Unlocking our hearts

I write a lot about forgiveness because I believe it is the key to love.  If we cannot forgive we cannot love.  Ever been a recipient of unforgiveness?  It can do tremendous damage.  If encountered at a young age it will often produce a critical and unforgiving nature in the recipient.  It is crucial that we learn to forgive others quickly and deal with unforgiveness of others towards us in relationship to God's word. The bible teaches us forgiveness at every turn and it is crucial to recognize .  Without forgiveness there is no love. "Love as I have loved." " ... but I say forgive  77x7."  Seven - meaning it is finished, so forgive until it is finished.  We can only imagine the pain Peter felt looking into His Savior's eyes knowing he had denied him in the face of danger.  "Do you love Me?" "Then feed my sheep."  "Love as I have loved."  Yes the bible is pretty clear about forgiveness and thank goodness our God is a patient God.  Once we look at the struggles unforgiveness has caused us, we will see the imperative need to forgive quickly.  Not being able to forgive our adversaries hurts and robs us as well as those who hurt us.  It is indeed a lose-lose situation.  To top it off it is usually with people we love and know well that unforgiveness occurs.  Forgiveness is for us but even more for the offender and it is important to understand why. In our journey to sanctification, our mindset is to become one with Christ.  2 Corinthians 2:7 "so that on the contrary you rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him."  Not forgiving others produces a critical, cynical, and bitter nature in us.  It will have devastating effects on us and worse yet it will do incalculable damage to others - and most assuredly to those closest to us. None of us want this but when we have been hurt we are not inclined to want to turn the other cheek.  We will never do it either if we count on our feelings to produce our actions, at least not at first.  First we must love Christ and desire His ways so much that we do not count the cost to us personally.  God delights in our desire and He fills our heart with joy we cannot find the words to explain. Forgiveness is full of great joy but we have to forgive with no strings attached but love to experience it.  Unforgiveness is a very bloody spiritual battlefield and we are all guilty to a fault, however we do not need to cringe into a ball and die once we look in this mirror.  It must be looked in and we must also look past the Crucifixion to the resurrection. This is God's unsurpassing grace and mercy poured out for us through His Son.  We are given a 'get out of jail free' card, but it takes time and experience to realize we need it.  

I will try to shed some light in the darkness we often find ourselves in.  Let's say as a child you had many experiences, a lot of them good and some you would rather forget.  People are not perfect and that is a devastating thing to learn as a child.  As we grow we need desperately to see with spiritual eyes to love, forgive and live life as God intended.  As children we are vulnerable and many lies take root whether we like it or not.  If we are fortunate enough to grow up with Christian parents we get to hear about Jesus at a very young age.  This can be confusing though. What? Just hear me out.  Say you have Christian parents, are they perfect and do you know their childhood?  Lies they believe as truths?  If they had parents who were not perfect (which they did) and you have parents who are not perfect (which you do) their actions, and our actions, will contradict at times the truth we are hopefully being taught at Church and in our time alone with God.  If you have a parent with a critical nature, it is easy to harbor unforgiveness towards them from your wounds.  However, if and when a parent looks and sees the pain caused by this nature inflicted on those they love, it will be a blow to their heart that will surely need love and forgiveness to bear. Here's the kicker: we are all guilty! How can we not forgive? For by forgiving we will learn to forgive ourselves as well.  If we do not, the pain we shoulder will be so overwhelming we may never recover. Forgiveness is critical to all of us.  Jesus doesn't teach it for us to become calloused and ignore the pain; no we must indeed feel it.   "We are crucified with Christ ..."  If your parents love the Lord yet fall short (which we all do) rejoice, for we all must die to sin to live with Christ.  You have been loved by their faith in Christ, even though they fall short. It would do us all good to think on this.  We will all see clearly one day the joy we receive from the lessons we learn.  We do not wish in our heart to grieve one another, this is proof of Christ living in us.  Even when it hurts let the pain come and be quick to forgive and God's grace and mercy shall flood our hearts with healing and light.  You cannot be healed any other way, and we are crucified with Christ to our sin so we might live.

