Square pegs and holes in hearts

I remember back in my little kid days playing with this toy, where you had to match the pegs with their same-shaped holes.  The lesson from this puzzle game is that you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.  Each piece fit in only one specific space.  As hard as a kid can push and jam, or turn the piece around and around, it will only fit into it’s certain spot.

I see how God’s love works the same way.  I’m convinced that there is a space in each person’s heart that is so unique, only God’s love can fit it exactly.  This empty space is such a noticeable void that we know we just have to fill it.  Some people try and substitute drugs, alcohol, money, possessions, sex, -- all the things this world offers, even in excess – yet they still know something is missing, and spend their days and nights trying to fill the void.  I learned the hard way; none of this stuff can fill the spot reserved for Jesus in my heart.  Once I surrendered completely, God’s Holy Spirit filled all the voids, and my former wants and desires are gone.  Good riddance to them, I don’t miss anything!  I don’t miss cigarettes, hangovers, those feelings of being lost, worthless, and life is pointless; and I certainly don’t miss feeling unloved, unwanted, and the nagging thoughts of suicide.  I don’t have a specific scripture reference to back up my theory, just personal experience, and testimony from others.  I see evidence in radically changed lives.

Scripture tell us that God created us for His own good pleasure.  He loves us no matter what.  God loves us so much that He sent us Jesus, His Son, who willingly took the death penalty, and hung on the cross to pay for our sins so that we could have salvation and spend eternity with Him. (John 3:16:  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.) 

Seriously think about this:  He loves us so much that He died for us, and all He wants from us is to love Him back.  That’s it.  So, do you want what’s missing?  Open up your heart, and let Him in.  Confess your sins, accept His forgiveness, and start your new life.  That empty spot will be filled-in.  His love will permeate your entire being.  And nothing – no thing, no person, no experience, or substance – can compare.

Romans 3:23:  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23:  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10:  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

Romans 8:38-39:  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(all scriptures quoted from The New Living Translation)

Forgiven or Indifference?

“and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…”  Luke 11:4 NLT

Long ago, there was an incredibly deep hurt.  Thanks to the Lord’s gracious gift of forgiving, and time, the wound is healed.  Thoughts are far removed from that dark time; it’s further away than a distant memory.  There is no longer pain, and speaking of it comes rather easily compared to when the hurt was an open, gaping hole.  It was the greatest hurt my heart endured.

This morning I wondered how I would respond if the offender would reappear in my life.  Would I be kind, caring, and hospitable; would I be able to show Christian love?  I believe that if the answer is anything other than a promptly spoken “yes” then true forgiveness has not yet occurred. 

A state of indifference is the lack of emotion.  No love, no hate.  Zero feeling.  Forgiveness means a clean slate.  Forgiveness allows love.  God is love. (1John4:7,8)  God requires forgiveness. (Mark 11:25) 

He is the source of my ability to forgive.  He alone makes it possible for me to promptly reply, “Yes, it is forgiven.”

The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Ps 34:18 NLT

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

Psalm 145:8 NLT

What's on My Mind 11 Apr 2010

Like others that I mentally criticize for doing to me, I am so guilty of putting too much emphasis on a person's appearance rather than on their heart. I am drawn to things and people whose appearance is pleasing, and to those whose personality is pleasing. It's easy to love "lovely" people. But what about the others? The "others" are the ones that Jesus, and perhaps only Jesus, loves. We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus loves the lepers, the beggars, the "woman at the well", the tax collectors, the poor, widows and orphans, the cripples, you, and me. If we imitate Jesus, we'll love them too. If we need help, He'll help us; we need only ask. He will grant us that request.

Bring light and love into the lives of those who know only darkness.

Matthew 22:37-40 (nlt)
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 (nlt)
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (nlt)
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

… say yes … say yes…

Let Him in

Accept salvation

Accept forgiveness

Accept eternal life

Say yes

Don’t delay

Say yes today

Experience love

Experience peace

Experience joy

Experience freedom

Say yes today

Don’t delay

Today might be your last day

Tonight could be the night

The urgency is real

Don’t spend another day aimlessly wandering around, or toiling in vain for things that don’t last

Don’t spend another night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because your burdens are too big and your anxiety too high; worried about things you have no control over.

Let Jesus into your heart. Make Him your Lord and Savior.

Give up all your cares and fears to God and trust Him for the outcome.

