Proving He Loves You

Daily Thoughts – September 26^th  

 

“Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.”–” Genesis 19:24 (in context)

The cities were filled with sin.  Man slept with man and woman with woman.  Rape, incest, murder, evil thoughts and actions were pervasive throughout the population of the city.  The corruptness had become the norm and righteousness was hard to find.  The pleas of Abraham had been for the Lord to show mercy if only 10 righteous people could be found in the entire city (Genesis 18:16-33).  It was not to be and we know the rest of the story.  In an instant the Lord destroyed the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as no righteousness could be found within their walls, except Lot and his family.  Was the Lord justified in destroying these cities?  How can you answer anything but yes when you are contemplating the actions of the Lord.  He is justified in every action ever taken by His own hand.  He is the designer, creator and author of life, death and all that is in between.  Who can tell Him that He is wrong in His actions?

For I propose to you that the society in which we live, the acceptance of our culture has become so complacent and accepting that unrighteousness once again abounds within the walls of each city.  Should we be looking heavenward for the streaking flares of sulfur raining down upon our cities any day now?  Are you convinced that the population of Sodom and Gomorrah were much worse than the cities of our 21^st century?  Certainly, there are more than 10 righteous people inside of your city walls, and you are likely one of them.  Is this what keeps the Lord from pouring out His wrath upon our very existence?

There is a significant reason that God has not destroyed the earth again, despite the evil, corruption, sadistic and deplorable sinful lives of mankind.  That reason is the one we call Jesus Christ.  For you see, the wrath of our Lord; which was poured out on Sodom, it was poured out on the Philistines, it was poured out on the Egyptians, it was poured out on the entire world in the flood of Genesis 6; was also poured out on the very flesh of God’s own Son.  Take that in for just a moment.  We are no better than those of Sodom and Gomorrah, or those of Egypt, or those that ridiculed Noah.  We as a society in general have turned our back on serving the Lord with everything we have, and we have chosen to pursue the pleasures of the world instead.  The wrath of God that you and I so rightfully deserve for our thoughts, our actions and our sinful nature would be death, devastation and destruction of catastrophic proportion.  This overwhelming wrath of the Lord, the pain and suffering we deserve, was delivered to one man who did live perfectly righteous in every way.

The sacrificial lamb for our sins was slaughtered because you and I deserved to die for what we have done, not because of anything He did.  Jesus Christ bore the extreme wrath of God, something we cannot begin to fathom, so you and I would not have to.  When you read John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him will have eternal life.”; the words are almost cliché, because we have watered them down to our view of love.  I want you to realize the severity of God’s wrath that He poured out onto His only Son, based on the perspective of His wrath that He poured out on Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt, and the world in the Old Testament.  This extreme wrath was poured out on this one man, so that you and I would be exempt from this punishment in our lifetime.  He loves us that much.  Not a little bit as you and I love each other and our families; but His love was so intense that He chose to destroy His own Son, literally and figuratively, so that we can enter eternity one day.

Is God’s wrath still alive today?  Yes, but we are shielded from that wrath because of the lamb that paid the price for our deplorable sinful nature.  One day, God’s wrath will once again be released upon this earth, for those who have chosen to deny His sacrificial offering.  This wrath will make Sodom and Gomorrah look like a walk in the park on Sunday afternoon.  The fire and sulfur that rained from the sky on these cities will be nothing compared to the depths of Hell that await mankind for their denial of Jesus Christ, and God the Father.  Don’t question the reality of it.  God has given you plenty of warning.  Jesus has pleaded with Him on your behalf and taken your punishment already.  The next step will be utter destruction of this earth as we know it and you won’t be able to avoid His wrath without accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  Don’t blame it on God, for He provided a path for your escape, just as He did for Lot and his family to escape from Sodom on that night as recorded in Genesis.  Are you telling your friends?  Are you telling your family?  Do you care enough about their salvation to ensure that they are not exposed to God’s wrath one day?  If not, ask yourself why not.  Why is that not the most important thing you have to do today?

