Redemption Covenant

This plan of redemption, this great mystery is the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus that covers us with the blood of the perfect sacrifice to be seen as pure in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.  We have been redeemed from all our past, present and future wrong doings.   Bible says, "Once and for all."

Here's how it works:  

We do our best to live according to Jesus example and don't worry about anything else.  We are pure in the sight of God.  We do not have to work for our salvation; God gave it to us through Jesus.  When God the  Father, looks at us He only sees righteous beings.  He cannot see past Jesus pure blood of His son that covers us.

The blood sacrifice was installed when God killed animals to clothe Adam & Eve after they sinned.  Then, God was angry with Cain because he gave an offering of vegetables from the ground that God had cursed.  Abel followed what he was taught and gave a blood offering.  Nothing is cleansed without blood.  We don't need animals because we are redeemed to God by Jesus blood.

We don't have to stop and repent of every wrong thought throughout our day.  Recognize you did did it and know you have been forgiven - 2,000 years ago.  It is done for us for all time.  Jesus cannot crawl back up on the cross to be another sacrifice every time someone sins.   The plan is magnificent in it's simplicity! ! !  What a clever God we have.  What a loving Jesus.

We are the righteousness of God through what Jesus has sacrificed.  God is righteous because of His loving grace to us.  We are righteous in His sight.

As God's perfect law, the 10 Commands make a great guide line.  Just don't expect to keep them or judge yourself when you fail.  You do not have to follow the letter of the law for your salvation.   You cannot get into  heaven on your own efforts.  YOU NEED THE BLOOD OF JESUS.  He already shed it.  You are going.  You have your ticket.  Stop trying to make your salvation all about you.  It's all about Jesus.  Only He is perfect enough to atone for us.  

Believe.  Faith.  Love God above all else and love your neighbor as much as yourself.      -      Easy- peasy!

God made it easy for us because man failed time after time.  God knew we could not save ourselves.  Accept it.  Be free.  Claim Jesus.  The great "I Am".
Amen

Merry Christ Mass

What does Christmas mean to you?  Does it mean hurry to get the lights up right after Thanksgiving to out do your neighbor?  Making a list and rushing around to spend money and fill that list?  Does it mean arguing over where to spend the holiday?  Is it rushing for a flight?  Is Christmas debt, stress and a lot of effort that goes unappreciated?  I have heard the statistics for the amount of debt this time of year.  It takes some people all year to pay off Christmas - at least.  There is no evidence in the Bible of Christ (or anyone else) every celebrating His birth.  This is something that man has created and, look what we have done to it.  God, who knows all from the beginning said through the prophet in Amos 5:21-23 what He thinks of man made holidays.  (Amos was a prophet and spoke of end times.  What are we living in now?  He was also speaking to the Israelites.  Through Christ, all have been given the promises of Abraham.  This warning is for all of us.)

When I was a kid, it was explained to me that "Christmas" means. "A Mass for Christ".  A mass means to "assemble", "mobilize" or "rally".  Is this what we do at Christmas today?  How does Santa Clause, pine trees, bills, elves, arguing, crime and gastric distress relate to a mobilization for Christ? 

I have always taken issue with all the donating this time of year.  On top of the pressure to "out do" last year with feasting and giving, we have every organization in the country advertising their need for assistance.  Great organizations that do a lot of good and help a lot of people/children.  My thought:  why don't we spread out our giving more throughout the year.  People have need all year.  If we did that, it wouldn't all "come due" when we can afford it the least.

Before you try to stone me, let me ask a few questions; just as food for thought:  Do you argue with family this time of year?  How could that be remedied?  Are you stressed and spending money you can't spare?  How would you really like to spend the season?  Are you tired of seeing your children disappointed and sulking because they did not get that item you just could not fit in the budget, or the store ran out of?  What could you do better to teach your children the true meaning of this time of the year - giving?  What do you think Jesus thinks of how we honor His birth?

