When Where You Arrive Is Not Where You Meant to Go

I've been super-busy preparing for the new website and the new blog. Everything will finally be in one place. You'll be able to go directly to the blog without social media links if you want, although those links will still be available. You'll be able to comment on the blog without signing in to Google or going back to a social media site, and I'll be able to easily reply.

There will also be a store with a variety of items for sale. One item I've worked on recently is the James Bible study. When I finished writing it, I posted it as a dropbox file for readers to download to their computers. What I quickly learned was that most of my readers use their phones or tablets to access the blog, not a computer. 

I tried converting to a series of six blog files, as well as to a print version, but neither worked well. Recently, I decided to do what I should've done all along. Make an e-book. 

As part of the preparation for uploading the file, I spent days reworking my document endnotes ("footnotes" placed at the end of the book instead of the bottom of the page). I went through every link to be sure it worked. I reread the text several times to check for errors. I studied James, and was kicked in the repenter again.

Once all that was done, I signed in to Amazon's easy create-a-book site and went to work. I designed a lovely cover, uploaded the photos and file, corrected formatting, and was almost ready to hit "publish" when I noticed something odd. There was nothing about e-books on the web page. 

I fretted with this for an absurdly long time before I realized a critical fact. I was on the site to publish print books, not e-books. 

I had gone to the wrong website and was seconds away from a book I didn't want. Where I meant to go was not where I'd arrived.

I backed out of the print site and went to the e-book prep site. An entirely different bit of formatting needed to be done. Because I work on a MAC, the e-book Table of Contents and internal links all had to be done by hand. It was way past bedtime when I finished last night.

The problem of arriving where I didn't intend to go was quickly solved by opening a new tab on my web browser. The problem of an eternal destination error is not as easily solved, however. 

Just as I had two publication options (print or e-book), we have two eternal destinations. Heaven or hell. We choose our destination in advance and, unlike publication options, once arrived, the choice cannot be undone. 

As James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, our faith is revealed by our works. Faith that isn't manifested by works is dead. In other words, if our faith doesn't change us and make us more like Jesus, we need to consider whether we have saving faith or not. 

Those are hard words, but they come straight from Scripture. I'd soften them a bit and wrap them in flowery prose. James does not. He'd rather offend and save a soul than cushion someone in comfortable words that usher them straight to hell.

James urged those to whom he wrote to examine their faith. We'd be wise to do the same. To what kind of faith do our works give evidence? Is Christ clearly seen in our words, our actions, our deeds? 

If all we do is sit on a pew once a week, can we, realistically, expect that kind of faith to take us to heaven? According to James, it's life-altering, behavior-changing faith that assures our eternity with Jesus, not attendance at a series of meetings, not matter how well-intended. 

If heaven's where we want to spent eternity, let's be sure that's where we're headed. None of us can enter God's home on our goodness alone. We're all sinners. It takes faith, covered by the grace of God, to enter Heaven.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 niv 
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Importance of Mucking Out the Stalls
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The Miracle of Grace-Gifts

It's easy to overlook the miracles of grace with which our lives are filled, isn't it? 

A roof over our heads. Food in our bellies. Clothes on our backs. Children in our homes. All are gifts from God. 

Every heartbeat, every breath are miracles of grace, yet easily taken for granted. The heartbeats, the breaths of our loved ones are miracles of grace, as well.

The sacrifice of Christ in payment of my sin and yours is another miracle of grace that is tragically undervalued. 

As if those gifts were not enough, our Lord, through His Spirit, offers a relationship that is breathtaking in scope and depth, an attention to our daily needs that is nothing short of intimate, and a friendship that is beyond all others. 

It's a miracle of grace that God would offer such treasure, yet how often do we embrace those gifts wholeheartedly and with the reverence and gratitude they deserve?

God's blessings don't come in sprinkles or tiny trickles. If we acknowledged the magnitude of His blessings, we'd see they are dispersed in such abundance, we can barely receive them.

If we counted our blessings instead of our pain, sorrow, trouble, and hurts, we might see God's hand at work around us with greater clarity.

As we begin this new day, this new week, let's take note of those grace-gifts that God pours out upon us like water from a firehose and give thanks to the One from whom all blessings flow. 

