God

Consider the sheer, mind-numbing existence of God.

Everything else in our world had a beginning and was created. But only God has always been. Always. We can go back in our minds, thousands of years, then thousands more. There never has been a time when God was not here. It is more than our finite little minds can comprehend.

But God is not just eternal. He’s also everywhere, omnipresent. And as mindboggling as the growing, but the finite expanse of our universe is, God is infinitely huger, if “huger” is even the right word.

Then there’s His power. He is almighty and all mighty. Not only is He the strongest being in the universe, but He is infinitely strong. All the strength, all the power in the universe has God as it's source. Any comparisons pale to the omnipotence of God. Is there a rock so large that God can't lift it?? No, nope, negatory, absolutely, positively no. 

We should stand in awe when we encounter God and catch just a glimpse of His grandeur that is past finding out. The utter reality of God in His eternal nature and size and power brings such a stark contrast to the reality of who we are in our limited power, knowledge and existence that at times the only appropriate response we can muster is stunned silence. There truly is no one like Him.

But, He is an approachable, loving, “I really want to know you” kind of God. So much so that He had a plan before He even began to speak light into the dark expanse.  You and I have always, always been on His mind. Our names have been etched in His hand and even more important on His heart. 

This weekend we celebrate the culmination of this plan as Jesus, God’s only Son, submitted Himself to earthly power and authority. He endured the mockery of a trial, the humiliation of the Roman army as they blindfolded Him and full force hit Him and then taunted Him to prophesy who it was hitting Him. They beat Him so badly that He was a bloody, unrecognizable figure of a man. Then He carried His own cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgitha. There He was laid bare on a cross and nailed to the tree. Then He was raised up and dropped into a hole in the ground deep enough to support Him as He hung on display for all to see. For 6 hours Jesus hung in that cross. We can't begin to imagine the agony of pushing ourselves up on nailed wrists and feet to gasp for every single breath. Every muscle aching. Sweat and blood dripping into His eyes, down His face. Pools of blood seeping into the ground beneath Him. 

It was there that Jesus experienced things He’d never experienced before. The perfect Son of God, Son of Man was engulfed in sin. Not just a few sins but every sin of all humankind past, present, and future. And because Christ became sin He experienced the abandonment of His Father. All His life, Jesus was in perfect union with His Abba, Father but now God turned Hus back on Him. Jesus was utterly alone. 

To be continued...

What If

What if is a powerful question. What if my parents never met? What if I was born in Egypt? What if my family wasn't Christian? What if I hadn't quit basketball? What if I became an architect like I thought about in High School? What if I didn't give in to that favorite sin? What if...I could go on forever. I'm sure you could, too. We can waste our lives in What If Land. Many of us do. We constantly wonder about choices we made and how things might be different if we'd chosen differently. 

This is not the life God intended for us. John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance." We cannot have an abundant life and live in What If Land. Those two are in conflict. What ifs drain us of life. 

Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." What if, (see how I connect this), we move from What If Land to What Nowvile or What's Next Town. 

God calls us to move forward. Pursue Him. Love others. Live in the fullness of the life God has given us. 

Other mss read not yLk 9:62; 

Seasons Change

Seasons change. Sometimes quickly, others times at a slower pace. The natural changes we have are between seasons. Summer gives way to Autumn. Autumn turns to Winter. Winter sheds its coat to Spring. And Spring circles around to Summer again. These are constant. In a some areas the change in the seasons is obvious. Other places they are subtle. But they always change. 

Our lives change like the seasons. Our change isn't annual and in cycles of four but, we change. We go from new-born to children, from children to teenagers, from teens to twenty's and so on. Once we hit our twenties, our circular change usually rotates around decades. Though for many there are multiple changes in the twenties. They go from single to married, from married to parenthood all within a few years usually. 

There are times when circumstances dictate our seasons. Death, divorce, job change, illness all factor into seasonal changes. In most of those a return to 'normalcy' occurs. A time of sameness, of calm, or of chaos, of pain. They stick around for varying time frames. Sometimes, we choose to stay in a season because it's comfortable or familiar. It's easy or safe. 

