Heaven Calling

Here are a few excerpts from my work in progress, Heaven Calling. It will be a daily devotional. I'd love your input.

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).

There are times in your Christian walk that you will stand alone, but you will not be abandoned. Others may desert you, evil may pursue you, men oppress you and darkness may engulf you, yet I will stand by you. Call out to Me and you will feel the brush of my garment passing by. Run to Me and you will feel My embrace. Trust in Me and I will be your refuge. Though all else fail you, I will be your strong tower. I will encompass you with My peace and joy. Lean on Me, for my stone walls are steadfast. They will not collapse or crumble.

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5).

When humanity leans on themselves and relies not on Me, they become self-centered. This leads to a rebellious and autonomous spirit, which promotes self. The world can be a cruel and harsh place with self on the throne. This should not be the way of My followers who yield to the Holy Spirit. Their gentle spirit demonstrates that I am on the throne of their life. Do not mistake this for timidity. A gentle, kind spirit is a powerful force. It can break the yokes of poverty, hatred, cruelty, ignorance and injustice. Show forth the spirit of gentleness and someday you will rule and reign with Me in heavenly places.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matt 19:26.

Never look on someone and say, “It is impossible for that person to be saved.” You look at appearances, on the outside; I look inward into the heart. I know how to reach down into the soul of man and till the sod of their hardened hearts. I know how to strip them of their pomp and their splendor and expose their pride. I know how to lift those stuck in a deep pit. I know who will and will not respond to Me. I can save whom I want to save. This is the impossibility I speak about to you. I will accomplish My will, and I offer you a part in My glorious plan of redemption. Now go and sow the seeds of faith wherever our foot treads and “believe all things are possible.”

What God Wants

I recently heard a very good teaching about an issue that had confused me. For years I wondered why God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. Was it because Abel offered sheep and Cain only plants? I don’t think God didn’t like His vegetables, but all kidding aside, I think that has very little to do with it. Pastor Lloyd Pulley on The Bridge Radio station recently shed some light on the subject. Mr. Pulley stated that he believed that Cain offered God what he (Cain) wanted to give rather than what God wanted, while Abel offered what God wanted. Therefore, Cain represented man doing religion his way and Abel doing it God’s way. He went on to explain that many religions today are empty because they follow man’s ways and traditions as opposed to a real relationship with God. Being of a similar belief that a relationship with God is central, this got me thinking—what does the average person think God wants? I think a lot of people would probably cite the Ten Commandments and many others the Golden Rule, but I thought immediately of the verse in Deuteronomy 10:12. "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (NASB). I believe this encompasses much of what wants, but it’s very open ended: for example, walking in His ways. You can’t know all the ways of a person unless you know them. The same for God. Of course God’s Word, The Bible, shows us His ways, but the law is filled with a lot of practices we no longer need to continue because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, like sacrificing animals. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, and He ended the need for continual sacrifice. So how do we know how to walk in God’s ways? The verse above gives us a clue. First we need to fear Him, not be afraid, but reverence Him; something our culture is NOT —reverent. Reverence for someone entails a healthy respect and a dash of awe. All I need to do is look at a sunset or study a flower and I’m in awe of God. My reverence is born out of my relationship with Him as I see how amazing He is, the depth of His mercy and grace along with His incomparable love. His love for me deepens my love for Him. But there’s another aspect to love—obedience. If I truly love Him, I will obey Him. Obey what? His commands. Yes, but Jesus went beyond the Ten Commandments to the Golden Rule of loving God with all your heart, soul and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. That’s a tall order, but if the Spirit of God is living in you, He will give you the ability to do what God wants and go beyond our human abilities. Then there’s turning the other cheek. How can we obey that mandate when some jerk cuts us off? Oops, I mean fellow commuter. Anyway, only a deep relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit can help us love our fellow man or woman to the extent God wants. Forgiving and caring for our neighbor is also a big part of this tall order that the Spirit can help us fulfill. Just think about how many times a day Jesus suggest we forgive another 70 times 7. I believe that doesn’t literally mean 490 times, but it’s a calculation that would have been considered unattainable or limitless. Marriage is a good one for exercising this privilege of forgiving. It’s a privilege because it shows us how much God forgave us, and it’s what He wants us to do for others. It also demonstrates our gratitude for how much God forgave us. So it’s not hard to see that doing religion God’s way requires that we have an abiding relationship with Him. When you know and respect God, you will want to please Him. That’s doing religion the way God wants instead of our own way. At that’s what I want to be Able to do. Now I understand why Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t acceptable; it was half-hearted, not the best or the first,but the last like leftovers. And God wants our all, our very best.

More Than Just a Faux Pax

Everything was coming together nicely for redecorating our livingroom. Last year we had a beautiful bay window installed, which opened up the room. This year we were getting new doors and carpeting along with the ceiling and trim painted. I had chosen a warm ginger color that I thought would match the rug according to the sample I had. The old rug was ripped out, and the trim was painted.

The new rug arrived the next day and was installed, but to my chagrin it had more of a pink tinge then the sample, and clashed with the ginger colored trim! I thought I had matched it well,and brought the sample chip home, but it looked different with the whole carpet and changing light from the window.

As I was lamenting my mistake--a true faux pax for an art teacher, I realized I should have brought the actual sample in to match it. But even that didn't truly portray the real color of the rug once installed. Then it hit me. The Holy Spirit sent me a real zinger as we call them in our women's group. I was like the rug sample!

I sometimes clash with the values and hues of Jesus, caught up in my own little world. I might look like Jesus in small doses, like the sample, but once I'm exposed to the light--it's a different story. I don't harmonize with Jesus outside of church as much as I do inside. Ouch! That hurts.

I'm not patient with the snippy receptionist or the installers who scraped my newly painted baseboards or the police officer who stopped me for speeding. Do I show them the love and compassion of Jesus? Not always.

Am I an imitator of Christ 24/7 or just when I choose? Of course, Jesus was perfect, and I am not, but am I progressing towards the mark, looking more like Jesus everyday? I hope so, but not always. This incident showed me that I continually need to evaluate myself in the light of Jesus. And
the next time I need to match a color, I'm taking my artistic daughter along!