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1:17 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link for yesterday's post: Having Eyes That See
Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List
Here's the link to my Global Outreach page: Leanna Hollis M.D.
#grace

Still a sinner

I hate to admit this, but I had a bit of  a critical, judgmental spirit last night in the airport. Yes, again. I have repented of this before, and have had to repent of it once more this morning. 

I was waiting in the boarding gate for my plane. A well-dressed man, who looked to be in his mid-forties, was chatting up a woman who appeared considerably younger. I've seen this kind of "chatting up" before, and had an idea where it might be leading. 

They were both headed toward Memphis, and he was a fast mover. Before we boarded the plane, I heard him ask where she lived. To my surprise, she told him. In case you're wondering, it is not a good idea to meet a man in the airport and give him your address, even if he is the most charming man you've ever seen.

She may not have noticed, but I saw an indention on his left ring finger from where a ring usually rested, and I assumed the worst. 

Off I went with critical, judgmental attitude again.

Of course, the interaction may have been perfectly innocent. He may have removed his ring after his wife died and this might have been the first time he's spoken to a woman since. She might have been the age of his daughter and reminded him of her. Any number of innocent reasons could have triggered the interaction, but I assumed the worst.

This morning, I was reading in Romans, but still thinking about the man, when I came to Romans 2:1.

"Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things." Romans 2:1. nasb

My first impulse was to defend myself before the Lord. (Yes, I know that's foolish.) I'm certainly not doing what that man was doing, I thought. 

Romans 3:23, though, causes me to see the situation in a different light. My sin may not be the same as his sin, but it is still sin. 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 nasb

In case you're wondering, my sin is no worse (or better) than yours. Our sins are no worse (or better) than the most sinful person we know. God puts gossips in the same group with murderers. (Romans 1:29-30) It's all sin. We've all fallen short of God's standard.

There's good news and bad news.

The bad news first. Because we are sinners, we deserve death and hell.

Every single one of us. The murderers. The coveters. The gossips. The adulterers. On and on and on. We are sin-riddled people, and we deserve the worst punishment our righteous, perfect God can pour out. We do well to keep the truth of our sinfulness ever before us, if for no other reason than to avoid a critical, judgmental attitude.

We are in a desperate state because of our sin and there is nothing we can do to improve it.

There is good news, though. We deserve death, but God offers eternal life through Jesus. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 3:23 nasb

That's pretty clear, isn't it? There's nothing we can do to save ourselves, no matter how hard we try, so God made a way of escape. He's given us a pardon from our death sentence. There's a catch, though. We have to accept this pardon His way.

Only accepting Jesus as Lord can save us from the death penalty of eternal hell.

It would be easier to make a big donation to a worthy cause or do some heroic action, but God will not accept a one-time "good deed". He calls us to a lifelong commitment to His Son, to the Lordship of Jesus.

It seems a severe kind of mercy. 

We give ourselves to Jesus so that we are no longer our own. It doesn't make sense in the me-focused society in which we live, but it's the only way. We accept His gift of redemption and forgiveness and, in return, we also accept His Lordship, His leading, His way. 

As if the pardon from our sin was not enough, God offers more. This leading of Christ is designed to be a blessing to us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans for us that are for our good, our welfare, not for evil or for calamity. 

We are all full of sin, but God has made a way of escape, and it is good.

Ponder that today. 

Jesus is all we need, and the plan He has, no matter how hard, will (in the end) be the best thing for us.

Since we, as believers, are no better than the world, let's make sure we communicate that truth to a world in darkness. We are sinners, just as they are. The only difference between us and them is the hope of Christ within us. Neither group deserves that hope, but it's offered freely to all. 

Undeserved, outrageous mercy. Inscrutable grace. Love beyond all measure. Jesus.

"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 1 Timothy 1:15 nasb

#mercyandgrace #sin #savedbygrace #forgiven #disciple #JesusChrist
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In case you missed the most recent posts, here are the links: The Costly Bad Attitude and Going Home. 

The most-read post of the past week: Death is Not the End. 

The Never Fail Investment: Storing Treasure in Heaven

"Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also." Luke 12:33-34 NASB)

Today's post is a continuation of the section in Luke where Jesus addressed greed and materialism (leading into the lily series). Yesterday, we considered where we store our treasure. Today, we turn to the results of storing our treasures in heaven.

