From My Wonderings

"He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.”(Psalm 107:9)

I am a very inquisitive person. I like to know the details about most things that are going on – politics; Bible questions that at first glance seem to be unanswered; family, friends and world happenings, etc. – everything - (maybe this is the “woman” in me). I like to be informed so I will know how to pray with specificity, or just to be able to discern situations in making decisions when those circumstances concern me. In this campaign year I try to be “up” on all the correct information regarding the political candidates. But sometimes some details are best left unknown or unanswered, and certainly best left unrepeated (Lord, give me wisdom when to leave all the details to You, since you know all things anyway). Since we have now entered the Lent/Easter season, and since I have always wondered about Ash Wednesday, my curiosity has piqued my interest in Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Lent season (46 days leading up to Easter, the Resurrection day, this includes the Sundays). Although I have always heard of it I have never been connected to a denomination which celebrated Ash Wednesday. But I now have a dear friend who is a Methodist minister and she was preparing for the Ash Wednesday service at her church. So being curious about this special day I asked her for details of this service. She sent me a copy of their Ash Wednesday service program, since I couldn’t attend. To my joy I was most touched with the meaning and purpose of this time and whether I attend a special service, or not, I plan to make it a part of my time of worship during the time of Lent.

After looking over her bulletin, and in my further study, I was reminded of how Jesus went apart for forty days into the wilderness to prepare for His ministry. This was a time of fasting, reflection, contemplation and preparing His heart for the time of ministry and testing which lay ahead of Him. Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days (plus Sundays) which lead up to the most holy Christian day – Easter – which is the celebration day of Jesus’ Resurrection. We celebrate because Christ rose from the dead (as He said He would), after taking our sins to the cross, which paid the price of the forgiveness of our sins, and reconciling us to the Father, and giving us the privilege of becoming children of God Almighty. Many Christians join Jesus in a period of fasting (abasing the flesh so the Spirit within will be exalted), in contemplation on the cost of following Jesus, and in addition, a time of humbling ourselves, confessing and repenting (changing our minds and turning from our sins), and seeking His face.

Lent consists of the forty days before Easter. In the western Church, we skip over the Sundays when we count the days of Lent, because Sunday should always be the joyful celebration of the Resurrection. Therefore, the first day of Lent in the western Church is always a Wednesday.

In the Old Testament times to wear sackcloth and ashes was to be contrite, penitent over our sins. It was an ancient Hebrew custom to wear sackcloth dusted with or accompanied by ashes as a sign of humility in religious ceremonies. So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Back then people put ashes on their foreheads.

In Germany, in the days of Hitler, the Jews had to wear around their necks or on their clothing the six pointed star, the “Star of David,” to signify, and plainly show they were Jews. This sign was to Hitler and his followers a sign of shame, to be ridiculed, to be persecuted, ostracized and hated. To a Christian the sign of the cross is a sign of suffering, forgiveness, freedom, peace, joy, hope and love for who-so-ever-will receive its message.

If you have read the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, you will remember how the young, Hester Prynn, fell into sin and had to wear a letter the rest of her life on the outside of her clothes in plain sight. This letter was a patch of fabric in the shape of an “A,” signifying “Adulterer,” a letter to signify shame and guilt. Conversely, the sign of the ashen cross on the forehead of Christians isn’t a sign of shame but it is a sign of repentance, humility and forgiveness, restoration and love.

To some, regrettably, the sign of the ashen cross on their forehead in public, becomes “fashionable” and prideful thing to show that “I have religion.” It is sad how some may use a smudged, ashen cross to hide their true prideful heart (only God knows our heart). Man may look on the outside, but God sees and knows our hearts.
Although the Bibles does not mention the customs of Ash Wednesday and Lent, those Christians, who now are observing Ash Wednesday, will have the sign of the cross marked in ash on their forehead. This is to show to all their willingness to humble themselves and be contrite over their sins. This ashen cross on their foreheads should signify their changing their minds about their sins, to recognize they are sinners in need of the Savior. It is to signify their acceptance of Jesus’ payment for those sins and cling to Him as the only One Who can forgive them of all their sins.

Some people only celebrate the happy times in Jesus’ life: Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas. But I think as true followers, although our church may not celebrate Ash Wednesday or Lent, we can on our own humble ourselves, confess our sins and seek His face. We should retreat with Him into a solitary place not just during Lent but every day. We should also watch and pray on Maundy Thursday, as Christ asked His aplostles to do. We should stand by Him, symbolically, at the cross on Good Friday and every day and look into His face and see the suffering because of His love for us. Then we can rejoice that Christ is risen and has given us new life, and now sits on the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Rejoice that He is preparing a place for us that where He is, we someday will be with Him!!!


