Afraid to Die

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13 NIV

She admitted her greatest fear. Whispered it in my ear right there amid a thousand women.
I’m afraid to die.

More than that, she feared she wasn’t “saved enough”, that God’s grace wasn’t “big enough” for all the bad she’d done.

My heart broke right there. Oh, the lies Satan wove into the heart of this precious eighty-something-year-old woman to convince her that her sins were too big and God’s grace was too small.

If we’re honest, sometimes we’re convinced of the same, aren’t we? We’re afraid to die. We compare our sins with another or rate our sins on a scale of 1-10 thinking that our sins are too big for God’s grace.

But the reality is, Christ overcame all sin, no matter how big or small, and for believers in Christ, no sin is counted against him.

God’s grace covers all sin and covers anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus, no matter what she’s done in the past.
For Scripture tells us plainly,

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 NIV

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s salvation. It’s a gift freely offered by God through the shed blood of His only Son, Jesus, who died once for the salvation of all. All we need do is:
declare with your (our) mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you (we) will be saved. (emphasis mine) Romans 10:9 NIV

I cupped the tear-stained face of this precious woman. She reassured me she’d asked Jesus to forgive her sins many times. So I looked her in the eyes and said,

There is nothing you’ve done that God cannot forgive. There is nothing you can ever do that God will love you less. He is for you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is with you always.

There are times we all need that reassurance. We need to stop managing our sin or the sins of others, and live in the victory of the cross and the empty tomb! Jesus is alive! He is risen!

Our sins (every single one) have been accounted for once and for all. If we believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, then we are justified, made right before God for all of eternity.

How would we live our lives differently if we unburdened ourselves from our past sins and lived from eternity’s perspective?

If we lived in the present, knowing we are fully loved by our Papa-God, embracing ourselves and one another through the eyes of Jesus? What if we truly believed no sin is too big and God’s grace covers all?

Papa-God, no one loves us as fully as You do, flaws and all. You see us only through the eyes of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior, who paid the price for our sins once and for all.  Help us to see ourselves and those around us through His eyes. May we start living the victorious life through Jesus Christ, where Your grace covers all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I Have Two Daddies: Book Review

I Have Two Daddies by Lynn Calvin
illustrated by Maria Rask
AuthorHouse 2008

I Have Two Daddies: An Earthly Daddy and a Heavenly Daddy is a multi-award-winning children's book written by Lynn Calvin and illustrated by Maria Rask, published by Author House, 2008.

Calvin tackles the difficult abstract subject of the unseen heavenly Father by comparing him to a loving earthly father. I love her concrete examples of her earthly father's love expressed by going to work so that he can provide her with all her needs like food, clothing, shelter. But better yet, she illustrates how he shows her love by also giving her his time and sharing about God, her heavenly Father. 

Just like our earthly daddies, our heavenly Father, also showers us with His love by making "a way for [us] to live with Him forever" through our "Big Brother", Jesus. 

Calvin beautifully and simply explains the gospel while leading the reader through the way to salvation including a prayer and scripture references.

I award this book ****'s

AuthorHouse 2008

ISBN: 978-1-4343-6943-7 (softcover)

To learn more about Lynn Calvin and her books, please click here.

Keep It Simple

Ethiopia Innocent Prayers by Steve Evans_flickr.com_3405971322_23eae03cac_CC BY-ND 2.0

For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will experience salvation. Romans 10:9 (The Passion)

Auntie Lou's passionate gospel flannel graph story-telling captured my nine-year-old heart. With every new layer she added to the story of Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension, my heart raced faster and faster. 

She shared how Jesus sacrificed everything that I might stand blameless before God and experience everlasting life in His presence, if I simply asked Jesus into my heart. It was so simple. I didn't question it. I simply responded, "yes" to Jesus.

Maybe that's why Jesus liked children so much?

All That and a Bag O' Chips

 

 

"God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

I never understood the place comfort food played during loss until last week. All I wanted was a bottle of diet Coke, but somehow I walked out of our neighborhood grocery store with all that AND a bag of chips; like somehow my body craved more and more comfort food after an entire week of binging.

Within hours of my father-in-laws passing, neighbors dropped off chicken cutlets and salad. Friends delivered a basket of gooey pastries piled a mile high. Fed Ex dropped a Honey Baked Ham on the front stoop and gourmet chocolate baskets poured in from my husband's sympathetic clients. 

In a brief moment I thought, "There's a Seinfeld episode here somewhere!" What a funny way to share condolences, right? Not so much.

As waves of extended family and close friends arrived and we poured over Dad's photographs and favorite hymns, the last thing we thought of was food preparation or trudging out to a public restaurant. Exhausted at the end of every day all we craved was food - comfort food - that ooey, gooey, chocolaty, sweet and salty, delectable that satisfied our sorrowful emptiness with some familiar, short-term happiness.

But all that AND the bag o' chips I bought a week later? It wasn't lasting comfort. I knew that.  Lasting comfort comes in knowing the Source of all comfort  - God our merciful Father - and being reassured that Dad knew Him, too. Sounds cliche, I know, but when you realize the finality of death - when you know that today IS the last day you'll set eyes on  your beloved this side of eternity - there is no lasting comfort aside from knowing God and knowing death is NOT the end.

God, in all his mercy, sent his Son, Jesus to live among us (Emmanuel) to show us who He was and to bridge the chasm that sin drove between us. Through Jesus' death and resurrection lies all hope and comfort that even in death, those who place their faith and trust in Him, will be resurrected, given a heavenly body and spend eternity in a place prepared just for us.

"For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands." 1 Corinthians 5:1 NLT

Now, that is everlasting comfort food and it is with that same comfort, Paul says, that we are to comfort one another.

Thank you, heavenly Father, for your mercy and enveloping us with your everlasting comfort in the midst of loss and sorrow. How reassuring to know that in this temporary world, You have prepared a place just for us; that in the end,  you will make us anew and eternal in Your presence.

Christmas Un-plugged

Jesus spoke to all the people, saying, “I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will not walk in darkness. He will have the Light of Life.” John 8:12 NLV

Returning from morning worship, white Christmas window candles cut through the Sunday fog, beckoning family fireside.

Every corner glowed with winter scenes and perfect tree trimmed branches while simmering chili and hot, baked, golden-crusted bread teased our senses all afternoon.

The house warmed and filled and we lingered with one another - caught up on the week, watched grand babies immersed in imaginative play, and even enjoyed a bit of football. It wasn't anything special...and yet it was everything special.

Christmas unplugged.

No presents, no pressure, no skirmishing or deadlines. Simply worshipping the God who became man, born of a virgin, sacrificed all unto death, rose again and still lives - within us. He draws us together - family, friends and strangers - gives meaning to life on earth and fills our hearts to overflowing.

He - Jesus - who cuts through the fog,  illuminates every corner of our lives and beckons us home? He is Christmas.

Christmas unplugged.

Jesus comes, wrapped-up in the Father's extravagant love, offering abundant life and we need not wait 'til December 25th to experience Him. He's ours for the taking any day of the year.

He is Jesus and He is Christmas.