Over the years, several money managers have given me their expert opinion about how to safeguard my money and how to invest. The highest yield ventures always turned out to be the highest risk, with the greatest amount lost. One stock market crash after another made me wonder why I chose the high risk/high yield option in the first place. I finally learned that a "high risk" investment is exactly that. High risk. My investment strategy now is much more conservative.

There is one investment strategy that never fails. When we store our treasure, our investments, in heaven, they are unaffected by fluctuating stocks. Thieves never steal our riches. Moths never destroy our cash.

How do we put our investments in heaven? Matthew Henry wrote, "Grace will go with us into another world, for it is woven in the soul; and our good works will follow us, for God is not unrighteous to forget them." When we do good in the name of Jesus, we invest in the kingdom of God. We make an investment in heaven.  

Our heavenly investment has the most amazing return. It never runs out. Matthew Henry says it is "never exhausted. We may spend upon it to eternity." I'm not sure what a heavenly return on an investment of grace and good works will be, but it will never fade; it will never end. 

Giving money is not the only investment we can make. Visiting those in prison, praying for the persecuted church, mission trips, helping in Bible school, volunteering at a local hospice, visiting shut-ins are all examples of "good works" that can serve as a kind of investment in eternity. There are too many opportunities to list them all, for, this side of eternity, there will never be an end to poverty, hurt, need. There will never be an end to opportunities to do good. 

I wish I'd invested more in the kingdom of God. I wish I'd shown more grace, done more good works. 

Every day, we have opportunities to either go about our usual routine of life, or do a little extra, a good work, show a bit of grace to one in need. Every day, we have an opportunity to store treasure in heaven. An opportunity and a choice. Will we keep our eyes on this earth or set our hearts and our eyes on heaven? 

Our focus determines how we live, so let's choose well. Set our hearts on heaven and send our investments on ahead. 

Give grace and do good.

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Almighty God, Forgive me for setting my heart on things of this world. Help me to focus my mind, heart, soul on heaven so that I might live the way Jesus lived. Free of worry with openhanded generosity. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Photo by freeimages.com

The Law of Dominion versus the Law of Love

Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." (Luke 12:13-15 NASB)

A man in the crowd spoke out and asked Jesus to intervene in a family dispute. He wanted his brother to divide the inheritance with him. The law required that the eldest son receive a double portion. Some commentators (including Matthew Henry) believe that this was a younger son who wanted a larger portion. He would have Jesus take from the older brother's legally obtained portion and give it to him. (The discussion about greed and coveting that follows suggests that this was not an inheritance that had been taken from him, but that he wanted to take it from his brother.)

When I read Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage, I was surprised. "In matters of this nature, Christ will not assume either a legislative power to alter the settled rule of inheritances, or a judicial power to determine controversies concerning them." 

This is so well written that I've copied a section of his commentary below. I know that, in this day of outrage, it may not be well-received. Remember as you read it that this was written in the late 1600's. This was a time of considerable unrest and severe religious persecution in England. Many people fled to the Americas to escape that persecution. 

"Now this shows us what is the nature and constitution of Christ's kingdom. It is a spiritual kingdom, and not of this world. 1. It does not interfere with civil powers, nor take the authority of princes out of their hands. Christianity leaves the matter as it found it, as to civil power. 2. It does not intermeddle with civil rights; it obliges all to do justly, according to the settled rules of equity, but dominion is not founded in grace. 3. It does not encourage our expectations of worldly advantages by our religion. If this man will be a disciple of Christ, and expects that in consideration of this Christ should give him his brother's estate, he is mistaken; the rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. 4. It does not encourage our contests with our brethren, and our being rigorous and high in our demands, but rather, for peace' sake, to recede from our right. 5. It does not allow ministers to entangle themselves in the affairs of this life (2 Tim. 2:4), to leave the word of God to serve tables. There are those whose business it is, let it be left to them, Tractent fabrilia fabri- Each workman to his proper craft."1

I am not presuming to say how we should respond or not respond to the changes in freedom in our country. This is not a commentary for or against any current law or judicial ruling. I am quoting what a well-respected theologian, whose work has stood the test of time, has written. 

With that said, there is one phrase that I love ."Dominion is not founded in grace." It's a true statement. No matter how great the lack of grace in dominion, it does not change the rule of love. As believers, we must remember that Jesus gave us a Great Commandment, and it is that we must follow.

