Day 4 - Intense Treatment - Cleansing through the Blood of Jesus Brings Joy

God of Joy,

Thank you that you have made a way for us to live in your Spirit-infused joy, by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus the Christ.  Thank you that the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, will cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.  We know that the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  Thank you that Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.  He will appear a second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Thank you for the invitation to wait on his return and live in communion with him.  I know that the ways of this world - things that vex or influence my spirit - run interference for my ability to be in communion with Christ.  Show me the places where I am not communing, and cleanse me through the blood of Christ.  Purify me from everything that contaminates my body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Where my spirit feels crushed, without courage, and unable to cope, give me refreshing, renewal, and transformation. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. And may your Spirit fill me with joy so that I will show your Love and Joy and Grace to the world.  In Christ's name I pray, Amen. 

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
    but heartache crushes the spirit.  (Proverbs 15:13 NIV)

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)

The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?  (Proverbs 18:14 NLT)

The will to live sustains you when you’re sick, but depression crushes courage and leaves you unable to cope. (Proverbs 18:14 TPT)

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12 NIV)

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV)

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.   (Hebrews 9 NIV)

"O the Blood" 
by Mary Elizabeth Miller and Thomas Miller (c) 2010 Gateway Music

O the blood

Crimson love

Price of life's demand

Shameful sin

Placed on Him

The Hope of every man

O the blood of Jesus washes me

O the blood of Jesus shed for me

What a sacrifice that saved my life

Yes, the blood, it is my victory

Idea from:  https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=25704 

Some notes from:   NIV Study Bible (c) Zondervan, 2011

February 17, 2021 Prayer - Ash Wednesday

Forgiving God,

How good it is to praise our God!  You determine the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.  Great are you, Lord, and mighty in power; your understanding has no limit.  Thank you that you build up your children - you gather the exiles, heal the brokenhearted, and bind up their wounds.  Thank you that you sustain the humble but cast the wicked to the ground.  Thank you that on this Ash Wednesday, you call your children to repentance because you want us to be able too enter your presence.  We confess our sins to you; cleanse us from our unrighteousness.  Help us embrace the forgiveness and grace you offer us through Jesus Christ.  Spirit of the Sovereign Lord, pour out on your forgiven and loved children so we are anointed to proclaim your Good News to the poor, captives, and those who grieve and despair.  Help us to show your Light and Love to those who struggle - to bestow on them a crown of beauty and joy, instead of ashes and mourning. May you strengthen us to be oaks of righteousness that display the splendor, majesty and glory of your Name.  In Jesus's name we pray, Amen. 

"Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,

    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars

    and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

    his understanding has no limit.

The Lord sustains the humble

    but casts the wicked to the ground." (Psalm 147:1-6 NIV)

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NIV)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV)

Jars of Clay - part 1

Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Prov. 12:18 NIV)

⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4 NIV)

³ So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." (Jer. 18 NIV)

So, perhaps you are like me: God is still working with us to form us into the image of Christ. I've had two incidents this week in which I've recognized God challenging me to see things or do things his way - not mine. Each time I feel kind of low for even needing to be reminded - again - of this particular character flaw. But, each time, I need to come back to receive God's grace.

Early in the week I was talking to a friend whose opinion and faith I deeply respect. I was trying to have this phone conversation at the same time I was trying to convince two rather reluctant preschoolers they MUST lay down for a nap. Needless to say, it was not good timing on my part. But, as my friend's time was limited I tried to squeeze in the conversation anyway.

What I write about today was that I snapped at my children "in front of" (as I was talking with) my friend. I know that God wants us to lovingly steer our children in his direction (ie "discipline") and that rest is a good thing. But, I also know the tone of voice I used and, to a lesser degree, the words were not loving and kind. Because I believe that my children are gifts of God, I know I must be careful to steward these precious gifts - these precious souls. And so I had to ask God for forgiveness, again, for using unkind language with my children.