Who is pleading with the Lord on our behalf today?


© Sondove Enterprises, 2019

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A Great Sacrifice

Make 2014 a year of Sharing

“Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”” – Genesis 22:2

As the sun reflects off the cool water on this brisk spring morning, I can’t help but reflect on the unusual climate we are experiencing this year.  When the temperatures are 78 degrees at 10 o’clock in the morning and 39 degrees at 7 PM that evening, I find it highly irregular.  Waking this morning to 28 degree weather in Houston, Texas is far beyond the average low for this time of year and there is evening talk of freezing rain and ice storms tonight. Where does God want to go on such a cold day?  What is on His path for my feet to pass over today and what might my life represent in His kingdom today?  Am I truly willing to carry out the Lord’s plan for my day, regardless of what it might be? 

God is working in this world today and shaping the hearts of mankind leading to the end that we all know is coming.  In His plan each of us have a part and place to usher in His kingdom.  Seek Him in your quiet, in your stillness.  Listen, hear Him in your thoughts, your heart, your vision for where you are going.  I sit here coffee in hand and ask what it is that He needs me to do for Him today, but deep inside I must confess that there are self imposed limitations that I raise.  I fear for the comforts I have become accustomed too, and I fear for losing myself in His control, yet that is exactly what is required.  He longs to lead, but in order to do so, I must determine to step out of the way and follow Him. 

I think of Abraham and Sarah.  I think of what must have run through Abraham’s mind when God woke him in the morning and told Him to sacrifice his son – Isaac.  God allowed Sarah to conceive when she was 90, so that He could build His kingdom through this child.  God had promised Abraham that He would make His lineage into a great nation to cover the earth (Genesis 12).  Abraham trusted in God’s promise as he walked up that mountain with his only son on that cold morning.  He held his emotions in check and prepared to kill his son at the request of the Lord, knowing that God would prevail.  I can’t state what was on his mind, but he must have fully trusted that God would either resurrect his son or would provide another answer.  Raising that blade over his son’s body, Abraham pushed through his fears to follow God’s command.  As we know, the story continues and God provides a ram, for the sacrifice, in the thicket.  (Genesis 22:13)

Through Abraham’s obedience and willingness to follow the command of God we are given an example of how the Lord will use people to usher in His kingdom upon the world.  He chose Abraham, not because of anything Abraham did uniquely; but because Abraham was a willing servant and trusted in the Lord.  Through Abraham – Isaac and many later generations God the Father brought forth His only Son to become the redemption for our sins.  Abraham could not have seen these events in the future lineage of his family, but God knew it is what must be.  As God begins to pour out His Spirit upon the nations of our world today, there is a purpose for you to follow His call with your life.  He may be asking you to trust Him in a huge way, just as Abraham did, and you may never know the impact of your faithfulness.  It is not for you to get the glory in following Him, but for you to bring glory to the Father.  As we begin the period of Lent, leading up to Easter 2014, I want you to seriously consider what you are doing for the Lord’s kingdom and be willing to sacrifice some of life’s comforts in order to draw closer to His purpose for your life.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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Their Watching You

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“Lord, I wanna be just like you, cause he wants to be just like me."
                                         I Wanna Be Like You – Philips, Craig and Dean

 All right, I’ll admit it, I’m a highly sentimental old man.  I’ll blame it on growing old and watching my children grow up so fast.  This weekend I stood by why my boy celebrated his 8^th birthday with 19 friends, as well as their parents, neighbors and family.  I found myself standing off to the side frequently just watching him, adoring him and loving him as he laughed, played and hung out with his friends.  It hurt a little, but was so incredibly wonderful to see him having fun, and it dawned on me at that very moment – he’s starting to separate, and I’m not quite ready for that yet. 