And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (Matthew 22:37-39 NASB)

In questions of how we treat our brother or of how we treat our neighbor (even one with whom we disagree), the law of love must rule our words and our actions. This does not mean that we cannot take advantage of our legally-guaranteed rights, but it does mean that the exercise of those rights begin with the law of love.

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Our Father, forgive me for my lack of love. Create in me a clean heart that loves You with every fiber of my being. Help me to love my neighbor as I love myself, even when we disagree. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1. 1. "Text Commentaries: Matthew Henry (Blue Letter Bible: Luke)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 12 Jul, 2015. http://www.blueletterbible.orghttps://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_012.cfm

Mamie Invents a New Game

Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy is a five pound Shih Tzu who just celebrated her first birthday. She is still a puppy, especially in the playing department. Her big sister, Maggie the Wonder Dog is six years old and not always in the mood to play. Maggie is very glamorous and playing is done on her terms or not at all. 

One of Mamie's favorite games is called "Maggie Tap". Mamie likes to tap Maggie with her paw to see what Maggie will do. Mamie can tap Maggie at least a dozen times before Maggie gets fed up and growls. I'm pretty sure Mamie is trying for a new record, so the tapping and growling lasts for a significant portion of every day. Maggie is more patient than I would be, but probably she's just grateful to have a break from Mamie's incessant "kissing" (licking). 

Recently, Mamie invented a new game. Maggie was yawning and Mamie clearly thought, "Why not?" She stuck her paw in Maggie's mouth and pulled it out successfully. Immediately, the race was on! Mamie would stick her paw in Maggie's mouth and try to pull it out before Maggie could close on her. Truthfully, Mamie is unbelievably good at this and incredibly fast. Of course, Big Sister Maggie is far more patient than three humans combined would be, and kindly refrains from biting her foot off.  

This morning, the Wonder Dogs had joined me on my bed for quiet time. Maggie is a well-trained Wonder Dog and understands when to be still and quiet. Mamie is still an Apprentice Wonder Puppy, mostly because she is wide open all the time and is very seldom still and quiet. Mamie decided to play the "Maggie Mouth" game, even though Maggie's mouth was firmly closed. Mamie would pat Maggie's mouth until Maggie finally opened it, then pop her paw inside Maggie's mouth and pull it out before she could close her mouth. (The fact that Mamie still has four paws is due to the magnificent patience of Maggie the Wonder Dog.) 

As you might imagine, Maggie soon had enough, and started to give a little warning growl. Mamie never heeds warning growls, however, so she kept right on tapping Maggie's mouth, popping her paw in, and pulling it out. The warning growls got a little louder. Mamie never slowed down. I gave her a stern warning and moved her, but she was quickly right back in Maggie's face. Finally, Maggie snapped at her. In Maggie's defense, she let Mamie get her paw out before she snapped, so she didn't even nip her. Mamie was shocked! How dare her sister try to bite her!?! The most surprising thing happened next. Mamie stuck her paw right back in Maggie's mouth, daring her to bite the paw. 

Mamie's behavior is so much like our own that I laughed out loud before I moved her off the bed to preserve Maggie's sanity. Watching her do something that is clearly not wise and will be dangerous to her paw if she doesn't slow it down reminds me so much of some of my own decisions over the years. Perhaps you've had a few of those less than stellar decisions of your own. Looking back, I wonder why I persisted when there were plenty of "warning growls" to let me know I was heading in the wrong direction. Maybe you've never done this, but I have to admit that I have. I, like Mamie, have a tendency to do one more round, just to be sure. 

Now that I have accumulated a few birthdays (being 39 again), I'm not quite as foolhardy as in my youth, but there are days when I'm likely as foolish as Mamie. If you are honest, you probably have those days, too. As we look toward the new year, let's take a lesson from the Wonder Dogs. 

Be smarter than you want to be.
Listen for the warning growls, and stop while you're ahead. 

Knowing Who's the Boss: Fred the Rooster forgets who's boss

My good friends Walter and Sherry Downs decided to get chickens a while back and, as will happen, not all of the chicks turn out to be hens. They had two roosters that were just beginning to crow. Because crowing is not considered a happy sound in some neighborhoods, Fred Mertz and Ricky Ricardo needed a new home. As you may have guessed, they found rooster heaven in Blue Springs, where fifteen hens were just waiting for a rooster.  Fred and Ricky have settled into a pretty comfortable routine. Ricky does a lot of crowing, not surprisingly, and Fred is in charge of the chicken coop. He says who comes and who goes. Fred and I have always gotten along just fine, until recently.