Prayer: “Thank You, Jesus, for Your willingness to pay such a magnanimous price for me for my salvation. Thank You for the cross, that terrible weapon of death, on which You were willing to die. Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit Who convinced me of my sinfulness, Who showed me, Yourself, my only Savior, Who wooed me with love and then baptized me into Your Body. Thank You for that same Holy Spirit Who satisfies my inquiries for more to know about You.”

More About Jesus
(John R. Sweney)

More about Jesus let me know, more of His grace to others show, More of His saving fullness see, More of His love Who died for me.

More, more about Jesus, More, more about Jesus; More of his saving fullness see, More of His love Who died for me.

Don't Waste A Good Test

February 15, 2012 “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange were befalling you.” (I Peter 4:12 Amp.) A new military recruit is tested to see if he meets the criteria already set forth, and an applicant for a new job is tested to see if he is qualified to carry out the responsibilities of that job. When we are tested in school we must have the knowledge required to pass the exam and/or the grade. When we are medically tested we go through a rigor of exams to determine the level of our health. What is any test for? To find out our true quality of knowledge in any particular area; to find out the quality of our ability; in a spiritual test – it is to find out the quality of our faith; and to find out the quality of our integrity. Christians are also tested, but these are spiritual tests used by our Father God to prove to us the quality of our faith (He already knows), and to give us spiritual exercise to strengthen our “faith” muscles. Actually, our tests are to prove to us that God will be faithful to keep His promises in whatever testing through which we are going, and thus our faith will be strengthened. If we fail to trust God in our first test it will be administered again in a different situation until we pass the test of faith for that particular area of difficulty. “So don’t be perplexed at your ‘fiery’ situation which is taking place, just remember this is to test your faith and is not as though something strange were befalling you.” Testings prove the strength of our faith. Remember how Abraham’s faith was tested and proved, in Genesis 22:1- 18, when he was told by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham obeyed, but God intervened and they both returned to their family. Abraham’s faith was tested and proven strong. In Habakkuk 3:17-19, Habakkuk was proclaiming that although everything in his life was bad, yet he would rejoice in the Lord and exult in his victorious God of his salvation. He confessed that God was his strength, his personal bravery, and his invincible army. God made his feet like hind’s feet and made him to walk and not stand still in terror but make spiritual progress upon his high places of trouble, suffering or responsibility (Amp). Because of his continued faith in God He was able to rejoice in the midst of his tests. Testings come to humble us. Paul was sorely tested with pride because of his special spiritual experiences God had allowed him. But Saul was given a “thorn in the flesh” – a messenger of Satan to harass him, (whether in his spirit or a physical pain). Whatever this “thorn” was, it kept him humble. Our testings come to turn us away from worldly things. Look at how Moses was tempted with the things of this world in Hebrews 11:23-29. As a baby Moses was adopted by the king’s daughter and was heir to everything. Although he could have had anything of the world, yet, when he was grown to maturity and was great, he was aroused by faith and refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He preferred to share the hardships and shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life and all the treasures of Egypt. He passed the tests because he was focused on the future reward – freedom from the world and hope for the coming world and to be one with Christ, the Messiah. Also, Moses was tested in order to speak, through his faith, to the unsaved who were watching (Pharaoh and all the Egyptians in Exodus 14:4). “Happy is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor’s crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). Testings teach us to value the blessings of God. When we are in the thick of trouble we need only to look around and we will find someone much worse off. I have heard an old saying, “I grumbled because I didn’t have any shoes until I met a man who didn’t have any feet.” James 1:9-10 says, “Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God, and the rich person ought to glory in being humbled by being shown his human frailty, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away” (Amp). What a testing it is when wealth or health or love is removed from our life. It is then that we will realize what true wealth is – it is to know and be loved by God. II Corinthians 1:6-8 and Luke 22:31-32 tells us that when we go through testings and sufferings it is so our faith will be strengthened as we trust in Jesus, and then we in turn can help and be an encouragement to others who are going through those same tests and sufferings. Christ is not only our most glorious Example but Helper we see in Hebrews 2:18, “For because He Himself in His humanity has suffered in being tempted, tested and tried, He is able immediately to run to the cry to assist and relieve those who are being tempted and tested and tried and who therefore are being exposed to suffering.” And like our example, Jesus, we learn obedience through our suffering and testing (Hebrews 5:7-9). Christ has promised that “there is no testing nor temptation that comes to us is beyond human resistance, but God is faithful to His Word and can be trusted not to let us be tested beyond our ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the testing He will always provide the way out that we may be strong enough to bear up under it patiently” (I Corinthians 10:13 (Amp). To remember Whose we are when we are being tested will give us courage and faith to endure with patience until we come through the testing victoriously (Romans 8:31-39). Think on:Ephesians 1:4; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:13; James 2:5; Jude 24; Revelation 21:3; II Corinthians 5:17,21; I Peter 2:9-10; Deuteronomy 28:13; II Samuel 22:30; Isaiah 54:15-17; I John 5:4, 5, 20, 21. “Christ by nature, Son of God, became son of man so we by nature, son of man, might become a son of God” (Galatians 4:4-7). Don’t waste a good test and grow weary in doing what is right, for in due time we shall reap if we don’t lose our courage, but stand, leaning on Jesus (Gal.6:9; Eph.6:13, 14). Where Could I Go? James B. Coats Living below in this old sinful world, hardly a comfort can afford; Striving alone to face temptations sore, where could I go but to the Lord?

