No Greater Love
What a day, Father! Introducing myself to a third congregation on top of the two I have been serving was a joy. May Your hand be upon us as we move forward. Use us all to impact the world around us! Amen.
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Life has been overwhelming for the last several weeks and many of you have probably noticed that I have reshared several posts from years gone by. I was in a wonderful spot then and life has changed so much in the intervening years. I know what I shared then was solid. It was meaty and I hope my readers benefited from them, but it is time to get back in the saddle, if you will.
Romans 9:1-3 (<<click here to read the passage)
I have a great respect for those who serve in law enforcement, as firefighters, and in all branches of the military. Each of those areas has built-in risk factors. As they bid farewell to their loved ones, there is always that distinct possibility that they may not see each other on this side of eternity again. The jobs they do include a great chance that in saving the lives of others, they might forfeit their own.
As I read today’s passage, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ statement as recorded in John 15:12-13.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
He feels so strongly about it that He reiterates it once more just a few sentences later – This is my command: Love each other. v17 NLT
Of course, we cannot help but notice that he spoke much more than empty words that day. It was just a matter of time before He did just that, He laid down His life for us all…
The Apostle Paul was so concerned about his Jewish brothers and sisters that, as he said, his “heart was filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief” because they would not accept Jesus as the long-hoped-for Messiah. He felt so strongly about it that he proclaimed, “I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ! – if that would save them.” Romans 9:3 NLT
Of course, only Jesus could save them – and he knew that – but you can clearly see his heart. He was a living example of Jesus’ command for us to love others as He loved us – there was no greater love to be found.
So, how do we feel about those who have yet to come to a saving knowledge of Christ? Do we feel strongly enough to do something about it? Or are we content to let things be as they will be?
My Life Application Bible asks a very poignant question that we each must answer. “Are you willing to sacrifice your time, money, energy, comfort, and safety to see them come to faith in Jesus?”
Lord Jesus, may we love each other as You loved us…whatever it takes. Amen.
July 2nd, 2023, Sun, 8:18 pm
The Beauty of It All
There are always so many elements in life. Father, I would pray that You would continue to work in our lives, opening and closing doors as You see fit. Amen.
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Last week sometime, while on my morning routes I came upon a family of Canada geese. There were two adults surrounded by a flock of fluffy goslings. They had crossed the road just before my arrival and were waddling into a field.
The goslings were not very old in that they were small and just little puffs of downy beauty. They will soon become more gangly and less beautiful as they transition (thankfully) into beautiful adult geese.
They are certainly beautiful creatures. Not that long ago their numbers were in decline and, largely in part to human intervention, their numbers have risen…substantially!
Looking at one or two geese, one might find them beautiful but having dozens upon dozens of them grazing through public lands, their appeal fades quickly. The two adults and their flock of fluffy goslings are no longer what we see. And unfortunately, it is rare for us to see the beauty any longer because all we see is the masses and the inconvenience they bring.
Geese, of course, are a part of God’s beautiful creation, along with breathtaking sunsets, majestic mountains, and fields of deep green winter wheat waving in the breeze. And the thing is, God gives us far more than the beauty of creation. There is the diversity of humanity with our many gifts and talents – I could go on and on about the millions of pieces and parts of which we all contribute to the whole – music, art, writing, love, compassion, kindness, etc., etc.
Our problem arises when the appeal of such things fades and all we can see is the inconveniences of it all. What is meant to bring us joy is superimposed by dissatisfaction. It is overrun with impatience.
This past Friday I drove our 1st Graders to the Columbus Zoo, Karen’s class included. Her kids were accompanied by parents and chaperones and the two of us walked the grounds of the zoo. One of my favorite parts was watching children…the oohs and ahhs…their childlike innocence…their carefree attitude…their abundant energy!
Too often we allow those things to become annoying and where once was the purity, the naivety of youth, we stomp it into nothingness with our dissatisfaction and impatience.
All the beauty of creation, all the beauty of humanity, comes from our God’s bountiful supply. Our disdain for it all – and how we destroy it on so many levels –should surely warrant our eradication…but it doesn’t.
Read these verses slowly and thoughtfully,
It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed,
Because His [tender] compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 AMP
God loves us beyond measure. May we love Him (heart, soul, mind, and strength) and all He has so abundantly blessed us with! Amen!
May 15th, 2023, Mon, 7:02 pm
We Are Purveyors of a Sweet Frangrance
Thank You, Father, for the blessing of a godly mother. Be with her, bless her, and give her peace. Amen.
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In certain areas of my bus route this past week, with open windows the flowery scents of the many blooming trees of spring were pleasant to take in.
As Karen and I walked along the pathways of the Columbus Zoo this past Friday after sending all her kids off with parents and chaperones, the fragrant smell of lilac blooms was pleasurable to our olfactory systems.
