Love

A Superglue Love!

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …Romans 8:35

I have always loved this verse, though holding on to it at times of trouble has seemed elusive at best. Usually when the going gets tough in relational conflict, under financial pressure or sickness I forget about God’s love and revert to anxiety or stressed out overreactions. But God’s love is supposed stick to us like superglue; so what are we missing?

Maybe our common weakness in situations needing God’s love is expecting to find the source in ourselves; and when that is failing we fall back into fear, stress or shame. But this morning I noticed how this superglue love that sticks through every possible circumstance has nothing to do with me or you. Its holding power is linked to who Jesus is and where He is in the previous verse.

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:34 ESV

Yup…that superglue love is all about Jesus interceding for us with the Father right there in heaven. Remember He told us, “I and the Father are one.”? His love for us superglues Him to that place in Heaven. No situation of life or death, sickness or persecution can unstick His love or make Him give up on us. His love is superglued right to the throne of God and nothing in creation will ever separate us from the amazing….unbelievable…all powerful and wonderful, love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! Now that gives me hope and puts a drop of God’s superglue love in me!

God’s Littlest Toes

/ pastorpete51 / 11 Comments

 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:5 KJV

If we were asked to pick one single member of our body that we would miss the least, many would answer, our little toe. After all that toe is not only very small but probably no one would even notice. But not long ago I had a revelation about its value when that toe met the leg of our kitchen table. First came the pain that made me sit down for several minutes until my head cleared. My brain didn’t care about my strong hands, smooth biceps or well combed hair. All I could focus on was just exactly how much I loved my toe!

The same is true in God’s body called the church. You see, not only was I in pain on the day when I broke my toe, but it affected every part of my life. My morning walk was transformed into a morning hobble to the coffee pot. Our seat towards the front of the church was traded for one nearest the door. Over those six weeks, a walk on the beach or working in my garden were both definitely out. Even getting my shoes off and on was a delicate task. Slowly I learned that humility is the first step towards appreciation. Maybe there are members, not only of our body, but also of our church or our own family whom we are just taking for granted. Maybe we are overlooking their value because we haven’t slowed down enough to notice them. But we are all noticed by Jesus Christ. Let’s not wait for even one of them to be broken before we learn to treat them with respect! After all even God’s littlest toes were loved so much by Jesus that He gave not only His love and but also His life for ours!

God’s Great Symphony

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His faithful love endures forever! Psalm 136:1 NLT

If we look at Psalm 136 as if it were a grand symphony we could think of, these first verses like the trumpets blasting out an opening about the goodness of God. They alert us and fill our ears with the knowledge that our God is higher than any other power in the entire universe and above every other god. Then the composer plunges ahead with soaring strings that reach higher and higher ringing out with the beauty of creation and how God made the heavens, the earth and the sun, moon and stars. But with each new measure that is played we hear again a harmony note reminding us of God’s eternal love. Then the orchestra hushes as the score moves on to recount a specific list of each thing that God has done for His people Israel.

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Next a military drum roll marches out the victories God has led them through. First the deliverance from the empire of Egypt, then the crossing Red Sea and finally the defeat of the armies of the Amorites. Each verse sings out that God is faithful and with every note that is played we see His goodness. When thunderous rising notes of opposition challenge His children, God’s unfailing melody of love assures us to rest. No wail of lament or minor key of sorrow will last. They will all pale in comparison one day to the beauty and power of God’s love that echoes in every verse. They carry us from the beginning of creation, through every problem that we have faced and show us that only His love lasts forever. Then the crescendo of praise hushes to a silence at the final fading note of the symphony causes us to pause in awe remembering all that God has done and we give thanks In that glorious amazement we realize that both our blessings as well as our difficulties will pass away but the great symphony of the love of God will last forever and forever!

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