forgiveness means . . .

F -       freeing my soul of anger in order to receive the fullness of God’s grace

O -      owning up to my personal sin

R -       releasing my right to hold onto anything separating my spirit from God’s Spirit

G -       giving God all my tests of faith

I -        inviting God to control my thoughts, my mouth and my life

V -       valuing His love for me above all other love

E -       emptying myself of all pride and becoming humble in order to walk with God

N -       never allowing Satan to work through me to hurt another believer and steal my joy

E -       enjoying God’s presence and peace as He lavishly bestows it

S -       saying “this is the day God made for me, and I will rejoice in it”

S -       satisfying my longing for acceptance, value and self-worth in the Cross of Christ

I pray that as we head toward Easter Sunday in a few weeks, we think of the awesomeness of having God, through Jesus, die for us.  In that horrible crucifixion death, He conquered Satan and evil not for His own glory, but because the Lord God Creator of all things wanted US to be with HIM forever.

And why would he do that?  For the Bible tells us we are evil, vile, and lower than worms in our own right.  But because He FIRST loved US, we have the chance to become the children of God!  To be joint heirs to the Kingdom of God and to rule with His Son!

There is NO hope without Christ.  No happiness, no healing.  Only sorrow and pain.

Because Satan, the Evil One, is the exact opposite of God and offers only the opposite of all God offers, eternal life can be summed up in two ways:  With God we have an eternal home and family, and the Light of the Son shines always.  Without God we face being eternally alone, in a pit with no one around us, and in the dark blackness of sin forever.

May we sincerely and truly honor Him and His death by dwelling on the love poured out to us on that cross.   As the song says, “I believe in a hill called Mt. Calvary, I believe whatever the cost.  When time is surrendered, and earth is no more, I’ll still cling to the old rugged cross.”

by Cindy Best

labels

As I cut a label from a new purchase, I thought about all the hundreds, probably thousands, of labels I’ve read over my life.  You have too!

There are labels that tell us if we can use a microwave, freezer, oven or dishwasher.  More labels tell us if we need hot or cold, color-safe, warm iron or no iron.  Then there are the labels that tell us not to step on the top step, not to use something outdoors; and if it’s an electric item there are even more labels.

And I’m sure you can think of a ton more!  Like food container labels to know what we’re eating.  Then there’s those labels which warn us not to “remove under penalty of law”…..

Besides the labels we read every day, we face labels placed on people.  Labels placed on ourselves.  In fact, our culture seems obsessed with labels.  People are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent; or they’re on the “right” or “left” of “middle-of-the-road” or “apathetic.”  Then there are those labeled as highly intelligent, and those who are learning disabled.  Personality traits have labels: introvert, extrovert or over-sensitive or over-bearing; aggressive, passive.  A pessimist or an optimist.  On and on and on….

Life comes at each one of us in minute-by-minute segments that make up a 24-hour day, and we each do the best we can making decisions in those minutes.  Sometimes it’s decisions in split-seconds!  Life is not a test where we get multiple choices to be right.  If we pick choice “A” we rarely get the chance to go back and pick choice “B.”  What is done is done, for the most part.  And labeling what we did as “good” or “bad” isn’t wise in any respect.

Jesus was labeled.  He was a “healer” and a “prophet” and a “teacher.”  Then there were those who labeled him a “trouble-maker” and a “blasphemer” and just a “carpenter.”  And because of labels, he was crucified.

Maybe the reason Jesus the Christ did not call himself by any label is a hint to us today.  His example is there for us to imitate.  He loved and felt compassion for everyone who came to him, even little children.  And lepers and prostitutes and soldiers and notorious sinners.  He never labeled any of them.

