Matter of the Mind

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. “ – Romans 12:2

Walk in peace today; all of you who happen to be on the receiving end of this message this morning.  Allow your heart to be filled with His love today, and share that love with those that you meet throughout the day.  The opportunity to reach the world is present whenever you and I allow the Holy Spirit to reach within our heart and transform us to think differently. 

The world’s message is one of self indulgence, personal gratification, “It’s all about me”, succeed at any cost and then help others.  When we choose to walk within this attitude we deceive ourselves to believe that we are in control of our destiny.  We separate ourselves from the Creator, the farther down this path we walk.

Do you remember the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)?  The son takes all of his inheritance and pursues life’s pleasures.  He chases the self indulgent lifestyle that appears so attractive on the surface.  Eventually, as it will with every one of us, it is discovered to be empty of any real substance, for the pleasures are temporary.  Upon return his father spares no expense to welcoming him home.  Likewise, your Father in heaven will spare no expense in welcoming you home; even to the point of sacrificing His own Son for your redemption. 

The world’s view on life is to get as much as you can before you die.
God’s view of life is to give as much grace and love to others as possible before you die.

In either case, the end will come, and when it does our eternal fate will have been set.  Shift your thinking from focusing on the patterns of the world to focusing your mind on the spirit of God and rest in the joys that will last forever with Him in eternity.





© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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The Love of a Father

 

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” - Galatians 6:1-2

 

As the sun descended against the April sky, surrounded by the clouds over the great Pacific Ocean.  The waves began crashing harder and farther up onto the golden sands of the West coast beach.  Those with their toes in the sand, began shifting chairs and umbrellas, trading them in for sweatshirts and blankets.  In the distance one could hear the loud music start to carry across the vastness of the beach.  Lights were flashing, and the bass coming from the speakers was almost deafening, as it caused one’s heart to beat in rhythm.

As the sun set upon the horizon of the deep ocean blackness, you could hear waves lapping against the rocks and legs of the piers and jutties extending into the water.  Bon-fires were cropping up across the length of beach as people began to gather around each one.  Averaging 10-15 people per fire, they all sat staring at the flame or looking out upon the dark unknown before them in the ocean’s depths.  Most were in their teen years or early twenties, with a couple of more mature younger folks hanging out with younger partners. 

Couples and acquaintances cuddled under blankets near the fires.  Here or there you could find a few strumming their guitar, or beating a drum in the night air.  Some singing, but mostly just a methodical beat drifting off into the air in a manner of praise to the gods of fire and darkness.  Then the drugs and alcohol started being passed around, and a haze of vapor and smoke began to settle over the beach.  With the sun over the horizon, inhibitions were abandoned and the partying had begun.  Dancing ensued, followed by unmentionable activities between strangers as the swell of unabated desires fueled by the jeering and calls of those gathered around.  It was quickly becoming a celebration of debauchery, and the evil of the world was evident everywhere.

On the hill above the beach a single man stood quietly.  He held a sign on a pole above him, that simply said, “You are my beloved child, and I still love you.  Please come home.”  Tears covered his cheeks, as he stood alone in the cold.  In one hand he held onto a small doll, that had once belonged to his beautiful little girl many years ago.  In the other hand he held a blanket and a small bag of clothes.  He sang softly the words from a lullaby that he had sang to her so many nights as she grew up, but in the partying and uproar, his words fell silently upon her ears.

You see, she had ran away nearly a year ago, taking his ATM card when she did.  She proceeded to nearly empty his account before he could disable the card.  Now, here she was on the West Coast, living life wildly and just having fun.  The money had long dried up, resulting in her needing to beg and trade each day for food and fun.  She had ignored him when he called a few times and wanted nothing to do with his judging attitude upon her life.  She wanted to live her life for herself, and aggressively went out of her way to avoid his principles and nurturing guidance from her youth.  Rebellious in every action, she was trying to get as far from his beliefs as possible.

Yet, once he discovered that she came to this beach to party almost every night, he began showing up to watch the sunset from afar, praise God and watch over his little girl.  He stood there with hope that could only come from the Father above, to make sure she knew that his love had not wavered and that she was welcome back into his home.  His heart burst every night as she would glance his way, shake her head and walk away with her arm around someone. 

As the night wore on, the fire faded and the wind slowed down.  He stood at his post diligently, lovingly, patiently and watched as the crowds began to dissipate.  He watched as she emerged from under a blanket with two others, adjusting her bikini back into place.  Then another came over and grabbed her by the arm to pull her to him.  She pulled back and yelled something at the kid, to which the kid slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the ground.  Then he called her inexplicable words and everyone laughed at her, spit on her and kicked sand on her.  She lay there by herself, as they all began to walk off together, laughing and carrying on. 

