Weeping With Those Who Weep

The natural response of our human nature is to be callous or to be insensitive to the needs of others. Because of our inherent selfish nature, we are inclined to find needy people somewhat depressing to be around; for example, the desperate condition of the homeless, the broken hearted and the emotionally bruised can deflate or burst the carefree bubble of our comfort zone, and become a source of discomfort and irritation for us. Instinctively, the human nature guards itself with callousness and insensitivity. Therefore, the selfish nature is impervious to desperate people with desperate needs, and it is completely devoid of sympathy or empathy. However, when the selfish heart is touched by the divine love of God, then the heart is transformed; the natural response of our human nature is changed to the supernatural response of God's divine nature. The selfless, caring and tender love of God moves us with compassion, not only for those within our circle of interest, like family and friends, but for strangers as well, and even our enemies. God's love is like a warm ray of sunshine. His love penetrates the dark recess of the soul, melts the icy cold frigidity of selfishness, and we experience a marvellous awakening. The soul is awakened to the new dimension of caring, empathy and tenderness for others. We are moved with compassion to feel their pain, to share their heavy burden of cares, and to weep with those who weep.

Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept," speaks volumes about the heart of God. Touched by the needs of others, the all powerful God -- measureless in omnipotence -- wept. Feeling the pain of others, the all knowing God -- infinite in omniscience -- wept... shedding tears that flowed from eyes of compassion; tears that welled up from a heart broken by the pain and suffering of the broken hearted. To feel our pain, the Spirit of God became "flesh," to minister to the suffering poor, to heal the broken hearted and to set at liberty those that were bruised. Over and over again, Jesus was moved with compassion to weep with those who wept: He wept with Mary and Martha at the grave of Lazarus; He wept over the people of Jerusalem, who rejected their Messiah; He wept for them again, while they took Him to be crucified on the cross, telling them not to weep for Him, but to weep for themselves and their children. Jesus wept, because the heart of God was touched by the pain of suffering humanity

. Precious in the sight of God are the tears of His people. The Bible says that our tears are so precious to God that we should pray: "Put thou my tears in thy bottle." What value do you put on your tears in the bottle of God? Each tear drop is more precious than the rarest pearl or the most exquisite diamond. Therefore, rest in the assurance that God remembers you, when trouble is all around and tears are falling down. Rest in this blessed assurance: you are the apple of God's eye.

Yes, it is absolutely true, God's loving heart is always touched when you weep in sorrow, as you are overcome by your own personal pain. However, I believe His heart is even more deeply touched when you weep with those who weep, feeling not only your own pain, but the pain of others. In the sight of God tears of compassion are even more precious than tears of sorrow. When the love of God in you can reach out beyond your pain, beyond your self to feel the pain of others, then your tears become the TEARS OF GOD. God is loving them through you, and weeping for them in you. Precious... so precious are those tears: as the moon reflects the the light of the sun, so you reflect the love of God, when you shine with His compassion.

Have you wept before? Are you weeping now? Then there is a blessing in store for you. Jesus says, "Blessed are those who weep for they shall be comforted." The Word of God says, "Those that sow in tears shall reap in joy," and also, "Weeping may endure through the night, but joy cometh in the morning." Yes, my dear friend, this world is filled with troubles and sorrows, but we look forward to the time when God shall wipe away all our tears.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I pray that you will give me your heart of love, your eyes of compassion, and your healing hands to heal the broken hearted with your tender, loving touch. Give me a heart like yours, Lord, to weep with those who weep. In Jesus name, Amen. In the following topic, "Were you there?" let me invite you to go back in time to the Resurrection. This is possible through the power of meditation upon the Word, and the vehicle of your imaginaion.

Why...Why...Why?

The question “Why?” is often asked in times of crisis or tragedies when doubts and confusion hide the face of God, and our faith becomes shaken. Vainly, we try to find answers for the existence of evil that is inherent in death and destruction, the cause for so much suffering and sorrow. The reason for evil can seem like an enigma that is wrapped up in a puzzle and shrouded in a mystery. Indeed, in times of crisis or tragedies, when nothing seems to make sense, we come to the rude awakening that the faith walk is no cake walk; in such times we have more questions than answers. Why…Why…Why? How often we have heard these questions, saturated with tears of agony, and framed with doubts and confusion:... Why did God allow the terrible evil acts of terrorism on 9/11, causing the death of 3000 people?... Why did God allow such an evil phenomenon, like the earthquake which killed over 200,000 Haitians?... Why did God allow the horrific evil of the holocaust that took the lives of over 6000,000 Jews? If God is good and all powerful, why does evil exist? Why…Why…Why?

