Tag: new beginning

The Hard Stuff: Love your enemies? “Christ in us, our hope of glory”

An empty glove can’t move. But with a hand in it, the glove is fluid to move in marvelous ways.

What’s natural in human nature, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matthew 5:43), is evident all around.

But “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?” this is hard stuff in Matthew 5:44.

What if Jesus could sit with us this morning and have our ear and our whole heart for a bit:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  

that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Matthew 43-45.

Is there evidence of God in Christ Jesus in us? Are we “children of our Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:45).

Do we love those who love us? Naturally, yes. This is easy. The Bible tells us that even tax collectors do that. 

But God calls us to impossible standards: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48.

 There’s no way, nada. Especially if we’ve been deeply hurt, there is often no willingness. 

We can’t naturally love our enemy. We’re much like the glove with no hand.

Jesus said multiple times, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes” Mark 9:23.

“With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27. 

Who’s ready to believe big with me? Unity is what Jesus desires. Oneness of the Body of Christ, and salvation to the lost souls of the world. 

Time is short. Jesus is coming back again.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 
 
 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 
 
 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 
 
 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the worldJohn 17:21-24.
 

I want to believe God to work miracles of unity that “the world will know” that God sent His Son, and see that God loves everyone. His desire is that all should know Him and receive Salvation and grace in His name.

I want to believe in a revival of love and forgiveness one person at a time. 

This is big, but not too hard for God.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace Ephesians 1:7

If I don’t have a heart willing to forgive, God sees and He understands the struggle. He’s been hurt more than any human being through all of time, as He laid His life down at the cross.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.

How can we get to such a place? 

“Christ in us is our hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

He rose from the dead. Jesus is alive. 

Christ in me. . .  my only hope to love in a “perfect” way. 

The Potter adds the water of the Spirit and repairs dried-up clay to create a vessel fit for the Master’s use.

What’s impossible in ourselves, is possible in Him.

Let’s go to God for our “impossibles.” His hand in our empty gloves = possibility of amazing grace and His love spread in all dark places.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13.

“We pray dear Lord, ‘let there be peace and love on this earth, and let it begin with me. You are our only hope. Christ in us, our hope of glory.’ In Jesus Name, Amen.”

 

A Rhyme for Mankind, for All of Time

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.” This famous Mother Goose Rhyme has stood the test of time.

It’s much like the world’s daily news. Dark, sad, full of hopelessness. But our Father God, in heaven, is holy. He has a whole different story for each of us.

But how can we know unless we stop and take a look, with God given curiosity, and open up the Holy Book?

“In the beginning,” it is written on page one, “God created . . .” And so, it’s documented how it all begun.

A,B,C, 1,2,3. The Book is a treasury—if only the human heart is willing to see. On the first page it’s hidden, in mystery style, man’s help and hope. Will you stop and consider for a short while?

God must have known that man might not turn the first page, so He cleverly, (by Masterful Design) includes the Remedy for every age.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (1) And He knows and is, even before it’s birth. But, there’s a struggle to agree—right from the first line,
but on page one, before verse four, is the hope for all of mankind.

“The earth was without form and an empty waste.” And darkness was upon the great deep of the face. Yet the Spirit of God was moving, hovering still. And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was.

 And always will.

Humpty Dumpty might have had a great fall, but God is greater and the ruler of all.

If there is no help as you and I look around—we must look up and believe.

God’s love is sufficient. Let’s finally, let go and receive.

The picture is clear. “In the beginning,” it’s recorded. Even if I never read to page three in God’s Book, I can see a great fall occurred everywhere I look.

A great fall occurred and I went down with it all. You, me, and all the people of the world. Our hearts are empty, void and covered in darkness.

My disordered ways had me filled with confusion and emptiness.

“All the kings horses and all the kings men,” Oh, how we try to put ourselves together again, . . . and again.

But, the Spirit of God was hovering over my troubled waters. And He came to my rescue and helped me see His light.

“The earth was without form and an empty waste.” And darkness was upon the great deep of the face. Yet the Spirit of God was moving, hovering still. And God said, “Let there be light.”

And there was, and always will.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But God is greater and ruler of all. There is no help as we look around, but God’s love is sufficient. He has made us to stand on solid ground!

The exclamation point is for me and for you when we surrender our whole selves to the One who is able—to not only “fix,” but make us new.

While it is today, what is our response to God and His ways?

“Amen, Hallelujah! With our lives we give Him praise.”