Come to the cross and lay it all down at Jesus’ feet.

Your worries

Your anxiety

Your addictions

Your fears

Your resentments

Hatred. Prejudice. Anger.

Let go of the worldly things that lead to death.

Surrender to God.

Let Him work within you; ask Him to change your heart.

Confess that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour.

Let Him in.

He’s knocking.

He’s waiting.

Why are you waiting; hesitating?

What’s holding you back? What are you afraid of?

What are you holding on to? Worldly things? Worthless things?

What won’t you let go of?

Wherever you are, just reach up to Him. He’ll meet you there.

His loving arms are extended out to embrace you, His dear child, just like a loving father holds his hands out to his child.

He loves you so much!

He doesn’t want to loose you!

He wants you with Him.

He wants to be with you.

He’s waiting.

Waiting for you.

Open your heart.

Say yes.

Let Him in.

Say yes.

… say yes… … say yes…

ADJUSTMENT

Dr. Charles Stanley devotional "Adjusting To The Lord's Plans"

Matthew 4:18-22 (New Living Translation)

The First Disciples

¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

²¹ A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. ²² They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

Jesus called to the two sets of brothers, Simon(Peter) and Andrew, and James and John, "Come, follow me"; immediately, they responded. They dropped what they were doing, leaving their boats, nets, and even dad, behind to follow in answer to Jesus' call. Jesus was a stranger to them, yet they felt the conviction to trust in Him and leaving everything behind, and go; not knowing where or what to expect.

Immediately, they responded to Jesus call. It took me over thirty years to answer, in earnest. Jesus was no stranger to me. My dad accepted Christ in his early teens and dedicated the rest of his life to serving God; he spent all our years together trying to get me to follow Christ, up until he could no longer speak. He started teaching us about Jesus when we were just babies. I can envision dad telling us about Jesus on the day we were born.

I praise God and thank Him for His mercy, that He still allows me to follow Jesus, even though it took me, what, 80% of my years, to finally commit and accept the invitation with my whole heart.

WELL, WOULDJA LOOK AT THAT !

Romans 5:1-2 [NIV]
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

He just didn’t get it. No matter how well I explained it, he refused to believe this could be possible. I said it this way and that way; I offered lots of examples; I tried my hardest at creating a visual impression; all my efforts were in vain. He simply would not believe that it was possible. Then, one day, he saw with his own eyes. Finally, he conceded and said, “Well, wouldja look at that!” It is so hard for some people to grasp a new idea. Only when they see with their own eyes do they believe something is possible.

The New Testament Gospels tell us about boat rides Jesus and his disciples made to travel from town to town. On one of those trips, they left him behind, so He had to walk. He took a short cut across the sea, and caught up to them within a couple hours. A strong gale made boat travel difficult for these experienced fishermen. Even from shore, Jesus could see how they struggled with the oars to make forward progress.

When they saw Him, they were startled--they thought He was a ghost. “But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”[MATTHEW 14:27 NLT] However, they were in doubt. Peter told Jesus to enable him to walk on the water with Him so he could be sure it was really Him, so Jesus called him to come. Peter got out of the boat and started walking. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he stayed above the water. As soon as his eyes and thoughts turned to the water, he sank. As Jesus reached out and pulled him up, Jesus asked Peter, “Why do you doubt me?” Together, they got into the boat. “When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.” [MATTHEW 14:32-33 NLT]. “Well, wouldja look at that!” By golly, I think they got it!

When Jesus and the disciples arrived at Gennesaret, word quickly got around that they were there. Crowds of people gathered around Him. Many brought their sick friends and relatives to Jesus for healing. Even though these people had never seen Jesus or heard Him speak, they believed in Him. They had so much faith in our Savior; they believed by simply touching His clothes, they would be healed. That speaks volumes!

I can’t help but wonder how Jesus must have felt. Considering everything He taught His disciples, all the miracles they witnessed—the healings, the feeding of thousands, the wine at the wedding, and so on—they still didn’t have the faith in Him like these folks that only heard of Him did, or the Centurion whose slave Jesus healed by speaking it to be. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a raging fever right there in the house with them. These guys just didn’t get it. Why? “Their hearts were too hard to take it in.” [MARK 6:52 NLT].

Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state. I guess this implies the natives prefer to see for themselves before they believe. Faith isn’t based on seeing. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” [HEBREWS 11:1 NLT]. Where does faith come from? “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” [ROMANS 10:17 NIV]. Those that only heard about Jesus believed in Him while those that witnessed His miracles were hesitant.