Fred never has liked Bill the Magnificent. For some reason, he disliked him from the start. Maybe it was because Bill wasn't Walter, but for whatever excuse that silly rooster chose, he declared war on Bill. When Bill went into the chicken coop to take feed, Fred would jump all over Bill. You can well imagine that did not go well. I feed the chickens now. Even when Fred was having his trouble with Bill, he was happy with me. Not long ago, though, Fred must have forgotten who I was. At my farm, all animals are required to remember the hand that feeds them and remember who is boss.  That's me. This remembering rule includes roosters, just in case you wondered. Apparently Fred forgot about the remembering rule. I walked into the chicken coop with feed for the feeder and that crazy rooster jumped all over me. When a big rooster decides to fly at you, he can do it with considerable force. The only reason I didn't fall down was because he rammed me into the door. I hate to say this, but I might have put my bucket in contact with a little of Fred's body. It was self defense and, thank the Good Lord, it got him off me.

I had more than a few words for Fred about this outrageous behavior and they included a discussion of fried rooster for supper. I do know how to dress a chicken, in case you wondered. It turned out that Fred did not respond to threats. The next day, I headed in with feed and Fred tried to jump on me again. This time, I was ready. I had my bucket up in an instant and, instead of ramming into me, he rammed into the bucket. I did not hit Fred. Fred hit himself. He jumped back and took a good long look at me. You are not going to believe this, but a good dose of remembering jumped all over that rooster and he came to himself. He took a few steps back and thanked me for the feed I so graciously provided. He was grateful I had brought water to quench his thirst. He was grateful for all the chickens that lived in the chicken coop that he had thought was his, but now realized was mine. It was a wonderful moment, and one neither of us have forgotten. Fred and I are friends, mostly because he got his remember-er fixed and he knows who's boss.

It's easy to get so accustomed to the little area over which we think we are in charge that we forget who is really in charge, don't we? I have a friend who likes to say, "There is a God, and you are not it." Admittedly, I have sometimes needed reminding of that fact. Perhaps we all do. There is a God, and you are not it. It's not really that we think we are God. What generally happens is that we think we are in charge. We can become so accustomed to making decisions, doing what we want, and being self-sufficient that we forget those decisions we make, the actions we take, the supposed self-sufficiency are all possible because of the grace of God. That grace is His wonderful way of giving us what we don't deserve. Just like old Fred the Rooster, we can forget who's boss and start demanding our way. God must just laugh at our foolishness. After a while, though, he has to settle us down for our own protection. Fred the Rooster would have starved to death if he'd had his way. Aren't you grateful God doesn't let us get that far? Perhaps we should do what the animals here at the farm are required to do. When they start feeling sassy, they have to remember who's boss and recognize the hand that feeds them. It's a pretty good rule for us, as well.

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The new book, The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, as well as The Clay Papers and The Road to Bethlehem (an advent devotional guide) are now available at http://www.leannahollis.com/online-store/ Get your copy today.  

The Persistent Father, part 10

"Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement. (Luke 9:44-45 NASB)

Today's verses show us the great kindness of God in preparing us for the future. Jesus, with the cross always on His mind, was trying to prepare His disciples for what was to come. They were not yet ready to understand all He would face, but He wanted them to know that a crisis was coming and it would not be easy. "Let My words sink in," He told them. "You are going to need them later." It's not exactly how He said it, but is clearly what He meant. Let these words sink in because I am going to be arrested (delivered into the hands of men). If Jesus was not with them, they needed His words to be such a part of them that they could remember them when they needed them. 

When Jesus said, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men," He knew what that meant. He knew that there would be an arrest, torture, crucifixion. None of that was a surprise to Him, and He not only came from heaven, knowing what was to come, He stayed all the way to the end. Scripture tells us that He persevered because of what came after the arrest, torture, crucifixion. The resurection, the pardon He purchased for all mankind, was worth what it cost Him. Knowing that, He endured. 

Do not miss this point. Jesus told His disciples to remember His words and make them a part of themselves. He did not tell them why. In fact, He intentionally kept the knowledge from them. Who could continue to follow if they had know what would happen? Likely no one. If they were allowed to go through the entire difficult time from His arrest until His resurection, they would be ready for anything, and they would need to be, but they needed the time of discipleship first. They needed the foundation He was giving them. Looking back, they would remember His words and understand what they meant. For the present, however, hints were all they needed. 

