There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 ESV
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 ESV
Being a bit of a tool guy, I love watching commercials that start out with some crazy guy who takes his chainsaw and cuts his boat in half. In scene two, he glues the two halves of the boat back together and then in the final clip, we see him, waterskiing behind that boat while it is speeding effortlessly across the water! Maybe all of us, not just tool guys love these scenes because it is wonderful seeing broken things getting fixed! In our real lives however, there are mornings when we pull the pot out from the coffee maker and see grounds swirling around the bottom like the debris caught up in a tornado. We get an email, notifying us of a layoff or we spend the night tossing and turning, because someone we love is facing life threatening surgery in the morning. God doesn’t ask us to play make believe, pretending that nothing will ever go wrong. In fact, in today’s verse, He reminds us that in spite of all of these days, that try to tear us apart, His love remains the most powerful glue in the universe. This glue not only holds us together, but it keeps us stuck to His Purpose, His Plan and His Heaven. Nothing can separate us. No beating waves, no tragedy, no changing social norm, no failure no loss, or any enemy in the entire universe. All of these problems pale in comparison to the mighty force of His love, which was poured out at Calvary, and it will forever hold our hearts to Him!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17 ESV
The last few weeks have been a blur of events and emotions. Our California trip to attend my wife’s sister’s funeral and then 5 Christmas Services at different long-term care facilities have all blurred together in my mind. Last night we settled down to watch White Christmas (20 times and counting!) and slowed down enough to catch our collective breathes. We will not see family but are grateful that we have children and grandchildren to miss. We have each other, a few friends and a quiet life. How different our experience is from Mary and Joseph on a chilly night in Bethlehem.
The stable was dark and dank. There was no soft bed for Mary to lie on, no nurse or even mid-wife to attend. When the baby came, Joseph tried his best to find a place to lay him, but a feeding trough was all he found. There in that cold dark place the love of God was born as a fragile child, wrapped in rough cloth and laid in a hay bin. That Holy Night reminds me of another cold dark day, thirty-three years later when God’s love was poured out again. This time on a rough wooden cross, with blood streaming down from His hands and feet Jesus gave Himself for us. Now anyone willing to come as a child can find forgiveness and receive His gift of love (Eternal Life). May God bless you and watch over you in this Holiday season. Jesus still comes and God’s love is still being poured out. What we need are the eyes of children to see Him and receive His gift today! My song video this week features Away in a Manger. Have a blessed week all!
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