Happy Valentine's Day

February 14, 2012

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Valentine’s Day is a day to express our love to others. Over the years this expression has evolved from just our sweetheart to anyone and everyone we care about. The post office and the flower shops say this is the busiest holiday of the year. It is good to know there is still a lot of love going around. God created us to love and desire to be loved. Love is "giving."

Our love is manifested to man by “sacrifice” – to give. Just as God the Father gave His Son for us (and it was a Great Sacrifice). And Jesus gave Himself for us (the ultimate sacrifice) - “But God proves His love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This kind of love (Agape) is inconceivable. Jesus is the personification of love in that He made the ultimate sacrifice for man – His life. But when we truly love someone we are willing to “sacrifice” ourselves (time, energies, resources and even our life) for them.

Our love is manifested to God by our “obedience” to Him. We give all we have, all we are and all we ever hope to be, (I John 5:3) “For the true love of God is this: that we do His commands. And these orders of His are not burdensome nor repressive.” Only when the love of God lives within us can we love Him back, then it is a joy to obey Him because we know He knows what is best for us, and not only to love Him and live in His presence, but only then can we truly love another. To love God is to have a deep desire to please Him; and to please Him is to obey Him.


There are five different kinds of love:
1) Epithumia, this is a love that is a strong desire to have or own - controlling.
2) Eros, this is love most associated with romance. It is a sexual love. Eros love is wholly emotional and cannot be summoned at will.
3) Storge love is described as a comfortable old shoe relationship comprised of natural affection and a sense of belonging to each other.
4) Phileo, This love cherishes and has tender affection for the beloved but it expects a response. It is a love of relationship, comradeship, sharing, communication and friendship.
5) Agape, this is a love that loves completely and unconditionally, but expects nothing in return, at the time. Agape love is usually associated with God’s love – unconditional and everlasting.

I read an article a long time ago about a study done on the orphanages in some of the Soviet block countries where the child-care people were not allowed to hold or caress the babies. Even when the babies were being fed the bottles were just propped up. The only time babies were touched was when they were diapered, bathed and dressed. These studies showed these babies who were never touched or showed love of any kind of love were sickly and many died. A follow-up study showed the survivors of these orphanages were emotionally maladjusted and never knew how to accept or give love, even after they were adopted and cared for.

God created us to love and be loved and although we may never know the love of a person, but our Heavenly Father wants to manifests His Agape love to all of us. Four of these loves come and go but Agape love, God’s love for us, is unconditional and forever. The following writing is by Charles Stanley, and is a meditation on:
____________

“Our Heavenly Father’s Unconditional Love.”

“Scripture tells us that love is the very essence of who God is. God is love (I John 4:16). So if you don’t believe that He loves you unconditionally, you’ll never really know Him or have genuine peace about your relationship with Him.

How do you define “love”? It is Jesus unselfishly reaching out to mankind, giving Himself to us and bring good into our life regardless of whether or not we accept Him - “God shows and clearly proves His love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). His care and concern are so immeasurable that He laid down His life for us while we were still His enemies. In fact, the Bible says that He first began to express His love toward us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5) That means your actions had absolutely nothing to do with His love for you!
God’s commitment to us has absolutely no conditions or restrictions and isn’t based on whether we love Him back. Nor does He have more love for “good” people who may strike us as more worthy. He loves us even in our sin, even when we don’t repent. Does that give us license to disobey? No, It gives us power to follow Him is to receive the love He has been offering all along.