And then I realized I was more concerned with what my friend thought of me than with what I had just said to my children. Of course, I don't want her to think poorly of me, but I can't control her response - just my actions. And she is an adult; someone who knows it's hard work to raise kids and that sometimes are better than others. On the other hand I had to come back to asking God for for forgiveness when I was too interested in what she thought of me - and not as concerned with what tiny seed I may have inadvertently sown in my children's spirits.

I am a work in progress - a jar of clay being molded by the Potter into whatever he wants. So, daily, I have to come back to God:

I ask You: "How many times will You pick me up,

When I keep on letting You down?

And each time I will fall short of Your glory,

How far will forgiveness abound?"

And You answer: "My child, I love you.

And as long as you're seeking My face,

You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace." ("Grace" by Laura Story)

So, God, forgive us for the times our words have hurt others. Help us walk in the power of your daily sufficient grace. Help our words be kind and wise and sow seeds of love and grace. Help us forgive ourselves when we stumble and trust you for forgiveness. In the all-sufficiency of Christ we pray. Amen.

Truth, Hamas, Evolution

A truthful witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies. (Prov. 14:5 NIV)

Last weekend there were two news stories that especially caught my attention, specifically for their relevance to Christian faith.

The first was an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "They Need to Be Liberated from Their God." ** Needless to say, the title first caught my attention. The article itself was about the son of one of the founders of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. This 32 year old Mosab Hassan Yousef was raised in a devout Muslim family but secretly embraced Christianity and became a spy for Israel. When asked "why," he replied that the motivation was to save lives.

"I converted to Christianity because I was convinced by Jesus Christ as a character, as a personality. I loved him, his wisdom, his love, his unconditional love. I didn't leave [the Islamic] religion to put myself in another box of religion. At the same time it's a beautiful thing to see my God exist in my life and see the change in my life. I see that when he does exist in other Middle Easterners there will be a change.

"I'm not trying to convert the entire nation of Israel and the entire nation of Palestine to Christianity. But at least if you can educate them about the ideology of love, the ideology of forgiveness, the ideology of grace. Those principles are great regardless, but we can't deny they came from Christianity as well."

Love, forgiveness, grace. Hmmmm....sounds pretty good for all of us, I think.

The second article was "Top Home-School Texts Dismiss Darwin, Evolution" *** on FoxNews.com. Because the home schooling community in the U.S. consists mostly of evangelical Christians - people who are likely to believe in Creationism - their textbooks do not take evolution as fact. The article says,

Two of the best-selling biology textbooks stack the deck against evolution, said some science educators who reviewed sections of the books at the request of The Associated Press.

"I feel fairly strongly about this. These books are promulgating lies to kids," said Jerry Coyne, an ecology and evolution professor at the University of Chicago.

As a mom and a Christian, I can say "fairly strongly" that the secular classrooms are "promulgating lies to kids" when they don't allow Creationism to be taught.

Probably the thing that unites these two articles for me is the concept of TRUTH. Yousef found the Truth of Jesus in an unlikely way - and then that played out in his life in some unusual and amazing ways. Secular schools and publishers embrace "truth" in hypothesis like evolution, not willing to see the possibility of Creation being Truth. But Jesus was very explicit that HE was the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. In fact, over and over he said "I tell you the truth..." So, let us seek God's truth as we seek to be God's Light, Grace, Forgiveness, & Love.

So, God we pray for revelation of your truth.

⁴ Show us your ways, O LORD,
teach us your paths;

⁵ guide us in your truth and teach us,
for you are God our Savior,
and our hope is in you all day long.

⁶ Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

¹⁰ For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.

¹¹ Teach us your way, O LORD,
and we will walk in your truth;
give us an undivided heart,
that we may fear your name.

¹² We will praise you, O Lord our God, with all our heart;
We will glorify your name forever.

AMEN.

(Psalms 25, 86 NIV, alt.)

** http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703915204575103481069258868.html

*** http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588260,00.html

Decked out for delight

Listen, God! Please, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help.
Every morning
you'll hear me at it again.
Every morning
I lay out the pieces of my life
on your altar
and watch for fire to descend.

