Archive for the ‘Love’ Category

Day 362: Genesis 1–Revelation 21 — The Long Journey Home

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

I do not remember a lot of the things preachers have said throughout my childhood, but I do remember one from brother Ken Hoover who ministered at the Southwest church of Christ in Phoenix when I was in Jr. High. He preached a series of sermons taking one book of the Bible at a time and he would start out with the theme of the book which was always “The glory of God and the salvation of mankind through his Son Jesus Christ.” The message is the same throughout. It’s a message of repentance, forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. There’s some wrath and punishment thrown in there when necessary, but that is not the goal.

My family (12 of us on my wife’s side) have just returned from a 2 day trip to visit my sister-in-law and her 1 year old son at the rehab facility where they currently reside. She has had many struggles and taken many wrong paths, but we can finally see her starting to take responsibility for them and seeking God and family to help her change her heart and her actions. We have prayed and solicited prayers for her over the years and we finally begin to see the fruit of God’s working in her. She has a long way to go, but God is good and willing to forgive. May we all be as merciful as He is. Our visit was such a joy to all of us and we hope she will be encouraged to continue on her path.

When I read today’s passage in Zechariah 1, it really struck a chord:

“The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
“Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

This passage could come from any of the prophets or really anywhere in the Bible as this is the message throughout, which is why I titled the blog post Genesis 1 – Revelation 21. As fellow blogger Powell would say “Read the whole thing. It’s good for you.”

The message of forgiveness is to each one of us, as “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. As we close out this year and start a new, may we remember the message: that God loved me so much that he sent His Son to live and die for me so that I might be with him in this life and the one to come.

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Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Love, Mercy, Repentance, Salvation | 1 Comment »

Day 360: Sometimes I Forget

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

The reading for today is Revelation 16:1-17:6 if you want to get technical. If reading about the Seven Bowls of Wrath is your mood today, by all means, give it a go. I don’t mean to trivialize this passage, but today I hope you will allow me to write more from the heart.

On Christmas Eve my family journeyed to Bender Terrace Nursing Home in Lubbock, Texas to visit a few folks. Those of you that read this blog with regularity (Bob has assured me that you exist) know that my Grandmother passed away the night before Thanksgiving this year. She lived her last few months at Bender Terrace and we were so grateful for the care and love she received from the residents there. Gigi (as she was lovingly called) was very fortunate to have family close that would come spend time with her on a daily basis. She knew that she wasn’t forgotten. She knew she was loved.

Driving home from her funeral I had an idea. Day before yesterday that idea became a reality. At 3:30PM on Christmas Eve, my entire family (parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, nephews, daughters) showed up with handmade gifts from the kids. We walked every hallway. We went into every room. We hugged. We listened. We smiled. We laughed. We sang for two dining halls. Every person there was given a gift of love. When we left, we all agreed that there was no greater gift than the feeling of sharing the love of Christ with people who feel forgotten.

Sometimes I forget that being a Christian is far more than mere believing. It is living that belief. 2 Corinthians 9:7

May God bless you and keep you!
Matt Wilson

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Day 350: Hosea 1:2-3 — Think about how God feels?

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

In Hosea 1:2-3, God tells Hosea to marry an adulterous wife and take her children out of wedlock. This is a shocking action by God. Yet, it is in actuality God’s story that Hosea is called to live out. We think a lot about poor Hosea who had to enter into this awful situation. In reality, we are given an insight into how God feels. God marries or makes a commitment to His people. His people become unfaithful and break their commitment by seeking other gods and having a relationship with them instead of the one true God. Do we ever stop and think about the God who is faithful to us even though we have prostituted ourselves to other things besides Him? Yes, He disciplines and judges us because He loves us. If you get a chance, skip ahead to Hosea 11:1-9 and read the touching proclamation of God about how He loves us in spite of what we have done. Read this section and think about God when in anguish He asks the question, “How can I give you up…?” (Hosea 11:8) Have you ever stopped to think about how God feels? I read this story from Hosea and I realize, I have hurt my God. This is not the final part of the story because my God forgives. He sent us His Son!

