It’s always a sunny day but sometimes it’s simply that the sun is hidden behind the trees. Lately this has been our life as we are journeying through cancer treatments together, struggles with weariness and experiencing the faithfulness of God in all things. Thankfully He is more than patient with my petty complaining and more than close when I have felt alone. On closer examination the trees that block out the sky also are filled with blooms to remind me of His grace.
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Unlimited Mercy
One of the great questions I have sometimes is not whether God would really forgive me because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. I accept this by faith without fully understanding because the Bible tells me so. What puzzles me more is why an infinitely pure holy and powerful God would care to spend eternity with me. And then I come to this verse and am reminded that while the distance from the North to South poles is fixed (12,430 miles) from East to West there is no measure. That measure”s limit lies beyond the edge of the universe, just like the love and mercy of God!
Glorious Mystery
Day 9 of 31 Days of Hope
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory Colossians 1:27 KJV
One of the great religious mysteries of modern times is the unraveling of the story of the shroud of Turin. The shroud’s history is a bit uncertain though its present location in Turin Italy since 1578 is fairly well accepted. That the shroud carried the images which we know of today was not commonly known till the late 1800’s. There have been films, treatises and television reports made supporting various conclusions about the origins, authenticity and meaning of the shroud. One thing is clear however from the debate: no one’s mind is easily changed about who Jesus truly was by an historical artifact.
Just before Jesus went to the cross rose from…
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Who is Welcome?
I posted on Facebook yesterday what I thought was a pretty innocuous thought about unity in the church. Wow I was dismayed and surprised to see the “controversy this stirred up! My hope is that if we each ask ourselves this one simple question and be willing to take personal responsibility to reach out that each of our churches will be the better. Have a blessed day!
“Will folks who think or look differently than we do feel welcome at our church? If God wanted us all the same He would have used plastic and not dust when He was forming man.”
31 Days of Hope – Day Two
The Road to Hope
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? Romans 8:24
In the town where I spent my teen-aged years there is a hill we called Mount Pleasant. On most days it was just another rolling green hill. But on rare mornings on perfectly sunny days you sometimes found yourself surrounded by deep impenetrable fog. Though the fog bank usually was no longer that the short half mile over the crest of the hill, the only safe way through was to slow to a crawl and keep your eyes on the yellow center line. You just had to keep going and it would not be long before you would break back out into the sunshine.
Fog banks like we experienced on Mount Pleasant come to all of our lives. A single…
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Thirty one Days of Hope
There are so many things that make us afraid. We try to face them bravely alone or flee to the company of friends and family. But in the quiet long lonely times fear comes crawling back to center stage. That is when we must remind ourselves that our only sure hope in the person of Jesus Christ is always near.
Day One The Things We Fear
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 NKJV
The drowning man was flailing in the waves just 100 yards from the beach. Two politicians ran up to the shoreline. The Republican threw out 50 yards of line and shouted to the man, “that’s all I can afford. Swim for it!” The Democrat stepped up with a smirk and threw 1000 yards of line out, then dropped the rope and walked away shouting, “Somebody ought to do something for him!”
Just as the man began to sink for the third time, Jesus came walking out on the waves, took him by the hand and whispered, “It is I, don’t be afraid!”
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Waiting to Bloom
Wait on the Lord ; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord ! Psalms 27:14
Waiting for God is in some ways like waiting for a flower to bloom. The promise of it’s full beauty is wrapped tightly in a tiny bud. If we pry it open we will forever lose the chance to see what the full blossom can become.
We cannot rush God but with strength and courage we must trust that He knows what He is doing in His garden. Whatever it is you are waiting for today – trust Him. He knows the precise moment for every flower in the universe to open. He will unlock the fragrance hidden in the blossom exactly when someone needs its perfume today!
