Plain Love

"'Though I have been speaking figuratively,

a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

In that day you will ask in my name.

I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved

me and have believed that I came from God.

I came from the Father and entered the world;

now I am leaving the world

and going back to the Father.'

Then Jesus' disciples said,

'Now you are speaking clearly

and without figures of speech.'"

John 16:25-29

Every day she told him she loved him.  Not a day went by when she didn't express her love to her husband.  She thought of creative ways, big and small, in which she could show her devotion to the love of her life.  As his wife, she thought it her duty to help him become a better person.  She took it upon herself to gently point out where he could improve and what he could change to grow as a husband.  In her mind, their marriage was a good one; strong and loving.

Her husband, however, saw things differently.  He never felt accepted by his wife.  She always said she loved him, but she didn't respect his point of view or his beliefs.  It seemed she thought she was right and he was wrong, she was good enough and he was only tolerable.  Somehow, he just couldn't win with his wife.

Acceptance is a big part of love.  God, as the essence of love Himself, knows how to love unconditionally.  (1 John 4:8)  He loves me just the way I am, not waiting until I become who I should be before He'll take the risk of loving me.  No, His love is based on His character, not on my worthiness.  (Romans 5:8)

In the same way that the sacrifice Jesus made in dying on the cross for my sins demonstrates God's love for me, the sinner, I can show my love for God by accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  Placing my life in the hands of Jesus proves my love for God.  Only a sincere love would enable such faith.

I can only hope to love because God first loved me, and His love gives me the ability to love Him back.  (1 John 4:19)

Access to God

I remember when President Bush paid a visit to Ft Lewis when my husband was stationed there as a soldier in the U.S. Army.  I was given the opportunity to attend the event held in his honor where hundreds of soldiers and family members gathered inside a hangar eagerly anticipating his arrival.  After his speech, he exited the stage and made his way in front of the crowds.  Since I was in the second row, I was able to reach my hand out and receive a quick handshake.  Some people tried to say a few words, but the Secret Service agents pushed the president along swiftly.  

If I had wanted to receive a few moments to speak to the President, I would have had to go through specific and strict protocol, receiving permission from staff and undergoing a thorough background check.  Only after obtaining approval, would I get to talk to the most powerful man on earth.  Even then, it would be on certain terms and under a specific timetable.

Unlike world leaders, God is completely accessible to me as His child, at any time and any place.  I do not need special permission and clearance before I'm allowed into His presence.  As one who has accepted His Son as the One who was sent by God to deliver me from eternal damnation, I have full right of entry to the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

This means when I'm in trouble, I need not hide from Him but can accept the forgiveness and mercy He freely offers.  (Hebrews 10:19-23)  As one who can approach the holy God directly, I need not lose hope when all seems lost but can receive encouragement when I stand before Him.  If I need answers or assurance of my salvation, I can go frankly and honestly to Him and He will give me the truth.

When I love God through faith in Jesus Christ, I am granted direct access to God Himself.

Sonship

The door of our home is always open to anyone in our community who needs encouragement, love or the hope that Jesus offers.  For this reason, there are many who feel comfortable and at home in this house.  Sometimes, children will stop by our house for a hug and kind word even before they head home from school.  Because of the love of God, our house feels like home to a lot of people.

As much as others experience a sense of belonging when they walk across the threshold of this house, no one but family members can open up the refrigerator and grab a snack, or take the car keys and go for a ride.  There are some privileges that are meant only for family members.

In the same way, as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I have been given the rights of a family member. (1 John 3:1)  I have the hope of being made into the very image of Christ Himself at the appointed time.  In the same way that I follow in an older sibling's footsteps, desiring to emulate them in all the ways that I admire, I am called to walk as Jesus walked.  Not, as sometimes I try to do, in my own strength and with my own understanding, but in the power of His Spirit who lives within me.  As I follow Him, He leads me down the narrow path that leads to life.  (Psalm 23:3, Matthew 7:14)

As an adopted child of God, I also have the responsibility to live my life in a way that honors God.  (Romans 11:17)  I do not mean that I need to try to be perfect or that I should attempt greatness for His sake.  What I do mean is that every part of my life should be tainted by His love.  As I look at those around me, I am to view them through His lenses and allow His love to flow through me.  In this way, He gets the glory for my life.   

Even more importantly, no area of my heart is to be off limits to my Father, and no secrets should be kept from Him.  Instead, I am to live as an open book before Him, granting Him full access to all of me.  As I live in this way, when others observe my life they will praise their Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5:16)

When I love God through faith in Jesus Christ, I am granted all the rights and responsibilities of a child.

Understanding

There are some things people outside of my family don't understand about us.  They don't get the weird nicknames we have for each other, or our tradition of keeping Sunday as a family day of rest.  They also don't comprehend our inside jokes and have no appreciation of the things that make us laugh the hardest.  Some things are only for family to understand.

