Be Gentle in Love

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“You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me; your gentleness has made me great.” - Psalm 18:35

While she ran through the streets, they tormented and chased after her.  Her eyes were filled with tears and her mind rushed with the fear for her very life.  She came around the corner and realized that she had come to a dead end.  The walls that boxed her in on 3 sides were tall and impossible to scale.  Her persecutors quickly caught up with her and formed a human wall across the only opening, blocking her path of escape.  As she cowered in the corner, the men began to assemble, removing their coats and gather stones about them.  Their anger resounded throughout the streets, and their eyes were black with venom as they spat insults and accusations at the young woman.  Then one man stepped forward and knelt down near the side wall.  His eyes were different than those around him, soft, gentle and warm.

  Immediately, their attention was drawn to this man. They asked the man, “What shall we do with her?”  No anger, no cynicism; he wisely replied, “If any of you are without sin, let him throw the first stone.”  Causing them to re-evaluate their circumstances and their own lust filled, deceitful heart, until they all walked away.  He proceeded to forgive her sins and send her on her way (John 8:3-11).  A protector, a supporter and a gentle comforter, Jesus Christ came to bring salvation to all mankind.

  As a father of 5, and a grandfather, there have been numerous opportunities when one of my children stood before me heartbroken, ashamed and embarrassed for something they had done.  When these events have come upon our household we have to make immediate decisions on how to react.  There are two choices: 1) Condemnation and anger, laying guilt and shame down upon my own child; or 2) Cradle them to my chest, comfort, love and discipline with compassion, while reassuring them of their value and forgiving the action.  To which of these do you believe results in a positive influence on their lifestory?  I’m sure you recognize the obvious answer to the question is #2.  Through loving comfort, discipline and forgiveness we have the opportunity to build a stronger character in our children.  I can personally state that I know gentleness leads to love. 

  Albeit` through a non-physical presence we know that God the Father loves us in this way.  I feel His love, His gentle strength and His forgiveness in my life when I screw up. His word is true and promises our salvation and the redemption of our sins, if we will only give it to Him through an acceptance of His Son, Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  I draw upon His word as my shield in times when I am faced with troubles, and grasp His right hand to pull me out of the mire.  Praise God for His grace and gentle loving guidance in our lives.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father,
  We come today Lord seeking Your loving grace, Your gentleness and strength; Your peace and mercy as was promised within Your Word. We claim our rights to Your spirit of salvation and glorious redemption, and ask that You convict each of us to focus on those areas in our life where we need to put on Your gentleness in dealing with others. Help us to be authentic representatives of Your Son, Jesus Christ throughout our life. For it is in Your Name I pray - Amen  

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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My Only Hope

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"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" - Isaiah 25:1

The battle is 2000 years old.  The players have changed but the contest has not.  One side will claim that the other is close minded, while they rest upon their own laurels without full investigation of the truth.  From the very lips and actions of one of the most revered missionaries of all time, Saul of Tarsus (Paul the Apostle), to the Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century AD, to the Roman Empire through the 4th century AD, and from Islam from the 7th century on - the Christian church has suffered persecution, torture and even death.  Through the years, other religions have come along.  Some sustained time others did not; some denying the very existence of this man Jesus Christ, others acknowledging him as a great prophet or kindly man, but denying His deity.   The question(s) have never really change; “Prove that He lived”; “Prove that He was born of a virgin”; “Prove that He died, rose again and ascended to heaven.”; “Prove that He is the Messiah foretold about in the Prophecies.”

  Many have now resorted to disputing the very existence of God at all, and thereby deducing that there is no Son of God.  Atheism, is defined as the rejection of belief in deities.  The first known acknowledgement of atheism came in the late 16th century.  It actually has some scriptural reference as far back as 62 AD, by Paul in his letters to the Ephesians (2:12), where he clearly calls out those that believe that there is no God within the world. It’s evident that even in the days of Jesus followers in Colosse, Ephesus and Corinth there were those who also believed in a world without God.