I believe that the extraordinary action of a group of Christian believers in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake speaks volumes about the reason for evil in our world. Understanding the spiritual ramification of their action can unveil the mystery of evil, explain this puzzling phenomenon, and provide the answer to the enigma of evil. What was their extraordinary action? These devout Christians praised God in the midst of death and destruction. They offered up praise songs and prayers of thanksgiving for His mercy and grace. Standing in the midst of the chaotic rubble of shattered lives, with the unbearable stench of 200,000 decaying bodies, they praised God for His mercy and grace. In that dead sea of humanity, they affirmed that God is good all the time. Implicit in their affirmation of the goodness, mercy and grace of God is the notion that the blame for the death and destruction in Haiti does not lie with God, but the blame lies with our fallen world. God's mercy and grace is the edge of protection, preventing the total destruction of humanity. The enigma of the omnipotent and holy God co-existing with evil can only be understood through the revelation of God's goodness. God allows evil to bring forth good, even as He allowed His Son to die to bring forth life. Indeed, the belief in an all powerful God, who is always good, necessitates looking elsewhere for the cause of evil. Looking elsewhere for the cause of evil, by following the trail of God's mercy and grace, leads us inexorably to ourselves. God is good all the time, but we are not. If we are not good all the time, then evil dwells within us. Therefore, we are evil. Why does evil exist in our world? I believe that this is the answer to the enigma of the existence of evil in our world: evil exists because we exist. God allows us to exist with our evil to bring forth good through His mercy and grace.

The Bible declares that the unregenerate, or unrepentant sinners, have the devil as their father, who is the father of all liars (John 8:44). Perhaps you will find this assertion shocking. However, you must admit that no one is sinless. No doubt during your life time, like everyone else, you have been guilty of the sin of commission. For example, you have committed bad things like telling a lie, and getting angry. Also, you have been guilty of the sin of omission, omitting to do good things, like neglecting to help someone. These faults, although minor, are not just anomalies to your goodness, but they are merely the tip of the iceberg of evil that lies buried in your heart. What exposes the evil that lies buried within you? Temptation is the answer. The Bible says that sin is caused by yielding to temptation. It must be noted that different individuals have different yielding points to temptation, like different liquids have different boiling points. However, the same evil exists in every heart. When the temptation is sufficiently “hot” to cause the heart to reach its yielding point, then the heart will erupt like a volcano, spewing out evil in one form or another. The eruption of evil from the heart is called sin. Sin is caused when an evil heart yields to temptation. In Jeremiah 17:9, the Bible declares, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" No matter how virtuous you think you are, the fact still remains that you are capable of the most diabolical evil, if the temptation is sufficiently "hot" to cause you to reach your yielding point. However, before you start feeling too conspicuously evil, let me assure you that you are no more evil than the billions of other souls in our world. Without the restraining hand of God's grace, this world would be a living hell. Therefore, our Lord has taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

In Luke 13: 1-5, when Jesus was asked by the perplexed disciples about the reason for the inherent evil in the death and destruction, caused by the fall of the tower of Siloam, as well as the terrorism of the Roman soldiers in the slaughter of the Galileans, Jesus identifies the evil in the human heart as the reason. Jesus says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”In the midst of death and destruction, in the depths of our suffering and sorrow, God in His mercy and grace is calling us to repentance. God could purge the earth of evil by destroying every living soul from the face of the earth. But for the grace of God there go I…and you…and every living soul…to death and destruction. Instead, through our repentance, God has graciously chosen to purge our sins with the blood of Christ Jesus, who is God in the flesh, the embodiment of grace, mercy and truth. Only faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin can transform our evil hearts, when the cleansing blood of Jesus is applied to our hearts to make us righteous, pure and holy.