She lay near the burnt ashes of the fire, sobbing into the crook of her elbow.  The fire embers provided some warmth, but the chill was setting in as she lie there in her bikini.  She knew she had nowhere to go.  Her roommate had kicked her out a month ago for not having any money to pay a portion of the bills.  Closing her eyes, she curled into a fetal position and cried herself to sleep in the cold. 

Soon after, she was startled as a blanket softly fell upon her shivering body. Her eyes were blurry as the tears filled them.  She slowly turned and looked up.  There he was, kneeling over her, with her doll in one hand and a bag in the other.  She slowly sat up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she lifted her eyes to stare into his face.  He handed her the doll and pulled the blanket tighter around her.  His words echo in her mind to this day, “I love you, please come home.”  She fell into his chest, sobbing deeply, expressing why she didn’t deserve to come home.  He held her close, running his fingers through her matted hair, her body convulsing as the tears flowed. 

The next words from his lips were the most important words he could ever voice.  “There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you.  I am your father and will always pick you up when you fall.  Come home and let’s talk about it in the morning.”  To which she replied, “Can we go now?”  He handed her the bag with a change of clothes he took from her room at the house.  He lifted her up from the sand, carrying her back up the hill, where he lay her gently on the back seat of his truck.  Covering her with the blanket, he shut the door and gave her the privacy to change into the sweatshirt jeans and tennis shoes.  He lifted his head to the heavens and praised God for returning his little girl to him.  He then started the car, turned the heater on and drove them the 110 miles back home, singing her favorite lullaby the whole way home while she slept in the back seat.





Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for the love you have given to us.  An immutable love that is poured out upon your children despite our transgressions and sinful nature.  We are loved in an unmeasurable manner and provided a grace that is so undeserved by our very existence.  Please stand near me and strengthen me as I parent my children and influence others.  Let your love be in my words, to gently restore the faith of the lost and help those that are blind see once again.  My joy in life is to share your gospel, give me the ability to share it with your blessing.
– Amen



© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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All in a Day’s Work

Make 2014 a year of Sharing

“But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’” – Matthew 20:13-15

The dryness caused their lips to crack and pus ran from the scrapes and cuts on their arms and legs.  The window of mercy and forgiveness had come and gone and they were left with the full conviction for their crimes.  Their attempts at restitution or reconciliation had failed and the death sentence was rightfully administered.  Their bodies weakened as the effects of gravity pulled at their internal organs and caused the collapse of their lungs upon their heart making it near impossible to breathe.  As the life began to drain from their bodies, one of them looked up and despite his failures, weaknesses and unrighteousness asked the Son of God to “Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42)  And so it was as Jesus confirmed the man’s salvation moments before the man’s body succumbed to life on this earth.

Christianity is not based on living a perfect life, or even a righteous life for that matter.  For being or becoming perfect is impossible based on original sin of mankind in the Garden of Eden.  Christianity is based on an acceptance and acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of mankind.  Are you jealous of those that have lived a life of crime and receive salvation with their dying breath?  The scriptures tell us clearly in Luke that it is indeed a reality and an acceptable condition for eternity with the Father.  Furthermore, it goes to show that salvation is not dependent upon the works of the individual but the single act of sincere acceptance of Jesus Christ.  Now, one can question all day long the sincerity of one’s salvation, but we aren’t authorized to make that call.  That is uniquely the role and responsibility of Jesus Christ alone.  Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”   Should we judge whether God can forgive a man and allow him to enter into eternal peace?  Far be it from me to take on that role.

Is it fair that some live a life of lust, debauchery, evil and disgust, and then give their life to Jesus moments before death or on death row?  My answer is yes, it is fair.  It’s very hard to accept, but none the less it’s completely fair.  If God sent His Son to die that ALL mankind might repent and receive salvation, than we should be celebrating when any child of God returns to the Father, regardless of when it is in their lifecycle.  Think of the Prodigal Son returning to his father after spending all of his money on wild living in pursuit of earthly pleasures.  The response of his father was one of loving grace and acceptance, as is our Father in heaven’s response when one of His children turn and come home. 

Jealousy, envy and claims of unfairness are truly nothing more than a representation of selfishness.  We want all the benefits we deserve and do not want others to receive benefits from their work.  In the above scripture Matthew 20:13-15, Christ shares a parable of the vineyard workers .  The owner of the vineyard early in the morning called men to work the fields and agrees to pay them a denarius.  At nine and again at noon and three o’clock, he does the same thing.  He does it again at 5 in the afternoon for all of the remaining workers.  At dark he calls them in and pays them all the same wage, a denarius.  Of course the men that had worked the entire day were angered for not getting more than those who came in at the end.  The vineyard owner has every right to grant the same benefit to each and every individual what he determines is justice, irrelevant of the others opinions on fairness.  It is his money, they agreed early on to do the work for that price, therefore removing any dispute about fairness.