Every single moment, whether awake or asleep, we all live under the canopy of the Lord’s wondrous, absolute love for us. But to fully experience that love, you must receive it. Say yes to this amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, and let it overflow to those around you.”
______________

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
George Matheson

O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in You;
I give You back the life I owe, that in Your ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.

O Joy that seeks me through pain, I cannot close my heart to You;
I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain
That morn will tearless be.
---------------
We send our love to you and pray you will experience God’s Agape love that will not let you go!

How To Love God

February 12, 2012

“Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.”
(Psalm 18:1 (N.L.T.)

David was a man after God’s own heart because he had a humble and contrite spirit. Although he had grievously sinned, I am sure David was most grateful for God forgiving him, as well as delivering him from his enemies, as the rest of this chapter recounts. All of these grace gifts would overwhelm anyone and enlarge one’s love. I also see throughout David’s Psalms his love pouring forth in praise when God is correcting him (Psalm 94:12); and when his enemies came against him (Psalm 5:11-12 & 23:5), and in many difficult times. David praised and loved God in whatever circumstances faced him, in the good and in the bad of life. Instead of loving God just when everything is going good I see David loving and praising God for Who He is. God remembered that God was the God on the mountain and was still God in the valley.

In verses one and two of the Amplified version show David’s poetic and graphic picture of Who God was to him. In verses one and two I counted nine pictures of how David saw God. The rest of the chapter continues with his praises of God’s deliverance with mighty power and display of strength and triumph. God delivered David because he had been committed to obedience; He had a pure heart and clean hands and he was kind and merciful. God brought David into a “large place” because He delighted in him. God knew David’s heart and knew he was humble and loved God. Therefore, God delighted in David and gave him the desires of his heart because David had delighted in Him (Psalm 37:4)!

PSALMS 18:1-19

I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer, my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. The cords of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me. The cords of the place of the dead surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His heavenly dwelling place and my cry came before Him, into His very ears.

Then the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was indignant and angry. There went up smoke from His nostrils; and lightening out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode upon a storm and flew swiftly; yes, He sped on with the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret hiding; as His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Out of the brightness before Him there broke forth through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire. And He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and Her flashed forth lightnings and put them to rout. Then the beds of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

He reached from on high. He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and abhorred me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay and support. He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me.

Can You Imagine?

February 11, 2012

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:9)

Our imaginations can be a double-edged sword. If we feed our minds Satan’s junk food our imagination begins to think all kinds of fearful and negative things. Satan’s junk food includes his lies, perversion of the Truth, compromises of God’s principles and His attributes – “Did God really mean ---?”- just as he deceived Eve in the garden of Eden. He feeds us his food right off television, or the computer, or any of the avenues of media. He will even entice us to eat of his “delicacies” by wrapping them in a pretty (appearing legitimate and good) wrapper (like a well-informed or educated person, or even a Christian who is deceived, who has already eaten of the deceitful delicacy and passes it on as “truth.”) We have to read the label on the package – the contents may be laced with poison. Satan’s food is deadly, eating his food leaves us frightened for today and filled with fear about tomorrow – this is worry. The imaginations that are a result of worry over life’s anxieties can destroy us, spirit, soul and body, and we become a casualty of Satan’s junk food if we receive, eat and digest it.

On the other hand, when we choose to think on God’s attributes and His promises we get the other side of the double-edged sword that cuts deeply into the goodness of God. When we choose to think on “whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind, winsome and gracious; if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things – fix your minds on them (Phil.4:8 Amp.), then your imaginations will be pure and righteous; and will affect all the rest of your life – your speech and your actions. You will have a wholesome imagination of the things He has prepared for those of us who love Him.

Can you imagine living with the God of the universe, our Savior and Lord, with constant and complete joy, peace and love that never ends; and the wonderful things of the Spirit that we can’t imagine. We that love Christ don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy all these unimaginable things of God’s goodness, because the Holy Spirit (Who has all the essence of God) is one with God, and lives within us and thus His fruits are manifested in our lives, if we think on the things of Philippians 4:8.

“Now to Him be glory, Who by the consequence of the action of His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or imaginations)!” (Ephesians 3:20 Amp.) Can you even imagine what He has done for you? How big is your God? How much does He love you? However big or however much you can imagine is not big enough!


"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE"
(Mercy Me)
________________________________________
"I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side...
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!
I can only imagine, when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine, when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!! Only imagine!!!
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine, when all I do is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine."