Tag Archives: salvation

Exit Stage Left

10 Thursday Sep 2015

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A very uneducated football coach once said the following:

“Football is a game of stagedy: me tryin’ to out stagedize you, and you tryin’ to out stagedize me. The winner of dis yeer competishun will be de team dat iz de best at implicating der stragedy while executing der players.”

Yeah ………..

Unfortunately, that is about equal to many people’s plan for exiting life. They have none ………… or what they do have is so poorly planned that they leave a pile of wreckage behind.

Everyone needs an exit strategy. I’m not talking about financial responsibilities here – life insurance, etc. I’m talking about life after death. We all have a one way ticket to somewhere when we leave this planet. The question is to where?

You need to know where you’re going, and it would be good for everyone else to know where you’re going as well.

 

The Morning Comes!

19 Friday Jun 2015

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sunrise-hdr_1381675013_w520

image courtesy of free-picture.net

I’ve seen your sun rising in the morning
I’ve seen your sky reflecting your glory
I’ve heard your birds sing,
they’re calling out your name
As they usher in a new day

Isaiah 60:1-2, 8 NIV

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.

8 “Who are these that fly along like clouds,
    like doves to their nests?

You really need to read this whole chapter to get the full picture of the message that Isaiah is bringing.

The image is one of darkness turned to light, sadness turned to happiness. Why? Because in the previous chapter, Isaiah explained what was separating the people from God ……… their sin. But God took away the sin, he removed the barrier between himself and his people. So although the morning begins in pitch darkness, it gradually becomes bright. Not by the light of the sun or moon, but by the everlasting light of the Lord. And once this light rises, it will never set. There will be no more gloom and darkness.

The glory of Lord will be our light!

Here’s to a new day, a day full of bright light!

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Truly Clean

29 Friday May 2015

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six handmade soaps isolated on white background

photo courtesy of trade bangladesh

You know that yucky feeling you have after a hard workout, or an afternoon of yard work out in the heat and dust. Your body is sticky and stinky with sweat and all you want is to feel clean again. You head straight for the bath or shower and turn the water on, grab your favorite soap and lather up to remove the dirt and sweat left by the day’s efforts. Ahh…… clean again.

There’s been a surge in recent years in the homemade soap industry. Many interesting scents and colors are available from local artisans or you can make your own. Here’s a link to an article entitled 10 Amazing Homemade Soap Recipes if you’d like to try your hand at making soap.

Psalm 51:7 NIV

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Astounding how so much significance can be packed into such a small sentence. To truly understand this verse, you need to read the entire psalm and 2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12.

Hyssopkgn031401small

hyssop – photo courtesy of ebibleteacher.com

Note that David says to wash me with hyssop. Hyssop is an ancient Mediterranean plant that was used to make soap, perfume, essential oils, and teas. The oil from the plant also has many medicinal uses including treatment of chronic cough, asthma, flu, and bronchitis. It is mentioned in several prominent locations in the Old Testament, specifically as the plant used to spread the lamb’s blood over the door post when the angel of death passed over the Hebrews in Exodus 12. It is also mentioned as an ingredient in “cleansing water” found in Numbers 19.

In an article entitled God’s Soap Recipe the author writes about the “cleansing water” in Numbers 19:

“At first glance, the water of purification sounds like a hodge-podge of superstitious potion-making that included the ashes of a red heifer, hyssop, cedar wood, and scarlet wool. But this formula was the farthest thing from a symbolic potion intended to “ward off evil spirits.” On the contrary, the recipe for the water of purification stands today as a wonderful example of God’s brilliance, since the recipe is nothing less than a procedure to produce an antibacterial soap.”

Back to the verse ……

King David committed a great sin; he had murdered a man in order to take the man’s wife. After he had committed the crime, he was truly convicted of his sin and all he wanted was to be clean ……….. spiritually clean. In other words, he knew by his foolish actions that he had damaged his relationship with God. He no longer felt close like he had before and wanted that closeness back.

How could he be restored? How could he be made clean again? Only by being washed……….

David was a prophet. He knew by God’s Spirit moving in him that there would someday be a method of fully removing all of the grime of sin. Permanently.

Psalm 51:10-12 NIV

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David understood that God was the only one who could give him a new, pure, clean heart. Through his own efforts, he would never be able to wash and scrub hard and deep enough to remove the stains of guilt that he felt from his sins. That would require a special washing from God.

Titus 3:4-7 NIV

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Let’s make a pot of something hot and stimulating! Here’s to a fresh, clean heart!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

The Great Finisher

27 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug

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Furniture finishing

photo courtesy of thechronicleherald.ca

Throughout my years in the woodworking industry, I’ve learned many different aspects of the cabinet/furniture business: How to design and draw; how to safely cut parts; how to best assemble a strong, reliable piece of furniture. One of my specialties is applying the finish. I love experimenting with different layers of colors to enhance the beauty of the natural wood. It gives me great pride and joy to complete a project and see the various nuances of the wood “jump at me” through the finish.

In this “Do-it-Yourself” society, many people like learning new ideas especially in the area of home projects and furniture. Knowing what wood to choose and how to properly prepare it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of the final product. If this is something that you would like to explore, I’ve included some links here –

Unlike woodworking, where a person can take an uncompleted project, enhance and personalize it, that is not the case with spiritual salvation. There is nothing you can do that would add to the work that has already been done.

Sometimes us bloggers stumble across a really good article that we like to pass along. Yesterday, a good friend of mine shared another blogger’s story which I am in turn sharing again because it ties well to what I am trying to express. The article is entitled, “Can A Christian Lose Salvation?” The article describes very concisely what scripture tells us about the assurance of salvation.

For my purposes, the assurance of salvation falls on one statement – “It is finished,” said by Jesus on the cross. Such a simple statement, yet so deeply profound. The book of Hebrews tells us the Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If Jesus is indeed the great finisher, then there is nothing else that needs to be done. The work is complete. There are other jobs I can work at, but as for my salvation – uh, uh ………… it’s done. I can can’t add to it, I can’t enhance it, nor can I improve it. That project was finished a long time ago. It was a woodworking project of sorts ……. God, working on a wooden cross ………… and the final product was beautiful beyond imagination.

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

A Mullet State Of Mind

26 Tuesday May 2015

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mulletsIf you search hair styles from the late 80″s / early 90’s, you’re bound to run across this one – the “mullet.” Why the haircut was given the name “mullet” is a mystery. A mullet is a fish. If you’ve ever been to the beach, you probably swam with some since they’re common in warm coastal waters worldwide.

A lot of celebrities wore mullets back in the day: Jean Claude Van Damme, George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, Patrick Swayze, Billy Ray Cyrus, Chuck Norris to name a few.  Look at Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, both giants in the Christian music industry. They both had mullets too!

M W Smith Steven Curtis Chapman

There was an interesting phrase that expressed the philosophy behind the “mullet” haircut – business in the front, party in the back. It’s a perfect example of a split personality. You see, all people tend to have dual personalities: capable of being very good and capable of being very bad.

Though everyone battles their own personal sin each day, for a Christian, there should be a clear delineation between the inward battle and the outward activity. There are some who think it perfectly okay to party hardy on Friday and Saturday night, as long as they get cleaned up on Sunday morning. Scripture gives a stern warning about that way of living:

2 Corinthians 6:14 –  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

1 Peter 4:1-4 –  For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

Romans 12:2 –  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind……..

Romans 13:12-14 – So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Matthew 7:21 –  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

True followers of Christ cannot live a dual lifestyle: hell raiser one day – saint the next. What would you call that? Hypocritical? That’s sort of a mullet state of mind – business in the front, party in the back. It’s the very thing that Jesus blasted the Pharisees for doing. If the Holy Spirit is indeed living within, it should convict us to change.

Understandably, change does not come easy, so there is hope for every struggling soul. Even Paul wrote that he fought the inward battle to do the right thing:

Romans 7 – For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. …..24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A new day is upon us. A new chance to move in the right direction.  Here’s to slamming the door for good on a mullet state of mind. Mugs raised high!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

A Window Into My World

21 Thursday May 2015

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window

photo courtesy of threeriverswindow.com

If I write about myself, I inherently offer a view into my personal world. Some stories I share, though they may be a little embarrassing, because I think they offer an explanation for a truth that might otherwise have been missed.

But there are some things about my life that I will never put in print ………….

Never ……….. ever……….

This goes counter to the current wave of many Christians who want to be “transparent” in their experiences. I hate that word in this context. While you’re at it, you can add “vulnerable” to that pot. Two Christian clichés that in my opinion are badly misused. No one is truly transparent or vulnerable; they expose themselves only to the degree to which they feel comfortable.

I have a simple explanation to my objection to being “transparent” – it isn’t biblical. Nowhere in scripture are followers of Christ instructed to make public the details of their grotesque sins. The practice of confession has always been personal and private.

