CHOSEN

 

Happy Monday!

Here we are – a little less than three weeks to Christmas …

I love this time of year!

It reminds me of wonder-filled act of love that God extended toward us all

 

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever should believe in Him would not perish but have life everlasting’ John 3:16

 

When God plans – He know the end from the beginning.

 

Christ was chosen from the beginning of time – a perfect sacrifice and intercessor for us all

 

But He was not the only One chosen

The LORD has also chosen us

 

‘Before I formed you in your mother's womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.’ Jeremiah 1:5 NET

 

‘I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’ Isaiah 48:10 KJV

 

‘For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’ Deuteronomy 14:2 ESV

I had a conversation with one of my sons recently regarding the upcoming Hanukkah celebration and we also talked about the Jewish people being God’s chosen people. And my son said something that has stuck with me for several days. He noted the tremendous challenges the Jewish people have endured’ over time – persecution, the holocaust, even their enslavement in Egypt in the Old Testament. And my son said, ‘… and still they love God and says He is the LORD their God … no wonder they are God’s chosen people”

 

However – the truth is – He does not love us because we love Him

He loved us – and continues to love us – even when loving Him was/is not a thought in our minds

In fact – we love Him only because He first loved us [I John 4:19]

We choose Him because He chose us

And even when we do not choose Him – He loves and chooses us still

 

It is an amazing love!

And, the beautiful thing is that we are all His CHOSEN people in CHRIST

 

‘For He chose us in Him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.’ Ephesians 1:4 NIV

 

‘But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ I Peter 2:9 ESV

 

‘Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of His sacrifice, acting as our priest before God.’

Hebrews 10:20 MSG

 

As we reflect on the personal and individuals challenges that we might each be experiencing, as we think about the challenges all have faced throughout 2020 – I hope, through it all, we would still choose Him.

 

He never promised this life would be easy

But He did promise that He would be with us – EMMANUEL, God With Us

 

He chose us because He loves us –

But make no mistake – He loves it when we choose Him too

 

Have a Blessed Day!

LOVE INEXPLICABLE ...

Hi Friends

I pray you have had a blessed week thus far

It has been a little while since I’ve written … so much going on

I have actually had this post in my mind for several days - as I think about the situations currently occurring and those that have transpired over the past few years

THIS HAS BEEN A TIME OF GREAT LEARNING …

THIS HAS BEEN A TIME OF GREAT HUMBLING …

THIS HAS BEEN A TIME OF GREAT GROWTH ...

And, in the midst of it all –

I keep receiving regular reminders of the fragility of human life

I am becoming increasingly & keenly aware of how quickly things can change – in an instant

I am identifying more and more the things which truly matter to me

Earlier this year, I spent quite a bit of time on the subject of LOVE

It was appropriate as those series of posts occurred around Valentine’s Day

HOWEVER –

This love thing is so much bigger than a day on a calendar

It is so much bigger than a season or time of year

EVERYTHING in this world [and beyond this world] hinges on LOVE

The presence of it … or the absence of it

Every genuine act of compassion … the presence of love

Every hate-filled rant, every despicable act of violence … a result of a lack of love

I was on a site earlier which asked its readers to define love in five words

If I had to sum it up in five words – this thing called LOVE – it would be this:

LOVE FOR GOD, SELF & OTHERS

All three loves are important

• ·       It is impossible to love others as yourself … if you do not first love yourself
• ·       It is impossible to love yourself without first receiving the love of God and being in a love relationship with Him
• ·       It is impossible to live this life in any sort of meaningful way without the love of GOD

    There is a spot in each one of us that only He can fill.

There have been countless situations which have tried to steal all of these things from me –

LOVE FOR GOD, SELF & OTHERS

Yet, I will not surrender them so easily

AMAZING LOVE ...

I love my children – and I cannot imagine any situation which would ever change that

Yet – it is that type of love which I see developing in my heart for others

It is being formed and fashioned through experiences that I will not go into detail discussing

It is mind-blowing and it has me thinking a great deal about the love Jesus has for us

The love which kept Him moving toward the cross … for me … and for you

• I imagine – for those guards who were close enough to hear Jesus mutter the words, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)’ – I imagine they thought to themselves, ‘Fool!’
• As He looked through blood-caked eyes toward the criminal that hung on a cross beside Him, and as He offered the assurance, ‘Today you will be with Me in paradise (Luke 23:33-43)’ … I imagine that other criminal hanging on the other cross to the other side thought, ‘Idiot!’

