Hope

He Is Knocking – Part 1

/ pastorpete51

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:19-20 KJV

This verse wasn’t written just for folks who had gold stars on their Sunday school papers. In fact this is the church who Jesus just got done telling that he was ready to spit them out because they were like lukewarm water! But at the end of His rebuke  Jesus reminds me of my Dad telling me He only was spanking me because he loved me. Here is the first of two messages of hope for those of us who have been lovingly spanked.

The wonderful news is that He is standing right outside  our door not only today but every day. Whether we have been as pure as the Virgin Mary or as sinful as the woman caught in the act of adultery; Jesus stands outside waiting for our response to His knock. Why not fling open the door every morning and invite Him in? How does that work? Let’s imagine being inside the door of a home in the days of the apostles.

First Jesus says that if we will open the door He will come in and sit down with us at our table.  In that time the first thing to do for a guest would be to kiss Him on the cheek in greeting. My father from the old school Italian tradition often kissed me like that and as a teenager it was way more than I wanted! His kiss told me that He was delighted to call me his son and that anything I needed he was prepared to give. My father was always more generous with me than I deserved.

Next a guest upon entering the home would be provided a basin of  water and a servant who came to wash his feet. Our humble repentance  of  everything  displeasing to him is both our loving duty and our privilege. Once we open the door He willingly comes in and allows us to wash His feet which are clean then remember that He has chosen to wash our feet that are dirty. Last the host put a few drops of olive oil on his palms to wipe the guest’s hair clean from the  dust of the road. The oil that we can give Him at the doorway  is our joyful and grateful praise that He has  come. He is at every one of our doorways this morning knocking. The sooner we run to fling open the door. The sooner the Lord will come in.  Why wait even one more moment?1546260575853_image.jpg

 

Getting Back in the Boat

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And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:32

This short, seemingly insignificant verse holds a promise I had overlooked till I desperately needed it. I often thought about God challenging me as when Peter walked on water. Other times it was comforting to know that Jesus reached out his hand to save Peter. But it is just as important to know that Jesus wants to restore normalcy and calm to our lives.

fishing sea sky sunset

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

My mother was just 62 when she died of breast cancer and her passing left me feeling like I had been run over by a truck. The years struggling to rebuild our relationship, the prayers and the conversations were suddenly over. I felt as if I were locked in a room with barely enough air to breathe. I sleep walked through months of guilt and regret for what had never been. Then one morning as the light began to shine outside my window it also started shining again in my heart. It wasn’t that I suddenly could understand the reasons behind the hurt, but rather that knowing only God knew was now enough.

Prayer: Father even the hurts that I will never understand and the struggles that no one else knows about are safe with you. Thank you that you are not always challenging or rescuing me, but that some days you simply help me back in the boat. I am grateful and I rest in your care as the wind calms to a hush.

God’s Service Department

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If you have worked in the service department of any store you know that returns can be a challenge. People lose their receipts or bring in things that are just worn out with age. Worse yet some try returning items that came from another store. All of this takes time and patience and tempers sometimes flare. But no matter what the problem, the goal is to restore confidence and put things back in their rightful place.

Today’s scripture talks about a different kind of returning. We are the ones who need to be returned to where we belong. We have forgotten where home is and spiritually speaking have lost our receipt. But nothing can prevent God from restoring us. We can be accepted whether we are worn out, broken or even purchased at another store. God is in the business of returns so don’t even think of giving up. Right now He is willing to accept us as his own and become the Shepherd of our souls!

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25