It's interesting to me that the disciples knew they did not understand Jesus' words, but did not ask for an explanation, as they had before. They must have realized there was something ominous in the words, because they were afraid to ask. Apparently, they felt they were better off not knowing, and it must have been true. 

Looking back over my years of following Jesus, I can see many times that He allowed a difficulty that would mold and change me into someone more like Christ. Had He informed me of all I would face, I might have balked and refused to go farther. Might? I almost certainly would have refused to proceed. His kindness allowed me to see only the portion of the path I needed in order to press ahead. Perhaps you, too, have experienced the grace of an incomplete understanding of the future that allowed you to go to a hard time and carried you through. During this week of thanksgiving, let us not fail to give thanks for those hard times that molded us into the disciples He intended and the grace that has carried us through. 

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The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone  is now available online at www.leannahollis.com/online-store/

The persistent father, part 6

While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. (Luke 9:42-43 NASB)

Admittedly, it was a very dramatic scenario. The upset father brought his son to Jesus with complaints about the disciples, who had proved inadequate to the need, the demon attacked, the child convulsed, Jesus cast out the demon, healed the child, and returned a whole, healed boy to his loving father. In a matter a moments, a family had their lives turned right side up by the power of Jesus. 

It was an exciting time, and the people were amazed. I love the way this Scripture shares their response. "And they were all amazed at the greatness of God." In the midst of a healing move of God, people focused their eyes on the Almighty, rather than on the demon that had caused the problem in the first place. Despite the demon's dramatic attempt to keep the boy from Jesus, they kept their eyes toward Christ. It was a good thing, as only Christ could impact the situation and heal the child. Only Christ could save him. When He did, everyone was amazed at God's greatness. 

It is appropriate to be amazed when God performs signs and wonders in our midst. It is also appropriate to be amazed by the greatness of God in giving us breath on a minute by minute basis. Every moment that we remain on earth is a miracle of His grace. One day, we will enter eternity in heaven and that, dear friends, is the ultimate miracle of grace and mercy. 

Why is it that we wait to be amazed by a dramatic display of power, yet fail to be amazed by the equally amazing displays of His grace and love that come to us on a daily basis? We must open our hearts and allow God to give us the eyes of Christ to see Him and His works in all their greatness. We who are so unworthy to stand in the presence of the Nazarene should be utterly amazed by His grace. 

As we begin our day, let us unite in asking God to reveal Himself in such a way that we are undone and filled with wonder by His amazing greatness, mercy, and love. 

Excitement in the boat, part 16: the destination

Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. (Luke 8:26 NASB)

At the beginning of this passage, we saw that Jesus, on an ordinary day that was just like all the other days of His preaching/teaching tour, called the disciples to join them in the boat. The disciples went with, apparently, no knowledge of the destination. Along the way, a storm erupted and they found themselves in a fight for their lives. Before they knew it, they were brought to a deeper understanding of Jesus by the miraculous  intervention He performed when He stilled the storm. 

The story could end right there, and it would be a compact vignette with the powerful truth of God's authority and might. It was not, however, the end of the boat ride, nor of the story. When the storm was stilled, the journey continued. 

At last, they came to the country of the Gerasenes, the destination all along. The storm was just a stopping point along the way. We, too, have a destination at the end of our lives which is far different from the region of the Gerasenes, but sometimes we are so distracted by the storms of life that we forget that the storm was not our destination. On the sea of life, the other shore, our heavenly home, is the destination. That whirlwind in the midst of the sea is just a temporary pause along the way. 

We can well imagine how badly those disciples wanted out of the storm while they were in its midst. Once it was over, did any of the disciples regret going through the storm? After what they had seen, it is not likely. For the rest of their lives, it was a story about Jesus and His power that they retold time and time again. Rather than regret, they relished the time in the storm because of what they saw Jesus do on their behalf. 

Have you experienced a storm of life? Are you in the midst of one now?  Keep your eyes on Jesus and call out to Him. The Master Over Wind and Waves can handle any storm that comes your way. On the other side of the storm, you will be so surprised. The story of the storm will be like a monument to grace that you will retell for years to come. 