Yet, none of that deterred Jesus in His love for those individuals and for all of humanity.

I believe He also does not desire for us to be deterred when it comes to love

I LOVE THE LORD

I do not love Him perfectly, but I do love Him sincerely and I will never apologize for it

I LOVE MYSELF

I have not always loved myself, but I have reached a point where I love me dearly

I will not apologize for that either

I LOVE OTHERS

And again, it may not be perfect. Indeed, many might call it foolish

However, I can see an earnest love developing deep within my heart … a love for people

A LOVE INEXPLICABLE …

Praying You Have Blessed Evening 

MARCH 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today is a day of great celebration for many – a day of national pride for many Irish. However, that is not the primary or traditional reason St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in my family.

Today – MARCH 17 – is my Nana’s birthday! And although she passed away when I was 10, I love her every bit as much today as I did then.

When I was growing up in Boston, MA … March 17^th was a local holiday

My mom use to tell me we had the day off from school because we were celebrating my Nana’s birthday. And I remember thinking, ‘My Nana must be something pretty special for them to shut down the whole city.’ I think I was in third grade  before I found out the truth. 

I guess technically my Mom was not lying – that is why she celebrated March 17^th.  However, she also – as a tradition – incorporated some very Irish traditions: We always had corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. It is what we are having for dinner in my house tonight. And, I also have some Irish Soda Bread. Yum!

Not all traditions are bad. However, the true message of St. Patrick’s Day often gets lost in all those traditions. It is frequently overlooked the fact that St. Patrick was taken to Ireland as a slave and eventually played a substantial role in carrying the gospel to the Irish people.  A slave turned missionary  … that is noteworthy.

Interestingly enough, this aspect of St. Patrick’s Day is more aligned with the celebration of my Nana’s birth and life. She was an amazing woman of God! She loved her husband. They were married over 50 years and did not separate until she went home to heaven. She loved her children, she consistently provided for her family, always extended a helping hand to neighbors and established a firm foundation of faith for her family and grandchildren. This legacy of faith has continued – the roots which she established continue to grow, bearing fruit in the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren to this day.

A LEGACY OF FAITH –

Faith in the One True and Living God,

Facilitated by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ,

And empowered by the Holy Spirit;

That is something to celebrate!

Therefore, in the tradition of honoring my grandmother and honoring the memory of St. Patrick, I leave you with this:

A Prayer For You ...

 Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

LOVE: IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

Hi There Friends!

I pray you have had a fantastic week!

It is hard to believe we have reached the end of February already

And with that end comes the close of our focus on LOVE

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series!

With all we have discussed about LOVE,

I know no better place to end than with this powerful reminder:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” I Cor. 13:4-7

I also love the way the Message Version defines LOVE:

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “Me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies

When you meditate on the definition of love and apply it to every relationship;

You will be absolutely amazed at the result!

Love for God, Love for Self, Love for Others –

There is nothing like the power of TRUE LOVE

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

Wishing You Much Love …

LOVE: IT IS NOT LIKE ...

Hi Friends!

Only two more days until Valentine’s Day!!!

Can you tell I am just a bit excited?

I love this time of year!

Actually, I love loving on people all the time – any excuse to get creative and do something nice: Buy a gift, cook a meal, bake a cake … you name … I’m all in!

AND, NOW – we continue our discussion on LOVE

YESTERDAY – we talked about how LOVE IS NOT LIKE LUST … AND LUST IS NOT LOVE

TODAY, we will be focusing on the second area of what love is not like –

SO – where do we begin in evaluating what love is not like?

WE START AND END RIGHT HERE … LOVE IS NOT ‘LIKE’

This is important because many people confuse ‘like’ with love

And others think that love is dependent upon ‘like’

So, let’s get the confusion part out of the way first since it is easiest to tackle

If someone says, ‘I like you’ – it is a pretty safe bet to take that at face value

The have communicated they like you – AND THAT IS ALL

If they have not even communicated that … be realistic!

