Alive and Well?

My grandparents' generation had some clever sayings that have stuck with me, and one of them is this: "never trust a skinny cook." The implication is that "skinny cooks" don't eat their own cooking - beware, what they cook just may not be all that great! Paul wrote, "My beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Among some Believers, there seems to be a very real disconnect regarding their salvation and their obedience. Of course, our salvation is not of works - we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8); however, because we are saved (redeemed, born again), there should be a highly visible difference in us ... such as, obedience to Christ. Believers are God's "workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:10). Skinny cooks may ... or may not ... be an indication of how good or edible their cookin' is; for sure, the beauty of obedience to Christ will testify ... or not ... of how The Gospel is being lived-out in our lives. The Gospel is alive and well - the question is ... is it alive and well in you?

Sweet Words

Sweet treats are a great finish to a good meal - well, actually, to any meal! The Israelites considered honey to be a healthy food as well as a sweetener. God said, "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body" (Proverbs 16:24). The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 19:10, referring to God's Word: "They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." We all know the sting of hurtful words - those barbs anything but sweet. We also know the delicacy of kind, gentle and gracious words - soothing, a balm to the soul: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). Believers should be ever conscious of our role in speaking life to others; the reward of righteous words is immeasurable - it's what every soul longs for. I love the saying, "life is too short - eat dessert first." How fitting when our lips serve dessert first: speak ... sweet words!

The Good Portion

One of the things that attracted Mister Bill and I [almost 50 years ago] to our favorite beach was there was nothing to do there except enjoy the white sand and calm waters. We know, of course, not everyone enjoys the nothing-to-do of the Island but I guess we just love ... doing nothing! David wrote, "One thing I have asked of the LORD, and that I will seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD [in His Presence] all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur of the LORD and to meditate in His temple." (Psalm 27:4, AMP). I suggest we habitually find it difficult to slow ourselves and sit quietly; it seems most of the time instead we lean toward busy and noisy. I find it particularly interesting [in this verse] that  David first "asked of the LORD" - he probably needed help with slow-down-sit-quietly, too. The scenic description of looking upon God's beauty, loveliness and majesty should inspire every Believer to find still moments so God can reveal Himself: "be still and know that I am GOD" (Psalm 46:10). The grandeur of time spent in The Lord's Presence can never be described as doing nothing; when Mary chose to sit at His feet, Jesus said she had chosen the "good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). I like that - I need that - I choose that ... the good portion.

Heart at Home

During my years in education, an infraction students were often charged with was being "out of area" ... and, yes, they usually could offer [what seemed] a legitimate reason. You don't have to look around long to identify a wandering heart - one that is restless, disquieted, struggling, floundering, desperate for a place of rest ... home. We know, of course, those who do not believe [in Jesus as Savior] have yet to know Him Who is both Sufficient and Satisfying for the soul; however, even Believers can find themselves in seasons of homesickness. That's where I found myself one day recently - missing my Mom and Dad - in deep grief. These song lyrics stopped the steady flow of tears: "if home's where my heart is, then I'm out of place." ("Homesick" by Mercy Me). Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). My parents were indeed a treasure to me - they represented and offered my heart an earthly feeling of home, wherever they were. Sometimes it takes seasons of great loss to bring profound truths to light: Christ is the heart's greatest treasure. Oh, how easy it is for [even] Believers to get their treasures mixed up! I'm fairly certain I'll continue to miss my parents as long as The Lord tarries but ... "Until then my heart will go on singing - Until then with joy I'll carry on - Until the day my eyes behold that city - Until the day God calls me home" (Lyrics by Stuart Hamblen). I'm so thankful my heart is not "out of area," - that Jesus has made my ... heart at home.

MWB Pause

 

I'm taking a short "pause" until Wed 04-26-2023
Stay in The Word ... Miles of Smiles, Beverly

Be At Home

Something I hear often from my Grands is, "MomC, come see ..." They want to show me something new or exciting! As Jesus began His public ministry on earth, two of John's disciples followed Him and ask, "Teacher, where are you staying?" Jesus answered, "Come, and you will see." (John 1:38-39). Jesus didn't offer an address or directions; rather, He invited them to come and see for themselves, to take full advantage of the opportunity at hand. We know from Scripture there was no place Jesus called "home" (Luke 9:58), however, doesn't the Believing heart find its home where Jesus is! Oh, the souls who have wandered (and wander still) from place-to-place in search of that place of peace and rest, ever in pursuit of joy and contentment. "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1) - in submission to Him, the heart finds freedom and its home. "Oh, taste and see that The Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8). The heart will forever be homesick unless it accepts Jesus' invitation to "come ...see." Give your heart a rest - in Christ ... be at home.

What a Relief!

If you've ever been to a 3D movie and put on those silly glasses, you might have jerked 'em off when things seem to leave the screen and into your lap! I propose our responses to most of life is influenced by our perspective. When I gauge events and circumstances [of my life] by a secular worldview, I stay "in the stew" - as my Nanny would say. There is a remedy, a fix for this: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8). Navigating life isn't about having complete knowledge and understanding of everything that happens; no! it's about a belief system rooted solely in The Sovereign God and The Truth of His Word. It's easy to "say" I believe - it's altogether different to genuinely "live" out of that belief system! Basically, it's a matter of perspective: will we see things through the world's popular and trending outlook, or will we see life through the eye of faith? I choose to trust in The Lord with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Oh, wow ... what a relief!