Trophy of Healing, part 2 (Luke 8:1,2)

Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, (Luke 8:1, 2 NASB

In the previous post, we learned that Jesus was accompanied by "some women who had been healed".  They served as a kind of "trophy of grace", as they were living, breathing proof of His power over sin, sickness, and evil. 

The first woman mentioned is Mary Magdalene, Magdalene being used to indicate her hometown. This was the Mary  from Magdala, and not the Mary from Bethany. She is described as having seven demons that had "gone out" from her. They had, indeed, gone out, but not willingly. They had "gone out" at the command of Jesus. 

The number seven is an important number in the numerology of Scripture, and is used to indicate perfection or completion. The presence of seven demons implies that she was completely evil, as we can well imagine with seven demons residing inside her. She was likely completely controlled by those demons. She was completely controlled by demons, that is, until she met Jesus. He cast them out and set her free. As we would expect, that freedom was such a relief that she never wanted those demons back again, and she did the only thing that could assure her freedom. She left her evil lifestyle, and kept close to Jesus. 

There are three very important lessons to learn from Mary Magdalene's presence in the group. First, once Jesus cleanses us, our sin no longer belongs to us. He has removed it as far as the East is from the West. She was no longer "Mary the devil woman" but Mary from Magdala. It's important to remember that we, and those we love, become new creatures in Christ. We must be willing to loosen our hold on what Christ has removed, and embrace the new person, the cleansed person He is creating. 

Second, Mary's presence was a testimony to the power of God, not the power of the demons. They were her past. It was her new life that was compelling, and it focused totally on how powerful God was, not on how bad she had been. A recitation of her sins is not included, because what she had done was not the important point. It was what Christ had done that mattered. 

The third point should bring great hope to those who have loved ones mired in sin. Not even one who is completely controlled by evil is beyond the redemptive power of God. All have sinned; all are in need of a Savior; none can be saved except by the blood of Jesus, even one who is completely evil. 

Do you know someone who is filled with and controlled by evil?  Do not give up hope for them. Remember that Mary Magdalene was controlled by evil until an encounter with Christ set her free, and He can do the same for those we know and love, as well. 

Are you struggling with the power of sin in your life? That power can be broken, but only by the work of redemption accomplished by Christ. Invite Jesus to set your free, then stay close to Him so you can stay free. 

Mary Magdalene became a trophy of grace, and we, by the power of God, can be trophies of grace as well. 

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Link to last night's blog post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-gift-garden.html

Finding the blessing

It has been a difficult few days in our area.  The tornado took a toll on all of us. If we didn't have damage to our homes or lose electricity, we probably know someone who did. There has been tremendous grief and a mountain of worry.  

In the midst of the trouble, the wound patients have found it hard to be as compliant as usual with things like eating enough protein, staying off their foot, and keeping the dressing changed as often as ordered. They've missed appointments in an attempt to avoid bad weather. It's just been a jumble at our office trying to work around the storm warnings and the storm damage. 

That might not seem like a big deal, but I am very particular about compliance so the wounds will get well quickly. (I've heard I'm pretty demanding.) Today, one of the first patients I saw immediately began making apologies for not doing what they were supposed to have done. Much to my surprise, I just smiled and said, "Oh, that's okay. It's been a hard few days. I'm not fussing at anyone this week.  You get a pass. Just do better next week." The patient was speechless for a minute, then started smiling. "Thanks!" I talked about how the wound was doing and spent the rest of our time finding out about how the storm had affected them. 

After I'd let one person off so easily, I couldn't suddenly get tough again, so I've "given passes" all day. We've had enough hard times this week.  Who wants to add a demanding doctor to everything else?  As I talked with the patients about the storm, I was surprised by how it had affected them. Some were without power. A few had lost a loved one. Some had freezers filled with food in danger of spoiling. The interesting thing was that, though most people had some kind of trouble related to the storm, they all had a blessing of some kind for which they were grateful. 

One man was a child during the tornado of 1936. He was grateful that the clean up wasn't mule-driven this time around. After he described the work back then, I was too. He'd also lived through a tornado that killed his good white horse. He was very grateful that not one of his horses was killed this time round. 

Another man was grateful for his good insurance that would reimburse him for the food in the freezer if it spoils. Everyone was grateful that their trouble hadn't been worse. 

At the end of the day, I was telling someone about the "grace in the storm" project.  As I talked, I realized I had been dispensing grace all day, and I really liked it. So, here's some grace for you: 

Do better tomorrow. 