  He’s always been my lil’ boy, and it seemed all of a sudden that he’s not really so little any more.  I know I’m being silly, I mean really he’s only eight; but our relationship has definitely progressed to another stage, and in the back of my mind there is this enormous countdown clock that just passed the 7 year counter.  I’ll be blessed if I get another 7 years of his tenderhearted affection and playful jabs, loving embraces and countless cuddling opportunities.  With 4 girls and David, I’ve come to realize that boys break that Father/Son connection much quicker than girls and it makes me sad.

 Then today in church, I start to lose it again as Pastor Randy (The Crossing Church) tells the story of Abraham and Issac.  The love that Abraham had for God to even contemplate sacrificing his son continues to blow me away.  I couldn’t bring myself to answer that call on my life.  I wouldn’t with any of my children for that matter, and that makes me ask myself the hard question: “Do I trust God with the very life of my child?”  I am their father, I am their protector and provider and I am weak at the knees to think that I am not in control of a situation that puts them in danger. 
I love God to no end, without reservation; but I just don’t know that I could ever bring myself to the place of raising a knife over the bound body of my only son and trust that God would save him.  I know God protects His children from all harm, and loves them more than I could ever begin too.  But putting that faith and trust to the test is not something I ever wish to encounter.

I recognize that my children look to me more than I ever could realize.  They watch my reactions to problems, my love for their mother, my commitment to them and their events, my temper, my quiet time, my adherence and respect for the law, my love for God and my faith that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord.  Think about it, where did you learn to love Christ?  Was it from watching your parents, family members or friends?  Most likely it was.  Well, those little eyes around you are watching you to learn more about Him as well.
My prayer is that day after day, moment after moment I am becoming more like You God, because they want to be more like me.  If you’ve never heard this song from Philips, Craig and Dean – take two minutes this morning and listen to it, won’t you.  Then re-assess what you’re children are seeing in you that is influencing their decision to follow Jesus Christ.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z8bXcBRIU0 )

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Break the Chain

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." – 1 Chronicles 28:20

What are you committed to? 
Where does the devotion of your heart lie?

Each morning you awake and are aware of the things that must be done throughout the day.  These items roll through your mind.  Your thoughts are overwhelmed with the day’s agenda and tasks that much be accomplished.  Referencing a day timer or Outlook calendar you see the meetings that will guide your footsteps from this moment on.  Coupled with the commute, dinner and a healthy 8 hours sleep each day, you suddenly realize that you truly only get 1 to 2 hours a day of  “free time”.  That window of time that is completely yours, to do with as you please.  Perhaps you find a nice warm blanket, a good book and curl up in your favorite chair with a cup of tea.  Perhaps you take the newspaper outside with a glass of wine and sit on the back deck and relax.  Some grab the remote and lose themselves in the emptiness of television to clear their mind of the days accumulation of priorities and projects.  How many reach for the Bible, God’s Holy word and dive into learning more about Him and His plan for your life? 

We often ask “What is my purpose?”  “What shall I do for God?”  “Why am I here?”  or some derivative of this age old question.  There is a part of each of us that realize that we are created for a purpose, that it is not randomness that we are who we are and that we are placed right where we are for some reason bigger.  The problem is that we aren’t taking the time to understand, study, learn and comprehend the answer to these questions in life.  We ask the question, but I challenge you to ask yourself – “Do you really want an answer?” 

God’s design, His Masterpiece and work is laid out for each of us to take on.  The challenge for us is to pursue it with every breath, every thought and every desire.  Remove the clutter, the distractions and the busyness from your life if you are truly seeking His purpose.  Shift your priorities from doing the work of mankind to doing the work of the Lord and let His plan start to reveal itself in your life.  We look at the ancient hero’s of the Bible (other the Jesus Christ, Himself) – Abraham, Moses, Noah, Joshua, Job, Daniel, David, Solomon, Paul, Peter, John, Ruth and Esther; just to name a few.  What did each of these have in common?  They pursued the Lord.  They chased after His purpose in life, rather than their own purpose.  Certainly, they all had their shortcomings, weaknesses and faults; just like you and I do.  But, they knew where to turn for the answers to their questions and they knew how to get back in line with God’s plan for their life. 

