God created ... He is ... It is enough

I do not understand.

I see
what is written

I hear
what is spoken

I listen
to God's spirit
within me

I study
His word

I seek
His purpose for my life

I find rest
from the days' struggles
Through Him
in music
soothing to my soul
in worship
in prayer
in fellowship

I rejoice and thank Him and praise Him
in that it is my soul
as much as yours
He came to save
Through His Son
Through Jesus,
The Christ, The Messiah.

But still,
I do not understand
why You,
IF you really believe in God
and of God
Why would you not believe
Jesus and God are one?

God created.
Period.
God gives life
And He takes it away.
Period.
The miracle of birth
is because of God.
God created.
The stars, the planets,
the mountains and valleys,
all that is and was
and is to come --
God created.

He is more,
above and beyond more.
God created.
This is His world,
His creation.

How dare we put God
underneath us?
How dare we claim
to know more ...
oh we know so much ...
what we believe we think is true.
How dare we?!

Before us
There was no us.
God created.
Before the earth was formed,
There was no earth.
God created.

God is
Today
Tomorrow
Yesterday

God spoke
To prophets
and apostles
Men and women
And speaks still
To you and me.

He is
He was
He always has been
He continues
He came.

God can do
and be all,
at anytime.
God created.

He planted His seed
In Mary, the young girl
engaged to wed Joseph
And Mary gave birth
It was prophesied
Isaiah foretold
what the Lord would do
who the child would be

"for unto us a child is born,
unto us a Son is given;
And the government
will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6)

God created.
He is.
Jesus is.

It is enough.

Cathy Orrick Luders

1.10.2011

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

"...you believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1-2, 5)

Christmas ...

Just a few short days and Christmas will be here. Although I've been busy with a Bible Study on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, I'm far from writing another post relating to that. Christmas is on my mind. It's probably on your mind too.

 Jim and I had our annual Christmas Open House this past Saturday. We've been married nearly 20 years and together we've had this event for those many years as well. It is a special time of year, a sort of  "family Christmas," where we invite friends and family and hope for a good turnout to visit and catch up on their activities. We clean and clean and decorate our home, inside and out, with nativities and trees and other knick-knacks of the season. Our home smells of evergreen via candles and potpourri and baking of cookies and candy.  We look forward to it with great anticipation.

Sunday, the day before yesterday ... it was Dec. 19. I thought .... When God says no, do you know? He doesn't always say yes or even maybe. He does say no. But do you know when He does? How have you responded? Are you content? Are you at peace, knowing that the request you've made has been answered and it is not really the answer you wanted? Do you give up or do you instead seek guidance?

Christmas.

What do you want for Christmas? We hear that every year and not just from kids. Adults do the same. They're kids too, just a tad older and not necessarily any smarter. Is your shopping done? Are you happy with your purchases? Are you filled with anticipation, excited to see reactions of gifts given? Have you spent too much or not enough? Does the cost matter?

What do you want for Christmas? Does it change with each passing year? Do purchases really matter or are there more important things to be concerned about?

What do you want for Christmas? I thought. I remembered a few weeks earlier when I was at the dentist, it was being discussed. I thought a Christmas wish would be to have no pain, to have all bills paid. Other things that came to mind were a relationship mended, a promise kept, a roof over our heads, a child to love, someone to come home to, true love.

What do you want for Christmas?

Monday evening, Dec. 20, we watched "The Children's Carol," a Christmas special about The Walton Family at the beginning of World War II. It was shown on the inspiration channel Saturday night and we taped it to watch later.

Today, this morning, I thumbed through the December issue of Mature Living, skimming the headlines and reading the short stories: "Christmas Presence," "Broken Cookies,"  "Come, Let Us Adore Him," "The Greatest Gift! Really?" and "Trimming the Hearts."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  (John 3:16-17)
This is the gift.The greatest gift. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15)
This gift is available to all, but not all receive it, not all accept it. Have you?

I also looked through the December issue of The Pathway, a newjournal put out by the Missouri Baptist Convention. David Tolliver, executive director of the MBC,  wrote the article, "Jesus is the only genuine celebration of Christmas." Included in it was the following poem, "Why Jesus is Better than Santa Claus," which can also be found on the internet.

Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year ...
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks,
and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we were born...
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our address too.
He knows our history and future and
He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry" ...
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts,
repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree....
The cross.