But he did say–three times–”Woe unto you” to the ultra-”righteous” Pharisees and followed it up with words such as “brood of vipers” and a few other choice descriptions.  If there was ever a label…

I think what I’ve learned this week as I’ve thought about labels is that they’re generally not good.  And not something I should be quick to apply to people.  I know I don’t want to have a label slapped on me because of one aspect of my personality or education or particular view on some subject.  I only want to be labeled a “child of God.”  How about you?

praise and prayer

^63:7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the LORD has done for us—
yes, the many good things
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
⁸ He said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.
⁹ In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.
¹⁰ Yet they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy
and he himself fought against them.

^64:1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
² As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
³ For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
⁴ Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
⁵ You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
⁷ No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to our sins.

⁸ Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
⁹ Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.

Isaiah 63:7-10, 64:1-9 New International Version

planning ahead

With all the blizzards and tornadoes the Midwest is known for, it is definitely wise to make plans for yourself and family.  We can’t stop weather systems from forming, but we can be wise enough to know what we need in case of an emergency.

I’ve learned to have candles with matches right next to them, and not just dinner candles, but the big jar type candles which last for hours…ever had to read a child books while you waited for the electricity to be restored?  Think ahead on that one.  Even battery-operated candles–they look decorative and serve a purpose and are available as tea lights or full-size, look-like-wax.  Then there’s the good old standby flashlight with a drawer full of batteries.

In the winter, it never hurts to have several cans of soup, tuna, peanut butter and a loaf of bread in the freezer.  And, of course, several gallons of water for each person.  We went through one spring ice storm without power for a full five days…no hot meals and the first two days, we couldn’t get out our driveway because of the huge tree limbs blocking the way, so no restaurant food either.

And little children don’t understand the concept of tornadoes, so it is important to plan how you will describe such an event to them and be prepared to ask them which toy will make them feel good in the basement, or inside a bathroom.  And as for you, what treasure would you absolutely die to have back…take that with YOU!   For me, it’s my children’s photo albums, and I know right where they are.  Also tell older teens, if they are at the mall when a siren goes off to head for the bathroom area where the support walls are plentiful….do NOT try to drive home!

Planning is important for emergencies and, of course, for just plain getting through life.

Sometimes I want to NOT plan…only sit and let life happen.  Usually that only comes about if I’m lucky enough to get a vacation away from home.  It seems my mind has to get away from the house, even if I have time off, because within the confines of the four walls, I “will” find something to plan.  Ack!

My point in all this, however, is that as children of God, we have the greatest plan of all.  We have our eternal future taken care of…no savings needed, no food, shelter, clothes, schedules.  Nothing.  God has our every need thought of and provided, ahead of time.  Nothing will surprise God.  Do you think when we get to heaven he will say, “Oh, I didn’t know you were coming today!”   No way…God knows and has prepared a place for you.

A place under His wings of shelter, peace, provision.  A place with no tears.  A place of purest love.  A place more beautiful than our eyes can envision.

Prepared?   Oh, yes!   He is.

Blessings to you today.  And God’s comfort on your soul.

by Cindy Best

indelibly marked

As I write this, the wind is shrieking outside my window, rattling the siding and windows.  Although my home is reasonably new and well insulated, if I hold my hand against the door frame I can feel cold air pushing through.  Until my family moved to Iowa nearly eight years ago, never had I experienced the 30-40 mph sustained winds with 50-60 mph gusts that are not at all uncommon here.  Snow and rain blow sideways, and the birds struggle not to get pushed backward.  What a day!

The rushing wind brings to mind a story from the book of Acts:  “When the day of Pentecost came, they [the apostles] were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:1-4a New International Version).

Last week the Christian church all over the world observed Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent, the forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  It is a time for us to reflect on our faith walk and to prepare our hearts for both the sorrow and joy we will experience as we commemorate our Lord’s last meal with his disciples, his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his betrayal, trial, and crucifixion, and, finally, his resurrection.  During last Wednesday’s service, many of the faithful had the sign of the cross traced onto their foreheads with ashes, a symbol of mourning and a prompt toward sober reflection.  The cross marks us as believers and followers of Jesus. Although we enjoy celebrating the joyful occasions, we are a people who must also remember and grieve the sorrowful ones.