The work that was accomplished by those that began earlier was exponentially greater than those that came in late in the day.  So it is with our Christian walk.  The earlier in life we make the decision and commitment to follow Jesus Christ the greater our work and our ability to improve His Kingdom.  Our reward is equal to every other person that has accepted Jesus Christ, but the fruit of our labor represents a greater blessing to our Father in Heaven, who receives all glory for our work. 

So, you see, salvation is available to all mankind, right up to their very last breath.  To some this is an excuse to party and live unrighteously right up to the end.  This selfishness for their own life may cost them salvation as they are not in control of their death, and indeed it might cost them salvation because they have intentionally denied Christ their entire life.  Only God can determine that.  The moral of the story is to accept Jesus Christ with a sincere, repentant heart and mind, then seek the opportunities to pursue him with your life.  In doing so, you have great opportunity to bring glory to God and help others come to a similar place in life.      

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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When God Ran

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

"So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20

  The story of the prodigal son is familiar to most.  We associate the compassion of the Father in the parable to the compassion of the Lord our God, and therefore the son becomes representative of you and I.  Dirty, smelly and filled with shame we have struggled and failed time and time again only to return to God, the Father seeking His acceptance.  Flip the pages back though and look at the beginning of the story.  We find the young, arrogant, self-righteous son demanding his portion and freedom from his father’s control.  His father honor’s the request and watches, I’m sure with tear filled eyes, as his son walks away into a world of hardship and pain.  The son chooses to leave the loving comfort that the father was providing.  The safety, the warmth and security of his father’s care discarded and deemed unworthy to this young man. 

We can picture a young man tired of being under his father’s thumb, abiding by his father’s rules, and having to tend to his father’s work.  I’m sure you can relate to his philosophy of desired independence and breaking away to prove to his father and the world that he can do it better on his own, alone, despite their warnings.  Do you think the son was crying as he walked away from his father that day or joyful?  This young man, ready to take on the world, walks away, proud and strong-minded.  He lives it up, wallowing in the lusts of the flesh and mind, and rolling in the mire of unrighteousness, only to find it painful and empty in the end.   Soon he finds himself struggling with the life he so much desired to have. Desperation sets in and we find the son longing to be in the presence of his father once again.

Can you relate to this story?  I can.  I find it representative of society in the 21st century.  We see many youth falling into this mode of longing for something different than what their parents can provide.  Longing for that independence and self-indulgence, to prove that they can make it on their own.  Living out the desires of their flesh, without concern for the impact on others or themselves for that matter.  How long will it take for society and the worldly values to overtake the ingrained values from their family structure?  At what point will we find today’s youth turning back to God, recognizing the error of their ways and seeking acceptance by the One they have intentionally denied?  We have found that so many of them are lost today.  They are led by the enemy to believe that they are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and beyond His acceptance into heaven.  From this perspective, we find them refusing to accept His existence.  By refusing God’s existence, they can continue in their sinful life without any fear of condemnation.

The good news is that God’s compassion, grace and mercy are sufficient for any sin, lust or addiction they can compile.  Regardless of the depths of their destructive nature and lust filled ambitions, the God of the Universe offers up a forgiving grace that is sufficient for their redemption.  His only requirement is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Returning to an acknowledgment of God’s presence and authority over life, just as the Prodigal Son did.  In doing so, these individuals will find God’s arms strong, loving and open to embrace them where they are.  This is not a situation where they need to clean themselves up first and then come to the Lord.  No, for you see they could never clean themselves sufficiently enough to stand in His presence.  His love is beyond the surface, beyond the sin and filth that make up our lives.  He loves us for who we truly are inside – His child; and when we return to Him, a celebration will take place in heaven.

Our role is to ensure that this youthful generation knows that they are not lost in God’s eyes.  As they seek for that religion of “acceptance” it is critically important that they fully understand God’s love for them and His limitless grace.  They need to know that there is nothing they can do to make themselves presentable, yet even in their state, God will accept them.  Be conscious of those in your circle of influence and reach out to them where they are.  Share the good news of grace and of mercy with them, so that they are aware of God’s love for them.  You can’t save them, only God can; but you can help them see.  Be blessed.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

  You have given us your amazing grace, that no-one, not one shall fall short of your love.  Help us to be busy about sharing your grace with others and encouraging them wherever they are that your love is real.  Remove condemnation from our mind and heart as we reach out to the world with compassion upon our lips.  Compassion for those in sinful lives, those who are in the mire of the world’s values and living in the lie of the great deceiver, who has told them they are unforgivable.  Give us your tear filled eyes, that we might see them as the Father accepting his lost son home again.  For it is through Your Son – Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com