why are so many acting like spoiled children?  Because so many of us have stopped talking with Abba and stopped listening to Him. 

Sadly, this didn't just suddenly crop up out of thin air, did they?  When we look back through history, we will see this has been building for a long time.  Please understand, this is NOT a political statement.  This is simply and observation that began in the mirror.  When I look at my own life, I can see my own rebellion and refusal to listen to Abba.  But I'm learning...

Let's learn together.

 

Got A Minute?

 "If your fellow believer sins against you, go and tell him in private what he did wrong. If he listens to you, you have helped that person to be your brother or sister again."

Matthew 18:15

Have you ever had someone tell other people how you offended them?  How did that make you feel?  Instead of coming to you, the "offense" became exaggerated and spread. Then you wonder why people treat you differently or stop interacting with  you altogether.

I had offended one of my classmates without realizing it.  After school, he came up to me and asked " Can we talk for a bit?".  We walked and talked about what I had done and how he had been offended. I had no idea, but was grateful for our talk and the chance to apologize.  Think about it for a moment.  Do we go to the person who has offended or hurt us to talk it out?  Or do we get ticked off, yell, shout, or, worse yet, voice our case to the court of public opinion?

Look at the words of Christ, "got and tell him in private." Don't come at them with guns blazing seeking to demean them, belittle them, or crush them.  Go with gentleness with these words, "Got a minute?"  Permit me to provide a touch of insight...Attitude Is The Key To Discussion.  Let me explain, if my attitude is one of kindness, gentleness, and humility, the situation is more likely to get resolved quickly and the relationship built stronger for that honesty.  However, if my attitude is one of defensiveness, things will quickly become hostile and that relationship will be destroyed.

When we allow Abba to be our focus, we truly can be humble and restorative.

Chameleons At A Masquerade

I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.

 If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Galatians 1:10

Always being the smallest kid in school, I got bullied a LOT.  It wasn't, and isn't, a good feeling not being able to "fit in" yet I tried very hard to fit in by changing who I was depending on who I was around.  I became like a chameleon at a masquerade, switching masks like a magician.  Did it work? Not exactly.  I spent so much of my time changing masks to fit the expectations and standards of others, that I began to forget who I really was.

We make a HUGE mistake will do almost anything to gain acceptance from others.  Think about it...have you ever tried to impress someone by becoming who they wanted you to be?  Have you ever pretended?  I remember watching some of the guys in my classes trying to impress the girls by their "acting skills."  "Oh you're vegan? I only eat fruit myself."  "Wow, you like mushy movies too?"  "I LOVE animals! Especially the ones that provide us with bacon!"  Okay, that last one was a bad idea, but you get the point.

Think about how Abba loves and accepts us!  I can't earn His love and acceptance. I can't buy it. I can't join some secret society to get it. My clothes, car, bank account aren't enough to impress Him.  Hold onto your hats...I don't impress Him by even going to church!  You see, when all we are doing is going through the motions, how does that impress Him enough to love us? 

You want to know how you can stop being the chameleon at a masquerade and know Abba's true love for you?  Accept it!  Abba loves us warts, tattoos, piercings and all!  He loves us because of who we are...His Children!

There is nothing and no one who can love us like He does.  Not the job, not the romantic relationship, not friends, not pets...Only Abba loves us unconditionally!  Now, I will say this...my dog, Woody Bear, loves me far more than I deserve.  His is the closest thing to unconditional love I have known, and Abba teaches me through Woody Bear's patience and care.

Instead of looking for love...accept the free gift of Love Abba offers us!

 

A person plans his course,
but the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

We've all made plans.  I will get my degree, get a great job, get married, have kids and live happily ever after.  But what happens when our plan A doesn't turn out so well.  What happens when you finally get the degree you wanted, but can't find a job in the field?  Or you get that job and you end up working endless hours for someone who may not appreciate you? What happens when you come home from work only to find a note from your spouse saying "This isn't working! I'm leaving!"?  For many of us, we focus so much on plan A that we have no plan B, so when plan A doesn't work the way we envisioned, we get angry at Abba and sometimes just give up.

Think about this, Abba told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell them unless they changed their ways Abba was going to destroy the city.  Well, this was NOT Jonah's plan A!  In fact, it was not Jonah's plan of any letter.  So what did he do?  He formulated his own Plan A and took a ship in the completely opposite direction.  Guess how well that worked out for him? The fact is, Abba's plans for us are so much better than ANYTHING we could possibly imagine. 

First, Psalm 57:2 says, "I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me."  When Plan A doesn't work out like we planned, take it to Abba and talk with Him about your frustrations, anxieties, disappointments, and ask Him to lead you to His plan for you. Understand that Abba has a purpose for your life and has numbered your days accordingly, and here's the best part, He WILL fulfill that purpose in your life!

Second, understand that Abba is not mad at you nor is He a bully, but He does have the best for you. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'"  If Abba was truly a big mean bully, why would He have plans for GOOD, why would He give us a FUTURE and HOPE?  The fact of the matter is we tend to view Him as being mad and even hating us when OUR plans fall through.  There have been many times in my life when I thought Abba was just some big creep who enjoyed tormenting me, but I'm learning He really does love me.

Third, understand that when Abba's purpose for us has been fulfilled, we WILL hear Him say, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ - Matthew 25:23. 

Here's my point: We CAN trust Abba to do what's best for us, even when we don't like it or agree with it.  Abba never promised us an easy care-free existence on this marble.  He DID promise that He would never leave us and that He would fulfill His plans for our life.  We can trust Him!  We can talk with Him!  Because He loves us more than words can express.

Think about it!