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Day 346: 1 John 5:1-2 John 4 — What is Love for God?

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

How many of you have someone in your family or circle of friends that is hard to buy for? Every year at Christmas my sisters and I engage in a yearly topic — what to buy Mom for Christmas. This is a woman that never asks for anything, never wants anything and never buys anything for herself. No indicators. No hints. Nothing. She is a great mystery to buy for because I have no idea what she wants. As I have gotten older, I realize that Mom’s greatest present at Christmas is for her children and grandchildren to be at her house.

If you will pardon my analogy here — sometimes we think that God is hard to buy for too. We wonder how we can please God. Well…look no further! I have the perfect gift for Him! Turn with me to 1 John 5:3 and read along. It is very short but very clear. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.” Sound familiar? It should.

1 John 2:3-5

John 15:10

Could it really be that simple? Yes! I know my kids love me because they obey and they return my affections. Is that very elementary? Yes! Be obedient! Follow God’s commands. Be in his love. Be in him.

May God bless you and keep you!

Matt

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Day 240: Romans 12:3-21 — Sober judgment and one body

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:3-6

This chapter very much reminds me of 2 other passages in the Bible, and I see definite parallels between the three. Consider Colossians 3:1-2:

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Just as these verses and the remainder of Colossians 3 give us some guides on proper Christian behavior and setting ourselves apart from the world, Romans 12 teaches us how to act within the body of Christ. The idea in both chapters is to think of others above ourselves, just as Jesus would.

Which brings us to the second parallel I see to Romans 12:

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11

I think I’ll just let these 3 snippets from the Holy Spirit speak for themselves.

Do you have the mind of Christ?

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Day 227: Psalm 18 — Do you “racham” God?

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Psalm 18:1 begins with the word רָחַם [racham /raw·kham/]. It is often translated as “mercy,” “compassion,” “love,” “merciful,” etc. It relates to loving deeply or having deep compassion or tender affection. I have struggled all my life with these three English words, “I Love You!” Growing up, we did not use the words. It wasn’t until I got married that I learned how to show love and receive it. Now, I have a granddaughter and when she enters the room, she hears from me these three words, “I Love You!”

I wonder how often we tell God these three words? Do you love God? Psalm 18 is a Royal Psalm attributed to the king. The Psalmist writes that he was in trouble and called out to the Lord. The Lord answered and came down and took care of the enemies. The king loved God!

As we wake up this morning and kiss our spouses and say, “I Love You!” Take a moment and look upstairs and remember to tell God of your love. Today is the Lord’s Day and we will gather around the world to tell God we love Him by gathering to praise, worship, sing, hear His Word, pray, fellowship, and participate in the Body by proclaiming Jesus’ death (our salvation) until He comes again.

“God, I Love You!”

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Day 171: John 14:25-15:17 — Love A Little Stronger…

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

“If you don’t remember anything else that I’ve said, remember this…” Have you ever sat in a lecture that included this phrase? Maybe it was something your parents told you as you were running out the door to go with friends. I’m sure you’ve heard it. It is a way to get people to focus, to pay attention.

I’d like to concentrate on John 15:9-17. In this passage, Jesus wants to make sure he gets his point across about loving one another. Two times in this short passage he emphasizes his command to love each other. Got it. Point taken. Or is it?

Why is it so hard to love each other? Because we’re human and we’re weak. We let petty differences get in the way. We want to point out others’ mistakes or shortcomings. Maybe someone rubs us the wrong way. I have struggled in my life in forgiving people who have wronged me or people I love. But that’s part of love, isn’t it? Forgiveness? I say that I love so many people in my life but do I truly love them as Christ has loved me? I’m afraid that I’m woefully short in that area.

As you go into next week, I hope that you will re-read John 15:1-17 and focus on your relationship with the people in your life. Jesus gave us a pretty straight-forward commandment — love each other. It is my prayer that we can all love deeper than we think we’re capable of.

May God bless you and keep you this week!

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Posted in Forgiveness, Jesus, John, Love | 1 Comment »