Apologize to The Lord for your failures and just do better tomorrow. 

Grace. 

It feels good, doesn't it? Now, it's your turn. Spread some grace around.  Have fun!

What is spoken here?

When I was a full-time potter, one of the items that was consistently popular at the round of festivals and art shows where I sold my wares was a clay plaque that read, "Southern Spoken Here".  One of them hangs above my desk at home, along with a variety of clay crosses and a clay plaque that simply says "Grace".  I've seen those plaques literally hundreds of times over the years.  

Today, however, I've seen them with fresh eyes. As I looked up from my computer and noticed the plaque this afternoon, I thought, "Why Southern?  Why not grace?"  Of course, in the heart of northeast Mississippi, Southern is exactly where and who I am, so that makes sense.  I am also saved by the blood of the Lamb and overwhelmed by His mercy and grace. For that reason, grace should be spoken here, as well.  Mercy should be spoken here.  I hope they are.

This evening, ask yourself what is spoken in your home?  Is it merely a reflection of who and where you are, or does the speech in your home serve as a reflection of WHOSE you are?  May your home be so filled with the love of Christ, that all who enter will say, "Grace spoken here."

Grace Spoken Here

"They shouldn't have done that"

I had the opportunity to speak with a young man recently who, by some standards, is a little handicapped. After our visit, I'm not so sure about that. Our conversation had meandered through a few topics when he unexpectedly said, "They shouldn't 'a done that to him!" What ??? I obviously did not understand, so he repeated it, a little louder to be sure I got it this time. "They shouldn't have done that to him!" he said, as plain as could be. Still not understanding, I asked, "Who?" I didn't know who did it, nor to whom they did it, much less what they did.  He looked at me with the sternest expression and said,"Jesus."  

Indeed. They shouldn't have done what they did to Jesus. He was exactly right. We shouldn't have done what we did to Jesus.  In the most incredible gift of grace ever imagined, Jesus knew what we would do to Him, yet He willingly came anyway. We would do well to remember this wise young man's words this Christmas season. We shouldn't have done what we did to Him, but He knew we would, and He came anyway. THAT should make all the difference - in our attitude, our spending, and how we live - this advent season. 

The Unexpectedly Grateful Heart -part 19

Today was grooming day and check-up day for Maggie the Wonder Dog. We were in line behind a man holding what I thought was a lop-eared rabbit. I'm very fond of lops (and, in fact, used to raise them, which is a story for another day) so I moved a little closer to get a better look at the bunny. I overheard the man telling the receptionist that they didn't have time for her and were thinking about finding her a new home. My first thought was, "How much time does a rabbit require?"

There was a lull in their conversation, so I leaned in to see the bunny. As I did, I realized it had a very odd nose that looked nothing at all like a bunny nose. "Oh, how cute!" I said, as I began to wonder exactly what kind a creature he was holding. "What kind is she?" I asked, hoping to get a clue from his answer. "She's a toy poodle," he said. I was speechless. I couldn't even tell it was a dog! 

This little fur ball is not a perfect fit with the lifestyle of her owners, but they love her. It may be that she needs a little more attention and they need a less high-maintenance pet. I was astonished when someone said, "if you are serious about finding her a new home, I might take her." What was the most astonishing was that the volunteer adopter was me! I reached out for the fur ball and she snuggled in. Maggie gave her a good sniffing over and seemed content. 

I'm not sure Maggie wants a sister, but that little fur ball probably needs one. For sure, she needs a second chance at a happy home. We won't know until next week, but for now Maggie the Wonder Dog and I think we may be expecting! It's exciting and scary all at the same time. 

Tonight, I'm grateful for second chances. I'm grateful for the kind of second chance the little fur ball may get, with a new and less hectic family, but also the second chance when I've totally messed up and need forgiveness. Over the years, I've needed those second chances far too often. There's something wonderful about mercy, not giving me what I deserve when I mess up, but oh the grace of a second chance that gives me so much better than I deserve! Mercy and grace. I'm thankful for them, too. 

Perhaps you've needed some second chances of your own along the way. Maybe you, like me, have needed that priceless mercy and grace. The One who dispenses both so freely deserves our thanks and praise. Let's not forget the Source of those gifts, as well as all the other blessings we enjoy, and let's be sure we offer thanks with a grateful heart. 

Happy Thanksgiving!