But, just as seasons change, we should change. As believers, our goal is to become more and more like Christ. This process is called 'sanctification.' These seasons aren't as clearly defined but, they should be noticeable. Unfortunately, we can get stuck in a rut, a routine, a pattern of behavior.  God is still calling us to Him. He still wants to draws us ever closer but, He doesn't force us...usually. John 10:10 says, 'The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.'

Christ came to give you life but not just any life. He came to give you abundant, overflowing life. So regardless of the season of life you find yourself in, seek to live it to the fullest and most God-honoring ever. And if you don't care for the season you're in, that's ok. Just wait, a new season will come soon.

It's All Part of Life

Jesus wept over the loss of His friend Lazarus even though He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Death isn't something we talk about much but it is a part of life that we can't avoid. Do we keep silent because it's too hard to think about or is it because we like to think we're immortal even though there's only been only person who has broken the grips of death? Jesus is our answer. And I'm not talking about our cute Sunday School answer. 

Jesus was familiar with death. I don't think He was a huge fan of it though because whenever He came across a funeral, He stopped the funeral and raised the person back to life. I wonder how soon in His life did He have the knowledge that He was born to die. Did He know in the manger? Did He know when He stayed behind in Jerusalem at 12? Surely He knew before the wedding at Cana. 

We also remember that He was part of creation and helped form humankind in His own image. He was part of the life-giving breath that initially filled Adam's lungs. In Adam's first breath, he breathed in God and exhaled God. Jesus witnessed the Fall. He saw Satan tempt Eve and Adam. For the first time in history, He experienced the consequences of sin. That consequence was death. First, the death of the animal used to weave clothing for Adam and Eve. Secondly, the death of the perfect relationship between God and man. And finally, the physical death of His creation, His likeness, the possessor of His very breath. 

Isaiah 53 tells us years before He was born what Jesus' fate would be. 'He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Jim was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.' (Is. 53:3-5).

And why would He be put through such pain and agony? Isaiah 53:6 tells us why. 'All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.'

God, the Father, placed all our sin on Him that day to restore the relationship that He lost in Eden. Death has been crushed. Life eternal is ours. So, I don't fear death. I am not in a hurry for it to happen though. 

A very close friend of mine died last night. It hurts. The pain isn't for my friend. He is physically whole. He is sin free. He's with Jesus. The pain is for us. Those left behind, his wife, family and friends.

Yes, we grieve but we don't grieve because we have no hope. Psalm 30:5b says, 'Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.' So because Jesus conquered death for us, our experiences with death are bittersweet. Bitter from our temporal view but sweet as seen through everlasting eyes. 

All these words and it still doesn't make sense but I did get these thoughts and feelings out which was the purpose for this blog site to begin with. Thanks for weeding through my ramblings. 

Are You Tired Yet?

When we go on a long trip inevitably someone will ask, usually within the first hour of an 8 hour journey, 'are we there yet?'  We've been on this long COVID19 journey and I feel like asking, 'are you tired yet?' I know I am. Quarantining is exhausting. Quarantining is stressful. Quarantining is yucky at times. Some days it's hard to get motivated then, some nights it's hard to fall asleep because there's so much swarming, not related to murder hornets, around in my brain. These are different and difficult times. 

Here are a couple of reassuring thoughts.

    1. God is the same. He never changes. He's constant as the sunrise. He still loves. He still forgives. He still saves. He still hears. He still does everything that God has always done. 

    2. God calls us to Him. 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.' Matthew 11:28-30

Do you remember crawling into your parents' bed in the middle of the night because you couldn't fall asleep in your own bed? You'd snuggle up against mom or dad or you'd sprawl out between them almost pushing them out of bed and then quickly, quietly enter lala land. That is the same peaceful rest that your Father calls you to today, tomorrow, next week, next month, whenever. Hear Him say to you, 'Hey, (insert your name), come on into my room and find your peaceful, calming sleep. Rest for your body and rest for your soul and spirit as well. 

Good night!