They were devoted to serving God first, and the world second.  They put everything at risk and pursued God’s plan with a vigor, with passion and relied heavily on His promises.  They trusted in the scriptures, the Commandments and held them in high esteem.  They received their confidence, strength and courage to take on the worldly view each and every day, because the scriptures promised He would be there with them.  When they rose each morning, there was no day timer or schedule to stick too.  They rose to meet God and serve Him with their day, and the people around them were going to hear their message from the Lord.

We look at today’s society and quickly become discouraged and saddened.  But, should we be surprised?  We have completely flipped our priorities upside down and pursue our own personal joy, desires and dreams first, and give God the leftovers.  I tell you this day, and let it be known, this world is going to continue on it’s downward spiral into the depths of unrighteousness and depravity as long as we are willing to keep God’s will and plan as an afterthought right behind our plan.  Your part is to change your behavior and seek Him with everything you have.  If all of us take on this attitude, you’d be amazed at how different this world will become.  It’s up to us and the message we pass on to our children to break the chain of self-righteousness and once again seek a life devoted to serving God.  Now, you’ll do one of two things: 1) Ignore this message and get back to your day timer or 2) Stop and pray for God’s wisdom in how to take on this day.  If you choose #2, then take the step to share this with a friend who might also benefit from the challenge.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Keeping His Promise

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself” – Hebrews 6:13

Walking through the park I take the opportunity to look around at the families enjoying quality family time.  Some are lying on blankets and enjoying the sun, while others are swinging their children on the swings or watching them carefully scale the climbing ropes or the steps to the slide.  The children run, laugh and simply enjoy the day in the park.  My visit to the park resulted from a plea by my 5 year old, Emma, to learn to ride her bike without training wheels.

A request that had been made several times over the last 3 or 4 weeks.  Each time the request had come in, I had responded the same way: “We will go the park and learn to ride the bike this summer.  I promise you’ll be riding a bike before you start school in the Fall.”  Promises made by a father are held dearly by the little ones around us.  I had made this promise to Emma with the full intention of executing on it at some point this summer, but honestly I had given myself a 13 week window.  In her eyes she was counting down the days until she was out of school and it came to fruition last weekend.  Emma came to me on Sunday after church and with her incredible brown eyes, simply said; “Daddy, is it summer now.”  I wasn’t on the same page as her and responded, “Sure, you’re out of school now.”  To which she quickly responded, “Can we go to the park and learn to ride the bike now?”  So, we ended up in the park that afternoon and Emma was riding a bike all by herself by the end of the day.

If I look to mankind and the promises made by our politicians, our employers, our friends and family; I am skeptical that they will fulfill the promises they have made.  Not because they are intent on disappointing, but because often times they aren’t the ones fully in control of the required actions.  On the other hand, our Heavenly Father has made promises to us that He will send His Son back and we will join Him in heaven one day.  He wasn’t as specific on the exact date and time, but similar to Emma and her bicycle, I often find myself impatient awaiting His return.  I trust completely in His promises though, and despite my impatience, I stand on the faith that He is just, sovereign and righteous.  He will fulfill what He has promised; for in God there is no deceit, there is no unrighteous act, there is no sin.  There is not higher authority that He needs to get the approval of, or counsel with in order to act.  He is the Supreme Authority on all things and it is only through His plan that salvation and judgment will take place. 

Do not compare the weakness and inconsistent behavior of mankind with the perfection of God.  When God promises something, it is as good as done, and simply requires our faith, trust and belief in His plan for execution.  Do not grow weary in waiting for His return, but take faith in knowing that He will.  Then you are free to live this life knowing that your eternity is secured in His word and promise.    