Sweet Remembrance

Although harried, one of this mama's sweet memories is driving my boys here-and-there: the listening and conversing en route are often replayed in my mind. Those days are past - those boys are now driving their own littles around, making their memories. This remembrance should be ever present with the Saints of God: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is The One Whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and Savior, to grant repentance ... and forgiveness of sins. And we are witness of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to those who obey Him." (Acts 5:30-32). What an incredible eternal truth for every Believer! The God of the universe Who created all things and rules all things is not an impersonal Creator God; no! through the power and person of The Holy Spirit, Jesus - Prince and Savior - wants a personal relationship with every Believer. I encourage you to not be slack nor casual about God's invitation to fellowship and communion. Remember the lengths to which God has gone to make this a reality in your life: it's a sweet and rewarding remembrance.

It's A Big Deal

Without looking, how many posts are there on your front porch? If you can answer this correctly, I suspect you probably had to pause and think about it. We sit by them, walk past them and sweep around them without giving them much thought; they're just there ... being posts. This mostly describes our sins: habits unnoticed, careless deeds, casual words. I fear we live with the idea that sin is "over rated" to the degree we give little thought to it in our lives! The Puritan speaks of his shortcoming (sin), "all write dark things against me ... I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess, 'Father, I have sinned.'" That word "confess" simply means "to agree with God." God, You are right and I am wrong! He has said, "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17). The "right thing" finds its perfect measure in God's Word to man - through Scripture and Jesus. Furthermore, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (John 1:9). I will never forget the counsel of an evangelist: Believers should "keep a short list of sins." In other words, don't wait till the end of the day to confess a sin; admit it immediately and know God's promised forgiveness at that moment. The Puritan concludes his statement, "'Father, I have sinned'" with "Yet still I live, and fly repenting to Thy outstretched arms; Thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near ... I bid farewell to sin by clinging to His cross." What divine mercy we find through Jesus! Those porch posts may go unnoticed but they are actually a big deal to the porch itself; sin is also a "big deal." The wise do not marginalize sin ... see sin for what it is - a big deal!

What Has Happened

Have you ever been in a whirlwind of events that left you scratching your head and wondering ... what just happened? Resurrection Sunday is now passed ... what just happened? We gathered with The Body of Believers to revisit the last days of Jesus' life and agony of the cross, then celebrate The Risen Savior with songs of praise, worship and The Lord's Supper. Do the effects of it all continue to pierce your heart, or are they beginning to wane and progressively grow smaller and dimmer? Hear this -- as God saw Jesus on the cross - in the sinner's place - El Shaddai (God Almighty) did not spare Him. Let that sink-in a moment. There on the cross was the Innocent in the place of the guilty. And God did not intervene. He allowed Jesus to be the Substitutionary Payment for my sin-debt. This is what happened! This is not contained to one day on the calendar. And what of those who reject Jesus? Jesus lamented for His people (Israel) who rejected Him: "If they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23:31). Spurgeon writes of this verse, "If the innocent Substitute for sinners suffers like this, what will be done when the sinner himself falls into the hands of an angry God?" Oh, Believer, we have Good News to tell - The Gospel Message [of what happened] so that those in our circle of influence need not suffer God's desertion nor His condemnation when Christ returns. Let's faithfully share ... what has happened!

Risen Indeed!

If there are qualifications for hiding Easter eggs, I know I'm well qualified: I hide things from myself all the time and never find them! Consider this: three days earlier, their dearest friend had suffered a terribly agonizing death on a cross; His lifeless body was taken down and placed in a borrowed tomb; and, the entrance to the tomb officially sealed. "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared [to finish anointing the body]. And they found the [large, circular] stone rolled back from the tomb, but when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (Luke 24:1-3, AMP). I can only imagine what thoughts raced through the women's minds; but, while they were considering their next move, two angels appeared. Adding fear to confusion, the angels probed their hearts, "Why are you looking for the living One among the dead? (V.5). Stunned, I'm sure, the women listened intently: "'He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise [from death to life].'" And they remembered His words."(V.6-8). The same must echo in our hearts today: why do we listen-to and follow-after those things which lead into spiritual chaos rather than The One Who promises and delivers life - eternal life and sanctifying life! As certain as the lifeless body of Jesus Messiah was resurrected and He left that borrowed tomb leaving it empty as promised, we certainly have New Life in Christ: "the old things [are] passed away; behold, new things have come ... from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ." (from 2 Corinthians 5:17-18). What soul-satisfying words as the women remembered Jesus' words, putting an end to their searching. Let us [too] remember: He Who was dead is now risen. He is Risen indeed!