In the same way, children of God have received revelation regarding the things of God.  As we read His Word, His Spirit teaches, enlightens and ministers truth.  Only those who are getting to know God through faith in Jesus Christ can truly understand God's intent of scripture.  As I move through life, He shows me what I need to know at the time I need to know it.  

Conversely, if I did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to guide me, the Word of God would make little sense to me.  It would seem dry, out of date and irrelevant to my life.  Instead, it is the bread of life (Deuteronomy 8:3), the power of God (Romans 1:16) and never returns void but accomplishes what God intended. (Isaiah 55:11)  This comprehension and appreciation comes from God.

Jesus tried to explain this concept to the Jews who did not accept Him as Messiah.  He said that they did not understand what He was teaching because their father was the devil. (John 8:43-44)  We tend to listen to whom we follow.  If I am committed to God through faith in Jesus, then I'll recognize His voice and understand His teaching.  If, however, I am bent on living my life my own way, to please myself and maintain control over my own life, then my father is Satan who is the ruler of this world.  I can't live for me and live for Jesus, it just doesn't work that way.  (Matthew 12:30)

When I love God through faith in Jesus Christ, I am granted understanding of His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If I claim to love God I will accept His Son as my Lord and Savior.  When I enter into this relationship of faith through grace, I am granted direct access to God, the rights and responsibilities of sonship  and the understanding of Holy Scripture.  In this way, His love will be made plain in my life, both to me and to those who observe me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can take advantage of the free admittance I have to my heavenly Father's throne and keep close to Him.

When do I live as God's enemy instead of as His child?

What am I hiding from God that I'm afraid He'll be disappointed or angry about, even though He already knows all about it? 

The Healing Power of Faith

"As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. . .

Jesus stopped and ordered the man

to be brought to him.

When he came near,

Jesus asked him,

'What do you want me to do for you?'

'Lord, I want to see,' he replied.

Jesus said to him,

'Receive your sight;

your faith has healed you.'

Immediately he received his sight

and followed Jesus, praising God.

When all the people saw it, they also praised God."

Luke 18:35, 40-43

I followed at a distance, afraid to be discovered trailing Him.  My heart ached with the pain of many wounds; battle scars collected along the narrow trail I traveled.  I knew my Savior held the power to heal within His hands, but I was afraid.  What if I'm not good enough?  Maybe its all  my fault.  He probably only restores health and well-being to those who really deserve it.  I can't risk the possibility of rejection. . . not again. . .  

Writer Cecil Osbourne said, "God's forgiveness and love exist for you as if you were the only person on earth."  I need never fear to approach the throne of grace to receive the forgiveness He promises there.  (Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 1:9) 

When I go to Jesus, He will ask me what He can do for me.  The way I answer that question reveals the level of intimacy in my relationship with Him.  If I smile and say, "Oh, nothing.  Everything's great!  You have given me much for which I can be thankful," but ignore the painful situation I am currently suffering through, I am not trusting Him.  If, however, I give my hurts to Him and say, "I need your restorative touch right about now," then His healing power will come through.  Believing in His ability and willingness to cure me either physically, emotionally or spiritually is what will heal me.

Physical

The common cold, influenza, chicken pox, Diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, cancer, benign yet fast-growing tumors, pneumonia.  These are all ailments and conditions that are affecting some of the people around me.  There is no doubt in my mind that the human body is fragile and not able to withstand the kinds of pressure this sinful world places on it.  As the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16. "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

My body is wearing out as I move toward the inevitable: the day when my number is called and it's time for me to go to my heavenly home.  Even so, Jesus does offer healing from my physical ailments.  Having said that, I can't expect my wishes to be granted just because I want things to go a certain way.  No one wants to suffer, but many times He uses suffering as a tool to purify me and refine my faith.  (Malachi 3:3)   I must leave room for His plan.

Jesus does, however, bring healing to my body at times.  I know a man whose heart was beating erratically for 12 years.  The right doctor finally caught his condition and ordered a boat-load of tests.   The medical team decided to cauterize some vessels and then use a defibrillator to "shock" the heart back into a regular rhythm.  They were not optimistic, though, because of how long his heart had behaved this way.   God, however, had a different plan.  As soon as the doctor began the procedure, the heart spontaneously began beating regularly for the first time in a dozen years.  This experience worked to awaken this man's heart to the presence of God in His life.

Another friend of mine has an equally amazing, yet completely different testimony of how God has used physical suffering to heal her faith.  After countless surgeries, she now is able to go through any kind of difficulty, crisis or frightening event without the fear that used to plague her.  As she placed her life in God's hands, He has replaced her doubt and fear with faith.  Now she encourages others to never give up on God but to simply let Him take the lead in their lives.  She knows that God used her physical ailments to bring about a wholeness that she otherwise would not have experienced.