Why does evil exist? I believe the answer should now be quite clear. Evil exists in our world due to our evil hearts. The condition of the world is only a reflection of our evil hearts, which Satan, the prince of this fallen world controls through his power of temptation. However, goodness also exists in our world due to the goodness of God. Even as we saw the inherent evil of a fallen world in the death and destruction of Haiti, we also saw goodness inherent in the preservation of life and the restoration of the country. It was God who touched the hearts of so many to give so sacrificially. The Bible teaches that where sin abounded in our fallen world, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5:20) Because of God's amazing grace those Christians in Haiti were led to praise Him. Our God of grace and mercy prevented the total destruction of the country, and He is even now preserving our world so that more souls can be saved through the gospel of Christ. Indeed, this is the wonder of wonders: through His marvellous grace and mercy, God is in the process of eradicating all evil from the earth, by changing the evil hearts of mankind through a spiritual phenomenon called rebirth or regeneration, which begins with repentance. Therefore, whenever we become cognizant of evil in any form in us or in others, we should always remember the words of Christ, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Our only hope for the ulltimate eradication of evil, which exists in our hearts, is turning to God in repentance, to receive His grace and mercy through faith in Christ Jesus, as Savior and Lord.

Dear friend, join me now in this prayer: heavenly Father, we confess that you alone are good, so we ask you now to forgive our sins. We now have a hungar and thirst for the righteousness, which is found only in Christ Jesus. Have mercy on us dear Lord. We receive Jesus as our Savior from sin. Amen.

I want you to pause for a moment and imagine this picture of innocense and its violation by the evil of a seared conscience. Imagine now a precious little infant cradled in the life sustaining whomb of his mother. You can see the development of his hands and feet, fingers and toes, ears, nose, and mouth. You can also see the flickering smile on his face as he sleeps peacefully, in blissful innocense. Suddenly, he wriths in pain; his abortion, his termination, his murder is taking place. What is the cause of such evil? A Seared conscience. Let us now consider how the conscience of the world has become seared with evil in our following topic, "Seared conscience."

Seared Conscience

The terrible horror of the Holocaust is a horrible nightmare of consummate depravity that will forever linger in the psyche of the civilized world. What caused a civilized nation like Germany to attempt the extermination of an entire race of people? I believe a seared conscience is the answer. Likewise, the monstrous dehumanization of people from Africa as slaves will forever leave an indelible stamp of depraved inhumanity on America, the country we call “the home of the brave and the land of the free.” How could an enlightened democratic country like our beloved nation enslave a race of people? Again, the answer is the same – a seared conscience. It is inconceivable that despite the worldwide outcry and repudiation of the awful evil of the holocaust and the evil of slavery, we are still plagued with the same kind of evil today. The ghastly comparison of the evil mass killing of the holocaust and the evil dehumanization of slavery can be made with the awful evil of abortion which is plaguing our world.

The Bible declares in I Timothy 4:2 that “Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” Teachings that justify slavery, the Holocaust, and abortion are instilled by a seared conscience. When your conscience is seared, then you become insensible to the immorality and the heinous nature of certain sins, like abortion. Your moral sensibility has been burned away, “as with a hot iron” and you become apathetic or even sympathetic to such horrendous evil. The extent of the evil of killing babies, still in the mother's nurturing womb, is surreptitiously concealed by the politically correct euphemism, “abortion." Americans have become anesthetized to the killing of innocent human beings by the use of the term “abortion,” which has served to sanitize the horrendously evil and diabolical practice of the mass slaughter of unborn babies.

What kind of teachings has seared the conscience of Americans? It is the same kind that corrupted and seared the conscience of Germans during the Holocaust and also the South during the time of slavery. It is known as Political Correctness. The Bible says “Such teachings come through hypocritical liars.” The essence of Political Correctness is state enforcement of ideological conformity to the treatment of a particular group of people though false teaching, dissemination of false information, and passing unjust laws. For example, it was politically incorrect for citizens of the American South to speak out against legalized slavery, and also for Germans to speak out against the legalized extermination of Jews, even as it is politically incorrect today to speak out against the legalized extermination of unwanted babies. Comparing abortion to the Holocaust, Pope John Paul calls abortion a “legal extermination,” arguing that both abortion and the mass murder of six million Jews came about as a result of people usurping the “Law of God” beneath the guise of democracy.