1 John 1:9 ESV – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

James 5:16 ESV – Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Proverbs 28:13 ESV – Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Psalm 32:5 ESV – I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Confession is not only commanded, it is necessary. Without it there can be no repentance, without repentance there can be no salvation. But none of the verses above suggest that it is appropriate to announce details in public. Confession in scripture is always presented in a small setting or directly to God.

So why the popularity in being “transparent?”

I think it is a result of the grace movement of which I am a huge proponent. Grace is a wonderful thing!! It is God’s willingness to overlook and remove the punishment of our sins, though we don’t deserve it. Grace is the extra gift of strength that God gives to help us endure difficulty. However, it is not a license to parade vulgarity, insinuating that it is okay because we are “under grace.”

Verses like Romans 5:20-21 where Paul wrote, “where sin increased, grace increased even more” have somehow been twisted to mean that if I tell you every disgusting thing that I think, it will help you be a better Christian. Or even worse, that it’s okay to sin because we can’t out-sin God’s grace. Huh? You might want to check out Hebrews 10:26-31

That is not the biblical definition of grace.

But, you say, “To admit weakness is a sign of strength.”

Yes, I agree. It is good if you recognize the true depth of your depravity and can openly admit it to others. But when an experienced Christian who has a solid foundation in their faith shares sordid details about their private sins to a broad spectrum of listeners that might include a weaker believer, all they have done is give that weaker friend an opportunity to try a new sin. That is not what the church was built for nor what Paul instructed us to do.

What ever happened to attaining a higher goal, rising to the occasion?

What did Paul say?

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

So I encourage you to confess your sins, to be open and honest with yourself, or be “transparent” if that’s what you want to call it. But only in the proper place ………. with God, your pastor, or with a close, personal friend. Then, focus on living a life that is honorable and commendable. Beyond that, you are outside the bounds of scripture.

Nuff said ……… I’m stepping off my soapbox now.

Let’s go make a fresh pot of something good to get our day off with a spark.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Nike Got It Right!!

21 Tuesday Apr 2015

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Nike

The word Nike is a Greek word meaning to overcome or to be victorious.

Nike got it right – we do overcome!

1 John 5  (NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

An Extraordinary Knock

20 Monday Apr 2015

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Knocking-on-door

photo courtesy of Brendon DeSimone

It was a perfect world, a perfect life, at least in my eyes. Me living as I wanted,  pleasing only myself. You somewhere on the outside, me on the inside, enslaved in my own tiny castle.

But you pursued me, called at my door, knocking, knocking. You wouldn’t go away, even when I pretended I wasn’t home.

I tried to offend you; I said unkind things about you. But you ignored my callousness; you persisted, even though the door remained closed.

I was ashamed of what you would see if I let you in. You would find my house was filthy with every form of evil, painted on the walls and carpeted onto the floors.

I hid in the back room so you wouldn’t see me, but you knew I was there. You looked right through the walls and into my soul, calling, calling.

I covered my ears to stop the sound but it haunted me every waking hour and into the deepest night.

I thought I could escape and pay no heed, but you refused to be dissuaded, no matter how hard I tried.

So I gave in. I came to the door and cracked it open; I fully expected you to leave when you looked inside. But you didn’t.

When I gazed into your eyes, I couldn’t look away. Such an extraordinary face that glowed from the light of a strong and compassionate heart.

You believed in me. You loved me, in spite of my condition, in spite of the depravity that I had made my home.

You saw a soul that could be redeemed, brought back from the dead. You forgave every evil thing I had done and breathed into me new life, creating something new and beautiful.

Why did I ever doubt? How could I question such a gentle love, so full of mercy and understanding?

Who, other than a loving God, would go to such lengths to bring me back, to rescue me from choking in my own suffocating world?

No one………

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

While the Greek word thura translated door does literally mean that, it also invokes the idea of opportunity. Given the opportunity, Jesus will come in and the person who welcomes him will have a life-changing experience. It may begin with a simple meal, a symbol of friendship, acceptance, and peace. But it ends with so much more……….

My mug is hot and I am ready for a new week! Praise be to the God who does not give up easily and pursued me relentlessly until I welcomed him in!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Casi Cielo

17 Friday Apr 2015

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Casi CieloIt means “Almost Heaven” in Spanish. I do love a good Guatemalan coffee and this is a very good roast, and the honest truth is the first thing I do every morning when I wake up is head straight for the coffee pot. But let’s be real …. if heaven is nothing more than a good cup of coffee, then I’m going to be exceedingly disappointed.

