Washed and Groaning and Hope

1st Pastorate After Seminary

As I sit alone in my home with my fireplace blazing (thanks to Netflix and “Fireplace for Your Home with Music”) today has become a day of somber reflection.  Perhaps it’s because another year is ending leaving me longing and yearning for the “redemption of my body” (Romans 8:23) and once again another new year is rushing in with its hint of hope and fulfillment.  This will be my sixty third experience on this journey of new years. 

Yesterday I made another pilgrimage to an area representing part of my past.  As I traveled through some of those rural areas I was reminded of many wonderful people whom I have loved and who have loved me, and my mind was flooded with many memories of life experiences during those years, both good and bad.

However, the most pervasive realization and emotion that I experienced was one that I’m having a difficult time expressing.  Perhaps the following words, each having their own weight, coming together, express a more complete explanation:  horror, sadness, emptiness, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, hurt, heaviness, regret, misunderstanding, helplessness, ignorance and wonder.  It was not a positive or affirming emotion!

The geographical area I’m referring to is actually west Tennessee, years before my secrets became public.  The emotions were not based on my secrets being exposed but on the knowledge that I was living in the midst of secrets that controlled my life and that caused me to walk in legalism with a spirit of judgment and condemnation.  During that season of my life I was miserable on the inside and I was out of control and there was no help being offered . . . I was living a life of secrets and oppressing darkness and no one knew . . . but GOD.

Bi-Vocational Pastorate
While Campus at Union University

All I can say is I never ever want to go back to where I once was.  I’m not speaking about a geographical location.  I’m speaking about a state of being or existence.

I continue to thank GOD for His grace in orchestrating a church intervention (years later) in 1995 that initiated a new perspective on life as it is to be lived in this foreign land until that day.

And so I say along with Paul:  “[18]For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  [22]For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  [23]And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8)

ADVENT: Day Twenty Five – December 25, 2013

Read Luke 2 – The Christmas Story

John 3:16 & 17 – “For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For GOD did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

MESSIAH has come!  JESUS is here . . . the Savior of the world!  GOD sent JESUS in love for the whole world . . . for me . . . for you!

Celebrate!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT: Day Twenty Four – December 24, 2013

Yes! The Cross encapsulates all of Christmas!

Read Romans 6:5-11  “[6]Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; [7]for he who has died is freed from sin.  [8]Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, [9]knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.  [10]For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives to GOD.  [11]Even so (just like this) consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to GOD in Christ JESUS.

This is it!  This is the message of Christmas . . . and the message of Easter.   You see, the message is exactly the same.  GOD had a plan from the foundations of the earth to consummate (to redeem) His purpose for creating us in the first place.  His plan in creating us was to have someone to walk with in His garden.  Ultimately, it was for Him, not us.

In His omniscience He knew that to have someone to walk with Him in His garden with integrity of intimacy His creation had to have freedom to choose to desire walking with Him.  Therefore, He created the Serpent . . . and a choice was made.

Through Christmas (incarnation) and Easter (atonement) GOD gives His creation grace, with an opportunity to choose a second time.  And for all who choose to walk He grants them righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) once for all (Hebrews 10).    And they walk in His garden happily ever after!

I cannot understand it . . . I simply believe it and embrace it . . . with tears of great anticipation, peace, joy, and love.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT: Day Twenty Three – December 23, 2013

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of GOD, which is in Christ JESUS our LORD.” –Romans 8:38-39

Here is an awesome thought and truth . . . the love of GOD stands firm . . . nothing can tear it down . . . nothing can weaken its force and power.  The power of GOD’s love for us and demonstrated in JESUS cannot be overcome.  NOTHING!

GOD’s love came on Christmas Day in the form of a weak little baby, but the love He brought into the world was anything but weak or small.  Nothing can weaken the power of GOD’s love.  The power of His love demonstrated through JESUS is able to redeem ALL who believe.

May we open our hearts to this deep and powerful love that GOD has for us!