Christmas has become such a huge tradition in this country and many people get caught up in getting as the reason for giving.  I know what a daring opinion I have.  (When I speak my mind on the subject, I feel people looking around for stones they can hurl at me.)  Why?  "Oh, You can't disappoint the children !"  I want to know, what is wrong with teaching truth to our children?  The Bible speaks of truth setting us free.  How much do you think this man made holiday would change if we spoke truth and got rid of the commercialism?  Take a look at Colo. 2:8.  Aren't we called to be Christian soldiers? ?

Bottom line:  It comes down to personal decision for each of us.  I don't mean to TELL anyone what to do; just presenting some food for thought.

Here's an Idea:  Just one year, don't give any gifts and see how that works out for you - just one year.  Just one year, remove everything commercial from your celebration.

We just might have a quieter, less stressful and more fulfilling Mass for Christ.
Amen

Conversation

If you have been reading my blogs, you know I am big on saying grace over a meal in public places.  It is one way of shining our light, as Christians, to the world and letting everyone know we are here and follow the teachings of Jesus.

Just this week, I joined in a group of Christian women, from the local church I attend, to have a luncheon in a nice restaurant.  Grace was said during the prayer of protection spoken before our bus left the church parking lot.  (I'm still of a mind, that it would have been nice to say it separately over the meal.)


I want to write a short disclaimer here:  The ladies I had lunch with are wonderful Christian women who serve without expecting rewards, they do it without bragging and pray for everyone and everything.  There is no fowl language, no vicious gossip and all comments to each other are encouraging.     This writing is not targeting these ladies I share Bible study and Sunday school with.  Having lunch with them in public just reminded me of  the conversation of Christians in general.

Herein lies my issue.    We discuss family, the holidays, jobs, new babies, church functions and generally share our lives.   However:  could we not share what we learn and experience in our daily devotions with each other a bit more?  Could we not share what we experience with our Lord?  How about our blessings for the day?  All of my friends and church family take daily time for private devotions sometime during the day or week.  

It is my belief that we would grow more and support each other more (Heb 13:1) by sharing what we are learning daily.   If you don't have a regular time to spend in God's word, surely you have things you are thankful for.  If we each think about it, we can find something to be grateful for every day.  This could be shared.  I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts about God and Jesus along with what they are learning and experiencing in their Christian walk.

My point is that we should be talking of our spiritual Father and Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) more often.  As creator, provider, savior and guiding force, shouldn't they take up more of our conversation time; especially with other believers?  After all, we will be spending eternity in their presence.  We could be training ourselves to better understanding and appreciation just by our relating the main thing we all have in common - God's grace.

Even at church social functions, the conversation almost never goes to the one in who's house we have come to be together.

I am not criticizing my Christian brothers and sister - surely, I have a lot of room to improve in this area.  (Don't pick at the splinter in your brother's eye when you have a log in your own.)  There are other types of verbal sharing that we want to relate.  It's just that I seldom witness ANY sharing about our provider Father or our older brother that freely gave up His life that we might also have it everlasting in His presence.  

We can let our light shine even more if the world hears our conversation and identifies us as Christian.  This sets an example for our children who are discussing way too much about phones and social media.   We would be inclined to think of God more often and perhaps even grow a little closer to Him.

Can we give a bit more thought to this ?  I wonder how much God would appreciate the effort, privately and publicly?

Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him;
Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found;
Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.
Amen

Ask - Then, Shut up

Make requests to your Heavenly Father who wants to give you the desires of your heart.  (As long as they are in line with His loving grace.)  

Then, shut up!  He heard you.  He is God.  

Oh how we can forget how huge, magnificent, eternal, powerful, infinite He is.  As humans, we tend to put everything into a box, with a tag on it to describe the contents.  We do this so we can relate, understand and control.  We need to feel control because we are so insecure and fearful.  God is so much more than anything we can ever understand.  Let us learn to accept.  We are physical beings in a physical world and find it difficult to relate to the spiritual.  God understands.

After you make request, it is time to thank Him for working to give you the desire of your heart.  He heard your request.  Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to keep reminding Him of our needs and desires?  We don't  have to beg.  Yes, we are to ask; He wants us to depend on Him.  He heard you!  



