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Rescued by Love

3/31/2020

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, evenwhen we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved! (Ephesians 2:4-5)

L Jaci Velasquez
"God So Loved"
http://www.youtube.com/watch=07hpfQUM_VM&feature=related

When my son Andrew was about 10 years old we inherited a stray six month old kitten, we named Bob. Unfortunately for Bob, we had an older, dying cat named Bill. (Incidentally both cats were girls!) Bill terrorized Bob. She chased her, stalked her, attacked her. Bob lived in fear of Bill for seven months until Bill finally died.

But the damage had been done. Bob hid most of the time. She ran from people. She had feline PSTD. But Andrew loved Bob. With great tenderness, he cajoled her out from under the couch. He held her gently, stroked her fur, and spoke sweetly to her. No matter how skittish Bob was, Andrew's love was constant -- it followed her everywhere. Gradually, slowly, Bob responded. She calmed down. She started to purr! While Bob has never been a social butterfly, she is now able to interact with her human family -- and even plays with our mushy love-pug Gracie.

God's love is often like this. God knows we are hurt, worried, wounded -- and sinful. But God doesn't give up on us. Daily God coaxes us out of our hardened shells -- through the beauty of creation, an inspirational reading or song, the love and kindness of those we encounter. His inner voice, in our hearts. God sees the good in us, the potential in us; all that we can't see because of fear or pain. No matter what, God takes the initiative to love us, and won't give up -- until love conquers our fears and our spirit breaks free. "A bruised reed he will not break" Isaiah (42:3) tells us. God is gentle with us. So today let us thank God for his patience -- and let us in turn be patient with each other's weaknesses.

PRAY "O God, Thank you for loving me, even when I am at my worst. Teach me your path of unconditional love."

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Jesus, Light of the World

3/24/2020

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“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

Kari Jobe, "We Are"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=QopaSS4ExZg

We cannot imagine these days what it must be like to live without continuous access to light. It's available to us 24/7. We can stay up all hours reading, working (not always a good thing!) Just several centuries ago it was a different story. People lived by the natural light of the sun. Oils and candles were precious resources. Imagine what it must have been like in Jesus' day -- how dependent people were on the few resources of light available. Their lives were limited.

Jesus says we are one of those precious resources. We are light. The light of Christ that shines through us brings continuous guidance, warmth, hope and reassurance to those around us. Our light enables others to live better lives. Our light illumines the path to God by the deeds we do.

In a few weeks we will recall how darkness descended. We will remember how Jesus was engulfed by betrayal, desertion, torture, condemnation and ultimately sentenced to die on the Cross. Christ's words during his agony are a source of light to us. Jesus' actions of faithfulness and forgiveness raises the beacon high. His words challenge us to strive to bring God's light in dark and despairing situations.

So let us be light in all we say and do.

Liste

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Faith will see us through

3/17/2020

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"Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. James   1:6

LISTEN TO: Tenth Avenue North, "You Are More"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA

What a time we are living in. With the coronavirus scare, people are hoarding toilet paper, bottled water, and anything they can get their hands on. Broadway shows and other concerts, as well as sports games have gone dark. Businesses are shutting down. Schools have been suspended. How long will this last? People are irritable, fighting, short-tempered. On the other hand people are reaching out to care for elderly neighbors, care for children of friends, buy an extra meal for a needy person, Pandemics and scares bring out the best and the worst in people.

So fear overall is heightened. It is time to turn to the scriptures, to God, and place our trust in him. God loves us and cares for us. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, as the Psalmist declares, God is with us. So even with fear and doubt, God is there, calling us to have faith in the midst of uncertain times.

Faith acknowledges doubt, but keeps the focus on God -- Faith sees what we done, but then turns to see what God has done. There, faith is called to stay focused. We are more than our doubts, fears, and past actions. God doesn't doubt us. Instead, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1. Cor 1:9" Even if we doubt, let us turn to God's faithfulness which will carry us through the challenges and trials we face.

PRAY:  "God of Ultimate Power, in our time of trial we embrace your goodness, that you'll see me through life, that you love us and have forgiven us. In the grips of doubt, give us grace to remember your faithfulness. "

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March 09th, 2020

3/9/2020

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The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great. Lam.3:22-23

Brandon Heath "Love Never Fails"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love never ends. Or, some translations say, "Love never fails." The root word here is "fail," to suffer collapse or ruin. This doesn't happen with Love. Love doesn't collapse. Love isn't ruined. Love doesn't look at the dire circumstances of our world and give up. Love continues to exist even when our dear one takes a last breath. Love doesn't whither in the face of defeat, rejection or when we make grave mistakes that change the course of our life. Love is eternal. It has existed before we were born, and will continue to exist when we cease to be a memory. We see all the injustice in the world and are tempted to despair or grow cynical. Love sees the injustice pours itself out, on anyone who will listen and respond, and never rests, never gives up.

