His Love Is Relentless

My wife and I had an interesting conversation yesterday morning about the 11th hour.  I believe we will be surprised with who's in Heaven when we get there.

"Wait, what? Am I in the wrong place...How did YOU get here?!"

Right? I mean, we all think: this person is holy and that person obviously is not or this person is saved and that person obviously is not. But scripture tells us another story.

Let's look at the cross. There were two thieves on each side of Our Lord that day. Now, you didn't find yourself at the business end of a crucifixtion for nothing! Suffice it to say, these two were probably what we would consider "not holy" and definitely "not saved." However, at the last possible moment one of them accepted Jesus into his heart and Jesus saved him! Talk about saved at the last moment! Thank God for that kind of Mercy and Grace, right? I don't know about you, but I need it everyday!

Quickly let's also look at Jesus's teaching about the 11th hour and "Idle-all-day" people (Matt. 20:2-16). Some workers work all day long and some only work for one hour, yet all were are paid the same amount. My favorite part of this parable is that the lord of the vineyard KEPT going out every hour to look for labourers! He looked for people who were idle... all day! Jesus will never stop! Even until the last hour of the day, He will search for you! His love is relentless!

In Ecclesiatetes 7:8, Solomon tells us better is the end of a thing than the beginning. I've ran marathons, that statement is very true! Sometimes it's how you finish that makes the difference. Goal-setting resolutions can never match the unbelievable blessing of God's divine intervention to have Mercy on us!

So you see, it's never too late. God is waiting on you, not the other way around!

God Bless!

Not Struggling To Be Free

When I was little, I was scared of quicksand. I was absolutely certain I was going to fall into some quicksand and never get out. I don’t have facts on this, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t even any quicksand in West Virginia. Anyways, try telling that to a 10 year old.

Anyone who has ever seen a Western or Indiana Jones, can tell you – don’t struggle! It will only make you sink faster! If you just remain calm, you may have more of a chance… to find a rope, or branch, or call out for help, or something.

2 Cor. 12:9-10 tells us that God’s Grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in our weakness. Boast happily in your weaknesses and then the Power of God may rest upon you. If that doesn’t make your heart burst in praise, I don’t know what will. The weaker you are, the easier it is for God to jump in and blow that hardship out of the water? Sign me up!

Tenth Avenue North has a song called, “The Struggle.” It has a line that really resonates with my wife and I. “We are free to struggle, We’re not struggling to be free.”

Thank God for that.

God Bless!

No Longer Orphans

The Human condition leaves many people feeling disconnected, isolated and forgotten. "Who cares about me? What does any of this mean?" A.W. Tozer called it "cosmic orphanage*."

This feeling couldn't be further from the truth. John 1:12 tells us that anyone who "even believes in His (Jesus) name" is now a Child of The King! God gives you that right!

To be a child is to join in the inheritance of the Father. We are co-heirs with Christ! (Romans 8:17) Not just conquerors, but MORE than conquerors! Romans 8:37)

So forget this disconnected, isolated and forgotten nonsense. You are no longer outside the Father's house in the cold, alone and naked. The Father welcomes you in. Take that human condition and kick it out the door. Claim your right! God bless!

Listen to: Hello, My Name Is - Matthew West

*Mornings with Tozer Daily Devotional

Mercy Over Sacrifice

Twice Jesus said that He desired mercy over sacrifice (Matt. 9:13 & 12:7). Telling us something once is enough, but twice? He really must've wanted us to get it! So what does it mean to desire mercy over sacrifice?

Jesus was quoting from Hosea 6:6. The Israelites were offering sacrifices to God because it was their duty not because they desired to please Him. Their hearts were not close to God. There was no relationship.

Jesus is saying He desires that we genuinely love him. He desires that we follow His will because we truly want to. He doesn't want us coldly following rules like the Pharisees.
God sees the heart and no amount of rule following can replace a heart that isn't true. Mercy wins over sacrifice, everytime. God bless!

Sides of the Same Coin

A.W. Tozer said Faith and Prayer are two sides of the same coin. They are inseparable!* A faithful Christian prays. A prayful Christian has faith. I guess you can pray without faith and you can have faith and not pray, but that's not the most effective way to deflect the enemies arrows.

James tells us if we don't have something, it's because we haven't asked for it (4:3). We are also told to pray without stopping (1 Thes. 5:17). Brittany's Mom made a good point on this very subject the other day: the question isn't "Are you praying?" It is "Why have you stopped praying?"

According to Tozer, it doesn't take much wisdom to know our next move: Pray, pray, and pray!

God Bless!

*Mornings with Tozer, Daily Devotional Readings