I am reminded of my dog:  I tell him, "Sit!"  (He doesn't want to. We have a very defiant dog.)   He looks at me like he is deaf.  I know he heard me - he is a dog.  Dogs have the most amazing hearing AND . . I am standing right in front of him.  He is looking into my face.  My husband (bless his heart) tells the dog over and over, "Sit - sit! - Sit - SIT !!"  I want to scream.  When I tell the dog to sit and he doesn't, I just wait.  I stare at him and he stares at me.  He always relents and sits.  I know he heard me.  He knows I know he heard me.  It is just a matter of time before he answers my request.  

Why would we think that God can't hear as well as a dog - a creature He created?

God wants thanks.  A form of thanks is praise.  He created angels to surround His throne and sing praises constantly.  It's not that He is insecure or vain.  Rather, He must be given what He deserves.

People in the Bible who thanked God:
Miriam         Ex 15:20-21
Hannah        I Sam 2:1-10
David           II Sam 22:1-51,   Ps 3
Solomon      I Kings 8:14-21
Elizabeth      Lk 1:24-25
Mary            Lk 1:46-55
Jesus            Jn 6:11
Leper            Lk 17:11-19
Paul             Phil 1:3-11 

How pleased were your parents when you thanked them (without being told to)?  How much faster were they to answer because they felt you appreciated what you received?  How much more your Heavenly Father ?
AMEN

God Said "Please"

So excited, just have to share - A fact from study of the original Hebrew text of the Bible (called the Tenach):

In the Old Testament, the word "please" has been omitted over the centuries by translators, to the tune of 410 times in the Old Testament - 176 times in Hebrew version of the New Testament.

Example: Gen 22:2 Read it for yourself in your Bible. The Hebrew Bible reads: "Please take your son . . ." This portrays God in a different light than harsh and merciless.... He always allows us a choice. 






"Please" demonstrates compassion. It has a reassuring affect while asking someone to do something very difficult. In the NT, the thief on the cross said (In Heb. NT), "Lord, remember me please . . ." 
Lk 23:42







Again: Ps 118:25 and Jn 12:13 says "Save us we beseech you . . ." original Hebrew: "Save us, please, O Lord! O Lord, please, send us prosperity."

Whatever could be the reason that this significant gesture should be omitted so many times by translations ?  Perhaps the earliest of them wanted a contrast between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament.  Isn't it wonderful to have such a precious God. 

Amen

Christ' (s) Mass

Merry Christ Mass !

I love caroles in church, candle light service, lighting Advent candles, children's programs, family gatherings around a meal, fireplaces ablaze, hot chocolate, snow flakes, shepherds, choirs singing, nativity sets, hearing from far off friends and family, socializing, sharing and church bells ringing.

I detest Santa Claus, the crime, spoiled children, gimme gimme, rush rush, hurry hurry, got to get, drunken parties, debt, loneliness, presents, families arguing, wasted money, crime, stress, worry, credit, jealousy, trying to outdo last year, trying to out do your neighbor, ungratefulness, lay away, payments, travel delays, got to go, got to give, got to do and right now!

What have we done to Christmas?  If you take Christ out of Christmas, you have Mass.  What are we having a mass for?  Santa?   Heaven, save us!

I have to admit, there are a few things on my hate list that I can get caught up in.  It is all around us.  You don't dare attack Santa or "Christmas" openly.  You could get eggs thrown at you.  Yet, so many will admit they hate to see it come.  



 



Let's step back and take a good look at how we have come to "celebrate" the birth of the perfect man who sacrificed himself to a horrific death so we would be saved to eternal life through the grace of God.  

 What does any of this have to do with that precious man?

What are we doing to our children?

If we are going to continue to celebrate with such selfish disregard for our Savior, let's at least take His name out of it.

A little food for thought:
Amos 5:21-23, Hosea 2:11, Mt. 15:3, Colos. 2:8



Let us make an effort to remember Jesus on His birthday. 

Amen