When someone says ‘I love you’ – however – this is a different situation

It can often be taken more serious than ‘I like you’ –

However, there should still be some corresponding action

After all, some people will say anything:

To avoid hurting your feelings, to make you feel good or to get what they want

NOW – I am not one for playing games

I don’t play them with people and my expectation is that they not be played with me

Generally speaking – I say what I mean and I mean what I say

I do not believe in playing cat & mouse, hiding & chasing games.

THAT BEING SAID HOWEVER –

I still hold onto something my pastor has shared in the past: ‘The proof is in the pursuit’

UNDERSTAND THIS –

WHAT WE WANT – WE GO AFTER – WE PURSUE IT

When we want to spend time with someone;

Even if we cannot find an extra minute in our day under normal circumstances;

We will ‘find’ time to be with that individual.

Things and relationships which are a priority to us get prioritized in our lives

If we ‘like’ someone – we might not put forth the additional effort

But if we ‘love’ someone – we are like me with Valentine’s Day – WE ARE ALL IN!

We make a conscious decision and are intentional in ensuring 'talk' with a 'credible walk’

So, ‘LOVE is LOVE’ and ‘LIKE is LIKE’ and we must not get the two confused

This brings us to the second half of our discussion on ‘LOVE IS NOT LIKE…’

AND THIS IS IT ... LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON ‘LIKE’

I always found it so sweet when I would listen to my pastor talk about how he would get off work and then drive many miles just to spend a short time with the beautiful woman who is now his wife. His story of pursuit was not a situation based upon game-playing; it was a story of commitment and determination. He may not have ‘liked’ the tiredness, the long drive or the distance between them. But he ‘loved’ her and that took precedence. I believe he understood what I am hoping to convey today.

LOVE IS NOT LIKE and LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON ‘LIKE’

Once you are in a committed relationship [marriage or serious dating] –

It is important to understand that love is not like and it is not dependent upon it

We talked about love yesterday and how love is a choice and a resolve.

This is important because there will not always be romantic feelings

And during these times, it will be necessary to rely upon the unconditional & intentional aspect of love

Love is mature when ‘like’ does not get its way and wants to behave childishly

Love says ‘I’m sorry’ even when it feels it was wronged; 

     when it does not like how it was treated

Love stays when ‘like’ walks out the door.

Love gives even when ‘like’ has faded because it feels the other person is selfish

I may not ‘like’ what someone says or does but that does not determine my ‘love’ for them

I can ‘not like’ you [at the moment] and still ‘love’ you [with a lasting love]

LOVE IS NOT LIKE and LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON ‘LIKE’

The problem arises when LIKE is made to be equal with LOVE

This is when people start making decisions which have far-reaching consequences

·       I do not like my spouse [today]; therefore, I no longer have to honor the [everyday] love commitment that I made?

·       I do not like the way my mate looks; so I can allow my eyes to wander?

Absolutely Not – 

Love honors even when it does not like; ‘love’ stays focused when ‘like’ is waning or fleeting

In my book, When Storms Rage, when discussing the need to Count the Costs,

I discuss how Jesus set the perfect example for us;

     ‘for the joy set before Him, Christ endured the cross’ Hebrews 12:2

He possessed a ‘complete and proper perspective which enabled Him to endure…’

The love Jesus had for God and for humanity [for us] overrode the dislike of His situation

Yes – that is an extreme example. 

     Generally speaking, no one  is being asked to lay down their life.

But – you might be required to lay down your pride; 

     Which can be harder [for many of us] than dying.

LOVE IS GREATER THAN LIKE

So, never allow ‘like’ [or dislike] to stand in the way of how you respond in ‘love’

And, never forget LOVE IS NOT LIKE – AND LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON ‘LIKE’

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

Wishing You Much Love …

LOVE: IT IS NOT ...

Good Evening

I pray your week is off to a great start.

Only three more days until Valentine’s Day!!!

TODAY – we continue our discussion on LOVE;

However, we will not be focusing on the types of love and what love is;

We will be looking at what love is not

This segment in our journey is important. However, I feel I might lose a few of you.

I have struggled with whether to share this post but I must be transparent with my own failures.

Failure does not negate truth.

It may impact whether that truth is received by others – but it does not negate truth

Failure is not final. It can be utilized to create success in the lives of others

While you should learn from your own mistakes; you are miles ahead if you can learn from the mistakes of others

WITH THAT SAID – HERE IT GOES

Today is important because we will be focusing on the first of two areas I would like us to take a look at what love is not:

·         LOVE IS NOT ‘LUST’

·         LOVE IS NOT ‘LIKE’

LUST - 

We will begin with lust and follow up with like tomorrow.

