Friday, July 27, 2012

Willing Price

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver, or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  ~ 1 Peter 1:18-19

How much would you be willing to pay for your life?  "What?" you may ask.  This life you enjoy did not come to you at a cheap price, nor did it come to you at the expense of all the world's treasure.  This life you call your own came at the ultimate price of your Maker's sons' life and he willingly and graciously gave so you could live!  This was a great gift given to me by an Almighty, jealous and loving God.  Yeah, I know, we've all heard it a billion times, but when I really think about it and put myself in those shoes let's just say that I don't think I could give my son up for other people; especially people I don't know who may, or may not be eternally grateful for our supreme suffering and sacrifice.  How about the fact that God's sacrifice never even did anything to deserve such a brutal beating and death?  It cost an innocent, perfect man his short lived life here on earth for ME and YOU to live in relationship with the one true God.  Don't pass the opportunity up!  The relationship is remarkable and the price has already been paid!  FREE ADMISSION!  What do you have to lose to experience the perfect relationship?  NOTHING!  What do you have to gain?  EVERYTHING!  Jump in!  ~ AMEN

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Amazing Creation

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  ~ Romans 1:20

What an amazing, spectacular, beautiful and magnificent place this planet earth is!  The thought of space, stars, planets, the milky way and light travel all boggle my mind.  The mountains are my favorite places in the world with their ever present massiveness reaching towards the blue sky both protecting us and calling to us to climb their peaks.  On a cruise ship years ago I received my first real sense of the expansive ocean and what wonders it might hold.  The humbling experience left me breathless as on our second day out to sea I realized this humongous ship we had boarded was now just a speck in the wide openness of the ocean and my respect grew ten fold as I realized there was no land in sight.  The different tastes, textures, shapes, order, smells, sights an sounds of this universe are nothing short of a divine making.  Oh, that we could ever be convinced that all this world's creation was a scientific explosion, or phenomenon not only breaks my heart, but also God's and underestimates his holy power.  May we always see God's fingerprints clearly on this incredible wide world!  AMEN! ~

Love Enemies

But love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great and you will...