Reflections of my enemies

Sun, 8 May 2011 02:17:07 -0400

When I hear this story in the Bible, I think about the love and compassion of my Lord. I imagine the event as if I was watching it and I was there. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss and when the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, Peter cuts off one of their ears. If it were me, I would have felt so betrayed as many times in my life.
I look at the love and compassion Jesus portrayed for His enemies. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” What love He had even on His enemies! He restore the soldiers ear back to him and healed him. What mercy and kindness He had. The same soldier that was trying to arrest Him. Amazing love of the Father. I realize we are not all God’s children, but we all are all His creation. The devil desires to conquer and destroy God’s creation. He makes a man a slave to himself to mock our Savior. The enemy destroys the lives of others and it must surely break God’s heart to see men and women suffer from the evil one. It breaks my heart and I know that I have the heart of the Father. If only people knew how much God loves them. I know if they experience the love of God in His son Jesus, they would love the people around them. Because...if we truly believed there is eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus, we would not want our worst enemy to go there. Lord Jesus, reveal your heart to us and save those who are lost. If we are truly born again we love the lost, and more than anything we want to see them set free...

Reflections on the lake

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:50:04 -0400

I have often wondered why the Lord has created beauty. If sin had not entered in, there would be no decay nor death. But yet, I realized if there was no death, sin would remain and live forever. In Genesis 3:4 “After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of Life.” If Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of Life, sin would live forever. So, the glimpses of beauty that He allows me to see are not only in nature, but in His servants. The sweetness of their spirit. The hands that reach out to help those that cannot help themselves. The forgiveness they extend to their enemies. The pureness of their heart to only do good and not harm their neighbors. The gentleness of their voice in a raging world out of control. The hard sacrifice of the long prayers on their knees in troubled times for me. Yet I realize when I see His people, it is the beauty of our Lord that is working through them towards me and others. There are not many people that would sacrifice. Many would do so only in convenient times, or to be seen by men. Maybe to make them feel better about themselves. The fruit will always show at some point. But this one thing I know, true beauty is to behold the Lord. The beauty of all He is and shows to me. Although I have never deserved His love, He gave His Life for me. Our life is but a vapor. Then begins Eternity. Everything my eyes have seen will one day pass away, but His words will not pass away. Luke 21:33