If the world was brand new with no faults and errors and you were to fling the gates open wide and enter for the very first time, what would you see? What would be your vision of heaven?

The Bible gives us snippets of information about heaven but unfortunately in many references it is difficult to know for sure if the writer was being literal or figurative.

Here are a few verses that may give us some clues:

Revelation 21:4 ESV

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Hebrews 11:16 ESV

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

So these are some thoughts about heaven that we can be sure of:

  • There will be no death, pain, or sorry – only healthiness and happiness
  • God is the one who is preparing it for us
  • It will be better than what we have experienced on earth
  • As hard we may try, it is so good that it is beyond what can be imagined by people. It is a secret.

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it?

I like surprises; I especially like giving surprises that are unique and well thought out. It gives me great pleasure to see someone’s face light up with joy when the gift or surprise is revealed.

I think God likes surprises too. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t give us full disclosure about the details of heaven. He wants it to be so great and mindboggling that when we step in for the first time, he will be the first to see our faces light up with that overwhelming expression of joy!

My mug is full and preparing me for a new day. It won’t be a perfect day, but I’ll pray for one that is casi cielo.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Preparing For Someday

15 Wednesday Apr 2015

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oil lamps

photo courtesy of artofliving-centralnj-blog.org

My daughter is about to pop. She’s expecting her second child any day now and she wants everything ready. EVERYTHING!

All the bags must be packed with special outfits for the new baby and mommy, all forms signed, all furniture in place for when she comes home, the perfect car seat strapped in the car, the camera with fresh batteries and memory card, a gift for child number one so he’s not terribly jealous, oh and gifts for the nurses on duty, ……..

Did I leave anything out?

In order for her to have peace of mind, everything on the list must be checked off. Everything must be ready!

Matthew 25:1-13 NIV

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins is to me one of the saddest parables that Jesus told. It doesn’t involve any terribly wicked people; no one dies, no one loses any money, no one gets hurt. The entire focus is on the difference between five girls who were ready and five who were not.

You’ll have to read the entire parable to understand; you can click on the link here

As was typical with Jesus’ parables, there is symbolism used in the story; Jesus himself is the bridegroom. But who are the ten virgins and what do they represent? According to the culture of the time, they are probably bridesmaids waiting to meet the groom the night of the wedding. It was custom for each person to carry a lamp and we can assume that each girls’ lamp was full when they first arrived. But the groom took a long time to come and all of their oil burned out. Half of the girls had brought extra oil and half had not. I don’t know where you would go to buy oil in the middle of the night, but the ones without oil ran off to do so. Upon their return, the door was shut and they were not permitted into the party.

The ten girls represent people who are involved in the Christian church is some manner. The lesson is that there is more to being ready than just showing up for the party. There is more to being a true believer than just attending church on Sunday morning.

Gotquestions.org says this about the parable –

“The five virgins who have the extra oil represent the truly born again who are looking with eagerness to the coming of Christ. They have saving faith and have determined that, whatever occurs, be it lengthy time or adverse circumstances, when Jesus returns, they will be looking with eagerness. The five virgins without the oil represent false believers who enjoy the benefits of the Christian community without true love for Christ. They are more concerned about the party than about longing to see the bridegroom. Their hope is that their association with true believers (“give us some of your oil” of verse 8) will bring them into the kingdom at the end. This, of course, is never the case. One person’s faith in Jesus cannot save another.”

Read can read more of this article here: http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-ten-virgins.html#ixzz3XMIAHurk

It is the desire of Christ that everyone would have a strong, living, breathing faith in him and be ready to meet him whenever and however it occurs. But the sad truth is that many people don’t practice what they claim to believe. Others never give their life to Christ at all; they put it off, they procrastinate. They don’t want to think about that today or they’re too busy to focus on eternity. They feel no sense of urgency to prepare.

There is an urgency. Please prepare. Do not procrastinate.

If you are not sure of your future in eternity or have no idea what I’m talking about, please contact me or another Christian as soon as possible. If you are a church goer but don’t have any real convictions about Jesus, please look deep inside yourself. Take this moment to pray and ask Jesus to illuminate your heart so that you can truly believe. Then go talk to your pastor or someone else that you know has a strong faith. Don’t be left outside when the door to heaven is closed.

Mugs up!!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com