God's story includes you and your story!

Look at the entire bible from the beginning to the end, and you will see that it is a story. We call it the story of redemption. God’s rituals of communication tell how we were created in God’s image, how we fell away into sin, how God worked in history to restore our relationship to him. God worked through the patriarchs, through Israel, and through the prophets. Finally God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ who lived among us, He was rejected and crucified for our sake, overcame the power of death by being resurrected from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will return again to restore the created order and make it new.

The story extends from Genesis to Revelations and on through your and my life. And REDEMPTION in God’s story is the key through which all other stories of the Bible are to be understood.  

Unfortunately, we often get lost in the particulars of the stories of the O.T. or of the Gospels. We want to know the moral of the story of Abraham or of Moses or of David of the prodigal son. But forget the story is there to reveal God’s nature…the primary purpose of these stories is not to teach morals or values (Although most do and we accept that). The ritual acts of communicating in worship are to reveal God redeeming love manifested ultimately in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The parts and pieces serve the larger story as part of the plot and action, as well as teach us how to live…

Romans 10:17 states, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

So, are you in God's story? If not, you need to be. You know I love ya, Don

Do you hear the callenge?

Matt. 1:20 ~ But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

In Joseph’s dream, God gave Joseph a glimpse of the divine plan. Because Joseph was a descendant of David and a righteous man, God gave him the unique job of raising the Messiah. God told Joseph, that Mary’s Son would, "save His people from their sins!" In fact, the name "Jesus" is a transliteration of the Hebrew word "yeshua," meaning "The Lord is Salvation," or "The Savior."

From His name, we learn Jesus’ mission on earth: to "save His people from their sins!" Jesus came to earth to redeem mankind; to save us from the penalty of our sins. But, in order to redeem something, a price must be paid.

Lou Johnson was a 1965 World Series hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He tried for 30 years to recover the championship ring he lost to drug dealers in 1971. Drug and alcohol abuse cost him everything from that magical season, including his uniform, glove, and the bat he used to hit the winning home run in the deciding game. When the Dodgers president, Bob Graziano, learned that Johnson’s World Series ring was about to be auctioned on the Internet, he immediately wrote a check for $3,457.00 and bought the ring before any bids were posted. He did for Johnson what the former Dodger outfielder had been unable to do for himself.

In the same way, God has done for us what we were unable to do for ourselves. He paid the price for our sins with the blood of His Son. He bought us back. He redeemed us. What an awesome gift!

Can you imagine Joseph’s anticipation, knowing that he would be responsible for the upbringing of the most important child ever born? God is asking Joseph to raise the Savior as his own son. Most people would never accept that kind of challenge.

Are you hearing God's challenge - You know I love ya, Don 

If you want to be loved, you need to love on others.

Old Testament Ruth demonstrates the love she has found in her new family and her new religion. She was a Moabite. She was welcomed into a Jewish family and discovered a new God, a loving God, and a Gracious God. The story reads like she had very little time with her father-in-law, Brother-in-law, and Husband…but that is an assumption. They had enough time that Ruth learned about love in a family.

Leadership Magazine carried a story about four young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marble-ized, and he had a silvery stub of whiskers on his face. His clothes were ragged and torn. His shoes didn’t match. In fact, they were both for the same foot. And he carried a wicker basket full of unappealing vegetables that he was trying to sell.

The boys felt sorry for him and bought some of his vegetables just to help him out. Then he went on his way. But from that time on, every Saturday he appeared at their door with his basket of vegetables. As the boys got to know him a little bit better, they began inviting him in to visit a while before continuing on his rounds.

They soon discovered that his eyes looked marble-ized not because of drugs or alcohol, but because of cataracts. They learned that he lived just down the street in an old shack. They also found out that he could play the harmonica, that he loved to play Christian hymns, and that he really loved God. So every Saturday they would invite him in, and he would play his harmonica and they would sing praises together.

They became good friends, and the boys began trying to figure out ways to help him. They finally collected a bunch of clothes and secretly left it all on his doorstep, no note attached or anything. The following Saturday morning, the story says, right in the middle of all their singing and praising, he suddenly said to them, "God is so good!" And they all agreed, "Yes, God is so good." He went on, "You know why he is so good?" They said, "Why?"

He said, "Because yesterday, when I got up and opened my door, there were boxes full of clothes and shoes and coats and gloves. Yes, God is so good!" And the boys smiled at each other and chimed in, "Yes, God is so good."

He went on, "You know why He is so good?" They answered, "You already told us why. What more?" He said, "Because I found a family who could use those things and I gave them all away." Ruth had received love and could only respond by giving love in response.

Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Ruth is known throughout the whole region as a loyal and a loving person … it is her love for her Mother-in-Law that catches Boaz’ attention. A long obedience in the same direction … is loyal and it is loving … Are you known as a loving person? Do people know that you are a disciple of Jesus because you love those around you?

You know I love ya, Don

Repurposed - Redeemed - Restored!

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

I am in a Johnson University Master's of New Testament Program that has a great emphasis on Spiritual Formation. I am excited for the program and totally enjoy the work. There is a great deal of research and reading. Two words that start with "re." It is through that connection that I found this little excerpt of a Roy Lessin devotion. It has a great thought for us today.

There are many "RE" words that are packed with hope and encouragement. The word REpurpose reminds us that many things once discarded, considered useless, and put aside for the trash heap, can be brought back, become useful once again, have value, and take on new meaning.

In the Scriptures we find some wonderful "RE" words that can keep hope and encouragement alive and thriving in our hearts and help us to discover the new things God is doing in our lives.

--Roy Lessin, excerpt from his New Devotional: REpurposed.