The comparison of abortion to slavery and the Holocaust may seem to be too farfetched to some people. Is it really fair to make such comparisons? Let us consider the parallels between abortion and the Holocaust to determine the fairness of our argument. Aborted babies are unwanted by their mothers; the Jews in the Holocaust were unwanted by their country. Aborted babies are considered not fully human; the Jews were considered not fully human. Aborted babies voices as victims remain unheard; the Jews voices as victims remained unheard during the years of legal extermination. Abortion clinics are called reproductive health centers; the death camps in Germany were called relocation centers. The parallels between abortion and slavery are equally revealing, when you compare the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision legalizing slavery to the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. In the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, there was a 7 to 2 decision, ruling that blacks were not persons, and they were the property of their owners, who could choose to sell or kill them. Likewise, in the Roe v. Wade decision there was also a 7 to 2 decision, ruling that the unborn were not persons and they were the property of their owners (mothers) who could choose to keep or kill them. The kind of mindset that is revealed in Germany, the American South, and in America today is indicative of a seared conscience. Is it too farfetched to say that the politically correct pro choice Americans would no doubt be the politically correct pro slavery advocates of the early 1800s? Is it too farfetched to wonder whether the seared conscience of those, who today support the right of a woman to kill the unborn baby, deemed not fully human, would have also supported the right of the state to exterminate the Jews, deemed not fully human?

There is irrefutable evidence that life begins at conception. God breathes life into the unborn child at the moment of conception. A woman is not only aborting a pregnancy, but she is aborting a life, a life that is different and distinct from her own. The Bible reveals how God knew you before you were ever born. In Psalm 139: 13-16 the Bible declares “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God saw you as a person in your mother’s womb, not as a blob of protoplasm. Dear friend, do not strive to be politically correct. The “hot iron” of Political Correctness will sear your conscience, and you will become morally blind.

Always remember that it is better to be right alone than to be wrong with a thousand others. Are you a true Christian? Then you cannot conform to Political Correctness, the belief system of the world, but you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will become the light of America and the light of the world. Moral issues determine the well being of a nation, not political issues. The Bible says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Let Christians everywhere stand up against the monstrous injustice of abortion.

Dear friend, let us pray: Father, as we have prayed for victims of natural disaster, war and terrorism, we now pray for the millions of victims of abortion who have been murdered on the basis of a woman's right to choose life or death for her child. We thank you for receiving these precious souls in heaven, whom the seared conscience of the world have rejected. Lord, we pray that our nation will turn to you in repentance. In Jesus name, Amen.

God has promised to take believers to heaven before His judgement of the world. This will take place at the Second Coming of Jesus. Let us now consider this promise of God in the next topic, "The Rapture." The return of our Lord will be the most glorious day, since the beginning of time.

Santa Claus Serves Satan's Cause

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables."

(II Timothy 4:4)

Christmas would just not be the same for most American families without Santa Claus. Many children are taught by their parents during the Christmas season, not only about the birth of Christ Jesus, but about the existence of Santa Claus as well. Indeed, there is a far greater degree of focus on the mythical old man, Santa Claus, than on baby Jesus, who is the reason for the season. The impressionable minds of children are inundated with stories, songs, movies, and advertisements about Santa Claus, while they prepare for his coming, hoping and praying that he will bring Christmas gifts to their homes on the night before Christmas. Many parents seem to get great pleasure in entering their children’s “make believe world,” especially when they become involved with the orchestration of their childhood fantasies. Such games with the imagination of children can be great fun, but O the web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

Well you might ask, “What’s wrong with a little deception if it’s for a good cause?” Many people would argue that there is nothing wrong with the desire to give children a merry Christmas and a time of good cheer. After all, it’s the season to be jolly. Why, only a “Scrooge,” lacking the Christmas spirit, would say “Bah, humbug” to that benevolent elf, called Santa Claus, pictured as a plump and jolly figure, with twinkling eyes, a nose like a cherry, and a long snowy white beard. Consequently, there is a consensus that there is really nothing wrong with the fabrication of Santa Claus’ existence.

The consensus in America for perpetuating such a lie to children was underscored in the famous response of the editor of the New York’s Sun newspaper to the letter of an eight year old child. The little girl, Virginia, wanted to know if Santa Claus really existed. What was his response? “Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Clause.” This response was viewed by the American public as a response of compassion and sensitivity to the emotional needs of children. However, such lies can only give a false sense of reality and hope to children, which can warp their thinking about spiritual realities. Lies, although well intentioned, can serve to entangle and ensnare the minds of children in a web of doubts, confusion, scepticism and ultimately disbelief of the truth.