That cross made of ash is an external, though temporary, mark.  There is a more important mark that does not appear on our flesh; rather, it is evident in how we live our lives.  The apostle Paul exhorts the church at Ephesus:  “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32 NIV).  We are marked with the Holy Spirit, a sign to us of our redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  And what was done at the moment of our surrender to God through confession cannot be easily undone.  Once we have invited Jesus to capture our hearts and rescue us from our sin, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, and we are indelibly marked.

One Lenten tradition is to give up something that you feel has become an obstacle to a closer relationship with Jesus.  I’ve never felt compelled to do this before; usually I just try to re-commit to the disciplines:  studying the scriptures, praying, worshipping regularly with my church, serving in my community.  But this year I realized that I had let my computer take over my life.  It serves a useful purpose (this blog, for instance), but it also had become a black hole that consumed too much of my time and attention.  Giving up the computer entirely was not practical, but I could give up one aspect of it that had become a big time waster for me:  Facebook.  I resisted joining Facebook for a long time, but I finally gave in last year.  It’s fun to keep up with old and new friends and to share interesting things we find on the internet, but I was using it as a way to avoid doing other things, particularly the work of figuring out who I am meant to be.

I confess, I am a big procrastinator, and if I can immerse myself in one thing, I can easily justify not doing something else.  But as I have written here before, I am on a quest of self-discovery, and I realized that I will not find myself on my Facebook wall.  So for Lent this year, I gave up Facebook.  It wasn’t that difficult.  I am still reachable by email, phone, and text.  I do miss reading all the interesting things my friends post, but I can let that go for 40 (or so) days.  The trick is not to replace my Facebook time with other equally wasteful things.  Every day I have to remind myself that the whole reason I gave that up is to focus on who God is in my life and who I am becoming and whether I am moving in the right direction or any direction at all.  I realized that I have allowed myself to get stuck, and something will have to happen to un-stick me, and that something is not likely to happen if I am glued to the computer watching silly cat videos (which I admit I have a weakness for!).

Come, Lord Jesus.  Capture my heart anew.  Retrace the indelible mark of your Spirit within me.  Rescue me, I pray, from fear, from worry, from the noise inside my busy head, and let my thoughts, my words, and my actions be pleasing to you.  Make me into the person you know I can be.  I surrender. 

pine trees

My favorite place to vacation is in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  To me, that is the closest place to heaven on earth.  There, I can see mountain streams with the sparkle of diamonds on the water where the sun shines on it almost every day of the year.  And listening to its babble as it flows crystal clear over rocks and tree limbs relaxes me like no other sound.

The Aspen trees have leaves that rustle in the wind and the pines brush against one another and have their own special sound.  I love it, love it, love it!

Something I found out not too long ago was that the gorgeous, tall  and stately pine trees reaching toward heaven all have very shallow roots.  In fact, so shallow, they need to grow close enough to one another so their roots can intertwine.  Only in that way do they withstand the high mountain winds and thunderstorms that could make them sway so badly they twist and fall.  They literally hold one another up.

I think those pines are a good example of how we as Christians should come alongside one another and provide intertwined spiritual roots to help each of us stand strong against the storms of life.

What would happen if we could, without even knowing what others’ problems were, just always be available to reach out and “grab hold”–underground as it were–of them and help them survive!  What an amazing difference that would make in the lives of our friends.  That kind of love and unconditional support would also draw untold thousands to churches across our land looking for what it is we Christians “have.”

Of course, as believers in God’s plan and gift of grace through Jesus Christ, we have this kind of support available every second of every day.  So, I’ve decided to challenge myself to reach out and support anyone who wants to grow along beside me…would you be willing to reach out to others, too?

I think the pine trees have become my example of how very important we are to one another.  This week, try to reach out to someone else, even if it’s only a “hello” across the aisle at church, or a smile at someone in the grocery store.  You never know what burden is undermining their roots where you cannot see.  Touching your roots to theirs could make all the difference to them, and to you!

by Cindy Best

a clean heart

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
²  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
³  For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴  Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgement.
⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
⁹  Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹  Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶  For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51: 1-17, English Standard Version Anglicized (ESVUK)

watering the garden

Spring is just around the corner…can you smell it?   In fact in some states, flowers are already being planted and even blooming!