So many people, including myself, need to hear these "re" words. I pray and seek to live a life that is filled with repurpose, redemption, and restoration. I have not read the book...yet. With these thoughts, I am looking for it and will be reading it very soon. I will let you know as soon as I get it!

You know I love ya, Don

"Inside the LIE of inward shame!"

Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." -John 21:16 (NIV)

We are in a study that is titled, "Spending the Summer with Jesus." In Sunday's sermon, David preached on how the passover was a preview of what God can do for us. He also mentioned how our sin is a reminder of the past life we lived outside of Christ. In many ways that memory can be a disappointment. The memory is also a tool to give us strength in know that is not who we are any longer.

After Judas betrayed Jesus, he was filled with remorse and went out and hanged himself (Matt. 27:3-5). Judas' greater betrayal, however, may have been that he apparently could not believe that Jesus would forgive him and that the Holy Spirit would help him forgive himself.

But Judas was not the only one who failed Jesus. After having promised he'd never desert Jesus, Peter denied him three times. When Peter heard the rooster crow, he remembered what Jesus had foretold and went out and wept.

Later, the risen Jesus came to Peter and asked him three times, "Peter, do you love me?" After Peter answered yes each time, Jesus responded with an assignment. He gave Peter his own ministry: "Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep." (See John 21:15-17.)

The memory of what we've done can be redeemed for good. The new covenant sealed with Jesus' blood is the promise of God's forgiveness. In that covenant, the Holy Spirit is able to bring us to rebirth, re-creation, renewal, and redemption. We can be used for God's purposes, no matter what we've done.

As the words to the song from Matt Maher, "Christ is Risen (Come Awake)...

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love

To God be the Glory for all things, Don

Stand on the Earth!

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”- Job 19:25

My wife, Karen, had knee surgery 6 weeks ago. She is still in a great deal of pain when she stands for a long period of time. Please pray for her....she was supposed to notice a major improvement, but it has only gotten worse.

This has gotten me to think about standing. I recall losing my footing and falling down our stairs in Virginia. There was reflexes and panic that tried to stop the fall but I still ended at the bottom. It was also my "bottom" that felt the pain for a few weeks after that. It is a good thing I have a lot of padding.

I remember Matthew and Alice's first steps. What a joy it was to see their little feet grab the ground and stand upright for the first time. I remember the complete joy in their faces when they realized the amount of freedom walking on two feet gave them in contrast to crawling on four.

Years before Jesus was born, Job declares that His Redeemer lives! He also declares that His Redeemer will stand on the Earth. We know that Jesus went through a great deal of pain on the Cross. He was physically tortured and He was emotionally rejected. We also know that our Redeemer lives and the complete joy in His Resurrection helps all of us to stand firm in our faith.

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,

Ye soldiers of the cross.

Lift high the royal banner it must not suffer loss.

You know I love ya - Don

Redeemer - A Sail Boat

Isaiah 47:4 - "Our Redeemer-the Lord Almighty is His name-is the Holy One of Israel."
Job 19:25 - "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."

There is a story that some of us heard as children. A young boy made for himself a beautiful little sailboat, sanding, painting, and gluing each of its parts with great care. It became his favorite possession, and almost daily he went to sail it on the river near his home. One day a storm came up suddenly, the string on the boat broke, and the boat got away from him. He spent many days searching for the boat along the banks of the river, and he began to fear that he would never see it again.

Months later, his grandfather took him to town, and as they were poking around in a second-hand shop, the boy spotted a familiar-looking boat, high on one of the shelves, with a price tag attached to it. "Let me see that boat, " the little boy cried. "This is it, see, these are my initials! I carved them in the bottom! This is my boat!"

"I am sorry, son. I bought that boat from the man who brought it into the shop. If you want the boat, you will have to pay for it," said the shop keeper.

Sadly the boy left the shop. For the next few weeks he worked hard doing every odd job anyone would give him, carefully saving every penny. At last he had the money. He went back to the shop and redeemed for himself the boat he had made.

The seeming injustice of having to pay for something that was one's own in the first place is not pleasant. This is a perfect illustration of what it means to be redeemed. Christ our Creator made us and stamped us with his own image. Then we became separated from him. Christ our Redeemer bought back the right to own us by paying a price so awful we cannot comprehend it.

Over the next few days, The Christian community will be celebrating Easter. May we never forget that it is a celebration of redemption.

You know I love ya - Don

Peace!

Peace with God grants a Christ-follower these five action points:

P – Purpose – When a believer grasps the truth of Jesus Christ in Passover, we gain a new purpose. We have direction to the Promised Land. Have a certain hope and a confident future. We have purpose in Christ Jesus.

E – Exit (Exodus) - As believers in the Messiah, we have an exit from Sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. Paul writes in Romans 6:6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—.”

A – Assurance – The Christ follower has a new assurance. “Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.” We have assurance of God’s power.

C – Confidence - There is a new confidence that is gained through the Messiah, much like Simeon’s confidence (Luke 2). I can die in peace because of Jesus. There is no longer any need to search out the unleven bread, it has arrived and is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

E – Empowerment that comes from Emmanuel (God with Us) - On the night Jesus was betrayed they celebrated Passover. He took the third cup, the Cup of Redemption, and after giving thanks, He said, "take and drink. This is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me." Jesus is Emmanuel, God with Us, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus is the prince of Peace and allows us to have a restored relationship with our Creator. He came as a baby to live a life with out sin... then He freely gave His life to be our payment for the wrong in this world and the sin in our lives.

Have a great Monday and ponder these things. It will change your life. It has mine - you know I love ya, Don