Heavenly Father   Let us be more fully aware of Your spirit.  Let us not shy away from being transformed into Your image.  Let our hearts be flooded with Your love unconditionally for others.  May we remember that we are  partakers with Christ and respond through Him in all we do and say.  In Jesus your Son's name I pray.  Amen

love to all in Christ Jesus C:)

A marriage made in heaven

"I am Your God"

I am Yours

"You are Christ's" 1st Corinthians 3:23

Through the blood of Christ we are presented as God's children, heirs of the kingdom, holy, blameless before the Lord.  We, on the other hand, are not holy or blameless, but we are forgiven.  God will hold us to the fire until He sees His image in our thoughts and actions, if not we would surely die of a hardened heart.  We are the bride of Christ - bought and paid for at the ultimate price.  Now we are being perfected, taught, groomed for our position in the kingdom to come.  The Bible says we were chosen.  "All who hear and believe..." If we know in our hearts, not logically in our minds but if we hear with our minds and it penetrates our hearts we will indeed experience a life path of change.  Being made into the bride of Christ is not instantaneous for anyone  and we all are painfully aware of that.  "You are made to be broken bread and poured out wine."  Now think about it, is that how I want to live this one life I've been given here on earth? Dead to myself, expending my life for others just to be ridiculed and rejected. This is life and life more abundant? Surely you jest. Common sense worldly opinion would more than agree - and isn't that the problem?  We are bombarded with the secular humanist world view that is all of life around us on TV and media and we buy into it.  We are all familiar with 'it's all about me', 'you deserve a break today', 'if it feels good do it', 'make hay while the sun shines', and on and on.  Well, one huge problem with that is we think nothing about the day's end and where our deeds and actions will leave us.  Ever read Matthew 25 1-13?  The parable about the ten virgins going to meet the bride groom?  If not, turn to it and take time to hear what Jesus is telling us.  What we do in this life matters more than we can ever imagine, for our life here is but a day.  Did we spend it preparing to meet our bridegroom or was it all about us?  The world shouts one thing but where is our focus?  If it is not on the bridegroom then we are truly standing at the fault line of an earth quake and it is coming!  OK OK OK I've heard this a thousand times and guess what? I'm still here.  Yes, and in story after story in the bible they thought the same thing. But Noah built the ark anyway.  Jesus must move from our minds to our hearts and some days that is easier said than done. Why? Because when hardships and disasters strike we look at the world instead of looking to the Holy Spirit which our Father has sent to guide us in all things.  We also do this when earthly temptations strike, maybe even more so.  If we are tired and worn out it is much easier to be manipulated.  This is not saying we do not have much work to do here, but for the most part we are not simply willing to wait upon the Lord.  "For My yoke is easy and My burdens are few."  Believe me when I say most of us exhaust ourselves about 95% of the time with business that God did not direct.  We, my friend, are in desperate need.  We must yearn to hear our bridegroom's voice or we too at the days end will find our lamps with no oil left.  Now again we must ponder: what am I living this life for?  A marriage made in heaven or for me?

Heavenly Father " Open our eyes that we may see visions of eternity."  "Open the eyes of our heart Lord." Let us be about our Father's work with great joy and anticipation of our Lord's return. May our lamps remain full of oil rejoicing in being broken bread and poured out wine knowing full well we are Yours! In Jesus Your Son's name I pray. Amen

love to all in Christ Jesus C:)

New mercies You bring.

"Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.  With the cross of Jesus going on before."

To save. That is what Jesus is doing in us as believers.  From the fear of God, to the wrenching desire of our hearts, His mercy is always fresh and new.  We are onward - that is where we are in our journey to sanctification.  We are here and now soldiers living in the strength of God's holiness if we indeed choose to be so; marching as to war.  We are not treated fairly, we are hurt with remarks, gossiped about, laughed at behind our backs.  We become weary and dejected much of the time yet something keeps us pressing onward.  We do not have the strength, talent, or ability to do so except for Christ alone.  The Lord blesses us with hardships, trials, and difficulties, and they are thankfully sandwiched with a heavy dose of His mercy, grace, and love!  We all who are living onward know to some degree that when the fire is the hottest is when God is closest to our heart.  Sometimes it does not dawn on us until the intense heat subsides a bit, but eventually we start recognizing it at the onset of the fire.  We start to see our desire for the closeness of our Lord and this is an onward process in our sanctification. " I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"  John 10:10  For the most part we start with a complete worldly view of that verse and we are in for quite a disappointing bumpy ride.  But fear not, Jesus is our pilot and we will land safely in our Father's presence with exceeding joy!  I myself know what it feels like when the 'fasten seat belt' sign comes on and the stewards run to buckle in.  Ever notice at the first of a flight how no one who flies often even pays attention to pre flight instructions?  I am not a frequent flier but I have flown enough to become very aware of this fact and am guilty myself.  When the plane hits turbulence you can bet everyone in the plane pays attention at that point.  When fires commence in our lives, God gets our attention and will continue to do so until He has our focus 24-7.  Practice the presence of God, my friend, and even if it turns out you are going in for a crash landing you will walk away not even smelling like smoke either here on earth or in the presence of the Lord.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6,7

Heavenly Father I come before you this morning and ask for Your peace to be so prevalent that we realize the calming of our anxious hearts.  Let us remember Your promise "My peace I leave with You."  and may we truly remember to " be anxious for nothing..."  and commence in continual love and conversation with You!  To God be the glory forever and ever for 'How great Thou art, How great Thou art!' Amen

Love to all in Christ Jesus C:)

Inside out

     Have you ever tried to look out from a shirt that you have pulled over your eyes? If so, you know it's hard to see. You're looking from the inside out.