Prayer:

Loving Father,

We rejoice in Your promise of eternity.  We long to be with You, and rest in Your glory.  Give us the patience and endurance in this life that we might further Your message of love, peace and mercy to those around us.  Help us, Lord, to be examples to others of Your Son’s love and forgiveness as other’s observe our nature.  We remain focused on the prize and turn away from the distractions in life.  In Your name we pray – Amen

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Negotiating with God

“Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”  He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”  
                                                                                                                   – Genesis 18:32

We are always negotiating in life.  Daily I am on the phone with suppliers and business associates trying to convince them to give me the best possible deal and to go that extra mile.  It’s part of what I do for a living, but it’s also part of what we all do in life.  There are a plethora of books and instructional tapes or videos on “The Art of Negotiating”.  But I propose it is less of an art and more of a passion.  When is the last time you negotiated for something you didn’t want?  That’s just it, we don’t.  The only time we are negotiating is when we are convinced that our desire, our need is worth the requested action.  It is often for something that we are passionate about. 

As a father of 5, I have heard my fare share of negotiating tactics in my life.  Four of my children are beautiful young ladies and they have acquired the art of pouting with big baby eyes in order to soften this old man’s heart.  It all started with my oldest, who now has 2 beautiful girls of her own, and she has personally saw to training the others on how to convince Dad to get their way.  I now have my youngest, age 3, batting her eyes and pouting to get her way on things as simple as not having to take a nap, or getting to watch Barney or Elmo.  I’ve thought about this from the perspective of negotiating and often wondered why do I give in to their requests?  I can debate all day long at the office over cost savings and project deliverables, and most of the time walk away from the table the better for it.  Yet, at my own house, I give in to the ones around me without much of a fight.  It’s because I love them and have a bigger perspective on the outcome of their suggestions.  There is no way I would give in if I knew that they would be harmed by the outcome.

The first example we have from the scriptures of a man negotiating with God comes from Genesis 18.  This entails the story of Abraham negotiating over the souls of the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.  If you recall, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had turned against the Lord in their sinful ways, and He was ready to destroy them entirely because of this.  Abraham negotiated with the Lord to spare the city if only 50 righteous were found therein.  When the Lord agreed, he then negotiated to 45, 40, 30, 20 and finally settled on if only 10 righteous were found in the city, that the city be spared.  You know the story though, in Genesis 19:29 we find that the Lord reigned down sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness.  For not even 10 righteous people could be found within the city.

So, can we negotiate with God?  Certainly.  The  Lord is compassionate, loving and understanding.  But, rest assured He knows all things, and has a plan that is beyond our comprehension that will be executed upon.  There are many paths to the end point of His plan and we will make choices throughout our life that will result in taking one path or another.  He allows for this, because He loves us.  He is in control of everything, but has chosen to give us the freedom to love and trust Him or not.  Just as in the case with Sodom, Abraham’s compassion for the righteous people in the city was the motivation for his negotiating tactics.  He did not know everything the Lord knew about these people.  God knew the wickedness of their hearts and because of His omnipotence, knew the result would not be changed through Abraham’s negotiations.

When God tells you to do something, it’s for a reason that is part of His plan.  You have to make the choice of whether you want to negotiate with Him or accept His plan.  For example: if He is leading you to reach out to those in your community by working in a food bank or homeless shelter, you can negotiate with Him based on logic and all of the other things going on in your life.  You might say something like, “I really want to do this, as soon as I free up some time or finish this project.”  The Lord’s desire for your working in the food bank is not going to go away, because it is part of His plan for you.  What you don’t see is the people that you could impact immediately by following His direction.  By making excuses and delaying your action, there may be others that are impacted but you’ll never know.  God doesn’t introduce these opportunities into your life unless He has a purpose for it.  Put away the excuses and negotiating tactics, humble yourself to follow the Lord and be willing to trust Him when He calls.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You are omnipotent and ever present in our lives.  We humble ourselves in Your presence and seek You in our actions.  Fill us today with Your Holy Spirit that we might see the desire of Your heart in our walk.  Convict us to realize that You are in control and that we can trust in Your calling.  Help us to see the world through Your eyes that we might bless others in our actions today.  In Your name we pray – Amen

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©Sondove Enterprises, 2011