  So, for all of these years the growth of Christianity has spread into countries all around the globe.  People of every race, creed, culture and economic class are following this One called Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life.  What is it that ties all of these believers, including myself, together?  The stories of Jesus paint a picture of a loving God, a compassionate lover of the oppressed and helper of the weak.  A miracle maker who could turn water to wine, raise the dead, heal the lame and even forgive sins.  The scriptures tell of His glory, His demeanor and His mercies.  His wisdom is evidenced through His teachings and knowledge of the scriptures and customs of the time, well before He was mature.  He wasn’t educated in the Universities like the Sadducees’ and Pharisees, nor was he skilled in money collection like those who worked for Rome.  His knowledge was far superior and came from somewhere beyond human capabilities.  This is the man Jesus Christ that the scriptures tell us about.  So to deny Jesus Christ means two things: A) the person has no belief that the scriptures are truth, and B) the person has no ability for faith in things unseen/unproven.

  Some are looking for facts, proof of this man’s existence and position in God’s Kingdom.  Yet, to what benefit is there in proving these things?  Christianity is a monotheism, indicating that there is one and only one way to God the Father and that is through Jesus Christ the Son, as stated plainly in the scriptures in John 14:6.  What is required then is to have faith in something that you cannot see, and hope in something beyond our understanding.  People continue to look for proof though – the Shroud of Turin, the tomb of Mary or Veronica’s veil as examples.  These people are seeking verification that A) their heart is not lying to the them; and B) substantiation that their hope is well founded.

  By nature we are constantly looking to solve life’s mysteries so we can check that box and move on.  I think there are those in life that would like to put a checkmark in the salvation box and then get on with living their life unchanged, unmotivated to pursue righteousness and satisfied that they would still receive heaven in the end.  This is not following the Savior and Lord of our life.  Faith and Hope are often tied together as basic tenants of Christianity along with love, because it is beyond our perception and physical acceptance.  Hope is essential.  It keeps us focused on the end game.  It gives us reason to wake up and live one more day to fulfill God’s plan for that day.  Faith is essential.  It provides the confidence that what we know in our heart is truth and without proof we are still willing to accept it and live up to the expectations therein.  Love is essential.  Christ loved us through His redeeming grace and suffering on the cross.  Likewise we are to love others as He has loved us.  FAITH – HOPE – LOVE; the building block of your walk with God begins here.

PRAYER:
Almighty God,
  We have faith that Your word is true. We have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We have faith that You have a plan and are working in this world today to expand Your Kingdom. We have a hope that Jesus Christ will return and deliver us from this world to join You in heaven. We have a hope that our sins are redeemed by His blood and that we are presented blemish free on that day. We have built a faith and hope that rests on the truth of Your promises and scriptures. In Your heavenly name we pray - Amen

 

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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One Supreme Authority

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“Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth" – Psalm 83:18

He slept in that morning.  The night before had 

been filled with dining and dancing, and his head still throbbed from the spirits he had consumed in celebration of his promotion.  For years he had his eye on that corner office with the President title on the door.  He had worked in this company since he was 18 years old and here he was 35 years later reaching the pinnacle of his career.  Work had been his passion.  He left his wife and daughter in that small white house on Chestnut street when that little girl was only 7.  He was scared, confused about his priorities and made a bad decision that had haunted him for years and now all he had as proof of his former life was an 8x10 photo of her on her wedding day.  He sat on the edge of his bed and wept over her picture as the emotions overwhelmed him. 

There was a point in his life when things seemed in control.  He married right after high school, had a solid job for such a young man and was a proud father within 2 years.  Choices and bad decisions left him alone and his entire world turned upside down.  He lost his faith, his love for others and poured everything he had into his career.  Well, here he was.  He finally made it to the top, and as he looked around his Manhattan condominium he realize he was all alone at the top.  The friends who drank the night away with him only 8 hours ago were long gone.  He walked to the closet and with very depressed, evil intentions knelt down and reached for the handle of the gun case.  Then he caught a glimpse in the dim light, and he reached for the Book instead.  As he brought it out of the closet, he fell back on the floor, his back lying against the bed. 