Parents, you need to know what the Bible has to say about teaching fables. In II Timothy 4:4 the Bible says, “And they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.” In light of this scripture you should ask yourself this question, “Have I been turning the hearts of my children away fron the truth by the teaching of the fable about Santa Claus?" If this question is answered in the affirmative, then God will hold you accountable for preventing the impressionable minds of your children from focusing on the Christ of Christmas. Indeed, you have been used as the diabolical tool of Satan. Perhaps you might say “A tool of the enemy? Perish the thought. As a Christian, I have taken my children to church every Sunday." However, let us take an objective view of the contradictions presented in your profession of faith by fostering the belief in a fable. Hopefully, then you will see with more clarity why so many children are so terribly confused about their faith. Consider the following contradictions: You teach your children the marvellous truth about Jesus, God’s gift to the world on the first Christmas, but you also teach them the diabolical lie about Santa Claus, bringing gifts on Christmas day. You teach them to pray to Jesus about their needs, but you also teach them to send a prayer request to their god, Santa Claus, to grant them their wishes. As Christians, you proclaim the truth of Christ to others, but as parents, you proclaim a lie to your children; it is really the worse kind of lie, the kind that negates the truth of Christ. Because of your false teaching, you have made Santa Claus to be no less than a god for children, who descends from the North Pole on Christmas night with his angelic reindeer. Such a false teaching is a contradiction of your faith in God.

Your teaching has been extremely effective, because your children trust you. In their minds you are a paragon of truth. They believe the truth about the virgin birth, and the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Why? Because you told them the word of God was true. They also believe the lie that Santa Claus comes to their home the night before Christmas to be true. Why? Because as their paragon of truth, you violated their innocence and told them that this was true. What will these contradictions do to the minds of children, when they become a little older, and when the myth of Santa Claus is shattered? Their minds will probably become warped with confusion and doubts. If their minds should become filled with doubts, as adults they will no longer see truth to be absolute, but only relative, and they will be asking the same question that Pilot asked Jesus, “What is truth?" Their impressionable minds could be forever marred and scarred by the blatant contradictions in the profession of your faith.

Parents, you need to know the equation for the cause of doubt in the minds of your children. This is the equation for doubt: truth plus lies equals doubt (truth + lies = doubt). The doubt which you nourished in the young and fertile minds of your children could develop in later years to outright rejection of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The first impression on a child’s young and impressionable mind is the most lasting. If the first impression of a parent’s faith is linked to the lying fable of Santa Claus, then how credible to a child’s mind can such a faith be? When a lie is presented with the truth, then the truth could be perceived as a lie.

God wants you to tell your children the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What is truth? Jesus is the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. Do not confuse a fable in the minds of your children with the truth. The fable of Santa Claus serves Satan’s cause. What is the diabolical cause of Satan? The cause and mission of Satan is to plant his seeds of lies in your children, so he can reap a harvest of doubt. By helping to plant the seeds of lies, you have empowered Satan to harvest doubts in children. Children, doubting the truth due to your lies, will ask the question, "If Santa Claus is a myth, then couldn't the birth of Jesus be a myth also?" There is no question that Satan’s cause is to destroy the burgeoning faith of your children. Jesus says, “Satan is the father of all liars." God forbid that you should become a child of Satan, because you have perverted the minds of your children in presenting Santa Claus as a god to grant them their wishes. However. I hope you can see clearly now that Santa Claus serves Satan's cause. So down with Santa Claus and up with the Christ of Christmas. Jesus is saying to you today, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.” Lift up Jesus and He will draw your children to Him. Turn their eyes only upon Jesus during the Christmas season, and the things of this world, starting with Santa Claus, will grow strangely dim, in the light and the glory of His grace. I hope that you will choose to give up the "magic" of Christmas, embodied in Santa Claus, for the miracle of Christmas, embodied in the birth of Christ, who is God in the flesh. You must choose the "magic" or the miracle. The choice that you make today can shape your children's world tommorow into a world of doubts and fears or a world of faith and hope.

