Being Children

Again

Friday, March 15, 2024

Clouds Everywhere Float Through the Sky,

As God’s Children Inhabit the Earth

Everywhere.

Deuteronomy 14:1

You are children of the Lord your God. You must not lacerate yourselves or shave your forelocks for the dead.

Galatians 3:26

… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

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Words of Grace For Today

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To be children again, wow!

Or is it Woe to those who wish to be children!

Or is it Whoa Betsy, hold on now. No way do we want to be children again!

Not that it really matters, we are born children, every one of us, and we remain children to our parents our whole lives. No way out of that.

Being good children is something that may not be on everyone’s agenda or priority list, but it’s one of those things the Ten Commandments highlights as being important to good living.

So we ought to work at it. Sometimes there are benefits to being someone’s child like a great inheritance, and then sometimes it’s just a pain.

Whether we are God’s children or not is, like being children to our parents, is not up to us. Not that our parents had much choice in the matter about having particularly us as their children. … Unless, of course, we were adopted. Then our parents chose us, specifically us.

That’s what God does: chooses us, adopts us, gives us all the benefits of being heirs.

That’s a load of life abundant dumped in our laps.

Are we up to living it?

Today?

Speak Forgiveness

Preach It From the Rooftops

Friday 9 February 2024

Out There,

Beyond the Trees so Strong

(like our sins),

Is The Light of Christ,

Rising Majestically,

Beautifully.

Isaiah 40:2

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Luke 24:47

… that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

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Words of Grace For Today

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The uses we put religion to ought to turn God in his grave, if he ever were in one! (Well Jesus was, but is no more.) But how is it that we put religion’s face on such horrendous schemes and deceptions.

What would the world look like if …?

What would we all look like if …?

If we used religion only proclaimed the Grace of God, that sins were already paid and God has restored us all more than two-fold for all we have lost to our sins?

Remarkably different, peaceful, gracious, generous, and blessed.

So let’s start today …

except

even though we are fully forgiven

we cannot let go of sin

for sin still has it’s ugly-strong grip on us

in us

must

wait

we persevere running the good race put before us

also this day

of beauty

marred

by our sins.

Quietly

Running?

Thursday 8 February 2024

Quietly Wait Here,

Quietly Run Here?

Lamentations 3:26

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Waiting

and

Running.

Not really things that are possible at the same time, or?

Running the good race set before us, the race of sharing the Good News with everyone, using out thoughts, words, and actions to point people to God’s Grace and steadfast love.

Waiting quiet;y on the Lord for the salvation that is promised to us.

Two different things, until one realizes that the only way to run the good race (with everything we’ve got) is to know that we can only wait for salvation. Salvation is not something we run towards, or earn by running, or receive after the race is won.

Salvation is something that God gives to us in God’s own good time.

And in God’s own way.

So that we are equipped for the race.

Which we certainly cannot run on our own, not at all.

Not at all.

So we

run

and

wait.

With thankful hearts and open minds to what God will bring us to do this day.

The Heavy Gift

Of Righteousness

Tuesday 6 February 2024

When Most of Life is Like

a Tumbled

Jumble

of Upturned Roots,

Where is Righteousness?

Exodus 19:6

… but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.

2 Timothy 4:8

From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

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Words of Grace For Today

…

If only …

If only longing for something would make it so …

If only longing for something would make it so, the world would experience more chaos than even now.

But if God longs for something, then … well then it is going to happen, well maybe. And if we long for what God longs for then it will surely happen, or?

Then comes into play human freewill that makes love possible, and what God longs for most is that we freely choose to love, which means God does not make it happen, but waits for us to choose love, which can take a long time, too often more time than we have.

And God’s longing in not fulfilled.

Then we can long to love, but not choose it, and we are disappointed that God does not make it happen, forgetting that freewill is an essential part of love.

So we long for the Christ to appear, and that alone does not give us righteousness. Nor does our choosing to love God, our neighbour, ourselves, and even our enemies. Us receiving the crown of righteousness is wholly a gift.

Wholly and only a gift given to us.

Wholly and only a gift from God.

Wholly and only a gift given to us though we do not deserve it.

And that is something to celebrate, for the Christ is already arrived and here with us each day, and the crown that we do not deserve is ours,

though it weighs heavily on our heads

for with it comes the responsibility (response ability) to love

without condition or hesitation

all people and all of creation.

Just a little work for us each day, eh?

Dismal, Desperate Visions

Of Renewed Creation

Monday 22 January 2024

Hungering For

Creation Renewed,

As Fresh As New Snow

Covering Every Past Evil

Isaiah 45:8

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness;let the earth open, that salvation may spring up, and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also; I the Lord have created it.