The cover was torn and tattered.  His Dad carried it daily to and from work, to the war and back and was seen in his large easy chair reading it every morning as long back as the man could remember.  Right up until his death, this book saw him through the ups and downs of life, the struggles of raising the kids, the bankruptcy and the many struggles they had face in life.  Now here it was in the hands of his son, and it sat collecting dust in the corner of the closet for the last 25 years.  As he opened the book, it fell to the 83^rd Book of Psalms.  The anger expressed by David towards mankind, especially his enemies, leaps from the pages.  And then he gets to the last verse and it all comes rushing forward.  His life had been spent combatting with God for control, for authority and for praise.  He had taken all of the accomplishments in life and selfishly proclaimed them as his own doing.  Despite his continued success in his career, he refused to give glory to the Lord, to the ultimate authority and creator of all things.

This explained the emptiness, the hollowness and loneliness in his life.  This explained his self-centered choices in life and his hatred for mankind in general.  Lowering his face into his hands, he cried out to the Lord in shame, begging forgiveness and asking for the opportunity to serve Him.  The rush of emotions overwhelmed the man as he fell face first to the floor and poured out his life of sinful actions to the only Lord, the ultimate Authority, the One who sits upon the throne in heaven.  In a moment his life had become one with purpose, one with blessing and one with the opportunity to change the world for the good.

Where are you with God?  Is He your authority?  Is He given credit for your success?  Is God at the center of your decisions?  Have you come to the point of serving Him in the manner in which He deserves or like our example above, are you captured in the fallacy that you alone are responsible for your talents, skills, success and accomplishments?  There is only one supreme Authority and Lord on Most High and His name is Jehovah, and is to be praised.  Give serious thought to your relationship with God and make amends as necessary today.
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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It's in the Water

 “who {God of Jacob} turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water " – Psalm 114:8

70 – percent of the earth’s surface covered by water
100 – percent of life forms require water for sustenance
97 – percent of all water is contained in the oceans
55 to 78 – percent of the human body is comprised of water (based on size & age)
326 million cubic miles - total volume of water in the earth’s hydrosphere (water on, under and over the surface of the earth)

“Daddy, where do we get water from?”
“God”
“No, I mean, who makes it?”
“God”
“Uggg…Dad…I mean who makes the water we drink?”
“God”
“You just don’t get it, Dad.”

This was the conversation at dinner between my 7 year old and me a few years back.  He was finishing off his glass of water and the question just popped into his head.  I knew he wanted to know what companies or people made water in bottles and specifically where the water in the kitchen came from; but I thought it would be a good teachable moment.
 

  Genesis 1:2 tells us “…the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.”  Water is and always has been.  It is a sustaining source of every known life form on earth and represents nearly 78% of the human body of a newborn baby, 60% of the adult male and 55% of the adult female.  It is the formation of the two most prevalent elements in the universe – Hydrogen (2 parts) and Oxygen (1 part).  There is evidence across the Milky Way of the existence of water, ice or water vapor; and believed to exist in other galaxies as well.

God created the waters, parted the waters, water came from rocks to nourish God’s people, God flooded the earth for a new start (from the waters), God communicated to Gideon at a pool, God brought peace and rest to Elijah, God healed the lame in the waters of the Bethesda pool, Jesus is baptized in the water, Jesus turned water to wine, Christ washes the disciples feet with water, Jesus walks on water, Peter walk on water and Jesus gives water to the woman at the well.  These are just examples of biblical references to the water of the earth.  As an element of God’s creation, it is recreated and reborn through the water cycle daily.  We see in 2 Peter 3:5, “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.”

Water has always demonstrated the purity, cleanliness, refreshing/filling, and life changing element that God brought to all people.  It is one of the key resources that man does not create.  You cannot survive without it, and people are dying all over the globe because they cannot get access to it.  So the next time you lift a glass or bottle of water to your lips, pause and think about who made the water you are partaking of.  Not whose name is on the bottle, or which water utility service is in your local community, who actually made the water.  It can only be made by the hand of the God just for you because He loves you so much.

PRAYER:
Lord Almighty,
Thank you for your magnificence and awesome wonder through your creation.  You created the heavens and the earth, and separated the waters.  You have brought each of us into this world through the miracle of birth from the amniotic waters and sustained our lives through the consumption of fresh water.  We acknowledge your gift to us every time we lift our glass we know that you have provided for us.  In Your name we pray. - Amen
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2010
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