Love is God -- God is Love (1, John 4:8). Our faith is rooted in this. Every day we are encouraged to love with agape love, to slowly allow the eternal power of Love resonate in our lives. Step by step, we do this, as we stay rooted in presence of God through prayer, scripture, and service. We may fail, but God's spirit in us won't let us give up.

This week, the third week of Lent, is an appropriate time to reflect on the power of love -- and remember that love never fails. Even on the Cross as Jesus cries out "It is finished" (John 19:13) he is not talking about love being done. This is a word that means "paid in full." Love stepped in and paid the price for Sin. That is what love does. Love was betrayed(Luke 22;48), abandoned (Matt. 27: 45,46), denied (Mark 14:66-72), tortured (John 19:1-3) before dying on the cross (Matt.27:50) That debt we incurred, caused by sin, no longer exists as we turn to Jesus and learn his way of unending love.

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Love Endures

3/3/2020

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"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing Zephaniah 3:17"

LISTEN TO: King and Country, "The Proof of Your Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgVf8fzEiY
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

As part of our 2020 resolution to become more Christ-like, we continue our walk through Paul's inspired passage on love. Paul breaks down for us what Love does, just as Jesus models for us in his actions and teachings how love acts and reacts in the world. Today we meditate on love's power to bear, believe, hope and endure all things.
  Francis of Assisi, perhaps one of the most beloved figures in Christiandom, was born into a wealthy family. He renounced it all for Christ and service in His Name. Like us, Francis had his struggles. It is said that Francis of Assisi was terrified of leprosy. And one day, on the narrow path that he was traveling, he saw a leper. Instinctively his heart shrank back, recoiling from the contamination of that loathsome disease. People feared leprosy, it's affects on the body, and believed it manifested as a result of sin. Francis was ashamed of reactions. He then ran and cast his arms about the sufferer’s neck and kissed him and passed on. A moment later he looked back, and there was no one there, only the empty road in the hot sunlight. All his days thereafter he was sure it was no leper, but Christ Himself whom he had met.” He later reflected:
, “God allowed me to begin my repentance in this way: when I lived in sin, seeing lepers was a very bitter experience for me. God himself guided me into their midst and among them I performed acts of charity. What appeared bitter to me became sweetness of the soul and body.”
What Francis learned is the powerful confession of love by Paul: Love bears all things. It believes all things. It hopes all things It endures all things. This is Love 505, advanced practice, doctoral level seminar, that we have been advanced to -- ready or not. At first glance we may protest: Isn't it naive of us to believe all things? Hope all things? Isn't it unwise to bear all things and endure all things -- particularly if it puts us in danger? There are no cookie cutter answers. Without a doubt Love, agape love, divine love, pushes the envelope.

Paul is telling us -- without apologizes -- Love bears. This word is related to the word for roof. Love covers, offers protection against hostile elements. Love stands up for other people, especially people being oppressed, bullied and denied their rights. In it's role as protector, love doesn't spread gossip, complaints, bad news. Love cares about another's reputation, even if it is someone who has hurt or lied. Love seeks to see all people returned to the fold of Christ, and with the grace of Jesus bears up all this weight.

Love believes in us -- especially when we lost faith and no longer believe in ourselves and our faith. Love starts with the premise that everyone is made in image of God and is a child of God. So even when we aren't producing results, when all we see are sins after sins, mistakes after mistakes, Love refuses to give up -- although we may give up. Ever hear the expression, "if you can't believe, believe then that I believe." That's Jesus, saying to us, he believes, and never will stop believing in us.

Love hopes. Many of us have given up on hope. We can't see change possible. The fats are stacked against us. Hope doesn't mean we ignore the facts, or turn a blind eye to what is happening around us, Hope means we keep taking that next step. Hope gets up with it falls. Hope is not a feeling. It is a commitment to action, a commitment to follow Jesus, and trust his words, "all things work together for good, for those who love God and work together for his purpose. Romans 8:28"

Love Endures. Enduring takes the "bearing" one step further. This is a military term that commands us to hold the fort at all cost, whatever it takes. Trained soldiers keep fighting until the end, even when all is lost. So Love holds fast to those it loves. Love doesn't stop, no matter how many defeats have been thrown it's way. Love doesn't flee challenging situations. Like Francis learned, by remaining steadfast in a difficult situation, by embracing lepers, bitterness for him was turned into sweetness. He didn't run away. The question that we are asked to consider is, "who or what represents leprosy to us, today?" Whom or what have we been avoiding loving?

All these powerful traits of love come together seamlessly in Jesus. As we enter Holy Week, let us closely observe and mediate on his actions on the way to the cross. Jesus perfectly bears, believes, hopes and endures. He is true Love, our model for life in the Kingdom of God.

Let us learn from the Master as we enter the Holy Week story, and perfect our learning in Love 505.

PRAY:  "Lord, make your actions our own, turn our bitterness to sweetness, as we learn to confront our obstacles to love, and begin to love more as you do."

"

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Rescued by Love

Jesus, Light of the World

Faith will see us through

March 09th, 2020

Love Endures

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