Jesus Loves You

Jesus loves you.
There are hard things
That have hurt you.
These things hurt Jesus too.
He Loves with an Everlasting Love,
And it is aimed at you.
He will take that hard thing,
So you will not have to swing it anymore.
And it falls away,
dropped like a bat after a line drive.
But we don’t have to run the bases.
We’re home.
And we won.
And we’re going for ice cream.

Do not covet

Do not covet.
Now I get it!
God commands us to not covet our neighbor's house or shoes or toys or car.
Which makes sense, because if we are so jealous of others' stuff it can lead to stealing. And other bad stuff. So just don't do it.
But I see something today as my son had to watch his sister pick out a toy for her birthday, and he found that it caused a pain to great to bear alone. "I didn't get anything!"
Should I have gotten him something? I don't know. I was short on time. Bad parenting strikes again.
But I know that this is true in life: sometimes people have birthdays, and usually it is only their birthday, not everyone's birthday.
And that is an interesting fact of life, sometimes other people get blessed.
And God would like it if we didn't covet, because He wants to bless, bless, bless and He would appreciate it if the rest of us stopped whining.
God wants us to be satisfied with what we have. AND He wants to bless us. It's a great combination, for our good, because of His great love, extending to the love we have for one another.
Happy Birthday!

Naomi: Friend of the Bridegroom!!

Naomi was a friend of the bridegroom!!
Like the church is to the believer.
Like the Pastor is to the person.
Like the Holy Spirit.

I was at a bible study this week and it’s going through the women of the bible and the study book has given each woman a title, and attributed a certain trait or quality to each woman. It’s kind of a gimmick. And I don’t fault the book for wanting a gimmick. It has 12 topics it wants to go through, and it wants to match them up to biblical women. That’s fine. But I need to recognize there is a truth that is greater than gimmicks, right?

I remember Rosemary Clooney got very cross with Bing Crosby when he saw her sister’s gimmick, but it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? It snowed and everything!! (Please watch White Christmas if none of this makes sense.)

So the study called Ruth obedient. Which puzzled me! Why, of all the things in the world, would you call her obedient?

And it rankles me a little, because I’m already up to here with obedience. It always seems to be portrayed as “God is pretty ticked off and you better start obeying”. And maybe that’s just how I hear it. But to me there is no obedience without love. The motivating force behind obedience is love, not appeasement. What’s the motivating force?? Love. LOOOOVE. Lo-ho-ho-ho-hove. Whose love? His love. Jesus’ love. He does not need to be appeased, pampered so that maybe He will not smack us down. He was smacked down for us, and we never have to fear it again. Anything He leads us to do will just be a great idea!! Why didn’t I think of that? It might look like obedience to those around us, or it might not!

So that’s just my thing.

So it is hovering around in my mind, Ruth, obedience, woman of excellence, Boaz.
Naomi, Mara, bond of affection, mindless obedience, wisdom. Feet. Honor.

What a story. Read it yourself. It’s not that long.

Because it strikes me that Ruth is smart. She has a bond of affection to her mother in law, Naomi, who is grieving bitterly and trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Naomi is getting under the spout where the blessing pours out, right? She is returning to the land that God is blessing!! Ruth determines to join her, based on a bond of affection, trust, love, and basic wisdom: God’s there, let’s go there. Let’s roll!

Ruth proceeds to follow all of the wisdom that Naomi advises. She falls into a divine appointment or two, and continues to follow wisdom.

Is that really obedience? Because it just sounds smart to me.

Was Naomi issuing commands? It just sounds like good wisdom to me.

What kind of wisdom? The kind that gets Ruth and Boaz married. Which makes Naomi not just a wise woman, but a friend… of the bridegroom. (Granted, Naomi didn’t know Boaz well, but anyone who helps you get fixed up with your true love, that person is your friend for sure!)

Friend of the Bridegroom. John the Baptist was a friend of the bridegroom. Preparing a people to meet their bridegroom, Jesus. Prepare the way, make straight the path for Him. Let the King of Glory enter in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord.

Hey Jesus, you rock!

Anyhoo, the friend of the bridegroom is anyone who helps another make straight the path for the Lord for them. Make straight. Even out the bumps, better drainage. A nice culvert perhaps. Obey the word.

Obey? Who said that? Because it just seems like a good idea.

So I submit here that obedience is not something to be feared or dreaded. It is not drudgery. It is not even that hard!! It is just a good idea!! It is just wisdom to follow the word!! The Spirit speaks life to you, abundant life!! It’s a great idea!! It’s going to be easier than you thought, especially if you’re just full of dread!!

