Posts Tagged ‘Love’

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 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 290: Philippians 1:3 — I’m Thankful For You

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

This week I’d like to focus on one verse…one sentence. Open your Bible to Philippians 1:3. In the first few sentences of this book, Paul says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Think about for a second. Paul says that when the church in Philippi crosses his mind, he thanks God for them. What a compliment. What a love Paul must have had for this budding church.

I speak to my Dad every day. Sometimes three times a day. I’m always happy to hear his voice. He and I have a very special bond. I am thankful for him every time I talk to him. One of the things my Dad has taught me is to let people know what they mean to you. People need to know that they are important to you and that you love them. It is sound advice and something I try to practice.

My question this morning is, what or who makes you thank God every time you remember them? Your family? Certainly. Your friends? Absolutely. Your church family? I hope so. Let those people in your life know what they mean to you. Let them know that you are thankful for them and that you remember them in your prayers. You’ll be surprised at the response you get.

May God bless you and keep you this week!

Matt

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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 169: 1 Chronicles 5:1-26, John 13:18-38 — Shoutout

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Today’s passage in 1 Chronicles 5:1-18 is what in modern day language might be considered a “shoutout”. It’s like when you call up a radio station to wish someone a happy birthday and have their name read aloud over the air. Or when you put their name on the scoreboard at a sporting event. Here is a list of names of the descendants of the sons of Israel. While I realize they were important to the Hebrew people, it can be hard to read the long, seemingly pointless genealogies. But I like to look at passages like this in another way. Imagine that the creator of the universe mentioned you in his instruction book to his children. In a sense, he’s giving you a “shoutout”. That’s quite an honor. The point is that whether these people did good or evil or nothing more notable than being born to someone else who was mentioned, God knew their names. God knows my name. He knows who I am. Just like he knew who each of these people was. He’s not too busy running the universe that he can’t take just a moment and think about me.

In return do we ever give God a “shoutout”? Do those around us know the name of God? In John 13:35 Jesus clearly tells us how we can reciprocate: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” When we choose to love those around us, we’re spreading the name of Jesus around and honoring him.

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Posted in 1 Chronicles, God, Jesus, John, Worship | Comments Off

Day 145: John 3:1-21 — Come Into The Light

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

John 3:16 is taught in every Sunday School class; it is at just about every football game posted on a sign. It is a favorite passage. It is easy to recite. But what does it mean? I am not going to try to answer this question for you today. Why? Well, in our daily Bible reading we ought to be challenged to do more than just regurgitate a passage. We ought to swish it around for a while and contemplate its meaning and how we might apply it in our lives. So, make sure to read John 3:1-21 and enter into the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. Lay aside all of your troubles, questions, and fears. Just read God’s Word in some quiet place and listen to God talk to Nicodemus. Let God talk to you. Let us enter into the “light.” Michael Card writes a song called, “The Way of Wisdom.”

The way of understanding lies

In not how much you know

Where the pathway is a person

That you’ve come to love and so

You can stop pretending that it all depends on you

For it’s not how much you love

As much as how much he loves you

How much he loves you

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Day 50: Matthew 27:11-32 — Crucify Him

Friday, February 19th, 2010

In Matthew 27:3-5, Judas changed his mind about Jesus and tried to take back the 30 pieces of silver. Judas now claims Jesus is innocent. In Matthew 27:11-26, Pilate and the crowd have to deal with Jesus. Pilate is uncomfortable with this responsibility and tries to find a way to release Jesus. The crowd is given a choice to release Jesus the innocent or Barabbas the guilty. The crowd whom once praised Jesus now asks for him to be crucified. Pilate washes his hands of the incident.

There is so much going on here but our time is short and we know that Jesus went to the cross innocent so that we might all be saved. Yet, I wonder if this situation does not continue to happen everyday. There are those of us who trade Jesus for money. There are those of us who are envious like the Jewish leaders that create false stories about Jesus. There are those of us in positions to set the story right but we yield to the crowd and the popular crowd mentality and in the end, we try to wash our hands of it all. Then there is the crowd…fickle as all get out, swaying back and forth with no real conviction. One time praising Jesus and then another time we ask for his crucifixion.

There is one left that I should mention. It is Jesus – the Son of God!  He goes to the cross. Why? Because He loves us.

Where are you today? Following money? Following religious envy? Following the crowd? These all end up nowhere.

I wonder what would happen if we got to know the one who loves? I wonder really what it means to follow Jesus to the cross? Take some time to think about the one who goes to the cross. It may seem like the cross got Jesus nowhere but where is Jesus now? Jesus is exalted, resurrected, and sitting at the right hand of God. May we go to the cross and find the true meaning of love.

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Day 22: Matthew 13:44-14:12 — “The Hidden Treasure”

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

In 1977, I was in Okinawa, Japan. All my school friends had abandoned me and gone off to live their lives. No one wrote to me anymore. However, there was one girl that was about a year and a half younger than me that wrote me constantly. My long dreary days of loneliness were filled with a daily run to my mail box in hopes I would receive a letter. I won’t get into the gushy emotional details, but I became stricken. I had found the girl for me and I was willing to pay the price for her. I wanted to see her but I was far from her. I was told if I went to a 6 week leadership school and beat out some of the best Marines in the Corps, I would be given 30 days temporary assigned duty in my home town. I went to the school and out ran, out thought, and was tighter (militarily focused) than the other Marines. I achieved the honor graduate status and was sent home. Almost 31 years later and I guarantee you I had found the hidden treasure.

In Matthew 13:44, a man finds a treasure hidden in the ground and he sells everything he has to buy the land. Of course this is a parable about the value and worth of the Kingdom of God. If you found the Kingdom of God, you would sell everything. You would give up your job, house, and even your family to obtain this great treasure.

I hope there is a little bit of hyperbole in this story. I understand giving your all for the treasure. I experienced that in my love for my wife. Yet, maintaining the intensity of continually giving my all wears me out. I think we sometimes buy other properties and diversify our portfolio. Yet, there is something in me. There is this nagging recurring thought. In the midst of all the struggles, temptations, sin, etc., I still know deep down in my heart that there is nothing of greater value than the Kingdom of God. Are you resonating with what I am saying? If so, answer me this, why can’t we stay focused on the greatest treasure of all? Maybe it is like my relationship with my wife. We have some good and bad moments but nothing separates us from each other’s love. By the way, the love I speak of is now a sacrificial love. It is not that gushy emotional feeling from 31 years ago. That gushy stuff does not last. True love is the sacrifice we have learned to share with each other. I take my eyes off the treasure of the Kingdom of God sometimes, but I’m not giving up. God continues to sacrifice for me and I will try my best to keep my eye on this treasure. Thank you God for not giving up on me.

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