Going back several years ago, one of my favorite smells of late spring / early summer, was the scent put off by a grove of locust trees in the early evening hours. My Chevy S10 didn’t have air conditioning, so I always had the windows open. The scent was heavenly.
Some may not enjoy such things because of allergic reactions, but many more enjoy the respite from other less pleasant odors.
Did you know that as followers of Christ, we are purveyors of a sweet fragrance?
The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14 says,
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
I can think of nothing more impacting than the refreshing scent of beauty amid the mundane odors of dirt and labor, and sometimes out-and-out filth and degradation – even the stench of death, in the world in which we find ourselves.
The thing is, the sweet fragrance we spread abroad can be taken differently by whoever smells it. Verses 15-17 go on to say,
For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter one an aroma from death to death [a fatal, offensive odor], but to the other an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is adequate and sufficiently qualified for these things? For we are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [shortchanging and adulterating God’s message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God. AMP
The wonderful news is that we must be ever diligent to broadcast far and wide the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him because no one is ever beyond the point of redemption. Yes, they may be perishing, but the Holy Spirit is always at work! And His work can turn even the hardest of hearts to God.
May we be persistent and may we truly from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God…speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God to all within earshot (smell-shot?). Amen? Amen!
May 14th, 2023, Sun, 7:30 pm
The Joy of Life Quickly Passes
It has been a very busy day with a 5th-grade trip to the county fairgrounds and a softball team trip to a destination a little over an hour away. Father, I would ask that You would get us safely home and that the words You want to be shared would make themselves known.
1 John 2:15-17 (<<click here)
As I read through this passage, Lord, it conveys the ideas of fleeting – here today and gone tomorrow – short-lived – unfulfilling. That’s what the world offers. It’s glitzy and appealing to the eye but when, and if, we can even get ahold of “it”, the joy it brings quickly passes. Then off we go on the next excursion…only to have the entire scenario repeat itself.
John states in verse 16,
“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.” (emphasis mine)
This old sin-filled world never offers genuine, lasting satisfaction. It offers plenty of cravings for all kinds of pleasures and things, but we are just grasping handfuls of smoke. We think we have something, but it just vanishes before our eyes, leaving us nothing to show for our efforts and only emptiness in our souls.
Lord, only when we seek out a relationship with You do we find satisfaction. Our love for You and what we accomplish in that love are the only things that will last but a moment in the reality of time. Only those things will last for eternity.
May I be diligent in investing in eternity. May love overrule my life. May I be seeking to interject You and Your love into every situation and relationship I come across. May I give the world more than just a craving, but may I give it the reality of You. Love the world through me, Lord. Amen.
(Apr 18th, 2017, Tues, 5:22 am)
May 9th, 2023, Tue, 7:38 pm
Seeing Her Picture
With the death of my father-in-law and a saint from one of my churches as well, it has been difficult finding time to write. Father, bless my efforts as we come together, for Your glory. Amen.
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There seem to have been multiple tragedies in the last few weeks. Lord, You know I’ve had my share. But one that has touched my heart recently was the death of an 11-year-old child in a northwest suburb of the Columbus metro area. She and her mother were on their way to drop this 6th Grader off at school when they somehow collided with a semi – I have no idea how it happened or who was at fault. Regardless, it is heart-wrenching!
It’s bad enough to read of the incident, but early this morning a friend of mine posted a GoFundMe page to help the child’s family. As of this writing, they have more than tripled their goal! It is a great blessing for her family, but nothing compared to their loss…
But what impacted me most today was seeing her picture – a beautiful young lady whose life came to an end much too prematurely. Before this morning, I didn’t even know her name, much less know what she looked like. But that picture…
It’s way too easy in life to shrug off tragedy. We read a headline (and it seems like every headline from the one TV station I follow speaks of death – shootings, accidents, and the like…). We read a headline and they are so frequent that we hardly think twice about the people involved. But every single one of them are real people in real-life situations.
But here is the hope, when hope is to be found nowhere else.
God sees us one and all. He knows our name. He knows what we look like, for He created us. He knows us intimately!
Do you remember the passage of Scripture where Jesus was speaking with the disciples? He was telling them not to be afraid and He asked them,
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29,31 NLT
In today’s workplace in the state of Ohio, the minimum wage is $10.10 an hour. If you worked eight hours, that would earn you $80.80 (before taxes of course!) The copper coin Jesus referenced equaled 1/16 of a day’s wages. So, doing the math, two sparrows would cost you $5.05.
If God cares if a single sparrow falls to the ground, He cares infinitely more when we do.
Elia. Her name was Elia. God knew Elia and He knew, and He cared that she fell.
Don’t feel worthless. No matter how small or insignificant you may feel, God knows you and cares about You. Call out to Him today…He will hear, and He will answer.
Apr 4th, 2023, Thurs, 12:50 pm