I don’t even know what I’m talking about, because obedience to God covers a wide range of life matters. But I do know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed to Him against that day.

So, be blessed. Jesus loves you, and He’s full of good ideas.


Bible References: Ruth, the whole book.
Friend of Bridegroom: John 3:22-36 John the Baptist’s mission: Luke 3:1-19
Also, Psalm 24. Also, 2 Timothy 1:12, KJV
The musical film White Christmas - not biblical.

The Table of the King

I was thinking about Mephibosheth. Thanks to a song I heard. (John Mark McMillan and his song “Carbon Ribs”.) The song is a puzzle to me, because the goal for me is no more cripples! And certainly none at His table!!

So I figure the song is speaking of Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel chapter 9 and 16 and 19. And that is a story. A mystery, really, towards the end. Who’s side was he on? What were his motives? King David didn’t know. David made a decision and changed Mephibosheth’s status. God never added input to the situation, pro or con. Mephibosheth maintained his innocence, but admitting guilt would have probably been deadly. So it is a puzzle.

So I think of Jesus. I think Jesus would know the answer. And if I were the cripple at His table, I think He would know my answer too.

The thing is, Mephibosheth was blessed to be at the table. And for years he was there. Dining at the king’s table. What an honor. Probably completely loyal and grateful. The last remaining heir of Saul in a position of honor at the new royal table, a lifelong position of honor and fellowship.

But one day, there is a change. A reversal of fortune for the King David, he is on the run and things look bad for everyone, both for the king and for his plotting son. But, if you are in the right place at the right time, it could be a fortuitous position to be in, if you were the last remaining heir of a former royal family. You would have a choice to make, two roads before you: Loyalty to the king on the run, or stepping into something for yourself. Or a third, loyalty to the new guy, if he looks like he’s going to win.

We sit at Jesus table, and His banner over us is Love. And today we are grateful, and so glad to be near Him. We sit at His feet like Mary. We drink Him in. And if we were foolish, we might think we will be this way forever. We will always be at this table and feel just like we do now.

But Jesus knows what things look like down the road. He knows that there will be times when it looks to us like He is on the run. And He knows what we will think at those times, and He knows what we will do. He knows when we will fail. He knows when we will overcome. He sees the end from the beginning. Jesus knows we only have this moment to live in, our choices are sequential, and not reversible. Time moves forward, not back.

Still He says Come and eat. Sit with Me, let’s share a meal. The bread is already broken for you! I know today was hard. Tomorrow will be better. I know the trouble isn’t over. But have some meat, it’ll help you grow up big and strong.

If I were Mephibosheth, and really I might as well be, Jesus invites me in, regardless. Whether the motives were good or bad, Jesus knows us, and He is not afraid of our crappy motives. He can work with us. He can transform us, TRANSFORM!!! Do you think Jesus is a moron? He’s not!! He’s just not afraid of our sin.

It seems the only requirement He has is to come and eat. Knowing it is His table, knowing who we are, and what we just did, and coming anyway. Knowing it is only Him who can transform us. There is no point to anything else.

Dog Years

What if we are drawing closer and closer to the end times?

What if the shakings and rumblings in the world are shaking and rumbling us right into the end of the age? What if God’s timing is drawing near?

Israel exists!!! That which was scattered for over a thousand years, almost TWO THOUSAND YEEEARS!!! is now sitting quietly over there in the middle east, fighting for its existence, but still, there it is. Israel is kind of important in the bible. And a lot of what the bible says about end-times seems to hinge on Israel. And for almost TWO THOUSAND YEEEARS!!! Israel did not exist. A lot of church doctrine was determined during those almost TWO THOUSAND YEEEARS!!! So it makes sense that not many churches give a second thought to end times, it’s not in their doctrine.

But up pops Israel. And now, my generation, we don’t even bat an eye at the significance.

What if end-times have been set in motion?

What if the time is shorter than we think?

What if the lovers of Christ, His bride, have awakened to Him? Do they have oil in their lamps? Are they ready to shine?

Because His bride will have oil, and she will be shining and radiant and powerful.

Sometimes I catch a glimpse of His bride being shining and radiant and powerful. I also get way more than a glimpse of the shaking and rumbling, and I think to myself: Time is Short.

And if Time is Short, what we do with the time is worth so much more.

So it’s like Dog Years!!!

To a human a year is a year, but to a dog a year is 7 years, because their time is shorter.

If we understood how short our time is I think we would use it differently, more wisely. What we do can be valuable and concentrated!!! The container is smaller, the content can be richer!! I am seeking God to understand how He wants me to use my time, His time. Dog years!!

You used up all the water!!!