At this time of year, when the sun stays out a bit longer and shines a bit warmer, my thoughts always turn to bedding plants and what kind I want to try in my garden.  How about you?

I’ll let you in on something, though, I have no green thumb whatsoever.  Whatever plants grow in my garden do so in spite of me.  Oh, I’ve had a shelf full of gardening books and magazines, some of which make it look sooooo simple.  Not!

One of the things that I’ve never gotten right, I guess, is watering the right amount at the right time.  The perfect balance escapes me.  So my plans have to be hardy and pretty much capable of fending for themselves.  I’ve learned to stick with the “natural” plants common to this area of the country and many of them can withstand drought and early frost.

Oh, I’ve lost more than a few, especially in that brutal winter we had a couple years back.  But the wildflower seeds I planted are now taking hold and they’re going gangbusters, especially the Pink Cone Flower or Echinacea.  Also, my Honeysuckle Vine and Wisteria are about to cover the Pergola built over my front walk, although the Wisteria has yet to bloom after five seasons!

At any rate, as I said, I get to thinking about growing things and that leads me into what I don’t know about growing things!  And since I like pretty flowers, I go to the local nursery often and let the owner guide me to what might work where.

Going to scripture is kind of like that for me at times.  It’s great to have a consistent study time about specific topics or books, but I also know that finding out what works where and how in the “garden of my life” is a good thing, too.  If you feel your life is a little dry, try watering liberally with the Spirit.  The good thing is you can’t “over water” with the Spirit of God, nor can you go to it at the “wrong time.”

Spiritual watering is a way of growing things in my life that I don’t have to worry about.  I let the Master Gardener take over my soul’s garden and when I do that, I am overjoyed at what He produces….even out of the tiniest seeds!  It doesn’t take much for beauty to abound, and I can even “share” some of it with friends and the beauty keeps growing and growing.

I bet you can think of things in your soul’s garden that you can relate to read seeds, dirt, fertilizer and water, too.  While you are planning on what you’d like to see grow in your yard this season, think about what new things you’d like to learn in your spirit, too!  We might even find we have a bouquet of beauty together.

by Cindy Best

the greatest love of all

In the mid-1970’s Linda Creed and Michael Masser wrote a song that was recorded in 1977 by George Benson as an R&B hit and then again in 1986 by a young woman with a powerhouse voice:  Whitney Houston.  According to the song, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.”  The music is stirring and the lyrics are inspirational—but wrong.

I’m not saying that loving yourself isn’t important.  It is difficult if not impossible to love others if we despise ourselves.  But love of self pales in comparison to the truly greatest love of all:  the love God has for his creation, especially for his children.  Mother Teresa said, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”  What is this great love, and how is it different from other forms of love?  I think the greatest love has at least three important attributes.

First, it is the gold standard for love.  All other forms of love are measured against God’s love.  The other day I was reading an interesting article whose author made a comparison between followers of Jesus Christ and the dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  She said that the dogs in the show were not compared to each other or competing against each other; rather, they were judged against the breed’s standard.  For each breed, the dog that most closely matched the traits of the standard or ideal was the winner.  Perhaps we in the church, she wrote, could take a lesson from this:  instead of comparing ourselves to each other and competing with other believers for “best in show,” we should be judging ourselves against the ideal human being, Jesus Christ.