JESUS loves me . . . this I know!  And JESUS loves you too!  Celebrate it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT: Day Twenty Two – December 22, 2013

Today has been the 4^th Sunday of Advent.  This morning at our church we lighted the last purple candle which is known as the Angel Candle or the Candle of Love.

1 John 4:7-9:  “[7]Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from GOD; and everyone who loves is born of GOD and knows GOD.  [8]The one who does not love does not know GOD, for GOD is love.  [9]By this, the love of GOD was manifested in us, that GOD has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

GOD has chosen to share His love with EVERY person.  On Christmas Day GOD performed one of the most incredible acts the world has ever witnessed!  Think about it!  GOD became a man and pitched His tent among us!  WOW!!!  The theological term is “incarnation” – the divine perfect spirit GOD became a part of the created human world in the form of a baby born in humble surroundings.  I continue to be absolutely astounded by it.  But it didn’t stop there.  GOD invites us to participate in His demonstration of love.

Amidst all the family traditions, decorations and activities that Christmas holds, may we fix our hearts upon GOD’s great demonstration of love that took place on that first Christmas day.  May we praise GOD for inviting us to participate with Him.  And may we walk in faith as we cooperate with HOLY SPIRIT and submit our flesh to Him that we may love GOD with all our heart, soul and mind and that we might love our neighbor as we love self (Matthew 22:36-40).  This is GOD’s great command.  It is the ultimate purpose of Christmas!

Amazed by GOD Incarnate!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT: Day Twenty One – December 21, 2013

“[9]But you are a ‘chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for GOD’s own possession,’ so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [10]for you once were ‘not a people’ but now you are the ‘people of GOD;’ you had ‘not received mercy’ but now you have ‘received mercy.’” 

“And He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of GOD in Him.”—2 Corinthians 5:21

One of the most exciting truths about the Christmas event is that it is the incarnation of GOD’s redemptive plan for all who believe.  GOD’s redemptive work isn’t simply about making it possible for us to go to Heaven when we die but what His redemptive work accomplished to make that possible.  The most tragic consequence of the Fall is that all who are born of Adam (which is everyone who has ever been born to man and woman) inherit Adam’s sinful nature which separated Adam from GOD.

GOD’s redemptive work resolves that curse.  JESUS (GOD in the flesh) did not commit sins but literally became sin (took on the sin nature of Adam . . . became the 2^nd Adam) and, as the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb of GOD, took on the penalty (death sentence) of Adam’s rebellion against GOD.  As a result, when we believe, our Adamic nature dies and in its place we receive the “spiritual DNA” of JESUS . . . HOLY SPIRIT invades our spirit and we are totally and completely take on the very perfect nature of JESUS Himself.

We were once “not a people” but now, in Christ, we become the “people of GOD.”  At one time we had “not received mercy” but now, Christ, we have “received mercy.”

Praising GOD . . . Our Great Physician and Redeemer!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT: Day Twenty – December 20, 2013

Read Luke 2:8-14:  “[10]But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; [11]for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the LORD.’”

GOD’s heavenly messenger brings good news . . . MESSIAH has come . . . The SAVIOR is born!  

This Angel has looked out over us from every
Christmas tree top for my whole life.  She was
born some time in the 1940's.

This is cause for great JOY, not just for some people, but for ALL people.  JESUS the Messiah is the Redeemer for ALL who will believes . . . regardless of economic standing, regardless of political leanings, regardless of heritage, regardless of reputation, regardless of the depths of depravity . . . JESUS is the Savior for ALL who believe.

Think of the most exciting Christmas gift you ever received; think of the anticipation you had as you counted down the days; think of the way you kept trying to guess if this was really going to be that gift and the way you built up hope and excitement.  And then the day comes and you tear into the package and there it is!  It is exactly what you were dreaming of.  Obviously, the gift that GOD has given us on Christmas Day eclipses any other Christmas experience or gift of our entire lives. 

Like the angels did that night two thousand years ago we rejoice and we give GOD glory and praise for the gift of His Son, JESUS!

Living in great JOY because the Savior, who is Christ the LORD has come!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!