Christmas.
What is it all about?
What does it mean?
What will you celebrate?
What is the real reason for the season?
What do you believe?
What does Jesus mean to you?

Christmas.

To Know

To Know
To Live
To Be About
yet aware
of the future outcome
when Jesus returns.

To not fall
down in a heap
To not remain
desolate and filled with despair.

To know
... more than head knowledge
... more than thoughts
... more than responses from other people.

To know
the true meaning of life
To find
our way, the way
to Jesus

To not be afraid
To reach out
To grasp hold

To reflect
on where and what we are
where and what we have been
where we will go
what we will be.

To see
beyond our eyes
into our heart.

To review
and remember
Bible prophecies of old

To believe
the promise of the Holy One
To accept
His love for you
His gift of salvation

To live
renewed
re-nourished
reborn
... a new life
... a new beginning
... a new you

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17 NKJ)

To search
To find
To believe
To accept
To know
To live

Do you search?
Have you found?
Do you believe?
Have you accepted?
Do you know?
Have you been reborn?

To know more about accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior: http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ReflectionsOnJesus.html

I am not better than you

I am not better than you.

You are not greater than me.

I don't have the child I desired to give, to share, with my husband.

I am not smarter.

You are not dumber.

I am not wealthy.

You are not poor.

I have friends, yet I am not welcome in some circles.

I am not of your world; you are not of mine.

I am a sinner; so too are you.

We are both sinners, condemned.

Yet, I have been set free. I have been forgiven.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

I have a new life, a new beginning with God my Father in heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ, whose Spirit abides within my heart.

I am a new person.

Jesus came and lived and taught and died and was buried and rose again.

I AM a new person.

Are you a new person?

Are you free from the bonds of sin?

Have you been forgiven?

Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?

Have you been changed?

"Therefore, 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)

Are we truly liberated?

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:34

Tomorrow
We will do this
or that
or something else perhaps

IF
indeed that which we desire
becomes a reality

IF
the funds we believe we need
are truly at our disposal

But when -- yes, when
has God ever said,
You need to have this and this and that in place before you can go forth?

He has never said that.
Never, Never, Never.

Others tell you what you need to make your life work

What, please tell,
what do others know about you and your life?

We can only surmise
what another bears.
What another considers
sharing with another,
their fears, their aspirations, their desires, their dreams.

But to really know another....

Only God knows
each one person
completely.

Only God knows
Where we will go
What we will do
The words we will say
The actions we will take
Only God knows
Tomorrow

He knows
Yesterday
He knows
Today

We can do nothing
about Yesterday
except remember,
mindful of
past mistakes
and pleasant memories.

We can do little
about Tomorrow
except pray to the Lord
for guidance and mercy

But Today.
We can live in the Present
with the spirit of the Lord Jesus
living within our hearts
guiding,
protecting,
instructing,
loving us.
We can be obedient to His teachings.
We can pray for His security today,
His peace surrounding us.

Today
We can
Be

Yesterday is past
Tomorrow is still to come
Today is here
bright sun or
dismal cold
The light of the world
has come, is here.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." - John 3:16-17

"Only those who place tomorrow in God's hands and receive what they need to live today are truly secure." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Are we liberated from endless worry or are we bound up tightly with every burdensome thought that crosses our mind, remaining forever anxious about what may or may not come?

Escape the darkness; walk in the Light

Friday I spoke of the darkness that comes when we are without Christ and shared a poem written during my Christ-less college days in the early 1970s. Today the Lord led me to Isaiah 59 --

(1) "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
(2) But your iniquities have separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
(3) For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.
(4) No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies, They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
(7) Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
(8) The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
(9) Therefore justice is far from us; Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(10) We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places.
(12) For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with, And as for our iniquities, we know them:
(13) In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
(15) Then the Lord saw it and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
(16) He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness it sustained Him.
(20) 'The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression ...,' says the Lord."

Hence, we come to John 3: 16-17 which says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the wold, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?
Do you have a personal relationship with Him?
Have you accepted Him as your Savior and redeemer?
Have you accepted His ways as your ways?
Have you turned from disobedient living for yourself to obedience in and of Him and His ways?
Are you walking in the light -- His light?

Where do you stand?

God speaks through His word to those who listen with their heart.