Let us pray: Father, I pray that the eyes of Christians will be opened to the deception of the father of liars, the deceiver, Satan. Let them see that they are serving Satan's cause, when they foster in the impressionable minds of their children the belief in Santa Claus. Let them see the cruel game that they are playing with the minds of children in teaching them lies, instead of the truth. Open their eyes, Holy Father, that they can see how the belief in Santa Claus serves Satan's cause. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Our God is gracious and merciful, and He is always willing to forgive our sins when we repent with a broken and contrite heart. Why is God so gracious and merciful? Because of His great love for us. Our next topic is entitled, "The Love of God."

The Love of God

"Behold what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God." (I John 3:1)


The love of God transforms hearts and melts the icy cold frigidity of inherent selfishness. God’s love is like a ray of sunlight penetrating the dark recess of the soul, awakening the callous, selfish soul to a new dimension of caring, empathy and sensitivity. If you have never experienced the love of God, then you have never reached out beyond your self to touch others, and to be touched by them, and to bond with others as if they were your extended “self.” However, although you can experience the love of God, such love is really beyond understanding. For example, consider these enigmatic, and perhaps for you, disturbing statements of Jesus about love: “Love your enemies,” “Bless those that curse you,” and also, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Who can understand the sacrificial nature of such love, which always seeks to give, but never takes? How illogical to the inherently selfish mind? How unnatural to the instinct of self preservation to love others as your self. Yet the Bible teaches that God so loved the world that he took on “flesh,” and became a man (God’s extended self) to die for you, so that you could live forever. Therefore, the Bible says, “Behold what manner of love, the Father hath bestowed upon us…” It is inconceivable! Such love is utterly incomprehensible to us, because God’s love is selfless, but we are selfish. The love of God is unconditional, but the love of the “natural man” is conditional to “self.” It is only in our brokenness through repentance that we can experience the love of God, which transforms our selfish hearts to beat like the heart of God, with the rhythm of divine love.

Comparing the life giving phenomenon of a mother’s love, which is devoid of the selfishness of other forms of love, to the unconditional love of God, perhaps will give you a glimpse into the fathomless love of God. Like God's love a mother’s love is unconditional; there are no prerequisites for her love. Why? At conception the bond of love for her child begins to form. As she feels the stirring of life within her womb during the nine months of pregnancy, her loving bond becomes increasingly stronger, and more and more the life within her becomes a part of her life with the realization that they are inextricably bound together. She willingly endures the awful pain of child birth, and quickly forgets such pain in her joy of holding close to her bosom the object of her tender love. Although the umbilical cord joining child to mother is severed at birth, the strong cords of love remains intact, enhanced and strengthened in her nurturing role as mother.

However, a mother’s love is only the merest infinitesimal reflection of God’s love. As the pale moon, without any light of its own, can only reflect the dazzling light of the sun, so a mother’s love is a mere reflection of God's infinite love. Long before you were conceived in your mother’s womb, you were conceived in the mind of God. How long? Infinitely longer than the nine months of your mother's pregnancy. Indeed, God’s mind was pregnant with you long before the world was ever created, because God is eternal and infinite. God’s loving bond with you is ageless. The Bible teaches that every hair on your head is numbered by God. He knew what you would look like before the sun, moon and stars were ever created. Yes, dear friend, he knew that you would be reading this blog, and how you would respond to his love at this very moment, long before the creation of time and space. If God has known you infinitely longer than your dear mother, shouldn't his bond to you be infinitely stronger? Indeed, it is. No wonder God made you into His own image. Eternally existing in the pregnant mind of your heavenly Father, at the moment of conception, God delivered you in the womb of your mother, where he fashioned and nurtured you. However, he prepared not only your mother’s womb for nurturing you, but he prepared her heart as well with unconditional love, so she could become God’s hand extended to provide tender, loving care for you. The comparison between a mother's love and God's love reveals that there is really no comparison between the finite love of your mother and the infinite love of your heavenly Father.

Perhaps you are now thinking about the pain your mother endured at your birth, and the sacrifices she made for you during the formative years of childhood. Your mother has proven her love. Perhaps you are asking, “What pain has God endured for me? What sacrifice has He ever made for me? Dear friend, “behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us” when you consider these facts: God chose your mother to deliver you in this world in your first birth. However, in your second birth ( born again) God chose himself to deliver you from this world to a world without end. Yes, God took on “flesh” to suffer the birth pangs of your delivery, when the sweat of Christ Jesus became as drops of blood in his travail. God in the form of His only begotten Son, suffered birth pangs to deliver you from sin, when his blood gushed from his nailed hands and feet upon the cross. Yes, Christ Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, sacrificed His life for you, so you could become a child of God. My friend, God is now reaching out to you for you to return His love. You were created, not only to be loved, but to love. What is God’s greatest commandment to you? It is, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” Begin to love your heavenly Father now, because His love for you has no beginning, and no ending.