LOVE IS NOT LUST & LUST IS NOT LOVE

The Cambridge dictionary defines lust as:

1. a very strong sexual desire: 2. a very powerful feeling of wanting something: 3. strong desire:

And one can lust for many things – for power, for influence, for finances.

However, for the sake of our discussion today, we will focus on the ‘very strong sexual desire’ definition. Lust is a strong desire to satisfy a fleshly hunger.

So, why is it important to understand that LOVE IS NOT LUST.

It is important because lust often gets confused with love. It is also important because it can fast-track a relationship when things should be moving  at a slower pace. And it is not just what you do physically, but what you fantasize about and what you speak about. Scripture notes that if you think lustfully, you have already committed adultery in your heart [Mt. 5:28]

I shared previously that I have not been on the dating or relationship scene for seventeen years. However – that does not mean that there has not been failure in this area. I have had conversations which would make some married people blush – conversations I am not proud of and which required me to turn [to repent] and to get back in the presence of God to get my priorities straight. I do not share this because it is comfortable or because it is anything to boast about. I share it in order to, prayerfully, help someone else avoid the same missteps and to help people understand that this is what can happen when proper boundaries are not maintained; when established boundaries are not tended to.

Is passionate conversation wrong?

No – not in and of it itself and within proper context.

The problem is when it is taken out of context and timing and rushed.

The Song of Solomon warns against arousing and awaking love [sexual desire] before it is time. [v 8:4] The Message Version of that same verse says: ‘Do not excite love, do not stir it up, until the time is ripe – and you are ready’.

‘All things should be done decent and in order’ [I Cor. 14:40].

Yet, this is not always the case, especially when lust – instead of love – is the focus.

I have been in my current home for three years – however, I still call it my ‘new house’. And, of all the things I love about my home, one the items at the top of that list has to be the fireplace. In my old house, we had a wood burning fireplace and – most likely because I lacked the discipline to get the chimney swept regularly – I probably only used twice in the fourteen years that I lived there. However, my ‘new house’ – with its three stories – is a different story. I love my fireplace and use it often. And, because it is a gas fireplace, all I have to do is hit the switch on the wall and … FIRE!!!

It is beautiful! It creates a relaxing atmosphere, it provides warmth and it is pleasant to look at. The fire and flames are mesmerizing and they make for an absolutely wonderful experience … because they are properly contained within my fireplace behind a glass enclosure.

However – if you take that same fire and place it in the center of my living room – it becomes a destructive force with the potential to harm me, to compromise the safety of my loved ones, to destroy everything I have worked to achieve and potentially impact my future as well – all because the fire was taken out of its proper setting [the fireplace].

THIS IS HOW IT IS WITH LUST

There is nothing wrong with fire – with passion [and dare I say eroticism] – in its proper context; in its proper setting  which is a committed marriage relationship between husband and wife where each is respectful of the other. Anything outside of this, however, is like that fire if it were to be placed in the center of my living room. It is foolish, dangerous, destructive and has long-lasting consequences.

I remember one of the last Christmases that I spent in Boston, MA where I grew up. It was Christmas evening and the smell from the fireplace suddenly seemed especially strong. It was because there was more burning than the logs in the hearth. My brother’s room was on fire – his cat had knocked over a candle he left burning. We were all safe and the firefighters were able to contain that damage to his room and part of the attic space near his room. However, over a year later, you could still see traces of smoke damage from the fire. And I do not believe the cat ever got rid of the dark gray color that the smoke gave him. All because of one moment of carelessness.

Likewise – a fire of passion – ignited in the wrong context and allowed to burn recklessly is simply not wise. AND IT IS NOT LOVE.

It has far-reaching and damaging effects and should be avoided by all - single and married.

Remember – you do not have to make all your own mistakes; you can learn from the mistakes of others.

LOVE IS NOT LUST – AND – LUST IS NOT LOVE

It is not love toward the other person and it is not love toward self.