Second, great love is sacrificial.  When couples marry, I think the most difficult adjustment they must make early on is submitting to one another.  If you as a single person are used to doing what you want, when you want, spending your money the way you want, then having to consider another person’s priorities, preferences, and feelings can be a real challenge.  Selfishness is poisonous to marriage, as it is to friendship and parenthood.  Years ago, when I told my parents that my husband and I were expecting, my mother said, “When you have children, your life is not your own.”  I didn’t fully understand what she meant until our daughter was born.  Raising her required me to set aside many of my own dreams and desires to help her fulfill hers and to ensure that she always knew that my love was not only unconditional but unshakeable.  To prove His love for us, God made a great sacrifice.  He knew when He gave us free will and laid down the law about sin that we would have to be rescued from ourselves, and it was His plan from the beginning to demonstrate the greatest love of all by withholding nothing from us, sacrificing Himself in our place so that we could have an abundant life with Him both now and in the future kingdom.

Third, great love is transformational.  Something happens to us, or should, when we realize that Jesus gave up his heavenly throne to become one of us, to live among us, to laugh and to cry, to feel joy and pain, to die for us so that the rift between us and God caused by our sin could be repaired.  My daughter frequently tells me that I am the best mom in the world.  Although I appreciate the compliment, it is difficult for me to accept it because I am painfully aware of all my shortcomings and failures as a mother.  She has either forgotten those failures or has chosen to overlook them, and her love challenges me to aspire to become the person she  believes I already am.  God’s love also is without condition but not without expectation.  He does not want us to be content to be less than we can be.  Once we experience His great love, we can humbly ask Him to remake us, to help us become the people He intended us to be when He first imagined us.  We can be transformed by His love into a people who go on to share that great love with others in all the big and small things we do.

If I had to choose one word to describe this greatest love of all, I would have to say “quality.”  God doesn’t just love more—He loves better.  Our love is often impure, tainted with the residue of our sinful nature.  We sometimes hold back our love because we treat it as an investment, and without the assurance of a good return we hesitate.  But love is not capital.  Its quantity is limited only by the degree of our generosity.  God’s love is not only limitless, it is also pure and freely offered.  What could happen if we accepted the full measure of this love and allowed it to overflow us, overwhelming our failures and shortcomings, drenching the world in the greatest love of all?  I believe we would call that living in the kingdom of God.

what is a life worth? (part 2)

If you were sick with the stomach flu this past week, you’d be treating yourself as symptoms arose: stop eating, rest, and as soon as possible begin drinking hot tea or some fluid to replenish your body. If you found out your illness was not just the flu, but something very serious, you’d get yourself to a doctor, maybe even a specialist. If you’ve discovered that your life is in danger of a spiritual death from an illness you can’t begin to cure, you can at once call for the Perfect Physician and as soon as that Healer is allowed into your life, the spiritual malady is cured. There will be no “death” from this disease.

Are you at a point where you need to be assured you are healed from the disease of spiritual deficiency, unrighteousness and therefore, death? Is it all real? Well, I can share what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans so long ago: “Now God says He will accept and acquit us and declare us ‘not guilty’–if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us ‘not guilty’ of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.” (Romans 3:33-34, Amplified Version)

You know if you are healed of a tumor or appendicitis, or even a decaying tooth, there is pain involved. Healing is not always painless. With spiritual healing there is the painful act of humility–the conscious agreement that you cannot heal yourself. God must perform His miracle in your life in only one way: you must admit defeat in your own ability, your own “cures.” 1 Cor. 1:10 says, “For God says, I will destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be, and ignore the best ideas of men, even the most brilliant of them.” (The Living Bible)

When the vaccine to prevent Polio first came to the world, we felt so fortunate that this horrible, crippling and killing disease could be halted. People flocked with their children to receive this “miracle vaccine” to protect themselves from this illness. Now there are vaccines for most diseases that used to plague children–and now we make sure our children get them!

What a pity those who are afflicted with diseases of the spirit don’t flock to the One who can provide the miracle of grace as the cure to the release from the crippling effects of a burdened and aching spirit within.

How simple the story of the stricken daughter and her illness seems, and the answer also. The problem was in the discovery of the seriousness of the disease. If you know you or a loved one is suffering from a fatal spiritual  disease, call in the Specialist. There is no cost. Salvation is free and available to all. “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13, Living Bible).

by Cindy Best