When I ask Jesus to heal me physically, He will do it in a way that glorifies Him and works to restore my relationship with Him.

Emotional

The vines wrapped around the branches of the tree, working to pull it down by the force of it's growth.  Deep gashes formed in the bark of the victim as the trailing plant disguised it's destructiveness with the beauty of it's leaves.  If I didn't cut the vine from the tree, it would soon die from the efforts of that deceptive plant.

Destructive vines are so much like the sin of unforgiveness in my life.  When I refuse to let go of the hurt or pain that someone causes me, I put myself at the mercy of a callous organism that will tirelessly wear me down until I am a shell of the woman God created me to be.  Instead of living an abundant life, it will be empty and full of sorrow, bitterness and chaos.

Jesus, however, offers healing from the wounds caused by the sin of another.  Maybe the life of a dear one was ripped from my arms through no fault of my own.  All I want is my child back, but the actions of a stranger took that option away from me.  How dare he.  

My anger could threaten to overtake me as I think of all the words that have been said over the years: Hurtful, thoughtless and vindictive.  I am always on the verge of an emotional outburst as the resentment simmers just under the surface.

My life has been a series of bad choices driven by the pain from within.  As a child, my innocence was taken from me at a young age.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about my molester.  How can he live in freedom when he has left me in bondage?  It's not fair.  

I can live in anger and bitterness, or I can do the unthinkable and forgive.  As one who has been forgiven through the cleansing blood of Christ, I have the power to let go of all the pain, anger and bitterness I've been holding onto for so many years.  I can put the fate of the one who hurt me into the hands of the One who is just.  Then, I can let the shackles that have oppressed me fall free.

Take a moment to listen to the words of Matthew West in "Forgiven" and meditate on how letting go can set us free.

When I ask Jesus to heal me emotionally, He will use forgiveness to heal my wounds. 

Spiritual

"It is finished."  As Jesus uttered those final words on the cross, He completed the mission for which God had sent Him to earth to accomplish.  He made a way for me, a sinner, to reconcile my relationship with my Father, a holy and perfect God. (John 3:16-17)

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I received the promise of eternal life.  It wasn't until years later, however, when I finally made Jesus Lord of my life, that I began to experience the intimacy of a relationship with my Creator.  He began to teach me things about Him and His kingdom that I would never otherwise had learned.

There are so many things that can get between me and my Love.  There are my own fleshly desires, my fears and doubts, my relationships with other humans, my hobbies and other pursuits.  In a nutshell, anything or anyone can become an idol that steals my attention away from God.

Jesus offers spiritual healing through the Gospel.  The Good News of Jesus dying on the cross for my sins, taking the punishment my sins deserved, is not just a one-time message that only has the power to save me from Hell.  The blood of Jesus also gives me the ability to destroy strongholds in my life that keep me away from God.  

I am made right with God through the blood of Jesus, and His sacrifice continues to carry power in my life to allow me to walk with Him.  It is important that I preach the gospel to myself and allow Jesus to continually restore my relationship to the Father.

I can easily be duped into thinking the work I do in the church will draw me closer to God, but the Gospel reminds me that I am saved by faith, not be works, and this ability to believe is a gift of God.  I can't earn heaven and I can't be good enough on my own to please God.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)  I need Jesus and must constantly remember my vulnerability.  God saved me out of His great love and mercy: I can take no credit whatsoever, nor can I pay Him back for all He's done for me.

Quite often I forget the Gospel and think I am doomed to eternal death for my wicked heart.   I recognize the sin within me and fall into the idea that there's no hope left.  I need to remember how the blood of Jesus rescued me from condemnation so I can live freely in relation with Him.  (Romans 8:1)

Forgetting the forgiveness I have with God through Jesus Christ, I often take up the challenge of trying to change my behavior in my own strength in order to look more Christ-like.  I fall short, and then feel like a failure.  All the while I am drifting further and further away from my Savior.  The Gospel cleanses away my desire to earn forgiveness and gives me the power to freely receive it, opening myself up to the abundant life He intended for me.

When I ask Jesus to heal me spiritually, He restores my relationship with Him through the power of the cross.

Healing can come in many forms: to my body, my heart or my spirit.   Jesus has the power to heal all types of ailments, but His ultimate goal is to restore my relationship to the Father.  When I put myself into His hands, I may be surprised with the outcome, but I will never feel more at peace as I realize the healing power of faith.

As I begin this day I pray for healing to every part of my being.

How do I want God to heal me physically but I refuse to forgive someone who has hurt me?  Is there a connection?

When am I afraid to let go of certain "idols" because they seem so closely identified with who I am?