‘Do you not know that he who sins sexually sins against his own body?’ [I Cor. 6:18]

And, even if there is no physical contact – there can still be the establishment of unhealthy  emotional ties and debilitating strongholds in the life of the individual – areas where guilt and shame take control, where purpose is tainted and potential is thwarted; where reputations can be destroyed, hearts broken and dreams shattered

Remember that David’s sin began with a glance. In actuality, his sin began the day he decided to neglect his boundaries and borders. ‘At the time when kings go off to war’ [II Sam. 11:1] – David was AT HOME; somewhere he should not have been, with idle time on his hands, lounging on his rooftop and clearly without accountability to himself, his wife [wives] or anyone else.

Our executive pastor shared in his sermon yesterday, “My devotion determines the direction and destiny of my life.” So I ask, ‘What will you be devoted to? Lust or Love? The desires of the flesh or the purposes of God?

I share this not to bring condemnation upon anyone or to act like I have lived the perfect life. These are questions I had to ask when I saw myself veering off course. I share this to demonstrate how easy it is to get off track. It is also my hope that something shared here will help introduce freedom into the life of one in our reading community by sharing what not to do. If you are in a romantic relationship, hopefully what has been shared will provide some pointers to help secure the borders & boundaries. If you are still seeking a romantic relationship, perhaps something here [some added perspective] will help with avoiding dangerous pitfalls and confusing lust with love.

Even if you began in lust, you can still turn and finish in love.

If you are currently in a relationship which you thought was love – and are realizing it is actually rooted in lust, lacking boundaries, out its proper context and devoid of its God intended purpose – YOU CAN TURN

The enemy may not want you to forget; the world may not ever forgive;

BUT THE LORD – He says that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old is passed away, behold all things are new [II Cor. 5:17]

His mercies are new every morning.

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

Wishing You Much Love …

a true reward

So yesterday I looked at a short verse concerning a man named Cornelius who was a devout individual committed to prayer, to serving and furthering the purposes of the kingdom of God. He was faithful in well-doing and the LORD heard his prayers and saw his actions.

Cornelius understood the importance of not losing strength in one's committment to do what is pleasing in God's eyes. Likewise, there is a need for us to not grow weary in well doing and a greater need of understanding that the true reward for doing well is not necessarily so that we will reap a physical reward (although we do at times), but that He is our reward.

The Amplified version of John 14:21 reads:
'The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]' 

Jesus lets us know in this verse that the true reward for loving Him and following His commands is the love of the Father and intimate revelation of who Jesus is.

As we look at the life of Cornelius, we see this action:

• Cornelius receives a message that his faithful living has come up as a memorial before the LORD (Acts 10:4)
• Interestingly, his reward for doing well is not riches or fame. The LORD extends an invitation to Cornelius for him to keep on working by partnering with God and sending for Peter (Acts 10:5-6)
• Peter shares truth and revelation with Cornelius and those assembled in his home (Acts 10:25-43)
• The LORD pours out His Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 10:44)

As a reward for his faithfulness, Cornelius was privileged with additional opportunities to co-labor with the LORD. He learned more truth and experienced the outpouring and power of the Holy Spirit. Now that is a true reward!

'...God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.' Acts 10:34-35

doing well ...

"Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before the LORD" Acts 10:4  

In this passage, Cornelius has been visited by an angel of the LORD who has come to let him know that God has heard and seen ...        

He heard the prayers of Cornelius and He made record of the service of Cornelius to His kingdom purposes - ministering to those in need and demonstrating the love of God in the earth.       

He is a seeing and hearing God ...    
When the enemy screams in your ears and it appears that all is for naught, there still exists a God in heaven, the one true and living God Almighty, who sees and hears everything!        

Often times it is quoted, 'Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.' Galatians 6:9   

However, I like the verse in II Thessalonians 3:13 which simply states, "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good." [PERIOD] 

He does not admonish the brethren to persevere because of some reward that they will receive. He simply commands that they not grow weary in doing well. Neither the challenge nor the remedy have changed in over two-thousand years.

'Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.' Col. 3:17

'The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]' John 14:21AMP

Have confidence that God sees and hears and let that be reward enough, knowing that you have pleased the heart of the Father by doing what is acceptable in His eyes and in His estimation.      

I have to remind myself of this truth from time to time (as recently as this past week).    

We serve an awesome and faithful God who deserves all honor and glory. And we can confidently place our trust in Him and in His principles. 

Have A Blessed Day!