There is a teaching that is common in circles I run in.

Before you pray, before you worship, you must confess your sins and become clean. So your prayers will be answered and so God will hear you and be pleased with you.

But as a result I become sin conscious.

This is what happens: I want to approach God, but now because I don’t want to mock God with prayers from a sinful person, I will search my soul and dredge up every nasty thing I’ve done all day and all week or whatever and try to confess it. Then I notice what a lot of crap it is and then I think, this is a losing battle, and what am I doing talking to God anyway.

We need to stop being sin conscious, we need to be Jesus conscious!!!

(This is something I learned from Joseph Prince, he rocks!!!)

So this is what I believe; all of our sins have been forgiven forever, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to worship and pray no matter how bad we have screwed up. And He is always pleased to see us!! Always!!!

But then I get a moment of doubt. I just read a teaching that said all of this but only worship was mentioned. It excluded the word pray. And I thought, maybe you do have to confess it all before prayer, it’s worship that is a freebie. Maybe prayers need to be from clean people, but anyone can worship. No, my doubt is clearing up. I’m not willing to give this grace up. Prayer and worship, it’s all a freebie in Christ Jesus.

So then I was thinking, Wash me Lord. Because if the Holy Spirit convicts me, I want to confess, but I do not want to be condemned or discouraged, because that’s not from the Holy Spirit. But if there is something to be washed away, wash me so I can pray.

But then this Holy Spirit thought entered my mind: Jesus turned water into wine.

Yes, you know, it’s the first miracle, the wedding at Cana in John 2. Water into wine. But, one of the details about the miracle is what water he used.

John 2:6-8:

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

So then, I’ll paraphrase, the master of the banquet tastes it and says “you have saved the best wine till now!!” So hot dog!!

So let’s review, what water? The ceremonial washing water.

Apparently, WE DON’T NEED IT. Apparently, if we needed to use that water for washing, Jesus would have turned some other water into wine. Because I can’t wash now, even if I wanted to, because Jesus went and turned all the water into wine. So it is not possible for me to get any cleaner, I guess.

But what can I do?

I can drink.

I can drink wine.

I can drink good wine. The best wine.

And then I can drink some more because, if I do my math, there’s at least 120 gallons of very fine wine.

So what does the Savior say to me?

No more washing. Let’s drink.

Take it in. Drink deeply.

This is my blood, shed for thee.

More than you will possibly need.

Drink. Remember.

This communion, it is proclaiming His death. The sacrifice is made.

Your sins are forgiven forever.

It is finished.

Praise God.

So what else does the Savior say?

He’s laughing.

Sorry about your water.

I know you’re really good at that whole washing thing, but I kind of thought it would be fun to use the water for something else.

Would you like a drink? It’s good! That guy over there, he really likes it.

Would you pass this to my Mom, she’s been waiting. Thanks.

Disclaimer: This little blog is not a statement about alcoholism, or doctrines about alcohol, or any kind of thing like that. Thank you for no condemnation!!!

Zachariah had a quiet time

Let's just get this out of the way, I believe Zachariah was struck mute as a sign, not as punishment!! I don't believe God punishes! I just don't!! God corrects!! God gave Zachariah a quiet time!!! Don't call it punishment!! I'm going to try not to get all worked up.

Consider: Barren for your whole life, Sure there's an angel there but there were 2 impossible factors here! Asking for a sign, that doesn't seem so bad!

Luke 1:19 The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

"because you did not believe my words" - to me this means "because you requested a sign and my words were not enough for you".

But I'm wrong there, because, Gabriel is not deceived, or confused, or interpreting behavior and body language and tone of voice. Gabriel knows that Zachariah does not believe. I cannot interpret that any other way.

But even in his weakness, Zachariah is going to get something from Gabriel. Not only does he get this Fantastic news, this mind-blowing blessing, this glorious promise, but also: He received a sign.

And this is what I call the sign: Wonderful!!! Every single time that he couldn't say "Yes, I want fries with that!" he was walking in the sign of what God was going to do!!! The strength and certainty of it must have been awesome!!!

Punishment to me would be "Hey, Zach, I'm giving that baby John to some other family who will believe me because you don't believe me and you are just a big jerk, and I'm striking you mute anyway, forever." Okay, I'm getting a little carried away there. But did that happen? No!

God will take us wherever we are spiritually and use us to His glory! Isn't that great?!! He will take our weaknesses and mold us, He will cleanse us of unrighteousness!! The more I talk about this, the more I just love it!!

So I will get worked up, because the way God loves us is awesome!! The plans he has for us are glorious!! No matter where we are now!

Every blessing to you this glorious holiday season.