As you reflect and meditate upon God’s eternal love for you, consider the words of the song, “The Love of God:” 'Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.' Dear friend, God is saying to you right now, “I love you.” I hope and pray that you will respond by saying to your heavenly Father, “I love you too.”

Let us pray: Father, we thank you for loving us, when we were unlovable sinners, ruled only by selfishness and pride. We thank you and we praise your wonderful name for your tender loving care, and your saving grace through Christ Jesus. Teach us to love like you, dearest heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

The truest love, like devine love, is a lasting bond, a "oneness," when two become one. Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches...abide in me." Our next topic, "The Tree of Life," deals with the concept that we are one in Christ, and part of His family tree.

Peace in the Storm

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Life is an endless struggle. From the cradle to the grave you struggle through the storms of life. Every beat of your heart or every breath that you take serves to remind you of the tenuous and uncertain hold you have on life. You are constantly beaten and battered, and you become weary and worn by the vicissitudes of life. For example, you struggle with your mortality, with unfulfilled needs, and with the fear of the unknown. You struggle with relationships in your home, on your job, and with your friends. As every living thing in the path of a hurricane must struggle to withstand the force of the rushing wind, so you must struggle to withstand the force of the storms and stress in your life. Indeed, your personal turmoil is a microcosm of the condition of the world today. Like you, our world is being torn apart by the howling storms of wars, terrorism, strife and dissension, as well as natural disasters. You long for peace, but you can find no peace. Peace is to the troubled mind as rest is to the weary body. Peace renews and rejuvenates the mind, and clears away the cobwebs of delusion and confusion.

There is a parable that gives a graphic and true picture of peace, the kind of peace that only Jesus can give. The story is about a king, who felt a compelling need for more enlightenment about the concept of peace. The “wise men” and nobles in his kingdom were unable to give the king a true understanding of peace, because no one in their "circle” had ever experienced it before. Finally, as a last resort, the king commissioned the artists in the kingdom to paint a picture representing peace. One by one they presented their paintings before the king, and one by one the king rejected their paintings. He complained that the artists’ representation of peace was as shallow and meaningless as the “wise men” and nobles' explanation of peace. Then the greatest painter in the kingdom presented his painting, brimming with confidence that he had the perfect picture of peace. It was truly a masterpiece, a most exquisite painting of a peaceful, pastoral scene. The artist painted a gentle stream flowing through a lush, green meadow. Beside the stream could be seen sheep grazing peacefully. Below the slope of the meadow were numerous houses of a little village; smoke could be seen curling up from the chimneys of some of the homes. Above the lush green meadow, the artist painted a blue sky dotted with bright, white clouds. The king was impressed with the remarkable skill of the painter. However, a dark gloomy expression came to his face as he gazed at the painting. With his vivid imaginagion, he could see the white clouds becoming dark and ominous looking, unleashing torrential rain, and turning the stream into a mighty river, flooding the meadow and the little village. Such a peaceful scene could change at anytime with the weather, he thought. Therefore, he concluded that this painting was just as meaningless as all the rest. The king sighed ruefully, and said “It seems that no one in my entire kingdom can give me an adequate explanation or representation of peace.” Just then an old man stepped forward. The king was struck by the serene expression on his face and the humility in his demeanor as he presented his painting. The first sight of the painting brought a gasp of astonishment from the king, but then his surprise gradually gave way to sublime satisfaction as he pensively considered the artist's rendition of the picture of peace. The most violent storm was represented in the painting. Gigantic waves could be seen lashing against the seashore, trees were bending under the mighty force of the wind, a heavy sheet of pouring rain was descending with unabated fury, drenching the landscape leading from the seashore. Every thing was at the mercy of the storm except an extremely large rock. Situated on a hill could be seen the massive rock, looming higher than the tallest tree. In the cleft of the rock, deep within its covert, the artist painted a little bird, sleeping peacefully, safe and secured from the stormy blast. The king exulted, “This is a true picture of peace. Peace in the storm.” Turning to the other painters he said, “All of you painted the calm before the storm, but this man has painted the calm inside the storm." The king at last found the meaning of peace; the only true peace is peace with lasting security.