Thank you, Father, for giving me a new heart—one that desires to be obedient to you, one that desires to do what pleases you, and one that has faith in you and your son, Jesus. Amen.

Hebrews 11:6 [NIV]
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

James 5:15 [NIV]
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED

[Matthew 7:1-5] “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

Jesus pointed out that they who judge others unfairly would be judged themselves, in the same measure. It is foolish and hypocritical for us to criticize someone for a fault while remaining blind to our own considerable faults[1] . Plainly, we should expect to receive what we dish out. Jesus’ statement didn’t mean to dismiss or ignore bad behavior; His point was to loose the holier than thou attitude. He wants us to stop the practice of knocking people just to make ourselves feel superior. The contrast between the “speck in your friend’s eye” and “the log in your own eye” gives us an accurate visual. How can we possibly have clear vision? We don’t. Before we go looking for dust in our sister’s house, we better do some house cleaning at home first.

[Matthew 7:12] “So in everything, do to others what you would have them to do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets” [NIV]

Toward the beginning of The Sermon on the Mount, we read about meeting the requirements of the Law and the Prophets; here the Law and Prophets are mentioned again. A lot of His lessons up until this point pertain to this simple yet meaningful phrase we know as The Golden Rule. The message it delivers is that we should do for others what we’d want them to do for us. It sounds easy enough and is totally fair. It’s a tough act to follow, though. Who can be so caring and supporting 100% of the time? Who is so selfless that they always think of others before they think of themselves? Not me. Notice the second and third words: “in everything”. No further explanation is needed, eh?.

How quickly we jump to conclusions about others! Jesus tells us we have no right to judge others, only God does. He doesn’t suggest for us to turn a blind eye, rather, take a good, hard look at ourselves, and consider our motives and behavior before we pass judgment on others. We don’t have to apologize for mean things we don’t say. When we look at our peers through God’s loving eyes of pure, clear and wide vision instead of our own nearsighted critical eyes, we will see past their faults and catch glimpses of opportunities to glorify God. We will see how we can be forgiving and recognize how we can be helpful and respectful, in spite of different opinions.

We must treat each other the way God treats us: with love, generosity, patience, and forgiveness. When we apply the Golden Rule to our lives, in everything, we can refrain from jumping to the wrong conclusions, differentiate between good and bad, and show respect for everyone, even those we disagree with. [2]

Footnotes:
[1] NIV Study Bible; note on Luke 6:41

[2] Adult Student Book, by David C. Cook, Dec 2008 – Feb 2009; pgs. 33-39

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS WITH THE "ARMY"

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas celebration and that each had a moment or two to reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas—the celebration of the birth of Jesus. “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” [ISAIAH 9:6 NLT]
My Christmas wish to all may be a bit late, but sincere nonetheless—May God’s light always shine brightly on you and yours. (Thanks, Joe, for that phrase.)

The past few weeks have been a blessing and a learning experience. The Lord selected me to fill an opening in the office at the Salvation Army in my town. What an honor! There are so many people looking for work and Praise God, He selected me! Wow! I am so thankful for the privilege of serving Him in this way.

My “job” started at the peak of the Christmas season. The annual toy drive was drawing to a close. The parcels were at the participating vendors awaiting pick-up. After days of fetching then sorting toys by boys/girls and age, bags were filled according to the applicants’ children’s ages, gender, and special needs, if any. On Thursday and Friday (18th & 19th), the toys, food boxes, and turkeys were distributed.

Since this was the first Christmas under the command of the new officers and the program was different from the previous years, we expected to make a few mistakes here and there. Through participation, I wanted to capture the Christmas spirit and be joyous. I wanted to see happy parents with gifts for their children, some who might otherwise not had anything to wrap and place under the tree. I expected frazzled co-workers and volunteers; everyone worked so hard in order to prepare for these two hectic days.