Light Wins

Tucked away in the darkness there is a supply of light bulbs. Little thought is given to these priceless things until that sudden last flash of one-gone-bad.  Jesus’ final week was eventful and prospered God’s kingdom: using parables, prayer, a righteous display of emotions, personal and quiet moments with His closest friends. The sudden turn of popular opinion surely alarmed His followers, then one of His inner circle: “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.” (Luke 22:3-6).  My dating curfew was 11:00, right up until the day I married; it was my parents’ general opinion nothing good happened after that time of night.  Well, the same thing can be said of darkness.  Luke wrote Judas “went away” – far enough from Jesus and the other disciples to do Satan’s work. Matthew Henry writes of this passage, “It is hard to say whether more mischief is done to Christ’s kingdom, by the power of its open enemies, or by the treachery of its pretended friends; but without the latter, its enemies could not do so much evil as they do.” The plot to betray and arrest Jesus was set into motion, and even as He shared a last intimate meal with the men closest to Him, Jesus knew “the hand of the one betraying” was among them. What a somber walk it must have been from Jerusalem to Gethsemane to pray.  There in the darkness of the garden, Jesus struggled with redemption’s price – the cross set before Him.  What more would the darkness bring: friends who wouldn't stay awake to pray with Him then the betrayal kiss. It was a dark time in the life of The Messiah: arrested then led back up up Zion’s hill, the mockery of a trial, beatings and cursings, a cold dark pit. The darkness would continue for hours to come – He knew ... the darkest moment yet to come as He bore the weight of mankind's sin and shame on a Roman cross. Yet!  In the most solemn of the hours beyond the cross ... The Son's greatest work was accomplished: Satan crushed - Death defeated - Darkness banished! Light wins! Oh, yes yes yes ... what a Savior!

Enduring Love

Things that end - paying off a loan, running a marathon, buying diapers, setting a morning alarm. When such things come to an end, we wonder how we endeavored to persevere. What would you do if you knew today was your last day on earth?   Would you focus less on the urgent and more on the important?  Jesus knew His time was short: His last visit to the temple; His last meal, conversation and laughter with close friends; the final time He loosed His dusty sandals.  Jesus was never distracted from His purpose for coming as the God-man. One week before His death, He told His disciples, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18-19).  Scripture tells us the religious leaders plotted against The Messiah, but let it be clear: Jesus wasn’t walking into a trap!  He arrived on earth on purpose with purpose; His journey to the cross didn’t begin in Bethlehem or Nazareth or Galilee.  An eternity before the forbidden fruit touched man's lips, Jesus knew Calvary was to come.  He always had the end in sight, and the great love He had for us began and sustained Him in the journey.  It’s  the same great love that endures still ... until His Redeemed (those who believe) are home with Him in Heaven.  Come on, say it with me – Oh, yes ... what a Savior!

Great Faith

What can be more disappointing than a healthy fruit tree that doesn't produce fruit! For me, it’s a stop in the produce department, eager to purchase a big beautiful Golden Delicious apple and … not one to be found. On Monday of Jesus’ final week, as He walked with the disciples to Jerusalem, they passed a healthy [looking] fig tree. “… He went to it and found nothing on it - only leaves. And He said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once.” (Matthew 21:19). The disciples observed and responded, I suspect, much the same we would have: huh? Lukewarm faith – it’s what Jesus observed of the religious leaders His whole ministry: complaints of eating on the wrong day, healing on the wrong day, forgiving the wrong people, sharing a meal with the wrong people, grumbling that He paid attention to children. Faith lacking evidence – a fruitless fruit tree. Just as fruit trees should produce fruit, Believers should be effectively express their faith. On a Galilean hillside, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world … Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). He is describing great faith – faith on display, productive, effective, evident. I find it particularly interesting this would be one of Jesus’ final teachings before the cross, before He laid His all down in display of such great and endearing love. Oh, what a Savior!

The Savior's Tears

Oh, the times of something spilled! Long before sippy cups, parents were often driven to madness or tears with the almost-certainty a child would spill their drink. It only makes sense Jesus’ last visit to Jerusalem would be an emotional one, but those traveling with Him must have been surprised at the intensity of His tears as He neared the city. “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41). With joy, I remember the breathtaking sight of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The Savior's view, however, was a different sense of awe - He wept. These were not peaceful tears; the Greek word here (klaio) translates as weeping openly such as overtakes a person. Why the tears? Was the Savior fearing what was to come – the pain of suffering, death? No! Jesus said, “Eternal peace was within your reach and you turned it down. Now it is too late … You have rejected the opportunity God offered you.” (Luke 19:42-43). The Messiah didn’t weep without cause, nor was His weeping a slight matter. He didn’t weep for Himself but for the souls heavy with sin, rejecting the present Salvation. Oh, the Peace we often forfeit – Oh, the needless pain we bear! Dear friend, when were you last grieved over your sin ... grieved to tears? Jesus knew the extent to which He would be poured out for mankind AND He knew how we would at times dishonor and disgrace God’s precious act of redemption. Consider it – why would Christ not be grieved? Why would He not weep? If we could but understand the depth of God’s Great Love for us, we would weep also. His tears, His agony, His passion would not end until He took His rightful seat next to The Father. Oh, yes ... what a Savior!