Oh God - hear my humble prayer for forgiveness from sin. Cleanse me from unrighteousness. Restore to me the joy of communion with you.

^4-6 You don't socialize with Wicked,
or invite Evil over as your houseguest.
Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you;
you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.
God destroys Lie-Speaker;
Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you.

Protect your children from sliding into things that are disgusting to you, things that do not show your Light and Life to this world.

^7-8 And here I am, your invited guest—
it's incredible!
I enter your house; here I am,
prostrate in your inner sanctum,
Waiting for directions
to get me safely through enemy lines.

Thank you for the invitation to be your child, to live the abundant life, to know your directions and protection.

^9-10 Every word they speak is a land mine;
their lungs breathe out poison gas.
Their throats are gaping graves,
their tongues slick as mudslides.
Pile on the guilt, God!
Let their so-called wisdom wreck them.
Kick them out! They've had their chance.

Show us your wisdom. Speak your words through us.

^11-12 But you'll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight. (Psalm 5 MSG)

Amen and amen!!

Thorns

Recently I joined the Facebook "community" and since then have reconnected (intentionally) with a few friends from grad school and relatives I haven't seen in awhile. That is one of the nice advantages of having such a place - finding long-lost friends. But, then, sometimes that ability to reconnect is also a liability, as two people from a long time ago (in my life) have contacted me and wanted to be Facebook "friends."

These specific two people are guys I was involved with in one way or another at different times. [Fast forward 15-20 years and we're all married with kids. But that's not this story.] I remember each of these guys in the context of my shame at the choices I made with them. So, while I may be somewhat curious about how their lives have turned out, my larger reaction even after all these years is, "ugh. I thought I'd put that memory, that person behind me. And here he is showing up again, reminding me of things I would rather forget."

And it dawned on me the other day that the Evil One uses his whispers of "shame on you" and "I bet they haven't forgotten" and "you were sure dumb then" to pull me down. When the truth is that repentance is about turning away from sin and turning toward God. I made (and continue to make) my choice to be serious about my relationship with God. As that happens I continue to better understand God's love, grace, forgiveness and - get this - forgetfulness - in a way that I can't concisely put into words.

A guy at church calls all this emotional garbage "skubalon," which is a (real) Greek word meaning "refuge" and "things worthless and detestable." I would imagine that there are more people out there with a conscience, people who have made foolish choices that they now regret, people that would rather forget pieces of their past, especially their own set of skubalon. I keep having to remind myself that it's those things that Jesus came to forgive. Those places in our memories and hearts he came to heal. Those whispers for which he came to say, "Peace, be still." Those lives that he came to redeem from the Pit and point toward the Great Banquet Feast the Father has prepared for us. The Evil One would like to distract us from the reality of our identity, seen through the blood of Christ, as precious children of the King of Kings. When we acknowledge that those whispers are nothing but distraction, we can go on to embrace the Way, the Truth and the Abundant Life we are offered.

I was talking this over with a friend last night and she reminded me that maybe God has let me keep those ("I wish they were gone") memories to help me have more mercy and grace for others who are also making choices that are not of God. Maybe those thorns I carry help me to be more compassionate to others who are still tangled in the thorny bush. Maybe the Crown of Thorns is a symbol of all that skubalon being nailed to the Cross and we bear it no more, praise the Lord!

My prayer for each of us is for forgetfulness...for redemption...for skubalon forgiven...for freedom from thorns carried many years and many miles...for a tender and humble heart to extend grace to others and to ourselves...for the heart to know what is of Evil and what is the voice of God...for joy in the Lord to embrace the Abundant Life as God's Children, enjoying the heavenly feast with Jesus...Maranatha, Lord Jesus, Come.

"...Anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins." (2 Cor. 5:16 MSG)

(P.S. I am so grateful to God for my husband and the life I'm living now. Evil's whispers and thorns come and go, but the bigger and better parts of my life are embracing the Abundance of Christ. I hope that if you are someone struggling with your own thorns, that this prayer will help you.)