Heaven

Heaven’s Treasures

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

I dreamed I was at heaven’s door

I heard its hinges creak

Around its frame a light shone out

As it opened for the King

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“What have you brought?” He asked

“From your time on earth now through”

I didn’t know what I could say

I just had to tell the truth

 

So I talked about the mission’s trips

And how each day I prayed

And how I often read His word

And all the tithes I gave

When I stopped – he paused

And then He gently said

Those were not from your truest heart

But just rituals instead”

“But the forgiveness you gave your parents

When divorce left you alone

And love you shared with strangers

When you opened up your home

And sorrowful repentant tears

And confessions in the night

Those are the things I treasure here

And are precious in my sight!”

Lost to us but Present with God!

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We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Corinthians 5:8

This week we said good-bye both physically and spiritually to my God Mother. My Aunt Helen was a blessing, a fixture, a must phone call at Christmas and a favorite of our family reunions. As the tears fell today, not from sorrow that she is gone as much as a sad recognition that this was never meant to be. God did not program death into His wonderful plan for us. We were the ones who have chosen our own way and yet he has worked an eternal greater good through the cross of Calvary. Through the dark suffering night of Jesus Christ on the horrible cross He gave to us a gift far greater than we will ever know while still here on this earth.

He suffered humiliation, rejection, abandonment and betrayal alone so Helen’s hope and our’s could be honor and acceptance, belonging and faithful love. What a loss I sense at losing my precious God Mom today but she is now found by God and experiencing the fruit of that eternal forgiveness freely offered to us by a the kindness and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord!

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Walking with Jesus Alone

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
1516018540207_image.jpgTherefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.                     2 Cor 6:16-17

Being a Christian may sometimes feel like a complicated balancing act. On one hand we don’t want to be like the Pharisees whose holier than thou attitude smelled pretty stinky to God. But then we come face to face with verses in the New Testament that challenge us to boldly be different from others.

When I was small I can remember summer nights playing with my cousins in our grandmother’s back yard. Games of tag turned to Hide and seek as the afternoon shadows lengthened. Finally as darkness began to fall we would wear our selves out running with empty jars to try to catch fireflies. Finally our grandmother who we called Gammy would go out on the back porch and ring the big ships bell that grandfather had brought back from the navy ship which he captained.  Hearing that bell meant to all of us that we needed to stop everything we were doing and come in.

In that same way God is ringing heaven’s bell as the shadows of time are lengthening. It is time to stop chasing after the fireflies come in to be close to Him. Quite a few years ago being separated meant that we shouldn’t join secular civic organizations, labor unions or ecumenical groups. Not to disparage those choices but on closer examination of scripture we see that He is not just calling us out. He is also calling us in.

Are you at a crossroads in your life today? Is there some decision, commitment or relationship that challenges your relationship to Jesus Christ? Making choices in life is not easy. Often good choices are the most difficult. God doesn’t promise us a comfortable and easy path. He does promise that will never walk alone. Will you walk with Him today? Does His approval mean more than the approval of neighbors, friends and even family? It won’t matter how many people like our decision. The only like that really matters comes from Jesus Christ and He gives us the awesome and fearful freedom to choose who we will walk with today!