My friend, if you have Jesus as your ark of salvation, and as your shelter in the time of storm, you can say with confidence, "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61). In this world you will need to always abide in the Rock of Ages; you will need a hiding place. The Bible says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principilaties, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places... "(Ephesians 6:12). You are waging spiritual warfare, and you can only be victorious if you abide in Jesus. Therefore, when the enemy comes in like a flood, find refuge in the cleft of the Rock, and rest assured in His promise, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is offering you real peace... lasting peace. His tender love for you, coupled with His awesome power, is your blessed assurance of eternal security and everlasting peace... perfect peace.

Let us pray: Father, only you can give peace, because only you can give us eternal security. Lord Jesus as our shelter in the storm, you will rebuke the wind and the waves on the sea of life, simply by saying, “Peace…peace be still.” Yes, the wind and the waves must obey your will, because you said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18) As we nestle tonight under warm blankets to shield our bodies from the cold, lead us, O God, to nestle our souls in the cleft of the rock. Jesus is our living rock. There we will find shelter from the storm, and there we will find peace. O God, let us be always mindful that when we rest in the hollow of your mighty hand, we rest in perfect peace. Grant us peace now, dear Father, in Jesus name. Amen

The gospel is the good news of peace to the world. The next topic is about the meaning of the gospel. It is entitled, "The Good News." Indeed, the gospel is the only real good news the world has ever heard.

The Good News

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

The angels announced to the shepherds, “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2::10). The good tidings of great joy is the gospel. It is the good news of God’s divine love, providing the gift of everlasting life to a lost and dying world. However, it takes faith to bring to fruition the quintessential hope of everlasting life for mankind. The first part of the good news, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” refers to God’s grace. God’s amazing grace was embodied in his perfect gift to the world, Jesus, his only begotten Son. God so loved the world that he was moved to restore our greatest loss, eternal life, by giving to us, the greatest gift, Himself, God in the flesh. When Jesus came, heaven came down to kiss the earth with healing love.

God’s grace gave Jesus to the world, but it takes belief, or faith to receive Jesus in your heart to possess eternal life. The Bible states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). God’s grace gave the gift of life, but you must choose through faith to receive the gift of life. Grace is about giving and faith is about receiving. Therefore, the second part of the good news, “that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” refers to your faith in Jesus, as your essential response in order to bring to fruition your quintessential hope to obtain eternal life. The rejection of Jesus through unbelief will cause you to perish as the rejection of God’s word through unbelief caused the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve chose not to believe God, who told them that they would surely die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead, they chose to believe the lie of Satan: “Thou shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). Their sin of unbelief opened the door to the sin of disobedience. However, to believe in Jesus, God’s Word, who was "made flesh and dwelled among us," opens the door for all to the righteousness, found only in the perfect obedience of Christ. The Bbile says that without faith no one can please God. Therefore, no one can be righteous without faith in God. Even as “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3), so our belief in Jesus as our

Savior from sin accounts for our righteousness. Stand in faith and stand in righteousness.

God’s hand of grace is now reaching for your hand of faith. If your faith can make the connection with grace then you shall not perish, but you shall have everlasting life. Jesus, the bread of life, is saying to you now, “I am the living bread...if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Jesus, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, also represents the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, transplanted in our dimension of time and space on Calvary’s Hill. However, it is only by faith that you can eat from the tree of life. Choose now. Choose before tomorrow becomes eternity. Choose to believe in Jesus, then you can feast on the bread of life, and drink from the fountain of life. Open your heart to Jesus to receive the precious gift of everlasting life.

Let us pray: Father, we thank you for sending Jesus, your only begotten Son, to pay the penalty for our sins by dying for us on the cross. We can see in Jesus the embodiment of your amazing grace, and so we praise your holy name. Amen.

Possessing faith in Jesus as Savior from sin is the only means of salvation for fallen humanity. Where there is faith there is no fear. Faith dispels fear like light dispels darkness. Now continue to the next topic entitled, "Overcoming Fear."