God is not wanting in us or from us our outward righteousness, intellect, or perfection. We see our lives from the inside out. But God discerns the heart! 

I live in a family of doctors with my own two children soon to follow their dad's footsteps and yes, what an incredible gift, privilege, and heritage the Lord has bestowed on them. He alone has placed the ability and desire to learn about His creation in them, lest anyone should boast. Part of my New Year's resolutions is to know more of my own nothingness. Less of me, more of God, like John the Baptist in John 3:30 "He must become greater, I must become less". This, in all honesty, is not the fun part, for I will be faced with my own vanity, pride, and indolence! In this I will find my soul rejoicing! What?  This will indeed lift a veil from my eyes to see the not so pretty things in myself. If we do not have the courage to do so then we will not be willing to let God root them out! So rejoice and start seeing the painful truth. God is faithful but we must desire Him alone so much that we do not even consider the pain of the truth that lies deep within us. Then He can bring these things to crucifixion. All our iniquities must be crucified, there is no way around it and the relief of the pain once the thorn is pulled out is incredible joy beyond words! That much I know my heart yearns for.

Here's an example of my faithful God. To know more of my nothingness...hmmm..Well, last night I had a dream. I dreamed two of my sisters were in medical school and the one younger than me was thinking of applying. They were all very intelligent and quite capable and I found my heart sinking wishing desperately my younger sister would not choose to follow. Why? Because I was embarrassed for myself, feeling sorry for myself! You see, I did not seem to be blessed with the same gifts. I was looking at my life from the inside out! And I simply could not see. Now the story doesn't end here. Oh no, it is a continuation with no end in sight for me. I must simply trust and continue the journey! Now my sisters are all very intelligent in real life and no, they are not doctors, I married into that part of my life. This was simply a dream. As I crawled in my chair this morning with my cup of coffee, looking forward to my quiet time alone with God, little did I know what was in store for me. I hadn't given a thought to my dream until I was reading my "Morning by Morning" by Charles Spurgeon. The title on the day I was reading was "guilt from the holy things". Huh? Contemplating this, I took it slow trying to digest and understand each sentence and I must admit I have much more digesting to do on this one. So for the sake of my hand cramping this is what I have so far in a nutshell.

Feeling sorry for myself! Not a pretty thing for any of us to do. I have no grounds for this - only made up ones while trying to look from the inside out. The world cannot see from God's point of view and I have asked God in my heart to see more clearly. Be careful what you ask for! I would say be careful about what you are afraid to ask for. There is no other way so you might as well be ready and willing to get your shots. Oh, and you don't get to know when the shots are coming. Just like me this morning. A regular morning at the outset, washing my face with my tears in the end. I would say this is a shot of Rocephin, a heavy duty antibiotic that hurts very badly as it goes in. The shot, by the way, is still being injected and it's not stopping anytime soon. But hey, I said I wanted to get better, right? Better at seeing my iniquities, knowing more of my own nothingness. Why? I know one reason it is not, and it is not so I can wallow in self pity! We all can relate to feeling sorry for ourselves, some more than others. I am sick and tired of it. When we try to see from the inside out we buy into so many lies. I have said this before but it is so true: "a lie believed as truth will act as truth even though it is a lie."God wants us to see through His holy eyes the truth but we must desire it. Now by what I have written you know a few things about me. I have three smart sisters. I am married to a doctor and have two smart children and academics (whether real or imagined) has not come easy for me. I dreamed my sisters were all becoming doctors, something that is noble, worthy of working for. See the self pity starting to crash in? Hurray! Let's have a party and I'll be the donkey you pin the tail on. Ah, but...The joy is all mine because even though the shot hurts I can see through the pain of seeing from the inside out. Huh? You see, we can all look at others and compare ourselves and think we do not measure up. Satan loves to whisper how unworthy we are, how we will never be good enough. The kicker is - we can say 'praise God!' Satan, you are right, I'm not worthy and that's exactly why Jesus came and died for me and took me for His own. Joy will surge in your heart as Satan flees! So do not fear or dread what God has to show you about your own nothingness. Rejoice in seeing His love and sacrifice for you. When we are brave enough to see from His viewpoint we have the joy of of truly knowing our Father as "I AM, your God".

"My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honor to Christ in my own person by fearless courage." Philippians 1:20

Father, let us embrace the bitter pills we must swallow about ourselves, knowing there is no other way to know Your sweet holy presence. May we look forward to the journey with great hope. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Love to all in Christ Jesus c :)