What I really hoped for was the spirit of thankfulness and giving of the heart. I’m sure there were many grateful parents amongst the crowd. However, we only heard from the unhappy ones. The complaints and disappointment rang louder than the quietly mumbled “thanks” offered as people left with loaded car-trunks and pull carts. The atmosphere of entitlement was heavy. Yes, the program was not like previous years. Yes, it didn’t run like clockwork. What saddened me the most was the lack of support and respect for the new officers. (In my opinion) it wasn’t right that the officers were talked down the way they were. A sense of order must be established when dealing with such a large volume of people. Rules are set forth for a reason: to maintain order and control—and they must be adhered to. Each person must be treated equally and fairly. Although a day was set aside to make exchanges/returns for mistakes and/or inappropriate choices, some exceptions were allowed and corrections were made immediately. Regardless, the officer in charge was accused of being cold, uncaring, and insensitive. That is so unfair and inaccurate. The officers made a lifetime commitment of service to God and to others. As in the armed forces, the rank of Major comes only after many years of exemplary performance. The officer enforced the rules; others took offense. If exceptions had been made to everyone, it would have been mayhem.

I’ve learned this: We can’t help each and every person who comes in for assistance. It is just not possible. However, we do a lot for many. The charity work this Church does makes a huge difference in the lives of the recipients. We cannot be successful if we have no unity. We cannot be successful if we have no respect our leaders. We cannot maintain a joyful spirit if we have no love for one another. If underlying resentments govern our feelings and the lack of forgiveness exists, we will not effectively serve our community, the ministry will fall apart, and the evil one will be victorious. That thought makes me very sad.

Please join me in prayer and let’s go to the Lord and ask for unity within our group, to share the Love of Jesus Christ with each other as He commands us to, and spread it to all whom we serve; and that the true meaning of Christmas--the birth of our Lord and Savior--is celebrated every day of the year.

Scriptures:

Matthew 20:28: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 15:9,12: [9] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. [12] This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

Ephesians 4:1-6 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others' faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Post Poles

Cheers,
joyous shouts
proclaiming victory
out loud
from the voters
for their winning candidate.

Jeers,
words of hate
from those opposing;
condemning and disparaging
instead of accepting and respecting,
their new president.

Being part of the history made yesterday,
many fear what tomorrow will bring.
Can this land stand united,
or will it go further to waste?

Let us be dignified, unified,
and together as one,
restore our great nation
from division and discrimination.

Let us continue
what our forefathers have begun:
build-up our land of liberty
our land of freedom
our land of justice,
into a land of prosperity
for everyone, not just for some.

United we must stand
faithfully giving our leaders
support and respect
lifting them up in prayer,
integrity and honor to project.

Our stars and stripes
we proudly display.
Yesterday, tomorrow, forever.
Only if together can we stay
the greatest country ever born
the greatest nation in the world
America the beautiful
the good ol’ U.S.A.

Scriptures

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land

Un-hardened Heart

heart didn’t want to feel that way.
everyday, still say,
“love you”.
heart didn’t feel right anymore,
no longer warm, the way it used to.
heart turned cold.
now that love is old,
no longer new,
heart doesn’t spark
like it used to.

words like “you, I hate”
at night, when it was late,
would hear the other say.
when full, go to bed.
hurtful things said
so much
heart-skin grew tough.
every night,
closed eyes, closed ears.
no tears after so many years.

oh what joy! Jesus filled heart with love
Father in heaven above
said, “all sins are forgiven”.
heart had to forgive
in order to freely live.
heart surrendered to the Lord.
saturated with the word.
a new creation.
the old, gone.
heart sings a new song.

even so, cloud still covered the sun.
“Father, can this battle ever be won?”
it’s an illness,
a disease.
“get some help, please”.
heart still loves him
not on a whim
betrothed.
with cloud over them they married.
that burden both carried.
suffered together, raging storms weathered.
calm seas sailed on happy days.
the Lord said “do not part, don’t go separate ways.”

“Lord, heart needs to feel something
inside, deep within.
not cold, numb, emptiness.”
for them, heart did pray,
every night. every day.
Father spoke;
heart felt a poke.
“remove that plank from your own eye.
stop pointing out faults, for shame,
not long ago, your indulgence was the same.”

“when one cheek feels the burn
give the other, sideways turn.
it’s at these times you must love the most”
battles fight, the lord said he will;
keep quiet and be still.
one short phrase
uttered on a dark rainy day
“un-harden this heart, Father.”
a cold stone,
revived love once known.

praise God for un-hardened heart.
praise the Lord! gone, the rough part.
faith so strong, so real.
every worry, every care,
given up, for him to bear.
God un-hardened heart.
His spirit never to depart.
filled with his love,
His light to shine
in heart, for all time.