May My Heart See...

Yes, math.   That is what I’m writing about today.    Wait – let me finish.   My BFF Sandra is taking math classes and she hates math.   I found a problem that I think she will like – Jesus + Nothing = Everything Or as with all math problems –   Everything - Jesus = Nothing   I can’t take credit for this – It’s the title of a great book my boss gave me by Tullian Tchividjian. T he gospel in a nut shell, truly.   If you add anything to Jesus, like good works, or your own righteousness – is it the gospel?  Truly grace?   Really? Jesus did it all – He paid it all, the whole price.   Period. Galatians 2:   I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Chris...

Even though I have offered this as advice, one of the hardest, if not THE hardest thing for me sometimes is to “let it go”.   Whether its my kids, my finances or my way – it just ain’t easy!   How about you?   Are you one who can let it go? When my oldest son was born with congenital heart disease, the advice I received from my pastor was to “let him go”.   I couldn’t fix him; there wasn’t anything I could do really to make him better.       But to “let him go” was NOT an option!   He was my first born, my brand new baby.   I waited a LONG TIME for him – prayed for him and thought about him and now he was here and part of my life and . . . . Needless to say, I HAD to let him go.   There was absolutely NOTHING I could do to make him healthy.   I pictured myself laying him at the altar of God (sort of like Abraham with his son, Isaac), and walking away.   Oh, I turned away – for a second.   Then I was right ba...

We celebrated Rally Day at our church today.   A sort of “beginning” to the fall season for us – new Bible study classes start, Sunday school, a new sermon series, etc.   It was a wonderful celebration of beginning for me – I just LOVED it! As I remember worship this morning, I have a sense of belonging and of sameness – does that make sense?   By no means, are we all the same.   I mean my husband and I have been married over 35 years and we don’t see eye to eye on everything for heaven’s sake – let alone, my whole church body.   But what I mean by “sameness” is that we were all there for one purpose, one reason.   G O D. His Word, His Sacrifice, His Truth. Wikipedia says that “kindred” means a combination of extended family and religious group.   "Kindred" is a good way to describe the people I know and love at Family of Christ – kindred spirits . Do we all worship the same?   No.   Eat the same things, walk the same...

Do you understand what “justification” means?   I understand what it means when you are typing a paper or letter – the right margin is even – like I typed this post here.   But as far as God goes – as far as our being justified – do you understand the concept?   I’m not sure I do. I was thinking about this and decided to look into it – the dictionary says that “justification” means “to show or prove to be valid – to declare free of blame – absolved.   To free a person of the penalty attached to a grievous sin – used only of God.”  Webster’s II New College Dictionary.   My Bible dictionary had a great definition (I thought): “. . . . . for one to meet the state of justification meant not to be perfect   but to have received mercy from the Lord after having submitted to His will.   This same idea pervades the New Testament.   For one to be just in God’s sight is not living to perfection (which no man can do), but receiving mercy and ...