God Knows The Way That I Take

“But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10 (NIV)

Not too long ago, one of my students was admiring a blown glass piano in my office. After explaining to her about the process of how glass is made and that sand is the major ingredient, she said, “I can’t believe something as ugly as sand can become as beautiful as blown glass!”

It’s amazing how the words out of a child’s mouth can reinforce such deep biblical truths. Immediately, I began to picture what condition I was in before Christ saved me. John Newton’s song says it perfectly, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” The most undesirable looking sand is “eye candy” compared to what I was, what you were before a loving Father gave His only son for us. Our sin, the dark filthy stain that separated us from having any kind of relationship with God, when laid upon His son on the cross was so reprehensible that He could not even look at Jesus. For one moment in history, God the Father turned His back on His only Son, due to the depth of the filth laid on Jesus. But just as 3,000 degree fire takes sand, gypsum, soda ash, limestone and dolomite and turns it into pure glass, the refiner’s fire through the blood of Christ takes our dark sin and makes us as pure as Christ Himself.

As the heavenly angels gaze upon our lives and the lives of those saints who have gone before us; as they look upon us as the trophies of His grace, they must have a similar reaction to the one of my student commenting about my blown glass piano. I can hear the angels proclaiming, “I can’t believe that someone as wicked and vile as (fill in our name) can become as beautiful as Christ.

As we bring Him our praise and worship today, take a moment to reflect on who you were, who you are and who you’d be today without Christ in your life. And then stand in awe, sing in wonder, sit in humiliation and walk in a worthy manner as one who has been blessed beyond measure, comprehension or any merit of our own.

“Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

Pastor MJ

No Greater Love

“Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13

In the opening scene to the movie “Vertical Limit” viewers are treated to some of the most beautiful scenery and mind-blowing rock climbing feats that have ever been put on film. Rock climbers are a special breed of men and women who after years of training coupled with nerves of steel are able to “go where no man has ever gone before”. Moments after the movie begins you see a rock climbing team consisting of a father and his son and daughter. While climbing a very difficult mountain cliff, a series of events unfold, beginning with interference from other climbing teams mistakes which cause the family team to ultimately end up suspended in mid-air held in the rock by just a few clamps. The father, being the most experienced of the three, tries to keep his children calm and instructs them as to what they should do. When all else fails to work he explains to his son, who is in the middle, that the only hope for him and his sister to survive is to cut him loose and let him fall because the clamps would not hold that much weight much longer.

After a heart wrenching struggle and difficult obedience to his father’s love, mixed with his experience and convincing words, he cut him loose. The father fell to his death and the brother and sister survived.

In eternity, a conversation took place between a Father and Son. The Father told His Son that the only way to save you and me would be for Him to “cut Him loose” and come to the earth and die. With a heart wrenching decision that must have shook heaven and earth, Father God send His Son, Jesus to this earth with the ultimate purpose being to be killed so that you and I could be saved.

Unlike the story in the film, God’s story of sacrificial love provides us with not only temporal life, but eternal life if we accept His free gift of salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s take a moment today, this week and meditate on how great the Father’s love must have been and is for us, that He would “cut the rope” on His only Son and sacrifice Him for you and me. Then use that time and those thoughts as a spring board towards a time of praise and worship to the greatest Father we could ever have. To Him be all the glory, honor and praise forever and ever, Amen!!!

Blessings,
Pastor MJ

Spiritual Check Up

“Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.
”Psalm 119:105

Cars are wonderful, when they work! It seems like they break down or begin to have problems at the most importune times. Right after we returned from vacation, I went to run some errands and as I started the car I noticed that the “check engine” light remained on. I turned the car off and started it again, hoping it would click off. Unfortunately, it stayed on. Years ago, a friend showed me how to get certain “signal” lights to turn off if I wanted to ignore the problem. At this point, especially since I had just returned from vacation, I really didn’t want to face car repairs, so I was tempted to turn it off and ignore the problem.

So it is in life in general. God’s Word provides spiritual “check engine” lights. Are we listening? Or do we know certain tricks to “turn off the lights off”, and avoid the warnings? Are we fleeing temptation? (James 4:7) Are we loving our spouses? (Eph. 5:22, 25) Are we being honest? (Prov. 2:22) Are we caring for God’s temple? (I Cor. 6:19) Are we being good stewards of God’s blessings? (Matt. 25:14-30) Has the Spirit of God been convicting you of an area of your life that needs attention? Have you been listening or do you, do I use tricks such as busyness, drugs, play, television, books, etc. to avoid the warnings?

As summer comes to a close, let’s pray as David did, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to come in and do a spiritual diagnostic test and make any repairs needed.

My friend, the pain and cost of doing that, is and will be far less than the alternative. Together, let’s keep on top of our spiritual health: for His glory and our good.

Blessings,
Pastor MJ

Trusting God

The sturdiest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest but high upon some rocky crag, where its daily battle with the elements shapes it into a thing of beauty.

Unknown

It’s amazing to see the complete trust and confidence that my children have in me when I tell them that I will take care of a problem that they have. All I have to do is say, "Daddy will take care of it", and they run away and never give thought to their "problem" again. I believe Father God wants us to be the same way as we face life’s transitions. His Word speaks clearly to us. May these words from His heart cause us to trust him through the changing seasons of this life and praise Him for doing so.

"I will instruct you and teach you—I will guide you with my eye."
God (Psalm 32:8)

"With nothing will be impossible."
(Luke 1:37)

"I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and
Says to you...do not fear; I will help you."
(Isaiah 41:13)

"I Am the Lord; there is no God besides Me."
(Isaiah 45:5a)

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which
Rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the
Heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is from
Me, says, the Lord."
(Isaiah 54:17)

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give GRACE and
Glory; NO GOOD THING will He withhold from those who
WALK UPRIGHTLY."
(Psalm 84:11)

"Behold we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crused; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body."
(2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

Let’s respond by worshipping Him with our everythingness this week………..

With you on the journey, MJ