2 Peter 3:13

But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

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Words of Grace For Today

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While the reality of everyday life is quite dismal, more so for many than for us, even the poor and homeless in Canada, for war and famine are things very few of us struggle with and many across the globe face that and worse …

So dismal is life, as it can be seen by any set of eyes, for travails is something humans are always able to create no matter their circumstances, good or bad …

So dismal is life when all is going so well and nothing is satisfactory, for we humans always dream of more, and more and more until we out dream the possibilities of being anything at all …

So dismal is it all

that the vision of water pouring down from on high on the parched earth and into our parched hearts, bringing blossoms and crops to grow in abundance, abundance to feed all our hungers and pains of dreams unmet …

that the vision of showers raining down righteousness and justice for all so that no more do any suffer the evil of lies and greed of others, stealing life out from under us …

that the vision of God bringing from this old creation, so corrupted by our collective and accumulated evils that we have a hard time finding the goodness God declared was there when God created it from the void and chaos – God bring from this old creation a new creation, a creation good from the beginning to the end, untainted by our sins and evils done to others …

that the vision of God’s hand extending into our lives and making things right is so yearned for and dreamt of that we are like the parched land starved for more than 40 years …

So dismal is it all and our God given vision of God putting it right almost takes our breath away …

and then we realize that God has already accomplished this

and this dismal world is already redeemed and made new by God’s mercy and steadfast love, so clearly demonstrated in Jesus’ life, healing, death and resurrection, that

we can only remember now

to breathe in the fresh air

that has renewed what

we saw as so dismal

and made it new

wonderfully

new.

God’s Purpose

For the Good and the Bad

Sunday 21 January 2024

Beauty, Gold And White,

Shall Also Pass.

As We All Will.

What Purpose Has God In All That?

Job 2:10

But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

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Words of Grace For Today

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But what is God’s purpose?

Job suffers. No one really can figure out (though many theorize) why God does such terrible things to Job.

Jonah gets the call from God. Jonah runs away because Jonah knows that the task God has for him is, first of all, a thankless task. The Ninevites will not repent. Secondly, they more than deserve to be destroyed. So why should Jonah bother!

God knows otherwise and persists with extraordinary measures to get Jonah on task.

Finally Jonah relents and gives the Ninevites a lacklustre warning, “Repent or be destroyed.”

God’s surprise for Jonah starts with the Ninevites all repenting.

And God continues with the surprise by relenting and not destroying these terribly evil people.

History shows that Nineveh was destroyed eventually.

So I guess God is merciful and loving, but it’s really hard for us people to change and stay changed.

What are we to do with that today?!

Maker

Maker Glue

Saturday 20 January 2024

Even the ‘glue’ that holds snow

to the branches

under the bright sun

in the c.c..co..cold.

Jeremiah 10:12

It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Colossians 1:17

He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

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Words of Grace For Today

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To the tiniest piece of physical reality (a quantum is it now?) to the greatest galaxies turning about themselves and in themselves,

and also here on earth as we twirl moving around the sun,

each held in place in relation to the rest by

gravity and …

well held in place by far more complex physical and sub- and meta-physical things than I can name

–

all this God created

and God holds it together.

So also God created each of us, our hearts, minds, and spirits,

holding us together as we breathe and live and move and hope and love and

…

and everything we do and are.

This day again we pray in thanks for all things that keep us alive, especially for the Grace of God that gives us life and hope

and everything.

Things

For Life

Friday 19 January 2024

No Matter How Many Planes We Have ….

Proverbs 30:8

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,

1 Timothy 6:7-8

… for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

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Words of Grace For Today

…

The things of life are many,

but the things necessary for life are far fewer:

clean air, clean water, nourishing food, adequate clothing, sufficient shelter, meaningful labour, and love (the ability to love others and that others love us.)

All these are things that we receive as gifts from God, added to the gifts of life (given to us at birth) and the Holy Spirit (given to us at baptism), forgiveness and renewal (given to us each day as God promised us and made clear in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection).

We have since the beginning of time fooled ourselves into thinking that we possess many things in our lifetimes, and that these things make a great difference in our lives, for ourselves and among other people.

But

all that we think we possess are really only things entrusted to us by their owner, God. So many things God entrusts to us, that we will be good stewards of them, giving life to as many people as possible, with our voices, hands, and feet, working, working, working

working out God’s love and mercy, grace and generosity, forgiveness and renewal for all people.

What works against life for all people are lying and falsehoods.

If only we could leave them out of life!

Like all people, what we really need is

everything God gives us

to share.

Serving

One God

Thursday 18 January 2024

The Things That Make Life

Joyous

Are the Simplest,

And Free For the Noticing

First Kings 18:21

Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ The people did not answer him a word.

Matthew 6:24

‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Today’s world, as it always has been, promises that if we serve the ‘godlet’ of greed, money, and power, we will live a meaningful and happy life.

That ‘godlet’ competes in most people’s hearts with their fear and love of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

and thus most people are very unhappy, dissatisfied with this life for there is never enough money to secure happiness. There is only enough money to make one deluded that happiness is just around the next corner, where more money is available.

God comes and heals us of our every ill, including our fever of chasing wealth.

Also this day,

we pray, come heal us, that we may know the joy God provides to us each day.

Fear

And Love

Monday 15 January 2024

No Matter the View,

Far or Near,

God Deals With Us ….

Psalm 147:11

… the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’

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Words of Grace For Today

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God, the Almighty, – if we recognize the power God can wield – rightfully strikes fear into our hearts.

And, so many people attempt to strike as much fear into other people’s hearts … all so that they can force their will on others … always to detriment of the one striking fear and to the detriment to those who fear.

We have more than enough reason to be fearful of these people, and of the future yet to unfold for

so much in our recent past promises worse days ahead.

God works to save us from such fear and worry,

saving us

and all creation

so that we might

live, blessed and capable of working within what is, not what is not that is so fearful, and with God’s greatest blessing as our basic mode of being for ourselves and with others:

love.

God is to be feared, but even more-so to be loved, for God loves us with a steadfast and unending love that is more powerful than all the fear of all time stacked up together against us.

Such is God’s power

to be used

wondrously

each day.